something if it had been but to have restrained the volatile things of which he was immediately speaking that they might not get away for if ye hold not these subtil Birds by the head it 's folly to think of laying salt on their tail if they once slip the bridle And to follow them when they are flown is the wildest of all Wild-goose Chases for if they once get out of your hand ye will never more get your eye upon them again let be your hand for they evanish and turn to that which is next to nothing and whether they be good for any thing or nothing after they are gone I leave the Chymists to enquire who are taken up with these whitty whatties as the Historian terms them But enough if not too much of this The Historians unworthy abusing of so worthy and deserving a Person and his treating of so grave a Person in so ridiculous a way did not deserve any serious Answer If that Reverend and Learned Minister had spoken his mind in subtil evanishing words having no sensible sense or a sense not easily perceptible or if he had used terms of Art or words borrowed from Physick or Chymistry or spoken Latine before the Council there might have been some pretext for this ridiculous Drollery but there is nothing of all these in his Speech The first part of his Speech is the same upon the matter with Mr. B's and large as plain if not more plain than his Speech and it hath this advantage that it is more comprehensive For Mr. B's Speech doth onely exclude the Magistrate from making Rules to Regulate Ministers in their Ministerial Actings This Speech excludes the Magistrate from making all Ecclesiastical Canons Now there are many Ecclesiastical Canons besides these which Regulate the exercise of the Ministry As for Example If the Magistrate would make an Act that no Person should bring a Child to be Baptized by a Presbyterian Minister or outed Minister this would be an Ecclesiastical Canon laying an undue restraint upon Ministers who have Children to be Baptized not in the exercise of their Ministry but in that which is common to them with other Christians who have Children to be presented to Baptism This Speech excluded this and in general all Ecclesiastick Canons The Historian alledges that it was nothing to the purpose sure he would not have said so of the first part of the Speech if the second part had not been added Now the addition of the second part was very much to the purpose for removing the mistake which the Magistrate had conceived from Mr. B's Speech and the words are in my Opinion more apposite than if he had said Civil Laws or Statutes for the Instructions which he had an eye to in this part of his Speech were neither properly Laws nor Statutes such as the Confinement and it may be the Act for paying the Clerks Fees It 's hard to find a more apposite and more short designation of Acts of that nature than that which he used to wit Civil significations of the Magistrates pleasure under the hazard of Civil Penalties And if I knew not the Historians prejudice against Indulged Ministers I could not but wonder that he makes such Tragical out-cries against so plain and apposite words The Brother who hath Answered this History in his Answer to this part of it shews that it was uncontroverted among these Brethren that the greatest part of these Instructions were Ecclesiastick Canons He shews also that the paper offered to them by the Council contained Injunctions one at least of a Civil nature The first sort are refused the last he did not either directly refuse or accept resolving to do as he should all things considered find best What could be more plain or ingenuous Yet says the Historian 1. by this distinction little better than a Mental reservation they might have scrupled at nothing that the Magistrate might attempt to prescribe in Church-matters no not at his giving Rules intrinsecally and formally Ecclesiastical for these might also pass as Civil significations of their pleasure c. Answ His Parenthesis about Mental reservation which is a Jesuitical Cheat and trick confirms the suspicion that his Latine Sentence was a periphrasis of cheatry The Historian could hardly have done the Author a greater injury than to have charged him with one of the worst of the Jesuits lying tricks but his ingenuity is so well known to all who know him that the Historians Tongue and Pen will not make this slander stick to him The Historian might rather have alledged that it was a piece of Oratory an Aposiopesis For the Person of whom he speaks is a good Orator and they say Supprimit Orator quod Rusticus edit inepte But to make it little better than a Mental reservation which even some Popish Writers as Scotus and Covarruvias condemn as a lie was a very injurious slander They who make use of these Mental reservations speak that which is false and which they know to be false and think they shun lying by adding in their mind somewhat to what they speak to make it a truth as when they are interrogate by a Judge even upon Oath if they spoke or did this or that They will swear that they neither did nor spoke it the Judge hears no more from them but then they think they have not lied nor perjured themselves because they have this thought in their mind I did not say or do this or that to tell it to you who Questions me So that what they speak is manifestly a lie but what that Brother spoke was truth and I believe he spoke the last words in great simplicity and singleness as not knowing what he would do when put to it by such Civil significations of the Magistrates pleasure and so could not give any determinate Answer what he would do he spoke like a wise and Consciencious man with great ingenuity What would the Historian had him saying Should he have said I will Obey no Civil Acts by which ye signifie your pleasure whatever be the hazard or penalty Or would he have had him saying I will Obey all the Civil Acts whereby ye signifie your pleasure both these had been rash and unwarrantable Answers which no Consciencious man who understands what he says can give to any Magistrate who hath Civil Authority over him And I suppose if the Historian had been in his case and had absolutely refused to keep the confinement or pay the Clerks Fees if the Magistrate had certified him that if he kept not his confinement he would lay him by the heels in a Prison and seeing the Magistrate did allow him the stipend and yet he would not pay a little money at their command that they would Authorize the Clerk to take him with caption I suppose in this case the Historian would have been in some swither what to say or do and would have taken some time to advise And it 's very strange
new Doctrine of the Historian that fatning Feasts and the wonderful continuance and Blessing of God was onely to be found in Fieldings and that People from whom God justly with-holds the Blessing in the Kirk because of sin may find it in the Fields notwithstanding of their provocations for if he had been of that Opinion he would not have failed to exhort his People to go to the Fields And although he had heard that the Lord did countenance the Preaching of the Gospel in the Fields he would not have Advised his People to run at random to hear any body who Preached in the Fields No no Mr. Livingston was more Advised and sicker in his Advices than so for wise men like Mr. Livingston use to fore-see evils and prevent them while the simple pass on and are punished For Mr. Livingston could not but fear that if his People did run to hear any who Preached in the Fields though they knew not who the Preacher was and whence he came that they might readily find instead of Ministers a cheating Cobler or a Tanner instead of a solid judicious Minister some ignorant rash young man who instead of the sincere Milk of the Word would give the People the windy froth of his own Conceits and instead of the wholsome words of Christ would give them his own ill Humours and Reproaches of honest Ministers and his own doltings about Questions and doubtful Disputations which would divert the People from the main thing and fill their Heads with confounding notions and their Mouths with vain janglings and so alienate their minds and hearts from these things which make for Peace and Edification Or that they might perhaps find instead of a Protestant Presbyterian Minister a Popish Priest or Frier and so instead of Food find Poyson and instead of a Blessing find a Curse Mr. Livingston knew the tricks of Jesuits better than the Historian and therefore would have rather Advised them still to hear Mr. John Scot who he knew was a Godly Orthodox Minister than have exposed his People to run such risks he knew the saying Qui amat pericula peribit in illis He who loveth hazards shall perish in them To the third Objection That the People heard the Indulged Ministers and were Edified by their Ministry till some inconsiderate Persons took it in their Head to cry out against the unlawfulness of hearing the Indulged as if that had been the onely thing necessary for which many even of the Non-indulged are offended with them The Historian Answers That the Curats might alledge that as well as the Indulged Answ He is a little out of that story as well as in many other Any who knows the truth knows how great a disparity there was in the cases so that his as well had been as well and better out than in for it makes his Allegeance false He says he is not fit to judge if these Persons be inconsiderate but he wishes that they who call them so would remember that Judge not lest ye be judged c. Answ He was very unfit by Reason of his distance and mis-information of many other things which yet he hath very peremptorily judged I wish he had sooner considered his unfitness to judge of others and had ere he began to write this History remembred that Judge not lest ye be judged it might have prevented his writing this Book which is