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
Propositions and Bills for the setling of a safe and well grounded Peace which are speedily to be communicated to the Commissioners of the Kingdom of Scotland do resolve after mutuall agreement of both Kingdoms to present them with all speed to Your Majesty Gray of Wark Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore William Lenthall Speaker of the House of Commons Westminster the 25. December 1645. WE have read of a proud Pope that made His Lord the Emperour seeking for a Treaty with Him wait three daies before he would grant it but never till this Age was it heard or read that Humble and Loyall Subjects as these men call themselves did force their Soveraigne to wait twenty daies for an Answer to a like request and then return Him a flat deniall But His majesty had been too long and too well acquainted with this perversenesse of theirs and being in His measure like Him whose Vicegerent He is of great patience and long-suffering passeth by again this their unreverend Carriage and demeanour towards Him without any expostulation about the same being ever carefull to shun and avoid what might in likelyhood hinder His pious designe of obtaining Peace unto his people and therefore presseth again His last motion in his third Message for a personall Treaty in these words His Majesties fourth Message CHARLS R. ALthough the Message sent by Sir Peter Killegrew may justly require an expostulatory Answer yet His Majesty laies that aside as not so proper for His present Endevours leaving all the World to judge whether His Proposition for a Personall Treaty or the flat deniall of a safe Conduct for Persons to begin a Treaty be greater signes of a reall Intention to Peace and shall now onely insist upon His former Message of the 26 of this December That upon His repair to Westminster He doubts not but so to joyne His Endeavours with His two Houses of Parliament as to give just satisfaction not onely concerning the businesse of Ireland but also for the setling of a way for the payment of the Publike Debts as well to the Scots and to the City of London as others And as already He hath shewn a fair way for the setling of the Militia so He shall carefully Endeavour in all other Particulars that none shall have cause to complain for want of security whereby just Jealousies may arise to hinder the continuance of the desired Peace And certainly this Proposition of a Personall Treaty could never have entred into His Majesties Thoughts if He had not resolved to make apparent to all the World that the Publike good and Peace of this Kingdom is farre dearer to Him then the respect of any particular Interest Wherefore none can oppose this Motion without a manifest demonstration that He particularly envies His Majesty should be the chief Author in so blessed a Work besides the declaring Himself a direct opposer of the happy Peace of these Nations To conclude whosoever will not be ashamed that His fair and specious Protestations should be brought to a true and Publike Test and those who have a reall sence and doe truely commiserate the miseries of their bleeding Countrey let them speedily and cheerfully embrace His Majesties Proposition for His Personall Treaty at Westminster which by the blessing of God will undoubtedly to these now distracted Kingdomes restore the happinesse of a long wisht for and lasting Peace Given at the Court at Oxford the 29 day of December 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be Communicated to the two Houses of Parlialiament at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland THis Message as it seems was very unpleasing and spake the King very troublesome in being so importunate for Peace and to come amongst them whose presence next to that of God would be the greatest torment to them Wherefore to let him know that Ambassadors for Peace are never welcome but to those that love it and to give him a guesse what Himselfe should find if He came within their reach they kept His Messenger as their Prisoner and returned silence to His Message hereupon His Majesty having waited their Leasure full twenty daies longer viz. from Dec. 26. to Ian. 15. and hearing no news of either sends to inquire after His Trumpet and withall moves again to the same purpose as before inlarging His offers for what He desires and recedes further yet from His owne Rights for His Peoples quiet in these words His Majesties fifth Message CHARLS R. BUt that these are times wherein nothing is strange it were a thing much to be marvailed at what should cause this unparalell'd long detention of His Majesties Trumpet sent with His Gracious Message of the 26 of December last Peace being the only Subject of it and His Majesties Personall Treaty the means proposed for it And it were almost as great a wonder that His Majesty should be so long from inquiring after it if that the hourly expectation thereof had not in some measure satisfied His Impatience But let His Majesty by His long silence should condemn Himself of Carelesnesse in that which so much concerns the good of all His People He thinks it high time to inquire after His said Trumpeter For since all men who pretend any goodness must desire Peace and that all men know Treaties to be the best and most Christian way to procure it and there being as little question that His Majesties Personal Presence in it is the likeliest way to bring it to a happy Issue He judges there must be some strange variety of accidents which causeth this most tedious delay wherefore His Majesty earnestly desires to have a speedy Account of His former Message the subject whereof is Peace and the means His Personall presence at Westminster where the Government of the Church being setled as it was in the times of the happy and glorious Reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King Iames and full Liberty for the ease of their Consciences who will not communicate in that Service established by Law and likewise for the free and publike use of the Directory prescribed and by Command of the two Houses of Parliament now practised in some parts of the City of London to such as shall desire to use the same and all Forces being agreed to be Disbanded His Majesty will then forthwith as He hath in His Message of the 29 of December last already offered joyn with His two Houses of Parliament in setling some way for the payment of the publike Debts to His Scots Subjects the City of London and others And His Majesty having proposed a fair way for the setling of the Militia which now by this long delay seems not to be thought sufficient security His Majesty to shew how really He will imploy Himself at His coming to Westminster for making this a lasting Peace and taking away all jealousies how groundlesse soever will endeavour upon debate with His two Houses so to
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
some of His own Chaplains which hath hitherto been denied Him and such other Divines as shal be most proper to inform Him therein and then He will make clearly appear both His zeal to the Protestant profession and the Union of these two Kingdoms which He conceives to be the main drift of this Covenant To the seventh and eighth Propositions His Majesty will consent To the ninth His Majesty doubts not but to give good satisfaction when He shall be particularly informed how the said penalties shall be levied and disposed of To the tenth His Majesties answer is That He hath been alwaies ready to prevent the practices of Papists and therefore is content to passe an Act of Parliament for that purpose And also that the Laws against them be duly executed His Majesty will give His consent to the Act for the due observation of the Lords Day for the suppressing of Innovations and those concerning the Preaching of Gods Word and touching Non-Residence and Pluralities and His Majesty will yeild to such Act or Acts as shall be requisite to raise monies for the payment and satisfying all publike Debts expecting also that his will be therein included As to the Proposition touching the Militia though his Majesty cannot consent unto it in terminis as it is proposed because thereby he conceives he wholly parts with the power of the Sword entrusted to him by God and the Laws of the Land for the protection and government of his people thereby at once devesting himself and dis-inheriting his Posterity of that right and prerogative of the Crowne which is absolutely necessary to the Kingly Office and so weaken Monarchy in this Kingdom that little more then the name and shadow of it will remain yet if it be only security for the preservation of the Peace of this Kingdom after the unhappy troubles and the due performance of all the agreements which are now to be concluded which is desired which his Majesty alwaies understood to be the case and hopes that herein he is not mistaken his Majesty will give aboundant satisfaction to which end he is willing by Act of Parliament That the whole power of the Militia both by Sea and Land for the space of ten years be in the hands of such persons as the two Houses shall nominate giving them power during the said term to change the said persons and substitute others in their places at pleasure and afterwards to return to the proper chanell again as it was in the times of Queen Elizabeth and King Iames of blessed memory And now His Majesty conjures His two Houses of Parliament as they are Englishmen and lovers of Peace by the duty they owe to His Majesty their King and by the bowels of compassion they have to their fellow Subjects that they wil accept of this his Majesties offer wherby the joyfull news of Peace may be restored to this languishing Kingdom His Majesty will grant the like to the Kingdome of Scotland if it be desired and agree to all things that are propounded touching the conserving of peace betwixt the two Kingdoms Touching Ireland other things being agreed His Majesty will give satisfaction therein As to the mutuall Declarations proposed to be established in both Kingdoms by Act of Parliament And the Modifications Qualifications and Branches which follow in the Propositions His Majesty only professes that He doth not sufficiently understand nor is able to reconcile many things contained in them but this He well knoweth That a generall Act of Oblivion is the best Bond of Peace and that after intestine Troubles the wisdom of this and other Kingdoms hath usually and happily in all ages granted generall Pardons whereby the numerous discontentments of many Persons and Families otherwise exposed to ruine might not become fewell to new disorders or seeds to future troubles His Majesty therefore desires that His two Houses of Parliament would seriously descend into these considerations and likewise tenderly look upon His Condition herein and the perpetuall dishonour that must cleave to Him if He shal thus abandon so many persons of Condition Fortune that have ingaged themselves with and for Him out of a sense of Duty propounds as a very acceptable testimony of their affection to Him That a generall Act of Oblivion and free Pardon be forthwith passed by Act of Parliament Touching the new great Seal His Majesty is very willing to confirm both it and all the Acts done by vertue thereof untill this present time so that it be not thereby pressed to make void those Acts of His done by vertue of His great Seal which in honour and justice He is obliged to maintain And that the future Government therof may be in his Majesty according to the due course of Law Concerning the Officers mentioned in the 19. Article His Majesty when he shall