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A62100 The Kings most gracious messages for peace and a personal treaty published for his peoples satisfaction, that they may see and judge, whether the foundation of the Commons declaration, touching their votes of no farther addresse to the King, viz His Majesties aversenesse to peace, be just rationall and religious. England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I); Symmons, Edward. 1648 (1648) Wing S6344; ESTC R669 99,517 147

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the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland AS Christs meekness and mighty works made his Enemies more obdurate so the Kings mildness and many Messages made these men more obstinate who are as dumb to this last as to the former And though His Majesty tells them that the Gods and bloud of His Subjects doth cry so much for Peace that He shall be forced there●y to utter His impatience yet these hard-hearted men had rather hear those sad and lamentable cries then listen to these yearnings of their fathers Bowells nay and they must be call'd and accounted Patriots of their Country for all this and He who is thus tenderly affected towards it in this its bleeding Condition must be reckoned and reported the Common Enemy unto it for they are not ashamed notwithstanding these His many pantings and breathings after the Health of it to appropriate unto Him their own Tigerly dispositions and to tell the whole world in the first page of their late impudent Declaration that neither the sighs Groans tears nor crying bloud an heavy cry say they of Fathers Brothers Children and of many hundred thousand free-born Subjects at once can perswade Him to pity or Compassion Surely could Satan help them to devise worse evill then is in themselves or then they have acted to cast upon the King these His Humble and Loyal Subjects would not be so void of shame as thus to charge Him with their owne doings and Conditions Well His Majesty after He had sent this last Message waits yet another moneth for some Answer though to as little purpose as before He did but pursue the shaddow that fled from Him by seeking peace at their hands for they were resolved by slighting Him to make him desist at length from writing thus to them But behold the true Image of our most patient God in this our most Christian King who having to do with a like stif-necked and rebellious people as he of old had thinks it His duty to follow him still in the same path though with as little comfort or hopes of prevailing and hereupon sends the tenth time and offers to come and trust Himself wholly with them if He might but have their own faith and promise for the safety of His Person Honour and Estate which themselves had so solemnly protested to defend and that His friends who had done according to their Duty and Protestation might not for the same be deprived of their Liberties or estates but injoy both with a freedom of Conscience from unlawfull Oaths upon these sole Conditions He will pardon and forget all that was past on their sides giving them what security themselves can devise He will follow their advise for the good of His People rather then other mens and in a word He will grant them as much as till then they had ever desired or made pretence unto and all to procure a speedy Peace to these Afflicted Kingdoms His words are these His Majesties tenth Message CHARLS R. NOtwithstandig the unexpected silence instead of Answer to his Majesties many and gracious Messages to both Houses whereby it may appear that they desire to obtain their ends by Force rather then Treaty which may justly discourage his Majesty from any more overtures of that kind yet his Majesty conceives He shall be much wanting to His duty to God and in what He oweth to the safety of His people if He should not intend to prevent the great inconveniences that may otherwise hinder a safe and wel-grounded peace His Majesty therefore now proposeth that so He may have the faith of both Houses of Parliament for the preservation of His Honour Person and Estate and that Liberty be given to all those who do and have adhered to His Majesty to go to their own Houses and there to live peaceably enjoying their Estates all Sequestrations being taken off without being compelled to take any Oath not enjoyned by the undoubted Laws of the Kingdom or being put to any other molestation whatsoever He will immediately disband all His Forces and dismantle all His Garrisons and being accompanied with His Royall not His Martiall Attendance return to His two Houses of Parliament and there reside with them And for the better security of all His Majesties Subjects He proposeth that He with His said two Houses immediately upon His coming to Westminster will passe an Act of Oblivion and free pardon and where His Majesty will further do whatsoever they will advise Him for the good and peace of this Kingdom And as for the Kingdom of Scotland His Majesty hath made no mention of it here in regard of the great losse of time which must now be spent in expecting an Answer from thence but declares that immediately upon His comming to Westminster He will apply Himself to give them all satisfaction touching that Kingdome If His Majesty could possibly doubt the successe of this offer He could use many arguments to perswade them to it but shall only insist on that great One of giving an instant Peace to these afflicted Kingdoms Given at our Court at Oxford the 23 of March 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be Communicated to the two Houses of Parlialiament at Westminster AS God said what could I have done more for my vineyard which I have not done so may this good Prince say what could I have offered more for the Peace of my afflicted People which I have not offered These men that will accept of nothing tell the world in their lace Declaration that themselves had made Application to Him for Peace no lesse then seven times scil in seven years But the world hath now seen that His Majesty hath made Applications to them for the same thing no lesse then ten times in lesse then four moneths and in another form and stile too then theirs were to Him and not one word in Answer can He get from them yea for Peace sake He offers to venture Himself among them but they 'l none of Him He would come to His owne as they call themselves but His own will not receive Him It shall not be amisse if the world to whom the appeal is made shall call to minde in this place some few of their many former solemne professions which are directly contradicted by these their present behaviours let their Protestation or Declaration of Octob. 22. 1642. be read and therein they will finde these expressions We the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament Assembled doe in the presence of Almighty God for the satisfaction of our Consciences and discharge of that great trust which lies upon us make this Protestation and Declaration to this Kingdome and Nation and to the whole World that no private passion or respect no evill intention to His Majesties Person no designe to the prejudice of His just Honour and Authority ingaged us to raise forces and take up Armes c. And againe We professe from our very Hearts and Souls
the power of the sword it shall be opposed affronted resisted their summons scorned their Messengers kicked about the streets their Votes and Iudgments derided A mock-Authority indeed that is and a mock-Parliament too that disclaims Him from whom it self derives its being and to whom God and the Law hath committed the power of the Sword We have had heretofore many Parliaments but never read or heard of any while they kept their integrity and adhered to their maker that conven'd them together who were ever opposed affronted resisted or had any of their summons scorned their Messengers kicked about the streets or their Votes and Iudgements derided therefore all this is but copia verborum some flowers of Rebellious Rhetorick whereby they thinke to keep silly fools such as they take us still to be in that vile Captivity unto themselves wherein they formerly had and led us Yea and pag. 73. of that their so bonny Declaration they tell us to the everlasting comfort both of us and of our purses that t is necessary that their Armies be kept still on foot even so long as themselves and their posterities shall fit which they make account shall be but in perpetuum from Generation to Generation till the worlds end their words are these for the Parliaments consulting freely and acting securely it will be necessary as we have ever done since the war to keep up forces which were they all disbanded as the Scotch Commissioners desire we should not long consult freely and act securely They mean sure in cutting our throats in banishing imprisoning and hanging our persons in sequestring our estates in oppressing plundering and taking from us our goods and fortunes in destroying our Religion peace and order for nothing else do we know they have consulted about or acted since they first raised their Forces or begun their war we have had Parliaments before now that have behaved themselves a great deale better then these Declarers have done that have consulted better and acted better every way and yet never thought it necessary either to raise or keep up Forces for their owne guard or safety No for they were fenc'd with Innocency and Noblenesse of Spirit with their owne uprightnesse and their Countries Love which together with the Guard of God and his Angels was their Protection they desired no other Militia then Faith and a good Conscience to secure them For why they had never bath'd themselves in their Countries bloud nor foul'd their hands with oppression nor any way deserved the odium of their Nation But these men shew what they have merited by their fears and discover that as they raised Forces at first to subdue the King so they intend now to keep them up to subdue the Kingdome and to keep those in low slavery whose help they have had against Him and so they will pay their servants for as such onely they account those whom they have imployed or made use of a la mode du diable in that manner as Satan rewards those that work for him And now the world sees at last who began the war at first and hears from them who know best what was the true cause thereof even to wrest the Legislative power and the Militia out of the Kings hands and to excercise the same without and against His consent How true their former clamours have been that the King first tooke up Armes against the Parliament and that the Parliament was only on the defensive part let the very seduced part of men now judge His sacred Majesty in his great wisdome saw this to be their end at first and told the world of it but could not be heard or beleeved so loud a noise was made to the contrary themselves in the 68. pag. of that their Declaration tell the Scotch Commissioners who had said it was contrary to their judgements and Oath of Allegeance to divest the Crown the King and His Posterity of the right and power of the Militia that they fortifie their opinion with the very same Arguments and almost in the very same words as the King did at the beginning of this war in His Declarations whereby they acknowleged that His Majesty even then had spoken to that purpose It is hoped therefore that all men doe now apprehend who they are that all this while have been the Deceivers Againe the world also hath now seen how far and wherein His Majesty hath been averse to peace since the beginning of the war He would not hitherto be either forced or perswaded to resigne up wholly and for ever unto them that which from the very first they resolved to have from Him the Legislative power and the Militia of the Kingdome to be exercised without and against Himself to the perpetual enslavement and thraldome of all us His poor Subjects whom God hath committed to his trust to protect and defend And therefore if it were lawfull for Subjects upon any occasion to imprison their King yet what great cause or substantiall reason these have had to do so or to use their Soveraigne as they have done to resolve to make no more addresses or applications to Him let the world judge And from these many gracious Messages of His Majesty for peace thus slighted contemned and despised by them let their little modesty and candour or rather their great shamelesnesse and impudency be observed in their making the foundation of their impious Votes to be His aversenesse unto peace and in beginning their Declaration against Him in that manner as they have done viz. in these words How fruitlesse our former Addresses have been to the King is so well known to the world that it may be expected we shall now declare why we made the last or so many before rather then why we are resolved to make no more We cannot acknowledge any great confidence that our words could have been more perswasive with Him then Sighs and groanes the Tears and crying Blood an heavy crie the Blood of Fathers Brothers and Children at onse the Blood of many hundred thousand Free-borne Subjects in Three great Kingdomes which cruelty it self could not but pity to destroy We must not be so unthankefull to God as to forget we were never forced to any Treaty and yet we have no lesse then seven times made such Applications to the King and tendred such Propositions that might occasion the world to judge we have not onely yeelded up our wils and Affections but our Reason also and judgement for obtaining any true Peace or Accommodation But it never yet pleased the King to accept of any Tender fit for us to make nor yet to offer any fit for us to receive Be judges in this case O all ye people of the World now you have read and seen what offers and tenders the King hath made what reason these men had thus to ' peale Him thinke you not they are men of credit worthy to be trusted another time fit to be beleeved in all they say
