Answers to the Replies of Aberdeen, Answer 14
To the fourteenth.
IF the words of the Covenant bee plaine, concerning the meere forbearance, & speake nothing of the vnlawfulnes, no man's thoughts can make a change. 2. By this Reply ye wrong your selves, in forging from the words of the Covenant, impediments, and drawing stumbling blocks in your own way to hinder your Subscription; yee wrong the subscribers, in changing the state of the question, & in making a divorce betwixt Religion and the Kings Authority, which the Covenant joyneth together. hand in hand: and, most of all, ye wrong the Kings Majestie, in bringing him upō the Stage, before his subjects, in whose minds ye wold beget, & breed susspitions, of opposing the Trueth, of making innovation of Religion, & of dealing with his subjects contrary to his laws & Proclamations & cotrary to the Oath at his Coronation. We are not here seeking inscitiae foreign, or a starting hole of ignorance, or the smalllest disloyalty of affection; but would willingly decline that for the present, which neither his Majesties wisdome, nor the prudence of Statesmen: nor the modestie of good Subjects, will allow you or us to dispute. The Crowns and Scepters of Kings would be more tenderlie tonched, than the ordinarie Subjects of Schoole Disputes. The naked naming, & bare rpoposall of certaine suppositions, such (as some are made by you) cannot but reflex upon Authoritie, & sound harsh in the eares of all his Majesties good Subjects who wish, he may long and prosperously reigne over us. 3. His Majesties most honourable privie Counsell, hath proven more fauourable to this cause, of maintaining the reformed Religion, than many Pastors, whom by reason of their place & Calling, it beeseemed to goe before others; & altho according to their wonted custome, they gave warrant, to make his Majesties Proclamation, yet on good grounds remonstrated unto them by the Supplicants, they willinglie refused their Approbation, therof; hoping that his Majestie should be moved to give greater satisfaction thereafter: and this is not our saying, but a publicke doing, before many honourable witnesses; of which number, some were directed unto you, whose report yee have no reason to call in question. 4, It becommeth us, to judge charitably of the intentions of our Superiors; but most of all, of the Intentions of our dread Soveraigne. Yet if that hold good which the Supplicants have offred to prove, that the Service booke, & Canons, containe a reall innovation of Religion wee must judge otherwise, de conditione operis, of the matters contained in the book than de intentione operant is, of his Majesties intention; altho the inten tion of the Prelats & their associats, the Authors and Contrivers of the Bookes be most justly suspected by us. 5. It is no delight to us, and can bee but small comfort to you, to mention the wrongs, which by you are done to us all who have joyned in this Couenant, & doe adhere to the Religion as it was reformed in this Land; in your estimation and wrytings, we are rebellious perjured, hereticks. schismaticks, blind guides, seducers, miserable interpreters, ignorants: shall such men as these bee your reverend Brethren? Is this your meeknesse & charitie? Is this the duetie ye expect from us? But setting these aside, yee have wronged us, in with-holding your hand and helpe from so good a Cause, of purging Religion, & reforming the Kirke from so many grosse Abuses, and opposing all those who have modestlie laboured for Reformation Your speaches in private, in your chambers, beds of sicknes, & in your missives, & in publicke, at tables and in Synods, which are come to our knowledge; wee wish rather should be remembred, & repented of, by your selves, than bee recited by us, who desire not to work you any trouble. 6. Altho there be a perpotuall harmonie betwixt the Word and Workes of GOD, sarre contrarie to that which wee find to bee amongst the children of men; yet often it commeth to passe, that the Word and Warnings of GOD, which we heare with our eares, are not believed, till we behold with our eyes, the plaine Commentaries thereof, in his Works. Many Proofs and notable Documents have beene observed of the Finger of GOD, in the Worke in hand, the Characters of the gaeat Workes of GOD'S, more than ordinarie Providence, since the beginning, are legible heere. Then did the LORD bgin this work, when the Adversaries were raised to a great hight, and become intolerably insolent. The beginnings were small, and in the eyes of the world contemptible; such as use to bee the beginnings not of the works of men, but of the magnificke Works of GOD: the power of GOD sensible in the hearts of many, & manifested by the joy; the tearesand cryes of many thousands, at the solemne renewing of this Covenant, hath beene a matter of admiration and amazement, never to bee forgotten, to many wise and ancient Pastors and Professors, who did also finde an unwonted flame, warming their owne breasts; the plots and workings of the adversary, have wroug… against their own projects, & have served …or our endes, m…e than all that have beene thought, or done by our selves, that wee may justly say, what they devysed, for evill, the LORD hath turned to good: manie thousands conveened, diverse times, in one place, have beene kept in such order & quyetnesse, without the smallest trouble, in such sobernesse & temperance, without excesse or riot, that hardly can History furnish a Paralell, & what effectes there bee already throughout the Land, of Pietie in domestick worship, in observing the exercises of Religion. in publick, of sobernesse in dyet and appatrell, & of righteousnesse and concord, wee trust shall be sensible by the Blessings of GOD upon us, and shall be examplarie to the Posteritie, These wee present unto you, and unto all, as a Commentary, written by the LORD'S owne hand; wishing againe, that neither yee nor others, bee sound fighting against GOD, Who so is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindnes of the Lord. Psal 107. 43. Lord; when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see but they shall see, & hee ashamed for their envy at the people. Is. 26. 11.
Master Alexander Henderson, Minister at Leuchars. Master David Dickson, Minister at Irwin.
End of the text · Alexander Henderson, Answers to the Replies of Aberdeen (1638)