Judicatories and from thence as from Aarons head did run down by his-beard to the uttermost skirts of his garments were we not then for a name of praise amongst the Churches abroad and the rod of Discipline in our hand a terror to every thing which exalted it self against truth and pietie at home Then did the work of Reformation come on apace untill the head-stone was ready to be put upon it with shoutings crying Grace Grace unto it The Vine brought out of Egypt planted amongst us did fill the land the hills were covered with the shadow of it and the boughs thereof were like the goodly Cedars She sent forth her boughs unto the sea and her branches unto the river But now alas the case is altered we are as members disjointed as an Army routed the Authority of CHRISTS Courts weakened and all this is the more terrible that our own hand hath been in the transgression our hedges are broken down so that all they that passe by do robe and spoile the Boar out of the wood doth waste and the wilde beast out of the Forrest doth devour the Foxes and little Foxes do spoile the Vines with tender grapes and there is none to take hold of them We do also regrate with you that groundlesse prejudices and needlesse jealousies are so readily received and intertained and so hardly removed and that alienation of minde and affection doth so much increase Those seems to be the latter times indeed concerning which it is foretold that because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall waxe cold Only it appeareth from what followeth in yours that what guilt is herein ye intend to fasten it all upon us and to purge your selves wholly of it Thus we take up your meaning and doubtlesse others will do so also while ye adde that Hereby it commeth to passe that clear and evident Truths concerning the Lords controversie with the Land are not received in simplicity of heart but are by many laid aside as unworthy to be taken notice of a thing which those of your judgement do usually charge us with But for your selves ye professe it is your hearts desire so to walk with your Brethren as may be unto edification and that ye may do nothing which may heighten the difference Thus all those forenamed evills must be fastened upon us To all which we return this Answer 1. As we conceive ye neither will nor yet can positively clear your selves from having your own share in those things as well as others Surely ye do not really think that there is no groundlesse prejudices nor needlesse jealousies received and entertained by those of your Judgement nor no place given to alienation of mind and affection and if so we wonder much why then do ye so regrate these evills as it is evident ye would fasten them wholly upon us How is it that ye who presse so much taking with guilt upon others do not freely own your own share in this common and uncontroverted guiltinesse 2. We do not purge those of our Judgement but as usually falls out in Church divisions so it is possible way is given by many to prejudices and jealousies but we are sorry we have reason to say your way doth free them from the imputation of being altogether groundlesse We can hardly conceive but if ye seriously consider ye your selves will judge that there is great ground of jealousie given to these of our Judgement from severall things in your carriage As namely for your crying out so much against that which we conceive to have been our duty as the main Cause of Gods Judgement and Kingdome-ruining sin from your asserting in Print to the World that we are for the same very thing men scandalous and unworthy to sit in a General Assemblie If ye speak this much when for number ye are comparatively so few and destitute of all power what can be expected your Principles will lead you unto if once ye had that fulnesse of power which ye aime at 3. How groundlesse so ever our jealousies be we must crave leave to clear our selves of that unchristian effect which ye have expresly affirmed to have followed upon them The searcher of hearts knows no groundlesse prejudices nor alienation of mind and affections hath so prevailed with us as to reject clear and evident Truths concerning the Lords Controversie with the Land as unworthy to be taken notice of We desire to believe that the fear and dread of the Almighty shall never so far forsake us But 4. what ye mean by these clear and evident truths concerning the Lords controversie and rejected by us we cannot well conjecture We can hardly think that ye mean the poynts of controversie under debate betwixt you and us ye know what ye hold in those are not clear and evident truths unto us and we believe unto none of the Forraign Churches We desire to know if ever such Tenets were vented for Truths in any part of the Christian World as that it is not lawfull for the lawfull Magistrate to imploy the Body of his Subjects for the Lands defence against an unjust Invasion or that we may not be concurring according to our Place unto the investing of any with the power of Magistracie what ever otherwise be his right unto it untill he give convincing signes of a reall change or that it is unlawfull to join in Camp fellowship with these whom we may have even the nearest Church fellowship with Such and many such like are no clear and evident Truths unto us But if ye mean other Truths concerning the common and uncontroverted guiltinesse of all ranks of Persons within the Land such as Contempt of the Gospel Pride Oppression Uncleannesse Despising of Ordinances Self-seeking under publick pretences ye know we do receive such Truths and stirre up the Land to mourn for them though we know many who looks on those as sins not to be taken notice of in a Publick