II - The Acknowledgement of Sins

Albeit there be in the land many of all ranks, who be for a Testimony unto the Truth, and for a name of joy and praise unto the Lord by living godly, studying to keep their garments pure, and being stedfast in the Covenant and cause of God; Yet we have reason to acknowledge that most of us have not endeavoured with that reality sincerity and constancy, that did become us, to preserve the work of Reformation in the Kirk of Scotland; Many have satisfied themselves with the purity of the Ordinances neglecting the power thereof; yea, some have turned aside to crooked wayes destructive to both. The prophane, loose and insolent carriage of many in our Armies, who went to the Assistance of our BRETHREN in ENGLAND, And the tamperings and unstrait dealing of some of our Commissioners and others of our Nation in London, the Isle of Wight and other places of that Kingdom have proved great lets to the work of Reformation, and setling of Kirk Government there, whereby Errour and Schism in that Land have been encreased, and Sectaries hardened in their way, We have been so far from endeavouring the extirpation of Prophanesse, and what is contrary to the power of godlinesse, that prophanity hath been much winked at and Prophane persons much countenanced and many times imployed untill iniquity and ungodlinesse hath gone over the face of the land as a flood; Nay, sufficient care hath not been had to separate betwixt the precious and the vile, by debarring from the Sacrament all ignorant and scandalous persons according to the Ordinances of this Kirk.

Neither have the Priviledges of the Parliaments and Liberties of the Subject been duly tendered; But some amongst our selves have labored to put into the hands of our King an arbitrary & unlimited power destructive to both, And many of us have bin accessory of late to those means & ways, whereby the freedom and priviledges of Parliaments have been encroached upon and the Subjects oppressed in their Consciences, persons and Estates: Neither hath it been our care to avoid these things which might harden the King in his evil way; But upon the contrary he hath not onely been permitted, but many of us have been instrumentall to make him exercise his power in many things tending to the prejudice of Religion and of the Covenant, and of the Peace and safety of these Kingdoms; Which is so farre from the right way of preserving his Majesties Person and Authority, that it cannot but provoke the Lord against him unto the hazard of both, Nay under a pretence of relieving and doing for the King whilst he refuses to do what was necessary for the House of God, some have ranversed and violated most of all the Articles of the Covenant.

Our own consciences within, and Gods judgements upon us without do convince us of the manifold wilfull renewed breaches of that Article which concerneth the discovery and punishment of Malignants, whose crimes have not onely been connived at but dispensed with and pardoned, and themselves received unto intimate fellowship with our selves, and entrusted with our Counsells, admitted unto our Parliaments, and put in places of Power and Authority for managing the publick affairs of the Kingdome, Whereby in Gods justice they got at last into their hands the whole power and strength of the Kingdom, both in Iudicatories and Armies, And did imploy the same unto the enacting and prosecuting an unlawfull Engagement in War against the Kingdom of England, Notwithstanding of the dissent of many considerable Members of Parliament, who had given constant proof of their integrity in the Cause from the beginning, of many faithfull testimonies and free warnings of the servants of God, of the Supplications of many Synods, Presbyteries and Shires, and of the Declarations of the Generall Assembly and their Commissioners to the contrary: Which ingagement as it hath been the cause of much sin, so also of much misery and calamity unto this Land, and holds forth to us the grievousnesse of our sin of complying with Malignants in the greatnesse of our judgement, that we may be taught never to split again upon the same Rock, upon which the Lord hath set so remarkable a Beacon. And after all that is come to passe unto us because of this our trespasse, and after that grace hath been shewed unto us from the Lord our God by breaking these mens yoke from off our necks, and putting us again into a capacity to act for the good of Religion, our own safety, and the Peace and safety of this Kingdom, should we again break his Commandment and Covenant by joyning once more with the people of these abominations, and taking into our bosome those Serpents which had formerly stung us almost unto death: This as it would argue great madnesse and folly upon our part, So no doubt, if it be not avoided, will provoke the Lord against us to consume us untill there be no remnant nor escaping in the Land.

And albeit the Peace and Union betwixt the Kingdoms be a great blessing of God unto both and a Bond which we are obliged to preserve unviolated, And to endeavour that justice may be done upon the opposers thereof; Yet some in this Land, who have come under the Bond of the Covenant, have made it their great study how to dissolve this Union, and few or no endeavours have been used by any of us for punishing of such.