Kingdoms for time to come And will take a speedy course for easing and quieting his afflicted people by satisfying the Publike debts by disbanding of all Armies and whatsoever else shall be judged conducible to that end that so all hinderances being removed he may return to his Parliament with mutuall comfort Southwell May 18. 1646. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore To be Communicated to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland POST-SCRIPT HIs Majesty being desirous to shun the further effusion of bloud and to evidence His reall intentions to Peace is willing that His Forces in and about Oxford be disbanded and the fortifications of the City dismantled they receiving honourable conditions Which being granted to the Town and Forces there His Majesty will give the like order to the rest of the Garrisons THis Message from His Majesty out of the Scots Quarters though as full of Grace as could be wished found as little respect as any of the former and was thought as unworthy of an Answer for indeed it spake to their great grief the escape of that rich prey which was already swallowed in their Expectations yea and an impossibility of getting it into their reach again with so little cost and pains as they hoped before to be possessed of it for they conceived the frugall Scot was not like to part with his Liege Lord and native King for nothing nor be so easily beaten from hence to their own home as was intended they should have been so soon as the Kings Person had been seized on at Oxford for His Majesties Presence like the Glorious Sun drew thousands of Eyes upon His Country-men and would have fetch'd as many hearts and hands to their Assistance had they but then stood up in defence of Him This they at Westminster well knew and hereupon saw that a kind of necessity lay on them to shuffle again and after another fashion then before was purposed to play the Foxes instead of the Lions with their dear Brethren and therefore they begin at last to think of doing that which till now they never intended though often promised even of sending Propositions to the King which on Iuly 24. two months after their receipt of this last Message of May 18. arived at Him under the name of Propositions for Peace but the contrivers of them had in their Provident care made them so perfectly monstrous and unreasonable that themselves remained sure still of being out of all danger of Effecting Peace by them in very deed they were only used to gain time and opportunity to recover their lost prey and to delude the Scots who were not then so well acquainted with their spirits as perhaps since they have been or at least may be before a period be put to these troubles Those Propositions of theirs were as tedious as senslesse for what they wanted in reason was made up in words they have been published already and therefore we shall not here trouble the Reader with them there be Copies enow extant of them which whosoever views will think the Kingdom might have imployed their many hundred thousand pounds better then in maintaining so many men and so many Armies so many months together in doing nothing but making such uncouth Prpositions By this insuing Message of his Majesty in Answer to them within a week after His receipt of them the world were it ignorant of them might have a glimpse of what kind they were and of what spirit those that sent them His Majesties twelfth Message CHARLES R. THe Propositions tendered to His Majesty by the Commissioners from the Lords and Commons Assembled in the Parliament of England at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland to which the Houses of Parliament have taken twice so many Monthes for deliberation as they have assigned dayes for his Majesties Answer do import so great alterations in Government both in Church and Kingdome as it is very difficult to return a particular and positive Answer before a full debate wherein these Propositions and the necessary explanations true sense and reasons thereof be rightly weighed and understood and that his Majesty upon a full view of the whole Propositions may know what is left as well as what is taken away and changed In all which he finds upon discourse with the said Commissioners that they are so bound up from any capacity either to give reasons for the demands they bring or to give ear to such desires as his Majesty is to propound as it is impossible for him to give such a present judgement of Answer to these Propositions whereby he can Answer to God that a safe and well-grounded peace will ensue which is evident to all the world can never be unlesse the just power of the Crown as well as the freedome and propriety of the Subject with the just liberty and priviledges of the Parliament be likewise setled To which end his Majesty desires and proposeth to come to London or any of his houses thereabouts upon the publick faith and security of the two houses of Parliament and the Scotch Commissioners That he shall be there with freedome honour and safety where by his personall presence he may not only raise a mutuall confidence betwixt him and his people but also have these doubts cleared and these difficulties explained unto him which he now conceives to be destructive to his just regall power if he shall give a ful consent to these Propositions as they now stand As likewise that he make known to them such his reasonable demands as he is most assured will be very much conducible to that Peace which all good men desire and pray for by the setling of Religion the just priviledges of Parliament with the freedom and propriety of the Subject and his Majesty assures them that as he can never condiscend unto what is absolutely destructive to that just power which by the laws of God and the Land he is born unto So he wil cheerfully grant and give his assent unto all such Bills at the desire of his two Houses or reasonable demands for Scotland which shall be really for the good and Peace of his people not having regard to his own particular much lesse of any bodies else in respect of the happinesse of these Kingdoms Wherefore his Majesty conjures them as Christians as Subjects and as men who desire to leave a good name behind them that they will so receive and make use of this Answer that all issues of bloud may be stopped and these unhappy distractions peaceably setled Newcastle August 1. 1646. To the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be communicated POST-SCRIPT VPon assurance of a happy agreement His Majesty will immediately send for the Prince His Son absolutely expecting His perfect Obedience to return into this Kingdom BY this Message the Readers may observe that the contrivers of those Propositions though
and to devise a prevention of this three years confirmation lest they should feel the lash so long and be kept under worse then an Aegyptian Bondage and in order to this they began to find fault as there was cause at the Presbyterians ill usage of the King for they indeed were His chief Tormenters at Holdenby Master Marshall and his fellow-Minister being then also of that faction because at that time it was the most prevailing they exclaimed on them for handling His Majesty so hardly in keeping Him as a Prisoner denying Him the freedome of His Conscience and service of His Chaplains they remembred also with much regret of spirit as then seemed the wicked tenents of Buchanan Knox and others the erectors and propugnators of the Presbyterian Discipline in Scotland about excommunicating deposing arraigning and killing Princes and their practices against Iames his Grand-mother his Mother and himself in his Infancy and they did plainly observe as themselves said by the carriages of these Presbyterians towards His Majesty at this present that they resolved to tread in the same steps as their predecessours had done before notwithstanding their so many solemn professions and protestations to the Contrary And hereupon they said they thought it their duty according to their first ingagement in this war to bring the King to His Parliament with Safety and Honour that He might injoy the just rights of His Crown as well as of His Conscience largely promising and protesting to be instruments of the same to the content of His Majesty and the whole Kingdome and upon these pretences the King was delivered by them from that particular thraldome at Holdenby And afterward brought with the applause and joy of His people to His Manour of Hampton where His Servants and Chaplains at first were allowed accesse to Him and many of His Subjects permitted to glad their hearts with the sight of Him And this gleame of prosperity blazed well till the Houses were thinned of the chief Heads of the contrary faction for in very deed all this was done to another end then was pretended and ordered by other Councels then yet appeared it being the nature of some men to envy that any should be more injurious then themselves or have a greater hand in acting evill then they There were in the Houses and elswhere some Grandees as they are since called that were ambitious of ingrossing the sole power over King and Kingdom which others as yet had as large a share in managing of if not a larger then themselves to exclude whom they made use of the Independent humour in the inferiour Officers and Souldiers layed the plot for them in that manner as it was acted secretly provoked them to the undertaking and countenanced them in it when it was done by pretending to be of their Religion clouding their maine Designe all the while from the body of the Army whom they set a work to make certaine Proposals partly in their owne behalf and partly tending to those things which had been promised to the King while themselves in the interim were dressing or making ready to act the very same part which those they disliked had done before and had been thus intermitted for a season till those others were ejected or cast over-board for the very same Propositions in Effect that had formerly assaulted His Majesty at Newcastle and were answered by Him from Holdenby as we have seen are to renew His trouble remitted to Him which His Majesty returns Answer unto in these words His Majesties seventeenth Message His Majesties most gracious Answer to the Propositions presented to Him at Hampton-Court CHARLS R. HIs Majesty cannot chuse but be passionately sensible as He believes all His good Subjects are of the late great distractions and still languishing and unsetled state of this Kingdome and He calls God to witnesse and is willing to give testimony to all the world of His readinesse to contribute His utmost endevours for restoring it to a happy and flourishing condition His Majesty having perused the Propositions now brought to Him finds them the same in effect which were offered to Him at Newcastle To some of which as He could not then consent without violation of His Conscience and Honour So neither can He agree to others now conceiving them in many respects more disagreeable to the present condition of affairs then when they were formerly presented unto Him as being destructive to the main principall Interests of the Army and of all those whose Affections concur with them And His Majesty having seen the Proposals of the Army to the Commissioners from His two Houses residing with them and with them to be treated on in order to the clearing and securing of the Rights and Liberties of the Kingdome and the setling of a just and lasting Peace To which Proposals as He conceives His two Houses not to be strangers So He believes they will think with Him that they much more conduce to the satisfaction of all Interests and may be a fitter foundation for a lasting Peace then the Propositions which at this time are tendred unto Him He therefore propounds as the best way in His judgment in order to a Peace That His two Houses would instantly take into consideration those Proposals upon which there may be a Personall Treaty with His Majesty and upon such other Propositions as his Majesty shal make hoping that the said Propositions may be so moderated in the said Treaty as to render them the more capable of his Majesties full concession Wherein He resolves to give full satisfaction to His people for whatsoever shall concern the setling of the Protestant Profession with liberty to tender Consciences and the securing of the Laws Liberties and Properties of all His Subjects and the just Priviledges of Parliaments for the future and likewise by His present deportment in this Treaty He will make the world clearly judge of his intentions in matters of future Government In which Treaty His Majesty will be well pleased if it be thought fit that Commissioners from the Army whose the Proposals are may likewise be admitted His Majesty therefore conjures his two Houses of Parliament by the duty they owe to God and his Majesty their King and by the bowels of compassion they have to their fellow-subjects both for the relief of their present sufferings to prevent future miseries that they will forthwith accept of this his Majesties Offer whereby the joyfull newes of Peace may be restored to this distressed Kingdome And for what concerns the Kingdome of Scotland mentioned in the Propositions his Majesty will very willingly Treat upon those particulars with the Scotch Commissioners and doubts not but to give reasonable satisfaction to that his Kingdome At Hampton-court the 9. of Septemb. 1647. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be communicated c. It appeares by this Message of His Majestie and more fully by the Propositions themselves which it relates unto that
the manner of Addresse which is now made unto Him Unlesse his two Houses intend that his Majesty shall allow of a Great Seal made without his Authority before there be any consideration had thereupon in a Treaty Which as it may hereafter hazard the security it self so for the present it seems very unreasonable to his Majesty And though his Majesty is willing to believe that the intention of very many in both Houses in sending these Bils before a Treaty was only to obtain a trust from Him and not to take any advantage by passing them to force other things from Him which are either against His Conscience or Honour Yet his Majesty believes it clear to all understandings that these Bils contain as they are now penned not only the devesting Himself of all Soveraignty and that without possibility of recovering it either to Him or his Successours except by repeal of those Bils but also the making his Concessions guilty of the greatest pressures that can be made upon the Subject as in other particulars so by giving an Arbitrary and Vnlimited power to the two Houses for ever to raise and levie Forces for Land or Sea service of what persons without distinction or quality and to what numbers they please And likewise for the payment of them to levy what Monies in such sort and by such waies and means and consequently upon the Estates of whatsoever Persons they shall think fit appoint Which is utterly inconsistent with the Liberty Property of the Subject and his Majesties trust in protecting them So that if the Major part of both Houses shall think it necessary to put the rest of the Propositions into Bils His Majesty leaves all the world to judge how unsafe it would be for Him to consent thereunto And if not what a strange condition after the passing of these four Bils his Majesty and all his Subjects would be cast into And here his Majesty thinks it not unfit to wish his two Houses to consider well the manner of their proceeding That when his Majesty desires a Personall Treaty with them for the setling of a Peace they in answer propose the very subject matter of the most essentiall part thereof to be first granted A thing which will be hardly credible to Posterity Wherefore his Majesty declares That neither the desire of being freed from this tedious and irksome condition of life his Majesty hath so long suffered nor the apprehension of what may befall him in case his two Houses shal not afford him a Personal Treaty shall make him change his resolution of not consenting to any Act till the whole Peace be concluded Yet then he intends not only to give just and reasonable satisfaction in the particulars presented to him but also to make good all other Concessions mentioned in his Message of the 16. of Novemb. last Which he thought would have produced better effects then what he finds in the Bils and Propositions now presented unto him And yet his Majesty cannot give over but now again earnestly presseth for a Personal Treaty so passionately is he affected with the advantages which Peace wil bring to his Majesty and all his Subjects of which he will not at all despair there being no other visible way to obtain a wel-grounded Peace However his Majesty is very much at ease within himself for having fulfilled the offices both of a Christian and of a King and will patiently wait the good pleasure of Almighty God to incline the hearts of his two Houses to consider their King and to compassionate their fellow Subjects miseries Given at Carisbrook-Castle in the Isle of Wight Decemb. 28. 1647. For the Speaker of the Lords House pro tempore to be communicated to the Lords and Commons in the Parliament of England at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland HIs Majesties Afflictions have been much increased by manifesting His care as an equall Father that satisfaction might be given to all ingaged interests therefore Presbyterians Independents Army Scots and all whoever they be that acknowledge a part in them and remain yet unsatisfied have reason as Christians as Subjects as men for meer gratitude sake were there no other reason to endeavour the vindication of those wrongs at least which His Majesty hath suffered since He stood forth as their Common Advocate To prevent their Audience upon the Kings motion were these Bills devised and sent in this sort unto His Majesty And for His not consenting so far to their damage and to the undoing of all the rest of His Subjects as these Bils required was His Majesty cast into a more hard and miserable Condition by some degrees then ever before having all His Servants on the sodain by violence thrust out from Him not so much as one of His Divines allowed unto Him Himself confined to two or three Roomes within the walls of a loathed Prison assaulted frequently He is with evil language and tormented with the spightfull behaviours of the Enemy permitted to see or speak to none but rude Souldiers who are set to watch Him and whom He hath hourly cause to look upon as Assassinates appointed for to murder Him His friends are not suffered to write unto Him nor His Children to send the remembrance of their duties yet His Trunks and Pockets are often searched for Letters with the highest insolency and rudenesse that can be shewn And all this with much more of like nature then can be expressed is come upon Him as it seemeth for moving in the behalf of all ingaged interests and therefore most truly did His Majesty in the Beginning of this Message say for He hath felt it since that He found the complying with all ingaged interests in these great distempers none of the least difficulties He met withall since the time of His Afflictions and therefore also as was said before were there no other cause they are all bound to ingage for Him till they have set Him free from His present Thraldome And indeed the Scotch Commissioners for their parts began well in their protesting in the name of their whole Kingdome against those unreasonable Bils at the same time that they were by the English Commissioners presented to His Majesty as being prejudiciall to Religio● to the Crown to the union and interest of both Nations and directly different from their former mutuall proceedings and ingagements now His Majesty for taking notice of this which was uttered in His presence and in the name of a whole Kingdome is extreamly quarrelled at and because He did not signe the said Bils notwithstanding the said protest He is immediately made close Prisoner and sensible of more then barbarous usage the Method of which is in part expressed in the following Declaration which twenty daies after His close confinement was written by His Majesties own hand and some twenty daies aft●r that by the speciall order and providence of him who is the preserver of Princes brought to light
and published to our view if any of His people can read or heare the same without melting hearts and yearning bowels towards their King and inflamed spirits against these tormenters of Him assuredly they may be suspected to have nothing of Christ or goodnesse in them The Kings Declaration from Carisbrook-Castle Jan. 18. 1647. To all my people of whatsoever Nation Quality or Condition AM I thus laid aside and must I not speak for my selfe No! I will speak and that to all my People which I would have rather done by the way of my two Houses of Parliament but that there is a publike Order neither to make addresses to or receive Message from me and who but you can be judge of the differences betwixt Me and my two Houses I know none else for I am sure you it is who will enjoy the happinesse or feel the misery of good or ill Government And we all pretend who should run fastest to serve you without having a regard at least in the first place to particular Interests And therefore I desire you to consider the state I am and have bin in this long time and whether my Actions have more tended to the Publick or my owne particular good for whosoever will look upon me barely as I am Man without that liberty which the meanest of my Subjects enjoyes of going whither and conversing with whom I will As a Husband and Father without the comfort of my Wife and Children or lastly as a King without the least shew of Authority or Power to protect my distressed Subjects Must conclude me not only void of all Naturall Affection but also to want common understanding if I should not most cheerfully embrace the readiest way to the settlement of these distracted Kingdoms As also on the other side doe but consider the forme and draught of the Bils lately presented unto me and as they are the conditions of a Treaty ye will conclude that the same spirit which hath still been able to frustrate all my sincere and constant endeavours for Peace hath had a powerfull influence on this Message for though I was ready to grant the substance and comply with what they seeme to desire yet as they had framed it I could not agree thereunto without deeply wounding my Conscience and Honour and betraying the trust reposed in me by abandoning my People to the Arbitrary and Vnlimited Power of the two Houses for ever for the leavying and maintaining of Land or Sea Forces without distinction of quality or limitation for Mony taxes And if I could have passed them in termes how unheard-of a condition were it for a Treaty to grant before-hand the most considerable part of the subject matter How ineffectuall were that debate like to prove wherein the most potent Party had nothing of moment left to aske and the other nothing more to give So consequently how hopelesse of mutuall complyance Without which a settlement is impossible Besides if after my concessions the two Houses should insist on those things from which I cannot depart how desperate would the condition of these Kingdomes be when the most proper and approved remedy should become ineffectuall Being therefore fully resolved that I could neither in Conscience Honour or Prud●nce passe those foure B●ls I onely endeavour'd to make the Reasons and Justice of my Denyall appeare to all the world as they doe to Me intending to give as little dis-satisfaction to the two Houses of Parliament without betraying my own Cause as the matter would beare I was desirous to give my Answer of the 28. of December last to the Commissioners Sealed as I had done others heretofore and sometimes at the desire of the Commissioners chiefly because when my Messages or Answers were publickly known before they were read in the Houses prejudiciall interpretations were forced on them much differing and sometimes contrary to my meaning For example my Answer from Hampton-court was accused of dividing the two Nations because I promised to give sat●sfaction to the Scots in all things concerning that Kingdome And this last suffers in a contrary sense by making me intend to interest Scotland in the Lawes of this Kingdome then which nothing was nor is further from my thoughts because I took notice of the Scots Commissioners protesting against the Bils and Propositions as contrary to the interests and engagements of the two Kingdomes Indeed if I had not mentioned their dissent an Objection not without some probability might have been made against me both in respect the Scots are much concern'd in the Bill for the Militia and in severall other Propositions and my silence might with some Justice have seemed to approve of it But the Commissioners refusing to receive my Answer Sealed I upon the engagement of their and the Governors Honour that no other use should be made or notice taken of it then as if it had not been seen read and delivered it open unto them Whereupon what hath since passed either by the Governour in discharging most of my Servants redoubling the Guards and restraining me of my former liberty and all this as himselfe confest meerly out of his owne dislike of my Answer notwithstanding his before said Engagement or afterwards by the two Houses as the Governour affirmes in confining me within the circuit of this Castle I appeale to God and the World whether my said Answer deserved the reply of such proceedings besides the unlawfulnesse for Subjects to imprison their King That by the permission of Almighty God I am reduced to this sad condition as I no way repine so I am not without hope but that the same God will in due time convert these Afflictions into my advantage in the meane time I am confident to beare these crosses with patience and a great equality of Minde but by what meanes or occasion I am come to this Relapse in my Affaires I am utterly to seek especially when I consider that I have sacrificed to my two Houses of Parliament for the Peace of the Kingdome all but what is much more deare to me then my Life My Conscience and Honour desiring nothing more then to performe it in the most proper and naturall way A Personall Treaty But that which makes me most at a losse is the remembring my signall complyance with the Army and their interests and of what importance my Complyance was to them and their often repeated Professions and Ingagements for my just Rights in generall at Newmarket and S. Albans and their particular explanation of those generals by their Voted and Re-voted Proposals which I had reason to understand should be the utmost extremity would be expected from me and that in some things therein I should be eased herein appealing to the Consciences of some of the chiefest Officers in the Army if what I have said be not punctually true and how I have failed of their expectations or my professions to them I challenge them and the whole World to produce the least colour
