I Have received your Letter and your Quae­rees, which you say makes a deep impression in many of whose honesty and publique Af­fections I have a very good esteem, and that they are made by one who hath a great desire to receive case and satisfaction himselfe, as being of a nature very undelighted and passive in these distractions. The first (how strange soever it seems to Reason) I must beleive, e­specially when I find your selfe, whom I have often known very easily to master more difficult Contentions, brought to some pause, as it somewhat were said to you, you could not well get from; no doubt many other of lesse subtle understandings, and it may be hurt by the necessary pressures, and provoked by unwarrantable Insolen­cies of the Kings Souldiers, are, or seem to be really puzled. But for the Author of those Quaerees, you must pardon me if I do not be­leive him to be a man of so innocent a nature as you would imply: doubtlesse these scruples never sprung from a minde in labour to find out truth; but are contrived by a Person very well able to an­swer his own Objections, and having pretended Conscience against his own understanding hath found these little excuses to make a party amongst weaker men.

[Page 2] The first Scruple seems to be a tendernesse of the Act for continu­ance of this Parliament, which that Gentleman would apprehend to be broken by His Majesties not consenting to all the Counsells now given Him by both Houses; If I thought this Objection to be of moment to you, I should give your understanding for lost, and ex­pect your cure only by that which misled you, Successe; but I must observe to you the uningenuity of your honest man, who would make the People beleive that by His Majesties consenting to passe that Act, that Assembly were authorized to command, and His Maie­sty obliged to obey whatever they prescribed; when that Gentleman well knowes nothing is enacted by that law, but that this Parliament shall not be dissolved but by Act of Parliament. You well remem­ber in what Condition things stood at the passing that Law, two Armies in the Bowells of the Kingdome at 800001. the Moneth, so much to be raised for the support of them, and a much greater summe to Disband them; all this Money was to be borrowed, and upon such security as Money in those happy daies used to be lent, for the new merry security of the publique faity, by a Vote of both Houses, was not then currant enough to be obtruded to the people, the Credit of many worthy Persons was to be used for the procuring this supply, and it seemed no unseasonable warinesse of those who exposed themselves and their fortunes to this hazard; to desire that the body, at whose instance they undertook those Engagements, might not be dissolved, before it had taken some course to secure such undertakings, and provision should be made for the indemp­nity of those who had submitted to such burthens. This Reason, and this alone prevailed with His Majesty to agree that this Parlia­ment should not be dissolved without their consent, who seemed vo­luntarily to engage themselves for the Peace & benefit of the King­dom. How this continuance of the Parliament should now give both Houses the Prerogative they have assumed, I cannot understand, and themselves have publiquely acknowledged in their Declarations, that they were to blame if they undertook any thing which they would not undertake, if it were in His Maiesties power to dissolve them to morrow; Think now with your selfe if the King should ar­gue with both Houses upon their own Grounds, that the Trust being broken, the power may be reassumed immediately into the hands which reposed that Trust, might he not justly say, that they had be­trayed [Page 3] and forfeited that Trust▪ by using the meanes which was gi­ven them to disburthen the Common-wealth of a debt which was then thought insupportable, only to plunge it irrecoverably into a greater, and to ruine the Kingdom to preferre halfe a score men. And if the People should follow their Logique and be tryed only by the Equity of the Law, might they not charge them with the breach of Trust, in changing the whole frame of the Government of the Kingdom, and subjecting them to so unlimited an Arbitrary power, that no man can know at the sitting of the Houses, what he shall be worth at their rising? Did they intend, when they let these men in­to that Assembly, that they should shut the Door, and keep those that sent them for ever from those Counsells? Did the King intend that they should rob, depose & murther him? And did the people intend that their fellowes and Companions should imprison, plunder and destroy them? and if the abused King, and injured people should now declare this Act to be void and in it selfe against the Funda­mentall Lawes of the Kingdom, and so this Parliament to be dissol­ved, would not your Principles and foundations beare them out? You are one of the oldest Parliament men I know, and, however you may have since changed your mind, have to me seemed the most scandalized at the Indignities offered to the very being of Parlia­ment, by the wildnesse and fury of this. Did not you