"You say that so long as the Articles of the Church of England
are agreeable to Scripture, you resolve to preach them up,
without either bigotry or party zeal. This is the case with
us. We preach up and defend, doctrinally and judicially,
those Articles of the Church of Scotland, agreeable to the
Scriptures, which the judicatories are letting go. Hence, I
conclude, you are just of our mind, as to separation from an
established Church. We never declared a secession from the
Church of Scotland, but only a secession from the judicatories,
in their course of defection from the primitive and covenanted
constitution, to which we stood bound by our ordination
engagements."
Whitefield's sermons are next examined, and objectionable sentiments
and sentences pointed out. Erskine concludes his long letter thus:--
"I see much of the glory and majesty of God, and many of the
stately steps and goings of our mighty king Jesus, in your
sermons and journals; and have, with tears of joy, adored His
name for what He is doing for you and by you. When I consider
how you and your brethren are stirred up of God to such a
remarkable way of witnessing for Him in England, against the
corruptions and defections of that Church; and when we of the
Associate Presbytery have been called forth in a judicial way
to witness against the corruptions and defections of the Church
of Scotland; and both at a juncture, when Popish powers are
combining together against us, and desolating judgments are
justly threatened from heaven, there is, perhaps, more in the
womb of Providence relating to our several situations, and
successes therein, than we are aware of. What He doth we know
not now, but we may know hereafter.
"We have lately been attending several sacramental solemnities
in our brethren's congregations, where vast multitudes of people
were assembled at the tents without doors, as well as in the
church; and I never found more of the presence of God than
on some of these occasions. The Spirit of God was sometimes
remarkably poured out. Enemies gnash with their teeth, but
the Lord carries on His work. My brethren salute you most
affectionately. They love and respect you in the Lord. I salute
the worthy Sewards and Wesleys in the Lord.
"I am, rev. and dear sir, yours most affectionately in our
blessed Immanuel,
"RALPH ERSKINE."[234]
[234] "Life and Diary of Rev. Ralph Erskine."