THE SCOTS Beaten with their own WEAPONS, AND Their playing fast and loose with KING and PARLIAMENT clearly discovered.  
Which may serve also for a full( and brief) Answer to the SCOTS last large Papers.  
Published for the satisfaction both of City and country, concerning the King and the Scots.  
Imprimatur Gilbert Mabbot,  
LONDON, P●inted by I.C. for H.C. in Popes-head Alley, 1647.   

The Scots beaten with their own Weapons.  
SIR,  
WHereas you desire my opinion of the Scottish Papers, lately presented to the Parliament of England, I judge them to be slight, and unsatisfying, stuffed more with malicious invictives, then with solid Argumen●s; more modesty and less bitterness, might have been expected from men that make a fane profession; but whether will not passion and envy transport them? They have in these last papers discovered much pride and equivocation, which is apparent to every impartial and unbiased Reader,( as for their Creatures who Idolize their Presbytery, a just censure cannot be expected for them) 1. Pride, in taxing an English Parliament in such high and imperious language, and endeavouring to tie them up to a tittle to the Scottish forms, both eclesiastick all and civill,( save in the matter of the King) as if they had monopolised an infallibility of judgement to themselves, whereof they traduce the poor Sectaries; or as if our Kingdom and theirs, were not distinct governed by distinct laws, and enriched with distinct privileges, though I say not there is such a great distance betwixt us and them, as betwixt us and other Nations more remote, yet I conceive it may be of dangerous consequence to the English Nation, to confounded our and their privileges together; surely though we be united to them in some s●nce, yet we have not lost the rights of Englishmen, by confounding them with the Scots, if they be the genuine sense of the Covenant and Treaty, I think it is our duty to be humbled for entering into such inflaving and destructive engagements. 2. Equivocation, in pleading so high for the Kings interest, here( of purpose to regain their lost credit) and not enduring it on the other side Tweed. Is the Kings Negative voice a wholesome herb here, and poison there? or is it treason and disloyalty to deprive him of it here, and loyalty to exclude him from it there? they would be freemen themselves, and make us slaves, and this is far from the love of Brethren; That they gr●sly equivocate in this it plainly appears. 1. by their selling the King for 400000.l. 2. by that expression of a noble Covenanter to the King at Newcastle, That if he would not take the Covenant, and sign to the Presbytery, he should be disposed, according to the laudable Custom of Scotland, and the principles of Knox and Brichanan, but you must conceive this is one of the finest baits they so ensnare the people, who for the most part are Royalists, and it will much advance their design of crushing the Parliament and Army, whom they hate with a perfect hatted, Flectere si nequeo superos, acceronta m●ve bo. I wonder they and their Creatures are not ashamed to make so often mention of the Covenant and Treaty which they have treacherously violately in many particulars, as 1. in entertaining corespondency with H●s Majesty, & receiving him into their quarters at Kellum, without the Parliaments knowledge. 2. in caarying him to Southwell, and marched with him from thence to Newcastle, without the consent of the Parliament, and contrary to the Scots engagement to our Commissioners at Newark. 3. in laying intolerable sesments and burdens on the Northern parts, & exacting free quarter from them, to their great impoverishment, nay I may say, to the utter undoing of many Families, contrary to the sense of the Parliament, and that clause of the Covenant which they seldom or never mention in reference to England. That they will maintain the liberty of the Subject, I might likewise instance in their detaining Mr. Ashburnam, against the Parliaments Order, and in many other particulars, but these may satisfy any rational man. As they have broken the Treaty, and violated the Covenant; so they have grossly falsyfied their word to the King, who was promised by them at Newcastle, That he should not be delivered until he was settled in his Rights, and the Lord Lowden in one of his printed Speeches, hath these or the like words, that it would be base and dishonourable in them to deliver up the meanest subject fled to them for refuge, much more their royal sovereign, and yet you know how basely they sold the King at Newcastle, when they had made as much use of him as they could for the payment of their arrears, but they can break their Faith and keep their Covenant, which to me, and other ho●est men is a Paradox, nay, I have been informed from good hands, that they will dispense with their Covenant in relation to the King, contrary to their professions, if he will but contribute his assistance to destroy this Army and their partakers, so that the Covenant is onely made a stalking horse to their dangerous designs in England, and they can dispense with it at their pleasure, for an advantage against Independents, and if this be faithfulness in them, I know not what is dissimulation, it must needs grieve the heart of every true Englishman, that the Scots should intermeddle so much in our affairs, and make themselves and a few violent men of their faction in England, the onely competent Judges of our privileges, without the Concurrence of the English Parliament, whom they chide in their papers, for sending the 4 bills to the King without their consent, because the same forsooth tended to the settling of Peace in this Kingdom, which it seems must not be settled, till the Scottish interest be provided for, though their demands be never