the end of time, saw him, and he would be careful, lest, after having preached to others, he himself should be a castaway. He would chiefly have respect to the recompense of reward. He would be induced, too, to labour more earnestly, because he did not know how soon he might be prevented. Every man did not then sit under his vine and under his fig-tree. The times were changeable; and, independent of the great change, which certainly as to the event, and uncertainly as to the time, awaits all of woman born, he and others did not know when, by some change of administration, they might be torn from their flocks. Prelacy he could not tolerate, because it was so nearly allied to Popery, and was considered just an introduction to it. He was firmly convinced that Presbytery, in its simplicity and perfectibility, was founded upon the Word of God, and agreeably thereto. When properly administered, he saw that it excelled every other form of church government, as much as what is appointed by the Head of the Church does that constructed by its members. He clung to this as the form of a standing or falling, a pure or a corrupt Church. We have little conception now how much the fathers and builders of the Scottish Church venerated Presbytery. Many of them would rather die than re linquish it, or see it tarnished. The Jews, as justly represented in the 137th Psalm, did not more fondly cling to Jerusalem, than they did to the Presbyterian form of church government. They were determined that upon the head of Christ the crown should for ever flourish. Had it not been for this inviolable determination, he might have continued in Wamphray to the end of his life. Alas! that the monarch whom the Scots so often wished to be restored, was no sooner settled upon the throne of his ancestors, than he forgot his own and his father's friends, and wasted the Church of Scotland, like the boar out of the wood, and devoured it like the wild beast of the field.(*)

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There are few epochs in Mr Brown's changeful, yet eventful life, that are known with certainty. There is, however, one, and it is one of importance both to himself and his then wasted country. It is thus given by the able and impartial historian of the sufferings of the Church of Scotland. Upon the same day, November 6, 1662, the Rev. Mr John Brown, minister at Wamphray in the South, was before the council. Whether he had been brought in by letters desiring him to converse with the managers, or by a formal citation, I cannot say, but this day's act about him runs thus:- Mr John

Brown of Wamphray being convened before the council, for abusing and reproaching some ministers, for keeping the diocesan synod with the archbishop of Glasgow, by calling them perjured knaves and villains, did acknowledge that he called them false knaves for so doing, because they had promised the contrary to him. The council ordains him to be secured close prisoner in the Tolbooth till further order.' I need not enter upon the character of this great man; his abilities were so well known to the prelates, that he must not be suffered any longer, and so his freedom that he used with some of his neighbouring ministers for complying with the prelates, contrary to the assurances they had given him, was made a handle of for this end. He was a man of very great learning, warm zeal, and remarkable piety. The first he discovers in his works printed in Latin, against both Socinians and Cocceians, which the learned world know better than to need any account of from me. I have seen likewise a large M.S. history of his of the Church of Scotland, wherein he gives an account of the acts of our Assemblies, and the state of matters from the Reformation to the Restoration; to which is subjoined a very large vindication of the grounds whereupon Presbyterians suffered. The "Apologetical Relation" appears to be an abbreviate of this in English. His letters he wrote home to Scotland, and the pamphlets and books he wrote, especially upon the indulgence, manifest his fervency and zeal; and the practical pieces he wrote and printed, discover his solid piety, and acquaintance with the power of godliness. Such a man could not easily now escape. I meet not with him again till December 11, when, after Mr Livingstone and others received their sentence, the council came to this conclusion about him: 'Anent a petition presented by Mr John Brown, minister at Wamphray, now prisoner in Edinburgh, showing, that for some speeches rashly and inconsiderately uttered, against some neighbour ministers, he has been kept close prisoner these five weeks bypast; and that, seeing that by want of free air, and ordinary necessaries for maintaining his crazy body, he is in hazard to lose his life, humbly therefore desiring warrant to be put to liberty, upon caution to enter his prison in person when he shall be commanded, as the petition bears. Which being at length heard and considered, the lords of council ordain the supplicant to be put at liberty forth of the tolbooth, he first obliging himself to remove and depart off the king's dominions, and not to return

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without licence from his Majesty and council, under pain of death.'

"I need not observe this unusual severity against this good man. The utmost he could be charged with was a reproof given to his (once) brethren for their apostacy, and for this he is cast into prison, and, when there, deprived of the very necessaries of life; and when, through ill-treatment, he is brought near death, and offers bail to re-enter when commanded, cannot be permitted to have the benefit of free air till he sign a voluntary banishment for no cause. However, it seems his present danger brought this good man to these hard conditions; and December 23d, I find him petitioning for some more stay in the country, which is granted.'Anent a petition by Mr John Brown, late minister at Wamphray, desiring the time of his removal off the kingdom may be prorogate, in regard that he is neither as yet able to provide himself of necessaries, and the weather is unseasonable that he cannot have the opportunity of a ship, as the petition at length bears; which being heard, read, and considered, the lords of council do grant liberty to remain within this kingdom for the space of two months after the 11th of December last, he carrying himself in the meantime peaceably, and acting nothing in prejudice of the present government. Next year, this good man went to Holland, and lived there many years, but never, that I hear of, saw his native land after this."

