The Doctrine of the Weftminster Confeffion of Faith relative to Toleration of a Falfe Religion, and the power of the Civil Magistrate about Sacred Matters; and the Nature, Origin, Ends and Obligation of the National Covenant and Solemn League are candidly reprefented and defended.

BY JOHN BROWN, MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN
HADDINGTON.

ALL RIGHT IS DERIVED FROM GOD-----AGREEABLE AND SUBOR-
DINATE TO HIS LAW AS ITS SUPREME RULE-----AND PROMOTES
HIS GLORY AS ITS CHIEF END.

GLASGOW:

PRINTED BY STEPHEN YOUNG, PRINCE'S STREET;
AND SOLD BY THE BOOKSELLERS.

THE praifes of this Letter-writer for devotion, for learning, and foundnefs of principle are in all the Churches. Although it were a just tribute to his memory from one, who received the finishing parts of his education for the Holy miniftry under fo great a master, to acknowledge the advantages which he reapt from his inftructions and moft impreffive admonitions, yet he confiders his fame fo much above any praife which he could beftow, that he declines every attempt of this nature. His only object, could he enjoy the felicity of fucceeding in it, is to recommend these Letters to the perufal of his Chriftian Friends, among either his former or present connections; and with this express defign he hath taken the liberty of prefixing, by desire, these few pages to the prefent Edition.

He cannot help flattering the fond expectation, that by the bleffing of God, thefe Letters might yet be the means of recovering many an honest mind to the truth, who, yielding too foon to the charms of novelty, have, without due inveftigation, he is afraid, adopted the fashionable opinions, refpecting the power of the magistrate in religion, and the obligation of our public Covenants, which these pages fo pointedly condemn. Were his teftimony any additional inducement to a perufal, he would fay, that in moving through the tumultuous fcenes in the Affociate Synod, in which it was either his fortune or misfortune to bear a part, he was more indebted to thefe Letters, for establishing his mind and repelling the very illiberal objections of Brethren, who had fallen out of conceit with their own principles, than any other human compofition on the fubject which had fallen in his way. Witnefs that tingling

interrogation put by our Author to gentlemen of this difcription, in the 63 page of the copy of these Letters which now lies before me. *

"Sir have you in an honeft and orderly manner renounced thefe Confeffions of Faith as plainly and publicly as you folemnly avowed, if not alío fubfcribed a ftedfaft adherence to the Weftminiter one at your ordination? Dare you one day call God angels and men to witnefs that you fincerely avow that Confeffion of Faith to be the Confeffion of your Faith, and that you fincerely believe the WHOLE DOCTRINE Contained in it to be founded on the word of God, and will conftantly adhere to and maintain the fame all the days of your life;-and the next, flight, reproach, revile, and attempt to confute an important article of it? (2.) Have you fuffered as much for a zealous maintenance of the intrinfic power of the Church, and of Chrift's fole headship over her, as his fpiritual kingdom, as the compilers and cordial adherers to that Confeffion have done? If not, modefty as well as equity might have reftrained your revilings." &c.

Publifhed about the time when Great Britian felt fo indignant at the paffing of the bill in Parliament, repealing certain penal ftatutes which the wifdom of our ancestors had enacted for preventing the growth of Popery in this Proteftant country, it is extremely probable that this event was the immediate occafion of the publication of thefe Letters at that period. The mind of this judicious and holy man was much impreffed with the injury which the Proteftant Cause would fuffer in the iffue by fuch indulgences. The authoritative toleration of a falfe religion and an idolatrous worship, he confidered to be contrary to the word of God, as well as hurtful to the true interests of a Proteftant country;---contrary in a partiPage 75 of this Edition.

cular manner to our Confeffion of Faith and Covenants;---and fubverfive of the principles hitherto maintained by the Religious Affociation to which he belonged. But there were other reafons for this publication. He knew with deep concern the fentiments of fome of his Brethren, in favour of what is called liberty of confcience and toleration of religious opinion. He perceived too well the inconfitency of retaining fuch fentiments and acting an honeft part, in profecuting the ends of the Seceffion Teftimony; and therefore as if premonished of the heavy calamities which a rage for thefe opinions would in the courfe of a few years produce in the Seceflion, he stands forth as a fagacious and faithful watchman, and founds the alarm in thefe Letters, that all might be apprized of the danger. And who can ceafe from remarking with much furprise the very order and train of opinion, which Mr. Brown had investigated with fuch penetration, and condemned with fuch evidence from the word of God, in 1780, brought forward by the advocates for the New Light scheme on both fides of the Seceffior, and adopted as the bafis of their affociation, about 20 years after?

In the first of these Letters our Author, in oppcfition to the tolerant fyftem, afferts and proves this great Scriptural and Proteftant Doctrine, " that it belongs to the Chriftian magiftrate to fupprefs grofs herefy, blafphemy and idolatry," with fuch force of evidence, as at once to establish the doctrine, and to repel every objection which objectors could offer. In the fecond, the doctrine of vows and covenants is refcued from the mifrepresentations of anti-covenanters; and the obligation particularly of the public Covenants of Britain and Ireland upon pofterity, is maintained and established by arguments which adversaries will find a most arduous task to overthrow.