THE REMONSTRANCE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.  
To the CONVENTION of ESTATES, At Edinburgh June 1643.  
EDINBURGH, Printed by Evan Tyler Printer to the Kings most excellent Majesty.  
ANNO 1643.   

At Edinburgh the 27. of June. 1643.  
THe Estates of this Kingdom presently convened, having read and considered the Remonstrance given in to them by the Commissioners from the General Assembly, As they do return hearty thanks to the Commissioners of the Assembly for their timous advertisement in matters of so great importance. So to the effect the same may be the better made known to all the members of this Convention, and they thereby more enabled to give their resolutions therein, Ordains the same to be forthwith printed, and that their presents be Warrant for that effect.  
Arch. Primrose, Cler. Conven.   

To the right Honourable, the Noblemen, the Commissioners of Shires and Burrowes, assembled in the Convention of Estates at Edinburgh, June 22. 1643. years, The humble remonstrance and desires of the Commissioners of the General Assembly.  
ACcording to the trust committed unto us by the General Assembly in this time of so many difficulties, and so great danger to Religion and Peace, which have exercised us this time past, and do still more and more press us above measure, We have given warning to the whole Ministry, how to acquit themselves against all sorts of Enemies to Religion and Peace: We have also by petition made our humble address to the Kings most excellent Majesty, for remedying the present evils, and preventing the like in time coming; Wherein we have had the happiness to be countenanced and assisted by the Lords of His Majesty's honourable privy Council, and the Commissioners for conserving the Peace: But to our great grief have not found the success answerable to Our Endeavours and Expectation; which is also resented in a late Declaration by the Lords of His Majesty's privy Council, and the Commissioners for conserving the Peace, and is now universally known to this whole church and kingdom: And therefore having the opportunity of this Honourable Convention, representing the whole body of the Kingdom, (wherein we humbly acknowledge the wise, timous and merciful providence of God) we find ourselves bound, both as the faithful Ministers of Christ, and watchmen unto the house of Israel, and as Commissioners of the Assembly, set after a special manner upon the watchtower at this time, to give warning from God of the present dangers, and with all earnestness in the name of God, to entreat your Lordships for a speedy remedy.  
We need not make any Remonstrance to your Lordships of Romish Heresies, Superstition, Usurpation and Tyranny; nor of the inestimable benefit of the Reformation of Religion, which next unto the first planting of Christian Religion itself, is the greatest mercy that ever God bestowed upon the world, and is no less than a resurrection from the dead; nor of the many violent and fraudulent ways which Antichrist hath used in acquiring, preserving, and propagating his Kingdom, and thereby hath declared himself to be Antichrist indeed. The Kirks and Kingdoms of Britain, France, Germany, and other places, from the first time of Reformation to this day, bear testimony of his fraud and violence: We only represent what great and marvellous things the Lord hath done for this Kirk and Kingdom of old, and of late, such as he hath not been pleased to do this day to any Nation under Heaven; which hath been many time's matter of humble and thankful acknowledgement to ourselves, of admiration to other reformed Kirks, and of astonishment to the enemies of God; who nevertheless in the invincible malice and hardness of their Hearts, have ever been since the first beginning of Reformation, according to their own Principles, by all their craft and might opposing and fight against the work of God. And although by the wisdom, power and good providence of God, they have been many times disappointed of their ends, and their devices turned upon their own heads; yet as enemies of all righteousness, and full of all subtlety and mischief, do they never cease to pervert and resist the right ways of the Lord: which hath been formerly, and is at this day, the cause of many and great dangers to our Religion, and to the peace and happiness both of King and Country.  
