causse of God, nor walking in ane subordinatione to God, bot rather
in oppositione to the work of God and the couenant, and cleiuing to
all the enimies, we doe therfor, according to the declaratione of the
churche and stait of the 13 of Aguste 1650, disclaime all the sin and
guilt of the King and his housse, both olde and lait; and declaire,
that wee doe not allow him nor his intrest in the stait of the quarrell
betwix ws and the enimie, aganist quhom, if the Lord will, wee are to
hazard our liues.
2. That within Scotland he ought not to be intrusted with the exercisse
of his power, till such tyme as ther be conwincing and cleir euidence
of ane reall change in him; and that ane effectuall coursse ought to
be takin for prewenting, in tymes coming, his coniunctione with the
malignant partey, and for traying the causse of his lait deserting of
the publicke counsailles, and of all quho had accession therto; and for
disabling malignants, vntill they be out of capacity to hurte the worke
and people of God.
3. That the publick judicatories be free, that ther is iust causse
in Gods sight to charge some eminent persons in our counsells and
forces with ingagements and deseinges to inwade Ingland, for inforcing
the King one that natione; and that it was a grate prouocation in
aney persone to haue intendit ane inwasion to Ingland, for the
inforcing of the King one ane other natione, not subordinat to ws;
with consideratione of the necessities and vnlawfullnesse therof for
cleiring of our calling to it, or remoueing the Lords contrawersie
aganist the King, quhom justly the Lord had remowed from the
gouerniment of the kingdome, quhatsomeuer in justice was one mans
pairte.
* * * * *
_To the Rt Honorable the Committee of Estaits, the humble
Remonstrance of the Gentlemen, Commanders and Ministers, attending
the forces in the west._
17 October, 1650.
Althoughe wee do not judge of the wndertakings of the Lords people by
the successe, and be not shaken by the dissipating of our armey, nor
brought in question our causse, zet wee thinke ourselues, and all the
people of this land, called by thesse late dispensations to searche
and tray our wayes; wee doe therfor esteeme it our deutie (quhill wee
are about to adwenture our liues againes the enimie, as prowidence
shall giue opportunitie) freelie and faithfullie to make our thoughts
knowen to your Lops: concerning the causses and remedies of the Lords
indignation wich hath gone out aganist his people, quherin wee supposse
wee neid not insist vpone the lait sinns conteined in the lait causses
of the fast, published by the Commissioners of the Kirke, relatting
to the conducte and carriage of our armie, and other thinges; bot wee
shall speike to that wich most directlie concerns your Lops:
1. That wiche is obuious, in the first place, amonge the sinns of the
land, is our late proceidings with the King; quherin, that wee be not
mistakin, wee shall distinguish betuix our deuty and our sinns.
Wee owe and acknouledge for our deutie, to wsse all lawfull wayes and
means for reclaming the King, and to owne his intrest according to
oure vocatione, so fare as he owns and prosecuttes the causse. Bot we
are conwinced that it is our sinne, and the sin of the kingdome, that
quhen the King had walked in the wayes of his fathers oppositione to
the worke of reformation, and the soleme leauge and couenant, wntill
he had gone the lenthe of confirming a peace with the Irishe rebells,
for pardon of the blood shed of so maney thousand protestants, and
allowing them the exercisse of the popesche religion; and quhen he
had giuen commissions to the appostat rebell James Grhame to inwade
this kingdome: that after all this, commissioners should haue beine
varrandit to assure him of his present admissione to the exercisse
of his royall power, vpone his profession to ioyne in the causse and
couenant, not onlie without aney furder euidence of his repentance,
wnto the renewing of the Lords contrawersie with his fathers housse,
and without conuincing euidences of the realitie of his profession,
and his forsaiking his former principals and wayes; but quhen ther was
pergnant presumptions, if not cleir euidences of the contrarey.
2. That ther was to grate haist and præcipitatione in a second addresse
to the King, after the first had beine reiected, as appeired in the
publick motion of it, without aney consultation about it; in the
suddaine electione of commissionars for the soleme addresse, and in
refussing to delay the matter wntill the meitting of the parliament,
then werey neire; and all this haist made quhen ther was informatione
giuen that his Maieatie at the same tyme had giuen commissions to
inwade this kingdome, and without seeking the Lords directione in a
matter of so heighe consequence to the worke and people of God.
3. That the trettey was continewed after the Lord had cleirlie
discouered the Kings wnstraight dealling, in the invasione actuall of
this kingdome, by his varrant and commissione during the trettey.
