ly covenanted to be extirpated. Next, though in this period, tyranny being in its retrograde motion, e. raftian fupremacy was not fo much contended for, and therefore not fo much queftioned as formerly, being held exploded with execration out of doors and. out of doubt; yet the teftimony was ftill continued against it, in the uninterrupted maintaining of the church's privileges and freedom of affemblies, against all encroachings of adverfaries. And therefore the embracing of the late deteftable indulgences, were as contrary to the actings of this as to the teftimonies of the former period, against the fupremacy from which they flow. Yea many particulars, might be inftanced, wherein the acceptors had declined from the covenanted reformation then profecuted; not only in their confederating with malignant ufurpers, for the pretended benefit of them (by which, if there had been no more, they are obnoxious to the cenfure of the church, standing registered in an act of affembly, ordaining all perfons in ecclefiaftic office, for the like or leffer degrees of compliance, yea even for procuring protections from malignant enemies, to be fufpended from their office and all exercife thereof at Edin. 1646. feff. 14.) Nor only in their taking finful inftructions from them, reftricting them in the exercife of their miniftry; but in admitting themfelves, by their patronage, to be by them prefented to their prelimited and pre-impofed congregations: which involves them in the iniquity of the abolished patronages, condemned by the affembly; for that miniftry of fuch fo prefented, is made too much to depend upon the will and pleafure of man, and fuch an impofition is deftructive of the church and people's liberties, ob. ftructive of the gofpel's freedom and faithful plainness, and occafion of much bafe flattery and partiality; and in fubjecting to, homologating, and fortifying a facrilegious fupremacy, overturning the intrinfic power of the church, contrary to the covenant obliging to the prefervation of the government, as well as to the doc

trine of the church, in the first article thereof; and in their fuffering themselves, either directly or indirectly, either by combination, perfuafion, or terror, to be divided and withdrawn from that bleffed union and conjunction, which they were obliged to maintain and promove, according to the fixth article of the folemn league and covenant; and in their strengthening the eraftian ufurpations of enemies encroaching upon the church's liberties and Chrift's prerogatives, againft which we are engaged exprefsly in the folemn ac'knowledgment of fins and engagement to duties, where alfo we have thefe words article 2. Becaufe many have of late laboured to fupplant the liberties of the church, we fhall maintain and defend the church of Scotland, in all her liberties and privileges, against all who fhall oppofe or undermine the fame, or encroach thereupon under any pretext whatfomever. Next, we have many demonftrations of the zeal and ftrictness of these fervants of Chrift, in their fynodical determinations of cenfures, to be paft upon many ministerial corruptions; which will condemn the prefent courfe of covering and countenancing them, and commend the contendings of a poor reproached party against them, in their confcientious abstracting from them. Of which determinations, I fhall rehearse fome. Among the enormities and corruptions of the miniftry, in their callings, this is one, fect. 4, 5. Silence in the public caufe-fome accounting it a point of wisdom to speak ambiguoufly-whereof the remedy is fect. 15. That befide all other fcandals, filence or ambiguous fpeaking in the public caufe-be feafonably 'cenfured, general affembly, at Edinburgh, June 13. 1646.' There is indeed an act against withdrawers from minifters: but in the felf fame act they are charged to be diligent in fulfilling their miniftry, "to be faithful in preaching, declaring the whole counsel of God, and as they have occafion from the text of fcripture to reprove the fins and errors, and prefs the duties of the time, and in all thefe to obferve the

