extreamitie we made choise rather of that course which was most agreeable
to your Majesties Will revealed unto us, after so many fervent
Supplications, and did most conduce for the good of Religion, your
Majesties honour, and the well of your Majesties Kingdome; then to give
way to any sudden motion, tending to the ruin of all: wherein wee are so
far from fearing the light, least our deeds should be reproved, that the
more accuratly that we are tryed, and the more impartially our using of
that power, which God Almighty, and your sacred Majestie, his Vicegerent
had put in our hands, for so good and necessarie ends, is examined, we
have the greater confidence, of your Majesties allowance and ratihabition:
and so much the rather, that being in a manner inhibited to proceed in so
good a work, we doubled our diligence, and endevoured more carefully then
before, when your Majesties _Commissioner_ was present, in every point,
falling under our consideration, to walke circumspectly, and without
offence, as in the sight of God, and as if your Majesties eyes had been
looking upon us, labouring to proceed according to the word of God, our
confession of Faith, and nationall oath, and the laudable constitutions of
the lawfull Assemblies of this Kirk; and studying rather to renew, and
revive old acts made for the reformation of Religion, in the time of your
Majesties Father, of happie memorie, and extant in the records of the
Kirk, which divine providence hath preserved, and at this time brought to
our hands; then either to allow of such novations, as the avarice and
ambition of men, abusing authoritie for their own ends, had without order
introduced; or to appoint any new order, which had not been formerly
received, and sworn to be reteined, in this Kirk. In all which the members
of the Assembly, found so clear and convincing light, to their full
satisfaction, against all their doubts and difficulties, that the harmonie
and unanimitie was rare and wonderfull, and that we could not have agreed
upon other constitutions, except wee would have been found fighting
against GOD. Your Majesties wise and princely minde knoweth, that nothing
is more ordinary then for men, when they doe well, to bee evil spoken of,
and that the best actions of men are many times misconstrued, and
mis-reported. _Balaam_, although a false Prophet, was wronged: for in
place of that which hee said, _The Lord refuseth to give me leave to go
with you:_ the princes of _