we cannot speak particularly to them But compare who will we are very confident the most rigorous Acts of that Assembly will be justified by the many practises of former Assemblies in the like cases 3. That ignorant profane Elders are brought in upon Church Judicatories is beyond our knowledge neither do we justifie any who so doth if any such be But sure we are do it who will they have no warrand for nor encouragement to it from any of the late Assemblies the latter whereof expresly Ordaineth that none shall be admitted to that Office but such as shall be well reported of triall also being first taken of their abilities 4. Ye mention that gracious and well qualified Elders are removed and kept out from Church Judicatories and gifted and gracious men debarred from entring the Ministery and a door opened to others loose and profane c. We know the ground of your challenge is the Act of the late Assembly about Ruling Elders and Expectants concerning which we answer 1. That those who are for the Assembly have been so far from the rigide executing of that Act that in any Synods and Presbyteries chiefly where these of our judgement have power where there hath been one Elder adhering to the Protestation removed from Church Judicatories there hath been twentie of these who are for the Assembly and that for no reason we have heard of few or none being legally processed except for their judgement in the present controversie And the ground why we thus speak is this the same Elders have sitten in our Sessions thir many years by past without any endeavour to have them changed during thir wofull differences And for Expectants where one of our judgement hath entred the Ministrie we mean in any place where we have power a door hath been opened to three of yours We shall not insist here to complain though there be more nor reason that by the unwearied activity of some the credit and reputation of diverse gracious young men is much blasted and their names traduced so that many other wayes willing gracious and able are greatly discouraged from aiming at the Ministrie seeing nothing as the times now are but certain ruine and disgrace if over the belly of their light they do not professe an alteration of their judgement 2. As to the Act it self we have this to say for it it is not the first which hath been made of that kind ye know what Acts were made against Ministers Expectants and Elders who did not acknowledge the Assembly at Glasgow And how ever the not acknowledging of that Assembly was a thing sinfull yet none will call it such a sin but gracious men through error tentations or preingagements might have fallen in it Will ye therefore call these Acts a debarring of gracious Elders and Expectants from the Ministrie we conceive ye will not 5. As to the businesse of Forfar When the Invaders had overrun and possest both sides of Forth the best part of this Land and were now ready to passe Tay lye down before Dundee and overrun the Shires be North Tay the People then being exceedingly discouraged with fear and divided in factions The Commission not out of hight and animosity of Spirit whereof they are uncharitably challenged but out of the sense of danger and conscience of the Trust committed to them conceived it their necessary duty at such a time to incite the People there to unanimous concurrence and conjunction in Counsell and Forces for the defence of the remnant of the poor Kingdome and to lay out the fearfulnesse of the sin of with drawing from these duties and the judgements threatned in Gods Word against the same This was not to pronounce a curse against any but to rouze up all unto the acting of duty for preventing the curse which God himself hath denunced against such as come not forth to help the Lord against the Mighty and hath been practised by former Generall Assemblies and Commissions in exigencies that were not so extreme Sol. Warn February 1645. pag. 15. and 18. When you have considered this and informed your self better in the matter we hope you will find their Warning was seasonable and necessary even under these sad dispensations and none in our opinion can justly think other wayes except such as think that after these dispensations men should have willingly yeelded up themselves the Cause the Kingdom and all their Interests to the Invaders 6. For that you alledge of our grievous traducing and reproaching you by our spreading Declarations in this Land and Printing Informations for England we doubt these Declarations and Informations you mean were spread or Printed Sure we are there were no calumnies nor reproaches in them against any Persons but a faithfull relation of Truth in matters of fact and a clearing of the integrity and lawfulnesse of our proceedings against your calumnies and aspersions But if ye could have instanced and instructed any particular in these Papers wherein ye were so traduced it would have had the more weight and untill then indifferent men will think you guilty for your so charging us of the same fault which ye charge us with Especially seeing 2. It s known whose Papers had most ready accesse to the Presse then and yet have And 3. Considering what ye avowedly charge us with to be carriers on of a course of backsliding and by doing our duty to have drawn down the wrath of God upon