stle of
Edinburgh," and signed by "O Cromwell," contains this passage--"The
ministers in England are supported, and have liberty to preach the
gospell, though not to raile, nor under pretence thereof to overtop the
civill power, or debase it as they please. No man hath been troubled in
England or Ireland for preaching the gospell, nor has any minister been
molested in Scotland since the coming of the army hither. The speaking
truth becomes the ministers of Christ. When ministers pretend to a
glorious reformation, and lay the foundation thereof in getting to
themselves worldly power, and can make worldly mixtures to accomplish the
same, such as their late agreement with their king, and hopes by him to
carry on their designe, [they] may know, that the Sion promised and hoped
for will not be built with such untempered mortar. As for the unjust
invasion they mention, time was, when an army of Scotland came into
England, not called by the supreame authority. We have said in our papers
with what hearts and upon what accompt we came, and the Lord hath heard
us, though you would not, upon as solemn an appeal as any experience can
parallell. And although they seem to comfort themselves with being the
sons of Jacob, from whom (they say) God hath hid his face for a time, yet
it's no wonder, when the Lord hath lifted up his hand so eminently against
a family, as he hath done so often against this, and men will not see his
hand, if the Lord hide his face from such, putting them to shame, both for
it, and their hatred at his people, as it is this day. When they purely
trust to the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, which is
powerfull to bring down strongholds and every imagination that exalts
itself, which alone is able to square and fitt the stones for the new
Jerusalem, then and not before, and by that meanes and no other, shall
Jerusalem, (which is to be the praise of the whole earth,) the city of the
Lord be built, the Sion of the Holy One of Israel."(12)

This letter was answered on the same day, and in the following terms, by
the Governor of the Castle. "My Lord,--Yours I have communicate to those
with me, whom it concerned, who desire me to return this answer, that
their ingenuitie in prosecuting the ends of the covenant, according to
then vocation and place, and adhering to then first principles, is well
known, and one of their greatest regrates is, that they have not been met
with the like, when ministers of the g