"I say, traitors; as some men live upon the reward of treachery, for their quiet and liberty; if it may be called a liberty, as it is redeemed with the betraying of the interest of Christ, and the blood of His people"

Donald Cargill issues a stern rebuke to those who accept comfort and freedom in exchange for betraying sacred principles. He refers to individuals who live off the rewards of their own treachery, people who secure their own safety, peace, and seeming liberty by turning against the true interests and followers of Christ. Cargill recognizes a false sense of liberty in such arrangements, suggesting that what appears to be freedom is, in fact, purchased at a terrible moral cost.

He questions whether this "liberty" can even rightly bear the name, as it comes at the expense of betraying Christ’s cause and the suffering or death of His followers. The passage highlights a deep moral and spiritual conflict experienced during times of religious persecution, particularly during the 17th-century struggles between Covenanters and the established state church in Scotland. Many individuals, for the sake of self-preservation, would comply with or aid authorities in suppressing their fellow believers, thereby securing peace for themselves while sacrificing the larger communal and religious good.

Cargill's words bristle with indignation toward such compromises. He sees their freedoms not as true liberation but as a condition gained through selling out their deepest loyalties and responsibilities to Christ and his people. Implicit in his language is the demand that authentic liberty does not involve sacrificing one’s conscience or betraying one’s divine calling. To Cargill, the “interest of Christ” is paramount, encompassing not just doctrinal fidelity but also solidarity with those suffering for their faith.

Living as a so-called free person by these means amounts to moral bondage. Cargill is not only stating an opinion but issuing a warning about the spiritual dangers of convenience and the dehumanizing effect of betraying one’s community for individual gain. His words invite profound reflection on the real price of freedom and the integrity required to follow one's faith, especially when it stands in opposition to the pressures of the world.