repare ordinarly to him for advysing what forme of Declaration would best please and give best satisfaction And we had great reason to think that the forme which pleased their Lorships should not be displeasing or unacceptable to his G. 3. After that diverse formes of Declaration were drawn up and none of them was found to give satisfaction at last it was thought good that one should bee formed by waye of Supplication for a generall Assembly and Parliament And because the maine hinderance of obtaining thereof was that our Covenant was suspect to be a combination against Authoritie it was found necessare that this impediment should bee removed by declaring that no such thing was intended in the Covenant This forme of Supplication did first please the three Noble-men and thereafter diverse parts and expressions of it were corrected by his G. particular direction which are still keeped in remembrance in the notes of the Noblemen and others at that time imployed about this work frō their several meetings This made us to think that his G. was well pleased with so much as was corrected by himself and that his G. would have also corrected other parts expressions thereof if hee had not bene well pleased with them and therfore made us secure that his G. would no have offended that we or any other shuld have affi◅ so much 4. Wee have reason to think that the first Declaration which was showne to the Petitioners by the three Noblemen sent from his G. to negotiate with them would have given satisfaction why then shall wee not think that the Supplication mended by his owne particular direction not in the Petitorie part but in the Declaration which it contained might in like manner satisfie 5. Among other partes of the Declaration which were mended by the Commissioners direction One was in the beginning thereof where in place of that which was first written That the Kings Majestie bad conceived the Confession of Fayth and Covenant lately renewed by us his Majesties Subjects to bee an unlawfull combination against Authoritie His G. would have it changed thus That his Majesties Commissioner hath conceived the Confession of Faith c. Wee might therefore have imagined that the Kings Majestie possibly would not have beene pleased with our Declaration but it could not so much as enter in our minds that his Majesties Commissioner who would have the words to expresse his owne dislike and not the Kings should not for his owne part beene pleased with it or bee offended with us for affirming so much 6. There was some reasoning between the three Counsellers and the Petitioners whether the words of the Declaration should bee thus conceived amaine Hinderance or the mains Hinderance for which later conception the Petitioners did plead That this which was the maine hinderance being removed by their declaration for which end they were moved to make it ther might bee no more hinderances afterward or at lest so small ones that they might easily be put out of the way and the trueth is that since the removall of that main hinderance we have heard of no particulare hinderance from the contents of the Covenant This also did make us to say with the greater confidence that the Declaration did please 7. When the Declaration was received by his Majesties Commissioner was read openly and was confirmed heartily by the oath of the petitioner His G. declared that hee verily believed that they meaned what they spake that hee hoped what they had written should prove satisfactorie to his Majestie and that hee would against the time appointed do his best endeavours with his Majestie for obtaining our desires which could not but make us conceive that his G. was satisfied with it himself 8. Although all the companies of petitioners could not bee present to hear with their own eares the words that were spoken yet all of them had so much as we have written reported unto them not by uncertaine rumour but by the faithfulnesse of their Commissioners and upon the certaintie of this report and certaine evidences of the trueth they rested satisfied and were put in hope of a generall Assembly at the Commissioner his returne Which hath made them also now in their answers to the last of the late propositions made unto them by his Majesties Commissioner after his returne to affirme that his G. accepted their Declaration as the most ready powerfull mean which could come within the compasse of their thoughts for clearing them of that objected Combination lykeas they have testified no lesse in their letters to others So that if wee have erred in our affirmation we have not erred alone but have beene carried awaye with the common errour of so many as were heere conveened without exception of any one 9. As it is verie unbeseeming our profession calling so was it verie far from our minde desire in our answers to touch the honourable Lords of Counsell or any in authoritie under his sacred Majestie If the Act of approbation with the Subscriptions thereof the ground of the missive was torne and rescinded and the missive it selfe once thought fitte to bee sent was returned and promise given that it should not be sent there