That I may not, however, leave a natu-
ral Curiosity on such Occasions quite un-
gratified, I shall briefly run over the
principal Passages of my past Life,
&and represent my genuine Sentiments in
some material Points: Which, I hope, will
have the greater Weight &and Efficacy upon
You, my dear Fellow-Subjects &and beloved
Countrymen, as I am just about to step
into Eternity; where, at the last great-
est Tribunal, on the last Day, I know, I
must be judged according to the Works
I have already done. And, First, 16 (16)
First, it will be very proper to inform
you, that I have the Honour to be more
immediately descended from One of
those Scottish Clergymen, who unhap-
pily surviv'dsurvived our flourishing Church
&and prosperous Nation at the late Re-
volution. By which Means it was my
Lot, by the wise Providence of God, to
be early train’dtrained up in the School of
Adversity; in as much as He under-
went the common Fate of our other
Spiritual Pastors &and dear Fathers in
Christ, who were, by merely Secular,
and, which is worse, unlawful, Force,
thrust away from their Charges, and
depriv’ddeprived of that Maintenance to
which they had a general &and divine Right,
as well as a legal Title by our Con-
stitution. And this, in many Instan-
ces, was executed with the utmost
Rigour &and Severity, attended with eve-
ry wicked &and aggravating Circum-
stance. For, how could it be other-
wise? when allowed to be done by an
ungovern’dungoverned Mob, distracted with En-
thusiasm &and misguided Zeal; but whose
Deed received it'sits Sanction by some
subsequent pretended Laws.

Into this once glorious, but now declin-
ing, Part of the Church CatholickCatholic I was,
thro'through the Care &and Piety of my loving Pa-
rents, enter’dentered by a holy Baptism: For
which inestimable Benefit, as my Judg-ment17(17)
ment ripen'dripened &and my Reason improv’dimproved, I ever
found greater Cause to bless the happy
Instruments, &and to thank my God; as it
clearly appear’dappeared, upon impartial Enquiry,
that this Church, for Purity of Doctrine,
Orthodoxy in the Faith, Perfection of
Worship, &and her Apostolical Government,
equals, if not excellsexcels, any other Church
on the Earth. And therefore, I persisted,
by the Divine Grace, an unworthy Mem-
ber in her faithful Communion, till,
thro'through various Instances of the Goodness
&and Care of Heaven, manifested in the
wonderful Support &and Preservation of
our Family, I received a pious &and libe-
ral Education, tho'though my Father, wore
out with Sufferings, lived not to see it
half compleatedcompleted, &and at length arrived
at that Age, when, by the Canons of
the Church, I could be admitted into
Holy Orders; which I received at a
Time no earthly Motive could influ-
ence me, but a sincere Intention
to serve God, and, to my Power, to
do good Offices to Men.

Both which I, tho'though most unworthy of the
sacred Character, have ever honestly
endeavour’dendeavoured to the utmost of my weak
Ability, by enforcing &and practising, as far
as Circumstances &and my Station in the Church 18 (18)
Church would permit, that golden &and glo-
rious Rule for the Conduct of a Christi-
an, &and for every Church whereby to re-
form it selfitself; &and moreover, which a-
lone can unite the differing Parts of
Christendom: I mean, the Holy Scrip-
tures, with their only genuine &and au-
thentickauthentic Comment, the universal
Doctrines &and Practices of Christ’s Church
in her first three Centuries. Which
that it may again universally ob-
tain, God Almighty grant for his
Sake, who purchas’dpurchased the Church with
the Effusion of his Blood.

In perfect Consistency with this CatholickCatholic
&and noble Rule, I declare, upon this awe-
fulawful Occasion, &and on the Word of a dying
Man, that I ever abhorr’dabhorred &and detested,
&and do now solemnly disclaim, the many
Errors &and Corruptions of the Church of
Rome; as I do, with equal Zeal, the
distinguishing Principles of Presbyte-
rians &and other dissenting Sectaries a-
mongst us, who are void of every Sup-
port in our Country, but Ignorance &and
usurping Force, &and whom I always conside-
red as the Shame &and Reproach of the
happy Reformation, &and both alike un-
catholickuncatholic &and dangerous to the Soul of
a Christian.

I must further declare, that, by the same 19 (19)
same Method I found out the Absur-
dities of these two differing Parties,
I was soon determin’ddetermined, from rational
&and solid Arguments, to embrace the
Doctrines of Passive Obedience, the
Divine Right of Kings, and, in particu-
lar, the indefeasible &and hereditary Title
of our own gracious Sovereign, King
James the Eighth &and Third &and of his
Royal Heirs1; whom God preserve
and restore.

