<9
VINDICATION
OF THE
Judicial Ad: and Teftimony,
C O Ljj TAINING
A Detection o!i the Erajlianifm of the Settlement of Religion at the Revo- lution :
In fome Remarks upon a Pamphlet, in- titled, Fancy no Faith*
By WILLIAM CAMPBELL Minifter of the Go* /pel to 'the Affociate Congregation in the Eaft of Fyfe.
. 1
2 Chron. xxix. 12, 15*. Then the Levitcs arofe— and they gathered their Brethren, and janBified themfelves, and came, according to the Commandment of the King, by the Words of the Lord, to clean' a the Houfe of the Lord,
EDINBURGH,
Printed for, and fold by John Henderfon Merchant in Abernethy ; by James Young Bookbinder near to Marys Chapel, Edinburgh, James Cuthbert Merchant m Cow par in Fyfc, and David Bind Merchant in Perth, MDCCXLVII-I.
( iil )
PREFACE
T O T H E
READER,
Particularly to thofe of my own Congregation.
THE following Obferves have lien by me about nine Months, I not having had the renioteft Intention, at firft, of expofing them to the Publick, until of late, in regard I expected an Eflay upon the Subject-Mat- ter contained in them, which is now publifhed, and recommended by a Reverend Member of the Aflb- date Presbytery ofGla/gow ; but when I found that this Eflay, altho' plain and full upon the Subject, not fpreading amongft you, I began to think of al- lowing the Publication of the following Notes as they are, if poffibly, thro' the Divine Blefling, they may be of any Ufe in the prefent Controverfy.
As an Inquiry into the Settlement and State of Religion, at and fince the Revolution, can only be made by looking into the Act of Parliament, June 7. 1 69Q. and after Acts refpecting Religion,
made/
( iv )
made fincc that Time ; an4 as few People have Ac- ceTs unto Acts of Parliament ; fo, unlefs fome Ef- fays of this Kind be publilhed, the Generality of People, mud remain in the Dark as to that Settle- ment of Religion then made, and are in Danger of being farther bewildered and turned afide from the Lord's Caufe and Teftimony, by thofe abfurd Af- fertions publifhed in the Pamphlet here animadvert- ed upon, and by thofe who have turned afide from the Teftimony, and are indefatigable in feducing their Brethren, by propagating this Author's new Scheme.
The Acts of Afiemblies and Parliaments paffed in the fecond reforming Period, which I have quot- ed in this Effay, are to be found in the Collection of Confeflions printed annis 1725 and 1739. where they may be feen by fuch as have that Collection in their Hands. The Acts of Parliament paifed fince the Revolution, and here quoted, I took from a Copy publilhed by Authority, where they may be feen by fuch as have Accefs unto them.
I have condefcended only upon a few Inftances of the Eraftian Encroachments of the State upon the Church at and fmce the Revolution. Had I in- filled upon other Evidences thereof, fuch as the Act impofing the Oath of Abjuration upon Minifters, the Act anent Captain John Pcrteous, &c this Ef- fay would have exceeded the Bounds of my inten- ded Brevity.
It may perhaps be thought ftrange why I have prefixed fuch a Title, viz. A Vindication of the ju- dicial Aft and Te\\imony, to this Effay, while it is only that particular Article of it that relates to the Settlement of Religion at the Revolution, that is exprefiy. vindicated : To which it may be noticed,
that
( v )
that the Scheme now fet on Foot by our Author, and his. Brethren and Followers, doth at once over- throw the whole Teftimony : For the Parliamenta- ry Settlement of Religion at the Revolution, as it left the fecond Period of Reformation buried under the AcT: Refciflbry, and was founded upon the Rub- bifh of the publick Refolutions, Indulgences, To- leration, and Burial of our Covenants •, and as the Church did fettle upon that Foundation, without remonftrating againft its Defects, or by adopting the Teftimony maintained by the Lord's Witneffes during the Time of grievous Apoftafy and Backflid- ing, or by purging the Houfe of God ; fb a Tefti- mony for this Eraflia?i Settlement muft inevitably give up with and overthrow the rTrft Period of the judicial Act and Teftimony, viz. betwixt the i<5ji and i<588. Again, as the condemned Claufc in the Burgefs-Oath doth homologate the prefent Profeffion authorifed by the Laws of this Realm, and thus muft neceffarily contradict and overthrow the fecond Period of it, viz. from the Revolution to the Year 17 12. as alfo the third (in fa far as it is laid againft the Laws oppofite unto the Tefti- mony now in Force) viz. from anno 17 12. to the prefent Time ; in regard thefc E\ils mentioned in thefe Parts of the Teftimony, viz. the Toleration, Reftoration of Patronages, and the woful Effects that have followed thereupon, <dc. are Parts of the prefent eftablifhed Profeffion of Religion, by the publick (landing Laws now in Force, to which (land- ing Laws that Glaufe doth plainly refer, while therein the Swearer folemnly engages to the pre- fent Profeffion authorifed by the Laws of this Re- alm, without excepting any, either in general or particular : And as our Author very juftly obferves,
( vi )
in his Pamphlet intitled The Lawfulnefs of the reli- gious Claufe, 6c. Page 13. ' Where, fays he, fhall 1 the publick Profeffion of Religion in a Land be « evidenced, or by what Criterion or Document « can it be proven better, than by the publick ftand-
• ing Laws of that Land, defcribing what the true
* Religion is which they profefs ? ' So, according to his Argument, the Union, Toleration, Patro- nages, <bc. are Branches of the Religion prefently profefled and authorifed in this Land, they being authorifed by prefent publick (landing Laws. "Wherefore thofe who are taking up a Teftimony for that Claufe, and confequently for the Revoluti- on-Settlement, alfo fworn unto in that Claufe, are, in fo doing, overthrowing, overturning and op- pofing the Whole of the Teftimony ; and there- fore we judge the Title prefixed fuitable unto this
Effay.
Before doling this Preface, we (hall notice two Things artfully ufed by our Author, and others who are turned afide from the Teftimony, to fe- duce People from their prefent Profeffion of Ad- herence thereunto. 1. Say they, They are a new and Synod-feparating Brethren, a new Confti- tution. But we ask our Brethren, how they make out this Charge? Were the Synod finding out Mi- itakes in the Teftimony, appointing Committees to revife, correct, or amend it ; if they were taking Minifters at their Ordination under Engagements unto it, Miftakes excepted, (which any Man might do as to any Creed or Confeffion in any Chriftian Church, Rome not excepted) were they condemning any Article or Articles of the Teftimony, or in the ConfefTion of Sins prefixed to the Bond ; were they impugning any Act or A&s palled by the Affociate
Presby-
( vii )
Presbytery or Synod fmce their firft Aflbciafion, and laying afide the Profecution of the Act of Presbytery anent renewing our folemn national Co- venants among their People j there would be fome, yea, too much Ground for this Charge : But nei- ther any one, or all of thefe, the Synod either is or can be charged with. What then comes out to be the Foundation of fuch a heavy Charge i Why, nothing at all but their Removal, upon the pth of jfpril 17 47 . from the new Church at Brifloiv, to Mr. Gib's Houfe the next Morning. If this be the Ground of the Charge, then, by a Parity of Rea- fon, Mofes and thofe who fought the Lord, in the Day when lfrael fell into Idolatry, were a new- Congregation, a new Camp, a new Constitution, and the Separatifk. How abfurd, and contrary to Scripture, would this Reafoning be \ Why, when Mofes removed, he carried the Tabernacle with him, and pitched it without the Camp, afar off from the Camp, Exod. xxxiii. 7. In like Manner (when our feparating Brethren puftied their fecond Refolution, and of about 50 Members only 9 Mi- nifters and 1 1 Elders did vote it againft a Pr6teftati- on entred and adhered unto by 23 Members) did the Synod remove, and carried the Teflimony without the Camp, and are adhering to every Branch of it, and efTay to proceed in witnefling and covenanting Work : And it is Matter of Praife, that, fince that Time, feveral Minifters, Elders, Probationers and People, who are feeking the Lord in a Way of adhering unto his Teflimony, are come out unto it. It is not therefore .tit is Place, or the other Place, that will make a new Synod, for wherever IfraeVs Teflimony is, thither mufl the Trifos go; and there is the true Church, there are
thf
( viii ) the lawful Courts o/Chrift, and Thrones of the Houfe of David.
2. The Procedure of the Synod in the regular Exercife of Difcipline, is alio greatly improven to lead away People from the Teftimony. To which we fhall ihortly obferve, that the Synod have put a Libel into the Hands of each of their feparating Brethren, with a lawful Summons to compear and anfwer thereto, and have found the feveral Articles of the Libel relevant and proven, upon which, to- gether with their Contumacy, the Synod have proceeded. What in the Synod's Conduct is blameable in this Matter I Is this contrary to Chrift's Commiflion , and ^Presbyterian Principles ? Our Brethren, and others, ufcd pretty much Free- dom in fpeaking againft the Synod on this Head, as they were hating their Brethren, guilty of Blood, and the like ; but they might forbear Heart-Judg- ing, and leave that to the Searcher of Hearts. Any who were WitnefTes to the Synod's Behaviour in that Procedure, might have charitably fuppofed that it was with Grief of Heart that they had fuch lawful Work put into their Hand. But how could the Synod poffibly fhun it, while the Command of the King of Zlon is fo exprefs and peremptory, Matth. xviii. 17. to cenfure offending Brethren ? Is not the Offence of our Brethren very high, while they are not only neglecting ro hear the Church, but are oppofing and overthrowing the Teftimo- ny of the Church ; fubverting the People by their printed Pamphlets ; are contrary unto all Presby- terian Order, making Inroads into Congregations, occupying Houfes erected for the publick Wor- iliip of God in a witnefling Wavr, without Law ei- ther EccleCaftick or Civil I. Moreover, how could
the
r
( h )
the Synod anfwer Petitions from thofe in onr Bre- threns Congregations, who are adhering unto the Teftimony, feveral of which did ly before them a- bove Haifa Year, without proceeding to Cenfure ? Hitherto the Synod has obferved Presbyterian Or- der, and have not made irregular Intrufions, as they are doing. See likeways our Confeffion of Faith upon this Head, Chap. 30. §3. Alfo the General Aflembly 1640. in the Aft, Augufl 1. Sef. 5 . ordains, that fuch as have fubferibed the Co- venant, and fpeak againft the fame, if he be a Minifter, (hall be deprived, and if he continue fo, being deprived, fhall be excommunicated. Finally, if we confult the Portion of Scripture above quot- ed, we fhall find a Command given to draw the Sword againft thofe Brethren in the Camp of lfracl% who had turned afide unto Idolatry, and a Blefling annexed unto the Duty, Exod. xxxii. 27, 28, 29, and we find Levi accordingly pronounced bleffed, Dcut. xxxiii. 8, 9, 10, 11. and his impartial Zeal for the Lord recorded unto his Honour; and if thofe who fought the Lord were, in that Cafe, com- manded to confecrate themfelves, every Man upon his Son, and upon his Brother, by drawing a ma- terial Sword ; then, in this Cafe, ccclefiaftical Courts are warranted to confecrate themfelves upon their Brethren, by drawing the ecclefiaftical Sword of Church -Cenfures, for thefe excellent Ends menti- oned in that Part of our Confeffion above quoted ; and fince our Brethren are difplaying a Banner a- gainft the Lord's Caufeand Teftimony, the War, on the Side of thofe who are adhering thereunto* is a juft War, and, in that Cafe, curfed is he that doth the Work of the Lord deceitfully, and curfed
>( * )
be he that kcepeth back his Sword from Blood, Jer. xiviii. 10.
It is expected and defired, that you will imparti- ally and without Prejudice confider the Matter con- tained in this Eflay, laying afide an over Regard to Men, and a Difregard to the Author : Seek after *Truth: which will (till hold its Feet, and ceafe yc from Man ; and if this Mite (hall be blefled of the Lord, to the Vindication of his Teftimonyf efta- blifhing any who are effaying to cleave unto it, and the Recovery of any that are turned afick, he will have his Defire, who is your Servant in the Gofpcl of Chrift Jefus,
W.C
A VIN-
c » ) A
VINDICATION
o F T H E
Judicial Act and Teftimony, ($V.
AS the Lord, who has promifed to Tion% That the City /hall be builded upon her own Heap, and the Palace fliall remain after the Manner thereof, Jer. xxx. 18. and faith to Jerufalem, Thou /halt be built ; and to the Temple, Thy Foundation /hall be laid, Ifa. xliv. 28 has been gracioufly pleafcd to erect his Houfe in this Lsnd, and done great Things for it in former Times ; and as we, with our Fathers, have been guilty of great Evils againft him, fo likeways has he done great Things for it in our own Time. "When the Lord raifed up his Work in this Land, at our firft Re- formation from Popery, his Houfe was erected up- on her own Heap, viz. Chrift the Foundation, as revealed in his holy Word, and the Building was advanced to a confiderable Height : But as the Pro- grefs of the Work was for a long Time interrupt- ed after that Period, fo the Lord did again fea- fonably appear, and did carry on the Building a farther Length in our fecond Reformation-Period, betwixt the Years 1638 and itfjo. Neverthelefs
wc
C i# >
we foon forgot his mighty Works, and waited not for his Counfel, but did provoke him by our turn- ing back, diftrufting him, and putting Confidence in an Arm of Flefh, fo that he did caft this Church into a Furnace of 28 Years hot Perfecution ; dur- ing which Time he wonderfully interpofed, in preferving a Teftimony for his Work in the Hands of a few, many of whom he honoured to feal it
. with their Blood. In this Night of Darknefs, as the Building of the Houfe of God was- pulled down, fo the curfed Jericho of Prelacy was reared up by the then Eraflian Powers ; notwithstanding the Lord was gracioufly pleafed to turn back our Cap- tivity in the End of the Year 1688. in a wonderful and furprifing Manner, which Deliverance was fad- ly mifimproven, while the Land did not then return to the Lord by a full and free Confeffion of their Sins, and particular Steps of Defection and Apofta- fy from him, nor the facrilegious Ufurpation of the Crown-Rights of Chrift, nor the Burning and Bu- rying of our Covenants, and ihedding the Blood of the Martyrs of Jcfus ; nor did they then renew our folemn Engagements to the moil High ; neither dki they purge the Lord's Houfe, and begin to build it upon its own Heap, where the Work had ceafcd near 40 Years before that Time ; but they built up- on a Heap of Rubbilh of Indulgences, Toleration, and Burial of the Work of God. Hence the Su- perftruclure comes out fimilar to the Foundation ; and Defection, Apoftafy, and a farther" Burying of attained to Reformation, have made a progreifivc Motion ever ilnce that Time.
