of communion; libelling, lafhing, and loading with heavy charges, thefe who dare not make their new decrees any rule of faith or practice. Such impofition our Lord difcharges; and tells the impofers of them, that they made void the commandment of God, by their commands and traditions, Matth. xv. 3. Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," verfe 9. Compare this with Deut. xii. 32. "What thing foever I command you, obferve to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." We must not deal with God's ordinances, as that tyrant Procuftes did with men: if they were too long for his bed, he would cut them fhorter; if too fhort, he would pull their limbs out of joint to make them longer. Such tyranny likewife over the consciences of men, would thefe practife, who would bind people implicitely to their new doctrines, dictates, and decifions. Sure these are temple deftroying methods.

Such are these alfo, of libelling after fentence pronounced t; and then proftituting the ordinance of God, to the reproach of the world, by cafting out of communion with them all fuch as cannot fail down and worfhip the image they have fet up, or comply with their new precepts; wherein they make themfelves judges of the law of God, as Manton upon James iv. 11. fpeaks: Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that fpeaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother,

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* Scarce did ever a fpirit of calumny and reproach more prevail than upon this occation: if we confult their Acts and Proceedings, and other performances, we will find, that " Apoftates and backfliders from the Lord's ways; fillen "ftars; departers from, betrayers and buriers of the whole teftimony of the "day; oppofers of the caufe of Chrift; left their Bibles behind them; begun "to go back to Egypt;" with fuch-like appellations, were the ufual epithets given to their brethren at this time and for no other reafon, but because they affirmed the lawfulness of fwearing the religious claufe of the burgefs oath, which binds to maintain that divine thing and precious treasure, the Tiue Religion, prefently profeffed and authorifed by the laws of the land; and which our ftanding laws term, "The true religion; God's true religion; Christ's true religion; God's eternal truth, contained in thể Word of God, expressed in • fuch and fuch Confeffions of Faith, and fworn alfo to in our National Covenant.”

It was already obferved, p. 474. that immediately on the back of the Brethren's new conftitution, they materially fulpended and exauctorated all Minifters and Elders from their facred offices; yet they afterwards put a Libel into their hands, confifting of feven articles, which was the foundation of all the unparalleled cenfures paffed upon them. The articles of this Libel, 'with Remarks thereupon, by the Rev. Mefs. E. Erfkine and Fisher, may be seen in a Preface, prefixed to our Author's tract,`intitled, Obfervations on the Conduct of the feparating Brethren.

fpeak

fpeaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgeft the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge." Whence he obferves, "That to make "more fins than God hath made, is to judge the law, "as if it were not a perfect rule. Men, fays he, will "be wife beyond God, and bind others in chains of "their own making. There is an obedience of faith, "by which the understanding muft be captivated to God, "but not to men; to the word, but not to every fancy. "There is a double fuperftition, fays he; pofitive and "negative one is, when men count that holy which "God never made holy; another is, when men condemn "that which God never condemned: both thefe are like faulty. We are not in the place of God: it is not in "our power to make fins our duties.-" Touch not, tafte "not, handle not," was the ordinance and precept of "falfe teachers, Col. ii. 19. There are three things, "fays he, excepted from men's judicature, God's coun fels, the holy fcriptures, and the hearts of men. "fhould not dogmatize and fubject men to ordinances of "our own making, prefs our own authorities, and rigo"rous obfervances as duties. Juftice and wifdom is

We

good; but to be juft overmuch, and wife overmuch, is "ftark naught, Eccl. vi. 15, 16. that is, to be just and

wife beyond the rule. Man is a proud creature, and "would fain make his morofity a law for others, and "obtrude his own private fenfe for doctrine. It is "ufual to condemn every thing that does not please us, "as if our magifterial dictates were articles of faith. "We must not come in our own name, but judge as "the world judges, otherwise we judge the world. The "Lord grant, he adds, we may confider it in this dog

matizing age, wherein every one cries up his own pri"vate conceit for Law, and men make fins rather than "find them." Thus far he fpeaks, as if he had been living and fpeaking in the midft of us juft now, when men are, by this method among the reft, deftroying the temple, and demolishing it.

