APPENDIX. (continued 5)

“I. Because there is hereby no remedy at all offered for the course of defection involved in the Publick Resolutions, nor for preventing the like for time to come, which is the main ground of difference; but upon the contrary we are required upon the matter to retract our Testimonies thereanent, and judicially to give Bonds and Engagements hereafter to be silent concerning the sin and guilt thereof.

“II. Because our passing from our Protestation doth import a real acknowledgement of the lawfulness and freedom of the Assemblies in regard of their constitution, and of power in them to inflict and take off Censures, and so by our own consent, doth not only retract and condemn the testimony which we formerly gave against the same, But also obstructeth the remeading of what is past, and the attaining a lawful, free, General Assembly for the time to come, and so wreaths about our own neck, and the necks of the Lords People, the yoke of unfree, corrupt, and unlawful Assemblies.

“III. Because the offer which is made, though it contains Immunity in regard of these who have not acquiesced unto, or opposed these Acts for the time past, yet the Acts of themselves do notwithstanding thereof, still stand in force, as a ground of persecution against all these Ministers and Professors, who shall not accept of the conditions contained in this offer, or thereafter fail in performance of the same.

“IV. Because this offer is so far from reaching satisfaction to all, or most part of the Propositions offered by us, that it doth not give satisfaction to any one of them, but pitcheth upon a particular, which ought to be of least consequence with us, (as importing but our personal suffering) without taking notice of the Lands defection, and of those things which do concern the Kingdom and Interest of Jesus Christ, and the purging of his House; and what a sin and provocation should it be against the Lord, and what a stumbling and grief of heart unto the godly who have concurred in these Propositions, and after such a defection, do expect repentance and reformation, and the purging of his House of corrupt Officers and Members, if we should make such a transaction, as seems to promise present security to our selves, but doth not contribute for preserving of the Truth, and attaining a solid Peace and Union in the Lord.

“V. We cannot see how the passing from these Propositions, and the taking upon us such Engagements for the time to come as are desired, should not involve us in the condemning of our own judgments, and in the acknowledgment of a sin and offence in making these Protestations, and bearing testimony against the Publick Resolutions, and import that what is done by you in taking off of Censures and censurableness (as you term it) is an Act of meer favour and grace upon your part, unto Delinquents, upon their repentance. And though we hope that we shall never be ashamed, but esteem it our mercy and glory to acknowledge any thing whereby we have provoked the Lord, or offended others, yet being more and more convinced in our consciences, that what we did in these things was a necessary duty, we dare not purchase immunity and exemption from Censures at so dear a rate, as to deny the same, we shall rather choose still to be sufferers, and to wait upon the issue that the Lord shall give, then to provoke the eyes of his Glory, grieve the spirits of his People, and wound our own Consciences, by so unsatisfying and so sinful a transaction.”

And conceiving that, we shall not have the opportunity to speak unto you hereafter, as being now about to dissolve our Meeting; We do from the zeal that we owe to the honour of God, and from the tender respect we owe to you as Brethren, and for exonering our own Consciences, most earnestly beseech and obtest you, by your appearing before the Lord Jesus Christ, to give your selves unto Prayer, and searching of your own hearts and way, in Order to Publick Resolutions and Actings, untill each of you finde out wherein ye have turned aside from the straight way of the Lord, and imployed your gifts and power not for Edification, but for grieving the spirits of many of the Godly, and strengthening of the hands of the wicked, and to Repent thereof, and to do no more so, least wrath be increased from the LORD, the Godly of the Land more offended, and our breach made wider, and our wound more incurable. If both you and we might obtain mercy of the Lord to know our trespasse, and why he contends, and to accept the punishment of our iniquity, and humble our selves before hime, who knoweth but that he might yet have compassion upon us, and pardon our sins, and heal our Land.

July the 28. Ante merid. 1652.

Mr Andrew Cant, Mr Samuel Rutherford, Mr James Guthry, My Lord Waristoun, Mr Robert Trail, Mr John Nevay, Mr James Nasmith, being nominated to meet and confer with some Brethren, Members of the present pretended Assembly, the Instructions following were given them, and the Meeting doth require and expect, that they will walk according thereto.

