A SEASONABLE and Necessary WARNING Concerning present DANGERS and DVTIES From the COMMISSIONERS Of the GENERALL ASSEMBLY Unto all the MEMBERS Of this KIRK EDINBURGH Printed by EVAN TYLER Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty 1650. 25. Iunii 1650. Postmeridiem A seasonable and necessary VVarning concerning present dangers and duties from the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly unto all the Members of this Kirk IF the eminencie of the danger and the necessity of our duty did not constrain us we had rather chose to be silent then to emit any publick warning to the land within so few dayes of the meeting of the Generall Assembly but we should not only run the hazard of just blame from them but also be conscious to guiltinesse in our selves if we did not in a time of so great strait give warning to the Lords people both of their danger and of their dutie The Insolent and strange actings of that prevailing party of Sectaries in England these yeares past in reference to Religion and Government are so well knowne and have been so often and fully laid open in the former Warnings Remonstrances and Declarations of this Kirk that we need not now take up much time in representing the same Albeit the Reformation of the Church of England and the advancing of the work of Uniformity there in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government was the great dutie that the Lord called that Land unto and which all the people of God in these three Kingdoms did ingage themselves in Covenant to endeavour to the utmost of their power yet doth that work so much desired and longed for by all the lovers of Sion in these Nations and all that concerns Religion lye in the dust altogether forgotten and despised by those men and in stead of the beauty and order that should be in the house of God a vast toleration of many grosse errors is allowed whereby so many and so monstrous blasphemies and strange opinions in Religion have been broached and are vented in England as the like hath not been heard of almost in any generation And though Monarchy and the Power of Parliaments was the ancient and long continued Government of that Kingdom yet have those men usurped above the Parliament whose servants they were and by open violence driven away many and imprisoned some of the Members thereof and have not onely taken away the house of Lords and destroyed the late King but also subverted Monarchy it selfe and turned the Foundations upside down and labour to wreath the voke of their oppression upon the necks of our brethren in England not only in regard of that which concerns their bodies and estates but also in regard of that which concerns their soules and consciences whereof that Ingagement that is now pressed in England is a present and publick testimony being a sore bondage under which many in that land now groane whose case and sufferings for the work of God we desire not onely to remember dayly before the Lord in our prayers and supplications but in every thing to regard it as if it were our own being confident that such as love the truth cleave to the Covenant in these Lands shall obtain mercy of God to be faithfull in the midst of temptations and that the Lord will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able to bear but will give unto them the issue with the tempation This party after that they have acted such things in England and also sore afflicted and oppressed our brethren in Ireland now conceiveing that they cannot be established and that they cannot eat the fruit of their own devices without contradiction as long as the Kirk and Kingdome of Scotland stands in their way threaten us with a warre by drawing their Forces Northward and sending them in small parties towards the Border that it may be the lesse discerned what they intend to do And if the Lord in his righteous and wise dispensation shall suffer them to invade this Land as it is to be seared that the Gangrene of their errours may take hold upon men of ignorant and unstable mindes who have not received the love of the truth So may we if they prevaile look for confusion and desolation and that the Pil ars both of Religion and Government shall be ruined and razed in this as well as in our neighbour land It doth therefore in the first place concern all the Inhabitants in this Nation to draw near to God and to mourn for their own iniquities and for all the ignorance and prophanity and backsliding that is in the land and to studie to make peace with God in Jesus Christ The continuance and increase of many of those sinnes for which formerly we seemed to have been humbled doth doubtlesse grieve the spirit of God and may if they be not speedily and sincerely repented of and forsaken provoke him to give us over to the lust of our adversaries Our King our Princes our Nobles our Pastors teachers and people have sinned Let us therefore search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord Let us lift up our heats with our hands to God in the heavens that he may spare and save his people that they be not a prey to the enemie In the next place As the Parliament of this Kingdome have taken care for putting the land in a Posture of Defence so we hope that none shall be so negligent of their duty and so insensible of their danger as not to give chearfull obedience to the lawfull commands of their superiours in those things that concern the security of Religion and peace of the Kingdome and that are necessary for the defence of the cause and of their native country but that every man in his station and calling will willingly and cheerfully acquit himselfe in the diligent and faithfull performance of all the duties that relate unto those ends It is far from our meaning that any who are tainted with Malignancie and Disaffection to the work of God should be allowed or permitted to associate or joyn themselves together by parties in Armes much lesse do we mean that we should associate and joyn with them or that they should be imployed or made use of or countenanced or permitted to be in our Armies The Lord hath so far cleared his mind both by his word and works against these things that they are very blind who are not convinced herein and we have made so solemn publick confession of this sin that relates unto Malignants and so solemnly engaged our selves against the same that they among us who should again hazard upon it should seem to be desperately perverse It were not only to give great ground of encouragement to the Sectaries before whom Malignants have already so often fled and fallen but to discourage the hearts and weaken the hands of men of Integrity and godlinesse who could hardly expect a blessing in the fellowship of such nay it were from the
who were in the engagement against them that first engaged with them in the Covenant and cause but such as are professed enemies to them how ever they were then content to proceed therunto that they might be the better decieve the people of England And that therefore they are unwilling to impute such evils to this Nation in Generall It is known how many servent prayers and supplications were powred out in this Land before the Lord against that engagment and wee think wee may without boasting say that those prayers had as much influence upon the defeat thereof as all the power of that armie And since that time that engagement hath been publickly disavowed disclaimed and repealed by the Parliament of this Kingdom Neither hath that party any thing to challenge us concerning Malignants both Kirk and State having constantly followed and being still about their duties against them without conniving at or complying with them in their courses It is true that this Kingdom and Kirk have protested and testified against the proceedings of Sectaries in reference to Religion and Government Which we could not but do unlesse we had forgotten our duty and the Christian mutuall tyes that lie upon us not onely as sister Churches but as Covenanted Churches and so make our selves partakers of their sins and exposed our selves to the hazard of their plagues We in this Land being therefore conscious to our selves of nothing but dutie If they shall invade us for following the same Shall not GOD look upon it and avenge it Whilst we incite men to their duty in the defence of the Kingdom against invasion and encourage them in performance of the same We desire not to be mistaken or that any should so far misconstrue our meaning as though we did thereby intend to stir up unto or approve of an invasion of the Kingdom of England or an engagement in war against the same In relation to peace or war in these Nations we cannot but very much commend and approve the resolutions of the Parliament of this Kingdom exprest in their Letter of the 6th of March to the Speaker of the House of Commons and Instructions sent therewith to their Commissioners 1649. and now again renewed in another Letter to the same Speaker of the House of Commons wherein they acknowledge their obligations and declare their resolutions to observe the rule of remonstrating first the breaches of peace of craving just reparations of using all fair means of giving a preceding warning of three moneths before any engagement in these Kingdoms in war And do hold forth this way of procedour in clearing each others and dealing plainly as agreable not onely to particular Treaties and to the many Tyes Bands and Declarations past betwixt the Kingdoms but also to the Law of GOD and practise of His people in his word and to the common law practise of heathen nations much more Christian Covenanted Kingdoms And plainly profess their confidence that the Covenanted GOD of these Kingdoms who did take order with these of this Nation who did unlawfully engage against England in the year 1648. doth still live and reign and will being shame and ruine upon whatsoever partie in either of these Nations that without a necessary cause and clear calling and without observance of the aforesaid rules and order shall offend and invade the other Nation In all which we do agree with them in our judgements and resolutions and conceive that the whole Land is bound to tread the same steps and to walk according to the same rules Albeit we be diligently to take heed of the danger that threatens from Sectaries and faithfully to bestir our selves in our places and stations in the use of all lawfull and necessary means for preventing of the same Yet are we not to forget but also with the same diligence and care to take heed of these dangers and snares that threaten the worke and people of GOD from Malignants Malignancie though a very evill weed yet is not pluckt up but still continues to be one of the raging sins of this Land it being the snare wherewith loose hearts who cannot endure Christs yoke are most readily taken Hence it is that there be still many of that stamp in all the three kingdoms who drawing encouragements to themselves from the influence they have upon the Kings Counsells and hardening themselves in their way by the proceedings of Sectaries do still follow their former designes and wait for their day and would rejoyce in the ruine or halting of these who adhere to the Covenant And experience proves that many of these who have seemed to repent of and abandon that way yet do not really shake off that sin that hangs so fast on but upon new temptations fall again upon that same wickednesse and prove worse then of before which may be a