mainly founded upon rash and false judgings and reproaches The inconsiderateness of these Persons he speaks of was so evident and so sensibly felt in the effects of it that they who had any consideration or common sense could not but see it And the second thoughts and third thoughts of these who were displeased with their way makes no change upon these Brethren but confirms them the more He found not himself fit to judge whether they were inconsiderate or not yet he finds himself fit to judge them worthy of praise But if he was not in a capacity to judge them considerate he could be in no good capacity to judge them worthy of praise For if they were inconsiderate Persons they were not to be praised and till he had evidence that they were considerate he might have spared his praises and his Blessing of God in their behalf till he had been better informed As for his hopes that the fruits of their labour proclaim their insisting upon the one thing necessary I see not what ground he had for this hope for the ordinary fruits of their labour was the kindling of the fire of Contention Strife Debate Confusion Reproaches of these who followed not with them But for the fruits of the Spirit Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance I wish we could see them in these who with him did so much cry up these Preachers He tells us that at the beginning of the Indulgence People called them the Councils Curats and he will not enquire how it came that that spark did not break forth into a general flame and insinuates his desire that this flame had spread sooner and that the first ten had been discountenanced but he acquiesces in Providence But if he had known what I learned from a Gentleman who hath good Intelligence that it was the late Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews who was the first Inventer of the name of Council-Curats and did so convey the casting of this spark that he might not be seen to be the kindler and caster of it and how pleasant it was to these of the Prelatick party to see the flame kindled by this little spark running as the Historian speaks like Moor-burn among the People If the Historian I say and these of his way had known this it may be they would have taken less pleasure in this Moor-burn which was so pleasant to these to whom the Historian I suppose did not desire to make sport Then he alledges that some suppressed their judgment about the Indulgence out of a preposterous affection to the Brethren Indulged whom they much honoured and esteemed and that deservedly for their eminent endowments and sometimes usefulness in the Church or out of a tender care of keeping up Union and guarding against all motions apparently tending to troublesome distractions and divisions And it 's not unlike says he that many were really in the dark as to the thing but however light is light whoever they be that bring it how inconsiderable soever the Instruments be who are employed and whether they come sooner or later the light when it 's come should be made welcome because of him who sent it c. Answ These Brethren not onely were but are yet useful notwithstanding of all his endeavours to render them useless And affection to them is not preposterous but a commended Duty for whatever Infirmities they be compassed about with yet they should be esteemed very highly in love for their works sake I think when he was speaking of the tender care to keep up Union and to
hath ever been in the Church is made a sort of Martyrdom This Doctrine was first whispered to the People in private Conferences then it was dropped now and then in the Sermons of one or two then some rash youths made it a great part of their discourse in publick then we had Letters and Questions from Holland with Advertisement that the Press was travelling with the History of the Indulgence which is now brought forth And although any thing to the purpose in it hath either been answered or grounds laid down from which it may be answered in the Answers which were given to the Authors Letters and Questions yet because some have alledged that this Book is so irrafragible in its reason that the many who are against it shall never be able to answer its Reason and a friend of this Historian threatned that he would make all the Indulged Ministers run before him and because the People who withdraw from the Indulged Ministers are confident that this Book will never be answered and so are hardened in their Separation and because there are many dangerous and destructive Tenets in this Book and the Epistle prefixed to it which if reduced to practice would fill the World with Confusion I shall for Vindication of the Truth and out of Love and Compassion to the People who are deceived by this Book and for the just Vindication of the reputation of the Indulged Ministes who are very injuriously reproached in this History examine all that looks like reason in this Book And though I be of their Opinion that all that hath any shadow of Reason in this Book might be answered fully in a few Pages yet seeing many are so possessed with a conceit of the Unanswerableness of this Book that if any part of it were left unanswered it would be alledged that it could not be answered and this might be a snare to the poor people who lay so great stress upon this Book I hope the judicious Reader will forgive me that I put my self to so much labour which to him seemeth needless for though it will not only seem but be really needless to the Judicious Reader yet it is necessary for the weak for whose sake I especially put my self to this trouble The Historian gives his Book the Title of The History of the Indulgence shewing its Rise Conveyance Acceptance together with a Demonstration of the Vnlawfulness thereof If under the name of Indulgence he comprehend all the Acts of the Magistrate which he records in this History he abuses the word Indulgence and he abuses his Reader for there are several of the Acts which he relates as for Example the Act of Instructions and the Act of Fining the Ministers who kept not the Twenty ninth of May which were not Acts of Indulgence The Acts of Indulgence were only those Acts which granted the peaceable Exercise of the Ministry to some Presbyterian Ministers notwithstanding of the Laws which established Prelacy and enjoyned Conformity But this Confusion runs through his whole Book in which he would have his Reader believe that the Indulged Ministers accepted of all these Acts which he calls or rather miscalls by the name of Indulgence and this confusion is one main foundation upon which his confused Babel is found Whether he hath demonstrated the unlawfulness of the Magistrates Acts in which these Ministers are permitted and allowed to preach the Gospel or the unlawfulness of the acceptance of the peaceable exercise of the Ministry we will see when we come to his Demonstrations and his answers to contrary Objections As for his Vindication of such as scruple to hear the indulged it is a rare undertaking and looks liker the attempt of a Knight errant than of a solid and peaceable Divine for a scruple as he might have learned from Amesius in his Cases of Conscience 1 Book and sixth Chapter is a rash and groundless fear and therefore he hath been very ill advised to undertake to maintain those who scruple to hear Indulged Ministers this was a rash and frantick act of Casuistick Chivalry his prowess would have been better proved and approved of all sober persons in setting these people free from these rash and groundless fears for that would have been a right Vindication of those Scrupulous people to have delivered them from their rash and groundless fears which scare them from their mercies and the means of their Salvation and was an injurious cruelty to their souls The Historian designs himself a Presbyterian in great Letters and yet this Book is a History of warring against Presbyterians and if it were fair War it were more tollerable but as the War is groundless and unjust so it is very foully managed non amice factum ab amico And though he be a Presbyterian in great Letters in uberiore forma and the Indulged stand before him in the frontispiece of his Book in a very small Character yet he should have remembred that he was but one and they were many and it is not a Presbyterian practice but a Popish Prank for one to stigmatize censure and condemn many his Designation should have put him in minde of Presbyterian Practice and that among Presbyterians matters are carried by the Plurality of voices and not by the will of one how great soever he imagine himself to be but there are so many things in this History which are inconsistent with Presbyterian Principles and which overturns the very foundation of Presbyterian Government and of all Government and there is so much Satyrick insolent insulting over his Presbyterian Brethren that he had some reason to fear that he would be taken for some other sort of Creature than a Presbyterian and therefore he hath done as the Painters they say were wont to do when the Art of Painting was rude and it was not easie to know where a Horse were a Horse or an Ox what was defective in their Painting they helped it by writing and in good great Letters wrote down this is an Horse and this an Ox that none might mistake I cannot but resent the injury which he hath done to Presbyterians and to their cause in calling himself a Presbyterian and then acting the part sometimes of a Pope and sometimes of a Separatist and venting extravagant wild conceits which are contrary to the received Tenets of Presbyterians but I am hopeful that no â—ngenious Person will impute all this Authors conceits to Presbyterians because he calls himself a Presbyterian Before I come to the History I find an Epistle to the Christian Reader written by the Historians Friend who was like-minded with him in these matters relating to the Indulgence This Epistle is particularly directed to the suffering Ministers and Professors of the Church of Scotland To these Christian Readers he says he need not tell them that the knowledge of the Times and what the Israel of God ought to do should be their Ornament and Cognizance distinguishing them from others who are brutish in
