I Received Command from my Lord General, to de­sire you to let the Ministers of Edinburgh, now in the Castle with you, know, That they have free liberty granted them, if they please to take the pains, to preach in their several Churches; and that my Lord hath given special Command both to Officers and Soldiers, That they shall not in the least be molested.

I Have communicated the desire of your Letter to such of the Ministers of Edinburgh as are with me; 3 who have desired me to return this for [Page 4]Answer, That though they are ready to be spent in their Masters service, and to refuse no suffering, so they may fulfil their Ministery with joy: Yet per­ceiving the persecution to be personal, by the pra­ctice of your party upon the Ministers of Christ in England and Ireland, and in the Kingdom of Scot­land since your unjust Invasion thereof; And finding nothing exprest in yours, whereupon to build any security for their persons while they are there, and for their return hither, they are resolved to reserve themselves for better times, and to wait upon Him who hath hidden his face for a while from the Sons of Jacob. This is all I have say; but that I am, Sir,

THe kindeness offered to the Ministers with you, was done with ingenuity, thinking it might have met with the like: but I am satisfied to tell those with you, That if their Masters service (as they call it) were chiefly in their eye, Imagination of Suffering would not have caused such a return; much less the practice by our Party (as they are pleased to say) upon the Ministers of Christ in England, have been an Argument of personal persecution: The Mi­nisters of England are supported, and have liberty to preach the Gospel, though not to Rail, nor under pretence thereof [Page 5]to over-top the Civil Power, or debase it as they please: No man hath been troubled in England or Ireland for preach­ing the Gospel; nor has any Minister been molested in Scotland since the coming of the Army hither. The speak­ing Truth becomes the Ministers of Christ: when Ministers pretend to a glorious Reformation, and say the foundation thereof in getting to themselves worldly Power, and can make worldly mixtures to accomplish the same, such as their late Agreement with their King, and hopes by him to carry on their Design, may know, That the Sion promised and hoped for, will not be built with such untempered morter. As for the unjust Invasion they mention, time was when an Army of Scotland came into England, not called by the Su­preme Authority: we have said in our Papers with what hearts, and upon what accompt we came, and the Lord hath heard us, though you would not, upon as Solemn an Appeal as any experience can parallel. And although they seem to comfort themselves with being the Sons of Jacob, from whom (they say) God hath hid his face for a time; yet its no wonder, when the Lord hath lifed up his hand so emi­nently against a Family, as he hath done so often against this, and men will not see his hand, if the Lord hide his face from such, putting them to shame both for it, and their hatred at his people, as it is this day. When they purely trust to the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, which is powerful to bring down strong holds, and every imagination that exalts it self, which alone is able to square and fit the stones for the New Jerusalem; Then, and not before, and by that means, and no other, shall Jerusalem (which is to be the praise of the whole Earth) the City of the Lord be built, the Sion of the Holy One of Israel. I have nothing to say to you, but that I am, Sir,

YOurs I have communicate to these with me whom it concerned, who desire me to return this Answer, That their ingenuity in prosecuting the ends of the Covenant according to their vocation and place, and adhering to their first Principles, is well known; and one of their greatest regrets is, that they have not met with the like: when Ministers of the Gospel have been imprisoned, deprived of their Benefices, sequestrate, forced to flee from their dwellings, and bitterly threatned for their faithful declaring the will of GOD against the godless and wicked proceedings of men, That it cannot be ac­counted an imaginary fear of suffering in such as are resolved to follow the like freedom and faithfulness in discharge of their Masters Message; that it savors not of ingenuity to promise liberty of preaching the Gospel, and to limit the Preachers thereof, that they must not speak against the [...]ns and enormi­ties of Civil Powers, since their Commission car­ryeth them to speak the Word of the Lord unto, and to reprove the fins of persons of all ranks, from the highest to the lowest: That to impose the name of Railing upon such faithful Freedom, was the old pra­ctice of Malignants against the Ministers of the Go­spel, [Page 7]who laid open to people the wickedness of their ways, that they should not be ensnared thereby: That their consciences bear them record, and all their hearers do know, that they meddle not with Civil Affairs further then to hold forth the rule of the Word, by which the straightness and crooked­ness of mens actions are made evident. But they are sorry that they have just cause to regret, that men of meer Civil place and employment, should usurp the calling and employment of the Ministery, to the scandal of the Reformed Kirks, and particularly in Scotland, contrary to the Government and Disci­pline therein established, to the maintenance where­of you are bound by the Solemn League and Cove­nant. Thus far they have thought fit to vindicate their return to the offer in Colonel Whalleys latter offer: The other part of yours which concerns the Publique as well as them, they conceive that all hath been answered sufficiently in the publique Papers of the State and Kirk: onely to that of the success upon your solemn Appeal, they say again what was said to it before, That they have not so learned Christ, as to hang the equity of their Cause upon e­vents, but desire to have their hearts established in the love of the Truth in all the tribulations that be­fal them. I onely do adde that I am

