A COLLECTION Of Several LETTERS AND DECLARATIONS SENT BY General Monck Unto the Lord Lambert the Lord Fleetwood and the rest of the General Council of Officers in the ARMY AS ALSO Unto That part of the Parliament called the Rump The Committee of Safety so called The Lord Mayor and Common Council of the City of London The Congregated Churches in and about London LONDON Printed in the Year 1660. A LETTER FROM General Monck TO KING CHARLES May it plÌ„ease your Majesty SEeing it hath pleased God out of his gracious will and pleasure to cause me to cast my Eye upon this Common-wealth of England my native Country and your three Kingdomes and viewing there to behold the sad and lamentable condition that now and for many years past it hath been intangled in which as Reason and Conscience together perswades me is occasioned chiefly for want of its ancient and ever customed way of Government to wir a King and Parliament which hath been unsetled altogether amongst us ever since the unhappy death of your Majesties late father our King by reason whereof our ancient and accustomed wholesome Laws both of Church and State are most strangely torn and massacred and all through the self-seeking ends of some certain persons which at present I judge not fit herein to be communicated who having gotten the power of the sword in their hands thought for ever to rule and reign over their opposers I think in spight of God or man But of late some of those I hope I may truly bless the name of the Lord for it who were the chief Rulers of those unhappy Differences between our King and his three poor distracted Kingdomes are taken out of this World insomuch that the Power of those remaining is much weakened But yet they will I perceive seek to tread in the felf same steps of them that have gone before them as seeking only to set up their own Interest although to the utter ruine of the Nation Studying how of littleness to become great hating the name of a King but would joyfully imbrace the power thereof yea I may say they seek far more Power than ever our late King did take upon him and all this done under the zealous pretence of Saintship and Religion the form or manner whereof is plainly manifested by their tollerating and setting up of strange Sects of Relâ—gion as Anabaptists Quakers and such like seeking utterly to destroy and pull down our antient Orthodox Divines unless timely prevented I question not but your Majesty is very well knowing of the Power which for some few years past I have had in governing the English Army here in Scotland which Power when I had once obtained I did resolve as much as in me lay to keep until a fit time and opportunity should offer it self that I might imploy it for the glory of God and the good of your Majesty whose faithful Subject I humbly acknowledge my self to be Now so it is may it please your Majesty I plainly seeing and with a sad heart beholding the threatning hand of the Lords severe Judgements stretched forth against these three Kingdoms which forthwith must and will inevitably fall heavy upon us for ought as can be imagined to the utter ruin both of King and Subjects unless suddenly prevented by our humble submission to the Lord and an unfeigned Repentance of our former miscarriages May it also please your Majesty to give me leave to acquaint you that I humbly conceive I had never a better opportunity of doing my Country service in freeing them from their Egyptian bondage as I may term it and in restoring the Crown to the right owner thereof which if possible to be done shall be done with as much care safety and diligence as God shall enable me and that with as little wrong as may be either to King or Subjects which work when it is perfected I hope will tend to the settlement of our ancient Protestant Religion In tender consideration of all which Premises I most humbly beg that high favour of your Majesty that you will be graciously pleased to permit me to make these Proposals following First whether your Majesty will be pleased to accept of the real endeavours of me your unworthy Subject and Servant to be imployed in being a means in helping your Majesty to a quiet and safe possession of three Kingdoms which have with violence been so long time withheld from you If yea Then Will your Majesty be pleased to consent to a Treaty to be had between your Majesty and a free Parliament which shall be lawfully Elected and Chosen by the Country whose care I hope will be for the choosing of such honest godly and religious men as had no hand in the death of our late King or since his death have by any unlawful means whatsoever enjoyed any of his Lands Tenements or Rents or the Lands Tenements and Rents of the late Deans and Chapters or any of your late sequestred Subjects or which since his death have appeared violent in their acting against Kingship and consequently against your Majesty our lawful King Not in the least that I have any malice or evil will against such persons but for that my Conscience tells me that so long as self-interessed persons are suffered to sit in Parliament there is little good to be expected either for King or Kingdome for it is a hard thing for men to act against their own selves to the loss of their Lands and Livings which they suppose they have so honestly gained If your Majesty will