A Word to the Army, Or, A Friendly REPRESENTATION And Humble Request to the Honourable the L. Charles Fleetwood Commander in Chief, and the Lord Lambert, and the rest of the Officers and Soldiers of the Army in England.  
Written a while since, by a Lover of his Country, Peace, Truth, the Parliament and Army.  PROV. 22.3. 
A prudent man forseeth the evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.  
Prov. 14.22. Do they not err that devise evil? But mercy and truth shall he to them that devise good.  
Printed for Richard Wodnoth at the Bible in Leaden-hall-street, 1659.   

To the Right Honourable Charles Fleetwood Esq. Commander in Chief of the Forces in England, and the Lord Lambert, and other Officers of the Army, and to all among them that fear GOD.  
Right Honourable and much Beloved,  
GIve your servant leave I beseech you to deal freely with you. The Son of Croesus' a dumb man, opened his mouth, when he saw his Father in danger to be killed, saying, Do not kill Croesus, and should not I when our political Father, the Parliament the Supreme legal Authority in these three Nations is so dealt with by you? These are not the words of an enemy but of a friend, who hath prayed a thousand times for you, and doth still, and they are not my sense only, but the sense (I dare be bold to say) of very many ten thousands of the godly and well-affected people in these Nations. You do know, and we do know, put out that you do know and have acknowledged, That the holy Scriptures are the Word of God, and the only Rule of Faith and Life, and the only means of Salvation, and not old Traditions or new Revelations. That Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and very God, & the only Saviour of men. That the preaching of the Word by a Learned, faithful & godly Ministry, lawfully called and solemnly set a part to that work, is an Ordinance of Jesus Christ to continue to the end of the world, for the gathering and building his Church. And sure you do or may know the great design of the Romish Priests, Jesuits, and Quakers, and many others amongst us, though on different grounds, is to take away our Minister a established maintenance, in order to overthrow the Ministry itself; for they well know, that if Tithes be once down, no other maintenance will, or can be be settled, that will please all, or the greatest part of them you count godly, (not to maintain others) or to continue, and so to overthrow the Gospel itself, to pull down Christ's Kingdom, and advance Antichrists; this is the work of Rome, which we hope you do abhor. Also you do know that Magistracy is an Ordinance of God, That all men ought to be subject to the Magistrate for Conscience sake, in all things lawful though the men be bad, And that they that resist, do resist the Ordinance of God, and shall receive to themselves damnation: Also, you do know, That the Parliament of England is the Supreme Authority in these Nations, That it is the undoubted privilege of the Parliament to sit, Act, and determine freely according to their Judgement and Consciences; I may add, That it is not to be presumed or imagined, That a Parliament equally chosen by the good people of this Nation, can betray or desert their Trust and Native Country, in whose welfare their own doth so much consist, though some particular persons may and have done. And that it is the undoubted Right of the people (not of the Army or some few persons only) to choose their own Representatives, also to Petition and represent their desires and thoughts to them, as they conceive cause, and then to acquiesce in their determination, and to obey them in all things lawful, That if matter of controversy do arise concerning any public Affairs, not you, or we are the public Judges, but the Parliament; Our Representatives duty is to judge and determine for us both, and your and our duty is to obey, either actively or passively, according to our private judgement of discretion. And you do know, that you had your Call and Commission from this Parliament, to fight for the preservation of the true reformed Protestant Religion, the Privilege of Parliament, the just Liberties of the People, and the good old Laws of the Land. This is the true good old Cause and that not according to your apprehensions, but according to the directions of the Parliament, both at your first call and Commissioning, and lately since you invited and entreated them to sit again, 
In your Decla. May 11 1559.  and to go on to perform the trust reposed in them by the people. And you did declare, That you did greatly rejoice to see and read their Declaration of May 7, and that you would assist them in settling the Commonwealth.  
And you do know that Soldiers ought to obey their Superiors that did call and commission them to do violence to no man, to accuse none falsely, and be contented with their wages, and not turn their Masters out of doors, and take the Power to themselves, with what face then can you lift up your hands, and with what Conscience appear before God or men, who have by force took on you the Supreme power of judging, turned out the Parliament also, contrary to Laws of God, and the trust reposed in you by them and us, and contrary to your own late free engagement, and this when they were doing their duty, and had not betrayed their trust, and quite contrary also to the intention and desire of us the far greatest part of the honest and well-affected of the people. And since this was written, voted down (as, 'tis commonly reported) the Ministers Lawful, Ancient Established maintenance which is their freehold, and in which, doing the work, they have as good a propriety as you have to your Lands, Swords, Horses, or any thing you have, to the great scandal of Religion, which you profess above all us to the great grief, and sadding the hearts of (I am sure) the far greater part of the truly Godly and well affected to the common good; you have hereby also much hardened the hearts of the old Malignants, Royalists and Episcopal party, given them great hopes and advantage to ruin both you and these three Nations, and opened their mouths wide too justly to reproach the famous long Parliament (as you yourselves, not long since find it) the Army and all the good people who have spent much blood and treasure to further an happy and just reformation and settlement in the Church and civil State; Opened a door for the deluded bewitched Popish Quakers, and all Blasphemers to poison, seduce, and destroy souls, and for the Romish Priests and Jesuits, and such like Emissaries (which many fear have secretly a great influence in your Counsels and actings to make and widen our breaches and divisions, to undermine and overthrow Religion and civil Government, and seduce us again to be Slaves to Rome) though you have often declared in print against toleration of Popery, and weakened the hearts and hands of the far greatest part of the truly Godly and honest party; And that at such a time when there are two powerful Armies abroad, ready to be employed to help Ch. St. to invade these Nations, to the utter ruin both of Church and State, and all our just Liberties and Privileges; Also when the Protestant party abroad call for our help, being in great danger by the confederate Popish Princes, so that we know not what to say and plead for you, ourselves and the good people of these Nations, against our Adversaries that reproach us.  
