the Lords blessing the Metropolis and Bank of Trade for all Christendom whereunto God and Nature hath fitted them above all others And as to a Government in the Church the want whereof hath been no small cause of these Nations distractions It is most manifest that if it be Monarchicall in the State the Church must follow and Prelacy must be brought in which these Nations I know cannot bear and against which they have so solemnly Sworn And indeed moderate not rigid Presbyterian Government with a sufficient Liberty for Consciences truly tender appears at present to be the most indifferent and acceptable way to the Churches Settlement The main thing that seems to lye in the way is the interest of the Lords even of those Lords who have shewed themselves noble indeed by joyning with the people and in defence of those just rights have adventured their dearest blood and large Estates To that I shall onely say that though the state of these Nations be such as cannot bear their sitting in a distinct House yet certainly the wisdom of Parliament will find out such Hereditary marks of honour for them as may make them more noble in after ages Gentlemen upon the whole matter the best result that I can make at present for the peace of these Nations will be in my opinion that you forthwith sit together in Parliament In order 1. To the setling the conduct of Armies of the three Nations in that manner as they may be serviceable to the peace and safty of them and not to its own and the Nations ruine by Faction and Division 2. To the providing sufficient Maintenance for them That is for the Forces by Land and for the Navy by Sea and all their Arrears of both and other contingencies of the Government 3. To the appointing a Council of State with Authority to settle the Civil Government and Judicatories in Scotland and Ireland and to take care for the issuing forthe Writs for the summoning of a Parliament of these three Nations united to meet at Westminster the 20. day of April next with such qualifications as may secure the Publick Cause we are all ingaged in and according to such Distributions as were used in the year 1654. Which Parliament so called may meet and act in freedom for the more full establishing of this Common-Wealth without a King single Person or House of Lords 4. To a Legal Dissolution of this Parliament to make way for succession of Parliaments And in order to these good ends the Guards will not onely willingly admit you but faithfully both my self and every the Officers under my command and I believe the O ficers and Souldiers of the three Nations will spend their blood for you and successive Parliaments If your Conjunction be directed to this end you may part honourably having made a fair step to the settlement of these Nations by making a way for successive Parliaments But I must needs say that if any different Councels should be taken which I have no reason to fear these Nations would presently be thrown back into force and violence and all hopes of this much desired establishment buried in disorder which the Lord in his great mercy I hope will prevent And so God speed you well together and unite your hearts for the preservation of Peace and settlement of these Nations to his own Glory and yours and all our Comforts A LETTER From His Excellency the Lord General MONCK And the Officers under his Command to the Parliament in the name of themselves and the Souldiers under them Mr. Speaker WE cannot but with thankfulnesse acknowledge the wonderful Goodnesse of God to you in your return to the Discharge of your remaining Trust to our selves and your Forces under our Commands after some difficulties in bringing of us by a tedious March in such safty to this place to wait upon you in asserting the freedoms of our native Country and being here as wee have to our utmost hazard and power been instrumental in your Return so we shall be 〈◊〉 ready to pursue your Commands so far as possibly we may To evidence which we have observed and executed your late Orders in relation to the Chains Posts and Gates of the City which was something grievous to Us and to the Officers and Souldiers under our Commands and that because we do not remember any such thing was acted upon this City in all these wars and we fear that many sober people are much grieved at it and apprehend further force to be offered to them while they seem principally to desire the speedy filling up of the House which you have declared for aswell as we have exprest our just desires of and are apt to doubt lest what we have done may be so far from answering the expected end as that it may increase the discomposure of mens spirits in the Nation Upon this occasion it comes fresh into our minds that when by the trechery of some Officers of the Army you were interrupted we declared to the world That the ground of our undertaking was not onely your return to your Trust but also the Vindication of the Liberties of the people and the Preservation of the Rights of our Country and protection and encouragement of the godly and faithful therein as the establishment of the peace of these Nations Which Declarations made before the Lord Angels and Men in the day of our extreamity we as we expect the blessing of the Lord upon our future undertakings cannot but still own and stand by We find that the asserting of the just Liberties of the People is that which the generality of the Nation is much in expectation of and that many sober people together with our selves are under fears lest this great price that God hath put into your and our hands as your Servants should not be improved but that we shall run in Confusion again Therefore we humbly crave leave to present before you some grounds of our fears We are afraid that the late wonderful and unparalel'd Deliverance is not so publickly and solemnly acknowledged as it might be that the Lord who wrought so stupendiously may have the Glory of all We are troubled that some as yet do sit in the House who are impeached of Treason We cannot but observe that divers Members of your House who contrary to their Trust acted in that illegal and Tyrannical Committee of Safety are not actually disabled from sitting there notwithstanding Colonel Lambert hath onely the Vote of Indemnity to secure him from as high Crimes as have been committed in this Nation and is not obedient to your Orders yet he seemeth to be winked at We understand that Sir Henry Vane upon bare pretence is permitted to stay about the City to the great dissatisfaction of your best Friends That there are dangerous Consultations and that of those who had a chief hand in your late Interruption and the hazarding of the whole Nations contrary to our expectation We find
