WHeteas you have by your late Declaration and Transactions, made it manifest, that you are sensible of your backslidings; and that yet you have cordial affections to the Good Old Cause, and to our Liberties, both Religi­ous and Civil; we with many thousands more re­joyce on your behalf, and blesse the Lord for your seasonable appearance for the vindication and re­surrection of that precious Cause, which hath cost so much Bloud and Treasure: several corrupt Parties having lately with much subtlety combined and im­proved their several interests to destroy the same; and to bring in upon us an Inundation of Tyranny and slavery, both in things Civil and Religious.

You cannot be ignorant, and it is the sense gene­rally of all the well-affected people, who have con­stantly adhered to you in the prosecution of the Good Old Cause, that the Lord did vouchsafe his glori­ous presence with that renowned long Parliament, in their Counsels and Armies: never was there a Parliament more victorious by a constant series of gracious Providences: never was there a Parlia­ment that did more fully assert and vindicate the Li­berties of the People, and make better provision for the Souldiers in defence thereof; though in all Po­litick Bodies, through humane frailty, there will be great miscarriages and mal-administrations.

But alas, how hath the presence and glory of God departed from these Nations, and from you in par­ticular, since the interruption of that renowned vi­ctorious Parliament, and the advancement of a private personal Interest, in stead of the Weal-pub­lick! Our Treasure hath been exhausted, many thou­sands of our dear Countreymen slain, and illegally Imprisoned, and ruined, and our poor Nation like to be made a prey to a foreign Enemy, if the Lord in mercy prevent not: Whereas before, the Parlia­ment of England, and their Armies, were a terrour to all the Nations round about us.

And among other evils, this renowned Army hath been exceedingly corrupted, by the endeavour of self-seekers; many of their faithful Officers have been laid aside, and others put in their places, who never adhered to the Good Old Cause, and the assertors therof in their great straights.

We hope that the Lord is now about to restore in some measure the primitive beauty and glory of this Army; which no doubt will be done, if your actions and performances be sutable to your words and expressions; the times now requiring that you should be active in purging the Army in order to the settlement of this Commonwealth; and that you should constantly consult and advise with the most prudent and judicious of your old friends, who having kept their integrity, may administer much light and help to you in this wilderness of distra­ction.

Wherefore we humbly desire you, for the honour of God, for the satisfaction of the Saints, and the good of your poor dying Countrey; That you would forthwith recal, and restore your honest publick spi­rited Officers, of whose fidelity you have had suffi­cient experience, to their several places and Com­mands in the Army; and to turn out those, be they never so great, who have manifested their enmity and disaffection to that Good Old Cause, and the pub­lick interest of these Nations. It being impossible that you should cheerfully and unanimously carry on the great Work which is now upon the wheel, so long as such corrupt Instruments and Time-servers have such Commands in this Army, which God so eminently owned whilst they owned him and his Cause.

We further desire, that you would be a means, that the Long Parliament, who declared for the [Page 4] Government of a Free-State in the Legislative Au­thority of this Commonwealth, may speedily return to their trusts: They and you being ingaged against Monarchy, and to be true to the Government as then established without King or House of Lords.

And this we humbly propose as the best and safest way to revive and strengthen the Good Old Cause, and all those honest men that are concerned therein. Ma­ny of the Members of that Parliament, being, we hope, more refined and fitted by their several Trials, for carrying on the Work, since they were distur­bed in managing the Government of this Common­wealth.

Nor can we rationally conceive, that any other way or model which can be thought of at present, will be an effectual means to prevent a new War, and to restrain the abuses of the Law, and secure and preserve us from Monarchy and Tyranny, or the Arbitrary and unlimited power of the Sword, if this means and expedient, which legally ought to take place, be rejected; all other waies and means which have been attempted hitherto, having proved inef­fectual and fruitless.

And hereby you will make it appear, that in this late great undertaking of yours, you have not sought your own particular advantage, or the greaming of your selves, but the publick good of your Coun­trey; it being your wisdom and safety, to return again into that way, where you found much of the presence and assistance of God; and from which [Page 5] having departed, your way hath been hedged up with thornes, and surrounded with insuperable dif­ficulties.

In doing those things, and whatsoever else hath a tendencie to the publick good of these Nations, we trust the Lord will yet delight to dwell in the midst of you, and will make you a further bles­sing to this Commonwealth, and specially to his own peculiar People, who have powred out ma­ny prayers and tears for you in the defence of that precious Cause, whereunto you have so of­ten born witness; and in the further prosecution whereof, we are resolved by the Lords assistance to live and die with you.

But if after all these shaking and stupendious Providences, and this late undertaking of yours, you should lift up your selves or any Party a­mong your selves, or should be instrumental by the Sword to advance any other private Inte­rest or family whatsoever, against which the Lord hath so eminently witnessed from heaven, we, with thousands more, who cordially love the Good Old Cause, cannot own you in such waies; nor will the Lord go along with you in your Counsels and enterprises; but will visit by some remarkable Judgment or other, for this per­petual Backsliding from Him and his Cause. But we hope better things from you by the Lords as­sistance, and such things as may rejoyce the hearts [Page 6] of all your true Friends, and be a terror to all the Enemies of this Commonwealth.