1642.

November.

An. 18. Car. I. thren of the Kingdom of Scotland did concur withr ' the Endeavours of this Parliament, and the De'fires of the whole Kingdom, in procuring and 'establishing a firm Peace and Amity between the 'two Nations; and how lovingly they have fince ' invited us to a nearer and higher Degree of Union, in Matters concerning Religion and Church-Government, which we have most willingly and af<fectionately embraced and intend to pursue, can' not doubt but they will, with as much Forward' ness and Affection, concur with us in fettling Peace

in this Kingdom, and preferving it in their own; ' that fo we may mutually reap the Benefit of that • Amity and Alliance, fo happily made and strongly 'confirmed betwixt the two Nations. Where'fore, as we did about a Year fince, in the first Appearance of Trouble then beginning amongst them, actually declare, That, in our Senfe and Apprehenfion of the National Alliance betwixt us, we ' were thereby bound to apply the Authority of Parliament and Power of this Kingdom to the Prefer'vation and Maintenance of their Peace: And fee'ing now that the Troubles of this Kingdom are grown to a greater Height, and the fubtle Prac'tices of the common Enemy of the Religion and Liberty of both Nations do appear with more • Evidence, Strength, and Danger, than they did at 'that Time: We hold it neceffary to declare, That, ' in our Judgment, the fame Obligation lies upon ' our Brethren by the afore-mentioned Act, with

the Power and Force of that Kingdom to affift us, ' in repreffing those amongst us who are now in • Arms and make War, not only without Confent ' of Parliament, but even against the Parliament, and for the Destruction thereof.

Wherefore we have thought good to make known to our Brethren, that his Majesty hath given Commiffion to divers eminent and known • Papifts, to raise Forces, and compose an Army ' in the North, and other Parts of this Kingdom; ' which is to join with divers foreign Forces intended

to

1642.

November.

to be transported from beyond the Seas, for the An. 18. Car. Destruction of this Parliament, and of the Religion and Liberty of the Kingdom. And that the "Prelatical Part of the Clergy, and their Adherents, ' have likewife invited his Majesty to raise another Army; which, in his own Perfon, he doth conduct against the Parliament and the City of London, 'plundering and robbing fundry well-affected 'Towns, within their Power: And that, in Profecution of their Malice, they are so presumptuous ' and predominant of his Majesty's Resolutions, ' that they forbear not those Outrages in Places to ' which his Majesty hath given his Royal Word ' and Protection. A great Cause and Incentive of ' which Malice proceeds from the Design they ' have to hinder the Reformation in Ecclefiaftical • Government in this Kingdom, fo much longed ' for by all true Lovers of the Protestant Religion.

' And hereupon we further defire our Brethren of 'the Nation of Scotland, to raife fuch Forces as they shall judge sufficient for the securing the Peace of ' their own Borders, against the ill-affected Perfons 'there; as likewise to assist us in fuppreffing the: • Army of Papists and Foreigners, which, as we ' expect, will shortly be on Foot here; and, if they ' be not timely prevented, may prove as mischie' vous and deftructive to that Kingdom as to our' felves.

' And though we feek nothing from his Majesty, ⚫ that may diminish his just Authority or Honour; ' and have, by many humble Petitions, endeavoured ' to put an End to this unnatural War and Com• bustion in the Kingdom; and to procure his Ma-> 'jesty's Protection and Security for our Religion, Liberty, and Perfons, according to that great Truft ' which his Majesty is bound to by the Laws of the Land; and shall still continue to renew our Peti-. ' tions in that Kind: Yet, to our great Grief, we ' see the Papistical and Malignant Counsel so pre' valent with his Majesty, and his Person so engaged. to their Power, that we have little Hope of better

• Succefs

1

1642. { November.

An. 18. Car. I. Success of our Petitions than we formerly had; ' and are thereby neceffitated to ftand upon our just 'Defence, and to seek this speedy and powerful 'Assistance of our Brethren of Scotland, according ' to that Act agreed upon in the Parliament of both Kingdoms, the common Duty of Chriftianity, and the particular Interests of their own King'dom: To which we hope God will give such a Blessing, that it may produce the Preservation of • Religion; the Honour, Safety, and Peace of his Majesty, and all his Subjects; and a more strict • Conjunction of the Counsels, Designs, and Endeavours of both Nations, for the Comfort and Relief of the Reformed Churches beyond the • Seas.'

Νου. 7,
1642.

JOHN BROWN, Cler. Parl.
HEN. ELSYNGE, Cler. Dom. Com.

