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A58539
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The Scots Commissioners, their desires concerning unitie in religion, and uniformitie of Church-government as a speciall meanes for conserving of peace, in his Majesties dominions. Presented to the Kings Majestie, and both Houses of Parliament in England. March. 1641.
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Scotland. Parliament.
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1641
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Wing S1001C; ESTC R219080
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7,516
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18
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for such of our Ministers as for their disobedience to the voice of the Assemblie and other faults and scandals were deposed in Scotland And finally they have left nothing undone which might tend to the overthrow of our Church not onely of late by the occasion of these troubles whereof they have beene the authors But of old from that opposition which is between Episcopall government government of reformed churches by Assemblies Vpon the contrare The Church of Scotland hath never molested them either in the doctrine worship ceremonies or discipline of their church but have lived quietly by them kept themselves within the lyne and would have been glad to enjoy their owne liberties in peace which yet is and by the helpe of God shall be our constant desire yet can we not conceal our minds but in our consciences before God declare not frō any sassinesse or presumptuous intention to reforme England but frō our just fears apprehensions that our reformation that hath cost us so deare And is all our wealth and glory shall againe be spoiled and defaced from England That whatsoever peace shall bee agreed upon we cannot see nor conceive the way how our peace shall bee firme and durable but our feare is that all will runne into a confusion againe ere it be long if Episcopacie shall be retained in England for the same causes will not faile to produce the same effects Their opposition against and hatred of the government of the reformed Churches Their credit at Court and nearnesse to the King living in England the opinion they have of their owne great learning and of the glory of their prelaticall church joyned with the small esteem disdaine of our Christian simplicity the consanguinitie of their Hierarchie with the church of Rome and their feare to fall before us at last will still be working especially now when they are made operative and shall be set on work at the first advantage by their vindictive disposition to be avenged upon us for the present quarrell which can never be changed by any limitations As on the contrarie the cause being taken away the effects will cease and the peace shall be firme It would seeme that limitations cautions and triennall Parliaments may doe much But we know that feare of perjury infamie excommunication and the power of a nationall Assembly which was in Scotland as terrible to a Bishop as a Parliament could not keep our men frō rising to be Prelates and after they had risen to their greatnesse their apologie was Conditiones illa pro tempore magis quo contentiosis rixandi ansa praeriperetur quam animo in perpetuum observandi acceptae These other cautions or conditions were rather accepted of for the time to prevent all occasion of jangling with the contentious then out of any purpose to observe them forever Much is spoken and written of the limitation of Bishops But what good can the limitation doe to the Church if ordination and Episcopall jurisdiction shall depend upon them and shall not be absolutely into the hands of the Assemblies of the Church And if it shall not depend upon them what shall their office be above other Pastours Or how shall their labours be worthy so large wages What service can they doe to King Church or Estate Rome and Spain may be glad at the retaining of the name of Bishops more then the reformed Churches which expect from us at this time some matter of rejoycing 3. The reformed Churches doe hold without doubting their Church officers Pastors Doctors Elders Deacons and their Church government by Assemblies to be jure divino and perpetuall as is manifest in all their writtings And on the other part Episcopacie as it differeth from the office of a Pastor is almost universally acknowledged even by the Bishops themselves and their adherents to be but an humane ordinance established by law and custome for conveniencie without warrand of Scripture which therefore by humane authority may be altered and abolished upon so great a conveniencie and is the hearty conjunction withall the reformed Churches and a durable peace of the two Kingdomes which have beene formerly divided by this partition wall Wee therefore desire that Ius divinum humanum conscience and conveniencie yea the greater convenience with the lesser and we may adde a conveniencie with a inconveniencle may bee compared and equally weighed in the ballance without adding any weight of prejudice 4. The Church of Scotland warranted by authority hath