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<DATE>2014-12-22</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Several LETTERS FROM THE PARLIAMENT AND General A&s;&s;embly Of the Kirk of SCOTLAND, TO THE Hou&s;es of Parliament of <HI>England,</HI> The Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Com|mon Councel of the City of LONDON, AND THE A&s;&s;embly of Divines at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Publi&s;hed by Authority.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for <HI>Laurence Chapman,</HI> July 13. 1646.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honorable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_THe E&s;tates of Parliament of this Kingdom have con&s;idered the De&s;ires of the Ho|norable Hou&s;es concerning the Gari&s;ons placed by the Scoti&s;h Army, in the Towns and Ca&s;tles of <HI>Carli&s;le, Newca&s;tle, Tynmouth, Hartlepool, Stockton, Warkworth</HI> and <HI>Thirlwal,</HI> expre&s;&s;ed in the Letter of the 13 of <HI>Nov.</HI> la&s;t, &amp; have &s;ent In&s;tructions to their Commi&s;&s;ioners, to give &s;uch an An&s;wer to the Honorable Hou&s;es, as they are confident may &s;erve mo&s;t for promoting the Cau&s;e wherein both Kingdoms are &s;o highly engaged, and car|rying on the War to the be&s;t advantage.</P>
<P>They have further given direction to their Commi&s;|&s;ioners to make known to the Honorable Hou&s;es, the earne&s;t De&s;ires of this Kingdom for the &s;etling of Re|ligion and Church-Government (which, as it was the principal ground of their Engagement in this Cau&s;e, &s;o will the perfecting of it be their chiefe&s;t joy and glory of both Kingdoms) and their propen&s;ion for carrying on the War with the united affection, and Forces of both Kingdoms; And that no good means be left un-a&s;&s;ayed for attaining a firm and la&s;ting Peace, it being the con|&s;tant Re&s;olution of this Kingdom again&s;t all oppo&s;ition, to &s;trengthen and cheri&s;h the unity and Brotherly kinde|ne&s;&s;e between the Kingdoms; and Peace &s;etled with Truth, and the&s;e things performed by the Honorable
<PB N="4" REF="3"> Hou&s;es (which by Treaty they are obliged unto) to re|call the Scoti&s;h Army, with as great alacrity as they were ready to &s;end the &s;ame into <HI>England,</HI> for the a&s;&s;i&s;t|ance of their Brethren.</P>
<P>The incon&s;tancy of the Weather in this &s;ea&s;on hath been an impediment to the pa&s;&s;age betwixt this and <HI>Ire|land,</HI> &s;o as they have not yet had an An&s;wer to their Let|ters &s;ent hither concerning <HI>Belfast;</HI> but they have com|manded their Committee to return An&s;wer to the Ho|norable Hou&s;es in that particular, how &s;oon they &s;hall receive Information concerning the &s;ame. We are,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your affectionate Friends, and humble Servants, <HI>Crawford</HI> and <HI>Lind&s;ay,</HI> Pre&s;ident of Parliament.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE>Saint <HI>Andrews,</HI> <DATE>3. <HI>Feb.</HI> 164<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</DATE></DATELINE>
<POSTSCRIPT>
<P><HI>For the Right Honorable, the Lords and Commons a&s;&s;em|bled in the Parliament of</HI> England <HI>at</HI> We&s;tmin&s;ter.</P>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honorable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>AS the Parliament of this Kingdom doth acknow|ledge the zeal and endeavors of the Honorable Hou&s;es of Parliament, for the good progre&s;&s;e already made towards Reformation of Religion and Uniformi|ty
<PB N="5" REF="3"> of Church-Government; So is it expected, that when they &s;hal &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;ider the Brotherly affection and great &s;ufferings of this Kingdom, who from a peace|able condition, which we formerly enjoyed, did engage our &s;elves in a dangerous &amp; bloody war with <HI>England</HI> a|gain&s;t their Enemies, when their Affairs were in the hard|e&s;t and lowe&s;t condition, upon a mutual League and Covenant, to &s;etle Religion and Church-Government, according to the Word of God, the practice of the be&s;t Reformed Churches, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s might draw the neere&s;t Uni|formity betwixt the two Kingdoms, which was ac|knowledged to be the chief ground of craving Ayd a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d A&s;&s;i&s;tance from this Kingdom (the Honorable Hou|&s;es will now (after &s;o mature deliberation) adde their Au|thority &amp; Civil Sanction) without further delay, to what the pious and learned A&s;&s;embly of Divines, upon ma|ture and accurate Debates, have advi&s;ed to be mo&s;t a|greeable to the Word of God, and perfect what re|mains to be done in the Work, according to the Cove|nant; which I am commanded by the Parliament of this Kingdom to demand, and do accordingly in their Names demand of the Honorable Hou&s;es of Parlia|ment of <HI>England:</HI> The performance whereof will be mo&s;t acceptable to this Kirk and Kingdom, as a &s;pecial Recompence of the Labors, and blood which hath been &s;hed in a&s;&s;i&s;ting you to promote the Cau&s;e of God, and will be a mean to procure Gods ble&s;&s;ing upon the proceedings and undertakings of both Kingdoms: And the Parliament of this Kingdom is per&s;waded, That the Piety and Wi&s;dom of the Honorable Hou&s;es, will never admit Toleration of any Sects or Schi&s;ms, contrary to our Solemn and Sacred Covenant.</P>
