the evils where with the Land hath been afflicted and it is an great provocation before God as it appears from these and the like Scriptures Numb 14 1 2 3 4 10 11 12. And all the Congregations lifted up their voice and weeped and cryed and the people weeped that night and all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole Congregation said to them would to God we had died in the land of Egypt or would to God we had died in the wildernesse and wherefore hath the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword that our wives and our children should be a prey were it not better for us to return to Egypt And they said one to another let us makâ— a Captain let us return to Egypt then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the Assemblies of all the Congregation of the children of Israel but all the Congregation bade stone them with stones and the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of the Congregation before all the Children of Israel And the Lord said unto Moses How long will this People provoke me and how long will it be ere this People beleeve me for all the signs I have shewed amongst them I will smite them with pestilence and disinherit them and will make of thee a Nation mighter and greater then they Numbers 2. 1. 5 6. And they journied from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to compasse the Land of Edom and the soul of the People was much discouraged because of the way and the People spake against GOD and against Moses Wherfore have ye brought us up out of the Land to die in the wilderness for there is no bread neither is there any water for our soul loatheth this light bread and the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and much people of Israel died 1 Cor. 11. 10. Neither be ye murmurers as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer 2. Using not only of charmes though it be condemned in the Scriptures Deut. 18. 11. A Charmer or a consulter with familiar spirits or a Wizard or a Necromancer shall not be found amongst you for all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord yet is very frequent among the Commons But also Sorcery and Witchcraft which is an abomination Exod. 22. 18. Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live Deut. 18. 10. There shall not be found amongst you any that useth Divination or any Iuchanter or any Witch especially amongst these who have been baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus and yet doth by the great discoveries thereof which hath been of late appear to be very frequent in the Land 3. Ordinary swearing by them that are no Gods Ier. 5. 7. How shall I pardon thee for this thy Children have forsaken Me and sworn by them who are no Gods when I have fed them to the full Zeph. 1. 4 5. I will also stretch out my hand against Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place and the name of the Chemarims with the Priests and them that worship the host of heaven upon the house tops and them that worship and that swear by the Name of the LORD and that swear by Malcham such as Faith Truth Soul Conscience and by the holy and blessed Name of GOD Himself and by His Blood and Wounds and fearful Execrations and Cursings which though they be condemned forbidden and threatned in the Scriptures Exod. 2â— 7. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain Levit 19. 12. Thou shalt not swear by my Name fasly neither shalt thou prophane the Name of thy God I am the Lord. Matth. 5. 33 34 35 36 37. Again ye have heard it said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform to the Lord thy God thy Oathes But I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne neither by the Earth for it is His Footstool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou swear by thy Head for thou cannot make one hair white or black But let your communication be Yea yea Nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil Jer. 23. 10. For the Land is full of Adulteries because of Swearing the Land mourneth and the pleasant places in the wildernesse are dried up because their course is evil and their force is not right Zech. 5. 1 2 3 4. Then I looked and lift up miâ—e eyes and behold a flying Roll the length thereof is twenty cubits and the breadth thereof ten cubits Then said he unto me This is the curse that goeth over the face of the whole Earth for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it and every one that sweareth shall be cut off on that side according to it I will bring it forth saith the Lord of hosts and it shall enter into the house of the Thief and into the house of him that sweareth falsly by my Name and it shall remain in the midst of his house and shall consume the timber and stones thereof Yet these are so frequent and habitual amongst us that in many parts of the Land it is a rare thing to find a man or a woman that in their ordinary speech is not addicted to some one of these 4. Ordinary and gross prophanation of the Lords Day not only by slighting of and absenting from the Publick Worship with the Congregation which is a fault whereof many are guilty and not attending to the Word or joyning in Prayer and singing of Psalms when they are present but also by travelling trysting working speaking our own words and otherwise The danger and hainousness of this sin appears from Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Nehem. 13. 15 16 17 18. In those dayes saw I in Judah some treading Wine-presses on the Sabbath and bringing in Sheaves and loading Asses and also Wine-Grapes and Figs and all manner of burdens which they brought to Jerusalem on the Sabbath Day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals There dwelt men of Tyre also therein which bought fish and all manner of ware which they sold to the children of Juda and Jerusalem on the Sabbath then I contended with the Nobles of Juda and said unto them What evill thing is this which ye do and prophane the Sabbath day did not your fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evill on us and on this city yet ye bring more wrath on Israel by prophaning the Sabbath Isai 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy own pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy of the Lord. honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine
the People Exod. 20. 15. Thou shalt not steal Ezek. 22. 12. In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood thou hast taken usury and increase thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbour by extortion Amos. 5. 12. They afflict the just they have taken abribe they turn aside the poor from his right Micah 6. 10 11. Are there yet treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure that is abominable Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and with the bag of deceitfull weights 1 Thess 4. 6. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter for the Lord is the avenger of all such 11. Lying slandering backbiting detracting riviling tale-bearing rash censuring and defaming and speaking ill one of another with false witnessing and perjury breach of Oaths Covenants promises Exodus 20. 16. Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy neighbour Psal. 50. 19 20. Thou givest thy mouth to evil and thy tongue frameth deceit thou sittest and speakest against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mothers son 2 Cor. 12. 20. Left there be debates envyings wrath strife backbiting whisperings swellings and tumults Matth. 7. 1. Iudge not that ye be not judged Rom. 1. 31. without understanding Covenant-breakers without natural affection implacable unmercifull 2 Tim 3. 1 2. This know also that in the last dayes perillous times shal come for men shal be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unholy Before we close this Article of prophanity we cannot but in a speciall way take notice of the carriage of many beggars in the Land amongst whom for a long time past abominations of all sorts hath abounded which sin lyes so much heavier on the Land because though it hath been generally known and acknowledged by all yet hath no effectuall course been taken to this day for the helping thereof 3. Article THe third Article which relates to JESUS CHRIST and the Gospel is in a great measure spoken to in the Causes of Humiliation concerning the contempt of the Gospel condescended on by the Commission of the Generall Assembly at Perth Dec. 22. 1650. yet some particulars there be in the Article which we shall now speak unto 1. The resting on out ward and bare forms without studying to known in our selves or to promove in others the Kingdom of GOD which is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost The Work of Reformation in the outward part of it or externall means that do relate to Worship and Ordinances of GOD and the purity thereof is certainly a thing excellent and desirable which all the lovers of pure Religion and undefiled ought to endeavour to attain to and preserve Ezra 7. 27. Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers who hath put such a thing as this in the Kings heart to beautifie the house of the Lord at Ierusalem Exod. 39. 42. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses so the Children of Israel made all the work 43. v. And Moses did look on all the work and behold they had done it as the Lord commanded even so had they done and Moses blessed them Ezek. 42. 11. And the way before them was like the appearing of the Chambers that were toward the North as long as they and as broad as they and all their goings out were both according to their fashions and according to their doores Heb. 3. 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithful in all his house Heb. 8. 5. Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle for see saith he that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount But when these things are rested upon and idolized they do through our corruption become snares to us to keep us from seeking in to more excellent and better things to wit communion and fellowship with GOD and the power and life of godliness which are the kernell whereof these things are but the shell and the scrooff and being rested upon do provoke the Lord either to make them barren and fruitlesse to us or else to loath us in the following of them or to remove them wholly away from us Isai 1. 10 11 12 13 14 15. Hear the word of the Lord ye rulers of Sodom give ear to the Law of our God ye people of Gomorrah To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts I delight not in the blood of bullocks or of lambs or of he-goats When ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts Bring no more vain oblation incense is an abomination to me the new moons and the Sabbaths and the calling of the assembly I cannot away with it is an iniquity even the solemn meeting your new moons and appointed feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood Isai. 66. 1 2 3 4. Thus saith the Lord The heavens is my throne and the earth is my footstool where is the house ye will build me and where is the place of my rest for all these things hath mine hand made and all these things have been saith the Lord But to this man will I look even to him that is of a poor and contrite spirit and trembleth at my word He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a lamb as if he cut off a dogsneck he that offereth an oblation as he that offereth swines blood he that burneth incense as he that blesseth an idol Yea they have chosen their own wayes and their soul delighteth in their abominations I also will choose their delusions and bring their fears on them because when I called none did answer and when I spake they did not hear but did evill before mine eyes and chose that in which I delighted not Jer. 7. 4 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. Trust ye not in lying words saying The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord are these Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Will ye steal murder commit adultery and swear falsely and burn incense to Baal and walk after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say we are delivered to do all these abominations Is this house which is called by my Name become a den of robbers in your eyes Behold even I have seen it saith the Lord but go ye to my place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickednesse
by any amongst our selves or hinted at by any amongst them were slighted and some time entertained with disdain reproach and contempt and albeit the invasion was unjust yet certainly it was our duty to have followed and endeavoured peace so far as was possible Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see God Psalm 120. 7. I am for peace but when I speak they are for war 7. Step. The seventh is the Publick Resolutions of Kirk and State for bringing in the Malignant Party first to the Army and then to the Judicatories and the actuall intrusting of them with the power of the Kingdom both Military and Civill We conceive that these Publick Resolutions in the complex of them do besides other sins which may be mentioned include those First a conjunction with the Enemies of God and his Cause which is condemned by many clear Scriptures 2 Chron. 19. 1 2. And Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah returned to his house in peace to Ierusalem and Iehu the son of Hananâ— the seer went out to meet him and said to King Iehoshaphat Shouldst thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the LORD therefore is wrath on thee from before the Lord. Isa. 30. 1 2 3. Wo to the rebellious children saith the LORD that take councel but not of me and that cover with a covering but not of my spirit that they made adde sin to sin That walk to go down to Egypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion Isa. 31. 1 2 3. Wo to them that go down to Egypt for help and stay on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsmen because they are very strong but they look not to the holy one of Israel neither seek the LORD Yet he also is wise and will bring evill and will not call back his words But will arise against the house of the evill doers and against the help of them that work iniquity Now the Egyptians are men and not GOD and their horses flesh and not spirit when the LORD snall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they all shall fall together Jer. 2. 18. And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink the waters of Sihor or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria to drink the waters of the river Jer. 13. 21. What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee for thou hast taught them to be captains and as chief over thee shall not sorrows take thee as a woman in travail 2. The laying of a foundation of or the establishing of a rule for imploying and intrusting men with the interest of the Cause of GOD and of the Kingdom who ought not to be imployed nor instrusted if respect be had to the qualifications required in the Word viz. That they be men fearing GOD hating covetousnesse and dealing truly who are appointed to be rulers over thousands hundreds fifties and tens Exod. 18. 21. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as fear GOD men of truth hating covetousnesse and place such over them to be rulers of thousands and rulers of hundreds rulers of fifties and rulers of tens and that they be just ruling in the fear of God who rules over men 2 Sam. 23. 3. The GOD of Israel said the Rock of Israel spake to me He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God 3. That there was therein a breach and violation of the fourth Article of the Covenant which obligeth that we be so far from giving trust to Malignants that they should endeavor to bring them to condign punishment 4. That there was therein a manifest receding from the solemn publick confession of sins and engagement to duties and from the constant tenor of our Declarations Warnings and Remonstrances and causes of humiliation these years past Ier. 2. 35 36 37. Yet thou sajest Because I am innocent surely his anger shal turn from me Behold I will plead with thee because thou sayest I have not sinned Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt as thou wast ashamed of Assyria yea thou shalt go forth from him and thine hands upon thine head for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences and thou shalt not prosper in them 5. That there was a great deal of diffidence and distrust in the Arm of the LORD and a seeking of help from and a resting on the arm of flesh Ier. 17. 5 6. Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the LORD for he shall be like the heatâ— in the desert and shall not see when good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernesse in a salt land and not inhabited 6. That there was therein a great deal of prevarication and deceitfull dealing by many Ier. 5. 2. 3. And though they say The Lord liveth surely they swear falsely O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a rock they have refused to return Because albeit the arguments that were used were taken from necessity and other things of that kind yet the great wheel that moved in that businesse was a design to bring in that party into places of power and trust into the Army who had been formerly put out for their malignant and disaffected carriage and thereafter albeit in the beginning of this businesse so great haste was pretended that they could not wait for a very few dayes till the Commission might conveen but made use of a unfrequent and occasionall meeting when not onely many of the Members were absent but also not advertised yet when that which was aimed at concerning the Modelling of the Army was obtained they did move but very slowly and Acted nothing at all for many months thereafter nay not till long after the Army was compleatly Leavied and until they had gotten the Act of Classis also resemded and that Party brought to the Parliament aswell as to the Army and untill the Generall Assembly did sit down that they might have their approbation of these proceeding so far as was fit for them to meddle with 7. There was in it a reall stumbling and offence to the most part of the godly in the Land whose hearts were much grieved and their hands exceedingly weakened thereby together with the making glad and strengthening the ungodly and
