the People Exod. 20. 15. Thou shalt not steal Ezek. 22. 12. In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood thou hast taken usury and increase thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbour by extortion Amos. 5. 12. They afflict the just they have taken abribe they turn aside the poor from his right Micah 6. 10 11. Are there yet treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure that is abominable Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and with the bag of deceitfull weights 1 Thess 4. 6. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter for the Lord is the avenger of all such 11. Lying slandering backbiting detracting riviling tale-bearing rash censuring and defaming and speaking ill one of another with false witnessing and perjury breach of Oaths Covenants promises Exodus 20. 16. Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy neighbour Psal. 50. 19 20. Thou givest thy mouth to evil and thy tongue frameth deceit thou sittest and speakest against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mothers son 2 Cor. 12. 20. Left there be debates envyings wrath strife backbiting whisperings swellings and tumults Matth. 7. 1. Iudge not that ye be not judged Rom. 1. 31. without understanding Covenant-breakers without natural affection implacable unmercifull 2 Tim 3. 1 2. This know also that in the last dayes perillous times shal come for men shal be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unholy Before we close this Article of prophanity we cannot but in a speciall way take notice of the carriage of many beggars in the Land amongst whom for a long time past abominations of all sorts hath abounded which sin lyes so much heavier on the Land because though it hath been generally known and acknowledged by all yet hath no effectuall course been taken to this day for the helping thereof 3. Article THe third Article which relates to JESUS CHRIST and the Gospel is in a great measure spoken to in the Causes of Humiliation concerning the contempt of the Gospel condescended on by the Commission of the Generall Assembly at Perth Dec. 22. 1650. yet some particulars there be in the Article which we shall now speak unto 1. The resting on out ward and bare forms without studying to known in our selves or to promove in others the Kingdom of GOD which is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost The Work of Reformation in the outward part of it or externall means that do relate to Worship and Ordinances of GOD and the purity thereof is certainly a thing excellent and desirable which all the lovers of pure Religion and undefiled ought to endeavour to attain to and preserve Ezra 7. 27. Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers who hath put such a thing as this in the Kings heart to beautifie the house of the Lord at Ierusalem Exod. 39. 42. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses so the Children of Israel made all the work 43. v. And Moses did look on all the work and behold they had done it as the Lord commanded even so had they done and Moses blessed them Ezek. 42. 11. And the way before them was like the appearing of the Chambers that were toward the North as long as they and as broad as they and all their goings out were both according to their fashions and according to their doores Heb. 3. 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithful in all his house Heb. 8. 5. Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle for see saith he that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount But when these things are rested upon and idolized they do through our corruption become snares to us to keep us from seeking in to more excellent and better things to wit communion and fellowship with GOD and the power and life of godliness which are the kernell whereof these things are but the shell and the scrooff and being rested upon do provoke the Lord either to make them barren and fruitlesse to us or else to loath us in the following of them or to remove them wholly away from us Isai 1. 10 11 12 13 14 15. Hear the word of the Lord ye rulers of Sodom give ear to the Law of our God ye people of Gomorrah To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts I delight not in the blood of bullocks or of lambs or of he-goats When ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts Bring no more vain oblation incense is an abomination to me the new moons and the Sabbaths and the calling of the assembly I cannot away with it is an iniquity even the solemn meeting your new moons and appointed feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood Isai. 66. 1 2 3 4. Thus saith the Lord The heavens is my throne and the earth is my footstool where is the house ye will build me and where is the place of my rest for all these things hath mine hand made and all these things have been saith the Lord But to this man will I look even to him that is of a poor and contrite spirit and trembleth at my word He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a lamb as if he cut off a dogsneck he that offereth an oblation as he that offereth swines blood he that burneth incense as he that blesseth an idol Yea they have chosen their own wayes and their soul delighteth in their abominations I also will choose their delusions and bring their fears on them because when I called none did answer and when I spake they did not hear but did evill before mine eyes and chose that in which I delighted not Jer. 7. 4 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. Trust ye not in lying words saying The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord are these Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Will ye steal murder commit adultery and swear falsely and burn incense to Baal and walk after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say we are delivered to do all these abominations Is this house which is called by my Name become a den of robbers in your eyes Behold even I have seen it saith the Lord but go ye to my place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickednesse
amongst many especially the ignorance and not observing but forgetting the works of mercy and judgment which GOD hath wrought amongst our selves which sin as it proved an In-let to many other provocations from the 7 verse of that Psalm throughout so hath it great threatnings pronounced against it and sore judgments inflicted on it Psal. 28. 5. Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shal destroy them and not build them up Isa. 5. 11 12. Wo to them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink and continue till night till wine inflame them and the wine and the pipe the viol the tabret and the harp are in their feasts but they regard not the work of the Lord nor consider the operation of his hands Psal. 106. 7. 13. 21 22. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the sea they soon forgot his works they waited not for his counsell Thy forgâ—t God their Saviour who had done great things in Egypt wondrous works in the land of Ham and terrible things by the redsea In this Article also Atheisme is joyned with Ignorance which as it is the root and fountain of all other sin Psal. 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good So it is also the root and fountain of all misery Eph. 2. 12. At that time ye were without Christ being strangers from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and being without God in the world And yet this doth possesse many there being multitudes of that wicked sort Psal. 10. 4. Who through the pride of their heart will not seek God God is not in all their thoughts These are far from acknowledging him in all their wayes and aiming at his glory in all their actions according to these divine rules Proverb 3. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or ye drink or what soever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ giving thanks to the Father through him But they do live as if there were no God or as if he had forsaken the earth and did not see Ezek. 9. 9. Then said he unto me The iniquity of the house of Israel and Iuda is exceeding great and the Land is full of blood and the City full of perversnesse for they say The Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not Or as if the Lord would not do good or evill like these who are threatned Zeph. 1. 12. I will search Ierusalem with candles and punish the men that are setled on their lees that say in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will be do evill The Second Article THe second Article concerning loosnesse and prophanity is no lesse true and evident then the first it being undenyable that a floud of prophanity hath overflowed the whole Land and that the most part of the Inhabitants thereof have corrupted theirway before him unto the dishonouring of his Name reproach of our profession and provoking the eyes of his Glory Isa. 1. 2 3 4. 5. Hear O heavens and give ear O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me the ox hath known his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ah sinfull Nation a people loaden with iniquity a seed of evill doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy one of Israel to Anger they have gone away backward why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more the whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint Ezek. 36. 21 22 23. But I had pity for my holy names sake which the house of Israel hath prophaned amongst the Heathen whether they went Therefore say to the house of Israel thus saith the Lord God I do not this for your sake O house of Israel but for my holy Names sake which ye have prophaned amongst the Heathen whither ye went and I will sanctifie my great name which was prophaned among the Heathen which ye have prophaned in the midst of them and the Heathen shall know that I am the Lord saith the Lord God when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes Malach. 2. 11 12 13. Iudah hath dealt treaâ—herously and an abomination is committed in Israel and Ierusalem for Iudah hath prophaned the holinesse of the Lord which he loved and hath married the daughter of a strange god the Lord will cut off the man that doth this the master and the schollar out of the Tabernacles of Iacob and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hosts and this have ye done again covering the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and with crying out in so much that he regardeth not the offering any more or receiveth it with good will at your hands Isa. 3. 