the Land and by our obstinacie therein to continue the same Which in our estimation is as unjust a reproach as if ye had been charged with all that which ye do affirme 4. If we intended to recriminate we might speak much more of propagating opinions by informations if not mis-informations upon your side than for any thing we know ye can make good upon ours 7. That the Work of Reformation hath been shaken a foundation laid for conjunction with all parties and that the present Divisions have proceeded from our forementioned actings otherwayes then as from an harmelesse occasion is as easily denyed by us as affirmed by you But in the next place ye do professe it to be very grievous that wee do yet adhere to our former Judgement and wish us to examine from what Principle it doth flow We have obeyed your desire and shall here give you an account what after examination we have found to be the Principle from whence our adhering to these Truths in controversie betwixt you and us do flow God is our witnesse that according to the measure of Grace received we have laboured to lay aside preingagements respect to credit with men and to judge so far as our infirmity would suffer of the things considered abstractly and in themselves and after pondering of what might be said on both hands we are more and more confirmed that these things we adhere unto are Scripture Truths consonant to the Doctrine of our Church and never so much for ought we know as once questioned in any part of the Christian World And we do not doubt but there are many able men in this Church who will maintain the beauty necessity and usefulnesse of these Truths against
Judicatories and from thence as from Aarons head did run down by his-beard to the uttermost skirts of his garments were we not then for a name of praise amongst the Churches abroad and the rod of Discipline in our hand a terror to every thing which exalted it self against truth and pietie at home Then did the work of Reformation come on apace untill the head-stone was ready to be put upon it with shoutings crying Grace Grace unto it The Vine brought out of Egypt planted amongst us did fill the land the hills were covered with the shadow of it and the boughs thereof were like the goodly Cedars She sent forth her boughs unto the sea and her branches unto the river But now alas the case is altered we are as members disjointed as an Army routed the Authority of CHRISTS Courts weakened and all this is the more terrible that our own hand hath been in the transgression our hedges are broken down so that all they that passe by do robe and spoile the Boar out of the wood doth waste and the wilde beast out of the Forrest doth devour the Foxes and little Foxes do spoile the Vines with tender grapes and there is none to take hold of them We do also regrate with you that groundlesse prejudices and needlesse jealousies are so readily received and intertained and so hardly removed and that alienation of minde and affection doth so much increase Those seems to be the latter times indeed concerning which it is foretold that because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall waxe cold Only it appeareth from what followeth in yours that what guilt is herein ye intend to fasten it all upon us and to purge your selves wholly of it Thus we take up your meaning and doubtlesse others will do so also while ye adde that Hereby it commeth to passe that clear and evident Truths concerning the Lords controversie with the Land are not received in simplicity of heart but are by many laid aside as unworthy to be taken notice of a thing which those of your judgement do usually charge us with But for your selves ye professe it is your hearts desire so to walk with your Brethren as may be unto edification and that ye may do nothing which may heighten the difference Thus all those forenamed evills must be fastened upon us To all which we return this Answer 1. As we conceive ye neither will nor yet can positively clear your selves from having your own share in those things as well as others Surely ye do not really think that there is no groundlesse prejudices nor needlesse jealousies received and entertained by those of your Judgement nor no place given to alienation of mind and affection and if so we wonder much why then do ye so regrate these evills as it is evident ye would fasten them wholly upon us How is it that ye who presse so much taking with guilt upon others do not freely own your own share in this common and uncontroverted guiltinesse 2. We do not purge those of our Judgement but as usually falls out in Church divisions so it is possible way is given by many to prejudices and jealousies but we are sorry we have reason to say your way doth free them from the imputation of being altogether groundlesse We can hardly conceive but if ye seriously consider ye your selves will judge that there is great ground of jealousie given to these of our Judgement from severall things in your carriage As namely for your crying out so much against that which we conceive to have been our duty as the main Cause of Gods Judgement and Kingdome-ruining sin from your asserting in Print to the World that we are for the same very thing men scandalous and unworthy to sit in a General Assemblie If ye speak this much when for