MY Lord Maior, and you Gentlemen and Inhabi­tants of the City, we are commanded by both Houses of Parliament to come hither, and to deliver to you that are their great Assistant, an account, and know­ledge of a Resolution they have taken to send a Petition to His Majesty, grounded upon these Reasons; The first is, That there is a duty towards God to seek Peace, indeed to seek it with all men, therefore properly and naturally with the King: this they are directed to do, if Peace flyes from us, to pursue it, to follow it, this is their holy duty. They have likewise taken into their thoughts too, seri­ously, that that may concern the safety of the Kings per­son, being ingaged in this last Battell, through his own re­solutions and adventures, to put his person in some haz­zard; they have a tendernesse of that, and amongst other considerations, it is that that prevails with them, to desire that He may not be in danger (if it be possible) by a fur­ther pursuance of this action, that in all probability must come to a second blow, and that speedily, if there be not some other way taken for an Accommodation. There is another reason that they are likewise perswaded the more willingly thus to Petition, and to desire Peace, that is, for the saving and recovering the Kingdom of Ireland, in the distresse that you have long seen it; they know the impos­sibility for this Kingdom to relieve that, if we continue in these distractions, and in these confusions, within our selves; and therefore believing nothing can contribute, or conduce towards the recovering of that Kingdom, and the delivering of those persons indeed from danger that you have sent thither, they believe nothing can possibly do it, but our quietnes & our peace here, if that Kingdom [Page]should fall into other hands, such hands as it may likely and probably do, what inconvenience, what danger must fall upon this Kingdom, from the power, and the neigh­bourhood of that, you all must imagine. They do like­wise consider this, that in the distractions amongst our selves, what advantages foreign States may take, when our own hands are we [...]kned, and a desolation upon the Kingdom, universally through the whole Kingdom, those that do maligne our Religion, and their consciences direct them to destroy it, as well as their ambitions, to make a Conquest of the Nation, how open wee shall be likewise to them, for any prejudice, or any dan­ger may fall upon us: Besides, they have a consideration of the whole Kingdom, that have so long continued in peace, in the blessings of peace, so long in the beds of peace, and in the armes of peace, (for this hundred yeares there have beene no civill divisions, nor distractions with­in this Kingdom) and those abundances that peace hath procured, and those happinesses likely to be devoured in any State by the sword of Warre, as in every part of the Kingdom already, you see how it begins to destroy, with what height, with what power, with what insolencie; these are considerations, that have made them beleeve, that as it is a duty to God, it is that which they owe like­wise to the King, it is that that they owe to the Kingdom in which they have been born and bred; it is likewise a discharge of their own consciences that every body may see, that it is not their faults, if Peace be not procur'd; but though they are thus resolved, and upon these Reasons to offer a Petition, and to seek Peace by all the wayes that is possible, yet they have commanded mee to let you know, that as they desire Peace, they will prepare for War, they have given directions that this day my Lord Generall shall carry out his Army out of the City, there is a R [...]devouz appointed, they shall there draw [Page]themselves together in such a condition, as we are very confident and very hopefull we shall be able to defend it; we are likewise resolved, and so I am commanded to de­liver to you, that as we have long kept together with re­solutions to defend our Priviledges, our Religion, our Liberties, and Lawes; so we will continue in the same re­solution, and the same purpose to do so, nothing shall de­ter us from it; if we can find peace from his Majesty upon these conditions, that Religion, and Lawes, and our Li­berties, and all, may be happily secur'd to the Kingdom, and to you all, we shall be glad of it, and it will be a bles­sing to us, and to you all; if it cannot be done, we are re­solved, (and so I am commanded to let you know) no­thing shall discourage us, neither danger, nor power, nor any thing; but if we cannot maintaine our Religion, our Lawes, and our Liberties, we will perrish and die for it.

