notorious men was too deep and high for vulgar reaches seeing His Majesty Himself after all His experience being still straitned in spirit by His owne Charity and goodnesse was not yet able to fadome the same at His sending this seventh Message as may appear by His saying therein that He Hopes none will have that impudency and impiety as to wish an end to the distractions of this Kingdom rather by Conquest then by Treaty for in very deed as all the world are now perswaded since the publishing of their late Declaration these men have had that impudency and impiety in them even from the beginning not onely to wish but also to endevour the same therefore in vain did His Majesty as he since hath found by this again so instantly desire an Answer to His former Messages for a personal meeting And yet hoping at least that importunity might prevail with these unrighteous Iudges though intreaties will not as it once did with one that feared neither God nor Man He resolves to follow them still with the same motion which five daies after He doth and that upon this occasion His Majesty was informed of the Earl of Glamorgans unwarranted Agitation in Ireland and knowing that the manner of His Humble and Loyal Subjects at Westminster was to Honour Him by heaping on Him the burden of others faults He thinks it pious meet to endeavour to keep them from that sin by giving them a speedy notice of the said Earls doings of his own absolute dislike of the same which He evidences by His full approbation of that course which by Marquesse Ormond and L. Digby was taken against him Protesting solemnly that he never had knowledge of any such capitulation or Treaty til He heard of the Earls Arrest and restraint for making the same disavowing the Articles by Him concluded and signed as destructive both to Church and State repugnant to His Majesties publick professions and known resolutions and so hazardous to the blemishing His Reputation and giving Commandement to the Lord Lieutenant and Councell of that Kingdom to proceed against the said Earl for this His grand offence committed out of falsnesse presumption or folly And after this His Majesty falls again to His old work of importuning a Treaty for Peace which He urgeth upon them with renewed promises larger concessions greater ingagements of Himself and further Explanations of His sincere intentions to trust them to pardon them to secure them let the world read this which follows and then judge if any Heart that intends to acknowledge a King can desire more His Majesties eighth Message CHARLS R. HIs Majesty having received Information from the Lord Lieutenant and Councell in Ireland That the Earl of Glamorgan hath without His or their directions or privity entred into a Treaty with some Commissioners on the Roman Catholique Party there and also drawn up and agreed unto certain Articles with the said Commissioners highly derogatory to his Majesties honour and Royall Dignity and most prejudiciall unto the Protestant Religion and Church there in Ireland Whereupon the said Earl of Glamorgan is arrested upon suspition of High Treason and imprisoned by the said Lord Lieutenant and Councell at the instance and by the Impeachment of the L. Dighby who by reason of his Place and former Imployment in these Affairs doth best know how contrary that Proceeding of the said Earl hath been to his Majesties Intentions and Directions and what great prejudice it might bring to his Affairs if those Proceedings of the Earl of Glamorgan should be any waies understood to have been done by the directions liking or approbation of his Majesty His Majesty having in his former Messages for a Personall Treaty offered to give contentment to his two Houses in the Businesse of Ireland hath now thought fitting the better to shew his clear Intentions and to give satisfaction to his said Houses of Parliament and the rest of his Subjects in all his Kingdoms to send this Declaration to his said Houses containing the whole truth of the businesse which is That the Earle of Glamorgan having made offer unto Him to raise Forces in the Kingdom of Ireland and to Conduct them into England for His Majesties Service had a Commission to that purpose and to that purpose only That he had no Commission at all to Treat of any thing else without the privity and directions of the Lord Lieutenant much lesse to Capitulate any thing concerning Religion or any Propriety belonging either to Church or Laity That it clearly appears by the Lord Lieutenants Proceedings with the said Earle That he had no notice at all of what the said Earle had Treated and pretended to have capitulated with the Irish untill by accident it came to his knowledge And His Majesty doth Protest That untill such time as He had advertisement that the Person of the said Earle of Glamorgan was Arrested and restrained as is abovesaid He never heard nor had any kind of notice that the said Earl had entred into any kind of Treaty or Capitulation with those Irish Commissioners much lesse that He had concluded or Signed those Articles so destructive both to Church and State and so repugnant to His Majesties publique Professions and known Resolutions And for the further vindication of His Majesties Honour and Integrity herein He doth Declare That He is so far from considering any thing contained in those Papers or Writings framed by the said Earl and those Commissioners with whom he Treated as He