COncerning our Sixt demand, Although it hath often come to passe, that these who have been joy­ned by the bonds of Religion, and Na­ture, have suffered themselves to be divided about the things of this World; And although our Adversaries, who no lesse labour the division of the two Kingdomes, then wee doe all seek Peace, and follow after it, as our common Happinesse, doe presume that this will be the Partition wall, to divide us, and to make us lose all our labours taken about the former [Page 2]Demands, Wherein by the help of God; by his Majesties Princely goodnesse, and Iustice, and your Lordships noble, and equal dealing, Wee have so fully accorded, and to keep us from providing for a firme and weell groun­ded Peace, by the wisdome, and justice of the Parliament of England, which is our greatest desire expressed in our last Demand. We are still Confident, that as wee shall concerning this Article represent nothing but what is true, Iust, and Honourable to both King­domes; So will your Lordships hearken to us, and will not suffer your selves, by any slanders, or suggestions, to be drawne out of that straight and safe way, wherein yee have walked since the beginning.

IT is now Wee suppose knowne to all England, especially to both the Honourable Houses of Parliament, And by the occasion of this Treatie, more particularly to your Lordships, That our distresses in our Reli­gion, and Liberties were of late more pres­sing then Wee were able to beare, That our Complaints and Supplications for redresse, were answered at last with the terrours of an Army; That after a Pacification greater Preparations were made for warre, whereby many Acts of Hostilitie were done against us, both by Sea and Land; The Kingdome [Page 3]wanted administration of Iustice, and Wee constrained to take armes for our defence; That wee were brought to this extreame, and intollerable necessitie, either to maintaine divers Armies upon our borders against In­vasion from England, or Ireland, still to be deprived of the benefit of all the Courts of Iustice, and not onely to maintaine so many thousands as were spoiled of their ships, and goods, but to want all Commerce by Sea, to the vndoing of Merchants, of Saylors, and many others who lived by Fishing, and whose callings are vpholden from hand to mouth by Sea trade: Any one of which evils is able in a short time to bring the most potent Kingdome to Confusion, Ruine and Desola­tion, how much more all the three at one time combined to bring the Kingdome of Scotland to be no more a Kingdome: Yet all these behoved we either to endure, and under no other hope, then of the perfect slavery of our selves, and our posterity in our Soules, lives, and Meanes; Or to resolve to come in­to England, not to make Invasion, nor with any purpose to fight, except we were forced, God is our Iudge, our actions are our wit­nesses, and England doth now acknowledge the truth, against all suspitions to the contra­ry, and against the impudent lyes of our Ene­mies, But for our reliefe, defence, and preser­vation [Page 4]which wee could find by no other meanes, when we had essayed all meanes, and had at large expressed our pungent, and pres­sing necessities, to the Kingdome, and Par­liament of England. Since therefore the Warre on our part (which is no other but our comming into England with a guard) is defensive, and all men doe acknowledge, that in common equity, the defendant should not be suffered to perish in his just and nece­ssary defence, but that the pursuer, whe­ther by way of Legall Processe in the time of Peace, or by way of violence, and unjust invasion in the time of warre, ought to beare the charges of the defendent. Wee trust that your Lordships will thinke that it is not a­gainst reason for us, to demand some re­paration of this kind. And that the Parlia­ment of England by whose Wisedome and Iustice we have expected the redresse of our wrongs, will take such course, as both may in reason give us satisfaction and may in the notable demonstration of their Iustice serve most for their own honour.

Our earnestnesse in following this our Demand, doth not so farre wrong our sight, and make us so undiscerning, as not to make a difference betweene the Kingdome, and Par­liament of England, which did neither decern [Page 5]nor set forward a Warre against us, And that Prevalent faction of Prelats and Papists who have moved every stone against us, and used all sorts of meanes not onely their coun­sells, Subsidies and forces, but their Kirk Ca­nons, and prayers for our utter Ruine, which maketh them obnoxious to our just accusa­tions, and guilty of all the losses, and wrongs, which this time past wee have sustained: Yet this wee desire your Lordships to consider, That the Estates of the Kingdome of Scot­land being assembled, did endeavour by their Declarations, Informations, & Remonstran­ces, and by the proceedings of their Com­missioners, to make knowne unto the Coun­sell, Kingdome, and Parliament of England, and to forewarne them of the mischiefe in­tended against both Kingdomes, in their Re­ligion, and Liberties, by the Prelates, and Pa­pists, to the end, that our Invasion from Eng­land might have bin prevented, if by the Pre­valencie of the faction it had beene possible. And therefore wee may now with the grea­ter reason, & confidence presse our Demand, That your Lord^ps, the Parliament, the King­dome, and the King himselfe may see us re­pared in our losses at the cost of that faction by whose meanes we have sustained so much dammage, And which, except they repent, will find sorrow recompensed for our griefe, [Page 6]Torments for our toyle, and an infinite grea­ter losse for the Temporall losses, they have brought upon a whole Kingdome, which was dwelling by them in Peace.

