Presented to the Bayliffs, High Steward, Recorder, and the rest of the Ma­gistrates, at the General Quarter-Sessions of the Peace for the said Borough, holden the Twenty Seventh day of April, 1682. And by the unanimous Consent of the Court agreed upon and ordered to be under the Common Seal of this Town, PRESENTED To the Kings most Excellent MAJESTY.

WE Your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects, having already presumed to present Your Majesty with our hearty thanks for, and acknowledgment of Your great Goodness to us and other Your Loyal Subjects, expressed in Your late Gracious Declaration of Your Princely Resolutions for the future Government of this Your Kingdom of England. And finding that some restless Spirits, ungrateful both to God and Your Majesty for the Blessings they enjoy under Your peaceable Reign, had thoughts of entring into an illegal and abominable Association, a Draught whereof found amongst the Earl of Shaftsbury's Papers Your Majesty hath been pleased to publish to the World: We think our selves obliged both in Duty and Conscience to testifie both to Your Majesty and the Nation our utter dislike and abhorrence of the same. Neither are we of opinion that any the most [...]a [...]led pretensions to Zeal and Duty set forth in the Preamble are specious enough to sanctifie the unjusti­fiable and dangerous Conclusion. Some of us are old enough to remember in Your Blessed Fathers Reign what undutiful Propositions and Demands were ushered in with professions of Zeal for Religion and Care of his Royal Person. The end whereof was the making him indeed a Glo­rious King in Heaven, but a Miserable one on Earth. And we hope, Sir, that this Nation will be too wise to be drawn twice through the same water by the very same Cat. In short, Great Sir, we from our hearts disown any Thoughts, but those of Obedience to our Sove­reign, which is the Principle the true Protestant Religion teacheth, and whosoever Preach or practise any contrary Doctrine, may stile themselves Sober Protestants, but can never prove themselves to be either true Christians or good Subjects. God preserve Your Majesty in health and peace, continue the Crown in its Legal Descent, defend You from the Loyalty of such as would divest You of Your Authority for the Security of Your Person. And may You at length be allowed the benefit of those Laws which You are so Graciously pleased to give the full advantage of to Your People.