A SHORT DECLARATION OF THE KINGDOM OF SCOTLAND, For Information and Satisfaction to their Brethren of ENGLAND, concerning the present Expedition into ENGLAND.  
ALthough we have reason to believe that the bloody and barbarous attempts of the Papists and their Faction, both in England and Ireland, and the manifold oppressions and miseries endured by those that stand well affected to the Protestant Religion, and their countries' Liberty, have made way in the hearts of men for the ready entertainment of assistance from their Brethren, whose earnest desire it is, and whose utmost endeavour it shall be, to preserve and restore both unto them: Yet knowing how industrious the malice of the Devil and his Instruments are, in raising Prejudices, and fomenting Jealousies betwixt them whose hearts and minds ought to be one, because their happiness is the same, and particularly betwixt us and our Brethren of England, that by dividing us from each other, they might destroy us both: And that this our second Expedition into England (which we doubt not but God will bless, to the advantage of that Nation, as he did our first, to the happiness of our own) in stead of wonder and opposition, may find the cheerful concurrence of all those who together with us desire, The Preservation and Reformation of Religion; The honour and happiness of the King; The Peace and Liberty of the Kingdoms: We thought fit to premit this short, but free and ingenuous Declaration, of our Grounds and Intentions in this our present undertaking, that so we may meet with none but such as we may either find peaceable or leave inexcusable.  
Whereas therefore the greatest questions that are like to arise in this business may be reduced to these three particulars, viz. The justness of our Cause: The lawfulness of our calling thereto: And The faithfulness of our carriages therein; We shall hereby endeavour to give satisfaction in them all, and doubt not to do it, unless there remain some whose inveterate malice hath produced in them a resolution to be unsatisfied.  
As for the cause and ground of this undertaking, we are not ignorant with how much earnestness the sons of slander and perdition (whose custom is to traduce those proceed which they know not how to disappoint) do endeavour to possess the hearts of our Brethren, that we are coming to fish in the troubled waters of England, to seek and take our own advantages in the midst of your necessities. But suffer not your ears, much less your hearts, to be open to any such delusions, whereof we trust your eyes shall shortly witness the falsehood: For as hereafter we doubt not to appeal to our carriages and your consciences, besides your late experience of our Religious observance of our former Declarations of this kind; so in the mean time give us leave to appeal to the great searcher of hearts, who knows; That had not the love of Christ, requiring Christians to bear one another's burden; and the Law of nature, challenging our utmost care and endeavour, for the prevention of our own danger and ruin, which an ordinary understanding will easily see to be wrapped up in our neighbours; And our duty, and desire of rescuing the King from the dangers wherein he is involved, by the company and pernicious Counsel of those who are enemies to Religion, his Majesty's happiness, and Peace of his Dominions; Called and compelled us to this Service, we could, with far more content and satisfaction to ourselves, have enjoyed with quietness our dry morsel, then entered into your houses full of sacrifices with strife: Which yet since we are required and necessitated to, by that just Calling, hereafter to be mentioned, We profess before God and the World, that our hearts and thoughts are clean and free from any other Intentions than those expressed in our solemn League and Covenant, in which we are confederate with England, viz. The Preservation and Reformation of Religion; The Honour and Happiness of the King; and, The Peace and Liberties of the Kingdoms. All which we now apprehend to be deeply endangered, by the Counsels and Confederacies of Papists, Prelates, Malignants, and their adherents, so prevalent in England and Ireland: And we shall not otherwise desire a blessing upon our endeavours, then as they shall be directed to the conservation and establishment thereof.  
And because it is not sufficient to be engaged in a good Cause, unless by a good calling, we do hereby further declare, That though the inseparable interests of both Nations in Religion and Liberties, which having the same common Enemies, must look to stand and fall together, might have given us sufficient warrant to have endeavoured the prevention of our own ruin, by preserving our Friends and Brethren from destruction: yet that we might be the more fully and formally obliged to this Christian duty and service, and so the mouth of slander and malice be stopped, God hath so ordered things in his wise and just Providence, that the Parliament of England, who (beside their interest in the Preservation and Reformation of Religion, and the defence of the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom, to which our help is required) have a particular obligation upon this nation, (As we have formerly declared in our Intentions published before our last Expedition) for refusing to countenance or maintain a War against us, in the year 1640. have thought fit by their Commissioners, enabled to that effect, to desire a firm Union with us, and this just and necessary assistance from us.  