Notwithfranding the Lord has, even in thefe Years of Apoftafy, appeared for his own Work and
Intereft, and is in fame Meafure laying the Phn of
his
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his Hoiife in this Land ; particularly, when a Flood of A V mini an, Pelagian and Neenomian Errors was running in this Church, the Lord did appear for the Doctrine of his Houfe, about the Year 1720. in Oppofition to thefe Errors. And, when Church- Tyranny was making great Advances, and many Errors were fpreading without Controul among us, he called a few Minifters out from the eftabliihed Church, and put a judicial Teftimony in their Hands, containing a Libel againft, and an Indict- ment of this Land, of High-Treafon againft Zion's King : As alfo a Teftimony for the haill Plan of his Houfe, viz. the Doctrine, "Worfhip, Difcipline and Government thereof, as it had been reared up on its own Heap in the two former Periods of Reformation. Among other Articles of Scotland's Indictment, contained in the Libel, this is one,
* That the Eftates of the Nation, when met in a free 1 Parliament after the Revolution, overleapt and
* paffed by the Reformation-Period betwixt the 4 Years 1638 and idjo. leaving it lying buried un»
* der an Act Refciffory, viz. 15* Aft, Pari j. K.
* Chark II. anno, 1661. ' and albeit fome in the eftabliflied Church did take the Field againft the faid Teftimony, yet have none of them to litis Day ever been able to impugn any one Article thereof, nor have in the leaft infinuated that this Article, juft now mentioned, is a Miftake.
The Lord, who is the FoundeF and Builder of Zion, and leads his People in Ways they have not known, after he had carried foreward his witnef- fing Servants, and ibme of his People, the Length of renewing our folemn Engagements unto him, was pleafed to call his witnefling Courts to inquire into and condemn a religious CJaufe in fome Bur-
gefs-
gels-Oaths, as it is ufedand applied in this Period, wherein there is an engaging to the prefent national Profeffion and Settlement of Religion. As fome of the Members of the witnefling Synod fhewed much Uneafinefs and DhTatisfa&ion with an Inquiry into this Matter ; fo, when the Sentence came out, they very keenly oppofed the fame, and carried on their Oppofition in fuch a Way, as at length ifiued in an awful Rupture ; fo far as can be remembred, dur- ing the Time of the Synod's Reafoning on this Af- fair, tho/e who oppofed the Condemnation of the faid Glaufe never brought it forth as an Argument for their Oppofition, that the State, at the Revolu- tion, revived the fecond Reformation-Period, and all the Acts made in Favours of Religion, and did refcind the faid Aft Refciflbry, and other bad Arts made againft it in the perfecuting Period ; the Breach of the Synod was over before fome of us heard fuch a Thing talked of.
It is very melancholy, and an odd Affair, that many profeffed Witnefles in the Seceflion, who have joined in fwearing the Bond for renewing our folemn Covenants, and thus have folemnly adopted theTeftimony , are now denying that Article of Scot' land\ Indictment contained in the 101 Page of the Acknowledgment of Sins, and afTerting that the Parliament at the Revolution revived all the Acts and Laws made in favours of Religion in the fecond reforming Period, and refcinded all the wicked Laws made againft the fame.
The Author of a late Pamphlet, intitled Fancy no Faith, has invented this groundlefs Conceit ; and alfo he thinks fit to arraign the AfTociate Synod, as if they had changed their Baptifm, changed their Religion, and embraced a new Religion, leading
them
( »* )
them to (6 many Pieces of the Roman Religion, called Papiftry. Thefe are indeed heavy Charges, and yet no Shadow of Proof is brought forth to fup- port them.
I am very far from laying fuch heavy and aw- ful Accufations to the Charge of this reverend Au- thor, or any of his Brethren that are embarked with him in the fame Caufe, only we may eflay , under di- Tine Afliftance,
\mo. To evince that this Reverend Author has changed his Principles and Profeflion, as to this particular Part of the Acknowledgment of Sins.
ido. To vindicate this Article of the Confeflion.
$tio. To (hew that the Revolution -Settlement of Religion, which our Author has now undertaken to defend, if tried by the Touch Stone of the "Word, and compared with the fecond Reformation- Period, betwixt 1638 and 1650. which we adopt, was an Eraftian Settlement, and contrary unto the Order of the Head of the Church.
4to. To deduce a few Corollaries from the .Whole.
S E C T. I.
Shewing that our Author has changed his Principles and Profefion^ as to that particular Part of the Te- flimony and Acknowledgment of Sins that re/pecls the Settlement of Religion at the Revolution.
The Proof of this is laid in a late Pamphlet, in- titled, Vindication of the Proceedings <f the Ajfociale Synod ; and therefore we fhall only touch a little at it here, and thaf by producing three Evidences there- of from the Author's Practice and Writings. And,
17770,
C i* >
imo. Our Author did, upon the 28th Day of December 1743. j°",n w*ta n^s Brethren, the Mini- flers, Members of the then AfTociate Presbytery, now the Affociate Synod, folemnly confefling and acknowledging, that it is one of the Sins of the Land, and one of the (landing Grounds of God's Contro- verfy with it, ' That, when the States of the Na- ' tion were met in a free Parliament, in the Year « 1690. our Presbyterial Church-Government was « fettled according to its civil Eftablifhment anno « 1592. and all the Steps of Reformation attained c to in that covenanting Period, betwixt 1638 and
* 165-0. were neglcfted and pafled by; yea, all
* that was done againft a covenanted Work of Re-
* formation, in the firft Seflion of Pari, of K. Cb. 1 II. after his Rcftoration, is left untouched ; parti-
* cularly the infamous Act RefchTory, whereby all
* the Afls and Deeds of the forefaid covenanting
* Period were declared null and void, is never
* repealed.' This our Author did then profefs, and confefs as one of the {landing Grounds of God's Controverfy with this Land, what the Affociate Sy- nod, upon too folid Grounds, do dill profefs and maintain. Such was his Profeflion and Gonfeflion anno 1743. But what is it as to this Point anno 1747 ? "We have it in the 21 (I Page of his above mention- ed Pamphlet, viz. ■ That the true Religion, as pro-
* felTed in the fecond Reformation-Period, from
* 1638 to 1649. in Oppofition to the Indignities
* done to it in the prececding Reigns, was profef- c fed by the Revolution-Parliament, which does ei-
* ther more generally, or more formally and ex- ' prefly refcind all the wicked Laws that were made 4 againft any Part of the true Religion that was ' profefTed in that Period, as well as the former.'
This
( i? ) This our Author's Profeflion anno 1747. is changed from what it was anno 1743.
ido. Another Inftance of this fhall be taken from a Pamphlet dated at Dumfermling, January 26. 1743. and publiflied that fame Year, intitled, Fraud end Fal/hood difcovtred : Compared with an Aft pf the Aflbciate Presbytery for a Faft 1742. In Page 29. of faid Pamphlet, fays our Author, ■ I can, ' without Shame, before him, (viz. the Searcher of
* Hearts) and the World too, open my very Heart € in this Matter, and reconcile thefe Things where- € in Mr. JVebfter endeavour* to expofe me to the
* World, as quite inconfiftent with myfelf : I can
* compare my Letter to Mr. Wejley anno 1739. with ' that Aft of the AfTociate Presbytery anent a Faft
* anno 1742. wherein I heartily joined; and yet
* have the Teftimony of my Con/cience before God,
* that I afted uprightly, and without Gnilc in both/ Here our Author exprefles himfelf in very folemn and ftrong Terms, as to his hearty acquiefcing in this Aft, which I have juft now lying before me, and it contains the following Sentences. ■ The
* Presbytery confidering that this Generation
€ are ferving themfelves Heirs to the Sins of their 1 Forefathers, in abjuring and burning our Gove- « nants, and leaving them buried under an Aft Re-
* fcilfory to this Day ; in the Heaven- daring Ufur-
* pation of the Headfbip and Sovereignty of Chrift, ' in and over his Church, acknowledged and homo-
* logated by the Indulgences, Toleration, and ma-
* ny finful Bonds and Oaths in the perfecuting Pe- 1 riod : — The finful Overleaping of the attained
* to Reformation between the Years 1638 & 1650. 4 in the Revolution-Settlement.' Here, in this Aft of the Presbvtery, is a plain Acknowledgment of
C
( 18 )
it as one of the Caufes of Humiliation before the Lord, that the Work of God carried on in the fe- cond Reformation -Period, lies buried under an Aft Refciffory ; and that the Parliament, at the Revolu- tion, left it laying under this Grave-Stone. In this Acknowledgment our Author declares, both before God and the World too, that he heartily joined anno 1742. and that he continued in the fame Mind until the Year 1743. ls clear from what is above. "We have likeways a more early Evidence of this being his Mind, viz. in his Paper of Grievances given in to the Commiffion of Affembly Augujl 1736. wherein he craved, that the Gommilfioh would con* defcend upon the following Caufes of Humiliation,
* That, when the Lord granted a merciful Deliver 4 ranee at the Revolution^ Presbyterian Government
* was ratified by Parliament, only according to its c Eftabliihment anno i5"£2. That the Steps of Re-
* formation attained to in that covenanting Period,
* from 1638. to 165*0. were overlooked and paf- f fed by : That the AcT: Refciffory was left un-
* touched in that Settlement, and the Covenants,
* National and folemn League, were left buried 1 under it ' But, in the Year 1747. he declares a quite different Thing to the World, in his faid late Pamphlet, as above quoted : As alfo, Page 25. fays he, • For fo it is, that all the bad Acts in general
* that were againft any Part of the true Religion,
* are refcinded by the Revolution-Parliament 1690. 1 intitled, Aft ratifying the Confefion of Faith, and € fettling Presbyterian Church -Government.* To which there is a fuitable Reply given, in the fore* faid Pamplet, viz. Vindication of the Preceedings, Sec. Pages 20 and 21. and thus it appears, from our Author's own Writings, that, in this Point of the
Teitimony,
( h )
Teftimony, he has changed his Profeffion anno 1 747, from what it was annis 1736, 1742 and 1743.
%tio. If we look into what our Author has pu- blilhed to the World fomewhat more lately, we ihall find another Evidence of what we are now il- luftrating, from a Print compofed by our Author, intitled, The Lawful nefs of feme Burgefs -Oaths avert- ed. Says our Author, Page 5*2. fpeaking of the Re- volution-Parliament, * But their looking back, with-
* out regarding any farther Steps of Reformation c and legal Securities given to this Church in that
* covenanting Period, {viz. between 1 638 and 1 65*0.)
* and, inftead of that, overpaying and burying it,
* is the finful Omiflion we teitify againit ; for, if the
* Parliament had thus not overlooked that Period,
* then, in aboli filing Prelacy, they would have more
* exprefly confidered it as contrary to the Word
* of God, and abjured by our Covenants and Pref-
* byterian Church-Government, as what the Land c was bound and obliged to mantain by the mod fo- 1 lemn Covenants.' Thus our Author, in that Pamphlet, which was publifhcd only fome Months before his other Pamphlet Fancy no Faith, and the Truth is here very well afferted by him, of which perhaps more anon. But this will by no Means a- gree with what he alTerts in the 21 and 25 Pages of Fancy no Faith, as above quoted, and upon which he builds mod of his Reafoning therein. Thus our Author has changed his Profeffion in this Point 1747. from what it was a few Mouths before, and fo is guilty of Self Contradictions : But how he comes to publiih thefe to the World, without offer- ing the lead Apology for them, and alfo how he
* comes to charge others, who are eflaying, thn/
Grace,
( 20 )
Grace, to cleave to the Lord's Caufe and Teftimo > ny, as it is among the Hands of a witnefling Body, and that in every Branch of it as contained in the Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Du- ties, with changing their Religion, embracing a new Religion, renouncing their Baptifm, and the like, is really amazing and aftonifhing.
SECT. II.
Vindicating that Part of tie Te/limony and Confe/fwn of Sins, which relates to the Settlement of Religion at the Revolution, and /hewing that it is a certain Fa£lt and a /landing Ground ofGod9s Controverfy •with this Land, that our Parliament at that Time left our fecond reforming Period lying buried un- der the Aft Refei/fory, and fo did not e/lablijh that Reformation in Profe/fion and Principle, nor re- vive all Laws and A els in favours of it.
