Spirit Though this Work of Babylons ruine shall not be done without power or might for double must be rendred to her and happie shall they be that reward her as shee hath served us giving her blood to drinke for shee is worthy yet not by that power or might in an ordinary way but by the Spirit of GOD the disposer of all affairs especially those that concerne the Church of GOD strangely ordering things that so little of men or meanes but much of GOD may be seen so that when he hath made the Mountains become plains before his Zerobabels the head-stone may be brought fotth with shouting crying not Armies Councels Commanders but Grace grace unto it But this is a strange Dialect to States men Souldiers It may be so but GOD will probably make it familiar in time Let this discourse be taken as it was intended not to take men off the using preparations but from trusting them and standing so precisely upon all accomplishments when GOD hath given so good encouragement to hope that he will make up our unwilling and unavoidable necessities But in the midst of our businesse let it be seriously laid to heart how much blood is spilt how many Townes and Countries spoiled how miserably our friends are distressed and distracted while we are preparing onely for their reliefe We have professed to looke upon their condition as our own and well we may for it is truly though not presently and immediately our own let us so carry our selves as if they enemies Forces were as neer Edenburgh as they are London But this must not be interpreted quarreling but quickning And now let us descend from this general consideration of difficulties and take a particular view of the present difficulties that interrupt and retard our so much expected and desired aid And first whereas it may bee there are some that quake and shiver at the thought of a Winters march and looke upon it as an unreasonable motion that our Army should then take the field when other Armies betake themselves to Garison Let none take exception if we pray GOD to keepe Winter out of our hearts and we shall make a reasonable good shift for our bodies the worst weather in the world is that which our Saviour tells of When iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold Christ never complained it was too hot when he sweat drops of blood GOD hath given us bodies able to endure much let not our mindes refuse it necessity makes all seasons alike and that is our case or I am sure the case of our friends which we should make ours or GOD will make it ours But if the consideration of the condition of our friends who endure a hard winter for want of coals from New-castle do not move us let us looke at the carriage of our enemies sure we shall be ashamed to decline that for the Service of Christ which they so readily endure for Antichrist Did not the Kings Armie march from Oxford to Brainford in November the M. of New-castle with his Popish Army from Northumberland to York in Decem. Did not the Cavaliers take in Cicester in Glocestershire in the depth of Winter Feb. 2. 1642. Vt iugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones Vt teipsum serves non expergisceris Shall villains to destroy get up by night And we not stir to save till day be light For shame let not this be thought an impediment much lesse made an excuse by any GOD will either send such weather as we may endure or make us able to endure such as he sends If we complain the winter is too cold it is much to bee doubted we may have reason hereafter to complain that the Spring is too hot when our work shal be made ten times more difficult by the increase of the enemies strength from Ireland and other places and the provision of Armes and Ammunition now so much wanting among them which these dark winter nights notwithstanding the guards at Sea will befriend them with Let us not favour our enemies while we think to favour our selves and suffer them to make use of those provisions for horse and man which are now in the Countrey though Winter be more cold the Summer is like to be more hungry Delayes especially in Military affairs are seldome or never without many dangers Ours will have sin and danger too if they be not timely looked unto But the last and greatest difficultie is the matter of money how can it be thought that we should satisfie the expectation of our friends and neighbours when they fall so much short of satisfying ours in that which is the sinew and strength of warre This is a strong objection but necessity is a stronger answer we must be sure at some time or other for we are made Traitors and Rebels by Proclamation already and promised protection but upon a slender condition that is so long as wee behave our selves so as evill Councellours may give a good report of our deservings we shall be compelled to raise an Armie in defence of this Cause and our selves and though the termes are not so good as some expected they are better then wee are like to finde if our brethren in England bee utterly spoiled and wee left to shift for our selves Let us therefore perswade our selves to doe that now which otherwise we shal be in time constrained to that is part with what we have for the vindication of our Religion and Liberty As it was just and reasonable that for the better accomplishment of the intended worke we should make as good provision as might be and to that