AN EXAMINATION Of the Seasonable and Necessary WARNING Concerning present DANGERS and DUTIES, Emitted from the COMMISSIONERS Of the GENERAL ASSEMBLY Of the KIRK of Scotland, unto all the MEMBERS of that KIRK. June 25 1650.  
Which was Printed at Edinburgh by Evan Tyler,  
By a Servant of the Commonwealth of England, and a Lover of the ARMY.  
LONDON, Printed by William Dugard Anno 1650.   

25 Junii, 1650. Post meridiem. A seasonable and necessary Warning concerning present dangers and duties, from the Commissioners of the General Assembly, unto all the Members of this Kirk.  
[1] IF the eminency of the danger and the necessity of the duty did not constrain us, we had rather choose to be silent then to emit any public warning to the land within so few days of the meeting of the General Assembly; but we should not only run the hazard of just blame from them, but also be conscious to guiltiness in our selus, if we did not in a time of so great straight, give warning to the Lords people both of their danger, and of their dude.  
[1] If you had well considered your danger, before it was imminent, and how necessary it was for you to have prevented it, by an ingenuous acknowledgement of your National guilt and just demerit, by your perfidious and unprovoked Invasion of England, against all the Treaties which were then in force, but thereby dissolved; and by a just satisfaction for the spoils and devastations your own Army made where it came, until it was destroyed; and for the charge this Nation was at by occasion of it. You might perhaps have now been silent, and we at quiet. How just our War against you is, and how clearly we are necessitated to it, the Parliament hath sufficiently evidenced in their Declaration. And though we cannot expect you should acknowledge it (it being not usual with you to speak truth to your own disadvantage) yet the evidence is such as must needs convince you, as we are confident it will satisfy all others. And if the conscientiousness you speak of be a tenderness resulting from a clear and pure light not tinctured with the dye and mixture of an Interest working a prejudice, it might have put your reflections upon an other guilt, and you might have thought your selus worthy of blame, that you had not given warning to your Parliament and People, of something else to be done besides your condemning men to the stool of hypocrisy, that might have given the Commonwealth of England a better satisfaction, and fuller reparation for and of the effects of your perfidy, then that was like to do; and might have proved a more effectual means to have prevented that danger which your own injustice and wickedness have involved you in.  
[2] The insolent and strange actings of that prevailing party of Sectaries in England these years past, 
Warning.  in reference to Religion and Government, are so well known, and have been so often and fully laid open in the former Warnings, Remonstrances, and Declarations of this Kirk, that we need not now take up much time in representing the same. Albeit the Reformation of the Church of England, and the advancing of the work of uniformity there, in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government, was the great duty that the Lord called that Land unto, and which all the people of God in these three Kingdoms did engage themselves in Covenant to endeavour to the utmost of their power; yet doth that work so much desired and longed for by all the lovers of Zion in these Nations, and all that concerns Religion, lie in the dust altogether forgotten and despised by those men; and in stead of the beauty and order that should be in the house of God, a vast toleration of many gross errors is allowed, whereby so many and so monstrous blasphemies and strange opinions in Religion have been broached and are vented in England, as the like hath not been heard of almost in any generation: And though Monarchy and the power of Parliaments was the ancient and long continued Government of that Kingdom; yet have those men usurped above the Parliament, whose servants they were; and by open violence driven away many, and imprisoned some of the Members thereof, and have not only taken away the House of Lords, and destroyed the late King, but also subverted Monarchy itself, and turned the Foundations upside down, and labour to wreathe the yoke of their oppression upon the necks of our brethren in England, not only in regard of that which concerns their bodies and estates, but also in regard of that which concerns their souls and consciences, whereof that Engagement that is now pressed in England is a present and public testimony, being a sore bondage under which many in that land now groan; whose case and sufferings for the work of God, we desire not only to remember daily before the Lord in our prayers and supplications, but in every thing to regard it as if it were our own: being confident that such as love the truth, and cleav to the Covenant in these Lands, shall obtain mercy of God to be faithful in the midst of temptations, and that the Lord will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able to bear, but will give unto them the issue with the temptation.  
[2] The wonderful and even miraculous go forth of the most wise and merciful providence of our good God towards us in England, Answer. for these divers years past, in this great work of delivering us from Tyranny, and settling us in a just Liberty, notwithstanding all those strong fetters in which we were imprisoned under it, have been evidently written with the very beams of the sun, and exposed to the view of the world; that there are scarce any that have not acknowledged, it is his work. And for our parts, we desire to observe those glorious actings of his, and with all humility to rejoice in them. God see's not as man see's, and therefore act's not as man act's, nor rule's the determinations of his wisdom, nor the efficiency of his power, by any of the conceptions or apprehensions of men. That which you call The insolent and strange actings of the prevailing party of Sectaries &c might better perhaps be called his work, his strange work: And though perhaps many in this age, whose particular concernments have been touched by this just hand of God, the flow of whose gall, by their rebellious struggle under their chastizements, hath disabled their Icterical eyes to see clearly his hand, may, as you do, blaspheme that Providence, and asscribe its glorious and harmonious working to the anomalous extravagancies of whom you pleas; yet when the pangs of this birth shall be over, and the distempered humours come again to a just balance, even you, as well as others, shall see that it is his doing. And after-ages will say concerning these times, What bath God wrought? We cannot deny, but you have been very frequent in your Warnings, and Remonstrances, and Declarations, which you have filled with impertinencies, calumnies, and slanders against the people of this Nation, obtruding, without blushing, objections formerly answered, to abuse the simple, and draw them into capital danger. And indeed you should have done well to have spared this time from such employment, and bestowed it upon that in which at present you are more concerned.  
And whereas you say, The reformation of the Kirk of England (we suppose you mean it in your own since) the work of uniformity etc. was the great duty that God called this Land unto etc. We cannot but lament to see how miserably you are enchanted, and imprisoned within your circle of forms, so as you can neither speak nor think of any thing, but this nauseated stuff; how great is the judgement of God upon your hypocritical formality, that he hath taken from you the sens of every thing else. Can you think that Presbyteries, whether in Kirk-Sessions, Classes, or Provincial or General Assemblies, is the great Work of Reformation that God calls men to? and to the exercise of your effectless Discipline, as to all true Reformation? What is the uniformity of Doctrine and Discipline you speak of? is it that contained in your Catechism and Directory? can you persuade us to believ there is such a perfection in these, as there is no possible discovery beyond, or may none adventure to make it, unless you be the Pilots? We like better St Paul's profession of his judgement and practice, he forgot what was behind, and pressed forward to what was before, and did not think he had yet atteined. And upon that ground we dare not think you have. But you quarrel the light which you cannot comprehend; and press for an Uniformity of which your selus will be the Measure, and set the Rules; lest if any should presume to know more, and hold it forth to the world, the appearance and Coruscation of these clearer Beams should demonstrate the light that is in you to be Comparative darkness.  
We rather believ the great Work that God calls every Man unto, is, to be holy, as he is holy, in all manner of conversation. And for an atteinment of it, by a full and unreserved self-denial, to go out of himself, and all self-value, and by a most intimate retirement into himself, and impartial search of his own heart, to take a view of his own corruptions, and be humbled at that sight, and seek for pardon in the blood of that one sacrifice of Expiation, and to be cleansed from filth by the sanctification of his spirit; To have no further a will of his own; but with an unrelucting Liquescencie to melt it down into the will of God, maintaining still a filial implicit resolution to conform to all the revelations of that will: searching the Scriptures with prayer and humility, for a discovery of that will from those full and divine Treasuries, and keeping the soul ever open, and without prejudice for recieving in the divine Illuminations of the infinite Spirit to whatsoever measure of light, and taking heed of clouding that light by indulging of Lust; but with a resolved strife against all opposition walk up to that Light, in all holiness of Conversation, according to the Word of God. This we think to be the duty of a Man, and this is his happiness; And he that thus hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance, his talents shall be multiplied, and so shall his joie. There are discoveries in divine things, which the eagle's eye hath not yet made. The divine and infinite goodness, from whom are perpetual Emanations, hath no where limited the shinings of his glorious Light. It shine's in darkness, though the darkness comprehend it not. There may be a veil upon the heart even of great Rahbies, and that in reading the Law. Light and Truth is received by a principle of Light from the Spirit of Truth. And who dares say he hath clearly, and without aenigma, seen all the Treasures laid up in the Sacred Scriptures? Doth not one day add to another in the knowledge of particular men? doth not this day teach us even from the Scriptures the things that yesterday we knew not? He takes little notice of his own Progress, or makes but little, that dare at any time of his life say, he knows all, or that some other may not communicate to him a light which he hath not received: we could therefore wish you would once forbear these unsavoury words of Uniformity, in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Governments, as being things not edifing in these times, especially to men whom the gracious flowing out of the Spirit of Light and Holiness hath qualisied as above. If these things be profitable in Scotland; we envy not your enjoiments though we wish you better. Truly we have reason to suspect you have not the best way of spiritual edification, your people are generously so barbarously brutish in all morality, and in so unthriving a condition in spiritual things: their leanness wherein makes it probable you feed them with shells and husks, and deceiv them with formalities and Covenants, and such outside-stuff, and endeavour not to discover the Divine Beauties shining forth in the face of Jesus Christ, and the glorious garments which they wear, that are clothed with a Spirit of holiness, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in the Lord JESUS, and have no confidence in the flesh, and who make no provision to fulfil the lusts of it. If this Beauty were discovered, it would irresistably draw a love: for faculties are ever stronglyest carried to their more excellent objects: they would then loathe your Onions and Garlic after their relish of Manna in a spiritualised taste. only the danger is, perhaps they would not so dreadfully adore you, but look at you as their deceivers, rather than their teachers, while you have put your own Dixi in the place of the Scriptures, or of the self-evidencing discoveries of the Spirit of God.  
