A Further Narrative of the Passages of these times in the Common-Wealth OF ENGLAND An Act for renouncing and disanulling the pretended Title of Charls Stuart and for the taking away of the Court of Wards and Liveries the Judgment of the House of Commons pronounced by Mr. Speaker against James Naylor the Quaker WITH The Triall of Miles Sundercombe being indicted of high Treason for conspiring against the life of his Highness the Lord Protector Feb. 9. 1656. A DAY Of Publick thanksgiving for the marvellous goodnesse of God to this Nation in the Island of Teneriffe under Generall Blake and giving them great success against the Ships of the King of Spain 16. fier'd and not one of ours lost An exact relation of the manner of the solemn Investiture or happy Inauguration of his Highness the Lord Protector at Westminster June 26. 1657. With his Oath and the Oath of the privy Councell and every person who now is or hereafter shall be a Member of either House of Parliament before he sit shall from and after the first of July 1657. take the same With a particular account of the taking in of the Fort of Mardike in Flanders by Dunkirke with the names of the House of Lord And some heads of the speech made by his Highnesse to both houses Jan. 1657. Which Parliament was dissolved the 4th of Feb. 1657. Printed by M. S. for Thomas Jenner at the South entrance of the Royall Exchange AN ACT FOR Renouncing and disanulling the pretended Title of CHARLS STUART c. FOr the better establishment of the peace of this Common-Wealth of England Scotland and Ireland and the Territories and Dominions thereunto belonging and for the prevention of the designs and attempts of the enemies thereof The Knights Citizens and Burgesses in this present Parliament assembled Do in the name of all the people of this Commonwealth fully freely absolutely and for ever Disclaim and Renounce all Fealty Homage or Allegiance pretended to be due unto Charls Stuart eldest Son of the late King Charls James Stuart second Son of the said late King Henry Stuart third Son of the said late King or any other the Issue or posterity of the said late King or any person or persons pretending or which shall at any time hereafter pretend Title by from or under him them any or either of them to hold or enjoy the Crowns of England Scotland and Ireland or of either or any of them or to have the Name Title Stile or Dignity of King or Queen of Great Britain King or Queen of England Scotland and Ireland Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwal Prince of Scotland Duke of Albany Duke of Rothesay Duke of York Duke of Gloucester any or either of them or to have and enjoy the Power Government or supream Magistracy of this Commonwealth or of any part thereof or of any the Territories or Dominions thereunto belonging or to have or enjoy as King or Queen of England Scotland and Ireland or of either or any of them Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwal Duke of Albany Duke of Rothesay Duke of York Duke of Gloucester or Prince of Scotland all or any the Honors Manors Lands Tenements Possessions and Hereditaments heretofore belonging or appertaining to the said Crowns of England Scotland and Ireland or to any or either of them or to the Principalitie of Wales Dutchy of Lancaster or Cornwal or any or either of them And be it declared and Enacted by his Highness the Lord Protector and this present Parliament assembled and the Authority thereof That the said Charls Stuart James Stuart Henry Stuart and all other the Issue and Posterity of the said late King and all and every person and persons pretending or which shall or may at any time hereafter pretend Title or Claim from by or under him or them be and are and shall for ever be absolutely and utterly excluded and debarred from holding or enjoying the Crown of England Scotland and Ireland or any or either of them or any the Dominions or Territories thereunto belonging and from holding or having the Name Title Stile or Dignity of King or Queen of Great Britain King or Queen of England Scotland and Ireland or any or either of them or of any the Dominions thereunto belonging Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwal Prince of Scotland Duke of Albany Duke of Rothesay Duke of York or Duke of Gloucester and from all Title Claim or Right as King or Queen of England Scotland and Ireland or of either or any of them Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwal Duke of Albany Duke of Rothesay Duke of York Duke of Gloucester or Prince of Scotland unto all or any the Honors Manors Lands Tenements Possessions or Hereditaments heretofore at any time belonging or appertaining to the said Crowns of England Scotland and Ireland or any or either of them and also from having exercising or enjoying any Power Authority Government or Magistracy in or over this Commonwealth or any the people thereof And that all such Right Title Claim or pretence of Right Title or Claim which they or any of them at any time heretofore at present or in time to come have doe shall or may make is hereby declared and adjudged and shall for ever hereafter be adjudged and taken to be utterly void and of no effect And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid and it is enacted That if any person or persons shall endeavour or attempt by force of armes or otherwise or shall be aiding assisting comforting or abetting unto any person or persons that shall by any wayes or means whatsoever endeavour or attempt the reviving or setting up of any pretended Right Title or Claim of