settle a Reformation among them God forbid that I should be one of those ingrate children mentioned and cryed out on by this Author It is farre from my thought or purpose to deny or to diminish the kindnesse of our brethren whose help was desired and was seasonable but let us understand our selves and how the matter stands betwixt these two Kingdomes We are indebted to Scotland I wish an even reckning and long friendship but I am not yet of opinion we owe our selves to them and if the Author of the Manifest be consulted you shall find an intimation of some other Obligations then meere kindnesse unto us As for instance pag. 24. It is said that the Scots when they began to interesse themselves in this businesse they could not in Conscience and honesty sit quiet any longer and neither say nor doe but I take no advantage of this we are beholding to men for doing what in conscience and honesty they are bound though they should hurt themselves more in violating Conscience and honour then in suffering us to be violated To this you shall find a more externall ground added pag. 28. viz. Now the State of Scotland seeing the common Enemy come to that height that nothing will satisfie him but totall subversion of Church and State inthese Dominions onely they perhaps might be kept for the last though in intention they had been the first judge it not enough for their interest in the common cause to keepe an Army in Ireland but to bee upon their Guard at home and to help their Brethren in England with the Sword since all other meanes so often tryed were disappointed by the malice of the Enemies And this resolution is said to have been taken before Commissioners were sent from England to desire their assistance Pag. 30. So that you may observe the Enemy was a common Enemy the Cause a common Cause the danger to these Dominions the Scots like to suffer as deep though not so soone if they had sate still But give me leave paulo altius repetere and to consider the ancient mutuall tyes and later friendships betwixt these Kingdomes which may be a good meanes to continue and confirme their present correspondence So long as these Kingdomes were under divers especially popish Princes their condition was like that of Israel 2. Chron. 15. 3. when it was without a true God without a teaching Priest and without Law At which time there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countries and Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City The mutuall spoyles and losses of these neighbour Kingdomes being well considered by that wise Prince Henry the seventh he layes a probable foundation of conjunction in giving his eldest Daughter to the King of Scots whose posterity upon the failing of the issue of his Sonne Henry the eight might inherit both Kingdomes which hath since come to passe In the time of Edward the sixt it was thought fit by that Prince whose wisdome and vertue was beyond his yeares and his Councell to make the conjunction more sure and therefore agreed with the Kingdom of Scotland for a Match betwixt this young King and the Daughter of Iames the fifth afterward Queen of France and Scotland But the Polititians of those times in Scotland chose rather to marry their young Princesse to France then England it may be forecasting upon the faile of issue in Henry the eights children that it would be more for their advantage to have a Scottish-man or a French-man King of England then an English-man of Scotland though if I may speake it without offence I think they might have had more comfort in that young Prince Edward 6. had God continued his life and reigne then England hath had of the two Kings they have had from Scotland of whom Truths Manifest sayes That there hath been more Christian bloud shed in these latter yeares under the end of King Iames his and King Charles his Reignes by their Commissions Approbations Connivences and not forbidding what at home and what abroad all which upon the matter they might have stopped if it had been their pleasure then were in the time of the ten Romane Persecutions But although the English had received some dis-ingagement by the non-performance of that Match which was aggravated on both parts by a Fight at Musselborough field yet when the Scots were sore troubled and their Religion Liberty indangered by the said Queene returned from France into Scotland who called the French in to her assistance against her native Subjects the renowned Queene Elizabeth and her prudent Councell though this Kingdome had continuall warre with Spaine yet feared not to provoke the French by affording seasonable helpe to her distressed Neighbours sending to their reliefe 6000 men which were maintained at the charge of the Kingdome of England Which was then thankfully and justly called to minde by the Kingdome of Scotland when this last treaty was to be made So that if we breake off here the kindnesse rests not on our part But I shall as gladly proceed to repeate the good turnes done to this Kingdome as by it and rejoyce in the mutuall obligation And that I may not breake in too suddenly upon the late affaires of these Kingdomes give me leave as a manuduction thereto to give a briefe touch of the Method of Reformation in this Island and but a word for the body of the Story may be had elswhere It pleased God at the bringing of this Island out of Popery to honour Scotland with a more full departure from Romish