WE suppose these Demands by this time to appear such as the De­manders cannot be supposed to have any such reall fear of us as hath been long pretended, they are too much in the style, not onely of equals, but of Conquerours, and as little to be in­tended for removing of jealousies (for which end they are said to be asked, and that is not as Merchants ask at first much more then they will take, but as most necessary to effect it which (if they be) God help this poor Kingdom, and those who are in the hands of such persons, whose jealousies nothing else will remove) which indeed is such a way, as if here being differences and suits between two per­sons, where of one would have from the other se­veral parcels of his ancient Land, he should propose [Page 2] to him by way of accommodation, that he would quit to him all those in question, with the rest of his Estate, as the most necessarie and effectuall means to remove all those suits and differences. But we call God to witness, that as for our Subjects sake these Rights are vested in us, so for their sakes, as well as for our own, We are resolved not to quit them, nor to subvert, (though in a Parliamentary way) the anci­ent, equal, happy, well-poised, and never-enough commended Constitution of the Government of this Kingdome, nor to make our Self of a King of England a Duke of Venice, and this of a Kingdome a Republique.

There being three kinds of Government amongst men, Absolute Monarchie, Aristocracy, and De­mocracy, and all these having their particular con­veniences and inconveniencies. The experience and wisdome of your Ancestors hath so moulded this out of a mixture of these, as to give to this Kingdome (as far as humane prudence can provide) the convenien­cies of all three, without the inconveniencies of any one, as long as the Balance hangs even betweene the three Estates, and they run joyntlie on in their proper Chanel (begetting Verdure and Fertility in the Meadows on both sides) and the overflowing of either on either side raise no deluge or Inundation. The ill of absolute Monarchie is Tyranny, the ill of Aristocracy is Faction and Division, the ills of Democracy are Tumults, Violence and Licenti­ousnesse. The good of Monarchie is the uniting a Nation under one Head to resist invasion from a­broad, and Insurrection at home: The good of A­ristocracie is the Conjunction of Counsel in the ablest [Page 3] persons of a State for the publick benefit: The good of Democracie is Liberty, and the Courage and Industrie which Libertie begets.

In this Kingdome the Laws are joyntlie made by a King, by a House of Peeres, and by a House of Commons chosen by the People, all having free Votes and particular Priviledges: The Government according to these Laws, is trusted to the King, Pow­er of Treaties of War and Peace, of making Peers, of choosing Officers and Councellours for State, Judges for Law, Commanders for Forts and Castles, giving Commissions for raising men to make Warre abroad, or to prevent or provide against Invasions or Insurrections at home, benefit of Confiscations, pow­er of pardoning, and some more of the like kinde are placed in the King. And this kinde of regula­ted Monarchie having this power to preserve that Authoritie without which it would be disabled to preserve the Laws in their Force, and the Subjects in their liberties and proprieties, is intended to draw to him such a respect and relation from the great Ones, as may hinder the ills of Division and Faction, and such a fear and reverence from the peo­ple, as may hinder tumults, violence, and licentious­ness. Again, that the Prince may not make use of this high and perpetual power to the hurt of those for whose good he hath it, and make use of the name of Publick necessitie for the gain of his private Favou­rites and Followers, to the detriment of his people, the House of Commons (an excellent Conserver of Libertie, but never intended for any share in Govern­ment, or the chusing of them that should governe) is solely intrusted with the first Propositions concern­ing [Page 4] Leavies of Money [...] (which is the sinews as well of Peace as War) and the impeaching of those, who for their own ends, though countenanced by any sur­reptitiously gotten Command of the King have viola­ted that Law, which he is bound (When he knows it) to protect, and to the protection of which they were bound to advise him, at least not to serve him in the contrary. And the Lords being trusted with a Judi­catory power, are an excellent Screen and Bank be­tween the Prince and People, to assist each against a­ny incroachments of the other, and by just judge­ments to preserve that Law, which ought he to be the Rule of every one of the three. For the better en­abling them in this, beyond the examples of any of our Ancestors; We were willingly contented to oblige our self, both to call a Parliament every three years, and not to dissolve it in fifty dayes, and for the present exigent, the better to raise money, and avoid the pressure (no less grievous to us then them) our People must have suffered by a longer continuance of so vast a Charge as two great Armies, and for their greater certaintie of having sufficient time to reme­die the inconveniencies arisen during so long an ab­sence of Parliaments, and for the punishment of the Causers and Ministers of them, We yeelded up our Right of dissolving this Parliament, expecting an extraordinary moderation from it in gratitude for so unexampled a Grace, and little looking that any Ma­lignant Party should have been encouraged or ena­bled to have perswaded them, first to counte­nance the injustices and indignities we have endured, and then by a new way of Satisfaction for what was taken from us, to demand of us at once to [Page 5] Confirme what was so taken, and to give up al­most all the rest.

