ve than the testimony of any
one particular church since Christianity commenced in the world) but
also a sure and costly testimony, confirmed and sealed with blood; "and
that of the best of our nobles, ministers, gentry, burgesses and commons
of all sorts;"--_who loved not their lives unto the death, but overcame
by the word of their testimony.--Bind up the testimony, seal the law._

(2.) Altho' there is no truth whatsoever, when once controverted, but it
becomes the word of Christ's patience, and so ought to be the word of
our testimony, Rev. v. 10. xii. 11.; truth and duty being always the
same in all ages and periods of time, so that what injures one truth, in
some sense, injures and affects all; _For whosoever shall keep the whole
law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all_, Jam. ii. 10. Yet
at the same time it is pretty evident, that the church of Christ in this
world is a passing church, still circulating through ages and periods of
time, so that she seldom or never turns back under the same point, there
being scarcely a century of years elapsed without an alteration of
circumstances; yea and more, I suppose that there is no certain book
that has or can be written, that will suit the case of one particular
church at all times, and in all circumstances: This pre-eminency the
holy scriptures only can claim as a complete rule for faith and manners,
principle and practice, in all places, ages and times.

(3.) These things premised, let it be observed, That the primitive
witnesses had the divinity of the Son of God, and an open confession of
him, for their testimony; our reformers from Popery had Antichrist to
struggle with, in asserting the doctrines of the gospel, and the right
way of salvation in and through Jesus Christ: again, in the reigns of
James VI. and Charles I. Christ's REGALIA[19], and the divine right of
presbytery became the subject-matter of their testimony. Then in the
beginning of the reign of Charles II. (until he got the whole of our
ancient and laudable constitution effaced and overturned) our WORTHIES
only saw it their duty to hold and contend for what they had already
attained unto.--But then in the end of this and subsequent tyrant's
reign, they found it their duty (a duty which they had too long
neglected) to advance one step higher, by casting off their authority
altogether, and that as well on account of their manifest usurpation of
Christ's crown and dignity, as on account of thei