But you heavily complain, that these your formalities (which you say are so much desired and longed for by all the lovers of Zion) and all that concerns Religion lies in the dust altogether forgotten and despised by these men. We know not well whom you mean by the Lovers of Zion; but it seems by your description, they should be some that are in love with your outside Worship: nor what you mean by that Religion which lies so forgotten and in the dust. We desire to bless God, that through his goodness and free discoveries of himself, there are great numbers among us that are lovers of the beauty of holiness, and by the power of that love carried out to the contemplation of that glory of him who is glorious in holiness, shining forth in the face of Jesus Christ, so as they are transformed into the Image of▪ it, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord; and by this means they give up themselves to a willing subjection to the power of Religion and godliness; and are not indeed much taken with your forms, which, in competition with power, they think may be little esteemed; and do believ they are much to be pitied, whose most spiritual contemplations have no sublimer object. We acknowledge with you, there should be beauty and order in the House of God; and so there will be, where none but stones elect and precious are built upon the foundation; and when those are form and fitted, by that Spirit who only hath the clear view of that Archetypal Idea, the pattern in the mount, according to which the House you speak of is to be modelled. And certainly if you had not taken a vast liberty to affirm boldly of what you know not, and to accuse upon hear-say those with whose conversation you were never acquainted, you would not thus lash out into these exorbitant generalities, by which you get little credit to your selus, or to your cause, unless with those who dare not say, they believ you not, lest they should incur the Church's Censure, the consequence whereof is more than they are willing to lose. But we cannot let you pass thus with this calumny; why did you not assign a catalogue of these errors, or at least some of the grossest? for your generals signify nothing; till than we may, with much more charity, suspect you are of those that call the good evil, and the evil good; that put light for darkness, and darkness for light. If you did believ them errors, why did you not name them? perhaps other men would not have been full of your minds; but if we conceiv them to be errors, we shall confess them such, and be very willing to be convinced; for we profess Our selus to be lovers and followers of truth; only we can take nothing for such upon your word; that is only your prerogative on the other side of Tweed, where the people believ you possess the infallible chair. We shall not impute it to the tenderness of your charity, that you spare us the particulars, while you load us with your generals, interpretable to whatever your credulous Reader pleaseth, which cannot be small matters, when they are called gross errors, monstrous blasphemies, and strange opinions in Religion, such as hath not been heard of almost in any generation. We think it strange none of them are named; certainly you might have spared a line for it, from some of your following impertinencies, if you had not thought this course would have served your turn better. But that you may not mistake us, we deny not there may be, and doubtless there are errors among us; we are not perfectists, we see but in part; much truth may be beside our observation, and beyond our measure; and what is affirmed that is not truth, is error; error being nothing else but a deviation from truth: But where is the toleration for this all this while? what mean you by the allowance of them? If you mean we do not hang up all that do not believ as the Kirk of Scotland believ, we confess we do not so practise, and think we ought not; and are content they stigmatize this for one of our errors, and let it lead the Van in the Catalogue: We think we ought not to punish men, because they are no wiser than God hath made them, and for that they do not profess they know and believ things which flesh and blood cannot reveal unto them? But is this to tolerate them? We profess all fit means should be used to give them light, by holding forth the truth in love, and in evidence and demonstration of the Spirit, and wait with patience till God shall reveal the truth to them: But we conceiv that neither the gallows, nor the whip, nor a mulct, nor their Church-censure, are instituted Ordinances, or sanctified means for conveying and evidencing of truth, and convincing and eradicating of strange opinions. But for the blasphemies, we know not what they mean by them; If that cursed wickedness of profane swearing be the thing they mean, we have certainly Laws for the punishment of that, which if they were in force in Scotland, and daily executed, where Oaths and Execrations are the Schemes and Elegancies of their Idiom, it would bring a good part of the Revenues of most among them into the Exchequer of the poor man's box, who would be better relieved by their blasphemies, then by their charities; you cannot but take notice that this wicked custom is among you, and that there are very few free; remember what the searcher of hearts said, Thou hypocrite, first pull out the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see more clearly to full out the mote out of thy brother's eye.  
But for what follow's, the Commissioners of the Kirk would be asked, if they be not beside their Commission? 'Tis very much doubted whether these things be cognoscible at their Tribunal, or whether they come under the power of the keys. What hath the Kirk of Scotland, or the people of Scotland to do with the Civil Government of England? And certainly, as to them, this piece of their book might pass without any further answer, but only to undeceiv some among our selus, and to discover the tendency of this their hypocritical Paper, wherein they would espous the quarrel of all the discontents; and with their empty blown bladders offer their assistance to buoy up every sinking interest: They will be the defenders of Monarchy, complain of the removal of the House of Lords, of the pretended injury done to the secluded Members, take upon them to determine what are foundations, and bewail their renversment; Tender they are also and sensible of the yoke of oppression upon the necks of their Brethren in England, by the Engagement. By all this they hope to draw all these parties to join with them for recovery of what they have been justly devested of, and to have a party corresponding with their motions, the better to effect their design upon us. But all these points have been so largely handled, and objections answered in several Tracts, that we shall not here epitomise, or recapitulate: Only we must ask whether they be fit to object these things, if they were otherwise of their cognizance. We shall ask them a few questions anent these particulars, and by their answers (if they will make any) see how much of this is practised in Scotland; and whether they do not condemn in us what they allow and approve of in themselves: We shall first ask them, how much the late King was a Monarch among them after the beginning of these troubles? how far his commands had place among them? whether Parliament and General Assemblies were not called without his Authority, and held without the presence of his Commissioner? whether this were wont to be so with them? whether this be not an innovation? and where is their Charter of privilege, that they only of all other Nations, when they find it good and necessary for them, may change their form of administration in Government? and exclude all others, who have intrinsically a power in nature, to choos and establish such a Government as they judge most conducing to the end of its ordination, the good of the people; and to change it in whose or in part, when it shall degenerate, and not serve the end of its institution: or when another shall be discovered that will do it better. They have done so in part, and we have done so (as to Monarchy) in the whole. We are not bound to take from them the measure of our change; and we are confident we shall not follow their example in their returning to their vomit. And it seems they were not so satisfied of their King, that they durst trust him without a Treaty, and a previous Agreement, limiting his power; but with us he must be absolute; a Duke of Venice will serve them, but here he must be a grand Signior, a Sophy, or a Mogul: But we know the meaning, good offices, profuse gifts, and an accountles privy purse are fine things, not to be had by Scots in England, and they may set their hearts at rest for having the like any more. We know Kings too well to be troubled with them any more: We know Princes are not such either conscientious or tame things, as to be bound by Treaties, or to value any of their miscalled concessions longer than they serve their own profit, which they always contra-distinguish from that of the people. We would also ask these Commissioners of the Kirk, whether they have not an inspection into all their King's actions? Whether he be a sheep without their fold? and without their care? If he go astray must not he be brought home with a wholesome censure? Whether any of his most public actions will not come under your consideration, as they are his duty to God, as a Christian Magistrate, of which you only will be the Judges? And upon that ground control, direct, and censure him? And certainly from this your paper, we have reason to suppose these will be your actings: for why should you be more modest at home, than you are abroad? for with us you take upon you to determine of all things, as if you had learned from Pius Quintus to misapply to your selves that Text of Jeremiah, I have set thee up over Nations, to pluck up, and to plant: But to return to such a Monarchy, as you will allow, will not serve your young Monarches turn, and that you will find if ever he get quiet footing amongst you. You complain of taking away the House of Lords, and hope by that to engage all those to take your parts; we conceiv most of the Lords in England (except some few that are managed by by your conspiring fellows, the Presbyterian Ministers) are more generous then to accept of a restitution by your means: their remembrance of the Impudence, Avarice, and Ambition of the Court-harpies, and Horsleeches of your Nation, make them abhor the thought of any more of your company, who are never welcome but where you are not known.  
But you have some reason to be tender for them, as being Martyrs for your own cause; for though that House was found by many experiences to be dangerous to the just liberties of the people, and very often to obstruct necessary and profitable things; yet 'tis like they might have stood longer, had they not been found to be in your Cabal for the Invasion of England; and in order to it had cast out an Ordinance that was sent up by the Commons for putting things in a posture of defence; they liked it better the people should be unarmed, that you might destroy them with the more eas and safety. And when your Army had invaded us (according to the Covenant, no doubt) did they not deny to pass any Votes either against you, or those among our selus, that as Traitors did, or should adhere unto you? Was it not time to take away this Enemy of the Commonwealth out of its power to do hurt, when it was so dangerously disposed to make use of it to that end? 'Tis true, there were a very few of their number that protested against the perfidiousness & malice of the rest; but they were able to effect nothing, and the best remedy against like evils for the future, was judged to be its taking away. We must hereupon ask you one question about this, Whether had you not once Lords of the Articles among you, who had a previous negative upon all things that were to be consulted in your Parliament, without whose approbation nothing could be brought into debate? These you judged a prejudice to your just liberties, and you removed them Did we trouble our selus to ask why you did it? You thought them dangerous to your liberty and safety; and the Commons of England judged the Lords house so, and so removed them. Why not we, as well as you? May we do nothing but in the very same kind and degree that you act before us? How came we into this pupillage to your prescriptions?  
But why do the Scots talk so much of House of Lords in England, when they know they have no such thing in Scotland? They indeed meet in the Bodies, as they call them; that is, the Noblemen by themselves, the Commissioners of Shires by themselves, and the Commissioners of burgh's by themselves, in these they propone and debate things as well originally, as by reference; which are determined by the major part of all collectliuè and conjunctly in their House of Parliament, where the Lords have no distinct conjunct negative, but are involved in, and concluded by the number of Votes of the whole: Therefore if the Lords have any advantage, 'tis by their reason in debate, to convince; not by their suffrage which is no more than any Commissioner of a Burgh; Yet, these men will be Proctors for an House of Lords here; It may be imputed to their gratitude, if you pleas (though it be a thing they seldom use) several of that House were very much their servants.  