abjured Episcopall government as having no warrand in Scripture and by solemne oath and covenant before and now againe of late hath established the government in the Church by Assemblies But England neither having abjured the one nor sworne the other hath liberty from all bonds of this kinde to make choyse of that which is most warrantable by the word of God And least it be thought we have wilfully bund our selves of late by oath that we be not pressed with a change We desire it to be considered that our late oath is nothing but the renovation of our former oath and covenant which did bind our Church before but was transgrest of many by meanes of the Prelates 5. If it shall please the Lord to move the Kings heart to choise this course hee shall in a better way then was projected accomplish the great and glorious designe which King Iames had before his eyes all his time of the unitie of Religion and Church government in all his dominions his Crownes and Kingdomes shall be free of all assaults and policies of church-men which whither in the way of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and Church censure Or by complying with the Pope the grearest enemie of Monarchie Or by bringing of civill government into a confusion Or by taking the fatte of the sacrifice to themselves When the people are pleased with the government and when they are displeased by transferring the hatred upon authority which was never wont to be done by any good States-man Which all these wayes have proceeded from Bishops seeking their own greatnesse Never from Assemblies which unlesse overruled by Bishops have beene a strong guard to Monarchie and Magistracie both the one and the other being the ordinance of God The Church shall be peaceably governed by common consent of Church-men in Assemblies In which the Kings Majesty hath alwayes that eminency which is due unto the supreame Magistrat and by which all heresies errors schismes before abounding under Episcopall government shall be suppressed and the State and all civil matters in Parliament Councell and other inferiour Judicatories governed by civill men and not by Church-men who being out of their owne element must needs stirre and make trouble to themselves and the whole State as wofull experience hath taught The worke shall bee better done and the meanes which did uphold their unprofitable pompe and greatnesse may supply the wants of many preaching members to be provided to places and without the smallest losse or damnage to the Subject may be a great increase of his Majesties revenues his royall Authority shall be more deeply rooted in the unite hearts and more strongly guarded by the joint forces of his Subjects as if they were all of one Kingdome and his greatnesse shall be enlarged abroad by becomming the Head of all the Protestants in Europe to the greater terrour of his enemies and the forcing of greatnesse to his Posterity and royall Succession All which we entreat may bee represented to his Majestie and the Houses of Parliament as the expression of our desires and fears and as a testimonie of our Faithfulnesse in acquiting our selves in the trust committted unto us But no wayes forgetting our distance or intending to passe our bounds in prescribing or setting downe rules to their Wisedom◠and Authoritie which we doe highly reverence and honour and from which onely as the proper fountaine th◠Lawes and order of reformation in this Church and Policie must proceed for the nearer union and greater happinesse of his Majesties Dominions FINIS
THE SCOTS COMMISSIONERS Their desires concerning unitie in Religion and uniformitie of Church-government as a speciall meanes for conserving of Peace in his Majesties Dominions Presented to the Kings Majestie and both Houses of Parliament in England MARCH 1641. EDINBVRGH Printed by James Bryson 1641. THE SCOTS COMMISSIONERS their desires concerning unitie in Religion and uniformitie of Church-government c. AS wee shall not make any proposition about the last Article of establishing a firme and happie peace but that which wee conceive to bee both expedient and just So will your Lo. we doubt not in your wisedomes consider that since that which is sought is not a cessation of Armes for a time but peace for ever and not peace onely but a perfect amitie and a more neare union then before which is of greater consequence then all the former Articles It is no marvell that a composition so excellent and so powerfull to preserve the whole Yland in health against all inward distempers and in strength against all contagion and wounds from without require manie ingredients of which if any one be wanting wee may on both sides please our selves for the present with the sweet name of Peace and yet for no long time enjoy Peace it selfe which hath in it not onely sweetnesse and pleasure but also much more profit and true honour then all the triumphes on earth As wee accompt it no lesse then usurpation and presumption for one Kingdome or Church were it never so mightie and glorious to give lawes and rules of reformation to another free and independent Church and Kingdome were it never so meane civill libertie and conscience beeing so tender