I Am cōmanded by the Knights, and Burgesses, to present unto your Lordships their answer to what was proposed yester­day.

1 They take notice of your Lordships desire, that a true in­telligence may bee kept be­tween the two Houses, for so your Lordships did expresse it

In this they do with all cheerfulnesse concurre with your Lordships, as knowing that this sweet conjunction between your Lordships and them is the golden Chain which bindes up in one Gordian knot the strength, the beauty, the happinesse of this King­dom, which so knit together is not to be broken in sunder by the fiercest violence.

[Page 2] Therefore, who desires to unlinke this Chaine, and dissolve this knot, or fails of his part, to the preserving and continuing it fast, and firme, and entire, let the sin of it lie at his doore, nay, let it come into the midst of his house, and consume it let him perish, and his posterity inherit onely his shame.

So carefull will the House of Commons be to cherish, and maintain, this good correspondencie with your Lordships in all things.

Then for the businesse about which your Lord­ships were then pleased to conferre with them, which was a printed paper you had met with all, as you said, in your house, setting forth some re­solutions of the House of Commons, concerning which you put unto us these two Interrogatories, videlicet, The first, and second Votes which were read.

[Page 4] And not finding this paper attested by their Clerke under his hand, they could not judge of it, till they had resorted to his booke where their or­ders and their votes are entred: where they found their votes concerning their late Protestation taken both by your Lordships and them, and they found the contents of this paper to agree in terminis with what is entred in their Clerks book.

Then they called to minde what had passed in the House upon that occasion when those resolutions of theirs were voted; How they had considered of that Protestation that it bound all men to de­fend the Religion here established, &c.

This they conceived to be a true test of every good Subject, a Shibboleth to distinguish the Ephra­mits from the Gileadites, that whosoever was wel affected in Religion, and to the good of the Com­mon-wealth would make this Protestation: and on the other side who would not make it was not well affected.

And such a man, they held it their duties, in discharge of the trust reposed in them by the whole Body of the Kingdome, all the Commons of England, who have set them out as so many Sentinels to watch for them, to give them notice of the good or the evill, friends or enemies, com­ming towards them, they held it I say their duties to declare their opinions, that such a man was not their friend, was unfit to beare any office in Church or State, and therefore they passed this Vote, that it is a thing fit and necessary to be done by them; and for such they do avow it.

[Page 5] And besides they thought it fit to give an ac­count to those who had employed them, the seve­rall Counties and Burroughs that sent them, to give them a Marke, by which they might know who were goodmen, lovers of their Countrey, fit to be entrusted with Offices, with the over-sight of any part of Church or State: and therefore they gave order this Vote should be sent downe unto all the parts of this Kingdome.

And lastly, that it might be done speedily, and not stay the writing out of so many Copies, they gave order it should be printed, and be attested un­der the Clerks hand, with order &c.

The Coppies of which three Orders your Lord­ships have in this printed Paper, which the Commons assembled in Parliament have commanded me to signifie unto your Lordships, and that the passing of these Votes they doe own, they do avow, they do justifie.