Page:Brief historical relation of the life of Mr. John Livingston Minister of the Gospel.pdf/58

( 58 ) Simpſon, I was reſolved to appear, altho’ the citation had not come to me; but if that I found that they were upon ſuch a deſign as againſt Mr. Guthrie, that my life were in danger, I was minded to lurk, and not to appear, ſeeing I was not cited nor apprehended. But finding their ſentences would be only baniſhment, and Mr. Trail having got that ſentence on the 9th of December, being called before the council, I did on the 11th of December appear.

I have in another paper ſet down what paſt when I was before the council; the ſum of all came to this, They required me to ſubſcribe the oath which they called the oath of allegiance, wherein the king was to be acknowledged ſupreme governour over all perſons, and in all cauſes both civil and ecclefiaflic. This I know well was contrived by them, in ſo general, ambiguous and comprehenſive terms, that it might import the receding from the covenant for reformation, and the owning as lawful the bringing in of the Biſhops. And the Summer before, when ſome miniſters of the Weſt had given in their ſenſe, that they would acknowledge the king ſupreme civil governour, even in eccleſiaſtic matters, that ſenſe was rejected. Therefore I refuſed to take ſome time to adviſe about the matter, as ſome who had been before them had done. This I thought would import that I was not fully clear, nor reſolved in the matter, and would both render myſelf obnoxious to many temptations, and offend and weaken many others: Therefore I told, I needed not take time, ſeeing I was abundantly, clear, that I could not take that oath. This made them the ſharper againſt me: They pronounced the ſentence of baniſhment. That within 48 hours, I ſhould depart Edinburgh, and go to the North-side of Tay, and within two months depart out of all the king’s dominions. The while was in the outer-houſe before the council-houſe door, being removed till the council adviſed about my ſentence; there being preſent ſeveral of my friends, and a great many other people, one James Wallace came to me, who once had