Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	answer_n	letter_n	receive_v	778	5	5.2253	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75140	An account of a paper, presented to the General Assembly, October 1690 Containing the complaints of many Presbyterian people, living in several shyres of Scotland. And novv a second time vvith additions offered to their consideration.		1691 (1691)	Wing A189A; ESTC R223505	12,376	10

diligence therein of which they were to give an account to their Friends But the delivering of it in was thought requisite to be delayed a little until it was known what would be done with a Paper given in to the Assembly by Mr Thomas Lining Mr Alexander Sheilds and Mr William Boyd yet thô it be not expedient to relate either the isue of that business or how the same was managed nevertheless it is not unsuitable to the present purpose to mention this that instead of a satisfactory Answer it was very offensive to many that the Assembly by a Vote refused to read the foresaid Paper presented by the Ministers above named upon the Reasons given in by the Committee of Overtures why it should not be read which condemned the same before it was heard especially the persons entrusted with the subscribing and in-giving of our Paper and some others were so offended that they judged it duty to signifie their dissatisfaction therewith to the Assembly Whereupon a short Paper being drawn up was subscribed by the Men chosen to deliver the other Paper in their own Name Representing it as an additional Complaint that the Assembly had in the manner above specified refused to read the foresaid Paper To get opportunity for delivering in both these Papers to the Committee of Overtures by whom they might be transmitted to the whole Assembly the Men went to the place where the said Committee was sitting where meeting with two Ministers Members thereof and after some conference with them concerning the Papers One of the Ministers said he would inform the Committee of them Accordingly they having both gone in acquainted the Committee therewith who instead of giving the Men access a priviledge denied to none but them only nominate two Ministers and a Ruling Elder to speak with them These immediatly coming out had conference with the Men Before whom first the short Paper next the Larger were read After hearing both and desiring some things to be altered in the large Paper which could not be condescended unto they endeavoured to disswade the Men from pressing the reading of them in the Assembly which the Men insisted earnestly for and for an Answer to return to their Friends When these Ministers found them so pressing for this they promised to represent it to the Committee whereupon one of them went in spoke of it to them and delivered the Papers to the Clerk After this the Men at several occasions solicited the Ministers above mentioned and some others that the Papers might be read in the Assembly and to have somewhat to return to their Friends But the Answer they received was a Letter subscribed by three Ministers direct to them Which followeth Loving Friends THE Papers you gave in to the Assembly were first given in to the Committee of Overtures and we were by them appointed to confer with you And after some conference with you we moved in the Committee that the Assembly would order the Papers to be given in to these who were to draw up the Monitory Letter and causes of the Fast that they might make their own use thereof in drawing up the same Which at the first next Session of the Assembly on Saturnday last the first of November was accordingly done in open Assembly and we by the Assembly allowed to report the same to you which now accordingly we do And we hope this will satisfie you and others who did commissionate you and that the Lord will encline your Hearts to Peace and to guard against any further rent in the Church of GOD and in this hope we subscribe our selves Edinburgh November 3. 1690 Your Friends and Servants in the LORD FRom which Letter we shall only take notice of this that as we have never yet seen the Monitory Letter mentioned therein whereby we do not know what use is made in it of our Paper so albeit we have got a sight of the Causes of the Fast from which it was said several times that we should receive Satisfaction to our Scruples yet we are so far from getting of the same that we must Complain not only of the ambiguity of some Expresions in it but also of its Lameness several things being omitted which are steps of Defections and Causes of Wrath And that the abominable Test Declaration Prelatical Intrusions being once in were put out again We hope as well as Seriously desires that our design in Publishing what is above may not be mistaken but rightly Constructed seeing it is not to irritate or offend any Person But to make manifest what hath been our endeavours in order to get a Comfortable Vnion with these Ministers from whom we are yet standing at a distance As also to let them know how unexpected yea astonishing it was to us when we heard that our Paper of Complaints was so little regarded as not once to be read either in the Committee or open Assembly It contained what really was and is ground of offence and matter of Complaint to us And whatever was pretended for not reading thereof yet the Consequences hath been sad having created Jealousies Scruples and Discontents and hath been tho occasion of a further rent for it could not be rationally expected that to deny that priviledge to them which was granted to others was the way to heal the breach which was wide and remove the Scruples that were many of these who are Consciencious This was rather the way to ●oment new Debates and Jarrs then to cement or remove the old And in like manner that we may have opportunity and occasion hereby again to desire of and cry unto Ministers not only for removing of our former Scruples and redressing of our old Complaints and Grievances but also to Represent some New Ones which are not only burdensome grievous and offensive to us but to many of the Godly in the Land earnestly intreating and fervently desiring that Ministers may do what is incumbent for them and in their Power for removing of the same One is The Admission of some of the Prelatical Curats not only to the exercise of the Ministry but to a share of the Government of this Church of which we crave leave to signifie our dislike and dissatisfaction and to testify against the Pestering and polluting the Church with them In regard it is the receiving in of such Men whom the Scriptures declares should be avoided and with drawn from because they have caused divisions and offences contrare to the Doctrine which this Church learned and walked not only disorderly themselves but many of them compelled others to do so and Persecuted these who desired to keep their Garments clean In regard it is unreasonable and not consistent with policy to put Weapones in the Hands of Enemies lest they may turn them against us if not openly yet in a way as dangerous Yea it is not long since all of them were Reckoned Such And whatever some of them pretend to now yet the time of this Change

