A WHISPER IN THE EAR of Mr. Thomas Edward's Minister.  
By William Walwyn Merchant. Occasioned by his mentioning of him reproachfully, in his late pernicious book, justly entitled the Gangraena.   
Micah. 7.2. 
The good man is perished out of the earth, and there is none righteous among men: they all lie in wait for blood: every man hunteth his brother with a net.  
SIR, Your extreme fury in driving on a work wherein no charitable well minded Christian takes any comfort, but rather an abundance of grief, hath made me to conclude, that you are quite deaf ou the right christian ear; deaf to all that is good: a man (I fear) altogether without Conscience, or sense of goodness: and that you have the use of hearing only on the left side of Machiavilian policy: just as Demetrius the silver-smith, that opposed not the doctrine of Christ out of zeal to the Goddess Diana as he pretended: nor out of any hatred to that doctrine, but as it tended to the loss of his craft and gain: even so you, (as I verily fear) do not endeavour to make odious the several doctrines and practices of consciensoious people, out of true zeal to any thing you apprehend as truth; or out of hatred to any thing you apprehend as error; but because the doctrines and practices of those you term independants. Brownists, Anabaptists, Antinomians, and Seekers: do all tend to the loss of your craft and gain: in that they all disallow of tithes, as ceremonious and popish, and all contracted for, or enforced maintenance for ministers under the Gospel, as disagreeing to the rule thereof: nay you have further cause against them, for they spoil you not only of your gain, but of your glory and domination, things dearer to you then your life: of your glory, in denying your ministry to be successive from the Apostles: of your domination, by denying unto you any more authority to judge of doctrines or discipline, than any other sort of Christian men: and to speak truly, these are so●… temptations to such worldly minds as yours, who in your hopes had made yourselves sure of the greatest part of all that was taken from the Prelates, and thereby of a foundation of advancing the honour, and splendour, and power, and profit of the Clergy once more in this Nation: It is confessed that such provocations as these have not only produced such reviling accusations, as you bring against conscientious well minded people, but a subversion of the calumniators: as it befell the late Prelates, whose railing, reviling, and molesting of the harmless faithful puritan, under pretence of heresy, schism, faction, sedition, and the like, being all contrary to every man's knowledge and experience of them: the issue was, the utter extirpation of their calumniators: and that so lately, as might be a warning to you, and such politic worldly men as you are; but that it is (through the wisdom and justice of God) the fate of policy and politic men not to be warned by other men's judgements, but to trust so much to the strength of their brains, that they fear not to trace those very steps that gradatim brought the last Archbishop to the block, making no conscience of vexing, disgraceing and undoing of any man, nay thousands of men and families, standing twixt them and their unjust ends: and this too so madly and rashly, as to make themselves adversaries of such, as really aimed at their good, and to preserve them from those precipitations their folly and malice labours to hasten. And this is your case with me, for I am confident and well assured, that amongst all those whom in this your frantic book you have named, there is not one that opposed your ways more out of love, and seriously for your good, than I have done: for what ever you through want of an experimental knowledge of me, or upon misreport may judge of me, I am one that do truly and hearty love all mankind, it being the unfeigned desire of my soul, that all men might be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, it is my extreme grief that any man is afflicted, molested, or punished, and cannot but most earnestly wish, that all occasion were taken away: there is no man weak, but I would strengthen; nor ignorant, but I would inform: not erroneous, but I would rectify, nor vicious, but I would reclaim, nor cruel, but I would moderate and reduce to clemency: I am as much grieved that any man should be so unhappy as to be cruel or unjust, as that any man should suffer by cruelty or injustice: and if I could I would preserve from both, and however I am mistaken, it is from this disposition in me, that I have engaged myself in any public affairs, and from no other, which my manner of proceeding in every particular business wherein I have in any measure appeared, will sufficiently evince, to all that have without partiality observed me: I never proposed any man for my enemy, but injustice, oppression, innovation, arbitrary power, and cruelty, where ever I found them, I ever opposed myself against them; but so, as to destroy the evil, but to preserve the person: and therefore all the war I have made (other then what my voluntary and necessary contribution hath maintained, which I wish ten thousand