6. August, 1649. Antemeridiem, Sess. Ult.
A Brotherly Exhortation from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, to their Brethren in England.
The many and great obligations which lie upon us in reference to our Brethren in England, who hold fast their integrity, and adhere to the Solemn League and Covenant, together with the desire which we have to rectifie our Sympathie with them in their afflictions, and to preserve so far as in us lieth that fellowship and correspondence that hath been entertained betwixt the Church of Scotland and England these years past, do call upon us and constrain us not to be silent in this day of their trouble and distress.
Albeit the Lord (who hath his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Ierusalem) hath now for a long time past, afflicted these Kingdoms with many & sharp rods, and that his wrath seems not yet to be turned away, but his hand stretched out still; yet in all this, it becomes us who live in these lands to stop our mouthes, neither can any impute iniquity to the most High.
It is rather a wonder, that any mercy should be continued, and that England and Scotland are not cut off from being Nations, seeing the back-slidings and provocations of both has been so many and so grosse, Although the Solemn League and Covenant was sworne and subscribed by both, yet have many in both despised the Oath of GOD, as appears [pg 472] by the late unlawfull Engagement against the Kingdom of England, contrived and carried on by a prevailing party of Malignants in this Land, and by the proceedings of the Sectaries in England, in reference to Religion and Government.
We shall not insist upon what hath been the condition and carriage of the Lords People in this Land in reference to the late unlawfull Engagement: As we desire to magnifie the power and loveing kindenesse of the Lord, who enabled all the Judicatures of this Church, and a considerable part of the Parliament, and the body of the Land, to dissent from, and bear Testimony against the same, which made the House of Commons in their Letter directed to the last Generall Assembly or their Commissioners, to declare, that that Engagement could not be looked on as a Nationall breach, So we look upon it as a wonder of his Wisdom and Mercy, that he hath disposed and directed the same for the furtherance of his Work in our hand, and purging his House amongst us. All this cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts, who is wonderfull in Counsel and Excellent in Working. Neither was it the least part of the lords goodnesse to us, in that day of our strait that we were led in a plain path, and kept from complyance with Sectaries on the one hand, no less then with Malignants on the other. We have obtained this mercy to be steadfast to our old principles, in bearing free and faithfull Testimony against their proceedings, both in reference to Toleration and Government, and the taking away of the Kings life.
And as the danger and judgement which threatens the Authors and Abettors of these things, doth affect our Spirits with horrour, and maketh us desire that it may be given to them of God to repent: So we should conceive our selves void of Christian affection and compassion toward those in England, who suffer for the truth and Cause of God, if we were not very sensible of all their present troubles and calamities. It is no small grief to us, that the Gospel and Government of Jesus Christ are so despised in that Land that faithfull Preachers are persecuted and cryed down, that Toleration is established by pretext of Law, and maintained [pg 473] Military power, and that the Covenant is abolished and buried in oblivion. All which proceedings, cannot but be looked upon as directly contrary to the Oath of God lying upon us, and therefore cannot eschew his Wrath when he shall come in Judgement, to be a swift witnesse against those that swear falsly by his Name.
These things are the more grievous to us, because (beside many other wofull evils brought forth by them) they have interrupted the building of the Lords House in England; the foundation whereof was laid by Oath and Covenant with the most High God, and followed for some years with many Declarations and Protestations of Faithfull adhering thereto, and with great expense of blood and Treasure: Which things were to all the godly in these Nations a branch of hope, that the Lord would bring to perfection the Work of Uniformity (so far advanced in all the parts thereof) in these three Kingdoms.
But the great obstructions and sad interruptions that have been made therein, by the strange and unexpected practises of many now in place and power in England, are to all the welaffected in both Kingdoms, and in all the Churches abroad, the mater of their sorrow and humiliation. And if there be any place left for admonition, we Warn such as have forgotten the Covenant, and despised the Oath of God, and turned aside to lies and errour, to consider whence they are fallen, and to repent. Prosperity and success for a time are no warrantable evidences of a good Cause, nor sufficient guards against the wrath of God; It is no good use of the Lords mercy for such men under pretext of Liberty to make both themselves and others slaves to corruption, and to make all men both in Church and State like the fishes of the Sea, or the creeping things that have no ruler over them. Are these things according to the Word of God, and the pattern of the best Reformed Churches? Or is that the endeavour to bring the three Kingdoms to the nearest uniformity that may be in Doctrine, Worship, Government, and Discipline; Or is that the maintaining of the union betwixt the three Kingdomes, when the straitest bond thereof is utterly dissolved and quite taken away, and the fundamentall [pg 474] Government by King and Parliament wholly overturned; The just God who is of pure eyes beholds these things, and shall with no lesse fury and indignation break the horn of these men, then he hath broken the power, and brought down the pride of Malignants before them, if repentance prevent not.