Selected quad for the lemma: law_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A11672
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The lavvfulnesse of our expedition into England manifested
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Scotland. Army.
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1640
(1640)
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STC 21924; ESTC S116853
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4,501
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20
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that our going into England so much wished and desired by our adversaries for producing a Nationall quarrell shall so farre disappoint them of their aymes that it shall link the two Nations together in straiter and stronger bonds both of civill and Christian love then ever before And that we may see yet further evidences of a calling from GOD to this voyage we may observe the order of the Lords steps and proceedings in this Worke of Reformation For beginning at the grosse Popery of the Service Book and Book of Canons he hath followed the back trade of our defection till he hath reformed the very first and smallest Novations which entered in this Church But so it is that this backe trade leadeth yet further to the Prelacy in England the fountaine whence all those Babilonish streame issu'd unto us The Lord therefore is still on the back trade and we following him therein can not yet be at a stay Yea we trust that he shall so follow forth this trade as to chase home the Beast and the false prophet to Rome and from Rome out of the world Besides this third consideration resulteth from the former two for if this Expedition be necessary and if it be defensive then it followeth inevitably that we are called unto it for our necessary defence is warranted yea commanded by the Law of GOD and Nature and we are obliged to it in our Covenant IV. Fourthly the lawfulnesse of this Expedition appeareth if we consider the party against whom which is not the Kingdome of England but the Canterburian Faction of Papists Atheists Aâ—â—inians Prelats the misleaders of the Kings Majesty and the common enemies of both Kingdomes We perswade our selves that our brethren and neighbours in England will never be so evill advised as to make themselves a party against as by their defence and 〈◊〉 of our enemies among them as somtime the Benjamites made themselves a party against the Israelites by defending the Gâ—â—tachites in their wicked cause Iudg. 20. We pray GOD to give them the wisdome of the wise woman in Abell who when Ioab came neare to her City with an Army found out away which both keeped Ioab from being an enemy to the City and the City from being an enemy to him 2 Sam. 20. As touching the provision and Furniture of our Army in England it shall be such as is used among Friends not among enemies The rule of humanity and gratitude will teach them to furnish us with necessaries when as beside the procuring of our own peace we doe good offices to them They detest we know the churlishnes of Nabal who refused victuals to David and his men who had done them good and no evill 1 Sam. 20. And the inhumanity of the men of Succoth and Penuell who â—â—nyed bread to Gideons Army when he was persuing the common enemies of all Israel Iudg. 8. But let the English doe of their benevolence what humanity and discretion will teach them For our own part our Declaration sheweth that we seek not victuals for nought but for money or security And if this should be refused which we shall never expect it were as damnable as the barbarous cruelty of Edom and Moab who refused to let Israel passe through their Countrey or to give them bread and water in any case Num. 20. Iudg. 11. and this offence the Lord accounted so inexpiable that for it he accursed the Edomites and Moabites from entring into the Congregation of the Lord unto the tenth generation Deut. 23.3 4. V. The Fifth consideration concerneth the end for which this voyage is under-taken We have attested the searcher of hearts It is not to execute any disloyall act against the Kings Majesty It is not to put forth a cruell or vindictive hand against our adversaries in England whom we desire only to be judged and censured by their own Honourable and high Court of Parliament It is not to enrich our selves with the wealth of England nor to doe any harme thereto But by the contrary we shall gladly bestow our paines and our meanes to doe them all the good we can which they might justly look for at our hands for the help which they made us at our Reformation in freeing us from the French a bond of peace and love betwixt them and us to all Generations Our Conscience and GOD who is greater then our Conscience beareth us record that we ayme altogether at the glory of GOD peace of both Nations and 〈◊〉 of the King in suppressing and punishing in a legall way of those who are the troublers of Israel the fire-brands of hell the Korahs the Balaams the Doegs the Rabshakahâ— the Hamans the Tobiahs and Sandballats of our time which done we are satisfied Neither have we begun to use a military Expedition to England as a meane for compassing those our pious ends till all other meanes which we could think upon have failed us and this alone is left to us as ultimum unicum remedium the last and onely remedy VI. Sixtly if the Lord shall blesse us in this our Expedition and our Intentions shall not be crossed by our own sinnes and miscarriage or by the opposition of the English the fruits shall be sweet and the effects comfortable to both Nations to the Posterity and to the reformed Kirkes abroad Scotland shall be â—â—â—med as at the beginning the Reformation of England long prayed and pleaded for by the Godly there shall be according to their wishes and desires perfected in doctrine worship and discipline Papists Prelats and all the members of the Antichristian Hierarchy with their Idolatry Superstition and humane inventions shall pack them hence the names of Sects and Separatists shall no more be mentioned and the Lord shall be one and his Name one thoughout the whole Hand which shal be glory to God honour to the King joy to the Kingdomes comfort to the posterity example to other Christian Kirkes and confusion to the incorrigible enemies FINIS