A DESCRIPTION of the CHURCH OF SCOTLAND: WITH A Word of Reproof to the Priests, and Teachers, and Officers therein, for their many corrupt Doctrines and Practices; also a warning, and gentle invitation to all People, that lives under their Tyrannical Government, to come to the Truth, which will free them from the Bondage they have long lain under; and to the light which will show them the way to escape, being longer Partakers of their sins; and so they shall escape, being Partakers of the Plagues which shall shortly be poured forth without mixture upon them, which continue in their ungodly Deeds and Works of darkness, in Rebellions against the light that makes them manifest. Herein is their Church made manifest: 1 In its Foundation: 2 In its Members wherewith it is builded: 3 In its Officers: 4 In its Doctrines, of God, of God's Word, of Faith, and of Election: 5 In its Ordinances of Baptism, and the Lords Supper, (as they call them.) 6 In its Discipline. With an Exhortation to all People to come out from amongst them, to that which makes them manifest, which is the true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World.  
Written in love to the simple-hearted in that Nation, and in witness of the Truth, and in Testimony against the false Teachers, and their false Doctrines, Way●s, and Worships; by One who desires that people might be brought to the Truth in their inward parts, to worship God in that, by the leading of his own spirit, that so they might be accepted; _____ who am known among Men by the name Stephen Crisp.  
Printed for M. W. in the first Month, 1660.   

A Description of the Church of Scotland, etc.  
TO the several Presbetryes in Scotland, and to every Member of them, and to the Scottish Church in general, is this directed and sent as a word of reproof and warning from him who is the head of the true Church, which is pure and underfiled, and sent by, and given through his Servant, who being a Member of that Church, and participating of the power and wisdom of the Head (according to the proportion of 〈◊〉 Member) do thereby comprehend your Church of which I am not a Member; and in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ the true Head, do hereby reprove you of your adultery and hypocrisy, and several other spots and wrinkles that are in and upon your Church, which now with the light are made manifest; And in the fear and name of the Lord, do warn you to return, and come to that which maketh manifest and maketh clean, before ye be cast upon the bed of misery and perpetual sorrow with Babylon your Mother, and Jezebell your Prophetess, by the power of whose sorceries and enchantments, in and among her Merchants and Disciples, many p or people in thi● Nation, are seduced and deceived and kept from the anointing, which teacheth freely the truth, which no lie is of nor springs from, and they whom you keep from this which teacheth freely, that so they might buy or hire teaching of you, among whom they are ever learning and never learned, nor brought to know the truth which makes them fre● that abides in it: These I say can never know the true Church which is the ground o● truth, in which none can be Pillars, but such as overcome sin and transgression and death which entered thereby, and came over all Men, in which state God's Church is not, and there is but two states: namely the state of sin and transgression, the wages whereof i● death; and the state of redemption from sin, which is thorough the power of the resurrection from the dead, which is the state of the Church, between which two states is an absolute antipathy, for they that are in the transgression are not in the Church, for then i● would be spotted, and they that are in the Church are not in the transgression, because the Church is in God where transgression cannot be; and they that are holden in sin and death are not risen from the dead, and they who are made partakers of the resurrection and life which is Christ; they are not holden in sin, but the same power that raised 〈◊〉 Jesus from the dead, raised them from the power of sin and death, and being thus raised makes them Members of the Church, which is pure and undefiled, which is separate from the sinners and from the sin, by the mighty operation of the cross, which is th● power of God, by which we are translated from death to life, from sin to righteousness from being Members of the Harlot and her Church, to be Members of Christ and h●● Church, and this is the Church which we own and witness.  
Now as concerning your Church, I have not a few things against it, but even many, where in you are to be reproved, and must be amended or rather changed, before you can justly b● called, and accounted the Church of Christ, or any part thereof: Therefore listen a while and give attention, ye Priests and Presbetryes of Scotland, who hath a long time been talking of reforming and amending and purging and making clean your Church, and I will declare unto you your way, which ye ought to take, to accomplish that which you so much pretend for, and cannot yet accomplish, nor indeed never can till that be removed which hath and doth hinder a right and thorough reformation.  
Now the first thing in your Church that is presented to my understanding, to be repoved, is the foundation thereof upon which it is builded, it not being the same which the Church of Christ was, and is builded upon, as will thus appear.  
