ALthough the Charms of Rhetorick have ſtained your Majeſties Declarations, Anſwers, Proclamations, Speeches and Meſſages, with all the gall, and oppoſition, that poſſibly could be infuſed to exaſperate us into the Nature of bad Subjects; yet are we reſolved to depart from nothing, that may oblige, and court your Majeſty to continue our gracious King.

Your evill Councellours have tempted your Majeſty in all they could to divide your individuall Perſon from your Regall Authority; and we have vowed in the preſence of God, with all the power, and induſtry we have, to keep them unſeperable: which being inconſiſtent with the Malignity of that Counſell, which daily joynes it ſelfe cloſer to your Majeſtie, and divides us, we are neceſſitated to imploy that power for the ſeparating that malignity from your Majeſty, which elſe wilbe the ruine of us all, both King▪ and People.

That there is Malignity, The ſtrong ſiding for the Lord Straford, and for the Votes of Popiſh Lords in Parliament; The difficult yeelding to ſuch good Acts, as began to eſtabliſh our Peace, and adventuring to queſtion the ſame at your Majeſties return from the North by a Quaere of the freedome of this Parliament; The many Attempts for diſſolving us; The late and ſlow diſarming of the Papiſts; The enticing many worthie men of quality to Petition againſt eſtabliſhed Votes, to the great diſturbance and diſhonour of both the Houſes and then incenſing them to ſacrifice the Peace and Liberty (if not the Lives) of themſelves, and the whole Kingdome to their inconſiderate Revenge; and laſtly, the uniting all thoſe into one Army by an Illegall Commiſſion of Array, doe aboundantly teſtifie to all mens Conſciences (but ſuch, whom paſſion, and not malice hath carried from us, we hope Wiſdome and Religion will reſtore unto us) Beſides▪ what Malignity hath been wanting in ſhamefull Reproaches, provoking Scoffes, falſe Conſtructions, prejudicate Cenſures, ſcandalous Libells, treacherous Plots, both at home and abroad, in ſlugging all proceedings, that tend to the ſafety of England, or Ireland; in making cheape the repute of Parliaments; and laſtly, both in the invitation and conſent of deſerting the Houſes to attend and countenance your Majeſties ſtrange diſtance from your Parliament, and taking up of Armes againſt it.

We would not accuſe your Majeſty, our hearts abhorre it; nor will our Lawes ſuffer it, unleſſe they ſpeak, and proceed to extremities: although your Majeſty endeavour much to be thought the ſole Agent: But (as our Laws inſtruct us) we accuſe ſuch Counſellors, and inſtruments of Regall commands, without which the Regall Office cannot ſtand: though we doe not inſtance in all the particular Authors, the cauſes of all things being found, but with difficulty: for ſuch, as dare do ill, will not want ſo much ſelfe-love, as to conceale it, having the lives and livelyhood of them and theirs at ſtake to bribe their ſecrecie; untill ſuch time, as they grow bold in wickedneſſe, and diſcover themſelves, or that He that ſeeth in ſecret, brings them forth to be rewarded openly.

