THat you have no ſooner received an anſwer to yours of the fourth of the laſt Moneth, you muſt impute to the length thereof and weight of the Argument, which J was re­ſolved to communicate to thoſe upon whoſe Affections and Judgements you principally rely of any in this place; and of their Ap­probation and conſent to your Propoſition and your Reaſons, J cannot give you ſuch an account as I preſume you expect, for I muſt tell you, as you of Lon­don grow more elate in your ſtile and mention of us here, as a poor people totally at your devotion, and to be preſerved or ruined as you pleaſe to vouchſafe your conſideration of us; ſo our ſufferings and our wants have given us ſo much Courage and Pride, that we look upon you as our equalls, too negligent and unmindfull of your fellow Subjects: And Sr Iohn Clottworthyes own ſpeciall friend ſaid paſſionately at the reading your Letter, that he plainly ſaw, the in­tention of the Houſe of Commons in England was, only that we ſhould change our Maſters not improve our conditions, and that all the compaſſions you ſeem to have of the miſeries of Ireland. was but to get credit enough to work miſchiefe in England. Truly Sir, the face of things, and diſpoſitions of Perſons are much altered ſince you left us, and what J now write to you, is the ſenſe of all thoſe (one only excepted) with whom you directed me to conferr.

Your other correſpondent ſhew'd us the copy of the Petition you ſent hither to be ſubſcribed by the Proteſtants of this King­dome, againſt making or conſenting to any Peace with the Rebells, and deſired us to diſtribute our ſelves to ſeverall Quarters for the getting of hands to it, telling us that his Neighbour (the Lectu­rer whom you uſed to frequent on Frydaies) had already gotten2 neare 200. hands to it, & that you expected it again in England by the twentieth of this Moneth, becauſe you deferred the publiſhing your laſt Declaration concerning Ireland till then; upon peruſall of it, we all wiſhed it were in your hands again, or at leaſt, that that Gentlemans zeale, to whom you committed it, had vouchſafed to have taken our advice before he made it ſo publique, for we are confident it will not only be diſappointed of that conſent and ap­probation you expect, but we feare it may make a contrary impreſ­ſion in many, (and thoſe of the greateſt power, intereſt, and Re­putation) who have only borne the uneaſineſſe and calamity of a Warre, in hope of a ſpeedy, ſafe, and honourable Peace, and what muſt theſe men think when they ſee a Proteſtation entred againſt Peace in generall without any conſideration of the Iuſtice, Honour or ſecurity of it? Pardon me if I tell you in what Language the grief and ſorrow of ſome very good men (even in your own Calendar) hath vented it ſelfe upon the view of this Petition: They ſay, you ſit like a proud wanton People, upon a ſecure, fruitfull Hill, and barbarouſly inhumanely delight your ſelves with the proſpect of Battailes, Contentions, Deſolation and Famine in the Vallies: that you are gotten upon a ſafe and pleaſant Rock, and recreate your ſelves with the miſeries and deſtruction other men endure by Tempeſts, and Shipwracks about you. I beſeech you (Sir) conſi­der what it is you ad••ſe us to.

That all the Proteſtants in Ireland joyne in a Petition to His Ma­jeſty, or to both Houſes of Parliament in England (for you ſay you have not yet determined to whom the Petition ſhall be directed, that may be done when it comes to London) againſt making a Peace with the Rebells in Ireland. An excellent evidence and teſtimony of our Religion: have the proteſtants with ſo much acrimony and bitterneſſe differed amongſt themſelves ſo long about Formes and Circumſtances, and can there be no expediment found out to unite and reconcile us, but a peremptory diſlike of Peace? Good Sir, let ſuch Petitions be framed and preſerred by Turkes & Jnſidels which have no reverence of the pretions image of their Maker, but with the ſame temper behold the ſlaughter of a man and of a Horſe, who have no principles of charity and brotherly compaſſion, or appre­henſion of future puniſhment for the want of them. Let thoſe whoſe Religion you ſay is Rebellion, and whoſe doctrine you ex­cuſe3 to be inconſiſtant with Peace ▪ preferre Petitions againſt Peace, God forbid the Proteſtants of any Kingdome ſhould conſent to ſuch a Petition. If your Reformation of Religion muſt be made by blood and deſolation, and your propagation of the Goſpell by the extirpation of Nations, call it a progreſſe to any Religion, rather then of the Proteſtants, whoſe glory and cuſtom hath alwayes been to give up their own, not the Lives of other men a ſacrifice to the Truth they profeſſe. What are the Argumen•s in Religion or Po­licy which you can give us, or that we can give His Majeſty to per­ſwade Him, that a ſpeedy Peace and Accommodation is not good for this miſerable and diſtracted Kingdome.

