A DECLARATION AGAINST A CROSS PETITION: WHEREIN Some secret lets of the intended reformation are discovered. The danger of Division prevented. And the unity of this Island in religion urged.  
BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.  
First, Printed at Edinburgh, and now reprinted at London for I. B. in Cornhill. 1642.   

THe Word of GOD, the example of the People of GOD, and of the Kirk of Christ, since the beginning, and our own late, but very notable and never to be forgotten experience, may abundantly teach us, that the motions, resolutions and endeavours of the Godly, for the advancement of the Kingdom of the Son of GOD, by establishing or propagating the Reformation of Religion, must meet with a world of opposition and hindrances, which might make their hearts to faint, and their hands to fail, if upon the same grounds and documents they were not taught to acquit themselves, in doing the duty required of them by the necessity of their callings, and for the success to depend upon the unsearchable wisdom, and invincible power of GOD, which are made perfect in the simplicity and weakness of his servants: The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it.  
There hath ever been in the Kirk of Christ, and shall be to the end, a generation which maketh more account of the World, then of the Faith of Christ, doth conceive that differences about Religion are but the contentions of Kirk-men, that therefore there is no necessity of the Reformation of Religion, and that to know nothing of this kind, is the surest Faith, and seeketh in their service to Kings and Princes civilly to supererogate at their hands, beyond the deservings others, and above the expressed desires and commands of Princes themselves, that the rewards of their singular zeal may be the greater, & therefore have proven, and daily do prove the most pernicious and dangerous enemies of the true Religion: against this generation, which saith, Let us deal wisely with them, we have this comfort and advantage, and we know amongst all the Enemies of the Truth, they lest of all think that they do God service.  
We who are entrusted for the time, to be the Commissioners of the late General Assembly, sitting at Edinburgh for the Affairs of the Kirk committed to our care and diligence, specially for preserving of our own Reformation, and peace against all sorts of Enemies, and according to the interest of this Kirk for unity in Religion and Uniformity of Government with the Kirk of England, which was no new motion of ours, but a proposition made by the Commissioners of the Treaty, which then received from the King's Majesty and Parliament of England, such an Answer as hath been the ground of many Consultations, Declarations, and public Letters since, and of a renewed supplication at this time to the King's Majesty, and of a Declaration to the Parliament of England for the same effect. While we are thus exercised, we are desired by some Noblemen, Barons, and Burgesses, occasionally met at Edinburgh, to send some of our number to join with them in a Petition, representing to the Right Honourable the Lords and other Commissioners of Parliament for the conservation of peace, their humble thoughts and fears that the printing of His Majesty's Letter of the date, December 5. by Warrant and Command of the Right Honourable the Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council, and the not printing of the Declaration of both Houses of Parliament, unto which the printed Letter was an Answer, might be taken by the Kingdom of England, as an approbation of the whole matter, and all the particulars which it did express, and thereby to animate and provoke this Nation against them as Rebels and Traitors We finding that the Petition did homologate both in the end and means with our Commission, and the matter of our present deliberations did willingly satisfy the desire of the Petitioners, and therefore from our tender and dutiful respect to His Majesty's Honour, for preventing and removing of all occasion of jealousies and suspicions betwixt the two Kingdoms, for preservation both of our own peace at home, and our common peace with England, and for promoving the so much desired Unity of Religion, a mean of all other most conducing to the conservation of both, did with them (conform to the order observed in such cases since the beginning of our late Reformation) humbly supplicate, that the meaning of the publication of his Majesty's Letter might be cleared, and that the Declaration of both Houses of Parliament to their Brethren of Scotland might be printed and published, etc.  
But behold, after a few days a contrary Petition is presented to the Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council, by some private Noblemen, Barons, and Gentlemen, which coming to our hands, we found after due examination to be nothing else but a secret plot and subtle under-mining of all the present designs of this Kirk and Kingdom, for Unity of Religion, and of all the work of God in this Land: And therefore we made upon it the Observations and Animadversions following.  
