against the judicatories and their proceedings From which it is clear that the Commission used more tendernesse in that case then was usual and approven formerly in this Church If our brethren as they do recurre to this that the proceedings of the Commission 1648. were right upon the matter as these in the 51. were not and so the cases are different We hope what hath been said of these resolutions will refute that imputation and clear there is a parity still And however we believe that matters of formality in constituting judicatories must be still the same in all matters and what ever may be concluded from the matter as to one act of the judicatorie yet it cannot be simply null if it proceed in form but according to former approven practices 3. It would be impartially considered what effect that Letter had as to prelimit the assembly in the election of its members wherein we hope the nullity of the allegeance will sufficiently appear For 1. It is known that Letter was sent but to a very few Presbyteries these most of them after their elections were past 2. It needed not to be sent to many for that end they mention viz. to prelimit them in their elections for many Presbyteries had none at all of their judgement among them and others very few and however they have emitted to the world an account of some in most of Presbyteries of their judgment yet when they reckon again they will find they have wronged some whom they name as theirs and yet to this day they continue opposite to their course and that they could not make such an account then of many as they may do now since divers taking advantage of the times and seeking their own interests have fallen to them 3. Whatever they say of the Commissions deed or their active prelimitations thereby yet if they shall assert there was any passive prelimitation either of Presbyteries in electing or the Assemblies admitting of such to be members in which case only it can plead the nullity of the Assembly we may boldly declare that they speak against clear truth for nowithstanding that letter the most part of the most active opposers were chosen by Presbyteries and admitted and acted in that assembly till it pleased themselves to protest and leave it Yea further to assert this passive prelimitation of Presbyteries will strike not only against the Commission but against all the Presbyteries of the Land as unfaithfull and betrayers of their trust which were too heavy a charge against a Nationall Church The truth is the carriage both of the Commission Presbyteries and Generall Assemblie doth make it clear there was no prelimitation intended nor practised in electing members to nor admitting them to sit in the Generall Assembly for they not onely might but were actually chosen and admitted in it Only as is said the Commission thought it fit they should be cited thither and that however they might act and vote in other things yet the Commission and they should be tried together in that debate which we believe any unbyassed Christian will judge to have been their duty and very far from prelimiting of the Assembly and an irrelevant ground on which they should have made a rent and such an inlet of confusion upon this Church as hath followed thereupon § 33 Having so briefly as might consist with perspicuity laid open the true State of the controversie betwixt our Brethren and us and the progresse of our publique differences till it came to a stated rupture by their Protestations we shall now in pursuance of the second head propounded give a brief account of some consequences and practices that have followed upon this rupture It may be and is the matter of our sad lamentation before the Lord and we might pour out abundance of complaints in the bosomes of sympathysing Christians who ever were sensible of the mercy of a Churches enjoying the sweet of harmony that by these divisions sad prejudices have redounded to the Kingdom of Christ among us that the work of the Gospel is exceedingly retarded thereby Atheism and irreligion increased true Religion and godliness exposed to hatred and reproach because of the carriage and way of many who professed it the authority of Church-judicatories enervate and rendred contemptible their meetings which some times were a reviving now turned into occasions of grief to the lovers and friends of Church-Government and order yea and the work of purging which our Brethren do so much call for exceedingly retarded and obstructed But leaving these before the Lord who alone can apply an effectual remedy thereunto we hold it our duty to give an account of some of our Brethrens irregular practices following upon their renting from the Judicatories whereby as by the effects it may appear what their spirit and way in these differences is and it may be discerned what accession they have to these sad distempers formerly mentioned § 34 Their first course taken for carrying on their design and strengthning their faction and which they set on foot shortly after their first protestation was the convening of great numbers of Ministers Elders Professours and Expectants from all parts of the Land in extrajudicial meetings Wherein after confession of sins and prayer performed indifferently by Ministers Elders or others in these great meetings they did and do proceed to determination of particulars tending to the strengthening of their cause and engaging of others in it and do give equall power to all present in voicing and determining in these matters of most publique concernment The Lord knoweth that we do from our hearts approve of the duties of private mutual edification as they are enjoined in the word and are recommended and bounded by the acts of our general Assemblies with the conseat and to the good liking then of all our Brethren and we do account it not sutable to the nature of these duties to make a noise of professing our own practise thereof accordingly But we do not see that our Brethrens way in these is at all agreeable to the Rule nor consistent with the peace of any constitute National Church And particularly we cannot but resent in their way 1. That they should make use of these religious exercises as a subservient mean for carrying on these courses which we hope by what is said will appear to be most unlawful in themselves 2. That by giving out themselves in these meetings as the generality of the godly throughout the Land or delegates in a sort from them they do cast an imputation upon the bulk of the National Church beside who are against their way and do not joyn with them in these courses as not only wrong in that matter but as not godly some very few excepted Which as we know to be a most false imputation not many of these of any rank who owned the cause from the beginning going along with them So it is an evidence of a strange divisive and separating