Idolatry and Superstition for though England wholly renounced their Doctrine yet some dregges of discipline and superstitious Ceremonies remained The Scots had indeed some advantages that wee had not Their Queene was obnoxious their young King in his nonage they had some Nobles and Ministers zealous and well affected so that through Gods blessing they obtained a Reformation in that point though not with so little difficulty as should give them ground to expect it should be done here on a suddaine But as for England in Queene Elizabeths time shee had so much trouble for Holland with Spaine and in Ireland that her Councell thought not fit to adventure upon the trouble of an alteration in this point which they foresaw and wee finde to be great And besides many of our Reformers being Bishops could not so well understand the convenience of their own abolishment In King Iames his time though wee might have expected to have been better in regard he came from a reformed Kingdome yet it was far worse with us for he came with an innate bitternesse against Puritanes which was fomented by our English Bishops so that he became a great Persecutor of unconformity And according to the Proverb Seldome comes a better since the Reigne of this King especially since the preferment of the late Archbishop of Canterbury
Manifest Truth OR AN INVERSION OF Truths Manifest Containing a NARRATION of the Proceedings of the Scottish Army and a Vindication of the Parliament and Kingdome of England from the false and injurious aspersions cast on them by the Author of the said Manifest PROV. 18. 17. He that is first in his own cause seemeth just but his neighbour commeth and searcheth him Published by Authoritie LONDON Printed by M. S. for Henry Overton in Popes-head-Alley and Giles Calvert at the Spread Eagle at West end of Pauls 1646. THE PREFACE THough all possible care shall be taken that this ensuing Discourse may need no Apology yet the misconstruction it is lyable to in this quarrelsome age may require a Preface in which I shall not as the Author of Truths Manifest goe about to quicken the appetite of my Reader by a self-commendation but if I regarded the praise of men should much rather choose to be commended by another in the end of my worke then by my selfe in the beginning But out of a great and just tendernesse of doing or being thought to doe any thing which might tend to any alienation betwixt these happily united Kingdomes I thought fit to declare as followeth First that a hearty union betwixt the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland as it is most agreeable to Religion and the solemne Covenant so it is eminently requisite to their mutuall preservation both from the illegall intrenchments of their owne King and from the attempts of forreigne Princes or States for by such an inviolate conjunction they shall be kept from being instrumentall to each others ruine which hath lately been designed upon both successively by their owne King that he might become absolute Lord of them both to the prejudice if not ruine of Religion and Liberty As also Strangers especially the French shall be prevented in their wonted designe which hath been to raise and foment differences betwixt these Kingdomes and have been forward to assist Scotland against England not for love to Scotland but hatred or feare of England which they have looked upon as a dangerous Neighbour And let me adde further that the continuation and confirmation of this Union will not prove onely an Ornament to the Protestant Religion but a great advantage to the propagating of it and will also make us more capable of righting our selves Confederates and Allyes against any injuries or usurpations that are or shall be offered And I hope these apprehensions shall over-awe my pen that it walke very circumspectly in the ensuing discourse Secondly give me leave to say that this Union doth not necessarily inferre a confusion or mixture but may as well and it may be better stand with a full reservation to each of their peculiar Lawes Priviledges Governments and possessions It is hard if not impossible to find two persons that shall concurre to an universall compliance in their friendship but are glad to find a correspondence in some things and content to yield a mutuall forbearance in others This is more difficult to be found in States who have besides their diversities of Lawes and Government more differences of generall and particular Interests then private persōs are capable of And though through Gods mercy these two Kingdomes are more happy then other Confederates who like bodies exactly sphericall touch but in a point as they have occasion by their Ambassadours yet the nature of affaires and men permits not they should meet as two bodies exactly plaine in every point For though their Interests be the same sc the conservation of their Liberties against Tyranny and Religion the choycest fruite of their Liberty against any thing destructive to it yet the customes and constitutions of the Kingdoms and the dispositions of the people may be so different besides other incident disadvantages that an universall close is rather to be desired then expected and something must be left to time and more to him who alone challenges the Prerogative of fashioning mens hearts alike And it may be added that such an union is not onely not possible but not necessary for Conjunction being but a