■-»£* 
 
SOME 
 
 CONSIDER A TrONS 
 
 Contributing unto the 
 
 DI SCOVERY 
 
 Of the Dangers that threaten 
 
 RELIGION, 
 
 And the Work of 
 
 REFORMATION 
 
 In the 
 
 Church of Scotland, 
 
 Publifhed for informing the Ignorant and 
 
 Inadvertent, for awakning the Carelefs and Secure, 
 for ftirring up unto the Exercife of Repentance, 
 and Faith towards God, and for perfwading unto 
 a godly Union and edifying Peace, f$c. 
 
 By James Guthrie, Minifter of the Gofpel at Stirling. 
 
 Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared, who will not fear? 
 
 the Lord God hath fpoken, who can but Prophejie? 
 Jonah 1. 6. What meanejl thou, O fleeper? arife, 
 
 call upon thy God, if fo be that God will think upon 
 
 us, that we perijh not. 
 Rev. 2. 5. I will come unto thee quickly, and witt remove 
 
 thy Candle/lick out of his Place, except thou repent. 
 
 GLASGOW, 
 
 Printed by William Duncan, for William G?:ay Mer- 
 chant in Lanerk. MDCCXXXVIIL ' 
 
( m ) 
 
 
 THE 
 
 
 REFAC 
 
 TO THE 
 
 FT 
 
 READE R- 
 
 Chriftian Reader, 
 
 : 
 
 
 
 <*3^PS£ 
 
 -£?£ /r«f Proteflant Religion as 
 reformed in tkclruie, fFor//\}, 
 Difcipline, and Government in 
 the Church of Scotland, is a 
 Pearl of fo incomparable Vabu 
 and Price , that the very bearing 
 and apprehenfion of any Danger, 
 threatning its Spoil and Ruin* 
 cannot but ajfecl every Soul that knoweth tl>e Worthy 
 and is in love with the Beauty thereof efpe:ia!iy the 
 Hearts of all the genuine and true born Sons and 
 Daughters of God, who have received their jpiritual 
 Life and Being therein^ and do grow up under the 
 Shadow thereof: How much more ought % it , and I 
 hope, doth it affecl thee, when fuch Dangers d$ 
 threaten the fame, as we nor our Fathers have not 
 heard nor feen the Me, fince the Time of Reforma- 
 tion from Popery i thefe in the Tear 1588. from the 
 Spanifh Armado. without, and from the Platings and 
 Praclifes of Papijls zvithin, feem in many ReJpeJfs 
 nothing comparable to thefe of this Time: Andthmgh 
 
iv The P R E F A C E. 
 
 / be far from extenuating the Hazard that Reli- 
 gion food into under Prelacy, ( especially when the 
 Service Book and the Book of Canons were violently 
 obtruded upon this Church ) or from reflecting upon 
 the necefj'ary, and ju/l, and laudable Opppfition that 
 was mdde thereunto ; Yet 1 do believe, that upon 
 fiber and ferious Examination, it Qiall be found by 
 Men of Judgment and Underjlanding, ( who are 
 pleafed to make the Parallel) to involve nothing con- 
 trary to the Words of Sobernefs and Truth, to affert r 
 If hat the Hazard of Religion is greater now,' nor it 
 was* then, and that the Tokens and Prog no/ticks of a 
 dreadful Night of Darknefs and Deflation upon the 
 Sanctuary of the Lord in this Land, are more and 
 more pregnant now, than they were at that Time : 
 The General Affembly of this Church thought, that 
 they had Reafon thus to fpeak in the Year 1647. in 
 their brotherly Exhortation to England* " We can- 
 " not {fay they ) but look upon the Danger of the 
 " true Reformed Religion in this I/land, as greater 
 " now than before ; not only for that, thefe very 
 cc Principles aad Fundamentals of Faith, which un- 
 4 7 der Prelacy, yea, under Popery itfe/f, were general- 
 <c ly received as uncontroverted, are now by the Scepti- 
 " cifm of many Sectaries of this Time, either op- 
 cc pugned or called in queftiou ; but alfo becaufe in 
 " Jlead of carrying on Reformation towards Perfefti- 
 " on, that which hath been already built, is in Part 
 <c caft down, and in Danger to be wholly-overthrown, 
 " through the Endeavours cf Sectaries, to comply ivith 
 " many of the Prelatical and Malignant Party, and 
 " their joyning hand in %and, and cajling in the ; r I ots, 
 " and interweaving their Inter efls together in zvay of 
 " Combination againft the Covenant and Presbyterial 
 ". Government-, yea, the unclean Spirit which was caft 
 " out, is about to enter in again with feven other Spi- 
 
 " rits 
 
The PREFACE. v 
 
 ff r/tt tuorfe than him/elf, and fo the Latter-end Me 
 « to be worfe than the beginning." If there was ground 
 forfuch a Warning and Complaint above twelve Tears 
 ago, when the Toleration of Errors and Herefies was 
 not enabled by a Law, and the Parliament of 'England, 
 and the Affhmbly of Divines at Weftminfter, were pro- 
 ceeding in the Work of Reformation, and Uniformity 
 in Religion, and the State and Church of Scotland 
 were in their Integrity : How much more now, under 
 all the Evils that have [nice come to pafs in both Nati- 
 ons, and which do grow upon us Day by Day, and are 
 come tofuch a Height, that without a wonderful, and 
 mighty Hand of gracious Providence, intefpofing to 
 preferve Religion, it feems to be nigh to Ruin amongjl 
 us, and that our Land /hall be involved in Darknefs, 
 end plunged in the Depths of Atheifm, and Error, arid 
 Popery, and Profanity ? The thought of thefe ihings y 
 as they did induce me two or three Months ago to pen 
 thefe Confederations, tending to the Difcovery of the 
 Dangers that threaten Religion, andthelVork of Refor- 
 mation in this Church \ So hath it now perfwaded me 
 to fend the fame abroad with the former Teflimony, that 
 hy c a fling thefe few Alites into the public k Tree fury of' 
 the Sancluary, I might according to my weal Mea- 
 fare, contribute and concur with other more faithful and 
 able Minifters and. JVitnefjes of Jefus Chrift in the 
 Land, for informing of the Ignorant and Inadvertant, 
 for rebuking of the Carelefs and Indifferent, for 
 awahiing Juch as are fecure, for warning cf fuch as 
 have left their Fir/i-love, that they may remember 
 /whence they are fallen, and repent, and do thefirfl n 
 and for Jlirring up of thefe who have received the Truth 
 in Love, toT?e zealous for the Lord of 'Ho/is, and valiant 
 for his Truth upon the Earth, by /landing in the Breach, 
 and contending diligently for the Faith once delivered to 
 the Saints, for perf wading unto the Ex ere if of Repen- 
 tance 
 
Ti The* P R E F A C E. 
 
 tance and Faith towards God, and to Watchfttlnefs and 
 Tendernefs hi Duty, and unto cordial and well grounded 
 Union in the Lord, that we ?nay all of us in Subordina- 
 tion to him, with one Shoulder to the outmoji of our Pow- 
 er *, by all lawful Means in our Stations and Callings y 
 faithfully endeavour the Prefervation of Religion, and ■ 
 the Work of Reformation, that the bleffed Truths of the 
 Gofipel, and precious Ordinances of jefus Chrift being 
 preferved among ft us in their Purity and Integrity, they- 
 may be tranfmitted vjithout Spot to our Pofterity. Icfo 
 not doubt, but difcerning Eyes may fie more Dangers 
 than I have jpoke unto, I have but pointed at a few ', 
 and if any Jhall judge this Difcovery to be defective, I 
 Jhall be glad, and not think my Labour loji, if they may 
 but thereby be provoked to give a more diflinft and full 
 Sound in thefe Things. It will haply be thi Expecta- 
 tion and Defire offome^ that fomething Jhould be Jpoke 
 alfofr difcovering of thefe Duties that the Lsrd calls for 
 at our Hands, for preferving of Religion in the midjl 
 cffo ?nany Dangers : Somewhat of Duty there is, ufhich 
 the Difcovery ofthefeveral Dangers doth bv native and 
 clear Configuenee point forth, the whole would be a Work 
 very difficult and comprehensive, and that doth require 
 much Light and Leafure : Therefore hoping that it may 
 be done to better Purpofe by thefe of more Prudence and 
 Authority in the Church, I /ha 11 for the prefent forbear 
 to meddle further therein, and ivijbing that the little 
 which I have done in the fir ft Part of the Work concern- 
 ing the Difcovery cf the Dangers, may be accepted of the 
 Saint;, and contribute for thy Edification. I do con- 
 tinue 
 
 Thy Servant for Jefus fake, 
 in the Work of the Goipel, 
 
 L 
 
 * JAMES GUTHRIE. 
 
 Some 
 
( I ) 
 
 tions contributing unto the 
 Oi > that threaten 
 
 Rdigu Worfc of Reform ;uo:), 
 
 ia the L 
 
 Confideratlon Firft. 
 
 From that ft'jUPffi of Pe Silent Errors and 
 Here fie $ that ,iin the mivh- 
 
 b&tr BatiuH > and our Vki- 
 
 mtf thereunto \ and intimate and day- 
 ly Corrcfpondencs therewith. 
 
 T is for from my Purpofe tocaft 
 any Imputation upon England* 
 or to render the neighbour 
 Church and Nation vile in the 
 Eyes of any, by difcovering of 
 their Nakednofs, in reckoning 
 ? tie many peftilent Errors 
 and Herenes that many the 
 .fefted with : I know there be many Thou- 
 in that Land, who have not bowed their Knees 
 to Baal, nor de&led their Garments by depart!: 
 from the Faith, but do iadly bemoan : 
 bear Witnefs againft the foiling away of olhers. 
 . I do eafiiy ac- ■/ that E latha 
 
J 2 > 
 
 great and honourable Company of precious, and found, 
 and able, and godly Minifters and Profeflbrs, as readi- 
 ly are to be found in any Nation or Church upon the 
 Earth; but I hope it Ihall be no Injury nor Offence 
 to any to fay ( and would to God I could fpeak it 
 with that Compaffionate Refentment and ferious af- 
 feftednefs of Heart, that doth become in fo fad and 
 Soul concerning a Cafe) that a great many in that 
 Church and Nation, . are infefted with many noi- 
 fom Errofs and peftilent Herefies, which fret as a 
 Gangren unto the deftroying of many poor Souls : Is 
 there almoft any of the precious and neceflary Truths 
 of God, but hath fome Oppofers arid Contradiders 
 in England ? ,Not only are the beautiful Super- 
 ftrudtures thrown down, but the very loweft and 
 moll neceflary Foundations of the Chriilian Religions 
 razed and plucked up by the Roots, by the Blafpe- 
 miesoffome. To difpute and declaim, and write 
 againft the blefled Trinity, againft the Divinity of 
 the eternal Son of God, Jefus Chrift, who is over 
 all, God blefl'ed for ever, againft the facred Scriptures 
 that they are not the Word of God, are with not a 
 few, things common and ordinary ; yea, thefe very 
 things* which Jeivs and Mahometans , and not a 
 few iri Pagan Nations do acknowledge ; and which 
 being denied, the Condition of a Man is made little 
 better than that of a Beaft; fuch as the Immortality 
 of the Soul, the Refurreftion of the Dead, Heaven 
 and Hell, eternal Rewards, and eternal Punifhments, 
 are t>y d'jverfe wantonly debated, and by fome per- 
 tinacioufly denied and oppugned. The. Time was, 
 and that not many Years ago, when Independency ', 
 Er'tijiianifmj Broivnifm.; and Anabapiifm in that 
 Land, were looked upon as thrcatning Danger to 
 the Churches and Work of Reformation in thefe Na- 
 tions ; yet in Companion to the Errors that now 
 abound in England, thefe are but as Mole-hills to 
 
 Moun- 
 
( 3 ) 
 
 Mountains : The whole Body of Armmianifm, 
 Antinomianifm, Pelagianifm, Socintanifm, Familifm, 
 ^uakerifm, • and almcft what not that hath 
 at any Time been broached by tile Father of Lies, 
 and infefted the Chriftian Church, but hath fome 
 Brockers and Patrons there. That thefe things are 
 fo, is but too fadly true, and thefe things being fo, 
 Is not the Church of Scotland by Reafon of its Vici- 
 nity unto, and intimate and daily Correfpondence 
 and Commerce with England, in eminent Hazard 
 to be tainted with Infection thereby ; the Vicinity 
 and next neighbour-head of Nations and Churches, 
 efpecially when attended with intimate and ordinary 
 Fellowfnip, hath always had great Influence upon 
 the Manners of one another, chiefly as to the deprav- 
 ing and corrupting of Religion, to which all theSons of 
 Men by Reafon of their inbred Ignorance, and Infta- 
 bility, and the Power of corrupt Imaginations, are 
 of themfelves but too too prone. The Children of If- 
 rael{ not only) when they lived in the Land of Egypt, 
 were infefted with many idolatrous and heatheniih 
 Cuftoms, Ezek. xxi. 27. ( but even ) whenfeparat- 
 ed and brought into Canaan, albeit railed in and 
 fenced with the holy and perfedt Law of the Lord, 
 to which was added the Sanction of many great and 
 precious Promifes to fuch as did obey, and of many 
 dreadful Threatnings againft the Difobedient and Re- 
 bellious, which were accordingly verified by God in 
 eminent Adts, of his Jultice and Gocdnefs; the Ido- 
 latrous Opinions and Praclifes of their neighbour 
 Nations had fuch Influence upon them, that they 
 could not be keeped ( fcarce at any Time for one Ge- 
 neration together ) from learning their Works, and' 
 going a whoring after their corrupt Cuftoms, Pfal. 
 tvi. 35, 365 37> 38, 39. Yea, fometimes came 
 to be worfe than the Heathen, whom the Lord had' 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 deftroyed before them, zCbron. xxxiij. 9. and to 
 change his Judgments into Wickednefs, more than 
 the Nations, and his Statutes more than the Coun- 
 tries, that were round about them, Ezek. v. 6, e- 
 fpecially after that Religion came to be corrupted 
 arnongft the ten Tribes by Jeroboam, his ere&ingthe 
 Calves at Dan and at Bethel. Judah and Jerufalem, 
 though they had the Temple and the Ark, and the 
 Oracle, and the Altar, with all other the_Ordinances 
 of God, and alio many Prophets arifing up early, 
 and fpeaking to them in the Name of the Lord, did 
 then become treacherous, Jer. iii. 11. Aholah faw 
 what Molibab had done, flie became more corrupt 
 in her inordinate Love than flie, and in her Whore- 
 doms more than her Sifter, and her Whoredoms 
 
 tijl the Lord faw that {lie was defiled, and. that 
 
 they took both one way, EzeL xxiii. 11. 13. The 
 Hiifcries cf the Englijb and Scots Nations and 
 Chuches, do teftify, that they have for the rttoft 
 Part run ore Lot, both as to their reforming and cor- 
 rupting o: Religion : ThisConfideration was the prime 
 (Ground of thefe Bonds and Confederacies that were 
 trajsrfadtedj firft, between Elizabeth Qu&n of Eng- 
 laud} and the Lords of the Congregation in Scotland, 
 and afierwards between that Queen and King James 
 the ibah : It was alio this efpecially, that did induce 
 
 fe hJatkfes apd Churches to engage themfdves in 
 the i citron 'Lengue and Covenant, Anno 164^. be- 
 eaufe ( as it is expreiled by the Mmifters of England 
 ia their Letter to the General Aflembly of the Church 
 of Sccthntiy jhi?iQ t il$.i. }« : bey did know and ac- 
 c knov 'ede, that theie Churches cf England and 
 c $u m boib to be imbarked in the fame 
 
