A LETTER To His EXCELLENCY SIR Thomas Fairfax From Captain Leiutenant BRAY, concerning the Charge and proceed against him at a Council of War, about the late differences in the ARMY.  
With some strange discoveries or Predictions by the said Capt. Leiut. BRAY, in relation to the General, and some eminent Commanders of the ARMY.  
Also a Letter of the Parliaments Commissioners, presenting the 4. Bills to his Majesty, at the Isle of Wight, and, his Majesty's Answer to the same. Together with the Declaration of the Commissioners of SCOTLAND to his Majesty, against the 4. Bills presented by the PARLIAMENTS COMMISSIONERS.  
Also a true relation of the design and mutynie in the Isle of Wight, for carrying away of the King, the prevention thereof, and the Order of Parliament for securing hi● Majesty's person in Carisbrook Castle.  
LONDON Printed By Francis Leach Anno Dom. 1647.   

A Letter to his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, from Captain Lieutenant Bray etc.  
May it please your Excellency  
I Can give you the title, but so that I must superlatively acknowledge the highest I, have written to you in the integrity of my heart, I honour you so far as the Lord will make me to honour you, In the business for which I was imprisoned, this is my comfort, that I have the testimony of a clear conscience, and I did continue with the Regiment in their distempretures and dissatisfactions out of received and acknowledged conscientious grounds, and principles, according to my Letter to your Excellency in the time of the distempature, I have made my last plea to you and your present Counsel of War, and in it I have demonstrated (as in my judgement) that the present deal with me, passes an inevitable censure upon yourself, I have yet a little hopes that you have a mind or desire to be subject unto truth, for indeed truth and righteousness is as purely Lord of you as it is of me, or any one else to judge and condemn: I was almost three weeks imprisoned before I had any charge exhibited, which is contrary to the form of your own proceed, I have declared in my narrative, the explanations and natural causes of the Regiments distemper which if you or any godly impartial man do well weigh, you will find that fawning temporising person had no just cause to father the distemper upon me, because I own the Agreement of the people in my judgement, which some Officers of the Regiment subscribed at St Alban, and such who have carried themselves ●●strously, perfidiously and treacherously towards me in charging me with A private discourse, and judgement, as in my plea is expressed, and who did not carry themselves in an honest conscientious care to your Excellency and the Regiment as is expressed in my plea God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the word in righteousness at which time wicked deeds shall have no glory in power and rules, God will destroy Machavell more and more even by a Law which is like unto fire which shall enter into the inmost parts. God will recompense vengeance into the bosom of oppressers or of those that conspire in power, [nay indeed your power] to persecute, defame and destroy, I am, and have been very much troubled [not so much in relation to myself, for the Lord upholds me in integrity and much comfort in more than an ordinary care] for you and the Lord hath acquainted me in my conversation with him in an inward testimony. That I must tell you these words. viz. That unless his hand be against some that are about you, and his understandings be against their understandings and his mouth against their mouth your power shall not be established in righteousness. I did desire of God, whither it should be so with you, and I heard an absolute voice answering in these words. It is the pure and and un-defiled voice, and he said further how wouldst thou have comfort if my voice were not near thee, But I fear to write it so positively, but God said, fear not, for this shall be a token to thee that I give thee power in particular to call thee my God.  
But I said I am weak and sinful as considered in the flesh, but he said thou art certainly refining and to be gloriously refined, what a sad thing will it be when the Lord will make inquisition for them that have been hurt unjustly by the unrighteousness of men who are suffered to walk in divers pleasurable ways to the destruction of others: This is my comfort that I can reasonably, really say whatsoever men or Devils may think of me, though I am not without temptation, that I had rather be ●●d to the slaughter, then betray my judgement and understanding to my own or any man's lust. I have read of certain Alsachins chief Judges in Italy that were to determine causes, and were to have one only Cause set down, and were never to know the person as Plaintiff and Defendant, that they might do judgement without partiality; How excellently would you appear if you would or could declare yourself positively to own the God of Shadrach Meshach, and Abednego, and not to own faces countenances, titles and persons, but truth equally and impartially to all; you should as well hear the meanest Soldier or Officer as well as your own heart, or any person about you, suredlie you cannot choose but think you may (as well as other powers of old) have Astrologers, Magicians, Soothsayers, that would betray all those that would not submit to their subscription, or to the Image that they have set up, & they would have the furnace heat seven times hotter than before, rather than to lose the design, and I cannot read that they could find out 3. men in the province of Babylon that looked another way: I have desired you to hear my business yourself in a former Letter but I am satisfied that God hath not made you free to it, I also desired a public audience (though not on a Scaffold as some have faied) God condescends in some nature or other to the meanest creature, your highest glory will be (if God shall make you free) to condescend to hear any one, and see to come down from your throne or power and manifest you own the God of the whole earth who will certainly judge the world, I have read of a heathen King Artaxerxes who had a Hammon with him that took in hand to practice against those that did the King good, that were most faithful to him, and at length God made the King see and confess the practices of Haman, that he was lifted up with the glorious words of lewd persons (that were never good) who thought to have scaped the justice of God (because they were great] who seethe all things and hateth evil which causeth many in authority to be partakers in innocent blood, and to be enwrapped in remediless calamities beguiling with falsehood and deceit the innocency and goodness of Princes and therefore Artaxerxes did take care that his Kingdom might be quiet and peaceable by changing purposes, judging things that are evident by more equal proceed, This Haman was a Stranger ●nd a Macedonian descended from the Persian blood yet by many cunning deceits sought the destruction of poor Mordecai, so I leave you to God before whom you, and I are equally naked and bare and shall appear before his judgement seat with this sincere acclamation, justice, justice's [for myself and others] impartially and so I rest your  
Faithful Servant in the service of love (which is the best service) during the will of God William Bray. From the custody of the Marshal General, 22. Decemb. 1647.  
To his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax these present.   