The next fault is, they have driven away many, and imprisoned some of the Members of Parliament. Here indeed is the thing that grieve's you; your party is cast out, by whom you were wont to act all your fine things amongst us; and you have no more hopes to effect any thing in Parliament, as formerly: But let me tell you a Mystery; you have no such reason to plead the cause of some of them, who were not perfectly your Proselytes; but were at close guard with you; they intended to make use of your Faction, for oppression of the faithful), and good Patriots under the name of Independents; which if they could have effected, they would have cared as much for your Religion, when they had served their turns on't, as you do your selus, when you have made such uses of it. We, who know the men, know well their Religion, though to serve themselves of you, they would be Presbyterians: In the mean time entertaining you in their thoughts (expressed in plain language among their confederates) with a perfect hatred and scorn. 'Tis true, the way, they were excluded by, was extraordinary, and the cure Emperical, but yet necessary; those votes of darkness, when they setup all night to ruin themselves and the Nation, were a sufficient Diagnostic of so prevailing a corruption in the whole mass beyond the power of nature to reduce a right complexion and temper; and a clear indication of the necessity of a present and extraordinary remedy, without which, both we, and you too, notwithstanding your ambition bred credulity of the contrary, had long before this time been destroyed by that party, which is still the common Enemy (what ever they make you believ to the contrary) and posterity reduced to as bad a slavery under the late Tyrant, as that which is exercised by you over the poor blind people who have given up themselves to the impositions of your Consistorialor Classical mercies.  
And now we must ask you, whether something more than this hath not been done in Scotland? Whether was not that Parliament which decreed the Invasion of England by Hamilton a true Parliament? (if not, give us some rule by which we may distinguish one from another) Whether that Parliament was not still in being after your Army was destroyed in England? Whether were not some forces raised against that Parliament? and they driven from Edinburgh while they were yet a Parliament or Committee of Estates by the power of that Parliament, and had a power of conveneing it again upon any Emergencies? Whether when a part of the English Forces, which had destroyed your Army in England, was marched into Scotland, did you not by their countenance and assistance dissipate and disband the remaining▪ part of your Parliaments Army? And did you not then, while your other Parliament was in being, call another Parliament? and ordered the Elections by previous rules given by your Army, for the seclusion or exclusion from Elections for that ensuing Parliament, all which as you thought fit to describe and ? And was not your present Parliament thus elected? Now let's see how this action in Scotland agrees with, or differs from this in England.  
In England here was an Army raised by Authority of Parliament, and Commissionated to destroy all the forces of the late Tyrant: These understood of a sort of men adhering to that Tyrant, and labouring, though without Arms, to reinthrone him. They prevent it, they dissipate the Conspirators: against whom, because they found them not in Arms, they proceeded not to blood, they took away the corrupt part, and left that which was found to serve the Commonwealth, and this is their Crime; and for this they are complained of, and as much nois made about it, as David made for his Absolom, against whose rebellion, the Generals own execution of him (and without a Council of War too) had put his Master whom he served, in safety. They, who quarrel this Act of the Army, may do well to read Joabs' answer to David, perhaps it may satisfy them. Indeed it's true, it fell out in this case as in all Emperical Cures, that some were secluded, and some have thereupon absented themselves, as being unsatisfied of it, which it were much to be wished were in the service of the Commonwealth; and that those to whom that work was committed had been better informed of particulars, which was scarce possible for them to be in that short time wherein 'twas necessary for the life of our liberties, that something extraordinary must be done for cure: And we doubt not but they now see a necessity of what was done, though they approved not the doing; and will again contribute their services faithsully to the Commonwealth. In England the same Parliament continu's and act's, though some Members be secluded.  
In Scotland Forces are raised by private persons, drive away their Committee of Estates, in whom was the power of the Parliament, as to most things; disband the Army of their Parliament; do not only seclude some Members, but seclude their whole Parliament, and set it by, and call another by the power of that Army by private hand raised and commanded; and in that call seclude, as was said, à parte antè making whom they pleas uncapable of Election, or of sitting in Parliament; secluding what Lords they pleas also from sitting in their House: And this Parliament, thus called, is that which hath treated with their King by their Commissioners, and so humbly besought him to vouchsafe to put his yoke upon their necks.  
This is the brief of both the Cases, and now let any but themselves judge. But o ye Commissioners of the Kirk, why did you not tell the whose truth? Were not an ingenuous confession better than a Conviction? O that you could blush a little that we might have some hope of you! Judge your selus for once, and do thus no more; do not thus dance in a net, and think to impose upon the ignorant; those, that are knowing will discover your nakedness, and men shall see your shame: Thou hypocrite first pluck out the beam out of thine own eye, etc.  
We shall break proportion in this Paragraph; but however we must have one word more to what follow's about the Engagement, about which they are grievously afflicted; for that it is an oppression, not only upon the bodies and Estates, but upon the consciences also of their brethren. What is it trouble's them? they would not have people promise to be true and faithful to that power, under whose protection, through the mercy of God, they live and enjoie (or might do, if it were not for these their falls Brethren, and their seduced adherents) as full and secure a peace, and all the consequences of it, as can be enjoyed here below. What trouble's them in the present Government? are not the same Laws still in force that were? Is not Westminster-Hall still open, and the Courts there both of Equity and Law sitting in their times as formerly? Is not Justice in all Cases, both Civil and Criminal, brought to the people's doors, as freely as in the best times part? Are not many grievances of the former Tyranny heretofore complained of taken off? and that great one which remains, viz. the necessary Levies of Money, is it not their own fault? might not that also be taken off, if the people would see their true Interest, and keep to it? if they would cordially keep this quarrelled Engagement, in being true and faithful to the Power that protect's them, and not be fooled by the Scots, and the partisans of their King, into a disobedience, which will certainly ruin them, not more by just punishment for it, then by the natural productions of it, if they could be so unhapple as to bring their endeavours into act. But what is it in this that lies so heavy upon their consciences? is not Custodes lihertatis Angliae as Canonical as Carolus, or Jacobus Dei gratiâ, and as effective of peace and justice? Is there any thing in it like your Covenant? there is nothing in the declares a judgement, there is only a promise of practice of what is in the power of the party promising; and he that will not promise to be true and faithful to the power under which he lives, will not be extremely persecuted if he be denied the benefit of that Authority, which he will not acknowledge. But let us ask, whether your Covenant was not a greater imposition, was there nothing in that which came near conscience? We have not time to enlarge, only let us inquire, as to Estates; what the sweet and meek proceed amongst us were upon that thing the Covenant, worthy to be had in everlasting detestation; wherein the great Name of God, who is goodness, and sweetness, and love, must usher in an ugly persecution: How many were turned out of Fellowships in the University of Cambridg, and out of Live in the Country, for no other fault but refusing the Covenant? men of great learning, and unreprovable life, were removed, and men of signal duncerie and ignorance and some sufficiently debauched put in; deny not this for your friends sakes, lest I give you a Catalogue both of them, and who preferred them, whom at present I will spare. It was put on by your Commissioners, when here, and pressed by them on all occasions, as earnestly as the mark of the Beast, no man might have command here nor in Ireland, might keep any Office, exercise any Magistracy, unless he had subscribed that Covenant; of a far other nature, both in regard of its doubtfulness, and its tendency, than this Engagement. And certainly with such violence was this thing carried on, that, had not the good providence of God discovered to our good Patriots here the foul hypocrisy of the Scots Commissioners, and their designs, to the execution whereof they went furiously on, under the veil of this stalking-hors the Covenant, it had been imposed with as much Authority as the said mark of the Beast, that no man should either buy, or sell, or live, who had not taken the Covenant; and 'tis a mercy worth all it cost, that their Invasion delivered us out of that snare. And yet these hypocrites complain of offering the Engagement; compare them and see the difference. And once again remember Thou hypocrite to pull out the beam out of thine own eye, etc. And for a close of this Paragraph, be persuaded to remember daily before the Lord in your prayers that he would deliver you from the fascinations of Interest, that he would give you single hearts and fill them with candour, and free you from this gross hypocrisy, and from those temptations that are suggested to you from the pride of your own spirits, and impotent desires of Domination, that he would discover to you the extreme ignorance and darkness you lie under, and that he would give you hearts to love the truth, and embrace it by whatsoever means it be offered to your apprehension:  
And if you will do this, and do it with humility and resignation, The Lord (who is long suffering and very ready to forgive, full of goodness, and mercy, and love, and that wait's that he may be gracious) may pardon the Errors of your blind zeal, and all those things that you have done in ignorance and unbelief, and deliver you from these temptations of darkness.  

The Warning.  [3] This party, after that they have acted such things in England, and also sore afflicted and oppressed our brethren in Ireland, now conceiving that they cannot be established, and that they cannot eat the fruit of their own devices without contradiction, as long as the Kirk and Kingdom of Scotland stands in their way, threaten us with a War, by drawing their Forces Northward, and sending them in small parties towards the Border, that it may the less be discerned what they intent to do: And if the Lord in his righteous and wise dispensation shall suffer them to invade this Land, as it is to be feared, that the Gangrene of their errors may take hold upon men of ignorant and unstable minds, who have not received the love of Truth; so may we, if they prevail, look for confusion and desolation, and that the Pillars both of Religion and Government shall be ruined and razed in this, as well as in our neighbor-land. It doth therefore in the first place concern all the Inhabitants of this Nation to draw near to God, and to mourn for their own iniquities, and for all the ignorance and profanity and backsliding that is in the land, and to study to make peace with God in Jesus Christ: The continuance and increase of many of those sins, for which formerly we seemed to have been humbled, doth doutless greiv the spirit of God, and may, if they be not speedily and sincerely repent of, and forsaken, provoke him to give us over to the lust of our adversaries; Our King, our Princes, our Nobles, our Pastors, teachers, and people have sinned; Let us therefore search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord: Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens, that he may spare and save his people, that they be not a prey to the enemy.  

