I Blesse the Lord, I do remember you and yours, (by whom I am much remembred) so far as I am able in every thing; I know right well you and others do it much more for me, and pray dear Sir, do it still: Heave me up upon the Wings of your Pray­ers, to him who is a God hearing prayers, and granting requests, intreat him to inable me to stand to his truth, which I shall not do, if he deject or forsake me, which I know would not a little trouble you and my many other Christian Freinds: Yet when I remember the many past ex­periences, I have had of the Almighties mercies, and constant kindnesses towards me, I have hopes he will not now leave and forsake me, in my most needfull time of trouble: The Devil like a Swallow may shew himself a Summer freind, but God is for Winter storms of tryal, and then he most assuredly makes our ut­most extremities, his happiest and most helpfull opportunities. I have in the late Wars resisted the common-enemy of my Coun­try (through the Almighties mercy) to blood, and frequent hazards of life; and since (blessed be his name) he hath carried me through reproaches, good and bad reports, losse of places, pre­serments, and rewards: But now perhaps the Lord will a little more shew his strength in my weaknesse, and try me with the [Page 2]temptaion of skin for skin: If he do, I shall declare before hand, I shall fall, if he support me not by the right hand of his power; yet if he inable me truly to say, Master save me, I am sure, I shall not perish; He will I trust, give patience and perseverance: I do en­deavour to eye his glory, hoping that he will both quicken and quiet my spirit, and when men have spoiled me of all my Martial places and profits, God can a thousand times repair the losse, or those losses, with the peace which passeth all understanding: Or, if I be called to seale the cause of God and my Country with my blood, by suffering death, or by bearing my testimony to the interest of my Nation, and the despised truths of these times; he is able to support and save me, as the Sun to shine upon me; yet all is to apply and believe, to have recourse to experiences; but above all to a reconciled God in Christ will do it: Oh that I could wrestle with him in Prayer! as some Jacob's do at this day; and yet a Father hears his Infants voice, as tenderly, as those of stron­ger attainments: The Lord inable us, that though we be led in­to Temptaion, we may be delivered from all evill. I suppose by this, you hear Sir William Constables Regiment is marching for Hull, as also that I am sent for to London; Colonel Morgan com­ing down to Command the Northern Forces; I wait for Or­ders to march hence, and hear they are coming to me, God wil­ling they shall be readily obey [...]d; if I can but keep faith and a good Conscience: I shall assuredly finish my course with joy: In the interim, I trust I shall not need to fear what man can justly do unto me, for any thing I have done since my coming into Scotland; Therefore my freind in that respect let not your heart be troubled; but by your prayers, commend me to his care and custody, who like a tender Father leads his by the hand (as he did Israel) through all dark places, strengthening us in all our weaknesses: In the interim, expect no more from us, than I receive from my Father, to whose care and eternal conservation, I commend you, and remain,

BY the Lord Protector's Order, I was yesterday confined a Prisoner in the Tower of London, where (as also before I came thither) having received information of those false re­ports and misprisions I am under, I thought good for your own and my Christian friends satisfaction with you, to give my an­swer to those objections divulged against me, which you may take as followeth.

Object. 1. That before my going into Scotland, I engaged to the Lord Protector, that I would be true unto my trust, and told him that I would let him know when I could serve him no longer; but now it is repor­ted, that I have forfeited my trust, by going about to divide the Army, and resolving to march in the head of a party for England, and there, as in Scotland to abet the Cavileers designe: To which I Answer.

1. Reply That I am still true unto my trust, and have kept my resolutions to let his Lordship know, when I could serve him no longer; (adding that when I perceived his Lordship did on­ly designe the setting up of himself, and not the good of those Nations, I could not set one foot before another to serve him; to which he replyed, Thou wert a Knave if thou wouldest?) nor did I ever go about to divide the Army, promise to head any party, or intend to joyn with the Cavileers (Scotch or English) but on the contrary, having heard that upon the addresse made by the Officers at Jamses, some honest Officers at Aberdeen had debates of that nature; I sent to them first to forbear their debates; and after understanding that they were under some pressure of spirit in that particular, and purpose to meet at Edenbrough about the discharge of their Duties and Consciences in that kinde, I sent for them, and told them, That if they intended any thing in an unwarrantable way, I could not conceal it: Whereupon they pro­mised me to do all things in Gods way, and that they would acquaint the General therewith, and do nothing therein without his consent.

