FInding , to our great griefe ( by divers printed Declarations ) the unhappy difference btwixt his Majesty and his Parliament , and from thence apprehending great fear of further distractions , we have thought sit to impart our hearts freely unto you as men chosen by us , and intrusted for us , to represent us , and our desires in Your Honourable House of Commons : Where in the first place , upon all occasions , we desire you to tender the acknowledgment of our humble and hearty thanks for those many good Lawes , which by their Care annd Wisedome , together with His Majesties Grace and Favour , have beene obtained for us , both for the securing us in the point of our property , and also for the freeing us from the unlimited power of Arbitrary governement : And herein His Majestie : having concurred with you in all rhat Wee could expect or can desire both for our Persons and Estates , and at severall times promised to joyne with his Parliament for the Reforming and Reducing both the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church to the best and purest times since the Reformation ; And if this were done , what others would expect wee know not , wee desire no more And now Wee cannot but stand amazed , to see the King , the Lords and Commons agree in all that wee can thinke necessary for Reformation , and for securing Us hereafter to bee governed according to the good Lawes of the Land in force , and yet such great Distraction amongst those thr●e Estates . Wee heard long since reports , and saw printed Papers of the great dangers of Papists , and that even in our owne ●●●nty , but beleeve there was no trueth nor ground of any s●●h . Wee heard great Rumours of Forraigne Force from France and ●●●marke ; but , thankes be to God , wee see no such danger : And yet under these pretences , there is great preparation of putting us in a posture of Defence , and a great necessity pretended of setling the Miltia : But Wee see more cause to feare the remedy , then the disease ; For this posture ( as you call it ) of Defence doth carry a face of War with it , even amongst our selves and concerning it we are distracted with contrary commands ; the Houses of Parliament command one thing , the King forbids that command ; the King commands , and the Houses of Parliament forbids that command , and we are at a stand , and yet wee are ever ready to yeeld obedience to all the knowe Laws of the Land : and we have ever been taught , That all those Lawes made in Parliament , consist of three Estates , the Commons , Lords , and King , and wee thinke it dangerous to untwist that triple Cord ; and wee hold it our greatest Priviledge . That the King and Lords , whom we have heard sometime joyned in Counsell , could not make a Law to binde us without our consent in Parliament ; and by the same reason , we cannot expect that the Commons , with the Lords , should make a Law or an Ordinance , of the force of a Law , to binde without the King , especially against the King . And as we doe no yeeld any Act of Obedience to the King's Command simply , but as it is warranted by Law , made by His Authority , with the Consent of both Houses ; so we shall not conceive our selves bound to obey one or both Houses without the King , but in such things as are according to the known Lawes of the Land . When the King by his Writte gave us power to chuse you , it was to treate De quibusdam arduis , &c. Wee nexe● conceived your only Votes should bee our Law , nor conceived Wee had such a power to conferre upon you : And Wee require you not to consent to lay any such command upon us , nor to ingage us in any Civill war for the maintenance of such Votes , under colour of ●riviledges against our lawfull King , to whom many of us , by the appointment of the Law , have taken the Oath of supremacy , and Alleg●ance to which all of us are bound . And beside we have at the command of both Houses taken the late protestation , wherein wee have vowed to maintaine the Doctrine of the Church of England , His Majesties Royall Person , Honour , and Estate , the Priviledges of Parliame●t , and the Liberties of the Subject : and Wee shall endeavour to maintaine every part and clause thereof respectively with our lives and fortunes . And we conceive our best directions therein to be the knowne Lawes , the maintenance whereof wee account our onely liberty and defence . And we account the surest way to enjoy the benefit of these Lawes , is to joyne and comply with his Majesty , under whose protection , next under God , wee can onely hope to enjoy the benefit thereof ; especially his Majesty having ever since this Parliament joyned in the making of as good Lawes as ever any King hath done ; and made so gracious promises of his future Government according to the Lawes , and given aboundant satisfaction for some unhappy accidents in his past Government , that we conceive great cause to returne him cheerefull thankfulnesse for these Lawes , and to yeeld a faithfull obedience , and to confide in him for the future . This is the cleare expression of our hearts ; this is that we desire you to consent in for us . And we shall heartily pray , that we might be an example to many others to make the like expressions : And then wee should not doubt but this would bring a right understanding betwixt the King and his people , and take away all feares and jealousies , and settle a firme peace amongst us . We should gladly , with all humility , have petitioned your Honourable House , but still to this purpose . And we understand some Countries have done so , which hath bin displeasing unto them , because they contrary to sense ; and we , perhaps through ignorance might fall into the same errour . Yet wee hope it will not be displeasing unto you , that we give you our sence freely , for you are us , and we hope you will not be unwilling to follow our sence , so far as you conceive it to be the sence of your County whose you are , and for whom you serve . And so we rest your very loving Friends and Country-men .