the said Charls Stuart James Stuart Henry Stuart or of any other the Issue or Posterity of the said late King or of any person or persons claiming under him or them to any the Offices Stile Title Dignity or Authority aforesaid or any of them or shall declare publish or any way promote such pretended Right Title or Claim or shall give or contribute any summe or summes of Money or other aid or assistance to the said Charls Stuart James and Henry any or either of them That then every such offence shall be and is hereby deemed and adjudged high Treason and all and every the Offender and Offenders therein their Counsellors Aiders and Abettors being thereof convicted within three years after such Offence committed shall be deemed and adjudged Traytors and shall suffer and have such pains of Death and forfeitures as in case of high Treason is used and ordained Hen. Scobell Clerk of the Parliament AN ACT For the taking away the Court of Wards and Liveries WHereas the four and twentieth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred forty five the Court of Wards and Liveries and all Wardships Liveries Primer-seizins and Oustrelemaines and all other Charges incident or arising for or by reason of Wardships Livery Primer-seizin or
our Country man John Wicklof that famous witnesse of Christ against Antichrist even in the darkest times of Popery And I doubt no but that God who hath lately opened your bowels to so large and eminent a Contribution towards the persecuted Protestants at Piedmont for which many Thanksgivings have been made to God on your behalf will again draw out your hearts upon this like sad occasion to the like bountifull liberality it being our duty to cast our bread upon the waters and to give a portion to six and also to seven not being weary of well-doing because in due time we shall reap if we faint not Considering also how honourable it is to â—ct grace and to lay out our selves upon such occasions we recommmend iâ— again as the work of God accompanied with his own voyce calling aloud upon us to inlarge our selves in this ministration and withall to pour out our hearts in faith and prayer that the Lord would yet please to raise up Sâ—on upon the Ruins of Babylon hastening his work and blessing means to it John Trevor Christopher Pack Will. Purefâ—y Edward Cresseâ— Thomas Viner Joseph Caryl John Owen Will. Jenkyn Philip Nyâ— Will Cooper Edmond Caâ—â—â—y A Breviate of the impeachment of high Treason exhibited by Mr. Attorney Generall against John Hewet Doctor of Divinity consisting of these heads 1. THat to embroyl the Commonwealth in new and intestine troubles and to stir up Sedition and Rebellion within the Nation He together with others Traiterously and Maliciously raised force and levied war against his highnes and the government to subvert and alter the same 2. That he traiterously declared published and promoted Charls Stuart Eldest Son of the late King Charls to be King of England Scotland and Ireland c. 3. That he held correspondence with the said Charls Stuart And declared the same by these open deeds I. By conferring with one Trelawney Jo. Stapely and Henry Mallory how to effect the same II. By appoynting places of meeting to consult for effecting the same III. By encouraging Stapely and Mallory thereunto IV. By delivering Commissions to several persons in the Name of and as from the said Charls Stuart concerning the raising of forces and leavying the power aforesaid against his highnesse and the Government and this contrary to the statute in that case made and provided The substance of Sir Henry Slingsby's speech at Tower-Hill June 8. 1658. THat he stood condemned by the court of justice as contriving and endeavoring to withdraw divers officers of the garison of Kingston upon Hull from their duty and perswading them to a surrendring and yeelding up of that Garison and one that held correspondence with some beyond Sea to that end That it was true he had conference upon that account with the officers of that Garison and that he gave Major Waterhouse a commission signed Charls R. but that it was but an old one that had lain by him though he thought fit to make use of it to the Major Many passages he said there were which he would not insist on That some friends of his had made application to his Highnes for the saving of his life but it seemes it was thought fit not to be granted c. and therefore he submitted and was ready to dye c. He spake but low and very little and kept himselfe in a very even temper both in words and behaviour Then addressing himselfe againe to his friends he called for the executioner who having received his reward by the hand of a friend came to him placed the block in the middle of the Scaffold which Sir Henry beheld with his armes folded and a setled countenance an officer standing by with the Ax. Then the prisoner declaring he had no more to say stripped himselfe Before he put off his band he desired a friend standing by to take off a Ring which hung in his Bandstring 't was in the form and about the breadth of an ordinary seal but instead of a seale engraven it had the Picture of the late King done in little and very exactly When the Gentleman had taken it off he said these words to him Pray give this to Harry His doublet being off he kneel'd down before the block and lifting up his hands as before he again prayed privately to himself but was very short Then rising up and embracing his friends one after another tooke his leave of them all After this kneeling down and placing his neck upon the block the