The Scotch Counsellor. Communicating his advice to all that stand well-affected in England to King and Parliament. With a reprehension of all those who refuse to helpe the Lord against the mighty. Also shewing what shall be the event of these troubles. Written by reason of an eminent person in this kingdome diserting the cause, and flying: and now published for the common good. Imprimatur. Ia: Cranford. Anderson, George, 17th cent. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A25356 of text R17632 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing A3090). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 15 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A25356 Wing A3090 ESTC R17632 99860238 99860238 112355 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A25356) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 112355) Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 13:E76[6]) The Scotch Counsellor. Communicating his advice to all that stand well-affected in England to King and Parliament. With a reprehension of all those who refuse to helpe the Lord against the mighty. Also shewing what shall be the event of these troubles. Written by reason of an eminent person in this kingdome diserting the cause, and flying: and now published for the common good. Imprimatur. Ia: Cranford. Anderson, George, 17th cent. [8] p. Printed by R. Austine and A. Coe, London : 1643. Signed at end: Geo: Anderson. Edinburgh, Nov. 6. 1643. Annotation on Thomason copy: "Nouemb: 17". Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Great Britain -- History -- Charles I, 1625-1649 -- Early works to 1800. Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649 -- Early works to 1800. A25356 R17632 (Wing A3090). civilwar no The Scotch Counsellor. Communicating his advice to all that stand well-affected in England to King and Parliament. With a reprehension of al Anderson, George, 17th cent. 1643 2715 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A This text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2000-00 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2001-10 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2001-11 TCP Staff (Michigan) Sampled and proofread 2001-11 TCP Staff (Michigan) Text and markup reviewed and edited 2001-12 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Scotch Counsellor . Communicating his advice to all that stand well-affected in ENGLAND to King and Parliament . With a reprehension of all those who refuse to helpe the Lord against the mighty . ALSO SHEWING WHAT SHALL BE THE EVENT OF THESE TROUBLRS . Written by reason of an eminent person in this Kingdome diserting the Cause , and flying : and now published for the common good . Imprimatur . Ia : Cranford . LONDON , Printed by R. Austine and A. Coe . 1643. The Scotch Counsellor , communicating his advice to his brethren in ENGLAND . Beloved in the Lord , THE great comfort and content that we have received each from other these many yeares , by the intercourse of letters , having been of late detarded , did beget in me a kind of jealousie , that either your love unto me was grown cold , or your zeal unto the cause of God much abated ; or else I suppose you could not so long have kept pen from paper : But I having now at last ( through my importunity ) exhausted as it were a letter from you , I find as much alteration in you as my former jealousie deemed , which hath filled me with great discontent , especially when I find you minded to dissert the cause of God , and flye for your own safety : And that for these reasons : 1. In regard of the Distractions amongst you . 2. To preserve your Estate . 3. In regard of inability to help . 4. Feare of the enemies great power . 5. Vnlikelihood of Reformation . Surely these reasons arise from your own conceit , being suggested by the spirit of Error ; the invalidity whereof I shall labour to shew you by the evidence of the truth of Gods word . But before I come to your reasons , I shall speak something concerning your flying . This counsell arising from your selfe , may cause the Lord so to forsake and flie from you , that you may eate of the fruit of your own way , and be filled with your own devices , Pro. 1. 31. For there is a way that seemeth right unto men , but the issues thereof are death , Pro. 14. 12. You thinke to flye for safety from the Church of God now in distresse , and so strip your selfe naked of Gods protection , and lay your self open to all dangers . But if you will flie , Fly unto the Lord , for with him alone thero is safety , Prov. 18. 10. and put no confidence in the world , nor in any worldly thing , no not in Princes , Psalm . 118. 