A letter from Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, Thomas Scot, Io. Berners and Iohn Weaver, Esquiers delivered to the Lord Fleetwood : owning their late actions in endeavouring to secure the Tower of London, and expostulating his Lordships defection from his engagement unto the Parliament.

A letter from Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, Thomas Scot, Io. Berners and Iohn Weaver, Esquiers delivered to the Lord Fleetwood : owning their late actions in endeavouring to secure the Tower of London, and expostulating his Lordships defection from his engagement unto the Parliament.

Table of contents

Title page

A LETTER From Sir Anthony Aſhley Cooper, Thomas Scot, Io. Berners, and Iohn Weaver Eſquiers, delivered to the Lord Fleetwood: Owning their late Actions in endeavouring to ſecure the Tower of London, and Expoſtulating his Lordſhips defection from his Engagement unto the Parliment.

A LETTER
From Sir Anthony Aſhley Cooper, Thomas Scot, Io. Berners, and Iohn Weaver Eſquiers, delivered to the Lord Fleetwood:
Owning their late Actions in endeavouring to ſecure the Tower of London, and Expoſtulating his Lordſhips defection from his Engagement unto the Parliment.

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SIR▪

UNderſtanding you have received▪ ſome diſturbance of late in examining divers perſons about a deſigne to ſurprize the Tower, to ſave your further trouble we doe hereby freely own our utmoſt and hearty endeavours to have put that place into more faithful and confiding hands, and that by Authoritie from the Council of State, who at the paſſing of that Reſolve, had the [Page] ſole Legall Power from the Parliament of ordering directing, and diſpoſing of all the Garriſons and Forces of this Common wealth, both by Sea and Land; An Action ſo Honeſt and Honourable, as would not onely have given check to your Exorbitances at Wallingford-Houſe, and VVhite-Hall, but was moſt neceſſary to the preſerving the Peace and Safetie of this great Citty, by giving advantage to them, to put themſelves into a Regular Poſture of Defence, and ſuch an Encouragement to the ſober Partie amongſt them, as would (through Gods mercy) have utterly defeated the Deſignes of the Common Enemy.

Sir, Let us tell you this Deſigne was not ſo vain but that we had (by the bleſſing of God) poſſeſt that place ſome weeks ſince, had we not been fruſtrated by our miſtake in the Courage and Fidelitie of a Perſon, whoſe Opportunitie, Intereſt and Duetie, (if not Principles) gave us better hopes; But in this Age we are to complain and wonder at nothing, yet we cannot but highly reſent the Confidence of ſending for one of our number by a party of Souldiers; As if Redcoats and Musketts were a Non Obstante to all Law and publique Priviledge, not as if that perſon or any of us are affraid or aſhamed to own the Enterprize before any that have a lawfull Authoritie to demand an account of it, which we are ſure no ſingle Perſon, Juncto or Pack of Men at White-Hall, or VVallingford-Houſe have a pretence to.

Sir, We have the witneſſe with our own Spirits that we have and doe Cordially wiſh the preſervation and good of you and your Family, but if the Lord hath ſaid, you ſhall not hearken, but be hardned in your way, we muſt acquieſce in his Providence, and with ſorrow look upon that Ruine which is flowing in upon you, as upon one in whom we thought we had ſeen ſome good.