aut ruet mundus if Justice be not done in such a case the whole world it selfe as may appear by the present temper of this Kingdome will fall to ruine presently As in a Family if the Master or Father abuse his Authority no Child or Servant of right can lift up an Hand against him but if a Child or Servant shall take upon him to domineere over all his fellowes and to abuse his Parent or Master all the rest ought and will if wise rise up against him and help their oppressed Governour to his power and place again So 't is and doubtlesse so it ought to be in a Kingdome A Kings ill usage or restraint is a full warrant and commission to all His Subjects to Arme themselves for His liberty and restoration the power is never in the peoples hand save in such a case but then they are all to advance as one man in the behalf of their common Father and to take those lawlesse Wolves and Beares they are Buchanans words who have no more right of authority over any without their Soveraignes leave much lesse over Himselfe then vermine have such as Weasels and Polcats are over Hens and Chickens yea and untill the people doe so rise they are undoubtedly not onely under the usurpers danger but also under Gods heavy curse Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse ye with a bitter curse the inhabitants thereof because they came not to help the Lord i. e. the Captaine of the Lord the Anointed of the Lord the Supreme Judge and Magistrate under the Lord Against the mighty that is against those sturdy and rebellious Canaanites who were growne so mighty by that strength of Militia and Chariots of Iron which they had gotten and did so mightily oppresse Israel under whom they ought to have lived in obedience That Scripture you all know hath been much used of late and as much abused but t is never truly applyable save in such a case as this in present is for the Captaine of the Lord is now in as much yea in more distresse then at that time His people under as great oppressions and the enemies as very Canaanites as those were as much the children of Malediction if not more for those were under the curse partly for Cham their fathers sin but these are solely for their owne which hath been not onely of the same kind as His was mocking and scorning at their Father but acted with more impudency and vilenesse a great deale for C ham found his father naked but these have endeavoured by this their cursed Declaration many others of like sort to make theirs appear so yea they have proclaimed him naked when he was not in a most shameless manner they have shewn their owne nakednesse then published it to be their Fathers and that not only to their Brethren as He did whose piety and modesty was apt to hide and cover the same whose ere it was but to the whole world to strangers to enemies that would be ready to credit the same and glad to divulge it farther to their Fathers defamation which was the very thing they aimed at therefore these evill workers are more the people of Gods curse then those Canaanites were nor had those provoked Gods wrath so much as these have done by their breaches of so many oathes and protestations of Loyalty and Obedience nor had they practiced more injustice and oppression therefore if they were designed to be subdued and pulled downe from their usurped greatnesse much rather may we beleeve that these are and if Meroz was lyable to so sharp a doome for not helping the Lord against them then well may we feare a like portion if we be backward in our assistance to the downfall of these men For are not these Gods enemies as well as any nay more then any Did true Religion ever receive such disgrace and scandall as these have offered to it Did this famous Kingdom ever produce such monsters of Nature before now Surely the Kings of the earth and the Inhabitants of the world would never have believed if these had not been to evidence the same that the English Nation could ever have bred such Vipers or that among Protestant Christians there should possibly have been such Malignant adversaries unto Piety and Princes Take courage therefore you may against them all ye who in Christs name and the Kings behalfe shall oppose them for their high and great wickednesse against God speaks them out of his protection as also doth their confidence in the Arme of flesh For in very deed they make not God their strength what ever is pretented nor ever did but the Militia rather for which they have contested that is their Magazine of Hope and Tower of Safety their trust is and hath been in the multitude of their Weapons their Armies of Men their numerous Associations and their plenty of ill gotten Riches wherewith they have and think still to bribe and buy off those whom by force and power they cannot master And these be the sparkes which they have kindled and compasse themselves about withall These be the very fires they rejoyce in the stayes they rest upon but sayes the Lord to such as they are that do as they do This shall ye have of my Hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Isay 50.11 And do we not daily see the things that are comming upon them making hast Are not their Hearts unjoynted from one another Is not their Kingdome divided their Associations broken Are not they that were girded fastest to them fallen from them How loudly do all persons every where cry out upon them How generally odious are they become of late who were before so much adored How much greater now among all men is the Hatred of them then the fear Who lookes not upon them as the people of Gods Curse as the very poyson and pestes of the Kingdome who beleeves not that divine vengeance hangs over the Land while they walke at liberty in it see see and consider it well how spider-like they have been catch'd in their own nets and snared in the work of their own Hands How have they befooled themselves in their owne doings How hath their scandalous Declaration against the King raised plenty of fewd in mens hearts against themselves hath not all their filthy some spit out therein against Him flew wholly back into their owne faces is not His Majesty become thereby more deare and precious to His people and themselves far more detestable are their solemne Orders or Ordinances entertained with any more respect now then scorne it selfe can afford them do not most men as slightly receive whatever comes from them as themselves have done the Kings Messages And whence now is all this who hath effected and brought to passe these things hath not the Lord and do they not plainly speake the approaching end of these men or of their greatnesse and prosperity are not all these
our blessed Reformers Sure had they any Hope that the King were likely by impertinent discourses to Help their lame and barren cause with some advantages they would easily admit of a Treaty with Him what ere they say to the Contrary or did they imagine His Royall Pen could speak any thing but Innocency truth and Reason they would be content to hear from it upon this their further provocation of it but wholly despairing of such matters they have thought meet to imprison both Him and His Pen too which they know would in a moment cast down this idle Cobweb as it formerly hath done others of like nature and they think to stop all mens mouths by affirming the world well knows How fruitlesse their former Addresses have been to the King But though His Majesties Hands are thus tied this Spiders web must not scape brushing before it had Hung 3 daies an Honest broome reached at it a wholesome Antidote came out against it and made it appeare to be as it is fit onely for the draught or Dunghill and almost daily since some Loyall foot or other hath been trampling on it for Stones would surely move and stir in this case if men should not But sith none can speak so well as the King and He is voted to speak no more and sith their appeal is made to the worlds knowledge it shall not be amisse for the world to look back upon what the King hath said or done already even in Confutation of that here Charged upon Him scil His aversness unto Peace perhaps thereby alone it will sufficiently appear that of all sclaunderers which ever were these Declarers have deserved the name of the most impudent and most shamelesse We shall not need to look back so far as to the years 1642. 43. or call to mind His Majesties unwillingnesse to war at first His many Messages to prevent the same and to preserve peace before it was broken or to mention how scornfully they were entertained as effects only of His weakness instances of His want of power to make resistance Nor will we remember how by force of Arms they had kept him out of His town of Hull taken His Militia and Navy from Him and raised an Army against Him before He set up His Standerd in His own defence against them which His desire of Peace had prevailed with him to take down again and to recall his most just Declaration so that their unreverend and scandalous Libels against him might but likewise be recalled nor yet how in those daies his Messengers men of High Nobility and great Honour against whom they had nothing to object but that imployment were not suffered in person to declare their Message because it was for Peace but commanded to depart the town speedily Nor how at other times they imprisoned others that came to them on the same Errand how they often neglected to return Him any Answer at all or perhaps in lieu thereof after a moneths delay they would send Him a parcell of reproachfull expressions and peevish constructions of what He had writ in the sincerity of His heart and pity of Spirit for the insuing Miseries of His people which notwithstanding He would still interpret and call but mistakes that He might not exasperate if possible their ulcerated minds unto contention though in very deed they were no other then High Sclaunders studied Contempts Nor wil we call to mind how once in particular His earnest pressing for peace by a second and third Message before He had received Answer to a former did appear so intolerably offensive unto them that to teach Him to make an end of such motions and to prevent if it might be all further molestations from Him of that nature they fell the very next day after their receipt thereof having first committed His Messenger to accuse His Majesties Royall Consort of High Treason But these things at so large a distance we need not remember nor how his Majesty after the often frustration of such His own endevours for Peace did convene the loyall Lords and Commons at Oxford to consult of a way to procure that desired blessing how they laboured in vain about the same and had their Letters which they sent to that end cryed up and down London streets in scorn under the Title of a Petition of the Prince of Wales and Duke of Yorke for Peace How in answer thereto Papers full of Treason sedition and disloyalty were sent unto them together with that unlawfull Covenant which now themselves deride at as an Almanacke of last year or occasionall trick devised at the present to cheat the Kingdome for His Majesty and all in Oxford to take nor need we remember how all those Noble and Loyall men did under their Hands attest to all the world His Majesties earnest longings to have a period put to these unkind divisions which Himself also by his Actions did alwaies confirm whose constant course it was at the end of any Victory got by him or any remarkable defeat given to them to send forth His Proclamations of Mercy and tenders of pardon which are still extant in many hands on Condition they would but at length be quiet and imbrace peace which they would never consent unto unlesse He would also yeild to Justifie their Iealousies and to condemn Himself as guilty of all they had Charged upon Him And 't is well enough known that when ever He procured to have a Treaty with them which was but seldome His Propositions were so much tending to their advantage and his owne damage that nothing disliked them more then His moderation which indeed was the true cause of their continuall backwardnesse unto Treaties and also of their strict Limitations to their Commissioners when with much adoe they were obtained as is evident enough by the passages of that at Vxbridge for they supposing the reasonablenesse of what they knew His Majesty desired and the unreasonablenesse of what themselves intended to aske would be so apparent by a free and open discussion that a Peace thereby might happily be produced in despight of them wherefore their care was to prevent if they could any Treaties at all or else by devises to break them off before they came to any perfection and then they would with all speed make a Declaration to the world wherein they would pretend fully to shew that His Majesties demands had neither Reason nor Iustice either in the matter or manner of them but were such as left the people no Hopes to see an End of their present Calamities But as was said we shall not need to look back so far for Helps to overthrow the Groundwork of this their false building we shall onely remember the meanes used by His Majesty for Peace since His peoples Calamities are confessed without dispute to be solely continued by these Declarers since the power hath been wholly in their Hands and few or no forces pretending for the King in
appearance against them His Armies being for most part of the time disbanded and His Townes and Garrisons resigned In a word we shall present to the worlds review onely those Messages for Peace sent from his Majesty in these two last years since a little before He laied down His Sword and ceased from Action against them whereby it will be manifest enough what little cause they have to speak as they doe in Commendation of themselves and their owne good natures or to suggest of the King as if He were so unperswadable to this very day that neither their owne sighs and groans and tears will incline Him to be quiet nor the crying bloud of Fathers Brothers Children and of many Hundred thousand free-born Subjects in three great Kingdomes can prevail with him to desist from Cruelty and destruction And then after this we shall desire to see what Evidence themselves can alleage for what they have said we shall wish they would produce the strong reasons they have used to shew those Humble addresses which they have made and doe so much boast of that they would let us Hear some or their self-denying streins affectionate expressions or devout Petitions which as they infer have so respectfully and tenderly flowed from them so often and so long that thereby the world to whom they appeal may Judge in this case betwixt their King and them which if they are not able to doe no question but what they have voted of Him will be generally concluded of them viz. that they are worthy to be interdicted all Humane society to have no more Messages sent or offers made unto them nor any request or Petitions hereafter received from them And that the King should say to them as God doth to such as they Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hands and no man regarded but have set at nought all my Councels and slighted all my motions therefore when your fear commeth as Desolation and your Destruction as a whirlewind when distresse and anguish is upon you then you shall call unto me but I will not answer you shall seek mercy from me but you shall not find it you shall eat the fruit of your owne waies and be filled with your owne devises As you have done so shall it be done unto you His Majesties most Gracious Messages for Peace sent to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster since the 5. of Dec. 1645. His Majesties first Message CHARLES R. HIs Majesty being deeply sensible of the Continuation of this bloody and unnaturall Warre cannot think Himself discharg'd of the duty He owes to God or the affection and regard He hath to the preservation of His People without the constant application of His earnest endeavours to finde some expedient for the speedy ending of these unhappy distractions if that may be doth therefore desire That a Safe Conduct may be forthwith sent for the Duke of Richmond the Earle of Southampton Iohn Ashburnham and Ieffery Palmer Esquires and their Attendants with Coaches Horses and other Accommodations for their Journey to Westminster during their stay there and return when they shall think fit Whom His Majesty intends to send to the Lords Commons assembled in the Parliament of England at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland furnished with such Propositions as His Majesty is confident will be the Foundation of a happy and well-grounded Peace Given at the Court at Oxford the 5. of Decem. 