neceffity, with this race of the most degenerate brood, and defperate enemies to the true foundation-principles of falvation, that ever hell yet hatched, or Satan fet on work, to counter-work and obftruct the progrefs of the gofpel. The adequate remedy, it is true, is not in the hand of every, nor any private christian; but God hath put this plaifter into every man's hand, and hath made it eafy for him to apply it, while other remedies are not within his reach, whereby he may, thro' grace, preferve himself unpolluted, and pure from the plague of the fpreading contagion, yea, and poffibly recover fome of them: let him but in compliance with the will of God, discountenance these traders and traffickers for Satan, and let him shun all converfe with them. Enter not into the path of these wicked perfons, and go not in the way of these evil men; avoid it, pafs not by it, turn from it, and pass away: for their house inclineth unto death, and their paths unto the dead. None (at least few) that go unto them, return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

If any defpife our Lord's prefcription, and do otherwise, let neither himself nor others, wonder, if, as a juft punifhmeut of this prefumptuous contempt, he be left and caught into the fnare. Q fear this infatuation, which hath overtaken fo many to that height, that they wrangle and wrest, without a blush, the word of life, and the fcriptures holding forth the plain path-way of falvation, to their own perdition; yea, and as perfons fick of an hydrophoby, fear only and flee from the proper remedy. O beware, left, while you fee fuch a doleful and fo amazing a fpectacle and document of divine difpleasure before your eyes, you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own ftedfastness: but labour to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift; and then it is impoffible not to grow in an abhorrence at name and thing of this abomination, which his foul hateth, as the most pure and perfect oppofition to that salvation which is in Chrift Jefus, and the most explicit and plain attempt against the pleasure of the Lord's profpering in the Mediator's hand, and his feeing of the travail of his foul and being fatisfied, that e ver Satan made or managed by any mortal. But I have poffibly exceeded the juft limits of a poftfcript; and therefore, committing thee to the guarding and guidings of his grace, who is of power to establish thee, and keep thee from falling, and prefent thee faultlefs before the prefence of his glary with exceeding joy, I here subsist.

Mr.

Mr. RUTHERFOORD'S TESTIMONY to the Covenanted Work of Reformation, (from 1638, to 1649.) in Britain and Ireland.

TH

HO' the Lord needeth not a Testimony from such a wretched man as 1, if 1, and all the world fhould be filent, the very ftones would cry: it is more than debt, that I should confefs Christ before men and angels. It would fatisfy me not a little, that the throne of my Lord Jefus were exalted above the clouds, the heaven of heavens, and on both fides of the fun; and that all poffible praife and glory were afcribed to him; that, by his grace, I might put my feal, fuch as it is, unto that fong, even the new fong of thefe, who, with a loud voice, fing, faying, "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof: for thou wast flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation: and haft made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on earth, Rev. v. 9, 10." And bleffed were I, could I lay too my ear of faith, and fay Amen to that Pfalm "of the many angels round about the throne, and the beafts, and elders: whofe number is ten thousand times ten thoufand, and thousands of thousands: faying, with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power and riches, and wifdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing." And if I heard "every creature, which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth; and such as are in the fea; and all that are in them; (as John heard them) faying, Bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever." I mean not any fuch vifible reign of Christ on earth, as the Millenaries fancy; I believe (Lord help my unbelief) the doctrine of the holy prophets, and the apoftles of our Lord Jesus Christ, contained in the books of the Old and New Teftament, to be the undoubted truth of God, and a perfect rule of faith, and the only way of falvation. And I do acknowledge the fum of the Chrif tian religion, exhibited in the Confeffions and Catechisms of the reformed protestant churches: and in the national covenant, divers times fworn by the king's majesty, the state, and church of Scotland; and fealed by the teftimony and fubfcription of the nobles, barons, gentlemen, citizens, ministers, and professors of all As alfo, in the Solemn League and Covenant in the three kingdoms of Scotland, England and Ireland. And I do judge, and in confcience believe, that no power on earth can abfolve, and liberate the people of God from the bonds and facred ties of the oath of God. I am perfuaded that Ala acted warrantably, in

ranks.

making a law, that the people should stand to the covenant; and in receiving into the covenant fuch as were not of his kingdom, 2 Chron. Xv. 9, 10. As did alfo Hezekiah, in fending a proclama tion thro' all the tribes, from Dan to Beersheba, "That they fhould come and keep the Passover unto the Lord at Jerufalem, 2 Chron. xxx. 6, 7." tho' their own princes did not go along with them; yea, and its nature's law, warranted by the word, that nations should encourage and stir up one another to seek the true God. It is alfo prophefied, That divers nations should excite one another this way, "Ifa. ii. 3. Many people fhall go and fay, Come ye, and let us go up into the mountain of the Lord, to the houfe of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways. Zech. viii. 21, 22. And the inhabitants of one city fhall go to another, faying, Let us go fpeedily to pray before the Lord of hofts: I will go alfo. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to feek the Lord of hofts in Jerufalem, and to pray before the Lord." There is alfo a clear prophecy to be accomplished under the New Teftament, "Jer. 1. 4, 5. That Ifrael and Judah fhall go together, and feek the Lord. They fhall afk the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, faying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant, that fhall not be forgotten." It is alfo foretold, That different nations fhall confederate with the Lord, and with one another, "Ifa. xix, 23, 24 25. In that day there fhall be an high way out of Egypt to Affy. ria; and the Affyrian fhall come to Egypt, and the Egyptian into Affyria, and the Egyptians fhall ferve with the Affyrians. In that day fhall Ifrael be the third with Egypt, and with Affyria, even a bleffing in the midst of the land; whom the Lord of hosts shall blefs, faying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Affyria the work of my hands, and Ifrael mine inheritance."