The Answer.  [3] What the things are that we have acted in England, we hold out to all the world; and with humility rejoice that God hath owned us in them, and given success to our endeavours, and made us the Instrument in his hand even as a threshing Instrument, having teeth, whereby he hath cast down Tyranny, and established to us the just liberty of the Sons of Adam; And hath showed us so far his face and favour in it, as we are confident, that he will not only, not pull down what he hath begun to build, but given therein a specimen of that liberty, which his goodness will bless the world withal, as a fit state, wherein that Justice and Righteousness shall excuse itself, which shall be set up as a triumphal Arch, through which the King of glory, and the King of peace shall enter into: The administrations of the Kingdoms of the world which we expect shall become the Lords and his Christ's in the which he shall reign, while the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea; while you object those things, we glory in them, and shall wear them as our Crown: As for the affliction and oppression of their Brethren in Ireland, we know of no such oppression. We have indeed endeavoured to reduce that Island, as having a just claim to it, and to chastise the Irish Rebels whom we think they will not call Brethren. And we have also made some of the Scottish Rebels to taste of the fruit of their do, in rebelling against this Commonwealth, in whose pay some of them were, at the instigation of their woefully ignorant and petulant Presbytery at Belfast, whose repentance & saisfaction have not yet satisfied for their guilt, but a further account remains for them to pass: for though neither you, nor they are pleased to own us for a lawful power, yet they shall find that we bear not the sword in vain, but that it shall be for the punishment of such evil doers, and for the protection of all the good people of England and Ireland, both against them and you. But seeing we see our Rebels in Ireland are your Brethren, it will teach us what to think of your devotion here, who shall do well to take early warning, lest neither the hypocritical prosecution of the ends of the Covenant, nor all their good meaning be able to preserv them from the hand of Justice. The rules of good Government will not now allow connivance.  
That our Army march Northward is very true; but your intelligence is bad, if you conceiv it to be in small parties; It is in a body, and with intention to enter into Scotland: the JUSTICE, NECESSITY and ENDS of which action is at large set forth in the Parlament's-Declaration, and we shall here repeat nothing: If you like it not, you might have prevented it; you have had fair overtures, and a long expectation: Next your Hypocrisy, your causeless Pride is predominate; it is that which hath gathered and bound up the rod of your Castigation.  
But your be more sensible of the Gangreen of our Errors, then of our Sword; 'tis indeed most to be feared, because the Sword may be put up after satisfaction, but these Errors (which we suspect you mean to be some opinions against the power and government of the Kirk of Scotland) are like to prevail as being the appearances of the truth of God, before which your Dagon that proud Idol must fall, and break its neck; therefore trouble not your selus for that; the times are coming you must fall as well as your Mother: The word is gone forth long since that Babylon is fallen, and this remain of her power in Scotland must fall also. The confusion and desolation you speak of would be your beauty and you happiness, if your guilt and provocations did not hinder your being instrumental to it. Your Religion (as you call it) and your Government might both be changed into better, if you were fit for it, and you come to enjoy the same freedom and happiness, that by the blessing of God is like to flourish in your neighbours Land. Your next passage give's your selus good counsel, which we hearty pray to the Father of all mercies, that he will give you grace to take, only when you come to draw near to God, and to mourn for your iniquities, forget not to add to your Catalogue, which you have here made a very brief one, your sins of hypocrisy and pride, of which all the world beside your selus conceiv you exceedingly guilty. That most simple, most pure, and all-penetrating Spirit, who is centrally everie where, (pardon this later expression, it sound's heretically no doubt in your ears, we know you understand it not in our sens, and 'tis used for them that do) is in nothing more provoked then by the practices of men walking in darkness, and conceiving they impose upon his all-discovering light. This hath been your constant way, and you have given no such clear evidence, as all who run may read, that you have sincerely repent of it; search and try your ways, and turn in good earnest, and God will so far receiv you, as, though he doth not deliver you from the overflowed scourge, which he in righteousness hath decreed to bring upon you, and of which his wisdom see's you stand in need enough; yet he will correct you in measure, and amend you by it, and then you will be gainers.  
[4] In the next place, 
Warning.  As the Parliament of this Kingdom have taken care for putting the Land in a Posture of defence, so we hope that none shall be so negligent of their duty, and so insensible of their danger, as not to give cheerful obedience to the lawful commands of their superiors, in those things that concern the security of Religion, and peace of the Kingdom, and that are necessary for the defence of the Caus and of their native Country; but that every man in his station and calling will willingly and cheerfully acquit himself in the diligent and faithful performance of all the duties that relate unto those ends.  
[4] If you had been as careful heretofore to warn your people to be just, Answer. as here you are to bid them be diligent, you might have spared this Paragraph, to the great advantage of the people of your Land; remember what hath been required and denied by you; had you always been upon your defence only, you should not have needed to be so now, with so much charge and danger.  
If we could have believed you had any such meaning as you here hold out, it might have saved us a very great charge; a small Army would have been sufficient to have atteined our ends, if none who are tainted with Malignancy or disaffection to the work of God, should be permitted to bear Arms among you, or that you would not associate with such. But sure this Paragraph, with some other, is calculated to the elevation of such among us who are honest and conscientious, whose own simplicity of spirit, and candour, have made credulous enough to be abused over unto your side; it got no faith with us, who know well enough the complexion of Scotland. As to malignancy, certainly there are not the fortieth part of the people of Scotland who are not Malignants, and not dis-affected to that which they call the work of God. And we know they had 6000 Horse and Foot standing, before their new Levy; are none of these Malignants? why then was the question renewed not long before your emitting this Warning, that the Army might again be purged, but it hath not been done since: And 'tis not like but some of your new Levies may have a little touch of it: Have you none of Orkney or Cathness? You know there when Montross was among them, the very Presbytery were Cavalierish; we believ the people were not much better; for often times, 'tis like Priest like People; and though he made trial of more (the fate of his Master arresting the course of his victories) yet we shall take the liberty to believ, that there may be many more of your heathenish mountaniers, that may be alike instructed; your Paper confesse's you have many of them; and we conceiv, notwithstanding all this fair imposture, there may be a great number among those of your Armies not clearly instructed in, nor much affected to the work of God: But even such kind of stuff as your Army's tent into England formerly were composed, of whose qualifications we understand as well as your selus, therefore we shall not lessen our Forces for all your good words; which if we were sure you meant to keep, we might believ your musters would not exceed in numbers Gideon's lapping Army; and one Regiment of Horse and one of Foot might serve our turns. If the mind of God be so clear unto you in this point, take heed of going against it; this book of yours will be a witness against you before the world, as your consciences will be before God; take heed of your apostasy after your so solemn engagement; hazard not your selus, and be not desperately pervers. You confess the Malignants have often fallen before the Sectaries, and you would not give them (viz. the Sectaries) encouragement by your junction; deceiv not your selus, hypocrisy provoke's the allseeing Majesty, as much as open profaneness; and perhaps the Sectaries may receiv in their spirits a great encouragement, that they are sent by God against an hypocritical Nation. Deceiv not your selus with the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord; many so exclaim and boast who are not that Temple. Your selus in this paragraph confess you have a great scarcity of men rightly qualified, and can hardly expect a blessing in the fellowship of any other; take heed you do not as well procure as proclaim a judgement against the Land, which shall consume it without remedy.  
We earnestly wish the Estates of Parliament would be ruled by you, and purge your Army of all scandalous men; sure you would have very thin Troops and Companies. We would ask you if many have not given scandal by their drunken-healthing thanks-givings, for your King's arrival? or whether drunkenness be not a scandal there? in the Sectarian Army 'tis counted one; and, through the mercy of God, is not frequently committed; and when it is, is duly punished. The close of your paragraph is very orthodox, which we close with, and embrace as a savoury truth. But before we leave you, seeing you are so tender of closing with Malignants, let us ask you how came you to woe the King so earnestly? to agree with him, and bring him among you, and make such great demonstration of jowl at his arrival, with more drunken bonfires then ever were seen there before? Is not he a Malignant? sure he was one, when he gave Montross his Commission to subdue you his Rebels of Scotland, wrote his Letters of special favour, and gave him that Order of the Garter; how corn's he to be purified since? can you persuade your selus the taking of the Covenant will do it? have you not found by great experience it doth hot cure, but palliate; why else such frequent Recidivations? It is not well understood why ye should with so much fury and indignation execute Montross, the servant, and that (becoming your selus) something barbarously for making a war upon you, and then immediately embrace him for your King, by whose Commission he did it. There is some mystery in this, if you would tell us what; but perhaps it lies deeper than your own knowledge; why may it not be, that your own hypocrisy growing ripe for judgement, providence hath ordered, that by his permitting you one signal act of it more, you should thereby espous the Interest and fate of that family, which lies under the wrath of God, and which you will needs take upon you to defend, though you see none have prospered that do so; that even by your hypocrisy your hypocrisy might be punished, from the just hand of him who searcheth the heart, and takes pleasure in uprightness: Though you are, yet he is not a respecter of persons; no difference of degrees is any thing to him, who set's up and debaseth whom he pleaseth; he sometimes give's a King in wrath; and perhaps when you well consider all things, you may have some strange opinion, that he hath done so to you; you have wooed and married an Interest attended with a Curs, which will undo you.  
