The Nullity of the Pretended Assembly at St Andrews and Dundee, Treatise 2 · Review 12
REVIEW.
I Shall not deny, but ſome of theſe Brethren have in a ſpeciall way, reaſon to be humbled for the diviſions of the Land, as they are the righteous judgments of the Lord upon their ſins, which have been greater then the ſins of many; neither am I ſo zealous of their credit, as to ſay, that no circumſtance of their carriage in theſe things, could have been better ordered, they are but poor weak men, compaſſed with many infirmities, and ſubject to the like paſſions with others; but that they have reaſon to be humbled in a ſpeciall way, upon the accompt of being the Authors, let be the main Authors and promovers of theſe rents and diviſions, is a groundleſſe and unjuſt charge, which no man is able to make out; the Author doth either unknowingly or willingly miſtake in that which he calls the firſt ſtep of the diviſions, to wit, the dividing of one part of the remnant of the Army from the Army, by theſe Brethren: Theſe Gentlemen who did remove from Sterlin immediatly after Dunbar, unto the Weſt, did go thither by the order and approbation of the Committee of Eſtates, who did alſo appoint the Leavies of the Weſt, and their Conducters, and deſigned their work to them from time to time, as can be made good by many Acts and Letters, under the Lord Chancellour and Clerk of the Committees hand, and they were therein alſo countenanced by the Commiſſion of the Church, who wrote to them for their encouragement; yea, it was the counſell of ſome of theſe who were chief in the Aſſembly at Dundee, that theſe Gentlemen went Weſt. That they did not joyn with the reſt of the Forces of the Kingdom, was, becauſe it was refuſed to ſtate the War as it was formerly ſtated by the Declation of the Church and State on the 13. of Auguſt, 1650. and to ſatisfie them in the conduct of the Army, by appointing a man qualified according to the ſolemn Engagement, to lead the Forces. What he ſayeth of the Remonſtrance, which he calls the next ſtep of our diviſion, is anſwered already, except that which he alleadges, that it doth in the cloſe thereof contain a bond, engaging themſelves to proſecute the matters of that Remonſtrance, according to their power, which hath been often cleared by themſelves, that it did contain no new bond to any new thing, but a declaration of their reſolutions to keep their former bonds and engagements; in teſtimony whereof, they were willing, and did often offer to explain their meaning in this particular, for the ſatisfaction of theſe who doubted thereof. He doth (under favour) make a very lame relation of the Conference at Pearth. In that conference theſe Gentlemen and Miniſters who were ſent from the Weſt, did often declare, that they were willing to fight upon that ſtate of the quarrell holden forth in the Declaration of the 13. Auguſt, and to joyn under the leading Officer of the Forces of the Kingdom, providing that he were a man qualified according to the ſolemn Engagement to duties, to wit, of a blameleſſe and Chriſtian converſation, and of unqueſtionable integrity and affection to the Cauſe of God; In neither of which, ſatisfaction was offered unto them, and therefore it is no wonder though they had refuſed to hearken to the Propoſition which the Author ſpeaks of. What he ſayeth of their with-drawing themſelves from the Commiſſion, upon occaſion of condemning the Remonſtrance, and of their not daigning to come again, I have already anſwered ſomewhat unto it, and ſhall anſwer more hereafter. For clearing of that which concerns the Letters written to the Commiſſion, and teſtimonies given againſt the Commiſſions Anſwer to the Parliaments Quare, I ſhall firſt ſet down ſome thing of the matter of fact, then anſwer ſhortly to what the Author ſayeth. After that the Party of Malignant and diſaffected men in the Land, who by ſubtility and fair pretences had got the power of the Judicatories and of the Army in their hand, Anno 1648. were defeat at Preſton, the Kingdome and Kirk of Scotland taking in conſideration how often they had been deceived by that Party, and how much they had ſinned againſt God, and ſmarted under his hand by intruſting of them, and complying with them, did in a ſolemn publick way confeſs this ſin, and did ſolemnly before the Lord, engage themſelves to do no more ſo, but to be carefull to purge out all ſcandalous and malignant men out of the Judicatories and Army, and to endeavour that ſuch as was intruſted therein, ſhould be of a blameleſſe and Chriſtian converſation, and of conſtant integrity and affection to the Cauſe of God. In order to this ſolemn Confeſsion and engagement, did many Supplications, Warnings, Remonſtrances and Declarations iſſue