Fast except those other things under debate and of lesser moment what ever truth be in them be acknowledged also Ye Professe your scope in Writing unto us is that sin and transgression may be acknowledged by us ye needed not have excused your attempting of this towards us by your doing the like unto others We are glad indeed how freely ye do acquit your selves according to your Vocation unto all men and are confident when what ye have done unto others of this kind shall be made as publick as this to us hath been a long time since it will speak for it self But what ever ye have done or not done unto others your Writing unto us had been most acceptable if so it had taught us what we know not your smiting of us should have been a kindnesse For attaining the end by you Proposed ye conceive it a good and ready way to look back where we were when these differences began particularly ye mention our by past work of purging corrupt men from the
Ministery and the profitable fruits thereof together with the sad effects hath followed upon the interuption of it by the abounding of scandalous Ministers and Elders which ye lament so much the more as that what hath been already done of this kind is condemned by many In answer to which we wish indeed we may all look back where we were when these differences began Our Generall Assemblies were then terrible as ane Armie with Banners inferiour Judicatories and Persons of all ranks walking in their due subordination unto those whereby the weeds and stones of all sorts were gathered out of the Lords Vineyard which now almost every where abound 2. We grant that the House of God ought to be purged and that not only from men of scandalous lives but also of dangerous and erroneous principles but we are sorry that ye labour so much to fasten upon us the hindering of this so good a Work ye know the weakning of our Authority makes purging Work for the time but very little usefull Men are now taught and ye know by whose example to submit no further to Church Censures nor what seemeth good unto themselves Our purging work must have Union going before it or else it is to little purpose so that these who have begun and continued our wofull Rent most are greatest retarders of this necessary work and so deepest in that guilt which you so much at all occasions do charge upon us 3. We know not who those are who repents of the by past work of purging possibely some conceive an inconvenience and danger to continue it in the same way wherein it was formerly used but for what we know there is none of our judgement against the thing it self It may prove hazardous indeed to give unto a Quorum of some few men most of them being very young inexperienced and unacquainted with our Discipline a constant power renued from time to time to sit down upon whole Synods and Presbyteries and cast out and hold in whom they please especially at this time when through our wofull Rent there is so much mutuall irritation of spirit and as your selves grant so many groundlesse prejudices and needlesse jealousies together with so much alienation of affections We are very confident it shall not be made appear that Ezekiel threatneth the neglecting of purging only by such a meane as this so with all respect to your Wisdome and parts ye might as we conceive have omitted the citation of that place as to this purpose As for your two Papers mentioned in yours as containing the causes of GODS dreadfull wrath and the sins of the Ministry which ye recommend unto us we have not as yet so acurately perused them but from the generall view we have taken we finde what is the great work of these books to wit to convince us of the sinfulnesse of the Treaty publict Resolutions c. And in order to our conviction herein ye recommend to us the perusall of the Covenant Engagement Remonstrances Declarations of this Kirk For Answer We have perused many of them all and most of all the Word of Truth the perusall whereof why it is not recommended by you at least among the rest we wonder much But we cannot finde from all or any of these that sinfulnesse in these things which ye charge them with We finde the Treaty with the King approven by Covenant Remonstrances Declarations so that if ye had cited but one passage of any of these seemingly against it we should have cited ten really for it We finde the publict Resolutions also approven by these to wit The Commissions Answer to the Quaeries proponed to them by the Committee of Estates some of which Answers in these is 1. It is lawfull for a Magistrate to imploy the body of his Subjects for the Lands defence especially providing none of them be put to such Trust as may be prejudiciall to the work of GOD which ye know was expresly provided for in the Commissions Answer 2. That a Parliament may take off civill mulcts alter or shorten dyets for admitting unto or debarring from Trust providing they actually imploy none but these who are of known good affection to the Cause of GOD. These are the publick Resolutions so much cryed out against and these wee darre not condemne except vvee vvould depart from the Word of Truth We finde also what the Commission did in receiving of Malignants to give Ecclesiastick signes of Repentance to be justified by the Acts of preceeding Assemblies especially the Assemblie 1649. where many of your judgement did sit as Members We finde that Assembly did injoin the Commission to processe these who were upon the unlawfull Engagement even to Excommunication if they did not offer signes of Repentance We find the Commission 1650. walking by the same steps in their receiving of them to the Communion of the Church which the same Assembly in the same place