ftp L E T*T E R T O A Minifter in the Country : Averting . The National-Covenant, the Solema League and Covenant, well warrant- ed from the New Teftament, and therefore lawful and perpetually binding. In Anfwer to a late anonimous Letter, hold- ing them forth as having no Ground or Warrant from the New Teftament, and therefore unlawful, and by all Means te be avoided. By a Lovffr of tbe Covenanted R^formationjas a hap- py Mean of Confer vation of Truth and Peace. jpr. ix. 3. But they are not valiant for theTrutb » upon the Earth.--' Jer. xxiii. 16. Thus faith the Lord c^Hofis y hearken not unto the Words of the Prspbsts, that prepbefit unto you ; they make y-cu vain : They fpeak a T^ifi- vn of their own Hearty and not out of the Mouth of ■ the Lord, Ifa. Ix. 16 And jhall fuck the Breafis of Kings, and thou Jhall know that I am the Lord thy Savi- our ^ % Ne forte aut Tndifciplinata patientia foyeat iniqui- tatem, aut impatiens Diiciplina diffipet unitateiii. Aug*L. contra Denatiflas. pofl Coliationem. Cap. 4. Pri^ in the Year, MPCC^YjV^ '60S ^ *M V X Header, r JTHE Author of this Letter, having no further Vie ro or Intention in his Writing thereof, than an Effay to vindicate cur Covenants Natifntf and So- lemn League, by way of a private Miffive'/from^fSk Obloquy and Reproach cafl on them by the Author of a late Anonimcus Letter •, faid to be a prefent Mim- fter of this Church : The' Drift and Scope of whkb being to fubvert our bleffed Re formation from Pcpery, Prelacy, &c. as the rearing up again of another Le- vitical Priefihood, in Imitation of the novo abrogate Sinaitick .Covenant, in Contrad'/ftinclion to Chrift in bis New Tefldment Difpenfation, and by this Means to induce fuch credulous Ones, as give him tmplicite Faith, to abandon all Regard to the awful Oath of God, perpetually binding tbofe three Nations, vi%* Scotland, CSV. The Author then having net the leafl JDefign or Purpofe of publifhing his Undertaking, may in fome Meafure apologise for fuch Inaccuracies, which thefe of a critical Difpoption may efpy and reprehend there- in : And having yielded to the Defire and Solicita- tion of feveral friends and Wellwijhers to the cove- nanted Caufe, fcr its Appearance from the Prefs, he comrtits it to the Lord, to render it an effectual Mean in his own Hand, to wipe off the Jgncminy, blackening our covenanted Reformation, and alfo the memorable Piety, Learning, Faithfulnefs and Zeal of its firm Promoters, our reforming Anceftors, arifing from the diver fe erroneous, arrogant and falfe Char* ges led agatnfl the Covenants by the prejudicate An- ticovenanting Author of that Criminal Litter, That the- Lord, with whom is the Refidue of the Spirit, may revive among all Ranks and Stations both in Church and State, that reforming covenanting Spi- rit, which animated and acted that noble Cloud of Witntffzs, whs contended for the Fajjtf^in a Way of mutual covenanting, even unto BloocT^againfl the common Enemy of Truth and Peace ; that the Truth cf the Gofpr.l might be held and preferved in this Zand and handed down to Poflerity pure and entire- is the longing Defire and, zarntft Prayer of, TVI Letter to a Minifter in the Country, &c. V. R. Sir, Received your laft Letter, about the beginning cf May laft ; but delayed to make any Return, un- til I had throughly weighed an anonimous Paper, (written by one of your Brethren, as feme al- ledge) containing certain Scru- ples againft our Covenants Na- tional and Solemn League: Which Paper, I ap- prehend, is not latent in your Country, it being tranfmitted hither from Montrofe ; the Contents of which have, and do yet (till occafion me much Grief and Sorrow of Heart, chiefly, becaufe of the? precious evangelick Truths brought, and made ufcr of therein, to fupport and fet orTthefe Scruples. I have been at fome Pains to confider them, and their Confiftency^ with the WordTof God, laying it before the Lord for Light, to difcover the Injury done to the Caufe of God, and the Manner of carrying en this bleffed Caufe, vi^. in a Way of Solemn Cove- nanting in this Land efpecially fince, the Days o A 2 fa <<** ( 4- ) famous Mr. Knox, uritil the Year 1650, in Oppo- sition to Antichrift, and his indefatigable Abettors, who ufed all hellifh Machinations, both of Craft and Force, to bear down the Kingdom of Chrift in the Land, and extinguifh Gofpel-light therein. Be- sides, I think all the Lovers of the Truth, as it ic in Jefus, owes a due Regard to the Memory of thefe Worthies, whom the Lord was gracioufly pleafed to raiie up, ever fince the Dawning of our kappy Reformation, and honoured them, as Jnftru- inents in his Hand, to difpel the Darknefs of Anti- fbrifiianiftJi) wherein their Fore-fathers were fo long ihut up ; and thereafter tht Darknet's ot Prelacy and Eraflianifm ; againft the prevailing and fp reading of which Leaven, many contended ev«n to Blood, that the Truth of the Gofpel might b,e handed' down pure and incorrupt to Poftcrity ; the Remains where- of yet among us, or I may fay, the Shadow of what they attained to under the Lord, is in fome Refpeet owing to their laborious Witneflings, W refilings, £ealous,Valiant and FaithfulContendings forChrift, and the prevailing of his Caufe and Interefl; in thefe covenanted Lands, thereby leaving to their Succef- fors a noble Exemplar to imitate and walk by. I heartily regrete, that any one in this Church, pro- Fefllng fuch Acquaintance with the Myfteries of the Gofpel, and God's Method of Grace in faving loft Mankind, fhould be left to improve his Talent, and impl.oy his- Pen to the fully ing of this Glorious Caufe, and the Repute of the renowned Promoters ^hereof, and the fhaking the Faith of the Lord's Peo- ple, efpecially of the weaker Sort, as to the Law- mi nefs and Scriptural Warrantablenefs thereof. If any of its A vouchers have given him Offence from any Zeal, which he may account indifcreet, which may be occafioned through multiply'd Defections And Stumbling-blocks, of our unhappy Day of Divi- sion. and Backfliding ; this was bo juft Ground, war- - r antijtg any whofoever, to load a good Caufe witk •jftijuit Reile&ions, and groundless Accafattons ; be- caufe he finds fome of its Abettors cither ignsrant •f the Gofpel-covenant, or indifcreetly zealous for the Covenants National and Solemn League. I (hall not take upon me to vindicate the Ignorance, blind Zeal, or Legalism of any, let their Pretences be what they will ; but I am fure, the covenanted Caufe in Scotland^ rightly underftood, lays no Foun- dation for thefe Evils ; it would be a ftrange Thing to conclude, and then afTcrt the Do&rine of Grace to be a Legal Difpenfation or Licentious, becaufe fome of its Hearers and ProfefTors abufe it to Liber* tinifm, others into Legalifm, and that of the fub- tileft Kind, feeking Gracious Qualifications, or the Graces of the Spirit to build Chrift upon, and not to build all upon Chrift. But I pafs to the Conn- deration and Review of his Views he hath of the New Teftament Church, and its Diftin&ion from the Church of the Old Teftament, which have gi- ven Rife to his Scruples, with refpeft to our Cove- nants, efpecially the Solemn League, and the Law- fulness of entering into them, and therefore the Q- bligation of them. He confines his Views to four particular Heads, ) which (as I take him) he dates as four Diftin&ions "~ of "the Old Teftament Church from the New. Which four Heads, upon a more narrow and exaft Examination, he may come to find them miftaken Apprehensions of the true State of the Old Tefta- ment Church. imo, Upon the firft Head, he fays, He thinks it was peculiar to the Old Teftament of Ifrael, that the Commonwealth and the Church were the fame, &c. I anfwer, This overturns all Manner of Di- ftin&ion between the Jcroijb Church, and Jewijb State, confounding their Policies Ecclefiaftical and Civil ; aflerting, That to be a, Member of that Commonwealth and of the Church were then the fame* The Author, in my humble Opinion, oughtr to have produced fome folid Proof, for the Support #nd Confirmation of this Affertion ; without which, ' he tf* ( 6 ) he might have well known, many would not beliavc him $ iUrely, the Scripture doth plainly fpeak and teach otherwife : But, by the By, I obferve, That the Author has been unhappily left to deliver hisMind upon the whole of this Subjeft in filch a dark, ge- neral and confufcd Manner, that he ronpluffeth his Reader to fathom what he would be at, holding out his Suppofttions fo dogmatically, for pofitive Truths, as if they were not capable of Contra- di&ion, or Refutation, and leaves them fo unguard- ed, that he makes clear Way for any of his Exa- minators, to draw fuch Confequences, as are mofl dangerous and unfound. But to come to the Point, it is denied, That the Commonwealth and Church were the fame ; if he mean ormally confidered : For materially fo none will difpute, and in this Re- aped the Church and State were of equal Extent, the fame Members for ordinary being Members of both. And that they were formally diftina:, is invincibly proven by the. renowned Mr. George Gillefpie^ in his Aarcifs Rod BUffoming, in Oppofiton to Mr. Colc- m,an> and other Er.aftians of his Day, denying that the Church of Ifrae.} had any Diftinftion of Church- Government and Civil Government. See Booh I. Chap. 2. Pag. 6, and for the Benefit of fuch as .want the Book, I ihall infer* here, fo much as is fufficient for the Proof of the Point. « i. Then they were diftinft in Refpe& of^ di- f. ftinft Laws ; the Ceremonial Law was given « them in Reference to their Church-State ; the « Judicial Law was given to them, in Reference to c their Civil State* 2. c Tn Refpetf: of iiftina Aas : They did not « worfhip God, and offer Sacrifices in the Temple, .« nor call upon the Name of the Lord, nor give * Thanks, nor receive the Sacraments, as that « Stajte ; but as that Church. They did not tiunifli f Evil-doer* by Mulds, Imprifonmerit, Baniihment, - r « Burn- Burning, .Stoning, Hanging, as that Church, but, as that State.' * 3. In Refpift o( Controversies ; ' fome Caufes and Controve riles did eoncern the Lord's Matters, > fome the King's Matters, 2 Cbron. xix. 1 1 . To judge between Blood and Blood was one Thing- To judge between Law and Commandment, be tween Statutes and Judgments, that is, to give the true Scnfe of the Law of God when it was' controverted, was another Thing.* 4. ( In Refpe& of Officers: The Priefts and Le- vitts were Church-Officers, Magiftrates and Judges not fo, but were Minifters or State. The Priffts might not take the Sword out of the Hand of the Magiftrates. The Magiftrates might not offer Sacrifice, nor exercife tire PrietVs Office.- 2 Cbron. xxvl 16, 17, 18, S5V. 5. e In Refpeft of Continuance ; when the Ro- mans took away the Jewijh State and Civil Go- vernment j yet the Jewijb Church did remain, and the R mans did permit therti the Liberty of their Religion.. And now, tho' the ^w; hav* no Jewijk ^tate, yet they have Jcicijb Churches. Whence it is, when they tell "Vfhere one did or doth live, they do not mention the Town, but the Church: In the holy Church at Venice, at Frank- tort, £5V. Buxtorf. Lex: Rabin. 1653.' 6. < In Refp'eft of Variation. The Conftitutioa and Government cf the Jewijh State was not the fame, but different under Mofes and Jojhu*, under the judges, under the Kings ,z.v& after theCaptivity. But we cannot fay the Church was new modelled, as oft as the State was. 7. c In RefpeA of Members. For as Mr. Selden hath very well obferved concerning that Sort of Profelytes, who had the Name oi Profelyti \ufli' tice de jure natures, i. e. Profelytes of Righteouf- nefs, £? gentium, Lib. 2. Cap. 4. Lib. 5. Cap. 5. They were initiated in the fev>ijk Religion by Cirfiumcifoa, Baptilm and Sacrifice : And they * were c were allowed not only to worfhip God apart by. * themfelves ; but alio to come into the Church and ' Congregation of Ifrael, and to be called by tie * Name of Jews : Neverthelefs they were restrained. * and fecluded from Dignities, and Magiftracies, * and Preferments in the Jewijb Repubiick, and from ' diverfe Marriages, which were free to the Ifrasl- ' ites \ Even Strangers initiated and affociated into * the Church of Rome, have not therefore the Pri- « vileges of Reman Citizens. Thus Mr. Seiden,\sho 'hath thereby made it manifeft, that there was a * Diftinftion of the Jewijb Church, and the Jewijh * State ; becaufe thofe Profelytes being embodied c into the Jewijb. Church as Church Members, and ' having a Right to communicate in holy Ordinances *" among the reft of the People of tiod, yet were not , * properly Members of the Jewijb Statemor admitted * Co civilPrivileges: Whence it isalfo,that the Names * of Jtewsand Profelytes were ufed diftinftly, Atts * 2. 20.* Hence the Greundlefsnefs of this Notion, or rather Error, which I find runs this Author into inaccountable Miftakes through the whole Te- nor of his Paper, evidently appears to the evanifh- ing of all the Scruples built thereon, in Prejudice of our Covenants. In Pursuance of the fame Head, he fays, But in Oppofitionto this typical Church, which was an earthly Kingdom \ the New Teftament Church, cenfifis not of any earthly Kingdom, nor of many Commonwealths joined in one. In what Senfe he calls the Old Teflament Church typical, he gives us not to underftand } if he mean lhe was abfolutely Co, then he deftroys her Effence as a Church, making her no more than a mere Shadow of the Thing fy^ pified; But if he means fhe was typical only in Re- ipe& of her Oeconomy ; What doth this militate againft our Covenants, which are intirely and abio- lutely exclufive of that typical Difpenfation r> Have not all our Orthodox Divines, our own Confejjtons cf Faith, fully and clearly illuftrate the Difference betwixt the Old anA New T«{Umcnt Dtfpenfafl«tf*> TV / f 9 ) to the Author's Hand, whicfc he fcems to difparage by his cantrary Infmuations ? It is the Glory of the Kingdom of CHRIST, that it is uni- verfal, and not confin'd within the Bounds of one Nation, as it was before (Thrift's Incarnation, *nd that he Ihall prevail with thofe who were Ene- mies thereunto, to become his Subje&s, and ac- knowledge the Church to be the Princefs of Socie- ties, and ihall per fuade, even whole Nations jmder the Gofpel to become a Church to him, and a Part of his Kingdom, Micah iv. 2. And many Nations Jhall come> and fay, Come, and let us go up to the Mountain ef the Lord, and the Hsufe of the Gcd of Jacob, and he frill teach us of his Ways* &c. So then, it was n« rearing up any earthly Kingdom in the Church, in Opposition toChriiFs Spiritual Kingdom, for thefe three Kingdoms of Scotland, England and Ireland^ to caft off the Antkbriftian Yoke, by a aioft folema Renunciation of Popery and Prelacy, in all its Appur- tenances, making folemn Prornife to endeavour throagh Grace to extirpate Error, Schifm, Herefy, Superftition, Prophanels, and- whatfoever is con- trary to found Doctrine and the Power of Godlinefs, in a Suitablenefs to the above cited illuftrious Pro- phefy. What he fays further on this Head, I leave to be confidered under the 4th Head, where he de- livers himfclf much to the fame Purpofe ; Only in .the Clofe of this, he fays, That the viftble Church upon the Earth, is a Society difi'mft from ail earth- ly Common-wealths, &c. So fay all Covenanters too. Where did ever any, in any Age of the Church, jno*e valiantly and faithfully contend for, and de- fend the Prerogatives of Chrift's Crown, the Im- munities and Privileges of his Houfe, and that at the deareft Coil, even the Expence of their Blood and Treafure, in Oppoiition to State Ufurpations thereon, than curReformers and theAdherers to cove- nanted Principles ? Which Practice is lamentably receded from in our chill Day of infamous Neu- trality, But further, whst fhould hinder, that ( io ) tv hole Kingdoms or Common-wealths, through tke> clear Diicovery of the Glory, and high Privilege* of the Church of Chrift, by the Means of Golpel Light arifen upon them, and thereupon heartily yielding and giving themfelves to the Lord, accor- ding to tlie above cited blefTed Prophefy ; and Jfa. xlix. 62. 