Basiliká the works of King Charles the martyr : with a collection of declarations, treaties, and other papers concerning the differences betwixt His said Majesty and his two houses of Parliament : with the history of his life : as also of his tryal and martyrdome.

MDCXLIV. April 15. The Petition of the Lords and Commons of Parliament as∣sembled at Oxford, Presented to His MAJESTY the day before the Recess: And His MAJESTY'S Gracious Answer to the same.

To the Kings most excellent MAJESTY, The humble Petition of the Lords and Commons of Parliament assembled at Oxford, according to Your MAJESTY'S Proclamation.

WE most humbly acknowledge Your Princely Goodness in calling us to receive our Advices for preservation of the Religion, Laws and Safety of the King∣dom, and to restore it to its former Peace and Security. How earnestly we have sought a Peace with Your Majesty's most gracious Concurrence, doth appear by the printed Declaration of our Proceedings touching a Treaty for Peace, wherein we aimed at a free and full Convention of Parliament, as the most hopeful way to unite these unhappy Divisions. And since that hath been refused, we have applyed our Ad∣vices for supporting Your Armies, the visible means now left for maintaining our Reli∣gion, restoring the Laws, and procuring the Safety of the Kingdom; being assured from Your Majesty, You do and will employ Your Armies to no other end.

And although our selves are most fully satisfied of Your Majesty's pious and just Reso∣lutions herein; yet because Fears and Jealousies have been and are maliciously scattered amongst Your Subjects, to poison their Affections, and corrupt their Loyalty to Your Majesty; therefore, to the end we may be enabled by Your gracious Answer to satisfie all the World, or to leave them unexcusable who will not be satisfied, we do in all humi∣lity present to Your Majesty these Petitions.

That Your Majesty will give direction for the re-printing Your Protestation made in the head of Your Army, and Your other Declarations, wherein Your constant Resolution

is declared, to maintain and defend the true reformed Protestant Religion, and that the same may be with more diligence published amongst the People; that so Your Princely Christian Zeal and Affection to that Religion, and to maintain the same a∣gainst all Popery, Schism and Profaneness, may be manifested; and which we beseech Your Majesty upon this our Petition to declare again to all the World, to the discoun∣tenance and suppression of those Scandals laid upon Your Majesty by those who disturb our Peace.

That when there may be a full and free Convention of Parliament, a National Synod may be lawfully called, to advise of some fit means for the establishing the Government and Peace of our Church; to whom may be recommended a care for the ease of the tender Consciences of Your Protestant Subjects.

Touching our Laws, we cannot ask more of Your Majesty than to declare and con∣tinue Your former Resolutions, to hold and keep them inviolable and unalterable, but by Act of Parliament.

And for avoiding the Scandal maliciously infused into many of Your Subjects, that if Your Majesty prevail against this Rebellion, You intend not to use the frequent Council of Parliaments; we humbly pray and advise Your Majesty to declare the sincerity of Your Royal Heart therein, to satisfie Your seduced Subjects against such false and mali∣cious Aspersions.

And in respect the present Contributions, Loans, Taxes, and other Impositions for maintenance of Your Armies, have been submitted unto as Exigences of War and Ne∣cessity, because of this unexampled Rebellion and Invasion; we humbly beseech Your Majesty to Declare, That they shall not be drawn into example, nor continue longer than the present Exigence and Necessity, nor be at any time mentioned as Precedents: And that for the farther security of Your People, Your Majesty will vouchsafe to pro∣mise Your Royal Assent to a Law to be made and declared to that purpose in a full and free Convention of Parliament.

And that for the present ease and encouragement of those under Contributions by Contract with Your Majesty, You will be pleased that those Contracts may be so obser∣ved, that Your Subjects may not have just cause of complaint against the Comman∣ders, Governors, Officers or Souldiers of Your Army, or of or in any Your Garrisons, Castles or Forts, for taking any Money, Horses or other Cattel, Provisions or other Goods, or any Timber or Woods of any Your Subjects, or Free-Billet, or Free-Quar∣ter, in any place where the Contributions and Taxes agreed on are paid; humbly be∣seeching Your Majesty's gracious Care herein, and that the Offenders may receive exemplary punishment.

Lastly, That Your Majesty will retain Your pious endeavours to procure the Peace of this languishing Kingdom, not to be removed or altered by any advantages or prospe∣rous success.

His MAJESTY'S Gracious Answer to the aforesaid Petition.

AS We shall always acknowledge the great Comfort and Assistance We have recei∣ved by your Councils since your Meeting here according to Our Proclamation; so We must give you very particular Thanks for the Expressions you have made in this Petition of your Confidence in Us, and for the Care you have therein taken, that all Our good Subjects may receive ample satisfaction in those things upon which the Good and Welfare of their Condition so much depends.