<PB N="6" REF="4">
<P>The next de&s;ire of the Parliament of this Kingdom (and which of all things next to Truth is mo&s;t de&s;ire|able) is, That all lawful means be u&s;ed for attaining a ju&s;t and well-grounded Peace; for which end, I am com|manded to de&s;ire, and do accordingly in the Name of the Parliament of this Kingdom de&s;ire, That the Propo&s;i|tions of Peace be di&s;patched to His Maje&s;ty, and may be &s;o pur&s;ued and managed, as may be&s;t procure the &s;et|ling of Truth and Peace, that there may be an end of the great di&s;tractions, and unnatural War of all the three Kingdoms.</P>
<P>This Kingdom lyeth under the Burthen of great and va&s;t expence, in rai&s;ing and entertaining Armies, and hath with the lo&s;&s;e of the lives of many precious men, &s;et their own hou&s;es on fire to quench the flame of yours, and almo&s;t de&s;troyed their own Nation to pre|&s;erve yours; And &s;eeing by the &s;ea&s;onable a&s;&s;i&s;tance, af|forded by this Kingdom to you, and by the late &s;ucce&s;|&s;es wherewith God hath ble&s;&s;ed your Armies, you are in a great mea&s;ure freed of your trouble, and are in a far better capacity to pay the Money due to our Armies in <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> then you were at any time &s;ince the beginning of the&s;e Wars, I am likewi&s;e commanded by the Parliament of this Kingdom to demand, and ac|cordingly do in their Name demand of the Honorable Hou&s;es of Parliament, to make payment before the Third of May next, of the &s;ums of Money duly owing by them to this Kingdom, and their Armies in <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> according to the Treaties between the two Kingdoms (the Accompt whereof will be given in by our Commi&s;&s;ioners) hat this Kingdom may be thereby relieved of the great I <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">rthens and pre&s;&s;ures of our debts
<PB N="7" REF="4"> contracted in this Cau&s;e, and be enabled and encouraged for joynt carrying on of the War, till the Church of God be &s;etled in Purity and Peace.</P>
<P>And it is further craved from the Ju&s;tice of the Ho|norable Hou&s;es of Parliament, that they will take into their &s;erious con&s;ideration the great lo&s;&s;es &s;u&s;tained by this Kingdom at Sea, through the not attendance of their Ships upon our Coa&s;ts, according to the Treaty, and make reparation thereof; and of the lo&s;&s;es which <HI>Scotland</HI> hath &s;u&s;tained by the Iri&s;h Inva&s;ion, which the Kingdom of <HI>England</HI> is bound to &s;uppre&s;&s;e by the large Treaty. In all which, the De&s;ires of the Parliament of this Kingdom are no other, then that Religion and Church Government may be &s;etled according to our Covenant, That the War may be carryed on with Brotherly and con&s;tant affection, by the joynt Coun&s;els and Forces of both Kingdoms, That a well-grounded and durable Peace may be endeavoured betwixt the King and His Subjects, That payment be made of the &s;ums due to this Kingdom and our Armies by Treaty; and, That (again&s;t the malice of our open Enemies, and &s;ecret Plots of &s;uch as for their own ends are labouring to &s;ow Sedition betwixt Brethren, tyed by &s;o many re|lations) mutual Amity and Union between the King|doms, may be &s;trengthned and perpetuated to all po&s;te|rity. We re&s;t</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your affectionate Friends, and humble Servants, <HI>Crawford</HI> and <HI>Lind&s;ay,</HI> Pre&s;ident of Parliament.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE>St. <HI>Andrews,</HI> <DATE>3. <HI>Feb.</HI> 164<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">/<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</DATE></DATELINE>
<POSTSCRIPT>
<P><HI>For the Right Honorable the Lords and Commons a&s;|&s;embled in the Parliament of</HI> England <HI>at</HI> We&s;tmin&s;ter.</P>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="8" REF="5">