4. That ther was too grate forwardnes in some of the commissioners to
closse the trettey, without satisfaction requyred by the parliament,
and ther imploying instruments to persuade the King, who wer ather
oppin enimies to the causse and couenant, or had delte deceitfully
therin; from quhom nothing could be expected, bot to teache his Maᵗⁱᵉ
dissimulatione and outwarde complyance, rather than aney cordiall
coniunctione with the causse and couenant.
5. Quhen the parliament of this kingdome was acquanted with the
transactions of our commissioners with the King at Breda, and had
declared ther disaffectione with sundrey things therin, and had made
the same knowen to our commissioners; zet plainnesse and freedome
was not wssed with the King, to declare wnto him befor he cam from
Holland, the sence of this kingdome vpone the trettey. Bot his Maiestie
was brought to sea with a wicked companie of Scottishe and Englishe
malignants, expresly contrarey to the directions of parliament.
Quhen the Lord had in a wounderfull prouidence brought to the weiu
of the parliament his Maᵗⁱᵉˢ bloodie commissions to James Grhame,
and seuerall letters discouering his firme adherence to his former
principalls, euen quhen he was proposing a trettey with this kingdome,
and of resolutione to make wsse of his forces lewied by James Grhame
for the inwading of this kingdome during the tyme of the trettey.
Notwithstanding of all this, they proceided to closse a trettey with
the King, and admitt him to the present exercisse of his power, and
that befor aney trayell had, or euidences giuen of aney reall change in
him.
Thesse thinges wee looke vpone as heighe prouocations befor the Lord,
thretting no lesse the destructione of ws and of our King.
Notwithstanding this sinfull way of aggrement with the King, for wich
wee and maney of the Lords people in the land haue mournid, finding
nothing in all the progresse of the bussines that might giue ws aney
sure ground of hope that the Lords contrawersey was remoued from the
royall familey, yet haue wee bein willing to wait wntill the Lord
should make some discouerey, wither the King had really ioyned in
the causse and couenant, or had onlie come in for worldlie ends and
deseinges, and had reteind his olde enmitie at the worke of God, and
frindschipe with the enimies therof. Bot now ther being cleir euidences
that the Lord hath bein deceaued and ensnared by his dissembling in the
Lords worke as may appeire,
1. By his countenancing and entertaning the malignant partey in this
kingdome, his cleiuing to ther companey and following ther counsells,
quho haue abused him, taught him to continew in his former opposition
to the worke, and in his lait compliance, that he might wind himselue
in power to prosecute his former desainges.
2. By his keiping correspondence withe the notorious enimies of the
worke of reformatione and couenant abroade, suche as the Marques of
Ormond, the Earle of Newcastle, and others.
3. By his refussing to seinge the declaratione offred to him by the
Comittee of Estaits and Commissioners of the Generall Assembley, wntill
he was necessitated by declarations concerning him, and wntill it was
in a kynd extorted from him.
4. By his perseuing the same desinge since the trettey as befor,
indeworinge to haue the malignants of his kingdome in pouer and trust,
as appeirs by his frequent conwersing and correspondencies with them,
notwithstanding they are discharged the courte by acte of parliament.
5. By his wretting to the Comissione of the Kirke to that purpose,
and quhen it was denayed by them, by his instructions to the Lord
Chanceler, communicated to the Comittee of Estaits the 26 of September
last, pleading for a coniunction with the malignant partie; and, at
last, quhen nather kirke nor staite did giue ther concurrence therin,
he deserted the counsailles of the kingdome, and priuatly conwayed
himselue away with the malignants, quho had euer since his coming
to the kingdome waitit for that opportunitie, and with quhom he had
corresponded in carrinng one a deseinge to raisse them againe in armes.
By thesse thinges, it being now manifest that the King is not
prosecutting the causse of God, and valking in subordination to God,
bot rather in opposition to the worke of God and the couenant, and
cleiuing to the enimies therof, according to the declaration of kirke
and stait of the 13 of Aguste 1650, wee disclaime all the guilte and
sin of the King and of his housse, both olde and lait; and declaire,
that wee cannot owen him and his intrest in the stait of the quarrell
betuix ws and the enimey, aganist quhom (if the Lord will) we are to
hazard our liues.
