I Have receiued yours of the 21^th of Iune, where­in you referre mee for anſwer to part of mine of Iune 20^th to what hath paſſed betweene you and his Excellency the Marquis of Ormonde, when I peruſed thoſe papers of yours; I obſerved how you put of the maine objections againſt the chiefe ac­tors in England as not concerning you at all, can the horrid and treaſonable Paricide of a lawfull Soveraigne, by rebellious Subjects, contrary to all laws of God and man, contrary to ſoe many oathes and obligations, deteſted by all Europe, the abrogation of the antient liberties, and priviledges of Parliament, the totall ſubvertion of the fundamentall conſtitutions of their native country the extream­eſt violation of the rights and properties of their fellow ſubjects, and the aſſuming, of an abſolute arbitrary power, over their lives and fortunes by the Sword, be crimes of the higheſt nature in the Actors: and yet the maintainers and abbetters of them, in their Tirannicall vſurpations remaine innocent, and unconcerned.

I obſerved further how you plead his Majeſties limitation of his Regall power and his committing of the managery of the Iriſh warre, to his two houſes of Parliament in England, and upon that found­ation, you ground the juſtice of your Proceedings, ſuppoſe the laws of England did tye our common Soveraignes hands from doing acts of grace in Ireland, ſuppoſe they did obliege the ſubjects of this Kingdome in their lives and Eſtates, without their owne conſents, yea before they bee heard, ſuppoſe this doe not render the ſubjects of Ireland, the verieſt ſlaves in the world, nor make voide our free charters as antient and as large as thoſe of England it ſelfe, ſuppoſe that ſolemne Act to introduce the Engliſh ſtatutes into Ireland, to have been needleſse & ſuperfluous, ſuppoſing all you will have to be ſuppoſed, yet now there is not the leaſt ſhadow of the two houſes re­maining, the upper houſe being quite taken away, and the houſe of Commons, become a ſuppoſitions changling, certainely they are none of his Majeſties two houſes, which have taken away both Majeſty &2 Monarchy, Laſtly that warre hath noe affinity with this, That was to ſuppreſse Rebellion, this to maintaine Rebellion, That was to defend the Proteſtant Religion, the liberties of Parliament, the rights of the ſubject, this is meerely for the ſubvertion of all theiſe p••der thoſe things ſeriouſly, without prejudice, and you will quickly finde what tottering grounds you have laied to ſupport the weight of ſoe much Chriſtian blood and the devaſtation of the whole Kingdome, and how little you have anſwered to his Excellencies reaſons.

I propoſed a conference and you reject it, as not conſiſting with Prudence in matters of this conſequence, and ſubject in theſe times to conſtrustions and miſconſtructions, Certainely if advice and de­liberation be neceſſary it is in maters of moment and Conſequence.

If you be your ſelfe, that is free to follow, reaſon and Conſcience and not engaged to the dictates of other men, nor willfully wedded to an implicit faith, but ready to imbrace the truth whenſoever it ſhall be revealed (which every good Chriſtian ought to be) a conference had been the likelieſt meanes, to take away miſconſtructions, and be­get better conſtructions. This made the office of Embaſſadors ſoe ſacred, that quarrells might not become immortall, for want of con­ference, & right vnderſtanding There is a bleſſing promiſed to Peace­makers, but a judgment hangs over their heads who nouriſh conten­tions, This rejecting of a conference ſeemes to me to argue ſtrongly either a diffidence in your cauſe, or a reſolution, to hold the concluſion without any regard of the premiſſes, or a diſtruſt of my ingenuity. We both profeſſe the ſame ends, why ſhould we differ ſoe much in the meanes, I thought a conference would take away the vaile, and either diſcover our difference in the firſt, or have happily reconciled us in the later, to which I was reſolved to come without prejudice or obſtinacy, contending more for truth then, for victory, as willing to have con­diſcended to you had you been in the right, as I am unwilling to depart from you••w, becauſe I am aſſured that you are in the wroung, It is indifferent to me what cauſe is right, ſoe I be in the right cauſe, And though I have left your party, becauſe you have left your prin­ciples, it is but as a man leaves his brothers houſe, whileſt it is infected with ſome contagious diſeaſe, with a minde to pray for you, and a3 deſire of revnion with you, ſoe ſoone as I may with ſafety, This is not to forſake you, but to provide for myſelfe, you ſay you are ſa­tisfied in the juſtice of your cauſe admitt you be ſoe, yet take heed this be not for want of due diſcuſſion, or out of an implicit trust, and adherence to others, or a prejudice in your affections, which robbes and betraies reaſon of its due ſuccours, and like a falſe glaſse makes things appear otherwiſe then in truth they are, Be it ſpoken with­out the beaſt diſparagdment to your perſon or partes, which I honour and deſire to love, you cannot be more reſolute then Saul was in his phariſaicall opinions, or then many thouſand heretickes and Shiſma­tickes of all ſortes in the world are at this day, who might be cured, if they did not ſtopp their cares, againſt the voice of the Charmer, Principles may be erronious, and nothing is more ordinary then to miſtake a party for a principle, The only reaſon which you give for your reſolution, is that Gods bleſſing hath dwelt viſibly upon your cauſe, as ſtill it doth, when God bleſſeth men in evill courſes, it is the greateſt judgment, his waies are alwaies juſt, but often ſecret, The evening commends the day, and the concluſion often differs from the firſt Acts of the Tragily howſoever, aſcribe not that to the meritts of your cauſe, which may be due to the ſinnes of the advers party.

