Chapter XII: Part III: The Present testimony stated and vindicated in its principal heads (1)

By what is above premitted, the reader may see the series and succession of the testimony of Christ's witnesses in Scotland from time to time, in all the periods of that church; how it hath been transmitted from one generation to another down to our hands; how far it hath been extended, and what increasements it hath received in every period; how it hath been opposed by a continued prosecution of an hereditary war against Christ, by an atheistical, papistical, prelatical, and tyrannical faction; and how it hath been concerted, contended for, maintained, and sealed actively and passively, by an anti-pagan, anti-popish, anti-prelatical, anti-erastian, anti-sectarian, and anti-tyrannical remnant of the followers, professors, confessors, and martyrs of Christ in all ages. Now it remains in the third and last place, to consider the merit of the cause as it is now stated, to see whether it will bear the weight of those great sufferings wherewith it hath been sealed. I hope all the lovers of Christ, who have an esteem even of his reproaches above all the treasures of Egypt, will grant, that if these sufferings be stated on the least or lowest of the truths of Christ, then they are not mistated, nor built upon a bottom that will not bear them, or is not of that worth to sustain them. For certainly every truth, the least of truths, is of greater value than any thing that we can suffer the loss of for it; yea, of infinitely greater value, than the whole world. So that if I prove these heads of suffering to be truths wherein conscience is concerned, the cause will be sufficiently vindicated from the loadings and lashings of such as prefer peace to truth, and ease to duty, who to justify their own backwardness and detestable lukewarmness, call some of them only state questions about things civil, and not gospel truths and heads to state suffering upon: and if they be truths and duties, the cause will some way be rendered more illustrious, that it is stated upon the smallest hoofs and hair-breadths of the concerns of Christ's declarative glory; as being a greater witness of its owners love and loyalty to Christ, and of their pure and tender zeal for his honour, than if for more substantial and fundamental truths, which a natural conscience may reclaim to decline, when for the meanest circumstantials of Christ's truths they dare and are ambitious to bestow their dearest blood. But if the complex of them be impartially considered, no unprejudiced arbiter will suffer himself to have such extenuating impressions of the present word of patience, and testimony of the suffering remnant in Scotland this day: but it will appear to be a very weighty and worthy concern, as any that either men or Christians can be called to witness for; being the privilege of all mankind, the duty of all Christians, and the dignity of all churches, to assert; it is for the glory and crown prerogatives and imperial regalia of the King of kings, with reference to his visible kingdom, of which the government is laid upon his shoulders, against the heaven daring usurpations and encroachments made thereupon, both as he is Mediator, and King, and Head of the church, and as he is God and universal King of the world. As he is Mediator, it is his peculiar prerogative to have a supremacy and sole sovereignty over his own kingdom, to institute his own government, to constitute his own laws, to ordain his own officers, to appoint his own ordinances, which he will have observed without alteration, addition, or diminution, until his second coming: this his prerogative hath been, and is invaded by erastian prelacy, sacrilegious supremacy, and now by antichristian popery, which have overturned his government, inverted his laws, subverted his officers, and perverted his ordinances. As he is God and universal King, it is his incommunicable property and glory, not only to have absolute and illimited power, but to invest his deputed ministers of justice with his authority and ordinance of magistracy, to be administred in subordination to him, to be regulated by his laws, and to be improved for his glory, and the good of mankind; this glory of his, hath been invaded by tyrants and usurpers arrogating to themselves an absolute power, intruding themselves without his investment into authority, in a rebellion against him, in opposition to his laws, and abusing it to his dishonour, and the destruction of mankind. Against both which encroachments the present testimony is stated, in a witness for religion and liberty, to both which these are destructive. This will appear to be the result and tendency of the testimony in all its parts, opposed by the enemies of religion and liberty, and the end of all their opposition, to bring it to this crinomenon, who shall be king? Jesus or Caesar? Let any seriously search into all their proclamations and edicts against religion and liberty, this will be found to be the soul and sense of them, practically and really speaking to this purpose, especially since this man came to the throne.