And further, for the remedey of quhat is past, and prewenting of more
sin and danger to the worke of God in this land, wee humblie offer to
your Lops: that besydes the repenting off and humbling yourselues for
thesse thinges, your Lops: wold be pleassed, according to the acte
of the 7th of Februarij last, judgeing it necessarie securitie for
the causse, that the King forsake the counsells and counsellers that
haue been opposit therwnto; and according to the acte of parliament
explaining the inwitatione wich approues therof onlie in this sensse:
he performing satisfactione to the desyres conteind in the 4 demands,
and according to the acte ratifiing the trettey, and putting him in
the exercisse of his power, with the lyke restriction and conditione,
he reuling according to the counsells of this kingdome and kirke. To
consider that the King not hauing forsaken the counsells and companey
of malignants, bot still cleiueng to the same, notwithstanding of all
the endeuors wsed by kirke and staite in the contrarie, and not hauing
performed the satisfaction promissed by him in the trettey; and not
reulinge according to the counsells of the kingdome; bot forsaking the
same to ioyne with malignant counsells and forces wich he was bound
to abandon: Withere this be not suche a breache of his conditione to
performe the satisfactione promissed, and suche a discouerey that he
hath not ioyned cordially in the causse and couenant, as giues good
ground not to intrust him with the exercisse of his power, till suche
tyme as ther shall be conuincing and cleire euidence of a reall change
in him; and that your Lops: should take ane effectuall coursse for
preuenting the Kinges coniunctione with the malignant partie for the
tyme to come; and for the tryall of the last malignant deseinge of the
Kings deserting the publicke counsailles, and of all thesse quho haue
had accessione to it, and for disableing the malignants, quho haue by
ther lait acteinges discouered deepe hypocrisie and mocking of God, by
a profession of repentance, till they be out of capacity to hurte the
worke and people of God?
II. Albeit the publicke judicatories of the kirke and stait haue, by
ther declarations, sufficiently cleired themselues of that wich is
wniustly charged vpon them by the adwersarey, to witt, ane ingagement
to the King, and a deseinge laide to inwade England, and force the King
vpone that nation by armes. And althoughe wee cannot purge ourselues
befor the Lord, that we neuer had aney suche deseinge, wich wee can
professe with the more cleirnes, becausse nather the lawfullnes nor
necessity therof, nor our calling therwnto, was euer so muche as
debaitted in the publicke judicatories; all wiche was declared to be
necessarey to aney suche resolutione, and to wich wee purposse still to
adhere. Zet wee beseiche your Lops: to consider wither in Gods sight,
quho will not be mocket with declarations contrarie to intentions, ther
be no iust causse to charge some eminent persons in our counsaills and
forces with suche ingagements, and deseinges to inwade England for the
enforcing of the King vpone that nation, and for enriching themselues
with ther spoyles. And that the Lord is righteous in doing to this
nation, as maney in our armies did to England quhen wee wer called to
ther assistance, and as was intendit by maney to be done againe by a
new inwasione.
Lett it therfor be zet examined how grate a prouocatione it is in aney
persone to haue intendit ane inwasione, and forcing of the King vpone
ane other natione not subordinat to ws, without a preuious debait
and determinatione of the lawfullnes and necessity therof, by the
parliament, or Generall Assembley, or ther commissioners; and without
a preuious cleireing of our calling to it, and without the preuious
remoueing of the Lords contrawersie aganist the King, (quhom iustlie
the Lord hes remoued from the gouerniment of that kingdome, quhatsoeuer
justice was in mans pairt,) and with ane intendit coniunctione with the
malignant partie, so fare contrarey to the publicke declarations and
professions of the kingdome, and attestation of God that wee had no
suche deseinge.
If it be sin in ws to haue put in the Kings handes the exercisse of
power in this nation, befor euidences had of a reall change in him, how
much more sinfull must it be to haue deseinged, or to haue endeuored,
the putting more power in his hands in England; wee cannot judge
otherwayes of suche a deseinge, then to be preferring of mans intrest
to Gods, and a betraying of his causse and people wnto the handes of
one quho had not layed doune his enmitey aganist bothe.