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honorable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>BEing appointed by the Parliament of this Kingdom, now adjourned, to keep corre&s;pondence with the Ho|norable Hou&s;es of Parliament of <HI>England,</HI> and being in|tru&s;ted with the pur&s;uance of their De&s;ires for the fur|therance of the Common Cau&s;e, and the Publike and mutual good of both Kingdoms; We do in the Name of the Parliament, and by their Authority certifie, That this Kingdom, notwith&s;tanding all their &s;ufferings and di&s;couragements, are not moved or &s;haken from the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r former Re&s;olutions and Vows, but will live and dye with their Brethren of <HI>England,</HI> in the pro&s;ecution of the ends expre&s;&s;ed in the Solemn League and Covenant; Being confident of the like Inclination and Re&s;olution of the Parliament and Kingdom of <HI>England,</HI> again&s;t all &s;uch groundle&s;s &s;u&s;pitions and needle&s;s Jealou&s;ies to the contrary, as bad In&s;truments, from the beginning to this day, have been, from their envy of our common hap|pine&s;&s;e, and for their own private ends, inventing and &s;ugge&s;ting, That all the common troubles which both Kingdoms have endured, may end in a publike Tragedy to the &s;candal and grief of the Reformed Churches, the hardning and &s;trengthning of our common Enemies, the making of our &s;elves the In&s;truments of our own mutual ruine and de&s;truction, and, which is mo&s;t of all, the di&s;honour of the great Name of our God, with whom we have entred in Covenant for the propagation of the Go&s;pel, and the advancement of the Kingdom of his Son.</P>
<P>For the pre&s;ent, according to the Tru&s;t committed unto us, we make our addre&s;&s;e to both Hou&s;es in the par|ticulars following, and do not doubt but we &s;hall receive
<PB N="9" REF="5"> &s;uch &s;atisfaction, as may be a real te&s;timony of their Ju&s;tice and Brotherly kindne&s;&s;e. Upon Information from our Commi&s;&s;ioners there, The Parliament, before their adjourning, did under&s;tand what was written by one calling him&s;elf <HI>Robert Wright,</HI> and informed by an|other, who&s;e name was kept in the dark, and confirmed by a Letter of Mr. <HI>Jermin,</HI> to the Lord <HI>Digby,</HI> again&s;t this Kingdom, their Army in <HI>England,</HI> and their Com|mi&s;&s;ioners there, The accu&s;ations are of &s;o high a nature, and &s;o &s;ophi&s;tically in&s;inuated, that the Parliament, which, during their &s;itting, were upon all occa&s;ions en|deavouring the be&s;t wayes of the pre&s;erving the happy Conjunction of the two Kingdoms, were much affect|ed therewith, as a matter wherein they were much con|cerned, both for their own Vindication, and the Satis|faction of their Brethren. If there &s;hall be any matter or ground of &s;uch Accu&s;ation found again&s;t any per&s;on of this Kingdom, or our Army, or any of our Com|mi&s;&s;ioners, we are no le&s;&s;e willing that it be examined, and puni&s;hed to the full, then we de&s;ire and expect, that the like be done again&s;t any in <HI>England,</HI> that tran&s;gre&s;&s;e in that kinde, which is conform to our Covenant, wherein we all &s;wear, <HI>With all faithfulne&s;&s;e to endeavour the di&s;covery of all &s;uch as have been, or &s;hall be Incendiaries, Malignants, or evil In&s;truments, by hindering the Refor|mation of Religion, dividing the King from his people, or any of the Kingdoms from the other, that they may be brought to publike tryal, and receive condigne puni&s;hment, as t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e degree of their offences &s;hall require or de&s;erve.</HI> But let us de&s;ire and expect from our Brethren, all charity, tender|ne&s;&s;e, and re&s;pect to this Kingdom, our Army, and Commi&s;&s;ioners, of who&s;e faithfulne&s;&s;e they have had
<PB N="10" REF="6"> &s;o large and manifold experience; and in their &s;everal Letters to this Kingdom, did give them &s;o ample te&s;ti|monies; that no a&s;per&s;ion or &s;u&s;pitions lie upon them, by concealing the names of any per&s;ons who can be di&s;|covered. And therefore, according to the Tru&s;t com|mitted unto us, We do de&s;ire in Name of the Parlia|ment and Kingdom of <HI>Scotland</HI> (if that <HI>Robert Wright</HI> be not yet found out, who he is, and that <HI>hidden Knight</HI> after &s;o long a time be not yet un&s;ecreted, and made known by name) all means may be u&s;ed for di&s;co|vering the one; who&s;e Letters have been &s;o frequently produced before the Committee of both Kingdoms, and revealing the other to our Commi&s;&s;ioners, which is in the power of &s;ome of the Members of the Hou&s;e of Com|mons to do; that both Kingdoms may be &s;atisfied, when the Truth is brought to light, and all &s;uch jealou&s;ies and mi&s;under&s;tandings may be prevented for the future.</P>
<P>We do al&s;o repre&s;ent to the Honorable Hou&s;es of Parliament, That this Kirk and Kingdom is more &s;can|dalized and grieved in the matter of Religion, which immediately concerneth God and his Honour, then in any thing on Earth, touching them&s;elves and their own name.</P>
<P>A <HI>Directory</HI> for the Wor&s;hip of God is agreed upon in the A&s;&s;embly, and Authorized by both Kingdoms, and practi&s;ed carefully by this Church; but the <HI>Service Book</HI> &s;till remained in &s;ome places of <HI>England,</HI> under the Parliaments power, and the <HI>Directory</HI> very much &s;lighted, and by &s;ome avowedly written again&s;t. In|&s;tead of the intended Unity in Religion, Ba&s;phemous Errors, Here&s;ies, Sects, and Schi&s;ms are increa&s;ed and multiplied through the want of Church Government.
