renounced the Pope's infallibility, and his ecclefiaftic jurifdiction? Not at all. And therefore he can eafily free them from every obligation, un

of Proteftants? They have often, they have always done fo, when in power. They are as great enemies to Protestant liberty at present, in Popish countries, as ever: their enmity still difcovers itself. Now, if they have been enemies to precious liberty, if they be fo at prefent, is not the probability strong? Is there not 99 of 100, that foon as opportunity offers, their enmity will burn as keen as ever? Had they never been unfriendly to liberty, were they not so just now, it would be exceeding uncharitable to fufpect them in fome future period. But the cafe being quite the reverfe, all the probability is, that they will be what they have been, and not that they will be what they never were, viz. friends to the liberties of thofe who differ from them. In the cafe of individuals, from their past and their prefent conduct, we form a judgment concerning their future; and why may we not follow the fame rule in judging. concerning that society who hang as at the Pope's girdle? To them, his word is law: and therefore, till they renounce their dependance upon him; that is, till they ceafe to be Papists, they can give no fufficient fecurity for their pacific behaviour.

It has been abundantly shown in fome late publications, that the fpirit of Popery is ftill the fame: and that wherever it is in power, perfecution prevails. In the year 1709, 125 churches were taken from the Lutherans in Silefia: and all who had embraced Lutheranifm, were obliged to renounce it, under the pain of banishment, and confifcation of goods. About the beginning of the year 1732, 20,678, perfous were, on account of their religion, driven from the archbishoprick of Saltzburgh. Stormy as the weather was, and intenfe the cold, they were not allowed the favour due even to voluntary emigrants. Many were forced to leave all behind them, and to depart in a most naked and deftitute condition. Many were not fuffered to carry even their wives and children along with them. By the French King's edicts of the 1st and 16th of February 1745, the rigorous execution of the former ftatutes against Proteftants, and the harbourers of Proteftants, was ftrictly enjoined. And

der which blinded Britons think they are laid.

-Hence there is caufe to fear, that when their hour and their power cometh, they will break their oaths with as much eafe, as Samfon did the withs and ropes wherewith he was bound. If Britain continue to embrace the very outcasts of Popish countries, I tremble for the confequences. If the throw open her gates to the Trojan horse, what but armed enemies can iffue from it's womb, to deftroy the Proteftant interest?

4. All these things, maturely confidered, we may fay in the words of the church of old, Let thy tender mercies fpeedily prevent us, for we are brought very low, Pfal. lxxix. 8. We are low in every refpect: low as a church, and low as a nation. Low in Chriftian knowledge, and low in holiness. The cup of national iniquity has long long been filling up, and now it feems to be almoft to the brim.

hence the utmost misery and defolation covered the district of Montauban.

From the acceffion of the late emprefs queen of Hungary, to the year 1749, the Proteftants there, were deprived of one hundred and five churches. A court commiffioned by her Majesty, 1751, to enquire into the growth of Lutheranifin, announced to fome who were lying in irons, for the profeffion of that religion, that the queen would rather that the land fhould bear thorns and thistles, than be ploughed by Lutherans. So late as the year 1762, Mr. Rochette, a Protestant minister, together with three of the French nobleffe, fufpected of Proteftanifin, were openly and barbarously murdered at Thoulouse in France. -See confiderations on the spirit of Popery, by the learned and worthy Dr. Erskine of Edinburgh, warning against Popery by the affociate, the Burgher, fynod. Addrefs to the Proteftant intereft in Scotland.

