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Whilest
we
the
meanest
of
many
,
&c.
wait
for
uniformity
in
Religion
,
so
much
desired
by
all
the
Godly
in
the
three
Kingdoms
;
unto
which
an
entrance
is
made
by
a
solemn
League
,
and
Covenant
.
We
are
neither
so
ignorant
,
nor
so
arrogant
as
to
ascribe
to
the
Church
of
Scotland
such
absolute
purity
and
perfection
,
as
hath
not
need
,
or
cannot
admit
of
further
Reformation
.
indeavour
the
preservation
of
the
reformed
Religion
in
Scotland
;
will
preserve
it
against
our
common
enemie
,
we
will
indeavour
the
reformation
of
Religion
in
the
Kingdoms
of
England
and
Ireland
in
doctrine
,
worship
,
discipline
and
government
,
according
to
the
Word
of
God
,
&
the
example
of
the
best
reformed
Churches
.
best
reformed
Churches
:
according
to
the
word
of
God
,
We
find
our selves
bound
against
the
prejudices
,
and
mistakings
of
some
who
in
the
dark
are
afraid
of
that
which
they
know
not
,
and
suffer
their
affections
of
love
and
hatred
to
run
before
their
understanding
;
and
against
the
mis-representations
and
indirect
aspersions
of
others
who
do
so
commend
their
own
way
,
that
the
reformed
Churches
thereby
suffer
disparagement
;
to
give
that
testimony
unto
the
order
and
government
of
the
reformed
Churches
,
and
particularly
of
the
Church
of
Scotland
,
which
they
do
well
deserve
.
where
you
promise
that
you
indeavour
nothing
but
a
simple
and
innocent
manifestation
and
defence
,
without
desire
or
intention
to
give
the
smallest
offence
to
any
who
fear
God
,
love
the
truth
,
and
,
&c.
five
Members
who
in
the
dark
are
afraid
of
that
which
they
know
not
,
and
to
suffer
their
affections
,
&c.
to
run
before
their
understanding
,
&c.
the
government
of
the
Church
of
Scotland
the
Assertion
of
your
government
,
the
peaceable
Plea
darknesse
?
Quinque
Ecclesiae
,
(
voluntas
vult
ut
intellectus
intelligit
)
more
reformed
Churches
,
confessing
a
need
of
further
Reformation
Not
to
make
our
present
judgement
and
practise
a
binding
law
unto
our selves
for
future
,
which
we
likewise
made
continuall
profession
of
upon
all
occasions
.
We
had
too
great
an
instance
of
our
own
frailty
in
the
former
way
of
conformity
;
and
therefore
in
a
jealousie
of
our selves
,
we
kept
this
reserve
(
which
we
made
open
and
constant
professions
of
)
to
alter
and
retract
(
though
not
lightly
)
what
ever
should
be
discovered
to
be
taken
up
out
of
a
misunderstanding
af
the
rule
.
Our
wayes
since
our
coming
into
this
Kingdom
have
been
,
and
(
so
farre
as
the
truth
will
suffer
us
)
ever
shall
be
,
to
unite
,
and
not
to
divide
;
to
compose
rather
then
to
create
differences
;
the
principall
end
of
the
Assembly
of
Divines
.
By
the
Commissioners
of
the
Assembly
of
Scotland
;
take
you
up
.
The
order
and
government
of
the
reformed
Churches
in
the
beauty
and
strength
thereof
,
as
it
is
not
hid
in
a
corner
,
wrapped
up
in
a
mystery
,
or
,
covered
under
a
cloud
of
darknesse
,
but
is
known
to
the
Nations
and
kingdoms
of
the
earth
,
openly
professed
and
practised
in
the
eyes
of
the
world
,
&c.
so
it
is
commended
and
already
confirmed
by
a
long
tract
of
time
.
That
the
usurpation
and
tyranny
of
Prelates
and
Prelaticall
party
,
did
a
time
so
reigne
and
rage
in
your
Kingdom
,
vexing
the
godly
Ministery
and
people
,
that
those
that
went
to
New
England
durst
not
venter
to
come
to
you
to
find
a
visible
Church
liberty
.