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore THis Message being received a Letter was sent thereupon from the Speakers of both Houses to Sir Thomas Glemham the then Governour of Oxford promising an Answer to it with all convenient speed which His Majesty expected with silence accordingly ten dayes and then solicites them again for the same thing which He had done before as followeth His Majesties second Message CHARLES R. HIs Majesty cannot but extremely wonder that after so many Expressions on your part of a deep and seeming sense of the miseries of this afflicted Kingdome and of the dangers incident to His Person during the continuance of this unnaturall War your many great and so often repeated Protestations that the raising of these Arms hath been onely for the necessary defence of Gods true Religion His Majesties Honour Safety and Prosperity the Peace Comfort and Security of His People you should delay a Safe Conduct to the persons mentioned in His Majesties Message of the fifth of this instant December which are to be sent unto you with Propositions for a well-grounded Peace A thing so far from having been denyed at any times by His Majesty whensoever you have desired the same that He believes it hath been seldome if ever practiced among the most avowed and professed enemies much lesse from Subjects to their King But His Majesty is resolved that no discouragements whatsoever shall make Him faile of His part in doing His uttermost endeavours to put an end to these Calamities which if not in time prevented must prove the ruine of this unhappy Nation And therefore doth once againe desire That a safe Conduct may be forthwith sent for those persons expressed in His former Message and doth therefore Conjure you as you will answer to Almighty God in that day when he shal make inquisition for all the Bloud that hath and may yet be spilt in this unnaturall War as you tender the preservation and establishment of the true Religion by all the Bonds of Duty and Allegiance to your King or compassion to your bleeding and unhappy Country and of Charity to your selves that you dispose your hearts to a true sense and imploy all your faculties in a more serious endevour together with His Majesty to set a speedy end to these wasting Divisions and then He shall not doubt but that God will yet again give the blessing of Peace to this distracted Kingdom Given at the Court at Oxford the 15. of December 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore THis Message seconding the former spake as many others had done His Majesties earnestnesse for Peace and how much affected He was with his peoples miseries in the want of it but 't is thought meet by them to whom 't is sent to make His Heart more sicke by delaying His hopes and therefore neglecting their owne promise of returning an Answer with all convenient speed they cause him to wait ten daies longer at the end of which time they seemed as far from remembering either Him or themselves as at the beginning which His Majesty observing and withall conceiving this unwillingnes in them to admit of Peace might be for that He had motioned to send it by others apprehended because they had in pretence at least fought so long to injoy His presence that if himself should carry it they would undoubtedly both imbrace that and reverence Him and thereupon offers to go unto them and to Treat personally
with them about the same yea and to make the surer way to Himself with this great Blessing in the behalf of His people He resolves to buy their consent if he cannot beg it by receding so much from His owne rights as none of His Predecessours ever did for supposing the point of their owne security to be the maine obstacle in the Businesse He offers to part with the Militia it self out of His owne Hands for a season and to this purpose omitting all Expostulations for their so High neglect and contempt of Him in not answering His former Messages He writes to them as followeth His Majesties third Message CHARLS R. NOtwithstanding the strange and unexpected delaies which can be presidented by no former times to His Majesties two former Messages His Majesty will lay aside all Expostulations as rather serving to lose time then to contribute any remedy to the evils which for the present do afflict this distracted Kingdom Therefore without farther Preamble His Majesty thinks it most necessary to send these Propositions this way which He intended to do by the Persons mentioned in His former Messages though He well knows the great disadvantage which Overtures of this kind have by the want of being accompanied by wel-instructed Messengers His Majesty conceiving that the former Treaties have hitherto proved ineffectuall chiefly for want of power in those persons that Treated as likewise because those from whom their power was derived not possibly having the particular informations of every severall debate could not give so clear a Judgment as was requisite in so important a businesse If therefore His Majesty may have the engagement of the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland the Major Aldermen Common-Councel and Militia of London of the chief Commanders in Sir Thomas Fairfax's Army as also those in the Scots Army for His Majesties free and safe coming to abode in London or Westminster with such of His Servants now attending Him and their Followers not exceeding in all the number of 300 for the space of forty daies and after the said time for his free and safe repair to any of His Garrisons of Oxford Worcester or Newark which His Majesty shall nominate at any time before His going from London or Westminster His Majesty propounds to have a Personall Treaty with the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland upon all matters which may conduce to the restoring of Peace and happinesse to these miserably distracted Kingdoms And to begin with the three Heads which were Treated on at Uxbridge And for the better clearing of His Majesties earnest and sincere intentions of putting an end to these unnaturall Distractions knowing that point of security may prove the greatest obstacle to this most blessed work His Majesty therefore Declares That He is willing to commit the great Trust of the Militia of this Kingdom for such time and with such Powers as are exprest in the Paper delivered by His Majesties Commissioners at Uxbridge the 6. of February last to these Persons following viz. The Lord Privy Seal the Duke of Richmond the Marquesse of Hertford the Marquesse of Dorchester the Earl of Dorset Lord Chamberlain the Earl of Northumberland the Earl of Essex Earl of South-hampton Earl of Pembroke Earl of Salisbury Earl of Manchester Earl of Warwick Earl of Denbigh Earl of Chichester Lord Say Lord Seymour Lord Lucas Lord Lexington Mr. Denzill Hollis Mr. Pierrepoint Mr. Henry Bellasis Mr. Richard Spencer Sir Thomas Fairfax Master Iohn Ashburnham Sir Gervas Clifton Sir Henry Vane junior Mr. Robert Wallop Mr. Thomas Chichely Master Oliver Cromwell and Mr. Philip Skippon supposing that these are Persons against whom there can be no just exception But if this doth not satisfie then His Majesty offers to name the one half and leave the other to the election of the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster with the Powers and Limitations before mentioned Thus His Majesty calls God and the World to witnesse of His sincere Intentions and reall Endevours for the composing and setling of these miserable Distractions which He doubts not but by the blessing of God will soon be put to a happy Conclusion if this His Majesties offer be accepted Otherwise He leaves all the World to Judge who are the Continuers of this unnaturall War And therefore He once more Conjures you by all the Bonds of Duty you owe to God and your King to have so great a Compassion on the bleeding and miserable Estate of your Country That you joyne your most serious and hearty Endevours with His Majesty to put a happy and speedy end to these present Miseries Given at the Court at Oxford the 26 of December 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore To be Communicated to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster and to the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland WHile this Message was in the way of passage to them this ensuing Paper which seems to relate to the two former comes from them after 20 daies serious Consideration as themselves speak for so long the Lords and Commons of the Parliament of England together with the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland were deep in consultation about the framing of it it conteins only two things a Commendation of themselves and a Deniall of the Kings request for a safe Conduct unto His Commissioners to Treat for Peace 't is this which follows May it please your Majesty THe Lords and Commons Assembled in the Parliament of England at Westminster have received your Letters of the fifth fifteenth of this instant December and having together with the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland taken the same into their serious consideration do humbly return this Answer They have in all their Actions manifested to Your Majesty and the World their sincere and earnest desires that a safe and well grounded Peace might be setled in Your three Kingdoms and for the obtaining so great a Blessing shall ever pray to God and use their utmost endevours and beseech Your Majesty to believe that their not sending a more speedy Answer hath not proceeded from any intention to retard the means of putting an end to these present Calamities by a happy Peace but hath been occasioned by the Considerations and Debates necessary in a businesse of so great importance wherein both Kingdoms are so much concerned As to Your Majesties desire of a safe Conduct for the coming hither of the Duke of Richmond the Earl of Southampton John Ashburnham and Jeffrey Palmer Esquires with Propositions to be the foundation of a happy and well grounded Peace They finding that former Treaties have been made use of for other ends under the pretence of Peace and have proved delatory and unsuccesfull cannot give way to a safe Conduct according to Your Majesties desire But both Houses of the Parliament of England having now under their Consideration
dispose of it as likewise of the businesse of Ireland as may give to them and both Kingdoms just satisfaction not doubting also but to give good contentment to His two Houses of Parliament in the choice of the Lord Admirall the Officers of State and others if His two Houses by their ready inclinations to Peace shall give Him encouragement thereunto Thus His Majesty having taken occasion by His just impatience so to explain His intentions that no man can doubt of a happy Issue to this succeeding Treaty If now there shall be so much as a delay of the same He calls God and the World to witnesse who they are that not only hinder but reject this Kingdoms future happinesse It being so much the stranger that His Majesties coming to Westminster which was first the greatest pretence for taking up Arms should be so much as delayed much lesse not accepted or refused But His Majesty hopes that God will no longer suffer the malice of Wicked men to hinder the Peace of this too much afflicted Kingdom Given at the Court at Oxford the 15 of January 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore To be Communicated to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland CAn Subjects desire more or to have their King offer more then is here tendred sure no good Christian Subjects can desire so much or be content to have their King recede so far from Himself for their sakes But by this and the preceding Messages we see what the King hath bidden for the purchase of Peace and a Treaty with them now we shall have a glimpse of what they thought fit to aske of Him for their leave to let Him come and speak with them after they had fasted prayed and fought five years to fetch Him to His Parliament for immediately after His sending this last most gracious Message there came to His Majesties hands as the effect of His Four former and the reward of His forty daies waiting this insuing Paper which contains only a parcell of such scandalous and crosse speeches as shamelesse women are wont to cast up against those they raile upon and mean to live in Contention with which notwithstanding the world supposed to be as void of Reason as themselves are of Religion must interpret an Humble Addresse unto His Majesty for Peace because it begins with May it please your Majesty we your Humble and Loyall Subjects for 't is one of those Addresses which in the beginning of their late Declaration they say the world well knows to have been so fruitlesse wherein they have yeilded up their wills Affections Reason Iudgment and all for obtaining a true peace or good Accommodation it follows in these very words May it please your Majesty WE Your Humble and Loyall Subjects of both Kingdoms have received Your Letters of the 26 and 29 of December last unto which we humbly return this Answer That there hath been no delay on our parts but what was necessary in a businesse of so great consequence as is expressed in our former Letter to Your Majesty Concerning the personall Treaty desired by Your Majesty There having been so much innocent bloud of Your good Subjects shed in this War by Your Majesties Commands and Commissions Irish Rebels brought over into both Kingdoms and endeavours to bring over more into both of them as also Forces from Forraign parts Your Majesty being in Arms in these parts the Prince in the head of an Army in the West divers Towns made Garrisons and kept in Hostility by Your Majesty against the Parliament of England There being also Forces in Scotland against that Parliament and Kingdom by Your Majesties Commission The War in Ireland fomented and prolonged by Your Majesty whereby the three Kingdoms are brought neer to utter ruine and destruction We conceive That untill satisfaction and security be first given to both your Kingdoms Your Majesties coming hither cannot be convenient nor by us assented unto Neither can we apprehend it a means conducing to Peace That Your Majesty should come to Your Parliament for a few daies with any thoughts of leaving it especially with intentions of