65. Jcr. xxxi. n, 12. VjaU lxxii 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17. And thus taking hold of Cod's Covenant, and joining themfelves to him, in bis Church ; I fay, what can hinder them in this Refpecl: to be called Churches, I mean particular vifible Ones, without blending their Civil and Ec-i clefiaftick State, eipecially when the due Distincti- on is maintained between their Policies; fo that the Memberfhip of the one as fuch, doth no Way aatively infer the Memberfhip of the other.. idly, Upon the next Head, which is his id Diftin#ion betwixt the Old and New Tcftament Church, he t«lls us, The Comm on-p>ealtb of Ifrael became a Church by virtue of the Covenants of Frc- mifc. Thefe Covenants ( as he takes it ) vers the Covenant of Circumcifion and the Sinai Cove- nant. Hence he leaves his Reader in the Dark again, and difficulted to interpret his Sentiments upon this Head. As for Circumcifion, which was the Seal of the Covenant made with Abraham, Gen* xvii- was 430 Years before that of the Sinai Covenant, Gal. iii. iy.whichCovenant made with Abraham, con- ftitutc him and his Houfhold a Domeftical Church, until the Multiplication of his Pofterity into a nu- merous Body ; then commenced the Sinai Cove- nant, up«n their Delivery from the Egyptian Bon- dage, containing Laws, Moral, Ceremonial and Ju- dicial ; wherebv they became a Common-wealth and National Church, formally diftinft, as sruth been already proved. He lays further, Now by the Sinai Covenant^ the Tews held the Land of Canaan, that earthly Inheritance. &c. This appears manifeftly crofs to the Scripture, Gen xvii. 8. where we find this was enfured to Abraham and his Seed, accor- ding to the Covenant made with him then; and and this is confirmed from Gal. 111. i 5. Fo>* ?/ f ££ Inheritance be of the Lavt> it is no more of Pn- mije ; but God gave it t» Abraham by Tromife. Now the Sinai Covenant being a Revival of tfee Law under its old'Covenant Form, or a plat Form of the legal Righteoufnefs, which was inaifpenflbly neceffary unto Life, Lev. xviiL j. Rom. x. 5. and denounceth fuch a dreadful Curfe upon the leaft Failure, Gal. iii. 10. that ft behaved to be of an higher iMtendment, than to ilfue out federal Blef- fings upon the* Performance of Ifrael's Obedience thereto. If they had been ftri&Iy held by the Lord to the rigorous Condition thereof, they had flood under an utter ImpofTibility of reaping any tempo- ral Bleflings thereby. So then their Obedience thereto, couid not be the procuring Caufe of thofe temporal Bleflings promifed therein. To run out in» to an Enlargement upon the Nature and Defign of this Sinai Covenant here, would be too foreign to my prafent Purpofe in this Letter. In Ihort then, I accord with them, who judge that Difpenfation to hold forth the Way and Means, whereby ChrUfc came under our Obligation, and by anfwering it, confirmed theCovenant of Grace: It held forth the le- gal condition of theCovenant of Grace, and promifed nothing, but upon perfeft Obedience ; and this not to be performed by Ifrael, but by Jefus Chrift. It is true, we find it promifing temporal Mercies to Ifraely upon Condition oftheir Obedience, Lev* xxvi. 3, 4, 6. Deut. v. 33. vi. 1, 2, 3. and 17, 1 8. but dill with a Reference to the perfect Obe- dience of Chrift. as the Fulfilment of its Conditi- on for the Impetration of all federal Bleflings: Spi- ritual and eternal Bleflings being typically repre- sented under thofe of temporal Bleflings condition- ally promifed therein. And for Confirmation of this, r«ad Deut. ix. 4, «. but particularly Ver. 6. where we find, with what Vehem^ncy the Lord dotk aeny, tha t the Fruition of the Land of Canaan. was afforded Ifraely for their perfonal Obedience ; Three times over he doth inculcate this, the more B 2 cflfea- ^> *\ . C ** ) ctfe&uaUy to convince them, they were to poiTefs it in a Way of Grace and free Favour, and that it was in Performance or the Word which he fware to their Fathers, to Abraham, Ifaac and Jac b. What he adds further upon this Head, needful to he confidered, I fum up here, palling every Thing elfe I find mifapplied to fupport his Scruples ; the Subjeft being unpleafant to any Lover of the cove- nanted Reformation, it makes it to be the more toilfome to feek to trace him in every Particular. In the laft Place he fays, Now to, feel the Thing typified by the old Covenants elfevohere, cr tt feek to imitate them by any earthly Covenant s, or t§ hring in any earthly Covenant 5% into the New Tefiament Church, as a Foundation of Church Communion, is ( in his View ) crefs t& the Net* Tefiament Difpenfation, and a bringing the Difci- pics again under the Tcke of Bondage % and there* fore by all Means to be avoided, &c. Here is a Clufter of ftrange like Insinuations, holding forth either a ftrange Wifunderftanding of our Covenants, as to the Occafion, Matter, and End of them ; or a very unwarrantable Prejudice againft them. I would foberly ask the Author, what he means by feeking the Thing typifi-d by the old Covenant ? Was not our Lord Jefus Chrift in his doing and dying, the blefTed Antitype of all fhofe Types under that typical Difpenfation ? The Advancement of the Kingdom of this glorious Me- diator was the grand Jbnd our Covenants aimed at,and as a Means hereunto, thePrefery a tion of the re- formed Religion in a Church antecedently confti- tuted, vi^. the Church of Scotland : And to en- deavour the Reformation of Religion, in our Neigh- bouring Churches of England and Ireland, groan- ing under the Yoke of Ahtichriftian Prelacy, Tyran- ny, Superftition, with other manifold Corruptions, and that in Oppofition to the Enemies of Refor- mation, at that Time leaving no Mean uneflay'd, to bear down and crufh its Advancement. Again, 1 weuld ask, what he ifccans by earthly Cove- liants, ■C 13 ) •ants, which were an Imitation of the o T d ? If hz mean our Covenants National and Solemn Lea- gue, as I doubt not he does, then this muit be either in reference to their Matter, or to their End ; but in neither of th-'le can ' they be accounted Earthly. Firft> Not in refpece of their Matter or Obje&s : For thiir immediate formal Obje&, being the Word of God, and the Truths contained therein, with the Duties relative to them, vi%. of receiving, obferving, keeping them pure and intire, and ao Adjuration of all Er- ror and Herefie, with every thing contrary to found Doctrine and the Power of Godlinefs : Their more remote and material Objects being the publick, ne- ceftary and great important Truths and Duties of the hrft and fecond Table therein enumerate, with the contrary Errors and Sins therein abjured. 2. Nor in llefpedt of their Ends, either primary or more fubordinate : TTheir prin;ary End being the Glory of God, and the Advancement of the Media- tor's Kingdom ; their more fubordinate being Per- fonal and National Reformation, indifpenfibly con- ducive to the former. And in this Regard, they contain a Confeflion of our Faith, in oppofition to Popery, Prelacy, Error, Herefy, t$c. thereia mod folemnly engaged againft. Seeing then their Mat- ter being objectively binding>how can the coming un- der their formal Tye, be the Cr offing the New Tefta- ment Dijpenfaticn, or a bringing the Dlfciptis again under the T ke of Bondage. " If this Ihould hold true, then farewel Baptifm, as an Earthly Cove- nant, to be exploded out o f >he Church, which doth explicitely or confeo^uentially bind us to all that our Covenants doth tye us to, as Mr. Zacha- nas Crafton, in his Anfwer to Doctor Gauden, his calling the Solemn Leagu* and Covenant, a Piece of Policy, rather than Piety, and a Bar to ths Baptifmal Covenant, doth plainly illuftrsfte. Which Anfwer I here irjfert, for the Reader's Satisfa6Hon,as fo'lows. * Sure X am, fays he, Baptifmal Vows are no Bar, but \*V\* C H ) G but may be Provocations to folemn Covenant- * ing with God. Let the Matter of this Covenant * be exa&iy icanned, and if it be in any one Ar- * tide found repugnant to, or different from the Covenant made in Baptifm, we wiiJ renounce the whole. 1 hope, it will not be denyed, that baptifed Nations and Churches may (in their pub- Jick and politick Capacities^ renew and amplify that Covenant which wr.s made in Baptifm : And truly the Solemn League and Covenant feems to me fo little to differ from our Baptiimal Cove- nant, that it is no hard Matter to refolve it into thefe thrcc^rand Heads. V\e are inftruaed, and were pronuled in our Names, when we were bap- tiled ; and then all the difference fas to our part) * will be in this : The Baptiimal Covenant was Per- fonal and Private, this publjck and politick. * Again, in his Treat} fe called St Peter' s Fetters fafien- c ed,V*ge 36. He fays concerning the Matter, of the * fhm League : But when I weigh the Particulars 3 premifed and find them to be the Prefervation of * Religion and Reformation, wherein it is corrupted, c and the Removal of what is thereunto deftruAive"; c as to the Religious Part of it, the Prefervation of c the King's Prerogative, andPeople's Liberty, and c Nation's Unity, and the Removal of the Enemies c thereof : as to the Civil part thereof, my Conclu- * iaon iseftablifhed ; and I find it fo far from being ' unlawful, that it binds not to any thing, which in ' the Nature of it, is not on us a pofitive Duty, tho' c not bound by this facred Bond. And fo far is * this Covenant, from a Repugnancy to ourBaptifmal c Covenant,that it is no hardMatter to refolve it ia- ( to the three Heads of ourBaptifmal Prom ife. For t if I mud believe the Articles of the Creed, I m.uft ' preferve found Do&rine, and reform to my Power G what is corrupt* Iflmuil keep God's Command- f ments, I tnuft purfue pure Worfhip and Religion £ towards God, and Loyalty ,Love and Unity towards c Men. And if I Jnuft renounce the Devil « anil CM). < and all his Works, I muft extirpate Popery, ani « Papal Prelacy, Superftition, Herefie, Schifm, an& « Prophanefs, Cfr. with all Incendiaries and evil In. < ftruments,Hinderers of Reformation. • He goes on further faying, Tct this feems to me c to be done by our Covenants, whereby tbe Common- « wealth, as a Common-wealth, enters in to Church < Communion ; as is evident from tbe frfi Article of * tbe Solemn League, wherein yet there are a great * many things diftinft from tbe Foundation of Church * FellowJl)ip, &o *■ Anfwer, It is denyed,that the Common-wealth, merely as fuch, were received into ChurchFellowfhip through Means of the League and Covenant j its Drift being never dafigned for Confti- tution or Formation, but for Reformation of the Church of Chrift in the three Kingdoms of Scotland, England and Ireland, in the Things wherein they were corrupted. Were there any of the Covenan- ters at that Time,who were not Members of Chrift^ viable Church, prior to either the framing, or cn- tring into the League and Covenant ? May not a Common-wealth be both a Common-wealth and a Church formally dillinft, under a different refpecfc ? Iiadmire to tind the Author quarreling at this rate, without any folid Foundation for it. If it be at tht civil Part of the Covenant, he fo much dorms, was not even that ftated as a Part of the Covenant, With an intire Subordination to its Religious Part ? Was not the Subje&sAllegiance to the Supreme Au- thority qualified therein according to the Scrip- tures ? Is not every Church Member, by the Com- mand of Chrift, bound to Swear a Scriptural Allegi- ance to the fupreme Magiftrate, and to maintain the- Rights and Privileges of the fupreme Judicatories «f th/ie Nations, in purfaance of the trefervation and and Defence of tht true Religion, and Maintainance ©f the Liberties of the Kingdom, againiV the Com- mon Enemy of both. Zafily, he lays. It is plain, that the Church and Common-wealth are blended to- &tfor mit 2 &c. This being fuficienflj refuted iii pan C 16 ) £on the firft Head, I only add, He would make the \%orld dreain from fuch a Notion, that one and the fame colleaive Body, cannot be both a Church and a Mate, divert ly confidered ; and that our Lord je- fiis, by his coming in the Fleffi, had aboliihed all ci- ril Government in his Kingdom: Whereas Civil Government and Governors, rightly founded on, and regulated by the Word, is among one of the jreat rieiTIngs of his Government, promiled to the New Teftament Church, Pfal. lxxii. 2, 2- Ifg. i. 26 . Jfa. Ix. 17. Jer. xxx. 2i.E?e£. xlv. 8. Zcck. ix. 8. He •onciudes this Head faying. Tet it is a Church C$- venant, eft ab lifting Communion upon fuch a Fo.tin* y as divided the Members of the vifible Church from ent another, and mixed in the Trophane y^jrld int§ the Czmmunion if the Church. Anfwer 1. I humbly think the Author mould have adduced very clear Documents for the Proof of this, and other fuch like heavy Charges as he doth load our Covenants with, both here and through the whole of his Paper. 