inflamed the Souls of all the Lovers of Christ with more Zeal for advancing and promoting Reformation in this Land according to the capacity and opportunity the Lord hath put in their hands But alas unsuteable hath been our Returns of Fruitfulness and Thankfulness And as all of us have come far short of improving these Opportunities so the practice of these Ministers continues to be very offensive and stumbling who instead of Confessing and Condemning the above written Defections and minding the People of their former Backslidings and discovering the Sins of the la●e times that were many and heinous to the end they may be induced to mourn over them and to turn unto the Lord do yet continue to defend and hide their own guilt and thereby to harden others in Impenitency So that the wrongs done to Christ are like to be forgotten and buried and few are like to be brought off from the evil of their vvayes We are also much discouraged and dissatisfied that the National and Solemn League and Covenants have not only not been renewed but not contended for by many the affront done to them and their binding force not declared but like to be buried in oblivion And more especially it was wounding to us to ●ear that when opportunitie was given and access to Address the King and Parliament the mentioning of these holy Covenants was omitted And since the King and Queen were advanced to the Throne we fear that that faithfulness freedom hath not been used as was wont to be in former times to warne and admonish their Majesties of the Sins and Snares of the Throne to beware of evil Councellors and of the guilt and danger of tampering with and patronizing Prelacie in England and Ireland nor to discover and declare to them and the Parliament the Sin and danger of bringing into and keeping in places of ●ower and Trust in Judicatories and Armies Person 's who are known Malignant Enemies to Truth and Godliness and to the present Interest now to be maintained as faithful Ministers in former times used to witness against such sinful Associations and after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and have gotten such a deliverance as this if again His Commandements be broken by joyning in affinity with the People of these abominations it will be more than ever dangerous both to King and Kingdom Likewise albeit we dare not despise the day of small things and desires to bless the Lord for what we have seen yet we cannot conceal our sorrow that the great and glorious Attainments between the year 1638 1649 being years of the right Hand of the Most High in which we were brought under the renewed Bond of Solemn Covenants are not revived nor any honourable mention made of them in any of the Acts establishing the Priviledges of the Church which we think a losing of the ground which our Fathers gained We do not say that it was in the power of Ministers to redress this before or after it was done yet as we conceive the pleading for the full of this in their Addresses was not above their reach and that they should have signified their dislike at the want thereof and taken what they got by these Acts with a Protestation that it should be without prejudice of their seeking and getting more so in our poor Judgement we think in all Establishments of Religion and religious Rights in a Land respect is alwayes to be had to the Patern and Rule of GOD's revealed Will in His Word and not to Worldly Politicks It is also very discouraging and offensive and we cannot but complain of it that now when there is an opportunity to purge the Church from these Corruptions wherewith she hath been long pestered and plagued yet thô Prelacy be abolished by the State and many Curats put away some one way some another we hear of none censured and removed for Prelacy Perjurie and Intrusion and some Ministers are also pleading for keeping them in upon Carnal and Politick grounds who we fear may afterwards do more Hurt and Mischief than the Good now pretended can countervail And that if this occasion be lost of purging the Church of insufficient corrupt and scandalous Officers of all sorts especially of Prelatick Curats and of planting it with Godly faithful and able Ministers we may all repent of it too late More especially It is very stumbling and offensive to us that albeit there be an opportunity without fear and danger to exercise Discipline impartially and faithfully yet some who have formerly taken the abominable Test and are guilty of other gross Scandals are admitted to be Officers of the Church some to be Ministers and some to be Elders and many guilty of very gross degrees of Complyance are admitted to the Sacrament without any publick Acknowledgement of their Offences whereby they and others are hardened and many of the Godly stumbled to the great disadvatage of the Church To conclude Right Reverend we expect and intreat that ye will not offend at our freedom in what we here Represent but our meaning and end to have differences satisfyingly removed will move you to put a favourable construction upon that which a Critical Disposition might be ready to censure for rashness and ignorance and medling in matters wherein we are not concerned But tho we should be condemned and censured with the greatest severity and be counted yet more vile we must seek we must cry for the removing of these Stumbling Blocks and condemning these Courses which have done our Lord JESVS so much wrong and His Children so much hurt in the standing in the way of their comfortable and edifying Communion with the Church Let the famishing and starving case of our Souls through want of the Blessed Gospel and our hungering to hear it preached by you prevail with you to consider our Complaints and let the Wounds of our bleeding Mother panting to be healed by the Hand of the tender hearted Physician have weight with you not to slight or despise our Desires But if ye shall shut your eyes and ears at them then we know at the time no Remedy left us but to Complain and Protest unto Judicatories and cry sigh and groan to the Father of Mercies who is tender of all His Litle ones and is the Hearer of Prayer that He may see to it and heal our Backslidings and Breaches in His own time and way and not lay it to your charge that ye have had so little regard to the stumbling and saddenning of so many of His poor broken bruised and scattered Sheep and that ye have not had greater care to strengthen the Diseased and to heal that which was sick and to bind up that which was broken and to bring again that which was driven away and to seek that which was lost AFter Subscribing of the Paper some Men were chosen in name of the rest to present it to the Assembly to desire an Answer and to use