Declaration of the Word of God at Edinburgh

The Declaration of Master ALEXANDER HENDERSON.

WHEREAS the greatest part of the distempered People of these miserable distracted Kingdoms, have been and are, woefully abused and misled with malicious misinformations against his sacred Majesty, especially in point of Religion and moral-Wisdom; whereof, I confess with great grief of heart, myself to have been (amongst many moe of my coat) none of the least; who out of Imaginary fears and Jealousies, were made real Instruments to advance this un-natural War, wherein so much Innocent Protestant blood hath been shed, and so much downright Robbery committed, without f • ate, or shame of sin; to the scandal of the true Reformed Religion, as cannot but draw down heavy Judgments from Heaven npon these infatuated Nations, and more particularly upon us who should have instructed them in the way of Truth, Peace, and Obedience.

I conceived it the duty of a good Christian, especially one of my profession, and in the condition that I lie, expecting God Almighty 's-call, not only to acknowledge to the All-merciful God, with a humble sincere remorse of Conscience, the greatness of this offense; which being done in simplicity of Spirit, I hope with the Apostle Paul to obtain Mercy, because I did it through Ignorance: But also, for the better satisfaction of all others, to publish this Declaration to the view of the World; to the intent, that 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 all those (especially of the Ministry) who have been deluded with me, may by God's Grace, and my example (though a weak and mean Instrument) not only be undeceived themselves, but also stirred up to undeceive others, with more alacrity and facility; that the scandal may be removed from our Religion and Profession, and the good King restored to his just Rights, and truly honored and obeyed as God's-Anointed and Vice-gerent upon earth; and the poor distressed Subjects freed from those intolerable Burdens and Oppressions which they lie groaning under, piercing Heaven with their tears and cries; and a solid Peace settled both in Church and Commonwealth, throughout all his Majesty's Dominions, to the glory of God, and of our blessed Mediator and Savior the Lord Christ.

I do therefore Declare before God and the World, that since I had the honor and happiness to converse and confer with his Majesty, with all sort of freedom; especially in matters of Religion, whither in relation to the Church or State (which like Hypocrates Twins are lynked together) that I found him the most intelligent man that ever I spoke with; as fair beyond my expression, as expectation, grounded upon the Information that was given me (before I knew him) by such as I thought should have known him. I profess that I was ofttimes astonished with the solidity and quickness of his Reasons and Replies; wondered how he, spending his time so much in sports and recreations, could have attained to so great knowledge, and must confess ingenuously, that I was convinced in Conscience, and knew not how to give him any reasonable satisfaction; yet the sweetness of his disposition is such, that whatsoever I said was well taken; I must say that I never met with any Disputant (let be a King, and in matters of so high concernment) of that mild and calm temper, which convinced me the more, and made me think that such Wisdom and Moderation could not be without an extraordinary measure of divine grace. I had heard much of his carriage towards the Priests in Spain, and that King James told the Duke of Buckingham upon his going thither, that he durst venture his Son Charles with all the Jesuits in the World, he knew him to be so well grounded in the Protestant Religion, but could never believe it before.

I observed all his actions, more particularly those of devotion, which I must truly say, are more then ordinary; I informed myself of others who had served him from his Infancy, and they all assured me that there was nothing new or much enlarged in regard of his troubles, either in his private, or public way of exercise; twice a day constantly, morning and evening for an hours space in private; twice a day before dinner and supper in public, besides preachings upon Sundays, Tuesdayes, and other extraordinary times; and no business though never so weighty and urgent can make him forget, or neglect this his tribute and duty to Almighty God. O that those who sit now at the helm of these weather beaten Kingdoms had but one half of his true piety and wisdom! I dare say that the poor oppressed Subject should not be plunged into so deep Gulfes of impiety, and misery without compassion or pity; I dare say, if his advice h • d been followed, all the blood that is shed, and all the repain that is committed, should have been prevented.