You ſay they are Papiſts, and ought not to be ſuffered to live a­mongſt us. I hope I may with more freedome ſpeak in this Argu­ment then other men; for you know I have been alwaies paſſio­nately enclined againſt the growth of that Religion, and concurred with you in any propoſition for the ſuppreſſion thereof, I would to God you had vertuouſly uſed the advantages have been offered you to that purpoſe at leaſt that you had not ſo much played with Re­ligion in your Votes and Declarations, and totally excluded it in your Actions: believe it (Sir) Good workes, which compre­hend Loyalty and Obedience will be never ſo much diſgraced un­der the Imputation of Popery, as not to be thought an eſſentiall part of Chriſtian Religion, into what Opinions ſoever diſtinguiſhed. I may, without oſtentation, tell you, no man hath ſpent more houres in Prayer, that it will pleaſe God to ſtrike the hearts of this Nation with the true knowledge of his worſhip that we may be all of one mind both in the ſubſtance and circumſtance of Religion; but you muſt pardon me if J doe not believe the way to remove the Errors, is to deſtroy the men, that the way to People Ireland with Prote­ſtants, is to cut the throats of all the Papiſts. Religion can never be fruitfull in that ſoyle which is tainted and over flowed with Ri­vers and ſtreames of blood. Admit there were no conſideration of Juſtice, of Chriſtianity in the Caſe, no motion of thoſe bowels which muſt yarne at the murthering and maſſacring of Mankind: doe you think it were a moſt prudent, a moſt politique poſition for His Majeſty to publiſh. That He is reſolved to have no Papiſt to live in any of His Dominions, if He were in a condition to ex­ecute ſuch a ſentence, and all men ready to give obedience to it;4 would he not robbe himſelfe of an unvaluable Treaſure & ſtrength in the loſſe of ſo many Subjects. You ſeemed to take great care at the beginning of this Rebellion, that it ſhould not be thought a Warre for Religion, you would not provoke all of that profeſſion to think themſelves concerned in it: and you did wiſely: the Earle of Clenrickard hath as much reaſon to expect that Religion ſhould be magnified in his Loyalty, as to find it ſuffer in the defection of my Lord Magu•yre; but you muſt take an equall care, that as you will not have it thought in them a Warre for Religion, ſo they muſt not think it a warre in you againſt Religion, that will produce the ſame danger. We that have enjoyed that full meaſure of pro­ſperity and plenty in this Kingdome cannot doubt of enjoying the ſame in the ſame Company. Let the Lawes of the Land be judge of their Actions, and God in his good time will rectify or pardon their Opinions.

Why then muſt we have no Peace? becauſe they are Rebells: Is this your Propoſition? No Rebellion muſt be extinguiſhed but with the blood & extirpation of the Rebells: put it to the Queſtion. No man looks upon this Rebellion with more horror then I do, few men have felt ſadder effects of it, either in the exerciſe of the ſword or fire my Houſes burned and my two Sonnes killed in cold blood; yet I doe beleive very many honeſt men have been cozened into this Action, by the power and perſwaſion of their Leaders, or frighted into it by the ill managery of affaires here, who never en­tertained diſloyall thought towards their Soveraigne, or ſeditious thought towards their Country; And there are good men who imagine that there hath not been leſſe skill and induſtry uſed by ſome of your friends in England and ſome of my friends in Ireland, to improve and continue this Rebellion, then were in the moſt act­ive Contrivers to begin it, otherwiſe why were the firſt Proclama­tions of Pardon ſent out of England, with ſo much care concealed here, and unpubliſhed but in two Counties, and ſuch who within the time prefixed rendred themſelves according to that Procla­mation, impriſoned, and uſed with that ſeverity, as if they had been taken in the Act of Rebellion: beleive it (Sir) when all miſcarriages of that kind ſhall be ſcann'd, unpardonable faults will be found in thoſe who have cryed out moſt upon this Rebellion; but J am farre from excuſing even thoſe who have bin in truth miſſed, if there5 hath not bin an abſence of Loyalty, then hath bin of Conſci­ence, Courage, and Deſcretion, without which the other is but a dream; and no doubt the Contrivers of theſe diſtempers had in their purpoſe as much Confuſion, Cruelty, and Inhumanity, as much Malice to the Engliſh Government, and the Engliſh Nation as can be imagined, and yet they make ſpecious pretences, and arguments for all that they do. There was a Fryer taken in the laſt expedition into Conaight, about whom was found