Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 7.djvu/39

Rh conciled, till after a conversation with him, when he was upon his death-bed, and unable to repair the injury. In the midst of these multiplied discouragements, he was cheered by the assistance and fellowship of Mr David Hunston, a minister from Ireland, and Mr Alexander Shields, a preacher who had made his escape from London, both of whom espoused the same testimony, and periled their lives along with him. It was but a short time, however, that he enjoyed the aid of these intrepid men; Mr Hunston being necessitated to go to Ireland, and Mr Shields going over to Holland, to superintend the printing of the informatory vindication. It was in this year that James VII., for the encouragement of the catholics, set aside the penal statutes, and gave out his indulgences, allowing all to worship in their own way, except in barns or in fields; which, to the disgrace of the Scottish church, was embraced with abundance of gratulatory addresses by her whole body, ministers, and members, Mr Renwick and his followers excepted. This was a new addition to his troubles, and opened the mouths of complying professors still more against him. About this time, too, he became infirm in body, could neither walk afoot nor ride, and was carried to his preaching places in the fields with great difficulty; though, in the time of preaching, he felt nothing of his weakness. The pursuit after him was now doubly hot, and an hundred pounds sterling was offered for him, either dead or alive. Coining to Edinburgh in the beginning of the year 1688, to give in a testimony to the synod of tolerated ministers, against the toleration which they had accepted, and having delivered it into the hands of Mr Kennedy, their moderator, he passed over to Fife, where he continued preaching at different places, till the end of January, when he returned to Edinburgh, and took up his lodgings in the house of a friend on the Castle hill, a dealer in uncustomed goods. A party coming to search for these, discovered Mr Kenwick, and apprehended him. He did not, however, surrender himself into the hands of his enemies without resistance. He drew out and fired a pocket pistol, and having thus made an opening among his assailants, escaped into the Castle wynd, and ran towards the head of the Cowgate; but, one of the party having hit him a violent stroke on the breast with a long staff as he passed out, he was staggered, and fell several times, and having lost his hat, was laid hold of by a person in the street, who probably knew nothing of the man, or the crimes laid against him. Being taken to the guard-house, he was there kept for a considerable time, and suffered much from the insolence of some that came to see him. The captain of the guard seeing him of little stature, and of a comely countenance, exclaimed, "Is this the boy which the whole nation has been troubled about?" After undergoing examination before the council, he was committed close prisoner, and put in irons. Before he received his indictment he was carried before the lord chancellor, Tarbet, and examined upon his owning the authority of James VII., the paying of cess, carrying arms at field meetings, &c.; upon all of which he delivered his mind with such faithfulness, freedom, and composure of mind as astonished all that were present. He was examined upon the paying of cess, in consequence of the notes of two sermons on the subject being found upon him when he was taken. Among these notes were also some memorandums of names, some in full, and some with merely the initials ; all these, to avoid threatened torture, he explained with the utmost freedom, knowing that the persons were already as obnoxious as anything he could say would make them. This ingenuousness on his part had a wonderful effect in calming their rage against him, and Tarbet mildly asked him, what persuasion he was of; to which he replied, of the protestant presbyterian. He was then asked how he differed from other presbyterians who had accepted his majesty's toleration, owned his authority, &c., &c.?