The foundation of your Church is that which stands in the fleshly part of man: namely forms and names of the things the Saints wrought off, without the power, which are attainable by the fleshly wisdom of this world, by which God is not known nor the body which is the Church discerned; but he that can get the Saints words to speak although he be out of their life, yet such are accounted fit members of your Church, and of such members, and upon this foundation is your Church builded, the Saints words being the chief corner stone thereof, but Christ said be would build his Church upon that which the knowledge of came not by flesh nor blood, but revelation from God his Father, which is in heaven, as you may read in the 16. Math. 17.18. And this is the rock which is now made manifest by revelation, thorough the spirit, which thing you deny to be in these days, and so are not builded upon what comes to be known so, but upon that which the knowledge of comes by flesh and blood, and you that have laid another foundation for your Church, than what is by revelation, your foundation must be raised, and your Church must fall, the Pillars whereof are already shaken, and shall shortly be removed.  
Therefore come all to the true foundation, which was and is the foundation of the true Church which is Christ the Son of the living God, who is the light of the world, and lighteth every man that cometh into the world with the true light, and let that be the beginning and foundation of your building, and that will stand for ever, this was before transgression was, and before will worship was, against this the gates of hell cannot prevail.  
This is the cornerstone which ye bvilders have rejected, and do still reject, [the light] and so refecting it, are building Babylon (as it were) which is now confounding, and ye are put to a stop, and can proceed no farther, for the people sees your confusion in many parts of the Nation, and gins to love and embrace them whom you have cast out of your Church, who have the light for their foundation, which answereth the witness of God in all, and who soever builds and not on this, their building shall come to naught, and the bvilders shall be ashamed, for that which should uphold them, will come a top of them, and break them to pieces.  
The next thing reprovable in your Scottish Church, is the matter whereof it is composed, and in this also are you contrary to the true Church the Spouse of Christ, for your Church is composed of evil and ungodly men and women whose hearts is delighting in ungocly practices, as wearing, and lying, and cozening, and dissembling, and scoffing, and scorning, yea in striking, and beating the innocent, such is your Church made up of; dead stones, whose h●arts are as an Adamant, their mouths filled with cursing, and their tongues filled with venom, and their hands filled with violence; these is your materials with which ye have builded, but the Lord God of light and power is making you bare and manifest, and by his power is throwing you down, where shame shall cover your Church, where the scorner shall be scorned in the day of their calamity, and the strikers shall be strucken with a rod that will break them to pieces, the sword of the almighty is drawn, and shall wound them in their inward parts, that have wounded his Children in their outward bodies, and grieved his holy spirit, and then shall howling and lamentation come upon your Church, but there shall be none to pity for the double reward of your do to God's Children, shall shortly come upon you, and that is the word of the Lord to you.  
But if you demand, how is all this proved that our Church is compassed and made up of such persons as these, I answer, I prove it thus, not only by the hearing of the ear, nor by what I have seen of you, in the eternal light of the Son of God before my coming among you, but also being an eye witness of your behaviour fowards me, who when I have in obedience to God, and love to your souls, but proclarmed the fear of God amongst you, in one of your Masse-houses or Markets, what an offence hath it been counted by you, who are of the Scottish Fresbiterian Church, some crying kick him, kick him, knock him down, and such like language and usage have I and many of my brethren and sister rs found amongst you, as in particular the behaviour of the people of Dalkieth on the 13th of the 9th month, 59) may witness where had not the Soldiers appeared as a stop to your murderous purposes against me, your works of mischief had more appeared, but your spirit is seen and known to be of one nature with the scarlet coloured where, whothirsteth after and is drunk with the blood of the Saints, besides there needs no greater proof of this charge against your Church, but what hath and doth proceed out of your own mouths, who are daily confessing yourselves to be such kind of people, and so are judged out of your own mouths, as all such slothful servants ever was, doth not your Priest say that ye are all going astray, every one after the lusts of his own heart, and have forsaken God, the fountain of living waters, and digged to yourselves Cysterns that can hold no water, and that your hearts are estranged from God, regarding lying vanities, and many such like things might be mentioned from your own mouths, the breath whereof as fire shall devour you, now if it benot so, why do you say so, lying against your own souls, and if it be so, how can your Church be the Church of God, pure, and undefiled, unspotted, and without wrinkle, or any such thing, answer for yourselves, or cease from deceiving yourselves and others with the name Church of God, for with him dwelleth no iniquity.  
Now if the light were the foundation, then would none be counted fit members of your Church but such as walked in it, and so your fellowship would stand in the light as the true Church-fellowship did and doth, but evil doers, as Scoffers, Liars, Proud, Covetous Persons, Strikers, fierce D spisers, Railers and Persecutors, such hates the light, and denies and rejects it, and so may be continued in your Church-fellowship, which is in sin for term of your lives and shall be continued in the inheritance of utter darkness in the end, where shall-weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever.  