As a fufficient Anfwer is given to the contrary Affertion laid by our Author, in the Vindication of the Proceedings of the Synod; fo it were needkfs to illuftrate this Point any farther, or take any more Notice of our Author's imaginary Affertion, were it not that great Names go very far, and have great Influence on many in this Day of the Lord's hiding, to turn them away from his Caufe and Teftimony, *We (hall therefore, as enabled, proceed to the Ilr luftration of this fad Truth, viz. That our Parlia- ment, at the Revolution, overleapt and left the fecond Reformation-Period, betwixt 1638 & 1650. lying buried under the AS: RefcilTory, and did not revive any one Aft or Law ma4e in favours there-
of
( 21 )
of paflcd in that Period. And this will appear, if we confider,
i mo. That the Aft Refciflbry not only did de- clare null and void all the Afts and Proceedings of our Parliaments in the forefaid Period of Reforma- tion, but alfo thefe Parliaments themfelves, viz. that were kept annis, 1640, 1641, 1644, 1645*, ifytf, 1647 and 1648. and as our Author does not pre- tend that there is any Aft of Parliament, at or fince the Revolution, particularly and exprefly rc- fcinding the Aft Refciflbry, nor the 6 & 9 Afts of K. Ch. II. Pari. 1. which did annul the Conventi- on of Eftates kept in the Years 1643 and 1649. So there is no fuch Aft among all the printed Afts in K. Will. & Q. Mary's Reign. And while thefe reforming Parliaments, and Committees authorifed by them, ftand annulled and condemned, it is ab- furd to imagine that any of their Afts can be re- vived, unlefs they were enafted de novo, in regard thefe reforming Parliaments have no Being in Law, and by nc* Means can they be confidercd as reviv- ed by any general Claufe whatfoever in the Afts of Parliament 1690. Moreover, it will be found to be a Faft, that not any one of the Laws and Afts paficd in that Period, are quoted in our civil Courts to this very Day : Yet, farther, in the Col- lection of Afts of Parliament printed by Autho* rity, there i> no Aft of Parliament to be found a- mong them from the firft Parliament of K. Ch. I, which met at Edinburgh, June 28. 1633. until the firft Parliament of K. Ch. II. after his Restoration, which met at Edinburgh, January 1661. which is an inconteilible Evidence thefe Afts have no Be- ing in Law.
( 22 )
2*. What we arc illuftrating will farther ap- pear, if we confider the general Claufe in the Act 1690. reviving Laws in favours of Religion, which, with a Sentence or two preceeding it, runs thus, ' By an Article of the Claim of Right it is declar- i ed, that Prelacy, and the Superiority of any Of- ; * vftce in the Church above a Presbyter, is, and hath ♦-been a great and infupportable Grievance and ■ Trouble to this Nation, and contrary to the In- 4 clinations of the Generality of the People ever
* fince the Reformation, (they having reformed
* from Popery by Presbyters) and therefore ought
* to be abolifhed ; likeas, by an Act of the laft
* Seffion of this Parliament, Prelacy is abolifhed : 1 Therefore their Majefties, with Advice and Con- 1 fent of the faid three Eftates, do hereby revive,
* ratify and perpetually confirm, all Laws, Statutes 1 and Acts of Parliament made againft Popery and ' Papifts:' While the Parliament is here in their Act giving their Reafons why Prelacy ought to be abolifhed, and declaring it to be fo by a former Act, it feems very ftrange that they add, therefore their
Majefties Revive — all Laws made againft
Popery and Papifts. What can be the Reafon they did not fay all Laws made againft Prelacy and Pre- lates, feeing it was not Popery, but Prelacy they were abolishing ? We fhall not pretend to tell for what Keafon the Parliament did thus proceed, on- ly we may rationally guefs, that herein they acted very cautioufly, left, if they had faid Laws made againft Prelacy and Prelates, they ihould have feemed to have revived any of the Laws paiTed in the Time of the fecond Reformation-Period, par- ticularly Act of Parliament, June 11. 1640. where- in Biihops, Archbilhops, and all other Prelates,
the
C 23 )
the civil Places and Power of Kirkmen, as their Voicing and Riding in Parliament, are exprefly condemned , for, in Faft, there were no Laws made againft Prelacy or Prelates exprefly in the Time of the firft Reformation, but againft Popery and Papifts, as is plain from the Afts of Parliament palled at that Time, and may be obferved by look- ing into the Quoting of the Acts of Parliament fub- joined to the national Covenant, as it was renew- ed'anuo 1638. hence it appears evident, as with a Sunr.Beam, that the Parliament 1690. were only renewing the nrft Reformation -Period, and over- leaping the fecond ; while all the Laws made in the firft anent Religion, were againft Popery and Papifts, but none of them exprefly againft Pre- lacy and Prelates.
3 //a. This Point will farther appear evident, if we take a View of (bme Acts of Parliament pafled in that Period of Reformation from Prelacy, and compare them with the Aft of Settlement of Reli- gion at the Revolution.
1 mo. The firft of thefe that we (hall mention, is the 6 Aft, 1 Pari, of K. Ch. I. intitled, A a Re- fajfory, at Edinburgh, June 11. 1640. That this Aft is not revived by the Parliament itfpo. is e- vident from what is already noticed, and will far- ther appear, if we confider,
( 1 mo.) That, in this Aft, there is an explicite and formal Revival and Ratification of the Aft of Par- liament 15*92. viz. 1640. the Parliament ' declares,
* that the fole and only Power and Jurifdiftion ■ within this Kirk, ftands in the Kirk of God, as it
* is now reformed, and in General, Provincial,
* Presbyterial Aifemblies, with the Seflions of the
* Kirk, cftabliihcd by Aft of Parliament in Junz
( *4 ) 1 1J92. Cap. 1 14. which Aft the faid Eftate's now
* conveened revive and renew in the whole
* Heads, Points and Articles thereof/ The Par- liament at the Revolution, in their Aft, June 7. 1690. thus proceed, ■ As alfo they do fcftablifh,
* ratify and confirm the Presbyterian Church-Go- « vernment and Difcipline, that is to fay, the Go- « vernment of the Church by Kirk-Seffions, Prcf- « byteries, Provincial Synods, and General Aflem- « blies, ratified and eftablifhed ' by the 114 Atf9 « Ja. VI. Pari. 12. anno 1592. initled, Ratificati- c on of the Liberty of the true Kirk, &c. — reviving,
* renewing, and confirming the forefaid Aft of Par-
* liament in the whole Heads thereof, except, faef
By comparing thefe Claufes in thefe different Afts together, it is abundantly evident, that the Parliament 1690. did not look on this Aft 1640. as a (landing Aft ; if they had, Why di-d they ratify what it ratified, without making the leaft Menti- on thereof? It may here be objefted, that the Par- liament implicitely refer to this Aft, while they add, ' and thereafter received by the general Gon-
* fent of this Nation, to be the only Government
* of ChrifiVs Church within this Kingdom ; - but this is not the Stile nor Language of the Parlia- ment 1640. their Words in their Aft, run thus, ■ The fole and only Power and Jurifdiftion, within g this Kirk, ftands in the Kirk of God> as it; is now
* reformed \ and what they ftatute and ordain in this Aft, is only a Corroboration , and fecuring of what the Affcmblies of this Kirk had found and e- nafted, as is evident from the Preamble of this their Aft ; but there is not the leail Hint through- out the whole Aft t 690. referring to what the Af- ftrablies of this Kirk had done, neither can it be
faid
( *s )
faid they pay any Regard to this Aft of Parliament, while their Words are quite difcrepant from theirs; but they proceed to ratify this A 61 15*92. esifit had never been ratified by any Parliament former- ly ; whence it appears evident, that this Aft 1640. was not revived by the Revolution-Parliament ; and alfo, from what was juft now obferved, vixi That they revived only Laws made againft Popery and Papifts, while this Aft 1640. is exprefly againft Prelacy and Prelates.
2 do." It will farther appear, that the Revolution- Parliament did not revive this Act 1640. if we con- fider, that, in their faid Aft 1 690. they particular- ly cafs and annul feveral Afts pafled in K. Ja. VFs Time, that are particularly caiTed and annul- led in this Aft 1 640. for, fay they, in their faid Aft, (viz. Aft 1690.) ' Refcinding, annulling, and « making void theAfts of Parliament following, viz.
• Aft anent Rcftitution ofBifhops, Ja. VI. Pari. 1 18. Cap. 2. Aft ratifying theAfts of the Af- 1 fembly, 1610. Ja. VI. Pari. 21. Cap. 1. Aft 4 anent the Eleftion of Bifhops and Archbifliops, ■ Ja. VI. Pari. 22. Cap. 1. intitled, Ratification of
• the five Articles of the General Afifemhly at Perth,
• Ja. VI. Pari. 23. Cap. i.' Thefe four Afts of K. James's Parliaments are, with fomc others, exprefly and particularly refcinded by this Aft 1640. as may be feen by. looking into it. Now, if the Par- liament 1690. had looked upon this Aft as reviv- ed and ratified by the above general Claufe in the Preamble of their Aft, why did they annul an3 make void what it makes null and void, without making the leaft Mention of it ? Had they defigned the Revival and Ratification of this Aft. doubtlefs they would have done wi*h it, as they did with the
D Aft
;( 2* )
Aft if 92. wz. they would have mentioned it expli- citely : From whence it is as clear as Day-Light, that the Parliament 1690. left the Aft 1640. lying buried under the Act Refciffory ; and confequent- ly this Aft, made in Favours of Religion, was not revived by the Revolution-Parliament. From what we have juft now advanced, we may obferve how fophiftically our Author reafons, and impofes upon his Reader, in the 21ft Page of his faid Pamphlet, viz. Fancy no Faith \ where he tells us, ■ That the ' Indiftion of the General Aflembly of the Kirk,
* by virtue of the King's Ro^al Prerogative, J a*
* VI. Pari. 2 1 . Cap. 1 . is exprefly reminded by
* the Revolution- Parliament, Seffl 2. Cap. 5:.' If he had dealt fairly, he would have told us, that that Aft encroaching upon the intrinfick Power of the Church, was exprefly refcinded by the Par- liament in their forefaid Aft 1640. which, as is ihewn, lies buried under the Aft Refciflbry. From this Inftance given by our Author, and other Things which might be noticed from the Aft 1 690. it is evident that the Revolution-Parliament did only cull out fuch bad Afts as were directly againft the Settlement of Religion they were then making; yet ftill leaving this Aft, and other Afts of that reforming. Period, wherein the Aft juft now menti- oned by our Author, is refcinded and buried, as faid is.
2do. A fecond Aft made in Favours of Religion in our fecond Reformation -Period, which may be noticed, is the 39 Aft of K. Charl. I. Edinburgh \ March 9. 1649. intitled, Aft cholijhlng the Patro- nages of Kirks. This reforming Parliament, in this their Aft, do entirely abohih Patronages, and that for weighty Reafons s fuch asJ( that it had been an
Evil
( 27 )
Evil under which the Lord's People had long groaned ; that it hath no Warrant in God's Word, contrary to the fecond Book of Dif- cipline, and unto fevcral Afts of General Aflem- blies, reckoned among the Abufes that were then defired to be reformed ; that it was prejudicial to the Liberty of the People, and unto the free Call and Entry of the Minifters unto their Charge. But what does the Affembly 1 690. as to the reviving of this Aft ? Why, nothing at all ; for in their Aft reviving the Aft 1592. they fay, ' Reviving, re- viewing, and confirming the forefaid Aft of Par- « liament in the whole Heads thereof, except that « Part of it relating to Patronages, which is hereaf- * ter to be taken into Consideration.' The Truth is, Patronages were not abolifhed by the Parliament 1592. all they did in that Matter was, that, as Pre- fentations had been formerly direfted unto Biihops, and other Judges in ecclefiaftical Matters, by that Aft they are appointed to be direfted unto Presby- teries ; but in this Aft 1649. they were intirely a- bolifhed ; notwithstanding the Parliament 1690. in their Aft of Settlement, fpeak of Patronages as a Thing that had never been meddled with by the State fince the Year 15*92. Thus they intirely dif- regard what theEftates did in this Aft 1649. anent Patronages, but leave the Affair to be confidered af- terwards. Accordingly we find them afterwards confidering it : And how do they confider it ? Not at all as the Parliament did in this their Aft 1649. but, fay they, in their Aft, July 19. 1690. ■ Con- « fidering that the Power of prefenting Minifters to « vacant Congregations hath been greatly abufed, « and is inconvenient to be continued in this Re-
t aim,- >do therefore, with Advice and Confent
• of
( 28 )
€ of the Eftates of Parliament, hereby difcharge,
* cafs, annul, and make void the forefaid Power
* heretofore ufed by any Patron, of prefenting Mi- ' nifters to any Kirk now vacant. . Do ftatute
* and declare, that, in cafe of the Vacancy ofa-
* ny particular Church, or for fupplying the fame 4 with a Minifter, the Heritors of the faid Paroch,
* (being Proteftants) and the Elders, are to name
* and propofe the Man to the whole Congregation,
* to be either approven or difapproven by them, 4 and, if they difapprove, that the Difapprovers
* give in their Reafons, to the Effect the x^ffair
* may be cognofced upon by the Presbytery of the
* Bounds.' Here we fee plainly, not only a not ratifying and reviving this good Aft 1649. made in favours of Religion, but a burying a confiderable Branch of our attained to Reformation itfelf. Why, here is in this Act a fpoiling the People of their Right of chufing their own Minifters ; all that is left to them, is either to approve of the Choice made to them by Proteftant Heritors, and by Elders, (and even Heritors, tho' Proteftants, are, by an after Act patted May 23. 1693. debarred from voting in the Call of a Minifter, until they mould fwear the Oath of Allegiance, and fubfcribe the fame, together with the Oath of AfTurance) and the Difapprovers are obliged to give in their Rea- fons for Co di/ing, which were to be cognofced up- on by the Presbytery. Again, here is an owning of the Patron's Right, only the Parliament fay, it has been greatly abufed , and they ordain every Paroch to compenfate the Patron for his /aid Right, by paying him the Sum of 600 Merks, each Heri- tor, including the Patron, according to his valued Rent. Thus, fo far was the. Parliament from rer
viving
( 29 )
viving this Aft 1649. made in favours of our Re- formation, that the) buried a confiderable Branch of our Keformation itfelf, ratified and confirmed in
this Aft.