from the Commiſſion of the Church, and ſeverall Lawes and Acts from the Parliament and Commitree of Eſtates, for purging and keeping pure the Judicatories & the Army, according to which, many endeavours were uſed for putting the ſame in execution, which for ſome time went on with ſome meaſure of ſucceſſe and bleſsing; but that ſo good and neceſſary a work, did very ſoon begin to be retarded and oppoſed; firſt cloſely, and in an undermining way by ſome who did again begin to owne Malignant Intereſts; and afterwards more openly and avowedly; yet was the ſinfulneſſe of complying with, and employing that Party ſo much abhorred and feared by the Church of Scotland, that not onelyonly did the Commiſsion of the Generall Aſſembly of the year 1649. and the Generall Aſſembly it ſelf 1650. in the very time when the Land was invaded by the Engliſh, declare the employing and intruſting of ſuch to be unlawfull, even in the caſe of ſcarcity of men for the Lands defence, but alſo the Commiſsion of the Generall Aſſembly of the year 1650. did after the defeat at Dunbar, once and again give publick warning to all the Land to beware of complyances with that Party, and to take heed that under a pretence of doing for the Cauſe, and for the Kingdom, they get not power and ſtrength in their hands for advancing and promoting their old malignant deſignes; yea, the queſtion being directly propounded by the King to the Commiſſion, concerning the employing of theſe men, it was anſwered negatively in a Letter written to him for that effect; yet after all this, the Commiſsion did at an occaſional Meeting give that Anſwer to the Parliaments Quaere; by which a door was opened to the ſpeedy taking in and employing of all that Party, firſt into the Army, and then into the Judicatories: Concerning which occaſionall Meeting, I deſire to be obſerved, that notwithſtanding of all that is formerly ſaid, and that it was known that many members of the Commiſſion, and many godly Miniſters and Profeſſors throughout the Land, were in their judgements oppoſite to the imploying and intruſting of theſe men, and that the reſolving to imploy them before ſatisfaction given to mens conſciences in the point could not but be matter of great ſtumbling and offence, and that a little before that time there had been one or two ſolemn Meetings of the Commiſſion, and that there was a ſet Meeting of the Commiſſion to be within a week or two thereafter, yet was there no mention of that buſineſſe in theſe ſolemn frequent Meetings, and the other ſet Meeting was prevented by that occaſionall Meeting called by the Moderators Letter, upon the deſire of the Parliament, the leading men whereof at that time having long hunted after, and earneſtly preſſed that conjunction, did then on occaſion of the defeat of the Forces at Hammilton, drive it vehemently on, under a pretence of neceſſity; and there were few above a Quorum of the Commiſſion preſent at this occaſionall Meeting, and many of theſe out of the Synod of Fife, who had gone far in the determination of that buſineſſe in their Synod before that time; neither can it be alledged truly that the reſt of the members of the Commiſsion were advertiſed to keep the Diet, becauſe no advertiſement at all was ſent to many in the North, who both might and ought to have been advertiſed; the buſineſſe being of ſo great and common concernment, and ſo much ſcrupled in conſcience; and the advertiſements for Sterline, Dumblane, Glaſgow, Dumbartan, Paſley, Hammilton, Irwine, Air, Lanrick and theſe places, where a great many of the Commiſsioners were, and who were moſt like to ſcrouple at the buſineſſe, came but to Sterline on Tueſday about ten a Clock in the forenoon, to keep the Diet of the Commiſſion the next Thurſday thereafter at Pearth; and no man can rationally ſay, that theſe advertiſements could be tranſmitted from thence, and the Commiſsioners come thereupon timeouſly to Pearth within the ſpace of 48. houres, it being now the Winter ſeaſon, and when the day was about the ſhorteſt; nay, though convenient ſpeed was uſed in diſpatching theſe Letters from Sterline, yet the Diet was circumduced before the advertiſement came to ſeveral of the Commiſsioners hands: I am not ignorant that all this is coloured with the neceſsity of a preſent Leavy, becauſe of the defeat of the Forces at Hammilton, but to ſay nothing; that that ſeems to preſuppoſe a determination of the queſtion in the affirmitive before it was either propounded or debated; neither yet to ſay any thing, that in the conſtruction of too many who did drive on a conjunction with the Malignant party, the neceſsity of a preſent Leavy was not increaſed but rather diminiſhed by the defeat at Hammilton, if there was ſuch a