Sess. 18. August 9. 1641. a meridie.
A Letter from some Ministers in England to the Assemblie.
Right Reverend and dear Brethren, now conveened in this Generall Assembly,
Wee most heartily salute you in the Lord, rejoycing with you in his unspeakable goodnesse, so miraculously prospering your late endeavours, both for the restoring and settling of your own Liberties and Priviledges, in Church and common wealth (which we heare and hope he is now about to accomplish) as also for the occasioning and advancing of the Worke of Reformation among our selves; for which as we daily blesse the highest Lord, sole Author of all one good, so doe we acknowledge your selves worthy Instruments thereof. And for that (besides all other respects) doe, and ever shall (by the help of God) hold [pg 104] you deare unto us, as our own bowels, and our selves obliged to tender unto you all due correspondence according to our power, upon all good occasions.
And now (dear Brethren) forasmuch as the Church of Christ is but one body, each part whereof cannot but partake in the weale and woe of the whole, and of Each other part; and these Churches of England and Scotland, may seem both to be imbarqued in the same bottome, to sink and swim together, and are so near conjoyned by many strong tyes, not only as fellow members under the same Head Christ, and fellow-subjects under the same King; but also by such neighbour-hood and vicinity of place, that if any evil shall much infest the one, the other cannot bee altogether free: Or if for the present it should, yet in processe of time it would sensibly suffer also. And forasmuch as evils are better remedied in their first beginning, then after they have once taken deep root; therefore we whose names are here under-written, in the behalf of our selves, and of many others, Ministers of the Church of England be bold to commend to your consideration; (being met together in this venerable Assembly) a difference of great concernment, which you may please (in brief) thus to understand. Almighty God having now of his infinite goodnesse raised up our hopes of removing the yoke of Episcopacie (under which we have so long groaned) sundry other forms of Church-government are by sundry sorts of men projected, to be set up in the roome thereof: One of which (amongst others) is of some Brethren that hold the whole power of Church-government, & all Acts thereunto appertaining (as Election, Ordination, and Deposition of Officers, with Admission, Excommunication & Absolution of Members) are by divine Ordinance in foro externo, to be decreed by the most voices, in, and of every particular Congregation, which (say they) is the utmost bound of a particular Church: endued with power of Government, & only some Formalities of solemne execution to be reserved to the Officers (as servants of the saids Church) if they have any, or if none, then to be performed by some other members, not in office, whom the said Church shal appoint thereunto, And that [pg 105] every of the said particular Congregations (whether they consists of few or many Members, and be furnished with Offices or not) lawfull: may & ought to transact, determine & execute all matters pertaining to the government of themselves amongst & within themselves without any authoritative (though not consulatory) concurrence or interposition of any other persons or Churches whatsoever, condemning all imperative and decisive power of Classes, or compound Presbyteries and Synods, as a meere usurpation. Now because we conceive that your judgement in this case may conduce much by the blessing of God, to the settling of this question amongst us; Therefore we doe earnestly intreat the same at your hands, and that so much the rather, because we sometimes hear from those of the aforesaid judgement, that some famous and eminent Brethren, even amongst your selves, doe somewhat encline unto an approbation of that way of government. Thus humbly craving pardon for our boldnesse, leaving the matter to your grave considerations, and expecting answer at your convenient leasure, We commit you, and the successe of this your meeting, to the blessing of the Almighty, in whom we shall ever remain.
London, 12 Ju'y. 1641.
Your faithfull Brethren to serve you in all offices of love.
The Assemblies Answer to the English Ministers Letter.
Right reverend and dearly beloved Brethren in our Lord and common Saviour Jesus Christ.
