COuld I have satisfied my thoughts in that Manifestation of my faithfulnesse and zeal to Gods Cause, the King, Parlia­ment, and Kingdome, which hath sufficiently been held forth, and witnessed as well by my former Actings, as late suffe­rings in, and for the same, I should gladly have rested therein con­tent: And although to the late Aspertions cast joyntly upon us the imprisoned and secluded Members of Parliament, by a paper Intitu­led An humble Answer of the Generall Councell of Officers of the Army under His Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax, to the Honorable House of Commons, concerning the Imprisoned and sucluded Members, &c. We have joyntly Answered, not doubting (if may passe the Presse) but it will sufficiently satisfie all un-byassed and indifferent Readers, and return those Scandalls upon their own Heads, shewing themselves to be the Traytors, Apostates, Self-seekers, corrupt Members, &c. which they would fain Charge upon us.

And yet, because there lyeth not only an obligation upon me in common, with those my Fellow-members. (as with them borne under one King of the same Nation, brought up in, and professing one and the same glorious Faith, called to the same trust in Parlia­ment; further, tyed by severall Oathes of Alegeance, Supremacy, Pro­testation, and Solemne League and Covenant together in Conjunction and Brother-hood:) But further also, something as a Souldier, (be­fore I was called to the Honour of being a Member of Parliament) wherein I may seeme more concerned, as one that with his Sword hath openly, and before the face of the world Justified and Vindica­ted (according to what God enabled me) that, the best of Causes which the Parliament then Asserted, Declared for, and bound them­selves [Page 3]by a solemne Oath and Covenant to follow and pursue.

1. I shall therefore, first in that my undertaking, desire to clear and vindicate my self from any false aspersions which are, or may, by malice it self, be unjustly cast upon me, for the blasting of my Repu­tation.

2. And next, I shall give my reasons of my freeing my self from the hands of my unjust Adversaries, and Gaolers.

And being by Gods great mercy and goodnesse at present from under their hands, I shall protest against both them, and all their ad­herents as Actors of violence, and as Ʋnlawfull, Disloyall, Covenant-breakers, and Perjured persons, if they shall persist in their treasonable Desinnes.

In the beginning of these unhappy and sad differences betweene the KING and His Parliament, I beheld the Transactions, and read the severall Declarations of them both, (with the best dilligence and circumspection I was able;) And finding both Parties professing much the same thing, (as to the peace and welfare of the Church and Kingdome, (only differing in the way) I was not a little at a stand; but after a longer contest, and that the Royall Standard was set up at Nottingham, And finding that the Parliament in their seve­rall Addresses to His Majesty, still continuing their former Profes­sions of duty to Him, &c. According to their former Protestation, and many Declarations, that they never intended, either co alter the Fundamentall Government of the Kingdome, by King, Lords, and Com­mons, &c. But that their taking up the Sword was only for the De­fending of His Majesties Person and Authority, for the removall of the evill Councellours, that so His Throne might be established in Righteous­nesse, and for the bringing of His Majesty to the Parliament, and to make Him a glorious King, and the like. As also for the Defence of our Religion, and setling a happy Reformation in the Church (which by some Superstitious Bishops had received some blemishes in their Discipline, not becomming the purity and simplicity of the Gospel:) The bringing Delinquents to condigne Punishment, and lastly (a­mongst many others) the preservation of themselves, and Priviledges of Parliament from Ruine and Destruction, of that Sword threatned against them for doing of their duty in the performance of the Kingdomes Trust, &c.

Upon these Grounds, considering that it was possible for His Majesty by some about Him (who only aimed at their own Advan­tage and Designe) to be misled, and drawn aside, to the danger of [Page 4]the Kingdome, and His own prejudice, which he might not fore­see, much lesse intend.

And next, looking upon the Parliament, the Kings Greatest Coun­cell, the Collective body, and Trustees of the People, and by His Ma­jesties own free Act confirmed to be a Parliament of Power, and so their Ordinances made Authentick and of Force, notwithstanding the deniall of His Majesties presence, being both knowing men and Re­ligious, I supposed they would not possibly be so mad or wretched, as not to see the things they prosecuted first, to be Just; and next, the way thereunto to be warrantable and lawfull, supposing none of them could have any thought or aime beyond the Publick good (which is the best Good) especially having so largely declared to the world, they intended nothing beyond what they had professed to His Majesty (as before) I was (with diverse other faithfull Gentle­men) induced to receive a Commission, as Lieutenant Colonell, to the Right Honourable the Earl of Stamford, under the Hand and Seal of His Excellency the Earl of Essex, (ever of beloved and re­nowned Memory) in which was specified the ground of my taking up Armes, to be for the Defence of the true Protestant Religion, the safety of His Majesties Person, and of the Parliament, the Preser­vation of the Lawes, Liberties, and peace of the Kingdome, and the Protection of His Majesties Subjects, from violence and oppres­sion, &c.