themselves and their People We may see our sins in the sins of Rulers if Christ had been in Truth as he was in Word acknowledged alone Head and Lord of his own house if his Divine Wisdom and Sovereign Will had been only observed and followed in the matters of God and if mens wills and humours and conceits and interests had not been mixed in these things and if those to whom the Lord had given the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven had keeped close to their Spiritual Function it might have prevented all encroachments upon the Spiritual Power of the Church O that the Lord himself would teach Rulers with a strong hand that no other power is good but that which is of God and to God and no other power but that which is of God by whom Kings reign is for their honour and interest all other power is vanity nothing and worse than nothing and will be to their loss shame and sorrow Darius found that that Decree which seemed to confer too much honour upon him in pretending to make him God alone for thirty days was but a miserable cheating snare as Flatterers are a great plague to Rulers so wise and faithful Instructors Counsellors and Reprovers who out of pure Zeal for God and true love to Rulers shew them what is right and wrong in the sight of God are great blessings to them It is not every one that is fit to reprove equals far less any Superiors and least of all Rulers and it is not every one that hath some fitness that is called of God to this work They who are called to it must manage this difficil work with all Wisdom Faithfulness love to the person of the Ruler and respect to his Authority that in discovering his sin his Authority be not brought into Contempt As they must not lessen their sin so they must not make it worse than it is If we must not lye upon the Devil far less upon those whom the Lord hath called Gods it were also good to say nothing of them behind their backs but what we could say to them if we were called to it and had access for to vent things of Rulers behind their backs and when called to an account to deny or mince and extenuate and put another face upon it than it had at first is not ingenuous dealing It is found in sad experience that bitter invectives against Rulers published by uncertain Authors and which overlashes and passes the bounds of verity irritates and provokes Rulers and makes them think that such invectives flow from hatred to their persons and contempt of their Authority and tempts them to reject the truths which are mixt with these falshoods and thus many by overdoing undo all that they intended to do I wish the Author of the Preface and Cup of cold Water and of the Letters had not overlashed and passed the bounds of Truth in their exagerations of the Magistrates sins and in uttering things derogatory to their Authority as for example that no Magistrate either Heathen Turk or Christian ever arrogated such a Supremacy Some have arrogated to themselves the Deity and to be God alone as Darius did by signing the Decree Herod arrogated to himself to be God and not man And that allegiance that they have delete the apprehension of that eternal God who is above them would fasten that upon them which many think the greatest profest Atheists though they intend it yet can never attain unto it to get the apprehension of a Deity rased out It 's also said that they have the purity of enmity at and implacability against all who desire to be faithful and loyal to Christ And elsewhere it is said If it be not an abuse of language to call them Rulers whose Goverment is pure Tyranny They have much real guilt why should we make our selves guilty in alledging upon them that which we cannot prove The Lord hath forbidden to speak evil of any man and in a special manner he hath forbidden to revile Rulers as we should beware of idolizing Rulers so we should beware of despising Dignities if the pains and time that hath been spent in telling how our Rulers had been taken up in earnest Prayers and Endeavours to make them better it might have been better both for them and us The exaggerating of their sins to scare us from all Addresses to them from all seekings and receivings hath a direct tendency to put them and us in a state of hostility and render us hateful to Rulers as Persons who are utterly alienate from them and will have nothing to do with them It may seem a very cleanly-like conceit to well-meaning people to forbear all making and medling with Rulers who have highly provoked the Lord and vexed his People but this is but a conceited cleanliness The first Magistrate that Israel had to do with was a grievous Oppressor of the Lords People and an Idolater and an insolent despiser of God who makes nothing of God Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go And yet the Lord sends Moses and Aaron to him to desire him to let Israel go to serve him in the Wilderness and after he hath given that blasphemous insolent answer full of tempting of God they insist humbly to pray him to let them go Exod. 5.1 2 3. And they are many times after sent by the Lord to Pharoah with the same desire It were easie to multiply instances of this nature but this one is sufficient here are frequent Addresses made by the Lords servants to a most Godless Atheistical Blasphemer and Persecutor of the Lords people and that in a religious matter It 's for liberty to go and worship God If a company of Christians were taken at Sea by a company of profligate godless Pyrates who were stronger than they might not the Christians desire of them Liberty to worship God together who will question it And if an address may be made to such Ruffians who neither fear God nor regard man and who have no Authority over the Christians but keep them Prisoners by strong hand how much more may Addresses be made to the Magistrate who whatever be his sins hath Authority from God to do good and the same Authority that a godly Magistrate hath and to draw out this power by Petitions and to take the benefit of the exercise of it When the Magistrate doth any good to the Church and undoeth any ill formerly done it is not a touching of any unclean thing but a making use of that Authority which is the excellent Ordinance of God I shall shut up this with a Testimony of precious Mr. Rutherford in his Divine Right of Church-Government and Excommunication Chap. 24. Quest 20. pag. 539 541. Now the Magistrate Heathen as Magistrate even Nero when the Church of God is in his Court and Dominions hath the same Jus the same
prescriptions and that they could receive no other prescriptions besides Christs prescriptions to regulate them in the exercise of their Ministry 4. They declare how desirable and refreshing the exercise of this their Ministry was to them 5. They declare what power they acknowledged in the Magistrate it 's not a lawless but lawfuâ— Authority which they acknowledge they acknowledge no other power in the Magistrate but what is the Ordinance of God for so they describe lawful Authority the excellent Ordinance of God They declare it 's the work of Magistrates to protect the Ministers of Christ in the exercise of their Ministry 6. That they purposed and resolved to behave themselves in the discharge of their Ministry with that wisdom and prudence which became faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ 7. They declare that they continued in their known judgment in Church-affairs they did let the Magistrates know that they had not altered their Judgement in Church-affairs that they were still Presbyterians Their judgment is known from the Confession of faith chap. 23. Art 3. ch 25. Art 6. ch 30. Art 1. ch 31. Art 3. and all who have any knowledge of the Judgment of Presbyterians know that they own Christ for the alone head of the Church and fountain of Church-authority and that they are as opposite to Erastianism as they are to Prelacy That they are so far from ascribing a Supremacy of spiritual power to the Magistrate that they profess that the Magistrate hath not any power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to him and that it doth not belong to the Magistrate to ordain or depose suspend excommunicate or to exercise any Church-censures and that it doth not belong to him to form Church-Canons or to prescribe Instructions for regulating Ministers in the exercise of their Ministry and that they are of that Judgment that no Magistrate nay nor all the powers on earth though they were united can dispose of Ecclesiastical matters according to their Wisdom or pleasure seeing the things of the house of the God of Heaven must be done according to the wisdom and pleasure of the Lord and not according to the wisdom and pleasure of Creatures These and many other Tenets are known by all who know what Presbyterians are to be their known and professed Judgement Now seeing they declared their continuance in their known Judgement and adherence to their former principles and that to the Magistrate and had declared before their resolutions to behave as faithful Ministers of Christ and that they believed the account they were to give of their Ministry to Jesus Christ They did shew to the Magistrate that they did not nor could not approve of power or acts of the Magistrate which were contrary to their Judgements for that had been so far from becoming the faithfulness of the Ministers of Jesus Christ that it could not consist with common Ingenuity 8. And they clearly enough insinuate that there was an opposition betwixt their known Judgements and the actings of the