doth prescribe and if they failed in one circumstance why do ye not make it known So that while ye say that they were notoriously walking in their accustomed prophanenesse and enimity unto the Work of God even when the Commission did receive them is more then can be made good we mean that they were so walking notoriously unto the Judicatory who received them and ye know Church Judicatories are to judge only according unto what is made notour unto them If ye say their walking so was notour unto others then we ask why did not those others follow Christs rule with them Was there any of the whole bulk whom any of you did admonish and for their pertinacy delated them unto the Church as the Word of God and the Generall Assembly did excite all to do This ye know ought to have been first done before ye had thus charged CHRISTS Court with prostituting the Ordinances of Repentance unto the lusts of corrupt men That severall of these whom the Commission did then receive have since proclaimed their dissimulation reflecteth nothing upon us no more then the carriage of diverse of your Judgment who have tread in the same steps with them of late doth reflect upon you Besides this we may say that the greater part of those at whose receiving ye professed your selves most stumbled have given as great a proof of their sincerity by their after actings and sufferings for the Covenant and Cause as any others have done since that time Ye proceed and wish our selves may search what sinfull courses have been taken to promove these Publike Resolutions but least we should not search or happily after searching not find ye put us in mind of severall particulars to which we give this return 1. If any Censures have been imposed upon Ministers without a preceeding Act and practise of our Kirk in such like cases then let the Imposers bear the blame 2. For any particular Acts made by the Assembly at Dundee against Professors for their opposition to the Acts thereof they not being particularly instanced
next in the hands of others that so in progresse of time they may cast at all Ordinances We do verily believe so much is not intended by them but so far as we can judge the Spirit stirring in the times driveth at no lesse and this is a thing which neither we nor ye ought to think lightly of farre lesse do any thing by Word or Writ which may strengthen peoples hands or encourage them in such a way 4. Ye mistake while ye affirme all the prophane in the Land do join with us We know in some places that severalls of the most prophane have separated from us and gone to hear some of your Judgement at those dyets and that only because they conceived such a way would be acceptable to some whom they have dependance upon If ye knew the men we conceive ye would not think us uncharitable though we said it was nothing of conscience which moved them 5. Though many prophane men should joyn in our Fasts as they usually did in years by-past countenance all such Fasts as were appointed by Publick Judicatories yet there is no reproach to us nor the way of God which we maintain the contrary to which ye seeme to insinuate ye know by whom the same hath been objected as a matter of reproach against the Presbyterian way and how ye your selves have often answered it That the rise of your Writing is from love to us and not from a purpose to render us odious we shall not Question only we stumble much that doubles of yours were spread unto others before it came to our hands what hath been the purpose of those who did so we cannot well imagine As for the matter of your exhortation that we should quite the Publick Resolutions ye have our Answer to it in what is already Written Only your method stumbleth us not a little that the quyting of our Judgement in those is required as previous to our joyning with you if ye hold this as necessarily previous to our Union we desire to know surely if so ye are not so cordiall for Union as some of you pretend And now since we have spoken our heart freely unto you in answer to yours wherein we presume ye will finde that we have obeyed at least your last desire having Written nothing which may evidence our putting of a hard construction upon your intentions or upon any of your words or expressions which may seem harsh we have only answered to the matter held forth by them we shal not take upon us to speak our sense of that way wherein ye have walked this time by-past the Generall Assemblie having spoken so much to that purpose whom if ye do not hear we conceive neither will ye hear us Only Sir let us with all due respect take the boldnesse to propound unto you some few Questions concerning some things in your way and the way of those other Reverend Brethren who join with you To which we earnestly crave and as we conceive in equity may expect an Answer The things we question being such as your clear and distinct answer will satisfie the minds of many much concerning the sincerity of your endeavour for healing and your willingnesse to remove these things which in the apprehensions of many are reall impediments and stumbling blocks cast in the way of Union and Peace The Questions are those following QUEST 1. Do ye indeed conceive that ye can have no Union with us untill we obey the contents of your Letter and professe an alteration of our Judgement in these things wherein we differ from you Besides other things the exhortation proponed in your Letter unto us giveth us ground thus to Question where our forsaking of the way of Publick Resolutions is required as previous unto our joining together for carrying on the Work of Reformation If ye so conceive we are at a poynt we must either come over the belly of our Light and call