A DECLARATION OF THE ARMY OF ENGLAND Upon their March into SCOTLAND AS ALSO A Letter of his EXCELLENCY the Lord Generall CROMWELL To the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of SCOTLAND Together with a Vindication of the aforesaid Declaration from the uncharitable Constructions odious Imputations and scandalous Aspersions of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland in their Reply thereto And an Answer of the Vnder-Officers and Souldiers of the Army to a Paper directed to them from the people of SCOTLAND Printed at London and reprinted at Edinburgh by Evan Tyler 1650. A DECLARATION of the ARMY of England upon their march into Scotland To all that are Saints and Partakers of the Faith of GODS Elect in Scotland WE the Army of England do from the bottom of our Hearts wish l ke Mercy and Truth Light and Liberty with our selves from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Althâ—ugh we have no cause to doubt but that the Declaration of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England bearing date the 26. of June 1650. and published to manifest to the World the Justice and Necessity of sending their Army into Scotland may satisfie all impartiall and uninterested men in all the Nations round about us the matters of Fact therein contained being true and the Conclusions made from thence and the Resolutions thereupon taken agreeable to the Principles of Râ—ligion Nature and Nations and therefore it may seem to some if not improper yet superfluous for us their Army to say any more Yet however out of our tendernesse towards you whom we look upon as our Brethren and our desire to make a distinction and separation of you from the rest as who through the cunning practices of some wicked and designing men byassed by particular Interests or for want of a true and right Information and Representation of the great and wonderful Transactions wrought amongst us and brought to passe by the meer finger of our GOD may possibly be scandalized at some late actions in England and thereby be involved in that common Cause so much from Heaven declared against by blasting all persons and parties that at any time in the least under what pretence or disguise soever engaged therein and so with them to become partakers of their Miseries We have therefore thought fit to speak to some particulars and that as in the presence of the Lord to whose Grace and in the dread of whose Name we do most humbly Appeal and who should we come to a day of Engagement will be a sore witnesse against us if we utter these things in hypocrisie and not out of bowels of love to perswade the Hearts and Consciences of those that are godly in Scotland that so they may be withdrawn from partaking in the sin and punishment of evill doers or that at least we might exonerate our selves before God and Man do Remonstrate as followeth And for as much as we believe many godly people in Scotland are not satisfied with the proceedings of this Nation concerning the death of the late King the rejection of his Issue the change of the Government and severall actions conversant thereabout Although it cannot be supposed that we shall in this Paper meet with all Objections that may be made these very particulars alone requiring more lines then we intend in the whole Yet we briefly say That we were engaged in a War with the said King for the Defence of our Religion and Liberties and how many times Propositions for a safe and well grounded Peace were offered to him and how often he refused to consent thereto you well know which according to humane accompt he might have closed with had not the righteous God who knoweth the deceitful heart of man and is the Preserver of Mankinde especially of his people in his secret judgement denyed him a heart to assent thereto By which Refusals he made it appear That nothing lesse would satisfie then to have it in his own power to destroy Religion and Liberties the subversion whereof he had so often attempted That He was a man guilty of more Innocent Blood in England Ireland and Scotland even of those he ought to have preserved as a Father his Children then any of his Predecessors or we think then any History mentioneth the guilt whereof he brought upon his Family by solemn Appeals to God That the Son did tread in the Fathers steps and pursue his Designes destructive to Religion and Liberty That a party in Parliament false to God and to their trust were willing and did endeavour to betray the Cause into the late Kings hands That a remaining number in Parliament desiring to be true to God and to the People that intruâ—â—ed them out of Integrity of Heart and fearing that the high Displeasure of God would fall upon them if they had not done it did bring to Justice and cause to be executed the said King did reject the Person now with you did lay aside the House of Lord an Estate not representing the Pâ—ople nor trusted with their Liberties yet at that time very forward to give up the Peoples Rights and obstruct what might save them and alwayes