A letter from the Assembly of Divines in England, and the commissioners of the…

But though, through the goodness of God and his blessing upon the public Counsels and proceedings of both Nations of England and Scotland, they were more closely and mutually conjoined; and the Lord had raised up such a spirit throughout this whole Kingdom to mourn after the Lord, to lament our backslidings, and to desire a perfect Reformation; and had so inclined ⟨p. 5⟩the hearts of the Honourable Senators convened in Parliament, to repair the house of the Lord among us, that we verily hoped our winter to be past, and the time of our refreshing and healing to be come: Yet alas we find it to be clean otherwise: Our God who before was a moth and rottenness, is now turned unto a Lyon to us. We know our sins have deserved all; and if we all dye and perish, yet the Lord is righteous, to his hand we submit, and to him alone we desire to look for healing: Howbeit the Instruments of these new miseries are the same Antichristian faction, Who have been so far from being discouraged, or giving over their former design by their want of success in Scotland, or in beholding the fixed resolution of the Parliament here for Reformation, that their rage and diligence therein is more increased since the beginning of the Parliament, then at any time before. And indeed have more prevailed; both by stirring up a bloody Rebellion in Ireland, wherein (as the Papists themselves boast) they have destroyed above a hundred thousand Protestants in one Province, within a few months: And in England, by alienating the heart of his Majesty from his Parliament, which had begun to call many of them to account for their former mischiefs. And (after an attempt to surprise some Members of both Houses in an hostile manner) prevailing with his Majesty to withdraw himself from the Parliament, and to raise an Army, which at first, pretended only to be made up of Protestants; but the Papists knew their intents, who both here and beyond the Seas, had frequent prayers for the good success of this great work intended in England, for the advancing of the Catholic Cause; And spared not in England to boast, that they were not to appear until many Protestants were engaged so far, that they might ⟨p. 6⟩not start back, and then they were to own it, which accordingly is come to pass.

But though, through the goodnesse of God and his blessing upon the publike Counsells and proceedings of both Nations of England and Scotland, they were more closely and mutually conjoyned; and the Lord had raised up such a spirit throughout this whole Kingdom to mourne after the Lord, to lament our backslidings, and to desire a perfect Reformation; and had so inclined