passionately re­prehend the pert Burgesse of your own Town, for arguing against the Kings negative voyce, because then it may fall out that the Common-wealth might be ruined for want of a supplementall Law, which the perversenesse of one man would not consent to? Did you not then, after you had shewed the impossibility and mad­nesse of such suppositions, and that from the beginning of this Mo­narchy to this day, no inconvenience had hapned of that kind, say, that you were perswaded in your Conscience, that the Lawes of the Kingdome were so very compleat, in order to the Government of the Kingdome, that if there should never more be made, so the old were faithfully observed, the Kingdome would be at least without any diminution of its happinesse: on the other side if the Kings Consent were not necessary, you said all those Bills which had here­tofore passed both Houses, and for want of the Royall Assent had been layed by, would now rise vp [...] so many Lawes to as great a confusion as these Ordinances have made? Did you not then say, [Page 4] that when Parliaments left their modesty, they would loose their Reputation, and when they walked in any other Path then of their knowne Presidents, and judged by any other Rule then the known Lawes, they would advance a Tyranny more insupportable then ever Rome or Greece endured? your Priviledges, which are free­dome of Speech, and freedome from Imprisonment, (except where the Law sayes you may be imprisoned) where are they? how vio­lated? and by whom, but by your selves? How many men, chosen & sent by their Countries, have you turned out of the House for not concurring with you in opinion? How monstrous is it that the King may not commit a Member, who attempts to kill Him, without your leave; & you may commit another for but desiring to kisse His hand? And whilest you will not suffer His Majesty, without breach of Pri­viledge, to commit Traitors and Felons, because they are Members of either House, you are content that Alderman Pennington, or any of the City Captaines commit those who sit amongst you, & you have not the courage to reprehend them. Doe you thinke the people of England can look long upon sixscore or sevenscore men (for both Houses doe not containe a greater number) as upon the high Court of Parliament? when the Major part of those too are Persons of such desperate fortunes, and contemptible understandings, as off from those Benches were never thought fit for sober and honest Counsells. You may break what lests you please upon the King and the Cavaliers, & say, that if He were in His owne Power He would quickly returne to His Parliament, but truly the Court here hath so much Charity to beleeve, if both Houses were at liberty to doe ac­cording to their Consciences this publique fire would be quickly quenched. Beleeve it no sober man lookes upon you under any o­ther Notion, then as men besieged by the desperate common Coun­cill of London and their Adherents, who awe and fright you to their wicked and damnable conclusions: Nay, the close Committee it self, is a greater breach of the Priviledge of Parliament, then the Kings comming to the House, & the taking the five Members from thence could have been. I am as little pleased with the perpetuity of this Parliament, as I have been with the untimely breaking of o­thers; and let me tell you, all the dissolutions of Parliaments from the beginning of them to this time, hath not done halfe that mis­chief, as the continuance of this hath done; and yet since it hath the [Page 5] countenance of a Law, I wish it may never be dissolved but by a Law. What designes these men have even upon Parliaments them­selves, is too evident, whereas if the King prevailes, parliaments are againe restored to their full Lustre; you have read His Protestations solemnly made in the presence of God for the defence of the Privi­ledges of Parliaments; He is too Iust and too pious a Prince to break those promises, and to reproach Himselfe with His owne Declara­tions; but if He should, enquire whether the Persons about Him, even the Officers of His Army are likely to concur with Him in those ends? I am perswaded it would be no more in His Power to employ His Army to the destruction of the Law, then you once thought it was to raise one for His preservation. In a word, as you esteem and reverence reall Parliaments, abhorre these men who would use the word Parliament only as a stalking Horse to destroy all acts of Par­liament; there cannot be a more irreverent mention of Parliaments then to call the fanatique actions of a few desperate seditious per­sons the proceedings of Parliament. A Parliament is the great Coun­cell of the Kingdome, gratiously called by His Maiesiies Writ, con­fidently to present the grievances of the people, and humbly to offer their advice and Counsells for Reformation; if they come unsent for, irregularly call that a greivance, which the Law allowes, and inso­lently command, instead of modestly advising the Royall power, by whose Authority they come together, they doe, as much as in them lyes, dissolve the Parliament by proceeding against the nature, of Parliaments.

The next scandall this wise Gentleman takes, is at the protecting Delinquents; does this trouble you too? Call your memory to an ac­count, I think I have heard you say, you have been of eight Parlia­ments. How many Delinquents have you known sent for in seven of them? and what were they? were not most of them, only such as had presumed to sue or arrest priviledged persons? How many men in your time have you knowne committed by the House of Com­mons before this Parliament? doe you think it reasonable that they who cannot examine, should have power to Iudge? you had need take the course you doe to slight and undervalue all Oaths, that they may not be thought necessary to legall and regular proceedings, and yet why doe you then at all intimate your owne incompetency by some times desiring the Lords to helpe you examine men by Oath? [Page 6] How comes it that you confesse Oathes at some time to be necessary for finding out the truth, and passe it over as impertinent at other? When you have evidence you think it a popular thing to use it, if you have none, you can Iudge as well without it. You have a trick to be satisfied in your owne Consciences, (Consciences that can commit Treason, Felony, Rapes, and Sacriledge in the feare of God) & then all formes and essences of proceedings, which can only distinguish right from wrong, must be dispensed with. If a Treason were com­mitted, how comes my Lord Chief Iustice to be left out in the en­quiry, and no other Minister imployed but your Sergeant? why should not the Common-wealth heare of Treason and Misprision of Treason in Westminster Hall, where the termes are understood, but only in the House of Commons? If a man should come to the House of Commons-Barre, and desire the Sergeant of that House should be sent for a man as Delinquent, who took his Purse from him upon Black-Heath, or picked his pocket in Smithfield, if the Theif were not a Member of either House (God forbid but they should have the Priviledge to Iudge one another) would you not thinke the fellow mad, & wish him to goe to the next Minister of Iustice? How come you to be so subtile to be able only to Iudge and define Treasons; about which your Ancestors have been so carefull, to leave it in the view of any man what it is? Tell your selfe without blushing, who you thinke are meant by Delinquents: Is it not visible to all the world, that you intend all such who are not or will not be Traitors to the knowne Lawes, to be Delinquents to both Houses? and 'tis a notable breach of Priviledge that His Majesty will protect these Delinquents from you; look over your own votes, and see if all men who doe not assist you in your pious worke of murthering the King, and destroying the Common-wealth, (for you have faithfully re­quired the lazy Gentlemen who desired to be lookers on) are not comprehended in the number of Delinquents: What was S^t Iohn Hotham for denying His Majesty admittance into His owne Towne of Hull? A priviledged Person and an upright Patriot, what were they who attended His Majesty when He presumed desperately and rebelliously to offer to goe thither? Delinquents: And yet His Ma­jesty will not suffer those who kept Him out, to Iudge those who would have gone in with Him; wonderfull breach of priviledge, and protecting of Delinquents! If we cannot recover Law againe, [Page 7] for Gods sake let us have sense restored to us, and not grow Beasts in our understanding as well as in our Liberty; it will make us love mankind the worse to see men with sad browes, as if they believed themselves, seriously urge things in publique, which in private would make friends quarrell for the scorne and Indignity offered to reason, such is all your discourse of Priviledges and Delinquents.

But you have at last found a pretty obligation upon your selves to Rebell against Law and Reason, your late Protestation requires all this at your hands, in the behalfe of the Priviledges of Parliament, which by that you are bound to defend, and so you rescue your selves from the duty of Allegiance, to which you have regularly and legally sworn, by a voluntary Protestation to doe somewhat you doe not understand; If there be any thing by that Protestation en­joyned to be done, which was unlawfull to be done before the Pro­testation was taken, 'tis no more to be justified by that Act, then a­ny other unlawfull thing is by a rash and wicked Vow, entred into by a Person who desires to doe mischiefe; If there be nothing in it, but what before was the duty of every man, there needs no Argu­ment from the Protestation; The truth is, though I like not the use hath been made of it to poyson and mislead simple people, nor the irregularity (to call it no worse) of compelling men to take it, when no Law requires it, I know nothing promised or undertaken in that Protestation which every honest man doth not, and alwaies did hold absolutely to be his duty, no man being obliged by it to doe any thing, but as farre as Lawfully he may. And would not a stan­der by think a man mad, that should swear to defend the Kings Per­son, and to maintain the Priviledges of Parliament, and immediatly draw His sword upon the King whose Person he knew, in the be­halfe of somewhat he is told is Priviledge of Parliament? we are gotten again into the old circle of folly and madnesse.