apt enough to joyn with Kingly Interest against the Peoples Liberties whereof we wish you have not the like sad experience and did for the good of the People resolve the Government into a Commonwealth And having done all this that they are not accountable to any other Nation â—s sufficient to say to you except it be to exciâ—e you to rejoyce in this wonderful work of God and to be thankful to him for so much Deliverance as you have thereby and leave the rest to the State of England to whom it doth onely and properly belong who have manifested their regular proceedings therein according to the true and equitable â—ntent of the constitution of England and the Representors of the People in Parliament in their several and respective Declarations if they be looked into to wh ch we refer you Besides it is worthy consideration with how many Providences this Series of Action hath been blest which would require a Volumn to recount If Treaties be urged against us It is easie to say by whom they were broken and how eminently even by the then full authority of the Parliament of Scotland and the Invasion by Duke Hamilton and yet that not the first breach neither And if it be saâ—d That hath been procested against and revoked since We ask Doth that make up the breach so as to challenge England still upon Agreements and Articles you know as to Right it doth not except you suppose that England made their bargain so That Scotland might break and England remain bound whereas it is a known Law of Nations That in the breach of the League by the one party the other is no longâ—r obliged If the Covenant be alleaged against us this may be said by us with honesty and clearnesse Religion having therein the first place civil Liberties the next
the Kings Interest and constitution of Parliament the last and these with subordination one to another The Covenant tyed us to preserve Religion and Liberty as the ends of it even when these were inconsistent with the preservation of the Kings Interest and the frame of Parliament because when the means and the end cannot both be enjoyed together the end is to be preferred before the means Now that there was a real inconsistencie between the end and the means and that the leâ—â—er did fight against the greater is your own judgement who a Book of yours called A necessary and seasonable Testimony against Toleration say thus of the two Houses pag. 12. And doubtlesse the Lord is highly displeased with their Proceedings in the Treaty at Newport in reference to Religion and Covenant concerning which they accepeed of such Concessions from His Majesty as being acquiesced in were dangerous and destructive to both Had we not then appeared against these Concessions and lâ—kewise against those of both Houses who acquiesced in them had not Religion and Liberty both been destroyed which now by the blessing of God are preserved And if that action concerning the Parliament deserve a Charge yet least of all from your selves who when you saw the Parliament which sent Duke Hamilton with an Army into England proceed in ways destructive to Religion and Liberty you countenanced and acted with those that rose up for publique Safetie though contâ—ary to Acts of Parliament and called a new one excluding whom you thought fit all which was done by vertue and authoâ—itie fâ—om the Committee of Estates then sitting at Edinburgh which indeed was no Committee if you respect formalities the breach whereof you so often charge upon us being constituted of such persons as by Act of the fore going Parliament had not legal right to fit or act therein they not having taken the Oath for faithful discharge of the Trust reposed in them in reference to the late Engagement against England injoyned by that Parliament to be taken by every Member of the Committee at his first sitting or else to have no place or vote therein as is fully set down in the Commission for the constituting of that Committee of Estates We could more particularly set forth how the Committee of Estates there sitting according to the literal sense of the afore mentioned Commission was broken and driven away by that force raised and acted by you as aforesaid but we spare not seeking to justifie our actions by yours but to shew that you have done the same things for preservation of Religion and Liberty which you so highly charge as evil upon us And therefore we further desire you seriously to consider That the inconsistencie of our Religion and Liberties with the Kings Interest and former constitution of Parliament did not arise from our jealousies or pretences but from the hardnesse of the Kings heart and the backsliding of the greater part of those that were intrusted in the Parliament by their acquiescing in those Concessions and endeavouring immediatly to bring in the King upon them We therefore reckon it no breach but a Religious keeping of the Covenant according to the equity thereof when our Parliament for Religion and Liberties sake and the Interest of the People did remove the King and Kingship As also