end desire a considerable summe of money the better to prevent future inconveniencies So it is no lesse just and reasonable that our friends having as we are credibly informed done their utmost for this present toward the satisfaction of our propositions in that point we should bee willing and ready to doe our utmost to supply their unwilling wants the cause being as certainly though not so immediately ours as theirs It may be more money might have been had if Malignants Neuters and lukewarme-professors could have found in their hearts to have parted with it but as some have done below so doubtlesse some have done beyond their ability Shall honest men be destroyed because worldlings will not part with their Mammon For that is the case if we helpe not the good Protestants of England because money is short they must be lost and undone because after this vast expence upon the Cause of GOD they are no richer And if this be an impediment certainly it will be an everlasting impediment the longer we stay the lesse assistance must bee expected from our friends which bee daily more and more exhausted and that middle sort of men which have the riches of the Kingdome will rather with their money buy an unlawfull peace than maintain a lawfull warre Considering therefore that GOD hath so in his providence
SCOTLANDS ALARME OR Some considerations tending to demonstrate the necessitie of our speedie marching to the assistance of our Brethren in England notwithstanding all difficulties and necessities reall or pretended ESTHER 4. verse 13 14 16. Verse 13. Think not with thy self that thou shalt escape in the Kings house more then all the Iews 15. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time thou shall there inlargement and deliverance arise to the Iews from another place but thou and thy fathers house shall be destroyed and who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this Verse 16. If I perish I perish Chap. 8. vers 6. For how can I endure to see the evill that shall come unto Gods people or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kinred TOGETHER With a Letter dated at Edinburgh Novemb. the 29. 1643. Wherin is given full satisfaction to all men who desire to know the reasons why the Scots Army is not yet advanced into England Printed first at Edinburgh and Re-printed at London for Robert Bostock Anno Domini 1643. SCOTLANDS ALARME OR Some considerations tending to demonstrate the necessitie of our speedie marching to the assistance of our Brethren in England notwithstanding all difficulties and necessities reall or pretended FOrasmuch as all works of honour and importance are usually attended with manifold difficulties which the spirits of men unlesse quickned many times suffer to grow up into discouragements And whereas more especially those under-takings in which the honour of GOD and the aduancement of the Kingdom of JESUS CHRIST is concerned besides those naturall impediments that arise from the weight of the Service are commonly obstructed with many artificiall lets which the subtilty and malice of the Devill and ill-affected Instruments readily make and many times the corruptions of the well-affected too easily entertain It seems not unnecessarie to offer to this Nation now by solemne and sacred Covenant engaged with the Kingdom of England for the mutuall preservation of Religion and Liberty some considerations proving and pressing the necessitie of the speedie marching of our intended Army to the relief of our Brethren notwithstanding the expectation of money not fully answered and the discouragements of this Winter season That we of this Nation are to affoord assistance to England in thi Cause wherein they are engaged against the Popish and Prelaticall Faction that so the intended corruption and subversion of the Protestant Religion may be prevented and the just Liberties of both Nations secured it is hoped may be taken for granted it being the plain language of our Covenant Some it may be there are and God be thanked there are no more who either really think or carry themselves as if they thought it utterly unlawfull to engage in this Cause because we are so unhappie as to see his Majesty intangled in the counsels and practises of them whom we are resolved to oppose and think that free-born Protestant Subjects in any case of difference betwixt them and their Prince have nothing left but the miserable refuge of passive obedience which they will have accounted due to his personall commands as well as legall But God forbid we should so part with our Religion and Libertie the Inheritance of our Fathers A great deal of honour and observance is due to Princes but let us finde out some cheaper sacrifice for these Deities than the honour and truth of him who is exalted farre above all gods and the welfare and happinesse of whole Kingdoms with which whatsoever mortall man is weighed in the ballance will be found too light But in the mean time these States and Kingdoms are verie much beholding to the patrons of this Doctrine who thereby make the condition of the Subjects of great Brittain no whit better than that of the vassals to the great Turk who can desire or expect no more than a passive obedience to his will and pleasure Others there be who pretend think to that Religion Liberty may be secured by those wayes and counsels which have obtained