returning to Hostility against it And We do observe That Your Majesty desires the Ingagement not only of the Parliaments but of the Lord Mayor Aldermen Common-Councell and Militia of the City of London the chief Commanders of Sir Thomas Fairfax's Army and those of the Scots Army which is against the Priviledges and Honour of the Parliaments those being joyned with them who are subject and subordinate to their Authority That which Your Majesty against the freedom of the Parliaments inforces in both Your Letters with many earnest expressions as if in no other way then that propounded by Your Majesty the Peace of Your Kingdoms could be established Your Majesty may please to remember that in Our last Letter We did Declare That Propositions from both Kingdoms were speedily to be sent to Your Majesty which We conceive to be the only way for attaining a happy and well-grounded Peace and Your Majesties assent unto those Propositions will be an effectuall meanes for giving satisfaction and security to Your Kingdoms will assure a firm Vnion between the two Kingdoms as much desired by each other as for themselves And settle Religion and secure the Peace of the Kingdom of Scotland whereof neither is so much as mentioned in Your Majesties Letters And in proceeding according to these just and necessary grounds for the putting an end to the bleeding Calamities of these Nations Your Majesty may have the Glory to be a Principall Instrument in so happy a Work and We however mis-interpreted shall approve our selves to God and the world to be reall and sincere in seeking a safe and wel-grounded Peace Westminster 13. Jan. 1645. Signed in the name and by warrant of the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland BALMERINOTH Grey of Wark Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore William Lenthall Speaker of the House of Commons For Your Majesty THeir silence was bad and shewed great insolency but their Language is far worse and speaks much more for their stile and matter in this Paper declares them to be men most unreasonable even such as the Apostle praies God to be delivered from and shews clearly on which side the obstruction to peace lies we see herein upon what Conditions the King might have been admitted after so many Messages into the presence of His Humble and Loyall Subjects if He would but have owned the guilt of that innocent bloud themselves had shed bin content to be dawbed with their crimes laid down His Armes given up His Garrisons call'd in His Commissions deserted His Friends and deliver'd up Himself absolutely without any security into their Hands with such a submission as they should prescribe which should have been no other then might have spoke His approbation of all they have said or done against Himself and this
notorious men was too deep and high for vulgar reaches seeing His Majesty Himself after all His experience being still straitned in spirit by His owne Charity and goodnesse was not yet able to fadome the same at His sending this seventh Message as may appear by His saying therein that He Hopes none will have that impudency and impiety as to wish an end to the distractions of this Kingdom rather by Conquest then by Treaty for in very deed as all the world are now perswaded since the publishing of their late Declaration these men have had that impudency and impiety in them even from the beginning not onely to wish but also to endevour the same therefore in vain did His Majesty as he since hath found by this again so instantly desire an Answer to His former Messages for a personal meeting And yet hoping at least that importunity might prevail with these unrighteous Iudges though intreaties will not as it once did with one that feared neither God nor Man He resolves to follow them still with the same motion which five daies after He doth and that upon this occasion His Majesty was informed of the Earl of Glamorgans unwarranted Agitation in Ireland and knowing that the manner of His Humble and Loyal Subjects at Westminster was to Honour Him by heaping on Him the burden of others faults He thinks it pious meet to endeavour to keep them from that sin by giving them a speedy notice of the said Earls doings of his own absolute dislike of the same which He evidences by His full approbation of that course which by Marquesse Ormond and L. Digby was taken against him Protesting solemnly that he never had knowledge of any such capitulation or Treaty til He heard of the Earls Arrest and restraint for making the same disavowing the Articles by Him concluded and signed as destructive both to Church and State repugnant to His Majesties publick professions and known resolutions and so hazardous to the blemishing His Reputation and giving Commandement to the Lord Lieutenant and Councell of that Kingdom to proceed against the said Earl for this His grand offence committed out of falsnesse presumption or folly And after this His Majesty falls again to His old work of importuning a Treaty for Peace which He urgeth upon them with renewed promises larger concessions greater ingagements of Himself and further Explanations of His sincere intentions to trust them to pardon them to secure them let the world read this which follows and then judge if any Heart that intends to acknowledge a King can desire more His Majesties eighth Message CHARLS R. HIs Majesty having received Information from the Lord Lieutenant and Councell in Ireland That the Earl of Glamorgan hath without His or their directions or privity entred into a Treaty with some Commissioners on the Roman Catholique Party there and also drawn up and agreed unto certain Articles with the said Commissioners highly derogatory to his Majesties honour and Royall Dignity and most prejudiciall unto the Protestant Religion and Church there in Ireland Whereupon the said Earl of Glamorgan is arrested upon suspition of High Treason and imprisoned by the said Lord Lieutenant and Councell at the instance and by the Impeachment of the L. Dighby who by reason of his Place and former Imployment in these Affairs doth best know how contrary that Proceeding of the said Earl hath been to his Majesties Intentions and Directions and what great prejudice it might bring to his Affairs if those Proceedings of the Earl of Glamorgan should be any waies understood to have been done by the directions liking or approbation of his Majesty His Majesty having in his former Messages for a Personall Treaty offered to give contentment to his two Houses in the Businesse of Ireland hath now thought fitting the better to shew his clear Intentions and to give satisfaction to his said Houses of Parliament and the rest of his Subjects in all his Kingdoms to send this Declaration to his said Houses containing the whole truth of the businesse which is That the Earle of Glamorgan having made offer unto Him to raise Forces in the Kingdom of Ireland and to Conduct them into England for His Majesties Service had a Commission to that purpose and to that purpose only That he had no Commission at all to Treat of any thing else without the privity and directions of the Lord Lieutenant much lesse to Capitulate any thing concerning Religion or any Propriety belonging either to Church or Laity That it clearly appears by the Lord Lieutenants Proceedings with the said Earle That he had no notice at all of what the said Earle had Treated and pretended to have capitulated with the Irish untill by accident it came to his knowledge And His Majesty doth Protest That untill such time as He had advertisement that the Person of the said Earle of Glamorgan was Arrested and restrained as is abovesaid He never heard nor had any kind of notice that the said Earl had entred into any kind of Treaty or Capitulation with those Irish Commissioners much lesse that He had concluded or Signed those Articles so destructive both to Church and State and so repugnant to His Majesties publique Professions and known Resolutions And for the further vindication of His Majesties Honour and Integrity herein He doth Declare That He is so far from considering any thing contained in those Papers or Writings framed by the said Earl and those Commissioners with whom he Treated as He doth absolutely disavow him therein and hath given Commandement to the Lord Lieutenant and the Councell there to proceed against the said Earl as one who either out of falsenesse presumption or folly hath so hazarded the blemishing of His Majesties Reputation with His good Subjects and so impertinently framed those Articles of his own head without the Consent Privity or Directions of His Majesty or the Lord Lieutenant or any of His Majesties Councell there But true it is That for the necessary preservation of His Majesties Protestant Subjects in Ireland whose Case was daily represented unto Him to be so desperate His Majesty had given Commission to the Lord Lieutenant to Treat and Conclude such a Peace there as might be for the safety of that Crown the preservation of the Protestant Religion and no way derogatory to His own Honour and publike Professions But to the end that His Majesties reall intentions in this businesse of Ireland may be the more clearly understood and to give more ample satisfaction to both Houses of Parliament and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland especially concerning His Majesties not being engaged in any Peace or Agreement there He doth desire if the two Houses shall resolve to admit of His Majesties repair to London for a Personall Treaty as was formerly proposed that speedy notice be given thereof to His Majesty and a passe or safe Conduct with a blank sent for a Messenger to be immediatly dispatch'd into Ireland to
prevent any accident that may happen to hinder His Majesties Resolution of leaving the manageing of the businesse of Ireland wholly to the two Houses and to make no Peace there but with their consent which in case it shall please God to blesse His endevours in the Treaty with successe His Majesty doth hereby engage Himself to do And for a further explanation of His Majesties Intentions in His former Messages He doth now Declare That if His Personall repair to London as aforesaid shall be admitted and a Peace thereon shall ensue He will then leave the nomination of the Persons to be intrusted with the Militia wholly to His two Houses with such power and limitations as are expressed in the Paper delivered by His Majesties Commissioners at Uxbridge the 6. of Febr. 1644. for the terme of Seven years as hath been desired to begin immediately after the conclusion of the Peace the disbanding of all Forces on both sides and the dismantling of the Garrisons erected since these present Troubles so as at the expiration of the time before mentioned the power of the Militia shall entirely revert and remain as before And for their further security His Majesty the Peace succeeding will be content that pro hâc vice the two Houses shall nominate the Admirall Officers of State and Judges to hold their places during life or quâm diu se bene gesserint which shall be best liked to be accomptable to none but the King and the two Houses of Parliament As for matter of Religion His Majesty doth further Declare That by the liberty offered in his Message of the 15. present for the ease of their Consciences who will not communicate in the Service already established by Act of Parliament in this Kingdom He intends that all other Protestants behaving themselves peaceably in and towards the Civill Government shall have the free exercise of their Religion according to their own way And for the totall removing of all Fears and Jealousies His Majesty is willing to agree That upon the conclusion of Peace there shall be a generall Act of Oblivion and Free Pardon past by Acts of Parliaments in both his Kingdoms respectively And lest it should be imagined that in the making these Propositions his Majesties Kingdom of Scotland and his Subjects there have been forgotten or neglected his Majesty Declares That what is here mentioned touching the Militia and the naming of Officers of State and Judges shall likewise extend to his Kingdom of Scotland And now his Majesty having so fully and clearly expressed his Intentions and desires of making a happy and wel-grounded Peace if any person shall decline that happ●nesse by opposing of so apparent a way of attaining it he will sufficiently demonstrate to all the world his intention and Designe can be no other then the totall subversion and change of the ancient and happy Government of this Kingdom under which the English Nation hath so long flourished Given at the Court at Oxford the 29 of Jan. 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore To be Communicated to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland HIs Majesties care and pains in the former part of this Message was wholly ineffectuall to the ends intended for as if they had secretly vowed as perhaps they have to go contrary to Him and Christian Religion in every thing they took advantage from this very businesse of Ireland thus disclaimed by the King to sclaunder Him further and defame Him to which purpose they publish●d soon after certain Papers with this Title The Earl of Glam●rgans negotiations and colourable Cōmitment in Ireland that thereby it might be apprehended the King like themselves had dissembled in all He had said or writ about that matter And in their late Declaration they most impudently affirm that His Majesty gave a private Commission to the said Earl commanding him to manage it with all possible secresie and it contained say they such odious and shamefull things as Himself blush'd to owne or to impart to His own Lieutenant the Earl of Ormond this they write upon their own testimony as if they had been eye and ear witnesses of the same and all the world were bound to believe them sed Deus vindex God shall judge and revenge too upon them the cause of His Anointed to whom His Gospel commands Honour and themselves have often sworn Reverence And as His Majs care in the former was ineffectual so His grace in the latter part of this Message was altogether fruitlesse for though Subjects if Subjects were they never so guilty could wish for no more then is there offered for there is Liberty for their Consciences Safety for their Persons Security for their Estates Greatnesse for their Desires and Peace to increase all and all this but for leave to let the rest of His people their fellow-Subjects as good men as themselves and much better live in peace by them yet all will not do nothing will work upon them for like Pope Boniface the 8. of that name they came in like Foxes and therefore mean to live like Lions though they die like Dogs so that Rebellion we see is a sin unpardonable like that against the Holy Ghost not because it cannot but because it will not be forgiven His Majesty after the sending this last Message of the 29. of Ianuary tarryes a moneth longer even till Feb. 28. in expectation of somewhat from them in Answer to His longing desires and then though He was apprehensive how He had by His often sending hazarded His Honour to be questioned as well as His proper interests to be divided or divorced from Him yet to declare further still to all the world that His Peoples Preservation was more dear to Him then both He doth once again in their behalf importune these men for the Blessing of Peace in these words His Majesties ninth Message CHARLES R. His Majesty needs to make no excuse though He sent no more Messages unto you for He very well knows He ought not to doe it if He either stood upon punctilio's of Honour or His own private interest the one being already call'd in question by His often sending and the other assuredly prejudg'd if a Peace be concluded from that He hath already offered He having therein departed with many of His undoubted Rights But nothing being equally dear unto him to the preservation of his people his Majesty passeth by many scruples neglects and delaies and once more desires you to give him a speedy Answer to his last Message for his Majesty believes it doth very well become him after this very long delay at last to utter his impatience since that the goods and bloud of his Subjects cries so much for Peace Given at the Court at Oxford the 26 of Febr. 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore To be Communicated to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster and