This extract gives us nearly all the information that can be obtained about the cause wherefor, and the time whereupon, this faithful minister was compelled to leave his native land. But he doubted if the sentence of banishment was ever pronounced upon him. If it was, he never heard it. He was never called before the council a second time. He was never confronted with his accusers. He was not even told the reason why he was banished. He was merely informed that he was condemned to perpetual banishment upon pain of death, if he should return without the sentence being reversed. By presenting a petition to the council, he obtained leave to remain till the 11th of February, old style. Though the time was considerably protracted, it was far too short. He would have many things to settle, and several things to provide, before he left his own, his native land. It does not appear that he was permitted to revisit his dear unprotected scattered flock, and mingle his tears with theirs, and commend them to the care of the Chief Shepherd; neither was he allowed to visit the

place of his nativity, and see his affectionate and now aged father, for his mother was, most likely, where the weary are at rest. He was confined, we presume, to the environs of Edinburgh. He might walk about the city, and view its palaces, its castles, and surrounding hills and adjacent Frith and unequalled prospects which, however imposing they may be to a mind at ease, will almost never be perceived by an eye dim with sorrow. He might, and would associate with the followers of a once crucified, and then, and still much disregarded Saviour, and to them impart instruction, and receive consolation. He would often, probably like the great apostle, continue his speech till midnight. Far from the royal city he would not be permitted to wander. Such are the hard terms that comparative, if not complete innocence could procure, from despotic tyranny and unrelenting cruelty. The bishops and council were both judges and jury. Without any trial, it would appear that, without consulting his Majesty, unless by giving him a partial representation of the case, he must banish himself, or be banished by them. His Majesty would be glad to be rid of such a pestilent fellow and mover of sedition, as he would be represented. Nor was the month of February, (which has been proverbially said to "fill the dyke, either with black or white,") well chosen to sail in such vessels as we now have, much less in such as they had then, even the comparatively short distance of the States of Holland. The loss of the Forfarshire steamer, from Hull to Dundee, and about 40 persons, on Tuesday 7th September, on the Outer Ferne Island, and the sinking of the Northern Yacht, from Newcastle to Leith, near the same place, with every person on board, about twenty-four in number, on Thursday, 18th October, 1838, prove that there may be the greatest danger in sailing to a much less distance than Holland in the boisterous month of February. He could not procure a vessel till about the 1st of March, but, seizing the first opportunity, he left his native land, never to return.

We cannot discover the vessel in which he sailed, nor the name of the master to whom he was obliged to commit himself, during his short, but it may be perilous voyage. Some of the sincere followers of Jesus, about Edinburgh or Leith, or from whatever port he sailed, would endeavour to get every thing made as suitable as might be for his safe and comfortable passage. There are always some milder natures, that feel for our common humanity, and do not like to see men unjustly hurled from stations of honour and dignity; and there were, even then, many whose hearts grace had subdued and soften

ed, and who had not bowed the knee unto Baal. The persecuted followers of a despised Saviour were then obliged to band together, to resist, and even mitigate, as far as possible, the encroachments and severities of arbitrary power.

It may be alleged that he was imprudent, if not injurious, in calling his brethren, even good men it might be, "perjured knaves and villains," or, as he acknowledged, "false knaves," because they had kept a diocesan synod with the archbishop of Glasgow. Admitting that he called them all that was alleged, although we are bound to take his own confession, not disproved, the punishment was surely far greater than the crime merited. Admitting that they were the many, the church, as they would call themselves, and admitting that he went a little too far, what hearts of adamant must they have had, to bring a brother, in such times, before such partial and tyrannical judges! They should have considered that, like the inquisitors, they were delivering him to the secular power, to be punished without mercy. How hard-hearted are even clergymen, too frequently, to their even venially offending brethren! Would they but learn what that scripture meaneth, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets," they would, when their brother was overtaken in a fault, try to restore him in the spirit of meekness. Would they treat their enemies and acquaintances as they do their friends and kindred, they would not so often delate, or so severely punish. We do not plead for the extenuation of the faults of the clergy, nor that their delinquencies should be overlooked or slightly punished; but surely the trivial fault of Mr Brown was too rigorously punished. He perhaps was not overjoyed at the restoration of Charles II. and who will now say that it was a salutary measure? He perhaps opposed strenuously the introduction of Episcopacy, and who will say that a king has a right to impose even a form of church-government upon his subjects, which they, well or ill-informed, reckon anti-scriptural? He might be for more zealous preaching, and stricter discipline, than many around him, and if he did not go beyond scripture precept, and scripture example, wherein was he to be blamed? He might have been allowed to do all the good in his power, on the hills of Dryfesdale or in the vale of Annandale. He might have been permitted to hold any of the political or ecclesiastical principles that he has published, without either hurting the church or the state. But he was become ob