'_J. R._

'James the VII. II. by the V. of G. king of Scotland, England,
France, and Ireland, defender of the antichristian faith: To all
and sundry our good subjects, whom these presents do, or may
concern: greeting. We having taken into our royal consideration,
the many and great inconveniencies which have happened in that our
ancient kingdom of Scotland, especially of late years, through the
persuasions of the christian religion, and the great heats and
animosities, betwixt the professors thereof, and our good and
faithful subjects, whose faith and religion is subject and
subservient to our royal will (the supreme law, and reason, and
public conscience) to the disappointment of our projects, restraint
of our pleasures, and contempt of the royal power, converting true
loyalty and absolute subjection, into words and names (which we
care not for) of religion and liberty, conscience and the word of
God, thereby withdrawing some to the christian faction, from an
absolute and implicit subjection to us and our will, as if there
were a superior law to which they might appeal; and considering
that these rebellious christians do never cease to assert and
maintain strange paradoxes, such principles as are inconsistent
with the glory and interest of our government, as that the
authority of kings should be hemmed in with limits, and that their
acts and actions are to be examined by another rule than their own
authority to make them lawful, that some things in the kingdom are
not subject to the king's authority, that there is a kingdom within
a kingdom not subordinate to the king, and that there is another
King superior to the supreme whom they will rather obey than us,
and that we must either take laws from him, or otherwise we are no
magistrates; and considering also their practices are conform to
their principles, they will not obey our laws, but the laws of
another inconsistent with ours, and will calculate their religion
according to his laws, and not according to ours, and continually
make their addresses to, and receive ambassadors from a prince whom
we know not, whom our predecessors, of truly worthy memory, did
crucify, one Jesus who was dead, whom they affirm to be alive,
whose government they alledge is supreme over all kings, whom they
acknowledge but as his vassals: being now by favourable fortune,
not only brought to the imperial crown of these kingdoms through
the greatest difficulties, but preserved upon the throne of our
royal ancestors, which from our great founder Nimrod of glorious
memory, and our illustrious predecessors Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar,
Herod the great, Nero, Caligula, &c. of blessed and pious memory,
hath been ever opposite to, and projecting the destruction of that
kingdom of Christ, do, after their laudable example, resolve to
suppress that kingdom by all the means and might we can use,
because his government is hateful to us, his yoke heavy, his
sayings are hard, his laws are contrary to our lusts; therefore we
will not let this man reign over us, we will break his bonds, and
cast away his cords from us; and advance and exercise our sovereign
authority, prerogative royal, and absolute power, which all our
subjects are to obey without reserve. 'And as by virtue of our
supremacy, whereby we are above all, but such as we are pleased to
subject ourselves to, settled by law, and lineally derived to us as
an inherent right to the crown, we have power to order all matters
of church as well as state, as we in our royal wisdom shall think
fit, all laws and acts of Christ to the contrary notwithstanding;
and accordingly in our royal wisdom have overturned the platform of
that government which Christ hath instituted, razed all courts
fenced in his name, and severely interdicted all meetings of his
subjects, and entertainment of his ambassadors: many of whom, in
contempt of him that sent them, we have punished according to law,
for negotiating his affairs in our kingdoms without our pleasure,
and requiring allegiance and obedience to him, after we had
exauctorated him; we have also established our right trusty, and
well beloved clerks in ecclestiastic affairs, and their underlings,
by our authority to have the administration of the business of
religion and impowered our right trusty and well beloved cousins
and counsellors, to compel all to submit to them, by finings,
confinings, imprisonment, banishment, oaths, and bonds, and all
legal means: so now having prosecuted this war against Christ to
this length, that we have no fears of a rally of his forces again
so often beaten, we are now engaged with other antichristian
princes to give our power to our holy father antichrist, so far as
may serve his purpose to oppose Christ in his way; but we reserve
so much to ourselves, as may encroach upon him in our capacity. And
therefore we have thought fit to restore to antichrist our
ecclesiastical supremacy, from whom we borrowed it, and for which
we have no use at present: but we resolve to maintain and prosecute
our sovereign authority, prerogative royal, and absolute power
foresaid, against Christ, and without subordination to him, from
whom, as we sought none, so we received no power by his warrant and
grant, and against whom we mind to manage it to the uttermost of
our power. Yet reflecting upon the conduct of the four last
reigns, how, after all the frequent and pressing endeavours that
were used in each of them, to reduce our kingdoms to antichrist,
the subjects of Christ were so stubborn, that the success hath not
answered the design: we must now change our methods a little, and
tolerate that profession of Christ which we cannot yet get
overturned, his subjects being so numerous, but always upon these
terms, that they take a special care that nothing be preached or
taught among them, which may be a testimony for Christ's
prerogatives, in opposition to our usurpation, or may any way tend
to alienate the hearts of our people from us, or our government, or
preach his truths which we have condemned as seditious and
treasonable, under the highest pains these crimes will import.
Hereby we shall establish our government on such a foundation, on
the ruin of Christ's, as may make our subjects happy, and unite
them to us by inclination as well as duty, in a belief that we will
not restrain conscience in matters of mere religion: for which we
have a dispensation from our holy father, and also from our own
absoluteness, to be slaves to this promise no longer than consists
with our own interest; and which we have power to interpret as we
please: and would have all to understand, that no testimony for
Christ's supremacy against our encroachments thereupon, shall be
comprehended under these matters of mere religion, for which the
conscience shall not be constrained: but we will have the
consciences of such subjects of his, that dare assert it, brought
to a test and probation how they stand affected in this competition
betwixt us and this King Jesus, and see whether they will own or
decline our authority, because not of him, nor for him, nor to him,
but against him and all his interests. Our will is therefore, that
all who will countenance any other meetings of his subjects than we
have allowed, or connive at them, shall be prosecuted according to
the utmost severity of our laws made against them, which we leave
in full force and vigour, notwithstanding of all the premises. And
for this effect, we further command all our judges, magistrates,
and officers of our forces, to prosecute all these subjects and
followers of Christ, who shall be guilty of treating with, or
paying homage to that exauctorated king of theirs, in their
assemblies with his ambassadors in the fields with the utmost
rigour, as they would avoid our highest displeasure: for we are
confident none will, after these liberties and freedom we have
given to all without reserve, to serve God publicly, in such a way,
as we, by our sovereign authority, prerogative royal, and absolute
power aforesaid, have prescribed and allowed, presume to meet in
these assemblies, except such whose loyalty to Christ doth alienate
them from us and our government. As also, under the same
certifications, by the same sovereign authority, and prerogative
royal, and absolute power foresaid, we charge, impower, warrant,
and authorize, against all hazards (hell excepted) all our foresaid
judges and officers, in their respective places, to prosecute and
execute our laws, against all that may be suspected or convicted of
their adherence to Christ, or be found guilty of owning their
allegiance to him as their liege Lord, by solemn covenant, which we
have caused burn by the hand of the hangman, and declared criminal
to own it, or shall be found guilty of declining allegiance to us
and our absolute authority, stated in opposition to him and his, or
of maintaining that pernicious principle, inconsistent with our
government, that their lives are their own, which they will
preserve without surrender to our mercy: all which we command to be
executed to death, or banished as slaves, as shall be found most
conducible to our interest. And to the end, the few that remain of
that way may be totally exterminated, we straitly command all our
soldiers, horse and foot, to be ready upon order, to march and
make search, pursue and follow, seize and apprehend, kill and slay,
and cause to perish, all such, whether they shall be found at
meetings, or in their wanderings, wherever they may be apprehended:
and ordain all our good subjects to be assistant to these our
forces, in prosecuting this war against Christ and his followers,
and contribute their best help and encouragement, in giving them
their required maintenance, and duly paying cess and locality
imposed for that end; and that they shall not dare to countenance,
converse with, refer, harbour, supply, or keep any manner of
correspondence with any of these traitors that adhere to Christ,
under the pain of being found art and part with them, and obnoxious
to the same punishments to which they are liable; but on the
contrary, to assist our forces to apprehend, and raise the hue and
cry after them wherever they shall be seen, that they may be
forthwith pursued, seized, cut off, and destroyed, which we order
to be instantly done upon the place, where they or any of them are
apprehended, and that without any delay or mercy to age or sex,'
&c.

