ALthough the expressions of your Majesties Message, the second of this instant Moneth, do give just cause of sorrow to Us your Ma­jesties faithfull Subjects, the Lords and Commons in Parliament; yet it is not with­out some mixture of Confidence and Hope, considering they proceed from the Misapprehensions of our Actions & Intentions, which having no ground of truth or reality, may, by your Majesties Iustice and Wisedome be removed, when your Majesty shall be fully informed, that these fears and jealousies of Ours, which your Majesty thinkes to bee causelesse, and without just grounds, doe necessarily and clearely arise from these dangers and distempers, into which the mischievous and evill Counsellours about you have brought this Kingdome: and that those other feares and jealousies by which your favour, your Royal presence and Confidence have been withdrawne from your Parlia­ment, have no foundation or subsistence in any Action, In­tention, or Miscarriage of Ours, but are meerly grounded upon the falshood and malice of those, who for the sup­porting and fomenting their own wicked designes against [Page 2]the Religion and Peace of this kingdome, doe seeke to de­prive your Majesty of the strength and affection of your People, them of your Grace and protection; and thereby to subject both your Royall person and the whole King­dome to ruine and destruction.

To satisfie your Majesties Judgement and Conscience in both these points, We desire to make a cleare and free Declaration, of the Causes of our feares and jealousies, which We offer to your Majesty in those particulars.

1. That the designe of Altering Religion, in this, and in your other Kingdomes, hath beene potently carryed on by those in greatest Authority about you, for divers yeares together; and that the Queeens Agent at Rome, and the Popes Agent at Nuncio here, are not only evidences of this designe, but have been great Actors in it.

2. That the Warres with Scotland was procured to make way for this Intention, and chiefly incited and fo­mented by the papists, and others Popishly affected, wher­of we have many evidences, especially their free and gene­rall Contribution to it.

3. That the Rebellion in Ireland was framed and con­trived here in England: and that the English Papists should have risen about the same time, We have divers testimo­nies and Advertisements from Ireland: and that it is a common speech among the Rebells, wherewith concurre other Evidences and observations of the suspitious Meet­ings and Consultations: the tumultuary and seditious carriage of those of that Religion, in divers parts of the Kingdome, about the breaking out of the Irish Rebellion: the Deposition of O Conneli: the Information of Mr Cole Minister: the Letter of Prestram Whitcomb, the Deposition of Thomas Crant: and many others, which we may produce doe all agree in this.

4. The publicke Declaration of the Lords, Gentlemen and others of the Pale, that they would joyn with the Re­bells, whom they call the Irish Army, or any other, to re­cover unto his Majesty his Royall Perogative, wrested from him by the Puritan Faction in the Houses of Parlia­ment in England; and to maintaine the same against all o­thers, as also to maintaine Episcopall jurisdiction, and law­fulnesse thereof; these two being the Quarrells upon which his Majesties late Army in the North should have been incensed against us.

5. The great Cause we have no doubt, that the late designe, styled The Queens pious Intention, was for the Alteration of Religion in this Kingdome: for successe whereof the Popes Nuncio, and Count Rosetti injoyned Fasting and Praying to be observed every week, by the English Papists, which appeared to Us by one of the Ori­ginall Letters directed by him to a priest in Lancashire.

6. The boldnes of the Rebels in affirming They do nothing but by Authority from the King, that they cal themselves the Queenes Army; that the Prey or Boory which they take from the English, they marke with the Queens Marke. That their purpose was to come into England, after they had done in Ireland: and sundry other things of this kinde pro­ved by O Conneli, and divers others; especially the afore­mentioned Letter from Trestram Whitecombe the Ma­jor of Kinsaile to his Brother Benjamin Whitecomb, wher­in there is this passage, that Many other speeches they utter a­bout Religion, and our Court of England, which hee dares not commit to paper.

The manifold Attempts to provoke your Majesties late Army, and the Army of the Scots, and to raise a Faction in the City of London and other parts of the Kingdome: that those who have been Actors in this busines, have had their [Page 4]Dependance, Countenance and Incouragement from the Court, witnesse the Treason wherof Mr Germin and others stand accused, who were transported beyond Sea by War­rant under your Majesties hand, after your Majestie had given Assurance to your Parliament that your Majesty had layd a strick command upon all your Servants, that none of them should depart from Court; and that dangerous Petition delivered to Captaine Legge by your Majesties owne hand, accompanied with a Direction figned with C. R.

