Burnett of Lethentie, Alexander Gellie, John Forbes of Aquorthies, John Robertson, Robert Sandilands, Robert Milne, and John Mercer; but some of these, for want of space, were obliged to lodge themselves among the debtors and other prisoners, who lay in the lower vaults much thronged.

The relations and acquaintance of these sufferers, with many sober inhabitants of the town, being sorely grieved at such inhuman usage, applied to the magistrates to prevent their death, of which the physicians actually declared them to be in danger. With this view, they sued for their removal into the great room of the Chapel; but the provost and bailie Burnett would not admit it, the latter saying, He would pack them like salmon in a barrel, and though they stood as close as the fingers on his hands, yet they should have no more room; and that if they had not room in the chambers, they might lie on the stairs:—the passage of which stairs was so narrow, that one person could hardly pass another.

At length, a friend of the prisoners, under a great concern, wrote the following letter to the provost, which is thought worthy to be here inserted, as showing, that the prisoners or their friends were not wanting in the Christian duty of warning and rebuking unjust and cruel rulers.

"TO THE PROVOST OF ABERDEEN.

"Provost!

"The King of kings, who is Lord both over thee and me, hath laid it upon me, so that I may not forbear, without incurring his displeasure, to write unto thee touching thy present office, and thy exercise thereof in this city. Wherefore, in his fear and dread consider it, and reject not, I beseech thee,

what is thus offered, because coming from one whom thou despisest, but seek to hear the voice of the Lord, and to know his will thereby.

"Thou art appearing cruel against the servants of the living God, whom one day thou wilt see he owns, and to whom he will give a better kingdom than an earthly one. But because thou art not willing to see and acknowledge them such, what I am to lay before thee shall be, laying aside that part of the difference betwixt us, Whether they be, or be not, the people of the Lord: for it is beyond doubt to me, the Lord having made me to see they are his, and joined my heart unto them and their testimony; and thou, it seems, art not yet come to begin the question in good earnest, From whence are they come?

"Thy hard thoughts and hard speeches of them are beside the law, wherewith thou defendest some of thy actions, and their manner of imprisonment is thy own deed. Ah! remember, and still keep in thy mind, that for these and all other deeds done in the body thou must give an account, and thou wilt find thy need of forgiveness; but how canst thou seek or expect it, if thou be void of mercy to any? Albeit there were of us that had wronged thee, what do we owe thee? But a few pence in comparison of what thou owest the Lord. And wilt thou fulfil our Lord's parable in plain deeds, to imprison cruelly, and beyond thy superior's orders, for thy own private offence? Verily, though before this time much had been forgiven thee, yet for that very act all thy iniquities may be laid to thy charge, as thou mayst read in Matthew, xviii. 32, 33, 34. Were we thy enemies, as it is likely thou judgest us to be, thou oughtst, as a Christian, to relieve our necessities; and in so doing thou wouldst heap coals of

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fire on our heads, and mightst expect thy reward from the Lord. But how much contrary [to this] is it, to increase our necessities, and add to our burdens by closer imprisonment than the law requires, and where there is no necessity for it; there being other convenient houses and places for imprisonment, where there is room enough. Reflect seriously on the measures which thou art giving to others; and be not ashamed to stop, when and where thou seest thou hast done amiss. If thou think, thereby thou art executing justice, and actest righteously, because they walk contrary to thy will, mind what the wise man said, 'Be not righteous overmuch, nor make thyself over-wise: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?' Why should it offend thee, that they preach repentance and remission of sins by believing in Christ near, to a multitude of poor wicked people? Can you think worse of them than some formerly really were, who preached Christ out of envy, supposing to add affliction to the afflicted Apostle's bonds? and yet he was far from being cruel unto them, or bidding any so to be, although he was an eminent witness for Truth, and against all deceit. And that they cry aloud from a prison-window, and lift up their voices like a trumpet, is it an injury to thee, or matter of offence justly given? Or canst thou allege, God or man will lay that practice of theirs to thy charge? So that, upon no account, needest thou to be afraid or offended, to suffer them, when they are willing for Christ's sake to run all hazards, and be lightly esteemed among men. It is far less for thee to bear it. Therefore leave them to their Master, to whom they must stand or fall, that so thou mayst give up thy charge and account with approbation of the Lord, whose favour will be of use, when that of all men will fail."

CHAPTER X.

1677: LILIAS SKENE'S WARNING TO THE MAGISTRATES AND INHABITANTS OF ABERDEEN-CONSOLATORY LETTERS TO THE PRISONERS FROM WILLIAM

PENN, RICHARD RAE, AND HECTOR ALLANE.

ABOUT this time, Lilias Skene, whose husband Alexander Skene with others had been then recently incarcerated, as we have seen, among all sorts of prisoners, merely for the act of public worship, was constrained, in true honesty and earnestness of desire for the welfare of her neighbours, to lay before them the hazardous consequences of such conduct. In her exhortation may be discovered that Christian love which flows towards enemies, and which enables to pray for those who despitefully use and persecute. Her language is enlivened and confirmed by many apt passages from the Sacred Volume; for, it appears, she was especially versed in these writings, and had much improved in her understanding and application of them, by obeying the dictates of the Spirit of Christ.

"A warning to the Magistrates and Inhabitants of Aberdeen, written the 31st of the 1st month, 1677.

"At several times, and in divers manners, I have witnessed against the will-worship and blind obedience of the inhabitants of this city, since the Lord opened my eyes, and drew me out of that fearful pit. So, at this season, I am moved in the same zeal for the Truth, and compassion towards your souls,

MAGISTRATES, PREACHERS, and PEOPLE, to bear an open testimony against the spirit of persecution, whereunto ye are now arrived in such a measure, as doth exceed the bounds of humanity and the severity of your predecessors.

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Wherefore, in the fear of the Lord, and in tender love towards you, I warn you to consider what you are doing; that you draw not upon yourselves and this city innocent blood; for, assuredly, the Lord will not hold you guiltless. Every one of you will find it so, according to the measure of your accessions, when the Lord deals with you :-truly, you will have enough to account for, though you keep your hands free from the blood of the innocent people, who suffer for conscience-sake.

"O consider! If the righteous scarcely be saved, where will the ungodly and unmerciful sinner appear? What favour or mercy you have shown to particular persons, has not been done unto them as friends of God, but that ye might appear to be men not wholly void of gratitude or natural affection, they being near unto you and in friendship with you: therefore will ye lose your reward. How will ye answer the Lord one day, for thus using his friends and followers? When he shall say unto you, 'I was sick, and ye visited me not; hungry, naked, and in prison, and ye were so far from extending pity or help, that ye made me (in my members) prisoner, naked, hungry, thirsty.' In place of supplying their necessities, ye were instrumental in occasioning them to be greater; for, like Egypt's task-masters, ye have increased the tale of bricks, and instead of setting them at liberty, have added to their bonds.

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And if the magistrates, ministers, and people of this place should say, When saw we thee so and