On the other hand, if any will take a look of the declarations and testimonies of the other party without prejudice or stumbling at some expressions, which may be offensive to critics, he will find the scope and strain of them to have this importance.

'We, a poor company of persecuted, reproached, and despised
Christians; who indeed have not many wise men among us after the
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, but are a few foolish,
weak, base, and despised nothings in the world; yet having this
ambition to be his called chosen; and faithful soldiers, who is
King of glory, King of heaven, King of saints, King of nations,
King of kings, whose kingdom is everlasting and universal;
considering the many insolent indignities, affronts, and
reproaches cast upon his name and glory, and the many usurpations,
encroachments, and invasions made upon his crown and dignity, by a
pestilent generation of his atheistical, papistical, prelatical,
and tyrannical enemies, who have rebelled against him, and have
renounced, corrupted, and subverted his royal government, both in
the church and in the world, both in his kingdom of grace and of
power: do bear witness and testimony against these rebels, from the
highest to the lowest: and assert the interest and title of our
princely Master, and own allegiance and absolute obedience to him
and his government, to which he hath undoubted right; an essential
right by his eternal Godhead, being the everlasting Father, whose
goings forth have been of old from everlasting; a covenant-right by
compact with the Father, to bear the glory and rule upon his
throne, by virtue of the council of peace between them both; a
donative right by the Father's right of delegation, by which he
hath all power given to him in heaven and in earth, and all
authority, even because he is the Son of man; an institute right by
the Father's inauguration, which hath set him as King in Zion; an
acquisite right by his own purchase, by which he hath merited and
obtained not only subjects to govern, but the glory of the sole
sovereignty over them in that relation, a name above every name; a
bellical right by conquest, making the people fall under him, and
be willing in the day of his power, and overcoming those that make
war with him; an hereditary right by proximity of blood and
primogeniture, being the first born, higher than the kings of the
earth, and the first born from the dead, that in all things he
might have the pre-eminence; an electing right by his people's
choice and surrender, a crown wherewith his mother crowned him in
the day of his espousals. In a humble recognizance of all which
rights, we own and avouch, that he hath that incommunicable
prerogative of sole sovereignty over his visible kingdom, as well
as invisible, without a co-partner or competitor, either
co-ordinate or subordinate; in prescribing laws, by no human
authority to be reversed; in appointing ordinances immutable,
without addition or diminution, for matter or manner; instituting a
government, which no man or angel can, without blasphemy, arrogate
a power either to invert or evert, change or overturn; and
constituting officers, which must depend only on his authority, and
his alone; and must be cloathed only with his commission, and his
alone; guided by his instructions, and his alone; acting according
to his laws and prescribed platform, and his alone; without any
dependence on, subordination to, licence, warrant or indulgence
from any mortal. And therefore we disown and detest every thing
that hath not the stamp of his authority, either in doctrine,
worship, discipline or government: and will discountenance prelacy,
supremacy, popery, and all corruption contrary to his institution,
who is sole and supreme lawgiver to the conscience, and will submit
to, or comply with nothing that may directly or indirectly signify
our respect unto them. Hence we will take none of their oaths,
subscribe none of their bonds, yield to none of their impositions,
pay none of their exactions; neither will we hear or receive
ordinances from any minister, but the faithful authorized
ambassadors of Christ our king, whatever either rage or reproach we
suffer for it. We assert and affirm also, that our exalted Prince
is King of the whole world, by whom kings reign, and princes decree
justice, as his ministers of justice, in subordination to him; whom
he hath hath appointed to rule over us, with just boundaries, that
they may not exceed, and true characters, by which we should know
them and pay them deference. And therefore, whosoever shall
arrogate to themselves, and extend their power beyond and above
his prescripts, being neither called to, nor qualified for, nor
improving the office for the ends he hath appointed; we will
acknowledge them no otherwise than usurping tyrants, and not
magistrates nor ministers of justice, to whom he hath given the
sword by his perceptive will; only as lions, bears, wolves, to whom
he hath given a rod by his providential will; in that case we may
be passively subject, when we cannot do better; but will never own
conscientious allegiance to them, nor own them as our lawful
magistrates; and therefore we will not bow down to their idols they
have set up, nor prostitute either conscience or liberty to their
lust, but will endeavour, under our Master's banner and conduct, to
preserve whatever he hath intrusted to us religion, life, liberty,
estate, and whatsoever the Lord our God hath given us to possess,
as they unjustly possess what their god gives them; and will
maintain a war of constant opposition to them (against whom our
Lord hath declared a war for ever) without parley, treaty of peace,
capitulation, composition, truce, or any transaction; we will
neither meddle nor make with them, less or more, nor seek their
favour, nor embrace it when it is offered, on any terms that may
imply any obligation to surcease from our duty to our King, and
irreconcileable opposition to them,' &c.