caution to us not suddenly to trust them We make no doubt but that Malignants will by all means endeavour that there may be room left for them to undermine the work and people of GOD and engage the Kingdom in a new war upon terms of their devising destructive to Religion and the Covenant In reference to dangers upon the right hand and upon the left besides any dutie already represented to us We conceive it incumbent to us seriously to recommend the following particulars to all the Land especially to these that are in trust either in Judicatories or Armies 1. First to watch and pray that in nothing they be deceived or come short of the duty whereunto the Lord calls them in a time of so many temptations and great difficulties 2. Every one would labour not only for the knowledge of the truth but to have the power and love thereof engraven on their hearts that they may from an inward principle of grace and spirituall life avoid erour and all the snares which lead thereunto and be incouraged to contend earnestly for the Faith which GOD hath been pleased to deliver to his Kirk in this Land 3. Not only is open Malignancie to be avoided but men would watch that enmitie against the work and people of GOD which ordinarily is the birth of jealousie and discontent and of familiar conversing with such as are disaffected to or lukewarm in the cause of GOD steal not into their hearts and gain not upon their affections by degrees Experience almost of all backsliding times and persons hath proven that the fellowship of men of a disaffected or luke-warm temper blunts the edge of tendernesse and zeal and steals away the heart first from honest instruments and then from the cause it self There have been and are still some in the Land who in a cunning way of insinuation foment jealousies and act divisions whilst they seem to be friends to the Cause and by this means do more harm then others by open violence These we would mark and avoid them that we may neither endanger our selves nor give offence unto others nor prejudice the Cause of GOD. 4. We would take diligent heed that in nothing we recede from the just and necessary desires of this Kirk and Kingdom propounded to his Majesty for securing of Religion and setling the peace of the Kingdom But that we cleave closely to our former resolutions in those things If we remit and grow slack and yeeld in any of them as it shall increase the hopes and endeavours of carnall and disaffected men so shall it provoke GOD against us to leave us to our selves till we be plunged in a pit of backsliding 5. It concerns us to take heed that we do not tread the steps of those who carried on the late unlawfull engagement against the Kingdom of England in any thing already condemned by this Kirk and Kingdom especially to beware of changing the state of our Cause or altering the matter of our qua rell either by laying aside of GODS interest and tak ng up of mans or by preferring or equalling mans interest unto GODS This were to turn upside down the whole tenour of our Principles and procedors and not only to spoyl us of all the comfort we can look for from our Covenant but also to bring upon our selves the guilt and reproach of all the sin of those who carried on that engagement so much condemned and born testimony against in this Land 6. We would beware of losing the advantage of defenders seeing our strength most consists in the equity and clearnesse of the Cause and the holy and righteous way in pursuing of the same It shall be better for us rather to endure straits for a time then by precipitating and making hast in the dark to rush against the wall and spoil our selves of that peace and comfort which we may have in waiting till GOD go before us 7. We desire that all the Land may be still pouring out their prayers and supplications before GOD that the Kings Majesty may really and wholy abandon all Malignant principles and Counsells and joyn cordially in the Covenant and Cause of GOD. 8. As all the people of GOD throughout the Land would be carefull to discern of dangers and avoid snares from and compliances with both Sectaries and Malignants so would Ministers be diligent and faithfull in pressing of these duties and that in a solide and convincing way and labour to make it appear that they speak not against the one or the other from passion or interest but upon the grounds of divine reason and from the light and authority of GODS Word that so they may make themselves manifest to the consciences of their hearers and stop the mouths of gainsayers Finally all the inhabitants of the Land would be aware of pride and carnall confidence and in a humble way would wait upon the LORD and tread the steps of holinesse and righteousnesse and he who hath done great things for us shall yet save us A. KER FINIS
words of our own former Confession and Ingagement unto duties to proclaim a judgment against the land till it were consusumed without remedy Wee are therefore bold in the Lords name to warne the Honourable Estates of Parliament and all whom it concerns in the land that they may be farre from such a thing and that they may take care in their respective places and Stations to purge Judicatories and Committees of all scandalous and disaffected men and speedily and effectually to goe about the removing and purging out from the Army all men of a scandalous conversation and of questionable integrity and affection in the cause of God and that they imploy none but such as are of a blamelesse conversation and of approven Integrity in the Lords work It shall be a shame for any in this land to be so faithlesse and unbeleeving as because of the scarcenesse of men to make use of others then such as are thus qualified The Lord hath not only spoken