THE REMONSTRANCE OF THE NOBILITY, BARRONES, BURGESSES, MINISTERS AND COMMONS WITHIN THE KINGDOM OF SCOTLAND, Vindicating them and their proceedings from the crimes, wherewith they are charged by the late Proclamation in ENGLAND, Feb. 27. 1639.  
EDINBURGH Imprinted by james Bryson Anno Domini 1639.   

ALthough the depths of the Counsel of GOD, and the secrets of the ways of the most high cannot be sounded nor found out by us, till they be discovered and unsecreted by himself; yet so far as we can conceive and consider of the course of divine providence in our present affairs, we begin to think, that the LORD is about some great work in the earth. For the cup which hath been propined to other reformed Kirks is at this time presented unto us: We have used all means by our earnest intercessions, by our true remonstrances and humble supplications, to inform his Majesty, and to deprecate his wrath: but find both his ears possessed by the false and spiteful misinformations of the late pretended Prelates, and of such as hope to catch some great things in our troubled waters: whereby his Majesty's wrath waxeth hotter every day: as is too sensible to us his Majesty's humble and loyal subjects, who were expecting a gracious answer to our last supplication, and may be apparent to all men, by the late Proclamation and Declaration in England Feb. 27. ordained to be read in every Kirk within that kingdom.  
We are indeed confident and comforted in this; that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the cause mantained by us, and that in the end glory shall be to GOD in the highest by the testimony which shall be given to the kingdom of his son JESUS CHRIST now in question, that peace shall be on earth, and goodwill and loving kindness shall be to the people of GOD. But in the mean time it cannot but wound our hearts and grieve us sore; that we are brought to this extremity, that we must either perish under the burden of so many foul aspersions, or be constrained, to appear in terms of contradiction against such pieces and Proclamations as the malice of our adversaries, prevailing with his Majesty, doth libel and send out continavally against us.  
Although the foresaid Proclamation and Declaration chargeth us with nothing material, which we have not from the sincerity of our hearts and the manifest truth and reasons of our proceedings abundantly answered before, in our printed Protestations, information, and answers unto the Declaration made by his Majesty's Commissioner, and unto the Bishops their Declinatour, yet lest by our silence the cause of GOD and our innocency in defending thereof, receive the smallest prejudice in the minds of the well affected, and that we may yet more convince the consciences, if not close the mouths, of our self-condemned enemies, we shall not weary to make a summary repetition and true application of what hath been formerly written at large.  
The title beareth, 1. that the Proclamation is intended to inform the loving subjects of England; which is the desire of our hearts, and for which we have laboured; being confident that all his Majesty's loving subjects of England, after true and full information, will allow of our actions, as proceeding from the love of CHRIST, and of our King and country, which to us are inseparably joined, and wherein we are so emulous, that we are heartily grieved, and think ourselves heavily wronged, that in love and loyalty, we should be reckoned second, or inferior, to any subjects in the Christian world. But what truth of information may be expected from our Prelates, with their pages and parasites, who can have no hope of rising again, but from our certain ruin, all the judicious subjects of England may easily discern.  
2. The title beareth that by our seditious practices we are seeking to overthrow his Majesty's regal power under the false pretences of religion. None of all our actions is more challenged of sedition, than our necessary confession of Faith and national Covenant, wherein we are so far from overturning regal authority, that we declared before God & men that we had no intention or desire to attempt any thing that might turn to the diminution of the King's greatness and authority. We could not so much as imagine, that the refusing of the service book, and the rejecting of Episcopal government, which two overturn the frame of God's worship and the discipline of the Kirk, as they were here established, should ever have been interpreted to be the overthrowing of regal power; The pillars of true regal power are religion and righteousness, which by our oath we have endeavoured to establish, and are confident, if we can have them in peace, shall be seen by all the world to be strong supporters of his Majesty's throne. Our practices are called seditious, our carriages tumultuous, our returns froward and perverse, our intentions traitorous, our informations and declarations infamous lybels, our protestations mutinous, our covenant aband or rather a conspiracy against the Lords anointed, pretended to be with God, that we may with the better countenance do the works of the devil, such as are treasons and rebellions, our preparations for defence hostile, as if the King were our sworn enemy, our aims to be the invasion of the good subjects of England, to make whole our broken fortunes, our actions increasing and daring insolences, our present case a brainsick distemper, ourselves evil and traitorously affected persons, factious and turbulent spirits etc. To which we answer, 1. It may be that the Lord will look on our affliction, 
2. Sam. 16. 12. Mat. 5. 11.  and that the Lord will requite good for this cursing. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you for my sake.  