Now I shall come more distinctly to the purpose, in offering a short vindication of the heads and grounds of our great sufferings, dividing them into their principal parts, which I reduce to two, to wit, negatives and positives. The negative grounds I reckon three principally. 1. For refusing to acknowledge a corrupt ministry. 2. For refusing to own a tyrannical magistracy. 3. For refusing to swear and subscribe their unlawful imposed oaths, chiefly that of abjuration, which was the occasion of suffering unto death. The positive grounds are also three. 1. For frequenting field-meetings, to receive gospel ordinances from faithful ministers. 2. For maintaining the principle and practice of defensive resistance of superior powers. 3. For maintaining the privilege and duty of offensive revenge, in executing justice upon murdering enemies of mankind, in cases of extreme necessity, in prosecuting which, I shall intertex some subordinate questions relating to their respective heads, and endeavour to discuss them briefly.

HEAD I.

_Where the sufferings of many, for refusing to acknowledge a corrupt ministry, are vindicated; and the question of hearing curates is cleared._

This question, though it may seem nice, and of no great moment, to persons of Gallio's or Laodicea's temper, indifferent and lukewarm dispositions, consulting their own more than the things of Christ, which make it pass without any enquiry with the most part of the world; yet, to all who are truly tender in keeping a good conscience, free of the times contagion, to all who have the true impression of the fear of God, who is jealous, especially in the matters of his worship; to all who have the true zeal of God eating them up, in a just indignation at the indignities done to him, in usurping the office and corrupting the administration of the ministry; to all who truly love the gospel, and put a due value on the ordinances of Christ, the corruptions whereof this question touches, it will be accounted of great importance.