come to Westminster wil gratifie his Parliament all that possibly he may without destroying the alterations which are necessary for the Crown His Majesty wil willingly consent to the Act for the confirmation of the Priviledges and Customes of the City of London and all that is mentioned in the Propositions for their particular advantage And now that His Majesty hath thus far indeavoured to comply with the desires of His two Houses of Parliament to the end that this agreement may be firme and lasting without the least face or question of restraint to blemish the same His Majesty earnestly desires presently to be admitted to His Parliament at Westminster with that Honour which is due to their Soveraign there solemnly to confirm the same and legally to passe the Acts before mentioned and to give and receive as well satisfaction in all the remaining particulars as likewise such other pledges of mutuall love trust and confidence as shall most concern the good of him and his people upon which happy agreement his Majesty will dispatch his Directions to the Prince his Son to return immediately to him and will undertake for his ready obedience thereunto Holdenby May 12. 1647. 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 WHen our Saviour was tempted in the wildernesse He was as Saint Marke saies among the wild beasts there so was our Soveraigne as it seems at Holdenby but these were worse mannered to the King then those other were to Christ and lesse civill a great deal for these were men degenerated into Beasts which of all others are the most savage we see in the beginning of this Message with what barbarity and inhumanity they behaved themselves towards Him their Lord and Master who by Gods appointment had the just right and Dominion over them they kept His Servants from having accesse unto Him not suffering one of His owne Election to come neer Him they declared it a crime for any of mankind to converse or speak with Him to give any Letters to Him or
further in the sequele of their Declaration sith their modesty and truth is such in the first page of it Assuredly you cannot that conclude but this of theirs is the most groundlesse shamelesse malicious and impudent slander that ever was printed by such an Authority as is pretended against such a Person And a Lye pardon that Scotch word so grosse and so thick that like the darkenesse of Aegypt it may be felt O consider well of it you the Subjects of this Kingdome and rouze up your selves at length in the behalf of your Soveraign and of your selves remember the Honour and dignity of your forefathers the wisdome and valour that made them so famous and so feared O where where is the Auncient Gallantry of this Noble Nation where is that life courage that was wont to kindle and flame in English-men when they saw themselves esteemed simple and contemned as base and vile what is it all dead and buried in snow and cold Ashes shall it be thought that no sparks of it are yet remaining in your natures will you suffer servants alwaies to rule over you to inslave and inthrall both you and your King awake for shame or else for ever worthy to be despised and look about you bethink at length what you have to do Was ever Nation so gull'd as you have been so orereach'd by Cheaters did ever any who caried in their breasts the spirits of men delight to be so abused by their fellows to be made fools used like Asses and so accounted and will you affect it shall they who triumph over you think you alwaies Children without understanding surely had they not believed you as full of weaknesse still as themselves are of wickednesse they would not with that boldnesse have imagined to flam you off with so base a Narrative against your Soveraigne as if thereby they had given a satisfactory reason to your simplicities for all those wrongs which they have done Him And what do they aime at hereby but to make Him most odious and contemptible who of all men living deserves the greatest Reverence Love and Honour and why do they this but to the end that they might have some colour to destroy Him And will you Crucifie your King saies Pilate to the people of the Iews as if he had said what an unheard-of vilany will that be How doth the Curse cleave to that Nation for that act unto this very day so may it not be said to you O people of England will you murder your King will you suffer your most pious and gracious King after all these unspeakable abuses which He hath already indured for your sakes at the hands of your Servants or Representatives as they call themselves to be destroyed by them if you play the Iewes you shall be payed like Jewes you and your Posterity shall grone under the Curse of God and man for ever qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet not to prevent a mischief when you may is directly to command it to be done As Absolom by going in to his Fathers Concubines on the house-top declared in the sight of all Israel that He meant the breach should be irreconcielable betwixt his Father and him so have these men by this their Declaration spoken loudly to all the world that their intentions are that the difference shall never be made up betwixt their Soveraign and themselves but indeed herein we may observe that their impudence doth far exceed Absoloms for while he was on the house-top committing his wickednesse he did not accuse the King his Father of the same sin or lay heavily to his charge that very evill which himself was then in acting as these men have done for they in their Declaration do burden their Soveraigne with their own faults they tax Him of those very things which themselves have committed and that not only heretofore when they were His ill Officers and Servants but even now are acting at this very instant time before our faces and upon our selves while