2. These railing accusations have proceeded from the unchristian hearts of our Prelates, who are raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame, and thereby give public proof, that by the sentence of excommunication from the Kirk, they are indeed delivered unto Satan, the spirit which now worketh mightily in them. All their revile against us, shall not draw from us one word, which may reflect upon the King's Majesty. They have learned an art, like unto that practised of old, cunningly to insert the image of their Hierarchy, into the King's portrait, that no man can do reverence to the one, but he must adorethe other, no man speak, or do, against the one, but he must speak, and do against the other. But we are not unacquainted with their craft, and God hath taught us the way to honour the King, and detest treason, sedition and rebellion, without honour done to them, and without the perfidious acknowledging of their abjured tyranny. 3. By two things all men may perceive, that the Prelates would have their anger to come to a mischief: the one is, that they use extreme bitterness of words. Yet in this they fail of their end; that their words are rather common railings and flyting, then sharp, pointed and proper, more labouring to speak all the evil they can devise against us, then to speak any truth against our persons and cause. The other is, that they would engage his Majesty so far in their business, that no place may be left to a retreat. But in this also we trust they shall be disappointed, and that they shall never induce his Majesty, to act any thing which is not revocable. Princes who ought to be common parents, will not make themselves a party; for that were to overthrow the boat by unequal weight on the one side, and make not only the passengers, but him that sitteth at the helm to perish; which our Prelates have desperately chosen, rather than to repent, or with jonas to cast themselves in the sea, that they may perish alone. Their maxim is old; when we are dead and gone, let the earth be burnt up with fire.  
In the narrative we are glad that they judge of our intentions (which are directly known to GOD only) by our proceedings and actions before the world: which against their obloquys and misconstructions we justify. 1. By our long suffering the outrages and insolences of the Prelates; who against the unity of hearts, authority of Assemblies, order of Ministry, purity of doctrine and worship and whole reformation of religion in this Kirk (which was the wonderful work of God's greatest mercy to this kingdom, and the glory of our land) for no other end, but for satisfying their ambition and avarice (which are known to be the two great enchanters of natural men, and have proven cruel Harpies against religion) they did overturn all; bringing in for unity, division, for authority of Assemblies, their own usurpation, for order of the Ministry, episcopal tyranny, and for the purity of worship, first humane inventions, and thereafter (being now grown by their rents and Lordly dignities, by their power over the Ministers and other liege's, by their places in Parliament, Council, Session, Exchequer, and high Commission to a plenipotent dominion and greatness) they frame a book of Canons for ruling the Kirk and disposing upon religion at their pleasure. And yet all this time the greatest opposition was the zeal of some preachers in giving testimony to the truth, and sealing the same by their sufferings, and the groaning of the people, and their crying to God, that he would come down and deliver them from these more than Egyptian taskmasters. 2. By the peaceablnesse of our proceedings, ever since we begun to appear in a public way of opposition: although their insolency ascended so high as without consent or knowledge of the Kirk, they have framed a service book to be received in all the Kirks of the kingdom, as the only form of God's public worship, procured letters of horning against Ministers for that effect, practised it themselves, and not only discharged some Readers and Ministers who refused the book, but also obtained a charge, that no man under the pain of death should speak against the Bishops or their service book: And yet although the book was brought in without order, and known to be a change of the whole form of God's worship; The Noblemen, Barrones, Burgesses, Ministers and Commons convening although in a very great number, yet in most peaceable manner without any tumult, did only supplicat most submisly the Lords of his Majesty's Council, and direct their supplications to his Majesty for remeeding their just and important grievances. Thirdly, when their supplications received no other answer, but terrible Proclamations condemning all their meetings and proceedings, and highly allowing the evils which were their grievances; their complaints against the many heinous crimes of the Prelates were not heard, and their distresses still pressing them more; The supplicants entering into a deeper search of the causes of all their evils, and of the barring of their supplications; found them to be from themselves and their former perfidious dealing against the Covenant of God. And therefore resolved to renew their national oath and Covenant with solemn humiliation and prayers to God for reconciliation, and for better success afterward. They resolve also to renew their supplication to the King's Majesty for a general Assembly and Parliament, as the ordinary and able means to redress their evils, and essayed all possible ways of presenting it. They answered to the full all exceptions taken against the Covenant, and left nothing undone, which beseemed Christian subjects, who honour God and fear the King. Fourthly, after many petitions and long expectation when a general Assembly was convened by his Majesty's special indiction, and orderly constitute in all the members thereof, in the presence