Most worshipful brothers in the Lord,
The letter that was sent to us last year in the name of the Churches of Zealand, and your kindness shown to us by so many great services, assures us that we must interpret them as strong witnesses of the goodwill with the whole of your Belgic Churches towards us. This opinion has been abundantly confirmed in those things which that most distinguished knight Sir Archibald Johnston of Warriston, assessor in the supreme Assembly, not long since informed us of from London. Reporting the order of affairs in both kingdom and Church he related, in that same National Synod, of your extraordinary zeal towards us, and especially with what great faith, with what solicitous diligence you have promoted, and even now continue busy to promote, our cause (or rather that of the Lord Jesus Christ) as it is now being persued in London. In which business those delegates, whose names are not all unknown to you, have happily undertaken the scheme for conciliating a union of the Britannic Churches. May they, by your help and diligence, soon achieve a result, of which we have already received by no means obscure indications. There are these so illustrious testimonies of your kindness, open to such an extent in the eyes of all good people that no forgetfulness could ever destroy the memory of them. No one will ever repent of labors undertaken now, and labor that may be undertaken hereafter, to happily compose and decide the controversies arising in the London Synod. From the fruit which we have already seen (through the divine blessing) it is reasonable to hope for all the best for the future.
To add to this so honourable remembrance of your kindnesses made by Warriston we have also received a letter from parts of Northern Ireland signed with many autographs, which makes mention of the remarkable grace poured out on that church by divine influence, from the time that they were admitted into the covenant of these kingdoms. Of this divine blessing we have recently had most ample testimony in the outstanding generosity the saints in Belgium have showed to them though unknown and foreign, most loving, and as pricked by a very tender sense of their evils. For they relieved them in the nick of time, being a very few survivors of the sword and about to soon die of hunger, being surrounded by all kinds of difficulties. Not only did they strengthened their inner courage by consoling discourses for their consolation, urging that proceeding humbly they should wait for God as their liberator (who is not accustomed to hid His face from the house of Jacob except for a little while) but they also amply warmed them into life with generous aid in addition, with corn and other things fit for their easement and necessary relief, in so great straits. When they strove so much as suppliants to obtain munificence from God, and you were His agents, so He will pay it back into your bosoms sevenfold. So we humbly and repeatedly crave, in recognition of such kindness , that you give our thanks to all the Belgic Churches. This duty do, for if indeed we failed in our duty we should sin against ourselves, and most grievously against them.
We acknowledge, therefore, the most illustrious and most powerful and outstanding kindness of Holland, Zealand and of the other Belgic classes. With whom not only not turning the blind eye but supplying provisions (which in itself cannot be considered an ordinary kindness), but also that your authors wrote with method and reason, so that, leading by example, collections made throughout your Churches were soon sent to the relief our Irish brothers. We acknowledge such ready good will and generosity of the devout in the same Belgic Churches. We acknowledge that such great kindness has been conferred, not less than our brothers themselves do, in their own persons speaking on their behalf. And we wish that you, Reverend brothers, as we will always be prompt to all the actions of a grateful mind, that you will use your diligence to pass on thanks to your most prayerful Classes in our name, as is most reasonable to be done. And that you might demonstrate, moreover, to the people committed to your Christian care, first to all publicly, next to individuals privately, as the occasion may turn out, how respectfully we feel almost at one with them, and how much worth we place on their so outstanding goodwill and charity with which they revived our flesh and blood, in their consolation of the Irish Churches. What, moreover, have you been in the past, dearest brothers! With what devout zeal and toil, with what constant diligence have you carried forward the seed of charity until the sprouting corn waxed at length into the ripe harvest! We both willingly acknowledge this, whilst the event speaks for itself, as the excellent harvest fruit bears witness.
Most especially, however, (which is the chief point) we, together with the Irish Churches, praise and celebrate the Author and Bestower of such great grace through you, praying that He may pour out His Spirit on you all in great abundance, and on all the Churches committed to you by the Lord, in your most illustrious Classes in Belgium and in your Republic.