8. For Ierusalem is ruined and Iudah is fallen because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of his glory The guilt of this abounding loosnesse and prophanity is so much the more heightned by these circumstances that do attend it First that it is under the clear light of the Gospel of the Word preached now for many years throughout the Land in purity and plenty Secondly that it is contrary to many solemn Vows Engagements Oaths and Covenants taken on us before God Angels and men to the contrary Thirdly that it is under many blessings mercies and deliverances from the Lord. Fourthly that it is under many chastisements rods and judgements especially the sword and pestilence by which two many thousands in the Land have been taken away within these few years Fifthly that it is common and universall and hath reached over all sorts of persons Noblemen Gentlemen Barons Burgesses Ministers and Commons Sixthly from the greatnesse of it shamelesnes of it avowedness and grossness of it which is such that many declare their sin as Sodome and commit all sorts of wickednesse with greedlnesse Seventhly from the kinds of it some of the chief and most common of which especially these who are not named in some other Article of the former Paper we shal here touch 1. Impatiencie murmuring and freting against God and his works which-hath made many to weary of the charges and expence they have been put to for the Gospel and to wish there had been no such thing as the entering into the Nationall Covenant and the renewing and entering into the solemn League and Covenant not to an few to curse and blaspheme the Covenants and to look on them as the rise and originall of all
the evils where with the Land hath been afflicted and it is an great provocation before God as it appears from these and the like Scriptures Numb 14 1 2 3 4 10 11 12. And all the Congregations lifted up their voice and weeped and cryed and the people weeped that night and all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole Congregation said to them would to God we had died in the land of Egypt or would to God we had died in the wildernesse and wherefore hath the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword that our wives and our children should be a prey were it not better for us to return to Egypt And they said one to another let us makâ— a Captain let us return to Egypt then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the Assemblies of all the Congregation of the children of Israel but all the Congregation bade stone them with stones and the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of the Congregation before all the Children of Israel And the Lord said unto Moses How long will this People provoke me and how long will it be ere this People beleeve me for all the signs I have shewed amongst them I will smite them with pestilence and disinherit them and will make of thee a Nation mighter and greater then they Numbers 2. 1. 5 6. And they journied from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to compasse the Land of Edom and the soul of the People was much discouraged because of the way and the People spake against GOD and against Moses Wherfore have ye brought us up out of the Land to die in the wilderness for there is no bread neither is there any water for our soul loatheth this light bread and the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and much people of Israel died 1 Cor. 11. 10. Neither be ye murmurers as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer 2. Using not only of charmes though it be condemned in the Scriptures Deut. 18. 11. A Charmer or a consulter with familiar spirits or a Wizard or a Necromancer shall not be found amongst you for all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord yet is very frequent among the Commons But also Sorcery and Witchcraft which is an abomination Exod. 22. 18. Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live Deut. 18. 10. There shall not be found amongst you any that useth Divination or any Iuchanter or any Witch especially amongst these who have been baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus and yet doth by the great discoveries thereof which hath been of late appear to be very frequent in the Land 3. Ordinary swearing by them that are no Gods Ier. 5. 7. How shall I pardon thee for this thy Children have forsaken Me and sworn by them who are no Gods when I have fed them to the full Zeph. 1. 4 5. I will also stretch out my hand against Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place and the name of the Chemarims with the Priests and them that worship the host of heaven upon the house tops and them that worship and that swear by the Name of the LORD and that swear by Malcham such as Faith Truth Soul Conscience and by the holy and blessed Name of GOD Himself and by His Blood and Wounds and fearful Execrations and Cursings which though they be condemned forbidden and threatned in the Scriptures Exod. 2â— 7. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain Levit 19. 12. Thou shalt not swear by my Name fasly neither shalt thou prophane the Name of thy God I am the Lord. Matth. 5. 33 34 35 36 37. Again ye have heard it said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform to the Lord thy God thy Oathes But I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne neither by the Earth for it is His Footstool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou swear by thy Head for thou cannot make one hair white or black But let your communication be Yea yea Nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil Jer. 23. 10. For the Land is full of Adulteries because of Swearing the Land mourneth and the pleasant places in the wildernesse are dried up because their course is evil and their force is not right Zech. 5. 