THat these Instructions as your Lordships may perceive consisted of six Articles, of the first five he should have no cause to speake much, because they could afford no matter of doubt wherefore hee onely recited them thus.

The first conteined a friendly apprehensi­on of the kindnesse of our Brethren in the Parliament of Scotland in their ready offer to assist this Kingdome against the Rebells of Ireland.

The second was onely a Declaration of our willingnesse to accept that offer.

The third, a Narrative of our proceedings and preparations for that warre.

The fourth, a particular desire of 1000. men from the Scots to bee speedily sent into the North parts of Ireland.

The fift a publike undertaking and ingagement to make satisfacti­on for the charges of those men.

The sixt was to present to his most excellent Majestie an humble Petition : That he would be pleased to change those Councells which hath beene so mischievous to the State, and of so much danger and misery to his Majestie and his Subjects, and to imploy in his great af­faires such Councellors and Ministers as might be approved by his great Councell the Parliament, this (he said) had beene resolved by the House of Commons with good deliberation, and might perchance ad­mit some ob [...]ection, wherefore hee was Command [...]d to speake some­what to shew the Justice the Reasonablenesse, the Necessitie of it therein, wherein (he said) he would proceede by these steps.

The first was this, that the dangers and miseries which come to a State by evill Councels are of the most pernicious and destructive na­ure of all others: The comparison betwixt a Naturall Body and a Po­liticke Body is usuall, they resemble in nothing more than in this.

Death, and sicknesse, and d [...]nger, have divers wayes of approach to naturall Bodies, sometimes by outward violence, sometimes by intem­perance in diet, exercise or unwholesomnesse of the Ayre.

The first may be prevented by warinesse, by courage, by Assistance.

The second sort are more easily cured, the cause being knowne.

But there is a third sort of deseases proceeding from the defects of some more noble and vitall parts, the Heart, the Braine, the Liver, these are harder to be cured, the cause being not so easily discovered, nor the remedy so readily applyed, especially because they weaken and debili­tate n [...]ture in those prime powers and offices, which should Actuate and dispose the Medium to the procuring of health.

The dangers by warres, and the attempt of open enemies may bee compared to the first sort, and may with more facilitie be prevented by the provision and opposition of Force, the disorders and distempers of a Common-wealth by corruption in Justice by deceites or disadvantages in Tra [...]e, by excesse in Luxury and inordinate expences, they are soone discovered, and by good Lawes, and care in the execution of them may be certainly prevented, and these have some resemblance to the second sort.

But in evill and unfaithfull Councellors are the vitall parts of a State poysoned and corrupted, the wayes of danger are more secret and so more difficult to be cured; the remedies are kept out by power, great­nesse and authorities, the state is not onely disabled to helpe it selfe, by [Page 3] the want of such principall Members and Instruments, but the power, wisedome, and authoritie of it is by their cunning and subtile practices tur­ned against it selfe, and therefore the dangers and mischiefes that come this way are much more incurable then others.

The second point to which he proceeded was this, that there have beene and still are evill Councels and Councellers, of the time past there will be no doubt: The judgements against some, the accusation of others, the flight of divers, the designes upon Religion, the attempts upon the State, the oppression of the People, and the manifold divisions and distempers in the Kingdome are too great evidences of it, but for the present they are somewhat quelled, and appeare not so boldly; they lurke and whisper in corners, yet the effects prove there are such, and like poyson in the roote, they are lesse visible, but no lesse dangerous then when they flourish in the hearbe or in the fruite: yet as much as they dare they will take upon them to make defences and appollogies for the evill Councells of others, and such as these are aptest and readiest to preferment and imployment, which is a signe that some neare the King are Lovers and Patrons of those that love and preferre evill Coun­cellors to more value and esteeme.

And most cleare evidence is this, that all the wicked designes against the Parliament and against the peace of the Kingdome, may be traced home to have their orignall in the Court, and to be first acted and mo­ved by some p [...]incipall persons neare the King.

A third was this, that the Councells of this time are of a more dange­rous and desperate nature, then those of other times and Ages, this State hath often suffered under former Princes by evill Councells, some­times they have beene such as would flatter his Majestie in his vices, but we may thanke God that his Majesties vertue will give entrance to no such ill Councells as these, sometimes they have abused the Power, and Authoritie of the Prince for enriching and advancing their owne kindred and friends, and of disgracing and discontenting those of bet­ter Merrits: Others have beene officers to straine the prerogative to the great grievance of the People, and in ill Counsells of this kind wee have suffered in too great a measure, but these are farre from the heart of the State they extend not to come and destr [...]tion, but the Councell under which wee groane, and against which we labour, they are such as ayme at the alteration of Religion, at the subvertion of the fundamen­tall [Page 4] Lawes, and Government, and in this consists the very life and being of our Kingdome, they are deadly, pernicious, ruining Councells, both to this and all other protestant States, not to be parallel'd in any former time.

