A DECLARATION OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY To the whole Kirk and Kingdome of SCOTLAND CONCERNING Present dangers and duties relating to the Covenant and Religion Printed at Edinburgh by Evan Tyler Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty And re-printed at London for Robert Bostock at the Kings Head in Paul's Church-yard 1648. Edinb 1 Martii 1648. Post Meridiem A Declaration of the Commissioners of the General Assembly to the whole Kirk and Kingdom of Scotland concerning present dangers and duties relating to the COVENANT and RELIGION IF in a time of so great and imminent danger to Religion and the Cause of God the Trumpet in Zion should give no certain sound nor the watch-mens Tower any seasonable warning it might be justly charged upon us as a sinful neglect of duty and the blood of many thousand souls might be required at our hands Therefore so far as we have discovered the dangerous plots and snares of the malicious and crafty adversaries of this Cause we shall freely and faithfully make the same known trusting that all who would not make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience will carefully avoid as well hid as manifest rocks when they are warned of them After the Solemn League and Covenant of the three Kingdoms had so prospered against the enemies and opposers thereof as made them despair of overthrowing it in any such way of a direct opposition they begun with much wit and industry to endeavour a dividing of the ends of the Covenant and an altering of the first principle and state of the Cause Upon the one hand the Sectaries in England according as is formerly represented by the late General Assembly in their Declaration to their Brethren of England and by our Remonstrance to the Committee of Estates of the 13 of October last have by fraud and violence endeavoured the subversion of Religion whose exorbitant insolency being now in Arms is so unsupportable that no man can doubt but all the Articles of the Covenant are in danger by them the vile Errours wicked Heresies and intolerable Blasphemies daily growing amongst them can hardly be reckoned up all which are mightily aggredged by the lawlesse and Godlesse toleration thereof And lest Parliamentary authority should curb this monstrous insolency they have not onely refused Orders for disbanding but have forced Orders for their own standing and do over-rule Parliament King City and Country to the trampling under foot all Government Civil and Ecclesiastical and to the terrour oppression and apparent ruine of all the truely godly and sound lovers of the Solemn League and Covenant On the other hand the Prelatical and Malignant party have catched at and studied to make advantage of some parts and clauses of the Covenant without keeping all the links of that golden chain fast together This designe of receding from the former principles and stating the publike Cause otherwise then it was stated by both Kingdoms when they joyned in Covenant and Arms may be abundantly discovered by two instances First the designe hath been so fast and so far driven on that although the fourth Article of the League and Covenant was clearly framed and intended against the Malignant party and although there was one expresse Article in the Treaty between the Kingdoms for swearing and subscribing the League and Covenant by both Kingdoms as a more neer tie and conjunction of both for their defence against the Popish Prelatical and Malignant party and their adherents And although in the Declarations of both Kingdoms in the yeer 1643 it was declared that all such as would not speedily take the Covenant and joyn with all their power in the defence of this Cause are to be censured and punished as professed Adversaries and Malignants Yet some are not ashamed to plead for the Malignant party as if they were friends rather then enemies to this cause and as none were now to be looked upon as dangerous enemies to the Cause but the Sectaries onely whereas the word of God and the experience of former times not onely teacheth us to beware of dangers from the fraud as well as the force from the plots as well as from the power of enemies but also setteth before us sad examples of great unexpected miseries and mischiefs brought upon the people of God from enemies once broken and quashed when they got again the power of the sword opportunity to act whatsoever cruelties their inveterate malice and enraged spirits put them upon The other instance is that although in the Covenant the duty of preserving and defending the Kings Majesties person and authority be joyned with subbardinate unto the duty of preserving and defending the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms and although from the beginning of this Cause the good safety and security of Religion hath been principally sought after and insisted upon yet solicitations perswasions and endeavours have not been nor are wanting for his Majesties restitution to the exercise of his Royal power and for espousing his Majesties quarrell notwithstanding his not granting of the publick desires concerning the Covenant and Religion And this course is clearely contrary to the declared resolution of the Parliament of this Kingdom after advice desired from us upon the case concerning the King then propounded to us And it is no lesse contrary to the Principles and professions of the Convention and of the Committee of Estates before any such advise was desired or had from us yea all along and in the whole course of the publick proceedings the setling and securing of Religion hath been so much stood upon that Malignants who intended a new state of the cause did well perceive how great difficulty and how small hopes there was of satisfying this Kirk and Kingdom with any thing else while unsatisfied in the point of Religion and therefore all possible care hath been taken by them whereby to have some specious and fair pretences of satisfaction in the businesse