brethren, their reproaches, and persecuting by the
tongue those whom the Lord had smitten, and talking to the grief of
those he had wounded. And all sorts of us have been wanting in our
sympathy with, and endeavoring succor to, our suffering brethren, let be
to deliver them from their enemies' hands according to our capacity. So
also, it is for matter of lamentation, that many ministers all alongst
discovered great unconcernedness with, and contempt of, poor despised
and reproached sufferers, condemned the heads of their suffering, forgot
or refused to pray for them publicly. And as this Article was all
alongst through the persecuting times, most grossly violated, so to this
day it continues to be. Any that would appear in the least active in
this cause, are so far from being assisted that they are borne down,
derided, sentenced, and sometimes imprisoned; whatever motions are made
in private discourses, or public sermons, which may import a respect to,
or liking of, this noble cause of religion, or a dislike of, and
displacency with the courses opposite unto it, are so far from being
countenanced, that the movers are hated, vilipended, contemned or
censured, as raisers of dust, formenters of division, pragmatic,
turbulent and fractious spirits, and loaded with many other defamatory
epithets and calumnies. Many instances of which may be given since the
Revolution. For example, when in the year 1690, there was a paper of
grievances presented to the Assembly by some of those who had been
keeping up a witness against the iniquitous courses of the times, and
were now expecting that as the fruit of a merciful delivery from
tyrannical usurpations, and antichristian persecutions, Reformation
should be revived, grievances redressed, judicatories rightly
constituted, and duly purged, it was far from receiving a kind and
friendly reception and they who presented it left without assistance and
help, contrary to the tenor of the Covenant, so that that paper could
not be allowed a hearing, let be a redress, and the persons who offered
it to their consideration were, to their great sorrow and grief of
heart, dismissed without a satisfying answer. As also when Messrs.
Linning, Shields and Boyd, who had been carrying on a Testimony against
the time's defection, and were now minded to join with the Assembly,
after the exhibition of their Testimony, whatever acceptance it might
meet with at their hands, had in prosecution of this their des