AS from the begining till this time, we have at [...]empted nothing presumptuously in this great worke of Reforma [...]ion, but have [...]roceeded upon good grounds, and have been l [...]d forward by the good hand of God, so now, from our own perswasions 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 m [...]nds above their own particulars▪ and wi [...]hout prejudice or partiality to lay to heart the considerations following.

I. As all men know and confesse, what is the great force of neces­sitie and how it doth justifie actions otherwaies unwarrantable: So can it not be denied, but we must either seeke our peace in England at this time, or lye unde three heavie burthens which we are not able to beare. Fi [...]st, we must maintain Armies on the Borders, and all pl [...]ces nearest to hazard, for the defence and preservation of our Countrey, which by our laying downe of Armes, and disbanding of our Forces should be quickly over-run by hostile Invasion, and the incursions of our enemies. Second [...]y, we shall want all Trade by Sea, which would not only deprive the Kingdome of many necessaries, but utterly undoe our Burroughes, Merchants, Mariners , and many others who live by Fishing, and by commodities exported, and imported, and whose par­ticul [...]r callings are utterly made void, 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 m [...]rvellous power and providence of God hath kept the King­dome in order and quietnesse, without ordinary Judicatories sitting, yet cannot this be expected for afterward, but all shall turne to confu­sion. [Page 2]Any one of the three, much more all of them put together, threa­ten us with most certain ruine, unlesse we speedily use the ten edy 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 main­taine Armies, what to want tr [...]ffique, what to want administration of Justice. And if the begining of those evils be so heavie, what shall the the growth and long continuance of them prove unto us; so miserable a being all men would judge to be worse than no being.

II. If we consider the nature and quality of this Expedition, it is defensive, and so the more justifi [...]able. For proofe hereof, let it be re­membred: 1. The Kings Majestie misled by the crafty and cruell Fa­ction of our Adversaries, began this years Warre, not we. When Arti­cles of pacification had been the other yeare agreed up [...]n, Armes layed downe, Forces and Castles rendred, an Assembly kept and concluded, with the presence and consent of His Majesties High Commissioner, the promised ratif [...]cation thereof in Parliament (contrary to the foresayd Articles) was denyed into us. And when we would have informed His Majestie by our Commissioners, of the Reasons and manner of our proceedings, they got not so much as presence or Audience. Thererafter His Majestie 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 of Subsidies unto this Warre against us, as it n [...]t [...]ur [...]: plots have beene hatched and military preparations made against us; many invasions by Sea, which have spoiled us of our Ships and Goods; Men, Women, and Children kill'd in Edinburgh by His Majesties Forces in the Castle: Our enemies therefore the authors and beginners of the Warre, and we defenders only. 2. We intend not the hurt of others, but our owne pe [...]ce and preservation, neither are we to offer any injury or violence: And therefore have furnished our selves according to our power with all necessaries, not to fight at all, except we be forced to it in our owne defence, as our Declaration bear­eth. 3. We shall retire and lay downe our Armes, as soone as we shall get a sure peace and shall be 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 beene lawfull defensive Warres, because [Page 3]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 either invaded by Sea or Land, we must do as a man th [...]t 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 cotinuall 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 m [...]ke, 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 private 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 b [...]sinesse. We see the expedience 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 zeale and courage to pro­secute it, ability and opportunity for under-taking it, Instruments sit­ted for it, unanimous resolution upon it, scruples removed out of minds where they were harboured, encouragements to atchieve it from many passages of Divine Providence; and namely from the proceedings of the last Parliament of 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 avoyd this Expedi [...]ion: It was not premediate nor affected by us (God knowes) but our enemies have necessitate and re­dacted us unto it and that of purpose to sow the seed of Nationall quar­rel, 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 mucwished and desired by [Page 4]our Adversaries, for producing a Nationall quarrell, shall so farre disappoint them of their aymes, that it shall linke the two Nations together, in straiter and stronger bonds both of civill and christian love, than never 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 Booke and Booke of Canons, he hath followed the back trade of our defection, till he hath reformed the very fi [...]st and smallest Novations▪ which entred in their Church. But so it is that this backe trade leadeth yet farther to the Prelacie in England, the fountaine whence all those Babyl [...]nish streams issu'd unto us: The Lord there­fore is still on the backe trade, and we following him therein, cannot 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, Arminians, Prelates the misleaders of the Kings Majestie and the common enemies o [...] 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 us, by the defence and patrociny of our enemies among them as sometime the Benjamites made themselves a party a­gainst the Israelites by def [...]nding the Gibeathites in their wicked cause, Iudges 20. We pray God to give them the wisedome of the wise wo­man in Abel, who when Ioab ca [...]e neare to her Citie with an Armie, found out a way which both kept Ioab from being an enemy to the Ci­tie▪ and the Ci [...]ie from being an enemy to him, 2 Sam. 21. As touch­ing the provisi [...]n and furnit [...]re of o [...]r Army in England▪ it shall be such as i [...] used a [...]ng frie [...]ds, n [...]t among enemies. The rule of humanity and grati [...]de wi [...]l teach them to furnish us with necessaries, when as beside the procu [...]ing of our owne peace, we doe good offices to them, [Page 5]They detest (we know) the churlishnesse 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 Penuel, who denyed bread to Gideons Army, when he was pursuing the com­mon enemies of all Israel, Iudg. 8. But let the English do of their be­nevolence what humanity and discretion will teach them; for our own part, out Declaration sheweth, that we seeke 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 or water in any case, Numb. 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 fift 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 Majestie▪ 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 pains and our means to do them all the good we can, which they might justly looke for at our hands, for the helpe 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 than our Conscience beareth us record, that we ayme altogether at the glory of God, peace of both Nations, and honour of the King, in suppressing and punishing in a le­gall way of those who are the troublers or Israel, the fire-brands of hell, the Korahs, and Balaams, the Doegs, the Rabshakahs, the Hamans, the Tobiahs, and Sandballats of our time, which done, we are satisfied. Neither have we begun a Military expedition to England, as a mean for compassing those our pious ends; till all other meanes which we could thinke 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 our Expedition, and our intentions shall not be crossed by our owne sins, and miscariage, or by [Page 6]the opposition of the English, the fruit shall be sweet, and the effects comfortable to both Nations, to the Posterity, and to the reformed Kirks abroad: Scotland shall be reformed as at the begining, 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, Prelates, and all the members of the Antichristian Hierarchy, with their Idolatry▪ Superstition▪ and humane inventions sall packe them hence; the names of Sects, and Separa­tists shall no more be mentioned, and the Lord shall be one▪ and his Name one throughout the whole Island, which shall be glory to God, honour to the King, joy to the Kingdomes, comfort to the Posterity, example to other Christian Kirks, and confusion to the incorrigible enemies.