6. It is no strange nor new thing for Kingdoms to preserve Religion and themselves from ruine, by putting restraint upon the exercise of the power and Government of those who have refused to grant those things that were necessary for the good of Religion and the Peoples safety; There have bin many precedents of it in this and other nations of old, and of late. Upon these and other important considerations, It shall be the wisdom of every one who dwell in the Land, to take heed of such a temptation and snare, that they be not accessory to any such designes or endeavours, as they would not bring upon themselves, and upon their families, the guilt of all the detriment that will undoubtedly follow thereupon to Religion and the Covenant, and of all the miseries and calamities that it will bring upon his Majesties Person and throne, and upon these Kingdoms; Such a thing would in all appearance be the undermining and shaking, if not the overthrowing and destroying of the work of Reformation: And therefore whosoever attempt the same, oppose themselves to the Cause of GOD, and will at last dash against the Rock of the LORDS Power, which hath broken in pieces many high and lofty ones since the beginning of this Work in these Kingdoms: And it is unto us a sure Word of Promise, That whosoever shall associate themselves, or take counsell together, or gird themselves against GOD and His Work, shall be broken in pieces.
It is not onely joyning in Arms with the Malignant partie, that all these who would keep their integritie has need to beware of, but also subtill devices and designes, that are promoted by fair pretexts and perswasions to draw men to dispense at least with some part of these necessarie desires, that are propounded to his Majestie for securing of Religion. After many turnings and devises the foundation of the unlawfull Engagement was at last laid by his Majesties Concessions in the year 1648. Wherein though many things seemed to be granted, yet that was denied, without which Religion and the Union betwixt the Kingdoms could not have been secured: And it is probable, that such a way may be assayed again, and prosecuted with very much cunning and skill to deceive and insnare the simple. It doth therefore concern all ranks and conditions of persons to be the more warie and circumspect, especially in that which concerns the Nationall Covenant, and the Solemn League and Covenant, that before his Majestie be admitted to the exercise of his Royall Power, that by and attour the Oath of Coronation, he shall assure and declare by his Solemn Oath under his hand and seal his allowance of the Nationall Covenant, and of the Solemn League and Covenant, and obligation to prosecute the ends thereof in his Station and Calling, and that he shall for himself and his successours, consent and agree to Acts of Parliament, injoyning the Solemn League and Covenant, and fully Establishing Presbyteriall Government, the Directory of Worship, the Confession of Faith and Catechisme, as they are approven by the Generall Assembly of this Kirk and Parliament of this Kingdom, in all his Majesties Dominions, and that he shall observe these in his own Practise and Familie, and that he shall never make opposition to any of these, nor endeavour any change thereof. Albeit the League and Covenant be despised by that prevailing party in England, and the Work of Uniformity, thorow the retardments and obstructions that have come in the way, be almost forgotten by these Kingdoms; yet the obligation of that Covenant is perpetuall, and all the duties contained therein are constantly to be minded, and prosecuted by every one of us and our posterity, according to their place and stations: And therefore we are no lesse zealously to endeavour, that his Majestie may Establish, and swear, and subscribe the same, then if it were unanimously regarded and stuck unto by alt the Kingdom of England, for his Majestie swearing and subscribing the League and Covenant, will much contribute for the Security of Religion, his Majesties happinesse, and the Peace of his Kingdoms.
