Sess. XIV. 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 House 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 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 has 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 cheerfulnesse 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 settling 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 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 of 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 seasonable 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 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 us 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 straight intentions we may all seek the truth in everything, 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 faithfull (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 all 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 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 hither, 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.