Protesters’ Declaration or Exhortation to the Separatists in Aberdeen

A Christian and brotherly exhortation and warning from many ministers and professors of the Gospel at Edinburgh the 17 March 1653, to some of their Brethren at Aberdeen and to all others within the land, who, being members of this Kirk [of Scotland], have already declined or do any way incline to the ways of Separation

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[Source: Register of the Consultations of the Ministers of Edinburgh and Some Other Brethren of the Ministry, ed. William Stephen in Publications of the Scottish Historical Society, 3rd Series  (Edinburgh: University Press, T&A Constable Ltd., 1921), vol. 1 (1652-1657), pp. 37-43]

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It has been the earnest longing and expectation of many who desire to fear the great and dreadful name of the Lord our God that ere this day there should have been seen more suitableness to the Gospel of Christ and unto the many gracious days of our renewed espousals by covenant with Him who is the King of Saints that there might be a more high and glorious throne in the hearts and conversation [conduct] of his people; and that in the officers of his house and the administration of the precious and pure ordinances wherewith we have been privileged, we might look more like the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.

How much this has lain on the spirits of his servants and people for a long time, and what endeavors there have been for the same, and what afar way we were like to be led upon for attaining thereof before the late distractions and interruptions, we shall not now mention nor clear ourselves altogether of negligence in the work unto which sinful discouragement had no small influence upon us. But amongst all the glorious and holy designs of God in the late and present confusions and differences, we conceive the purpose of his heart aims not a little toward this as a great part of his holy and honorable work which He is to accomplish upon the mount of his house in the land.

Upon consideration whereof, having seriously sought unto God in several of our former meetings in this place and communicated our light from time to time one with another what we might do in our several places and stations to get these corners of the Lord’s vineyard which are under our own charge brought unto some suitableness, we esteemed it a great part of our business at this time while we were together to enquire amongst ourselves what fruit or success our former resolutions and weak endeavors have had through the Lord’s blessing in the several bounds where we reside; and we have been much refreshed of the Lord to hear of the day of small things, that there is any reviving in the land and that the river running through the City of God is not dried up, but several places become pools of water and springs created in the dry and desolate places of the wilderness. And we are confirmed in our hope from the Lord’s countenancing of the little mints and endeavors of his servants for promoving the power of godliness that the waters of our sanctuary shall not fail, but shall increase more and more, and that the hand breadth of the cloud which his people have seen, and the fleeing showers of the former and latter rain which has been felt shall spread and abound unto a plentiful rain upon the inheritance of the Lord for confirming of it when it is weary and many persons are fainting, some through the afflictions of the time waxing cold in their love to the work of God and the interests of Christ, and others being carried aside from their steadfastness through manifold tentations unto manifold byways and paths not formerly trodden nor cast up.

Amongst other duties lying upon us in reference to others, we apprehend the Lord calling upon us to say somewhat to his people in this land anent the way of separation from this Church, to which the inclination of some is working, and into which several already have involved themselves, especially some our Christian friends and brethren at Aberdeen. And albeit we have not a little labored with them formerly by letters and faithful and able men of our number sent unto them, without attaining the wished end of their establishment and received unto the fellowship of the Church, yet the zeal of God and love of our brethren and the sad apprehensions we have of the consequences that will follow upon their separating or continuing therein, and their own hazard thereby from snares leading to greater evils, does carry us on unto some further endeavors for that end, knowing that the Lord is mighty to ransom his captivated people out of snares and dangers, especially such of them as have known his name and have been sanctified by his truth and quickened by the immortal Word and pure ordinances dispensed unto them in their fellowship with us. We know it has not a little swayed and prevailed with many that they have apprehended the work of purging of elderships and communions to be altogether impossible, especially since the last differences and breaches were with the ecclesiastic power in this Church, has been weakened. But we must profess it for the use of the Lord’s people and for challenging ourselves for our own slackness and unbelief where with our hands have been not a little enfeebled in that work, that by the Lord’s remarkable countenancing of the weak and honest endeavors which have been made and followed already in that work, in his strength we are encouraged to look upon the remedy of remaining difficulties where with each of us have to wrestle, as more hopeful than we have sometime believed the attaining of that which is already done.

We do therefore seriously beseech and obtest all such of the Lord’s people in this land, who are upon the thoughts of the way of separation, that they would not make haste to lay themselves open unto the prevailing tentations of the time towards that way, and that they would put on the armour of God even against such things in themselves which may hazard their standing fast in the present truth which they have received and sworn, that they would be sober and vigilant, etc. and have their hearts established with grace and not with strifes about words, that they be not as children tossed to and fro in a winnowing time, and that they would beware of an unstable and unsober mind where with the truth has been chiefly subverted in all times of tentation.