I. That they shall declare to the Brethren with whom they are to meet, That as they do adhere to the Protestations formerly and lately given in, so they do protest, that they do not meet nor confer with them, nor receive any Papers from them, as being in the capacity of Commissioners of a General Assembly, but onely as sent from a meeting of Ministers and Elders, Wanting any such Authority.

II. That whatever be offered by the Brethren with whom they do confer, they desire to get it in writing from them, as the mind of the Meeting whereof they are Members; That it being communicated to us, Answer may be given thereunto by our whole Meeting.

III. That they do not engage in Conference with them at first about the matter of Censures; It being neither the chief nor only ground of our grievance; and because with us things of that nature, and any thing of personal concernment, ought to be of the smallest value, while there are many things in question betwixt them and us, of far higher consequence to the Kingdom of Christ and his Interest, as anent the causes of Gods controversie with the Land, and the way of remedy and cure of the former and late defection, and the way of preventing the like in time coming. The establishing and promoving the Work of Reformation, and the purging of the Kirk, and the like, as are laid before them in our Propositions given in to their Meeting; And that they do intimate to the Brethren foresaid, that we cannot look upon an offer relating onely to the Censures, upon some of our number, as satisfaction to them or us, and that (besides what we have said) for other reasons to be communicated in due time to their Meeting. And that therefore they shall offer to these Brethren, and desire of them, that if there be any Conference at all, the subject matter of it may be upon the whole Propositions in the order as they stand.

IV. That in case of their refusing the latter part of the former Article, they shall require and demand from the Brethren of the other Meeting, That they would declare whether we may expect, that these from whom they were sent, will either by the said Brethren, or any other way, give answer and satisfaction to us anent the Propositions, and what is their sense and meaning of the Publick Resolutions, and anent the Constitution, Acts, and Proceedings of the Meeting at Dundee, and of this at Edinburgh, and what they minde to do in reference to the same.

V. That in case there be not satisfaction obtained in these so just and necessary things, They do professe their own and our dis-satisfaction with any thing that hath been offered by them to us, or answered to our desires first or last. And that they protest for themselves and us, That as we have sought Peace, and pursued it by all lawfull and possible means, though much in vain on their part. So we are henceforth free from the guilt and blame of the sad prejudices and evil consequences whatsomever, which may follow upon their present way, and their former and future actings of that nature, so contrary and destructive to Edification and Peace.

Right Reverend,

We have now for these fourteen dayes past, been imployed in using our best endeavours, and waited for Overtures from you, for healing the breach, and, removing the differences that are amongst us; And now there being no ground of hope given us, nor any desire made unto us for continuing the Conference, whereby a better understanding might be attained, We have thought good before our parting from this place, to send unto you this inclosed Paper, together with the Instructions given in writing to these who were sent from us to the Conference, the Copy whereof was offered by them to these who were sent from your number, and left with them; Both which Papers we desire you to communicate to those of your meeting. And so we rest,

Your very loving Brethren in the Lord. Edinb. 29 July, 1652.

Subscribed in the name of many Ministers, Elders, and Professors throughout the Land, who desire truth and peace.

Directed. For the Reverend Brother, Mr David Dickson, Professor of Divinity in the Colledge of Edinburgh.

No. III. An Act and Overture of the Generall Assembly, for the Peace and Vnion of the Kirk. Edinburgh. 2 August, 1652. Post meridiem. Sess. 18.

The Generall Assembly being deeply affected with sense of the many and sad evils and calamities that have already arisen both to Kirk and State within this Land, by the lamentable divisions and distractions amongst Ministers and others of the People of God in this Kirk, and apprehensive of greater evils which may yet follow, to the overthrowing of the blessed Work of Reformation, (which the Lord, in his great and speciall mercy, was pleased to set up amongst us, having carryed it through many difficulties and oppositions,) and to the laying of the Kirk of God waste and desolat, if these divisions and distractions shal continue; And being most desirous, as the Servants of Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of Peace, to use all necessary and lawfull means (so far as their knowledge and power can reach) for preventing the encrease of these divisions, and making up of the breaches; And being firmly resolved, for obtaining of this desirable end, in all meeknesse, gentlenesse, and moderation, to condescend so far as they can, without violation of Truth, and of the just authority of the Government and Courts of Jesus Christ in his Kirk, unto their Brethren of the Ministery and others of the People of God, who have been this late time by-past, and are at difference with the Judicatories of the Kirk, for bringing them to an happy conjunction with their Brethren in unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace.