they are exclaiming upon His Majesty And when should the King make Himself liable to all this blame and odium which they cast upon Him was it since they promised to make Him so glorious Themselves do not affirm this but as they pretend a great while before how comes it then to passe that in their present judgments He who was formerly deemed fit to be made the most glorious Prince in Christendome and promised so to be if He would but comply with them in those things that should be for His owne Honour and the Kingdomes good is now in their present judgments being still the same become worthy of so much hatred as is here manifested and not fit to have any more Addresses made unto Him bad are the memories of these men the change of their condition hath made them quite forget their former principles and professions what credit think you can be given henceforth unto them what confidence can be put in any of their promises is it not likely they will fail you who ere you be that trust them as they have done their Soveraigne nay have they not failed you enough already do you look they will ever repay that Mony with eight in the hundred interest which they took up of you in Publike Faiths name what speciall respect do you observe the City London and the adjoyning Associate Counties do now find from them for all that wealth countenance and assistance which hath been afforded to them doe not they like their owne father Satan exact most still from those whom they have found most compliable and most yeilding Nay more then this do they not now discover a manifest adherence to the schismaticall Army which they intitle the faithful Army against the City the Associate Counties the whole Kingdome and Scotland too as well as against the King have not some of the unsavory Aldermen Members of the Commons House gone senting up down of late and soliciting men to ingage themselves to live and die with the Parliament and the Army and against whom but King and Kingdome who it seems are now looked upon as one again and conjoyned though it be in the notion of Common Enemies by these good Counsellours these faithfull Representatives that broke the friendly union And what doth this new Ingagement speak unto you but that their intentions are to rule from henceforth by the Sword without all Law save that of war to keep you under You may remember at first 't was King and Parliament they cried up then Parliament and Kingdome but now at length 't is come to be the Parliament and the Army so that you see how unsetled they are how God hath made them like to a wheel in continuall motion and therefore no confidence is to be put in them They promise now that they will setle the Kingdome without the King who unsetled it but themselves and for what cause did they so but that themselves
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
Kingdome to be just and right then His Humble and Loyall Subjects would have vouchsafed to cast a look upon Him and deign'd so far as to have spoke a word with him Herein also besides the Conditions of a Treaty are discovered divers faults in His Majesties late Messages which neither Himself nor any other was able to have discern'd but the two Parliaments of England and Scotland after a diligent search having sat close some weeks about it for they were not idle all the 40 daies of the Kings waiting did in their deep wisdomes descry and find them out and then thought fit that their Soveraigne might not sleep in His sins to admonish His Majesty of them as 1. His requiring of them ingagement for His own security if He came amongst them which was a great errour and mistake in Him for though He be a David and a man after Gods owne heart yet they are not subjects of the same stamp as Davids were who thought their King worth ten thousand of themselves 2. This request of His was in their judgements against the Priviledge and Honour of Parliament for the speciall Priviledge of this Parliament or rather the swaying faction in the same is to destroy if they can and not to preserve the King at all 3. His mentioning the Mayor Aldermâ—n Common-Councell and Militia of the City as if He believed Himself to have any interest in them and that they were concern'd to ingage for His security they give Him to understand was another grand mistake in Him for all they together with Sir Thomas Fairfax his Army and the Scots too are their subjects and not His and subordinate to their Authority and therefore for Him to expect any ingagement for safety from any of them was directly also in their sense against the Honour and Priviledge of Parliament Nay 4. they give His Majesty to know that He had not onely sinned thus against the Honour and Priviledge of Parliament but also against the very freedome of it by His propounding with so many earnest expressions a Personall Treaty as the way to a Peace which they interpret no other then a plaine enforcement upon the Liberty of Parliament or a violent rape upon their wisdome as if they had not Brains enow to find out some other way then that was which His Majesty had propounded But truly with their favour this Errour might more prudently have been passed by and the aggravation of it omitted had they but remembred how often themselves had told the world that all their fighting was but to bring the King home from His evill Counsellours to Treat in Person with His Parliament for what may the world now think of these wise men may they not liken them to little Children who in a crosse peevish humour wil none of that thing when offered to them but throw it away which before they had cried and roared for the old and true way to a Peace between different parties hath alwaies been by Treaty and so was it hitherto judged by these men as themselves told us but now they dislike it only because the King propounds it And