good evill else ye will not hear of Peace QUEST 2. If ye look on us as men scandalous and unworthy to sit in Church Judicatories the second Reason of your Protestation against the Assembly at S. Andrews gives us ground to imagine thus for there do ye decline that Assembly because the most eminent men of our Church was not casten by as scandalous though nothing either was or could be alledged against them but their accession to the Publike Resolutions If ye so judge still we cannot understand how ye minde peace QUEST 3. Do ye really think it unlawfull to joine in an Assembly made up for the most part of these who acted in and approved of the late Assembly at Dundee as your fift Reason against choosing Commissioners to the late Assembly at Edinburgh doth expresse If thus ye judge then you must decline not only the Generall Assemblies but all Synods and Presbyteries yea and shake off your Ministers also if they be not of your judgement as continuing in a course which you think defection and the main cause of GODS wrath QUEST 4. How is it many of your judgment refuse to join with us in the publike Acknowledgment of uncontroverted guiltinesse and that only because we cannot go over our light to acknowledge that for a sin which we do esteem to have been a duty We desire to know any passage of Scripture warranding a separation from such a necessary duty for that only cause QUEST 5. Seeing ye do so much cry out against us for retarding the work of Purging how is it ye do not cordially join and excite to the censuring of erroneous Ministers who have avowedly spit upon their Mothers face and are daily stirring up others to do the like QUEST 6. How is it some Ministers of your judgement take upon them to intimate Fasts read forth Causes of Wrath unto the people to be humbled for appoint particular diets for going about this work and this all without the Authority of any Church Judicatorie no not so much as of their own Sessions if this were done by others it would seem somewhat Prelaticall like QUEST 7. How is it some of your judgment take upon them to debarre from the Lords Table the third part or half the number of their Church-members come to age This seemeth unto us a great step towards separation QUEST 8. We desire to know what are these positive signes of reall repentance which ye require in those who are to be received after scandall unto the fellowship of the Church and why the same may not be required in the admission of Church-members QUEST 9. How is it the practise of many of your number to cast out of Sessions under one pretence or other all those almost who are of our judgment and yet cry out so much against the Act of the late Assembly ordaining not those who differ from us in the matter of Publike Resolutions but only such as adhere to the Protestation against the Assemblies to be laid aside only from voicing in Presbyteries and
the Malignant Party to exercise their power against you but also for making your own people abhorre you and truly though we were aiming at your shame and disgrace we could hardly imagine a more compendious way for bringing of it about but the uprightnesse of the upright will preserve him Lastly ye professe your dissatisfaction with the present Commission and that for severall things 1. For their slighting and misconstruing all your endeavours for Peace 2. For misrepresenting your proceedings to Presbyteries particularly in their Letter of the Date Febr. 25. To which we Answer 1. The Commission did appoint a Conference at St. Andrews in order to Union and Peace which was the grant of your desire for the maine and if some words expressing their appointment did make you slight the offer it would appear ye have not had mind to the thing it self 2. That the Commission did misrepresent your proceedings is more then can be proved as to the passage of their Letter pitched upon we answer 1. If the Conference appointed by the Commission was not slighted by you then whose default was it that it was not keeped 2. That those of your number was not advised with in drawing up of the Commissions Answer will not be thought strange unto those who know ye advised with none of our Judgement when ye did draw up your demand though there was severalls present mediating with you for Peace 3. That some at least of your previous desires were refused by the Commission will be thought as little strange unto those who knew what ye did desire viz. that the Commission should uncommissionat themselves by a Publick Declaration that they should Act nothing as a Commission during the Conference though the necessity of the Church should never so much require it And how could we as ye alledge imagine that the refusing of this desire would marre the good of the Conference except we had first imagined that your proponing of such a previous desire did argue that ye intended no good at all in order to the Churches Peace should be reaped by the Conference Lastly ye professe your selves greatly stumbled at the Fasts and Humiliations appointed by the Commission from time to time and that because the Causes thereof are General and ambiguous For Answer 1. If we were to shew unto you all wherewith we are dissatisfied in your way we conceive we have greater reason to be dissatisfied with your selves but our intent being mainly herein to clear our selves we shal only Propone this Question If ever ye read in any Church Story in any age of the Church that when difference of Judgement did fall out among Prime and Eminent Church-members that ever the one Party being the fewer and no Church Judicatorie did take upon them to turn over the one side of the Controversie into Causes of Gods Wrath upon the Church