Page:Antidote against the infectious contagion of popery and tyranny.pdf/19

 Effrontry of the Great God, and in Defiance of his Authority: the horrid, impious and ſacrilegious Uſurpation of the incommunicable Prerogatives of that Lord Jeſus Christ, as King and Head of his Church, by both the Royal Brothers, their conſcience-inſnaring and Soul-ruining Oaths, Bonds, Indulgences, Teſt and Toleration; their ſtrong Attempt to head back theſe Lands to Idolatry and Superſtition; their cunning and cruel Endeavours to baniſh the true Religion out of their Dominions; and their bedding the Blood of many of God's dear Saints in this and the other cities of Scotland, cutting them on Battle, whereto they were ſundry times compelled for their own Defences and impriſoning, torturing, ſcourging and baniſhing many others. As alſo, at our Ungratitude for, and Miſimprovement of our glorious Deliverance at the Revolution from that curſed Race and the Miseries they brought upon us, and from the Attempts ſince made by them, particularly in the 1708, 1715 and 1744, for bringing us again under the Dominion of Popery and Tyranny: And at the little Zeal either of Church of State for advancing and furthering the Welfare of the Houſe and Heritage of God, on the contrary, the Church hath winked at and tolerated Hereticks and their Errors whileſt Endeavours to make us ſenſible of our Abominations have been (as far as they could) ſupreſſed and the Attempters thereof behaved towards as Troublers of Mankind; the State hath given a Toleration unto Epiſcopals and all Sects of Hereticks amongſt us, and the Church hath connived thereat, not warning People of the Sin and Danger thereof; and this ſeems in an eminent Manner to Source and Spring of the preſent Rebellion: The Lord's People have been deprived the Privilege of electing their spiritual Guides and Overſeers by the Patronage-act, and arbitrary Church-meaſures taken in conſequence thereof wherethro' a Set of dead, lazy, time-ſerving Ministers are intruded upon them: An Abjuration-oath hath been impoſed, and almost univerſally ſubmitted to, which, however juſt