of soules this feare will vanish Nor can there be any other remedy of so many feares and jelousies but the setting up of the government it selfe which by the power of God accompanying his owne Ordinance will prove a comfort to the godly a meanes to winne many to Christ and a matter of rejoycing to all who have been instruments of so good a worke especially to the honourable houses of Parliament whom we therefore earnestly desire against all obloquies and impediments by their authority to establish it that it may in reality speake for it selfe above any verball expressions of ours and when we see Religion so far promoted we may the more cheerfully proceed in the common cause as knowing that wee have not been beating the ayre Our other renewed desire is concerning peace which of all things next to truth is most desireable for attaining whereof we conceive two things to be necessary One is that seeing by Gods good providence the Scottish Army is not yet necessitated to goe for Scotland but may remain in this Kingdome a solid course may be taken according to the Treaty for their necessary maintenance that they be encouraged to act their part and be kept from such other waies as have been and must be uncomfortable to themselves and hurtfull to their brethren here whereupon much discontent ariseth on both sides and by joynt counsels may be directed and set in such a way for prosecuting of the warre as may be most effectuall and beneficiall for this and consequently of both Kingdomes The other thing which wee conceive to be necessary is that Propositions of peace be speedily dispatcht to His Majesty This wee have pressed divers times before and have waited for the results of the consideration of the businesse by the house of Commons conforme to their Order of the 18 of August but till this time wee have not heard what progresse they have made Our opportunity herein is not greater then our Commission is urgent and our Commandements frequent to take all occasions for speeding the setlement of truth and peace the ends which have engaged us to this warre Of late when our Kingdome in the wonderfull providence of God was brought low wee were altogether silent lest our desire should have appeared to proceed rather from impatience under the sence of our sufferings then from our sincerity and zeale of the publique peace But now when the mighty hand of God hath wrought a notable deliverance for Scotland and hath blessed the Armies of this Kingdome with marvellous successe by which meanes the King having no considerable strength to relie upon in Scotland or England may be humbled and his heart prepared for hearkening to peace wee conceive the motion to be more seasonable and doe hope it will be more successefull then ever before and what the Lord will doe hereafter when opportunities have not been taken hold of wee doe not know nor is it for us to conjecture but so much wee may in certainty foresee that if the King shall grant such Propositions as may be the foundation of a safe and firme peace wee have that which ought to be the common desire of all the three Kingdomes in the most easie way And if which God forbid his heart shall be still averse our advantage is great having besides the approbation of God and the eternall peace of our owne soules the testimony of the world and the conviction of our enemies together with the stronger resolution when we are at out wits end to follow the war and thereby within a short time through the blessing of God to obtaine our peace Concerning the Kingdome of Scotland the reports of others and their owne speculations of the miseries of war in forraine parts are felt of them and verified of late in their lamentable experience as the want of ordinary Courts and courses of justice the decay of commerce and trade by Sea and Land to the impoverishing of the Kingdome and making of thousands of families to beg who hardly can finde supply from the richer sort because their revenues are not payd them the plunder and devastation of the Souldiers the assesments pressures and unnecessary burdens laid upon the Subjects for intertaining the warre above that which they are able to beare the great effusion of blood and the cutting off of many of the best affected with other sufferings of women and children which are grievous to remember And when by the calamities of a long lasting warre they are brought low and exhausted of men and meanes the danger of drawing in the barbarous Irish or some other forraine enemy to their utter undoing The difficulties and distresses of this Kingdome through the long continuance of this unnaturall warre are better knowne to the wisdome of the honourable Houses then to us Yet after so long residence upon publique imployments in this place we cannot be so voyd of the knowledge and sense of them as not to apprehend the danger of the like extremity at last unto our brethren of England Seeing therefore the Fields are now white to the Harvest both of perfecting the Reformation of Religion and of making a sure and well-grounded Peace and there be so strong inclinations and desires so many invitations and encouragements so fit preparations and sutable dispositions on all hands for so blessed a worke wee doe in all earnestnesse desire that the opportunity which can hardly be redeemed when once lost may be improved to the greatest advantage by the wisdome and zeale of the honourable Houses and doe expect their speedy answer that wee may be able to render an