WEE the Lords and Commons in Parlia­ment Assembled, do present this our humble Answer to your Majesties mes­sage of the 11. of this instant moneth of Septemb. When we consider the oppres­sions, rapines, firing of houses, murthers, (even at this time whilest your Majesty propounds a Treaty) Committed upon your good Sub­jects by your Souldiers, in the presence, and by the autho­rity of their commanders, being of the number of those, whom your Majesty holds your selfe bound in honour and conscience to protect as persons doing their duties; wee cannot thinke your Majesty hath done all that in you lies to prevent or remove the present distractions, nor so long [Page] as your Majesty will admit no peace without securing the Authors and Instruments of these mischiefes from the justice of the Parliament, which yet shall be ever dispenc'd with all requisite moderation, and distinction of offen­ces, although some of those persons be such in whose pre­servation your Kingdome cannot be safe, nor the unquesti­onable rights and priviledges of Parliament be maintain­ed: without which, the power and dignity thereof will fall into contempt: We beseech your Majesty therefore to con­sider your expressions, That God shall deale with you and your posterity as your Majesty desires the preservation of the just rights of Parliament, which being undeniable in the trying of such as we have declared to be Delinquents, we shall beleeve your Majesty, both towards your selte and Parliament, will not in this priviledge we are most sen­sible of, deny us that which belongs unto the meanest Court of Justice in this Kingdome: neither hath your Ma­jesty cause to complaine that you are denyed a Treaty, when we offer all that a Treaty can produce, or your Ma­jesty expect, security, honor, service, obedience, support, and all other effects of an humble loyall and faithfull subjecti­on; and seeke nothing, but that our Religion, Liberty, Peace of the Kingdome, sa [...]ty of the Parliament, may be secured from the open violence, and cunning practises of a wicked party, who have long plotted our ruine and de­struction: And if there were any cause of Treaty, we know no competent persons to Treate betwixt the King and Parliament: And if both cause and persons were such as to invite Treaty, The season is altogether unfit, whilest your Majesties Standard is up, and your Proclamations and Declarations [...]lled, whereby your Parliament is ch [...] with Treason.

[Page] If Your Majesty shall persist to make Your selfe a shield and defence to those instruments, and shall continue to reject our faithfull and necessary advice, for securing and maintaining Religion and Liberty, with the peace of the Kingdome, and safety of the Parliament, we doubt not but to indifferent judgments it will easily appeare who ismost tender of that innocent Blood which is like to be spilt in this cause, Your Majesty, who by such persisting, doth en­danger your selfe, and your Kingdomes, or we who are willing to hazzard our selves to preserve both. We hum­bly beseech Your Majesty to consider [...] [...]w impossible it is, that any Protestation, though published in Your Maje­sties Name, of Your tendernesse of the miseries of your Protestant Subjects in Ireland, of your resolution to main­taine the protestant Religion, and Lawes of this Kingdom, can give satisfaction to reasonable and indifferent men, when at the same time divers of the Irish Traytors and Rebels, the knowne favourers of them, and agents for them are admitted to Your Majesties presence with grace and favour, and some of them imployed in Your service: when the Cloathes, Munition, Horses, and other necessa­ries bought by Your Parliament, and sent for the supply of the Army against the Rebels there, are violently taken a­way, some by Your Majesties command, others by Your ministers, and applied to the maintenance of an unnaturall warre against Your people here.

All this notwithstanding, as we never gave your Majesty any just cause of withdrawing Your selfe from your great Councell, so it hath ever been and shall ever be farre from us to give any impediment to your returne, or to neglect any proper meanes of curing the distempers of the King­dome, and closing the dangerous breaches betwixt your [Page] Majesty and your Parliament, according to the great trust which lies upon us. And if your Majesty shall now be pleased to come backe to Your Parliament, without Your Forces, we shall be ready to secure your Royall Person, your Crowne and Dignity with our lives and fortunes; your presence in this your great Councell being the onely meanes of any Treaty betwixt your Majesty and them, with hope of successe.

And in none of our desires to your Majesty shall we be swayed by any particular mans advantage, but shall give a cleere testimony to your Majesty and the whole World, that in all things done by us, we faithfully intend the good of your Majesty, and of your Kingdomes. And that we will not be diverted from this end by any private or selfe­respects whatsoever.

WE have taken most w [...]ies, 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 treaty can be obtained, unlesse we would denude our selfe of all force to desend us from a visible strength marching against us, and admit those persons as Traitors to Vs who according to their duty, their pathes of Allegiance, and the Law, have ap­peared in defence of Vs their King and Liege-Lord, [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] whom We are bound in Conscience and Honour to p [...] ­serve, though We disclaimed all Our Proclamations and Declarations, and erecting of Our Standard as a­gainst Our Parliament: All We have now left in Our power is to expresse the deepe sense We have of the pub­lique misery of this Kingdome, in which we involved that of our distressed protestants of Ireland, and to ap­ply our selfe to our necessary defence, wherin we wholly rely upon the providence of God, and 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 bloud is to be spilt in t [...] quarrell, and cheereful­ly 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 levies in opposition to both, so we shall suddenly and most willingly return to the one and disband the o­ther as soone as those causes shall be removed. The God of Heaven direct you and in mercy divert those judge­ments which hang over this Nation, And so [...]eale with Vs and our Posterity as we desire the preservation, and advancement of the true Protestant Religion, the Law and liberty of the Subject, the just rights of Parliament, and the peace of the Kingdome.