we assert our selves Keepers of the Covenant when the competition hath been between the form and substance if we have altered some forms of the Government in part for the substance sake As for the Presbyterial or any other form of Church Government they are not by the Covenant to be imposed by force yet we do a d are ready to â—mbrace so much as doth or shall be made appear to us to be according to the Word of God Are we to be dealt withall as Enemies because we come not to your way Is all Religion wrapt up in that or any one Form Doth that name or thingâ— gâ—ve the difference between those that are the Members of Christ and those that are not We think â—ot so We say Faith working by love is the true Character of a Christian and God as our witnesse in whomsoever we see any thing of Christ to be there we reckon our duty to love waiting for a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit of God to make all those Christians who by the malice of the World are diversified and by their own carnall mindednesse do diversifie themselves by severall Names of Reproach to be of one heart and one minde worshipping God with one consent We are desirous That those who are for the Presbyterial Government should have all freedom to enjoy it and are perswaded That if it be so much of God as some affirm if God be trusted with his own means which is his word powerfulâ—y and effectually preached without a too busie medling with or engaging the Author ties of the World it is able to accomplish his good pleasure upon the mindes of men to produce and establ sh h s purposes in the World concerning the Government of his Church And as for the Blasphemies and Heresies wherewith some Statâ—sts amongst you have laboured to brand us We caâ— say That we do own those sound Grounds and Principles of the Christian Religion preached and held by the generalâ—ty of godly Ministers and Christians of these later times alhorring from our hearts and being ready to bear our witnes against any dâ—testable Blasphemies and Herenes laâ—â—ly broken out amongst us we have already punished some amongst us for Blasphemie and are further ready to do it but how unâ—â—genuously we have bin dealt with by some amongst you and of our own Countrymenâ— in heaping Calumnies upon our heads â—o render us vile â—nd odious to our Bre hren yea and the whole world we leave â—o God to judge who w ll we trust in due â—ime make these things manifest But were Presbytery thus to be contested for and that in uâ—holding it all religion did and would flourish yet how improbablâ— it is That the course taken by those in Author ty with you will produce the things you desire to say no more let your own experiences a little minde you What pretenders were some Lords and other persons in the North of Ireland whilst they miâ—gled the Presbyterian wâ—th the Kingly Iâ—terest and the Ministers by their preaching seduced the people from their Obedience to England under the same pretence But no sooner had those persons got the power into their own hands but they shook off the Ministers by threatnings causing some of them to quite the country and in generall discouraging the exercise of the Government there declaring plainly by their actions that it was but a device to draw on the Royall Interest and those very persons that did get power into their hands under those pretences immediately joyned with Owen Roe O Neal and those bloody Irish Rebels upon the Kingly Interest It will not be unfit to minde you also how the Nobility and
ridiculous Evasion invented by men professing honesty Are they charged to intend a new War upon us against the judgement of the Kirk and State And do not the principles they own act by in reference to us declare evidently what their judgements are They have engaged to their King to use al lawful means to restore him they deny a Treaty to be such a means boasting to their King That they have refused it they professe the Parliament of the Common-weaalth to be Vsurpers deny all their Authority And yet these men intend not an I vasion Did they think to compasse the whole Design by Insurrections amongst our selves making way to their ends by the blood of others Or have they dispenced with themselves to say what they please so t may be for the advantage of the Kirk and State of Scotland The businesse of Religion shall be spoken unto in its proper place onely in generall we cannot but observe That the neer approaches which are made in Scotland to Spirituall Tyranny and outward Violence to the utter ruine of the most Conscientious Dissenters in the least with slavish ignorance in the people which for the present yield them outward Peace and Conformity not unlike that under the Inquisition are undesireable paterns for our imitation nor certainly are comprised within the verge of the Covenant It is of all things most strange to us That they and their Statesmen should devise a Covenant to secure Religion and Liberty and now are acting as fast as they can to hazard Religion and Liberty to secure that Câ—venant We