IT hath been our constant custome and continuall care, from the sence of the trust committed unto us, to give warning unto this Kirk and Kingdom of their condition and dutie; and it cannot be but very seasonable and necessary at this time, to declare and make known our judgement of the carriage of the people of the Land, in the day of darknesse and hour of temptation, that they who have stood may finde matter of encouragement and praise, and such as have fallen may recover themselves and repent.

We were void of understanding if we should not observe, and more then ungrate if we should not ac­knowledge the loving kindnesse of the Lord towards us, in the midst of our confusions and fears: Temp­tations were many and fierce, because of the power and pride of an insolent enemy, whose blasphemies and crueltie is matter of abomination unto this, and shall be a wonder unto the following generation, [Page 2] yet was there a remnant who reserved their inte­gritie, entertaining all thoughts of backsliding and complying with the adversary with indignation and detest, patiently suffering the spoiling of their goods, the losse of their friends, and expence of their blood, standing to the Cause of God in the midst of diffi­culties and straits, neither fearing the threats nor re­garding the promises of such as oppose the famine: These, as they be for a name of joy and praise unto the most high, the excellencie of whose power is perfited in weaknesse; so for a witnesse unto the Truth and to the work of Reformation, and for a shame and reproach unto the haters of Zion, whose subtilty and violence is more then conquered by the faith and patience of the Saints. We cannot but think that unto such the testimony of integrity from within must needs be more comfortable, then the re­membrance of any sufferings or losses from without can be grievous; and are perswaded, that as their name is precious amongst men, so shall their reward be great in heaven.

Yet is it matter of much sorrow and astonishment unto us, that in the land of uprightnesse so many should have done foolishly, and notwithstanding of all that work of power and mercy which their eyes have seen, and of their own vows and promises fallen from their excellencie, and turned aside unto corrupt and crooked wayes with the workers of iniquity. The bond of the Covenant is such, as every religious heart cannot but remember the violation thereof with horrour and trembling; yet hath the Oath of God been forgotten and despised by many. It were but [Page 3] the renewing of our grief, and tedious unto the hear­ers, to reckon up all those things wherein men mis­carried in the day of tryall; neither can we attain the knowledge of all the hidden things of dishonesty, which hate the light, and love to vail themselves un­der a shadow of secrecie and darknesse: We desire every man to turn his eyes upon himself, and to read in his own conscience whether his carriage hath been in all things answerable unto that which he swore unto the Lord. It beseems our compassion, and is worthy of our care, to lay open the causes and evil of this defection, that we may with meeknesse instruct those that have fallen or opposed themselves, if God per­adventure will give them repentance unto the acknow­ledging of the truth.

It is the admirable way of the working of the wisdome of God, to over-rule all the purposes and actions of the sons of men unto his own ends: He whose wayes towards us have all been mercy and trueth, meant a discoverie of those whose indifferen­cie or treachery would ere long have procured a sure and sensible ruine unto us; and now hath he brought his purpose to passe. This is a mercy which being rightly managed may countervail all our sufferings and pains, and prove very wholsome unto the Land and advantagious unto the Cause of God.

It is not any strength of reason on the side of our adversaries that could have shaken so many; their pretexts of the Kings service, our Rebellion, and such like, as they are poore and void of trueth in them­selves, so do they easily evanish before every dis­cerning and rationall man. The service of Kings is [Page 4] not to cut down thousands of their faithfull and loy­all subjects, whose multitude is their glory and strength; but to do those things which the Laws of the Kingdom prescribe, and that are consonant unto the will of God, and unto the wealth of the people, whose safety is the supream Law and main studie of every King ruling in righteousnesse and judgement. Our souls are not privie unto, and our actions plead us innocent from the guilt of Treason and Rebellion; our witnesse is in heaven, and our record is on high, that it was never our purpose or intention to subvert law­full Soveraigntie, nor to encroach upon any of the due rights and priviledges of the same; and we trust that whiles we live nothing shall escape us to the contrary.

We are able to justifie our union with England, as ane undenyable testimonie of our dutie unto our bre­thren in the time of their straits by the Popish and Prelaticall partie, as a necessary mean of our own de­fence, and of the preservation of Religion in its purity and power in this, and of its Reformation in the neighbour Lands, and surest bulwark of a stable and continuing peace betwixt the Kingdoms. The League and Covenant with England, as it was studied and set on foot in the dayes of our fathers at Barwick in the yeer 1586; so was it from the beginning of this glo­rious work of Reformation endeavoured by our selves, as stands upon record in the Articles of the large Treatie, unto which some of those who have now fallen to oppose it, were then neither strangers nor adversaries. Both Covenants, in regard of the principals whence they issue, the heads which they [Page 5] contain, and the ends which they pursue, are one and the same: And that the extent of the last unto our dear brethren in England should procure enmitie to the intentions and substance of the first, seems to us to be a riddle, which none can resolve but perfidious Rebels who have made shipwrack of a good con­science.

