A DECLARATION OF THE ARMY OF ENGLAND Upon their March into SCOTLAND AS ALSO A Letter of his EXCELLENCY the Lord Generall CROMWELL To the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of SCOTLAND Together with a Vindication of the aforesaid Declaration from the uncharitable Constructions odious Imputations and scandalous Aspersions of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland in their Reply thereto And an Answer of the Vnder-Officers and Souldiers of the Army to a Paper directed to them from the people of SCOTLAND Printed at London and reprinted at Edinburgh by Evan Tyler 1650. A DECLARATION of the ARMY of England upon their march into Scotland To all that are Saints and Partakers of the Faith of GODS Elect in Scotland WE the Army of England do from the bottom of our Hearts wish l ke Mercy and Truth Light and Liberty with our selves from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Althâ—ugh we have no cause to doubt but that the Declaration of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England bearing date the 26. of June 1650. and published to manifest to the World the Justice and Necessity of sending their Army into Scotland may satisfie all impartiall and uninterested men in all the Nations round about us the matters of Fact therein contained being true and the Conclusions made from thence and the Resolutions thereupon taken agreeable to the Principles of Râ—ligion Nature and Nations and therefore it may seem to some if not improper yet superfluous for us their Army to say any more Yet however out of our tendernesse towards you whom we look upon as our Brethren and our desire to make a distinction and separation of you from the rest as who through the cunning practices of some wicked and designing men byassed by particular Interests or for want of a true and right Information and Representation of the great and wonderful Transactions wrought amongst us and brought to passe by the meer finger of our GOD may possibly be scandalized at some late actions in England and thereby be involved in that common Cause so much from Heaven declared against by blasting all persons and parties that at any time in the least under what pretence or disguise soever engaged therein and so with them to become partakers of their Miseries We have therefore thought fit to speak to some particulars and that as in the presence of the Lord to whose Grace and in the dread of whose Name we do most humbly Appeal and who should we come to a day of Engagement will be a sore witnesse against us if we utter these things in hypocrisie and not out of bowels of love to perswade the Hearts and Consciences of those that are godly in Scotland that so they may be withdrawn from partaking in the sin and punishment of evill doers or that at least we might exonerate our selves before God and Man do Remonstrate as followeth And for as much as we believe many godly people in Scotland are not satisfied with the proceedings of this Nation concerning the death of the late King the rejection of his Issue the change of the Government and severall actions conversant thereabout Although it cannot be supposed that we shall in this Paper meet with all Objections that may be made these very particulars alone requiring more lines then we intend in the whole Yet we briefly say That we were engaged in a War with the said King for the Defence of our Religion and Liberties and how many times Propositions for a safe and well grounded Peace were offered to him and how often he refused to consent thereto you well know which according to humane accompt he might have closed with had not the righteous God who knoweth the deceitful heart of man and is the Preserver of Mankinde especially of his people in his secret judgement denyed him a heart to assent thereto By which Refusals he made it appear That nothing lesse would satisfie then to have it in his own power to destroy Religion and Liberties the subversion whereof he had so often attempted That He was a man guilty of more Innocent Blood in England Ireland and Scotland even of those he ought to have preserved as a Father his Children then any of his Predecessors or we think then any History mentioneth the guilt whereof he brought upon his Family by solemn Appeals to God That the Son did tread in the Fathers steps and pursue his Designes destructive to Religion and Liberty That a party in Parliament false to God and to their trust were willing and did endeavour to betray the Cause into the late Kings hands That a remaining number in Parliament desiring to be true to God and to the People that intruâ—â—ed them out of Integrity of Heart and fearing that the high Displeasure of God would fall upon them if they had not done it did bring to Justice and cause to be executed the said King did reject the Person now with you did lay aside the House of Lord an Estate not representing the Pâ—ople nor trusted with their Liberties yet at that time very forward to give up the Peoples Rights and obstruct what might save them and alwayes apt enough to joyn with Kingly Interest against the Peoples Liberties whereof we wish you have not the like sad experience and did for the good of the People resolve the Government into a Commonwealth And having done all this that they are not accountable to any other Nation â—s sufficient to say to you except it be to exciâ—e you to rejoyce in this wonderful work of God and to be thankful