times more than my ability, so really am I affected with the Parliaments just cause for the common freedom of this Nation) I say all the war I have made, hath been to get victory on the understandings of men: accounting it a more worthy and profitable labour to beget friends to the cause I loved, rather than to molest men's persons, or confiscate estates: and how many true and thorough converts have been made through my endeavours: you tempt me to boast, were I addicted to such a vanity, or were I not better pleased with the conscience of so doing. Before this Parliament I was of full years to be sensible of the oppression of the times, being now forty five years of age, having accustomed myself to all kinds of good reading, and to the consideration of all things; but so, as for a long time I took not boldness to judge, but upon the approbation of some authors and teachers that had captivated my understanding both in things moral, politic, and religious: in the last of which, being very serious and sincere in my application of things to my own conscience, my grounds being bad, though much applauded, I found much disconsolation therein, great uncertainty, and at last extreme affliction of mind, the law and Gospel fight for victory in me, in which conflict, the Scriptures were taken in more singly, and void of gloss, to my assistance, by the clear light whereof, I saw the enemies I feared vanquished, which wrought a real thankfulness in me towards Christ, which increased with the increasings of faith: insomuch as I set myself daily more and more to do his will and that in a more public way then formerly: Whereupon an occasion being offered by this honourable Parliament, our minister and parish (James Garlick-hill London) being quite out of order: I, with others, moved for reformation, in doing whereof how I laboured to have preserved the continuance and well being of our minister: himself, and the ancient that, opposed out endeavours, I presume will testify, but if they should not, there is enough that will, but he was a man that trusted to policy, which in the end failed him: our next endeavours were for the whole ward, wherein after much labour, we so prevailed, that the well affected carried the choice of Alderman and common-council men and all other officers in the Ward: my next public business was with many others, in a remonstrance to the Common Council, to move the Parliament to confirm certain infallible maxims of free Government: wherein the power of Parliament was plainly distinguished from the King's Office, so plainly, that had it taken effect: few men after due consideration thereof, would through error of judgement have taken part against the Parliament, or have befriended arbitrary power, as too too many did for want of light: but it was stifled in the birth. I was also interressed in all the proceed of Salters hall, whence much good issued to the whole City and Kingdom; where (I believe it will be testified by all, I was never heard or observed to propose or second a bad motion, nor far short of any in prosecution of any thing that was good: and when the common enemy was at the highest, and the Parliaments forces at the lowest, I with many others petitioned the Parliament for the general raising and arming of all the well affected in the Kingdom, and though that also took not its proper effect, and came not to perfection: yet it mated the common enemy, and set all wheels at work at home, was the spring of more powerful motions and good successes: God so ordering things that no man moves for good, but good in one kind or other comes thereof: and in all that I have at any time done, I ever associated myself with persons of known good affections to Parliament and Commonwealth: that it is my extreme wonder that any well-affected person should affirm me to be a man dangerous: I have never shunned the light, all that I have had a hand in hath come to the public view and touch, and truly there hath not been a just thing promoted or endeavoured to be promoted, that ever I was absent from, if I had a call thereunto, and whereas I have addicted myself to know and understand all the several doctrines and ways of worship that are extant, and for that end have taken liberty to hear and to observe all: it is that I might be able to judge rightly of their differences, to vindicate them when they are wronged: and to advise them for their good: in doing whereof, I have gained much good, there being not any (how light esteem soever you make of them) but have something worthy the observation: and this I must testily for all sorts of them, they are a people the most ready to render love for love, that ever I met withal: and not apt to render evil for evil: they are all universally faithful to the Parliament, friends to all just government, and enemies to all unjust: but yet there is not any thing I have observed that hath prevailed with me to disclaim the public ministry, or the parochial congregations & I have yet some hopes to see them reduced into such a condition, as that all things thereunto belonging, may without difficulty be justified: but though I am not in fellowship with those