Your last Scruple I will be serious with you in▪ 'tis that (howe­ver thrown among the people malitiously, and indeed against the Conscience of the Contrivers) which I know startles many well meaning, and well wishing men, you are afraid of the Papists, and that if the King prevailes, that Religion will have too great a coun­tenance and growth, to the scandall of ours; Indeed if this fear were well grounded, you would have so many partners with you in your trouble, that you would even be satisfied in your company, [Page 8] and by that, think your selfe secure against your fears; what makes you doubt this, an Inclination in the King Himselfe? Let His life be examined, His continued publique Acts of Devotion, (exam­ples indeed for a through Reformation) His understanding the dif­ferences between the Church of Rome and us, and so not only utter­ly dissenting from them, but knowing why he doth so, and He will be found above the reach of Envy or Malice, and indeed above your own feares and jealousies: Take a list and survey of His Servants and Counsellors, who are suspected to have the least interest in His fa­vours and inclinations, you will not find a man under the least taint that way, and most of them (till your dishonest uncharitable di­stinction of Popish and Popishly affected was thrown among the people) thought eminent advancers of the true Protestant Religion established. And let me tell you, if there should be a breach made upon that Religion, these men would stand in the Gap, when halfe your Zelots would submit to an Alteration, if it brought any satisfa­ction to their worldly Ambition. But you say the Queene is of that Religion, and Shee hath a great influence and power over His affe­ctions, and you think it an unkingly thing to be a good Husband, and whilest your selves are guided and swayed by other mens Wives (for 'tis not Women you are angry with, you allow them whole sharers with you in your mischiefes) you cannot endure He should so much as advise with His own; indeed I cannot blame you to de­sire to keep Him from any Conversation with one you have used so ill: But how comes this Melancholy upon you now, Is Shee more a Catholique now then She was fifteen years since? Why did not these Fears and Iealousies break out into Rebellion when He was first Married? before the Nation knew any thing of Her, but Her Re­ligion? After the experience of so many yeares; after the enriching the Kingdom with so hopefull and numerous an Issue, after the ob­liging all sorts of People with Her favours, without disobliging any body that I have heard of, after fifteen years living here with great expressions of Love and Affection to the English Nation, without a­ny other activity in Religion, then to live well, and wish well to Her owne, with equall esteem of those who are not of the same Pro­fession, to desire to break and interrupt that excellent Harmony in Affections, is an ingratitude, an impiety worthy the contrivers of these bloody distempers: Look into the Persons who have received [Page 9] the greatest testimonies & evidence of Her favours, you will not find them to be Popish or Popishly affected, but in the list of your own Religious Men and Godly Women; If you will convert Her, let your Charity and Humility, the principles of true Religion, let your Obedience and Loyalty, the effects of true Religion, be an Evi­dence to Her that yours is the right; the course you take will rather fright good People from any, then invite them to yours; She is a La­dy too well understands Her own share, and Her own adventure in the publique distractions, not to endeavour with Her soule a recon­ciliation of them, I would your Ladies were like Her, She is as farre from revenge of Injuries and Indignities, as from deserving them. You have the advantage in your Provocations, you have met with tempers as apt to forgive, as you are to offend, who are as unlimited in their mercy as their enemies are in their insolencies, make good use of it, set your hearts upon Peace, and you will easily find the▪ way to it, be once ingenious, and you will be quickly safe.