That
you
long
time
could
but
intend
and
designe
the
government
of
the
Church
by
Assemblies
and
Presbyteries
.
the
world
truly
ancientest
,
of
longest
tract
of
time
(
hic
labor
,
hoc
opus
)
The
instruments
which
the
Lord
used
in
the
blessed
work
of
Reformation
of
the
Church
of
Scotland
,
were
not
onely
learned
and
holy
men
,
but
had
somewhat
in
their
callings
,
and
gifts
,
and
zeal
to
the
glory
of
God
,
more
then
ordinary
.
Some
of
them
had
a
propheticall
spirit
;
and
some
of
them
were
honoured
to
be
Martyrs
.
that
the
Lord
would
bring
in
his
own
discipline
in
his
time
in
that
way
as
would
make
all
their
eares
to
tingle
:
Peaceable
Plea
.
ad
api●em
,
present
truth
:
Saints
in
the
ten
persecutions
Hethenisme
,
Athanasius
Arrianisme
,
Luther
Papisme
,
You
coactive
power
As
the
Church
of
Scotland
agreed
in
some
things
with
the
reformed
Churches
,
so
it
cannot
be
satisfactory
that
any
Church
should
things
universally
received
in
the
reformed
Churches
.
The
supreme
rule
without
us
was
the
primitive
pattern
and
example
of
the
Churches
erected
by
the
Apostles
.
Not
to
make
our
present
judgement
and
practise
a
binding
law
unto
our selves
for
future
.
That
in
matters
of
greatest
moment
and
controversie
we
still
chose
to
practise
safely
,
and
so
as
we
had
reason
to
judge
that
all
sorts
,
or
the
most
of
all
Churches
did
acknowledge
warrantable
.
greatest
moment
and
controversie
,
They
did
honour
&c.
who
had
an
heart
or
hand
,
&c.
in
the
blessed
work
of
Reformation
,
&c.
But
for
this
to
call
us
Calvinians
,
and
the
reformed
Churches
Calvinian
reformed
Churches
,
is
to
disgrace
the
true
Churches
of
Christ
,
and
to
symbolize
with
the
Papists
,
who
call
themselves
the
Catholick
Church
,
&c.
The
Separation
may
be
well
allowed
to
be
called
Brownists
.
more
reformed
?
this
is
to
symbolize
with
the
Papist
,
who
call
themselves
the
Catholick
Church
:
Hierom
.
viz.
If
any
where
we
find
men
professing
Christianity
,
called
by
the
particular
names
of
men
,
know
them
to
be
the
synagogue
of
Antichrist
,
and
not
the
Church
of
Christ
.
Quod
ego
—
Sed
motos
pr●stat
componere
fluctus
.
Nothing
was
farrer
from
their
thoughts
and
intentions
then
to
frame
in
their
own
forge
a
lesbian
rule
answerable
to
any
particular
form
of
civill
policy
,
or
compliable
with
State
ends
.
We
had
no
new
Common-wealths
to
reare
,
to
frame
Church
government
unto
,
Nor
do
we
know
any
reason
why
education
in
sound
doctrine
,
and
true
worship
should
be
accounted
a
matter
of
thankesgiving
to
God
,
and
yet
should
glory
in
this
,
that
we
are
not
by
education
ingaged
in
any
one
form
of
Discipline
,
and
Church
government
,
but
left
to
our selves
to
be
moulded
by
our
own
private
thoughts
.
We
were
not
engaged
by
education
,
or
otherwise
,
to
any
other
of
the
reformed
Churches
.
of
being
left
to
themselves
to
be
moulded
by
their
own
private
thoughts
,
touching
Church
government
,
We
were
not
engaged
by
education
,
&c.
to
other
of
the
reformed
Churches
;
yet
we
consulted
with
reverence
what
they
hold
forth
both
in
writings
and
practise
.
We
had
the
advantage
of
all
that
light
which
the
conflicts
of
our
Divines
(
the
good
old
No
conformists
)
had
struck
forth
in
their
times
;
and
the
draughts
of
Discipline
,
which
they
had
drawn
.
