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Bishops of Scotland sent to the king informations against us, by one Mr John Maxwell, called Bishop of Ross; and thinking that nonconformity would not be ane hainous enough crime, they informed that we stirred up the people to extasies and enthusianisms. There were indeed in some parishes, especially in Bread Island, where was an godly aged minister, Mr Edward Bryce, some people who used in tyme of sermons to fall upon an high breathing and panting, as those doe who have run long. But most of the ministers, especially those that were complained of, discountenanced these practises, and suspected them not to proceed from any work¹ of the Spirit of God, and that upon this ground, that² these people were alike affected whatever purpose³ was preached; yea, although by one that had neither gifts nor good affection to the work of God; and, accordingly, few of these people ever came forward to any solid increase⁴ of Christianity, but continued ignorant and profane, and left off all that seeming motion. It is like that Mr Henry Leslie had informed this against us. However, upon these informations, the king wrote to the Lord Justices of Ireland, and by them to the Bishop of Doun, that Mr Dimibar, Mr Blair, Mr Welsh, and I, should be tryed and censured. The 4th of May, 1632, the Bishop of Doun deposed Mr Blair and me; and eight dayes after, Mr Dumbar and Mr Welsh. He proceeded against us for our unconformity, never mentioning what was in the king's letter, knowing us to be free of that charge. Therefore, we resolved for our own vindication, and upon some hopes of our restoring again,⁵ to petition the king that we might be tryed in what was informed, and if guilty we refused no punishment; otherwise, that for simple unconformity we might, in respect of our Scottish breeding, be foreborn in such an barren place as the north parts of Ireland. In reference to this, shortly after, Mr Blair went to London, and I went to Scotland with an purpose to follow him; only I was to procure letters from the Lady Marqueis of Hamilton, from the Earles of Eglinton, Wigton, and Lithgow, to

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¹    "Working."

²    "This account, because."

³    "Subject."

⁴    "Exercise."

⁵    "In some hopes that we might be restored."

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some of their friends at court, that we were free of what was informed,¹ and to desire toleration in our unconformity. Mr Blair wrote to me that it was needless for me to come; only that I should send these letters, which I did. He, after tedious on-waiting, at last obtained ane letter from the king to St[r]afford, the Lord-Deputy, that the information should be tryed, and if² we were found free some favour should be shewed to us: and after the letter was thus drawn up by the secretary, the king wrote in the margine with his own hand, that the matter should be narrowly tryed; and seeing he had gote from some persons of honour attestations of our innocency, that the informers should be punished if we were found free. But when Mr Blair took this letter to the Deputy to Dubline, it seems he had got new advertisement³ from Laud, who guided all Church matters at court; for he refused, except we could⁴ conform, to take any tryall or shew any favour. So we continued deposed till May 1634. At that time there being some little difference between St[r]afford and some of the English nobles in Ireland, and St[r]afford speaking occasionally with my Lord Castle-Stewart, ane good and wise man, he took occasion to shew him he might gain the hearts of all the Scots in Ireland, if he would restore the deposed ministers; for which he had also some warrant from the king. Hereupon he wrote that we should be restored.

Dureing all that tyme, from May 1632 to May 1634, I stayed at first some while in Killinshie, and not only had some privat meetings in severall places of the paroch, but sundry Sabbaths conveened with them in the church and prayed; and after one had read a chapter, I spoke thereon. But finding I could not long be suffered so to doe, I went to Scotland; and as I had done before, went from place to place as I had invitation to preach, or to be at communions, in those places where I had haunted before, and in some others. My chief residence at that time was in the Dean of

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¹    "Laid to our charge."

²    "That we should be tried as to the information, and that if."

³    "Informations."

⁴    "Would."