doth absolutely disavow him therein and hath given Commandement to the Lord Lieutenant and the Councell there to proceed against the said Earl as one who either out of falsenesse presumption or folly hath so hazarded the blemishing of His Majesties Reputation with His good Subjects and so impertinently framed those Articles of his own head without the Consent Privity or Directions of His Majesty or the Lord Lieutenant or any of His Majesties Councell there But true it is That for the necessary preservation of His Majesties Protestant Subjects in Ireland whose Case was daily represented unto Him to be so desperate His Majesty had given Commission to the Lord Lieutenant to Treat and Conclude such a Peace there as might be for the safety of that Crown the preservation of the Protestant Religion and no way derogatory to His own Honour and publike Professions But to the end that His Majesties reall intentions in this businesse of Ireland may be the more clearly understood and to give more ample satisfaction to both Houses of Parliament and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland especially concerning His Majesties not being engaged in any Peace or Agreement there He doth desire if the two Houses shall resolve to admit of His Majesties repair to London for a Personall Treaty as was formerly proposed that speedy notice be given thereof to His Majesty and a passe or safe Conduct with a blank sent for a Messenger to be immediatly dispatch'd into Ireland to
prevent any accident that may happen to hinder His Majesties Resolution of leaving the manageing of the businesse of Ireland wholly to the two Houses and to make no Peace there but with their consent which in case it shall please God to blesse His endevours in the Treaty with successe His Majesty doth hereby engage Himself to do And for a further explanation of His Majesties Intentions in His former Messages He doth now Declare That if His Personall repair to London as aforesaid shall be admitted and a Peace thereon shall ensue He will then leave the nomination of the Persons to be intrusted with the Militia wholly to His two Houses with such power and limitations as are expressed in the Paper delivered by His Majesties Commissioners at Uxbridge the 6. of Febr. 1644. for the terme of Seven years as hath been desired to begin immediately after the conclusion of the Peace the disbanding of all Forces on both sides and the dismantling of the Garrisons erected since these present Troubles so as at the expiration of the time before mentioned the power of the Militia shall entirely revert and remain as before And for their further security His Majesty the Peace succeeding will be content that pro hâc vice the two Houses shall nominate the Admirall Officers of State and Judges to hold their places during life or quâm diu se bene gesserint which shall be best liked to be accomptable to none but the King and the two Houses of Parliament As for matter of Religion His Majesty doth further Declare That by the liberty offered in his Message of the 15. present for the ease of their Consciences who will not communicate in the Service already established by Act of Parliament in this Kingdom He intends that all other Protestants behaving themselves peaceably in and towards the Civill Government shall have the free exercise of their Religion according to their own way And for the totall removing of all Fears and Jealousies His Majesty is willing to agree That upon the conclusion of Peace there shall be a generall Act of Oblivion and Free Pardon past by Acts of Parliaments in both his Kingdoms respectively And lest it should be imagined that in the making these Propositions his Majesties Kingdom of Scotland and his Subjects there have been forgotten or neglected his Majesty Declares That what is here mentioned touching the Militia and the naming of Officers of State and Judges shall likewise extend to his Kingdom of Scotland And now his Majesty having so fully and clearly expressed his Intentions and desires of making a happy and wel-grounded Peace if any person shall decline that happâ—nesse by opposing of so apparent a way of attaining it he will sufficiently demonstrate to all the world his intention and Designe can be no other then the totall subversion and change of the ancient and happy Government of this Kingdom under which the English Nation hath so long flourished Given at the Court at Oxford the 29 of Jan. 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore To be Communicated to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland HIs Majesties care and pains in the former part of this Message was wholly ineffectuall to the ends intended for as if they had secretly vowed as perhaps they have to go contrary to Him and Christian Religion in every thing they took advantage from this very businesse of Ireland thus disclaimed by the King to sclaunder Him further and defame Him to which purpose they publishâ—d soon after certain Papers with this Title The Earl of Glamâ—rgans negotiations and colourable CoÌ„mitment in Ireland that thereby it might be apprehended the King like themselves had dissembled in all He had said or writ about that matter And in their late Declaration they most impudently affirm that His Majesty gave a private Commission to the said Earl commanding him to manage it with all possible secresie and it contained say they such odious and shamefull things