is surer than that he should be pleaded out of it by pretended Liberty of Conscience and his begun possession is more precious to him than to be satisfied with a dishonourable Toleration All that yet we have seen doth not weaken our confidence of the Lords Glorifying the House of his Glory in these Lands and of his Sons taking unto him his great power and reigning in the beauty and power of his Ordinances in this Island His Name is wonderful and so also his Works we ought not therefore to square them according to our line but leave them to him who hath the Government laid upon his Shoulder all whose ways are Judgment and whose ruling these Kingdoms had never yet reason to decline It is good for us to be stedfast in our Duty and therein quietly to wait and hope for the Salvation of God The word of promise is sure and hath an appointed time that he that will come shall come and will not tarry There is none hath cause to distrust the Lords Word to his People It hath often to our Experience been tryed in the Fire and hath ever come forth with a more Glorious lustre Let not therefore these that suffer in England cast away their confidence they are not the first who have needed patience after that they had done the Lords Will. But let them strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees and say to the fearful in heart Be strong fear not behold your God will come with Vengeance even God with a recompence he will come and save you Now the Just shall live by Faith whereas those that draweth back or becometh luke-warm in the Lords work his soul shall abhor them and he shall spew them out of his mouth But we perswade our selves of better things of these our brethren in England and prayeth that the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant may make them perfect in every good work to do his will working in them that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever Amen These are the Methods taken by the Fathers which the Children of the Covenant may use at this time for introducing a second time their Presbytery among us They may Petition the King that now is for Uniformity in Church-Government in all the three Kingdoms They may send up to our Dissenters in England some Commissioned to treat for that effect They may encourage our Dissenters with their Letters promising assistance in that common concern They may appoint a Publick Fast to amuse the people of Scotland with the apprehensions of Piety in the Work After that they may have the Covenant renewed and disaffecters of that Oath punishable Then they may give out their warning to all sorts of people among them against Neutrality in the prosecution of this part of the Covenant Then Ministers for silence at this Neutrality may be inflicted with Censure And after all their Brethren in England may be exhorted to Zeal and against Toleration And therefore nothing is wanted to represent the danger of our Church of England from the Scottish Covenanters but to demonstrate in the conclusion That as they are obliged by their Principles and Oaths to ruine her and as they are able to follow for that effect the Methods which their Predecessors took so they are willing to do it In the third place That the Scottish Covenanters are willing to ruin this Church of England by the same methods is evident from their practices in these three last years For they who from a Zeal for the Covenant so early petitioned the King for Presbytery in Scotland will for the preservation thereof address to him again that it may be established in England and Ireland They who after Sermons in their publick meetings use to send up prayers to God that the work which they have begun in Covenanted Scotland may be perfected in the other two Kingdoms will not sail to send up Commissioners hither for that effect They who last year procured from the Estates of that Kingdom assembled in Parliament thanks to the Rabble whom they themselves had hunted out against many faithful Ministers will not fail this year to promise their assistance to the Dissenters here They who have already kept a fast in Scotland for their falling from their first Love meaning their Love of Presbytery will certainly institute another at this time that the King and this Kingdom may fall in Love with it too They who have refused to baptize children when their Parents refused to abjure the Scottish Test because that abjures the Covenant cannot but renew the solemn League and persecute those who disaffect it And they whose Doctrine hath been these two last years that the Scottish Nation hath not under Bishops heard the Gospel these 28 years will not fail to exhort against all Neutrality of Covenanters and to censure thus their Ministers who do not Preach against such Defection And after all they who have already excited the Western Zealots of this Kingdom to affront the first Peeress of their Nation for inviting her late Episcopal Pastor to Preach in her Graces Palace when some of their own number had declined to do it are certainly averse from all Toleration even to peaceable Protestant Dissenters FINIS
for which the Assembly hath humbly supplicated the Kings Majesty and remonstrated their desires to the Parliament of England lest they should be wanting in any mean that may Advance so Glorious and so Good a Work do Ordain That not only the said Declaration to the Parliament and Supplication to the Kings Majesty shall be accompanied with the earnest Petitions and Prayers of the whole Brethren in private and publick for the Lords blessing thereunto according to the laudable custom of our Predecessors who in the year of God 1589 Ordains that the Brethren in their private and publick Prayers recommend unto God the estate of the afflicted state of England But having just cause of fear that the iniquities of the Land which so much abound may hinder this so great a Work do also Ordain a Solemn Fast to be kept on tht Second (a) For they can Fast on any day of the Week but on Friday yea tho' it were Good Friday in Passion Week they most then make their Christmas and Easter Dinner in one to avoid Superstition Lords Day of September for the Causes after specified Gross Ignorance and all sorts of Wickedness amongst the greater part Security meer Formality