Since therefore the power Legally placed in both Houses, is more then sufficient to prevent and re­strain the power of Tyranny, and without the pow­er which is now asked from us, We shall not be able to discharge that Trust which is the end of Monar­chie, since this would be a total Subversion of the Fundamental Laws, and that excellent Constituti­on of this Kingdome, which hath made this Nation so many years both Famous and happie to a great de­gree of Envie; since to the power of punishing (which is already in your hands according to Law) if the power of preferring be added, we shall have no­thing left for us, but to look on; since the incroach­ing of one of these Estates upon the power of the other is unhappy in the effects both to them and all the rest; since this power of at most a joynt Go­vernment in us with our Counsellors, (or rather our Guardians) will return us to the worst kinde of Mi­nority, and make us despicable both at home and a­broad, and beget eternal Factions and Dissentions (as distructive to publick Happinesse as Warre) both in the chosen, and the Houses that chuse them, and the people who chuse the Chusers; since so new a power will undoubtedly intoxicate persons who were not born to it; and beget not onely Divisi­ons among them as equal, but in them contempt of us as become an equal to them, and insolence and injustice towards our people, as now so much their inferiours, which will be the more grievous unto them, as suffering from those who were so lately of a nearer degree to themselves, and being to have [Page 6] redress only from those that placed them, and fearing they may be enclined to preserve what they have made, both out of kindness and policy; since all great changes are extreamly inconvenient, and almost infallibly beget yet greater changes, which beget yet greater inconveniences.

Since as great an one in the Church must; follow this of the Kingdome; Since the second Estate would in all probabilitie follow the fate of the First, and by some of the same turbulent spirits jealousies would be soone raised against them; and the like Propositions for reconciliation of Differences would be then sent to them, as they now have joyned to send to us, till (all power being vested in the House of Commons, and their number making them inca­pable of transacting Affairs of State with the necessary Secrecie and expedition; those being retrusted to some close Committee) at last the common people (who in the mean time must be flattered, and to whom Licence must be given in all their wild humours, how contrary soever to established Law, on their own re­al Good) discover this Arcanum imperii, That all this was done by them, but not for them, grow weary of journy-work, and set up for themselves, call Parity and Independence; Liberty; devoure that Estate which had devoured the rest; Destroy all Rights and Proprieties, all distinctions of Fami­lies and Merit; And by this meanes this splendid and excellently distinguished form of Government end in a dark equal Chaos of confusion, and the long Line of our many noble Ancestors in a Jack Cade, or a Wat Tyler:

For all these Reasons to all these demands, our [Page 7] Answer is, Nolumus Leges Angliae mutari: But this we promise, that we will be as careful of preserving the Lawes in what is supposed to concerne wholly our Subjects, as in what most concernes our Self: For indeed we professe to believe, that the preser­vation of every Law concerns us, those of obedience being nor secure, when those of protection are violated; And we being most of any injuried in the least violation of that, by which we enjoy the highest Rights, and greatest Benefits, and are there­fore obliged to defend no lesse by our, interest then by our duty, and hope that no jealousies to the contrary shall be any longer nourished in any of our good peo­ple, by the subtil insinuations, and secret practices of men, who for private ends are disaffected to our honour and safety, and the peace and prosperity of our People. And to shew you, that no just indigna­tion at so reproachful offers shall make us refuse to grant what is probable to conduce to the good of our good People, because of the ill company it comes [...], We will search carefully in this heap of unrea­sonable demands, for so much as we may (complying with our conscience, and the duty of our Trust) assent unto, and shall accordingly agree to it.