TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTY THE HUMBLE PETITION OF THE COMMISSIONERRS of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland met at Edenborough Ianuary 4. 1642. And now lately presented to His Majesty At OXFORD WITH HIS MAIESTIES Gratious Answer thereunto March 16. 1642. Printed by His MAjESTIES Command at OXFORD March 20. By LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the Vniversity 1642. TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTIE The humble Petition of the Commissioners of the generall Assembly of the Kirk of SCOTLAND met at Edenborough Ian. 4. 1643. OVr silence and ceasing to present before your Majesty our humble thoughts and desires at this time of common danger to Religion to your Maiesties sacred person your Crowne and Posterity and to all your Majesties Dominions were impiety against God unthankefulnesse and disloyalty against your Majesty and indirect approbation and hardning of the Adversaries of truâ—h and peace in their wicked wayes and cruelty against our brethren lying in such depths of affliction and anguish of spirit Any one of which crimes were in us above all others unexcusable and would prove us most unworthy of the trust committed unto us The flame of this common combustion hath almost devoured Ireland is now wasting the Kingdom of England and we cannot tell how soone it shall enter upon our selves set this your Majesties most ancient native Kingdom on fire If in this wofull case lamentable condition of your Majesties Dominions al others should be silent it behoveth us to speake and if our Tongues and Penns should cease our Consciences within us would cry out and the stones in the streets would answer us Our great griefe and apprehension of danger is not a little increased partly by the insolency and presumption of Papists and others disaffected to the Reformation of Religion who although for their number and power they be not considerable amongst us yet through the successe of the Popish party in Ireland and the hopes they conceive of the prevailing power of Popish Armies and the Prelaticall Faction in England they have of late taken spirit and begun to speak big words against the Reformation of Religion and the work of God in this Land and partly and more principally that a chiefe praise of the Protâ—…ant Religion and thereby our not vaine but just gloriation is by the publique Declaration of the Earle of Newcastle Generall of Your Majesties Forces for the Northerne parts and nearest unto us transferred unto Papists Who although they be sworn Enemies unto Kings and be as infamous for their treasons and Conspiracies against Princes and Rulers as for their knowne Idolatry and spirituall Tyranny yet are they openly declared to be not onely good Subjects or better Subjects but farre better Subjects then Protestants which is a new and foule disparagement of the reformed Religion a notable injury to your Majesty in your honor a sensible reflection upon the whole body of this Kingdome which is impatient that any subjects should be more loyal then they but abhorreth extreamly disdaineth that Papists who refuse to take the Oath of Allegiance should be compared with them in allegiance fidelity which being a strange Doctrine from the mouth or pen of professed Protestants wil suffer a hard construction from al thereformed Kirks Wee therefore Your Majesties most humble and loving Subjects upon these and the like considerations doe humbly intreat that Your Majesty may be pleased in Your Princely wisedome First to consider that the intentions of Papists directed by the principles of their Profession are no other then they have beene from the beginning even to build their Babell and to set up their execrable Idolatry and Antichristian Tyranny in all Your Majesties Dominions to change the face of your two Kingdoms of Scotland and England into the similitude of miserable Ireland which is more bitter to the People of God your Majesties good Subjects to thinke upon then death and whatsoever their present pretences be for the desence of Your Majesties Person and Authority yet in the end by their Armes and Power with a displayed Banner to bring that to passe against Your Royall Person and Posterity which the fifth of November never to be forgotten was not able by their subtill and undermining treason to produce or which will be their greatest mercy to reduce Your Majesty and Your Kingdomes to the base and unnaturall slavery of their Monarch the Pope And next that Your Majesty upon this undeniable evidence may timously and speedily apply your Royall Authority for disbanding their Forces suppressing their power and disappointing their bloody and mercilesse projects And for this end we are with greater earnestnesse then before constrained to fall downe againe before your Majesty and in all humility to renew the supplication of the late generall Assembly and our owne former Petition in their name for unity of Religion and for uniformity of Church government in all