ch the Lord hath set so remarkable a beacon. And, after all that
is come to pass unto us, because of this our trespass, and after that
grace hath been showed unto _our fathers and us once and again_ from the
Lord our God, by breaking these men's yoke from off _their and our
necks, and sometimes_ delivering our fathers _so far from their
insultings_, that he put them in a capacity to act for the good of
religion, their own safety, and the peace and safety of the kingdoms,
should they and we again break the commandment and covenant of the Lord,
by joining once more with the people of these abominations, and taking
unto our bosom these serpents which had formerly stung us almost unto
death; this, as it would argue great madness and folly upon our part, so
no doubt, if it be not avoided, will provoke the Lord against us, to
consume us until there is no remnant nor escaping in the land? many
times have we been warned of the sin of complying with malignants, both
by faithful ministers, and fatherly corrections from the Lord;"--yet,
after all these punishments, we have again joined with the people of
these abominations; the Lord is righteous, for we remain yet escaped as
it is this day; behold, we are before him in our trespass, we cannot
stand before him because of this.

These incendiaries, malignants, and evil instruments, made many grievous
encroachments, and prevailed much in the days of our fathers--yet not
without dissent, testimonies, warnings, and declarations; but more
especially in the dismal days of persecution and tyranny, they were
suffered, yea, encouraged, without any significant joint testimony, not
only to hinder the reformation of religion, but to overturn the whole
work of reformation, to burn and bury the covenants for it, to
re-establish abjured Prelacy, erect a monstrous Christ-exauctorating and
church-enslaving supremacy, attempt the introduction of Popery and
slavery at the gate of an anti-Christian toleration, and to persecute
and destroy the godly, who durst not in conscience comply with them; and
not only to divide the _King from his people, or one of the kingdoms
from another_--but first, to divide the bulk and body of both kingdoms,
and make them pursue divided interests from the interest and cause of
Christ, and then to divide the remnant of such as adhered to it amongst
themselves, by indulgences and other bonds of contention, in order to
get them more easily destroyed; and at length to engage th