2. So far as I am capable to comprehend his Notion of Church Covenants, from this Head, and his fecond Scruple founded thereon, he makes mutual and ex- plicate Covenanting in any particular vifible Church, in 1'hings that concern neceffary and uncontrover- ted Duty, the very formal Caufe thereof, or that which gives Being and Conftitution thereto : Which to hold, is very unfafe, for this Rcafon : Becaufe, it would co'nlequently follow *, That all Saints, who are not after this manner explicitely Confederate, are -not vifible Church .fv embers, arid fo no Members of Chr/lft ; or that a Man may be a vifible Saint, and a Member of Chrift, yet no Member of a vifible Church. Yea, it deftroys , the Churches Efler.ce and Being in Times of Perfecution, when fcattered fara- broad from each other. Is not this a Handle given to "ap fts, to affirm, that there hath been no true vifible Church, fave that of Rome , for feveral Cen- turies; Becaufe there was no fuch mutual Covenant- ing, as was requisite f©r giving a Church B*mg> d«ir- irv-? ( 17 ) •uriug tke whole of that Hour and Power of Dark- nefs. f/ 'Tis true, at the firft Adminiftration thereof, the Se&arians in England prefumptuoufly went in with it, and fwore it, who as foen after periidioufly brake it, contemptuouflly threw it off, as an antiqua- ted thing \ and thus vilely reproached it? I acknow- ledge it to have been the Fault of fome of its Admi- niflrators to admit any thereinto, who gave not fufficient Evidence of their good Difpofition to the Work of Reformation, Tworn to therein : But mud the Faults and Mifmanagements of fome Admini- ilrators, render the Covenant it felf, either as to Matter or Form, an evil Thing ? Surely it ran crofa to the very Tenor thereof, to admit the Prophane rhsreunto, when it exprefsly excludes fuch ; yet whatever was the now quarrelled Diiorder herein, the Lord was moil gracioufiy pleated to Seal it with the V"*V . ( 19 ) the Conversion of many Hundreds, if not Tkoufands, as an inconteftible Evidence of his gracious Appro- bation thereof; moreover the Matter thereof being previously binding, as moral pofkive Duty, upon all under whatever Character, may excufe for the per- emptory impofitions of it. Bur to conclude this head, I find Mr. George Gillefple, one of the eminently zealous Promoters of Reforma- tion, in thefe covenanting Days, obviating the like Clamor, in his ufeful Cafe concerning Ailociations, thus; " If any known Malignants, ££c. hath be.en receiv- c ed either to the Covenant or Sacrament, without ' Signs of Repentance for their formerMalignancy and * Scandal (fuch Signs of Repentance, I mean, as Men c inCharity ought to be fatisfved withj'fc&s more than c Miniiters aad Elderihips can anfwer tor, either to c God, or the Acts and Conrtitutions of this National « Church. I trull all faithful and confeientious c Minifters have laboured to keep themfelves Pure, c in fuch Things : Yea, the General AiTembly hath 4 ordained, that fuch ihould be fufpended from the 1 Lord's Supper, till thev manifetf. their Repentance c before the Congregation." See Act debarring of Perfons acceiforv to tlae unlawful Engagement from renewing the Covenant, C?V. Edinburgh, 6th October, 1648, and the Explanation thereof, Edinburg b, De- cember 4^, 1648. I think this may fufhcicntly c- lude what the Author hath alledged in this hit Claufe. Upon the 3^ Head of his Diftinftions, he- (sys, " The Church or Common-wealth of Ifrael, had * three (landing Offices in it, fuitablc unto the earth- c ly, but typical Nature of it, wj« Prophet, Prieil c and King, all of them Ecclefiaftick Officers, 8k," Anfwer^ This appears fo contrary to the very Let- ter of the Scripture, that the Kings of Ifrael as fuch, were Ecclefiartick Officers, needs little fur- ther Confutation, then 1 Sam. xiii. 9, 10, Ani S*itl fa:d 3 'Bung hither a Brunt- offering to we % C 2 and \ * C *• ) and^feaee-offerings. And he offered the $urnt-of fering, And it came topafs that ajfoon as he had made an End of offering the Burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came, and Saul went cut to meet him, that he might folate bim. &c. See verfe n. 12, 13, 14. 1 Chron. xix. 11, And behold, Amariah the Chief Trie]} is over you in all Matters of the Lord \ and Ze- hadiak the Son of IJhmael, the Ruler of the Houfe of Judab,for all tibekmg's Matters .• aljo theLevits fljall, be Officers before you. Veal courapcufly,andthe Lord. Jhallbe with thee for good. Where was thisEccleiiaflick Officer during theTheocracy beiorelfrael fought to be like the Nations by requiring to hare a King ? 1 Sam. viii. 5. It hath been made evident above, that the Church and State oflfrael were not the fame, but were formally diftinft, in refpeel of their Po- licies EccleiiaiHck and Civil* Wc find feme of tUeir Kings were Prophets and Penmen of fome Part of the Canon of Scripture, and were eminent Types of Chrift, and in that regard may be faid to #and under a peculiar Relation to Jfrael confidered as a Church"; But as they were meerlv Kings, they related them, as a civil Politick Body. And whatever Power they had about facred Matters, fuch as the Chriftian Magi urate hath in the New Tefta- ment Church, yet in faCred Things, they proper- Iy had none. (2ly,) We never read that any of them did officiate in the'Prieftly Office, except in a way of tJfurpatioB. 2 Chron xxvi. 16. But when he Tvas firong, his Heart was lifted up to his Defirutlion. : for he\tranfgr?ffed again}} the Lord his God, and went into the Temple of the Lord to bum Incenfe upon the Altar of Incenfe, &c. See verfes 17. 18. 1 humbly ap- prehend, that fuch Godly Kings, as are faid to be Typical of Chrift, was whh refpe<5t to their extra- ordinary Endowments, and not fo much in reference to the naked Regal Dignity, tho'Jn a right Senfe,! Venture not to exclude this neither, and I am the more inclined to think fo, becaufe I find the Lord reckoning 'Ifrau's asking a JUng, to be a rejecting of - • ■■ ' him <**<> I 21 ) him, i Sam. riil. 1- And the Lord faid unto Samuel, Hear hen unto the Voice of the People in all that they fay unto thee± for they have not re jetted thee, but they have rejefted me, that 1 fhould not Reign over them. Laflly, If all the Kings oflfrael were Church OfEcers,and fo Types of Chriffc, then it will fol- low, that all of them that fell away to grofs idolatry, and other multiplied Abominations, behoved to be fo teo, which to maintain, were a moft grofs Abfur- dity, horrible to every found ChriiHan. The fecondThing I take notice of upon thisHead he fays,Ke,viz.Chrift,ij the only thing like tbeKing oflfrael, In theNewTeftamentChurch ; and i/ one of theEarth be there, he is no otberways there, thin as a Believer in Chrifl, and a Subject to him, and whatever Power he has in the Common-wealth, and over every Member of it, whether Church Member or not, yet has he n* Kingly Power in the Church, &c. Jnfwer, i. This fairly implies, that Civil Magiftracy is of no Ute to the Chriftian Common-wealth or Church. idly. This efFe&ually evacuateth all fuch Prorm- fes, as are made to the New Tedament Church of righteous Government and Rulers, as one of the great Benefits of Chrift's Government therein, fuch a? Jjai. i. 26.J will reflore thy Judges as at the firfl, as if he faid, I will reftore them, as in the bed Times, whether of Mofes or Jofhua, David and Solomon : *nd thy CcunfelUrs as at the beginning ; afterward thou Jhalt be called the City of Rlghtemfnefs, the Faithful City. (3.J As it is contrary to the Word of Promife, fo it contradicts the Judgment of all our found Proteftant Divines, both Foreign and Domeftick, as is clear from the ieveral Coofeflfions pi the Proteftant Churches ; namely our old Scots Confeflion, Article 24.. holdcth out to us, « That to, Kings, Princes, Rulers a»d Magiftrates, c 5 doth appertain the Confervation and Purgation of <{ Religion ; " fo that not only they are appointed for civil Policy, but alto for the Maintenance of . fche true R>o}igbn, and for fupprefling Idolatry and Super- C 22 ) Superfiition, S5V, fee alfo 34 -<4r£. of 23 Chap. Weft- minfler ConfejJicn> more full upon this Point, and which is fubfcribed by all the Minifters of this pre- sent Church. So that it looks very ftrange to me, that any Member of this Church, fo very obfe- quious and loyal to the Civil Magiftrate, fhould de- nude him of allManner of Power in and about the Church, fo contrary to the profefied Principles and Practice thereof. And I cannot omit to obferve a manifeft Inconfiftency between tfiis Author's Prin- ciple and his Pra&ice in this Point. I wonder how he can at any Time, with Peace of Confcience (ac- cording to this his Principle) fit a Member of the Supreme Judicatory of this Church, which the Su- preme Magiftrate convocates, adjourns and diiTolves in his own Name and Authority. Again, how can he with a fafe Confcience obey the Appointments of the Supreme* Authority, for Diets of Humiliation and Thankfgiving, with the Caufes thereof, and this acclaimed by, and ultroneoufly delivered up to the Supreme Magiftrate as his Prerogative? How can he fwear Oaths in our prefent circumftantiate Condition- fo repugnant to Presbyterian Principles, fuch as Abjuration, Allegiance and Affurance, im- pofed by the Civil Authority on the Miniftry of this Church, under Pains of Deprivation from Office and Benefice, in the Cafe ofRccufancy? All which Particulars yielded unto by the Author, not only overthrows his own Judgment in this Point ; but, if it were proper here to evince, he pra&ically exten- deth the lower of the Civil Magiltrate, in Matters Ecclefiaftick, far beyond the due Limits thereof, to the great Grief and Scandal of many godly throughout the Land, and Efpcftifers of Covenanted Principles, who interpret thefe and the HkeCedings- to be a yielding up ChrtfVs Headfhip, with the in- trinfick Power of his Church, into the Hand of the Supreme Magiftrate. Indeed all Power in and a- hout Things which are intrinfical, belonging to the Soul of Mun, fuch as difpenfing the, Word and Sa- craments •w. ( 23 ) laments, the Power of the Keys, CSV. is refufeA hy all Covenanting Presbyterians of the Church oi Scotland* to belong to the Chriftian Magiflrate ; be- caufe thefe in their Nature, End and LJfe, being meerly Spiritual, arc of Ecclefiaftical Cognizance, and only entrufted to the Office-bearers of the Church, by Chrift her fole Head and Ring. But on the other Hand, The Civil Magistrate, as he is Cuflos & ".v index utriufque tabula hath Power, and is bound to keep all his Subjects by his Authority, within the Bounds of External Obedience to the Law of God, and to punifh, with external Punifh- ments, the external Tranfgreffions of that Law : This being morally binding, even upon Heathen Ma- gistrates, how forcibly more binding mufl it be up- on the Magiflrate when Chriftian, t8 exert his ut- moft Power, Care and Vigilance, that all his Sub- jects, whether couildered as Members of the Church, or of the State, live gadly, righteoufly and foberly, and bear down all Sin againft the firft and fecond Table within his Dominions, and thus not only to conferve Juftice, Peace and Order in the Common- wealth, and in the Church as it is therein; but likewife to take fpecial Care of the GoHiervation of the true Reformed Religion, and the Purgation of it, when, and wherein it needeth to be reformed. The Power andDuty of the Civil Magiflrate is clear- ly exemplified in the Perfon of the Royal Pfalmift from Pfalm ci. and elpecially from 3 Verfe. Another notable Example we have in Artaxerxes an Hea- then King, E^ra vii. 23, 26, 27 . worthy to be fol- lowed by all Chriftian Princes. This doth not infer any Ufurpation of Chrift's Crown and Prerogatives, nor any Encroachment upon the Rights and Privi- leges of his Houfe j but only denotes the Chriftian Magiftrate's Subferviency in the Church, in employ- ing his Power in his eminent Station, to promote the Mediator's Intereft in the Chriftian Common- wealth, as all Chriftians in their feveral Stations are iadifpcnfibly bound to do, according to the Rule, Coif Cclof. iii. 17. And whatfoever ye do in Word »t Deed, do all in the Name cf the Lerd Jefus, giving Thanks to Gcd and the Father by him. And this" is utterly remote from bringing in any earthly Power into the Church, or inverting the Civil Magiftrate with that Power, which Chrift hath lodged in his Church-officers, according to this Author's Senti- ments. In the laft Place, This Stripping of the Civil Ma* giftrate of all Manner of Power circa facra, in the Church, favours rankly of the damnable Doctrine, if not of Church, yet of State-Toleration, ftrongly contended for by all fuch, as are of Sectarian Princi- ples, and is meft deftru&ive to the Kingdom of our Lord Jefus, with Abhorrence to be reje&ed by all ^hat truly love the Welfare of Zion, the Peace' and P re fperity thereof : The efpoaflng and pleading for this Principle is a proclaiming Licence, yea an open Invitation to all the EmifTaries of Satan, to vent what Helliih Blafphemies they pleafe in the Church, with- out Fear of Controul, under the Pretext, that there- in the Chriftian Magiftrate's Power hath no Place. •Neither can the Chriftian Magiftrate's bearing down the Devil's Kingdom, in fupprefling Idolatry, Error, Herefy, with all other Abominations in the Chri- stian Commonwealth, and his puniihing them under that Formality, as they are deadly Crimes, and hainous Violations of the Holy Law of GOD, and inoft pernicious to the Welfare both of Church and State, wherein they come to be tolerate, be con- ftru&ed a promoting of Chrift's fpiritual Kingdom, •with external Force, and carnal Weapons; but a Defending and Maintaining the valuable Inferefts of Religion in the Church, and a Hedging about, and Fencing the Lord's Vineyard, from the Breaking in •f the Foxes, that feefc to ffoil her Vines, Pfdl ci. 8. Cant. ii. 15. Upon the fourth, and laft Head, he fays, The Old Teflament Typical Church was Earthly, an Earthly Kino dew ^ &c And again, FA in the Earthly Jcrufa- Icm ( : Ji 1 lem *> and mixed in the prcfane World into the Communis cu of the Church. (2) Upon bis id H«ad, He char- ges them with bringing in earthly Fewer into the Church, f 3 j Upen his 4th Head, He condemns them as legal, earthly Covenants, that go not upon the pure footing of the New Tefiament-Difpenfaticn. And in his %th Scruple, He fays their Tendency is to lead Men from the Foundation God hath laid in Zion, tb* only Corner Stone in it. And laflly, In the clofe of this qth Head, he fcornfully vilifies them, as beg- garly Elements, and a pitiful: Shadow bf the old earthly Church of Jerufalem'. Which Heap of Ca- lumnies are not the Breathings of a found Prote- ctant Presbyterian of the Church of Scotland ; and the Indignity thrown upon thefe Sacred National Covenants by thefe Calumnies, is nothing inferior to their Treatment, when burnt at the Crofs of E- dinburgh, by the Hands of; the Hangman, and a 'plain Juftification of that Heaven-daring AcKon. If by our. Covenants any Points had been let up or eftabliihed, not founded on the Word of God, de- rogatory to, or encroaching upon the Royal and Le- gillative Power of Chrift the Head, binding the Conscience, where he left it free ; fuch as the Ob- servation of Days, Months and Times, the Hierar- chy, SuperfUtion, blafphemous Supremacy, and fig- nificant Ceremonies of the Corrupt Church of Eng- land, who retain in their ConfHtution no fmall Por- tion of the old Temple Service ; then there had been fome Bottom laid, for founding the forefaid Charges: But there is not any one Thing engaged to in our Covenants, that is not in itfelf moral Du- ' c Yi previoufl-y binding on us by the Law of Chrift. And r 30 ) And to fay, that a folemn engaging of our felres to fchefe Duties, is a bringing us again under the Toke ef Bondage % croft to the Gofpel, and leading us off from the foundation God has laid in Zion, &c. and hereby to loofe us from all Obligation to them, is at leaft interprctatively to make Chrift (abfit blaf- phemia) the Minifter of Sin, and the Gofpel a li- centious Difgenfation ; Abfurdities too grols for Law- lefe Anemians, or ranting Antinomians to aflert. But we have not fo learned Chrift, as not to Jtand fafl in the Liberty voherervith Chrifl bath made us free, Gal. v. i, and to feek and endeavour by all juft Means to preferve, maintain and defend our Spiritual Liberty, and even in a Way of mutual Co- venanting,through Faith's Relyance on our Covenant- Head, in Opposition to fuch, as ufe all