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A33092
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A declaration of the commissioners of the General Assembly to the whole kirk and kingdome of Scotland concerning present dangers and duties relating to the covenant and religion.
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Church of Scotland. General Assembly. Commission.
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1648
(1648)
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Wing C4218; ESTC R25372
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8,541
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18
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as concerneth the duty of our places and callings endeavour the preservation of Monarchicall government in his Majesty and his Posterity according to the Covenant not being ignorant what confusion and calamities use to attend the change either of the government it self or of the Royal line Neverthelesse the country being so generally possessed with so dangerous a mistake misunderstanding of so great a businesse and his Majestie himself professing in his letter to us dated at Carisbrook Castle the 27 of December last that he hath resolved so far to agree to the desires of this Kirk and Kingdom concerning the Covenant and setling Religion as hee is confident shall give us satisfaction If now wee should be silent we might be understood as tacitely consenting and acquiescing Wee are therefore necessitated for undeceiving the Nation and for accquitting our selves to declare that a Narrative of the state of publick affairs having been made to us by those who were entrusted for that effect and since delivered to us in writing Wee have more especially taken to our serious thoughts so much of that Narrative as was from His Majesty made known unto us as his resolutions for satisfaction in point of Religion The first Article whereof is as followeth 1. For the Covenant His Majesty giving beleef to the professions of those who have entred into the League and Covenant and that their intentions are reall for preservation of His Majesties Person according to their allegeance and no ways to diminish his just Power and Greatnesse is content so soon as he can with freedom honour and safety be present in a free Parliament to confirm the said League and Covenant by Act of Parliament in both Kingdoms for security of all those who have taken or shall take the said Covenant Provided that none who is unwilling shall be constrained to take it Which Article hath nothing in it of His Majesties affection to or liking and approbation of the Covenant but onely what he is content to yeeld in order to his own interest Yea an Act of Parliament for security of those who have taken or shal take the Covenant doth or may suppose some fault or somewhat justly challengable in the taking of the Covenant which needeth an Act of Indemnity Next the offer is but conditionall and hath in the bosom of it a complication of such and so many conditions as might open a door to some evasion or other by multiplying exceptions difficulties and various notions either concerning the professions of those who have entred into the League Covenant or concerning His Majesties just power and greatnesse or concerning his freedom honour and safety or concerning a free Parliament And although the concession were certain and absolute it amounts to no more but to a leaving of the Covenant arbitrary which is contrary to the Acts of the Generall Assembly and Parliament in this Kingdom to the Declaration of both Kingdoms before cited and to one of the chief Propositions of Religion once agreed upon by both Kingdoms for a safe and wel grounded Peace viz. The Proposition concerning His Majesties wearing and signing of the League and Covenant and enjoyning by Act of Parliament in both Kingdoms the taking thereof by all the Subjects in the three Kingdoms with such penalties as shall be agreed upon by both Kingdoms So that the first Article of His Majesties offer is a most manifest altering of the State of this cause It is also a strengthening of the hearts and hands both of the Sectaries and of the Malignant Party a partaking and conniving at the sin of all those in the three Kingdoms who have refused or shall refuse to enter into the League Covenant an introducing of a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory God the good of the Kingdom and the honour of the King And therefore wee have judged this Article not onely unsatisfactory but destructive to the Covenant Neither are wee moved with that objection which is hinted concerning the constraining or enforcing men consciences They refuse a necessary duty who refuse to take the Covenant and the penalty or punishment of such refusall is no constraining of the Conscience more then the penalty or punishment of a Subject who refuseth to take the Oath of Allegiance is a constraining of the conscience to Loyalty or more then the punishment of Idolaters Blasphemers and Seducers mentioned so often in Scripture can be called a constraining of the conscience to the fear of God The words of the second Article are these His Majesty will likewise confirm by Act of Parliament in England Presbyteriall Government the Directory for Worship and Assembly of Divines at Westminster for three years so that his Majesty and his houshold be not hindered from using that form of Divine Service he hath formerly practised and that a free debate and consultation be had with the Divines at Westminster twenty of his Majesties nomination being added unto them and with such as shal be sent from the Church of Scotland whereby it may be determined by his Majestie and the two Houses how the Church Government after the three years shall be fully established according