of his Majesty's Commissioner; we were forbidden to proceed and commanded to rise, without any just cause offered by us. In this extremity of the precipitating of the Kirk and kingdom in a world of confusions upon the one side, and of sitting after the interdiction, on the other part, we choosed that course which was warranted by Christ, was most agreeable to his Majesties will formerly manifested, and to the public weal, as is contained in the supplication of the general Assembly directed to his Majesty, whereof no mention is made in the proclamation. Since that time we have been threatened with armies and hostile invasion from England, against which we have been preparing for our lawful and necessary defence, far from the least thought of invading or harming our neighbours. Our ways then have been, after long silence, no other but humble supplications to GOD and the King, necessary Protestations, religious renewing of our national Covenant, sitting in a general Assembly convened by his Majesty's indiction, information and preparation for necssarie defence against open hostility. The particular evidences of our traitorous intentions are expressed in the Proclamation to be: First, the multitude of infamous libels stuffed full of calumnies against the King's authority. If any piece coming from us had been here designed, our answer might have been particular; And therefore in general we are bold to affirm, that what hath passed from our hands of that kind, as it hath been meant to clear our intentions of disloyalty, so it carrieth nothing with it which can merit so foul an aspersion, all being done both in matter and expression with the highest respect we could conceive to his Majesty's sacred person and royal authority, and with the best construction of his Majesty's proceedings. Secondly, letters sent to private persons in London and sending some Covenanters to private meetings at London to incite people against the King and to pervert them from their duty; A traitorous intention we confess, which will never be so happy as to harbour in a Loyal breast. And as we are assured that such missives or messengers were never sent from the Covenanters in common; So must it be, either cunning in the Prelates, to allege that which we cannot prove to be false, or malice to attribute that unto us, which private persons have done from their own motions without our knowledge: That in such a time there should be found libels or licentious discourses, false news running up and down, and letters carrying the names of such authores as never saw them, should seem nothing strange. And whether the search of such things with too great diligence, and the suppressing of them by too much severity, or the neglect and despising of them by authority, be the best remedy against them, let statesmen judge. It is known when water is stopped one way it runneth asunder and breaketh out many ways.  
Thirdly, Our public contemning of all his Majesty's just commands, and our mutinous protesting against them. It is our delight to obey his Majesty's just commands, and is far from our hearts to contemn any of his Majesty's commands, although unjust, or to protest mutinously against them: But to protest in a fair way, and as beseemeth dutiful subjects, is a course customeable, legal and ordinare, and in some cases so necessare for preservation of right, and preventing of evil, that at sometimes it cannot be omitted, and at no time can give just offence. Fourthly, The fourth evidence beareth three points, which require particular answer. 1. That no Covenant or band of that nature is warrantable without civil authority. This exception hath been so fully answered from warrants of divine & humane authority, both ecclesiastical & civil, from the practice of the godly of old, from the example of our Religious progenitors, from the continued subscription used in this Kirk, and from the nature of the oath itself, which is national, that we trust all men, who are not strangers to what we have written, are satisfied to the full, except the Prelates & their adherents, who are endless in their cavillations, and craftily labour to bring us back again to the beginning of the controversy, that they may (if it were possible) undo what hath been done by us. 2. That we have rejected the Covenant commanded by authority, because commanded by authority. The reasons not of our rejecting, but of our modest withholding of our subscription commanded by authority are at length set down in our public and printed Protestations, September 22. and December 18. in our answer to the Declaration made by his Majesty's Commissioner, and in the acts of the late Assembly, which properly owneth the public judgement and interpretation of the confession of Faith. In all which it is found that the confession commanded by authority according to the meaning put upon it, is in matters of Religion, not only contrary to our subscription in February, but also to the confession as it was meant and professed in the year 1580, and therefore could not be subscribed by us, except we would by manifold perjury have made ourselves transgressors, and have brought upon ourselves a far greater weight of the wrath of God, than the first was, which by our subscription we laboured to avert and prevent. Thirdly, That our Covenant is a conspiracy against the King pretended to be with God, for doing the works of the devil. This is a blasphemy, to which we are sure, neither the King's Majesty, nor any fearing God, can be accessary, and which addeth much to our confidence, that the Lord hath ratified in heaven the curse pronounced upon the Prelates, that he will reprove the words which he hath heard uttered by them, and that their work shall not prosper: And therefore comforting ourselves in the Lord our God, who hath been pleased by so many signs and undeniable evidences, to countenance and confirm our