decorative border, showing a lion rampant, a rose surmounted by a crown, and a unicorn 
THE LAWFULNESS OF OUR EXPEDITION INTO ENGLAND MANIFESTED.  
Printed, first in SCOTLAND, by Robert Bryson, and now Reprinted in ENGLAND, by Margery Marprelat. 1640.   

THE LAWFULNESS OF OUR EXPEDITION INTO ENGLAND MANIFESTED.  
AS from the beginning till this time, we have attempted nothing presumptuously in this great Work of Reformation, but have proceeded upon good grounds, and have been led forward by the good hand of GOD, so now, from our own persuasion are we ready to Answer every one that asketh us a Reason of this our present Expedition, which is one of the greatest and most notable parts of this wonderful Work of GOD, beseeching all to lift up their minds above their own particulars, and without prejudice or partiality to lay to heart the Considerations following.  
I. As all men know and confess, what is the great force, of necessity, and how it doth justify actions otherways unwarrantable, So can it not be denied, but we must either seek our peace in England at this time, or lie under three heavy burdens, which we are not able to bear. First, we must maintain Armies on the Borders, and all places nearest to hazard; for the defence and preservation of our Country, which by our laying down of Arm, and disbanding of our Forces should be quickly over-runne by hostile, Invasion, and the incursions of our enemies. Secondly, we shall want all Trade by Sea, which would not only deprive the Kingdom of many necessaries, but utterly undue our Bo●●rowes, Merchants, Mariners, and many others who live by Fishing and by commodities exported, and imported, and whose particular callings are utterly made void by want of commerce with other Nations and Sea-trade. Thirdly, the Subjects through the whole Kingdom shall want administration of Justice: and although this time past, the marvellous power and providence of GOD hath keeped the Kingdom in order and quietness without ordinary Judicatories sitting, yet cannot this be expected for afterward, but all shall turn to confusion. Any one of the three, much more all of them put together, threaten us with most certain ruin, unless we speedily use the remedy of this Expedition. And this we say not from fear, but from feeling: for we have already felt to our unspeakable prejudice, what it is to maintain Armies, what to want traffic, what to want administration of Justice, And if the beginning of those evils be so heavy, what shall the growth and long continuance of them prove unto us, So miserable a being, all men would judge to be worse than no being.  
II. If we consider the nature and quality of this Expedition, it is defensive, and so the more justifieable. For proof hereof, let it be remembered: 1. The King's Majesty misled by the crafty and cruel Faction of our adversaries, began this year's war, not we. When Articles of Pacification had been the other year agreed upon, Arms laid down, Forts and Castles rendered, an Assembly kept and concluded with the presence and consent of his Majesty's High Commissioner, the promised ratification thereof in Parliament (contrary to the foresaid Articles) was denied unto us. And when we would have informed his Majesty by our Commissioners, of the Reasons and manner of our proceed they got not so much as presence or audience. Thereafter his Majesty being content to hear them, before that they came to Court or were heard, war was concluded against us at the Council table of England, and a Commission given to the Earl of Northumberland for that effect: The Parliament of Ireland and England were also convocat for granting Subsidies unto this war against us, as it not our: plots have been hatched, and military preparations made against us! many invasions by Sea, which have, spoiled us of our Ships and goods: Men, Women and Children killed in Edinburgh by his Majesty's Forces in the Castle: Our enemies therefore are the authore and beginners of the war, and we defenders only. 2. We intent not the hurt of others, but our own peace and preservation, neither are we to offer any injury or violence▪ And therefore have furnished ourselves according to our power with all necessars, not to fight at all, except we be forced to it in our own defence, as our Declaration beareth. 3. We shall retire and lay down our Arms, assoon as we shall get a sure peace, & shallbe satisfied in our just demands. Upon which ground even some of those who would seem the greatest Royalists, hold the wars of the Protestants in France, against the King and the Faction of the Guisians to have been, lawful defensive wars, because they were ever ready to disband and quiet themselves when they got assurance of peace, and liberty of Religion. Now this present Expedition being in the nature of it defensive, hence it appeareth, that it is not contrary, but consonant to our former protestations, Informations, and Remonstrances: In all which, there is not one word against defensive war in this cause: but strong reasons for it, all which militat for this Expedition. Our first Information sent to England this year, though it accurseth all offensive or invasive war, yet showeth plainly, that if we be invaded either by Sea or Land, we must do as a man that fighteth himself out of prison. If a private man when his house is blocked up, so that he can have no liberty of commerce and traffic to supply himself and his Family, being also in a continual hazard of his life, not knowing when he shall be assaulted by his enemies who lie in wait against him, may in this case most lawfully step forth with the Forces which he can make, and fight himself free: Of how much more worth is the whole Nation: and how shall one and the same way of defence and liberation be allowed to a private man, and disallowed to a Nation▪  
III. Thirdly, we are called to this Expedition by that same divine providence and vocation which hath guided us hitherto in this great business. We see the expediency of it, for the glory of GOD, for the good of the Church, for advancing the Gospel, for our own peace, after seeking of GOD, and beging light and direction from Heaven, our hearts are inclined to it, GOD hath given us zeal and courage to prosecute it, ability and opportunity for undertaking it, Instruments fitted for it, unanimous resolution upon it, scruples removed out of minds where they were harboured, encouragemets to achieve it from many passages of divine providence, and namely from the proceed of the last Parliament in England, their grievances and desires being so homogenecall and a kin to ours, we have laboured in great long-suffering by Supplications, Informations, Commissions, and all other means possible to avoid this Expedition: It was not premeditate not affected by us (GOD knows) but our enemies have necessitate and redacted us unto it, and that of purpose to sow the seed of Nationall quarrels; yet as GOD hitherto hath turned all their plots against themselves, and to effects quite contrary to those that they intended: so are we hopeful, that our going into England, so much wished and desired by our adversaries for producing a Nationall quarrel, shall so fare disappoint them of their aims, that it shall link the two Nations together in straighter and stronger bonds both of civil and Christian love, then ever before.  