1 2 3 4. Then I looked and lift up miâ—e eyes and behold a flying Roll the length thereof is twenty cubits and the breadth thereof ten cubits Then said he unto me This is the curse that goeth over the face of the whole Earth for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it and every one that sweareth shall be cut off on that side according to it I will bring it forth saith the Lord of hosts and it shall enter into the house of the Thief and into the house of him that sweareth falsly by my Name and it shall remain in the midst of his house and shall consume the timber and stones thereof Yet these are so frequent and habitual amongst us that in many parts of the Land it is a rare thing to find a man or a woman that in their ordinary speech is not addicted to some one of these 4. Ordinary and gross prophanation of the Lords Day not only by slighting of and absenting from the Publick Worship with the Congregation which is a fault whereof many are guilty and not attending to the Word or joyning in Prayer and singing of Psalms when they are present but also by travelling trysting working speaking our own words and otherwise The danger and hainousness of this sin appears from Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Nehem. 13. 15 16 17 18. In those dayes saw I in Judah some treading Wine-presses on the Sabbath and bringing in Sheaves and loading Asses and also Wine-Grapes and Figs and all manner of burdens which they brought to Jerusalem on the Sabbath Day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals There dwelt men of Tyre also therein which bought fish and all manner of ware which they sold to the children of Juda and Jerusalem on the Sabbath then I contended with the Nobles of Juda and said unto them What evill thing is this which ye do and prophane the Sabbath day did not your fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evill on us and on this city yet ye bring more wrath on Israel by prophaning the Sabbath Isai 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy own pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy of the Lord. honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine
lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent you As to the other how the Rule of the Word and Constitutions of this Kirk are keept in this particular it needs nor much be spoken the transgression being so palpable common that they who runs may read these particular faults may be taken notice of in order to this point 1. To say nothing that in some places few or none at all are excluded for ignorance but that persons being once come to such an age are admitted and being once admitted are never again excluded There is in many Congregations little or no care to examine or take any notice of the knowledge of all persons indifferently something being done in reference to servants and these of the poorer sort but masters of families and those of the richer sort for the most part neglected taking it for granted as it were that they have knowledge when indeed many of them are grosly ignorant and ought because of their ignorance to be debarred 2. That the bare repeating of the Lords Prayer the Belief or ten Commandements or answering a Question or two of the Catechisme by rot-rime as we say when nothing of the meaning is understood is by many taken for knowledge sufficient 3. There is not sufficient care to take notice of all scandals and scandalous persons in which respect there is a twofold gross neglect 1 That the scandal of omission of Duty is not taken notice of as well as the scandal of commission of sin notwithstanding that the Acts and Constitutions of the Kirk make express provision for the one aswel as for the other as may be seen in their Acts against these who absent themselves on the Lords day from the Publick Worship of God and against masters of families who neglect to pray in their family and others of that nature 2. The many scandals of commission are also neglected it being a custom in many Congregations to take notice only of Fornicators and Adulterers and workers on the Lords day and such as these but do neglect Tiplers Drunkards Swearets Lyars Deceivers of their Neighbors Fighters Oppressors Extortioners Covetous persons and many others who walk contrary to the Gospel whereas it is expresly provided by the Discipline of this Kirk in the year 1587. that if the Eldership perceive any thing in the Congregation either evil in the example or scandalous in manners and not beseeming their profession whatsoever it be that may spot the Christian Congregation yea rather whatsoever is not to edification ought not to escape admonition or punishment or higher degree of Kirk-Censure as 2 Cor. 2. 6. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many 3. That many such as have been judicially convicted of scandalous faults are pressed and received into a publick profession of Repentance when as indeed there is no real evidences of Repentance yet by a profession therof are put in a capacity to come to the Lords Table By these waies it comes to pass that many ignorant and scandalous persons are admitted who ought to be excluded which certainly is a fearful sin as may appear in these and many other respects 1. It hinders many poor souls from searching after knowledge and from departing from iniquity and hardens them in their ignorance and lewdness 2. It causeth them to prohane the precious bloud of the Covenant and to eat and drink damnation to themselves 3. It makes the ignorant and scandalous promiscuously partakers of the seals of the