It remaines that we should now spread before you our calamities, dangers and fears of further evils, not only drawing towards us, but even threatening you also; and crave your compassionate 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 our selves 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, not in the furnace: Only they have varied the Scene, pouring out all their fury upon us at the present: That so, having once trodden 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 with 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 acknowledgements 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 speciall 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 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 master-builders, 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 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, Aug. 4, 1643.
Subscribed by your most loving brethren, highly prysing the graces of God in you, and that are your servants for Jesus sake, in the name of the whole Assembly.
| William Tuisse, Prolocutor | ||||
| John White, Assessor | ||||
| Cornelius Burges, Assessor | of the Assembly. | |||
| Henry Roborough, | Scribes | |||
| Adoniram Byfield, | ||||
The Result of the Debates and Consultations of the Committees of the Convention of Estates and Generall 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 Generall 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, onto the Convention of Estates, and unto the Generall 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 Generall Assembly and Convention, did receive the desires above-mentioned: And how beneficiall it would be for the more firme settlement of the said union, that a Covenant should be entered 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 Generall 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,