LET us renew our Acclamations and Shouts, Let us dry up our Tears, and cease our Lamentations: Our Halcyon Days begin again to appear; and it is now, that we have reason to hope, that all our Fears and Jealousies will vanish, our Distractions and Divisions be remedied, and an Union and good Understanding be so well established be­tween the King and his People, as may heal all our Differences, put an end to all our Troubles, make us a Comfort, and a Help to our Friends and Allies, and a Dread and Terrour to their and our Enemies.

Perhaps, never any Nation lay and groaned under such Numbers, and Variety of Sufferings, as our has done, in the later part of this Age: Our late Civil Wars, the Plague, and Dreadful Fire, during that, we had with Foreigners and, to compleat our Misfortunes, this last horrid and damnable Conspiracy of the Papists, which, to satisfie the Humors and Interests of some few par­ticular Men, designed no less than the Death of His Majesty, and of all, at least, the greatest part of his Protestant Subjects, the Subversion of the State and Government, and the utter Extirpati­on of the Reformed Religion. These are all such Examples, as certainly no Tradition, Record, nor History can parallel; and which have brought us now at length, into that Condition, that we are now become almost as contemptible to Foreign­ers, as we formerly were Dreadful. But it is to be hoped, that the Storm is now over, and our Sky will be clear ag [...]in; the Plot is at length brought to the last gasp, by his Majesties Infinite Prudence, and indefatigable Care; and there seems no more wanting, than his meeting with his Parliament, to put an end to it, and all our Fears.

If we may ground our Hopes upon Appearan­ces, we have certainly reason to raise our Expe­ctations very high of the Performances of this Parliament: All its Members are well known to persons of great Prudence and Integrity, of undaunted Courages, of indefatigable Zeal and Care, in prosecuting all such as are suspected of Designing against the Peace of the State, of try­ed Fidelity and Loyalty to their Prince, real Pro­testants, and good Patriots; so that there is no manner of Advantage, but what we may pro­pose to our selves, from the Endeavours and Zeal of such Representatives, under the Influence of so good, so great, and so glorious a King. We may now reasonably promise our selves, that an end will be put to all Factions, all Dissenti­ons removed, all Differences reconciled, our Prince enabled, and put in a posture of protect­ing us, our Friends and Allies; and that thus this Parliament may gain the Name of the Heal­ing Parliament; and we have cause to praise and bless God, and honour it, for retrieving us from Destruction, when we were just upon the Brink of Rui [...]e, for bringing us safe into the Port, out of a Furious Tempest, and making us relish and enjoy all the pleasures and satisfaction of Peace, notwithstanding all the Efforts of our Enemies to the contrary.

This indeed is a great Undertaking and Work, and considering the ill Circumstances we lie at present [...]nder, it will doubtless meet with a great Opposition, and many Obstacles; But what is not such an Assembly of Men capable of effect­ing? Men of such Fortune, Experience and A­bility in Affairs, so unanimously elected by their Country, as being looked upon as the best Pilates to Steer and Weather us out of the present Storm; There is no question, but that this Assembly will overcome all Difficulties, and procure and settle the Peace and Tranquility of the State, bring to Condign punishment such of the Disturbers of its Repose, as are in its Bowels, and humble such others, as rise up from abroad; and that they will dissappoint and bring to nought the Con­trivances [Page]and Machinations, both of the one and the other.

