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man in the nation; nay, than ever the most notorious murderer was pursued with. For, having publicly proclaimed him a traitor, rebel, &c., they proceeded to pursue his followers with all the rigour that hellish fury and malice could suggest or invent and yet the more they opposed, the more they grew and increased.
In 1684, his difficulties from enemies, and discouragements from friends opposed to him, and manifold vexations from all hands, began to increase more and more; yet all the while he would not intermit one day's preaching, but was still incessant and undaunted in his work. This made the ministers inform against him, as if he had intruded upon other men's labours; alleging, that when another minister had appointed to preach in a place, he unexpectedly came and preached in the same parish; and for that purpose, instanced one time near Paisley; whereas he went upon a call from ⟨several⟩ in that bounds, without knowing then whether there was such a minister in that country, it is confessed, that he hath sometimes taken the churches to preach in, when either the weather, ⟨constant⟩ hazard at the time, or respect to secrecy and ⟨safety⟩, did exclude from every other place. But, ⟨could⟩ this be called intrusion, to creep into the church for one night, when they could not stand, or durst they be seen, without.
This year, in prosecution of a cruel information ⟨against⟩ him, the soldiers became more vigilant in ⟨their⟩ indefatigable diligence to seek and hunt after him; and from them he had many remarkable deliverances. Particularly in the month of July, as ⟨he⟩ was going to a meeting, a country man, seeing ⟨him⟩ wearied, gave him a horse for some miles to ⟨ride⟩ on, when they were surprised with Lieutenant Dundas and a party of dragoons. The two men with him were taken and pitifully wounded. He ⟨escaped⟩ their hands and went up Dungavel hill;