 < i ruin, to link and fwiin together, and are fo 
 « nigh coBjoy red by ibmaxiy ftrcng Tie?, not only 
 
 t eilow-member^ under the fame Head, Chrift, 
 
 4 and 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 « and Fellow-fubjedts, under the fame King, but alio 
 4 by fuch Neighbour-hood and Vicinity of Place, 
 * That if any Evil fhould infeft the one, the other 
 4 cannot be altogether free, or if fbr the prefent, it 
 4 ihoujd, yet in procefs of Time, it would fenfibly 
 4 fuffer alfo, " which is homologated by the Affem- 
 bly in their Anfwer to that Letter : ' Wehavelearn- 
 4 ed ( fay they ) by long Experience, ever fince the 
 4 Time of Reformation, and efpecially after the two 
 4 Kingdoms have been by the great goodnefs of 
 4 God to both, united : undcr one Head and Monarch, 
 4 but moft of all, of late, which is not unknown 
 4 to you, what Danger and Contagion in Matters 
 4 of Kirk Government, of divine Worihip, and of 
 4 Doftrine, may come from the one Kirk to the 
 4 other j which befides all other Reafons, may 
 4 make us pray to God, and to defire you and all 
 4 that love the Honour of Chrift, and the Peace of 
 4 thefe Kirks and Kingdoms, heartily to endeavour, 
 4 that there might be in both Kirks one ConfelTion 
 4 of Faith, one Directory for pi&lick WorfHip, one 
 4 Catechifm, and one Form of Kirk Government, " 
 And the Commiffioners of the Parliament of Eng* 
 land in the Propofitions given by them to a Com- 
 mittee, to be prefented to the General Aflembly of 
 this Church, Anno 1643. for perfwading of them 
 to further and expedite the Aid and Afliftance, then 
 demanded by both Houfes from the Kingdom of 
 Scotland, after they have given them to uuderftand, 
 that by Reafon of the prevailing of Papifts, the pre- 
 latical Sandiion and other malignant Enemies, to 
 thefe who deiired Reformation, the hopeful Begin- 
 nings thereof, were likely not only to be rendred m- 
 eftediual, but all the former Evils, Superftitions and 
 Corruptions to be introduced by ftrong Hand, They 
 do in the next Place tell them. That if once thefe 
 D fhould 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 € fhould again take Root in the Church and Kiilg- 
 • dom of England, they would quickly fpread their 
 4 Venom and Infediion into the Church, and 
 c Kingdom of Scotland, " the Truth of which being 
 well knownj both to our Church and State, did pre- 
 vail upon them to concur with England in Counfels 
 and Forces^ for fupprefling and preventing* of theife 
 things, as may be icen in their Anfwers to the De- 
 clarations of the Honourable Houfes of the Parlia- 
 ment of England, concerning that Purpofe. Up- 
 on the fame Ground, the Church of Scotland did fre- 
 quently by her Commiffioners at London, and by her 
 Letters to the Parliament of England, and to the 
 Afiembly of Divines at Wejlminjler, and by her Ex- 
 hortations to her Brethren of England, often wara 
 of the Danger of Errors and Herefies, when they 
 were but yet in their firft Buddings, and far from 
 the Height that now they are at in England. The 
 Words of the Aflembly in their Declaration and 
 brotherly Exhortation to their Brethren of England, 
 Anno 1647. are worth the repeating in this Cafe: 
 ( fay they ) while in the Neighbour Kingdom, 
 The Staves of Beauty,- and Bands, Covenant, and 
 Brother-hood, are broken by many, the Horn of 
 Malignants and Sectaries exalted, the belt affected 
 born down, Reformation ebbing, Herefy and 
 Scbifm flowing : It can hardly be marvelled at by 
 any Perfon of Prudence and Difcretion, if we be 
 full of fuch Fears, and Apprehenfions, as ufeto be 
 in thefe who dwell near to a Houfe fet on Fire, or 
 a. Family infefied, efpecially being taught by the 
 fad Experience of the Prelatical Times ; How eaii- 
 ly a Gangren in the one half of this Iiland may* 
 ipread through the whole, knowing alio the inve- 
 terate and iniatiable Malice of the Enemies of this 
 Caufe and Covenant, againft this Church and 
 
 « Kins- 
 
C 7 ) 
 
 ■ Kingdom, which we cannot be ignorant of, un- 
 * tefs we would fhut our Eyes, and ftop our Ears M : 
 I might cite many things to this Purpofe out of the 
 publick Records of both Churches and Nations, but 
 thefe few I hope do fufficiently witnefs, what were the 
 Thoughts and Apprehenfions of Men of Judgment 
 and Underftanding in both, but a very few Years 
 ago, as to the Danger of Religion in Scotland 'in the 
 cafe of England's being infefted with Errors and He- 
 relies. And if there was Reafon then fo to Judge, 
 how much more -now, when befides the Vicinity 
 and Contignity of thefe two, and the dayly Com- 
 merce and Correfpondency that is between the Peo- 
 ple thereof, Scotland, is incorporated into one Civil 
 Body and Government with England, and have alfo 
 the Bar of Civil Laws for keeping out, and curbing 
 of many Errors and Herefies taken away, and Tole- 
 ration and Protection allowed thereunto, by which 
 it cometh to pafs, that the Danger which was for- 
 merly nigh unto us, is now alfo in our Bowels. And 
 to this I (hall fpeak in the next Place. 
 
 Confideration Second. 
 
 Prom the Infection of Errors and Herefies already be- 
 gun, and the Footing that they have already got in 
 this Church and Nation. 
 
 THough the Plague when near unto us is 
 dangerous, and Fire in our Neighbours 
 Houfe, can hardly be keeped from taking 
 hold of our own, yet Infection in our own Body, is 
 more dangerous* and much harder it is to keep our 
 D 2 Houfc 
 
( .« ) 
 
 Houfe from burning when the Fire hath already 
 fizfed upon it, and the Flames are flafhing about our 
 Ears ; and this is the Cafe that the Church of Scot- 
 land, and Religion therein do Hand into at this Day: 
 Not only have we amongft us many Strangers who 
 vent their Errors at will, and without Controul- 
 ment, but fundry alio of our own Church and Na- 
 tion, are come to be infefted therewith. The Mi- 
 nistry of the Land, though differing in that unhappy 
 Queftion about the Publick Refolutiohs, yet are by ths 
 lingular Mercy and goodnefs of God,, for any thing 
 that doth yet appear, kept found and unanimous' in 
 their Judgments againft the Errors of the Times ; 
 and fo alfo is the Body of the People according to 
 the Meafure of their Knowledge in their feveral 
 Ranks and Degrees - 9 neither have Sectaries fomuch 
 Caufe to boaft of their Number -and Growth in 
 Scotland, as commonly they do give out, they aie 
 ( blefledbe the God of Truth and of Mercy for it ) 
 as yet but very few, and inconfiderable, in Compan- 
 ion to the Body of this Church, fcarce one to a 
 thoufand ; yet is the Infediion fuch, as ought not 
 to be defpifed or negledted, as threatning no Danger 
 to Religion and the Work of Refonnation amongft 
 us: Befides fundry others who are infe&ed with 
 Errors in feveral Sorts, there being not a few of 
 thefe monftruoufly Erring-foulsy : commonly called 
 Quakers, who ftrike at the Root of Chriftian Reli- 
 gion, by denying the Scriptures to be the Word of 
 God, and fetting up, and holding' forth their own 
 doting Fancies,, and foolifh Imaginations, under 
 the Name 'of the Light within them, as the infallible 
 Diktats of the Spit it, of Truth, and by denying 
 the In-being of Sin, and aliening the Perflation ■ 
 of the new Creature in the regenerated, e^en 
 to fuch a Meafure- of Righteouineis and Hbfi- 
 
 neis, 
 
( 9 ) 
 
 tiefs, as is equal wMi that of our Welled Saviour^ 
 Jefus Chrift himfelf, and by denying of the Refur- 
 redtion of the Body from the Dead, and maintain- 
 ing many other Errors, which though abominable 
 and vile in themfelves, yet are boldly vented and 
 actively fpread by thefe Perfons, and which is more 
 lamentable, fad Experience proveth in both Nations, 
 that not a few, and thefe not of the moft Ignorant and 
 feemingly Profane, are apt to receive, and be carried 
 away with thefe ftrange Dclufions : And therefore 
 would we not be fo llothful and fecure, as to think 
 that Religion is not in Hazard by the?Jnfeftion al- 
 ready begun amongft us. The Apoftle telleth us, 
 That a little Leavefi leaveneth the whole lump, i Cor. 
 v. 6. And if the Church of Corinth was in hazard 
 by one inceftuous Perfon, finning againft the light 
 ofNature, (hall we not judge our felves to be in 
 Hazard by fome hundreds ; the Leaven of whofe 
 Errors is not fo fowre to the natural Man's Tafte. 
 As the Infection of the Plague of Peftilence hath in 
 a little Time derived it felf into many, and at laft 
 brought forth the Ruin of great and populous Cities 
 and Societies, fo haih the gangren of Error often 
 fpread it feif from one or a few Members of particu- 
 lar vifible Churches unto the Body of vifible Pro- 
 feflbrs therein, that from the fole of the Foot unto 
 the top of the Head, there has been little or no 
 Soundnefs, but Wounds, and Bruifes, and putrify- 
 ing Sores. The Arrian Herefy, which was one of 
 the moft dangerous and dreadful, that ever troubled 
 the Chriftian Church, had its Beginning from one 
 Presbyter in the Church of Alexandria in Egypf y 
 and yet did run fo fail and fo far, that in a few Years, 
 it did over fpread a great Part of the Chriftwn 
 World, which made Jerom to fay, that the World 
 
 did 
 
( 1© ) 
 
 did groan and wonder at it felf, that it was become 
 Arrian. We will ordinarily find, that the greateft 
 and moll prevailing Herefies, have had their Rife and 
 Original from very fmall Beginnings, and -that their 
 Authors and Abettors have been at firft but very few 
 and incopfiderable. If we will not believe our Ears, 
 and that which our Fathers have told us, yet let us 
 believe oyr Eyes, and that which Experience 'hath 
 taught us. How few and Jnconfiderable were the 
 Sectaries in thefe Nations fome eighteen or twenty 
 Years ago? And how numerous are they at this Day ? 
 The £$u<i]i$r$ ( befides many others, of feveral Sorts ) 
 do boaft themfelves to be for Number fundry ten 
 thoufands : And yet I do believe, that within thefe 
 iixteen Years, or little more, fcarce were ten fingle 
 Perfons of that Judgment, heard of in any Place of 
 thefe Nations; and their increafing info fhort a 
 Time to fo great a Number, mafy convincingly teach 
 us, what we may and ought to fear, the Growth 
 and Increafe of Sedtaiies in Scotland^ albeit their 
 Number for the prefent be not great: And 
 though haply there be not in every Refpedt, iuch 
 an aptitude in the People in this Nation to receive 
 Errors, nor fuch Parts and Abilities for fpreading of 
 them as in fundry of t;he Englijh y and that we have 
 alfo the Advantage of Church-Difcipltae for curbing 
 of them ; yet would we not upon fuch Apprehenfi- 
 ens as thefe, be fecure : Errors have got no fmall 
 Footing amongft us already, and if the Infedtion 
 could enter while the Body is more intire and found, 
 how much more is it like to fpread, when fundry of 
 the Members are corrupted. ' If we (hall take a View 
 of the many great Advantages, that the fpirit of 
 Error and Delufion hath at this Time, for ftrengih- 
 ning and enlarging it felf in. this Land, a Man that 
 
 hath 
 
( w ) 
 
 hath but half an Eye, may lee, that Religion \% 
 eminently in Hazard thereby. Therefore I (hall 
 bow proceed to fpeak fomewhat unto thefe. 
 
 Consideration Third. 
 
 From the Toleration and Protefliag that is pleaded 
 for, and allowed to many grcfs Errors and Here- 
 fus. 
 
 THat the Civil Magiftrate is appointed of God 
 to take Care, not only of thefe Things that 
 do belong unto Righteoufnefs, and concern 
 the Civil Peace, and natural Life of Man, but alfo 
 of the Things that concern Religion ; and do. refped 
 the Glory of God, and the Good of Souls : And 
 that in Subordination to thefe Ends, fuch outward 
 Impediments and Obftruttions as do hinder the fame, 
 ought by him to be removed out of the way, and not 
 to be tolerated in a Cliriftian Common- wealth j Is a 
 Truth fo clearly fet down in the Scriptures, and fo 
 fully confirmed in the writings of Divines,^ and fo 
 plainly and folemnly engaged unto in the Solemn 
 League and Covenant, that it were needlefs for me to 
 infift upon the Proof thereof: Neither is this my 
 Purpofe, if any do defire to furnifh themfelves with 
 Scripture and Reafon, in thefe Things, they will find 
 fomewhat for their Help in the former Teftimony, 
 and in the Warning and Teflimony of the Reverend 
 Presbytery of Edinburgh, latey emitted againft that 
 finful and unfeafonable Petition of fome of our un- 
 happy Country ^men to the Parliament of England: 
 D 4 That 
 
( « ) 
 
 That which we have to -lament, is, That notwith- 
 ftanding the clear Light of the Scriptures, and that 
 Reafon both Divine and Humane, do ftrongly plead 
 the contrary, and that thefe Nations are folemnly 
 engaged by the publick Vows of God upon them, 
 without refpeft of Perfons, to endeavour the extir- 
 pation of P.optry, Prelacy^ Super/liuon, Herefie y 
 Schiftn^ Profanenefs ; and whatfbever (hall be found 
 contrary to found Dodtrine, and to the Power of 
 Godlinefs: Yet a very vaft Toleration is not only 
 jpleaded for, and promoted by many, but alfo framed 
 Into a Law ; by. which, Protection and Encourage- 
 ment, is allowed unto many grofs Errors ind Here- 
 fies, that do not only deny and deftroy many of the 
 beautiful Superftrudlures, but do alfo ftrike at not a 
 few of the Corner-ftones, and chief Foundations 
 of Chriftian Religion, which doth minifter lingular 
 Advantage to the Spirit of Delufion, for ftrengthning 
 and fpreading of it felf, uftto the corrupting of the 
 Truth of God, and fubverting of Souls. The cor- 
 rupt Nature of Man, is of itfelf moft fertile of vain 
 Imaginations, and moft prone to carnal Liberty, and 
 to tranfgrefs the Bounds, and remove the Land- 
 marks, that are fet unto it of God ; fo that even 
 when curbed and hemmed in with the Rail of his 
 Law, and with the outmoft Extent of the Care and 
 Diligence, and Faithfulnefs, and Zeal, both of Spi- 
 ritual and Civil Rulers, it can hardly be kept from 
 debording into many grofsExtravagancies in the things 
 of God, and from turning into its Courfe 5 as the 
 Horfe rufheth into the Battle: What then can be 
 expe&ed, when not only the Yoke is taken off its 
 Jaws, but that it is alfo foftered upon the Breads, 
 and dandled upon the Knees of Protection, and Coun- 
 tenance and Encouragement, and fuffered to grow up 
 under the warm Shadow of Civil Authority \ but that 
 
 the 
 
( *3 ) „ 
 
 the Fountains of the great Deep mall be opened up, 
 and overflow the Face of the whole Land ; when 
 Satan is loofed out of his Prifon, fhall he not deceive 
 the Nations ? and when the Serpent's Bands are taken 
 off, fhall he not cad out of his Mouth Water as a 
 Flood after the Woman, that he may caufe her to be 
 carried away of the Flood ? Let us but a little 
 confider, what hath been the Fruits of fuch Toleration 
 in thefe Churches and States where it hath got footing. 
 I (hall not go fo for back as to the firft Ages of the 
 World, in which Men being left to themfehoes in the 
 things of God, prof effing themfelves to be wife, they 
 became Fools, and changed the Glory of the incorruptible 
 God, into an Image made like to corruptible Man y and 
 td Birds, and four footed Beajls, and creeping things. 
 Neither fhall I fpeak of the Condition of Religion, in 
 Tome Proteftant States beyond Sea, in which Tolera- 
 tion is allowed; but I defire it to be confidered : 
 I. How it fared with the Church oi Judah in theft 
 Periods of Time, when Toleration got any footing 
 therein: I fhall not now ftand to debate, Whether 
 it was at any Time eftabiifhed in Judah by a Law; 
 but it is clear enough, that when any of the Kings 
 of Judah , whether through Negligence or want of 
 Integrity, or upon carnal and politick Confiderati- 
 ons, did not reftrain, but tolerate falfe Prophets,* 
 and Idolaters, and corrupters of the Worfhip of 
 God, and perverters of his Truth, that Idolatry, 
 and the Leprofie of manifold Errors and Corrupti- 
 ons, did quickly fpread themfelves over the Face of 
 that Church and Nation, that if the Lord had not 
 been graciouily pleafed to raife up fome good 
 Kings, who in the Zeal of God, and Confcience of 
 their Duty, did imploy their Power for deftroying 
 of Idolatry and falfe Worfhip, and for making the 
 People to ferve the Lord God of their Fathers, ac- 
 cording 
 