Covenant, we bring against them no railing accusation, but say, The Lord that hath chosen jerusalem rebuke them, and save the King. Lastly, Our hostile preparations to invade England: Against which as much hath been said and sworn by us in our late informations, as we trust hath given satisfaction to all good subjects there, although they had been so uncharitable, which we will never believe, as hastily to have embraced such reports. Our best actions, & which ought to give to that kingdom greatest contentment, will never by them be wrested to that sense: And although the Prelates in the mood of despair to recover their losses, except by our ruin, traduce us to be desperate hypocrites, yet the event will bear witness, that we have spoken, as men fearing the great name of our God, with whom we have reneved our Covenant; and who, when his time cometh, will be avenged, whither upon our hypocrisy, or their calumny. Yet our enemies, seeking the way to make suspicion, where no cause is, have given out, That many, and some of the chiefest amongst us, are men of unquiet spirits, and broken fortunes, etc. But in this they have been evil advised. For suspicions among thoughts, are by wisemen compared with bats among birds, which flee not at the no oneday, but in the time of twilight. It is known by all, who are acquainted with this Country, that almost the whole Kingdom standeth to the defence of this cause, and that the chiefest of the Nobles, Barons, and Burgesses, are honoured in the places where they live for Religion, wisdom, power, and wealth answerable to the condition of this Kingdom; that the meanest of the commons who have joined in this cause, are content of their mean estates, with the enjoying of the Gospel; and no less known, that our adversaries are not for number, any considerable part of the Kingdom, and that the chiefest (setting aside some few statesmen, & such as draw their breath from court) are known Atheists, or professed Papists, drowned in debt, denounced his Majesty's Rebels, for a long time past, are under caption of their creditors, and have already in their imaginations divided amongst them the lands of the supplicants, which they hope to be possessed in, by the power of England. But we hope that by this shift they may well be worse, but they shall be no better. In the mean time against all these calumnies, the Lord from heaven hath looked upon the integrity of our hearts, and in his wisdom hath found the way to clear our innocence. For beside our supplication to the Council jan. 13. for this end, and our late information to England Feb. 4. we have the public testimony of the council of the Kingdom to make it known. A letter sent to England from one George Sterlin in Edinburgh, with the advice of john Sterlin commissar of Wigtoun both in near relation to the late pretended B. of Galloway, did come to our hands, bearing what the Prelates now say; this was exhibited to the council, Feb. 22. & 28. with our complaint, supplication, attestation of the great name of God, and our own consciences, and offer of our subscription, or any other mean of purgation to the contrary, whereupon the Lords of privy council, sent up our supplication to the King's Majesty, with their own, wherein they humbly supplicate, lest upon such informations, his Majesty should be more easily moved to think upon harder courses, than he had heretofore been pleased to keep with his Majesty's ancient and native kingdom and subjects; that his Majesty in his accustomed fatherly care of the good and preservation of this Kingdom, would be pleased, to resolve upon some such course, as without force of arms, or showing of his Princely power, the estate of this kingdom may be settled, as may be seen at greater length in the letter itself. We are challenged here also as usurpers of regal power. First, because we have taken upon us to command the print, and forebidden and dismissed the printer, whom his Majesty established. This is the old complaint of the Popish Prelates against our reformers in the year 1559. and very untruly by their successors renewed against us: for we have neither dismissed nor forbidden the printer, who still hath his liberty, and residence in Edinburgh. Nor doth the act of the general Assembly, which we take to be here meant, contain any thing that can be construed to be the usurpation of regal power, or the smallest diminution of the privileges royal about printing. It only forbiddeth under the pain of Kirk censure to print any piece that concerneth the Kirk, without warrant of the Kirk: A power belonging to the Kirk in all kingdoms, and ordinarily used in this Kirk, not only in the times of Popery, but since the reformation, as is manifest by divers acts of Assemblies censuring abuses of printing, appointing some treatises to be printed, and naming some to revise what was to be put to the press. Neither must we think that the national Kirk is shorter in her liberties of this sort, than our Universities are, who without restraint, use their own liberty; nor will any man think, that scholars shall have the liberty to print their propositions yearly, without controlment, and liberty shall be denied to the general Assembly to print their acts and constitutions. Particular professors use to publish their treatises with adjurations of printers (because they have no further authority) that they print them not in another edition, nor in another character: and shall not the Kirk make use of that authority which GOD hath granted her for her own peace and the good of Religion? Secondly, because we have convened the subjects, raised armies, blocked up and besieged his Majesty's castles etc. So many of these heavy challenges as have any show of truth, are so fully and plainly answered in our last protestation Decemb. 18. that as the Prelates needed not to make the objection, so need we to make no new answer.  
