• What tyranny is exercised in auricular confeffion, whereby every adult perfon, who has been baptized, is bound to confefs all his fins, with all their circumstances, once in the year, at leaft, to the priest that he may obtain the re• miffion of them! Who but must acknowledge, that this is a grievous rack to the confcience, the inftrument of Papal tyranny and extortion, an engine to get into the fecrets of kingdoms and families, and the fchool of wickedness and un• cleannefs?"

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What tyranny in prefcribing feafts, and fafts; watchings, and ceremonies; partly Heathenish, and partly Jewish, whereby confciences are preffed as with a moft grievous burden? - These laws are urged with fuch great rigour, that the • violation of the divine law feems nothing, compared with the tranfgreffion of them. Who knows not that the man contracts far greater guilt, ac⚫cording to the Popish priests who eats flesh on Friday, than he who lifts up a blafphemous tongue against God? 'confeffion once a year, than he who hath lived the most wicked life all the year long? He who has not performed his vowed pilgrimage, than he who hath broken all his promifes? He who miniftring in facred things, has entered into the honourable bond of marriage, than he who hath defiled himself with a thousand stains?-What is it to make void the law of God through their traditions, if this be not?'

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He who omits auricular

Turret. De Neceff. Seceff. Difput. V. fect. 29.

What tyranny to the bodies of men! The Romish enemy armed with power, obliges them either to believe, or burn: fad alternative! They must believe what she teaches, and obey what the enjoins, otherways they shall feel her hottest indignation. Need I go far to prove this pofition? Or again lead you through the red-fea of the martyr's blood? Who has not heard of the English Wickcliff? whofe bones were burnt at Oxford, forty years after his death, Anno 1425.

Who has

not heard of John Hufs and Jerome of Prague? who, the public faith being violated by the decree of the council of Conftance, were not only perfecuted with the hardeft imprisonment, and other torments, but were burnt alive, about the year 1416. Who knows not what cruel perfecutions were raised in the principal kingdoms of Europe, against the Albigenfes, the Waldenfes, the Lollards, the Lutherans, and the Reformed, fetting themfelves in oppofition to the errors and tyranny of the Roman church?

Thus the Popish enemy may be faid to come in like a flood, in refpect of herefy, idolatry, and perfecution. In these three channels the Romish And if the two former be opened

torrent runs.

* The French king by his commiffioner to the fynod of AJanfon, Anno 1637, forbad the Protestants to call the Pope Antichrift, upon pain of filencing ministers, diffolving the religi ous church meetings, and even greater punishments. The fame prohibition was renewed by his commiffioner, to the third fynod of Charenton, Anno 1644. And in the commiffioner's speech to the fynod of Loudun, Anno 1660, they were exprefly forbidden to mention the word Antichrift. Quick's fynod. Vol. II. p. 326, 431, 507.

into a land, the latter cannot long be fhut. If the wound of the beast be healed, it foon follows, that as many as will not worship his image must be killed, Rev. xiii. 15. If once the altar of Damafcus be reared up in the midst of Jerusalem, the next measure is to confecrate it with the blood of the faints. Herefy, idolatry, and persecution, is a threefold cord, not quickly broken. They are the three furies of hell and Rome.-So much for what is meant by the enemy coming in like a flood.

REFLECTION S.

N a review of what has been faid, we may have fome understanding of the times. They are troublous indeed, full of peril to the church of Christ. Dark and cloudy is the day. Seldom, fince the Reformation, has Britain's fky been more red and lowring. A fearful cloud hovers over our land, threatning to discharge itself in a tremendous ftorm. Alas! for the day is great; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, Jer. xxx. 7.

1. A flood of infidelity has overwhelmed us, as from Dan to Beerfheba. Multitudes of all ranks have rejected the counsel of the Lord, and caft his word behind their back.-Deifm dwells in the tabernacles of the fashionable and the rich; and unashamed, walks in and out among us, as at noonday. To ridicule revelation, is now become the mark of a virtuofo. The generality of our great men have, like the five and twenty in Ezekiel's vifion, turned their backs on the temple of the Lord, chap. viii. 16. And, ah! what multitudes of mean

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men have aped them in their fhameful apoftacy! And when men have their back to God, need I fay, whither they have their face? whither but to Tophet, which he has ordained for his enemies? Mockers and malignants, fwarm in every corner of our land. Seldom, I think, has the malignant spirit run higher: God grant, that it may not foon break out into an open and avowed perfecution of the lovers of truth and holinefs.-To believe the fcriptures, to revere them as the unerring oracles of heaven, is now reckoned weak and fuperftitious. He who believes them, is by many accounted mad..

A flood of error has come into our land, and with increasing rapidity carried away multitudes. About fixty years ago, truth fell in our ftreet; and fince that æra, the glorious doctrine of grace has been gradually lofing ground *. Moral virtue and natural powers have been extolled, to the great degrading, to the almost discarding of imputed righteousness, and divine influences. It was holy Luther's obfervation, that Juftification is the article of a standing, or a falling church +.' Like the fun, it diffufes it's influences far and wide: nothing is hid from it's heat. But, ah! how it's light is eclipfed at prefent! The belief, illuftration,

* Would Zion's eyes have feen her healthful fons
Difgorge the MARROW, and digeft the bones?
Her ferious Clerks with numbers fport themfelves,
And for twelve Brethren, Queries hatch by Twelves?
Would rowers into waters great have brought
The fhatter'd veffel with fo little thought?

R. ERSKINE's verfes on the famous CUTHBERT's death.

t Juftificatio eft articulus ftantis, feu cadentis ecclefia.

and defence of the doctrine of juftification, thro imputed righteousness, led our way from Rome; and the cloud that is now caft over it, fearfully forefodes our return. Juftification and fanctification are the Jachin and the Boaz, the pillars of the temple of truth; and confidering how these are weakened to day by the hands of many work-men, that temple must be as a bowing wall, and a tottering fence.

Tho' all fubfcribe one and the fame Confeffion of Faith; yet it is but too evident, that like the 39 articles of the church of England, it is fubfcribed by many, not as a test of orthodoxy, but only as a bond of peace. Nothing can be more oppofite than often their doctrine who have fubfcribed the fame confeffion. Sooner might the iron and the clay mix in the monarch's dream, Dan. ii. 43. than their doctrine can be made to agree. To use the words of a late luminary in the neighbourhood *, • That there is a difference in doctrine, is so true, that it cannot be denied; and fo important, that it fhould not be concealed.'-Pillars of Arian and Socinian fmoke have arifen in different corners of the land. Several there are, who, if they do not impudently deny the Godhead, and the facrifice of the Son; yet they criminally conceal these foundation-doctrines of Chriftianity. Numbers have loft the fight and favour of evangelic truth. Arminianifm is the modifh doctrine: and provided the Preacher's action be graceful, and his ftyle ornamented, there is little or no follicitude with many as to his orthodoxy. Nay, numbers who can yet Dr. Witherspoon, late of Paifley.