An Answer to the declaration of the pretended assembly at Dundee and to a printed paper intituled The protestation given in by the dissenting brethren to the General Assembly, July 21, 1652, reviewed and refuted &c., in which answer are set down ten steps of their defection who follow the way of publick resolutions : together with observations upon some of the acts of the p. assemblies at Dundee and Edinburgh and some papers concerning the endeavors of the protesters for union with their brethren who differ from them in judgement.

DEFENCE.

THe plainest things, and which are acted with the greatest simplicity and integrity, are often branded with the name of subtile devices, by maintainers of an ill cause, who no sooner depart from their former principles, but they give to their opposers the very name, which (were the••r eyes opened of the Lord to see their own wayes) they should take to themselves. What subtile device could there be here? The Committee of Estates hearing before the defeat at Dumbar, that Forces were leving in the North of Eng∣land, which were to come into Scotland by the way of Carlile, they wrote Letters to the Western Shires to meet and correspond

among themselves, and to be in readinesse for their own defence. This put them in some forwardnesse to rise in Arms, when they heard of the defeat, which being on the third of Sept. the Gentle∣men of the Committees met upon the fifth, and had some of their number at Sterlin upon the sixth, who made offer to raise speedily a double proportion of the ordinary Levie, which was well accepted by the Committee of Estates, and Commission of the Kirk, and Letters of encouragement written from both, which are yet extant, and the Committee of Estates sent such Officers to conduct these Forces, as they knew to be most acceptable to the We∣stern Shires. The Forces were raised by authority of the Commit∣tee of Estates, and were obedient to their Orders sent from time to time under the Lord Chancellours hand, which yet remain un∣cancelled, to witnesse against such calumnies: And there was never any command sent to them to come and joyn with the rest of the Forces, untill agreement was made by the State with the Malig∣nant Party, and then Colonell Montgomerie was appointed to march towards them with some Forces under his command to re∣quire their conjunction, but before he came the length of Sterlin, Major Generall Lambert with a strong Body of horse had come to Hamilton, where he was fought against by the Western Forces, (though they were far inferiour in number) and many were killed of the Enemy on the place, but with the losse of the Day, and dis∣sipation of the Western. Forces, which put an end to many ground∣lesse jealousies.