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for our own Parts, (and we have fair Hopes the whole loyal and loving Subjects of Scotland will do the fame,) fhall be ready in what may concern His Majefty's Honour, cach one in his refpe-" ctive Vocation, Place and Intereft, with our Friends and Followers, in quiet Manner or in Arms, as we shall be required of His Majefty's Council, or any having his Authority, to hazard or Lives, Fortunes, Eftates, and what we hold deareft, never regarding the Articles of any Trea ty, or waiting the Motion of a Parliament. Ye fay, we go about to perform more than the King's Majefty requireth of us, who is not craving our Affiftance: Good Subjects should be like Blood, which uncalled rufheth to all Wounds of the Body.

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Do ye not know (faith your Declaration) that the Covenant (the Anvil upon which theo Hammers of fome grofs Cyclops are perpetually beating) was fubfcribed in the Year 1581, a again in the Year 1591, before King James was King of England, and therefore cannot be ex A and tended to municipal Debates. A ftrange Corollary and moft unreasonable Reafon. The Cove nant fubfcribed then containeth the fame very Heads which we have fubfcribed in our late Co-ed venant. Now, we require, if the Parliament of England, after the Death of Queen Elizabeth, fhould have denied the Title and Right of King James to the Crown of England, and taken Arms against him for challenging a Crown as juftly due unto him, as the Crown of Scotland Whether or not, by the Oath of that Covenant, were not all the Subjects of Scotland, at leaft the Subfcribers, obliged at that Time to have hazarded their Lives and Fortunes, to have inftalled him, and fet the Crown of England upon his Head? We think no reasonable Man will question it the Oath of our Covenant (if not ftronger) being the fame, the Son of King James and his Succeffors having the like Quarrel, as being deprived of his Roya! Prerogatives, and fpoiled of the richest Gems of his Diadem, by the like Men, who might have rejected 3 his Father: Are not we by that fame Oath bound to repoffets and aid him after the fame manner, and not to ftand upon Limitations, torturing, wrefting, and wringing Oaths after a Jefui tical Subtilty, when there is no fuch Knots in the Oath of the Covenant? But, ye fay, it belongs to you alone to expone the Covenant; but ye fhould then alone have fworn and tub fcribed it, fince that which concerns many fhould be understood and approved by many, and not by fome particnlar Ufurpers over the Confciences of other Men. Quod omnes tangit ab om nibus debet approbari.

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Omitting and paffing over the Oath of our Covenant, are not we by that Oath of Allegiance, Fidelity and Homage, which as Subjects we fwear to our Prince, obliged to ftand to the Deov fence of his Perfon, Authority and Honour? Our fending of Forces into Ireland, if we had been required, and the King had went thither in Perfon, would have been a neceffary Duty, and not a bare voluntary Teftimony of our high Refpect to our King, (whofe Companions we are of late become) and of our Kindness to England.

Are not the Noblemen of this Country and Gentlemen bound, by the Tenures of their Lands, in a lawful War, to repair to the King's Standard, and neither by Declarations of Rebels, nor the Rhetorick of fome abufed Churchmen, to be detained from him?

d

Did not the Nobility of England, and the Flower of the Gentry, follow their Kings into France? Did not the Nobility and Gentry of France follow their Kings into Italy, for the preferving of the Dutchy of Milan and Kingdom of Naples? Did not we always follow our Kings into England? And why fhould we now (flumbering in Idlene's) hear tell of the Suf ferings of our King, in which every true Sub ject is concerned; and fend him Word, it is not in our Covenant to debate his Quarrels with his Rebel Parliament, though he fhould fall under their Arms? Let not this be verified amongst us, Principibus de conjuratione non credi nifi per I emptis. The Security of the Nobility and Gentry depends upon the Crown, otherwife Popu-lo lar Government will rush in like a Torrent upon them.

