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Ansuer of the estats to the commissioners of the assembblie
The conventioun of the estaits of the kingdome, haveing more particularly peruseit the remonstrance and desyres of the commissioners of the generall assemblie, doe aknowledge and with greate cair and sollicitude of heart [...]† the dangers of the reformed religion, pairtly from the rebellious attempts of papists in Ireland, pairtlie from thair power in Ingland wher they are so long in airmes, and pairtlie from thair hopes in this kingdome wher they have thair plottis and correspondence amongst themselffis and with thair confederattis abroad; and all these the greatter and the more to be taken to heart at this tyme that they have the pretence of the king's service and authoritie, the confidence of the queines zeale to thair professioun and her power to promote thair designes, and the assistance of the prelaticall pairtie and of malignantts and many uthers whom upon naturall and worldlie respects they have drawin against the oath of thair covenant into thair secreete, and have united into thair combinatione. These and the lyke dangeres expressit more fullie in the remonstrance may be more then sufficient to awake and stirr up this kirk and kingdome, to provyde for the preservatioun of religioun, the saiftie of the king and securitie of the kingdome, which at this tyme in realitie can no more be separated and divorced then in former tymes when it wes professed both by king and people that the dangeres of on[e] wer the dangeres of all, that they had the same common freinds and enemes and did stand and fall togidder. But whilles the estaits are thinking upon that which is remonstrat unto them, many other dangeres and distresses which more directly and immediatly threatten and presse this cuntrey and kingdome offer themselffis to be considered, and are necessarie to be universallie knowen that all men, even such as† all this tyme have never takin religioun to heart, may be made sensible of the present danger of thair native cuntrey, wherin the private danger of everie man's life, libertie, estaite and meanes is includeit. The lords of privie counsell and the commissioners for conserveing the peace have alreadie declaired that a treatcherous and damnable plott of the Irish, Inglisch and Scotisch papists was begun, to be discovered by letters fund with the earle of Antrum, and by the depositioun of on[e] of his servantis at his death. Now the depositiounes of the earle himselff and of another of his servantis, both upon thair othes, have bein read in face of the conventioun, confirmeing what was written befoir, of sending ammunitioun to the north and leavieing of forces in this kingdome, and beareing that the earle had instructiones for making peace betuixt the Inglisch and Irisch in Ireland. Lykeas diverse letters are sent hither concerneing a cessatioun of armes in Ireland and the joyneing of the Inglisch and Irisch forces upon oath to go for Ingland to assist the king as is pretendit, but indeid to strengthen and ayde the popisch and prelaticall pairtie.
Our merchantis and marineres are not only stopped and discuraged in thair treade by shippes, friggotts and fliebotts of Dunkirk and of Ireland, haveing Irisch commanders and souldieres, but thair shippes ather takin or brunt, they spoyled of thair goods and moneyes and thair persounes torterred, kiped captives or sent away quyte naked; wherby his maties subjects have suffered more by sea upon the sudden and in a verie short tyme then they did suffer all the tyme of our lait trubles; and no other cause of all this violence and crueltie pretended but a commissioun and warrand from authoritie.
The earle of Newcastell's forces, horse and foote in greate numberes, [are] readie lyeing at the borderes and readdie when they salbe commanded to mak incursioun upoun the south pairts of the kingdome, as many ill affected are no les willing to mak truble in the north.
Iff the wnhappie differences betuixt his matie and his parliament sall not be determined in a parliamentarie way but by the suord, not only sall the airmie in Ireland be in danger to be lost, but this wholl kingdome wilbe involved in the common calamitie.
Nor is it wisdome against the continuall rumors and threatinings of forreine invasioun to be so negligent and secure as if thair wer no appeirance or possibilitie of danger from without. Experience haith proven the contraire in former tymes. And altho thair wes no uther ground, reasoune doeth teache that princes and states use to observe the opportunities of divisioun and breaches amongst thair nichtboures.
Although the causes of calling ane conventioun at this tyme wer urgent eneuch, yet the providence of God, watching over this church and kingdome for good, have discovered diverse of the dangers of religioun and of the kingdome and broucht them to licht in this opportunitie whill the conventioun of estats are sitting, as if they had bein called togidder to be informed of them and to provyde remedies against them; and quherfoir, as the conventioun is resolved to tak this mater, which is of so publict and deip concernement, into thair serious consideratione, so doe they desyre and requyre that the commissioners of the assemblie who, according to thair duetie and the laudable exemple of the assemblies of this kirk in former tymes, have represented the dangeres of religioun, will also with diligence think upon the best and most powerfull remedies and remonstrat them to the conventioun, that, by the blissing of God upon thair joynt endevoures, so many approaching and immenent miseries may be turned away, and the religioun and peace which God Almichtie of his singular mercie hath grantit to this church and kingdome may be preserved and transmitted unto the efter generatiounes, which salbe honour to God, saiftie to the king and his posteritie and happines to his people.