In our last information intended for England, besides that the true, honest and loyal expressions of our hearts, are taken to be false, base and fawning passages: we are particularly challenged of two scandalous and most notorious untruths: First, that the armies now raised, are in the hands of Papists. So indeed were we informed, and therefore spoke with this caution (as we are informed) and why shall not the captains and leaders of the army, be suitable to the prime movers, the cause, and end of the work, all which smell of Rome and of Popery? The other untruth is, that some of power in the Kirk of England have been the cause of taking arms for invasion of this kingdom and of meddling with our religion. This we offer to verify both by write, and by the deposition of prime statesmen and Counsellors, against some Kirk-men there, namely against Canterbury himself, that he did negotiate with Rome, about the frame of our service book and Canons, that with his own hand he altered, and interlyned divers passages thereof, tending to conformity with Rome: A plot so perilous, that had not the Lord disappointed it, First, Scotland and then England by him, and such as cooperate with him, had become, in their religion, Romish. His reprinted conference with M r. Fisher, will not serve to vindicate his reputation. And therefore we earnestly entreat all in England, that affect the truth of religion, and the King's honour, and all true Patriots that love the liberty, of the kingdom, to supplicate his Majesty for calling a Parliament there, that this mystery of iniquity which hath been in working this time past may be discovered, and the prime agents therein, according to their demerits may be tried and punished, and that this craft and treachery, in joining both kingdoms in a bloody war, that by weakening both, Rome may be built in the midst of us, and the Pope in end set over all, may be seen and disappointed, that GOD may have his own glory, the King his honour, and his subjects may be in safety, from foreign tyraine over their bodies, and souls.  
Lest the Prelates should pass any point true or false that may serve their turn; This also is laid to our charge; that the King's laws are in a manner oppressed by us, in so much that the judges are so awed as they dare hardly proceed according to law. The prime judges of the land remember, that by them justice hath been refused us, according to law; not from their own disposition, but for fear to offend against missives procured against us: we must also now remember, that having of late required letters of horning and caption, against the excommunicate Prelates, conform to the act of Parliament: whereof they use not to deny the common benefit to the meanest subject; The Lords of Session resolved upon a letter to be sent to his Majesty March 2. wherein they bring his Majesty's pleasure, signified by his Majesty's command, and otherwise, as the only cause of refusing these letters, according to the act of Parliament, and withal join their most ardent desires and humble wishes for such peace and quietness to the kingdom, as it hath enjoyed before. Which evidenceth that not only the laws, but the judges are for us, and that from conscience of their duty to GOD, the King and country, and not from fear and awe from us.  
To make all that hath been said the more credible, it is alleged that some of us refuse both the oath of alledgeance and supremacy, and publicly maintain that we are not obliged to take the same, and that three Scotishmen taken in Wales, are at this day, imprisoned for denying these oaths. We can say nothing of these taken in Walls, neither there persons nor their purposes being known to us. It seemeth that the inquisition is hot there. But for ourselves, although there be a difference betwixt the oath of alledgeance, and supremacy, and we cannot take the oath of supremacy as it is extended, and glossed by the flattering Prelates, yet we heartily rander that to his Majesty which is due and useth to be given by reformed and sound divines to the civil Magistrate, knowing that the Fifth command containing the duty of subjects to their Princes and rulers, is the First commandment of the second table, and that our confession of faith, acknowledgeth his Majesty to be the Lordsvice-gerant on earth: to whom the conservation and purgation of religion, doth belong.  
As this is the conception which our enemies have begotten in his Majesty's mind against us, so may we learn by this declaration, what his Majesty's intentions are against this Kirk and kingdom, and what birth may be looked for, if divine providence by changing the heart of our King, or by some other way known to himself, make not an abortion, or chock it in time. For first, through the incurable superstition and inveterate malice of the Prelates against the reformed religion, declaration is made, that by introducing the service book, there was not the least thought of innovation of religion, but merely to have a conformity with the worship of God which is observed in both the other kingdoms; though evil minded men have wrested somethings in it to a sinistrous sense. Thus the service book is still no innovation of religion, but by our sinistrous sense, is made to seem so: conformity with the worship of GOD in other kingdoms, is urged upon us, as if we were, tabularasa, and had not a form of worship established by the acts of the Kirk and laws of the kingdom: merely to have conformity is averred, although the manifold litures and interlynings of the service book, used in both the other kingdoms testify the contrary, by the hands of our own Prelates and of Canterbury himself. Hence we must pay for abusing the book, and the book itself must in the own time be received. Secondly, through the pride and greed of our Prelates, Episcopal government must be retained as it is established by acts of Parliament; as known to the whole world to be most Christian in itself, most peaceable for the civil estate, most consonant to Monarchical government, and without which the Parliament will not stand complete of three estates: Although the truth is, there be no act of Assembly, nor of Parliament for that office in this kingdom, that it is known to reformed Christendom, rather to be antichristian in itself, most prejudicial to the peace of the civil estate, and hath in all nations proven the most pernicious enemy to Monarches, and true Monarchical government. And that the Parliament hath been, may be, and is in the nature thereof, complete and perfect without this excrescence. Hence Bishops we must have jure divino to serve the will of the Prince in the worship of GOD, and these as lordly as ever before. Thirdly, No Covenant must be endured to which the King's Majesty shall not consent, and our Covenant only pretended to be with God, that we may with better countenance do the works of the devil, such as are treasons and rebellions. Hence our Covenant can be no more endured than treason and rebellion, and the Covenanters either renounce God, so solemnly attested by them, or punished as rebels and traitors. Fourthly, the question is conceived to be no more about the service book and Episcopal government: But whether the King's Majesty shall be our King or not: And is determined that we have stricken at the very root of Kingly government, vilified the regal power in his Majesty's person, and assumed it to ourselves.  
