A DECLARATION AGAINST A CROSSE PETITION WHEREIN Some secret lets of the intended reformation are discovered The danger of Division prevented And the unity of this Iland in religion urged BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE GENERALL ASSEMBLY First Printed at Edenburgh and now reprinted at London for I. B. in Cornhill 1642. THe Word of GOD the example of the People of GOD and of the Kirk of Christ since the beginning and our own late but very notable and never to be forgotten experience may abundantly teach us that the motions resolutions and endeavours of the Godly for the advancement of the Kingdome of the Son of GOD by establishing or propagating the Reformation of Religion must meet with a world of opposition and hinderances which might make their hearts to faint and their hands to faile if upon the same grounds and documents they were not taught to acquit themselues in doing the duty required of them by the necessity of their callings and for the successe to depend upon the unsearchable wisedome and invincible power of GOD which are made perfect in the simplicity and weaknesse of his servants The zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe it There hath ever been in the Kirk of Christ and shall be to the end a generation which maketh more account of the World then of the Faith of Christ doth conceive that differences about Religion are but the contentions of Kirk-men that therefore there is no necessity of the Reformation of Religion and that to know nothing of this kind is the surest Faith and seeketh in their service to Kings and Princes civilly to supererogate at their hands beyond the deservings others and above the expressed desires and commands of Princes themselves that the rewards of their singular zeale may be the greater therefore have proven and daily do prove the most pernicious and dangerous enemies of the true Religion against this generation which saith Let us deale wisely with them we have this comfort and advantage and we know amongst all the Enemies of the Truth they least of all thinke that they doe God service We who are intrusted for the time to be the Commissioners of the late Generall Assembly sitting at Edinburgh for the Affaires of the Kirk committed to our care and diligence specially for preserving of our owne Reformation and peace against all sorts of Enemies and according to the interest of this Kirk for unity in Religion and Uniformity of Government with the Kirk of England which was no new motion of ours but a proposition made by the Commissioners of the Treaty which then received from the Kings Majesty and Parliament of England such an Answer as hath beene the ground of many Consultations Declarations and publique Letters since and of a renewed supplication at this time to the Kings Majesty and of a Declaration to the Parliament of England for the same effect While wee are thus exercised we are desired by some Noblemen Barons and Burgesses occasionally met at Edinburgh to send some of our number to joyne with them in a Petition representing to the Right Honourable the Lords and other Commissioners of Parliament for the conservation of peace their humble thoughts and feares that the printing of His Majesties Letter of the date December 5. by Warrant and Command of the Right Honourable the Lords of His Majesties Privy Councell and the not printing of the Declaration of both Houses of Parliament unto which the printed Letter was an Answer might be taken by the Kingdome of England as an approbation of the whole matter and all the particulars which it did expresse and thereby to animate and provoke this Nation against them as Rebels and Traitours We finding that the Petition did homologate both in the end and meanes with our Commission and the matter of our present deliberations did willingly satisfie the desire of the Petitioners and therefore from our tender and dutifull respect to His Majesties Honour for preventing and removing of all occasion of jealousies and suspitions betwixt the two Kingdomes for preservation both of our owne peace at home and our common peace with England and for promoving the so much desired Unity of Religion a meane of all other most conducing to the conservation of both did with them conforme to the order observed in such cases since the beginning of our late Reformation humbly supplicate that the meaning of the publication of his Majesties Letter might be cleared and that the Declaration of both Houses of Parliament to their Brethren of Scotland might be printed and published c. But behold after a few daies a contrary Petition is presented to the Lords of His Majesties Privie Councell by some private Noblemen Barons and Gentlemen which comming to our hands we found after due examination to be nothing else but a secret plot and subtle under-mining of all the present designes of this Kirk and Kingdom for Unity of Religion and of all the work of God in this Land And therefore we made upon it the Observations and Animadversions following The private persons knowing that the Commissioners of the Generall Assemblie were sitting at this time about such matters as they meddle with in their Petition and that we had joyned in presenting a Petition to the Commissioners for conserving of Peace much about the same particulars whereof they could not be ignorant by reason of the Act of the late Assembly they did not so much as acquaint us with their intentions that we might either have petitioned with them or have advised them to desist which although it may seem to be but an erroâ— in the manner of their doing yet doth it