If the King doth adore any other God but whom he fhould, if he afpire to any other HeaT ven, embrace any other Belief, any other Baptifm; if he be an Idolater, if an Heretick, w Defpifer of God and Man, let us take Arms against him? If he be an Oppreffor, if he hath embrued our Scaffolds with innocent Blood; if he hath difhonoured our Wives, ravifhed out Daughters, robb'd us of our Riches, Lands and Poffeffions, let us take Arms against him he hath deny'd the Meaneft of all his Subjects Juftice; if he hath not granted us more than a ny of his Ancestors, nay, all that have done before him, (what City, nay, private honeft Man fought any Thing which was lawful, and what he might give, who departed with a fad Countenance) let us take Arms against him? But if he be more devout than the most religious of his Subjects; if he be more free of the great and roaring Sins of his Kingdoms, than any of his Subiects; if he hath laboured to maintain the True Proteftant Religion, to the uttermoft of his Power if he hath never offered Offence to any Man, either in his Eftate or Perfon; if he be the beft Man in all his Dominions, and verey mus quia bonus, why fhould we hear the whispering of taking Arms against him Why fhould we not arife in Arms for him? Let the moft malicious of this new Oligarchy mag tell what he hath done, tell why they will not fuffer him to Reign, and to Live, after that Form of Government, Religion and Obedience, in which his Father, Queen Elifabeth and

Ed

Edward the VI. Reigned and Lived? What hath a People had to make them happy, which was not in his Dominions enjoy'd Safety from being oppreffed by any at Home, and Peace Abroad with Strangers and Neighbour Kingdoms, Plenty every where? If that Prince vul garly be cfteem'd a good King, whofe Vertues are not over-ballanced by Vice, how dear fhould we hold this Prince, in notorious Whofe Life, the moft cnvyous Eye cannot fpy any Vice? There is not a greater Wickedness, than when Benefits and Favours are turned against him, from whom they are received..

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We are accufed, that we could not be moved to part from our Petition,nor to acknowledge our Errors, either in the Matter or Manner of Petitioning: Perhaps that is not Right and Juft, which is really Right and Juft, but that which ye determine and decree fo to be, by the Advantage of your own Affairs. Doth the Effence of Things change according to your Appointments? Make an Act against the ebbing and flowing of the Seas and that our Winters be not fo long, nor our Summers, fo cold and when ye are obey'd, we fhall believe your Traditions. Let the Two Petitions be quarrelled, and then fhall it appear, which of them hath the greateft Reafon, and whence the Errors flow, either in the Matter or Form of PetitiOur Petition is for our native King, to whom we have fworn Fidelity, that he suffer oning not either in his Honour, Perfon or Authority: Your Petition is for Men, who have combined themselves together against him, raised Armies to make him fuffer, not only in his Honour and Authority, but who endeavour to endanger his Royal Perfon, as their Canon and Musket Balls, fo furiously difcharged against him, do teftify. Our Petition is for the Prefervation of that Peace and Liberty we have fo gracioully, by the Mercy of Almighty God, obtained, and for the prefent enjoy; and not to make our felves Umpires of Neighbour Debates, involve our felves in new Diforders, making other Men's Cafes our Quarrels: Your Petition is for the endangering of our Peace and Liberties, by encouraging thofe, who for their own Intereft pretend Religion, and for altering the ancient and long cftablifh'd Government of a Stranger Nation. Our Petition is, That the True Proteftant Religion, fo deeply wounded in this Ille, may recover Strength and Power, Hercfies may be punished or fuppreffed, Sects and Schifins taken away, the King may be obey'd, Brotherly-Love continued between the Two Nations, Juftice executed, the Strong not oppreffing the Weak, nor the Guilty the In nocent: The People may enjoy their own in Quietnefs, and not be longer gall'd with the grievous Burdens of infolent Men and Oppreffors. Your Petition is, That the Proteftant Religion may yet receive more deadly Wounds, by mutual Difcords and Battles, for the external Form of the Government of the Church, that the Proceedings of the pretended Parliament be in every Thing, and always approved; the King's Maiefty's Proceedings, how juft foever, be ever condemn'd; the Strong may keep under the Weak, and the Guilty the Innocent; a fair Way may be given to Rebellion, in thefe tumultuous Times; Wars may continue, Soldiers and Men, whofe miferable Fortunes at Home may turn them to any Mischief Abroad, be made Rich; the more peaceable fort of honeft People become Indigent and Beggers, neither having to entertain their poor Lives, nor to provide for their miferable Children: Whilst the whole Monics of the Kingdom fhall be taken up, under Pretence of the publick Charges, every Man's Eftate taxed, to hold up our Utopian Common-wealth, entertain bloody Cut-Throats, (as your Apostle in his Story nameth them) and turn this Ille a Scorn to the Tranfmarine Nations Abroad, as if the Genius of the State had quite forfaken Vertue. For the Form and -Manner of prefenting your Petition; ye know ye were fent for, and by Letters fought and required, upon particular Informations given you from Men, whofe Intereft is the Confufion of the Matters of the State and Church, and who ftand by wearying the Common-wealth with Disorders, and oppreffing of the Shires of the Country by New Officers and Magiftrates: The Liberty of approaching War making all Things lawful to the Fury of the Strong. It was prefented in a tumultuous Manner, and little differing from that, after which the Petiti-. ons were given in to the Parliament at Westminster our Petition was tender'd by Men forfeeing the Dangers and Calamities the Kingdom and State were like to fall into, and who had friven, according to their Power, to refift the Avarice and Critelty of an Arbitrary Power, from free and loyal Hearts to the Proteftant Religion, Kingdom and Prince. Pofterity,who will neither be afraid of you, nor flatter is, will difcern which of the Two Petitions is moft agreeable to Religion and Reafon,