to him for so much Deliverance as you have thereby and leave the rest to the State of England to whom it doth onely and properly belong who have manifested their regular proceedings therein according to the true and equitable â—ntent of the constitution of England and the Representors of the People in Parliament in their several and respective Declarations if they be looked into to wh ch we refer you Besides it is worthy consideration with how many Providences this Series of Action hath been blest which would require a Volumn to recount If Treaties be urged against us It is easie to say by whom they were broken and how eminently even by the then full authority of the Parliament of Scotland and the Invasion by Duke Hamilton and yet that not the first breach neither And if it be saâ—d That hath been procested against and revoked since We ask Doth that make up the breach so as to challenge England still upon Agreements and Articles you know as to Right it doth not except you suppose that England made their bargain so That Scotland might break and England remain bound whereas it is a known Law of Nations That in the breach of the League by the one party the other is no longâ—r obliged If the Covenant be alleaged against us this may be said by us with honesty and clearnesse Religion having therein the first place civil Liberties the next
evidently granting that indeed they might have done it The truth is the Parliament of England never needed never owned the Authoritat ve concurrence of the Parliament of Scotland for the disposal of those things which concern the Peoples safetie And therefore this is to be put out of question as to that Parliament alone The encroaching of the Scottish Nation for an influence of Authority upon the Government of England being by them justly abhorred Let now the Assembly view their own Concessions The King was guilty of more blood in England Scotland and Ireland then any of his Predecessors he was obstinate in an evil way in case of insuperable necessity for the peoples safety the Parliament might take him away the judgement of God in executing wrath upon him was righteous there was a party in Parliamont false to God and their trust who did endeavour to betray the Cause into the late Kings hand Page the 5. Notwithstanding his obstinacie in blood-guiltinesse and ways of destruction to the Nation who alone were restrained from sitting in the House And we know not any thing if they have not justified the whole proceedings of the Parliament and Army in reference to the late King That there was another way for the restraining of him so to obtain the peoples safety as we found it otherwise by our experience under the Scottish Invasion and our own intestine insurrections during his restraint so are not the Assembly of the Kirk either compeâ—ent or intrusted Juges of what may consist with the safetie of the people of England nor is it any inducement to us to give up our selves to their determination for the future by finding them perverted by their interest to this strange assertion That a man guilty of a world of innocent blood obstinate in his way and that way inconsistent with the peoples safetie obnoxious for blood to the righteous judgment and wrath of God ought to be preserved through disadvantages even to the peoples ruine What securitie was given to Scotland for the safetie of the Kings Person by the Parliament of England which they mention at present we know not but are assured that to preserve himself against their invasions and the insurrections by them stâ—rred up and fomented they were driven to the jeopard of the wel-being of the whole Nation and had not God marvellously appeared for them had perished therew thal But he who gave them deliverance from their ruine so deeply contrived and desperately endeavoured did thereby also free them from any obligation unto them who had so designed almost effectually procured that their ruine and destruction And that no concernment of the Kingdom of Scotland in the Person of the King would have any influence into the Parliaments disposal of the affairs of England for the safety of the people thereof hath been Remonstrated by that Parliament though never answered by Scotland Let the Assembly also consider what Treaties and Advisoes they have had with England about the instating of their new King and they cannot but suppose that the principle of all their actings in reference to us will be evident to all to wit That by Treaties and Covenants they may do what they please we must what they will enjoyn us That which follows is an Apology for their new King with such a Confession in his behalf of his ill beginning to pursue destructive Designs as we fear they have scarce obtained from himself since his coming amongst them neither do their expressions of wishing he may be humbled and not being without hope that he may endeavour firmly to promove the ends of the Covenant hold out any great confidence in the Assembly of any such towardlinesse as yet discovered in him as should make them engage into such expressions as might be retorted on them in case of proceeding upon insuperable necessity But that we may not think they have no Arguments to presse his reception upon this Nation besides his own great engagement into evil and their small hopes of his being better they adde sundry Reasons why it was not well done to reject him and change the Government Amongst these the Right