When we look upon the records of former times, As we perceive the Kirk of God in this Kingdom in most of her national Assemblies to have entered in a deep consideration of the dangers of the true Religion, of the causes whence they did arise, and of the best and most effectual remedies, whereby they might be removed; So do we find the principal dangers discovered by the general Assemblies to be the same which at this time threaten our Religion and Peace. One of them was from foreign invasion by Papists in Arms, or preparing forces to come against this Island; Another was of intestine conspiracies and secret plots of Papists and their assistants within the Kingdom; And the third was, the ordinary resort of Papists to Court, their familiar admittance to the Kings and Queen's Majesty's Presence, and their preferment to places and employments of Trust, with the slighting and neglecting of such as were known to be zealous of the Truth and Cause of God against Popery and Corruption. In all which they did wisely observe a threefold conjunction: First, That the safety of Religion, and of the King's person, crown and posterity, were inseparably joined, That the danger of the one was also the danger of the other, That they did stand and fall together, and had the same common friends and enemies, which was acknowledged and professed by his Majesty that then was, with resolution to assist by his power and royal Authority the endeavours of the Kirk for preserving of Religion, and his Estate, against all foreign and intestine practices of Papists and Apostats. Secondly, The conjunction of the safety of the two kingdoms of Scotland and England, because in one Island, although under divers Princes, and that the danger from popish forces and conspiracies was common to both, which was the ground of the general band of this Kingdom the year 1588. and of the common band and union betwixt the two Kingdoms in the year 1585. in their joint defence of Religion against the common Enemy. Thirdly, the conjunction betwixt the Kirks of Britain, and all other Kirks, professing the true protestant Religion with them, which was the reason of the desire of a general League and Christian Confederacy of all Princes and States, sincerely professing the Evangel, to be opponed to the ungodly conspiracies of the enemies of God's Truth.  
Concerning these three sorts of dangers, we may truly say with the Preacher, That which hath been, is now, And that not so much by vicissitude and change, as by continuance and succession of the same kinds of dangers to the true Religion, which remaineth always the same, it being built upon the rock, and therefore unalterable by the course of time. Yet the difference is so great, that we ought thereby to be excited to the greater vigilancy: For first, The dangers are by time grown greater than they were before: For now, the Papists are in Arms within the Island, and that which was feared as a foreign invasion, is now become intestine, felt within the bowels of England, and is at the distance but of a few days march from ourselves; And therefore in divers respects more dangerous to both Kingdoms, than the Armado, or any other foreign invasion; The hatred of brethren being the strongest, and the resistance being by division made the weaker: Now, the secret plots and inward combinations of Papists and Malignants, which have been lately discovered, and are more particularly known to your Lo. then to us, are much aided and assisted, By those of the Prelatical Faction, which answerably unto their practices make open profession to join rather with the Papists then with us; By Malignants and Discovenanters, who from no zeal to any Religion, but that they may serve their own particular projects, do join their counsels with the Papists, and really serve their ends; And by others, who have suffered themselves to be drawn away, and divided from the strait way wherein they were wont comfortably to walk; not upon design, but by the cunning of Malignants, by enticements of Society, and by natural Relations, to cooperate with them; who may well participate withthem in their pains, and (if they return not quickly to their first love) in their punishments also; But if they consider the intention of their Authors and Leaders, can have small hopes to have any part or share in their intended rewards: Now, Papists, Prelates, and Malignants, are not only about the Kings and Queens Majesties, but also are reputed to be the best Subjects, the chief supporters of the Crown, and maintainers of Royal Dignity; And such as oppose Papistry and Prelacy are conceived to be either enemies, or not so good Subjects: Now, the bands of the conjunction of the King and Reformed Religion are burst asunder, and a contrary way of safety by Papists is provided and preferred: And now, contrary to the Proceed of all our Assemblies, to the resolution of the convention of estates in the year 1585. and to all the remonstrances and declarations of this Kirk and Kingdom, which have been many, since the beginning of our troubles, no danger is apprehended to our Religion by prevailing of Papists of Papistry in England: Against which, as being contrary both to sense and reason, the Remonstrance of the classes of Zealand to the Estates there, speaketh thus, We esteem the destruction and weakening of the Reformed Churches in England, to be the beginning of the ruin of all the Reformed Churches in whole Europe, specially of Scotland, which shall not possibly escape the same estate of Religion with England; And their letters presently sent unto us, speak to the same sense. And there be three too pregnant and public witnesses, The invasion 1588. the Powder-treason Novem. 