Magistrate in subverting Presbyterial Government and setting up of Prelacy and other actings contrary to Presbyterial Principles some whereof I mentioned before This opposition is clearly insinuated and imported while they say And to demain our selves towards lawful Authority notwithstanding of our known Judgment in Church-affairs as well becometh Loyal Subjects for if the Affairs of the Church had been then according to their known Judgment that notwithstanding had been impertinent and could have had no sufferable sence But Church-affairs being setled by the Magistrate contrary to the known Judgment of Presbyterians some might have alledged that Presbyterian Ministers would not be Loyal towards lawful Authority to obviate this they say That notwithstanding their known Judgements they would behave as Loyal Subjects 9. And hence they declare to the Magistrate that there was no disloyalty in their Principles or practice of their Principles that their known judgement in Church-affairs and the faithful discharge of their Ministry according to their known Judgement did well consist with loyalty and with that respect which from a principle of Conscience they did owe to lawful Authority though it did not consist with some of the actings of those who were in Authority 10. They modestly declare the low esteem they they had of themselves in saying they were the unworthiest of many of their Brethren and they so far from selfishness in desiring to partake of this liberty alone that they express their desire that others of their Brethren may be sharers of the liberty which they enjoyed It appears from what is said that these Brethren witnessed a good Confession before the Council and the Author of the History of the-Indulgence hath in this respect done right to these Brethren and good service to the Church in Printing the Speech which Mr. Hutcheson spoke in their name before the Council If any object that their Testimony is not good because they do not expresly and in terminis testifie against the Invasions made upon the Church I would desire these to consider that in saying so they condemn the Testimonies of many Martyrs who in their Confessions only expressed the truths which they did believe and some of them only in the general asserted that they were Christians They condemn also our Confession of Faith which doth not so expresly and in so many words refute and reject many dangerous and damnable errors but doth only assert the truths opposite to these errors yea they condemn the Testimony of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures which is good and perfect and yet doth not in terminis and expresly mention every error which is contrary to the truth but leaves the refutation of many of these errors to be gathered by good consequence from what is said in the Holy Scriptures and they condemn also that good Confession which Christ witnessed before Pontius Pilate in asserting himself to be a King for he doth not expresly mention and reject all the errors which are contrary to his Spiritual Kingdom And seeing I am speaking of Testimonies I shall mention what the Indulged Ministers who were called before the Council for not keeping the 29. of May declared in the face of the Council As they had agreed that Mr. Hutcheson should declare that the Magistrate had not a power formally Ecclesiastical and that they could not receive Rules intrinsecally Ecclesiastical from the Magistrate So Mr. Hutcheson to prevent the Councils giving them any such instructions desired that their Lordships would be pleased not to burden them with impositions in the matter of their Ministry wherein they were the Servants of Christ And after Mr. Alexander Blare who was called before Mr. Hutcheson had shewed that he could not receive such instructions to regulate him in his Ministry Mr. Hutcheson before he was called spoke against their L. L. imposing Rules intrinsecally Ecclesiastical for regulating Ministers in the exercise of their Ministry who were the Servants of Christ in these matters
And after when he was called he shewed that a formal Ecclesiastick power could not be allowed to the Magistrate and several others of them spoke to the same purpose As these Ministers have not received these Instructions so they have declared to the Council that they could not receive them beside what we observed from M. Hutchesons Speech at the first Indulgence there are here other things observable 1. That he designs them Impositions and so he shews that they looked upon them as incroaching and intrenching upon their Ministerial calling 2. In asserting that the Magistrate had not a power formally Ecclesiastical he testified against Erastianism and did further shew That the Magistrates work is not to form Rules or Instructions which are formally Ecclesiastical for all Acts which are intrinsecally and formally Ecclesiastical must be elicite by a power which is formally Ecclesiastical the giving instructions formally Ecclesiastical is the formal effect of an Ecclesiastical Instructor as it is not proper for the Magistrate but for Physitians to give medicinal Receits which must be drawn from the art or faculty of Medicine Nor is it proper for the Magistrate to make a Physical Directory to regulate Physitians in their giving of Physical Receits for this were an intrenching and breaking in upon the Physitians Calling So it is not proper for the Magistrate to make Rules intrinsecally Ecclesiastical for these must be drawn from the Word of God seeing they are for the ordering of the Matters of God and when there is need of forming any such Rules or Instructions it 's the proper Work of those to whom the publick Explication and Application of the Word of God belongs The forming of such Canons hath in all Ages been the work of Ecclesiastical Synods who had not the power of the Sword and consequently the forming of such Rules is not an Act of the power of the Sword 3. In asserting That in their Ministry and these matters which were the exercise of it they were the Servants of Christ they did shew that they could not admit of any Impositions which would prejudice their Masters service and that in these matters they were not at their own disposal and must not act ex proprio arbitrio nor pro hominum imperio but ex Christi obsequio that is That they were neither to be ruled by their own will nor the will of men but by the will of Christ in these Matters They did put in the words formally and intrinsecally Ecclesiastical because the Magistrate may make civil laws about Church-matters as is acknowledged in the second Book of Discipline Chap. 10. where it is said That he may make Civil Laws and Constitutions agreeable to Gods word for the advancement of the Kirk and policy thereof though he may not make Canons intrinsecally Ecclesiastical These were good Confessions made before the Magistrate by the Indulged Ministers and the fullest I know hath been made by any before the Magistrate Although persons while they are under perjudices against these Ministers make nothing of any thing these say or do yet when these humours and perjudices are removed and the carriage of these Ministers is impartially considered ingenuous and unbyassed persons will not only clear them of the unjust aspersions cast upon them but commend them and wonder that that they have been so unjustly abused and that they have so long born so many injuries with so great patience The attempts of the Author of the History of the Indulgence to make nothing of these Testimonies as they discover the strength of humour and prejudice so the vanity of his attemps will appear when we come to examine them I come to the second Question in the Epistle to the Reader Secondly saith he let me ask Are they so very clear and confident in the case that they cannot only in dealing with men hold up their face and affirm without hink or hesitation that this is their rejoycing even the Testimony of their Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God they have had their Conversation before all men and more abundantly towards these backsliding Rulers before whom they appeared now declared enemies to the work of God and Invaders of his Throne and Prerogative But are they also content to be carried before the Tribunal of Christ with this acceptance from those which have exauctorate their Lord and Master in their hand and to have the quality of their love to the coming of his Kingdom and their Loyalty unto Christ Jesus now opposed and put from the exercise of his Royal Government by the party indulging in this very Indulgence tried by such a test It were fit sure to think on this and lay it to heart for each Receiver may lay his account with it that soon or syne he shall be put to it Ans Before I come to answer this Question I cannot but advertise him that in saying without any limitation or restriction that not only the Magistrate hath exauctorate Christ but also that Christ is put from the exercise of his Royal Government he hath laid a stumbling-block before weak and ignorant people which may occasion them to imagine that Christ is quite vanquished and denied of all Authority and put from all exercise of his Kingly Office There are such loose Rhetorications in the Cup of cold Water which may occasion simple people to think that Christ is quite dispossest of his Crown and Throne If any will read the Answer to that Question in the larger Catechism How doth Christ execute the Office of a King they will see that he exercises his Kingly Office not only by Governing his Church visibly in calling it out of the World in giving Officers Laws and Censures but also in bestowing saving Grace upon the Elect rewarding them for their obedience correcting them for their sins preserving and supporting them under all their temptations and sufferings restraining and overcoming all their enemies and powerfully ordering all things for his own Glory and their own good and also in taking vengeance on the rest who know not God and obey not the Gospel Now I suppose the Author of the Letter will not imagine that the Magistrate intended to put Christ from the exercise of his Royal Government as to many of these Acts of his Kingly Office It 's a sad truth that the Magistrate hath subverted Presbyterial Government which is a part of the visible Kingdom of Christ but it is not the all of Christs Kingdom wherever there is a visible Church called out of the World where the Word of God is preached where the truth is born witness to and the Sacraments Administred there Christ executeth his Kingly Office and there is something of his visible Kingdom I do not think that the Author of the Epistle will say that the Magistrate intended that there should be no Church nor any Preaching of the Word of God in Scotland 2. What ever may be said