meanes to some further end is no further requisite then it conduces to that end of mutuall preservation There is indeed beside the benefit a native beauty in unity but to be violent in pressing of it is to scratch the face that it may be beautifull and when accomplishd as it is thought it will be found rather to be a paint then a naturall complexion I shall onely take Liberty to adde further that the pressing an exact uniformity in Church or a union of mixture in State the nature of persons and things not admitting it may hinder a union of conjunction in those things which are possible and necessary And I pray God it be not the Designe of some under the pretence of union in things presently impossible to promote a difference in that which is necessary Thirdly as this discourse springs not from any principle of disaffection to the Scottish Nation so I hope none will force any such conclusions from it beyond my meaning though without my guilt For my part I freely professe that I think it may in its owne nature as well as its intent tend more to the preservation of union then the occasioning of distraction Upon this ground we have patiently received and read two Manifests to which the Questionist from St. Andrewes hath added something not a little reflecting upon the Parliament and Kingdome of England the first untouch'd produced a second this second may bring forth and in the close of it intimates a third and possibly a worse till under pretence of justification of our brethren the charges against our selves may grow intolerable and occasion greater inconveniences Fourthly I hope the distance of time intervening betwixt the booke and the Answer cannot afford an objection against it First I staid to see if somebody that was more able or more concerned would undertake it Secondly it is a businesse of great tendernesse and importance and occasioned many thoughts of heart which did long delay it but could not prevaile against it For I am able truly to say with the Author of Truths Manifest that not so much the love and honour of my own Nation which yet I hope shall be alwayes deare to me as Covenant and conscience and consideration of the good of both Kingdomes have put me upon this worke and carried me through it for it is found that unequall complyances especially with natures not so good doe but make way for greater disadvantages which cannot alwayes be borne And though it be alwayes better to suffer wrong then doe it and sometimes better to receive wrong then require right yet the most beaten path to peace and justice which I thinke now it becomes me and others to walk in is neither to doe wrong nor to suffer it For though a man may part with his owne Right for publick advantage yet I know no Rule of parting with other mens
mend this slip and addes a resolution that till the Commissioners did the thing he advises he would take a Commission from himselfe to doe it To al which I say no more then indignus tu qui diceres tamen For the charge I may adde neque hoc opprobrio digni sunt Men in trust and Authority should take care that the People may rather have the advantage then the knowledge of their proceedings Things that are to be done by them are necessarily to be made knowne to them and to satisfie them in their obedience the ground of the command or something shewing the Equity and necessity of it is usually premitted as is done in the preamble of Acts Ordinances and Declarations But to make knowne the debates and those humane passions incident thereunto it were sometimes to discover nakednesse where it ought not to minister strifes to make the people Judges of them whom they have made so I have heard that the custome of Scotland is otherwise where there is a diligent eye had to the Presse which is not as here which is one of our faults prostitute to the lust of every Pamphlet and a reverend reservednesse kept upon their Counsels and actions onely so farre as the people are concerned in obeying things are carefully made knowne to them and difficulties removed And certainly those that are reserved at home will not judge it meet to be very open elsewhere for though the Proverb is not strictly to be applyed yet it carries a generall equity and decency In alienâ—m domum cum veneris mutus surdus esto The Gentleman makes some Objections which he answers he that hides can finde but unawares ties some knots which he cannot easily undoe For instance his second Objection in the Answer to which he affirmes that the Commissioners of Scotland doe not sufficiently discharge their duty in making knowne to the Parliament and Assembly to the full the truth of all things by their papers which he proves by an assertion which for want of other strength he doubles that what is de facto concerning all must be made knowne to all The sounder axiome were what concernes all to know must be made knowne to all for otherwise who will deny but the people are concerned in Counsels Deliberations and conclusions of things to be done they being the subject and end of them and yet this Author grants that these things are to be made knowne to the Trustees of State But I have no mind to wrangle Let us see the strength of the Argument which is this The Trustees of the State and Church are not Lords of them but servants therefore the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland are to impart to the people of England their papers and proceedings This