his Majesties Countenance and Concurrence But whether a designe whose ingredients are Spanish Counsels Romish Buls Popish Contributions and an Irish Cessation be like to tend to the good of the true Religion let any man judge who hath not renounced his understanding But this present undertaking is not intended to convince them who oppose or decline this Service if there are any who either upon these grounds or worse are disposed to an opposition or neutrality in this great Cause And after so much blood shed so many Petitions and Declarations made such a Covenant as ours duely weighed doubt of the lawfullnesse and necessity of joyning with our Brethren in this mutuall defence Such are to be left to the just censures of the Church and deserved penalties of the State which certainly are the most fit and will be the most effectuall meanes for their Conviction That which is now endeavored is to quicken the hearts and strengthen the hands of them who have Sworn and Subscribed this Solemne Covenant that they may with the more speed and cheerfulnesse set their shoulders to the work in hand For so it is many times Probitas laudatur alget that a good Cause is at the same time praised and starved And those that seem very much affected with the generall representation of a businesse when it descends to action and especially their own particular engagement have a strange damp seazing upon them and can hardly perswade themselves to act according to what they have apprehended If therefore there be any who either doubt of the absolute or present necessity of contributing their utmost assistance to this Cause of CHRIST so infinitely valuable let the love they owe to GOD and his Gospel which is endangered to their Brethren who are so miserably spoiled both in England and Ireland to themselves and their own Native Country which is now within the noise of the Thunder for the sharp Letters and terrible Proclamations from Oxford have already reached us and will shortly unlesse GOD give us grace to prevent it by timely endeavours be under the storm Let these threefold bands of love not easily broken by any Christian Spirit prevail with them to lay to heart these ensuing considerations First let it be duely considered what may be the ill consequents of disapointing the expectation of the wel-affected party in England who having done their utmost to answer our desires have set their hearts and hopes upon our assistance as the most probable means under GOD for the repressing the fury of the adversary and rescuing them from those calamities that presse them even at their doors Iob. 6. To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend but we shall instead of that adde affliction to their affliction if by deferring their hope we make their hearts to faint and give too much advantage to their and our adversaries to
insult over them and speake proudly in the day of their distresse And secondly if after all these Overtures and Endeavours our promised and expected helpe should be deferred the Malignants would be very diligent to improve this disappointment to an alienation of their affection from us and the interruption of that Union so happily made and confirmed betwixt us by the late Covenant and our FRIENDS would bee ready to looke upon us as a people rather addicted to our own advantages then affected with their dangers or the dangers of Religion it selfe which we have publickly acknowledged to bee much hazarded by the attempts of Papists and Malignants there But it will be said that other mens expectations are not to bee the grounds or rules of our proceedings It is answered nationall expectations are not to be slighted but sometimes may have the strength of some arguments especially when so raised as theirs have been which may be conceived to be by these two grounds First a representation made to our friends in England by their Commissioners of their hearty entertainment here and that just sense and fellow-feeling of their calamities which was expressed by the Generall Assembly and Convention of Estates to which affections they will looke for actions sutable Secondly we understand by divers Letters that our Commissioners there seeing their necessities and yet their willingnesse to doe to their power and many of them beyond their power the better to comply with the Articles of the Treaty have given very much encouragement to them to expect our speedy march especially upon the sending away a considerable part of the money required And we are bound as much as in us lyeth to make good the hopes they have given both for their credit the honor of the Nation For though our difficulties be many yet it is impossible that they should become so manifest and convincing to them as to acquit us from a present undertaking of this service And lastly by our present march wee shall not onely satisfie the expectation of our friends but besides the reall service wee shall doe in our own persons in those parts where wee come Wee shall give reputation to their Forces elswhere disappoint and distract the enemy who have flattered themselves with the impossibility of our present assistance and ordered their affairs accorddingly And not only help to save the lives and estates but the souls of many who through a slavish feare are constrained to lie in a detestable neutrality and ready to say a confederacy