Gentlemen, we most earnestly and humbly beseech you, as you are men, as Englishmen, as Christians, as you love your Native Country, Friends and dearest Relations, As you love God and Jesus Christ, and his glorious Gospel, truth and Ordinances, the only means of your Salvation, as you would prevent the effusion of much blood, and ruin of these three Nations and Relion; As you love your own selves, And as you will answer with comfort before Jesus Christ the Righteous and all-knowing Judge, before whom both you and we must all after a few days appear, be ingenious, be Englishmen, be Christians, indeed & good earnest speedily and sincerely repent, humble your souls before God and men, beg pardon, and do what possibly in you lieth, that the Members of Parliament lately interrupted, may come together again, sit and Act freely, according to their judgements and Consciences, to settle us in the form of a free Commonwealth, and the great things contended for agreeable to the revealed Will of God; and that a good Confession of Faith may be settled as the public profession of these Nations, that the World may not say we are of no Religion; That a Godly and Righteous Magistracy, and a Learned, Godly, Faithful, and painful Ministry be also settled and encouraged with the famous Universities, and all wholesome literature. That Popish Quakers, Socinians and Antiscriptuarists, & Antitrinitarians may be restrained from disturbing others in the Worship of God, and confined to private places and small numbers; And that the Romish Priests and Jesuits be effectually discovered and banished under pain of death, as many other States have done with the Jesuits, the Incendiaries of Christendom. And provision made for the choice of another Representative of persons fitly qualified to sit down when these are to dissolve; To carry on and perfect the work of an holy and Righteous Reformation, so shall we and all the Godly and good people of this Commonwealth rejoice with you, bless God for you, and fervently pray for you, Peace and Truth will be settled, the Salvation of Souls furthered, our interest in Flanders continued, a thing of great concernment, The Protestant cause and Professors abroad much revived, And our common Enemies ashamed and disappointed, And you shall live and die in great honour & happiness, and leave your names and posterities a blessing in the Earth.  
But if you will not hearken to these wholesome and necessary advices and humble requests we shall sit down and weep for you in secret, and over our dying Religion, Peace, Laws, Libertyes and Happiness, yet shall not cease day and night to pray for you, that God would give you sober and serious thoughts, so as to return to your first engagement and works, but if you will not, deliverance shall come some other way, and you and those that adhear to you in those unparliamentary ways, who now seek to maintain and greaten your Houses, Estates, Honours and Domination, worldly interest (for which you do blame the Parliament we think unjustly, notwithstanding any thing we have yet read or heard) and your names shall perish as some great men's have done before your eyes.  
But I persuade myself I shall hear & see better things of you, that the former things were done in fits of passion, raised and blinded with self-interest, and self-love, and that the valiant spirit of true Englishmen will again appear, and your Christian Consciences will awake and get upmost again, to return to a right understanding, and acting vigorously in your own sphere in a right way when there shall be just cause, as Freeborn Englishmen and true Christians, that make the word of God the rule, and the good Laws of the Land, and commands of Superiors.  
And if you do return to act according to your Engagements, and the trust reposed in you by the good people in Parliament, and do indeed seek God and his Glory, and the Commonwealth of these Nations first and chief, he will be found of you; If you neglect him, he will neglect you; mind God and he will mind you, honour God and he will honour you, Act according to the rule of His Word and the trust reposed in you by the Parliament, and he will Protect and Exalt you; Never think to be Blessed in your deeds, and a Blessing to these Nations, if you go on to Act so irregularly, but that thing will grow worse and worse; Never think to see this Commonwealth settled with Truth and Peace while Romish Priests, Jesuits, and abominable Blasphemers are suffered among us, whose great defigne is to corrupt, poison, and seduce poor Souls, hinder the Gospel, the Salvation of Souls and all good settlement, Nor do not think that Quakers that offer you their Service, when they have power in their hands, will long be your friends if you be for Christ, his Words and Ordinances, Or that the common people will always be ridden and made Slaves by them that should serve them and help to make them free.  
Pray pardon my sadness, I could not be at rest till I had written thus, consulted with some others whom I know wish you well and honour you, and communicated my thoughts to you. I am a Freeborn Englishman, I might say more but forbear, It is the true reformed Protestant Religion, the flourishing of the Gospel, the Ordinances of God, and hand of Christ, the welfare of my native Country and yours also I am pleading for, and whose welfare I seek above all particular interest in the world; I have often spoken for you, written for you, acted for you, prayed for you from the first day to this very day, and I hope shall ever persist in the best wise I can to promote these public end; and interests; I count not my name worth your knowledge, no matter how low I be in the esteem of men, so Christ, his Truth, Ordinances & people be exalted, established, and flourish in Purity, Holiness, and Righteousness; My Lords and Gent. I remain your faithful and constant Orator & Servant to assist you to his power so far as he doth apprehend you walk and act Righteously, and hope yet to see the day again to praise God for you and with you; Amen, so be it.  
FINIS.