SO oft as I call to mind and consider what evident de­monstrations you have formerly given to the truly Godly and Religious party in these Kingdoms (both by your life and doctrine) that you are one of them: I cannot but admire that you have of late gone out from them,1 Jo. 2.19. and have not continued with them; especially if you should be a meanes (as some do feare you are) of keeping our King from them. But truly (my Lord) for mine own part, though I do conclude that you have grossely failed in this particular act, yet do I still look upon you as a second Mna­son, Act. 21.16 an old Disciple: Neverthelesse I say,Rev. 2.45. I have somewhat against you, because you have lost your first love. Remember therefore from whence you are fallen, and repent, and do your first works.

My Lord, I hope you know, and if you do not, I pray you give me leave to tell you (yea, and I beseech you also to tell our King) that the Members of His two Houses of Parliament assembled at Westminster, together with such as do truly adhere unto them, are for the major part of them regenerate men, such as truly know Christ, and believe on his name, men fearing God, and eschewing evill,Job. 1.1. Mal. 3.17. who stand for Gods cause, and seek to advance his glory, and therefore they are his Jewels, who do for Conscience sake love and honour their King in their hearts: witnesse their humble and hearty Petitions to His Majestie for his returne to them in Peace; And their many and fervent Prayers which they have and do put up unto God both in Pulpits, Houses, and private Closets, for his welfare both in soule and body, and for his happy returne to them in peace and safety: Yea, and witnesse their expending of their estates, and adventuring of their lives, not against his Majestie, but for him, viz. for the subduing of his evill [Page 2]Counsellers, who have seduced him, and withdrawn and kept him so long from them, that so they might rescue him out of their hands, and bring him home to themselves in peace and safety.

And again (my Lord) I hope you are not ignorant (being as it were amongst them, though I hope none of them) that those who are about His Majesty, together with such as set themselves against His Parliament, are to the griefe of your heart (for the major part of them) unregenerate men, such as neither truly know Christ, nor believe on his name, and the feare of God is not before their eyes.Rom. 3.18. Are you such a stranger to His Majesties Army (as they by some are stiled) that you do not know that it is almost, if not al­together made up of professed Papists, superstitious, igno­rant, and profane persons, as Swearers, Blasphemers, Liers, Whoremongers, and as it were, all the wicked of the land, who fight for nothing but Popery, Superstition, Profane­nesse, Carnall liberty, Worldly commodity, and whatso­ever tends to the dishonour of God. And though I have the fame hopes of some of them, that I have of you, viz. that you love and honour His Majesty for conscience sake: Yet I feare me the number of such are very few. And as for the rest, if the worldly wiser sort of them do shew any love and honour to their King, it is but to the end He might love and honour them, and so indeed it is themselves they love and honour, and not their King. And if the simpler sort of them do love and honour him, alas it is but meerly out of an instinct in nature; and indeed such as these do love and honour their King, more than they do their God, and so indeed they make a God, or rather an Idol of their King.

My Lord,2 Pet. 2.17 you know the Apostle Peter bids; First feare God, and then honour the King. Implying, that the man that doth not truly feare God, cannot sincerely honor the King. And though they say many a time, God save your [Page 3]Majesty, and God blesse our King, or reade a prayer for him upon a book, yet these are but a forme of words, and no true prayer, For how can they call on him in whom they have not beleeved. Rom. 10.14.