to the Papists and so to stretch out their hands to a strange god As therefore all warlike undertakings in regard of the manifold advantages of dispatch are called Expeditions so let us take care that through our backwardnesse this of ours lose not that name But the difficulties are so many in regard of our necessities not supplyed with the full sum expected and the manifold inconveniences of a Winter march that it seems unreasonable for any to expect we should undertake that which we can scarce hope to go through For satisfaction to this great objection let us consider something of the nature of difficulties in generall and some things concerning our particular present difficulties First it is hoped no man will take offence at him that prayeth GOD to remove the difficulties in our own hearts which through sloath and self-love are sometimes ready to say There is a roaring Lyon in the way when it is onely a barking Dog it may be if this prayer were heard the greatest difficulties were removed though it cannot be denied there are many other Secondly Difficultie is the constant companion of great and honourable undertakings Mat. 26.39 the greater our difficulties are the greater honour shall we gain to our selves the greater love shall we shew to the Cause and Servants of CHRIST who when he came to deliver us never disputed the bitternesse of the Cup but was satisfied that it was his Fathers will he should drink it 2 Sam. 24.24 A man would not bestow a cheap courtesie on his friend much lesse would he serve GOD with that which costs him nought In a word so ardent are those affections that become this Cause that they ought not nor will not fear the encounter of the coldest winter blasts that can be met with Thirdly All difficulties that fall short of impossibility though they dis-hearten flat and dull spirits yet they do but quicken those that are noble and active and makes them double their diligent endeavours Nothing but an absolute impossibilitie must stop us in our intended Course for we have obliged our selves by Covenant Eccl. 5.4 Zealously constantly to continue in the pursuance of this Cause against all opposition and promote the same according to our power against all Lets and Impediments whatsoever Let this be throughly weighed Vow and pay Fourthly The manifold experience we have had of difficulties may justly make us rather love them then fear them let us reflect upon the unexpected relief GOD hath given us in our streights for want of Money victuals and Ammunition in our former expeditions and be discouraged if wee can it is true the thought of them should not make us neglect the meanes and tempt GOD but they may and must when wee have used the means make us trust him The great things GOD that done for us have surely their use and there is none better then in the strength of them and to set upon new as David remembring the Lion and the Bear adventured on the Philistin The place wither we are to go may justly be called by us Iehovah Iireh as it was then said in the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen so may it by us in regard of the extremities wee have passed the more difficultie the less danger And as it is very well worth our labour to re-collect and consider the severall passages of speciall providence which have befallen us and others on this Cause of Preservation and Reformation of Religion So may it not be amisse in the mean time to take notice of this generall observation That GOD delights to be very much seen in the carrying it on he honours men so much as to employ them and lets them shew their duty to him and love to his Cause but the Worke that is done he doth it himselfe and in the midst of all the meanes that are used he seemes resolved to bring his people out of Babylon as once out of Egypt by tentations and signes and mighty wonders How strangely hath he rejected all humane confidences Armies have been raised with great Preparations Zech. 4.6 7. Expectations how small parts of them hath God made use of indeed no part til he hath first reduced them to great straits extremities and emptyed them of their own confidence It is a worke paralled to that mentioned by the Prophet which the Lord declared to be accomplished not by power nor by might but by his
ordered things that our Brethren of England and wee should be happily united in a Solemne Covenant a thing wee would not long since have purchased at a dear rate and hath disposed the hearts of the Parliament readily to condiscends to the Articles of the Treaty without any materiall alteration Seeing that notwithstanding the spoile of the Kings Armies having a great part of the Kingdom under contribution and almost destroying the trade of London and notwithstanding the charge of their own Armies which hath been exceeding great both in England and Ireland and yet is like to be they have used so much care and so faithfull endeavours for the fulfilling our demands Let us every man look upon his Covenant wherein he hath engaged to his power and then look to his purse his barns his shop and store-houses and whatsoever he can call his And last of all look back into his own heart and conscience and make an impartiall judgement of his ability and do accordingly left our hands in contribution not being answerable to our Vow in the Covenant we be accounted deceivers and meet with a curse