mean that part of it which concerns the King and frame of Parliament This is a strange abuse of the glor ous Name of God under colour of Religion to prise a Covenant in the Letter of it so as thereby to destroy the ends for which it was made as if their Resolution were rather to lose Religion and Liberty then not to have a King both of England and Scotland to hold up that carnall Interest which is their greatest darling Which King though he be but a Ward to the Committee of Estates in Scotland yet must needs be allowed a Negative voice in the Legislative pâ—wer in England and so much Arbitrary power besides as may at all times greaten the power and riches of the Scottish Lords Is it not most strange that the Covenant â—hould be so much in their mouths and pens and so little in their actions who while they did but the other day declaim so much against Ma ignancy as a great and dangerous sin have now pulled in the head of Malignants as appears by his Commissions given to Papists and such as never came so much as formally under their Covenant And who is so Malignant still that they dare not trust him farther then some Lords his Keepers will suffer him to goe Was not Duke Hamiltons taking of the Covenant enough with them to invest him with power to â—estroy the Covenant And can the Vizard of their Kings taking the Covenant perswade any man of common undeâ—standâ—â—g that he will either support their Kiâ—k or Covenant longer then tâ—ll they have by one meanes or other if not prevented by us furnâ—shed him with a Covenanting Army of his own Principles and then they will finde they will be twice catched in a Nâ—t of their own making which they laid for others Are not his present Darling-companions which he brought from beyond Seas Prince Rupert Ormond and his Fathers and Motheâ—s Confederates in England still the onely men that if he were foot-loose he would embrace If they will needs blinde their eyes and hearden their hearts we blesse our heavenly Father that he hath opened our eyes to see things that doe belong unto our peace according to the diâ—ection of his holy Word But now to their Charge upon the Army as to the Covenant they say It did not appear that Religion and Civill Liberty was inconsistent with the frame of Parliament and thâ—t their words in their own Book did prove no more but That the then actings and the frame of Parliament were inconsistent Be it so This is sufficient to justifie our proceedings if all their Liberties in Scotland had but one Neck and their Heaâ—sman stood ready after Sentencâ— given upâ—n them to â—ut it off woulâ— not they then immediately either hold his hands 〈◊〉 give all for gone Whereas they say Was there no other way to help the irregularity of these proceedings If they had known any it had bin as easie to have named it as to have asked the question But for ouâ— parts we knew no other way Had not the Army appeared in that nick of time against the consenters to the Propositions at Newport Religion and Liberty had been irrecoverably lost as far as we can understand Our consciences bear us witnesse we did with exactnesse keep the Covenant in excluding those we did They say further The Army took away altogether the lawfull Power we cannot beleive them til they prove it there being now and always a lawfull Power in the Commons of England sitting in Parliament And as for those that acquiesced in destructive Propositions were they any more a lawfull Power then Duke Hamiltons Faction in their Parliament or if they will have the excluded Members lawfull Powers what did we more then they that put â—he oppâ—site party out of power so soon as they could by our Assistance That which they say concerning the Armies Proposals That they were destructive and yet they would not have thought it a fit Remedy for any to have destroyed them We reply First they were but Proposals for Câ—nsideration not determinations as those Votes upon the Propositions were and so there was no need of any Remedy against them but Advice Secondly if the Lord had so far left them as to have made any concâ—usions with the King upon those Proposals our juâ—gement is as their Repentance hath already witnâ—ssed they would have accounted it a great Mercy by any Power to have been restrained They further demand If Liberty be preserved how comes it then to passe that so many groan under the yoke of their Oppressions Hath there been at any time a greater thraldom in England then that every man must be bound to swear an Oath c To this we say We know of no such Oath that is to be Sworn the Engagement being a bare Promise and no more aâ—d here we are sure their charge is false in fact Aâ—d how this Engagement is a yoke of Opâ—ression we see not when it is onely a Promâ—se To be faithfull to the Common-wealth and the Preservers of our Liberties and Lives which those that are excluded would have destroyed Nor can we understand how this is a maintaining of unlawful Usurpations when two of the three co-ordinate Powers did oppose and at length exclude the King who was the third Estate for Male-Administration You had your hand in the work to assist the two Houses so to