conclusion seemes to me larger then the Premisses and like to have the lot of a building wider then the foundation the true inference from the Antecedent is rather this Therefore the Commissioners of Scotland as good servants should give an accompt to them that intrust them so farre as is expected or required But shew me where the people of England conferred that trust upon the Commissioners from Scotland or where they required any accompt Doubtlesse those Honourable Persons doe give accompt and satisfaction to them from whom they received their Commission and trust and need not doe it to any other And though that expression of servants as opposed to a Lordly usurpation is good as to the thing yet the word seemes to give too specious a ground for such a corrupt inference as this If the Rulers be servants the people are Masters whereas the truth is the Magistrate serves the good of the people rather then the people as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 13. They are the Ministers of God to the people for good Ministers or servants of God that this their appellation to the peoples good that is their use Thus the Angels serve the Saints who are yet lower then the Angels and Pastours the people whom yet they rule over in the Lord Me thinks those that hate Independency in the Church should not affect popularity in the State but any thing for a turne But let me leave this Rule with my friends and Country-men that though it be fit that all exorbitant usurpation and arbitrary dominion of Rulers have a seasonable stop lest publike Liberty suffer yet must it be done without debasing those in authority whose honour and esteeme with the people is necessary to the order and conservation of the whole alwayes provided that this tender regard need not be had to any of what place soever that are in open hostility against the people who make no other use of their power and Reputation then to deceive and destroy the people of which our instance is too neare As for the freedome of Iohn Knox and George Bucanan mentioned pag. 12. I could well consent it were revived so it be rightly bestowed as by them it was sc. against the Popery of the then Queen and the self-interests of great men in publick works and against tyranny in Princes King Charles deserves a severer Schoolemaster then ever King Iames had Secondly after this expostulation with the Commissioners ending pag. 14. the Narration begins in which the Author layes open in the first place the carriage of things betwixt the Scots and the King at their first entrance which I meddle not with onely give this note on the behalfe of England that whatsoever was then done as is alleadged contrary to justice and Faith must not be set in the least degree upon the accompt of this Kingdome whose proper Representative is the Parliament who disclaimed the whole businesse it was the work of the King not the Kingdome of the Faction not the Nation But I rest in the thoughts of the Act of pacification Thirdly the next thing to be insisted on is of more consequence and will require a full clearing which is found at the 18. pag. sc. The Scots under God are the cause of assembling the Parliament of the continuance of it and of the preservation of it from totall destruction and ruine And to this purpose there are divers passages which I think fittest to summe up together and give them some dilucidation rather then opposition Another expression of this kind is pag. 94. The Scots were in a kinde the onely hinderers of the Kings compassing his designe pag. 99. 100. For whom they have hazarded and many lost their lives when they might all this while have sate at home quietly pag. 112. They make our quarrell theirs have undergone the burthen for our sakes to free us from it They are become miserable to pull us out of misery a thing not to be parallel'd Pag. 114. They have crucified themselves for their Brethren Pag. 142. Who have ventured yea lost themselves in a manner with all that is deare unto men for their sakes to doe them a double good to help them out of trouble and
it hath been much worse with us for in stead of reforming we were deforming and in stead of renouncing returning to Rome apace But all this while England wanted not its honour in the eyes of God and good men For God favoured it with men eminent in learning able and earnest assertors of the Doctrine of the Gospel against the Champions of Rome Bellarmine and his Fellowes such were Whitaker Reynolds Iewel Fulke Perkings c. with more practicall Preachers and Writers and a greater measure of the Power of Godlines then other reformed Churches Thus we see Non omnis fert omnia tellus Scotland had its advantages and so had England that neither they without us nor wee without them might be made perfect but that we might contribute to the reformation of each other and both to our neighbours You will pardon this digression I returne After King Iames had outgrown his tutors hankered after Spaine and was come into England He went about to pull downe what was built in Scotland for matter of discipline and interrupted the Liberty of the Assemblies as at Perth more especially though his nature was to accomplish his designes rather by artifice then by violence King Charles succeeds him in his Crowne and intention but drives more furiously then his Father and ventures the overturning all and so am I come to the late troubles of Scotland about