My ſword you ſay hath been proſperous, but you adviſe mee to conſider the cauſe wherein I then appeared, If over my cauſe were juſt (which you confeſſe) it is ſoe ſtill and therefore I may ſtill hope for the ſame bleſſings, yet the proſperouſ••es of it, did not aſſure mee that it was good, but the goodnes of it did, and ſtill doth give mee hopes that it will be proſperous.

But you tax mee now for joineing with the bloody Rebells, and ſetting my ſelfe againſt thoſe of the Proteſtant Religion contrary to my former engagements, how ill doe theſe words become you, who adhere to and maintaine the bloodieſt Rebells in the world, that is thoſe in England, who are ſoe ſtrictly joyned and vnited with Co­lonell Monke, who if I be not miſinformed, hath made a Ceſſation with the bloodest of thoſe that you intend and recommended them to the Parliament for farr better conditions, then wee give to thoſe who ſubmitt to his Maieſty, This is evident that h••e maintaines, a ſtrict league and correſpondance with them, then with his Majeſties loyall4 Engliſh Subjects, witnes his owne letter to Collonell Collom Brien mac Mahon, the originall whereof is in my hands, excuſing the ta­king of a prey upon mac Mahons lands, and promiſing his owne endeavour, and major Caddugans for reſtitution thereof, in theſe words, It ſeemes this miſfortune happened to you, upon an Infor­mation that you were removing with your Creaghts, and that you kept the horſe you have to joyne with Ormondes being of that faction. thoſe whom you call in publique bloody Rebells, you hugge and protect in private, but his Majeſties freinds are thoſe you moſt maligne.

Is that an horrid Crime in us which is a vertue in your ſelves, obſerve how partiality doth blind your eyes, is this our Crime that you proſecute with ſuch outcries that wee have not rooted out a nation, and thoſe whoſe anceſtors with their bloods, did propagate the Engliſh intereſt in this Kingdome, but as becometh Chriſtians, have received the penitent to mercy, after they have thruſt from them their miſleaders, That wee acknowledge them for fellow ſub­jects to whom his Majeſty hath extended his grace, that wee refuſe not their aſſiſtance in the defence of our Common King and Country, now that they have left their unlawfull courſes, to concurre with us in our juſt and pious ends, whom we proſecuted as Rebells formerly, If there were any blemiſh in this as there is none, it reflects princi­pally on thoſe whoſe Religion infuſing better principles into them, have been to the ſcandall thereof, contrivers and fomenters, of all our miſcheifes, firſt neceſſitating us, to make uſe of the joint concurrenc of thoſe of the Roman cumunion, for our common defence & then blam­ing us for joyning rather with them then to have both our bodies and ſoules inſlaved by a packe of inſulting Rebells, No, no, ſir wee have ſeen to our cost, how much our diviſions have conduced and would conduce to their greedy and ambitious ends.

As for that charge you lay to mee I ſmile at it, and adviſe you ſe­riouſly to looke into your ſelfe, I have changed the party but not the cauſe, you have changed the cauſe but not the party, make all things the ſame they were pretended to mee and the world, and I am the ſame I ever was, but when time hath diſcovered the hidden miſteries and jugling trickes of cheating mountebankes and impoſters, for moe to5 perſiſt in their fellowſhip, were not conſtancy but ſelfe willed obſtinacy, I have as you deſire ſeriouſly conſidered my former engadgments and the more I ponder the more I finde my ſelfe oblieged in honour and conſcience to deſert that party, I engadged my ſelfe by oath to defend the Kings perſon prerogative and poſterity and therefore I cannot conſent to that execrable murther, of his Majeſty, and the utter diſinheritance of my now gratious Soveraigne, I engadged to preſerve the lawes, and therefore I cannot without wilfull perjury, ſee the lawes ſubverted by a factious Army I engadged to maintaine Religion, and therefore cannot indure to ſee the reſurrection of all ſchimes, herecies blaſphemies, out of the grave of oblivion, wherein they have been long buried, I engadged for the juſt liberties of the Parliament, and people, and therefore am bound to oppoſe the anni­hilating or exvnaniting the power of Parliament by an handfull of upſtarts and the transferring the people from the ſervice of their law­full Soveraigne to the vaſſalladge of domineering Rebells give mee leave with the ſame freedome to put you in minde, of your oaths and engadgments, both as a ſubject, and a profeſſor of the lawes and thoſe not obtruded upon you, by feare or force not diſalowed by a lawfull ſuperior nor repugnant to law or precedent obligations.