account to the Parliament of Scotland or to those that sent us and waite for it at our hands By command of the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland JOHN CHEISLEY September 1645. UPon the 26. of this instant your Lordships did communicate to us the resolutions of both Houses to which you desired a speedy answer and further acquainted us that the Papers by us lately given in were under consideration of the house and that wee shall receive their answer with all conveniency and upon the 27 your Lordships renewed the same desires Wee cannot give a positive answer to the desire of both Houses concerning the disposall of the Army because it is not in our power but we shall communicate their desires forthwith to the Committee with the Army and presse them with all the earnestnesse we can to which we expect they will be ready to give all just satisfaction so farre as the season of the yeere may admit and in the meane time wee desire a speedy answer to our Paper of the fourth of this instant and the other of the twelfth so farre as concernes Money Armes and Ammunition which is still as necessary for accomplishment of our desires as if the Army had marched into Scotland and the speedie proceeding thereof will be a great encouragement to that Army and furtherance to their undertakings It is well enough knowne to
performed and preserved each in favour of the other and so doth double the security as both by way of Law and way of Covenant and agravates the violation of any Article as the violation of both Law and Covenant whereas the way of Bills without the Propositions is a more dividing way both of the desires of the Kingdoms of the Kings Answers thereunto and of their Obligations to see the same performed and therefore a disjunctive way was most earnestly pressed by the Kings Commissioners at Vxbridge as most conducible to their ends and preâ—â—diciall to ours and for that cause was opposed by the Commissioners of both Kingdoms That seeing the Parliament of Scotland is not presently siting â—nd did not know of this way and that we cannot have powâ—r to form Acts of Parliament this were to propose and desire the setling the peace of the one kingdome without setling of the other which as it were contrary to the Covenant and the Treaty so would it be made use of by our common adversaries to be the occasion of ruining the peace of both and therefore we rather desire that the way already agreed upon by both Kingdoms may be observed as that which will occasion both least delay and lesse danger especially seeing we are willing to crave a positive answer to the Propositions without any Treaty And for the way of security we desire that the way so solidly agreed upon by both Kingdoms for estâ—blishing of the large Treaty and inserted in the beginning and close of the Acts of Parliament of both Kingdoms in the yeare of God 1641. may be seriously considered as containing a three-fold security the one of ingrossing all the Propositions and passing them by way of a Law and Act of Parliament the other by way of the Kings Covenant and Oath to his people the third by the Parliaments of both Kingdoms giving their full assurance and making Publick Faith in name of both Kingdoms respectively for the true and faithfull observance thereof all which upon the Kings grant of the Propositions may be speedily dispatched and securely setled which is our chiefest desire for the good of both Kingdoms And it were earnestly to be wished in a matter of so tender a nature as the businesse of peace wherein the mutuall advise and câ—nsent of both Kingdoms is necessarily required that neither Kingdom should engage themselves without a previous debate especially in alteration of any thing formerly agreed on 14. Aug. 1645. By command of the Scottish Commissioners for the Parliament of Scotland Joh. Cheisley UPon severall occasions we have represented to the Houses of Parliament the extream wants and necessities of the Scottish Army and particularly of late in a paper of the seaventh of August to which we have received no answer It is fourteene moneths since a moneths pay was ordered by the House of Commons to be payed to the Scottish Army out of the Fines and compositions for delinquents Estates immediatly after the battle of Long-marston a great proportion whereof remaines yet due and cannot be paid by reason severall Orders are procured from the House in prejudice thereof for payment of monies for other uses out of those Fines and compositions It is about seaven moneths since the House of Parliament did passe an Ordinance assessing the severall Counties towards the entertainment of that Army of all which there is only come in to the Committee of Goldsmiths Hall about seaven or eight thousand pounds for repayment of the moneths pay advanced by the City of London which is all that Army received for these seaven moneths past and for the moneths pay Ordered by the House upon the fifteenth of August to be forthwith provided and furnished there is no appearance of the providing thereof till the House give further order The Houses of Parliament were also pleased to appoint two hundred pound per diem to be payed toward the maintenance of the Infantry of that Army which though it hath been assessed by the Commissioners of Parliament yet hath proved very in effectuall as the Commissioners themselves have certified to the House of Commons We doe therefore againe renew our former request to the Houses that they would be