or endeavour to withstand it.  Yea, the administration of the government and the greatest offices of power and trust were committed into, and permitted to abide in the hands of Papists; and the head of them and great pillar and promoter of Popery, James the VII, was owned as King, contrary to the laws of God and man and covenant obligations, without respect of persons to extirpate Popery and Papists; and few during that time evinced any just zeal or indignation against, or fear of the manifest appearances of the coming in of Popery and intended establishment of it in the land.  And not only then, but even to this day, there is too much conniving at Papists; the laws are not put in execution against them in their full extent and latitude:  And albeit this land, yea, whole Britain and Ireland, were purged of Popery, yet cannot we be said to have made conscience of performing this part of the oath of God, while there is a confederating with Papists abroad and fighting in their quarrel, and that, whilst in the meantime they are persecuting, with the height of rigour and severity, all such as profess any thing of the reformed religion in their dominions.  And as there hath been great failures in respect of extirpating Popery, so especially in the performance of that part of the covenant which binds us to the extirpation of Prelacy—­“i.e. Church government by arch-bishops, bishops, their chancellors and commissaries, deans, deans and chapters, archdeacons, and all other officers depending upon that hierarchy:”  there hath been a most wilful and palpable violation of the oath of God, though it be most clearly our duty prescribed in his word.

Matt. xx. 25, 26.  “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them:  But it shall not be so among you:  but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.”  Luke xxii. 25, 26.  “And he said unto them the Kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them,” &c.  Acts xx:  17.  “And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.”  Compared with verse 28.  “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you observers (bishops) to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”  I Peter v. 3.  “Neither as being lords over God’s heritage:  but being ensamples to the flock.” 3 John verse 9.  “I wrote unto the church; but Diotrepehes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them, receiveth us not.”

And these breaches of it were not only made during the tunes of persecution, when Charles the II. by an arbitrary power, granted him by a parasitical Parliament, did overturn Presbyterian government, and introduce Prelacy, to which change the greatest part of the ministry did perfidiously yield, and became vassals to the bishops; such as were not willing to conform, were pressed to it by confinement, banishment, imprisonment, confiscation of goods, all manner of tortures, and, finally, death itself.