a Collection of all your Votes, Ordinances, and Declarations in England, very carefully peruſed and marked with ſhort Marginall Notes by him, and out of them a large Manuſcript; framed by himſelfe, and entitled An Apology of the Catholiques of Jreland: or a Iuſtification, of their defenſive Armes for the preſervation of their Religion, the mainte­nance of his Majesties Rights and Prerogatives, the naturall and iust defence of their Lives and Eſtates, and the Liberty of their Coun­try, by the practiſe of the State of England, and the judgement and au­thority of both Houſes of Parliament in England, in truth ſo unhap­pily penned, with ſo little variation of Language, that but for the al­teration of Ireland for England, and ſome great Perſons of this Kingdom in the places of ſome named by you, your owne Clarke would hardly know it from one of your owne Declarations. All that they doe is for the good of the King and Kingdom. The King is truſted with the Forts, Magazines, Treaſure and Offices for the good and ſafety of the People; if he doeth not diſcharge this Truſt, but is advi­ſed by Evill Counſellors, and Perſons they cannot confide in, 'tis their duty to ſee this truſt diſcharged, according to the Condition and true intent thereof; That they ſaw their Religion and Liberty in danger of extripation, and therefore they had reaſon to put themſelves into a poſture of defence; That they are ready to lay downe theſe defenſive Armes, as ſoone as the great Offices of the Kingdome are put into ſuch hands as they can confide in; with all thoſe other common places which are ſo much inſiſted on by you in your ſeverall Declarations. But admit this Rebellion were an intire Act of the whole Iriſh. Na­tion, that it was deſigned by an unanimous conſent to free thēſelves from the yoke of England, If they repented now of that Deſigne & having felt the ſmart of that Folly and Madneſſe, deſired to returne to their Allegiance: can there be no doore open to Mercy and Obli­vion? I beleive you would Vote him an Evill Councellour that6 ſhould give the King that Councell in England: I am glad your Letter from the two Houſes to our Iuſtices and Councell (the Co­pie of which I received incloſed in yours) hath miſcarried, for I am ſure 'tis not yet come to their hands. You will finde you are miſta­ken in the temper of Our Board, and that they will not beare thoſe reproches from Perſons they are in no degree ſubject to. They think themſelves as competent Iudges of their expreſſions in their own Acts of State, as you are of yours in your Votes and Ordinances and being imediately truſted by His Majeſty with the Government of this Kingdom, underſtand better what is in order to the preſer­vation and deſtruction of it then you do. You tell them, they muſt not conceive the charge of the Warre is onely referred to you, as if your part were to be our Bankers only to provide Money, and were not to adviſe and direct the managing of the Warre, which power you ſay was granted you by Act of Parliament, and you will aſſume it as the meanes to ſave this Kingdome. We know no ſuch Act of Parliament, and we hope there is none, nay, the King muſt pardon us if we ſay there can be none. He is our Soveraigne, and we are his Subjects, he can no more give us away, and exclude us from His Protection, which if He excludes Himſelfe from managing this Warre, or redeeming us from this Warre by Peace, He doth abſo­lutely do, then we can put off our ſubjection, & ſay He ſhall be Our King no longer. Pray conſider the condition you would have us un­derſtand our ſelves to be in, you ſeeme to apprehend us in great ſtreights, in great neceſſities, reduced into narrow circuits without Money, Victuall, or Munition, in that proportion to contend with our Adverſaries. You do not pretend to have Authority to make a Peace for us be the termes never ſo honourable, and if He hath not power to do it neither, our portion muſt be an eternall VVarre, which is no comfortable thing to believe. You ſay you will bring thoſe to condigne puniſhment who adviſed the late Commiſſion, to heare what the Rebells can ſay or propound for their own advan­tage: If you can charge them with no other crime, but that Advice they will never feare the barre of Juſtice. Why are you offended? do you conceive the caſe of the Rebells to be ſuch, as by any skill or managery in a free and publique debate may get credit: It were an auſtere reſervedneſſe in the King, for which God Almighty would require a ſtrict account of Him, when thoſe He truſts here,7 preſent the miſery of their condition to him, and implore his care and protection, and when thoſe from whom all the miſchiefes ſeem to proceed, pretend