Besides these Acts, a further declaration of Parliament was issued, in answer to supplications from Synods and Presbyteries, (who seem to have taken the entire affairs of the country into their own hands, there being no other similar applications from any other classes of the community,) in which the purpose of upholding religion and the Covenant is repeated; and it is declared, “Our undertaking shall not be in any wayes against the Kingdom of England, or to break the union between the two nations, but only for reformation and defence of religion, the honour and happiness of the King and his royal posterity, and the peace and safety of these Kingdoms, against such who have destroyed religion and imprisoned our King”—requiring from the clergy and all the King’s good subjects a ready obedience to the command of the Parliament and Committee of Estates.[381] These declarations were accompanied by numerous others, for levying and organizing an army to carry this national enterprise into effect. And, on the 10th of June, after passing these various statutes applicable to the state of public affairs, and investing committees with full powers to carry them into effect, the Parliament adjourned itself to the first Thursday of March, 1650.

We have deemed it fitting—passing over minor occurrences and the details of party coalitions and matters connected with military preparations—to present thus fully, from the parliamentary record, the leading points in the transactions of Scotland in the earlier part of the year 1648; and we shall now present, in all their fulness, the Acts of the General Assembly which met on the 12th of July that year, immediately after the adjournment of Parliament. The position of the church and country at that time can only be duly appreciated by viewing, in connection, the corresponding movements of the two conflicting authorities by which Scotland was so miserably rent and distracted. The effects will be more decisively developed in the introduction to the Assembly of the following year.

THE PRINCIPALL ACTS
OF THE GENERALL ASSEMBLY CONVEENED AT
EDINBURGH, JULY 12, 1648.

Iuly 12, 1648. Post Meridiem. Sess. I.
The Letter from the Synod of Divines in England to the Generall Assembly.

Right Honourable, right Reverend, and dearly beloved Brethren in Jesus Christ,

AS we have great cause to blesse God for the brotherly Union of these two Nations in the common Cause of Religion and Liberty, and for that good hand of blessing which hath accompanied the joynt endeavours of both, in the prosecution thereof: So we cannot but be sadly and deeply sensible of those many obstructions and difficulties, wherewith God in his wisdom hath seen good to exercise his Servants in both Kingdoms in the carrying on of that work, wherein they stand so much ingaged. Herein he hath clearly manifested his own power, wisdom, and goodnesse for our incouragement to trust him in the managing of his own Work, and our utter inability to effect it of our selves; thereby to train us up to a more humble and faithfull dependency upon him to do all, when we by our own wisdom and strength can do nothing. Our perplexities we must confesse, are and have been many, and yet in the midst of them all we cannot but thankfully acknowledge it as a token for good, and that wᶜʰ hath bin and still is a great comfort and refreshing to our hearts, that God hath given you wisdom timely to foresee approaching dangers, but especially to behold, as the stedfastnesse of your Faith, in that both formerly you have been and at present are able to trust God in straits and to appear for him in greatest dangers, so your eminent faithfulnesse and integrity in your firm adhering to your first principles, and chiefly in your constancy and zeal for the preservation and prosecution of the Solemn League and Covenant, so Religiously ingaged in by both Kingdoms: In your vigorous pursuance whereof, with much thankfulnesse to God, We are very sensible more particularly of your steering so steady and even a course between the dangerous rocks of Prophanesse and Malignancie on the one hand, and of Errour, Schisme, Heresie and Blasphemy on the other hand; as also of your constant desires and endeavours to preserve the Peace and Union between the two Nations so nearly and so many wayes United. In all which we humbly acknowledge the mercy and faithfulnesse of God in guiding you so graciously hitherto; and through his assistance we shall still be ready to afford you the best help and incouragement of our prayers and praises to God on your behalf; having this confidence that he who hath already vouchsafed you and us so many blessed pledges of his favour, will in his own time and way accomplish his own Work, which so much concerneth his own Glory and his Peoples good. To his most gracious protection and guidance in these doubtfull and dangerous times we humbly commend you and all your holy endeavours, and rest.

Subscribed in the name and by the appointment of the whole Assembly by us,

Charles Herle, Prolocutor.
William Gouge, Assessor.
Henry Robrough, Scriba.
Adoniram Byfield, Scriba.