There are three questions about the duty of hearing the word, concerning which the Lord Jesus gives us very weighty cautions, to wit, what we should hear, Mark iv. 24. how we should hear, Luke viii. 28. and whom we should hear. The last of which, though it be not so expressly stated as the other two, yet the searcher of the scriptures will find it as clearly determined, and as many cautions to guard from erring in it, as in any other case, and that the concern of conscience in it is very weighty. And certain it is, if there had been more advertency in this point, there would not have been such inconsideration and licentiousness in the matter and manner of hearing. Nor would that itching humour and luxuriancy of lust, in heaping up teachers to please the fancy, have been so much encouraged, to the great detriment of the church, disgrace of the gospel, and destruction of many poor souls. But through the ignorance and neglect of this duty of trying whom we should hear, by seeking some satisfying evidence of their being cloathed with authority from Christ, the world hath been left loose in a licence to hear what they pleased, and so have received the poison of error from the mountebanks, instead of the true and wholesome potions of Christ's prescripts from them that had power and skill to administer them. Hence the many sects, and schisms, and errors that have pestered the church in all ages, have in a great measure proceeded from this latitude and laxness of promiscuous hearing of all whom they pleased, whom either the world's authority impowered, or by other means were possessed of the place of preaching, without taking any cognizance whether they had the characters of Christ's ambassadors or not. If this had been observed, and people had scrupled and refused to hear these whom they might know should not have preached; neither the great antichrist, nor the many lesser antichrists, would have had such footing in the world as they have this day. It is then of no small consequence to have this question cleared. Neither is it of small difficulty to solve the intricacies of it, what characters to fix for a discovery of Christ's true ministers; whom we should submit to and obey in the Lord, and love and esteem them for their work's sake, and for their qualities sake, as standing in Christ's stead, having the dispensation of the word of reconciliation committed to them; and how we may discern those characters; what judgment is incumbent to private Christians, for the satisfaction of their own consciences in the case; and how they ought to demean themselves in their practice, without scandal on either hand, or sin against their own conscience; how to avoid the rocks and extremes that inadvertency or precipitancy in this matter may rush upon; so as to escape and sail by the Scylla of sinful separation on the one hand, and the Charybdis of sinful union and communion on the other, which are equally dangerous; especially how these cautions are to be managed in a broken, and disturbed, and divided case of the church. The question also is the more difficult, that as it was never so much questioned before this time, and never so much sought to be obscured, by the perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, to find out evasions to cover sin and escape sufferings upon this account; so it hath never been discussed by divines either at home or abroad, with relation to our case, except what hath been of late by some faithful men, who have suffered upon this head, from whom I shall gather the most of my arguments, in as compendious a way as I can without wronging them. The reason, I fancy, that we are at such a loss in our helps from the learned on this head, is partly, that they have written with relation to their own times, in a constitute case of the church, when corruptions and disorders might be orderly rectified, and people might have access to get their scruples removed in a legal way by church-order, in which case the learned and judicious Mr. Durham hath written excellently in his book on scandal; but therein neither he nor others did consult, nor could have a prospect of such a case as ours is; and partly, that foreign divines, not having this for their exercise, could not be acquainted with our circumstantiate case, and so are not fit nor competent arbiters to decide this controversy; hence many of them do wonder at our sufferings upon this head. Every church is best acquainted with her own testimony. Yet we want not the suffrage of some of the most learned of them, as the great Gisb. Voetius in his polit. eccles. in several places comes near to favour us: where he allows people to leave some, and hear such ministers as they profit most by, from these grounds, 'That people should choose the best and most edifying gifts, and from that scripture, 1 Thess. v. 21. Prove all things, &c. and answers objections to the contrary, and granteth, that, upon several occasions, one may abstain from explicit communion with a corrupt church, for these reasons, that such communion is not absolutely necessary, by necessity either of the mean or precept, where the Christian shall have more peace of conscience, and free exercise of Christian duties elsewhere, and that he may keep communion with more purity in other places, polit. eccles. quest. 17. pag. 68. And he approves of the people refusing to bring their children to be baptized by such corrupt ministers, because they may wait until they have occasion of a minister; for if the best gifts be to be coveted, why should not the best ministers be preferred? and why should not Christians shew by their deeds, that they honour such as fear the Lord, and contemn a vile person? They ought not to partake of other men's sins, 1 Cor. v. 9, 11. Eph. v. 11. They should not strengthen the hands of the wicked, and make sad the godly; the authority of such ministers should not be strengthened,' Voet. polit. eccles. pag. 637 to 640. But though it labour under all these disadvantages; yet it is not the less, but so much the rather necessary, to say somewhat to clear it, with dependence upon light from the fountain, and with the help of faithful men who have sufficiently cleared it up, to all that have a conscience not blinded nor bribed with some prejudices, by which more light hath accrued to the church in this point of withdrawing from corrupt ministers than ever was attained in former times; which is all the good we have got of prelacy. Insomuch that I might spare labour in adding any thing, were it not that I would make the arguments, vindicating this cause of suffering, a little more public, and take occasion to shew, that the grounds espoused by the present and reproached party for their withdrawings, so far as they are stretched, are no other than have been owned by our writers on this head; to the intent that it may appear, there is no discrepancy, but great likeness and harmony between the arguments and grounds of withdrawing, in the late informatory vindication, &c. and those that are found in other writings. And so much the rather I think it needful to touch this subject now, that not only this hath been the first ground of our sufferings, but many that suffered a while for it, now have fainted, and condemned all their former contendings for this part of the testimony, calling in question all these reasons that formerly satisfied them. But to proceed with some distinctness in this thorny point: some concessory assertions must first be permitted, and then our grounds propounded.

First, I willingly yield to, and cordially close with the truth of these assertions.

I. The unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace, ought to be the endeavour of all that are members of the one body of Christ, partakers of his one Spirit, called in one hope, professing one Lord, confessing one faith, sealed with one baptism, Eph. iv. 3. &c. and for brethren to dwell together in unity, is good and pleasant, and like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon Aaron's beard, Psal. cxxxiii. 1, 2. A fragrant ointment indeed, if it be composed aright of gospel simples, according to divine art, and the wisdom that is from above, which is pure, and then peaceable: and not made up of adulterate politics: that union that hath the Spirit for its author, the scripture for its rule, peace for its bond and beauty, love for its cement, faith for its foment, Christ for its foundation, and truth and holiness for its constant companions, cannot but be intensely desired, enixly endeavoured, and fervently followed by all the professors of the gospel of peace, and subjects of the Prince of peace: which makes division and schism, not only a great misery, but a grand sin. But it must be in the way of truth and duty, and consistent with holiness and the honour of Christ, otherwise if it be in the way of apostasy and defection, it is but a confederacy and conspiracy against the Lord. And true union can neither be attained, nor retained, nor recovered, except the sinful cause of division, defection, and the holy over-ruling cause, the anger of the Lord be removed, in turning to and following him.