Ye had a Neceffity (ye fay) to emit à Declaration, for vindicating your prefent and palt Proceedings, yea, Brethren, and for what you are yet hatching: But whether are your Proceedings vindicated by your Declaration, or doth your Declaration require a new Vindication? Ye are washing a Black Moor, but have not yet turned him White, Implore ye your Bellua multorum capitum, neque enim illis (faith Tacitus) judicium aut veritas; we Appeal unto Cefar, to whom, by the Prerogatives of all Kings, the laft Appeals belong, and whom we acknowledge to be God's Lieutenant in this Kingdom. After all, ye make your Declaration good, by enjoyning it to be read thro' the Churches of this Kingdom, left ye thould be thought garrife per angulos Your Declaration proves it felf to be confcious of fome great Crimes, by taking SanFff 2

Sanctuary, which if it had not done, it could hardly have efcaped the Violence or Juftice of Apothecaries, Spice, Sugar and Tobacco-Sellers Hands, it being publifh'd rather out of Obftinaey to adhere to your own Opinions, than Zeal of the True Proteftant Religion. What Time will be fufficient to blot out this Blemish? What other Action could ye have done, more joyful to the Enemies of the Proteftant Religion, more woful to the Favourers of it, and more fhameful to your felves?"

For Conclufion, Ye leave the Matter, and betake you to the Perfons; unto fome of which, ye carry greater Spleen, than to the Action of Petitioning: Thefe ye diftinguifh into Malig nants, and Incendiaries, and in not Malignants and not Incendiares, who, ye fay, are un equally yoked against your own Work, which ye call the Work of God; unless ye thus underftand the cruel War which ye are to raise amongst us? For ye know non eft malum in civi tate quod non facit Dominus: Or name ye your Innovations the Work of God, as ye name many a feditious and nonfenfical Declaration, the Word of God? Or as your late Declaration, when it was read in the Churches, was the Holy Word of the Bleffed Trinity? Prefumptuous Churchmen, in moft Parts of the Kingdom of Europe, have proven worse than the Foxes of Sampfon; they but burnt the Corns, when the Fields were White for the Harveft, but thefe have burnt whole Towns, Male and Female, Children and Old Men, Guilty or not Guilty, Holy or Profane, turning all under the Law of their Spoil and Licencioufnels, dy'd the White Fields in Blood, turned them into a Golgotha, as in our own Country that one Battel of Pinky can teftify, where a Church-man was both the Lots of the Field and Com mon-wealth. They are Firebrands of Strife, Trumpets of Sedition, the Red Horfes, whose Sitters have taken Peace from the Earth. There is no Chriftian Country which hath not by their Devices been wrapped in Wars, they carry the Common People, like Hawks, hooded into Dangers and Destruction, make them believe that the Mountains fhake, when the Moles do caft up, impofing upon their Credulity with vain Shadows. A general Infatuation pre ceeds the Perdition of a People. Incendiary and Malignant are the Words of the Language of Babel, and we retort them upon the Firft Petitioners, and thofe Men who are ever making all Things New, but turn every Thing ftill worfe and worfe, whilft