Humbly sheweth,
That whereas you were pleased the last year to take notice of our Petition, and conceived so favourable an act in our behalf, from our hearts we blesse the Lord God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this in your heart, to begin in any sort to beautifie the house of the Lord amongst us: doubtlesse you have brought upon your selves the blessing of them who consider the poor; the Lord will certainly deliver you in the time of trouble. We trust no distance of place, no length of time, no pressure of affliction, yea, nor smiling of prosperity, shall delete out of our thankfull memories the humble acknowledgement of your so motherly care, in drawing out your breasts, yea, your souls to satisfie the hungrie; although we have been beaten with the sword, bitten with famine, our own wickednes correcting us, our back-slidings reproving us, yet we have not so farre forgotten the Lords ancient love, but that our hearts were brought to a little reviving in the midst of our bondage, by the Ministery of these, who at your direction made a short visit amongst us. We know you did not conceive it expedient at that time, to loose any for full settling here, till the waters of the bloudy inundation were somewhat abated, and probability might be of some comfortable abode, which we through the Lords revenging hand, pursuing our enemies, and the vigilancie of your victorious Army, is in a great measure attained unto. Whatsoever might have detained some of these whom ye directed to us, whose stay made our expectation prove abortive, we shall ascribe it to our own abuse of such treasure, and want of spirituall hunger, occasioned justly through the want of food; And yet that same dis-appointment, together with your faithfull promise of inlarging your indebted bountie, which is put upon record in all our hearts; hath made us conceive the seed of a lively expectation, that you will now no more put your bountie, and the means of our life, into the hazard of such frustrations, but will once for all, bestow an ample and enduring blessing. And of this we are so much the more confident, because our former suit was not denyed, but delayed: only we fear, if a new delay be procured, till all things be fully settled, that the observing of winde and clouds, shall hinder both sowing and reaping. And in the mean time, the Prelates and their Faction may step in and invest themselves of their old tyrannie over our consciences, who if they once shall see us possessed of our own Inheritance, those Canaanites dare not offer to thrust us out. By all appearance, if the Jesuites had any hope to finde welcome amongst us, they had provided us fully ere now with their poysoned plants. Our hearts abhorre the checking or suspecting of your proceedings, yet it is lawfull to learn sometime from our enemie: But in this you have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago, and thereby have ingaged your selves to perfect your own beginnings, and bring us out of our orphan condition. We are fallen in your lap, this ruine must be under your hand; you cannot pretend want of bread or cloathing, you must be healers: We have chosen you Curators to your little young sister that wants breasts; there is none in earth to take her out of your hand, for we will not, nor cannot hide it from your Honours and Wisedomes, that we want bread, and must not only, as before, have a bit for our present need, but also seed to sow the Land.
It is therefore our humble and earnest desire, that you would yet again look on our former Petition, and your own obligatorie Act, and at least declare your consent, that a competent number of our own Ministers may be loosed to settle here, and break bread to the children that lye fainting at the head of all streets; which, although it may be accounted but a restoring of what we lost, and you have found, yet we shall esteem it as the most precious gift that earth can affoord. When they are so loosed, if they finde not all things concurring to clear Gods calling, it will be in their hand to forbear, and you have testified your bountie. But oh, for the Lords sake, do not kill our dying souls, by denying these our necessar desires. There are about twelve or fourteen waste congregations on this nearest coast, let us have at least a competent number that may erect Christs throne of discipline, and may help to bring in others, and then shall we sing, that the people who were left of the sword, have found grace in the wildernesse. We have sent these our brethren, Sir Robert Adair of Kinhilt, Knight, and William Mackenna of Belfast, merchant, to attend an answer from you, who have attained that happinesse to be lenders and not borrowers, and to present the heartie longing affections of
Your most obliged and more expecting
brethren and servants.
Subscribed by very many hands.
Sess. VI. August 8, 1643.
Acts for subscribing the Covenant.
THE Generall Assembly considering the good and pious advice of the Commissioners of the last Assembly, upon the 22 of September 1642, post meridiem, recommending to Presbyteries to have Copies of the Covenant to be subscribed by every Minister at his admission, doth therefore ratifie and approve the samine. And further ordaines, that the Covenant be reprinted, with this Ordinance prefixed thereto, and that every Synod, Presbyterie, and Paroch, have one of them bound in quarto, with some blank paper, whereupon every person may be obliged to subscribe: And that the Covenants of the Synod and Presbyterie be keeped by their Moderatours respective; of Universities by their Principalls, of Paroches by their Ministers, with all carefulnesse. And that particular account of obedience to this Act, be required hereafter in all visitations of Paroches, Universities, and Presbyteries, and in all trialls of Presbyteries and Synod books.
The Generall Assembly considering that the Act of the Assembly at Edinburgh 1639, August 30, injoyning all persons to subscribe the Covenant, under all Ecclesiasticall censure, hath not been obeyed: Therefore ordaines all Ministers to make intimation of the said Act in their Kirks, and thereafter to proceed with the censures of the Kirk against such as shall refuse to subscribe the Covenant. And that exact account be taken of every Ministers diligence hereintill by their Presbyteries and Synods, as they will answer to the Generall Assembly.