That he had no Commission at all to treat of any thing else, without the privity
and directions of the Lord Lieutenant, much less to capitulate any thing concerning
Religion, or any propriety belonging either to Church or Laity.
That it clearly appears by the Lord Lieutenants Proceedings with the said Earl,
that he had no notice at all of what the said Earlhad treated and pretended to have capi∣tulated
with the Irish, until by accident it came to his knowledge.
And his Majesty doth protest, that until such time as He had advertisement that
the person of the said Earl of Glamorgan was arrested and restrained, as is abovesaid, He
never heard, nor had any kind of notice that the said Earl had entred into any kind of
Treaty or Capitulation with those Irish Commissioners; much less that he had con∣cluded
or signed those Articles so destructive both to Church and State, and so repug∣nant
to His Majesty's publick professions and known resolutions.
And for the further vindication of His Majesties Honour and Integrity herein, He
doth declare, That He is so far from considering any thing contained in those Papers
or Writings framed by the said Earl, and those Commissioners with whom he treated,
as He doth absolutely disavow him therein, and hath given commandment to the
Lord Lieutenant and the Council there, to proceed against the said Earl as one who
either out of Falseness, Presumption or Folly, hath so hazarded the blemishing of His
Majesty's Reputation with His good Subjects, and so impertinently framed those Ar∣ticles
of his own head, without the consent, privity, or directions of His Majesty, or
the Lord Lieutenant, or any of His Majesties Council there. But true it is, that for
the necessary preservation of His Majesty's Protestant Subjects in Ireland, whose case
was daily represented unto Him to be so desperate, His Majesty had given Commission
to the Lord Lieutenant to treat and conclude such a Peace there as might be for the
safety of that Crown, the preservation of the Protestant Religion, and no way dero∣gatory
to His Own Honour and publick professions.
But to the end that His Majesty's real intentions in this business of Ireland may be the
more clearly understood, and to give more ample satisfaction to both Houses of Parlia∣ment,
and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland, especially concerning His
Majesties not being engaged in any Peace or Agreement there, He doth desire, if the
two Houses shall admit of His Majesty's repair to London for a Personal Treaty, (as
was formerly proposed) that speedy notice be given thereof to His Majesty, and a Pass
or Safe-Conduct with a blank sent for a Messenger to be immediately dispatcht into
Ireland, to prevent any accident that may happen to hinder His Majesty's resolution of
leaving the managing of the business of Ireland wholly to the Houses, and to make no
Peace there but with their consent; which, in case it shall please God to bless His en∣deavours
in the Treaty with success, His Majesty doth hereby engage Himself to do.
And for a further explanation of His Majesty's intentions in His former Messages,
He doth now declare, that if His Personal repair to London, as aforesaid, shall be ad∣mitted,
and a Peace thereon shall ensue, He will then leave the nomination of the
Persons to be intrusted with the Militia wholly to His two Houses, with such power
and limitations as are expressed in the Paper delivered by His Majesty's Commissioners
at Vxbridge the sixth of February, 1644. for the term of seven years, as hath been de∣sired,
to be given immediately after the conclusion of the Peace, the disbanding of all
Forces on both sides, and the dismantling of the Garrisons erected since these present
Troubles, so as at the expiration of the time before mentioned the power of the Militia
shall entirely revert and remain as before.
And for their further security, His Majesty (the Peace succeeding) will be content
that, pro hac vice, the two Houses shall nominate the Admiral, Officers of State, and
Judges, to hold their places during life, or quam diu se bene gesserint, which shall be
best liked, to be accountable to none but the King and the two Houses of Parliament.
As for matter of Religion, His Majesty doth further declare, That by the Liberty
offered in His Message of the 15 present, for the ease of their Consciences who will
not communicate in the Service already established by Act of Parliament in this King∣dom,
He intends that all other Protestants behaving themselves peaceably in and to∣wards
the Civil Government, shall have the free exercise of their Religion according
to their own way.
And for the total removing of all Fears and Jealousies, His Majesty is willing to
agree, that upon the conclusion of Peace, there shall be a general Act of Oblivion and
free Pardon past by Act of Parliament in both His Kingdoms respectively.
And lest it should be imagined, that in the making these Propositions His Majesty's
Kingdom of Scotland and His Subjects there have been forgotten or neglected, His Ma∣jesty