Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A58609
|
A declaration of the Committee of Estates of the Parliament of Scotland to the honourable Houses of Parliament, and to all their brethren of England concerning the necessity, grounds, and ends of their engagement, and of the return of the Scots armie into England.
|
Scotland. Parliament.
|
1648
(1648)
|
Wing S1208; ESTC R34038
|
12,072
|
18
|
lay down Armes till Truth and Peace be setled in the Iland upon a firm foundation for the present and future Generations being also invited thereunto by many of that kingdom joyned in Covenant with us Our forces are again in England and in discharge of our duties to God our Native King our own country and our Brethren in England we have undertaken this so necessary engagement in prosecution of those just pious and loyall ends to which we are so solemnly sworn And although we have not at all departed from our good old Principles and that our Demands and Desires are contained in our severall Declarations Papers and addresses this time past to the Houses of Parliament yet seeing by the malice of our enemies many false and scandalous aspersions are cast upon us our Actions and intentions traduced and jealousies raised in the minds of many good though too credulous men both at home annd abroad for satisfaction of all that are satisfiable and to witnesse the sincerity of our intentions and resolutions we shall here repeat our most material desires and the grounds of our undertakings 1. We declare before God and all the world that we are resolved sincerely really constantly to maintain and preserve inviolably with the hazard of our Lives and Fortunes and all that is dearest unto us the Reformation of Religion in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government as it is by the mercy of God and his Majesties goodnesse established by Law amongst us and never to suffer it by fraud or force to be taken from us nor yet to endure the bringing in of Episcopacy the Book of Common Prayer or any other of these Innovations and Superstitions thrown out of this Church as some have bin so impudent to averre And also with the same sincerity reality and constancy in our places and callings to the uttermost of our power faithfully to endeavour the confirming what is already done in the work of Reformation establishing the Covenant and attaining all the ends of it in England and Ireland particularly Reformation of Religion and Uniformity according to the Covenant 2. We doe also declare that we will endeavour the Rescue of his Majesties Person from his base imprisonment that he may come with Honour Freedome and Safety to some of his own Houses in or near London that the Parliaments of both kingdomes may make their applications to him for obtaining his Royall Assent to such desires as shal be by them presented to him for establishing Religion as is above exprest and setling a well-grounded Peace that so his Majesty may live in the Splendor and Glory of his Royall Progenitours as beseemeth his Royall Place and Dignity That all differences and troubles may end in mutuall confidence and rejoycing the King may enjoy the comfort of his Royall Consort and children with other contentments And We after so great distractions and long continued sufferings may reap the blissed fruits of Truth and Peace under his Government For however the late procedure of this kingdome may have been misunderstood yet God knowes that we have never admitted of any thoughts to the prejudice of our Gracious Soveraign his Person and Government to whom we pray that the Lord would grant a long and happy Reign and that there may not want one of his seed to rule over us rightly and to sit upon his Throne while the Sun and the Moon endureth 3. That the two Houses of Parliament may be restored to their Freedome that all Members who have been faithfull to this Cause may freely and safely attend their charges That the Parliament being Masters of their own Counsels and Results they may together with the advice and consent of the kingdome of Scotland conclude in a Treaty with his Majesty all other things expedient to a thorough setlement 4. That the City of London which hath expended so much in Blood and Treasure may have their former Propositions presented to the King at Oxford and Newcastle and prest as was formerly intended 5. That the Army of Sectaries under the command of Thâ—… Lord Fairfax of Camron be disbanded and none employed either in relation to the prosecution of the War in Ireland or the necessary Garrisons and forces but such as have or shall take the Covenant and are well affected to Religion and Government that so the people of England may be eased of taxes free quarter and other great Impositions under which they have so long groaned 6. And although the interest of Religion King and Kingdoms and the setling of a solid Peace be the cause of this undertaking yet we do not doubt but due regard will be had to the concernments of Scotland contained in our severall former demands both in relation to what is due to this Kingdom and their Armies here and in Ireland as also what is necessary for the better safety union and Government of the Kingdomes We have now exprest the true grounds and reasons of this Engagement and the Ends we propose to our selves And we doe expect that none who will not declare themselves Enemies to God the King the Parliament and peace of these kingdomes will oppose us in this so pious and necessary an undertaking And therefore wee hope all jealousies and misunderstandings wâ—ll be laid aside and that we shall meet with a hearty concurrence both of all the Subjects of this kingdom and our Brethren of England And we doe declare That it shall be our endeavour to protect in their persons and goods all of the English Nation who shall joyn in Covenant with us and for prosecution of those Ends and that we doe no prejudice nor use violence to none as farre as we are able but such as oppose us or those Ends above mentioned Particularly we shall endeavour that the Arrears due to all Souldiers who have served the Parliament of England in this Cause excepting such as have engaged and abetted the Army in their courses and shall not immediately desert them may have their accounts audited part of the Arrears payed and security for the rest with full indempnity And because our Army will be necessitated to live upon the Country untill a Regular course be taken for their maintenance Wee doe declare that it shall be our care that they carry themselves as soberly and be as little burthensome as is possible and before we return we shall labour to see the Northern Counties satisfied for what extraordinary burthens they sustain To conclude We declare before God and the world That we resolve by Gods assistance in all our proceedings never to break on our parts the union betwixt the kingdomes nor to encroach upon the Nationall rights of the Subjects of England or entrench upon their just Liberties much lesse is it our intention at all to make a Nationall enengagement against the Parliament and kingdom of England but for them whose freedome priviledges and happinesse shall ever be as dear to us as our own And our desires being provided for and secured then immediately our Army shall depart the kingdome of England and return peaceably home again whereof we have twice already given real testimonies our intentions being ever the same with our professions resolving still to continue stedfast in the prosecution of them for the accomplishment whereof we shall be ready to sacrifice both our Lives and Fortunes ARCH PRIMEROSE FINIS