another way they have devised and that must be by Propositions of their owne making which by this their Preface are promised to be such as Benhadad sent to the King of Israel neither good for Him nor for His people but destructive unto both But His sacred Majesty the true mirror of wisdome meeknesse and patience receiving from them after divers Messages and forty daies waiting only this reproachfull Paper which was able to stir passion in a very Moses doth send back on the very same day without returning one word of ill Language this ensuing Answer His Majesties sixt Message CHARLES R. HIs Majesty thinks not fit now to answer those aspersions which are returned as arguments for His not admittance to Westminster for a Personall Treaty because it would inforce a style not sutable to His end it being the Peace of these miserable Kingdoms yet thus much He cannot but say to those who have sent Him this Answer That if they had considered what they have done themselves in occasioning the shedding of so much innocent bloud by withdrawing themselves from their duty to Him in a time when He had granted so much to His Subjects and in violating the knowne Laws of the Kingdome to draw an exorbitant power to themselves over their fellow Subjects to say no more to do as they have done they could not have given such a false character of His Majesties actions Wherefore His Majesty must now remember them that having some howers before His receiving of their last Paper of the 13. of Ian. sent another Message to them of the 15. wherein by divers particulars He inlargeth Himself to shew the reality of His endevours for Peace by His desired personall Treaty which He still conceives to be the likeliest way to attain to that blessed end He thinks fit by this Message to call for an Answer to that and indeed to all the former For certainly no rationall man can think their last Paper can be any Answer to His former demands the scope of it being that because there is a War therefore there should be no Treaty for Peace And is it possible to expect that the Propositions mentioned should be the grounds of a Lasting Peace when the Persons that send them will not endure to hear their own King speak But whatever the successe hath been of His Majesties former Messages or how small soever His hopes are of a better considering the high strain of those who deal with His Majesty yet He will neither want fatherly bowels to His Subjects in generall nor will He forget that God hath appointed Him for their King with whom He Treats Wherefore He now demands a speedy Answer to His last and former Messages Given at our Court at Oxon this 17. of Jan. 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be communicated c. THese earnest desires of His Majesty for a speedy Answer shall nothing prevail with them to hasten the same for His unparallel'd meeknesse in passing by such unheard-of Affronts without return of any passionate expression is so high a vexation to their black and ungodly souls that they resolve in themselves to make Him wait above three times forty daies longer now before He shall get a word more from them let Him send as oft as He will to solicite for it which purposed contempt though His Majesty in His Candour and Charity did not haply at that present fancy of them yet being too well acquainted with their dispositions He conceived they might make some ill use among His People of His silence to their impediments objected against the Personall Treaty propounded by Him and therefore thought meet seven daies after to speak somewhat in Confutation of those their frivolous Arguments and again to urge the thing as the only likely way of setling Peace unto His People
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
our Loyalty and Obedience to His Crown readinesse and resolution to defend His Person and support His Estate with our lives and fortunes to the uttermost of our power Againe We professe we desire nothing from His Majesty but that He would returne in Peace to His Parliament And againe We professe in the sight of Almighty God which is the strongest obligation that a Christian and the most solemne publicke faith which any such State as a Parliament can give that we would receive Him with all Honour yeild Him all true obedience and subjection and faithfully endeavour to defend His Person and Estate from all danger and to the utmost of our power to stablish Him and His people all the blessings of a most Glorious and Happy Raign c. Surely they who shall compare these Professions with the present Carriages of them that made them will conclude them the vilest Atheists that ever lived and beleeve that they used these Protestations only to gull and seduce the well meaning Common-people that so they might cheat them of their Monies and engage them with themselves in wayes of Treason Bloud and Rebellion to the destruction of their Religion King and Country But verily there is a God that judgeth the Earth and that these mockers of Him shall feel ere long for the day of their Calamity is at Hand and the things that are comming upon them make hast Wel his Maj. after he had sent this His tenth Message for Peace waited another month and more for an Answer thereof having understood by their former unworthy Paper of the 13 of Ianu. and being confirmed also by their silence to all His Profers that no admittance would be granted to Him though He came alone for as at the approach of Christ the Devill raged and tore the party possessed so did jealousies and guilty fears rend and torment them at the Apprehension of His presence or accesse unto them and therefore till He should first consent to such Propositions as they would at their further leasure send unto Him He must not come near them unlesse He be brought by the Souldiers before them as Christ was into