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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31788	The Kings Maiesties answer to a late petition presented unto him by the hands of Mr. Alexander Henderson, from the commissioners of the Generall Assemblie of the Kirk of Scotland with their humble remonstrance and renewed petition to the Kings Most Excellent Majestie, from their meeting at Edinburgh, June 2, 1643.	England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I); Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649.; Ker, A.; Church of Scotland. General Assembly. Commission.	1643 (1643)	Wing C2098; ESTC R35826	16,804	32

THE KINGS MAIESTIES ANSWER To a late Petition presented unto him by the hands of Mr. ALEXANDER HENDERSON from the COMMISSIONERS of the Generall ASSEMBLIE of the Kirk of SCOTLAND WITH Their humble REMONSTRANCE and renewed PETITION to the Kings most Excellent MAjESTIE from their meeting at EDINBURGH June 2. 1643. EDINBURGH Printed by ROBERT BRYSON 1643. His Majesties Ansvver to a late Petition presented unto him by the hands of Mr. ALEXANDER HENDERSON from the Commissioners of the generall Assemblie of the Church of SCOTLAND WE received lately a Petition from you by the hands of Mr. Alexander Henderson To the which we intended to have given an answer as soon as we had transacted the businesse with the other Commissioners addressed to us from the Conservators of the Treatie of that our Kingdome But finding the same to be published in Print and to bee dispersed throughout Our Kingdome to the great danger of Scandalling of Our well-affected Subjects who may interpret the bitternesse and sharpnesse of some expressions not to be so agreeable to that regard and reverence which is due to our Person and the matter it self to be reproachfull to the honour and constitution of this Kingdome we have been compelled the more strictly to examine as well the Authority of the Petitioners as the matter of the petition it self and to publish our opinion of both that our Subjects of both Kingdomes may see how equally just and sensible we are of the Laws and honour of both Our Kingdomes And first upon perusall of the Petition We required to see the Commission by which the messenger who brought this Petition or the persons who sent him are qualified to intermedle in Affairs so forraigne to their jurisdiction and of so great concernement to this our Kingdome of England Upon examination whereof and in defence of the Laws and Government of this our Kingdome which we are trusted and sworne to defend Wee must professe that the Petitioners or the generall Assembly of Our Church of Scotland have not the least Authority or power to intermeddle or interpose in the affaires of this Kingdome or Church which are setled and established by the proper laws of this Land and till they bee altered by the same competent power cannot be enveighed against without a due sense of Us and this Nation much lesse can they present any advice or declaration to Our Houses of Parliament against the same or to that purpose to send any letters as they have now done to any Minister of Our Church here who by the Lawes of this land cannot correspond against the same Therefore wee do believe that the Petitioners when they shall consider how unwarranted it is by the Laws of that Kingdome and how contrary it is to the Laws of this to the professions they have made to each other and how unbecomming in it self for them to require the ancient happie and established government of the Church of England to bee altered and conformed to the lawes and constitutions of another Church will find themselves misled by the information of some factious persons here who would willingly ingage the Petitioners to foment a difference and division between the two Kingdomes which wee have with so much care and industry endeavoured to prevent not having labour'd more to quench the combustion in this Kingdom then we have to hinder the like from either devouring Ireland or entring into Scotland which if all others will equally labour will undoubtedly bee avoided But we cannot so easily passe over the mention of Ireland being mov'd to it by scandalous aspersions that have bin often cast upon us upon that subject and the use that hath been made of the wofull distractions of that Kingdome as of a Seminary of feares and jealousies to beget the like distraction in this and which lest they may have farther influence Wee are the more willing to make Our innocence appeare in that particular When first that horrid Rebellion began Wee were in Our Kingdome of Scotland and the sense we had then of it the expressions we made concerning it the Commissions together with some other assistance we sent immediatly into that Kingdome and the instant Recommendation we made of it to both Our Houses of Parliament in England are knowne to all persons of quality there and then about Us. After Our returne into England Our ready concurring to all the desires of both Houses that might most speedily represse that horrible Rebellion by passing the Bill of pressing in it a clause which quitted a right challenged by all and enjoyed by many of Our Predecessors by parting with Our Rights in the lands escheated to Us by that rebellion for the encouragement of adventures by emptying of Our Magazines of Armes and Ammunition for that service which we have since needed for our necessary defence and preservation by consenting to all Bills for the raising of money for the same though containing unusuall clauses which trusted both Houses without Us with the matter of disposing it Our often pressing both Houses not to neglect that Kingdome by being diverted by considerations and disputes lesse concerning both Kingdomes Our offer of raising 10000. Voluntiers to be sent thither and Our severall Offers to engage Our owne Royall person in the suppression of that horrid rebellion are no lesse known to all this Nation then Our perpetuall earnestnesse by our Forraigne Ministers to keep all manner of supplies from being transported for the relief of the Rebels is knowne to severall neighbouring Princes VVhich if all Our Subjects will consider and withall how many of the men and how much of the money raised for that end and how much time care and industrie have been diverted from that employment and employed in this unnaturall warre against Us the true cause of the present miserie and want which Our Brittish armies there do now endure they will soone free us from all those imputations so scandalously and groundlesly laid upon us and impute the continuance of the Combustion of that miserable Kingdome the danger it may bring upon our Kingdomes of England and Scotland and the beginning of this dolefull desolation to those who are truely guilty of it For unitie in Religion which is desired We cannot but answer That wee much apprehend lest the Papists may make some advantage of that expression by continuing that scandall with more authoritie which they have ever heretofore used to cast upon the Reformation by interpreting all the differences in Ceremonie Government or indifferent opinions between severall Protestant Churches to bee differences in Religion And lest our good subjects of England who have ever esteemed themselves of the same Religion with you should suspect themselves to bee esteemed by you to be of a contrary And that religion which they and their ancestors have held ever since the blessed reformation and in and for which they are resolved to dye is taxed and branded of falsehood or insufficiency by such a desire For uniformity in Church

