Causes of a solemn Fast and Humiliation to be keeped, by Ordinance of the Commissioners of the General Assembly, in all the Kirks of this Kingdom, and in our Armies at home and abroad, upon the last Lord's Day of October, and the Wednesday following.  
WE have great cause to be humbled in solemn manner by Fasting and Prayer, because we see the anger of God is kindled against us, in an unwonted and extraordinary way, as is evidently seen and felt. 

1. By the slow progress of the much-wished and desired Work of Reformation and intended Uniformity in Public Worship and Church government in all his Majesty's Dominions.  
2. By the long continuance of these bloody and unnatural Wars within these Kingdoms.  
3. By this unhappy Division betwixt the King and his Subjects, fomented by the Popish and Praelaticall Faction, with their adherents, Malignants and Delinquents. And  
4. By the breach already made by a contemptible crew, naked and unarmed, upon our dear Brethren in Stratherne, Fyfe, Aberdeen, and other parts in the North, with effusion of much Christian blood, forcing of women, and spoiling of goods, whereby many honest women are made desolate Widows, many children Fatherless, and whole Families brought to extreme poverty.    
I. It is to be lamented, that notwithstanding these judgements while the Lord is thus sharply chastising us, yet we look more to the immediate and second Causes of these evils than to the Supreme, God's Providence and Permission in his justice correcting us.  
II. There is no Reformation of our lives, notwithstanding of our solemn Vows made by our Covenants, and promises of amendment in our frequent Humiliations by Fasting and Prayer; Family Exercises being neglected, and by many mocked; The Lords Sabbaths profaned, and Fornications, Adulteries, Incests, Drunkenness, and other heinous sins still abounding.  
III. The great and fearful sins of our Armies abroad (as we are informed) meeting with our sins at home, ●as uncleanness, blasphemy, spoil and rapine indifferently, of our friends, aswell as of these who are disaffected, whereas before their piety and devotion was admired, and so they were the more formidable to their enemies, now little difference twixt ours and the Malignant Armies, save in the formality of Worship.  
IIII 〈…〉 〈…〉, nor of their carriage afterward, nor of Judges and other Members of Civil Courts ●●d Judicatories, as this present Reformation requires.  
V Impunity, or slight censure, or punishment, of known Incendiaries and Malignants, wherein both Ecclesiastical and Civil Judicatories are faulty, and thereby themselves made guilty likewise of the cruelty, villainy, and other mischiefs committed by these unnatural Countrymen, and their Followers.  
VI Perjury, in not discovering and delating Incendiaries and Malignants, conform to our vow and promise in our late solemn League and Covenant; for Malignant Ministers are not delated for wresting the good intentions of the chief Instruments of this Work of Reformation; for carping at the equity and lawfulness of our Covenants, and of our defensive Wars, or for their silence in not informing and confirming from time to time the people therein: Neither are Professors, whereof there are a great number, delated for their malignancy in taxing our Covenants, and the proceed of Persons and Judicatories in the public Cause 〈…〉  
VII. Perjury, for not assisting our Brethren joined with us in Covenant, in person, or by our means and moyen in this present Cause, according to our promise in our Covenants.  
VIII. Confidence in our Armies at home and abroad, and their Commanders, and an arrogant conceit of our own valour and zeal to the purity of Religion; for at first when we were naked men without Arms, without experience of the Discipline of War, without the mutual help of our Neighbour Nation, we did depend on God who fought for us, and made us see his salvation: But now presuming upon our power, number of Men and Arms, skill in War, and of our confederacy with England, and puffed up with our former success and Victories, we have fallen off from God, leaned to the Arm of Flesh, pleasing ourselves in the name of courage, to which our late punishment by God's just judgement is made suitable; for being left to ourselves, albeit armed and carrying Bows, with Ephraim we turned back in the Day of Battle, and fled as the Israelites before Ai, so we fled before a base un-armed, and inconsiderable Enemy.  
IX. Thanksgivings for any victories the Lord hath given us, either coldly performed, or soon forgotten.  
X. The great and deep security we are into, not being wakened by the noise of God's judgements on the Churches of Germany, England, and Ireland, neither yet being sensible of the judgements hanging over this Land, yea, begun to fall already, the bloody Sword which heretofore threatened us at our Borders, being come even to the heart of our Kingdom; Nor have we that fellow-feeling of the pitiful estate of our afflicted Brethren, fare from Uriah and Nehemiahs' zeal, who sympathized in their brethren's crosses, yet who is moved amongst us, or lays to heart.  
A. Ker.   

Printed at Edinburgh by Evan Tyler, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1644.