executioner struck off his head at one blow The Head was immediately taken off the Scaffold and put in a black Scarff the Body into the Coffin and the Head with it which being nailed up and covered was conveyed off the Scaffold into a Herse drawn by six horses which stood ready to receive it The sum of Doctor Hewet's Speech on the Scaffold Viz. That he had never been in such a Pulpit as this was and that he came thither within a few minutes to suffer death for the Truth and to bear testimony thereto according to that saying of our blessed Lord and Saviour For this end was I born and for this end came I into the world to bear witnesse to the Truth And that in two respects First as a Clergy-man and secondly as a Member of the community in which he lived As a Clergy-man he blessed God that had called him to the office of the Ministry though unworthy and that he had been baptized into the true faith and doctrine of the Gospel and thereby made a member of the Catholique Church especially of that part of it the Church of England which he looked upon as the purest for sound doctrine and orderly discipline of any in the christian world and disowned all others walking contrary thereunto Here the Reader is to observe that the Doctor was not questioned for any poynt of Faith he held but for being a Traitor and so he dyed not for truth but for Treason In the second place as one of the community or civill state he looked upon himselfe as borne a free Englishman and in that capacity had a right to the Liberties and priviledges of this Land and to the Laws thereof Here he tooke occasion to speake of passages at his tryall before the Court of Justice saying that having been advised by persons learned in the Law and being furnished with some books of Law cases and reports he was thereby instructed to make severall demands in court as that he might be satisfied about the jurisdiction of the court then that he might have counsel allowed afterwards being told in court that they were to try him in matter of fact to which he ought first to plead he in the next place said he desired that the matter might be heard by the Judges and thereupon appealed to them which would not be admitted he being told the court had a full Jurisdiction by Act of Parliament That he had alwayes insisted that he might have a Jury to be
tryed by but that was not granted him but the court being erected according to Act of Parliament they supplyed a Jury These things he insisted on as the Rights and Priviledges of an English man and being denied him he thereupon refused to plead That the President of the Court did indeed read the Clause in the Act which declared That in case he stood mute he must be taken as guilty upon default of answer and that he having made three defaults was at last taken from the bar then when he intended to have pleaded One would wonder such words should proceed from a dying man whereas all persons present and at his tryall do know that the Court had patience with him some hours and in a great deale of tendernesse towards him caused the Clause in the Act which concerns default of answer to be read to him several times and to the very last advised him to plead but he still refused and never uttered so much as one Syllable that he would plead Sr. Hen Slingsby Dr. Hewet Beheded at Tower-Hill June the 8th 1658 Col Ashton Iohn Betteley hanged Drawne quartred Ashton at mark Lane end the other in Cheep side Here I cannot but observe that this dying mans Charity was greater then his memory because what he sayes here clashes with what he said before it appearing by his own very words That if he were a Martyr for the people it was much against his will seeing a little before he tells us he would have pleaded to be Court and so have owned their jurisdiction and that if the owning of them had been to have given up the rights of the people It seems by his owâ— confession â—ere he would have done it in hope to have escaped this kinde of Martyrdome â—s he calls it Then he proceeded to this effect That having declared what passed upon his tryall in Court he would next proceed to cleere himselfe of some imputations laid upon him one whereof was That he was one engaged with those who were said to have designed the firing of the City to this he protested That had he been engaged amongst such persons that should have â—ntended such a horrid busines he would have been the first that should have discovered them Another was That it was reported he should entertain the Duke or Marquis of Ormond and harbored him in his house when lately here in England to which he protested That to his best remembrance he never saw his person A third was that it was reported he should be preaching at St. Gregories one Sunday and that the next after being absent he should be at Brudges in Flanders and there have communication with him whom he called the King and kiss his hand In answer to this he said That for these three yeares past he had not been threescore miles from this City and I am sure said he that Brudges in Flanders is a great deale farther This pains the Doctor might have spared seeing none of the particulars he was pleased to dilate upon were ever charged upon him by any Authority but it is very observable that in all his discourse upon the Scaffold he never made any prâ—â—â—station to declare his innocency concerning the matters charged in Court against him It being a time he thought wherein he might make more bâ—ld to straine his Oratory then his conscience and yet sure that was no time to stand confuting the Tattles