And in this loyall care of your ſacred perſon, and tender reſpect of your Princely honour, finding that beſides the daily diſcourſe of ſucceſſive dangers (which ſeemed to be countenanced by your Majeſty) and of unſupportable Grievances paſt, and preſent, both in Church and State, with the ſlowe, and difficult reparations of either; the People had alſo ſtrengthened a Jealouſie from the intercourſe of Letters between the Pope and your Majeſtie, then Prince in Spaine, from your preferring the imbraces of a Catholicke, before a Proteſtant, to be the Conſort of your Royall bed, and boſome; from thé increaſe of Papiſts, Prieſts, Jeſuites, and a Papiſticall Clergy, and Ceremonies throughout the Land: and the generall decreaſe, and ſeverall perſecutions of Proteſtants, and faithfull Preachers; from the common boaſt even of Papiſts themſelves, that you were of their Religion, and all your Majeſties moſt ſecret Counſels were firſt known to them: from the ſharp & eagre proceedings againſt Scottiſh Proteſtants, and ſlow proceedings againſt Iriſh Papiſts, and Rebells: And laſtly, from the earneſt Reprieve of Prieſts or Jeſuites at firſt; and afterwards of 6. Prieſts & Jeſuites; and high Accuſation deſperately proſecuted againſt 6. Members of our Houſes of Parliament; that your Majeſty had certainly given up your Faith unto the Sea of Rome. So that being alſo inflamed by the Rebellious and prodigious Maſſacres of Ireland, there remaining no Oths, nor Execrations ſufficient to ſatisfie jealous people from Princes, that once give up their Beliefe unto that Sea, which allowes no Oaths, nor Faith to be kept to ſuch, whom they ſhall pronounce Hereticks, as they doe us, and impoſeth a Conſcientious obedience, ſecrecie, and aſſiſtance to all their diſmall Stratagems: We reſolved without publiſhing the diſeaſe (as a ſovereigne Remedy) to ſettle the Militia, and thereto councelled your Majeſty.

But what is Councell, if not followed? And what are your Majeſties Acts without Councell? Surely if your Majeſties Acts out of Parliament are guided, and are not authenticke, but by advice of your Majeſties Attourney, Judges, or Privie Councellors, and they have power to Declare ſo; ſhall the Great Councell of Parliament goe leſſe, that gives to all them being, and includes them? Or ſhall the Orders of any of their Courts be Legall, and ſhall not thoſe of the Parliament be much more?

In this adviſe therfore, and reſolution of the Militia (which your Majeſtie uſed, when there was no need) we yet moſt humbly and earneſtly in this extreame need and neceſſity of the Subject perſiſt, untill your Majeſtie remove the juſt occaſions of feares, and accord to a ſufficient cure of Jealouſies, by putting the Peoples ſafety into the Peoples own hands: whoſe Jealouſies are no whit abated by your Majeſties abſence from Parliament, and raiſing of contrary Forces, and ſending of ſeverall Menaces, and returning to your old Councells; and the Papiſts cheerfull intereſſing themſelves in; and rejoycing at all your proceedings, they all appearing like ſo many ſeverall Omens of the peoples returne to their old Ceremonies▪ and to their old Grievances, or worſe: Nor can we ſuffer thoſe who by the Councell of the Nation have done faithfull ſervice to the Nation to periſh for their faithfull ſervice.

The Acts of Sir Iohn Hotham, and the reſt employed for the Militia, and for the Navie, had generall commands and inſtructions to authorize them, and have had particular approbations to confirme them: they muſt not ſuffer, and we live; nor ſhall ſo great a ſinne make our Nation odious to God and man, if we can help it. It is not the allegation of a minor part of Parliament can abuſe the wiſer, and more Religious ſort of your Subjects, ſince all men know, that each mans Vote is of equall power, and freedome in Parliament, and the voyces of a few cannot out eccho a great many; whatſoever therefore is there concluded, cannot but by plurality of voyces, which truly makes the Parliament, and the diſſenting party makes up the faction, if they perſiſt: or, if it ſhould ſo fall out, that the major part (through neglect, or confidence in them remaining) abſent themſelves, then are their Votes no leſſe included in the perſons remaining then the Votes of the whole kingdome in the fulneſſe of Parliament: If any be deterred from this freedome, it argues guilt, or cowardize, either of which ſhould pronounce ſuch a one unworthy a truſt of ſo great importance, none being called to the barre, but ſuch, as ſpeake directly oppoſite to the publiſhed or concluded orders of the Houſe, or willfully to move ſedition by diſtrrcting the ſenſe of the Houſe, to the great hindrance and dangerous delay of more neceſſary affaires: or elſe the conſciences of men (convinced with their reaſons and propoſitions) would ſoone engage the major part in their behalfe, and not againſt them: which thing likewiſe may be ſaid of thoſe multidudes comming with congratulations to confirme ſuch, as freely diſcharge their duties; it being the duty of all to ſpeake the ſenſe of the major part of the people, and ſuch confirmations but the tokens of it; and if this were not ſo, we run the greater hazard in your Majeſties diſpleaſure, then the diſſenting party in the diſaſſenting of their equalls.