Another thing reprovable in your Church is the officers thereof, they being in all thing contrary to the qualifications signified by the scripture of truth, as ye might well see, if t●● God of this world, the Prince of darkness had not blinded your eyes, a little of the disproportion between them and the officers spoken of in the Scriptures, (for the simples sake wh● desires to be informed) I shall instance, and first of all concerning your Presbitries, for th● Presbitry which the Scriptures speaks of, who laid their hands on Timothy, 1 Tim. 4.14. We such with whom was the power of God, as was manifest by Timothyes receiving a gift by th● laying on of their hands, who had received the gift of God themselves, and had also receive power to communicate the same, but you who are proud men and covetous men, who usurp Authority, and presumes to be called by the name, and deny that power to be extant with you or any else, or that any can be immediately called or gifted for the ministry, you are of th●● sort mentioned, in the 1 Titus 16. Who profess ye know God, but in woe ks deny him, b●ing abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobates, for these qualification doth belong to such men as ye profess yourselves to be, which I shall set down, and then let 〈◊〉 sober people judge whether ye be reprobate unto them yea, or nay.  
1 They ought to be blameless, and whether ye be so or nay, be your own Judges, who 〈◊〉 none can live without sin, and so consequently not without blame, for all sin is blameabl● 〈…〉 this particular ye have excluded yourselves; then watchful, but what do ye watch fo●●●cept it be opportunity, to promote your corrupt honour, or to augment and exact your 〈◊〉 gain; then of good behaviour, that is not to rail, and to curse, and to stir up people 〈◊〉 tumults, and to stoning those who are not of your judgement, this is evil behaviour; then giust to hospitality, as to this, let the poor people who in your Parishes goes in cold and hunger while you live in fullness and idleness, bear witness against you, then apt to teach, in th● also are ye far short, who must take a week's time to study, to teach the people two or thr●● hours, and yet cannot get your devised studied stuff to hold together, but one while is confirming that, which it may be the same day, or shortly after, you will deny again, then 〈◊〉 given to wine, no strikers, how many of you have been guilty herein, in drunkenness, a●● striking, and setting others on to strike, would be too tedious to mention here, but who desi●● to be informed of them and their manners, let them in sincerity take notice of th' m, a●● they shall come to understand their spirit, also some of their works of this nature are alre●● printed and presented to public view, than not greedy of filthy lucre, and in this particular how far your greediness hath appeared beyond all that have gone before you, let the suffering of them, who for conscience sake, could not put into your mouths, bear witness against y●● again saith the Apostle in the 7th. verse of that 3. Chapter of the 1st. Timothy, he m●●● have a good report of them that are without, but how far are ye short of this, who can●●● keep up a good name amongst them of your own Church, but your covetousness and dece●● is mannifest among them, notwithstanding your tyranny doth much stop their mouths, and bl●●● ●heir eyes that they yet see not so much of your deceit, as shortly they will come to see.  
But in brief, the description of the Church-officers in the whole Scriptures of the Apostles is that they be blameless, which ye say none now can be, and that they be filled with the holy Ghost and with saith, which ye say they cannot be, for sin must have a room ●n them, than they cannot be filled with the other, and that they hold the mystery of faith ●n a pure conscience which ye say they cannot do, for some sin must remain, and that defiles the conscience, that they should be gentle towards all Men, in meekness instructing ●hem that oppose themselves; But out of this and all these qualifications ye being found, ●our officiating must be like your Officers, and your Officers are like the Members, a body ●it for destruction together, which the Lord is appearing against in his mighty power to ●ut of head and tail, root and branch together.  
4thly, The Doctrines of your Church also are reprovable and corrupt in many things contrary to the Scriptures, and first in your Doctrines of God, whom you say is to be known and believed on, as in the distinguishmant of three Persons, and herein ye teach contra●y to the Scriptures of truth, which ye say is your rule, and by it are all such Dreamers ●nd Deceivers judged, and by the spirit which gave them forth, which speaks no where 〈◊〉 three Persons, as ye imagine and teach, but declares of the only wise God, who is one 〈◊〉 being and subsistence individual, infinite, who divideth all things, and to every 〈◊〉 ●●eir portion, who limiteth all things, and is not limited, whose power and spirit is 〈◊〉 ●able from him, who is the Father of the spirits of all flesh, who by his power 〈◊〉 ●●th, and by his spirit quickeneth all living Creatures, whose power is the Christ, 〈◊〉 whose spirit is the holy and eternal life, which they partake of, who waits for his appearance in his power, and these doth not the Scriptures call three Persons, but the one witness in the Heaven which you are all ignorant of, who dreams and divines to the people of a distinguishment of Persons in the Godhead; therefore cease your deceit ye Deceivers and Sooth sayers of Egypt, and come to the light that shines in the heart, that by it ye may come to the true knowledge of God your Creator, and of his power by which ●●e were created, and of his spirit by which he quickens into newness of life all those who ●eares him, and waits for his salvation, which now by the light is making manifest.  