If I should speak of his Justice, magnanimity, charity, sobriety, chastity, patience, humility, and of all his both Christian and Moral virtues, I should run myself into a panegyricke, and seem to flatter him to such as do not know him, if the present condition that I lie in did not exeem me from any such suspicion of worldly ends, when I expect every hour to be called from all transitory vanities to eternal felicity; and the discharging of my conscience before God and men, did not oblige me to declare the truth simply and nakedly, in satisfaction of that which I have done ignorantly, though not altogether innocently.

If I should relate what I have received from good hands, and partly can witness of my own knowledge since these unhappy troubles began, I should enlarge myself into a History: Let these brief Characters suffice. No man can say that there is conspicuously any predominant vice in him, a rare thing in a man, but far rarer in a King; Never man saw him passionately angry, or extraordinarily moved, either with prosperity, or adversity, having had as great trials as ever any King had; Never man heard him curse, or given to swearing; Never man heard him complain, or bemoan his condiction, in the greatest durance of War and confynement; When he was separated from his dearest consort, and deprived of the comfort of his Innocent Children, the hopefullest Princes that ever were in these ingrate Kingdoms: when he was denuded of his Counselors and domestic Servants; No man can complain of the violation of his Wife or Daughters, though he hath had too many temptations in the prime of his age, by the enforced absence of his Wife which would be hardly taken by the meanest of his Subjects: and (which is beyond all admiration) being stripped of all council and help of man, and used so harshly as would have stupefied any other man, then did his undaunted courage, and transcendent wisdom show it self more clearly, and vindicate him from the obloquy of former times, to the astonishment of his greatest enemies: I confess this did so take me that I could not but see the hand of God in it, and which will render His name glorious, and (I greatly fear) ours ignominious to all posterity, he stands fast to his grounds, and doth not rise and fall with success, the brittle square of human actions, and is ever ready to forgive all by past injuries to settle a present solid Peace, and future tranquility, for the good of his Subjects; nay, for their cause he is content to forgo so many of his own known, undoubted just rights; as may stand with their safety, as

I confess that I could have wished an establishment of our Presbyterial Government, in the Church of England, for the better Union between them and us, but I find the constitution of that Kingdom, and disposition of that Nation so generally opposite, that it is not to be expected: They are a People naturally inclined to freedom, and so bred in Riches and Plenty, that they can hardly be induced to embrace any Discipline that may any ways abridge their Liberty and Pleasures. That which we esteem a Godly Kirk policy, instituted by the Lord Christ, and his Apostles, is no better to them then a kind of slavery, and some do not stick to call it worse then the Spanish Inquisition: Nay, even the greatest part of those who invited us to assist them in it, and sent hither their Commissioners to induce us to enter into a solemn national covenant for that effect, having served their turn of us, to throw down the King and the Prelatical party, and to possess themselves with the supreme Government both of Church and State; are now Inventing evasions to be rid of us, and to delude it, some of them publishing openly, in Pulpits and Print: That the sacred Covenant was never intended for the godly, but only as a trap to ensnare the Malignants, which cannot but bring heavy Judgments from Heaven, and, I am afraid, make a greater dis-union between these Nations, then ever was before: Like unto that

with a deluge of Christian blood, and almost ruin of both Parties; or like unto that Or most of all, both in manner and Subject, resembling that of John of Leydon, Munser and Knoperduling,
[idem an, 1534.] which took it's rise from the former; so many different Sects spring up daily more and more amongst them, which all like Ephraim and Manasseh, Herod and Pylate, conspire against the Lord's-Anoynted, and the true Protestant Religion.

The City of London, that was so forward in the beginning of this glorious Reformation, surpasses now Amsterdam in number of Sects, and may be compared to old Rome,

their trausgressions are like to bring them to that confusion of the Israelites when they had no King,
[Judge. 21.] everyone did what seemed good in his own eyes, because they feared not the Lord;
[Ihos. 10.] they said, What should a King do to us? The young men presumed to be wiser then the elder,
[Isai 3.] the viler sort despised the honorable,
[Lament. ult.] and the very serving-men ruled over them.

