A LETTER Sent from the Queen of ENGLAND TO The Kings Majesty at Newport; concerning the Overtures of the Treaty and His proceedings with the Commissioners for Peace.
WITH Her Majesties Advice and Desires touching the said Treaty; And Her Propositions concerning all His Majesties Subjects within His Realmes and Dominions.
ALSO, His Majesties last Concessions for Peace, delivered to the Commissioners, to be sent to both Houses of Parliament; shewing how far He hath given His Royall assent to the second Bill, touching Bishops and Church-Government.
London Printed for Nathaniel Williamson, 1648.
THE QUEEN OF ENGLANDS LETTER To Her Soveraign Lord, the King of Great Brittain, Directed to His Majesty at Newport in the Isle of Wight, from Paris in France.
AFter a long time spent in consultation upon the great affairs of these languishing and distressed Kingdoms, and having waded through a Labyrinth of Circumstances and Argument for the composing of all differences within the said [Page 2]Realms and Dominions: His Majesty were pleased to declare his sense and resolution to [...]he Commissioners, yesterday Octob. 9. in answer to their former Proposals, which were as followeth.
That His Majesty is pleased to condiscend that the Church-Lands shall be confirmed by [...]His Royall consent, to an Act to confirm the particular Grants already made of the Bishops Lands, for the space of 99. yeeres, together with the abolishing of Bishops for the same terme of time; provided, that there may be an indifferent choice of Clergy men to be supervisors in Ecclesiasticall affaires, accordingly as it shall be ordered and agreed on by the Assembly of Divines, allowed to consult by his Majesties former Condescentions.
These, and the Concessions before assented to, His Majesty again proposeth to the Parliaments Commissioners, That He may come up to London, to treat on what else may conduce to the settlement of His three languishing and bleeding Kingdoms: But the Commissioners are not altogether satisfied with this Answer; neither do they take it as satisfactory. What the issue of this will be, we leave to time and providence. Sir Peter Killegrew is disspatched away from hence, to the Parliament, with his Majesties last Answer touching Episcopacy.
It is verily believed, that His Majesty will give His Royall Word to passe all the Propositions, rather then to have the Treaty obstructed; and the rather, becuse He finds all the Designs of the Royall party to be frustrated, both in England and Scotland; as also the Capitall and, Metropolitan Designe in the Kingdome of [Page 3] France to be blasted in the Bud, before it could come to any maturity or ripenesse; as appeares by an Expresse from thence to his Majesty, and sent from the Queen to Her Dread Soveraign the King; the Heads whereof I have here inserted viz.
That the great differences throughout he Cities of Paris, Roan, and other parts adjacent within the limits and bounds of the French Territories, hath quite obstructed the Design of his Majesties friends for England, and that the Eglish quarrell is so great in severall parts of that Kingdom, that no Integrity or Loyalty can appeare visible to its Soveraign: And therefore seeing no meanes prevalent, to advance His Majesties Cause, Her Majesty desireth, that this present Treaty, may be the Salve and Balsome, to cure and heal all Diseases, throughout his vast and bleeding Nations Concluding, that she doth in a deep sense bewaile the sad and intestine Miseries of all His liege people whatsoever. Further desiring, that his Majesty would be pleased to embrace all such Counsels and Consultations that may tend to the peace and tranquility of his three Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
During the time of this Treaty, sundry Expresses have come from severall parts to the King, which represent things to be in a very sad condition touching the advancement of his Cause; who upon consideration thereof, its conceived will prove the most Instrumentall, to bring a period to our distractions, and exclude all thoughts of jealousie from his Majesties Royal Breast, to his two Houses of Parliament.
Newport, 10. October, 1648.
By another Expresse from the Isle of Wight it is said, That
The great businesse insisted on is, the proposition for setling Religion, which is like to take up some time, his Majesty gave in a paper to the Commissioners of the Reasons wherefore the could not condiscend to the taking away Bishops, and the Government by Bishops, the treaty hereupon hath held all the last week, and nothing yet concluded on, yet most are of opinion His Maj. will assent, and this proposition being over, there is lesse doubt the other in course will be agreed on.
His Maj. hath promised to deliver in his positive answer this present Munday; which if it be but satisfactory, no doubt but there will be a good conclusion of all to an happy peace.
Newport 9. Octob. 1648.
New propositions presented to his Majesty.
- 1 That your Maj. according to the laudable example of your Royall Father of happy memory, may be pleased to swear and sign the late Solemn League and Covenant; and that an act of Parl▪ be passed, for the injoyning the taking thereof by all the subjects of the Kingdom, &c.
- 2 That a Bill be passed for the utter abolishing and taking away of all Arch-bishops, Bishops, their Chancellors, and Commissaries, Deans and Sub-Deans, and all other Officers whatsoever, out of the Church of England and Dominion of Wales; and out of the Church of Ireland.
- 3 That the Ordinances concerning the calling and sitting of the Assembly of Divines, be confirmed by Act of parliament.
- [Page 5]4 That Reformation of Religion according to the Covenant be setled by act of parliament, in such manner as both Houses have agreed, or shall agree upon after consultation had with the Assembly of Divines.
- 5 That for the more effectual disabling Jesuits, priests, papists, and popish Recusants from disturbing the State, and deluding the Laws; and for the better discovering, and speedy conviction of popish Recusants, an Oath be established by act of parliament to be administred to them, wherein they abjure and renounce the popes Supremacy, the Doctrine of Transubstantiation, purgatory, worshipping of the Consecrated Hoast, Crucifixes and Images, and all popish Superstitions and Errors; and refusing the said Oath, being tendred in such manner as shall be appointed by the said Act, to be a sufficient Conviction of popish Recusants.
- 6 An Act or Acts of parliament for education of the children of papists by protestants, in the protestant Religion.
- 7 An Act for the true Leavy of the penalties against them, which penalties to be levied and disposed in such manner as both Houses shall agree on, wherein to be provided that his Majesty shall have no losse.
- 8 That an act be passed in parliament, whereby the practises of papists may be prevented, and a stricter course taken to prevent tht saying or hearing of Mass in the Court, or any other part of this Kingdom, or the Kingdom of Ireland.
To the four first, its said his Maj. makes some scruple at: to the latter, we hear, that He gave his Royall assent on Munday last.
Letters further from the Isle of Wight say, That the Kings Answer on Munday last of the Bill of Religion, were presented to the Parliaments Commissioners, by His Majesties Secretary, and were [...]
Wherein is contained, the sense and resolution of his Majesty touching Bishops, and his Concessions to abolish all Arch-bishops, Bishops, their Chancellors and Commissaries, Deans and Sub-Deans, Canons, Prebendaries, and all other their inferiour Officers, out of the Church of England and Dominion of VVales, for the term of 99 years. He hath also promised his Royall Word to passe an Act to confirm the sale of Bishops Lands for the same time; and therefore desireth, that He may come to London, to treat upon the rest in course with his two Houses of Parliament personally. The treaty goes on unanimously, but little concluded on between the King and the Commissioners; but its conceived before the 16 of this instant October, you will hear of a happy conclusion.
Newport 10 Octob. 1648.