2dly, Your Doctrine concerning the word of God is altogether reprovable, who teach people to beli ve, that that is the word of God that can be bought and sold for money, and the knowledge thereof attained by humane learning, namely the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles, that you say is the word of God, and they that say otherwise, you say must be cursed, but I tell you this curse will return upon your own heads, who preach contrary to the Scriptures, which saith Christ is the word of God; now if he be the word ●f God, than the Scriptures is not except they be Christ, which if you think they be, declare your meaning plainly, and if you know any other Christ then the Scriptures, than ●all ye him the word of God, and call the Scriptures a Declaration according as they are ●alled by them that wrote them, who knew the word of God itself, which ye being ignorant of, have as it were changed the glory of the incorruptable and immortal word of God which abides for ever into the similitude of writings, which had a beginning 〈…〉 and must come to an end, and in the end shall you know the word of God to be that wh●●● searches your hearts, and Judges your ungodly thoughts and purposes, this shall abi●● with you in the end, for this was in the beginning, which the Scriptures was not, a●● this is it by which the Scriptures and all other things came to have a being so th●● if the Scriptures must be called the word of God: because the word came to 〈◊〉 Saints, and bid them write them, than might Noah's Ark, or Solomon's Temple, 〈◊〉 the Priest's Garments, or any other thing of the like nature be called the word of Go● because by it they were commanded to make them, and furthermore, that which the word of God is that which was made flesh, and if you can tell how or wh●●● the Scripture was made flesh, then declare it, or else let that be called the word of G●● henceforth that did become flesh, again without the word was nothing made that 〈◊〉 made, and if the scriptures be this word then declare to us, how you know that they w●●● before the creation, for that which maketh, must needs be before the things that by it 〈◊〉 made, farther the word of God, saith the Apostle is quick and powerful, and shar● than a two edged sword, deviding between the soul and the spirit, but if this be 〈◊〉 Scripture then tell us what is the reason that your souls are not thereby divided from 〈◊〉 spirit of iniquity and d ceipt that rules over them, but ye imagine that death onel● 〈◊〉 make that division as if death were more powerful than the word of God, oh ye● 〈◊〉 and ignorant Priests and people, how long will ye regard lying vanities, expec●●●● 〈◊〉 where it is not to be had, and like the Pharisees of old, think to have eternal 〈…〉 Scriptures, but will not come to Chri● whose life is your light turn in your mind 〈…〉 own hearts, and feel if God's word (which is as a hammer) be not striking at 〈…〉 ●●ther of your sins and corruptions, and wait then to feel the sharpness of it, to cut and 〈◊〉 you from your sins, that so you may witness the word in your flesh (and not in a Book destroy the works of the Devil, that the word in the heart ye may know which liveth 〈◊〉 abideth for ever, when that by it is destroyed, which cannot abide for ever, which is your which hitherto hath separated you from the knowledge of God and of his powerful w●●●.  
3dly, Your Doctrine of faith is reprovable, and you in it found contrary to the 〈◊〉 Ministers of Christ, for you preach that faith cannot be without sin, and you say it is h●●●sie and error in any to say that it can, now this I say, if ye knew the true faith whic● saving, ye would see that it is contrary in all things to sin, and would know that in 〈◊〉 of an impossibility to separate them, it would be impossible to unite them, for faith 〈◊〉 the scriptures is the gift of God, and the gift of God is perfect, and God nor his gift 〈◊〉 no concord with sin, but giveth the true believe victory over it.  
But as for your faith which ye say cannot be without sin, is therewith corrupted, a●● not the like precious faith, which the Saints obtained, by which they wrought righteous & were accepted with the, Lord without which it is impossible for you to please him, th●● ye perform never so many performances, for this, faith which is mixed with sin, whi●● the faith of the Church of Scotland, is not that by which the just lives, but among 〈◊〉 profess this faith, is the just slain in your own particulars, by the sin which ye con●● in, and say ye must continue in as long as ye live, so ye are fur short of the Saints hope ●o brought them to purify themselves as God is pure, and your faith and hope and confi●●e which is thus mixed with sin and unrighteousness is excluded from leading any of you in●●e inheritance of the promise which is eternal life, for it is the feigned or made faith 〈◊〉 hardens the heart, and continues you in the transgression, and begets in you a bold confi●●e in your dark imaginations, which shortly shall fail you, and ye shall be strict of 〈◊〉 saith and hope, and be left naked to your perpetual shame and confusion, and eyesore all that desire to come to the true faith which gives victory over the 〈◊〉, and that which is in the world, they must first come to that which true faith is placed in, 〈◊〉 is the light wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightened every one that cometh into the 〈◊〉, and that all men through him might believe and Christ himself said that they should ●●ve in the light, and this is it which doth secretly make manifest, and reprove the works darkness which are done out of the faith, and are displeasing to God and who believes in 〈◊〉 light they must believe against sin and the power of it, and so as they abide steadfast in the 〈◊〉, watchful to that in which they have believed, than the power of this faith comes to be in the creature, that as they have believed against sin, so they come to receive power a●● sin, for according unto their faith so happeneth it unto them, and according unto your faith 〈◊〉 ●ive you can never be made free from your sins, so also will it happen unto you, so long ●●●de in that belief ye shall abide servants of sin, and so free from righteousness.  
