I Am much troubled and amazed at that which you relate concerning the late proceedings of your England ARMY; but moſt of all at the pretences which are uſed to colour the ſame, which are, That they follow the example which hath been given them here in Scotland, and that they act the Reſolutions which our Marqueſſe of Arguile and your Lieutenant-Generall did conclude at their laſt meeting. Which are things ſo far diſſonant not only from truth, but from all likelyhood, that I dare confidently ſay, nothing could have been deviſed either more falfly, or with leſſe appearance. As for the Marqueſſe, I dare pawn all that I am worth in this world, that our Noble and faithful Marqueſſe who hath ſo freely and often hazarded himſelf and all that he hath for the true intereſt of Scotland, in maintaining the National Covenant, did never agree to any of thoſe undertakings (you mention your Army ſet upon) which are moſt directly oppoſite to all the purpoſes and intents of our Covenant. For in ſtead of the Reformation and ſettlement of Religion, it is evident that your men intend to ſettle nothing, but rather to unſettle all both in Church and State, by an univerſal Toleration of all Religions: In ſtead of maintaining the Priviledges of Parliament, as the ſupreme Judicature of your Kingdome, they break it in peeces, and ſetling themſelves as Judges over it, over the King and over the whole Kingdom, they effectively undertake to diſſolve it: Inſtead of defending the King and his Authority, in the preſervation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms, they ſet themſelves to deſtroy him and his Race, and will have an elective King or none at all. Thus the three firſt Articles of the Covenant are utterly made void. In ſtead of bringing evil Inſtruments, that hinder the Reformation of Religion, and divide between the King and his people, to condigne puniſhment; their whole way is to overturn that which is ſetled in the Reformation of Religion, and to make a Faction dividing the King from his people: which is againſt the 4. and 5. Articles. Nor can they, by the principles which they follow, be faithful to the 6. Article thereof, which is to defend and aſſiſt the Covenanters, but they rather will become the chief proſecutors of the ſame. Now I am ſure that neither my Lord of Argyle nor any of thoſe that manage the publique affairs here at this time, would ever give way to any deſigns from which ſuch breaches of Covenant might enſue: nay our zeal and ſincerity for the Covenant and for the ſettlement of all things according to it, will be found ſuch, That whatever the Kings conceſſions may be to you or us, upon the ratification of a Peace, nothing will be ſatisfactory except the whole matter of the Covenant be approved, and the taking thereof be confirmed and enjoyned by Law, not being left Arbitrary or to come in under an Act of Oblivion; and except alſo Epiſcopacie be utterly extirpated root and branch for ever, whereupon you ſeem not to ſtand much at this preſent. Theſe things are ſo unalterably determined in our Councels, and ſuch fundamental grounds amongſt us, that it is not poſſible that thoſe Advices by which your men are acted, can have had either their beginning, or ever will have their approbation from us, or from any that are faithfull to us, ſuch as we know the Marqueſſe of Argile to be.

As for the other pretence, That this undertaking of your Army is done by our example in theſe our laſt troubles: It is a moſt notorious falſhood, and a moſt injurious calumny againſt us. For which cauſe I think my ſelf bound to let you ſee the contrary, and how far our actions differ from that which is related of your Army.

Be pleaſed therefore to take notice, that in all our late proceedings, the Party well-affected to the Covenant, who were diſaffected to the Engagement, never made any violent or tumultuous oppoſition againſt the Councels of the Parliament; but whiles matters were in deliberation, the greateſt part of the people of this Kingdom petitioned only againſt the deſignes of the major part of Parliament, which did purſue an Engagement againſt England, contrary to the Covenant and Treaties: And when the thing was brought to a reſult, the well-affected Members of Parliament diſſented and proteſted (according to the practiſe of this Kingdom) againſt the engagement. Nor did the well-affected here make ever any oppoſition to the Parliament it ſelf (whoſe Authority is ſacred and ſupreme amongſt us) whiles they carried on maters which they had reſolved. Nor was there any oppoſition made to the councels of the Committee of Eſtates nor ever any wrong offered to them in their perſons; but all the oppoſition which was made, was afterward made againſt a few perſons of the Committee of Eſtates, whoſe illegal proceedings and actual oppreſſion being intolerable, they were reſiſted not only in a way juſtifiable by the neceſſity of natural defence, but even conformable to the Law of the Land.

