Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A58624
|
The humble petition of the Commissioners of the General Assembly to the Kings Majesty their declaration sent to the Parliament of England : their letter to some brethren of the ministry there, and their commission to their brother Master Alexander Henderson, January 1643.
|
Church of Scotland. General Assembly. Commission.
|
1643
(1643)
|
Wing S1244; ESTC R15448
|
8,078
|
17
|
THE HUMBLE PETITION OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE GENERALL ASSEMBLY TO THE KINGS MAJESTY Their Declaration sent to the Parliament of ENGLAND Their Letter to some Brethren of the Ministery there And their Commission to their Brother Master Alexander Henderson January 1643. EDINBURGH Printed by Evan Tyler Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie 1643. To the Kings most excellent Majesty The humble Petition of the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland from their meeting at Edinburgh January 4. 1643. OUr silence and ceasing to present before Your Majesty our humble thoughts and desires at this time of common danger to Religion to Your Majesties sacred Person Your Crown and Posteritie and to all Your Majesties Dominions were impiety against God unthankfulnes and disloyalty against Your Majesty an indirect approbation and hardâ—â— ing of the adversaries of Truth and Peace in their wicked wayes and a cruelty against our Brethren lying in such depths of affliction and anguish of spirit any one of which crimes were in us above all others most inexcusable and would prove us most unworthie of the trust committed unto us The flame of this common combustion hath almost devoured Ireland is now wasting the Kingdome of England we cannot tell how soon it shal enter upon our selves set this Your Majesties most ancient and native Kingdome on fire If in this wofull case and lamentable condition of Your Majesties Dominions all others should be silent it becometh us to speak and if our tongues and pens should cease our consciences within us would cry out and the stones in the streets would answer us Our great grief and apprehension of danger is not a little encreased partly by the insolencie and presumption of Papists and others dis-affected to the Reformation of Religion who although for their number and power they be not considerable amongst us yet through the successe of the Popish party in Ireland and the hopes they conceive of the prevailing power of Popish Armies and the Prelaticall Faction in England they have of late taken spirits and begun to speak big words against the Reformation of Religion and the Work of God in this Land and partly and more principally that a chief praise of the Protestant Religion and thereby our not vain but just gloriation is by the publick Declaration of the Earle of Newcastle Generall of Your Majesties Forces in the Northern parts and nearest unto us transferred unto Papists who although they be sworn enemies unto Kings and be as infamous for their Treasons and Conspiracies against Princes and Rulers as for their known Idolatrie and spirituall Tyrannie yet are they openly declared to be not good Subjects or better Subâ—â—cts but far better Subjects then Protestants which is a new and foul disparagement of the reformed Religion a notable injurie to Your Majesty in Your Honour a sensible reflection upon the whole Body of this Kingdome which is impatient that any Subjects but abhorreth and extremely disdaineth that Papists who refuse to take the Oath of Allegeance should be compared with them in allegeance and fidelitie and which as a strange doctrine from the mouth or pen of professed Protestants wil suffer an hard construction from all the Reformed Kirks We therefore Your Majesties most humble and loving Subjects upon these and the like considerations do humbly intreat That Your Majesty may be pleased in Your Princely wisedome First to consider That the intentions of Papists directed by the principles of their Profession are no other then they have been from the beginning even to build their Babel and to set up their execrable Idolatry and Antichristian Tyrannie in all Your Majesties Dominions to change the Face of Your two Kingdomes of Scotland and England into the similitude of miserable Ireland which is more bitter to the people of God Your Majesties good Subjects to think upon than death And whatsoever their present pretences be for the defence of Your Majesties Person and Authoritie yet in the end by their arms and power with a displayed banner to bring that to passe against Your Royall Person and Posterity which the fifth of November never to be forgotten was not able by their subtile and under-mining treason to produce Or which will be their greatest mercy to reduce Your Majesty and Your Kingdomes to the base and unnaturall slavery of their Monarch the Pope And next that Your Majesty upon this undeniable evidence may timously and speedily apply Your Royall Authority for dis-banding their Forces suppressing their Power and disappointing their bloudy and mercilesse projects And for this end we are with greater earnestnes than before constrained to fall down again before Your Majesty and in all humility to renew the Supplication of the late Generall Assembly and our own former Petition in their name for unity of Religion and for uniformity of Church-government in all Your Majesties Dominions And to this effect for a meeting of sound Divines to be held in England unto which according to the desire of Your Majesties Parliament some Commissioners may be sent from this Kirk that in all points to be proponed and debated there may be the greater consent and harmonie