●●●bly, Concerning election, and herein have ye erred exceedingly from the truth, and 〈◊〉 truth ought ye to be reproved and judged, who holds forth in your Church that God 〈◊〉 ●●pected a certain number of persons to himself without cause or quality in them scene ●sidered, and that these he hath elected unto salvation, by an unalterable decree that they be saved from the wrath of God, and that all the rest are under an irrevocable decree of nation; for when no way of salvation is left, nor no effectual means found for the salva●● of them, that doctrine is not of God but of your Father the Devil, who was a liar from beginning, if he telleth a lie it is of himself, but if ye tell a lie it is of him, and from is thy doctrine sprung, who rules in the Kingdom of darkness, and desires that none might 〈◊〉 to the knowledge of the truth, nor be saved, and so hath set you to preach this doctrine ●●rdly unto ignorant people, (who generally have believed it) while he in the mean time ●●relly suggesting in some of them, that they are elected, and so what sin soever they live in, of mar their election seeing it is without condition or qualification, and man's works of alter nor change God's decrees, and many such like reasonings as this learn they from deceiver within, and from the deceivers without, and he also is persuading others that they not elected, but are of the greater number, which the Priests saith no salvation nor re●●●tion is for, and so they may take their course, and spend their time in pleasure, for can but go to hell in the end, and all their godliness and soberness, and strickt●●●, and abstinence from pleasure, and whatever they can do cannot change the purpose of God concerning their damnation, and so by these and such like means and instruments doth the devil uphold his Kingdom, and keep you from preaching him or believing on him, who is the way to the Father, Christ Jesus the light of the world, who lighteth every man with the true light with which he may see that which was wrought in darkness (which is the reprobate state) and be led out of it according to Christ's words, who said I am the light of the world, he that believeth on me shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life; he said not if the elect believe on me but [he that] a general term to every one that cometh into the world and is enlightened with this true light, and this is the love of God to the Sons and Daughters of men, who wills not the death of them that do die, [mark] them are reprobated that do die, but God wills it not, but rather that they should turn and live; but ye that preach this doctrine, ye would live without turning, but the Sword of the Lord is drawn against your life, and shall cut it off, for it stands, but by an imagination of such a decree, as by which sinners might be saved in their sins, and then you shall know, that the way of salvation was set open to you, in that the light shined in your hearts; but ye rejecting that way, and seeking to establish a way of your own; so ye became excluded, and shut out of the Kingdom after long talking of it.  
And therefore all ye people of Scotland, and to whomsoever this shall come of wh●● people or country soever ye be, consider in the fear of God, whether ye be lighted 〈◊〉 a light that doth make manifest your evil deeds, and words, and purposes in the secret 〈◊〉 your hearts, yea or nay, and if ye find such a thing, than mind diligently its working in you, for in it is reproofs of instruction which the Scriptures saith is the way of life, and the way of life is but one, and having found it, every one in your own particulars, then no longer follow nor hearken to the deceivers, who for a long time hath beguiled you, leading you from the light, the way, the truth, and the life of men, and so kept you in death and darkness, where salvation is not to be found, and these have told you, that they have preached the Gospel to you, for the salvation of your souls, and yet tells you also that as many of you as ever shall be saved were saved before you were borne, then to what purpose is all their preaching to you, if they cannot convert a reprobate, nor an elect person cannot sin unto condemnation, where then is the use of their ministry which they have so many thousands of marks and hundreds of pounds a year for, if they answer and say this is the means to gather in them that are elected; I answer, God will not lose any for want of means, and therefore he hath afforded the means freely without money or prize to all the sons of men who bath so loved the world that he hath given his only begotten Son a means and a way of salvation for as many as believe on him, and he is the grace by which the Saints were and are saved which appeareth to all men, and bringeth salvation ne'er unto all without respect of person, who are taught by him to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live soberly and righteously in this present World, but if ye still continue to be taught by them that turn the grace of God into wantonness, and despise that which shines in the heart, to lead out of sin, which it makes manifest, then shall you perish in your gainsaying, and in the day of your calamity and misery ye shall know and confess to your unspeakable sorrow and torment, that a prize was put into your hands, and a way of life was declared and made manifest, but ye loving your sins and iniquities, your delights and pleasures, which the light and way of life appeared against; were unworthy of this free salvation, and so your condemnation, ye shall confess to be of yourselves in that day, when God the righteous Judge will be clear of all your blood, and then saying God is partly too blame, and man is partly too blame that Men go to Hell will not serve turn, which one of the chief Priests of your Scottish Church affirmed, [Henry Foreside Priest of Lingich] but his folly and many such blind guides is now made manifest with the light, which they are risen up against, but they shall not proceed much farther, for their skirts are discovered to their shame.  
