WE your Majesties most Loyal Subjects, the Com­mons of England Assem­bled in Parliament, Do with all humbleness, pre­sent unto your Majesty, the unfained thankfulness of our hearts, for those gracious expressions of piety, and goodness, and love, to Vs, and the Nations under your Dominion, which your Majesties Letter of 4/14 of April, dated from Breda, together with the Declaration enclosed in it, of the same date, do so evident­ly containe; for which we do in the first place look up to the great King of Kings, and bless his Name, who hath put these thoughts into the heart of our King, to make Him Glorious in the eyes of His peo­ple, as those great Deliverances, which that Divine Majesty hath afforded unto your Royal Person from many dangers, and the Support which he hath given unto your [Page 2] Heroick, and Princely minde, under various Trials, make it appeare to all the World, that you are Precious in his sight.

And give us leave to say, That as your Majesty is pleased to Declare your Confi­dence in Parliaments, your Esteem of them, and this your judgement and Character of them▪ That they are so necessary for the Govern­ment of the Kingdom, that neither Prince▪ nor peo­ple, can be in any tolerable Degree happy, without them; and therefore say, That you will hearken unto their Councels, be tender of their Priviledges, and careful to preserve, and Protect them; So We trust, and will with all Humility be bold to affirm, That your Majesty will not be De­ceived in us, and that we will never Depart from that fidelity, which we owe unto your Majesty, that zeal which we bear unto your Service, and a Constant endeavour to advance your Honor, and Greatness.

And we beseech your Majesty we may adde this further, for the vindication of Par­liaments, and even of the last Parliament, Convened under your Royal Father of hap­py Memory; When (as your Majesty well observes) through mistakes, and misunderstand­ings, many Inconveniences were produced, which were not intended: That those very Incon­veniences could not have been brought upon us by those persons, who had designed them without first violating the Parliament it self; for they well knew, it was not possible to do a violence to that Sacred Person, whilst the Parliament which had vowed, and Covenanted for the Defence, and safety of that Person remained entire. Surely Sir, [Page 3] as the Persons of our Kings have ever been Dear unto Parliaments, so we cannot think of that horrid Act, committed against the precious Life of Our late Soveraign, but with such a detestation, and abhorren­cy as we want words to express it.

And next to wishing it had never been, we wish it may never be remembred by Your Majesty, to be unto you an occasion of sor­row, as it will never be remembred by us, but with that grief, and trouble of minde, which it deserves, being the greatest reproach that ever was incurred, by any of the Eng­lish Nation, an offence to all the Protestant Churches abroad, and a scandal to the pro­fession of the truth of Religion here at home; though both Profession, and true Professors, and the Nation it self, as well as the Parliament, were most innocent of it, having been onely the contrivance, and Act of some few ambitious, and bloody persons, and such others, as by their influence were misled.

And as we hope, and pray, That God will not impute the guilt of it, nor of all the evil consequences thereof unto the Land, whose Divine Iustice never involves the guiltless with the guilty, so we cannot but give due Praise to your Majesties goodness, who are pleased to entertain such reconciled, and re­conciling thoughts, and with them, not onely meet, but as it were prevent your Parliament and People, proposing your Self, in a great measure, and inviting the Parliament to consider further, and ad­vise your Majesty, what may be necessary, [Page 4] to restore the Nation to what it hath lost, raise up again the Bancks and Fences of it, and make the Kingdoms happy, by the ad­vancement of Religion, the securing of our Laws▪ Liberties, and Estates, and the re­moving of all Iealousies and Animosities, which may render our Peace less certain, and durable; wherein your Majesty gives a large evidence of your great Wisdome, Iudging aright, that after so high a di­stemper, and such an universal shaking of the very Foundations, great care must be had to repair the Breaches, and much cir­cumspection and industry used, to provide things necessary for the strengthning of those Repairs, and preventing whatever may disturb, and weaken them.

We shall immediatly apply our selves to the preparing of these things, and in a very short time, we hope, be able to present them unto your Majesty; And for the present do, with all humble thankfulness, acknowledge your Grace, and favor, in assuring us of your Royal Concurrence with us, and saying, That we shall not expect any thing from you, but what you will be as ready to give, as we to receive. And we cannot doubt of your Majesties ef­fectual performance, since your own Prince­ly Iudgement hath prompted unto you the necessity of Doing such things, and your piety, and goodness hath carried you to a Free tender of them to your faithful Par­liament.

You speak, as a Gracious King, and we will do what befits, Dutiful, Loving, and Loyal Subjects, who are yet more ingaged [Page 5] to Honor, and highly Esteem your Majesty, for Your Declining (as you are pleased to say) all Forraign assistance, and rather trust to your peo­ple, who, we do assure your Majesty, will, and Do open their Armes, and their hearts to receive You, and will spare neither their Estates, nor their lives, when your service shall require it of them.

And we have yet more cause to enlarge our praises, and our prayers to God for your Majesty, that you have continued unshaken in your Faith, That neither the temptation of allurements, perswasions, and promises, from seducing Papists on the one hand, nor the persecution, and hard usage from some seduced, and misguided Professors of the Protestant Religion, on the other hand, could at all prevail upon your Majesty to make you forsake the Rock of Israel, the God of your Fathers, the true Protestant Religion, in which your Majesty hath been bred; but you have still been as a Rock your self, firm to your Covenant with your and our God, even now expressing your zeal, and affection for the Protestant Religion; and your care, and Study for the propagation thereof: This hath been a rejoycing of heart to all the faithful of the Land, and an assu­rance to them, that God would not forsake you, but after many trials, which should but make you more Precious, as gold out of the fire, restore your Majesty unto your Pa­trimony, and people, with more Splendor, and Dignity, and make you the Glory of Kings, and the Ioy of your Subjects, which is, and shall ever be the prayer of your [Page 6] Majesties most Loyal Subjects, the Com­mons of England assembled in Parlia­ment,