own wayes nor finding thine own pleasures nor speaking thine own words then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and thou shalt ride on the high places of the earth and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it 5. Not giving obedience to authority to their just and lawfull commands for conscience sake Rom 13. 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but for conscience sake And on the other hand an implicite and willing following of their unlawfull commands obeying men rather then God Hos. 5. 11. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandement Act. 4. 19. Whether it be right in the fight of God to hearken to you rather then to God judge ye The grosse neglect of many parents in the instructing and breeding of their Children in knowledge vertue and piety Eph. 6. 4 Ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And the untowardnesse and ingratitude of many Children to their Parents Eph. 6. 1. 2 3. Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right Honour thy father and mother which is the first commandement with promise that it may be well with thee and that thou may live long on the earth 6. Self murder unnaturall murder of Children enimity malice strife contention especially at Law suits revenge and blood which as they are ancient sins of this Nation and did much appear in the banding of Clans one against another and have been little mourned for or repented of to this day so do they still continue whilst we professe the unity of the Faith in Christ and are joyned in Covenants of love and peace one with another Iam. 3. 14. 15 16. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth This wisdome descendeth not from above but is earthly sensuall devilish For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work 1 Cor. 5. 8. Therefore let us keep the feast not with old Leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickednesse but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth Tit. 3. 3. For we our selves were sometime disobedient foolish deceived serving diverse lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another Levit. 19. 18. Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self I am the LORD Prov. 1. 16. For their feet run to evill and they make haste to shed bloud Gal. 5. 15. For if ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another 7. Intemperance gluttony and drunkennesse the last of which is become so common that it hath over-run almost the whole Nation so that it is hard to find many who are not tiplers or common drunkards or will drink drunk on occasion and with company With this sin we may joyn the immoderate and excessive use of Tobacco which is such that much money and precious time is needlesly and superflously spent that way by persons of all sorts Isa. 5. 11 12 22. Wo to them that rise up early in the morning to drink strong drink and continue till night till Wine i◠flame them and the harp and the viol and tabret and the pipe and wine are in their feasts Wo to them that are mighty to drink wine and men of might to mingle strong drink Prov. 23. 29 30 31 32. Who hath wo Who hath sorrow Who hath contentions Who hath bablings Who hath wounds without cause Who hath redness of eyes They that tarry long at the wine they that go to seek 〈◊〉 wine Look not thou on the wine when it is red when it gives its colour in the cup when it moveth it self aright at last it byteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder Eph. 5. 18. Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess 8. Vanity and excess in apparel and in houshold stuff far above that which becometh the sobriety of the Gospel or that the condition of such a people can reach unto Isa. 3. from the 16. verse Because the daughters of Zion are haughtie and walk with stretched out necks and wanton eyes and mincing as they go and making a tinkling with their fees therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion and the LORD will discover their secret parts And in that day the Lord wil take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet and their cauls and their round tyres like the Moon the chains and the bracelets and the musslers the bonnets the ornaments of the legs and the head-bands and the tablets and the ear-rings and the nose-jewells the changeable suits of apparell the mantles and the wimples the crisping pins the glasses and the fine linen and the hoods and the vails and it shall come to pass that in stead of a sweet smell there shall be stink and in stead of a girdle a rent and in stead of well set hair baldness and in stead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloath and burning in stead of beauty thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty men in the war and her gates shall lament and mourn and she being desolate shall sit on the ground 1 Pet. 3. 3. Whose adorning let it not be outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold and putting on of apparell Zeph. 1. 8. And it shall come to passe in the day of the LORDS sacrifice that I will punish the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are cloathed with strange apparell 9. Uncleanesse and filthinesse of all sorts rotten speeches filthy communication chambering and wantonnesse fornication adultery incest in some places beastiality and sodomie espeacially fornications and adulteries which abound in many places the first whereof viz. fornication is by many accounted no sin For discovering the greatnesse of these sins consider Exod. 20. 14. Thou shalt not commit adultery 1 Cor. 6 13. Now the body is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the body 1 Cor. 5. 1. It is reported commonly that there is fornication amongst you and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his fathers wife Rom. 13. 13. Let us walk honestly as in the day not in chambering and wantonnesse Eph. 5. 3. But fornication and all uncleannesse let it not once be named among you 4. ver Neither filthinesse nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient 10. Prodigality oppression extortions usury bribery theft robbery false weights and measures injustice and unfaithfulnesse in Contracts and Bargaines with fraudulent dealing and deceiving one another Artificial dearthing of victuals and other things the livelyhood and maintenance of