was no lesse done than was assevered by us What reason wee had to affirme that this was done upon the Supplication complaint of the lieges may appeare if it be remembred First that some of the honourable Lords of ◅unsell after they were informed by the supplicants what p◅udices were done to their cause by the Act approving the Proclamation were passionatly desirous to have the Act rescinded and did declare that they would not spare to deale with the Commissioner for that effect 2. When it was requyred by the Supplicants that another Act should bee made bearing that by their subscribing the Proclamation they had not given their Approbation to it It was often and at large answered that they did not by their Subscription approve the Proclamation but onely gave warrant thereby to the Clerke for registration and to the Herauld for publishing the same And thirdly the Supplicants presented a petition containing the reasons of their desires and could not bee satisfied except upon these reasons the Act were rescinded and the missive stayed This Supplication was received by the Commissioner was openly reade and answere was given by his G. that their desire should be satisfied All this in substance was knowne to many thousands before any word was seene from our penne neither had anye thing written by us come to the sight of the world if it had not beene put to the Presse by the D. D. So much have wee beene constrained to say for vindicating our selves who esteeme it to bee our chiefest comfort and greatest glory that wee plead for the cause of God and trueth of Religion and desire neither in our plea nor in our preaching for the defence of the trueth to alledge any un◅ueth We have written nothing before or
THE ANSVVERES OF SOME BRETHREN OF THE MINISTERIE TO THE REPLYES OF THE MINISTERS and Professours of Divinitie in ABERDEENE CONCERNING THE LATE COVENANT 2 CHRON. 15. 15. And all IVDA rejoyced at the Oath For they had sworne with all their heart and sought Him with their whole desire and Hee was found of them Printed the yeare of God 1638. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THat you maye know our Proceedings how wee are brought upon the Stage and conâ—…rie to our expectation are put in print Comming to Abeâ—…dede on Fryday the afternoone wee received the Demands of our Reverend Brethren that night late and for the greater expedition without delay wee returned our summarie Answers on Saturday at night On the Lords Day following wee desired to expresse our-selves to the People in presence of the Ministerie but the Pulpits and Kirks were altogether refused and therefore in the most convenient place wee could have sub dio and at such houres as were vacant from the ordinarie exercises of publicke Worship wee delivered our Message in the Audience of manie After our last Sermon towards Evening wee found that our labour was not in vaine in the LORD for diverse persons of speciall note both for place and wisedome with willing heart great readinesse of minde did publickly put their hands to the COUENANT Having the weeke following seene some parts of the Countrey where besides the Presbyteries Alford and Deare who had subscribed before the Moderator diverse of the Presbyterie of Aberdene the Presbyterie of Turreff after they were satisfied in some scruples did also subscribe wee returned the next Saturday to Aberdene where finding that some others had subscribed that week we resolved to preach upon the morne That night wee received a Reply unto which before our returne home wee have made an Answere All these we desire may bee unpartially considered and if it shall please the LODD that any light shall come from our labour unto thy minde let it bee ascribed not unto us who neither had time nor helps for such a taske but to the brightnesse of the Trueth and Cause it selfe and to the Father of Lights to whom bee all Glorie VVHat did prodeed from our Penne in our Answâ—… to the D. D. of Aberdeene concerning the late Declaration given to his Majesties Commissioner did flow from minds filled with a zeale to the peace of this Kirk Kingdome and from our earnest desires of a perfect harmonie betwixt the King and his Subjects against all Mistakings This zeale of ours wee confesse made us studie more how to decline and to keepe our selves from touching such of the D. D. demands as were thornie than howe to walke safely through them And likewise to make manifest to his Majesties good Subjects in all places whether the D. D. demands and our answeres should happen to come That matters inclined to pacification and were in a faire way off setling for which peaceable intentions we could conceive nothing to bee more behovefull than by word and write to make knowne to all men the forsaid declaration which his Majesties loyall Subjects presented to his Majesties Commissionar for clearing their Covenant of all unlawfull Combination against Authoritie And by so doing to stoppe the mouthes of our Adversaries and to stay all their obloquies In using of this meane it was far from our thoughts to wound anye man or to write anye word which might give the smallest offence to the meanest of his Majesties Subjects Hoping rather that these our proceedings should have beene more acceptable to Authoritie more approven of the wife and men of understanding and more aggreable unto the minds of such as are for peace than rashly and unadvisedly to have gone on in a Dispute of State questions which hardly at any time hath beene profitable for peace and which at this time seemed to us to say no further most unseasonable impertinent Yet knowing that it were not only base and shamefull but in our persons and in our proceedings in this cause a very great incongruitie and in it selfe sinfull to speake wickedly for GOD and to talke deceitfullie for him for that were as one man mocketh another so to mocke him Iob. 13. 