9. It is a signe you never had love to , nor found comfort in the Church your mother , when you sever your selfe from the rest of her children , ( your brethren and sisters ) leaving them to undergoe what danger you feare ; and not purposing ( if misery come upon them ) to yeeld them any help or comfort at all . O doe not so , but remember what a bitter curse was pronounced against the inhabitants of Merez , because they came not forth willingly to help the Lord against the mighty . What a curse then think you would have belonged unto them , if they had fled from their help as you resolve to doe ? Recant then ( I beseech you ) this your wicked error , & give no such evill example unto others : For if you may flie , another also may , and so two , ten , an hundred , a thousand , yea all as well as you , and so leave the Lords Vineyard to be destroyed by the wild Boares of the Forrest without hope of recovery . The Idolatrous Papists herein out-strip you in their blind zeal for Antichrist : They are so farre from flying , that they joyn themselves in association , holding and flocking together like so many swarms of Locusts out of the bottomlesse pit , not onely in our own countrey , but come also from forraigne Nations , and joyn hand in hand with them to work wickednesse , endeavouring by all possible meanes againe to establish their abominable idolatry in this Kingdome . O let in never be heard in England , nor published in our gates in Scotland , that this cursed brood of Antichrist should be more zealous for the Pope and the Divell , then the children of God should be for Christ and his Church . And so I come from your flying to your first Reason , which is , The great Distractions amongst you . Alas ! This should be no reason to make you faint in your way to Sion . It is an ordinary thing to see distractions both in Kingdomes , Churches , Families , yea , in all Societies , the envious Man is alwayes so ready to sow the Tares of dissention among the people of God , though never so much bent to peace , knowing that a Kingdome once divided , is halfe overcome , and cannot long stand in safety . What great distraction and amazement was there in the Kingdome of Iudah in the dayes of good King Hezekiah , with the threatning of Senacharib , and the reviling of Rabshakeh , yet we read not that either he or any of his good subjects fled to any but the Lord , who gave him victory over his enemies , and stablished his Kingdom in peace , wherein he rejoyced , 2 King. 20. 19. The Churches of God were not free from trouble and distractions even in the Apostles times , as you may read in the Acts , chap. 15. yet it discouraged not the Apostles from executing their offices , and afterwards God gave peace unto the Churches . Great distraction was in the family of good Iacob , when he supposed Ioseph had been torn in peaces with wild beasts : and when his Sonne Benjamin was left behind in Egypt , and also when Simeon and Levi had massacred the Shechemites , Gen. 24. None of Gods people are free from troubles and distractions : For man is born to trouble as the sparks flye upward , Iob. 5. 7. Let not troubles then dishearten you , but walk before the Lord and be upright , and he shall let you see your desire upon your enemies . Another reason you alledge , which is this , The preservation of your estate . Here you shew your selfe to be of the mind of Demas , to love the present world more than the children of God , 2 Tim. 4. 10. Oh farre be this from you ! How is it that I heare such a thing of you ? If I had not had it under your hand and seale , I should not have given credit thereunto . Marke how the holy Ghost teacheth you a way to preserve your estate , Prov. 3. 9 , 10. Honour the Lord with thy riches , and with the first fruits of thine increase : So shall thy barnes bee filled with plenty , and thy presses shall burst forth with new wine . Our Saviour Christ also saith , that whosoever shall give but a cup of cold water to a Prophet , shall not lose his reward , Matth. 10. 41 , 42. And he that casteth his bread upon the waters [ that is , upon the afflicted ] after many dayes he shall finde it , Eccles 11. 1. Me thinkes these pretious promises , and many more which I could here set downe , should excite you not onely to be liberall in parting with your substance to the reliefe of the poor Church of God , now in great distresse , but even to give your life for the same , as our Saviour Christ hath done before you , Ephes. 2. 25 , 26 , 27 , 29. Doe but consider how many of your deare brethren in the kingdome of England have beene so far from preferring their worldly treasure before the good of Gods Church , that they have not onely liberally contributed thereto , but even sacrified their lives in the cause against the enemies thereof , whose memory shall bee recorded with the just , when the name of those that disert the same shall infamously perish in oblivion . Consider againe , I pray you , the pestilent sect of Papisticall Malignants , who spare no cost they possibly can procure either by begging , borrowing , selling , pawning , morgaging , filching , stealing , oppressing , and all to re-edifie the Synagogue of Satan and Antichrist againe in this Kingdome . This generation of Vipers shall rise up in judgement against all those that come not forth to helpe the Lord against the mighty . And so I come to your third reason , which is your inability to help . To which I answer , The helpe that is required in such a case as this , is fourefold , viz. either in body , in purse , in counsell , or in prayer : and though I nominate prayer last , yet is it to be joyned with the first , and also with all the rest ; for no action can be well performed without it . But grant that you are to be excused for the first , in regard of age and other infirmities attending thereon : yet for the second you can have no such pretence to excuse your selfe , God having blessed you with abundance to doe good , either in this or any other kind , if your heart be answerable thereto . And therefore remember Salomons caution , Prov. 24. 