Who can but be amazed to hear the treacherous designes and bloody practises of perjured men, palliat under a pretence of the prosecution of the ends of our nationall Covenant: We know that James Grahame then Earle of Montrose, now an excommunicate and forefaulted Traitour, did with tears in his eyes, and both his hands lifted up to heaven, swear unto the Lord in the publike assembly of his people to build those things which he now destroyes, and to destroy those things which he now builds; though the Kings Majestie, of whose authority he now pretends to be so zealous, had not then given his royall consent and approbation unto our affairs: But we do as well know that he proved unstable, and light as water: His am­bition, as it made him impatient of his own condi­tion, and of the estimation of those of better deser­ving then himself, so to hearken to the promises of the Court, and to studie a faction within, and to en­tertain secret correspondence and intelligence with the adverse partie without the Kingdom. And though those his base and treacherous wayes were divers times discovered, yet did he still drive his own croo­ked designes, untill at length he was shut up in prison, where if he had not met with more mer­cie then justice, the due reward of his iniquitie [Page 6] had anticipate all that mischiefe which hee now acts.

Not long after his enlargement (contrary to his own promise and Act of Parliament thereanent) he betook himself to Court, where to the utmost of his wit and power he did foment and maintain that un­naturall and bloody War, set on foot by the malig­nant partie in England, against his Majesties loyall subjects there, contrary to the Articles of the large Treatie betwixt the Kingdoms; and laboured to be­get and increase jealousies in the Kings minde con­cerning the intention of his subjects in this land: Neither did he satisfie himself with private whisper­ings, but was so impudent as to present to his Maje­stie and the pretended Parliament at Oxford, a railing Libell, wherein he accuseth our Parliaments and Committees (which have been in all things most tender of the Kings just greatnesse and authority) as treacherous in their proceedings, and the solemne League and Covenant (which hath been a mean of many blessings and much consolation unto the Lords people) as damnable, Offering himself and the ut­most of his endeavours against the same; And never did he cease untill he obtained a Commission for in­vading his native Countrey, and came within the confines thereof in an hostile way; whence he was shamefully repulsed and forced to flee back into Eng­land, where he found cold entertainment of his own partie, because his successe had not answered his un­dertakings.

Whilest himself was now despised, and his hopes forlorn in both Nations, this Kingdome was invaded [Page 7] in the North by a base and barbarous Crue of Irish Rebels, drunk with the bloud of our Brethren in Ire­land, and sworn enemies, not onely to our Covenant, but to our Profession it self: yet so strongly did the spirit of Satan (to whom he was now delivered) work in that wretched Man, that he did rather choose to associat himself unto those, than to fail in the attain­ing of his mischievous ends. With those, and some of our unnaturall Countreymen, void of Religion and humanitie, hath he eaten the flesh, and drunk the bloud of that Land that gave him life, spoyled that People with whom he was in Covenant, and preyed upon that Church in which he was baptized: neglect of the worship of God, countenancing of Idolaters, comply­ing with Papists, burning of Houses and Corn, impri­soning and killing of Ministers, ravishing of Women, murdering of old and young, and contemning the highest censures of the Kirk, are but things of small consequence and care with him: This is the Man who would make the world believe, that he stands for the Nationall Covenant: Every one whose eyes are not blinded by the god of this world, cannot but entertain this his Profession, so contrary to sense and reason, with derision and contempt.

Successe, as it argues not the equitie of our adversa­ries cause, so neither the iniquitie of ours: No man knowes either love or hatred by that which is before him: Successe is not the touch-stone of Truth, but Truth of Successe: Israel may fall before the Philistims; yea, the Ark may be taken by the Philistims: And what wonder though we have fallen, & been smitten by the basest of men? they were the rod of the Lords anger, and [Page 8] the staff in their hand was his indignation; because of our contempt of the Gospel, ingratitude, confidence in the arm of flesh, murmurings and repinings, delay­ing of Justice, walking unanswerable to the Cove­nant, and the like, were such instruments armed against us, to correct us, and harden themselves unto the day of their just destruction.