Wee the Ministers and Elders met together in this Nationall Assembly, were not a little refreshed and comforted by the good report which we heard of you, and others of our Brethren of the Kirk of England, by some of our Ministers, who by the good providence of our Lord had seen your faces, and conversed with you. But now yet more comforted by your Letters which we received, and which [pg 106] were read in the face of the Assembly, witnessing your Christian love, and rejoycing with us in God for his great and wonderfull Work in the Reformation of this Kirk, and in the beginning of a blessed Reformation amongst your selves, and that you are so sensible of your communion and fellowship with us, and to desire to know our minde and judgement of that which some Brethren amongst you hold, concerning Kirk-government.
We doe with our hearts acknowledge and wonder at the great and unspeakable wisedome, mercie, and power of our God, in restoring unto us the truth and puritie of Religion, after many Back-slidings and defection of some in this Kirk, & desire not only to confesse the same before the world, and all other Christian Kirks, but also doe pray for grace to walk worthy of so wonderful a love: We have been helped by your prayers, in our weak endeavours, & you have mourned with us, (we know) in the dayes of our mourning; and therefore is it that you doe now rejoyce and praise God with us. Neither are we out of hope, but the same God shall speedily perfect that which he hath begun amongst you, that your joy may be full, which is the desire of our soule, and for which we doe now pray, and in our severall Congregations will be instant at the throne of grace, for this and all other spirituall and temporall blessings upon the Kirk and Kingdome of England, by name, expecting the like performance of mutuall love from you and others equally minded with you, for your parts, till a common consent may be obtained, even that you will recommend the Kirk of Scotland by name in your prayers to God. Thus shall we be as one people, mourning and rejoycing, praying and praising together; which may be one meane of the preservation of Unity, and of many other blessings to us both.
We have learned by long experience, ever since the time of the Reformation, and specially after the two Kingdomes have been (in the great goodnesse of God to both) united under one Head and Monarch, but most of all of late, which is not unknown to you, what danger and contagion in matters of Kirk-government, of divine worship, and of doctrine, may come from the one Kirk to the other, which [pg 107] beside all other reasons make us to pray to God, and to desire you, and all that love the honour of Christ, and the peace of these Kirks and Kingdomes, heartily to endeavour, that there might be in both Kirks, one Confession, one Directory for publicke worship, one Catechisme, and one Forme of Kirk-government. And if the Lord who hath done great things for us, shall be pleased to hearken unto our desires, and to accept of our endeavours, we shall not only have a sure foundation for a durable Peace, but shall be strong in God, against the rising or spreading of Heresie and Schisme amongst our selves, and of invasion from forraine enemies.
Concerning the different Formes of Kirk-government, projected by sundrie sorts of men, to be set up in place of Episcopall Hierarchie, which we trust is brought near unto its period, we must confesse, that we are not a little grieved that any godly Ministers and Brethren should be found, who doe not agree with other Reformed Kirks in the point of government as well as in the matter of Doctrine and worship; and that we want not our own feares, that where the hedge of Discipline and Government is different, the Doctrine and Worship shall not long continue the same without change: yet doe not marvell much, that particular Kirks and Congregations which live in such places, as that they can conveniently have no dependencie upon superiour Assemblies, should stand for a kind of independencie and supremacie in themselves, they not considering that in a nation or Kingdome, professing the same Religion, the government of the Kirk by compound Presbyteries and Synods is a help and strength, and not a hinderance or prejudice to particular Congregations and Elderships, in all the parts of Kirk-government; and that Presbyteries and Synods are not an extrinsecall power set over particular Kirks, like unto Episcopal dominion, they being no more to be reputed extrinsecal unto the particular Kirks, nor the power of a Parliament, or Convention of Estates, where the Shires and Cities have their own Delegates, is to be held extrinsecal to any particular Shire or City.