<PB N="11" REF="6"> The National A&s;&s;embly of this Ki<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">k in their An&s;wer to the Declaration of the Parliament of <HI>England,</HI> of the date <HI>July,</HI> 1642 profe&s;&s;e, <HI>That them&s;elves and all the well affected within the Kingdom, are exceedingly grieved and made heavy, becau&s;e the Reformation of Religion had moved &s;o &s;lowly and &s;uffered &s;o great interruption.</HI> And the Lords and Commons in Parliament A&s;&s;embled, in their Re|ply did profe&s;&s;e, <HI>That the mi&s;erable e&s;tate of the Church and Kingdom was not able to endure any longer delay.</HI> Like as in their Declaration &s;ent to the general A&s;&s;embly, they profe&s;&s;e, <HI>That they do not doubt but to &s;ettle &s;uch a Refor|mation of the Church, as &s;hould be mo&s;t agreeable to Gods Word.</HI> And in the aforementioned Reply they declare, <HI>That their purpo&s;e is to con&s;ult with godly and learned Di|vines, that they may &s;etle &s;uch a Government, as may be most agreeable to Gods mo&s;t holy Word.</HI></P>
<P>Some Commi&s;&s;ioners from this Kirk have attended the A&s;&s;embly of Divines there, for the &s;pace of two years and a half; and long ago the A&s;&s;embly have offer|ed their advice to both Hou&s;es, yet can we hear nothing of the &s;etling of a government; but upon the contrary of a real growth of all Sects and Errors, and of great en|deavours for <HI>Toleration</HI> thereof, which maketh us and this Church and Kingdom, who cannot under&s;tand where the difficulty and ob&s;truction lieth, to wonder at &s;o long a delay; wherein we are very much intere&s;t|ed, not onely in relation to the glory of God, our mu|tual League and Covenant, and the peace and happine&s;&s;e of that Church and Kingdom; but al&s;o in regard of the unity of Religion among&s;t our &s;elves, and of the peace of this Kingdom, which cannot be long pre&s;erved from &s;o dangerous contagion; which would be more griev|ous
<PB N="12" REF="7"> and intolerable unto us, then all our troubles and &s;ufferings have been: And therefore from all the&s;e Con|&s;iderations, in Name of this Kingdom and Parliament, We do in all earne&s;tne&s;&s;e de&s;ire, that Church-Govern|ment may now at la&s;t, without further delay, be &s;etled according to the Covenant.</P>
<P>We do in like manner pre&s;&s;e what hath been &s;olicited by our Commi&s;&s;ioners, for the &s;pace of eight moneths pa&s;t, That the Propo&s;itions of Peace after &s;o much de|bate and deliberation, agreed upon unanimou&s;ly by both Kingdoms, the mo&s;t material whereof have been fully Treated upon at <HI>Uxbrige,</HI> may be forthwith &s;ent to His Maje&s;ty, wherein this Kingdom is the more earne&s;t, that they know not the cau&s;e why the &s;ending of the&s;e Propo&s;itions is &s;o long &s;u&s;pended; they long for the end of this unhappy War, by the happy &s;etling of Re|ligion and Peace: And &s;o much the more, that they do perceive &s;ome would make u&s;e of the continuance of the&s;e Wars, to rai&s;e and foment jealou&s;ies and differ|ences betwixt the&s;e Kingdoms, and to &s;eparate tho&s;e whom God hath &s;o &s;trictly tyed for &s;o goods ends, by &s;o many Bonds and Relations; And we are confident, will never &s;uffer to be divided, but &s;till continue them in a firm and ble&s;&s;ed Conjunction again&s;t all machina|tions of Satan and his in&s;truments: Which &s;hall ever be the &s;ettled Re&s;olution and con&s;tant Endeavour of</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Lordships mo&s;t affectionate Friends and humble &s;ervants <HI>Loudoun Cancellarius. I. P. D. Com.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>St. Andrews</HI> <DATE>10. <HI>Feb.</HI> 164<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">/<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></DATE></DATELINE>
<POSTSCRIPT>
<P><HI>For the Right Honorable, the Lords and Commons a&s;&s;embled in the Parliament of</HI> England <HI>as</HI> We&s;tmin&s;ter.</P>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="13" REF="7" MS="y">
<OPENER><SALUTE>RIGHT HONORABLE,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>YOur &s;everal Addre&s;&s;es to the Honorable Hou&s;es of Parlia|ment, and the relation of our Commi&s;&s;ioners, hath given us &s;o perfect knowledge and deep impre&s;&s;ion of your affection, and true z<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">al for the Reformation of Religion, and Uniformity of Church-Government, as hath much refre&s;hed us in our greate&s;t difficulties, and doth far exceed our acknowledgements.</P>
<P>Y<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ur con&s;tant care of advancing and furni&s;hing very great &s;ums of money to the Armies, who &s;tand for defence of Religion, and the ju&s;t publike Liberty of the Subjects in all the three King|doms, is an evident demon&s;tration how much you prefer the good of the Publike to your private Intere&s;t: And your &s;pecial regard in cheerfully &s;upplying the Armies of th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s Kingdom with Money and other nece&s;&s;ity Provi&s;ions, in the times of their mo&s;t urgent nece&s;&s;ities, hath &s;o greatly endeared unto us the Brotherly affe|ction of that famous City, as will not only be a real tye of Amity for the pre&s;ent, but will likewi&s;e lay a firm foundation of reci|procal kindene&s;&s;e, and inviolable friend&s;hip for all &s;ucceeding Ages. And as the many real proofs of your affection and fidelity, in doing and &s;uffering for the Cau&s;e of God, gives unto us full per&s;wa&s;ions and confidence of your con&s;tancy for promoting thereof, till (by Gods ble&s;&s;ing upon the joynt endeavors of both Nations) Truth with a j<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t Peace (which is the highe&s;t of ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> de&s;ires) be &s;etled in all the Kingdoms: So do we conceive it &s;uit|able to your de&s;erts, and agreeable to the gratitude of this King|dom, to return you mo&s;t hearty thanks, and to a&s;&s;ure you, that all our Actions &s;hall witne&s;&s;e the candor and &s;incerity of our Inten|tions, and mo&s;t earne&s;t de&s;ires to embrace and improve all oppor|tunities, which may conduce to the pro&s;perity of your City, and te&s;tifie the Brotherly affection of</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your mo&s;t loving and faithful Friends, <HI>Crawford</HI> and <HI>Lind&s;ay,</HI> Pre&s;ident of Parliament.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE>St. <HI>Andrews,</HI> <DATE>27. <HI>Ian.</HI> 164<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">/<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</DATE></DATELINE>