good people you call sectaries, yet I join heart and hand with them in any thing that I judge to be right: and tending to the public good: and love them as hearty as those that are one with me in judgement: sometimes I contest with them somewhat vehemently in arguing, but it is as I conceive for truth, and for their good: and they take it so, and bear with me as I with them: and we meet and part in love, as becometh Christians, nor doth this hinder, but that when any difference befalleth between them and the public ministers, but that I judge as clearly in such cases, as if I had no difference with them, for I esteem it a high part of true religion to promote common justice: and not to be a respecter of persons in judgement, wherein the Scripture is my rule: and that being on their side, I should take part with them therein against my father, minister, or the dearest friend I have in the world: and from hence it is, that when the question is about liberty of Conscience, the Scripture tells me, every one ought to be fully persuaded in his own mind, and that whatsoever is not of faith, is sin: it tells me I must do as I would be done unto: I would not be enforced to the Parish Congregations, than I must not force them to them, or from their own: God only persuades the heart: compulsion and enforcement may make a confused mass of dissembling hypocrites, not a Congregation of believers, that seeing our Saviour reproached not those that denied the resurrection, angels and spirits, nay Joh. 12.47.48. etc. he saith plainly (and that by authority from heaven, v 49.) He that refuseth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, it shall judge him in the last day. Also in Luke the 9.54.55.56. Insomuch as I see no more warrant now to reproach or punish any man for Religion, but rather that we are all bound in peace and love to reclaim our brother from what we judge an error in his way: wherein the best and most knowing amongst men in our days, may be mistaken; being all liable to take truth for error, and error for truth, and therefore there is no cause of strife or compulsion, except for mastery: than which (as I conceive) nothing is more unchristian, nevertheless I may see a necessary use of a public ministry, and parish Congregations, and it is my work to persuade others therein, and not to speak reproachfully thereof, as they would not have their way reproached: but then when the question is concerning a maintenance for these public ministers: and that any shall insist for tithes, or an enforced maintenance, truly in this case the Scripture manifesting to my understanding, tithes to be ceremonial and Jewish, and so to cease at the coming of Christ: and that to enforce or enjoin a maintenance though under any other notion, is as I apprehend contrary to the rule and practice of the Apostles, how is it possible but I must adhere to them therein: but then that our public ministers should have no maintenance, therein I wholly descent, and as it hath been my endeavour to assist the one party to avoid the molestation of their concsciences in tithes, & all enforced contributions so have I often proposed a way for the maintenance of the public ministers, more certain, more quiet for themselves, and less itksome to the people, less disturbant to the Commonwealth: and thus you may see how through misinformation: you have taken me for an enemy, that have always approved myself your real friend in all things I apprehended just: and thus you may see how dangerous a man I have been that in all these public differences have done no man hurt by word or deed: nay at all the meetings I have frequented, whether at Salter's hall, the wind mill, or elsewhere, I never heard any man named reproachfully, but I openly shown the unfitness thereof: always advising that if any man had aught against any particular person, that he should make it known to those that by law had aright to take notice thereof, and that we should be very cautious in thinking evil of any man upon report and hearsay, especially of any in authority: The truth is, I have been and am of opinion, that it is not good for the Commonwealth, that the ministers should have any power or jurisdiction put into their hands, o● that it were good for the ministers themselves, the same having so often proved their ruin, and the disturbance of the people, but do conceive it more safe for them, and more for the quiet of the people, that they be freed from all other employments, except preaching and administering the public worship of God, according as the Parliament shall ordain, for I look upon you as ministers ordained by the State, and so are to do as they conceive is most agreeable to the word of God, and most beneficial to the generality of the people in settling whereof, you may advise, but are not to urge or be importunate for more power than they see good, and it less beseems you to grow passionate, and to move others to be importunate, and by preaching and printing to labour to make their faithful friends odious unto them, and to magnify your desires, above their own intentions, and so to beget emulations and parties, threaten judgements