the LORD because the foundation of the House of the LORD was laid Tet some of them that had seen the first House wept with a loud voice so that the People could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of weeping So at this time we are called to rejoice with thanksgiving for we should indeed be very ungrate and unworthy if we did not acknowledge with Praise and Admiration the Mercy of God which endureth for ever manifested magnified in the progress of this Work hitherto That at the time appointed of God the least expected by us at the time of our greatest extremity and our Enemies greatest insolency the Lord hath been pleased in Sovereign Mercy instead of overtaking us with judgements threatned for our sins and without waiting on our Repentance and Preparations by turning unto Him to prevent and surprize us not only with an outward enlargement of Rest and Peace without prejudice to Truth in a way wherein we are not beholden to the ensnaring favours of his Enemies but with such a reviving in our bondage in the midst of Wrath remembering Mercy brought about by the repression of Tyranny suppression of Popery and depression of Prelacy as that we have yet a Nail in His Holy Place to set up the House of our GOD Yea the Altar also is set again upon His Bases and the daily burnt Offerings are offered by number according to the custom and the foundation of the Temple is laid again When the Doctrine of this Church is asserted and the Confession of Faith formerly received is read voted approven and established by Parliament and even several controverted Truths formerly much condemned and obscured under a load of many Calumnies are now justified and vindicated The Worship and Ordinances of Christ are administred in great Purity Plenty and Peace The Government of Christs Institution by Kirk Sessions Presbiteries Synods and General Assemblies so long born down is at length restored to what it was Anno 1592. And all Acts Laws contrary or prejudicial unto inconsistent with or derrogatory from Presbyterial Government are rescinded with this honour that it is declared by Act of Parliament that this is the Government most agreeable to the Word of GOD and most conducible to the advancement of true Piety and Godliness and establishment of Peace and Tranquillity within this Realm And the Discipline retrieved to such a fond of Freedom that all Ecclesiastick Courts may without restraint or being accountable to any Exotick Vsurped Power in the Magistrate assert all the Authority and exerce the Power wherewith Christ hath entrusted them Which power if duely and diligently improved and put in execution may through the Blessing of GOD contribute very much to the reducing Order the redress of many Disorders in this Church And now also the causes of our Disunion Division in times of defection being in a great measure removed when ErastianVsurpations are abrogated the Churches intrinsick Power redintegrated and the Corruptions introduced by Complyances so far abdicated and antiquated that they are not in the constitution of the Church and do not continue to be the scandal and snare of the times We hope and expect a Remedy may be found for the Breaches and Divisions that we thought incurable and Vnion and communion in the Lord may be attained But thô for these things we be called to rejoice yet we are no less obliged to mourn when we observe this House of the Lord so unlike the former wanting many things the former had and pestered with many things the former wanted As at the building of the second House after the Captivity of Babylon they that had seen the first House wept with a loud voice when they observed its Constitution and Structure so far short of the former for Order and Beauty and wanting some glorious Prerogatives the other had as the Urim and Thummim the Fire from Heaven the Ark of the Testimony c. So they that have seen our former Reformation in its Integrity before the late Deformation can hardly refrain from weeping at the sight of the sad disproportion between this and the former In the former as the constitution was calculate in the nearest conformity to the Divine Pattern so the Builders had always a care to pull down what was to be demolished before they established what was to stand and to purge away the rubbish from the Foundation before they promoved the Superstructure Accordingly when Prelacy was reintroduced at several times the first thing they did when they recovered their power was alwayes to exert it in condemnation of that Corruption and of these Assemblies and Meetings that promoved abetted favoured or complied And when the Erastran Supremacy began to encroach upon the Churches Liberties and to bring the Ministry into Bondage they did not think it enough to wrestle against it by Personal witnessings but by the good Hand of GOD upon their Endeavours never ceased until it was condemned by Acts of Assembly They proceeded also with great earnestness and vigilance to purge the Church of corrupt and scandalous Ministers sadly regrateing afterwards when they saw the effects of the continuance of some of that Character in the Ministrie that they had not done more in that purging work But now after all the Rubbish and Filth brought into the House of GOD by the Invasions and Vsurpations of the Enemies and Defections of Friends when now Opportunity and Capacity is given to Rebuild and Beautifie the House of the LORD and to Repair the Desolations thereof the present building is so far advanced without pulling down and purging away the Rubbish and condemning these corruptions and defections in complyance with them or confessing and forsaking them as our Fathers used to do Now these courses have 〈◊〉 rather left us than we have foresaken And the Lords returning in Providence without our returning to Him by Repentance hath made any Reformation yet