your Majesties Kingdomes to this effect for a meeting of some Divines to be holden in England unto which according to the desire of your Majesties Parliament some Commissioners may be sent from this Kirke that in all points to be proponed and debated there may be the greater consent and harmony Wee take the boldnesse to be the more instant in this our humble desire because it concerneth the Lord Jesus Christ so much in his glory your Majestie in your Honour the Kirke of England which wee ought to tender as our owne bowells and whose reformation is more deare unto us then our lives in her happinesse and the Kirke of Scotland in her purity and peace former experience and daily sense teaching us that without the reformation of the Kirk of England there is no hope or possibility of the continuance of reformation here The Lord of Heaven and Earth whose Vice-gerent Your Majesty is calleth for this great worke of Reformation at Your hands and the present commotions and troubles of your Majesties Dominions are either preparation in the mercy of God for this blessed reformation and Unity of Religion which is the desire prayer and expectation of all Your Majesties good Subjects in this Kingdom or which they tremble to think upon and earnestly deprecate are in the Justice of God for the abuse of the Gospell the tolerating of Idolatry and superstition against so cleare a light and not acknowledging the day of visitation the beginning of such a dolefull desolation as no policy or power of man shall be able to prevent and as shall make Your Majesties Kingdomes within a short time as miserable as they may be happy by a reformation of Religion God forbid that whilst the Houses of Parliament doe professe their desire of the reformation of religion in a peaceable and Parliamentary way and passe their Bills for that end in the particulars that Your Majesty the Nurse-Father of the Kirk of Christ to whose care the custody and vindication of religion doth principally belong shall to the provoking of the
anger of God the stopping of the influence of so many blessings from Heaven and the grieving of the hearts of all the godly frustrate our expectation make our hopes ashamed and hazard the losse of the hearts of all Your good Subjects which next unto the truth and unity of religion and the safety of Your Kingdomes are willing to hazzard their lives and spend their bloud for Your Majesties Honour and Happinesse We are not ignorant that the worke is great the difficulties and impediments many and that there be both Mountaines and Lions in the way the strongest leâ— till it be taken out of the way is the Mountaine of Prelacy and no wonder if Your Majesty consider how many Papists and Popishly affected have for a long time found Peace and ease under the shadow thereof how many of the Prelaticall Faction have thereby their life and being how many prophane and wordly men doe feare the yoake of Christ and are unwilling to submit themselves to the obedience of the Gospell and how many there be whose eyes are dazled with the externall pompe and glory of the Kirke whose mindes are miscarried with a conceipt of the governing of the Kirke by the rules of humane policy and whose hearts are affrighted with the apprehensions of the dangerous consequences which may ensue upon alterations But when Your Majesty in Your Princely and Religious Wisedome shall remember from the Records of former times how against the gates of Hell the force and fraude of worldly and wicked men and all Panicke feares of danger the Christian Religion was first planted and the Christian Kirke thereafter reformed and from the condition of the present times how many from the experience of the tyranny of Prelates are afraid to discover themselves lest they be revenged upon them hereafter whereas Prelacy being removed they would openly professe what they are and joyne with others in the way of Reformation All obstacles and difficulties shall be but matter of the manifestation of the power of God the principall worker and the meanes of the greater glory to Your Majesty the prime instrument The intermixture of the Government of Prelates with the civill state mentioned in Your Majesties Answer to our former Petition being taken away and the right government by Assemblies which is to bee seene in all the reformed Kirkes and wherein the agreement will be easie being settled the Kirke and Religion will be more pure and free of mixture and the civil Government more sound and firme that government of the kirk must suit best with the civill state and be most usefull for Kings and Kingdoms which is best warranted by God by whom Kings doe raigne and Kindomes are established Nor can a reformation be expected in the common and ordinary way expessed also in Your Majesties Answer the wisest and most religious Princes have found it impossible and implying a repugnancy since the Persons to be reformed and the reformers must be divers and the way of reformation must be different from the corrupt way by which