be expected and for the future it will ingage them to be as ready to serve your Majesty as they were to serve your enemies for the time past And moreover I conceive it will be a great incouragment to them to joyn with me in this design I shall trouble your Majesty with little more at present But to let you know that my hopes are that you would be pleased to have that confidence in me as not to credit any rumours or reports that may seemingly contradict what I have herein proposed for as for that I would have your Majesty to be confident that I shall not value neither the ill will or yet look upon the favour of any who shall yet appear in opposition to a thing that I have so really purposed so long as God and my Conscience perswades me that in so doing I shall accomplish a good Work both for his glory and my Countries good and yet I think fit to carry as fair a correspondency as I can with those that have taken upon them the Authority in England To that end I have thoughts of going to London very suddenly that I may see their actings and order things there somewhat for my advantage I humbly beg your Majesties speedy Answer touching these Proposals So with all submissiveness I crave your Majesties favour in giving me leave to subscribe my self Your Majesties for ever faithful and Loyal Subject GEORGE MONCK Edenborough Decem. 30. 1659. SEVERAL LETTERS From the Lord Generall Monck Commander in Chief of the forces in Scotland and one of the Commissioners by Act of Parliament for the Government of this Common-wealth VIZ. To Mr. SPEAKER To the Lord FLEETWOOD To the Lord LAMBERT Printed Anno 1660. TO THE SPEAKER Right honourable HAving received notice that there was a force put upon the Parliament on the twelfth of this instant I have sent this Messenger to your Lordship to know whether that force doth continue for I am resolved by the Grace and Assistance of GOD as a true English-man to stand to and assert the Liberty and Authority of PARLIAMENT And the Army here praised be God is very couragious and unanimous and I doubt not but to give a good accompt of this action to You. I have according to your Act of the 11th instant being constituted a Commissioner for the government of the Army put out such persons as would not act according to your Commission I do call GOD to witness That the Asserting of a Common-wealth is the only intent of my heart and I desire if possibl e to avoid the shedding of blood and therefore entreat you that there may be a good understanding between Parliament and Army But if they will not obey Your Commands I will not desert You according to my Duty and Promise Which is all at present from Your humble and faithful Servant GEORGE MONCK Edinburgh Octob. 20. 1659. To the Lord FLEETVVOOD Right honourable I Have sent this Messenger to your Lordship to let you know that we have received notice that a part of the Army have put force upon the Parliament which they so lately called together and owned with the greatest I estimonies of Obedience and Repentance for their former Apostacy from them I hope your Lordship will not abet an Action of such a dangerous and destructive Consequence I know that you love the Liberty and Peace of England so well That you will use your best Care That Attempts of this nature be suppressed I do therefore humbly intreat you that the Parliament may be speedily restored to that Freedom which they enjoyed on the 11th of this instant Otherwise I am resolved by the Assistance of God with this Army under my Command to declare for them and to prosecute this just Cause to the last drop of my Blood I bless the Lord that the Officers here are very unanimons and for such whose hearts fail them orwhich will not act according to their Commissions from the Parliament I having Authority as one of the Seven Commissioners appointed by Act of Parliament do constitute such as are chearful for this Good Old Cause till the Parliaments pleasure be further known And I do plainly assure your Lordship that I was never better satisfied in the sustict of any Engagement than in this You cannot but remember that God hath already shewed Himself glorious in it and determined the quarrel on this side against Arbitrary power of raising Money without the Peoples consent first had and the management of the Militia by any other then the Parliament I desire your Lordship not to be deluded by the specious pretences of aâ—y ambitious person whatâ—oever aâ—d do not briâ—g all the blood that will be shed upon your own head My Lord consiâ—er how you will answer to the dreadful God for the ruine of three Nations for to serve a lust or to gratifie a passion For my particular I am ashamed of these confusions and Changes that we have maâ—e that we are now become a scorn anâ— a reproach to our very friends and designed to ruine by all our Neighbours I take God to witnesse that I have no further ends then the establishing of Parliamentary Authority and those good Laws that our Ancestors have purchased with so much blood the setling the Nations in a free Common-wealth and the defence of godliness and godly men though of different Judgment And I take my self so far obliged being in the Parliaments Service to stand though alone in this Quarrell And I doubt not but your Lordship having the fear of God in your heart will carefully consider of this matter which is all at present from Your Excellencies humble servant GEORGE MONCK Edinb. Octob. 20. 1659. To the Lord LAMBERT Right honourable HAving notice that a part of the Army under the Parliaments Command have contrary to their duty put force upon them I have therefore sent this Messenger to your Lordship to intreat you to be an instrument of Peace and good understanding between Parliament and Army for if they shall continue this Force I am resolved with the assistance of God and that part of the Army under my Command to stand by them and assert their lawful Authority For Sir the Nation of England will not endure any Arbitrary Power neither will any true English-man in the Army so that such a design will be ruinous and destructive Therefore I do earnestly intreat you that we may not be a scorne to all the world and a Preâ— to our enemies that the Parliament may be speedily restored to their Freedom which they enjoyed on the 11th of this instant which is all at present from Your Lordships humble servant GEORGE MONCK A LETTER OF THE OFFICERS of the ARMY in SCOTLAND under the Commander in Chief there To the OFFICERS of the Army in ENGLAND Dear Brethren and Friends THis is of all the dayes of Trouble God hath brought upon us the saddest that ever our Eyes saw in these poor Nations We have had