The waters of apoftacy have rifen like those mentioned, Ezek. xlvii. 4, 5. from the ankles to the knees, from the knees to the loins; and now they are become an impaffible river. Popery has long walked among us as in vail; and now the profeffes her intention to throw off every mafk. The prevailing doctrine for these many years has had a ftrong tendency this way. What elfe could be the fruits of legalifm, which, like a flood, has overflowed our land? Juftification by works of righ teousness which we have done, is Popery, and the foul of Popery. And who knows not that fomething like this, has long been the modish doctrine? Virtue has been palmed upon us, inftead of that heavenly robe which the Redeemer wove, as out of his own bowels. A baftard-covenant of works has often often been the unhallowed found from the high-places of the fanctuary. What marvel, if therefore now enemies rore in the midst of congregations, and set up their enfigns for figns? A flood of legal doctrine has, as usual, been followed with another flood of Antinomian practice. These have run through the breadth and the length of our land. Men and ministers of the Presbyterian name, have exercised tyranny over the heritage of God; witnefs the law of patronage: a law as much without foundation as any of the Popish tenets +

It has been wittily obferved, that the Arian has fomething to fay, My Father is greater than I; the Papist something, This is my body; the Arminian fomething, Work out your own falva tion; but the oppreffive Patron has nothing to fay: nothing from the law of the Lord, whatever he may from that of the land.

R

The fountains of our Ifrael have been greatly corrupted; and thence have iffued many bitter waters: fo bitter, that the flock of God could not drink. Hence have arifen teflimonies in the church; feparations from it: groans on both fides the wall of the establishment. But all to little or no purpofe, as to the principal and fuccefsful abettors of these measures.

Amidft fuch a course of defection, such a tide of tyranny and divifion, is it to be wondered at, if the fons of Rome exert the most vigorous efforts to come in like a flood? No, truly. All the miracle would be, if they did not, lift up themselves, and threaten to break down our strongest barriers. It would not be like the ferpent to let flip fuch a favourable opportunity. Add to this, that having fo long defpifed the true light, the Lord may now, in justice, cause darkness; and while we look for light, he may turn it into the shadow of death, and make it grofs darkness, Jer. xiii. 16.

To fuch a height is our guilt increased, that, according to God's path-way, there must be a stroke. In our present situation, we cannot long continue. I think that, without daring to fet limits to the boly One of Ifrael, there feems a neceffity of one of two; either an uncommon effufion of the Spirit, or fome dreadful national ftroke. Which of these we deserve, I need not fay; and as little which of them, according to the aspect of providence, we have reason to expect. God has long been vifibly withdrawing the one, and that as a dreadful prelude of the other. And after refifting the ftrivings of the Spirit, what but a flood of judgments is to

follow? Once and again, in this age, we have been delivered from the inroads of the Popish enemy. The third attempt is now in agitation; and who that loves his Bible, and his God, does not tremble for the event? Divines of different denominations have thought, that the most awful judgments are ftill awaiting these lands; and that Popery fhall once more draw her difmal vail over them. great archbishop Ufher, who foretold the calamity of Ireland, and the commotions of England, forty years before they came to pass *, was wont, not once, but often to affirm with great confidence,

The

*Preaching before the state, at Chrift-church upon a special folemnity, he gave them his opinion of that abominable toleration of idolatry, making a clear application of that paffage, Ezek. iv. 6. where the prophet by lying on his fide, was to bear the iniquity of Judah forty days, I have appointed thee, faith the Lord, each day for a year. This, faid he, by the confent of interpreters, fignifies the time of forty years to the destruction of Jerufalem for their idolatry; and fo, faid he, will I reckon from this year the fin of Ireland, and at the end of the time, those whom you now embrace, fhall be your ruin, and you fhall bear this iniquity; wherein he proved a prophet: for this was delivered by him, Anno Chrifti, 1601.; and Anno 1641. was the Irish rebellion and maffacre. And what a continued expectation he had of a great judgment upon his native country, I faith Mr. Bernard, can witnefs from the year 1624. at which time, I had the happiness first to be known to him; and the nearer the time approached, the more confident was he of the event, though as yet nothing tending towards it was visible to other men. Archbishop Usher was but about one and twenty years of age when he preached, or rather prophecied of fuch an event at such a distance. For he was born, Jan. 4th, 1580. Clark's Lives.