( 14 ) 
 
 cording to the Law, and the Tejiimony: It had 
 fared no better with them, than it did with the 
 Church of Ifrael, or of the ten Tribes, who came 
 by their finful negleft of the Things of God, and 
 tolerating and protecting of falfe Worfhip, in a few 
 Generations, to lofe the Subftantials of Religion, 
 and the very Face of a Church, and of a Stat$ too. 
 What fad Initances were of thefe things in the Days 
 of Solomon, Reboboam, Abijab, Jcberam, Akaziah y 
 jfoa/h, Amaziah, Ahaz, Manajjeh y Amrnon, Jebo- 
 iakim, Sec. 2, When about the Time of the Incar- 
 nation of our blefled Lord, and his being on the 
 Earth, fundry Sedts. were tolerated in the Church 
 of the Jews, did they not come, at lafl: to, be all 
 overgrown with Nettles and Thorns, and to lofe the 
 Being and Face of a Church ? It is worthy of Ob- 
 fervation, that the Men of that Time, who were 
 zealous Patrons of Toleration, were in the juft Judg- 
 ment of God given up to themfelves, to be zealous 
 Oppofers of the Gofpel, and to crucifie the Lord 
 of Glory. 3. \t would be confidered, what hath 
 already been the fad and dreadful Effedts of this 
 Toleration in thefe Nations ; 1$ not the Glory of 
 God trodden under Foot, the precious Truths of 
 the Gofpel corrupted and perverted, the Ordinances 
 f of Jesus Christ contemned and cried down, 
 the Government and Difcipline of the Kirk in a 
 great Meafure overthrown, the Worfhip of God 
 defpifed and profaned, the Lord's Day mifregard- 
 ed and caften lo.ofe, the Power of Godlinefs eaten 
 out, and the whole Work of Reformation obftrudt- 
 ed, and in many Things overturned, many Souls 
 fubverted, Popery, Libertinifm, Superjlition, Here- 
 fie, Schijm> Scepticifm, Atheifm, Profanenejs, and 
 many things contrary to found Doftrine iucreafed ? 
 And if there be fuch a growth -of io dreadful Evils, 
 
 in 
 
( 15 ) 
 
 in fo few Years, and whilft that Generation is yet 
 living:, whom God brought back from the Borders 
 ot Babylon, ( to which we were threatned to be 
 carried captive under the Corruptions and Tyranny 
 of the Prelates ? ) And who have feen the wonderful 
 Works of the Lord in that great Deliverance, and 
 have lifted up our Hands to Heaven, to fwear by 
 him that liveth, and reigneth for evermore, that 
 we would endeavour the Extirpation of thefe 
 Things ? What is to be expedted, if this Toleration 
 fhall continue, and be tranfmitted to our Pofterity, 
 but Darknefs, inftead of Divination, and that Dark- 
 nefs fhall cover the Land, and grofs Darknefs the 
 People? 4. Let us fuppone, that fuch a Toleration 
 were granted unto Men, in the Things that relate 
 unto the Duties of Righteoufnefs, that are com- 
 manded in the fecond Table of the Law, to wit 9 
 that they might without Controutment of the Ci- 
 vil Authority, and with Afliirance of Protection 
 from the fame, walk in thefe Things, according to 
 the Diktats of their own Spirits, and Imaginations, 
 and Inclinations of their own Hearts ; were it pof- 
 lible, that there could be long Peace to him that 
 goes out, or to him that cometh in ; or that Goods, 
 or good Name, or Chaftity, or Life, could be long pre- 
 ferved •, fhould not the whole Land in a very fhort 
 Time, be filled with Rapine, and Oppreffion, and 
 Violence, with Thefts and Robberies, and Slanders, 
 with Fornications, Adulteries, and Incefts, with 
 Blood, and Murder, and every fort of Abominations ? 
 And is there not in the Heart of Man, as great, if 
 not greater Pravity, in order to the Duties of the 
 firft Table, as to thefe of the fecond Table ? Na- 
 ture's Light in our corrupt State, being more eclipfed 
 * and depraved in the one, than in the other; Can 
 we then expeft any better Fruit of this Toleration, 
 
 in 
 
( *6 ) 
 
 in order to the Things of God, and that do concern 
 Religion, than it would produce in reference to 
 the Things of Men, and that do concern Righteouf- 
 nefs? Upon this Account, it is, That a3 God hath 
 revealed in his Word, the Rule, both of Religioh 
 and Righteoufnefs, according to which he hath 
 commanded us to walk in his Matters, and in the 
 Matters of Men, and not according to the Imagina- 
 tions of our own Hearts, doing what feemeth good 
 unto us in our own Eyes, either in the one, or in the 
 other; fo hath he appointed Civil Governments, 
 and Magiftrates amongft the Children of Men, that 
 they might be Keepers of both Tables of his Law, 
 and that by keeping of both, they might preferve 
 both Religion and Righteoufnefs, which do other- 
 wife ( without a mighty Hand of more than or- 
 dinary Providence ) foon go to Ruin, when Rulers 
 are not a Terror to evil Works, that are done 
 againft both. 5. As Toleration doth bring forth - 
 the fad Fruits already mentioned ; fo doth the Mo- 
 ther and Daughter, both of them, provoke the Lord, 
 to give up Men to vile Affections, and to give them 
 ever to a reprobate Mind, to do things not conve- 
 nient, as appeareth from the laft Part of the firft 
 Chapter of the Epiftle to the Romans ; and fo 
 bringeth at laft the Ruin, both of Religion and 
 Righteoufnefs, and Definition from the Prefence 
 ef the Lord, and from the Glory of his Power: 
 All which, with many other obvious Coniiderations, 
 that would be tedious to infift upon, may make it 
 evident to fuch, as will impartially and without pre- 
 judice, weigh the famine in the Balance of the 
 Lord's San&uary, and of Reafon and Experience; 
 that as the Spirit of Error and Delufion hath lin- 
 gular Advantage, fo Religion is in eminent Hazard 1 ' 
 thereby. 
 
 Con- 
 
Confideration Fourth. 
 
 Fnm the Ignorance, Unfruitful?: efs, In/lability, Loofe- 
 nefs, and Profanity, that do abound in the Land 
 at this Time. 
 
 k Angers and Difeafes, whether natural or mo- 
 ra], or fpiritual, are more or lefs to be 
 feared, according to the Weaknefs or 
 Strength, the Difpofitioji or Indifpofition of the Ob- 
 jed: about which they are converfant, to refill or 
 to receive the fame, as weak, and ill complexioned 
 Bodies are readily obnoxious to Sicknefs, and 
 do foon receive Infection, and unwife, and unvigi- 
 lant States are eafify deceived, and foon broken, and 
 put into Confufion ; So ignorant, or unliable, or 
 carnal, or profane Souls, do eafily become a Prey to 
 Temptations, whither in the Matter of their Pro- 
 feflion, or of their Converfation \ their Ignorance 
 and want of Watchfulnefs, rcndring them blind, as 
 to the difcovering of the Snare; and their want of 
 fpiritual Life and Strength, rendring them impo- 
 tent and indifpofed, as to the avoiding and refilling 
 of it ; and their Inftability and Loofenefs inclining 
 and difpofing them to tamper, and dally with it: 
 By which it cometh to pals, that they are eafiiy 
 and often intangled, efpecially in a Time of abound- 
 ing Temptations ; yea, it is righteous with the 
 Lord, becaufe they do not like to retain him in 
 their Knowledge, to give them up to a Mind 
 void of Judgment ; and becaufe they receive no: 
 the love of the Truth, to fend them ftrcng Pe • 
 lufion, to believe a Lie : Hence it was, that the 
 
 World 
 
. ( i8 ) 
 
 World in older Times, both before and after the 
 Flood, came to be drowned in grofs Superftition, 
 and abominable Idolatry, and that a great Part of 
 the Chriftian Church in latter Ages, came to be 
 drowned in Mahumet'anifm and Popery. Now, if we 
 fhall look through the Breadth of our Land, may 
 we not find, that there are Multitudes of ignorant 
 Souls, who do fcarce know the firft and moft com- 
 mon Principles of Chriftian Religion, much lefs, 
 have they their Senfes exercifed in the Knowledge 
 of the Truth, and of the holy Scriptures, which 
 are the Ground thereof? And how many do fit down 
 fatisfied with a very fmall Meafure of Knowledge, 
 taking many precious and necefi^ry Truths upon 
 meer Tradition from their Anceftors and Teachers, 
 without fearching the Scriptures, whither thefe 
 Things be fo, that they may attain in themfelves a 
 warrantable and well-grounded Perfwafion thereof ? 
 By which it cometh to pafs, that fundry fuch meet- 
 ing with Deceivers, come to be foon fhaken in their 
 Minds. Be there not alfo many fimple and un- 
 liable Souls, who are as Reeds fhaken with the Wind, 
 and apt to be driven to and fro with every Wind of 
 Do&rine ? And be there not many luke-warm and 
 indifferent, and of a carnally politick Spirit, who 
 care for none of thefe Things ? Be there not many 
 Loofe and Profane, all which are apt to call: off the 
 Profeffion of the Truth, and to be eafily feduced 
 and drawn away into Error ? Becaufe, though hap- 
 ly, many fuch do not much regard, either Truth 
 or Error ; yet when Error is like to prevail, and 
 Come in Reputation, and the owning thereof to be < 
 attended with carnal or civil Advantages, they can 
 eafily be induced to fhape their Garments, and wear 
 their Cloaths, according to the Fafhion of the Time : 
 Yea, their carnal Mind* which is Enmity to Ged, is 
 
 alfo 
 
I 19 ) 
 
 alfo Enmity to his Truth, and doth difpofe them 
 to caft off the Yoke thereof, which they are eafily 
 perfwaded to do, when thifeis nothing to hinder 
 it, but naked Refpeft to the*Truth it felf : Every 
 Man in fome Senfe naturally is a Heretick, having the- 
 Seeds of Error in his Soul, and an Aptitude and In- 
 clination to bring forihthefe bitter Grapes of Worm- 
 wood, and of Gall ; and the more that he liveth in 
 Formality, and Hypocrify, and Loofenefs, thefe 
 Seeds do in the common Body of Sin, that is in him, 
 receive the more Increafe and Strength, and become 
 the more apt to bring forth their own native Fruit : 
 There is alfo, no doubt, a great fibnefs between 
 Errors of Judgment, and Loofenefs of Conventi- 
 on, and an eafie Paflage from the one to the other; 
 a Heretick is eafily made vicious and profane, and 
 a vicious arid profane Maft, is eafily tnade a Here- 
 tick ; a great Part of the Chriftian World firft 
 turned formal, and carnal, then Arriari and Ne- 
 Jlorian^ &c. . and in the end Mahumeian : Do we 
 not fee that Loofenefs and Profanity in the Conver- 
 fation of fundry, doth eafily ufher in Popery in . 
 their Profeflion, but much more fwiftly do fuch 
 Men by fwarms, decline from the Truth, and im- 
 brace Errors, when to their natural Inclination and 
 corrupt Difpofition, temporary Advantages or Difad- 
 vantages* the Countenance or Difrefpeft, the Com- 
 mand or Threatning of Civil Authority, cometh 
 to be fuperadded ? Hence it is, that the bulk of fun- 
 dry People and Nations, have after their receirin.i 
 profeffing of the Truth, fometimes fuddenly fhakeu 
 it off again, and turned afide into Errors, whereof 
 we have many Inftances, both in Sacred' and in 
 Church-itory. Therefore albeit the Truth, is for . 
 the prefent profefled in PTirity by the Inhab 
 •f this Land j yet, there being amongft the Body of 
 
 the 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 the People, fuch a Multitude of ignorant, luke- 
 warm, unliable loofe Souls, who have lived and 
 grown up in thefe Sins for many Years together, un- 
 der the Light of the^Gofpel, as they may be eafily 
 made a Prey to, the Temptations unto Error and 
 Delufion, that do already abound amongft us ; fo 
 there is juft Caufe to fear, that if the Lord fhall for 
 the further Punifhment of our Provocations, give us 
 up into the Hand of a Popifh or Heretical Power, 
 who fhould joyn their Profeffion by a Law, that 
 many fuch would foon turn Popifh pr Heretical : . And 
 whither this may not be our Lot to be exercifed with 
 fuch a Trial, I leave it to wife Men to judge. 
 
 Confideration Fifth. 
 
 From the great Decay of a true publick Spirit, and 
 of Diligence, and Zeal, and Watchfulnefs in the 
 Things of God, and from the great Increafe of a 
 Spirit of Sloth, and Neutrality, and Security a- 
 tnongft us. 
 
 T Hough in the Things of God it be eminent- 
 ly true, that except the Lord build the Houfe, 
 the builder buildeth in vain; except the Lord 
 keep the City, the Watchmen watcheth in vain \ yet 
 doth he call upon, and command his People to be zeal- 
 ous for his Houfe, and to be faithful and watchful in 
 the Things that relate thereunto ; the B!efling is his, 
 and theDuty is ours : And as it's a token for good, when 
 his People are cordial and adtive for his Interefts, fo it's 
 a prognoftick of ruin and decay, when they become 
 neutral and indifferent, and deal with a flack Hand, and 
 wax fecurc in the midft of Dangers : In fpeakipg 
 
 to 
 
( 2i ) : . :; 
 
 to this* It is not my Purpofe to charge Backfliding 
 upon any Party or Perfon in the Land, upon the 
 account of publick Differences, I think, that with- 
 out reflecting upon thefe, or giving Offence to any 
 that are concerned therein, tipon one Hand or ano- 
 ther, that taking the Body of this Church complex- 
 ly, it may be tiuly faid, that there is a great Decay 
 of a true publick Spirit, and of former Integrity, 
 and Diligence, and Zeal, and watchfulnefs for the 
 things of God amongft us, and that no Party is 
 fo unfenfible of their own Guilt, or fo Tenacious 
 of their own Innocency, that they will deny this ; 
 I do not fpeak as to appearing, nor acting in civil 
 Capacities, the Lord having broke our civil Govern- 
 ment to Pieces, and caften by our Governors as 
 broken Veflels, whereof he m2keth no Ufe for the 
 Defence and Prefervation of Religion, but what a 
 Decay is upon us, as to many of thefe things that 
 do befeem us as Chriftians, efpecially in fuch an 
 Hour of Temptation ; and when the publick Caufe 
 of God, and all the precious Interefts of Jefus 
 Chrilt, and of his Kingdom, are in fo eminent Haz- 
 ard. It is true that every Man hath his Gifts and 
 Station afligned him of God, according to the 
 Meafure and Bounds of which, /without over- 
 reaching, ( a thing too common in theie evil Days ) 
 he is to demean himfeif: But it is alfo true, 
 that all of us being Members of the Body of Chrift, 
 and having an Intereftin the things that concern 
 his Kingdom, we ought to be fo far of publick 
 Spirits, as not only cordially to with well unto, 
 and pray for the Body and common Interefts there- 
 of, but alfo according to the Talents we have re- 
 ceived of him, and in our Station, and as we are 
 thereunto called of God, to put forth our felves 
 E chear- 
 
