Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A11672
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The lavvfulnesse of our expedition into England manifested
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Scotland. Army.
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1640
(1640)
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STC 21924; ESTC S116853
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4,501
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20
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that our going into England so much wished and desired by our adversaries for producing a Nationall quarrell shall so farre disappoint them of their aymes that it shall link the two Nations together in straiter and stronger bonds both of civill and Christian love then ever before And that we may see yet further evidences of a calling from GOD to this voyage we may observe the order of the Lords steps and proceedings in this Worke of Reformation For beginning at the grosse Popery of the Service Book and Book of Canons he hath followed the back trade of our defection till he hath reformed the very first and smallest Novations which entered in this Church But so it is that this backe trade leadeth yet further to the Prelacy in England the fountaine whence all those Babilonish streame issu'd unto us The Lord therefore is still on the back trade and we following him therein can not yet be at a stay Yea we trust that he shall so follow forth this trade as to chase home the Beast and the false prophet to Rome and from Rome out of the world Besides this third consideration resulteth from the former two for if this Expedition be necessary and if it be defensive then it followeth inevitably that we are called unto it for our necessary defence is warranted yea commanded by the Law of GOD and Nature and we are obliged to it in our Covenant IV. Fourthly the lawfulnesse of this Expedition appeareth if we consider the party against whom which is not the Kingdome of England but the Canterburian Faction of Papists Atheists Aâ—â—inians Prelats the misleaders of the Kings Majesty and the common enemies of both Kingdomes We perswade our selves that our brethren and neighbours in England will never be so evill advised as to make themselves a party against as by their defence and 〈◊〉 of our enemies among them as somtime the Benjamites made themselves a party against the Israelites by defending the Gâ—â—tachites in their wicked cause Iudg. 20. We pray GOD to give them the wisdome of the wise woman in Abell who when Ioab came neare to her City with an Army found out away which both keeped Ioab from being an enemy to the City and the City from being an enemy to him 2 Sam. 20. As touching the provision and Furniture of our Army in England it shall be such as is used among Friends not among enemies The rule of humanity and gratitude will teach them to furnish us with necessaries when as beside the procuring of our own peace we doe good offices to them They detest we know the churlishnes of Nabal who refused victuals to David and his men who had done them good and no evill 1 Sam. 20. And the inhumanity of the men of Succoth and Penuell who â—â—nyed bread to Gideons Army when he was persuing the common enemies of all Israel Iudg. 8. But let the English doe of their benevolence what humanity and discretion will teach them For our own part our Declaration sheweth that we seek not victuals for nought but for money or security And if this should be refused which we shall never expect it were as damnable as the barbarous cruelty of Edom and Moab who refused to let Israel passe through their Countrey or to give them bread and water in any case Num. 20. Iudg. 11. and this offence the Lord accounted so inexpiable that for it he accursed the Edomites and Moabites from entring into the Congregation of the Lord unto the tenth generation Deut. 23.3 4. V. The Fifth consideration concerneth the end for which this voyage is under-taken We have attested the searcher of hearts It is not to execute any disloyall act against the Kings Majesty It is not to put forth a cruell or vindictive hand against our adversaries in England whom we desire only to be judged and censured by their own Honourable and high Court of Parliament It is not to enrich our selves with the wealth of England nor to doe any harme thereto But by the contrary we shall gladly bestow our paines and our meanes to doe them all the good we can which they might justly look for at our hands for the help which they made us at our Reformation in freeing us from the French a bond of peace and love betwixt them and us to all Generations Our Conscience and GOD who is greater then our Conscience beareth us record that we ayme altogether at the glory of GOD peace of both Nations and 〈◊〉 of the King in suppressing and punishing in a legall way of those who are the troublers of Israel the fire-brands of hell the Korahs the Balaams the Doegs the Rabshakahâ— the Hamans the Tobiahs and Sandballats of our time which done we are satisfied Neither have we begun to use a military Expedition to England as a meane for compassing those our pious ends till all other meanes which we could think upon have failed us and this alone is left to us as ultimum unicum remedium the last and onely remedy VI. Sixtly if the Lord shall blesse us in this our Expedition and our Intentions shall not be crossed by our own sinnes and miscarriage or by the opposition of the English the fruits shall be sweet and the effects comfortable to both Nations to the Posterity and to the reformed Kirkes abroad Scotland shall be â—â—â—med as at the beginning the Reformation of England long prayed and pleaded for by the Godly there shall be according to their wishes and desires perfected in doctrine worship and discipline Papists Prelats and all the members of the Antichristian Hierarchy with their Idolatry Superstition and humane inventions shall pack them hence the names of Sects and Separatists shall no more be mentioned and the Lord shall be one and his Name one thoughout the whole Hand which shal be glory to God honour to the King joy to the Kingdomes comfort to the posterity example to other Christian Kirkes and confusion to the incorrigible enemies FINIS
