Sess. 14. August 17. 1643.
The Letter from the Assembly of Divines in the Kingdome of England.
To the right reverend the Generall Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Right reverend and dearly beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ,
We the Assembly of Divines and others, called and now sitting by authority of both Houses of Parliament, to be consulted by them in matters of Religion; have received from the honourable Houses of Commons, a speciall order (dated the 3. of this instant August) recommending it to us to write a Letter to the Generall Assembly of the Church of Scotland, taking notice of the pious and good expeditions to this Church and State, certified in the [pg 180] late Answer of the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland, from their meeting at Edinburgh the 17. of July 1643. And further to desire them to possesse the people of that Kingdome with our condition, and to encourage them to our assistance in this cause of Religion. And having with that order received and read the said Answer directed to the honourable Houses of the Parliament of England, we cannot sufficiently expresse the great content and comfort, unto which it hath raised us in the midst of the sad and calamitous condition under which we lie.
It is no small refreshing to our mourning spirits to finde, that yet our God hath not left us wholly comfortlesse, nor cast us so far out of his sight, as having made us sick with smiting that should be verified of us, Lover and friend hast thou put far from us, and that no man should turn aside to ask how we do: but that we finde so many of the Churches of Christ, and above them all, our dearest Brethren of Scotland, so far to take to heart our extremities, as to sit in the dust with us, and so to look upon our adversities, as being themselves also in the body.
And as we cannot render thanks sufficient unto our God for remembring such mercie in the midst of so much wrath; so we embrace with all chearfulnesse this opportunitie of thankfull acknowledgement of the great debt which your love doth continually lay upon, not us alone, but upon this whole Kingdome, in the free and full expressions of your care, piety and zeal, and of like affections of that whole Nation, to assist and concurre with the Parliament here, by all good and lawfull means, for sending of Religion in godly unity and uniformitie throughout all his Majesties Dominions, against all the designes, power and malice of bloudie Papists, and the Prelaticall Faction, with all their malignant adherents, the common enemies of Reformation, truth and peace.
We are likewise much ingadged to the great vigilancie and travels of the honourable Convention of the Estates of Scotland, in contributing their brotherly advice, and for [pg 181] their readinesse to give assistance for recovering and settling the peace of this Kingdome, against the devices, power and practices of the enemies of Religion, and the publick Good, whereof some hints are given in that Answer and of which we doubt not but the honourable Houses or Parliament will be so sensible as to give such a return as becomes them: for they, better knowing then we do, the depth of the evils under which this Nation now groaneth, and the further dangers imminent, will be more able to value and improve the great affection and wisedome of their Brethren, in points of so high and generall concernement, for the safetie and glory of the Kings Majestie, and of all his Kingdomes, and are more fit to take notice of advices of that kinde, in reference to the civil State, which therefore we wholly leave with them.
But as for the many prudent, pious, and reosonable admonitions which concerne our Assembly, the good Lord reward (for we cannot) seven fold into your bosomes all the good, which you have laboured to procure unto the House of our GOD, and blessed be his Name who hath put such a thing as this into the hearts of our Parliament, to cleanse the House of the Lord of all the uncleannesse that is in it, by impure Doctrine, Worship, or Discipline.
Nor can we in the depth of all our sufferings and sorrows, withhold our hearts from rejoycing in the wonderful goodnes of God toward this Kingdome, in that he hath let us see the gracious fruit of your effectuall prayers and teares, as well as of our own endeavours this way: In bringing together this Assembly, although in a very troublous time, whereby we may have better opportunity more fully to poure out our soules jointly and together to our GOD, for healing of this now miserable Church and Nation: To consider throughly, for what more especially the Land mourneth, and how we may be most usefull to our great GOD and Master JESUS CHRIST; In contributing somewhat to the vindicating of his precious truth, many wayes corrupted through the craft of men that have lyen in [pg 182] wait to deceive: In the seeking out of a right way of worshipping our GOD according to his own heart: In promoting the power of Godlinesse: in the hearts and lives of all his people, and in laying forth such a Discipline as may be most agreeable to Gods holy Word, and most apt to procure and preserve the peace of this Church at home, and nearer agreement with the Church of Scotland (highly honoured by us) and other the best reformed Churches abroad, That so to the utmost of our power, we may exalt him that is the only Lord over the Church, his own House, in all his Offices, and present this Church as a chast virgin unto Christ.
