in church and state; yea, a gravestone
is laid, and established upon the same." (3.) It is a sinful and glaring
contradiction for _Seceders_ to rank an approbation of the _English_
hierarchy among our public national sins and steps of defection (as they
do, page 53 of their pamphlet); and yet themselves persist and continue
in the same sin and guilt, homologating and approving the anti-christian
constitution of the _British_ and _Irish_ parliaments, by praying (like
their forefathers, in their fulsome address to _James_ the Papist) for
divine illumination and conduct to the Prelates in their civil places
and power, as necessary members there, as they do in this prayer of
theirs. Can such be supposed to be either truly sensible of sin, or
humbled for it, who, notwithstanding all their confessions, still
continue in the love and practice of it? But with such mock
acknowledgements (of which a variety of other instances might be given)
have they hitherto imposed on the generation. And so, 5. It is a prayer,
that in several parts thereof, has no scripture warrant, no foundation
in the promises of God. Particularly, on what scriptural warrant, what
promise, can _Seceders_ build their prayers for, or expectation of the
Lord's answering them, by blessing an Erastian government to themselves
or others, which being, in its constitution, contrary to the word of
God,--is such, that under it (as they grant, _ibid_, page 46), a people
cannot truly prosper in their civil concerns, nor be enriched with the
blessings of the gospel? From what scriptural promise are they warranted
to pray, that God may perpetuate the succession to the throne in any one
family, and especially, when that succession is circumscribed and
limited, in a way opposite to the laws of God, and mediatory kingdom of
Christ? and therefore, a prayer that cannot be made in faith, and so
cannot be acceptable to God in its complex form. No person can have
faith in the merit and intercession of Christ, for obtaining anything in
prayer, but what Christ has priorly merited, and does actually intercede
for. But it would savor too much of blasphemy, to apply some of the
particulars already noticed in this form of prayer, to the merit and
intercession of our _great High-priest_. Sure it cannot be thought, that
he makes intercession for the prosperity and success of his enemies, in
their stated opposition to his kingdom and interest in this world;
neither can it be consistent wit