Covenant of Grace with the truly godly 4. It provokes the Lord to depart from his Ordinances and forsake his Temple because of such dishonour to his Name 5. It brings on the judgment of God on particular persons and the whol Land Lastly it grieves and stumbles the godly amongst our selves and exposes our selves and the Ordinances of Christ therein to contempt and reproach amongst others The Fourth Consequent which is named to follow on the resting upon outward and bare forms is the keeping in of many continually openly profane in the fellowship of this Kirk by which is meant the neglect of casting out such from the fellowship of the kirk by the sentence of excomunication for certainly these who do wilfully continue in their ignorance from year to year slighting the means of knowledge and refusing to be instructed or to learn the way of the Lord And these who do continue in an open course of prophanity making a profession of repentance and still persisting in their wicked way after sufficient pains taken on them and their slighting other inferior Kirk Censures ought to be casten out as dry and withered corrupt and rotten branches and not to be looked as Members of the Kirk of GOD. Num. 15. 30. But the soul that doth ought presumptuously whether he be born in the Land or a stranger the same reproacheth the Lord and that soul shall be cut off from amongst his People Psal. 50. 16 17. But to the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and casteth my Words behinds thee Mat. 18. 18. Verily I say unto you Whatsoever you shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven And therfore it is provided in the old Acts of the Assembly of this Kirk that who will stubbornly remain ignorant in the principal points of Salvation shall be Excommunicated And that every Master of Family shall be commanded either to instruct his Children and Servants or cause them be instructed and if they will not the Kirk shall proceed against them The Gen. Assembly at Edinburgh in the year 1648. in the Overtures for the remedy of Grievances and common Sins of the Land provided That persons often guilty of gross scandals be Excommunicated more summarily then ordinary Process except there be more then ordinary signs an eminent measure of repentance made known to the Sessions and Presbyterie Besides these four the Article also mentions many other sad and fearful consequents unto the prophaning of all the Ordinances of God and rendring them bare barren and fruitless to us And there is no question but that formality in profession and resting upon and idolizing outward and bare forms brings out many sad consequents besides these such as the slighting by many and mocking by some the work of the Spirit not seeking after communion and fellowship with God in Ordinances not studying to know and be humbled for the iniquity of our Holy things not seeing a need and imploying of JESUS CHRIST for strength and acceptance in all our performances and turning the living God to a dumb Idol and many others that are mentioned and spoken to in that Paper published by the Commssion concerning the contempt of the Gospel The Fourth Article The fourth Artcle hath two parts the first whereof relates to the neglect of Family-worship which though it be a grievous sin which provokes the
Psalm 139. 21 22. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee And am not I grieved with these that rise up against thee I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies 23. v. Search me O Lord and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And yet hath it not gotten great footing amongst us and made wicked men get up the head and wickednesse to grow and abound every-where The wicked walk on every side when the vilest men are exalted Psalm 12. last verse 5. Article THe fifth Article speaks of Covetousnesse and Oppression the one as the root the other as the fruit and effect thereof We need not to insist to shew what a sin the love of the World and Covetousnesse is the Scriptures hold it forth as Idolatry Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are on the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousnesse which is Idolatry as the root of all evill 1 Tim. 6. 10. For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some men have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows As that which is inconsistent with the love of God 1 Ioh. 2. 15. Love not the World neither the things that are in the world If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him As that which makes the Lord wroth with men Isai. 57. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousnes was I wroth and smote him I â—id my self and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart And to abhor them Psalm 10. 3. The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth As that which brings the curse of God on them and on their families Hab. 2. 