Page:Brief historical relation of the life of Mr. John Livingston Minister of the Gospel.pdf/36

( 36 ) to flee the country, and hirelings thruſt in upon them. When that had continued ſome time, and they thought hardly a worſe condition could come, the abjuration oath was urged upon them, and after all came the bloody ſword of the rebels. And I have heard some of them that eſcaped the ſword of the rebels complain, that they thought the oppreſſion and inſolences of ſome of the Scottiſh army, that came over, was to them worſe than the rebellion. The Winter following many came fleeing over to Scotland, ſundry to Air and Irvine, and other places of the West by ſea, but the greateſt number came by Portpatrick and Stranrawer, and were generally in a very deſtitute condition. There had been collected in Edinburgh and ſeveral other places about, conſiderable ſums of money for their ſupply: Of which there was ſent to me £1000 Scots, to diſtribute to needy perſons at their firſt arriving. All this in a few weeks was diſtributed in prefence of ſome of our elders. The moſt that was given to any was a half-crown, only a very few got five ſhillings ſterling, but for the moſt part they got but one ſhilling, and ſome 18 pence, the number was ſo great. Of all the numbers that came our way, I hardly obſerved one perſon ſufficiently ſenfible of the lord’s hand in it, or of deſerving on their part, except one Engliſhman, ſo far had the ſtroke ſeiſed their ſpirits as well as bodies.

In April 1642. I was ſent by order of the council of Scotland to Ireland, to wait on the Scottiſh army, that went over with major general Monro, and ſtaid for ſix weeks, moſt part in Carrickfergus, where the head quarters were, and for other ſix weeks moſt part at Antrum, with Sir John Clotworthy and his regiment, who had obtained an order from the council for me ſo to do. I preached for moſt part in theſe two places; but ſometimes in other pariſhes of the coaſt-ſide about; and before I left Antrum, we had the communion celebrated there, where ſundry that had taken the oath did willingly and with great expreſſions of grief publickly confeſs the ſame. I found a great alteration in Ireland; many of thoſe who had been civil before, were become many ways exceeding looſe; yea, ſundry who as could