as Himself blush'd to owne or to impart to His own Lieutenant the Earl of Ormond this they write upon their own testimony as if they had been eye and ear witnesses of the same and all the world were bound to believe them sed Deus vindex God shall judge and revenge too upon them the cause of His Anointed to whom His Gospel commands Honour and themselves have often sworn Reverence And as His Majs care in the former was ineffectual so His grace in the latter part of this Message was altogether fruitlesse for though Subjects if Subjects were they never so guilty could wish for no more then is there offered for there is Liberty for their Consciences Safety for their Persons Security for their Estates Greatnesse for their Desires and Peace to increase all and all this but for leave to let the rest of His people their fellow-Subjects as good men as themselves and much better live in peace by them yet all will not do nothing will work upon them for like Pope Boniface the 8. of that name they came in like Foxes and therefore mean to live like Lions though they die like Dogs so that Rebellion we see is a sin unpardonable like that against the Holy Ghost not because it cannot but because it will not be forgiven His Majesty after the sending this last Message of the 29. of Ianuary tarryes a moneth longer even till Feb. 28. in expectation of somewhat from them in Answer to His longing desires and then though He was apprehensive how He had by His often sending hazarded His Honour to be questioned as well as His proper interests to be divided or divorced from Him yet to declare further still to all the world that His Peoples Preservation was more dear to Him then both He doth once again in their behalf importune these men for the Blessing of Peace in these words His Majesties ninth Message CHARLES R. His Majesty needs to make no excuse though He sent no more Messages unto you for He very well knows He ought not to doe it if He either stood upon punctilio's of Honour or His own private interest the one being already call'd in question by His often sending and the other assuredly prejudg'd if a Peace be concluded from that He hath already offered He having therein departed with many of His undoubted Rights But nothing being equally dear unto him to the preservation of his people his Majesty passeth by many scruples neglects and delaies and once more desires you to give him a speedy Answer to his last Message for his Majesty believes it doth very well become him after this very long delay at last to utter his impatience since that the goods and bloud of his Subjects cries so much for Peace Given at the Court at Oxford the 26 of Febr. 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore To be Communicated to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster and
appearance against them His Armies being for most part of the time disbanded and His Townes and Garrisons resigned In a word we shall present to the worlds review onely those Messages for Peace sent from his Majesty in these two last years since a little before He laied down His Sword and ceased from Action against them whereby it will be manifest enough what little cause they have to speak as they doe in Commendation of themselves and their owne good natures or to suggest of the King as if He were so unperswadable to this very day that neither their owne sighs and groans and tears will incline Him to be quiet nor the crying bloud of Fathers Brothers Children and of many Hundred thousand free-born Subjects in three great Kingdomes can prevail with him to desist from Cruelty and destruction And then after this we shall desire to see what Evidence themselves can alleage for what they have said we shall wish they would produce the strong reasons they have used to shew those Humble addresses which they have made and doe so much boast of that they would let us Hear some or their self-denying streins affectionate expressions or devout Petitions which as they infer have so respectfully and tenderly flowed from them so often and so long that thereby the world to whom they appeal may Judge in this case betwixt their King and them which if they are not able to doe no question but what they have voted of Him will be generally concluded of them viz. that they are worthy to be interdicted all Humane society to have no more Messages sent or offers made unto them nor any request or Petitions hereafter received from them And that the King should say to them as God doth to such as they Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hands and no man regarded but have set at nought all my Councels and slighted all my motions therefore when your fear commeth as Desolation and your Destruction as a whirlewind when distresse and anguish is upon you then you shall call unto me but I will not answer you shall seek mercy from me but you shall not find it you shall eat the fruit of your owne waies and be filled with your owne devises As you have done so shall it be done unto you His Majesties most Gracious Messages for Peace sent to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster since the 5. of Dec. 1645. His Majesties first Message CHARLES R. HIs Majesty being deeply sensible of the Continuation of this bloody and unnaturall Warre cannot think Himself discharg'd of the duty He owes to God or the affection and regard He hath to the preservation of His People without the constant application of His earnest endeavours to finde some expedient for the speedy ending of these unhappy distractions if that may be doth therefore desire That a Safe Conduct may be forthwith sent for the Duke of Richmond the Earle of Southampton Iohn Ashburnham and Ieffery Palmer Esquires and their Attendants with Coaches Horses and other Accommodations for their Journey to Westminster during their stay there and return when they shall think fit Whom His Majesty intends to send to the Lords Commons assembled in the Parliament of England at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland furnished with such Propositions as His Majesty is confident will be the Foundation of a happy and well-grounded Peace Given at the Court at Oxford the 5. of Decem. 