and Vnfruitfulness among the best and Vnthankfulness in all The Sword raging throughout all Christendom but most Barbarously in Ireland and daily more and more threatned in England That God may Graciously bless the Supplication of the Assembly to the Kings Majesty and their Proposals to the Parliament of England for Vnity in Religion and Uniformity in Church Government and (b) And some of those means were the Covenanted Army against K. Ch. I. all other means which may serve for the promoting of so great a Work and the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ every where That God may powerfully overturn all Wicked Plots and Designs of (c) For in the Divinity of these Saints every Bishop is a limb of Antichrist Antichrist and his Followers and all divisive Proposals against the course of Reformation And since the Scottish Test hath produced in the Minds of all their Nobility Gentry and the substantial part of their Commons out of the Five Western Shires mighty aversion to such a Fast yet the Scottish Covenanters for having the more unanimous Concurrence among themselves to introduce Presbytery among us again they may renew their Solemn League as it was for the same effect renewed by the Assembly at Edinburgh Sess 6. August 8. 1642. Acts for Subscribing the Covenant THE General Assembly considering the good and pious Advice of the Commissioners of the last Assembly upon the 22d of September This is their Covenant with the Lord which shall never be forgotten Gen. Assem Edenb Aug. 19. 1643. post meridiem recommending to Presbyteries to have Copies of the Covenant to be subscribed by every Minister at his Admission doth therefore ratifie and approve the same And further Ordains That the Covenant be Reprinted with the Ordinance prefixed thereto and that every Synod Presbytery and Parish have one of them bound in Quarto with some blank Paper whereupon every Person may be obliged to Subscribe And that the Covenants of the Synod and Presbytery be keeped by their Moderators Respective of Vniversities by their Principals of Parishes by their Ministers with all carefulness And that particular account of Obedience to this Act be required hereafter in all Visitations of Parishes Vniversities and Presbyteries in all Tryals of Presbyteries and Synods Book 's The General Assembly considering that the Act of Assembly at Edinburgh 1639. August 30. injoyning all Persons to Subscribe the Covenant under all Ecclesiastical Censure hath not been obeyed therefore ordains all Ministers to make intimation of the said Act in their Churches and thereafter to proceed with Censures of the Church against such as shall refuse to Subscribe the Covenant And that exact account be taken of every Ministers diligence herein by their Presbyteries and Synods as they will answer to their General Assembly And if after the renewing of the Covenant the Men of Honour and Conscience will yet avoid the taking it then in that case the Scottish Covenanters may as their Forefathers 1644. did before them get another Act past Against secret Disaffecters of the Covenant THE General Assembly understanding that divers Persons Judge from this Act betwixt the Popish and the Fanatick Inquisitions disaffected to the Solemn League and Covenant of the three Kingdoms do escape their Just Censure either by their private and unconstant abode in any one Congregation or by secret conveyance of their Malignant Speeches and Practices therefore Ordains all Ministers to take special notice when any such Person shall come within their Parishes and so soon as they shall know the same that without delay they cause warn them to appear before the Presbyteries within which their Parishes lyes or before the Commissioners of this Assembly appointed for publick affairs as they shall find most convenient which warning the Assembly declares shall be a sufficient Citation unto them And in like manner that all Ministers and Lay-elders inform the said Judicatories Respective against every such disaffected Person altho' without their own Parish so soon as they shall hear of them And the Assembly Ordains the said Commissioners not only to proceed to Tryal and Censure of such disaffected Persons but also to take a special account of the diligence of Ministers Ruling-elders and Presbyteries herein Respective After the Covenant is thus renewed and so rigorously enjoyn'd matters at length are ripe for the Uniformity betwixt both Kingdoms in Church Government and Worship and therefore according to the Example given to them 1645 the Scottish Covenanters may give out their Solemn and Seasonable Warning to the Noblemen Barons Gentlemen Burroughs Ministers and Commons of Scotland as also to their Armies without and within the Kingdom This Warning was dated 12 Feb. Post meridiem Sess 18. and because it takes up two Sheets and an half in the Book of the Acts of their General Assemblies and is therefore too long to be here inserted verbatim therefore in their own Words you may take its substance AS for our part our Forces sent unto that Kingdom meaning England in pursuance of the Covenant have been so (a) In defeating two Armies of K. Ch. the First one commanded by the M. of Newcastle the other by P. Rupert mercifully and manifestly assisted and blessed from Heaven that we have what to answer the Enemy that reproacheth us concerning that business and that which may make Iniquity her self to stop her mouth But which is more unto us than all Victories or whatever Temporal Blessing the Reformation of the Religion in (b) Here is plain Language and home to the purpose England and Vniformity therein betwixt both Kingdoms a principal end of the Covenant is so far advanced that the English Service-Book with the (c) Especially Christmas which they condemn'd as Superstitious by their Act of the