As it is incumbent to all, who live in this Kirk and Kingdom to be watchful and circumspect, so it concerns these of the High and Honourable Court of Parliament and their Committees, in a special way to see to their duty, and to be straight and resolute in the performance of the same; Their former proceedings is unto us a sufficient evidence and ground of hope, that they will not be wanting in any necessary testimony of dutie and Loyalty that they owe to the King, by using all just and seasonable endeavoures for obtaining satisfaction of his Majestie, that so he may be established upon his Thrones; And we trust, that upon the other hand, the sence of their obligation to God, and his Oath that is upon them, will make them constantly to adhere to their former Principles, resolutions, and desires concerning Religion and the Covenant, that reall satisfaction may be had thereanent, before the King be put in the exercise of his power; And that they will carefully provide for the safety of the Kingdom, both in regard of intestine dangers, and in regard of invasion from without: It is not long since they, together with the rest of the Land, made solemn Publick Confession of Compliance with Malignants, carnall confidence, following of self interests, and hearkening to the Counsells of flesh and blood, And did in a speciall way engage themselves to comply, and seek themselves and their own things no more, to abandon the counsels of their own hearts, and not to rely upon the Arm of flesh, and to purge Judicatories and Armies from Profane and scandalous persons; And God forbid that they should so soon forget, or neglect so necessary duties, and fall again unto so great and grievous transgressions. We trust that they will seek the things of CHRIST, and not their own things, that they will hearken to His Word, and not walk in the imaginations of their own hearts, that they will relie upon the Arm of the LORD, and not upon the arm of flesh, that they will be wary and circumspect in decerning the dispositions and affections of those whom they put in trust, and that, seeing this Kingdom hath so much smarted, and been so often deceived by compliance with Malignants, they will carefully avoid this snare, in regard of those who were upon the former unlawfull Engagement, and be tender in bringing in of such; And wee cannot but exhort them in the Name of the LORD, to take notice of the Oppression of the People and Commons in the Land, by the lawlesse exactions of Land-Lords, Collectours and Souldiers. We do not justifie the murmurings and grudgings of those, who, preferring the things of the world to the Gospel and things of Jesus Christ, repine at necessary burthens, without which it is not possible that the Land can be secured from invasion without and insurrection within, or the Cause and People of GOD be defended from enemies: It is the duty of every one who hath taken the Covenant, willingly and with a cheerfull minde to bestow their means and their pains as they shall be called thereunto, in an orderly way: Yet should these to whom God hath committed the Government, take care that they be not needlessely burthened, and that none grind their faces by oppression, not only by making of Lawes against the same, but by searching out of the cause of the poor, and by executing these Lawes timously upon these that oppresse them, that they may find real redresse of their just grievances and complaints, and be encouraged to bear those burthens which cannot be avoyded.
As the Parliament have begun, so we hope they will continue, to purge out all these from trust, that are not of known integrity and affection to the cause of God, and of a blamelesse and Christian conversation, and that they and the Officers of the Army in their respective places, will seriously mind, and speedily and resolutely goe about the removing from the Army all malignant and scandalous persons, and also the removing of Sectaries when any shall be found therein, that they may give real evidence that they did not deal deceitfully with God, in the day that they engaged themselves thereto.
Albeit wee hope and pray that those who beare charge in our Army, will from the remembrance of the Lords goodnesse to them, and the honour that he hath put upon them, endeavour to carry themselves faithfully, and straightly; Yet it cannot be unseasonable to warn them to take heed of tentations, and to beware of snares that they be not drawn to indifferencle or neutrality in the cause of God, much lesse unto connivance at, or compliance with the courses and designes of malignants or Sectaries, but to stick closely by the same, and to be zealous against all the enemies and adversaries thereof: And it concerns souldiers to be content with their wages, and to doe violence to no man, but as they are called unto the defence of the cause and people of God, so to behave themselves in such a blamlesse and Christian way, that their cariage may be a testimony to his cause, and a comfort to his people; So shall our Armies prosper, and the Lord shall goe out with them.
