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.

The Kings Commissioners other Paper, 20. Feb.

[ CLXXVI] VVE do very much wonder, that it doth not clearly appear to your Lordships, that upon any difference between the Committees of both Kingdoms in the managing the War of Ireland, (in the manner proposed by your Lordships) the War there must stand still, or be dissolved: for if the Ordinance of the 11th of April be by His Majesties Royal Assent made an Act of Parliament, (as your Lordships desire) all the Forces of that Kingdom, both British and Scotish, are put under the absolute Command of the Earl of Leven the Scotish General, and the managing the War committed wholly to the Commit∣tee of both Kingdoms, without any reference to the two Houses of the Parliament of Eng∣land by themselves: so that whatsoever your Lordships say of your intentions, that the the two Houses of Parliament here shall upon such difference manage the War (which yet you say must be observing the Treaty of the 6th of August, and the said Ordinance of the 11th of April) it is very evident, if that Ordinance should be made a Law, the War must stand still or be dissolved, upon difference of opinion between the Committee of both Kingdoms, or else the Earl of Leven must carry on the War according to his discretion; for he is in no degree bound to observe the Orders or Directions of the Houses of Parlia∣ment in England by themselves. Neither doth the asking His Majesties Consent at all alter the Case from what we stated it to your Lordships in our Paper of the 20. of this Instant; for we said then, and we say still, that if His Majesty should consent to what you propose, He would devest himself of all his Royal Power in that Kingdom, and reserve no Power or Authority in Himself over that War, which is most necessary for His Kingly Office to do. For your Lordships Expression, when there shall be a Lieutenant of Ireland, we pre∣sume your Lordships cannot but be informed that His Majesty hath made, and we doubt not but you acknowledge he hath power to make the Lord Marquess of Ormond His Lieu∣tenant of that Kingdom, and who is very well able to manage and carry on that War, in such manner as shall be thought necessary for the good of that Kingdom; and there is no question but that the naming the Earl of Leven to be General, to receive Orders only from the joynt Committee of both Kingdoms, doth more take away the Power of the two Hou∣ses here, than if he were a Native of this Kingdom, and to obey the Orders of the two Houses. And we conceive it evident, that the giving the absolute Command of all Forces,

both British and Scotish, to the Earl of Leven, General of the Scotish Forces, who is to manage the War according to the Directions of the joynt Committee of both Kingdoms, doth not amount to less than to deliver the whole Kingdom of Ireland over into the hands of His Majesties Subjects of the Kingdom of Scotland: and therefore we must ask your Lordships Pardon, to believe our selves obliged in Prudence, Honour, and Conscience, very much to insist on that consideration, and very earnestly to recommend the same to your Lordships. And we conceive it most conducing to the good of His Majesties Service and of that Kingdom, and the Lieutenant and Judges there be nominated (as they have al∣ways been) by His Majesty, who will be sure to employ none in places of so great Trust, but such, whose known Ability and Integrity shall make them worthy; and if at any time He shall finde himself deceived by those He shall chuse, can best make them Exam∣ples of His Justice, as they have been of His Grace and Favour. And we beseech your Lordships to consider how impossible it is for His Majesty to receive that measure of Duty, Reverence and Application, which is due to Him, and His Royal Progenitors have always enjoyed, if it be not in His own immediate Power to reward those whom he shall by ex∣perience discern worthy of publick Trust and Imployment. We have made no difficul∣ty to your Lordships of His Majesties consenting to Acts for the raising of moneys, and other necessaries for the setling of the true Protestant Religion in that Kingdom; only we think it unreasonable that His Majesty should engage himself (as is proposed) to pass all such Acts as shall be presented to Him, before He know whether such Acts are rea∣sonable or no, and whether those (other necessaries) may not comprehend what in truth is not only unnecessary, but very inconvenient. Neither will the Argument, that the mo∣neys are to be raised from His Subjects, without any charge to Himself, seem reasonable to His Majesty, His Majesty considering His own charge much less than the Damage and Pressures which may thereby befall His good Subjects, the preserving them from which, is His Majesties most sollicitous and earnest desire. And we cannot but wonder that your Lordships should conceive any Expressions made by us, concerning the Prosecution of that War of Ireland, to be unagreeable to the Zeal of Persons abundantly sensible of that Blood and Horrour of that Rebellion. We agree with you, they have broken the Laws of God and Man, their Faith, their Allegiance, the Bonds of Charity, Rules of Humanity and human Society; and we heartily wish that it were in His Majesties Power to do justice upon, and make up those breaches of all those Rules and Bonds; and to that purpose we have desired to be satisfied by your Lordships what probable course may be taken for the remedying those mischiefs, and preserving the remainder of His Majesties good Protestant Subjects: but without doubt the prosecution of that War so much depends upon the Con∣dition and Distractions of His Majesties other Kingdoms, that the Information your Lord∣ships give us of the Negotiation with Spain and other States, for delivering up that King∣dom from His Majesties Obedience into the hands of Strangers, deserves the most strict Con∣sideration, how His Majesties two other Kingdoms can be applied to the Relief of the third, whilst these Distractions are in their own Bowels, and the continuance of the miseries in the two, must render those in the third remediless, if it be not preserved by some other means than the prosecution of the War. Neither can it be foreseen or determined what help or assistance either Party may make use of, where it finds it self oppressed and over∣powered by the other, especially when it calls in any help, and leaves no means unattempted to destroy the other. And we beseech your Lordships, in the Bowels of Christian Charity and Compassion, and in the Name of him who is the Prince of Peace, and who will make an Inquisition for Blood, to consider, whether all our endeavours ought not to be, to stop these Bloody Issues in all His Majesties Dominions; and whether the just God of Heaven, who for our Sins hath made the several Nations under His Majesties Government, to be Scourges of one another, and of His Majesty Himself, under whose Obedience they should all live, can be delighted with the Sacrifice of Blood, and the Blood of Christians; and whether it would not be more agreeable to our Christian Profession, to endeavour the binding up of those wounds, which Interests, Passion and Animosity have made. We desire your Lordships to consider these things, and to make such Propositions to us con∣cerning Ireland, (since it is apparent, that those already made by you, are by no means fit to be consented to) as may be for the growth and propagation of the true Protestant Re∣ligion, the Peace and Happiness of that Kingdom, and the welfare of all His Majesties Dominions.

The last of the six days concerning Ireland being now spent, being the last of the eighteen appointed to treat upon Religion, Militia, and Ireland, by three days apiece, alternis vicibus, according to the order formerly proposed, the two remaining days were imployed for the most part concerning Religion: but towards the end of these two days, being the last of the Treaty (about 12. of the Clock at night) they delivered in these two following Papers concerning Ire∣land, in answer to the two last Papers.