<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-06-30</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140511.apex.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A90559">
<STC T="W">P1744</STC>
<STC T="T">E518_11</STC>
<STC T="C">R206166</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99865341</BIBNO>
<VID>117581</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE PETITION AND Solemne Engagement OF THE CITIZENS OF LONDON, Commanders, Officers, and Souldiers, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Together with</HI> THE KING'S MAJESTIE'S MESSAGE of May the 12^t^h, from HOLDENBY.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed in the yeer 1647.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="petition">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Right Honourable the Lord Maior, The Right Wor&s;hipful the Aldermen and commons of the City of LONDON, in the Common or Guild-Hall of the City of <HI>London</HI> a&s;&s;embled.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P><HI>The humble Petition of the Citizens, Commanders, Officers and Souldiers of the Trained Bands and Auxiliari<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">, the Young-men and Apprentices of the Cities of</HI> London <HI>and</HI> We&s;tmin&s;ter, <HI>Sea-Commanders, Sea-men and Water-men, together with divers other Commanders, Officers and Soul|diers within the Line of Communication and Pari&s;hes mentioned in the weekly Bills of Mortality:</HI></P>
</ARGUMENT>
<OPENER>SHEWETH.</OPENER>
<P>_THat your Petitioners (taking into &s;erious con&s;ideration, how Religion, His Maje&s;ties Honour and Safety the Pri|viledges of Parliament, and Liberties of the Subject are at pre&s;ent greatly endangered, &amp; like to be de&s;troyed; and al&s;o &s;adly weighing with our &s;elves what means might likely prove the mo&s;t effectual to procure a firm and li&s;ting Peace without a further <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ion of Chri&s;tian Engli&s;h blood) have therefore entered into a Solemn Engagement, which is hereunto annexed&punc; and do humbly and earne&s;tly de&s;ire that this whole City may joyn together by all lawful and po&s;&s;ible means, as one man, in hearty endeavours for His Maje&s;ties pre&s;ent coming up to His two Hou&s;es of Parliament with Honour, Safety, and Freedom, and that without the neerer approach of the Army, there to confirm &s;uch things as He hath granted in His Me&s;&s;age of the 12 of <HI>May</HI> la&s;t, in an&s;wer to the Propo|&s;itions of both Kingdoms; and that by a per&s;onal Treaty with His two Hou&s;es of Parliament, and the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Kingdom of <HI>Scot|land,</HI> &s;uch things as are yet in difference may be &s;peedily &s;etled, and a firm and la&s;ting Peace e&s;tabli&s;hed: All which we de&s;ire may be pre|&s;ented to both Hou&s;es of Parliament from this honourable A&s;&s;embly.</P>
<CLOSER>And we &s;hall pray, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="2" REF="3">
<HEAD>A Solemn ENGAGEMENT of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> Com|manders, Officers and Souldiers of the Trained <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> and Auxiliaries, the Young-men and Apprentices of the Cities of <HI>London</HI> and <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> Sea-Commanders, Sea|men and Water-men, together with divers other Com|manders, Officers and Souldiers within the Line of Com|munication, and Pari&s;hes mentioned in the weekly Bill of Mortality.</HEAD>
<P>WHereas we have entered into a Solemn League and Covenant for Reformation and Defe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ce of Religion, the Honour and Hap|pine&s;&s;e of the King, and the Peace and Safety of the three King|doms of <HI>England, Scotland</HI> and <HI>Ireland;</HI> all which we <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">en<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ly perceive not onely to be endangered, but ready to be di&s;troyed: Well therefore in pur&s;uance of our &s;aid Covenant, Oath of All<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ant<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, Oath of eve|ry Free-man of the Cities of <HI>London</HI> and <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> and Protestations, &s;olemnly engage our &s;elves, and vow unto Almighty God, That we will to the utmo&s;t of our power cordially endeavour that His Maje&s;ty may &s;peedly come to His two Hou&s;es of Parliament, with Honour, Safety, and Freedom, (a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> that without the neerer approach of the Army<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">) there to confirm &s;uch thing&punc; as He hath granted in His Me&s;&s;age of the 12 of May last, in an&s;wer to t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> Propo&s;itions of both Kingdoms; and that by a Per&s;onal