Toleration we have been several times consulting about some endeavours in our poor Capacity to discharge that duty with the least tumult or trouble to the Country that was possible not being able any longer to endure to see this purely Reformed and Covenanted Land polluted again with Idolatry and impunity of the Entycers thereunto and thereby exposed to the ineluctable Wrath of the Most High without some witness of our indignation at the same and thereupon had appointed this same concurrence of our Brethren at this present Meeting this same day to conclude upon some Course to effectuate it Yet as many of our Brethren in several corners of the Land without any Corespondence or Communication with one another were animated and encouraged at one and the same time to set about this work with others that the Lord stirred up to Zeal against Popish Idolatry So the extraordinar Emergent alarming the Country with fears and many reports of the Papists intending and Attempting to raise fire and Sword through the Land did prevent our appoyntments and provoked us to go to Armes for the preservation of our Religion Lives and Liberties defence of the Country and Relief of our Brethren that lay nearest the hazard then threatened and feared In which posture some of our Number that were furthest remote from the sure intelligence of the truth of these Allarms have continued hitherto not being willing to disperse until by this Meeting formerly appointed somewhat should be concluded with common consent as expedient for the present juncture and emitted for their vindication from some disorders falsly imputed and most grievous to us We do therefore further doclare That whereas Reports have come to us that some have robbed Gentlemen and some Episcopal Curats of their Horse and Armes Money or Houshold stuff As for Horse and Armes taken in these Tumultuary Confusions if any be amongst us as we have endeavoured so we shall endeavour Restitution But as for money or any other thing robbed from these we neither know the guilty persons nor are partakers with them but do disowne Disclaim and Detest all such disorderly and abominable practises And further the we owne and avouch it as our duty bound upon us from the Word of God Solemn Covenants and Constitutions of this Church to endeavour by all approven meanes the Extirpation of Prelacy as well as Popery And therefore do resolve through the Lords help and as He shall give us Call and Capacity to contribute our outmost assistance for the removing and dispossessing the Prelatical Curats from the Churches upon which they are intruded Yet we do not approve nor shall we attempt the taking of any thing that belongs to them Moreover we mean not now nor whensoever we may be constrained or called to rise in Armes defensive to wrong or encroach upon the Priviledges of any City Burgh or Town whatsomever or disturb the Peace of the Country either by Tumults or continuing together in Armes unnecessarly to oppress either one or other But as now we intend so at any other time when we are together we shall dismiss and go hame and live in quiet so long as either Duty or Safety will permit us For thô we be through Grace as ready as ever to suffer Persecution upon the same Heads of Truth that we have hitherto contended for and resolve rather to loss our dearest blood then to part with one hoof of them And are as resolute as ever to defend our selves all our Covenanted Bretheren in the common Cause Testimony against all Assaults of our Malignant Enemies so far as we can resist Yet if they will forhear to persist in their Persecuting and Murdering us for the time we intend not to take or seek revenge of them until we see what access the Lord our Avenger will give to a Legal Prosecution of them Only this much opposition they must expect that we will not embodie with them in any association for the Cause which they have betrayed destroyed nor with any other known avowed Enemies of Truth and Godliness Religion and Liberty But since the Lord hath in His wonderful Providence which we adore raised up helped and honoured the Illustrious Prince of Orange to be an Instrument in His Hand of breaking in a great measure the unsupportable Yoke of that Absolute Tyranny under which we have been long howling As we pray the Lord so to incline his Heart to favour the Lords righteous Cause and that he may pity and not permit the yet remaining Ireacherous and Truculent Promotters Abettors and Executioners of that Tyranny to devour and destroy us any more So we mind in due season to remonstrate to his Highness the unparalelled Grievances and Severities we have sustained from them And in the mean time do our best in dependence on the Lords strength to defend our selves against their Insults Finally we conclude declaring our cordial and constant Adherence to the good Old Way and Cause of Scotlands Covenanted