prevent Division his heart should have smitten him who hath been so untender and so careless in this matter It 's true light is light but 1. There may be an unseasonable bringing forth of light as if a man would bring a light to a large dark Room where a man fleeing for his Life had hid himself to let the pursuer see to find and murder the lurking man Or if one told what way an innocent man had fled to his Enemy who were pursuing for his Life though Light be Light and Truth Truth yet that Light was unseasonably brought in to the dark Room and that Truth unseasonably brought forth But ye will say that doth not hold as to truths revealed in the Scripture I shall Answer in the words of Mr. Durham whose memory is precious in the Churches in his Treatise concerning Scandal which was his Testament to the Church of Scotland Part 4. Chap. 11. Pag. 358. A second way of composure is when such agreement in judgment cannot be obtained to endeavour a harmony and keep Unity notwithstanding of that difference by a mutual forbearance in things controverted which we will find to be of two sorts The first is to say so total that is when neither side doth so much as Doctrinally in writ word or sentences of Judicatories press any thing that may confirm or propagate their own Opinion or condemn the contrary but do altogether abstract from the same out of respect to the Churches Peace and for the preventing of Scandal and do in things wherein they agree according to the Apostles direction Phil. 3.16 Walk by the same Rule and mind the same things mutually as if there were no such differences and waiting in these till the Lord shall reveal the same unto them This way is safe and where the Doctrine upon which the difference is is such as the forbearing the decision thereof doth neither marr any Duty that the Church in general is called to nor endanger the Salvation of Souls through the want of clearness therein nor in a word infer such inconveniences to the hurt of the Church as such unseasonable awakening and keeping up of differences and divisions may have with it Because the scope of bringing forth every truth or confirming the same by any Authoritative Sanction c. is the Edification of the Church and therefore when the bringing forth thereof doth destroy more than Edifie it is to be forborn Neither can it be ground enough to plead for such decisions in Preaching that the thing they Preach for is Truth and the thing they condemn is Error Because 1. It is not the Lawfulness of the thing simply that is in Question but the necessity and expediency thereof in such a case now many things are lawful that are not expedient 1 Cor. 10.23 2. In these differences that were in the Primitive times concerning Meats Days Genealogies c. there was a truth or an error upon one of the sides as there is a right and a wrong in every contradiction of such a kind yet the Apostle thinketh fitter for the Churches Peace that such be altogether refrained rather than any way at least in publick insisted upon or decided 3. Because no Minister can bring forth every Truth at all times he must then make choice and I suppose some Ministers may die and all do so who have not Preached every truth even which they knew unto the People Beside there are no question many truths hid to the most Learned neither can this be thought inconsistent with a Ministers fidelity who is to reveal the whole Counsel of God because that Counsel is to be understood of things necessary to mens Salvation and is not to be extended to all things whatsoever for we find the great Apostle expounding this in that same Sermon Acts 20.20 I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you which evidenceth that the whole Counsel of God or the things which he shewed unto them is the whole and all that was profitable for them and that for no by-respect or fear whatsoever he shunned to reveal that unto them Also it 's clear that there are many truths which are not decided by any Judicial Act and among other things sparingness to decide truths which are not fundamental judicially hath been ever thought no little mean of the Churches Peace as the contrary hath been of Division The third way which is the second sort of the former of composure is mixed when there is some medling with such questions yet with such forbearance that though there be a seen difference yet there is no Schism or Division but that is seriously and tenderly prevented as upon the one side some may express their mind in Preaching and Writing on a particular Question one way others may do it differently yet both with that respect and meekness to those they differ from that it doth beget no rent nor give just ground of offence nor marr Union in any other thing or it may possibly come to be decided in a Synod yet with such forbearance upon both sides that it may prove no prejudice to Union Those who have Authority for them not pressing it to the prejudice of the Opinion Names Consciences of the other or to their detriment in any respect but allowing to them a liberty to speak their minds and walk according to their own light in such particulars and on the contrary the other resting satisfied in the Unity of the Church without condemning them or pressing them to condemn themselves because so indeed their Liberty is no less than others who have the decision of a Synod for them And he adds an instance in the Church of Africa where that Question was first debated If Hereticks after their Conversion should be again Baptized And a Synod of 300 Bishops concluded that they should be re-baptized yet that Synod carried so that they did not onely not censure any that dissented nor pressed them to conform in practise to their judgment but also did entertain most intimate respect to them and formality with them And upon the other side we do not find any in that Church making a Schism upon the account of that Judicial erroneous decision though at least by three several Synods it was ratified but contenting themselves to have their Consciences free by retaining their own judgment and following their own practice till time gave more light and more occasion to clear that truth And we will never find in the Writings of any time more affection among Brethren and more respect to Peace than was in that Church at that time amongst those that differed And there is not any practice more commended in all the Church-History and Writings of the Fathers than this practice and partly may be gathered from what was formerly touched out of Augustine And if we will consider the case rationally we will find that it is not impossible to have Union in a Church where there is such a difference and
in general is called to nor could he in Reason think that the withholding of this light could have so many inconveniencies following upon it as the venting of it would have by an unseasonable awakening and keeping up of Divisions and all the mischiefs which follow upon Divisions 3. If he would needs vent this Light of his and press others to do the like he might have done it in the way which Mr. Durham points out viz. with that meekness tenderness and respect towards his Brethren who differed from him that the difference might make no Division nor marr Union But he is so far from this that he will have this Light and those who bring it made welcome though it be brought for this very end to make Division and to distract and rent the Church But 4. The worst of all is this Light of his is not Light but Darkness a confused mass of false Calumnies published to scatter the poor sheep and drive them away from their faithful Pastours who fed them with knowledge and understanding If they who will not forbear to vent Truths which are not necessary when the venting of them is unseasonable or if they who will vent such Truths in a factious and divisive way be justly censurable O! how hateful is their temper or rather distemper who cannot be perswaded for Peace-sake to with-hold their Lies and Calumnies but will vent them upon design to rent the Church in drawing away the People from the Lords Ministers and the Lords Ordinances They who come to publish untruths to make Discord and Division come not by the Commission of the God of Truth and Peace I shall again transcribe some of Mr. Durham's words in his excellent Exposition of the Song of Solomon Chap. 1. v. 8. pag. 91. 