and by the Sole Authority of Church Sessions hold them forth to Congregations to be mourned for at Solemn Fasts and this all before the Rent did turn remedilesse yea and while the same Party is pretending unto Peace and charging the other with slighting all Overtures for Union and healing so often Propounded and so much pursued by themselves 2. If ye had instanced any of these Causes of our late Fasts which are either ambiguous or generall we should have answered But sure we are it is an unjust charge no Causes can be more clear nor needeth to be more particular nor the Causes of the very last Fast are as is obvious unto any who without prejudice will peruse them But we gather from that which followeth in yours what it is ye misse most in these Causes viz. That we do not acknowledge a Land-destroying guiltinesse in the Publike Resolutions It seemeth unto us ye hint at this while ye say ye do finde in Gods ordinary way of dealing with his People that there hath usually been some publick sins and breaches of Covenant preceeding such sad judgements For Answer 1. We are deceived if we have not found the contrary Psal 44. The People of God are put unto shame given as sheep appointed for meat scattered among the heathen they were broken in the places of Dragons their bellies made to cleave unto the dust and yet vers 17. for all this they had not forgotten God nor yet dealt falsely in his Covenant Ye know also what sad judgements were brought upon the whole Catholick Church visible in the time of the first Persecutions by the heathen Emperors and afterwards by the Arrians and yet there is nothing extant of any publicke break of Covenant going before those terrible stroaks and sad sufferings But 2. Granting that some breaches of Covenant had gone before our sad stroake must it therefore follow that those were the Publick Resolutions May there not be found other breaches in relation to those who are our Rod or some other things But 3. Though ye were perswaded that the breach is in these yet do ye think it indeed a sin before the Lord for us who are not so perswaded to mourn for other Land-destroying sins which are upon all hands uncontroverted May not Joshua and the Elders mourn for their stroak and their known sinnes procuring it though yet they knew nothing of Achan who had procured Gods Wrath against them most Or did Job sin while he acknowledged his known iniquity Job 7. 21. Although he himself apprehended there was some further prime cause of this stroak nor any thing he had yet seen as appears from Job 10. 2. Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me But lastly as to this purpose ye adde that we would not look upon it with a light eye that so many Godly in the Land cannot join in our fasts and that all the wicked and prophane in the Land do carefully attend such dyets For Answer 1. We know there are both Godly and prophane within the Church but for our selves we never liked the making use of that distinction for strengthning of interest and faction by ranking all the prophane and wicked upon the one side and so none but the Godly yea and the generality of the Godly upon the other We know such a method hath been followed by some but the vanity of it hath still at last been discovered how long it will hold up with you we do not know 2. Though we are not able from our own exact knowledge to order Professors through the whole Land in their severall ranks yet our information faileth us if the generality of noted professors of any old standing do not join with us in our Fasts and Humiliations 3. That any doth not joyn with us is not looked on with a light eye by us we professe we look sadly upon it as a piece of that spirit stirring in the times The intent whereof is to make professors first lightly to scruple and then to separate without any reason upon meer gainstanding of minde first from some Ordinances in the hands only of some and
which we are so far from pleading our own innocency that we do unfainedly desire to acknowledge our accession to be very great and to be deeply humbled for the same before God And we do earnestly intreat in the Lord Jesus Christ who came into the World to save sinners that you would seriously ponder the things that are therein represented without taking prejudice against them because they come from us If the Lord shall be graciously pleased to put it into your hearts with fervent Prayer and deep Humiliation to consider the Covenants and Engagement which you and all of us have sworn to the most High with uplifted hands and to peruse and ponder the many faithfull Warnings and Declarations of this Kirk in former times anent the present Differences and to call to minde the tentations which you met with the snares which were laid in your way the straits which you were driven into and all the motives and inducements which ingaged you in that way you are now upon and to look upon the sad Judgements which have come upon the Land since the first declining from the former way we are hopefull that the Lord shall discover unto you the sinfulnesse of that Treaty in Holland and of the Publick Resolutions following thereupon in particular how greatly his Holy Name was abused in prostituting the Ordinance of publick Repentance to the lusts and designes of corrupt men by receiving the Malignant Party to the fellowship of all Church Ordinances to make way for entrusting them as Captains and Rulers over the Lords People and his Interests while they were notoriously walking in their accustomed prophanenesse and enimity to the Work of the Lord and to his People and had not given evidences of Repentance and who as was then often foretold have now again by their wicked deeds