pleased to call for the Reports of the Committee of Goldsmiths Hall concerning those Fines and compositions to enable them for speedy payment of the remainder of that moneths pay Voted immediatly after the battle of Long-marston and to order no monies to be payed by that Committee out of those Fines and compositions till it shall be paid That the months pay Ordered by the House upon the fifteenth of August to be forthwith provided and sent to the Army may be accordingly furnished and that a more effectuall course be taken for bringing in the monies assessed upon the severall Counties for entertainment of that Army We are informed that the Houses of Parliament have now in consideration the sale of the delinquents Estates and therefore have thought fit to put the Honourable Houses in mind of the fifth Article of the Treaty between the Kingdoms wherein it is provided that the Scottish Army shall be payed by the Parliament of England out of the Estates of the Papists Prelats Malignants and their adherents or otherwise and since it is cleerly evident that all other waies for the maintenance of that Army have failed we desire that a stock of credit and security may be setled by Ordinance of Parliament out of the Lands and Estates of delinquents for payment of what is due to the Scottish Army and that the Lands and Estates of delinquents be ingaged for no other use till that Army receive satisfaction which is now most necessary in regard of the great distractions of the Kingdom of Scotland and we hope the Houses of Parliament will be the more ready to supply them that the only quarrell the enemy doth pretend against that Kingdom is the assistance given by them to the Parliament of England 4th September 1645. By Command of the Commissioners for the Parliament of Scotland John Cheisly IT hath pleased the Lord our God who worketh all things according to the counsell of his owne Will in his wise and and righteous Providence so to dispose at this time upon the affaires of the Kingdome of Scotland that they are upon the sudden brought to a more deplorable condition then could in any probability have been expected or the enemy himselfe in his pride could have presumed We speake not of the devouring Pestilence which in many parts of the Land especially in and about the chiefest City hath raged for a long time in many degrees above any thing that either our selves or our Predecessors have ever knowne and hath taken away many thousands of the people nor is it yet stayed This although it hath been a great advantage to the enemy and no small discouragement and hinderance to the opposing of his power we acknowledge to be a Plague from the more immediate hand of God against which
Ireland upon grounds contained in the large Treaty and in the Propositions made by Commissioners sent from both Houses and particularly by the Ships which according to an Article of the late Treaty were to be employed for defence of the Coast of Scotland An Enemy neverthelesse from Ireland entred the Kingdome of Scotland having no other controversie nor pretending any other cause against them but their Treaty and Covenant with England and their assistance following thereupon and hath prevailed so farre as hath made this sad Remonstrance necessary at this time It is no matter of great difficulty unlesse wee will shut our eyes and hide from our selves our owne danger and threatned ruine to discerne and determine what is the great and maine designe of the Enemy now waxed proud and insolent by the afflictions which the Lord hath brought upon the Kingdome of Scotland When hee hath brought all there under his power a work which through the malignancy of some open and many formerly secret enemies now appearing and joyning with him through the sufferings calamities and hatred brought upon the best affected and such as have beene most active and instrumentall in this Cause and through the discontent and distemper of the multitude for the losse of their meanes and friends in this warre at home and abroad he presageth to be more easie and faesceable then what he hath already brought to passe His second expedition is against the Parliament of England which is not any uncertaine conjecture but his owne professed resolution and confidence And is too apparent that unlesse he be speedily suppressed he may through the concourse and combination of the Malignants of Scotland and of the Northerne Counties of England grow to a greater strength especially if he joyne with the King and his Forces which he is also very confident of then be afterward easily opposed and thereby may reduce these Kingdoms to a more miserable condition in respect both of Religion and Liberty beside all their intervening sufferings then they were in before the begining of this unhappy warre We know the cause is the same which it was at the first undertaking that the Godly in Scotland who loved it from the beginning and are resolved to live and die in it that the conjunction of the two Kingdomes which the enemy laboureth to divide and so to overcome is no lesse beneficiall to both then it was formerly conceived to be That the Popish and prelaticall faction in forraine parts as well as His Majesties Dominions upon the union of these Kingdomes are more strictly and powerfully combined then they have beene at other times That the Reformation of Religion the common interest of all the reformed Churches in Christendome groaning so long under the crosse is as much to be looked unto