No 5. APPENDYX4 424 the world lafls, that where a man's difcourfe is in general folid, found, and to the purpofq,i little notice is taken, Of feverity ufed, as to forne words or phrafes, though not fo well chofen, or fitly Pet ; becaufe men for molt part remember themfelves to be but men who cannot promife on every occafion to write or fpeak infalliably ; elfe proceffes of this fort had not unto this day been fuch a' rarity in the churches of Chrift, and particularly in the church of Scotland. Now, fince it is undeniable, fo might it not have been expected, if the main of what I delivered on thefe fubjects had been agreeable, and acceptable, the want of force of that accuracy and exaétnefs of words, or prudence, which others knew themfelves could have managed thefe fubjeets With, would have been overlooked or pardoned ? But the meathres which have been taken, will, I am afraid, occafion fufpicions, which I heartily with may be groundlefs. There ace, Moderator, many things to perfuade a íhynefs and warinefs in judging and condemning what is delivered as a meffage from the Lord, which it might be reckoned impertinent for me to infiftpon before fuch a reverend judicatory ; and therefore I thall not do it. Far be it from me to mean hereby, that it thould be any fcreen to a man's delivering error or herel'y, that he does it from the pulpit; or that this Reverend Synod Mould not thew a due zeal for the purity ofgofpel-doétrine ; but I muff thy, it was a fore matter, iffo many learned men, having their fpiritual fenfes exercifed to difcern betwixt good and evil, could not judge of the doctrine of a fermon they heard, without fo much ado, and fuch a procedure, fo very ex- traordinary ; having for its native tendency (however the mercy and wifdom of Divine Providence may turn it) the utter and irretrievable ruin of a man's reputation and ufefulnefs in the world ; things that no judicatory of Jefus Chrift fhould be very fond or rath ofattempting. This, I thy, being the native ten- dencyof fuch meafures, every failing or imperfe&ion, the wit and invention of men fet on work, and doing their utmott, may find out in a man's papers, forced from him, will be fo far from juftifying fuch pomp and folemnity before the Lord, the world, or their own confciences, wing a faithful part, that, without they have force very confiderable matter for their foundation, they may be a perfecution lefs merciful, and more bloody, than carrying One to a fcaffbld would be. Moderator, It is given out ofme, propagated amongthe people, ,and through the church, as far as it will go, that I deny the Father in the glorious Godhead, the necellìty of holinefs in believers, that the law of God is binding upon them, or that there is any need of a preparatory work of the Holy Spirit on the fouls of men, &c. and whatnot? and now, when the fermon is delivered,, that I have altered it, and kept back all the grofs things that were in my papers, and which I delivered before the Synod ; whereas the brethren appointed to receive the copy 3G2
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=