ring them, until I
saw they preached at the hazard of men's lives.--This made me examine
the matter, until I found out that they were directly wrong and contrary
to scripture, had changed their head, had quitted Jesus Christ as their
head, and had taken their commission from men, owning that perjured
adulterous wretch as head of the church, receiving then commission to
preach in such and such places from him and those bloody thieves under
him."

From Borrowstouness he returned back to Falkirk; and thence home to
Stirling, where he remained for some time under a series of
difficulties: for, after he got off when taken with others at the
Shield-brae,--while he was making bold to visit Mr. Skeen, he was taken
in the castle, and kept all night, and used very barbarously by the
soldiers, and at eight o'clock next morning taken before the provost,
who not being then at leisure, he was imprisoned till afternoon. But by
the intercession of one Colin M'Kinzie (to whom his father was smith) he
was got out, and without so much as paying the jailor's fee. "I had much
of the Lord's kindness at that time, (says he) although I did not know
then what it meant, and so I was thrust forth unto my wandering again."

About this time, he intended to go to Ireland; but being disappointed,
he returned back to Stirling, where he was tost to and fro for some
time, and yet he remarks, he had some sweet times in this condition;
particularly one night, when he was down in the Carfe with one Barton
Hendry;[195] after which heavy trials ensued unto him from professors;
because he testified against every kind of their compliance with the
current of the times. Upon this account, the society meeting he was in
and he could not agree. This made him leave them, and go to one in the
country; which, he says, "were more sound in judgment, and of an
undaunted courage and zeal for God and his cause; for the life of
religion was in that society."

At this time, he fell into such a degree of temptation by the devices of
the enemy of man's salvation, that he was made to supplicate the Lord
several times that he might not be permitted to a affright him in some
visible shape, which he then apprehended he was attempting to do. But
from these dreadful oppressions he was at last, through the goodness of
God, happily delivered.[196] Although, as yet, he knew but little of
experimental religion. And, says he, "The world thought I had religion:
but to know the hidden t