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

General Monck to the Congregated Churches - 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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General Monck to the Congregated Churches

Honourable and Reverend friends,

xxxii. f. 71b.I received yours of the 13th instant, and doe assure yow that my intention and indeavours for the good old cause and the good people of the Nations is still the same as it was when those honourable and reverent persons from yow were with mee, and I could have wished yow had thereby furnished mee with some likelier and readier expedient for accomplishing those desires of mine then that I am now useing; but I must frely confes to yow that I am not soe fully satisfied with the intentions of those whome you call the army in England as yow seeme to bee, nor can I thinke that I have the same apprehencions which you have of that new state of the quarrell in your parts, or of the danger the good people are now in from the Common Enimy. Would they, if they thought the people of God were in soe greate danger, and that a few dayes continuance in these breaches might make that danger past remedy—would they, I say, think now at last of calling a new Parliament, the verry calling and chuseing of whose Members would take up some weekes tyme, though there were noe limitations nor restriccions to bee agreed uppon, or though there were noe necessity for us to interpose as yow desire for the preservation of the good people? Or would they keepe this designe of theires soe secrett that wee should heare of it from you onely, and not from themselves, least, perhaps, our consent might [not] bee soe soone gained? Or would they not rather support the present Parliament to sitt downe againe quietly, which might bee done in few dayes tyme, and would ymediately putt an end to all these unhappy controversies, and make that posture of ours, which yow now think gives advantage and incurragement to the Common Enimy, a posture formidable to them, and most convenient to oppose them? What coloures may bee made use of to lay the bloud that may bee spilt in this quarrell at my doore I know not, but this I know, that God who judgeth righteously, and whome noe colloures or pretences can deceive, will in his tyme beare witnesse to the innocency and uprightnes of my heart; and I am confident it cannot bee unknowne to you, nor to the greatest part of the people of the Nations, that the late force uppon the Parliament was the begining and cause of these contentions, and that it was done to preserve in theire imployments a small number of officers, not more considerable or better deserveing of the common cause then the like number of those whome themselves have since laid aside, and that they have to this end espoused the interest of a party with whose designes Magistracy and Ministry can noe more stand then with those of the Common Enimy, and to gratifie them have declared publicquely that they would take away tythes, and have now proceeded soe farr as to open againe that issue of bloud which had for a good tyme (through mercy) bin stop’t, and was in a hopefull way to have bin altogether healed. For my part, I can safely say that God and my owne actions will beare mee witnesse how carefull and solicitous I was to bring the last treaty to a perfect close, and all our quarrells to full and speedy composure. I think those honourable and reverend Brethren of yours can remember, uppon the first receipt of the late agreement, though it was such as I could not in honour or justice ratifie, yet being uppon my march, to shew my desire to peace, I ymediately returned to Edinburgh, and drew back my forces out of England, and made an offer to the Lord Lambert that the forces on both sides might bee drawne back according to the tennour of the agreement; which offer of mine his Lordship did not onely not consent too, but while wee thought ourselves heere secure and the treaty still continued, yea, even while Col. Sankey was heere from his Lordshipp with the highest expressions, protestations, and offers of peace, advanced uppon us in such a manner as wee had just cause to think his intentions were otherwise; yet since that tyme I have not bin wanting in any thing that might on my part promote that good end; but understanding that a quorum of the Commissioners for the goverment of the army constituted by an Act of Parliament of the 11th of October last, were now sitting at Portsmouth, I imediatly dispatched a messenger to them to perswade them to an accomodation, and directed letters to the Lord Lambert and the officers at Newcastle to let them know as much, and to desire that they would permitt him to passe. If they should refuse it, I leave it to your selves to judge at whose doore the bloud will lye. They have declared for the same things that I have, and now they act by their comission are my lawfull superiors, soe that I am not now in a capacytie to make any agreement without theire consent. Gentlemen, I have noe farther to trouble yow, but to presse yow againe to bee perswaded that the cause wee are now contending for is your owne cause, and the cause of all the good people, and that as there was noe occasion given by us at first to the beginning of these unhappy contraversies, soe there shalbee nothing now omitted on our parts that wee think may bee a meanes to bring them to a speedy and a happy period, and to bee earnest with yow to possesse those that have bin the authors and are still the continuers of the force uppon the Parliament with a true and a deepe sence of the dangers and inconveniencyes that are like to follow, in case this debate bee by them continued any longer, and to assist us with your prayers to the throne of grace that all these controversyes may bee ended without the effusion of any more Christian bloud, and that they may produce to the Nations liberty and prosperity, to Parliaments theire just power and authority, and their duty, priviledges, and encurragements to the people of God, which is the utmost of the desires and wishes of

Your very humble servant,

Geo: Monck.

Coldstreame,
22 Dec. (59).

For my Honourable and Reverend friends, Lieut.-Generall Whalley, M. G. Goffe, and Dr. Jno. Owen, to be communicated to the congregated Churches in London.