Concerning the Perſons which the Parliament nominated to be a Committee of Eſtates, they were above an hundred; but when the Parliament was ended, Nine of thoſe alone were packt to make a Quorum, which could meet at all occaſions, and did over-rule the whole Kingdome moſt illegally and tyrannically.

Firſt their illegal proceedings were ſuch, That contrary to all Law they took upon them to impede the execution of Acts of Parliament; a power never given unto them, nor that could be committed unto any, (for how can it be ſuppoſed that ever any Parliament would, or lawfully could give to Deputies a power to alter or ſuſpend the Lawes of the Kingdome and ſtanding Acts of Parliament?) They cauſed divers Subjects to take the Oath ex Officio, A thing wholly contrary to the Laws of this Kingdome. They gave Order to denounce the Marqueſſe of Argile Rebel before any charge given in againſt him, and other things of this nature were done by them to others whom they did proceſſe for Treaſon, upon a general accuſation, without ſetting downe the particulars, and without producing any accuſers, which even the abetters of their owne Councellors were aſhamed of.

Secondly, Their actuall Oppreſſions were ſuch, that they cauſed Souldiers to quarter upon the well-affected, with ſo much cruelty, as that in the ſpace of fourteen dayes they exacted in ſome places to the value of ſeven years rent; by which meanes ſome families were diſſolved and ruined, yea they killed women that reſiſted their inſolent and unruly carriages, and offered violence to Miniſters preaching in the Pulpit, interrupting Divine-Worſhip. All which was done without any hope of redreſſe, when petitioned againſt; yet this was indured with much patience a long while, till all hope of redreſſe was loſt; and till that packt Quorum begun to raiſe new Forces, whereby to oppreſſe this kingdome, and reinforce their wicked engagement a-againſt England. For although they pretended in their Declaration to the Kingdome, that their going into England was in purſuance of the ends of the Covenant, to preſerve Religion and keep the Vnion between the Kingdomes, yet they gave then Commiſſions to ſuch as had been eminently active in the Rebellion, under the conduct of the late Earle of Montroſe, which was not only contrary to expreſſe Acts of Parliament, but a deſigne utterly deſtructive to all the well-affected of this Kingdome, by the arming of their deadly enemies againſt them; whereupon they were conſtrained to looke unto themſelves, and ſtand upon their lawfull defence.

Thus I have briefly opened, what the high tyranny, oppreſſion and uſurpation of power, was in a few men of this Kingdome, above and againſt all laws civill and naturall which neceſſitated the honeſt Party to betake themſelves unto the juſt wayes of defence which the Laws of this Land allow, and the naturall rights of all men do provide for them in ſuch caſes, which how they made uſe of, and how the bleſſing of God hath been upon them in their legall Proceedings, I ſhall now adde, that as by what I have ſaid, you may ſee the diſterence of Authority and Governement, which is between your Parliament and our nine Committee-men. So by what I ſhall ſay, you may alſo ſee the way of acting, which our well-affected Party here did take, and how farre it differs from the way wherein your Army hath ſet it ſelfe to walk.