Object. 2. The News-mongers and others, I perceive, report me to be a Leveller, and a discontented person, for that other Officers were pre­ferred before me, who were my juniors; and that I was absent from my charge in Scotland two years together: To all which I thus Answer.

[Page 4] Reply 2. First, That if a Leveller be one, who bears affection to Anarchy, destroying propriety or Government, then I am none; but if upon the account of New-market and other Engagements for the settling of a well-grounded Government, redresse of grie­vances, Civil, Ecclesiastical or Military, or inflicting condigne punishment upon capital offenders, &c. If this be Levelling, I was and am a Leveller: 2. I acknowledge it was some dissatis­faction to me, to have foure of my Junior Colonels preferred o­ver my head; yet neither that, nor any other neglect did ever discourage or hinder me from doing my duty diligently, faith­fully, and for the most part (I blesse God for it) effectually for these thirteen years. 3. As concerning my absence from my Command in Scotland, I confesse after I had discontinued from England, neer upon the matter of two years, my Father dying in the interim, and my Estate left in a disordered and unsettled condition, (diverse debts, as I believe, yet undischarged, and to my detriment I doubt, become desperate through default of time­ly looking too) I did desire General Dean's Passe for England, which I had without limitation of time to return in; and find­ing my occasions in my own Country to be very commanding (knowing in how peaceable a posture all things were at my com­ming from Scotland, and so continued for three quarters of a year after: I presumed to stay in my Government at Hull, untill I understood that there were some stirs in Scotland; whereupon I immediatly writ to his Excellency, the Lord General, to know whether or no he expected any further service from me in that Nation; but receiving no Answer of my Letter, and immediate­ly after the little Parliament being Dissolved, (in order to my own satisfaction as to the one and the other) I came up to London, and gave his Lordship an account both of the Reasons and warrant for my stay in England, wherwith his Lordship seem'd then satisfied; and as to the continuance of my two Commands, it was neither by me desired nor endeavoured; I having former­ly by my friend Collonel Salmon made a tender to resign my Re­giment in Scotland, and (all things being in a peaceable posture there) I was willing to have retired my self to my Government at Hull, that thereby I might have enjoyed the comforts of my Relations and Country; but this not being accepted, I now see [Page 5]there was a providence in order to my present reproach, which I trust in his own good time the Lord our God will rowl away; for if truth it self be not over-born, or out-faced, I shall in the upshot neither appear hypocritical, unfaithful, or perfidious, as hath been reported: And if this cannot stop the mouth of the malevolent, I trust it may in some measure satisfie the godly-wise, who if they be my friends, I shall be the better inabled to bear the brow-beatings of others report or reproaches causeless­ly cast upon me.

Object. 3. But say some, you made a company of scandalous Verses up­on the Lord Protector; whereby his Highnesse and diverse others were offended and displeased for your so doing.

Reply 3. I must acknowledge I copied a paper of Verses, cal­led, The Character of a Protector, but I did neither compose, nor (to the best of my remembrance) shew them to any after I had writ them forth: They were taken out of my Letter-case at Leith, where they had lain a long time by me neglected and for­gotten: I had them from a friend who wished my Lord well, and who told me that his Lordship had seen them, and I believe laughed at them as (to my knowledge) heretofore he hath done, at Papers and Pamphlets of more personal and particular import or abuse.

Object. 4. Another thing objected against me, as I am enformed, is let­ters of dangerous consequence intercepted as they were coming to me.

