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own independency, much lefs place the fon of

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of the most able men in it) do acquaint them with it, and take care for their fpeedy march towards Scotland. For they thought it beft to be before hand with the Scots, and to carry the war into that country. Fairfax being advifed with herein, seemed at first to like well of it, but afterwards being hourly perfwaded by the prefbyterian minifters, and his own lady, who was a great patronefs of them, he declared himfelf unfatisfied that there was a juft ground for the parliament of England to fend their army to invade Scotland: but that in cafe the Scots fhould invade England, then he was forward to engage against them in defence of his own country. The council of state fomewhat troubled at his excellency's fcruples, appointed Cromwell, Lambert, Harrijon, St. John, and Whitlock, to be a committee to confer hereupon with him; and to endeavour to fatisfy him of the justice and lawfulness of this undertaking. Accordingly this com•mittee met Lord Fairfax, and being fhut up together in a room in Whitehall, they went first to prayer, that God would direct them in this bufinefs; and Cromwell began. Moft of the committee alfo prayed, after which they difcourfed in the manner related at large by Mr. Whitlock.' From his account it appears that Fairfax grounded his unwillingness to invade Scotland, on the foundation of the two nations being bound in the national league and covenant; And now for us,

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faid he, contrary thereunto and without fufficient caufe • given us by them, to enter into their country with an < army, and to make war upon them, is that which C I cannot fee the justice of, nor how we fhall be able to juftify the lawfulness of it to God or man.' Cremwell to this replied: I confefs, my lord, that if they have given us no cause to invade them, it will not be juftifiable in us to do it; and to make war upon them without a fufficient ground for it, will be contrary to that which in confcience we ought to do, and difpleaf

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of the late King on the throne of his fathers

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ing both to God and good men. But, my lord, if they have invaded us, as your lordship knows they have done, fince the national covenant, and contrary to it, in that action of the Duke of Hamilton, which was by order and authority from the parliament of that kingdom, and fo the act of the whole nation by their ⚫ reprefentatives and if they now give us too much 'cause of suspicion that they intend another invafion upon us, joining with their King, with whom they ⚫ have made a full agreement, without the affent or privity of this commonwealth, and are very bufy at this prefent in raifing forces and money to carry on their defign: if these things are not a fuffic ent ground and caufe for us to endeavour to provide for the fafety of ' our own country, and to prevent the miferies which an invafion of the Scots would bring upon us, I humbly fubmit it to your excellencies judgment. That they have formerly invaded us, and brought a war into 'the bowels of our country, is known to all, wherein God was pleafed to blefs us with fuccefs against them; and that they now intend a new invafion upon us, I do as really believe, and have as good intelligence of, as we can of any thing not yet acted. Therefore I fay, my lord, that, upon thefe grounds, I think we have a moft juft caufe to begin, or rather to return and requite their hoftility firft begun upon us; and thereby to free our country (if God shall be pleased to affift us, and I doubt not but he will) from the great 6 mifery and calamity of having an army of Sects within our country. That there will be a war between us, I fear is unavoidable. Your excellency will foon deter'mine whether it be better to have this war in the bowels of another country or our own; and that it will be in one of them, I think it is without fcruple.'This feems all very forcible, but it had no effect on Fairfax, who having before taken his refolution, as it hould feem, contented himfelf with faying to this and

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(b) Memorials, p.

thers, which the Scots had fondly hoped

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the like kind of argument urged by Whitlock, St. John, and Harrijon, That human probabilities are not fuf'ficient grounds to make war upon a neighbour nation, especially our brethren of Scotland, to whom we are 46c462. engaged in a folemn league and covenant (b).' One must have had a strange understanding, or been under a very frange influence to have talked after this rate! But fo it was, Fairfax chofe rather to refign his commiffion than go against the Scots, in order to prevent their intended vifit into his own country. Cromwell urged him to continue it with great vehemence, but in vain, and being fure that he was immoveably fixed in his determination, preffed him, and the parliament to continue him, with all that dexterity and diffimulation I have elfe-where mentioned.-Cromwell now, by an ordinance of parliament, fucceeded Fairfax in the fupreme command, and the parliament published a declaration upon the marching of their army into Scotland. In this declaration they take notice of the averfenefs to amity and friendship to the commonwealth manifefted by the Scots, and their hoftile difpofition, notwithstanding the fignal hand of God against them upon their late invafion. After this they mention their transactions in 1648, and the kindneffes which they had received from the English army when in Scotland, yet now,' continues the parliament, laying afide all confideration of former kindneffes, and of their expreffions and engagements of