I profess, when I saw these things so clearly, I could not blame the King to be so backward in giving his assent to the settling of our Presbyterial discipline in that Church, for the great inconveniences that might follow thereupon, to Him and his Posterity, there being so many strong Corporations in that Kingdom to lead on a popular government, such a number of people that have either no, or broken estates, who are ready to drive on any alteration, and so weak and powerless a Nobility to hinder it.

Let me therefore exhort and conjure you, in the words of a dying man, and bowels of our Lord Christ, to stand fast to your Covenant, and not to suffer yourselves to be abused with feigned pretences, and made wicked instruments to wrong the Church and the King, of their just Rights and Patrimony.

Remember the last Prophetical words of our first blessed Reformer, that after the subduing of the Papists, foretold us the great battle remained against manifold Temptations of the devil, the World and the Flesh, and especially against the sacrilegious devourers of the Church rents, which will not be wanting now with baits cunningly laid upon golden hooks to ensnare the greatest amongst you both in Church and State, but I beseech you in the words of our blessed Savior to be wise as Serpents and mild as Doves, let no worldly consideration induce you to slide back from the true meaning of our holy covenant with the all-seeing God; who punished Saul in his Sons for the breach even of an unlawful Covenant with the Gibeonites.
[2. Sam. 21.]

Remember the supplication of the General Assembly at Edinburgh, given in to the Earl of Trawhaire
[sess. 23 Act. 2] his Majesty's high Commissioner 12 Aug. 1639 recorded both in the public Regester of our Church and Parliament, whereby to obviate malignant aspersions
[2 Caroli Act. 5. sess. 7 Junij 1640] that branded us maliciously with an intention to shake off civil and dutiful obedience due to Sovereignty,
[verbatim ex Registro] and to diminish the Kings greatness and authority, and for clearing of our loyalty; We in our names and in the name of all the rest of the Subjects and congregations whom we represent, did in all humility represent to his grace and the Lord's, of his Majesty's most honorable privy Council, and declared before God and the World that we never had, nor have any thought of withdrawing ourselves from that humble and dutiful obedience to his Majesty and his government which by the descent, and under the Rain of 107 Kings is most cheerfully acknowledged by us and our predecessors, and we never had, nor have any intention or desire to attempt anything that may tend to the dishonor of God, or diminution of the Kings greatness and authority, but on the contrary acknowledging with all humble thankfulness the many recent favors bestowed upon us by his Majesty, and that our quietness, stability and happiness, depends upon the safety of the Kings Majesty's Person, and maintenance of his greatness and Royal authority who is God's Vicegerent set over us for the maintenance of Religion and administration of Justice, we did solemnly swear, not only our mutual concurrence and assistance for the cause of Religion, and to the uttermost of our power with our means and lives to stand to the defense of our dread Sovereign, his person and authority, in the preservation and defense of the true Religion, Laws, and Liberties of this Church and Kingdom; but also in every cause, which may concern his Majesty's honor, to concur with our friends and followers in quiet manner or in arms, as we should be required of his Majesty, his Council, or any having his authority, according to the Laws of this Kingdom, and the duty of good Subjects.