<POSTSCRIPT>
<P><HI>For the Right Honorable, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-Councel of the Ci|ty of</HI> London.</P>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="14" REF="8">
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honorable and Reverend,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THe l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rge and abundant proof you have given now a long time of your &s;incerity, con&s;tancy, and unwearied painfulne&s;s in ad|vancing <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd &s;etling <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">he Affairs of Chri&s;t; together with your vigi|lancy and circum&s;pection, again&s;t every way de&s;tructive to the U|nity de&s;ired and intended in our Solemn League and Covenant, Re|mon&s;trated to us by the General A&s;&s;embly, and their Commi&s;&s;io|ners from time to time; As it doth comfort us in all the &s;ad &s;uf|ferings of this Land, &s;o &s;hall you receive the &s;weet reward of your toyl&s;om Labors in that Work &s;o acceptable to God; and thereby your Name &s;hall be famous to all Churches abroad, and your Memory gracious to Po&s;terity.</P>
<P>And although the Honorable Hou&s;es of Parliament in that King|dom, are exerci&s;ed with &s;uch difficulties as occa&s;ion the&s;e long de|lays of e&s;tabli&s;hing the Government of the Church, agreeable to the Word of God, and the be&s;t Reformed Churches; yet are we confident, that (by the ble&s;&s;ing of God upon the Endeavors of the Honorable Hou&s;es) their Wi&s;dom and Zeal will break through all difficulties and delays, for &s;etling that Government to our common joy, whereby the hearts of the Lords people fainting under lan|gui&s;hing expectation, may be comforted, the Adver&s;aries fru&s;trated of their vain hopes, deluding Errors &s;uppre&s;&s;ed, dangerous Schi&s;ms may be prevented, and gro&s;s prophanity, and every thing which is again&s;t the power of godline&s;s may be bani&s;hed away: for which, we have more fully repre&s;ented our mo&s;t earne&s;t de&s;ires to the Honorable Hou&s;es; and withal, do certifie our confidence and firm Re&s;olution by the Lords a&s;&s;i&s;tance from his Al-&s;ufficiency, That we &s;hall give con&s;tant and real Te&s;timony to our dear Bre|thren of <HI>England,</HI> and to all the world, who &s;hall impartially con|&s;ider our proceedings, that no difficulties, no dangers, nor &s;uffer|ings what&s;oever, &s;hall make us &s;werve from the mutual League and Covenant, nor from the active pro&s;ecuting the ends thereof, by all po&s;&s;ible and lawful means to the utmo&s;t of our power. We re&s;t,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your loving and faithful Friends, <HI>Crawford</HI> and <HI>Lind&s;ay.</HI> Pre&s;ident of Parliament.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE>St. <HI>Andrews,</HI> <DATE><HI>Feb.</HI> 3 164<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">/<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</DATE></DATELINE>
<POSTSCRIPT>
<P><HI>For the Right Honorable and Right Reverend, the A&s;&s;embly of Di|vines at</HI> We&s;tmin&s;ter.</P>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="15" REF="8">
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honorable and Reverend,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>YOur Letter of the 15. of <HI>Ianuary</HI> did refre&s;h us not a little; for therein we beheld (that which we al&s;o heard, by the par|ticular relation of the Right Honorable the Lord <HI>Chancellor,</HI> and the Lord <HI>Ware&s;ton,</HI> witne&s;&s;es of all) the Work of your Faith, the Labor of your Love, the Patience of your Hope, your Con&s;tancy in Well-doing, your Sympathy and Bowels of Love towards us your Beloved and Covenanted Brethren, your holy Zeal for the Lord, your Painfulne&s;&s;e and Diligence to have his Temple purged of all Errors and Schi&s;ms, and his Government e&s;tabli&s;hed and &s;etled on the right Foundation, your Watchfulne&s;&s;e to hold fa&s;t our Solemn League and Covenant, to entertain that Brotherhood and Unity between the Nations, to &s;hun every thing de&s;tructive thereof, and contrary thereunto: For all the lively and lovely Expre&s;&s;ions whereof we cannot but ble&s;&s;e the Lord, rejoyce in your behalf, and gather hopes of a very rare ble&s;&s;ing to en&s;ue up|on your faithful Labors.</P>
<P>We are confident that the Ma&s;ter-builder &s;hall appoint and re|ward your Work, and &s;trengthen your hearts and hands, that you &s;hall &s;ee with comfort the &s;weet fruits of all your pains, and tran&s;mit to Po&s;terity that which &s;hall make your Name to be had in everla&s;ting remembrance, and to &s;mell as a precious oyntment to after Ages. We are not ignorant with how many difficulties you are compa&s;&s;ed; but we tru&s;t, that your &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eking of the Lord &s;hall not be in vain; for not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of Ho&s;ts &s;hall the Mountains be made plain, and the Head &s;tone of the Building be brought forth with &s;hout|ings. Many go about to about to cut a&s;under the &s;taves of beauty and bonds, and to break the Brotherhood between <HI>Iudah</HI> and <HI>I&s;|rael;</HI> but ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord your God, who hath filled your hearts with a better Spirit, even his own Spirit, a Spirit of Wi&s;|dom and Under&s;tanding, a Spirit of Unity and Verity; the fruits and operations whereof, as they have been hitherto, &s;o we doubt not they &s;hall be hereafter manife&s;ted more and more in your con&s;tant care and endeavors with the Honorable Hou&s;es of Parliament, for e&s;tabli&s;hing the Government of the Church, con|form to the Word of God, and the be&s;t Reformed Churches, and for
