an Act of meet favour and grace upon your part unto Delinquents upon their repentance And though we hope that we shall never be ashamed but esteem it our mercy and glory to acknowledge any thing whereby we have provoked the Lord or offended others yet being more and more convinced in our consciences that what we did in these things was a necessary duty we dare not purchase immunity and exemption from Censures at so dear a rate as to deny the same we shall rather choose still to be sufferers and to wait upon the issue that the Lord shall give then to provoke the eyes of his Glory grieve the spirits of his People and would our own Consciences by so unsatisfying and so sinful a transaction And conceiving that we shall not have the opportunity to speak unto you hereafter as being now about to dissolve our Meeting We do from the zeal that we owe to the honour of God and from the tender respect we owe to you as Brethren and for exonering our own Conscience most earnestly beseech and obtest you by your appearing before the Lord Jesus Christ to give your selves unto Prayer and searching of your own hearts and way in Order to Publick Resolutions and Actions untill each of you finde out wherein ye have turned aside from the straight way of the Lord and imployed your gifts and power not for Edification but for grieving the spirits of many of the Godly and strengthening of the hands of the wicked and to Repent thereof and to do no more so least wrath be increased from the LORD the Godly of the Land more offended and our breach made wider and our wound more incurable If both you and we might obtain mercy of the Lord to know our trespasse and why he contends and to accept the punishment of our iniquity and humble our selves before hime who knoweth but that he might yet have compassion upon us and pardon our sins and heal our Land July the 28. Antemerid 1652. Mr. Andrew Cant Mr Samuel Rutherford Mr James Guthry My Lord Waristoun Mr Robert Trail Mr John Nevay Mr James Nasmith being nominated to meet confer with some Brethren Members of the present pretended Assembly the Instructions following were given them and the Meeting doth require and expect that they will walk according thereto I. That they shall declare to the Brethren with whom they are to meet That as they do adhere to the Protestations formerly and lately given in so they do protest that they do not meet nor confer with them nor receive any Papers from them as being in the capacity of Commissioners of a General Assembly but onely as sent from a meeting of Ministers and Elders wanting any such Authority II. That whatever be offered by the Brethren with whom they do confer they desire to get it in writing from them as the mind of the Meeting whereof they are Members That it being communicated to us Answer may be given thereunto by our whole Meeting III. That they do not engage in Conference with them at first about the matter of Censures It being neither the chief nor only ground of our grievance and because with us things of that nature and any thing of personal concernment ought to be of the smallest value while there are many things in question betwixt them and us of far higher consequence to the Kingdom of Christ and his Interest as anent the causes of Gods controversie with the Land and the way of remedy and cure of the former and late defection and the way of preventing the like in time coming The establishing and promoving the Work of Reformation and the purging of the Kirk and the like as are laid before them in our Propositions given in to their Meeting And that they do intimate to the Brethren foresaid that we cannot look upon an offer relating onely to the Censures upon some of our number as satisfaction to them or us and that besides what we have said for other reasons to be communicated in due time to their Meeting And that therefore they shall offer to these Brethren and desire of them that if there be any Conference at all the subject matter of it may be upon the whole Propositions in the order as they stand IV. That in case of their refusing the latter part of the former Article they shall require and demand from the Brethren of the other Meeting That they would declare whether we may expect that these from whom they were sent will either by the said Brethren or any other way give answer and satisfaction to us anent the Propositions and what is their sense and meaning of the Publick Resolutions and anent the Constitution Acts and Proceedings of the Meeting at Dundee and of this at Edinburgh and what they minde to do in reference to the same V. That in case there be not satisfaction obtained in these so just and necessary things They do professe their own and our dissatisfaction with any thing that hath been offered by them to us or answered to our desires first or last And that they protest for themselves and us That as we have sought Peace and pursued it by all lawfull and possible means though much in vain on their part So we are henceforth free from the guilt and blame of the sad prejudices and evil consequences