Page:Letter to the Reverend Mr. Michael Potter, minister of the gospel at Kippen, as an answer of his letter to the Reverend Mr. Ebenezer Erskine.pdf/13

 wickedly departed from; yea, your own conſciences knows it, if you would let them ſpeak the truth, that what they are acting at this day is moſt agreeable to the word of GOD and teſtimony of JESUS CHRIST, and the ſtandards of our religion, contained in the holy ſcriptures of truth, the Confeſſion of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechiſms, and Books of Discipline, to which we in theſe lands are ſolemnly bound by the oath of the great GOD, with uplifted, hands to heaven before GOD, angels and men.

Yea, it is well known, that they are doing nothing but what is their duty, to ſupply the oppreſt heritage of GOD through the land, that is groaning under your oppreſſion in many corners in Scotland, by thruſting in Intruders upon them, over the belly of all the good laws and conſtitutions of our reformed church, which. GOD in his holy providence was pleaſed to ſettle among as in this land; but indeed to ſpeak the truth, we need not lay the blame of our oppreſſion ſo much upon patrons, as upon presbyteries and preſentees; for no ſooner is a preſentee preſented to a pariſh, but as ſoon he presbyteries gives all the aſſiſtance poſſible that they can to pleaſe that and the other laird, and lord in the land, however diſpleaſing it may be to GOD and hurtful to the ſouls of the people in that place : And it is evidently ſeen by the bitter fruits of ſuch violent ſettlements in this land, that you mar the very deſigns of the goſpel.

And now when theſe men were uſing the freedom of faithful miniſters of the bleſſed JESUS, and teſtifying againſt theſe and the like corruptions, of the day and time we live in, you and the