to do often with the Common Enemy but never before engaged against our Friends the very thoughts of which is a wound deeper in our Spirits than the sword can make in our Bowels Above all things therefore it is our earnest Prayer and shall be our endeavour to Reconcile the differences in that which to our Consciences seemes the most equitable and just Medium for us â—o agree in namely To intreat you as we have interposed with the superiour Officers of the Army to labour a due understanding between your selves and the Parliament the necessity and equity of which request we cannot but believe you must subscribe to if you seriously consider a few Proposals 1. Whether the asserting of a free Parliament duly qualified of faithfull men to GOD and his people in these Nations to be the Supream Legislative Authority of these Nations was not the Good Old Cause we fought for as that onely which vindicated in Spirituals our Consciences from Imposition upon them contrary to the Liberty of the Subjects of JESUS CHRIST and our Persons and Estates and Posterity in Civils from the Usurpations of the late King upon the Liberties and ancient Rights of the Free-born People of England 2. Whether it be not the only vindication of your late laying aside the Son and Successor of our old General because you did verily believe as you have protested to the world That the Government of any single person might in time ruine the aforementioned Libertyes purchased by our Blood and the vast Treasures of this Commonwealth Monarchy however bounded necessarily requiring Uniformity as to Religion and Prerogative as to Civil both which must needs be oppressive and destructive to our Consciences and Rights 3. Whether when you set up again this Famous Old Parliament you did not believe in your Conscinces that it was a Return to the Good Old Cause from which you had Apostatized and the best Expedient to heal the sad breaches of this poor Common-wealth which the Lusts of men have made witness your Declaration presented by the Lord Lambert and the rest the sixth of May to the Speaker as the Representee of the House 4. Whether this Parliament hath ever yet endangered or disowned you or the Nation in these Great Ends which can only acquit all the bloodshed from Murther your Liberties as Englishmen and your Priviledges as Christians but rather have given security for both in such Votes as they had time to pass by such promises as they are too honest to forget and by a Progress large enough considering the Confusions and Difficultyes they found the Government in by our setting up the things of which we are now ashamed 5. Whether if your Consciences be better informed it can satisfie ours or any Christian Consciences in the Nation to act according to your particular apprehensions when we see them cross so much the plain Rule of the Word which as it requires obedience to all Authority so much more to that which is asserted and setled upon the surest Foundation of the Peoples Rights and to which you are so solemnly engaged by Protestations as in the presence of God who will not hold them guiltless that takes his Name in vaine 6. Whether if upon this occasion of our Dissentings the Common Enemy should arise with a stronger party and make use of our Divisions to yoak us in bondage worse than ever That their little finger should be heavier than the Loyns of those preceded them the people of these Nations would not have sad Cause to leave at your doors the blood of those Innocents they must sacrifice to their Cruelty Considering especially that the Redemption of these old Usurpations must be by the Heads of Gods People and bring worse upon us the blood of Saints whose death is precious in the sight of the Lord We beg you therefore to lay to heart the Premiâ—â—es and believe we are n en of such Consciences as cannot close with this Action and Acquiesce in it But would cordially desire that God may humble us for the evil of our wayes That in making Peace with Him we may Unite in love to each other And we shall also assure you that though the present Emergency hath made our Commander in chief to put some of the Officers from their Commands whose actings have not been such as might promise they can cordially joyn in this business yet he hath continued to them their Sallaries out of the Contingencies of the Army till the Parliaments pleasure be further known And we shall also assure you That whatever endeavours may be for the setling of this Parliament again in a free capacity to Act for us in these Nations we shall be as ready as you to bear a Testimony against them suitable to our station if they should violate the so often promised and engaged for Liberties of these Nations whether Spiritual or Civil There being a witness against them in their late Votes that the Representative of the people is entrusted not for the Ruine but the safety of the Commonwealth Linlithgow Octob. 22. 1659. Signed in the Name and by the appointment of the Officers of the Army in Scotland WILLIAM CLARKE SECRETARY To the Right Honourable the Lord Fleetwood to be Communicated to the Officers of the Army in and about London A SECOND LETTER TO THE Lord Fleetvvood SIR VVE think fit to acquaint you that the Lord has so prosper'd our endeavours here that my Lord General Monck and the Officers have accepted of our Overtures of mediation and they have appointed Col. Wilkes Lieutenant Col. Clobery and Major Knight to repair to London Commissioners to treat with the like number of Officers there for a firm peace and unity amongst the Forces of both Nations for which we doubt not but the prayers of all good men will be poured forth to the Throne of Grace We have prevailed with my Lord General to dispatch Order this night to his remotest Quarters that they advance not further Southwards during this Treaty and we desire you will do the like that none of yours may march more Northward then they are And truly for as much as we can perceive none of these Forces had so hastily marched out of Scotland if yours had not gathered this way In a few dayes we shall see you and in the mean time desire you to believe we are Sir Your affectionate Servants Thomas Clarges Thomas Talbot Dalkieth this 4th of Novemb. 1659. GENERAL MONCKS LAST LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE Lord Fleetwood My Lord AFter I had answered the Letter your Lordship did me the favour to send me by Col. Talbot I received another from your Lordship of the 29th of October wherein your Lordship is pleased to express much of your Lordships Affection and Friendship to me for which I shall ever acknowledge my self engaged to you but truly I must assure your Lordship no personal Discouragements although I have had my share of them have induced me to the Justification