And whereas it is too obvious an Objection, That the King's command or consent being no ingredient, our Calling is thereby rendered deficient: We answer, That though, through the injury of mischievous Counsels, both his Person and personal Commands are withheld from us: Yet his Honour, his Happiness, his Posterity, his great Council, and the welfare of his Kingdoms, Call importunately to us for this timely interposing. So that unless we can (which God forbidden) blot out of our thoughts the sense of Piety and Religion toward God, of Honour and Duty toward our Sovereign, and of Gratitude toward the Parliament and Kingdom of England, we can in no wise resist our present Call to this undertaking.  
And lastly, for what concerns the manner of the pursuance of this just Cause and lawful Calling: Although the many frustrate Petitions and Remonstrances from both Kingdoms presented to his Majesty, have left us only this way, which yet is not intended against his Majesty's Person, nor any of his good Subjects, but those Enemies of the King and Kingdoms, with whom no other means can prevail: Yet we shall diligently endeavour so to order the affairs of our Army, that all Insolences, Rapines, Plunderings, and those other calamities that usually attend upon War, may be prevented. And herein as with no small content to ourselves, so with no less satisfaction to you, are we able to refer you to the experience of our former Expedition (when our own necessities drove us into England, as now yours do call us) to Conlider how little damage was occasioned by our means, how little disorder was committed by us in any place where we came: and we hereby promise the like care and diligence shall be renewed, and if possible doubled to that effect.  
And that we may not be looked on with the prejudice of Strangers, which we hope the firm Union of this mutual Covenant will wear out, There is a Committee of your own Nation, the most of which are Parliament men, such to whom you have committed the trust and care of your Religion, Laws, and Liberties, joined with us, without whose concurrence nothing that concerns you is to be transacted. And to free you of all unjust suspicion, which if your minds are not ready to conceive, yet the malicious mouths of our adversaries and yours are ready to suggest, That notwithstanding this Declaration, we have some sinister and secret ends which may prove prejudicial to your Rights and happiness: Be it hereby made known unto you, that we have freely engaged ourselves, by an Article of the late Treaty betwixt the Nations, to give the public Faith of the Kingdom of Scotland unto the Kingdom of England, That neither our entrance into nor continuance in that Kingdom, shall be made use of to any other ends than are expressed in the Covenant, and that Treaty subscribed by the Commissioners o● both Kingdoms, which we are resolved, to the honour of God and of this nation, to keep inviolate.  
And as our Friends and Brethren may look for actions conform to the expressions of this Declaration, so must the Malignants and implacable opposers of the ends declared in our Covenant, expect nothing but an impartial and vigorous prosecution of the same: in which, if any evil befall them, we are confident that the judgement of wise and indifferent men will reduce it to themselves, as the wilful authors thereof.  
And finally we declare (against all false and artificial relations) that we are so far from desiring harm or loss to any of our Brethren of England, that our sincere and real Intentions are not to add fuel, nor bring oil, but water to extinguish these lamentable combustions and fires, which we have with so much duty and love laboured to quench: That our taking of Arms is not to make Wars (if we be not necessitated) but to obtain a better grounded and a more durable Peace, for enjoying of our Religion and Liberties in all the three Kingdoms: and that the wicked (who are the unworthy authors of all our troubles) being removed from our King, a right understanding may be established betwixt his Majesty and his people. And as we have solemnly sworn to protect and defend all who shall enter in, and adhere to this Covenant: So do we certainly expect, that all our Brethren in England who are zealous for the true Protestant Religion, loyal to the King, and faithful for their Country, will join and concur with us in the most noble and just ways of procuring these just desires: which being obtained, we shall be most willing and ready to return to our native Country, esteeming it our greatest happiness, that Truth with Peace may be established in all His Majesty's Dominions.  
Arch. Primrose.   

Printed at Edinburgh by Evan Tyler, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1643.