It is no great trouble to us to hear from you the name of Sectary, having been long acquainted with the Titles and Attributes which the civility of your language hath been pleased to honour us with; and we bear it with the greater glory, for that it seems there are few of them of your Nation; and so may serve for a distinguishing Character that where we are not known, we may not be mistaken for Sots: The Sectary therefore we take up for a glory, as imposed by you, and shall labour to bring the Name beyond reproach, not by masking under a veil of seeming holiness, (which we wonder by what special gift they have discovered, especially in those whom their consciences have compelled to confess that they walk circumspectly) but by putting on the Lord JESUS CHRIST and being made conformable to the Will of GOD through the sanctification of the SPIRIT, living in that Spirit we desire to walk in it, approving our hearts to God, and our ways to Men; desiring you would not go beyond your line, and step into the Throne of God, and judge hearts, where you cannot blame actions.  
And we must again desire you to lay down that your Antichristian practice of propounding your selus as the Rule of Truth and judge of Error. How come you to know truth better than other men? to the Law and to the Testimony; for that Rule is common to us and you; you must take a little more pains to satisfy us, than you do your Scots; you shall put it among our Errors that we hold, if you will, that we ought to try all things, that we may keep that which is good: you are not sure, but some of those things that you count Error, may be the Truth: and why may not some among us have had the boldness or the happiness to know that to be true, which is not the opinion of the Church of Scotland. And lest you should claim a privilege for the vanity of boasting, give us leave to use it for once, as well as you; and to tell you that we have reason to believ that there are some on this side Tweed, to whom the Father of Lights, by the Word and Spirit of Truth, hath made as full and glorious manifestations of himself, as he hath done to you, who dwell beyond. And though you are pleased in your wont usurpation of the Throne of God, (wherein you will sit and judge our affections to tell us we love to walk in the imaginations of our own hearts, and in the light of our own fires, and the rest that follow's: we tell you, you should do better to leave our hearts to God, but withal we must walk according to the light that God is pleased to give us; as it is in us, it is our own light; and if we should go from that to follow your light, because it is yours, we should sin against our light, and against God, and this we are content you shall note for another of our Errors, That we dare not believ that either the dictate of any of your Ministers, or ours either, nor the determination of the whose Kirk of Scotland, or of any else, aught to be the ground of any man's judgement, be the thing determined never so true, until he hath received the same truth into his own intellect, and that it become one with it. And we are of opinion there is no error we hold that trouble's you worse than this. We deny not but there may be many among us in the Nation, and in the Army too that may be more loose than we desire they should: It were to be put among the wonders of the Age that there should be an Army so numerous as ours, consisting all of men fearing God and walking accurately, or to say less, fully-Civil; yet this we tell you, they that are loose shall not be encouraged in it by those who command them; but where is your blushing all this while, that you dare in this manner speak of the looseness of many among us, when all men know there are few among your selus that are not so? Did not you suppose that some of your books might come to be read of those that have felt your Armies? and conversed with your people? and that know them as well as your selus; we desire not to give you these close returns, but we may not hold our peace, lest we be thought to have nothing to reply, and lest you should deceiv conscientious people amongst us, and make them believ you are the Lord's Inheritance, his peculiar people, a holy Nation, and an Army of Saints, and all because the Commissioners of the General Assembly have Cannonized them. Will you say your almost general drunkenness and healthing for the welcome of your King is not looseness? or hath looseness another signification in Scotland then it hath in England? What think you by that Action of some of your people, that having taken some of our Mariners ashore going for water they were detained prisoners till they would drink your King's health on their knees: is this the received Form of praying for your King among you, do you think our Mariners were much edified with this holy conversation of your people? we hope your Directory of worship hath no prescription of this kind of praying. Pen your things hereafter a little more circumspectly, and do not necessitate us to stir your dunghill which will make you stink in the nostrils of all good men. You imprison and restrein the spreading of truth, and compel the poor people to your Forms in which there is nothing of the power of Godliness; your people are still slaves to profaneness, because the truth is not held out to them which should make them free. They are nourished in an opinion that the Kirk of Scotland knows all things, whom they may consult upon occasion, and never endeavour to store themselves with principles that would effect their Reformation; they have only heard of God by the hearing of the Ear, but if their Eye might see him they would repent and abhor themselves in dust and ashes. There is a learning and knowledge which is kept in memory and this may well be called other men's learning, this act's but little upon the possessor: There is a knowledge in the understanding that is given by the shining in of the beams of light from the Spirit of God (for it is the spirit of the Lord that give's understanding) & this act's according to its proportion by virtue of its union with the Intellect, & produce's necessary effects: if you would dispose your people into the way of those Noëtical receptions, you would find their profaneness by little and little wear away; but perhaps then also that dreadful reverence toward you their Oracles (which while they practise, all lookers on laugh at) would decay too: if the Samaritans once hear Christ (who vouchsafe's his secret teachings to all who have ears to hear) they have not much more need of the discourses of the woman: You tell us also of approving of errors in our selus. We would wish you to mend the expression, let your unsanctified zeal to multiply heads and common-places of calumny against us, run you out into such ignorant expressions; certainly Approving in English use is an act of the practical intellect; do we approve them as errors? If not, you say nothing; we deny not but great darkness in many things remaines upon us, and you very manifestly discover it doth so upon you too. We may, and you do approve many things that are perhaps errors in themselves, but apparent truths to us and you. No man approves of an error quatenus; they are little acquainted with the proportion of the intellect to truth that will say it receives any thing under other notion. Indeed in practice Interest sometimes swaye's profession and practice against judgement. But the single and intrinsecal act of the understanding in giving the judgement is always for truth according to the degree of its appearance, and the measure of its own apprehension. As you, when you make a single judgement of your King, do verily believe him to be a Malignant, notwithstanding his Covenanting (as you have reason having seen many others so before, as your selus tacitly insinuate in this Paper, of which we shall remember you in due place) yet in the mean time you offer him to the people as a Convert, because you hope in time to draw some advantage from him in order to England. Here you apprehend right, that he is a Malignant; yet you practise, as if he were not; you are not deceived in your judgement made in your understanding, you understand him right enough; and though you hold out to the people that he is converted, which you know to be an error, yet we shall not say you approve this error, that is, receive it in your judgements for a truth; for you perfectly judge the thing is falls, and an error. You proceed with your heavy charge generally & Magisterially enough, that we altogether neglect those things that concern the honour of God, and the Kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ. What? altogether. We confess we have neglected those things too much, and have our frailties, which we do not approve; we are but men, and may have too much looked after our outward safety, as you have done after a Carnal domination under pretence of a spirituality; yet we conceiv there is more in your charge, then will be in your evidence. And if we come to examine the matter, we believ there will be a difference in interpretation: What is meant by the Honour of Gold, and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ? We suspect we may not have the same opinion of them here on the other side of tweed; where we have heard the meaning is, to give power to the several Kirk-Tribunals in Parishes, Classes Provincial, and General Assemblies, to domineer over their Brethren at their pleasure; that it is the honour of God, that the Gods-men be honoured; indeed thus we have not, and are confident never shall do any thing for this honour, and for this Kingdom. According as we have been taught of God, we believ that herein is our heavenly Father glorified, that we bear much fruit, and become the Disciples of our Lord Jesus; and for that purspose that we nourish the springings up from that root of life, which of his Free grace by the Spirit he hath planted in our souls, and ever keep them open to receiv in those divine influences and emanations of life and light that flow forth from him, for the irrigation of that root of life when once planted, whereby he prepare's further communications of truth and light, in which every soul is capable of an increase, and ought not to be stinted by any humanely imposed forms.  
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ which he exerciseth in this state of things (for of that which is to come, there is no occasion here to speak) is not of this world, nor after the pattern or manner of administration of the Kingdoms of the World, which lie in the evil one, and are acted by the prince of the power of darkness; but it is altogether spiritual, managed by the irresistible power of his Spirit in the hearts of men, according to his manifold wisdom, and the various proportions in several subjects that he hath conceived in the eternal Ideas, according to which that work proceeds by his own efficiency, even according to that way of working, in which he invisibly effects and work's all things in the visible Physical world; which is a thing known only to a few of the children of wisdom, unknown to you, and therefore you will blaspheme it, and put that also into the Catalogue of Errors, as you use to do all things that either pass your understanding, or cross your carnal Interest. But those, who are thus made the subjects of Christ's Kingdom are enabled with a principle to walk worthy of it in all wel-pleasing. They have received an unction, even the falling down of that Spirit which was shed upon their head abundantly, for he received not the Spirit by measure, & this anointing teacheth them all things, even all things necessary for every calling, degree, state of life, or condition whatsoever, either as single men, or as they constitute Commonwealths, or Governments. And when they meet quatenus Christians, which are called Churches; in all these conditions, they who are subjected to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, are instructed how to walk in the beauty of holiness. The first lesson taught them by this anointing is to deny themselves, and not seek their own things, but those of Jesus Christ, and to walk in love, because God is love. This is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, to which we desire to subject our selus, and we long for a further manifestation of the power of it appearing in all fruitful productions in the eyes of men, to the prais of God: We hope there are many who propound this end, and press on to this mark, and through mercy we hope we may say many among us have atteined some weak degrees of it: But indeed we confess we do not strive to advance your forms in which we can discover no beauty, but every day doth more and more discover to us your gross hypocrisy under them, and their rank savour of the flesh, and carnality: And we doubt not, but the Lord will go on to perfect both what he hath begun to do in us, and work by us; and to make a more full discovery of the unprofitableness of your Forms, by the daily increase of new light to those who have been nuzzled in darkness, and shortly abolish them all at the brightness of his coming.  
