Page:Brief historical relation of the life of Mr. John Livingston Minister of the Gospel.pdf/19

 were free, ſome favour ſhould be ſhewed us: and after the letter was thus drawn up by the ſecretary, the king wrote on the margin with his own hand. That the matter ſhould be narrowly tried, and ſeeing he had got from ſome perſons of honour, atteſtations of oar innocency, that the informers ſhould be puniſhed if we were free. But when Mr. Blair took this letter to the deputy to Dublin, it ſeems he had got new advertiſement from Laud, who guided all church-matters at court; for he refuſed, except we would conform, to take any trial or ſhew any favour: ſo we continued depoſed till May 1634. At that time there being ſome little difference between Strafford and some of the Engliſh nobles in Ireland, and Strafford speaking occasionally with my lord Castle-Stuart a good and wife man, he took occaſion to ſhew him, he might gain the hearts of all the Scots in Ireland, if he would reſtore the depoſed miniſters, for which he had alſo ſome warrant from the king; hereupon he wrote that we ſhould be reſtored.

During all that time from May 1632. to May 1634. I ſtayed at firſt ſome while in Killinchie, and not only had ſeveral private meetings in ſeveral parts of the pariſh, but ſundry Sabbaths conveened with them and prayed in the church, and after one had read a chapter I ſpoke thereon; but finding I could not be long ſuffered to do ſo, I went to Scotland, and as I had before, went from place to place as I had invitation to preach, or to be at communions in thoſe places where I had haunted before, and in ſome others. My chief reſidence at that time was in the dean of Kilmarnock, with the worthy lady Boyd, and the while I was there, I preached ordinarily on the Sabbath once, being deſired by the maſter. I was alſo frequently in Lanerk with my father, and in Cumbernauld and other places, and ſometimes in Edinburgh, where were frequent private meetings of chriſtians. I never had of ſtipend in Killinchie, above 4 pounds ſterling by year, and enjoyed that but a ſhort ſpace, yet I bleſs the Lord I never wanted money to ſupply my neceſſity, and to bear my charges in going to and again. My father was not able to ſupply me, having a great charge of other nine children, whereof ſeven were daughters. Theſe from Rh