as ever and who knoweth but the Lord in his wisdome and justice is putting both their Kingdomes to a further tryall the one by suffering the other by doing that it may be known whether they have been seeking their owne peace and preservation or the honour of his name and the good of Religion We may without giving the least cause of offence in this conjuncture of time make use of the words of the Declaration of the Convention of Estates of the Kingdome of Scotland to the subjects there concerning their expedition into England for the assistance of their Brethren only changing the persons and if they were not extant in that Declaration we would have expessed our selves in another manner The Lord save you from the curse of Meroz who came not to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the mighty when we looke upon the cause which Scotland maintaineth the Prayers Teares and Blood which they have powred forth and the insolencies and blasphemies of the Enemy we cannot doubt but enlargement and deliverance shall come unto Scotland but England hath reason to feare if upon so faire a call they sit still and hold their peace they shall perish by the hand of the same enemy and there shall be none to deliver them We have many grounds of assurance that this cloud shall passe over and after the Lord has proved and tryed the constancy of his servants the malignancy of hipocrites and the fellow feeling of our Brethren his face will againe shine upon us and his hand will raise us up and ruine our enemies Our desire and expectation is that in the day of our rejoycing our Brethren may rejoyce with us and be comforted in this testimony that they did not forsake us in the day of trouble Wee cannot deny that during the sitting of the Parliament and divers times before this Kingdome hath laid to heart the dangers of the Kingdome of Scotland nor can it be denied that the Kingdome of Scotland hath of late given abundant testimony of their affection and faithfulnesse to this Kingdome in departing the Kingdome in such a manner in the yeare 1641. which wee mention because of the many sinister suspitions and unjust calumnies vented to the contrary and by their comming againe to this Kingdome at such a time for such ends and against so many impediments If any discontents differences or jealosies have beene raised which were nothing strange because very ordinary and incident in time of War a time that useth to produce many and great difficulties wee desire they may be all mutuall forgiven and forgotten that the War be managed in Scotland as in England by the joynt counsells of both Kingdomes and that in every thing a right understanding and a strong mutuall confidence may be revived and renewed that either Kingdome may helpe the other in time of trouble as if they were but one Kingdome and that the Lord may delight to blesse the endeavours of both Sep. 1645. By command of the Committee for the Parliament of Scotland IOHN CHEISLEY VVHereas in answer to our paper of the date Iune 20. 1645. bearing our earnest desires of the setling of Religion and Peace in these Kingdomes and our other papers since to the same effect diverse votes of the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled have beene communicated unto us which for so long a time have not been effectuall to produce the intended and so much desired ends We are upon many and very urgent causes constrained to renew our former desires and are very confident that the honourable houses judging of us in relation to the trust committed unto us as if wee were their own Commissioners in the like case And consider that our demands of establishing Truth Peace are not only agreeable unto but confident with their own maine intentions for which they have done and endured so much We shall not onely be free of the censure of importunity but shall have their approbation with such an answer as may give us satisfaction and put our minds to rest hereafter And first concerning Religion we blesse God and thankfully acknowledge the zeale and endeavours of the Parliament for what is already done in the
there is no remedy from man but the fervent prayers of the people of God which we earnestly desire may be here continued as they are piously begun till the Lord be entreated for the Land Our desire is to represent what the sword of the enemy hath done after many conflicts in divers places of the North of the Kingdome whereby great numbers have fallen and the enemy despicable in the beginning had encreased in strength and boldnesse at last in the very bowels of the Kingdome He hath so farre prevailed that not onely thousands of the best affected have lost their lives and divers of them taken prisoners but also our whole Army and Forces are put to the worst and scattered Such as were most zealous of the Covenant and Cause of God having no Armies on foot to joyne with nor Garrisoned Townes for places of refuge are forced to fly for their lives and to leave their habitations possessions and all that they have in the world to the cruelty and spoile of the enemy Many of the common sort are drawne away by his flatteries and promises by the Proclamations which he maketh and the Declarations which he emitteth at his pleasure offering to them Protections to their persons and estates freedome and exemption from all the Taxes Impositions and burdnings which they are pressed with for the maintenance and supply of their Armies in England Jreland and at home in their owne Country