9 10 11. Wo to him that coveteth an evil covetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evil Thou hast consulted shame to thine house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soul. For the stones shall cry out of the wall and the beam out of the timber shall answer it And though it have in it all these and many other mischiefs and evils yet hath it taken hold on and doth cleave closely to many of all ranks in the Land in their carriage and actings Do not the Body of the People spend their time in seeking after the things of a present world and according as they prosper or are crossed in these things accordingly do they think themselves happy or miserable And there be Ministers not a few that as they entered so do they follow the work of the Ministery for the things of a present world and are more for caring for these things then for the souls committed to their charge and more eager in pursuing an encrease and augmentation in these things then in pursuing the things that concern the beating down of Satans Kingdom and the promoving of the Kingdom of the Lord JESUS CHRIST And hence also it is as from a main cause that Ministers not a few prove unfaithfull in their duty and unsutable in a day of temptation rather choosing to forbear to reprove and censure the faults of these who may bring prejudice to them in things worldly rather then to offend them and rather choosing to become neutrall and indifferent or comply with evill courses then to hazard the losse of their stipends but especially the sad and wofull fruit of this wofull evill appears in Masters to their servants Landlords to their Tenents Magistrats and Rulers to these over whom they bear rule Judges to these who come before them Advocats and Procurators to their Clients Clerks Commissars and Collectors to these with whom they have to do Officers and Souldiers in the Countrey where they bear charge yea and amongst the Commons themselves where they have any power one over another The Lord hath forbidden to oppresse an hired servant and hath commanded at his day to give him his hire Deut. 24. 14 15. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired servant that is poor and needy whether he be of thy brethren or of thy strangers that are in the land within thy gates at his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the sun go down upon it for he is poor and needy and setteth his heart upon it lest he cry unto the Lord against thee and it be sin unto thee Yet behold the hire of the labourer is by many Masters keeped back violently fraudulently and this cryeth unto Heaven and is entred into the eares of the Lord of hosts Jam. 5. 4. Behold the hire of the labourer which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the cryes of them which have reaped have entred into the ears of the Lord of sabbath The oppression of Landlords to their Tenents are so many and so exorbitant that they cannot easily be reckoned the Lands for the most part set by them at a dearer rate then the Tenents can pay the Duty and live in any tollerable condition themselves and therefore are they forced with their wives and children to drudge continually in the earth from morning till evening by which it comes to passe that their lives is but a kind of lasting bondage and slavery and that they have neither time nor encouragement for serving and seeking GOD themselves in their Families or for breeding their children in knowledge vertue and piety Secondly Beside the Rent of the Land condescended on they also lay on them many burdens and taxations in an arbitrary way by their Bailiffs and Courts and otherwayes at their pleasure such as services of all sorts beyond paction and agreement and quarterings and beside the putting out of the Foot and the burden thereof sometime the burden of putting out the Horse and the bearing of a great part or the whole Monethly Maintenance and Sesse Thirdly The giving of short Laces of Lands and removing them therefrom and taking away what they have when they grow poor and are not able to pay or else if they thrive by heightening and augmenting their Farms and Rent by which means it hath in the righteous judgment of GOD occasioned that Tenents in many places prove undutifull to their Masters and deny to them these things which in conscience and reason they are obliged to perform And for the Rulers albeit we be far from joining issue with these who from dis-affection to the Work of GOD and the Instruments thereof did traduce and speak evill of those whom GOD set over us in their charge and even in the imposing of the most necessary burdens and in the most moderate and equall way yet we cannot but acknowledge and bemoan the great reproach that hath been brought on the chief Judicatories of the Land and on the Work of GOD by the felfshness and particularity of some persons of note
mind and estrangedness of heart on the least difference in judgment amongst Brethren often attended with passion and spleen Which makes our affection rather to favour our own image then the Image of Christ in others and our zeal against malignancie and error did divers times break forth into bitterness and reproach against the persons that did turn aside whereas it ought to have been accompanied with Christian meekness and compassion The Ninth Article The Ninth Article specifies one of the greatest and most comprehensive and provoking sins in this Land viz. Backsliding and defection from the Covenants and our solemn Vows and Engagements For attaining a right impression thereof We desire that these and other seruples of that kind may be seriously and impartially thought on and applied Prou. 14. 14v The back sider in â—eare shâ—ll be filled with his own wayes and a good man shall be satisfied from himself Ier. 3. 