whatsomever which may follow upon their present way and their former and future actings of that nature so contrary and destructive to Edification and Peace Right Reverend WE have now for these fourteen dayes past been imployed in using our best endeavours and waited for Overtures from you for healing the breach and removing the differences that are amongst us And now there being no ground of hope given us nor any desire made unto us for continuing the Conference whereby a better understanding might be attained We have thought good before our parting from this place to send unto you this inclosed Paper together with the Instructions given in writing to these who were sent from us to the Conference the Copy whereof was offered by them to these who were sent from your number and left with them Both which Papers we desire you to communicate to those of your meeting And so we rest Your very loving Brethren in the Lord. Edinb 29. July 1652. Subscribed in the name of many Ministers Elders and Professors throughout the Land who desire truth and peace Directed For the Reverend Brother Mr. David Dickson Professor of Divinity in the Colledge of Edinburgh PROPOSITIONS which were offered to the Meeting of Ministers and others appointed to be keeped at Edinburgh July 21. 1652. WHereas we and many of the godly in the Land have been really scandalized and stumbled at their late Acts and Proceedings relating to Publick Resolutions concerning the same in the nature and Intention of the Work to have obstructed and shaken the Work of Reformation although we think honourably of diverse Godly and Learned men who have been concurring in the same and dare not judge their Intentions to be such as we think their Work hath bee and do allow charity to others Therefore for satisfaction of or conscience and for securing the Work of Reformation for purging the Church and for prâ—moving the power of godlinesse and for removing of these sad differences and for attaining and preserving a good understanding We desire That they give evidence and assurance that they approve of and will adhere unto the solemn Publick Confession of sins and engagement to duties and all the Acts of the uncontroverted Assemblies of this Church concerning the Work of Reformation in the literal and genuine sense and meaning thereof And that in dispensing of the Ordinances censuring of scandalous persons receiving of Penitents trying admitting removing and deposing of Church-Officers they will walk according to the same That it be laid seriously to heart before the LORD how after such a defection and so sad judgments for it the LORD may be restored to his honor the Land to his favor and the like defection prevented in time coming That as we are ready in our station to follow all religious and conscionable means and Overtures for securing and guarding the Cause and Work of GOD against Error Heresie and Schisme on the one hand so they would hold out to us a solid way for securing the same against dangers from Malignancy on the other And we would know what shall be the Characters in time coming by which Malignancy may be known and judged That a reall and effectuall course be taken according to the established rules of this Kirk for purging out and holding out all such Church-Officers as have not the Position and qualifications required in the Word of God Acts of this Kirk partiularly where Ministers deposed by lawfull Assemblies have intruded themselves or have been unwarrantably restored by Synods and Presbyteries to their Charges contrary to the form and order prescribed in the Acts of Assemblies be romoved and condign censures inflicted and that sufficient Provision be made for preventing the like in time coming That after means be fallen upon and followed for censuring of all scandals and scandalous persons and casting out of these who shall be found grosly and obstinatly scandalous or ignorant after they are made inexcusable by sufficient means and pains taken for their instructing and reclaiming That some course more effectuall than any hath been fallen upon hitherto may be condescended upon for putting in execution the Acts of this Kirk anent debarring from the Lord's Table such persons who are found not to walk suteably to the Gospel and have not knowledge to examine themselves and to discerne the Lord's Body That in the receiving of Penitents care may be had that none be admitted to the publick Profession of repentance or reconciled to the Church but these who are found to give such evidence of their repentance as is exprest in the Acts of the Assemblies concerning the receiving of Penitents That an effectual course may be taken for securing of the Work and People of GOD from the harm and evill consequences which hath already and may further ensue from the late pretended Assemblies at S. Andrews and Dundee and the Acts thereof FINIS