But oh the great Army of Papists, if that were disbanded, your feares and jealousies would infinitely abate; that's well; pray ob­serve how these Papists come together: Remember Nottingham when you had a formed Army of 10000. men and His Majesty not 800. Muskets at His command in all His dominions? if you had then fallen upon Him and destroyed Him, as, if Your Pride had not been greater then your Loyalty, you had done; you meant to strip Him by Votes and Ordinances of all Succors and Assistance, that He should be compelled to put Himselfe into your hands for Protection, and so confesse your Army to be raised for His defence. Would not now all Christian Princes have thought His Majesty guilty of His own undoing, who would not suffer Himselfe to receive Aid from any of His own Subjects, though they were Papists▪ You tell me the Au­thor of these Queries is learned in the Lawes; pray get him to shew you one Law, whereby the Papists are inhibited to serve their So­veraigne against a Rebellion, because Papists may not come neer the Court without the Kings leave, or weare Armes, may not a Papist ride post to tell the King of a designe to murther Him? or be­ing present take away a sword from that man who attempts to kill Him? Sure there is no Law hath prohibited the Allegiance of the Papists, and because they will not come to Church, forbid them to be Subjects. If a Fleet arrived from France or Spaine to invade us [Page 10] were it not law full for a Papist to endeavour to destroy that Fleet? and must he sit still in a Rebellion, and see his Soveraigne, and the Lawes of the Land (in which he hath an equall interest with any other Subject) in imminent, visible danger to be destroyed, and must not [...] either? yet observe now (how much soever you seem to be scandalized at it) what you your selves have done towards the raising this Army of Papists, and indeed if there be such an Army, whether your selves have not raised it, without breaking your own Iests and saying [...]is mysed by the power of both Houses, as yours is by the Kings Authority you seize upon all the papists estates, plun­der their Houses, imprison their persons, without the least Colour of Law, leaving them no place to breath in but under the shelter of the Kings Army, and thence you would have the King drive them too, for being papists. You suffer Mr. Griffith to raise a Troop of that Religion for your service and when they cashiere their Captain, and come in to His Majesty, you would have Him disband them because they are Papists. For Gods sake get one of your Orators to make a Speech for the King to a papist, who shall say to him; Sir, I have li­ved modestly and dutifully at my own House, without assuming to my selfe any Licence which the Law gave me not, I have humbly submitted to the penalties imposed on me, and contented my selfe with what the Law hath left mee, I am driven from thence by force of Armes, my Estate taken from mee, my liberty endeavoured to be so too, I am Your Subject, and You are my King, vouchsafe me the Protection You owe mee. what answer shall He make; Sir, you are a Papist, and you shall not come neere Mee, or, Sir, I am content you shall be under the shelter and security of my Forces, but upon your life use no weapon, beare no Armes, help them not though they are in danger to be cut in pieces before your face. Let a sober man find a way to get out here, to be a King and not protect them. And after all this what a goodly Army of Papists hath His Majesty got toge­ther, not to compare with you, for you say 'tis no matter what num­ber of Papists you have, because there are no Feares and Iealousies of your favouring of popery; I am confident and I have my Informati­on from no ill hands, that in all His Majesties Armies the Papists cannot make one good Regiment. Get but the honest sober, true Protestants once of your mind, and my life upon it, you shall not see the papists grow above the Reach of the Law.

[Page 11] Here is an end of your Author, a word now to your own Letter, I find you much transported with the apprehension of Gods won­derfull Blessings upon the proceedings of both Houses, that their progresse and Successe hither to hath not been lesse then miraculous; Indeed there are negative Miracles, as well as affirmative, for God to forbeare what according to his Iustice and goodnesse, and other attributes We might expect from him by the way of punishment & revenge, is a miracle of his mercy, in this Sense, the world which hath seen your Treason and Rebellion, your Acts of Injustice, Cru­elty and Inhumanity, your Lying and Blasphemy, your Prophanesse and Sacriledge (if your Divines have left you the apprehension of such a Sinne (and by the way if they have, pray send me word what they meane by it) they who have observed the ill Arts you have used to compasse things in themselves lawfull, and the wicked Arts you dayly use to compasse things unlawfull, and see