Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
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A75140
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An account of a paper, presented to the General Assembly, October 1690 Containing the complaints of many Presbyterian people, living in several shyres of Scotland. And novv a second time vvith additions offered to their consideration.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing A189A; ESTC R223505
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12,376
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10
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An Account of a PAPER presented to the GENERAL ASSEMBLY October 1690. Containing the Complaints of many Presbyterian People living in several Shyres of Scotland And novv a Second time vvith Additions offered to their Consideration AS Union in Truth and Duty is a great Mercy and Blessing and ought carefully to be intertained and maintained so Division is alwayes to be wearied of as a Misery and all lawful and honest Endeavours to be made use of for healing the Breach Of both these the Church of Scotland hath been partaker in a great measure Sometime indeed this Church was famous for Union and did share of the Blessings which usually attends such a happy Condition Nevertheless of late she hath been much rent with Divivisions and broken with Breaches caused by the sad Defections and Back-slidings wherein many of her Members in the late defyling and unhappy times were involved Against which we thought it our duty to bear Witness and Testimony by withdrawing from these guilty of and defending the same out of Love to them and that they â—ight be convinced and ashamed thereof But albeit we did withdraw from many Presbyterian Ministers whom notwithstanding we loved and reverenced involved in and defending several of these Defections seeing no other way left us in that broken and confused state of freeing our selves from partaking in 〈◊〉 thereof yet we never owned or looked upon it as a separation from the Church of Scotland or the Ministry thereof or so stated it as that we would never more Unite For as alwise we declared our willingness to joyn again when ever we could have the opportunity without Sin So of late we gave a demonstration thereof in applying to the General Assembly by offering to them a Paper containing our Complaints which we earnestly desired might be Heard and Redressed that so our Union after so long an interruption might be the more comfortable A brief account of the Management of which Paper followeth When it was known that there would be an Assembly it was judged requisite we should lay hold upon that opportunity to remonstrate and represent to them our Complaints and Grievances under which we had been groaning and seek Redress of the same and that these Defections and Corruptions might be condemned which had offended us and caused our withdrawing in the broken Case foresaid that so our Union might be with the greater comfort Upon which a Paper being drawn up it was brought to one of our General Meetings where it was agreed to the End all our Friends concerned therein might be throughly informed of the said Paper that Coppies should be written and shown to our Societies who might consider thereof and send two or three or moe of their number unto Edinburgh to Subscrive it in their Name According to which conclusion some Persons from several places of the Countrey came to Edinburgh where the Paper wâ—s subscribed by sundry Hands in name of many others The Tenor whereof followeth To the MODERATOR and Remnant Members of this Reverend GENERAL ASSEMBLY The COMPLAINTS and Humble PETITION of many Presbyterian People Living in several Shyres of Scotland SEEing the Lord in the riches of His infinite Mercy wherein He hath abounded towards this Generation in the late Revolution of Providence far beyond all possible Acknowledgements hath been pleased to grant at length this long wanting long wished and prayed for Priviledge of seeing a free General Assembly of Presbyterian Ministers gathered and fenced in the Name of our Lord JESUS We cannot dare not and must not omitt this Opportunity of Applying our selves thereunto for a Redress of these many long lasting Complaints and Grievances under which we have Groaned these many years The chiefest bitterest and most burdensome of which thô we have not wanted our share of other Burdens and Afflictions very heavy hath been and yet remains to be even in this plenty our scarcity and famine of Gospel Ordinances wherein we have languished of a long time sighing over our silent Sabbaths as Sheep scattered without a Shepherd fainting for hunger at the head of every Street and panting after the green Pastures and pleasant Water-brooks of the Preached Gospel And yet scarred and made to stand aloof from it by the Stumblings Tentations Defections and Divisions of these unhappy times past Which as it hath been our greatest sorrow so no comfort on this side Heaven could be so desireable as to re-enjoy and recover again access with clearness to pure and powerful Gospel Ordinances without which we shall never have a pleasant day in the greatest abundance of all our outward peace It was truely Right Reverend a Reproach upon us most heavy to bear that we were called Despisers of the Gospel and of the Ministry thereof which yeâ— so far as we had clearness and access we sought after and followed even upon the hazard of our Lives so earnestly that no terror of Persecuters could drive us from the pursute of it And nothing moved us to withdraw from these Ministers who reckoned themselves rejected by us whom nevertheless we loved and respected and do highâ—â— love and reverence but their sad Involvements in the Defections of the late defyling and unhappy times seeing no other may left us in that broken state of keeping up a Testimony against the same and 〈◊〉 our selves from partaking in the six thereof but that abstraction in these circumstances which we never looked upon as a Separation from the Reformed covenanted Church of Scotland as is more fully shewed in our Informatory Vindication which we here Homologate but only from the Defections Sins of which many of her Members were guilty and not that we should never Vnite more upon any Conditions For Schism is and ever was equally hateful to us as sinful Vnion and we are now and alwise were most desireous to Joyn again in terms most pleasing to the LORD edifying to the Church and satisfying to our Consciences We are not for imposing Terms giving Directions or prescribing Rules to Ministers more than we are to be imposed upon and implicitely led by them yet seeing People are allowed of the LORD sometimes in sobriety to say to Archippus Take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the LORD and fulfill it And when Offences are given by Ministers it is Peoples Priviledge to plead for the removing of them in a Christian way to the satisfaction of the offended Party We humbly conceive in order to the removal of the many offences given and taken in this our day in order to our comfortable Reconciliation together and that we may be reconciled to the LORD and His Wrath turned away that Confessing Foresaking and Condemning the Courses that have been so offensive is very necessary And seing in merciful Providence there is a Door opened whereby ye have access and capacity to fall about Building the Temple of the Lord cleansing it from these â—â—â—â—â—nesses wherewith in times of Defection bygone it hath been defiled