3th. We may notice a third Act of Parliament made in favours of Religion during that Period, viz. the 16 Ac*t of K. Ch. I. at Edinburgh, February 7, 1649. intitled, Att anent the Catechifms, Confeffion of Faith, and Ratification thereof ; the Parliament in this Aft do receive both the larger and fhorter Cate- chifms, and the Confeffion of Faith, and alio rati- fy three Afts of AlTembly approving the faid Ca- techifms and Confeffion ; but the Parliament 1690. in their Aft of Settlement, fpeak nothing at all a- nent the Catechifms, and fo were not received and adopted by them as any Part of our Standards of Doftrine ; and as for our Confeffion of Faith, it was read in their Prefence, voted and approven of a- new, as if it had never been voted and approven of formerly.; they take no Manner of Notice of its having been received by the AlTembly of this Church anno 1647. nor ratified by the State 1649. and tho' it may be pretended, that the Parliament 1690. received the Confeffion as approven by the Church, becaufe in this their Aft they fay, 4 Voted and approven by them as the publick and 1 avowed Confeffion of this Church ; * yet this is nothing to the Purpofe, while it is plain that the Parliament doth here fpeak of the Church, not as eftablifhed in our fecond Reformation-Period, but as eftabliibed by them in this their Aft of Settle- ment ; and this appears plain from the fubfe- quent Part of this Aft ; particularly, when they arc appointing the flrft Meeting of the Aifembly, they fay, 4 Their Majefties do hereby appoint the firft
Meeting
( 30 )
■ Meeting of the General Aflembly of this Church,
* as above eftabliihed, to be at Edinburgh ;' and downward in the faid Aft, fay they, * Their Ma- « jellies declare that the Presbyterian Mi-
* nifters -ihall have Right to the Benefices and
■ Stipends, according to their Entry in the Year « i63p. and in Time coming, ay and while the « Church, as now eftablillicd, take farther Courfe 1 therewith.' From what is faid it is evident, that this Aft receiving the Gatechifms and Confeffion, was not at all revived by the Parliament 1690. and alfo that the Gatechifms, larger and fliorter, are no Part of the publick, approven, and received Standards of the Revolution -Church.
4ft?. We have a fourth Aft of Parliament pafled' in this Period, intirled, Aft approving and e/iab/i/hing the Direftory for publick Worjhip, dated at Edinburgh , Feb, 6. 1645*. concerning which Direftory there is not the leaft Hint in the Aft of Settlement at the Revolution, nor in any Aft of Parliament iince. "Whence we conclude, that this Aft of Parliament 1 645*. is not revived, nor the Direftory, approven and eftabliflied by it, made any Part of the efta- bliihed Profeflion of the Revolution-Church.
5 to. We find two Afts of Parliament ratifying, approving and enjoining the Covenants ; and in- deed it is very ftrange for any to pretend that they were revived at the Revolution. The firft of thefe Afts, is the 5-th Aft oiCh.l. dated at Edinburgh, June 11. 1 640. intitled, Aft anent the Ratification of the Covenants, &c. in which Aft the Parliament ordains the national Covenant, or Confeffion of Faith, to be fubferibed by all his Majefty's Sub- jefts, of what Rank and Quality foever ; and alfb ordains the AiTembly's Supplication, Aft of Aifem-
bly
( 3* ) bly, Aft of Council, and the ConfefTion itfelf, td be inferted and regiftrated in the Afts and Books of Parliament.
The other is the fifth Aft of K. Cb. I. intitled, Att anent the Ratification of the Calling of the Con- vent ion, Ratification of the League and Covenant, &c. dated at Edinburgh, July 15. 1644. in which Aft the folemn League and Covenant is ratified, appro- ven, and confirmed ; as alfo the Afts of the Kirk and State authorifing the fame League and Cove- nant ; which Covenant, with the Afts authorifing the fame, and Treaties thereanent, are ordained to be inferted in the Books and Afts of Parliament. Thus we have here two feveral Afts enjoining the Covenants, the one the National Covenant, as it was renewed anno 1638. the other the folemn League and Covenant, which was fworn anno 1 643. But did the Revolution -Parliament revive thefe A els }. By no Means. The Covenants were left neglefted -, not one either in Church or State, according to the above Afts of Parliament, was required to fwear them; yea, inftead thereof, a farther Grave- Stone was laid thereon, while a general Oath of Allegi- ance was framed at that Time by the Eflates of the Kingdom of Scotland, and by the Parliament en- joined inftead of all other Oaths that might be re- quired by Law, declaring all other Oaths to be abrogated. Whence it is plain that this Allegiance was put in Room of our Covenants, and they de- clared to be abrogated, while our folemn Cove- nants were as fully and amply authorifed by the forefaid Afts, as any Oaths were or could have been. Thus our Afts enjoining our Covenants, are not only not revived by the Revolution- Parliament, but thefe Afts, and alfo the Covenants authorifed
by
C 3* ) by them, arc neglefted and buried by the Parlia- ment 1690. Yea, inftead of reviving this Aft ap- proving of the folemn League, the fame Time that Presbytery was eftablilhed in Scot/and, Prelacy was eftablifhed in England by the very fame King, and touched by the fame Sceptre ; which is direftly oppofite to the folemn League, wherein Prelacy is exprefly abjured, and the Reformation of England and Ireland fwurn to be endeavoured after.
6to\ The laft Aft of Parliament we mail take No- tice of, palTed in our fecond Reformation -Period a- nent Religion, is an Aft, intitled, Aft anent fecuring the Covenant, Religion, and Peace of the Kingdom, paf- fed at Edinburgh, February 7 . 1649. wherein, after noticing the fundamental Conftitution of the King- dom anent the Coronation*Oath, l The Parliament « doth enaft, ordain, and declare, that, before the « King's Majefty, who now is, or any of his Sue-
■ ceffors, mail be admitted to the Exercife of his « Royal Power, he lhall, by and attour the forefaid
■ Oath, (viz. the Scots Coronation-Oath) aifure
* and declare, by his folemn Oath, under his Hand
* and Seal, his Allowance of the National Cove-
* nant, and of the folemn League and Covenant,
* and Obligation to profecute the Ends thereof in
* his Station and Calling, and that he fhall for « himfelf — confent and agree to Afts of Parliament
* enjoining the folemn League and Covenant, and € fully eftablifhing Presbyterian Church -Govern- 1 ment, the Direftory for Worfhip, Confeflion of
* Faith, and Catechifnis, as they are approven by « the General Aflemblies of this Kirk, and Parlia-
* ment of this Kingdom, in all his Majefty's Domi-
* nions.* According to this Aft, we find, that, when K. Ch. II. was admitted to the Exercife of
his
( 33 )
his Government, January i. 165-1. at Scoon, he not only fwore the Scots Coronation-Oath, but alfo the Oath enjoined in this Act, which Is as follows. * I « — do aflure and declare, by my folemn Oath, ' and in the Prefence of Almighty God, the Sear-
* cher of Hearts, my Allowance and Approbation
* of the National Covenant, and of the folemn
* League and Covenant above written, arid faith -
* fully oblige myfelf to profecute the Ends thereof
* in my Station and Calling, and that I: for my-
* felf, (hall agree and confent to all Acts of Par*
* liament enjoining the National Covenant, and 4 the folemn League and Covenant, and fully c- c ftablilhing Presbyterian -Government, the Direc-
* tory for Worfhip, Confeffion of Faith, and Ga-
* techifms in the Kingdom of Scotland \ as they are
* approven by the General AfTembly of the Kirk 4 and Parliament of this Kingdom, and that I fhall
* give my Royal Affent to Acts and Ordinances of
* Parliament pafled, or to be paffed, enjoining the 4 fame in my other Dominions ; and that I fhall
* obferve thefe in my own Practice and Family, 4 and fhall never make Oppofition to any of thefe, ' or endeavour any Change thereof.' After this Manner was K. Gh. II. admitted to the Exercife of his Royal Authority ; but no fuqh Thing was attempted to be done at the Revolution ; this Act of Parliament enjoining a-new the Scots Corona- tion-Oath, and alfo this fecond Coronation-Oath, both taken by K. Ch. II. were let ly buried by the Parliament at the Revolution. Certain it is K. Will* and Q Mary neither did, nor were required to fwear the fecond Coronation -Oath, nor is it a- ny Thing to the Purpofe to tell us that they fwore the Scots Coronation -Oath at their Admiffion to the
E Crown :
< 34 ) Crown : For, (i.) this Coronation-Oath was en- joined by Aft of Parliament 15 67. and fo was a Piece of the firft Reformation. (2.) This Oath might be taken in a Confiftency with oppofing both the National Covenant and folemn League, while there is no Mention of either of thefe Covenants therein ; tieither indeed could be, becaufe the folemn League was not fworn till the Year 1643. and as for the National Covenant, it was not fubferibed by K. Ja.. VI. for 13 Years after the Coronation -Oath was framed and enafted ; and K. Ch. I. did fwear the Scots Coronation-Oath upon the 18th of June 1633. even when Epifcopacy was eftablifhed, and he him- felf at that Time, and for four Years thereafter, was endeavouring to impofe the Popifli Ceremonies, and the five Articles of Perth, upon this Church ; and therefore, alrho* the States of the Nation did require our Sovereign to fwear the Sects Coronati- on-Oath at the Revolution, yet it will not' from hence follow, that they revived the fecond Refor- mation-Period, and all Laws and Afts in favours of the fame. On the contrary, their omitting to put this Coronation -Oath fecuring the Covenants unto them, is an Evidence they left the Covenants buried, and alfb, among others, this Aft enjoining the fame. Thus it appears, that not one of the Reformation- Laws aforefaid, were either more ge- nerally, or more exprefly revived by the Revolu- tion-Parliament •, and what we have faid of thefe mentioned, may be jnftly faid of all other Afts and Laws palfed in that Period. Our Author's After- tion therefore is groundlefs, imaginary, and vain.
With reference to the general Claufe Refciflb- ry in the jth Aft of Parliament 1690. our Author deduces a groundlefs Conclufion, Page 25 th of his
foresaid
( 3* ) forefaid Pamphlet, viz. * For fo it is, that all the
• bad Acts in general, that were made againft any
• Part of the true Religion, were refcinded by the
• Revolution-Parliament 1690. ' The general Claufe, as there quoted by our Author, runs thus, after the refcindmg oi particular Acts, • with all
• other Acls, Laws, Statutes, Ordinances and Pro-
• clamations, and that in fo far allenarly as the faid
• Acts, and others generally and particularly above
• mentioned, are contrary or prejudicial to, incon- ' fiftent with, or derogatory from the Proteftant
• Religion, and Presbyterian Government now
• eftabliihed.' Concerning which Inference and Claufe,
(1.) Obferve, that our Author ufeth Sophiftry upon the Words True Religion, which are varioufly accepted, and in Reality are taken in as many diffe- rent Senfes as there are different Religions profeffed in the Chrillian Church. For Inftance, we have the Phrafe true Religion in that abominable Oath called the Teft, where the Swearer folemnly de- clares in thefe Words, * I own, and fincerely profefs 4 the true Proteftant Religion.' Likeways the firft Aft of K. Ch. II 3 ParL 1681. intitled, Att ra- tifying ail former Laws for the Security of the Prote- ftant Religion, hath in it thefe Words, 4 Our So-
• vereign — Lord ratifies — all— Laws, Acls and 1 Statutes — for fettling and fecuring the Liberties
• and Freedom of the true Kirk of God, and the
• Proteftant Religion.' At which Time it is well known Prelacy was eftabliflied by Law, and profeffed in the Land, and Periecution going on at a high Rate ; and yet have they uied the Phra- fes of the true Kirk of God, and the Proteftant Re- ligion. Likeways the Parliament, in their Aft of
Settle-
( 3<* )
Settlement 1690. make UCe of this Phrafe, True Proteftant Religion ; while it is as clear as Day- Light, from what has been already advanced, that tbeir Meaning of this Phrafe, True Proteftant Re- ligion, is vaftly different from the Meaning put up- on it by the Parliament in the fecond Refor- mation-Period ; for the Parliament 1690. by the True Proteftant Religion, underftand the IVeft- minfter Confeffion of Faith, which is but a Part of the true Religion eftablifhed in the fecond re- forming Period. But our -Reformers, in that Peri- od, by the true Religion, underftood the Doctrine, "VVorlhip, Difcipline and Government of Chrift's Houfe, as is evident from the firft Article of the folemn League and Covenant •, which true Religion, not only is fummarily contained in our excellent Confeffion of Faith, but alfo in our Catechifms larger and fhorter, Directory for Worfhip, Form of Church-Government, iecond Book of Difcipline, reforming Acts of Affembly in that and the former Period, and our Covenants, National and folemn League. This was the Religion of the fecond re- forming Period, all which lies buried under the Aft RefcifTory, and is left there by the Revolution- Parliament, except the Confeffion of Faith, called by them the true Proteftant Religion, and Presby- terian Church-Government, and that only as it was eftablifhed by the Parliament anno 159 2.
