LAw is but the best Reason, and Justice the life and actuating soul of that dead and preti­ous letter; in whose obser­vance and free Administra­tion, the welfare, felicity, and peace of all Kingdoms, States, and Republiques are involv'd and wrapp'd up: for were man left only to the disposition of his own depraved [Page 2] Will, he were of all Creatures most miserable. That therefore the influx of this evill may be prevented, the immediate hand of God, and the diligent care of humane Policy, through the generall parts of the whole world have injoyn'd and prescribed wholsome Lawes, as well for the subduing of this natural propension of flesh and blood, as also for the preservation of the publique weale and prosperity.

This is the sole bliss of a people, and this the real Liberty of the Subject, when a man may enjoy his own Properties and Right without wrong or molestation, under the pro­tection of a just and Legal Goverment.

Since therefore it has pleased Almighty God (amongst many of his exceeding mercies to this poor Nation) to make us a Civil people; and to enlarge that bounty, to give us religious, just, and honest Laws; nay more, to redeem us from the slavery of Tyranny into a free State, and to crown all these with the inestimable bles­sing of the plenteous dispensation of his holy Word and Gospel: how zealously, coragiously, and in duty should we endeavor to discover and prevent all Treasons and Conspiracies which may undermine and deprive us of these invalua­ble Jewels? for they are the very foundation and sinewes of our peace, enjoyments, and common society: Amongst many other fears which we [Page 3] may justly be sensible of, as tending to the eversi­on and demolishing of these publike Rights and participations, we shall here discover an appa­rent enemie, a malignant envious pack of indi­gent contemptuous wretches, not only inveying and backbiting against the glorious arival of our happiness, but by an open hostility, uniustly, vio­lently, and inhumanely endeavoring and ploting the invasion of our birthrights, and the ruine of the Church; and therefore without any fur­ther preamble I shall here make audience, and at a Conscientious and legall hearing indite, and make proofe against that wretched Criminal, the Kingdom of Scotland: A faction scituate in the rubbish of Christendome, now actually in armes against the State and Liberties of the free borne people of England; and therefore I desire God in mercy to shew his Justice upon them, whose bloudy purposes and determina­tion speak them no less then the troublers of Israell, and the disquieters of the peace of Sion. Not to run them up through all the forepast periurious and damnable practices of their beg­gerly mutinous progenitors (for that were to begin an endless series of villany and trea­chery) I shall only prosecute them in the pro­ductions of this present age: and there I ques­tion not but to find matter enough to propagate their Just odium to all posterity.

Warr is a thing to be undertaken seriously advisedly, and upon sound grounds: in regard it traffiques in the pretious life of man, whose bloud must be required by a strict and righ­teous God; and concernes no less then the high moment and interest of a whole Com­mon-wealth.

All other triviall and sinister ends and under­takings, be they never so well burnish'd with plausible pretences, be they never so well back'd with Magnanimity and earthly power, yet are they dishonest, dishonourable, and disconso­nant to the Law of God and Nature. Whatso­ever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do you unto them. If the Lord has said thou shalt not Covet; Much more has he en­joyn'd thee from force of Armes to wrong thy neighbour, yet these Unchristian Machiavells: whose misery is their matter, laying a side the injunctions of Religion, the secret Convictions of reason, and the open perswasions of Com­mon Civillity, out of a greedy mizing desire after the enjoyment of our goods and for tunes, have hurried themselves into a posture of war, to enforce an interest of superintendency over us a free people, and all forsooth through the Colour of their young Novice, and the old Slobberd greazy account of the quondam quid­dity, which must dwindle away, and returne to [Page 5] its dust. O Magister Artis, Ingenii (que) largitor venter! How wittily base these juggling Jockies would faine render themselves! A gang of snaky headed Pedlars, which to keep their hands in action, and from a servile ignoble Covetous­ness to satisfie the Cries of their empty souls out of the meanes and properties of other men, would needs twist themselves into a seeming Concernment in the managing and governing of us, by whom (notwithstanding their French League) they do in Charity breath. But Mr Iockie, by your nimbleness his leave, what have you to do out of your own bounds to enforce and constrain a superiour people then your self to the slavery of your yoke and Kirk modell? because the sins of our Nation unhap­pily once provoked God to punish us (as he threatned the Israelites) by a foolish people, and to give us over a while to the miserable suc­cession of Scotch Tyranny, now that he has re­deemed us by his mighty Arme and mercy into the blessed estate of our present Condition, upon that shallow account will you, Res angus­ta domi, instigate your mercenary spirits to re­new our oppressions, and reinstall your beggery with the pretended Crown and Scepter of England? hold Coach-man; Pharaoh may look bigg, and ask in pride, who is the Lord that I should serve him? yet notwithstanding when [Page 6] the fullness of time for the deliverance of Iacob is come, had the Chariots of Egypt bin as numerous as the mountaines of Scotland, and all in flamed with the maddest zeale of your fiery [...]resbyters, yet you know what did and would have become of them, and in theirs, the sequel of your own destiny. Tis true you have declared highly against our Liberty and Goverment, and like bold Beauchamps, have seconded your words with your swords; and therefore in so Palpable a case as this, I shall need no other proofe then your own professions, to affirme you Conspirators and traytors against the State and Common-wealth of England,

For whosoever shall attempt by sinister meanes or open violence to overthrow the foundations of our Liberty, and by con­pulsion vi & armis to subject us a free born people to the bondage of an arbitrary will, I dare and must proclaim them Traytors, and dangerously malignant enemies to the peace and Publique weale of this Nation.