Laſtly for the Proteſtant Religion if you intend that of the Church of England wherein you were baptized and breed wherein your fa­ther was, your uncles are and your brother profeſſeth to bee an emi­nent paſtor, I am ready to joine hands and heart with you in the defence and propagation thereof if you deſire a generall Sinod of all the Protestants in Europe, to beget either a neerer vniformity, or a right­er underſtanding among us, I ſhall endeavour the ſame alſoe, within the bounds of my calling, But if by the Protestant Religion you in­tend a confuſion or invndation of all thoſe monſtrous and heterogene­ous errours, which have over ſpread the face of the Engliſh Church, or if you thinke it lawfull for private perſons or ſubordinate, Ma­geſtrates, without the conſent, againſt the will, of their lawfull So­veraigne, to introduce novelties into the Church, according to their particular fancies, I muſt crave leave to diſſent from you.

And now ſir to conclude all whether you or I doe entend or endea­•our more Really the advancement of the Proteſtant Religion, and6 the Engliſh intereſt in this Kingdome, that is the defence of the Eng­liſh Subject in his juſt propriety the monarch of England in his juſt Soveraignty, I appeale to God the ſearcher of all hearts, and to the tribunall of Chriſt before which wee muſt one day giue an account of our actions much more might be ſaid in our defence but this is ſa­tisfactory if not to you yet to him who deſireth is be

For Collonell Michaell Iones. Th•ſe.

YOur Lordſhips of this date I re•ieved, it being in pur­ſuance of your former of the 20^th inſtant, Therein I finde a large recollection of what had been once and againe forme•ly offered and urged by the Lord of Ormonde, endeavouring the diverting mee from my courſe by laying before mee the late proceedings in England.

The cunto and to your Lordſhip is the Anſwer the ſame ſum­marily, which was formerly given on the like occaſion. That in all that, the ſervice heere is noe way concerned: only as to a Chriſti­an fellow feeling of each others ſuffering, And in what this ſervice hath ſuffered by thoſe unhappy differencies obſtructing thoſe ſupplies, whereby the worke heere had been before now finiſhed, otherwiſe I ſee not how from thoſe diſtractions in England is to bee concluded (either in Honour or Reaſon) what you intend my giving up to the Rebells and their adherents this place and Charge committed mee: which by Gods grace I ſhall never doe.

Your Lordſhip now againe preſſ•th that Conference defined in your former. And particularly, you except to my ſaying, That is7 prudence it was not to bee admitted in matters of this conſequence, you tell mee; that if advice and deliberation bee neceſſary it is in matters of moment and conſequence.

(But my Lord) it is not underſtood of adviſing with Enemies whoſe Councells, although never ſoe ſpecious, are to be ſuſpected. Nor was it ſaid that advice was not neceſſary in matters of conſe­quence: but that diſcourſes and a verball Conference (which was that ſpoken of,) and that at the diſtance wee are with each other, was not in prudence to bee admitted eſpecially in cauſes of this con­ſequence. The Lord of Oxmonde ſoe apprehended it, whole tranſ­actions firſt with the Iriſh and after with the Parliament Commi­ſſioners paſſed not in diſcourſes but in writting, and that as to very circumſtances. writeing (ſurely) not conference is the prudent and cleare way for ſuch proceedings. let not therefore my de­clining that your way be apprehended as proceeding either out of diffidence of my cauſe; or from a Reſolution to bold the concluſion without reſpect had to the premiſſes; or out of any diſtruſt of your ingenuity: but as not being a way ſecure and fatisfactory. Neither am I enabled by the Parliament to diſpute and debate their intreſts otherwiſe then in the way wee now are, by the Sword: wherin I doubt not of a good concluſion the Lord aſiſting mee.

