A LETTER Really written by a Moderate Caval­lier, to an Intelligent and Moderate Independent of Truſt and Credit in the Now Marching Army.

VVHen I looke back upon ray promiſe, I am at a doubt whether I ſhould be ſtill your debtor, or make payment with Coyne leſſe current by clipping, or allay; of which there is an unavoydable neceſſitie, the ſhortneſſe of time not ſorting with a liberty to write much, and the greatneſſe of the ſubject requiring to write nothing but what may abide the Teſt: But4 having a confidence that your goodneſſe will bury my errours by a kind ſuppreſſion, I can the better adventure upon your judgement, which will com­municate nothing that may be of no farther uſe then the reproofe of the Writer.

It is a Chryſis of time wherein each man labours of expectation, and before the maine Birth (which we hope will be ſpecious) be produced, there is a production of Monſters, according as the various ſize of mens underſtandings, the condition, and inte­reſt of many, and the feares and guilt of not a few doe frame ſuggeſtions. It is and muſt be never­theleſſe the glory of that Army, (which now makes buſineſſe for every thought) to be pious in, and con­ſtant to prepenſed Principles, that accident (which will be encountred) make no viſible Mutation in the maine Deſigne, of the contexure of which your yeſterday Diſcourſe ſeconding his Excellencies De­claration, begot in me a very wealthy Opinion; And to the progreſſe, and value of which, I hope the ſcandals and pretences ſcattered will be neither a Re­mora, nor an Allay.

The cure of every Malady is then moſt eaſie when the Diſeaſe it ſelfe is throughlieſt; knowne. This Common-wealth was ſix yeares fithence pretended to be ſicke, and was committed into the hands of Phyſicians, who have practiſed upon the body by Purgings, and Phlebotomie, till if before it aboun­ded with ill humours, it is now deficient in good bloud and ſpirits, and rather put into a condition to be ſtill wrought upon untill deſtroyed, then in5 any way of health, or renewed ſtrength after ſo long a languiſhing. Certainly it is now high time to change its Doctors, and finde out ſuch who will apply ſome cordials and reſtauratives to a worne-out body, and recover it by degrees; towards which they may make advantage of the paſt Errours com­mitted by ſuch who have pretended to operate for its health, viz. an Eradication of the Kings Prero­rogative, while they pretended onely a circumſcrip­tion, or modeſt limitation; A Monopoliſing of power by pretence of Law, againſt Law, and con­founding all freedome in Notionall and Phantaſtick, at leaſt unaſcertained, Priviledges; An unbounded Liberty given at firſt to the Plebs, while it conduced to ends, and at laſt a ſhortning of Liberty, and Pro­perty into a Vaſſalage and ſlavery; And in all a to­tall defection wrought in the Government and Countenance both of Church and State, and a ſhuf­ling of order, and Diſcipline, into rudeneſſe and In­diſtinction.

The Publique-Faith (the Kingdomes reputation) hackneyed upon all occaſions, and forfeited at laſt, and the Souldiers (after having ſerved a purpoſe ſo farre as that it was able to walke alone without ſo coſtly ſupporters) neglected, and affronted in pay, and credit; In ſo farre, that if the Land were, or in­vaded by a Forraine, or embroyled with an inte­ſtine Enemy, thoſe Mannagers could neither finde Coine nor Hands to officiate to its preſervation, or defence; And albeit we have not Lawes to the Let­ter of which theſe miſdemeanors are applyable by the names of Treaſons, yet taking their own liberty6 of ſuppoſing conſtructive Treaſons, their reduction of this diſtempered Kingdome in theſe years paſt to its preſent condition will carry a ſence of a compli­cate crime, not leſſe then for what they have ſought, and taken the blouds of ſome, and thoſe no obſcure perſons.

No man will therefore reprove your Armies Demand of thoſe Members, who are conceived guil­ty of theſe heights of Impiety, but each moderate man will hope that they ſhall not be denied (though it were juſt to them if they were) the Liberties of a legall triall, though themſelves and partie give out, that a triall by the Law Martiall is onely intended for them; yet, the Common Lawes will bee found ſharpe enough to correct them, and doubtleſſe God will bee better pleaſed with the ſacrificing of ſuch men by the hand of Iuſtice, then with their familiar Solemnities, and Celebrations of Faſts, by which they have upheld a reverence in opinion to their godleſſe actions.

You have a great Worke to doe, to reſtore Reli­gion and Law, upon which depends the Kings re-enthronement, and re-inveſture with his juſt rights, the Parliaments aſcertainment of their juſt power and equall Priviledges, and the peoples re­ſtorement to their known Liberties and Properties, as to their limitted and fitting obedience and ſubje­ction, which all are ſo concatenate, as that an omiſſi­on of either makes the whole worke ineffectuall, and leaves the Common-wealth in a condition prepared for new and bad impreſſions, and ſubjected to chan­ges as occaſion which will not be long unoffered ſhal7 be adminiſtred to its innovation. What influence, ho­nor or comfort can be derivable from a King meerly nominall? what converſe can there be with a people impoveriſht and embaſed? and what Peace with a people uncircumſcribed and irregulate? what ex­pectation of Iuſtice from an aggregate number of men entruſted with a Kingdomes concernment, who will pretend to have no boundaries for their Privi­ledges but an involution of all diſpoſitory power of the peoples lives and fortunes, which the free condi­tion I meane the antient freedome of this Nation (not yet extinct in the Engliſh breaſts) will no more relliſh, then Kings will Rebellion, or then Subjects Tyranny?

If you come therefore (as I will untill otherwiſe convinced believe) prepared to ſtate the caſe of the Kingdom, and to ſtand by as Protectors to Juſtice, while it diſpenceth equally to King, Parl. and People, your ſwords will be the honour'd propagators, & the whole Kingdom the happy partakers of a laſting Peaces; but if a defection be in advancing any of thoſe great concernes we ſhall have but a ſeeming quiet or Ceſſation, meerly to take breath for a new Em­broilment; and have found away by a ſlight skin­ning of a ſore to fit it for exulceration, and by preter­mitting a part of the remedy preſcribed, to render the diſeaſe incurable.