We take the boldnes to be the more instant in this our humble desire because it concerneth the Lord Jesus Christ so much in his glory your Majesty in your honor the Kirk of England which we ought to tender as our own bowels whose reformation is more dear to us than our lives in her happinesse and the Kirk of Scotland in her purity and peace Former experience and daily sense teaching us that without the Reformation of the Kirk of England there is no hope nor possibilitie of the continuance of Reformation here The Lord of Heaven and Earth whose Vicegerent Your Majesty is calleth for this great Work of Reformation at Your hands and the present commotions and troubles of Your Majesties Dominions are either preparations in the mercy of God for this blessed Reformation and unity in Religion which is the desire prayer and expectation of all Your Majesties good Subjects in this Kingdome Or which they tremble to think upon and earnestly deprecate are in the justice of God for the abuse of the Gospel the tolerating of Idolatry and Superstition against so clear a light and not acknowledging the day of visitation The beginnings of such a dolefull desolation as no policie or power of man shal be able to prevent and as shall make Your Majesties Kingdomes within a short time as miserable as now they may be happy by a Reformation of Religion God forbid that while the Houses of Parliament do professe their desire of the Reformation of Religion in a peaceable and Parliamentarie way and passe their Bills for that end in the particulars That Your Majesty the Nurse-father of the Kirk of Christ to whose care the custody and vindication of Religion doth principally belong should to the provoking of the anger of God the stopping of the influence of
that Kingdome and their fears ere it be long unlesse the mercifull and mighty GOD prevent it by his gracious providence of the like calamities unto themselves Together with their earnest prayers for Englands deliverance and their own safety And do earnestly intreat that the Parliament may be pleased for their part and so much as in them lyeth speedily to apply the fore-named Remedies by disbanding Papists if any be in their Armies as is alledged in diverse Declarations by the ful manifestation and constant prosecution of their desires of unitie in Religion and Kirk-government by their instant and uncessant dealing with His Majestie for calling such an Assembly of Divines by their serious thoughts and endeavours about the Queen her conversion that the high provocation of Idolatrie may no more be tolerated in the land For which ends the Commissioners of the Assembly have sent up for the present with the Lord Chancellor and others from the Commissioners for conserving of peace one of their number a beloved and faithfull brother Mr Alexander Henderson faith fully fully to expresse their meaning in the particulars so far as the wisedome of the Parliament shall judge it convenient to require or demand and to make report to themselves and unto the General Assembly which is to be called upon the occasion of the present exigence and necessity through the danger of Religion of the principall letts and hinderances of Reformation and unity in Religion and where the work doth stay As they do above all other things desire that against all tentations and opposition whatsoever may promove or conduce for this blessed Reformation may from the zeal and by the wisedome of the Houses of Parliament be diligently gone about without waiting for a more settled condition of the State so do they nothing doubt but this being done wrath shall be turned away from the Realme the brightnesse of the presence of God accompanying the Reformation of Religion shal scatter all the clouds of differences betwixt His Majestie and them and His powerful providence shall both incline the Kings heart to the same Reformation and to the establishing of their Civill Liberties and Laws and move the Houses of Parliament after a speciall manner and in all cheerfulnesse to manifest their tender and dutifull care of His Majesties sacred Person and of His Royall Greatnesse and Authority as a principall mean of the Greatnesse and Prosperity of that and other His Majesties Kingdomes that all by-past miseries being buried in oblivion and the present distempers being perfectly cured the Iland of Britain may be an holy and happy Land wherein GOD may be served according to His Word the King obeyed according to His Laws and the people live a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty to the Admiration of the World the envy of all wicked and Antichristian enemies and to the comfort of all that love the Lord Jesus Christ A. Ker Cler. Commiss Gen. Ass The Letter of the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly direct to the right reverend their well-known and much approved Brethren of the Ministery of the Kirk of England Right reverend and dear Brethren OUr earnest uncessant desires of unity in Religion the present distresse of England Ireland the danger to Religion in all His M ties Dominions the fears we have of an universal combustion universally deserved by our not knowing the time of our visitation the things which belong unto our peace have constrained us with greater liberty then formerly to sollicit his M ty by our supplication the honorable houses of Parliament by our Declaration which we have sent by the hand of our reverend Brother and much approved Commissioner Master Alexander Henderson who will also make known to you our care and diligence to discover and remove such letts and hinderances of the Peace and Union of the two Kingdomes as by the subtiltie and malignance of some