to do all thoſe miſchiefes in their own defence, and deſire to be heard for themſelves, if he ſhould refuſe to hear them becauſe they are Rebells. Wee have ſeen a Declaration of yours, in which you ſeem with great vehemency to accuſe the King, that He refuſed to receive a Petition from you, to hear what you could ſay for your ſelves; and it was a charge of ſo great weight, that we find the King taking much paines to free Himſelf from, by abſo­lutely denying it, as conceiving it an unkingly thing not to heare what the worſt Subject can alleadge in his own defence. How comes His Office to be ſo inverted? muſt the King of England re­ceive all Petitions, and the King of Ireland refuſe all? Indeed if the King were guided by ſuch ſiniſter Rules of Policy and Craft, as go­vern your Actions, he would not now ſubject himſelf to the dif­ficulties and hazard of recovering what you have with ſo much In­duſtry and Cunning made deſperate, and would content himſelf that the blood of this poore People ſhould be caſt upon your Ac­count, and that Poſterity might ſee that the loſſe of ſuch a Kingdom was the fruit of a perpetual Parliament. But His Majeſty is too much acquainted with the Royall duty of a King, to think he can depute His Office of protecting to other hands, and be excuſed, if by their ill managery, a Nation (committed to his care) be loſt. I aſſure you all ſober men here are ſo farre from repining at this Commiſſion, which you are ſo ſcandalized with, that we look upon it as the daw­ning of that power, which for ſo many moneths hath been eclipſed by the interpoſition of a monſtrous, and unnaturall Iuriſdiction, and which we hope will every day break out with that brightneſſe, that will diſpell thoſe Miſts and Clouds of confuſion, which hath ſo fatal­ly covered us, and that inſtead of the puniſhment you threaten, we ſhall have cauſe to erect Trophyes to that Counſell, which adviſed this bleſſed overture of Accommodation.

You will expect, I know, my Opinion of your New Covenant, which you have prepared for the three Kingdomes, and which you ſay will unite all your Party, and diſtinguiſh you from your Adverſa­ries, I wiſh it would: I would there were ſo much ſenſe of Re­ligion left, that for pietie and conſcience ſake, men would refuſe the taking of any Oathes; your experience tells you the contrary, and8 you ſee your ſelves every day left by thoſe of whom you thought you were very ſure under that bond, they looking upon themſelves as awed, and compelled to take it, and ſo abſolved from the obligation at the inſtant they are forced to ſweare; and in truth you might con­ſider, that if they have heretofore ſworne any thing that is contrary to this, you have no reaſon to expect that they ſhould obſerve this Oath, who have broken the former; and I muſt tell you 'tis a ſhrewd evidence, that what you propoſe, is not the deſire and ſolici­tation of the Kingdome, when you are put to theſe ſhifts, by Force and Fraude, by Threats and Promiſes to croude the free-born Sub­jects into a Faction: you ſee the King does not countermine you with theſe Arts and Preparatives, He applies no Anti-Covenants to His followers, not ſo much as reinforces the known lawfull Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy; He is contented to depend upon the naturall fruits of Loyalty, Honour, and Generoſity, under which Obligation, His handfull of men have ſwollen into thou­ſands, and ſpread themſelves almoſt over all the Kingdom, whil'ſt the Proſelites under your Oathes, Covenants, and Proteſtations, waſte daily and fall off, and are well neer ſhrunk from the foure quarters of the Realme which they poſſeſſed, within the verge of one City. And if you conſider how many of thoſe who have taken this new Covenant you have ſent mee, even at the time of taking it de­ſire in their hearts, That Epiſcopacy ſhould ſtill continue, and how many more, who hate Biſhops, and think them Anti-Chriſtian, would yet rather live under them, then under a Presbytery, which is the caſe of the Independents, and both theſe and many more (who are ſo farre from caring what Government of the Church is eſtabliſhed, that they would be content all the Churches in England were pulled downe, and both Preaching and Praying put downe for ſeven yeers) are directly bound to ſet up the Presbytery. I lay, when you conſider, that men of theſe ſeverall and diſtinct tempers, with the ſame zeale take this Covenant, 'tis no wonder, that in ſtead of Union, you finde nothing but jealouſie and Confuſion amongſt your ſelves, and inſtead of advancing the Religion you pretend to, you draw upon you a generall ſuſpition, of having no Conſcience or ſenſe of Religion at all.

