WE have with unspeak­able grief of heart long beheld the distra­ctions of this Our Kingdom; Our very soul is full of anguish untill We may finde some remedy to prevent the Miseries which are ready to overwhelm this whole Nation by a civill War: And though all Our endeavours tending [Page 2] to the Composing of those unhappy dif­ferences betwixt Vs & Our two Houses of Parliament (though pursued by Vs with all Zeal and Sincerity) have bin hitherto without that Successee Who­ped for; Yet such is Our constant and earnest care to preserve the publike Peace, that We shall not be discoura­ged from using any Expedient, which by the blessing of the God of Mercy may lay a firm foundation of Peace and Happinesse to all Our good Sub­jects: To this end observing that ma­ny Mistakes have arisen by the Mes­sages, Petitions and Answers betwixt Vs and Our two Houses of Parlia­ment, which happily may be prevent­ed by some other way of Treatie, wherein the Matters in difference may be more cleerly understood, and more freely transacted; We have thought fit to propound to you, That some fit persons may be by you inabled to treat with the like number to be authorized by Vs, in such a manner, and with [Page 3] such freedom of Debate, as may best tend to that happy Conclusion, which all good-men desire, The Peace of the Kingdom: Wherein as We promist in the Word of a King all safety and encouragement to such as shall be sent unto Vs, if you shall choose the place where We are for the Treaty, which We wholly leave to you, presuming of the like care of the safety of those We shall imploy, if you shall name an­other place; So We assure you and all Our good Subjects, that (to the best of Our understanding) nothing shall be therein wanting on Our part, which may advance the True Prote­stant Religion, Oppose Poperie and Superstition, Secure the Law of the Land (upon which is built as well Our just Prerogative, as the Propriety and Liberty of the Subject) Confirm all just Power & Priviledges of Parli­ament, and render Vs and Our people truely happy by a good Ʋnderstand­ing betwixt Vs and Our two Houses [Page 4] of Parliament. Bring with you as firm Resolutions to do your duty, and let all Our good People joyn with Vs in Our prayers to Almighty God for his blessing upon this Work.

If this Proposition shall be reje­cted by you, We have done Our duty so amply, that God will ab [...]olve Vs from the Guilt of any of that blood which must be spilt. And what opinion soever other Men may have of Our Power, We assure you nothing but Our Christi­an & Pious care to prevent the Effusion of blood hath begot this Motion, Our Provision of Men, Arms and Money being such as may secure Vs from further violence, till it please God to open the eyes of Our People.

THe Lords and Commons in Parlia­ment assembled, having received Your Majesties Message of the 25 of August, do with much grief re­sent the dangerous and distracted state of this Kingdom, which we have by all means endeavoured to prevent, both by our severall Advices and Petitions of Your Majesty, which have bin not only without successe, but there hath followed that, which no ill counsell in former times hath produced, or any age hath seen, namely, those severall Proclama­tions and Declarations against both the Houses of Parliament, whereby their Actions are declared Treasonable, and their Persons Traitors; And thereupon Your Majestie hath set up Your Stand­ard against them, whereby You have put the two Houses of Parliament, and in them this whole Kingdom out of Your Protection; so that untill Your Majestie shall recall those Proclamations and Declarations, whereby the Earl of Essex and both [Page 6] Houses of Parliament, and their adherents and as­sistante, and such as have obeyed and executed their commands & directions, according to their duties, are declared Traitors, or otherwise delinquents; And untill the Standard set up in pursuance of the said Proclamations be taken down, Your Majestie hath put us into such a condition, that whilest we so remain we cannot by the fundamentall Priviled­ges of Parliament, the publike trust reposed in us, or with the generall good and safetie of this Kingdome give Your Maje­stie any other Answer to this Message.

WE will not repeat what means We have used to prevent the dangerous and distracted estate of the Kingdom, nor how those meanes have been interpreted, because being desirous to avoid effusion of blood We are willing to decline all memory of former bitternesse that might make Our offer of a Treatie lesse readily accepted.

