Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	heart_n	let_v	lord_n	11,278	5	4.0773	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59963	A hind let loose, or, An historical representation of the testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the interest of Christ with the true state thereof in all its periods : together with a vindication of the present testimonie, against the Popish, prelatical, & malignant enemies of that church ... : wherein several controversies of greatest consequence are enquired into, and in some measure cleared, concerning hearing of the curats, owning of the present tyrannie, taking of ensnaring oaths & bonds, frequenting of field meetings, defensive resistence of tyrannical violence ... / by a lover of true liberty.	Shields, Alexander, 1660?-1700.	1687 (1687)	Wing S3431; ESTC R24531	567,672	774

all Action against them Yet all are not asleep and I hope there are some who will never enter in any terms of peace with them against whom the Mediator hath declared and will prosecute a war for ever but will still oune aim at this as the highest pitch of their ambition to be found among His chosen called faithful ones who maintain a constant opposition against them However thô the Lord seems in His providence to put a bar upon all publick Appearances under a display of open war against them and it is not the design of what is said here on this and the foregoing Head to incite or invite to any Yet Certainly even at this present all that have the zeal of God and love to His righteous Cause rightly stated in their hearts will find themselves called not to supercede altogether from all Actions of avowed and even violent opposition against them whom we are all bound both by the Morality of the duty and the Formality of Solemn Sacred Covenants to hold out from a violent intrusion into and peaceable possession of this Land devoted to God and to put them out when they are got in either by their fraud or force And this plea now brought to an end will oblige all the Loyal Lovers of Christ to an Endeavour of these 1. To take Alarms and to be fore-warned and fore-armed resolute ready to withstand the invasion of Poperie that it be neither established by Law through the supineness of such who should stand in the Gap and resolve rather to be sacrificed in the spot by a valiant resisting than see such an Abomination set up again Nor introduced by this Liberty through the wyles of such whose chiefest principle of policy is perfidie who design by this wide Gate and in the womb of the wooden horse of this Toleration to bring it in peaceably Nor intruded by force fury fire sword if they shall fall upon their old game of Murders Massacres It concerns all to be upon their Guard and not only to come out of Babylon but to be making ready to go against it when the Lord shall give the Call. 2. To resist the beginings of their Invasions before they be past remeady And for this effect to oppose their gradual erections of their Idolatrous Monuments and not suffer them to set up the Idol of the Mass in City or Country without attempting if they have any force to overthrow the same 3. In the mean time to defend themselves and the Gospel against all their Assaults and to Rescue any out of their hands upon all occasions that for the Cause of Christ they have caught as a prey to oppose prevent their oun the Nations ruine slaverie But to Conclude As it will be now expected in Justice Charity that all the Vassals Votaries Subjects and Servants of the One Common Lord King Christ Jesus every where through out His Dominions who may see this Representation of the case and Vindication of the cause of a poor wasted wounded persecuted reproached Remnant of the now declining sometimes Renouned Church of Scotland will be so far from standing Esaw-like on the other side either as Enemies rejoicing to look on their Affliction in the day of their Calamity or as Neutral unconcerned with their distressed Condition or as Strangers without the knowledge or sense of their Sorrowes Difficulties Or as Gallio's caring for none of these things or thinking their case not worthy of Compassion or their cause of Consideration or possibly condemning their Sufferings as at best but Stated upon slender subtile nice Points that are odd odious and invidiously represented It is now expected I say that Christians not possessed with Prejudice which is very improper for any that bear that Holy honourable Signature and not willing to be imposed upon by Misinformations will be so far from that Unchristian temper towards them as to be easily byassed with all Reports Reproaches to their disadvantage that if they weigh what is in this Treatise offered and truly I may say candidely Represented without any design of prevarication or painting or daubing to make the Matter either better or worse than it will seem to any impartial Observer they will admit intertain a more charitable Construction of them and not deny them Brotherly Sympathie and Christian Compassion nor be wanting in the duty of Prayer Suppltcation