AS the daily expectation of the comming of the Propoſitions hath made his Majeſty this long time to forbeare giving his Anſwer unto them, ſo the appearance of their ſending being no more for any thing he can heare, then it was at his firſt comming hither, notwithſtanding that the Earle of Louderdale hath been at London above theſe 10 dayes, (whoſe not comming was ſaid to be the onely ſtop) hath cauſed his Majeſty thus to anticipate their comming to him, and yet conſidering his Condition, that his Servants are denied acceſſe to him, all but very few, and thoſe by appointment, not his owne Election, and that it is declared a crime for any but the Commiſſioners, or ſuch who are particularly permitted by them, to converſe with his Majeſtie, or that any Letters ſhould be given to, or received from him, may hee not truly ſay, that he is not in caſe fit to make Conceſſions, or give Anſwers, ſince he is not maſter of thoſe ordinary Actions which are the undoubted Rights of any free-borne man, how meane ſoever his birth be? And certainly hee would ſtill be ſilent as to this ſubject, untill his Condition were much mended, did he not preferre ſuch a right underſtanding betwixt Him and his Parliaments of both Kingdomes, which may make a firme and laſting Peace in all His Dominions, before any particular of his owne or any earthly bleſſing: and therefore His Majeſty hath diligently imployed his utmoſt indeavours for divers moneths paſt, ſo to informe His Underſtanding, and ſatisfie His Conſcience, that he might be able to give ſuch Anſwers to the Propoſitions, as would be moſt agreeable to His Parliaments; but He ingenuouſly profeſſes, that notwithſtanding all the paines that He hath taken therein, the nature of ſome of them appeares ſuch unto him, that without diſclaiming that Reaſon which God hath given him to judge by for the good of Him and His People, and without putting the greateſt violence upon His owne Conſcience, Hee cannot give His conſent to all of them. Yet His Majeſtie (that it may appeare to all the VVorld how deſirous He is to give full ſatisfaction) hath thought fit hereby to expreſſe His readineſſe to grant what he may, and His willingneſſe to receive from them, and that perſonally if His two Houſes at Weſtminſter ſhall approve thereof, ſuch further Information in the reſt as may beſt convince His judgement, and ſatisfie thoſe doubts which are not yet cleer unto him, deſiring them alſo to conſider that if His Majeſtie intended to winde himſelfe out of theſe troubles by indirect meanes, were it not eaſie for him now readily to conſent to what hath or ſhall bee propoſed unto him, and afterwards chuſe his time to breake all, alledging, that forc't conceſſions are not to be kept, ſurely he might, and not incurre a hard cenſure from ſome indifferent men. But maximes in this kinde are not the guides of His Majeſties actions, for hee freely and cleerly avows, that he holds it unlawfull for any man, and moſt baſe in a King to recede from his promiſes for having been obtained by force or under reſtraint; wherefore his Majeſty not onely rejecting thoſe acts which he eſteems unworthy of him, but even paſſing by that which he might well inſiſt a point of honour, in reſpect of his preſent condition, thus anſwers the firſt Propoſition. That upon his Majeſties comming to London, hee will heartily joyne in all that ſhall concerne the honour of his two Kingdomes or the Aſſembly of the States of Scotland, or of the Commiſſioners or Deputies of either Kingdome, particularly in thoſe things which are deſired in that Propoſition, upon confidence that all of them reſpectively with the ſame tenderneſſe will look upon thoſe things which concerne his Majeſties honour.