And indeed though we dare not deny, but several among you have the seed of God in you, and a foundation laid through grace, whereby you are in a salveable state; yet you have built so much hay, and straw, and stubble upon that foundation, and so choked the work of God by your self-superstructions, and exaltations, and so grieved that good Spirit of God by which you were to be built up, by your pride and hateful hypocrisy, that the effects thereof do not very beautifully appear in you, so as those who shall compare your proceed with the word of God (for your ensnaring and Apocryphal Covenant we shall not admit to fit on the same seat as a cojudg with the sacred Scriptures) and look to the effects that thereupon have followed, especially as to the souls of men, must needs, notwithstanding any of your pretences, abhor and abominate your hypocritical formality. And God will execute his judgements too upon those who imprison and obstruct the free passage of truth, as well as upon those which corrupt it. How far some of you have been heretofore Seducers in England, we well remember; & know also the tendency of this your seasonable warning that way▪ Remember too when men will not love truth, because it crosseth their carnal Interest, they are given up to the worst practice; and certainly the practical abominations of Antichrist, as you call it, (I would rather say that the state of the Apocalyptical Beastianism) are among them by them by just judgement of God for a punishment of their persecution of truth for Interest sake. God branding them to all the world for none of his, because holiness is not written in their foreheads, and engraven upon the palms of their hands, and held out to the world in profession and practice; but they have a spot which is not the spot of his children; He that saith he remaineth in him ought so walk even as he hath walked.  
And indeed we must tell you, you are justly subject to a jealousy, that there is something of Antichrist among you, there is such an universal wickedness among you; profane swearing is your dialect, and lying hath put you into a Proverb, uncleanness blusheth not in your Stools of Repentance, perhaps an ill remedy for that sin to expose them to view, that unclean and wicked persons may know and learn where to find one another; have not the spuing of your Bacchanals lately flowed in your streets? And whether they do not yet run down, we know not. But 'tis like there will be a Coronation-Torrent, as well as an arrival-puddle. Your Army had one other singular good quality when they were in England, by virtue of the Covenant, that nothing could escape their fingers at the remove of a march, but what was too hot to handle, or too heavy or troublesome to carry or drive away: For your telling us of the many Antichrists in England, we shall return you this; We have in England some new lights concerning Antichrist which you are not acquainted with; there are several things in which you know wondrous little, because you shut all new light out of Scotland; it's too large to be told you in a digression, and we shall not go so far out of our course to make you at present that discovery; only let us give you a seasonable warning to look well to your selus, and see if there be not a great deal of that same thing among you that you take not notice of; certainly 'tis not confined to Rome and Roman worship; 'tis every everie where more or less, and grossly and formally, where 'tis little taken notice of; We deny not but much of it is in England, but you have taken your marks about it much amiss, and know not at all wherein.  
[7] The success of that party prous not the goodness of their cause, or that they shall prosper still; 
Warning.  The Lord who it wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working, hath been pleased to put the rod of his anger, and the staff of his indignation in their hand, for executing of his wrath against Malignant, because of the enmity and opposition of that generation unto the cause and people of God: But if they shall invade this land, and exalt themselves against the Lord's inheritance, and the people that are in Covenant with him, For whose sake the Lord did  them with power for a time, for taking vengeance upon his enemies, Then shall they stumble and fall, and be broken in pieces: Though the host of Senacherib did prevail against Samaria, yet did they fall in Judah, and he did return with shame, and was slain with the sword in his own land. That party hath as yet no cause to boast that God bath prospered them in Arms against the Covenant, or against a praying people steadfast in the Lord's cause, following his way, and waiting upon him for help and success: All their encounters have hitherto been against Malignants; and now the Lord having performed so much of his work against that generation, who knows but the Sectaries day may also be coming, and that when the state of the question shall be changed, God may turn his hand upon them, and bring upon them the judgements of a broken Covenant, as he hath ever done to all that look that way.  
[7] We acknowledge that greatness of success neither evidence's the goodness of a Caus, Answer. nor give's assurance of its own continuance. What success the merciful providence of God hath given to the Armies of this Nation, we desire humbly and thankfully to acknowledge and rejoice in, and rejoice not an our selus, or arrogate any thing of prais or honour, which is only due to the Lord of hosts, in whose hand we were Instruments, and of our selus are nothing. The Lord who is indeed wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working, hath been pleased to execute his wrath by us against Tyranny, and against that cause which you have now espoused: And having now called our Armies also to go against an hypocritical Nation, We shall proceed with confidence that we shall also be enabled to chastise their breach of Treaties, and most wicked and perfidious Invasion of this Nation. And do not think your distinguishing your selus from Malignants, will be your shield against Divine justice, as if there were none but that generation against whom his wrath were kindled: And indeed should they prevail only against, and destroy that sort of people among you, it would leave your poor land very much unpeopled; for we very well know you have forty Malignants to one that is devoted to your Kirk. You say that party hath not yet prospered in Arms against the Covenant. We need not fight with the Covenant, it is come to nothing without it; it was brought a little too near the Ark, and 'tis fallen like Dagon, and there let it lie: But were there no Covenanters in Hamiltons' Army? Was not that Parliament that sent them a Covenanting Parliament? Can there be such a thing in Scotland, as a Parliament not Covenanting? yet Dagon was then fallen, and had neither head nor hands, it could neither advise, nor help. which hath Divine Ordination, and Institution, when it shall be idolised, provokes to jealousy him, that will not give his glory to another. The Brazen Serpent was set up by Divine command, and more wonderful effects wrought by looking upon it at God's command, than we ever yet saw your humane invention of the Covenant produce, where it hath been imposed; yet when 'twas made an Idol, he is commended that broke it in pieces, and called it Nehushtam.  
The Temple was astructure of Gods own contrivance and prescription, and built and furnished with no small charge, and there was in it greater mysteries than are perhaps of all men understood; yet when the people made an Idol of it, and put their confidence in it, crying out, The Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord, while they committed all abomination, God gave up to destruction both it and them. You have too much cried up the Covenant, and the Kirk of Scotland, and taught the people to trust too much in them, for the continuance or safety of either of them. And while you talk of a praying people, we are not much scared at it; consider whether your prayers have not been your provocations; we mean not those only which were offered up with your drink-offerings for the health of your King, when you kindled so many fires all over your streets, if not to the Host of Heaven, yet to Liber Pater, and for the Heathenish celebration of those Lyaean Mysteries: But we mean also even those hypocritical houling of your ignorant crowds when they keep time to your passion, and the ebullitions of your dark zeal, invoking vengeance from Heaven (with a spirit of love and meekness, no doubt becoming Gospel-administrations) against the Sectaries, who are men you know not, only your selus have painted them black, that you might with the more intention of heat and malice hate them.  
These your horrible mis-carrings have quite lost you with all wise and good men; only with such Papers as these you still baffle your own people, and keep them under slavery, and subject them to a danger which is by every compassionate spirit to be much pitied. If you be angry at this plain dealing, you may thank your selus; if you care not what you say to delude the people, we must tell ours the truth to undeceiv them. And let not those few in Scotland who truly fear God (for we have heard there be a few such, though but a very few) be kindled at this plain dealing, which the pride & hypocrisy of this Paper hath necessitated, not lest they should still be wise, not only in their own conceits (for of that cure we have no hope) but lest they should still appear what they are not to the judgements of others, and thereby dangerously deceiv them.  
[8] We desire that not only others, 
Warning.  but the Sectaries themselves may consider, that when England was very low, and well nigh brought under the feet of the Popish, Prelatical, and Malignant Party, That this Nation was then much solicited for their assistance and relief, and even by some of these who have since that time been very active and instrumental for the party which now prevails in that land: The Kirk and Kingdom of Scotland were then so compassionate of their bretbrens' condition, that they were willing to join in a League and Covenant with them, which both Kingdoms, even many of those who are now in the Army, did solemnly swear and subscribe: In prosecution of the ends thereof, this Kingdom did send into England a considerable Army, by whose assistance the power of the Malignant Party was broken and brought low, and the Parliament and Army of England put into such a condition, that they needed no more fear the strength of their enemies. This League and Covenant, which was the foundation of England's and the Army's deliverance and safety, the Army hath now forgotten and trodden under foot, and walk in all their proceed no less contrary thereto, then darkness is unto light: Neither doth it satisfy them to do so in their own Land, but they threaten us also with war, for no other reason, but because we cleav to our duty in these things, to which England stands no less obliged unto by Covenant before the Lord than we do. We may confidently assert and profess before the world, that the Lord's people in this Land are not conscious to themselves of any wrong done to that prevailing party in England: The engagement in the year I648. was no less abhorred, and testified against by the Kirk of Scotland, and by these that are how in place and power in the State, and by all the godly in the land, than it was by that party themselves; Which did so far convince the House of Commons, that in their Letter to the General Assembly of this Kirk in the same year, they profess that they are assured, that these impious and unwarrantable actions cannot be done with the approbation and assent of the religious and well-affected people of the Kingdom of Scotland, and that they do understand, that there are very few amongst these who were in the engagement against them, that first engaged with them in the Covenant and Caus, but such as are professed enemies to them, however they were then content to proceed thereunto, that they might the better deceiv the people of England; And that therefore they are unwilling to impute such evils to this Nation in general. It is known how many fervent prayers and supplications were poured out in this Land before the Lord against that engagement; and we think we may without boasting say, that those prayers had as much influence upon the defeat thereof, as all the power of that Army: And since that time that engagement hath been publicly disavowed, disclaimed, and repealed by the Parliament of this Kingdom. Neither hath that party any thing to challenge us concerning Malignants, both Kirk and State having constantly followed, and being still about their duties against them, without conniving at, or complying with them in their courses. It is true, that this Kingdom and Kirk have protested and testified against the proceed of Sectaries in reference to Religion and Government; Which we could not but do, unless we had forgotten our duty, and the Christian mutual ties that lie upon us, not only as sister-Churches, but as covenanted Churches; and so make our selus partakers of their sins, and expose our selus to the hazard of their plagues. We in this Land being therefore conscious to our selus of nothing but duty; If they shall invade us for following the same, shall not God look upon it and avenge it?  
