witness
against the same, as the first remarkable step, to make way for that
bloody catastrophe, that afterward befell the church. The Lord, then, in
his righteous displeasure and controversy with the nation, for betraying
of his cause and interest into the hands of his enemies, sold them into
the hand of that conquering usurper, Oliver Cromwell, who, having stript
them of their civil liberties, as the most effectual method to rob the
church of her spiritual privileges, and nullify the forcible obligation
of the sacred covenants (which, when preserved, serve as a strong
barrier against all such usurpations), framed a hellish and almost
unbounded toleration in Scotland, of heretical and sectarian errors, for
gratification of the abettors thereof, which was followed with a deluge
of irreligion and impiety, drowning the nation in a still deeper
apostasy.

In this hour of temptation, the witnesses for CHRIST, endeavoring to
keep the word of his patience, testified against these evils, as
contrary to the word and oath of God, and destructive of the church's
former glory. And Charles II, who had lately, by all the confirmations
of word, writ, and solemn oath, obliged himself for the maintenance and
defense of religion and liberty, having cast off the thing that was
good, the enemy did pursue him so, that he, instead of being able to
stand as a head of defense to the nations, narrowly escaped with life
from the enemies' hands, being obliged to abscond and fly before the
sectaries into France; where, and in other parts, he remained an exile
for the space of ten years, and there discovered, he had no regard to
the principles he had lately professed and sworn to maintain: but
breaking his professed wedlock with CHRIST, is said, at that juncture,
to have joined hands with the Romish whore, laying aside his cloak of
professed godliness, and again taking up with the mystery of iniquity.

During the ten years' usurpation of Cromwell, those who endeavored
faithfulness, had a fight of affliction to keep their ground; yet, after
this came to a period, they had a far more fierce encounter, and of
longer duration, to engage in, in the cruel and bloody tragedy acted
upon them, for the space of 28 years.

As, by the public resolutions, and foresaid unbounded toleration, the
bounds fixed by JEHOVAH, and homologated and sworn to, in our national
attainments and constitution, were greatly altered, so the parliament of
England prepared the t