Earls of Cromartie > [NSLBLANK]

clxx GEORGE FIRST EARL OF CROM ARTIE. [1630-
there admission, but lett the prooff goe before the conclusion ; and, however,
all that wee say is true, and our resolution to admitt all tryed truths is
just ; no reasone then to leave us ; and no Christian prudence will allow
the ingrossing of other tenets into the Christian symboll without exact and
very exact tryall of them by our rule ; so what yow are now to leave is to
the Romish Church demonstratively good ; but, on the other hand, think whither
yow goe. I doe not love severe expressiones, nor anything that may restrict
allowable charity; but I'm sure I am no scolder when I forwarn my child
that yow are goeing to joine with a society who have added such doctrines
to the Christian faith as the greater part of the Romish Church are ashamed
to owne, tho' they dare not repell, but partake in and of these impieties,
and whose morals have renversed these in the Gospell, and shaken Chris-
tianity as weell as mankind into confusion. May yow not be frightned to
leave a church which ownes only to be guided by the oracles of God and confest
by all to be His oracles, and to joine a church who ownes that there cheeff tribunal
is above these oracles in so farr as they teach it as the first and principall doctrine
of ther religion, that this rule cannot instruct so weell as what they give, that
Christ either could not or did not preach so plainly, nor what could be so effectuall
to convert to Christianity, as they doe. If the Temple of God be the place of
teaching, and the Roman Church pretend to be in it, then if they be not that
which was fortold to sitt in the Temple of God as God, and to exalt themselfs
above God in exalting there rule of religion above his, I doubt it will be hard to
find this evill on. Bot, however, my sonne, this should fright yow from a hasty
conjunction with so ill ane appearance, and perswad yow yett to delay at the call
of a father who thinks he can fully clear this, and if he cannot, others both can
and will. Especially I perswade my self this will hinder yow from that new
impiety of abjuring a religion which ownes truth, and nothing but truth, for our
rule and symboll : tho' yee might lawfully beleeve more then wee doe, yett why
abjure that which yow most againe beleeve 1 It will be hard to shew a Christian
primitive practise that evne heathens at there entry to Christianity did make any
other vow then that of baptism ; yow have that upon yow already, and the Romans
dare not deny that your baptisme stands good (tho' that concession destroy most
of there great boastings, and is inconsistent with there beeing the sole true
Church). Vows are not to be multiplied without necessity. If the baptismall
vow was enough to enter a pagan, a worshiper of the divell, to Christianity,