Reply 4. In regard I received them not, I cannot judge of their danger or significance: Indeed I did hear that letters of dissatis­factory import were directed to diverse in Scotland, with prin­ted papers and Petitions in them, sent to Leith and other places, but those to whom they were directed, know not whence they came, having neither subscription, nor dates; and it is pos­sible some dissatisfied persons in England, might direct Letters to me as to other men upon the same account and score: nay is it not probable that some enformers (not my Friends) to render their service more sutable to their sallaries, might report or suggest from their own or others opinions, some high expecta­tion had of me in the matters forementioned, viz. The dividing and marching a part of the Army into England: which no man living shall be justly able to make good against me; it being (as I well know) [Page 6]a thing dangerous and unfeasable, and most unlikely to one in any thing but division and destruction, (two inseparable ad­juncts saith Caesar Borgje) therefore as far from my purpose as in it self impracticable, as the constitution of the Army stood.

Object. 5. But say some, you and other Officers refused to come to the head Quarters when Generall Monk commanded you, which was a con­vincing argument of your guilt and disobedience, and the occasion given him to send a guard for you.

Reply 5. To this I answer, we should herein have been much too blame, had the reports of the worldly writers been true, the contrary whereof will be witnessed as followeth; for first, some of the Officers were imprisoned at Dundee, as they were voluntari­ly marching towards the head Quarters, and I know none of the rest who did delay to come after they were commanded: for my self, the very day before Mr. Oates his going towards Edenburgh, I remember I received from Mr. Clark (generall Monks Secretary) a Letter, in the latter end whereof, he thus hints; I cannot give you any account of the grounds of the Generals sending for you to the Head Quarters, but herewith receiving no Letter from the General. I conclude a miscarriage of his Letter, or a mistake in Mr. Clarks relation, however (as will be witnessed) I was so far from refusing to obey the Generals command, that I was resolved to set forwards for Dalkieth the next morning, had I not been di­swaded by some of my fellow-officers, whereupon I immediately dispacht a Letter to General Monk (to be conveyed from Garri­son to Garrison day and night, untill it came to his hands) inti­mating my reall readinesse, to observe his commands by Letter or messenger; two dayes after I had written to him, two of his Let­ters came together to my hands, intimating his desire to have me come to the head Quarters with what convenience I could, and at the very same time I received Letters from Gen. Middleton and the Earl of Seaforth, desiring a capitulation in order to their own with their parties coming in, and laying down their Arms, upon which account I was perswaded to stay a day longer to draw up and debate Proposals, but that Evening a Letter coming from the General upon the forementioned account, I declined all further debate with Pluscardin the Earls uncle, advising him and General Middletons Trumpet, to proceed in pursuance of their businesse at [Page 7]the head Qarrers, whether I was going with all possible speed: how therefore I should be accused of neglect or disobedience to the general commands, I cannot imagine, but shall leave it to the Judicious to determine, not doubting but wherein men have mistaken, the searcher of the heart, and the tryer of the reins will in due time rectifie their aberrations: in the interim I shall con­clude with what a prisoner (and my predecessour in this place) from the Apostle Peter observes of promises, and from the Apo­stle Paul of afflictions, but he chastened us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse: so for promises, 2 Pet. 1.4. there are given to us exceeding great and precious promises, that by them we should be partakers of the divine nature: why there­fore (saith he) may we not say, there are given unto us exceeding great & precious afflictions, that by them we might be partakers of the divine nature, that is, of his holinesse, for to you it is gi­ven, not onely to believe, but to suffer, Phil. 1.29. Thus God swee­tens the very nature of afflictions, and molds us thereby into his own image; for as Christ became a perfect mediator by his pas­sion, so by sufferings, our Lord can consecrate us to himself; I fill up saith Paul that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, so that we see Christ is not full till his Members (more or lesse) have had their measure of sufferings; if in patience we possesse our spirits we shall inherit the promises; our chastening touching patience and perseverance unto the end, will turn our crowns of thorns into crowns of glory, & bring us forth of the furnace of affliction, as his monuments of free grace, who saith, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorifie me, &c. Thus Sir, having gi­ven you a true account of the nature of those accusations, which I understand are suggested against me, for which I trust I shall not be condemned before I be convicted: commending you to the protection of the father of spirits, and God of all grace, desiring your prayers, that I may improve this prison-dispensation in the exercise of patience to his glory, and the increase of my own comforts, I bid you Farewell.