In which, and according to the Tenor of which, I served in the sincerity of my heart, without any Equivocation, or further Intenti­ons, according to that little skill God had indued me with, how faithfully, and to how much advantage to them, and their Cause, in the midst of all discouragements; the Parliament and Kingdome cannot be ignorant; and how little personall advantage I have made by the said service (more then that content I have had in my self and Conscience, making it my delight to doe, and performe my Trust to the Parliament and Kingdome) I do not appeal to those Of­ficers and Souldiers that served with me, as also those Parts and Countries wherein I most served, and through which I Marched: And therefore need not despaire to hope that when God in mercy shall please to settle the Kingdome in Peace, I shall find from the Parliament and Kingdome that Justice, in their care for the paying unto me my Arreares (which is great) which they have not denyed to diverse, whose faithfulnesse or services have not spoken louder for them, then mine have done for me; Nor whose expences for [Page 5]the advantage of their service came in competition with mine, which those Votes and promises of 1000 l.per an. (not yet performed unto me) put me upon. And now having thus faithfully served the Parl. & Kingdome, finding my self for the same (only) rewarded with a Prison, my complaint of the same is the more; For I dare appeal to the very Hearts and Consciences of my greatest enemies. (who falsly lay upon me the enjoying of Sir Ioh: Winters Estate, which he himself enjoyeth by their speciall favour, and for their particular service) ei­ther now sitting in the House of Commons, or in the General Coun­cell of the Army, (as they create, and so style themselves) or any other: That they have nothing either worthy of Restraint, or bones to lay to my charge, only their own sinfull fears, which to their own souls they have contracted by their own horrid Apostacy, from all their former professions of Zeal to Gods Glory and Church, of Honour and Safety to the King, and His Posteriiy, and of faithfullnesse and Obedience to the Parliament, and in them to the whole Kingdome for their peace and welfare. And therein, and in order to their fur­ther Designes, (by bloud and cruelty) to over-turne all the founda­tions of Government, both in Church and State; And to enslave the Kingdome, by bringing it under their Vassellage and iron Yoak; the satisfying of their own Lusts, Covetousnesse, Pride, and Ambi­tion.

These are the true Grounds of their Imprisoning my self, with the other faithfull Gentlemen, my Fellow-members, who have ever stood firme to our first Principalls, and hated to joyne hands with them in their such horrid and Treasonable Designes, and Actings against either the Kings Person, the Parliament, the Constitutions and Lawes of the Kingdome, or the welfare of the People: All which, by diverse Oathes, and our Covenant, we are sworn to Pre­serve and Maintaine.

And now they seeing that my self could not be brought (by Gods mercy to me) unto any complyance with them in their sinfull waies, by all their temptations and allurements; but on the contrary, found my expressions and resolutions to oppose them therein, according to my duty and trust, (which God enabling me, I shall ever doe) They, for the expression of their malice, as well as the manifestation of their feares, most injustly and illegally secured my Person (with di­vers other Gentlemen) and made me a Prisoner to their treacherous and tyrannicall Sword: In the meane time, aspersing me with all man­ner of scandals, lies, and false reports of their owne forging, That so [Page 6]the unknowing credulous, might be surprised by them, in giving credit to something thereof, (at which such as know me would laugh to scorne at the reporting) posting me from place to place, and from Prison to Prison, detaining me full 6 Weeks without assigning or shewing Cause thereof, or laying any particular Crime to my particular Charge, against their owne sentance and Maxime (as a matter of great injustice to others (of their Faction, though Legally Imprisoned) to be detain'd Prisoner above 48 howers, without giving in a particular Charge against them; so that I having been kept so long, and saw that my Imprisonment was onely by a forceable hand, and no Legallity in it (as at our Protest given in at the Kings-head in the Strand it was confessed by Marshall Generall Lawrance; and since also confessed by the Generall Councell of the Army in their humble Answer to the House of Commons before cited. And that I could expect no Legall triall or Justice no more than he that's fallen into the hands of Thieves and Murtherers, (the Case being the same, or worse) as also upon good consideration had of the little advan­tage my stay would be, and what advantage by Gods mercy my free­dome (from those hands of violence) might prove to a future justi­fying not onely of my selfe, but of all the rest of the injuriously im­prisoned Members, and our joynt Cause: I supposed, seeing the Al­mighty opened a dore for my delivery, it had been a denying of his mercies to me, and a tempting of the Lord to have given me over to the lusts and malice of those mine, and the Kingdomes Enemies; and therefore, by Gods leave, I gave my self a Habeas Corpus to enjoy as much of that freedome that was my owne, as that it should please God to give me for the good and advantage of his Cause & People; which Covenant-breakers, and Perjurers, have so villified and trodden under feet: And notwithstanding my freedome taken, yet doe I hereby professe, that if at any time, I shall by a Legall Authority be Called to Answer any thing that may be laid to my Charge, I shall willingly and readily doe the same, as well for the Vindication of my selfe, as the satisfaction of all men whatsoever; although I, and all honest men must protest against that Jurisdiction this Army hath usurped to themselves, as not onely Illegall, but Tyrannicall, and Tre­cherous; as also against that part of the House of Commons, now sit­ting under the Power of the Sword; as no House, nor competent Judges over my selfe, or any other Member of Parliament or other, untill the Houses be freed from all violence and force, and all the Members be restored.

And lastly, since above all brands of Infamy, the name of Hypo­crites, and Traytour, striketh and woundeth deepest at the heart of any Person, if but under a common or civill capacity, much more such as are truly English-men and Christians, and farre more yet, of such as not only have made profession of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but sworne, and Covenanted to maintaine the same, the glory thereof; That I may cleare my selfe before men (as I hope I have approved my selfe to God, I doe in his presence, who is the searcher of all hearts, in all humility make this following Profession and Protestation: