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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE ANSWER OF THE CONVENTION OF THE ESTATES, To the <HI>Remon&s;trance</HI> and <HI>De&s;ires</HI> of the <HI>Com|mi&s;sioners</HI> of the Generall A&s;&s;embly, Concerning the dangers of <HI>Religion: WITH</HI> A &s;econd <HI>Remon&s;trance</HI> of the <HI>Commi&s;sioners</HI> of the Generall A&s;&s;embly, To the Honourable <HI>Convention</HI> of <HI>E&s;tates, Concerning the Remedies of the Dangers of Religion.</HI></P>
<P>July 6. 1643.</P>
<P><TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="license">
<OPENER><DATELINE>At Edinburgh <DATE>the 13. of <HI>Iuly,</HI> 1643.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>IT is this day thought fit and ordained by the Convention of E&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">tes, that their An&s;wer to the Remon&s;trance of the Commi&s;sioners of the A&s;&s;embly: Together with this &s;econd Remon&s;trance given in to them by the &s;aids Com|mi&s;&s;ioners concerning the Remedies of the pre&s;ent dangers of Religion, be forthwith printed, And that their pre&s;ents be warrand for the effect.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Arch. Primero&s;e</HI> Cler. Conven.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT></P>
<P>Entred into the Regi&s;ter book at Stationers Hall according to order,</P>
<P><ADD>Aug: 16</ADD> <HI>EDINBVRGH,</HI> Printed by <HI>Evan Tyler,</HI> Printer to the Kings mo&s;t Excellent Maje&s;ty, and Reprinted at <HI>London</HI> for <HI>Tho: Vnderhill.</HI> 1643.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>The An&s;wer of the Convention of the E|&s;tates, to the Remon&s;trance and De&s;ires of the Com|mi&s;&s;ioners of the General A&s;&s;embly. 4. <HI>Iuly</HI> 1643.</HEAD>
<P>_THe Convention of the E&s;tates of the Kingdom having more particularly peru&s;ed the Remon&s;trance, and De&s;ires of the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Generall A&s;&s;embly, do acknow|ledge, and with great care and &s;olicitude of heart, re&s;ent the dangers of the Reformed Religion: partly, from the rebellious attempts of Papi&s;ts in Ireland: partly, from their power in England where they are &s;o long in arms: and partly, from their hopes in this Kingdom where they have their plots and corre&s;pon|dence among&s;t them&s;elves, and with their confederates abroad: And all the&s;e the greater and the more to be taken to heart at this time, that they have the pretence of the Kings Service and Authority, the confidence of the Queens zeal to their profe&s;&s;ion, and her power to promote their de|&s;ignes, and the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the Prelaticall partie, and of Malignants, and many others, whom upon natural and worldly re&s;pects they have drawn again&s;t the oath of their Covenant into their &s;ecret, and have united into their Combination.</P>
<P>The&s;e and the like dangers expre&s;&s;ed more fully in the Remon&s;trance, may be more then &s;ufficient to awake and &s;tir up this Kirk and Kingdom, to provide for the pre&s;ervation of Religion, the &s;afety of the King, and &s;e|curitie of the Kingdom, which at this time in realitie can no more be &s;e|parated and divorced then in former times, when it was profe&s;&s;ed both by King and people, that the dangers of on<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> were the dangers of all, that they had the &s;ame common friends and enemies, and did &s;tand &amp; fal toge|ther. But while the E&s;tates are thinking upon that which is remon|&s;trated unto them, many other dangers and di&s;tre&s;&s;es, which more di|rectly and immediatly threaten and pre&s;&s;e this Countrey and Kingdom, offer them&s;elves to be con&s;idered, and are nece&s;&s;ary to be univer&s;ally known, that all men, even &s;uch as all this time have never taken Religion
<PB N="2" REF="2"> to Heart, may be made &s;en&s;ible of the pre&s;ent danger of their native Coun|trey, wherein the private danger of every mans life, liberty, e&s;tate, and meanes is included.</P>
