I Have received yours the 6 ^th pre­sent, and we are glad to hear that you in the South begin to be awa­kened, and are now in action for the restoring this present Parlia­ment, whereby our Liberties may be asserted, and the Peace of the Nation setled upon Eoundations of Truth and Righteousness: And whereas you doubt lest we should vary from our first Resolutions and Declaration, as fearing Col. Lambert's great Forces, I desire you to as­sure our Friends we are resolved through the blessing of God not to start one tittle, but with our lives, and al that is dear to us, stand firm in this righteous quarrel; and we doubt not but that the Lord wil so direct us and our prudent [Page 2] General Monck, to order our Affairs so that our Enemies shal have little advantage by their plots and delaies under pretence of further Treaties for a Composure; for we begin to see its only to strengthen their Forces al over the Nation by Arming al such giddy people (as themselves) who are enemies to Magistracy and Ministry; for we hear that many Cart loads of Arms are gone out of the Tower, and sent into several Countries to that end; and therfore we are pro­viding for a March towards them, and our Ar­tillary and other necessaries are all safe come to this place and Anwick. And whereas we under­stand that most men are for a free Parliament, it is our desire that this present Parliament may meet and settle Affairs which are so distracted, and after they shal make Qualifications, that a Free Parliament be either called, or the old Members in 1648. restored, and new W [...]its be issued out for places vacant: But we cannot but wonder why the present Parliament should lie under such Contempt, when we consider the great and good things they have done for these Nations: Had they not before their interrupti­on in April 1653. subdued al their Enemies at home, reduced Ireland, conquered Scotland, mannaged a fierce and chargable War against the Dutch, Dane, and Portingal, and neer brought them on their knees? Were not our Councils then feared abroad as wel as our Forces success­ful? Had they not made England the most flou­rishing Nation for Trade in Europe, and our Peo­ple [Page 3] honored and respected? Were not their Ar­mies paid to a day, yea somtimes Musters be­forehand, and their Navy the like? Ask those that travelled into Forraign parts, they must af­firm it; ask the Soldiers, and they wil say so; ask the Seamen, and they cannot deny it: Were not al their Stores ful of al War-like provisions? several gallant Frigots built by them? Besides al this they had three or four hundred thousand pounds in ready money in several Receipts, as at the Custom-house, Excise-Office, Guild-Hall, &c. the Trade of the Nation flourishing. And in this condition, and much better was the Com­monwealth, when they were forced out of the Government in 1653. by their own Army Offi­cers; and therefore wel might our Brethren of the Army say in their Declaration of the 6 ^th of May, when they invited them to return to the exercising of their Trusts, that the Lords special presence was with them, and that they were signally blessed in that work. But I desire you and all sober men through the Nation seriously to consider with what disadvantage they return­ed to the Government in May last 1659. and in what a distracted condition all things were left by those that had usurped the Government, that in six yeers time had not only wasted al the Com­monwealths Stores, consumed their Treasure, but a Debt of above three millions and three hundred thousand pounds upon the Nation con­tracted, as the Committee appointed to examing the publick Debts made it appear; the Navy [Page 4] most part in the Sound and other parts, in vast Arrears; a dishonorable Peace with the Dutch concluded, a groundless War made with Spain, whereby the good people have not only suffered many millions by losses and decay of Trade, but 1500. of their Ships taken or spoiled, besides ma­ny thousand Gallant English mens lives lost in Hispaniola, Jemeico, and Flanders, &c. And such hath been the plots of the Jesuits in the Army (as it's feared) or the Ambitious Officers that when ever this Honorable Parliament were in a way of settling us, and the people began to see the benefit of a Common-wealth Goverment then were they perfidiously interrupted, which hath brought all these confusions upon us, and made both them selves and private Soldier odi­ous at home, and the Nation a reproach and scorn to all Nations abroad: And had not the Parlia­ment been so Traiterously interrupted in October last by those nine Ambitious Officers they would have put us into such a posture, that the Com­mon-wealth would have seen in a short time the difference between their Councils and these overturners and Sate Mountebanks, who have usurped the Government, de­stroy'd all Trade, and brought us into such con­ [...] but; we hope the righteous God wil spee­ [...] [...] [...]ake them see their wickedness, and cover [...] Faces with shame, and they will be questi­on [...]d for their Treasons and Murders and woful desolations they have brought upon these poor [Page 5] Northern Countries. But it grieves us to think when this Parliament shal be restored to sit again, at Westminster (as we are very confident they wil) what Additional discouragments they will meet with; for besides the three Millions and three hundred thousand pounds debt contracted in the Protectors time, with the War with Spaine con­tinued, but the Army and Navy further in Ar­reres which must be speedily discharged, and their Navy repaired, and a summers Fleet pro­vided, that what can be expected from them but vast Taxes to be speedily imposed and levied up­on the people; the Lord in mercy give them wisdom and courage not to be danted at these great discouragments, & the people seriously to consider the condition of the Common-wealth, and blame those only that have brought the Par­liament into this necessity. Sir, We are here very unanimous, our Forces consist of six thousand good old Foot Soldiers, & three thousand Horse, and we increase daily besides all our Garrisons supplied, and al our Men hearty and wel: So that we intend speedily to March with our Army, resolving no longer to be put off with delaies, for we are confident whatever conditions we should make with these people they will be as perfidious to us; as they were to the Parliament from whom they received their Commissions. Before I conclude, this I know from good hands, That our neighbour Nations were never more Startled, nay Trembled, when they heard Eng­land had adheared to their former Councils, and [Page 6] that the Army had taken their Commissions from the present Parliament, and promised obe­dience to them. The Lord make up all our Breaches, compose all our Differences, and settle us in unity and love one towards another, and restore this present Parliament of the Common-wealth of England, that so our Laws and Liberties may be maintained, a Godly and Learned Mini­stry encouraged, our Trade recovered, that at last these Nations may be a habitation of Justice, and a Mountaine of Holiness to the Lord is the Prayer of