And though some malignant Spirits wrest maliciously Some words of our Covenant, Act. 3. contrary to the true meaning thereof, as if we intended thereby to restrain our allegiance contrary to the Apostles precept and nature of our duty, and make Religion a back-door for Rebellion to enter in at; if there be any of the simpler zealous sort that conceive the Sense to be such, or if there be any others that would make use of it for their politique ends, we disclaim them: and I declare before God and the world that it was far from the intention of those that contrived it, to wrong the King and his posterity, as the plain words of that Article in the close do clearly bear; and the foresaid supplication doth manifestly declare, their intent being only to have settled a conformity in Church government throughout all his Majesty's dominions, which they conceived would have strengthened his Majesty's authority and made him and his posterity more glorious: but since we find many invincible difficulties and intolerable inconveniences arise, chiefly from those who invited us to enter therein for their assistance in the accomplishment thereof in that Church, and so clearly that they intend to delude us with vain glosses and distinctions to the destruction of true Protestant Religion, and Monarchical government, and perceive, to our great grief, that we have been abused with most false aspersions against his Majesty; the most Religious, Prudent, and best of Kings: I do further declare before God and the World that they are guilty of the breach of the Sacred Covenant, and that we have discharged our duty thereof (which is only promissory & conditional as all oaths de futuro are) by endeavoring to effectuate it quantum in nobis erat, and that we are absolved in foro Poli & Soli of any oath or vow contained therein, in so far as concerns the settling of Religion in the Church of England and Ireland, and that we are only bound thereby to preserve the Reformation of Religion in our own Church and Kingdom confirmed by his sacred Majesty in Parliament, and to restore our native King to his Just Rights, Royal Throne and Dignity, in as full and ample a manner as ever any of his Royal predecessors enjoyed them, and that the mouths of all Malignants may be stopped, that it may not be said Presbytery fetters Monarchy as Independency destroys it, who cast up to us the holy league and covenant of France as a pattern on the mont of ours.

Therefore I exhort and conjure you, again and again, in the bowels of our Lord Christ, and words of a dying man, especially my brethren of the Ministry; as you expect a blessing from God upon this distressed, distracted Church and Kingdom, upon you and your posterity; as you desire to remove God's heavy Judgments from this miserable Land, the Sword and Pestilence, and what else may follow, which I tremble to think of; to stand fast and firm to this point of your Covenant, which you were bound to before by the Law of God and of this Land, and never suffer yourselves by all the gilded allurement of this world, which will prove bitter and deceitful at last, to relinquish it: Stand fast to your Native King most gracious to this Land far beyond all his predecessors; none owes greater obligation to him then the Ministry and Gentry, let not an indelible charracter of Ingratitude lie upon us that may turn to our ruin. The Protestants of France when they were happy in the free profession of their Religion suffered themselves to be abused and misled by some great ones unto a Rebellion against Lewis 13, their Natural King, which cost many of them their Lives and Estates and the loss of all their hostage Towns, and might have endangred their liberty of conscience, if the King had not been very gracious to them, the Templars pride and ambition rendered them formidable to all Christian Kings and made them to be cut off in the twinkling of an eye. The Jesuits are running hedlong to that same height; and our Bishops, not contenting themselves with moderation, were made instruments of their own destruction; as some of our brethren before by their Indiscretion enforced King James to set them up; wherefore I beseech you my brethren of the Ministry to carry yourselves mildly toward all men,
[Tit. 3.] and obediently towards the King and his subordinate Officers,
[Rom. 13.] Preach salvation to your stocks,
[1. Pet. 2.] and meddle not with them that are seditious; keep yourselves within the bounds of our blessed Savior's
[Prov. 24.] Commission and do not, as the Bishops did, intrench upon the civil Magistrates authority, that ye may live in Peace and Godliness together as becometh the messengers of the Lord Christ, non eripit terrestria qui Regna dat coelistia.

God of his mercy grant you all, the Spirit of Love and Union that you may Joyne as one man to Redeem the honor of this ancient Nation, which lies a bleeding in Forraigne parts where it was once so famous for its valor and fidelity even to foreign Kings; to redeem it I say even with your Lives and Fortunes according to your Solemn Covenant and the duty of your allegiance to your Native King; consider I beseech you your own interests, besides honor and conscience, and never rest until you have restored him fully to his Royal Throne and Dignity; let us his Native Subjects, be his best shield and buckler under God, to defend him from all enemies, and to transmit his Scepter to his posterity so long as the Sun and Moon endureth, and let our forces be employed for the Restitution of the most Religious and Virtuous Queen of Bohemiae and her distressed Children, to their just Inheritance and for the pulling down of the Antichrist and enlarging of our Lord Christ's Kingdom throughout all the World.