Many hundreds and thousands the Lord has begotten unto Himself in the fellowship of this Church, and has manifested Himself unto them in his ordinances, even when there has not been that tenderness in purging out naughty persons from the Lord’s Table, which both ought to have been endeavored and might have been attained. And we are persuaded that it has never occurred that any of the Lord’s people have met with damage to their souls by continuing in the fellowship of the Church of Scotland in the ordinances hitherto with us, and that it cannot be instanced from the sound experience of any that they have found this at any time a cause of their not profiting by their participating at any time in the communion where conscience has been made of personal duties not only in relation to their own communicating, but have also endeavored in their station to prevent or remove that which has stumbled them, though they have participated in congregations where there has been a mixture of persons not allowed to be admitted by the rules of this Church. And we are very confident that unto such of them who have found favor of God and to whom He does still bear thoughts of good notwithstanding of their stumbling and darkness in some things in this time (whatsoever may be the apprehensions of others to the contrary), that it shall be made out by sad, though healthful experience to their spirits that the way of separation will not prove so thriving a way to their souls, and that many of those who are carried aside shall be able even running to read this when they give an account of that course after many days, if it shall be their mercy to observe narrowly the dealing of blood with their spirits while they give up themselves to that way, and that some of his people who are most violent in that way shall by a strong hand be rescued and brought off, and their present entanglement turned about by the wise and gracious hand of God unto great advantage against that evil when He has taken off the vail which for the time covers and misrepresents their way to their apprehensions. And it is to be well considered that the evils which do attend the managing of the presbyterial government in the Church of Scotland through the unfaithfulness of some and the infirmities of other instruments (not exercing their power according to the nature of that ordinance and the principles relating thereto), are more easily discovered by them who had long occasion to be acquainted therewith (especially in a time when the ordinance itself is under the contempt and contradiction of men, and when prejudices against the same are so industriously sifted and searched out by many) than the evils of the congregational way, while it is but new to them and do but see little or no thing at first of the evil of it till experience teach them the difference as it is with them who (having tried the congregational way for a long time) are necessitated at length to see more of the ill thereof and the good of our way than they would apprehend to see at first.

But it is our fear also in behalf of many that this snare according to many sad experiences shall carry them to other kinds of higher and more dreadful difference with us than for the present themselves are aware of, albeit that by their looking upon this as a reproach and groundless jealousy against them they should bend their endeavors and promise unto themselves establishment from further halting and stumbling upon grosser errors, and that they shall not find any spiritual advantage unto their own souls in that way far less that which is equivalent unto the fruit of their former fellowship in the spirit with us, or that my preponder the sad consequents to the truth and their own peace and their growing up with others of the children of God in the love of Christ and one of another.

We know there is alleged much against this, of the vigor and growth of the grace of God upon some separated and gathered congregations and persons, beyond that they have been or found before their separating. As we desire neither to debate the truth of that in reference to some persons, nor insist in what might be far better asserted to the contrary in reference to others, and might be made out by instances not a few, so we desire it to be considered that the Lord’s indulgence unto such who many days ago did separate form the Church of England by the power of many tentations through persecution and errors in the worship and ordinances of God cannot build any such hope of the like indulgences to such of our Brethren who would forsake a church so constituted and reformed in all the ordinances of Christ as the Church of Scotland now is, and in themselves received not only life but comfortable increase thereof day by day.

There by endeavors in another way for clearing this and other truths that are called unto question in these unstable times which the Lord we trust shall in his own good time bring forth, only for this season we being together, and our hearts made sad with the fear of the snares which compass and beset many which do not watchfully and in fear seek to be guarded against these things, we could not forbear before our parting any from another at this place, to express our humble and earnest request, and in the fear of the Lord to warn all, that they would not hasten unto these things which the Lord has so often reproved, and who we trust shall suddenly come unto his temple in these nations, and visit us with his salvation. The good hand of our God has so far appeared with them who have essayed somewhat of that longed for work (the apprehended impossibility where of has been the snare of many), that we must gather and conclude the thoughts of his heart to be gracious to this poor distressed and despised Church, and that she has not as yet been forsaken.

So we trust, through the grace whereby He loved us and choiced us to make us his people, she shall not be forsaken of Him when she is afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted, but as it were in the dust, and her friends standing aloof from her, and her children disowning her, whose grief ere long it may be that they have so gone from us before they have well considered their own spirits, or tried the spirits of others, or considered or searched the scriptures either in reference to what they have professed and covenanted or what they have contrary thereto rashly embraced. Amongst many obstructions which are the matter of our exercise and difficulty which we meet with in our several stations, to bring things to the wished posture and condition according to the Word of God and the principles of our Kirk and our late resolutions thereanent, it is not the smallest which flows from our Brethren and friends who have upon the supposal of the impossibility of purging, separated utterly from us, which has begotten much prejudice in the hearts of many, and sways them unto opposition of our endeavors upon the jealousy they have that we also are in these things driving at the way of separation.

Such sad consequences of their going out from us together with that which is sinful in the way itself, cannot but grow up into a deeper guilt than for the time they apprehend. The Lord will not take it as a light thing if we have any thoughts of good to the Church of Scotland, that her children are forsaking her while Himself purposes to dwell with her by the outgoings of his glory and the beauty of holiness prepared as the morning in the power of his Kingdom beyond anything hitherto seen or heard of in our land in these days.

We say no more but shall earnestly pray unto Him who has promised to keep the feet of his saints, that it be neither found the sin nor judgment of any whom the Father has given to the Son, to depart so unseasonably from his Jerusalem in this land, while He is returning unto her with loving kindness, after He has hidden his face for a moment, lest with the backsliders in heart they be filled with the fruit of their way, but that it may be their mercy to hearken unto what we have now and formerly said from deep impressions thereof on our own spirits for their warning and for the delivering of our own souls.

Subscribed in the name and at the desire etc.–

Sic Subrs
Mr. Robert Traill

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We desire you to communicate this to those that are of your judgments.