I only add another method, ufed amidst thefe days of temptation and awful delufion, for deftroying and demolishing the temple, and that is, the managing all

under

under the highest pretence to piety, religion, and progrefs in reformation. And, indeed, Satan would never gain his defign fo much, if he did not transform himself into an angel of light, and busk up his black temptations with the fair colour of zeal for God and his glory. Thus Chrift himfelf was arraigned and condemned, under colour of zeal for the Sabbath-day, which his enemies faid he profaned; of zeal for the law, which they faid he tranf greffed; "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." Thus the apostles were caft out of the fynagogue, under pretence of doing fervice to God; "The time cometh, that whofoever killeth you, fhall think he doth God fervice," John xvi. 2. Thus it was of old, Ifa. lxvi. 5. "They that hated and cast out their brethren, faid, Let the Lord be glorified." And thus it is, Mic. iii. 10, 11, 12. "They build up Zion with blood, and Jerufalem with iniquity. Yet will they lean upon the Lord, and fay, Is not the Lord among us? &c. Therefore fhall Zion, for your fakes, be plowed as a field, and Jerufalem fhall become heaps."-Well, even by these, and the like methods, the Lord is faying to temple-destroyers at this day, with reference to the Affociate church, Deftroy this temple, by giving men leave to break, divide, and demolish it. But,

[2] As to the fecond queftion here, What are the finful caufes amongst us, that have provoked God to order fuch a rent, rupture, and deftruction of the temple?

None of us can justify ourselves before God, whether minifters or people of the Affociation; "Who gave Jacob to the fpoil, and Ifrael to the robbers? Hath not the Lord, he against whom we have finned? Our own wickedness correcteth us, and our backflidings reprove us:" therefore, let us not fay we are innocent, and lay all the blame upon finful inftruments. Though we cannot juftify them, yet let us not justify ourfelves before God; though we may juftify ourfelves before men from many falfe charges they lay againft us. Even in thefe we may fee and adore the righteoufnefs of God in chaftening us: in fuch croffes as thefe, while we look to the hand of God,

God, we are chaftifed for our fin; but from the hand of men, we suffer for our honefty.

I shall lay before you fome of the finful caufes of the rupture and breach, wherein the deftruction of the temple is threatened.

1. Rafhnefs at the beginning, in the way wherein many acceded to the Teftimony of the day, without due confideration of the matter, as duty before God, but rather influenced thereto by the example of others. This may have provoked the Lord to fay, Deftroy this temple. In regard many are now giving evidence, that at first they were but followers of men, leading them one way; for now they are followers of men, leading them just another way; and even, perhaps, the fame men leading them a quite contrary way. Thus the Lord is trying peoples honefly, in the way of their firft cleaving to the tellimony of the day, and difcovering their heart-popery, in believing as the church or other men believe, and following as men would lead them. Now, when peoples fear towards God is taught by the precepts of men, this brings on heavy judgments, according to Ifa. xxix. 13, 14. If men rafhly receive the truth itfelf, without trying it by the word, or looking any further than mens word, they receive it no otherwife than they would receive a fable. That faith ftands upon a very tottering ground that is founded upon the will, or wifdom, or opinions of men. Hence fo much unftedfaftnefs when the wind of temptation arifeth; and many fhewing themselves but children, toffed to and fro with every wind.

2. Untenderness toward these we left in the Judicatories, when we made a Seceffion from them, without dealing more kindly with them, praying more for them, and bearing more with them; especially fuch as were friends to the fame Reformation caufe, though not enlightened in the fame manner of witneffing for it. Some began too foon to feverities; even in excluding fuch from their communion, which tended to refrain and keep them back from us. Though we began with fome moderation towards them; yet, through unftedfaftness, in ftanding to cur firft refolution, many proceeded foon VOL. VII. + H h

to

to fuch heights, as could not in the iffue but terminate in a downfal. If, in this refpect the bond of brotherly love was too foon broken, the Lord is righteous in ordering fuch a breach among us, as threatens the deftruction of this temple, and to make them read their fin in their punishment. It is true, though all of us were not equally chargeable this way, yet we have been too indulgent towards fuch as were fo; and therefore cannot purge ourselves.

3. The Lord may have given orders to deftroy this temple, becaufe of the untender walk and converfation of many profefled witneffes, having no converfation becoming the gofpel, nor becoming the high profeffion of religion and reformation they have made though they have profeffed to witnefs against the fins of others, what have they done, in their walk, more than others? Have not many that profefs to know God, given evidence that in works they deny him? May not God juftly plead a controverfy for the manifold neglects of fecret and family worship? neglects of Chriftian fociety and fellowhip? neglects of fpirituality in word and walk? want of natural love and tenderness? evil-fpeaking, whispering, and backbiting? bitternefs of fpirit against those that differ from them? not becoming all things to all men, that we might gain them to the Lord's caufe and way? not fanctifying God's holy Sabbath, nor his holy name? undervaluing gospel-privileges, and former peace and plenty not rendering to the Lord according to his great goodnefs? over-valuing ourselves, and our external privileges?

4. Untendernefs of brethren towards one-another, not walking in love, as Chrift alfo loved us; not regarding or remembering the covenant of brotherhood, which fhould ftand fast in Chrift. When the precept and example of Christ is herein flighted and neglected, no wonder that the ftaff of Bands as well as Beauty fhould be broken, as it is faid, Zech. xi. 14. " Then I cut afunder mine other ftaff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Ifrael." Then he is faying, Destroy this temple.

5. Driving different defigns, even in covenanting-work.