A fourth was, that all these evill and mischievous Councells proceed from Popery, and tend to Popery: That is, the Primum Mobile, that moves and comprehends all the rest; there are inferiour Motions which tend to more perticular ends, but this is the great end by which they are all acted and directed: the Religion of the Papists is incom­patible with all other Religions, and hath in it principles distructive, not onely to those that are most opposite to it, but to all that will not fully agree and concurre with them, and though for a time they may comply with others, and make use of them, yet in the end they will consume and destroy all that will not wholly turne to them; there is in nature a formative vertue, whereby it frames Organs in the Body fit for the exercise of those specificall operations which are necessary for the life and perfection of the Creature, and likewise a Nutritive vertue, whereby it converes other things to the increase and preservation of it selfe.

There is a spirit in Popery which workes somewhat after this manner.

It moulds factious instruments proper to its owne designes, and so it hath found out wayes and meanes to get such Officers, such Coun­cellors both of the Church and State as would be usefull for furthering their owne cause, and then by this Nutrative facultie they can apply both Ecclesiasticall and Civill Orders, Constitutions and proceedings to the growth and strength of themselves and their partie : other Reli­gions may have as much falshood as this, but no other hath such a de­structive qualitie as this hath, nor is so contrary to the civill Govern­ment of a Protestant Kingdome as this is.

Now that Popery hath a prevayling and predominant power in all the [...]ate Councells is cleare by these reasons: The innovations in Church Matters have beene such as have made that Religion more plausible, and the course of government such as hath made way for the imployment, and preferment of those who have beene Patrons and Protectors of it, by whose Mediation and Power, the professors thereof have received many Immunities, much favour and countenance, to the evident in­crease of their number and strength; what Maturity this designe is [Page 5] come to in Ireland we see, even to a publike attempt to destroy all the Protestants there, and to free themselves from his Majesties Govern­ment, and that the like was intended both for England and Scotland, we have no cause to doubt, when wee consider upon what grounds the late Warre was procured, and that Prayers have now a long time beene made by those of the Popish Religion, for the successe of some great de­signe in hand for the advancement of that cause.

A fift was this: That whatsoever Aides are given by the Subject, they will be of no effect for the good of the Kingdome, unlesse such Councels be removed they will be like restoratives to a distempered body which nourish the sicknesse, and hasten Death: Our Treasure may be consumed unprofitably, & the Kingdome left naked of defence, as it hath lately beene, the Negociations with forraigne Princes may be managed to our own disadvantage, and all the meanes of preservation frustrated or turned to our destruction.

A Sixt was this; That now was the proper time for desiring this favour and benifit from his Majestie, the Kingdome was very much ex­hausted, a little more would [...]otally undoe us; wee have heretofore strength to beare out ill Councels, which now we have not, Relapses in such a case as ours prove commonly more dangerously then the first sicknesse, when, by strength of Nature, the distempers prevaile without resistance; if ill Councels should now resume strength, they would grow much more violent and fierce than before: Besides, this is a time wherein the whole world is in Motion and Agitation, and such times are ever aptest for great Changes and Alterations. There are none of our neighbour Princes, but have Armies and great Preparations, both by sea and land, and if wee have false Counsell at home, we may be over­whelmed upon a sudden, which could not be done at other times, [...]e­cause any attempt of that kinde would require long time, and more vi­sible preparation.

Another Reason urged for the fitnesse of the time, was, That his Majestie had now great occasion to use the love and fidelity of his peo­ple in service of danger and expence, and therefore would be more wil­ling to expresse himselfe in those things which might be most for their incouragement and security in their great undertakings and adventures for his honour, and this he said was agreable to the proceedings of God, who may be observed at such times, a [...] he intended to imploy any of his Prophets or Servants in any great worke, would for the most part in­courage [Page 6] in some extraordinary manner by some speciall blessing, or pr [...]mise some more eminent Revelation, or Miracle then at other times.

The Seventh and last Step was this, that his Majestie in satisfying this humble desire of his Subjects, should gaine very great advantages to himselfe, and he said, that here in our request to the King, should have some resemblance of our prayers to God, we should desire nothing from him, but what might make for his owne honour and Happinesse, as we ought to pray for nothing from God, but what conduceth to his own Glory and Service: The advantages which the King will gaine by as­senting to this our humble Petition will be these.

1. It will be a great discouragement to the Rebells, when they see his Majesties affaires and proceedings against them; are guided by such Councellors and Ministers as are Adverse to them, as is evident by the intelligence we have received, that a chiefe point of confidence in the Rebells is this, That they have some friends neare the King here.

2. It will much incourage his Majesties good Subject to hazard their persons and contribute their ayd to the furtherance of this service, when they shall be assured that those w [...] governe the Affaires, have publike aymes, and will order and dispose all to the advantage of Reli­gion and the Common good.

3. It will be a terrour to those who shall presume to move the King for any corrupt or unworthy person, when they must come to an exa­mination in Parliament, because it will be a meanes to bring his Maje­stie to discerne how they abuse his trust and favour, by what sinister end or sordid respects they are guided.

4. It will put an answer into the Kings mouth to all Importunate sollicitations. Nothing is more troublesome to a benigne and gratious Prince, then to deny those who are neare unto him; whereas if he shall please to say that he is ingaged to his people, this will be a sure way to take off all envie, and discontent from himselfe, and assure him that those whom he shall preferre, will depend upon no other.