To this effect you muſt know, that the ſtanding Lawes of this Kingdome lately confirmed, when the King was laſt with us in Parliament, have provided a remedy for publick grievances, when they are come to the extremity, and otherwiſe fail; which is this, that the Subjects of this Kingdome may meet together in caſes of eminent danger, for the Preſervation of their Religion, Lawes and Liberties, and the Publique good of the Kirke and State. Theſe are the words of the Law. Therefore when matters were brought to this paſſe that I have told, when many of the Committee of Eſtates were Priſoners in England, and ſome that were at home did abuſe their power, to the deſtruction of this Kingdome, and the diſturbance of the peace and union between the two Kingdomes: the queſtion was moved, whether or no the well-affected ought not to meet to provide for the ſafety of the Kingdome, of their Lawes and Liberties, ſeeing not only the Law did allow them ſo to doe in ſuch like caſes of danger, but beſides naturall right, the Nationall Covenant did bind them expreſſely to aſſiſt each other, in maintaining and promoting the ends of their Covenant againſt all lets and impediments whatſoever; the anſwer to this queſtion being clear and eaſie, and the practice of meeting in ſuch occaſions being ordinary in former times, beſides thoſe of the Nobility, who had proteſted in Parliament againſt the engagement; the Commiſſioners of divers Shires and Burrowes did meet alſo as formerly they had done in the like diſtreſſe in the yeare 1637 and 38 and 39. Theſe Noblemen and Commiſſioners being thus met, and accompanied with a conſiderable number of the Gentry and Yeomanry, went towards Edinburgh, the place unto which the Lord Chancellor and others of the Committee of Eſtates were ſummoned to meet by a Quorum of the Committee that were for the engagement. Theſe Lords and Commiſſioners therefore went as by the Law they were allowed, and by their Shires and Burroughs they were directed for redreſſe of their Grievances. The Gentry and Yeomanry went as by their Covenant they were bound to protect and defend with all their might their Commiſſioners in purſuance of the ends of the Covenant, in caſe they ſhould be aſſaulted or wronged by thoſe who were in armes againſt them. And the Noblemen went in obedience to a Summons from the Committee of Eſtates, whereof themſelves were the principall members; when theſe came to Edinburgh at the day appointed, the packt Quorum being conſcious of their owne guilt, durſt not ſtay for them, but ſpeedily removed themſelvs out of the way, keeping neither day nor place which themſelves had appointed; yet this was no prejudice to the Authority reſiding in the Committee of Eſtates appointed by Parliament, as if therby it were diſſolved, becauſe in this Realme the power of acting as a Committee doth not at any time depend upon the preciſe keeping of appointments, but onely upon the full number of the Quorum, nor at this time was there any wanting of the number to make a Quorum, although thoſe that had abuſed their power were retired. And becauſe the Lord Chancellor (who by vertue of his place may at any time call the Committee of Eſtates) did call a Quorum of the Committee, by which all the publique buſineſſes have been ſince managed, no Authority was diſſolved; In all this it is moſt evident, that the well-affected party in this Kingdome did nothing preſumptuouſly, but every thing regularly and juſtly; having for every ſtep of their proceeding, not onely the warrant of a Law, but the allowed practiſes of former times to lead them: Nor did they any Act of violence unto the Members of the Committee of Eſtates, although they had been violently aſſaulted and oppreſſed, they onely defended themſelves againſt thoſe that were in Armes againſt them; They came together to conſult and redreſſe matters out of courſe, that the Kingdome might bee preſerved from ruine, and they made uſe of their power to none other end, but to purſue and maintaine their Covenant with England in avoiding a warre with it, by cauſing the forces raiſed againſt it, to be disbanded, and the Gariſons detained from it to be reſtored, and for the ſettlement of the Councel of State, without all appearance of uſurpation. And leaſt thoſe who did retire from Edinburgh, (where now the Committee ſits,) ſhould thinke themſelves, or be lookt upon by others, as excluded and deprived by meer force from the right which the Parliament gave them to ſit in the Committee of Eſtates, therefore a friendly Treaty was entertained with them; at which upon conſideration of preventing a warre with England, (which otherwiſe ſeemed unavoidable,) they were rationally induced and conſiderately declared themſelves content to forbeare the uſe of their right of comming to the Committed of Eſtates, and the exerciſe of all publick truſt and to leave the mannaging of the publick affairs to ſuch of the Committee, as had not been acceſſory to the Engagement: And to referre all differences to a Parliament, to be called betwixt that and the 10. of Ianuary, according to the power granted to the Committee of Eſtates by the Parliament, to call a Parliament when ever they ſhould thinke fit, by which tranſaction you ſee that the juſt Authority of Governement is not onely regularly but voluntarily, devolved upon thoſe that now mannage it, and Providence did ſo order it, that this tranſaction fell out neer about the time when the Commiſſioners of Parliament, were to be choſen and changed of courſe, according to the Lawes and conſtant Practice of this Kingdome, which is every yeare at Michaelmas, whether there be a Parliament to ſit or not.