We have long observed (though not without wonder) the sly, subtile, and ground∣less Insinuation infused and dispersed amongst our People by the disturbers of the Pub∣lick Peace, of Our favouring and countenancing of Popery: And therefore as in Our constant, visible practice We have to the utmost of Our Power, (and We hope, suffi∣ciently) manifested the gross falshood of those Imputations and Scandals, so We have omitted no opportunity of publishing to all the World the clear Intentions and Resolu∣tions of the Soul in that point. We wish from Our heart that the true Reformed Pro∣testant Religion may not receive greater Blemish by the Actions and Practices of these Men, than it doth or shall by any Connivence of Ours. We will take the best care We can (and We desire your assistance in it) to publish to all Our good Subjects that Our Protestation, and those Declarations you mention: And We do assure you, there is not an Expression in either of them, for the maintenance and advancement of Our Religion, with which Our Heart doth not fully concur; and in which We shall be so constant, that

if it shall not please God to enable Us by Force to defend it, We shall shew Our Affection and Love to it by dying for it. We may without vanity say, It hath pleased God to enlighten Our Understanding to discern the clear Truth of the Protestant Religion, in which We have been born and bred, from the Mists and Clouds of Popery, the which (if it hath made any growth or progress of late within the Kingdom, as We hope it hath not) is more beholding to the unchristian Rage and Fury of these Men than to any Connivence or Favour of Ours.

For a National Synod, We have often promised it, and when God shall give so much Peace and Quiet to this Kingdom, that regular and lawful Conventions may be esteem∣ed, shall gladly perform that Promise, as the best means to re-establish Our Religion, and make up those Breaches which are made: And We shall then willingly recommend unto them a special care of the ease of tender Consciences of Our Protestant Subjects, as We have often expressed.

For the Laws of the Land, We can say no more than We have said in that Protesta∣tion you mention, and We thank you for being satisfied with it; in which God knows Our Resolution to be so firm and stedfast, that We will give any Security under Heaven for the observation of it. And as Our greatest desire at this present is to meet in a full and free Convention of Parliament, which We are confident would quickly put an end to all these Troubles: So, when it shall please God to restore that Blessing to Us, We shall value and esteem that Council, and frequently consult with it, and be advised by it, as the best means to make both King and People truly happy; and We shall then by an Act given wipe out the footsteps of these extraordinary Supplies, which nothing but this real visible Necessity which oppresses us all could have compelled Us to make use of, and which shall never be mentioned or remembred by Us to the least Pre∣judice of your Rights and Liberties. And in the mean time, We shall leave nothing undone for the preservation of particular Contracts, and prevention of the disorder and licence of the Souldier, which is in Our Power to do, no particular Person endu∣ring half that sadness of heart for those Breaches and Pressures which We Our Self do: For the prevention and suppression whereof We shall proceed with all Rigour and Severity.

Lastly, as the support and maintenance of the Religion, Laws and Privileges of Par∣liament is (as you well know) the only Argument of Our defensive Arms; so those being secured, We shall with all imaginable Joy lay down those Arms: And as you have been Our Witnesses and Our Assistants in Our earnest desires of Peace, so We pro∣mise you, We shall not only with the same earnestness always embrace it, if it shall be offered, but pursue and press it upon the least likelihood of Opportunity. And this Our Resolution, by God's Blessing, shall never be altered by any Advantages or prosperous Success.

His MAJESTY'S Protestation.

I DO Promise in the presence of Almighty God, and as I hope for his Blessing and Protection, That I will, to the utmost of My Power, defend and maintain the true Reformed Protestant Religion established in the Church of England, and by the Grace of God in the same will live and die.

I desire to Govern by the known Laws of the Land, and that the Liberty and Pro∣perty of the Subject may be by them preserved with the same care as My own just Rights: And if it please God by His blessing upon this Army raised for My necessary defence, to preserve Me from this Rebellion, I do solemnly and faithfully Promise, in the sight of God, to maintain the just Privileges and Freedom of Parliament, and to govern by the known Laws of the Land, to My utmost Power; and particularly to observe inviola∣bly the Laws consented to by Me this Parliament. In the mean while, if this time of War, and the great necessity and streights I am now driven to, beget any violation of those, I hope it shall be imputed by God and Man to the Authors of this War, and not to Me, Who have so earnestly laboured for the preservation of the Peace of this Kingdom.

When I willingly fail in these particulars, I will expect no Aid or Relief from any Man, or Protection from Heaven: But in this Resolution I hope for the chearful Assistance of all good Men, and am confident of God's Blessing.