of the Town In conclusion he said That having now spoken to the people he would also pray for them and blesse them in the name of the Lord and so kneeling in their view he made a long prayer the three Ministers kneeling behind him which seemed by the contexture of it to have been penned on purpose for the occasion because of the very many passages of the Common Prayer Book that were interwoven in it His prayer consisted of severall parts After which the Executioner asking him if he were ready he answered Yea and his head was severed from his body at one blow and a little rase of the Ax upon a small piece of the skin His head also was put up into a scarf and with his body put up into a coffin which stood ready on the Schaffold A Breviate of the charge of High treason exhibited against Summer and the rest for plotting contriving and endeavouring together with John Hewet late of London Doctor of Divinity deceased Henry Mallery late of London Gentleman Hartgil Baron Francis Mansel and other false Traytors and enemies to his highnesse and this Commonwealth 1. TO levv warre and raise force against his highnesse and the Common-wealth 2. For declaring and promoting Charls Stuart to be King of England For holding intelligence with Charls Stuart And they declared these Treasons by several overt acts I. By appointing several places of Meeting II. By conferring amongst themselves and others their complices how to effect their said Treasons III. By designing to fire the City of London or some part thereof IV. By providing and furnishing themselves with barrels of Powder and other habiliments of War V. By delivering commission in the name of and as from Charls Stuart VI By appoynting several Officers of War And this against the forme of the Statute in that case made and provided London July 17. This morning between nine and ten of the Clock Col. Ashton who was by the Court of Justice sentenced to suffer death as this day was accordingly conveyed in a Sled from Newgate drawn with four horses Dr. Warmistry sitting in the Sled with him to Tower-street over against Marke lane end where a Gibbet was erected being come to the place of Execution and taken off the Sled at his going up the Ladder he desired r. Warmistry to pray with him And just as he was going up the Ladder the doctor used these following words to him Almighty God who is a strong Tower be with thee and make thee know and feele that there is no other name under heaven whereby to attaine everlasting life but by the name of Jesus The blessing of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be with you hence forth and forever Amen When he was upon the Ladder he spake thus Ashton I hope I see my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Dr. Warmistry I hope so sayes the Dâ— passe on from the crosse to the Crown Remember who went before you Ashton I am brought here to a shamefull death I am an English man born and as many know a Gentleman born I am brought here by occasion of two fellows that corrupted me namely Topham and Langhorn who were the men that brought me acquainted with one Manley And Manley and the rest told me they would raise a Regiment for me and then I told them I would command it I was drawn into the businesse And now I am brought here for my former sins God hath delivered me severall times from severall judgments he hath visited me at this time because I
to have murthered himselfe his Body was according to Law drawn to the open place upon Tower-Hill at a Horses Taile with his head forward and there under the Scaffold of Common execution a Hole being digg'd he was turned in Starke naked and a Stake spiked with Iron was driven through him into the earth That part of the stake which remaines above ground being all plated with Iron which may stand as an example of terror to all Traytors for the time to come A narrative touching Col. Edward Sexby who lately dyed a Prisoner in the Tower Tower of London Jan. 20. COl Edward Sexby was by Warrant dated the 24 of July 1657. committed to the Tower of London close Prisoner for High Treason who within Ten dayes after he came in thither fell sick of an Ague and a Vomiting conceived to be the new disease then predominant which turned into a Feaverish distemper in which sicknesse he continued about nine weeks the strength thereof being so great that it brought him into many distracted fits for a great part of that time in which condition he would Cry out often That he was damned and in Hell and utter such like Expressions and his usuall answer to them that spake any thing to him was That it was a Lye yet notwithstanding lie was under that condition of 〈◊〉 he had some-intervalls wherein he spake very rationally 〈◊〉 severall times when he thought himselfe in a Condition like to dye he would send for the Lievtenant of the Tower with all speed and sometimes late in the Night season causing him to be called out of his Bed affirming that he had somthing of secrecy to reveale unto him in reference to the State and Commonwealth before his death But when the said Lievtenant of the Tower was come to him and that he found his fainting Qualms over and that he was a little better he would fall into other discourse and say The Devill would not let him speak out the Truth nor let him reveale any thing although he had before resolved to it and had much to speake to by way of Discovery yet one day viz. the 12. of October 1657. being well come to himself and having sent for the Lievtenant he was so ingenious as to confesse in part saying unto him Sir John I sent to