be pleased to consent to such a Treaty and that thereupon it may be agreed upon that your Majesty shall be restored to your three Kingdoms which I question not but will be the event of such a Treaty Then I humbly beg that your Maj. would be pleased to think fit to declare what mercy and pitty you are pleased shall be shewn to all those that have been the chief of your enemies whose blood in severity of justice might deservedly be spilt upon their humble submission to your Majesty and their promise of future obedience for I hope you will judge that the onely way to joyn the hearts of the People of your three Kingdoms to pray for your happy success in all things and not only so but it will undoubtedly encourage them all to venter their Lives against all your opposers if any shall contest and also that your Majesty would be pleased to declare out of your gracious goodness what satisfaction shall be made to the poor Common Souldiery throughout your three Kingdomes who have been forced to take up Arms although against your Majesty for meer necessity to keep them and their Families from starving who indeed are much behind in their pay which will be utterly lost and undone unless your Majesty take compassion upon them which if you are pleased so to do I question not but you will find as much humility and submission from them as can
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
the Parliament THat the Gates of the City of London and the Portcullises thereof be forthwith destroyed and that the Commissioners for the Army do take Order that the same be done accordingly Tho. St. Nicholas Clerk to the Parliament A LETTER FROM His Excellencie THE LORD General Monck AND The Officers under His Command to the Parliament In the Name of themselves and the Souldiers under them Dated the 11. of February 1659. With the Parliaments ANSWER thereunto Mr. Speaker VVE cannot but with thankfulness acknowledge the wonderful goodness of God to You in Your return to the discharge of Your remaining Trust and Your Forces under our commands after some difficulties in bringing of Us by a tedious March in such safety to this place to wait upon You in asserting the Freedoms of our Native Countrey and being here as we have to our utmost Hazard and Power been instrumental in your return so we shall be still 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 some hing grievous to us and to the Officers and Souldiers under out Commands and that because we do not remember any such thing that was acted upon this City in all these Wars and we fear that many sober people are much grieved at it apprehend farther force to be offered to them while they seem principally to desire the speedy filling up of the House which you have declared for as well as we have express'd our just desires of and are apt to doubt left what we have done may be so far from answering the expected end as that it may encrease the discomposure of mens spirits in the Nation Upon this occasion it comes fresh into our minds that when by the treachery of some Officers of the Army you were interrupted we declared to the world That the ground of our undertaking was not only your return to your Trust but also the Vindication of the Liberties of the People and the preservation of the Right of our Countrey the protection and encouragement of the godly and faithfull therein as the establishment of the Peace of these Nations Which declarations maâ—e before the Lord Angels and men in the day of our extremity 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 left 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 affraid that the late wonderfull and unparallell'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 Tirannical 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 hazzarding of the whole Nations contrary to our expectation We find 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 foul Enormities which maketh us yet to suspect that we are in some danger of returning into 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 not only 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 design to provoke the Parliament to enforce an Oath upon the Nation and to 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 deep 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 would prove themselves most faithfull and a doore would be opened in design to retrive the Interest of those who have by the just hand of our gracious God made themselves so 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 incurre the censure of unjust rigidity We freely profess our desires that tenderness of conscience may have its full just liberty but we cannot in judgement account that tenderness of conscience which will not scruple at treachery it self or any unrighteousness to carrey on corrupt designes Having presented you with our fears we shall adde our Resolutions 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
