Two letters from the Presbytery of Carrick-fergus, to the Lord Ards, and his ansvver to the first of them

TWO LETTERS FROM THEPRESBYTERY
of Carrick-fergus, to the Lord And his anfvver
to the fir ft of them.
Right Honourable
He prefent Jtrange alteration ofaffaires, moves us to write ourminde freely to your Lordfhip *. Efpecrally fince (asitappeares now
clearly) you have been the chief author ofallthefe prefent calamities. Wee would firft put your Lordfihip in minde of the hazard you
^ were in before the Covenant was renewed, and howyecomplyed with us thenfor yourowne faiety, with folemnity and forwardnelfe
ye renewed the Covenant > Ye your felfe firll moved and framed a Declaration in oppofition to Malignant courfes, and all the prefent en
mies of the Caufe ofGocLIn the propofitions to be offered to the King, you agreed that thefe-concerning Religion, Oiould be firft offerd,
and if thefe were not granted, no otherJhould bee prefentedt Your Declaration alfo beares very large profefiion both iri generally that ye would
donothing in reference to Religion without ourconfent and advice, and that leait God (hould leave you to fall in error, and particularly that ye
would acknowledge the Kings Demands, when he fhould give fatisfaftion in fecuring Religion before he were admitted to the exerclfe of his Roy-
all Power, you all along (hew your felfe ready to fubfeibe all orders againft Ma'ignantt3 and fo by ample profeflions, engadg’d us the more deeply
to give credite toyour Declarations,and truft your faithfulneffe: Yet neverthelcffe your Lordfhip hath had fecret deallingtp bring in Malignantsy2ind
haa correfpondence with them, and all this time hes been deallingfubtilly in your heart, profefling one thing, and intending another; which hes
been a moft notorious deceit to infnare the people of God >to advance yourmoft finittrous ends, Who could have believed that yourLordfhip would
have avowed a Commiffion from the King, when he yet refufes as much as his Father to fecure Religion, but followes wicked counfell, and fo a-
vowedly to violate that Article of your Declaration; or that ye would ownea wicked alfociation of and undercolor of ftrengthning,
ihould have betrayed that Garrifon ofBalfaft. We muft ,be faithfull in warning your Lordfhip, (tho the Lord knowes what heavineffe it is to us>
that the Lord will reward you if ye repent not for fuch a betraying of the faithfull fervants of God, who would have plucked out their eyes for you,
and the Lord will vifite your familie with fuddea ruine, and irreparable defolatioh for that you have been fo grand an inftrument todeftroythe
work of God here. We exhort your Lordfliip.in the Name of the living God, to whom ye muft give an account, in hafte to forfake that infa¬
mous and ungodly courfe you are in, and adhere toyourformer profeflion, otherwayes all the calamities that will enfue, will be laid on your
fcore. The Lord himfelfe and all the faithfull will fee themfelves againft you, and we will teftifie of your unfaithfullnefle to the world fo long as
the Lord fhall give us ftrength, we fhali yet continue to pray for your Lordfhips converfion, and fhall expeft your anfwer remaining.
At Jun€ 29.
TourLordJbtys fervantt in all duty,
the Mini ft try of the Fresbyterief
Reverend Friends,
a Cannot but w th unexprefllble grief refent the bitter expreffions and ill grounded wrong afperfions you are pleafed to calf upon mein
^your Letter, as if I had fecretly.brought in Sir ^o«roc his par tie into this Countrey, and fo have been the chief Author ofallthefe
tprefent dift rations > whereof God the fearcher of heartsis my witnefte, 1 am free ( notwithftanding of the jealoufies railed upon fomc
[expreflions in that Letter of Sir George Manroe co Sir Robert Stewart which was intercepted) and,that among other many prevalent reafons
‘ J -4 " at this tim|to own his Majeftiescommiflion. It was not the betraying, but the fecur--
\i(joynted condition for want of authority,and byjmf^_oftheSouIdiours
f Officers were likely to be rendered to him. iheLdrd he knows that the prefervation of the eftablilKeJChurch government
your peace, the good ano^iiyet of this poor corner,and the ad vancementof Religion according to the Covenant, fall which by privat undermyners
to your own knowledge were in apparent hazard of ruine^are the chief reafons which induces me to this courfe ot making ufe of that Authority as
the only mean to fecure us, fbeingfo united under command from the violence of oppofers hereunto. I requeft you therefore, and untill my carriage
(after that now I am clothed with Authority,) may witneffe whether my intentions and refolutions be not according co iny profesfipn, you woL
be pleafed to have more charitable thoughts ofme and reft allured that I am,
Self aft, June $oi 1649.