I make of the Parliaments Authority but the tie of duty to which I am in my Conscience obliged and I shall be heartily sorry if your Lordship makes any other Interpretation of it for your Lordship knows my Command has been offered often up to those that had power to place it better We are all I bless the Lord very unanimous here and I am confident when the Gentlemen we send from hence have given your Lordship a true understanding of our actions you will not have so severe an opinion of them as you seem to have in your late Letters The persons names are Col. Wilkes Lieut. Col. Clobery and Major Knight all well known to your Lordship to whom I beseech your Lordship to give credit in what they shall propose from the Army here and I beseech you to believe I am still with a sincere heart My Lord Your Lordships very humble servant GEORGE MONCK A Letter sent by General MONCK to Vice Admiral GOODSON to be communicated to the rest of the Officers of the Fleet in answer to a Letter with some Proposals lately sent to him from Them Dear Country-men and Commanders I Am glad that you have not forgotten your old friend and that by this occasion I have such advantage to hear of your hearty affections to me and kind remembrance of me and that you have such a deep sence of the divisions amongst us and the miserable consequence thereof but I am very much sadded that you have entertained such mistakes and misapprehensions of our proceedings These enclosed Papers will fully satisfie you that we have just grounds of dissatisfaction and that we cannot comply with such violent and unwarrantable undertakings both against our reason as men and against our Consciences as Christians that you and we should take our Commissions and pay from the Parliament and yet to violate their Authority after such solemn assurances of obedience and faithfulness contrary to the expressed word of God and our own late Addresses I hope I am so well known to some of you that I am none of those that seek great things to my self or delight in the shedding the blood of English men much lesse of Christian Brethren but to preserve the name of God from Blasphemy and Reproach which our actings I wish I could not call them treacheâ—ousness and perfidiousness have occasioned whereby Jesus Christ and his truth have been evil spoken of which makes our very lives bitter to us and to assert the integrity and honour of this Army which is very dear to me I have been forced with the Parliaments Army under my command though with much grief of heart to beat our Testimony against the late violence of the Army and the reasons thereof you will find in our printed papers and our endeavours to perswade them in England to remove that force which they have put upon the Parliament As to your Proposals I beseech you seriously to consider and lay to heart these following Answers 1. To the first you are pleased to intimate the joy of the Cavaliers that they see us stand to our Declaration but I believe that this violent interruption of the Parliament was the greatest courtesie to gratefie that Family and Interest that could be imagined in the World and I could wish it were not designed I should be very sad to strengthen the hands of the Wicked but let me assure you this ariseth from the slanders and calumnies which men cast upon us in England as if we that assert the Authority of those that brought the late King to the Block are for introducing that Family which I take God to witness we in our very thoughts abhor and shall spend our blood in opposition to any Single person whatsoe ver. 2. You are pleased to compare our present differences to that of the Israelites with the two Tribes of Reuben Gad and halfe the Tribe of Manasses and I earnestly pray that there may be the same issue for if they will restore these persons to their lawfull Authority which have been established by many successes and for the difference of which they so lately hazarded to blood we shall quietly sit down and wait upon the Providences of God in our places and Stations and to this end we have sent Commissioners into England men faithfull and approved What you are pleased to instance concerning my satisfaction in the year 1653. When this Parliament was interrupted formerly I shall answer you to that it was never in my Conscience to go out of Gods way under the pretence of doing Gods work and you know the variety of times doth much vary the nature of affaires and what might then patiently be submitted unto we being engaged with a forraign Enemy in a bloody War cannot be drawn into a president at this time after our Repentance and assurance of Loyalty and Constancy you may be pleased to remember that the consequence of the former Interruptions was the Introduction of a single person and a manifest breach of all our promises and engagements so that if God blessed me with success then I do much more through mercy expect it now when I put all to hazzard for the Glory of God and the good of his people 3. I do acknowledge that the Army hath been in the hand of God and instruments of good to these Nations yet if they shall apostate from the Cause of God and his people in exposing them to Arbitrary Power and the wills of men in taking upon them to Abollish Lawes raise money without consent of the people destroy Ministery and property and force Parliaments I cannot but witness against such proceedings as unwarrantable not suited to any rule either from God or man 4. I have taken