for them that at length the Lord would turn His hand upon the litle Ones and bring at least a thrid Part a Remnant of Mourners through the fire So to that litle Flock the poor of the Flock that wait upon the Lord and desire to keep His way I shall only say Though I judged Necessity was laid upon me in stead of a better to essay this Vindication of your cause as stated betwixt yow and your and your Lords Enemies the men that now ride over your heads that say to your Soul bow doun that we may go over yow I desire not that yow should yea I obtest that yow may not lay any Stress on the strength of what I have said but let its weight lie where it must be laid on that firm Foundation that will bear yow and it both that Stone that tried Stone that Precious Corner Stone that sure Foundation Christ Jesus And search the Scriptures of Truth to see whether these things be so or not And I doubt not but by that Touchstone if these Precious Truths be tried they will be found neither hay nor stubble that cannot abide the fire but as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times Do not offend that they are contemned as small and contradicted as odious but look to the importance of His Glory whose Truths Concerns they are and from Whom they are seeking to draw or drive yow who oppose and oppugu these Truths Stand fast therefore in the Liberty where with Christ hath made yow free and hold fast every Word of His patience that yow may be kept in this hour of tentation Let no man take your Crown or pull yow doun from your excellency which is alwayes the design of your wicked Enemies in all their several shapes shewes both of force fraud craft cruelty Beware of their snares and of their tender Mercies for they are cruel and when they speak fair beleeve them not for there are seven abominations in their hearts Say ye not a Confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a Confederacy neither fear ye their fear nor be afraied Sanctify the Lord of Hosts Himself and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread And He shall be for a Sanctuary but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel for a gin for a snare to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem Wait upon the Lord who hideth His face from the House of Iacob and look

for the honour of their Master and the freedom of their Ministrie Whereupon as many poor People were stumbled and jumbled into many confusions so that they were so bewildered bemisted in doubts debates that they knew not what to do and were tempted to question the Cause formerly so servently contended for against all opposition then so simply abandoned by these that seemed sometimes valiant for it when they saw them consulting more their oun ease than the Concerns of their Masters Glory or the necessity of the poor people hungering for the Gospel and standing in need of Counsel in time of such abounding snares whereby many became a prey to all tentations So the more zealous faithful after several Addresses Calls Invitations to Ministers finding themselves deserted by them judged themselves under a necessity to discountenance many of them whom formerly they followed with pleasure and to resolve upon a pursuit prosecution of the duty of the day without them and to provide themselves with faithful Ministers who would not shun for all hazards to declare the whole Counsel of God. And accordingly through the tender Mercy of God compassionating the exigence of the People the Lord sent them first Mr Richard Cameron with whom after his serious solicitation his Brethren denied their concurrence and then Mr Donald Cargil who with a zeal boldness becoming Christs Ambassadours maintained prosecuted the Testimony against all the Indignities done to their Master and wrongs to the Cause both by the encroachments of Adversaries and defections of their declining Brethren Wherein they were signally countenanced of their Master And the Lords Inheritance was again revived with the showres of the Gospels blessings wherewith they had been before refreshed and enlightened with a Glance Glimpse of resplendent brightness immediatly before the obscurity of this fearful night of darkness that hath succeeded But as Christ was then displaying His beauty to His poor despised persecuted People so Antichrist began to blaze his bravery in the solemn shameful reception of his harbinger that Pimp of the Romish whore the Duke of York Who had now pulled off the Mask under which he had long covered his Antichristian Bigotrie through a trick of his brother constrained by the Papists importunity and the necessity of their favour recruit of their Coyn either to declare himself Papist or to make his brother do it whereby all the locusts were engaged to his Interest with whom he entered into a Conspiracy and Popish Plot as was discovered by many infallible evidences and confessed by Coleman his Secretary to Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey for which lest he should witness against him when Coleman was apprehended that Gentleman was cruelly murdered by the Duke of Yorks contrivance command Yet for all the demonstrations of his being a Bigot Papist that he had long given unto the world it is known what some suffered for saying that the Duke of York was a Papist and being forced to leave England he was come to Scotland to promots Poperie Arbitrary Government However thô the Parliament of England for his Poperie Villanie and his ploting pursuing the destruction of the Nation did vote his Exclusion yet degenerate Scotland did receive him in great pompe pride Against which the forementioned faithful witnesses of Christ did find themselves obliged to testify their just resentment and to protest against his succeeding to the Croun in their Declaration published at Sanquhair Iune 22. 