ing spread, some of king
James's officers (being there) entered into a resolution to go to church
next Lord's day, and to take him out of the pulpit in case he uttered
ought against that way. Of this he was informed late on Saturday, and by
some friends was importuned to abstain from saying any thing that might
exasperate them. But he preached next day on Col. i. 18. and proved,
that Christ was the sole King and Head of his church, in opposition to
the usurpation of both popery and Erastianism; whereupon the officers
got all up to execute their design, which the good man did not observe
till he turned himself about (for they sat in a loft on the left side of
the pulpit). Then he said with an authority that put them out of
countenance, For these things I am become the song of drunkards. On
which they all sat down, for it was when drinking, that they had formed
that wicked design. From the popish controversy, he was led to a more
serious inquiry into the merits of what was then the real controversy;
and after serious wrestling with God, and earnest prayer for light and
direction from him, in which he spent several nights in his garden, he
at length determined fully to declare for the truth, whatever might be
the consequence: And accordingly in June 1687, he declined to sit in the
presbytery, but continued to preach. In August, the presbytery were
informed not only that he absented wilfully, but that he disowned the
government of the church by arch-bishops, bishops, &c. and appointed a
committee to converse with him. Who, having done so, at a subsequent
diet, reported that Mr. MacBean declared plainly to them that he had no
freedom to meet with them in their judicatories any more; that it was
over the belly of convictions that he had entered into the ministry
under bishops; and that these convictions were returning with greater
force upon his conscience, so that he could not overcome them; that he
was convinced presbytery was the only government God owned in these
nations; that he was fully determined to make all the satisfaction he
could to the presbyterians; to preach for them and in their favours; and
that though he should be dispensed with by bishop and presbytery from
keeping their meetings, he could not promise that, in his preaching, he
would not give ground of misconstruction to those that owned prelacy. At
the same time his colleague Mr. Gilbert Marshal farther reported, That
Mr. MacBean, both in his public lectures