and to him belongs the glory of it and I esteem it as a great effect of his goodness to me that he was pleased to make me amongst many worthier in your service some way instrumental in it I did nothing but my duty and do not deserve to receive so great honour and respect as you are pleased to give me at this time and place which I shall ever acknowledge as an high mark of your favour to me Sir I shall not now trouble you with large Narratives onely give me leave to acquaint you that as I marcht from Scotland hither I observed the people in most Counties in great and earnest Expectations of Settlement and they made severall Applications to me with numerous subscriptions the chiefest Heads of their desires were for a free and full Parliament and that you would determine your sitting A Gospel Ministry Incouragement of Learning and Universities And for admittance of the Members secluded before 1648. without any previous Oath or Engagement To which I commonly answered That you are now in a free Parliament and if there be any force remaining upon you I would endeavour to remove it and that you had voted to fill up your House and then you would be a full Parliament also and that you had already determined your sitting and for the Ministry their Maintenance the Laws and Universities you had largely declared in your last Declaration and I was confident you would adhere to it but as for those Gentlemen secluded in the year 1648. I told them you had given Judgment in it and all people ought to acquiesce in that Judgment but to admit any Members to sit in Parliament without a previous Oath or Engagement to secure the Government in being it was never yet done in England And although I said it not then I must say with pardon to you That the less Oaths and Engagements are imposed with respect had to the security of the Common Cause your Settlement will be the sooner attained to I am the more particular in these matters to let you see how gratefull your present Consultations about these things will be to the people I know all the sober Gentry will heartily close with you if they may be tenderly and gently used and I am sure you will so use them as knowing it to be our common Concern to expatiate and not narrow our interest and to be carefull neither the Cavalier nor Phanatique party have yet a share in your Civil or Military Power of the last of whose impatience to Government you have had so severe experience I should say something of Ireland and Scoland Indeed Ireland is in an ill condition and made worse by your sudden Interruption which pretended the passing an Act for the settlement of the Estates of Adventures and Souldiers there which I heard you intended to have done in a few days and I presume it will be quickly done being so necessary at this time when the wants of the Common-wealth call for supplyes and people will unwillingly pay Taxes for those Estates of which they have no legal assurance I need not tell you how much your favour was abused in the Nomination of your Officers of your Army there their Malice hath been sufficiently manifested I dare affirm that those now that have declared for you will continue faithfull and thereby evince that as well there as here it is the sober interest that must establish your Dominion As for Scotland I must say the people of that Nation deserve much to be cherished and I believe your late Declaration will much glad their spirits for nothing was more dreadfull to them then a fear to be over-run with Phanatique Notions I humbly recommend them to your Affection and Esteem and desire the intended Act of Union may be prosecuted and their Takes made proportionable to those in England for which I am engaged by promise to be an humble Suitor to you And truly Sir I must ask leave to entreat you to make a speedy provision for their Civil Government of which they have been destitute near a year to the ruine of many Families and except Commissioners for management of the Government and Judges to sit in Courts of Judicature be spedily appointed that Coutry will be very miserable I directed Mr. Gumble lately to present to you some Names both of Commissioners and Judges but by reason of your great Affairs he was not required to deliver them in writing to you but I now humbly present them to your Consideration A LETTER OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE Lord Gen. Monck TO The Speaker of the Parliament from Guild-Hall London Right Honourable IN obedience to the Commands received from the Council last night I marched with your Forces into the City this morning and have secured all the persons except two ordered to be secured which two were not to be found The Posts and Chains I have given order to be taken away but have hitherto forborn the taking down of the Gates and Portcullises because it will in all likelihood exasperate the City and I have good ground of hopes from them that they will levie the Assess They desiring onely first to meet in Common-council which they intend to do to morrow morning It seems probable to me that they will yield obedience to your Commands and be brought to a friendly compliance with You for which reason I have suspended the execution of Your commands touching the Gates and Portcullises till I know Your further pleasure therein which I desire I may by this Bearer I shall onely desire that so Your commands may be answered with due obedience such tenderness may be used towards them as may gain their affections They desired the Restauration of those Members of their Common-council that are secured which desires of theirs I shall only commend to Your grave consideration to do therein as You shall think most expedient and in attendance upon Your further commands Remain Your most humble and obedient Servant GEORGE MONCK Guild-Hall Feb. 9. 