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 [Page 2] 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 Bo [...]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, [Page 3] 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, & shalbe 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 [Page 4] 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, 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, A [...]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 [Page 5] among them, as somtime the Benjamites made themselves a party against the Israelites, by defending the G [...]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 [...]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, [Page 6] 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 Rabshakah [...] 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 [...]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 shalbe 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.