neceſsity, then ſuch a courſe ought to have been taken, as was moſt like to bring the buſineſſe ſooneſt to effect, which was to have done things in a fair way, and after mutuall debate and advice of all parties having intereſt, and not thus to have carried it without acquainting, let be hearing or ſatisfying of many who were no leſſe intereſſed then they, and whom they knew to have many things to object againſt the imploying of theſe men; but after-carriages did make it plainly to appear, that there was no ſuch preſsing impreſsions of neceſsity as was pretended, becauſe no great ſpeed was made in the Leavies for ſundry moneths thereafter, and nothing was acted for a long time after the Leavying of the Army, and untill the Act of Claſſes was reſcinded, yea, and untill the Generall Aſſembly was ſet down to interpone their judgements in approving the Publick Reſolutions, which was ſix moneths after giving the anſwer to the Quare; and could not that neceſsity that admitted of ſo many moneths before execution, have admitted of ſome weeks before reſolution. The Commiſsion having thus determined in this grave and important caſe, did preſently write Letters to Presbyteries, requiring them to concur in their ſtations to make the Leavies effectuall, according to the Order and Reſolutions of the Parliament thereanent; which were founded upon the Commiſsions anſwer to the Quaere, wherewith many Presbyteries not being ſatisfied in their conſciences, did write the ground of their ſtumbling and diſ-ſatisfaction in their ſeverall reſpective Letters, and ſent the ſame to the Commiſsion by ſome of their own number, which Letters were not ſpread abroad before they were communicated to the Commiſsion, and if the Commiſsion had given a ſatisfying anſwer, it is not like that they would have been ſpread at all, but Preſbyteries being ſtill preſſed to obedience, without ſatisfaction to their Conſciences, they could not but make known the reaſon of their refuſall, leſt they ſhould have ſeemed to others to be wilfull and obſtinate, that they did amongſt themſelves call them Teſtimones (and amongſt others too) I believe it to be true, and that incaſe they ſhould not be ſatisfied, th…y did intend them as ſtanding Teſtimonies of their duty in that particular, which yet they thought more fit to do by Letter then any other more publick way, that they might therein ſhew themſelves the more tender and reſpective of the Commiſsion. That they condemned the Publick Reſolutions as a defection from the Covenant and former Principles, was that which their Duty and their Conſciences called them unto; yet did they no other wayes condemn them then by aſſerting that they conceived them to be ſo, of which aſſertion they did give a reaſon from the Word of GOD, and from the Covenant, and Warnings, Declarations and Remonſtrances of this Church, to which if the Commiſsion had returned a ſatisfactory anſwer, they would have been quiet and ſaid no more in the buſineſſe. That they did not come themſelves and propound their doubts was, becauſe they were many in ſeverall places, whole Presbyteries; & ſuch a way as this ſeemed to them to ſavour rather of tumult and faction then the way which they took, and experience did prove, that no great ſatisfaction was to be expected in that way, becauſe when the Miniſters of Sterlin were called by the Commiſsion to a conference at St. Andrews, and did not acquieſce to be ſilent & ſay no more againſt the publick reſolutions, the Commiſs…on on did inform the King, and Committee of Eſtates thereof, who ſent for them to Perth, and conſined them a monethmonth in that place; and when the Synod of Glaſgow by their Letters to the Commiſsion, deſired a Conference, no ſatisfaction was obtained in the point of the Publick Reſolutions. That they did in theſe things traduce honeſt, godly, and faithful Brethren; I think they may with reaſon deny; Theſe Letters contained nothing that was perſonall, but only that which concerned the matter of theſe reſolutions, which if it was evill on theſe Brethrens part who were Authors and abettors of the ſame; there is no cauſe to charge thoſe who did endeavour the diſcovery thereof as traducers, or as the doers of theſe things that tend to render their Brethren odious. That they did agent diligently thorough the Country to induce others to do the like, is more then the Author can well prove; but though it had been ſo, was there not a cauſe to ſtop (if they could) the beginnings of backſlidings and defections, which is as the breaking out of waters, therefore are they well able to clear themſelves before indifferent and impartiall judges of diviſive walking in this matter, notwithſtanding of any thing that is ſaid by the Author in the contrary.