do and when one of the three Estates excluded two viz. the King and Lords for their conjunction in the destructive Propositions at Newport what Usurpation was this in one of the three Estates more then was formerly in the other two As for the Burthens you speak of as an Impeachment of civil Liberties It is the great grief of the Parliament that they are necessitated to lay any Burthens Yet we may desire you to remember They lay those Burthens in an equal proportion upon their own as well as other mens Estates and we cannot but wonder that they should be challenged by you for this the little finger of your Lords upon your people and which we with much bitterness call to minde upon ours also having been heavier then the Loyns of our Parliament Religion you say is troden under foot lies in the dust is despised as of no value How unbrotherly unchristian and false a charge this is the Acts of Parliament latâ—ly made against Adultery Incest against Swearing and Blasphemy and the Acts for the strict keeping of the Sabbath for the better propagation of the Gospell in several parts of our Nation will be a sufficient evidence We take Religion to be a worshippâ—ng of God according to his Word walking in our conversations according to the Gospel attending upon the publ que Ordinances of the Word preached publique and private Prayer and Sacraments when administred according to the Gospel In which to be conversant with Humility Faith and Reverence â—s the practice of the Army That Religion is troden under foot and dispised of many as we acknowledge it so we desire to make it the matter of continuall mourning And we think we may without presumption speak it to the glory of the free and rich Grace of God in Jesus Christ That as much of the Spirit of Christ and the power of Godliness is given out in England as in any Nation of the world we know of And give us leave to ask you of Scotland who alone would seem to be true Reformers whether we have any such National sins as the compulsive joyning together of the precious with the vile in the Administration of the Seals of the Covenant of Grace or the corrupt and forcible Constitution of the matter of your Churches making them up of people grosly ignorant and very scandalous in their Lives and Conversations and in many places having Elders little better qualified Page 9. they say though they endeavor to justifie their actings against the Army Parliament of England by the proceedings of this Kingdom yet there is a large difference in many particulars There is such an agreement in those particulars they rehearse as makes these proceedings justifiable upon their grounds 1. There was a considerable part of the lawful Authority of England acted in these Proceedings was not a House of Commons a considerable part 2. Many of the best affected and most godly People in the Land consented thereunto and when the two Housos acted without the King there was but a Party of the People did consent 3. A considerable number of Orthodox and Godly Ministers went along in those Resolutions and you know the plurality of the Ministers never went along with the two Houses in their opposition to the King And if it be true that they say that their whole Kirk consented to your ways how came it to passe so many Ministers were excluded from their places for accession to Duke Hamiltons Engagement 4. This was no protecting or promoting any Design against Religion or Government but the carrying on of Reformation of Religion and Government according to the Word of God 5. We know of no new power set up but the continuance of the old they having only excluded such as were false to their trust as you excluded Duke Hamiltons Faction Page 10. As for what concerns the Presbyterial Government whether it be to be imposed or left free according to the Covenant they decline that Debate or rather defer it till they are in better condition to prosecute such an Argument and then there is no doubt but their Principles and Professions will lead them thereunto Having declared the principall end of their assistant Forces formerly sent to England to be Reformation in Religion which in a Scotish Construction must needs be Presbyterial Government but because they insist not upon it we shal also leave it and joynwith them in that undenyable position That by Covenant we are obliged to a Government according to the Word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches but we cannot hold pace with them when they say That by a Synod of Divines sitting in England it hath been made appear that the Presbyterial Government in the Scotish Latitude and onely it hath its foundation upon the Word of God That Synod though they have gone far enough yet are not so through paced in that business but cautelously express themselves in many parts of the Presbyterial Government by saying Things may be done according to the Rule which either signifies nothing or else this that somtimes