Reformation in all it s received and established Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God Confession of Faith Catechisms National Covenant Solemn League Solemn Acknowledgement of Sins and Engagement to Duties Causes of Wrath Acts of General Assemblies both the ancient unrepealled Acts and those from 1638. to 1650. And all the Testomonies Protestations Remonstrances and Declarations of old and of late founded upon and consonant to the same against Popery Prelacy Erastianism Sectarianism Tyranny and all the Encroachments of Absolute Power over Laws and Liberties of Church and State either by Persecution or Toleration This in short is the State of our Testimony transmitted to us from our renowned Ancestors sealed by the Martyrs and Confessors of CHRIST in our day Which we hope the Lord will more and more Vindicate and Propogate to Posterity Published at Douglass the 4 th of January 1689. THereafter beginning to get more Converse with some of our Brethren which the violence of Persecution precluded all access to before And this Converse begetting more desires of Unity and Amity with them We intertained the first Motion from some of the Reverend Ministers of Glasgow to confer with them about Points of Difference and Methods of Composing them The Conferences at that time produced only some janglings and at length some Overtures tendered on both sides wherein we could not agree These Reverend Brethren proposing after some premitted Considerations pressing the necessity of Union That an Act of Oblivion be agreed upon for all Faillings about points or Practises controverted among Presbyterians since the year 1650 to this day And that the Basis of our Union be the Holy Scriptures sensed and applied for the Resolution of all controverted practises amongst us according to the laudable Constitutions Customs Practises Acts of our National Assemblies Books of Discipline Gonfession of Faith Covenants c. That caution be observed from all Reflections c. That after sighting and approving their Ordinations and Licenses
Union and Communion until those that remain should be Reformed and the former Condemned but rather thought it expedient to Unite that they may be the soonner Reformed as it is more probable we may sooner obtain a Reformation of the present and a Condemnations of past Corruptions in an United way then in a Divided way It s foolish to expect the Church can be settled without Corruptions all at once in one Day or one Year but must crave time as the building of Solomons Temple and the second Temple after the Babylonish Captivity which was not accomplished in several years Nor can it be planted over again all at once no more then in Joshuas dayes or the Judges or in the time of the Reforming Kings of Judah untill the Canaanites other Enemies be subdued Nor can it be purged totally altogether but gradually lest it be in hazard of a Superpurgation 3. It was ever our Judgement that Division was a great Misery and when Unnecessary and Unseasonable a great Sin And even when we could not avoid it we were weary of it and Longed and Prayed for a time of healing and an opportunity of bringing it to a Close But if ever there was a time when Division was a Misery and a Sin because Unnecessary and Unseasonable now it is And if ever there was an opportunity of healing now there is When the Causes and Occasions of our Divisions are removed and antiquated When the Object of them is so far altered that the providences of this day call and encourage all Divided Parties among Presbyterians to contend together for the common Reformation against the Common Adversarie When the sad effects of them have made all the Godly weary of them And the future effects of their Continuance at this time more to be feared then ever when the wicked Contrivances of Enemies to Divide and Destroy the Church and hinder its Reformation are so many and mighty When Errors and Ignorance making the People a prey are so abounding When also the proper Remedy of them is now in our offer having a Nail granted to us in the holy place to set up the House of our God and to repair the Desolations thereof by access to Assemblies And when things are now come so such a Chock and Crisis that if there be not present application of the Remedy and some Endeavours used for Union now in the tide of it the breach in all probability will grow wider and more incurable When we considered both the Mercies of the times the Maters of praise bringing forth so many considerable Advantages to the Cause and our selvs we could not but think our selves called to another Work than breaking what God is healing and retarding the Work by our Divisions And when we considered the Miseries of the times and matters of Mourning the Past and Present Causes and Effects of the Lords anger burning up like to consume this Church and Kingdom we could not but see