and desertions, and turning the scriptures against them and all others that oppose or fulfil not your will, as if they were opposers of the will of God, which you take upon you to know, with the same confidence as the bishops and prelate's did, and in the very same manner, and application of Scripture. No interpretation was good but theirs, no ministers the ministers of Christ, but whom they ordained by imposition of hands, no government, discipline, or worship, agreeable to the Scriptures, but theirs, no opinion sound, but what they allowed, all were sectaries and heretics, whom they pleased so to denominate: those that opposed them were seditious: disturbers of the peace, a viperous brood, enemies to the state, and subverters of all order and government, and by all means to be extirpated: if any pleaded conscience, they conclude them obstinate, and thus it is with you expressly, so as Mr. Edward's his Gangraena, is indeed but a new edition of Prelatical doctrine, with some additions appliable to the present times, and his Clergies immediate interest: but trust me, this is extremely prejudicial to your party, for there is no moderate Presbyterian that can excuse this, and hath been a hindrance to me in arguing for a public ministry, besides you soar so high in dating expressions, as if you presumed upon some other way of obtaining your desires, then by allowance of Parliament, which may lose you many friends there, and occasion them to think they have through a mistaken compassion, fostered a frozen snake in their bosoms, that no sooner finds heat and strength, but falls into his serpentine hissing, and stinging his preserver, you have also lost many of your friends abroad, by this unchristian nominating men and women in your Gangraena, and many more you will lose, when they shall consider that you have not taken the known Gospel way of first admonishing of them, but upon bare report, as it were to post them reproachfully to the view of the world, they cannot deem this as the proceeding of a minister of Christ, but rather as a violent haste to do your own work: trust me, I cannot but impute the great abatement of your sect, the falling from you of so many judicious persons, and the daily great increase of oaths sects, to no one thing more, then to your inconsiderate rashness, violent railing, and adventuring on unheard of ways to compass your ends, for when I have prevailed with some (through debate and argument) to come to out public Churches, and to hear your sermons, they have found there such abundance of passion, sweat, and labour, not to beget children unto Christ, by preaching the sincere Gospel of Christ, but to revile and reproach, and make odious conscientious well affected people, because of difference in judgement, whereby they have been much discouraged from frequenting those places, affirming that all the accusations you bring against others, are expressly and visibly due to yourselves if but indifferently weighed: as where you charge others with pride, ambition, covetousness, effeminacy, obstinacy, cruelty, delicacy of palate, and the like; they have demanded of me with a positive vehemency, whether these were not to be found in you, rather than in those you have condemned for those vices, blaming me very much for going about to excuse the same, insomuch as I verily believe, you have no enemy like yourself, and am persuaded if you would forsake all corrupt interests, and would consciensciously set yourself to do the work of Christ, to labour in his word and Gospel, out of a pure mind, and not for filthy lucre, if you would make it evident by your actions, that you seek not ours, but to win us to God, that you would thereby prevail more in one half year towards your own comfortable establishment, than you shall in an age by all your byways and policies, therefore leave them, and betake yourself to the work of Christ, whilst it is called to day: the night of ignorance I presume is passed with you: O that truth and this my plain dealing might beget or awaken Conscience in you, and provoke you to cast of the works of darkness, and to put on the armour of light, and henceforth to walk honestly and not in strife and envying, but to walk in love as Christ hath loved nor is it meet you should esteem yourself a Christian, until you find your soul possessed with the spirit of true Christian love, which doth no evil to his neighbour, and therefore is the fullfilling of the Law. What though you could prevail (as you endeavour) to work the ruin of all that oppose your judgement or ends? Would it be peace in the latter end? no, assure yourself it would be a sulphurous bitterness and horror of conscience, and therefore sit down and seriously consider what you are resolved to do, weigh your intentions in the even scales of love, touch and prove them with the touch stone of love, if you would be esteemed a disciple of Christ, it must be known by love: now love suffereth long, and is kind; boasteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, it thinketh not evil, it rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth: beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, this