number ye are comparatively so few and destitute of all power what can be expected your Principles will lead you unto if once ye had that fulnesse of power which ye aime at 3. How groundlesse so ever our jealousies be we must crave leave to clear our selves of that unchristian effect which ye have expresly affirmed to have followed upon them The searcher of hearts knows no groundlesse prejudices nor alienation of mind and affections hath so prevailed with us as to reject clear and evident Truths concerning the Lords Controversie with the Land as unworthy to be taken notice of We desire to believe that the fear and dread of the Almighty shall never so far forsake us But 4. what ye mean by these clear and evident truths concerning the Lords controversie and rejected by us we cannot well conjecture We can hardly think that ye mean the poynts of controversie under debate betwixt you and us ye know what ye hold in those are not clear and evident truths unto us and we believe unto none of the Forraign Churches We desire to know if ever such Tenets were vented for Truths in any part of the Christian World as that it is not lawfull for the lawfull Magistrate to imploy the Body of his Subjects for the Lands defence against an unjust Invasion or that we may not be concurring according to our Place unto the investing of any with the power of Magistracie what ever otherwise be his right unto it untill he give convincing signes of a reall change or that it is unlawfull to join in Camp fellowship with these whom we may have even the nearest Church fellowship with Such and many such like are no clear and evident Truths unto us But if ye mean other Truths concerning the common and uncontroverted guiltinesse of all ranks of Persons within the Land such as Contempt of the Gospel Pride Oppression Uncleannesse Despising of Ordinances Self-seeking under publick pretences ye know we do receive such Truths and stirre up the Land to mourn for them though we know many who looks on those as sins not to be taken notice of in a Publick Fast except those other things under debate and of lesser moment what ever truth be in them be acknowledged also Ye Professe your scope in Writing unto us is that sin and transgression may be acknowledged by us ye needed not have excused your attempting of this towards us by your doing the like unto others We are glad indeed how freely ye do acquit your selves according to your Vocation unto all men and are confident when what ye have done unto others of this kind shall be made as publick as this to us hath been a long time since it will speak for it self But what ever ye have done or not done unto others your Writing unto us had been most acceptable if so it had taught us what we know not your smiting of us should have been a kindnesse For attaining the end by you Proposed ye conceive it a good and ready way to look back where we were when these differences began particularly ye mention our by past work of purging corrupt men from the
are generall and ambiguous expressions are used which no doubt is a sin before the Lord if in any case surely in the confession of sin and transgression and humiliation for the same we ought to studie to be clear plain and distinct and to avoid ambiguitie neither fearing the power of men upon the one hand nor desiring to please the multitude upon the other especially after so much wrath from the LORD upon the Land We know and desire to acknowledge that there was alwayes so much sin and iniquity abounding in this Land as might have justly provocked the LORD to anger and indignation but in the LORDS ordinary way of dealing with his People we do finde that there have usually been some publict sinnes and breaches of Covenant preceeding such sad judgements which brought their other sins to remembrance you would not look upon it with a light eye that so many of the Godly in the Land cannot away with nor joyn in your Fastings and Humiliations and that all the wicked and grosly profain in the Land who have alwayes hated and do still hate the ordinances of GOD in their power and purity do with such a furious carnall zeal defend and maintain your Humiliations and carefully attend such diets and opportunities with delight and approbation and yet do slight other occasions even with your selves for worshipping the Lord. We take no pleasure to mention those things they are matter of lamentation unto us before the Lord neither is it our purpose to render you odious and if our duty to God and unto you did not constrain us we would much rather choose to be altogether silent in such an evill time It is from the love we bear in our hearts toward you and the earnest desire we have to recover you from the snares into which you have fallen and that ye may through the Lords blessing upon you become instrumentall for the good of Zion in the day of her calamity and distresse We do therefore exhort you by the Lord Jesus to weigh these things in the Ballance of the Sanctuary and to take with your sin and guilt therein before the Lord and to forsake that way of the Publike Resolutions as that which is greatly displeasing to him and to joine cordially with your Brethren in the former way we have been upon for carrying on the Work of Reformation which was acceptable in the Lords sight and signally blessed