<PB N="16" REF="9"> Churches, and for removing all Jealou&s;ies, and pre&s;erving entire Unity between the Kingdoms; which hath been, and ever &s;hall be among the chiefe&s;t of our de&s;ires and travels here.</P>
<P>We do and &s;hall rejoyce in all our undertakings, engagements, and &s;ufferings for you and with you, and are re&s;olved to &s;pend and be &s;pent for your good, for promoting and &s;etling the great Affairs of the Kingdom of our Lord among you, and for making his <HI>Ie|ru&s;alem</HI> a prai&s;e in the Earth, that all with one heart and one con|&s;ent may &s;erve and glorifie him in the Unity of Doctrine, Wor|&s;hip and Government. This is the &s;um of all our de&s;ires and de|&s;igns, which this Worthy Bearer the Lord <HI>Waryston</HI> can at great|er length make known unto you. Now unto our God who will perfect that which he hath begun, and ha&s;ten the day wherein all the Sons and Daughters of <HI>Iudah</HI> &s;hall rejoyce and cry with &s;houting, <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> is built, and <HI>Babylon</HI> is fallen. We recommend you and your Labors in this great Work.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Sub&s;cribed in Name and by Command of the Commi&s;&s;ion of the Ge|neral A&s;&s;embly, by Mr. <HI>Robert Dowglas,</HI> Moderator.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE>St. <HI>Andrews,</HI> <DATE>12. <HI>February,</HI> 1646/3.</DATE></DATELINE>
<POSTSCRIPT>
<P><HI>For the Right Honorable and Right Reverend, the A&s;|&s;embly of Divines at</HI> We&s;t|min&s;ter.</P>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="15" REF="9">
<HEAD>A Letter from the Generall A&s;&s;embly of the Kirk of <HI>Scotland,</HI> to both Hou&s;es of Parliament.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honorable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_THE report of the great things which the Lord has done for your honours, has gone forth into many Lands, and it becommeth us lea&s;t of any either to &s;mother or extenuate the &s;ame; Wee de|&s;ire to bee enlarged in the admiration of the power and mency of God the author, and to dimini&s;h nothing of that prai&s;e that is due unto you as in&s;truments. When the Lord &s;et your Honours upon the Bench of judgement, both the Kirk and Commonwealth of Eng|land were afflicted with inte&s;tine and bo&s;ome evils, the care where|of could not but be very difficult, becau&s;e they were not onely many, but for the mo&s;t part Univer&s;all and deeply rooted, &s;heltered under the &s;hadow of cu&s;tome and law, and &s;upported with all the wi&s;dome and &s;trength of the Malignant and Prelaticall party; who rather choo&s;ed to involve the Land in an unnaturall and blou|dy War, then to faile of their ambitious and treacherous de&s;ignes again&s;t Religion, the priviledges of Parliament, and the Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome. Neither hath that mi&s;erable crew been wanting unto their own ends, but for many yeares together hath de&s;perately pur&s;ued their re&s;olutions in Armes; And was like|ly to have prevailed, if the Lord had not put him&s;elfe in the breach, and furni&s;hed you with much patience, wi&s;edome, courage, and con&s;tancy in the mid&s;t of many difficulties and di&s;tre&s;&s;es, and at la&s;t
<PB N="16" REF="10"> with &s;o glorious and triumphing a &s;ucce&s;&s;e, that the Enemy hath fa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ne every where before you, and there is none left to appeare a|gain<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t you. The&s;e things as they be the matter of our refre&s;hment and of your glory, So doe they lay a &s;trong obligation upon your honours to walke humbly with your God, and to improve the power hee has put into your hands, for the advancement of the Kingdome of his Sonne, and bringing forth the head &s;tone of his hou&s;e. The &s;low progre&s;&s;e of the worke of God has alwayes beene the matter of our &s;orrow which is now encrea&s;ed by the multipli|cation of the &s;pirits of error and delu&s;ion, that drowne many &s;ouls in perdition, And &s;o &s;trengthen them&s;elves that they &s;hall afterward be laboured again&s;t, with more paines then &s;ucce&s;&s;e, if a &s;peedy and effectuall remedy be not provided. And therefore as the &s;ervants of the living God, who not onely &s;end up our &s;upplications dayly for you, but have hazarded our &s;elves in your defence; Wee doe earne&s;ty be&s;eech your Honours in the bowels of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, to give unto him the glory that is due unto his Name, by a timeous e&s;ta|bli&s;hing all his Ordinances in the full integrity and power thereof, according to the League and Covenant. As long as the A&s;&s;embly of Divines was in debate and an Enemy in the Fields, wee conceave that the&s;e might be probable grounds of delay, which being now removed out of the way, wee doe promi&s;e our &s;elves through your wi&s;dome, faithfulne&s;&s;e, and zeale, the perfecting of that which was the maine ground of our engagement, And a chiefe matter of con&s;ola<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ion unto us, in all our &s;ad and heavy &s;ufferings from the hand of a mo&s;t cruell Enemy. Wee know that there is a Generati|on of Men, who retard the worke of uniformity, and foment jea|lou&s;ies betwixt the Nations, &s;tudying if it were po&s;&s;ible, to breake our bonds a&s;under; But we tru&s;t that he that &s;itteth in the Heavens will laugh, and that the Lord will have them in deri&s;ion; that hee &s;hall &s;peake to them in his wrath, and vex them in his &s;ore di&s;plea|&s;ure; And notwith&s;tanding of all that they can doe, &s;et his King upon his holy Hill of Zion, and make the&s;e Nations happy in the &s;weet Fruits of Unity in Truth and Peace. The Searcher of hearts knowes, we de&s;ire to hold fa&s;t the band of our Covenant as Sacred and inviolable, being per&s;waded that the breach of &s;o &s;olemne a tie, could not but ha&s;ten downe upon our heads a cur&s;e and ven|geance