care by Garrisons in this Country and assurance from the whole body of the Nation that they will not own the interest of Charles Stewart and that they will preserve the peace of the Commonwealth in obedience to the parliament So that if that part of the Army in England will set up a distinct interest in the Nation in deserting that Cause that hath been so precious to us and cost so much blood and treasure for to establish their own Interest and greatness I do declare in the presence of the Great God I cannot own you nor Ioyn with them Now having opened my heart to you and as you know my plainness and sincerity that I am none of those that dare assert any thing against my Conscience from that experience ye have had of me I heartily begg your belief and credit that I shall keep in the way of duty and endeavour to do the Lords work in my Generation and shall not own any corrupt interest whatsoever and do desire of God his blessing according to my Integrity in this undertaking having this good Testimony in my own Spirit that I have nothing but publick and Righteous ends upon my heart and by all these respects and kindnesses that I have received from you
confidence on that score to imprison the Deliverers and by the Interposition of the Forces here and led out against your Excellency who lay in the passage to You. But now may it please Your Excellency seeing it hath pleased God in some measure to remove those Obstructions We presume by this to Assert in VVriting what VVe hope all Our Actings since the Receipt of Your Excellencies Advice have evidenced That VVe have cordially concurred with your Excellency in disowing the Authour of that Force who interrupted the Parliament and ravish'd the Birth-right of these Nations by daring to null and make void Acts of Parliament and VVe think have contributed somewhat by Gods blessing on Our Counsels and Actings to the preventing of the sad Consequences of that exorbitant presumption How fully and entirely VVe comply with Your Excellency in asserting the Authority and Freedom of Parliaments and the just Rights and Liberties of the People a National Ministry for the enlightning of the Ignorant and suppressing of Atheism VVe humbly Refer Your Excellency to Our enclosed Declaration and do seriously assure Your Excellency That VVe shall by Gods assistance persist faithfully and vigorously in this Good Cause And praying God to preserve your Excellency and those Noble Commanders with You in these Your Just Honourable and Christian Undertakings shall Remain Your Excellencies Most Affectionate and Faithful Friends and Servants The Mayor Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common-Council Assembled In Their Names and by Their Order SADLER Guildhall London Decemb 29. 1659. This Letter is Conveighed by the Sword-bearer of London by the several Directions of the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Court of Common-Council THE LETTER Of His EXCELLENCY the Lord Gen. Monck In ANSWER to the former LETTER My Lord I Received a Letter from your Lordship and the rest of the Common-Council of the 29th of December and do humbly thank you for that great esteem which you are pleased to put upon our poor Endeaours of the Parliaments Army under my Command far trancending our Merits and Services As to those Ends which we then declared for I bless the Lord I acted Conscience and I hope we were found in the way of duty and are resolved by the grace of God to adhere to them having found such wonderful blessings following us in these our just and honest Undertakings As your prudent Counsels and couragious Actings were the great means under God of restoring this Parliament to its just and lawful Authority so of the safety and welfare of the Nations for which I do for my Self and the rest of the Officers here return my very hearty thanks and we shall have ever cause to bless the Lord for this great mercy in putting into your hearts such righteous and honourable Resolutions to appear at such a time when our Liberties and Properties and all that is dear unto us even the Ordinances of our blessed Saviour were in such hazard Indeed it was much in our hopes that such a glorious City that had redeemed themselves from slavery at the price of so much blood and treasure and had been the great Instruments in the hand of God for the carrying on the Work of Reformation and bringing three Nations out of the Captivity of Tyranny and Arbitrary Government could ever consent to such illegal and unjust proceedings As we do acknowledge your great activity in promoting those great Ends which we lately represented to you so we do heartily thank you for the honour and encouragement which you have been pleased in this your Letter to give to the Parliaments Army here for our selves we having nothing to seek we bless the Lord in all this Affair but to endeavour the safety and Settlement of these Nations in general and of the famous City in particular We received your enclosed Declaration and do chearfully joyn with you therein And I do promise you for the Army under my Command that they are resolved by the assistance of God to stand by and maintain this present Parliament as it sate on October 11. from whom we received our Commissions and do hope that you that have been so eminently Instrumental in their restoring will heartily concur with us therein and shall to the utmost of our power defend the freedom of successive Parliaments and the Liberties Spiritual and Civil of the People in these Nations and shall encourage in our Stations the Godly and Learned Ministers and shall continue faithful in this Good Cause that the Nations may be stablished in a Free Common-wealth and the Army kept in due obedience to the Civil Authority And as we have experienced the great affection of your City in such a day of Darkness and great Tryal so we shall ever study to the utmost to express our services for you and shall not think our lives too precious to hazard for your welfare I think to wait upon you shortly and shall reserve those further acknowledgments to that opportunity and remain Your Lordships very humble Servant George Monck New-Castle Jan. 6. 