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore THis Message being received a Letter was sent thereupon from the Speakers of both Houses to Sir Thomas Glemham the then Governour of Oxford promising an Answer to it with all convenient speed which His Majesty expected with silence accordingly ten dayes and then solicites them again for the same thing which He had done before as followeth His Majesties second Message CHARLES R. HIs Majesty cannot but extremely wonder that after so many Expressions on your part of a deep and seeming sense of the miseries of this afflicted Kingdome and of the dangers incident to His Person during the continuance of this unnaturall War your many great and so often repeated Protestations that the raising of these Arms hath been onely for the necessary defence of Gods true Religion His Majesties Honour Safety and Prosperity the Peace Comfort and Security of His People you should delay a Safe Conduct to the persons mentioned in His Majesties Message of the fifth of this instant December which are to be sent unto you with Propositions for a well-grounded Peace A thing so far from having been denyed at any times by His Majesty whensoever you have desired the same that He believes it hath been seldome if ever practiced among the most avowed and professed enemies much lesse from Subjects to their King But His Majesty is resolved that no discouragements whatsoever shall make Him faile of His part in doing His uttermost endeavours to put an end to these Calamities which if not in time prevented must prove the ruine of this unhappy Nation And therefore doth once againe desire That a safe Conduct may be forthwith sent for those persons expressed in His former Message and doth therefore Conjure you as you will answer to Almighty God in that day when he shal make inquisition for all the Bloud that hath and may yet be spilt in this unnaturall War as you tender the preservation and establishment of the true Religion by all the Bonds of Duty and Allegiance to your King or compassion to your bleeding and unhappy Country and of Charity to your selves that you dispose your hearts to a true sense and imploy all your faculties in a more serious endevour together with His Majesty to set a speedy end to these wasting Divisions and then He shall not doubt but that God will yet again give the blessing of Peace to this distracted Kingdom Given at the Court at Oxford the 15. of December 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore THis Message seconding the former spake as many others had done His Majesties earnestnesse for Peace and how much affected He was with his peoples miseries in the want of it but 't is thought meet by them to whom 't is sent to make His Heart more sicke by delaying His hopes and therefore neglecting their owne promise of returning an Answer with all convenient speed they cause him to wait ten daies longer at the end of which time they seemed as far from remembering either Him or themselves as at the beginning which His Majesty observing and withall conceiving this unwillingnes in them to admit of Peace might be for that He had motioned to send it by others apprehended because they had in pretence at least fought so long to injoy His presence that if himself should carry it they would undoubtedly both imbrace that and reverence Him and thereupon offers to go unto them and to Treat personally
Lord for thou beholdest mischief and spight to requite it with thine hand O keep not long silence therefore be not far off from thine Anointed Stir up thy self and awake to his Judgment and unto His cause thou art his God thou alone art his Lord Judge thou for Him according to thy righteousnesse and let not these miscreant men triumph any longer over Him let them not say in their hearts Ah! so would we have it Let them not say we have swallowed him up let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at his hurt yea let them be cloathed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against Him but let them shout for joy and ever have cause to be glad that favour His righteous cause yea let them say continually Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant Amen Amen His Majesty at last having waited two months for Answer was sufficiently informed by their silence how vainly He laboured in soliciting for His Chaplains and thereupon forbears to be further importunate in that businesse it concerned His own particular self and comfort and He can more easily desist in pursuing a thing of that nature then in seeking for a blessing which more immediately concerns His people and therefore though His request for Peace had been rejected