Oath to the tenor of the said Band, so he
findeth himself not to be astricted by his Oath to the tenor thereof; but
the intention of the Assembly is meerly to prevent the like in time
coming.

Sess. 18. August 9. 1641. a meridie.

_A Letter from some Ministers in_ England _to the Assemblie._

_Right Reverend and dear Brethren, now conveened in this Generall
Assembly,_

Wee most heartily salute you in the Lord, rejoycing with you in his
unspeakable goodnesse, so miraculously prospering your late endeavours,
both for the restoring and settling of your own Liberties and Priviledges,
in Church and common wealth (which we heare and hope he is now about to
accomplish) as also for the occasioning and advancing of the Worke of
Reformation among our selves; for which as we daily blesse the highest
Lord, sole Author of all one good, so doe we acknowledge your selves
worthy Instruments thereof. And for that (besides all other respects) doe,
and ever shall (by the help of God) hold you deare unto us, as our own
bowels, and our selves obliged to tender unto you all due correspondence
according to our power, upon all good occasions.

And now (dear Brethren) forasmuch as the Church of Christ is but one body,
each part whereof cannot but partake in the weale and woe of the whole,
and of Each other part; and these Churches of _England_ and _Scotland_,
may seem both to be imbarqued in the same bottome, to sink and swim
together, and are so near conjoyned by many strong tyes, not only as
fellow members under the same Head Christ, and fellow-subjects under the
same King; but also by such neighbour-hood and vicinity of place, that if
any evil shall much infest the one, the other cannot bee altogether free:
Or if for the present it should, yet in processe of time it would sensibly
suffer also. And forasmuch as evils are better remedied in their first
beginning, then after they have once taken deep root; therefore we whose
names are here under-written, in the behalf of our selves, and of many
others, Ministers of the Church of _England_ be bold to commend to your
consideration; (being met together in this venerable Assembly) a
difference of great concernment, which you may please (in brief) thus to
understand. Almighty God having now of his infinite goodnesse raised up
our hopes of removing the yoke of Episcopacie (under which we have so long
groaned) sundry other forms of Church-government are by sundry sorts of
men projecte