(2.) Obferve, that, even this general Claufe, as it ftands in the Act 1690. is reftricted unto Acts, Laws, 6c. in fo far alienor ly as the faid Acts, ge- nerally and particularly refcinded, are contrary or prejudicial to the Religion fettled by them in this Act. And, as we have formerly proven that the Re- volution Parliament only took up the firft Reforma- tion-
I
( 37 ) tion-Period exclufive of the National Covenant, and Books of Dilcipline, leaving the fecond buried and neglected, therefore this Refciflbry Claufe reicinds Laws only as they itruck againlt the Re- volution-Settlement, as the Clauie itfcli bears, or (which is the fame Thing) againft the Settlement 15*9 2. upon which it is founded.
(3.) Obferve, that, had this gerieral Claufe re- funded the Act Rcfeiffory, paffed i6di. then it had likeways refcinded all other Laws of the fame Kind ; but, as an Evidence to the contrary of this, we find the fame Parliament 1690. a lew Days af- ter, viz. July 19. the lame Year, in their 27 and 28 Acts, do refcind above forty other Acts of Par- liament paffed in the Reigns of K. Ch. II. and his Brother after him. And had the Parliament rec- koned that all thefe Laws, refcinded in theie two Acts, had been annulled by this general Claufe in the 5* th Act, then would they have been acting the fame Thing over again, which is fo childim and trifling, that it would be uncivil to impute the fame to fo anguft a Court.
4. Obferve, in the 28 Aft, July 19. 1690. fays the Parliament, ■ Several Acts of Parliament have ■ been made, {viz. in the late Reigns of K. Ch. II. 1 and K. Ja. VII.) which are now either ufelefs or « found to be hurtful j • in which Act they refcind a great many bad Laws paffed in the faid Reigns, which, fay they, are either ufelefs or hurtful ; and as the Parliament does not diftinguilri between ufe- lefs Laws and hurtful Laws here refcinded, fo we are left to guefs what of them might be reckoned ufelefs ; and as fome of thefe Acts have their Titles narrated, others have only numerical ones, we may be allowed to fuppofe/that thefe,-whofc
Numbers
( ?s )
Numbers are only marked in Figures, may be a- mong thofe which they reckoned ufelefs, among which is the 5 A3 of K. J a. VII. which is againit the Covenants ; and indeed this Aft is really ufe- lefs, in regard* the Covenants themfelves are out of Date, in the Eye of the Law, ever fince they were refcinded by K. Ch. 2 Par/, and left lying there by the Revolution-Parliament.
From all which it appears evident, that what is faid in the Teftimony, and in the Acknowledg- ment of Sins prefixed to the Bond, relative to the Revolution-Settlement of Religion, remains ftill to be a fad Truth, and a {landing Ground of God's Controverfy with thefe Lands, viz. That, when the Eftates of the Nation were met in a free Parlia- ment, arm 1690. all the Steps of Reformation at- tained to in that covenanting Period, betwixt the Years 163 8 and 165*0. were neglected and pafTed by, 6r. And that this was the Mind of our Author, with the AfTociate Presbytery, in their Act anent Mr. Nairn, patted September 1743. was judicially evident, by his voting Approve, wherein the Pref- bytery affirms, Page 50. ' The Kingdom of Scot- land at that Time, ( viz. at the Revolution ) in fettling their Government, and in offering the Crown to K. Will, and Q. Mary, not only over- looked the whole civil Reformation attained to betwixt the Years 1638 and i6fo but left the wicked Laws, revoking and razing the fame, un- touched and in Force.* And. again, Page jr. fay they, * Upon the whole it appears, that, under the prefent Conftitution, a mighty Bar is thruft in the Way of our covenanted Reformation, both in Church and State ; yea, a Grave-Stone is laid and eftablifhed upon the fame.' And more fol- x lows
( 39 )
lows to the fame Purpofe in that Page. And more- over, in Page 52. adds the Presbytery, ■ At the « Revolution Prelacy was not abolifhed as con- a trary to the Word of God, and abjured by our « Covenants : The Settlement of Presbytery was « according to the former Settlement anno 1592.
* and all rhe legal Securities given to this Church 1 1638 to 165:0. were overlooked ; nor was any € Regard had to the folemn Oaths and Covenants
* which we then came under. The wicked Laws,
* anno 1661. condemning and razing our covenanted
* Reformation, were left untouched ; a general
* Oath of Allegiance was impofed, plainly exclud-
* ing the Oath our Covenants, and contrary to the ' reformed Practice anno 1649. Such were retain-
* ed in Places of publick Truft and military Office, 1 as were Enemies to our Reformation, and had been ' deeply involved in the horrid Defection, Perfecu-
* tion and Bloodfhed of the former Period ; the
* Power and Privileges of the Church were en-
* croached upon by diffblving the Affembly 1692. 1 and adjourning the feme from Time to Time,
* till 1694. And indeed, by the Aft 1592. accord- c ing to which Presbytery was fettled at the Revo- 1 lution, the Affembly is deprived of Power, where
* the King or his Commiflioner are prefent, to no- « minate and appoint Time and Place for their c next Meeting.'
SECT. III.
Shewing that the Settlement of Religion made by tht Parliament at the Revolution, if tried hy the Touch - Stone of the Word, and compared with the Order ef the Settlement of Religion in the fecond Reformatio on- Period, betwixt 1638 and idjo. was an Erafti-
an
( 40 )
an Settlement, and contrary unto the Order of the Head of the Church.
For illuftrating this Point, we (hall (i) a little confider our Principles with reference to the Go- vernment and Management of the Church, from the Word of God, our Confeffion of Faith, and the Practice of our Reformers in our fecond Refor- mation-Period. (2) Take a View of the Settle- ment of Religion at the Revolution, and compare it therewith as we go along. To proceed then to the firfl: of thefe, let us,
\mo. Confider our Principles as to the Govern- ment and Management of the Church from the fa- cred Oracles : And, if we confult both the Old and the New Teftament, we lliall find, that the Management of Affairs in the Church pertains to fuch as are called of God to bear Office therein, and not to the civil Magiftrate. Accordingly we find, under the Old -Teftament, that the Levites were appointed to keep the Charge of the Lord about the Tabernacle, and all the Appurtenances thereof; as we read, Numb. Chap. i. ^o, 5*1. But thou fhalt appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of Teftimo?iyy and over all the Veffels thereof, and over all the Things that belong to it ; They fhall bear the Tabernacle, and all the Veffels thereof, they fhall minifler unto it, and (hall encamp round about the Tabernacle. And when the Tabernacle fetteth foreword, the Levites fhall take it down: And when the Tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites fhall fet it up : And the Stranger that cometh nigh fhall be put to Death. As alfo, Ch. iii. Verfet 1, 8, 25, 26. 1 Chron. xv. 2. Then David faid, None ought to carry the Ark of. Cod but the Levites. Thus we have the Lord giving
Command-
( 4* )
Commandment unto Mo/is concerning the Taber- nacle, and the Levitts are to be folely employed a- bout it, and all Things pertaining unto it : And we have an awful Certification given, that if any Stranger fhould meddle with it, or come nigh to it, he fhould be put to Death. Accordingly we find, that when David did not obferve the Command here given, when he brought up the Ark of God out of the Houfe of Abinadab, this awful Certifica- tion was' verified upon Uzzah immediately by God himfelf, l Chron. xiii. 9 and 10 Verfes. Da- vid on this Occafion did not obferve the Command- ment of the Lord, in caufing the Lcvites to bear the Ark upon their Shoulders by the Staves on the Sides thereof, as Exod. xxxvii. 5. but carried it, as the Philiftines did, upon a new Cart. After the Lord had fmitten Uzzah, David was afraid of God, as in Verfe 12. and from this awful Inftance he learned his Duty better. Hence we find him, Chap. xv. 12. giving Charge to the Levites, faying, Santtify your/elves, both ye and your Brethren, that you may bring up the Ark of the Lord God c/"Ifrael un- to the Place that I have prepared for it. For becaufe ye did it not at the fir ft, the Lord our God made a Breach upon us, for that we fought him not after the due Or- der. Verfe 15". The Children of the Levites brought Up the Ark of God upon their Shoulders, with the Staves thereon, as Mofes commanded according to the Word of the Lord. Thus David, tho' a Man according to God's own Heart, and a Prophet of the Lord, when he came to fee his Miftake, and to learn, the Law of the Lord better, he would not put an Hand to the Ark, but commanded thofe to do it to whom it did appertain.
F In
< 4* )
In the New-Teftament, we find Chrift giving the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter, and with him to other Officers in this Houfe, Matth. xvi. T5>. / will give unto thee the Keys of the King- dom of Heaven, and wbatfoever thou /halt hind on Earth, fhall be hound in Heaven : And whatfoever thou Jh alt toofe on Earth, fhall be loofed in Heaven. Thus we have the Keys here given to Church-Officers, and the Keys are indivifible ; to whom he gave the Keys of Doctrine, to them alfo gave he the Keys of Government and Difcipline, which is plainly im- plied in binding and loofing ; and hence we find, that after his Refurrection, when he was about to erect his Gofpel-Church, he continued forty Days with the Apoftles whom he had chofen, fpeaking and giving Commandment to them concerning his Gofpel Kingdom, Afts i. 2, 3.
Moreover, we find alfo ^Scripture-Example to guide us in this Particular : The approven Practice of reforming Hezekiah ftands on Record for Imi- tation herein. After Deformation for fome Time had taken Place in Judah, Hezekiah fet fore ward in Reformation, in which Work he proceeds by calling the Officers of the Houfe of God to proceed in that Work, as we read, 2 Chrcn. xxix. 4, 5*. And he brought in the Priefls and the Levites, and gathered them together in the ea(t Street, andfaid unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, Sanclify now your J elves, andfanttify the Houfe of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the Filthinefs out of the holy Place. Verfe 1 1 . My Sons, be not now negligent : For the Lord hath cho/en you to fland before him to ferve him, and that you Jhculd miniflenunto him, and burn Incenfe. Thus this reform- ing King did not himfelf fet about the purging and reforming the Houfe of God, but called the Levites
there-
( 43 ) thereunto, as being their proper Work and Bufi- nefs#; to which GalJ and Command the Levites yield- ed a ready and chearful Obedience, as we fee in the Sequel of that Chapter.
2do. We have it lai-l down as a Principle in our Confeflion of Faith, Chap. 23. Sc£f. 3. » The ci-
* vil Magiftrate may not aflume to himfelf the Ad- « miniftration of the Word and Sacraments, or the < Power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven ;
* yet he hath Authority, and it is his Duty to take 4 Order that Unity and Peace be preferved in the « Church, that the Truth of God be kept pure and « entire, that all Blafphemies be fuppreffed, all A- c bufes in Worfhip and Difcipline be prevented
* or reformed, and all the Ordinances of God du-
* ly fettled, adminiftred and obferved ; for the
* better effecting whereof he hatli Power to call f Synods, to be prefent at them.' From this Quo- tation of our Confeflion, we may notice what Power the M-agiftrate hath about the Church* both negatively and pofitively. (1) Negatively, he hath not a Power in facred Things, viz. the Power of difpenfingthe Word and Sacraments, nor the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. (2) Pofitive- ly, he hath a Power about facred Things ; he is to be nurfing Father to the Church, to life that Power given him of God in her Defence; neverthelefs he is not to ufe this Power of himfelf, but that he may- employ it for the Good of the Church ; he is to call her Judicatories that they may go about their Work, at which he may be prefent, and fo his pro- per Work is to ratify, by civil Sanction, what they determine and conclude.
3//^ If we look into our fecond reforming Pe- riod, we fliall find our reforming Parliaments pro.
ceeding
C 44 )
cceding in this beautiful fcriptural Order in Re- formation, the Church always going foremoft, and the State ratifying, by "civil Sanction, what the Church did. Thus wefind the Church, anno 1638. proceeded in Reformation, after the Manner of the Levites in the Days of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. xxix\
4 18. They purged the Houfe of God, by de-
pofing and excommunicating moft of the Prelates, condemning the Service-Book, Book of Canons, Book of Ordination, the High-Commiflion, the corrupt AfTemblies, and the civil Places and Power of Kirkmen •, they condemned Epifcopacy, and found it to be abjured in our National Covenant ; in like Manner, they fet up the Tabernacle that had been for many Years taken down, by approv- ing the Regifters of former lawful AfTemblies, fettl- ing the Presbyterian Order of the Houfe of God, appointing the Renovation of the National Cove- nant, in a Way fuited to the Circumftances of their own Time, and they addrefs his Majefty the King to ratify all by his civil Sanction, which the State accordingly did in their Aft, June 1 1. 1640. intitled, Aft anent the Ratification of Aft s of the Af fembfy ; in which Act of Parliament the Aft of Af- fembly, pafTed Auguft 17. 1639. is verbatim record- ed, and contains in it the Subftance of what the preceeding AfTembly had done in purging the Houfe of God. And as the AfTembly 1639. did ratify and approve of the Proceedings of the foregoing Aflem- bly 1638. To the Parliament, in ratifying of the Proceedings of the AfTembly 1639. did hereby ra- tify and approve of the Reformation carried on by the AfTembly 1638. and that in a Way. agreeable to our Principles laid down in the Word of God and Confeflion* of Faith, as above hinted ; for, fay
1 they,
0 4* )
they, in another Aft of the fame Date, < The E- € Hates of Parliament, conhdering that the Office of * Buhops and all other Prelates, and the civil Places ' and Power of Kirk men, are condemned by the Af- c fcmblies of tbis,Kirk* they revive the Aft is 92. ratifying the Liberty of the Kirk, in a Way more fully avouching the intrinfick Power of the Church than that Aft did. The) annul the Afts of Parlia- ment ratifying the corrupt Affemblies that met at Glafgow and Perth 1610 and 1618. Thus the Parliament kept its due i;lace and Station, in rati- fying that Reformation which was carried on by the Church. In like Manner, when the Reforma- tion took Footing in England, and Uniformity in "Worfhip and catechifing were aimed at in both Kingdoms, the Parliament of England calied an Aifembly of Divines, and CommiiTioncrs were Jent from the Church of Scotland to deliberate upon that grave and weighty Affair, according to Scripture, Dent, xxxiii. 8, 10. And of Lc\\ he faidy Let thy
Thummim and thy Urim he with thy Holy One .