Wherefore (my Lord) I pray you open your eyes and discerne between the Righteous and the wicked,Mal. 3.8. between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not, and go out to meete the King,2 Chro. 19.2. and say unto him as Iehu the son of Hanani the Seer said unto King Iehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? and be­seech His Majesty rather to say with godly King David, Psal. 139.21.22. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee, and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred, and count them mine enemies: Psal. 119.115. wherefore depart from me ye evil doers, for I will keep the Commandements of my God: A froward heart shall depart from me; I will not know a wicked person, mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull of the land, Psal. 101.4.6. that they may dwell with me; he that walketh in a perfect way shall serve me, Psal. 16.2.3. for my goodnesse extendeth unto the Saints that are in the earth, in whom is all my delight. And put His Majesty in mind how godly King Iosiah, in going out to war against the minde of God, was slaine in the Valley of Megiddo; 2 Chro. 35.21.22. Dan. 4.27. and then say unto him, Wherefore O King let my Councell be acceptable unto you, breake off thy sinnes by Righteousnesse, and returne in Peace with speed to your Parliament: And that he may be the more willing so to do, I beseech you assure His Majesty, that it would be very well pleasing to God, and very comfortable to his two Houses of Parliament, and very joyfull newes to all his Subjects, except such as have deserved to feele the hand of Justice: And who can devise a surer and speedier way for the putting an end to these miserable warres, & setling a firme and happy peace, & pre­venting the shedding of more innocent blood, then His Ma­jesties returne would be; nay can any man find out a more [Page 4]speedy and surer way to His Majesties own Honour and safety, then this would be, judge in your selfe my Lord) whether this will not redound much to the Honour of our King, when it shall be said for the present, and written for the future, that Charles the first King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland &c. being seduced by evil Counsell, did for a time make warre against his Parliament, but then afterwards pittying the lamentable condition that his good Subjects were thereby brought into, did of his own ac­cord, against the minde of the same evil Counsell, returne unto His Parliament in Peace, and so put an end unto it. And how can the head be more in safety, then when the armes and hands of the body are nearest to defend it: And O what abundance of love would His Majesty gaine from all his faithfull and true hearted subjects by such a returne to his Parliament! And truly (my Lord) if you should be a means of it, we should love you dearly, wherefore allude­ing to the words of Mordecai to Hester, I say unto you my Lord,Est. 4.8.14. Go in unto the King to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for his people: And who knoweth whether you went to the Kings quartes for such a time as this. And if His Majesty, through the seducement of evil Counsell, object, that the Members of the two Houses of Parliament, with such as do adhere unto them, are a com­pany, of Scismaticall, Factious, Rebellious, Traiterous persons, such as seek to take away his life, subvert his Lawes, and alter his Religion. Then my Lord, I hope you know how to make answer, if you do not, then I pray you suffer an Aquilla to give unto an Apollo, a word of advice; put His Majesty in minde, that it is neither a new, nor a strange course for wicked and ungodly men, to ren­der the deare servants of God unto their Kings and Prin­ces, under these or the like opprobrious titles: witnesse the testimony of Holy Writ; for did not wicked Rehum [Page 5]the Chancellor,Esra 4.15. and Shimshai the Scribe write unto the King in Nehemiahs time, That the people of God were arebel­lious people, hurtfull to Kings and Provinces, and movers of se­dition. And did not wicked Haman tell the King, that Re­ligious Mordecai, and the rest of Gods people had Lawes diverse from all people, and kept not the Kings Laws, Est. 3.8. and that therefore it was not for the Kings profit to suffer them? Dan. 3.12. & 6.13. And did not the wicked and ungodly men in Daniels time ac­cuse him, and the other three deare servants of God, That they neither regarded the King, nor his Decree? Act. 24.5. Act. 16.20.21. Act. 17.6. And was not Paul, and the rest of the holy Apostles accused before the Governours, to be pestilent fellowes, movers of sedition, troublers of Cities, teachers of Customes which are not lawfull, and such as turned the World up-side down?

Wherefore (my Lord) I beseech you give His Majesty to understand, that they are no such men as he is informed they are,Dan. 4.22. forasmuch as before God innocencie is found in them, and also before their King they have done no hurt, they desire no other King to Rule and Governe these Kingdomes, then His Majesty, nor no other Lawes then are, and what he shall confirme: And as for Religion, they neither have nor yet intend to alter the substance of it at all, for though They have, and shall desire His Ma­jesty, to put down Episcopacy and Service-book, yet (my Lord. I hope you know (if not, I beseech you give me leave to tell you) that neither Bishop nor Service-book, are any part of the substance of the true Protestant Religi­on. Nay let me tell your Lordship more, though there be too much discord amongst the truly godly, yet is it but a­bout some circumstantiall points, and I doubt not but God will reconcile them in due time.

Wherefore, beseech His Majesty,Act. 5.35.38. to take heed what he intends to do as touching these men; nay, let him refrain from these men, and let them alone, for their Counsell [Page 6]and their work is of God, and therefore it cannot be over­thrown, so that although for the tryall of their faith and patience, and the hardning of their enemies, the Lord suffer them now and then to be put to the worst in battell, yet shall they at last be more then Conquerers through Christ that loveth them,Rom 8.37. maugre the malice of all gainsayers and opposers.

Thus my Lord you see I have presumed to put you in minde of your duty,Phile. v. 21. having confidence in your obedience, knowing that you will also do more then I say, the which the Lord work in you, both to will and to do, even of his good pleasure, Amen.

The Lord of Heaven, in whose hands is the heart of all Kings,Pro. 21.1. perswade our Kings heart to beleeve these things, and bring him home in Peace to his Parliament, Amen.