that stones in the Streets have not risen up against you, and fire from Heaven hath not consumed you, must say you have tempted God so farre, so insolently, that lesse then a Miracle could not preserve you. Bate me this one Miracle, & tell me if the hand of God hath not been upon you and pursued you from the first houre you entred into Re­bellion, are you not fallen from your universall Interest & Reputa­tion with the people, to that degree of hatred that they curse you to your face? Are you not shrunke from the honour and Reverence due to a Parliament to the Imputation of a vile crowd of mean, guil­ty, seditious persons? Doe nor your friends every day forsake you, and those persons of Quality whom'you mislead, with more bitter­nesse fall from you, then your first Delinquents? Are not your own Weapons turned upon you, and are you not afraid of those Petitio­ners, whom with so much skill and Industry you taught to Petition? Is not your owne Army, raised and maintained by your selves, grown so undevoted to you, that some Commanders every day leave you, and others are committed by you for feare they will doe so too? Are you not brought to that strait as to feare a Mutiny for want of Pay, and not to dare to pay for feare of a disbanding? Have you not by blood and Rapine, with the curses of all good men gotten the Treasure of the Kingdome into your hands, and wasted it so, that your wants are as not orious as your Crimes? Lastly, are you not so jealous, so divided amongst your selves, that if your Army pre­vailed [Page 12] to morrow, you were as farre from compassing your owne ends, as when you began your desperate undertaking, your principall Commanders being as farre from their ends, who couzened them into this Rebellion, as the prime Cavaliers in the Kings Army, ex­cepting only their Affection to the Kings Person.—There is the Miracle on your parts; see now what God hath done for His Annointed? Call back your memory to the 10^th of Janu­ary, look upon Him driven furiously from White-hall, with His Wife and Children, for feare of His Life, whilest His own Servants for their security durst not be neere him; looke upon him at Hampton-Court, scornfully accused of leavying Warre against Himselfe, and the Sheriffes and Constables appointed to disperse his Army; Re­member Him at Windsor without ordinary, necessary support; think of the 20^th of January, when you would not vouchsafe to tell Him what you would have, requiring nothing but His submission to your Counsells: Remember Him at Yorke and Beverley, after you had Possessed your selves of all His Armes, Castles, Forts, Townes, and Ships, and seized upon all the Armes of the Kingdome, stopped His Rents, and incensed the people in all parts against Him; Oh thinke upon Him at Nottingham when you would not vouchsafe to Treat with Him, only giving your great Generall power of receiving him to mercy, when you had reduced him to that Condition, that He had neither Armes, Men, or Money, or knew as you thought where to have any, and this at a time when you had a wanton flouri­shing Army of 10000 men within two dayes March of him, to bring Him back to London, here is an Argument for a Miracle; observe Him in a moment, as if Regiments fell from the Cloudes, hasting his owne March to the place where he was expected without stay­ing to be called upon at Shrewsbury, view Him at Edgehill, with a handfull of men (and if they were more, imagine how he got them) finding out this formidable Army, and dispersing them, Himselfe taking as much paines to save those who came to destroy him, as o­thers had done to seduce them; Instead of being brought up by the Earle of Essex, as by the vote of both Houses He ought to have been, See Him making his owne way, scattering those at Reading, and shewing himselfe at Brainceford, that if indeed He were so much desired at London, and might be worthily received there, they might have their wish. Beleeve it Sir, His Majesty hath not so great a [Page 13] Iourney to the Conquest of Spaine, as he had from Nottingham to Brainceford. If you cannot suddenly find how this Army was rai­sed, enquire how it hath been kept together, a fit of Loyalty and Affection, a little dislike and indignation to see a good King ill used, might procure a present supply; but that this Army raised without Money, and armed without Weapons, should live and grow sixe moneths together, that no Souldier should starve for want of Meat, or murmur for want of Pay, that the King should have a Magazine, and you want Armes, that the King should pay his Souldiers, and you have no money, is such an instance of the power and presence of the Almighty, that if any such Argument were currant with you, your principall Members would no longer have tempted God in this Kingdome, but have sought him in a strange Land. Improve all these instances by your owne Observations, and tell me sadly on whose side the Miracles have appeared.