Here then you ſee what that proceeding is, upon which the pretence of an example to be taken from us is grounded, and what appearance there is 〈◊〉 any ſuch ground; here all the Practices of our well-affected Party are neceſſary and commendable in all circumſtances, and moſt warrantable by all the Laws of God and man in this land, as well Natural as Civill and Eccleſiaſticall, here all particular grievances are referred by all ſides to be determined by a free Parliament, here all the fundamentall Laws are entirely preſerved, here every thing hath been carried openly and profeſſedly from the beginning to the end above board, without any ſubtile undermining practices, and here the leaſt offer is not made by any for the faults of ſome to change and alter the frame of Government in the whole.

By all which if you conſider matters ingenuouſly, I ſuppoſe you will ſay that nothing will be found in your caſe, parallel unto ours, almoſt in any circumſtance. For if matters are carried amongſt you, as you intimate and others informe us, and as by ſome papers may be conjectured, they are or will be ſhortly; I dare ſadly prognoſticate your fate, that you will have the moſt diſorderly and confuſed State, that is this day in the world; your condition will be worſe then ours; for though we were ſadly oppreſſed and wickedly involved into an unjuſt engagement againſt England to our owne confuſion, yet the authors of our ruine were thoſe that had ſome ſtamp of authority lawfully conferred upon them, and there were lawes knowne and wayes practiceable, and Inſtruments in a readineſſe to redreſſe their exorbitances; but if you fall under the power of thoſe that are ſo farre from having right to authority that they can have no true ſtamp but that of ſervants, woe be unto you; the men that did diſorder us, were yet men of ſome ſence and reaſon, although they did drive their deſignes to the utmoſt furiouſly; but no furie is like that of a combined unreaſonable multitude, whoſe intereſt is to have no rule ſtanding; what your lawes are to finde a redreſſe, or what wayes you may have practiceable, and what Inſtruments to follow them for your good, I am not capable to judge; but this I may gueſſe, that the Leaders of your Army and their Agitat • rs that lie under deck, having gone ſo farre, will not ceaſe, and in all likelihood will reſolve to ſtick at nothing that may ſtand in their way of racing the preſent foundations that they may ſtand alone. The old Maxime of Caeſar is ſad one. Si violandum eſt jus, Regnandi cauſa violandum eſt, in caeteris Pietatem colito, When men have not the feare of God before their eyes it is naturall for them to deifie themſelves, and whatever they imagine then ſubordinate to that end which they have ſet up to themſelves and for themſelves as beſt and ſupreme, they thinke that only good and lawfull, and every thing elſe abominable; upon this ground they will eaſily diſpenſe with themſelves and their conſciences, to do evill that good may come of it. And becauſe the good which they ſeem to aime at, is a Libertine (not properly Government, but) correſpondencie and equality that they will ſacrifice, (if they be true to their Principles,) all matters of Rule and Order, both divine and humane, and all Obligations and engagements, both naturall, morall and conſcionable unto this Idoll; And in ſo doing they will thinke themſelves not only juſtifyable but glorious; And becauſe the way of power is only left unto them, to compaſſe their glorious deſignes, they will think all lawfull, what can be done that way, and the more glory due to themſelves, the more they can cruſh others; but I pray God theſe Predictions may never prove true in thoſe men, whom you know I have truly counted worthy of eſteem, and for whoſe miſcarriages I ſhould be much afflicted in many reſpects, partly for their great and many good parts, partly for their deſerts in a good cauſe, and the honour they have merited hitherto of all the well-affected thereunto, and particularly of us here of late in Scotland, which I would not have them ſtain with any diſorderlineſſe; partly, and eſpecially, leſt their miſcariages in this kind give the greateſt wound unto Religion that can be given by any in this age. This would grieve me to the heart. And when I think on what I begin to ſee and hear from you and others, and remember that they are but men as others, I tremble at the preſages of my grief.

But theſe ſad and paſſionate conſiderations do make this Letter too big, and have made me almoſt forget the Parallel which I was about to make, or rather to leave unto you to make, if any ſuch thing can be found between the late proceedings of our Worthies here, and the preſent undertakings of your Army there.