Fraud, Force and Craft to reduce us under the Yoke of Bondage ; as likewifeour Civil Liberties, in a Subordination to that which is Spiritual; is the undeniable Duty of every Christian, in no found Senfe repugnant to, or interfering with th~ Gofpel Covenant, as it is in the Author's Accourt ; when branding our Cove- nants with the ftigma of legal earthly Covenants. V> he- ther he receive it or not, be it known to him, that all fincere and upright Covenanters do refpe& them only, and accordingly endeavour through the Grace of Chrift to purine their Performance, as the Na- tions vow, and Oath to the great God of Heaven and Earth, to hold faft the new and better Cove- nant, as the Churches Charter, for the whole of the Bleffed, Heavenly and Glorious inheritance exhibi- ted therein, and conveyed thereby, to hold the Lord Jefus as the Head, Mediator, Surety and Teftator thereof, yea to hold him Head in all Things belong- ing to the Do&rine, Worfhip, Difcipline and Govern- ment of his Church, and to be the alone Attorrng, Teaching, and Governing Head thereof. This is the grand and chief Truft committed to the Church, and to every, yea the meaneft Member the rof. And is it not then a Duty ficumbent cm Chriftian Na- tions* ( 3i ) tions, whether as reformed, or wreftling to advance Reformation, to come under a National Vow and promifTory Oath of Fidelity, as a fuperadded Tye o» them conjunctly, to maintain this Truft inviolable, to which they were feverally bound by their ante- cedent Baptifmal Vow. Now Reverend Sir, I hum- bly judge, that whofoever they be, that effay to loofe us in thefe covenanted Lands, from the bind- ing Obligation of thefe indiffolvable Bonds, from which no Power on Earth can Abfolve, or to excite and provoke any to abandon them, by reafon of fuch direful Reprefentations, under which they are held out unto us, by this mofl unaccountable Letter, caa be accounted no leis then Treafon againft Zicn's King, and Treafon againft all the Laudable Laws efta- blilhing our happy Reformation. Doth not this Letter in exprefs Terms tell us, that our Covenants are by all means to be avoided, as beggarly Elements? Is not this* avowedly to teach us to renounce our covenanted Allegiance and Loyalty to our Lord Jefus Chrift, the fole Head and King of his Church ? Is not this to teach us the higheft Rebellion a- gainft God, and a caufing fuch as liften to, and are carryed off by thefe Delusions, to truft in a Lie ? I am forc'y afraid,as he has a&ed too too like thePra&ice ©f Hananiah the falfe Prophet, Jer. xxviii. » 5, 16. An£ Sbemaiab theNebelamite, Jer. xxix. 31, 32. Send t§ *ll them of the Captivity, faying. Thus jaitb the Lord, soncerning Sbemaiab the Nebelamite, Becaufe that Sbemaiab hatbfrophefied unto you, and I jent him not 9 and be caufed you truft in a Lie : Therefore thus faith the Lord, Behold, I will punijb Sbemaiab/ the' Nebelamite, and his Seed : He Jhall not have a Mart to dwell among this People, neither Jhall he behold the good that I will do for my People, faith the Lord, be* caufe he hath taught Rebellion againft the Lord* So he has too apparently ferved himfelf obnoxious t©- their Doom ; which I heartily pray, that the fur- pafling Mercy of the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, may fpecdily prevent, by granting hira Re- ( 32 ) Repentance to bewail the Reproach cad upon the Caufe' of Chrift, and Word of his Teftimony, the Hurt and Injury done thereunto by him, not eafily repairable in our Day of lamentable Back Aiding, wherein our Covenants ly broken, contemn'd, and burried by all Ranks of all Denominations, andfhamo- fully by us profeffing our felves Presbyterians. Whence is it that Iniquity runs down as a mighty Stream, Damnable Errors and Herefies, fuch as Aria- nifm, Quakerifm, Pcpery, Arminianifm, abjured Prelacy, Freethinkers, who will not admit the Word of God as their Rule to regulate their Thoughts by, -nith other multiplied Abominations, makirg the Earth groan under its Inhabitants ? Is not this chiefly owing to the laying aiide our Covenants 5 and our unanfwerable Neglect to purfue their Ends? During the vigorous Profecution of which, our Church was Beautiful as Tirfah y comely as Jerufatem 9 terrible as an Artny with Banners. But O I how are we fallen, all of us fallen from our firfl Love> fallen from the Zealand faithfulnefs of our renowned re- forming Anceftors, into a deteftable IndirFerency jand Neutrality, abjured in our Solemn League and Covenant, and into the ftri&eft Confederacy and Fricndfhip, by an incorporatingUnien with the dated Adveriaries of the Caufe and Covenants*, which I can no otherwile confirm^, then a fearful Conspira- cy againit Chrift, by fo prcphaning the Covenant of eur Fathers. Mai. ii. 10. Have we net ail on& Father > Hath not one God created us ? Why do we. deal treach- eroufly every Man agaznft his Brother, by profaning the Covenant of our Fathers? See Verfes 11, 12. What can be the procuring Caufe of all the Diftrefs that is lying upon us, both in our Spiritual and Tem- poral Eltate, is not our National Wealth fad con- turning, and our Poverty daily faft abounding? Fs not the Life and Power of Godlinefs at a very low Ebb among us, through the withdrawing of the Comforter, that fhould relieve us ? Is he not great- ly withdrawn from our publick Ordinances, from •ur >-l// ( 33 ; our publick Ordinances, from our Families, and ou ? Clofets ? Is not the Spring of all this, if we would allow our felves to fee, be caufe we have Robbed God, even we this whole Nation ? Mai. iii. 9.- Therefore the Crown is fallen from our Head. Lam. v. i§. T«rw f/j^tf «i unto thee, Lord, and we fall bs turned: Renew our Days as of Old, Rev. Sir, I fend you this as my TefHinony againft, nor, only the Reproach call upon our Covenants, Natio- nal and Solemn League by this Rabfiekab-like Leis- ter, but likewife againft all the Violations of, and Wrong done to this honourable Caufe, tho* now e- very where fpoken againil (a defpifed Remnant ex- cepted ; ) by all our Back-flidings and Dere<^ions therefrom bGth as a Church and State, ever lines the Year 1650, to this prefent Day : Again as a Declaration of my Efpou/ing of, and Adherence to the Principles of our Reforming Forefathers, from the Days or Mr. Knox, to 1649, fo far as I have attained unto the Knowledge and Underftar.ding of tfiem : Which yet is but^ imall, having now lived the mod of my Time in great Ignorance that way, as many more in our Day do, through Want of pub- lick Inftru&ion. Laflly, My hearty Approbation of the Covenants National and Solemn League, and the Reformation fworn to therein, as the undoubted Caufe of God ; alfo of all the W refilings, Contend- ing, and Testimonies of the Sufferers, tither in tbe Fields, upon Scaffolds, or otherwife. Rev. Sir, Although I have already anftvered (as I humbly conceive; the Subftance of this Author's eigho Scruples, in my Animadveriions upon his four Heads of Diftin to the Houfe of the God of Ja- cob, and he will teach us of his Ways , and we will -walk in* his Paths: for out of Zin fball go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerufalem. Ifa. xliv- c » Thou meetefl him that rejoicetb, and rvcrketb Rigbteoufnefs, thofe that remember thee in thy ways : Behold, &c. Ifa. xix. 18. In 4hat Day Jball five Cities in the Land -f Egypt fpeak the Lan- guage 1 f Canaan, and Swear to the Lord of Hefts : one fball b: edited the City of Deftructicn. See Verfes 23, 24, 25. Jer. i. 4, «;• In which Propheiies, I dare not doubt, but that, the Lord had a. fpecial Eye to the IJhs of Kittim and Shittim. And the Covenanting gf the fe Nations in the Caufe of Chrift was no defpicable Implement of- thefe Prophefies. Agam, he fays It is li^ewife very flrange, that when ihe Difcipline of the Church was meft pure, in the ft r ft 300 Tears, there was not the leaf} Appearance of tbefe Things* I Anfwer, 1. if it was not formally and explicitly fo^itwasfo materially and impli- citly/ 2. The Cafe of the Church now in a more fettled and conftitufe State, varies very vaftly from the Stare of the C hurth, in her firfl Gathering and Plantation; r /^ in that firit Gathering Period of the Church, ibte was fuff ring under the Difcountenance, ofition, and Perfecution of the civil Authority, :.t no fuch Opportunity did offer. 3. Neither. n .. t ■ fa ( 37 ) is the Rule, as to the Gathering and firft Plantation of Chriftian Churches, and the Purging o r the Churches already conftitute, and more univerfally fettled, the fame. Churches may be laid to be ga- thered out from among the Heathen, as the Apoftles gathered them in the firft Plantation of Chriftiai^ Churches, or out of falfe heretical Churches, as our fir ft Reformers, raifed up of God, gatberedChurches out of the Antichriftian Romifla Church. Then the Rule is, Come out from among them my People, 2 Cor. vi 17. Rev. xviii. 4. But if a Church, confef- fed to be a true Church, tho' labouring under va- rious Corruptions, whether in Dcftrine or Manners, 1$c. then the Rule is, Purge out the old Leaven y put away from among you that wicked Perfon. A Church is not to b© gathered out of a true Church, groaning under felt and confefled Corruptions, and wreftling for Reformation, after the Manner and Pra&ice of the Independents; but to be reformed, wherein fhe is corrupted, or by cafting ontfuch as are Incorrigible, and do obftinately Outftand, and wilfully and malicioufly oppofe Reformation, In A- greablenefs to Scripture Rule, a»d our Cpvenan-ts founded thereon. His 2d Scruple, He fay?, They are Church Cove- nants , yea, the very Terms of Church Communion, &C. Having handled this Point already upon one of his Heads, I anfwer fhortly, It is denyed, that thev are Church Covenants of Formation, giving Be- ing or Eflence to a Church, as the Independents dream ; but for Reformation according to the Word, and for Confer vation of the Truth, in oppofition to Blafphemous and Heretical Enemies. Caa this be the Reafon why our Author (hews fo much Teeth and Anger againft them ? But let him know that all that are Members of Chrift's vifible Church, altho' our Covenants had never formally exifted, are bound by the fecond Command, to Receive, Obferve, keep ^ Pure and Intire all God's Religious Worjbip, and Ordinances* is he hath appointed in his Wbrd \ and whoever, after ( 3S J JthisAuthor's manner,malign our Covenants, they do throw off the Authority or thi* Divine Law, to their own Peril. Ob)ett. " Chrift is the great and only Magiftrate e in the Kingdom of God ; he is the Dcminus fas c totum, to whofe Hand this Work of Reformation * is committed. Thus Mr. William Dell an Inde- * pendent, Chaplain to Grul Fairfax in his Sermon J upon right Reformation. " I Anfwer, I . This is a glorious Truth, our Lord Jefus is the All or" his Church, the Wifdom, Righteoufnefs, San&ification and Redemption thereof, and flie is to hold him Head in all Things, her Attoning, Teaching, Conquering, Quickning and Governing Head. And this grand Truth,the Maintenance of which chiefly our Cove- nants do bind us to, and for which our Reformers have all along llrenuouQy contended, and all our Martyrs have fealed with their Blood, nay, their bed Blood, as Chrift's particular Word of Patience, committed in Truft, to be faithfully keept by the Church of Scotland, in oppofition to abjur'd Prela- cy, and Blafphemous Erajtian Supremacy, which is a moll: wicked and Sacrilegious Robbery of Chrift in in his Glorious Prerogatives. 2. Yet our Lord Jefus carries on this bleued W 7 ork by Means, and In- struments of his own Appointment. Yes fays Mr £>ell y by his W r ord and Spirit, and what Covenanter de- nies this ? Was it not by and according t© the Word, our Reformers fought the Advancement of our Covenanted Reformation, and that in Faith'sDepen- dence upon the Holy Spirit of Promiie. 31 Hath rot our Lord inftituted in his Church the Keys of Difcipline and Centure alfo, for reducing, cor- recting and reclaiming of his backfliding People, cither when falling, or fallen into Sin, to which they are fo lyable in this State, both (of Falibility and Mutability ? 4. It is a ftrange Miftake ind odd Dream to imagine, and then fay, that e- yery Chriftian in thefe Covenanted Lands, in his • per Sphere and Station, purfuing the Duties of fa ^/ry the Covenants as a Means to their appointed End, is an Ufurpation of ChriiVs prerogative md Office of regenerating and fan&ifying his Church. This is fo ridiculous, childiih, and pitiful, that it deferve's rather Commiferation; than Confutation. I have enlarged the longer here, becaufe'I am apprehenfive our prefent Author has adopted Mr. DelTs Senti- ments of Gofpel Reformation, which he opDcfes to> ■what he calls Political and Ecclefiaftick Rerormation, confounding at lead fubordinate Means and End. His Third Scruple fays, By the Covenants, efpe- dally the folemn League, the Vlfi bit Church cfChrifl is enlarged beyond the Limits that Chrift hath fet ; becaufe a viable Unbeliever might, and many fuch did attually take thefe Covenants. I anfwer, Why- is the Covenant condemn 5 d here, for the Fault ei- ther of the Taker or Adminiftrator ? Will this Quarreller venture thus to impeach the holy Or- dinances of Baptifm, and the Supper, upon the bap- tizing of Children of grofty ignorant Parents, yea malignant and prophane, or upon the AdmiffioH of fuch Scandalous Ones to the Holy Communion not impracticable in this Day ? Again, I ask, whether or not is it the bounden Duty of all that hear the Gofpel in thefe Lards, t» believe, and to pra&ife the Duties contained in thefe Covenants as the Fruit of his Faith ? Or will his Unbelief exempt him from the Obligation of Duty he owes ten God and Man ? • Again he fays, That by thefe Covenants tbe Vifibl* Church is flraltned, &c. This is moil injurious and falfe : The Solemn League gives a fair Invitation to all the Sifter Churches, either to enter into this or the like Combination, for the like End and Pur- pofes. The Solemn League excludes none, but fuch, as through their Malignity, will not have Chrift to Reign over them ; or fuch as oppofe the Civil Go- vernment as founded on, and regulated by the Word ©f God, and hereby it proves a notable Mean to ^ifcover in tbe Way wherein they were entered intt t joere a Mean of mixing the propbane World with the •Uifible Church in Scotland, England, and Ireland,*^ fo they did in gnat Me'ajure deflroy the Diftinftioti between the Church and the World J$c. I anfwer, were it a Verity, what is here alledged,without the lead Probation ; yet not the Covenants, but rather the Ordinances,whether ofState or Church impofing them Without due Limitation, would be herein culpable: But our Covenants being our folcmn abandoning of tie whole of the intolerable Antichriftian Yoke, (as has-been hinted at abefvej fo Ung wreathed on the Nefck ef our Forefathers, I can fee no Room, giv- ing Place to fuch ill Natured Scruples, and far lefs tif any Foundation for this here, feeing the Solemn League exprefly abjures Prophanefs. But if our Au- -ttoor mean by tbe propbane Wcrld, Saints in ou'.ward Profeflion, evidencing their Faith iby a Walk cor- ifefpondent thereto, fas probably he doth, in