very next day after this warning was given 13 Feb. 1645. Holy Days and many other Ceremonies contained in it together with the Prelacy the Fountain of all these are abolished and taken away In this we rejoice and will rejoice that the Lord Jesus Christ is no loser but a Conquerour that his Ordinances take place that his Cause prevaileth and the Work of his Purging and Building the Temple goeth forward and not backward But besides the defection of many of this Nation under our Prelates from our first National Covenant a sin not forgotten by God if not repented of by Men as well as forsaken our later Vows and Covenants have been also foully violated by not contributing our uttermost assistance to this Cause with our Estates and Lives and by not endeavouring with all faithfulness the discovery tryal and deserved punishment of all Malignants The duties of Humiliation Repentance Faith Amendment though the principal yet are not all which are required at the hands of this Nation But let all sorts of people both high and low in this Kingdom call to mind the Solemn Covenants and pay their Vows unto the most high and namely that Article of our (d) By the first Covenant they mean that call'd the National Covenant and which was fram'd in K. James VI. Reign And by the second Covenant they mean their solemn League which was not contriv'd for that one Nation as the first was but for all the three United Kingdoms first Covenant which obligeth us not to impede nor hinder any such Resolution as by common consent shall be found to conduce for the ends of the Covenant In our last Covenant there is another Article which we wish may be well remember'd at this time namely That we shall assist and defend all that enter unto this League and Covenant in the maintaining and persuing thereof and shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terrour to be divided or withdrawn from this blessed Vnion and Conjunction whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this Cause according to which Article Mens reality and integrity in the Covenant will be manifest and demonstrable as well by their Omissions as by their Commissions Whoever he be that will not adventure his Person or put out those who are under his power or pay Contributions for the maintenance of the Forces must be taken for a Malignant and Covenant-breaker and so involved both in the displeasure of God and Censures of the Kirk After this Solemn warning is given by the Covenanters of Scotland that it may have the better effect towards the overthrow of our Episcopacy and the abolishing of our Common Prayer in England they may after the example of the Men of Forty Eight get an Act for Censuring Ministers for their Silence and not speaking against the Corruptions of the Time THeir Act of this Title was made in the General Assembly of the year 1648 at Edenburgh 3 Aug. ante merediem Sess 26. And it particularly ordains That the main currrent of Applications in Sermons may run alone against the Evils that prevail at home and namely against the defection from the League and Covenant against the unlawful ingagement in War (a) And by their Act July 28. 1648. all Decrees even of Parliament are unjust if established without their consent when they concern the common Cant of the Covenant and unjust Decrees Established by Law and against the Plots and Practices of Malignants And in the conclusion of this Act they Ordain That in case any Minister for his freedom of Preaching shall be in the face of the Congregation or elsewhere upbraided railed at mocked or threatned the Presbytery of the Bounds shall immediately pursue the Offendor and whoever he be charge him to satisfie the Discipline of the Church by publick Repentance which if they do not or refuse to do that then the Presbytery proceed to Excommunication against him And when the Scottish Covenanters have proceeded thus out of Zeal for Uniformity of Presbytery in both Kingdoms in imitation of what was done by their Predecessors they can shew their Zeal in A Brotherly Exhortation from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to their Brethren in England THis Exhortation of their Predecessors was dated August 1649 Sess ult And passing over the Preface thereof which considereth the Troubles which then opprest these Kingdoms as Gods Judgments for the breach of their Covenant for Duke Hamilton's Engagement for his Royal Masters Service and for the (b) Which in their Declaration 20 Aug. 1647. they call A Liberty of Errour Scandal Schism Heresie dishonouring God opposing the Truth hindring Reformation and seducing others Liberty of Conscience to Protestant Dissenters And passing over that in all these Troubles the thing which griev'd them most to speak in their own Words was That there was Interruption in the building of the Lords House in England And passing over their Reproof to the Covenant-breakers and their high Commendation of those who kept it the Exhortation to them here in England is in the last Paragraph verbatim Thus As we shall ever God willing be mindful of our Duty to the faithful that adhere to the Covenant in England having them always in our Hearts before the Lord so we desire to be refreshed with their Sincerity and Boldness in the Cause of God according to their places This is the time of their Tryal and the hour of Temptation among them blessed shall they be who shall be found following the Lamb and shall not be ashamed of his Testimony We know in such dark Hours many are drawn away with the multitude when the Lord will again Purge and make White and we doubt not but many such are in England whom the bold and clear Preaching of Christ may reclaim much therefore lyeth upon the Watchmen at this time that their Trumpet may give a certain and distinct sound warning and exhorting every one as those that must give account and blessed shall those Servants be who shall be found faithful in their Lords House distributing to his Houshold what is meet for this Season and can say they are free from the Blood of all Men having shewn them the whole Counsel of God being in nothing terrified of the threats of their Adversaries and blessed and happy shall that People be that walk in the Light holden forth by them and stay upon the Lord in this dark time hearkning to the voice of his Servants and walking in the light of his Word and not in the sparks of their own which will end in sorrow How unexcusable will England be having so foully Revolted against so many fair Testimonies which the Lord Christ hath entred as Protestations to preserve his Right in these ends of the Earth long since given unto him for his possession and of late confirmed by Solemn Covenant Christs Right to these Kingdoms