THE QUEENES MAJESTIES PROPOSITIONS TO To the KINGS most Excellent Majesty.
WHEREIN IS DECLARED, Her Majesties Gracious will and pleasure, concerning the City of LONDON, and His EXCELLENCIE Sir Thomas Fairfax, TOGETHER, With Her Majesties Desires, touching the Discipline of the Church of England, and ease of tender Consciences.
Briefly intimated in Her Majesties Gracious Message to the KING at Hampton-Court.
Die 22. Septemb. 1647.
Printed at London, for E. Cotton, MDCXLVII.
THE QVEENES MAJESTIES Gracious Message, to her Soveraigne Lord the King of Great Brittaine.
BY a Letter from the Kings Majesties Court at Hampton, it is intimated, that there hath lately arrived a messenger from the Kingdome of France, with a message from the queen of England to the King, a Copy whereof followeth:
AS there could no occasion minister greater griefe to my sorrowfull heart, then to hear of a short adjornment of these unnaturall divisions betweene you and your liege people, and presently to have the consuming flames of a new war sudenly to break out afresh in your languishing kingdomes: so there could no welcomer newes salute mine ear, then speedily to heare of a small period to be put to these unhappy distractions, [Page]that so the sweet harmony of desired peace and concord may re-unite you and your subjects, and tye you fast each to other in the sacred bands of love and unity, and therefore I shall desire your Majesty to grant your Parliament and people whatsoever with a good Conscience and Honour you may, for the further prevention of shedding innocent bloud, & preservation of those committed to your charge. Sir, assure your selfe, nothing shall be displeasing to me, that displeaseth you my Lord; for I shall for ever esteeme your good, and the good of all your faithfull Subjects, the only businesse of all my actions, and shall be contented to share with you and them (not only in blessings, but) even in the worst of times that can happen to a disconsolate & unjust banished wife. Sir, concerning the Propositions tendred your Majesty, I humbly conceive, the chiefe things to be considered will be two, Conscience and Policy. For the first, I know it never entred into your Royal thoughts to change the Government by Bishops not only concurring with the most generall opinion of most Christians in all ages, as being the best; but considering you hold your selfe bound by the Oath you took at your Coronation, not to alter the Government of the Church from what you found it. And for the Churches Patrimony, you cannot suffer any diminution or alienation of it, without danger to your conscience, or breach of your Coronation Oath; but whatsoever shall be offered for the certifying abuses crept into the Church in Government or Discipline, or, for the ease of tender consciences, (indangering not the foundation,) I desire your Majesty to lend a speedy ear unto, and give your gracious answer. For as it is your Majesties duty to protect the Church, so it is the [Page]Churches duty to assist your Majesty in maintaining your just authority; for as your Predecessors have alwayes bin careful to keep the dependency of the clergy intirely upon the Crown, without which (as I humbly conceive) it will scarcely sit fast upon your Royall head; therefore it behoves your Majesty to do nothing to change or lessen this so necessary dependency. The other maine Proposition will be concerning the Militia: Next to conscience (certainly) there is no fi [...]r subject for a Kings quarrell; for without it, your Majesties power is but a shaddow, and therefore by no meanes to be quitted, but to be maintained according to the known Lawes of the Land: yet for the speedy attainment of this so long looked for and wished for peace, prayed for by all good Christians, That your Majesty may be pleased to permit the City of London, and all other strong Holds and Garrisons, with other Military Forts, to reside in the hands of the Parliaments Generall Sir Thomas Fairfax, untill articles be performed and agreed upon, to give such further assurance for performance of conditions, as your Majesty shall judge necessary for the concluding of a firme and lasting peace; which being once setled, all things may return, and run in their ancient channels.
Thus, Dear Heart, understanding that Commissioners were sent to you, from both Houses of Parliament, with Propositions, I thought good to put you in mind that you have a care of your honour; and that if you have a peace, it may be such as may hold. Farewell, My deare Heart, I cannot write any more, but that I am absolutely
The Generals Declaration.
VVHereas the great neglect of divers persons within the City of London, hath occasioned too many delayes in raising Money for supply of the Army, and other Forces of the Kingdome; His Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, and the General-Councell of the Army, Doth declare, That they take notice of the great wants of the Souldiery, both of the Army, and other Forces, and Garrisons; as also of the sufferings of the County, in respect of free quarter, which might have been peevented, and a course taken for disbanding superfluous Forces, and sending over of others for the reliefe of Ireland, and the supplying of those that are there already, had it not been for neglect or delay of those on whom the Parliament have depended in that particular, and they doe especially take notice of the delayes made by the City in advancing of that summe, which the Houses have demanded of them upon the security of the Arreares so long since due from the City to the Army; upon which they doe declare, and propound to this effect.
1. That they cannot but consider the notorious readinesse of the Court of Aldermen, to the advancing of far greater sums for the raising of a new warre, and prosecution of the late mischievous practises and designes against the Parliament and Army; and that as their predipitate forwardnesse therein, was the occasion of the Armies coming into these parts, so their backwardnesse to the raising or advancing of the money now required for the service of the Parliament, & [Page]supply of the Army, hath been and is the occasion of the armies continuance hence: and therefore they cannot but offer it is, as what they humbly conceive most just and reasonable.
That for what time their defauls or delayes have occasioned, and shall further occasion the Armies stay hereabouts, the charge thereof should some way be laid upon them, and their adherents about the City.
That the Houses would be pleased speedily to consider of the Delinquencie of those that had a hand in the Tumult, Desine, and Engagement of a new Warre, and that such Fines may be upon them for the same, as shall bee agreeable to justice.
Lastly, since it is most evident, that for the speedy bringing in of the money required upon the arrears, there wants not in the said Major, Aldermen, and Common-Councell, either authority to levy it, or ability to advance it by way of Loan till it can be levyed, and it ir therefore offered,
That in case the Money be not brought in by the time limited, the Parliament would be pleased to give leave to the Generall (with the advice and directions of the Committee for the Army) for the levying of the said Arreares
All which they rather desire from grounds of reason and evidence from the speeches of many in the City, and designes and hopes of the Parliament and Armies Enemies to raise the Army into distempers, and the Country about them into confusion.
This Declaration was agreed upon at the Headquarters at Putney, upon Thursday last, there being a [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]Generall Councell of the Army appointed to be held every Thursday. The Generall Councell met in the Church, the Generall, many Generall Officers, Field-Officers, inferiour Officers, and Agitators met. A great part of the time was spent in consideration, and debate of the Proposals of the Army, and some few things agreed upon to be altered, and explained in them, which no doubt will give much satisfaction to the Kingdome.
After the aforesaid Declaration was finished, it was, by the appointment of his Excellency, and the Councell of Warre, sent to the Right Honourable the Commissioners of Lords and Commons residing with the Army, to be presented from them to both Houses of Parliament, which according, with a Letter from the Generall and Army, to this effect, vix. That they earnestly desired, some speedy course might be taken for their pay, that so they might be inabled to pay their quarters, was presented to both Houses of Parliament upon Satturday last, and after reading thereof, ordered to be communicated to the Lord Major, Aldermen, and Common-Councell of the City of London.