1659. A LETTER SENT FROM General Monck SUPERSCRIBED To the Right Honourable William Lenthall Esquire Speaker to the Right Honourable the Parliament of ENGLAND To be communicated to the rest of the Members of Parliament at London Right Honourable I Received yours of the 22d instant and desire to return to our good God hearty thanks that he hath been pleased to own and appear for his People in such glorious instances of Mercy and Deliverance I bless the Lord I never doubted of his presence and success in this undertaking being so righteous a Cause and had long since put it to Gods determination but upon advertisements from Friends in England That if I could continue here without engaging till the first of January the work would be done without blood I cannot but admire upon what Intelligence you should be perswaded of a second Treaty Indeed I was inforced to make use of such an Overture to remove the Commissioners from London whom I cannot but blame for receding from their Instructions but I hope they will give you a satisfactory account of their proceedings Yet I acknowledge that I could not but resent their carriage having secured one of them for betraying the private instructions of which I doubt not but you have been fully informed My last Answer to the Lord Lambert who sent several Messengers to invite me to a second Treaty was That I could not treat without authority from the Commissioners for the Government of the Army and to that end desired a Pass for the same Messengers to go to Portsmouth to receive their Commands and Instructions who was returned back with this Answer from Lambert and the Council of Officers That they could not consent thereunto and since that I have not heard from them I have your Army I bless God upon the River Tweed within three hours ready to be drawn together and they are very chearful and unanimous willing to endure any hardship for your
you sit your utmost endeavours may be to manifest your affectionate desires for the publick good of these Nations Our further desire is that those Regiments underyour consideration whose Officers are not may be spedily pass'd And in regard we find that the grand cause of the present heats and dissatisfactions in the Nation is because they are not fully represented in Parliament and seeing no other probable Expedient whereby to keep the Nation in peace then by filling up your Number we must therefore make this our main desire upon which we cannot but insist that you would proceed to issue forth Writts in order to Elections for the better effecting whereof we entreat that you would conclude upon due and full Qualifications that not only those who have been actually in Arms against the Parliament may be excluded but also such who in the late Wars betwixt King and Parliament have declared their dis-affection to the Parliament And because the distracted condition of this Nation is at this hour so evident and pressing we are constrained for the just maintenance of your Authority and the satisfaction of all true English men earnestly to desire that all the Writs may be issued forth by Friday next returnable at the usuall and legall time For we think it convenient to acquaint you that to pacific the minds of this great City in the prosecution of your late Command the chief of us did give an assurance thereof And we must not forget to remember you that the time hastens wherein you have declared your intended Dissolution which the people and our selves desire you would be punctual in Hereby the Suspition of your Perpetuation will be taken away and the people will have assurance that they shall have a Succession of Parliaments of their own Election which is the undoubted Right of the English Nation You have promised and declared no less both the people and your Armies do live in the hope and expectation of it That we may the better wait for your full and free Concurrence to these just desires on the Nations behalf upon Mature deliberation we have thought it our duty as to continue the usual Guards for the safety of your fitting so for the present to draw the rest of the Forces under Command into the City that we may have the better opportunity to compofe spirits and beget a good understanding in that great City formerly renowned for their resolute adhering to Parliamentary Authority and we hope that the same spirit will be found still to breath amongst the best most considerable and interessed persons there This Action of ours as we hope it will receive your favourable interpretation so we do believe it will through the blessing of God be of good use for the present peace and future settlement of these Nations These are our thoughts which we communicate to you in the Names of our selves and the Officers and Souldiers under our Commands we are Your Honours most Humble Servants GEORGE MONCK Colonels Tho. Randers Leon Litcot Io. Clobery Io. Hublethorne Tho. Read Ra. Knight Dan. Redman Ethelbert Morgan Lieut. Col. Nathaniel Barton Major Majors Tho. Johnson Ier. Smith Tho. Pryme Fra. Nichols Pet. Banister White-Hall Feb. 11. 1659. Saturday Feb. 11. UPon the reading of the Letter the House Resolved That the thanks of this House be given unto General Monck for his faithfull service in securing the City and that as to filling up of the House the Parliament were upon the Qualifications before the receipt of the said Letter and the same will be dispatch'd in due time THE SPEECH AND DECLARATION OF HIS EXCELLENCY The Lord Generall MONCK Delivered at Whitehall upon Tuesday the 21 February 1659. Ordered by his Excellency the Lord General that this Speech and Declaration be forthwith printed and published William Clarck Secretary GENTLEMEN YOu are not I hope ignorant what Care and Endeavours have been used and Means essayed for healing the broaches of our Divisions amongst our selves and that in order thereunto divers Conferences have been procured between you though to small effect yet having at length received fuller satisfaction from these worthy Gentlemen that were secluded then formerly I was bold to put you all to the trouble of this meeting that I might open my self to you all even with more freedome then formerly but least I might be mis-apprehended or mistaken as of late it besell me I have committed to writing the Heads of what I intended to discourse to you and desire it may be read openly to you all THE DECLARATION OF His Excellencie THE LORD General Monck Delivered at VVhite Hall upon Tuesday the 21 of Feb. 1659. GENTLEMEN IT appears unto me by what I have heard from you and the whole Nation that the Peace and happy Settlement of these bleeding Nations next under God