other work shapen out to us than this byting and devouring one another when the Lord in his holy Judgements the Antichristian Party in their wicked designs are threatening to devout us all 4. We were alwayes of the opinion that Holy Vnion was a necessary duty and comfortable Blessing being so frequently Commanded Commended Promised and Prayed for as a Blessing and the want of it threatned and lamented as a Misery in Scripture And as we alwayes prayed for it and longed for it and bemoaned the miss of it so we alwayes desired that it should be and waited until we obtained access to get it qualified as the Scripture requires it that it might be both happy holy and as Aarons precious Oyntment that ran down to the skirts of his Garments composed according to Divine Art made up not of carnal and corrupt politicks in a sinful Confederacy or Conspiracy for Defection but composed of Gospel Simples by the wisdom which is from above first pure then peaceable that it might be in the Lord and for the Lord in Truth and Holiness having pure Love for its motive Bond and Beauty Christ for its Foundation and His Word for its Rule But thô we could not get every thing in this present Vnion that might make it Comfortable and Acceptable to all nor every thing removed that is Gravaminous and impairs its Comfort Yet we know nothing in the matter of it which is offensive upon the account of its sinfulness For it will abide the trial of these repuired Qualifications It is not an Vnion of Confederacy in Complyance with wicked Usurpations but in subjection to the Churches Intrinsick Power and in the use and enjoyment of the Churches Liberties It is not an Vnion of Conspiracy in Deformation but in Endeavours to promote Reformation It is not an Vnion in or with or under Prelacy Supremacy or Tyranny Indulgence or Toleration c. but in and with and under Presbyterial Government which is an holy ordinance of Christ It is not an Vnion that obstructs any Duty foregoes any Truth or involves us in any sin It is not an Vnion with sin thô it be of Sinners with Sinners now mutually returned to their Common Duties All the Common Rules of approven Union agree in this There is no ground of Division standing which could warrant a breach if there had been none before and therefore there is no ground to continue it in the present circumstances There is nothing in it to involve us in the guilt of past or present sins of the time There is nothing in it obliging us to condemn Duty or justify sin or restraining us from any Duty we are called to We were neither required to justify defections nor to Condemn our Testimonies against them Nor to subscribe to any sinful Imposition in the termes of Communion putting us in hazard of partaking with any sin On the Contrare we were allowed to exhibite our Remonstrance and Testimony against all the past or present Corruptions stumbling to us And no other Basis is stated whereupon we Vnite but the Word of God Confessions of faith Books of Discipline Acts of General Assemblies National and Solemn Covenants and the whole Contexture of the ancient Order of this Church 5. We alwayes thought indeed a Testimony was needful against all the defections of the time and that this was not to be receded from nor buried in oblivion We are of the same mind still And if Vnion could not have been obtained on any other terms than such as imposed the receding from or condemning of our former Testimony against Defections we would neither have sought it nor embraced it But as the particular Testimony of every time in several respects must change with the times according as the Enemies of Truth change their assaults Weapons against it and defections from it perversions of it and contradictions to it do vary And as it can never be buried so long as all Truths and Duties are witnessed for and errors and sins are witnessed against by us in our respective stations And nothing is condemned by us that was approved before nor approved that was Condemned before and there is no Engagement to forebear any Duty So having been allowed to exhibite our Testimony to an Assembly in a more publick manner than ever we had access before and being not required nor resolved to alter the matter of our Testimony only the manner of it by Separation We think our present Vnion and Submission is so far from burying our Testimony against defections that it tends much for its honour to give occasion of recording it that such a People continued it alwayes under all discouragements and difficulties while deffections stood But as soon as ever they found themselves in any Capacity to joyne with the Ministrie without sin they had such respect to the Ordinances and the peace of the Church that they would no longer Separate notwithstanding all former provocations On the other hand we think to continue Division and Separtion at the time would tend rather to the Scandal and Reproach of all our former witnessings than to the strengthening of the same for it might verifie what used to be alleged against us that we maintained such principles as would dissolve all Union Order in the world The best Confutation of which reproach is now to make the contrare appear by Union as soon as ever we have gor a fond for it Which now there is when we have all one common Testimony against Papery Prelacy Erastianisme Tyrannie and Schism and every thing contrary to sound Doctrine and the Power of Godliness PEACE be within JERVSALEMS WALLS and PROSPERITY within her PALLACES FINIS