imply contempt usurpation and division and being winked at may be the cause of much disturbance and confusion in these times especially they professing that they desire to cleare themselves and their intentions not onely to the Lords of Councell but to the Kings Majesty to the Kingdome of England and to all the World which is nothing else but under the colour of a Petition to make a publique Declaration contrary to the proceedings not onely of the Generall Assembly and their Commissioners but also to the desires and diligence of the Commissioners of the Treaty of the Honourable Lords of Councell and of the Conservators of Peace who have all concurred and doe still concurre in their joynt desires of Unity of Religion in His Majesties Dominions resolving to presse this Unity to the uttermost of their endeavours as a necessary preservative of our own Reformation and Peace which without it cannot long subsist and much crossing that clause of our Covenant wherein we sweare that we shall not cast in any let or impediment that may stay or hinder any such resolution as by common consent shall be found to conduce for so good ends Although the Petitioners professe with us that they desire the Union of this Iland in Religion and Kirk-Government yet their Petition doth too plainely and palpably tend to the contrary as is
approbation of the contents thereof and so acknowledge their willingnesse to take Arms against the Parliament of England upon the grounds contained in that Letter when His Majesty shall require them so to do And for their own part they declare that they think themselves obliged in every cause which may concern His Majesties honour to concurre with their friends and followers in quiet manner or in Arms as they shall be required of His Majestie his Councell or any having his authoritie Which if understood and applyed aright no loyall Subject can denie but it is meant and expressed in their Petition as in opposition to our Petition So in contemplation of the Differences betwixt His Majestie and the Parliament of England unto which their words relate For they professe to represent such particulars as they are confident will much conduce to the removing of all the mistakes betwixt His Majestie and the Parliament of which particulars that is the first That according to His Majesties trust expressed in His Letter December 5. the Subjects of this Kingdom declare themselves willing and ready to take Arms in every cause which may concerne His Majesties honour being required by His Majestie or any having His Authoritie And is not this to make void the Treaty ratified by the publick Faith of this Kingdom and Act of Parliament discharging all taking up of Arms against the Kingdom or Subjects of England upon any pretence whatsoever without consent of Parliament declaring the breach of Peace and that after three moneths warning Which treaty the Estates of Parliament did sweare to observe inviolably in the same very oath in which they did swear allegeance to the Kings Majestie thereby declaring that the observation of the conclusions of the treaty may well consist with our duty and allegeance to our Soveraigne whereas the Petition doth indirectly put some aspersion of Laesmajestie upon the Parliament for confirming and swearing to observe the Articles of the Treatie which in the opinion of the Petitioners are consistent with our oath of allegeance If they say that their Petition did onely insinuate that we may not take Arms to assist the Parliament against the King they put upon it a sense which it cannot be ar both because they knew that the supplication of the Noblemen Barons others assisted by us did not directly nor indirectly contain any such thing And because His Majesties trust expressed in that Letter which they desire His Majestie may not have occasion from us to repent is not onely a negative trust that we will not take arms against him but a positive trust and confidence that we will be readie to assist him And finally because the clause of the Supplication of the Generall Assembly which they mention as containing our obligation to our Soveraigne and that in reference to the present distractions in England is positive and not negative Lastly the Petitioners for their own private ends doe very much wrest and mis-apply our Nationall Covenant about which the whole Nation and all the Members of the Kirk of Scotland have as great ieason as by the mind of man can be conceived to be most tender and cautelous and which every one amongst us according to his place and calling is obliged to vindicate from every violation and namely from sinister glosses and false interpretations which may be the fountaine and cause the Covenant being one principall rule of our actions and undertakings of many scruples transgressions and disturbances Wee acknowledge before God and professe before the World that by our Covenant we are bound to the utmost of our power with our meanes and lives to stand to the defence of our dread Soveraigne the Kings Majestie his Person and Authoritie in the defence and preservation of the true Religion Lawes and Liberties of this Kirk and Kingdome likewise in every cause which may concerne his Majesties honour according to the Lawes of this Kingdome and the duty of good Subjects to concurre with our friends and followers in quiet manner and in arms as we shall be required of His Majestie his Councell or any having his authoritie We know that he who wilfully transgresseth one Article of the Covenant it being copulative is by interpretation guiltie of all And therefore under the greatest paines expressed