they may not They further say That Preaching the Word of God is not the onely means appointed by him to accomplish his pleasure upon the mindes of men to produce and establish his purposes in the world concerning Church-Government Certainly in the best estate of the Church which we conceive to be the times of the Apostles it was the onely and sufficient means but yet we deny not but the Magistrate owes a duty to the Church and Ordinances of God which is to preserve the Liberty and outward Peace of them which the present Government of England notwithstanding all Oblatrations ceases not to do Whereas the Army is charged with dealing with the Scots as Enemies and invading them because they came not to their way doubtless the Army moves not upon that Princiâ—le but this rather That they will not suffer England to hold on in their own way of a Commonwealth but have entertained a pretender to the Government of this Nation after all his own and Fathers forfeitures and that upon condition of using all means which they shall judge lawfull for the restoring him to the Possession thereof which when they shall accomplish we shall have little reason to expect but that Religion and Liberty so much contested for will be made a Sacrifice to Royall Malignancy As for the terms of Usurpation and insolency we shall onely say this They are so much in the thoughts and actions of them that writ them that it s no wonder that their pen misses them not And whereas the Army is charged as Enemies to Uniformity notwithstâ—nding the professed desires of Unity amongst Christians and that their way and practices have brought forth this unparalleld diversity of Opinions who knows not but that it hath been very usual in all times of Reformationâ— especially when the Reformation is carryed on by War for Truth and Error Liberty Licentiousnesse to creep
his Monarchy was one of the ten hornes of of the beast spoken off Revel 17.12 13 14 15. and being witnesses to so much of the innocent blood of the Saints that he had shed in supporting the beast and considering the loud cryes of the souls of the Saints under the Altar we were extraordinarily carried forth to desire Justice upon the King that man of blood and to that purpose petitioned our superiour Officers and the Parliament to bring him to justice which accordingly by a high hand of providence was brought to passe which Act we are confident the Lord will own in preserving the Common-wealth of England against all Kingdoms Nations that shal adventure to meddle with them upon that account When God executes his judgements upon malefactors let none goe about to resist when he brings forth those his enemies that will not suffer Jesus Christ to be King in the midst of his Saints and breaks them in pieces like a Potters vessell Let not Scotland nor any other Nation say what doest thou We fear they have been too busie already the Lord that sees the secrets of all hearts knows the compliance of Scotland with the late Kings issue now with you was in order to disturb the Peace of England for being Gods 〈…〉 bloody Tyrant and a supporter of the throne of the 〈◊〉 but blessed be the Lord the crafty are taken in their own snare England sits in peace whilest Scotland receives into their chief City their new King at the very hour wherein an Army that had marched three hundred miles is facing them at the very gates we wish our Brethren of Scotland especially those that truly feare the Lord would consider these things and not slight the providences of God so much as they do when Scotland chose new gods and would have a King out of a Family that God hath rejected then was War in the gates and though we do not think providences alone a sufficient rule for Gods people to walk by yet we do know that the Lord speaks to his people by his providences as well as by his word and he is angry with his people that does not take notice thereof and promiseth blessing to those that doe Psal 107. and the latter end And here give us leave not in a boasting spirit but with meeknesse and fear to tell you that we are perswaded we are poor unworthy Instruments in Gods hand to break his enemies and preserve his people You have acknowledged us in yâ—ur own Papers to be a rod of Iron to dash in pieces the Malignants but withall say we must now be broken in pieces because we now set our selves against the lot of Gods Inheritance Let us here speak for our selves yea the Lord speak for us who knows our hearts and all our wayes we value the Churches of Jesus Christ who are the lot of Gods Inheritance ten thousand times above our own lives Yea we do blesse the Lord we are not onely a rod of Iron to dash the common enemies in pieces but also a hedge though unworthy about Christs Vineyard and if we know our own hearts where ever the lot of Gods Inheritance shall appear to be found in Scotland we shall think it our duty to the utmost hazard of our lives to preserve the same But if there be any that have taken counsell together against the Lord and against his anointed whom the Lord