as you all know that the spiritual sword of God was never put into the hand of your faith, for yours is the faith of the world, not of God's elect; and as you must know that the keys of the kingdom of heaven never were committed to your trust; so it is impossible that the wrath of God, or a delivering up into the hands of Satan, should second your motion, or succeed your sentence of excommunication. If any observer should watch the hand of God toward your delinquent, and see that nothing dreadful follows, as it did on the incestuous person; you must, on such occasions, and in such cases, in order to keep up your credit, and to make people believe that a divine power is still invested in your hands; you must say, as you did of Mr. Mesnard, that he is out of his mind; though he sits at Jehovah's feet clothed, and much more in his senses than ever his pastor was. Moreover, there is a set of people, a small number, a little flock, somewhat like Jacob's spangled cattle, who will be a pest to you, do what you will. They are a set of beings that go altogether by feeling; they are neither charmed with enchantment, nor cheered with oratory. There is but one branch of deception that deceives them, and that is, moving the passions; however, this will not do long; no longer than while you can make them weep with you; the first time that your instrument fails of motion on the affections of nature, it is all over. How ever, these are in the general a set of poor creatures; their subscriptions amount to a mere nothing it is like the grass upon the house-top, wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. But again; whatever is transacted in College Lane, transmit, a bit at a time, to Carter Lane; do nothing without a conjunction of heads. Let hand join in hand; in the multitude of counsellors is safety; and you will find the whole confederacy little enough to keep conscience and countenance upon their legs; for, although a majority carries the point in every society among them, as you assert, yet truth always carries it with God, conscience, and all good men. The ten tribes of Israel had by far the majority, at their revolt; but Judah is said to rule with God, and to be faithful with the saints. Hence you may see, that a majority ought to be an hundred to one, where the God of truth is against them. Once more, and then to conclude. Be assured of this, that if a minister be not born again; if he has no assurance of his life, nor at a point in his doctrine; if he be not a minister of the Spirit, an evangelist; if he do not hold the mystery of faith, as once delivered to the saints, in a pure conscience; if the Spirit, power, and the presence of God, doth not attend him and his ministry; if he doth not declare the whole counsel of God, and stand fast in the doctrine of Christ; and if his church be not members of Christ's body mystical, in union with him, alive to him, and sound in the faith of him; to be separated, to be cut off, to be excommunicated, from such a ministry, and from such a church, is a blessing instead of a curse, and meets with the approbation of God instead of his displeasure. For you must know, that a separation from a preacher deserted of God, can be attended with no more dreadful consequences than the departure of Samuel from Saul, when God had rejected him. Thus far I have advertised you, and thus you will, in all probability, proceed. Yea, ye cannot proceed any other way, unless the grace of God should change your hearts, which there is little hope of at present. Ye have kindled a fire; and ye have compassed yourselves about with sparks: "Walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This," says God, "ye shall have at my down in sorrow," Isai. 1. 11. hand: ye shall lie W. H. P. S. To censure, cut off, or excommunicate, a subject of grace, who is sound in the faith, and who loves and contends for the truth as it is in Jesus, without any charge of scandal in life, or error in principle, brought against him, is excommunicating Christ himself. Such proceedings are not agreeable to God's word, they are not allowable by the laws of Zion: the sentence comes not forth from God's presence; nor does God's displeasure follow upon such partial judgment. The process is against the truth; and springs from a love to self, a zeal to be had in honour, and raging jealousy against the power of God attending supposed rivals. Mr. Adams may enjoy as good a conscience before his tribunal as Paul did before Felix, when the supposed culprit, undaunted, reasoned of righteousness, &c. while the unjust judge trembled. The soul that will stand fast in the testimony of God, and not be moved away from the hope of the gospel, must separate himself from every false pastor, and from false doctrine, that he may enjoy the witness of God; and he that abides by such a pastor and doctrine, has the witness of men. That my reader may see what is called Mr. Adams's Lamentation, which he published, and which gave the first offence, and which is pregnant with reproaches, slander, &c. as Mr. Ryland asserts, I shall here insert the whole of it verbatim as it stands. THE LAMENTATION. VAIN is the preaching now we hear, What harm has our dear Jesus done, To look to him for all we want, Look to yourselves, the preachers cry, For 'tis your wicked hearts alone Thus do our modern teachers cry, All wise in their conceit; Calvin the champion's laid aside, |