7. 9. and to make iniquitie a meane to promove pietâ—…e a policie which wee have not learned as if GOD could bee served with our sinnes Wee have made heere a briefe relation of the reasons grounds where-upon wee have in our answeres confidently affirmed that his Majesties Commissionar did accept and was well pleased with the late Declaration 1. His G. was most earnest to have the late Covenant so solemnely sworne and so universally subscribed to bee rendred or rescinded and did propone plausible reasons for that effect But this by such strong impediments as were at that time represented and are now extant in print being impossible to us to doe except wee wold sin highly against God His G. afterward declared that the Kings Majesty was most willing to indict an Assembly call a Parliament but that our Covenant in the clause of mutuall defence was a combination against Authoritie and that we had sworne to defend one another in our owne private quarrells aswel as in the cause of Religion This his G. desired to bee removed as a maine hinderance of the obtaining of our desires and without the removall whereof an Assembly and Parliament could not be indicted When this motion of a Declaration was first proponed to the severall meetings the greater part was against it because no Declaration containing â—…ye thing contrarie to the Covenant could bee granted and an explanation of the Covenant the meaning whereof seemed to be plaine enough would no more please than the Covenant it self but by the earnest dealing of some Noblemen of his Majesties Counsell sent from the Commissioner with some Commissioners sent from everie meeting It was thought meet in end that a Supplication containing a Declaration should bee formed which at last his G. did receive at the hands of the Supplicants and upon the receiving thereof promised to deale with the Kings Majestie for obtaining a free Assembly and Parliament which he refused to undertake without this Declaration Thus by the very nature and course of our Proceedings about this point it is manifest that the Declaration was at least in this farre satisfactorie to the Commissioner himselfe that hee did promise to mediate for an Assembly and Parliament which was both the summe of our desires and the onely end of this Declaration So that no man could in any reason think that we should have wronged him in affirming that his G. did accept and was well pleased with that Declaration since upon the sight receiving and hearing thereof he promised to doe his best endeavours with his Majestie for obtaining what was petitioned by us which before and without it his G. had utterly refused to doe 2. The three Noble-men of his Majesties Counsell who were imployed by his G. about this Declaration did
at this time from an humour to contradict any man or to wrong the meanest far lesse any of the honorable Lords of his Majestices Counsell least of all his Maiesties high Commissioner But doe confesse that there was much insisting great working on both sides many meetings before the forme of Declaration could bee agreed upon and received And wee doe believe also that the rescinding of the Covenant so vehemently urged was that which would have given him as his Majesties Commissioner greatest satisfaction Neither are wee ignorant that Partly through the malignancie of Sycophants watching all opportunities to promove their owne projects Partly through the rubs and difficulties which occurre in working of great maters to their wished ends and Partly through the busie and overweaning conceit of some who would seeme to bee somewhat that they may warme themselves at a combustion and who are readie to raise suspitions against the wisest and best affected to Authoritie much must beewritten and spoken per ragioni di stato which otherwise would not bee thought so necessarie Yet cannot wee conceive but the acceptance of the Declaration of the loyaltie of his Majesties subjects set down in writ and seconded by oath was good service to the King and that labouring with his Majestie to possesse his royall heart with the best conceptions and constructions of the actions of his well meaning and honest hearted Subjects deserâ—…eth from them the increase of that respect and honour which they owe to all whom God honoureth to bee instruments of good and happinesse to this Kirke and Kingdome which the LORD establish under his Majesties long and