hath decreed to set upon his holy hill of Sion we are perswaded the Lord hath brought us hither as Instruments through which he will speak to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure We desire it may be known to you our Brethren of Scotland that we are not souldiers of fortune we are not meerly the servants of men we have not onely proclaimed Jesus Christ the King of Saints to be our King by profession but desire to submit to him upon his own terms to admit him to the exercise 〈…〉 in our hearts to follow him wheresoever he 〈…〉 of his own good will entered into a Covenant of Grace 〈…〉 of Saints and be assured it is he thaâ— leadeth us into Scotland as he hath done in England and Ireland and therefore we do in the spirit of brotherly love and of the fear of the Lord beseech you to look about you for our Lord Jesus is coming amongst you as a refiners fire aâ—d as Fullers sope and blessed are those in whom the least dram of sincerity shal be found We have seen a Paper directed to us from the people of Scotland which hath bin publickly made known to us wherein we are first desired to consider the lawfulnesse of our marching into Scotland We blessed God we did that before we came here and are abundantly satisfied that we are brought hither by the Lord Nay many of us lying under temptations of flesh and blood and going about to frame excuses to take us from this march found that to have stayed behinde had been to have deprived our selves of much sweet communion with God that now through his goodnesse we do enjoy We have also considered the arguments by which you go about to weaken the grounds of the Parliaments and our superiour Officers leading us into Scotland and must needs give you this returne that we are stâ—ll abundantly established in this beliefe that what the Parliament of England hath done in sending us into Scotland hath been of absolute necessity to preserve themselves from being destroyed in their Religion and Liberties which they have been at so much cost both of blood and treasure to purchase and preserve And therefore by the way must needs tell you that we can not endure to hear them called a pâ—etended Parliament wh ch we desire you to take notice of that if you write to us again you would speak more reverently of the authority of our Nation or else we shall easily think you will upon every occasion be r ady to iâ—vade England that you may set up an authority which you may call lawfull And let us as in the presence of the Lord further assure you that we have already examined our own consciences as before the Lord and have a clear assurance in our hearts that he will countenance us in this action and that we do not break any Covenant which we have sworn before God Angels and men but could be contâ—nted â—hould we not thereby Idolize the Covenant to march to any Engagement with you if call d thereunto by the Lord with the Covenant on the tops of our Pikes and let the Lord judge who hath observed the ends of the Covenant best you or we we doe acknowledge we have not been the exact performers yet not the wilfull breakers thereof Our consciences also bear us record we do above any thing in the world desire the Union of the two Nations and it is our prayer daily that those that feare the Lord in England and Scotland may become one in the hand
Declaration which they undertake to oppose and thence deduce a twofold Inference First That the Army looks upon themselves as Saints Secondly That they suppose the number of Saints in Scotland not to be very great Doubtlesse it argues an assured confidence and that perhaps upon former experiences that their Dictates shall be received with an implicite consent by those whom they labour to deceive when in the very entrance they hold out such groundlesse Deductions as both these must needs appear to be to all that shall but onely view the Inscription of that Declaration When men are bound to believe the Generall Assembly before their own eyes and sense such Impositâ—ons may passe and we know not in what state as to this things are for the present in Scotland For our part as we see neither of them iâ— the direction mentioned so we are not without good assurance of the first as to that part of the Army wâ—th whom they have to do in this Reply and for the lattâ—r heartily pray if it be so indeed That in Gods due time it may be otherwise And as we are no way moved with that breathing of the Spirit which acts in the Assembly charging the wayes of the Army as the issues of delusion or rashnesse and scandalous to the Gospel such terms being alwayes in readinesse for the use of all sorts of Assemblies so we suppose That the testimony of the numerousnesse of the Saints amongst them might have been spared untill the practise of the power of godlinesse had laid a conviction upon their Neighbours to have gone before them therein The sense of the Saints that are there concerning the proceedings of the Army we have indeed reason to suppose to be harsh and unanswerable to men of that heavenly call and that