'rules

'rules prefcribed by the acts of affembly, wherein if they be negligent, they are to be cenfured, general affembly Edinburgh, Aug. 24. 1647. feff. 19.' Then there is that act, Aug. 3. 1648. feff. 26. for censuring minifters for their filence, and not speaking to the corruptions of the time; calling it, a great fcandal, through fome minifters their referving and ❝ not declaring themselves against the prevalent fins of the times; appointing, that all that do not apply their doctrine to thefe corruptions, which is the paftoral gift, and that are cold or wanting of fpiritual zeal, diffembling of public fins, that all fuch be cenfured even to deprivation; for forbearing or paffing in filence the errors and exorbitancies of fectaries in England, or the defections current at home, the plots and practices of malignants, the prin 'ciples and tenets of eraftianifm; and if they be found too fparing, general, or ambiguous in their applications and reproofs, and continuing fo, they are to be depofed, for being pleasers of men rather 'than fervers of Chrift, for giving themselves to a de⚫ teftable indifferency or neutrality in the caufe of God for defrauding the fouls of people, yea for being highly guilty of the blood of fouls, in not giving 'them warning.' And in that feafonable and neceffary warning of the general affembly, Edinbugh July 27. 1649. feff. 27. we are taught how they refented the unfaithfulness of minifters continuing in defections, and how we are to look upon them and carry to them where they fay, it is undeniably true, that many of the evils, wherewith this church and king. dom hath been afflicted in our age, have come to pass because of the negligence of fome and corrupti 'ons of others of the miniftry; and the course of backfliding was carried on, until it pleafed God to 6 ftir up the fpirits of these few, who ftood in the gap, to oppofe and refift the fame, and to begin the work of reformation in the land; fince which time, the fi

6

lence

*lence of some minifters, and the compliance of o'thers, hath had great influence upon the backflidings of many amongst the people, who, upon the difcovery of the evil of their way, complain that they 'got no warning, or that if they were warned by fome, others held their peace, or did justify them in the courfe of their backfliding: we ' can look upon fuch minifters no otherwife, than upon thefe that are guilty of the blood of the Lord's people, and with whom the Lord will reckon, 'for all the breach of covenant and defection that hath been in the land; the prieft's lips fhould preferve 'knowledge, and they fhould feek the law at his mouth, for he is the meffenger of the Lord of hofts, 'but fuch as are departed out of the way, and have 'caused many to ftumble at the law, therefore hath the Lord made them contemptible before all the 'people, according as they have not kept his ways, 'but have been partial in his law, because they have loft their favour, he hath caft out many of them as 'unfavoury falt.' Furthermore, to evidence the purity and power of zeal burning and blazing in thefe days in their contendings againft public enemies on all hands, I fhall inftance fome of their acts and testimonies, clearly condemning the manifold compliances of this generation and which may contribute fomewhat to justify the reproached precifenefs of a remnant, ftanding at the furtheft diftance from them. There is an act for cenfuring the compliars with the public enemies of this church and kingdom, general affembly, June 17. 1646, feff. 14. where, they judge 'it a great and fcandalous provocation, and grievous 'defection from the public caufe, to comply with thofe 'malignants (fuch as James Graham then was) in any 'degree, even to procure protections from them, or to have invited them to their houses, or to have drunk James Graham's health, or to be guilty of any other fuch grofs degrees of compliance; cenfur

ed to be fufpended from the communions, ay and while they acknowledge their offence.' And yet now, for refusing thefe degrees of compliance, for not having the protection of a pass from the wicked courts of malignant enemies, by taking a wicked oath, and for refufing to drink the king's health, a greater ene. my'then ever James Graham was, fome fome poor confcien tious people have not only been murdered by enemies, but mocked and condemned by profeffors. There is an act likewise, and declaration against all new oaths or bonds in the common caufe impofed without confent of the church general affembly, Edinburgh July 28. 1648. feff. 18. Enjoining all the members of the church to fearbear the fwearing or fubfcribing any new oaths, or bonds, in this caufe without ad'vice and concurrence of the church, especially any negative oaths or bonds, which may any way limit or reftrain them in the duties whereunto they are obliged, by national or folemn league or covenant.' Yet now, for refufing oaths, not only limiting in covenanted duties, but contradicting and condemning many material principles of the covenanted reformation, many have not only loft their lives, but also have been condemned, by them that are at cafe, having a wider confcience to fwallow fuch baits. It is known how pertinacious the most faithful in thofe days were, in their contendings against affociations, in any undertaking for the cause, with perfons difaffected to the true itate thereof. I need not give any account of this, were it not that now that principle is quite inverted; and poor adherers to it, for their abftracting and fubftracting their concurrence with fuch promifcuous affociations, are much hated and flouted; thereforel fhall give some hints of their fentiments of them. In their answer to the committee of eftates, July 25, 1648, feff. 14. the general affembly fays, It was reprefented to the parliament, that for fecuring of religion it was neceffathat the popifh, prelatical, and malignant party, be declared enemies to the caufe upon the one hand,

ry,

as