Edinburgh 1. September 1647. Sess. Ult.
The Assemblies Letter to their Countreymen in Poleland, Swedland, Denmarke, and Hungarie.
Unto the Scots Merchants and others our Countrey People scattered in Poleland, Swedland, Denmark, and Hungary; The General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland wisheth Grace Mercy & Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Although this Kirk of Scotland, whiles spoiled of her Liberties under the Prelatical tyrannie, had much difficultie [pg 363] and wrestling to preserve the true reformed Religion from being quite extinguished among ourselves; yet since the mighty & out-stretched arme of the Lord our God hath brought us out of that Egypt, and hath restored to us well constituted and free national Synods, It hath been our desire and endeavour to set forward the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and the purity of his Ordinances, not only throughout this Nation, but in other parts also so far as God gave us a call and opportunity and opened a way unto us. And among other things of this nature we have more particularly taken into our serious thoughts the sad and lamentable condition of many thousands of you our Country-men who are scattered abroad as sheepe having no shepherd, and are through the want of the meanes of knowledge grace and salvation, exposed to the greatest spirituall dangers, whether through ignorance or through manifold tentations to errors and false Religions, or through the occasions and snares of sinne.
Wee have therefore thought it incumbent to us to put you in minde of the one thing necessary, while you are so carefull and troubled about the things of the world. And although we do not disallow your going abroad to follow any lawfull calling or way of lively hood, yet seeing it cannot profit a man although he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul, and seeing you have travelled so farre, and taken so much pains to get uncertain riches which cannot deliver in the day of the wrath of the Lord, and which men know not who shall inherit; We doe from our affection to the salvation of your immortall souls most earnestly beseech and warn you to cry after knowledge and lift up your voyce for understanding, seeking her as silver, and searching for her as for hid treasures, and so play the wise Merchants in purchasing the Pearl of Price, and in laying up a sure foundation for the time to come, by acquainting your souls with Jesus Christ, and by faith taking hold of him whose free grace is now offered and held out to sinners, excluding none among all the kindreds of the earth who will come unto him. God forbid that you should let slip the time [pg 364] and offers of grace, or neglect any warning of this kinde sent to you in the name of the Lord. We shall hope better things of you, and that knowing the acceptable time and the day of salvation will not alwayes last, but the Lord Jesus is to be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel, you will the rather bestirre your selves timely and with all diligence to seek the Lord while he may bee found, to endeavour that you may have among you the ordinary means of grace and salvation, to pray that God would give you Pastors according to his heart, who shall feede you with knowledge and understanding, to consult also and agree among your selves with consent of your Superiors under whom you live (whose favour and good will we trust will not be wanting to you in so good and necessary a work) for setting up the worship of God and Ecclesiasticall Discipline among you according to the form established and received in this your mother Kirk, and for a way of settled maintenance to Pastors and Teachers, Which if you do, our Commissioners appointed to meet from time to time in the intervall betwixt this and the next Nationall Assembly, will bee ready (upon your desire made known to them) to provide some able and godly Ministers for you, as likewise to communicate to you our Directory for the publike worship of God, and our form of Ecclesiastical Government and Discipline; together with the Confession of Faith and Catechisme.
And in the meane time we exhort you that you neglect not the Worship of God in secret and in your families, and that ye continue stedfast in the Profession of that faith in which yee were baptised, and by a godly, righteous, and sober conversation adorn the Gospel; and with all, that distance of place make you not the lesse sensible of your Countries sufferings, both in respect of the just judgements of God for the sinnes of the land, and in respect of the malice of Enemies for the Common Cause & Covenant of the three Kingdoms, of which happie conjunction, notwithstanding we do not repent us, but by the grace of God shall continue faithful and steadfast therein.
This Letter wee have thought fit to bee Printed and published, that it may be with the greater ease and conveniency conveyed to the many several places of your habitation or traffique. Consider what we have said, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen.
Edinburgh, August 31. 1647.
Subscribed in name of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
Mr Robert Douglasse Moderator.
Act concerning the Hundred and eleven Propositions therein mentioned.
Being tender of so great an ingagement by Solemn Covenant, sincerely, really, and constantly to endeavour in our Place, and Callings, the preservation of the Reformed Religion in this Kirk of Scotland, in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Government, the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdomes of England, and Ireland, in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Government, according to the Word of God, and the example of the best Reformed Kirks, and to endeavour the nearest Conjunction and Uniformity in all these, together with the extirpation of Heresie, Schisme, and whatsoever shall bee found contrary to sound Doctrine: And considering withall that one of the speciall meanes which it becometh us in our Places and Callings to use in pursuance of these ends, is in zeal for the true Reformed Religion, to give our publike testimony against the dangerous Tenents of Erastianisme, Independencie, and which is falsely called Liberty of Conscience, which are not only contrary to sound Doctrine, but more speciall lets and hinderances, as well to the preservation of our own received Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Government, as to the Work of Reformation and Uniformity in England and Ireland. The Generall Assembly [pg 366]
Not that they are to be heer Printed, but because they being to be Printed severally, this Act is to be prefixed to them.
