WHereas there are many of the Knipperdolings, Fifth-Monarchy men, and the rest of that loose princi­pled Phanatick Gang, that blush not to say, That Religion will be in hazard upon a closure with the KING, and that being trained up amongst the Ro­mish party, he can do no less then gratifie them wi [...]h a toleration. No­thing (doubtless) is of more concernment than the security of Religion; and for that part of it which is Protestant, this closure seems the onely way to secure it: But we are not to hearken to such as cry up Religion, and design Faction; that cry out zeal for the Lord of Hosts, when they intend self interest; Religion has not at all prosper'd by undue practises to advance it. 'Tis piety, meekness▪ patience, humility, & those graces of the Spirit that convince and convert, when rigidness, censuring, and the sword exasperate and harden. But have we not a Protestant Prince, and a Parl [...]ment of Protestants? Nay, such a Prince, that many of the Learned of the Church of R [...]me say of him, as the Bishop of Monspelier in France once said of his Royal Father King Charles of ever glorious memory, That if he had been of their Religion, he had out shined all the Sai [...]ts in their Calender. And true it is, that in the Low-Countries the very Jew hath wept at the reading of his most elegant Book (translated into Dutch) A true Entract of refi­ned pol [...]cy, and regular pie [...]y) in a compassi [...]nate resentment of his meek patience under the savage deportment of his cruel ene­mies, [Page 4] most undeservedly acted upon him. In a word, of so large an extent was the malice and rage of the blood-thirsty enemies of our late martyr'd Soveraign King Charles the first, that they caused their ugly and execrable Sentence, of severing his head from his body, to be executed in the open street before his royal Palace; the fatal day of the said Execution, being Tuesday, Janu­ary the 30. 1648. His Majesty ascending the Scaffold out of the Banquetting house, was not in the least affrighted, but shewed more care of the People living, then of him self dying: for after some heavenly discourse between him and the Bishop of London, having prepared himself, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, mildly praying to himself he stooped down to the block as to a Prayer-desk, and most humbly bowed his generous Neck to God, to be cut off by the Vizarded Execution [...]r, which was suddenly done at one blow. Thus fell King Charles, and thus all Brittain with him. But observe, what strange Witnesses were permitted to swear against his sacred Majesty, in this illegal & pretended High-Court of Justice, viz. Thirty five sad miscreants, scarce a Gentleman, but most mechanicks, as Ironmongers, Painters, Tilers, Feltmakers, Shoo­makers, Cordwainers, Weavers, Glovers, Butchers, one Forgeman, one Richard Price of London Scrivener, one David Evans a Welchman Smith, Arthur Young Citizen and Barber Chirurgion of London, & one Richard Price of London Scrivener..

And as if this had not been enough to satisfie their arrogancie, they most inhumanely Banished that great person of Honour the true Heir to the Crown, and his royal relations▪ [...]ing asha­med to see them they had so much wronged; And to compleat their wickedness (after they had visited their fellow members, because they were more honest and more numerous then them­selves,) resolved to take away any whatsoever, that should con­troul them in their Avaracie and Tyranny; whereupon they cut down those brances of Honour, the House of Lords, pulled those reverend Fathers down, the great Pillars of the Church, to sup­port it against Heresie and Schism.

And by advice of their masters the Jesuits, (the designers of the ruine of our truly reformed Church, and well-established State) under the fair glosses of Common Safety, Liberty, and Propriety, (which they meant onely to themselves) they have de­stroyed and enslaved the free born People of England, and have filled and taken possession, making themselves first S [...]ints, and then the onely Proprietors of other mens estates and fo [...]tunes.

They pretended to vindicate the priviledges of Parliament, and indeed raised the very Fundamental of it in their Arbitrary Power whereby contrary to the known Laws of the Land, they have erected High Courts of Justice, wherein they have mur­thered the Lords Anointed, and Sons of the loyal Nobility, and divers of the Gentry and Commonalty, persons of approved piety and integrity.

Under the vail of being good Husb [...]nds for the Nation, they have altered the whole frame of the best Government of the Universe, to secure themselves from the just Account the esta­blished Laws would have called them to for their due Delin­quency, and giving it out, That monarchy is chargeable, have raised greater sums of money by illegal Taxes and Impositions in a Commonwealth, then all the Kings have done si [...]c [...] the Con­quest.

Whereas, indeed, there is nothing more demonstrative for the clearing of this, than that upon the foot of the account we shall find Kingship a great ease to the publick charge. The old Prote­ctor was allotted no less than a constant Revenew of nineteen hundred thousand pound to support the Government; yet that sum at the years end cleared not the account: And compare we this with the expences of our old Courts, when the Kings Reve­new in Lands Perquisits, and Customs, exceeded not seven hun­dred thousand pounds a year, it adorn'd it with a glorious Court, a noble equipage for the honour of the Kingdom, and yet paid [...]ff a considerable Fleet, which has not been much improv'd by our vast payments.