The private persons knowing that the Commissioners of the General Assembly were sitting at this time about such matters as they meddle with in their Petition, and that we had joined in presenting a Petition to the Commissioners for conserving of Peace, much about the same particulars, whereof they could not be ignorant by reason of the Act of the late Assembly, they did not so much as acquaint us with their intentions, that we might either have petitioned with them, or have advised them to desist: which although it may seem to be but an erro● in the manner of their doing, yet doth it imply contempt, usurpation and division; and being winked at may be the cause of much disturbance and confusion in these times, especially they professing that they desire to clear themselves and their intentions, not only to the Lords of Council, but to the King's Majesty, to the Kingdom of England, and to all the World, which is nothing else but under the colour of a Petition to make a public Declaration, contrary to the proceed, not only of the General Assembly and their Commissioners, but also to the desires and diligence of the Commissioners of the Treaty of the Honourable Lords of Council, and of the Conservators of Peace, who have all concurred, and do still concur in their joint desires of Unity of Religion in His Majesty's Dominions, resolving to press this Unity to the uttermost of their endeavours as a necessary preservative of our own Reformation and Peace, which without it cannot long subsist; and much crossing that clause of our Covenant wherein we swear, that we shall not cast in any let or impediment that may stay or hinder any such resolution, as by common consent shall be found to conduce for so good ends.  
Although the Petitioners profess with us that they desire the Union of this Island in Religion and Kirk-Government, yet their Petition doth too plainly and palpably tend to the contrary, as is apparent by this threefold consideration: 1. For remedy of the divisions and distractions in England, the Petition desireth only the suppression of insolent Papists, malignant schismatics, and disloyal Brownists and Separatists, the special, if not sole promovers and fomenters of these unhappy misunderstandings: and thus doth pass by the Prelates, and balketh the Bishops, who have been the most restless sticklers in this business, and the prime authors of all these tragedies since the beginning, and thereby would take us off our right and strait course of pressing uniformity in Kirk-government, in the Treaty, in our Declarations, and in the General Assembly: The Apologists for the petition would have reduced the Prelates either to Papists, or to Sectaries; but the Authors of the Petition intended better service, by sending the Petition to England, without trenching upon the Lordly Prelacy, or touching the Prelates at all; which from strangers is an high provocation against the Kingdom and Parliament of England, and no small prejudice against the proceed of this Kirk and Kingdom for Reformation. 2 This Petition doth indirectly cast foul aspersions upon those who are most zealous for the reformation in England, and doth very much symbolise with the language of the Popish and Prelatical party in England; calling the Parliament, and all that seek after Reformation, Brownists, Separatists, Authors of tumultuary conventions, etc. 3 It hinteth at our zeal and forwardness in the matter of the Reformation of the Kirk of England: which may appear thus; The Petitioners declare, That since the duty of charity doth oblige all Christians to pray and profess their desires, that all others were of the same Religion with themselves, etc. Therefore they represent their wishes for unity of Religion and Kirk-government, as an expression and testimony of their affection to the good of their brethren in England: Declaring further, That they desire this work to be prosecuted without presuming or usurping to prescribe ●●wes and rules of Reformation to their Neighbours. And again they repeat, that by their wishes and desires they intent ●o ways to pass their bounds, in prescribing or setting down rules and limits to his Majesty and Houses of Parliament their wisdom and authority, in the way of prosecution hereof. And why do they so plentiful purge, and carefully clear themselves concerning this particular, if their intention were not to leave some aspersion upon this Kirk and State, as if we were passing our bounds, by presuming to prescribe rules and limits to His Majesty and Houses of Parliament? For further evidence whereof, it is to be remembered, that in the first part of their Petition they plainly profess, that they are clearing themselves and their intentions, lest they should be thought to be involved with us in the same desires, judgements, and opinions: So that all which they say by way of clearing of themselves and their intentions, ariseth from this ground, that they will not be thought involved with us in our desires, Judgements, and opinions, and so condemn us in these particulars in which chief they justify themselves: neither can we knit together their words, or interpret their apology to another meaning. Now what is this else but to overturn the very foundation of all our endeavours for this work of Reformation, which was the Article of the Treaty for union in Religion, and uniformity in Kirk government? Not as a matter nakedly desired and wished for, but as a principal demand, and necessary mean, without which neither truth nor peace could be secured unto us. The importance and necessity whereof hath been since that time so deeply laid to heart by this Kirk and Kingdom, that as the General Assembly, and we for our part representing the same, so the Lords of Counsel, and the Commissioners of Parliament for conservation of the peace, concurring with us, have been, and are most serious and solicitous in the importunate and earnest pressing of this union in Religion and Kirk government, resolving to use our uttermost endeavours in the prosecuting and effectuating of such a blessed and necessary work, as being dearer to us then all our lives and Fortunes: neither did the General Assembly spare to represent their humble advice concerning the way of prosecuting that work to the Houses of Parliament, and to others seeking after Reformation in England.  