For the comming in of the Scots, which you ſay is your greateſt and laſt hope, I confeſſe I think you will be deceived. But by the9 way, you are wonderfull kinde to us, to adviſe us to Petition a­gainſt Peace, whileſt you are labouring to draw ſo great a part of our Army as the Scots in Viſter from aſſiſting Vs, to ſerve you in Eng­land, 'tis too great a buſineſſe for me to deliver an opinion in, but me thinks it ſhould leſſen very much your reputation with the Peo­ple, to ſee that after your charging the King ſo long with the pur­poſe of bringing in Forraine Forces, which you have preſſed as the moſt odious charge, and as a colour and ground for moſt of your Actions, you your ſelves at laſt call in Forraigne Ayde to helpe you to doe that, which you had, or can have no pretence of doing, but that all the people of England deſire it, and doe not thinke, that ſay­ing they are your Brethren of Scotland, and your fellow Subjects, will make them be thought leſſe Forraigne power, you will not be content that the King ſhall call in the Iriſh under the ſame conſide­ration: and can you thinke it poſſible, if the Scots ſhall obey your deſires herein (which after all their Vowes and Cove­nants of Loyalty, Duty, and Affection to their native KING, I cannot thinke they will ever doe) that the KING will not powre in all the Forces He can procure from all the parts of the World, both into that and the other Kingdome. No doubt he looks upon that Remedy, as the moſt grievous and moſt hazar­dous, and therefore with great mercy to His people, hath not ſuffe­red Himſelfe to be tempted by all His wants, all His weak­neſſe, and your example of entertaining ſo many Dutch, Walloones, and all Nations againſt him, to ſuffer ſuch a ſupply; which infal­libly he might long ſince have had, but if you•••ll be contented to give away your Countrey to ſtrangers (for doe not thinke they will be as eaſily got out as they are brought in) and that you may be revenged of thoſe you have injured, involve the whole Kingdom in ſuch a laſting confuſion; you〈◊〉not wonder if ſtran­gers be brought in to beat out ſtrangers, though all the miſchief is to be done at the charge of your poor Countrey. I ſay, I cannot be­leeve (though ſome particular Perſons may be concerned to keep up this diſtraction) that the Scotch Nation will engage themſelves in a quarrell againſt their Native KING (to whom they have ſuch generall and particular Obligations, and againſt the whole Nobili­ty and Gentry of England, for matters in no degree Relative to their own affaires and venture that bleſſed calme and Peace they now10 enjoy, only to kindle a fire amongſt their Neighbours, which proba­bly will not be quenched, till it hath burned to their own habitati­ons. They know well the inveterate, mortall hatred this Nation of Ireland bears to them, and how glad they would be to be let looſe to their revenge, and they are too wiſe to think the two Hou­ſes (whoſe publike Faith ſtands ſo deeply engaged) will be as liberall and bountifull a Maſter to them, as their Royall Soveraign. Be not deceived. One of their principall Commanders (upon whoſe perſonall aſſiſtance you much depend) asked me, whether I thought them ſo ſottiſh to declare themſelves againſt their King, whileſt the two Houſes were governed by my Lord Say, who ha­ted their Religion, and the Army by the Earle of Eſſex, who hated both their Religion and Nation; and then told me the bitter inve­ctives made by the firſt againſt a Presbytery, and the ſharpe and ſcornfull mention by the other of the Scots and Scotland. And in­truth if ever they enter into your Kingdome, the miſchiefe and con­fuſion they will bring, in not ſubmitting to your Government (for what diſcipline ſoever they affect in the Church, they are aſſuredly for independency in the State) will be greater then the advan­tage and Ayde you will receive by their ſupplies. In a word (be­ſides the perfect hatred you will finde from all the Northern parts which you have thrown away to them, and which muſt be inhabi­ted by them) you will finde your ſelves deſerted by all men who have any deſire of Peace, and are not willing to entayle this Warre from Generation to Generation.

DUBLINthis third of October. 1643.