Many more of the Doctrines of your Church are reprovable, and for condemnation with the light, which light as the diligent Readers comes to mind, in its working and breaking forth, they shall see and be able to measure and to try your Doctrines therewith, and will be able to comprehend your deceit in many other of your Doctrines, which now I am not free to insist upon; As of sanctification, in which ye allow an 〈◊〉 sanctified part to remain, and so never brings people to know nor to hope for the ●●●row cleansing, which the Saints witnessed, except it be after death, when no such ●●rke can be wrought, and also your Doctrine of justification in sin will be seen, ●nd God's righteousness will be cleared against your lying and deceit, and so of Adoption, and Resurrection, and Glorification, and what else is preached amongst you, will be seen with the light, by them that loves it, to which I commend them, in whom is sincerity of heart, and shall proceed a little further to your Ordinances.  
1st, And first concerning that rotten tradition, which you call an Ordinance, or Baptism, namely your casting a few drops of water upon the face of an Infant of about eight days old, this you call an Ordinance, but could never yet find out the institution thereof by Christ nor his Disciples, for any sign or signification whatsoever, much less can you prove it to be the one Baptism, neither can you prove that ever any such thing was done by any of them; so ye have neither precedent nor precept from the holy men of God, and therefore well may I call it a rotten tradition that hath not so much as a precedent to support it, except it be a Popish one, from whence it was derived, from the Whorish Church of Rome your Mother, whom you rail against in words, and obey in her unwarrantable practices, and with her shall you have your portion, now this conceited charm, or trick of casting a few drops of water upon children's faces, you call Baptism, wherein you have proclaimed to all understanding people, that from the greatest of you to the least, you are all ignorant of the Baptisms the Scriptures speaks of, which had a time and service, and ended it that which abides for ever, and so being ignorant of them, have in their room set up a conceit and tradition, which hath not so much as the least ground in the Scriptures of truth, neither is mentioned therein, nor was it invented many years after, and th●● was it instituted by the Pope, obeyed by the Papists, and since continued and observed in your Scottish Church, which from thence is sprung; but the true Baptism is that which was instituted by Christ, and is owned and witnessed by the Saints, and denied by the Romish and Scottish, which Baptism is into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which name is a strong Tower, and all that are baptised into it find strength in it, and help against temptations, and in the time of trouble finds deliverance by it, and this the Saints witnessed, who witnessed the one Baptism by one spirit into one body; for saith the Apostle in the 6 Rom. 3, 4. for so many of us as were Baptised into Jesus Christ, were baptised into his death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life: now in that he died, he died unto s●n; and they that are baptised with the one Baptism, they are planted together with Christ in the likeness of his death which is unto sin, verse 10. and such also come to partake of the resurrection and life which is in Christ Jesus, and in that they live, they live unto God and not unto themselves, having crucified the old Man with his deeds, and hath the body of sin destroyed, and henceforth being dead unto sin they serve it not, but witnesseth the Baptism which now saveth, making clean the conscience in the sight of God by the washing of Regeneration.  
Now all people that desire farther to know of this one Baptism which is a dying unto sin, and a cleansing or washing from the filthiness both of flesh and spirit; you must turn your minds to the manifestation of God's spirit within, which is given freely of God for you to profit withal, and with it will you see the spots that remains upon you, notwithstanding your outward traditional Baptism of what sort or manner so ever it be, and also it will give you to understand that the Baptism which is the answer of a good conscience, and which is the similitude of Christ death which is unto sin is yet wanting; and so by waiting in that which maketh manifest those things which ye should die unto, then will ye feel the name of God revealed in you, which is the strength and power which only is able to kill sin, and trusting and believing in this the true faith comes first to be witnessed, and then the one Baptism which cleanseth and purifieth will be witnessed, which bringeth into the everlasting Covenant which God is making with his holy Seed, which he is now gathering from ●●●der all the shadows, and also from among all the inventions of Men to serve him in meekness and fear in that worship which is inward in the spirit and in the truth.  
2dly. The next thing is your imitable custom of eating and drinking Bread and Wine which you call a Sacrament of the Lords Supper, and in this imitation stands much of your dark fellowship and communion, but no warrant from Scripture have you for any such practice, for Christ nor his Apostles never commanded Swearer, and Liars, and covetous Persons, and Fighters, and Persecutors, that they should observe any such thing at any time such as ye are, for when ever ye eat or drink it is unworthily, as ye yourselves sometimes confess, and so your damnation must needs be the greater.  
