all wee forget to
make you and all our good people in those parts equal partakers of those
promises of liberty and moderation to tender consciences expressed in
our gracious declarations; which, though some persons in this kingdom,
of desperate, disloyal, and unchristian principles, have lately abused
to the public disturbance and their own destruction, yet wee are
confident our good subjects in New England will make a right use of it,
to the glory of God, their own spiritual comfort and edification. And so
wee bid you farewell. Given at our Court of Whitehall, the 15th day of
February, 1660 (1661, new style), in the thirteenth year of our reigne.

(Signed) "WILL. MORRICE."]

[Footnote 120: The following are extracts from the reply of the General
Court of Massachusetts Bay to the foregoing letter of Charles the
Second:

"ILLUSTRIOUS SIR,--

"That majestie and benignitie both sate upon the throne whereunto your
outcasts made their former addresse; witness this second eucharistical
approach unto the best of kings, who to other titles of royaltie common
to him with other gods amongst men, delighteth herein more particularily
to conforme himselfe to the God of gods, in that he hath not despised
nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither hath he hid his
face from him, but when he heard he cried.

"Our petition was the representation of exiles' necessities; this
script, congratulatory and lowly, is the reflection of the gracious
rayes of Christian majestie. There we besought your favour by presenting
to a compassionate eye that bottle full of tears shed by us in this
Teshimon: here we acknowledge the efficacie of regal influence to
qualify these salt waters. The mission of ours was accompanied with
these Churches sitting in sackcloth; the reception of yours was as the
holding forth the scepter of life. The truth is, such were the
impressions upon our spirits when we received an answer of peace from
our gracious Sovereigne as transcends the facultie of an eremitical
scribe. Such, as though our expressions of them neede pardon, yet the
suppression of them seemeth unpardonable."

The conclusion of their address was as follows:

"ROYAL SIR,--

"Your just Title to the Crown enthronizeth you in our consciences, your
graciousness in our affections: That inspireth us unto Duty, this
naturalizeth unto Loyalty: Thence we call you Lord; hence a Savior.
Mephibosheth, how prejudicially soever misrepresented, yet rejoi