BEcause I am at some reasonable good leisure, I can­not let such a gross mistake and inconsequential reason­ings pass without some notice taken of them. And first, their ingenuity in relation to the Covenant, for which they com­mend themselves, doth no more justifie their want of inge­nuity in answer to Colonel Whalleys Christian offer, concern­ing which my Letter charged them with guiltiness, deficiency, then their bearing witness to themselves of their adhering to their first Principles and ingenuity in prosecuting the ends of the Covenant, justifies them so to have done, meerly because they say so. They must give more leave hencefor­wards, for Christ will have it so, will they nill they, and they must have patience to have the truth of their doctrines and sayings tryed by the sure touchstone of the word of God; and if there be a liberty and duty of tryal, there is a liberty of judgement also, for them that may and ought to try; which if so, they must give others leave to say and think, that they can Appeal to equal Judges, who have been the truest fulfillers of the most real and equitable ends of the Covenant: But if these Gentlemen which do assume to themselves to be the infallible Expositors of the Covenant, as they do too much to their Auditories of the Scriptures, counting a different fence and judgement from theirs, breach of Covenant and Heresie, no marvel they judge of others so authoritatively and severely; but we have not so learned Christ. We look at Ministers as helpers of, not Lords over the faith of Gods people. I appeal to their consciences, whether any trying their Doctrines and dissenting, shall not incur the censure of Sectary; and what is this but to deny Christians their Liber­ty, and assume the infallible Chair? What doth he, whom we would not be likened unto, do more then this? In the se­cond place it is affirmed, That the Ministers of the Gospel [Page 9]have been imprisoned, deprived of their Benefices, Seque­stred, forced to flye from their dwellings, and bitterly threat­ned for their faithful declaring the will of God, &c. And that they have been limited that they might not speak against the sins and enormities of the evil Powers: That to impose the name of railing upon such faithful freedom, was the old practice of the Malignants against the Preachers of the Go­spel, &c.

If the civil Authority of that part of it, which continued faithful to their Trust, true to the ends of the Covenant, did in answer to their consciences turn out a Tyrant in a way which the Christians in after times will mention with honor, and all Tyrants in the world look at with fear, and many thousands of Saints in England rejoyce to think of it, and have received from the hand of God, a liberty from the fear of like usurpati­ons, and have cast off him, who trod in his Fathers steps, doing mischief as far as he was able, whom you have received like fire into your bosoms, of which God will, I trust, in time make you sensible; if Ministers railing at the civil Power, cal­ling them Murtherers and the like, for doing this, have been dealt with as you mention; will this be found a personal per­secution? Or is sin so, because they say so? They that acted this great business, having given a reason of their faith in this action, and some here are ready further to do it against all gainsayers. But it will be found that these reprovers do not only make themselves the Judges and Determiners of sin, that so they may reprove but they also took liberty to stir up the people to Blood and Arms, and would have brought a War upon England, as hath been upon Scotland, had not God pre­vented it: and if such severity as hath been expressed toward them, be worthy the name of personal persecution, let all un­interested men judge, whether the calling of this practice rail­ing, be to be paralleld with the Malignants imputation upon the Ministers, for speaking against the Popish Innovations in the Prelates times, and the Tyrannical and wicked practice then on foot, let your own consciences minde you. The Ro­man [Page 10]Emperors in Christs and his Apostles times were usurp­ers and intruders upon the Jewish State, yet what footstep have ye either of our blessed Saviors so much as willingness to the dividing of an Inheritance, or their medling in that kinde; This was not practiced by the Church since our Savi­ors time till Antichrist, assuming the infallible Chair, and all that he called the Church to be under him, practiced this au­thoritatively over civil Governors.

The way to fulfil your Ministery with joy, to preach the Gospel, which I wish some who take pleasure in reproofs at adventure, do not forget too much to do.

Thirdly, you say you have just cause to regret, that men of civil imployments should usurp the calling and imploy­ment of the Ministery, to the scandal of the Reformed Kirks, &c.