of Religion And here as we do not disapprove but highly commend the worthy pains of such as did indeed endeavour to bring the Kings Majestiy a greater length even to give full satisfaction in point of Religion so we cannot but take notice of that report which many did lately entertaine and spread in this country namely that his Majesty hath given satisfaction to the desires of this Kirk and Kingdome in point of the Covenant and Religion If his Majesty had indeed given such satisfaction we should rejoyce at it as much as any and however shall not cease to pray for his Majesty that God would give him repentance and remission of sins and incline his heart to the love of the true Religion and Reformation and that his Royal person may be preserved from all harm and violence And being now as we formerly remonstrate on the 13 of October very sensible of the present danger his Majesties person and Monarchicall goverment is in by that prevalent party of Sectaries We shall so far
have agreed or shall agree upon after consultation had with the Assembly of Divines And the sixth Proposition That such unity and uniformitie in Religion according to the Covenant as after consultation had with the Divines of both Kingdoms assembled at Westminster is or shall be joyntly agreed by both Houses of the Parliament of England and by the Church and Kingdome of Scotland be confirmed by Acts of Parliament of both Kingdoms respectively Of which three Propositions there can be no hopes as to his Majesties consent or concurrence if the offer now made concerning a determination by his Majestie and the two Houses be compared with his Majesties claiming of a negative voyce and with his Message of Nov. 16. in which he declared that both in Relation as he is a Christian and as a King he cannot give his consent to the abolishing Archbishops Bishops c. Beleeving that this order was placed in the Church by the Apostles themselves and that his Majesty is also bound by his Coronation Oath to maintain it And this message of November 16. His Majestie adhereth unto in his Answer to the Bills and Propositions presented to him at Carisbrook Castle which Answer is dated December 28. and so after his Majesties Letter to us Upon these and the like considerations we have found the said second Article of his Majesties offers in point of Religion to be destructive to Presbyteriall Government the Directorie of Worship and the uniformitie intended according to the Covenant For the third Article delivered to us in these words And for suppressing of Schism and Heresies his Majestie is content and most willing that an effectual course be taken by Act of Parliament and all other wayes needfull and expedient for suppressing the opinions and practises of Antitrinitarians Arrians Socinians Antiscripturists Antinomians Anabaptists Arminians Familists Brownists Separatists Independents Libertines and Seekers and generally for suppressing all Blasphemie Heresie Schism and all such scandalous doctrine or practises as are contrary to the light of nature or to the known principles of Christianity whether concerning faith worship or conversation or to the power of Godliness or which may be destructive to Order or Government or to the peace of Church or Kingdome As we do approve of the Suppression of the particular Heresies and Schismes enumerated in his Majesties offer So we see not how it can be reconciled with his Majesties Message of November 16. in which there was a concession to all such as differ from Presbyteriall Government And do further find the Article dangerous and defective in omitting Erastianism and other dangerous errours especially Popery and Prelacy which may prove destructive to the Covenant in ministring the occasion to Papists and Prelates to plead for a toleration although the Covenant bind us to endeavour the extirpation both of Popery and Prelacy Having now discovered the snares and dangers we shall in the next place most humbly and seriously propose and recommend some wholsom seasonable and pious counsels to all the Members of this Church and Kingdom especially to the Honorable and High Court of Parliament and to the Brethren of the Ministry which may also serve to express our sense concerning the whole matter contained in that narrative delivered to us in writing so far as is competent and fit for us to give any judgment thereupon First of all we exhort all and every one to make more conscience of endeavouring a reall Reformation of themselves and their Families and of the places in which they live then ever yet they have done to be more serious in searching their hearts considering their ways and purging themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit to perfect holiness in the fear of God to oppose wickedness and prophaneness promote the power and practise of Godliness and to be deeply humbled before the Lord for neglecting these things so much and so long with all employing and improving Christs al-sufficiency and striving to exercise faith in him for the grace of mortification and sanctification as well as for remission of sins and peace with God that being implanted and rooted in him we may grow up as trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified for without amendment of life and bringing forth of better fruit the fierce wrath of the Lord cannot turn away from us Secondly as men desire they may not be led into temptation but may be guided in safe and right paths in the midst of so great difficulties Let them avoid the company and counsel of the ungodly whereby even good men have been oft times most dangerously insnared Let all that fear God choose the Testimonies of the Lord for their counsellors be much in prayer and searching the mind of God in his word without leaning to their own understanding or consulting with flesh and blood in cases of conscience Thirdly seeing it is no act of wisdom but of folly so to shun one danger as to run upon another as bad or worse Let us therefore