[ 4 ]
charge every Minister to be diligent in fulfilling his Ministry, to be holy and grave in his Conversation, to be faithful in Preaching, declaring the whole Counsel of God, and, as he hath Occasion from the Text of Scripture, to reprove the Sins and Error, and press the Duties of the Time; and in all these to observe the Rules prescribed by the Assembly: Wherein if he be negligent, he is to be censured by his own Presbytery." Therefore this Act of Assembly obliges Ministers and People to their mutual relative Duties: and, in order to prevent Schism, it injoins not only every Minister in every Congregation to attend the Ministry of his own Pastor, but it likewise injoins every Minister in every Congregation to be a faithful Steward of the Mysteries of God. Hence I think it very evident, that the Separation condemned by this faithful Assembly, is a Separation from such Ministers who are holding the Testimony of Jesus delivered to his Church and People in this Land.
I have now done with the Exceptions that our Author lays against our Covenants, and the Proceedings of our reforming Period with reference unto them. I shall now briefly confider his Exceptions against some other Acts of the said Period, which he brings as Instances of the Faults, Failings, bad and tyrannical Acts of our covenanting Period. The first that I mention is the Account that our Author gives us of a Clause in the Assembly's Directory, August 24. 1647. for secret and private Worship, and mutual Edification, &c. Our