upon these considerations, having heard publikely read the CXI following Propositions exhibited and tendered by some Brethren, who were appointed to prepare Articles or Propositions for the vindication of the Trueth in these particulars, Doth unanimously approve & agree unto these eight generall Heads of Doctrine therein contained and asserted, viz. 1. That the Ministery of the Word and the Administration of the Sacraments of the New Testament, Baptisme and the Lords Supper, are standing Ordinances instituted by God himself to continue in the Church to the end of the World. 2. That such as Administer the Word and Sacraments, ought to be duely called and ordained thereunto. 3. That some Ecclesiasticall censures are proper and peculiar to be inflicted onely upon such as bear Office in the Kirk; Other censures are common and may bee inflicted both on Ministers and other Members of the Kirk. 4. That the censure of suspension from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, inflicted because of grosse ignorance, or because of a scandalous life and conversation, As likewise the censure of Excommunication or calling out of the Kirk flagitious or contumacious offenders, both the one censure and the other is warranteble by and grounded upon the Word of God, and is necessary (in respect of divine institution) to be in the Kirk. 5. That as the Rights, Power, and Authority of the Civill Magistrate are to bee maintained according to the Word of God, and the Confessions of the Faith of the Reformed Kirks; So it is no lesse true and certaine, that Jesus Christ, the onely Head and onely King of the Kirk, hath instituted and appointed a Kirk Government distinct from the Civill Government or Magistracie. 6: That the Ecclesiastical Government is committed and intrusted by Christ to the Assemblies of the Kirk, made up of the Ministers of the Word and Ruling Elders. 7. That the lesser and inferiour Ecclesiasticall Assemblies, ought to bee subordinate and subject unto the greater and superiour Assemblies. 8. That notwithstanding hereof, the Civill Magistrate may and ought to suppresse by corporall or Civill punishments, such as [pg 367] by spreading Errour or Heresie, or by fomenting Schisme greatly dishonour God, dangerously hurt Religeon and disturbe the Peace of the Kirk. Which Heads of Doctrine (howsoever opposed by the authors and fomenters of the foresaid errours respectively) the Generall Assembly doth firmely beleeve, own, maintaine, and commend unto others, as Solide, True, Orthodoxe, grounded upon the Word of God, consonant to the judgement both of the ancient and the best Reformed Kirk; And because this Assembly (through the multitude of other necessary and pressing bussinesse) cannot now have so much leisure, as to examine and consider particularly the foresaid CXI. Propositions; Therefore, a more particular examination thereof is committed and referred to the Theologicall faculties in the four Universities of this Kingdome, and the judgement of each of these faculties concerning the same, is appointed to bee reported to the next Generall Assembly. In the meane while, these Propositions shall bee Printed, both that Copies thereof may bee sent to Presbyteries, and that it may be free for any that pleaseth to peruse them, and to make known or send their judgement concerning the same to the said next Assembly.
Desires and Overtures presented from Presbyteries and Synods, with the Assemblies answer thereunto.
It is humbly presented to the Assembly, that the children of many of the ordinary beggars want baptisme, Themselves also living in great vilenesse, and therefore desire that some remedie may be provided for these abuses.
The Assembly doth seriously recommend to Presbyteries to consider of the best remedies, and to report their opinions to the next Assembly.
That all Students of Philosophie at their entry and at their Lawreation, bee holden to subscribe the League and Covenant and be urged thereto, and all other Persons as they come to age and discretion before their first receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper.
The Assembly approves this Overture.
Whereas divers Ministers want Mansses and Gleebs, and others have their Gleeb so divided in parcells, or lying so Farre from their Charges the Ministers are thereby much prejudged; We desire that this Generall Assembly will recommend it to bee helped by the Parliament, or Committee for planting of Kirks, in the best manner that their Lordships can advise.
Whereas divers Kirks were incommodiously united in corrupt times, we desire that the same be now dismembered and adjoyned to other Kirks, or erected in Kirks by themselves alone, and when the present incumbents agrees thereto, we desire the same to bee recommend to the Parliament and Committee for plantation of Kirks, Provided alwayes, that the present Ministers who have laboured and indured the heat of day, may enjoy the benefit of such parcells as are taken from them during their life.
The Assembly doth approve these two Articles, and Recommends to the Commissioners for publike Affaires to assist any interested in the particulars for prosecuting the same before the Honourable Estates of Parliament, or the Commission appointed by them for plantation of Kirks.
The Generall Assembly, Doe yet againe recommend to Presbyteries and Provinciall Assemblies, to consider all matters formerly referred unto them by preceding Assemblies, and desires that their opinions concerning the same, be reported in writ to the next Generall Assembly.
It is this day appointed, that the next Generall Assembly shall meet at Edinburgh the second Wednesday of July 1648.
A. Ker.