and delicat that they cannot endure to bee touched but by such as they are wedded unto and have lawfull authoritie over them so have wee not beene so forgetfull of our selves who are the lesser and of England who is the greater Kingdome as to suffer any such arrogant and presumptuous thoughts to enter into our mindes Our wayes also are witnesses of the contrare against the malicious who doe not expresse what we are or have beene but doe still devise what may bee fewell for a common combustion Yet Charitie is no presumption and the common duety of Charitie bindeth all Christians at all times both to pray and professe theiâ— desire That all others were not onely almost but altogetheâ— such as themselves except their afflictions and distressesâ— And beside common Charitie wee are bound as Commissioners in a speciall duetie to propone the best and readieâ— meanes for setling of a firme Peace as wee love not to be curious in any other Common-wealth nor to play the Bishoâ— in another mans Diocese So may wee not bee carelesse anâ— negligent in that which concerneth both Nations Wee doe all know and professe that Religion is not onlâ— the meane to serve God and to save our owne soules bâ—â— that it is also the base foundation of Kingdomes Estats and the strongest band to tye the Subjects to their Prince in true loyaltie and to knit the hearts of one to another in true unitie Nothing so powerfull to divide the hearts of people as division in Religion nothing so strong to unite them as unitie in Religion And the greater zeale in different Religions the greater division But the more zeale in one Religion the more firme union In the paradise of nature the diversitie of flowers and herbes is pleasant and usefull but in the paradise of the Church different and contrarie Religions are unpleasant and hurtfull It is therefore to bee wished that there were one confession of Faith one forme of Catechisme one directory for all the parts of the publick worship of God as Prayer Preaching administration of Sacraments c. And one forme of Church-government in all the Churches of his Majesties dominions This would 1. Be acceptable to God Almightie who delighteth to see his people walking in truth and unitie and who would looke upon this Yland with the greater complacencie that wee were all of one heart and one soule in matters of Religion 2. This unitie in Religion will preserve our Peace and prevent many divisions and troubles Of old as Beda recordeth the difference about the time of observing Easter although no great matter in Religion and although in divers independent Kingdomes had troubled their peace if the wiser sort had not brought them to one uniformitie wherein they were so zealous that they would not suffer so much as one small Yland which differed from the rest to bee unconforme 3. His Majestie and his Successours in their government shall be eased of much more trouble which ariseth from differences of Religion and hath beene very grievous unto Kings and Emperours As Eusebius witnesseth in his third booke chap. 12. of the life of Constantine Sedition begotten in the Church of God saith Constantine seeme to mee to containe in it selfe more trouble and bitternesse then warre or battell 4. Since by divine providence his Majestie is King of divers Kingdomes It shall be much content both to himselfe to his Nobles and Court and to all his people When his Majestie shall in person visite any of his Kingdomes that King Court and people may without all scruple of conscience bee partakers of one and the same forme of divine worship and his Majestie with the Court may come to the publick Assemblie of the people and serve God with them according to the practise of the good Kings of Iudah As on the other part difference in formes of divine worship divideth betweene the King and the people 5. This shall bee a great comfort to all his Majesties Subjects when they travell abroad from their owne Countrey to any other place in his Majesties dominions whither for commerce or whatsoever negotiation and effaires That they may with confidence resort to the publicke worship as if they were at home and in their owne paroch Church and shall satisfie many doubts and remove many exceptions jealousies and scandals which arise upon resorting to different formes of worship 6. The names of Haeresies and Sects Puritanes Conformists Separatists which rent the bowels both of Church and Kingdome are a matter of much stumbling to the people and diminish the glorie of his Majesties reigne shall no more be heard but as the Lord is one his Name shall bee one and the name of the people one in all his Majesties dominions 7. Papists and Recusants shall dispaire of successe to have their Religion set up againe and shall either conforme themselves or get themselves hence and irreligious men shall have a great scandall removed out of their way which shall bee a meane of great saftie and securitie and of many blessings both to King and people I am perswaded saith Constantine as Eusebius recordeth in his life lib. 2. cap. 63. Were I able as it is in my desires to bind all the true worshippers of God by the common bond of concord all the Subjects of my Empire