proclaimed to the World their Hypocrisie and dissimulation we would much rather desire to hear that your selves did search then that we should need to put you in minde what sinfull courses were taken to promote and establish these Resolutions and what Censures have been imposed upon Ministers and Acts made against Professors for giving Testimony against the same How gracious and well qualified Elders are removed and keeped out from Church Judicatories and ignorant and prophane persons brought in and moe endeavoured to be brought in to their rowm How gifted and gracious young Men are debarred from entring into the Ministry and a door is opened to others whereof some are loose and-profane and many are ignorant and strangers to the Work of the Lord upon their own hearts And here we cannot forget to desire you seriously to consider how unwarrantably you did proceed in that Meeting at Forfar in August 1651. in the midst of so many warnings and sad dispensations from the Lord even to that height and animosity of spirit as to pronounce the heavy Curse of God against all these that did withdraw their counsells from your Judicatories and to ordain the same to be Read in every Congregation publickly on the Lords Day and to spread Declarations at home and send Printed Informations abroad into England grievously traduceing your Brethren as Separatists as Enemies to the Work of Reformation and promoters of their designes who Invaded this Land with many other reproaches of the like kind Notwithstanding you have had long experience of their faithfulnesse in the Lords Work Oh that you would lay these things to heart and remember how greatly the Lord was thereby provocked and his wrath increased how ye have made the heart of the righteous sad whom the Lord hath not made sad and strengthned the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked way and how the Work of Reformation hath not only been interrupted thereby but dangerously shaken and a foundation laid for conjunction with all Parties whatsoever both at home and abroad which hath been the cause and fountain of these sad rents and divisions that are among the Lords precious People But of all things it is most grievous to us that after all the evills and miseries which the Lord hath brought upon this poor Land you should yet continue to justifie and maintain these things and so tenaciously adhere unto them which you would well examine from what principle the same doth flow We know that it is commonly said that a satisfactory answer was returned to the Propositions delivered in by us to the late meeting at Edinburgh in July last but it is only a seeming satisfaction in some things by reason of the hidden way of expression that is used in that answer for the matter is so conveyed in words as the two late Assemblies and their Acts which comprehended all the things in question betwixt us are included in your specious concession and so in effect what seemeth to be granted there is wholly overturned to other things no answer is returned and for these things which are laid down in that answer as uncontraverted betwixt us we do not hear nor can we learn that they are begun to be practised by any of your number though it be in the power of their hands but the great bensill of the zeal of most part is turned against us We may further say that wayes of Peace and healing were so little studied by the most part at that meeting in July last as we fear the contrary was too much endeavoured for not only Synods and Presbyteries were warranted and encouraged to proceed against Ministers Elders and Expectants according to the Acts made at Dundee which for the substance were renewed but also Letters were written and Published in Print directed to the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Land whereby the Malignant Party was stirred up to exercise all the Power they had against us which in some places they have not been slack to put in execution We are much unsatisfied that advantages are sought and taken against us in a very ungaining way to say no worse not only to slight misconstrue and reject all our indeavours for healing the breach that is amongst us but likewise in your Letters to Presbyteries and other Papers you do misrepresent our proceedings Beside diverse other strange expressions in your late Letter of the date the 25. Febr. last wherein we hope you will not upon serious examination allow your selves we do not a little wonder why it should be said that the conference for reconciliation and Union was altogether slighted and deserted by us when some of our number had carefully attended about three weeks for promotting the same and were not at all advised with nor so much as daigned with any Answer at all untill after you had dissolved your meeting and when the Answer was given it was in effect a refusall of all our previous desires without satisfaction to which you very well knew there could be no profite in conference We are also greatly stumbled at the Fasts and Humiliations which you do appoint from time to time the Causes