6. Believers would make use of publick Ordinances and Christs Ministers especially in reference to snares and errors and they would take their directions from them and their Counsel would be laid weight upon 7. Allowed dependance on a Ministry is a great mean to keep Souls from error whereas on the contrary when no weight is laid on a Ministry unstable Souls are hurried away 8. Christ hath given no immediate or extraordinary way to be sought unto and made use of even by his Bride in her difficulties but the great mean he will have her to make use of is a sent Ministry and therefore no other is to be expected It 's no wonder then that the Devil when his design is to cry down Truth and spread Error seek to draw the Lords People from the Shepherds Tents and no wonder that Souls who do cast off respect to their Overseers be hurried away with the temptations of the times as in experience hath often been found a truth 9. Ministers should have a special eye on the weakest of the flock their care should be that the Kids may be next them Our blessed Lord doth so When the Lambs are carried in his own bosom Isa 40.11 And therefore seeing weak Believers have most need of Christs oversight if they begin to slight the Ministry and Ordinances they cannot but be a ready Prey and the Devil hath gained much of his intent when he hath once gained that O! that men would try whose voice it is that saith Come back from the Shepherds Tents when Christ says abide abide near them it 's as if a Wolf would desire the Lambs to come out from under the Shepherds eye And lastly when Christ gives this direction to his own Bride we may see he allows none to be above Ordinances in the Militant Church it will be soon enough then when they are brought to Heaven and put above the reach of Seducers In these words that Holy man of God who was a burning and shining light who had the mind of Christ and the bowels of Christ doth clearly from the words of Christ warn us that the voice which saith Come back from the Shepherds Tents is not the voice of Christ this is not light from the Sun of Righteousness from the face of Christ but darkness from the Prince of darkness who can transform himself into an Angel of Light Obj. 4. All or most of the Non-indulged Faithful and Zealous Ministers in the Land are for hearing of the Indulged and onely a few and those of the younger sort with the ignorant People are against it He Answers That he would hope few should lay weight on this Objection and thinks it enough to refer any such to consider John 7.47 48 49. with Mr. Hutcheson's Notes especially 7 and 9 and then tells us that in all the parts of our Tryal God hath made use of the nothings to break the ice to others And in the Introduction to his 28 Questions he says That in all our carriage that is this day approveable as to the grounds of our Suffering the Lord hath for the most part made the poor flock go before the Shepherds and lead the way to them rather than the Guides to break the Ice and lead the way to the flock as might have been expected I reply His hope is as groundless and reasonless as his imaginations but he would hope his affection guides his hope Credimus an quia amant ipsi sibi somnia fingunt And indeed it seems he was dreaming when he hoped that more weight would or should be laid upon the Opinion and Practice of a few young Preachers and of the ignorant People than on the judgment and practice of all not onely Indulged Ministers but of all or most of the Non-indulged Faithful and Zealous Ministers And I know none who will joyn with him in this Dream except it be such who love to be singular and hope to be more noticed and talked of when they take odd and singular ways and who lay down that for a Principle that the fewest number especially if they be in greatest hazard and danger must certainly be right and all others wrong And when their party grows numerous they grow suspicious that all is not right and so they break again as the English Separatists did at Amsterdam Any may see how strongly this Historian hath been Acted by a spirit of Division seeing he with a few young men take upon them by themselves without the knowledge and concurrence yea contrary to the known and declared mind of all or most of the Non-indulged Faithful Zealous Ministers to drive the poor People upon the Rock of Schism contrary to the Word of God and to the Covenant Many of the Non-indulged thought it fit to forbear to move that Question about the acceptance of the Indulgence in their Sermons to the People they knew weak People though they be well inclined yet having as Children strong Passions and little knowledge and less prudence to direct their affections can hardly differ and not divide Some others who did touch upon that Question yet were against Separation but now perceiving that the People have gone further than they intended are I suppose
what Doctrine they should preach which was an encroachment beyond any thing done by the secret Council Some talk of Presbytery and Presbyterian parity and of their detestation of Prelacy and in the mean time set up Prelacy it 's a great evidence of a Spirit of giddiness when people run round as those who run in a Circle and so run to that point from which they once did run The Declaration at Sanquair is refuted in the Confutation of the Bonds and the truth is such principles and practices are so absurd and destructive to all Rule and Government that they are not worthy of Refutation and should be answered with detestation and abhorrence They conclude that Declaration hoping that none will blame them for or offend at their rewarding those that are against them as they have done to them if they had considered Prov. 20.22 Say not thou I will recompence evil but wait on the Lord and he shall save thee and Prov. 24.29 Say not I will do so to him as he hath done to me I will render to the man according to his work Rom. 12.14 17 18 19 20 21 1 Thes 5.15 1 Pet. 3.9 10 11 12 13 14. They might have seen how groundless and absurd this hope was The 8 and 9 veses of the 137 Psalm are wrested when applied to justifie such unchristian Practices for that Scripture is a prediction of the prosperous success that the Medes and Persians should have in destroying Babylon which is also foretold Isa 45.1 3 4 13. and not a Rule to warrand us to revenge our selves and to dash out the brains of Infants It 's among the delusions of the time that some know not of what Spirit they are and imagine that to be the Zeal of God which is nothing but the wrath of man which worketh not the Righteousness of God It is meet to shut up this sad Subject with humble and earnest Supplications That the Lord would humble us in the sight and sense of our sins which have procured the dreadful Judgments and Plagues which have come upon this sinful Generation That he would convince us of our sins and make every one sensible of the Plagues of his own heart and of the Plagues that are upon the hearts of others which are among the most dreadful evidences of the anger of God that Magistrates Ministers people of all ranks may take with their sins and take shame and confusion of face to themselves because of their own sins and the sins of others That he would so turn in mercy and loving-kindness and turn us again that our backslidings be not perpetual and turn the hearts of Rulers and the hearts of people to himself and the hearts of Rulers to the people and the hearts of people to the Rulers the hearts of the fathers to the children and of the children to the fathers that Rulers may have the love kindness pity and compassion of fathers towards the people and may not by rigor and severity provoke the children to wrath and may pity those who are distempered by sad sufferings and that the Lord would incline their hearts to take speedy course that the poor people who wander as sheep without shepherds and who through their own ignorance and humours and distempers are exposed as a prey to seducers to Jesuits and those who are influenced by them who drive poor unstable people who are destitute of faithful Teachers to discover to them the devices of Satan and of his Instruments into snares and mischievous practices and makes them imagine that those pathes of the destroyer are the way to an outgate from their calamities That the Lord would incline I say their hearts to take speedy course that these poor wandering sheep may be provided with Pastors after the Lords heart who may feed them with knowledg and understanding with sound doctrine with the wholesome words of Christ that they may not be turned from the truth unto fables but by the words of the Lords mouth they may be keeped out of the paths of the destroyer and any who are intangled through the devices of Satan and subtil deceivers may be recovered in time out of these snares And that the Lord would incline the hearts of people to be subject to principalities and powers and to obey Magistrates to fear God and honour the King and keep them that they be not tempted by grievous pressures to cast off the yoke of lawful Authority but may possess their souls in patience and wait on the Lord in the way of his judgments who often makes use of lawful Magistrates to punish his people for their sins and though the Magistrate may be wrong yet God is righteous and we should be humbled under his hand It 's a very humbling dispensation when Parents and Magistrates are alienate from and rigid against their children and subjects and we should not be chafed and enraged but humbled under the mighty hand of God and carry with that lowliness and meekness patience and respect to lawful Authority that we may commend ourselves to the consciences of all in the sight of God that being reviled we may bless being persecuted we may suffer it being defamed we may entreat And seeing the Devil is so active to rent the Church and to ruine it and to render the Ministers of the Gospel and so the Gospel it self contemptible we should if we can do no more pray for the peace of Jerusalem and that the Lord would let people see the devices of Satan and Seducers who draw them away from under the eye of the Shepherd that they may destroy them and that he would convince people that it 's their duty to esteem Ministers very highly in love for their works sake and for their Masters sake for they who despise them despise Christ and the Father who sent Christ Farmer Sir I think my self much obliged to you for the pains you have taken for my information and I ingenuously acknowledg I am by what I have heard instructed in many things of which I was ignorant I shall desire before we part that ye would give me some directions how to order my way in this dark and dangerous time in which my lot hath fallen it 's seldome that I have occasion to converse with Ministers which makes me the more desirous to make the best use of their company I can when any of them come this way Minist There are many excellent directions in several of these Papers that I was speaking of before it were your advantage to have them I shall only give you a few 1. Let that be your earnest study to be in Christ and to walk in him to know him and to be found in him having his righteousness and to be conformed to him to walk at he walked The Apostle Paul counted all things loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ and to be found in him c. and he travelled as in birth to have Christ formed in the
