A Hind Let Loose: Or, An Historical Representation of the Testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the Interest of Christ. With the True State Thereof in All Its PeriodsShields, Alexander
History
A Hind Let Loose: Or, An Historical Representation of the Testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the Interest of Christ. With the True State Thereof in All Its Periods
Shields, Alexander
Church of Scotland -- Controversial literature; Church of Scotland -- History; Covenanters; Scotland -- Church history
Either generally they are discovered to be such masters of
Israel, as know not these things, John iii. 10. being men not exercised
in religion, and have not learned the truth as it is in Jesus; or they
are such, as if they have had gifts or grace, yet now they are palpably
blasted of God, and so cannot profit the people at all, being such as do
not stand in God's counsel, for then they should have turned the people
from their evil way, and so they are not apt to teach others when they
are not taught of God, but steal his words every one from their
neighbour, clearly discovering they are not sent of him, Jer. xxiii. 21,
22, 30, 32. And because they do not stand in God's counsel, they cannot
declare all the counsel of God, Acts xx. 27. For they can neither be apt
to teach repentance towards God, since they cannot be supposed to be
sensible of these sins to be repented of, for which the land perisheth,
and is burnt up like a wilderness, Jer. ix. 12. For then they would
first repent themselves of their own conformity with prelacy, of their
breach of covenant, &c. All that they can do in such a subject is, to
see vain and foolish things, and not to discover the land's iniquity,
but to see false burdens, and causes of banishment, Lam. ii. 14. Nor can
they be apt to teach faith, seeing in many things they teach otherwise
than Christ hath taught us in his word, and consent not to wholesome
words, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, from such
the command is to withdraw, 1 Tim. vi. 3,--5. whose mouths must be
stopped when they teach things which they ought not, Tit. i. 9,--11.
which is undeniable to all that know what sort of stuff they preach,
contrary to the word of God, and the principles of our covenanted
reformation. Hence if none of them be apt to teach, then none of them is
fit to be heard; but none of them is apt to teach: Ergo----'It is true
private christians may not judge of the endowments and qualifications of
ministers; yet every private christian hath the judgment of discretion,
and that way may judge such an one if he appear qualified according to
the rule of the word; and may doubt if he be a qualified minister before
God, wanting these qualifications which the word requireth,' Apol.
Relat. sect. 15. p. 285. Secondly, They have not the lawful call of a
minister of Christ, so much as an external call of his institution:
which I prove thus. They that have presentations from patrons, and
collations from prelates, and no more for a call, have no lawful call at
all; but the curates have presentations from patrons, and collations
from prelates, and no more for a call: Ergo they have no lawful call at
all. The minor cannot be doubted: 'For, in this government, the
minister's mission, call, ordination, and relation to such a people over
whom he is to officiate, flows all from the prelate; the congregational
eldership hath not the least interest in it: hence the presbyterian way
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