they have no Bounds nor Limits to their Proceedings. They encroach every Day more and more upon Prerogatives, impudently they do abufe Scriptures, ufing thofe Holy Records, as Horfmen ufe their Stirrops, lengthening and fhortning them at their Pleafures. The Gloffes of roving Heads being infinite, the Names of Gue and Gibelines in Italy; the Names of Hugenot, Papift, Ravillack, Papilard in France, brought forth molt cruel and terrible Maffacres; and if the Mercies of God be not unmeafirable towards this Ile, by all Liklyhood, the Names of Malignant, Incendiary, Round-head and Puritan, fhall work and produce as horrible Effects. By you thefe Men are called Incendiaries and Malignants, who would re-cftablish the King in his Throne, and have Juftice executed upon Rebels, who oppofe a vaft Arbitrary Power, of taxing the filly People, fpoiling the Country, turning all upfide down, by New Magiftrates, Levies of Souldiers, fuppreffing of all Juftice,Publick Robberies. Sublata juftitia qnid aliud funt regna quam latrocinia Malignity is every Thing that is contrary to your Raveries: A King that doth not punifh Rebels, fhall never, during his Reign, keep his Subjects in Peace,nor enjoy himself any Quietnefs: To fave the Life of a Malefactor, is to take the Lives of good Men, and to offend God and the Common-wealth.

There are no fuch Incendiaries as thofe Men, who ftrive to anticipate the Conflagration of the World, by the Distraction of States, raifing of Disorders and Difobedience to Princes, not only in every Country, but almoft in every City and Family. And thefe Men are Prefumptuous, Ignorant, Hypocritical Churchmen, who take upon them the Policy of State, and rent and deface the Reputation of Kings, making themfelves both Judges and Moderators of all their Actions, allowing them to fly no further than they give them Wings, who, not keep. ing themselves within their own Vocations, (bufy Bodies) do affume the Power of Kings and Emperors to govern the World, ufe an Arbitrary Power, firft over the Confciences, then upon the Perfons, Goods and Fortunes of Men. Plotters they are of Civil Wars: And all under the Pretence of Religion, whilft they ftudy to redrefs Grievances by Arms, plunging the whole Country into Mischief, making the Remedy worse than the Malady; as he who fet a whole House in Fire to roft fome Eggs. The Lord knoweth bow to deliver the Godly out of all Tentations, and to referve the unjuft unto the Day of Judgment to be punished; but especially them who walk after the flesh in the luft of uncleanness,and defpife Government (f): Prefumptuous (they are) felf-willed they are, not afraid to speak ill of Dignities: Whereas Angels, which were greater in Power and Might, bring no railing Accufations against them before the Lord. And out of St. Jude likewife thefe Dreamers defpife Government, and speak evil of them that are in Authority. (g) Let every Soul be fubject to the higher Powers, for there is no Power but of God, whofoever therefore refiftet b the Power refifteth the Ordinance of God.Out of St.Peter,Submit your felves

(f) 2 Pet. 2. V.9. (s) Rom. 13. 1.

to

to every bumane Ordinance, whether it be the King, or unto Governnours; for fo is the Will of

God.

