OUtward Providences and Dispensations, are not the Guides and Directories of Mans actions: but as in the bitter trouble of the one, there may be wisdom; so in the sweet peace of the other, may be foolishness and evil; And the time of casting off the Armour, more dangerous from within, then sometine the putting on of the same, is hurtful from with­out. A victorious Army may fall in themselves, and their own resolutions work trouble and disquietness. Laudable intentions, and good actions in matter, may be misconstrued, and subject to blame, through defect of form, and prudential circumstances. Coifederacies may sometimes debord beyond their limits, and the lesser party unawares impose upon the greater. Religion may occasion mistakes; neither doth the specious lustre and beauty of it, exempt from censure. People without the coun­terance of Authority, may intend well; but an harmony be­twixt them, is the sure band of all their work.

All these Aphorisms of State, and Experimental Observati­ons, are clear here, and plainly verified, upon the first view of the condition of this little Israel, and review of Scotlands affairs and transactions these fatal years past. Twenty and seven years war with Canaan, and peace in the end, through valour and wis­dom, turneth into a dangerous Jealousie betwixt the greater and the lesser Tribes: their parting of company, with joy and spoil of Enemies, threatens parting of hearts, to further sor­row, and spilling of their own bloud; the turning of their wea­pons homeward beyond Jordan, ready to sheath their swords in their own bowels at Jordan, and turn those swelling waters, in­to bloud of swelling hearts.

The religious intention of the lesser Tribes, to [...] to themselves the true Religion, and not to be [...] the division of Jordan, was commendable: [...] [...]ing in it, was unadvised, without the priva [...] [...] [...] nour Joshua, or their other brethren the [...] [...] ner of it unlawful, by an Altar out of Shiloh or [...] the place of it, more scandalous to their Brethren, then safe [...] them selves: an Altar upon their brethrens side of Jor [...] [...] sig­nificant of their right and interest in the true God as upon their own side: the border beyond Jordan, is their [...] into Jealousie. The indiscreet extent and limits of the [...] [...] true Worship, unto their neighbours Land, is an [...] them, beyond the moderation of Fraternity, and occasioneth a misunderstanding. Reuben here seeth the son of [...] too hastily: Gad in his purpose advanceth in troops most suriously: and Manasseh in the work, forgets too speedily all form [...] [...]oyls in the defence of Religion in Aegypt and the wilderness, and his fathers house, in the enjoyment of it; as thus by a just mistake of their brethren, to expose it to danger by a Civil War and di­vision.

The greatness of this Altar to see to, begets no charity to their work, nor can plead their integrity of heart: forever I­dolatry, is more expensive, costly and painful, then true [...]re and undefiled Religion; and the golden Calf in the wilderness, robbeth Israel of all their jewels and golden ear-rings: the sure of Gideon's Ephod at Opbrah, did spoil his people of all their golden collars and ornaments of prey from the Midianites and their Kings. Molech the god of Ammon and Sidon, bereaveth his worshippers of their first-born, and spareth them not from the cruelty of the fire. Great is Diana of the Ephesians, and her silver-smiths very rich. And the people of Israel did dispence with their many painful, long and wearisome journeys, to go (even to Dan) to worship the golden calf of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin. Yea, under greatest shew of Reli­gion, and pretence of Zeal, may be acted greatest Cruelty, Fraud and Covetousness; as witness Simeon and Levi the two sons of Jacob, in their Circumcision to Hamor King of Shechem, and his son and people, before the marriage with Dinah their sister: and [Page 3] Jehn his covetousness of the Kingdom of Israel from the house of Ahab, by his zealous eruelty, killing all the Priests of Baal, was acted, under his hypocrifie in the worshipping of their false God.

