THe knowledge I had of the desires of my Scottish Subjects, was the cause of my calling the last Assembly of Parliament, wherein had I been be­leeved; I sincerely think, that things had not faln out as now we see. But it is no wonder that men are so slow to beleeve that so great a sedition should be raised on so little ground. But now my Lords, and Gentlemen, the honour and safety of this Kingdom lying so nearly at the stake; I am resolved to put my self freely, and cleerly on the love and affections of my English Subjects, as these of my Lords that did wait on me at York, very well remem­ber I there declared. Therefore my Lords, I shall not men­tion mine own interest, or that support I might justly expect from you, till the common safety be secured; though I must tell you I am not ashamed to say, those charges I have been at, have been meerly for the securing and good of this Kingdom, though the successe hath not been answerable to my desires. Therefore I shall onely desire you to consider the best way both for the safety and security of this Kingdom, wherein their are two parts chiefly considerable. First, the chastising out of the Re­bels. And secondly, the other, in satisfying your just grievances, wherein I shall promise you to concurre so heartily and clearly with you, that all the World may [Page 4]see my intentions have ever been, and shall be, to make this a glorions and flourishing Kingdom. There are onely two things that I shall mention to you; First, the one is to tell you that the Loan of money which I lately had from the City of London, wherein the Lords that waited on me at York assisted me, will onely maintain my Army for two moneths from the beginning of that time it was granted. Now my Lords, and Gentlemen, I leave it to your considerations, what dishonour and mischief it might be, in case for want of money my Army be disband­ed, before the Rebels be put out of this Kingdom. Se­condly, the securing the calamities the Northern people endure at this time, and so long as the treaty is on foot. And in this I may say not onely they, but all this King­dome will suffer the harm; therefore I leave this also to your consideration, for the ordering of these great affairs whereof you are to treat at this time. I am so confident of your love to me, and that your care is for the honour and safety of the Kingdom, that I shall freely and willingly leave to you where to begin: onely this, that you may the better know the state of all the Affairs. I have commanded my Lord Keeper to give you a short and free accompt of these things that have hapned in this interim, with this Protestation, that if this accompt be not satisfactory as it ought to be. I shall whensoever you desire, give you a full and perfect accompt of every particular. One thing more I desire of you, as one of the greatest means to make this a happy Parliament; That you on your parts, as I on Mine, lay aside all suspition one of another, as I promised my Lords at York; It shall not be my fault if this be not a happy and good Parliament.

I do expect that you will hastily make relation to the House of Commons, of those great affairs, for which I have called you hither at this time, and for the trust I have reposed in them, and how freely I put my self [...]n their love and affections at that time; and that you may know the better how to do so, I shall explain my self concerning one thing I spake the last day. I told you the Rebells must be put out of this Kingdom; its true, I must needs call them so, so long as they have an Army that do invade us; and although I am under treaty with them, and I under my great Seal do call them Subjects, and so they are too, but the state of my Affairs in short is this. Its true, I did expect when I did will my Lords and great ones at York, to have given a gracious answer to all your grievances; for I was in good hope by their wisedomes and assistances to have made an end of tha [...] bu­sinesse, but I must tell you that my Subjects of Scotland did so delay them, that it was not possible to end there: Therefore I can no wayes blame my Lords that were at Rippon, that the treaty was not ended, but must thank them for their pains and industry, and certainly had they as much power as affections, I should by that time have brought these distempers to a happy period; so that now the treaty is transported from Rippon to London, where I shall conclude nothing without your knowledge, and I doubt not but by your approbation; for I do not desire to have this great work done in a corner, for I shall [...]ay [Page 6]open all the steps of this mis-understanding, and causes of the great differences between Me and my Subjects of Scotland. And I doubt not but by your assistance to make them know their duty, and also by your assistance to make them return whether they will or no.

THe Knights, Citizens, Burgesses; The principall cause of my coming here at this time, is by rea­son of the flow proceedings in Parliament, touch­ing which is a great deal of inconvenience.

Therefore I think it very necessary to lay before you the state of my affairs as now they stand, thereby to hasten (not interrupt) your proceedings.

First, I must remember you that there are two Armies, in the Kingdom, in a manner maintained by you, the very naming of which, doth more cleerly shew the incon­venience thereof, then a better tongue then mine can expresse.

Therefore in the first place, I shall recommend unto you the quick dispatch of that businesse, assuring you that it cannot rest upon me.

In the next place I must recommend unto you the State of my Navy and Forts; the condition of both which is so well known unto you, that I need not tell you the particulars, onely thus much; they are the Walls and de­fence of this Kingdom, which if out of order, all men may easily judge what incouragement it will be to Our [Page 7]enemies, and what dishearing to our friends.

Last of all, (and not of the least to be considered) I must lay before you the distractions that are at this pre­sent occasioned through the cause of Parliament; for there are some men that more maliciously then ignorantly, will put no difference between Reformation, and alteration of government.

Hence it cometh that divine Service is irreverently interrupted, and Petitions in an ill way given in, neither disputed nor denied. But I will enter into no more parti­culars, but shew you a way of remedy, by shewing you my cleer intentions, and some mark that may hinder this good work.

I shall willingly and cheerfully concur with you for the Reformation of all Innovations both in Church, and Common-wealth, and consequently that all Courts of Justice may be reformed according to Law. For my in­tentions is cleerly to reduce all things to the best and pu­rest times as they were in the time of Queen Elizabeth.