It is a timely and savourie prayer which you have put up at the throne of Grace, touching the due managing of the proceedings in this Assembly, and that with straigth intentions we may all seek the truth in every thing, which by the blessing of God upon our labours, must needs produce all those blessings which your worthie Commissioners mention. And now, for your comfort as well as our own encouragement, we desire you to take notice of the gracious answer of the God that heareth prayer, unto your fervent cryes. For beside our own particular addresses and secret vows to our God to be faithful (with disdain of all baits of avarice and ambition) it hath pleased the Divine Providence so to direct both the honourable Houses of Parliament, to take care of preventing all obliquitie in our proceedings, and to stop the mouthes of all that watch for their and our haltings, and are apt maliciously to traduce both, (as if we were so restrained by them, in our votes and resolutions, as to be bound up to the sense of others, and to carry on private designes in a servile way) that the Houses have tendered to us, and we have most readily taken a solemne and serious Protestation in the presence of Almighty God, to maintain nothing in this Assembly touching Doctrine, but what we are perswaded in our consciences to be the truth; nor in matters of Discipline, but what we conceive to conduce most to the glory of God, and the good and peace of his Church; which doth not only secure the [pg 183] Members against fettering of their judgements or votes, but engage them to the use of all freedome, becoming the integrity of conscience, the weight of the Cause, the gravitie and honour of such an Assembly. It is likewise a great consolation, that our GOD hath put it into your hearts to designe some godly and learned Brethren to put in their sickles with us into this Harvest, which is so great, and requires so many Labourers; for which, as we heartily return thanks, so we earnestly pray the Lord to open a way to their timely coming hitherto and do assure them of all testimonies of respect, love, and the right hand of fellowship, who shall under-take a journey so tedious, and now so perillous, to joyne with us in the Work, when it shall please the honourable Houses of Parliament to invite them thereunto.
It remaines that we should now spread before you our calamities, dangers and fears of further evils, not only drawing toward us, but even threatning you also; and crave your passionate aids in all wayes becoming the Servants of Jesus Christ. But your Commissioners have so fully declared your certain knowledge and deep sense of them, that they have left us no room for inlarging ourselves in this particular, to Brethren so full of bowels and zeal. And they have sufficiently intimated unto the honourable Houses, that you are well aware how often the common enemies of both Kingdomes have consulted together with one consent to cut off both the one and the other from being a Nation, and that the Tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites of Moab, and the Hagarens, Geball, Ammon, and Amalek, the cursed Papists, and their implacable and bloudy Abettors here, do still retain the same malice, and carry on the same designe against Religion, and perfect Reformation even in your Kingdome, happily rescued from their former tyrannies, as well as in this of scorched England, now in the furnace: Only they have varied the Scene, pouring out all their fury upon us at the present: That so, having once troden us under as mire in the streets, they may afterward more easily; (which God avert) set their proud and impure feet upon your necks also. Wherefore [pg 184] the good leave and favour of the honourable Houses of Parliament, we shall now spare the further exciting of you to that which we doubt not of your forwardnesse by all lawfull and meet means to promote with all your might; namely, the possessing the good people of that Kingdome; (of whose willing minde and readinesse you have already given ample testimony) touching our condition, and to encourage them to our assistance in this Cause of Religion.
