Useful Case of Conscience, Letter – Document 2
TO THE RIGHT REVEREND, The Commission of the GENERALL ASSEMBLY.
My very Reverend and dear Brethren,
ALthough the LORDS hand detaineth me from attending Your meetings, yet as long as I can write or speak, I dar not be silent, no… conceal my thoughts of any sinfull and dangerous course in the publick proceedings. Having therefore heard of some motions and beginnings of complyance with those who have been so deeply engaged in a War distructive to Religion, and the Liberties of the Kingdomes; I cannot but discharge my conscience in giving a Testimony against all such complyance. I know, and am perswaded, that all the faithfull Witnesses that gave Testimony to the Thesis, that the late Engagement was contrary and distructive to the Covenant, will also give Testimony to the Appendi…: That complyance with any who have beene active in that Engagement is most sinfull and unlawfull. I am not able to expresse all the evils of that complyance, they are so many; Sure I am, it were a hardening of the malignant Party, a wounding of the hearts of the Godly; a infinite wronging of those who from their affection to the Covenant and Cause of GOD, have taken their life in their hand; A great scandall to our Brethren of England, who as they have been strengthened and encouraged by the hearing of the zeal and integrity of the well affected in this Kingdome, and how they opposed the late Engagement: So they would be as much scandalized to hear of a complyance with malignants now. Yea, all that hear of it might justly stand amazed at us, and look on us as a people insatuated, that can take in our besome the fiery Serpents that have slung us so sore.
But above all, that which would heighten this sin even to the he…vens, is this, That it were not only a horrible backsliding, but a backsliding into that very sin which was specially pointed at, and punished by the prevalencie of the malignant Party: GOD justly making them thornes and scourges who was taken in as Friends, without any reall evidence or fruits of Repentance. Alas, shall we split twise upon the same Rock, yea, run upon it, when GOD hath set a Beacon on it; Shall we be so demented as to fall back into the same sin, which was ingraven with great letters in our late judgement; Yea, I may say, shall wee thus out-face and out-dare the Almighty by protecting his and our enemies, when he is persecuring them, by making Peace and friendship with them when the anger of the LORD is burning against them, by setting them on their feet, when GOD hath cast them down; Oh shall neither Judgements nor Deliverances make us wise; I must here apply to our present condition, the words of Ezra. And after all this is come upon us for our evill deels, and for our great trespasse, seeing that thou our GOD hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve, and hath given us such deliverance as this: Should we again break thy Commandements and joyne in affinititie with the people of these abominations; Wouldest thou not be angry with us, till thou bast consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? O happy Scotland if thou canst now improve aright and not abuse this golden opportunitie, but if thou wilt help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord, wrath upon wrath, and wo upon wo shall be upon thee from the Lord.
This Testimony of a dying Man, (who expects to stand shortly before the Tribunall of Christ) I leave with you my Reverend Brethren, being confident of You through the LORD, that ye will be no otherwise minded but that as Men of GOD, moved with the zeal of GOD, You will freely discharge Your consciences against every thing which You see listing up it self against the Kingdome of the LORD JESUS: This shall be Your Peace and Comfort in Your latter end; Now the GOD of all Grace establish You, and direct You, and preserve You all blamelesse to the end, and bring others out of the snare that hanker after that complyance. So prayeth,
Your most affectionate Brother to serve You in what I can to my last. GEORGE GILLESPIE. Kirkcaldie, September 8. 1648.
The Testimony of Mr. George Gillespie against Association and Complyance with malignant enemies of the Truth and Godlinesse: Written two dayes before his death.
