ing report they can get, to juftify their practice in deferting it And God, in his righteous judgment, will let thofe ftumbling-blocks be put in their way, and let them fall and tumble upon them to their ruin, 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8. Ifa. viii. 14, 15. Chrift himfelf could not be fo openly rejected, with any grace, by the Jews, Pharifees, and people of old, if their woful contempt of him had not been rendered, as it were, juftifiable, by its being gilded over with the notion of Chrift's being a blafphemer of God, and thereupon their oppofition to him looked on as a duty and fervice to God. But the flighting of Chrift and his meffage will be purfued with heavy judgments, though this fin fhould be covered over with a mafk of duty to God, and though it fhould be fortified with Sanhedrims and Judicatories in its favours. "I would have gathered you, but ye would not, fays Chrift; therefore behold your houfe is left defolate," Mat. xxiii. 37,38.

V. Those that have any hand in this fin of calling another minifler to this congregation in my room, do by this deed, give fcandal to this congregation that adhere to my miniftry, and do thereby exclude themfelves from the benefit of any fealing ordinance to be difpenfed by me, until they fhall confefs their fin, and be purged from the fcandal and offence they give thereby. And the fcandal may appear plain and evident, not only from what is faid, but if it be confidered,

VI. That thofe who fhall call, and fubmit to any o ther in my room, they not only reject their own lawful paftor, without any ground, but reject him at the last and most noted period of his life, when, in holy providence, he is become more than a minister to them as formerly, a public witnefs for the perfecuted truth and caufe of Chrift: And, to reject my miniftry, in fuch circumflances, is not only a pouring contempt on the whole of my thirty years minifterial work in this place, and a declaring that the gofpel has never been a favour of life, but of death to them; but also a defpifing of the whole witneffing-work of the day, and the public teftimony of the time, wherein God hath honoured me

to

to be concerned. And, indeed, if the people of this place had contrived a way to get rid of my ministry, twenty years ago, their guilt had not been fo aggravated, as now, when a teftimony is put in my hand, wherein the glory of God, and the credit of his name and truth is fo much concerned: For now they cannot caft off my miniftry for another in my room, nor countenance thofe that are carrying on fuch an obtrufion, without involving themfelves in the guilt of all these public defections that I and others are witneffing against; and trampling upon thefe truths of God that we are witneffing for; and cafting behind their back all these reformation-principles, whereof I have been called, all along, to be a profeffor and a preacher, but now to be a confeffor and a witnefs.

Upon all these accounts, I fee it my present duty to warn the people of this place, to confider what they are doing in this matter, as they have any regard to the glory of God, the credit of the gofpel, the falvation of their own fouls, their peace in a dying hour, and the great account they are to make before God's tribunal, of what improvement they make of the gospel-miniftry he hath fent to them.

A Third

A Third MINISTERIAL WARNING read publickly to the Congregation of DUNFERMLINE, on Sabbath' May 1st, 1743.

WHEREAS I understand, that laft Sabbathday there was, by appointment of the pretended Prefbytery of Dunfermline, an intimation made, of the admiffion of one to be minifter in this Congregation, in my room and place, upon Thursday next; and notwithstanding I have formerly given, and publickly read folemn warnings to this congregation on this head, both when the faid Prefbytery appointed my room to be fupplied with other minifters, and afterward, when they appointed the moderation of a call for another minifter in this place; and though thefe warnings have been printed and publifhed, fo as every one has accefs to fee and read them, and none that I know has ever yet offered to anfwer them, and confequently I may be judged to have exonered myself fufficiently on this head: Yet, left any fhould mifinterpret my filence on this occafion, as if I, or any of this congregation, might now be easy or indifferent in this matter, or were any way conniving at this finful and remarkable obtrufion; and left any fhould afterwards alledge, that this defigned fettlement was carried on without any diffenting or reclaiming voice in this congregation, and that fuch an open and wicked encroachment was made without any kind of oppofition; though I neither defign nor defire, that any outward oppofition be made, nor that any external disturbance in the leaft be given, by word or deed, to any that are, or may be concerned in this affair: Nay, fo far on the contrary am I from the ufe of any fuch carnal weapons, to oppofe the public corruptions of the time, or this noted obtrufion among the

reft,

reft, that I defire and expect, none that have a regard for my miniftry, and for the caufe of Chrift, so much run down at this day, will in the leaft offer to countenance that obtruding work; they that give their prefence feem to give their confent, and to involve themfelves in the whole guilt thereof.

All the oppofition I propofe that you or I fhould make against this defigned admiffion, is only by a fober, meek, ferious, and practical witnefs-bearing against it. Therefore I do, in my own name, as lawfully called of God, and of this congregation, to the work of the gofpel miniftry therein, and in the name of all that fhall adhere to me, and my miniftry, and in the fear of that God, to whom I must be accountable for all that I do, before him and this congregation, give my teftimony against that intended admiffion, in fo far as it is a palpable intrufion defigned to be made upon my charge, and against the voice and confent of all in this congregation that are ftill cleaving to my miniftry, and profeffing to witness for the reformation caufe.

Again, In fo far as it is contrary to the rule of God's word, and the gofpel order of difcipline and government in the houfe of God, a violence done to God's heritage, a finful robbing this congregation of their right to, and intereft in their only lawful minifter; an open violation of the facred bonds and obligations this Parish is under to encourage me in, and cleave to my miniftry fo long as it is not fo much as pretended, that I am either convicted of error in doctrine, or immorality in practice, but merely perfecute for non-compliance with the defections of the judicatories, and judicial witneffing with others against the public defections and deviations from our reformation purity, and covenanted doctrine, worship, difcipline, and government.

Again, I give teftimony againft this obtrufion, in fo far as it includes an approbation of, and fiding with the judicatories, in their unlawful and unwarrantable acts and fentences, past against a number of minifters witneffing for the reformation work; and as it includes. a contempt poured upon the difpenfation of the gofpel VOL. IX. + Gg here,

here, accompanied with a teftimony for the whole Covenanted reformation principles.

In fo far likewife, as it includes evident perjury and treachery, not only in violating the particular oath of God towards me, as minifter in this place, when I was unanimoufly called thereto, by all forts of people therein; but also a breaking of the national vows for reformation, which both the minifters of this Prefbytery, and the people of this place have formerly profeffed to be binding upon them: And confequently, as it includes the fin of apoftacy after the knowledge of the truth, and a turning their backs upon the good ways of the Lord.

Likewife, I teftify against it, as it is an open laying of a foundation for a perpetual fchifm and feparation here, from the true Prefbyterian Reformation Cause, which this congregation has been profeffing with me thefe thirty-two years. As it is for adhering to that caufe, I am excluded from the former legal advantages I enjoyed; fo the judicatories, for deferting that cause, are chargeable with the fchifm and feparation that is now like to be perpetuate here, and for which reason all that join with and cleave to the faid established judicatories, in their prefent corrupt way, are guilty of concurring with, and involved in that fchifm.

Again, in fo far as this obtruding work in view, is an opening of a way for other finful fettlements in this congregation, wherein no other vacancy can be filled up, but fuch as will be collegiate partakers with the intruded and intruding fraternity; and confequently fuch as either will have no confcience of the corruptions of the times, and the danger of running without being called and fent, or elfe must be reckoned to be brought in over the belly of all the light and confcience that God has given them; which is a very heaven- daring provocation, and may juftly bring wrath to the uttermoft upon this place, and make God pursue a heavy quarrel with the inhabitants thereof, and with their pofterity after them, who fhall be involved in, and acceffory to the wickednefs and guilt of thefe fettlements,

fo