Treaty <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 words"> two Hou&s;es of Parliament and the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Kingdom of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> land, &s;uch things as are yet in difference may be &s;peedily &s;etled, and a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> and lasting Peace e&s;tabli&s;hed. For effecting whereof, we do prote&s;t, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> oblige our &s;elves, as in the pre&s;ence of God the &s;earcher of all hearts, with our Lives and Fortunes to endeavour what in us lies, to pre&s;erve and de<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="4 letters"> His Maje&s;ties Royal Per&s;on and Authority, the Priviledges of Parliament, and Liberties of the Subject, in their full and con&s;tant freedom; the Cit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters"> of <HI>London</HI> and <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> Lines of Communication, and Pari&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">s <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">|tioned in the weekly Bills of Mortality, and all others that &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> with us to the &s;aid Covenant, Oath of Alleg<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">nce, Oath of every Free-man of <HI>London</HI> and <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> and Prote&s;tation: Nor &s;hall we by any <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> admit, &s;uffer or endure any kinde of Neutrality in this Common Cau&s;e of God, the King and Kingdoms, as we d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> expect the ble&s;&s;ing of Almighty God, who&s;e help we crave, and wholly devolve our &s;elves upon, in this <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> Un|dertaking.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="3" REF="3">
<HEAD>His MAJESTIES mo&s;t gracious Me&s;&s;age from HOLDEN BY, May 12, 1647.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>C. R.</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>As the daily expectation of the coming of the Propo&s;itions hath made his Maje&s;ty this long time to forbear giving his An&s;wer unto them; &s;o the appearance of their &s;ending being no more (for any thing he can hear) then it was at his fir&s;t coming hither, not|with&s;tanding that the Earle of <HI>Louderdale</HI> hath been at London above the&s;e ten dayes, (who&s;e not coming was &s;aid to be the onely &s;top) hath cau&s;ed his Maje&s;tie thus to anticipate their coming to him; and yet con|&s;idering his condition, that his Servants are denyed acce&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 any but the Commi&s;&s;ioners, or &s;uch who are particularly permitted by them, to conver&s;e with his Maje&s;ty; or that any Letters &s;hould be given to, or received from him: may he 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-born man, how mean &s;oever his birth be? And certainly he would &s;till be &s;ilent as to this &s;ubject, untill his Condition were much mended, did he not preferr &s;uch a right under&s;tanding betwixt Him and his Parliaments of both Kingdoms, which may make a firm and la&s;ting Peace in all his Dominions, before any particular of his own, or any earthly ble&s;&s;ing: and therefore His Maje&s;ty hath diligently imployed his utmo&s;t indeavours for divers months pa&s;t, &s;o to inform His Under&s;tand|ing, and to &s;atisfie His Con&s;cience, that he might be able to give &s;uch An|&s;wers to the Propo&s;itions, 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 pains that hee hath taken therein&punc; the nature of &s;ome of them appears &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 vio|lence upon his own Con&s;cience, he cannot give his con&s;ent to all of them. Yet His Maje&s;tie (that it may appear to all the World 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
<PB N="4" REF="4"> per&s;onally (if his two Hou&s;es at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter</HI> &s;hall approve thereof) <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> further information in the re&s;t as may be&s;t conv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nce <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 words"> &s;atis<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ie 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 wind him&s;elf out of the&s;e troubles by indirect means were it not ea&s;ie for him now <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> to con|&s;ent to what hath or &s;hall be propo&s;ed unto him, and afterwards chu&s;e his time to break all, alledging, that forc'd conce&s;&s;ions are not to be kept? &s;urely he might, and not incurr a hard cen&s;ure from &s;ome indifferent men. But Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">imes in this kind are not the guides of