[Page] Sr. conſider that in the day of trouble which is certainly comming upon you, what ſupport you will have to your ſpirit when you ſhall be aſſaulted with the ſhame you have brought upon God's people, with the breach of Faith to the Parliament, from whom you received your Commiſſion; with the ruine you have brought upon your native Countrey (unleſſe the Lord by his own almighty Arme prevent it) and with the miſery you have led the poor Soldiers into; who inſtead of being the inſtruments of ſecuring and ſettling the Peace and Liberty of theſe Nations, enjoying the honour and quiet thereof, their arreares fully paid, future pay and advancement ſettled and eſtabliſhed, in order and with the bleſſing of their Countreymen, are now become the inſtruments of nine men's ambition, have made the whole Nation their enemies, and are expoſed again to the hardſhip and hazard of a new unnaturall War, without proſpect of ever hoping that the iſſue of theſe affaires can leave their new Maſters ſo rich (though conquerors) as to ſatisfy their arreares, or ſo ſecure as to truſt preferment in any hands but ſuch whoſe fanatick principles or perſonall relations makes them irreconcileable to the publick intereſt: But God (we truſt) has raiſed up a deliverer, having by admirable providence put an opportunity and power into the hands of Generall Monck the ableſt and moſt experienced Commander of theſe Nations whom he hath alſo ſpirited to ſtand firm for the intereſt of this Commonwealth, as well againſt a Rebellious party of our own forces as the deſignes of the common enemy (notwithſtanding all cauſleſſe and falſe aſperſions maliciouſly caſt upon him) being warranted in his preſent actings by eſpecial Commiſſion and Authourity from the Council of State, whereas yours is that only of the Sword. Our prayers and earneſt requeſt for you and all honeſt men amongſt you are, that you may timely joyn with him, and [Page] partake of the honour and bleſſing of his actions, and your true repentance ſhall be a greater rejoycing▪ then your defection was a trouble. When providence ſhall have ſeparated the precious from the vile, and no have ſuffered our ſcumme to boyl in, but ſhall have placed the Sword and Civil Authority in the hands of men ofthe beſt and ſobereſt principles.

Sir be not ſo farre deceived as to think ſober men ſee not through the mask of this ſtrange new Parliament, whoſe Liberty▪ and ſafety, either of meeting or debating muſt be at your pleaſures, who having taken upon you, to be Conſervators of the cauſe, will onely make uſe of them as your Aſſeſſours and Tax-gatherers: The preſent interrupted Parliament being the ſole lawfull Authority, and which can onely be hoped to make the Sword ſubſervient to the Civil intereſt, and ſettle the Government in the hands of the people, by ſucceſſive and free Parliaments lawfully derived to them.

Sir, we have in ſincerity given you our ſenſe, and ſhall leave you to him that diſpoſes ofall mens hearts, and remain

December 16 1659.

For the Lord Fleetwood late Lieuetenant Generall of the Army.

Your Servants ſo far as you ſhall be found to ſerve the publick

Anth. Aſhley Cooper.

Thomas Scot▪

Io. Berners,

Iohn Weaver.

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§

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A LETTER FROM Sir Anthony Aſhley Cooper, Thomas Scot, Io. Berners, and Iohn Weaver Eſquiers, delivered to the Lord FLEETWOOD: OWNING Their late Actions in endeavouring to ſecure the Tower of London, and Expoſtulating his Lordſhips defection from his Engagement unto the Parliament.

Printed in the Year 1659.

Information about this book

Title statement

A letter from Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, Thomas Scot, Io. Berners and Iohn Weaver, Esquiers delivered to the Lord Fleetwood : owning their late actions in endeavouring to secure the Tower of London, and expostulating his Lordships defection from his engagement unto the Parliament.

Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of, 1621-1683.

Edition statement

1659

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A71003

ID [STC]

Wing S2893

ID [STC]

ESTC R3276

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12701398

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12701398

ID [VID]

65946

Availability

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A71003)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 65946)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 368:10)

Source

— A letter from Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, Thomas Scot, Io. Berners and Iohn Weaver, Esquiers delivered to the Lord Fleetwood : owning their late actions in endeavouring to secure the Tower of London, and expostulating his Lordships defection from his engagement unto the Parliament., Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of, 1621-1683., Scott, Thomas, d. 1660., Berners, Josias., Weaver, John, d. 1685., Fleetwood, Charles, d. 1692..

Extent

[2], 4 p.

s.n.],. [London :: 1659.. (Place of publication from Wing.) (Reproduction of original in Union Theological Seminary Library, New York.)

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