AN ANSWER TO THE DECLARATION Of the Pretended ASSEMBLY at DVNDEE AND TO A PRINTED PAPER INTITVLED The PROTESTATION given in by the Dissenting Brethren to the GENERAL ASSEMBLY July 21. 1652. Reviewed and refuted c. In which ANSVVER are set down Ten Steps of their defection who follow the way of the Publick Resolutions Together with OBSERVATIONS upon some of the Acts of the P. Assemblies at Dundee and Edinburgh and some PAPERS concerning the endeavors of the PROTESTERS for Union with their Brethren who differ from them in Judgement Printed in Anno 1653. GOOD READER BE pleased to understand that when that Paper Intituled The Protestation given in by the dissenting Brethren to the Gen. Assembly July 21. 1652. Reviewed and refuted c. came abroad in Print there were differing thoughts about it amongst these who are concerned to answer it Some said that it was not worth an answer others knowing that it did indeed more abound with calumnies and reproaches then with arguments yet did judge it fit to he answered because in this corrupt age calumnies passe for truths among the generality of people without any serious disquisition and examination Within very few dayes after that Paper was published an Answer was drawn by one who favoureth the Cause of the Protesters and was by him intended presently for the Presse But there it was delayed and upon good grounds the Review of the Vindication of the pretended Assembly at St. Andrews and Dundee had the precedency in the Presse for the validity of the Protestation lately made at Edinburgh doth much depend upon the nullity of that Assembly which was asserted and well proved in that Review And the Writer of that Paper I mean the Review of the Protestation made at Edinburgh to which the Answer was intended did so hyperbolically commend that Vindication of the Assembly at St. Andrews and Dundee as a Nervous Piece not yet answered nor easily answerable beside diverse other expressions about it and did so often refer unto it in his Review that it was easie to perceive that no answer would be accounted satisfactory if that Vindication were not first answered and published that sober and judicious men might see whether there was so great cause of boasting of that Vindication or not and to give such Publick provocations in Print calling for an Answer to it beside that there was information that a course was taken by some of those that maintain the Publick Resolutions for Printing the Vindication of that Assembly at London which was very true for it was Printed there in the year 1652. After the Review of the Vindication was Printed this Answer was a while stopped at the Presse for want of licence to Print it and as some things which were in the Copy which was at first intended for the Presse were left out so other things emergent were added The Reviewer of the Protestation doth in the beginning of his Paper refer to a Declaration made at the pretended Assembly at Dundee which you will find to be first answered here and because it abounds with reproaches and mis-informations therefore there was a necessity to insist the more largely in matters of fact You have next the steps of their defection who follow the way of the Publicâ— R solutions and then the Answer to the Review of the Protestation and lastly some things about the Union endeavoured by the Protesters together with observations upon some Acts of the said pretended Assemblies In all which you have their own Papers that it may be seen that no wrong is done to their cause in repeating their Reasons and Arguments except it be done by themselves I desire not to prejudice the Reader by a Preface onely this much I would say further that whereas this Reviewer boastes that the gray headed and aged men for the most part are on their side to which there is enough answered in this Treatise Yet I would have it remembered that the same Argument is used by Eliphaz the Temanite against Job chap. 15. v. 9 10. What knowest thou that we know not What understandest thou which is not in us With us are both the gray-headed and very aged men much elder then thy father But this is better considered by Elihu Job 32.7.8 9. I said dayes should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom But there is a spirit in man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding great men are not alwayes wise neither do the aged understand judgement Farewell good Reader read and consider and the Lord give thee understanding in all things so I rest Thine in the LORD JESUS The PROTESTATION Reviewed and refuted Briefly shewing the insufficiencie of the Reasons thereof and consequently the justice of the Assemblies sentence condemning it HOw wel this Reviewer and Refuter hath performed what this his Title seems to promise against the Protestation and for the sentence of the Assembly condemning it will appear to these to whom the Lord gives an hearing ear and a seeing eye by comparing what is said in defence of the Protestation in Answer to this Review Therefore beseeching the LORD who is no respecter of persons to make what is here said unsavourie or acceptable unto the Reader as it contributes for destruction or edification for darkening or clearing of the truth in this hour of temptation and day of blasphemie and rebuke