• December 12. 1644.We gave in Reaſons of our diſſenting, to this Aſſembly, againſt the ſubordination of Synods, and they were committed to be anſwered and brought in. , and • April 4. 1645.An Order was made by this Aſſembly, that the Bre­thren of this Aſſembly, who have formerly entred their diſſents to the Presbyteriall Government, ſhall be a Committee to bring in the whole Frame of their Judgements, concerning Church Government, in a body with their grounds and Reaſons. It was alſo by this Aſſembly, lately impoſed on us, to make report of what we had done in the Committes.

HOw willing and ready we have been from the begin­ning of the Diſcuſſions in this Reverend Aſſembly, to make known what ever we hold, concerning Church go­vernment, as we have had publique teſtimony in this Aſſembly, ſo we have manifold inſtances and evidences of it; Wit­neſſe that conſtant, free, and open expreſſing our ſelves upon all occaſions, and in all queſtions propounded to the debate, with of­fers to give an open Account at any time, in what ever ſhould be asked us by any Brother. Our profferring divers times to bring in Propoſitions, ſtated to our ſenſe for the diſpute, and when we were made a Committee to that purpoſe, in the point of Ordination, and did bring our Judgements concerning it for a diſpute, It was laid aſide. And at another time, when we our ſelves brought in papers, giving the ſtate of the queſtion, about that extraordinary way of Or­dination, which were read, and returned back unto us, it being publiquely profeſſed that that was not an allowed way and courſe of this Aſſembly, for any of the Brethren to bring in papers, unleſſe they were made a Committee by the Aſſembly it ſelf. And ſo we were prevented of doing the like for time to come.

Likewiſe our frequent complainings of the ſtating of queſtions, ſo that we could not fully argue for our Judgements, we being bound up to the queſtions as ſtated by you. The uſuall anſwer to our Complaints heerin being, That the Aſſembly ſate not to argue the5 opinions of a few men, but that if we had any thing to ſay to the aſſertion brought in, we might.

As alſo our earneſt contending to have ſome queſtions (which you all know are the greateſt and moſt fundamentall points) fairly diſpu­ted and debated, is a ſufficient teſtimony of this our willingneſſe. As in the entrance into the diſpute of Government, the firſt day, we preſſed the handling of this, That there is a platform of Government for the Churches, under the Goſpel, laid down in the Scripture, and deſired to have diſcuſſed, what are the ſure and certain wayes, whereby we may judge what of Government, is held forth Jure divino therein, which ſhould have been fundamentall to all the diſputes that were to follow: and this was profeſſedly laid aſide by you, which therfore in none of the ſubſequent debates, we could renew, and thus Ar­guments were cut off, It being that great and neceſſary Medium, by which the particulars ſhould be confirmed, and in a manner, the whole controverſie decided; the greateſt difference that were likely to grow betwixt us, being this, That the forms of Governmert, you pretend to, and we deny, are aſſerted to be Jure divino.

In like manner that other next great queſtion, about the intire power in Congregations, that have a ſufficient Presbytery for all Cenſures, which as it is in order the firſt that preſents it ſelf for diſcuſſion (as was urged) ſo alſo it is one of the greateſt points in difference be­twixt us and you: Yet the debate of this was not onely denied the firſt place in the diſpute, but was to this day declined by you; Al­though to have it argued was contended for by us, and not by us onely, but by many of thoſe, that are for a ſubordinate govern­ment thereof to Synods. And though earneſt deſires and motions for it were renewed and inculcated, yet were they as often laid aſide. Yea and this, although it was once expreſly commended by the grand Committee of the Honorable Members of both Houſes, joyned with twelve Divines of the Aſſembly, to be next diſputed, as the beſt means, both of expedition, and of ending the Controverſie.

And over and above all this, to argue this our willingneſſe to diſpute our way, In the aforeſaid Honorable Committee appoint­ed by an Order of the Honorable Houſe of Commons, to find out wayes, of accommodating different Judgements in the Aſſembly, the Sub-Committee of Divines, conſiſting of two of us, and foure6 others, appointed by that Honorable Committee to prepare waies and Propoſitions of Accommodation, brought in the main and moſt of what practically we deſired, and we therein added, That if ſuch a libertie ſhall ſeem in the wiſdome of this Honorable Committee, to be ſo prejudiciall to the peace of the Church as not to be permitted, we hum­bly deſire, the doctrinall principles wherein we differ about Church-Govern­ment, may be taken into ſerious conſideration, and ſome other way of ac­commodation in practiſe thought upon, as ſhall ſeem ſit to this Honorable Committee: and this was preſented to that Honorable Committee and thoſe twelve of the Aſſembly, to be tranſmitted, whether to the Honorable Houſes, or the Aſſembly as they ſhould think meet.