in our hands from heaven let it be far from you to put a hard construction upon our intentions herein or upon any of our words or expressions which may seem harsh if we could have made choise of smoother words in such a purpose we would willingly have made use of them We hope likewise that you will not offend at the freedome and plainnesse which we have used with you as being our Brethren it is a great sin in the Lords sight to make a man an offender for a word and to lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate But how excellent are the words of the sweet Psalmist of Israel Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my head If we would rent our hearts and turn unto the Lord our God he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth of the evill who knoweth but he will repent and leave a blessing behinde him and shall yet again choose Jerusalem and dwell in the midst of us Surely he would rent the heavens and come down that the mountains might flow down at his presence and make his Name known to his adversaries and should say unto us Fear not O Land be glad and rejoice for the Lord will doe great things Now he whom God hath exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sins fill you with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall understanding and the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you and in us and in all his people that which is well pleasing in his sight through JESUS CHRIST to whom be glory for ever Amen We desire you to communicate this to the Brethren that are of your judgement in these Differences Subscribed in the name and at the desire of many Ministers Elders and Professors of the Gospel met at Edinburgh the 17. of March 1653. By Mr. ANDREW CANT The ASSERTERS Answer Right Reverend WE received a Letter subscrived by You in the Name and at the desire of many Ministers Elders and Professors met at Edinburgh which all along charges us and those of our Judgement with the guilt of many Land-destroying sins and with obstinacy in them This doth necessitate us in order to our clearing unto those among whom that your Letter is spread as also least you take our silence for an evidence of our conviction to give you this ensuing answer We are very confident that ye who plead for so much charity at our hands while ye are loading us with such a weight of unjust and odious imputations will take it well from us while we go about to clear our selves and by force of Reasons to wipe off our Persons and Ministry that contempt and disgrace which the matter of your Letter and your other Papers hath wrongously cast upon us We could gladly have chosen to be as deaf men who hear not and as dumb men who open not their mouth if we alone and what concerneth us only did herein suffer But for Zions sake we dar not hold our peace The respect we owe to our Mother Church and to the hitherto untainted reputation of many faithfull men Ministers Elders and others all imbarked with us in the defence of one common Truth forceth us to speak Far be it from you to put an hard construction upon us or upon any of our words and expressions while we are giving a reason of our Faith and practice with meeknesse and fear especially being constrained to it by your selves We acknowledge with you the former mercies of God unto this Church together with the astonishing terror of his present judgements How good and how pleasant was it when Brethren dwelt together in Unity it was like precious ointment the dew of Hermon then the Lord commanded the blessing Our Church then looked forth as the Morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and terrible as an Armie with Banners How excellent were the fruits of Church government when inferiour Judicatories and persons of all ranks Ministers and others did move each in their own place in their due subordination prescribed unto them by the Lord Christ When publict warnings concerning dangers and duties did come from the Watch-tower of Supream
all the reproaches they are aspersed with Believe us it is from this Principle that we adhere unto those so much contradicted and reproached Truths Ye complain of severall things in our late Assemblie at Edinburgh 1. That they did not give you a satisfactory answer and that because in their specious concessions was included the approbation of the two late Assemblies and of their Acts To which we Answer we believe ye will not affirme that the Assemblie did require an Approbation from you either unto Assembly or Acts And will not this think ye be thought reasonable satisfaction by indifferent Judges that nothing was required of you which did necessarily infer the alteration of your Judgement But it seemeth no thing will satisfie some so long as we do approve of these Assemblies and do not alter our Judgement in relation to the maine things in controversie And if so we apprehend such shall not receive a satisfactory answer in haste 2. Ye complain that things laid down by the Assemblie as uncontroverted amongst us are not yet practised by any of our number what these things are should have been instanced and if we could we should have given an answer 3. Ye professe your fear that the most part of that Assembly did endeavour to marre Peace and wayes of healing Because 1. Synods and Presbyteries