AN INFORMATION OF THE Present condition of Affairs, AND DECLARATION Concerning Present DUTIES from the COMMISSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, UNTO THE KIRK AND KINGDOM OF SCOTLAND.  
EDINBURGH, Printed by Evan Tyler, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1648.   

Edinburgh, 9 October 1648. Post meridiem.  
AS the only wise God is pleased to exercise his people, and carry on his work in these Kingdoms with many strange revolutions of providence, so it becomes us according to the variety of his dispensation to declare and make known unto the Land the condition of the affairs of his house and the duties which he calls for in regard of the same.  
After the foundation of that unlawful Engagement against England, so destructive to Religion and the Union betwixt the Kingdoms, was laid in the Isle of Wight, by the unhappy and sinful compliance of the Commissioners and others of this Kingdom with his Majesty's purposes and desires; It was carried on and concluded by a prevailing party of Malignant and disaffected men in the Parliament, notwithstanding of the dissent and protestation of a considerable number of the House who had been strait and active in the cause of God from the beginning, and of the free and faithful warnings of the servants of God, and the supplications of many Synods, Presbyteries and Shires to the contrary; And was violently prosecute unto the great oppression of the Lords people in their consciences persons and estates and unto the taking of Berwick and Carlisle, and invading the Kingdom of England with a numerous Army under the conduct of the Duke of Hamiltoun, until the Lord beholding the affliction of his people and taking notice of the Pride and Blasphemy of the adversary did scatter that Army, and bring upon them so shameful and total an overthrow, as may be a witness unto the following generations of his sore displeasure against the breakers of his Covenant and despisers of his word: Wherein we do not desire that any should rejoice according to the flesh, but wish that it may be sanctified to those on whom it has fallen that they may repent, and unto the lovers of God and his cause that they may acknowledge his work, and trust in his name for the time to come.  
A little before the defeat of those Forces in England, the well affected party in this Land thought it necessary, and had resolved to bestir themselves upon their former principles for the good of Religion and the safety of the Kingdom, and their own defence and safety against the Tyranny and oppression of the Malignant party, who were now wreathing their yoke upon the necks of honest men by a second levy, and divine providence making the certain news of the defeat tryst with the beginning of their motions, they looked upon it as an invitation and encouragement from the Lord to follow their former resolutions with the greater celerity and speed: And whilst they were advancing towards Edinburgh for that end, some who had been active promoters of the Engagement against England did issue out Commissions to classed Rebels and Incendiaries to take Arms for acting their former mischief and cruelty, and taking themselves into the fields did invite unto their help the Irish Forces under the command of George Monro, and some other remnants of the scattered Army in England, for keeping themselves still in capacity and power to prosecute their own interests and ends, and carry on the Engagement; as is evident from their letters of the 28 August sent to the Earl Martial Viscount or Dudope, Clerk Register and George Monro (ten days after the defeat of the Army in England.) Wherein speaking of the Engagement, they declare their resolutions to recruit their Regiments, and to hazard their lives and fortunes and all that was dearest unto them for carrying on against all opposition whatsoever, that pious and loyal service, and that they and many others of this Kingdom did intent not to live and outlive it. But afterwards finding, themselves at disadvantage did move for an accommodation upon such terms as were not only dishonourable and dangerous but sinful and unjust, as including a real approbation of the Engagement against England, and a continuing of these in place and power, who had been mainly instrumental in all the present evils: Yet that it might appear how willing those with whom they had to do were to hearken to the motions of peace, and to prevent the shedding of blood, they were content that some of both sides should meet for composing of differences in a just and fair way; And the Commission of the General Assembly also resolved to send some of their number to exhort them to repentance and persuade them to just and necessary overtours of peace, or if they should continue in their wicked way to intimate to them that they would be necessitate to proceed against them with the sentence of excommunication. A Treaty with cessation of Arms, during the time thereof being concluded on both sides, in the mean while before any meeting, the enemy marched unto Stirling, and surprising the Forces which were there (who were secure upon the advertisement of the Treaty) did kill some, and take others prisoners, and possess themselves of the Town and Bridge and passes there, and left no means unessayed for strengthening and increasing of their Army by labouring for a supply of Forces from the Highlands, and the Northern Shires: Yet notwithstanding of this heightening of differences by such a way of dealing, The Noblemen and Gentlemen in Arms for the Covenant, in pursuance of their former resolutitions of Peace did  the motion of the Treaty, and