1680. Wherein also they Disoune Charles Stewart as having any Right Title or Interest in the Croun of Scotland or Government thereof as being fore●aulted several years since by his perjurie breach of Covenant Usurpation on Christs Prerogatives and by his Tyranny breaches in the very Leges regnandi in matters Civil And declare a war with him and all the men of these practices homologating the Testimony at Rutherglen and disclaiming that declaration at Hamiltoun This Action was generally condemned by the body of lurking Ministers both for the matter of it and the unseasonableness of it and its apparent unfeasibleness being done by a handful so inconsiderable for number strength or significancy But as they had very great important reasons to disclaim that Tyrants Authority hinted in the Declaration it self and hereafter more fully vindicated so the necessity of a Testimony against all the Tyrannical Encroachments on Religion Liberty then current encreasing and the sin shame of shifting delaying it so long when the Blasphemous Supremacy was now advanced to its summity the Churches Priviledges all overturned Religion and the Work of Reformation trampled under foot the Peoples Rights Liberties destroyed and Lawes all subverted and no shadow of Government left but arbitrary Absoluteness obtruding the Tyrants will for Reason and his Letter for the Supreme Law witness the Answer which one of the Council gave to another objecting against their Proceedings as not according to Law what devil do ye talk of Law have not we the Kings Letter for it And all the ends of Magistracy wholly inverted while innocent honest People were grievously oppressed in their persons Consciences Estates And Perjuries Adulteries Idolatries and all impieties were not only connived at but countenanced as badges of Loyaltie and manifest monstrous Robbries Murders Authorized Judgement turned into gall and the fruit of Righteousness into hemlock do justify its Seasonableness And the ends of the Declaration to keep up the Standart of the Gospel and maintain the Work of Reformation and preserve a Remnant of faithful Adherers to it the nature of the Resolution declared being only to endeavour to make good maintain their Revolt in opposition to all who would pursue them for it and reinforce them to a subjection to that yoke of slaverie again and the extremity of danger distress that party was in while declared pursued as Rebells and intercommuned interdicted of all supplie solace being put out of their oun and by Law precluded of the harbour of all other habitations and so both for safety subsistence compelled by necessity to concur keep together may alleviate the Censure and stop the Clamour of its unfeasibleness But thô it is not the prudence of the managment but the justness of the Action that I would have vindicated from obliquies yet it wanted nothing but success to justify both in the conviction of many that made much outcry against it In these dangerous in his maintainance of the true Covenanted Religion which homage they cannot now require upon the account of the Covenant which they have renounced disclaimed and upon no other ground we are bound to them the Croun not being an inheritance that passeth from Father to son without the Consent of Tenants 3 Of the hope of their returning from these Courses Whereof there is none seeing they have so often declared their purposes of persevering ill thein And suppose they should dissemble a repentance

they are such they cannot be looked upon as righteous Rulers for righteous Rulers must not be punished But the former is true Ergo According to these Scriptures which either express or imply a precept to have no respect to Princes in Judgement when turning Criminalls we find examples of the peoples punishing Amazia c. which is recorded without a challenge and likewise Athalia 2. There is a Precept given to a humbled people that have groaned long under the yoke of Tyranny oppression enjoining them as a proof of their sincerity in humiliation to bestir themselves in shaking off those evils they had procured by their sin Isai. 58. 