so unreasonable, and prejudicial to the rights of Englishmen. The levying of Religion out of the Bills is a great terror in their apprehension, for as much as it ought to be handled in the first place, which is easily granted, so it be contested for by spiritual weapons, and settled by spiritual means, but it is not compelling the outward man, and imposing civill mulcts and penalties that will make men Religious, and obedient to the gospel, neither doth the power of Religion consist in a rigid persecuting Presbytery, which is the Reformation these men would have, and the grand idol which they adore, as appears by these and other their papers. If a man cry u● their Presbytery to be jure divino, though he be but a formalist, yet he is ipso facto, truly Religious in their Books, and hence it is, they have so many Religion●, Covenants, and so few spiritual men in Scotland. I can scarce forbear smiting when I use that expression of them, viz. That the presbyterial Government as it is settled by Ordinance of Parliament in England, is but a dead form without life or power, why Brethren, can there be life in a dead form, or can a dead form especial●y such an one, as your Presbytery is convey, life without the spirit of God, but their meaning is, & th●t it is without l fe power because the Classical Elders have not a coercive power dispensed to them by the civil Magistrate to make everyman comform to their practise, and submit to their censures under pain of confiscation of goods: banishment, imprisonment, death. Lee this is the life and power, of their Presbytery in Scotland, which they w●uld have established in England, that so the Scottish interest may be promoted here as much as there. Nor should it seem strange to us, that these men are violently bent against a Toleration of these of d●fferent Judgements, and more light in the mystery of the gospel, then themselves; seeing they are so settled upon the Lets of uniformity,( their great Diana) that they will admit of no other way or practise in this Kingdom but their own, and besides it would hinder,( as they know by sad experience) the carrying on of the Scottish design, of making themselves our equals, or rather superiors in the transactions of State matters, and the enjoyment of civill privileges in our own Nation. They have other expressions in their papers, very ridiculous and unsuitable to Commissions of State, as those about Tub-preachers and Seekers, a Sect which I am confident they are not acquainted with being no friends( you may be sure) to private meetings; but they have heard of such from the men of Smais college, and therefore they rank them among the other Sectaries.  
One thing I cannot omit, without speaking a word in answer to it, and that is their taxing the Parl. with breach of promise, and proceeding, contrary to their former Declarations, which yet they themselves are guilty of insomuch that if God shoul● enter into judgement with them & their party for their unfaithfulness & breach of promis●, they would be ut early consumed; now admit the Parliament have in some things of late proceeded contrary to their former Declaration, must it be presently imputed to their unfa●thfulnesse; I hope they may now and then see cause to alter their resolutions for the good of the Kingdom, that appearing to be for safety now which wou●d have ●●en destructive then, or destructive now, which would have been for sa●ety then, and hereof they being the supreme Court of judicature, are the most competent Judges and not the Scott[ with whose laws and Statute policy we do not intermeddle] as Austin said in another cas●, so may I say in thi●, distinguish the times and we shall see a good agreement & harmony against the Parliaments further actings, and their present proceedings. In my judgement our Brethren show themselves none of the wisest States men, having spent so much Blood and Treasure in opposition to the Bishops, by urging a speedy disbanding of the English Army; for is it not very probable that the Episcopal party being the greatest number, will prevail upon the disbanding of the Army, seeing they are so bold as to raise commotions in the country now whilst the Army have their Swords in their hands,[ witness the late rising in London, Kent, Ipswitch, and the Isle of Wygh:] what may we or our Brethren expect in case of the Army were disbanded but it seems they will hazard their presbytery in Scotland rather then this in England shall be without life and power namely Persccution which being separated from it, it is but an empty form a cead Carcase, alas poor Army thou art but ill rewarded for all thy good services especially from thy Neighbours in Scotland; but the reasons why thou art so contemptible in their eyes, are plain and evident. 1. Because the Army have been more faithful, and their endeavours crwoned with greater success, which hath bread ill blood in the Presbyterian faction. 2. The Members of the Army are true Englishmen, faithful to the English interest, and will not be blinded with a Scottish mist, God having opened their eyes, whilst others are shut. 3. they are convinced that moderate peaceable men who have engaged with them in this cause, though they differ somewhat from the Presbyterians ought to have civill liberty in their Native country, and this Evangelicall Principle of theirs, is that which renders them odious to all bitter persecuting spirits, that would force their brethren by fire and Sword. The Lord of glory bring the hidden works of darkness to light, & clear up the innocency of his poor disposed people that according to his promise they may have a name and a prayer in the places, where they have been reproached and put ro shane. And so I bid you farewell.  

Jmprimatur  
Gilbert Mabbott: Jan. 14. 1647.   
FINIS.