For it is not enough for you to say that we have entered into Covenant, and so intend to sweare you out of your rights and Priviledges. Or because you have drawne the Young-man in, and invested him with a Royalty de Juydot, an ayery title of your King, that therefore, having so wise a head, you may attempt any [Page 7] villany, or prosecute your unjust ends upon us; no, that cannot justifie your eccentrick actions, or strengthen the presumption of your damna­ble designs.

For you must know, that Will is no legal Ti­tle though bound with a voluntary oath. And that (if ever he had any) your specious Preten­der has lost his claime in the forfeiture of his father.

To create therefore an interest of your selves where there was none before, and under the false notion of that counterfit Grant to pre­sume to necessitate us to a Compliance and embracing of your compulsive Arbitration, is neither Legall nor justifiable, hence then after a mature weighing and reflexion upon the generallity of your enterprize, give me leave to adiudge you guilty of the highest and most capi­tall Treason that may be conceaved against the State and free people of England. For they that will endeavour to bring in Innovation of Religion forged by the giddy mould of a Pres­byterian braine, and so null the priviledge of the Church: they that will attempt in a free State to injoyne an obedience and submission upon a distinct nation to the forced modell of a tyrannicall Goverment, what crime can exceed it in nature and degree? Search the Scripture [Page 8] and you shall find that God never Authorizes one man to be the thral of another. Not yet enjoyns one Nation to be a president for the Civil Government of another: but all man-kind was left freely to the election of their own pro­per moderation. Why then should your pride and desires hoise you up to that strange height of arrogance, to dare things beyond warrant or example? Was it the kindness which you have received from us at severall times in these late yeares in free Contributions towards your wants and supportation, that has invited this injury? or was i that we permitted you to fish in our troubled waters without opposition or molestation, that deserves this returne? Or was it that tender care we ever had to perform the Condition of our Contracts and promises to you, has so incens'd you? O the retaliation of Scottish Gratitude! 'tis true, you are our bre­thren, and we have a sweet fraternity of it, but that follows not that you must thence be our masters: Ne gyud faith, though indeed the ambition of your minds may look as high as the Soveraignty and Subiugation of England, yet I must tell you we infinitely disdaine to degene­rate so far from the valour of our ancestors, or to offend so hainously against our own interests, as to enslave our freer spirits to the tottered [Page 9] Scepter of Scotland, for we are a people of our selves, without dependance upon any other Kingdom, free Commoners by birth, without the least acknowledgment of subiection due to any tyrannicall oppressor.

And you a people in your selves, unconcern'd in our Priviledges and inheritance. If therefore upon your owne score you have broken over the fences and boundaries of our birth-rights, and attempt to possess your selves of that free­dom which belongs not unto you, you must pardon us if we endeavour to prevent your pas­sage, and our own misery: and in the mean time look upon you as Murtherers and Traytors, And therefore by the just Judgment of equity, reason, and religion, you must be sentenced ac­cordingly. Your book cannot save you, neither will our Law or convenience afford you the be­nefit of your clergy. 'Tis too late to dissemble, and too soone for us to believe you, for he that Credits a Scot, may as well trust a Divell, for no bondes can hold him further then his im­mediate profit, and let the compact be never so firmly coniured, he will break through, aut viam inveniet, aut faciet, turne over the records o [...] time but from the conquest, and you shall fin [...] amongst all the bickerings of England wit [...] France, for our just rights there, notwithstand­ing [Page 10] he were tyed up by all the powerful Charms of Amity and Friendship; the English were no sooner almost at Calice, but the Scots would be at Berwick, ready to invade and plun­der the Northerne Countries, if therefore the God of Justice, to recompence his perfidious dealing, has brought his Judgement home unto him, 'tis but just for him to suffer in the same way as he has often compelled others, for what grounds had he more then his poor relation to the wandering Gentleman? And that owned too in hopes of a further end, to gloze over the occasion of this quarrell? They have him, and have enthroned him, let them keep him to themselves. Otherwise I presume they may both sinke in the wetting; for heaven seldome permits erroneous and desperate Courses to to have good success or peaceble ends.

Thus breifly (my beloved Countrymen and fellow Commoners of England) you see the scope and drift of the Scotch warr, viz: your slavery, and their soveraignty; you have known the perfidious dealing of these dissem­bling Sycophants, and our forefathers, and many of us have had a lamentable experience of their Cruelties and Tyranny; if therefore you can so much forsake your own happiness and freedom, to turne bondmen again to these merciless [Page 11] Egiptians, it is pitty we ever knew or saw a Canaan. Conside, first that they are a merce­nary nation, like Salamanders living in the fire of other mens Contentions, no occasion so small but that can raise them an advantage, no invitation so little but deserves their embraces.

Secondly that they are our inferiors, and we a free people, and to be subdued by such a con­temptible rabble were an eternal blemish to the wonted splendor of our names,

And lastly that they have neither: Law-reason, nor Equity to iustifie their doings, but but meerly fictitious Skreenes of their own making without any reallity or colour of truth to pretend a Just feud.

Where [...] more to animate our sluggish spirits to the opposition of these cater­pillars then we have? Here is first God to pro­tect us. Secondly an honest cause to back us. And thirdly a wise counsell to, advice us. And lastly gallant souldiers to command us; we only, we only, are wanting to our selvee. Me thinks if these preswasions cannot, yet our feares might move [...] for [...] consider if ever they conquer, if they grant us our lives, the condition of our being will be worse then death.

For no man shall be master of his own, but [Page 12] our estates and persons must stand liable to their wretched dispose, and when a beggar is set on horseback he will ride to the Divell: then farewell Liberty, Property, and all that may be called dear to us.

Let us therefore prevent our dangers be­times, and rush into our harness like the sons of those men which never veiled to a scotch banner: And curse ye Meros, Curse ye bitterly those that come not forth to help the People of the Lord against the Mighty.