The Humble REMONSTRANCE AND RESOLVES OF Col. Overtons Regiment in his Excellencies Garriſon of HULL;
Subſcribed by the Officers in the Name of themſelves and their Souldiers, and preſented to His Excellency the Lord General Fairfax.
Wherein is remonſtrated their Integrity to their Truſt, and their own Vindication againſt the late Aſperſions caſt on them, as if they had declared for Thompſon's Party, and other late irregular Actings.
Together with Colonel Overton's Letter to the General.
LONDON, Printed for Lodowick Lloyd, and Henry Cripps, and are to be ſold in Popes-head Alley. 1649.
AFter ſo many miraculous deliverances and victories given unto us by almighty God, the conſideration whereof hath not only intereſſed us of this Garriſon to act our parts in the ſtations we are in, by a full reſignation of our ſelves to what hath been foreremonſtrated by the Army, but alſo truly touched and united out hearts unto your Excellency in your late goings againſt that ſeduced part of it, whoſe proceedings we do not only diſown, but diſavow and deny, as a thing ſo weakly grounded, and to unſeaſonably ſought, as we cannot but confeſs our fears, that either ſome Jeſuitical & projecting pates have hereby gone about to retard the intended and timely relief of bleeding, dying Ireland; or otherwiſe, ſome ſecret, cloſe, envious and undermining adverſaries have again endeavored to fan the fire of Faction, whereby freſh ſtorms and••oubles might be renewed to keep open the wounds of England, and to multiply the miſeries of Ireland; or otherwiſe to put forward their Poſitions, who are Enemies not only to Peace and4 Propriety, but alſo ſecret and under-hand Actors for Atheiſm and Anarchy. Wherefore leſt we the Officers and Souldiers in your Excellencies Garriſon of Hull ſhould undergo ſo unjuſt a Calumny, as either ſecretly or openly to conſort our ſelvs with ſuch in our practiſes, We do hereby humbly demonſtrate unto your Excellency, That we not only diſown and ſadly reſent the prepoſterous and ſpurious projects of the late Defectors from the proceedings of the preſent Parliament, your Excellencies intereſt and authority; but alſo do mutually combine and agree, never upon any pretence, or purſuance whatſoever, to betray or give up the private Entruſtments of this place to any other Intereſts on earth. And we do further declare, That we neither had, nor will hereafter in that way have ought to do with any ſuch Diſſentors, either in their works or writings, whereby poyſon dropt upon paper corrupts the Texts of Truth or weak Intentions, and mounts Miſchief upon an hill to raiſe an Edifice of Diſcontent, or make an eternal monument for Miſery. We do further unfeignedly bleſs almighty God for the ſeveral good ſucceſſes in this kinde given your Excellency againſt the evil Intentions of ſome, and the over eaſie credulity of others, whereby the Nation might have become a field of blood, or a Chaos of confuſion.
And for a fuller obligation upon our obedience, we do hereby re-engage our ſelves, with whatſoever is neer and dear unto us, to abet (maugre all ſecret ſuggeſtions to〈◊〉contrary) the ſupportation of every juſt power of Parliament or Army, acting in and for the Intereſt of the Free-born People of England, wherein we ſhall cheerfully give up our ſelves in a full reſignation, to be ordered and commanded by the ſupream5 authority of Parliament, and your Excellency, from time to time; ſo that our obedience may ever attend upon your intentions and undertakings in purſuance of the peace and proſperity of this Nation, together with the good guidance or government of the Army, without the leaſt inclination to treachery or Agitatorſhip: In which kind we conceive our former compliances was a forced put, and had only the virtue of neceſsity for its warrant; and hath left, we are confident, ſuch a character and face of Confuſion ſtampt upon it, that we ſhal not eaſily hereafter incline to throw into that hazard; where once the good intentions of ſome ſped better then could poſsibly have been expected from ſuch popular and multiplied proceedings, as, for the moſt part, make a jar in buſineſs, which, put into the weilding of common hands or heads, is like a Jewel in a Cheſt, which cannot be beheld, nor made uſe of, becauſe the key is loſt. For like Achilles his Armor, this maſſy weight of State-admanagements ſuits not their weak ſhoulders to preſume upon, except they would with Phaeton, attempt to overturn the State, or ſet the frame of the whole Univerſe on fire.
Kingston ſuper Hull,June 5. 1649.
I Am glad that my Letter (though accidentally) came ſo conveniently for the wiping off thoſe occaſions ſo cauſeleſly caſt upon our care in this Command, who (for ought J know) at free from all ſiniſter Engagements, and as firmly united in our obedience to the Parliament, and your Excellencies Jntereſt, and the Diſcipline of the Army, as any other: For my opinion of former and latter proceedings, as to parts and perſons, J have not been ſparing both in publike and private to expreſſ my ſelf, yet ever with ſuch due Reſervations as tended to the keeping ſacred and inviolable my particular and private Truſt, which J aſſure your Lordſhip from him (who hates treachery as hell) J purpoſe never to part withall; and whoſoever in this kind are my accuſers, let me, Sir, beſeech you to believe that J doubt not but the juſtice of that7 cauſe which gives others comforts in their Commands, will alſo continue me obedient even unto the death in my deputation; and though malice may in the interim beſpeak me ſuſpitious, yet J doubt not but my endeavors ſhall at length ſhame their asperſions, whoſe ſharp teeth have blistered their envious tongues with ſuch biting and baſe Reports; J confeſs J do often ſadly conſider and recount the diſaſters which diviſions and diſtractions have entituled us to, yet find occaſion ever from thoſe changes and chances to acknowledg the goodneſs of that great and glorious God, who keeps us from that confuſion of tongues, whereby the furious violence of ſome, the ſecret ſubtlety ▪ the innocent and honeſt eaſineſs of others, would have undoubtedly deſtroyed us in England, and have left our Friends in Ireland to have languiſhed and dyed by degrees under the irrepairable oppreſsions8 of thoſe really cruel and blood thirſty Rebels. God grant a further Jndignation goes not out againſt us for our inſenſible ſlowneſſe to their Aſsiſtance, whilſt we go about to raiſe ſtructures of brain-ſick and Eutopian Governments after our own inventions, ſtriving like giddy Copernicuſſes both by Sea & Land to turn all things topſie turvy, as if we meant to cast the univerſe-into its former Chaos: But this, my Lord, J inſiſt upon more to aſſure you of my ſelf and ſervice, then out of any purpoſe to put any further trouble upon your Excellency, then what your pardon for this preſent preſumption may importune on his behalf, who, Sir, in deſpite of all indeſerved diſtractions devotes himſelf
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A86855)
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