Thefe Men have affaffinated Kings amidst their Armics, poifon'd an Emperow by the very the the Earth, who, being

Sacrament Thefe are they that fet ar Var pence: Out of Ambition to govern, they tuin'd

of (perhaps) in a happy

the Chriftian Empire of the Eaft, and have done little better with the Empire in the Weft; they have let all Europe lately in Combustion. Is not a Church-man the Antichrift? They have turned Men's Eftate,at this prefent Time, to desperate that the Living envy the had on this

Dead, and malamities, to be Partakers are pro World, to draw the Air of

Infurrections against Princes, Tumults, Murders, plunderinge Religion of

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the among Chriftians, who are fpiritual Brothers, and fhould live in Amity and perfect Love together. Whilft now, any Chriftian fhould live in greater Safety amongst the Turks, Fews and Infidels, than he can live and draw out this miferable Span of Mortality, amongst Men, profeffing one Jefus Christ with him. The Chriftian Religion being brought by thefe Men to confift in outward Shows and Ceremonies, Rites, Songs, Springs, Bablings and Tautologies; regarding rather fonantia quam folida, tumultuary learning, Difpu tations of more Labour than Profit, and in an Ambition to live backward to the Religion of Rone, and what remains, being blind Obedience to fome general Council or Affembly, for all Men who think nor their Thoughts,have not the like Defires, Judgments and Opinions with them, publishing Declarations one against another, fighting firft by Pens, then with Pikes and Miskets, to the great Affrightment of all who are not of their Faith, efpecially of the Jews, who refolve rather to keep their ancient Rites, than to be Partakers of Chriftian Diffenfions. I pafs by the fearful Sentences of Excommunication, and Curfes of one Chriftian against another, but cannot be filent of the new Practick in this Kingdom, who, having long wanted this Sword of St. Peter and recently having ftollen it out of the Caftle of St. Angelo, threatneth all Men with it now and wound fome, like the roaring Swaggerers, calling ftill for the Wall Pure Religion is this, To vifit the Fatherless and the Widows in their Affliction, and keep our felves unspotted from the World (h). For this is the Message which ye beard from the Beginning, That we should love one another (i); Not as Cain who was of that wicked One, and flew his Brother! And this CommandThat he who loveth God, love his Brother alfo (k). God is no Respecter of Perment have we, fons, but in every Nation, he who feareth Him, and worketh Righteousnes, is accepted with bim (1). Only by Pride cometh Contention (m). There is more Pride to be found under a Monk's Cowl, and a broad Jefuitical Hat, than under the faireft crifted Helms, and the moft oriental Diadems of Princes. They term themselves free, and are fo indeed, in as much as they are not fubject to Reason nor Civil Duties: They are a People which fee nothing but Faults, becaufe they feek after nothing elfe; they fill Countries with Calumnies, and at laft with flaughter'd Men. From the Violence and Rage of thefe Men, and their fapientia phrenetica, Almighty God preferve all Kings and Potentates, and every good Chriftian, and well affected Subject; and grant the Kings of Great-Britain Excels of Courage, and true Heroical Fortitude, to bring under all Rebels and Hypocrites, who, under the Mask of Devotion, would throw them out of their Thrones, and turn the Church-Government and State, into an Anarchy and Confufion.

For the better Understanding of our Author's preceeding Difcourfe, we thought fit here to fubjoin the Paper written by the Commiffioners of the General Af fembly; as follows.