All the devices and doings of our com­mon enemies were to beare downe the Truth of Religion, and the just liberties of the Sub­jects in both Kingdomes. They were confi­dent to bring this about one of two wayes: Either by blocking us up by Sea & Land to constraine us to admit their will for a Law both in Kirck, and policy, and thus to make us a Precedent for the like misery in Eng­land, or by their Invasion of our Kingdome to compell us furiously, and without order, to break into England, that the two Nations once entered in a bloody Warre, they might fish in our trouble Waters, and catch their desired Prey. But as wee declared before our comming: Wee trusted that God would turne their Wisedome into foolishnesse, and bring their devices upon their owne Pates, by our Intentions, and Resolutions to come into England as among our Brethren, in the most peaceable way that could stand with our safety, in respect of our common Ene­mies, to present our Petitions for setling our peace, by a Parliament in England, wherein the Intentions and Actions, both of our Ad­versaries, [Page 7]and ours might be brought to light, The Kings Majesty, and the Kingdome right­ly informed, The Authors, and Instruments of our divisions, and troubles punished, All the mischiefes of a Nationall, and doubtfull Warre prevented, and Religion, and Liberty with greater Peace, and Amity then ever be­fore established, against all the Craft and vi­olence of our enemies. This was our Decla­ration before wee set our foot into England, from which our deportments since have not varied. And it hath bin the Lords wonderfull doing, by the wise Counsels, and just procee­dings of the Parliament, to bring it in a great part to passe, and to give us lively hopes of a happy Conclusion: And therefore wee will never doubt, but that the Parliament in their Wisedome and Iustice, will provide that a proportionable part of the Cost, and charges of a worke so great and so comfortable to both Nations bee borne by the Delinquents there, that with the better Conscience the good People of England may sit under their owne Vines, and Figtrees, Refreshing them­selves, although upon our greater Paines and Hazard, yet not altogether upon our cost and charges, which wee are not able to beare.

The Kingdome of England doth know and confesse, that the Innovation of Religion [Page 8]and Liberties in Scotland, were not the prin­cipall designe of our common Enemies, but that both in the Intention of the Workers, whole zeale was hottest for setling their de­vices at home: And in the Condition of the Worke, making us whom they conceived to be the weaker for opposition, to bee nothing else but a leading case for England. And that although by the power of GOD, which is made perfit in weaknesse, they have found a­mongst us greater resistance, then they did feare, or either they or our selves could have apprehended; Yet, as it hath beene the will of God that wee should endure the heate of the day; So in the Evening the pretious wages of the vindication of Religion, Liberties, and Lawes, are to be received by both Kingdoms, and will enrich wee hope to our unspeakable Ioy, the present Age, and the Posterity with Blessings that can not bee valued, and which the good People of England esteeme more then Treasures of Gold, and willingly would have purchased with many thousands. Wee doe not plead that Conscience, & Piety have moved some men to serve GOD upon their owne cost, and that Justice, and Equity have directed others, where the Harvest hath been common to consider the pains of labouring, and the charges of the Sowing, yet this much may wee say, that had a forraine Enemy, in­tending [Page 9]to reduce the whole Iland into Po­pery, made the first assault vpon our weake­nesse, We nothing doubt, but the Kingdome of England, from their desire to preserve their Religion, and Liberties, would have found the way to beare with us the expense of our resistance, and lawfull defence, how much more being Invaded, although not by Eng­land, yet from England, by common Ene­mies, seeking the same ends, we expect to be helped and relieved.

We will never conceive that it is either the will, or the well and honour of England, that wee should goe from so blessed a worke after so many grievous sufferings, bearing on our backes the insupportable burdens of worldly necessities, and distresses, returne to our coun­trey empty, and exhausted, in which the peo­ple of all Rankes, Sexes, and conditions have spent themselves, The possessions of every man, who devoted himselfe heartily to this cause, are burdened, not onely with his owne Personall, and particular expense, but with the publicke, and common charges; Of which if there be no reliefe, neither can our Kingdome have Peace at home, nor any more credit for Commerce abroad: Nor will it be possible for us, eyther to aide, and assist our friends, or to resist, and oppose the [Page 10]restlesse, and working wickednesse of our Enemies: The best sort will lose much of the sweetnesse of the enjoying of their Reli­gion, and Liberties, and others will run such wayes, and undirect courses, as their despe­rate necessities will drive them into. Wee shall be but a burthen to our selves, a vexa­tion unto others, of whose strength we desire to be a considerable part, and a fit subject for our enemies to worke vpon for obtaining, their now disappointed, but never dying desires.

We will not alledge the example of other Kingdomes, where the losses of necessary and just defence had beene repaired by the other party, Nor will wee remember what helpe we have made according to our abilities, to other reformed Kirks, And what the King­dome of England of old, and of late hath done to Germany, France, and Holland, Nor doe we use so many words, that England may be burthened, and we eased, or that this should be a matter of our Covetousnesse, and not of their Iustice, and kindnesse; Iustice, in respect of our adversaries) who are the causes of the great miserie and necessity, to which we have beene brought: kindnesse, in the supply of our wants, who have beene tender of the welfare of England as of our owne, that by this equa­lity and mutuall respect, both Nations may [Page 11]be supported in such strength, and sufficien­cie, that wee may be the more serviceable to his Majestie, and abound in every good work, both towards one another, and for the com­fort and reliefe of the reformed Kirks, be­yond the Seas, that we may all blesse God, and that the blessing of God may be vpon us all.