After this, when upon occaſion of ſomething brought in by one Brother, and intertained, we took hold of that example, and one of us, with conſent of the reſt, brought in ſeven Propoſitions, which contained matter of difference betwixt us, profeſſing, That if this Reverend Aſſembly would debate them, or any one of them, we would bring in more, untill we had brought in all the Frame, and the Aſſembly them­ſelves ſhould pick and chuſe what they would debate, and what not. But theſe Propoſitions were rejected with a refuſall to debate any one of them.

And after all this, though the main parts of the Presbyteriall government, had been then voted by the Aſſembly, and ſent up to the Honorable Houſes (as, namely, that about Ordination, and the Presbyteriall government over many Congregations, as alſo concern­ing the Subordination of Nationall, Provinciall and Claſſicall Aſſemblies) and there was not much remaining about Church-government, to be concluded in this Aſſembly: yet this Reverend Aſſembly re­quiring, (by occaſion of a book publiſhed, that reflected on theſe proceedings, that we had no hand in, nor knowledge of) a whole Frame of Government, with the grounds and reaſons thereof, to be brought in by us, and voted us heerto to be a Committee, we yeilded our ſelves to be a Committee, to bring in part by part, in like manner as the Presbyteriall Government was brought into the Aſſembly, and diſputed: but that was not accepted. And then it being ſaid, that there was ſomething in Church-government, remaining un­diſcuſſed, and unreſolved; and it being further alledged that the Aſſembly ad not ſent up all that which they had concluded, but meant to preſent an entire Frame and Body to the Honorable7 Houſes: And that we might take away all occaſions of any ſuch jealouſies that we were unwilling to diſcover what we held (which were commonly in mens mouthes abroad) we yeilded to be a Committee, to bring in the whole to this Aſſembly, though upon all the fore-mentioned diſadvantages, and were purpoſed and reſolved amongſt our ſelves ſo to do, and that in as conve­nient a time as a work of ſuch a compaſſe could, (in ſuch a man­ner as was propoſed by you) be diſpatched by us. And as in the debate about making us a Committee, the Aſſembly would not declare (though preſſed by us) what they would do with that Mo­dell, and thoſe Reaſons we ſhould bring in; ſo the voting of what yet remained in Church-government, was haſtened by you.

And when not long after, upon occaſion of the debate of one particular point, in which we differed from this Aſſembly, we moved it might be deferred, becauſe we ſhould preſent our Judge­ments and Reaſons about it, with the reſt, (for therein lay that which we accounted the favour of being made a Committee by you) it was publiquely anſwered, that therefore the Aſſembly ſhould the rather go on to the concluding of it, becauſe we intended to bring it in; and before we could diſpatch that Body we intended, ſo as to re­port it unto you according to your order; (the collection of the materials whereof, ſpent us two or three moneths, and we could not obtain the liberty to bring in any thing but the whole) this Aſſembly had preſented to the Honorable Houſes, as well what had been ſent up by peeces afore, as what was ſince concluded, in one intire Frame. By all which we perceived, that that which was the main end and uſe of preſenting ſuch a Modell to this Aſſem­bly, would be fruſtrated.

And furthermore, we having given in (as this Aſſembly knows) but two heads of diſſenting reaſons: The one againſt the Presbyterial go­vernment over many Congregations: The other againſt the ſubordination of Synods. By the ſucceſſe of the latter we ſee, that this Aſſembly can aſſume the liberty (if it ſo pleaſe) to reſerve thoſe we ſhall now preſent, unanſwered, as they have done thoſe our diſſenting Rea­ſons againſt ſubordination of Synods, although it contain a great and main part of that wherein we differ, as alſo is of all other, of the greateſt mo­ment, both to this Church and State, and hath been given in to this Aſſembly ten moneths ſince, and their votes concerning theſ-Subordinations,8 as long ſince preſented to the Honorable Houſes, but have not been anſwered by any reply brought in to this Aſ­ſembly, and ſo not ready to have been ſent up to the Honorable Houſes.

And if Theſe we might now bring in, ſhould be undertaken to be anſwered by this Aſſembly, yet we ſtill retain the ſenſe of ſo much remedileſſe prejudice, by being bound from replying again, as doth make us juſtly wary: we may for ever lie under whatever miſ­interpretations may happen, (ſuppoſe but through miſtake of yours, or imperfection of our expreſſion) without clearing our meaning, and we may be bound up from further urging or dri­ving home that wherein the ſtrength of any Argument lies, if the dint thereof ſhould be a voided by ſome ſpecious diverſion. And although our former Reaſons given in after diſpute to both the Honorable Houſes, according to their Order, were therefore not our own, but to be diſpoſed of according to their appointment; yet what we ſhould now give in, we conceive to be in our own power.

Upon theſe conſiderations we think that this Aſſembly hath no cauſe now to require a Report of us, nor will that our Report be of any uſe, ſeeing that Reports are for Debates, and Debates are for Re­ſults to be ſent up to the Honorable Houſes, who have already voted another form of Government then what we ſhall preſent. However it may be of more uſe ſome other way, which by this courſe may be pre­vented, And therefore we are reſolved to wait for ſome further opportunitie, to improve what we have prepared.