the High Priests Hall viz. in the nature of a Prisoner indeed to this purpose while they think to delude Him still with a further expectation of Propositions which they never meant should be seen at Oxford they send thither as fast as they can all their Armies and Bands of Souldiers with Guns and Swords and Staves for to take Him concluding with themselves that He would surely fall into the Hand of their Strong ones and could not possibly escape them But God was too hard for them He seeing their mischeivous intentions inclined the Heart of His Majesty to goe and protected Him safe in going to the Scottish Army where so soon as He came that all might see His desires of Peace were not capable of abatement He falls againe to His old work of soliciting for the same and offers to these unreasonable men all that ever was desired to give them content He refers to them and their Divines the setling of Religion He consents the Militia to be at their disposall His Forces to be disbanded His Townes and Garrisons dismantled and deserted and what ever else had been formerly in dispute betwixt them and if these would not be now accepted because offered by Him though formerly desired by them He wills them to send their long promised Propositions or at least those of them which were agreed upon being resolved to comply in every thing as shall but appear to Him to be for His Subjects happinesse And notwithstanding all the contempts they had shewn Him and affronts put upon Him He still hath or desires to have so good an opinion of them that He will not question their good acceptation of these His offers since He makes no conditions with them for Himselfe but is content to leave His own Honour and Lawfull Rights solely to their care and gratitude to maintain unto Him Let all men read without admiration if they can at the Kings Christianity and goodnesse this which follows how in very deed He yeilds up His will and Affections His Reason Iudgment and all for the obtaining a good peace or accommodation with these Stubborn men unto His poor and afflicted people His Majesties eleventh Message CHARLS R. HIs Majesty having understood from both His Houses of Parliament that it was not safe for him to come to London whither he had purposed to repair if so he might by their advice to do whatsoever may be best for the good and peace of these Kingdoms untill he shall first give his consent to such Propositions as were to be presented to him from them And being certainly informed that the Armies were marching so fast up to Oxford and made that no fit place for Treating did resolve to withdraw himself hither only to secure his own Person and with no intention to continue this War any longer or to make any division between his two Kingdoms but to give such contentment to both as by the blessing of God he might see a happy and wel-grounded Peace thereby to bring Prosperity to these Kingdoms answerable to the best times of his Progenitors And since the setling of Religion ought to be the chiefest care of all Councels his Majesty most earnestly and heartily recommends to his two Houses of Parliament all the waies and means possible for speedy finishing this pious necessary work and particularly that they take the advice of the Divines of both Kingdoms assembled at Westminster Likewise concerning the Militia of England for securing his people against all pretensions of danger his Majesty is pleased to have it setled as was offered at the Treaty at Uxbridge all the Persons being to be named for the Trust by the two Houses of the Parliament of England for the space of seven years and after the expiring of that term that it be regulated as shall be agreed upon by his Majesty and his two Houses of Parliament And the like for the Kingdom of Scotland Concerning the Wars in Ireland his Majesty will do whatsoever is possible for him to give full satisfaction therein And if these be not satisfactory his Majesty then desires that all such of the Propositions as are already agreed upon by both Kingdoms may be speedily sent unto him his Majesty being resolved to comply with his Parliament in every thing that shall be for the happinesse of his Subjects and for the removing of all unhappy differences which have produced so many sad effects His Majesty having made these offers he will neither question the thankfull acceptation of them nor doth he doubt but that his two Kingdoms will be carefull to maintain him in his Honour and in his just and lawfull Rights which is the only way to make a happy composure of these unnaturall Divisions And likewise will think upon a solid way of conserving the Peace between the two
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
those of His Judgment should be Pressed to a violation of theirs Nor can His Majesty consent to the Alienation of Church Lands because it cannot be denied to be a sin of the highest Sacriledge as also that it subverts the intentions of so many pious Donors who have laid a heavy curse upon all such profane violations which His Majesty is very unwilling to undergoe And besides the matter of Conscience His Majesty believes it to be a prejudice to the Publike good many of His Subjects having the benefit of renuing Leases at much easier Rates then if those possessions were in the hands of private men not omitting the discouragement which it will be to all learning and industry when such eminent rewards shal be taken away which now lie open to the Children of meanest Persons Yet His Majesty considering the great present distempers concerning Church Discipline and that the Presbyterian Government is now in practice His Majesty to eschew confusion as much as may be and for the satisfaction of His two Houses is content that the said Government be legally permitted to stand in the same condition it now is for