Humbly Sheweth,
THAT whilst we contemplate the Wonderful and Glorious Ap­pearance of the Most High God, by whom Kings Reign, and Prin­ces decree Acts of Justice, in raising up your Majesties in that No­ble and Illustrious, though Hazardous Undertaking, to preserve the Three Kingdoms from Arbitrary Power, Popery, and Slavery, and therein made You their Saviour, through his Presence with You, and so moved the Hearts of the People to say, as sometimes they did to Gideon, Do thou Rule over us, for thou hast delivered us, &c. We, whose Good is wrapt up in theirs, cannot but according to our Duty, render our unfeigned Thanks, first, to Almighty God the Author thereof, and then to Your Majesties, as the Happy Instrument in his Blessed Hand, and take this first Opportunity to Congra­tulate Your Excellent Majesties quiet Accession to the Crown; Humbly Im­ploring the God of all Grace to be with You, Guiding, Protecting, Blessing, and making both Your Majesties a Blessing to the Nations over whom he hath or may set You, to lay the Foundation of Happiness for many Generations: And, as Duty binds us, we Humbly Signifie to Your Majesties the ready Al­legiance and Obedience which our People bear unto You, who on the first Intelligence of what was done by the Parliament of England, did with the greatest Joy and Solemnity our mean Condition would capacitate us unto, Proclaim Your Majesties King and Queen of England, &c. Which being first done, they proceeded to the Election of the Governour and Assistants, ac­cording to their former and accustomed way and order from the first Consti­tution of the Government in this Colony, which we have enjoyed for more than Threescore and six years, and therefore humbly conceive, we have good Title thereunto by Prescription, which, according to Cook (that Oracle of the Law) is one of those ways whereby Corporations, or Bodies Politick do commence and are established. Besides that, we have been from time to time owned and acknowledged therein as such by King Charles the Second in sun­dry of his Royal Letters unto us, assuring us, that we should enjoy all our Li­berties, both Ecclesiastical and Civil, without the least violation; and that he would always remember the ready, manifestations, upon all occasions of the [Page 2] Loyalty, Duty, and Affection of his good Subjects of this Colony for their Advantage; with many other Expressions of great Grace and Favour, as in his Royal Letters of the 23 d. of April, 1664. and of the 10 th. of April, 1666. and 12 th. of Feb. 1679/80. may more fully appear. And by King James the Se­cond in his Royal Letters of the 20 th. of June, 1685. promising at all times to extend his Royal Care and Protection of us in the preservation of our Rights, &c. which we also quietly enjoyed without any interruption, till after the sixty six years aforesaid, they were in the Year 1686 injuriously taken from us by Sir Edmond Andros his Illegal Arbitrary Government over us, which [...]ow being ceased by the surrender of his Government, and his Person with other ill Instruments seized by sundry Gentlemen, lovers of their Country, encou­raged by Your Princely Declarations, and Noble Example, &c. In doing of which, though we had no hand, yet do partake of the Benefits thereof, in being freed from many Arbitrary, Tyrannical Invasions we were exposed un­to, on our Persons, Lands, Rights, and Liberties; and we being left without Government, were humbly Confident, that it would not in the least be dis­pleasing to Your Gracious Majesties for us to resume a Government on our former Foundation, so surreptitiously taken from us, without the least intima­tion of any Misgovernment, or direct Notice to us from His Majesty of his Pleasure for our Surrender.

We now further also become Your Majesties most Humble Suppliants, That the bright Rays of Your Princely Favour may be cast on this Your poor Nursling, being the first English Plantation erected in New England, whose Predecessors, that they might enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences in the pure Scriptural Worship of God (without Offence to other worthy Persons of a Different Perswasion) under the desirable Protection of their Soveraign, and the enlargement of his Dominions, did at their own proper Cost and Charge, run that Hazardous, Amazing Adventure with their Wives and Chil­dren, first to break the Ice into this vast American Desart, where they had no Friend nor House to shelter them from the Extremities of Hunger and Cold, nor from Wild Men and Wild Beasts, which they had to conflict with, ar­riving here in November 1620. That now they may be Cherished by the Influence of Your Favourable Grant and Confirmation of all our former Li­berties, (especially Religious, the main End of that Great Adventure) either by a Charter or Act of Parliament, as to Your Princely Wisdom and Cle­mency seems fit for the good Government and Welfare of this Your Majesties Colony, for which we crave Your Princely Clemency, and prostrate our selves Humble Petitioners on Your behalf unto Heaven's Soveraign, that Your Majesties may be under a Confluence of such Divine Blessings, as may make your Reign long and Prosperous.