lyeth in your hands And when I consider that Wisdom Piety and Self denial which I have reason to be confident lodgeth in you and how great a share of the Nations sufferings will fall upon you in case the Lord deny us now a Settlement I am in very good hopes there will be found in you all such melting bowels towards these poor Nations and towards one another that you will become healers and makers up of all its woful breaches And that such an opportunity may clearly appear to be in your hands I thought good to assure you and that in the presence of God that I have nothing before my eyes but Gods glory and the settlement of these Nations upon Common-wealth Foundations In pursuit whereof I shall think nothing to dear And for my own particular I shall throw my self down at your feet to be any thing or nothing in order to these great Ends As to the way of future Settlement far be it from me to impose any thing I desire you may be in perfect Freedom Onely give me leave to mind you That the old Foundations are by Gods Providence so broken that in the eye of Reason they cannot be restored but upon the ruines of the People of these Nations that have engaged for their Rights in defence of the Parliament and the great and main ends of the Covenant for uaiting and making the Lords name One in the three Nations And also the Liberty of the Peoples Representatives in Parliament will be certainly lost For if the People finde that after so long and bloody a war against the King for break ng in upon their Lâ—berties yet at last he must be taken in again it will be out of question and is most manifest he may for the future govern by his will dispose of Parliaments and Parliament-Men as he pleaseth and yet the people will never more rise for their assistance And as to the interests of this famous City which hath been in all ages the Bulwork of Parliaments and unto whom I am for their great affection so deeply engaged Certainly it must lie in a Commonwealth That Government onely being capable to make them through
continued in the Army some Persons of dangerous Principles and such who were active enough in the late Defection Though we are far from wishing the ruine of any yet we could desire that your signal indulgence to late notorious Offenders did meet with that candid reception from them as to be so much the more ingenuous in their professed repentance But we observe that many of them do seek to justifie themselves and are not without their Agents in print to palliate their soul Enormities which maketh us yet to suspect that we are in some danger of returning to the late distempers that You and the Nation are but newly delivered from We are not ignorant that there are those who lately struck at the Root of English Parliaments in Practice and Design thereby have inflamed the Nation and given great advantage to the Common Enemy yet they are not without a strange confidence to precipitate men into a belief that they are the onely Persons against the one and for the other With grief of heart we do remember and would lament over the too palpable Breach of Engagements in this Nation Therefore we should think it a duty rather to mourn over the same then to promote any new Oath to be taken at this time Yet we perceive that there is a designe to provoke the Parliament to enforce an Oath upon the Nation and do take notice that amongst others there are some who are most forward to promote the said design who have made the least if any Conscience in keeping Engagements already taken Here we must not silence our first resentment of a bold Petition and of dangerous consequence which was lately presented to you the consequence whereof if you should answer their desires would be to exclude many of the most conscientious and sober sort of men from serving under you in Civil and Military Imployments who have and will prove themselves most faithful and a Door would be opened in designe to retrive the Interâ—st of those who have by the just Hand of our Gracious God made themselves to apparently obnoxious Moreover which is not the least part of the venome of that Petition we clearly see the same spirit which of late would have pull'd away the by you declared just Maintenance from Ministers would now provoke you by an Oath to endanger the forcing away of many of the most Godly from their Maintenance In urging our fears from the premises that concerns some of different Principles from us we would not be thought to as we do not design any thing that may incur the censure of unjust rigidity We freely professe our desires that tendernâ—sse of Conscience may have its full just liberty but we cannot in judgment count that tendernesse of Conscience which will not scruple at treachery it self or any unrighteousnesse to carry on corrupt designes Having presented You with our fears we shall adde our Resolution That by the help of God we shall stand by you in the pursuance of what we have declared for And therefore do make this humble request to You. We could desire That whilst you sit your utmost endeavours may be to manifest your affectionate desires for the Publick Good of these Nations Our further desires is That those Regiments under your consideration whose Officers who are not may be speedily passed And in regard we find that the Grand Cause of the present Heats and Dis-satisfactions in the Nation is because they are not fully Represented in Parliament and seeing no other probable expedient whereby to keep the Nation in peace then by filling up your number We must therefore make this our main desire upon which we cannot but insiâ—t that you would proceed to Issue forth Writs in Order to Erections For the better effecting whereof we entreat That you would conclude upon due and full Qualifications that not onely those who have been actually in Arms against the Parliament may be excluded but also such who in the late Wars betwixt King and Parliament have Declared their Disaffection to the Parliament And because the distracted condition of this Nâ—tion is at this hour so evident and pressing we are constrained for the just maintenance of your Authority and the satisfaction of all true English-Men earnestly to desire That all the Writs may be issued forth by Friday next returnable at the usual and legal time For we think it convenient to acquaint you that to pacific the minds of this great City in the prosecution of your late Commands