We
had
likewise
the
fatall
miscarriages
and
shipwracks
of
the
Separation
(
whom
ye
call
Brownists
)
as
land-marks
to
forewarne
us
of
those
rocks
and
shelves
they
ran
upon
,
and
to
enquire
into
the
principles
that
might
be
the
causes
of
their
divisions
.
Last
of
all
,
we
had
the
recent
and
later
examples
of
the
wayes
,
and
practises
(
and
those
improved
to
a
better
edition
and
greater
refinement
,
&c.
)
of
those
multitudes
of
godly
men
of
our
own
Nation
,
almost
to
the
number
of
another
Nation
,
and
among
them
some
as
holy
and
judicious
Divines
as
this
Kingdom
hath
bred
.
All
which
we
looked
upon
nakedly
according
to
the
Word
of
God
.
That
the
Apologists
intended
to
mould
a
government
in
and
by
their
own
private
thoughts
.
cemented
vault
Quos
penes
arbitrium
est
,
&
vis
,
&
norma
loquendi
.
The
Churches
planted
by
the
Apostles
,
if
not
at
first
,
yet
afterwards
were
of
greater
number
in
one
City
,
then
did
,
or
could
ordinarily
assemble
in
one
place
for
the
worship
of
God
,
and
therefore
had
a
plurality
of
Pastors
,
and
Officers
,
which
made
a
common
Presbytery
for
governing
the
whole
.
that
he
could
prove
that
Lent-fastings
were
of
Apostolicall
institution
for
the
last
six
hundred
yeers
.
That
all
the
craft
and
cunning
lay
in
this
,
for
the
Judge
to
prove
it
to
be
Apostolicall
for
the
first
s●x
hundred
yeers
,
or
the
first
hundred
or
first
fourty
yeers
.
We
could
not
but
imagine
that
the
first
Churches
planted
by
the
Apostles
,
were
ordinarily
,
of
no
more
in
one
City
at
first
,
then
might
make
up
one
entire
congregation
,
ruled
by
their
own
Elders
,
that
also
preached
to
them
:
For
that
in
every
City
where
they
came
,
the
number
of
converts
did
,
or
should
arise
to
such
a
multitude
as
to
make
severall
and
sundrie
Congregations
,
or
that
the
Apostles
should
stay
the
setting
up
of
any
Churches
at
all
,
untill
they
rose
to
such
a
numerous
multiplication
as
might
make
such
a
Presbyteriall
combination
,
we
did
not
imagine
.
We
found
also
the
Non-co●formists
in
their
answer
to
the
arguments
used
for
Episcopall
government
over
many
Churches
,
brought
from
the
instances
of
the
multitudes
of
beleevers
at
Jerusalem
,
and
other
places
and
Cities
mentioned
in
the
New
Testament
,
to
assert
,
that
it
could
not
be
infallibly
proved
that
any
of
those
we
read
of
in
the
Acts
,
or
elsewhere
,
were
yet
so
numerous
,
as
necessarily
to
exceed
the
limits
of
one
particular
Congregation
in
those
first
times
.
To
avouch
when
we
are
not
challenged
,
that
we
ascribe
more
to
the
Magistrate
then
the
reformed
Churches
do
,
they
being
faithfull
to
their
own
principles
of
Ecclesiasticall
government
,
may
suffer
a
harder
construction
then
we
our selves
would
willingly
undergo
,
or
put
upon
the
intentions
of
men
,
who
seek
not
their
own
things
,
but
the
things
of
Jesus
Christ
.
Peaceable
Plea
as
a
proud
and
insolent
title
(
for
any
to
assume
)
and
as
a
trumpet
of
defiance
against
what
ever
power
,
Spirituall
or
Civill
;
abhor
it
,
and
detest
it
:
non
communion
no
authoritie
;
Separation
,
Brownisme
,
Independancy
,
Popular
Anarchie
,
&c.
doth
most
imitate
the
Pagans
and
Infidels
of
old
,
the
Papists
,
Prelates
,
and
Arminians
of
late
to
make
the
way
of
Christ
hatefull
to
Princes
and
Magistrates
.
that
they
give
fully
as
much
as
any
,
to
the
Magistrate
as
God
in
his
Word
giveth
them
;
and
so
cannot
be
more
or
lesse
.
the
Prelaticall
party
by
the
power
and
blessing
of
God
begun
to
be
subdued
in
this
Island
,
but
ariseth
unexpectedly
the
opposition
on
the
other
hand
,
waiting
the
opportunity
,
stronger
then
it
was
before
,
which
moved
some
of
our
Divines
of
late
to
write
on
this
hand
in
defence
of
the
government
of
the
reformed
Churches
,
as
others
had
done
before
them
in
other
Churches
.