<PB N="17" REF="10"> from the righteous Judge of the World, and involve the&s;e Kingdomes in further calamities then they have yet &s;eene. And we abhorre to intertaine any other thoughts of you. Nay we are con|fident that your Honours will &s;eriou&s;ly endeavour the pro&s;ecution of all the&s;e ends de&s;igned in the Covenant, and the bringing the&s;e Nations unto the neere&s;t conjunction both in judgement and af|fection, E&s;pecially in tho&s;e things that concerne Religion, which without all controver&s;ie is the readie&s;t and &s;ure&s;t way of attain|ing and &s;ecuring the Peace and pro&s;perity of both Kingdomes.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Sub&s;cribed in the Name of the Generall A&s;&s;embly by the Moderator.</HI> Robert Blair <HI>Moderator.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE>Edinburgh <DATE>the 18 of <HI>Iune,</HI> 1646.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="18" REF="11">
<HEAD>18. <HI>June</HI> 1646. A Letter from the General a&s;&s;embly of the Kirk of <HI>Scotland</HI> To the Lord Major, Aldermen, and Com|mon Councell of the City of <HI>LONDON.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honourable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>YOur late and &s;ea&s;onable Te&s;timony given to the truth of the Go&s;pell, and your affection to the Peace of the King|doms, manife&s;ted in your humble Remon&s;trance and Pe|tion to the Honourable Hou&s;es of Parliament, hath &s;o re|vived the remembrance of your former faith and zeale, and pro|claimed you the worthy Seed of &s;o Noble Ance&s;tors in that famous City, as we cannot but acknowledge with all thankfulne&s;&s;e the grace of God be&s;towed on you, and &s;tirre you up to take notice, how &s;ince you were precious in the Lords &s;ight, you have been ever honourable. The Lord hath ever loved you, given men for you, and people for your life; what a honour was it in the dayes of old when the fire of the Lord was in Zion, and his furnace in your Je|ru&s;alem (even in Queen <HI>Maries</HI> dayes) that there were found in you, men that loved not their lives unto the death; what a glory
<PB N="19" REF="11"> in after times when Satan had his Throne, and Antichri&s;t his Seat in the mid&s;t of you, that there were &s;till found not a few that kept their garments cle<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ne: But the greate&s;t prai&s;e of the good hand of God upon you hath beene in this, that a mid&s;t the many mi&s;ts of Error and Here&s;ie, which have ri&s;en from the bottomle&s;&s;e pit, to be&s;pot the face and darken the glory of the Church, while the Bride is a making ready for the Lambe; you have held the truth, and mo&s;t piou&s;ly endeavoured the &s;etling of Chri&s;t upon his Throne. We need not remember how zealous you have been in the cau&s;e of God, nor how you have laid out your &s;elves and e&s;tates in the maintenance thereof, nor how many acknowledgements of the &s;ame, you have had from the honourable hou&s;es, nor how preti|ous a remembrance will be had of you in after ages, for your &s;elling of all to buy the pearle of price: We onely at this time doe admire and in the inward of our hearts doe ble&s;&s;e the Lord for your right and deepe apprehen&s;ions of the great and important matters of Chri&s;t in his Royall Crowne, and of the Kingdomes in their Uni|on, while the Lord maketh offer to bring our Ship (&s;o much af|flicted and to&s;&s;ed with tempe&s;t) to the &s;afe harbour of truth and peace. Right memorable is your zeale again&s;t Sects and Secturies, your care of reformation according to the word of God, and the example of the be&s;t reformed Churches, your earne&s;t endeavouring and noble adventures for pre&s;erving of the rights and priviledges of Parliament, and liberties of the Kingdomes, together with his Maje&s;ties ju&s;t power and greatne&s;&s;e, and your high profe&s;&s;ion, that it is not in the power of any hum<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ne authority to di&s;charge or ab|&s;olve you from adhereing unto that our &s;o &s;olemnely &s;worne League and Covenant, or to inforce upon you any &s;ence contrary to the letter of the &s;ame: be&s;ides your other good &s;ervices done to the Lord and to us, in &s;trengthning the hands of the reverend a&s;&s;em|bly of Divines, and of our Commi&s;&s;ioners in their a&s;&s;erting of the government of Chri&s;t (which the more it be tried will be ever found the more precious truth) and vindicating of the &s;ame from the u|&s;urpation of man and contempt of the wicked. The&s;e all as they are &s;o many te&s;timonies of your Piety, Loyalty, and undaunted re&s;olution to &s;tand for Chri&s;t; &s;o are they and &s;hall ever be, &s;o ma|ny obligations upon us your Brethren, to e&s;teeme highly of you in
