OR CAL An Hiftorical Reprefentation of the TESTIMONIES, Of the Church of Scotland, for the Intereft of Chrift, vvith the true State thereof TOGETHER WITH A Vindication of the prefent Teftimonie, against the Popish, Prelatical, & Malignant Enemies of that Church, as it is now ftated for the Prerogatives of Chrift, Priviledges of the Church, and Liberties of Mankind, and fealed by the fufferings of a Reproached Remnant of Presbyterians there, witneffing against the Corruptions of the Time. WHEREIN Several Controverfies of Greatest Confequence are enquired into, and in fome measure cleared; concerning hearing of the Curats, owning of the prefent Tyrannie taking of enfnaring Oaths & Bonds, frequenting of field meetings, Defenfive Refiftence of Tyrannical Violence, with feveral other Subordinate Questions uferul for thefe times. Alexa By a Lover of true Liberty. Pfal. 94. 20. Shall the Throne of iniquity have fellowship with Thee that frameth mischief by a Law? Prov. 28. 15. As a roaring Lion & a ranging Bear fo is a wicked Ruler over the poor people. Hof. 8. 4. They have fet up Kings but not by me, they have made Princes and I knew it not. Revel. 12. 11. And they overcame bim by the bloud of the Lamb and by the word of their Teftimony and they loved not their Lives unto the Death. Printed in the Year Ciǝ 13C LXXXVII. 1.27-36 gen Chriftian Reader; P Refuming it is thy defire, to answer the holy & honourable defignation I accoft thee with,I shall take the Confidence to affure thee, it is my defign to answer in fome measure the expectation, which the Title of this Treatife would offer; in the hope, that, wherein I come short (as I indeed confefs not only my jealous fears, but my fenfible conviction of my infufficiency for fuch a great undertaking) thy Chriftian ten dernefs will impute it to my weakness, and not to any want of worth in the Caufe I manage; which is truly worthy, weighty, noble, & honourable, in the esteem of all the Lovers of Chrift, that have Zeal for his Honour in exercife: And therefore as it gives me all the encouragement I have, in dependance on his furniture, whose Cause it is, to make fuch an Effay; So it animates my ambition, albeit I cannot manage it with any proportion to its merit, yet to move the Chriftian Reader to make enquiry about it, and then fure I am he will find it is Truth I plead for, though my plea be weak. All I shall further fay by way of Preface is to declare the Reafon of the Title and the defign of the work. Though Books ufe not to be required to render a reason of their names, which often are arbitrarly impofed, more for the Authors fancy, and the times fashion than for the readers Inftruction: yet, feing the times injuries do oblige the Author to conceal his name, the Title will not obfcurely notify it to fome, for whofe fatisfaction this is mainly intended, and fignify alfo the Scope of the fubject; which aims at giving goodly words, not fuggared with Parafitick fweetness, nor painted with affected pedantry, but fairly brought forth in unhampered freedom, for the beauty of the bleffing of humane & Christian Liberty, in its due & true boundaries. This was the subject of a difcourfe, as fome may remember, on that Text whence this Title is taken Gen. 49. 21. Naphtali is a hind let loofe: In profecuting of which, the Speaker with feveral others, falling at the fame time into the hands of the hunters, to learn the worth of that interrupted fubject from the experience of the want of it; an 4359 осса |