are generall and ambiguous expressions are used which no doubt is a sin before the Lord if in any case surely in the confession of sin and transgression and humiliation for the same we ought to studie to be clear plain and distinct and to avoid ambiguitie neither fearing the power of men upon the one hand nor desiring to please the multitude upon the other especially after so much wrath from the LORD upon the Land We know and desire to acknowledge that there was alwayes so much sin and iniquity abounding in this Land as might have justly provocked the LORD to anger and indignation but in the LORDS ordinary way of dealing with his People we do finde that there have usually been some publict sinnes and breaches of Covenant preceeding such sad judgements which brought their other sins to remembrance you would not look upon it with a light eye that so many of the Godly in the Land cannot away with nor joyn in your Fastings and Humiliations and that all the wicked and grosly profain in the Land who have alwayes hated and do still hate the ordinances of GOD in their power and purity do with such a furious carnall zeal defend and maintain your Humiliations and carefully attend such diets and opportunities with delight and approbation and yet do slight other occasions even with your selves for worshipping the Lord. We take no pleasure to mention those things they are matter of lamentation unto us before the Lord neither is it our purpose to render you odious and if our duty to God and unto you did not constrain us we would much rather choose to be altogether silent in such an evill time It is from the love we bear in our hearts toward you and the earnest desire we have to recover you from the snares into which you have fallen and that ye may through the Lords blessing upon you become instrumentall for the good of Zion in the day of her calamity and distresse We do therefore exhort you by the Lord Jesus to weigh these things in the Ballance of the Sanctuary and to take with your sin and guilt therein before the Lord and to forsake that way of the Publike Resolutions as that which is greatly displeasing to him and to joine cordially with your Brethren in the former way we have been upon for carrying on the Work of Reformation which was acceptable in the Lords sight and signally blessed in our hands from heaven let it be far from you to put a hard construction upon our intentions herein or upon any of our words or expressions which may seem harsh if we could have made choise of smoother words in such a purpose we would willingly have made use of them We hope likewise that you will not offend at the freedome and plainnesse which we have used with you as being our Brethren it is a great sin in the Lords sight to make a man an offender for a word and to lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate But how excellent are the words of the sweet Psalmist of Israel Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my head If we would rent our hearts and turn unto the Lord our God he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth of the evill who knoweth but he will repent and leave a blessing behinde him and shall yet again choose Jerusalem and dwell in the midst of us Surely he would rent the heavens and come down that the mountains might flow down at his presence and make his Name known to his adversaries and should say unto us Fear not O Land be glad and rejoice for the Lord will doe great things Now he whom God hath exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sins fill you with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall understanding and the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you and in us and in all his people that which is well pleasing in his sight through JESUS CHRIST to whom be glory for ever Amen We desire you to communicate this to the Brethren that are of your judgement in these Differences Subscribed in the name and at the desire of many Ministers Elders and Professors of the Gospel met at Edinburgh the 17. of March 1653. By Mr. ANDREW CANT The ASSERTERS Answer Right Reverend WE received a Letter subscrived by You in the Name and at the desire of many Ministers Elders and Professors met at Edinburgh which all along charges us and those of our Judgement with the guilt of many Land-destroying sins and with obstinacy in them This doth necessitate us in order to our clearing unto those among whom that your Letter is spread as also least you take our silence for an evidence of our conviction to give you this ensuing answer We are very confident that ye who plead for so much charity at our hands while ye are loading us with such a weight of unjust and odious imputations will take it well from us while we go about to clear our selves and by force of Reasons to wipe off our Persons and Ministry that contempt and disgrace which the matter of your Letter and your other Papers hath wrongously cast upon us We could gladly have chosen to be as deaf men who hear not and as dumb men who open not their mouth if we alone and what concerneth us only did herein suffer But for Zions sake we dar not hold our peace The respect we owe to our Mother Church and to the hitherto untainted reputation of many faithfull men Ministers Elders and others all imbarked with us in the defence of one common Truth forceth us to speak Far be it from you to put an hard construction upon us or upon any of our words and expressions while we are giving a reason of our Faith and practice with meeknesse and fear especially being constrained to it by your selves We acknowledge with you the former mercies of God unto this Church together with the astonishing terror of his present judgements How good and how pleasant was it when Brethren dwelt together in Unity it was like precious ointment the dew of Hermon then the Lord commanded the blessing Our Church then looked forth as the Morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and terrible as an Armie with Banners How excellent were the fruits of Church government when inferiour Judicatories and persons of all ranks Ministers and others did move each in their own place in their due subordination prescribed unto them by the Lord Christ When publict warnings concerning dangers and duties did come from the Watch-tower of Supream