agreea- blcnefl to Independent Principles, which cut off all from Church Communion, lave fuch as can utter in Difcourfe the Breathings of the Holy Spirit, and Experiences of Conversion) then it is yielded all fuch' were received into the Covenants ; which is feo lefs warrantable than to admit them to the Par- ticipation of the Seals of the Gofpel Covenant, it being a Presbyterian Principle, not to fhut the Door the Lord hath opened to the Hearers of the Gofpel/ and which dp' prof cfs the Faith thereof, nor F #• tletf f f 42 to exclude,, fuch the Lord kath not excluded^ a}.. He ' fays, It was a Means of avoiding Perfecution^ 0»c. Anfwe.r,.,; fee no Caufe> why lawful Means aje not to be ufed for avoiding or preventing Perfecu- tion, 1 if GodY Glory in the Confervation of the Truth of the Gofpel, (which was the primary End of the Covenants J) be reached thereby •, but the Quef- tibn is, whether did our Covenants prove to be fitch a Means, as this Scrupler fuppofes ? j I : an- fwer,The former and latter Abjuration of them, with a. Servile Submiflion to, and a voluntary Walking af- ter the Commandments of the Subverters of our covenanted Reformation, prov'd rather this Mean of evading Perfecution ; whereas a firm Adherence to our Covenants, became the Mean of a moil ciuei and bloody Perfecution, nothing inferior to the Spamjh Inquifition, which is yet recent in the Me- mories of not a few at this prefent Day ; which is a clear and confirming Evidence, that the Covenants ancj! Reformation fworn to therein, is the Lor-d's Caufe ; becaufe of the universal Hatred of Wordlings ofwhatever Denomination again&.it, which Eft$& could never fall out, v£ .our Covenants; had been founded on Carnal, Legal,, and Political principles, then the wicked and carnal World had never madfc fuch'Oppolition to them; or if the erecting and pro- fnoving the Kingdom of our Lord Jefus Chrifl: Jn thefe Lands, had not been their main and chief Qe- jfign, (which all along flnpe the coming of Chrift, lias proven the Mean of Perfections Contention, a^jl \Var, through Satan's Malice, and and Men's En- mity again ft (Jhrift, that cannot ensure his Throne to be fet up in a Place through the Preaching of has Gofpel, Matth* x 34. Then why. fucli Rage of Ene- mies of all forts againft them ? Has it not ever been the Defign, and always the Endeavour of the Popifli, Prelatical and malignant Fa&ion, ;to raze theni:49ere they not perfecuted, and, dill .continue to be fa by the Seftaries, prophane Worldirjgs,. apd even \>J many neutral ltfke warm Profeifors of our Day, trick* 57* ( 4* J, feelching out their Raileries, and falfe Accufations agaiafl them, anjd fuch as own and ft and by their Obligation ; fo tkat it is plain, they have never ceafed to be the Object of Perfecution. And lafthy, Has; not even this Author join'd in with the black Roll of the forefaid Perlecuters, both by Tongue and Pen, vilely to condemn this' honourable and blsflecLGaufe ; and that under the Colour of Gofpel Zeal, which would incline fuch as retain the Senfe of our Covenant Obligations, to apprehend him fpme Komanifl in Sheeps Gloathin'g, agenting the Gaufe of Rome, breathing out his angry Resent- ments at bur feceilion from that Synagogue of Sa- tan, with our Renunciation of all her Corruptions and Abominations, as abjured in our Covenants, But whatever be the Ground of his Indignation at them; yet they are our Father's Covenant, binding both materially and formally on us their Pofterity, during any Remains thereof ; and his lying Fi&ions will never free him, or us, either from their Obliga- tion, or from the dreadful Vengeance of their Con- tempt and Breach, E^eh xvii. 15. But be rebelled a- gainfl him in fending his Ambaffadors into Egypt, that they might give him Horjes and much People: . Shall be profper? Shall be efcape that doth fuch things? Orfhallhebreakthe Covenant , and be delivered? See Ver. 16, 18, 19. And when the juft Lord a- rifeth to make Inquiiition for the Blood fhed in De- fence of, and for Adherence to thefe Covenants, fucb Delufions as this angry Author" takes his San&uary in, will prove a very fencelefs Refuge ; The Difre- fpeft wherewith thefe Covenants arc treated, and the Indignity caft upon them in our degenerate Day, loudly cries for the Lord's fpeedy avenging their Quarrel. ldly> Upon this Head he fays. But it ruined the Hedge of true Difcipline, and defiled the Church, &c. Anf. This is another faucy Accufation, loading tke Reformers with deteftable Laxnefs, in their Ad- zniffion of Church-Members, whole contrary laud- F 2 able ( 44 ) afcle Stri^nets this Way is flif] to be Cccn In their Chuijcjh Records till the Year 1649. It feems this Author mull he a Stranger to the Procedure of thefe two famous and faithful Affemblies of the Church ©f Stitland 1638, and 1639, which did purge the! Lord's Houfe in thefe Lands of all the Thieves and Robbers, Buyers and Sellers, that had been abufihg bis Houfe to Merchandize ; or elfe he muft be ftrangely Brow-beaten, even to infinuate any fucH Charge againft thefe Worthies, whole Memory will be fragrant in the Church of Chrift to the End, for their great F.aithfulnefs and burning Zeal, to have the Mediator's. Throne fet up, and eftabliflied in thefc Lands, and that by entring into folemn Co» : venants, asa Mean nioft conducible hereunto; But I looking upon the Author here perfonating an In-'- dependenp, (in which ^hape he appears to me forne- times to call up, tho ? far exceeding the more pious and modeft among them, in his malignant Infults upon our covenanted Reformation; would fobcrly cr qui re, Whether Independents or Presbyterian Covenanters were moll groQy guilty of mixing in the profane World with, and io dreadfully corrupt- ing and defiling the Church ? Which of thefe Parties opened a wide Door to the 'crowding in of the heretical^ blafphemous, and filthy Sectaries. See Mr. Thomas Edward's Gangrene, or Catalogue of their Errors, Herefies, Blafphemies, dedicated to the Honourable Lords and Commons aftembled in Par- liament 164.6 ; and thereafter received them into their Aid by a Military Affociation, to promote their Conquefts over the Presbyterians of thefe Lands, contrary to their Faith plighted in the So- lemn League ; as may be gathered out of Mr. Wil- liam DeU's Preface to his Sermon upon Right Refor- mation, (this Man was then Matter of Gonvil and Caius College in Cambridge 165O triumphing thus ; Thou Independency, thou faire.fi Form, the moft beau- tiful Tac the Sun hath looked upon, thou art Rachel, tkrt h&ft roiih greet WrtftUngs prevailed and brought &3 f-rth Gad, a-Troop, thou hafl routed, purfued, anst taken. And what this Troop he thus glories in, was, I know not ; if it was not the "Tribe of the pefti- ferous'Se&aries, that then filVd and noifbn'd the Land, and overfpread thefe Lands with a lamentable Deformation : So that the Lord's People adhering to the Lord's covenanted Work, never had any good Ground to reliih the* Independent rtritf: Difcipline,- or boaft of their Reformation, when taking in, and flickering fuch a fpurious Brood under their Wings, to the entire defiling of the Church, end utter ^-ub- rerfion of the happy Reformation: which, if 'duly maintained, according to the Oath of God upon us, had proven, and would ftifl prove a more proper and effe&ual Mean to prefer ve the Purity of the vifible Church, and its due Diftin&ion from the World, to the Honour and Glory of Chrift be fole Head and King, which a lawlefs Toleration, either in Principle or Praftice, neither can nor fhall ever attain. I Would ferioufly ask this Accufer, Whether is it ow- ing to his lax tolerating Principles, renouncing our Covenants, or- to covenanted reforming Principles, that Popery isfpreadvng through all Corners of the Land, efpeci ally under his Northern Climate, Pre- lacy tolerate here, and eftabliihed in England and Ireland, with which he has fworn a Confederacy, contrary to Ifa. viii. 12. To which of thefe is ow- ing the prevailing of Error, the abounding Im- piety, and avowed Profanity in City and Country, with a Form of GodUnefs, among a great Number, without the Power thereof ? I dare fay it, without Fear of tranfgrefung the Bounds of ChrifKan- Charity, that this Guilt will be found lodged with-' in the Skirts of either Neutral or Anticovenanting Principles, fuch as this Author has efpoufed. But Ipafs to his laft Head. Laftly, He fays, 1. The Things that he found at" tending thefe Covenants at this Day have given him fome Dijgufi thereat. Anfwer, What thefe Things are, h« leaves his Reader to conje&ure to be fome or w$ x # ^f the SeAaria«| Tenets he ha* vented in the Body of his Letter, which do efficiently teftific to us, not only his (fome^ difgult ; But fomething that too nearly fmells of Heart Rancour at then>. If our Covenants, as to Matter, Form and End be lawful, and well warranted by the Word of God, in the Old' and, New.-Teftament, the compleat Rule of Faith and Practice, as indifputably they arc, with, all fuch as are found, in. the .-Faith;; then how un-. reafonable is it, if not impious, to take up a ground- fcfs; Difguft at them, and to fend forth fuch an evil a^nd unfavdury Report of them to the \Vorld, as this Author hath done, to the gladning the Heart pfth#. Daughters of the Fhilifiines, and iilling their Souths with Laughter ? Has he not performed a iine Piece pf Generation Service, by his thus reproaching the Lord's V\ ork, and bis People's Zeal for, and faith- ful Adherence thereto, and confequently vindicating all the Heaven daring Violations thereof. idly, He fays, For the Covenants have a Tenden- ey to lead off Men from the Foundation God hath laid inZi&n^ by pining other Things, however lawful in thefnfelves, as a Term of Chunk Union and Commu- nion* .Anfvoer, That the prime SubjedF iMatter of the Covenants, is the Truth of the Glorious Goffcel im all its Branches to be received, held pure, and entire, together with the Duties of the hrft and fecond Table, to be faithfully walk'd in, as the genuine Fruit of the Faith of the Gofpel, hatk been already fufKcicntly cleared } and to fay this tends to lead Men €>if Chrift, is io naufeous an Aifertion, that I am a- fraid it will be found dciervedly to land under the Character of the Do&rine mentioned, i Tim. iv. I. #**> the Spirit fpeaketh exprejly, that in the latter Timss f.oms fhall depart ftomtheFaitb, giving heed to fe- aturing Spirits and D:Urines of Devils. And all that •wnthe "binding Obligation of thefe Covenants, can entertain do other Conftru&ion thereof: Be- £4cs> if faith and Hoiincfs, be no* the ^only Terms oi j C 47 ) . a* Church Onion; afid Commtirii&n\« I know tit e!fc what can be To. 2dly, He fays. And fo J find thofe of my Acquaiit- tance, that are^eaUufly affecled, flighting the Preach* ing the Crafs of Chrijt and the Abearance he m*k& in. his Ordinances, &c. Anjwer y i. This unjufl arid faife Reflection, is thrown upon all fach, as are ten- der of their Vo\t and Oath to God, and withal ftudy to keep at all due Diltance from all fucll Spares, and Compliances, as may involve them in th* guilt of Perfidy and Perjury, either by their Ap- probation of, or going in with, and defending dick Courfes, as they can noway recoheile with their Co- venant Obligations. 2. When Miniilers fail into Grofs and Scandalous Defections, which they mairn tain and defend to be their Duty, in this Cafe, whether is it the- People's Duly -to 7 approve oiy and tamely follow them, or withdraw ! from and. . avofct them, as Cufers of Divifibn and Offeacds contra- ry to the Doffcrine they had learned, Rom, *vi 17. ifm I befeecb ycu..Brethr&is &ar& thtm tohUb caufie &ivifi:ns and Offences , contrary to the Doclrine'wbi& ye have learned \ and avoid them. Doth not the Spirit exprefsly enjoin us 'to wit hdrato from ~ talis Grex, fuch Pad or, x fuck Flock., What T a pitiful Chara&er does he give us here ofhis Converts he boafls fo of, for Ltveli- riefs otherwife ; and is not this the fad Fruit of his highly cenfurable Unfaithfulriefs totheLord, and the $ouls of the poor People under his Charge, {o much fedue'd with his Sectarian Del uiions on that .He^d? 5 /y, He fays,- And 1 find them cool about the cue in their Zeal for the other, yea 9 however nmch they declare againfl a Legal Spirit, fome 1 believe y from their Confciences \ but many igwrantly , and ma- ny upon Party Views and Defigns \ yet; fomething of a Legal Spirit prevails with this Zeal, with thefe of Tny Acquaintance, &c. Anfwer i. His declared Principles' with refpeft to our Reformation, and the Indignities he has thrown upon theMejnory of the Renowri'd Promoters *her«= thereof thereby, have given fufficient Ground to all fuch, as regard the Oath of God, binding on thefe Lands, not only to be cod, but to ftand at the greateft Diftance from him, with his Adherers, trhile adopting and maintaining fuch dangerous- Principles, as would involve thefe Lands in the blacked and deepeft Perjury. 2. Tis not the Re- ' proachofthe Lovers of the Covenanted Reformati- on, but their Glory, to retain, and maintain tbeir due Zeal for his Work, notwithstanding of the Legal- fiefs wherewith this Author doth ftain it. The Faitk of true and upright Covenanters has ever been at- tended with a holy, fervent Zeal* to have the Lord Jefus magnified in his threefold Headfhip over his Church, and that Faith wherewith this Zeal is not accompanied, is juftly fufpeefced to be a Faith not of God's Operation : Fer the Zeal of the Lord's Houft eateth me up> hath been in 'ome good Meafure, the juft Charaaeriftick of all the Followers of the Lamb, in all Ages of the Church, and mod: confpicuoufly of our Godly reforming Anccitors, witneffed in their cruel Sufferings, Witneffing*, and WreCtlings againft -the Wrongs done to* or Ufurpations made upon any of Chrift'sMeditorialOffices.Herelmuft advertife him, that in Oppofition to our now Damp of Neutrality, whether this Royal Headship of his be held fad ia allThings or not, an Hair or Hoof of which our faith* ful Martyrs would not part with, even to the Ef- fufion of their Blood. '3. It is net to be thoughr ftrange, to find him reprefenting the Poor defpifed SuccefTors of thefe Worthies, who are aiming in a backiliding Day, to go forth by the Footfteos bf that blefTed Flock, Cant i. 8. as Legalifts ; wben he fo daringly ventured to arraign, judge, and fen^ tence their Caufe as Legal, Earthly , Crofs to the New Tefiament, &c, as the Fruit of his Myftick Notions, be has imbib'd, but efpecially his Regal Jignity* There are yet to be found fome Minillers in this Church, certain of which I have the Honour to hs G *c- e 50 ) acquainted with, who have a largeAcquaintance with the Gofpel Revelation, both as to Experience and Theory, wko retain a honourable Regard to our Co- yenants, and whofe Grief and Burden I charitably judge it is,That whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven, is not diligently dons for the Houfe of the Ccd ,f Heaven, fcr preventing the Wrath baftning % upon thefe Realms ; at whofe Feet, it would be no I aragemeflt to him to fit down, for his better Instruction in Gofpel yiifteries, for the Expulfion of his Myflicifm, definitive to both Law and Gofpel. tthly. He fays, As fcr what you fay upon the Head in your Letter anent Covenanting in Chrift*s Strength, rvith I coking for Acceptance through him, it makes nothing toy<.u as to bis Right eoufnefs, the Foundation of the Church, and its Union and Diftindion from the World, &c. Anfwer, VSo's me. were all that noble Cloud of Witneifes gone before us, no more then a Pack of Ignorant and Blind Idiots in this Author's Accou-f, who knew net Chrilt to be the Foundation of the Church, and chief Corner Stone in it, his Righteoufnefs to be their only Right, and Title to all and each Blefling of the everlafting Covenant, and Faith, to be the taking Poffeflion of this Right and Title? I ask this pert Judge, doth not the Faith that fubmits to Chriil's Righteousnefs really fubje&alfo to the fweet and eafie Yoke of his Go- vernment ? Doth not this Evangelick. Grace breathe after a full and perfect Conformity to Chrifl the liv- ing Head of the miftical Body, after a Perfection of Holinefs, as the Perfe&ion of Happinefs ? And will this Author put on the Arrogancy to infinuate that Faith was not at theRoot of all ourReformersContend- ings, for advancing the Mediator's Glory, to the Honour and Glory of God the Father ? Or, Is this this Faith, which teacheth us to deny all Ungodlinefs, and worldly Lufis, and to live Soberly, Righteoufly, and Godly in this prefent World, and maketb Zealous »fQoodW$rhy Tic. ii. 12, 13, 14. inconiiftcnt with tta fit C 5i ) the Believers Covenanting Duty, out of Love and Gratitude to God for Chrift his unfpeakable Gift, who is his Righteoufnefs for Acceptance,and Strength for Performance., which is the chief Thing our Cove- nants holds out to us? Which to deny doth in my View infer grofs Libertinifm. 