as
Jeremiah often laments, and particularly chap. viii. 20-22, and x. 19,
&c., and yet this did not excuse them for going to Egypt or Assyria to
heal their wound, Hosea v. 13, and vii. 8, 11. The scripture holds out
infidelity and distrust in God as the ground of such association, (2
Chron. xvi. 7-9, Isa. viii. 12, 13,) which proceeds from the incompetency
of means as the occasion of it. 2. Suppose there was a necessity for the
calling forth the body of the common people, yet certainly there is no
necessity of employing any such persons of whom the question is, and
putting them in places of trust. There is none can deny but there are,
besides all secluded persons, many that might fill the places of trust and
power. Therefore the plea of necessity is but a pretence to cover some
design, that under its specious and plausible covering, the power of the
land may be engrossed into the hands of malignants, and so by this means
all power and trust may return, as the rivers to the sea or fountain, as
they judge the king, that so in his person there may be established an
unlimited and arbitrary power. 3. Necessity is a very plausible argument
and strong plea to carnal reason for any thing, but it cannot be a good
ground, in point of conscience, for that which is sinful in itself. Now
that this is sinful in itself appears, from the word of God simply
condemning such associations, upon moral, and so general and perpetual
grounds. Now, in such a case of necessity, we are called either to trust
in God, in the use of competent means, seeing in such cases we have so
many promises, or if all help be gone which God allows us to make use of,
we must wait on him till he brings salvation with his own arm.

But because the plea of necessity is the strongest that is made use of for
the present public resolutions, we must consider it a little more. It is
alleged, that the best part of the land is under the feet of the enemy,
and so no help can be had from it, and for other parts of the land which
are yet free, there is not much choice of persons, and the testimony of
faithful men in the state declares, that when all that are called forth of
these places are gathered, it cannot amount to a power competent enough,
and therefore in such a question of the existence of second means, the
knowledge whereof immediately depends on sense and experience, these who
are not acquainted should give credit to the testimony of faithful
witnesses, and that a co