The church of Scotland had once as much of the presence of Christ, as to the power and purity of doctrine, worship, difcipline, and government, as many we read of, fince the Lord took his ancient people to be his covenanted church. The Lord ftirred up our nobles to attempt a reformation in the last age, thro' many difficulties, and against much oppofition, from thofe in fupreme authority: he made bare his holy arm, and carried on the work gloriously, like himself; his right hand getting him the victory, until the idolatry of Rome, and her curfed mafs were dafhed: a hopeful reformation was in fome meafure fettled, and a found Confeffion of Faith was agreed upon, by the lords of the congregation. The people of God, according to the laudable custom of other ancient churches, the proteftants in France and Holland, and the renowned princes of Germany, did carry on the work in an innocent, felf-defenfive war, which the Lord did abundantly blefs. When our land and church were thus contending for that

begua

begun reformation, these in authority did still oppose the work; and there was not then wanting men from among ourfelves, men of prelatical spirits, who, with fome other time-ferving courtiers, did not a little undermine the building; and we doating too much upon found parliaments, and lawful general affemblies, fell from our first love to felf-feeking, fecret banding, and little fearing the oath of God.

Afterwards, our work in public was too much in fequeftration of eftates, fining and imprifoning, more than in a compaffionate mournfulness of spirit toward those whom we saw to oppose the work. In our affemblies, we were more to fet up a ftate oppofite to a state; more upon forms, citations, leading of witneffes, fufpenfions from benefices, than fpiritually to perfuade, and work upon the confcience, with the meeknefs and gentleness of Christ. The glory and royalty of our princely Redeemer and King was trampled on, as any might have feen in our affemblies. What way the army and the fword, and the countenance of nobles and officers feemed to fway, that way were the cenfures carried. It had been better, had their been more days of humiliation' and fafting in affemblies, fynods, prefbyteries, congregations, families; and far lefs, adjourning commiffions, new peremptory fummons, and new drawn-up proceffes. And if the meekness and gentleness of our Master had got fo much place in our hearts, that we might have waited on gainfayers, and parties contrary minded; and we might have driven gently, as our Master Chrift, who loves not to ever-drive, but "carries the lambs in his bofom."

If the word of truth, in the Old and New Teftaments, be a fufficient rule, holding forth what is a Chriftian army, whether offenfive or defenfive, whether clean or finfully mixed, then must we leave the question betwixt our public brethren and us, to be determined by that rule; but if there be no fuch rule in the word, then the confederacies and affociations of the people of God, with the idolatrous apoftate Ifraelites, with the Egyptians and Affyrians, as that of Jehoshaphat with Ahab, and thefe of Ifrael and Judah, with Egypt and Affyria, are not to be condemned. But they are often reproved and condemned in fcripture. To deny the fcripture to be a fufficient rule in this cafe, were to accuse it of being imperfect and defective. An high and unjust reflection on the holy word of God. Beyond all queftion, the written word doth teach what is a right conftituted court, and what not, Pfal. x. What is a right conftitute houfe, and what not, Joh. xxiv. 15. What is a true church, and what is a falfe one: what is a true church, and what is a fynagogue of Satan, Rev. ii. What is a clean camp, and what is an unclean. We are not for any army of faints, and free of all mixture of ill affected men but it seems an high prevarication for churchmen to counsel and teach, that the

weight and truft of the affairs of Chrift, and his kindgom, should be laid upon the whole party of fuch as have been enemies to our caufe, contrary to the word of God, and the declarations, remonftrances, folemn warnings, and ferious exhortations of his church, whose public proteftations the Lord did admiraoly blefs, to the encouragement of the godly, and the tenor of all the oppofers of the work.

Since we are very fhortly to appear before our dreadful Master and Sovereign, we cannot pafe from our proteftation, trufting we are therein accepted of him; tho' we fhould lie under the imputation of dividing fpirits and unpeaceable men. We acknowledge all due obedience in the Lord, to the king's majefty; but we dif own that ecclefiaftical fupremacy in, and over, the church, which some ascribe to him; that power of commanding external worship, not appointed in the word; and laying bonds upon the confciences of men, where Chrift has made them free. We difown Antichriftian prelacy, bowing at the name of Jefus, faints days, canonizing of the dead, and other fuch corrupt inventions of men, and look on them as the high way to popery. Alas! now there

is no need of a fpirit of prophecy, to declare what shall be the woful condition of a land that hath broken covenant, first practically, and then legally, with the Lord our God; and what shall be the day of the filent and dumb watchmen of Scotland? Where will we leave our glory, and what if Chrift depart out of our land? We verily judge they are most loyal to the king's majesty, who defire the drofs may be feparated from the filver, and the throne eftablished in righteoufnefs and judgment. We are not (our witness is in heaven) against his majesty's title by birth to. the kingdom, and the right of the royal family: but that the controverfy of wrath against the royal family may be removed; that the huge guilt of the throne may be mourned for before the Lord: and that his majesty may ftand conftantly, all the days of his life, to the covenant of God; by oath, feal, and fubfcription, known to the world; that fo peace, and the bleffings of heaven, may follow his government: that the Lord may be his rock and shield, that the just may flourish in his time, that men-fearing God, hating covetoufness, and of known integrity and godlinefs, may be judges and rulers under his majefty. And they are not really loyal and faithful to the fupreme, magiftrate, who with not fuch qualifications in him: we are not, in this particular, contending, that a prince who is not a convert, or a found believer, falls from his royal dominion: the fcriptures of God warrant us to pray for, and obey in the Lord, princes and fupreme magiftrates, that are otherwise wicked: and to tender all due obedience to them, Rom. xiii. 2, 5. 2 Tim. ii.12, 13. 1 Pet. ii, 18. Our fouls fhall be afflic ted before the Lord, for the burning of the caufes of God's wrath: