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PRINTED AT THE CHRONICLE h GAZETTE OFFICE^ KINQSTONf CANADA WEST. 1843. <;» *. . >* ADDRESS From the CommUtee of Synod to the Office-bearers and Members of the Presbyterian Church of Canada on the subject of the ' commemoration of the Westminster AssenAly, DxAB Fbibitds ako Brkthben nr Christ Jxsus^ Our ohlt Lord and Redxsmer ; ' ,il FoRinuinj obvious reasons, it is deemed peculiarly necessary aad !S|^pK>priate, at the present time, to remind one, another of the essential tniUis of the Word of God ; and that His will, as contained therein, is the only standard to which we ought with absolute submission to bow. Hie wnole world lieth in wickedness — under the power of the wicked 918 : the Almighty, who hus mysteriously permitted this usurpation, for {Mirposes which in the coming Eternity He will unfold, has declared it to be His design to recoyer the world from the dominion of Satan : and diat this His design shall be effected by a method the most astonishing —the coming into the world of the Eternal Son of God — His remain- ing in it for a season, teaching a certain portion of its inhabitants the only Way in which the Eternal Father must be worshipped — His ap- pointing those who believed what He thus taught, to communicate tte ^ijDowl^ge of it to all the world — His dying to free believers from the punishment and the power of sin — His rising out of the grave ; and, after; a short residence among His disciples. His ascending to the throne (^Heaven, wearing still that nature which, that the world might be, re- Qoyered to its allegiance to the Father, He had, in wondrous conde{scen- livn, 9ubmit]M3d to assume— His sending from Heaven the Eternal and eywywhere present Spirit, to convert, confirm, sanctify, and perf(pct all who should believe the truth concerning Himself, 'this is Jehovah's revealed method of winning back frcm Satan, the love and the loyalty ^^ man. Nothjnff does Satan so much dread than that man should l^^l^ tli^ inetnod, and become a fellow worker with God in acting v|)qD. jit/ Mence toe conflict which is witnessed on earth, and the com- iaUinti'are, hv the Captain of salvation, arranged oh one or other of but ti^psi^bsr^riis-ppr Satan's. Every man born into the world is called ~~n to dioose His side : and as the caU of Christ or of Sat^n is re^pqfv t^' fivery D;ian is found to act, in advancing Christ's cause, or |re- li^ ii Bacause Christ has, by the sacrifice of Himself, redfs^nia^ ipb worl^,^. all power in Heaven and earth has been committcsd u;(ito ~ lillPJI^'l^tQO power which Satan may succeed in raising diwild be able to hinder the accomplishment of>4he destined object of the Re- deraner, Governor and Judge— even the collecting; together within the mansions of His Father's house, ** a number which no man can number, out of evoiT kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.'* The issue of this conflict is not doubtful. What are the thousands of vears, in tbe history of this world, whii^ are already past, or what is (he period of its history which is vet to come, during which Satan's usurped and permitted supremacy nas extended, or may still extend — what is all thin, compared with Eternity f Satan has put forth his power^ and is still doine so, ^^beoause he laioweth that his time ik 5Aorf." ** As the Lord liveth," it win ere long be'proved that the Lord of hosts shall also reign— ^ ftat tAl nations shalfbe blessed in Him, and shall call Him ble«ed." In «flfeeHttg the )rec6v«ry of the world to God, He who is appoilHed Head of all things, rnakes ose of the various elemcints Ibund in ^ constitu- tkM Of man, and which tite «mlbodied and tfsemplified in the various iHMlltutkMS which man, uto^ Divine authority, has ibrmed. Because of the tendency which still exists within us to forget the Divine rule of procedure and Judgment, and the temptations without which constantly urge us to despise it, we shaU find it to be the part of wisdom atil safety very frequently to examine whether there be any thing in o^ r sentiments or conduct, which we cannot, as before the Lord, our Maker ond Judge, declare to be in accordance with (hat Test by which He, at the last day will try -us* This examination ought to bo made by every individitdl apart ; for etetj one of us shall give account of himself to God^-the call to every individual apart being,— believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shah be favcd. Every one who embraces Christ, 6)U8 oflered freely in the Ooapel, feef s and acknowledges that he is in possession cX that Kb- erty wherewith Christ maketh His people free. Yet this is not the lib- erty w)i|ch is oft^n on the lips of those who, thoqeh their bodies be free, aYe Constant^ affording such awful proof tint their tpouls are under a ditvety thetnost degrading, and all the more fauil Imcatise our spiritual cMiemieto have succeeded in deluding theM with the imagination that Heitaissiofn and ability to do that to which their hearts pronmt them form aiet>nly liberty which in this short fife is YilusAJle. The freeman, 1ii))08e soul the Divine Spirit by the truth cotcerning Jesus has made free, knows and acknowledges that he is not wiUiout law, but is under tiie luw of Christ : and althouglh he has a ri^ht, which no man, and no onntnuntty of men, may lawfully take from him, to exeircise his reason on every matter whatever that may be brought undeir his consideration. yet fad ought ever to be careful thdt his conscience be informed and enlight&ned by all the aids which his HGavonly Master has afforded "^mmmiF *jiM^hdon bin judgment, at the result of this prooeai, be either formed er flKpreMed— and when, after not a hasty, prejudiced or partial, but a patient) scholar-like consideration of that word which Ood has nagnifi- (iabonrft aH the other ways of finding out His will, and after comparing one nertof it with another, with humble and believing prayer for the Spirit's guidance, the proof of a deep conviction of hb prwieuess to err, he discovers the path concerning which he has the authority and the aaorance, ** thus saith the Lord — thiis is the way, walk in it" — such an individual exemplifies to all, how true are the sayings that are writ* (8n->^bless«d is the man whose strength is in the Lord — the path of the jttit is as the fining lig^t, shining more and more unto the perfect dvy. Bt \t himself blessed, and is maide a blessing to others. It is in thw WAyj and this way only, that it is the intention of the Lord that evetv «Mn dhould govern himself, not according to his own will, but acoora- ittff to the will of God — the Head, as Supreme Governor c^ every man, bmig Christ. Thus let every one often and seriously sit in jodgmoit itpon his views and deportment, with constant reference to the Divine WOKI, as the only infiillible Test and Rule. Hiis will result ill every ffian^s wielfare ; and who so much interested in a man's welfare, m Such strict and siftin^f examination ought also to bo made b^ eVeiy /atmitty ^rt The Divme Creator has implanted certain pnnciples widiin every individual, which lead necessarily and by Divine authori- ty, to the formation of families. The incorporation of kidividuals into nmilies is an ordinance of God. And, for the management of families, Bs lias revealed a system of laws ; the heads of families being the administrators of theselaws, under rei^KNisibility to Christ, for the faidi- fid performance of their important trust. Ho who maketb families like a wck| will honour and prosper those families who, at the caU of pa- ffWlti afid masters, honour Hun ; and He will also pour His fury upon tl^nmilies that call not on His name. Let every familv apart th^n^ tj^r its Divinely appointed Rulers, parents and masters, be ireauentty ^ with due solemnity searched, bv means of the written word, ttat ,^ildren and servants may oe taught to know and to walk in I W0J of the Lord-^to prevent this most important Divine liik from bsing turned into an association, with its every member under the snare of the Devil, led captive by nim at his will. An aic- diiki of this, the Lord will soon require at parents' hands. • Sndh le, whether, in ita national capacity, it be receding from the path of dialt I^ivins Rule^ or advancing in it. ' ' In proportion as such an examination ia instituted by individuftli, fttnilies and nations, dwelling on the face of the whole earth, will that rioriouB consummatior be accelerated which shall call ftnrdi the un* bbtt&ded ** praise of great voices hi Heaven, saying, the Kingdoms of this workl are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ ; aid He shall reign fcir ever.'* Bible. what* » truth King! re Him know> Qodto Ibe w* i to the ind de- I in the and in but the trity end benefiti. aith the I and do shall be lion's de- 1 deitroy , He who ITS for the ^enable to tween the be made, in of the ) stabilit? ce which r, and the Bgislation. i to keep ghout the 3t by com- B made no peal to the the path of The Divine Ruler baa intimated it aa the apecial purpoae which He Willi ahouki be accompliihed by meant of Hie coinmanded ettabUih- nwnt of families and nations^that there ahould be the establishment of mother community, formed out of, and subsisting in the midst of the farious families and nationa of the world, to whom He communicates theknowledgeof His will. All the individuals composin|| families; Mi^nts and children, masters and servants — and all the mdividuali nrming a nation. Sovereigns and subjectd, tho rulers and the ruled, of every grade, are invited and commanded by God to constitute compo- nent parts of this community, under the solemn, humbling, and afleci- ii^ consideration, by each, of the Divine intimation ind promise— **there iino respect of persons with Ood — tho rich and the poor meet together; ^e%Drd is the maker oi them all — where two or three are met togeth- er inf^y name, there am I in the midst of them." When spoken of or alluded to, as individuals, tlio persons forming this society are called " believers, disciples or scholars, followers of Clirist, christians, faithful ones, sainta or holy ones, brethren, soldiers oT Jsius Christ, people of God." , The community or society composed of persons so designated, ia, in the Bible, most frequently denominated the Church of God, or the Church of Christ — the English word Chwrch, however, not setting finth to the mind of a person unacquainted with the Greek language, the meaning of the Greek word, of which the word Church ia Uie trindation m the English Bible — the Greek word signifying a commu- nity or assembly of persons, called, chosen, or selected from amongst olMrs— the means by which the Divine Spirit has thus called them bskw the truth conceminff Christ contained in the word ; and to whose call, Dy this means, they have responded, and are together before God, to hear from His word, as their only Rule, all things which are therein Mounanded them. And though the faithful ones who may be living in a partieular place, and who must, under the Divine command j form themselves into such a society or community, must necessarily be sepa- rMed.by distance of place, from other similar communities, " scattered mad?' yet these various believers, so compacted together into Vfiri- m QhurcheSf or ecdeHaati&d assemblies, are by the Lord regarded II but one, and ought to be so regarded by one another— ^^ one bo4y, lira Qi^e spirit, oven as ye are called in one hope of vpur calling,: one tfl, ope faith, one baptism, one God and Fatner of all j who is above and through all, and in you all." ■■.,,,,.-. ' Ai ever^ family, and ever^r nation is, respectively, under ffovenip ypt , aooordinff to Divine appointment, so the community woich is Med by tbe Redeemer, consulting of belivera or faithful ^es, ia plao- 8 2r taSVmd tight, UMt to «'»»? j'X fitrtUitog dwoU «»} »" P?. -iTft^^Miiwuf truth »««V?***Ji vLina vowed iumemo horjagD '^A?SrtXtta»«*i»»«»r\?»?r^^ hence ev«y ^^wr ^o?js.te^ "a^in«4 ss%^ «»iwiiH~-- — -- ottnmniuty, «» :"..a Ml iti dV**?*"''IL5,JkWbeen comtUutrf. ;2„ ,Apn Ml* luttwthy « »* "T . g^^ ^a MknowMgpa. h , implojri Inntfiiage, every word of which directly points to the truth thAI Hii will ana authority arc naramount and aupreme ; and that the laws fldntaJned in Hia word — wnich are an patent to the eye and inteltigibi* lothemindiofthoM who are gnvomed, aitothoao who govern n % limply to he admhiatered by thote who govern, not judged of bv them, M to whether in their opiniorif it bo oxpodient, deiirablef or at all timti lallit ^ adminiiitor thorn ai He hai commanded. " And Joius came and iMike unto the eleven diaciplcs, saying, all power ia given unto me in Heaven and in cnrtii. Oo yo thorefnrc, ana teach all nationa, baptiaing ihem in the namo of tho Father and of tho Sun, and of the Holy (ihoat ; teaching thorn to obsorvf) all things whatsoever I have commanded you : ind lo, 1 am with you alway, oven unto the end o( the world. H« that hoareth you hoareth me ; and ho that rlonpiKeth you deapiaeth H':n thataentme. Ye ahall receive power, after that tlio Holy Ohoat if oeme upon you : and ye ehall be taitneteea tmto me, both in JeruM- fon)) and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttern^oat part of Ihe earth.'' And in the addrosaes of the Lord of all, it ia no leaa re* narkable that Hia will and determination aro exprosaed, that in the ad- tninistration of His laws by His servants, to whom power from the Holy Spirit should be imparted for this special purpose, while Hia glorr iboaldbeadvanced, the happiness and edification of Hia people, indi- vidually and collectively, should be promoted and sccurea. Theae advantages are inseparably connected. Wherever the honor (^ Christ as aupreme Lord isacknowledgeJ and promoted, tho happi- M iind comfort of believers in Christ, as a Body, are neceaiarilv en- k^d : as, wherever Christ ia not aupremely honored, there la the aboanding of every evil work. And the same truth, that Christ is Supremo, is set forth In the very WoMs which aro employed as the names of His servants to whom the adninistration of His laws is connected. From among those wliojfol* ^HM Him as dist^Jples or echolare, He chose twelve, whom he called Apostles, because lie aeni them to preach the Gospel, or good new»— ttMt even the chief of Sinners, believing on His name, might live for liw^ through His death. ^'^ The servant is not greater than His I^prd : tt^he^ he that ia sen/, greater than He that sent him." After our ^nd'a ascension to Heaven, they were endowed with extraordinary "^'ftihf the Holy Spirit, to enable' them to deliver, authoritatively and '^'BipH', the ^11 of God, concerning the method of Salvation through liCbriit to^nable them to be to individuals, and families, and nationa, iftbisladora hi the room of Christ, — until the written word of the Lord Mild be prepared and nirculated, as the only infallible guide now, and ^elntinue to be ao until the end shall come— the substance of the pro- "re> B to Mtanoe towardi QoA, and faith in tlie Lord J«mm Christ'' And, in w 'Written communications of the Spirit of God, through the instrumm. 'laUfy of these '* messengers of the Churches, theelorj of Christ," we #nd them, gi?ing to themselves, and all their breuiren, such names at Ifaese— ** Servants of Jesus Christ — Ministers of Clurist — Stewards of the mysteries of Grod — Bishops, or Overseers — ^Elders, or Presbyters-^ Pastor[»— Teachers." **The Elders which are amonff you I exhort, who un also an elder, and a witness of the sufierin^pi of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed : feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight (that is, exercising the office cS a Bishop or overseer ox'^er the flock of Gknl, or the Church of Chriit which is among you), no^by constraint but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind ; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock : and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away" — the whole of tliie languid of the Bible, biearidg on the subjected the titles c^ those who, in every age of the world should carry uie embassage of Christ to sinful men, demonstrating with a deamess which the Engh'di translation of the Bible very faintly represents, that ** He who is the Head of the body, the Church ; who is the banning, the first bon from the dead, must, in^ 11 things, have the preemin«ioe ; for it pleas* ed the Father, that in Him should all fulness dwell." And it is equally worthv of notice, with a view to the same truth, that the language of Uie Reamer, while on earth, and of the lioljr Spirit, who, on Christ's ascensicm, was given to guide His people into all truth, is most explicit in declaring that those who should be set apart, appointed, or, as it is generally termed ordakud, to be the Ser* rants of Christ in administering His laws, are brethreD--4elk)W labour era-— yoke fellows — fellow ambassadors for Christ— fellow elders or priBsbjIers — no one of them poasessinff frcnn Christ, and forbidden to possess from any other quarter, superiority or dignity above the rest— the language employed on this point convejring a very plain and emphat* ic intimation from Christ, that if any professing Servant of His, in any sil^||e£ng age of the wwld, should presume to set hims^, or allow lAelf to be set above his fellow servants, and to atten^ to overrule tiiem, instead of nving himself wholly to the wcnrk assigned him, Hsj who is the only Uhief Shepherd, and who will not give His glory to another, when He cometh to judgment, shall suUect every man's work to a fiery trial, to manifest of wbat sort it is. The Re^^Bemer, who is JQStfy jealous of His honor, for his Church's sake, solemnlv and afieo- tionately warns His public servants, who, He well knows, nave within ihem, siiid ready to be manifested by than, some beietiting sin, as all His disciples liave, against the indulgence and the commission of an rmmm ^mmn^mi' mmmmmm MMMHIOTH n tjfienoe directed against His Supreme, Prieitl^ and ^gly authority 'm Hit Church, an offence which, wherever it has ^n indulged and <^0Bitnitted, has iuterfered so fetally with the rendering of undivided homage by i1m Church, to Him who tsher headend Lord. '* Be not ye called Rabbi : for one is your Master, even Christ ; and all ye, are brethren. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased ; and lis that shall humble himself shall be exalted." On one occasion, in dw intercourse of Jesus with the twelve disciples, the desire of pre- sminence of one man above his brethren in rank and dignity, as the ofarseerofhisbrethren, showed itself in two of the number: and the great love wherewith He loved them, and His desire for the purity apd ■fety of His whole Church in every succeeding age, instead of pre vent? pg Him from administering a rebuke of that Spirit which proceeded ■Qt from Hun who called them, rendered His rebuke all the more sharp, and effectuaL James and John, the sons of Zebedee, actuated by a twofold ambition, prompted their mother to solicit from Christ, '* that jby might sit, the one on the right hand, and the other oh the left, in & Kingd(Hn." They imagined that their master had come to establidi a worldly Kingdom, and through their mother, bespoke situations of pre- einioence in it, that they might enjoy ease, wealth, and splendour* This first ingredient in their offence niul reference to worldly ambition. Bat they also Lnged for pre-eminence in office over their brethren ; feeling assured, that if they could obtain seats, the one on Christ's right hud and the other on His left, the others must necessarily be in sub- qpdinate situations. These two ingredients constitute the very essence aad the sin of Prelacy in the Church of Christ First there is thrown Itj Fatan intw the mind of a public servant of the Redeemer, and there Mlertaiued and welcomed, a desire of wealth and temporal greatness — wd then, because of the easy victory obtained by such smful desire mwt the soul, there is almost inm;?diately after, the further desire cher- itled and manifested, to acquire, by the help of the temporal greatness 10 linfuny widied to be possessed, a pre-eminence in office over his Ivathnm m the MinistiT. Jesus, addressing the two ambitious asni- rutts after prelacy, said, ** Ye kno!v not what ye ask. And when ui^ lM| heard it, they were moved with indignation asainst the. two bretb^ mu And Jesus called them unto Him, and said, ye know that tfn Imoes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that i^f itfat exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you : iihiriMiiMiref will be neat among you, let him be your minister ; ahd #iii#lilffw^. bi chijBf among you, let htm be your servant ; even at > tliTtkli^irinMiGame not to be ministered unto, kit to minister, and to^ 1^ Hii mb a ransom for many." f The flsnntial principles then, intended by the Redeemer, to {qlvai ii plafi oil which Hia Church should be governed and His laws ad^- miuitterad in it aro^ learly laid down in His written word — and they are evidently very strictly guarded against all interference, either on the part of avowed enemies or professed friends, by the solemnly recorded •xpressioD of His high displeasure, to be inflicted on all offenders, espe* cially at the time of the restitution of all things. And the erand con* ■ummation aimed at in the embodying of such principles for the manage* ment of His Church is His bringing to ihe enjoyment of the inheritance of Heiven a number which no man can number out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation — whose eternal song of gratitude and praise to the Redeemer shall be, ** Thou art worthy O Lord, to receive glory and honour, and power : for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created P' After the departure of Christ's inspired Apostles and Evangelisti from this world, and the completion and circulation of the written word amongst the churches which had been f vraed — in the case of any dis- pute, or diflferonce of opinion on any matter, arising from whatever cause, the appeal was to be made constantly and solely to the Bible. And no etroTf on any essential or vital matter could arise which such an appeal to the infallible standard could not settle, if prayer, individual and uni« ted, for the Divine Spirit's illumination, and guidance, should precede, and follow the investigation — since, concernmg every thing vital and enential in the constitutipn of the Church as onelwdy, though consisting of many parts — it^ mode of acting in the world to the Divine Head, and the various members and office bearers to oneanother — and in its ad* vances, with the truth, upon general society, whence an increase of its smmbers should be drawn, there is to be found in the Bible, some an* thorltative intimation of the will of the Supreme Lawgiver and Judee -HRich intimation of His will being given, sometimes m the form of di* reot injunction, sometimes in the way of narrative, and sometimes by implication — in which last case, the truth intended to guide and direct tla church, is wrapt up and enclosed under some apparently miimport* f it statement ; and this designed, on the part of the Redeemer, to test and prove the smcerity and honesty of the search after His will, which ]Jm professed followers, whether office bearers in His church, or private n^ilicbers only, may announce it as their willingness to make for the duMBOvery of the truth, and on which avowed honesty aiid sincerity, He: w^t WM day pronounce a public judgment. Very socm, '' antichrists, many antichrists, seducing spirits, false teach* art, grievous wolves, deceitful workers^ false apostles, ti^ansforming ttemKlvei into the apostles of Christ,^' made their appearance in the world, and often intruded themselves into the chorchM <» die^ltedeem^r. The ttnamy came in like a flood upon the fold of the Chief Shepherd : in ifbittysr quarter of it there were fo^n^ fakl^ul ove¥aeers,/eeders of the SWl!WW!SIP)'J»'l* ,1.1 ."1.1 1 mmmmmmm mmmmmm, kl)cl^ of C^tIsf/pry means of the preaching of the glorious (^^1 ojf the Iblessed God. ^^jDuring the course of the many centuries that have passed since " th^ MamB of time," when Christ appeared "to take away sin by the a^j difioA of Himself," the numberless errors to which sinners are prqauy^ and Against which He warns His people in His word ; though they at , ftnt arose from the falling away of individuals, rapidly assumed the fonnr? '#|mrtems, reeularly organised plans, drawing into them, with the view ,#t|illw{)tfon tl!^ propagation, whdte Conimnitiriities ptofeisiin^^to W^ d^ctjplei bf Gl^t ; the framers andibadere Of which ^eiA, 'Mu #l{,itf itti^ingfor peirmitting to be linade), an appenl tor the w^ of CN|f^^ supreme standard OT their actings' and deCimons, asi%|i^% lliemly^''^ power of traching for the doctrines of God the cOjaftjg^. u ntntiofman. Thaipirit which WMmottaoUvt in the formaUon of •neb ■yttoini, and which, in tha myilarioua wladom of Ood hu boen paniiiltad to be lo awful^ and fatally aucceiiful, ji the very ipirit, whichi on ita firit manifeatationi lacaived ao aavere a rebuke on the part of Chriat— the apirit of worldly ambition, mingling with it the desire of pf»-aminence orer their brethren in the miniatrv of the Ooapel, entoN tained by aome of the profeaaing lervanta of tne Redeemer. Aa thii twofold ambition could not be aucceiafully vindicated, so Ions aa tlie Bi. bla waa known and recogniaed as the only infallible test of procedure, both on the part of the teachera and the taught, that Divine Rule wii ail aaide ; and though it could not be destroyed, it waa ere long made a aaalad book to the great maaa of thcae who compoaed the cburcneci and tba nationa, now no longer permitted to hear or io read in their own tOQguea the wonderful worka of God. The effect of all thia waa, a feaN All growth of worklliness and faithlessness to Christ on the part of an cirfrwhehning majority of thoae who'still bore the name, but performed none of the dutiea of Chriat*a AJiniatera ; and who. the more to aggran- diaa their worldly interests amonoat the nations or the earth, invented new titlea of honour and dignity for themselvea, regardless of the hon> our of the Saviour^and on the part of the people, such an amount of ignorance and auperstition, aa rendered them the easy prey of every de8> troyar. Not many centuriea elapaed, after the aucceasfull^ attempted perpetration of such wickednesss, until that whkh the varioua natiom ol the earth blindly conaented to call th$ Chiwreh^ preaented even to the nikkma themaalvea auch a maia of corruption, depravity and despotism, that it became a by-word and a loathii4( to every one of them. That prikitk: and hierarchical power with which the professed church of Chriat waa ao overrun, by which the preabytere sod overaeera of the chiuoh ware com|>letely overborne, ana which Civil Rulera at firat p•^ mtlled, nay, even invited to enter into the varioua departmenta of their Sialaa, wu at length found to have erected a aeparate Kingdom in the mkbt of the nationa— a Kingdom all the more powerful, because he who aat ujMMH ita throne, having reduced the nationa to ignorance by the withdrawment of the light of (& Bible, and usurping the attributes and th« plaee of the God of the Bible, felt himself at liberty, not only to kill thii body, but also to exercise the power, which the besotted nations of Chrialeodom feared he poaaesaad, te cast into the fire of hell, those who btub not his image, and the nunnn of hia name. itiU, thoii^ aU the witneaaaa for Chriat appeared to human eyes, to haiia baaii alain. it waana^ it ooiild not, be ao. Tha Redeemer has had, ia^ (mftf. age oC the world that ia naata and ahall have through ever; MMfAfii taaed to serve Bibb, wnioh ahall be accounted to the Lord far « ftntratioB. Ha than proved hinaalf to be, aa he alwaya will, " a wm m^m ■M mmm 15 fifuge tat the opprenod, a refugt in timet of trouble.^' Though but oonpaniti|ply lew, there were some, even in thoie timee of nruMeit darkneii) who, ** abidine under the shadow of the Almighty,^ could g^, ** we are peraecuted, but not foraalcen ; cast down, hut not dea* troyed." The period of a large deliverance to the people of Qod at lengrth arrived. The deliverance came, by means of the simple proclamation of ue glorioua Ooipf 1 of the blessed God. It was first enjoyed, in sreatest extent, on the continent of Europe. Many faithful witnesses for Christ made their uipearance, testifying the immediate necessity of repentance towards qod) and faith in the Lord Jesuff Christ. The sword of many enemiea was raised— but fell powerless before the uplifted sword of tne Spirit, wbioh is the word of Ood. And though many Kings and great men of the earth took counsel together, against the Liord and His Anointed, yet, when a testimony for Cnrist was publiclv raised. He who hath the hearts of all men at His disposal, and to wnom all power is, committed, biought the hearts of many Rulers of nations to the belief and obedience of the truth, and incited them to raise their arm of secular power acainit the long dominant, intruding secular power of him who opooaed and ejCRlteahtmsetf above all that is called Ood, or that is wormipped.*— Churches were immediatelv formed, wherever the truth of the Gospel wiilmown, preached ana professed. The servants of Christ met to- Ather in solemn Aasemblv, afler the Divinely recorded example of the Irathren at Jerusalem, tie who is the Governor among the nations, give the revived churches favour, in the eyesuf many civiiElulere— 4ina thus mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. When churches were formed, by means of the preaching and study of the word, it became a question, an important one^ one which, with the Bible now aa their supreme guide, must necessarily have compelled thi attention, both of the pastors and the flocks, what was the method fa^ which the churches were to be governed, under the Divino Head, the Rideelner ? In other words, under what form of ecclesiastical govern- BMtl should pfttors labour, and the flock of Chrirt be fed and managed —tU enjoying the blessings connected with the administration of Chrlst^a onUiMnpee among them? It ought to lie remembered that thodt'who formed the churches at thpt tine, both the oastors and flocks, had, in common with all othera, biin Kving under tne deadening influence of systems, opposed, both to tkaletter and the epiritof the Bible, and that with the Bible itself, very ftiW^ef them were intimately acquahnted, because of the want of its frec< iBd ahaodant circulation. Notwithstanding ail this, it ia a remarkable tet, tbet the cnorches which were formed throughout the continent of human contrivance, i>nv\ng u" God. . , r i .»aRi'« to tlie pyaii© «f *^ho« . 1, i. 4W worthy «f n«tlcor«~'»^ f"" JStSc^h the co»t c<«ii|«wiireiy ■"««• - ».y^g purpcww of •n'*™^"!^^* t»„iicv would not ^■^ •■ts'sr™-^ e%vM>*« ;i^\;^;st"^ Owtimw aenM>*<^«Jl?*gi,,";^ authority '?,'f2£"^Vw.«l S:S|tWSl'uSS.VSu.«.of the var.o..offic,4»a wfmm^ mmmm of ihoN ho conii* uKul inter* ncandbv r ChriftA of the na. ho church* rh prulativ ( civil m*- )Ui church* , within ft ) scattered teO) on the t would not n civil Ru* \ to Chriit, ,port >vhicl» it, ought to empowered il view, M )eoplo'8ene. I, in a rogu* lec^tiei of of iuch civil re thi»— ««^ co-boRTCrt of n the ohurchei) to coniiult and ndvieo with, about the most olToctunl way in which the RMeemor's purpimos might bonccompliiihod by those institu- tions which had boon furmud by llim, and whiui) uru undur IlisSovreign control. Such is tho history, and stic.h aro Nomo of tho cniises which onnratod in the production of whiit have bucomn known hn Synilxibor Conrussions of faith. Such Symbols as woro drawn up by moNl churcfics at thin period of revival, are found to embody Divine truth, chiolly in the way of rofercnco to, and condemnation of thoNo errors which had prcviouNly prevailed. -— And when it is considered that most of those who were called to tako ■n active and prominent part in promolinK the revival, had liecome. throuffh sinful infirmity, more or less coniaininaled with the errors and abommations of tho systems of ini(|iiity whi<'h then so generally prevail- ed*— as tho light oven of Divine truth breaks gradually upon the mind of Ittan—- it ought not greatly to surpriso iis, that the Symbols of faith of the churches of that perio;* shouhl exhibit ordy or chietly tliose |H)rtions of Divine truth which wore found to bear against oxistlng and loud crying enormities, or that they should even nlJord lamontaljle proof that the groM darkness which had covered tho earth and (he people was so very ^, that from its dreadful conseniiences their soids were but imper- r delivered. Hut, though all tnis ought not greatly to surprise us— - it is matter of surprise to men — it is the cause or judicial chastisement on the part of the Omnipresent Witness and tho Supreme Judge of church- «i and nations — and it ought to ho matter for lamentation and prayer on the part of those who have the true light in all their dwellings, that «ny churches should be found, who, after a lf Philip and Mary, who vretn avowed advocates and supporten i^w j^pitcy, and who imbued thoir hands with the blood of many of ^ mhhmtB of the Redeemer. During the long reign of Elizabeth, ex- jli9l$iw over a period of foriy-f.ve years, the number of the faithful wit' W C p e i T or Christ continued to increase. When, by the preaching of the truth, and the circulation of the 3ible, mm mm mmm supremif icupied.— e topmost eitbed and red sa m* assailecl— Btedbythe le, 80 8U8» rines rftbe aid to have nents of the I successor, 8tai shorter 1 supporten of many of izabeth,ex- faithfiil ^ In the bnguase of the country, a church of Chritt, or **• congregBtton oT ftithful men'' was formed, the right of the Kins to bear rale over audi s body waa disputed, even in Henry's r^ign. Tne voice, Mewever,whicii-. was raised on this important subj ;t was then but feeble, and indistinGt> \f heard, because the number of the faithful was then but small. This aanimed supremacy of the crown in ecclesiastical affairs stUI' eontinued to be maintained during the reign of Edward: but as the attention of die venerable men who then took a prominent part in the worit of revi- val came to be directed not only to the errors to be removed. But also to die opposing truths of revelation which should be embraced, formed into a system, and established, and as they found,while they proceeded in their investigations of the Bible, that the doctrines to be believed, the mode <^ worship to be observed, the government of the church to be established wod maintained, and the discipline to be exercised in the church, were subjects, all necessarily connected with and dependent on each other,-— dwre is much reason for believing that had the life ci Edward beea fpued. die character of the church of Christ, in all these matters, whic& mij^t have been established in Eneland, would have been very different from that which prevails in the Church of England^ even to the pret^ eat day. Tho same supremacy of the crown in ecclesiastical affaurs 0(hk (inued to be claimed, and was exercised with greater rigour than be- fiire,by Queen Elisabeth. By the exercise of diis claim, all the exeiy tioDS to place the ohurch on a scriptural basis, that had been made l^ Edward, were by Elizabeth repudiated and abandoned. The doctrine* to be believed by iha Church, the mode of the worship of God that dioald be followed, the government of the Church, and the character oT Hs (Ace-bMrers were all regulated and moulded, according to the will «f the monarch ; and it is a fact well established, that the Sovereign dia* j^yed her supreme will in all these matters, with the view of ujriholdiiig eiilain parts at least of the system of the papacy, to which she was pas* Moately devoted. It was the exercise of this claim of supremacy which five so strong a colouring to all the transactions of that deeply intovsU a^[ period in the history of England. 'When the audioritv of the Pope was abolbhed in England, pelaqry oif the system which mrms the subordinate parts of the papacy, was mu- iMed to remain. The monarch sought not to abolisli it — ^for inbst of tb« Hp who composed it, instead of standing in the way of his purposes^ ' 'obeyed the monarch's call to accomplish them ; or but (eeblv ro» lis in^ufnons into a province, over which, according to the oecUh I of God, no civil magistrate, whether supreme or subordinatey ipjinr control. It is a remarkable fact, that of all the chuies that l!|« rormed at the period of the Reformation, the Church of £!pglanil wmUm only ono which retained prelacy as the form of church govir»> 80 iMDt, And it is no less remarkable that the prelates of that period, most of them eminent men in many respects, united in testifying that they did not resard the system of prelacy as having authority from the Mrorduf God — -but that it was merely a human invention, however an- cient, which it was convenient and expedient, in certain circuumstancei, to maintain. And further, they manifested the greatest desire to hold brotherly communion with the churches on the continent of Europe to whom God had given freedom, even more than they themselves enjoy- ed| from the bondage of Rome. One of the circumstances which contributed to prevent the extensive dissemination of the truth throughout England, at the time of its first re- vival in that country, was that the learned and eminent men who had nvow?t« their rejection of the more prominent errors of the papacy, in the public debates and controversies in which they were instructed bj Henry to engage with the advocates of that system, made their appeal ao seldom, to the only infallible standard of judgment and decision, the written word of God. Into the dark and blmding mazes of tradition, antiquity, and false philosophy, they too often allowed themselves to be conducted by their opponents — the consequence of which was, so far ai the people were concerned, a confirming them in their state of uncertain* ty, as to which of the two sets of the antagonists was right, and which wrong. And another circumstance which operated most powerfully in pre* venting the public, national recognition of the whole counsel of God, wai the putting forth of a claim by Henry, on behalf of himself, and every one of his successors on the throne of England, that the Monarch of Eng- land is supreme judge in all Church matters, as well as all those of a eMl nature. The puttine forth of such a claim, in that period of igno* ranee, needs not very geatly surprise us, when we recollect that for so many centuries, all the Kings and other rulers of all the nations of Western Europe, as well as their subjects, had been left in ignorance of the life giving truth of the living God, which so clearly points out the Yeciprocal duties of the various communities which God has established in the world. Upon the originators, advocates, and upholders of the pa- pacy, as a system, is chargeable the awful load of guilt, connected with, and* arising out of the universal ignorance which so long prevailed.— Itie papacy called itself the Church — the nations, rulers and ruled, not lilang to retain Qod in their knowledge, and consenting to wear the ni^rk of the beast, and llie number of his name, believed the lie — the open witnesses for Christ were tormented and slain; their souls being |0C6ived to glory— die spirit of God, quenched and proyoked, withdrew. Ail lands mourned, and all dwellers therein languished. And when |))e conscience fin4 will of many Rulers, untutored and unenlightened tl by the truth u it U in Jeiui, awok« from the lopg, Irrational dumber into which the papacy bad cast them, they made their own comcienc* iDd will the rule of their procedure, instead of Christ's law, of which they were willingly ignorant. Having most rightfully freed themselves from the most degrading boodage, both of soul and body, princes and subjects tlike were under a very groat temptation to feel and say — ** wno is Lord over us ?" Instead of pondering the wonderfut combination of providential arrangements by wnich the Divine and Supreme Ruler had been preparing for and inviting their escape, all, without exception, in whatever station, were in great danger, and before that danger, Eng- land, with many other nations fell, of adopting the language of vam glorious exultation — ^*by the strength of my hand I have done it, Lnd by ' my wisdom ; for I am prudent.'* Few there were, at that critical period in the history of nations, churches, families, and individuals, that were found, engraving on their hearts, and perpetuating for the benefit of pos- terify, on ecclesiastical and national records, the solemn* thanksgiving •lid dedication of themselves and their all to the Lord— r'* O Lord our God, thou hast wrought all our works in us. Other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us ; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name :" sayine to one another, ** come and let join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." Five years before the death of Henry, which took place in 1547, Ma- ry the Queen of Scotland commenced her reign, which extended over tne period during which Edward the Sixth, and Philip and Mary, the nccessors of Henry, occupied the thione of England, and also over the fintten years of the reign of Elizabeth. At the close of that eventful pinriod in the history of Scotland — a period resembling a Ions dark night of ceaseless storm among Scotland's hills and yalleys, wn,en the va- rioos elements of nature seem to be at war with each other, and when dw returning morn is longed for, that the sleepless spectator ifiay know H^at, if any thing, has been preserved — ^the church of the Redeemer ffl that land was beheld, though all breathless and exhausted, occupying I position of strength and safety — ^^ looking forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, anil terrible as an army with banners." Two most effectual means, by the blessing of God, which contributed to this were — the faithfulness of the Ministers of the Gospel, in declar- ing unreservedly the whole counsel of God, to all the people, of every nmk and condition in life — and the freedom which, as from the Re- deaner, these Ministers claimed and often enjoyed of meeting together in solemn assemblies, in company with many representatives of the peo- de who had become members of the Church of Christ, to ascertain nrom one another, as fellow presbyters or elders, overseers of the flock •f Christ, how the work of winning souls to Christ, which, by the Holy Spirit, had bctn Mtignad to them, advanced and proapered, and to itin. ulate and enoourase one another amidat the manifold dangera which not only threatened their peace but their life. Jamea the Sixth, the son of Mary, succeeded his mother on the throat of Scotland in 1667. James appeared at first to be very favourably dimoied to the doctrines of the Gospel, as set forth especially in the public Symbols or Confessions of faith of 1560, and 1680— but as hit eve came to be directed to the throne of the more wealthy and powerful Kinffdoffl of England, he manifested a desire to hearken to the couiunl of the adherents of the papacy, by whom the Kinmlom was still infested, and the throne not unfrequently surrounded. With a view to remove ■a many obstacles as possible out of the way of his accession to the Eo> Sli^h throne, he held a secret correspondence with the Pope, whose in. uence in the settlement of all £nglish affairs was still great, through the manv adherents of the popish system who filled many important and iniluentml sitiiaticms in that Kingdom — and for the same purpose, Jamei •t.the same time held frequent and confidential intercourse with some of the moat ambitious and elevated of the prelates of England. From the moment when James saw the way somewhat clear and open to his el^ ▼ation to the Endish throne, after the death of Elizabeth, ho set himarlf to the acoomplimment of two kindred objecta— the restoraticm to favour and importance in the Kingdom of many of the influential adherents of the papacy — and the introduction of prelacy into the Church of Soot- land, with himaelf aa monarch at the head <» it, as supreme Governor. Jamea found that the roost formidable obstacle which stood in his wi; to prevent his accomplishment of the latter object waa the privilege wliM^h the Ministers claimed and had long enjoyed of meeting m asaeo* bliea, free and unfettered by any authority aave that of the Ivord of God, which l9y before them for their direction and guidance. The King attempted to overawe such assemblies, in their deliberationa on the wdrahip, government, and discipline of the Church of Christ. Thit plan failing of success, he had recourse to the method of making prelalea himself; and having invested some with tezmmral dignihr, ne aent them as lords and rulers into the assemblies of the ChurcL But these assemblies, instead of recoffnising anvsuch lordly power at lawful to be exercised over the |>odv of Christ, with one voice of honeit aiid ri^teooa indignation, declared them, in Christ's name and by hii autborvty stript at the power of ruling in the Church of Christ at all, so loitf aa they oore the name and the trappings of a lordly authori^ over tMorethren, and failed to confess and forsake the sin committea— and of conrae implying that if the rule of such men should be permitted in tiia Ckuirch, their rule would necessarily be vitiated by the presence iil iniiiienoe of an element in the govemnnrnt of the Church which II (^ DiTine Head thereof had exprealy condemned, tt wu not to ^ gjneoted that the King, especially with luch proapecta before bim, brightened by the results of the correspondence he maintained with England and Rome, would be directed by the decisions of men pro- nounoed merely on scriptural and spiritual ground, and who refused to oficnpy any other. The unequal contest between the spiritual and car- nd elements continued to be carried on — and the work of corruption in the Church of Scotland proceeded rapidly. At length, in 160S, Jamet piooeeded Elizabeth on the throne or England, although his hereditary pretensions were not acknowledged and ratified by the English Parii*" ■iOt Ibr twelve months after his accession. A few years before James left Scotland, he published several works* In one of tnem, he vindicates **abBolute and arbitrary power in the prince^ and maintains the duty of passive obedience and non-resistance on U10 pirt of subjects, without any exception. He albws that the King 4oukl resard himself as ordained for the good of the people— but tbat^ if be shall think and act otherwise, and choose to run the riakof DiTino mmishment, the people are not permitted to make any resistance but by Qght, as we may see by the example of brute beasts and unreasonabto creatores, among whom we never read or heard of any resistance to their parents, except among the vi[)ers." In another or his works, en- titled a ** Royal present," and intended as a code of instructions to hia Son, James maintains — ** that the office of a King is of a mixed kind, pvtly civil and partly ecclesiastical : that a principal part of his func- lipB consists in ruling the Church : that it belongs to him to judge ^en preachers wander from their text, and that such as refuse to submit to M iudsment in such cases, ought to be capitally punished : that no ec* ehnastical assemblies ought to be held without his C4>nsent : that no miD is more to be hated by a King than a proud puritan : that equality moiigst Ministers is irreconcilable with monarchy, inimical to order, ■id ue mother of confusion : that equality in the Church should be knlsbed, prelacy set up, and all who preached against pnelates rigorous* hr punished." At the very time when James entertamed and printed wm sentiments, he was publicly, and with apparent solemnity, dccla ling to the Church and to the nation of Scotland, that he had no inten- Mi whatever of altering the government of the Church, or of introdu-' cfa^ prelacy I When Jamoa reached England he found that the voice of an over- whekninff majority of his subjects in that Kingdom who had embraced ttidoctrmes of Christianity was loud and clear, to the eflTect thai the jMoiportant iulgects of the doctrine, worship, government, and disci- pfee of the Cirarch should be considered with a greater degree of care u t\uak had yet been bestowed on them, and that, in such consideration, iqore deference should be paid to the authority of God, and less to tb« judgments and decisions of men. James was fond nf popularity, and very desirous to be regarded as a great scholar. In the course of his reign he summoned e: In Juno 1043 iho two Houum of pArlinnMnt imm\ nn orainttnoo or lUinmonM Ibr Um ounv«nlng ol' tbnt AwNimbly. Tlioir or. 4ininot WiM oxpruMMHl in tlio following wurilM : ** WliortMM, nnHtitgii ih« inlinili bloNiingi of Almighty UotI u|K)n tliiit nntion, nnno iii| ur uru Im mora ^nr to us, tlinn tito purity of our Holigion ; i»ml for tbnt My^/t DMi^ thlngM romnin in tli« Liiorgyt diiioiplinfl. nnd guvornnifnt of the Cburolii Wiiioh do noooiMirily rtiqMire n ftirtlittr nnd mont mirfoot re> formntion, tlmn Imtli yot luran nttninad ; nnd wbentni it bntli bmiti do. oinrttl nnd nmolvml by tbo Lordi nnd (JominonN nuontblml In Pnrllii. uftontt tbnt tbo prtmont Oburvh govtirnmont by ArobblihopN, HIkIioim, thnir Chnnoulloni, UommlwiNrloN, Dmrn^ \)mm nnd Cliniitom. Arah. (lonoonNt nnd otbor KooloMinittlcnl Oflimni dsfwndinu upon tbo lllurRN eby ir.ovil nnd juitly ollbniilvo nnd burdonMnno to tlw Kingdom, n gro«t iinnedimnnt totberoformntlonnnd growth of Holigion, nnd vory praju. diowl to thoitntonnd govornmont of (hiN KingiJom; nnd tbnt tlwra. iUro th«y nrc MMdvotI that tbo mmo •hntl b« tnkon nwny, nnd tbnt Muoh n goTornmonl «bnU bo nottlod in tbo Church, nii mny \m moit ngmonbl« to Uod^i holy word, and moit npt to praouni nnd priworvo tho |wi(« of tbt Ohufoh 1 1 homOi nnd nonror ngraamont with tbo Ckunih of doottniMi, •ttdothftr reforimd Churob«M nbrond; nnd for tbo liott«r eirnoting htiranf, nnd ft)r tbo vindlonting nnd olonring of -tbt dootrlno of tbo Church of Engbrnd, ttom all fnlio rnlumnioi nnd niporalona, it ia thought lit ami MCOMMrv to call nn niaombly of lenmod, gcNily, and ludidoua DivinM, to ooniuit and adviao of auch mnttora nnd tninga, touddng tbo prumim, ■a ahall bo pn>|K>MMl unto thorn by both, or oithor of tho Houioa of Pnh liABAont, nnd to givu thoir nilvino nnd oounml thoroin, to liotb, or oilhir ofithe aaid IIoumm, whon, and naofton natbey ahall bo therounto roquiN •tl Do It tharoforo or(|Md by tho Lorda nnd Commona in thiM pra^ aant Parliamont naaemblll^flint nil nnd ovory tha paraona boronfuir in thia praaant ordinnnoo namad, that ia to any— [than folbw tho nnmnoi ftbout a hundred and flfty paraona, an ovarwhalming mi^ity of whom yw Miniatora nnd Mombara ot the Ohurob of England]— find Nuoh olhar peraon and paraona aa alinll bo nominatod nnd "^pointed by both Houaoaof Pnrliamont, orao mnny of them aaahal. not bo lattedb): aickneis* or other neooaMtrv imooclimont, ahall meet and aaaemblu, riuI iM befwy required and enjoined n\mi aummona aigned by tho olorbtf iMth Houaoa of Parliament, left nt their aeveral reapectire dwelling!, (o HMt and aaaomble themRelvea at Weatminater, in tho chapel oalM Henry the Stventh'a ohapol, on the flrat day of July, in the year of our Lord, one tliouaand aix huudrod Ibrty three ; nnd niier the flrat meeting, being at leant of tlie number of forty, ahaltfrom time to time nit, nn-Jbi rein^ed from plaoo to place ; nnd' ulao that the aald aaaomblv ahall bi diaaelved in auob manner na by both Houaea of hirlinment ahall bo di> noted : and the aald peraona, or ao many of tliam aa alioU bo no udwiB' "m i7 ry i* Mt tltnra* Ihnt Mob igmtmbli pM« of BotHlnm), IK hormf, )liuroh ol ! Divirm, 01 of Pl^ 1^ or oilhir nto roqul^ n tliU pr» laronftor tn nnmMof lyufwhoB —find miok ed by both 9 Utiodbjf omblo) KM ioclorki«f grellingi, to iipel cM yewol'oit ni tnootlngf 1 ttitf nni M ilv Nhallbi •hall Im (){• M M) lUMMlA* Utdt or lilt ■Iwll Hnva |N>war nnil uuihority, nml nri) liornby likewiiy iliJ(»irMK)| frum Umo (u timu. during lliiii proMnnt IVIiiimttnt, or until fMrtlMtr urtlttr Im glvon, by IniIIi ilio MtUl Hi^umcm, U) c(mf«r nml trtM •moncit ihamMilvoN, nf MurJi mntUM'N iiiid lliiiigNi iuucliiiig nrul (utncorn* ing tCo liiturgy. DiNcipliiiDf itnd (iov(iriiinmit(>i'ili« Clmrch ol* Eng* |iml| or tlio viiiuU^nting ntui oltmririg of tliu (ItM.iiino of ilio mtnti from ill foliw iiporMUuM iind itilMHiiiNtruoilonM. m nIirII Im proiNiMHl unto tlwm by both or Diiliur of iho utiiiil l]n\mm of Piirlinmorit, iumI no otbor, nnf Pnrlintiiont, nhnW \w rorinirod, nnd tho nut to divulgo bv printing, writing, or othnrwiNO, without tlio cm- Mnylloth or Dither Houno of Pnrlinmnnt. And bo it fiirthnr ordniniMl Mf JNlthority nforoMid, thnt WiUimn TwiNNo, Doctor in Divinity, Mttiilln tho Ohnir m Prolocutor of thn mid AAHombly ; nnd if no hipiMn to dl«f or bo lettod tty •if.lcnoNfi, or other n«coiiwnrv Impodimont. thtn fuoh other iteriion tct lie Anpo!nto nance named, is by this ordinance limited and appointed. Provided always that this ordinance, or any thing therein contained, shall not give unto the persons aforesaid, or any of them, nor shall they in this Assem* bly assume to exercise any jurisdiction, power, or authority ecclesiasti* cu whatever, or L.y other power, than is herein particularly express* •d." ,i, Every person admitted to sit in this Assembly was required to coma under the following solemn promise and vow. — ^* I do seriously promise and ViQW, in the presence of Almighty God, that in this A«tM|bI):, wbereof I am a member, I will maintain nothing in point of ^^ine, but what i believe to be most agreeable to the woid of God ; nor in point of discipline, but what may make most for God's glory, and the p^e and good of this Church.'* Qii the first of July, 1643, the Assembly met. And towards the end of the same month, the Parliament sent Commissioners into Scot- Hind, with authority to request of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to send such representatives as that Church might select, to assist the Assembly at Westminster in the important deliberations upon Which that Assembly had already entered. The General Assembly of Hbn^ Church of Scotland made choice of eight of their number, as Cols' misAoners to the Assembly at Westminster — Who arrived in London tdWardsthe close of that year, tbenter on the discharge of the important duties which they hdd thus been invited and commissioned to under- take. " It is very necessary to consider the cirumstances in which England Tvas placed at the time when this assembly was called. The adherents and rai^rters of the papacy had for a long time previously been forming thenaselves into regularly organised bodies, with the view of recovering theif former power in the Kingdom, and held the most intimate comma* nication and correspondence with similar bodies, in Scotland, Ireland, and the Popidi Kingdoms on the continent of Europe ; and many of the most influential of die upholders of that system occupied prominent sito* irtions in the court of the Monarch : — all throughout the Kingdom who bad emlnraced and publicly avowed their belief in the great doctrines of tb» Goapel saw and c from the wank of faithful Ministers to declart to tb j people, with 19 igland Tvas lerents and m forming reoovering ite commu* id, Ireland, Miny of the ninentnto* igdom vfh doctrines of B ignorance e Kingdom, ItheBiWei )eople, with the living voice, the only way of salvation through Jesus Christ : all luch saw also, with deep amazement, that the construction of the out- ward framework of the Church of Christ, in more exact accordance •^with the word of God, a work which had been avowedly merely decayed by the Reformers in the days oi Henry, and Edward and Elizabeth, was not only not thou^ of, but openly delared to be unnecessary and dan- gerous, and that every step taken by the nation, as such, instead of be- mg forward to scriptural freedom and purity, was backward to bondage and to Romanism : — the truly enlightened, wise, and good of the King- dom saw and mourned over all this — and moreover, since they could not conceal from themselves or others the fact that those who formed the ^em of prelacy, instead of giving themselves wholly to the work of miligfatening by means of Divine truth, the minds of all without excep- tioi), from the monarch to the peasant, were occupied in attempting to consolidate,under Royal authority, their own order of prelates, into a pow- erful, political order in the State — and as, further, it was known from one end of the Kingdom to the other, that the chief of their order had dared to re-publish a book which had been published in the preceding reign, authorising public sports on the Lord's Day, in open defiance of the command of Jehovah, — ^they could not refrain from supplicating that the attention of the Legislature might be speedily and effectually turned (othe serious consideration of subjects with which the prosperity and «»- ven the safety of the Kingdom was so intimately connected. The King, having unhappily imbibed the shocking principles inculcated and acted we do not presume to deprive you of tint name, or to urge your performance of the duties which your office as lilinisters of the Gospel enjoins : that, if you are unworthy of the name, and if you fulfil not your duties, is a biisiness which devolves on others, even your brethren in the Ministry, not on us: neither do we desire to {H'event you as oui' fellow subjects in the Kingdom from striving to ob- taiQ places of even the highest distinction under the Crown^ should the teog see meet that you, as subjects, should enjoy diem — ^but it is ow determination that if you occupy the places of Civil Counsellors to the CfOWjD, you shall do so simply in the capacity of Civil Rulers and not wearing in addition to this, the character of Ecclesiastical Rulers :—ii your brethren permit you, in the exercise of p tujofold cunbition, to overrule them, you shall not, in the use of this two-edged weapm rule over us: — and this our determination is formed upon the principle of reMN^ and equity, that if any man have one o(k;upation, that one occu- paMoa is niore than sufficient to occupy all his talents and all his zed -Mwhich principle is Divinely confirmed by the Apostolical injuno* lien, ** Let every man abide in the same calling wl]^rein he was call* ad.'' Therefore it was declared in the above summons of the Parlia- meat of Eng^nd for the meeting of the Assembly, that " the present ohiiK^ gpvBrnment by Archbi^ops, Bishops, their Chancellors, Com- liliaparies^ Deans, Deans and Chapters, Archdeacons, extd other Eccle- siastical <^cers, depending upon the hierarchy, is evil and justly oifen- a»|re and burdensome to the Kingdom, a great impediment to lUfomuh tian and growth of Religion, and very prejudicial to the state and gov- ermnent I was call- the Parlia- he present low, Com- ber Eccle- ustly offen- > RefoTtaa- e and goy- by nooeof ;edto raise iral station ancl work of ruling over their brethren in the Ministry were called to ait in this Assembly. England and Scotland also had by this time more than enough of the decisions, and Canons of Assembles, ruled over, dictated to, and overawed by the Monarch and his lordly prelates. The Assembly at Westminster was an Assembly of brethren ; and, to have summoned any who laid claim, either on the ground of convenien- cy as a desirable human invention, or on the ground of Divine right, to a position oS pre-eminence obove their brethren, would have been a manifest inconsistency and absurdity. But the greater number of the |iu:)'.sters who were invited to sit in the Assembly, were avowedly Presbyters, Overseers, that is, true Bible-bishops, in the Church of England, over whom, by royal authority, the prelates had been stationed. And these Minif^ters of the Church of England had been selected as members of the Assembly, on account of the talent, learning, and godli- QMS by which they were generally known to be distinguished, quite ir* lispective of the peculiar views they might entertain on the question of ^rob government They, with all others who composed the Assembly occupied, with respect to one another, a position of equality ; that is, each member was free to declare his sentiments, equally with every other member, under a sense of the responsibility intimated by his de- IttMrately^taken promise and vow — these expressed sentiments of each member being allowed to weigh, according to their felt worth and valuie, vrtien the judgement of the whole body was required to be given con* oeming the several matters which were uilder consideration. Though^ however, none of the Ministers in the Assembly were actually prelates^ several of them, inthvj course of the discussions, proved themselves to be eager advocates of the system of prelacy. This advocacy was by no means prevented by the Assembly, on the contrary, the freest posabl6 Atpression of opinion was invited and encouraged ; but as the appeal) in ^question of church government, and in all other questions that camd before them, lay to the law and the testimony of God, it was soon disco- vered by such as ente^rtained prelatical views, that many things which 4i6y had hitherto implicitly received in consequence chiefly of a leiet* fttoa tathe authority of man as supreme, could not abide the application dCthe test of the word of God. The discovery of this, and the Divuie- )Hiii4)aArted desire, in the use of the aids of prayer and the uncounteraot- ett^li^ht of the Bible, naturally and necessarily led to the recorded judg- ietlts and decisions of many d'diem on the matters before them ; while ibMlt^M) had previously entertained views of the superiority of prelatical dtttrdi government to any other, and who felt unwilling to submit to the Si^me authority of the Bible, in the matter, withdrew from the As- tnhly, so soon as they saw in what direction the expressed views of the vUloiu members were turned. 32 Of iuch iadividualii then^ WM the Weitrainster Amembly compmiod. Ami, wiUi respect to the authority under which it lat, it ii well tokiiuw and remember, that it wascalieil by buth HouMiuf Parliament — twuof the three branchueof the Civil uower in Britain, according to the Coo- •titution of the Kingdom : the tliird brunch of that power, the King, being at that time in the fiuhl of Civil war, with a view of atworting, by forceofarma, those principiois of government, not only in tl:: State but in the Church of Chrivt which he had im|>ibe(l, and which, unhappily for himself and the whole Kingdom, he was prompted by vain und pro* latical Counsellors, to maintain and dofonJ. And such at. Aiwenibly as was thus conHtituted, Charles had, like his Father, often refused to call. Ho found that his own views of supremacy over the Church were confirmed and strengthened by sur:h CounNellors as surrounded him, and who, it is obvious, had so deep and selfish an interext in the course which their Royal master might follow. As overseers of tbs flock, which the Chief Shepherd hud collected in the Kingdom by the blossingof the Holy Spirit accompanying the reading and tne preaching of the truth which maketh free, men such as those wlio formed that Assembly had a right from Christ to meet together for all the purpoiet •pecified in the summons of Parliament : and when they found some ^ tne Civil Rulers publicly avowing their belief that purity of religion was an infinite blessing, and was dear to them ; declaring also their conviction that there were many things remaining in the Liturgy, Di»< cipline and Government of the Church of England which required a further and moie {lerfect Reformation than was yet obtained — a convio* tion not confined to the two Houses of Parliament in 164i^, but one which had been expressed by all the eminent Reformers of the daya of Henry, Kdward and Elizabeth, and expressed too, notwithstanding and in spite of their , own interested submission to prelacy : when it wai also found that the Monarch, under the fatal influence of the counaeli of ambitious prelates, not onlv set himself against any further reforma- tion, but that under the sanction of Royal authority, the commandmenti c^the Almighty were openly violated, and that the Nation was falling back to the dominion of popish darkness with alarming rapidity — ^vhen the men who had been summoned to meet in Assembly at Westminiter saw and considered all this, they hesitated not in deciding that their inherent right of meeting together, flowing from Christ, was not weak* ened, but on the contrary corroborated by the offered protection and support of a delegated and acknowledged authority. And it cannot for a moment be doubted that if the King, both Houses of Parliament df* poiingf had summoned such an Assembly, or even an Assembly to embrace all the Ministers of the Gospel within the realm, even the prelates to form component parts of it, with an assurance that no inter* /erence on his part should be made to a free and unfettered discussion '".VT'r'r """T- ."1P*1-' "" '"TTi" , ^••^rn — ■TjrnTrT^r-TirT ■^""^^WIIPIWW iptMod. i> know ■two of le Con> ) King, ting, by >tuto but iliuppily und pro* .BHcnibly ifuKod to CImrch rrounded iMt in th6 fH of the n by the prenching -in«d ibit VI purpoMi d some of of religion also Ineir urgy, Die. required a ^H convic- t;, but one tho dayi of landing and vhen it wai be counieli ler reforn»< imandmenU was fulling dity— when yVestroiDat^r ig liiat their as not weak- otection and it cannot for rliament Cf' ^flflombly to p, even the that no intor- ed discussion m ^ ^ tfl^Hm ,^wkm m^M wibltotii . qf tlw w$a of >hat ptriod, eao eniertaio a dtVDti thiMI/^ •9 J^mvMy ]itiii,>proc60(liB^ from tl)» Cr9wavtU.iyQi(i»^ ,^_^ i|vottId with eagvr jov htv« beeniireapoDded to, andtlMi 0||» ▼oieo of both Houses cf Farliameiit sihrnly yet sttadii^, disrih I. Had such a course been followed, what unsiieakabla blessinga ilMfelMn iex|Mrianced (htmighout Britain thtn^ riot to baoonfln- >^otNMHg^j but to extend throughout every succeeding ag»^ tl|i fkhvt pedplO) whether at home or in other lands I ' < < > * ^ i ^liQHrf| ivhi^ tmtauM rif^,9fiAaiM;ly.4ye year*, haa bean and ,4iU.opnt^u^,tQ)baa|a!^ ^JR!^lw,|oC,^^eJCh^rdles,o^ th« Radaamarv^not only in tha jftri^ ,,but tnrfHiglM^ut tha wor(4i T^e qoaation wjbich oe«t^ia4 mmd |r,|itne,a«d^atjtantiant waf ^nt wbiQh related {tolM ^QVBfi otQmm n|^i«flMchought,)to,WlMipPted, ,an4w,hi^ c^MMpfOfti ptura t^llft nuMt Qon^rmable to^e willgf ,GM*\>Tl^J^ , Invaap^tipn waatgiyan to thia very important roai^ar. Ani 1 ' iWbijOl^ W^ (}i«p!lAye4' ^'^ olone of tW tUiCllfiiQna ooil , )a4rul>^#ilQiMaMng) conaidawng,tho waw^ly sWCQr r, Such ignprfmpa, ^ li^ittd'aBah' error ^mntaiiMted only int the ^Hgant , vo^^} u itftfitifMim. Audi, m the truth on thii Mibjoet it a Mit of the wM MMjl^'eflSdd, whtraby the Church of Christ ii to be oenfirmed na 0iA^MA it the office of the Mimttty it not folly ditcharffBd, unlcik ihe'lMholjfefmntBl of Cod is defiyered>-Iet the servants of Christ wh6 tt» tti||>ointed to teach and to rule, make use of the means with which ttow^Mff ef God is so richly fraught. .SlMwitbatanding the unequivocal statements of the Bible, that titers ift9 Divinely appointed government in the Cfaaroh oi' Christ, it is bjr many denied thai there is any government at »U : — although it is su* thontatively declared in the Bible, that there are only two ckutet of ^iftbe bbarers in the Cliurch of Christ, those belongihg to the one clan, w'teachrk'nd to rule, those forming the other, to dbtribttte the temporil o<|hrkigflofthe'Wei|lthier among the poorer members; it is maintainstf IhlirtheM ir9l^0« such classes, those forming them bearing naiMi ^^mh'the nikilrtTean^ and! the most illiterate alike may in vain seard^ ihif'^'^hiBBSbIe,andoile of the words, namely the word bishop, us( Its dbiignatfe one of the two classes of office bearers, having a meaninf ittiohedtfiy it, which the Bible, most emphatically condemns — that wnv tlq(tit(iy^i; in the Bible, an &iJtr$eef of the flock of Ckritt, vrUtm k'Ht ihbsF^hw&rrantably made by the adherents of p|«lacy to signify as iiPff^€e^ of ovef$eenf a lord to ride over oref^<9n :— notwitb* ittbidfiif^ the'^lMvihe injunction, that the presbyters, the brethren in An ^M^iMryj or the overseers «f the flock or Christ, ih every age, shoiiM ^'^iitir^6t ordaki to the same work, such faithftil men' as may hkUt !|^^^\1 sMkiMit iriaimnff, <*by the laying on of the handtof the Pres- ^ i*ery '*'* i^ ^' asserted that prelates, or those who have sought atti ' *^'-efflinence over their brethren ^ overseiars of overeeeraf hare i^t ad ^ '''^ ^Pf*!^ ^ ordain nen to tho worfc of the ministry df w^iiA (h^ wherever «uch a prelatical impoiUion has not beea ^di^<^ is iMf' nunistry of the Gospel at dl, and no Church of ; j^l^'ji^tf hil'^toiy oi the Chur Hit Apostles : ani mSf, ^stweiially thue part-^ il which gives the ^tioj^y Miipistert I* pr«*rtet^ Is *^ styled Afde^ 'IW jA(ittB«l right to pwr p e t mt e ^ thb syatem is m» m^ffii^mr J^ ** most entfi tMprtlatiial order in Ewfland, awofce tdthe'ftl^ '6^^^ ~iiJtbh hig^ «Mt expliwive ground, and contsot 'mm^ifmmtm^^m^mi'mmmimmififf vfhetm Bignify m -notwidh en in tfn ^, shelM may h*1H> fthePw*- lought atlA teerSfhvn ■rinistry d iBi not bees Church of men bear tyeturiafter' jy, or o▼e^ pe and fixn I of that ip Church «f [K>8tles: and li gives ^ tvled i](# em It ■ifflttV' I moit en^ e tdthtf ftBf , andconti* as j^,,^pl»c« prelacy on the low ground of human axpadiaaej ,§at% HiJMpi, DMnounced all to be ** madmmj" who heU thia doctrine mhUk it^ Bible io emphatically condemns ; and although the fiipt lU i f et U K IP i« England desired to have tfie Church of England brouoht %> I^Mivar conformity to the Bible, to a closer resembkiooe in Courali j^^nment, to the reformed Churches on the Continent^ EuropB, itf^ m the Kingdom of Scotland, and of course removed fiurthoraway lum the ground which began to be occupied in the fourth cenluiy by the Church of Rome, and continues to be occuiHed by that oom |ninity stiH — ^yet, wonderful as it may seem, the ainnber of nneniii. M jmall, w£o, practising upon the proverbial credulity of hunwr i |tar^ by the ort repeats cry of AfUiquU^ appear to bavfi coKi- success in the art of teaching men to suppose that tjbje eof a Church in the fourth century ought to have spreatenfeig jht / Uie voice of the Church's Head and Lfiwgiver m tlia Jmst^Sq. ^ :-^that what is oM is therefore truet Error u fM: tm. ii «. be combatted, not only with what is oM, bu\' with wh94( the guide to what is true being the word oC Ctod, and tl Not only must there be a search made for tlie oM p*'thr ifemust discover the good way, and wfltt thereip. Wbien is; Mt I—. Ihe- ^ xS Aniiqmty is sounded, and sounded ag^n, the opposing ^^y 'i^ be as often raised, ** To the Law and to the TestmionyT ,ni ^!$^ it is manifest to all then, that on the various topics conr /^edM iHlUk Church government, the grossest error and delusion are zer j«|,||y '■'^llatod and do extensively prevail: on these various topics ]et ^ ^men give the trumpet of the Gospel, a clear, distinct, anr'x otrif '^ * And, with the view of deepening and rendering pe>rm' anent m!^ hnpressions which the exposition of Divine trum, ac coiapf,^^ i Divine blessing, may make on the mind, it would Ije wr Ji^^ i'd^rtment of the Church of Chriat, in itssevera'tasr^mbtjlte^^ ;«U such publications are to be used, not as cf jntaining the'^^ ^^^i^/^ IAH, tiuth,:.but merely as containing an explanatieii or V ,* ** ?^%**J ^tKH4 wbose origi9. is in the Bible ; and that it is r^ii'TfWWipT •.^rson, recognising first of all * pfjrticular * J?'^'^^'!;^^ ! iH^igin, aeakf for a clearer understanding of tJr -rSi?lr*'''?Pi? i^aiiKMi, that the pemsalof any merely huir^f'2^J^^-M& ^^^rn^ for confirmation and godly -ai^JS'^tf rhile'the ov^rseer^ of the church >a ^sliye^tKa truth on thia^ iiAtectj «lid< Mlbroif it #ith that authority wherewith by the Diviai nSnA wey are ittveMed, let the members give eameit and prayerful «. ttfltioMi'tolhto t^th delivered and enf(»rced, under a feeling 6f their t^ 'ttooiibllirf for the manner in which the truth is received, and for % in' Which they make of it. Let this Mibject fbrm, as every subject th the WoH'ofGkNf ought tbform, a frequent topic of conlversatioft atnotigM the^miMBbersof our churcfhes when they meet together, notdisputatiom^ OMTith biCttfr^esa/, bUt with a mutual desire to impart mutual bentlit, ittd'^ip^cittlly with a constant and deVout reference to the Supreme &a- ^htfriiy M Him Wlio is Head over all thitagi to his body the Church. It ' Will be foutd by sucl^ as do so, that all Ch^ nibjects of the word of Ooii have a fiecessary and ihdisMluble Qonnectiott — and that though tbe «MDliidhications of ChriMians one with atiother may begin cohdsrring '4h»W(ijr'ifi Which ChfiM intimates His will that His Churbb should > Sbviined^ the names of those appointed under Him kf govern, and the atlM of those by whom the^ names are borne, espedally the duty df i ordainitig^ or setting apart tO' the wbrk of the ministry those whbio 'tlie ) itDlni^trfalMady^etiMing, may find qualified, the Way in which varfbgi ehaix^heslhoMpTacie sliocdd hkng togetb^r as branbhes of the one Di- ilirina Baitk and SCerh, all'of Ibem dependi^nt on' Him, dniWing noiiridi- v^fMiit and strength )h>m Him alone,- by means of the ordinatl^ whi^ Mb has inatitiited -^though any one ofthtse topics may Ibhti the tHk- mencemont of friendly andl brpiherly intercourse, yet the transition will ^'1)ilBri^longY<^!^nii ,,to be natural ancl easy to the conisideraiion e^ tb|» ^^inoos Vho form^ the^ CliurpH itsetf-ryehat ; such parens must believer •tt^ tftandard and lost ojf summons of Parliament Sat the meeting of the WestminS^ ||l3iMiably. The word Litutgy signifies public work; referring to itfOfJk or business in which the followers of Christ engage, when meet fai puUio ia worship^God. In the preface to the Directory rfttblic woirship is givisn a short but admirable statement of some of «MispAs whv the Church of 1 Christ, desiring not to nemain always in ofichildhood, but qb Hie contrary desiring to put away childi^ ou^t to veoounce and Abandon the use of a bode, which is so ptlff eakulatedf in su many of its parts, if the persons using il thiaJt it» impress upon the mind, by sd, frequent .repetition^. erroneous loD wMioetof the mdst importaoit and essential doetrines of the.Bibki ; )4ibservaiwa oi uniMunberad saint^s days;^ last days, and festivaldayi^ \kf the use of Words dariVed from Greek and Roman communities, riogatverv soSpieious ejcc/ssidsltco^ character, so much calculated piM^tllie'iOUtgotng of purely sphritualithougfat by at least the great '' jmttof'Wbrwippeips Idwards the Divine and iEliernal ofaj^oisioi i^^fno^nhip, and contemplation. An^ oterwhelming majority iof'thei '-^^ of the Ghtrch^ Ekigland^ at the time of the sitting ol.ibei sr Assembly^ were coni^nced of (he jciecessity of renouncing nin^ithe Us^ of the Bbok of Common Prayer. King James ^4lMt tW Liturgy was *^ an ill said Mass in Eogtish.^^i Th^ ^Eafl'eftChlithdmf tWoihoAdrediVeare Sfter JamesV timerdf« claffd-^^^ we ]»^e a PopUh Liturgy"— ?^wl it is nattf^r fjf kifAqty t^t t)iB Popes whff lived in the time of^IijEal^tb, volunteered tp^t Queeu, tfi sanctioQ ap4 oonfii'oa by their Papal, authority^ the l^ngli^hj^itu^g);, wtuob remakis to this day, with some alterations more popish thfin ey^r, ijOltrpduced by Charles the Second and bis prelates in I $6^^ , The at- l^tive and frequent perusal of the prefuce to the JUirectpry is recpip. mended to the ofllce-bearers and members of the Churches— and, iir« are persuaded thai a greater attention to the pirectory itself, both on the part of Ministers and people, wpulf), by the blessing of God, hayfi til^ihappiesjl; effect in prompting a revival of, pure and unde^A^ religion tluroughout the land. A') l^at which next engaged the attention of the Assembly, was the •cm^iideration and arrangement of what 1^ jpiroperly istyted the ConfessioQ df F^itlt— -which consists of thirty three chapters, under whic^, as gen< «fi|l heads (ft divisions, are placed the various doctrines io wt belieVtid and practis<^ by the Churches of Christ, and also by individuals, ac- csofjdiiur ^p (he several positions in aociety which may,be ^|^ed to theim by the Cireai^or^lUKl Supreme Lor^^ ■o'r.iH"'^ : The Larger Catebhinh was thdn drawn up by the Assembly — under a firm persuasion <^the very sreat advantages which would result from teabyng the dectrin^s of the Bible, and intended to be embodied inthei Conlessibti, in the way of asking (Questions, and confirming or correctiiig ^ answers which may be given to the questions asbed. This Cat»> «hism was intended for the use of ^*. such as have made some proficienoy in the kiiPwledge of the grounds of Religion." It is veiy obvious that no faithful Minister of Christ can etpect that the public instructions of ik» eanotttwy can be sutficient to remove the ignoi^anoe ilrhieh i>revailiil ii tbe mind* of i^acy whcrni vevy inferior Biotives may attract totha company of a large eongregatiott, eipecidniy in a country iWhere soma 4MCMdit woald soon attach to the character of a person v^ might ha^ l^lntty absent litmaelf from public Worship. And it i» s!s» very plaiir that every fiiitbful servant of Chrirt must feel that otDiist^th^ ttumiM^ lass temptations to whioh profeastng ofaristians aveejtposed, to whatever qlMftoroondition of sdcie^ they may belong, their Views of Divine^ trmh are apt to become unsettled and ooitupt—«nd that, to prevent this process fhim proceediqg, to the endangering of souls j and the injury oH ChriMHr cause in the world,' no ooiirse tm the part ' ai^thn pastor is* w likely by the blessing of God to ^rove eflR»6t«ii, ns that or asking tht^ ambers of the fiook committed to him by the €%ief Shepherd, wUit ilN'^ttteir riews of Divine ftnih ; aiid, on aeeertaAnfing that all is well, (MiiAilnfi^ and ediiViij^ theit eo^ds in th^tr lAdet holv niidi': but, shoaM tMt« bn tfMkniMted th« ekiitehce of wMie ront of UitenwH, springing' u^to tfotiMtt tlib waif mai if mklr^ked and ibletiltbd, sodn 4o ovffl> mfrnmn^^^^ ■■« mmm rytM in ever, The at- recpffl. both. QQ have relig'um v^asthv »DfessioD , as gen< believcid ualst, ac* Hgne() to Y — unbr «ult from ted intlui correcting liis Cat»> troficienof vious that ructions of ;h j>r»iraite act to tha hefefloiw might hap very plaiir ^ number I whatevsr of Divine^ irenrentthiv iflinjurf of BStor WW asking Un* herd, xfUi aft is wen. but^shoiw 89 lyjh^ (Aid corrupt the Charch at tar^, the pastor who possesses tile iisdbin of winning soals, will, with it tender yet faithful hand, direbt ,&itK^t vigilaAt attention to the danger, and' strive, with prayer to Jbd, to root it out. To aid pastors and people iti this most needful miitciie, the Larger Catechism will be found a most profitable and use- ful guide. ¥ 'The preparation of the Shorter Catechism next occupied the time and iii^ion of the Assembly. It was intended for the instruction, on the i^jD' mentioned plan of question and answer, of those who may not iihe hiade great progress in Divine knowledge. Many christian pa- iStt^ and heads of families, as well as the members of families and hold^ have found this mode of instruction to be of eminent service il;ireindviftg^he ignorance which naturally overspread the human soul: lirii^^the retneitibrance is still sv^eet, of the often witnessed domestic scene liia^ir' native land, in Which there mmgled venerated parents, and be^ ilili^e^ elitd IbVin^ children and domestics, ixmdering together the W<»fd , cbropdring Scriptore with Scripture, with the aid of the admi« fe gaide' Svhich is provided in the Shorter Catechism. And there be ho doubt that if the practice were revived, of parents, especially W evening bfthe Lord's day, aft^r devout attendance on public PH^ijb) callin;^ together their families fbr the purpose of ascertaining ^'^^"^progrfess, if any, is made in the knowledge and practice of true M^ tb^rb would speedily be witnessed, not only in our families^ tbifbilghioui the country, a revival of that righteousness which et- illeth a nation, and m avoidance of sin, which is the reproach of any ^^'k icop^tMitly to be remetnbered thtit the passaged of Scripture siib* ^ ' to thd various statements cotitained In (he FdrM of church gbv^ tfn the Directory fbr public Wbrship— in the Cbbfession bf id in the Larger and Shorter Catechlstns, were itttetided by the iinster Assembly to be essential parts of these public dbcumehtii^ Jned^ssarv that it should be so^ since thb resolution on Which the ^ly ajcted was that such a govermlaeAt ^ould be settled in thil ^ i» lac^ agreeable to God's bdty word : and in the use of uie ^ i'which jbi^mthe&uit of the Assembly's labours, by chUrche^. /'iiticl individual, the' benefit which ihay accrue will bis ibUti^ I'^br^iMol^ a« the appeal ii lUade '* & the L^W and to thb 't'^^ jJnMoeVw^ ("•n Ci^itricalvernon of the book of. Psalms^, which the Chufdi ef ' ler hearl^ Imo bundled yearsliaa uied, in a mostiroportant pari (WOMbip^^asmadehlir 'Francis -Bouse, an eminent Hebievr joil 'II member of- the Parliaineiit which summoned the West* tpmsjl^r 4wn4)lx, 1 it W88 carefully revised , bjf 'm Westrai^sjtcir Asspub Ply -.Kit i?ra/i|'(^^an\tM ^y ^9\^9W^} Assenoib^y: aqd Presbyteries^ jljbeChurcb^ofvSccyU^^^andiEdfter receiving ^me alteraiipns, ^yas atr ^ed as a faithfiUn^^ical^yersionof th^^ pa^t of the word of GinI :ffri)qb c^B'^ns sp ^pprppricitet apfd edifying matter for the exercise oif praise. In, }^47„ tj^e ^tti^b Commissioners to the Westminster Assen^bly i;etur4P^ed tip, $coiIand^, after an absence of nearly jfour years, during l^jl;fi9Jt period they had sigpally distinguished d}em«elvcs by tb^r u^rfh Q^^t^d.apcl laboripusatt^n^ionto the Impprlant busir.a'.»' ' .hi bad l^n ^ntjnjsted to,th^t veperajble body. On their returiir a 0ene/;al ^ssemblr pf t^ Cbjurc^.Qf , ^^otlai^, >yiEi;i bj^ld, , a^ , which the Gonfe;isioa pj[ Fai(ji w(^l jipprpyj^ of, after a d^plaration of; the construction . >vbicb they puit oil thai, part 9f the thirty fij:st chapj^r whv^bs ii^fers to th^ icalliug <^ ^lOr ciesias^cal , 4i^il^b]|es % the» Civil Magistri^te^, la tb^ fqllowiDg yeai:, t^e.lalrger a^ shor^ Caiechis^is rcio^vj^ the app^ohation of tbf Gifi;qijW the Pir^tp^y foyr public, worship, and the ]?'onp 9t. Chj^jrph GpyernuM^n^ had been apprpy*^ pf by a Genjeir^l Ahssen^r hel4 1^(164$,*, ^hesetwo.l9tter.d\'H3!^^ Ij^^.l^^J the,^cp|ttisbComi9ij»sipi3«rs, while the* Westn^iiistey Assemb(jr 1^(18 siiil sitting. , . The several^ Aqts of ^the /General ^ssembtit^ ^WW' mSii^i ^h^^ip ^PfMW'^^* ^^^^^^^'^^'^•pMy ratified by the FarlintDentqf S|RO|d^ l,9p^^ tbi^i so fari ^.4»*t,/^ing« W was, copqerned, h-^ ^ra|9 pjT tl^ , J^agjAe ,l^t\y:een , the mpf, pagdoms w^re W^hp^jti uO:a?^awl It will be seen that each of these five documents is represented itt **« MTj; of tb» covenanted .wijifftrn^ity, in .ftej^ajon bptvyixt tbjB cburoheiof Ctt^f^l iO) tb® K^gdomsof ^cotl^df J^Qgland, mid I^^l^ndf ^' It N h^% jfeit,^m thp beginning of the-ppriod of tjtie B^f9rmi|ti<^, by alj^e « j^pgpg^ij? oi fiithfiil imp^^ w. those, kingdoms,. that lit was lOMf qfprBp}^ W WjceF4>arj ^^ the ^v^ral churches oi Cpirist to hi^ye .fjv^ ^^iiJDiQfifpr 1^^ of procedure,. in.th^variftip/iwto^vbipb^^ |(]jfy,,itbey,w9re req\ur|^ by, Piyj^e^utbqrify to p^f;fftnn jn the Pyif» p]i|e8|^pQ9.a9fi h^kre oimi sua^tber,;as!inre)l as jn tbeyileiyfjf g^new^l wi6» C9i||^thf|m, It \yas felt ^t as tbfiy Wpne I)iyij;if Pu)e, thewpnC^lf lii9,|tbfB«!iigenf4^^fiJie ^p^ rM^irfd j^t QfiJ^,gV^^,que8ttoiii;4f dwuM be some uniform and regular pjan,whidli all haldihgthJ^'H^ iq^t recognise znA act upon, as well for their own edification, as wiUi the view •fpnaentftig tio the VrorSdyfor Ih4 wiorklV«k>Qcfiti >tb» ide» c€ oimMmi imqi^thaiB wlio prafeM'to'tii^^ oiM hadpiA Qbfu/ta Erinli ikonA aiioli« |Aainfhoald be agVMcDiipbn bv) idie Chiircbeiv th«i« Weve, tNnNigo*' wmi^^mfw'^^' i>T^ rcUeca isenibly <)uring dr mine ssemlil? ^Faitk Iheyput P>n of t))«| ijel'onia JtoSqA- lintoenim [\t€d as *•« burcbeiof , by »!}!)»« 'wasmoaf p^tsof oitfi [tb the view ,te,iHtougB- 41 «TatioD, to, prevent such a plan of unifomtity frcm being felli>^€(K ^ete tiras the system of Popery, ivhich had its leagued and vigilaM ^jliliMKries Qver the whole JNation. And there was the system of pre'- lkh% at the head of which the Monarch Lad placed hiir(elf. The ibirit add object of the JMonarch, in heading this latter system, are very ' *^*cally set forth by King James, when, on one occasion, he hap- to have before him some Ministers of the Goepel pleading fvr )om to meet iogether to consult about the affairs of the Churchy he ka^d t6 them; — ^** To that I will never agree ; for the biehopis (meai^ing tflie'pirelatels) must rule the Ministers, and the King must rule both*?? *tb bppose and root out both these systems, and the many evils anisiDg 6^ of thetn with which the whole country was inundated, ap agreement diir' league was entered into by all those in thte, Nation who had witnesi^ Wi disastrous effects which had reisulted from the prevalence of; those Mitiis,' and who longed that such effects might be counteracted. This ddbtiinent is usually railed by the, name qf the " Solemn League iaiid C^vienant^" This Covenant was subscribed by both Houses of Parliih ment in 1643 ; by the Westminster Assembly : by persons of all ranks in the three Kingdoms in the year following : and was also subscribed bj^'l^g Charles the Second, on two different occasions in Scotland |i^6us to his restoration to the throne : as a similar Covenantor Bond wi been subscribed by James, previous to his accession to the throne of Inland ! , It is to be found in the volume which contains thb doou- i&n*ifll whjiidh have been already referred to. Thjs Covenant only te- Hj^ates to be diligently perused, with a steady recollection of thecircum- jit^ceS of danger in which the Ezupire was then placed, to remove fWnn ^fb^ mind (he feeling of derision and obloquy which it is to be feared bw Id^kfbeet) thrown around the very mention of its name. And if the i^ubr accumulating signs of our times be regarded with an eye at all pyative'aBd enliuitened by, the sure wed of prophecy, it requires no '^llkt'jtagaciity toToreiee that in the coming storm of God's righteous ^jg^natioii, against professing Christian Churches and Nations, thoiie Ho Woii|c[ f>e safe tjill the ciflamity be overpast^ miist bind and pledge ' ' iteljv^tpgettier, anijl to one another as before God—- to l6ad a imy ^oi^mu^l liberty, and the preservation of the Scriptural authority Jll^i ]lutc:)6--^tp the ei^tiifp^tion^ppt pnly of popeiy and prelacy, biit yer^^Cllher i^ant which |lhe;,Piyine Father has not planted^ and tb TtB, j^^iie and , undefile^ Religion, according to the word of Oed, )'j$K8)9Qple iof the best Beil^med: Churches, and to endearchir tb jChurc^c^ to as great a uniformity a» p(i o£ setiih[tttion' 'vrilldis- i^,0:! •! ;u )\< 43 < ) Vi^ed ti» an dfort on t^e, part of tho Churches of^hrlst, in th|9 Bntifb Umpire, to pi'esent t)ie idipa of substantial onenfisat^ the EJxQpiVe alb large, and to the wor|d', the Westrtiji^ter Asseinbl^, having thiif Covenanted to be and tQ appear pne, yill e\rer b^ regardeid \fy a^ i^j tsUigent and impaftial Christian patriots with adnpi^atipi^ and gratijtude. l^b faot^ that the principles whicli^ at that tinpe wer^ possessed ani^ niailltained by the great majority of the Ministers^ of the, Goi^pel ip j^pgr land ar6 so little known or so loosely he)d in. the present d{^, says but Htda foir the strength of that spirit 6fA-e§ inaijiiry of wh|cht^s, ^ge ^ professed <(inKghtiBmnen|t so largely boasts, i^id. if eye^f ^e Cbui;ch^ of 6h»i8t are to exhibit a substantial uuifoi;mity ii^doptfii^f!* wori^ip, ^ Svtini6i0nt~^«iid who c^h doubt th^t such aio^ ex;hibHipn sb^l pne day ffitenf?— it win be foiind that the MTestrnjlnster Ass^mhly pjre^ntsi^ larablof the pririctplei} op whiqh such uniformity must r^t* Un|fi>r^- ttjr.'am(M)g#'the'Chtirphbs, can be estabjiish^i ati^ij^ ^^P^ the; C^rcbj^ W«lk Wi& one h^art/ana soiil^bpiid to t|ie Supr^qoip: ^uthorit^ ojf tjh^ €%itf ;>r ,u: \. The most efTeotual and beneficial wav in w;M9h ^e qan c^nmieqiorj «M»ithe Asibmbly at Westminster, is t^ copsid^r, as a, Chur9h ojt.pi^i^ «fte« companng'thei Bible with the Volume in' whf i?n yre prof(^ ^, ijj^ iliorathat-tfaeri ia a- Symbol or p6mp^ndof*Bi[ti^e iruth^^ tplCq^uk •oriiusly^aadtpniyer^ly hot once or tw^e,but oKpn, me Jfewpv^fQOf vhiclitiBtMHing'aloaffand throhghoi^tafltiie churchjes oft|i^ H^fprpo^^^ii^ Mi TIltLofld J68U8 Chria^-i»not, and cai^not b^, witl^ut a g^ople> Tmlf .t^>«nt|)«utii Him^ w oallbd^ iind 6hd^n,'^nd fhi^l7 Iflj^Qgii/n^^ iWijnlliadl^timd superstitioi^f call oth^^ Chiirelt^' thesp^Toneiafp Biii , WitiiftsP >alQn» h» wi(l at kist^acl^bw^ge. \ (if^lf»^^^'vjijmk Ojfl^if^ htarl^ tbougfaimudi conspires (6 dtiud^e them, '£(e'»^heMf %^r«iaa Qweraor: T<6 thia trut^ the m^'m^sterY/^^^hlf^pre W iiywtftjQ^ and 1VjB.abo.ibuBt WitkiiDMin hehalf'bfie ' Odd^^r^ in^i^|. 4iia]if ifltot f iuaib^'TBialdtig^ fimilr a Bime mstrtiition,' to be uaM hyA MmUeI^ IbriaihKaiici^llui work ig gr^ 1$ tte worW.; ^ |mit«C(iie Aanmblyiliilflibotiia ^ivet (Mofortjij jal>uiu%rit testiihpiw,(p trttlh:aiaa^ ksA evstfiamlly atiid^^tis^ dnliin theMmj^of,^nf(|}^ 4llnMi!t9 Goaiandito GbruM fsd^sir^ for^u^bp lt;Wust!b^ar (laify tj|sUaMMi|rio the samel' The' AlnUghty Ibileir^ has apno^ntetl nationys adKyiiM tBstitutioD^ tobai aiso'iisPH bjr Ghri«rt'f(n;^Hi9^ih^^ lt||i|(toedipcla|ABvdfith6 pbwfar «nd Wea^ to be ait the djs^ of Christ for the accomplishmentof His gracious purposes. The Assembly bore public testimony to this truth likewise; and according to the different stations in a nation which Christians occupy, they also are required to lift their public testimony in its behalf. So far as the nation and its ruler's were oODcerned, the witness-bearing of the Westminster Assembly was to a ereat extent given in vain : Rulers recognized not civil authority as the nmral ordinance of God, and allowed not to Christ the Divinely appoint- ed use of that ordinance for the furtherance of His designs of mercy to the nation, and through that nation to the world : the people thus railed, ii defiance of God's Divine method of government, threw off allegiance tjiflian^ who had first renounced allegiance to God — still, the lifting up jl a public testimony was the Church's duty, and it was, to a certain ex- llait performed : so in like manner, let not us'in these days be deterred from titnessing for all the rights and interests of the Redeemer, because of ttiy rec(Mrded want of success in tlie case of those who have gone be- fim us. Let us be chiefly concerned about our individual and coUeo- tife faithfulness to our Divine Master. His assurance is — *^ Be thou fiiUhfiil unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.'* The future nd eternal reward of the witnesssis for Christ will not be in proportion to the amount of apparent success with which their exertions is crown- ed, but will correspond with the spirit and the motive which prcmipt to libour and suffering in His cause. Witness-bearing for Christ is the fi|iiiness of Christ's people—the time for the full manifestation <^ suc^ illM in this yfork rests with him alone. The Gospel of the Kingdom HtSi be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations : and (tm shall the end come. Let every one of us, first giving himself nto the Lord, and labouring with zeal and wisdom in the situation which the Divine Householder has assigned, continue to swell the num- bir of Christ's witnesses on the earth ; and beware, lest, being led away Unik the error of the wicked, he fall from his stedfastness. Mean- ihile, let us recognize, in the events that are sifting nations and church-