ENGLANDS FRIENDLY And seasonable advice to LONDON.  The frowns of a friend, are better then the kisses of an Enemy, ( saith Solomon). 
ye worthy Citizens, and our very good Friends: we hope ye have not altogether forgotten, that those many privileges, by which ye are grown so populous and rich, are conferred on you by the love and courtesy of England: not onely for your own, but for the general good of the Common-wealth; which being many and great, the whole Nation may justly expect a return of love and just respect from you, answerable thereunto:  
Now the greatest good ye can do unto the Nation, is to be watchful over those that are trusted, with the Liberties and Rights of the people, and to give true and speedy intelligence, in cases of neglect or treachery: this is your proper work, which you might effect with ease, being seated so near the Parliament: and( by occasion of commerce) holding daily correspondence with al parts of the kingdom  
But surely ye have not been careful over us in this particular: our too late and woeful experience telling us, that for want of true and timely intelligence herein, the whole Land on a sudden hath been over whelmed with misery and distraction: and is now no sooner recovered, but is ready to fall into the like or worse again, if some very speedy and very discreet course be not taken both by you and us to prevent the same.  
We have though somewhat too late for want of true information) seriously considered the present differences between the Parliament and the Army: and truly we must of necessity profess that we have not found our Rights and Liberties much bettered by these almost seven years sitting of this Parliament, and do really find and feel our grievances as great and as many, nay, greater and more in number then ever: and by reason of a bloody and consuming war( to what purpose, as yet we see not) much less able to bear then heretofore.  
And the greatest ease and deliverance we have found we cannot( but under God) attribute to the worthy Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax, and to those worthy Members of Parliament, that first voted them to be an Army, and we could not but stand amazed to observe how in the midst of all our hopes( of being restored to all just Liberties and relieved in our yet pressing grievances,) This most worthy well disposed Army, must in all hast be voted to disband: indeed we were amazed till we found( the reason) that those Members that Voted them down, were not those that voted them up: but those that Voted against their raising( now made strong by increase of the like evil Members) and when we discovered this, we ceased to wonder thereat: or at any other unworthy dealing or affronts put since upon the Army: and as little did we wonder when we heard that the Army refused to disband; the truth is, we rejoiced exceedingly to hear it, as seeing no other way or means of being preserved from the most miserable bondage that could be imagined: we saw apparently they did not Vote them down to save you or our charge of maintaining them; but with intention to raise another sort of men that would assist them to enforce us and you to their Arbitrary wills and perpetuate them in a Parliamentary power, which they well knew this Army would not do:  
The which wee are strengthened to believe, because we perceive them now ready to entertain any without regard of merit or condition: as having occasion only for swordmen, to guard them from justice.  
And though we have no cause to joy in the fruits of your New-Committee of Militia, no more then in the Committee of safety( falsely so called) both which we understand, agreed in desperate Votes, tending to reingage us all in a most bloody and wretched war: yet do we joy exceedingly( as in the numerous minor Vote of Parliament so) in the general Vote and wisdom of the Common council so strongly opposing the same: and likewise in the general backwardness of the Trained Bands and Auxiliaries to appear in arms: with the slowness of the Citizens to shut up their Shops; by all which we are encouraged, to hope, that ye mean plainly, will persist, and constantly adhere to the Army in their addresses for justice against the seducers of Parliament and infringers of the rights and liberties of the Common-wealth.  
A sad and unusual case it is wee confess to oppose the mayor Vote of Parliament, but that it is just, for a people without Authority, to reform those that are in Authority, when they highly and manifestly break their trust, is evident and justified even by this Parliament( when at best) in procuring an approbation of our Brethren of Scotland in their first raising of arms and coming into this Nation; before this Parliament, having no Authority nor any thing to justify them therein but necessity,& to free themselves, their Wives, and Children from the lawless Arbitrary oppressive and tyrannical proceedings of those times, and who must now condemn themselves this Parliament, and all that adhered to them in this or that Nation, if they shall now condemn or oppose the Army or their adherents. The Armies standing to see the rights and liberties of the People cleared and secured before they disband, being the end for which they were raised is most evidently just and necessary: but what can be said in defence of so great an Arbitrary alteration of Government, As the long continual sitting of this Parliament contrary to Law, Equity, or safety: and it will be good they pluck this beam out of their own eye, and patiently bear the Mote( if it be a mote) in their Brothers eye, but however they shall bear it, it will become us to mind the things that belong to our own peace and the general freedom of the Common-wealth, rather then stickle for unknown privileges and punctilloes of Parliament, that no man knows what they are, or whereunto they tend, except to make themselves great, and the people slaves: and if Parliaments look for protection and obedience, let Parliaments be just, and perform their trust, and mind the freedom and well-being of the people: let us seriously weigh and consider the Armies Declaration, and it will clearly be discerned, that therein they hold forth more particulars expressly, and visibly tending to the peace and well-being of all men, then any thing published or proposed since this Parliament. And that their intentions and desires are agreeable to their Declaration, deserveth to be credited by all those who have observed with what integrity they have performed all their promises and engagements to their vanquished Enemies.  