attained while these Defections are neither confessed in humiliations nor condemned in Judicatories And the Prelatical Clergy after all the evil they have done and bitter fruits they have produced are yet kept in many places and like to continue as a Seminary and Nurserie of a corrupt Ministrie As long as all this Rubbish stands there can be little hope either of Purity or Stability in the Superstructure In former Reformations also the Advancement used to be Progressive beginning where the former Reformation stopt and going forward after they had got removed what obstructed it But now the motion is Retrograde going as far back as that in 1592. missing many Excellent steps of Reformation attained after that to 1649. In former Reformations our worthy Ancestors used to begin with Renovation of the National Covenants Acknowledgements of the Breaches thereof which hitherto hath been neglected to the great grief of many It is also matter of Lamentation to reflect that in former Reformations tho the Adversaries troubled the Builders and hired
those Ministers and Preachers who have formerly acted Independently upon their Brethren preach Collegiatly with some Minister settled in a Presbytry for removing of former Stumblings And finally that such Failings be laid to heart by all sorts of Ministers and Preachers as they are convinced of that they be set down in order and pitched on as Causes of a Publick Fast and Humiliation upon some week day through all the Meetings of Presbyterians within this Kingdom and that the Sins of the People be intermixed among these Causes c This was the sum of the Overtures offered by these Reverend Ministers only in their own name but they promised to meditate with the rest of the Ministers for according thereunto In Answer to these we proposed these Overtures premitting also some Motives together with the qualifications of the Union we desired That the Basis of our Union be the Word of GOD Confessions of Faith Covenants Books of Discipline Acts of General Assemblies and the whole Contexture of the Order of this Church before the Publick Resolutions in the purest Periods of this Church which we may with one mind seek to have redintegrated That we might search and try our wayes and Unite first in Confessing Sins in keeping days of Humiliation for the same Wherein we offered to Confess our Offences so far as we could be convinced any manner of way that Church Judicatories should appoint And desired the Ministers from whom we differed to Confess Doctrinally their Offences that have been most stumbling viz. Hearing the Prelatical Curats the Late Indulgence Addressing for and Accepting of the Toleration c And concur in procuring the Condemnation of these things in Ecclesiastick Assemblies That the Covenants might be Renewed with accommodation to our times-and a Solemn Acknowledgement of the publick Breaches and Engagement to the Duties thereof applied to the present day That to prevent all future Divisions the former Offences might never hereafter be complied with under pain of Church Censures nor any other Mould or Model of Presbyterian Government than what was established between the years 1638 and 1650. Nor any State Contrivance or Constitution whatsoever be admitted or submitted unto which may infer a recognizance of any Erastian Usurpation That in the mean time the Ministers settled in Paroches under the late Indulgences and Toleration might declare that now they have another Holding than either of these And that they now officiate in places where they are fixed according to the old Presbyterian Order And finally that endeavours should be used to check and suppress the Foments that nourish and encrease Division on either hand as heart Animosities Alienations of Affection Passion Prejudice Jealousies receiving and reporting Misinformations and all other things of that nature tending thereunto These Mutual Overtures being refered to farther Consideration we thought it a good Expedient both to promot and direct a desirable Union with our Brethren to Renew the Covenants with a publick Accknowledgment both of their and our breaches thereof and Engagement to the Duties of the Covenants with accommodation to our present Circumstances which we Solemnly Accomplished at Lesmabego March 3. 1689. In the Acknowledgement we confess with relation to bygone differences Art 2. Page 56. That as many by defection both in Complyance with Prelacy and Erastianisme hath broken the Churches beauty and Bands Order and Union in making a faction repugnant to her established Order and censurable by her standing Acts in bringing in Novations in the Government and making a rent in the bowels of the Church by causing Divisions and Offences contrare to the Doctrine of this Church have made themselves guiltie of Schism So others on the other hand have upon slender and unsufficient Grounds separate both from Ministers even the most Faithful and Zealous and such as were not chargeable with Complyances and from Christian Societies and Families because of Differences in judgement in incident debates not necessary nor material nor wherein the Testimony of Christ was much concerned or because of personal Offences easily removed not observing the Rules of Christ for removing them nor having respect to His great Commands of Charity forbearance forgiving one another or condescendency And between divided Parties which in our day have long been byting and devouring one another there hath been too much both of sinful Union and Confederacy in terms prejudicial to Truth and Duty on the one hand and of sinful Heats Animosities Jealousies Pride Passion and Prejudices on the other hand Grieving the Spirit of GOD eating up the Power and much hindering the holy Practice and spiritual Exercise of Religion And too much also of sowing discords among Brethren and promotting our Contentions by too credulous and sedulous taking up spreading reports reproaches one of another And in our Renewed Engagement to Covenant Duties with relation to present differences and Union with our Brethren we declared our resolved Endeavours and Vowes On the one hand to labour to recover and preserve the Liberty and Purity of the Worship of God from all Corruptions Novations and Inventions of Men Popish Prelatical Erastian or any other And if we could not gett those Corruptions reformed or removed to study to keep our selves free of Communion and Participation with the same according to Artic. 