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<DATE>2008-07-28</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<ITEM>Added TYPEs to DIVs in order to validate. Proofed title page(s).  Check TEXT for LANG attribute. Reviewed structure. Checked division-marking material at heads and feet of divisions (HEADS,  CLOSER, OPENER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, BYLINE, etc.).  Checked placement and completeness of PBs.  Check for blanks. Checked for signatures. Checked for #s.  Checked for Qs, startqs, endqs, oes, q;s. Check LETTER tags. Check Ls. Check TABLEs. Check LISTs. Check NOTEs. Checked for FIGUREs and decorated initials. Checked for missing-page GAPs and duplicates. Checked proofsheets and made corrections found there. Corrected 2 $-groups. Revalidated. </ITEM>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>HIS MAIESTIES Mo&s;t Gracious MESSAGE, MAY the 12^t^h from HOLDENBY, To the LORDS and COMMONS in the Parliament of ENGLAND, A&s;&s;embled at WESTMINSTER, And the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Parliament of SCOTLAND, With his An&s;wer to the Propo&s;itions.</P>
<P>LONDON, Printed for RICHARD ROYSTON, 1647.</P>
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<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>His MAIESTIES mo&s;t gracious Me&s;&s;age from HOLDENBY, <HI>May</HI> 12. 1647.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SIGNED>C. R.</SIGNED></OPENER>
<P>_AS the daily expectation of the comming of the Propo&s;itions hath made his Maje&s;ty this long time to forbeare giving his An&s;wer unto them, &s;o the appearance of their &s;ending being no more for any thing he can heare, then it was at his fir&s;t comming hither, notwith&s;tanding that the Earle of <HI>Louderdale</HI> hath been at <HI>London</HI> above the&s;e 10 dayes, (who&s;e not comming was &s;aid to be the onely &s;top) hath cau&s;ed his Maje&s;ty thus to anticipate their comming to him, and yet con&s;idering his Condition, that his Servants are denied ac|ce&s;&s;e to him, all but very few, and tho&s;e by appointment, not his owne Election, and that it is declared a crime for a|ny but the Commi&s;&s;ioners, or &s;uch who are particularly permitted by them, to conver&s;e with his Maje&s;tie, or that any Letters &s;hould be given to, or received from him, may hee not truly &s;ay, that he is not in ca&s;e fit to make Conce&s;&s;ions, or give An&s;wers, &s;ince he is not ma&s;ter of tho&s;e ordinary Actions which are the undoubted Rights of any free-borne man, how meane &s;oever his birth be? And certainly hee would &s;till be &s;ilent as to this &s;ubject, untill his Condition were much mended, did he not preferre &s;uch a right under|&s;tanding betwixt Him and his Parliaments of both King|domes, which may make a firme and la&s;ting Peace in all His Dominions, before any particular of his owne or any earth|ly ble&s;&s;ing: and therefore His Maje&s;ty hath diligently im|ployed his utmo&s;t indeavours for divers moneths pa&s;t, &s;o to
<PB N="2" REF="3">
informe His Under&s;tanding, and &s;atisfie His Con&s;cience, that he might be able to give &s;uch An&s;wers to the Propo&s;iti|ons, as would be mo&s;t agreeable to His Parliaments; but He ingenuou&s;ly profe&s;&s;es, that notwith&s;tanding all the paines that He hath taken therein, the nature of &s;ome of them ap|peares &s;uch unto him, that without di&s;claiming that Rea&s;on which God hath given him to judge by for the good of Him and His People, and without putting the greate&s;t violence upon His owne Con&s;cience, Hee cannot give His con&s;ent to all of them. Yet His Maje&s;tie (that it may appeare to all the VVorld how de&s;irous He is to give full &s;atisfaction) hath thought fit hereby to expre&s;&s;e His readine&s;&s;e to grant what he may, and His willingne&s;&s;e to receive from them, and that per&s;onally if His two Hou&s;es at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter</HI> &s;hall approve thereof, &s;uch further Information in the re&s;t as may be&s;t convince His judgement, and &s;atisfie tho&s;e doubts which are not yet cleer unto him, de&s;iring them al&s;o to con&s;ider that if His Maje&s;tie intended to winde him&s;elfe out of the&s;e trou|bles by indirect meanes, were it not ea&s;ie for him now rea|dily to con&s;ent to what hath or &s;hall bee propo&s;ed unto him, and afterwards chu&s;e his time to breake all, alledging, that forc't conce&s;&s;ions are not to be kept, &s;urely he might, and not incurre a hard cen&s;ure from &s;ome indifferent men. But max|imes in this