those Ministers and Preachers who have formerly acted Independently upon their Brethren preach Collegiatly with some Minister settled in a Presbytry for removing of former Stumblings And finally that such Failings be laid to heart by all sorts of Ministers and Preachers as they are convinced of that they be set down in order and pitched on as Causes of a Publick Fast and Humiliation upon some week day through all the Meetings of Presbyterians within this Kingdom and that the Sins of the People be intermixed among these Causes c This was the sum of the Overtures offered by these Reverend Ministers only in their own name but they promised to meditate with the rest of the Ministers for according thereunto In Answer to these we proposed these Overtures premitting also some Motives together with the qualifications of the Union we desired That the Basis of our Union be the Word of GOD Confessions of Faith Covenants Books of Discipline Acts of General Assemblies and the whole Contexture of the Order of this Church before the Publick Resolutions in the purest Periods of this Church which we may with one mind seek to have redintegrated That we might search and try our wayes and Unite first in Confessing Sins in keeping days of Humiliation for the same Wherein we offered to Confess our Offences so far as we could be convinced any manner of way that Church Judicatories should appoint And desired the Ministers from whom we differed to Confess Doctrinally their Offences that have been most stumbling viz. Hearing the Prelatical Curats the Late Indulgence Addressing for and Accepting of the Toleration c And concur in procuring the Condemnation of these things in Ecclesiastick Assemblies That the Covenants might be Renewed with accommodation to our times-and a Solemn Acknowledgement of the publick Breaches and Engagement to the Duties thereof applied to the present day That to prevent all future Divisions the former Offences might never hereafter be complied with under pain of Church Censures nor any other Mould or Model of Presbyterian Government than what was established between the years 1638 and 1650. Nor any State Contrivance or Constitution whatsoever be admitted or submitted unto which may infer a recognizance of any Erastian Usurpation That in the mean time the Ministers settled in Paroches under the late Indulgences and Toleration might declare that now they have another Holding than either of these And that they now officiate in places where they are fixed according to the old Presbyterian Order And finally that endeavours should be used to check and suppress the Foments that nourish and encrease Division on either hand as heart Animosities Alienations of Affection Passion Prejudice Jealousies receiving and reporting Misinformations and all other things of that nature tending thereunto These Mutual Overtures being refered to farther Consideration we thought it a good Expedient both to promot and direct a desirable Union with our Brethren to Renew the Covenants with a publick Accknowledgment both of their and our breaches thereof and Engagement to the Duties of the Covenants with accommodation to our present Circumstances which we Solemnly Accomplished at Lesmabego March 3. 1689. In the Acknowledgement we confess with relation to bygone differences Art 2. Page 56. That as many by defection both in Complyance with Prelacy and Erastianisme hath broken the Churches beauty and Bands Order and Union in making a faction repugnant to her established Order and censurable by her standing Acts in bringing in Novations in the Government and making a rent in the bowels of the Church by causing Divisions and Offences contrare to the Doctrine of this Church have made themselves guiltie of Schism So others on the other hand have upon slender and unsufficient Grounds separate both from Ministers even the most Faithful and Zealous and such as were not chargeable with Complyances and from Christian Societies and Families because of Differences in judgement in incident debates not necessary nor material nor wherein the Testimony of Christ was much concerned or because of personal Offences easily removed not observing the Rules of Christ for removing them nor having respect to His great Commands of Charity