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 laâ—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 â—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 â—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
and removing these Stumbling-blocks which have offended the Consciences of many tender and serious People Therefore in all Humility and Reverance we must take the freedom to represent to this Reverend Assembly in a few particulars what things chiefly have stumbled us and occasioned our withdrawing for so long a time from many Ministers of this Church which we cannot omit to Complian of and Protest against Designing hereby not to irritate or offend nor to lay the Faults of any open unto the World nor to plead our own Innocence but desiring to acknowledge our deep accession also to the Sins which hath provocked the LORD to all this anger against this Church and Kingdom That which hath drawn from us the mentioning of these things is that the remembering of them may help us all to the sight and sense of these Sins amongst others that we may be found Mourning for them and keeping up a Testimony against them And to shew our earnest desire of having Peace and Truth Vnion and Order among all the Lovers and Well wishers of Zion settled upon Lasting and Solid Foundations and Comfortable Communion in Ordinances restored to us who have been long driven away from that Benefite by these offences As it was not a little afflicting to behold so it is now no pleasure to remember that when Prelacy condemned in the Word of GOD and abjured by our Covenants was established many Ministers did hear and joyn with these perjured Hyrlings and Intruders the Prelats and their Curats Yea and perswaded others to the like Practice Whereby their hands were strengthened and the Hearts of many of the Godly were sadned and their Consciences stumbled We desire to be thankful that Prelacie is condemned by Act of Parliament nevertheless we are grieved that such Joyning and Complying therewith is not yet condemned nor the Practise of these that withdrew approved As it was no smal grief of heart to see the Supremacy which belongs only to the Lord JESVS as King and Head of His Church given away to a miserable Mortal and settled upon him by Law so it was an augmentation to our Sorrow to see an Indulgence flowing therefrom clogged with Restrictions very prejudicial to the honour and freedom of Christs Ambassadours embraced by several Ministers and justified by others which did much strengthen these wicked Vsurpations on our Lords Crown Rights His Churches Liberties and gave occasion of great Stumbling and Offence and was a Bone of Contention among the Lords People in this Land But yet thô both the accursed Fountain and impure Stream be removed and cut off for which we desire to Bless the Lord the Sin thereof nevertheless is not Confessed and Condemned the doing whereof we are perswaded would be very contributive to the turning away of the Lords anger and satisfying all offended It was very Stumbling and Offensive to us when many Snares and Tentations were abounding and going through the Land that then many Ministers who should have Preached in Season and out of Season and whom no Dispensation could discharge from that great and necessary Duty did not set the Trumpet to their mouth to give faithful warning in times of such danger as became Watchmen but thô often called to Preach in the Countrey did either faintly leave the Land or lurked and lay by in the Land and others when they Preached either did not apply their Doctrine to the Times so as we might take it up or were ambiguous in their Application of their Doctrine to the dangers of the Times whereby many were left to perish in their iniquity and the hands of these who endeavoured to keep clean Garments were not strengthned Yea it was very offensive to behold the practice and carriage of some Ministers who instead of strengthning their hands who were at that time most forwardlie and zealouslie appearing and contending for the Cause and Interest of CHRIST and joyning with countenancing or encouraging the Ministers who were Valiant for the Truth and Jeoparded their Lives in the high places of the fields for the Testimony of CHRIST did condemn their laudable endeavours and reproached them and their actings and sufferings both at home and abroad More especialy it was sad and stumbling to us when many Mischiefs were framed into Laws by a Throne of Iniquity when many wicked Oaths and Bonds ensnaring Consciences contrare to the Word of GOD and our National Covenants were imposed and when we were required upon pain of Death to owne the Authority of and acknowledge Alegiance to Tyrants and Usurpers as our Lawful Magistrats whom GOD had set over us as His Ministers of Justice that then many Ministers did comply with these wicked Laws and taught the People to obey them and some did take and subscribe these Oaths and Bonds themselves and perswaded People to take them and not only owned and acknowledged Alegiance to these Tyrants and Usurpers prayed for them and their Government and pleaded for the Lawfulness of their Authority Yea some prayed for the pretended Prince of Wales But instead of sympathizing with the sufferings of these that could not in Conscience owne that Authooity condemned and inveighed against them as fools and dying in an errour We have reason to be thankful for this reviving in our Bondage and that the yoke of Oppression and Persecution is taken from off our necks yet we wish that untender carriage towards consciencious Sufferers were resented and the Heads and Causes were approven and justified upon which these reproached Martyrs and Confessors suffered It was very burdensome to our Consciences that a Popish Toleration designed to introduce Popery into this Land again granted by K. James from his Absolute Power which he blasphemouslie arrogated to himself and whereby he presumed to stop the Penal Laws against Papists and clogged with many Limitations was embraced by many Presbyterian Ministers and Addressed for to that Popish Vsurper in the Name of ALL Which many of the Godly of the Land looked upon with weeping eyes as a sad step of Defection from the wonted Zeal of the Ministers of Scotland The Sin and Scandal of this course is evident in a Testimony given in against the same by some Ministers which we here own Yet now notwithstanding that it be removed and the wicked power it flowed from we cannot think the Sin and Scandal of it is taken away so long as the same is not confessed mourned over and condemned The condemning of all these Courses of Complyance and Defections would not only be as a Beacon set up to hinder the following Generation from spliting on such dangerous Rocks but also will make our Vniting and Joyning with these from whom we stand at a distance which we long for and pray for cordial and comfortable We are also dissatisfied and offended at several things at present It might have been expected that the Mercies we have met with of late should have filled our Hearts with kindly sorrow for our former Sins and Backsliding and
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 â—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