Their Petition doth tend to a dangerous division in this Kirk and Kingdom; for as it doth reflect upon us for our joining in the Petition concerning His Majesty's printed Letter presented to the Com. of Parliament, for conservation of the Peace, upon a pretext (as it saith) of the not sitting of the Privy Council at that time; so it insinuateth, that we did presume to question or seek of the Lords of Council an account of their Actions; both which are foul and groundless aspersions: yea, it declareth, that the Petitioners do so far dislike our Petition, that they conceive they were wanting in their duty and allegiance to the King's Majesty, if by their silence they should suffer themselves to be involved with us in the like desires, judgements and opinions: thus plainly professing a division and separation, aswell from us, as from other Noblemen, Gentlemen, Burgesses, and Ministers, here occasionally met, with whom we joined in the foresaid Petition. And not content to withdraw themselves from being involved with us, the Petition doth also insinuate, that in their opinion we are involved in the breach of duty and allegiance to the King's Majesty; and not we only, but the Commissioners for conserving the Peace, who did hearken and assent to our Petition, and did seriously recommend to the Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council, that part of the Petition which did concern their Lordships clearing of their meaning in the publication of His Majesty's Letter, by their causing print the Declaration of the Parliament of England. The Lords of Council are likewise involved in the same breach of allegiance, by reason of their grant of our desire in causing print the Declaration of both Houses of Parliament, upon the warrant of another Letter from His Majesty, and therewith declaring, that their Lordship's publication of any Paper, doth not import their approbation of the contents thereof.  
The Petition abovementioned doth import no small prejudice to the happy Union and late Treaty of Peace betwixt the Kingdoms, insinuating to the Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council, that their Lordships in answering our Petition concerning the clearing of their meaning in the publication of His Majesty's Letter, might do no act which might give His Majesty occasion to repent him of that trust for aid and assistance, which He was pleased to declare in his Letter December 5. that he reposeth in us His Subjects of this His ancient and native Kingdom; whereby the Petitioners do in●●mate their desires, that the Lords of Council might not declare that for which we did supplicate, but to declare by their not printing the Declaration of the Parliament, that their Lordship's publication of His Majesty's Letter did import their approbation of the contents thereof, and so acknowledge their willingness to take Arms against the Parliament of England, upon the grounds contained in that Letter, when His Majesty shall require them so to do. And for their own part they declare, that they think themselves obliged in every cause which may concern His Majesty's honour to concur with their friends and followers in quiet manner, or in Arms, as they shall be required of His Majesty, his Council, or any having his authority. Which if understood and applied aright, no loyal Subject can deny, but it is meant and expressed in their Petition, as in opposition to our Petition▪ So in contemplation of the Differences betwixt His Majesty, and the Parliament of England, unto which their words relate. For they profess to represent such particulars as they are confident will much conduce to the removing of all the mistakes betwixt His Majesty, and the Parliament: of which particulars, that is the first, That according to His Majesties trust expressed in His Letter December 5. the Subjects of this Kingdom declare themselves willing and ready to take Arms in every cause which may concern His Majesty's honour, being required by His Majesty, or any having His Authority. And is not this to make void the Treaty, ratified by the public Faith of this Kingdom, and Act of Parliament, discharging all taking up of Arms against the Kingdom or Subjects of England, upon any pretence whatsoever, without consent of Parliament, declaring the breach of Peace; and that after three month's warning? Which treaty the Estates of Parliament did swear to observe inviolably, in the same very oath in which they did swear allegiance to the King's Majesty; thereby declaring, that the observation of the conclusions of the treaty may well consist with our duty and allegiance to our Sovereign, whereas