The false and scandalous Accusation against the Lord Kymbolton, and the Five Members of the House of Com­mons, tendred to the Parliament, by your Majesties owne Command, endeavouring to bee justified in the City by your own presence and perswasion; and to bee put in exe­cution upon their Persons, by your Majesties demand of them in the House of Commons, in so terrible and violent a manner, as farre exceeded all former breaches of Privi­ledges of Parliament, acted by your Majesty, or any of your Predecessors: And what soever your own Intentions were, divers bloudy and desperate persons, which attended your Majesty, discovered their affections and resolutions to have massacred and destroyed the Members of that House; if the absence of those Persons accused, had not by Gods providence stopt the giving of that word which they expected, for the setting them upon that barbarous and bloudy designe.

The Listing of so many Officers, Souldiers and others, putting them into pay, and under Command of Colonells, keeping them at White Hall, Feaffing and catousing them in an unusuall manner, thereby maintaining them in the violent Assaults, and other injuries, which they offered to divers of your Subjects, comming that way in a Lawfull [Page 5]and peaceable manner, the carrying them out of the town, and keeping them in so long a pay, after which they were told by the Lord Digby, that the King removed on purpose they might not betrampled in the durt; and indeavouring to ingage the Gentlemen of the Innes of Court in the same course, the plotting and designing of a perpetuall Guard a­bout your Majesty, the labouring to infuse into your Maje­sties Subjects an evill opinion of the Parliament through­out the whole Kingdome, and other symptomes of a dispo­sition of raising Armes, and dividing your people by a Civil Warre, in which combustion, Ireland must needes be lost, and this Realme miserably wasted and consumed, if not wholly ruined and destroyed.

That the Lord Digby should presume to counsell your Maje­sty to declare your self, and to retire to a place of strength in this Kingdome, and to perswade you that you could not bee safe a­mong your People, and yet should have such credit with you as to bee sent away by your warrant to Sir John Pennington, to land him beyond the Sea, where he took that transcendent bold­nesse to vent his own trayterous conceptions in the Letter to the Queen, offering to entertaine a correspondencie with her Majesty by Cyphers, intimating some service which hee might do in those parts: for which he desired your Maje­sties Instructions, whereby in all probability hee intended the procureing of some forreigne forces to strengthen your Majesty in that condition to which hee would have brought: which false and malicious counsell and advice, we have great cause to doubt, made too deep an impression in your Majesty, considering the course you are now plea­sed to take, of absenting your selfe from your Parliament, and carrying the Prince with you, which seemes to expresse a purpose in your Majesty to keep your selfe in a readinesse for the acting of it.

The manifold advertisements we have had from Rome, Venice, Paris, and other parts, that they stil expect that you have some great designe in hand, for the altering of Reli­gion, the breaking neck of your Parliament, that you will yet finde meanes to compasse that designe, that the Popes Nuncio hath sollicited the Kings of France and Spain, to lend your Majesty 4000. men apiece, to help to maintaine your Royaltie against the Parliament, and this of forreigne force seemeth to be the most pernicious and malignant designe of all the rest, because no man can beleeve you will give up your people and your Kingdome to bee spoiled by Stran­gers, if you did not likewise intend both to change your own profession in Religion, and the publicke profession of the Kingdome, that so you might still bee more assured of those forreigne states of the popish Religion for your fu­ture support and defence: but wee hope God will direct your Majesty to better counsels.

These are some of the grounds of our feares and jea­lousies, which made us so earnestly to implore your royall Authoritie and Protection for our defence and security, in all the wayes of humilitie and submission, which being denyed by your Maiestie, seduced by evill Councells, We doe with sorrow, for the great and inavoydable miserie, which is like to fall upon your own person, and your King­domes, apply ourselves to the use of that Power, for the securitie and defence of both, which by the fundamentall Laws and Constitutions of this Kingdome, resides in Us: Yet still resolving to keep our selves within the bounds of Faithfulnesse and Allegeance to your sacred person, and your Crownes: so as to the Second sort of jealousies and feares, of Us exprest by your Majestie, We shall give a shor­ter, but as true and as faithfull an Answere.