A Letter of the presenting the 4 Bills to his Majesty at the Isle of Wight by the Parliaments Commisioners.  
MY LORD  
IN persuance of the Instructions, and Commands from the Parliament, I did with the other Commissioners, present the Bills and Propositians to His Majesty at two of the clock this afternoon. The King was then pleased to say  
He was assured that we could not expect a present answer, but he would take the same into consideration, and give his Answer within few days.  
This is all the account I can return your Lordship at present, which I desire you will be pleased to communicate to the House of Peers, from  
From Newport December 24 1647. Your most humble and affectionate servant B. DENBIGH  
To the Right Honourable, the Earl of Manches●●r Speaker of the House of Peers, pro●●●pore.   

A Declaration of the Commissioners of Scotland presented to his Majesty against the 4. Bills delivered ●o his Majesty by the Parliaments Commissioners.  
THere is nothing which we have more constantly endeavoured, & do more earnestly desire, than a good agreement and happy peace between your Majesty and your Parliaments of of both Kingdoms, neither have we left any means unassayed that which united Counsels with the Houses of Parliament of England by making joint application to your Majesty, there might be a composure of all differences. But the new Propositions communicated to us by the Houses, and the Bills therewith presented to your Majesty, are so prejudicial to Religion, the Crown and the Union and Interest of the Kingdoms, and so fare different from the former proceed and engagements betwixt the Kingdoms, as we cannot concur therein, Therefore we do in the name of the Kingdom of Scotland dissent from these Propositions and Bills now tendered to your Majesty.  


Landerdaile, ●. Erskin,  
Hen. Kennedy. Ro. Barkley     

The Parliaments Commissioners and also the Commissioners for Scotland are returned back from his Majesty to London, But bring no safisfactorie answer to the 4. Bills prese●●ed to his Majesty.  
But on the contrary information was given to the Parliament and Army of a new design to remove the King's person from the ●●e of Wight [we know not whether] and this design was put in execution upon the Commissioners leaving his Majesty, and a Mutiny put in practice the same day to seize on Carisbrook castle and his Majesty, but was prevented, the Mutiny allayed, and the chief actors now in custody by Col, Hammond.  
The Parliament upon full information and debate hereupon, have sent Orders to the General and the Governor of the Jsle of Wight to secure his Majesty's person where he now is in ●arisbrook Castle which is accordingly done, and some other chief Officers of the army sent thither to assist the Governor, and his majesty is not gone thence (as some reported) but is assuredly at Carisbro●● Castle.  
January 1. 1647.   

Imprimatur  
Gilbt. Malbot.   
FINIS