e have disowned the authority of Charles Stuart (not authority as
God's institution, either among Christians or heathens) and all
authority depending upon him, for reasons given elsewhere (disclaiming
all such things as infer a magistratical relation betwixt him and us);
and also we have declared war against him, and his accomplices such as
lay out themselves to promote his wicked and hellish designs.... We do
hereby declare unto all that whosoever stretcheth forth their hands
against us ... by shedding our blood actually, either by authoritative
commanding, such as bloody counsellors ... especially that so-called
justiciary, generals of forces, adjutants, captains, lieutenants, and
all in civil and military power, who make it their work to embrue their
hands in our blood, or by obeying such commands, such as bloody militia
men, malicious troopers, soldiers, and dragoons; likewise such gentlemen
and commons who, through wickedness and ill-will, ride and run with the
foresaid persons ... we say all and every one of such shall be reputed
by us enemies to God and the covenanted work of reformation, and
punished as such, according to our power and the degree of their
offence.... Let not any think that (our God assisting us) we will be so
slack-handed in time coming to put matters in execution as heretofore we
have been, seeing we are bound faithfully and valiantly to maintain our
covenants and the cause of Christ."

[59] For example, in the earliest edition of the pamphlet containing his
version of this affair ("The Life of Peden") an "old singular Christian
woman named Elizabeth Menzies" is mentioned as the first neighbour who
came to condole with Mrs. Brown. In later editions Elizabeth Menzies
becomes Jean Brown. The wife also is sometimes Isabel and sometimes
Marion. Walker's "Biographia Presbyteriana" is a collection of tracts
published by him at different times, of which this "Life of Peden" is
the earliest and the best.

[60] "A Short Memorial of the Sufferings of the Presbyterians."

[61] This Buiening is called Bruning in "The Cloud of Witnesses," and
may be the Brownen of Claverhouse's letter, that is to say, the nephew
of John Brown.

[62] "It seems somebody had maliciously told this Graham they were of
the Whigs who used the field meetings, upon which, without any trial or
other sentence than his own command, his soldiers fetched them all to
Mauchline, a village where his headquarters were, and hanged them
im