I come to the matter it self REVIEW of the PROTESTATION AMongst the many sad judgments wherewith the holy blessed God is pleased to exercise this sinfull Land staining the pride of all our glory there is none more terrible then that he threatneth to remove our Candlestick DEFENCE of the PROTESTATION ALbeit the Generation of the righteous in the Land who are instructed with a strong hand are preserved in hope that the thoughts of the Lord towards this poor Church are thoughts of peace and not of evill to give us an expected end yet that there be many things which threaten that most dreadfull judgment of removing the Candlestick he that runâ— may read the shadowes of the evening are grown long and the wilde beasts are come out of their dens our Battlements are broken down and the Adversary hath stretched forth his hand upon all our pleasant things we see not ouâ— signs there is no more any Prophet neither is there amongst us that knoweth how long the Lord is become as a stranger and as a way faring man in the Land that turns aside to tarry for a night he hath covered himself with a cloud in his anger and prayer is restrained before him the anger of the Lord hath divided us and he seems no more to regard us But that which is most dreadfull in it self and doth most imbitter so sad a condition is that we have fallen from our first love we have forgotten the Lord and dealt falsly in his Covenant our hearts are turned back and our steps have declined from his way we have forsaken the fountain
provocation they know also how to distinguish and have distinguished betwixt the condition of the work and the intention of the worker and think charitably of the one whilest they condemn the other yet these things hinder them not to discern betwixt the righteous and the wicked him that serves God and him that serves him not the Lord hath taught us that false Prophets may be known by their fruits and that men do not gather grapes of thorns nor figs of thistles Matth. 7.16.20 The transgression of the wicked saith within mine heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes Psa 36.1 As I dare not judge of any mans everlasting estate but leave it unto him with whom the books are so have I not so learned Christ as some men would have it to put no difference amongst the Professors of the Gospel but to call them all godly though estranged from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them and walking contrary to the Gospel That the Assembly at S. Andrews and Dundee was owned of God and that He all along in their procedor did guide their Pens as my soul cannot away with that assertion to subscribe to it so I fear it is more then the Lord will allow any man to say 1. Because that Assembly did say a confederacy to these concerning whom the Lord spoke to his Prophet with a strong hand and instructed him that he should not say A confederacy to them Isa 8.11 12. And therefore although they did associat themselves yet they did fall and fall together Isa 31.3 The sad dispensation of their ruin being in the begining thereof at Innerkithen in Providence trysted with the begining of that Assembly and afterward more fully accomplished and perfected at other places as they and their Comm ssion went on in ratifying of these Resolutions and censuring the opposers of the same and issuing Warnings and Declarations in reference to these things 2. Because that Assembly was so far from rejoycing the hearts or approving themselves unto the consciences of most of the godly in the Land or from leaving this seal and impression upon their hearts that they had the image and authority of Jesus Christ and did proceed according to the Law and the Testimony and employ their power unto edification and promoting of godliness that upon the contrary they did exceedingly sadden their spirits and leave a deep and strong conviction thereupon that they did add unto the Lands provocation and encrease wrath and that in most of all their actings they did walk not unto edification but unto destruct on 3. Because their actings did rejoyce the hearts and strengthen the hands of these in the Land who were void of Grace and of the knowledg of Jesus Christ and adversaries to the Cause and People of God and mockers and haters of Piety and Godliness Was not that Assembly countenanced and pleaded for and is it not to this day countenanced and pleaded for by all the generation of malignant and prophane persons throughout the Land And sure if it had been so much countenanced and owned of God it is not like that it should have been so endeared to these who have so much opposed his friends and interest in Scotland these many years past 4 Because that Assembly at Dundee did for no other cause but for protesting against their wrong Constitution and the ratifying of these Resolutions censure and pronounce the sentences of Deposition and Suspension against sundry godly men who have obtained mercy of the Lord to be followers of his Cause since the begining of the late Reformation and whose Ministry hath been sealed of the Lord upon the