defection of workemen and corruption in Doctrine worship and government have entred into the Kirke Suffer us therefore dread Soveraigne to renew our Petitions for this unity of religion and uniformity of Kirke government and for a meeting of some Divines of both Kingdomes who may prepare matters for Your Majesties view and for the examination and approbation of more full assemblies The Nationall assembly of this Kirke from which we have our Commission did promise in their thnkesgiving for the many favours expressed in Your Majesties Letter their best endeavour to keepe the people under their charge in unity and peace and in Loyalty and obedience to Your Majesty and Your Lawes which we confesse is a duty well beseeming the Preachers of the Gospell But we cannot conceale how much both Pastors and People are grieved and disquieted with the late reports of the successe boldnesse and strength of Popish forces in Ireland and England and how much danger from the power of so malicious and bloudy Enemies is apprehended to the Religion and Peace of this Kirke and Kingdome conceived by them to be the spring whence have issued all their calamities and miseries Which we humbly remonstrate to Your Majesty as a necessity requiring a generall Assembly and do earnestly supplicate for the presence and assistance of Your Majesties Commissioner at the day to be appointed that by universall consent of the whole Kirke the best course may be taken for the preservation of Religion and for the averting of the great wrath which they conceive to be imminent to this Kingdom If it shall please the Lord in whose hand is the heart of the King as the rivers of waters to turne it whither soever he will to incline Your Majesties heart to this through reformation no more to tolerate the Masse or any part of romish superstition or tyranny and to command that all good meanes be used for the conversion of Your Princely Consort the Queenes Majesty which is also the humble desire of this whole Kirke and Kingdom Your Joynt comforts shall be multâ—plyed above the dayes of Your affliction to Your incredible joy Your glory shall shine in brightnesse above all Your royall Progenitors to the admiration of the world and the terror of Your Enemies and Your Kingdomes so farre abound in righteousnesse Peace and Prosperity above all that hath beene in former Generations that they shall say it is good for us that wee have beene afflicted His Majesties Answer to a late Petition presented unto Him by the hands of Alexander Henderson from the Commissioners of the generall Assembly of the Church of Scotland WEE received lately a Petition from you by the hands of Mr. Alexander Henderson To the which We intended to have given an answer as soone as Wee had transacted the businesse with the other Commissioners addressed to us from the Conservators of the Treaty of that our Kingdom But finding the same to be published in Print and to be dispersed throughout Our Kingdom to the great danger of Scandalling of Our well-affected Subjects who may interpret the bitternesse and sharpenesse of some Expressions not to be so agreeable to that regard and Reverence which is due to our Person and the matter it selfe to be reproachfull to the honour and constitution of this Kingdom We have beene compelled the more strictly to examine as well the Authority of the Petitioners as the matter of the Petition it selfe and to publish Our opinion of both that Our Subjects of both Kingdomes may see how equally just and sensible We are of the Lawes and Honour of both Our Kingdomes And first upon perusall of the Petition We required to see the Commission by which the messenger who brought this Petition or the persons who sent him are qualified to intermedle in Affaires so forraigne to their Jurisdiction and of so great concernment to this Our Kingdom of England Vpon Examination whereof and in defence of
the Lawes and Government of this Our Kiingdom which We are trusted and sworn to defend We must professe that the Petitioners or the generall Assembly of Our Church of Scotland have not the least Authority or Power to intermeddle or interpose in the Affaires of this Kingdome or Church which are setled and established by the proper Lawes of this Land and till they be altered by the same competent power cannot be enveighed against without a due sence of Vs and this Nation much lesse can they present any advice or Declaration to Our Houses of Parliament against the same or to that purpose to send any letters as they have now done to any Ministers of Our Church here who by the Lawes of this Land cannot correspond against the same Therefore We doe believe that the Petitioners when they shall consider how unwarranted it is by the Lawes of that Kingdom and how contrary it is to the Lawes of this to the professions they have made to each other and how becomming in it selfe for them to require the ancient happy and established government of the Church of England to be altered and conformed to the Laws and constitutions