the Petition doth indirectly put some aspersion of Laesmajestie upon the Parliament for confirming and swearing to observe the Articles of the Treaty, which in the opinion of the Petitioners are consistent with our oath of allegiance. If they say that their Petition did only insinuate that we may not take Arms to assist the Parliament against the King, they put upon it a sense which it cannot be are, both because they knew that the supplication of the Noblemen, Barons, & others assisted by us, did not directly nor indirectly contain any such thing, And because His Majesties trust expressed in that Letter (which they desire His Majesty may not have occasion from us to repent) is not only a negative trust, that we will not take arms against him, but a positive trust and confidence, that we will be ready to assist him. And finally, because the clause of the Supplication of the General Assembly which they mention as containing our obligation to our Sovereign, and that in reference to the present distractions in England, is positive, and not negative.  
Lastly, the Petitioners for their own private ends do very much wrest and misapply our Nationall Covenant, about which the whole Nation, and all the Members of the Kirk of Scotland have as great ieason, as by the mind of man can be conceived, to be most tender and cautelous; and which every one amongst us, according to his place and calling, is obliged to vindicate from every violation; and namely, from sinister glosses, and false interpretations, which may be the fountain and cause (the Covenant being one principal rule of our actions and undertake) of many scruples, transgressions, and disturbances. We acknowledge before God, and profess before the World, that by our Covenant we are bound to the utmost of our power, with our means and lives, to stand to the defence of our dread Sovereign the King's Majesty, his Person and Authority, in the defence and preservation of the true Religion, Laws and Liberties of this Kirk and Kingdom; likewise in every cause which may concern his Majesty's honour, according to the Laws of this Kingdom, and the duty of good Subjects, to concur with our friends and followers in quiet manner, and in arms, as we shall be required of His Majesty, his Council, or any having his authority. We know, that he who wilfully transgresseth one Article of the Covenant, it being copulative, is by interpretation guilty of all. And therefore under the greatest pains expressed in the Covenant, we resolve for ourselves, all the days of our lives, and do exhort, all others to that duty which they have sworn and subscribed to perform to the King's Majesty: But we desire to know of the Petitioners, who are so ready at this time to make their own conclusions out of the Covenant, which was never intended by it, nor thought upon at the first or last time at the swearing and subscribing thereof, how it cometh to pass that they never took the Covenant in their mouth, but in this one Article? Are they not bound by their Covenant, and the same clause of the supplication, cited by them, to their mutual concurrence and assistance for the cause of Religion? and to stand, with their means and lives, to the defence thereof, in the doctrine and discipline of the Kirk of Scotland? and to live godly, soberly, and righteously in this present world? True Conscience of duty and sincerity in keeping the Covenant, will make the obedience universal. Secondly, seeing the Petitioners would only have unity in Religion, and uniformity in Kirk-Government advanced by Christian wishes and fair means, and yet insinuateth their offer by arms to decide the municipal debates of England, anent Civil matters, while the Civil and Ecclesiastic Judicatories, and the rest of this Kirk and Kingdom are desiring an Assembly, and a Parliament, to consider their interest and duty, and to contribute their best endeavours (in what is above the power of their Commissioners) to further this unity of Religion, and remove these distractions in England, we ask, whether they presume that they alone keep the Covenant, and would render unto Christ which is Christ's, and unto Caesar which is Caesar's, and that all others are Covenant-breakers? Thirdly, do they not know that the Covenant was subscribed in the years, 1581. and 1591. before King James was King of England? and that in the particular Heads and Articles, it is qualified by express limitations and restrictions to this Kirk and Kingdom, to the Religion, Laws and Liberties of Scotland? therefore can no more be extended to municipal debates, and to the Laws and Liberties of