A DECLARATION OF THE ARMY OF THE Commonwealth OF ENGLAND, To the People of SCOTLAND.

SIgned in the Name, and by the Appointment of His Excellency the Lord General Crom­wel, and His Councel of Officers.

Jo: RUSHWORTH Secr.

London, Printed by Edward Husband and John Field, Printers to the Parliament of England. July 23. 1650.

To the People of Scotland.

VVHereas the Army under my Conduct, by the Au­thority of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, is to advance into Scotland, upon the grounds, and for the ends expressed in their Declaration of Iune 26. 1650. And considering the several ways and practises of some in that Kingdom, whose design it hath been, and still is, by all maner of groundless and unjust Reproaches, and most false Slanders, to make the Army odious, and to ren­der us unto the people, as such that are to be abhorred of all pious, peaceable and sober Spirits, and to be rather Monsters then Men.

VVe think fit therefore, for the clearing of our selves, to reminde you of our former deportment and beha­vior, when about two years since we entred into the Kingdom of Scotland, and then carryed in by the Hand of Divine Providence, and through the earnest Invitation of those now in pre­sent Authority and Power with you, VVhat injury or wrong did we then do, either to the persons, Houses or Goods of any? Whose Ox have we ta­ken? Did we seek any thing for our selves? Did we other then preserve the best affected from; their and our most desperate enemies? And having established our Inviters in their power without doing the least violence to any, we returned to our own Nation.

And considering this, we have cause to hope, That those former carriages [Page 5]of ours are not so soon forgotten; and that the present Misreports of what our dealings will be, shall not disturb, nor affright the people from their hou­ses and dwellings.

And for satisfaction of all those that are Lovers of Religion, Peace and Publique Liberty, and being desirous to put a difference between the Inno­cent and the Guilty; VVe do hereby Declare, in the Integrity of our hearts, That as to the Gentry and Common­alty of the Nation of Scotland, whose Habitations are in those places, whi­ther the Army by the providence of God may come, As we know full well they are not the Persons, who by their Councels and Ʋndertakings have laid the certain foundation of a second unrighteous and unjust Invasion of England, by clo­sing with, and entertaining of Him, who [Page 6]stirs up, and labors to engage many For­raign Princes to invade the Common­wealth of England, and hath exercised actual: hostility against the Nation, by destroying the People, and Commissiona­ting Pirats to kill our Men, and to rob, spoil, and take away our Ships and Goods by Sea, to the ruine of England, so much as in Him lies; Nor of those who have refused so much as a Treaty with the Commonwealth of England, wherein onely a just and equal satisfaction for past Injuries was aimed at, and a security for a firm Peace between the two Nations desired: Which denial, and other practi­ses, hath put us upon this unavoidable ne­cessity of entring into Scotland, unless we would have stood still, and Jeen, not onely the destruction of the godly and well af­fected, but also of the very Power of God­liness and Holiness in both Nations: So [Page 7]we shall not (the Lord continuing his goodness and presence to us) offer the least violence and injury to the per­sons, goods or possessions of any of them, but strive and labor to our ut­most to prevent all disorders that hap­pen from an Army, and to give all speedy Redress and Satisfaction that possibly may be, when any just Com­plaint of Miscarriage shall be made.

And upon the Confidence of these our sincere and honest intentions (which we hope our good and graci­ous God will enable us to perform;) VVe do hereby INVITE all such persons to stay and abide in their own Houses and Habitations, where they may and shall enjoy what they have in peace; and not to suffer them­selves to be mis-led by the craft and [Page 8]subtilty of any, into that which must needs prove their inevitable Loss and Ruine, and a great hazard to their Countrey.

Howsoever, we have done this, as our Duty to God, and for satisfaction to all good men.

Signed in the Name, and by the Appointment of His Excel­lency the Lord General Cromwel, and His Councel of Officers, Joh: Rushworth Secretary.
FINIS.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.