It troubles you much that I mention the Lords bleſſing this his owne cauſe with us; you ſay, that God bleſſeth men in evill cour­ſes. A good cauſe (I know) may ſome time ſuffer. Yet is it not incongruous (Circumſtances conſidered) to conclude the juſtice of a cauſe from Gods bleſſing it: ſeeing his bleſſing is expected and aſſured to his worke by ſpeciall promiſe, the ſinnes of thoſe there­in inſtrumentall not interpoſing. But it ſeemes very ſtrange what you ſay, (and the Stranger, if it bee the ſence of thoſe Divines with you) that God bleſſeth men in evill courſes. Gods ſuffering them for a time to proceed in evill ſuccesfully, is not a bleſſing of them in evill courſes, there being to evill none of Gods blesſings appropriated. But for us, it is our comfort that wee can and doe thus boaſt of the Lords bleſſing this his worke in our hands, wherein hath been mightily, & viſibly magnified the Glorie of his power and truth and goodneſse even in the loweſt of our Condition, to8 us an Evidence of his owne cauſe with us. And in ſoe concluding I but aſſume the ſame freedome, which your Lordſhip hath done: you having (in effect) ſoe concluded from the ſuccesfullnes of your Sword: And this our cauſe is the ſame with that which your Lord­ſhip ſeemed then to hold.

Your Lordſhip juſtifieth your joyning with the Rebells by way of Recrimination; objecting the ſame to others. If to mee you intend it, I ſpeake it plainly, it is a Charge very unjuſt, (to ſay no more)

But as to your ſelfe, you ſtick not openly to profeſſe and juſtify your proceedings in that kinde, aſſerting it a Chriſtian act: for therein (you ſay) you Received penitents; ſtrange Penitents are they, who after ſoe much blood, and ſpoile of Innocents are now ſoe farre from ſatisfiing their wrong doings, that they profeſſe themſelves not guilty: and whoſe Penitence is only in that they failed in accompliſhing their evill in fullnes; which in the now ſetling them in that power given in your Chriſtian union with them, they may haue hereafter fitting opertunity to accompliſh to the uttermoſt, ſoe, as they may not need further Penitence in that Particular.

You ſmile (you ſay) at that Charged to you of your Changing. At it (my Lord) do your Enemies ſmile: but griefe it is to your friends, and all well affected. who your friend, can ſmile at your falling away and (to ſpeake plainely) at your betraying that truſt repoſed in you? can you ſmile at you turning that ſword put into your hands by the Parliament, againſt thoſe who have ſoe truſt­ed and maintained you? were you called out againſt theſe bloody Rebells, and for the Proteſtants, and can you ſmile to ſee your ſelfe now in the head of thoſe very Rebells or with them, and for them, and that, againſt even Engliſh and Proteſtants? can you ſmile (my Lord) in your betraying thoſe poore Engliſh (your Care and truſt,) and in offering them up (in time) a ſacrifice to the malice of their mortall Enemies, having firſt removed (and by their hands alſoe, which is intended) thoſe here, who pitty them, and by whom they might bee from thoſe evills reſcued. You tell me, that you have not changed your Cauſe but your Party, and what was your Cauſe then (I beſeech you) and what is it9 now? was not the proſecution of this Warre againſt the Rebells then your Cauſe? this was ſurely your Truſt and (for any thing ap­pearing) was it that only or principally in your truſt? and are you not now taken of from this? is this your Cauſe now? are you not now changed to the quite contrary? your Cauſe (you ſay) is the maintenance of the King, of Laws, of Religion, and of the Liberties of Parliament. ſo indeed in your Covenant. But your ſticking unto theſe (if unto them you ſticke) excuſeth you nothing, as to your failing in that principally Committed to you in that Province, the employing thoſe Armes and powers given you againſt the Rebells our common Enemies. There is not the meaneſt Covenanter who pre­tends not equall intreſt with you in theſe common engagements; but you were, beſides all heſe, eminently called above others to that high truſt, from which you have ſoe fallen as your Honour is no way ſalved no•vindi•ated by a pretended adheiring to other your profeſſion. your doing ſomethings, excuſeth not your failing in that principally expected from you.

You object to us new raiſed Hereſies &c. wee deteſt them as much as you or any; neither account we them any part of our Doctrine, and of the Religion now profeſſed in the Church of England I wiſh ſome of your Lordſhips Divines now with you (whoſe pennes are parhapps in this Charge to us) were not chargable with corruption in that kinde, makeing way for Hereſies, and even for Popery it ſelfe alſoe, being thereby, with others of like ſtraine, authors of thoſe evills this day covering the face of Church and State, where­of they may bee in due time ſenſible.

Much more (you ſay) might bee ſaid in your defence I beſeech your Lordſhip to re•erve it for ſome time of better leaſure, and for ſome other perſon fitter for ſuch debateings. Wha•I have now done, was for ſhewing my ſelfe nothing ſatisfied with any thing yet by your Lordſhip delivered, and that others might not bee abuſed in ſuffering yours to paſſe me unanſwered. But for the future, I deſire, your Lordſhip would be pleaſed not to trouble your ſelfe not mee in thi•kinde any further. I am otherwiſe emploved then10 to ſpend time in anſwering ſome there, whoſe penns are at better leaſure then either yours or mine at preſent. So I remaine

For the Lord Baron of Inchiquine Theſe.