1659. To the Right Honourable William Lenthal Speaker to the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England at Westminster POSTSCRIPT I Shall become an humble Suiter to You That You will be pleased to hasten Your Qualifications that the Writs may be sent out I can assure You it will tend much to the Peace of the Country and satisfie many honest Men Thursday Afternoon Feb. 9. THis Letter from General George Monck from Guild-Hall London of the 9th of February 1659. was read Resolved upon the Question by the Parliament That the Answer to this Letter be to send General Monck the Resolve of the Parliament That the Gates of the City of London and the Portcullises thereof be forthwith destroyed And that he be Ordered to put the said Vote in Execution accordingly and that Mr. Scot and Mr. Pury do go to General Monck and acquaint Him with these Votes Tho. St. Nicholas Clerk to the Parliament Thursday February 9. 1659. Resolved upon the Question by
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
I desire you will joyn with us in your desires that this Parliament may be restored to the excution of their duties and trust with freedome and honour I have no more but my hearty Love and service to you all desiring God to bless you all and make you happy instruments for the good these Nations in your severall places which shall be alwayes the Prayer of dear Friends Your humble Servant and fellow Souldier G. M. Edenburgh Novemb. 29. 1659. To the Right Honourable Vice Admiral Goodson to be Communicated to the rest of the Officers of the Fleet in Answer to the Letter that was sent to me from them A LETTER Of General George Moncks Dated at Leicester 23 Ianuary and directed unto Mr. Rolle to be communicated unto the rest of the Gentry of Devon occasioned by a late Letter from the Gentry of Devon dated at Exceter 14 Ianuary and sent by Mr. Bampfield to the Speaker to be communicated unto the Parliament Read in Parliament Jan. 26. Most honoured and dear Friends MEeting with a Paper dated at Exon the 13 instant directed to William Lenthal Esq Speaker of the Parliament and subscribed by divers of my friends and relations purporting the recalling the Members secluded 1648. as the best expedient for establishing these Nations upon a foundation of lasting peace I have taken the boldness from my relation to some of you as allyed and my affectionate respects to all of you as dear Friends and Countrey-men to represent to your consideration my present apprehensions of the state of Affairs here in order to all our better satisfactions wherein I humbly crave your leave of freedom without prejudice Before these unhappy Wars the Government of these Nations was Monarchical in Church and State these wars have given birth and growth to several Interests both in Church and State heretofore not known though now upon many accounts very considerable as the Presbyterian Independent Anabaptist and Sectaries of all sorts as to Ecclesiasticks and the Purchasers of the Kings Queens Princes Bishops Deans and Chapters and all other forfeited Estates and all those engaged in these Wars against the King as to civils These Interests again are so interwoven by Purchases and intermarriages and thereby forfeited as I think upon rational grounds it may be taken for granted That no Government can be either good peaceful or lasting to these Nations that doth not rationally include and comprehend the security and preservrtion of all the foresaid Interests both Civil and Spiritual I mean so far as by the Word of God they are warranted to be protected and preserved If this be so Then that Government under which we formerly were both in State and Church viz. Monarchy cannot possibly be admitted for the future in these Nations because its support is taken away and because its exclusive of all the former Interests both Civil and Spiritual all of them being incompatible with Monarchical Vniformity in Church and State thus expired That Government then that is most able to comprehend and protect all Interests as aforesaid must needs be Republique Wherefore to me it 's no small doubt if upon the Premises to admit of the Members secluded 1648. were not to obstruct our peace and continue our War rather than establish the one and end the other in that very many of those Members assert the Monarchical Interest together with the abolition of all Laws made since their seclusion Which I fear upon accompt of self-preservation both of Life and Estate as well as Spiritual Liberty will immediatly involve all these Nations in most horrid and bloody War afresh the very apprehensions whereof I confess I do infinitely dread and submit the dangerous consequence thereof to your prudent considerations and the rather seeing the Army also will never endure it Having thus briefly laid before you the present condition of Affairs let me now intreat you to consider whither it were not better to desist from that Paper and submit to the proceedings of this Parliament who have resolved to fill up their House determin their sitting and prepare a way for future successions of Parliament by which means being full and thereby comprehending the whole Interest of these Nations they may through