And now (dear Brethren) forasmuch as the Church of Christ is but one body, each part whereof cannot but partake in the weale and woe of the whole, and of Each other part; and these Churches of England and Scotland, may seem both to be imbarqued in the same bottome, to sink and swim together, and are so near conjoyned by many strong tyes, not only as fellow members under the same Head Christ, and fellow-subjects under the same King; but also by such neighbour-hood and vicinity of place, that if any evil shall much infest the one, the other cannot bee altogether free: Or if for the present it should, yet in processe of time it would sensibly suffer also. And forasmuch as evils are better remedied in their first beginning, then after they have once taken deep root; therefore we whose names are here under-written, in the behalf of our selves, and of many others, Ministers of the Church of England be bold to commend to your consideration; (being met together in this venerable Assembly) a difference of great concernment, which you may please (in brief) thus to understand. Almighty God having now of his infinite goodnesse raised up our hopes of removing the yoke of Episcopacie (under which we have so long groaned) sundry other forms of Church-government are by sundry sorts of men projected, to be set up in the roome thereof: One of which (amongst others) is of some Brethren that hold the whole power of Church-government, & all Acts thereunto appertaining (as Election, Ordination, and Deposition of Officers, with Admission, Excommunication & Absolution of Members) are by divine Ordinance in foro externo, to be decreed by the most voices, in, and of every particular Congregation, which (say they) is the utmost bound of a particular Church: endued with power of Government, & only some Formalities of solemne execution to be reserved to the Officers (as servants of the saids Church) if they have any, or if none, then to be performed by some other members, not in office, whom the said Church shal appoint thereunto, And that [pg 105] every of the said particular Congregations (whether they consists of few or many Members, and be furnished with Offices or not) lawfull: may & ought to transact, determine & execute all matters pertaining to the government of themselves amongst & within themselves without any authoritative (though not consulatory) concurrence or interposition of any other persons or Churches whatsoever, condemning all imperative and decisive power of Classes, or compound Presbyteries and Synods, as a meere usurpation. Now because we conceive that your judgement in this case may conduce much by the blessing of God, to the settling of this question amongst us; Therefore we doe earnestly intreat the same at your hands, and that so much the rather, because we sometimes hear from those of the aforesaid judgement, that some famous and eminent Brethren, even amongst your selves, doe somewhat encline unto an approbation of that way of government. Thus humbly craving pardon for our boldnesse, leaving the matter to your grave considerations, and expecting answer at your convenient leasure, We commit you, and the successe of this your meeting, to the blessing of the Almighty, in whom we shall ever remain.
London, 12 Ju'y. 1641.
Your faithfull Brethren to serve you in all offices of love.
The Assemblies Answer to the English Ministers Letter.
Right reverend and dearly beloved Brethren in our Lord and common Saviour Jesus Christ.
Wee the Ministers and Elders met together in this Nationall Assembly, were not a little refreshed and comforted by the good report which we heard of you, and others of our Brethren of the Kirk of England, by some of our Ministers, who by the good providence of our Lord had seen your faces, and conversed with you. But now yet more comforted by your Letters which we received, and which [pg 106] were read in the face of the Assembly, witnessing your Christian love, and rejoycing with us in God for his great and wonderfull Work in the Reformation of this Kirk, and in the beginning of a blessed Reformation amongst your selves, and that you are so sensible of your communion and fellowship with us, and to desire to know our minde and judgement of that which some Brethren amongst you hold, concerning Kirk-government.
We doe with our hearts acknowledge and wonder at the great and unspeakable wisedome, mercie, and power of our God, in restoring unto us the truth and puritie of Religion, after many Back-slidings and defection of some in this Kirk, & desire not only to confesse the same before the world, and all other Christian Kirks, but also doe pray for grace to walk worthy of so wonderful a love: We have been helped by your prayers, in our weak endeavours, & you have mourned with us, (we know) in the dayes of our mourning; and therefore is it that you doe now rejoyce and praise God with us. Neither are we out of hope, but the same God shall speedily perfect that which he hath begun amongst you, that your joy may be full, which is the desire of our soule, and for which we doe now pray, and in our severall Congregations will be instant at the throne of grace, for this and all other spirituall and temporall blessings upon the Kirk and Kingdome of England, by name, expecting the like performance of mutuall love from you and others equally minded with you, for your parts, till a common consent may be obtained, even that you will recommend the Kirk of Scotland by name in your prayers to God. Thus shall we be as one people, mourning and rejoycing, praying and praising together; which may be one meane of the preservation of Unity, and of many other blessings to us both.
We have learned by long experience, ever since the time of the Reformation, and specially after the two Kingdomes have been (in the great goodnesse of God to both) united under one Head and Monarch, but most of all of late, which is not unknown to you, what danger and contagion in matters of Kirk-government, of divine worship, and of doctrine, may come from the one Kirk to the other, which [pg 107] beside all other reasons make us to pray to God, and to desire you, and all that love the honour of Christ, and the peace of these Kirks and Kingdomes, heartily to endeavour, that there might be in both Kirks, one Confession, one Directory for publicke worship, one Catechisme, and one Forme of Kirk-government. And if the Lord who hath done great things for us, shall be pleased to hearken unto our desires, and to accept of our endeavours, we shall not only have a sure foundation for a durable Peace, but shall be strong in God, against the rising or spreading of Heresie and Schisme amongst our selves, and of invasion from forraine enemies.
Concerning the different Formes of Kirk-government, projected by sundrie sorts of men, to be set up in place of Episcopall Hierarchie, which we trust is brought near unto its period, we must confesse, that we are not a little grieved that any godly Ministers and Brethren should be found, who doe not agree with other Reformed Kirks in the point of government as well as in the matter of Doctrine and worship; and that we want not our own feares, that where the hedge of Discipline and Government is different, the Doctrine and Worship shall not long continue the same without change: yet doe not marvell much, that particular Kirks and Congregations which live in such places, as that they can conveniently have no dependencie upon superiour Assemblies, should stand for a kind of independencie and supremacie in themselves, they not considering that in a nation or Kingdome, professing the same Religion, the government of the Kirk by compound Presbyteries and Synods is a help and strength, and not a hinderance or prejudice to particular Congregations and Elderships, in all the parts of Kirk-government; and that Presbyteries and Synods are not an extrinsecall power set over particular Kirks, like unto Episcopal dominion, they being no more to be reputed extrinsecal unto the particular Kirks, nor the power of a Parliament, or Convention of Estates, where the Shires and Cities have their own Delegates, is to be held extrinsecal to any particular Shire or City.