Page:Antidote against the infectious contagion of popery and tyranny.pdf/4

 (who ſhould cry aloud) thro' fear of the Violence of the Enemies, conſtant Contemners of God's Ordinances, and Haters of ſerious Godlineſs; The inevitable Hazard that many are in, of being compelled or ſeduced into a Compliance with their pernicious Courſes; The innocent Blood of our Brethren, murdered at Gladſmuir by theſe mercileſs Highlanders: The Miſery of the Multitude of Prisoners, inhumanely and barbarouſly uſed by them; And the bound Duty incumbent upon us to uſe our utmoſt Endeavours for preſerving ourſelves and our Poſterity from being ſunk in the dark Dungeon of Popery, and bound down with the heavy Chains of Tyranny and Slavery: DO call aloud to all who are not intoxicate with the Wine of Babylon's Fornication, and benummed with an Aſs-like Stupidity, to awake to a Conſideration thereof: ''For who is wiſe, and he ſhall underſtand and theſe things? prudent, and he ſhall know them? for the Ways of the Lord are right, and the Juſt ſhall walk in them; but the Tranſgreſſors ſhall fall therein: And the Wicked ſhall do wickedly, and more of them ſhall underſtand''.

That which we would with a Brevity ſuiting the Bounds of a Miſſive, and Meekneſs becoming Brethren, appeal to your Knowledge and Experience for the Truth of, is,

1ſt, To preſent you with ſome of theſe Reaſons that induce us to look upon the preſent Attempt to ſet the Chevalier upon the Throne of Britain as the Lord's terrible Judgment upon us, and upon his Helpers as the Rod of God's Wrath. And,

2dly. To gueſs at ſome of the Cauſes wherefore the Lord ſeems to be thus ſmiting us, and what Uſe we ought to make of this awful Diſpenſation.

That the ſaid Attempt hath the Appearance of a terrible Judgment, and the Promoters thereof of a Rod of Wrath, ſeems evident from the Perſon pretending, the Principle whereupon he founds his Claim, the Inſtruments imployed in making it effectual, their Practices, and the fatal Conſequences