Fifthly, it is declared, that his Majesty is forced to take arms to establish and set his Kingly authority right here, to make the best of us see, that he will endure no such Covenant as we have made. Hence resolution is taken and declared, that for establishing the service book and episcopal government, for abolishing of our Covenant, and for being avenged on us, as rebels and traitors, his Majesty cometh in a hostile war, with all the power that can be raised in England, by all other means and by this Proclamation, which is ordained to be read in time of divine service, in every Kirk within the kingdom, for that effect.  
Our part in this case is to resolve, whither we will, with sin and shame lie under the pressing weight of so many foul aspersions, as rarely in the worst times have been laid upon Christians, receive the service book, as the only form of divine worship, which is declared by the Assembly to be a mass of errors, superstition, idolatry and antichristian tyranny, welcome home again our Prelates and their abjured government, condemn our reformers and the glorious work of reformation, renounce our Covenant and be so many times perjured as we have sworn and subscribed the same, loss all our labours and pains, bestowed for so large a time in so good a cause, open with our own hands a wide door, and by our example show a broad way for the entering of Popery & of all changes in religion hereafter, lay a stumbling block in the King's way to the kingdom of heaven, and hinder the Queen's conversion, give offence to all the reformed Kirks who have been praying for us, harden the hearts and strengthen the hands of all the enemies of the truth at home and abroad, make our selves an odious spectacle to men and angels, forget our bygone slavery and our wishes for redemption, deny our own experience of the mercy truth and power of GOD, so many times, and so many ways, to our unspeakable comfort, manifested this time bypast, loss the posterity and the children that shall come after us, who shall mourn in misery for our misdeeds, make the faces of so many to blush and be ashamed, because of us, leave nothing but laments to our friends and jubilees of joy to our enemies, interrupt the march of the LORD of hosts upon the earth, and wrest his dis-played banner out of his hands, pull the crown from the head of CHRIST our judge, our lawgiver and our King, grieve and resist the holy Ghost, pull down the golden-candlestick and put out the light, and bring all the plagues that are written in the book of GOD upon us, so that all nations shall say, wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this land? What meaneth the heat of this his great anger? Then men shall say because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord, therefore are these evils come upon them; A word of defection could no sooner come from our mouths but the horror of hell should enter in our souls: Or rather on the contrary use the power which GOD hath put in our hands, not for invading England, or doing the smallest harm to any of the people of GOD who trouble not our peace; cursed be the breasts that harbour such intentions, and the hands that execute them, but merely for our own defence and safety against armed violence and unjust invasion. And therefore where it is demanded in the Proclamation what we will defend; we answer; not our disobedience but our religion, liberties and lives: And where it is asked against whom we will defend; Lest our intentions or actions should be mistaken, by such as are not acquainted with our case, or misconstrued, as contrary to the doctrine of sound divines, or to the laudable practices of Christians of old, or of late, we desire that distinction may be made, and difference put between the King resident in the Kingdom, and by opening his ears to both parties, rightly informed, and the King far from us in another kingdom, hearing the one party, and misinformed by our adversaries: Between the King as King, proceeding royally according to the laws of the Kingdom against rebels, and the King as a man coming down from his throne (at the foot where of the humble supplication of his subjects lieth unanswered) & marching furiously against his loyal and weal-meaning people: Between a King who is a stranger to Religion, and tied no further, but according to his own pleasure, to the professors of Religion, living in his dominions, and our Kiug professing with us the same religion, and obliged by his Father's deed, & his own oath, to descend us his own subjects, our lives, religion, liberties & laws: Again, difference would be put, between some private persons taking arms for resistance, & inferior Magistrates, judges, Councillors, nobles, Peers of the land, Parliament men, Barons, Burgesses, and the whole body of the Kingdom (except some few either Courteours, statesmen, Papists, or popishly affected, and their adherents) standing to their own defence: Between subjects rising, or standing out, against law and reason that they may be freed from the yoke of their obedience, and a people holding fast their alledgeance to their Sovereign, and in all humility supplicating for Religion and justice, between a people labouring by arms to introduce novations in Religion contrary to the laws, and a people seeking nothing so much as against all innovations, to have the same Religion ratified, which hath been professed since the reformation, and hath not only been solemnly sworn long since by the King's Majesty, and by the whole Kingdom both of old and of late, but also commanded by the King's Majesty to be sworn by his Counselors, and commanded by his Council to be subscribed by all the people as it was professed at first: Between a people pleading for their own fantasies and foolaries, or inventions, and a people suspending their judgement and practice about things controverted, till they should be determined by a national Assembly, the only proper and competent judicatory, and after determination, receiving and standing for the conclusions of the Assembly. Whither in this case, and matters so standing, we shall stand to our own defence, we are taught by the light and law of nature, by the word of God in the old and new testament, by the Covenant betwixt the people and God, by the end for which Magistrates are ordained of God, by our standing in our order and line of subordination under God, the great Superior, when our immediate Superiors go out of their line & order, by the testimonies of the best divines and sound politicians and Lawyers, even such as pleadmost contra Monarchomachos, by the mutual contract betwixt the King and the people at the Coronation, by acts of Parliament, and by the example of our own predecessors.  
