They fend a the Earl of Effex. their own Names, which, with the King's Confent, was by My Lord, "His Majefty having, by his Proclamation of the 22d of "December (upon the occafion of the Invafion threaten'd, and in part begun, by fome of his Subjects of Scotland) fum"mon'd all the Members of both Houfes of Parliament, to at"tend him here at Oxford, We whofe Names are underwrit"ten, are here met and affembled, in obedience to those his "Majefty's Commands. His Majefty was pleafed to invite Us, in the faid Proclamation, by these gracious Expreffions, that "his Subjects should fee, how willing he was to receive Ad"vice, for the preservation of the Religion, Laws, and Safety "of the Kingdom, and as far as in him lay, to reftore it to it's "former Peace and Security (his chief and only end) from "those whom they had trufted; though he could not receive "it in the place where he appointed. This moft gracious In"vitation hath not only been made good unto Us, but se"conded, and heighten'd by fuch unquestionable Demonftra"tions of the deep and Princely fenfe, which poffeffes his "Royal heart, of the Miferies, and Calamities of his poor "Subjects in this unnatural War, and of his moft entire and "paffionate Affections to redeem them from that fad and de"plorable condition, by all ways poffible, confiftent either "with his Honour, or with the future Safety of the Kingdom, "that as it were impiety to question the fincerity of them, fo ແ were it great want of duty and faithfulness in Us (his Ma"jefty having vouchfafed to declare, that he did call Us to be "Witneffes of his Actions, and Privy to his Intentions) should "We not Testify, and Witness to all the world, the Affurance "We have of the piety and fincerity of both. We being most "entirely fatisfied of this truth, We cannot but confefs, that "amidft our highest Afflictions, in the deep and piercing fenfe "of the prefent miferies and defolations of our Country, and "thofe farther dangers threaten'd from Scotland, We are at "length erected to fome chearful and comfortable thoughts, "that poffibly We may yet (by God's mercy, if his justice "have not determin'd this Nation, for it's Sins, to total ruin "and defolation) hope to be happy Inftruments of our Coun"tries redemption, from the miseries of War, and reftitution "to the bleffing of Peace. "AND We being defirous to believe your Lordship, how"ever engaged, a Perfon likely to be fenfibly touched with "thefe 1 "these confiderations, have thought fit to invite you to that ર part in this bleffed work, which is only capable to repair all "our misfortunes, and to buoy up the Kingdom from ruin, "that is, by Conjuring you by all the obligations that have "Power upon Honour, Confcience, or Publick Piety, that lay"ing to Heart, as We do, the inward bleeding Condition of "your Country, and the outward more menacing deftruction by a Forreign Nation, upon the very point of Invading it, "you will cooperate with us to it's prefervation, by truly "reprefenting to, and faithfully and induftriously promoting "with those by whom you are trufted, this following molt fincere, and moft earneft defire of ours; that they joyning "with us in a right fenfe of the paft, prefent, and more threat"ning Calamities of this deplorable Kingdom, fome Perfons "be appointed on either part, and a place agreed on, to Treat "of fuch a Peace, as may yet redeem it from the brink of "Defolation. "THIS Addrefs We should not have made, but that his "Majesty's Summons, by which We are met, most graciously "proclaiming Pardon to all without exception, is evidence "enough, that his mercy and clemency can tranfcend all for mer provocations; and that he hath not only made us wit"neffes of his Princely Intentions, but honour'd us alfo with "the Name of being fecurity for them. God Almighty direct your Lordship, and thofe to whom you fhall present these our most real defires, in fuch a Courfe as may produce that "happy Peace, and Settlement of the prefent Diftractions; "which is fo heartily defired, and pray'd for, by us, and "which may make us, "Your &c. From Oxford 29th of Jan. 1643. THIS Letter was Subfcribed by his Highnefs the Prince, the Duke of York, and three and forty Dukes, Marquiffes, Earls, Viscounts, and Barons, and one hundred and eighteen Members of the House of Commons; there being fuch expedition used in the dispatch, that it was not thought fit to be deferr'd for a greater Subfcription: Albeit it was known that many Lords and Commoners were upon the way, who came within few days; and there were, at that time, near twenty Peers abfent with his Majefty's leave, and employ'd in his Affairs, and Armies, in the Kingdom; and ten at the fame time in the Parts beyond the Seas. So that the Numbers at London were very thin; for there were not above two and twenty Peers, who either fat in the Parliament, or were en Ff 3 gaged 1 The Earl of Effex's Anfwer directed to the Earl of Forth, Declara gaged in their Party; that is to fay, the Earls of Northumber land, Pembroke, Effex, Kent, Lincoln, Rutland, Salisbury, Suffolk, Warwick, Manchester, Mulgrave, Denbigh, Stamford, Bullingbrook; the Lords Say, Dacres, Wharton, Grey of Wark, Willoughby of Parham, Howard of Eferick, Rockfort, and Robarts; who were prefent, or had Proxies there. THE Trumpeter found the Earl of Effex at his House in London, where he was detain'd three or four days; during which time, the Committee of both Houfes, that Committee which they called the Committee of Safety for the two Kingdoms (the Scotish Commiflioners being a part of it) reforted to the Earl for his Advice: and in the end, the Trumpeter return'd with this fhort Letter to the Earl of Forth, the King's General. rr My Lord, "I RECEIV'D this day a Letter, of the 29th of this inftant, from your Lordfhip, and a Parchment Subfcribed by the Prince, Duke of York, and divers other Lords and Gen"tlemen; but it neither having Address to the two Houfes of with the two" Parliament, nor therein, there being any acknowledgment following "of them, I could not communicate it to them. My Lord, "the Maintenance of the. Parliament of England, and of the "Privileges thereof, is that for which We are refolv❜d to "fpend our Blood; as being the foundation whereupon all our Laws, and Liberties