( ^ ) 
 
 ehearfully and aftrVely for the Good of the lam^ 
 V/hither by doing or iuffering. The publick Caufe 
 arid Work of God was wont to be precious and 
 dear unto us ; and the Trime was when no Pains, 
 nor Expfence; nor Hazard was declined, for pre- 
 fer ving or promo ving thereof: We were wont 
 to ftir up otir felves, and to ftir up one another^ 
 and to wreftle with God in Prayer and Supplication 
 together and a part, for fetting up of Jerujalcm 
 and making her a Praife in the Earth. The Time 
 faas, when upon the appearing of any Danger to 
 Religion; though haply but afar off, and far in- 
 feriour to many Dangers that are now within our 
 iJowels, jeafon'able and clear Warning was given 
 thereof, by the Body of the Watch-men in the 
 Land, and many private Chriftians made it their 
 Work to deal ferioufly with God in the fecret 
 Watches of the Night, for preventing of the fame, 
 and mariy wfere found of every Rank and Condition 
 throughout the Land, who did readily put forth 
 themfelves in their Stations and Callings, to prevent 
 future, and remove prefent Prejudices to Religion. 
 The Time was, w 7 hen the thiiigs of God were more 
 minded and fought, than our own things, his Mat- 
 ters were Wont to have the Preference in ail publick 
 Councils and T.ranfa&idns amongft us;, and as pub- 
 lick Motions and Overtures did tend to the promov- 
 ing or prejudicing of the things of God j fo they 
 were wofit* to be entertained or rcjeded, iti publick 
 Meetings; civil Interefts were wont to be carried 
 on in Subordination to thefe that are fpiritual, our 
 own Safety and Security was wont to be minded, 
 in Subordination to the Safety and Security of Religi- 
 on, and of the Kingdom of Jefus Cbrift ; but now 
 fuch a publick and tender, and vigilant Spirit is in i 
 
 gr'tii 
 
- . . [ n ) 
 
 great Meafure gone from amongft us, and in ftead 
 thereof, Neutrality, and Indifferency, and carnal Se- 
 curity poflefieth many,' as to what concerneth Re- 
 ligion and the Kingdom of Jefus Chrift ; and to 
 many it feemeth to be but of fmall Concernment, 
 whether the Lord's Matters link or fwimj many 
 feek their own things, and ftudy , to fecure them- 
 felves, and their own Matters, but few feek the 
 -things of Jefus Chrift, or care for the preferving 
 or the fecuring of bis Intereft : Is it not for a La- 
 mentation that inthepubJick Meetings which have 
 been kept in the feveral Shires of this Nation, thefe 
 eight or nine Years paft, There hath been little 
 cr no Care, or Refentment of Religion, or of 
 the Work of God, but thefe things have been 
 ih a great Meafure forgotten or laid afide, as if 
 wc were not a People devoted to the Lord ; Or, 
 as if Religion were nothing of our Concernment ; 
 Or, as if all that Care did belong to Minifters 
 only : To thefe it is indeed in a fpecial way in- 
 cumbent to take Care jhereof -, and would to 
 God, that all of us who bear that Name, did 
 endeavour to be faithful and vigilant in this Hour 
 of Tentation : There is no doubt, but \Ve, e- 
 ven we alfo, have our own Faintings arid Failings as 
 to many thifrgs that are called for, in iuch a Day, 
 and that our Breaches have both w r eakned our 
 felves, and blunted and ftumbled others : But fure-* 
 fy neither all the Fault, nor all the Duty is ours 
 | only. As the feveral Ranks and Eftates of the Land 
 fWere honoured of God to be eminently instrumen- 
 tal, both in the Beginning and. Progrefs of the 
 |Work of Reformation, for fundry Years together? 
 fo there is no Queftion, but it is ftill incumbent to 
 them in Duty, in their feveral Stations and Callings, 
 according to the Oath of God in the Covenant, 
 E 2 Reailv, 
 
( 2 4 - ; 
 
 Really* conftantly, and fincerely, all the Days of 
 their Life, to endeavour the Prefervation of the re- 
 formed Religion in the Church of Scotland, in 
 Do&rine, Worfhip, Difcipline, and Government 
 and not to give - themfelves over to Indifferency 
 and Neutrality thereanent, or to give themfelves to 
 be pofiefied with a Spirit of carnal Security, and 
 Negligence, in Reference thereto. I do not doubt, 
 but the Conference and Care of their Duty, is upon 
 the Hearts of fome of all Ranks in the Land : But 
 who can deny, that a Spirit of Security and Neutra- 
 lity hath prevailed upon many ; Flefh and Blood, 
 and carnal Wifdom, will not want Excufesin thefc 
 Matters ; But if wt fhall enter into the Sandiuary 
 of the Lord, and weigh it in his Balance, it can- 
 not be exc ufed, that the Covenant and Caufe of 
 God, that Religion and the Interefts of Jefus 
 Chrift ihould be fo much forgotten and laid afide, 
 and that there ihould be fo fmall Refentment of the 
 Injuries that are done thereunto $ and that no fecu- 
 rity , nor Remedy againft the Encroachments that 
 are made thereupon, and the Dangers that threaten 
 the fame, fhould be fo much as propounded, or 
 defired. How far is this from that which we were 
 once at, and is there not Caufe to fear, that be- 
 caufe of this Luke-warmnefs, God mall fpue us 
 out of his Mouth, as he threatneth to do unto the 
 Church of Ludicea, becaufe fhe was neither hot 
 nor cold, but Luke-warm in the Matters of God, 
 Rev. iii. 16. 
 
 Con- 
 
Confideration sixth. 
 
 From the Divifions that are amongfl us. 
 
 WHilst I am fpeaking of thefe Dan • 
 gers that are inteftine, and do Minilter ■ 
 Advantage to the Spirit of Error and De- 
 lufion, I cannot overpafs our Divifions, 
 . that being a Danger that is none of the fmaileft ; It is 
 the Aflertion of our blefled Lord Jefus, which Rea- 
 fon and Experience doth verify, that a Kingdom 
 divided againft it felf cannot Hand ; and how fad arc 
 thefe Divifions which are in Scotland at this day, I 
 fhall not infill on thefe that do concern Civil Go- 
 ment, which yet ( where ever they are ) have no fmall 
 Influence upon things religious ; Men being often- 
 times apt to follow that way, even in the things of 
 God, that feemeth moil to contribute for letting 
 up or fettling thefe Civil Governments and Gover- 
 nors, which their Hearts did moil: affect, and their 
 Endeavours thereanent, together v/ith the reciprocal 
 Endeavours of thefe Governors; thernfelves hav- 
 ing oftentimes no fmall Tendency unto the altering 
 or changing lbmewhat in Religion ; but waving 
 thole things, Is there not Difference and Divlfioa 
 amongfl us, even in order to things Religious ? To 
 wit, the Difcipline and Government of the Church, 
 and the Covenant, and a great Pare of the late 
 Work of Reformation, &c. It is true, there hath 
 been ^eternal Subjection in thefe things b\f the 
 Body of the Inhabitants of this Land, but it were 
 to {hut our Eyes, and to befool our feivci in the 
 E 3 clear 
 
( *6 ; 
 
 clear Day, to think, that all thefc who did exter- 
 nally fubjed themfelves thereunto, before the Year 
 1650. do now approve thereof ; the Pra&ifes and 
 Profefiions of many, witneffing the contrary ; fome 
 being openly fallen off to Independency^ fome to 
 Anabaptifm x fome to §hiahrifm ; and many being 
 fraugnted with the old Malignant Enmity againft 
 the Covenant* and the Work of Reformation, and 
 the diicipline, and the Government of the Church, 
 fpeakihg evil of,- and reproaching thefe Things at 
 their Pleafure, and making it manifeft, that they 
 would be glad of any Means and Opportunity to 
 bear down and overturn the fame; and how fad 
 are theie Divisions that are amongft us of the Mini-' 
 jftry ? How are the - Watchmen, who ought to fee 
 with one Eye, andtofpeak with one Tongue, and to 
 bear with one Shoulder, divided amongft them- 
 felves ? "It is not my Piirpofe at prefent to difcover 
 the Fountain of this Evil, or to impute the Guilt 
 thereof to one rather than to another: Neither do 
 I mean from the bad Confequents of our Divifi- 
 pns, to debate Innocency and Truth into Silence, or 
 toperfwade to an Union upon any Terms, though 
 with the Increafe of our Sin againft God, and with 
 the greater Prejudice of his Work, and with 
 more Offence < to the Confciences of thefe that are 
 rruly tender and godly, but limply" to* hold forth, 
 that the' Divifion' doth in many Refpecls, threaten 
 Danger to Religion, and the Ordinances of Jefus- 
 Chriil amongft us y that fo the true Caufes and right 
 Cure thereof may be fearched into, and ftudied. 
 1. It giveth Advantage to Adverfaries to call Slan- 
 ders and Imputations upon our Church, and the 
 Government thereof as having ( if they may be 
 believed) little or 'nothing of that Unity and 
 Peace, and Love, th at faccometh the true Church, 
 
 and 
 
and Paftors of Jefus Chrift. 2. It doth lay ± 
 Humbling Block in the Way, not only of ignorant 
 and carnal, and profane Men, to make them caft at 
 Religion and Reformation, but alfo of fome lefs 
 knowing, and weak amongft the Godly, who are 
 brought to doqbr, which Way to follow, whilft they 
 fee fqme Learned and Godly Minifters pleading for 
 one Thing, and others alfo Learned and Godly 
 pleading for another. 3. It doth much harden and 
 confirm fuch of that Party in the Land, who formerly 
 oppofed the Work of Reformation, and do re- 
 tain their Enmity thereto, that it is not a Work 
 that hath been of God, as having no confiftence, npr 
 concord with it felf, but like to pu!l down and 
 deftroy it felf by the Divifions that are amongft the 
 chief Inftruments thereof. 4. It doth divert the 
 Judicatories of the Kirk, and the Members there- 
 of, from imploying themfelves againft the com- 
 mon Adverfaries, and promoting the Exercifes and 
 Power of Godlinefs. 5. It maketh Difcipline 
 and Church-Cenfures fundry Times to be mifre- 
 garded, as not proceeding from Presbyteries and 
 Synods jointly, but oftentimes in a divided w r ay. 
 6. It breedeth- fundry Inconveniences in the plant- 
 ing of Churches, fometimes obftrudting the Planta- 
 tion for fundry Years together, fometimes plant- 
 ing them with Men not fatisfyingly qualified, fome- 
 times making two differing Plantations in one Con- 
 gregation, 'by w T hich," both the Minifters and the 
 People come to be divided, or the diflatisfied ' Party, 
 if they cannot win at a Minifter, to be caften l.co;e, 
 and left without a Miniftry, and the v Benefit of the 
 publick Ordinances. 7. The Door is thereby fhut 
 - fundry Times, againft fundry able and Godly Ex- 
 peftants, who are thereby kept from ehtring into 
 the Miniftry. 8. Advantage is thereby given % to 
 
 difaffe&ed 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 diflaftcfted People in fome Congregations, to fepa- 
 rate and withdraw from their own lawful Paftors, 
 and either to call themfelves loofe of the Ordi- 
 nances, or elfe to call and fet up others in an inorder- 
 ly way. 9. It doth retard and obftruft the purging 
 of the Church from inefficient and ftandaloijs Mi- 
 nifters and Elders, which do fhelter themfelves, and 
 are taken but too little notice of, under thefe Dif- 
 ferences and Divifions. 10. It doth occafiori Men 
 in the Heat of their Debates, anent thefe Differ- 
 ences, to run too far upon the aflerting and vent- 
 ing of Things for the Defence ©f their own Opinions 
 and Judgments, that may prove Seeds and Inlets to 
 Tenets and Evils that are of greater and more dan- 
 gerous Confequence. 11. It doth in no fmall Mea- 
 sure alienate the Minds, and eftrange the Hearts and 
 Affedtions of good Men one from another, and 
 weaken them in their Prayers before God one 
 for another, and in that Confidence' and Cordial- 
 nefs that they fhould have in their joynt carry- 
 ing on of common and uncontroverted Duties; 
 all which, as they are prefent Prejudices to Religion 
 and the Work of G o d ; fo being continued, are 
 like to prove more and more dangerous and de- 
 ftrudtive thereunto. 
 
 .Confederation Seventh, 
 
 From the Attempts and Jffiiults that are made by 
 many upon the Ordinances of jefus Cbriji. 
 
 K 
 
 S this inferior World without the Light of 
 the Sun, would be but a Mafs of Darknefs 
 and Confufion, fo would the Church Mili- 
 tant 
 
( 29 ) 
 
 tant without Ordinances < and as Food is neceflary 
 for preferving of the Life of the Body, fo hath 
 God appointed, that ia our Pilgrim Condition 
 here below, the Soul's Life (hculd depend upon the 
 Ufe of his Ordinances : What is Religion but a 
 confciencious worfhipping of G o d, after the Man- 
 ner, and in the Ufe of the Ordinances prefcribed 
 by himfelf ? And yet I do not know, if in any Ge- 
 neration the Ordinances of God have been more 
 diredtly ftruck at,' than they are by many in thcfe 
 Nations at this Day : I fhall pafs that fanatick Ge- 
 neration of Familiji^ that cry down all Wcrihip 
 and Ordinances, as Things below a Saints Condition, 
 fundry of which as wandring Stars be travelling 
 up and down thefe Lands : But let us a little con- 
 fider what Attempts and Aflaults are made by many 
 againft the Word of God, and the preaching thereof, 
 againft the Sacraments/ againft the„ Lord's Day, 
 againft the Miniftry, and agajnft the Discipline 
 and Government of the Church ; which Things are 
 the \'t\y Pillars of Religion, that being deilroyed, 
 Religion cannot but evanifh.and turn into nothing. 
 As to the holy Word of God contained in the 
 Scriptures of Truth : There be not only fundry Je- 
 fuiies and Seminary-Priejls lurking in fundry Places 
 of the Land, who cry down the Perfection and Au- 
 thority of the Scriptures, and the reading thereof 
 in our vulgar Tongue, and the Bibles which are in 
 Peoples Hands, as falfe, and corrupt, n;id heretical 
 .Tranflations, and do commend unto them the Au- 
 thority of the Church afRome^ and her Traditions, 
 for the Ground of Salvation, and the old Latin 
 Verfion for the au then tick Text of the Scripture, 
 and the Bible of Dozvay for the heft and pureit Eng- 
 UJb Verfion, and all our publick Worfhip as cor- 
 rupt; but we have alfo the whole Tribe of the 
 Quakers concurring and conipiring to the outmoft 
 