God's Mercy and all our patiences establish such a Government in the way of a Common-wealth as may be comprehensive of all interests both Spirituall and Civil to the glory of God and the weale and peace of the whole But if by your impatiencies they be obstructed our peace will be so much the longer a stranger to us and we thereby a prey to our selves and all forreign Enemies Wherefore humbly pressing these upon your serious considerations with all the friendly and affectionate respects and service to you all I remain Dearest Friends Your very humble and affectionate Servant GEORGE MONCK Leicester 21. Jan. 1659. For the honoured Robert Rolles Esq to be communicated to the Gentlemen of Devonshire who signed the late Letter to the Speaker of the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England A LETTER FROM THE Officers at Whitehal To the OFFICERS under General Monck In SCOTLAND Dear Brethen and Fellow Souldiers WE most heartily wish Grace and Truth to be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord And also we desire the God and Father of all Grace to add to your Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledg and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity Dear Brethren We cannot but be deeply affected and afflicted in our own spirits to consider of your dissatisfaction with us upon mistaken grounds You have known us this many years to be your faithful Brethren that durst do nothing that is sinful And we may affirm with plainness honesty and simplicity of heart we have done nothing in the late Revolution but that which the Providence of the most wise God prepared to our hands and led us unto without so much as one half hours time to design or resolve to take that course we were necessitated unto Since which most of such persons that were not clear in the present and sudden Action have made their acknowledment of their full satisfaction and we are mutually reconciled and they are received and tendered by us as affectionate Brethren And for a more full Narrative of the providential Grounds and gradual Steps that led us to that Work yet with aking hearts and as an Answer to your Queries signed in your name by William Clerk Secretary bearing date the 22. instant We refer you to a Book Intituled The Armies Plea and also The Armies Declaration relation thereunto being had we hope will give you satisfaction Loving Brethren What have we done that you are offended we are not conscious that any thing is acted by us upon the publick Theater but that which we judge is acceptable to God And what we have done hath proceeded from uprightness of heart and for the glory of God
the good of his Intrest Cause and People in these Nations Nothing less than these worthy ends could have caused us to adventure our All that is dear to us for your and their sakes And after such a hazard our Brethren to look shy upon us yea such with whom we have lived and conversed together prayed fought and jeoparded our lives together and witnesses together of the glory of the most high God in the high places of the field Yea we that are of one Society of one Family and Houshold that none hitherto through the grace of God could dis-unite us now to be at a distance with us is the greatest wound to us which is unexpressable If it had been from our Enemies we could have born it Oh but they are the wounds of the house of our Friends And all this arising without dealing brotherly with us and without so much as sending to know the providential Grounds that led us to these Undertakings And likewise your and our unhappiness hath been possibly by mis-informations received by those who have corresponded with the principal occasioners of this Breach However we are censured by you we shall we hope carry Christianly and Brotherly towards you and exercise our selves in the Doctrine of our Saviour If any be overtaken in a fault restore such a one in the spirit of meekness knowing also we are subject to like temptations And we ought to pitty and pray for one another and forgive one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us We hope the fear of God will guide you so that you may do nothing to grieve Him and his little Flock and rejoyce the common Enemy abroad and at home nor give them advantages to make a prey of these poor Nations What can you propound to your selves If you are for good things so are we if for a Free-State and Common-wealth so are we if against a Single Person so are we if for Reformation so are we if for Godliness and the Nations to be exalted in Righteousness so are we Why do we differ in the form and way to it Oh dear friends if you should precipitately engage iâ—to a War and should Conquer your Brethren would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be a Conquest over your selves and all the 〈◊〉 People of the Land And if they are gone certainly if you retain your old Principles you would not desire to live long 〈…〉 〈…〉 Brethren We commend unto you that place of 〈◊〉 Josh. 1. 14 15. We shall with our bended knees implore the God of Heaven and King of Saints to guide you and perswade you as holy Noah said in another case Gen. 9. 