For these, I am thoroughly convinc’dconvinced,
are Doctrines founded upon the best
Maxims of Civil Government, &and on the
Word of God, and, besides, the very Es-
sence of our own Constitution &and muni-
cipal Laws. And therefore, I could
never view that Convention, which pre-
tended to depose King James, the Se-
venth, our King's Royal Father, &and
dispose of his Crown; I could never, I
Say, view that unlawful &and pack’dpacked As-
sembly in any other Light but as Trai-
tors to their Country &and Rebels to their
King.

But what more naturally falls to
my Share to consider, &and what, I fear,
has been still less regarded, is, the
long persecuted State of my dear Mo-
ther, the Church of Scotland: That
Church, of which it is my greatest
Honour to be a Member &and a Priest,
tho'though very undeserving of either: A
Church, rational &and independent of
any other &and of every Power Poweru-
pon Earth, happily govern'dgoverned by her
own truly primitive Bishops, as so
many Spiritual Princes, presiding
in their different Districts, and, in
them, accountable to none but God
for the Administration of her Discipline. A 21 (21)
A Church, whose Creeds demonstrate her
Soundness in the Faith, &and who is blestblessed
with a Liturgy (I mean the Scots Li-
turgy, compil'dcompiled by her own Bishops) nigh-
er to the Primitive Model than any
other Church, this Day, can boast of,
(excepting perhaps, a small, but, I be-
lieve, a very Pure Church in England,
who, I am told, has lately reform’dreformed
her self in Concert with the foremen-
tioned &and infallible Rule). In one
Word, a Church very nearly resembling
the purest Ages, &and who (after more than
half a Century groaning under Perse-
cutions &and mourning in her own Ashes,
but, all the While, distinguishing Her
selfHerself no less by Forbearance &and Charity
to her bitterest Enemies, than by
her Steadiness to Principle &and Catho-
lickCatholic Unity) is now at last, alas! de-
voted, in the Intention of her Ad-
versaries, to utter Destruction; which
I fervently pray God to prevent.

But may the gracious Hand of Hea-
ven interpose, &and stop the wide De-
struction. May our Church once more
resume her antientancient Lustre, her Priests
be cloathedclothed with Righteousness, &and her
Saints yet sing with Joyfulness.
May her Members yet be multiplied,
blessed with Peace &and Felicity in ysthis
World, &and crown’dcrowned with Immortality
in that which is to come.

And, in particular, I do believe, that
the Destruction of St Ninian's was
merely by Accident, &and without any
Order from his Royal Highness.
And this is the more evident, since
the Person, who had the fatal Oc-
casion of it, lost his own Life
in the Conflagration. But it was
maliciously represented, &and put in
the worst Light, to vindicate the
malicious Procedure of the Usur-
per’s Forces; whose Conduct, let
it be compar’dcompared with that of our King’s
Army, &and then you may form as rea-
dy &and just a Judgment of the true &and
pretended Father of the Country,
as Solomon, by a like Experiment,
did of the true &and pretended Mo-
ther of the Child. And, 26 (26)
And, for my own Particular, I do
solemnly affirm, that, during this
Expedition, I never bore Arms, for
this I thought inconsistent with my
Sacred Character; I never prayed in
express Terms for any King (be-
cause for many Years it has not
been the Practice of our Church, &and
to make such a Change in her Of-
fices I thought incompetent for
me, without the Appointment,
or, at least, the Permission, of
my Superiors) &and preach’dpreached the
plain Truths of the Gospel, with-
out touching on political Subjects.
This Confession, by SurprizeSurprise &and the
Advice of my Council, I was for-
ced to make at the Bar; upon
which my pretended Judges declar’ddeclared,
&and the Jury found, me guilty of high
Treason &and levying War for my barely
accompanying the Royal Army, as
before-mentioned: And this their ri-
gorous Procedure they founded u-
pon a pretended new Act of Par-
liament, made since I was per-
sonally engag'dengaged in the Royal Cause,
and, for what I know, since I was
a Prisoner; which plainly shewsshows,
that, whatever my private Sentiments have 27 (27)
have been, my Life has been gree-
dily sought, &and unjustly taken away,
in as much as they pass’dpassed their Sen-
tence, without any other overt
Act of High Treason (even in their
own Sense) being prov’dproved agtagaisnt me.