England, unto which we are strangers, than the Kingdom of England can judge of our Laws, and determine our differences, the two Kingdoms being still independent, and not subordinate one to another, but parallel, which is more at large expressed in the beginning of the treaty of Peace: Nor is the sending of our Forces into Ireland a necessary duty of our Covenant, but a voluntary testimony of our high respects to our King, and of our brotherly kindness to the Kingdom of England, as was expressed by the Estates in the last Parliament. Fourthly, do not the Petitioners observe the limitations expressly contained in the words cited by themselves, according to the Laws of this Kingdom, and duty of good Subjects? which some of them may remember was interpreted in the Assembly, as if it had been said within this Kingdom; nor was there ever any law of this Kingdom of further extent: A law and Treaty there is, we know, forbidding it. Fifty, may they not learn from the printed Letter, that the King's Majesty expresseth not his confidence of assistance from Scotland, upon any ground or article of the Covenant, which his Majesty knoweth to be so obligatory among us, but from the obedience, duty and affection of His Subjects of Scotland, without any mention of our Covenant? But such is the supererogation of some of the Petitioners above what His Majesty requires, that they will put a tye of the Covenant upon us, where GOD and the King hath jest us free. Thus have we related the interpretation of the Covenant made by the Assembly, and vindicate that clause of the Covenant, which is so fare perverted by this Petition.  
The Petitioners hearing that their Petition had given offence to the Commissioners of the Assembly, and that we were about the examination and censuring thereof, did direct four of their number with another Petition to give satisfaction to the exceptions that might be taken against them, as is contained in their Remonstrance which they exhibit for that end: But when in a calm and quiet conference, all the particular reasons above-written, were represented unto them, and all means used to move them to part from their Petition, they could not be induced, neither in the name of others that had sent them, nor for themselves, to acknowledge the smallest error either in the matter of their Petition, or in the manner of their petitioning; only they made offor to join with us the Commissioners of the Assembly in a new Petition for Unity of Religion, and gave such glosses and interpretations upon the clauses of their Petition, which were most excepted against, as could neither consist with the words nor scope of the contrivers and authors. And therefore being desired and earnestly dealt with, they not only refused to declare under their hands that no other thing was meant in the Petition, than they had by word expressed, but also did shun to allow or permit us, the Commissioners of the Assembly, to declare so much in their names, as was contained in their own verbal expressions, intending that the Petition should go through this and the neighbouring Kingdoms for the ends for which it was devised, and especially into England, for frustrating all that hath been done, or is now in doing by this Kirk and Kingdom, out of their pious intention, and by their public endeavours for Unity of Religion, and the Peace of the two Kingdoms: And in the mean time that nothing should be extant from them or their confessions and interpretations in the contrary.  
In this case we Judge it necessary, and find it incumbent to us to emit this Declaration, for vindicating our present and bypast proceed: For our silence and connivance were a breach of our duty to GOD, a neglect of the charge and trust committed unto us by the General Assembly, an occasion as well of divisions at home, as of jealousies and misunderstandings betwixt the Kingdoms, a confirmation of Petitioners in their error, and an indirect approbation of their Petition; as likewise a cause of stumbling and doubting to others who shall read or hear of such a Petition, especially to those, who through want of discerning, are not able to prove things that are different, might be easily deceived by their pretexts and sophistications. We are not ignorant that this Petition doth very much reflect upon the Parliament, Privy Council, and the Conservators of Peace; but this we leave to the wise consideration of these civil Judicatories, as they shall find themselves concerned: We have contained ourselves within our proper Sphere, not daring to neglect our own duty, while we forbear to meddle with that which pertains to others.  
