li Vindicatum_, and
afterwards in _The Hind let Loose_, which books were in almost as much
esteem with the Presbyterians as their Bibles." Sir George Mackenzie
states, "These irreligious and heterodox books, called _Naphthali_ and
_Jus Populi_, had made the killing of all dissenters from Presbytery
seem not only lawful, but a duty among many of that profession: and in
a postscript to _Jus Populi_, it was told that the sending of the
Archbishop of St Andrews' head to the king would be the best present
that could be made to Jesus Christ."[16]

These principles, at first received with doubt, were afterwards
carried out to the utmost extent by the more violent of the insurgent
party. Murder and assault, frequently perpetrated upon unoffending and
defenceless persons, became so common, that the ordinary course of the
law was suspended, and its execution devolved upon the military.
Scotland was indeed in a complete state of terrorism. Gangs of armed
fanatics, who had openly renounced their allegiance, perambulated the
country, committing every sort of atrocity, and directing their
attacks promiscuously against the clerical incumbents and the civil
magistracy.

But the crowning act of guilt was the murder of the unfortunate
Archbishop. On the 3d of May 1679, a party of the Fife non-conformists
were prowling near the village of Ceres, on the outlook, it is said,
for Carmichael the Sheriff-substitute of the county, against whom they
had sworn vengeance if he should ever fall into their hands. This
party consisted of twelve persons, at the head of whom were John
Balfour of Kinloch, better known by his _soubriquet_ of Burley, and
his brother-in-law, David Hackstoun of Rathillet. Balfour, whose moral
character had never stood high, though his religious fanaticism was
undoubted, had been at one time chamberlain to the Archbishop, and had
failed to account for a considerable portion of the rents, which it
was his official duty to levy. Hackstoun, whose earlier life had been
in little accordance with the ostensible tenets of his party, was also
in debt to the Archbishop, and had been arrested by the new
chamberlain. "These two persons," says Mr Lawson, "had most
substantial reasons for their rancour and hatred towards the
Archbishop, apart from their religious animosities."

It does not seem to be clearly ascertained, whether Carmichael was the
real object of their search, or whether their design from the first
had been directed a