©f their Power, to cry down the Divinity and Au- 
 thority of the written Word of God, and to per- 
 fwade fuch as will believe them, that the Scrip- 
 tures have no Authority over Mens Confciences, and 
 that no Command in Scripture that was given to 
 others, doth bind us, fave what we have an Impulfe 
 upon our own Spirits for, and that every Man in 
 the World hath a Light within him, fufficient to 
 guide him unto Salvation, without the help of any 
 outward Light or Difcovery, and that the Diktats 
 of this inward Light, are the infallible Diktats of the 
 Spirit of Go d, which every one is bound to 
 hearken unto. This, as it is one of the moft im- 
 pudent, fo it is one of the moft compendious ways 
 that ever was taken by Satan, for 'ftriking at the 
 Root of Chriftian Religion, and banifhing of it 
 out of the World. If the Sccriptures be not the 
 Word of God, what have we for the Ground of our 
 Faith, and Rule of our Duty ? The Light that is 
 within us, when not derived from, and founded 
 upon, and agreeable unto the Law and the Tefti- 
 mony, is but Darknefs, /and leadcth us, unto as many 
 By-paths of Divifion and Deftru&iori, as our cor- 
 rupt Fancy can devife, or the Father of Lies fuggeft: 
 unto us : Neither are thefe Men any greater Friends 
 to the Sacraments instituted and appointed by Jefus' 
 Chrift under the Gofpel, they cry down Baptifm 
 with Water, and the Lord's Supper, as being but' 
 Types aftd Shadows ceafing upon the Appearance 
 of Chrift within them. The Anabaptijls alfo, tho' 
 they do not limply deny nor oppugn the Ordi- 
 nance of Baptifm, yet by denying and oppugn- 
 ing the Baptifm of Infants, born within the vi- 
 . fible Church, they do not only at one Dafh Un- 
 . baptize and Un-church all the Thoufands of our 
 Ifraely but do alfo leave our Children and Pofteri- 
 ty, in regard of ^r\y Covenant-Privilege, or Seat, 
 
 in 
 
■'■■(• 3« J 
 
 in little or no better Condition, than thefe of Infi- 
 dels or Pagans ; and how prevailing an Opinion and 
 Party this is in thefe Nations at this Day, is manifeft 
 enough. The Lord's Day, tho' a Moral and Di- 
 vine Inftitution, and generally acknowledged in the 
 Churches of Chrift, to be the Key of Religion, and 
 that Ordinance which keepeth all the reft in Life and 
 Being,' by feparating us one Day of every Week from 
 the World and worldly Bufinefl'es, to be folemnly 
 fet apart and exercifed in religious D r uties, chiefly 
 thefe that concern ths publick Worfhip of God, it 
 the publick Aflemblies of his People ; yet is by many 
 of the Sectaries of this Time, alfo cried down, 
 and the keeping thereof, flighted and oppofed, 
 which being added to that natural Averfnefs and 
 Enm'ty that is in the Hearts of all carnal and pro- 
 fane Men, ( the Number of which in all Quarters of 
 our Land is not fmall ) unto the giving or keeping 
 a Day unto the Lord, threatens no fmall Danger un- 
 to this moft neceflary and divine Inftitution, and to 
 the whole publick Worfhip of God. W.hat * s ftiore 
 like to take with Worldly-minded Men, and wanton 
 •Perfons, and carnal Libertines, than this, That all 
 . Days are alike, and that the Lord's Day is but a Device 
 • of Man, and a Yoke, and a Bondage upon the Necks 
 . of the Difciples, from which they ought to deliver 
 themfelves ? This being one of the Things which 
 carnal Hearts do moft deiire arid hunt after : \Vhen 
 j carnal Liberty getteta Confcience upon its Side, and 
 i carnal and licentious Pradlifes get under the Sha- 
 I dov/ of religious Opinions, they do then wax bold 
 | as Lions, and tear in Pieces the precious Truths and 
 ! Commandments of God, that ftanJ in their way j and 
 thus it is like to prove in the Matter of the Lord's 
 Day. And not only are Minifters had in Derifipn* and 
 Contempt, and railed upon, and reviled as Deceivers, 
 Thieves, Robbers, Baafs Priefts, Conjurers, Antichrifts, 
 ,|i ' ' Witchc:--, 
 
( 32 ) 
 
 Witches, Devils, Symon's Serpents, bloody Herodians, 
 Scarlet-coloured Beafts, Babylon's Merchants, Wolves, 
 Dogs, Swine, Sodomites, Murders; Minifters of Dark- 
 nefs, curfed Speakers, Cain's Stock, Vagabonds, who 
 walk in the way of Cain, Balaam and Core, and what 
 not, that a malicious Heart can invent, and a vio- 
 lent Tongue utter ; but the Ordinance of the Mi- 
 niftry it felf is alfo cried down, as altogether need- 
 Jefs, and burdenfome to the Lord's People under 
 the Gofpel, who (if fome of thefe Men may be' 
 believed ) have no need of any outward teaching, 
 by reading or hearing the Scriptures, opened or 
 applied, that Light within them being fufficient to 
 teach them in the Knowledge of the Will of God ; 
 As to all thefe Things that concern their Duty and 
 Salvation, or as others of thefe Men will have it, 
 all of them are warranted to be Teachers them- 
 felves, and that a peculiar Office of a Teaching or 
 Preaching Miniftry, is no Ordinance of Chriit ; Or, 
 if any fuch be, that they are not to be by any me- 
 diate Call from Man, but by an immediate Call 
 from God, and the peculiar Inftinft of the holy 
 Ghoft, I may add to thefe Things, the general 
 Difrefpeft and Difefteem that prevaileth on the 
 Hearts, and appeareth in the Carriage of difaffe£ied 
 and profane Men, to the Miniftry ; together with 
 a ftrong Inclination that is in many, to have Mini- 
 fters according to their own Hearts, who will fpeak 
 fmooth Things unto them, and heal their Hurt 
 ilightly, and that the Maintenance of Entrance to 
 the Miniftry, to which there was wont to be free 
 and legal Accefs by vertue of their Ordination, is 
 now feized upon by the Civil Power, who do not > 
 allow it to any, but upon Condition of their 
 declaring * their Refolution to live peaceably under 
 the prefent Government: And for the Difcipline 
 and Government Qf the Church, not only are the 
 
 Civil 
 
( 33 ) 
 
 Civil Laws that concern the upholding thereof, and 
 giving Obedience thereunto repealed, and Liberty 
 Slowed to all thefe who are pleafed to {peak or 
 write againft it, or withdraw their Subjection there- 
 from ; but other Sorts alfo of Kirk Diicipline and 
 Government that are deftru<ftive thereunto, are let 
 up and promoted, and protected, and countenanced 
 amongft us> Thefe Things being fo, is it not pall 
 all Queftion, that the Pillars of Religion, which is 
 "Wifdom's Houie, arc in Hazard to be overthrown 
 by the malicious and fubtile Devices of Satan ? And 
 that it is high Time for us to awake, and fee our 
 Danger, left, e'er we be aware, we be fpoiled of the 
 precious Trearfure of the Gofpel, and blefted Or- 
 dinances of Jefus Chrift, by which we live* and in 
 which is the Life of our Souls. 
 
 , Danger Eight. 
 
 Frm the Growth and Increafe of Popety in tie Land, 
 
 THat the Pope and his Partv hath thefe many 
 Years paft, had a fpecial Eye upon Britain^ 
 and upon this* Nation as a Part thereof, for 
 reducing the fame into the Obedience of the See of 
 v, is better known than that I need to infill upon 
 the Proof of it ; and therefore hath he always had 
 his Emiilaries the Jefuites y and Ssmtrraty-Priejh) tra- 
 velling up and down in this Iiland," under diverfe 
 fcittb, for perverting of Souls, and letting Plots and 
 Coni^iracies on Foot, for comparing that Defign.. 
 How much their Hopes were heigh tried, and in 
 what a fair way they were for bringing it about, be- 
 fore the \ 8". is frelh in Remembrance ; And 
 akho' theic Hopes weie in a great Mcafurc t 
 
 ed 
 
? 34 ) ■ 
 
 ed by the Reformation, then begun in Scotland^ arid 
 profperoufly carried on in both Nations for fundry 
 Years thereafter ; yet are they now again revived 
 under ourprefent Diltempers and Confufions, which 
 ( efpccially by Reafon of the vaft Toleration of Er- 
 rors and Herdies, of which I have already fpoke) 
 do minifter unto Papifts' great and lingular Advan- 
 tages,* for promoting and comparing their Defign. 
 Not only is Liberty afforded them to vent moft 
 part of the Popifh Doftrine, ( which keeping of the 
 Pope's Supremacy, and the Popifh Hierarchy, with 
 feme other Things of that kind, they may do with- 
 out Hazard ) but thefe penal Statutes and Laws, 
 which concern Mens coming to Church, and attend- 
 ing the Word and Sacraments, bV. being- taken 
 away, they have Liberty to withdraw themfelves 
 frcro the Ordinances and Means of Conviftion, and 
 luflixdici], and may keep their own private Meet- 
 ings with their gheftly Fathers at Home, without 
 Regard to the Cenfures of the Church ; and in the 
 mean while Jejuites and. Seminary-Priefts, come not 
 & few of them into the Ccuntry, and do import, or 
 caufe to be imported, Numbers of Popifli Pamph- 
 lets,, which are indiiftrioufly fpread* and put into 
 the Hands of fuch as they perceive in any Mea- 
 fure inclinable to their W ay, or by Reafon of their 
 malignant Difpolition, to be in diflike with the Co- 
 Tenant, or the Government and Difcipline of the 
 Church, or any Part of the Work of Reformati- 
 on, or to be Ignorant or Lcofe in their Conventi- 
 on; Neither 'are fundry of them wanting in the 
 mean while, to the outmoft of their Power, by Mh 
 tile and fair Speeches, to draw away, fuch from the 
 Purity of their Frofeffion, and to inftill into them* 
 the love of the way of the Church of Rcme y as 
 that which was the Religion of our Fore-fathers. 
 Not a few Papifts alfo, who had formerly left the 
 
 Country,' 
 
' ( 35 ; 
 
 Country, becaufe of the itridtnefs of the Laws, 
 
 jw return Home again, and others who ftaid i 
 at Home, and did profefs Subjection and Conformi- 
 ty to 'the Church, do now withdraw and openly 
 avow themfelves to be Papifts : Neither is their 
 Advantage fmall by the Remnant of the Malignant 
 ahd preiatical Party, that is yet amongft us : Thefe 
 alfo having a great Enmity againft the Covenant and 
 Government of the Church, and the Work of Re- 
 formation: And there being in fundry things a 
 jgfeat Sitiipathy between thefe Parties, and a great 
 fibneft in their Principles and ways, and a deal of 
 re.idinefs to correfpond together,* and to counte- 
 nance one another ; By thefe Means, and fuch as thefe 
 it comes to pafs, that Popery grows and fpreads 
 in feveral Places of the Land from Year to Year, to 
 which if we {hall add, the Correfpondence that Pa- 
 pifts have with, and the Encouragements they have 
 from their Friends Abroad, together with the De- 
 fign ( which hath been long a hatching ) of the Po- 
 pilh Leaguers beyond Sea, their invading of Britain 
 as the ftrongeft Bulwark of the Protcftant Ckiuie, 
 that it being brought under, they may the more 
 eafily make a Prey of the reft of the Proteftaut 
 States and Churches, and that this Invafion is like 
 to be ftated Upon fuch a Quarrel, and carried on 
 under fuch a Pretext as will engage the Affection and 
 Afliftance of fome, ahd blunt the Oppofition of 
 j others : Do not all thefe things, put together, 
 I much heighten the Danger ©f the true Proteftant 
 Religion in Scotland. 
 
 D%n- 
 
( 36 )' 
 
 Danger NiritH, 
 
 From our Guiltinefs in many of tbefe things for which 
 the Lord tbreatneth to depart, and remove his 
 Candlefiick. 
 
 IHave fpoke to fundfy Sins that do abound a- 
 mongft us, as they do weaken the Soul, in 
 refilling of Temptations, and in following of 
 thefe Duties that are necefiary, for preferving 
 of Religion in its Purity and Pqwer, and as Inlets 
 to difpoie unto things, that are contrary and deitruo 
 tive thereunto. I fhall now refume fome of thefe 
 Sins, and add thereunto ibme others, whereof we 
 are in a great Meafure guilty, for which the Lord 
 threatneth to. depart, and to remoye his Candle- 
 ftick. The firft I nafae, is* That grofs Ignorance 
 of the Gofpel, and of the ncceflary Truths of God 
 that pofiefleth Multitudes of our Land in this 
 clear Gofpel-day* and under the Plenty of the Means 
 of Knowledge, Is not this the Condemnation of 
 many, That Light is come amongft us, and that 
 they love Darknefs rather than Light, the^Ignorance 
 of many is affe&ed and perverfe, and therefore 
 without Excufe : Is there not Caufe to fear that 
 dreadful Word, It is a People of no Understandings 
 Therefore he that made them, will have no Mercy on 
 them, and he that formed them, will Jhew them n$ 
 Favour, Ifa. xxvii. n. And that of another of the 
 Prophets, Be thou inflruffed, O Jerufalem, left my 
 Soul depart from thee, Jer. vi. 8. The fecond, is, 
 The abounding and prevailing Formality that is 
 amongft us, or a Form of Godlineis without the 
 Power thereof, becaufe of this^ the Lord threatens 
 
 to 
 
( 37 ) 
 
 to fend Delufion, ftrong Delufion upon a t People that 
 they may believe a Lie, %Thef ii. io,.li, 12. yea, to 
 chufe their Delufions, and bring their Fears upon 
 them, If a. lxvi. 3, 4. And do not fuch Delufions feem 
 to be the proper Plague of thefe Nations at this time, 
 chofen and lent of G o d for punifhing our Forma- 
 lity : Hath there been at any time more ftrong Delu- 
 fion, whether we look unto the Multiplicity and 
 monftroufnefs of the Errors that are hatched and 
 vented, or multitude of the Perfons that have 
 come quickly to be infected therewith: This* is 
 doubtlefs a piece of the Hour and Power of 
 Darknefs, wherein Satan is loofed out of his 
 Prifon, and is gone forth to deceive thefe Nati- 
 ons, and when Delufions are chofen and fent of Gcd, 
 and the holy One doth in his fpotlefs and righte- 
 ous Providence, for punifliing the Sins of Men, fay 
 to the lying Spirit, who offers himfelf to be the Mi- 
 nifter of enticing of Souls, go .forth, and thou (halt 
 prevail, have not all of us Reafon to tremble and 
 fear, Let him that thinketh he flandeth, take heed> 
 lift he fall, 1 Cor. x. 12. The third, is, Barren- 
 nefs and Unfruitfulnefs under the Gofpel, for which 
 the x L r d threatens to take away the Hedge 
 of his Vineyard, and it fhall be eaten up, to break 
 down the Wall thereof and it fhall be trodden down, 
 to lay it wafte, and it fhall not be pruned nor digged, 
 Ifa. v. 6, 7, A Charge is given by the Matter of the 
 Vineyard, to cut down the Fig-tree that yielded no 
 Fruit for three Years, Luke xiii. 7. And the Apoftle 
 telleth us, That the Earth that drinhth in the Rain 
 that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth no* 
 thing but Thorns and ThiJUes, is rejected and near 
 unta curfing, Heb. vi. 8. And is not this in an emi- 
 nent Meafure the Sin of our Land ? That notwith- 
 ftanding, the Lord doth plentifully water us with the 
 Dew of Heaven, and with the fweet Rain of the Gof- 
 F pel, 
 
