IN our Letter of the last of March to the Synod, which we suppose all of you have seene and perused, we did ac­quaint you with our desires given in to the honourable estates of Parlia­ment, about that time, and since after some Conferences had, and some Papers interchan­ged between their Lordships and us, upon these de­sires whilest we had received no satisfaction theirto, they were pleased to fall upon the consideration of [Page 4]the breaches of the Treaty & Covenant, & have sent demand to the Parliament of England for reparation therein, or of those demands concerning Religion, (having first voted the same, before our advise was sought thereto) they did thereafter communicate unto us that we might returne our thoughts thereon. In answer to which, after some insinnuations of their laying aside their former way of applycations both to the King and Parliament of England, and of their encroaching upon the liberty of the Kirk, by their taking resolution in that which concerneth Re­ligion without us, and conceiving the demand, in case it should be refused, to be intended as a ground of warre, we delayed to give any judgement there­of, untill our former desires should be first satisfied, and withall intreating that they would be pleased to communicate unto us their Resolutions upon the whole matter, that we might see that all things were so carryed on as would contribute for securing of Religion, and preserving of the union between both Kingdomes, and thereafter we did present unto their Lordships an humble and earnest Petition, pressing their answer to our former desires, con­taining an exonoration of our selves, and of the Kirk of Scotland, if they should refuse to hear­ken thereunto, which their Lordships having con­sidered, did after some dayes communicate unto us, a Declaration containing the grounds and Resolutions of the Parliament upon the whole matter, together with another Paper which re­ferreth us unto the Declaration for satisfaction of our right desires, containing likewise their An­swer [Page 5]to the other particulars, which we added unto our Petition, and in our Answer upon the demand concerning Religion, wherein they in­timate unto us, that in those things in their De­claration, which concern Religion, they will be ready to heare and confider the advice of the Commissioners of the Kirke, but after perusall of their Declaration and other Papers, we are far from finding satisfaction to our first desires, or to the other particulars afterwards given in by us to their Lordships, which we have already in part by a Paper of 25th. of March made known un­to them, and we resolve in a very short time, more fully to represent our minds unto their Lordships, and now concerning the liberty of the Kirk to be very farre prejudiced by the Parli­aments proceedings to determine in those things which so neerely and highly concerne Religion, without the advise and consent of the Kirke (and many considerable Members of Parliament, who have been of constant integrity in the Cause of God, disenting therefrom, and protesting against the same, for the liberties of the Kirke) we found our selves necessitated to protest for the preser­vation of the liberties of the Kirke, according to the word of God, Solemn Covenant and former Lawes, and laudable customes of this Kirke and Kingdome, and that the act of Parliament be no preparative for the future, and that it shall yet be free unto us according to the duty of our places, and as there shall be cause to give our judgement in an Ec­clesiasticall way of the matter of Religion, the said [Page 6]Declaration, so farre as Religion is therein concerned, as freely as if their Lordships had taken no resolutions thereupon, but we hope in a short time to give you a more full and perfect information of all these things by seeing the Papers themselves; and we should now have been silent, were it not that we are not igno­rant of the devises of Malignant and evill affected men, who do endeavour nothing more diligently then (if it be possible) by subtill words and faire speeches on the one side, and slander and false re­ports on the other side, to gaine some of the Mini­stery to be subservant to their desings against the Kirke and Cause of God, knowing that by this meanes especially it was that the liberty of this Kirk was betrayed and the Ordinances of Christ cor­rupted.

These things we speake not as if we were affraid of any of you our deare Brethren, we hope thatafter so many teares and temptations, so many prayers and supplications, so great power of the Lords hand de­livering us from so great a yoke of bondage, and af­ter so many vowes and promises every Minister of Christ throughout the Land, will abhorre to be ac­cessary to any thing that may promote the purposes of those, who study to under-mine the worke of God; nay these many Letters to our selves, and sup­plications to the Parliament from many Synods and Presbyters, as they are unto us a matter of much re­freshing in the middest of many difficulties and streights, wherewith God is pleased at this present to exercise us, so we take them for Evidences of the stedfastnesse of those from whom they have [Page 7]come; and albeit all have not had the opportuni­ty to expresse themselves that way, yet we make no question of their constancie, and that they will be ready to witnesse their affection to the cause of God as they shall see need, but as Fellow-labou­rers with you that are imployed in the worke of the Lord; we give you warning of the danger, and stirre you up to be earnest with God in pray­er and supplication, for your owne stedfastnesse, so to give such full and timous warning unto all with whom you have to do, against all the snares and temptations of these times: And that you may now so carry your selves in all things, that when the Lord shall be pleased to bring his ser­vants together in a generall Assembly, all of them may come thither furnished with the spirit of in­tegrity, unity and zeale, that so the boasting of adversaries may be put to silence, and their hopes blasted, when they shall see us to be of one mind, and heare us speake the same thing, for carrying on the work of the Gospel, and obviating every danger that threatneth the same at home and from abroad, which as we trust will be the endeavours of all Presbyteries, so it is the earnest desire and prayer of