For these transgressions also of Jacob, and for these sins of the house of Israel, did the Lord shut out our prayers, and cover himself with a cloud of indignati­on, that our Petitions could not passe through; and not for medling with the Kings Castles and Rents: His Castles have alwayes been imployed for the safetie of the Kingdome; his Rents have not been medled with since the Pacification, neither yet before it, but for a publick use, which was afterward approven by the King himself. And they who would now fasten this upon us, as a cursed thing, may remember that them­selves were accessorie thereunto. Neither yet were our Prayers without a return of mercy in the day of our deepest distresse: The Work of Reformation (which is of greater esteem with us than our own things) did pro­sper in the hand of his servants; and we trust, that even these Prayers which were derided by the wicked, shall in due time return in showres of vengeance upon the heads of our enemies, whereof we have already com­fortable experience.

It is our hearts desire and hope, that all this course of providence, thus abused by men void of understan­ding, may be improven by our selves as a mean of se­rious and sound humiliation, that we may search and try our wayes, and turn again unto the Lord, who will [Page 9] do good unto us, because of the railing of our adversa­ries; notwithstanding of all calumnies and reproaches, the righteousnesse of our cause shall be counted of us our glory, and in regard of it, we will not remove our in­tegritie from us: our righteousnesse we will still hold fast, and not let it go, and our heart shall not reproach us so long as we live; yea, though our adversaries would write a book against us, surely we would take it on our shoulder, and bind it as a crown unto us.

The true and real causes of our back-sliding are to be sought amongst our selves. If all the Watchmen of the house of Israel had bin faithful & zealous in discharge of their trust, then had the Lords people better known the excellency of the Gospel, & stuck closer to the pro­fession of the same; because of the negligence and per­versnes of some of those, have many halted for want of instruction & lack of knowledge; but from the corrup­tions which men have harboured in their own breasts, hath mainly issued all the degrees of their declination.

There be amongst us many rotten and hollow hearts, who though they joyned with us through sub­tiltie or fear, did still abide in the gall of bitternesse, and bond of iniquity, and wished nothing more, than the subversion of our cause: What wonder though such took advantage of a prevailing party, to disclose their envy, wherewith they were now growne big, almost unto bursting: And there is a generation whose igno­rance and sloath hath detained them, that they have not sufficiently examined, nor rightly considered Zions controversie with those that plead against her, because of her love to the Truth: They conceive the debate to be about things civil; at least, not to go so [Page 10] high as the hazard of any thing important in Religi­on. And such is the negligence of those, that they despise the meanes of instruction, largely offered and holden forth unto them in many Warnings and Declarations, which they will not be at the pains to peruse: Love to the things of the world, hath stumbled men of earthly mindes, who had rather choose to endanger their souls, and make shipwrack of a good conscience, than to suffer the spoyling of their Goods, and ruine of their Estates: And Atheisme prevailes in many, which as it is not acquainted with the excellencie of JESUS CHRIST, nor with the pre­ciousnesse and sweetnesse of his wayes, so hath it no regard to his Commandments to obey them, nor re­spect to his Gospel, to suffer any thing for it. And see­ing formalitie and profanitie abounds, is it not just with GOD to send them strong delusion to believe lies, who do not receive the Truth in love. And what if some being puft up in mind, have trusted to the power of their own strength, and neglected to imploy that mighty One, upon whom our help is laid.

Though we cannot but think, that all such as are not given up to delusion and hardnesse of heart, have already begun to consider the evill of their wayes, and to remember their inconstancie with detestation and sorrow; yet, for convincing of the obstinate, reclai­ming of the more flexible, and increasing of the repen­tance of those who desire to loathe themselves, be­cause of their back-sliding, we cannot but discover the guiltinesse that many involved themselves into, in the houre of temptation that came upon the Land. As [Page 11] there be degrees of duties in the Covenant, so degrees of offences against the same: We would have none so grosse to plead innocencie, because they have not broke forth in open opposition: Indifferencie and neu­tralitie is no lesse against our Oath, then professed enimitie: And what also if it be as odious in the sight of GOD, who spues the lukewarme out of his mouth? How then shall we judge of back-sliding and expresse malignancie? Surely disobedience unto pub­lick order, or prevarication in the same, commending of adversaries their purpose, power, or carriage, tradu­cing the Instruments and Work of Reformation, be but the bitter fruits of an evill heart, dis-affected to the truth, & cleaving to the love of the paths of those, who study the obstruction and dis-appointment of all those ends designed in the Covenant: Silence when we had a calling to speak: Setting on of Bonfires: Preparing entertainment for the Rebels, and receiving them into our Houses, are but at the best sinfull temporizing in an evill time, a betraying of our zeal for the Lord, a strengthening of the ungodly in their wicked courses, and yeelding unto them a ground of hope for further complying with them, and an high contempt of the dreadfull sentence of Excommunication, if any of those with whom fellowship was kept, were un­der the same: Intelligence and correspondence with the Enemie, furnishing them with Men, Money, Hor­ses, Ammunition, or Cloathes, seducing of the people, receiving Commissions, or executing the same, and joyning in actuall service. Those things if done out of affection, and not through fear, as some of them hard­ly can be, are sure tokens of a heart desperatly per­verse, [Page 12] and wholly malignant, which esteems it but a light thing to hazard upon expresse perjury, and how­soever done, draw upon the doers a manifest breach of Covenant, and fearfull guilt of helping those whom the Lord hates.