Are you troubled that Christ is preached? Is preaching so inclusive in your function? Doth it scandalize the Reformed Kirks, and Scotland in particular? Is it against the Covenant? Away with the Covenant, if this be so, I thought the Cove­nant and these could have been willing that any should speak good of the name of Christ; if nor, it is no Covenant of Gods approving, nor the Kirks you mention, in so much the Spouse of Christ. Where do you finde in the Scripture a ground to warrant such an assertion, That preaching is included in your function? though an approbation from men hath order in it, and may do well, yet he that hath not a better warrant then that hath none at all. I hope he that ascended up on high, may give his gifts to whom he please, and if those gifts be the Seal of mission, be not envious though Eldad and Medad. prophe­sie: you know who bids us covet earnestly the best gifts, but chiefly that we may prophesie, which the Apostle explains there to be a speaking to instruction, and edification, & com­fort, which the instructed, edified, and comforted, can best tell the Enargy and effect of; if such evidence be, I say again, take heed you envy not for your own sakes, lest you be guilty of a greater fault, then Moses reproved in Joshua, for envying [Page 11]for his sake; indeed you erre through the mistake of the Scri­ptures: approbation is an act of conveniency in respect of or­der, not of necessity to give faculty to preach the Gospel. Your pretended fear lest error should step in, is like the man that would keep all the wine out of the county, lest men should be drunk. It will be found an unjust and unwise jea­lousie, to deny a man the liberty he hath by nature, upon a supposition he may abuse it, when he doth abuse it, judge. If a man speak foolishly, ye suffer him gladly because ye are wise, if erroniously, the truth more appears by your conviction; stop such a mans mouth with sound words that cannot be gainsaid, if blasphemously, or to the disturbance of the pub­lique peace, let the civil Magistrate punish him; if truly, re­joyce in the truth; and if you will call our speakings together since we came into Scotland, to provoke one another to love and to good works, to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and re­pentance from dead works, to charity and love towards you, to pray and mourn for you, and for the bit e returns to, and incredulity of our professions of love to you; of the truth of which we have made our solemn and humble Appeals to the Lord our God, which he hath heard and born witness to; if these things be scandalous to the Kirk and against the Cove­nant, because done by men of civil callings, we rejoyce in them, notwithstanding what you say.

For a conclusion in answer to the witness of God upon our Solemn Appeal: You say, you have not so learned Christ to hang the equity of your cause upon events. We could wish blindeness hath not been upon your eyes to all those marvel­lous dispensations which God hath wrought lately in England; But did not you solemnly Appeal and Pray? did not we do so too? and ought not you & we to think with fear & trembling of the hand of the great God in this mighty & strange appear­ance of his? but can slightly call it an Event; Were not both yours & our expectations renewed from time to time, whilest we waited on God to see which way he would manifest him­self upon our Appeals? And shal we after all these our Prayers, [Page 12]Fastings, Tears, Expectations, and solemn Appeals, call these bare Events? The Lord pity you, surely we fear, because it hath been a merciful and gracious deliverance to us: I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, search after the minde of the Lord in it towards you, and we shall help you by our prayers, that you may finde it out; (for yet, if we know our hearts at all) our bowels do in Christ Jesus earn after the godly in Scotland: We know there are stumbling blocks which hin­der you; The personal prejudices you have taken up against us and our ways, wherein we cannot but think some occa­sion has been given, and for which we mourn; the appre­hension you have, That we have hindred the glorious Refor­mation you think you were upon: I am perswaded these and such like binde you up from an understanding and yielding to the minde of God, in this great day of his power and vi­sitation; and, if I be rightly informed, the late Blow you received is attributed to prophane Councels and Conduct, and mixtures in your Army, and such like; the natural man will not finde out the cause; look up to the Lord, that he may tell it you: which that he would do, shall be the fervent prayers of

THese Queries are sent, not to reproach you, but in the love of Christ laying them before you; We being per­swaded in the Lord, That there is a Truth in them, which we earnestly desire may not be laid aside unsought after, by any prejudice either against the things themselves, or the unwor­thiness or weakness of the person that offers them. If you turn at the Lords reproofs, he will pour out his Spirit upon [Page 13]you, and you shall understand his Words, and they will guide you to a blessed Reformation indeed, even to one ac­cording to the Word, and such as the people of God wait for; wherein you will finde us and all Saints ready to re­joyce, and serve you to the utmost in our places and Callings.

YOur Papers I have communicate to these with me whom they concerned, who have desired me to return this Answer; The Contents of these Pa­pers do concern the publique Differences betwixt you and these of the three Kingdoms, who have faithfully adhered to the Solemn League and Co­venant, and are awed by the Oath of God from ac­cession to the guiltines of clear and evident breaches of Covenant, and have been so often and fully an­swered in the publique Papers of this Kirk and King­dom; In the Resolutions of the Assembly of Di­vines in England, and in the published Writings of the soundest Divines there, yea and of all the Re­formed Kirks, That they conceive it needless (though [Page 15]a matter of no great difficulty) to give a particular Answer; especially since the late General Assembly have authorized their Commissioners to take into consideration matters of publique concernment to this Kirk, unto whom (if you please) you may here­after direct Papers of that kinde: In the mean time they rest fully perswaded in their mindes, That the event of a Battel (though ordered indeed by a just and wise Providence) is no infallible proof of the Equity or Iniquity of a Cause, seeing there is one Event to the Righteous and to the Wicked, to him that sweareth and to him that feareth an Oath, as it is clear in the cause of Israel against Benjamin about the men of Gibeah. I am,