5. and the Service book 1637. all which were intended against the Kirks of both Kingdoms, either immediately, or mediately, and by consequence. And thus your Lordships may perceive in all these considerations the former dangers of our Religion to be at this time not only continued, but mightily increased. Secondly, there is another difference, that not only the old dangers are grown to a greater height, but new dangers unknown in former times are multiplied against us: Arms are taken up by Papists, and the Popish party, under pretext ofservice to the King's Majesty: The Queen still using all means with his Majesty, with the Subjects, and with Strangers, to promove and settle her own profession against the Reformed Religion: Our hopes expressed in our Supplication, of disbanding of Popish forces in England, & of means to be used for the Queen's conversion, all frustrated: Papists through their success in Ireland, their power in England, and their expectation in this Kingdom, daily growing to a greater strength, number and insolency: No execution of the Laws against Papists, although excommunicated and denounced Rebels; Whence it is, that they still reset Jesuits and Seminarie Priests, They travel where they will, armed with Carabins and Pistols, to the terror and seducing of poor People, and speak what they please of Religion, and of the present troubles; And if any of them happen to apprehend danger here, they sly into England, and find not only shelter, but advancement among the Papists there in arms: And our Covenant (which is in the own nature, and was in effect in former times a fortress and defence against Papistry, and against defection and division among ourselves, is, to the great dishonour of God, to the scandal, danger, and detriment of Religion, many ways violated, neglected, & in some clauses quite forgotten, as if it had never been sworn nor subscribed: Resolutions have been taken by common consent of the General Assembly, of their Commissioners, of the Lords of privy Council, and the Conservers of Peace, with the approbation of all the Presbyteries of the Land, for sending of Petitions to the King's Majesty, and Declarations to the Parliament, for Unity in Religion, and Uniformity of Church-government, as a necessary means for the preservation of our Religion and Peace: Yet contrary to the Covenant, some have suffered themselves to be divided and drawn away by suggestions or allurements from these common resolutions; Have cast in Lets and Impediments to stay and hinder the same, so fare have they been from suppressing, or (as need did require) from making dangerous and divisive motions known, that they might have been timously obviated; Have wrested words of the Covenant by their sinister interpretations to their own ends, quite contrary to the intention of the Covenant; And whether in their meetings and combinations they have used any other mean directly contrary, or indirectly prejudicial to the oath of the Covenant, their own hearts know, and the Searcher of hearts will make known in his own time. It were a wonder if Papists were not like themselves, working according to their own grounds and wont practices, for the liberty of their profession, at this time which seemeth to smile upon them, and to flatter them with the promises of so many advantages: But should it not seem als great a wonder, that any amongst us should be so unlike to themselves, and to that which they professed to be at the renewing of their Covenant, that (although it may be, different in intentions) they are wittingly become fellow-workers with Papists, in hindering the desire of the Reformation in England, and hazarding the settled Reformation here. When we consider the ways of GOD, who often in his justice punisheth sin with sin, we have reason to fear this to be a spiritual judgement for the neglect of the worship of GOD, common blasphemies, profanation of the Lords day, unrighteousness, deceit, malignity, adulteries, incests, all kinds of uncleanness and excess of all sorts, with the forgetting of the affliction of God's people in other places, which bring on other sins, and threaten us more than all the former dangers, we having of late so solemnly promised to live soberly, righteously, and godly.  
GOD hath honoured your Lordships, and this whole Kingdom represented by you, to do great things for his Name; when now we have endured the heat of the day, let us not weary in the evening, lest we lose our reward: Your noble and worthy Predecessors had their own troubles and trials in former ages, the present are yours by divine providence. Great things are expected from this Kingdom for the benefit of all the Reformed Kirks, especially of the Kirk of England, unto which we have the voice of the Classes of Zealand (who in respect of our near relation are but strangers unto England) at this very time inviting and exciting us; And GOD hath given us from bypast experience, great encouragements for afterward: Faithfulness in the work unto which GOD calleth you at this time, shall be honour to the Kingdom, safety to the Kirk, comfort in life and death, and a Crown of glory in the world to come, with which this world hath nothing of any weight or worth to compare.  
All our desire at this time is, that your Lordships in your wisdom would consider of the aforenamed dangers, and after they are found to be not imaginary or counterfeit; but true and real above any thing that we have expressed, your Lordships would against all differences and divisions, unite yourselves hearty and strongly in the cause of God, that it may once appear to his Majesty, that our late Petition for Unity in Religion, and Uniformity of Church government, hath proceeded from the united affections of this whole Kingdom, And that your Lordships may be pleased to think upon the best and most effectual remedies for the preservation of our Religion, which as is well known to your Lordships, and hath been often expressed in our Petitions, Remonstrances and Declarations, cannot possibly be preserved, unless the condition of Religion in his Majesties other Dominions be seriously taken to heart: And herein as your Lordships shall be pleased to require of us, we shall most willingly contribute, what we ourselves can conceive, or have learned from the proceed of the General Assemblies in the like cases. Likeas we do now most earnestly beseech GOD to assist your Lordships by the good spirit of Counsel and Peace, to cause the light of his glorious Gospel to shine in your hearts, and to bless your meeting with a peaceable and comfortable conclusion, to the rejoicing of all the People of GOD.  
A. Ker Cl. Commiss. Gen. Ass.  
FINIS.