The two Tribes and an half meaned well in Religion, but not prudently, with the advice of Joshua their Governour, before departing to their inheritance (who had sufficiently directed them in the ways of God) nor dutifully, with his consent, who was appointed by the Lord as a nursing father with Eleazar the son of Aaron in his Church; neither in their enterprise did they enquire at the mouth of the Lord, nor consult his wisdom, in that great important case and hard matter: and therefore they are in trouble. Mans strength and wisdom in the matters of God, is folly; and (when rashly handled through presumption and spiritual pride) falleth to the ground: When mixed with the impurity of his own thoughts and ends, the building pro­veth but stubble and hay, as daubed with untempered mortar, and without the stability and indurance of gold and silver sincerity, and uprightness, in all self-deniedness. But when the Ruler of the Lords people, in his holy things or providentials, is consul­ted with, and by their prayers and petitions with tears, is invi­ted to the work; then heavens influence and earths fruitfulness is joyned together for a blessed generation and production; heavens mediatory blessing, with the Lords soveraignty of power in his Vicegerent upon earth doth proceed. And as in all Gods works which he sees to be good (especially in what concerns immediately his glory upon earth) there is the power of the Father, by the grace of the Son, for the operation of the Spirit: so in all the Spirits motions upon a people in matters of Religion, and act­ings thereupon by the grace of the Son, there should be the consulting wisdom, and consenting confirming Power and Au­thority of the King and Governour (the Father's Vicegerent upon earth) if intended for success and a blessing, with peace, profit and duration.

The building of the walls of Jerusalem, and Reformation of the Worship of God, was much intended and sought after by the people, in the days of Ezra the Scribe, but slowly proceeded in for the space of fifty years, till the Governour Nehemiah came; [Page 4]and then also, much divided by the wicked enemy, by opposition and conspiracie against him, as the top-stone of that work. The King is the pillar and supporter of Religion; and therefore his place in the Temple was always by a pillar (as the manner was) 2 King. 11.14. and 23.3. He is the hedge and guard of the Church of God in spirituals and temporals; and therefore the Princes portion was on the one and other side, and before the holy portion and the possession of the city, Ezek. 45.7. and 48.21. In those days when every man followed the lust of his eyes, and the abominations of his heart, there was no King in Israel, Judg. 17.6. The Law and Testimony is given to the King, to govern the Lords people thereby, Deut. 17.19, 20. 2 King. 11.12. And the people in that Government, do owe to him obedience and loyalty. And the manner of his kingdom is told to the people by Samuel the Prophet, and laid up before the Lord as Judge, for justice and punishment in case of the peoples disloyalty and dis­obedience, 1 Sam. 10.25. The King is Custos utriusque Tabulae: to Moses the Governour of Israel were the two Tables of the Law delivered, and he onely called up to the mount of God, when Aaron and Hur and the Elders of Israel were at a distance from him, Exod. 22.2, 14. And when the Book of the Law was found by Hilkiah the High-priest in the days of Josiah, it was sent to the King for observance, and government of the people by the same, 2 King. 22.8, 10.

This Religious mistake betwixt the Tribes, is reconciled and cleared, by their candid, fair, and large declaration, That the building of their Altar great to see to, was not done to rebel a­gainst the Lord and their Brethren, nor to impose upon them; but for a witness of their zeal to his glory, and interest for them­selves and generations after them, in the true worship of his Name: not to innovate and bring in a strange Religion, but ra­ther not to estrange themselves and posterity from the true Re­ligion. It was not done in rebellion against Authority, nor in transgression against the God of Israel, but with loyalty to the Governour, (albeit not consulted with by them therein) and in their zeal to follow the Lord: Not to debord from the Laws and Ordinances of God, but that the border of Jordan which boun­ded them from the earthly Canaan of the ten Tribes, might not divide them from the heavenly Canaan.

Now let Scotland trace the steps of this unadvised religious procedure and mistake, and close their Tragical dispensations these many years past, in a Comical, Loyal, Christian and peace­able Conclusion, and fair Declaration to their Brethren of Eng­land, and all Reformed Churches in the world, and their lawful righteous Prince and Governour; that all of them may say and perceive this day, that the Lord is amongst them, and hath de­livered them out of the hand of the Lord, because that Scotland hath not committed this trespass; and saved them from the zea­lous wrath and revenging hand of the Lords Anointed, because that they have not intended rebellion against him.