together with the liberty of their Religion according to their Nationall Covenant and all other liberties and priviledges formerly established with his Majesties consent upon condition that they will renounce their Covenant with England and take an Oath that they shall no more lift Armes against the King and His assistants Some of place and power who formerly were either professed enemies to Religion or never tooke Religion to heart have dealt falsly in the Covenant and presuming upon the successe of the enemy and waiting for such a time as this is have joyned with him against their Country The most faithfull of the Ministery by the principall enemy and by Malignants in their owne Congregations are driven from their stations and forced to seeke shelter for the saving of their lives whereby the people left behind are laid open to all sorts of tentations and Religion it selfe is in no small danger As we are not willing to conceale or extenuate their misery in this day of the Lords visitation so are we not able sufficiently to expresse them the yoake of their transgressions is bound by his hand they are wreathed and come up upon their neck he hath made their strength to fall the Lord hath delivered them into their hands from whom they are not able to rise up In this their extreamity the Committee of the Estates of the Kingdom being for the present put out of all hope of any successe from the Forces in Ireland and knowing no other meanes of help found it necessary unlesse they would lose the Kingdom and lie still under such miseries as are more intollerable then death That the Scottish Army in England should march Northward to the end that if God in the meane time did provide no other way they might come to their deliverance and withall to implore the affection counsell and assistance of their Brethren in England and therefore to send the Lord Chancellor for representing their distresses and desires to the Honourable Houses Concerning the speedy march of the Scottish Army Northward for their reliefe they supposed that Charity would move the Honourable Houses and all charitable Christians to consider that in time of extreme trouble naturall affection on both sides in calling for and in giving of help is unresistable and that there was no liberty left in such a case when both the publike and every mans private were in hazard and well neere lost either for the Committee or for the Army to consult or to chuse what to doe That their Iustice would bring to their remembrance that this Army as is contained in the Treaty was levied and came into England for the pursuance of the ends expressed in the Covenant which were the safety of both Kingdomes and their mutuall defence against the Popish Prelaticall and malignant party their adherents in both Kingdomes and that they were to be employed where they were to be most usefull for the common Cause and for opposing the Enemy where his power and the danger was greatest In this notion was their marching to the North when the King went Northward looked upon And now when his Forces have so farre prevailed in Scotland their marching thither is to be interpreted to no other sense They supposed also that the wisdome of the Honourable Houses would make them see that this expedition might by the blessing of God not only be a meane of deliverance to Scotland but also prevent the invading of England by a new Army which if Scotland bee altogether subdued may certainly be expected The timous prevention of such an Invasion may prove no lesse serviceable for the good of the cause and of the Kingdome of England then the present opposition of any hostile Army within the Kingdome of England As these necessary considerations have moved the Committee of the Estates of Scotland to desire the marching of their Army Northward so are they confident that the Honourable Houses will rest satisfied therewith And doe expect from them and from all the well-affected in England a brotherly compassion and Christian fellow-feeling in their bitter sufferings all necessary assistance and seasonable supply of Armes Ammunition and money and in due time such Forces as may be spared as through the encrease of their troubles their need shall call for and require them It shall not be necessary to multiply arguments to this purpose the wisdome of the Parliament can call to remembrance the expressions in their owne Declaration of the 7 of November 1642 and in the Papers delivered in by their Commissioners in their names to the Convention of Estates in Scotland August 12. 1643. Together with the Treaty and the solemne League and Covenant It will never be forgotten by our Brethren of England that when our Countrey was in great quietnesse and the greatest assurance that was possible was offered for our future security wee choosed rather then to enjoy our owne peace without the peace of this Kingdome upon the reasons contained in the Declaration of the Kingdome of Scotland to come with an Army into England against all discouragements that might arise either from the stormy winter season or the power of a mighty Army in the North of this Kingdome ready to encounter us What the endeavours the actions and the successe of that Army were let the Enemy before that time prevalent from his owne sense give testimony When the Kingdome of Scotland had laid forth their strength for the recovery of Ireland and the defence of England and promised to themselves security from forraigne invasion especially from