His Maj<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ties actions, for <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e freely and cleerly avows; that he holds it unlawfull for any man, &amp; mo&s;t ba&s;e in a King to recede from his promi&s;es for having been obt<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">ed by force, or under re&s;traint: wherefore His Maje&s;tie 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 upon, a point of honour in re&s;pect of his pre|&s;ent condition, thus an&s;wers the fir&s;t Propo&s;ition: That upon his Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|&s;ties coming to <HI>London,</HI> he will heartily joyn in all that &s;hall concern <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">e honor of his two Kingdoms, or the A&s;&s;embly of the States of <HI>Scotland,</HI> o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of the Commi&s;&s;ioners or Deputies of either Kingdome, 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 concern 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 confirm the Presbyterial Government, the A&s;&s;em|bly of Divines at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> and the Directory, for three yeers, being the time &s;et down by the two Hou&s;es, &s;o that His Maje&s;ty and his hou&s;hold be not hindred from that form of Gods Service which they formerly have; And al&s;o that a free con&s;ultation and debate be had with the Di|vines at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter</HI> (twenty of His Maje&s;ties nomination being added unto them) whereby it may be determined by His Maje&s;tie and the two Hou&s;es, how the Church &s;hall be governed after the &s;aid three yeers, or &s;ooner, if differences <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ay be agreed. Touching the Covenant, His Maje&s;ty is not yet therein &s;atisfied, and de&s;ires to re&s;pite h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s particular An&s;wer thereunto untill his coming to <HI>London,</HI> becau&s;e it being a matter of con|&s;cience, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e cannot give a re&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lution therein till he may be a&s;&s;i&s;ted with the advice of &s;ome of his own Chaplains (which hath hitherto been den<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed him, &amp; &s;uch other Divines as &s;hal be mo&s;t proper to inform him therein and then he will make cleerly appear both his zeal to the Prote&s;tant Pro|fe&s;&s;ion, and the Union of the&s;e two Kingdoms, which he conceives to be the main d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ift of this Covenant. To the 7^t^h &amp; 8^t^h Propo&s;itions. His Maje|&s;ty will con&s;ent. To the 9^t^h His Maje&s;ty doubts not but to give good &s;ati&s;|faction, when he &s;hall be particularly informed how the &s;aid penal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">
<PB N="5" REF="4"> &s;hall bele<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ied &amp; di&s;po&s;ed of. To the tenth His Maje&s;ties An&s;wer is, That he hath been alwayes ready to prevent the practices of Papi&s;ts, and there|fore <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> content to pa&s;&s;e an Act of Parliament for that purpo&s;e; and al&s;o, that the Laws again&s;t them be duly executed. His Maje&s;ty will give his con&s;ent to the Act for the due ob&s;ervation of the Lords day, for the &s;up|pre&s;&s;ing of Innovations, &amp; tho&s;e concerning the preaching of Gods word, and touching Non-re&s;idence &amp; Pluralities: and His Maje&s;ty will yeeld to &s;uch Act or Acts as &s;hall be requi&s;ite to ray&s;e monies for the payment &amp; &s;atisfying all publick Debts, expecting al&s;o that his will be therein inclu|ded. As to the Propo&s;ition touching the Militia, though his Maje&s;ty can|not con&s;ent unto it <HI>in terminis</HI> as it is propo&s;ed, becau&s;e thereby he con|ceives he wholly parts with the power of the Sword entru&s;ted to him by God and the Laws of the Land, for the protection and government of his people, thereby at once deve&s;ting him&s;elf, &amp; di&s;-inheriting his Po&s;terity of that right &amp; Prerogative of the Crown which is ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary to the Kingly Office, and &s;o weaken Monarchy in this Kingdom, that lit|tle more then the name and &s;hadow of it will remain: yet if it be onely &s;ecurity for the pre&s;ervation of the peace of this Kingdom, after the un|happy troubles, and the due performance of all the agreements which are now to be concluded, which is de&s;ired, (which His Maje&s;ty alwayes un|der&s;tood to be the ca&s;e, and hopes that herein he is not mi&s;taken) His Ma|je&s;tie wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">l give abundant &s;atisfaction; to which end he is willing by Act of Parliament, That the whole power of the Militia both by Sea &amp; Land for the &s;pace of ten yeers be in the hands of &s;uch per&s;ons at the two Hou|&s;es &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 return to the proper channell again, as it was in the times of Queen <HI>Elizabeth</HI> and King <HI>James</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;ty their King, and by the bowels of compa&s;&s;ion they have to their fellow Subjects, 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 Kingdom. His Maje&s;tie will grant the like to the Kingdom of <HI>Scotland,</HI> if it be de&s;ired; and agree to all things that are propounded touching the con&s;erving of peace be|twixt the two Kingdoms.</P>