These twenty years past and upwards, Scotland hath helped their Brethren in England and other Nations against the manners of the Canaanites, of suspected Heresie, Popery, and Idolatrous Will-worship: once and again, have they gone over Jordan to them, armed, leaving their wives, children, and flocks behinde them; and with their weapons in the one hand, and their tools in the other hand, labored to build the walls of Jerusalem, by a just Reformation, against their common enemy that man of sin, and the Beast of Rome, and their Emissaries: and that work being done and setled, by the many gracious Concessions and Indul­gences of the late King, of ever-blessed memory to both Nati­ons; and Scotland sent home again to their tents and the land of their possession, with a blessing of friendly assistance to their losses Anno 1641, and resentment of their just charges and ex­pences Anno 1646. (albeit, to say the truth, more then the half thereof be yet in remainder unsatisfied.) Yet after their return, they build a great Altar to see to, by their new fears of altera­tion of former transactions, Anno 1642. and 1643. and a League and Covenant with their Brethren in England and Ireland the same year, (without the approbation and consent of the late King, their valorous, wise & couragious Joshua) is proposed and agreed upon; which in the judgment of many of the other Bre­thren, was an imposing of the two Tribes and a half upon the ten Tribes, and a building of that Altar upon the border of their Canaan, not so significant of the Principles of true Reli­gion, as occasioning a jealousie and mis-understanding between them and their lawful Liege-Lord and King, in their loyalty to [Page 6]him and his posterity; as may witness the suspicion of forsaking of his Royal Person at Neweastle, Anno 1646. and in Anno 1648. during his restraint at the Isle of Wight.

This Altar of League and Covenant was great to see to; great in the eyes of God, by the fruit of his grace upon the spirits of men, (if done sincerely and universally by all, with the approba­tion of the Supreme Magistrate;) terrible in the sight of Satan and hell, and all wickedness, (if successful amongst the Nations in life and conversation, by that grace;) specious and full of lustre, for Unity and Uniformity of Truth, Worship and Go­vernment, (if uprightly intended with consent aforesaid, with­out self-interest, unbyassed ends of covetousness and ambition, without hypocrisie.) It was long and painful in building, with great sufferings in life and estate; and costly, with infinite trea­sure of Publike Faith from many honest men, in their integrity of heart, and innocencie of hands, to God, and Royal authori­ty over them: Yet as all these circumstances are no true chara­cters of a good Cause, so neither are they symptomes of a bad Cause, where sincerity and candidness of heart with the grace of self-denial are in the work.

Now that Scotland is this day delivered out of the hands of her enemies (the worst of men) to whom the Lord had sold her these ten years past in the fierceness of his anger; and by her most righteous Kings return from the wilderness (for the fins of his people) to the glory of his Throne, and magnificence of his Kingdom, with the seeking of his Lords and Counsellors unto him, Is also by his most gracious goodness restored to her an­cient Liberties and Priviledges of a free Nation; and that babes and children are no more her Counsellors and Judges, but a free Parliament granted to her of her own Nobles and heads of Israel; and that her Prince with the advice of her brethren in England, hath sent his Commissioner to her, for her better set­tlement and establishing of his Kingdom there:

Let her now plead her cause with him, in all submissive hu­mility and uprightness of heart, and clear to her King the cause and reason of building this her great Altar of League and Covenant to see to, whether or not in transgression against the Lord, and rebellion against his Anointed? Is the suspected ini­quity [Page 7]and jealousie of her former National Covenant, 1638, too little in the balance of his Royal judgement, and all Refor­med Churches abroad, but at this day also by the League and Covenant, she must again bring jealousie upon her bound loy­alty to God and her Prince, and to morrow bring wrath and dishonour on the whole Congregation of Israel? Shall yet the accursed thing of Achans covetousness, and the errour of Ba­laam for reward, and the gainsaying of Core, be her suspected shame, and deep conceived & too publikely spoken of reproach? Let the Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, and all the Chri­stian world know the truth herein: for you alone that are in present Parliament, do not perish in this iniquity. That reproach hath made Jacobs name to stink among the Nations.