Notwithstanding Christ the same night he was betrayed gave his Disciples his flesh to eat and his blood to drink who afterward was to partake and enjoy him in that which was signified by the Bread and the Cup, when he took Bread and blessed it, and said take eat this is my body which they took and eat and discerned his body of which they were Members, and as oft as they did this they remembered him who said I go away; but I come again, and so also the cup he said was the new Testament in his blood which they then participating of, and keeping in remembrance him who died, who was to be raised up from the dead through faith and patience they came to have the new covenant in their hearts, which was the substance of the figure in the blood, they being first therewith sprinkled from an evil conscience, and washed in their bodies with pure water which is one with the blood; but ●ow far ye are from this state let Gods witness in your consciences, and your own mouths bear witness: Now notwithstanding Christ did institute such a thing as this among his Disciples, who had followed him in the regeneration, and had continued with him in his temptations, this was nothing to them, who believed not on him, neither is it any thing to you who are cursing them that bear witness to him, that he is come a light into the world, and hath lighted every man that cometh into the world, and that witness, he is come again the second time without sin unto salvation according to his promise these you curse and persecute: so your cup is not the cup of blessing which the Apostle speaks of, 1 Cor. 10.16. Which is the Communion of the blood of Christ which cleanseth from all sin: neither is that bread which they break the Communion of the body of Christ, for Paul saith, they themselves were the bread and the body which is but one; but this he said he spoke to wise men, and if any have an ear, let them hear, but as for your part ye are so foolish and unwise, that the bread ye break is carnal loaves which feeds nothing but the carnal body which is no part of Christ's body that is hid from your carnal eyes, and sealed from your carnal imaginations, and his second coming which is without sin ye cannot believe, and so his first coming will do you no good, and your carnal bread and wine will never bring any of you to know nor remember his death, nor to show it forth, for in that he died, he died unto sin, neither will his coming be unto salvation; when he appears again unto you; but unto damnation who discer●●●●ot his body but curseth and persecuteth his members, but all that desires to know the Supper of the Lord in sincerity, they must come to the light in the heart which cometh from Christ, and that will show them that which hath crucified Christ and slain the Lamb, and oppressed the just in their own particulars, and then the fear of God being placed in the heart, and the want of Christ being felt, who by sin and through transgression is crucified, then shall you secretly come to feel a hope of his resurrection, and so then as oft as ye eat and drink it will be in the fear of God and in remembrance of your own unworthiness, and also in remembrance of him who is to come to sanctify the creatures; which as he comes to be raised to life which hath been slain in you, this appearance is the second appearance which is without sin unto salvation, and till ye witness this, as oft as ye eat and drink, do it in the fear of God and in remembrance of Christ so showing forth his death till he comes, who when he comes will show forth his own life, who is God over all blessed for ever, Amen.  
And these two, you call Sacraments, which you have as little ground for, out of the Scripture, as you have to practise them; but are delighting yourselves in the works of your own hands, and giving names to your Idols; like the Heathens and Idolators before you. But if you say they are obliging mysteries; I answer, how comes it to pass, that you, who have been so long exercised therein, is no nearer obliged to God, but remains in the alienation of your minds; such strangers to him, that one of your own Priests said to a company of you, in my hearing, that the lowing of Oxen, and the blee●ing of Sheep, would give as good an account of what God and Christ was, as your answers would do, if ye were asked; but your Idols shall be broken, and their names shall you be ashamed off, as they were ashamed of the Groves, and the green Trees, under which they had worshipped their Idols, whom God confounded before you, and then your Water, and Wine, and Cakes, and such like things, which you call Sacraments, and your Masse-houses, which you call Churches, signed with the Pope's Gross, your predecessors, these things will but all add to your shame and sorrow. Therefore whilst you have time lay aside these carnal and foolish traditions, and come to the light which lets people see over them all, to the one Baptism itself, and to the Supper (and Table of the Lord) itself, and to the Church itself, which is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as you may read, 1 Thess. 1.2.  
And lastly, the Discipline of your Church, doth appear contrary to the Discipline of the true Church, and in this particular ye have so far proceeded already, within these few years, that ye have thereby much manifested yourselves, even to many, who did not before see you; for this many hath looked upon, as a tail of a Scorpion, with which ye have sought to bend that sting, and venom, which lodged in your hearts, against the true Church, which ye could not vent with your tongue nor hands; but this also will the Lord cut off, that the Scorpions shall hurt no more; your sting gins to decay, and your force to fail you, and people gins to walk safely in the path of peace, and in the way of righteousness; notwithstanding your tail, or your tongue, to the grief of your hearts, which is filled with mischief, against the righteous in the Land: But the Lord is their deliverer, and according to the evil of your desires against the innocent; even so shall your reward be.  