The Petitioners are not all of one kind and disposition of heart, but are unequally voked against the Work of God. Some of them are known, and some of them have been conceived to be Maglignants and Incendiares from the beginning: but God forbidden that they should now by opposing untie in Religion and Peace, prove enemies to all Religion and Righteousness; for than will it be both thought and spoken, that all this time passed they have been lying in wait for the season, when their malignancy might appear; and it will be observed, that they who were of late at distance amongst themselves, are now at agreement; and that like Samsons soxe, they turn tail to taille with firebrands in the midst, to burn up the husbandry of GOD, when now the fields are white for the harvest. It cannot be the cause of God which is not either secretly or openly opposed by men of perverse minds; nor can blinded minds and hardened hearts till God touch them by his power, choose but secretly or openly oppose the truth and cause of God. And therefore it is very necessary that such men take heed unto themselves, least by their fullness of all subtlety and mischief, and their not ceasing to pervert the right ways of the Lord, they be found to be fight against God which will prove bitterness in the end: Others there be who have joined in this Petition (to judge charitably) not from opposition to the unity of Religion, they having done and suffered so much, and hazarded all for the Reformation of Religion at home, but partly out of unwillingness to refuse or displease their friends to whom they are obliged by natural or other particular bands and partly by reason of the specious pretences in the Petition, not considering the bad intentions of the contrivers, or the dangerous importance and consequence of the Petition itself: Let such men, to whom the Commissioners of the Assembly wish all true happiness, seriously think as well upon the condition of the work, and the quality of the company with whom they join, as upon their own intentions, lest they wrong both themselves, and the cause of God, contrary to their desires, and more than they are ware of; and let them remember how dangerous it is to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, for their souls to come into their secret, and their glory to be joined with that Assembly If counsel be like the principal agent, consent is like the instrument; and to be instruments of, or accessory unto the hindrance of the intended, and so much desired unity of Religion, which maketh so fair a way for the Kingdom of Christ through the earth, how great a sin is it? and how great a sorrow shall it be?  
All this we have thought good to express concerning that divisive Petition, and those who are joined together in it, being cast in our way as a stumbling block and rock of offence, for hindrance of the work of God, both at home and abroad. And as We exhort and warn all the people of God in this Land to observe them who cause divisions and offences, and to avoid them; So we hope assuredly, that no such courses, nor counsels shall prosper, as do tend directly or indirectly, to the stopping of the course of the Gospel, or to the suppression of Religion and Reformation, and that God Almighty shall against all impediments carry forward this his blessed and glorious Work, to the glory of his great Name, to the advancement of the Kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ, to the destruction of Antichrist, to the firm Peace and happy Union of all His Majesty's Dominions in Religion, and to His Majesty's Honour and Happiness: Whom GOD preserve to reign long and prosperously over us.  
FINIS.   

At Edinburgh the 18, day of january, 1643.  
THe Commissioners appointed by the King's Majesty, and his Parliament of Scotland, for conserving the Articles of the Treaty, Do find that the Petition given in to His Majesty's Privy Council by some Noblemen and Gentlemen upon the tenth of this Month, doth tend to the hindrance of their proceed and endeavours, in this public Work committed to them by the King's Majesty, and Parliament: And that it is prejudicial to the authority of this Commission, the same being in opposition of what was that day recommended by the said Commissioners to the Council. And ordain this Act to be published for stopping all farther progress of that or other Petitions of that kind, And that it be Printed with the Declaration of the Commissioners of the General Assembly made here anent.  
Sic subscribitur Arch. Primrose Cler. Commiss.