to the Word of God For ought we know the conditions couched in the first Article are also to be understood in this and the following Articles However this second Article as it is but the same in substance with some of his Majesties concessions in former Messages so that which is proposed in it is but a Toleration of Presbyterial Government in England and that but for three years and is a direct allowance at least of the book of Common-Prayer in his Majesties Houshold And moreover by the second Article not only a door is left open for re-establishing Prelacy and the Service Book But the happy progress already made in the Reformation and Uniformitie of Religion according to the Covenant in a Confession of Faith Directorie of Worship Form of Church Government and Catechism is set aside as so much lost labour in order to a future settlement Free debate with any of the Prelaticall party nominated by his Majestie when there was any such occasion hath not been declined But we have great cause to be tender of unsetling and razing a good foundation alreadie laid in the work of Reformation And whereas his Majestie will have it determined by himself and the two Houses how the Church Government after the said three years shall be established according to the Word of God This doth at once cut off three of the most materiall and most necessary Propositions concerning Religion formerly agreed upon by both Kingdoms and from both tendred to his Majestie though some of them be now laid aside by the two Houses of the Parliament of England namely The third Proposition for abolishing Archbishops Bishops c. The fifth Proposition That Reformation of Religion according to the Covenant be setled by Act of Parliament in such manner as both houses
if such men were the Kings enemies who are most zealous for the good and safety of Religion by their commending justifying or excusing other known Malignants and by their conversing or intercommuning with excommunicate Delinquents Unto which Characters time and experience give us occasion to add some others as namely their unwillingness and declining to reckon Malignants among the enemies of this cause from whom danger is to be apprehended Their disjoyning and dividing the duty of endeavouring the Kings Majesties preservation and restitution from the duty of preserving defending setling and securing Religion As if we might and ought to pursue the former without the latter while both are in danger Their maligning of and uttering malicious words against faithfull and zealous Ministers and against this meeting and Judicatory appointed by the Generall Assembly Lastly their crying up or down of parties or persons and even of the Sectaries themselves according as they have more or less hopes of advantage from them to their own designs For 't is not long since such men made light account of any dangers which were apprehended from the prevalent faction of the Sectaries in England There being then some hopes of a compliance and combination between them and the Malignants which is an infallible demonstration that such mens pretended Zeal against those Sectaries now is not from the right Principle Wherefore let all such dangerous persons as we have here deciphered and described be carefully observed and avoided as men would keep themselves pure and free of snares And let Presbyteries be diligent to discover try and censure any of this kind in their bounds that they may be able herein to give a good account of their diligence As also that they be careful to discover try and censure any trafficking Sectaries and all such as favour their opinions and ways Fiftly Though we esteem that prevalent Faction of Sectaries with their abbetters and adherents Presumptuous and Malicious enemies to Religion King and Government Yet we hold it is our duty to labour to remove and prevent all occasions of jealousies and suspitions betwixt the Kingdoms and do or say nothing that may breed misunderstandings break off correspondence weaken the confidence or infringe the Union and Peace betwixt the two Kingdoms so happily established in his Majesties presence and with his Royall consent in both Parliaments A caution as necessary now as when it was given above five years ago in a Warning from the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly met in this same place January the fourth 1643. And Generally we desire that all the Articles and clauses of the solemn League and Covenant may be kept inseparably and inviolably linked together and that there may be great tenderness and care to avoid every thing which may be interpreted as a contradicting or abandoning of the former Principles Proceedings Petitions Protestations Remonstrances and Declarations of this Kirk and Kingdom in the pursuance of this cause and more especially to take good heed that Scotlands desires do not mount higher for the King and fall lower in the point of Religion then they were at our first undertaking and ingagement in this cause Finally we do most seriously obtest all the people of God in this Nation and especially the Estates of Parliament by their love to the cause of God by their solemn Vows and Covenants by their first principles and professions by their former zeal and sincerity by the many blessings of God and his great works done for us when our zeal and integritie was greatest in this cause and by all the curses and judgements of God which his Word denounceth against back sliders and Covenant-breakers that they may all the dayes of their lives continue firm stedfast and faithfull in their Covenant with God and one with another and make good their former professions in a time of tentation and difficultie without waving or falling off to the right hand or to the left and as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God A. Ker. FINIS