the time's corruptions; whereby
many of the people were left to be overcome by snares--"And so laid open
to seek out other principles to justify their practices of compliance,
or extravagances on the right or left hand, not consistent with the
doctrine and rules of the Church of Scotland, others were not constant
in confessing those doctrines before men when called to suffer for, and
avouch them." Neither are there at this day, nor has there been all
along during these years of peace and quiet, suitable endeavours for
suppressing all sorts of unsound doctrine, or purging the land of the
leaven of erroneous principles. Although there have been many laws made
against Popery, yet how have they been put to execution, when Papists
are so rife and Popery prevalent?--the idolatrous mass being set up in
several places of the kingdom; the maintainers and promoters of
Quakerism, Bourignianism, Arminianism, &c, are not punished, but
protected by the state, and connived at by the church. And whereas, the
right endeavouring of maintaining sound doctrine, doth require
uprightness and sincerity in the profession and belief thereof, and a
suitable practice accompanying that belief; we have it to lament that
the most part of us in this land are but hypocritical in the professing
of the doctrines of the gospel, and want a suitable practice and
conversation becoming the gospel, cause, and cross of Christ. Many are
grossly ignorant of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, or study
the circumstantial and controverted more than the fundamental truths.
There has also been great short coming of _real, sincere and constant
endeavors to preserve the worship of God_, public and private. "In times
of hazard, many ministers left off preaching, and the people hearing. We
have been negligent and remiss in family worship; and, instead of
preserving, many have done much to discourage and hinder it: And in
secret we have been formal and careless: Many have satisfied themselves
with the purity of the ordinances, neglecting the power thereof, yea,
some have turned aside to crooked ways destructive to both." Neither
have we been careful to preserve the discipline, church censures being
laid aside, and not impartially exercised against scandals, personal and
public. Scandalous persons being admitted to hold up their children to
baptism, and to partake of the Lord's table and other privileges of the
church, without respect to the rules of Christ. The dis