27. God shall perswade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shim Finally Brethren farewel Be of good comfort Let us be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you and us We remain Your most affectionate Brethren and Fellow-Souldiers Dear Friends We hope to hear in your Answer to this that all our dear Friends now in Bonds are at Liberty and that the Lord hath satisfied your hearts to acquiesce in his present Dispensations so as we may not expose each other to further Inconveniency A RETURN OF THE General Officers IN SCOTLAND To the aforesaid LETTER of the OFFICERS at Whitehall Dear Brethren and Fellow Souldiers in the Lord IN the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ We return you our most hearty wishes and prayers That Grace and Truth and Peace also might be multiplied unto you And that to your Faith and your Vertue and your Knowledge and your Temperance and your Godliness and your brotherly Kindness and your Charity might be added Patience and Meekness and Humility and Self-denial Great are the thoughts of our hearts for the divisions in Reuben and we are as you express it deeply affected and afflicted in our own spirits when we consider what cause we have to be dissatisfied with you our dear Brethren you with whom we have lived and conversed together with whom we have prayed and fought and jeoparded our lives together with whom we have taken sweet Counsel and walked together in the House of God as Friends But we cannot conceal from you that our Affection and Affliction of spirit is much increased by the Letter you sent us by Captain Deane and by the Books you referred us to in that Letter We had before some small indeed our onely hopes that there might be some mistake between us but alas We cannot but now think since we find you have no more to say for your selves that Our fears were but too true the Causes of our Dissatisfaction at your present actings but too just We shall deal with you with that plainness and freedom and sincerity that becometh Brethren for so we think it becometh us To fulfil all Righteousness And so we think it expedient both for you and us that We may the sooner come to a right understanding one of another We could not be satisfied that there was any such need of more General Officers the first occasion of this unhappy difference as that the Parliament should be pressed to it so unseasonably and so just a jealousie created in them that there was a Design to set up a Single Person of which they had but so late and so sad experience and we could not but think it sufficient for the security of the good Interest that the Army was united under one head the Parliament We were less satisfied that after you declared your Satisfaction and Acquiescence in the Votes of the House you should endeavour by a new way to wrest the Power out of their own hands and to prosecute the same Designe This making the Army a Corporation in a manner Independent from the Civil Power and creating to it an Interest distinct from that of the Peoples by whom they hitherto have and still must live and for whom they are by their Engagements and Duties bound to dye and that after you knew the Parliament had in effect disapproved your Petition you should still endeavour to get more hands to it which neither the Parliament not we our selves could look upon any otherwise then as a design to force the Parliament to grant what they had already in effect disapproved if not to do that which you say was done at less then half an hours warning But then that after the sad experience of so many confusions tossings which these poor Nations had already felt by such actings as these after the unhappy since acknowledged unlawful former interruption of that by your selves called famous long Parliament after the Confusions and Distractions of that little one of your own and not of the Peoples choosing after the occasion by them given to some of setting up and the necessity imposed on us of accepting a Single Person contrary to our former Engagements and to our Interests after our late renewed Engagement and our solemn and serious expressions of Repentance That you
Service The last night Capt. Campbelt came express from Ireland giving a full account of their affection to the Parliament and of the late Transactions there That they had seized Dublin Castle and secured Jones and others with a Declaration to stand by and own your Authority for which on this instant we kept a day of Thansgiving They writ also to the Irish Brigade in England which I dispatched to them Six Hardress Waller gives me an Account that all the Forces and Garrisons in Ireland had Declared for you This is such a mercy that I hope the Lord will make us sensible of and careful to improve They required my opinion as to managing of the Affairs of the Army which in such an urgent necessity I presumed to give I have disposed of most of the vacant Commands in Scotland to very honest men who are ready to dye for your Service or to disband at your Command And before your Letter came to hand I had disposed of Col. Saunders and Major Bartons Commands the Lord Lamberts Forces pressing upon me I could not leave my vacant Places unsupplied but I know that this Work prospering you will have opportunity enough to gratifie them Capt. Izods place is reserved for him according to your pleasure I humbly thank the Members of the Council for that Great Honour that they were pleased to conferr upon me and hope you never