is that I would ever whisper in your ear, this being a balsam that often, and well rubbed in, may Cure your Gangraen, and though at first your distermper may cause you to loathe it, yet take a little and a little of it, use inwardly and outwardly, constantly, and you will find your disposition to alter and change from one degree unto another, until you come to be a strong and healthful Christian: of Saul a persecutor, you will become Paul a preacher of peace and reconciliation by Jesus Christ, and be able to lay down your life for those Brethren you have so much despised: then will you do as you would be done unto, and in all things disputable allow every one to be fully persuaded in their own minds, and then you will be sensible, that whatsoever is not of faith is sin: you will acknowledge it is God only that can persuade the heart, and (doing your duty) patiently wait his leisure for the conversion of your Brethren: the same mind and meekness will be in you, as was in Christ Jesus, and you will be merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful: you will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax; than you will see what pure religion and undefiled before God, even the Father, is: you will feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the sick, relieve the prisoner, deliver the captive, and set the oppressed free, especially the oppressed for Conscience sake: you will then see error in judgement or misapprehension in worship, to be but a mote in your brother's eye, compared to a persecuting or molesting, or the reproaching beam in your own: in a word, would you seriously set yourself to the study and practice of love, you would again fill your Churches, and without the help of Jewish Tithes, or any unchristian or forced maintenance, preaching the Gospel, would live comfortably of the Gospel and draw all men after you.  
As for those blemishes you labour by your Gangreen to stick upon me, I believe your labour will be lost, except in the opinion of such as know me not: but to acquit myself farther, and to free them from prejudice, to what I have said I add thus much more.  
In your 96. page, you have me in these uncharitable expressions, one Mr. Walwyn a seeker, and a dangerous man, a strong head: truly in the mind you were in, when you wrote this Gangreen, I am hearty glad I appeared not worthy of your Commendations, certainly you have been extremely covetous of informations, you seem to have sucked them in with greediness, and swallowed them without chewing; 'tis pi●…y an evil intent should be better served; your informations to my knowledge of many particulars as that of Mr. Lilburnes and others, and myself, have been such to you, as if they had been made of purpose to shame you to all the world, I a seeker good now; whose your author? Am I one because I know many, and have been amongst them often, that I might know them fully; so have I been with all other judgements, but I carry with me in all places a Touchstone that tryeth all things, and labours to hold nothing but what upon plain grounds appeareth good and useful: I abandon all niceties and useless things: my manner is in all disputes reasonings and discourses, to inquire what is the use: and if I find it not very material, I abandon it, there are plain useful doctrines sufficient to give peace to my mind: direction and comfort to my life: and to draw all men to a consideration of things evidently useful, hath been a special cause that I have applied myself in a friendly manner unto all: but hence it is that some have said I am a great Annabaptist, others (upon as good ground) a great Antinomian: and you a seeker: mistake me not, I do not esteem these as names of reproach, no more then to be called Presbyterian or Independent; nor do I take upon me peremptorily to determine what is truth, and what is error, amongst any of them: all have a possibility of error: I judge all Conscienscious, and to hold their several judgements upon grounds of scripture: to them appearing, and so long cannot but hold them: and why any should control another, I cannot discern: had I all the power or strength in the World at my disposing, in cases of religion I conceive I should sinne, if I should do more than in a loving way offer my argument, and gently persuade to what I conceive is both evidently true, and really useful: and thus have I done amongst those my loving friends, whom you judge seekers: for though I do fully assent with them that now in these times there is no such ministry as the Apostles were, endowed with immediate power from on high, by imposition of whose hands, the Holy Ghost was conferred, enabling to speak with tongues, and do miracles, in a most wonderful manner, and to speak to all men, the infallible word of God: and that convincingly to the Consciences of gain sayers: yet am I not thereby of opinion that we may not make use of those things they have left unto us in the scriptures of the mind and will of God; or that it is not profitable to follow their examples so far as we are able in all things, for what though the effects are now weak, in comparison of theirs, yet are they