<P>The Lords of Privie C<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">un&s;ell, and the Commi&s;&s;ioners for con&s;erving the peace, have allready declared, That a treacherous and damnable plot of the Iri&s;h, Engli&s;h, and Scotti&s;h Papi&s;ts was begun to be di&s;covered by letters found with the Earle of <HI>Antrim,</HI> and by the depo&s;ition of one of his &s;ervants at his death: Now the depo&s;ition of the Earle him&s;elf and of another of his &s;ervants, both upon their oaths, have been read in face of the convention, confirming what was written before of &s;ending Ammu|nition to the North, and leavying of forces in this Kingdome, and bearing that the Earle had in&s;tructions for making peace betwixt the Engli&s;h and Iri&s;h in Ireland: Like as diver&s;e letters are &s;ent hither concerning a Ce&s;|&s;ation of Armes in Ireland, and the joyning of the Engli&s;h and Iri&s;h for|ces upon oath, to go for England to a&s;&s;i&s;t the King, as is pretended, but in|deed to &s;trengthen and aide the Popi&s;h and prelaticall party.</P>
<P>Our Merchants and Marriners are not onely &s;topped and di&s;couraged in their trade by Ships, Frigots and Fly-botes of Dunkirk, and of Ireland, having Iri&s;h Commanders and Souldiers, but their Ships either taken or burnt; they &s;poyled of their goods and moneyes, and their per&s;ons tortu|red, kept Captives, or &s;ent away naked: Whereby his Maje&s;ties Subjects have &s;uffered more by Sea upon the &s;udden, and in a very &s;hort time, then they did &s;uffer all the time of our late troubles; And no other cau&s;e of all this violence and cruelty pretended, but a Commi&s;&s;ion and Warrant from Authority.</P>
<P>The Earle of Newca&s;tles Forces, Hor&s;e and Foot, in great numbers ly|ing at the Borders, and ready when they &s;hall be commanded to make incur&s;ion upon the South parts of the Kingdom, as many ill-affected are no le&s;&s;e willing to make trouble in the North.</P>
<P>If the unhappy differences between his Maje&s;ty and his Parliament, &s;hall not be determined in a Parliamentarie way, but by the Sword; Not onely &s;hall the Army in Ireland be in danger to be lo&s;t, but the whole Kingdome will be involved in the common Calamity.</P>
<P>Nor is it wi&s;dome, again&s;t the continuall rumours and threatnings of forraign inva&s;ion, to be &s;o negligent and &s;ecure, as if there were no ap|pearance or po&s;&s;ibility of danger from without; experience hath proved the contrary in former times. And although there were no other ground,
<PB N="3" REF="3"> Rea&s;on doth teach that Princes and States u&s;e to ob&s;erve the opportunities of divi&s;ions and breaches amon&s;t their neighbours.</P>
<P>Although the cau&s;es of calling a Convention at this time were urgent enough, yet the providence of God watching ov<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">r this Kirk and King|dom for good, hath di&s;covered diver&s;e of the dangers of Religion and of the Kingdom, and brought them to light in this opportunity, while the Convention of E&s;tates are &s;itting, as if they had been called together to be inf<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">rm<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">d of them, and to provide remedies again&s;t them. And there|fore as the Conven<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ion is re&s;olved to take this matter, which is of &s;o public<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e and deep concernment, into their &s;erious con&s;ideration; &s;o do they d<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ire and require that the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the A&s;&s;emblie (who according to their duty, and the laudable example of the A&s;&s;emblies of this Kirk in former times have repre&s;ented the dangers of Religion) will al&s;o with diligence think upon the be&s;t and mo&s;t powerfull remedies, and remon&s;trate them to the Convention, that by the ble&s;&s;ing of God up|on their j<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ynt endeavours, &s;o many approaching and imminent mi&s;eries may be turned away: And the Religion and Peace, which God Almigh|ty of his &s;ingular mercy hath granted to this Kirk and Kingdom, may be pre&s;erved and tran&s;mitted unto the after Generations. Which &s;hall be honour to God, &s;afety to the King and his po&s;teritie, and happine&s;&s;e to his people.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Arch. Primero&s;e</HI> Cler. Conven.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<HEAD><HI>To the Honourable Convention of E&s;tates,</HI> The humble Remon&s;trance of the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Generall A&s;&s;embly, Concerning the Remedies of the pre&s;ent Dangers of Religion, <HI>July 6. 1643.</HI></HEAD>
