FOrasmuch as we have seen a late Paper, entituled, The thankful Acknowledgment, &c. unto Lieutenant Colonel John Lilburn, &c. The tendency whereof is to applaud and justifie the said persons in fomenting Jelousies, Divisions and Discontents in the City, Country and Army, and thereby obstructing the desireable and long looked for Relief of Ireland, and the happy Settlement of this Common-wealth, stifling thereby those tender buds of Joy and Gladness which did begin to spring within us; all which Proceedings of the said persons do render them so far from a Consimilitude with Moses and Aaron, to whom the Contrivers of the said Paper doth most proudly and arrogantly compare them; In leading us, poor Israelites, out of our bondage and slavery of Egypt into a Canaan of Liberty, (according to their flattering language:) As that it more fitly represents the said Mr Lilburn, Mr Walwyn, Mr Prince, and Mr Overton, like Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, Numb. 16. 1. who took unto them what party they could procure among the families of Israel, (as these do among the Regiments of the Army, and elsewhere) and gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron, their experienced, successful and valiant Leaders, (as these do against the faithful and approved Governors of the Nation, and prosperous chief Commanders and Officers) telling them that they took too much upon them, seeing all the Congregation are holy every one of them: (As these tell their present Governors and Commanders, that they take too much upon them to Lord it over them, for they are the free-born People of England every one of them;) Adding moreover, Wherefore then do you lift up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord? (As these in their high Language charge their faithful Leaders to do all, in order to lift up themselves over the free People of England, and to keep them down in Tyranny and Slavery,) And therefore forasmuch as the said Paper pretends in the name of divers well-affected Apprentices of Cripple gate VVard without, to congratulate the said Mr Lilburn, &c. incouraging and praying them to go on in their present Proceedings: VVe cannot but conceive it a false, scandalous and moft injurious Aspersion, staining the honour and repute of the well-affected Apprentices of the said VVard; a Jesuitical, VVicked and Malignant Insinuation, on pur­pose to increase Division, make Tumults, and raise up Parties, according to the well-known Custom of the dis-affected Party, that so the Harvest of Peace, Freedom and Liberty of this Nation, which was sown in Tears, watered in Blood, and now looks white, and ready for the Sickle, may be troden under the feet of that very Party that is ready to reap it, and burnt up by the fire brands, scattered abroad by these crafty Foxes: increasing the Burthens, Oppressions and Miseries of the People, by precipitating them into a third most fierce, fiery, and bloody VVar, more dangerous and destructive then the former have been, to the intolerable inslaving and impo­verishing of the poor Country, by hindering that Party designed for Ireland in that happy Expedition, and continuing them still upon free quarter, and raifing up and engaging a fresh Party without any the least colour of Authority whatsoever, to the unsufferable vexation and ruine of the poor Country. And lastly, Forasmuch as the well-affected Apprentices of the City of London are exhort­ed and excited, according to that pretended Pattern, specified in the said Paper, To choose cordial and active young men in their respective Wards, to be Agitators for them, to procure parties for the carrying on of that Work, viz. To do after their pretended Example. These are therefore to satisfie all such to whom this Paper shall come, That we do renounce and abhor the Contents of the said Paper, and do look on it as scandalous and reproachful unto all well-affected Apprentices; and though we have had honorable thoughts of some of those persons to whom the said Paper was directed, for their former forwardness and zeal for the Interest of England, yet we do in our Souls and Consciences conceive and judg their present Proceedings, the unhappy fruits of Jesuitical and Malignant tamper­ings with them, and shall use the best skill and abillities we have for the hindering their turbulent Proceedings. And although we cannot but be sensible of the manifold pressures and sorrows of the People, as well as these pretenders to Common Interest, and do heartily wish and desire the Parliaments speedy care and endeavor to perform their Engagements to the People, and take hold of all opportunities to that end; yet (considering the multitude of business, wherewith they are incumbred in securing the Common-wealth by Sea and Land, &c.) we are resolved with our lives, and all that is dear and precious unto us, to assist the Parliament in their just Proceedings, and their hopeful progress in the speedy Relief of Ireland, and prudent Settlement of the Common-wealth of England upon Principles of Righteousness, Freedom and Safety, which is according to the Tenure of their late Engagements in the several Expresses and Declaration.

VVe have now discharged our Consciences, in vindicating the honor and reputation of our fellow Apprentices of Cripplegate VVard without, and do desire (if it appears meet) that both they and the well-affected Apprentices of all other VVards of this City would eccho us in a joynt and unanimous Declaration of their stedfast Resolutions, faithfully and constantly to adhere unto the Parliament and Army in their just prosecution of the publique Interest, and engage themselves with us in the presence of Heaven and Earth, to strengthen their hands in that just and righteous Cause of freeing this Nation from Tyranny and Slavery, wherein they have advanced and, through Gods mercy with them, prospered against all the Powers and Policies engaged against. VVe have sent these our Resolu­tions unto Mr Lilburn, Mr Walwyn, Mr Prince, Mr Overton, this 17 of May, 1649. and do likewise commend the same unto the serious Consideration of our well-affected fellow Apprentices, hoping that as in the beginning of these VVars our Predecessors (young men of the same quality with our present condition) were honored to be Instruments of propagating this VVork, so God would make us also instrumental for the finishing thereof, which is the desires and prayers of