sent four of their number unto the place of meeting at Woodside, with Overtours of disbanding all Forces on both sides, and referring all things concerning Religion unto the General Assembly and their Commissioners, and all Civil business unto a lawful and free Parliament. And albeit those things could not but satisfy all  men, and that they▪ who went from the Commission of Assembly did freely and faithfully acquit themselves in all things which they had in charge, yet did they not condescend or agree to accept of those conditions, And some days being spent in fruitless debates, The Committee of Estates who were then returned unto Edinburgh, consisting of such persons only as had dissented from the Engagement, considering that as yet they had not modelled Army, and that those in Stirling were strengthening themselves unto the raising a new and dangerous war, did take in deliberation what was fit for them to do in such an exigent; And whilst they were about their resolutions therein, they were informed by letters from the English Forces, that they did resolve to prosecute the war until their Enemies were put out of a condition of growing unto a new Army, and the Garrisons of Berwick and Carlisle were reduced, and that they were advanced into Scotland for pursuance of those ends; And the Committee not finding themselves in a posture at that time, and that they could not in Justice refuse to suffer the Englishes to pursue those who had invaded their Kingdom, sent some of their number unto Berwick and Carlisle to persuade the rendering of those Garrisons, and unto the English Army to take care that their coming into the Kingdom of Scotland might be without any prejudice to Religion and as little detriment to the Country as possible: A few days thereafter the Forces at Stirling accepted of the conditions offered unto them by the Committee of Estates.  
It shall be needless to insist upon the vindication of the rising of these Noblemen and Gentlemen & others that took Arms for the Covenant, the Tyranny of those with whom they had to do being insupportable, and such as threatened ruin and desolation to the Land, and tended unto the rending a sunder of the Union betwixt the Kingdoms, the overturning of the work of God, and the putting of an Arbitrary and unlimited power unto the hands of the King, and the setting up of the Popish Prelatical and Malignant party, for acting all their mischievous and wicked designs; And they who took Arms being a considerable part of the Parliament who had dissented from and protested against the Engagement, and had been the chief instruments of carrying on the Lords work from the beginning, and having assisting unto them many others of place and power, and having also for them the body of the people of the Land, and the Ministry and all the Judicatories of the Kirk, and being obliged by the Covenant to promove this cause against all lets and Impediments whatsoever, It were also needless to take pains in proving the sinfulness and unlawfulness of the Engagement against the Kingdom of England, The General Assembly having done it so fully from the word of God and from the Covenant, and the Lord having engraven upon it so visible charactars' of his heavy displeasure, not only by giving up most of the instruments that were employed in it unto the lust of their own heart to commit all sort of wickedness with greediness; But also by so shameful and total a defeat of that Army, as has few parallels i● 〈◊〉 age; It shall be more useful in this posture of affa●●●, whilst the Lord is breaking the horn and ●●●…ging down the power and pride of Enemies, for 〈◊〉 one in the Land to consider his work and to regard th●●peration of his hands, And therefore in the first 〈…〉  
1. It do●● c●●●●rn all the Authors, Promoters and Abettors of 〈◊〉 ●…ick●●…●ourse, and all these who comply with the purposes and designs of the Malignant party throughout the Land, to behold the Majesty of the Lord, and his hand lifted up in behalf of his people, that they may learn Righteousness, and dash themselves no more against the rock of his displeasure, by continuing to oppose his work and disturb the peace of his people. The Lord hath now for ten years passed shown himself against them in all their devices and designs; And though he has many times suffered them to conceive mischief, yet they have always traveled with vanity and brought forth the wind,. They have always been snared in the work of their own hands, and their devises have returned upon their own heads, yea their most subtle and malicious plots have in a strange way of dispensation from him who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working, turned to the advantage of the Lords cause and good of his people; And if they be not wise at last to observe and see these things, as their way is delusion so the end hereof shall be bitterness and death? There could be nothing more satisfying to us, then that the spirit of Malignancy were banished from the hearts of men, and the name of Malignants buried never to be revived nor remembered any more amongst us; And could such be induced to quite their profane and formal way, and to turn unto God, we are confident that all the enemity that they have against his work and his people, should quickly vanish and that they should find mercy and comfort; But as long as they stand at a distance with the Lord in regard of their private condition and carriage, what wonder is it though they have no love to his cause nor his servants: We wish that God may give them repentance, that they may recover themselves out of the snare of Satan and come to amendment.  