THE LAWFVLNESSE OF OVR EXPEDITION INTO ENGLAND MANIFESTED Printed first in SCOTLAND by Robert Bryson and now Reprinted in ENGLAND by Margery Mar-Prelat 1640. THE LAWFVLNESSE OF OUR EXPEDITION INTO ENGLAND MANIFESTED AS from the beginning till this time we have attempted nothing presumptuously in this great Worke of Reformation but have proceeded upon good grounds and have been led forward by the good hand of GOD so now from our own perswasion are we ready to Answer every one that asketh us a Reason of this our present Expedition which is one of the greatest and most notable parts of this wonderfull Worke of GOD beseeching all to lift up their minds above their own particulars and without prejudice or partiality to lay to heart the Considerations following I. As all men know and confesse what is the great force of necessity and how it doth justifie actions otherwayes unwarrantable So can it not be denyed but we must either seek our peace in England at this time or lye under three heavie burthens which we are not able to beare First we must maintain Armies on the Borders and all places nearest to hazard for the defence and preservation of our Countrey which by our laying down of Arme and disbanding of our Forces should be quickly over-runne by hostile Invasion and the incursions of our enemies Secondly we shall want all Trade by Sea which would not onely deprive the Kingdome of many necessaries but utterly undue our Boâ—â—rowes Merchants Marriners and many others who live by Fishing and by commodities exported and imported and whose particular callings are utterly made voyd by want of commerce with other Nations and Sea-trade Thirdly the Subjects through the whole Kingdome shall want administration of Justice and although this time past the marvelous power and providence of GOD hath keeped the Kingdome in order and quietnesse without ordinary Judicatories sitting yet cannot this be expected for afterward but all shall turne to confusion Any one of the three much more all of them put together threaten us with most certaine ruine unlesse we speedily use the remedy of this Expedition And this we say not from feare but from feeling for we have already felt to our unspeakable prejudice what it is to maintain Armies what to want traffique what to want administration of Justice And if the beginning of those evils be so heavy what shall the growth and long continuance of them prove unto us So miserable a being all men would judge to be worse then no being II. If we consider the nature and quality of this Expedition it is defensiue and so the more justifieable For proofe hereof let it be remembred 1. The Kings Majesty misled by the crafty and cruell Faction of our adversaries began this yeares warre not we When Articles of Pacification had been the other yeare agreed upon Armes layed down Forts and Castles rendered an Assembly kept and concluded with the presence and consent of his Majesties High Commissioner the promised ratification thereof in Parliament contrary to the foresaid Articles was denyed unto us And when we would have informed his Majesty by our Commissioners of the Reasons and manner of our proceedings they got not so much as presence or audience Thereafter his Majesty being content to heare them before that they came to Court or were heard warre was concluded against us at the Councell table of England and a Commission given to the Earle of Northumberland for that effect The Parliament of Ireland and England were also convocat for granting Subsidies unto this warre against us as it not our plots have been hatched and military preparations made against us many invasions by Sea which have spoiled us of our Ships and goods Men Women and Children kil'd in Edinburgh by his Majesties Forces in the Castle Our enemies therefore are the authore and beginners of the warre and we defenders onely 2. We intend not the hurt of others but our own peace and preservation neither are we to offer any injury or violence And therefore have furnished our selves according to our power with all necessars not to fight at all except we be forced to it in our own defence as our Declaration beareth 3. We shall retire and lay down our Arms assoon as we shall get a sure peace shal be satisfied in our just demands Upon which ground even some of those who would seem the greatest Royalists hold the warres of the Protestants in France against the King and the Faction of the Guisians to have been lawfull defensive wars because they were ever ready to disband and quiet themselves when they got assurance of peace and liberty of Religion Now this present Expedition being in the nature of it defensive hence it appeareth that it is not contrary but consonant to our former protestations Informations and Remonstrances In all which there is not one word against defensive warre in this cause but strong reasons for it all which militat for this Expedition Our first Information sent to England this yeare though it accurseth all offensive or invasive warre yet sheweth plainly that if we be invaded either by Sea or Land we must doe as a man that fighteth himselfe out of prison If a private man when his house is blocked up so that he can have no liberty of commerce and traffique to supply himselfe and his Family being also in a continuall hazard of his life not knowing when he shall be assaulted by his enemies who lye in waite against him may in this case most lawfully step forth with the Forces which he can make and fight himselfe free Of how much more worth is the whole Nation and how shall one and the same way of defence and liberation be allowed to a privat man and disallowed to a Nation III. Thirdly we are called to this Expedition by that same divine providence and vocation which hath guided us hitherto in this great busines We see the Expediencie of it for the glory of GOD for the good of the Church for advancing the Gospel for our own peace after seeking of GOD and beging light and direction from Heaven our hearts are inclined to it GOD hath given us zeal and courage to prosecute it ability and opportunity for under-taking it Instruments fitted for it unanimous resolution upon it scruples removed out of minds where they were harboured encouragemets to atchieve it from many passages of divine providence and namely from the proceedings of the last Parliament in England their grievances and desires being so homogenecall and a kinne to ours we have laboured in great long-suffering by Supplications Informations Commissions and all other meanes possible to avoid this Expedition It was not premeditate not affected by us GOD knows but our enemies have necessitate and redacted us unto it and that of purpose to sowe the seed of Nationall quarrels yet as GOD hitherto hath turned all their plots against themselves and to effects quite contrary to those that they intended so are we hopefull