They foall teach Jacob thy Judgments, and Ifrael thy Law. Mai. ii 7. For the Priefts Lips jhould keep Knowledge, and they jhould feek the Law at his Month. ' And after the fVid Affembly had compofed a Con- feffion of Faith, larger and fhorter Catechifms, and a Directory for the publick Worlhip of God. all which were received by the Affembly of this Church, and ratified by the States, ftill in the fame beautiful Order, viz. as the Affembly by their Aft, Auguft 27. 1 647. received and approved of the Confeffion of Faith.' And as by their Aft, July 2. 1648. Self. 10. they received and approved of the the larger Catechifm ; and as they received and approved of the fhorter Catechifm, by their Aft
July
C 4* )
July 28. the fame Year, all as a Part of the then intended Uniformity : So the Eftates of Parliament, by their Aft, February 7. 1649. did ratify and ap- prove the faid Gonfeflion and Catechifms, and the above three Afts of AfTembly receiving the fame. Farther, as the AfTembly, by their Aft, February 3. 1 645:. did receive, approve, and eftablifh the Di- rectory for publick Worfhip ; fo the Parliament, by their Aft paffed the 6th Day of the fame Month, did ratify and approve the faid Directory, and Aft of AfTembly receiving the fame. Again, as the General Aflcmbly did, by their Aft, duguft 17. % 643 . approve of the folemn League and Covenant ; fo the Eftates of Parliament, by their Aft paffed the very fame Day, did approve and receive the fame. Finally, As the GommifTion of the General AfTembly did, by their Aft, OBober 1 1. 1643. or" dain the receiving, fwearing and fubferibing of the folemn League and Covenant ; fo the Commiflio- ners of the Convention of Eftates did, by their Aft the very next Day, unanimoufly receive, embrace and ordain the folemn fwearing and fubferibing thereof by all his Majefty's Subjects. Thus there was a beautiful Order obferved in all that Period, the Church fetting up the Lord's Tabernacle, and the State coming after them in a Way ofufing their Power and Authority in Defence of the faid beautiful Reformation ; and if we obferve the Mo- tives laid down by the State in their reforming Afts, we ihall find that they were not influenced from carnal and political Ends, but the Glory of God, and the folemn Obligations they were under to him : Thus, in their forementioned Aft abolifh- ing Patronages, fay they, ' The Eftates of Parlia- • ment, being fenfible of the great Obligation that
lies
( 47 )
c lies upon them by the National Covenant, and by ■ the folemn League and Covenant, and by many ' Deliverances from God, and by the late folemn ' Engagement unto Duties, to preferve the Doc-
* trine —and to advance the Work of Refbr-
1 mation to the utmoft of their Power -, and
1 considering that Patronages is an Evil and
4 Bondage, under which the Lord's People and
• Minifters of this Land have long groaned, and
• that it hath no Warrant in God's Word — and ' that the fame is contrary to the fecond Book of
* Difcipline— and unto feveral Ac~ts.of General Af- ' femblies — And the faid Eftates being willing 1 and defirous to promove and advance the Re-
* formation forefaid, that every Thing of the Houfe c of God may be ordered according to his Will
• and Command, Do therefore, fee' Thus the Par- liament proceeded upon fcriptural Grounds, and from the Senfe they Jiad of the Obligations they were under from the Lord's Goodnefs and Mercy to this Land, and their folemn Vows unto him, to purfue and endeavour after Reformation. Thus, in this Time of Reformation, Church -Judicatories, according to their Office and Duty, did proceed in fetting up the Tabernacle, that had been about 40 Years taken down, and our civil Rulers were as nurfing Fathers unto the Church, not ufurping a Power over her in facred Things, but exercifing their Power about her, lor ftrengthning, fupporting, ai)d defending her from outward Enemies ; and \o bringing their Honour and Glory to Chrift. Then it was that the Church of Scotland looked forth as the Morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, and terrible as an Army with Banners.
Having
< 48 >.
Having thus given a fhort Hint of our Principles anent the Government and Management of the Church from the Word of God, our Confeflion of Faith; and the Practice of Church and State in the fecond Reformation Period, we proceed, in the
zd Place, to take a View of the Conduct of our Parliament wi/fi reference to the Settlement of Religion at the Revolution, and we (hall find it to be the quite Reverfe, and that both in the Set- tlement then made, and alio in their after Manage- ment and Adminiftration 'thereanent ; which will appear evident, if we confider the following Parti- culars.
imo. That the State, at the Revolution, inftead of following the beautiful fcriptural Order obferved by David and Hezekiah of old, and alfo by our reforming Parliaments in the fecond Refoimation- Period, viz. in fetting the Church always foremoft in the Work of the Lord, and they coming after in their Turn, and ratifying by civil Sanction what the Church did, inverted this Order, by preferr- ing to the Church, and fo cannot be cleared from Eraftianifm in their Procedure. For altho* the Revolution took Place anno 1688. yet no General Aifembly was allowed to meet until two Years thereafter, viz. Oftoler i<5. 1690. and, about four Months and fome Days before that Time, viz. June 7. that Year, did take upon them to fettle Re- ligion, as they fay, and Presbyterian Church- Go- vernment, as is narrated in their AR, viz. ' Our
■ Sovereign Lord and Lady — and three Eftates of
■ Parliament, conceiving it to be their bound Du- 1 ty— in the nrft Place, to fettle and fecure therein
• the true Proteftant Religion, according to the
♦ Truth of God's Word, as, it Hath of long Time
been
( 4P )
* been profelTcd within this Land. — Likeas, by
* thefe Prefents, ratify and eftablifh the Confeflion
* of Faith, now read in their Prefcnce, and voted
* and approven by them as the publick and a-
* vowed Confeffion of this Church. ' Here obfervc* (i.) That the Religion they fettle* is not the true reformed Presbyterian Religion, which is oppoilte to Prelacy ; but the true Proteftant Religion, which is oppofite unto Popery. (2.) They read, voted and approved the Confeffion, without regarding a- ny Aft, either of the AfTeniblics of this Church re- ceiving and approving the faid Confeflion, or of former Parliaments ratifying the fame ; and as they fhewed no particular Regard unto what either the Church or State had done in the fecond reform- ing Period ancnt this Confeflion ; fo they as little regarded the Officers of the Houfe of God that were in Being at the Time, while they thus took upon them to fettle Religion fo long before they allowed them to meet in a General Aflembly. Thus, as the Reverend Mr. Wilfon exprelfeth it in his Defence, Pages 265-, 266. « The faid Parlia- « ment (viz. 1690.) did indeed leave the Afts of
* Parliament 1649. and the other Acls of that Peri- € od, buried under the Act Refciflbry ; and therefore
* they made an Aft of their own with refpeft to
* our Confeflion of Faith.' Thus they afted con- trary to the fcriptural Order obferved by the State in the fecond reforming Period, and did hereby en- croach upon the intrinfick Power of the Church 3 They had a Power to fettle the civil Matters of , the Kingdom ; they had alfo Power to call the Aflembly of the Church to meet; but a Power to read, vote and approve of a Confeflion of Faith, land put it into the Hands of the Church and Nati-
G tion,
( So )
t'ion, in this Manner, of themfelves, and at the firft Inftance, without regarding the Church in her Af- femblics, either paft or future, was certainly Erafli* an, and what does not at the firft Inftance apper- tain unto them, which may be proved by thefe Scriptures, Numb. i. 5*1. When the Tabernacle fettetb foreward, the Lcvites jhall take it downy and when the Tabernacle is to be pitched, the Lev ites Jhall fet it up. And fo we fee, 2 Chron. xix. II. Amariah the chief Prieft was fet over the People in all Matters of the Lord. And, fays Zechariah to Ezra the Prieft, when fpeaking of Reformation- Work, This Ma tier belongeth unto theey Ezra x. 4.
(2.) Again, the Parliament, in this Aft, do fettle Presbyterian Church-Government ; for, fay they, c As alfo the Government of Ghrift's Church with*
* in this Nation, agreeable to the Word of God,
* and moft conducive to the Advancement of true
* Piety and Godlinefs, and the eftablifhing of
* Peace and Tranquillity in this Realm.' Where- upon it may be obferved, (1) As they fubverted the Order of the Houfe of God in the Matter of Doctrine, fo do they here alfo in the Matter of Government, which Mr. JVilfon judicioufty obferves in his Defence, Page 270. ' Hereby the due Or-
* der of the Houfe of God was inverted, in regard
* the Settlement of the Government of the Church,
* belongs, in the firft Inftance, unto a Judicatory of « Chrift met together in the Name of the Lord Je- ' fus ; and that which is incumbent upon the civil ■ Powers in this Cafe, is only to give the civil ? Sanction unto the fame.' But, patting this as to what they here enacted anent Government, it may be obferved, (2.) That they make the Government of the Church a different Thing from, and no
Part
( Si ) Part of the true Religion, as appears both from the Title of their Aft, and likeways from the Aft itfelf : For, after they have fpoke of fettling Reli- gion in the firft Place, they make a Tranfition to the Settlement of the Government, with the Phrafe, as alfo, which is direftly contrary to the Stile ufed in our fccond reforming Period, as was noticed above. (3.) Obferve, What Government do they eftablifh ? Why, it is the Government of Chrift's Church in this Nation •, not the Govern- ment of Chrift's Church laid down in the Word, and agreed upon by the Aflemblies of the Church of Scotland in her Books of Difcipline, and other Standards, fworn to in our Covenants, and ratified by the Parliaments of this Kingdom. Nothing like this is in their Aft, but the Government of Chrift's Church within this Nation. Why, the fame King that was fettling Presbytery in Scotland, was bound to fupport Prelacy in England at the fame Time ; and fo the Government of Chrift's Church in Scotland was Presbytery, while, at the fame Time, the Government of Chrift's Church in England, then was, and to this Day (in the O- pinion of our Statefmen) continues to be Prelacy. (4.) Obferve, that the Parliament here call this their Settlement agreeable to the Word of God. We need not thank them for this Compliment they give to Presbytery, while they are far from faying it is the only Government founded on the Word of God, exclufive of all other Forms of Govern- ment. The Truth is, our Statefmen look on Church-Government as an ambulatory Thing, and to be fettled and modelled according as they think fit. Hence, at the Revolution, both Prelacy, which was fettled in England, and Presbytery, fettled in
Scot*
( S* )
Scotland, were judged agreeable to the Word of God. Our reforming Parliament 1640. cxprefs themfelves in a Strain quite different from this, in their forecited Aft RefcifTory, June if; € The E- 1 ftates of Parliament declare, That the fole and < only Power and Jurifdi&ion, within this Kirk,
* ftands in the Kirk of God as it is now reformed,
* and in General, Provincial and Presbyterial Af- 1 femblies and Seffions of the Kirk.'
(3.) Farther, the Parliament, in their AcT:, abolift Prelacy, but upon what Grounds we may fee in the Aft itfelf, wherein they fay, ' And that, by an 4 Article of the Claim of Right, it is declared
* that Prelacy, and the Superiority of any Office
* in the Church above Presbyters, is, and hath been
* a great and unfupportable Grievance and Trou-
* ble to this Nation, and contrary to the Inclinati- 4 ons of the Generality of the People ever fince the
* Reformation, (they having reformed from Popery 1 by Presbyters) and therefore ought to be abolifh- 4 ed : Likeas, by an Acl: of the laft Seffion of Par- t liament, Prelacy is abolifhed.' Here we have fomething done by the Parliament that is indeed good, yer ftill is in an Eraftian Manner ; for, (1.) They take no Notice of Prelacy being abolifhed, neither by the Church 1 638. nor by the State 1640. (2.) They proceed upon Political Grounds, as, 1. Becaufe it was contrary to the Claim of Right. 2. Becaufe a great and unfupportable Grievance to this Nation. 3. Becaufe contrary to the Inclinations of the Generality of the People, And why fo ? But becaufe they were reformed by Presbyters. Not one Word of its* being contrary to the Word of God, abjured by our Covenants, and abo)ifned both by Church and State in our fer
cond
( S3 )
cond reforming Period. No Regard is hid to any of thefe Things in this Settlement; the whole of it, as it was from political Motives, fo to political Ends and Views- The plain Cafe was, the Peo- ple of Scotland generally did abhor Prelacy, and they had now got a long Trial of it ; the Eftablifh- ment and Support whereof had occafioned much Difquiet and Trouble to the Nation > and as the Parliament fays, for the Peace and Tranquillity of this Nation they did abolim it ; and becaufe Pref- bytery Is raoft agreeable to the Inclinations of the People' of Scotland, they fettle Presbytery there, while, at the fame Time, becaufe Prelacy was moft agreeable to the Inclinations of the People of Eng- land, Prelacy, for Peace Sake, remains eftablifhed there. And becaufe Scotland was reformed from Popery by Presbyters, the- Parliament fettle Pref- bytery there. And, by Parity of Reafon, becaufe England was reformed from Popery by Bilhops, a- bout the Year 15*30. Prelacy Hands fettled there. 4. The Erajhantfm of this Settlement appears likeways from the Act of Parliament 1592. upon which they did found it, in regard, in that Aft of Parliament, the Headftiip of Chrift, and intrinfick Power of the Church is invaded, as the Aft itfelf bears.' ' And fiklike, ratifies and appreives the Ge-
* neral AfTemblics appointed be the faid Kirk ; and
* declares that it fall be lauchful to the Kirk and ' Minifters, every Zeir at the leaft, and oftner pro re « natay as Occafion and Neceffity fall require,
* to hald and keep General Affemblies, providing 1 that the King's Majefty, or his CommhTioners, with 1 them, to be appointed be his Hienefce, be prefent ' at ilk General Aifembly, before the diffolving
* thereof nominate and appoint Time and Place
quhen
( 54 ) 4 quhen and quhair the nixt Gencrd Aflcmbly fall ■ be halden.' Here, in this Aft, we have the Aflem- bly deprived of Power to nominate and appoint Time and Place for their next Meeting, where the King and his Commiffioners are prefent. Thus, as the Parliament took upon them, at the Revolution, to model the Church, fo they incroached upon her fpiritual Freedom and Liberty, and fo invaded the Crown-Rights of Chrift, who is King in Zion and fits on the Throne of his Holinefs.