<P>Touching <HI>Ireland</HI> (other things being agreed) His Maje&s;tie will give &s;a|tisfaction therein. As to the mutual Declarations propo&s;ed to be e&s;ta|bli&s;hed in both Kingdoms by Act of Parliament, and the Modifications, Qualifications and Branches which follow in the Propo&s;itions, His Ma|je&s;tie onely profe&s;&s;es that He doth not &s;ufficiently under&s;tand, nor is able
<PB N="6" REF="5"> to reconcile many things contained in them: but this <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> well<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters">+eth, that a general Act of Oblivion is the be&s;t bond of Peace and<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 span"> Inte&s;tine Troubles, the wi&s;dom of this and other Kingdoms hath <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> and happily in all ages granted General Pardons, whereby the<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 span"> di&s;contentments of many Per&s;ons and Families otherwi&s;e expo&s;ed to<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters">+ine, might not become &s;ewel to new Di&s;orders, or &s;eeds to future Tro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">|bles. His Maje&s;tie 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 ten<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="3 letters"> look upon his condition herein, and the perpetual di&s;honour that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> cl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ave to him, if He &s;hal thus abandon &s;o many per&s;ons of Condition and Fortune that have engaged 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 general Act of Oblivion and free Pardon be forth with pass<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">d by Act of Parliament&punc; Touching the new Great Seal, His Maj<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="5 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> very willing to confirm both it and all the Acts done by vertue thereof until this pre&s;ent time, &s;o that it be not thereby pre&s;&s;ed to make void th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="3 letters"> Acts of His done by vertue of His Great Seal, which in Honour and Ju&s;tice He is obliged to maintain; And that the future government there|of may be in His Maje&s;tie, according to the due cour&s;e of Law. Con|cerning the Officers mentioned in the 19 Article, His Maje&s;tie when he &s;hal come to <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter</HI> wil gratifie his Parliament all that possible <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> may, without de&s;troying the alterations which are nece&s;&s;aray for the Crown. His Maje&s;tie will willingly con&s;ent to the Act for the confir|mation of the Priviledges and Cu&s;toms of the City of <HI>London,</HI> and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters"> that is mentioned in the Propo&s;itions for their particular advantage.</P>
<P>And now that His Maje&s;tie hath thus far endeavoured to comply with the de&s;ires of His two Hou&s;es of Parliament; to the end that this Agree|ment may be firm and la&s;ting, without the lea&s;t face or que&s;tion of re|&s;traint to blemi&s;h the &s;ame, His Maje&s;tie earne&s;tly de&s;ires pre&s;ently to be admitted to His Parliament at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> with that Honour which is due to their Soveraign, there &s;olemnly to confirm the &s;ame, and legally to pa&s;&s;e the Acts before mentioned, and to give and receive as well &s;a|tisfaction in all the remaining particulars, as likewi&s;e &s;uch other <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> of mutual love, tru&s;t and confidence, as &s;hall mo&s;t concern the good of Him and his People; Upon which happie Agreement, His Maje&s;tie will di&s;patch His Directions to the Prince His Son to return immediately to Him, and will undertake for his ready obedience thereunto.</P>
<TRAILER><HI>For the Speaker of the Lords Hou&s;e</HI> (pro tempore) <HI>to be <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">redge|ted to the Lords and Commons in the Parliament of</HI> England at We&s;tmin&s;ter, <HI>and the Commi&s;&s;ioners of the Parliament of</HI> Scotland.</TRAILER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
