OUR Distempers are many and Grievous, our pressures heavy and Burthensom, our Application we make to you, through the Blessing of God you are the means of our help, and as Parliaments are constituted by Law, called by the King, Chosen by the People, and all this for these ends? Either Humbly to Counsel the King, to provide for the safe­ty of the Subject, to prevent the Conspira­cies of our Enemies; of which we have many; principally the Papists, who for these hundred years have Persecuted and De­molished the Protestant Interest in England, Scotland, Ireland, and likewise in all parts of Europe; their implacable rage hath transcend­ed all the Malice and Mischief of former Ages Cruelty, whether of the Assyrians and Phili­stins of old to the Israelites, or the last ten Per­secuting Heathen Emperours to the Primitive Christians.

But those (most Worthy Senators) which are the Supplanters of our Protestant Interest, which indeed is our best Interest, are cer­tainly a pernicious woven Knot of malig­nant active Spirits Combining and Confe­derating to supplant the fundamental Laws and Principles of Government, on which the Religion and Government of the Kingdom are firmly established, and of this sort must there be these four. viz.

1. The first sort are Jesuited Papists, whose Teeth have long water'd for, and their ravenous Appetites hungered to devour our Religion.

2. The second sort are Persidious Papists in Protestant Masques, of these too many have we lurking in England; these are Ene­mies very dangerous, because most indiscer­nable, their Enmity is hid under a Vizard of Friendship, and if in high places and great Imployments, do harm; for under a pretence of plucking down Popery they set the Structure the firmer; if possible, though secretly, they Act as much or more than the professed Pa­pists.

3. The third sort are Treacherous Courti­ers who may in a Pensionary way for beg­garly selfish ends engage themselves to Fo­reign Princes, to the prejudice of their natu­ral King and State at home; (I don't say there are such in England, but I wish there be none,) these may harm us exceedingly, be­ing politick men, and not unable through de­ficiency of parts to set on work their evil de­signs, having also the advantage of place ad­ded to the former; and generally it tends these four wayes.

Either first to work and win the King to stand stifly to his Royal Prerogative, and the People for the maintenance of their Liberties and Priviledges, thus seeming to side with the King against the Subject, would seem his faith­ful Servants and truest Friends, when for the World he would not, but the People also should stand up for their Liberties, and so he fish in troubled waters to engross the more to himself.

Or Secondly, To Suppress Religion in its Purity, lest that having a free course should be an irresistable stop to their designs; and tend to pull down that Religion which he imagines most likely to set up his Interest.

Or Thirdly, in Countenancing all of their own Stamp, to Disgrace, Vilifie and Dis­hearten all their opposite Party, rendering none the loyal party but themselves and their adherers.

Or Fourthly, By Scandals to work in the King to disaffect Parliaments, by miscon­structions, &c. which is much to our loss; I pray God England may have none such evil Councellors.

4. But the fourth sort of our Enemies are base Pamphleteers, who would gladly set us together by the Ears; which very much want suppressing.

Now these four Enemies of ours call us to take heed.

But (most Worthy Senators) to you do we appeal, and as we have chosen you our representatives, to you do we refer it, whe­ther or no these be not our Enemies, and if they be, that you would act as the case requires.

Besides other mischiefs we suffer; As first, but that especially in the Country, our faithfull Ministers are thrust into corners by suspensions and deprivations.

And secondly, with many the name of a Pa­pist is exalted above that of a Presbyterian, a very horrid Shame, yea a Judgment, that Dif­fenting Protestants should be reckoned worse than real Papists: But we humbly con­ceive none do this but Papists in Prote­stant Masques at the best.

And thirdly, The Plot to Assassinate his Majesty, to Subvert the Government, so plainly proved, is with many not acknow­ledged, but rather turned into ridicule, and the Evidences ungratefully dispara­ged.

And fourthly, These times of uncertainty are a great let to Englands Prosperity, very few Sun-shining dayes have we en­joyed since this thick Cloud of Popish Plots have hung over our heads.

Fifthly, England hath been greatly Oppres­sed by reason of the Suppression of Religion, it hath Suffered in Fines, Stigmatizings, &c.

Sixthly, Evil Councellors, which Craftily Confederate that which tends to our harm; but let them remember, Malum Consilium con­sultori possimum, which may prove so in the long run.

Seventhly, Generally in the interval of the Parliaments Sitting (most Worthy Senators) how usual is it for you to be Vilified and greatly contemned, your procedings to be as­persed and besmeared.

Eighthly, Our Enemies that have begun are restless till they finish; as impossible believe it (most Worthy Senators) to be for a stone cast up in the Air when descending towards the Earth to rest before it attains it center; their center is Mischief, their Motion there­unto is restless: were it otherwise most, cer­tainly they must be treacherous to them­selves, because unanimously joined to de­stroy us.

Having also attempted great things a­gainst us, and being unvailed, such an Odi­um stains their Name, that doubtlesly no­thing less than our blood will serve turn for them to wash it off.

They also (we conceive) are grown to such a height of Insolency, that no less than a universal propagating of their wicked Cause over the European Parts, will satis­fie their Ambitious and Covetous pro­jects, faced with the pretence of a zeal to a superstitious Religion.

All their Tricks, Evasions and Shamming Designs be laid as open as themselves, and hereby their Odium much aggravated must needs enrage their desperateness.

Which is a means of not abating our Jealousies, which incite us to Vigilancy; for we expect no Mercy from them when upon us; but England has been made an Ass of to bear the heaviest Burthens, but now it is more skittish, and it's danger the more mans it with Valour.

And (most Worthy Senators) to your Consideration refer we these two principal Props of our Prosperity. First, Obstruct­ing a Popish Successor from Inheriting the Imperial Crown of this Realm. And Se­condly, In Uniting his Majesties Subjects, which are to us of high Concern: For we appeal to you; what Mercy, Favour or Compassion would a Popish Prince exer­cise over Protestant Subjects? whether or no he would be false to his own Professi­on, were he true to us, our Religion, Li­berties and Property? Our union also is a great Branch of our Felicity, in that it disheartens all our Foes.

Therefore (Most Worthy Senators) as our Grievances are heavy, our Enemies many, our Jealousies numerous and fearful, as all with us is at hazard, as Religion, Liberty, Property, and that you would be pleased to consider your own and the Na­tions Good; which that you may do, Pray­eth the English Nation.