( 3» ; 
 
 pel, Day by Day, yet are we as to moll of us, an 
 empty Vine, that bringeth forth Fruit unto our 
 felves, but not unto God. The fourth, is, Sligh- 
 ting and loathings and wearying of the precious 
 things of Go.d, and the blefled Opportunities there- 
 of, and preferring our own carnal and worldly Ad- 
 vantages thereunto, for which the Lord threatens 
 that he wlllcaufe the Sun go down at Noon-day, and 
 that he will darken the Earth in the clear-day, and 
 that he will fend a Famine of hearing the Words of 
 the L o R d, and- that his People fball wander from 
 Sea to Sea* and from the North even to the Eaft, they 
 fhall run to and fro to feek the Word of the Lord, 
 and fhallnot find it, Amos viii. 4, 5, 6, 9, 11,12. And 
 this Sin alfo reigneth amongft us : How many loath 
 the Ordinances, and flight the Opportunities there- 
 of ? Kow many weary of the L o r d 's D^y, and 
 half it between God and the World ? How is our 
 blefled Lord Jesus and the ineftimablc Treafure of 
 the Golpel valued by many at a very low Rate? ma- 
 ny Time iefs than thirty pieces of Silver; that he 
 may juftly take up that fad Complaint, A goodly price 
 that I was prized at ofthcm^ Zech. xi. 13. and break 
 his Statutes and be gone. The fifth, is, refuiing to 
 hearken unto God, for which my God faith the 
 Prophet Hcfea* chap. ix. 17. willcajl them away: Are 
 we not a rebellious and' gain-fay iiig People, w r ho nei- 
 ther fear the Thi earnings ofGoD io repent, nor en- 
 tertain his Promifes to believe, nor regard his Com- 
 mandments, to obey ? And may not the Lord up- 
 braid us as he did thcfe Cities, w 7 herein moft of his 
 mighty Works were done, becaufe they repented not, 
 and bring upon us the Judgments and Deiblatiori 
 tbreatned in that Place ? Mafth. xi. 21, 22, 23, 24. 
 May he not becaufe of our Unbelief, .cut us off, as 
 he did the Church of the Jews, Rom. xi. 20. doih 
 not their Example cajl upon us, not to be high 
 
 mind- 
 
( 39 ) 
 
 minded, but to fear ? May he ndt becaufe of our 
 Difobedience, and that fo many of us do refufe to 
 fuffer him to reign over us, pafs upon us that fad 
 Sentence that is recorded, Luke xix. 27. The fixth* 
 is, That which is written as the Sin of the Prophets, 
 Jer. vi. 14. Ezek. xiii. 10. 16, 22. Exek. xxxiv. 18, 
 19, 21. Micah. iii. v. for which the Lord threatens 
 that Night fhall be unto them, and that they fhall 
 not have a Vifion, that it (hall be dark unto them 
 that they fhall not divine, and that the Sun fhall go 
 down over them. I do not intend the Application 
 of this, to any upon the account of the publick Dif- 
 ferences, but without Refpect to Parties, or Diffe- 
 rences, it can hardly be denied, that though, blefled 
 be G o d for it, there be in the Land many precious 
 Minifters of both Judgments, who ftudy to divide 
 the Word of God aright, warning the Wicked to 
 turn from the Evil of his way, and encouraging the 
 Godly in the Purfuit and Practice of Godlinefs, and 
 fpeaking a word in Seafon to weary Souls ; yet there 
 be not a few who heal the Hurt of the Daughter of 
 the Lord's People flightly, and do fpeak Peace to 
 thefe to whom the Lord doth ntft fpeak Peace, who 
 thruft with the Side and the Shoulder, and bite 
 with the Teeth thefe who ought to be encouraged 
 and comforted. It is fadly bemoaned by the Seri- 
 ous feekers of G o d, in many Places of the. Land, 
 that the Work of fome Minifters is not to commend 
 themfelves to every Man's Confcience, as in the Sigkt A 
 of G o d, but to handle the Word of G o d deceit- 
 fully, in making fad the Hearts of the Righteous, by 
 turning the Edge and Application of their Doctrine ? 
 againft them, under the Notion of Hypocrites arid 
 Se&aries, and fuch like, and in ftrengthning the 
 Hands of the Wicked, that he fhould not return from 
 his wicked wzy, by promifinghim Life, by which it 
 cometfi to jlfe, that fundry ot the People uv fun- 
 F z dry 
 
( 40 ) 
 
 dry Congregations, do blefs themfelves in their 
 Hearts, and fay, that they (hall have Peace, though 
 they walk in the Imagination of their Heart, to add 
 Drunkennefs .to Thirft, and that the few feekers of 
 God that are in thefe Congregations, or in the Coun- 
 try about, are looked upon by fuch, as the vilefl: and 
 molt hateful of Men, and their way more fcarrcd 
 at, than that of the Drunkard, or the common 
 Swearer ; becaufe of this, there is Caufe to fear that 
 the L or d {hall accomplifn the Threatning of the 
 Prophet, by fending Darknefs in ftead of Divina- 
 tion. The feventh, is, Dealing treacherouflywith 
 God in the Matter of his Covenant, Tor which 
 the Lord threatneth dreadful Dfefolatibn, Deut\ 
 xxix. "22, 23, 24, 25. And in many Scriptures be- 
 fides,: which Threatnings, he hath eminently veri- 
 fied againft the Church of the Jews, who becaufe 
 of Breach of Covenant, were call out of his Sight 
 many hundred Years ago, and have continued in 
 that doleful and cfofolate Condition unto this Day: 
 And are not we, evcnwealfo, thefe who have been 
 unftedfaft, aM have dealt falfely in the Covenant of 
 God? I (hall notdefcend into Particulars, about 
 which there may be Difference : But fure I am, that 
 cleaving unto God,' attdclofs walking witli'him and 
 Zeal for the'Kingdom Of Jtsus Christ, and'againft 
 the open Enemies, and Adverfaries thereof, and the 
 reforming of our felves, and of our Followers, in 
 our feveral Stations and Capacities, will be denied 
 by. none, to be amongft the great Ends, whether of 
 our Baptifmal Covenant, or of our National Co- 
 venant, or of the Solemn League and Cove- 
 nant; and that every tender Heart amongft' us, 
 will alio acknowledge, that moil of us have not 
 only come exceedingly fhort, but mod palpably 
 and grofly tranfgrefied in order to all 'thefe 
 things, in fo far,- that the very Oblivion there- 
 unto, 
 
( 4i ) 
 unto, is not only forgotten, but trode under-fbot 
 of many : A Sin that is much heightncd by the great- 
 nefs of the Lord's Mercies, and wondeful Works, 
 manifdted and done in our Behalf, in the con- 
 triving and carrying on of thefe Covenants, and 
 by the Opennefs and Solemnity of our way, in en-, 
 gaging of our felves thereunto: We may fay, that 
 becaufe of the Oath of the Covenant, the Land 
 mourneth, and that God hath a great and fore' 
 Controverfy with us for this thing, and that there 
 is juft Caufe to fear, that as he hath begun, fo he 
 will continue to purfue the Quarrel thereof, until 
 he bring Darknefs and Defolation upon us, un- 
 lefs Mercy fhall prevent us, by giving us to re- 
 pent and turn again to himfelf. The eight, is, 
 Forfaking of our firft Love, for which the Lord 
 tfrreatneth to remove the Candleftick of the 
 Church of EpbefuSj Revel, ii. 4. which may alfo 
 breed us great Fear, that our Candleftick fhall be 
 removed : And that upon thefe two Grounds, firft, 
 becaufe we have in a very great Meafure left our firft 
 Love, and declined from our former Attainments. 
 I fhall not compare this Gensration of our Church 
 with the Generation of our Fathers, I mean, thefe 
 who did fhake off the Yoke of the Roman Anti- 
 chrift, and imbrace the Light of the Gofpel, from 
 whofe Zeal we are far degenerated; but let us 
 compare our felves with our felves, I mean, what • 
 we are now, with what we once were, and that 
 but a very few Years ago, and fee if there be not 
 Caufe to fay, that we Jiave left our ' firft Love. I 
 mall name but a few Particulars, Firft, There 
 was in our Love not Jong ago, a tender Refpeft to 
 all the^ precious Truths.; of G o d, with a fervent 
 Defirfe and ferious Endeavour of artaining and pof- 
 iejftfig them in their Purity, which brought forth 
 a deal of hply Abhorrency, and Indignation againft 
 F 3 every 
 
every thing that tended unto the leavening or 
 corrupting of the fame: What if the Toleration 
 that is now amongft us, had been but moved in 
 Scotland, fome ten Years ago ? Would it have been 
 bruiked with fo many clofe Mouths, and with fo 
 many dry Eyes, as it is this Day. Secondly, There 
 was in our Love a wonderful Zeal for the Privi- 
 ]cdges of the Church, and of Chrift's vifible Kingdom 
 amongft us, that thefe might not be encroached 
 upon, nor born down by the Powers of the World ; 
 but now we can hear and fee fad Encroachments 
 made upon thefe, and fay little or nothing, againft 
 it* either before God or Men. Thirdly, There 
 was in our Love a great deal of Zeal againft that 
 bitter Root of Malignancy, I mean, that which is 
 fo diametrally oppofite to Godlinefs, and to the 
 Kingdom of Jesus Christ; but now it getteth 
 leave to grow up kindly under our Shadow, and 
 many are fo favourable to it, that they will fcarc* 
 once name it, or fuffer it to be named. Fourth- 
 ly, There was in our Love a holy Severity in the 
 Exercife of Church-difcipline, for purging of the 
 Houfe ofGoD, efpecially againft corrupt and fcan- 
 dalous Church-officers - y but that is now in a great 
 Meafure flacked and gone. Fifthly, There was 
 in our Love piuch Chriftian and Cordial Refpedl 
 one to another, which brought forth fweet Union, 
 and Concord, and Harmony in the Judicato- 
 ries of the Kirk, and amongft the Minifters of 
 the Houfe of Go d, but now we bite and devour 
 one another. I might alfo name the abating of 
 our Love to the Ordinances, and to holy Duties ; 
 and to Chriftian-fellowihip and Tenderncfs of con- 
 vention. But paffing thefe, I come t© the other 
 Ground of Fear, and that is, That we feem to be 
 much more fallen from our firft Love at this Day, 
 than tne Church of Epbefus was fallen from hers, 
 
 when 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 when God threatned to remove her Candleftick : Let 
 us look upon the Text, and fee what Ephefus then was, 
 / know thy Works, and thy Labour, and thy Patience, 
 ( faith Jefus Chrift unto her ) and how thou canji net 
 bear them which are evil-, and thou haft tried them 
 which fay they are Apoftles, and are not, and haft found 
 them Liars : And haft born, and haft Patience, and 
 for my Names fake haft laboured, and haft not fainted. 
 Do we delerve fo great a Teftimony as this ? Or, are 
 we not far fhort in all thefe Things ? Where are cur 
 Works, and where is our Labour, and Patience, and 
 where is our Zeal againft thefe that are Evil ? Are we 
 not a barren and fruitlefs People ? Is not our way the 
 way of the Sluggard, and full of Murmuring, and Fret- 
 ting ? Do we not bear with many who are Evil ? and 
 do we not fuffer many to go without Trial, who fay 
 they are Paftors, and are not ? Do we not decline the 
 Crofs of Jefus Chrift, and refufe to bear, and labour 
 for his Name ? And do we not either faint, or turn 
 afide to crooked Ways ? And {hall we in all thefe 
 . Things fall fo far fhort of Ephefus, and of her Car- 
 riage, even when the removal of her Candleftick was 
 threatned, and yet not fear the removal of our Candle- 
 ftick ? Jfwe deal impartially with ourfelves, by ccn- 
 fidering all thefe our Provocations, which I have al- 
 ready named, and many more that are but too obvi- 
 ous, and would be tedious to inlift upon, we cannot 
 but be affrighted that the Lord fliall depart from a- 
 mongft us \ yea, he hath in no fmall Meafure depart- 
 ed already, and this is that to which I lhall fpeak 
 fomewhat in the next Place. 
 
 DANGER Tenth. 
 That the Lord who is our Light, and Life, and Strength, 
 is in no fmall Meafure departed from us, and hath 
 fmitten us with many Pfagues of Heart. 
 
 F 4 -Th e 
 
( 44 ) 
 
 TH e Prefence and Appearances of G o ir 
 amcngft a People, are either fuch as do con- 
 cern them fimply, as Men united together in 
 Civil Society under Civil Government, in order to 
 .Righteoufnefs and Peace, or fuch as concern them, as 
 Chriftian Men united in a Church-ftate, under Eccle- 
 fiaftick and Spiritual Government, in order to Truth 
 and Holinefs. Of the firft Sort, are thefe, which are 
 manifeftcd in the common Operations and Effeftsof 
 the Spirit, when he giveth unto them the Gifts of 
 Knowledge, Wifdom, Fortitude, Temperance, 
 Juftice, Courage, and fuch like, in reference to Ci- 
 vil Adiiiiniftrations, and bleffetb, and profpereth them 
 in theExercife thereof; So the Lord was with Cyrus, 
 whofe right Hand he did hold to fubdue Nations be- 
 fore him, and to looie the Loins of Kings, and to 
 open before him the Two leaved Gates, fjfe If a. 
 xlv. i, 6fc Of the other Sort, are either thefe, 
 which are manifeited in the more peculiar Operati- 
 ons and Effe&s of his Spirit, ( which yet are but com- 
 mon in Oppofition to laving Grace ) when he giveth 
 unto his People the Gift of Prophefie, or Miniftry, 
 or Teaching, or Exhortation, or Church ruling, and 
 ccuntenanceth them in the Exercife thereof, for per- 
 filling of the Saints, end edifying cf the Body of 
 Chrift, Rajiu xii. 6, 7. Eph. iv. 8, 1 1, 12. Or elfe 
 thefe, which are manifefted in the fpecia] Operations 
 of his renewing Spirit, when he giveth fandhfying 
 and faring Grace, and by his continued Breathings,- 
 and quickning Influences thereupon, maketh his Peo- 
 ple to be more and more renewed in the inward Man 
 Day by Day; lb he was with his Servant Paul, m 
 the midft of all his Tribulations and Afflictions, 
 2 Cor. iv. 16. And according to the Meafute of 
 the Appearances or Withdrawings of God in thefe 
 Things; fo do the Matters of his People, whether 
 
 Civil 
 
„ ( 45 ) 
 
 Civil 6r Ecclefiaflick, or Spiritual, profper or de- 
 Now in reference to all thefe, God is in 
 no fmall Meafure departed from amongft us, and 
 hath left us under a Cloud of Defertion, and fmitten 
 us with fundry Plagues of Heart. As to Civil Ad- 
 miniftrations, Wifdom, and Underftanding, and 
 Courage, and Strength, and Suecefs, was taken from 
 us, and the Lord did fmite us with Blindnefs, and . 
 Confufion, and Aftonifhment, and Trembling of 
 Heart; Wifdom Was not to be found with the Antient, 
 nor Underftanding and Counfel with the Prudent, he 
 mingled a perverfe Spirit in the midft of us, that 
 caufed us to err in every Work 3 he went not 
 forth with our Armies, and therefore our Princes 
 became like Harts that find no Pafture, and that 
 fly without Strength before the Purfuer; and the 
 Men of might did not find their Hands, but became 
 like unto Women that were affrighted, and did fear, be- 
 caufe of the fhaking of the Hand of the Lord of Holts, 
 which he fhook over our Land : He-made all our ftrOng 
 Holds to be like Fig-trees, with the firft ripe Figs 
 which fall into the Mouth of the Eater, when they are 
 fhaken, and the Gates of our Land to be fet wide open 
 to our Enemies ; and his Hand was agamft us, until 
 he had taken away from us the mighty MEan, a*:d 
 the Man of War, the Judge, and the Prudent, and 
 the whole Stay of Armies, and the Staff of our 
 Civil Government: Neither is his Wrath in thefe 
 ■Things turned away, but his Hand is ftretched out 
 iftill. Our Nobles are not of our felves, nor do 
 ;our Governors proceed from the midft of us, 
 [hut Strangers do bear Rule over us, and the Home- 
 born Sons are broken as the breaking of a Potter's 
 Veflel that is broken to Pieces ; fo that there is not 
 found in'" the bunting of it, a Sheard to :ake Fire 
 from the Hearth, or to take Water out of the Pit : 
 
 Neither 
 
( 46 ) 
 