and his Mother he payed tribut to Caesar and directed others to do so It adorns the Doctrine of God when those who profess it are dutiful in their several places and Stations when they join Righteousness with Religion when they fear God and honour the King when they are subject to Magistrates out of a principle of Conscience when they are obedient Children faithful servants doing their work heartily as to the Lord. And when it is other ways the name of God is blasphemed and the way of God is evil spoken of 7. Beware of the first beginnings of sinful courses beware left any root of bitterness spring up if ye give way to the first motions of evil they will encrease to more ungodliness if the desire after the sincere milk of the word begin to languish if ye look not to it in time ye may come to an indifferency whether you hear the word or not and that may increase to a loathing and lightlying of the word and that may increase to a contempt of the Preaching of the word and then God in his righteous judgment may leave you to be plagued with Papers and Pamphlets and Teachers after your own lusts which will foster you in the contempt of the Ordinances and make you imagine that it's tenderness and zeal and a testimony to despise the Lords Ordinances and so far delude you as to make you imagine that profanity is Religion If you let that honour and respect which by the command of God is due to Magistrates decay you may come next to despise them and curse them in your heart and thought and then mutter out these revilings in private and then vent them openly and from virulent words come to open violence to design and endeavour to turn them out of their places and murther them and then be plagued with Papers and Doctrines deluding you to that height as to bring you to think that this fury is the zeal of God If ye lose the esteem and love that ye should have to the Ministers of Christ ye may come by degrees to despise them and revile them and to think it good service to God to make their Ministry useless and contemptible yea ye may come to that to think it good service to God to kill his servants and in the righteous judgment of God you may be left to the delusions of Satan to imagine that these abominations make you holier than others tremble at the deceitfulness of the desperately wicked heart of man and at the dreadful but holy judgments of God who gives over the backslider in heart to be filled with his own ways and plagues those who receive not the truth in love and who harbours and entertains lusts contrary to the word of God with strong delusions and with deluding Teachers who tickle the itching ears of those who after their lusts heap up Teachers to themselves with Doctrines which are suitable to their lusts 8. That you may see the mischief of error and schism and be guarded against it Read Mr. Durham's excellent Treatise of Scandal and the Preface prefixed by Mr. Robert Blair that eminent Servant of the Lord in whom holiness learning wisdom prudence zeal experience Ministerial authority and gravity were contemperate in an eminent degree in the end of that Preface he saith 〈…〉 much longer the Reader from the Treatise it self having added these few considerations for heart-uniting in the Lord which of all other I conceive ought to be most weighty in the judgment and on the affections of all the lovers of our Lord Jesus Christ 1. From Eph. 2.14 15 16 17. the great peace-maker in offering up himself in a sacrifice for the sins of the Elect intended with the reconciling of them to God to unite them in one body among themselves yea even those who were at furthest distance and greatest enmity Jew and Gentile and consequently other his Elect in their several differences and divisions throughout their generations He took on him the debt of their sins and enmities and lâ—fâ—ed up with himself these on his Cross representatively virtually and meritoriously to expâ—â—te them in his flesh and by his Spirit efficiently to slay and abolish them in due time by making them one 〈…〉 in himsâ—lf Mark I pray from that Scrâ—â—â—â—re cited that this complex business is the grâ—at 〈◊〉 of our blessed and great peace-maker 〈◊〉 2ly in the Sacrifice-feast of his Supper this is still represented and exhibited till he come again So that this standing Ordinance destinated and appointed of God to carry on and seal up uniting with God and one with another till he come again at his coming will stand up and testifie against all who comply not with Christ but following their own inclination act rather against his design And 3ly in his solemn prayer Joh. 17. which is a Specimen of his future Intercession he mainly presseth after the Salvation and Sanctification of those that are given him v. 21. That they also may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me Do not these words significantly and shiningly hold out what the Mediator is still about and that uniting in God is his design still And 4ly upon the same very ground the great Apostle speaking to Jews and Gentiles who had embraced the Gospel and in them to all dissentients who love the Gospel-truths and Ordinances saith Rom. 15.7 Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Meritoriously and virtually the Elect are received to the glory of God And to the end they may be actually received Receive one another saith the Apostle as it were suspending the one upon the other And now upon these grounds Christ our Lord his grand design being so conspicuous his Supper-Ordinance standing as a land-mark in the way having this engraven upon it Union Communion the Glorious Mediator his Intercession running in the same channel and the blessed Apostle making â—his the upshot of his Doctrine what lover of our Lord well advised and recollecting himself dare stifly stand out from complying with him to satisfie their own inclination and habituated custom and carriage My fear is that every one of us will look to some others rather than themselves as obstructing the desired uniting in the Lord. But upon mature after-thoughts it will be found the mind of Christ that we narrowly search our selves every one of us how we have provoked the Holy One to smite us so in his displeasure and accurately to try what yet remains in us obstructive to this union and withal to flee to our slighted duty as in a city they run to the quenching of a publick burning laying this evil to heart more than Sword or Pestilence All the writings and actings against Presbyterian Government which is the wall of the house of God have never wronged or hurt it so much as our ill-raised
and worse continued contests Our nakedness-discovering writings what have they done but added oyl to the flame For Christs sake my reverend and dear Brethren hearken to this word in season from the Oracles of God and treasures of pure antiquity pointing out the way of a godly and edifying peace It will be no grief of heart but sweet peace and consolation when we are to appear before the Judg of the quick and the deed Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus So heartily prayeth your Brother and fellow-â—ervant ROBERT BLAIR Thus far Reverend Mr. Blair who was both a Son of Thunder â—nd a Son of Peace a Peace maker O with what authority and seriousneâ—s did I hear him press unity in Preaching before a Synod from these words Phil. 2.1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind And I heard him say upon Preaching before a general Assembly That he could be content to be carried from the place in which he was Preaching to his grave to have the rent that then was in the Church cured Ignorant and rash youths who have not experience and consider not what an abominable sin Schism is and what are the mischievous consequences of it and how it ordinarily ends in the ruin desolation of a Church they know little what they are doing when they are blowing up the fire of contention and it 's a sport to some to cast such fire-brands But they who have Heavenly wisdom see that that sporting is mischievous madness that it will be bitter in the latter end It is not for nought that the Spirit of God directed the Apost Paul in writing to the Church of the Corinthians in which there were many things wrong to fall first upon the ill of divisions 1 Cor. 1.10 and when he is shutting up that Epistle he exhorts that all these things be done with charity and to greet one another with an holy kiss And when he is shutting up the 2 Epist he concludes Finally Brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you Greet one another with an holy kiss So thus he begins and ends with this unity and peace 9. And because no speaking nor reasoning will prevail against the working of a spirit of error and schism without the effectual working of the pirit of the Lord let us humbly and earnestly pray that the Lord would have mercy upon us for his Sons sake who came to destroy the works of the Devil pour upon us the spirit