or molestation, if subject to the civil government, as is evident from the 27th Act of the fifth Session of William’s first Parliament, entitled, Act concerning the Church.  Ministers have neglected to draw out the sword of discipline, duly and impartially against scandalous persons of every rank and quality; so that many gross offenders have been passed over without censure, as, namely, such as shed the blood of the Lord’s people, complied with the tyrants and usurpers in the times of persecution, by testing, bonding, hearing of curates, paying of cess and other taxations, intelligencers, and informers against the people of God, accepters of indulgences and toleration, and such as preached under the covert of remissions and indemnities bought by sums of money from the council, such as had been lack and negligent in testifying against the corruptions of the times, were not brought to an acknowledgment of it; but, upon the contrary, encouraged as well-doers, and advanced to office and public employment in the church without evident signs of repentance.  And many other scandalous persons are daily connived at and superficially past, without sufficient discoveries of their repentance and amendment:  Many also have been overlooked because of their eminency in the world, or past over for pecuniary mulcts.  And, whereas, in the same first Article of the Solemn League, we are bound “to endeavor the promoting and propagating of the Reformation and uniformity of religion, Confession of Faith, Form of Church-government (which as it was primarily understood, so still we own to be only Presbyterial) Directory for Worship and Catechising.  According to the Scriptures.”

Isa. xix. 18.  “In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of Hosts.”  Jer. xxxii. 39.  “And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them and of their children after them.”  Zech. xiv. 9.  “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth:  in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one.”  Acts ii. 46.  “And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread, from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”  Acts iv. 32.  “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and one soul.”  I Cor. vii. 17.  “But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk; and so ordain I in all churches.”  Gal. vi. 16.  “And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”  Phil. iii. 16.  “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained; let us walk by the same rule; let us mind the same thing.”

Yet as our fathers had reason to complain, “that the profane, loose, and insolent carriage of many in their armies, who went to the assistance of their brethren in England, and the tampering and unstraight dealings of some commissioners and others of our nation, in London, the Isle of Wight, and other places, had proved great lets to the work of reformation and settling of kirk government there, whereby error and schism in the land had been greatly increased, and sectaries hardened in their way;” so much more during the time of the late persecution, the offensive carriage of many who went to England is to be bewailed, who proved very stumbling to the Sectarians there.