the Chief of Us did give an assurance thereof And we must not forget to rememeber you that the time hastens wherein you have Declared your intended Dissolution which the people and our selves desire you would be punctual in Hereby the Suspition of your perpetuation will be taken away and the People will have assurance that they shall have a Succession of Parliaments of their own Election which is the undoubted Right of the English Nation you have promised and Declared no lesse Both the People and your Armies do live in the hope and expectation of it That we may the better wait for your full and free concurrence to these just Desires on the Nations behalf upon Mature Deliberation we have thought it our duty as to continue the usual Guards for the safety of your sitting so for the present to draw the rest of the Forces under our Command into the City that we may have the better opportunity to compose Spirits and beget a good understanding in that great City formerly renowned for their resolute adhering to the Parliamentary Authority and we hope that the same Spirit will be found still to breath amongst the best most considerable and and interessed Persons there This Action of ours as we hope it will receive your favourable interpretation so we do believe it will through the blessing of God be of good use for the present Peace acd future settlement of these Nations These are our thoughts which we communicate to you in the Names of our selves and the Officers and Soulders under our Commands We are Your Honours most Humble Servants GEORGE MONCK Colonels Tho. Sanders Leon Litcot Jo. Clobery Jo. Hubblethorne Tho. Read Ra. Knight Dan. Redman Ethelbert Morgan Lieut. Col. Nathaniel Barton Major Majors Tho Johnson Jer. Smith Phil. Pryme Fra. Nichols Peter Banister White Hall Feb. 11. 1659. A LETTER From the Lord General MONCK And the Officers here to the several and respective Regiments and other Forces in England Scotland and Ireland Dear Brethren and Fellow-Souldiers YOU cannot be ignorant of the many endeavours and earnest Desires of many good men in these Nations to bring us to a Settlement which it hath pleased God to dis-appoint unto this day and leave us as a broken and divided people ready to run into Blood and confusion which that we might prevent so great Calamities impending after our earnest seeking God for his Direction and Assistance we find no Expedient so likely for the satisfaction of the good
People and the quiet and welfare of this Common-Wâ—â—lâ—h as the re-admission of the Secluded Members in order to a Legal Dissolution of this Parliament by their own free consents and to issue Writs for a future Full Representative of the whole Common-Wealth of England Scotland and Ireland under such Qualifications as may secure our Cause â—o convene on the twentieth of April next at Westminster for the establishing this Common Wealth upon the foundations of Justice and true Freedom And to take away all just Jealousies from you we do assure you that we shall joyn with you in the maintenance of those ends expressed in the enclosed 〈◊〉 and do expect your chearful concurrence with us And we desire to take God to witnesse that we have no inten ions or Purposes to return to our old Bondage but since the Providence of God hath made us free at the cost of so much blood we hope we shall never be found so unfaithful to God and his People as to lose so glorious a Cause But we do resolve with the Assistance of God to adhere to you in the continuing of our dear purchased Liberties both Spiritual and Civil The reason of oâ—r Proceedings in this manner may seem strange but if you duly consider the necessities of our Affairs and the present state of things you will certainly conclude nothing so safe to secure Publick Interest and to engage the Nations Peaceably to submit to a Free State most of these Members having given us full assurance that their Session in Parliament shall not be longer than absolute necessity will require to the putting the Government into Successive Parliaments they not being free so to Act by the old Writs as when they shall be called upon a Common-Wealth Account and its the Opinion of the truest Friends to a Free State That it cannot be consistent with the perpetual sitting of these Members being contrary to the Nature of such a Government And as we are confident the present Parliament now sitting will not Repeal any of the Acts Ordinances or Orders of this Parliament for Sales of Publick Disposition of Lands so we shall in our Station observe and cause to be observed all other Acts and Ordinances of this Parliament whatsoever and humbly interpose with the next succeeding Parliament not only to passe a further Act of Confirmation of all such Sales and Dispositions of Lands here in Scotland but also of all the Distributions and Dispositions of Lands and Houses in Ireland to the Souldiery Adventurers or any other Persons made by or in pursuance of any of the Acts Ordinances or Orders of this present Parliament or any pretended Parliamentary Authority And we entreat You to send up an Officer to give to the Lord General Monck an Account of Your Acquiescence with Us herein And if any dis-affected Persons shall hereby take occasion to make disturbance of the Peace of the Common Wealth either in favour of CHARLES STUART or any other pretended Authority We desire you to secure them till the pleasure of the Parliament or Council of State be known in that behalf you shall speedly receive Encouragement supplies of Monies and indeed it was not the least Motive to induce us to this way of Composure of Affairs that we might facilitate the raising of Monies for the subsistance of the Army and Navy which would not otherwise have been done if at all but with effusion of Blood We have nothing more at this time but to assure you that we shall ever remain Dear Brethren and Fellow-Soldiers Your very Affectionte Friends GEORGE MONCK Cols R. Knight John Clobery Tho. Read Jo. Hubblethorne Leonard Litcot Tho. Sanders William Eyre Rich. Mosse William Farley Arthur Evelin John Streater Jo. Butler Quart Ma. Gen. L. Cols Ethelbert Morgan James Mutlow James Emerson Joseph Witter Dennis Pepper Majs James Dennis Rich Wagstaff Th. Johnson Fra. Nichols Jer. Smith Nath. Barton Tho. Higgs John Clark Capts. W. Goodwin Hen. Ogle White Hall Feb. 21. 1659. That was his Speech at the re-admitting the secluded Members