A Letter from Scotland, &c.

YOurs of the seventh instant, I received, where­by any man may easily perceive your great and sad perplexities in regard of the present distracti­ons, which trouble you the more, because you seeme to be destitute of advice which way to turne, should a new war (as is justly feared) break forth. Sir, though other­wise conscious of my owne wants, I cannot dictate to you any certaine Rules of direction; yet my present thoughts of the state of things heere shall not be want­ing to you: For mine own & others satisfaction, my stay in these parts hath been somewhat curiously imployed to search out mysteries, and all that can be discovered yet, is, that 'tis evident the Grandees who sit at sterne, have fixed their resolution to engage your Indepen­dent Party in a new warre; in prosecution whereof their whole endeavour now is, to purge out, or quell at least the same side in both Houses heere: which once effected, the next designe seemes to be some attempt upon the Army with you, to try whether by jealousies and discontents they can make a Division, and so bring it to a confusion, or else by free-quarter, impositions, or other oppressing meanes, to provoke the long en­slaved people to cast off their yoke, and once more stand up for liberty: For this purpose upon specious pretences they seeme to comply with Malignants, till they can get strength enough to settle their Presbyte­riall government, in its full careere and tyranny; but what ever the colour is, be assured there is nothing lesse intended, then to take in the Kings party, for feare lest once engaged, they should be able to curbe [Page 6] the Presbytery: Nor are encouragements wanting for bringing about their ends, as long as that Party doth stil prevaile at Westminster, or there be hearts or money ready in the City to invite them in. To which you may adde the design of those that have obtained leave (as we heare) to retire into their several Counties, especially the Northern, wher they sleep not supinely; but upō every occasion animate the people in all pos­sible arguments, now if ever to regaine their freedome by lending assistance to their dear, and deeply engag'd B ethren: to which no small advantage the Northern Presbyters afford them, especially about York, where at this day upon all sorts of people (as the report goes) the Covenant is ingag'd, and all manner of motives used for a brotherly assistance, if they hope to be free'd from an Independent sl [...]very; and which is worse, an inundation of all manner of Sects and Heresies. Wee are told likwise, the two Houses of late have beene ve­ry solicitous to disband those York: shire Regiments, which were any whit inclined to Presbytery, where­by the discon [...]ented Souldery (whose Religion is their money) being unsatisfied for arreares, are ready upon the least opportunity to engage against the Parliament, and in all likelyhood are very active to draw in their fellow-Souldiers to their Party, that so both in due time may be fully revenged upon those ingratefull M [...]sters. In my opinion it had been more wisedome in our Grandees, by sending downe some well gifted Emissaries, who in all popular Auditories, might have possessed the Pulpits, and refuted those rigid Presby­te [...]ian Tenents; so to have reclaimed the Northerne people from this dangerous recidivation, rather then [Page 7] so inconsiderately to have casheered part of their Ar­my, and so put them into a condition to doe themselves a mischiefe when time serves. Most certaine it is, some Parliament men of those parts, who dayly vote at Westminster against the Presbyterian Party, have notwithstanding their Agents heere at Edenborough transacting their designes with the Scots, and to my knowledge, H. D. H. C. and R. D. have given assurance to desert the Houses so soone as they receive certaine intelligence of the Scots advance upon En­glish ground; by these particulars you may easily con­jecture wherein our Sampsons strength lyes.

That the Scots will not engage the Kings Party in this their designe, is more then probable, not onely because they have refused the Marquesse of Montrosse his imployment in their Army; but also because they are still pressing that Party to take the Nationall Co­venant, or forthwith to depart the Kingdome. I can assure you, in Spaine under the Inquisition, or at Con­stantinople under the great Turke, you may enjoy li­berty of conscience, sooner then now in Scotland un­der the Presbytery; for from all sorts of men an ab­solute, necessary and unlimited obedience is required, the conformity of the outward man being not sat is­factory, without the approbation of Will and Judge­ment; you must be constrained to take all sorts of Oathes that are imposed without disputing the lawfull­nesse of them: Therefore in my opinion, you had better forbeare comming hither as yet, if you desire freedome, and the enjoyment of a good conscience, which you have hitherto so carefully preserved; for in that respect it is much more safe to live at Rome, or [Page 6] Constantinople, for exercise of the Reformed Religi­on, then it is in Scotland, under the tyranny of the Scots Presbytery, which in England is yet but an Em­brio, or at most but an Infant of few dayes old, in com­parison of the full strength it hath attained to heere, ruling in a most rigid and imperious way, judging all, being judged of none; and since from the Assembly no appeale lyes either to King or Parliament, you can­not beleeve how insolent every Minister is growne, presuming to Lord it over us; so that if not of their opinion, though otherwise never so unblameable in life, presently you shall be defamed openly in the Pul­pit by name, and debarred from the comfortable com­munion of Christs body and blood: Reade but their last D [...]claration of March the first, and you may soone judge of what spirit those men are. For other affaires I can give you no satisfactory account; the Parlia­ment as yet having done little or nothing in the maine businesse, save onely the pu [...]ging of their House, and setting the due elections of their Members, as also ap­poynting a Committee to draw up a Declaration for justifying their Commissioners carriage in England, and to prepare an answer to the late Declaration of the Parliament at Westminster, and touching the procee­dings of the Army. Thus Sir, having given you a true representation of the state of things heere, I shall leave you to the Conduct of your owne prudence, and God Almighties providence, for the future stee­ring of your course; and remaine ever,