Therefore, for giving an evidence and demonstration of their real intentions and sincere purpose about the premisses, as they have already, by some of their number commissionated for that effect, Declared and made offer to some of these their Dissenting Brethren, who were here in the time of the Assembly, so now again do Declare and make offer by this present Act, That the four Brethren, who, by the preceding General Assembly at S. Andrews and Dundee, were upon speciall consideration justly censured, for protesting against and declining the Authority thereof, shal have the censures inflicted on them by that Assembly for the cause foresaid, taken off them; And further, that no censure shall be inflicted on them for not submitting to the foresaid censures; yea, and that no censure shal be inflicted for their Protesting against, and declining of this present Gen. Ass. Providing, 1. That they do passe from the said two Protestations against, and declinators of the two foresaid Assemblies, judicially under their hand, between and the second Wednesday of November next ensuing, in their several Presbyteries or Synods respective. 2. That they also give assurance in manner foresaid, that they shall forbear holding up divisions by debates about matters of our late differences since the Assembly 1650, in preaching, writing, or any otherwise. Likeas the Assembly doth Declare and make offer, that all such as did concur in, or have been accessory unto the Protestation and Declinatour against the Assembly at S. Andrews and Dundee, and were not censured, shall be free from whatsoever censure might have been inflicted by any Act of the said Assembly, and that no such Act shall have any force against them hereafter in any Judicatory of this Kirk, and that no censure shall be inflicted on them for their accession unto the late Protestation and Declinatour against the present Assembly, Providing they shall perform the foresaid provisions within the time, and after the manner therein specified.

And for prosecution of this purpose, the Generall Assembly ordains the several Presbyteries or Synods of this Kirk to present this offer, with the Provisions therein contained, unto all such persons as are before-mentioned within their bounds respective: And in case the plurality of Presbyteries or Synods shal refuse to propound the same, the Assembly doth warrand such Brethren as acknowledge the Authority of these Assemblies, to propound them: and, having made report of their diligence and successe therein to the next ensuing Quarterly Meeting of the Commission of the Kirk, if they be then sitting, thereafter to do as they finde by the rule of the Word of God, and the Acts and Constitutions of Generall Assemblies of this Kirk, to be most necessary and conducible for preservation of truth, for procuring the Peace and welfare of the Kirk, and maintenance of the Authority of the Assemblies thereof, as they will be answerable to the next Generall Assembly; And recommends unto them to take advice of the Commission of the Kirk for their proceeding in any matter of importance of this kinde.

And now the Generall Assembly having out of tender affection toward their Brethren, and sincere desire of unity and concord with them in the Lord, and for the Lord, condescended unto this moderation and meeknesse, do obtest all and every one of them in the Name of Jesus Christ, and expect, as they tender the preservation of the Government of this Kirk (which adversaries without and within, taking advantage of our divisions and distractions are labouring to subvert) and as they love the establishing and promoving of the Kingdom of Christ in this Land, and will be answerable to him in the great Day, that they would, accepting of this offer of love, return unto unity with their Brethren in their severall respective places and Judicatories, and concur in an unanimous way, for preserving and promoving the Work of Reformation in all the parts thereof, and for electing of Commissioners to the next ensuing Generall Assembly. And if they shall (refusing to accept this offer) continue to hold up the divisions, the Assembly leaveth it to the judgement of all the Kirks of Christ abroad, to bear witnesse if we have not faithfully endeavoured for our part, to heal our present breaches; and if we shall not be free of the guilt of the sad consequences that may come to the Work and people of God in this Land, by continued distractions.

J. Makghie.