avoid enemies and beware of dangers on all hands We cannot see but the cause of God the true Religion the Covenant Presbyteriall Government this Church and Kingdom and whatsoever is dearest to us wil be in as great danger if the Prelatical party prevail as now they are in by the power and prevalency of Sectaries in England who have made the Covenant and begun Reformation to be laid aside and hindered the promoting thereof So that there is a necessity to be apprehensive of dangers and attentive to remedies on both sides and to beware of compliance with and connivance at Sectaries upon the one hand and Malignants upon the other Fourthly when we speak of Malignants we desire that the distinction may be remembered which was made in the solemn Warning to the Kingdom from the Generall Assembly in February 1645. Viz. That the cause is in very great danger from two sorts of Malignant enemies First from such as have openly displayed a Bannar or joyned in Arms and professed Hostility against the cause and such as adhered thereunto Secondly from secret Malignants Discovenanters and bosom Enemies This second sort may be still known by some Characters given both at that time and before that time as by their slandering or censuring the Covenant of the three Kingdoms and expedition into England in the year 1643 as not necessary for the good of Religion or safety of this Kingdom or as tending to the diminution of the Kings just power and greatness by their confounding of the Kings Power and just Authority with the pretence and abuse thereof by Commissions Warrants or Letters procured from his Majesty by the enemies of this cause and Covenant as if none were faithful and loyal to the King who oppose such men and their ways by their spleen malice and calumnies against such as God hath made eminently instrumentall in this cause and who resolve to be constant to the end in their first Principles as
if such men were the Kings enemies who are most zealous for the good and safety of Religion by their commending justifying or excusing other known Malignants and by their conversing or intercommuning with excommunicate Delinquents Unto which Characters time and experience give us occasion to add some others as namely their unwillingness and declining to reckon Malignants among the enemies of this cause from whom danger is to be apprehended Their disjoyning and dividing the duty of endeavouring the Kings Majesties preservation and restitution from the duty of preserving defending setling and securing Religion As if we might and ought to pursue the former without the latter while both are in danger Their maligning of and uttering malicious words against faithfull and zealous Ministers and against this meeting and Judicatory appointed by the Generall Assembly Lastly their crying up or down of parties or persons and even of the Sectaries themselves according as they have more or less hopes of advantage from them to their own designs For 't is not long since such men made light account of any dangers which were apprehended from the prevalent faction of the Sectaries in England There being then some hopes of a compliance and combination between them and the Malignants which is an infallible demonstration that such mens pretended Zeal against those Sectaries now is not from the right Principle Wherefore let all such dangerous persons as we have here deciphered and described be carefully observed and avoided as men would keep themselves pure and free of snares And let Presbyteries be diligent to discover try and censure any of this kind in their bounds that they may be able herein to give a good account of their diligence As also that they be careful to discover try and censure any trafficking Sectaries and all such as favour their opinions and ways Fiftly Though we esteem that prevalent Faction of Sectaries with their abbetters and adherents Presumptuous and Malicious enemies to Religion King and Government Yet we hold it is our duty to labour to remove and prevent all occasions of jealousies and suspitions betwixt the Kingdoms and do or say nothing that may breed misunderstandings break off correspondence weaken the confidence or infringe the Union and Peace betwixt the two Kingdoms so happily established in his Majesties presence and with his Royall consent in both Parliaments A caution as necessary now as when it was given above five years ago in a Warning from the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly met in this same place January the fourth 1643. And Generally we desire that all the Articles and clauses of the solemn League and Covenant may be kept inseparably and inviolably linked together and that there may be great tenderness and care to avoid every thing which may be interpreted as a contradicting or abandoning of the former Principles Proceedings Petitions Protestations Remonstrances and Declarations of this Kirk and Kingdom in the pursuance of this cause and more especially to take good heed that Scotlands desires do not mount higher for the King and fall lower in the point of Religion then they were at our first undertaking and ingagement in this cause Finally we do most seriously obtest all the people of God in this Nation and especially the Estates of Parliament by their love to the cause of God by their solemn Vows and Covenants by their first principles and professions by their former zeal and sincerity by the many blessings of God and his great works done for us when our zeal and integritie was greatest in this cause and by all the curses and judgements of God which his Word denounceth against back sliders and Covenant-breakers that they may all the dayes of their lives continue firm stedfast and faithfull in their Covenant with God and one with another and make good their former professions in a time of tentation and difficultie without waving or falling off to the right hand or to the left and as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God A. Ker. FINIS