he band of the covenant, to mantiene all thesse
and it wer a grate guiltines to ly doune and complay, and crutche
under the burden of the strange impositions that they will lay upon
us, and as men without head, to suffer our land to be brought in
bondage and ourselves to be robbed of all thesse things quhilk are
most precious and deire to us. If wee should doe so, the Lord wold
be angrie with us, and our posterity could not bot curss us.

"4. We would not think that all danger from the malignants is now
gone, seeing that ther is a grate maney suche in the land, quho
still retein ther former principales, therfor we wolde, with als
muche watchfullnes and tendernes now as ever, avoyde ther snars, and
beware of complayance and conjunctione with them, and take head,
that under a pretence of doing for the king and kingdome they gett
not power and strenth unto ther handes, for advanceing and
promoveing ther old malignant desseinges. Doubtles our saftie is in
holding fast our former principales, and keeping a straighte faithe,
without declyning to the right hand ore to the lefte.

"5. It concernes all the inhabitants of the land to bewarre of
murmuring and complaning against God's dispensations, and
questioning the treuthe and goodnes of our causse or quarreling with
God, or blaming or casting off the covenant, becausse of aney thing
that hath befallin them, that wer a grate iniquitie not to be
pardoned. Lett us beare the indignatione of the Lord patientlie,
becausse wee have sinned against him, untill he plead our causse and
execut judgment for us, he will bring us fourthe to the light, and
we shall behold his righteousnes."--Sir James Balfour's Annales, vol.
iv. pp. 98-102.--_Ed._]

328 ["Causes of a soleme publicke humiliatione upone the defait of the
army, to be keepit throughout all the congregations of the Kirk of
Scotland.

"Albeit soleme publicke humiliations hes beine muche slighted, and
gone about in a formall way by maney in this land, so that it is not
one of the least of our provocations that we have drawn neire to God
with our mouthes and keepit our heartes fare from him, for wich the
Lord hath turned the wisdome of the wysse unto foollishnes, and the
strenthe of the strong men unto weaknes, yet seing it is a