We never did Declare, nor ever intended to Declare both Our Houses of Parliament Trai­tours, or set up Our Standard against them, and much lesse to put them and this Kingdom out of Our Protection: We utterly Professe against it before God and the World. And fur­ther to remove all possible Scruples which may hinder the Treaty so much desired by Vs; We hereby Promise, so that a day he ap­pointed by you for the revoking of your Decla­rations against all Persons as Traitours or otherwayes, for assisting of Vs, We shall with all cheerfulnesse upon the same day recall Our [Page 8] Proclamations and Declarations, and take down Our Standard: In which Treaty We shall be ready to grant any thing that shall be really for the good of Our Subjects; Con­juring you to consider the bleeding, condition of Ireland, and the dangerous condition of Eng­land, in as high a degree as by these Our offers We have declared Our Self to do: And assu­ring you that Our chief desire in this world is to beget a good understanding and mu­tuall confidence betwixt Vs and Our two Houses of Parliament.

IF we the Lords and Com­mons in Parliament assem­bled should repeat all the waies we have taken, the en­deavours we have used, and the expressions we have made unto Your Majestie to prevent those Distracti­ons and Dangers Your Majestie speaks of, likely to fall upon this Kingdom, we should too much enlarge the Reply; therefore as we humbly, so shall we onely let Your Majestie know, that we cannot recede from our former Answer, for the Reasons therein expressed: For that Your Majestie hath not taken down Your Stan­dard, [Page 10] Recalled Your Proclamations and Declarations, whereby You have declared the Actions of both Houses of Parliament to be Treasonable, and their Persons Traitours, and You have published the same since Your Message of the 25 of Au­gust, by Your late Instructions sent to Your Commissioners of Array: Which Standard being taken down, and the Declarati­ons, Proclamations and Instructions re­called, if Your Majestie shall then upon this our humble Petition, leaving Your Forces, Return unto Your Parliament, and receive their faithfull Advice, Your Majestie will finde such Expressions of our fidelities and duties as shall assure You, That Your Safety, Honour and Greatnesse can onely be found in the Affections of Your People, and the sincere Counsels of Your Parliament whose constant and un­discouraged Endeavours and Consultati­ons have passed through Difficulties un­heard of, onely to secure Your Kingdoms from the violent Mischiefs and Dangers now ready to fall upon them, and every [Page 11] part of them; who deserve better of Your Majestie, and can never allow themselves (representing likewise Your whole King­dom) to be balanced with those persons, whose desperate Dispositions and Coun­sels prevail still so to interrupt all our Endeavours for the relieving of bleed­ing Ireland, as we may fear our Labours and vast expences will be fruitlesse to that di­stressed Kingdom. As Your presence is thus humbly desired by vs, so is it in our hopes Your Majestie will in Your Reason be­leeve, there is no other way then this to make Your Majesties self happy, and Your Kingdom safe.

WE have taken most wayes, used most endeavours, and made most reall expressions to pre­vent the present Distractions and Dangers, let all the world judge, as well by former Passages, as by Our two last Messages, which have been so fruitlesse, that (though We have de­scended to desire and presse it) not so much as a Treatie can be obtained, un­lesse We would denude Our Self of all Force to defend Vs from a visible Strength Marching against Vs, and admit those Persons as Trai­tours to Vs, who according to their Duetie, their Oathes of Allegiance, and the Law, have appeared in de­fence of Vs their King and Liege Lord (whom We are bound in [Page 13] Conscience and Honour to preserve) though We disclaimed all Our Procla­mations and Declarations, and the erecting of Our Standard as against Our Parliament. All We have now left in Our Power is, to expresse the deep Sense We have of the publike misery of this Kingdom, in which is involved that of Our distressed Pro­testants of Ireland, and to apply Our Self to Our necessary Defence, where­in We wholly rely upon the providence of God, the Iustice of Our Cause, and the Affection of Our good People, so far We are from putting them out of Our Protection. When you shall desire a Treaty of Vs, We shall pi­ously remember whose Blood is to be spilt in this Quarrell, and cheerfully embrace it. And as no other Reason induced Vs to leave Our city of London, but that with Honour and Safety We could not stay there; nor raise any Force, but for the necessary Defence of Our Person and the Law, against Lea­vies [Page 14] in opposition to both; so We shall suddenly and most willingly return to the One, and disband the Other, as soon as those Causes shall be removed. The God of Heaven direct you, and in mercy divert those Iudgements which hang over this Nation, and so deal with Vs and Onr Posterity, as We desire the Preservation and Advance­ment of the true Protestant Religion, the Law and the Liberty of the Subject, the just Rights of Par­liament, and the Peace of the Kingdom.