1. § 2. Pag. 68. And to refuse withstand and witness against all Encroachments on the Liberties of this Church in all time coming And withdraw our selves from Communion with all such Meetings and Congregations that hold their Freedom from are modified by such Usurpations as Indulgences and Tolerations according to Artic. 2. § 3. ibid. And on the other hand That we shall guard against all Schism and sinful Separation or unjust rash and disorderly withdrawing from Congregations Societie c or any part of the Communion of the true Reformed Covenanted Church of Scotland holding purely and intirely the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of the same in Principle and Exercise according to the Rules of Christ and standing Acts and Constitutions of this Church And that we shall neither gather nor set up formed separate Churches or Societies under other Ordinances Government or Ministry distinct from the Presbyterian Church of Scotland Nor withdraw from Minister or Member of that Body for any offence in any Case where either the Offence may be Legally removed without our withdrawing or is a thing to be condescended on forborn or forgiven But shal study to maintain Vnion Communion in Truth Duty with all the Ministers and Members of the said Church that do and in so far as they do follow the Institutions of Christ As in Artic. 2. § 4. Pag. 69. And in Artic. 6. Pag. 71. We engage that we shall likewise desire design and endeavour to get the defections unworthy Neutralities and unhappy divisions that have long and Lamentably wounded and wrecked the Church removed Differences settled and breaches healed in such a way and upon such termes as may be Honourable and
Our Sentiments are shallow and changeable as other Mens having the imperfection of Mutability as well as Fallibility common to all in this side of time nevertheless it was not any change of Sentiments but only change of providential Circumstances that made us now submit and not before For as we adhere to our Testimony exhibited to the Venerable Assembly and to the substance of all our former Testimouies so we know no Truth or Duty that ever we asserted or contended for but what we think we could Seal with our Blood if we were called to it And we know no Corruption Defection or Sin that ever we witnessed against or withdrew from but what we would yet contend against and withdraw from in the same manner if we were in the same Circumstances and yet think our selves obliged to contend and witness against but not in a divided way but in a way of Order and Vnion according to the Apostles way of the Spirits of the Prophets being subject to the Prophets Our True and Sincere Motives then inducing us to Vnion and Submission which in these Circumstances had such force on our Consciences that we durst not resist for a World were these I. It was ever our Judgement that Vnion and Communion is necessary among the People of GOD when ever it can be attained or intertained without Sin In that Case at all times Opinionum varietas opinantium Vnitas may well consist Which Truth is founded upon Scripture Precepts Promises and Precedents Commanding Confirming and Commending the Duties of mutual Love Reconciliation Peace Union and Communion among the People of GOD even when there were several Dissentions Faintings Faillings Offences Corruptions and Defections among them in several circumstances nowayes involving the Joyners in sin But so it is in the present circumstances We may have such Union and Communion without partaking of their guilt with whom we joyn For the sins and scandals that scarred us from this benefite in times of defection and division are so far happily removed and antiquated that they are neither established in the Constitution of the Church nor ratified and approven in Acts of Assembly nor persisted in by present Administrations nor any way affecting Ministerial Exercises nor do they continue to be our Snares and Stumbling-blocks either to involve us in the guilt of them or to keep us still jangling about them and consequently must cease to be grounds of Separation There is now no part of the Presbyterian Ministry that in Ministerial Exercises is hampered with or has any dependence on Exotick Erastian Usurpations None of their Meetings do now hold their Freedom from nor are modified by the Supremacy or any encroaching power And therefore in our present Communion we keep our selves free of all Participation with these Corruptions now removed And our Joyning can not so much as be interpreted a Submitting to or Complying with any Defection directly or indirectly It s true the guilt of these Defections remains as long as they are not acknowledged but the establishment of them the practise of them the present offence and tentation of them does not remain It remains to be their guilt that will not acknowledge them and they that are convinced of the guilt of them and will not confess so far as they are convinced from searching the Scriptures and their own Conciences shew themselves no Friends to the Churches peace But if because they will not hear our Soul shall weep in secret places as we are called we do not omit a witness against these Defections the want of that Confession through want of Conviction