I do here acknowledge publicklypublicly,
with a strong &and inward Sense of
Guilt, that, thro'through Fear, human Frail-
ty, the Persuasion of Lawyers, and
the Promise &and Assurance of Life,
I was prevail’dprevailed upon, contrary to
the Sentiments of my Conscience
&and my openly profess’dprofessed Principles,
to address the Elector of Hanover
for Mercy &and my Life. Which Ad-
dress, or Petition, or any Thing of
that Kind, I have sign’dsigned, dero-
gatory to the Royal Cause, or our
undoubted lawful Sovereign’s Right
&and Title, I hereby retract, &and wish, from
the Bottom of my Heart, I had never
done any such Thing, and, with the
Sorrow &and Contrition of a dying Pe-
nitent, most humbly beg Forgiveness
of my heavenly Father for this
my great Offence. God be merciful
to me a Sinner. I likewise beg For-
giveness of all those, good, religi-
ous &and loyal Persons, to whom my
inconsistent Conduct in this Particu-
lar has given just Offence Occa-
sion of Scandal &and Offence. And I 29 (29)
I humbly confess the Justice of God
for bringing to Nought the Devices
of Men, when aim’daimed at, or sought
after, by undue Means &and unlawful
Methods. But hereby the unmerciful
Disposition of the Hanoverian Family
appears the more evident: And the
Injustice &and Cruelty of the Elector’s
Council at Law, in this, that they
indicted, arraign’darraigned, tried &and condemn’dcondemned
a ✝Person, whom I had forc’dforced by a Sub-
pœna to attend my Trial at Car-
lisle as an exculpatory Evidence,
notwithstanding he had long before
delivered himself up, in Consequence
of the pretended Duke of Cumber-
land's Protect Proclamation, had ob-
tain'dobtained a Protection, &and got a Pass. This
the more deeply concerns me, in
Case any of his Friends should i-
magine I had any Design against
him, by forcing him to run such a
Hazard: But I here call God to
witness, I esteemed the Man, and,
as I thought him perfectly safe, I
had no other View in bringing him
this Length, than to do myself Justice.

And I do declare, upon this awefulawful
&and solemn Occasion, I feel no Sting
of Conscience for the Part I have
acted in our civil Discords, &and do
sincerely profess before God &and the
whole World, that, had He, of his
infinite Wisdom, thought proper
to prolong my Life, I should have
ever, by his all-powerful Aid &and Grace 31 (31)
Grace, steadily persisted in the same
Faith &and Principles, in the hearty &and
zealous Belief &and open Profession of
which I now die, &and with fervent
Charity to all Men, imploring the
Pardon &and Forgiveness of all my Sins,
thro'through the Merits &and Mediation of
my crucified Saviour, our Lord
Jesus Christ; earnestly exhorting
You, my dearest Fellow-Subjects
&and most beloved Countrymen, speedi-
ly to repent, &and to turn to your Duty
in every Point, and, in particular,
to that Fidelity &and Allegiance, qchwhich
you owe to your native &and only right-
ful Sovereign.

Consider, I beseech You, consider the
Evils already felt, the impending
RuineRuin of your Country. Consider the
crying Injustice &and Indignity offered
to the Best of Princes. Above all,
consider the Guilt &and high Deme-
rit of violating God's Laws &and re-
sisting his Ordinance. And let
these powerful ^&and prevailing Motives excite
you quickly to amend your Ways,
to make a thorough Change in your
Life &and Conversation, &and to continue
firm for everforever firm &and unshaken in 32 (32)
in your Duty &and Subjection to yethe Power
ordain’dordained of God, not only for Wrath,
but also for Conscience Sake. So
shall ye arrest the Vengeance and
just Wrath of Heaven, which has
gone out against us. Ye shall be
the happy Instruments yet to
preserve your wishing Country
from entire Destruction, &and save
your Souls in the Day of yethe Lord.

I conclude in the Words of our
holy Mother, the Church, as She
piously appoints in the Office for
this ✝ Day, &and in that of the Pro-
to-Martyr, StSaint Stephen.

O Almighty God, who hast built thy 33 (33)
thy Church upon the Foundation of
the Apostles &and Prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the Head Corner Stone;
grant us so to be joined together
in Unity of Spirit by their Doctrine,
that we may be made an holy
Temple acceptable unto Thee,
through Jesus Christour Lord . Amen.