BEING freely and unanimously elected by you ( without my privity or seeking ) to serve as one of your Burgesses in this Parliament , I have since my entrance into the Commons House ( the 7th of Novemb . last ) endeavoured to the best of my skill & Judgement , faithfully to discharge that trust and duty you repos'd in me , ( according to my Conscience ) to put a speedy and happy period to our unnaturall long-lasting bloody Warres , and settle a firme wellgrounded peace , upon such Terms of honor , freedom , safety , & advantage , as no Subjects under Heaven ever yet enjoyed from the Creation til this present , What my indefatigable endeavours were herein , in drawing up al the Bills upon the Kings Concessions in the late Treaty , is wel known to most of the Members then sitting , and what I delivered in the House upon the Debate of the Kings Answers to our Propositions upon the whole Treaty ( with a sincere and publike spirit , ayming at nothing but yours and the whole Kingdomes felicity and prosperity , not any private interest of mine owne ) I have sent you here in print , being falsely charged by a new erected Generall Councell of Officers of the Army ( who have trayterously usurped to themselves the supreame Authority of the Kingdom , & against the knowne Priviledges of Parlia . the Liberty of the Subjects , and the Law of the Land forcibly seised on my selfe , and divers other eminent Members going to the House to discharge our duties , on the 6th . and 7th . of December last , in pursuance of the Treaty , and secluded me and them from sitting there ever since , to yours and the whole Kingdomes prejudice ) among other secured Members in the grosse , for an Apostate from the publike trust which you reposed in me , only for this SPEECH , and the VOTE of the whole house , for the settlement of the Kingdomes peace , made in pursuance of it ; they having no particular matter else to charge mee with [ had they any just power to impeach or seclude me , which they have not ) but this alone . How perfidiously and iniuriously they have dealt with , and how scandalously they have traduced and libelled against me , and the other restrained Members in print , upon this occasion only , you may reade in the Epistle to the Reader ; though mine and the other Members innocency be so perspicuous , that they confess , they have yet no particular matters of impeachment against us , after above 7. weeks imprisonment , but promise shortly to produce some [ if they can : ) whereas their owne Treasonable Rebellions , violences , periuries and crimes , written with Sunbeams in their very foreheads , are visible to all the world , and need no witnesses to prove their gvilt ; their late unparallel'd exorbitances and proceedings both against the King , Parliament , Lords , Members , City and Countrey being knowne and apparent unto all . I shall therefore appeale from these usurpers , ( who have no more Authority to question or restrain me , for any reall or pretended breach of my Trust , as a Member , were I guilty of it , then the meanest Servant hath to call his Master to account for misgoverning his family , or to shut him out of doores : ] unto you alone , who elected me , and are best able to know and judge of your own trust ; desiring your speedy resolution of this Question , Whether in that here in spoken or voted by me , I have any wayes violated the trust or faith which you and every of you reposed in me ? For which Speech and Vote , though I am Iudicially accountable only to the Commons House , which knowes the true grounds upon which I went , and can only truly Iudge of what was there spoken and voted ( none being i judi , cog se . SE●●CA . fit to Iudge any thing but those who know and hear it too ) the maiority of which house concurred with me in the vote , without any division : yet , I hold my selfe in some sort ministerially accomptable unto you for whom I serve as the properest Iudges , without the House doores , of what I spake or voted in your behalfe . From whom I shall humbly request so much right and justice , upon the perusal of the inclosed Speech and papers , [ which I desire may be read openly before all my Electors at your next publique meeting ) as to testify to the world under your hands and seals ( which you set to the return of my Election ] your own Iudgements & opinions , whether I have betrayed or broken the Trust you reposed in me or not , by what I spake or voted in this debate ? and what sence you have of the Armies forcible secluding and imprisoning me [ your Burgesse ] from the House , among other Members , above seven weekes space together , contrary to mine and your undoubted Priviledge ; how farre you conceive your selves obliged by ought that hath been or shall be concluded or voted in the House during the Armies force upon it , & your Burgesses [ & most other Members ] violent seclusion thence , against all Law and president , and what reparations you expect for this high Injustice to your selves and me : With what else you think fit to determine touching the premises : And if you deeme it necessary , to returne your results herein to me , with all convenient speed : who shall make the best advantage thereof for yours , mine owne and the Kingdomes benefit : whose peace ( by Gods blessing ) had been fully settled to your hearts content before this time , had not the Enemies of Peace ( who gaine their livings by the Warres ) interrupted our proceedings by Imprisoning and secluding the greatest part of the Members , and particularly