Obedience is not due to the names, but to the essence of Authority, neither Fathers, nor Masters, nor Kings, nor Parliaments are to be obeied, if they command things unnatural; and if they proceed to do things tending to the ruin and bondage of those that trust them, they ought to be resisted as lawfully as a man may resist a thief, or a murderer, and who assist not in such cases, do in a sort partake with the murderer.  
Government and order are indeed most precious things, without which mankind would hold no comfortable society, and are to be preserved by all possible means, and to be born withall in their failings, so long as charity may truly call their defects failings, but when they grow wilful and hate to be informed, when they evidently endeavour to destroy their preservers: and to enslave those that trust them with their lives and Liberties, when they grow deaf to the cries of Widdows, and fatherless, despise Petitioners, and burn Petitions by the hand of the common Hang-man, then certainly it is a sin not to reform, and a most just thing wholly to withdraw the trust.  
But since all things that are lawful are not always expedient, therefore the Army intendernesse to us and you have proposed only a reforming or purging of the Parliament of such Members as they are able to prove have bent their endeavours to destroy the fruits of this the most hopeful Parliament that ever was.  
Now as Parliaments are acknowledged to bee the most just and beneficial ways of government in the world, so the corruption of Parliaments is the most dangerous: as tending to most irrevocable slavery, and then by necessary consequence who ever are found to bee guilty of the breach of Parliamentary trust of invading and infringing the Rights and liberties of the people, by arbitrary violent and oppossive ways: of delaying and obstructing justice, without doubt they are the greatest of Traytors, there being no greater or more capital offence, that can possibly bee name in any state, or against any people.  
And therfore the charge which the Army hath brought against those eleven corrupt Members of the House of Commons mentioned therein is no slight or trivial thing as to our wonder and hearts grief wee hear is to commonly apprehended, in and about the City, it makes us fear that arbitrary power and breach of trust is a thing that to many amongst yourselves are guilty of, that it is through corruption and long custom, grown in fashion in London, indeed it is a spreading and infectious disease, no County, town, or City is free from it: and no marvel when Parliament men do lead the dance.  
But we beseech you to look once more upon this charge against these Parliament-men, examine the several heads thereof: and judge what case you would deem yourselves in, if ye were the men, for shane let us not so exceedingly betray ourselves to the will of men, as to judge rightly of arbitrary violent and oppressive ways, in those wee choose and trust to preserve our rights and liberties: because in so doing wee do in effect beg to bee made slaves, when as breach of Parliamentary trust should be made more dreadful than any crime whatsoever, and be more odious in our esteem then murder.  
No, rather let amends bee speedily made for this weakness and let all endeavours be used, to have these men secured in safe custody, indeed it is wonderful that the rest of the House have not done it in all this time, but suffer them to sit there to corrupt the House, the City,& kingdom: no man can think they will be wanting to preserve themselves, though by the ruin of all; it cannot be thought so faithful and discreet a people as the Army have proved themselves would ever have accused them, but they have good proof of their accusations, and truly since it hath been usual( and cannot be otherwise safe) for accused members of that house to be secured until time of trial there appeareth no reason but a great deal of partiality in that so much respect is not herein shewed to the credit of this Army, as at al other times hath been to far inferior infomations.  
And however men may talk their pleasure at random, this charge will be found no more easy to be blown away with a puff, or vapouring speeches, then Straffords was: but when the House itself so far sleights, as not to secure the persons, no marvel the people slight too; but this slighting of reckonings makes heavy reckonings at the last; did the House hear what construction is made of this their slighting by the people, they would turn over a new leaf, they have seen and acknowledged many of their errors of late, and it will be well if they see this before it be to late, and wish they had done it in time for how much mischief these men( at liberty) and their complices may do, cannot easily be imagined, and that they will do all they can no man will doubt, and therefore whatever mischief ensues the whole House will be entitled thereunto, and willbe judged to protect them out of self-guiltiness with them.  
redeem the time wee earnestly pray you: and suppress all endeavours and intentions of opposing this worthy Army, by whose valour and true worth you enjoy, under God, all that you possess, never look to prosper if you engage against them, nor to be happy if you join not cordially with them, far be it from you to carry two faces under one hood, pretend not peace and prepare for war, vote not against listing, and list under hand, pretences are but deceits and will in the end be discovered to your shane and then none will trust you▪ whom have the Army wronged or deluded that any should now distrust them: they have neither been cruel nor perfidious: therefore trust them freely and fully, and so you lay obligations of love and brotherly respect upon them, which is the greatest bond in the world to men knowing God: and honouring him as they do, banish all fear and resolve to second their endeavours for justice, and so both your, and our, and their happiness may be great and lasting and bee conveyed to future ages, who will bless God in their generation for so great wisdom in their progenitors in a time of so exceeding great necessity.  
FINIS.