A DECLARATION OF THE COMMITTEE of ESTATES Of the PARLIAMENT of SCOTLAND TO THE Honourable Houses of the PARLIAMENT And to all their Brethren of ENGLAND Concerning The Necessity Grounds and Ends of their Engagement and of the RETURN of the SCOTS ARMIE into ENGLAND EDINBURGH Printed by Evan Tyler Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty 1648. GOD save the KING C R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE A Declaration of the COMMITTEE of the Estates of the Parliament of Scotland To the Honourable Houses of the PARLIAMENT and to all their Brethren of England AFter so long a continuance of the sad calamities that have almost wasted these three Kingdoms and the uninterrupted endeavours of this Nation to have all the causes of them removed We cannot possibly expresse with what grief of soul we find them still more likely to be increased than diminished Neither did any part of our former sufferings more deeply afflict us then again to be necessitated to Expressions and Actions that by some will rather be looked upon as Incentives of new troubles then meanes to quiet and calme the present distempers Therefore we have thought fit to offer this ensuing Declaration to the Honourable Houses of Parliament and to our Brethren of England for satisfaction of all religious loyall and honest men that Heaven and Earth may beare witnesse with us of the necessity of our Engagement and undertakings at this time and of the candour of our Intentions and Resolutions After that by the blessing of God upon the endeavours of this Nation and their Armies at home and in England in two severall Expeditions a happy Peace was setled Religion and the just Liberties of this Kingdom established a Parliament called in England and great progresse made towards the redresse of all grievances and reforming abuses both in Church and State It pleased the Lord again to call us to new troubles For the differences betwixt the King and Parliament being increased and heightened into a bloody War the many Addresses of this Kingdom to His Majesty and the two Houses for an amicable composure of differences having proved fruitlesse and ineffectuall and the Parliament reduced to a low condition This Kingdom was invited to the assistance of their Brethren large Professions by them were made of their desires of unity and uniformity in Religion of a neerer conjunction with this Kingdom and the dangers were fully represented to us of a prevailing Party in England different from us in Religion and Church-Government It was then acknowledged that the same fate in Religion attended both And because it was well known that although unhappy differences had arisen betwixt his Majesty his Subjects of this Kingdom yet Scotland could never be drawn into any action against His Majesty or that fidelity and subjection which they owe to Him and his Posterity large professions were therefore made by the two Houses of their loyalty to their King whose greatnesse and authority they professed they never intended to diminish as may more fully appear in the severall Declarations Commissioners were sent into this Kingdom Invitations renewed a Treaty made and a Covenant solemnly signed and sworne for Reformation and defence of Religion the honour and happinesse of the King and the peace and safety of the Kingdoms Thus both Kingdoms were equally and mutually engaged and in pursuance of the Covenant and Treaty an Army marched into England in the hardest Season and both Kingdoms in their joynt-Declaration Jan. 6. 1643 4. obliged themselves and decreed never to lay down Arms till Truth and Peace by the blessing of God were setled in this Iland upon a firm foundation for the present and future Generations Although we shall not mention what successe that Army had what Blood they lost both in Scotland and England what hardships they endured and how much this Kingdome was thereby impoverished yet we cannot but remember how that by the blessing of God upon the joynt Councels and Forces of both Kingdoms the two Houses of Parliament were recovered into a condition of making good those Engagements and with what unity both Kingdoms proceeded towards the attaining of those Ends untill that Party in the Houses who since have declared themselves Independents who seemed forward in the engaging of this Kingdom and at first profest greatest care of our Army had attained to power discovered their intentions and interrupted all these fair beginnings They created and fomented jealousies against the Scots and by their influence on the two Houses cashiered all in England by Sea and Land how eminent how faithfull soever that they could not confide in And by the successe of their new-modelled Army for the most part Sectaries they engrossed all power Military and Civill into their own and their Creatures hands the Propositions formerly agreed on by both Kingdoms and treated on at Vxbridge were altered yet this Kingdom and those imployed by them were content so far to deny themselves and their own interests as to wave the Propositions most advantagious to Scotland and for witnessing their desire of Peace to joyn in those framed by the two Houses where the Independents had got such a power And for the greatest testimony of our confidence in the Honourable Houses of Parliament notwithstanding the many injuries and discouragements received in England from the then and still prevailing party in the English Army and their Abetters who were grown Anti-Covenanters and threatned a disappointment of all the Ends of the Covenant upon the publike faith of the Houses given to us for the preservation and safety of His Majesties sacred person and of making joynt addresses to His Majesty for setling a safe and well-grounded Peace and free accesse of all imployed by this Kingdom to his Majesty the Armies of Scotland returned from England and left the King with the English Commissioners most of our Army were immediately thereafter disbanded and no more kept on foot but so many as were necessary for reducing some Scots Rebels and Irish Subjects of the Crown of England whom by the large Treaty England was bound to reduce We expected that the like course would have been taken for disbanding of the Armies in England and none kept on foot but such as were necessary for the Garrisons and safety of the Kingdom there being then no profest Enemy in Arms and those to have been such as both Kingdoms might have confided in for affection to Religion and Monarchy whereunto the Honourable Houses of Parliament did effectually apply themselves as appears by their Declaration of the 28. of May 1647. But the Independent party were as diligent to hinder it First by contriving and procuring a Petition from the Army against their disbanding which by the Houses was Voted mutinous and the Abetters of it enemies to the State 200000 l. was provided and Commissioners sent down to the Army for disbanding it and engaging a considerable Supply for Ireland under the Command of Generall-Major Skippon and Lieut. Generall