shall find but such an absolute obedience from me to your Commands that I shall be more ready to return that Commission then to receive it I believe that you never doubted of my persevering in those good Principles I declared for and that I should comfortably if the Lord had pleased to frown upon us have suffered in this most Righteous undertaking I have made ready to March but am unwilling to hazzard your Justice and Authority upon a Fight when it may be done with more security I shall attend your further Command and desire the Lord to bless your Forces and Counsels and to restore you in your just Authority which is both the Prayer and endeavour of Sir Your most humble and faithful Servant GEORGE MONCK Caldstream 29. December 1659. POST-SCRIPT I thought fit to acquaint you That my Lord Warreston hath endeavoured to stir up the People of this Nation as much as he could against your Interest Col. Lyscot having been very faithful and active for the Parliament in this Undertaking I entreat your Lordships to be mindful of him for a Regiment of Horse I have given him the Command of a Foot-Regiment but he was alwayes of Horse and is a very honest and stout Gentleman and fit to Command a Regiment of Horse I have sent your Lordships the Copies of my last Letters and of the Officers here to my Lord Lambert and the Officers of Nen castle and also to the Commissioners of Parliament at Portsmouth that you may be acquainted with our Transactions Major Knight has Col. Saunders Regiment and Capt. Prime is Major I entreat you to Communicate this to the rest of the worthy Members of Parliament with you GEORGE MONCK A LETTER Sent by His EXCELLENCY The LORD General Monck To the CONGREGATED CHURCHES In and about LONDON Honoured and dear Friends I Received Yours and am very sensible of your Kindness which you have expressed to the Army in Scotland in sending down such Honourable and Reverend Persons so long and tedious a Journey whom we have received with thankfulness and great joy as your Messengers of the Churches and Ministers of Christ and have taken notice of this Office of L ve and of your care of these three Nations I do promise for my Trust and the rest of the Officers here That your Intrest Liberty and Encouragement shall be very dear to us and we shall cake this as a renewed Obligation to Assert to the uttermost what we have already Declared for the Churches of Jesus Christ I doubt not but you have received Satisfaction of our Inclination to a peaceâ—bâ—e Accommodation and do hope that some Difficulties being united we shall obtain a fair Composure I do assure you that the great things which have been upon my heart to secure and provide for are our Liberties and Freedoms as we â—re the Subjects and Servants of Jesus Christ which are Conveyed to us in the Covenant of Grace assured in the Promises purchased for us by the Blood of our Saviour and given as his great Legacy to his Churches and People in comparison of what we esteem all other things as Dung and Dross but as they have relation to and dependance upon this most noble end The other are our Laws and Rights as Men which must have their esteem in the second place and for which many Members of the Churches hath been eminent Instruments to labour in sweat and Blood for these Eighteen Years last past and our Ancestors many hundred Years before the substance of which may be reduced to Parliamentary Government and the People consenting to the Laws by which they are to be Governed that this priviledge of your Nations may be so bounded That the Churches may have both Security and Encouragement is my great desire and of those with me So that I hope you will own these just things and give us that Assistance which becometh the Churches of Christ in pursuance of this Work And we do assure you that we shall comply as far as possible with respect had to your Security and Safety of these Nations and the preservation of our Ancient Birth-Rights and Liberties and we shall pray that we may be kept from going out of Gods way under pretence of doing Gods Work I do in the Name of the whole Army and for my self give you all our affectionate thanks for this your Work of Love and though we are not able to make such Returns as are in our hearts and desires to do yet we shall endeavour by all means and wayes to express our Care and Love to the Churches and shall leave the Reward to him who is the God of Peace and Truth in special assured a Blessing to the Peace-makers And conclude with the words of David 1 Sam. 25. 32. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel and blessed be your Advice and blessed be you all Now the Lord be a Wall of Fire ronnd about you and let his presence be in his Churches and they filled with his Glory I have no more but to intreat your Prayers for an happy Issue to these unhappy Differences Which is the Prayer of him who is Reverend Sirs and dear Friends Your very Affectionate Friend and Servant GEORGE MONCK Edinburgh Nov. 23. 1659. For my Reverend Friends Dr. Owen Mr. Hook Mr. Greenhil to be Communicated to the Churches in and about London THE Lord Generall Monck HIS SPEECH Delivered by him in the PARLIAMENT On Munday Feb. 6. 1659. Mr. Speaker AMongst the many mercies of God to these poor Nations your peaceable Restauration is not the least it is his work alone