I am now in the Eighty-fourth Year of my Age, and under a Feebleness in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, wherein the Lord is yet a light unto me, and makes it but a Shadow of Death; and I am every Hour waiting and longing for my Dismission to a Better World.
In these very singular Circumstances, I am willing to add my TESTIMONY; and I do Declare, That the PRINCIPAL DESIGN upon which these Colonies were at first Planted was to Profess and Practise, and Enjoy, with. Undisturbed ⟨p. 204⟩Liberty the Holy RELIGION of GOD our SAVIOUR, Exhibited in the Sacred Scriptures, and Rescued from the Inventions and Abuses which the Man of Sin has introduced; And, more particularly, To set up CHURCHES, [even of the Aboriginal Natives, as well as of English Christians,] for our Lord JESUS CHRIST, that shall keep themselves Loyal to Him, their Glorious KING, in His Word giving Law unto them; and faithful to the Religion of the SECOND COMMANDMENT; and free from those Offensive Things, from which our UNITED BRETHREN, of the Presbyterian and Congregational Denomination in the English Nation have withdrawn themselves; and which our Honoured and Beloved BRETHREN in the Renowned Church of Scotland, have abolished and abandoned.
It was equally designed by those Followers of the Lord into the Wilderness, when it was a Land not Sown, That the Pure and Undefiled Religion delivered unto us in the Sacred Scriptures, (and exhibited afterwards in our Confession of Faith,) should be continually Preached, and our Doctrines of Grace particularly asserted; by MINISTERS of Good Abilities, and exemplary Godliness and Watchfulness, freely and fairly Chosen by the Churches whereof they are to be the Pastors.
And it also belongs unto the Glory of these Churches, to be so Constituted, as Livelily to exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven unto the World; Both Debarring from their Communion, such ⟨p. 205⟩Ignorant and Scandalous Persons (who can't or won't Examine themselves) as are to be shut out from the City of GOD; And Admitting of all those (tho' in different Persuasions about lesser points) of whom it may be Judged, That CHRIST has received them to the Glory of GOD. Our Foundation is in these Holy Mountains!
It is now the DYING WISH, of one that has been about Threescore and Six Years, after a poor manner, but I hope, with some Sincerity, Serving the Best of Masters, in the Blessed Work of the Gospel;
I am now in the Eighty-fourth Year of my Age, and under a Feebleness in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, wherein the Lord is yet a light unto me, and makes it but a Shadow of Death; and I am every Hour waiting and longing for my Dismission to a Better World.
In these very singular Circumstances, I am willing to add my TESTIMONY; and I do Declare, That the PRINCIPAL DESIGN upon which these Colonies were at first Planted was to Profess and Practise, and Enjoy, with. Undisturbed ⟨p. 204⟩Liberty the Holy RELIGION of GOD our SAVIOUR, Exhibited in the Sacred Scriptures, and Rescued from the Inventions and Abuses which the Man of Sin has introduced; And, more particularly, To set up CHURCHES, [even of the Aboriginal Natives, as well as of English Christians,] for our Lord JESUS CHRIST, that shall keep themselves Loyal to Him, their Glorious KING, in His Word giving Law unto them; and faithful to the Religion of the SECOND COMMANDMENT; and free from those Offensive Things, from which our UNITED BRETHREN, of the Presbyterian and Congregational Denomination in the English Nation have withdrawn themselves; and which our Honoured and Beloved BRETHREN in the Renowned Church of Scotland, have abolished and abandoned.
It was aequally designed by those Followers of the Lord into the Wilderness, when it was a Land not Sown, That the Pure and Undefiled Religion delivered unto us in the Sacred Scriptures, (and exhibited afterwards in our Confession of Faith,) should be continually Preached, and our Doctrines of Grace particularly asserted; by MINISTERS of Good Abilities, and exemplary Godliness and Watchfulness, freely and fairly Chosen by the Churches whereof they are to be the Pastors.
And it also belongs unto the Glory of these Churches, to be so Constituted, as Livelily to exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven unto the World; Both Debarring from their Communion, such ⟨p. 205⟩Ignorant and Scandalous Persons (who can't or won't Examine themselves) as are to be shut out from the City of GOD; And Admitting of all those (tho' in different Perswasions about lesser points) of whom it may be Judged, That CHRIST has received them to the Glory of GOD. Our Foundation is in these Holy Mountains!
It is now the DYING WISH, of one that has been about Threescore and Six Years, after a poor manner, but I hope, with some Sincerity, Serving the Best of Masters, in the Blessed Work of the Gospel;