And now for our brethren and neighbours, in England, whose ears, we suppose, have been filled with this Proclamation in their particular Kirks; From that honour which we owe unto authority, as the ordinance of God, and from the natural and loyal affection which we bear unto our King and dread Sovereign, borne and baptised amongst us, we are unfeignedly, and from our hearts grieved that first his sacred ears should be so far possessed, and next his royal Name so far abused by wicked men, as to receive and give way to so many absurd and incredible false calumnies against a whole Nation, his own native Country and Kingdom; It is too manifest how extremely pernicious, and damnageable are calumnies, especially universal ones of this kind, and therefore to repress them, ought not any law or ordinance be spared, that may serve to the purpose; From that love which is due from us unto them, to whom in very many respects, and by many strong bands natural, civil and spiritual, we are sibber and more nearly joined, then to any other Nation or people on earth, we are heartily sorry that their Kirks and hearing are taken up with such discourses and would wonder at their credulity, if they should be believed by them; yet because speeches may be the seminaries of sedition, even amongst brethren, who are at greatest distance when they have once begun to divide and discord, we must entreat (if with so wise a Nation there be any need of entreaty) that they will not upon any declaration which they have heard, be suddenly stirred to attempts against us to our mutual hurt, or with a golden hook to catch so small commodities, as may be hoped for in such a war, and by so doing, make both Nations a mocking to strangers, and this Island which hath been blessed with so long a peace, to be a field of blood, and a prey to our common enemies, who now for many years have been looking upon us with an evil eye, and are still waiting for an evil hour: that when they hear of any of our preparations for defence, or of any of our actions which to us are so necessary, that without them our defence is impossible, and wherein there is no wrong done, or intended against them; they will judge charitably of us, and of our doings in such an exigent and extremity, as this is, and that they will wisely and christianly, supposing our case to be their own, make use of that common rule of equity, what soever ye would that others did to you, do ye even so to them. That hereafter, reports and declarations made against us by our enemies, be not suddenly believed; since the authors, from the conscience of their own deceitful dealing, publish them amongst the English only, who cannot control the untruth of them, and keep them up from the knowledge of this kingdom, where they cannot abide the common light and trial, every one of the commons knowing their forgery and falsehood, And when any of them happen to come to our hands, the difficulty and danger is so great in carrying our answers, and the true information, as matters now stand, unto their knowledge. And that they will at last, both pour forth their prayers to GOD and their supplications to the King in our behalf; and if need be, use their power for our lawful defence against merce-naries and wicked men the sons of Beliall. Are we not their own brethren, their own flesh and bone? Are we not all under one roof, in one and the same ship, and members of one body? Their religious progenitors at the time of reformation vouchsafed us their help and assistance for establishing the reformed religion, neither have we so evil deserved, nor are they so far degenerated, as that we have reason to fear, that we shall be deserted by them at this time, the cause being the same, the case not much different and the persons only changed, Our salvation is common. Let us together earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints, that mercy peace, and love may be multiplied unto us.  
Considering also how far our late actions against the persons of our greatest enemies and the chief strengths of the kingdom, as of the castle of Edinburgh, etc. are subject to the obloquys of such, as have to the worst sense wrested all our former counsels and necessary conclusions; and may be mistaken by our friends, who looking at a great distance, cannot well perceive the ripeness of the occasion and opportunity of our doing, we judged it necessary for silencing the one, and for satisfying the other, to make known to all, how we were driven to this by the present exigence of our affairs for our lawful and necessary defence.  
