❧ Information from the Scottish Nation , to all the true English , concerning the present Expedition .

OUR distresses in our Religion and Liberties being of late more pressing then we were able to beare ; our Supplications and Commissions , which were the remedies used by us for our reliefe , were after many delayes and repulses , answered at last with the terrors of an Army comming to our borders ; A peace was concluded , but not observed : And when we did complain of the breach , and supplicat for the performance , our Commissioners were hardly intreated ; new and great preparations were made for war ; and many acts of hostility done against us , both by Sea and land . In this case to send new Commissioners or supplications , were against experience , & hopelesse ; To maintain an Army on the borders is above our strength , & cannot be a safety unto us by Sea : To retire homeward , were to call on our Enemies to follow us , & to make our selves & our Countrey , a prey by land , as our Ships & goods are made at Sea . We are therefore constrained at this time to come into England , not to make warre , but for seeking our relief and preservation .

Duetie obligeth us to love England as our selves : Your grievances are ours ; The preservation or ruine of Religion & Liberties , is common to both Nations : We must now stand or fall together . Suffer not therefore malice & calumnie to prevaile so far as to perswade , that we come to make warre , Wee call Heaven and Earth to witnesse , that we are far from such intentions , & that we have no purpose to fight , except we be forced , & in our own defence ( as we have more fully expressed in our large Declaration ) we come to get assurance of the injoying of our Religion & Liberties in peace against invasion : and that the authors of all our grievances & yours being tryed in Parliament , & our wrongs redressed , the two Kingdomes may live in greater love & unitie then ever before , which to our common rejoycing , wee may confidently expect from the goodnes of God , if the wicked counsels of Papists , Prelats and other fire-brands their adherents be not more harkned unto , then our true and honest Declarations .

And where it may be conceived , that an Army cannot come into England but they will waste & spoile ; We declare , that no Souldiours shall be allowed to commit any out-rage , or do the smallest wrong , but shal be punished with severity : That we shal take neither meat nor drink , nor any thing else , but for our moneyes : & when our moneyes are spent , for sufficient surety , which by publique order shal be given to all such as shall furnish us things necessary . We neither have spared , nor will we spare our pains , fortunes , & lyves in this cause of our assurance & your deliverance : & therefore cannot look from any well-affected to trueth & peace , to be either opposed by force & unjust violence in our peaceable passage , or to be discouraged by wilfull or uncharitable with-holding of meanes for our sustentation on our way . We are brethren : Your worthy Predecessors at the time of Reformation , vouchsafed us their help & assistance . We have for many yeares lived in love : we have common desires of the purity of Religion and quietnes of both Kingdomes : our hopes are to see better dayes in this Iland : our Enemies also are common : Let us not upon their suggestions or our own apprehensions , be friends to them , & enemies to our selves : We desire nothing but what in the like extreamity ( which we pray God your Nation never find ) we would most gladly upon the like Declaration grant unto you , comming with your Supplications to the Kings Majestie , were he living amongst us : and what ye would we should doe unto you , we trust ye will be moved to doe even so unto us , that the blessing of GOD may rest upon both .