In Answer to the foregoing Declaration of Parliament, the King sent the following Message to the Lords of his Privy Council of Scotland, some Time after: But we bring it in here for the Sake of Connection.

Right Trusty and Right Well-beloved Cousins and
Counsellors, and Right Trusty and Well-beloved
Counsellors, we greet you well,

WE

E have lately seen a Paper, presented to us by the Earl of Lindsay, as a Declaration the Privy-Coun- of the Lords and Commons affembled in the Parliament of England, of the seventh of November, to our Subjects of our Kingdom of Scotland; which, after many high Taxes of us and our Government, very earnestly invites, and in a Man'ner challenges, Afsistance from that our Native • Kingdom, of Men and Arms for making a War against us; making a Claim to that Afsistance, by 'virtue of the late Act of Pacification, to the which ' (out of our Defire to make a perpetual Union between our two Kingdoms, for the Happiness of both, and by it the more firmly to establish our

' own Greatness and just Power) we chearfully con- An. 18. Car. I.

' sented.

'As we are, at our Soul, afflicted that it hath been ' in the Power of any factious, ambitious, and ' malicious Persons, fo far to possess the Hearts of

many of our Subjects of England, as to raise this * miferable Distemper and Distraction in this King'dom, against all our real Actions and Endeavours ' to the contrary; so we are glad that this Rage ' and Fury hath so far transported them, that they apply themselves, in so gross a Manner, to our • Subjects of Scotland; whose Experience of our • Religion, Justice, and Love of our People, will ' not suffer them to believe those horrid Scandals • laid upon us; and their Affection, Loyalty, and Jealousy of our Honour, will disdain to be made • Instruments to oppress their Native Sovereign, by affiting an odious Rebellion.

• We have, from Time to Time, acquainted our Subjects of that Kingdom with the Accidents and : • Circumstances which have disquieted this; how ' (after all the Acts of Justice, Grace, and Favour ' performed on our Part, which were, or could be, ' defired to make a People completely happy) we • were driven, by the Force and Violence of rude ' and tumultuous Assemblies, from our City of 'London, and our two Houses of Parliament: How Attempts have been made to impose Laws upon ' our Subjects without our Consent, contrary to the • Foundation and Constitution of this Kingdom : How our Forts, Goods, and Navy were seized ' and taken from us by Force, and employed againft ' us: Our Revenue and ordinary Subsistence wrested 'from us: How we have been pursued with scan'dalous and reproachful Language; bold, false, and • seditious Pasquils and Libels publickly allowed against us; and been told, That we might, with• out Want of Modesty and Duty, be deposed.

'Now, after all this, before any Force was raised ' by us, an Army was raised, and a General ap'pointed to lead that Army against us; with a • Commission to kill, flay, and destroy all fuch who < should

1642.

November,

1642.

November.

An. 18. Car. I. should be faithful to us. That when we had been, ' by these Means, compelled, with the Affistance ' of our good Subjects, to raise an Army for our ' neceffary Defence; we fent divers gracious Mefsages, earnestly defiring that the Calamities and Miseries of a Civil War might be prevented by a Treaty, and so we might know the Ground of this Misunderstanding. How we were abfolutely ' refused to be treated with; and how, at last, the Army (raised, as was pretended, for the Defence " of our Person) was brought into the Field againft ' us, gave us Battle; and, though it pleased God to ' give us the Victory, destroyed many of our good • Subjects, with as imminent Danger to our own Person and our Children, as the Skill and Malice ' of defperate Rebels could contrive. Of all which, and the other Indignities which have been offered ' us, we doubt not the Duty and Affection of our • Scots Subjects will have fo just a Resentment, that ' they will express to the World the Sense they < have of our Sufferings. And our good Subjects ' of Scotland are not, we hope, fo great Strangers

to the Affairs of this Kingdom, to believe that this • Misfortune and Distraction is begot and brought ' upon us by our two Houses of Parliament; tho', ' in Truth, no unwarrantable Action against the Law can be justified, even by that Authority. They well know how the Members of both • Houses have been driven thence, in fo much that, of above five hundred Members of the House of • Commons, there are not now there above eighty; < and of above one hundred of the House of Peers, not above fifteen or fixteen: All which are fo ' awed by the Multitude of Anabaptifts, Brownists, ' and other Perfons, desperate and decayed in their Fortunes, in and about the City of London, that, ' in Truth, their Confultations have not the Freedom and Privilege which belongs to Parliaments.

Concerning any Commissions granted by us to Papifts to raise Forces, we must refer cur good Subjects to a Declaration, lately fet forth by us ' upon the Occasion of that Scandal, which we • fend