6. Is not this the fast that I have ch●sen to loose the bands of wickedness to undo the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke which are all good works of Justice Mercy and more acceptable to God than high flown pretences of humiliation under a stupid submission and hanging doun the head as a bulrush We see it then a duty to relieve the oppressed and to repress Tyranny and break its yoke If it be Objected 1 That these are Spiritual bonds yokes that are here commanded to be loosed broken or if any external be meant they are only the yokes of their exactions usuries For Ans. I grant that it is the great duty of a people humbling themselves before the Lord to break off their sins by righteousness and their iniquity by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4. 27. but that this is the only duty I deny or that this is the genuine only sense of this place cannot be proved or approved by the Scope which is to press them to those duties they omitted whereby the poor oppressed people of God might be freed from the yokes of them that made them to houl and to bring them to the conviction of those sins for which the Lord was contending with them whereof this was one that they exacted all their Labours or things wherewith others were grieved as the Margent reads or suffered the poor to be oppressed 2 If it be alledged that this is the duty proper to Rulers to relieve the oppressed c. I Answer It is so but not peculiar to them yet most commonly they are the oppressors themselves and cast out the poor which others must take in to their houses But the duty here is pressed upon all the people whose sins are here cryed out against vers 1. upon all who professed the service of God asked the ordinances of Justice vers 2 upon all who were fasting humbling themselves and complained they had no success vers 3. the reasons whereof the Lord discovers vers 4. 5. whereof this was one that they did not loose those bands nor breake these yokes nor relieved the oppessed And those works of Justice vers 6. are pressed upon the same grounds that the works of mercy are pressed upon vers 7. sure these are not all nor only Rulers Hence I argue If it be a duty to break every yoke of oppression Tyranny then it is a duty to come out from under their subjection But the former is true therefore aso the latter 3. In answer to that grand objection of the Iewes subjection to Nebuchadnezzar I shew what litle weight or force there is in it And here I shall take an Argument from that same Passage The Lord commands His people there to desert disoune zedekiah who was the possessor of the Government at present and sayes it was the way of life to fall to the Chaldeans Ier. 21. 8 9. which was a falling away from the present King. Either this commanded subjection to the Chaldeans is an universal precept or it is only particular at that time If it be universal obliging people to subject themselves to every Conqueror then it is also universal obliging people to renounce disoune every Covenant-breaking tyrant as here they were to fall away from Zedekiah If it be only particular then the ouners of of Tyranny have no advantage from this passage And I have advantage so far as the ground of the precept is as moral as the reason of that punishment of zedekias which was his perfidie perjurie Hence if the Lord hath commanded to disoune a King breaking Covenant then at least it is not insolent or unprecedented to do so But here the Lord hath commanded to disoune a King Ergo Fourthly we may have many Confirmations of this truth from Scripture practices approven 1. I was but hinting before how that after the death of that brave Captain Judge Gideon when Abimelech the son of his whore did first aspire into a Monarchy which he perswaded the silly Schechemites to consent to by the same Argument which Royalists make so much of for asserting the necessity of an Hereditary Monarchy whether is it better for yow either that all the sons of Jerubbaa● reign over yow or that one reign over yow by bloody cruelty did usurp a Monarchical or rather Tyrannical Throne of Domination founded upon the blood of his seventy brethren as we know whose Throne is founded upon the blood of all the brethren he had Jotham who escaped s●●rned to put his trust under the shadow of such a bramble and they that did submit ●ound his parable verified a mu●●al fire reciprocally consuming both the usurping King and his traiterous subjects Neither did all the Godly in Israel submit to him See Pool Synops. Critic on the place Iud. 9. Here is one express example of disouning a Tyrant Usurper 2. I shew before how after the Period of that Theocracy which the Lord had maintained managed for some time in great mercy Majesty in over His people they itching after novelties and affecting to be neighbour-like rejected the Lord in desiring a King And the Lord permiting it gave them a King in His wrath the true Original only Sanction of Tyrannical Monarchy when the Characters of his Tyranny presaged by Samuel were verified in his aspiring into a great deal of absoluteness especially in his cruel persecuting of David not only the 600 men that were Davids followers stood out in open opposition to him but in the end being weary of his Government many brave valiant men whom the Spirit of God commends describes very honourably fell off from Saul even while he was actually Tyrannising before he was dead 1 Chron. 12. 1. c. They came to David to Ziklag while he yet kept himself closs because of Saul the son of Kish N. B. now he is not honoured with the name of King they were armed with bows and could use both the right hand the left And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David men of might fit for the battel that could handle shield buckler whose ●aces were as the faces of lyons vers 8. And the Spirit came upon Amasai chief of the Captains saying Thine are we

affronted wickedness and hatred of Godliness may give ground to doubt of it as Christians had of Iulian the Apostate 2. We are obliged to love our Enemies to Bless them that Curse us to do good to them that hate us to pray for them that despitefully use persecute us Math. 5. 44. Accordingly Our Master who commanded this did give us a Pattern to imitate when He prayed Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23. 34. And His faithful Martyr Stephen prayed for his Murderers Lord lay not this sin to their charge Act. 7. ult We are to pity them and not to seek vengeance against them for any injuries they can do to us Yet as this doth not interfere with a holy zealous Appeal to God for righting resenting requiting the wrongs done to us that He may vindicate us our Cause and make them repent of their injuries done to us to the Glory of God and Conviction of Onlookers and Confusion of themselves which may well consist with Mercy to their Souls So all we can pray for them in their opposition to us is in order to their repentance but never for their prosperity in that Course And we may well imitate even against our enemies that prayer of Zecharia's The Lord look upon it and require it 2 Chron. 24. 22. But we are never to pray for Christs stated Enemies as to the bulk of them and under that formality as His Enemies for we must not love them that hate the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 2. but hate them and hate them with a perfect hatred Psâl. 139. 21 22. We are to pray for the Elect among them but only to the end they may escape the vengeance which we are obliged to pray for against them 3. We are not to exsecrate our enemies or use imprecations against any out of blind zeal or the passionate or revengefull motions of our oun hearts Our Lord rebuked His Disciples for such preposterous zeal Luk. 9. 55. Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of But against the Stated Declared Enemies of Christ as such while such we may well take a pattern from the imprecatory Prayers of the Saints recorded in Scripture such as do not peremptorly determine about the eternal State of particular persons which determinations except we be extraordinarly acted by the same Spirit whose Dictates these are are not to be imitated by us We find several sorts of Imprecations in the Psalms other Scriptures Some are imitable some not Some are Propheticall having the force of a Prophecy as Davids Psal. 35. 4. Let them be confounded that seek after my Soul Let Destruction come upon him Psal. 55. 15. Let them go doun quick to hell And Ieremiah chap. 17. 18. Let them be confounded that persecute me destroy them with double destruction Without this Prophetical Spirit determining the application of these threatenings to particular persons we may not imitate this peremptoriness Some are Typical of Christs Mediatory devoting His Enemies to destruction who as He interceeds for His friends so by virtue of the same Merits by them trampled upon He pleads for vengeance against His enemies Which Mediatory vengeance is the most dreadful of all vengeances Heb. 10. 29. So also Psal. 40. He whose ears were opened and who said lo I come vers 6. 7. that is Christ does imprecate shame Confusion desolation vers 14. 15. As also Psal. 109. the Psalmist personates Christ complaining of imprecating against His enemies particularly Iudas the Traitor vers 8. It must be dreadful to be under the dint of the Mediators Imprecations And also dreadful to clash with Him in His Intercessions that is to apprecate for them against whom He imprecates or pray for them against whom He intercedes But some Imprecatio●s against the enemies of God are imitable such as proceed from pure zeal for God and the Spirit of Prayer as that Psal. 109. ult Put them in fear O Lord that the Nations may know themselves to be but men Psal. 83. 16. fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy Name This is to be imitated in general against all the enemies of God Psal 129. 5. Let them all be confounded that hate Zion without condescending on particular persons except obviously not odiously desperate presumptively Christs implacable Enemies 4. Touching Magistrates it is a great duty to pray that God would give us Magistrates as He hath promised for the Comfort of His Church Isai. 1. 26. Isai. 49. 2. Ier. 30. 