you to tell you that I am guilty of the whole buisiness of Sindercomb as to the design of killing the Lord Protector c. and to that purpose I furnished Sindercomb with about 500 l. in Money and also with Arms and tyed him to an Engagement that he should not reveale the design And further he said The Letters they have of mine they could not prove them to be mine but by my own confession which I now confesse and acknowledge that they are mine and that I was with Charls Stuart and acquainted him that I was an Enemy to the Lord Protector and I also declare that I received a large sum of Mony from the Spaniard to carry on my said design and to make what confusion I could in England by endeavouring the Klling of the Lord Protector and by what other wayes I had in design and to the end the better to effect it I came into England in a disguised habit and was the principal in putting on others in the said design Many other like passages were spoken by him in presence of many credible witnesses and within two dayes after in the presence of Mr. Caril Minister and others he did acknowledg the former confession to be truth but said it was indiscreetly done of him to acknowledge the letters which they had of his at Whitehall to be his own seeing they could not otherwise prove it and before he had again seen and viewed them And then he again confessed That he was the only man that put on Sindercomb to kill the Lord Protector and that the Book called Killing no Murder he owned and said he was 〈◊〉 of that judgment yet said it was both foolishly and knavishly done in that book to charge the Lievtenant of the Tower touching Sindercombs death With severall other passages which for brevity sake are omitted As to his condition in his sicknesses He falling sick as is before mentioned sent for his own Physitian which was of his acquaintance viz. Doctor Brook who finding him under a Feverish distemper caused him to be let blood and blistered by attractive Medicines laid to his Feet and Arms to draw forth the malignity and he was thereby reasonable well recovered again But not observing his Doctors directions And although his Physitians and Nurses and all people that were held conduceable to his accommodations in all his sicknesses from first to last were made choice of by him and his wife and other relations Yet as to his Diet he wilfully humored and pleased his own appetite whereby he fell into a relapse which brought him into the height of madnesse for a time But after a while by following his doctors prescription he was recovered out of that distracted condition by application of Medicines only he continued disconverted in minde and used many subtil shifts and wiles to have the Guards taken from him and was somthing perplexed because he could not effect it although he was in a great measure recovered from his bodily weaknesse for some season till about the last of December that he complained of something rising in his throat and had stoppages that he could scarce breath and feared an Imposthume to be gathered in his throat and broken and that he should not have strength to bring it up His Wife then sent for a Woman to wash and cleanse his throat but his distemper increasing and coming up to the height of a malignant Fever Doctor Brook his former Physitian was sent for who when he came to him upon the fourth of January instant found him in great sweats and his throat sore and inflamed and that he was in a high Fever having red spots or Pustules with white watery wheyish matter in them like the Chicken Fox upon his Brest Neck and Arms All which the said Doctor judged to come from the putrefaction of his humors heightned by the violence of his former madnesse The Lievtenant of the Tower being made acquainted in what a dangerous condition he was ordered another Doctor and a Chirurgion to be sent for to view him and to advise with Doctor Brooke what they judged of him and what was best to apply to him who judged that he was in a very weak condition and that it did arise from the Malignity of his Disease as aforesaid in a way of naturall causes in which weak condition he continued a day or two more under violent inflamations and Sweatings which so weakened him that by reason thereof upon Wednesday morning the 13 of this instant January having said Lord have mercy upon me I am very sick about five of the clock he breathed out his last and died after which his wife desired his
inheritance XIIII The King of Denmark is to restore also to the King of Sweden all such places he took from him in this War and the three ships taken from the Swedish in the Sound are to be prized and the value thereof is to be restored to the Crown of Sweden XV The King of Denmarke is to resign to the King of Sweden all the claims which he pretends to any place in the Island Rugen XVI The King of Denmark is to be reconciled with the Duke of Hostein upon such tearmes as may stand with justice and equity and make an agreement answerably XVII The Forts and castles taken by either party are to be restored but not any Artillery and Amunition and the Subjects of Denmarke are to carry the Swedish Artillery to such places as the King of Sweden shall appoint XVIII Count Vlefield is to be restored to his goods and all his Revenues and charges shall be paid back from that time as the Commissioners shall determine His Lady and Mother in Law shall have liberty to dwell in Denmark where they please the Fees which he and his Son had as Hursholm Moene Hellingen and St Johns Cloyster he is to enjoy again according to the priviledge