of another Church will find themselves misled by the information of some factious persons here who would willingly ingage the Petitioners to foment a difference and division betweene the two Kingdomes which We have with so much care and industry endeavoured to prevent not having labour'd more to quench the combustion in this Kingdom then We have to hinder the like from either devouring Ireland or entring into Scotland which if all others will equally labour will undoubtedly be avoyded But We cannot so easily passe over the mention of Ireland being mov'd to it by scandalous Aspersions that have bin often cast upon Vs upon that Subject and the use that hath bin made of the woefull distractions of that Kingdom as of a Seminary of feares and jealousies to beget the like distraction in this and which least they may have farther influence Wee are the more willing to make Our Innocence appeare in that particular When first that horrid Rebellion began Wee were in Our Kingdome of Scotland and the sense We had then of it the expressions We made concerning it the Commissions together with some other Assistance We sent immediatly into that kingdome and the instant Recommendation We made of it to both Our Houses of Parliament in England are known to all persons of quality there and then about Us. After Our return into England Our ready concurring to all the desires of both Houses that might most speedily represse that Rebellion by passing the Bill of pressing and in it a clause which quitted a Right challenged by all and enjoyed by many of Our Predecessors by parting with Our Rights in the Lands escheated to Us by that Rebellion for the encouragement of Adventurers by emptying of Our Magazines of Armes and Ammunition for that service which We have since needed for Our necessary defence and preservation by consenting to all Bills for the raysing of mony for the same though containing unusuall Clauses which trusted both Houses without Vs with the matter of disposing it Our often pressing both Houses not to neglect that Kingdom by being diverted by Considerations and Disputes lesse concerning both Kingdomes Our offer of raising 10000. Voluntiers to bee sent thither and our severall Offers to engage Our own Royall Person in the suppression of that horrid rebellion are no lesse known to all this Nation then Our perpetuall earnestnesse by our Forraign Ministers to keep all manner of supplies from being transported for the reliefe of the Rebells is known to severall neibouring Princes Which if all Our Subjects will consider and withall how many of the men and how much of the money raised for that end and how much Time Care and Industry have been diverted from that employment and imployed in this unnaturall War against Vs the true cause of the present misery and want which Our Brittish Armies there doe now endure they will soon free Vs from al those Imputations so scandalously and groundlesly laid upon us and impute the continuance of the Combustion of that miserable Kingdom the danger it may bring upon our Kingdoms of England and Scotland and the beginning of this dolefull desolation to those who are truly guilty of it For unity in Religion which is desired We cannot but answer That We much apprehend least the Papist may make some advantage of that expression by continuing that scandall with more Authority which they have ever heretofore used to cast upon the Reformation by interpreting all the differences in Ceremony Government or indifferent opinions between severall Protestant Churches to be differences in Religion And least our good Subjects of England who have ever esteemed themselves of the same Religion with you should suspect themselves to be esteemed by you to bee of a contrary And that the Religion which they and their Ancestors have held ever since the blessed Reformation and in and for which they are resolved to dye is taxed and branded of Falsehood or Insufficiency by such a desire For uniformity in Church Government We conceiv'd the Answer formerly given by Vs to the former Petition in this argument would have sâ—tisfied the Petitioners and is so full that We can adde little to it viz. That the Government here established by the lawes hath so neer a relation and intermixture with the Civill State which may be unknown to the Petitioners that till a composed disgested forme be presented to us upon a free debate of both Houses in a Parliamentary way whereby the consent and approbation of this whole Kingdome may be had and Wee and all Our Subjects may discerne what is to be left in or brought in as well as what is to be taken away We know not how to consent to any alteration otherwise then to such an Act for the case of tender Consciences in the matter of Ceremonies as We have often offered and that this and any thing else that may concerne the Peace of the Church and the Advancement of Gods true Religion may be soberly discussed and happily effected We have formerly offered and are still willing that debates of that nature may be enterd into by a Synod of Godly and Learned Divines to be regularly chosen according to the Laws and Customes of this Kingdom To which We shall be willing that some learned Divines of our Church of Scotland bee likewise sent to be present and offer and debate their Reasons With this Answer the Petitioners had great reason to acquisce without enlarging the matter of their former Petition onely with bitter expressions against the Established Governement and Laws of their neighbour Nation as if it were contrary to the word of God with whom they have so lately entred into a strict Amity and Friendship But We cannot enough wonder that the Petitioners should interpose themselves not only as fit Directors and Judges between Us and