VINDICATION.
AS for their Profeſſions, by all lawfull and fair means within the compaſſe of their power and ſtation to remead the diviſions. It is the duty indeed of all who would prove lively Members of CHRISTS body, and lovers of the Proſperity of Sion; and happy were the man that could be the Peace-maker, and repairer of our breaches. But if the late and preſent practice of theſe our Brethren do well agree with Profeſſion, let GOD, and indifferent godly men judge. I ſhall not now inſiſt upon the carriage and motions of ſome of them, in the beginning of the late Aſſembly at St. Andrews (which were by a reverend and judicious godly man, in their own hearing, ſaid juſtly to be fiery motions, and petere jugulum pacis) nor yet upon the Proteſtation againſt the Aſſembly; as to this effect of which I am now upon, I ſhall onelyonly ſay this for the preſent, had it not been a more probable and Chriſtian like mean for the remeading of the diviſions, to have dealt for a Meeting of judicious and godly men on both ſides (which certainly was within the compaſſe of their power and ſtation) for a brotherly and amicable conference in equal terms about the differences: then they being but the one ſide, to take upon them the Authority of a publick Judicatorie, and by themſelvs ſtraight way to condemn the other ſide as guilty carrying on a courſe of defection, and that to be the main Cauſe of the Lords wrath on the Land, and to go on in that continued and aſſumed Authority, and acting by vertue thereof (as they declare peremptorily they will do in their anſwer given to the moderat and peaceable Paper ſent to them by the Synod of Lowthian in their late Meeting in November) whileas the moſt part of the Miniſtery in this Kingdom cannot in conſcience but give Teſtimony againſt this as uſurpation, which may heighten differences and render them more incurable; might not theſe things have been forborn without prejudice to themſelves, for peace ſafety, at leaſt till that other way had been eſſayed, I ſpeak not now of the lawfulneſſe of the late Aſſembly, or of the Publick reſolutions, but ſuppoſing theſe matters to be ſub judice, as they are at moſt betwixt us and them, could there have been a way more obſtructive to union between the parties differing, or more effectuall to render the diviſions deſperate then for the one party, and that the far leſſe party by more at ten to one to condemn the other in a Publick way, and repreſent them as the main procurers of the wrath of GOD upon the Land, and to take upon them at their own hand to be judges over their Brethren; GOD will not be mocked, this is not agreeable to their Profeſſion and endeavors, by all lawfull and fair means to uſe Remedies of Peace. What theſe our Brethren wil do hereafter towards Peace, I wil not n…w take upon me to predetermine nor to prepoſſeſs any with prejudices againſt them; many of them I am perſwaded are men fearing God, and not only loving the Peace of Sion, but alſo are learned and underſtanding in theſe things that belong to the Peace of the Kirk, yet certainly it is feared by many both godly and wiſe, that ſome amongſt them, for all the buſineſſe that is made about Conferences upon differences (which indeed are not to be rejected, but to be followed by all means) and profeſsions made of aims and deſires thereby to have all diviſions removed, yet hath no other purpoſe but ſo far as they can to ſtrengthen their own way in every point, and to fix the diviſion from the moſt part of the Kirk of Scotland, the good Lord avert this; but if this appear at laſt, we hope that men of underſtanding and ſoundneſſe upon that ſide of the differences wil remember and make uſe of what they have learned and know and have profeſſed concerning the Church Conſtitution and of ſchiſme, and ſeparation againſt independents and ſeparatiſts.