constitution and doctrine from the notions of them fpread through the writings of that fide, he must form a very falfe and injurious idea of both; nor could we blame him for contemning and abhorring such a party as it is given out we are. Were our principles only blackened with the moft malicious flanders by fuch as openly favour Popery, and fhow an inclination to make too great advances to Rome; or by men of haughty and paffionate minds, who are impatient of the leaft contradiction, and have accuftomed themfelves to put the harshest construction on things, and treat every body that is fo prefumptuous as to differ from them with rudenefs and ill language; we should have rather pitied them than retaliated injuries, and endeavoured to bear it with patience, and an eafinefs of mind; knowing that truth and charity must be always expofed to fuch ufage from those of their adverfaries in whom heat and darknefs are the governing powers, and that a wife man will ever lay his account to meet with it, while there are so many who "whet their tongues "like a fword, and bend their bows to fhoot "their arrows, even bitter words, that they may "fhoot in fecret at the perfect." We fhould have alfo with as much indifference and calmness neglected the fcurrilous abufive invectives which writers of a meaner rank abound with, or the railing of common pamphleteers, who write to vent their gall and ill-nature, or to gratify the bigotry and rancour of others; fince thefe are not to be reafoned with, and what they fay will feldom make a difadvantageous impreffion upon any that are tolerably endowed with humanity and understanding. But what affects us more fenfibly, and feems to be in a peculiar degree the misfortune of our church, is, that many of better fenfe and temper B 3 have have taken up with the fame falfe notions of it, and act according to the prejudices which have been inftilled into them; and it were easy to inftance feveral late writers of our neighbouring church, distinguished for their learning and moderation, and beyond the least suspicion of favouring Popery or tyranny, who yet feem to have entertained very miftaken ideas of our doctrine and government, to have looked at them in a wrong light, and taken up too much of the unfair colours under which enemies reprefent them. All these make us regard our Confeffion of Faith as of more than usual importance with refpect to this first end, which moved churches to compofe and publifh creeds, the clearing their principles, &c. from calumnies and mistakes. As our fathers therefore did at the Reformation, we alfo beg now fo evident and eafy a piece of justice, that the world would form their fentiments of our doctrine and government upon that plain and open account given of them by ourfelves, in the Confeflion of Faith embraced by the church of Scotland, the Directory, Books of Discipline, and others of public authority amongst us; fince thofe principles alone can with any reafon be imputed to us which the church hath owned; and it were the highest injuftice to attribute any opinions to perfons who difclaim them, and without any better proof that they are theirs, than the word of an adverfary, who may have ignorantly taken up with a falfe and imperfect notion of them himself, or have been influenced by his envious and angry paffions to give them the most odious turn, and reprefent them to their difadvantage. And it is equally unreafonable to charge an error, or an extravagancy, which any particular member of a fociety may fall into, upon the whole body, while perhaps there is not one other that compofes compofes it of the fame fentiments: and yet how common a method is this, whereby warm and forward men exert their party-zeal, in defiance of truth and charity? How oft has it been thought fufficient to justify the charge of fanaticism upon the Prefbyterians, if an unwary expreffion or two, or perhaps an enthufiaftical notion, could be culled out of one of the meanest writers of that denomination, though utterly difowned by the reft; and to blacken the whole body with all that abufive language and fcandalous treatment that they can afford any colouring to, from the behaviour or writings of any who may pretend, and that falfely, to be of her communion? Whereas the true account of any party can only be had from their own writings, and, above all, from the public declarations of their faith, and opinions agreed upon by joint confent of the whole body. And we flatter ourselves, that we have a more favourable plea than fome others, to appeal from the flanderous or mistaken judgements that are frequently made of us, to thofe authentic vouchers of our real principles; because the members of our church have hitherto been unacquainted with the method practised elsewhere, of fubfcribing articles, the primitive and obvious fenfe whereof is contrary to the inward thoughts of the fubfcriber: nor have they learned the art of distinguishing away the defign and fignificancy of fuch tefts of doctrine, and fubtilizing the folemneft declarations into fo thin and airy a form, that they can fubfift without any reality, and be complied with, while principles of an entirely different complexion may be both believed and propagated: for, fo far as we know, there is not one churchman in Scotland (and we are pretty fure that none will adventure to own the contrary) who does not mean, by fubfcribing her Con feffion, feffion, to acknowledge his fincere belief of all the doctrines contained in it, as all the world must understand the words in the plaineft and easiest fense: upon which account, it is in a peculiar manner neceffary, in order to form a juft reprefentation of our church, to study her Confeffions, and take measures of her from them. Were this the method followed by fome learn-. ed men of our neighbouring church, or thofe amongst ourselves who feparate from us, they would poffibly be convinced with how little juftice fuch heavy charges have been brought against us, our government treated with contempt, and our doctrines loaded with fancied abfurdities, or vilified by ignominious epithets; and we doubt not, but, upon a fair and impartial hearing, though they may not approve of every part, they will yet be perfuaded into a milder opinion of the whole, and more favourable fentiments of thofe of our perfuafion It were inconfiftent with the nature of a preface, to mention all the particulars wherein this might be illustrated; we fhall therefore only inftance in two or three heads. They will fee from the 23d chapter of our Confeffion, concerning the civil magiftrate, how false a bottóm all the heavy imputations laid on us by angry adverfaries lean upon, as if we were enemies to order and government, and our principles were inconfiftent with the peace of fociety, and the regard due to lawful fuperiors; fo that no man could favour us, and at the fame time be a friend unto Cefar; fince, from the account there given of our principles concerning civil government, it will appear, that no church maintains doctrines which conduce more to its real dignity and stability, or gives lefs encouragement to the fpirit of faction, and the clamours of feditious and ungovernable minds. Our Our church gives the nobleft and most awful original to the magiftrate's power, the authority of God himself, who hath ordained them to be under him over the people, and armed them with the power of the fword; and thereby begets a becoming fear and veneration for the rulers of a ftate. It represents this inftitution as defigned to promote the most glorious ends, and the ufefullest and lovelieft purpofes, the glory of God, and the public good. And under fo amiable a view, our church endears it to the affections, and recommends it to the fincereft efteem, and the chearful obedience, of its members; and fo fecures the authority and majefty of the prince upon the happinefs of mankind, and the trueft intereft of those that obey; which is a firmer, as well as a nobler foundation, than the doctrines of thofe who diveft government of every fweet and amiable character, while they render it at the fame time formidable and hateful, by clothing it with fears and horrors, and thereby indeed fap its foundations, and rob it of its glory and beauty; and in what they call the fupreme governor, they draw the image of a grim and frightful idol, that may be fervilely bowed to and adored, but can never be efteemed or loved. In a word, that chapter of our Confeffion will fhow, that our church allows every thing to a monarch that is fuitable to the excellency of that God by whom he reigns, that is worthy of his own honour, or that can enable him to accomplish the great and useful ends of his inftitution; and that our principles are inconfiftent with nothing but the domination of an arbitrary tyrant, and the inglorious paffive obedience of a flave. And in one thing, I am afraid, we exceed our moft furious accufers, in their zeal for the honour of princes, fince the fourth paragraph of that fame chapter af ferts, |