<P>ALthough it be more ea&s;ie, e&s;pecially in a time of many corruptions and great difficulties, to complain of di&s;ea&s;es and dangers, then to finde out the right cure and remedies: Yet from our con&s;cienc of dutie in the charge committed unto us at this time, from our confidence in God, who&s;e providence hath di&s;covered the dangers, and will in his own time provide &s;ufficient remedies, by the example of the Generall A&s;&s;emblies of this Kirk, and in obedience to your Lord&s;hips commands, we finde a nece&s;&s;ity laid upon us, and are mo&s;t willing, according to our knowledge, to &s;how what we conceive to be the be&s;t remedies, leaving the further con&s;ideration of them to your Lord&s;hips wi&s;dom.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="3">
<P>Politick and wordly men are indifferently di&s;po&s;ed towards every Re|ligion, and do conceive that the knowlege of a few principles, joyned with the profe&s;&s;ion of Religion, is &s;ufficient for Salvation, without de|&s;cending into particular Differences and Controver&s;ies: But this cannot be a remedy, for we know that Here&s;ies and Sects have been of old, and mu&s;t &s;till be, that the&s;e who are approved may be made known. Recon|cilers, who under the &s;pecious pretext of Pacification betwixt Prote|&s;tants and Papi&s;ts, intend no other thing, but in a &s;ubtile and crafty way to reduce the Prote&s;tant Kirks into Antichri&s;tian &s;ervitude, and in the gold|en cup of the whore of Babel, to propine again unto us all their abomina|tions and filthine&s;&s;e. The&s;e are al&s;o to be rejected and abhorred, as pre|&s;enting us with deadly poy&s;on in &s;tead of remedies.</P>
<P>A third there is, but an in&s;ufficient remedy; Wee do with all thankful|ne&s;&s;e and reverence, as becometh good Subjects receive the Kings Maje|&s;ties Declaration of His Intentions, for maintaining our Religion, and e&s;teem it no &s;mall happine&s;&s;e to live under a Prince orthodox in the faith, and a Nur&s;e-father of the Kirk: But His Maje&s;ties Di&s;po&s;ition to Religi|on, can neither oblige His Royall Succe&s;&s;ours, as the frequent change of Religion in England, and other kingdoms, with the change of their Prin|ces, hath taught us; Nor can it pre&s;erve us from the plots and power of Papi&s;ts, as we have even now learned from the con&s;piracie of the Iri&s;h, Engli&s;h, and Scotti&s;h papi&s;ts: If they have been devi&s;ing mi&s;chief again&s;t us in the very time of His Maje&s;ties Declaration, what may be in all rea|&s;on expected afterward from the immortall hatred, and unc<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;ant work|ing? And what may we look for pre&s;ently, if w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ile they are now in Armes, their fury &s;hall have &s;ucce&s;&s;e, and they &s;uffered to prevaile? We pray, <HI>God &s;ave the King:</HI> but we may &s;ay, <HI>Cur&s;ed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruell.</HI></P>
<P>The fir&s;t true remedy, which Chri&s;tian Piety and Prudence mini&s;ter unto us, is, to receive the Love of the Truth, and to labour for the Power of Godline&s;&s;e. It is never enough ob&s;erved, That Papi&s;try, Arminia|ni&s;me, and diver&s;ity of &s;ects, are the ju&s;t judgement of God upon many in the Reformed Kirks for their formality in Religion: Without this one remedy, all other remedies will want the ble&s;&s;ing of God, and prove un|profitable.</P>
<P>A &s;econd remedy is to abhorre and dete&s;t Poperie, not upon conceit or common opinion, but from the particular and di&s;tinct knowledge of the