20. Surely â—as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband 〈…〉 you 〈◊〉 treacherously with me O house of Israel saith the Lord. Ier. â— â— Moreover thou shalt say 〈◊〉 them thus saith the Lord Shal they fall and not arise shal be turn away and not return v. 5. Why then is this People of 〈◊〉 aloâ—â— slidenback by a perpetual back sliding they hold fâ—st deceit they refuse to return v. 6. I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying What haue I done everyone turneth to his course as the 〈…〉 with into the battel v. 7. Yea the stork in the Heavens knoweth her appointd times and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the times of their coming but my People know not the Iudgment of the Lord. v. 8 How do ye say We are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us 〈◊〉 certainly in vain made he it the pen of the Scribe is in vain v. 9. The wise men are ashamed they are dismaied and taken lo they have rejected the Word of the Lord and what wisdom is in them Hos. 11. 7. My People are bent to backsliding from me though they called them to the most high none at all would exalâ— him Ier. 5. 6. Wherefore a Lion out of the forrest shall slay them and a Wolf of the evening shall spoil them a Leopard shall watch over their Cities every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces because their transgressions are many and their back slidings are encreased Levit. 26. 15. And if ye shall despise my Statutes or if your soul abhor my judgements so that ye will not do all my Commandements but that ye break my Covenant v. 16. I also will do this unto you I will even appoint over you terrour consumption and the burning-ague that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your enemies shall eat it v. 17. And I will set my face against you and ye shall be slain before your enemies and they that hate you shall reign over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you v. 35. As long as it lieth desolate it shal rest because it did not rest in your sabbaths when ye dwelt upon it Deut. 29. 23 24 25. And that the whol Land thereof is briniston and salt and burning that it is not sowen nor beareth nor any grass groweth thereon like the overthrow of Sodom Gomorrah Admah Zeâ—oim which the Lord overthrew in his anger in his wrath Even all Nations shall say Wherefore hath the Lord done this to this Land what meaneth the heat of this great anger Then men shall say Because they have for saken the Covenant of the Lord God of their fathers which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt 1 King 11. 11. Wherefore the Lord said to Solomon Forasmuch as this is done of thee and thou hast not kept my Covenant and my Statutes which I have commanded thee I will surely rent the Kingdom from thee and will give it to thy servant 2 King 17. 15. And they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant which he made with their fathers and his Testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the heathen that were round about them concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them Psal. 78 9. The children of Ephraim being armed and carrying Bows turned back in the day of battel v. 10. They kept not the Covenant of God and refused to walk in his Law v. 11. and forgat his works and his wonders that he had shewed them v. 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouthes and lyed to him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Isa. 24. 5. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof because they have transgressed the Laws changed the Ordinances and broken the everlasting Covenant v. 6. Therefore hath the câ—â—se devoured the earth and they that da el therein are desolate therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left Psalm 44. 17. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant v. 18. Our heart is not turned back from thee neither have our steps declined from thy way v. 19. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the soadow of death v. 20. If we haven forgotten the Name of our God or stretched our hands to a strange god Shall not God seaâ—â—â— this out for he knoweth the secrets of our hearts Psalm 50. 16. But to the wicked saith God What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Jer. 11. 9. And the Lord said to me A conspiracy is found among the men of Iudah and amongst the inhabitants of Ierusalem v. 10. They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers which refused to hear my words and thy went after other gods to serve them the house of Israel and the house of Iudah have broken my Covenant which I made with their fathers Ier. 22. 8. And many Nations shall pass by this City and they shall say every man to his neighbor Wherefore hath the Lord done this to this great City v. 9. Then they shall answer Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them For thus faith the Lord God I will even deal with thee as thou hast done which hast despised the Oath in breaking the Covenant Hos. 6. 7. But they like men have transgressed the Covenant they have dealt treacherously against me Hos. 8. 1. Set the Trumpet to thy mouth he shal come as an Eagle against the house of the Lord because they have transgressed