of the sinfulness of these Courses offending us can neither be a Sin to us nor a ground of Separation being only a difference of judgement which we alwayes disclaimed to be a ground of withdrawing 2 It was alwayes our Judgement and Intention that when ever Presbyterial Government in its Courts Power Order and Freedom were established we should submit to it Nay it was not only our resolution but our Engagement at the Renewing of the Covenants that we should not Separate From any part of the Communion of the true Reformed Covenanted Church of Scotland holding purely and intirely the Doctoine Worship Discipline and Government of the same in Principle and Exercise according to the Rules of Christ and standing Acts and Constitutions of this Churth And that then we should study to maintain Vnion and Communion in Truth and Duty with all the Ministers and Members of this Church that do And in so far as they do follow the Institutions of Christ And that when they return unto and fix their ground on the old established Foundations according to the Word of God Constitutions of this Church settled before the Covenanted Reformation stopped we should then embrace and maintaine Union and Communion with them and Submission to them in the LORD But so it is that all the Ordinances of Christ are established in Purity and Freedom The Doctrine is asserted in the Confession of Faith now ratified in Parliament and several controverted Truths formerly obscured by Calumnies are now victoriously vindicated The Worship now not Tolerated but Established and Authorized and Administred in Purity Plenty and Peace and the Lights of the Church are no more hide under Beds or Bushells but set and shinning on the Candlestick to give light to all that are in the House And the Discipline and Government Presbyterial is now restored to what it was anno 1592. Wherefore we must needs return to our Ancient Union Communion and Order when the Church is now returned to the enjoyment and establishment of her Ancient Constitutions when the Prelatick Erastian Antichristian and Tyrannical Usurpations on the Churches Rights and the Defections and Corruptions flowing therefrom and introduced thereby are removed And the Churches intrinsick Power and Capacity to remove legally all remaining Offences is restored and redintegrated we could not but submit our selves pay that deference to Ecclesiastick Judicatories fenced in the Name of our only Head and King Jesus Christ as to subject our selves to them We never owned a division from the Church but only from a party carrying on defection in a broken and declining State of the Church and therefore when the Church is not now in that State but recovering her freedom from these breaches backslidings we could not now maintain such a division As long as they were involved in and promoting courses of Deformation we stood aloof but now when they are promoting Reformation in asserting the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government and opposing Popery Prelacy Erastianism Sectarianism and what is contrare to sound Doctrine and the power of Godliness we could not but joyn with them It s true several Corruptions yet remain unreformed as some of the former are not condemned But as all those Corruptions on which we founded our Separation because of the hazard of our partaking of the guilt of them are removed So we could not suspend our
Union and Communion until those that remain should be Reformed and the former Condemned but rather thought it expedient to Unite that they may be the soonner Reformed as it is more probable we may sooner obtain a Reformation of the present and a Condemnations of past Corruptions in an United way then in a Divided way It s foolish to expect the Church can be settled without Corruptions all at once in one Day or one Year but must crave time as the building of Solomons Temple and the second Temple after the Babylonish Captivity which was not accomplished in several years Nor can it be planted over again all at once no more then in Joshuas dayes or the Judges or in the time of the Reforming Kings of Judah untill the Canaanites other Enemies be subdued Nor can it be purged totally altogether but gradually lest it be in hazard of a Superpurgation 3. It was ever our Judgement that Division was a great Misery and when Unnecessary and Unseasonable a great Sin And even when we could not avoid it we were weary of it and Longed and Prayed for a time of healing and an opportunity of bringing it to a Close But if ever there was a time when Division was a Misery and a Sin because Unnecessary and Unseasonable now it is And if ever there was an opportunity of healing now there is When the Causes and Occasions of our Divisions are removed and antiquated When the Object of them is so far altered that the providences of this day call and encourage all Divided Parties among Presbyterians to contend together for the common Reformation against the Common Adversarie When the sad effects of them have made all the Godly weary of them And the future effects of their Continuance at this time more to be feared then ever when the wicked Contrivances of Enemies to Divide and Destroy the Church and hinder its Reformation are so many and mighty When Errors and Ignorance making the People a prey are so abounding When also the proper Remedy of them is now in our offer having a Nail granted to us in the holy place to set up the House of our God and to repair the Desolations thereof by access to Assemblies And when things are now come so such a Chock and Crisis that if there be not present application of the Remedy and some Endeavours used for Union now in the tide of it the breach in all probability will grow wider and more incurable When we considered both the Mercies of the times the Maters of praise bringing forth so many considerable Advantages