in stead of a blessing What GOD hath denied us in money he hath grant ed us in victuall whereof he hath vouchsafed us plenty let us not suffer his Cause to starve in the midst of it Let us consider that there is now no place for concealments wee have not to do with men but with GOD with whom we have covenanted he searcheth our hearts sees our actions and abilities He takes notice what prophane Esaus there are among us that preferre pottage to their birth-right What churlish Nabals who say of the servants and Cause of GOD 1 Sam. 25.5 as he once of Davids Shall I take my bread and my flesh and give it to men whom I know not whence they be and he takes so strict notice as to render to them according to their wayes and according to the fruit of their doings as you may see in that reckoning Christ makes at the 25 of Matth. v. 41. I was hungry and ye fed me not naked and ye clothed me not Depart ye cursed c. But I wil not so much distrust your faithfulnesse and forwardnesse in this great Cause of Jesus Christ which pleads so strongly for it self in every Christian heart If this labour be superfluous I am glad you wanted it not if it be necessary I am glad I spared it not I shut up all with the words of Ioab to Abishai 2 Sam. 10.12 Be of good courage and let us play the men for the people and cities of our God and let the Lord do what seemeth to him good Only adding that lively encouragement of David to Solomon 1 Chron. 12.6 Arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with you FINIS A LETTER From EDINBVRGH NOVEMBER 30. 1643. Giving full satisfaction to all men why the SCOTISH Army is not yet Advanced into ENGLAND My true and constant Friend GIve me leave to use this compellation of you who lives in the midst of so many changes and changlings Suffer me also to entreat you to afford me a little of your patience if it be not all spent till you have perused and pondered these few lines expressing the condition of our affaires here and then pronounce your sentence Master Hatcher and his Company with the Treatie and the Money came to Leith road November 21. so long a time it pleased God to keep him on Sea and thereby to excroise our patience The publicke Orders to the Shyres concerning the generall Randevous which is appointed to be upon the 29. of December at Hatrlaw a place foure miles from Berwicke were exped upon the fourth day after the arrivall of the Ship which was Novemb. 25. The neerest Regements are appointed to march presently towards the borders there to quarter and exercise themselves and to meet with the Cavaleeres if any of them shall appeare till the day of Randevous Consider with your selfe what time you will allow for sending the Orders to the Shires to call the Committees of the severall Shires to bring together the Souldiers to their Colours and to march as farre as Barwicke from which some of the Regiments are no lesse then a hundred miles distant after you have impartially considered these and other such necessary duties and distractions you will not condemne us of delayes or slacknesse Ireland hath also bred us at this time much trouble and hinderance for upon the very day of Master Hatcher his arivall Commissioners came from Ireland expressing the unsupporable sufferings of our Irish Army One of them swore to my selfe that being present at a Parade he did see a whole Regiment whereof scarcely one hundred had either stockings or shooes but all bare-legged and bare-footed in this season of the yeere and yet poore soules they are ready to take the Covenant and to spend their lives against the Cessation if they had necessaries for their lives furnished unto them Our Councels were tossed betwixt two extremities upon the one hand to bring them away was to give up that Kingdome into the hands of Papists and Rebels to suffer the poore Protestants there either to be driven forth and to come upon us for reliefe or their throats to be cut by their barbarity which hath destroyed so many already and to make the Rebels strong and united for invading these two Kingdomes Upon the other hand to keepe them there and to feed them with promises and really to starve them as we have done for a long time were to fall in the like barbarity In this perplexity we have beene forced to dispatch from Air 4000 bolls of meall which we had provided for the Western Regiments and are providing other necessaries to be sent unto thē with diligence This hath bin an unexpected untimeous but a necessary diversion of our councels from the great businesse And hath taken up a great part of our time which the English Comissioners here doe know and the wise there cannot but acknowledge The act of publike faith is also concluded and sent up that there be nothing wanting on our part No sooner did the Committee of the convention of Estates resolve upon the day of generall assembly in their meeting at Edenbrugh have appointed a publike fast and humiliation for a blessing from Heaven upon our expedition which is to be solemly kept in the Army in all the Kirks of the Kingdome Jan. 7. being the Lords day and the wednesday following according to the warning sent to all the Presbitaries and the particular causes expressed therein which I have herewith sent unto you Thus have we resolved with our prayers and endeavours to joyne in the cause of God and to wait for his blessing for successe FINIS