of grace and of supplications the spirit of faith repentance that we may look on him whom we have pierced mourn the spirit of a sound mind the spirit of love peace And that every one Magistrates Ministers and people may be made sensible of their own sins We should pray that the Lord would send his Spirit that convinces the world of sin to let us see our sins and to let us see them written in our judgments that we may accept of the punishment of our sins justifie the Lord when he judges The Lord often writes the sins of men in so great and legible letters in their judgments that they who run may read them David despised the Lord and occasioned the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme by his adultery and murther incestuous filthiness breaks out in his house the sword departs not from his house his people despise him and follow Absalom Shimei an exasperate Benjamite is let loose upon him to revile and curse him and cast stones at him he disowns him as no King gives him no title of honour but only calls him a man and which was worse a bloody man a man of Belial and does not cry and then flee but goes along in the sight and hearing of the King Courtiers and Soldiers cursing casting stones and dust David sees that tho' Shimei did this contrary to the Law of God which says Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the ruler of thy people Yet that he did it not without the over-ruling Providence of God he saw that the Lord had let Shimei loose upon him is humbled under the hand of God Uzziah will needs go to the Temple exercise the Priests Office the Lord by Leprosie cuts him off from the House of the Lord and from the exercise of his Kingly Office When the Priests did not impartially apply the Law of God to reclaim the people from their sins no doubt they thought thus to keep in with the people but this brought them to be base contemptible before all the people Mal. 2.9 The Jews that remained in the land after the ruin of the Temple though they had but one Prophet yet they despise him they will not hear the word which Jeremiah spoke in the name of the Lord but they would do what went out of their own mouth and therefore the Lord leaves them to live like Pagans swears by his great name that his name should not be named any more in their mouths they should not have so much as the form profession of the worship of the true God Jer. 44.16 26. they would not be reproved by Ezek. ch 3.26 they are plagued with the want of a reprover When people will reject the counsel of the Lord will not hearken to his voice nor take his gracious offer made in the Gospel when they will not endure sound Doctrine nor desire the sincere milk of the word nor receive the truth in love the Lord justly gives them up to their own hearts lusts to walk in their own counsels to strong delusions to believe lyes to be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine to turn aside to fables When they despise his servants will not receive his mâ—ssengers their message count them enemies for telling the truth the Lord removes his servants from them leaves them to be deluded with teachers which are after their own humours and lusts When people refuse to hear the Lords words and walk after the imaginations of their own heart Jer. 13.10 the Lord fills them with drunkenness that they destroy one another like drunken men who know not what they are doing v. 13. Behold I will fill all the Inhabitants of this Land even the Kings that sit upon Davids Throne and the Priests and the Prophets and all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness And I will dash them one against another even the Fathers and the Sons together saith the Lord I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy but destroy them Hear ye and give car be not proud for the Lord hath spoken Give glory to
the Lord your God before he cause darkness and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains and while ye look for light he turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness When folk will follow their own imaginations and will not walk in the light of the word of God the Lord fills them with drunkenness and leaves them to dash upon one another and destroy one another like drunken men fighting in the dark But neither words nor rods will be rightly understood or laid to heart till the Spirit be poured from on high If the Lord would pour out his Spirit we would not only be brought to see our sins but to be ashamed of them to take shame and confusion of face to our selves we would sorrow and mourn and lament after the Lord we would turn from our sins to the Lord and joyn our selves to the Lord and we would joyn together in seeking the Lord in his Ordinances then the Wilderness would be a fruitful field the dead and scattered bones would be joyned together and live then Judah and Israel would be one stick in the hand of the Lord Ezek. 37. Then the Children of Israel and Judah would come together going and weeping seeking the Lord their God asking the way to Sion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyn our selves unto the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Jer. 50.4 5. When the Spirit is poured out from on high upon his people then the Lord turns to them a pure Language that they may call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent then they turn humble Suplicants and pour out their hearts in groans and sighs that cannot be uttered then Pride and Haughtiness is taken away and people become poor in Spirit and have no confidence in the flesh but trust in the Lord and rejoyce in the Lord Jesus Zeph. 3.9 10 11 12. Rom. 8.26 27. Phil. 3.3 Till the Lord come till he return with mercy and loving-kindness and turn us again and cause his face to shine and see our ways and heal us we will but wax worse and worse there is no remedy for us but in his Sovereign Gracc and those mercies that have been of old and endure for ever Let us look to him who is exalted to give Repentance to Israel and Remission of sins that he would turn us that we may be turned and heal our backslidings and heal our breaches that he may utter that quickning word Ezek. 37.9 Come from the four winds O breath and breath upon these slain that they may live O Lord come and overcome our evil with thy goodness for who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passes by the transgression of the Remnant of thy heritage and retains not anger for ever because thou delights in mercy who will turn again and will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins in the depth of the Sea thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn to our Fathers from the days of old Micha 7.18 19 20. We have not remembred our Covenant but have spoken words falsly in making a Covenant Nevertheless O Lord remember thy Covenant and establish to us an everlasting Covenant that we may remember our ways and be ashamed Establish thy Covenant with us that we may know that thou art the Lord that we may remember and be confounded and never open our mouth any more because of our shame when thou art pacified toward us for all that we have done O Lord Righteousness belongs to thee but unto us confusion of faces as it is this day to all of us to our Kings Princes Fathers Ministers people of all ranks belongs Confusion but to the Lord our God belongs mercies and forgiveness tho' we have sinned against him Lord give us Repentance and turn us and we shall be turned Let thy power be great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression Lord humble our uncircumcised hearts that we may take with our sins and accept of the punishment of them that we may remember them with shame and sorrow but do not thou remember against us former iniquities but according to thy mercy remember us for thy goodness sake O Lord remember for us thy Covenant and repent according to the multitude of thy mercies and for thy names-sake pardon our iniquities for they are many and great And when Wisdom and Council and Strength when Light and Life is gone and when Unity is gone when there is none to help and none of the Sons of Zion to take her by the hand in her distress when there is none to make up the breach no Intercessor let thine own arm bring salvation When all earthly Glory is stained blasted and gone appear in thine own Glory in the glory of thy wisdom power and Sovereign grace in building Sion build the house and bear the glory that when thou hast done the work by thy Spirit grace grace may be glorified and that this may be written for the Generations to come that the people which shall be created may praise the Lord. We do not present our Supplications before thee for our righteousness for we are all as an unclean thing and our righteousness as filthy rags but for thy great mercy O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do defer not for thy own sake O our God! for this people are called by thy Name O Lord the hope of Israel the Savior thereof in the time of trouble though our iniquities testifie against us do for thy name sake if thou mark our iniquity we cannot stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou may be feared there is mercy with thee and plenteous redemption and thou redeemest Israel from all his iniquities and troubles O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low help us O God of our Salvation for the Glory of thy name and deliver and purge away our sins for thy name sake save this people bless thy Inheritance feed them also and lift them up for ever Save us O Lord our God and gather us to give thanks unto thy holy name and to triumph in thy praise Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting and let all the people say Amen Praise ye the Lord. Unto the King eternal immortal invisible the only wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and and ever Amen FINIS