II. Though there be not perfect union, but diversity both of judgments and practices, in several cases there may be communion with a church in its ordinances and ministry. As, 1. We may have a catholic communion with all christian ministers and members of the catholic church, considered as such; holding the head Christ, and the fountain sure. And so we may meet for worship with all devout men in every nation under heaven, whether they be Parthians, or Medes, or Elamites, or French or Dutch, &c. though differing in controversies of lesser moment, not overturning that; if they hold the universal testimony of the gospel, against the common enemies thereof, Jews, Turks, or Pagans: for there is neither Greek nor Jew, if he be a christian, Christ is all and in all, Col. iii. 11. But if they be heretics, we can have no communion with them. 2. We may have a more special communion with all protestant ministers and members of the reformed church, considered as such, more strictly, and upon stricter conditions: providing they hold, not only the universal of christians, but the general testimony of protestants, against the greater and lesser antichrists; though differing from us in some circumstantial points, not reformed, and not contradictory unto the protestant testimony against popery, and all heresy; nor declining from their own reformation, by defection or schism. And consequently, it is lawful to own communion with the churches of the united provinces, and take ordination from them, though they have some forms not allowable, from which they were never reformed, because they are sound in the protestant testimony. But with the sectarians, or schismatics, or apostates among them, we cannot own that special communion. 3. We may have a more particular communion upon yet stricter conditions with all our covenanted brethren, ministers and members of the churches of Britain and Ireland, considered as such: providing they hold, not only the universal, not only the more special, protestant testimony against the greater and lesser antichrists, but the covenanted testimony for the reformation in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, against popery, prelacy, superstition, heresy, schism, and profaneness, according to the covenant; though differing from us in those controversial points, never reformed, and which were never the word of Christ's patience, and do not overturn the covenanted testimony. But with those that contradict and counteract that, we own that particular communion. 4. We may have yet a nearer organical communion, upon stricter conditions still with all the ministers and members of the national church of Scotland constitute and confederate under one reformed government, according to the rule of Christ: providing they hold, not only all the former testimonies under the foresaid considerations, but the presbyterian testimony as stated in the ecclesiastical constitution, and sworn to in the national covenants and engagements of that church, founded upon the word of God, against popery, prelacy, erastianism, sectarianism, toleration, schism and defection; though differing in some things from us, never reformed, never considered in ecclesiastical judicatories, never engaged against in our covenants, never stated as the word of patience and matter of testimony. But with those that oppose, suppress, reproach, and abandon this testimony, we cannot own this organical communion, in this broken state of the church. We may have yet a stricter congregational communion, upon stricter conditions, in and with the ordinary or extraordinary meetings or societies of the Lord's people for gospel ordinances, with any minister or ministers, duly and truly admitted to that function, according to Christ's appointment, and the call of the people, whether in a fixed or unfixed relation; providing he holds the testimony of Christ, under all the considerations, and owns and adheres unto the true received principles of the church of Scotland, in doctrine, worship, discipline and government, founded upon the written word of God, and whatsoever declarations or testimonies, former or latter, particular or more general, are agreeable thereunto; though differing from us in some of the integral and not essential parts of our testimony against the enemies of our covenanted reformation. But with such as deny or decline from it, by schism or defection, or compliance with the enemies thereof, we cannot own this congregational communion, in this broken state of the church.

III. Though there be many things in a church, to brangle and lessen the comfort of our communion with it, and the ministry thereof; yet we may keep fellowship with a true church, though in many things faulty and corrupt, as all churches are, in some measure, in this militant state. As the church of Corinth had many corruptions in their practice, yet no separation is enjoined from it. And the Lord did not require separation from the churches of Pergamos and Thyatira; though they had many corruptions and deficiences in discipline, in a toleration of heretics; and would lay no other burden upon them, but to hold fast what they had: as Mr. Durham shews in his Commentary on the Revelation, chap. 2. lect. 6. page 148, 149. as also chap. 18. lect. 1. page 585. in 4to. This must be granted especially in these cases, 1. In the infant state of the church, when the reformation is only begun: then many things may be tolerated, before they be gradually reformed, which, in an adult state, are not to be suffered. 2. In a growing case of the church, advancing out of corruptions, then many things may be borne with, while they are ascending and wrestling up the hill, which in a declining state, when the church is going backward, must not be yielded unto. See that objection of hearing prelatical men in the time of former prelacy, answered above, Period 4. In a constitute and settled case of the church, enjoying her privileges and judicatories, corruptions may be forborn, and the offended are not to withdraw, before recourse to the judicatories for an orderly redress; but in a broken and disturbed state, when there is no access to these courts of Christ; then people, though they must not usurp a power of judicial censuring these corruptions, yet they may claim and exercise a discretive power over their own practice; and by their withdrawing from such ministers as are guilty of them, signify their sense of the moral equity of these censures that have been legally enacted against these and the equivalent corruptions, and when they should be legally inflicted. As we do upon this ground withdraw from the prelatic curates, and likewise from some of our covenanted brethren, upon the account of their being chargeable with such corruptions and defections from our reformation, as we cannot but shew our dislike of. This the reverend author of Rectius Instruendum justifies, Confut. 3. Dial. chap. 10. p. 8. where he is shewing what separation is not sinful; and gives this for one, If we separate in that, which a national church hath commanded us as her members to disown, by her standing acts and authority, while those from whom we separate own that corruption. Which holds true of the curates, and indulged and addressers, and all that we withdraw from. However it be, certainly those are to be withdrawn from, with whom we cannot communicate without submitting to the laws establishing them, and taking on that test and badge of our incorporation with them, and partaking of their sin, and in hazard of their judgment.