In anſwer to all the Propoſitions concerning Religion, His Majeſtie propoſeth, that he will confirme the Presbyteriall Government, the Aſſembly of Divines at Weſtminſter, and the Directory, for three yeares, being the time ſet downe by the two Houſes, ſo that His Majeſtie and His Houſhold be not hindred from that forme of Gods Service which they formerly have; And alſo, that a free conſultation & debate be had with the Divines at Weſtminſter (twentie of His Majeſties nomination being added unto them) whereby it may be determined by His Majeſtie and the two Houſes, how the Church ſhall be governed after the ſaid three yeares or ſooner, if differences may be agreed. Touching the Covenant, His Majeſtie is not yet therein ſatisfied, and deſires to reſpite His particular anſwer thereunto untill His comming to London, becauſe it being a matter of conſeience he cannot give a reſolution therein till he may be aſſiſted with the advice of ſome of His own Chaplains (which hath hitherto bin denied Him) & ſuch other Divines as ſhall be moſt proper to informe Him therein; and then He will make clearely appeare, both His zeale to the Proteſtant profeſſion, and the Union of theſe two Kingdomes, which he conceives to be the maine drift of this Covenant. To the 7th and 8th Propoſitions, His Majeſtie will conſent. To the 9th His Majeſtie doubts not but to give good ſatisfaction when he ſhall be particularly informed how the ſaid penalties ſhall be levied and diſpoſed of. To the 10th His Majeſties anſwer is, That he hath beene alwayes ready to prevent the practices of Papiſt, and therefore is content to piſſe an Act of Parliament for that purpoſe; And alſo, that the Lawes againſt them be duly executed. His Majeſtie will give His conſent to the Act for the due observation of the Lords Day, for the ſuppreſſing of Innovations, and thoſe concerning the Preaching of Gods Word, and touching Non-Reſidence and Pluralities, and His Majeſtie will yeeld to ſuch Act or Acts as ſhall be requiſite to rayſe moneyes for the payment and ſatisfying all publique Debts, expecting alſo that his will be therein included. As to the Propoſition touching the Militia, though his Majeſtie cannot conſent unto it in terminis as it is propoſed, becauſe thereby he conceives, hee wholly parts with the power of the Sword entruſted to him by God and the Lawes of the Land, for the protection and government of his people, thereby at once deveſting himſelfe, and diſ-inheriting his Poſteritie of that right and prerogative of the Crowne which is absolutely neceſſary to the Kingly Office, and ſo weaken Monarchy in this Kingdome, that little more then the name and ſhadow of it will remaine: yet if it be onely ſecuritie for the preſervation of the peace of this Kingdome, after the unhappy troubles, and the due performance of all the agreements which are now to be concluded, which is deſired, (which his Majeſtie alwayes underſtood to be the caſe, and hopes that herein he is not miſtaken) his Majeſtie will give aboundant ſatisfaction, to which end he is willing by Act of Parliament, That the whole power of the Militia, both by Sea and Land for the ſpace of tenne yeares bee in the hands of ſuch perſons as the two Houses ſhall nominate, giving them power during the ſaid terme to change the ſaid perſons, and ſubſtitute others in their places at pleaſure, and afterwards to returne to the proper channell againe, as it was in the times of Queene Elizabeth and King Iames of bleſſed memory. And now his Majeſtie conjures his two Houſes of Parliament, as they are Engliſhmen and lovers of Peace, by the dutie they owe to his Majeſtie their King, and by the bowells of compaſſion they have to their fellow Subjects, that they will accept of this his Majeſties offer, whereby the joyfull news of Peace may be reſtored to this languiſhing Kingdome His Majeſtie will grant the like to the Kingdome of Scotland if it bee deſired, and agree to all things that are propounded touching the conſerving of peace betwixt the two Kingdomes.

Touching Ireland (other things being agreed) His Majeſtie will give ſatisfaction therein. As to the mutuall Declarations propoſed to be eſtabliſhed in both Kingdomes by Act of Parliament, And the Modifications, Qualifications, and Branches which follow in the Propoſitions, His Majeſty onely profeſſes, that He doth not ſufficiently underſtand, nor is able to reconcile many things contained in them; but this He well knoweth, That a general Act of Oblivion is the beſt Bond of Peace; and that after inteſtine Troubles, the wiſdome of this and other Kingdomes hath uſually and happily in all ages granted generall Pardons, whereby the numerous diſcontentments of many Perſons and Families otherwiſe expoſed to ruine, might not become fewell to new diſorders, or ſeedes to future troubles. His Majeſty therefore deſires, that his two Houſes of Parliament would ſeriouſly deſcend into theſe conſiderations, and likewiſe tenderly look upon his Condition herein, and the perpetual diſhonour that muſt cleave to him, if He ſhall thus abandon ſo many perſons of Condition and Fortune that have ingaged themſelves with and for Him, out of a ſenſe of Duty, and propounds as a very acceptable teſtimony of their affection to him, That a generall Act of Oblivion and free Pardon be forthwith paſſed by Act of Parliament. Touching the new great Seal, His Majeſty is very willing to confirme both it and all the Acts done by vertue thereof untill this preſent time, ſo that it be not thereby preſſed to make voyd thoſe Acts of his done by vertue of his great Seale, which in honour and juſtice he is obliged to maintaine, And that the future Government thereof may be in his Majeſty, according to the due courſe of Law. Concerning the Officers mentioned in the 19. Article, His Majeſty when he ſhall come to Weſtminſter will gratiſie his Parliament all that poſſibly he may, without deſtroying the alterations which are neceſſary for the Crown. His Majeſty will willingly conſent to the Act for the confirmation of the Priviledges and Cuſtomes of the City of London, and all that is mentioned in the Propoſitions for their particuler advantage. And now that His Majeſty hath thus far indeavoured to comply with the deſires of his two Houſes of Parliament, to the end that this agreement may be firme and laſting, without the leaſt face or queſtion of reſtraint to blemiſh the ſame, his Majeſty earneſtly deſires preſently to bee admitted to his Parliament at Weſtminſter, with that Honour which is due to their Soveraigne, there ſolemnly to confirme the ſame, and legally to paſſe the Acts before mentioned, and to give and receive as well ſatisfaction in all the remaining particulars, as likewiſe ſuch other pledges of mutuall love, truſt, and confidence as ſhall moſt concerne the good of him, and his peoples upon which happy agreement, his Majeſty will diſpatch his Directions to the Prince his Son, to returne immediately to him, and will undertake for his ready obediencc thereunto.

For the Speaker of the Lords Houſe (pro tempore) to be communicated to the Lords and Commons in tht Parliament of England at Weſtminſter, and the Commiſſioners of the Parliament of Scotland.