which they had there and his Lady also is to be restored to her due title of Honor XIX The published Minifestor of the King of Denmark is to be revoked and neither printed nor sold any more XX The King of Denmark is to let the King of Sweden have 2000 Horse and 2000 Foot Whitehall March 12. This afternoon the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Councill of the City of London came hither in a Body to attend his Highnesse as also the Commanders and Officers of the Army And being admitted to his presence his Highnesse was pleased in a Speech at large to represent unto them the danger wherein they of the whole City and the whole Nation were involved at present by reason of the new designes of the old Enemy Charls Stuart and his confederates abroad and his party here at home who have been at work secretly to imbroil the nation again in Blood as soon as he should be able to make his intended invasion His Highness also told them that he knew this to be true That he knew it by Letters of theirs intercepted by certain intelligence from abroad of their proceedings and by information from the mouths of such persons as had been engaged to act with them He acquainted them likewise that the Lord of Ormond whom some now call the Duke of Ormond in person had been lately here for three weekes together being come over on purpose to promote the design by encouraging and engaging as many as he could in and about this City and that he went away again on Tuesday last Also in order to this invasion Charls Stuart was waiting in Flanders having about eight thousand Men quartered in severall places near the water side as at Brugges Brussells Ostend c. And that two and twenty hired Ships were in readinesse to transport them waiting only for the opportunity of some darke night to slip by our Fleet which they may the more easily perform ours being ships of great burthen drawing much water and so not able to ride upon the Flats And therefore seeing a reall danger so near at hand and that the peace and safety of the City and the whole Nation is Highly concerned in it he desired the Citizens might be sensible of it and how much it behoves them to provide for their own and the Nations security And to that end his Highnesse recommended to the Lord Major and the Body of the City the setling of their Militia and that it might be setled in the hands of Pious and sober men well affected to the present Government and such as are free from discontent and faction persons that may carry on the worke with alacrity and discretion to put the City in a posture of defence that they may be in a condition to suppresse tumults and insurrections designed by the Enemies of our Peace and Prosperity Many other particulars his Highnesse insided on to give them an account of the present state of affairs and of divers past transactions but having no notes to help my memory and being afraid lest I may already have faln short in relating the Heads of what was more copiously and much better spoken I have only this to adde That the citizens expressed much cheerfulnesse in the presence of his Highnesse and departed with very great satisfaction Whitehall March 27. These following persons having been lately presented from the City to his Highnesse and the Councill to be added to the Committee of the Militia in London they are accordingly approved Sir Thomas Foot Knight William Thomson Walter Bigge Iohn Frederick Tempest Milner Thomas Chaundler Aldermen Charls Lloyd Therphilus Biddulph William Gower Esquires Mr. Maurice Gethin Mr. Thomas Steynes Mr. Iames Edwards This day a Presentation was made of the following Addresses to his Highness and it was presented by the hand of the noble Lord the Lord Charls Fleetwood attended by the Officers of the Army To his Highnesse the Lord Protector of the Common wealth of England Scotland and Ireland c. The Humble Addresse of the Officers of your Highnesse Army WE being deeply sensible of the continuall dangers from the common enemy that have attended your Highness person and of the immense weight of businesse for the good of the Nation that hath lain and still lieth upon you together with the great opposition from severall sorts of enemies that you have met with ever since you were pleased to undertake the Government for the procuring the quiet and promoting the prosperity of this Common-wealth do judge it our duty to contribute as much as in us lyeth to strengthen your Highnesse hands and obviate the designes of your enemies And therefore do as one Man with plainnesse and sincerity of heart declare unto your Highnesse That notwithstanding the base Calumnies and Lies your and our enemies have cast upon us and dispersed throughout the whole Nation That your Army is divided and much of it from your self We doe remain through the mercy of God firmly united one to another and all of us to your Highnesse as our Generall and Chief Magistrate and hope that God hath so in love and faithfulness cemented us together as that neither the subtilty of Satan nor the malice of crafty and ill-affected men shall be able to severe us And we make it our earnest and humble request to your Highnesse That as a mighty man strengthned by the Lord you will run and not be weary in that race God hath set you in till it please the Lord you have setled the great ends of all our former engagements our civill and spirituall liberty which we hope is already in a good measure well provided for by The Humble Petition and advice And in all your actings tending thereunto We doe freely and heartily engage