Can any King be more glorious, than ours is at the Head of such a Parliament? And can any People be more happy than we are in such a King? Have we not reason to expect all manner of Sa­tisfaction, Profit, and Advantage from this Meeting, May we not hope, that now, all our Fears and Jealousies will vanish, that His Ma­jesty will be secured from all the Attempts and Designs of the Papists and other Malignants, and the Church and Government freed from all Change and Innovation, that the Promoters and Abettors of Schism, Sedition and Tumults, will be punished according to their Merits; and in ge­neral, that our Land will be cleared and purged of all the Disturbers of its Peace and Repose. All these Advantages we do, with Justice, promise our selves, from the Prudence, Wisdom and In­tegrity of this Parliament. Methinks I see eve­ry man's Face full of Joy, all their Fears and Apprehensions are now fled, all their Conster­nation and Agonies are now retired, Satisfaction and Joy have got the upper-hand; and by the means of this Parliament, we are likely to be­come a People as Glorious and Dreadful, as our late Troubles render'd us despised and contemp­tible. Trade will now again flourish, All our Neighbours, will now as much court our Alli­ance and Friendship, as they have lately avoided and refused it: Our Prince, we hope, will now be enabled to encourage and succor his Friends and daunt, and strike a dread into his and their Enemies; the Government be secured from be­ing Libelled by every Nonsensical Fellow; and such Expedients found out, as may unite us a­mongst ourselves, both in Opinion and Interest, so that all that we do, may turn to the Glory of God, the Honor of the King, and the Benefit and Welfare of the whole Nation in General.

Peace and Tranquility will now get into the Throne, and the English Name become as grate­ful and formidable, as it has been lately neglect­ed and despised; and we hope, that such Cour­ses will be taken, that private Interest may not byass the publick Good; but that all their Con­sultations and Resolutions, may tend to the Be­nefit of the whole Kingdom in General, and its Advantage, Peace and Quiet, be the Rule and Standard for all our Actions, that the Security and Advancement of the True Protestant Religi­on may be endeavoured and effected both at home and abroad; that Law may have its free Course, and full Career, and that the Privile­ges of the Subject may be kept and secured en­tire, and yet no Attempts nor Breaches made in the Prince's Prerogative: But that every one may act in his own Province, and that such as shall transgress their Bounds, either out of Ambition, Interest, or Vanity, thinking themselves more capable and sufficient than they really are, and aspiring to have their Parts at the Helm before they are called to it, and to that end, sow Dis­sentions, spread abroad Apprehensions and Fears, and by these means, bring the People into most dreadful Distrusts and Agonies; it is sit and ne­cessary, that such People be curbed, and bridled by such Laws and Punishments as may daunt and discourage them from the like Courses any more, and make them at rest, and satisfied with the Condition and State God has put them in. To effect all this, I must confess, is one of the highest points of Policy. But what is not such a King at the Head of his Great Council, capable of performing and bringing to pass, since the Prince, and most of the Members of his Parlia­ment, are known to all the World, to be of a consummate Wisdom, of vast Experience in all Affairs, and of so true and ardent a Zeal for the Protestant Religion, and the Church of God, that doubtless they cannot fail of his Blessing up­on all their Councils and Undertakings? May we not now hope, that all the Practices and De­vices of our Enemies will be brought to nought, that all their Designs and Machinations will be disappointed and come to nothing, and that Popery and Rebellion will be rooted out of the Land, or at least, their Wings so clipt, that they shall not be capable any longer or disturbing our Repose, nor endanger the Safety and Tranquili­ty of the State? The whole Nation is full of Expectation of such Performances as these from this August Assembly, that its Interest and Wel­fare may be promoted and procured, that every Man's Honor and Fortune may be secured from the Aspersions and Attempts of Seditious and ill affected Persons, that all the corrupted and in­fectious Members of the Commonwealth be cut off, or at least, such Remedy is to be applied, as may heal the Disease, and prevent its ill Hu­mors from spreading any farther into the Body of the Nation; that such Expedients be found out, as may satisfie the Demands and Desires both of King and People, reconcile all our Dif­ferences, make up all our Breaches, and so re­unite us amongst our selves, that we may be no longer in Fears and Apprehensions of Attempts from Abroad or at Home; no longer in danger of Civil and Domestick Broils, nor in a State of dreading the Arms of Foreigners; that our Pro­perties may be secured, and our Wives and Chil­dren safe from being perverted to any manner of Idolatry, whether of Papists or others; and that thus we may act our Parts out here in Peace and Tranquility, and that all our Desires and Actions n ay have no other Aim than the Glory of God, the Honor of the King, the Good of the Nati­on, and the advancement and Establishment of the Protestant Religion.