Lay open before the Lord and the King, the integrity of your hearts, and the cleanness of your hands, and the hands of former times, in the matter of that wedge of gold of 200000 l. at New­castle, anno 1646, at the return of your Armies; and the re­mitting of that just one, the late King, to his Kingdom of Eng­land and both Houses of Parliament: Whether it was the price of that sacred bloud or not, (as is too publikely reviled, and cast in the teeth of all Scotchmen, with bitterness and grief of heart to the body of the Land) or whether it was a part of the lawful Wages and deserved Pay of your Souldiery, for their more peaceable removing out of England by the Kings high­way, without turning into the Fields or the Vineyards, or drink­ing of the waters of the Wells: And put the account thereof to the view of all men, for stopping the mouth of iniquity in that suspected accursed thing.

Publish to the world your and former times professed faithful care at that time, (affirmed confidently to the Souldiery and all the good people of the Land) that honour, freedom and safety to that Royal Prince, was sufficiently secured and provided for, from that Parliament in England. Declare how your and their Counsels and Debates in the Painted Chamber at Westminster in October 1646, concerning his Majesties Person, hath been zealous, faithful, loyal and upright; and where the horrid breach of that transaction did lie, for the vindication of the ancient honour and true loyalty of your Nation.

Cleanse your and former times hearts, counsels and ways, of that unparallel'd and never the like heard of before, seizing up­on the Lords Anointed at Holmby-House, and carrying him about all the Cities of the wicked Philistims, with bloudy hearts and hands, and closing him up at last in the Isle of Wight, which was (as the Isle of Patmos to S. John the Divine) the place of heavens Revelations to his holy soul, against the farther evil day, and the weight and strength of his consolations by the ministring of An­gels, against the day of his sufferings by the hand of men through Divine permission.

Make good Answer to that Objection, of suspected disloyalty, and uncharitable forsaking of your Churches prayers and con­currence, for the better encouragement of that Expedition and Army, anno 1648, for relief of his late Majesties Person out of the aforesaid Isle of Wight.

Moreover, put in yours and former times plea in the Court of heaven, and declare before God and his holy Angels, and the children of men, your and their innocencie, in those deep plot­tings, and contrivings, and Cabinet-counsels at the Lady Humes house at Edinburgh and elsewhere (as is generally reported and affirmed) with that Lucifer and Tyrant from hell for a scourge to the Nations, concerning that abominable Regicide, and hor­rid bloudy murder of the late King; and the sincerity of yours and their Protestations against the same, the day of his suffering, in token of your detestation thereof.

And lastly, vindicate or condemn former times deportments to your present Lord and King, in those two Battels at Dunbar and Worcester, in withdrawing his Princely care and command, wisdom and courage from the first, (whether upon the terms that Davids Captains and Army did to him at Mahanaim, in their marching against his rebellious son Absalom, (because that he was the light of his people, and his life worth ten thousand of theirs) or upon the account of suspected disloyalty by the usur­pation of his Government, and Command of his Militia and Forces, contrary to the Royal Prerogative and essential right of his Crown;) And in weakning his Armies in the last Battel of Worcester, by withdrawing of several Forces from his Camp at Sterling before their marching to England; albeit at that time, [Page 9]the common Enemy to both was then in the Land; and if there, Scotland could not without their Head the King, encounter him in open Battel, or flying Skirmish: yet loyalty, common wis­dom and courage would have joyned to go into England with their valiant resolute Prince; if not to defeat that wicked party there, yet to have eased their own Nation of his consuming vio­lence by way of diversion. And whether the unfortunate event of those two fatal dismal days, was through want of Military skill, slothful negligence, or otherwise; or by wilful ignorance, and gross, downright, desperate and disloyal carelesness, which is no­thing less then Treason against King and Country, and Murder of so many precious souls. Sure it is, want of courage and re­solution in those two valiant Armies, was not the cause.