all other things being fully agreed His Majesty will give full satisfaction to his Houses concerning that Kingdom And although His Majesty cannot consent in Honour and Justice to avoid all His own Grants and Acts past under His Great Seal since the 22 of May 1642. or to the confirming of all the Acts and Grants passed under that made by the two Houses yet His Majesty is confident that upon perusall of particulars He shall give full satisfaction to His two Houses to what may be reasonably desired in that particular And now His Majesty conceives that by these His offers which He is ready to make good upon the setlement of a Peace He hath clearly manifested His intentions to give full security and satisfaction to all Interests for what can justly be desired in order to the future happinesse of His people And for the perfecting of these Concessions as also for such other things as may be proposed by the two Houses and for such just and reasonable demands as his Majesty shal find necessary to propose on His part He earnestly desires a Personall Treaty at London with His two Houses in Honour Freedom and Safety it being in His judgment the most proper and indeed only means to a firm and setled Peace and impossible without it to reconcile former or avoid future misunderstandings All these things being by Treaty perfected His Majesty believes His two Houses will think it reasonable that the Proposals of the Army concerning the Succession of Parliaments and their due Elections should be taken into consideration As for what concerns the Kingdom of Scotland His Majesty will very readily apply Himself to give all reasonable satisfaction when the desires of the two Houses of Parliament on their behalf or of the Commissioners of that Kingdom or of both joyned together shall be made known unto Him CHARLS R. From the Isle of Wight Novemb. 17. 1647. To the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be communicated to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster and to the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland WE see at the beginning of this Message that His Majesty conceived Himself to be at much more freedome and security in that place then formerly Had the Governour there been a true Gentleman in the least degree he would rather have lost his life then crossed His Majesties opinion in that particular but we are confirmed by Him in what we knew before that swordmen in these dayes are not all men of Honesty nor yet of Honour His Majesty being now in His own apprehension at more freedome renews His motions for the purchase of peace that his jealous and hardhearted Chapmen if possible might be cured of all their feares in seeing now that His profers before were not the fruits of restraint but of Hearty will and Affections to His languishing and distressed Kingdomes And first His Majesty in this Message declares His Conscience and Reasons why He cannot consent to the totall Alteration of that Church Government which He had sworn to maintain and they without any Conscience or Reasons at all would force Him to destroy Doubtlesse if there were a necessity that it must be as they would have it yet would it better become them to endeavour His Majesties satisfaction in the matter and to Answer His Reasons then to urge him with violence to goe against both when they see He dares not for offending God yet to bawl and clamour against Him without shame or Honesty as if He made no Conscience at all of His Oath taken at His Coronation But what necessity is there of pulling up this pale of Government save only to let wild beasts into Gods vineyard surely if his Majesty were not confirmed in His Judgement that this pale was of the Apostles setting and cherished in all Christian Churches since their times till this last Century of years and upheld in this particular Church since the Reformation as the speciall preserver of Doctrine and order in Gods Worship and if He had not taken an Oath at His Coronation to maintaine it and though the rights of the Church were not so woven as they be in the great Charter of the Kingdome with the Liberties of the rest of His Subjects yet as He is a King and protector of Christs Religion as He is a nursing Father of His Church beholding the present destruction and vastation of both by those swarms of Hereticks and Schismaticks which have abounded within these seven years since the Execution of this Government hath been suspended He ought in Conscience and Prudence to endeavour the continuance of it it being by the confession of its greatest Adversaries viz. the Smectymnists first established to suppresse and prevent these very mischiefs His Majesty will see that Bishops doe their duties and that all abuses in the Government be amended which no question but the Tryenniall Parliament will also look unto if the Kingdome might but be blessed with it And that the present Enemies of this Government may have both time and occasion to think better of their own demands in their cooler temper His Majesty is willing to let them for their own parts to try three years how well they can thrive without it hoping that their Mistris Experience may have taught them by that time in the want of this Government the necessity of the use and continuation of it but to consent to the totall abolition of that which to Himself and all sober men is evident to be the most speciall mean to preserve the life being and beauty of Christs Church no men but these that drive Satans designe if they well consider of it can or will desire it 2. His Majesty plainly declares that he dares not be a partaker in that Sinne of the highest Sacriledge by consenting to the Alienation of Church-lands nor venture upon the Curses which hang over the heads of such profane violaters as those are and will be that shall deal in such merchandize for His Majesty feared God Nor can He be induced so much to prejudice the publick good or to damnifie so many of His Subjects who farme these Lands as now held at far easier rates then they are like to doe if they should become the possessions of private men for the King loves His People Nor lastly will He ever be such an ill friend to learning and industry as to consent to the taking away of those rewards which excite and courage thereunto the meanest persons for our Soveraign Lord Honours Learning so much that in relation to that He will provide and keep maintenance in store for the Children of His lowest Subjects Nay should His Majesty yeeld to this Sacriledge were it not the next way to destroy Religion as well as Learning Iulian the Apostate one of the greatest and subtillest enemies that ever Christianity had thought it was And therefore he endeavouring to extirpate the same made an Ordinance for the sale of Church lands or the taking
case and condition of these men they have not hearkned to this voice or Message of their publike Father because the Lords purpose is speedily to call them to a shamefull reckoning for the mischiefs they have done many sclaunders and blasphemies have they cast out against his Anointed much peevishnesse and perversnesse have they practised towards Him much of the innocent bloud of their fellow-subjects and brethren have they spilt and shed much oppression have they used upon them much hypocrisie to deceive and cheat them of their peace and mony and much profanation and despight to that Religion and Church wherein themselves were bred and nourished and that for these things sake the wrath of God might come sodainly down upon them as upon the most speciall Children of disobedience the Lord hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts to forsake their owne mercy in rejecting these motions and proffers of their Soveraign And we believe their natures and dispositions are now so well known by these their refusalls so frequently iterated by their late Votes or Resolves of having no more to do with the King by their scandalous Declaration against His Innocency and Honour and by that other of theirs against the Commissioners of Scotland that it will be concluded their hower is spent their day is past and gone they shall never more meet with such advantages of preserving themselves nor with the like tenders of grace and mercy Twenty daies did His Majesty according to His wonted manner wait their leisure for an Answer to this His so Gracious Message and could not so much in all that time as understand from them their receipt of it which perversnesse and insolency in them cannot yet cause Him to forbear again sending to them the welfare of His Subjects is so tender to Him and their Happinesse so much desired by Him yea the many and sud complaints of the decay of trade the dearnesse of commodities and the unsupportable burden of taxes ecchoing daily from divers parts of His Kingdome into His pious and gentle ears and threatning a sodain failing of naturall subsistance will not let Him rest or desist in His endevours for peace though Himself were to have no share in the benefit of it and therefore He solicits them again in these words His Majesties twentieth Message His Majesties most gracious Message for Peace from Carisbrooke-Castle Decemb. 6. 1647. CHARLES R. HAd His Majesty thought it possible that His two Houses could be employed in things of greater concernment then the Peace of this miserable distracted Kingdom He would have expected with more patience their leisure in acknowledging the receit of his Message of the 16. of November last But since there is not in nature any consideration preceding to that of Peace his Majesties constant tendernesse of the welfare of his Subjects hath such a prevalence with him that he cannot forbear he vehement prosecution of a Personall Treaty which is onely so much the more desired by his Majesty as it is superior to all other means of Peace And truly when his Majesty considers the severall complaints he daily hears from all parts of this Kingdom That Trade is so decayed all Commodities so dear and Taxes so insupportable that even naturall subsistance will sodainly fail His Majesty to perform the Trust reposed in him must use his uttermost endevours for Peace though he were to have no share in the benefit of it And hath not his Majesty done his part for it by devesting himself of so much power authority as by his last Message he hath promised to do upon the concluding of the whole Peace And hath he met with that acknowledgment from his two Houses which this great Grace and Favour justly deserves Surely the blame of this great retarding of Peace must fall somewhere else then on his Majesty To conclude If ye will but consider in how little time this necessary good Work will be done if you the two Houses will wait on his Majesty with the same Resolutions for Peace as he will meet you he no way doubts but that ye will willingly agree to this his Majesties earnest desire of a Personall Treaty and speedily desire his Presence amongst you Where all things agreed on being digested into Acts till when it is most unreasonable for his Majesty or his two Houses to desire each of other the least concession this Kingdom may at last enjoy the blessing of a long-wisht for Peace From Carisbrook-Castle Decemb. 6. 1647. To the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be communicated c. BEcause His Majesty herein had declared that this necessary work of Peace may be concluded in a very little time were their resolutions out like His and also affirmed that it would be most unreasonable either for Himself or them to desire of each other the least Concession till things agreed on were digested into Acts therefore did they make hast more then ever they did before to send Him four Bills fully as unconscionable as could be devised to which they resolve to have His Concession as unreasonable a thing as He takes it to be before He shall get any hopes of a Treaty at their hands By which also they give Him to see and know that how short a time soever Himself fancies this necessary work may be done in yet 't is not likely to be concluded with such speed and easinesse eighteen daies after this Message was sent those Bills came to His Majesties hand of what nature they were that speech of one of those that sent them doth sufficiently discover If the King signs them He undoes Himself if He doth not We will the world hath seen them His Majesties Answer at four daies end unto them was this which follows His Majesties twenty first Message His Majesties most gracious Answer to the Bils and Propositions presented to Him at Carisbrook-Castle in the Isle of Wight Decemb. 24. 1647. CHARLS R. THe necessity of complying with all engaged interests in these great distempers for a perfect setlement of Peace His Majesty finds to be none of the least difficulties He hath met with since the time of His afflictions Which is too visible when at the same time that the two Houses of the English Parliament do present to his Majesty severall Bils and Propositions for His consent the Commissioners for Scotland do openly protest against them So that were there nothing in the case but the consideration of that difference His Majesty cannot imagine how to give such an Answer to what is now proposed as thereby to promise Himself his great end A perfect Peace And when His Majesty farther considers how impossible it is in the condition He now stands to fulfill the desires of His two Houses since the only ancient and known waies of passing Laws are either by his Majesties Personall Assent in the House of Peers or by Commission under his Great Seal of England He cannot but wonder at such failings in
