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 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, 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 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 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, 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.