What though it be lawfull in some cases to capitu­late, yea with Turks or Pagans; shall it therefore be lawfull to do that which may argue subjection and imply submission unto a perfidious Rebell, and the sworn enemy of the League and Covenant with Eng­land, going about to drive the people of the Land from their dutie for the Covenant, to a complyance with him against it. In this case, all & every one are called unto the asserting of the confession of their Faith, and of their own innocencie and righteousnesse in joyning with England; Both which they do betray and con­demne, and take with that guiltinesse of Treason and Rebellion, which the Adversaries would fasten upon them, when they capitulate to do any thing inconsi­stent with open and profest enimitie, or that tends un­to the disserting of those duties to which the Cove­nant doth oblige them: Such Capitulations must needs be very sinfull, and contrary to the Covenant. Neither can we judge any better of Protections from such an Enemy because they do imply the authority of one who is forfeit by the State, and excommunicat by the Kirk; and do either expressely or tacitely en­gage the Receivers, if not to joyne, yet not to resist; they lay a stumbling block before all the Inhabitants of the Land, to make them forbear action, or decline suffering, by following such a course: If all had done so, it may soon be foreseen what should have been the [Page 13] end; Though haply they who were the doers, were not so apprehensive as to reach the depth of the evill, yet the end of the work in it self, and in the intention of e­nemies, was to make them Masters of all the lives and estates within the Land.

Capitulations and Protections, howsoever accoun­ted of by those who walk after the wisedome of the flesh, are destructive to our Covenant, almost in all the Heads and Articles thereof: They tend unto the corrupting of Religion in this Land, and obstructing the Work of Reformation in England, unto the coun­tenancing and strengthening of the Popish and Prela­ticall party, unto the subversion of the due Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments, and diminishing of his Majesties just greatnesse and authority, unto the with­drawing of Incendiaries and Malignants from con­digne punishment, unto the overthrow of the Union betwixt the Kingdoms, unto the deserting of our Bre­thren, following of divisive motions, and denying to hazard or suffer the losse either of lives or estates in the defence of the Cause, and them that adhere there­unto. Wee see not any strength of reason in that seeming necessity, unto which many pretend them­selves to have been redacted: If men could not have retired from the fury and violence of the Enemy, or had not some probable way of resistance and de­fence against the same, they should have taken it as an evidence of the will of GOD, calling them to suffer and give a testimony unto his Truth. Our Covenant doth no lesse oblige us to suffering, than to doing; and it is the ignorance or ineffectuall consideration of our dutie that makes us thus to wipe our mouthes, as if we [Page 14] had done nothing worthy of rebuke: Neither yet doth it excuse, that some were not active to obtani Protections, the receiving of them was to prostitute the chastitie of that affection which we owe unto the Cause of GOD, and could be no better than a bribe that blinds the eyes of the wise, and hinders from do­ing judgement unto the afflicted.

The deep apprehension of their souls danger, moves us seriously, and in the bowels of JESUS CHRIST, to intreat all Temporizers and Back-sliders to remember whence they are fallen, and to repent: Let it not be a light thing unto such, that they have despised the Oath of GOD, under-valued the precious Truth of the Gospel and drawne upon themselves the guilt of their Brethrens blood, by forsaking them in their just defence. If the due sense of their sin shall bring them to lament after the Lord, they may hope to finde him gracious and mercifull, to forgive their iniquity, and heal their back-slidings: But if they shall harden themselves, and continue in their provocation, they have cause of fear that the Lord of Hostes shal avenge the quarrell of his Covenant upon them who have sworn falsely by his Name.