of Reason And now I would know what it is that is desired Is it Peace I have shewed the way being both willing and desirous to performe my part in it which is a just compliance with all chiefe interests Is it Plenty and Happinesse they are the inseperable effects of Peace Is it Security I who wish that all men would forgive and forget like Me have offered the Militia for my time Is it Liberty of Conscience He who wants it is most ready to give it Is it the right administration of Justice Officers of trust are committed to the choice of my two Houses of Parliament Is it frequent Parliaments I have legally fully concurr'd therewith Is it the Arrears of the Army upon a settlement they will certainly be payed with much ease but before there will be found much difficulty if not impossibility in it Thus all the world cannot but see my reall and unwearied endeavours for Peace the which by the grace of God I shall neither repent me of nor ever be slackned in notwithstanding my past present or future sufferings but if I may not be heard let every one judge who it is that obstructs the good I would or might doe What is it that men are afraid to hear from me It cannot be Reason at least none will declare themselves so unreasonable as to confesse it and it can lesse be impertinent or unreasonable Discourses for thereby peradventure I might more justifie this my Restraint then the causers themselves can do so that of all wonders yet this is the greatest to me but it may be easily gathered how those men intend to govern who have used me thus And if it be my hard Fate to fall together with the liberty of this Kingdome I shall not blush for my selfe but much lament the future miseries of my People the which I shall still pray to God to avert what ever becomes of me CHARLES R. BEhold here all English-men and you of Scotland Wales and Ireland in whose manly Breasts doth yet remain any true sparks of right Religion or Auncient Honour Behold your King the breath of your Nostrils the Anointed of the Lord under whose shadow you dwelt in peace injoying wealth many years together whose yoak was easie and sweet unto you Behold behold He is taken and snared in a pit see how sadly He sits in darknesse and hath no light hearken how He complains unto you out of Prison that He is layed aside or become like a broken vessel forgotten as it were like a dead man out of mind shall it be as nothing to you All you to whom this Appeal is made this Declaration sent that your Protector your Defender the Glory of Christians and Mirrour of Kings is thus used Have you no feeling of His sufferings no share in His sorrows is it not for your sakes that He indures all these hard and heavy things can there be named any other reason for them then because He will not yeild you up to be slaves and bond-men is He not divested of all His power stript of His whole Authority deprived of all His Comforts barr'd from the sight of Wife and Children denied Liberty of going whither and conversing with whom He desires because He will not consent that you without rule or reason should be handled and used in this manner He will not wound His Conscience and Honour in betraying the trust reposed in Him by Almighty God over you He will not deliver you up into those hands which have already so much abused you He will not abandon you to the unlimited power of the two Houses for ever He will not grant them His l●ave to levy Land and Sea sorces from among you by violence and to maintain them continually upon you at your cost and Charges and against you to keep you under without either Law or Limitation in a word He will not consent that you should be kept in perpetuall Beggery and made Vassals to your equals and fellows and for this cause are all these miseries heaped on Him Read over again and view well His many Gracious Messages and offers together with their unreasonable demands and Propositions and remember withall how uncomfortably how chargeably nay how miserably every way you have lived sin●e these men who would alwaies rule have exercised power over you Oh how is your Gold become dim since your King hath bin in darknesse How is your sine Gold changed since He hath been excluded the pretious stones of the Sanctuary how have they been defiled made as Common and poured out in every street since He the most pretious of all hath been refused by these new Mushrom Master-Builders the most Honourable Sons of Sion the Children of your Princes comparable to fine Gold how are they esteemed in these daies as earthen pitchers how have your most Heroick Nobles been vilified and debased your most Gallant Gentry been trod and trampled under Your free-borne Yeomanry the sinews of the Kingdome how have they been tyranniz'd over in their own houses and how many of all sorts have been begger'd butcher'd and destroy'd since these unhappy men who would for ever sit aloft have domineered How hath the most reverend learned Clergie the servants of the most high God been despised persecuted and defamed How is that rich and renowned City London become as a Widow in the absence of her Husband by the meanes and operation of these new usurpers How hath her most eminent Magistrates her Maiors and Aldermen been imprisoned Her wealthy Merchants impoverished her Commons of all sorts been baffled and deluded How hath the lustre of her excellent order and flourishing government been darkned and obscured She was so great among the Nations while her Soveraignes influence shined upon her that for her Beauty Freedome and Splendour above the rest she was reckoned a Princesse among all the European Provinces being as rich in Treasures as she was in People But now alas how is she become a Captive and a Tributary to her owne servants She now weepeth sore at least she hath cause so to doe and that as well in regard of her deception and her sin as of her misery for that among all her lovers whom she so foolishly and so wickedly doted on she hath none to comfort her for all those her friends whom she trusted in have dealt treacherously with her and are become her enemies yea her most vexatious Tormenters And because our most Christian King is not willing to signe a Bill of perpetuity for the continuation of these sad Calamities upon her upon you and upon us all for ever therefore is He tortured in that manner as we see and hear therfore is His Princely Honour blasted His Royall good name defamed His Regall power Authority and Revenues taken away and kept from Him His pious Conscience assaulted His sacred person imprisoned and every day in danger to be massacred and murdered O may it not well be asked and said Was there ever
the Turks Alchoran or else from among the Savage Heathens in New England for no Protestant no true Christian nor no Parliament before this did ever allow or connive at it much lesse urge or alleage it to warrant themselves in the practice of it But we cannot passe by without observation how they prove their fore-mentioned Charge against the Scots in the same page Some of these very Commissioners say they were amongst the forwardest to ingage the Kingdoms in a joynt War upon the Principles fore-named viz. to exercise the Legislative power and Militia without and against the Kings consent also in Oaths and Covenants to be imposed on both Kingdoms in Taxes to raise Mony upon them taking away the Book of Common Prayer and establishing the Directory instead thereof and in divers other things wherein the highest exercise of the Legislative power doth consist These be their Arguments whereby they speak themselves to be as bad Logitians as they are Christians Their doings since they began are alleaged as Reasons to prove why they began and their unjust Actions in their progresse are made the grounds and warrants of and for their ungodly undertaking But did any of those Oaths and Covenants which were imposed on both or either of the Kingdoms mention the cause of the war or of peoples ingagement to be for to take the Legislative power and the Militia totally from the King and to have it exercised without and against His consent if any such matters had been expressed we are very confident they would have had but few either English or Scots joyning in Covenant with them or lending their Assistance But in pag. 66. of the same Declaration they would fain suggest that though there be no Reason yet there is some likelyhood of Reasonablenesse in this their injustice and wrongfull dealings in taking the Legislative Power and Militia from the King for they argue thus It is much more likely say they that a King should be mistaken then the Great Councell of the Kingdom and that a King should stop that which is for the good of the whole Kingdome then that the whole Kingdome represented in Parliament should desire what should be for their own hurt And 't is much more likely that a King should make use of one of His Kingdoms to oppresse another that He might make Himself absolute over all if He hath the Militia and Power in His hand then that He should with the same hinder one Kingdome to wrong another or all the Subjects of a Kingdome to wrong themselves We do very well remember that many of us the Common people of England were befooled with these their likelyhoods at the beginning for they used these very expressions then unto us but we can now answer them from our own experience better then we could at that time do and we say 't is much more certain that a King hath been is and will be much more tender of the bloud of His Subjects much more indulgent of the wealth of His people much more carefull to maintain and preserve them in their Rights and to keep them from oppressing one another then those are or have been who now call themselves the Great Councell of the Kingdome We are sure there are more of a Parents bowels in Him for we have felt them then there is of Brotherly affection in them towards us which we have had some feeling of too though to our grief and sorrow And therefore we can and must conclude that the Subjects are far more happy every way and free from being oppressed by one another under the fatherly Government of a King then under the tyranous usurpation of fellow-subjects for we now remember that God hath promised in express words to guide the King so that his lips shall not transgresse in Iudgment but we find no such promise made to a Parliament that resolves to act without and against their Kings consent we know that Scripture saith the Kings heart is in Gods hand and from thence we now believe it was that His Government was so just and gentle but the Actions and behaviours of these men hath fully perswaded us that their Hearts be in the Devils hand whereby it hath come to passe that their purposes and their practices have been so bloudy so mischievous and so destructive And yet these men supposing as it seems that we are all as bruit Beasts in respect of themselves having no understanding at all but must submit still to be held in with their Bits and Bridles do declare that the Militia is the foundation of security to them and to their posterity as if we were all bound to believe and had reason for it that their blessed selves and their precious posterity were rather to be secured and preserved thereby then the King and His and in page 70. they argue as Rabsaketh did from their successe that God favoured their unrighteous doings and was even such another as themselves directly of their opinion the dispute say they concerning the Militia hath been long and sadly debated both in black and red letters but God himself hath now given the verdict on our side And in the very same place they tell all us English-men as if the Militia had never yet been in His Majesties hand or we had quite forgotten our freedome happinesse and prosperity under Kingly Government that our Magna Charta our Courts of Iustice our High Court of Parliament it self our Lives Liberties and Estates that we are not all at the will of one man that the King cannot make Laws nor raise Monies without consent of Parliament and that all Offenders may be punished in Courts of Iustice all this say they signifies nothing at all to us if the Militia by Sea and Land be in the King alone we are all absolute slaves and by so much in a worse Condition because we think our selves at Liberty All this of theirs doth but shew us what opinion they have of us for our giving so much credit to them heretofore But truly we shall deserve to be their absolute slaves for ever as they would have us and to be branded to all posterity for absolute fools too and for the rankest Cowards that ever were if this their Language were there nothing else should not fill us up with high disdain against them and make us resolve never to desist till we have made them know both themselves and us better And to awaken our spirits more yet let us hear what they say further in the same place to our conceived simplicities How ridiculous say they are those Laws which may be violated by force and by force not be defended who hath violated our Laws by force but themselves and who hath been the defender of them but the King whose Laws they are And what a mock Authority say they is that of Courts of Iustice and of the High Court of Parliament it self if it be not accompanied with the power of the sword when by