in the Covenant we resolve for our selves all the dayes of our lives and doe exhort all others to that duty which they have sworne and subscribed to performe to the Kings Majestie But we desire to know of the Petitioners who are so ready at this time to make their own conclusions out of the Covenant which was never intended by it nor thought upon at the first or last time at the swearing and subscribing thereof how it commeth to passe that they never took the Covenant in their mouth but in this one Article Are they not bound by their Covenant and the same clause of the supplication cited by them to their mutuall concurrence and assistance for the cause of Religion and to stand with their means and lives to the defence thereof in the doctrine and discipline of the Kirk of Scotland and to live godly soberly and righteously in this present world True Conscience of duty and sincerity in keeping the Covenant will make the obedience universall Secondly seeing the Petitioners would onely have unitie in Religion and uniformitie in Kirk-Government advanced by Christian wishes and faire meanes and yet insinuateth their offer by armes to decide the municipall debates of England anent Civill matters while the Civill and Ecclesiastick Judicatories and the rest of this Kirk and Kingdome are desiring an Assembly and a Parliament to consider their interest and duty and to contribute their best endeavours in what is above the power of their Commissioners to further this unitie of Religion and remove these distractions in England we aske whether they presume that they alone keepe the Covenant and would render unto Christ which is Christs and unto Caesar which is Caesars and that all others are Covenant-breakers Thirdly doe they not know that the Covenant was subscribed in the years 1581. and 1591. before King James was King of England and that in the particular Heads and Articles it is qualified by expresse limitations and restrictions to this Kirk and Kingdome to the Religion Lawes and Liberties of Scotland therefore can no more be extended to municipall debates and to the Lawes and Liberties of England unto which we are strangers then the Kingdome of England can judge of our Lawes and determine our differences the two Kingdomes being still independent and not subordinate one to another but parallell which is more at large expressed in the beginning of the treaty of Peace Nor is the sending of our Forces into Ireland a necessary duty of our Covenant but a voluntary testimony of our high respects to our King and of our brotherly kindnesse to the Kingdome of England as was expressed by the Estates in the last Parliament Fourthly doe not the
Petitioners observe the limitations expresly contained in the words cited by themselves according to the Lawes of this Kingdome and duty of good Subjects which some of them may remember was interpreted in the Assembly as if it had been said within this Kingdome nor was there ever any law of this Kingdom of further extent A law and Treaty there is we know sorbidding it Fifty may they not learne from the printed Letter that the Kings Majestie expresseth not his confidence of assistance from Scotland upon any ground or article of the Covenant which his Majestie knoweth to be so obligatory among us but from the obedience duty and affection of His Subjects of Scotland without any mention of our Covenant But such is the supererogation of some of the Petitioners above what His Majestie requires that they will put a tye of the Covenant upon us where GOD and the King hath lest us free Thus have we related the interpretation of the Covenant made by the Assembly and vindicate that clause of the Covenant which is so farre perverted by this Petition The Petitioners hearing that their Petition had given offence to the Commissioners of the Assembly and that we were about the examination and censuring thereof did direct foure of their number with another Petition to give satisfaction to the exceptions that might be taken against them as is contained in their Remonstrance which they exhibite for that end But when in a calme and quiet conference al the particular reasons above-written were represented unto them and all meanes used to move them to part from their Petition they could not be induced neither in the name of others that had sent them nor for themselves to acknowledge the smallest errour either in the matter of their Petition or in the manner of their petitioning only they made offor to joyne with us the Commissioners of the Assembly in a new Petition for Unitie of Religion and gave such glosses and interpretations upon the clauses of their Petition which were most excepted against as could neither consist with the words nor scope of the contrivers and authors And therefore being desired and carnestly dealt with they not only refused to declare under their hands that no other thing was meant in the Petition then they had by word expressed but also did shun to allow or permit us the Commissioners of the Assembly to declare so much in their names as was contained in their own verball expressions intending that the Petition should go through this and the neighbouring Kingdomes for the ends for which it was devised and especially into England for frustrating all that hath been done or is now in doing by this Kirk and Kingdome out of their pious intention and by their publick endeavours for Unitie of Religion and the Peace of the two Kingdomes And in the mean time that nothing should be extant from them or their confessions and interpretations in the contrary In this case we Judge it necessary