6thly, He fays, / find Jikewife a Spirit cf Bitter- nefs, unfuitable to the Go} pel of Chrift, attending this Z:ah Anfwer. This Reflexion gives occafion here, fofi ufing the common Proverb,thatthis is like Satan re- buking Sin : this Challenge comes ill orFthis Gentle- man's Hand upon the back ofj To many bitter In- ve&ives againft our Covenants, with infinuations fo highly Reproachful to the Memory of our reform- ing Anceftors, which he might be fure, could not fhun to raife the indignation of all fuch, as cleave to the Lord and his Caufe, warmly to relent the in- folent Affronts he hath caft thereon, mod unbe- coming the Spirit of the Gofpel ; and if he imagines that the Spirit of the Goipel is the Parent of his blackning Accufations, he grofly miftakes this Ha- garene Offfpring. When the Eyes of his accufed are opened to fee him, or any of his AfTociats, betraying the Lord's Caufe and his Followers cut of Reforma- tion Principles, 'tis no Wonder, they teftifie their Indignation againft this,, in fuch aStile as the Apoftle exprefifeth, Phil* iii. 2. Beware of Vcgs, beware of evil Workers, beware cf the Concifion. v. 3. For we are theCircumcifionwhich w^rfinpGod in theSp iri£,&c. How far this may be allowable to others, I determine not ; but fure I am, he has taken the Liberty, to ufe an uncommon Latitude, to vent (what he calls SelQthis way, as the Evidence of a very antievangelick Spirit'* O that fome would learn firft, to tale the Beam out of their own Eye, before they fee the Mote in their Neighbours* Jthly, And laftly, he fays. And another -Thing that is offenfive to me, is, They being led by this Zeal unto uncbriflian Principles about obeying the Civil Megiftrati, in paying him Tribute^ and profejfmg Al- ls ( V ) legianee is him as the Civil Magiftrate, and aekncm- ledging his Rights to G ovem,notv)it hflanding his Dif- ference in Religion, to vobicb roe are bound hy the Com- mand of Chrihy &c. Anfroer i. It is mod certain, thofe he condemns here, are no Enemies to God's lovely Ordinance of Magiftracy, tho they refufe to befriend the Corrup- tions thereof, or approve of the lnveftiture of any therewith, wanting the elective Properties or Scrip- tural Qualifications neceffarly requiflte to that high Office, Excd. xviii. 21. Deut L 13. 2 Sam, xxiii. 2, 3. 2. Grant them this one Thing, that their Reform- ing Anceftors fought and pleaded for, vi^. Let the Magijirate give Chrifl his due Place, and then they will down with all Things elfe at his Feet, See writ- ten Proceedings of Affembly 1638, 3. The Chureh andState oi' England fhamefully condemns our Au- thor's lax Principle herein, with all the Adopters thereof, who will not admit any to the Princely Au- thority, who enters not thereinto, by thef Door of Prelacy, and is rot of that Communion. This is acting more confonant to a Principle, than that our Author is willing to incline to, .who can tamely fubmit to any Magiftracy whatsoever, yea tho* making Encroach- ments upon the Rights and Privileges of Chrift's Houie, or lifurping the Supremacy thereof. 4. His accufed here, are condemned by him for hold- ing raft the old Proteflant Presbyterian Princi- ple of the Reforming Church and State of Scotland, with reference to this Point, feeking to have the M<> giftrate entering into the Exercife of his Princely Authority, by the Door' of the Covenants, which were and ftiil ought to be held the Conditions of Government, and the very Foundation of our Nations Compadt with their Sovereign, at his Inauguration. (5) Whenever they can either find or. obtain the Magiftrates coming under the formal Tye of our Covenants, according to that good Aft of Parlia- ment, i( February 7. 1649, That the Prince fliall by J* a«d at tour his Coronation Oath, affure and de- < f clarc ^2/ ( n ) - cc clare by his Solemn Oath, under his Hand and ays repugnant to the faid Word of the Eternal God. (30 That the King Jbail procure to, and preferve the Peace of the Church and, State, to bis uttermofl Pow- er, v er, dndjkall be careful to Rod cut ef his Empire, all Her et ids, and Enemies tc the trueWorJhip of God, that Jh all be convid: by the true Kirk ofGd. cf the fore/aid Crimes. Whence it is clear, as the Sun .Beams, that the Supreme Magiftrates jail and le- gal Right to fit on the Throne of this oar ancient Kingdom of Scotland, is principally founded on, and r. gulated by the V. ord of God, formally Confti- tute and eftabliihed by ; .a\vs and Solemn Covenants, t© ftand fixed and unalterable to all fucceeding Ge- nerations. Now feeing the Llegal Right to govern ia this covenanted Realm is thus conititute, cir- cumfcribed, and unalterably fixed by the bed of Laws, ilrongeft Bonds, and -inviolable Oaths; Let us then examine, which Party, in this circumftanti- ate Cafe, whether our Author, and his Conjun&s, departed from, and counteracting this important Point of our happy Reformation, contrary to all theLaws of the Land eftablifhing the fame, and the awful Oath of the Covenants binding on this Land for ever, on him and every one in it, to hold fafl: this, and all other Pieces of the attained to Reformation, inviolable to all After-generations ? Or, Thofe whofe ftudy Adherence to our ancient and reformed Conftitution, he loads and blackens with unchriftian Principles ; be moil worthy of this black Charge of pra&ifing unchriftian Principles ? In the laft Place, This Author's lax and unfound •Principle on this Head, overthrows all the human Security, the Civil Government can lean to, by making Oaths and Covenants, as it were only bind- ing to ferve a Turn, and Pofterity nothing concern- ed therein. Whereby may be learned, what poor Security the prefent Government hath from Men of fuch loofe Principles, notwithftanding of their multiply'd Oaths, lo often reiterate to the Government : Who, upon the prevailing of a Popilh malignant Faction in Britain, bringing in and placing on the Throne a Popifh Pretender^ would exclaim agaiaft, and r e - \ proa c h ^-22 ©roach all fuch who refufe to own and acknowledge mis Llight to govern, to fubject to him, to pay him Tribute, profefs Allegiance to him, notwithftanding his Difference in Religion, with being Guilty ofUn- chriiHan Principles, and counteracting the Com- mand of Chrift, becaufe they cannot in Confcience violate their t aith, plighted in the Oaths of Abju- ration, Allegiance, and Affurance fworn to the pre- Cent King and Government. He openly avows here, what a forry Regard he bears to Oaths and So- lemn Covenants, and their binding Force, when he plainly tells us, that the Practices of thefe who iirmly (land to their Father's Covenants, Oaths, and Vows, refuiing tinder whatfoever Hazard or Pe- ril, to break, defert. or abandon them by finful Compliances with anticovenanting Principles and practices, are in his Opinion, a Difcredit to Re- ligion. This Man's Way of Speaking would incline his Reader to look on him as another flart up M*~ chiaveU POSTSCRIPT, R. S. HAving underwent the Toil of confidering and writing to you my Thoughts upon that lcan- dalizing Letter, brought to my Hand from your Corner-; I could not neglect to make my Remarks upon the Poftfcript thereof, containing fome un- foUnd, obfcure, and in dige (led Notions, near of Kin to the Letter. Ilrfiy it fays, God by the Covenants he made tvith thi Nation of Ifrael of old, became an Husband thereby to many, voho had not the Lav? written in their Heart, &c. Anfrver(i.) What thefe Covenants were, found- ing this Relation between God and Ifrael, it leaves undetermined. (2.) If by the Covenants therein, he meant the Sinai Covenant, as it would feem it is» becaufc made witk Ifrael as * Nation 5 and if fo) then tlais infers, that the People ©f Ifr&el was Under no fuch Relation to God, antecedently to the making of this Covenant, and confequently not a Church, nor his Spoufe. (3.) But it is plain, the/ were a long Time previous hereunto, under the Covenant of Grace, which was at firft revealed to Adam, Gen. iii. 15. and more fully to Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacobs Gen. xvii. 7. Gen. xxvi. 3. Gen, xxviii. 13, 14. Called Covenants ofPromife plural ly, becaufe pf its frequent Repetitions, as further and clearer 111 uft rations thereof, which were but one and the fame Covenant fubftantially, and was the jprime Rife of that highly dignifying Relation re- taking thence between God and his People. idly, It fays, But he has fcid, Jer» xxxi. 31. — .34, compared with Heb. viii. 7. — 13. He would make a If ew Covenant with Iff ael, i. e. The Spiritual Ifrael, Ibis Church, gathered (tit of all Nations, &c. Anfwer, I would gladly underftand, Whether the T* S. underftands this to be fpoken of the New- Covenant, as contradiftinguifhed from the Sinai Covenant, 'Which was a Divine conditional Grant ©fBleffings, upon perfect. Obedience required in the Law ot'Mofes', or if it was ia Contradiftin&ion to the Abrahamatical Covenant ; that it was to the former, it is granted : But it is absolutely denied, that it was faid in Oppofition to the latter, other- wife this would inevitably infer two diverfe Co- venants of Grace, and that the Old and New Te- stament Church were not faved by one and the fame Covenant as to Subftance. idly, It fays, I fay a New Covenant, by which, to whom he would be an Husband, fvAild CO Havs his Law written in their Hearts. (2.) Know him*^ (3.,) Have their Sins pardoned and ber juftifed. Anfwer (1.) This feeins to confound the Cove-, nant, with refpceVto its Declaration, Appointment, and Offer, exhibiting Chrift, with all his Bene- fits in the free Promife, as the Sinners only Hap- liinefs, to be freely taken, and poffeffed, with that ©f 'l^S 1 ( "57 ) ojf the aftH*J Execution, and effe&ual Application f Or thus, it ffems to confound what is called jus ad rem &: jfc? * ^i TJut is to fay, the Gofpel Hearers, Right to take, poffefs* and ufe, what the free Promife giveth him Right to, with that of actual perlond ToifbiTion. (2.) It feems -to cut off the vifible Churche's conjugal Relation to God, by admitting of no other Relation to him ; but that which is internal, and only peculiar to the Regenerate. Or it infers, that Chriit, or God in Chriit, can in no Senfe be faid to belong to Sinners of Mankind, to whom he is dcdared, and offered, previous to actual Applica- tion of him, contrary to Joyia ii. 8. John vi. 32, 33. A&S ii* 39- (30 It: makes void the Ufe and End of the lealing Ordinance of Baptifm to the Vifible Church, charging the Lord of appending his Seal to a Blank. Hence tbefe following Que- ries, to which I would defire a Satisfactory An- fwer. guery \mo y Have not all put en Chrifl^ wbo arc baptised into Chrifi, Gal, iii. 27. and n confequently mult be within the Covenant, and that of Grace, cither externally, or internally ? Jguer. zde, Are not all vifible Profeffors, who have given their open and declared Content to Chrift, whole Hearts have not yet cl&fed with jam externally, tho' not internally, married to him, .and fa in Covenant with him ? £uer. %tzo 3 If the vifible Church, • or vifible ProfefTors therein were not in Covenant with Chrift, ,and married to him ; how could their departing From him be called Adultery, and themfelves called Adulterers,and Adu'ltereifes P One that is not really , married to a Man, her Whoredom cannot be called Adultery. ^ Jguer. 4^0, If vifible Profeflbrs were not in Co- venant, and married to Chrift, how can they be laid to fail totally and finally from. Grace, or liable t» fid the Sin Unto Death ? " Neb* it 4 3 5, 6. 1 H $:-bH C 58 ) John y. 16. which the Regenerate are fecured from, •who tho' th'ey.may fall partially, and for a Time, yet cannot fall: totally and finally from Grace. ^thly y It fays, And that he will not make fuch a Covenant again> as be made with the Nation of If* rael of old, Anfwer, Seeing that our blefled Lord Jefus, our glorious Cautioner and Surety, has a&ually come in our Law-Room and Stead, and by his perfe& do- ing and fuffering, has anfwered the End of that Sinai Covenant, made with Jfrael as a Nation, in fulfilling it as the legal Condition of the Cove- nant of Grace; there will never then be any fur- ther Occafibn, or Place for making again any fuch Covenant with any. ^thlyy It concludes, faying, Whence feme conclude ^ that our Covenants National and Solemn League^ *rc without Warrant. Anf. How this Conclufion is inferable from the above PremifTes, betwixt which there is not any conceivable Affinity or Relation, Fm of the Mind would puzzle any found expert Divine to find out : But I am fure, who ever is the Author here- of, if he be not bemifted, and leaven'd With the unfound and dangerous Notions of the Author of the Letter, condemning our Covenants, he mufl be ftrangely miftaken of the Nature, Scope, and Intendment of the Sinai Covenant, when he runs the Analogy between it and our Covenants, Na- tional and Solemn League, fo exclnfive of that le- gal Difpenfation. 6thly^\t brings in for a Reafon of the forefaid, vfyl Jf they were authorifed by God> he jhould again become an Husband to many> who have not his Law . written in their Hearts* Anf. It is an unanfwerable Verity, that there is an external, federal, and conjugal Relation betwixt Chrift and the vifible Church, all and, every Mem- ber thereof, and hence called Branches in him, J(hn xv. 3. And the Churches covenanting Duty Y to 6^7 c k ) t« Chrifl her Head, is • the ErTeft, and not the ] Caufe, either impulfiye or efficient of that Rela-.' tion. Finally, It clofeth up all thus, But fuch a Cove- nant, he hath [aid, he would not again make. Anf. \fty It t£e Sinai Covenant be meant here, who will contradift the Fofifcript in this Particu- lar, and what Viftory over our Covenants doth it gain hereby ? 