Government We conceived the answer formerly given by us to the former petition in this argument would have satisfied the petitioners and is so full that we can adde little to it viZ. That the government here established by the lawes hath so neare a relation and intermixture with the Civill State which may be unknown to the petitioners that til a composed disgested form be presented to us upon a free debate of both Houses in a Parliamentary way whereby the consert and approbation of this whole Kingdom may be had and We and all our subjects may discerne what is to be left in or brought in as well as what is to be taken away We know not how to consent to any alteration other wise then to such an act for the ease of tender consciences in the matter of Ceremonies as We have often offered and that this and any thing else that may concerne the peace of the Church and the advancement of Gods true Religion may be soberly discussed and happily effected We have formerly offered and are still willing that debates of that nature may be entered into by a Syned of godly and learned Divines to be regularly chosen according to the Laws and Customes of this Kingdome To which we shall bee willing that some learned Divines of our Church of Scotland be likewise sent to be present and offer and debate their Reasons With this answer the petitioners had great reason to acquiesce without enlarging the matter of their former petition only with bitter expressions against the established government and laws of their neighbour Nation as if it were contrary to the word of God with whom they have so lately entred into a strict amity and friendship But we cannot enough wonder that the petitioners should interpose themselves not only as fit directors and judges betwen Us and Our two Houses of Parliament in businesse so wholly concerning the peace and government of this our kingdome and in a matter so absolutely entrusted to us as what new laws to consent or not to consent to But should assume and publish That the desire of reformation in this kingdome is in a peaceable and Parliamentary way When all the world may know That the proceedings here have bene and are not only contrary to all the rules and precedents of former Parliaments but destructive to the freedome priviledge and dignity of Parliaments themselves that wee were first driven by tumults for the safety of our life from our cities of London and Westminster and have bene since pursued fought withall and are now kept from thence by an army raysed as is pretended by the two Houses which consist not of the fourth part of the number they ought to do the rest being either driven from thence by the same violence or expell'd or imprisoned for not consenting to the treasons and unheard of Insolencies practised against us And if the petitioners could beleeve these proceedings to be in a peaceable Parliamentary way they were very unacquainted with the order and constitution of this Kingdome and not so fit instruments to promote that reformation and peace they seeme to desire We cannot beleeve the intermixture of the present Ecclesiasticall government with the Civill State to be other then a very good reason and that the governement of the Church should be by the rules of humane policy to be other then a very good rule unlesse some other government were as well proved as pretended to be better warranted by God Of any bills offerd us for reformation we shall not now speak they being a part of those articles upon which we have offered and expect to treats but cannot but wonder by what authority you prejudge our judgement herein by denouncing Gods anger upon us and our hazard of the losse of the hearts of all our good Subjects if we consent not unto them The influence of so many blessings from heaven upon the reignes of Queen Elizabeth and our father of blessed memory and the acknowledgement of them by all Protestant Churches to have been carefull nurses to the Church of Christ and to have excellentlie discharged their duties in the custody and vindication of religion and the affection of their Subjects to them do sufficiently assure Us that we should neither stop the influence of such blessings nor grieve the hearts of all the godly nor hazard the losse of the hearts of our good Subjects although we still maintaine in this Kingdome the same establisht Ecclesiasticall government which flourisht in their times and under their speciall protection We doubt not but our Subjects of Scotland will rest aboundantly satisfied with such alterations in their owne Church as we have assented unto and not bee perswaded by a meer assertion that there is no hope of the continuance of what is there setled by law unlesse that bee likewise altered which is setled here And our Subjects of England will never depart from their dutifull affection to Us for not consenting to new laws which by the law of the land they know We may as justly reject if we approve not of them as either house hath power to prepare for or both to propound to us Nor are you a little mistaken if either you beleeve the generality of this Nation to desire a change of Church-government or that most of those who desire it desire by it to introduce that which you onely esteeme a reformation but are as unwilling to what you call the yoke of Christ and obedience to the Gospell as those whom you call prophane and worldly men and so equally averse both to Episcopacy and Presbyterie that if they should prevaile in this particular the abolition of the one would be no inlet to the other nor would your hearts bee lesse grieved your expectations lesse frustrated your hopes lesse ashamed or your reformation more secured And the petitioners upon due consideration will not finde themselves lesse mistaken in the government of all the reformed Churches which they say is by Assemblies then they are in the best way of a reformation which sure is best to be in a common and ordinary way where the passion or interest of particular men may not impose upon the publique but alteration be then onely made when upon calmed debates and evident and cleare Reason and convenience the same shall be generally consented to for the peace and security of the people and those who are trusted by the Law with such debates are not divested of that trust upon a generall charge of corruptions pretended to have entred by that way and of being the persons to be reformed and so unfit to bee Reformers And certainly the like Logick with the like charges and pretences might be used to make the Parliament it self an incapable Judge of any Reformation either in Church or State For the generall expressions in the Petition against Papists in which the petitioners may bee understood to charge Us with complyance and favour even to their opinions Wee have taken all