and find it incumbent to us to emit this Declaration for vindicating our present and by-past proceedings For our silence and connivence were a breach of our duty to GOD a neglect of the charge and trust committed unto us by the Generall Assembly an occasion as well of divisions at home as of jealousies and mis-understandings betwixt the Kingdomes a confirmation of Petitioners in their errour and an indirect approbation of their Petition as likewise a cause of stumbling and doubting to others who shall read or heare of such a Petition especially to those who through want of discerning are not able to prove things that are different might be easily deceived by their pretexts and sophistications We are not ignorant that this Petition doth very much reflect upon the Parliament Privy Councell and the Conservators of Peace but this we leave to the wise consideration of these civill Judicatories as they shall finde themselves concerned We have contained our selves within our proper Spheare not daring to neglect our own duty while wee forbeare to meddle with that which pertaines to others The Petitioners are not all of one kinde and disposition of heart but are unequally voked against the Worke of God Some of them are knowne and some of them have been conceived to bee Maglignants and Incendiares from the beginning but God forbid that they should now by opposing untie in Religion and Peace prove enemies to all Religion and Righteousnesse for then will it bee both thought and spoken that all this time past they have been lying in wait for the season when their malignancie might appear and it will be observed that they who were of late at distance amongst themselves are now at agreement and that like Samsons soxe they turne taile to taille with fire-brands in the midst to burne up the husbandrie of GOD when now the fields are white for the harvest It cannot be the cause of God which is not either secretly or openly opposed by men of perverse minds nor can blinded minds and hardned hearts till God touch them by his power choose but secretly or openly oppose the truth and cause of God And therefore it is very necessary that such men take heed unto themselves least by their fulnesse of all subtletie and mischiefe and their not ceasing to pervert the right wayes of the Lord they bee found to bee fighting against God which will prove bitternesse in the end Others there be who have joyned in this Petition to judge charitably not from opposition to the unitie of Religion they having done and suffered so much and hazarded all for the Reformation of Religion at home but partly out of unwillingnesse to refuse or displease their friends to whom they are obliged by naturall or other particular bands and partly by reason of the specious pretences in the Petition not considering the bad intentions of the contrivers or the dangerous importance and consequence of the Petition it selfe Let such men to whom the Commissioners of the Assembly wish all true happinesse seriously thinke as well upon the condition of the worke and the quallitie of the company with whom they joyne as upon their owne intentions least they wrong both themselves and the cause of God contrary to their desires and more then they are aware of and let them remember how dangerous it is to walke in the counsell of the ungodly for their soules to come into their secret and their glory to be joynd with that Assembly If counsell be like the principall agent consent is like the instrument and to be instruments of or accessorie unto the hindrance of the intended and so much desired unitie of Religion which maketh so fair a way for the Kingdome of Christ through the earth how great a sin is it and how great a sorrow shall it be All this we have thought good to expresse concerning that divisive Petition and those who are joyned together in it being cast in our way as a stumbling block and rock of offence for hinderance of the work of God both at home and abroad And as Wee exhort and warne all the people of God in this Land to observe them who cause divisions and offences and to avoid them So we hope assuredly that no such courses nor counsels shall prosper as do tend directly or indirectly to the stopping of the course of the Gospell or to the suppression of Religion and Reformation and that God Almighty shall against al impediments carry forward this his blessed and glorious Work to the glory of his great Name to the advancement of the Kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ to the destruction of Antichrist to the firme Peace and happy Union of all His Majesties Dominions in Religion and to His Majesties Honour and Happinesse Whom GOD preserve to raign long and prosperously over us FINIS At Edenburgh the 18 day of Ianuary 1643. THe Commissioners appointed by the Kings Majestie and his Parliament of Scotland for conserving the Articles of the Treaty Doe finde that the Petition given in to His Majesties Privie Councell by some Noblemen and Gentlemen upon the tenth of this Moneth doth tend to the hindrance of their proceedings and endeavours in this publik Work committed to them by the Kings Majestie and Parliament And that it is prejudiciall to the authority of this Commission the same being in opposition of what was that day recommended by the said Commissioners to the Councell And ordaine this Act to be published for stopping all farther progresse of that or other Petitions of that kind And that it be Printed with the Declaration of the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly made here anent Sic subscribitur Arch. Primerose Cler. Commiss