Our two Houses of Parliament in Businesse so wholly concerning the Peace and Governement of this Our Kingdome and in a matter so absolutely entrusted to Us as what new Laws to consent or not to consent to But should assume and publish That the desire of Reformation in this Kingdome is in a peaceable and Parliamentary way When all the World may know That the proceedings here have beene and are not only contrary to all the rules and precedents of former Parliaments but destructive to the Freedome Priviledge and Dignity of Parliaments themselues That We were first driven by tumults for the safety of Our life from Our Cities of London and Westminster and have been since pursued fought withall and are now kept from thence by an Army raysed as is pretended by the two Houses which consist not of the fourth part of the number they ought to doe the rest being either driven from thence by the same violence or expelld or imprisoned 〈◊〉 not consenting to the Treasons and unheard of Insolencies practised against Us And if the Petitioners could believe these proceedings to be in a peaceable Parliamentary way they were very unacquainted with the Order and constitution of this Kingdome and not so fit instruments to promote that Reformation and Peace they seeme to desire We cannot beleeve the Intermixture of the present Ecclesiasticall Government with the Civill State to be other then a very good reason and that the government of the Church should be by the rules of humane policy to be other then a very good rule unlesse some other government were as well proved as pretended to be better warranted by God Of any Bills offerd Us for Reformation Wee shall not not now speake they being a part of those Articles upon which We have offered and expect to Treat But cannot but wonder by what authority you prejudg Our Judgment herein by denouncing Gods anger upon Us and Our hazard of the losse of the hearts of all Our good Subjects if We consent not unto them The influence of so many blessings from heaven upon the regns of Queen Elizabath and Our father of blessed memory and the acknowledgment of them by all Protestant Churches to have been carefull Nurses of the Church of Christ and to have excellently discharged their duties in the custody and vindication of Religion and the affection of their Subjects to them doe sufficiently assure Vs that We should neither stop the influence of such Blessings nor grieve the hearts of all the godly nor hazard the losse of the hearts of Our good Subjects although Wee still maintain in this Kingdom the same establisht Ecclesiasticall government which flourisht in their times and under their speciall Protection Wee doubt not but Our Subjects of Scotland will rest aboundantly satisfied with such alterations in their owne Church as We have assented unto and not be perswaded by a meer Assertion that there is no hope of the continuance of what is there setled by Law unlesse that be likewise altered which is setled here And Our Subjects of England will never depart from their dutifull affection to Uâ— for not consenting to new Laws which by the law of the Land they know We may as justy reject if We approve not of them as either House hath power to prepare for or both to propound to Vs. Nor are you a little mistaken if either you believe the generality of this Nation to desire a change of Church-government or that most of those who desire it desire by it to introduce that which you onely esteeme a Reformation but are as unwilling to what you call the yoke of Christ and obedience to the Gospell as those whom you cal prophane and worldly men and so equally averse both to Episcopacy and Presbytery that if they should prevaile in this particular the abolition of the one would be no let to the other nor would your hearts be lesse grieved your expectations lesse frustrated your hopes lesse ashamed or your Reformation more secured And the Petitioners upon due consideration will not find themselves lesse mistaken in the government of all the Reformed Churches which they say is by Assemblies then they are in the best way of a Reformation which sure is best to be in a common and ordinary way where the passion or interest of particular men may not impose upon the publique but alteration be then only made when