Now the true Church they did observe, that if any that was called a Brother, should be a Fornicator, a Railer, and Extortioner, a Covetous person, an Idolater, or a Drunkard, with such a one not to eat; now if you would observe this in your brotherhood, ye would quickly be scattered one from another; your Priests suspended, for their covetousness, and Drunkenness, and Railing; the people suspended for their Fornication, and Idolatry, and Extortion, and Railing, and Fight, and many other misdemeanours; your Communion would soon fall; but you, who are a body, or Church so called, made up of such as these, ye take another course to uphold your fellowship; for if any, who hath been one with you in these things before mentioned, doth come to see with the light, wherewith Christ hath lighted them, that these things are displeasing to God, and so dares not go on with you any longer in them, but declares against your Idolatry, your covetousness, your railing, and it is with such a one, that you will not eat, nor drink, nor buy, nor sell. Oh abominable depth of Satan, this is the way you have found out, to keep people from believing in the truth, and from departing from your corrupt and cursed practices: In short, this is as your Fathers the Jews did, who were the crucifiers of the Lord of life; if any than did confess him to be the Christ, that said, I am the light of the world; who lighteth every man that cometh into the world, they must be cast out of their Synagogue, [mark] out of the Synagogues of the unbelievers, and crucifiers: such as ye, who cannot, nor will not have any fellowship with them, that believes in the light, that they may be made Children of the light, your latter end shall not be like unto theirs.  
Furthermore, the Apostle exhorted the Corinthians, to deliver the incestuous persons to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that his soul might be saved in the day of the Lord; but he did not intent the destruction of his body, as ye wickedly do, who thirsts after blood to assuage the flame of your envy, but the Lord will quench that flame, and ye that desires blood, ye shall have blood to drink, but the Apostle fought not with flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness, and against incestion and fornication, and Idolatry; but ye make war against the flesh and blood, and seeks the destruction of the outward bodies as much as in you lies; but those who believes in the light, and trusts in the Lord, the God of our salvation: the power that saveth out of sin, and unrighteousness, them will he deliver out of your bloody hands, and from your cruel teeth, and from the reach, and venom of your hurtful tail; but it may be you will say, although we have no criminal fact to lay to their charge; whom we have cast out of our Church, of whom you speak; yet they are Heretics, and it was Paul's council that one that is an Heretic after the first and second admonition, Reject. I answer, if this were observed among you, there would be none found to reject? for all would be found to be rejected, and this is the reason, that whosoever comes to be members of the true Church; doth reject you, because of your Heresy in doctrine, and corruption in conversation? but after that way which you call Heresy, worship we the God of our Fathers, who wrought the holy Scriptures by inspiration of the holy spirit, and according thereunto, we believe in the true light, that lighteth every man, that cometh into the world; which (our) belief you call Heresy, and we believe that this light wherewith every man is enlightened, is a sufficient light, to lead all that follow and obey it, to eternal life, and this you call Heresy: and that this light is the perfect and beavenly gift of God, and whosoever yields himself into the obedience of it, shall thereby be translated from darkness, and the works thereof which is sin, and be brought to live righteously and holily in this life, and this also you call Heresy, and many more things, which in the Scriptures are declared, and by us believed and witnessed, do you call Heresy, as may appear in a book lately published by the Presbytery, at Edinburgh, to their shame called a testimony against the petition, for toleration; wherein your envious and bloody spirit is sufficiently set forth, to every judicious Reader, against the life of the Scriptures, and whomsoever into it is come; But your cainish spirit is seen, and your end is at hand, and your reward shall be according to your works.  
And now all ye people of Scotland, in whom is sincerity and simplicity unto whom this shall come; consider in the fear of the Lord, where you are, and who you are joined with, and against whom ye take part, while ye abide in this Church, and search the Scriptures, yourselves, and see whether these things be so or nay, and come out from amongst them, and partake no longer of their sins; lest you partake also of their plagues, which is near coming upon them; and praise the Lord, who hath spared you until now, and caused his light to break forth to discover their ways, and works of darkness; before ye are overwhelmed by his judgements, and as in sincerity, ye come to try these things with the light in it, ye will see more light, and by it an understanding will be opened in you, to see into their abominations, and deceits; beyond what is hear declared; but if ye reject this, the day of your visitation, then shall ye be shut up in darkness, and your ignorance shall increase; and your hearts shall be heardened, and ye made fit for the indignation and wrath of God, to be powered forth upon, when the measure of your iniquities shall be fulfilled.  
While you have time, prize it, and while you have light love it, and believe in it that you may be made Children of it.  
S. C.