forbearance forgiving one another or condescendency And between divided Parties which in our day have long been byting and devouring one another there hath been too much both of sinful Union and Confederacy in terms prejudicial to Truth and Duty on the one hand and of sinful Heats Animosities Jealousies Pride Passion and Prejudices on the other hand Grieving the Spirit of GOD eating up the Power and much hindering the holy Practice and spiritual Exercise of Religion And too much also of sowing discords among Brethren and promotting our Contentions by too credulous and sedulous taking up spreading reports reproaches one of another And in our Renewed Engagement to Covenant Duties with relation to present differences and Union with our Brethren we declared our resolved Endeavours and Vowes On the one hand to labour to recover and preserve the Liberty and Purity of the Worship of God from all Corruptions Novations and Inventions of Men Popish Prelatical Erastian or any other And if we could not gett those Corruptions reformed or removed to study to keep our selves free of Communion and Participation with the same according to Artic. 1. § 2. Pag. 68. And to refuse withstand and witness against all Encroachments on the Liberties of this Church in all time coming And withdraw our selves from Communion with all such Meetings and Congregations that hold their Freedom from are modified by such Usurpations as Indulgences and Tolerations according to Artic. 2. § 3. ibid. And on the other hand That we shall guard against all Schism and sinful Separation or unjust rash and disorderly withdrawing from Congregations Societie c or any part of the Communion of the true Reformed Covenanted Church of Scotland holding purely and intirely the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of the same in Principle and Exercise according to the Rules of Christ and standing Acts and Constitutions of this Church And that we shall neither gather nor set up formed separate Churches or Societies under other Ordinances Government or Ministry distinct from the Presbyterian Church of Scotland Nor withdraw from Minister or Member of that Body for any offence in any Case where either the Offence may be Legally removed without our withdrawing or is a thing to be condescended on forborn or forgiven But shal study to maintain Vnion Communion in Truth Duty with all the Ministers and Members of the said Church that do and in so far as they do follow the Institutions of Christ As in Artic. 2. § 4. Pag. 69. And in Artic. 6. Pag. 71. We engage that we shall likewise desire design and endeavour to get the defections unworthy Neutralities and unhappy divisions that have long and Lamentably wounded and wrecked the Church removed Differences settled and breaches healed in such a way and upon such termes as may be Honourable and
the Land So the Right Reverend the Members of this Venerable Assembly may find and declare these wicked establishments and Complyances Supporting them and defections flowing therefrom to be sins against the Laws of Christ And so far as they can find Iniquity in the foresaid offences may provide by Ecclesiastick Constitutions for the future that the like Complyances with the like Contrivances of usurping Enemies may never again be allowed under pain of Church Censures to prevent and peeclude all fears of divisions to be occasioned by the like defections in time coming And as we offer and Promise so far as we are or may be convinced to confess our offences any manner of way that Church Judicatories shall appoint So for the satisfaction of all concerned in the late Differences and removal of Offenses given or taken we desire and expect that such Failings in the above specified particulars or others be laid to Heart by all sorts of Ministers and Preachers as they are convinced of or after search may be discovered to them by this Reverend Assembly And that these among the Sins of the Land be set down in order as causes of a publick Fast upon some week day through all the Meetings of Presbyterians within this Kingdom and that the Sins of the People be intermixed among these Causes Further As we humbly conceive it would prove a very proper and promising expedient for promoving preserving and propagating Reformation for settling and keeping Order and Vnion for preventing and precluding innovations or corruptions for discovering and discouraging Apostates or Schismaticks Malignants or Sectaries and excluding them from access to do further hurt so we hope we shall be approven and seconded by many in this Reverend Assembly in craving the Renewing of the Covenants either both the National and Solemn League with accommodations to our Times or one made up of both with Additions or Explications suiting our present Case and Day with a Solemn Acknowledgement of the publick Breaches and Engagement to the Duties of