by the way, they were arrested and a guard set upon them: these
are to be questioned, because the acted some things contrary
to the Emperors command.
A Letter from the Lord General Monck, and the Council of officers
in Scotland, to his Excellency the Lord Fleetwood, and
the General Council of officers in England.
Right honorable and our worthy friends,
HAving through the rich mercies of our most gracious God, lived to see a
revive of that glorious cause in your hearts, which hath been scaled with
so much precious blood, attested with so many glorious and signal providences
of God, and purchased with so vast a treasure of these Nations, we
cannot but with the greatest demonstrations of joy and gladness own your late
proceedings in pursuance of those blessed ends we have so many years been contending
for, and for which, God hath at last, after so many years declining and
defection from him, and his peoples Cause and interest, turned back your eyes
upon your former Vows and Engagements made in the day of your espousals,
and be gotten in you a lively sence, both of your part failing and present duty;
and we cannot but look upon it as the greatest and happiest prognostick of our
future peace and establishment that ever our eyes yet beheld; and accordingly
we do with humbled hearts both reverence and embrace this dispensation of
divine providence, as that whereby a passage is made for our enjoying those
good things long since hoped for. That God hath hitherto indulged us whilest
every one was following after his idoll, and advancing his particular interest above
that of God and his people, deserves to be for ever had in remembrance,
as that whereby we are kept alive unto this day: Certainly, had he not been a
long-suffering God, and exceeding slow to wrath, he had ere now given us the
dregs of his indignation to drink, and made us a reproach and a hissing to the
adversaries of the truth, making us to reel and stagger, and dash against one another,
till we had accomplished that on our selves which the bloodiest of our
adversaries could not have beheld without horror and amazement. But now,
since we hope the sence of these things lies as heavy upon your spirits as on our
own, we shall cease to be your remembrancers of what hath been left undone,
or done amiss, and put you in minde of what in this great day of the Lords appearing
you ought to do, and in this we shall be very brief, intending to be more
particular, as occasion may offer.
1. In the [unr]rst place we earnesily intreat you, that in the work you have undertaken,
as you would lay aside the interest of any private person, so that your
eye may not be sasined upon any particular interest whatsoever, as it is divided
or subdivided from the whole interest of Christ, and of those that profess his
Name in sincerity and in truth, but that you would earnestly study and endeavor
to advise with such, in whose hearts the power of godliness shall be made
manifest, through a holy, strict, and religions conversation, although they may
be of different mindes in the more external and less necessary parts of Religion.
2. That seeing his late Highness hath been pleased to manifest so much self-denial,
and love to his Country, in appearing for the interest thereof against his
own, in this great day of change, that you will use your endeavors with all
affectionate care and industry, that himself and family, together with her Highness