because they have too much captivated themselves to receive in upon trust such injurious and false Representations as in these Papers are made of them and their wayes without inquiry into the reality of things For deliverance from which bondage of spirit we desire seriously to commend them to the goodnesse of God and that in the use of Ordinances and Government of Jesus Christ which we pray That the Generall Assembly may neither slight nor despise Their Christian desire of Mercy Truth and Light to all the Saints of Scotland is in the next place retorted with a charge of Error Darknesse and Loosenesse upon them that hold it out To assume the title of Orthodoxy and soundnesse of opinion to mens selves and upon that account to charge others with Errors and Darknesse hath been found in all ages so great an advantage to any party whatsoever that hath assumed it that it were strange if the Generall Assembly should not use the same weapon to smite those withall whom they seek to render odious and destroy But to flourish it perpetually upon all occasions without giving any one instance of any one Error maintained by them whom they so charge or holding out no other rule to judge darknesse and error by but their own Dictates and Determinations is a course not a little savoring of that wisdom which is not from above The reference unto the Declaration of the Parliament which nextly they reply unto is passed over with a Magisteriall charge of the matter of that Declaration to be false in fact unjust in Law with sundry other such expressions as is evident they want not at any time when Truth and Reason may not be at hand But is it false in fact that the Nation of Scotland breaking all Treaties Covenants and Contracts between themselves and England invaded us with a powerfull Army to the hazard of our Lives Liberties and Religion Is it false in fact that the Commissioners of Scotland toâ—k upon them to protest against the proceedings of the supream Power of he Nation of England and laboured to withdraw the people from their obedience Is it false in fact that the Parliament of Scotland have taken home into their bosome him who is the engaged enemy of this Nation and in present actuall hostility against it Is it false in fact that they have promised to use their endeavours to restore him to that which they call his Right in England which cannot be effected without the ruine of the Common-wealth Are these and the like falsities in fact Or are not those men infatuated with a strange confidence of the stupidity of the residue of men that they dare so affirm Is it unjust in Law that dammage being done by any reparation and satisfaction should be required of them Is it unjust in Law for supream Magistrates to demand that by force and warre which is denied by Treaties in Peace Is it against the Law of Nature and Nations that Treaties and Compacts being voluntarily entred into by severall parties the Essentials of such Treaties and Contracts being infringed and violated by the one party that the other thereby should be set at liberty and be free Is it against the Law of Nature and Nations that the supream Power of the Nation though changed into the hands of others should be responsible for the miscarriages and dammages done by the former persons enjoying that same Authority Is it contrary to the Law of Nature and Nations for a people to seek their own preservation by preventing others from taking their advantages and opportunities who they are fully assured do seek and aym at their ruine Truly we cannot but wonder that men professing themselves Representators of so eminent a Church should be so carryed away with the love of corrupt and carnall Interest as to assert with confidence such notorious and palpable falsities The Lord we hope will teach them more the feare of his great and dreadfull Name whereof they often solemnly make mention in this their Paper before such things as these have wrought their ruine In the third Page they put it out of all question That the late King was obstinate in an evill way and that he was guilty of more innocent blood in England Ireland and Scotland then any of his Predecessors And could this Land be expiated from blood without revenging it upon the guilty Author of its shedding Have not the Scots more then once for lesse crimes taken off their Kings c. The Lord lay it seriously to their hearts whether they doe well to cry Murther Murther and stirre up all to revenge the death of him whom themselves acknowledge guilty of shedding the blood of so many Thousand Innocents And for the non-compliance of that Nation with the King in any of his undertakings the invasion in Forty Eight with sundry actings of the Commissioners and Assemblies for divers years will not allow us to give credit unto In the next place they say They will not question what the Parliament of both Kingdoms in a case of insuperable necessity might have done for the peoples safety as to the taking off the King nor the righteous jndgement of God in executing wrath upon him so