WE cannot but with thank­fulness acknowledge the wonderful Goodness of God to you, in your Return to the Dis­charge of your remaining Trust; and to our selves, and your Forces under our Commands, (after some difficulties) in bringing of us, by a tedious March, in such safety to this place, to wait upon you in asserting the Freedoms of our Native Country: and being here, (as we have to our utmost Hazard and Power been instrumental in your Return, so) we shall be still ready to pursue your Com­mands so far as possibly we may. To evidence which, we have observed and ex­ecuted your late Orders in relation to the [Page 2] Chains, Posts, and Gates of the City; which was something grievous to Us, and to the Officers and the Souldiers under our Commands; and that because we do not remember any such thing was a­cted upon this City in all these Wars; and we fear that many sober people are much grieved at it, and apprehend fur­ther force to be offered to them, while they seem principally to desire the speedy filling up of the House, which you have de­clared for, as well as we have express'd our just desires of; and are apt to doubt, lest, what we have done, may be so far from answering the expected end, as that it may encrease the discomposure of mens spirits in the Nation. Upon this occasion, it comes fresh into our minds, that when by the treachery of some Officers of the Army you were interrupted, we declared to the world, That the Ground of our un­dertaking [Page 3] was not onely your return to your Trust, but also, the Vindication of the Li­berties of the People, and the Preservation of the Rights of our Country, the Protecti­on and encouragement of the Godly and Faithful therein, as the establishment of the Peace of these Nations. Which De­clarations made before the Lord, Angels and Men, in the day of our Extremity, we (as we expect the blessing of the Lord upon our future Undertakings) cannot but still own, and stand by.

We finde that the asserting of the just Liberties of the People, is that which the generality of the Nation is much in ex­pectation of; and that many sober people (together with our selves) are under fears lest this great price that God hath put in­to your and our hands, (as your Ser­vants) should not be improved, but that we shall run in Confusion again. There­fore [Page 4] we humbly crave leave to present be­fore you, some Grounds of our Fears: We are affraid that the late wonderful and unparallell'd Deliverance, is not so publickly and solemnly acknowledged as it might be, that the Lord (who wrought so stupendiously) may have the Glory of all: We are troubled that some as yet do sit in the House, who are impeach­ed of Treason: We cannot but observe that divers Members of your House, (who contrary to their Trust, acted in that Illegal and Tyrannical Committee of Safety) are not actually disabled from sitting there: notwithstanding Colonel Lambert hath onely the Vote of Indem­pnity to secure him from as High Crimes as have been committed in this Nation, and is not obedient to your Orders, yet he seemeth to be winked at. We under­stand that Sir Henry Vane upon bare pre­tence [Page 5] is permitted to stay about the City, to the great Dissatisfaction of your best Friends; that there are dangerous Con­sultations, and that of those who had a chief hand in your late Interruption, and the hazarding of the whole Nations, con­trary to our Expectation. VVe find continued in the Army some Persons of dangerous Principles, and such who were active enough in the late Defection. Though we are far from wishing the ru­ine of any, yet we could desire that your signal Indulgence to late Notorious Of­fenders, did meet with that Candid Re­ception from them, as to be so much the more ingenuous in their professed Repen­tance: But we observe that many of them do seek to justifie themselves, and are not without their Agents in print to palliate their foul Enormities; which maketh us yet to suspect that we are in some danger [Page 6] of returning into the late distempers that You and the Nation are but newly deli­vered from.