Two
Nationall
Synods
also
of
the
reformed
Churches
in
the
one
at
Another
at
No
sooner
,
wait
this
opportunitie
,
Morelius
Sadeel
,
that
a
Bishop
did
not
differ
from
a
Presbyter
,
but
that
a
Presbyter
was
as
high
in
dignity
and
order
as
the
Bishop
That
to
celebrate
the
Passeover
was
Jewish
.
That
the
prayers
of
the
l●ving
did
not
profit
the
dead
.
That
their
ordained
set
Fasts
Quarta
&
pro
Sabbato
were
not
to
be
observed
.
Aerius
was
not
alone
in
this
opinion
,
but
multitudes
more
,
keeping
together
(
in
form
of
a
particular
Church
)
with
the
said
Aerius
,
their
Teacher
,
all
of
them
living
very
soberly
.
Councels
have
and
may
erre
,
Reformed
Churches
exile
was
voluntary
;
Churches
with
them
,
and
left
the
other
Churches
,
exposed
to
the
enemie
;
Voluntate
mixta
semiplena
,
persecute
you
in
one
place
,
fly
into
another
,
as
Christ
and
his
parents
did
.
Francfort
,
Holland
,
New
England
,
voluntary
departing
,
voluntary
return
;
To
limit
the
censure
of
excommunication
,
in
matter
of
opinion
is
the
dangerous
d●ctrine
of
the
Arminians
,
and
Socinians
,
openeth
a
wide
doore
,
and
proclaimeth
liberty
to
all
other
practises
and
errours
which
are
not
fundamentall
,
and
universally
abhorred
by
all
Christians
,
and
tendeth
to
the
overthrow
of
the
Reformed
Religion
,
which
we
wish
all
sound
and
sober
spirits
to
abstain
from
,
lest
it
render
them
and
their
profession
suspected
of
some
such
opinions
and
practises
,
as
in
charitie
we
judge
to
be
far
from
their
minds
and
wayes
.
Papists
,
Prelates
,
Socinians
,
Arminians
,
Brownists
,
Separatists
,
&c.
Pagans
,
Infidels
,
Prelates
,
Brownists
,
Separatists
,
Independents
,
Popular
Anarchie
.
that
a
Bishop
is
a
Presbytery
contracted
;
and
a
Presbytery
is
a
Bishop
d●ffused
.
shutting
out
of
heaven
,
a
giving
up
to
Satan
,
Two
maine
objections
are
made
against
the
principles
and
practise
of
the
order
and
government
of
the
Reformed
Churches
.
One
is
that
there
is
no
need
of
authoritative
power
of
Presbyteries
,
and
Synods
,
and
that
the
exhortation
of
particular
Churches
one
to
another
,
the
Protestation
of
one
against
another
,
and
the
withdrawing
of
communion
one
from
another
,
may
be
a
sufficient
remedie
,
and
no
lesse
effectuall
against
all
offences
then
Excommunication
it self
;
especially
if
the
Magistrate
shall
vouchsafe
his
assistance
,
and
interpose
his
authoritie
,
for
strengthning
the
sentence
of
To
the
said
objection
we
answer
,
that
this
objection
supposeth
a
case
,
which
hath
not
been
found
in
the
Church
of
Scotland
for
the
space
of
eightie
yeers
,
and
beleeve
was
never
heard
of
in
any
of
the
Reformed
Churches
,
except
those
of
the
the
pronouncing
of
Non
communion
or
Excommunication
against
a
whole
Church
.
