A LETTER FROM The Lord Lambert And other Officers To General Monck, Inviting the Officers under his Command to subscribe the Representation and Petition presented to the Parliament the day before. With a Modest and Christian Answer thereunto by General Monck, (deserving perpetual honour) Importing their refusal to join in that Design, as being a breach of Trust, and of danger to the commonwealth. London, Printed, An. Domâ–ª 1659. A Letter from the Lord Lambert, and Other Officers, to General Monck, Inviting the Officers under his Command, to Subscribe the Representation and Petition, Presented to the Parliament the day before. Right Honourable, WE do by command from the General Council of Officers of the Army, now in London, transmit the enclosed to You, being a true copy of the Representation and Petition, which was this day by them Humbly Presented to the Parliament, and the Votes of the House Passed thereupon; and are further to signify their Desires, That the same may be Communicated to all Commissioned Officers of that Part of the Army under Your Command,: and that the Subscriptions of all may be taken, to the Representation and Petition, that are free to Sign the same; Which being so Signed, It is desired, You will be pleased to cause them to be close Sealed up, and Returned to Thomas Sandford, Esq Secretary to His Excellency the Lord Fleetwood, who is to give an Account thereof. As we have thus fulfilled the General Councils Pleasure, we are well assured you will be pleased to Comply with Their Requests, which is all at present from Whitehall, 5. Octob. 1659. Your Humble Servants, Lambert. John Disborowe. William Packer. John Mason. Richard Creed. Robert Barrow. For the Right Honourable General Monck at Dalkeith, Scotland. General Monck's Answer to the foregoing Letter, Directed as followeth, For the Right Honourable, the Lord Lambert, To be Communicated to the Council of Officers. Right Honourable, I Received a Letter Directed from yourself and others, of the 5th of this Instant, with the enclosed Papers, In Pursuance of an Order of the General Council of Officers, as You are pleased to intimate: I must humbly beg Your Excuse, that I am not able to satisfy Your Commands in that particular. Indeed Our Force is very small, and Our enemy very great; and I shall be unwilling to set any thing on foot, that may breed jealousy amongst Us; And finding many Officers decline the Signing all Papers of that Nature, and rather propense to declare their testimony to the Parliaments Authority, and their absolute adherence thereunto, I have thought it My Duty to suspend the Execution of Your Desires, lest it may make a breach of Affections amongst Us. And I further humbly offer to Your thoughts, That the Petition having been already Presented, and in Part Answered by the Parliament, Our Concurrence therein cannot be any ways advantageous. I shall not interpose Mine own Judgement concerning it, but do earnestly desire that Matters of such great weight may not be imposed upon us, who are not present at the Debates, nor privy to the Councils by which Your Resolutions may be Governed and led to such Actions. I shall not further trouble You, but only Represent to Your thoughts the great necessity We have to labour for Unity, in this day of Our fears. I shall not need to tell You, That misunderstandings between the Parliament and Army are the great hopes of Our Adversaries, and there is no other way to gratify their designs. I bless the Lord for those evidences that I see, of a Peaceable Spirit, in Your Address. I do, and I shall always endeavour, and pray, That God would not break the staff of Our Beauty, or staff of Bands, That he would make all good men (though of different Judgements) one in his Hand, that We may arrive at that blessed Settlement, for which We have expended so much blood and Treasure: And as I have always endeavoured to express My Obedience, in acquiescing in the wisdom of those that God placeth over me, so I shall continue and ever be, Dalkeith, 13. Octob. 1659. Your Lorpps. very Humble Servant, George Monck. For the Right Honourable, the Lord Lambert, To be Communicated to the Council of Officers.