ll sick as beir naturall lufe to thair
cuntrey, to yow, thair brethren, inhabitantis thairof, to our
housses, wyffis, bairneis, the esperance of your posteratie, and
schortlie to your commun-wealth, and the ancient lawis and
libertieis thairof, can not bot in hart lament, with mowth and
teiris complayne, the maist craftie assaultis devisit and
practisit, to the utter rewyne of all thir thyngis foirnameit; and
that sua manifestlie is gane to wark, that evin in our eyeis oure
derrest brethren, trew memberis of oure commun-welth, ar maist
crewellie oppressit by strangearis; in sa far that sum ar baneissit
thair awin housses, sum robbit and spuilzeit of thair substance,
conqueist by thair just laubouris in the sweit of thair browis; sum
crewellie murtherit at the pleasour of thir inhumane souldiouris;
and altogidder have thair lyvis in sick feir and dreddour, as gif
the ennemy war in the myddis of thame; so that nathing can seme
plesand unto thame, quhilk thay possess in the bowellis of thair
natyve cuntrey; sa neir jugeis everie man, (and not but just caus,)
the practise usit upoun thair brethren to approche nixt unto thame
thair selffis, wyffeis, bairneis, housses, and substanceis, quhilk
altogidder ar cassin at the feit of straingearis, men of weir, to
be by thame thus abusit att thair unbrydillit lustis desyre. Now,
if it be seditioun, (deir Brethren,) to complane, lament, and pour
furth befoir God the sorrowis [and] sobbis of oure dolorouse
hartis, crying to him for redress of thir enormyteis, (quhilk ellis
quhair is not to be found;) and thir altogidder dois [proceid] of
the unlauchfull halding of strange suldiouris over the heidis of
oure brethren; gif this to complayne be sedition, then indeid,
(deir Brethren,) can nane of us be purgeit of that cryme; for as in
verray hart we dampne sick inhumayne creweltie, with the wickit and
craftie pretence thairof, sua can we, nor dar we nott, neather be
mouthis speiking, nor yitt by keiping of silence, justifie the
same. Neather do we heir aggrege the breking of the Appointmentt
maid at Leith, (quhilk alwayis hes manifestlie bene done;) bot
quhan we remember quhat aith we have maid to our commun-welth, and
how the dewatie we aucht to the same compellis us to cry outt, that
hir Grace, be wickit and ungodlie