t God before them. With the malignants are to be joined the
profane and scandalous, from all which, as also from heresies, and errors,
the Lord I trust is about to purge his churches. I have often comforted
myself, and still do, with the hopes of the Lord's purging of this
polluted land, surely the Lord has begun, and will carry on that great
work of mercy, and will purge out the rebels. I know there will be always
a mixture of hypocrites, but that cannot excuse the conniving at gross and
scandalous sinners. This purging work, which the Lord is about, very many
have directly opposed, and said, by their deeds, we will not be purged nor
refined, but we will be joining, and mixing ourselves with those whom the
ministers preach against, as malignant enemies to God and his cause. But
let him that is filthy, be filthy still, and let wisdom be justified of
her children. I recommend to them that fear God, sadly and seriously to
consider, that the Holy Scripture doth plainly hold forth, 1. That the
helping of the enemies of God, or joining and mingling with wicked men, is
a sin highly displeasing. 2. That this sin hath ordinarily insnared God's
people into divers other sins. 3. That it hath been punished of God with
grievous judgments. 4. That utter destruction is to be feared, when a
people, after great mercies and judgments, relapse into this sin, Ezra ix.
13, 14. Upon the said and the like grounds, for my own exoneration, that
so necessary a truth want not the testimony of a dying witness of Christ,
also the unworthiest of many thousands, and that light may be held forth,
and warning given, I cannot be silent at this time, but speak by my pen,
when I cannot by my tongue; yea, now also by the pen of another, when I
cannot by my own; seriously and in the name of Jesus Christ, exhorting all
that fear God, and make conscience of their ways, to be very tender and
circumspect, to watch and pray that they be not insnared in that great
dangerous sin of conjunction, or compliance with malignant or profane
enemies of the truth, under whatsomever prudential considerations it may
be varnished over, which if men will do, and trust God in his own way,
they shall not only not repent it, but to their greater joy and peace of
God's people, they shall see his work go on, and prosper gloriously. In
witness to the premises, I have subscribed the same with my hand at
Kirkaldy,(392) December 15th, 1648. Mr. Frederick Carmichael,(393) at
Markinch, and