Series 3 > Register of the consultations of the ministers of Edinburgh and some other brethren of the ministry > Volume 1

150 THE REGISTER OF CONSULTATIONS
duety which may be found necessarie for the tyme to
come. It were to make our Religion hardly thought off,
and harbour and protection to be denyed unto it under
aiiy state, and a trinching upon the civill magistrate and
a questioning of his power to imploy subjects in the defence
of their lives, lyvlihoods and liberties. But, 5, Our
refusing to bind ourselves doeth not as is alledged expose
the people of God to hazard and prejudice, because,
1, If such a question should be againe propounded (which
is unlikely), the giving of such a resolution would tend
to the preventing of hazard and the security of the people
of God, by holding out, as we conceave, a lawfull and
necessarie means appointed by God and nature for their
owne defence. But, 2, If our Brethren shall not judge
so, we conceive they are not bound up by this agreement
from using any means which they shall think good to
oppose or testify against such a resolution, if it should
be given, whatsoever the judgement of the judicatories
concerned may be of their actings of that kind.
As to the 2d reason we answer, 1, It is hereby clear that
no lesse can satisfie our Brethren’s judgement, than that
they, with our owne consent, should have liberty to make
use of their protestations in the future Assemblies for
anulling these late Assemblies, and that upon the reasons
held forth in their protestations, whereby it doeth evi¬
dently appear their consciences doth bind them to pursue
us as scandalous men, unworthy to have sitten in these
Assemblies, and by paritie of reason that we ought not
to sitt in any future Assembly untill wee change our
mynd and repent, for that is one of the reasons upon
which they protested against these Assemblies, which
protestation they doe here declare they thinke themselves
bound in conscience to follow furth, and, if so, what
hopes can there be of peace ? 2, Tho’ we doe mentenance
the lawfulnes of the constitution of these Assemblies,
yet we have expressly granted in our concessions that
we should not urge any such acknowledgement upon any
of our brethren’s judgement, yea, and that we should
not presse upon them as a condition of our union their