few bad Instruments have been cast in the way that this whole Kirk and Kingdome may be intirely kept in the prosecution of their desires of civill peace and religious unity wherein by the mercy of God we have the happinesse that the Lords of Privie Councel and the Commissioners for conserving the Peace betwixt the two Kingdomes have not denyed their honourable help and assistance Your present sufferings wherein wee your Brethren cannot but have our fellow-feeling and the late experience of somwhat the like among our selves may teach us both that Satan and his instruments in whom he now worketh are in a rage at the Reformation of Religion nor is it any new or strange thing that a time of Reformation be a time of trouble and difficultie But your comfort and ours is that the Arm of the Lord is not shortned and that he who is in us is stronger than he who is in the world We make no question of your vigilancie circumspection and faithfulnes that no present nor future opposition will prevail so far as to make you either more remisse in your intentions and desires of ordering all things in the House of the God of Heaven according to his own will commandment or so much as to lay aside so great necessary a Work in expectation of a fitter opportunity a more peaceable and convenient season We are very confident that ye wil be stedfast and unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know your work is not in vain in the Lord. We for our part shall through the Lords assistance by our prayers with Fasting and Humiliation and by our best endeavours be helpers together for the wished end At the first Reformation of Religion in this Land a very small number of Ministers without the help and with the contradiction of the world through the mighty presenee and blessing of God upon their weak labours brought the Work at last to perfection And in the beginnings of our late Reformation when we were assembled at Glasgow against the Prelacie the Ceremonies and Service-book a great part of the Assembly intended no such alteration in the Form of Worship and Kirk-government as they were moved unanimously to consent unto in the end When the time of Reformation cometh the wisedome and spirit of God in his servants cannot be resisted by the wit and power of man What although ye should sowe and the Posteritie reap Hath not the Lord sent both you and us to reap that whereon neither of us bestowed any labour other men laboured and we are entred into their labours Wee of this Iland are set upon the stage at this time the eyes of all the Reformed Kirks are upon us we are after a speciall manner made a spectacle to the World to Angels to Men. Our cares must be so to acquite our selves that we make not our Friends the followers of Christ to mourn and our enemies the favourers of Antichrist to triumph and rejoyce Which that we may do is and shall be the prayer of Edinburgh Jan. 1643. Your most loving Brethren and fellow labourers in the Work of the Lord the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly M. Robert Douglas Moderator A. Ker Cler. Commiss Gen. Ass Commission to M. Alexander Henderson Edinburgh January 20. 1643. WE the Commissioners of the late Generall Assembly having power commission by all lawful Ecclesiastick waies to further this great Work of Union of this Iland in Religion and Kirk-government to continue our own peace at home the common peace betwixt the Nations to keep correspondence with the Kirk of England to concurre with the Councell Conservers of peace at home abroad in all Ecclesiastick wayes and to send some to present prosecute their desires humble advice to the Kings Majestie and the Parliament of England and Ministrie there for the furthering perfecting of so good great a work Considering the necessity at this time of sending some from this Kirk intrusted with commission to concur with the Commissioners now sent from the Lords others of the Commission of Parliament for conserving of peace to the Kings Majestie Parliament of England in all lawful Ecclesiastick waies to promove these good ends And having certain knowledge of the faithfulnesse and abilities of our reverend and loving brother Master Alexander Henderson Minister at Edinburgh Gives therefore unto him by thir presents full power and Commission our expresse mandate and charge to repaire to the Kingdome of England and there with concurrence of the saids Commissioners sent from the Conservaters of peace to present unto the Kings Majesty our humble Petition to obtain His Majesties gracious Answer thereunto and with concurrence foresaid to present unto the Parliament of England our humble Advice Declaration and also to deliver to our brethren of the Ministerie in that Kirk our Letter direct to them And to do all things with concurrence foresaid or by himself in all lawfull and Ecclesiastick wayes for prosecuting and promoving our desires to the Kings Majesty and Parliament and to our brethren of the Ministery there for that blessed union of this Iland in Religion and Kirk-government according to the Laws and Constitutions of this Kirk for continuing and establishing a firm peace at home and betwixt the nations and for a good correspondence betwixt the Kirks within the same conforme to the instructions given or to be given to him thereanent The said Master Alexander alwayes giving particular and timous intelligence to us of his travels and diligence herein till and of the progresse and successe thereof by every occasion and being comptable to us and the next Generall Assembly for all his proceedings in the matters generally and particularly hereby committed to his trust A. Ker Cler. Commiss Gen. Ass FINIS