hings; for the holy scriptures allow of no such thing. He
is a holy God, and all that name the name of God must depart from evil."

There were also twenty-six steps of defection drawn up by him (yet in
manuscript) wherein he is most explicit in proving from clear scripture
proofs the sinfulness of the land's apostacy from God, both nationally
and personally, from the public resolutions to the time of his death in
the year 1685. He was by some thought too severe in his design of
killing the prisoners at Drumclog. But in this he was not altogether to
blame, for the enemies word was No quarters, and the sufferers were the
same; and we find it grieved Mr. Hamilton very much, when he beheld some
of them spared, after the Lord had delivered them into their hand.
_Happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us_, &c.
Psalm cxxxvii. 8. Yea Hardhill himself seems to have had clear grounds
and motives for this, in one of the above mentioned steps of defection,
with which we shall conclude this narrative.

"_Fifteenthly_, As there has been rash, envious and carnal executing of
justice on his and the church's enemies, so he has also been provoked to
reject, cast off, and take the power out of his people's hand, for being
so sparing of them, when he brought forth and gave a commission to
execute on them that vengeance due unto them, as it is Psalm cxlix. 9
For as justice ought to be executed in such and such a way and manner as
aforesaid; so it ought to be fully executed without sparing, as is clear
from Joshua vii. 24. &c. For sparing the life of the enemy, and
fleeing upon the spoil, 1 Sam. xv. 18. Saul is sharply rebuked, and
though he excused himself, yet for that very thing he is rejected from
being king. Let the practice of Drumclog be remembered and mourned for.
If there was not a deep ignorance, reason might teach this; for what
master, having servants and putting them to do his work, would take such
a flight at his servants hands, as to do a part of his work, and come
and say to the master, That it is not needful to do the rest; when the
not doing of it would be dishonourable to the master, and hurtful to the
whole family. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord against his people,
insomuch that he abhorred his inheritance, and hiding his face from his
people, making them afraid at the shaking of a leaf, and to flee when
none pursueth, being a scorn and a hissing to enemies and fear to some
who desire to befriend h