If it fhall be objected, that the Parliament 1640. was as much Eraftian&s the Parliament 1 690. in re- gard they alfo ratified the Aft 1592.
To this we anfwer, ■ That, altho' K. Charles I. indeed was oppofing the Reformation a little before that Time, and his Commiflioner attempted to dif- folve the Aflcmbly i6^8.yetdid that Aflembly give a practical Teftimony to the intrinfick Power of the Church, by their refuting to be diflblved by him : So the Parliament, in their Aft, June 1 1 . \ 640. in- titled, Ratification of the Acis of Ajfembly, exprefly ratify and confirm the Aft of Aflembly pafled An- gufl 17. 163?. which Aft of Aflembly did confirm the Proceedings of iflcmbly 1 638. Thus the Aft of Parliament 1640. did more particularly and ex- plicitly ratify and approve the intrinfick Power of the Church, than either the Parliament t5"92. or 1690. And farther, this Aft acknowledges the fcriptural Claim of Presbyterian Church-Govern- ment, which neither of the two forefaid Afts of Parliament do. Moreover, the Parliament 1640. condemns Prelacy, and the Superiority of Bifliops and Archbifhops, and all other Prelates, the civil Places and Power of Kirkmen, their Voicing and Riding in Parliament, as unlawful in themfelves,
having
£ ft J >
having no Warrant in the Word of God, and re- pugnant to our Covenants, concerning which both thefe Atts are filent.
ido. If we take a View of the after Management of the State, in confequence of the forefaid Settle- ment, as it was Erajlian, fo was the Adminiftration thereof. Upon which the following Inflances may be noticed.
imo. King JVUliam and his Parliament did bind down Epifcopal Incumbents upon Parilhes, pro- hibiting ChvTrch-Judicatories from exercifing Church -Difcipline upon the Impenitent, and en- joining the AfTembly to admit fuch without any E- vidence of Sorrow for their Apoftafy, upon their fwearing the Oath of Allegiance, and fubferibing the Formula t, which did plainly homologate the Revolution -Settlement. For Proof of this we ap- peal to King William's Letters, directed to General AiTemblies amis 1690 and 1691. and is alfo evi- dent from after Acts of Parliament, particularly aa Aft paflfed May 28. 1693. enjoining all in Places of Power and Truft, civil, ecclefiaftical and mili- tary, to fwear the Oath of Allegiance, and lubferibe
it
\ T j4. B. do fmcerely own and declare the above Confeflion of Faith, appro ven by former General Aitemblies of this Church, and ratified bv Law in the Year 1690. to be the Confeflion of my Faith, and that I own the Doctrine therein contained to be the true Doctrine, which I will conftantly adhere to; as likeways that I own and acknowledge Presbyterian Church- Government of this Church, now fettled by Law, by Kirk-SefCons, Presbyte- ries, Provincial Synods and General Aflcmblies, to be the only Go- vernment of this Church, ru.'d that I will fubmit thereto, concur therewith, and never endeavour, directly or indirectly, the Pre- judice or Subverfibn thereof; and that I (hall obferve Uniformi- ty of Worfhip, and of the Adminiftration of all publick Ordinan- ces within this Church,, as the fame arc at prefent pcrfora&i and a lit wed.
( s* )
it together with the Oath of AfTurance. Likeways an Aft, pafled June 12. the fame Year, declaring and ordaining, « That no Perfon be admitted, or
* continued for hereafter, to be Minifter orPreach-
* er within this Church, unlefs that he, having firft
* taken and fubferibed the Oath of Allegiance,
* and fubferibed the Oath of Affurance, in Manner
* appointed, — -certifying fuch as fhall not qualify
* themfelves, and apply to the Aflembly, or other
* Judicatories, within the Space of 30 Days after 4 the Meeting of the firft Affembly, in Manner afore- ' faid, that they may be depofed by the Sentence
* of the faid Aflembly, and other Judicatories, tarn
* ab officio quam a bencfich.' The Eraftianifm in thefe is fo glaring, that it were neediefs to Uluftrate the fame, only we may here obferve the Parlia- ment prefcribing new miniiterial Qualifications, in- ftead of their being bound to fwcar Allegiance to Zion's King, as in the fecond reforming Period ; and the Parliament farther prefcribing and laying down new Rules of Difcipline, againft thofe that refufe to come under thefe new Qualifications. But, moreover, we have this Erajlianifm yet fere wed higher by the Parliament in an after Aft, pafled July 16. 1695*. m which Aft, after appointing another Day for Minifters who had not qualified themfelves, by taking thefe Oaths according to Law, to qualify themfelves by fo doing, they fay, ■ With
■ Certification, that fuch of the faid Minifters as
■ fhall not come in betwixt and the faid Day, arc
* hereby, and by the Force of this prefent Aft, « ipfo fatto deprived ©f their refpeftive Kirks and
* Stipends, and the fame declared vacant without 4 any farther Sentence.' Which is yet a Step higher,
even
( 57 ) even the wrefting the Keys out of the Hands of Church-Judicatories altogether.
zdo. Another Evidence of the Eraflianifm of the State, at and fince the Revolution, is the King's calling, adjourning and diffolving AfTemblies mere- ly by his own Authority. Thus, as the Parlia- ment, by their jth Aft 1690. did appoint the firft Meeting of the General Aflembly to be upon the 1 6th of October thereafter; fo the faid Affembly 1690. being dhTolved, the next was appointed to be held at Edinburgh, November 1 . 1 69 1 . but was adjourned by the King's Proclamations, from Time *to Time, until March 1 694. Which Encroachments upon the Church's intrinfick Power natively refult and flow from the parliamentary Settlement, made in their Aft, June 7. 1690.
%tio. A farther Evidence hereof is the Conduct of the Parliament anent the Settlement of vacant Congregations, by their Aft, July 19. 1690. touch*- ed at above ; wherein they made a manifeft En- croachment upon our formerly attained to Refor- mation, in as much as the People are hereby fpoil- ed of the Privilege of calling their own Paftors, which Privilege is committed by the Parliament in- to the Hands of Proteflant Heritors and Elders, up- on the Heritors of each'Parifh purchafing it from the Patron by the Sum of 600 Merks ; and this Right we find after reftored back again to the Pa- trons, anno 17 1 2.
4/2. The laft Piece of Eraflian Adminiflration we fhall mention, is, the civil Magiftrate, by himfelf, without confulting the Church, his appointing Di- ets and Caufes of publick Thankfgiving and Fail- ing merely by his own Authority. Several In- fiances of this might be given, fince the Revolution, H from.
( J8 )
from the Afts of Parliament ; particularly, we find an Aft for a publickThankfgiving appointed by the States, April 16, 1689. Alfo an Aft of Parliament, May 2. 1693. appointing a monthly Faft to be kept upon the third Thurfday of the faid Month of May, and the third Thurfday of every Month thereafter, until Intimation of Forbearance be made by the Lords of their Majefties Privy-Council. Which Eraftian Encroachment continues to be exercifed un- to this Day, infomuch that the prefent eftablifhed Church obferve no national Fafts or Thankfgiv- ing, but what are appointed by our Sovereign and his Privy-Council. Thefe are but a few Inftances of the Ufurpations of the intrinfick Power of the Church, affumed by the State at and fince the Re- . volution ; feveral more might have been added, but we lhall forbear, and conclude this Head with a Caution or two.
imo. We heartily own that the Revolution itfelf was a very feafonable, fignal, and merciful Delive- rance, wrought by God for thefe Lands, and that K. William was made the happy Inftrument there- of : While therefore we are bound to teftify our thankful Acknowledgment unto the Lord for this Deliverance, we are at the fame Time bound to teftify againft the bad Improvement that all Ranks made of this feafonable Mercy.
2do. We alfo grant, that many good Things were done at the Revolution, viz. abolifhing of Prelacy, fettling of Presbytery, refcinding the Aft of Parlia- ment anent Fines and Forfeitures., But what is all this to the Purpofe, while, in doing thefe Thing?, they left buried the fecond Reformation-Period, and made Encroachments upon the Headfliip of Chrift,
and
( 59 )
and the intrinfick Power of the Church, as we have (hewn .?
pio. It muft likeways.be owned, That, upon the Back of this Deliverance, the Lord did remark- able countenance his Ordinances, to the Converfi- on and Edification of many Souls, and a Seed was born in Scotland to ferve him. Thus he dealt with us as with Ifrael of old, while we, like Ifrael, have been guilty of the like Ingratitude to him, Pfato cvi. 7, 8. Our Fathers under flood not thy Wonder* in Egypt, they remembred not : he Multitude of thy Mer- cies ; but provoked him at the Sea, even at the Red Sea. Never thelefsy he faved them for his Name's Sake. Thus, as the State did provoke the Lord, at that Occafion, by their intermeddling in the Affairs of his Houfe, and laying a new Foundation upon the Grave of the fecond Reformation : So the Church did likeways provoke him -in fitting down upon that Foundation, without eflaying the purging of the Houfe, and fetting up the Tabernacle according to the Manner thereof; yet did the Lord faye us with a Nevertheless ; and it is a very dreadful Mif- improvement of God's fovereign Goodnefs, hereby to extenuate our Sin, and to hold it faft, becaufe he dealt with us according to his Name's Sake, and not o,s our Iniquities deferved. We ought rather to improve his Goodnefs, for our Humiliation and Aggravation of our Sin, as the Church does in the Text quoted, when (he is returning to her Duty. But we (hall conclude by a Sentence from a Letter writ- ten by Mr. John Dickfon late Minifter at Ruthergleny who died anno 1700. Speaking of the Revolution, fays he, ■ We have been lately try (led with a won- derful Deliverance from the Slavery of a Heaven- 1 daring Enemy; but not one Line of Reforma -
1 tisUi
* tion is pencilled upon the Deliverance : It is 4 like a Sleep-Drink, carting into a Lethargy ; yet
* God is good to Ifracl in the Deliverance, but the
* Ifliie of it is, every one feeking their own Things, ' but none feeking the Things of Jefus Ghrift.'
SECT. IV.
Of the Dedu&ion of a few Corollaries from what is
above.
COROLLARY I.
It will follow, that the Profeflion of Religion in the Revolution Church is different from the Pro- feflion of Religion adopted by Seceders in the Te- ftimony, and in the Bond for renewing our Cove- nants, and that both as to the Matter and Manner of its Settlement.
i mo. As to the Matter. The Profeflion of the Revolution-Church contains only a Profeflion of our JVeflminfler Confeflion and Presbyterian Church- Government, as agreeable to the Word of God, and the Inclinations of the People, without one Word in their Act of Settlement, or any Aft after it, either of the Catechifms, Directory, or Cove- nants ; for all the Profeflion of Religion that was put in the Hands of the Church at the Revolution, was the 33 Chapters of the Confeflion of Faith : And altho' they fettled Presbyterian Church-Go- vernment, yet, according to them, it is no Part of the true Religion, as is fhewn above.
But the Profeflion of Religion adopted by Sece- ders contains a Profeflion, not only of our Con- feflion of Faith, as received and approven by the
General
( 61 )
General Aflembly 1647. and Presbyterian Church- Government as founded on the Word of God, and the only Government of Chrift's Houfe, but al- foofour Catechifms, larger and fhorter, Directory for publick Worlhip, the Covenants National and folemn League ; and, in a Word, all the Refor- mation attained unto in the fecond, as well as in the firft Period thereof.
Confequently the ProfefTion of Religion adopted by Seceders is materially diftintt from that of the Revolution-Church.
Again, the Profeflion of the Revolution-Church gave the Power of calling Minifters to Proteftant Heritors, qualified according to Law by taking the Oaths of Allegiance and AiTurance, and to El- ders ; which Power was to be purchafed by thefe Heritors from the Patron, and is again returned to him fince the Year 17 12. -
But the Profeflion of Religion adopted by Sec£* ders gives the Power of calling Minifters unto the Chriftian People, Members of the Church, declar- ing that it is a Right purchafed to them by Chrift, and fo a fpiritual Privilege, which can neither be bought nor fold with Money.
