Scotlands Ancient Obligation to England, Treatise – To the reader
SCOTLANDS Ancient Obligation to ENGLAND and publike Acknowledgment thereof, For their Brotherly Aſsiſtance to, and Deliverance of them, With the Expence of their Blood, and hazzard of the State and Tranquility of their Realm, from the Bondage of the FRENCH, in the time of their greateſt Extremity. Anno Dom. 1560.
PSALM 133. 1.
Behold how good and how pleaſant it is, for Brethren to dwell together in Unity.
EZECH. 37. 22, 23, &c.
And I will make them ONE NATION in the Land upon the Mountains of Iſrael, and one King ſhall be King to them all, and they ſhall be no more TWO NATIONS, neither ſhall they be divided into TWO KINGDOMES any more at all. Neither ſhall they defile themſelves any more with their Idols, nor with their deteſtable things, nor with any of their tranſgreſsions: but I will ſave them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have ſinned and will clenſe them: So ſhall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my ſervant ſhall be King over them, and they all ſhall have one Sheepheard; they ſhall alſo walk in my Judgements, and obſerve my Statutes and do them. Moreover I will make a Covenant of Peace with them, it ſhall be an everlaſting Covenant with them; and I will place them and multiply them, and ſet my Sanctuary in the midſt of them for evermore.
LONDON, Printed by John Macock, for M. S. 1646.
Scotlands Ancient Obligation to England, and Publike Acknowledgement thereof, for their Brotherly Aſſiſtance to, and Deliverance of them, (with the Expence of their Blood, and hazard of the State and Tranquility of their Realm) from the Bondage of the French, in the time of their greateſt Extremity; Anno Dom. 1560.
NOt onelyonly our own Hiſtorians (as Holinſhed, Cambden, Speed, Stow, &c.) but our Brethren of Scotland in their Printed Hiſtories (eſpecially Buchanon and the late publiſhed History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, lib. 3. pag. 217. to 255. Printed at London, Anno 1644.) make honourable mention of the Brotherly Releife, and comfortable Support, which the Engliſh Nation, readily and freely afforded to their Proteſtant Brethren of Scotland, in the year of our Lord 1560. in their greatest extremity, when as their Religion, Liberties, Eſtates, Lives, were ready to be ſacrificed to the Tyranny of their Popiſh QUEEN MARIE, and fury of an Inſulting mercileſſe Forraign Popiſh French Army, introduced to extirpate or enthrall them. How free that Reliefe of Ours was, without any expence at all to, or pay from our Scottiſh Brethren; how Puiſsant and well-provided Our Forces then were, both by Land and Sea; how Expeditious in their Marches, inoffenſive in their Carriages, Valarous in their Encounters, Patient in their Extremities, faithfull in their Engagements, Succeſſefull in their Expedition, Quick in their Return, and fair-carriaged in their Departure thence, to their Eternall Honour (the moſt part of the Scottiſh Proteſtant Nobility, honourably convoying and accompanying them, as indeed they had well deſerved:) the Hiſtory of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, Records at large: For which extraordinary Brotherly Aſſiſtance, in ſuch a time of Need, Our Brethren of Scotland moſt thankfully acknowledged this their pre-ingagement unto Us, many years before we of England were re-ingaged unto them for any ſuch reciprocall Ayde: The memory whereof they gratefully Recorded in their publike Liturgie, Printed at Edinburgh, An. Dom. 1575. which I finde not only in the originall Book it ſelfe p. 63. but likewiſe thus lately re-printed at London for Franc… Conſtable, Anno 1641. By ſome Well-wiſhers to both Nations, with this enſuing Preface thereunto.
To the Courteous Reader.
THis Ancient Prayer coming accidentally into the hands of ſome Engliſh well-wiſhers of the Scottiſh Nation, and finding it, in a manner by ſpeciall Providence, now produced, in the time of our happy pacification with that Nation, there being no greater bleſsing upon earth than the peace between the two Kingdomes, under one and the ſame Governour; it was thought fit and ſeaſonable to publiſh this to all, which whoſoever ſhall read, will eaſily perceive the conſtant perſeverance of their affection to the Engliſh Nation, ſince the year of their Deliverance from France.