And now to speak but this once more, and let not the most honourable Parliament be offended. Declare your deep sense of, and sympathie with the Peoples deplorable sufferings these 22 years past, in their Fortunes and Estates, and disbursments for you and former times: And that in your righteousness to the Law of Nature, Nations, and Faith amongst men, and common honesty amongst Christians without fraud or violence, and ho­nour of Parliaments and Parliamentary Promises and Protesta­tions before heaven and earth, You will resolve, before dissol­ving, upon the speediest effectual ways of Satisfaction of the Debts of those, who are now utterly ruined in their former pre­tious esteem in the world, and plentiful condition beyond their neighbours; and by whose sufferings, a publike calamity doth follow to many scores of poor Orphans and desolate Widows, through their trust to them for the Publike.

As the generality of Scotland may and can witness heaven and earth of their innocencie in all these things, and with honest hearts may comfort themselves, in their conscientious Loyalty to God and his Vicegerents in their generations upon earth, e­qually with any other People or Subject whatsoever: so in cha­rity it may be conceived, that other States-men and then Rulers for the time, and the now present Heads of the Tribes of Israel in Parliament assembled, are likewise so. Yet the smoaking for­nace of that stinking smell of the worlds Reproach and Oppro­bry to Scotland in all these matters, is not to this day, nor ever [Page 10]will be quenched nor dispelled, till your fair, honest, ingenuous and large Declaration in all the premises, (after the laudable example of the two Tribes and a half at Gilead, to their bre­thren the ten Tribes in Canaan) appear, and be emitted to the world: And if guiltiness be in some, let not the righteous be as the wicked, the clean as the unclean, the good as the sinner, he that feareth an Oath as he that sweareth: let the vile be separa­ted from the pretious, and the wicked cut off from the Congre­gation of the Lord: Let sentence against an evil work be spee­dily executed, that the heart of the sons of men be not fully set in them to do evil: Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: Let their houses be made dung-hills, and their mothers childless, with the perpetual note of shame and ignominy in all their remem­brances, by the characters of The sons of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin, and of Judas Iscariot who betrayed Christ and his Anointed, and of that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the con­gregation, and strove against Moses and Aaron in the company of Co­rah, and against the Lord; and they became a signe.

And by so doing, God in his truth and justice shall be honou­red, the heart of his King shall overflow in affections and zeal to the welfare of his people, through a full perswasion of their former and future Loyalty; your Publike Faith to many honest-hearted men in that Cause (hitherto too much slighted and neg­lected by former times and your selves) shall be by his goodness and consent satisfied; The honour of Scotland shall be vindica­ted from lying and scandalous reproaches of the wicked sons of Balaam; yea, the earth shall be at rest and quiet, the Fir-trees and Cedars of Lebanon shall rejoyce; and all the Tribes of Is­rael in his Majesties Dominions shall say and sing, This day we perceive that the Lord is amongst us, because by the building of that great Altar to see to, of the National Covenant, anno 1638. nor by the League and Covenant, anno 1643, you and former Rulers have not committed this trespass against the Lord, in do­ing wickedness under the shadow of holiness, nor done Rebelli­on against his Anointed, under the said cloak of Religion; nor pillaged your Country by covetousness and ambition, with briery Abimelah the son of the Concubine, under colour of assertors [Page 11]of her Christian and just Liberty in Church and State, these fa­tal years last: And that now you have delivered your own people in Scotland, and brethren in England and Ireland, out of the hand of the Lord and his Anointed, while those Altars of Covenants, were not made by you, to the change of Religion or Government, by unlawful Burnt-offerings of worship to any other God, or homage to any other Governour; but for a wit­ness of holy emulation between you and your Brethren, for the farther propagation of the Gospel, and just Reformation in the time of dangerous security and deadness, or fear of backsliding from your first love to Christ your Redeemer.