 Neither is the Lord's Departure fmall in reference 
 to our Church, and Church-Adminiftrations. Me 
 hath forely cracked, if not broken to Pieces, both 
 the Staffs, the Staff of Beauty », and the Staff of 
 Bands , the Unity and Authority of Pallors, and 
 of Church-Judicatories ; He hath divided us in 
 his Anger, and poured Contempt upon us; and 
 tho' we have efiayed to heal our Wound, and to 
 recover our Strength, yet have all our Effays hi- 
 therto, for the moft part, been fruftrated of the 
 Lord : Do we not come together many Times for 
 the worfe, and not for the better? Is there not 
 bruifing inftead of binding up, and much bitter 
 Contention and Strife in many of our Meetings ? 
 Inftead of the f weet Fruits of an edifying Union 
 and Peace, whilft we Ihould draw in the Work of 
 the Lord with one Shoulder, do not fome draw 
 one way, and others another, rendring our En- 
 deavours almoft ufelefs to the Church, comfort- 
 lefs to our felves, and defpicable to others? Hath 
 not God in his holy and juft Indignation, 
 mingled fomewhat of a perverfe Spirit in the midft 
 of us, and are we not full of the Fury of the Lord, 
 and of rhe Rebuke of our God ? We wait for Light, 
 but behold Obfcurity, for Brightnefs, but we walk- 
 in Darknefs, we grope for the Wall like the blind, 
 and we grope as if we had no Eyes, we ftumble 
 at Noon-day as in the Night, we are in defolate 
 Places as dead Men, we look for Judgment, but 
 there is none, for Salvation, but it is far off from 
 us. And is not the Lord's Hand alfo upon. 
 his Ordinances, to reftrain and withhold the Blef- 
 fing thereof? In this Refpeft, much is fown, and 
 little brought in : The Word of Salvation, as to any 
 fenfibje Evidence thereof, is but rarely blefled in 
 the Hand of the Ministers, unto the converting of 
 Souls, and turning Men from Darknefs unto Light, 
 
 and 
 
( 47 J 
 ind from the Power of Satan unto God. It is the 
 
 Complaint of Faithful Miniftcrs in many Places of 
 he I/md, That they Labour in vain, and fpend 
 heir Strength for nothing ; yea, how doleful and 
 Ireadful is the withering and decay that is upon 
 nany Souls, who lay Claim to Conver-fion, and 
 o a real Intereft in Jesus Christ? The Ge- 
 leration of the Righteous in the Land do bemoan 
 his Thing, and complain Day by Day, That Light- 
 $ darkned, that Life is withered, that Strength is 
 '.bated, that Prefence is evanijhed^ that Tendernefs 
 $ gone^ that Influences are withholden, that Pray- 
 r is refrained and Jhut out, that Faith faileth y 
 hat Love is grown cold, that Hearts are hardnei 
 '.s Stones, that there is little or. no Delight in God 9 
 r in his Word, or in the Fellow (hip of his Peo- 
 le, that Corruptions are aloft, and Heart Plagues 
 \i abound, that God hideth his Face, and is as a 
 Granger unto his People, and leaveth them t* 
 vrejile alone in their Duties and Difficulties ; 
 o that to deny the withdrawings of G o d from 
 lis People, were to deny what they find , and 
 eel, written upon their Hearts, and upon their 
 N*y in a continued Tradt of fad Experiences, 
 iow for a long Time ; and yet whilft it is con- 
 efledly thus, How little ado is there for his De- 
 •artings, even amongft thefe who are convinced, 
 nd do acknowledge that he is in a great Meafure 
 one? Some Remembrance there is of a better 
 pondition, whilft we did enjoy his Fellowfhip, and 
 'is Countenance did fhine" upon us, and fome 
 ,,ight to difcover our Lofs, and the Evils that do 
 jttend it, which bring forth a fort of Defires to 
 scover cur former State -, but thefe, how faint and 
 xklefs are they ? ^nd how many of us, are in a 
 manner, content to live without God, and to fuffer 
 im to be gone, without taking hold on the Skirts 
 
 of 
 
C 48 ) 
 
 of his Garments? It may juftly be faid, That ws 
 do fade as a Leaf, and that our Iniquities like the 
 Wind do tale us away; arid that there be few 
 among us that call upon his Name, or ftir up them- 
 felves to take hold on him ; for he hath hid his Face 
 from us, and doth confume us, becaufe of mr Ini- 
 quities : If his gracious Influences were ftrong upon 
 our Hearts, we would not, we could not' eafily 
 bruik his Departing, nor would we, or could we be 
 fatisfied, or hold our Peace, Night and Day, until 
 he did return, and revive his Work, and renew his 
 Strength, and repair the Ruins, and build up the 
 Breaches of his People ; And our fitting, almoft fa- 
 tisfied, and filent under his withdrawings, doth fay, 
 That many of us, tho' we have a name that we 
 ere living, yet we are dead; and that the Spiritual 
 Life which remains in others, is ready to die ; which 
 Things do fay, That our Gourd is withering at the 
 Root, that Religion is wounded at the Heart, and I 
 fmitten in its Vitals, in the Spiritual Powers of the | 
 Sogli within which, if the Lord breath not from 
 above, by pouring out of his Spirit from on high, 
 will foon make any Fruit or Leaves of Profeffion that 
 do remain without, to wither and decay, and leave 
 us like Nebuchadnezzar, his Tree, which by the 
 Command of the Watcher and holy One that came 
 down from Heaven, was hewn down, and had its 
 Branches cut, and its Leaves fhaken, and its Fruit 
 fcattered, and the Beafts driven from under it, and 
 the Fowls from its Branches, and the Stump of its 
 Roots only left in the Earth, bound with a Band of 
 Iron, and of Brafs, until feven Times did pafs 
 over it. 
 
 Some 
 
i 49 ) 
 
 Some Coqfiderations foberly offered in 
 Anfwcr to thefe, who feem to enter- 
 tain a fixed Perfwafian, that God will 
 pot remove his Tabernacle from a- 
 incngft us. 
 
 Here be not a few who can 
 
 l^Vr?H. liardly be induced to admit or 
 entertain any Thoughts, that 
 the Lord meaneth to remove 
 his Tabernacle from Scotland, 
 having received and fomeway 
 fixed in their Bofoms, a kind 
 of Perfwafion to the contrary : 
 I would be loath to difcourage the Hearts, or weaken 
 the Hands of any, who do in a humble and iincere 
 Way, and in Subordination to the Scripture Rule, 
 ienre to believe, that the Lord's Thoughts towards 
 this poor Church and Land, are Thoughts of Peace, 
 md not cf Evil, to give us an expedied End of all our 
 Troubles and Fears, by making Mountains Plains, 
 ind crooked Things ftraight, and bringing forth the 
 Fiead-ffpn^ oJf the Work of Reformation, caufi: 
 
 l£ 
 
 to cry, Grace, grace unto it : Much lefs 
 Pijrpoie to adventure upon the Secrets of 
 G 9 p, or determine any Thing pofuively and pe- 
 remptorily, either as to his continuing or removing 
 >f the Gofpel ; but I do believe, that upon fober and 
 ;ch, it will be found, that many have taken 
 nd dp esuertain thefe Perfvvafions of G o n's 
 
 abiding 
 
( 50 ) 
 
 .abiding amongft us, with greater Confidence, than 
 the Foundations upon which they build, the fame 
 can well bear up* In fome theyaremeerPerfwafions, 
 of which they can fcarcely render any Reafon, un- 
 lefs it be, that they think fo, or at the beft, that they 
 would fain have it fo ; others give fome Grounds 
 of their Perfwafion anent this thing, efpecially thefe 
 five, i . The exceeding Riches and Freedom of the 
 Grace and Love of God which he hath Days with- 
 out Number, and at fundry Times, and diverfe man- 
 ners, manifefted to this poor Church and Nation* re- 
 deeming us many hundred Years ago from v the Bon- 
 dage of brutifh Ignorance, and heathenifh Idolatry : 
 And again, about one hundred of Years fince, from 
 the Bondage of Popery : And lately from the Bon- 
 dage of Prelacy, and all thefe by a mighty Hand 
 and out-ftretched- Arm, when we were not thinking 
 of him, and were able to do nothing for our felves. 
 1. The late blefled Work of Reformation, where- 
 by G o d was pleafed to bring us in a folemn pub- 
 lick way in a fworn Covenant - with himfelf, and 
 to cftablifh amongft us the Purity of his Ordi- 
 nances , in Do&rine, Worfhip, Difciplme and Go- 
 vernment, and to own his Work by the Pour- 
 ing forth of his Spirit, and many fignal Teftimo- 
 nies of his lifted up Hand, againft the Oppofers, 
 and foi the Friends thereof, which Work muft needs 
 in the Perfwaiion of many, have a further Pro- 
 grefs amongft us, becaufe it is not his Manner to 
 lay a Foundation, and not to build upon it, to be- 
 gin a Work, and not to bring it to Perfection. 
 3. The many fervent and fincere Prayers and Sup- 
 plications that have been put up to G o d, both 
 by our Fore-fathers, worthy Men of God who 
 lived in the preceeding Generation, and by many 
 in this Generation, in order to the Lord's continu- 
 ing to dwejl in our Land, and making his Work 
 
 yet 
 
( 5i ) 
 
 yet more glorious in thefe Nations; which Prayers are 
 yet before the Throne, and in a great Meafure unan- 
 fwered ; and it cannot be that the Prayers of his Peo- 
 ple ftiall perifh before him, who is the hearer of Pray- 
 er. 4. That there is a precious Remnant, and a ho- 
 \ jy Seed of converted gracious Souls in the Land, and 
 that, as numerous at this Time, if not more nume- 
 rous than at any Time, heretofore ; and how can 
 God remove from that Land, in which he hath fo 
 many Sons and Daughters. 5. That there is a feleft 
 choice Number of able and Godly Minifters, fow- 
 ' ing the immortal Seed of the Word Day by Day, in 
 all the Quarters of the Land ; which doth fay that the 
 Lord hath yet a Work and Harveft in Scotland: 
 But from none of thefe fingly, nor from moe or all 
 of ihem jointly, can we certainly draw any fuch Con- 
 clufion, that God is not about to remove his Taber- 
 nacle, and to depart from amongft us. All thefe 
 things notwithftanding, he may come unto us 
 quickly , and remove our Candleftick out of its 
 Place ; yea, many things there be that are fad and 
 threatning Prognofticks, that the Lord purpofeth 
 fo to do, even all thefe to which I have already 
 fpoke, beiides fundry others that I have not men- 
 tioned : And as to thefe five Particulars, albeit I 
 would be very Lath to extenuate any of them, 
 but do defire to ftir up my felf, and invite 
 jothers unto a thankful Acknowledgement, and 
 humble Admiration of the exceeding Riches of 
 'the goodnefs of God therein, and to improve 
 (the fame fo far as we are warranted of God unto 
 ithe ftrengrhning of our feives in Faith and in 
 Duty ; Yet in order to the awakning us from 
 our Security, and putting us on to more wreft- 
 ling withG o d, and more Watchfulnefs and Ten- 
 dernefs, and Diligence, and Zeal in our Duty, I 
 Jefire it be confidercd. 1. That there is no par- 
 tic- ■ 
 
( 5* ) 
 
 ticular Church upon Earth, that hath a Promife of 
 God's dwelling and abiding with it for ever. The 
 Church of Rome doth indeed pretend to it, but is found 
 in all thefe Pretences to be a Liar, and a Deceiver, 
 and that whilft fhe would make the Chriftian World 
 to believe, that fhe is infallible, and built upon the 
 Rock, againft which the Gates of Hell {hall not pre- 
 vail: She is Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots, 
 and Abominations in the Earth. 2. That the Cove- 
 nant of God with particular vifible Churches, iscon- 
 ditional only, he promifeth that he will be with them, 
 whilft they are with him, ~2Chron.xv.2. Exod.xix.5. 
 Deut. xxix. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. And therefore as he 
 doth threaten to call off particular Churches, becaufe 
 of their Barrennefs, and Backfliding, and Breach of 
 Covenant, and Difobedience, and Rebellion, Deut. 
 xxix. 18, 19, 20, 21. If a. v. 5, 6, 7. Hof'i. 6, 7, 
 8,9. Hofix.iy. Mqttb. xxi. 43. Rev. 2. 5. fohath 
 he really and actually, becaufe of thefe Sins, caft off 
 the moit famous and fiourifning particular Churches 
 that have been in the World, whom he did as emi- 
 nently own, and for whom he did at fundry Times, 
 and in divers Manners, as eminently appear in the 
 Efiedis of his Power, apd Mercy, and Grace, as ever 
 he did own or appear for the Church of Scotland : 
 Such as that famous Old Teilament Church of Ifrael 
 and Judab : That famous New Teilament Church 
 at Jerufakm^nd fundry other of the famous Churches 
 of Ajia, Africa, and Europe : The Apoltle Paul up- 
 <5n Confideration of the holy Severity of God in this 
 Matter, calieth upon us, Not to be high minded, but 
 to fear, that if God /pared not the natural Branches, 
 lejl he alfo /hall ?mt /pare us, Rom. xi. 20, 21,22. 
 3. That there hath been iblemn publick National 
 Church Covenants attended with eminent Pieces of 
 Reformation, in Doctrin:, Worfhip, Difcipline, and 
 Government, and with fignal Appearances of God, 
 
 m 
 
( 53 ) 
 i| in more than ordinary Works of Providence, for 
 h countenancing and carrying on of the fame ; and that 
 thefe have been extended to neighbour Churches and 
 Nations to begin a Reformation there alfo : And yet 
 Defolation and Darknefs hath followed fhortly upon 
 the back of all thefe Things : Such Covenants, and 
 Reformations, and Providences of God there were 
 in Judah, in the Days of thefe two good Kings, 
 . Hezekiah and Jofiah, which were alfo extended to 
 ■ many in Ifrael, as may be read, 2 Chrort, Chap. xxix. 
 , Chap. xxx. Chap. xxxi. Chap, xxxiv. Chap. xxxv. 
 , And, 2 Kings Chap. xxix. and yet we know what 
 • followed upon the back of thefe Thing*, in the Days 
 j of Manajftb, 2 Kings Chap. xxi. 2Chron. Cbap.xxni. 
 \ and in the Days of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah Kings of 
 j Judab, 2Chrcn. Chap, xxxvi. Yea, the Srriptures 
 j teiiifie, that fiery Trials, and fad Difpenfations, com- 
 monly do befall the Church of God, upon the back 
 ] of eminent Mercies and Bleffings on his Part, and 
 i great and folemn Engagements and Undertakings upon 
 ! her Part. The Wifdora of God fo difpenfing, partly 
 ; , for the Trial and Proof of the Faith and Patience of 
 j fuch as are upright in their Hearts, and partly for dif- 
 j covering of Hypocrites, and punifning of thefe who 
 < dealeth falfly in his Covenant. Such Things befell to 
 jj lfrael in the Wildernefs, after their coming out of 
 Egypt* an d through the Red-Sea, and the Lor d's 
 giving of the Law and Covenanting with them at 
 Mount Sinai j as may be read in the Books of Exodus, 
 Numbers , and Deuteronomy, and to the Ten Tribes 
 after the Days of David and of Solomon, and to the 
 Chui-ch of Jiuiah in the Days of ManaJJeh, Ammm % 
 Jebojakim, iffe. as rh&y be read in the Books of the 
 Kings and Chronicles. And fuch Things came upon 
 1 many of the Churches of Chrift, not long afcer their 
 }irf$ planting,, and afterwards, a: read in the 
 
 arid Writings of ih ihe Story 
 
 (j or 
 
f -54 ) , ' 
 
 of the Church downward, unto our Days. 4. That j 
 it is hard to determine how far the Lord anfwereth 
 the Prayers, and fatisfieth the Defires of his Servants 
 and People, in order to the State and Condition of a 
 particular vifibleChureh, and to the continuing of his 
 Gofpel, and Ordinances therein. They do often- 
 times ( no doubt ) defire and pray, That the Sun of 
 Righteoufnefs may never go down upon the Church, 
 whereof they are Members, and that his Ordinances 
 may be continued therein till many Generations, yea, 
 till Time fhall be no more. And yet it cannot be 
 faid, that the Lord fatisfieth thefe Defires, or anfwer- 
 eth their Prayers in that particular, as to fuch a length 
 of Time, becaufe Experience telleth us, That he doth 
 oftentimes . remove his Candleftick from particular 
 Churches, where his Servants and People have prayed 
 much to the contrary. Neither yet doth it follow* 
 that they feek him in vain, becaufe, as they are ac- 
 cepted of God, in being faithful h this Piece of their 
 Duty, fo doth he ordinarily grant much more as to 
 the Subftance, even of the Things which they do de- 
 fire, than may abundantly Witnefs the Tender Re- 
 fpe£t he hath, and the 'gracious Recompenfe he doth 
 allow unto the Travel of their Souls in thefe Particu- 
 lars. The Lord hath already done fo much in 
 Scotland, as may juftly be eftecmed a bountiful Re- 
 turn of all the Prayers of his Servants and People 
 therein, tho 5 they had been a Thoufand Times more 
 than they have been. 5. That as we mud not mea- 
 iure the Perfection of the Works of G o by by the 
 Line of our Imagination and Reafon, but by his own 
 holy Purpofcs and Ends 5 So the great Work which 
 G o d mainly intendcth in his Appearances in vifiblc 
 Churches, and which he accomphlheth and brlngeth 
 to Perfection, is not fuch a Pitch and Continuance 
 of the Purity of Ordinances and outward Reformati- 
 on, but the gathering of his Saints, and the *jr- 
 