Four affeSHonatly faithfull
Friend and Servant^
Mb Nt G o M s R T.
Right Honourable,
jEE receaved yours wherein you with griefe refent our bitter expreOions,and ill grounded wrong afperfionsfasmuch as to call them falfe)
' which you fay we calt upon your Lordlhip. Truely our expreffions flo weth from the bitternefle of griefe and forrow, and not difaffe-
tftion towards you : You have often known our abpundanc affeflions, and endeavour toferveyourLordlhipinourftations, Thefe
vvhichyour Lordfhip cals wrong afperfions, are the words of truth and fobernelfe, intercepted letters from that party, together with
Colonell conawayes dilcovery of that which is now clear, with many other circumftances of your Lordfhips latter carriage, and the e-
exaff correfpondance between Colonel Monro:s motions and yours dos evince the reality ofour affertions as well as his own letter,which we believe
fpake neither affeflion nor a conjeflure ofyour Lordlhips defigne being writen to fuch a dole friend.lt is a fad jeft to your Lordlhip to tell us that it
was the fecuring of thefe Garrifons from Colonall George Monroe that moved you to put on that commiffionwhereas by the conjun&ion of your
Lordftiips forces and command, hee lyes before this Garrifon to deftroy it. It were a good proofe of the reality of your purpofe: If yee (hould
with your whole power urge him to remove, which if yee were cordial! in, were eafy to dpi Neither know wee how to believe that -your Lord¬
lhips prefeut courfe is intended for the good ofReligion and the Covenant, when yee are not only aflfociate with the enemies of both, but your
commiffion,as we are informed,fub/eds you to the immediate commands of theAtaqae^'e of Ormond}vvhote infamous and irreligious peace made with
the Rebels, may eafily rell us what eftablifhment to the Covenant, or Presbyteriall government wee may expedfrom his Orders and Authority,
his own printed fpeach to the Counfell of {Ci%»8y,expiaines to us his reall refplutions conterning Religion, to maintain Chr^ftian Religion in the
large extent, and not under a ft rid notion of new invented names, and befides the King yet refufingto fecure Religion , how fhall you eftablilh
it, except ye do very far tranfgrefle the limits of your commiffion: which webeleeve you defire no man to think- In a word your Lordlhip hath
but reaftiimed the old qnarrell which the Engadgers the laft year, and before them, James Grabame and the Malignant tin England were of old purfir¬
ing: Neither we are confident, will it profper better in your hands nor it did in theirs. The Lord in Juftice hath declared his difpleafure againft that
coiitfe, and will do fo againft all them who feeks to advance the King againft Chrifts throne, and even while hee refufes tpgiveChnft his due
firft. We would therefore yet ag^in as lovers ofthe ftandtng ofChrilts King-dome and of your Lordlhips falvation, astneMeffengersof God
befeech your Lordlhip before you run a furthar hazard of the Lords wrath, to leave off that ungodly courfe, and take better means to effe&uace
the good of Religion.Remember thofe who honours God he will honour, and thefe who defpife him, {hall he lightly efteemed of. Whereas your
Lordlhip defire our charity towards you: Truely as wee have ever reft ified a due refpedlll to yonr felfe and family, wee fhall yet continue •• but
you Mye involved your Lordlhip already fo far in the guilt of unfaithfulnelfeto the caufeofGod and your own fubferiptions, that we cannot but
teftifie againft the courfe you are inland denounce judgment upon your„pe£fon,family>and all your party,til the Lord perfwade your heart to returne,
which lhall be our fervent defire, and lhall remaine.
At Camoifergus fbe 2 of July, 1^9,
Tcur Lordfkips fervents in all dcvifull cbfervanct
the VAinifitts of tbs Presbytcrit,