such as bring great satisfaction with them: I have often persuaded with them that they should not reject what they may with much comfort make use of, because they cannot find what they seek, & for aught I know are not like to find in this world: see now what a seeker you have found of me: I once heard you at Christ-Church, which few seekers will do, but never but once, for I was not so blind a seeker, as to seek for Grapes of thorns, or Figgs of thistles: and why I pray you a dangerous man? indeed, by some real dangerous men, I have been accounted so, some whereof are fall'n into the snare they laid for all the well affected in this City; but that ever I was accounted so by any that conversed with me, that was a knowing well-affected man, I do not believe, and I believe I could produce thousands of knowing well-affected persons, that if they hear I am engaged, and do appear in any public business, though they know no tittle thereof, will adventure odds; it is both just and necessary, and therefore you incline me to believe that you labour for belief only amongst the weak, ignorant, rash, or ill affected people, with whom Credit and repute is not worth the having: well, your last appellation you bestow upon me is a strong head, and what would you have understood by this? Would you have your disciples stand aloof and not dare to hold discourse with me, lest I should open your designs, and make it appear how much it concerns your corrupt interest to keep their heads in ignorance and a superstitious weakness: is it because I know whose maxim, this is Rustica gens, optima Flens, pessima ridens: Is it because my hearing is so good as not to be perverted by Glozing doctrines, or because my smelling serves my turn to smell a Fox, or Wolf, though in Sheep's clothing, or is my seeing so strong that it dispels the magic mists of sophisticated art: or is it because my taste discerneth the brackishness of flattery, from the pure sweetness of plain dealing: or do you mean head strong, because I am not likely nor could ever be drawn to dance after your Pipe.  
Doubtless these are the causes that any strong head troubles you; nevertheless, as strong as it is, you see a small knock from your hard hand hath so opened it, that I can hardly shut it again, but I'll shut it presently, only thus much, I cannot see how authority can pass over this unparaleld use of the press which you have taken, to name in public so many of their faithful adherents in so reproachful a manner; to tax their proceed in the proceed of their Committees, to affirm and declare to all the world, that the victorious successes of the Parliaments forces, is but the increase of errors and heresies, that sectaries of all sorts get places of profit and power, and be the men all in request for offices and employments. in the which, you make yourself the judge of what is error and heresy, and who is a sectary: in all which you are as likely to be mistaken as any man: for none are such in your calendar, but such (as at first I told you) who stand twixt you and your profit, glory and domination: so as a man may be a real good Christian, and a most cordial friend to the Parliament, and nevertheless be exploded by you for a sectary, or an heretic: one thing more, you, and such as you are (if you be not changed since you wrote your Gangraena, as I hearty wish you were) do extremely abuse this Nation, in laying the main weight of the reformation (intended) upon the reduceing of men's judgements and practice in. Religion to union and uniformity, whereas the main weight of all resteth, in extirpating the popish prelatical spirit of persecution and molestation for conscience. as the main thing that oppressed all sorts of conscientious people before the Parliament, and since; and that which cannot fail to disturb and vex any nation where it remaineth, but the truth is, without it you cannot keep yourself aloft: without it you cannot compel a maintenance: distinguish a Clergy, nor have power over men's persons by their consciences, but grant you the power you desire, and you are master of all, and then see who dares open his mouth, or move his pen in this argument: your present confidence proceeds from the mist you have raised, but it is not yet thick enough, nor will our english brains prove so muddy as to afford matter for thickening, I believe and hope it is now at thickest, and when your hopes are greatest, you will find yourself in a fog: to hold men in ignorance or bondage is not a work either for honest men or goodchristians, but abhorred by both, and believe it, truth is become too strong to admit of either in this age: and we trust the honourable Parliament that are chosen to preserve us from both, will not fail to preserve us, though you should do the worst you can, and whereas you commend them to the love of God and his truth, and the hating of all sects and schisms, I in all humility and true love to all that honour God, and desire the welfare of England, do most hearty pray, that they may hate all persecuting sects with a perfect hatred: all enforcing and compulsive schismatics, as the only cause of all trouble and distraction.  