Making defence against a most potent enemy, and being endangered in the midst of so many difficulties, you are protected by the light of the uncontaminated truth of the Gospel in your Churches against the gates of hell. Then, being defended the more widely by the immense power of God watching over you has caused His manifold wisdom and understanding kindness to be celebrated at this time throughout the entire world. So may the same fount of all goodness continue to keep you in Him and in all good things, so that your Federal Republic may daily be more eminent, to the murmuring of the enemies of our religion and liberty. May the exercise of your wisdom and best arts as well as your arms and triumphs over the most eminent nations, make the Church shine forth by the purity of a holy people, to the evident splendor of heavenly truth. And may your most prudent and wholesome designs turn out all the more successful for you; plans by which you may be assured you are creating an advantage for the common happiness. Nor have you consulted only your own interests, but you are concerned also about neighbouring Churches as to how, by your diligence and providential use of your resources, you may support and strengthen them all. As if looking out from a watch-tower you give warning to them all, averting dangers and forearming against all the downfalls treacherously plotted by the enemy. You warned us of your letter sent from Zealand last year, how impostors, impudently counterfeiting the name of Jesus, and other henchmen of the Antichrist, have the more securely brought many onto their side, in a nation fascinated by Papal errors, with a design no less than to cut out, root and branch all the pure Churches of Christ. As they have bound themselves together in this by a close conspiracy to perpetrate such infamous plans, so all the Reformed Churches, as if at a given alarm signal, should join their minds and strength, united, as it were in the middle, so that they may turn the ruin intended for them back upon the heads of their enemies. Unless we can do so we will lack, in the eyes of posterity, any excuse for our shameless cowardice. We willingly acknowledged that your plan and advice was not less provident than trustworthy, not less happy than wholesome, and we again approve of it, as we see its outworking.
Firstly, however, in order to achieve this, it seems necessary that without delay we all fly to our most merciful God, who has, after so long suffering the so-little reformed character of the Reformed Churches began many years ago first to brandish the rod, and then at length the unsheathed sword, and now for a long time has loosed the sword, red and dripping, nay, streaming and foaming with blood, and that the blood of His own people throughout many regions. Finally it is now stretched over we who are left, warning us to come to our right minds quickly and unite our ranks more closely against the common enemy, to purge and further cleanse His house, to more highly esteem the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to see that the institutions of God concerning His worship, and concerning sanctification of His Sabbath be observed more religiously (from which things we have, alas, averted our eyes all too much), and concerning morals being rectified by the rule of true piety more thoroughly than has hitherto been done, and establishing ourselves as the people of God under pious governors, as they that lived under Nehemiah, Joshua and other such godly magistrates.
Being bound to God by a solemn religious Covenant, struck as the very firmest of bonds, we seek that God might avert His wrath (now steaming and threatening over our heads); wrath which our very many and very great sins have provoked and inflamed against us.
Not sooner had we offered ourselves, than we began to taste those fruits which a covenanted people receive from their God, fruits well worthy of the vows which have been so solemnly and openly announced, so that it may be pleasing to you to place our example before you.
What we have experienced, however, concerning the grace of God towards us, what gratitude to God His glory requires of us we dare not conceal, whatever our own merits may be in the sight of God and of men. Certainly from that day on which we first thought of entering upon a religious Covenant with God and among ourselves, we began to be called back from the gates of hell, and all our affairs, thus necessarily thrown onto our God, began to work out for the better, and so far with the most happy success. But if it seems good to your providence to think of entering into further religious society by a Covenant of this kind (which can be done to the advantage of purging and stabilising your affairs, as has been the case in our Britain from the Covenant recently entered upon), and from the interest of those whose business it is to deliberate and to deal with the other Reformed churches, (by the influence of that grace by which you are so strong among them all), so that many may enter upon the same plan of action with you, then there is no doubt that, through the grace of our most kind Lord and God Jesus Christ towards his Churches, it will be the case that not only will you maintain a most sure defence against the impending evils mentioned in your letter sent from Zealand last year, but that the Reformed Churches may unite amongst themselves by a new bond and closer association, invigorating and strengthening each other against all the attempts and assaults of the enemy. Thus might even the dislodged stones of the house of God throughout Germany be lifted from the debris and ruins and be replaced into the building, and the glorious Temple of our Lord be restored in that same place whilst the professors of a pure religion in those Churches may be purified by the renewing of a right Spirit towards Him who had seen fit to strike them and, being returned by a pact which never can grow old, be united and joined with us in the Lord, and at length relieved of the evils under which they have been groaning for so many years. In that day, so longed for and desired, (if it ever dawns, through the grace of God), a course of action may be worked out concerning the inter communion of the councils and Synods of the Reformed churches (by means of delegates and letters). By this means heresies may be crushed, schisms avoided and a peace provided for with God and amongst ourselves, whilst the glorious work of the Lord may be provided for in propagating the Gospel throughout the world and so the kingdom of Antichrist be overthrown.
