TWO LETTERS, The One, Sent by the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of LONDON, To his Excellency, The Lord Gen. Monck, By Their Sword-Bearer: Which Letter was sent in Answer to a Letter formerly publish'd, and sent to the Common Council by his Excellency.
Delivered to them by Col. Markham, and Col. Atkins.
The other, His Excellencies Answer Thereunto.
LONDON, Printed by John Macock, 1659.
The Letter of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of the City of LONDON.
WE dare not enter upon the answer to the merits of your Excellencies Letter of the [...] th of November, which came to our hands the 23d of the same (which was the first and only that came to us) without Prefacing our hearty, and thankful admiring and acknowledging the transcendent Mercy of God, in putting into your Heart those Pious and Noble Resolutions, to appear at such an Exigent to be the glorious Instrument in his hand, both to Assert and Vindicate the greatest Interest, both Civil and Religious of these Nations. And next, That your singular Humility of Spirit, and Affection to this City, in Communicating to us so early, those your just Resolves, and inviting us to share in the Honour of Assisting to the obtaining of those great and glorious Ends, [Page 2]in which the [...]ppiness of these Nations in general, and of the City, as a Corporation, consists.
In all which our Spirits were both enlightned and warmed by a spark from your zeal, and actuated by God to a present activity in our sphere and capacity in compliance with your Excellencies advice, as we trust the whole world that hath seen our Actings since the receipt of your Letter, can bear us witness, and that we hope may be our sufficient plea for pardon for our not returning a more timely answer to your Excellencies said Letter. But we desire your Excellency to believe, that was principally retarded by suspition cast on the Authentiqueness of it, by those who had the confidence on that score to imprison the Deliverers, and by the Interposition of the Forces here, and led out against your Excellency, who lay in the passage to You.
But now (may it please Your Excellency) seeing it hath pleased God in some measure to remove those Obstructions, We presume by this to Assert in Writing, what VVe hope all Our Actings, since the Receipt of Your Excellencies Advice, have evidenced.
That VVe have cordially concurred with Your Excellency, in disowning the Author of that Force who in [...]errupted the Parliament, and ravish'd the Birth-right of these Nations, by daring to null and make void Acts of Parliament; and We think, have contributed somewhat by Gods blessing on Our Counsels, and Actings, to the preventing of the sad consequences of that exorbitant presumption. How fully and entirely VVe comply with Your Excellency, in asserting the Authority and Freedom of Parliaments, and the just Rights and Liberties of the People, a National Ministry, for the enlightning of the Ignorant, and suppressing of Atheism, VVe humbly Referre Your Excellency to Our enclosed Declaration, and do seriously assure Your Excellency, That VVe shall (by Gods assistance) persist [Page 3]faithfully and vigorously in this Good Cause: And praying God to preserve Your Excellency, and those Noble Commanders with You, in these Your Just, Honorable, and Christ [...] Undertakings, shall Remain,
This Letter is Conveighed by the Sword-bearer of London, by the special Directions of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Court of Common-Council.
The Letter of his Excellency, the Lord General MONCK, in Answer to the former Letter.
I Received a Letter from your Lordship, and the rest of the Common-Council, of the 29th of December, and do humbly thank you for that great esteem which you are pleased to put upon our poor Endeavours of the Parliaments Army under my Command, far transcending our Merits and Services. As to those Ends which we then declared f [...]r, I bless the Lord I acted Conscience, and I hope we were found in the way of duty, and are resolved by the grace of God to adhere to them, having found such wonderful blessings following us in these our just and honest Undertakings.
As your prudent Counsels and couragious Actings [...]ere the great means under God of restoring this Parliament to its just and lawful Authority, so of the safety and welfare of the Nations, for which I do for my Self and the rest of the Officers here, return my very hearty thanks, and we shall have ever cause to bless the Lord for this great mercy, in putting into your hearts such righteous and honourable Resolutions, to appear at such a time when our Liberties and [Page 5]Properties, and all that is dear unto us, even the Ordinances of our blessed Saviour, were in such hazard.
Indeed, it was much in our hopes, that such a glorious City, that had redeemed themselves from slivery at the price of so much blood and treasure, and had been the great Instruments in the hand of God for the carrying on the work of Reformation, and bringing three Nations our of the Captivity of Tyranny and Arbitrary Government, could not ever consent to such illegal and unjust proceedings. As wee do acknowledge your great activity in promoting those great ends which wee lately represented to you, so wee do heartily thank you for the honor and encouragement which you have been pleased in this your Letter to give to the Parliaments Army here; for our selves, wee having nothing to seek (wee blesse the Lord) in all this Affair, but to endeavour the safety and settlement of these Nations in general, and of the famous City in particular.
Wee received your enclosed Declaration, and do cheerfully join with you therein. And I do promise you for the Army under my Command, that they are resolved (by the assistance of God) to stand by and maintain this present Parliament, as it sate on October 11. from whom wee received our Commissions; and do hope, that you that have been so eminently Instrumental in their restoring, will heartily concurr with us therein; and shall to the utmost of our power defend the freedom of successive Parliaments, and the [...]erties Spiritual and Civil of the People in these Nations, and shall encourage in our Stations, the Godly and Learned Ministers, and shall continue faithfull in this Good Cause, that the Nations may be stablished in a free Common-wealth, and the Army kept in due obedience to the Civil Authority.
And as we have experienced the great affection of your City in such a day of Darkness and great Tryal, so we shall [Page 6]ever study to the utmost, to express our services for you, and shall not think our lives too precious to hazard for your welfare. I think to wait upon you shortly, and shall reserve those further acknowledgements to that opportunity, and remain,