For the Under-Officers and Souldiers OF THE ENGLISH ARMY, From the People of SCOTLAND.
•T concerns you as you deſire not to imbrue your hands in the blood of the Lords people without a cauſe, and to be anſwerable to the righteous Judge of the world in the day of your accompts, to conſider whether the invading of the Kingdome of Scotland, wherein We, and all our Intereſts are included, be not a thing moſt ſinfull and unlawfull, which will bring wrath and indignation from the Lord upon all theſe who are engaged therein, or acceſſory thereto, and becauſe we know that things are miſrepreſented unto you, and you are made to believe that your undertaking is juſt and neceſſary, We ſhall therefore for your Information, ſhortly ſhew you how unwarrantable the grounds are, upon which your ſo called Parliament have concluded, and commanded to invade this Land; that if it be poſſible, your ſinne, and our affliction may be avoyded.
The firſt ground which is hinted at in the Declaration of your ſo called Parliament, is the Commiſſioners of Scotland their uſurping upon Acts of Legiſlative power, and their frequent pretenſions to, and conteſtations about a joint intereſt in ſome Acts of it, whilſt they were reſident in England, and whilſt nothing but friendſhip and unanimity in the ſame cauſe was pretended. But it is moſt certain, that the Commiſſioners of Scotland did never claim, nor aſſume to themſelves any〈…〉••ving of Lawes in England, The moſt that they did, was, 1. The Committee of both Kingdoms being appointed by the〈…〉•f both Kingdomes, they acted therein in a coordinate way in things of common Intereſt. 2. They did often by Letters〈…〉••uſes of Parliament their deſires, and give them warning when they were either negligent in, or averſe from their dutie〈…〉for a joynt intereſt in the Kings Perſon, he being King of Scotland, as well as of England.
〈…〉, which is much inſiſted upon, is the late unlawful Engagement againſt England in the year 1648. But how un••〈…〉this Kingdome, will appear to you in theſe particulars. 1. That Engagement was proteſted againſt in the Parli••••〈…〉of the Parliament it ſelfe, even thoſe who at firſt entered in Covenant with England, and ſent an Army for their〈…〉Scotland. 2. Not only did the Body of the Miniſtrie of the land preach and pray againſt it, but all the Judicatories〈…〉it, and the Generall Aſſembly did in the very time of the going forth of the Army, publiſh a large Declaration〈…〉in Shyres did petition the Parliament againſt it; So were the Body of the people of the Land, eſpecially the〈…〉to God againſt it, So did they refuſe to contribute thereto, and concurre therein: and becauſe of this,〈…〉prevailing partie of Malignants, who carried it on. 4. Thoſe who had proteſted againſt it in Parliament, and〈…〉▪ did before the defeat at Preſton begin to ſtirre in Armes againſt it, and did not lay them down, untill they〈…〉that carried it on. 5. The Houſe of Commons, and Lieutenant Generall CROMVVELL by their〈…〉, the other to the Committee of Eſtates, doe in a large way bear teſtimony to the Innocencie of the honeſt〈…〉alſo give them aſſiſtance againſt thoſe who carried on that Engagement.
〈…〉in by the Commiſſioners of this Kingdome at Weſtminſter, againſt the taking away of the Kings life, and〈…〉••is, as it was an innocent and harmleſſe, ſo was it a neceſſary duty: not onely becauſe of the Irregularity and〈…〉men wanting authority, and of the joynt intereſt of the Kingdom: of Scotland in the Kings Perſon, but alſo be••〈…〉•reat ſcandall, and many ſad conſequents that would follow thereupon to both Kingdomes.
〈…〉refuſing to repair the dammages that England ſuſtained in the unlawful Engagement, in the year 1648. But to〈…〉••mand reparation of thoſe dammages from thoſe who were ſufferers themſelves; reparation was not refuſed, but as the〈…〉to the Parliament of England, that none who had been active in, or conſenting to the ſaid Engagement, ſhould be〈…〉truſt whatſoever, without the adv•ce and conſent of the Kingdome of England, ſo did they not refuſe all fair and amica•••〈…〉deſired to know the particular wrongs and dammages, and upon knowledge thereof, offered to give juſt ſatisfaction.
〈…〉••ound is, a reſolution in thoſe of the Kingdom of Scotland, again to invade England, which is fancied upon very unwarrantable grounds,〈…〉of a Treatie, The proclaiming of Charles Stewart King of England, and promiſing him aſſiſtance againſt England, and declaring againſt the〈…〉•ow preva•les in England, as Sectaries, &c. To all which we ſay, that this Kingdome did refuſe to treat with your Parliament, not becauſe they••rpoſe to invade the Kingdome of England, but becauſe a prevailing party having taken away the Houſe of Lords, and alſo driven away, and impri•••any members of the Houſe of Commons, and changed the Government; They could not acknowledge the remnant for the ſupream authority of〈…〉the King, they did no otherwayes proclaim him King, then in the ordinary way, that hath been followed by both Kingdomes ſince〈…〉King, and they have given him no promiſe but this, that they will by all lawfull means within their power and calling,〈…〉, contribute their endeavours for his peaceable reſtitution to the Government of his other dominions. And as to the declaring〈…〉is farre from concluding a reſolution to make Warre upon them, we can and ought to mourn and pray, and bear teſtimony〈…〉be farre from thoughts of invading of them; We will aſſure you, that as thoſe grounds contained in the Declaration of your ſo〈…〉•••clude it; ſo hath there not hitherto been any ſuch queſtion debated, nor any ſuch reſolution taken in the publick counſels of〈…〉been done here, hath been meerly in reference to defence of the Land, if we ſhould be invaded from England.
〈…〉your conſciences, and as before the Lord to weigh well whether God will countenance you in ſuch a thing, and whether〈…〉••venant in you, after England hath ſworne before God and Angels, and men, to preſerve the Union and Peace betwixt the〈…〉•auſe to invade this Land, and make Warre upon us, and oppreſſe us, and ſhed our blood. We will aſſure you, that all who〈…〉Heaven againſt ſuch oppreſſion, and you have cauſe to be afraid, that becauſe of the ſame, God will ariſe to execute judge••••〈…〉is not againſt malignants, but againſt thoſe who in the integrity of their hearts have been following Jeſus Chriſt, and his〈…〉•••werable to the Goſpell, and who helped England in the day of her diſtreſſe, and have ſuffered much on her behalfe, choſing〈…〉that the malice of malignaants could deviſe, then to break with England, or ſet one foot in that Land in an hoſtile way. 〈…〉who ſhall take warning to proceed no farther in an evill way, leaſt God who is the Judge of all things, look upon ſuch inju•••••〈…〉••ch of Covenant, and require it.