the Covenants Humbly moving that none be forced to Swear or Subscribe the same or so much as admitted to it except they be such as may be judged in Charity to have a competent knowledge and sense of the Sins and Duties thereof In Fine thô we will not take upon us to propose the time or the way of purging out the Episcopal Clergy yet we cannot and dare not forbear to Plead and Obtest that they may not be continued nor kept in the Churches whereunto they have intruded nor re-admitted that are or may be laid aside until they give approvable evidence of their Repentance for their sinful Conformity 1 Vpon all these Grounds exhibited above against hearing of them 2 Because former experience of the hurt received by the entertainment of the Episcopal Clergy anno 1638 does now plead for their care to prevent it in time coming 3 Because the People under their Ministry have hitherto been and are perishing in Ignorance and Irreligion being either starved for want of Faithful and Spiritual Instruction or poysoned with false Instruction and therefore Pity to them and Zeal to propagate the Gospel should prompt to all endeavours to purge them out 4 Because the Settlement Purgation and Plantation of the Church will be exceedingly obstructed by the continuance of them that unsettled it corrupted it and pestered the Lords Vineyard with Plants not of His planting and whose Leaven will be alwayes in hazard to leaven the whole Lump 5 Because all of them are among these whom the Laws of Christ do oblige the Constitutions of this Church do ordain and the present Civil Sanctions for establishing Church Government do allow the Church Representative to try and purge out being all of them either insufficient or negligent or erroneous or scandalous if these Characters may be applied or interpreted according to Scripture Rules or as the Church hath extended them heretofore We are content that none of the Curats be put out but the unsufficient Ignorant if this be one part of the trial of their knowledge to inquire not only unto their Gifts but their Graces if ignorance of Conversion Regeneration Sanctification and Communion with God both as to the Doctrine of these Benefits and as to their own Experience of them so far as may be discovered by humane Judgement be reputed unsufficiency We are content none by put away but the negligent if so be they that do not warn the Wicked of their destroying Sins that feed themselves and not the Flock that do not strengthen the Diseased nor heal the Sick c. That omitt the pressing of necessary Duties impartially on Persons and Families and the censuring of Scandals without respect of Persons be comprehended in that Character We are satisfied none be removed but the Erroneous if they be judged to be such who not only owne Points of Popery Arminianism and Socinianism but are unsound in their Explanation of the Kingly Office of Christ of the Perfection of the Scriptures in the point of Church Officers and Government in the matter of Oaths of the Magistrates Power and do maintain Erastianism an exploded and abjured Error in this Church And we seek no more but that all be removed who are Scandalous and none but they if Intruders Covenant-breakers perjured Subscribers of Scandalous Oaths and Tests Schismaticks and Persecuters be counted among the Scandalous It were perhaps Right Reverend more suitable for us who make so mean a Figure among either Preachers or Professors to lay our Hand on our Mouth in submissive silence waiting what your own Wisdom and Zeal will produce by the good Hand of GOD upon you for our satisfaction But conceiving a chief Let and Impediment of our desired comfort of Union to consist in the want of opportunity of laying open our Hearts to you and longing with much impatience for it we could not forbear any longer giving you the trouble of hearing us wherein we request for the favour of laying aside all preconceived Prejudices and begg rather your charitable construction of our ingenuous Freedom and deprecate your critical scanning the Infirmities that may be obivous therein Some things are indeed extraordinary which we here urge but as extraordinary Exigences do force us to move without a Precedent so they furnish you a Power to make a Precedent for the like cases thereafter We confess also it may seem precipitant to press all these things so hard so soon in a bruckle time before things be better settled but we fear if new delayes be procured till all things be fully settled that the observing of Wind and Clouds shall hinder both Sowing and Reaping-But if laying aside the Plaisters wherewith the Wounds of our Backslidings have been slightly covered rather than cured you put to your Hand to the healing of our Breaches in condescending to these our humble Desires you shall win the Blessing of many Souls rent and racked with these Divisions You shall disburden the