We are not ignorant, that there are those who lately struck at the Root of English Parliaments in Practise and De­sign, thereby have inflamed the Nation, and given great advantage to the Com­mon Enemy, yet they are not without a strange confidence to precipitate men in­to a belief, that they are the only Persons against the One, and for the Other. With grief of heart we do remember and would lament over the too palpable Breach of Engagements in this Nation; Therefore we should think it a duty ra­ther to mourn over the same, than to pro­mote any new Oath to be taken at this time: Yet we perceive that there is a de­sign to provoke the Parliament to en­force an Oath upon the Nation, and do [Page 9] take notice, that amongst others, there are some who are most forward to pro­mote the said design, who have made the least (if any) Conscience in keeping En­gagements already taken. Here we must not silence our deep resentment of a bold Petition, and of dangerous consequence, which was lately presented to you, the consequence whereof (if you should an­swer their desires) would be to exclude many of the most conscientious and so­ber sort of men from serving under you in Civil and Military Imployments, who have and would prove themselves most faithful; and a door would be opened in design to retrive the Interest of those who have (by the just Hand of our Gracious God) made themselves so apparently ob­noxious. Moreover (which is not the least part of the Venome of that Petiti­on) [Page 10] we clearly see the same Spirit, which of late would have pull'd away the by-you-declared-just Maintenance from Ministers, would now provoke you by an Oath to endanger the forcing away of many of the most Godly from their Maintenance. In urging our fears from the premises that concerns some of diffe­rent principles from us, we would not be thought to (as we do not) design any thing that may incur the censure of un­just rigidity. We freely profess our de­sires, that tenderness of Conscience may have its full just liberty, but we cannot in judgment, account that tenderness of Conscience which will not scruple at treachery it self; or any Unrighteousness to carry on corrupt Designs.

Having presented You with our fears, we shall adde our Resolution, That by [Page 11] the help of God we shall stand by You in the pursuance of what we have decla­red for: And therefore do make this humble Request to You: We could de­sire, That whilst You sit, Your utmost endeavours may be to manifest your af­fectionate desires for the Publick Good of these Nations; Our further desire is, That those Regiments under your con­sideration (whose Officers are not) may be speedily pass'd. And in regard we find that the Grand Cause of the present Heats and Dis-satisfactions in the Nati­on is, because they are not fully Repre­sented in Parliament, and seeing no other probable Expedient whereby to keep the Nation in peace, then by filling up your Number; We must therefore make this our main desire, upon which we cannot but insist, that you would [Page 12] proceed to Issue forth Writts in Order to Elections: For the better effecting where­of we entreat, That you would con­clude upon due and full Qualifications, that not only those who have been actu­ally in Arms against the Parliament may be excluded, but also such who in the late Wars betwixt King and Parliament have declared their dis-affection to the Parliament: And because the distracted condition of this Nation is at this hour so evident and pressing, we are constrain­ed for the just maintenance of Your Au­thority and the satisfaction of all true En­glish Men, earnestly to desire, That all the Writts may be Issued forth by Friday next, returnable at the usual and legal time; For we think it convenient to ac­quaint you, that to pacifie the minds of this Great City, in the prosecution of [Page 13] your late Commands, the Chief of Us did give an assurance thereof.

And we must not forget to remember you, that the time hastens wherein you have declared your intended Dissolution, which the People and our selves desire you would be punctual in. Hereby the Suspition of your Perpetuation will be taken away, and the People will have as­surance that they shall have a Succession of Parliaments of their own Election; which is the undoubted Right of the Eng­lish Nation: You have promised and declared no less: Both the People and your Armies do live in the Hope and Expectation of it. That we may the better wait for your full and free Con­currence to these just Desires on the Na­tions behalf, upon Mature Deliberation, [Page 14] we have thought it our duty as to con­tinue the usual Guards for the safety of your sitting, so for the present to draw the rest of the Forces under our Command into the City, that we may have the bet­ter opportunity to compose spirits, & be­get a good understanding in that great City, formerly renowned for their reso­lute adhering to Parliamentary Autho­rity, and we hope that the same spirit will be found still to breath amongst the best, most considerable, and interessed persons there. This Action of ours, as we hope it will receive your favourable interpre­tation, so we do believe it will (through the blessing of God) be of good use for the present Peace, and future settlement of these Nations. These are our thoughts which we communicate to you, in the [Page 15] Names of our selves, and the Officers and Souldiers under our Commands, We are,