IV. Though in some cases, as we are warranted, so are necessitated to withdraw: yet neither do we allow it upon slight or slender grounds, nor can any tender soul be forced to discountenance the ministers of Christ, (I do not here speak of the prelatical curates), without great reluctancy and grief of heart, even when the grounds of it are solid and valid, and the necessity unavoidable; therefore we reject these as insufficient grounds. Besides what are given already, 1. We cannot withdraw from a minister, for his infirmities or weakness, natural, spiritual, or moral. 2. Neither for personal faults and escapes: we expect a faithful, but not a sinless ministry. 3. Nor for every defect in faithfulness, through ignorance, want of courage, misinformation, or being biassed with affection for particular persons. We do not hold, that faults in members or defects in ministers, do pollute the ordinances, and so necessitate a separation; but agree with what Mr. Durham says on Revelations, chap. 2. lect. 6. p. 147. in quarto. Sincerity discovered will cover many faults. 4. Nor for every discovery of hypocrisy; though we may have ground to suspect a man's principle and motive be not right, yet if he be following duty unblameably, and have a lawful call, what then! "notwithstanding every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached, therein we may rejoice," Phil. i. 18. 5. Nor yet for real scandals, not attended with obstinacy, if ministers will take reproof and admonition, and at least by doctrinal confessing, and practical forsaking them, satisfy the offended. 6. Yea, though his scandals be so gross, that we must discountenance him, when he persists in them: yet that is not a disowning of his ministry, or a rejecting his commission, but a discountenancing for his disorders, until they be removed. But the Apologet. Relat. sect. 14. p. 290, 291. says, (1.) 'There may be ministerial corruptions, that cut the very throat of the office, and make one no officer,----and it is past questioning, such may be shunned, without all hazard of separation. (2.) When personal faults are very gross and palpable, open and avowed, such may be shunned without any hazard of separation; because the man's being an officer, before God, is much to be questioned; and there is great probability, that by the very deed itself, he had forefaulted the same, though such should be the corruption in a church, that notwithstanding of all this he may be maintained. (3.) Separation is one thing, and not hearing such or such a man is a far other thing: there may be many just grounds of exception against a particular person, why people may refuse to countenance him, without any hazard of separation, or joining with separatists in their principles: separation is one thing, and refusing to attend the ministry of such a man is another thing; for a man may join with ordinances in another congregation, and so testify that he hath no prejudice at the ministry, but only against such a man in particular.' Whence it is an ignorant as well as malicious calumny, to say, that our withdrawing from the curates, and also from some ministers, whom otherwise we respect and reverence as godly ministers, for their offensive defections, is a disowning all the ministry of Scotland. Whereas, we do profess indeed a disowning of the curate's ministry, but for our reverend presbyterian ministers, though we do discountenance many of them with sad hearts, for not keeping the word of the Lord's patience in this hour of tentation, nor adhering to the principles and constitutions of the church of Scotland: yet this is not a disowning of their ministry, but a refusing to countenance them in their present administrations, in this disturbed state, till these offences be removed.