Therefore thefe Profeflions are different the one from the other.
ido. As to the Manner. The Profeflion of Reli- gion in the Revolution-Church is the Weflminfler Confeflion of Faith, not as received and approved by the Aflembly of this Church anno \ 647. and ratified by the State anno 1 649. but as read, voted and ap- proven by the Parliament 1 690. in the forefaid Way and Manner ; and the Government fettled by them was Presbyterian Church-Government and Difci- pline, and that not as the only Government founded
in
( 62 )
in the Word of God, received and approven in our Books of Difcipline, and A&s of AfTemblies of this Church, fworn to in our Covenants, and ratified by our Parliament in the fecond reforming 'Period, but as founded on the Inclinations of the People.
But the Profeffion of Religion adopted by Sece- ders is the Doctrine, Worfhip, Difcipline and Government received and approven by the Affem- blics of this Church in her reforming Periods, as founded upon the Word of God, fworn to in our Covenants, ratified and eftablilhed 1)y our reform- ing Parliaments.
Wherefore the Profeffion of Religion in the Re- volution-Church is different from that profeffed by Seceders as to the Manner of its Settlement alfo. And, as the former is an Er aft tan one, being fet- tled by the civil Powers at the firft Inftance, ib the latter is a fcrjptural one, founded upon the Word of God, received and approven by Courts can- Ititute in his Name, to whom he has given the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, it is a fad Truth that the Reverend Mr. Ebenezer Erjkine fays in his Sermon on IfaiabxxW. 24. Page 40. ' The Glory
• of that Church is at a low Pais, which hangs up- ■ on the Nail of legal Securities by Kings and Par- ' liaments, inftcad of the Nail which God has « faftned in a fine Place : This, alas ! is the Cafe
* with the Church of Scotland at this Day.' More- over,
The Profeffion of the Revolution is a Profeffion that buries our Covenants, both National and fo- lemn League.
But the Profeffion of Seceders adopts and re- vives both.
Con-
( *1 )
Confequently thefe Profeflions are quite different. Hence the Reafoning of fome, at this Day, is very abfurd, while they pretend that they never feceded from the Profeflion of the eftabliflied Church, but from her Practice ; for it is fhewn above, that not only is her Practice wrong, but the very Deed of Settlement of Religion, by the Revolution-Parlia- ment, is wrong alfo ; and, by the {landing Laws of the Land eftablifliing that Profeilion, the Church is tied down to practife accordingly.
COROLLARY II.
It likeways follows, from what is above, that the Church of Scotland, fince the Revolution, has never been built upon her own Heap, nor has the Pa- lace remained after the Manner thereof.
TheHeap, or Foundation, on which the Gofpel- Church (lands, is Jefus Chrift, as revealed in the Word, Eph. ii. 20. and thus the Church oi r Scot- land was erected in Times of our Reformation. But, at and fince the Revolution, lhe was and is built upon the Claim of Right, the Inclinations of the People, Acts of Parliament burying our fecond Re- formation-Period, in laying a Bar in the Way of any free and particular Confeffion of the Perjury, Apoftafy, Bloodihed, and Heaven-daring Iniquity that prevailed in the perfecuting Reigns, and alfo in the Way of renewing our National Covenant- Engagements to the Moil High. Neither dorh the Palace remain after the Manner thereof : For, as we have (hewn, it appertains to the Office -Rearers of the Houfe of Chrift, and Courts conftitutc in his Name, to fet up the Tabernacle, and to keep the Charge of the Lord : But this was not the Cafe
with
C H )
with theRevolut'ion-Church, while the civil Powers,^ at their own Hand, took it upon them to fettle Reli- gion, and (as they fay) alfo Presbyterian-Govern- ment, without cohfulting the Judicatories of the Church ; and thus, as they fct up the Tabernacle by their own Authority, and to ferve their own po- litical Interefts, fo they left the former Manner of its Ereftion in this Land lying buried under the Aft Refciflbry, and alfo laid new Grave-Stones upon the fame.
COROLLARY III.
As it is plain, from what we have faid above, that no Branches of the Reformation, attained to in the fecond Period thereof, were adopted by the Revolution-Parliament, except the Weftminfler Con- feflion and Fresbyterian Church-Government ; fo it is as plain, that even thefe were not adopted by them as Parts of that Reformation, nor as ratified by the reforming Parliaments of that Period.
For the Parliament 1649. did ratify and efta- blifli the faid Confeflion, as it had been received and approven by the General Aflembly, Augufi 27. 1647. in which Aft the Aflembly explain them- felves, declaring, * That the not mentioning, in 1 faid Confeflion, the feveral Sorts of ecclefi-
* aftical Officers, and Aflemblies, fhall be no Pre- ' judice to the Truth of Chrift in thefe Particulars,
* to be fully expreft in the Directory for Govern-
* ment.* And likeways declare their Senfe and Meaning of fome Parts of the fecond Article of the 31 Chapter, in Tegard the Parliament not only ratify this Confeflion, but alfo this Aft of Aflem- bly receiving and approving of it : But the Par- liament
( 6s )
liament 1690. as they make no Reference unto this Aft of Parliament, fo they as little regarded the Limitation and Explanation wherewith the Aflembly did receive and approve it, but did read, vote, and approve it as it lay in itfelf. Again, as to Church-Government, the Parliament 1640. did, in their Afts, ratify and eftablifh it, as the fole and only Jurifdiftion (landing in the Kirk of God as then reformed, and that allQueftions about Religion and Matters ecclefiaftical mould be determined by AfTemblies of the Kirk ; but the Parliament idpo. did fettle Church-Government upon the Footing of the Aft 15:92. and the Inclinations of the Peo- ple. Thus, even thefe two Pieces of Reformati- on, adopted by the State at the Revolution, were not received by them as Parts of the Reformation attained to in the fecond Period thereof : An Evi- dence of this fhall be taken from Faith no Fancy 9 .Page 35*3 . by the fame Author. Says he, ■ I was « an Ear- Witnefs, at the General Affembly of this
* cftablifhed Church, to the Speech of a certain « Member thereof, wherein, relating to our cove- « nanted Reformation, he afferted openly, that « they were not now ftanding upon that Foundation. It « grieved me much, ( adds he ) that he was not ■ contradicted : Whence I concluded, that it was
• taken for granted by that Court, that they were € indeed quite off from that Foundation. '
COROLLARY IV.
In like Manner it follows, from what has been
advanced, that fuch as are contending for the Law-
fulnefs of a religious Claufe in ibme Burgefs-Oaths
condemned by the Syhod, or are fiding with thofe
I that
t ( a )
that do fo, are taking a very awful Courfe; they are taking up a Teftimony againft God, againft themfelves, and for the Apoftafy of the Generati- on.
(i.) They are taking up a Teftimony againft God : For, when he firft fent a few witnefling Minifters out from the eftablifhed Church, he, as we faid, put a Libel in their Hands, containing a large In di ftment againft this Land ; and, among o- ther Articles, the Conduct of the State at the Re- volution, in their retrograde Motion back to the Year 15-92. as the Bafis of their Settlement, leaving all the attained to Reformation, between the Years 1638 and 165-0. buried under the A£l Refciffory ; and alfo the Church is indicted for fitting down upon this Foundation. And the faid Minifters were fent by the Lord through different Corners of Scotland, on Days of Farting and Humiliation, and did publickly lay home this and other Articles of that Indictment unto Multitudes aflembled on thefe Occafions ; a«d alfo did publiih the fame to the Generation in the Year 1736. But thefe Minifters and People, who are turning afide, are now faying that this Article is a Miftake ; that no fuch Thing is chargeable upon this Land ; and that the Revo- lution-Parliament revived all the fecond Reformati- on-Period, and refcinded all the bad Laws made a- gainft the fame. (2.) They are taking up a Tefti- mony againft themfelves, and againft their Profefli- on. while, by their Acccffion to a Teftimony, they profeffed that this Article is one of the ftanding Grounds of the Lord's Controverfy againft" the Land : They are taking up a Teftimony againft their publick Prayers, while formerly they joined on Days of publick Falling upon this Ground, and
ajfb
c «r )
alfo in publick Prayers on other ordinary Occasi- ons, and their private Prayers in their Societies: They are taking up a Tcftimony againft their fo- lemn Vows, which all the Land is materially un- der, and which many Seceders, both Minifters and People, are formally under, while this Article (lands in the Confeflion of Sins prefixed to the Bond. (3.) Thty are taking up a Teftimony for the De- fections and Corruptions of the Times, while they are taking up a Teftimony for the Eraftian, and fecond Reformation burying Settlement of the Revolution-Church ; a Settlement that homolo- gates the Burial of our Covenants, and a Tefti- mony handed down at the Expence of Blood to their Poftcrity. Such a Teftimony are they taking up for the prefent Profeflion and Settlement of Religion, as was never yet taken up by any Mi* nifter or Member in the eftabliihed Chi v-Ji. It was never heard, till of late, that any publifhed to the World, that the State, at the Revolution, did re- vive the fecond reforming Period, and annulled all Laws and Acts made againft it in the perfecuting Time. Such a Story is quite new ; and, while it is alfo quite vain, groundlefs and abfurd, the Courfe fuch are prefently left to take muft be very aw- ful and dreadful, and juftly deferves to be animad* ▼erted upon by the Cenfures of the Church.
But we fliall conclude this Eifay, with obferving, that it needs not be thought very ftrange that fuch of our People as are following thefe Minifters, who are taking up a Teftimony for the Revolution- Settlement of Religion, in Oppofition to the Te- ftimony adopted by Seceders, are taking fuch Cour* fes as they are prefently following. Some Time ago they made Application to the AfTociate Judi- catories,
.( 68 ) catories, for the Settlement of Minifters among them, who, upon their Call and Trial by the Pref- bytery, were accordingly fettled among them, and now, at their own Hand, are mofl irregularly deferting their Minifters who are eflaying to oleavc to the Teftimony they are folemnly engaged to maintain, both at their Ordination, and in their joining in the Bond for renewing our Covenants, and are forfaking the Ordinances difpenfcd by them, and are making Application to the feparating Bre- thren, and obtaining Supply from them, in a Way diretftly opposite to and fubverfive of the Order, and Government of the Houfe of Chrift. However, we have a Commiffion from the Lord to cry aloud and fpare not ; fo we muft tell them, as we are commanded of the Lord by the Prophet Ifaiah% Chap. xxx. 8, p, 10 & iith Verfes, Now go, write it before them in a "Table, and note it in a Book, that it may be for the Time to come for ever and ever : That this is a rebellious People, lying Children, Chil- dren that will not hear the Law of the Lord : Which fay 10 the Seers, See not ; and to the Prophets, Pro- fhefy not unto us right Things, /peak unto us fmooth Things, prophefy Deceits : Get you out cf the IVayf turn afide out of the Path, caufe the Holy One e/"Ifrael to ceafe from before us. And it is to be feared the following Threatning lhall fake Effect if the Lord in Mercy prevent nor, Verfe 12. Wherefore thus faith the Holy One of Ifrael, Becaufe ye defpife this Word, and truft in Oppreffien and Perverfenefs, and J] ay thereon : Therefore this Iniquity fh all be to you as a Breach ready to fall, fwelling out in a high Wall, whefe Breaking comet h fuddenly at an Jn/iant. Verfe J 4. And he /hall break It as the Breaking nf the Potter's Ve/Fd, that is broken in Pieces, he /hall not
fpare ;
( *9 )
fp are ; fo that there Jhall not be found in the Bur fling of it, a Sherd to take Fire from the Hearth, or t* take Water withal out of the Pit, And as it is the Duty of fuch as arc eflaying to cleave to the Lord's Teftimony, to be deeply humbled before the Lord for their own Sins, and the Sins of others, which have provoked the Lord thus to divide a witneiling Body in his Anger, and to lift up a Prayer for fuch as have awfully turned out of the Way ; fo they are called to the Exercife of waiting upon the Lord, in a Way of his Judgments, encouraging themfelves, • and hoping in his faithful Word of Promife, which we have on Record, Jer. xxx. I 8. Thus faith the Lord, Behold I will bring again the Captivity of Jacob'* Tents, and have Mercy on his Dwelling Places : And the City Jhall be buildei upon her own Heap, and the Palace jhall remain after the Manner thereof Verfe ip. And out of them /hall proceed Thank/giving, and the Voice 9f them that make merry : And I will multiply them, and they Jhall not be few ; I will alfo glorify them, and they Jhall not be fmalL
FINIS.
BOOKS fold bj John Hcndetfon in Abcr- ikchy.
Bibles of all Sorts. Watfon's Body of Divinity. "Welfoh's Sermons, &c. Bofton's Fourfold State.
•on the Covenant.
Crook of the Lot. Marrow of Modern Divinity, with Bofton's Notes* Rutherfoord's Letters. "Wcl wood's Glimpfe of Glory. Confeffions of Faith, with Scriptures at large. Durham on the Revelation.
-on Conference.
■ on the Commands.
MoncriePs Duty of national Covenanting explained*
Glory of Immanuel.
. — Call to the rifing Generation.
Mr. Ralph Erskine Faith no Fancy.
Gofpel- Sonnets. -Gathering to Shiloh.
— Harmony of the divine Attributes. —Gradual Conqucft. —Little Remnant. -~King held in the Galleries,
Brown's Life of Faith.
Swan's Song.
The AiTociate Presbytery's Aft and Teftimony.
Doftrine of Grace.
Aft for renewing the Covenant.
Afts and Proceedings of the Alfociate Synod. Mr. John Hunter's Sermons. Mr. William Wilfon's Sermons.