the yeare 1638. At which time both Kingdomes had Bishops but Scotland first cast them off to which they had these advantages First their naturall Antipathy against Episcopacy which is generally remarkable in that Nation Secondly the absence of the King who was not there to countenance them with his presence and support them with his interest and authority as here It is no small advantage to have an absent King A King prevents the Factions of an Aristocracy His absence takes away the Enormities of a Court and the advantages to Tyranny And as they had more advantage so had they more reason to begin They had a Service-book put upon them against Law more corrupt then ours which was established by a Law then in force Their worke was but to assert their Rights against innovation ours to inlarge our Reformation and adde something de novo which is a much harder and a more questionable worke But however it was very happie for them and us that they had such an opportunitie hearts to use it as they did in standing in the breach like to be made upon the Religion and Liberties of both Kingdomes To come yet nearer This dispute betwixt the King and his Party on the one side the Lords and Ministers of Scotland on the other growes to blowes and Armies are prepared on each hand How stood the affection of the Commonaltie of England in this Cause How backward were they to raise men to pay money the Souldiers that were raised in many places fell to pulling downe Altars breaking Images as a worke which pleased them better then to goe against Scotland in that Cause And whilst some were preparing to fight against them many were actually stirring and wrastling with God for them in prayers Such was the affection they bore to that Cause and Kingdome And when the Parliament was called to which God made the Scottish broyles an advantage though the affaires of England could not long have stood in that temper they were in how tender were they of contributing any thing to the warre against them and chose rather to adventure their own dissolution then a breach with them And when they were the second time conveened even to this present Parliament how readily did they gratifie their brethren with a competent sum called brotherly assistance to be paid by this Kingdome for the injuries done by a Faction in it And this carriage of the Parliament is acknowledged to be worthy and obliging by the Convention of the Estates of Scotland in their Declaration premitted at their Entrance So that hitherto wee were not behind-hand with them It remaines then that this great obligation must arise from the present conjunction But if we consider the grounds the termes and issue it may appeare not to be extraordinary As for the grounds if this Author in his 28. Pag. already mentioned be not authenticke let me alledge those that are sc. the Convention in the short Declaration premitted at their comming into this Kingdome in Ianuary 1643. Where beside and before the Law of Love requiring us to beare each others burthen you may finde a Law of Nature mentioned injoyning them to preserve themselves by preventing their neighbours ruine It is indeed a kindnesse for a man to helpe to quench a fire in his neighbours house though his own be next but if his house had not been so neare it may be the man had been further off So that it was not a sole respect to us that brought them for that is no Fiction though it be Poetry Tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet So much for the Ground The termes were as betwixt Strangers and Mercenaries though we love and embrace the title of brethren as appeares by the Treaty wherein it is required and agreed that England be at the whole charge of paying this Army the termes upon which they serve France and Holland and expected that this Kingdome be responsable for incident charges and losses What could be further asked And looke to the issue if God grant it when this Kingdome will be found to have afforded all the charge and most of the force for the preservation of England and Ireland directly and Scotland as really though by consequence for prius and posterius makes no great difference which was the case as this Author acknowledgeth Pag. 28. And thus have I given accompt of the true state as neare as I could learne it of the Obligations betwixt these two Kingdomes which afford this Result That wee should love one another As for the particular words which occasioned this discourse which are three times repeated in the Manifest sc. that the Scots were the cause of calling continuing preserving from ruine this present Parliament let me say thus much to them As for the calling it they were the occasion but not the cause As for the continuance of it this is the account Wee feeling the smart of broken Parliaments as also our debts and necessities calling for money it could not be borrowed but upon publique Faith this was not to be given but in Parliament whereupon a noble Gentleman Mr Pierrepont by name who was not then much acquainted with the Scots moved upon those grounds for an act of continuance of this Parliament and it passed As for the preservation of it from ruine this Clause following immediately upon the Authors discourse of the Scots refusing the Kings offers which he made them of the foure Northerne Counties c. if they would lend their hand to the Parliaments ruine induceth me to beleeve he meanes that not destruction for