V. As to disown the ministry were hateful sectarianism; so to dissolve or break off communion with a true church, whereof we are members, were an unnatural schism, which is horrid sin. But because among all the various sufferings, wherewith the poor tossed and racked remnant now persecuted, have been exercised, this hath not been the lightest; that they have been on all hands stigmatized as schismatics and separatists, not only because they have maintained a resolved withdrawing from the curates, but also have discountenanced many presbyterian ministers, with whom they have been offended for their declining courses, and compliances with the times corruptions, and forsaking in a great measure the duty of this day: I shall distinguish some cases of separation, out of the writings of our approven authors, which will justify all their withdrawings. 1. Mr. Durham distinguishes these three, schism separating from the unity and communion of a true church, consisting not always in diversity of doctrine, but in divided practices, according to that of Augustine, it is not a different faith makes schismatics, but a broken society of communion: then separation, either in whole from a church as no church, or in part in some things wherein they cannot communicate with that corrupt church, which is lawful if it exceed not its ground; then, lastly, secession, a local removing to a better church. The first of these cannot be imputed to the persecuted wanderers: for they separate from no true church, whereof they were members, but these from whom they separate, will be found to be the schismatics. 2. The second of these, to wit separation, is either positive and active, or negative and passive. The first is, when a party not only leaves communion with a church whereunto they were formerly joined, but also gathers up new distinct churches, different from the former, under another government and ministry, and ordinances, disowning those they left. The latter is, when the faithful remnant of a declining church, standing still and refusing to concur with the backsliding part of the same church, after they have become obstinate in their defections, hold closely by, and adheres unto the reformation attained. This famous Mr. Rutherford, in his due right of presbyteries, p. 253, 254. sheweth to be lawful, and calleth it a non-union, as that in Augustine's time, when the faithful did separate from the Donatists; which is lawful and laudable. 3. 'Mr. Rutherford there proceeds to distinguish between a separation from the church in her worst and most part, and a separation from the best and least part: and these who separate from the worst and greatest part, do notwithstanding retain a part of, and a part in the visible church, because they do not separate from the church, according to the least and best part thereof; as the godly in England, who refused the popish ceremonies and antichristian bishops. Hence it will follow, that though people should now withdraw from communion with the greatest part of the church, which is now corrupted, they cannot be counted separatists, because they hold full communion with the better, though lesser part. Moreover he saith, p. 254, 255. That there may be causes of non-union with a church which are not sufficient causes of separation. Lastly, he tells us in the same place, p. 258. when the greatest part of a church makes defection from the truth, the lesser part remaining sound, the greatest part is the church of separatists; though the manyest and greatest part in the actual exercise of discipline be the church, yet in the case of right discipline the best, though fewest, is the church. For truth is like life, that retireth from the manyest members unto the heart, and there remaineth in its fountain in case of dangers. So that it is the major part which hath made defection, that are to be accounted separatists, and not such who stand to their principles, though they cannot comply or join with the corrupt majority.'

Thus the Apol. Relat. rehearsed his words, sect. 14. pag. 292. 293. 4. There may be a lawful withdrawing, where the ordinances and ministry are not cast at, as the Apol. Rel. saith ibid. 291. 'So then, so long as people do not cast at the ordinances, but are willing to run many miles to enjoy them: nor cast at the church as no church (thought they sadly fear, that God shall be provoked by this dreadful defection, which is carried on by these men and their favourers, to give her a bill of divorce) nor at the ministry, for they love those that stand to their principles dearly, and are most willing to hear them either in public or private. 5. It is granted by all that write against separatists, that separation from a church is lawful, when the case so falleth out, that union cannot be kept up with her without sin,' Voet. Polit. Eccles. p. 68. quest. 17. 6. The grave author of Rectius Instruendum Confut. 3 dial. chap. pag. 7. &c. 'Allows, every separation is not schism, even from the church which hath essentials; yea, and more than essentials: if it be from those (though never so many) who are drawing back from whatever piece of duty and integrity is attained; for this is still to be held fast, according to many scripture commands. So Elias, when God's covenant was forsaken, was as another Athanasius (I and I only am left) in point of tenacious integrity. 7. Next he says, If we separate in that which a national church hath commanded us as her members to disown, by her standing acts and authority, while those from whom we separate own that corruption. 8. Likewise he there asserts, there is a lawful forbearance of union and compliance with notorious backsliders, in that which is of itself sinful, or inductive to it: which is far from separation strictly taken. The commands of abstaining from all appearance of evil, and hating the garment spotted with the flesh, do clearly include this. 9. He adds, many things will warrant separation from such a particular minister or congregation; which will not warrant separation from the church national; nor infer it, by Mr. Durham's acknowledgment (on Scandal, pag. 129.) for if scandals become excessive, he allows to depart to another congregation. 10. Lastly, He says, There is a commanded withdrawing from persons and societies even in worship, the precepts, Rom. xvi. 17. 2 Cor. vi. 17. Prov. xix. 27. Acts ii. 40. will clearly import this by consequence.--Surely the ministers and professors, adhering to the reformation, must be the true church of Scotland, though the lesser number: these soldiers who keep the generals orders, are the true army, not the deserters of the same.'

But, Secondly, it being in part cleared by these assertions, what is our mind in this controversy, I shall lay down from scripture oracles, all the causes and cases justifying and warranting withdrawing from any ministers; with application of all of them to the curates, and accommodation of some of them to all that the wanderers withdraw from: with arguments endeavouring to evince the validity of them, and evidencing they are not new notions, but the same grounds which approven authors have improved in this controversy. I shall omit the ordinary criticisms in stating the question, in distinguishing betwixt hearing and joining in worship, and owning them as our ministers, and submitting to them, &c. And only essay to prove this thesis: we cannot, without sin, own church communion in gospel ordinances with the prelates or their curates, as our ministers, but must withdraw from them, and any other guilty of the like corruptions, which we can make out against them. I shall not resume what confirmations this thesis is strengthned with, from the testimonies, or church constitutions of former periods, which are permitted in the foregoing discourse; nor make any repetition of the circumstances of our present condition, represented above, which contributes to clear it: but shortly come to the arguments.