 feeling 
 
( 55 ) 
 
 fedling of the invifible Body of Chrift : Unto this 
 all his Difpenfations in the Ordinances, and outward 
 Adminiftrations are fubordinated, and fo proportion- 
 ed, for Meafure and Length of Time, as may bring 
 forth this great End : And when this is done, I 
 mean, when the whole Number of fde6l choien 
 Ones, whom the Lord mcaneth effectually to call 
 in a Land, are gathered home to himfelf, then com- 
 monly he taketh down his Tabernacle, and is gone, 
 as having done his great Bufinefs for which he fent 
 his Gofpel amongft a People. And therefore though 
 he fhould be quickly gone from amongft us, we 
 cannot juftly fay, That he hath hid a Foundation, 
 and not built upon it, or that he hath begun a 
 Work, and not brought it to Perfedion, feeing we 
 do not know but that he hath accomplifhcd, or is 
 near about to accomplifh his own holy Purpofes and 
 Ends, and difpeniing fuch a Meafure and Length 
 of Ordinances, and outward Adminiftrations for that 
 Effedi. 6. That the Lord fometimes fendeth 
 forth not a few burning Lights, and gathereth not a 
 few Souls unto himfelf, immediately before his De- 
 parting from a Land, as the Sun fometimes fhincth 
 brightly, and maketh a clear and warm Evening, 
 immediately before the fetting and going down there- 
 of: A Company of able and faithful Minifters, and 
 a Harveft of Saints, are indeed fometimes the Evi- 
 dences of the Days-fpring vijiting from on high, and 
 cf the Sun of Righteovfnefs going forth as a Bride- 
 groom from his Chamber, and rejoycing as a firong 
 Man to run his Race : But fometimes they are as 
 the Tokens of his laft Farewell, fo it was amongft 
 the Jews in the Days of the Apoftles, the L o r d. 
 feiYt amongft them many of his Servants to preach the 
 Gofpel unto them, and many Thoufands of them 
 were converted and did believe, AJls xxi. 20. and 
 yet within a few Ye?.rs thereafter, He did finijh his 
 G 2 Work, 
 
( 56 ) 
 
 Work, and cut it Jhort in Righteoufnefs amongft that 
 People, as the Apoftie fpeaketh, Rom. ix. 28. 7. 
 That the Lord, tho' he dd not utterly remove 
 a Churches Candleftick, but hath into it a Remnant, 
 both of a faithful Miniftry, and of Saints ; yet he 
 doth fometimes vilit with very darkning, and ruin- 
 ing, and defolating Difpenfations for many Years to- 
 gether; fo he did unto the Church of Ifrael, in the 
 younger Years of Samuel the Prophet, by forfaking 
 the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the Tent which he placed 
 among Men ; and delivering his Strength into Capti- 
 vity^ and his Glory into the Enemies hand, Pfal. Ixxviii. 
 60, 61. And unto the Church of Judah in the 
 Days of the Prophet Jeremiah, by bringing upon 
 them the King of the Chaldees, who few their young 
 Men with the Sword, in the Houfe of their Sancluary, 
 and had no Ccjnpaffion upon young Man ■ or Maiden, 
 old Man, or him that /looped for Age : the Lord 
 gave them all into his Hand. And all . the Veffels of 
 the Houfe of QvA, great and fraall, and the Treafures 
 of -the Houfe of the LORD, and the Treafures of the 
 King, and of his Princes ; all thefe he brought to 
 Babylon. And they burnt the Houfe of God, and 
 brake down the IVall of Jerufalem, and burnt all 
 the Places thereof zuith Fire, and defroyed all the 
 goodly Vejels thereof. And them that had efcaped 
 from the Sword, carried he away to Babylon : where 
 f:>ey were Serva?its to him and his Sons, until the 
 Reign of the Kingdom ^Perfia, 2Chron. xxxvi. 17, 
 iS, 19, 20, 21. And' this did God alfo to moft 
 of the Churches in Europe, for fome hundreds of 
 Years together under Popery, before Luther's Time : 
 And thus alfo hath .he done to moll of the 
 Churches of Afa and Africa, under the Turk, ,and 
 other Mahumetan Princes: And thus he did unto 
 the Church af England not long ago, after the 
 Death of Edward the iixrh, during the Reign of 
 
 Queen 
 
( 57 ; 
 
 Queen Mary : And do not his prcfent Difpenfati- 
 ons in a great Meafure ipeak, that he meaneth 
 thus to do unto us alfo ? 8. We will not find 
 many Inftances ( if any ) of vifible Churches, en- 
 joying the Ordiuances for any long Time together 
 in Purity and Peace, fuch is the Mixture and Leaven 
 of Hypocrifie and Corruption that is within, and 
 the Fire of Enmity and Malice that is without r 
 That it is a rare Thing for a Church for one com- 
 pleat Century of Years together, either not to 
 be infected with Herefie and Error, or not to be 
 trodden down of Perfecution. The Church of 
 the Jew ;, which wasone of the moit permanent and 
 longed lived, as continuing from Abraham till fome 
 Years after the Death of Chrift ; yet what a various 
 Lot did fhe run, almoft in every Generation, fome- 
 times by the Spirit of Error, and fometimes by 
 the Spirit of Perfecution, and fometimes by botii 
 at once? Thefe Things being duly confidered^ 
 and it being thereunto added, That Scotland hath 
 now for a long Time enjoyed the Light and Liber- 
 ty of the Gofpel : And that notwithftanding of 
 all the Goodnefs of God, in fending and conti- 
 nuing it amongft us, and of all our Engagements 
 to reform our Ways, and to walk anfwerably un- 
 to the fame: Yet our Ignorance, and Barrennefs, 
 and Loofenefs, is great exceedingly, and our Back- 
 hidings and Provocations are many: Is there not 
 jmuch Caufe to fear that our Sun may be near the fee- 
 •ting, and a Night of Darknefs and Defolation at our 
 jDoor, by the Lord's removing of our Candleftick; 
 jat left, by fending a black and fad eclipfe for a Time, 
 'efpecially, there being fuch fad Prognofticks and 
 Threatnings for Tokens of it ? 
 
( 59 / 
 
 A 
 
 DISCOVERY, 
 
 Of the true 
 
 STATE 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 Difftrznce betwixt the Town-Council, and 
 the Kirk-SeJJion, and of the Mifrcpre- 
 fentation hereof, andfome ill grounded 
 Alledgcances thereabout, contained in 
 a Paper communicated unto the People 
 under the Hand of the Clerk of the 
 
 I Town-Council. 
 
 f~"|| H H e true State of the Difference, is not 
 
 as is infinuate in that Paper, whether 
 
 any befides the Minifler and Elders ihould 
 
 have arty Hand in the Nomination of 
 
 :, and Calling of a Minifler, becaufe it 
 
 ath been often times offered to the Town-Ccunci!, 
 
 I'fhat if they had any juft Ground of Grievance 
 
 or 
 
( 6o ; 
 
 or Obje£tion, againft any Member of the Seflion, 
 that it ftiould be taken in Confideration and judg- 
 ed impartially * And that if the Council did fo de- 
 fire, there mould be a greater Number of Elders 
 named by the Seflion, in an orderly way, and ac- 
 cording to the Difcipline of the Kirk, whofe names 
 fhould be intimated publickly to the whole Congre- ( 
 gation, that if no relevant Exception were pro- 
 pounded, againft ihem, they might be added to the 
 Seflion, and becaufe the Seflion have again and 
 again, by fundry Meflages to the Town-Council 
 very earneftly defired, That the Council and they 
 might meet together for condescending upon and 
 Calling of a Minifter in an unanimous Way, and 
 by the joint Confent and Concurrence of both; 
 but the Town-Council did always moll peremp- 
 torly refufe to meet with the Seflion or any Mem- 
 ber of the Seflion except the Minifter, in Order to 
 that Bufinefs ; yea, fundries of them would not fo 
 much as once fpeak in the Bufinefs, when any of 
 the Elders were named, to fpeak with them there- 
 anent, but did run out at Doors fo foon they 
 came in. 
 
 The true State and main Ground of the Dif- 
 ference, is, the Town-Council's refufing to ac- 
 knowledge the Seflion, pretending that they are 
 not a lawful and rightly conftitute Seflion, that 
 fb they may have fome Shadow of Pretext for 
 denying unto them the Nomination and Choice 
 of a Minifter, and for taking it into their own 
 Hands : Which tilings are the more ftrange, fee- 
 ing the Seffion were not only Chofen in an or- 
 derly Way, and publickly admitted and fworn un- 
 to their Office by that pious and godly Man 
 Mr. David Be?inet y late Minifter of this Congre- 
 gation; 
 
( 6i ) 
 
 gation ; but alfo, have been in the conftant Poflef- 
 fion and Exercife thereof, how for four Years 
 paflr, and that the haill Congregation have with- 
 out Queftion or Exception made by any of them, 
 been conftahtly fubjedt to their Difcipline, and 
 that fundry of the Magiftrates and Town-Council 
 themfelves, being then Members of the former 
 Seffion, were confenting and concurring in their 
 Election, and that none of them did ever heretofore 
 decline or difclaim them, but have often concurred 
 
 • to caufe the Inhabitants of the Town in cafe of 
 Difobedience to compear before them ; And have 
 upen Reprefentations from them proceeded to civil 
 G-nfures againft fundry Delinquents : What then 
 can be intended by denying them now to be a Sef- 
 fion, but the taking out of their Hands the Truft 
 committed unto them ofGoo, and by the Dis- 
 cipline of the Kirk, and Laws of the Land in the 
 Nomination of aMinifter, that fo a more cafy way 
 
 , may be mav'e ro the Purpofe of thofe who would name 
 a Man according to their own Heart, and in a way 
 contrary* to~ the Handing Order and Difcipline of 
 the Kirk, which all of us by Covenant are fworn 
 to maintain. 
 
 N e x t, It would be confidered how unjuftly it, 
 
 . is alledged in thrt Paper, That Mr. James Guthrie 
 
 | had fent an Adt of Seffion to the Council, de- 
 
 firing that they may in all things condefcend to him, 
 
 but bearing no Condefcendence on his Part, 
 
 T h e r e is no fuch Defire in that Adt of 
 ; Seffion, nor any thing that may import the fame ; 
 ] As would have foon appeared, if that A£i had been 
 i read to the People with that other Paper. Mr. 
 \ James Guthrie hath in fundry things that concern 
 H this 
 
( &■ y 
 
 this Bufinefs condefcended very far to the Coun- 
 cil. As firfly He was willing that the Choice of a 
 Mipiftfr, fl^ould have been delayed fpr. a while, 
 until all Parlies concerned therein, might hav£ 
 h^d* Time to think uppn it at Leifure, providing 
 that the Town-Council would h^ve allowed fome- 
 thing ia |he mean time to : an able and Godly Ex- 
 pectant who might have born (ome of the Bur- 
 Jen in the frequent Diets of the Preaching, but> they 
 would not condefcend tp allow any. thing that way, 
 pr' that;' any Expectant fhould be named for that 
 End, 5 and how unfit it were that the People fhould 
 have^ wanted Preaching at the, ordinary . Diets, any 
 may judge ; As alio, how improbable it is, that 
 he' can bear all the Burden alone. Second, He 
 and "the Seijion did, fd far condefcend to th^ Coun- 
 cil, thiat they y/ere moll willing, i\nd earneftly de- 
 iirous to meet with them about the Choice of a 
 Minifter^ and to proceed therein by mutual Help 
 and Concurrence aud Confent. Third, Albeit the 
 Council's queftioning the' Conftitution pf the Sef- 
 fLon^ yvzf very uhreafonabW and ill Grounded^ yet 
 yKeh they did propone, that tiiat Bufinefs and 
 the'chocling of a" Miniiter, might be absolutely 
 fabmitted to four 'Mmifliers, they did fo far con- 
 defcend, th^t ttey were willing to concur in writ- 
 ing to thefe Minifters,' and ' to hearken to their 
 Advice, To far as' the fame fljould be agreeable to 
 the Word of G od, and. the Difcipline of this 
 Kirk,' which is as much as any can juftly Con- 
 defcend unto, by way of Submiflion in a Mat- 
 ter '-of Confcience and Religion, And here, it would 
 ' be confidered , whether ' thofe ' who dp oppofe 
 the Seffion in this Bufinefs, be indeed prefled in 
 their Confciences as before G 6 d. {q to do, fee- 
 ing that thpy themfelves do "without any Condi- 
 tio!^ 
 
( 6£ ; 
 
 tion, or Reftri&ion, as to what is to be deter- 
 mined, offer an abfokite Submiflxon of the haiH 
 Bufinefs, and to engage themfelves to (land to, the 
 Sentence of thefe M6n, whatever it (hall be, if 
 they be indeed convinced in their Confcience up- 
 on good Grounds, from the Word of Goo 
 ( which is the Rule by which Men ought to judge 
 and vyalk in thefe Matters J that the prefent Sefli* 
 on is not a lawful and rightly conftitute Seflion, 
 or that they have proceeded in a wrong way, 
 in the Choice of a Minifter, or have named one 
 who is not fit for the Charge. How can they, 
 without finning againit God, bind themfelves to 
 the Sentence of any Man, though never fo judi- 
 cious and godly, that (hall determine in any thing 
 to the contrary ; and if they be not really convinc- 
 ed in their Confciences of thefe things, how can 
 they without offending of G o d, make fuch Op- 
 pohtion thereto, and fuch Trouble and Diviiion 
 thereanent, or do they think, that the Coaftkuti- 
 on of a Kirk-Seffion, and the choofing of a Mini- 
 fter of the Gofpel, are but as Civil-Bargains, which 
 Men may fubmit ; and upon which they may 
 cut and carve at their own Pleafure, or at the 
 Pleafure of others : No Man that has learned 
 Jesus Chris t, will fo judge. 
 
 Lqftly, I t would be confidered, That tho* there 
 be many in the Town-Council, and amongft the 
 Merchants and Trades, who do not intend any 
 fuch thing, yet there be fundry who are drawing 
 toil a Defign for bringing in fome of thefe Mini- 
 ifters who hath been formerly cenfured by the Ju- 
 dicatories of the fork, for their Malignant and 
 fcandalous Carriage : Which Defign if it take Ef- 
 fect, will not only tend exceedingly to. the Hin- 
 drance 
 
„ ( 64 ) 
 
 drance of the Gcfpcl, and to the Hurt of Souls 
 in this Place, but will alfo fet up three Mini- 
 iters in this Place, of very contrary and oppo- 
 site Judgments and ways, which cannot but have 
 very bad Effects amongft the People, even in 
 thofe things that concern the Wealth and Peace 
 of the Town* And therefore it is moil, ea^neilly 
 defired, and it doth much concern the Magiftrates 
 and Town-Council, and all the Members of the 
 Congregation, not to fuffer themfelvcs to be pofleft 
 with any unjuft Prejudice, or grouiidlefs Alledg- 
 ante againft the Minifter and Kirk-Seffion, nor to 
 refufe their own Mercies in oppofing or denying to 
 concur to call that able and godly Man Mr. 
 Robert Rule, who has a Teftimony in their own 
 Conferences that he is fit to be their Minifter, 5 
 But that feeing the Lord offers fo fit an Op- 
 portunity that they would all of them make Choice 
 thereof, and concur to give him a Call, which will 
 contribute much for the promoving of Godlinefs, 
 and intertain ng of Peace and Love in this Con- 
 gregation. Sk. &ubr. 
 
 Mr. JAMES GUTHRIE, 
 
 In Name of the Kirk S £ ssi o k, 
 
 FINIS.