The Wrestlings of the Church of Scotland, Testimonial
The Teſtimony of MR JAMES WOOD, Miniſter of the Goſpel, and Profeſſor of Theology in the Univerſity of S. Andrewes, for Presbyterial Government.
I MR JAMES WOOD, being now shortly (by appearance) to render up my Spirit to the Lord, find my ſelf obliged to leave a word behind me, for my just Vindication before the World. It hath been ſaid of me, that I have (in word at least) reſeiled from my wonted Zeal for Presbyterial Government, expreſſing my ſelf concerning it, as if it were a matter not to be accounted of, & that no man should trouble himſelf in the matter & practice thereof. It is true, being under ſicknes, I have ſome times ſaid, I was taken up with weightier matters, then any external ordinance, and what wonder I ſaid ſo? being under ſuch wreſtling an…nt my interest in Ieſus Christ, which is a matter of for greater concernment. Surely any Chriſtian in this Church that knows me, will judge there is a wrong done to me: For ſince the day that the Lord convinced my heart (which was by a ſtrong hand) that it was the Ordinance of God, appointed by Ieſus Chriſt, for governing & ordering his viſible Church, I never had the leaſt change of thoughts, concerning the neceſſity of it, nor of the neceſſity of the uſe of it. And now I declare before God & the World, that I account ſo of it ſtill: And that however there be ſome more precious ordinances, yet that this is ſo precious, that a true Chriſtian is obliged to lay down his life for the profeſsion thereof, if the Lord shall ſee it meet to put him to the tryal. And for my ſelf, if I were to live, I would account it my glory, to ſeal this word of my teſtimony with my blood. Of this my declaration, I take God, Angels and Men to be my witneſſes, and have ſubſcribed thi… preſents with my hand, the 2 of March 1664. about 7 hours afternoon, before Mr William Tullidaf and Mr John Carſtairs, my Brother in Law, and John Pitcarn, writer hereof.
MR JAMES WOOD.
AS the Matter of this Teſtimony is very conſiderable, eſpecially from ſo Great a man as Mr Wood was; So the occaſion & conſequents thereof are very obſervable, which were thus: Mr Sharp, having formerly been intimately familiar with Mr Wood, came to viſite him under his Sickneſs (whereunto Sharps Apoſtacy had no ſmall acceſſion) & thereafter did falſely ſpread a report by word & writ, that Mr Wood had reſeiled from Presbyterial Government. Whereof when Mr Wood was informed, he was of new grievouſly affected and afflicted, and thereupon, for his own Vindication, left this Teſtimony behind him. But Mr Sharp finding himſelf thereby made a publlck lyar, (making lyes ſtill his refuge) purſueth Mr Wood being dead, as well as alive, with a new ſlander, alleaging his Teſtimony to be Fictitious, or Extorted from him, when, through diſtemper of his ſickneſs, he knew not what he did, and thereupon cauſed ſummond the Witneſſes▪ the Writter and ſome other perſons before the High Commiſſion: But the contrary of this was and is moſt Evident, not only becauſe this Teſtimony was written and ſubſcribed, a conſiderable number of dayes before his Death, dureing which intervall (as before) he was ſo compoſed, that he ſpake many gracious words about his own ſoul, Ordered his Civil affairs, and a famous Phyſician was not without hopes of his Recovery; But alſo becauſe, hearing that ſome of his faithful Brethren & Co-Presbyters were in the town, he ſent once & again for them, and before them, and ſome other Miniſters at other times, purged himſelf of that unjuſt Imputation, and did bear witneſs for Presbyterial Government more fully & freely then is in the written Teſtimony, & ſome time thereafter, of his own accord did call for the Writter, & (there being none other preſent in the chamber at the beginning) did indite and cauſe him writ the ſame, as it now is without any Alteration; as alſo in a Letter written ſome conſiderable time before, (inviting Mr Carſtairs to come and viſite him) he had made mention of the Backſliding, Tryalls and Sufferings of the times, and expreſſed his deſire to Live, that he might give a more free Teſtimony to the Truth. Notwithſtanding all which, Mr Sharp (obſtructing the reading of a Letter written by Mr Carſtairs to the Chancelor, containing and clearing the matter of fact) perſiſted with great Atteſtations before the High Commiſſion, in his former falſe alleagance, and Slandering both of the Dead and the Living, and cauſed impriſon the Writer and one of the witneſſes, and forced the other (whom, for his eminent Parts, Holineſs and Faithfulneſs, he moſt purſued) to a Retirement for his own ſafety. What ſhall be given to Thee O Sharp! Or what shall be done to Thee; O falſe Tongue? Sharp arrows of the Mighty and Coals of Juniper.