But most of all it concerns the Ministers of the Gospel whom God hath called to give warning to his people to look to their duty; It is undeniably true, that many of the evils wherewith this Kirk and Kingdome hath been afflicted in our age, have come to passe because of the negligence of some, and corruptions of others of the Ministry; Whilest some fell asleep, and were carelesse, and others were covetous and ambitious, the evil man brought in Prelacy, and the Ceremonies, and had farre promoted the Service-Book, and the Book of Cannon; and the course of backsliding and revolting was carried on, untill it pleased God to stirre up the spirits of these few, who stood in the gap to oppose and resist the same, and to begin the work of Reformation in the Land; Since which time, the silence of some Ministers, and compliance of others, hath had great influence upon the backsliding of many amongst the people, who upon the discovery of the evill of their way, complain that they got not warning, or that if they were warned by some, others held their Peace, or did justifie them in the course of their backsliding; We can look upon such Ministers no otherwise then upon those that are guilty of the blood of the Lords people, and with whom the Lord will reckon for all the breach of Covenant, and defection that hath been in the Land. The priests lips should preserve knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts; But such are departed out of the way, and hath caused many to stumble at the Law, therefore hath the Lord made them contemtible and base before all the people, according as they have not kept his wayes, but have been partiall in his law; Because they have lost their favour, he hath cast out many of them as unsavoury salt: But such as have been faithfull, as he hath preserved them from the violence and fury of men, so hath he verified his word in their mouths, both against his enemies, and concerning his people and his work; And makes them see, though not all their desires concerning the Gospel, and the work of God in the land, yet very much of the fruit of their labour, by preserving the doctrine and all the ordinances of Jesus Christ in their purity, and adding in some measure thereto the power and life thereof. We doe therefore charge all the Ministers of the land, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his Kingdom, as in every thing to be ensamples of a good conversation, and to walk without offence, that the ministry be not blamed; So to take heed unto the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them overseers, to declare unto them all the Counsell of God, and to give them timous warning concerning every danger and duty, and to hold forth unto them the solid grounds of reall consolation, by which they may be encouraged and comforted in all their trials and afflictions; that they may be free of the blood of all men, and have this as a ground of rejoycing, even the testimony of their consciences, that in simplicity and godly purenesse, not with fleshly wisdome, but by the grace of God they have had their conversation in the world, and have exhorted and comforted and charged every one committed unto them as a Father doth his children. Especially, Ministers are to be careful to be much in discovering the temptations, and pressing the duties of the times, that these who are under their charge may know what to avoid, and what to embrace and pursue: If all the Watchmen in the Land shall give warning, and blow the Trumpet at once, it shall not be easie for enemies to prey upon the people of God. Wee know no cause why any whom God hath called to preach the Gospel, should be afraid to speak boldly in the Name of the Lord; since God hath given so manifest a testimony of his care and protection, in preserving them, these yeers past, who have striven to be faithfull to him who hath called them, from all the fury and malice of haters of the work of God and of the Kingdom of his Sonne Jesus Christ, who hath promised to be with his servants unto the end of the world.
Albeit the Land be involved in many difficulties, and compassed about with great and iminent dangers, yet there is hope and ground of consolation concerning this thing. The Lord is in the midst of us, and we are called by his name, our eares hear the joyfull sound of the Gospel, and our eyes see our Teachers; We behold the arm of the Lord stretched out daily in working salvation for his people, and answering their desires upon their enemies by terrible things in righteousnesse; Although we be but few in number, yet the Lord of Hosts is with us, and in the power of his strength we shall be able to prevaile; Although our land be filled with sin, yet we have not been forsaken of the Lord our God, but he hath alwayes had compassion upon us, and delivered us in all our distresses; Although some of understanding fall, it is but to try, and to purge and to make white even to the end, because it is yet for a time appointed; Although many cleave to us by flatteries, yet there be a remnant who keep their integrity, and the Lord shall doe good to these that be good, but such as turn aside to crooked wayes, shall be led forth with the workers of iniquity.
The Lords people in England and Ireland, who adhere to the cause and Covenant, may be perplexed, but shall not despair; they may be persecuted, but shall not be forsaken; they may be cast down, but shall not be destroyed: And although uniformity, and the work of Reformation in these lands, seem not only to be retarded, but almost pluckt up by the roots, and the foundations thereof razed; Yet the seed wᶜʰ the Lord hath sowen there, shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward; The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall performe this.