2d/y, Either to think or hy, that the Lord doth not warrant his Church to covenant dutiful Obedience to him, is juft in plain Englijh to fay, the Lord Jefus will have his Church to be a rebellious, undutiful Spoufe to him ; which is the groffeft of Libert inifm with a Witnefs, entirely de- Itru&ive of the Baptifmal Covenant, as well as of pur Covenants, National and Solemn League. H 2 APEN C «o ) APPENDIX- tf^O ME Interval oP Time after tills Letter had 7^ been finifhed, and transmitted to the Gentle-, *^ man concerned, there were ' fever al Sheets fent to me, from a New Profelyte of the Author ©f the Letter, flandering the covenanted Reformation of thefe three Kingdoms, viz. Scotland, &c. the Contents of which were an accufing 0ur Reformation, In leveral Points,- of Antichriflianifm. I did not re~ gard this, as proceeding from this new Convert, for feverai Reafon?, both unneceifary and improper to be here infert .* But finding that one of them had teen penned by that Anticovenanting Author, en- gaged me to t'fike this Controverfie under further Coniideration, notwithftanding what is further in- filled on in them, is already anfwered, upon theMat- ter, in the above written Letter ; this Gentleman un- derstanding thisj fent me a Letter j The Tenor whereot follows. Sir. Since you have at pre fent under jrur^onfi 'deration* fome Particulars of the Papers I.f&t&ru I aft, I have thought it iiccejjary to put yvu in M'nj, ttmtyou have 7:0 mo%e to df, but to illaftrate from the New Tefia- W,nt thefe two Particular^ 1. That His according to the %iind and Will if Chrift, that bt& New Tefta- tnent Church or VeefUi endtav&ir hiring themfetves to Hollnefsy or Refer mat: cp\yty their own vowing w covenanting under cTltrcmife and Curfe: 2. That 'tis according to the Mind and Will ofChrift, that hi, New Ttft anient Church and People endeavwr Refor- mation nctionly by the Sword of the Chil Ma~ giftraic ( ■ 6i ) %iftr ate, and by 4arthly Power, or the Tower of the Multitude, If you prove thefe two, you gain the Pointy win tbem, and. you win all, lofi them and. you iofe all. Sic fubfcribitur, Whence I premife thefe Remarks. I. That this new Seft appears convincingly to me to lay a- fidetheOld Teftament from being any Part of the Rule of Faith, efpecially of Duty to the Ntw Tefta- ment Church, which this Gentleman's precife Re- ftri&ion obvioufly infinuates, tying their Antagonists folely to the New Teftament for Arguments to re- fute their enthuilaftick AiTerttons. This is further clear from the Words of the Author's Letter, who Heads this Se&, faying, And as for the Old Tefta* went, and what is adduced from thence, for tbefe Covenants, J think it glorious, and manifefts it jelftt he Divine, in its Spiritual Accomplijbment in Chrift 9 and his Spiritual New Teftament Church ; for when, •we turn the Old Teftament to the Lord Chrift, the Vail is taken away, &c. Which Words to me imports this much, That the whole of the Old Teftament, eren the Moral Law it felf, asjitis an eternal Rule of Righteoufnefs, was figurative and typical, and therefore of no more ufe to the Chriftian Church, .becaufe fulfilled in Chrift. Indeed tho' it is of ve- rity that he fulfilled it as theCondition of Lite for his. Ele&, yet as true it is, that be deftroyed it not as a Rule of Duty to his Church. Now they are blind, that fee not theTendency of this Author's Scheme to be an Introdu&ion and Revival of Antinomiah and Anabaptiftical Errors, with a Medley of other Incon«- fiftencies. Mat* v. 17. Think not that I am come to deftroy the Law. — 18 For verily I fay unto you, till Heaven and Earth pafs, one Jot or cm Title Jhall in nowife pafs from the Law, till all be fullfilled. v. 19. Who fever therefore Jball break one of thefe leaft Commandments, and Jball teach Men fo, He Jhall be calUd tie leaft in ths Ki/gdm of Hcav:». This faying ( 62 ) faying of our Lord looks with a tremenduous Afped upon the prefent Impugners of our Covenants. (2.) To reject Proofs adduced from the Old Tef- tament, for warranting the Reftraint from fuch Sins as are not cxprelly forbidden in the New Tef- tament, and the Performance of feveral Duties, as are not explicitely required therein, lays a clear Foundation for the Inundation of many execrable Evils to take Wing in ths Church without Curb. But to come more directly to the handling of the Particulars reftri&ed to ; I anfwer ifl, Our Co- venants are malicioufly mifreprefeMted,and miferably wrefted by tke forefaid Letter, holding them forth under the Form, that is, according to the Tenor of {he old Covenant of Works. idly, I deny that ever it was according to the Mind and Will of Chrift, that even his Old Teftament Church, far lefs his New Teftament Church, fhould endeavour to bring themfeives to Holineis or Happinefs, ei- ther according this Tenor of Vowing and Cove- nanting. Let this deluded Party prove the con- trary to either ofthefe, and they gain their Pointy join this, and rvin all ; lofe this, and they lofe all. And this might ferve for an Overthrow ef the above infert Letter, pitiful at lealt for Chil- difli Ignorance and ,Nonfenfe. And if this new upftart Party have not more able and better in- telligent Advocates to plead their Caufe, it will quickly diiappear with Ignominy. Qbjeft. God's Covenant made with Jfrael at Sinai, was according to this Tenor, ergo. Anfwer, If JfraePs perfonal Obedience, or covenanting to bring themlelves to Holinefs, had been the main and prin- cipal Intendment of that Covenant, then had the Law been againft the Promifes ; but the Apoftle, G*l. lit. 21. asketh, Is the Law then again}} the Promifes of God? God firbid : For if there had teen a Law given, which cculd have given Life-, verily Righteoufnefs fbould have been by the Law. it was according to th: Mind and Will of Cferift, * that ^31 ( *1 ) that the Old Teflament Church fhould covenant- Duty through Faith in him the promifed Seed, to be incarnate, and to come ^under, and fulfil that Sinditick Covenaat for them, and make the Blcf- fmgs of the Covenant of Grace fure Mercies t natune, ex formula fcederis operutn, mantt vero iis qui in Chrifio funt, ut efl Reguia cpgrum Gratia, i. e. The Law, as it is the Rule of the Works of Nature, according, to, or under the Form of the Covenant of Worjcs, hath ceafed ; but to thofe that are in Chrifl, as it is the Rule of the Works of Grace, it flill remaineth. See Rvllcck 9 one of cur famous Ssotijh covenanting Reformers, C condemned now by this new Seoral Calamities, the nominal Believer to vindi&ive Wrath, muft its Ufe and Obfervation therefore be abandon'd by the New Teftament Church as Legal, becaufe of its Sanftion ? God forbid : Wherefore the Law is Holy, the Commandment Holy, and Jufl^ And Goody Rom. vii. 12. Zaftly, What is faid of them, as to Rewards in point of Performance, is cither the EfFea: ofBlind- nefs or Malice,- If the averting of the Lord's Wrath, *ftd 93S ( hath he obtained a more excellent Miniftry, by how tt.Uch alfo be is the Mediator of *, better Covenant, which was eflablijhed upon bct~ ter Vrcmifes. From which he ftates a Contra- riety between our Covenants, and the new Cove- r.ar.t, as two OppofTtes. I have above cleared our Covenants from this Cftlamnjj by folding forth the ' Coa- 93$ Coafiftency of Believers eoveRantuig Duty wit* the new Covenant, only as a fpecia. Fruit and Effect of it% Execution and Application. This Scripture is ftrangefy perverted, either through Ignorance or Malice : The Scope of which, as alfe of that whole £piflle, is to fhew forth the Excellency and Pre- heminence of-Jefus Chrift his Priefthood and Sa crifice, above that of the Aarcnical Priefthood, and Zevitieal Sacrifices, and of the Bettcrnefs of tke new Covenant, above that of the old, in Point of Remiffwi of Sins. The fecond is that, John xviik 36. Jefus anfvtered, my Kingdom is net of this World ; If my Kingdom vtere of this World* then roould my Servants fight, that I Jh:uld not he de- livered to the jfeves : But ncro is my Kingdom not from hente, I he Words, according to the Senfe of found Interpreters, implie, (1.) A Difallow- ance to draw the Sword*in ChriiPs Defence, in his State of Humiliation, thereby to impede his fi- miking the Work of Redemption ; How then mould the Scripture be fulfilled that thus it muft be? (2.) An Inhibition to Church-men to draw the Sword* thereby to grafp at, and entitle themfelves t» fuch Civil JuritdieUon, and worldly Dignity, as doth interfere with the juft Power and Digr nity of the lawful Magiftrate, or is incompatible therewith. (!•) The Jens., and even Chrift's own Difcinles, fondly and ignorantly imagining, that Chriirs donative Kingdom was to be exercifed as Other Kingdoms of the World are, in outward Power and Splendor: To remove this grofs Miftake, and Pilot's Sufpicion and jealoufie, likely arifing thence, our Lord witnellcth and declareth the Quality of it, ?/{, That it is not rfthis World, and therefore nei- ther can interfere with, nor dirniniihCr/ar's Empire and Grandeur ; and this he confirxnath by a mod plain and convincing Argument, If my Kingdom ■Bert of this World, then would my Servants fight, thai IfbcuJd not be delivered to the Jevcs : that i§, if I defigncd a worldly Kingdom, i would have g*- I 2 tsered < *t ; thered Followers, tr rather Angels my Servants t© light for my Reffue: Butfince I imploy no Relief, hut willingly give my felf unto the Death, now it is plain my Kingdom is not from hence. NoDirTwafive, Reftri&ion, or Inhibition to the Chriftian Magiftrate, can be gathered hence, to defend tthe Tntereft of Re r ligion by the Sword, or implay his Power and Au- thority for the Advancement thereof, which re*ch- eth no further than the Defence of that which per- tains to the Externals of Religion^nd the repelling of «xternal Force by Force, but can do nothing as touching the Confcience, and keeping out of Satan r which is only effectuate by the Spirit ofChrift ac- companying and rendering fuccefsful his own Spiri- tual Weapons for that end. As to tjiat Scripture Math, xxvi. «>2. For all they that tale the Sword, Jkall perijh with the Sword ; it is a Threatning de- nounced againft the traiterous Band come againfl him (for the Comfort of his Difciples) upon whom it W2s mod dreadfully accompliflied ; and this is con- firmed from Reveh xiii. 10. of parallel Application, He that ktlleth with the Sword, mufl be killed with the Sword. And it is a forcing of the Text to in- terpret it as a Threatning againft the Difciples for drawing the Sword in ChrifVs Behalf. If Salus Po- pxli-> the frfity ef the People, under the Interpreta- tive Notion of fuprema Lex .Soyeriign Law, have in all juft Exigencies, in all Ages, amongft all Nations, warranted a defenfive Refittance, to whatfoever is tteflrudtive thereto,can Religion, infinitely preferable in itfelf, he thought deftitute of this • Prerogative ? Which to difallow, is to deftroy Nature, deny Rea- son, contradiA Scripture, DeuU xiii. 11, 12, 13, 14. and the unanimous Gonfent of > all Nations. Again, If Self-defence, and Defence of Religion by the Sword of the civil Magiftrate be contrary to the Mind and Will of Chrift, then it had not been warrantable for the Apoile Paul to have fued lor, or accepted the jife of the Sword for his Defence from the Jews, who feught to kiH him for the Cau{c of Chrift % fee A&s xxiU' &7 xxiii from v» 12 to 2*>. o And if it was the Duty of. the Civil Magiftrate, when Heathen, to defend him, much more ought the Chriflian Magiftrite employ his Power that Way, vif. to defend' the Church with her religious Interefts, otherWife ftie ihould fall a Prey to the Teeth'of her implacable Enemies, fuch as Turks, Papifts, aad the like Enemies. Is it be> caufe our Lord Jefus imployed noAid for hi* Refcufc from the Jew s, doth it therefore follow that all Chri- ■ftians ihould reject all AiMance and Defence,, and deliver up themfelves to Suffering after the fame Example ? Let thefe Gentlemen underftand, if they will, that it is the manner only, and not the Aft of our Lord's Sufferings that is propofed to us for Imi- tation. The 3d place of Scripture abufed by this Author and Aflbciates for the Support of their Argument a- gainft Reformation by the A/Sftance and Concur- rence of the Civil Magiftrate, is the Parable of the Tares. xvii 13, 14. he concludes by refufing it to belong to the Chriftian and Godly Magiftrate, in whofe Heart the Lord hath put to hate the Whore, as a partial Ao Complifhment of Rev* xvii 16. Either defenfively or OfFenfively to endeavour the Advancement of Re- formation by the Sword : How this will quadrate with the Text immediately cited, without a falfe and drained Glofs, the Reader may judge. Having made this Premife, I need make no other Anfwer, than what a late learned, and Godly Writer in this Church againft Toleration, vif. Mr. James Fergus fcn y Mirnft?: ot the Gofpel at Kilwinning 11652. who answers this very fame Argument as follows. «* Now,fay they, By theft Tares is meant Hereticjfsj; « therefore they fheuld net be plucked up by the. Sword ? tftbs Civil Magiftrate. We Anfwer 1. If they a- f ftrift the Word Tares to Heretieks> in this Senfe, f that the Sword of the Civil Magiftratt fhould not c be ufed againft them} by the fame Reafrn tjiey may fry T3J < r* ) « fay, that they ihould not be difputed tgaititt, < for that is a plucking up of them alfo. 2. Wc * AnCwc*, That by the tares, that are commanded * here to he fuffered to grow up to the Har- < veft, is no more Jmeaned Hereticks than other * other Icandalous Liven 'i And this we Ihall make 1 out from Chrift's expounding the Parable, Verfc. c 41. ##**! A ^%/ c 73 ; , that their Eyes are fhut that fee it not upon the Wing. Before a heavy approaching Tempeit, there is the gathering of thick Clouds, the chirming of Birds, the fuller- ing of Winds at a Diftance, the thin Droppings of Rain, Snow and Hail, the Flaihings of Fire ; and what of thefe are viftble and audible in our Day, they are Straneers in Ifrael that do not fee and hear* * K Hav* , f nJ Have we not a plentifully preached Gofpel without Succefs, without Bleffing, without Fruit r* Hath he not faid it, that the Earth that drinketh in the Rain, that cometh oft upon it, and beareth Thorns is re- j &ed, and near unto Curfiag, the Trees that bring- c th not forth 'good Fruit are hewed down. Our S p un is a Winter Sun, it hath Light but no Life? All the Sap of our Minifters and FrofeiTors for the mod Part is flidden down to the Root ; until a Spring-Summer's Sun arife upon us, it can hardly be expe&ed that either Flourifh or Fruit will be feen. 