also diverse other particulars of importance that fell out in the Meeting it self in the constituent Members in the liberty freedom of voicing which were set down at length in the Protestation made at St. Andrews against that Meeting and the Reasons afterwards penned for strengthening thereof and therefore we shall not need in this place to repeat these things but recommends the reading of them to such as desire more fully to be informed in these particulars It were tedious to fall on the Acts of that Assembly and Warnings issued by them These things we now leave as a subject requiring a more large and distinct consideration desiring onely this one thing to be pondered and considered That besides their ratifying and approving the Proceedings of the former Commission which were in many things the great grief of all the godly in the Land in such ample manner as even in way of expression is not free of some flattery and vanity and besides the censuring of some honest men for no other thing but only protesting against them and besides the emitting of Warnings reflecting exceedingly on former pious and warrantable proceedings they have laid a foundation for censuring all Ministers and Professors and for keeping such out of the Ministery who do not approve of all these proceedings which have this last year so much vexed and grieved the godly and so much rejoyced and made glad the Malignant Party and wicked of the Land And if these things shall be accordingly executed and take effect what persecution shall there be of many godly Ministers Elders Expectants and Professors and what a Ministery and what a Church shall we have in a few years 10. Article The last Head of the Lords controversie that is mentioned is deep security and obstinacie im enitencie and incorrigiblnesse under all these and under all the dreadfull stroaks of God and tokens of his indignation against us because of the same so that whilst he continues to smite we are so far from humbling our selves that we grow worse and worse and sin more and more that it is so with us will not we suppose be denied by any godly man amongst us who knowes and observes the Lands condition and the present temper and carriage of the Inhabitants every man crying out almost for his affliction but none almost mourning for his sin We think it may be truly said That sin and iniquity of all kinds and amongst all ranks of persons hath been more multiplied and encreased in Scotland since the defeat at Dumbar then in many years before and that this Nation was not so dull hard hearted and impenitent under any of the former rods wherewith the Lord did smite us these years past as under these rods wherewith he now smites us and that this doth much highten our iniquity and speak sad things to come if not repented of is evident from Isay. 1 5. Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more the whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint Isa. 9. 13. For the People turneth not unto him that smitteth them neither do they seek the Lord of hosts v. 14. Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail root branch in one day v. 15. The Ancient and Honorable he is the head and the Prophet that teacheth lyes he is the tail v. 16. For the Leaders of this People cause them to erre and they that are led of them are destroyed Ier. 5. 3. O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a rock they have refused to return Ier. 8. 4. Moreover thou shalt say unto them Thus saith the Lord Shall they fall and not arise shall he turn away and not return v. 5. Why then is this People of Ierusalem sliden back by a perpetual back sliding they hold fast deceit they refuse to return v. 6. I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying What have I done every one turneth to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel v. 7. Yea the Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my People know not the judgement of the Lord. Isa. 42. 23. Who among you wil give ear to this who wil hearken and hear for the time to come v. 24. Who gave Iacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers did not the Lord He against whom we have sinned for they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient to his Law v. 25. Therfore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and it hath set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Lev. 26. 14. But if you wil not hearken to me and wil not do all these Commandements v. 15. And if ye shal despise my Statutes or if your soul abhor my Iudgments so that ye will not do all my Commandements but that ye break my Covenant v. 16. I also wil do this unto you I will even appoint over you terror consumption and the burning-ague that shall consume the eyes cause sorrow of heart and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your enemies shal eat it v. 17. And I will set my face against you and ye shall be slain before your enemies they that hate you shall reign over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you v. 18. And if you will not yet for all this hearken unto me then I wil punish you seven times more for your sins v. 19. And I wil break the pride of your power and I will make your Heaven as Iron and your Earth as Brasse v. 20. And your strength shall be spent in vain for your Land shall not yeeld her increase neither shall the Trees of the Land yeeld their fruits v. 21. And if ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins v. 22. I will also send wilde beasts among you which shall rob you of your children and destroy your cattel and make you few in number and your high waies shall be desolate v. 23. And if you will not be reformed by these things but will walk contrary unto me v. 24. Then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sins v. 25. And I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant and when you are gathered together within your Cities I will send the pestilence among you and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy v. 26. And when I have broken the staff of your bread ten women shall bake your bread