a condemnation of every thing in relation to the public interests of religion which was sinful or unscriptural; a principle which, while it involved them in that very confounding of civil and ecclesiastical matters against which they inveighed so loudly under the name of Erastianism, tended to rivet the chains of servitude on themselves and the nation. Into this error they appear to have been betrayed partly by mistaken notions of the controversy which had formerly arisen respecting the Public Resolutions. What the more honest party at that period opposed was, the admitting to places of power and trust of such as had shown by their previous conduct that they were enemies to the reformation introduced into church and state, and would use the power intrusted to them to overturn it. This could not be said of those who had accepted of or acquiesced in the Indulgence, and still less of those whom Hamilton's friends wrangled with so fiercely, who protested solemnly that they disapproved of the Indulgence, and whose former conduct vouched for the sincerity of their protestations. Another remark is suggested by the facts here referred to. If ministers of the gospel would preserve their usefulness and respectability, they must guard their independence on the side of the people as well as of civil rulers. Provided they become "the servants of men," it matters not much whether their masters wear a crown or a bonnet; and if, instead of going before

the people to point out to them the path of duty, and checking them when they are ready to run into extremes, they wait to receive directions from them, and suffer themselves to be borne along by the popular stream, the consequences cannot fail to be fatal to both. Firm and tenacious of his purpose, the servant of the Lord, while gentle to all, ought to hold on the even tenor of his way, unmoved equally by the frown of the tyrant, the cry of the multitude, and the dictates of forward individuals, good and well-meaning men it may be, but who "cannot see afar off," and just need the more to be led that they think themselves capable of being leaders. An opposite conduct on the part of two or three ministers tended to foster those extravagant opinions and practices adopted by some presbyterians at this period, which discredited the cause for which they appeared, and which their best friends, though they may excuse, will not be able to defend, and should not seek to vindicate.

END OF THE NOTICES OF JAMES URE.

NARRATIVE

OF THE

RISING AT BOTHWEL BRIDGE,

BY

JAMES URE OF SHARGARTON.*
*

I WENT to Rugland [Rutherglen] upon the Lord's day, [June 8, 1679,] about the first preaching going to, which was the Sabbath after Loudon hill,† and when I came there, one Mr. Kemp was preaching, and one Mr. Douglas preached afternoon. They spoke much against the Indulgence and the defection of the time. The rest of

* In the MS. it has the following title:-" A true relation of the late affairs in the west, given by a person of very good credit, who was eare and eye witnesse and actor in the westland forces. This is Shergetonn's account." (MSS. Adv. Lib. No. lx. Jac. V. 1, 10, art. 110.)

+ The skirmish at Loudon Hill or Drumclog happened on Sabbath, the 1st of June, 1679.

the ministers were preaching too; for there was a very great convention of people there from the country and Glasgow. Our forces about this time were about two thousand foot and seven troops of horse. They were commanded by Robert Hamilton, as general, and by one Henderson, Paton,t Ross, Cleland, § and Weir; || the horse by Bal

* "We were betwixt 5000 and 6000 horse and foot, drawn up on the moor besouth Glasgow the Saturday night before, (June 7,) all as on man and of on mynd, to own the Rugland testimony against all its opposers." (Robert Hamilton's Notes on Ure's Narrative.) Hamilton's notes are afterwards marked R. H.

↑ Henderson and Paton are mentioned before, p. 40, 302.

Alexander Ross, major in the rebels' army, was, on the 19th of July, 1680, convicted, on his own confession, of having been at Bothwell, and condemned to be executed, but reprieved on his agreeing to take the oaths and bond. (Wodrow, ii. 116.)

§ William Cleland has been mentioned already, p. 108. In November 1680, he was sick in Holland. (MSS. in Adv. Lib. No. lix. Jac. V. 1, 26, art. 138.) James Nimmo, who had been under concealment since the battle of Bothwell, came from Berwick in 1685 to take a passage, along with his family, to Holland. "The ship (says he) was lying at Bruntisland, and we went first night to Leith and took a passage boat next day, some friends accompanying us; and when we came over, there were four of Argyle's captains in the house whereto we went that were in the same circumstances, viz. William Cleiland, John Fullerton, James Bruce, and John Campbell, who were singing and making merry as they could, that they might not be discovered; and so passing that day, the 23d of November, about 11 at night, we went aboard. Upon the 4th of December we landed at Amsterdam in health and safety." (Life of James Nimmo, written by himself for his own satisfaction, MS. p. 127, 128.)

Thomas Weir.-" August 3, 1682. There was sent in from the Duke of Hamiltoune some petitions addressed to him by rebels, viz. Thomas Weir in Greerig," &c. (Act. Secr. Concil.) From a

four, Hackstoun, Mr. Walter Smith, and Mr. Kemp, as I suppose, had also a troop of horse. There went with me first about fifty-two men well armed.

After sermon Mr. Barclay took me in where Robert Hamilton and the rest of the ministers were going to supper. They made me very welcome, and in our discourse they were inquiring if there were any more to come out of our country. I told them, that we heard that Cameron was here, and that was the stay; and if he had been, I would have presently returned; but if we had known that Mr. Welsh and Mr. Barclay* had been here, we would have been upward of two hundred Robert Hamilton spakę nothing against me; but he and his faction kept an eye still upon me, and afterwards they told me, that Cameron was in Holland; and I prayed God, that all his faction were with him. I went back to Glasgow

men.

preceding part of that minute it appears that lenity was to be shown to such only as were "content to take the test." Greenrigg is in the Duke of Hamilton's retour; (Lanark, 149, 239;) and Weir was probably a feuar.

* See before, p. 313, 319. Mr. George Barclay preached for some time in the fields both in the east and west of Scotland. (Wodrow, i. 436. Walker's Peden, p. 79, 91, 95. Rem. Passages, p. 150.) In the beginning of 1679 he was taken at a search in Edinburgh, but escaped. (Wodrow, ii. 14.) On the toleration in 1687 he preached at Glentirran, in a meeting-house erected for the ac commodation of the parishes of Kippen and Gargunnock, and after the Revolution became minister of Uphall, where he continued upwards of twenty years, greatly respected. (Statist. Account of Scotland, (Kippen,) vol. xviii. p. 331. Life of Alexander Reid, p. 26, 66.)