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 thinke, that things had not falne out as now We see. But it is no wonder that men are so slow to beleeve that so great a sedition should bee raised on so little ground. But now my Lords and Gentle­men, the honour and safety of this Kingdome lying so neerely 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 Kingdome, 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 Kingdome, wherein there are two parts chiefly considerable. First, the chasti­sing out of the Rebells. And secondly, the other in satis­ying your just grievances, wherein I shall promise you to concur so heartily and cleerly with you, that all the [Page 2]world may see my intentions have ever beene, and shall be, to make this a glorious and flourishing Kingdome. 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, wherin the Lords that waited upon me at Yorke assisted me, will onely maintaine my Army for two months from the beginning of that time it was granted. Now my Lords and Gentle­men I leave it to your considerations, what dishonour and mischiefe it might be, in case for want of mony my Army be disbanded, before the Rebels be put out of this Kingdome. 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 J leave this also to your consideration, for the ordering of these great affaires whereof you are to treat at this time. J am so confident of your love to me, & that yor care is for the honour and safety of the Kingdome, 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. J have cōmanded my L. Keeper to give you a short and free account of these things that have happened in this interim, with this protestation, that if this account be not satisfactory as it ought to be, J shall whensover you desire, give you a full and perfect account of every parti­cular. One thing more J desire of you, as one of the grea­test meanes to make this a happy Parliament; That you on your parts, as J on mine, lay aside all suspition one of another, as J promised my Lords at York: Jt shall not be my fault if this be not a happy and good Parliament.

I Do expect that you wil 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 selfe on their love and affections at that time; and that you may know the better how to doe so, I will explain my selfe concerning one thing I spake the last day. I told you the Rebels must be put out of this Kingdome; it's true, I must needs call them so, so long as they have an Army that do invade us; & 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: it's 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 wisedoms & assistances to have made an end of that bu­sinesse; but I must tell you, that my subjects of Scotland did so delay them, that it was not possible to end there: therefore J can no wayes blame my Lords that were at Rippon, that the treaty was not ended, but must thanke them for their pain [...] & 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 J shall conclude nothing without your knowledge, and J doubt not but by your appr [...]ation; for J do not desire to have this great work done in a corner, for J shall lay [Page 4]open all the steps to 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 comming here at this time, is, by rea­son of the slow proceedings in Parliament, touching which is a great deale 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 Kingdome in a manner maintained by you, the very naming of which, doth more clearly shew the inconvenience thereof, then a better tongue then mine can expresse.

Therefore in the first place, I shall recommend unto you the quicke 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 Navie & Forts; the condition of both which is so well known unto you, that I need not tell you the particulars, only thus much, they are the walls and de­fence of this Kingdome, which if out of order, all men may easily judge what incouragement it will be to our [Page 5]enemies, and what disheartning 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 commeth that divine Service is irreverent­ly interrupted, and Petitions in an [...]ll 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 cleare 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 Iustice may be reformed according to Law. For my in­tention is clearly to reduce all things to the best & pu­rest times, as they were in the time of Qu. Elizabeth.

Moreover, whatsoever part of my revenue shall bee found illegal or heavy to my subjects, I shall be willing to lay down, trusting in their affections. Having thus clearly and shortly set down my intentions, I wil shew you some rubs, and must needs take notice of some very strange (I know not what tearme 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 wisedome of former times; so farre I shall goe with you, no farther.

If upon serious debate, you shall shew, that Bishops have some temporall authority, not so necessary for the [Page 6]government of the Church, and upholding Episcopall jurisdiction, I shall not be unwilling to desire them to lay it downe; but this must not bee understood, that I shall any way consent that their voyce in Parliamen 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 maintaine them in it, as one of the fundamentall institutions of this Kingdome.

There is one other rock you are on not in substance but in service; and the forme is so essentiall, that unlesse it be reformed, will split you on that rock.

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 defire to give you content in sub­stance as well as in shew, that you shall have a Bill for doing thereof, so that it doe not trench neither against my Honour, neither against the ancient prerogatives of the Crowns concerning Parliaments, ingeniously con­fesse, often Parliaments is the fittest means to keep correspondency between Me and my people, that I doe so much desire.

To conclude, now all that I have shewn you, the state of my affaires, my owne cleare intentions, and the rockes I would have you shun.

To give you all contentment, you shall likewise find by these Ministers, I have or shall have about mee 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 bee as happily passed over as this shall be at this time, I doe not know what you can ask, for ought I can see it this time, that I can make any question to yeeld unto: Ther­fore 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 speake freely, I have had no great incouragement to doe 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 all in pieces, 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 goe the better, so that he leave not foorth not 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 shal 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 answere.

That I take in good part your care of the true Re­ligion establish▪d in this Kingdome, from which I will ne­ver d [...]part, as also for the tendernesse of my safety, and security of this State and Government: It is agai [...]st [...]y minde, that Popery or Superstition should any way increase within this Kingdome, and will restrain the same by put­ting the Lawes into execution.

I am resolved to provide against the Iesuits and Papists, by setting foorth a Proclamation with [...]ll speed, comman­ding them to depart the Kingdome within one month, which if they faile, or shall returne, they shall be proceeded a­gainst according to the Law [...]s

Concerning Rosettie: I give you to understand, that the Queene hath alwayes assured mee, that to her know­ledge hee hath no Commission, but onely to entertaine a personall correspondence, betweene 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, that since the misunderstanding of the persons condition gives offence, shee will within a convenient time remove him.

Moreover, I will take a speciall care to rest [...]ne 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 Queene Elizabeth, nor my Father did ever avow, that any Priest in their times was executed meerely for Religion, which to mee seemes to be this parti­cular case, yet seeing that I am pressed by both Houses, to give way to his, because I will avoyd the inconveniency of giving so great discontent to my People, as I conceive this Mercy may Produce, therefore I doe remit this Particular Cause to both the Houses: But I desire them to take into their Consideration, the inconveniences (as I conceive) may upon this occasion fall upon my Subjects and other Protestants abroad, especially since it may seeme to other States to be a severity, which Surprise having thus represen­ted, I thinke my selfe discharged from all ill consequence that may ensue upon the exe­cution of this Person.