We have suffered many of our Brethren in severall parts of the Land to be oppressed of the common Enemy without compassion or relief; There hath been great murmuring and repining because of expense of means and pains in doing of our duty; Many by perswasion or terror have suffered themselves to be divided and withdrawn to make defection to the contrary part, Many have turned off to a detestable indifferency and neutrality in this Cause, which so much concerneth the glory of God and the good of these Kingdoms; Nay many have made it their study to walk so, as they might comply with all times and all the revolutions thereof. It hath not been our care to countenance, encourage, intrust and employ such onely, as from their hearts did affect and minde Gods work; But the hearts of such many times have been discouraged, and their hands weakened, their sufferings neglected, and themselves slighted, and many who were once open enemies and always secret underminers countenanced and employed, Nay even those who had been looked upon as Incendiaries, and upon whom the Lord had set marks of desperate Malignancy, falshood and deceit were brought in, as fit to manage publick affairs; Many have been the lets and impediments that have been cast in the way to retard and obstruct the Lords work, and some have keeped secret, what of themselves they were not able to suppresse and overcome.

Besides these and many other breaches of the Articles of the Covenant in the matter thereof, which it concerneth every one of us to search out and acknowledge before the Lord, as we would wish his wrath to be turned away from us; So have many of us failed exceedingly in the manner of our following and pursuing the duties contained therein, not onely seeking great things for our selves and mixing of private interests and ends concerning our selves and friends and followers, with those things which concern the publick good, but many times preferring such to the Honour of God and good of his Cause, and retarding Gods work untill we might carry alongs with us our own interests and designes. It hath been our way to trust in the means and to relie upon the arm of flesh for successe; Albeit the Lord hath many times made us meet with disappointment therein, and stained the pride of all our Glory, by blasting every carnall confidence unto us: We have followed for the most part the counsells of flesh and blood, and walked more by the rules of policie then Piety, and have hearkened more unto men then unto God.

Albeit we made solemn publick profession before the World of our unfained desires to be humbled before the Lord for our own sinnes, and the sinnes of these Kingdoms, especially for our undervaluing of the inestimable benefit of the Gospel, and that we have not laboured for the power thereof, and received Christ into our hearts, and walked worthy of him in our lives, and of our true and unfained purpose, desire and endeavour for our selves, and all others under our power and charge both in publick and private, in all the duties which we owe to God and man to amend our lives, and each one to go before another in example of a reall Reformation, that the Lord might turn away his wrath and heavie indignation, and establish these Kirks and Kingdomes in truth and peace; Yet we have refused to be reformed and have walked proudly and obstinatly against the Lord, not valuing his Gospel, nor submitting our selves unto the obedience thereof, not seeking after Christ, nor studying to honour him in the excellency of his person, nor employ him in the vertue of his offices, nor making conscience of publick Ordinances nor private nor secret duties, nor studying to edifie one another in love. The ignorance of God and of his Son Jesus Christ prevailes exceedingly in the Land; The greatest part of Masters of families amongst Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Burgesses and Commons neglect to seek God in their families, and to endeavour the Reformation thereof; And albeit it hath been much pressed, yet few of our Nobles and great ones ever to this day could be perswaded to perform family duties themselves and in their own persons; which makes so necessary and usefull a duty to be misregarded by others of inferior rank; Nay many of the Nobility, Gentry, and Burrows who should have been examples of Godlinesse and sober walking unto others, have been ring-leaders of excesse and rioting. Albeit we be the LORDS people ingaged to him in a solemn way, yet to this day we have not made it our study that judicatories and Armies should consist of, and places of power and trust be filled with men of a blamelesse and Christian conversation, and of known integrity and approven fidelity, affection and Zeal unto the Cause of God, but not onely those who have been neutrall and indifferent but disaffected and Malignant, and others who have been prophane and scandalous have been intrusted; By which it hath come to passe that judicatories have been the seats of injustice and iniquity, and many in our Armies by their miscarriages have become our plague unto the great prejudice of the Cause of God, the great scandall of the Gospel, and the great increase of loosenesse and prophanity throughout all the Land. It were impossible to reckon up all the abominations that are in the Land, but the blaspheming of the name of God, swearing by the Creatures, prophanation of the Lords Day, uncleannesse, drunkennesse, excesse and rioting, vanity of apparrell, lying and deceit, railing and cursing, arbitrary and uncontrolled oppression, and grinding of the faces of the poor by Landlords and others in place and power are become ordinary and common sinnes; And besides all these things there be many other transgressions, whereof the Land wherein we live are guilty: All which we desire to acknowledge and to be humbled for, that the world may bear witnesse with us, that Righteousnesse belongeth unto God, and shame and confusion of face unto us as appears this day.