it in his word and verified it in his works in the dayes of old but hath let us see it with our own eyes that it is all one with him to save with few or with many and that a few whom God will countenance are more worth then many against whom he hath a controversie It needs not be matter of stumbling or terrour unto any that the army of Sectaries go masked under a vale of seeming holinesse and that their interprises and defignes have been so long and so often attended with successe These who know them well will acknowledge that many of them are loose and dissolute in their way and though some of them walk more circumspectlie yet how can they be accounted truely tender Godly who love to walk in the Immaginations of their own hearts and in the light of their own fire and in the sparkes that they have kindled corrupting the truth of God approving errors in themselves and tolerating them in others and who having power in their hands labour only to establish saftie for themseves altogether neglecting those thinges that concerne the Honour of God and the Kingdome of his Sonne Iesus Christ If any of them have any thing of the seed of God in them it cannot but be much blasted with the wind of their own vaine inventions and choaked and keept down with the cares of their corruptions These who shall compare their proceedings with the word of God and the Solemne League and Covenant or look to the effects that followes thereupon either to Religion or government or to the bodies or soules of men shall finde that notwithstanding of any pretext their way is much to be detested and abhorred Neither doth the Lord spare to execute judgement against seducers and corrupters of the truth because they seeme not to be subject to personall out-breakings in their lives Is it not the ground of the great threatnings against Antichrist that he makes many drunk with the cup of his abhominations which yet for most part are covered with a vail of externall devotions And can the many antichrists now in England eschew to partake of his plagues who in so great a measure partake of his sinnes The successe of that partie proves not the goodnes of their cause or that they shall prosper still The Lord who is wonderful in councel and excellent in working hath been pleased to put the rod of his anger and the staff of his indignation in their hand for executing of his wrath against malignants because of the enmity opposition of that generation unto the cause and people of God But if they shal invade this land and exalt themselves against the Lords inheritance and the people that are in Covenant with him For whose sake the Lord did clothe them with power for a time for taking vengeance upon his enemies Then shall they stumble and fall and be broken in pieces Though the host of Senachribe did prevaile against Samaria yet did they fall in Judah and he did return with shame and was slaine with the sword in his own land That partie hath as yet no cause to boast that God hath prospered them in armes against the Covenant or against a praying people stedfast in the Lords cause following his way and waiting upon him for help and successe All their encounter have hitherto bin against Malignants now the Lord having performed so much of his work against that generation who knowes but the Sectaries day may also be coming and that when the state of the question shall be changed God may turn his hand upon them bring upon them the judgments of abroken Covenant as he hath ever don to al that look that way We desire that not only others but the Sectaries themselves may consider that when England was very low and well nigh brought under the feet of the popish prelaticall and Malignant partie That this Nation was then much solicited for their assistance and reliefe and even by some of these who have since that time been verie active and instrumentall for the partie which now prevails in that land The Kirk and Kingdome of Scotland were then so compassionate of their brethrens condition that they were willing to joyn in a League and Covenant with them which both Kingdomes even many of those who are now in the Army did solemnly swear and subscribe In prosecution of the ends thereof this Kingdome did send into England a considerable army by whose assistance the power of the Malignant partie was broken and brought low and the Parliament army of England put in such a condition that they needed no more fear the strength of their enemies This league and Covenant which was the foundation of Englands and the Armies deliverance and saftie the armie hath now forgotten and trodden under foot and walk in all their proceedings no lesse contrary thereto then darknesse is unto light Neither doth it satisfie them to do so in their own land but they threaten us also with warre for no other reason but because we cleave to our dutie in these things to which England stands no lesse obliged unto by Covenant before the Lord then we doe We may confidently assert and professe before the world that the Lords people in this land are not conscious to themselves of any wrong done to that prevailing partie in England The engagment in the year 1648. was no lesse abhorred and testified against by the Kirk of Scotland and by these that are now in place and power in the State and by all the godlie in the land Then it was by that partie themselves Which did so farre convince the House of Commons That in their letter to the Generell Assemblie of this Kirk in the same yeare They professe that they are assured that these Impions and unwarrantable actions cannot be done with the approbation and assent of the Religious and well affected people of the Kingdom of Scotland and that they do understand that there are very few amongst these