Whereas your Majestie is pleased to say that for your re­siding [Page]neere your Parliament, you wish it might be so safe and honourable that you had no cause to absent your selfe from White-hall, this we take as the greatest breach of the priviledges of Parliament that can be offered, the heaviest miserie to your self, and injurie to us, and Imputation upon us, that can be imagined, the most mischievous effect of evil Counsells, it roots up the foundation of that safety and ho­nour which the Crowne affords, it seems as much as may be to cast upon the Parliament such a charge as is inconsi­stent with the nature of your great Counsel being the body wherof your Majesty is the head, it strikes at the very being both of King and Parliament, depriving your Majesty in your own apprehension of their fidelity and them of your protection, which are the mutuall bonds of Government and subjection.

We have according to your Majesties desire, laid our hands upon our hearts, we have asked our selves in the stri­ctest examination of our Consciences, we have searcht our affections, our thoughts, considered our actions, and wee find none that can give your Majesty any just occasion to absent your self from White hall and the Parliament but that you may with more honour and safety continue there then in any other place, your Majestie laies a generall Taxe upon us, if you will be graciously pleased to let us know the particulars we shall give a cleer and satisfactory answer but what hope can we have of ever giving your Majesty satisfa­ction when the particulars which you have been made be­leeve were true yet being produced and made known to us appeared to be false, and your Majesty notwithstanding will neither punish nor produce the authors, but go on to con­tract Jealousies and fears upon general & uncertain grounds affording us no means or possibility of particular Answer to the cleering of our selves: For proof wherof we beseech your Majestie to consider these Instances.

The speeches alledged to be spoken in a meeting by di­vers [Page]Members of both Houses at Kensington, concerning a purpose of restraining the Queene and Prince which after it was denied and disavowed, yet your Majesty refused to Name the authors thogh humbly desired to both Houses.

The report of Articles framed against the Queene given out by some of neere relation unto the Court, but when it was publiquely and constantly disclaimed, the Credit see­med to be with drawn from it but the Authors being kept safe will alwayes be in readinesse for exploits of the same kind wherewith your Majesty and the Queen will be trou­bled if this course bee taken to cherish and secure them in such wicked and malicious slanders.

The heavy Charge and accusation of the Lord Kimbolton and the five Members of the House of Commons, who re­fuse no Triall and examination which may stand with the Priviledge of Parliament yet no Author, no witnesses pro­duced, against whom they may have reparation for that great injury and infamy cast upon them notwithstanding severall Petitions of both Houses, the authority of two acts of Parliament vouched in the last of these petitions.

We beseech your Majestie to consider in what estate you are, how easy and faire a way you have to happinesse, ho­nour, greatnesse, plenty and security: If you will joyn with the Parliament and your faithfull Subjects in defence of the Religion and the publique good of the Kingdom: This is all we expect from you and for this we shall return to you our lives and fortunes and utmost endeavours to support your Majestie, your just Soveraignty and power over us, but it is not words that can secure us in those our humble desires, we cannot but too well, & sorrowfully remember what graci­ous Messages we had frō you this summer, when with your privity the bringing up the Army was in agitation, we can­not but with the like affection recal to our minds, how not two daies before you gave direction for the above mentio­ned accusation and your own comming unto the Commons [Page]House, that house received a Message, that you would al­wayes have care of their Priviledges as of your own Prero­gative, of the safety of their persons as of your owne Chil­dren. That which wee expect from you which will give us assurance that you have no thoghts but of peace & Justice to your people, must be some reall effect of your goodnes to them in graunting those things which the present nece­ssity of the Kingdome do inforce us to desire, and in the first place, that your Majesty will be graciously pleased to put from you those wicked & mischievous Counsellors which have caused all these dangers and distractions, and conti­nue your own residence and the Princes neer London and the Parliament Which we hope will be a happy beginning of contentment and confidence betwixt your Majesty and your People, and be followed with many succeeding bles­sings of honour and greatnesse to your Majesty, and of secu­ritie and prosperitie to them.