This we commend as being worthy to be desired and hoped for in your devout and prudent meditations, like a good seed in a most fertile soil.
Edinburgh, 4th June, 1644.
Pledged to your worthinesses, most fraternally, by the Pastors and Elders of the National Synod of Scotland, in the name and by the mandate of them all.
To the Churches of God which are in the United Provinces of Holland, Zealand, and the Federated Provinces of Belgium.
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With one word, we judge this and other novelties, in these carefree days, a useless hindrance. This we also say of the introduction of new hymn-books, and present day ditties, which we do not find in God's Word; as also the playing and peeping of organs in the Church. The former are all against the decrees of our Synods. See about singing in the Church, the National Synod of Dordt held in 1578, art. 76; the National Synod held in Middelburg, 1581, art. 51; the National Synod held in the Hague, 1586, art 62; at which gatherings hymns not found in Scripture are expressly forbidden (in a footnote: those who would like to know more about singing of the Psalms, from the Old as well as the New Testament, can read the learned treatise by S. Omius, called 'Dissertation", the first book. Chapter 5, cap. 3).Translated here for the first time from Dutch into English, this book may be a shocker to those not familiar with the Dutch Reformation and the faithful pronouncements of her Synods.
It is known from Church history, that those who are after novelties, by introducing man-made hymns and errors, have corrupted the Congregation. Although these people have no wrong motives, it is nevertheless not advisable to follow in their steps, since we may receive from them copper instead of gold, as the Pious Peter Martyr witnessed about the time hymns were introduced into the Roman Church. See Peter Martyr on 1 Cor. 14:26. The words of lord van Aldegonde in this respect are remarkable. In the introduction to his book of Psalms he says, "The experience of earlier days has taught us that it is often harmful to introduce something which is not based on the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments." The Synod of Dordt, 1578, art. 77; of Middleburg, 1581; of Gerderland, 1640, art. 3, have all dealt with terminating, when determining the place of the organ in the Church. The statement made by the Synod of Dordt, 1574, art. 50, needs our special attention; where we read, "Concerning the use of Organs in the Congregation, we hold that according to 1 Cor. 14:19, it should not have a place in the Church; and where it is still used when the people leave the church, it is of no use but to forget what was heard before;" they witness that it is nothing but frivolity. It is also remarkable that lord Rivet, contending against the papists, mentions several of their authors, who condemn the novelty of the Organ, and point out that is is without profit. Rivet, Cathol. Orthodox. tom. 1, pag. 561.
To know the reason why Organs should be kept out of the church, read our learned theologians and their polemics about Organs against the Lutherans and Papists, see Faukee, about Psalm 45, pag. 20. Also Lodoc. Larenus, in cap. 12 Esa, pag. 47, where we find the story of the duty of Middleburg's consistory to do away with the Organ; Hoornbeek disput. 2, de Psalmodia. thes 7; Rivet, in Exod. cap. 15 vs. 12. Imprimis Gisb. Voetii. Polit. Eccl. part 1, pag. 548. Hospiniamus de Templis, pag. 309. It would be better if this and other novelties were not mentioned. (pp. 151-152)