We doe avow all our proceedings to be by the Law of God, the integrity of our owne conſciences, and the Law of the Land, the interpretation whereof, whether it be ſitting to be delivered up unto your Majeſties Arbitrament, and ſuch as your Majeſtie will advance thereunto, or to remaine in Parliament (wherein the liberty and votes of Subjects are preſerved) your Majeſtie may judge, or which of theſe your people will conſent to.

As for Arbytrarie power (which only is incident to Kings and Princes, who ſetting up their will for Law, forſake the benefit of Counſell) it cannot poſſibly in any kind be a juſt aſperſion on a Parliament, which is it ſelfe a Councell, the greateſt Councell, and the very proper foundation of all Lawes of the Kingdome.

We doe confeſſe in this your Majeſties abſence and diſſent, we find a want of that harmony, which ſhould make all our Orders▪ as well pleaſant and delightfull, as good and profitable; and wee grieve no leſſe for your Majeſtie, who in this remoteneſſe deveſt your Royall Perſon of all that glory and authority, which ſhould accompany your Royall actions.

What ſhould your Majeſty pretend any feare, when your undaunted courage left ſuch a teſtimony to the contrary, in your paſſing with ſo ſmall attendance through the City, and dined there, even then, when the newes of Ireland had galled the memory afreſh of former plots, and the zeale of people ſtroke into flame for the dangers of Parliament, and were imbittered with the remembrance of hardly eſcaped burthens of Monopolies and ſhip-monies, Court of Honour, Starchamber, High Commiſſion, and the Canons? Or what could leſſe partake of feare, then ſuch a deſperate aſſault of the priviledges of Parliament in your owne moſt Royall Perſon, with ſuch an uncouth ſort of attendants, the very day before?

And as there was no ſigne of feare in your Majeſtie, ſo was there no cauſe of feare from us, or from any your Majeſties Subjects, to whom (had wee entertained the leaſt diſaffection or diſloyalty) there wanted not opportunity in any of thoſe times to have endeavoured our owne ends; but ſo farre were wee from any ſuch attempt (as the malignant perſons doe falſly belch upon us) that we not onely calmed the minds of people but brought them to undergoe thoſe charges towards the Engliſh and Scottiſh Armies, which thoſe malignant perſons had brought upon your Majeſty: Having therefore theſe great teſtimonies of love and loyaltie, what can your Majeſty feare or ſuſpect? unleſſe you could yet retaine a reſolution to conſent, or be an actor in ſome more horrid deſigne▪ that could provoke your people beyond all what is paſt, to forget their reſolutions of affections and allegiance to your Majeſty; but ſure your Royall preſence will diſcuſſe all feares and jealouſies, which your continued abſence cannot but foment.

We all have ſworne Allegiance to your Sacred Perſon as King▪ we did not the ſame, when you were Prince, nor is it longer of force unto your Royall father, that then was King: when your Majeſty recedes from your Kingly Office, you are ſo farre abſent from the object of our allegiance; there is no difference of benefit to him that hath eyes, and to him that hath none, if light be wanting. All our oaths depend upon the oath your Majeſty hath taken; O, then returne unto your Parliament, and ſo unto your people; Returne unto your Parliament, and ſo unto your lawfull power; Returne unto your Parliament, and ſo unto your State and Glory; where when your Royall aſſent hath confirmed thoſe neceſſary priviledges, which may keepe whole the conſciences and eſtates of your moſt Loyall Subjects, all this our body falls into Atomes▪ and your Majeſtie alone remaines in glory, to be beheld the preſerver of thoſe priviledges, which all our long and faithfull endeavours have conſulted with your Majeſty.