of his Inheritance hath the first place which we affirm not onely to be none originally without the consent of the Nation but also to be justly forfeited by his own and Fathers destructive engagements against the Commonwealth And therefore we know not of any duty we owe unto him which they secondly name more then to any other engaged enemy of the Land Nor must the compassion of his breeding being for a great part of his dayes in the blood and spoil of our dearest Relations outweigh the safety of the people and the interest of the Saints of God altogether inconsistent with his Rule and Government amongst us That we might have had the like Success with Scotland upon the like Application to him perhaps we do not doubt but yet unless we can be perswaded that there is a desirableness in giving up all that is dear to us to the enraged cruelty of an enemy we cannot suffer this to stand as a Motive to his Reception And if Scotland finde not the truth of this they may thank some others besides themsâ—lves In the mean time none truly are so fit to Prognosticate of Calamities to ensue upon our change of Government as they who resolve and intend to be the Authors of those Calamities That any honest Members of Parliament who did ever truly minde Religion and Liberty are now sufferers in England we do not know but that not any suffereth for his trust to Religion Liberty we are fully assured The great suffering of Restraint which some formerly Members do now undergo being onely on those whom in the following words you grant to have endeavored the betraying of the Cause into the hand of the late King The effecting whereof though too many of the State of Scotland did also what in them lay pursue yet we cannot but rejoyce that through the good providence of God the Net is broken and we aâ—e escaped That slâ—ight touch which in the following â—ords they give of the Reasons of the proceeding of Parliament and Army in the change of Government yields not an advantage seriously to remark any thing of concernment thereabouts Give the Assembly leave to call the Parliament of England Vsurpeâ—s in their own Nation to judge of their call to any acting to determine of the equity and reality of the Constitution of the Government of England to falsifie notoriously in matter of Fact and Râ—ght affirming that the Army by violence did kit the King that the first motion in the House to the change of Government was from their violence that the Parliament if destitute of some of their Members doth not Reprâ—sent the whole People and to intermix all these Censures and Falsities with reviling and reproaching eloquence and no doubt they will carry the Cause in hand For the equal Representative which they affirm never
some of the Ministers of Scotland Preaching and crying up a War against England under pretence of the Covevant did thereby lay the foundation to Duke Hamiltons getting the command of that Army who over-numbring them in Parliament power and friends and by the advantage of Malignants thrust all that you could call the good party out of Power and Authority himselfe getting the command of that Army into England and leaving his brother and other Kinred in power in Scotland Thus upon the same ground and pretence to carry on the Kingly Interest have you been twice deceived and now he is brought in among you who hath turned every stone and tried all Friends and Allyes in Foreign parts endeavoured commotions at home by his wicked and Malignant Instruments commissioned Rupert the French and all that Pyraticall Generation who do spoyl take plunder and destroy our Ships and Trade at Sea and all to the end he might destroy the people of God and the peace of the Three Nations And now being by his Mother and the Popish Interests abroad councelled thereto hath made a compliance with you as his last refuge who even whilst he was treating with you had his heart set upon Montrosse and his Accomplices writing Letters and sending particular Orders to him and upon his Popish Army in Ireland to whom he had given Commissions and whom he still owned as his faithfull Subjects notwithstanding all the Innocent Blood by them shed and would never be induced to comply or close with the Covenant and Presbytery till utterly disappointed of all those his Malignant and Popish hopes and confidences Is there not now just cause for all good men with you to fear that one so bred so engaged and interested and meerly in such a way coming in to you doth but warch his opportunity to speak nothing of the weight of thâ— Blood of Saints under the Altar erying still for Vengeance upon him and that Family till by his influence upon your Army which you know how composed he may gain his ends upon you and how likewise the generality of the people of Scotland are affected is not unworthy of your most serious consideration nor of a friendly intimation from us But that which most awakens us is That notwithstanding all this and all the wrongs done to England from Scotland they refuse to do us right so that what wrongs soever we have or shall sustain must be without remedy and we also without security for the future as is sufficiently expostulated in the Parliament of Englands Declaration aforementioned and the seeds laid of a perpetuall War by taking our grand Enemy into your Bosoms and your engagement to Him in the late Treaty with Him to restore Him to the possession of England and Ireland and therefore we