s
Christ and work of reformation, not only by holding up that old calumny of
malignants, concerning the seditious and factious humour of ministers, and
their stretching of themselves beyond their line, and by mocking all
faithful and free preaching of the word, and by bearing down the power of
godliness, deriding and hating all the lovers and followers thereof, by
being impatient of the discipline and censures of the church, but also
looking upon the government of the church with an evil eye, and strongly
inclining some of them, that church government be put in the hands of a
few prelates, most of them that it may be wholly devolved upon the civil
government? Fifth instance. There is still a party in the land that
endeavour to have the state of the question altered, and to have religion
left out of the same, that it being stated upon civil interest, they may
take to themselves a greater latitude in their way of carrying on
business. This was holden forth to be the design of the malignant party in
the year 1648, as appears in the Declaration of the Commission that year
in March, and there was a necessary and seasonable warning given against
it by the Commission in their Declaration, of the date July 1650.

III. Besides those who are excommunicated, there are yet in the land a
considerable number of persons of chief note, who do still lie under
censures of the church, some because of their accession to the late
unlawful engagement, others because of their accession to the late course
of rebellion, about the time of the king's escape from Perth, besides many
others of less note.

IV. We suppose that it is most certain and unquestionable, that there was
lately a malignant party and faction in the land, very numerous and
powerful. How many men of blood, murderers of their brethren, as
unnatural and barbarous as the Irish(335) they once joined with, against
their country,--how many have watched all opportunities for troubling the
peace of the kingdom, and rejoiced in the day of its calamity? How many
were the oppressors of those who called on the Lord's name in the time of
the Engagement?(336) What multitudes of profane and ungodly mockers of all
godliness, and haters and persecutors of the godly, swarming everywhere?
If this be truth, as it is indeed, we may say, who hath heard such a
thing? Who hath seen such a thing? Shall a nation be born at once? And
have they so soon learned to do well, who have been so long accusto