Sess. 14. August 17. 1643.
The Letter from the Assembly of Divines in the Kingdome of England.
To the right reverend the Generall Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Right reverend and dearly beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ,
We the Assembly of Divines and others, called and now sitting by authority of both Houses of Parliament, to be consulted by them in matters of Religion; have received from the honourable Houses of Commons, a speciall order (dated the 3. of this instant August) recommending it to us to write a Letter to the Generall Assembly of the Church of Scotland, taking notice of the pious and good expeditions to this Church and State, certified in the [pg 180] late Answer of the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland, from their meeting at Edinburgh the 17. of July 1643. And further to desire them to possesse the people of that Kingdome with our condition, and to encourage them to our assistance in this cause of Religion. And having with that order received and read the said Answer directed to the honourable Houses of the Parliament of England, we cannot sufficiently expresse the great content and comfort, unto which it hath raised us in the midst of the sad and calamitous condition under which we lie.
It is no small refreshing to our mourning spirits to finde, that yet our God hath not left us wholly comfortlesse, nor cast us so far out of his sight, as having made us sick with smiting that should be verified of us, Lover and friend hast thou put far from us, and that no man should turn aside to ask how we do: but that we finde so many of the Churches of Christ, and above them all, our dearest Brethren of Scotland, so far to take to heart our extremities, as to sit in the dust with us, and so to look upon our adversities, as being themselves also in the body.
And as we cannot render thanks sufficient unto our God for remembring such mercie in the midst of so much wrath; so we embrace with all chearfulnesse this opportunitie of thankfull acknowledgement of the great debt which your love doth continually lay upon, not us alone, but upon this whole Kingdome, in the free and full expressions of your care, piety and zeal, and of like affections of that whole Nation, to assist and concurre with the Parliament here, by all good and lawfull means, for sending of Religion in godly unity and uniformitie throughout all his Majesties Dominions, against all the designes, power and malice of bloudie Papists, and the Prelaticall Faction, with all their malignant adherents, the common enemies of Reformation, truth and peace.
We are likewise much ingadged to the great vigilancie and travels of the honourable Convention of the Estates of Scotland, in contributing their brotherly advice, and for [pg 181] their readinesse to give assistance for recovering and settling the peace of this Kingdome, against the devices, power and practices of the enemies of Religion, and the publick Good, whereof some hints are given in that Answer and of which we doubt not but the honourable Houses or Parliament will be so sensible as to give such a return as becomes them: for they, better knowing then we do, the depth of the evils under which this Nation now groaneth, and the further dangers imminent, will be more able to value and improve the great affection and wisedome of their Brethren, in points of so high and generall concernement, for the safetie and glory of the Kings Majestie, and of all his Kingdomes, and are more fit to take notice of advices of that kinde, in reference to the civil State, which therefore we wholly leave with them.
But as for the many prudent, pious, and reosonable admonitions which concerne our Assembly, the good Lord reward (for we cannot) seven fold into your bosomes all the good, which you have laboured to procure unto the House of our GOD, and blessed be his Name who hath put such a thing as this into the hearts of our Parliament, to cleanse the House of the Lord of all the uncleannesse that is in it, by impure Doctrine, Worship, or Discipline.