And that we may see yet further evidences of a calling from GOD to this voyage, we may observe the order of the Lords steps and proceed in this Work of Reformation. For, beginning at the gross Popery of the Service Book, and Book of Canons, he hath followed the back trade of our defection, till he hath reform the very first and smallest Novations, which entered in this Church. But so it is that this back trade leadeth yet further, to the Prelacy in England, the fountain whence all those Babilonish stream issued unto us: The Lord therefore is still on the back trade, and we following him therein, can not yet be at a stay. Yea, we trust, that he shall so follow forth this trade, as to chase home the Beast and the false prophet to Rome, and from Rome out of the world. Besides, this third consideration resulteth from the former two, for if this Expedition be necessary, and if it be defensive, than it followeth inevitably, that we are called unto it, for our necessary defence is warranted, yea commanded by the Law of GOD and Nature, and we are obliged to it in our Covenant.  
IU. Fourthly, the lawfulness of this Expedition appeareth: if we consider the party against whom: which is not the Kingdom of England, but the Canterburian Faction of Papists, Atheists, A●●inians, Prelates, the misleaders of the King's Majesty, and the common enemies of both Kingdoms. We persuade ourselves, that our brethren and neighbours in England will never be so evil advised, as to make themselves a party against as by their defence and 〈◊〉 of our enemies among them, as sometime the Benjamites made themselves a party against the Israelites, by defending the G●●tachites in their wicked cause, judg. 20. We pray GOD to give them the wisdom of the wise woman in Abel, who when joab came near to her City with an Army, found out away which both keeped joab from being an enemy to the City, and the City from being an enemy to him, 2 Sam. 20. As touching the provision and Furniture of our Army in England, it shall be such as is used among Friends, not among enemies: The rule of humanity and gratitude will teach them to furnish us with necessaries, when as beside the procuring of our own peace, we do good offices to them. They detest (we know) the churlishness of Nabal, who refused victuals to David and his men, who had done them good and no evil, 1 Sam. 20. And the inhumanity of the men of Succoth and Penuell, who ●●nyed bread to Gideons' Army, when he was pursuing the common enemies of all Israel, judg. 8. But let the English do of their benevolence what humanity and discretion will teach them; For our own part, our Declaration showeth, that we seek not victuals for nought, but for money or security: And if this should be refused (which we shall never expect) it were as damnable as the barbarous cruelty of Edom and Moab, who refused to let Israel pass through their Country, or to give them bread and water in any case, Num. 20. judg. 11. and this offence the Lord accounted so inexpiable, that for it he accursed the Edomites and Moabites from entering into the Congregation of the Lord unto the tenth generation, Deut. 23.3, 4.  
V The Fifth consideration concerneth the end for which this voyage is under-taken. We have attested the searcher of hearts, It is not to execute any disloyal act against the King's Majesty, It is not to put forth a cruel or vindictive hand against our adversaries in England, whom we desire only to be judged and censured by their own Honourable and high Court of Parliament; It is not to enrich ourselves with the wealth of England, nor to do any harm thereto. But by the contrary, we shall gladly bestow our pains and our means to do them all the good we can, which they might justly look for at our hands, for the help which they made us at our Reformation, in freeing us from the French, a bond of peace and love betwixt them and us to all Generations. Our Conscience, and GOD who is greater than our Conscience beareth us record, that we aim altogether at the glory of GOD, peace of both Nations, and 〈◊〉 of the King, in suppressing and punishing in a legal way of those who are the troublers of Israel, the firebrands of hell, the Korahs', the Balaams', the Doegs', the Rabshakah● the haman's, the Tobiah'ss and Sandballats' of our time, which done we are satisfied. Neither have we begun to use a military Expedition to England as a mean for compassing those our pious ends; till all other means which we could think upon have failed us, and this alone is left to us as ultimum & unicum remedium, the last and only remedy.  
VI Sixtly; if the Lord shall bless us in this our Expedition, and our Intentions shall not be crossed by our own sins, and miscarriage, or by the opposition of the English, the fruits shall be sweet, and the effects comfortable to both Nations, to the Posterity, and to the reformed Kirkes' abroad: Scotland shall be ●●●med as at the beginning, the Reformation of England long prayed and pleaded for by the Godly there, shall be according to their wishes and desires perfected in doctrine, worship, and discipline, Papists, Prelates, and all the members of the Antichristian Hierarchy, with their Idolatry, Superstition, and humane inventions shall pack them hence; the names of Sects and Separatists shall no more be mentioned, and the Lord shall be one, and his Name one thoughout the whole Hand which shallbe glory to God; honour to the King, joy to the Kingdoms, comfort to the posterity, example to other Christian Kirkes', and confusion to the incorrigible enemies.  
FINIS.