But now it has pleased God, after many years expence of blood [Page 6] and treasure, to blow off on a suddain the grand designs of the Jesuitical Faction, and restore things by strange Providence to a right understanding betwixt King and Parliament, the onely Remedy to cure the Peoples grievances: A greater Wound could not possibly have befallen the enemies of our Church and Kingdom; for well they know how he has bin lectured by his Royal Father, as well as tutoured by experience; which may enable him as to be the wisest, so the most Religious Prince; and few there are that know him, but do aver, that he is endowed with singular Christian Graces, and moral vertues: The words of his Majesties Royal Father were these: ‘I do require and entreat you as your Father and your King, That you n [...]v [...]r suffer your Heart to receive the least check or disaff [...]ction from the true R [...]ligion established in the Church of ENGLAND; I tell you, I have tried it; and after much search and many D [...]spu [...]es, have found it to be the best in the World; not onely in the Communitie, Chr [...] ­stian, &c. but also in the special notion as reformed; keeping the middle-way between the pomp of superstitious Tirann [...]e, and the meekness of fantastick Anarchie: Not but that some lines as in very good figures may happilie need some sweer­ning and polishing, which might here have easilie been done by a safe and gentle hand, &c. To this sence spake he, when he had no more to speak.’

Again, his wise Father that had been beaten into the know­ledge of the English Spirit, and fore-seeing the vanity of an em­pty and unprofitable Passion, advised him in these words: ‘Let no pass [...]on, my Son, betray you to any studie of Re­venge upon those, whose own Sin and Folly will sufficient­ly punish them in due time; but as soon as the Forked Arrow of Factious Emulation is drawn out, use all Princelie Arts and Clemencie to heal the Wounds, th [...]t the smart of the [Page 7] cure may not equal the anguish of the hurt; Let Oblivion b [...] granted not onely as an Act of State-policie, but of Chr [...] ­st [...]an charitie and choice. It is all that I have left me, a po­wer to forgive those that have deprived me of all; and I thank God (writes the KING) that I have a heart to do it, and joy as much in this Grace which God has given me, as in all my former enjoyments, for to me it is a greater argument of Gods love than my prosperity: Be confident, that the mo [...]t of all sides that have done amiss, have done so not out of malice, but misinformation, or misapprehension of things: None will be more loyal to me or to you▪ then those Subjects, who sensible of their Errors and Our Injuries, will feel in their own Souls most vehement motives to Re­pentance, and earnest Desires to make some Reparations for their former Defects:’

You may read more in the advise to his Son, which truly I cannot subscribe without a high compassion and resentment: The like said his Majesty at his last hour: But the words of Our dying Soveraign have wonderfully survived in the Breast of our living Prince, a clear demonstration whereof we have elegantly set forth in hi [...] Maj. gracious Letters and Declarations. So that infinite hopes m [...]y we entertain that this Prince has bin Schoo­led to underst [...]nd his Interest; He has had glorious, though un­happy Presidents; He truly is most potent that is so in his Sub­jects, no [...] over his Subjects; that is great in his People, not o­ver his People; the one m [...]kes him contemned abroad, and ab­horred at home; the other makes him feared abroad, and bel [...] ­ved at home: forreign enemies can rejoyce in nothing more than our self combustions, while we consume that glorious spirit in conquering our own bowels, which other wise imployed, might be a terror to the World: Such exploits suit to the ancient glo [...]y of the Eng [...]ish; [...]his self-murthering s [...]its a [...]emper that neither fears God nor loves man.

But by the good hand of Providence these unhappy Breaches are now again cemented, and the glittering Beams of Loyalty shine forth from both Houses of Parliament, as well as the Uni­versal concurrence of all the Commanders and forces both by Land and Sea, to receive his Majesty into his Dominions and Government, according to their bounden duty, and the Laws of the Land.

And in order thereunto, the Parliaments Commissioners ha­ving received their Instructions from both Houses, began their Journey to the King, Friday the 11th instant, to wait on his Maje­sty with a Letter, and their Answer unto his Majesties gracious Letter and Declaration: As also with the humble desires of both Houses unto his Majesty, that he would be pleased to re­turn with all speed unto his Parliament.

Sir John Greenvile began his Journey on Thursday last, to at­tend his Majesty with an accompt of the proceedings of both Houses of Parliament; Who have ordered that five thousand pound should be sent as a Present to the most Illustrious Prince the Duke of York, and five thousand pound to the Duke of Glou­cester, as a testimony of their respect to the Royal Family.

The landing of the King at Dover seems dubious, by reason that Letters dated the 4. of this present instant May, S. V. from Bredt, make mention that His M [...]jest [...] remai [...] still there, as also the Dukes of York and Glocester, with a grand confluence of People, and a most splendid Court.

On the 11th, his Majesty was proclaimed in Middlesex. King of Great Brittain France, and Ireland, &c. the sol [...]mnity being car­ried on with an incredible confluence, and loud acclamations of joy the people, crying ‘God bless King Charles; Long live his Majesty.’