Ggg

(b) Ja. 1, 27. ~(1) John 1 Epistle, ch. 3, 11. (k) Chap, 4, 23. (1) Afts 19. 34. 35. (m) Prev. 10:

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A Declaration against a Cross Petition:

Wherein fome secret Letts of the intended Reformation are difcover'd: The Danger of Divifion prevented: And the Unity of this Ifland in Religion urged.

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By the Commiffioners of the General Alfembly.

HE Word of God, the Example of the People of God, and of the Kirk of Christ, fince the Beginning, and our own late, but very notable and never to be forgotten Experience, may abundantly teach us, that the Motions, Refolutions and Endeayours of the Godly, for the Advancement of the Kingdom of the Son of God, by eftablishing or propagating the Reformation of Religion, must meet with a World of Oppofition and Hindrances, which might make their Hearts to faint, and their Hands to fail, if upon the fame Grounds and Documents they were not taught to acquit themfelves, in doing the Duty required of them, by the Neceffity of their Callings; and for the Succefs, to depend upon the unfearchable Wisdom and invincible Power of God, which are made perfect in the Simplicity and Weakness of his Servants: The Zeal of the Lord of Hofts will perform it.

There hath ever been in the Kirk of Chrift, and fhall be to the End, a Generation which maketh more Account of the World, than of the Faith of Chrift, doth conceive that Differences about Religion, are but the Contentions of Kirk-men; that therefore there is no Ne ceffity of the Reformation of Religion, and that to know nothing of this kind, is the fureft Faith, and fecketh, in their Service to Kings and Princes, civilly to fupererogate at their Hands, beyond the Defervings of others, and above the expreffed Defires and Commands of Princes themselves, that the Rewards of their fingular Zeal may be the greater; and therefore have proven, and daily do prove the moft pernicious and dangerous Enemies of the True Religion. against this Generation, which faith, Let us deal wifely with them, we have this Comfort and Advantage, that we know amongst all the Enemies of the Truth, they leaft of all think that they do God Service.

We who are entrulted for the Time, to be the Commiffioners of the late General Assembly, fitting at Edinburgh, for the Affairs of the Kirk, committed to our Care and Diligence, fpecially for preferving of our own Reformation and Peace, against all forts of Enemies, and ac cording to the Intereft of this Kirk, for Unity in Religion and Uniformity of Government with the Kirk of England, which was no new Motion of ours, but a Propofition made by the Commiffioners of the Treaty,which then received, from the King's Majefty and Parliament of England, fuch an Answer as hath been the Ground of many Confultations, Declarations and Publick Letters fince, and of a renewed Supplication at this Time to the King's Majelty, and of a Declaration to the Parliament of England for the fame Effect. While we are thus exer cifed, we are defired by fome Noblemen, Barons and Burgeffes, occafionally met at Edinburgh, to fend fome of our Number to join with them in a Petition, reprefenting to the Right Ho nourable the Lords and other Commiffioners of Parliament, for the Confervation of Peace, their humble Thoughts and Fears, that the printing of his Majefty's Letter of the Date, December 5. by Warrant and Command of the Right Honourable the Lords of his Majesty's Privy Council, and the not printing of the Declaration of both Houfes of Parliament, unto which the printed Letter was an Anfwer, might be taken by the Kingdom of England, as an Approbation of the whole Matter, and all the Particulars which it did exprefs; and thereby to animate and provoke this Nation against them as Rebels and Traitors: We finding that the Petition did homologate both in the End and Means with our Commiffion, and the Matter of our prefent Deliberations, did willingly fatisfy the Defire of the Petitioners; and therefore, from our tender and dutiful Refpect to his Majefty's Honour, for preventing and removing of all Occcafion of Jealoufies and Sufpicions betwixt the Two Kingdoms,for prefervation both of our own Peace at Home, and our common Peace with England, and for promoving the fo much defired Unity of Religion, a Mean of all other moft conducing to the Confervation of both, did with them (conform to the Order observed in fuch Cafes, fince the Beginning of our late

Re