Selected quad for the lemma: parliament_n
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A11674
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A Remonstrance concerning the present troubles from the meeting of the Estaees [sic] of Scotland, Aprill 16. unto the Parliament of England.
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Scotland. Parliament.
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1640
(1640)
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STC 21928; ESTC R212142
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22,508
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28
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IR A REMONSTRANCE CONCERNING THE PRESENT TROUBLES FROM THE MEETING OF THE ESTAEES OF the Kingdome of SCOTLAND Aprill 16. unto the Parliament of ENGLAND Printed in the Year of God 1640. A REMONSTRANCE CONCERNING THE PRESENT TROUBLES FROM THE MEETING OF THE ESTAEES OF the Kingdome of SCOTLAND Aprill 16. unto the Parliament of ENGLAND WHEN we look unto the Records of the ages past to find out the greatest blessings that God hath bestowed on this I LE wherin we live we cannot but acknowledge that next to the Christian Faith the Union of the two Kingdomes under one Head doth by many degrees exceed all other that fall in the reckoning Many practises and policies were set afoot by our Princes of old to hasten this work but all in vain did the plots of men strive to crosse or prevent the councell of God who had reserved for us and our fathers that singular happines to see that Union begun neither by a breach of faith nor by bloud but as the gift of God to fall in our hands by the ordinary gate which the Princes right sets open unto all and the generall and common interest of both Nations did heartily receive and imbrace With what successe this Union hath begun and continued to this day the peace and plenty we have enjoyed all this time can witnesse in part whiles all the rest of Europe almost round about us hath been a Field of blood and desolation What apprehension the enemies of our Religion had at our peaceable conjunction and with what eye of jealousie the neighbour States did look upon us and envie our happines the History of these times can beare record but for the present in regard of what hath passed these many yeares by-gone and what we presently feel and fear we may truly confesse to our own guilt and great dishonour that neither Scotland nor England unto this day hath righty understood or made use of this raâ—â—blessing of heaven for increasing their respect abroad or securing tâ—eir own safety at home neither have the reformed Churches found thaâ—comfort and relief which they did expect from us in the day of tâ—eir distresse but on the contrary we have been made even against ouâ—wills a brâ—kâ—n reed a rocke of offence and a shipwrack unto all that have fought unto us for shelter from the storme and to our selves the one Nation against the other a rod of correction and jealousie in the hands of a few wicked and ungodly men men of sepâ—ration who divide the King from his people and the people â—â—om their King and who raise up brethren agâ—inâ—t brethrenâ— that they in the end might prey and make havock of all Amongst many that have been authors of these evils under which the two Kingdoms have for a long time groaned and belike must either now or never be disburthened none deserve so justly to be challenged in the first place as some amongst you who call themselves Church-men but have left their station to become ignorant and unhappy Statesmen who have made the Church and the Tenets therof an instrument of bondage to the Subject of liberty to themselves and of unjust usurpation to the Prince whom we had reason to feare long agoe by your example and whom we find named as the chief instrument and object of your just feares of the change of Religion and government of Estate in the Kingdome of England in that grave and solemn Remonstrance that was made not many yeares agoe by the house of Commons to the Kings Majesty if that had stopped them any way your pulpits and pamphlets can beare witnesse for them and the rest of their crue since that time yea how constant they are to theâ—e wretched ends their attempts upoâ— us and that deep plot of obâ—ruding the seeds of all Popish superstition and tyranny upon our Kirk in the Bookes of Common Prayer and Canons will be a strong evidence for them how much they have deserved of Rome to make that Kirk which had departed farthest from her to be fiâ—st in the return and exemplar unto others and how much more they may yet deserve of them and all the enemies of those twâ— Kingdomes if they â—ffer for a sacrifice in a bloâ—die Warre the Relâ—gâ—on and Liberties of both the Nations to appease