And if in this day of your General Meeting, (as the Repre­sentative of your Nation) you do not thus declare and judge as aforesaid, and that your hearts and tongues be not valiant for truth to God and man, for the honour of God, and your King and Nation, (which was the very fundamental of all your Co­venants, and the Motto of your displayed Banners upon every mountain and hill) and at this time of restoring of all things, you be silent in your Countries behalf, against those serpentine hearts of bitterness, and razers, swords, and coals of Juniper of fiery tongues at home and abroad, in those their former and present reproaches, scoffings, mockings, and revilings of your Nation, and thousands of innocent honest-hearted people there, upon that their suspected account of former times disloyalty, forsaking, and rebelling against God and his Vicegerent your Native Prince: Then what may they say, but that you are wrapt up with others in the same guiltiness, and that such onely as keep the law contend with the wicked?

His Majesties gracious Indulgence to some by Pardon, in this day of the Lords deliverance to himself, may exempt from the evil of punishment of men, but not from the evil of sin before God, or shame amongst others in the like transgression: yea, the Pardon presupposes their confessed Guiltiness in the Law: for, the sick and not the whole needeth the physician: And their guilt may be thought to be of knowledge also, more then of igno­rance; for the Rich onely and Ringleaders of former times, and not the Poor, are hitherto pardoned, till the Kings heart, as an Angel of God, do forget all the conceived infirmities of his [Page 12]honest-hearted people, in the way his Royal wisdom shall think fit.

In the like condition with the Pardoned, are the Heirs and Children of them that are dead: for albeit by death, their fa­thers personal reproach doth cease, yet in the children of those parents, does their shame still remain with the rest that are li­ving in the world, till their former ways be justified by upright­ness and integrity of heart, whatever be the professed repen­tance, or contrary present actings of the one, or the other, (by the changed face of providences, in times of a new heaven and a new earth) and their undeserved reflections, and forsakings of their first friends, of whose simplicity of heart, and honest mea­ning and weakness (to their utter ruine this day) they before made use, and served themselves by, in the time of their former deportments for these asserted publike ends.

What return can you make to your Country, who thus have assembled you at the command of their Prince, when you clear not his countenance to them in his perswasion of their former Loyalty, nor vindicate by Declaration, and Justice upon the wicked, the honour of your Nation amongst men? And who knows whether you are not met together for such a day as this, and therein to restore the perished, and relieve the distressed by your Publike Faith, and preserve the honour of your Nation from the unjust opprobry of Fides Publica fides Punica, and the credit of Gospel-Reformation from fraud, deceit and oppressi­on?

Else be assured, if you altogether hold your peace at this time, enlargement and deliverance from this unjust infamy by wicked men, and sufferings of the simple in estate, shall rise to Scotland from another place; but you and your fathers houses may be destroyed: And in the mean time, the uprightness of Scotlands heart, and honest loyal meaning to God and their Soveraign Lord the King, in their respective bounds and relations, with subordination of the one to the other (notwith­standing of all obloquie, contradiction, calumny and detraction by Nations or single persons) is, and shall be sealed up, firm and sure in heaven, before the Lord the searcher of all hearts, and his holy Angels; To the praise of his truth and righteousness, and [Page 13]the comfort and rejoycing of every good Christian and Subject there, at the day of their death and particular Judgement, be­fore the Tribunal of Christ, and at the Great day of the Lord, when every man shall receive his reward, according to his works done in the flesh. And that Publike Faith to the upright-heart­ed people in the work, (albeit at this time also, neglected by you) shall be to their posterity, the harvest of their faith upon earth; Peace and inward consolations shall be sown for the righ­teous, whatever be their outward troubles and necessities; And some time or other, their horn shall be exalted, for the grace of their simplicity of heart, all along the way, for a just and discreet Reformation of Religion, and sure establishment of Royal Authority in the house of David, while Sun and Moon endureth, upon the pillars of Truth, Justice, Righteousness and Mercy.