were encouraged to go on against Ministers and others according to the Acts of Dundee 2. Because of the Act sent to Noble-men Gentle-men and all pious Persons within the Land whereby the Malignant Party was stirred up to exercise their whole power against you and this ye hold forth as the native scope of that Letter not as the naked event only for that is after mentioned while ye adde that in some places the Malignant Party hath not been slack to Act accordingly To which we Answer what was the intentions of any or most part of that Assembly in relation to Peace we cannot infallibly determine but if we may judge of intentions by actions we conceive they have endeavoured Peace more than ye would make the World believe For the thing required by them from you in the Overture of Peace is not that ye should alter your Judgement either in the matter of Publick Resolutions or yet concerning the Authority of the Assembly Only because the holding up of Debates did tend to increase the fire of strife It was required that those unnecessar and unbrotherly Contests should be laid aside And because a standing Protestation would prove afterwards inevitably the seed of new contention and strife it was required in like manner that ye should passe from your Protestations also Both which as we conceive ye might have done reserving your Judgement concerning the sinfulnesse of the resolutions and Nullity of the Assembly except ye affirme that the publick venting of any thing which we conceive to be Truth may not be forborn no not for the Churches Peace or that none can esteem an Assembly Null except they appear in a publick Protestation against it none of which as we conceive ye will assert for Truth Now this being all which was required let any judge if this was not a comming up a good length towards Peace upon the Assemblies part especially if it be compared with what ye have since made publick in your Printed Papers tending as we conceive to make Peace and Union desperate viz. The justifying of the second reason of the Protestation given in at St. Andrews wherein is asserted that these who have been Active for carrying on the Publick Resolutions are Men Scandalous and so not to be admitted to voice in a Generall Assembly together with what ye hold out in your fyft Reason against choosing Commissioners to the late Assembly at Edinburgh That it is unlawfull to joine in an Assembly made up for the most part of those who acted in and approved of the late Assembly at Dundee Of which sort are without all controversie the Body of Ministers and Elders within this Church from which grounds we cannot see any probable way for Peace except the Body of the Ministers and Elders do willingly lye by at your meer desire suffering you to erect your selves in an Assembly and then to attend with patience the Authoritative result from your already known principles whereby all of us are judged men highly scandalous guilty of foul defection and Church-ruining sins together with an high degree of pertinacie in them against so many testimonies such clear and evident light and in the midst of so many fearfull judgements Now let indifferent men judge who requireth most of others and whose principles are most obstructive to peace 2. That the most part of the Generall Assembly did encowrage Synods and Presbyteries to go on with Censures against Ministers and Elders it is hardly probable considering that not one Minister hath been hitherto so much as processed for any thing relating to differences and if the bensall of their zeal was so much towards censure then ye would show what hath interveened to blunt the edge of their zeal so much since 3. That such an out-cry should be made against the Assemblies Letter to Noblemen c. as bewraying unpeaceable spirits we cannot imagine the Reason sure we are they are known to be men very peaceable in whose breasts the motion of sending such a Letter did first bread And for the matter of it we are confident indifferent Judges will approve of it as savouring much of Peace The sum whereof was to shew what length the Assembly had come towards Peace in the Overture of Peace therewith sent and to entreat them to deal with you to embrace the famine And 4. We wonder most by what Art ye can make it appear that the native scope of that Letter was to stir up the Malignant Party to exercise all their power against you Was the Letter direct unto any but unto Noblemen Gentlemen and all pious Persons within the Land We cannot conceive those to be the Malignant Party ye do so much speak of Or is there the least hint in that Letter exciting to exercise any power against you further then exhortations perswasions desires and entreaties What then is there in that Letter which ye can load justly with such an invidious sense If we were going about as the manner of some is to charge you with being guilty of the Kingdoms ruine and were turning over all your opinions and practises whereby ye differ from us into causes of Gods wrath stirring up the People of the Land to mourn for the same denouncing you guilty of high pertinacie for your maintaining of them and prophecying the continuance and increase of wrath untill those were acknowledged and taken with If our way were such ye might justly challenge us indeed for stirring up not only