[8] If we shall answer this Paragraph at large, Answer we shall draw out this Paper to such a length, as may swell it beyond the price of some, and the leisure of others; we shall therefore let it here keep proportion, and in another tract, which is begun, give the world a full and true representation and character of all their candour and fair dealing, in all the transactions and affairs that have been between the Nations since these last troubles, which shall proceed as fast as leisure will serve; and give but some touches the while.  
The Sectaries do very well consider, and remember too, that England was very low brought under the foot of the popish and prelatical party, which were the Armies which that late King used to subdue us, whose quarrel you espoused notwithstanding the Covenant, and pleaded his cause, and whom you would have brought in again upon such terms, as had not providence prevented the effect of your endeavours, you had ruined your selus and us too. And we remember also, that though you were as much concerned as we in the danger, and privileged only with one stop of a greater remotion, yet we were enforced very much to solicit you by the parties you mention, whom God hath since made very instrumental for the good of this Land, before we could prevail with the Kirk and Kingdom of Scotland, notwithstanding our great need, and their own evident danger, either to compassionate us, or be careful of themselves, until they had brought us into the snare of a Covenant; of which the designing Church knew they should be afterward able to make some other good uses besides the Reformation of Religion; and however our dangers were imminent, yet they would not come in to our assistance till we had furnished them with 50000 l. a sum of no small difficulty for us to raise at that time, when our quarters were so straight, and our occasions so multiplied; but yet, when they had a mind to invade us under Hamilton, they could do it without any Levie-monie advanced. What assistance they gave, and how much they contributed to the bringing us to that condition, wherein we needed not to fear the strength of our enemies, we shall more fully set out in that other mentioned Tract. Only now they proved a broken reed, from whom we had but a weak support; but it ran into our hands, and pierced us sufficiently, as all places, where they came, can bear sensible witness, and which the world shall shortly know. Briefly, they took our money, and helped us little, being specially careful to keep out of the way of danger; they did like right mercinaries pursue their own interest, which was very opposite to ours; we desired to end the war, and they to lengthen it, that they might lengthen their employment, hoping they should never be necessitated again to return to their own poor Country: Yet this advantage we had, that while they took our pay for a great while, they did not take our Enemy's part; and our money produced with them as good effect as the worship of that Numen at Calcutta doth there, you know who, and what.  
The League and Covenant, you say, was the foundation of England's and the Army's deliverance: We, that know better, deny it, and say, 'twas a foundation, upon which was endeavoured to be built our ruin, if God had not mercifully prevented the bringing forth and hatching of that Cockatrice egg, which your Cabals and conspiracies had laid among us; we shall not now tell you with whom. But if any thing humane may be put among the foundations of our deliverance, it must be the new modelling of the Army, and putting it under a new Command, who very well understood you, but could never be brought to understand and entertain any of your Cabals; they shamed your sloth, and did our work without you, and put us into a condition to be able to require such an useless charge to be gone; This is the great sin of this Army, to have thus wipeed your mouth of all the sweet morsels your designs had cut out, and your hopes had already swallowed. They awaked you out of your dream, and you found your selus hungry still, and this you will never forgive them. As for the reasons for which we now make war upon you, the Parliament, who better know their own motives, have in their Declaration told you both them and their ends. And for the obligation by Covenant, you have been often told there is no such thing in being, and shall add no more to it.  
But to the next, were it not that you have an evasion in the expression (the Lord's people) we should ask what is become of all your little remnants of shame or ingenuity; and we shall ask you so still, if you take this expression in your usual acception, viz. for all your covenanted people, were not your Parliament a covenanting People, or were not they the Lords People? give us a Criterion, by which we may be able to judge and distinguish them: Your Parliament decreed our Invasion; and your whole crowd of wretched ignorant Covenanters, that swallow whatever you propine, invaded us in pursuance of that Act. We grant, you of the Kirk and your devoti did profess to abhor it, when you saw the Command fallen into hands you could not manage, and from whom you should be able to draw no advantage to your party. Do not we know, and all men know, that had any intelligence of the affairs of Scotland at that time, and dare you deny it, That that Invasion was put on by all your Pulpits, and all your Kirk-men unanimously; and the quarrel grew among your selus, not upon, Whether there shall be an invasion, but, Who shall invade, and have the conduct? Are not all the pulpits of Edinburg witness of this? and are there not divers among us now that were ear-witnesses? was not the work of your pulpits then to make the Sectaries odious to all your people, who knew no more of them but what you told them? and you never cared what you said of them, so it might stir up the people. When you saw that Hamiltons' party had carried it, and that you had conjured up a devil you could not command, and doubted, if he should succeed in England, it would not go well with you; than you began to have recours to your Balaanism, and fall to cursing. We believ you did not approve the Invasion when it was made; but we know very well, and you know it too, and must confess, if your consciences had power enough to make you speak a truth, that if Hamilton's Party had not invaded, the Kirks Party had. And do you think we are so simple to believ that the contradictions of your Envy are the productions of your good affection? And that particular disavow can compensate your National parliamentary Enmity. For shame do not thus discover your ignorance in the Law of Nations, and common reason; by which 'tis evident, when one party break's a Treaty, the other is free; can you play fast and loose at pleasure and keep us bound? was there any such claus in the Treaty that you should have liberty to break it, if you saw advantage; and we be s but yours, could obtrude these things. Suppose your present Parliament should disavow it, what's that to us? What justice, beyond the Kirk's foolish Stool, hath been inflicted on any of the guilty? or, what reparation hath there been made for all the blood and spoil? nay your present Parliament (forsooth in good time) will not own the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Nor Treat about reparation, till we adnul our selus. Certainly the Civility you quote of the House of Commons to your General Assembly, if any such were, was ill bestowed, and as well requited; however, since it was with you but the House of Commons, it seems it was not the Letter or the Parliament, and therefore binds them not. If there had been more in the Letter, than your selus urge, it might yet be reckoned among many other of those causeless compliments cast away upon an ingrateful people, which you never deserved either before or after. You that stood nearer your selus, and knew clearly the truth of things, surely laughed in your sleeus at those mistakes. There are great Errors in the world about Prayer, and its efficacy; take heed of mistakes about it: you would seem to intimate as if the world and the affairs thereof were managed by a power only, without a wisdom to direct it, which could not tell how to do well to the good, or punish the evil, but as your prayers, as proceeding from a principle of greater light, and more goodness, should direct or impel. It was the going out of the mighty power of God, Ordered by his Omniscient Providence, and flowing from an infinite goodness and love to his people, and a just indignation against such proud and hypocritical men, which wrought their destruction; as for the aestuations of your unsanctified anger, which you call Prayer, we cannot allow them a place in that work.  
When the Sectaries interpose with your Religion and Government in Scotland, as you do with ours, you may then testify against them, and lay what weight you will upon your Covenant; but we have not yet done it, and your care not to partake of the Sectaries sins, would be commendable (unless you mean Sectarianism itself in your since) so as you would be as careful to reform and repent of your own. We Invade you, not for doing your duty, but upon grounds of clearest JUSTICE and absolute NECESSITY, and recommend our Caus to the blessing of the just God.  
[9] Whilst we incite men to their duty in the defence of the Kingdom against invasion, 
Warning.  and encourage them in performance of the same, We desire not to be mistaken, or that any should so far misconstrue our meaning as though we did thereby intent to stir up unto, or approve of an Invasion of the Kingdom of England, or an Engagement in War against the same. In relation to peace or war in these Nations, we cannot but very much commend and approve the resolutions of the Parliament of this Kingdom, expressed in their Letter of the 6th of March to the Speaker of the House of Commons, and Instructions sent therewith to their Commissioners 1649, and now again renewed in another Letter to the same Speaker of the House of Commons, wherein they acknowledge their obligations, and declare their resolutions to observe the rule of Remonstrating first the breaches of peace, of craving just reparations, of using all fair means, of giving a preceding warning of three months before any engagement in these Kingdoms in war, and do hold forth this way gf procedure in clearing each others, and dealing plainly, as agreeable, not only to particular Treaties, and to the many Ties, Bonds, and Declarations passed betwixt the Kingdoms, but also to the Law of God, and practice of his people in his Word, and to the common law and practice of Heathen Nations, much more of Christian Coveanted Kingdoms: And plainly profess their confidence, that the Covenanted GOD of these Kingdoms, who did take order with these of this Nation, who did unlawfully engage against England, doth still live and reign, and will bring shame and ruin upon whatsoever party in either of these Nations, that without a necessary cause, and clear calling, and without observance of the aforesaid rules and order, shall offend and invade the other Nation: In all which we do agree with them in our judgements and resolutions, and conceiv that the whole Land is bound to tread the same steps, and to walk according to the same rules.  
[9] This your 9th Paragraph is so fully answered in the Paper this week published. Entitled, 
The Answer.  Colonel Grey's Portmanteau opened, that we shall not add a line of it more, but refer the Reader thither, this being but the recapitulation and Epitome of that Letter.  