makes the sincerity of their Repentance strongly suspicious neither does it seem reasonable or safe to admit such Men to a share of the Government who opposed the same while Power was in their Hands or to commit to them the care of Souls who formerly have poisoned and done great hurt to many of them In regard they are incapable to give security for their being Faithful and true to the Government as is required in the Instructions given by the Assembly being Men not only guilty of Intrusion dreadful Apostacy advancing the kingdom of Satan persecution some one way some another of the Godly and not a few of them of profanity and errour but also of gross perjurie by taking wicked and contradictory Oaths as that abominable Test c. And teaching others to do so all repugnant to our Solemn Covenants whereby they have forefaulted the Honour of any Trust amongst Honest Men much more in such great and weighty matters as are the having a share in the Government of CHRISTS House and the care and over-sight of Souls In regard the taking in of these Men will tend to the present hurt of the Church seing it will occasion a great Breach and Division in the same which will do much more hurt than all the good these Men will do can countervail In regard it will rend to the prejudice of the Posterity whose advantage should be sought by endeavouring to transmit pure Ordinances to them which we think cannot well be done and those preserved entire if these Men be entrusted with the dispensing of them For as they are known formerly to be of corrupt Principles and Practices themselves and the soundness of the Change that they make considering the time thereof beside other things being greatly to be feared so they will endeavour by degrees to bring in others of the same Stamp whereby at length others dying a little Leaven may leaven the whole Lump and so the ordinances be in great danger of being corrupted if not Changed which will tend to the unspeakable disadvantage of the Posterity And in regard it will tend to the hurt of these Men themselves seing to admit them to such a great Trust so easily and hastily may harden them in their former evil wayes whereas a more strict and sharp dealing according as the rules of Discipline prescribes to take with such scandalous persons might by the Blessing of the LORD bring them to a sight and conviction of the same These and many other reasons that might be adduced have weight with us and we are hopeful will so far prevail with Ministers as to withstand and oppose now when they have power and opportunity the polluting and pestering the Church and any mixing with the Men of these Abominations notwithstanding of what Authority may enjoyn But if it shall be otherwayes as it will presage sad things to this poor Church and Kingdom so it will give ground of Sâ—â—mbling at others In like manner as it is offensive and stumbling to us that some Ministers and Elders hath been admitted to be constituent Members of the Assembly who are so heinously guiltie and were so deeply involved in the defections of the late defyling times as by the Word of GOD and Constititutions of this Church would debar them So it cannot but be more stumbling and is mater of Complaint that albeit there were many Reverend and Worthy Divines in the Assembly and Commission thereof yet oft times when they have had publick matters to manage and some things to put in Print that such should have been appointed for that end who are laxest and deeply involved in that late defections The sad effects and consequences whereof appears already and certainly will be more evident afterwards particularly by that Book Intituled A second Vindication of the Church of Scotland c. Wherein the Author who was emploied for drawing up thereof and does it name of the whole not only gives ignominious Characters and Epithets unto Honest and Consciencious Sufferers but also condemns and disownes their laudable actings in easing the Church and themselves in the Interregnum of these perjured hirelings and intruders the Curats Wherein we are concerned in it we are so far from being a shamed thereof that we stand not to let it be known that we are chiefly sorry we were not more active And we may adventure with some confidence to say the like in behalf of others And in some singleness of heart may add that what we did therein was from a Principle of Conscience and as a Duty lying bound on us and not meerly because they were our Persecuters Another thing offensive to us and many others is the seldom mentioning of our National and Solemn Covenants not only in Preaching but at Baptizing of Children at which time formerly it was usual to mention them but now by some only darkly hinted at and by others altogether laid aside And it cannot but be grievous and wounding unto us that the Author of the foresaid Book should insinuat so much as it is concluded so be done We are not for giving directions unto Ministers Nevertheless we humbly conceive we may safely complain of the silence of many of them in this especially when it is like to produce such sad and lamentable effects as the wearing out among many of the sense and impression of the obligation and binding force of these Covenants and that not a few are like to forget that the same hath been broken and burnt in this Land Whatever difficulties are alleaged hindering the Solemn Renovations of them at this time yet Ministers may even at this season shâ—w people that perjurie and breach of Covenant are among the sins of the Land and what way all ranks are guiltie of the same as also that these Covenants are still binding and the obligation of them remains inviolable notwithstanding of any iniquious Law made against them in the late unhappy times Like as it is offensive to us and many others that Ministers hath been so silent at the Encroachments already made upon the priviledges of this Church in putting a stope in a great Measure to the purging out of the Episcopal Clergy by which Reformation is hindered and negligent erroneous insufficient and scandalous men are still kept in As also their silence at the adjournment of the General Assembly by proclamation whereby that Ecclesiastical Court is made like one of the civil Judicatories of the Nation These Encroachments and Usurpations against which we for our parts cannot but Witness and Protest makes us afraid of the plague of Erastiansim of which we heartily wish we may be disappointed the beginings whereof and the very appearance of a Supremacie over the Church of CHRIST arrogate by King or Council or any whomsoever Ministers especially ought to withstand and not be hindered from asserting the priviledges of His House either for the terrour pleasure or perswasion of any Mortal high or low great or small To conclude That it may be manifest for what end we mention these things which is not fom pleasure to speak of them or to make a noise about them but from a fervent desire to have them redressed and removed and that all concerned may know how desireous we are ofVnion in the Lord and what longing we have for the benefiâ— of the Gospel in purity and power Again and again we earnestly intreate and seriously beseeches that these our Complaints and Grivances above may be laid to heart and that some effectual way may be fallen upon to remove and take them away which we long for that so ourVnion may be more comfortable and we expect the Blessing of the Lord thereupon