Yet is it not that those alone have cause to mourn; All the Land have done foolishly, and provoked the holy One of Israel unto wrath: The Lord hath been glorious in the midst of us, but who hath regarded his work, or considered the operation of his hands? Though he hath been liberall in the offer of his love, yet few have believed the Gospel, and studied to walk worthy of the name: JESUS CHRIST hath neither been known nor honoured; who hath valued him in [Page 15] the excellencie of his Person, or imployed him in the vertue of his Offices? Holy duties have been negle­cted, and piety and godlinesse reproached: Is there not cause to lament for the Atheisme, ignorance of GOD, blaspheming of his Name, swearing by them that are no gods, intemperancie, uncleannesse, deceit, and op­pression that prevailes amongst many? And should not our eyes run down with tears, because of jealou­sies, self-seeking, and obstructing of Justice amongst our Judges, because of rioting and excesse, spoyling and oppressing amongst our Souldiours, because of ne­gligence and profanitie amongst Ministers, because of murmurings & grudgings, deep securitiy, carnal con­fidence, neutralitie, & lukewarmnesse almost amongst all. The Covenant which hath been attended by a stately work of more than ordinary providence, and sealed with many rich and precious blessings from Heaven, is by many under-valued and set at naught; nay, by some blasphemed, as an accursed and unholy thing. Because of those things, thousands have fallen by the Sword, and ten thousands by the Pestilence, our high-wayes are desolate, and our Cities left with­out inhabitants, the like hath not been heard in our dayes, nor in the dayes of our Fathers: And yet the wrath of the Lord is not turned away, but his hand is stret­ched out still. O that men were wise to hear the voice of the rod, and who hath appointed it! Shall we continue to tempt the most High, and strive with our Maker until he make an end of us? Let us confesse our iniquity, and be humbled for our sin, let us sow to our selves in righteous­nesse, and reap in mercy, let us break up our fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, untill he come and rain righ­teousnesse upon us.

We cannot but from the sense of those judgements that lyes heavy upon the Land, and from that wrath that still threatens us, warne every man to repent and set on to duty. Let Rulers and Judges do judgment, and execute Justice without respect of persons: Let Officers and Souldiours live soberly, do violence to no man, and more minde the Cause of GOD, than their own advantage: Let Pastors feed the flock of CHRIST in love, be zealous in advancing the Work of Reformation, and purging of the House of GOD: And let every one in his station, minde those things whereunto the Lord hath called him. Though we be afflicted and sore broken, yet if wee return unto the Lord, he will have mercy on us, and heal us; Hath he not already begun to revive us, and to raise us up?

It is a mercy worthy to be had in everlasting remem­brance, that in the day of the power & pride of our cru­ell and insolent Enemies, the Lord should have shewed himself glorious & mighty, to give victory & salvati­on to his people, when our hopes were near gone: We were in a low condition, not onely at the weakest, but even at the worst, under the guilt of many provocati­ons, repining against the Lord, and hasting to the pathes of the Destroyer: yet the Preserver of men had regard unto us, to keep us from destruction, and to ease and avenge us of many of our adversaries, whose car­casses he made as dung unto the earth in the day of his fury and indignation. If after so great a mercy, any should bee found amongst us to turn away from the Lord, and again to submit unto, or comply with the Enemies of his Truth, they could not but sin against their own souls, and provoke the eyes of his glory [Page 17] until there were no remedy. We beseech all the Lords People throughout the Land, nay we Charge them before GOD and the Lord JESUS CHRIST, who shall judge the quick and the dead, to hold fast the Truth in love, to have regard to the glory of the Son of GOD, the excellency of the Gospel, the sacred and inviolable Bond of the Covenant, the beauty of the Work of Reformation, and the worth of a good Conscience, above all earthly losses and advantages; and from the due sense and apprehension of those things, to arme themselves with strong resolutions a­gainst all the degrees of back-sliding or complying with the Enemy; That they be no more as Reeds sha­ken with the winde; but that they may give a proof of their Faith, Patience and Courage, in the midst of all the difficulties and straits which they shall meet with. Every one who knowes the Lord, will cleave to their duty, and wait for his salvation: He is faithful, and will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it. The rod of the wicked shall not rest too long upon the lot of the righteous. But when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, he will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the proud Enemy, and bring down the glory of his high looks: Then shall all the haters of Zion be asto­nished and confounded, but the Lords People shall be glad and rejoyce in his salvation.