kinde are not the guides of His Maje&s;ties acti|ons, for hee freely and cleerly avows, that he holds it unlaw|full for any man, and mo&s;t ba&s;e in a King to recede from his promi&s;es for having been obtained by force or under re|&s;traint; wherefore his Maje&s;ty not onely rejecting tho&s;e acts which he e&s;teems unworthy of him, but even pa&s;&s;ing by that which he might well in&s;i&s;t a point of honour, in re&s;pect of his pre&s;ent condition, thus an&s;wers the fir&s;t Pro|po&s;ition. That upon his Maje&s;ties comming to <HI>London,</HI> hee will heartily joyne in all that &s;hall concerne the honour of his two Kingdomes or the A&s;&s;embly of the States of <HI>Scot|land,</HI>
<PB N="3" REF="3">
or of the Commi&s;&s;ioners or Deputies of either King|dome, particularly in tho&s;e things which are de&s;ired in that Propo&s;ition, upon confidence that all of them re&s;pectively with the &s;ame tenderne&s;&s;e will look upon tho&s;e things which concerne his Maje&s;ties honour.</P>
<P>In an&s;wer to all the Propo&s;itions concerning Religion, His Maje&s;tie propo&s;eth, that he will confirme the Presbyte|riall Government, the A&s;&s;embly of Divines at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> and the Directory, for three yeares, being the time &s;et downe by the two Hou&s;es, &s;o that His Maje&s;tie and His Hou&s;hold be not hindred from that forme of Gods Service which they formerly have; And al&s;o, that a free con&s;ultation &amp; debate be had with the Divines at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter</HI> (twentie of His Maje&s;ties nomination being added unto them) whereby it may be deter|mined by His Maje&s;tie and the two Hou&s;es, how the Church &s;hall be governed after the &s;aid three yeares or &s;ooner, if dif|ferences may be agreed. Touching the Covenant, His Maje|&s;tie is not yet therein &s;atisfied, and de&s;ires to re&s;pite His par|ticular an&s;wer thereunto untill His comming to <HI>London,</HI> be|cau&s;e it being a matter of con&s;eience he cannot give a re&s;olu|tion therein till he may be a&s;&s;i&s;ted with the advice of &s;ome of His own Chaplains (which hath hitherto bin denied Him) &amp; &s;uch other Divines as &s;hall be mo&s;t proper to informe Him therein; and then He will make clearely appeare, both His zeale to the Prote&s;tant profe&s;&s;ion, and the Union of the&s;e two Kingdomes, which he conceives to be the maine drift of this Covenant. To the 7^t^h and 8^t^h Propo&s;itions, His Maje&s;tie will con&s;ent. To the 9^t^h His Maje&s;tie doubts not but to give good &s;atisfaction when he &s;hall be particularly informed how the &s;aid penalties &s;hall be levied and di&s;po&s;ed of. To the 10^t^h His Maje&s;ties an&s;wer is, That he hath beene alwayes ready to prevent the practices of Papi&s;t, and therefore is content to pi&s;&s;e an Act of Parliament for that purpo&s;e; And al&s;o, that the Lawes again&s;t them be duly executed. His
<PB N="4" REF="4">
Maje&s;tie will give His con&s;ent to the Act for the due obser|vation of the Lords Day, for the &s;uppre&s;&s;ing of Innovati|ons, and tho&s;e concerning the Preaching of Gods Word, and touching Non-Re&s;idence and Pluralities, and His Maje|&s;tie will yeeld to &s;uch Act or Acts as &s;hall be requi&s;ite to ray&s;e moneyes for the payment and &s;atisfying all publique Debts, expecting al&s;o that his will be therein included. As to the Propo&s;ition touching the Militia, though his Maje&s;tie cannot con&s;ent unto it <HI>in terminis</HI> as it is propo&s;ed, becau&s;e thereby he conceives, hee wholly parts with the power of the Sword entru&s;ted to him by God and the Lawes of the Land, for the protection and government of his people, thereby at once deve&s;ting him&s;elfe, and di&s;-inheriting his Po|&s;teritie of that right and prerogative of the Crowne which is absolutely nece&s;&s;ary to the Kingly Office, and &s;o weaken Monarchy in this Kingdome, that little more then the name and &s;hadow of it will remaine: yet if it be onely &s;ecuritie for the pre&s;ervation of the peace of this Kingdome, after the un|happy troubles, and the due performance of all the agree|ments which are now to be concluded, which is de&s;ired, (which his Maje&s;tie alwayes under&s;tood to be the ca&s;e, and hopes that herein he is not mi&s;taken) his Maje&s;tie will give aboundant &s;atisfaction, to which end he is willing by Act of Parliament, That the whole power of the Militia, both by Sea and Land for the &s;pace of tenne yeares bee in the hands of &s;uch per&s;ons as the two Houses &s;hall nominate, giving them power during the &s;aid terme to change the &s;aid per|&s;ons, and &s;ub&s;titute others in their places at plea&s;ure, and af|terwards to returne to the proper channell againe, as it was in the times of Queene <HI>Elizabeth</HI> and King <HI>Iames</HI> of ble&s;&s;ed memory. And now his Maje&s;tie conjures his two Hou&s;es of Parliament, as they are Engli&s;hmen and lovers of Peace, by the dutie they owe to his Maje&s;tie their King, and by the bowells of compa&s;&s;ion they have to their fellow Subjects,