It cannot be unknown to all the subjects of this kingdom, what have been the terrors and threatenings of divers Proclamations at home, as of that, july 4. and of the other Decem. 18. And to many it is known also what missives have been directed to the Nobles and Gentlemen of England, for attending the royal banner at York April 1. and what Proclamations have been made in England, both that of the date Ianu. 29. and above all the last declaration Feb. 27. condemning our loyal proceedings, our humble supplications, our legal Protestations, our true and modest informations, and our very intentions (after we have attested GOD so many times and so solemnly on the contrary) as false and traitorous, ourselves as rebels and traitors, and therefore denouncing war in the most hostile manner against us. We are not ignorant what letters have been sent to some of our cold-friends, to excite them, and some of our professed enemies, to embolden and strengthen them against us, with moneys and munition, and with directions and order for the ways of their combination and running together with their forces; and on the other side, of the large promises and bold undertake, of our dis-natured countrymen, some at court and others at home, to make up armies of so many thousands in the North and South parts of the kingdom, for environing us on all sides. The Scotish Councelours, Nobles, and Gentlemen about court are made to subscribe the King's Covenant with this addition; That they shall not acknowledge the late general Assembly, that they shall not adhere to the late Covenant and band sworn and subscribed by us; And that they shall oppose against us to the best of their power as they shall be directed by his Majesty's command; According to these warnings and preparations, the King's household hath entered on their journey, Monday last March 18. The King himself taketh post Wednesday next March 27. intending on the third day to be at York, or Newcastle, to march forward with his forces, The Scotish Noblemen appointed to come home, accompanied with skilled commanders to draw together their friends and followers, to put them in order, and under their general the marquis of Hamilton to join with our foreign enemies attending the King's Majesty. The Earl of Lind-sey goeth to sea with 17. of the King's great ships furnished with three thousand Soldiers, to come in their expedition to such places of this kingdom, as their commission, when it is unsealed, shall command them; Six hundreth horsemen are to be sent presently towards Scotland, to infest the borders, our enemies at home are waiting for their coming; our excommunicate Prelates and their adhearents are fled to England; the lands and estates of Noblemen, of chief Barrones & Burgesses, who have joined in this cause, are designed as a spoil to be parted amongst our enemies. While matters stand thus, And the main confidence of our adverse party and pursuers is placed in our divisions, in the power of some Papists and others of note amongst ourselves, and in some places which are appointed to be strengths for defence of the kingdom against foreign invasion (as is at length cleared in our Protestation) especially the castle of Edinburgh, a chief member of our incorporation and the place of our meetings; There was no time for longer delay, but in this extremity we must either do or die either defend ourselves or come in the reverence of our enemies, whose mercies are cruel. And therefore such dispatch, as ye have heard, in matters necessarily serving for our defence, hath been used in Edinburgh and in other parts of the land.  
Where this work will end, the Lord whose work it is, and who hath led us so far on, he knoweth; and as we resolve to stay where we find not his presence going with us: So are we able to justify what we have now designed and done, to the consciences of all men: Shall defence be necessary, and shall the necessary means, without which there can be no defence, be judged unlawful? May we not prevent the blow as lawfully, as repel it? is not the taking of the weapons out of the hands of our boasting enemies and the apprehending of such as draw the King's Majesty to so hard courses against his subjects, as lawful, as the defensive war itself, and is it not more safe both for the King and the kingdom, then to take them in battle? The law both natural and civil teacheth, that ad defensionem sufficit, quod praecedat offensa vel justus timor offensae, nec debet quis expectare primum ictum: melius enim juraintacta servare, quam post unlneratam causam remedium quaerere. Quando praecedunt signa & actus manifestae offensionis, & quando aliter nos met tueri non possumus tum inculpata ac necessaria dicitur tutela, a● in dubio insultatus quicquid facit in incontinenti praesumitur ad sui defensionem facere. It is enough for defence that offer of offence, or just fear of offence go before. All our reasons for lawful defence and for guarding the castle of Edinburgh, militate for us in the surprysall thereof in this case and at this time. This necessary prevention was the practice of France, of Holland, of Germany, and of our own nation, when for the defence of their religion or liberties they took arms, which they offered always to lay down how soon they should be secured; Likeas we declare at this time, that we take arms not for invasion, not for alteration of the civil government, not for wronging any man's person, or to possess what belongeth to any man, but for the defence of our religion, liberties and lives. That even when we hold our sword in the one hand, we will present our humble supplication to his sacred Majestic with the other; that how soon our supplication is granted, ourselves secured, and the peace of the Kirk and kingdom settled, we shall suffer our swords to fall from us, shall leave nothing in our power unperformed for perfect pacification, and shall vow to live and die in obedience to his Majesty's laws, and mantainance of his Majesty's royal person and authority, which we heartily wish and earnestly pray, that GOD would incline his Majesty to hear, before matters be desperate, and the rupture become uncurable.  
Revised according to the ordinance of the general Assembly, by me M r. A. Ihonston Clerk thereto: Edinb. 22. of March 1639.  
FINIS.