upon calme Debates and evident and cleare Reason and convenience the same shall be generally consented to for the peace and security of the people and those who are trusted by the Law with such debates are not divested of that trust upon a generall charge of corruptions pretended to have entred by that way and of being the persons to be reformed and so unfit to be Reformers And certainly the like Logicke with the like charges and pretences might be us'd to make the parliament it selfe ano incapable Iudge of any Reformation either in Church or State For the generall Expressions in the Petition against Papists in which the Petitioners may be understood to charge Vs with complyance and favour even to their opinions We have taken all occasion to publish to the world Our practice and Resolution in the true Protestant Reformed Religion and we are verily perswaded there is no one Subject in either of Our Dominions who at all knowes Vs and hath observed Our Life but is in his Soule satisfied of Our Zeale and unremoveable Affection to that Religion and of Our true dislike of and hearty oposition to popery And as we willingly câ—nsented at our being in Scotland to all Acts proposed to Vs for the discountenancing and Reforming the Papists in that our Kingdome so by Our Proclamations for the putting of all Lawes severally in execution against Recusants and by not refusing any one Bill presented to Vs to that purpose in this Kingdome and by Our perpetuall and publique professions of Readinesse with the Advice of Our two Houses of Parliament prepared for Vs in a deliberate and orderly way to find some expedition to perfect so good a work Or conceiv'd we had not left it possible for any man to believe Vs guilty of tolerating any part of the Romish Tyranny or Supeâ—stition or to suspect that the Conversion of Our dearest Consort was not so much Our desire that the Accession of as many Crownes as God hath already bestowed upon us would be more welcome to us then that day A Blessing which it is Our daily prayer to the Almighty to bestow upon Vs. But We might well have expected from the Petitioners who have in their solemne Nationall Covenant literally sworne so much Care of the safety of Our Person and cannot but know in how much danger that hath bin and still is by the power and threats of Rebellious Armes that they would as well have remembred the 23. of October as the 5. of November and as well have taken notice of the Army raised and led against Vs by the Earle of Essex which hath actually assaulted and endeavoured to murther Vs which Wee know to abound in Brownists Anabaptists and other Sectaries and in which Wee have reason by the prisoners We have taken and the Evidence they have given to believe there are many more Papists and many of those forraigners then in all Our Army as have advised Vs to disband out of the Army of the Earle of New-castle which is raised for Our defence the papists in that Army who are known to be no such number as to endanger their obtaining any power of building their Babell and setting up their Idolatry and whose Loyalty he hath reason to commend though hee was never suspected for favouring their Religion not before that of Protestants but of such as rebell under that Title And whose assistance is as due to us by the Law of God and Man to rescue Vs from domestique Rebellion as to defend Vs from forraigne invasion which We thinke no man denies to be lawfull for them to doe But We doe solemnly declare and protest That God shall no sooner free Vs from the desperate and rebellious Armes taken up against Vs but We shall endeavour to free Our selves and Kingdome from any feare of danger from the other by disarming them according to the Lawes of this Land as We shall not faile to send Our Commissioner to the Assembly at the time appointed for it by the Lawes of Scotland To conclude We desire and require the Petitioners as becomes good and pious Preachers of the Gospell to use their utmost endeavours to compose any distraction in opinions or misunderstandings which may by the Faction of some turbulent persons be raised in the mindes of Our good Subjects of that Our Kingdom and to infuse into them a true sence of Charity Obedience and Humility the great principles of Christian Religion That they may not suffer themselves to bee transported with things they doe not understand or think themselves concerned in the Governmenn of another Kingdom because it is not according to the customes of that in which they live But that they dispose themselves with modesty and devotion to the service of Almighty God with duty and affection to tue obedience of Vs and Our Lawes remembring the singular Grace Favour and Benignity We have alwaies expressed to that Our Native Kingdom and with Brotherly and Christian Charity one towards another And We doubt not but God in his mercy to Vs and them will make Vs Instruments of his Blessings upon each other and both of Us a great measure of Happinesse and Prosperity to the whole Nation FINIS