In the nixt place, the grate and mother sin of this nation wee conceaue
to be the backslydinge breache of couenant, and engagements wnto the
Lord. It hath beine our maner in our troubles to call one wowes and
resolutions aganist thesse sins, wiche haue beine looked vpone as
causses of our affliction; wee haue [so] often leied wnto the Lord with
our tounges, and flattered him with our lippes, that wee deserue to
be no more trusted by him; and as wee purpois not to forgett our aueh
breaches of couenant and sins of this sorte, so wee humblie desyre your
Lops: to lay it to heart:—
1. How vnansuerable ze haue walked to your soleme ingagement to purge
the judicatories and armies, and to fill the places of truste and
power with men of knowin good affection to the causse of God, and of a
blamles and Christian conuersation. Haue not some amongest you beine
the cheiffe obstructors of the worke, by retarding conclusions, by
studing to make them ineffectuall, quhen they haue beine takin; by
your partiall dealling, differencing men according to ther intrests,
countenancing, fauoring, keiping in and helping to places of power and
trust, suche malignant and profane persons as might be subseruient to
your deseinges; by your reckoning it qualificatione good aneuche, if a
man be free of accession to the ingagement, thoughe he wer otherwayes
malignant or prophaine; by your sparing of thosse in eminent places
and truste in the judicatories and armies, and taking no trayell of
the qualifications, according to your vowis, quhill you wer doing some
deutie vpone them of lower degree, quherby it hath come to passe, that
ther remaine zet spots in your judicatories wich diminishes your crydit
and authority, and occasione is giuen to the enimies to blaspheme the
causse of God!
For remedeeing quherof, may it pleis your Lops: to take zet are
vnpartiall way of remowing from the King, the judicatories, and armies,
all suche persons as haue not the qualifications conteind in the 7th
desyre of the kirke to the parliament, 1648, and to the 10 and 12
pages [of] our soleme acknouledgement and ingagement, and in the acte
of parliament for keeping the judicatories and places of trust free of
corruptione. That your Lops: be not found walking still in [the] same
way, sinning zet more quhen wrathe is gone in the gude land; lett it be
farre from your Lops: to hold fast deceit, and to refusse to returne
from that werey sin wich hath beine publickly acknowledged by you and
all this kingdome.
2. Albeit nothing can be addit to that wich is spokin of the madnes
and sinfullnes of complaying with malignants in the 5 and 6 page of
the soleme acknouledgment and ingagement; zet maney of your Lops: haue
sliden backe and returnid to the way wiche not longe since ze called
sinfull befor God, by receauing malignants into intimat fellowschipe
with yourselues, admitting them to your counsailles, and bringing in
some of them to the parliament and comittees, and to be aboute the
King; so that ther are maney pregnant presumptiones of a desinge in
some of your Lops: to sett vpe and imploy the malignant partey againe,
at least ther are demonstratiue euidences of a strong inclinatione to
entrust them againe in the managinge of the worke of God.
When wee compare togider the assurances that wer giuen to the
malignants that wer with the King in Holland; the bringing of thesse
home; the studious indeuors that haue beine vssed to keepe some of
them in the kingdome and aboute the courte; the admissione of all the
malignant partie to resorte to the courte without aney effectuall
restraint; the forshewing and grudging at the purgeing of the armey
from malignant persons; the obstructing of the purging of the Kinges
familey and the lyffe gaurd of horsse; the pleading of some in the
judicatories for persons that are secludit from trust by the publicke
resolutions; the profession of others in the Committee of Estaits of
ther desyre and resolutione to put power in the hands of knowen and
eminent malignants in Scotland, and of raissing the malignants in
England in armes, vnder the name ef the kirkes partey. The conniwence
of some amongest you, as the Kings correspondencies with the enimies of
the causse abrod; the leawinge out vpone debait, in the orders for the
new lewies, the qualifications of the acte of parliament for the lewies
and posture; the endeuors that haue beine wssed to hastin the Kinges
coronatione, and for putting him in the full exercisse of his power,
notwithstanding that he hes not forsakin his eiuell counsellers and
companey of malignants, according to the trettey.
And lastlie, quhen wee ioyne with thesse the assistancis and endeuors
of maney in the Committee of Estaits for carrinng one the Kings lait
oppositione of a coniunction with the malignant partie, and with the
Clans and Heighelanders quho haue beine in rebellion; wee wounder
that your Lops: are not ashamed so quickly to haue turned asyde, and
forgottin your lait wowes, and the maney bands that are vpone you to
abstaine from suche wayes. And wee humblie thinke that your Lops: giue
too grate occasion to the enimie that hes inwadit our land to charge
you with a malignant deseinge, and setting vpe the old malignant
interest.