To conclude, If you be so ill as your word, and bring forth such evil fruit once every month, and that we whose names you have blasted, can find a licencer, (as we hope we shall) that will do but so much for Christ, as yours hath done for B. We shall I doubt not, find a new way of innocculation, and produce grapes out of your thorns, and figs out of your thistles, and fetch abundance of good out of your evil: but more happy will it be for you if you repent, (once a month shall I say) once every hour, and in token thereof, use your uttermost endeavour to promote this or the like petition to the honourable Parliament, whereby you will make some amends for the evil you have done by this your book.  
Humbly showeth,  
THat as with all thankfulness we acknowledge your unwearied labours to remove the grievances and dangers of the Common wealth, so are we exceedingly grieved to observe the manifold unexpected difficulties which at several times have obstructed your proceed, amongst which we conceive the differences in Religion to be the greatest, and of most importance.  
In your considerations whereof, being an affair of so tender a nature, so apt to be misunderstood, and such as hath miscarried in all former Parliaments, to the great disturbance of this Nation, and to the great affliction of conscientious people, we humbly conceive you have not in any thing shown greater regard to the glory of God or greater care of the welfare of the people, then in proceeding therein with so cautious and advised a deliberation: giving time and opportunity to your wisdoms, rightly to understand the word of God in that point which most concerneth tender consciences, to hear, try and examine all that can or may be said or writ thereof, and we trust you will in the end produce that which shall be agreeable to the will and mind of God, and to the quiet of all well-affected people.  
And although your progress therein hath not been with so much speed, or such sev●rity towards tender Consciences, as some importunely have desired, yet have we good cause to believe that you have been guided thoreinby the good hand of God, who in due time will (we doubt not) bring you to such an issue, as neither yourselves, nor any others (well minded) shall have cause to repent, or ever to alter.  
And therefore we most earnestly entreat that you will not through any importunity be induced to hasten your proceed in this weighty cause (wherein the least error may prove very prejudicial) beyond what upon your mature deliberation shall appear to be just and necessary: there being as we humbly conceive, no greater breach of the privilege or abatement of the power of Parliament, then for any to do more then humbly to inform or advise you in this, or any other negotiation.  
Blessed be God though the differences are many in point of judgement throughout your quarters, as they have been always throughout the world, and will be so long as knowledge is imperfect: yet being amongst conscionable, quiet, well affected people, they are not properly to be called divisions▪  
And though we cannot but fear there are some wicked Politicians that endeavour by all means to make them such, and thereby to distemper and distract all your undertake, and to make the same advantageous to their unjust ends, yet are we confident (through God's protection) their endeavours shall be fruitless (except to draw confusion on themselves) God having blessed the people in general with a cooler spirit, and greater wisdom, then by dividing among themselves, or not adhering unto you, to become a prey to any enemy; and hath produced universally in them, as in us your humble Petitioners, a resolution to defend the just power and privilege of this honourable House, against all delusion or opposition whatsoever, to the last penny of our estates, or last drop of our bloods, beseeching you to go on with the same caution and godly resolution, to perfect those just works you have undertaken, according as God shall direct you, both for the manner and the season: for his way is best, and his time most seasonable.  
And as in duty bound, we shall ever pray, etc.  
To conclude, if you shall do this conscionably and effectually, I am confident henceforward you will not be able to do any thing against the truth, but for the truth which is the unfeigned desire of him who cannot but earnestly desire your reformation, and eternal happiness:  
William Walwyn.  
FINJS.