21. Promises should be motives foments of Prayer We ought to pray against Anarchy as a Plague and with all earnestness beg of God that the mercy of Magistracy may aga●n be known in Brittain of which it hath been long deprived 5. And when we have them it is a necessary Duty to pray for them for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet peaceable life in all Godliness honesty 1 Tim. 2. 2. Where it is specified what sort we should pray for and to what end As we are not to pray for all men absolutely for some as they are declared to be out of the precincts of of Christs Mediation so they must be out of our Prayers So there may be some in actual Rule that may be excepted out of the verge of the Christians Prayers as was said of Iulian the Apostate But he that is a Magistrate indeed and in Authority the subjects are to pray and to give thanks for him not as a man meerly but as a Magistrate Yea though they be Heathen Magistrates Ezra 6. 10. We may pray for all in Authority two wayes As Men as Kings As Men we may pray for their Salvation or Conversion or taking them out of the way if they be enemies to Christs Kingdom according as they are stated and upon Condition if it be possible and if they belong to the Election of Grace Though for such as are opposites to the coming of Christs Kingdom as it is a contradiction to the second petition of the Lords Prayer Thy Kingdom come So in the experience of the most eminent wrestlers they have found less faith less encouragement in praying for them than for any other sort of men It is rare that ever any could find their hands in praying for the Conversion of our Rulers And though we pray that the Lord would convince them yea confound them in mercy to their souls yet this must never be wanting in our Prayers for Tyrants as men that God would bring them doun and cause Justice overtake them that so God may be Glorified and the Nation eased of such a burden But if we pray for them as Kings then they must be such by Gods approbation and not meer possessory Occupants to whom we owe no such respect nor duty For whatever the Hobbists and the time-serving Casuists of our day and even many good men though wofully

that we can put upon their snares for they reckon that a yeelding in part and are glead to find us so far justifying their acts impositions as by our offer practically to declare they bear a good sense and they will come many wayes to our hand to get us kooked so Secondly These things being premitted I shall offer Reasons why it was necessary in point of Conscience to Refuse all the Oaths hitherto tendered and Consequently Consciencious Sufferers upon this Account will be vindicated And first some General Reasons against all of them together and Then a Word to each sort of them 1. There is one General Argument that will Condemn coming in any terms of Oaths or Bonds with that party that have broken the Covenant overturned the Reformation and destroyed the people of the Lord Because such Transactions with them as is hinted above are a sort of Confederacy with the known Enemies of Truth Godliness importing a voluntary subjection to them Complyance Incorporation with them as members of the same Community whereof they are acknowledged to be head Now all such sort of Confederacy with such malignant Enemies of God and of the Church is unlawful as Mr. Gillespie demonstrates in his Useful Case of Conscience concerning Associations Confederacies with Idolaters or any known Enemies of Truth Godliness Though Civil Compacts for common Commerce may be allowed as Abram was confederate with Aner Eshcol Mamre Gen. 14. 13. Iacob Covenanted with Laban by way of Lawborrowes Gen. 31. 44. But Sacred Confederations of this sort are unlawful from these Arguments 1. The Law of God condemns them Exod. 23. 32. Thow shalt make no Covenant with them nor with their gods they shall not dwell in thy Land lest they make thee sin against me Where not only Religious Covenants are discharged in a tolleration of their Idolatry but familiar Conversation also they shall not dwell in thy Land. If then we must not suffer them if in Capacity sure we must far less be imposed upon by them if we are not to be familiar with heathens far less with Apostates that calls themselves Christians for the Apostle layes much more restraint from communion with them than with Pagans 1 Cor. 5. 10 11. The reason of the Law lest they make thee sin as long therefore as there is that hazard of sinning the Law obliges to that caution So Exod. 34. 12-16 Take heed to thy self lest thow make a Covenant with the inhabitants of the Land lest it be a snare but ye shall destroy their Altars lest thow make a Covenant with them and they go a whoring after their gods and thow take of their daughters unto thy sons Here again all Sacred Transactions are discharged upon a Moral perpetually binding ground and all Toleration is prohibited and Conjugal Affinity Such complyance brought on the first desolating Judgment the flood on the old world Gen. 6. 1 2 3. when the Godly conformed incorporated themselves and joined in affinity with that ungodly crew from whom they should have separated themselves Likewise Deut. 7. 