the fury oâ— ther presâ—nâ— disappâ—intment and prevent the shame of their deâ—eâ—ved â—all Certaiâ—ly the posterity will hardly beleeve as we who have â—eeâ— it cannot but wonder how it hath come to passe that the Subjects of Scotland whose Union with Englâ—â—d this day is known to be of gâ—eaâ—â—r foâ—ce â—or her assurance at home and strength abroad then all the alliances praâ—tises policies conquesâ—s your Pâ—inces have made from the begiâ—niâ—g â—hould have so long peâ—itioned their native Prince râ—sidiâ—g amongst you to do them Jâ—stice wherâ—f he is debtor to his peâ—ple and to heare their just complaints against the usâ—rpaâ—ion of a â—ew men who were undermining the pâ—oâ—essâ—â—â—â—ligion and government of the State and to suffer them to live according to their Laws and yet could never be heaâ—d nor answered in the poinâ— of their just desires farre lesse will they guesse what hath been the ground of that merit and trust of one domineering Prâ—lat in the affection of the Prince that it should be more forcible to disswade then all the supplications and intâ—rcâ—ssions of so ancient and faithfull a Nâ—tion who among all the Kingdomes of Europâ— have longest continued and mainâ—aiâ—ed in one Line the honour of the Royall Crown togeâ—her with the preservation of their own Liberties should have power to move Truly for our selves when we call to mind what courage and coâ—stancie God hath given unto â—s since the beginning of these troubles â—o stand for the maintenance of our Religion and Liberties that we have not suffered our selves to be drawn headlong unto the servitâ—de of soulâ—s and bodies from which there had been no hope of Liberty for us or our poâ—â—erity and which in regard of ouâ— conjunction with you under one King had been a violent prejudice and of dangerous conseâ—uence for your Liberties when they come to be questioned in their own time and place and on the other part when we remember what strange and violent wayes were taken by our adversaries to keep from the Englisâ— Nation the knowledge of our affaires and what unjust and false aspersions were laid upon all our acâ—ions and intentiâ—nsâ— to provoke you to be actors of that reâ—â—nge that was determined against us by the insolent advice of suchâ— who now govern his Majesties Councels and â—ettle their own ill acquired gâ—eatnes by the oppression of his obedient Subjects in their Religion and liberties in both Kingdomes we cannot but blâ—sse God who armed uâ— with an invinsible paâ—ience and resolution to esâ—hew for our part◠〈◊〉 the uttermost of our power any Nationall breach For ye may remember when coâ—trary to our expectation his Majesty by all the evil councell of those men
preparing should not be for matters of Religion which were all setled in the Assembly as they did alledge but for other civill differences in the Common-wealth and truly in all appearance the matters of the Kirk were setled in that Assembly with the consent of the Commissioner but that wise men began to doubt of the sincerity of the work when they found him by his after declarations and explanations digging â—â— posterne to escape and make way for his after denâ—all of what had been concluded And in these tearms the Parliament did begin and hath continued not to settle the affairs of the Kirk as was promised and was certainly expected by us but to bring in a precedent of servitude which neither we noâ— our Fathers were acquainted with and so it hath been broken off and adjourned by his Majesties own authority without consent of the â—states which is diâ—â—ctly against the â—aws and pracâ—isâ—s of this Kingdome and contrary to the Articles of agrâ—ement And although our predecessours took another course yet we came onely with supplications and prayers and to shew our invincible obedience unto his Majesty sent up our Commissioâ—ers to London who were rejected and never seen nor heard and yet hoping with this unexampled patience to overcome the malice of our adversaries we send up again our Commissioners with propâ—sitions that were so just as that they contained nothing but what was before granted unto us under his Majesties hand and seal nor could receive any denyall from a picus and just Prince as being all comprehended in this And which had been the summe and subject of all our supplications protestations informations declarations from the beginning namely that the Fundamentall Laws of the Kingdome which had been violated and the Religion which was manifestly infringed might in a free Assembly and Parliament be again confirmed and the unworthy authors legally questioned and which had been more expresly set down in the Articles of pacification that as there according to the tenor of the Articles of agreement all matters civill were to be judged by