A LETTER FROM EDENBROUGH, Giving an Account of the Behaviour of Three Notorious TRAYTORS, Who were there Executed, March, 11. 1681. ALSO The last SPEECH OF WILLIAM GOGAR, [The most Notorious Traytor] at the place of Execution.
I Cannot omit to give you a short Accompt of the Tryal and Execution of Three Notorious Traytors, which were Hang'd in this City Yesterday. At their Tryals, They Confessed confidently all that was laid to their Charge, and mantain'd all their Actions and Proceedings to be Just; As their being Personally in the late Rebellion, and in the Bond of Combination, which always obliges them to be Faithful to one another, and all those that take their Parts; To mantain the Covenant, and Establish the True Presbyterian Church; That it was Lawful to Kill the King, and all such as should take his Part, for Breaking the Covenant, and as Enemies to Christ and the People of God; And that the Excommunicating the KING was Just, &c. At the Gallows there was a Pardon offer'd, if they would Repent, and ask Forgiveness; But they refused all Grace there, as at their Tryals; all answered, That they would not receive a Pardon from such Murderers, [meaning the King and [...]is Councel here;] Another said, He owned the King as the King owned the Covenant. In fine, They Dyed Obstinate and Impenitent, expressing Great Zeal for their Cause, but no Charity; For they neither asked God nor Man Forgiveness, nor Forgave any. This Inclosed is the Exact Speech of one of them. No more, but all True Service, from,
The Last SPEECH and Testimony og WILLIAM GOGAR, One of the Three Desperate and Incorrigible Traytors, Executed at the Grass-market in EDENBROUGH, the 11th. Day of March, 1681.
For Disowning His Sacred Majesties Authority, and Owning and Adhering to the Bloody and Murdering Principles contained in that Execrable Declaration at Sanquar, Cargil's Traiterous Covenant, and Sacrilegious Excommunicating of the KING, by that Arch-Traytor Cargil, and avowing of themselves to be bound in Conscience, and by their Covenant, to Murder the KING, and all that serve under Him; being Armed [the time they were apprehended] for that purpose.
These are to shew, that I am come here this Day to lay down my Life for owning Christ, and his Truths; And insomuch as We are Calumniated and Reproached by Lying Names, and Dreadful Upbraiding of Us; with saying, That We are not led by the Scriptures; And say, We have taken other Rules to walk by, &c. I take the Great God to be Witness against all and every one of them, That I take the Word of God to be my Rule, and I never Design'd any thing but Honesty and Faithfulness to Christ: And for owning of Christ and the Scriptures, this Day I am Murdered; for adhering to the Born-down-truth I am Condemn'd to Die; And I also bear my Testimony, and bear Witness against all the Apostate Ministers this Day that have taken Favour at the Enemies Hands. The only thing they take away my Life for, is, Because I disown'd all those Bloody Traytors not to be Magistrates, which the Word of God casts off, and We are bound in Conscience & Covenant to disown all such as are Enemies to God, and which they are avow'd and open Enemies to Christ; And they have made void my Word said the Lord: Say what you will Devils, say Wretches, say Enemies, say what you will, We are owning the Truth of Christ, and his written Word; And condemn me in my Judgment who will, I leave my Blood on One and All that says we are not led by the Scriptures: I leave my Blood upon You again to be a Witness against You, and a Condemnation in the Great Day of Judgement. I have no more to say, I think this may mitigate all your Rage, &c. I leave his Enemies to his Curse, to be Punished unto everlasting Wrath, for now and ever, Amen.