2 3 4 5. Thow shalt make no Covenant with them nor shew mercy unto them neither shalt thow make marriages with them for they will turn away thy son from following Me so shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against yow but thus shall ye deal with them ye shall destroy their Altars Where all Transactions with a people devoted to destruction are discharged even that of tolleration of Malignant enemies according to which precept David resolveth to destroy early all the wicked of the Land and cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord Psal. 101. 8. Mark this All of what degree or quality so ever without respect of persons And lest it should be thought this is meant only of these seven Nations there enumerate the Law is interpreted by the Spirit of God of many other Nations where Solomon is condemned for joining in affinity with other wicked people besides these 1 King. 11. 1 2. So that it is to be understood generally against Confederacies with all to whom the Moral ground is applicable the danger of insnaring the people of God. It is clear likewise we must have nothing to do with the wicked but to treat them with them as enemies Psal. 139. 21 22. with whom as such there can be no Confederation for that supposes alwayes the enmity is laid aside but that can never be between the Professors of Religion and the professed Enemies thereof but that must alwayes be the language of their Practice Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard me Psal. 6. 8. The command is peremptory perpetual for sake the foolish Prov. 9. 6. make no friendship with them Prov. 22. 24. Say not a Confederacy to them Isai. 8. 12. Where it is clear from the opposition in that Text betwixt Confederating with the wicked and the fear of God that the one is not consistent with the other There is an express discharge to yoke or have any fellowship with them 2 Cor. 6. 14. to the end for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness what Concord hath Christ with Belial wherefore come out from among them and be separate 2. Many fad sharp reproofs for such Transactions Confederations do conclude the same thing Iud. 2. 1 2 3. Isaid ye shall make no league with the Inhabitants of this Land yow shall throw doun their Altars but yow have not obeyed my voice why have yow done this Wherefore I will not drive them out from before yow It cannot be expected the Lord will drive out these enemies if we swear subjection Allegiance come under Confederations with them for thereby we contribute actively to their settlement establishment and bring our selves not only under the miserie but the guilt of strengthening the hands of evil doers So Ier. 2. the people of God are reproved for making themselves home born slaves how by out-Landish Confederacies vers 18. Now what hast thow to do in the way of Egypt to drink the waters of Sihor or what hast thow to do in the way of Assyria The Chaldee Paraphrase hath it Nunc ergo quid vobis contrahendo Societatem cum Pharaone rege Egyptiorum quid vobis percutiendo faedus cum Assyria What have yow to do Associate with Pharaoh King of Egypt and what have yow to do to make a Covenant with the Assyrian So may we say what have we to do to take their Oaths Bonds that are as great enemies as they were Ephraim is reproved for mixing himself among the people Hos. 7. 8. by making Confederacies with them what followes he is a Cake not turned hot in the neither side zealous for earthly things but cold raw in the upperside remiss in the things of Christ. And this we have seen in our experience to be the fruit of such bargains or bonds or Oaths that they that were

for Him among His Children though now yow be reputed for signs wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts Which dwelleth in Mount Zion Who knowes but therefore will the Lord wait that He may be Gracious unto yow and therefore will He be exalted that He may have Mercy upon yow for the Lord is a God of Judgement Blessed are all they that wait for Him. To Whom be all the Glory AMEN FINIS ERRATA Pag Lin 26 6 for way read may 34 14 f. bloodh r. blood ibid. ult r. Governours 36 35 f. he r. the. 52 5 r. hinted 70 38 f. at r. a. 75 32 r. accursed 76 27 r. thought 94 33 next Christians r. this being 103 30 r. Elogium 147 29 r. ruines 169 31 f. may r. way 174 17 r. humble ibid. 25 f. mast r. most ibid. ult f. tune r. time 203 8 r. Tyranny 209 27 r. Christ. 220 7 f. them r. then 267 18 f. them r. then 284 23 f. servas r. servos 286 3 f. upon d. up an ibid. 20 r. subjects ibid. 35 f. amittitis r. amittit is 343 27 f. at r. as 345 4 f. as r. us 374 15 r. Israel 381 36 f. he r. the. 385 7 f. 27. r. 25. 389 23 f. way r. may 390 16 f. 137. r. 136. 