they did begin a rent by departing from the received principles of this Church yea and from what themselves did formerly judge a sufficient security to the cause of God and a great mercy to obtain it and accordingly some of them were but a little before chiefly active in closing Treaties and Transactions upon these principles who afterward endeavoured to overturn them This may discover to the world what a spirit it is which leads our Brethren in their way seeing they can not only not acquiesce in the determin ations of the Supreme Authority of a Church or State concerning matters of greatest concernment to both nor content themselves with the exoneration of their own consciences if they be not satisfied but when themselves have agreed to these things and have been chief contrivers of them there can be no security given but they will retract their judgements and overturn them again Which principle and way is inconsistent with the safety or standing of any humane society whatsoever It is true in their Remonstrance and since in their emissions to the world in print they would lay the great stress of this alteration in their judgement and way upon after discoveries of crooked wayes in managing of Transactions in pursuance of these principles and of some particulars in these Transactions which were kept up from the judicatories upon the knowledge whereof they did see the evil and sin of these conclusions of Church and State But if it were to any purpose to trouble the world with stories of matters of fact we could easily demonstrate what a gaining trade they have made of misrepresentations of this kind and in particular that it is more then evident to all who are acquainted with these affairs that these resolutions were faithfully managed and full satisfaction obtained in all that was required previous to a conclusion and that no particular though in matters only upon the by and that whereof they make so much noise was only a person who was bred in the Church of England his taking the Communion once kneeling after he had entred on a Treaty was kept up from these who now complain of it nay or from the Assembly it self as will appear from the report given in to the Assembly and is now in publike record But waving all these it is clear from their Paper emitted to the world Entituled The Causes of the Lords wrath against Scotland that they do hold out the very resolutions and determinations of Church and State in these matters previous to any conclusion as the cause of the Lords controversie against the Land So that assert what they please to gloss the matter they have made a defection from the principles of this Church and prosecuted the same with a rupture and separation § 6 3. What ever may be said of Supreme judicatories and their power to recognosce and re-examine their own conclusions yet it would be considered that the contrivers presenters and prosecuters of that Remonstrance were but private men or did it in a private capacity They were some inferiour Officers Gentlemen and Ministers attending some Forces who took upon them to condemn acts and conclusions of Supreme judicatories unanimously concluded many of themselves as hath been said being present and not contradicting but positively consenting thereunto and that concerning matters of State and civil Government of greatest importance Which any unbyassed and sober spirit will perceive to be a matter above their reach and station especially to have condemned them by way of remonstrance publikely emitted to the world and presented to the State without so much respect had to these judicatories as once to desire them first to re-examine and take into consideration these acts and conclusions yea refusing to apply themselves to such a way as that when advised and earnestly pressed thereunto as more orderly by some to whom they did communicate their design And albeit the Commissioners of the general Assembly were then sitting to whom the management of publike affairs of the Church were committed and who ought to have been consulted with in all weighty matters especially when our Brethren did call in question the conclusions of the preceding Assembly yet it pleased them not to own them in this matter but of themselves did by positive determination contrary to the acts of the Assembly prevent their advice It is true indeed after thy had concluded the matter they who were entrusted by the rest did present the Remonstrance to the Commissioners of the general Assembly desiring their concurrence in presenting it to the State but withal it is to be remembred that when it was enquired if they had any power to change any thing in it They answered that though some expressions might be changed yet they had no power and were not to alter any thing of the matter of it which was in effect to obtrude their determinations upon the Church-judicatorie As these things did evidence their small respect to the government of this Church and their stretching themselves beyond their line by determining in their private capacity not only antecedently but contrary to the conclusions of the Supreme judicatories so divers of these who went a long with them in it at first perceiving shortly after how divisive and destructive to al order that course was did quickly withdraw from them repenting that ever they had engaged with them Sect. 7.4 What ever charity might have been allowed them in presenting their thoughts upon these Transactions or of other faults for a testimony and exoneration of their own consciences and desiring to have them redressed in an orderly way by the competent judicatories yet this can no wayes be justified that not only they second their Testimony with a separation but in the close of the Remonstrance they hold forth a Declaration and avowing of engagements upon their hearts these are the very words before God if he shall lengthen their dayes and take pleasure in them to make them any way instrumental in his work and for his peoples good and safety That they shall to the utmost of their power endeavour to get these things remedied according to their places and callings Which was a real and plain engaging and banding of themselves together to prosecute the matter of their Remonstrance by arms and force it being certain that the most part of the Remonstrators then were in a military place and calling And this several passages in their carriage before they were broken did clearly enough evidence to be their purpose and intention And the judgement of this Church of such divisive bandings of parties hath been so well known especially since the general Assembly 1642. That our Brethren cannot free themselves of walking contrary to the established order of this Church in that their practic § 8 5. Albeit our Brethren by this Remonstrance and the prosecution thereof had made a broach upon our sweet harmony and unity and laid the foundation of all our following breaches yet the Commission