For remedie quherof, wee humblie proposse, not onlie that all suche
backslydinges may be repented of, and all thosse coniunctions with
the malignant partie forsakin and abhorred; bot that a speedie and a
current way may be takin by your Lops: for discourey and remoweall of
all suche persons as shall be found to haue contriued and actiuely
promotted the forsaid desainge, from the Comittee of Estaites, the
armey, the courte, and all wther places of trust, that the worke of the
Lord and the kingdome may not be in hazard throughe ther influence wpon
the publicke judicatories or wpone the armey.
3. Wheras the sinns of couetousnes, oppression, and selue-seiking haue
beine oftin reproued in your Lops: and are enumerated with the sins of
this land, and confessed, and wowes takin one for awoyding thesse sins
the tyme to come, the soleme acknouledgement and ingagement; zet wee
conceaue, amongest other sins, for the iniquitie of your couetousnes
the Lord hath beine wrothe, and hath smittin the land, and for your
selue-seeking and studinng your auen intrest and endis; becausse that
notwithstanding you and wee haue said to the Lord, and suorne, that
denaying ourselues, and our auen thinges, and laying asyde all selue
interest and endis, wee shall aboue all thinges seeike the honor of
God and wealthe of his people, zet quho knoweth not that some of
your Lops: hath made your pouer, places, and imployments, rather a
matter of gaine and interist to yourselues, then of seeking the good
of the causse, and the wealthe of the people. Wher is the denayell of
yourselues, and of your auen thinges, wich was promissed to the Lord?
Hath not your litle finger beine heauier then the loynes of the worthey
reweler, quho wold not eat the bread of the gouernour, that he might
easse the peoples burden? How few are ther amongest your Lops: quho
will emptie themselues for the good of the causse?
For remedie quherof, wee beseiche als maney of you as hath greidily
gained, and made aduantage of the publicke and of the poore of the
land; and by the lewies, Kinges rewenewes, fynnes, borrowed moneyes,
and wtherwayes of fingring soumes, haue drawin vnto yourselues and
frinds that wich did belonge to the publicke wsse, that you wold cleane
your hands of your dishonest gaine, at wiche the Lord will smytte
his hands, and wich will be mouthe to consume your housses. Let the
extortioner and oppressor, oppress no more; and lett it be leuked vpone
as your Lops: deutey, impartially to bring all men to the accompte for
the wast soumes that haue beine misapplayed, and knowen oppressors
brought to condigne punishment.
4. Notwithstanding wee haue acknouledged our sin, in follouing, for
the most pairt, the counsells of fleche and blood, and walking more
by the rewells of policey then pietie, hearkening more unto men than
vnto God; and albeit that wee haue solemlie engaged ourselues, that
forsaiking the counsells of fleche and blood, wee should depend vpone
the Lord, walke by the will of his worde, and hearkin to the voyce of
his seruants; zet it is too manifest that the Lord is exceidinglie
prowoked by the pollitick way quherin maney of you walk still, not only
imping your priuat intrests and endis with thosse thinges that concerne
the publicke good, bot maney tymes preferring them, and opposing or
retarding Gods worke, till you may carry alonges with you your auen
interests and deseinges. Wee beseiche your Lops: to lay to heart your
publicke way of walking, and as befor the Lord to examine yourselues,
wither your waye hath not beine full of carnall wisdom and policie, in
the matters of bringing home the King, disposing of places of trust
aboute him, and ordering the cheiffe conducte and cheiffe officers in
your forcis. Let your auen hearts speake, wither the reuell by wich you
haue walked in all thesse, hathe not beine to establishe yourselues,
rather than the worke of God, or King and kingdome; and how some of
you may haue ane grate and predominant intreest in all thesse, it is
euident some of your Lops: haue not cared how few frindes the Lords
worke had in thesse places of trust, if so be ze might haue maney
frindes to espousse your intrests, and politicke wayes and endis.
5. Wee cannot forgett how some amongest your Lops: quho haue wowed to
the Lord, in the day quhen the frinds of the causse wer low, and quhen
some of your Lops: also wer brought werey low; that ze should trust
and imploy, and cleaue to suche persons in the land as feared God, and
wer treulie religious, and should neuer dewyde from thosse; zet for
all that, some amongest you haue lookit vpone all ore most of thesse
on quhome the pouer of godlines hath appeired, with ane eiuell and
jelous eye, and haue not onlie neglected to countenance and encourage
suche, bot rather haue randered them and ther actions odious and
suspected. For wich thinges the wrath of God is gone oute, and is lyke
to continew till your Lops: and wee shall learne to putt a difference
betuix the pretious and vile, and to haue the power of godliness in
grater estimatione.