The Acts of the General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland

by Church of Scotland. General Assembly

Right reverend and dearly beloved,

As the sufferings of Christ abound in you, So our heartie desire to God is, that your consolations may much more abound by Christ. The perusing of your Letter, produced in every one of us such a mixture of affections, as were at the laying of the foundation of the second Temple, where there was heard both shouting for joy, and weeping [pg 199] aloud; We rejoyced that Christ our Lord had at last in that Land created a new thing, in calling together, not as before of a Prelaticall Convocation to be task-masters over the people of the Lord, but an Assembly of godly Divines, minding the things of the Lord, whose hearts are set to purge the defiled House of GOD in that Land: yet this our joy was not a little allayed by the consideration of the sad and deplorable condition of that Kingdome, where the high provocations of so many years, the hellish plots of so many enemies in a nick of time, have brought in an inundation of over-flowing calamities: We know you are patiently bearing the indignation of the Lord, because you have sinned against him, till he throughly plead your cause, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon, who now laugh among themselves, while you are fed with the bread of tears, and get tears to drink in great measure, being on the mountains like the doves of the valleyes, all of you mourning every one for his iniquitie.

It is now more nor evident to all the Kirks of Christ, with what implacable fury and hellish rage, the bloud-thirstie Papists, as Babylon without, and the Prelaticall Faction, the children of Edom within, having adjoyned to themselves many malignant adherents, of time-serving Atheists, haters of holinesse, rejecters of the yoke of Christ, (to whom the morning light of Reformation is as the shadow of death) have begun to swallow up the inheritance of the Lord, and are not easily satisfied in making deep and long furrowes on your backs. We cannot say that the loudnesse of your cry surpasseth the heavinesse of your stroake; but though the Lord hath delivered the men, every one into his neigbours hand, and into the hand of his King, and they have smitten the Land, yet the rod of the wicked shall not not rest upon the lot of the righteous: This cloud shall speedily passe away, and a fair sun-shine shall appear.

As for us, though your extreeme calamitie did not threaten the ruine of our Religion, Peace, and Liberties, as it doth most evidently, we would hate our selves, if we did not finde our hearts within us melting with compassion over you: You are engraven on the tables of our hearts to live and [pg 200] die with you: we could desire that our heads were waters, and our eyes a fountain of tears, that we might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of the Lords people; So calamitous a condition of any of the Kirks of Christ, could not but be very grievous unto us; How much more shall not we stoup and fall down in the dust to embrace our dearest Brethren of England, to whom we are tied in to near and tender relations. When we were but creeping out of the deep darknesse and bondage of Popery, and were almost crushed with the fury of Foreigne Invaders, joined with intestine enemies, pretending the name and warrand of authority, as now your oppressours do; Then did the Lord by your Fathers send us seasonable assistance against that intended and begun bondage both of soul and body: The repayment of which debt, the Divine Providence seemeth now to require at our hands. And whereas of late through our security we had fallen into a wofull relapse, and were compassed about with dreadfull dangers on all hands, while we aymed at the recovery of our former puritie and libertie: Then we wanted not the huge supply of your fervent Prayers, and other brotherly assistance of that Nation, while those who are now your malignant enemies, would have swallowed us up.

These strait bonds of your ancient and late love, do so possesse our hearts, that when the motions of the Commissioners of honourable House of Parliament, and your Letters did challenge our advice and aid for defence of Religion, and advancement of Reformation, our desires for a more strict Union and Uniformitie in Religion betwixt both the Nations, did break forth into a vehement flame, in such sort, as when the draugt of a League and Covenant betwixt both Kingdoms for defence of Religion, &c. was read in open audience, it was so unanimously and heartily embraced, with such a torrent of most affectionate expressions, as none but eye or ear witnesses can conceive whereof the two reverend Divines sent from you to us being then present, no doubt will give you an account. Neither was it so onely with us, but also the honourable Convention of Estates here, with the like harmony of affectionate [pg 201] expressions, did entertain the same; So that we hope to be reall and constant in prosecuting the contents of this Covenant. When we in our straits fled to the Lord, and entred in Covenant with him, he owned us and our Cause, rebuked and dissipated our enemies, and hitherto hath helped us, and blessed our entreprises with successe from heaven, notwithstanding our great weaknesse and unworthinesse. We trust in the Lord, that as once it was prophesied of Israel & Judah, So shall Scotland & England shall become one stick in the hand of the Lord, they shall ask the way to Sion, with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant, that shall not be forgotten; And so shall it come to passe, that the Lords Jerusalem in this Island, shall be a cup of trembling, and a burthensome stone to all their enemies roundabout. Though now it be the time of Jacobs trouble, the Lord will deliver him out of it. Reverend and dear Brethren, we conceive your case, and of all the Faithful in that Land to be no other then of a woman crying, travelling in birth, and pained till she be delivered. The great red Dragon, (under whose standard the sons of Belial are fighting) is your Arch enemy, This cannot but be a time of fear and sorrow; But when the male childe shall be brought forth, the pain shall cease, and the sorrow shall be forgotten. We are very confident in the Lord, that you will be faithful to Jesus Christ, in the work committed to you by him in all his ordinances, and taking neither foundation, corner stone, nor any part of the rubbish of Babel to build the City that is called, The Lord is there: But measuring all with the golden reed of the Sanctuary, you may more closely be united to the best Reformed Kirks, in Doctrine, Worship, and Government, that you may grow up in him in all things which is the head, even Christ.

And now Reverend and dear Brethren, though we know that you abound in all gifts and graces, the Spirit of Jesus Christ being plentifully powred out upon you, yet according to your desire and the motion made by the Commissioners of the Honourable Houses of Parliament, to testifie our hearty sympathie with you in the work of the Lord, We have nominate and elected some Godly and learned of [pg 202] this Church to repair to your Assembly. We doubt nothing of your hearty embracing them in the Lord, and their diligent concurrance with you in advancing that great work.

Not onely the common danger we are under, but the conscience of our duty to his suffering people, layeth bonds on us frequently to present you, and that blessed Work of Reformation, in your hands, to the throne of Grace, that the GOD of all Grace, who will call you into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered and a while may make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Edinburgh, August 19. 1643.

Subscribed in name of the Assembly of the Church Scotland, by the Clerk, of the Assembly.