such trust or power as may be prejudicial to the cause of God and that such Officers as are of known integrity and affection to the cause and particularly such as have suffered in our former Armies may be taken special notice of § 13 The other resolution was concerning the admitting of persons to places of trust in the State and the rescinding of the Act of Classes of the date May 24. 1651. Wherein after the repetition of several desires of the King Parliament and Committee of Estates renewed with great earnestnesse for the space of two Months to the Commission for a clear and positive answer to the quaery propounded concerning that matter It is declared as followeth Least any aspersion should be cast upon us of incroaching upon or intruding our selves unto the Office of the civil Power and Authority we do declare that we do not assume to our selves and that it is not competent to us but only to the King and Parliament to make or repeal Acts of Parliament and therefore that as the Commission of the Kirk had not hand in making of the Act of Classes so neither do we take upon us to derermine the keeping up or rescinding or repealing of the same yet being required by his Majesty and Estates of Parliament to give our judgement and advice in point of conscience whether or not considering the ground contained in the Narrative of the Act of Classes viz. The solemn league and Covenant the solemn acknowledgement of sins and ingagements to duties Declarations emitted by the Kirk and the ingagement and pronnse made by the Committee of Estates to the Kingdom of England It be sinfull and unlawfull to admit to be members of the Committee of Estates persons formerly debarred from the publique trust or to rescind and repeal the Acts of Classes We declare that as for any engagement or promise made unto the Kingdome of England concerning not admitting unto places of power and trust persons accessary unto the sinful engagement against that Kingdome we know nothing of the nature or grounds thereof and therefore leaves it to the Estates of Parliament themselves to consider how it doth oblige or not oblige in the present condition of affairs in these Kingdomes But for the solemn League and Covenant the solemn acknowledgement and engagement and former Declarations we do find that they do not particularly determine any definite measure of time of excluding persons from publique trust for by-past offences but only binds and obliges condignely to punish offenders as the degree of the offence shall require or deserve or the supream judicatory of the Kingdom or others having power from them for that effect shall judge convenient to purge all judicatories and places of power trust and to indeavour that they consist of and be filled with such men as are of known good affection to the cause of God and of a blameless and Christian conversation which is a morall duty commanded in the Word of God and of perpetual obligation so that nothing upon the account of these grounds doth hinder but that persons formerly debarred from places of power and trust for their offences may be admitted to be members of the Committe of Estates and the censure inflicted upon them by the Acts of Classes may be taken off and rescinded without sin by the Parliament whose power it is to lengthen or shorten the time of such censures according as they shall find them just and necessary provided they be men who have satisfied the Kirk for their former offences have renewed or taken the Covenant and be qualified for such places with the qualifications required in the Word of God and expressed in the solemn acknowledment and engagement viz. That they be men of known good affection to the cause of God and of a blamelesse and Christian conversation which ought always carefully to be observed and made conscience of though there were no such Act of Classes to the effect that no persons get such power and trust into their hands as may be prejudicial to the cause of God § 14 These are the resolutions which have been and are so much noised abroad in the world because of which our dissenting brethren have made such stirs in Preaching and in writing and Printed papers determining them to be a horrid defection to our Covenants and forsaking of the cause of God and laying the weight of their first dividing from the rest of the Church and Countrey upon these though unjustly as may appear from what hath been cleared in the matter of the Remonstrance yea and branding honest men who concurred in them or consented to them with very odious imputations and determining these resolutions to be the grand causes of the Lords wrath against the Land Upon the account whereof they have separated from and rent the judicatories of the Church the condition of the times contributing thereunto and by their protestations and declinators against the general Assemblies the Church is brought into the confusions and distractions under which we do so sadly suffer And albeit somewhat hath been already spoken for vindicating us in this particular in the observations upon the differences in the Church of Scotland from page 10. to 17. And it is not our work in this Representation to publish a Treatise in defence of these resolutions yet we shall add a few things for clearing of the matter § 15 As to the former resolution of December 14. 1650. we need not insist to declare That this debate is extrinsecal to our Doctrine Worship and Church-government and therefore it cannot be justified that such a rent should be made because of our differences about it That there was no question made by our Brethren of the lawfulnesse of the service wherein these Forces were to be imployed which might have added weight to the grounds of their dissent That the Country was really in that low condition supposed in the resolution occasioned partly by our Brethrens separation upon the account of the Remonstrance which could not but put State and Church into great straits and warrant them in their stations to improve all ordinary means not prohibited by the Word of God and the use whereof is not in it self sinful for necessary self preservation And that whatever latitude may be taken in such a case yet the commission in their resolution did use such caution that if they be judged thereby as they ought to be there can be no defection fastened upon them even by them who condemn a general concurrence of fellow subjects in cases of extremity for in effect they approve of none to be admitted but such as are professed friends to the cause of God and who enter in Covenant for that effect But passing all these we desire it may be remembred that our Brethren did not content themselves simply to condemn this resolution or to assert that it was unlawful to take in or imploy such as they are qualified in the resolution But running to