Series 3 > Register of the consultations of the ministers of Edinburgh and some other brethren of the ministry > Volume 1

PROTESTERS TO LORD GENERAL CROMWELL 5
persons tainted with errour, the reversing of rightly
established Lawes relateing to religion and righteousnesse,
the abridging of the assemblies of the Kirk in their just
power and freedome, the imposeing of Magistrats of
contrarie principles and practises to the doctrine, worship,
discipline and Government of this Kirk, and the pressing
of oathes and ingagements which may in all appearance
dryve the godly to sin or suffering. These are some of
the many evills under which we presently groane and of
the sadd things which we fear. Therefore we do desire,
and seriously obtest, your Lordship, in the bowells of
Jesus Christ, and as you desire to finde acceptation in
the day of your accompts before Him who is the hope of
His people, that you wold to the outmost of your power
indeavour that these our present evills may be remeded,
and our fears for the future may be prevented, that we
may enjoy the pretious ordinances and the excellent
things of Jesus Christ in their puritie, integritie, and
freedome, doctrine, worship, discipline, and government,
as the Lord has been graciously pleased, after much
expence of blood treasure and paines, to vindicat them
from the incroachments of the papish, prelaticall, and
malignant partie, and as He hath established them amongst
us, and that, as to things civill, no intrinchment may be
made upon the just freedome and liberty of this Nation.
If we would not be unfaithfull to God, and make the
posterity, when we are gone, to blame us for our silence,
we dare not but desire these things, yea, in justice
we think we may plead for them, not only because the
late invasion had, as we conceive, no ground in the law
of equitie and righteousnes, and so cannot minister any
just pretext for wreathing of yocks about our necks, but
also because the well affected in Scotland did in the yeir
1643 assist England, and to the utmost of their power
did in the yeir 1648 oppose and withstand the invading
of England, and did rather chuse to suffer the hardest
things nor to be consenting or concuring thereunto; and
in the yeir 1650, upon report of your Lordship’s downe
coming to this land, when this Kingdome was about the