Selected quad for the lemma: religion_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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they shall become our immediat tennants and vassals and hold their lands and possâ—ssiâ—ns of us and that for payment of the third part lesse duty then is contained in their present Charters and they prâ—sently pay to their superiour providing they adhere to us and assist not their disloyall superiours but leave them and concurre with us for maintenance of our authority And if the superiour be loyall and the vassals and tennants refuse this our Grace and to adhere to usâ— or to concurre with the said superiour in our serâ—ice we declare it shall be leasume for the said superiour to expell the said vassals and tennants thus rebellious forth of their lands and possessions And what shall accesse to us by the forfeiture of their lands and possesssions we freely dâ—spâ—ne and totally resigne it to the loyall superiour promising to concurre and assist him for effectuating hereof And further we discharge all debtors who are addebted summes of money to any of the said rebels to make payment to them of the summes of money addebted to them or any part thereof assuring our good Subjects that they shall have retribution out of the same moneyes as we shall find them to deserve and so forth as followeth Although before this time we had heard from our Countrey-men abroad that other States Princes and Nations did wonder much that their ears being filled with Informations against us nothing had come from us to make known unto â—hem ouâ— cause or our case and condition yet sâ—ill hoping and patiently waiting for a graâ—iâ—us answer to our many humblâ—supplications we did abstaine But our hopes being extingished by that unexpected Declaration as we took our Swords in our hands at home for our just dâ—fâ—nce so we were thinking to send some Informations and Petitions abroad especially to the Frencâ— King wherein we trâ—st no word hath escaped us that can either procure the indignation of our owne King or will be found contrary to the duty and loyalty of good Subiects And that no lesse could have been said by any Nation in so great extreamity yet this was but an imperfect motion which died in the bud amongst our selves and never did rise to that ripenesse to be seen of others When we were so sore threatned and when execuâ—ion was comming upon us by a terrible armie it must be laid to our charge as a fault inexpiableâ— and our Commisâ—ioners punished for it that we dared so much as to intend to cry to others to interceed for us when our own supplications could not be heard Poore soulsâ— we must be beatâ—n and neither resist nor complainâ— It is therfore our earnest desire that every eye that seeth that innocent Letter may with the same view look upon the Proclamation given out at that â—ime and compare them together And withall we desire to be informed what we shall doe in the like exigence now when Armies are coming against us if it be not lawfull for us both to cry to God and to men to help us and to interceed with our King for us That Letter was written before his Majesties coming to the Camp and was not concealed by our Noblemeâ— but made known to some of prime quality there If there had been a purpose in the hearts of our enemies that the Articles of pacification should have been observed this Letterâ— although it had been sent and all other quarrels of this kind had been by a law of oblivion forbidden to appear It could not have been a ground of calling the subcribers to quarrell them after the pacification but the wicked Sycophant and delatour would have been found in the transgression and made the sacrifice And that there be no more doubt in the minde of any good man we have here upon our faith and honour set down the very words of our instructionsâ—ubâ—cribed at that timeâ— and yet exâ—antâ— which were not given but were to be given to the Carrierâ— and unto the which the Leâ—ter iâ—self doth referre To represent the â—uncientâ— and strait league betwixt the two Kingâ—â—mes of France and Scoâ—land often renewed and 〈◊〉 inviâ—lâ—â—lâ— kept for many hundreth of yeares whereby both Nations have frequently upon the distresse of the one found the benefit of that mutuall amity by ready succour and assistance of the other which hath â—ver been crowned with successe and acknowledged by interchange of Nationall kindnesse as the Chronicles of both Kingdomes and diverse publick actâ— extant in the Records doe testifie To shew that our intentions are no wayes against Monarchiall government but that we are most loyally disposed toward our sacred Soveraigne whose person and authority we will maintain with our lives and fortunes But that all our desires reaches no further then the preservation of our Religion and Liberty of Church and Kingdome established by the Laws and Constituâ—ions therof That the calumnies vented against us by our enemies for their own ends make no impression because they are most manifest untruths maliciously forged to stirre the envy and discontentment of neighbour Princes Estates and Nations against usâ— wheraâ— our whole thoughtâ— words actions and proceedings are most legall and loyall as the bearer can particularly instruct and make cleare at length That seeing we have many times supplicat his Majesty and have not prevailed therfore to intreat the King of France to interceede and meditate with our Soveraigne to lay down his Armies intended and raised against us and to suffer this his ancient and native Kingdome to enjoy her Religion and Liberties in peace and freedome under his Majesties authority albeit we be not diffident of Gods assistance whensoever we shall be necessitate to our own defence which is approven both by the Law of God Nature and Nations Our enemies who catch all pretexts against us may have enough here wherewith to please themselves But when thaâ— grave and great Councell shall consider that the Letter was never sent and nothing from France or at home shall ever be found that can prove the sending of it abroad that it was intended upon the hearing of so harsh a Proclamation and before the pacification wherein it ought to have been buried and that it was accompanied with such Instructions as noâ—e but malice it selfe can censure for no threats from England non preparations in view can cast us upon resolutions of intertaining forraigne confoederations in such sort as may set up a partition wall betwixt the two Kingdomes Therfore we trust they shall finde no more ground of pleasing our enemies and of grieving us in this then in our other proceedings which we earnestly desire to be unpartially examined by them Now against this high and extreame insolencie of our adversaries which swelleth every day to a greater bignesse and exulceration and is to breake out imperiously at their pleasure Although in obedience to the Law of God and nature we be thinking upon our preparations for safety and defence and â—or obtaining our often presented humble and just desires yet nothing but extreame necessity which hath no Law shall enforce us to go beyond the bounds of petition and dâ—fâ—nce and when that extreamities shall come which God in his mercy to both Kingdomes prevent we trust our carriage shall refute the sâ—anders and reproaches of our enemies that we are not seeking our selves and our own ends but with the assistance oâ— all in England who tender their own happinesse and ours to petitiâ—n his Majesty the more powerfully for receiving right information and for submitting both all differences and all those wicked Counsellors who have shaken the foundations of the Kirk State and the Kings Throne unto the judgement and censure of a free Parâ—iament by which we hope the Gospell of Christ shall be inlarged both the Kingdomes freed from danger and our dread Soveraigne made more great and glorious then any of his Predecessors which as it is the end so it is the unâ—eigned Prayers oâ— us all FINIS
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