'It is many Years fince the Sun fell low upon Scot- land : Many a difmal Day hath it feen fince 1649, at that Time our Reformation mounted towards the Height of its Horizon : And fince we left our Building upon that excellent Foundation, laid by our honoured Fore-fathers, we have (till moved from ill to worfe: And it is like yet more (unlefs our gracious God prevent it} until we Aide our felves out of Sight and Senfe of a Reformation. We have been lately trilled with a wonderful Deliverance from the Slavery of a Heaven-daring Enemy, but not one Line of Reformation is pincelled upon our Deliverance. It is like a Sleep-drink cafling into a Lethargy; yet God is good to Ifrael in the Delive- rance ; but the Ifiiie of it is 1 , every one feeking his own Things, but not the Things of Jefus Chrifh We have the Shell of Ordinances and Church-Go- vernment, but want the Kernel, the great Things cfChrift'sLaw, as to contend for hislntereft wrap- ped under a Cloud. It is a long Time fince «ur Co- venants and Solemn Engagements looked pale, they liave loft both Colour and Verdor fince the refcind- ing our Vows to God : Thefe Covenants are turn- ed Skeletons, fearfome and affrighting, and former Refpe&s to them are like gradually to dwine away under a Confumption. There are fome few Things that made them^the Glory of Nations, that arc now ««rned to * Shadow* h The / 5^J u They were the Fruits of tke many Pray» crs, Failings, Tears, Wreftlings, and indefatigable Labours of the greateft and beft Men that ever breathed in our Nation, recovering a poor People, funk into Antichriftian Darknefs, to enjoy the Li- berty due to them byChrift's Purchafe. 2. The renewing of them fo many Times under Old Ring James his Reign, fpoke out the Ferven- cy of thefe worthy Spirits, in Ardency and Affe&i- on to them, as Jewels of fo great Value, that they were fet as Gems and Pearls in ChrifVs Crown, to wear fo long as his Intcretl remained in this Church. 3. The Bleffings accompanying the entring into* and renewing thefe Covenants, were fo fluent in all Church Ordinances, both fecret, private, and pur blick, that whofoever were planted in fo fruitful^ a Soil of fuch Bleflings and Influences of the Spirit, could not but grow up like Calves in the Stall, fat and full of Sap. 4. Thefe Covenants to our Fore-fathers were like the renting of their own Cloaths as Elijha- did, and taking up Elijah's Mantle, and cloathing them- felves with it, 2 Kings ii. 12, 13. Enjoying of Mofes Spirit, Vcut. xxiv. and like Jcjbua y (Chap, xxir.) when dying, leaving a Pawn of Remembrance unto Pofterity, by engaging them in thefe Covenants. 5. So long as our Church clave to thefe our Co- venants, it fell out with them, as it did with King Afa, 2 Chrotu xv. 2. that the Lord was with them, while they were with him : But our Father's Off- fpriug forfaking God, he forlook them from that Day* that our Covenants were fo ignominioufly treated, until this Day, all Calamities (as to our Religious Concerns,) have fallen upon us. - 6. The late Sufferings of all who fhed their Heart's Blood on the Fields and Scaffolds, Impri- fonments and Banifhments, were all dyed with the Crimfon Blood of the Covenants, from that Day of the Force and Fury of Enemies, thefe foleniaVows JR. 2 -of ( 7« ) of our worthy Fore-father^ and the Enemies tak- ing up Chrift's March-ilones, (which were the Bounds fet by the moft High, when he divided to the Church of Britain its Inheritance, and feparated the Sons of , Adam ■, Deut. xxxii. £._) the giddy Church ftraying in the Wildernefs is much fallen out of Sight, either of Cloud or Pillar ©f Fire. Our Intermixtures are turned pernicious to the Glory and Honour of ChriiVs Houfe, which fhould not be a Den ofBuyers and Sellers. When Chriit fcourged thefeThieves out of the Temple^doubtlefs it fignihed the Purity of Reformation in Gofpel Churches under the New TeftamcEt 3 whereunto the renowned Church of Scotland was afpiring in our happy Covenanting Days. And tho 5 the late Sufferings of our Brethren feemed to be heavy to bear, yet two prime Truths Were fealed with their Blood, (and that of the beft, as of our honourable Nobles, faithful Miniilers, Gentry, Burghers, and Commons of all Sorts) which were never before fealed, either by the Blood of the primitive Martyrs, or our late Martyrs in the Pawning of our Reformation : And thefe two Truths were Cbr'ifl's Headjhip i» ths Churchy in Defpite or •Supremacy, and bold Eraftianifm. and our Covenants ; Which two great Truths were in the Mouths of all <>ur Worthies, when mounting their blcody Theatres and Scaffolds, afcending up as it were to God in a perfumed Cloud of tranfporting joy, that they were honoured to fu/Fer upon fo clear Grounds. That Supremacy was to agafted by our Covenants, .that no Reft 'could it have till it got the Grave-ilone laid upon them, and fo conjured all who tufted the Liquor of that Supremacy, ^hat the Thoughts of getting the buried Co/enacts out cf the Grave, is more terrible to them than t&e Devils, who are now, in i 5 lace of our Vows to God, managing their Dia- bolical Games in thefe Places, where t'ne Covenants were mod in Honour and Requeft, the one buried, and the other rifing in its Room. What Inferences tristy be from it, but that he fends evil Spirits amongil us, ( 77 ) us, as he did among that People who fo unworthi- ly requitted the moll High. But treat thefe Cove- nants fo bafely who will, there will undoubtedly be a Refurre&ion of them again, when thofe who now have unhaniome Kindnefs unto them, from their now Damp of Neutrality, will look pale upon them. Let us never dream of a reviving Spirit" among us, till there be a reviving Refpe& to thofe folemn Vows of God. Ah! for a Touch of that Spirit that was poured down in Flood* when the Covenants were iblemnly entered into ; the burning Flame of the Love of God, ofChrift, of his fntereft, of his Or- dinances, flew fo univerfally through the Nation, that the Zeal of God's Houte fet all in a Coniiagra- tion ; Minifters preached like the Oracles of God, giving Refponfes, People .heard as if they would have fwallowed up the Minifter with Hearts and Eye. What Heart-grippings, what Soul-meltings, what AfFe&ions inflamed all on Fire for Ghriil and Lis Intereft ? What^Fervour andZeal againft profefled Enemies 2 The Church was then like the Eden of God, every precious Stone was its Covering. Ah I When thefe Covenants fhall revive, that fhall be like a Refurre&ion from the Dead. They were bu- ried in Difhonour, but they fhall rife in Honour. Let us not dream that our Reformation is running to a finall Eclipfe ; nay, poor Scotland, for all the Ills that follow it, is a glittering Gem in our Lord's Crown ; I can never forget the utmoft Ends of the Earth for his Poffeflion, TfaU ii. nor the Hits of Sbitfitn and Klttim to be the Father's Gift to the Mediator : It is his own Ground by Gift, Conqueft, Infeftment, and Poffeflion, and his Gift paned the Great Seal in our late fuffering Times, when fealed with fo much Blood, which was precious in the Sight of the Lord ; after that, the Hills flowed with Milk and new Wine, and the Fountain came forth of the Houfe of the Lord that watered the Valley Q?Shittim. Much Blood and much Treafure hath been fpent to fet the flouri&ing Crown upon Chrift's Head ev> < 73 > Head in Scotland, Declarations, Acts of Councils, and Parliaments, Remonftrances, Engagements, Vows, Covenants : But the fealing Blood of the late Martyrs was the Cape-ftonc of all. The primi- tive Martyrs fealed the prophetick Office of Chrift with their Heart's Blood. The reforming Martyrs fealed his Prieftly Office with their Blood ; but the laft of all our Martyrs have fealed his Kingly Of- fice with their beft Blood : They indeed have ce- mented it upon his,Royal Head, fo that to the End of the World it (hall not drop off again, whatever the picking of quivering fpirited Eraflians fay to the' contrary. Chrifl's own Land fhall yet grow as the Lillie, and fhall cad forth its Roots as Lebanon : They that dwell under its Shadow fhall return, they fhall revive as the Corn, and grow as the Vine ; he who is wife fHall understand thefe Things, for the Ways of the Lord are right, and the Juft fhall walk in them. It is amufing to fome Perions how it is fallen out, that through all the Corners of Scot- land there are fo few in the Shire you live in, that have been honoured to feal the Headfhip of Chrift with their Blood upon Scaffolds. And again, It is alfo amazing from whence it is, that the Devil is fo prodigious, and in 1 a Manner hath taken up his Houf-quarters in thefe Bounds mere vifibly and au- dibly than in any other Part of the Scots Natien, playing his Games in fuch Tricks, that the Sophifts of our Nation are at a Stand, reeling to and fro, and put to their Wit's End, how to ftop his Ca- reer. Pure Refpe&s to our National Vows, it may be, would conjure more shat daring .and bold Ene- my than many Eflfays yet fallen upon. Let the Words of famous Mr. Guthrie, when he ended his laft Words upon the Scaffold, to the People, after the Cloth ' was upon his Face, and flipping it up again, with a loud Voice, crying to the People, The Covenant, the Covenant fhall be Scotland'* Reviving; I fay,nLet thefe his very laft Words fink deep into your Minds. He was a Seir in our Church worth Ten Thou- ( 19 ) Thoufand ; for as the Man was, fe was his Strength* V, If there were but a little Appearance of that Spirit which acfced our worthy Forefathers in our publick Auemblies, and in Preaching, you would fee z wonderful Alteration in the Face of Affairs, the Fields, I affure you, would look white near unto the Harveft ; If we would but adventure to trace our Defections from the Breach of the Aft of Claftcs in the Year 1650, all alongft to this Day 01 our being huried in the Grave of Neutrality, and all to edge up the Spirits of the People into a due Senfe of our woful and irrevocable like feackfliding from God, (who hath a&ed many a Wonder for Scotland) you would find a perfumed Smoke of Incenfe, fpringing from oar Altar in favoury and Soul refrefhing Blef- iings. But ah ! when fhall this Day dawn ? So long as the Common Enemy are gaining their long wifhed for Hopes, that Minifters in their publick Preach- ings muft confine themfelves to their Nick-named laitb and Repentance, without apy Encroachment upon Chrift's proper Rights to his Church, in the glorious Work of Reformation, left conftru&ed Fire- brands and feditious, which in running the full Ca- reer, may gradually drop into Superftition, through Neutrality, and thence plunge into an Abyfs of tie Shadow of Popery. But to fum up fhortly all my prefent Thoughts •f the Time in this one, I cannot fee an Evafion of the Church, ia its prefent Circumtlances, from a fharp and more trying Furnace, than ever it has yet Met with, come the Trial from what Airth it will," -It fears me, our Principles are f# flippery, and the Truths of God fo fuperftciaily rooted in us, that *rhen we- air thrown into the Furnace, many of ni fixall mc'.t all .aw ay t© Drofs. The good Lord pre- ferve Scy:land rrom tfae Likenefs of the prefent Per- fecutioLS of Cranes \ That a Phvflcian jufl now by Edi& m'jfl nor riflt a lick Perfon, under the Pain of Death>. ualefs ne take a Popiih Prieil with him to adrainiftcr their Idolatrous Sacraments to him, which K .( So ) if he refiife, then he is to be denied Burial, and the dead Body expofed to raveneusBeafts to prey u D 6n I hope God in Mercy will prevent what is above" the Strength of many Thousands Teeming zealous Pro feffors to undergo. It is many Years flnce I heard one of the greateft Seers in our Nation in Horror and with Fear dreading the heavy Judgments of God upon the byafled Profeffors of the Weft of Scot- land : but all that I fay, not diminifhing my Hopes of the Lord Jefus his referving his purcbafe'd Inhe- ritance in his own covenanted Land. Tho* Maldchi be afrighted at the Day of his coming, and be made to cry out, Who may abide it ? Chap. iii. i, 2, 3. When he fits as a Refiner and Purifier of the Sons of Ztviy a -Remnant ihall be left, that fhall be as the Tile Tree or the Oak, whofe Seed is in them when they cad their Leaves, fo the holy Seed Ihall be the Subftance thereof. To revive a Reile&ion upon two ftupendious PafTages of Providences, I know would have an im- bittering Relifh to many Profeflbrs in your Country Side ; the one is, upon the laft Indulgence, where- in Profeffors by Bond and Penalty obliged them- felves to producetheirMinifler before the Council tthen called for. This was a Reftri&ion (o narrow, that all the Freedom and Faithfulnefs of Minifters in their Office was fo blocked up, that either Confcience toward God in difcharging of necefTa- ry Duty, behoved utterly to be buried, or elfe the Life of their Minifter expoied to Sacrifice. No Policy could forgo «r efcape here, and if this be rot an univerfal Evil to be mourned over, let Con- fcience and Reafon judge ; yet this is looked up- on to be but a Trip in thefe gloomy Times, of in- confiderable Moment, tho' it was the Briar deck- ed by that Supremacy, which not only hath wound- ed our Solemn Vows to Death, but buried the Faith- fulnefs and Freedom of tile Churches Seer?, as to the publick Intereft of Chrift in their Graves : And the* thtfe be heaping up the Multiplicity of Pro- ffiTory « Si d . Mots Cafe in publick, flying up t& the Head, no| caching the Heart, except in tranfient Flafhes, it 13 *o be feared, that our Gofpel-Bleffings ihaM rcmai» *wder Eclipfe. The other ftapcfiVUbiit Providence is, the t Obl|» itiog the Rich Blefling of the Gofpel in bur late 5ufferiHg Times., when Bleflings not only accompa- nied thefe Solemn Field Meeting! ; but extraordi*- wary Influences in Gifts of Freedom and Faithfulnefs. Were poured down upon thefe Minifters, who wenfc out with their Lives in their Hands, fetting thei» Paces as Flints againtt the Heaven-daririg Violati'^ •ns done to the Mediator. I call to mind a Paffagc *ith perpetuated Remembrance, that in one Shire of ^h js Kingdom, there were about Thirty, Minifters, Who chearfully offered up their Service to Chrift,. all by Turns, out of Mdiriburgb, arid each of ST thefe when they returned back to "Edinburgh again* feeing queftioned, what Pleafure, what Delight, and what Liberty they had in managing tkat hazardfut Task ? They anfwered, That io foon as they fet> ^oot in thefe Bound's, another Spirit came upon* them, and no other Reafon could they give of it, femt that God wrought fo mightily, that they look- «d upon it zigtnius loch th'at God fenfibly, at that 1;£me7 *» in that Country womug Wonders z But the moft Part of all thefc are in their Places, refting on their Beds, and their Works folio* ThusmAnfwerto yours, I have given ydU fom* of ihy confuted Thoughts of the prefent Times, wifliing you*God^ Blefling in fucking Honey out or tho Eater* T . *■%•** -jrf*j JOHN Dl£KSOK> m ADVERTISEMENT. TF E T the Reader carefully obferve JLj the Paflages pointed to in the Errata, for his right Understanding the rlaces where they occur, ERRATA. PAge. 3<). 1. 36. Rev. iii. 1. for 1 u. r~. 11. Pag. 36. 1. 16 r. i/tf. xliv. <). in its own Words>here printed, ■in the'lVords of Jfa. lxiv. j. Pag. 38. 1. 7. for Grull, y. C?ra//. Pag. 42. 1. 33. for a, r. any. Pag, 47,1.19.' for Cufcrs. 7. Caufers* Pag. 49. I. 37. r. But efpcci" ally bis regal Dignity \ after Mediatorial Offices* in I. 24. Pag. $2. !. 22^ for that r, robat*