<PB N="5" REF="4">
that they will accept of this his Maje&s;ties offer, whereby the joyfull news of Peace may be re&s;tored to this langui&s;hing Kingdome His Maje&s;tie will grant the like to the Kingdome of <HI>Scotland</HI> if it bee de&s;ired, and agree to all things that are propounded touching the con&s;erving of peace betwixt the two Kingdomes.</P>
<P>Touching <HI>Ireland</HI> (other things being agreed) His Maje&s;tie will give &s;atisfaction therein. As to the mutuall Declarati|ons propo&s;ed to be e&s;tabli&s;hed in both Kingdomes by Act of Parliament, And the Modifications, Qualifications, and Branches which follow in the Propo&s;itions, His Maje&s;ty onely profe&s;&s;es, that He doth not &s;ufficiently under&s;tand, nor is able to reconcile many things contained in them; but this He well knoweth, That a general Act of Oblivion is the be&s;t Bond of Peace; and that after inte&s;tine Troubles, the wi&s;|dome of this and other Kingdomes hath u&s;ually and happily in all ages granted generall Pardons, whereby the numerous di&s;contentments of many Per&s;ons and Families otherwi&s;e expo&s;ed to ruine, might not become fewell to new di&s;orders, or &s;eedes to future troubles. His Maje&s;ty therefore de&s;ires, that his two Hou&s;es of Parliament would &s;eriou&s;ly de&s;cend into the&s;e con&s;iderations, and likewi&s;e tenderly look upon his Condition herein, and the perpetual di&s;honour that mu&s;t cleave to him, if He &s;hall thus abandon &s;o many per&s;ons of Condition and Fortune that have ingaged them&s;elves with and for Him, out of a &s;en&s;e of Duty, and propounds as a very acceptable te&s;timony of their affection to him, That a gene|rall Act of Oblivion and free Pardon be forthwith pa&s;&s;ed by Act of Parliament. Touching the new great Seal, His Maje|&s;ty is very willing to confirme both it and all the Acts done by vertue thereof untill this pre&s;ent time, &s;o that it be not thereby pre&s;&s;ed to make voyd tho&s;e Acts of his done by ver|tue of his great Seale, which in honour and ju&s;tice he is ob|liged to maintaine, And that the future Government there|of
<PB N="8" REF="5">
may be in his Maje&s;ty, according to the due cour&s;e of Law. Concerning the Officers mentioned in the 19. Article, His Maje&s;ty when he &s;hall come to <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter</HI> will grati&s;ie his Parliament all that po&s;&s;ibly he may, without de&s;troying the alterations which are nece&s;&s;ary for the Crown. His Ma|je&s;ty will willingly con&s;ent to the Act for the confirmation of the Priviledges and Cu&s;tomes of the City of <HI>London,</HI> and all that is mentioned in the Propo&s;itions for their particu|ler advantage. And now that His Maje&s;ty hath thus far in|deavoured to comply with the de&s;ires of his two Hou&s;es of Parliament, to the end that this agreement may be firme and la&s;ting, without the lea&s;t face or que&s;tion of re&s;traint to ble|mi&s;h the &s;ame, his Maje&s;ty earne&s;tly de&s;ires pre&s;ently to bee admitted to his Parliament at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> with that Honour which is due to their Soveraigne, there &s;olemnly to confirme the &s;ame, and legally to pa&s;&s;e the Acts before mentioned, and to give and receive as well &s;atisfaction in all the remaining particulars, as likewi&s;e &s;uch other pledges of mutuall love, tru&s;t, and confidence as &s;hall mo&s;t concerne the good of him, and his peoples upon which happy agreement, his Maje&s;ty will di&s;patch his Directions to the Prince his Son, to returne immediately to him, and will undertake for his ready obedi|encc thereunto.</P>
<P>For the Speaker of the Lords Hou&s;e (<HI>pro tempore</HI>) to be communicated to the Lords and Commons in tht Parliament of <HI>England</HI> at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> and the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Parliament of <HI>Scotland.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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