hearts of not a few of his People 5. Because they did by their Acts lay a foundation for censuring all Ministers Elders Expectants Students and Professors whatsoever who refuse to acknowledge the constitution of that Assembly and oppose the Acts thereof which as it makes way for the casting out of many able godly Professors from being Church-members for it is wel known how many there be of the godly in the Land both Ministers Elders and Professors who cannot be consenting to submit to these things but do hold themselves bound in their stations to bear testimony against them Now to cast out persecute all these or to lay a foundation fordoing of it whether it be to be owned guided of God and to do things to edification or if it be not rather to be deserted of the Lord to establish iniquity by a Law and to decree unrighteous Decrees write grievous things against their Brethren which they have prescribed I leave it to those who are taught of God to consider As to that passage in the Warning and Declaration of that Assembly so much magnified and cried up by the Author of this Review it was and it is the intention of the Protesters through the Lords assistance though with much weakness to oppose the design and work of the Adversaries on both hands and to tread the middle path the good old way without declining to the right hand or to the left upon which accompt it was that they could not condescend to employ and associat with and entrust one adversary for opposing another knowing such courses to be condemned of God in his holy Word and to have proven bitter often heretofore unto this Nation and for this cause did solemnly engage that we should do no more so Therefore have they alwaies owned and strictly adhered to the Covenant and Cause and former Principles of the reforming party in this Land set down in their Publick Papers and that they might not partake of other mens sins did not concur with but bear testimony against the carnal counsels of mens own hearts because of which the Sword did abide in our Cities and consume our branches and devour them Hos 11.6 and the spirit that hath been stirring in them in these actings I trust is no other then the good Spirit of God the Spirit of truth and holiness the voice behind them that speaks in the ears of the Lords People This is the way walk ye in it when they turn to the right hand and when they turn to the left hand Isa 30.21 In order to this passage of the Warning at Dundee I wish the first penner thereof and the Gentleman who now hath cited it and all others to consider these few things 1. That not long ago there was a time that some of the best and most precious of these who now charge the Protesters with these harsh imputations of having a spirit stirring in their work that hath been and is most effectual for carrying on of the design of the Adversaries of our Canse were liable no less then the Protestors now are to the same Imputations from these by whom they now are cried up and commended and with whom they now joyn issue in casting them upon their Brethren It concerns them to think whence these changes are and
had carryed on a course of defection and it being offered to verifie the same and thereupon desired that these Commissioners might not be admitted to sit as Members in the Assembly till that matter were tryed it was refused and notwithstanding of the except on timeously propounded and offered to be instructed they were before the taking try all thereof allowed to sit which was in effect to reject the exception either as irrelevat in Law or as false in fact and so to approve them before try all yea they were admitted to â—iâ—â—s Judges in their own cause for the Protestation being particularly founded on the sinfulness and unwarrantableness of their proceedings yet they were allowed to sit as Judges and to condemne the Protestation as destructive to the Government and Liberties of this Kirk and censurable with the highest censure thereof Upon the 23 of July 1651. notwithstanding their proceedings were not approven till the day after which was the 24. That others of them did absolutely decline the authority of that Assembly and protest against it as null was a practice that hath many commendable and praise-worthy parallels in this Church and therefore they do speak more from their own spirit then from the spirit of truth who cry out that it hath no paraâ—el but that of the perfidious Prelats The Declinatours of the â—relats against the Assembly at Glasgow 1638. as any who pleaseth to read the same will find that it doth strike at the root of Presbyteriall Government and General Assemblies in regard of the essentials of their constitution but the Protestation doth acknowledge and plead for the Government and for the due liberty and freedom and right constitution of Assemblies according to the ruâ—e of the Word of God and Acts of this Kirk and doth only bear testimony against and decline that Assembly because of unwarrantable prelimiting of the Elections admitting of persons under scandall before trying oâ— them admitting of the