SEing now in all appearance the time of my dissolution is very near, altho I have in my latter Wil declared my minde of publick affaires, yet I have thought good to adde this further Testimony, that I esteem the malignant Party in these Kingdomes, the seed of the Serpent, enemies to Pietie, and Presbyteriall Government, (pretend what they will to the contrary) a generation that have not set GOD before them. With the malignants are to be joyned the prefane and scandalous, from all which, as also from heresies and errors, the Lord I trust is about to purge his Churches. I have often comforted my self (and still do) with the hopes of the Lords purging this poluted Land, surely the Lord hath begun and will cary on that great Work of mercy, and will purge out the Rebels: I know their will be alwayes a mixture of Hypocrites, but that cannot excuse the conniving at grosse and scandalous sinners. This pu…ging Work which the Lord is about, very many have directly opposed and said by their deeds, we will not be purged nor resined, but we will be joyning and mixing our selves with these whom the Ministers preach against as malignant enemies to God and his Cause. But let him that is filthy, be filthy still, and let Wisdome be justifyed of her Children. I recommend to them that fear God, sadly and seriously to consider that the holy Scripture doth plainly hold forth. 1. That the helping of the enemies of God, or joyning and mingling with wicked men, is a sin highly displeasing. 2. That this sin hath ordinaryly ensnared Gods People into diverse other sins. 3. That it hath been punished of God with grievous judgements. 4. That utter destruction is to be feared, when a people after great mercies and judgements relapse into this sin,This far did the Author write with His own hand, two dayes before, his death but finding his weaknesse encrease, that he was able to writ no more, he dyted that which followeth. Ezra. 9. 13. 14.
Upon these and the like grounds for my own exoneration, that so necessary a Trueth want not the Testimony of a dying Witnesse of Christ, also the unworthiest among many thousands: And that Light may be h…ld forth, and warning given, I cannot be silent at this time; but speak by my pen when I cannot by my tongue, yea, now also by the pen of another, when I cannot by my own, seriously and in the name of Jesus Christ, exhorting, and obtesting all that fear God and make conscience of their wayes, to be very tender and circumspect, to Watch and Pray that they be not ensnared in that great dangerous sin of conjunction or complyncae with malignant or profane enemies of the Truth, under whatsoever prudentiall considerations it may be vernished over, which if men will do, and trust God in his own way, they shall not only not repent it, but to their greater joy and peace of Gods people, they shal see his work go on and prosper gloriously. In witnesse of the premisses, I have subscribed the same with my hand at KIRKCALDY, Decemb. 15. 16…8. Before these witnesses, M. F. Carmichael Minister at Markings, and M. Alex. Moncrief Minister at Skonie.
Sic subscrib.
George Gillespie.
F. C. witnes.
A. M. witnes.
Followeth that part of Mr. Gillespie his Letter-Will, unto which the former testimony relateth.
BEing through much weaknesse and sicknesse in expectation of my last change, I have thought good by this my Letter-Will under my hand to declare first of all that the expectation of death which appeareth not to be far off doth not shake me from the Faith and Truth of Christ which I have pro…essed and preached; neither do I doubt but this so much opposed Covenant and Reformation of the three Kingdomes is of God and will have a happy conclusion. It hath pleased God who chooseth the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and the things that are not to confound the things that are to imploy me (the unfittest and unworthiest among many thousands) in the advanceing and promoting of that glorious work; and now I repent no forwardnesse or zeal that ever I had therein, and dare promise to as many as wil befaithful and zealous in the Cause of God, it shall be no grief of heart to them afterward, but matter of joy and peace; as this day I find it, through Gods mercypassing by my many and great infirmities, & approving my poor endevours in his cause. But if there be a falling back to the sinne of complyance with malignant ungodly men, then I look for the breaking out of the wrath of the Lord till there be no remedy. O that there were such a spirit at least in such of our Nobility as stand for the Trueth that they may take more of Gods counsell, and leane lesse to their owne reason and understanding. As from dangers on the other hand from Sectaries, I have been and am of the opinion that they are to be prevented and avoided by all lawfull means; but that the dangers from malignants are nearest and greatest in this Kingdome.
Kirkcaldie, September 1. 1648.
FINIS.
End of the text · George Gillespie, Useful Case of Conscience (1649)