thirteen times already in lesse then thirteen months yet He cannot hold from renewing that yea though they had frustrated His expectation a long time in not sending such Propositions as they had promised or given Him hopes to receive for His more full and clear understanding their sence in the former and did also keep His Person in so unworthy so unheard of and so provocative a Condition as might have swell'd with stoutnesse the mildest heart and awaken'd passion had it not been dead in a very Martyr yet with the greatest meeknesse and sweetnesse of stile that can be imagined doth He write unto them again and sends most gracious Answers to their former unreasonable Propositions after He had diligently endevoured and studied divers moneths how to make them such as salva conscientia might be most agreeable to the likings of His Parliaments His words are these His Majesties sixteenth Message His Majesties most gracious Message for Peace from Holdenby with His Answer to the Propositions CHARLES R. AS the daily expectation of the comming of the Propositions hath made His Majesty this long time to forbear giving His Answer unto them so the appearance of their sending being no more for any thing He can hear then it was at His first comming hither notwithstanding that the Earl of Louderdale hath been at London above these ten daies whose not coming was said to be the onely stop hath caused His Majesty thus to anticipate their coming to Him and yet considering His Condition that His Servants are denied accesse to Him all but very few and those by appointment not His own Election and that it is declared a crime for any but the Commissioners or such who are particularly permitted by them to converse with His Majesty or that any Letters should be given to or received from Him may He not truly say that He is not in case fit to make Concessions or give Answers since He is not master of those ordinary Actions which are the undoubted Rights of any free-born man how mean soever his birth be And certainly he would still be silent as to this subject untill His Condition were much mended did He not prefer such a right understanding betwixt Him and His Parliaments of both Kingdoms which may make a firm and lasting Peace in all His Dominions before any particular of His own or any earthly blessing and therefore His Majesty hath diligently imployed His utmost indevours for divers moneths past so to inform His Understanding and satisfie His Conscience that He might be able to give such Answers to the Propositions as would be most agreeable to His Parliaments but He ingenuously professes that notwithstanding all the pains that He hath taken therein the nature of some of them appears such unto Him that without disclaiming that Reason which God hath given him to judge by for the good of Him and His People and without putting the greatest violence upon His own Conscience He cannot give His consent to all of them Yet His Majesty that it may appear to all the World how desirous He is to give full satisfaction hath thought fit hereby to expresse His readinesse to grant what He may and His willingnesse to receive from them and that personally if His two Houses at Westminster shall approve thereof such further Information in the rest as may best convince His judgment and satisfie those doubts which are not yet clear unto Him desiring them also to consider that if His Majesty intended to wind Himself out of these troubles by indirect means were it not easie for Him now readily to consent to what hath or shall be proposed unto Him and afterwards chuse His time to break all alleaging that forc'd Concessions are not to be kept surely He might and not incur a hard censure from indifferent men But maximes in this kind are not the guides of His Majesties actions for He freely and clearly avows that He holds it unlawfull for any man and most base in a King to recede from His promises for having been obtained by force or under restraint wherefore His Majesty not only rejecting those acts which He esteems unworthy of Him but even passing by that which he might well insist upon a point of honour in respect of His present condition thus answers the first Proposition That upon His Majesties coming to London He will heartily joyne in all that shall concern the Honour of His two Kingdomes or the Assembly of the States of Scotland or of the Commissioners or Deputies of either Kingdome particularly in those things which are desired in that Proposition upon confidence that all of them respectively with the same tenderness will look upon those things which concern His Majesties Honour In answer to all the Propositions concerning Religion His Majesty proposeth that He will confirm the Presbyteriall Government the Assembly of Divines at Westminster and the Directory for three years being the time set down by the two Houses so that His Majesty and His Houshold be not hindred from that form of Gods Service which they formerly have And also 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 Hâ—s Majesty and the two Houses how the Church shall be governed after the said three years or sooner if differences may be agreed Touching the Covenant His Majesty is not yet therein satisfied desires to respite His particular answer thereunto until His coming to London because it being a matter of conscience He cannot give a resolution therein till He may be assisted with the advice of