[10] Albeit we be diligently to take heed of the danger that threatens from Sectaries, 
Warning.  and faithfully to bestir our selus in our places and stations in the use of all lawful and necessary means for preventing of the same: Yet are we not to forget, but also with the same diligence and care to take heed of these dangers and snares that threaten the work and people of God from Malignants. malignancy though a very evil weed, yet is not plucked up, but still continues to be one of the raging sins of this Land, it being the snare wherewith loose hearts, who cannot endure Christ's yoke, are most readily taken. Hence it is that there be still many of that stamp in all the three Kingdoms, who drawing encouragements to themselves, from the influence they have upon the King's Counsels, and hardening themselves in their way, by the proceed of Sectaries, do still follow their former designs, and wait for their day, and would rejoice in the ruin or halting of these who adhere to the Covenant: And experience prov'es, that many of these, who have seemed to repent of, and abandon that way, yet do not really shake off that sin that hang's so fast on, but upon new temptations fall again upon that same wickedness, and prove worse than before; which may be a caution to us not suddenly to trust them. We make no doubt, but that Malignants will by all means endeavour that there may be room left for them to undermine the work and people of God, and engage the Kingdom in a new War, upon terms of their devising, destructive to Religion and the Covenant.  
In reference to dangers upon the right hand and upon the left, besides any duty already represented to us; We conceiv it incumbent to us, seriously to recommend the following particulars to all the Land, especially to these that are in trust, either in Judicatories or Armies.  
1. First to watch and pray that in nothing they be deceived, or come short of the duty, whereunto the Lord calls them in a time of so many temptations and great difficulties.  
2. Every one would labour not only for the knowledge of the Truth, but to have the power and love thereof engraven on their hearts, that they may from an in ward principle of grace and spiritual life avoid Error, and all the snares which lead thereunto, and be encouraged to contend earnestly for the Faith which God hath been pleased to deliver to his Kirk in this Land.  
3 Not only is open malignancy to be avoided, but men would watch that enmity against the work and people of GOD, which ordinarily is the birth of jealousy and discontent and of familiar conversing with such as are dis-affected to, or lukewarm in the cause of GOD, steal not into their hearts, and gain not upon their affections by degrees; Experience almost of all back-sliding times and persons hath proved, that the fellowship of men of a dis-affected or lukewarm temper, blunt's the edge of tenderness and zeal, and steal's away the heart, first from honest instruments, and then from the cause itself: There have been, & are still some in the Land, who in a cunning way of insinuation foment jealousies, and act divisions, whilst they seem to be friends to the Caus, and by this means do more harm than others by open violence; These we would mark and avoid them, that we may neither endanger our selus, nor give offence unto others, nor prejudice the Caus of GOD.  
4 We would take diligent heed, that in nothing we recede from the just and necessary desires of this Kirk and Kingdom, propounded to his Majesty, for securing of Religion, and settling the peace of the Kingdom; But that we cleav closely to our former resolutions in those things: If we remit and grow slack, and yield in any of them, as it shall increase the hopes and endeavours of carnal and dis-affected men, so shall it provoke GOD against us to leave us to our selus, till we be plunged in a pit of backsliding.  
5 It concerns us to take heed that we do not tread the steps of those, who carried on the late unlawful engagement against the Kingdom of England in any thing already condemned by the Kirk and Kingdom, especially to beware of changing the state of our Caus, or altering the matter of our quarrel, either by laying aside of GOD's interest & taking up of man's, or by preferring or equalling man's interest unto GOD'S; This were to turn upside down the whole tenor of our Principles and Procedours, and not only to spoil us of all the comfort we can look for from our Covenant, but also to bring upon our selus the guilt and reproach of all the sin of those, who carried on that engagement, so much condemned and born testimony against in this Land.  
6 We would beware of losing the advantage of defenders, seeing our strength most consists in the equity and clearness of the Caus, and the holy and righteous way in pursuing of the same: It shall be better for us, rather to endure straits for a time, then by precipitating and making haste in the dark, to rush against the wall and spoil our selus of that peace and comfort, which we may have in waiting till GOD go before us.  
7 We desire that all the Land may be still pouring out their prayers and supplications before GOD, that the King's Majesty may really and wholly abandon all Malignant principles and counsels, and join cordially in the Covenant and Caus of GOD.  
8 As all the people of GOD throughout the Land would be careful to discern of dangers and avoid snares from, and compliances with both Sectaries and Malignants, so would Ministers be diligent and faithful in pressing of these duties, and that in a solid and convincing way, and labour to make it appear that they speak not against the one or the other from passion or interest, but upon the grounds of divine reason, and from the light & authority of God's Word; that so they may make themselves manifest to the consciences of their hearers, & stop the mouth of gainsayers.  
Finally, all the inhabitants of the Land should beware of pride and carnal confidence, and in an humble way should wait upon the LORD, and tread the steps of holiness and righteousness, and he who hath done great things for us, shall yet save us. A. KER.  
[10] You judge rightly, that there be store of Malignants, it may thank you and your Cabals, 
The Answer.  that we have so many among us, your joining with them and espousing their Interest hath more strengthened their hands, than any proceed of the Sectaries. Hath not your receiving the head of Malignants for your King, who hath been bred up in no other company, nor followed other counsels, and whose heart is with them, though he came to you to serve turns upon you; more hardened their hearts in their way, and animated them in their proceed than any thing that the Sectaries have ever done toward them. We come now to the particulars of your recommendation.  
1. And to this first we have nothing to say; but desire that you, and we also, may, without hypocrisy, do the thing you advise unto.  
2. To the second; if you mean by contending earnestly for the faith, not any use of outward carnal strife, but an earnest strife of the soul in itself, in the spirit with God, for his gracious manifestation of the matter of our faith, we agree for so much; only we must expunge your there last words, containing a limitation to your Land; for you may no more make your selus a Catholic rule then Rome may do.  
3. We desire you impartially to examine your hearts, and see if there be not in you a great deal of enmity against the work and people of God; which is ordinarily the work of an Antichristian pride; whereby you are apt to think, that you are, and that there are no other the people of God but your selus; And this causeth your jealousy of, and discontent and enmity against any other that lay claim to that privilege, if they be not also of the same complexion with you: with whom you will not convers, lest you should be unprejudiced, and so run in danger of a Kirk-censure, by having a better opinion perhaps of a Sectary, and thereby have your zeal brought to a Christian temper, and directed to move rationally, according to its object. We must tell you too, that there are some of your faction in this Land, Malignants jure divino, who by their insinuations and secret infusions, do foment faction, and sow division and disobedience to the Government of this Commonwealth; and while they will pretend a conscientiousness, do more harm to the Peace of the Land, than the worst of the old Malignants. These we shall mark, and cause them to avoid, or otherwise put them into a condition not much capable of doing us mischief.  
4. It had been much more your wisdom, and your happiness, if you had taken diligent heed to have had nothing to do with your King, who is not like to be much bound up by the desires of your Kirk, though you recede nothing from them; or will your Religion be very secure by it? As for the peace of your Kingdom, lookers on think you have, by espousing his quarrel, made it very difficult to establish and settle. We in England think you have, more ways than one, provoked God, and you are like enough to be plunged into a deep pit of a lasting misery.  
5. We have only here with sad and tender hearts to lament the woeful blindness and unsavouriness that your formality and hypocrisy, by the just judgement of God, hath brought upon you: That upon so serious an occasion, as this is, you should have no other rule to direct your actings and forbearing by, but the condemnations of your Kirk, and your Covenant: We blush and mourn while we read these passages. We Sectaries are scandalised at it; 'tis not your way to make us your Proselytes; For we believ and hold forth, that the sacred Scriptures are the rule of all things to be believed, and to be done. Obtrude not your Covenant, nor the Kirk upon us; we shall condemn them both, if they either be, or do any thing that is contrary to that sacred rule. Are these expressions becoming these times of light? we thought them times of darkness, when the Scriptures were forgotten; and the sentences, the decrees, the decretals and extravagants, were made the rule of a Christian faith and practice: How comes your Church to have gotten such credit, that it should be emulous with Rome for infallibility? Accustom your selus therefore to Canonical language; and talk not of God's interest, while you measure it not by God's Word; though by the way we must tell you, that word Interest sounded with God, is hardly concord in our ears.  
6. You lost your advantage and defence, when you became Invaders; you should have needed no defence against us, if you had not begun to invade, and proceed in such ways as declare you still enemies. If you had been righteous, it had been well for your selus and us too; and when you are brought to a condition to be so unrighteous no more, and that we have such an assurance of it, as you cannot break, we shall not desire longer to pursue you; and if this tenderness of not moving till God goes before you, had possessed your Parliament in 1648, we are confident you had never invaded England.  
7. By this it seems, you are not sure of your King; your selus doubt, whether he be real or not, and free from malignant principles? What meant you to be troubled with him upon these uncertain terms? here was something at the bottom will find you out at last: You were in the beginning of you paper very tender of joining with Malignants, or having any in your Army; why not so, as well as have an Army for a Malignant? for it seems your selus dare not undertake he is not one.  
8 We wholly like your Counsel to your Ministers, and wish you would take the same Cours the next Papers you Emit; then perhaps we might receiv some information or conviction; for we profess our selus ready to receiv it, when from those grounds and principles; and we would have you define or describe a Seclarie, and tell us wherein is the poison of their opinions, and practice; for the name hath no harm in it. And we begin to take it up and wear it very contentedly: it seems to us also that many of those men you so call are of the best among us, God hath honoured them to do great service to this Nation, for that cause we both love and honour them, and think we have greater reason to do so, because you hate them, for we know you pursue an interest quite contrary to ours.  
9 In this you are short, you should have added hypocrisy to your pride and carnal confidence. And truly if they would leave off their swearing, uncleanness and drunkenness among you, which is so very general, it would do well. And if in a deep and true humility they would retire into themselves, and search their hearts, and turn from all their evil ways and walk in the ways of righteousness, and holiness (a thing much spoken of, and arrogated by many that neither have it, nor understand what 'tis) and meet the Lord in the way of his judgements, and endeavour to agree with their adversary while he is in the way, ye may yet be safe, which would be very desirable, so we may be satisfied and safe also.  
FINIS.