to the Cause and our selvs we could not but think our selves called to another Work than breaking what God is healing and retarding the Work by our Divisions And when we considered the Miseries of the times and matters of Mourning the Past and Present Causes and Effects of the Lords anger burning up like to consume this Church and Kingdom we could not but see other work shapen out to us than this byting and devouring one another when the Lord in his holy Judgements the Antichristian Party in their wicked designs are threatening to devout us all 4. We were alwayes of the opinion that Holy Vnion was a necessary duty and comfortable Blessing being so frequently Commanded Commended Promised and Prayed for as a Blessing and the want of it threatned and lamented as a Misery in Scripture And as we alwayes prayed for it and longed for it and bemoaned the miss of it so we alwayes desired that it should be and waited until we obtained access to get it qualified as the Scripture requires it that it might be both happy holy and as Aarons precious Oyntment that ran down to the skirts of his Garments composed according to Divine Art made up not of carnal and corrupt politicks in a sinful Confederacy or Conspiracy for Defection but composed of Gospel Simples by the wisdom which is from above first pure then peaceable that it might be in the Lord and for the Lord in Truth and Holiness having pure Love for its motive Bond and Beauty Christ for its Foundation and His Word for its Rule But thô we could not get every thing in this present Vnion that might make it Comfortable and Acceptable to all nor every thing removed that is Gravaminous and impairs its Comfort Yet we know nothing in the matter of it which is offensive upon the account of its sinfulness For it will abide the trial of these repuired Qualifications It is not an Vnion of Confederacy in Complyance with wicked Usurpations but in subjection to the Churches Intrinsick Power and in the use and enjoyment of the Churches Liberties It is not an Vnion of Conspiracy in Deformation but in Endeavours to promote Reformation It is not an Vnion in or with or under Prelacy Supremacy or Tyranny Indulgence or Toleration c. but in and with and under Presbyterial Government which is an holy ordinance of Christ It is not an Vnion that obstructs any Duty foregoes any Truth or involves us in any sin It is not an Vnion with sin thô it be of Sinners with Sinners now mutually returned to their Common Duties All the Common Rules of approven Union agree in this There is no ground of Division standing which could warrant a breach if there had been none before and therefore there is no ground to continue it in the present circumstances There is nothing in it to involve us in the guilt of past or present sins of the time There is nothing in it obliging us to condemn Duty or justify sin or restraining us from any Duty we are called to We were neither required to justify defections nor to Condemn our Testimonies against them Nor to subscribe to any sinful Imposition in the termes of Communion putting us in hazard of partaking with any sin On the Contrare we were allowed to exhibite our Remonstrance and Testimony against all the past or present Corruptions stumbling to us And no other Basis is stated whereupon we Vnite but the Word of God Confessions of faith Books of Discipline Acts of General Assemblies National and Solemn Covenants and the whole Contexture of the ancient Order of this Church 5. We alwayes thought indeed a Testimony was needful against all the defections of the time and that this was not to be receded from nor buried in oblivion We are of the same mind still And if Vnion could not have been obtained on any other terms than such as imposed the receding from or condemning of our former Testimony against Defections we would neither have sought it nor embraced it But as the particular Testimony of every time in several respects must change with the times according as the Enemies of Truth change their assaults Weapons against it and defections from it perversions of it and contradictions to it do vary And as it can never be buried so long as all Truths and Duties are witnessed for and errors and sins are witnessed against by us in our respective stations And nothing is condemned by us that was approved before nor approved that was Condemned before and there is no Engagement to forebear any Duty So having been allowed to exhibite our Testimony to an Assembly in a more publick manner than ever we had access before and being not required nor resolved to alter the matter of our Testimony only the manner of it by Separation We think our present Vnion and Submission is so far from burying our Testimony against defections that it tends much for its honour to give occasion of recording it that such a People continued it alwayes under all discouragements and difficulties while deffections stood But as soon as ever they found themselves in any Capacity to joyne with the Ministrie without sin they had such respect to the Ordinances and the peace of the Church that they would no longer Separate notwithstanding all former provocations On the other hand we think to continue Division and Separtion at the time would tend rather to the Scandal and Reproach of all our former witnessings than to the strengthening of the same for it might verifie what used to be alleged against us that we maintained such principles as would dissolve all Union Order in the world The best Confutation of which reproach is now to make the contrare appear by Union as soon as ever we have gor a fond for it Which now there is when we have all one common Testimony against Papery Prelacy Erastianisme Tyrannie and Schism and every thing contrary to sound Doctrine and the Power of Godliness PEACE be within JERVSALEMS WALLS and PROSPERITY within her PALLACES FINIS