Page:History of the life and sufferings, of the Reverend John Welch.pdf/12

 And now the cene of his life begins for to alter: LutBut [sic], before his bleed ufferings, he had this trange warning.

After the meeting at Aberdeen was over, he retired immediately to Ayr; and one night he roe from his wife, and went into his garden, as his cutom was, but who, when he returned, expolulate with him very hard, for his taying o long to wrong his health; he bid her be quiet, for it hould be well with them. But he knew well, he hould never preach more at Ayr; and accordingly before the next Sabbath, he was carried prioner to Blacknes catle. After that, he, with many others who had met at Aberdeen, were brought before the council of Scotland, at Edinburgh, to anwer for their rebellion and contempt, in holding a general aembly, not authoried by the king. And becaue they declined the ecret council, as judges competent in caues purely piritual, uch as the nature and contitution of a general aembly is, they were firt remitted to the prion at Blacknes, and other places. And thereafter, ix of the mot coniderable of them, were brought under night from Blacknes to Linlithgow before the criminal judges, to anwer an accuation of high treaon, at the intance of Sir Thomas Hamilton, king's advocate, for declining, as he alledged, the king's lawful authority, in refusing to admit the council judges competent in the caue of the nature of church judicatories; and after their accuation, and anwer was read, by the verdict of a jury of very coniderable gentlemen, condemned as guilty of high treaon, the punihment continued till the king's pleaure hould be known, and thereafter their punihment was made banihment, that the cruel entence might omeway eem to often their evere punihment as the king had contrived it.

While he was in Blacknes, he wrote his famous let, dame Lilias Graham, countes of Wigtoun here I have inerted.