25. He that spareth more then is meet , shall surely come to poverty . So then if you extend not your liberality in this busines for the publick good of Gods Church , you spare more than is meet , and God is able to send a thousand crosses upon you to diminish that which you so carefully keepe . And if you be not able in body nor willing in your meanes , yet be not deficient by good counsell to provoke and encourage others , and joyne with the Church in hearty and unfained prayer , and you shall see God will send as strange a deliverance unto the Church , as he did unto Peter at the prayers of the Church : of which admirable deliverance you may reade at large in the Acts of the Apostles , chap. 12. Your fourth reason is the potency of the enemy . O let not this discourage you : For though their power bee never so great , yet the power of God is greater : and if he be on our side , [ as undoubtedly he is ] what need we feare what power is against us ? Rom. 8. 31. And although they say in the pride of their hearts as once the AEgyptians did , Exod. 15. 9. I will pursue , I will overtake , I will divide the spoile , my lust shall be satisfied upon them , I will draw my sword , my hand shall destroy them . Mark what followeth , the Lord did but blow with his winde , and the Sea covered them , and they sanke as lead in the mighty waters . And therefore I say unto you as Moses said to the children of Israel , Feare not , stand still , and see the salvatian of the Lord , Exod. 14. 13. For of this you may be sure , the more they prevaile , and the stronger they grow , the more they exalt themselves in the pride of their hearts , to the filling up of the measure of their iniquities , and the sooner becomming the objects of Gods wrath in their sudden destruction . For then the Lord shall speak to them in his anger , and vex them in his sore displeasure . And their lofty looks shall be humbled , and their haughtinesse bowed down , Isai. 2. 11. And as a whirl wind passeth away , so shall they be no more , but the righteous shall bee an everlasting foundation , Pro. 10. 25. And as they are by their pride exalted to their destruction , so are the people and children of God by suffering persecution , affliction and oppression under them , fitted for mercy and deliverance : for when the afflicted cry unto the Lord , he delivereth them out of all their distresses , as you may comfortably reed in Psal. 107. Be therefore faithfull and obedient , and you shall have cause ( in your happy deliverance ) with holy David , to say , Other men would praise the Lord for his goodnes , and for his wonderfull works to the sons of men . Feare not therefore their mightie power , nor their cruell oppression , For the rod of the wicked shal not rest upon the lot of the righteous : but God shall send peace on Israel . And so I come to your last Reason , which is , Vnlikelihood of Reformation . When it is most unlikely with man , yea when it seems impossible , then is it most likely and possible with God . I will give you two instances herein . In the second of the Kings and seventh chapter , when the famine was great in Samaria , and the Prophet prophesying of the great plenty that should ensue the next day , that the Lord on whole hand the King leaned , thought it impossible although the windows of Heaven should be opened ; yet it came to passe according to the words of the Prophet , and he for his incredulity was not permitted to taste thereof . Therefore trust you in the Lord alwayes : for with him unlikelihood is likely , and impossibilities are possible . Another instance almost yet in the memory of some men living , viz. after the death of that hopefull young King Edward the sixth , when Queene Mary got the Crowne , and had established Popery in your Kingdome of England , there was then little likelihood of Reformation ; but when she had strengthened her selfe by marrying with a Popish Prince , there was then far lesse : yet here was some hope left , that she might have died without issue . But when she had conceived with childe , then there was no hope left at all . And yet even then was the Churches deliverances neerest at hand , when the Lord turned the storme of Antichristian fury into a sweet and delectable calme of grace and mercy , till now of late some of that viperous brood are againe sprung up to disturbe our peace . But be you faithfull , and continue constant in all obedience , and you shall see that God will yet againe build up the walls of Jerusalem , and repaire all her breaches . And thus I conclude with the Apostle Iohn in his 2. Epistle and 12. verse , Having many things to write unto you , I will not write with paper and inke , but hope to come unto you , and speake face to face , that our joy may be full . Edinburgh , Nov. 6. 1643. Yours to love and pray for you , Geo : Anderson . FINIS .