<PB N="5" REF="4"> gro&s;&s;e here&s;ies in doctrine, manifold idolatry in wor&s;hip, and cruel tyran|nie in governement, which it teacheth, defendeth, and practi&s;eth; from which the Lord in a wonderfull mercy hath delivered us; again&s;t which &s;o many thou&s;ands of the holy and faithfull Martyrs of Chri&s;t, have born record of the word of God, and te&s;timonie of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and wa&s;hen their robes in the bloud of the Lambe; And by which the Lord &s;uffereth us and other Reformed Kirks this day to be threatned again, becau&s;e we have been unthankful for our deliverance, not knowing the greatnes of the ill from which we have been delivered, nor con&s;id<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ring the heavine&s;&s;e of that Antichri&s;tian yoke, if it &s;hall be again wreathed upon our necks: Which would to God all Kings, Princes, Republikes &amp; people would take to heart.</P>
<P>The third is, that all true Patriots and Profe&s;&s;ours of the reformed Re|ligion, may learn to di&s;cerne and know the enemies of the Kirk; which will be found not to be Papi&s;ts onely, but Malignants al&s;o; who under colour of the &s;ame profe&s;&s;ion with us, oppo&s;e them&s;elves to the pre&s;erva|tion of Religion here, unto the reformation of Religion in England, no le&s;&s;e then Papi&s;ts; who make bands contrary or prejudicial unto our Na|tionall Covenant; who frame and pre&s;ent Petitions, cro&s;&s;ing the Petitions of the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Generall A&s;&s;embly; give information to the Kings Maje&s;ty contrary to the informations of the Kirk and Kindome; do oppo&s;e the publi&s;hing of the nece&s;&s;ary Declarations of the Kirk; reade papers in the A&s;&s;emblies of Gods people without warrant from the Kirk; and offer to Presbyteries in all the quarters of the Kingdome, papers con|trary to the Declarations of the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the A&s;&s;embly; do hold their meetings again&s;t the Convention of E&s;tates; and if they could finde Mini&s;ters to joyne with them, would keep Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall A&s;&s;emblies again&s;t the A&s;&s;emblies of the Kirk: Which is the mo&s;t factious, the mo&s;t &s;candalous, and the mo&s;t dangerous way of divi&s;ion and &s;eparation that hath been heard of in any Kirk or Kingdom: And therefore by Eccle&s;ia|&s;tick cen&s;ures and civil puni&s;hments, to be &s;peedily and powerfully &s;up|pre&s;&s;ed as a mo&s;t pernicious practice, tending to the de&s;truction both of Religion and Peace of this Kingdome, and directly oppo&s;ite to the pro|pagation of the Go&s;pell, and reformation of other Kirks, which God by his providence is bringing to pa&s;&s;e, and is ardently de&s;ired, and con&s;tant|ly hoped for by all the godly.</P>
<P>The fourth is, If after all good means are u&s;ed to reduce the enemies of Religion, whether Papi&s;ts or Malignants, to repentance and obedience, the Kirk be con&s;trained by their ob&s;tinacy to proceed to the &s;entence of
<PB N="6" REF="4"> Excommunication; Some &s;olid cour&s;e may be taken, that the civil puni&s;h|ment, which is according to Law, may be really and timou&s;ly inflicted, that neither the Law be eluded, nor any delinquent for his greatne&s;&s;e, or any other re&s;pect, be exempted or &s;pared.</P>
<P>The fifth is, Becau&s;e through want o<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ure and timous intelligence, a great part of the people are either left to uncertaine rumours, or &s;lighted by the negligence of common bearers, or abu&s; d with malignant infor|mations, that they neither know their own danger, nor the danger of Re|ligion and Countrey; A &s;olid order would be &s;et down whereby intelli|gence may go forth from Edinburgh to every Shire, and &s;o to every Pre&s;|bytery and particular Pa&s;tor, that the people may be informed both of their danger and duty; and an account taken of the faithfulne&s;&s;e of men, to whom matters of &s;o nece&s;&s;ary and publick concernment &s;hall be com|mitted, and of particular Mini&s;ters how they acquit them&s;elves in mat|ters of &s;o great tru&s;t.</P>
<P>The &s;ixth is, That for the more &s;peciall applying of &s;ome Clau&s;es of our Nationall Covenant again&s;t the pre&s;ent evill, certaine Articles may be framed to be &s;ub&s;cribed and con&s;ented unto by all the well affected; that we may be more &s;trongly united among&s;t our &s;elves in the cau&s;e of God; and that all Malignants and &s;ecret enemies, who hide them&s;elves under their &s;ub&s;cription of the Covenant, may be di&s;cerned and di&s;covered.</P>
