THeir Majesties having been pleased a second time to hear the Cry, and to pity the deplorable Case of the poor Pro­testants of Ireland, by granting another Collection for their Relief. We whose Names are subscribed being Commissioners, among others, appointed to see the Di­stribution thereof, think it a Duty incumbent upon us, in the first place, to return our hearty Thanks on their behalf, to your Selves and your Congregations, for the liberal Contributions which have been re­ceived, by which many Thousands (as the Brief informs you) have been hitherto kept from perishing.

And lest a new Collection coming so soon after the former, should dis­courage any who are of Charitable Dispositions, we are desirous to give you some account of these our Brethren and Fellow-Protestants, by which all that are well-disposed, may be provoked to so good a Work.

There are many of them that were of the best Rank and Quality, that lived in great Plenty, and enjoyed all the Conveniencies of Life, to whom it must be very hard to want Things absolutely necessary for their Support; which yet must inevitably be their Case, without further Help and Assi­stance, till it shall please God to restore them to their Ruined Habitations, and greatly Impaired Estates.

And as they were Persons of great Quality, so many of them were Per­sons of great Liberality to the Necessitous, as appears by the generous Col­lection they made for the French Protestants when they fled to them for Succour; of which some of us have had a large account; which doth ex­ceedingly strengthen our Argument for their Relief. And even since their Exile, many of those who were able to bring over Supplies with them, have not only refused to partake of the former Charity, but out of their Little have given to their Brethren, resolving (to use their own Expres­sion) to beg together, rather than their Fellow-Sufferers should want whilst they themselves had any thing left.

We cannot likewise forbear commending their grateful acceptance of such small Allowance as we should have blush'd to offer, if their great Num­bers had not obliged us to it; An ordinary relief, by which they and their Families might be kept from Want, is all that they desired, being conten­ted with meaner Fare now, than their Servants were wont to leave, and give away at their Doors.

Most of those on whose behalf we intreat you to solicit, are Women and Children of all Ranks; some of them being made Widows, and their Children Fatherless, by the cruel usage of the Irish Papists: Others are every Day and Hour perplexed with Fears, that they shall hear of the Death of their dear Relations, who are left behind in Prisons, or exposed to great Dangers among their Bloody Enemies: And if amidst these Sor­rows we should suffer them to want necessary Supports in our Land, where (God be praised) there is Bread enough, and to spare, we should be more cruel to them, than those that would have prevented a lingering Death.

[Page 2]You know the Calamities that have befallen them, were intended for us; the Cloud gathered Blackness over our Heads, but it was the plea­sure of God to permit that it should break with a mighty Tempest upon them, which doubtless was for the trial of our Charity, as well as of their Faith and Patience. We cannot forget what a Consternation seised upon many, when the rumour of a small Army of their, and our insult­ing Enemies, were come among us, we thought our selves then in some danger of losing all our Possessions; and shall not we give some part of our Substance to them who have suffered the Calamity we feared?

We know very well, that there are many Complaints at this Time, by which Charity is obstructed; but if those Persons were sensible of the Condition of these our Brethren, and beheld the Tears and dejected Coun­tenances with which some of us are too well acquainted, they would not only commiserate their present Condition, but contrive how they might become most liberal to such Sufferers. We hope therefore you will be very urgent with your People, by such Arguments, and in such way, as to your Wisdom shall seem best; forasmuch as your Charity on this Occasion is but a just Debt of Thankfulness to that God who hath preserved them, and all of us; and that if we give not to these our distressed Brethren, we have little reason to hope that our Tranquillity should be lengthned.

We likewise intreat you to hasten the Collections, the former Charity being already exhausted; and we are forced to borrow considerable Sums of Mony, that these poor Christians might not perish before a new Relief can come to them by the Brief.

You may be well assured, that your former Charity was impartially distri­buted, and that the like care will be taken for the future, and a just Account kept of all Receipts and Disbursments, for the view of such as shall desire to inspect the same.

That the God of Heaven may so direct you in your Application to your People, that you may effectually perswade them to be ready to give, and not weary of well-doing, is the hearty Prayer of,