ALthough by the permission of the divine providence, we have suf­fered a present transaction of our deliberate purposes, and by addi­tion of the mischievous endea­vours of many of our degenera­ting Country-Committee-men, had Characters of disaffection to the peace and quiet of our County undeservedly stamp­ed upon us, whereby a double disadvantage is laboured on our behalf. Yet that it may be evident how con­stant we dare appeare to any religious and warrantable undertaking, notwithstanding any particular miscariage, or misfortune in the same.

And that by way of return, we may ingrave those [Page 2]black aspertions in legible Letters upon the brazen browes of such as would outface the truth. We desire the world to take notice, that we are so perfectly satisfi­ed in the assurance of our cleare Intentions, that we wil­lingly call heaven and earth to witnesse our sincere inte­grity in that particular.

We are not so undetermined in Religion, as to be su­perstititious in successes, and sacrifice our reason there­unto, or suffer our selves to be shaken meerly by the mo­tions of adverse events. We deny not but that Gods pre­sent will may be read therein, but affirme likewise that his consequent Order cannot be discern'd thereby, which may require the demolishment of many particular Gods to build up the frame of the universal, neither doth the present ruine of single peices of equity dero­gate any thing from the goodnesse of their nature, so that we may safely determine that the successe and pre­valence of Injustice and self Interest, against candid and unbiaced honesty, must not at all abate our zeale to any publique, vertuous undertaking.

The performance of what we intimated in the second place, will require a survey of the proceedings of a fa­ctious number of our Committee men, whose distem­pered Pallates can relish nothing which savours of tran­quility and quiet, nor digest preparatives appropriated to that purpose, gaping after nothing but what is com­posed of Arbitrary and Independent Ingredients, which they greedily swallow, untill their stomacks over­char'gd, send forth infectious, poysoned paper pellets, [Page 3]destructive to the very being of a free borne Subject. Witnesse, an Order of theirs, long since commanded to be read in all the parish Churches within the County, strictly denying so much liberty, as but to make our de­sires or fufferings known by way of Petition, (least possi­bly themselves might have been the burthen of our complaint.)

This for the present we obeyed, in hope that defect in us might by their meanes be supplyed, and that they would endeavour to apply some seasonable relaxation to our havie pressures. But behold our expectation frustra­ted, and themselves become the great Oppressors of us, extorting by threats of Sequestration, and such affright­ing Engines, such sums of money as they thought fit to require by perremptory Letters dispersed to that intent.

Our patience still triumphed over their trregular exa­ctions, neither did we discover so much self affection as to make publique complaints of these particular grie­vances. But when the more generall concernments of the Kingdome call'd upon us, and we were invited by the examples of our neighbouring Counties, to expresse our sence and fellow feeling of these epedemicall distem­pers, which in probability without a speedy Applyca­tion, must prove destructive both to the Church and State, we then resolv'd to hazzard their displeasure, and humbly offer our addresses higher, where incouraged by the successe of others upon the like occasion, we durst presume at least a kind reception.

But this Appeale prevailed not to prevent the inter­position of our angry Masters, who to discover their di­stast of what might tend to an accommodation, and de­monstrate, that their busie malice could aspire to reach us, what ever distance we observ'd for our security, not staying to expect a warrant for their undertaking, salute us with another Order (forg'd in the shop of their distem­pered fancy) wherein they doe asperse both us and on Petition with scandalous and reproachfull language, not­withstanding the wisedom of the two Houses had discovered no such merrit in expressions of the same im­port, which they then had, (and since have) received from severall places of the Kingdom. An Argument (in our opinion) of the unparalell'd presumption of our an­ticipating and preiudicall Iudges whose hasty and indi­iested determinations are impatient to exspect the results of more mature deliberation. Nor did they rest here, but by raising of Armed Troops, endeavour (as at the first to discountenance, so now) to discourage us in our honest undertaking, and by their powerfull provision terrifie us from performing that duty which we really owned to our distressed Country. To this purpose their Order was read at the head of their severall Troops at fayres, and Market townes, and to make it the more u­niversall Commanded to be published (as their former had beene) in the severall parish Churches within the County by their respective Ministers; nor was this thought sufficient, without disarming all that appear'd forward and active in the businesse, which private resolu­tion of theirs was seasonably discovered, by which meanes we had the oppertunity to take the staffe into [Page 5]our own hands the better to support us from their in­tended opproession and ruine (how iust the provocation was, we leave to all Indifferrent Arbitrators to deter­mine,) adde hereunto the severall expressions ef Sir Anthony Welldon and Mr. Beale the first declaring that he would not crosse the streete of Rochester to save the soule of a subscriber, the other delivering, he thought it very requisit that two or three of the Petitioners in e­very Parish were hang'd up for example. This contrary carriage compelled us to an ingagement, and for satis­faction to others to evidence the ground of it by a Re­monstrance, wherin we still continued to professe our peaceable intents though (in obedience to the Law of nature) inforc't to take up Armes for our defence in pro­sccution of the same. This we desire might be Com­municated to the two houses, as a preparative to our en­tertainment there, and to prevent all misconstructions of our fayre intentions.

To that end wee did intrust it in the hands of Captaine Lee, and Captaine Nestrone both Members of the lower House, and of our high Committee, who (to say no more) did unworthyly deceive our confidence, and abuse their trust by presenting it unperfect, having first obliterated the most material passages, which might either conduce to our advantage against themselves, or a right under­standing with those to whom we had intended our ad­dresse. What the unhappy consequence of this hath bin we shall omit, as needlesse to be mentioned; and where the reparation both for the Affron [...] and subsequences of it is due to be expected, wee do conceive it evident e­nough, without a use of Applic [...]t [...]on.

It remaines only now that we labour our owne Vin­dication from so fowle a defection, as we must of neces­sity be guilty of, if we neglect that duty we owe unto our captive country men (whose reputatiō shal survive the ma­lice of their enemies, & in despight of treachery or fortun (a Diety which we adore not) be ever Registred for Imi­tation, when the Fames and Names of their contemn'd Opposers shall stink and perish) in relation whereunto we do againe religiously ingage our selves faithfully to discharge that obligation which is upon us, and not to neglect any oportunity which may conduce to their ad­vantage, being fully assured in our Consciences, that our first resolutions were built upon a very safe foundation, and that having so warrantable ground for our produc­tions, it is no lesse noble to act thereon (though it prove our owne Tragedy) with out swords in our hands, then it will appeare Inglorious tamely to enslave our selves by a degenerous submiting to arbitrary and insulting Results and so become the Commicall Scoene of laughter and con­tempt to all usurping Tempers.

And herein as wee can discern no reason to suspect the approbation, so are we as confident to promise to our selves the usefull assistance of all that doe unfeignedly incline to peace, either in this City of London, or the Adjacent Counties (whensoever oportunity shal prompt them to afford it (whose just and serious apprehensions of the increasing distractions of this declineing Kingdome (fomented by the factious spi­rits of disaffected Sectaries) hath lately prevailed with them to prepare and present the same addresses which we unworthily were prevenred in.