Parliaments and all Ecclesiasticall matters by the assemblies of the Kirk And that as the Assembly promised by his Majesty had been granted and had concluded the differences of the Kirk so his Majesty would not delay or deny the conclusion of the Parliament for ratifying the acts of this Assembly and settling other differences of the Common-wealth aâ— was fully agreed in that Treatie at the Kings Camp yet these propositions and desires being so necessarie and vitall unto this Kingdome could find no accesse unto the eares of the gracious King by reason of the powerfull diversion of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Deputie of Ireland who strengthened with the high and mighty Faction of Papists neare his Majesty onely side in all matters ofâ—spirituall and temporall affairs and makes the necessity of their service to his Majesty appear in being the only fit instruments under the pretext of vindicating his Majesties honour to oppresse both the just liberties of his free Subjects and the true reformed Religion in all his Kingdomes In which devilish designe we have great cause to say they are far advanced if the granting of a free Assembly and Parliament to us at this time which hath been the ground of all our just desires from the beginning and the conclusion of the Treatiâ— this last yeare as the onely mean to cure all the evills of Kirk and State and settle the peace and welfare of both Kingdomes Prove in the end as it appeareth this day like the Councel of Trent to the Christian Kirk which was appointed for reforming the abuse therof yet through the ambition and covetousnesse of Kirk-men and the miserable jealousies of the Princes of the time who minded more their private end and interest then the cause of Christ and his Kirk was found in effect the active engine and instrument to establish and settle the tyranny of the Pope and his Clergie wherfore the greater and more lively are our apprehensions of danger at this time that all these câ—ooked and crosse plots interchecking one another in denying a Parliament to us where it was promised upon the honour of a King and for the safety of two such Nations in granting it unto you where it was not expected for the reasons that all wise men cannot but remember and in forcing one upon Ireland where none is desired Giving out Commissions to destroy us before we can apprehend any other or new guiltinesse but that we have been constant suters for the conclusion of the Parliament and the fulfilling of the Articles of the treaty raising our Parliament contrary to the Laws and the expresse Articles of the agreement inforcing Garisons upon us that they might force us to a necessary denyall of such unreasonable demands and to a necessity to provide for our selves that all these we know are done and devised to pick a quarrel and to be the ground of a false and wyre drawn Remonstrance against us and now by the particular instigation of these men we named before a mighty army is preparing and an utter ruine threatned to our Religion and Countrey Lest in regard of these premisses our silence in so necessary a time should argue a neglect of our duty to God and our King the safety and honour of our Conntrey the peace and â—elfare of both the Nations what so nearly trenches to the prejudice and hazard of all these cannot be longer forborne Therfore we professe before the Christian world and to our dear brethren of England especially the representative Body of the Kingdome now happily conveyned in both the Houses of Parliament whom it most concerns that we cannot otherwise judge and esteem but that all these Councels that have been given of late by these intemperat Counsellors who direct the course of all affaires do not onely proceed from such persons as to serve their own ends under colour of advancing his Majesties Prerogative doe weaken Royall power and bring the Kingdomes unto confusion but that they truly are first hammered in Spain and in the Conclave and put into the hand of their cunning Artisans among you who have ever been a viperous brood which with tooth and naile have assayed to rent the bowels of their own mother yea who never sooner learned to obey the Roman Church as their mother but assoon they acknowledged the Catholick King for their Father and their own King for an usurper if they think him to be an Heretickâ— So that we are perswaded that neither the invincible Armado of the eighty eight nor the Gun-powder plot nor any other Royall Navie from thence like unto that which came the other yeare upon your coast the which ye had the more reason to suspect that it came so unlooked for and at so unseasonable a time needs to be attempted any more for the ruine of this I le but onely â—hat they be carefull as we doubt not they are that the