if once we
except any upon good and convincing grounds, upon the same ground we ought
to except far more. 2: Mr. Gillespie, in his Treatise of Miscellany
Questions,(379) makes mention that the city of Strasburg, 1529, made a
defensive league with Zurich, Berne, and Basil; because they were not only
neighbours, but men of the same religion. And the Elector of Saxony
refused to take into confederacy those who differed from him in the point
of the Lord's supper, lest such sad things should befall him, as befell
these in Scripture, who used any means of their own defence. This rule was
good _in thesi_,(380) though in that case misapplied. Now then, if they
made conscience of choosing as the means of their own defence, a
confederacy with foreigners, may not the same ground lead us to a distance
from our own countrymen, as unqualified, who have nothing to commend them
but that they are of the same nation, which is nothing in point of
conscience? 3: The practice of other nations that are not tender in many
greater points, cannot be very convincing, especially, when we consider
that the Lord hath made light to arise, in this particular, more bright
than in former times. God hath taken occasion of illustrating and
commending many truths unto us in this generation, from the darkness of
error, and of making straight many rules, from the crookedness of men's
practice and walking. Is not the Lord now performing the promise of
purging out the rebels from among us and them that transgress? God hath
winked at former times of ignorance. But now, the Lord having cleared his
mind so to us, how great madness were it to forsake our own mercy, and
despise the counsel of God against our own souls? (1) As for that instance
of our reformers there could not have been any thing brought more
prejudicial to that cause, and more advantageous for us. After they were
twice beaten by the French in Leith, and their forces scattered, and the
leaders and chief men of the congregation forced to retire to Stirling,
John Knox, preaching upon the eightieth Psalm, and searching the causes of
God's wrath against them, condescends upon this as the chief cause, that
they had received into their councils and forces such men as had formerly
opposed the congregation, and says, God never blest them since the Duke
had come among them. See Knox's Chron.(381) (2) It cannot be showed that
ever they took in a party and faction of such men, but only some few
persons, which,