prosperous reigne TO THE READER GOod Reader what could not be performed by us in Printing or Answeres severally after their owne Replyes let it bee supplyed by thy selfe in reading And if there bee any part of our Answers which seemeth not to be relative to the Replyes let it bee imputed to the D. D. whose printed Copie agrieth not with that which in wrâ—…t was sent unto us under their hands unto which our Answeres were made Neither is it our fault that our answeres have not come to light before this tyme we having sent the same without the changing of one word to bee printed at Aberdene before our comming from that part of the Countrie This must bee ascribed to the ordinary difficulties and hinderances which use to oppose the Trueth and a good cause in the World and which it is not meete now to specifie TO OVR REVEREND BRETHREN The Doctors and Ministers of Aberdeene THat our Answeres Reverend and beloved Brethren have not given you full satisfaction as it may bee imputed to our weaknesse in the defence of so good a Cause so may it proceede also from your owne prejudice against what could be said by us which wee have some reason to suspect for two causes one is that your Demands which wee conceived to have beene intended meerly for us and were sent unto us from you in write were published before our comming in print lyke as you have now printed and published your Replyes before you had seene our Answeres unto that which wee received from you last in write wee having promised to the bearer to returne an Answere shortly ere wee departed the Countrey This may seeme rather to bee a seeking of victorie from praejudice than a search of veritie for satisfaction The other cause of our suspition is that the groundes of our Answeres to you have proven satisfactorie to others who for Age and gifts of Learning and Understanding are pryme men in this Kirk and Kingdome and to whom modestie will not suffer you to preferre your selves But whether our weaknesse or your prejudice bee the cause must bee now judged by others to whose viewe yee have brought us Whom therefore wee with you heartily desire unpartiallie to considder our first and second Answeres wishing and hoping that partialitie prejudice and all worldly respects and feares layde aside the naked Trueth shall bee seene of all her lovers Concerning your confidence of us as wee in loue judge that yee thinke not your selves to bee striving against the Trueth so maye yee conceive that wee can no more beâ—… brought to your minde than wee can bee drawne from the profession of our Religion as it hath been reformed sworne and confirmed by the late and preceeding Covenants and from following the example of our religious Reformers and the many Worthies succeeding them in this Kirke who would have beene glad to have seene the dayes which wee now doe see and for which wee pray that both yee and wee may bee thankfull so shall it not be imputed unto us that wee have not discerned and used the daye of the Lords visitation so shall wee all rejoyce together in the Daye of the LORD To the first Reply YOVR experience in your Disputes agaynst the common Adversarie wherein you say ye are so frequent hath no doubt taught you howe easie a matter it is to multiply Objections against the Trâ—…th and Cause of GOD and your selves knowe that your Objection against our Calling and the Warrant of our comming to you was framed and published in print before it was propounded unto us and ere our Answere could bee had but so soone as we did heare your Demands we answered incontinent in the humilitie and trueth of our minds that wee were to obtrude nothing upon you or your flock by any particular Authoritie Civill or Ecclesiastick but that we did come in all meeknesse to represent unto you the present case of this Kirke and in love to intreat you to joyn with us for the peace thereof for which wee trust without wronging any lawfull Authoritie wee may claime the Warrant of the highest and greatest Authority although wee had not beene sent from almost the whole Kirke and Kingdome lawfully conveened at this time for preservation of Religion and of the Liberties and Lawes of this Kingdome so sore shaken by the usurpation of the Prelates and their Favourers Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works c. sayeth the Apostle Heb. 10. 24. And where yee object that without your leave we preached within your Congregation which is aggravated by you as a hainous fault both against Scripture and against the Canons of antient Councells which yee have laboriously quoted against us we intreat you to bee more sparing lest the guiltinesse if there be any reflex upon your selves For your Pulpits and Kirks beeing denyed us not from any injurie done by us but by your owne determination before our comming a necessitie was laid upon us to deliver our message in such places as your courtesie did permit wherein no man will find that we have failed if he consider first That there is as wyde difference betwixt Ecclesia turbata pacata the troubled and peaceable estate of a Kirke as is betwixt Ecclesia constituenda constituta many things are necessarie in the