Our unanimous judgement and uniforme practice, is, that according to the order of the Reformed Kirks, and the ordinance of God in his Word, not onely the solemne execution of Ecclesiastical power and authoritie, but the whole acts and exercise thereof, do properly belong unto the Officers of the Kirk; yet so that in matters of chiefest importance, the tacite consent of the Congregation be had, before their decrees and sentences receive final execution, and that the Officers of a particular Congregation, may not exercise this power independently, but with subordination unto greater Presbyteries and Synods, Provincial and National: Which as they are representative of the particular Kirks conjoyned together in one under their government; so their determination, when they proceed orderly, whether in causes common to all, or many of the Kirks, or in causes brought before them by appellations or references from the inferiour, in the case of aberation of the inferiour, is to the several Congregations authoritative and obligatorie and not consultatory only: And this dependencie and subordination, we conceive not only to be warranted by the light of nature, which doth direct the Kirk in such things as are common to other societies, or to be a prudential way for Reformation, and for the preservation of Truth and Peace, against Schisme, Heresie, and Tyranny, which is the sweet fruits of this government wheresoever hath place, and which we have found in ancient and late experience; but also to be grounded upon the Word of God, and to be conforme to the paterne of the Primitive and Apostolical Kirks: And without which, neither could the Kirks in this Kingdome have been reformed, nor were we able for any time to preserve Truth and Unity amongst us.
In this forme of Kirk-government, our unanimity and harmony by the mercy of God, is so full and perfect, that all the Members of this Assembly have declared themselves to be of one heart, and of one soule, and to be no lesse perswaded, that it is of God, then that Episcopal government is of men; resolving by the grace of God, to hold the same constantly all the dayes of our life, and heartily wishing that God would blesse all the Christians Kirks, especially [pg 109] the famous Kirk of England, unto which in all other respects we are so nearly joyned with this divine Forme of government. Thus having briefly and plainly given our judgement for your satisfaction, and desiring and hoping that ye will beleeve against all mis-reports, that we know not so much as one man, more or lesse eminent amongst us, of a different judgement, we commend you unto the riches of the grace of Christ, who will perfect that which he had begun amongst you, to your unspeakable comfort. Subscribed by our Moderator and Clerk.
Edinburgh 9. August, 1641.
The Assemblies Answer to the Kings Majesties Letter.
Most gracious Soveraign,
Beside the conscience of that duetie which we owe to supreme Authority, we are not only encouraged, but confirmed by the Royal favour and Princely munificence, expressed in Your gracious Majesties Letters, which filled our hearts with joy, and our mouths with praise, to offer up our prayers with the greater fervencie to God Almightie for your Majesties happinesse, our selves for our own parts, and for the whole Kirks of this your Majesties Kingdome, which we doe represent, to serve Your Majestie in all humble obedience, our faithful labours for preserving Trueth and Peace amongst all Your Majesties Subjects, and our example (according to Your Majesties just commandments laid upon us) to be a presedent to others in paying that honour, which by all Lawes divine and humane, is due unto Your sacred Majestie, being confident that your Majestie shall finde at your coming hither much more satisfaction and content then can be expressed by
Your Majesties most humble Subjects and faithful Servants, the Ministers and Elders met together in the vonerable Assembly at St. Andrews, July 20, and Edinburgh, July 27. 1641.
Act anent the Kirk of Campheir.
The which day a motion was made in the Assembly, that it seemed expedient for correspondencie that might be had from forraigne parts, for the weal of this Kirk, That the Scots Kirk at Campheir were joyned to the Kirk of Scotland, as a Member thereof: Which being seriously thought upon and considered by the Assembly, they approved the motion, and ordained Master Robert Baillie Minister at Cilwinning, to write to Master William Spang Minister at Campheir, and Kirk-Session thereof, willing them to send their Minister, and a ruling Elder, instructed with a Commission to the next General Assembly to be holden at St Andrews, the last Wednesday of July 1642. at which time they should be inrolled in the Books of the General Assembly, as the Commissioners of the General Assembly of Scotland, from the Scots Kirk at Campheir.
The Assembly appoints the next General Assembly to be holden at St. Andrews, the last Wednesday of July next, 1642.