<P>The &s;eventh is, That a Remon&s;trance be &s;ent to the Kings Maje&s;ty from the Honourable Convention of E&s;tates, expre&s;&s;ing the pre&s;ent dangers of the Kirk and Kingdome, with a renewed &s;upplication for unity in Reli|gion, and uniformity of Kirk government, for disbanding of all Popi&s;h forces, and for u&s;ing of meanes for the Queenes conver&s;ion.</P>
<P>The eighth is, Although we be very wel a&s;&s;ured of the Wi&s;edome and good Affection of this Honourable Convention, for which as a meane of great happine&s;&s;e to this Kirk and Kingdome at this time, we heartily ble&s;&s;e the Lord: Yet from the nece&s;&s;ity of our duty, wh<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ch inforceth us to exhort civill powers to all Vigilancie and Faithfulne&s;&s;e, and according to the laudable example of the Generall A&s;&s;emblies of this Kirk in former times of publike danger, We mu&s;t crave leave to intreat and excite your Lord&s;hips &s;peedily to think<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> and re&s;olve upon the be&s;t wayes, for the &s;afe|ty and &s;ecurity of the Kingdome again&s;t in&s;urrection of Papi&s;ts and Ma|lignants from within, and inva&s;ion from without; which may al&s;o be a meane to try and di&s;cover the minds of the di&s;affected; and to commit &s;o great tru&s;t to none, but to &s;uch as are knowne to be zealous of the &s;afety
<PB N="7" REF="5"> of Religion, of the Kings honour, and peace of the Kingdome.</P>
<P>The ninth is, Becau&s;e the hearts of peopl are &s;ecure and &s;low in ap|prehending danger, and the enemies &s;ugge&s;t that there is not any great cau&s;e of feare; when&s;oever any letters of negotiation and traffique be|twixt Papi&s;ts and Malignants here, and in other places, are intercepted, or any plots or con&s;piraci<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s di&s;covered, the &s;ame without re&s;pect to any per&s;ons what&s;oever, may be publi&s;hed in print, and &s;ent through the Kingdome, that all may be warned of the danger, and be in redine&s;&s;e to u&s;e the be&s;t meanes for their &s;afety, and that &s;uch wicked in&s;truments may be cen&s;ured and puni&s;hed.</P>
<P>The tenth is, That for the credit of the Go&s;pel, for keeping the publick Faith of the Kingdome, and for promoting the de&s;ired and intended U|nity in Religion, and Uniformity of Kirk-government, all the Articles of the Treaty of Peace betwixt the two Kingdomes, be inviolably ob&s;er|ved, and ju&s;tice done without partiality upon the controveeners. And fora&s;much as at the time of Reformation, and in our late Declarations and Remon&s;trances, in the time of our troubles and &s;ince, the expre&s;&s;ions of our de&s;ires of unitie, and amitie with the Kingdome of England, have beene many and large: and we have many times from our feeling and feares, made open profe&s;&s;ion, that the not reforming, or the en|dangering of Religion there, hath an influence upon our Religion, and the mutuall Peace of the Kingdomes: We doe humbly entreat, according to the example of the Generall A&s;&s;emblies of this Kirk, that this honou|rable Convention may be plea&s;ed to take into their grave&s;t con&s;ideration, the renewing of the League and A&s;&s;ociation with England, for defence of Religion again&s;t the common Enemy, and how far the &s;ame may be ex|tended again&s;t Prelacie and Popi&s;h Ceremonies, for uniformity in exter|nall wor&s;hip and Kirk-government.</P>
<P>Thus have we pointed at the principall remedies, which we humbly pre&s;ent to be more particularly re&s;olved upon by this honourable Con|vention as a matter worthy of the grave&s;t deliberation, and the greate&s;t care and diligence: wherein, as we &s;hall be required, we &s;hall mo&s;t wil|lingly according to our place and calling, contribute our coun&s;els and en|deavours, be&s;eeching God, who never for&s;aketh his people, when trouble draws near, fir&s;t to direct, and next to fulfill all your coun&s;els to his own glory, and the publick good.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>A. Ker</HI> Cler. Com. Gen. A&s;&s;.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