397 19 f. r. an ibid. 31. f. ehe r. the. 432 1 f. ar r. or 433 ult f. ars r. are 435 17 f. trust r. thrust 451 36 r. Jehojachin 456 28 f. not odiously r. notoriously 467 25 f. stealing his r. his stealing 494 43 f. divine r. divines 542 24 r. if there be any thing here 551 8 f. by r. be 563 28 r. afterwards 598 6 dele in 612 35 r. Kingdoms 641 4. wo r. who 662 35 f. proceeding r. preceeding Besyds these in some places for Incendaries read Incendiaries also there are some other escapes as an s for an f an e for an c an u for an n or the like and some others in the pointing which will not mar the sense and it s hoped the discreet Reader will readiely excuse Having come to a conclusion of the six heads proposed to be treated of I Judged it conduceing by way of postscript to subjoin a Seventh in vindication of these consciencious and truely tender sufferers who in the dread and aw of the holy Soveraigne Supreme Law-giver who commandeth his subjects and followers to abstain from all appearance of evill did in obedience to him and his Royall Law choose rather to suffer the rage robberies violence of Crwel and bloody enemies togither with Censurs reproaches obloquies contempt of appostatiseing professors than to give any aid or encowragement to the avowed and declared enemies of Christ that might contribute to the promoveing their Sacrilegious Tyrannicall and hellish projects practices calculat prosecut against the Gospel and Kingdome of Christ the Covenanted reformed Religion of the Church the Rights Laws and Liberties of the people and to the Introduceing of Antichristian Idolatrie Tyrannie Slaverie by paying any of their wicked wickedly imposed exactions raised for furthering their hellish designes of which none who payes them can be Innocent HEAD VII The Sufferings of many for Refusing to pay the wicked Exactions of the Cess Locality Fynes c. Vindicated IT will possibly seem impertinent or at least preposterous at such a time when the pressure of these ●urdens is not more pinching to the Generality of professing people and in such a retrograde order as after the discussion of the foregoing Heads to subjoyne any disquisition of these Questions which are now out of date and doors with many But considering that the Impositions of these Burdens are still pressing to some and the difficulties of doubts disputes about them still pusling the sin scandal of complying with them still lying upon the Land not confessed nor forsaken the leaven of such Doctrine as daubs defends the like complyance still intertained the Sufferings of the Faithful for refusing them still contemned condemned and the fears expectations of more snares of that nature after this fair weather is over still encreasing if I may be so happy as to escape impertinencies in the manner of managing this disquisition I fear not the Censure of the impertinency or needlessness of this Essay As to the order of it it was intended to have been put in its proper place among the Negative Heads of Sufferings But knowing of how litle worth or weight any thing that I can say is with the prejudged and having a Paper writ by two famous Witnesses of Christ against the Defections of their day Mr. McWard Mr. Broun more fully largely detecting the iniquity of the Cess from which the wickedness of other exactions also may be clearly deduced thô at such distance at the writing of the foregoing Heads that it could not be had in readiness to take its due place and time would not allow the suspending other things until this should come to hand I thought it needful rather than to omit it altogether to insert it here However thô neither the form of it being by way of Letter nor the method adapted to the design of a moving disswasion nor the length prolixitie thereof will suffer it to be here transcribed as it is yet to discover what were their sentiments of these things and what was the Doctrine Preached and Homologated by the most faithful both Ministers and Professors of Scotland eight or nine years since how closely continued in by the Contendings of this Reproached Remnant still persecuted for these things and how clearly abandoned resiled from by their Complying Brethren now at Ease I shall give a short Transumpt Compend of their Reasonings in a method subservient to my Scope and with Additions necessary for applying their Arguments against the other Exactions here adduced in this Head and bringing them also under the dint of them thô not touched by them expressly I must put altogether because it would dilate the Treatise already excressed into a bigness far beyond the boundaries I designed for it to handle them distinctly and their affinity both as to their fountain nature ends is such that what will condemn one of them will condemn all What and how many manifold have been the exorbitant Exactions as the fruits soments of this crwel Tyranny that the Godly in our Land have been groaning under these 27 years and upon what occasions they have been at diverse times and in diverse manners measurs imposed I need not here relate the first part of the Treatise doth represent it The first of these Tyrannical Exactions were the Fynes for not hearing the Curats and other parts of Non-conformity which together with paying the Curats stipends were too universally at first complyed with But afterwards upon more mature consideration and after clearer discoveries of the Imposers projects practices they were scrupled refused by the more tender And