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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

The Representatives of the Congregated Churches about London to General Monck - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 4 [1901]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1901). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

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The Representatives of the Congregated Churches about London to General Monck

My Lord,

xxxii. f. 168b.Wee have received your Lordship’s letter of November the 23rd by the Honourable and Reverend Brethren sent by the Churches to waite uppon yow, directed to some of us to bee comunicated to the Churches from whome they were sent, the Elders and Bretheren whose names are subscribed being convened, and haveing duly weighed your Lordshipp’s letter with the report made unto us by the Bretheren, wee made bould to give the ensueing R[es]ult of ours thoughts. Wee doe humbly acknowledge your Lordshipp’s respects unto the Churches of Christ expressed both in your letters, declarations, and kinde acceptance with friendly respective entertainement of theire messengers, whereof they have given a full accompt unto us, and wee are glad to heare of the clearenes of your Lordship’s intencions both as to the peace of these nations and the preservation of the old interest of the good people of them and the Saints of God in them; and wee must alsoe assure yow that wee are abundantly satisfied with the intention of the army heere in England as to the same ends, which they have manifested in their late resolutions for the speedy calling of Parliament, wherein if any thing seeme to bee wanting on your parts it will bee your serious interposition that it may bee such as may preserve the good people from being made a prey to the common enimy, neither doe wee see any thing like to be insisted on by them detrimentall to the godly ministry. In the meane time wee cannot but sadly informe your Lordship that by your divisions not onely incurragement hath bin given to the common enimy, but they have made such a progresse in pursuite of their designe, as that if there bee a continuance for a few dayes in these breaches it will bee out of your power and theires alsoe to shew the least part of your intended kindnes to the people of God, who are in danger now every moment to bee destroyed and slaine by their inraged enimies.

Wee are perswaded that if yow were in this place, and saw the tumults, rage, and combination of the old enimies, with the probability they have to accomplish their desires every day, you would not defer one moment to put your selfe into a posture of opposeing them, which in the condition in which yow are [,yow are] not onely uncapable to performe, but alsoe occasionally give them incurragement unto. The state of the quarrell in these parts now is not a Parliament or none, the last Parliament or not, but [the preservation of] our lives from the common enimy or not; and wee would be sorry on your account that the bloud of the Saints of God, and of all that hath bin ingaged in our common cause, should with soe much collor bee laid at your doore, as it wilbee if things continue in the present posture a few dayes longer. Both yow there and the army heere fixing uppon the same things, all particular centring and a Parliament1 not to close imediatly soe as to unite in the defence of the common interest, and of the Saints of God, is soe strange a judgement as noe age can pairolele.

Wee cannot but acquaint your Lordshipp that all the feares of the people of God at this day, yea, and all their danger, arrise mearely from the differences yow abide in, which if not speedily remedied will prove the utter ruine of that magistracy and ministry which on both sides are pleaded for.

Wee have not more to add but onely to reminde your Lordshipp of that portion of Scripture wherewith yow close yours to us: 1 Samuel 25. And wee can with confidence assure yow that it will one day bee noe griefe at heart unto yow that yow have bin prevented from shedding bloud, and made instrumentall for the recovery of the portion of Christ in these nations from the mouth of that greate destruction whereinto it is now cast. With our prayers for your Lordship, that God will guide yow into strate paths, wee rest

Your Lordshipp’s most humble servants,

EDW. WHALLEY.WM. GOFF.
JOHN ROWE.JOHN STONE.
MATT. BARKER.THO. OWEN.
JOHN OWEN.JOS. CARRILL.
PH. NYE.WM. BRIDGE.
WM. GREENHILL.ISAAC KNIGHT.
WM. HOOKE.[SETH] WOOD.

Westminster,
December 13, 1659.

[1 ]The sense requires: ‘all particular demands centreing in a Parliament.’ A od many words appear to be left out in Clarke’s copy of this letter.