WE having observed with much sorrow and grief of heart, the sinful Interrupti­on given to our late Parliament, by part of the Army of England, for near six years together: and yet after some smiting of Conscience on the In­terruptors, forcing them to restore the Banished of the Lord; who as the righteous Judge of all the Earth, having out of their own mouths, made them to condemn themselves; and withal, to take shame and confusion of face for that so abhorred an Act: who as thinking it too little for a Closet Duty, seem'd to sound a trumpet of repentance to the world; to shew in Print how vile & abominable they were, or at least, seemed to be in their own eyes, for their backslidings from that Authority God had so eminently owned against all their enemies; and yet notwithstanding they having returned again to the same sin, by this late reiterated Interruption, heightned by many other grievous aggravations; by Addresses, Supscriptions, receiving their Commissions from them as their Ge­neral, to whom in Duty and Conscience they were therefore (in all relations, Sacred, Civil, and Military) bound to submit; yet as persons that were not con­tent to sin themselves alone, but desirous to make all the three Armies equally guilty, enforcing Subscripti­ons upon them, thereby to justifie those perpetrated [Page]abominations of their Tyrannical Sword; assuming the Power as Legislators, to make Null Acts of Par­liament: And the better to effect their Designe upon us, having prepared their way, by an unparallell'd Act of Violence; by casting out above two hundred Officers, without any tryal, under pretence of Re­formation: The worst of which durst not but have detested their Crimes; and who (if they had remain­ed) would have opposed them to the utmost: By all which proceedings, our Religion and Liberties, as Englishmen and Protestants, were subjected to the Lusts of men; as we could not but fly from the Tents of such Sons of Violence, lest some sudden and re­markable judgement should overtake us, as we fear, and are perswaded will them; they being guilty of no less then the sins of Corah; and therefore may pe­rish in his Gain-saying: So neither could we but be zealously enflamed, to hazard our Lives, Estates, and therewith our Posterities, rather then die a lin­gring death, to see the Funeral of them all: And in this our resolution, observing the Becks of Providence, the Lord seemed to cast before our eyes, who in mer­cy remembers us in our low estate, blessing our poor and sincere undertakings here.

Upon Tuesday the thirteenth of December, we at­tempted at five a Clock in the Evening, the seizing on the Castle of Dublin, the principal Magazine of Ire­land, [Page]on which depended the coming or standing out of the whole Nation; and by the good hand of God, were made successful therein; which is therefore now at the Service of the Parliament, against Apostatized Usurpers.

The Designe was near two moneths in contriving and the more dangerous, because of five Foot Com­panies that Quartered in the City, but one of which we could repose any confidence in; neither durst we discover the thing, but only to one Officer of that Company; so that when it came to the execution, we were not assured of one man that would stand by us: But who shall despise the Day of small Things: Gods Judgements are swift, when Iniquity is full: Of three Troops of Horse, we made some of the Officers: And notwithstanding the length of time in projecting, yet we could not agree about timing the action for execu­tion, till the night before; In all which, we finde very much of the Favouring Presence of God, That every mans part of the Design did hit so sure, that nothing failed, blessed be his name, whose Spirit moves within the wheels. The only covert for this action which providentially was made use of, was our meeting to promote a Petition in the Army to call a General Council; which so dazeled the eyes of our aposta­tized Commander in Chief, with several others of [Page]his Cabinet Confidents, that they expected nothing else to be intended. But that which sets out the mercy to be the greater, was, that not one drop of blood was shed. We have seized upon Col. Jones, then Commander in Chief, as a Prisoner, whose acti­ons have been such, that deservedly call him to the Bar of Justice, when ever it shall please God to bring the Parliament together. Such a strange Apostasie appeared amongst the Chief Officers of this Army, that of all the Colonels by whom the late Petition of the Army was generally condemned but a little be­fore, was soon after in another garb justified and promoted; and no sooner was Lieut. Gen. Ludlow landed in England, by whom they had Signed an Ad­dress to the Parliament, but the very next Post bring­ing News of what the Army had done against them, they so generally faced about to justifie the Army, that only Maj. G. Waller, and Sir Charls Coot, and the L. of Broghill refused such a Subscription; and though but a day before it had been the highest crime to speak against the Parliament, yet the next day it was little less then Treasonable Dis-affection to speak for them. If therefore such men who turned out o­thers that were faithful to the Parliament, under the Notion of persons that could not be trusted, should now be kept in, we dread to think of the conse­quence; and therefore we hope, as there is a price [Page]put into your hands, so you will not want hearts to improve it, by justifying us, in purging your Army from such men, who like Balaam, love the wages of unrighteousness, whilst to the dishonour of the Name of God, and his Ways, they pretend the height of Profession, without which no visible way appeared to preserve the Parliaments Authority: Thursday following being the fifteenth, the City drew forth, and with much affection, and the highest expression of joy, declared with us; and though they had not eight hours notice, there appeared above two thou­sand Foot, besides Horse. This little spark hath ri­sen into such a flame, that in less then a weeks time, we finde upon the coming in of the Country Posts, by Letters, that Limrick, Galloway, Clonmel, Youghal, Ross, Kilkenny, Drogheda, Dundalk, Antrim, with mary other places, have already declared their concurrence with us; and we doubt not, but by the next, the rest of the Garrisons in Ireland will do the like. The Commissioners of the Parliament who lately entitu­led themselves, Commissioners of the Common­wealth, are resolved not to Act, though the necessity be never so great, till Jones be at liberty; which is not thought fit to be permitted. Had not the busi­ness taken at the very time it did, several of us had been seized upon the next day, meerly as dis-affected persons; a Letter having been sent from the Lord [Page] Fleetwood to Jones, to that purpose: Since things therefore are come to this Issue, and that to preserve the Parliaments Cause against the Army, we cannot in all things be so regular as we desire to be, through the refusal of the Commissioners to Act, yet we hope our actions being such as shall answer a good Con­science, and meerly what necessity enforced us unto, you will make the best construction of them. By Let­ters from England, we cannot but take notice of the carriage of Lieut. Gen. Ludlow in this Revolution; who having an opportunity to return hither, or there appear for the Parliament, yet hath not made use of it towards their Restitution as he might have done; We finde by the same Letter, that his dis-affection begins to be salved; and therefore how unsafe it is to confide in him; when what his Civils allow, his Conscientials destroy; we humbly refer to your con­sideration: We rest