2. What ever shall be the frunt of the Lords work in these, It concerns such who were formerly oppressed in their consciences persons and estates in this day of reviving and delivery, to remember their ways and be ashamed as for all the evil thereof, so for the great cumvence and countenance they gave unto disaffected and Malignant men, and carried on that wicked War that has been the cause of so much sin and misery unto this poor Land. Neither is it to be forgotten that though many keep their conscienees pure, and did rather choose to suffer the spoiling of their goods, and to expose themselves to the hazard of all the violence and oppression of these who carried on the Engagement, then to sin against God; yet not a few even of these who wish well to the Lords work whether through fear or earthly mindedness gave so fare place unto their wrath, as in some measure to comply with the evil of their course, by giving obedience unto their unlawful command, in putting out Horse and Foot, and advancing moneys for that end, who albeit they have many things to plead for themselves before men, yet their way hath not been strait before the Lord who searches the hearts and ponders the paithes.  
3. It is high time for those in whose hands the Lord hath again put the managing of public affairs from dear bought experience to learn Wisdom, and avoid the rocks upon which they have formerly split. Carnal counsel, foolish pity and self interest made many of these not only to slack their hands and remit their zeal against the opposers and underminers of the Lords work, But also to receive them unto public counsels and employments; And if after this way hath been so much cursed of God unto them, they should again fall therein, as the fault will be without excuse, so it cannot but bring some strange testimony of the Lords displeasure, upon these, who, after that he has punished them less than their iniquities do deserve, and given them such deliverance do again return to break his Commandment by joining with the people of these abominations: And therefore we trust that such will take heed that they be not again deceived, neither by the carnal counsel of their own hearts from within, nor by the fawn and flatteries of these men from without.  
As the malignancy of some, and unrighteous dealing and lose and scandalous walking of others in Judicatories and Armies and places of power and trust in the Kingdom, have been a main cause of all the evils both of Sin and punishment under which the Land groans; So it concerns these whom God hath called thereunto, to endeavour the Reforming and purging of Judicatories and Armies, by removing from them all Malignant and scandalous persons, especially those who have been Authors, Promoters or Abettors of the Engagement against England and of the course pursued by the forces at Sterling under the command of the Earl of Lanerk and George Monro, And that all places of power and trust may be filled with men of known integrity and affection to the Cause of God and of a blameless and Christian conversation. So shall malignancy, injustice, iniquity, profaneness, and impiety be suppressed and punished, & Religion and righteousness be advanced & the blessing of the Lord shallbe upon all public proceed, & his pleasure shall prosper in the hand of public instruments: And though this duty may be attended with many difficulties, yet it being such as without it we cannot expect any delivery from present evil, or any stable enjoyment either of present or future blessings, We trust it shall be seriously minded by those whom it concerns: Let them deal courageously and the Lord shall be with the good.  
Albeit the former design of the Malignant party be defeat, and their power broken in both Kingdoms, yet it shall be no wisdom to be secure, as though there were no more evil or danger to be apprehended from them, who retaining their former principles will no doubt still study to drive their old designs: And therefore as it would be the care of every one, to avoid their snares discover their subtleties, and oppose their ways; So it concerns those who are in power and authority in a special way to take heed that they do not trouble the peace of the Land: And it doth no less concern the watchmen of the Lords house, both to endeavour to keep their People pure, that they be not infected with Errors of Sectaries nor drawn away from the Truth, and also to purge out from among them the leaven of malignancy and profanity, and to give timous and faithful warning of dangers on all hands, and to exhort to a faithful performance of all the duties, that the Lord calls them unto in these times, especially of that solemn public acknowledgement of sins and the renewing of the League and Covenant now resolved upon. It is a great obligation from the Lord upon all that have been faithful amongst the Ministry in this Land, That he was not only pleased in the day of temptation, to keep them in a strait path, and to give them to speak his word withal boldness, notwithstanding of the threaten of enemies, but to preserve them from the wrath of men and to confirm their testimony by so real a Declaration of his displeasure from heaven, against these who despised the message of God in their mouths, which should encourage all who speak in his name to do their duty faithfully and without fear.  
In the last place it is incumbent to all the Lords people throughout the Land from the sense of his mercies and rods, to draw near unto him by unfeigned Repentance and real Reformation; And as to mourn for all the breaches of the Solemn League and Covenant, so to prepare themselves for the renewing thereof with these suitable affection and dispositions that become so grave and great a work, that his wrath may be turned away from them, and that they being delivered out of the hands of their enemies may serve him without fear all the days of their life in holiness and righteousness.  
A. Ker.  
FINIS.