three years Provided that His Majesty and those of His Judgment or any other who cannot in Conscience submit thereunto be not obliged to comply with the Presbyter all Government but have free practice of their own Profession without receiving any prejudice thereby and that a free consultation and debate be had with the Divines at Westminster twenty of His Majesties nomination being added unto them whereby it may be determined by His Majesty and the two Houses how the Church Government after the said time shall be setled or sooner if differences may be agreed as is most agreeable to the Word of God with full liberty to all those who shall differ upon consciencious grounds from that setlement alwaies provided that nothing aforesaid be understood to tolerate those of the Popish Profession nor the exempting of any Popish Recusant from the penalties of the Laws or to tolerate the publike profession of Atheisme or Blaspemy contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles Nicene and Athanasian Creeds they having been received by and had in reverence of all the Christian Churches and more particularly by this of England ever since the Reformation Next the Militia being that right which is inseparably and undoubtedly inherent in the Crown by the Laws of this Nation and that which former Parliaments as likewise this hath acknowledged so to be His Majesty cannot so much wrong that trust which the Laws of God and this Land hath annexed to the Crown for the protection and security of his People as to divest Himself and Successours of the power of the Sword yet to give an infallible evidence of His desire to secure the performance of such agreements as shall be made in order to a Peace his Majesty wil consent to an Act of Parliament that the whole power of the Militia both by Sea and Land for and during his whole Reign shall be ordered and disposed by his two Houses of Parliament or by such persons as they shall appoint with powers limited for suppressing of Forces within this Kingdom to the disturbance of the publike Peace and against forraigne Invasion and that they shall have power during his said Reigne to raise Monies for the purposes aforesaid and that neither his Majesty that now is or any other by any authority derived only from him shall execute any of the said Powers during his Majesties said Reigne but such as shall act by the consent and approbation of the two Houses of Parliament Neverthelesse his Majesty intends that all Patents Commissions and other Acts concerning the Militia be made and acted as formerly and that after his Majesties Reign all the power of the Militia shall return entirely to the Crown as it was in the times of Q. Elizabeth and K. Iames of blessed memory After this head of the Militia the consideration of the Arrears due to the Army is not improper to follow for the payment whereof and the ease of his People his Majesty is willing to concur in any thing that can be done without the violation of his Conscience and Honour Wherefore if his two Houses shall consent to remit unto him such benefit out of Sequestations from Michaelmas last and out of Compositions that shall be made before the concluding of the peace and the Arrears of such as have been already made the assistance of the Clergy and the Arrears of such Rents of his own Revenue as his two Houses shall not have received before the concluding of the Peace his Majesty will undertake within the space of eighteen Months the payment of four hundred thousand pounds for the satisfaction of the Army And if those means shall not be sufficient his Majesty intends to give way to the sale of Forrest Lands for that purpose this being the Publike Debt which in his Majesties judgment is first to be satisfied and for other publike debts already contracted upon Church Lands or any other Ingagements his Majesty will give his consent to such Act or Acts for raising of Monies for payment thereof as both Houses shall hereafter agree upon so as they be equally laid whereby his people already too heavily burthened by these late distempers may have no more pressures upon them then this absolute necessity requires And for the further securing of all fears his Majesty will consent that an Act of Parliament be passed for the disposing of the great Offices of State and naming of Privy Counsellours for the whole terme of his Raigne by the two Houses of Parliament their Patents and Commissions being taken from his Majesty and after to return to the Crown as is exprest in the Article of the Militia For the Court of Wards and â—iveries his Majesty very well knows the consequence of taking that away by turning of all Tenures into common Soccage as well in point of Revenue to the Crown as in the Protection of many of his Subjects being Infants Neverthelesse if the continuance thereof seem grievous to His Subjects rather then he will fail on His part in giving satisfaction He will consent to an Act for taking of it away so as a full recompence be setled upon His Majesty and his Successours in perpetuity and that the Arrears now due be reserved unto Him towards the payment of the Arrears of the Army And that the memory of these late distractions may be wholly wiped away His Majesty will consent to an Act of Parliament for the suppressing and making null of all Oaths Declarations and Proclamations against both or either House of Parliament and of all Indictments and other proceedings against any persons for adhering unto them and His Majesty proposeth as the best expedient to take away all seeds of future differences that there be an Act of Oblivion to extend to all His Subjects As for Ireland the Cessation there is long since determined but for the future
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
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