MY Lord Major, and you Gentlemen of this famous City of London, and that will make it much more famous by these noble affections, which you have shewed still to the publicke good, and by yeelding so much Aide, and so much encouragement as you have done to the P [...]r­liament in maintaining it▪ there is little to be added to that that was said by this noble Lord, who hath represented to you, the sence of both Houses, the reasons, and motives upon which they did desire peace, motives indeed that have wrought with us from the beginning of this Warre to this time, for we should never have step'd one step to­wards Warre if we might have had, or hoped for such a peace as might have secured Religion and Liberty, and the publicke good of the Kingdome; but truely ill counsell did exclude us from such hope; we now conceive that the [Page]King having seene the courage of his Subjects, having seen the danger of his owne Person, so much blood shed about him, that he will be more tractable to good conditions of Peace, then he would have beene before, and that is the reason, why we do thinke fit to try him once more after this battle that hath beene lately fought, before it come to another battle againe; It's true, that this may seeme a resolution contrary to that that was open'd to you within these few dayes, but you will conceive, that all great coun­sells they are subject to alter their resolutions, according as matters alter, and as the apprehensions of matters alter, for if things appeare more clearer, and hopefull to them, at one time, then at another, it is no dishonour for them to varie according to their appearance, Iudgments, and best reasons, so long as they do it with affections to the best purpose, which you may rest assur'd the Parliament hath done; and though we desire Peace very much, yet a peace to betray Religion, and to betray our Liberties we shall alwayes esteeme worse then Warre; Therefore wee shall put it to a very quicke issue, if the KING receive the Petition, to make such Propositions, as you may see, whether you shall bee secur'd in your Religion, in your Religion with a hope of Reformation, such a Reformation as may maintain the power of Religi­on, and the purity of Religion, aswell as the name of Re­ligion; for we shall not be contented with the name, without a Reformation, that shall maintain the power of it. And we shall pursue the maintenance of our Liber­ties, Liberties that may not onely be the Laws and Statutes, but Liberties that may be in practice, and in execution; and to take such course, that you may have the effects of them in truth: For to have printed Liberties, and not to have Liberties in truth, and realities, is but to mock the Kingdom; and I hope we shall take care for that in the second place. And we shall take care to maintain the Di­gnity, [Page]and the Honour of Parliament, for that is that that will be a lasting security to you in your Liberty and Reli­gion. Wee shall take care in the fourth place to Answer the affections of the City of London, That we will not consent to any thing that shall be prejudiciall to them; We will preserve them in the highest degree of Honour, that ever this City of London was in; and truly, it is now in the highest degree of Honour that ever it was; for you have carryed your selues in such a regard to the Publique, that never any of your Predecessors did so before; and therefore we shall in a Peace be as carefull of you, as of our selves; and you may be assur'd of this, that if wee have not this Peace, our Lives, our Pains, our Estate [...], they shall all joyn with you, in maintaining that with the Sword, which we shall not get in an humble way by Pe­tition; and this we shall bring to a quick issue. Therefore I shall onely move you (as I am commanded to do from the Parliament) that you will not think there is any faint­ing on our parts, that we are more cold, and lesse affectio­nate to any of these good ends, then heretofore we have been; but that we w [...]uld compasse them with more [...]ecure advantage: For if you can get these by Peace, you will have great advantages by it; you will hinder foreign in­vasions from beyond the Seas, you will quickly be able to master the Rebels in Ireland; you will quickly be able to suppresse the Papists that begin to rise in England; that you shall have a perpetuall security, that they shall never be able to hurt you more; Therefore, if we can have such a Peace, without further hazard and blood-shedding, wee shall praise God, and esteem it as a great blessing; but if not, pray lay not down the same spirits; for we have the same hearts, and multitudes of spirits, and the Kingdom inclinable to us; where the King has pass'd, many to save their estates and lives, have shew'd themselves but men; for it was not to be thought that single Countries should [Page]maintaine themselves against an Armie, but they have hearts as they had before, and no doubt but they will joyne with us, with more alacrity, when they see we have desired Peace, by all the wayes we could, and cannot have it; we shall by this meanes satisfie our owne con­sciences, we shall satisfie many Members of Parliament, that desired it might be put on this way, we shall satisfie many of the Kingdome too, that have held themselves indifferent, but when they see there is no hope of Peace, in such a way, without blood, certainely they will stand to us for Religion, and Liberty, which must be destroyed if we cannot secure them without Warre: Therefore I shall commend to you, that you would not let fall any part of your contributions, for it is that, that must main­taine the Army, and entertaine no ill apprehensions of the Parliament, but goe on so as you have done, and I hope it will be such an end as God may have all the glory, and you all comfort.