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juftice and treaties, the common bonds of human fociety, they endeavour to exercife their power for the ⚫ deftruction of thofe by whofe means they did receive it; they again infift upon the fame pretenfions to matters ⚫ of our government, and take upon them to determime what is fundamental here; and direct and threaten us, if we change not what is now established, and form it to their mind, or accommodate it to their intereft.— Their defign and refolution again to invade England, will be the more evident, if we remember, 1. That • upon

for. Indeed after this last defeat, Scotland

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upon occafion of demanding only a treaty for fatiffaction for their former invafion, they do, in exprefs < terms, declare themselves enemies to the government of this commonwealth, and all that adhere thereto, and lay foundations of fedition, and new infurrections amongst ourselves. 2. In purfuance of these grounds, ⚫ they who cannot claim to themselves the leaft colour of authority or dominion over us, yet have taken upon them, in Scotland, to proclaim Charles Stuart to be • King of England and Ireland; and in their treaty since with him, have promifed him their affiftance against this nation. 3. Before the late invafion from Scotland, the parliament of England, upon forefight of their difpofition to what followed, and feeing their preparation, and the party they had feduced in order thereunto, believing what the event was like to be, fent thither commiffioners to treat for preventing the ef⚫ fufion of blood; but the treaty was refufed, and an'fwered only with the immediate march of their army into England. Having therefore again refufed the • amicable offer of a treaty for peace, we have reason to expect another invafion. 4. They have equally declared againft us as fectaries, as they have against thofe of Montrefe's party, putting us into the fame. rank with malignants and papists.

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Their

defign and purpose being thus evident, a neceffity is upon us to use our beft endeavours, with God's affistance, to prevent them, and not leave them to invade us at their chofen opportunity, and our greateft difadvantage, when they fhall have compleated their defign with foreign ftates for their aid, and with their faction and party in this nation for correspondence and ⚫ concurrence in their attempts upon us; and that we may not be at the infupportable charge of keeping fe⚫veral armies in our own bowels, and subject ourselves to the contributions, plunderings, and barbarous ufage of a Scots army, if we fuffer them again to enter; R

or

() Parliamentary

Hiftery, vel. xix p. 26 ---283.

was by the arms of the English commonwealth

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or of keeping one formed army conftantly upon the borders, for preventing or refifting thofe attempts upon us, which they are waiting an opportunity at their belt advantage to make. A burthen from which we ought to apply our beft endeavours to free the people, who have fuffered fo deeply already by their means; which hath been part of their defign, hereby to bring the people to a difcontent with the government from the fenfe of charge, without confidering the cause of the continuance thereof, that fo they may be fitted to receive their impreffions, and carry on their faction among us, and keep it ready for them to make use of when they fhall fee caufe (i).'—On the 29th of June, Cromwell fet forward from London towards the north, and by the approbation of the parliament, a declaration of the army of England, upon their march into Sectiamd, was printed. The title of it, too remarkable to be omitted, runs thus: To all that are faints, and partakers of the faith of God's elect, in Scotland *. There is a cant here and there interfperfed, but on the whole it is far from a contemptible performance. In it is given their reafons for bringing the late King to juftice, and excluding his family from the throne; as alfo for abolishing the house of lords, and erecting a commonwealth. After which, the breach of the covenant; the rejection of

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It is not improbable this declaration of the army of England, upon their march into Scotland, was intended to obviate the prejudices excited against them in The declaration of major-general Mafiey and So other English officers and commanders ingaged with the kingdom of Scotland, in behalf of their prefbyterian brethren, in England, Ireland, and the principalitie of Wales. Declaring the grounds and reafons moving them to take up arms in the kingdom of Scotland; admonishing all confcientions prefbyterians not to apoftatize from their first principles, nor adhere, engage, or take up arms with the rebels at Weftminster. Dated at Orkney ifland, March 29, 1650. In quarto, without printer's name, or place. The title of this piece alone might fatisfy us of the fpirit with which it is written; which indeed is harp, irritating, and abufive, and full of the blackest characters of the army and the parlia

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