are built. I fend your Lordship "herewith a National Covenant, folemnly enter'd into by "both the Kingdoms of England and Scotland; and a Decla"ration paffed by them both together, with another Declara❝tion of the Kingdom of Scotland, I reft tions. An Extract Your Lordships &c. WHAT the Covenant was, being the fame particularly set down before, I need not mention; and the Declarations are as publick, and would be thought too large to be in this place inferted, to the interruption of the thread of this difcourfe; yet it cannot be amifs to make a fhort Extract of fome particular heads, or conclufions of them; that the World may fee what kind of reasoning this time had introduced, and that they were as bold with God as with the King. THAT Declaration of the Kingdom of Scotland alone, was, of the De- to justify their present Expedition into England; in which they claration of faid, "It was molt neceffary, that every one, against all doubtof Scotland. ing, fhould be perfwaded in his mind of the lawfulness of "his Undertaking, and of the goodness of the Caufe main "tain'd "tain'd by him; which they faid was no other, than the good "of Religion in England, and the deliverance of their Brethren out of the depths of Affliction; the prefervation of their own "Religion, and of themselves from the extremity of Mifery," "and the Safety of their Native King, and his Kingdoms, " from destruction and defolation. Any one of which (they "faid) by all Law divine, and humane, was too just cause of "taking of Arms; how much more, when all of them were "joyn'd in one? And therefore, they wifh'd any Man, who "did withdraw, and hide himself in fuch a Debate and Con"troverfy, to confider, whether he were not a hater of his "Brethren, against Christian and common Charity; an hater "of Himfelf and his Pofterity, against the law and light of "Nature; an hater of the King, and his Kingdoms, against "Loyalty, and common Duty; and a hater of God, against "all Religion, and Peace. THEY faid, "The Question was not, nor need they dif "pute, whether they might propagate their Religion by "Arms; but whether, according to their power, they ought "to affift their Brethren in England, who were calling for "their help, and were fhedding their Blood in defence of "that Power, without which Religion could neither be de "fended, nor reform'd; nor unity of Religion with them, and other Reform'd Kirks, be attained. So that, they said, "the Question was no fooner rightly stated, but it was affoon "refolv'd; and concluded, That the Lord would fave them "from the curfe of Meroz, who came not to help the Lord againft "the Mighty. They faid, the Question could not be, as their "Enemies would make it, whether they fhould enter into "England, and lift Arms againft their own King, who had promised and done as much, as might fecure them in their tr own Religion, and Liberties: but whether against the Po"pilh, Prelatical, and Malignant Party, their Adherents preCC vailing in England and Ireland, they were not bound to "provide for their own prefervation. That they might well "have known, from their continual Experience, ever since "the time of their firft Reformation, especially after the two "Kingdoms were united under one Head and Monarch, and "from the Principles of their own Declarations, in the time "of their late Troubles and Dangers, that they could not "long, like Gofben, enjoy their light, if darkness fhould co"ver the face of other Reform'd Kirks: that Juda could "not long continue in Liberty, if Ifrael were led away in "Captivity; and that the Condition of the one Kirk and "Kingdom, whether in Religion or Peace, must be com " mon to both. Ff4 "THEY An Extract land. "THEY faid the Queftion was not, Whether they should "prefume to be Arbitrators in the matter, now debated by "Fire and Sword, betwixt his Majeity and the Houses of "Parliament; which might seem to be forreign and extrin"fecal to that Nation, and wherein they might be conceiv'd "to have no Intereft; but, Whether, their Mediation and In"terceffion being rejected by the one Side, upon hope of "Victory, or fuppofe by both Sides, upon Confidence of "their own strength and several Succeffes, it were not their "Duty, it being in their Power, to stop or prevent the Effu"fion of Chriftian Blood; or, Whether they ought not to en"deavour to rescue their Native King, his Crown and Po«fterity, out of the midft of fo many dangers, and to pre"ferve his People and Kingdom from Ruin and Destruction. "If every private Man were bound in Duty to interpofe "himself as a Reconciler, and Sequeftrator between his Neigh"bours, arm'd to their mutual Destruction; if the Son ought "to hazard his own Life for the prefervation of his Father "and Brother, at Variance one against the other, fhould a "Kingdom fit ftill, and fuffer their King and Neighbouring "Kingdom to perish in an unnatural War? in the time of "Animofity, and appetite of Revenge, fuch an Interpofing "might be an irritation; but afterwards, when the Eyes "of the Mind, no more blood-run with Paffion, did dif"cern things right, it would be no grief or offence of "Heart, but matter of Thanksgiving to God, and to the In"struments which had kept from thedding Blood, and from "Revenge. WITH this kind of Divinity, and this kind of Logick, to thew that they had a clear profpect of whatever could be faid against them, they refolv'd to Invade their Neighbour Nation, and to interpofe themfelves as Reconcilers, by joyning against their Native and Natural King, with his Rebellious Subjects, in all the Acts of Animofity and Blood, which have been ever practiced in the most raging, and furious Civil War. THE other Declaration, mention'd in the Earl's Letter, of the De- was a Declaration paffed, and publifhed in the Name of claration of both Kingdoms, England and Scotland, after their Marriage England "and Sco: by their new League and Covenant, and about the very time that this very Overture for Peace came from Oxford. They were now both equally infpired with the Scotch Dialect and Spirit talked, "How clearly the light of the Gospel thined amongst them; that they placed not their Confidence in "their own Counfels and Strength; but their Confidence was "in God Almighty, the Lord of Hofts, who would not "leave |