And now remembring without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, with all due acknowledgments of the precious effects of your prayers; We most humbly and earnestly desire, that the same breathings of the spirit in you may still continue, and (if possible) more frequently and fervently ascend to your God, and our God, not only for removall of outward pressures, and the visitation of the sword, that hath already learned to eat much of our flesh, but also for the special assistance and protection of the Father of lights, in this great Work unto which we are now called, and wherein we already finde many and potent adversaries: that seeing the plummet is now in the hands of our Zerubbabels, all mountaines may become plains, and they may bring forth the capstone of the Lords House with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it: and that how weak and contemptible builders soever we be, the Lord would enable us to build with them, that none may have cause to despise the day of our small beginnings, nor to stop our progresse in the work which he hath given us to do, And as for us, who cannot but take notice of the extraordinary employments unto which you are called in your great Assembly, now also sitting: God forbid that we should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you, that the Lord may enable you to be wise masterbuilders, preserve your peace alwayes by all means, and make you stedfast, unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord, to the praise of the glory of his grace, and to the further benefit and comfort of the whole Church of God, but more especially of this our afflicted Ark, now wafted into the midst of a sea of miseries, and tossed with tempests, untill our wise and gracious God, by the furtherance [pg 185] of your prayers and brotherly endeavours, shall cause it to rest upon the mountains of Ararat, which may take away our fears, as well as put an end to our present sufferings and give you to rejoyce with us, that now mourn for us.
Westminster, August 4. 1643.
Subscribed by your most loving Brethren, highly prisyng the graces of God in you, and that are your Servants for Jesus sake, in the name of the whole Assembly.
William Tuisse, Prelocutor.
John White, Assessor.
Cornelius Burges, Scribe of the Assembly.
Henry Roborough, Scribe of the Assembly.
Adonirum Byfield, Scribe of the Assembly.
The Result of the Debates and Consultations of the Committees of the Convention of Estates and General Assembly, appointed to meet with the Commissioners of the Parliament of England.
August 17. 1643.
The Committees of the Convention of Estates of Scotland, and of the General Assembly, being appointed to meet with the Commissioners of the two Houses of the Parliament of England, upon the Papers delivered in by the said Commissioners, unto the Convention of Estates, and unto the General Assembly, upon the 12. and 15, of this instant 1643. Concerning the desires of both Houses, for a near and strict Union to be entered into by the two Kingdomes. And it being declared at the said meeting, with what sensible affections the General Assembly and Convention, did receive the desires above-mentioned: And how beneficial it would be for the more firme settlement of the [pg 186] said union, that a Covenant should be entred into by both Nations: And this forme thereof being by all the foresaid persons taken into most serious debate and consideration, and agreed unto: It was thereupon resolved by them, that it should be presented to the General Assembly, to the Convention of Estates of Scotland, and to the two Houses of the Parliament of England, by their respective Committees and Commissioners, that it might with all speed receive their respective resolutions.
Subscribed
Ja. Primerose.
A. Ker.
William Bond Sec. Com.
The League and Covenant above-mentioned, being sent with the Commissioners of this Assembly, to the Parliament of England, and Assembly of Divines in that Kingdome, to be received and approven there, is to be printed at the return thereof.
Approbation of the League and Covenant above mentioned.
The Assembly having recommended unto a Committee, appointed by them to joyne with the Committee of the Honourable Convention of Estates, and the Commissioners of the Honourable Houses of the Parliament of England, for bringing the Kingdomes to a more near conjunction and Union, received from the aforesaid Committees, the Covenant above mentioned, as the result of their consultations: And having taken the same, as a matter of so publick concernment, and of so deep importance doth require, unto their gravest consideration, Did with all their hearts, [pg 187] and with the beginnings of the feelings of that joy which they did finde in so great measure upon the renovation of the National Covenant of this Kirk and Kingdome, All with one voice approve and embrace the same, as the most powerfull meane, by the blessing of GOD, for settling and preserving the true Protestant Religion, with perfect Peace in his Majesties Dominions, and propagating the same to other Nations, and for establishing his Majesties throne to all ages and generations. And therefore with their best affections recommend the same to the Honourable Convention of Estates, that being examined and approved by them, it may be sent with all diligence to the Kingdome of England: that being received and approven there, the same may be with publick humiliation, and all Religious and answerable solemnitie, sworn and subscribed by all true Professours of the reformed Religion, and all his Majesties good Subjects in both Kingdomes.