call Heaven and Earth to witnesse Whether or no we have not cause to defend our selves by hindring the present power of Scotland from taking their time and advantage to impose thus upon us And whether they have now any just reason to wonder at the approach of an Army to their borders and the taking some of their Ships by ours yea whether our coming into Scotland with an Army upon so clear a ground be any other then a just and necessary defence of our selves for preservation of those rights and Liberties which divine Providence hath throuâ—h the expence of so much blood and treasure given us and those amongst you have engaged they will if they can wrest from us unlesse it must be taken for granted That the Parliament of England ought to sit still and be silent whilst their ruine is contrived their Friends and Brethren destroyed by Sea and Land whom in Conscience and Duty both before God and Man they ought to preserve And now we come to speak to all those who are within the compasse of the Title of this Declaration that we undertake this businesse in the feare of God with bowels full love yea full of pity to the Inhabitants of the Country and if it shall please God to make Scotland sensible of the wrongs done to us and to give to the Common-wealth of England a satisfying security against future injuries we shall rejoyce But if that may not be obtained we shall desire such as fear God not to joyn or have to do with those who are the Authors and Actors of so much evill and mischief against their Neighbours And we dare say to the praise of God That that which moves us to this great undertaking is not any reliance upon the arm of flesh or being lifted up with the remembrance of former successes or the desire of accomplishing any designs of our own that we have forelaid but the full assurance we have that our cause is just and righteous in the sight of God looking at all precedent changes and the successes that have produced them not as the work of the policy or strength of man but as the eminent actings of the Providence and Power of God to bring forth his good will and pleasure concerning the things which he hath determined in the world And we are confident that as he hath hitherto gloriously appeared so he will still bearing witnesse to the righteousnesse of this Cause in great mercy and pity of the infirmities and failings of us his poor Creatures And we do most humbly implore his divine Majesty to give a mercifull testimony whether the actings of divers men amongst you have not proceeded from worldly interests together with the rancor and bitternesse of their spâ—rits who we fear through envy at Instruments have refused to acknowledge his hand and goodnesse in the accomplishment of these great changes and whether ours have not come from the simplicity of our and other his poor servants hearts who we trust have desired though in the midst of manifold weaknesses to follow him in integrity through difficult paths having nothing but danger and ruine appearing to the flesh and little to encourage us saving those signall manifestations of his presence in those high acts of his Providence and the feare of his Name lest he going before we should not follow And this we can further adde That nothing is so predominant within us next to our duty to God nor to betray a cause to which he so much witnessed as the love we have towards those that fear God there who may possibly suffer through their own mistakes or our disability to distingish in a common calamity of which Christian love we hope we gave some proof and testimony when we were last in Scotland with this Army and were by God made instrumentall to break the power of those that then oppressed the Godly party there and were then ready at their desire to do every thing on their behalfe which might put them into the seat of Authority and Power whose consciences knows this is true and for which this late Act of Engagement to their new King against England is no good requitall nor their heaping upon us
durst be ventured upon to this day If we should suspend our thoghts concerning it until the Kingdom of Scotland do give us an example thereof in all probabilitie it might be more Remote from accomplishment then we hope it is or desire it should be Besides these things relate not much unto the present difference and state of Affairs the sole cause of their wrath and Indignation at present against us being onely this That after they have endeavoured our destruction by an Hostile Invasion refused to Treat about satisfaction pâ—etending they â—re not the persons that did it when it was done by the Parliament of Scotland which the present Powers are and no other appears to have it demanded from stirred up by all meaâ—s possible the people of England to Sedâ—tions and Insurrections laid foundations of another Invâ—sion undenyably manifeâ—â—ed by their Principles Practices and Engagements not directly denyed by themselves in any of these Papers that we would seek by the goodnes of God to prevent them from destroying us and the Interest of the Lord Christ in our Nation by not waiting until their own preparations at home their Kings endeavours abroad and the zeal of their Boatfeau's and Bellows of Sedition amongst our selves should all be ripened to an unresistible Lâ—undation of War and Misery upon us hinc illae Lachrymae hence is the Assemblies sorrow and trouble that the Lord should put it into ouâ— hearts to Ward ouâ— selves through his Providence and Protection from the snare and evâ—l their Kirk and State have contrived for us And hence it is that the Declaration of the Army written as in the presence of God drawn out from sincerity and compassion consented unto and attended with maâ—y Prayers and Tears hath received such a Return of Calumnious Reproaches false Accusations evil Surmisings un-Christian Censurings as if the Assembly were all sate down in the seat of the Scornful We confesse series of Providences whereby God hath blessed our Affairs is often in our mouths and we trust far oftner in our hearts And certainly we could not but judge our selves far worse if it be possible then the Assembly strive to represent us should we not continually own those most signal Providence of our gracious God whereby he hath owned and been present with us in all our straights and undertakings and we are fully assured That he knows how to vindicate his Name and Glory when the works that he hath wrought are not considered and men will not see when his hand is lifted up If when we have waited on the Lord sought his presence and direction with all our hearts rolling our selves upon his Arm he hath appeared for us with us delivered us out of snares led us in paths we had not known in Peace and Safetie destroying our enemies with his own right hand giving us eyes to see and hearts to acknowledge all this if then we may not rejoyce in the operation of his hands commit our way to him embrace his love and quiet our spirits in his Wisdom and Goodnes we would desire the Assembly of the Kiâ—k from the Word of Truth and the practice of the Saints of God that were before us to convince us of our Error and Mâ—stake otherwise it is not their most unchristian comparâ—ng of the Providence of God towards Turk and Pope with his special respect to them that wait for him and know his Name leaning upon him as a Father in Jesus Christ nor yet a bare false affirmation That we rest upon Providences because destitute of other Rules that shall take us off from speaking well of the Name of our God and rejoycing in those things and wayes wherein he hath been our Guide and Deliverer There are indeed many secret and hidden causes that prevail with the Sons of men to slight the Appearings of God in his Providence and we cannot but fear That onâ— main and chief one of them to wit The carrying on of Affairs by corrupt and carnal Policies in the pursuit of Selfish Interests doth possesse much the mindes of the Rulâ—â—g party now in Scotland for this we need no other demonstration then the late Transactions in reference to the bringing in of their King wherein the Shiftings Juglings empty Pretâ—nces ambiguous Expressions and Engagements that have carried it to the â—ssue where it now is they supposing they have their King and â—heir King supposing he hath them cannot easily be paralleld For the main of it we know what their Endeavours were to carry it on as a work of Darknesse yet so many particulars have broken forth into light as will one day be a testimony of deep Hypocrisie and Selfishnesse in those whose profession required the contrary All which delusory Pretences violent Actings of a prevailing Faction Hypocriticall colours to inveigle the hearts of a party in England will in due time be manifested by undenyable Instances When men are carryed on in such crooked paths as these their Spirits cannot but be prejudiced against single eying of providentiall Dispensations Though we no way question but that if the Lord in his Infinite Wisdome and Soveraignty should think meet to cast in any Successe upon the undertakings of the Scottish Nation the Generall Assembly of the Kirk would be as ready as formerly they have been to blesse themselves in their wayes from thence and assume that libeâ—ty which they deny to others unlesse perhaps their Deliverance should come by such a hand as that which they had from the Hamiltonian party which though it be the bottome of their present Power and Rule yet could not obtain a Day of Acknowledgment unto the Lord untill wraâ—ped up in a Bundle with a small Successe against a Tumult raised by Middleton that the Instruments of their Deliverance might not receive the least mention from them before the Lord. There are two or three other things that deserve to be Noted by themselves being mentioned or hinted in sundry places in these Declarations as First the Oppression of sundry persons for their Consciences and in their Estates in England And is it for the Generall Assembly of Scotland to lay this cha ge against us Doth any Nation under Heaven binde and oppresse the Consciences of men beyond â—hem Or is there the least Truth in this charge Have not the persons intâ—mated the utmost extent of Liberty for the exercise of the whole Compasse of Religion And if any are thought to be oppressed by being restrained from venting Sedition and Rehellâ—on we shall not desire that Addition to their sufferâ—ngs whâ—ch we are fully assured would be laid upon any persons that should be engaged in the like practises in Scotland Another thing is their generall waving of the charge of an intended Invasion upon England whereof in sum they affirm That notwithstanding their Engagement made to their King of endeavouring his Restauration there they never once intended it unlesse it was determined lawfull by the Parliament and Generall Asslmbly And was there ever such a