Our
Excommunication
hath
been
executed
but
seldome
against
particular
members
,
never
against
a
whole
Church
,
and
we
think
never
shall
be
;
and
therefore
this
imaginarie
fear
of
that
which
never
falleth
out
,
is
not
considerable
,
rules
are
made
for
ordinarie
,
and
usuall
cases
.
Churches
of
the
Separation
;
quod
factum
non
est
,
nec
fieri
potest
;
Anabaptists
,
Antinomians
,
two
,
or
more
Churches
may
mutually
protest
and
pronounce
the
sentence
of
non
communion
In
which
case
,
say
you
,
pronouncing
of
non
communion
would
prove
rather
a
meane
of
division
,
then
of
union
,
and
there
would
be
no
remedy
(
where
the
censure
is
mutuall
)
to
compose
this
difference
,
unlesse
there
be
a
common
Presbytery
,
or
Synod
made
up
of
the
whole
.
Classicall
Provinciall
Presbytery
,
what
probability
it
can
be
made
to
appear
to
any
rationall
man
,
and
indifferent
mind
,
that
no
authoritie
shall
be
as
valid
as
authoritie
against
the
obstinate
,
that
is
equall
with
actus
elicitos
,
the
mind
,
actus
imperatos
,
the
outward
carriage
;
we
must
give
no
offence
,
Better
a
milstone
were
hanged
about
ones
neck
,
and
he
cast
into
the
Sea
,
then
to
offend
a
weaker
brother
.
That
we
were
better
not
eat
flesh
then
to
offend
,
&c.
from
Heathens
and
Publicans
?
The
other
objection
is
;
that
by
this
authoritie
and
order
of
government
,
one
Church
hath
power
over
another
:
which
is
contrarie
to
that
libertie
and
equalitie
Christ
hath
endewed
his
Churches
with
,
and
is
no
other
but
a
new
prelaticall
dominion
set
over
the
Churches
of
Christ
.
To
this
(
say
you
)
we
answer
.
That
we
are
far
from
imposing
any
such
collaterall
power
.
The
power
which
we
maintain
is
aggregative
of
the
Officers
of
many
Congregations
over
the
particular
members
;
in
which
(
as
in
the
naturall
and
politick
body
)
one
member
is
not
subject
to
another
,
but
is
to
the
whole
.
It
is
(
say
you
)
a
miserable
mistake
to
compare
Presbyteries
and
Prelates
together
.
For
the
Courts
of
Prelates
are
altogether
forrain
and
extrinsecall
to
the
Congregations
,
over
which
they
rule
.
But
the
power
of
Presbyteries
is
intrinsecall
and
naturall
,
they
being
constitute
of
the
Pastors
and
Elders
of
the
particular
Congregations
ever
which
they
are
set
.
So
that
another
without
themselves
doth
not
bear
rule
over
them
,
but
all
of
them
by
common
consent
do
rule
over
every
one
;
which
is
no
more
then
for
a
member
of
a
particular
Congregation
,
to
be
ruled
by
his
own
particular
Eldership
.
For
they
discern
no
sentence
of
excommunication
of
any
member
without
the
knowledge
,
and
consent
of
the
particular
Congregation
that
is
particularly
concerned
therein
.
impose
not
a
collaterall
power
.
Vnus
eligebatur
qui
caeteris
preponoretur
,
&c.
To
avoid
schisme
,
one
of
the
classicall
Presbytery
was
chosen
to
be
as
Chair-man
That
those
that
are
most
averse
to
Presbytery
if
they
allow
no
materiall
difference
in
doctrine
,
worship
,
or
practise
,
might
injoy
their
peace
,
and
all
comforts
of
their
Ministery
,
and
profession
under
it
,
without
controlment
of
that
authoritative
power
which
they
so
much
apprehend
.
to
indeavour
the
reformation
of
Religion
in
the
Kingdoms
of
England
and
Ireland
in
Doctrine
,
Worship
,
Discipline
,
and
Government
,
according
to
the
Word
of
God
.
We
crave
leave
to
conclude
with
your
own
words
,
hoping
we
may
as
confidently
speak
them
as
you
did
;
namely
,