same men to be both Judges and Parties want of frâ—â— accesse and recesse absence of many Commissioners want of freedom in voicing denying to hear what was offered for holding forth of light whereby â—t appears that there is little conscience and ingenuitie and lesse charity in making of that parallel But the History and Acts of our Church do furnish us many just and true parallels of this practice in the carriage of the faithfull witnesses of our Lord in our own and our fathers dayes who have stood to plead for the Doctrine Government Worship and Discipline of this Kirk I shall onely name a few The first is in the year 1597. at which time the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly having contrary to the trust committed to them in these intervalls betwixt Assemblies petitioned and obtained from the King and Estates of the Kingdom that Ministers should sit in Parliament as the third Estate which was the foundation of our Pâ—elaâ—iâ— their proceedings in that Petition and the thing relating thereto being approven in the Assembly by the prevalling influence of the King and these Commissioners notwithstanding of the reasons propounded against the same by sundry of the Ministeâ—ie M. John Davidson a most worthy and pious Minister of this Church indued with the spirit of Prophecie in many things and as anti-prelaticall and truly tender of Presbyteriall Government and of the authoritie of Assemblies as any this Church hath brought forth did solemnly protest against that Assembly as not free and lawfull to which Protestation Mr. David Calâ—erwood a â—tâ—eâ—uous maintainer of the Government of this Church and a constant adversary to Prelats an unsuspect witnes in this present controversie declareth in his Story his own adherence the adherence of many of the most sincere Pastors and Professors of this Kirk as seeing the beginning and fearing the grouth of that defection Likeas he did often from that experience expresse his fears and thereupon his opinion against putting too much power in the hands of a Commission and prognosticated a defection to ensue thereupon whensoever the King and the Court should have influence upon the leading men thereof concerning which he hath not been mistaken 2. Did not many worthie Pastors and Professors of this Church protest against the corrupt Assemblies annulled by the Assembly at Glasgow sundry of which Protestations are to be seen in the Book called The course of Conformity Let our Predecessours Supplications Reasons Admonitions Protestations presented to the Parliament 1617 and 1621 be considered wherein they assert the Assemblies then controverted to be unlawfully constituted and to be but pretended Assemblies though no authority had declared the same See also the Observations Printed 1635 with the grievances given in by the Ministers to the Parliament 1633 It is here well said that the safety of Religion dependeth not upon Assemblies of whatsomever kind but upon the liberty of free and right constitute Assemblies aâ— in the Commonweal he were not to be thought a faithful Patriot who would not stand as much for the liberty of a Parliament as his own possessions because the safetie of all other liberties standeth in the preservation of that main Liberty 3. did not these whose spirits the Lord stirred up to appear against the Prelates and to set on foot the Work of Reformation in the year 16â—7 expresly declare theiâ— adherence to all these Protestations made by their Fathers and Predecessors declaring the nullity of these corrupt Assemblies and thereby establishing the Declinatours against the same before the Assembly at Glasgow which practice was as strangely looked upon and as muâ—h spoken against then as the practice of the Protâ—sters in the year 1651. 4. Our Nationall Covenant doth both mention and allow these Protestations against that whole course of Defection whence it appears that that practice at Dâ—â—dee hath many both very worthy Precedents and Parallels and that to protest against corrupt Assemblies such as that was hath been so far from being looked upon by discerring faithfull and godly men in this Kirk as the throwing down of the hedge of Discipline and making way for every beast of the forrest to break in as this Reviewer alleadgeth that they have used it as one of the best means for preventing and remedying of these evils and so it is indeed because as it is well observed and truly Asserted in the great Act of the Assembly concerning the by gone evils of this Church and the Remedies thereof that the keeeping or authorizing of corrupt Generall Assemblies hath been one of the main causes of our evils by these it was that the Prelates and all the train of superstitious Ceremonies did enter and having had such worthy precedents in opposing of such and such doolful and dear bought experiences of the wrong they have done to this poor Church there is the greater reason to take heed to stand fast in the liberty wherewith CHRIST hath made us free and not to be again entangled with the yoke of bondage of corrupt Assemblies It