<PB N="20" REF="12"> the Lord, and to beare you on our bre&s;ts before him night and day, and to contribute our be&s;t endeavours, and to improve all oppor|tunities for your encouragement. And now we be&s;eech you in the Lord, Honourable and wel-beloved, goe on in this your &s;trength and in the power of his might, who hath honoured you to be faithfull. Stand fa&s;t in the liberty wherewith Chri&s;t hath made you free, and in pur&s;uance of this truth, we are confident you will never cea&s;e to &s;tudy the peace and neerer conjunction of the Kingdoms; knowing that a three-fold cord is not ea&s;ily broken. Now the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elfe, and God even our Father which hath loved and honoured you, and given you everla&s;ting con&s;olation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and &s;tabli&s;h you in every good word and worke.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Sub&s;cribed in the name of the Generall A&s;&s;embly by the Moderator. <HI>Robert Blair</HI> Moderator.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>Edinburgh</HI> <DATE>the 18. of <HI>Iune,</HI> 1646.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="21" REF="12">
<HEAD>A Letter from the Generall a&s;&s;embly of the Kirk of <HI>Scotland</HI> to the A&s;&s;embly of Divines at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Much honoured, and Right reverend,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>AMong&s;t other fru<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ts of this our precious liberty, after &s;uch di&s;&s;ipation by &s;word and pe&s;tilence to meet againe, we ac|compt it not the lea&s;t to have the opportunity of making a publique declaration of our earne&s;t aff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ction to all our deare Brethren of that Nation, and e&s;pecially to your &s;elves of the Reverend A&s;&s;embly at We&s;tmin&s;ter, when we were lately in a very low condition, we may &s;ay that our owne &s;ufferings, and feares although embittered with the &s;en&s;e of the Lords di&s;plea&s;ure again&s;t our lukewarmene&s;&s;e and unfaithfulne&s;&s;e, did not &s;o take up our heart, but that roome was left to congratulate with the Lords people there in all their &s;ucce&s;&s;es, and to condole with them in all their dangers, and if at any time, any here hath &s;ee|med to be more jealous then Godly jealou&s;ie would allow, we know not how it can be imputed to any thing el&s;e, but to the ve|hemency of ardent affection and impatient de&s;ire to have our Bre|thren there, and us joyned nearer to Chri&s;t, and to one another in all his ordinances and e&s;pecially in Presbyteriall Government, &s;o well warranted by the word and approved by experience of our own and other reformed Churches, wherein your long and unwea|ried endeavours have been ble&s;&s;ed with a large increa&s;e, which yet hath proved a &s;eed, unto a further and more glorious expected harve&s;t. There cou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d not be wi&s;hed by mortall men a fairer op|portunity then is ca&s;t in your lap being invited and charged by &s;o high an authority, to give &s;o free and publique a te&s;timony of tho&s;e truths, which formerly many of the Lords p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ecious ones by tongue, and pen, by teares and blood have more privately a&s;&s;erted. The &s;malle&s;t of Chri&s;ts truths (if it be lawfull to call any of them
<PB N="22" REF="13"> &s;mall) is of greater moment then all the other bu&s;ine&s;&s;es that e|ver hath been deba<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed &s;ince the beginning of the world to this day; but the highe&s;t of honours and heavie&s;t of burthens is put upon you to declare out of the &s;acred records of divine truth what is the prerogative of the Crowne, and extent of the Scepter of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, what bounds are to be &s;et between him ruling in his hou&s;e, and powers e&s;tabli&s;hed by God on earth, how, and by whom, his hou&s;e is to be governed and by what wayes a re&s;traint is to be put on tho&s;e who would pervert his truth, and &s;ubvert the faith of ma|ny. No doubt mountaines of oppo&s;itions ari&s;e, and gulphs of d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ffi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ulties open up them&s;elves in this your way, but you have found, it is God that girdeth you with &s;trength and maketh your way perfect, and plaine before you, who hath delivered, and doth d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">liver, and will yet deliver; we need not put you in minde, that as there lieth at this time, a &s;trict tie on all, &s;o in a &s;peciall manner both you, and we are ingaged to interpo&s;e our &s;elves between God and the&s;e Kingdomes, between the two Nati<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ns, between the King and the People, for the averting of de&s;erved wrath, for con|tinuing and increa&s;ing a well grounded vnion, by procuring, &s;o farre as in us lyeth a right &s;etling of Religion and Church-govern|ment, that when we &s;hall &s;leep with our fathers, the po&s;terity here and abroad may be reaping the fruits of our labours.</P>
<P>Wee are fully a&s;&s;ured of your con&s;tant, and &s;edulous promo|ting of this ble&s;&s;ed worke; and of the Lords a&s;&s;i&s;ting, and carry|ing you on therein, and are confident that your late experience, and pre&s;ent &s;en&s;e, of the great danger and fearefull confu&s;ion, flo|wing from the ri&s;e, and growth of Sects and Sectaries not &s;uppre&s;|&s;ed, hath &s;tirred up in your hearts mo&s;t &s;ervent de&s;ires and care|full endeavours for remedying of the &s;ame, wherein we exhort you to continue and abound, knowing that your labours &s;hall not be in vaine in the Lord, to who&s;e rich grace we commend you and the worke in your hands.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Sub&s;cribed in the name of the Generall A&s;&s;embly. <HI>Robert Blair</HI> Moderator.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><DATE>27 <HI>June,</HI> 1646.</DATE> <HI>Edinburgh.</HI></DATELINE></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="13">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
