er of Godlinesse: in the hearts and lives of
all his people, and in laying forth such a Discipline as may be most
agreeable to Gods holy Word, and most apt to procure and preserve the
peace of this Church at home, and nearer agreement with the Church of
Scotland (highly honoured by us) and other the best reformed Churches
abroad, That so to the utmost of our power, we may exalt him that is the
only Lord over the Church, his own House, in all his Offices, and present
this Church as a chast virgin unto Christ.

It is a timely and savourie prayer which you have put up at the throne of
Grace, touching the due managing of the proceedings in this Assembly, and
that with straigth intentions we may all seek the truth in every thing,
which by the blessing of God upon our labours, must needs produce all
those blessings which your worthie Commissioners mention. And now, for
your comfort as well as our own encouragement, we desire you to take
notice of the gracious answer of the God that heareth prayer, unto your
fervent cryes. For beside our own particular addresses and secret vows to
our God to be faithful (with disdain of all baits of avarice and ambition)
it hath pleased the Divine Providence so to direct both the honourable
Houses of Parliament, to take care of preventing all obliquitie in our
proceedings, and to stop the mouthes of all that watch for their and our
haltings, and are apt maliciously to traduce both, (as if we were so
restrained by them, in our votes and resolutions, as to be bound up to the
sense of others, and to carry on private designes in a servile way) that
the Houses have tendered to us, and we have most readily taken a solemne
and serious Protestation in the presence of Almighty God, to maintain
nothing in this Assembly touching Doctrine, but what we are perswaded in
our consciences to be the truth; nor in matters of Discipline, but what we
conceive to conduce most to the glory of God, and the good and peace of
his Church; which doth not only secure the Members against fettering of
their judgements or votes, but engage them to the use of all freedome,
becoming the integrity of conscience, the weight of the Cause, the
gravitie and honour of such an Assembly. It is likewise a great
consolation, that our GOD hath put it into your hearts to designe some
godly and learned Brethren to put in their sickles with us into this
Harvest, which is so great, and requires so many Labourers; for which, as
we heartily ret