FIrst of all, we exhort all and every one to make more conscience of indevouring are all Reforma­tion of themselves and their Families, and of the places in which they live, then ever yet they have don; to be more serious in searching their hearts, consider­ing their wayes, and purging themselves from all fil­thinesse of the flesh & spirit, to perfect holinesse in the fear of God; to oppose wickednes & profanenes, pro­mote the power & practice of godlines, & to be deep­ly humbled before the Lord, for neglecting these things so much and so long; withall imploying & improving Christs all-sufficiency, & striving to exercise faith in him, for the grace of mortification & sanctification, as well as for remission of sins and peace with God; that being implanted & rooted in him, we may grow up as trees of Righteousnesse, the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified; for without amendment of life, [Page 3]and bringing forth of better fruit, the fierce wrath of the Lord cannot turn away from us.

2. As men desire they may not be led into tempta­tion, but may be guided in safe and right paths, in the midst of so great difficulties, Let them avoid the com­pany and counsell of the ungodly, whereby even good men have been oft times most dangerously insnared; Let all that fear God, choose the Testimonies of the Lord for their Counsellors, be much in prayer and searching the minde of God in his Word, without leaning to their own understanding, or consulting with flesh and blood in cases of Conscience.

3. seeing it is no act of wisdom but of folly, so to shunne one danger as to runne upon another as bad or worse; let us therefore avoid enemies and beware of dangers on al hands: We cannot see but the Cause of God, true Religion, the Covenant, Presbyteriall Go­vernment, this Church and Kingdom, and whatsoe­ver is dearest unto us will be in as great danger, if the Prelaticall party prevail, as now they are in, by the power and prevalency of Sectaries in England, who have made the Covenant and begun reformation to be laid aside, and hindred the promoting thereof. So that there is a necessity to be apprehensive of dangers, and attentive to remedies on both sides, and to beware of compliance with, and connivance at Sectaries upon the one hand, and Malignants on the other.

4. when we speak of Malignants, we desire that the distinction may be remembred, which was made in the solemn Warning to the Kingdome from the As­sembly in Feb. 1647. viz. That the cause is in very great danger from two sorts of Malignant Enemies: 1. From such as have openly displayed a Banner, or [Page 4]joyned in Armes and professe Hostility against the cause, and such as adhere thereunto: 2. From secret Malignants, Dis-covenanters, and bosome Enemies. This second sort may be still knowne some Charact­ers, given both at that time and before that time, As by their slandering or censuring the Covenant of the three Kingdomes and expedition into England, in the year 1643. as not necessary for the good of Religion, or safety of this kingdome, or as tending to the di­minution of the Kings just power and greatnesse, by their confounding of the Kings power and just Au­thority, with the pretence and abuse therof by Com­missions, Warrants, or Letters procured from His Ma­jesty by the Enemies of this Cause and Covenant. As if none were faithfull and loyall to the King, who op­pose such men and their wayes; By their Spleen, Ma­lice, and Calumnies against such as God hath made eminently instrumentall in this cause, and who re­solve to be constant to the end in their first Princi­ples, as if such men were the Kings Enemies who are most zealous for the good & safety of Religion; by their cōmending, justifying, or excusing other known Malignants, & by their conversing or intercommuning with excommunicate Delinquents. Vnto which Cha­racters time and experience give us occasion to adde some others, as namely, their unwillingnes and declin­ing to reckon Malignants among the Enemies of this cause from whom danger is to be apprehended; their disjoyning and dividing the duty of indeavouring the Kings Majesties preservation and restitution, from the duty of preserving, defending, setling and securing re­ligion; As if we might and ought to pursue the former without the latter while both are in danger; their ma­ligning [Page 5]of, and uttering malicious words against faith­full and Zealous Ministers, and against this meeting and Judicatory, appointed by the General Assembly. Lastly, their crying up or downe of parties or persons and even of the Sectaries themselves according as they have more or lesse hopes of advantage from them to their owne designes. For its no long since such men made light account of any dangers, which were ap­prehended from the prevalent faction of the Sectaries in England; There being then some hopes of a com­pliance and combination between them & the Malig­nants: Which is an infallible demonstration that such mens pretended zeale against those Sectaries now, is not from the right principle. Wherefore let all such dangerous persons as have here been deciphered and described, be carefully observed and avoyded, as men would keep themselves pure, and free of snares: And let Presbyteries be diligent to discover, try, and censure any of this kind in their bounds, that they may be able herein to give a good account of their dilli­gence; As also, that they be carefull to discover, try, and censure any trafficking Sectaries, and all such as favour their opinions and wayes.

Fifthly, Though we esteem that prevalent faction of Se­ctaries with their abetters and adherents, presumptuous and malicious Enemies to Religion, King, and Govern­ment: Yet we hold it is our duty to labour to remove and prevent all occasions of jealousies and suspitions betwixt the Kingdomes; and to doe or say nothing that may breed mis-understandings, break off correspondence, weaken the confidence or infringe the Union & peace betwixt the two Kingdomes, so happily established in his Majesties presence, and with his Royall consent in both Parliaments: A cau­tion as necessary now, as when it was given above five years agoe in a Warning from the Commissioners of the Generall [Page 6]Assembly, met in this same place, January the fourth, 1643 And generally we desire that all the Articles and clauses of the Solemn. League and Covenant may be kept insepara­bly and inviolably linked together, and that there may be great tendernesse and care to avoide every thing which may bee interpreted as a contradicting and abandoning of the former principles, Proceedings, Petitions, Protestations, Remonstrances, and Declarations of this Kirk and Kingdom in the pursuance of this cause; and more especially to take good heed that Scotlands desires, doe not mount higher for the King, and fall lower in the poynt of Religion, then they were at our first undertaking, and ingagement in this cause.

Finally, wee doe most seriously obtest all the people of God in this nation, and especially the Estates of Parliament by their love to the cause of God, by their solemne Vowes and Covenants, by their first principles and professions, by their former zeal and sincerity, by the many blessings of God, and great works done for us when our zeal and inte­grity was greatest in this cause, and by all the curses and judgements of God which his word denounceth against backe-sliders and Covenant-breakers, that they may al the dayes of their lives continue firme, stedfast and faithfull in their Covenant with God, and one with another, and make good their former professions in a time of tentation and difficulty, without wavering or falling off to the right-hand, or to the left, and as many as walke according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.