UPpon mature and serious consultation of your late Remonstrance and Declarati­on, for the setling of this bleeding King­dom in a more safe and mutual posture, the executing of Justice upon his Ma­jesty, and all other person or persons, who have acted contrary to the knowne Lawes of the Realm, the summoning in the Prince of Wales, and the [Page 2]Duke of York, and the setting of a period for the ending and dissolving of this present Parliament, &c In refe­rence whereunto, we do desire, That there may bee a mitigation, and favourable construction of the prece­dent actions and proceedings of his Majesty, and their Highnesses the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of York, in relation to the late VVar, and that there may bee a more equall dispensing of Justice and Mercy, in rela­tion to things done or suffered in the said wars; and for all other particulars therein specified we do una­nimously declare, that we shall most willingly and freely concur with your Excellency, and the Coun­cell of the Army therein; protesting, to sacrifice lives and fortunes, and all that is near and dear unto us, in pursuance of the same.

BEing full of sad apprehensions concerning the danger and evill of the Treaty with the King, and of any accommodation with him, or resti­tution of him thereupon, We did by our late Remon­strance upon the Reasons and Grounds therein expres­sed, make our application thereby unto the present House of Commons, that the dangerous evill of that [Page 4]way might be avoided, and the peace of the Kingdome setled upon more righteous, safe and hopefull grounds, viz. a more equall d [...]spensing of Justice and Mercy in relation to things done or suffered in the late wars, and the establishing of the future Government of this King­dom upon a safe succession and equall Constitution of Parliaments, and that (for the ending of present, and avoiding of future Differences) to be Ratified by an Agreement and Subscription of the people therunto. Which things we pressed in the way of Reason and Perswasion onely, that they might be duely and time­ly considered. But to our griefe we find, in stead of any Satisfacton or a reasonable answer thereto, they are wholly rejected, without any consideration of what ever Reason or Justice might be in the things set forth or propounded therein; for what lesse can be understood, when the things propounded were mainly for the avoidance of evils appearing in the Treaty with the King: And feeing the prevailing part of those, to whom we did apply, to have as it were their eyes wilfully shut, and eares stopt, against any thing of Light or Reason offered to them, we find no place left for our former charitable or hopefull ap­prehensions, concerning their errour in such evill ways; but remaining fully assured of the danger and destructivenesse thereof, as to all those publique ends for which they were intrusted, and also of the just advantage and necessity which lie in the things we have propounded and insist on, we now see nothing left, to which their engaging and persisting in such waies, and rejection of these better things propounded, can rationally be attributed lesse then a treacherous or [Page 5]corrupt neglect of, and Apostacy from the Publique Trust reposed in them; although we could wish from our soules, we might yet find the contrary.

Therefore it is our hearts desire, and shall be our endeavour, that so much, both of the matter and form of the present Parliamentory Authority may be pre­served, as can be safe, or will be usefull to these ends, untill a just and full Constitution thereof, both for matter and form (sutable to the publique ends, it serves for) can be entroduced.

And therefore first, it should be great rejoycing (if God saw it good) that the majority of the present House of Commons were become sensible of the evil and distructivenesse of their late way, and would re­solvedly and vigorously apply themselves to the spee­dy execution of justice, with the righting and easing of the oppressed people, and to a just settlement of the Kingdome upon such foundations as have been pro­pounded by us, and others for that purpose, and would for the speedier and surer prosecution of these things exclude from Communication in their Councels, all such corrupt and Apostarized Members as have ap­peared hitherto, but to obstruct and hinder such mat­ter of Justice, Safety, and publique interest, and to pervert their Councels a contrary way and have there­in so shamefully both falsified, and forftied their Trust,

But however of God shal not see it good (to vouch­safe that mercy to tem and the Kingdome) we shall secondly desire, That so many of them as God hath kept upright, and shal touch with a just sence of those things, would by protestation or otherwise, acquit [Page 5]themselves from such breach of Trust, and approve their faithfulnesse, by withdrawing from those that persist in the guilt therof, & take such a posture, wher­by they may speedily & effectually prosecute those ne­cessary and publique ends, without such inteerupti­ons, Diversions, or depravations of their Councell from the rest, to their endlesse trouble, and hazard of the Kingdom as formerly, and for so many of them, whose hearts God shall stir up thus to do.

We shall therein, in this case of extremity, looke upon them as persons having materially the chief Trust of the Kingdom remaining in them, and though not a for­mall standing power to be continued in them, or drawn into ordinary Presidents; yet the best and most rightfull that can be had, as the present state and exigence of af­fairs now stand; And we shal accordingly owne them, adhere to them, and be guided by them in their faithful prosecution of that trust, in order vnto, and until the in­troducing of a more full and formal power in a just Representative to be speedy endeavoured.

Now yet further to take away all jealousies in rela­tion to our selves, which might with-hold or discourse any honest members from this courage, as we have the witnesse of God in our hearts, that in these proceedings we do not seek, but even resolve we wil not take advan­tages to our selves, either in point of profit or power; and that if God did open to us a way, wherin with ho­nesty and faithfulnesse to the publique Interest, & good people ingaged for us, we might presently be dischargeed, so as we might nor in our present Employments look on, and be acessary to, yea supporters of the Parlia­ment, in the present corrupt, oppressive and destructive [Page 6]proceedings, wee should with rejoycing, and without more ado embrace such a discharge, rather then inter­pose in these things to our owne vast trouble and haz­zard; so if we could but obtain a rational assurance for the effectuall prosecuting of these things, we shall give any proportionable assurance on our parts, concer­ning our laying down of arms, when, and as we should be required.

But for the present as the case stands, we apprehend our selves oblieged in duty to God, this Kingdome, and good men therein, to approve our utmost abilities in all honest wayes, for the avoiding of these great evils which we have remonstrated, and for prosecution of the good things we have propounded; and also that such persons who were the inviters of the late invasi­on from Scotland, the Instigaters and incouragers of the late insurrections within this Kingdome, and (those forcible wayes failing) have still pursued those wicked designes by treacherous and corrupt councels, may be brought to publike justice, according to their severall demerits. For all these ends we are now drawing up with the Army to London, there to follow providence as God shall clear our way.

On Saturday Decemb. 2. Upon further debate of the Desires of the Army, The Lord Major, Aldermen, and Common-councel, declared, That all meanes possible should be used, for keeping a right understanding and mutual correspondence between the City and Army, and that no means should be left unassayed (on their parts) for the establishing of a firm and lasting peace, through­out all His Majesties Realms and Dominions.