Moreover, whatsoever part of my Revenew shall be found illegall or heavy to my Subjects, I shall be willing to lay down, trusting in their affections. Having thus cleerly and shortly set down my intentions, I will shew you some rubs, and must needs take notice of some very strange (I know not what tearm to give them) Petitions given in the name of divers Counties, against the establi­shed government of the Church, and of the great threat­nings against the Bishops, that they will make them to be but a Cipher, or at least taken away.

If some of them have incroached too much upon the Temporalty (if it be so) I shall not be unwilling these things should be redressed and reformed, as all other a­buses according to the wisdome of former times; so farre I shall go with you, no farther.

If upon serious debate you shall shew that Bishops have some Temporall Authority, not so necessary for the go­vernment [Page 8]of the Church, and upholding Episcopall Ju­risdiction; I shall not be unwilling to desire them to lay it down, but this must not be understood, that I shall any way conse [...]t that their voyce in Parliament should be ta­ken away; for in all the times of my Predecessors since the Conquest; and before, they have enjoyed it; I am bound to maintain them in it, as one of the fundamentall Institutions of this Kingdom.

There is one other Rock you are on, not in substance, but in service; and the form is so essentiall, that unlesse it be reformed, will split you on that R [...]ck.

There is a Bill lately put in concerning Parliaments. The thing I like well to have frequent Parliaments, but for Sheriffes and Constables to use my Authority, I can no wayes consent unto.

But to shew that I desire to give you content in sub­stance as well as in shew, that you shall have a Bill for doing thereof, so that it do not trench neither against my Honor, neither against the ancient Prerogatives of the Crownes concerning Parliaments, Ingeniously confesse, often Parliaments is the sittest means to keep correspon­dency between Me and my People, that I do so much desire.

To conclude, now all that I have shewn you, the state of my Affairs, My own cleer intentions, and the Rooks I would have you shun.

To give you all contentment, you shall likewise finde by these Ministers, I have, or shall have, about me for the effecting of these my good intentions; which shall re­double the peace of the Kingdome, and content you all. Concerning the conference, you shall have a direct answer on Mun­day, which shall give you satisfaction.

MY Lords, and you the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the House of Commons; you may remember when both Houses were with Me at the Banquetting House at Whitehall, I did declare unto you two Rocks I wished you to eschew, this is the one of them, and of that consequence, that I think never Bill passed here in this House of more favour to the Subjects then this is, and if the other Rock be as happily passed over as this shall be at this time, I do not know what you can ask, for ought I can see at this time, that I can make any question to yeeld unto: Therefore I mention this to shew unto you the sence that I have of this Bill, and ob­ligation, as I may say, that you have to me for it, for hi­therto, to speak freely, I have had no great incouragement to do it; if I should look to the outward face of your actions or proceedings, and not look to the inward intentions of your hearts, I might make question of do­ing it.

Hitherto you have gone on in that which concernes your selves to amend, and yet those things that meerly [Page 10]concernes the strength of this Kingdom, neither for the State, nor my own particular.

This I mention, not to reproach you, but to shew you the state of things as they are, you have taken the Govern­ment almost in peeces, and I may say, it is almost off the hinges.

A skilfull Watchmaker to make clean his Watch, he will take it a sunder, and when it is put together, it will go the better, so that he leave not forth then one pin in it.

Now as I have done all this on my part, you know what to do on your parts, and I hope you shall see cleerly that I have performed really what I expressed to you at the beginning of this Parliament, of the great trust I have of your affections to me, and this is the great expression of trust, that before you do any thing for me, that I do put such a confidence in you.

HAving taken into my serious consideration, the late Remonstrance made unto me by the House of Parliament, I give you this answer.

That I take in good part your care of the true Religi­on established in this Kingdome, from which I will never depart, as also for the tendernesse of my safety, and se­curity of this State and Government: It is against my minde, that Popery or Superstition should any way en­crease within this Kingdome, and will restrain the same by causing the Laws to be put in execution.

I am resolved to provide against the Jesuits and Papists, by setting forth a Proclamation with all speed, command­ing them to depart the Kingdome within one Moneth, which if they fail, or shall return, then they shall be pro­ceeded against according to the Laws.

Concerning Rosettie; I give you to understand, that the Queen hath alwayes assured me, that to her know­ledge he hath no Commission, but onely to entertain a personall correspondence between her and the Pope, in things requisite for the Exercise of her Religion, which is warranted to her by the Articles of Marriage, which [Page 12]give her a full Liberty of Conscience; yet I have per­swaded her, that since the misunderstanding of the Per­sons condition gives offence, she will within a convenient time remove him.

Moreover, I will take a speciall care to restrain my Subjects from resorting to Masse at Denmark house, Saint James, and the Chappel of Ambassadors.

Lastly, concerning John Goodman the Priest, I will let you know the reason why I reprived him, that as I am en­formed, neither Queen Elizabeth, nor my Father did ever avow, that any Priest in their times was executed meerly for Religion, which to me seems to be this particular case, yet seeing that I am pressed by both Houses, to give way to his, because I will avoid the inconveniency of giving so great discontent to my people, as I conceive this Mercy may produce, therefore I do remit this particular Cause to both the Houses: But I desire them to take into their consideration, the inconveniencies (as I conceive) may upon this occasion fall upon my Subjects and other Pro­testants abroad, especially since it may seem to other States to be a severity, which surprise having thus represented, I think my self dischar­ged from all ill consequence that may ensue upon the ex­ecution of this person.