You would know my Opinion what the Burgesse of D. should do, and you tell me, his Honour will not suffer him too apparantly to recede from those with whom he hath kept so much Company. I know not what Counsell to give upon that principle, If his Ho­nour and his Innocence have not a care of each other, neither can be safe; Me thinks the King himselfe hath given you a rare Pattern of Modesty in this poynt, he did not satisfie himselfe with consenting to new lawes, but acknowledged passed Errors. Reparation is as Soveraign a thing as Bounty, and except there be this Ingenuity, Reformation can never be perfect, you say, he doubts what he hath done formerly will be more remembred then what he hath since done or shall do for the future; he is too blame, he hath not a gene­rous nor a Christian minde, who thinks ill services may not be throughly repayred by future duty. I am so farre from that opini­on, as though his mistakes have been of as ill consequence to the pub­lique as most mens, I beleive he hath so good an opportunity by some eminent service to repaire himselfe, that he may even lay an obliga­tion of Gratitude upon the King, not only to forgive but reward his Affection. There is no such way to have what he now does, not valued, as by justifying what he hath done, so contrary to this: 'tis no scandall to be deceived, lesse to confesse he was so. Let him take the same paines to oppose and suppresse unreasonable Persons, as he doth to perswade others to consent to what himselfe thinks unrea­sonable, [Page 14] and the worke is done. As he hath a taske to do somewhat that is noble, so he hath a faire game before him having done it.

I know nothing of yours unanswered, you must give me leave hereafter not to beleive you, if you stumble any more at these straws, rather consider what he is to Answer to God, the King, his Coun­try and Posterity, that sits idle without resisting the violence and in­dignity offered to all foure, that is content to see this pretious game of Religion, Liberty and Honour played at other mens Charges, and possibly in hazard of being lost for want of his Assistance; Con­sider whether you and the rest who first exercised the Militia in Glocester-shire, and so discomposed the Government, and first taught the People a new obedience, have not to Answer for all the mise­ries, and pressures which have since befallen that poor Country. Let those who have contributed to the raising, and maintenance of that Rebellious Army, think sadly, whether they are not guilty of all the blood-shed on either side, and in this meditation that virtuous Lord, (who had long since been starved but for the Kings Meat, and been naked, but for His Clothes,) may find himselfe guilty of the mur­ther of his Father; Remember the blessed Condition we were in Eighteen Moneths since, and be proud if you can of the State you have now brought us to. Think of the firm, stable happinesse our Ancestors enjoyed, and resolve there cannot be security but by the same Rule. 'Tis not laying down Armes makes a Peace, but such a Vnion of affections, that neither party unpleasantly remembers the way to it. If King or People be enforced to give away that which properly belongs to them, it will produce rather rest then Peace, & the memory there of will be so greivous to the looser, that perpetu­all Iealousies, and discontents will be between them; Insist upon your Rights, let all doubts which may concern Religion, Liberty, and Property be cleared, & secured; Let Parliaments recover their good old Priviledges, these are all our Birthrights, and hath been that which hath made the happinesse and freedom of the English Nation loved and envyed throughout Christendom; we will not part with a tittle of them, but when they shall be in danger will joyn with you in their Defence. But let us rest here, Presse not the King to part with what properly belongs to Him, 'tis our right to see that He enjoyes His, the hower that he growes lesse a King, We have lost a part of our freedom, if the power of Subjects be once enlarged, [Page 15] we are loosers by it, and affect an Authority will destroy us; Do not think the Kings love of Peace, can invite Him to part with the be­nefits of Peace; what would the world thing of Him, if after the ta­king up Armes for the defence of His own, he should, upon Condi­tion he might lay them down again, part with that, for the mainte­nance of which He tooke them up? would he not justifie what hath been done against Him, if He yeelded that now, which if He had 8. Moneths since, all this Confusion they will say might have been pre­vented, and will he not leave an excellent Encouragement to Poste­rity, to tread in their Fathers steps, and to follow the example of their prosperous wickednesse? Do not think a Iewell plucked out of the Royall Diadem, can help it's brightnesse, and lustre in any other place, 'tis a losse to the Nation, which cannot be repaired by an ac­cesse of power to private hands; If this be Reason, Let not the folly and madnesse of other people make you quit it; Warre it selfe is not halfe so greivous, as the Iurisdiction of these men who would have you resigne your understanding to their fury and madnesse. Let them shift for themselves, and you shall quickly see what a contemptible People they will prove: Let Religion, Reason, Law, Iustice, and Honour be your guides, the Kingdom will flourish, and we shall a­gaine be happy in each other.

From my Quarter this 10^th. of April. 1643.