Uniformity in Government shall be brought about your Majesty's Conscience in performing so great a duty shall be a well-spring of Comfort to your self your Memory shall be a sweet savour and your Name renowned to all following Generations and if the unhappy Commotions and Divisions shall end in this Peace and Vnity then it shall appear in the Providence of God they were but the noise of many Waters and the voice of a great Thunder before the voice of Harpers harping with their Harps which shall fill the whole Island with Melody and Mirth and the Name of it shall be The Lord is there This is the exact transcript of that Assembly's Supplication to King Charles the I. only that for Brevity some Personal things relating to his then Majesty and the then Parliaments Declaration are omitted because they do not quadrat with the times In the second place the Scottish Covenanters keep the same correspondence with their Brethren here as was kept in the days of their Forefathers And accordingly as was done in the late times grant to this effect and in this manner A Commission for those that repair to the Kingdom of England Edinb Aug. 19. 1643. THE General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland finding it necessary to send some Godly and Learned of this Kirk to the Kingdom of England to the effect underwritten Therefore gives full Power and Commission to Mr. c. (a) For in this Consistory the Mis. John that is Minister hath the precedence to his Grace the Duke who is a Ruling Elder or but a Laick join'd in Council Ministers and to D. M. E. or L. Elders or any three of them whereof two shall be Ministers to repair to the Kingdom of England and there to deliver the Declaration sent unto the Parliament of England and the Letter sent unto the Assembly of Divines now sitting in that Kingdom And to propose consult treat and conclude with that Assembly or any Commissioners deputed by them or any Committees or Commissioners deputed by the Houses of Parliament in all Matters which may further the Vnion of this Island in one Form of Kirk-Government one (b) And tho' the Westminster Confess avows the K's Supremacy which they do not own yet they have chosen it in complaisance with England Confession of Faith one Catechism and one Directory for the Worship of God according to the Instructions which they have received from the Assembly or shall receive from time to time hereafter from the (c) The Commission of the Kirk is the great Committee of the General Assembly which does all affairs when the Assembly does not sit Commissioners of the Assembly deputed for that effect With power also to them to convey to His Majesty the humble answer sent from this Assembly to His Majesties Letter by such occasion as they shall think convenient and generally Authorizeth them to do all things which may further the so much desired Vnion and nearest Conjunction of the Churches of Scotland and England conform to their Instructions before-mentioned And if our Presbyterians here in England should entertain the correspondence so far as to Petition in any Letter the concurrence of their Covenanted Brethren in Scotland then in that case they probably will return such an answer as was return'd to our English Presbyterians by the Scottish in the year 1642. Dated at St. Andrews July 22. Right Reverend and Beloved in the Lord Jesus YOur Letters which came unto our Hands so seasonably was not only acceptable unto us but hath also encouraged us to renew both to the Kings Majesty and the Houses (a) (a) In their Declaration to the Houses of Parliament Who knows say they but the Lord hath now some controversie with England which will not be removed till first and before all the Worship of his Name and the Government of his House be settled according to his own Will meaning to have neither Bishop nor Common Prayer of Parliament the desires of the Commissioners of this Kingdom for Vnity in Religion We cannot be ignorant but the opposition from Satan and Worldly Men in Kirk and Policy will still be vehement as it hath been already but we are confident through our Lord Jesus Christ that the prayers and endeavours of the Godly of both Kingdoms will bring the Work to a wished and blessed issue This whole National Kirk is so much concern'd in that Reformation and Unity in Religion in both Kingdoms that without it we cannot hope for any long time to enjoy our Purity and Peace which hath cost us so dear and is now our chiefest Comfort and greatest Treasure which one cause beside the Honour of God and the Happiness of the People of God in that Kingdom more desired of us than our lives is more than sufficient to move us to contribute all that is in our power for bringing it to pass And since we have with so great liberty made our desires and hopes known both to King and Parliament it is a duty incumbent both to you and us who make mention of the Lord and are Watchmen upon the Walls of Jerusalem never more to keep silence nor to hold our peace Day and Night till the Righteousness of Zion go forth as brightness and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth And if it shall please the Lord to move the heart of King and Parliament to hearken unto the motion for which end we have resolved to keep a Solemn Fast and Humiliation in all the Kirks of this Kingdom the mean by which we have prevailed in times past we wish that the Work may be begun with speed and prosecuted with diligence by the joynt Labours of some Divines in both Kingdoms who may prepare the same for the view and examination of a more frequent Ecclesiastical meeting of the best affected to this Reformation there and of the Commissioners of the General Assembly here that in the end it may have the Approbation of the General Assembly here and of all the Kirks there in the best way that may be we wish and hope at last in a National Assembly Our Commissioners at Edenburgh shall in our Name receive and return Answers for promoting so great a Work which we with our Heart and our Soul recommend to the blessing of God We continue Your Loving Brethren and Fellow Labourers And although the Oath of Supremacy be inconsistent with Scottish Presbytery and hath been taken by many in this Kingdom of England of all degrees and stations yet the Scottish Covenanters for curing that distemper of Malignancy may Institute a Fast of the same nature and for the same causes as made their Predecessors do it in the 6th of August 1642. Act for remembring in Publick Prayers the desires of the Assembly to the King and Parliament and induction of a Publick Fast THE General Assembly being desirous to promote the great Work of Vnity in Religion and Uniformity in Church Government in all these three Dominions
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
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