The petition of the Lords and Commons in Parliament, delivered to His Majestie the 16. day of July: together with His Majesties answer thereunto.

To the Kings most Excellent MAJESTIE

The humble Petition of the LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in Parliament.

May it please Your Majestie,

ALthough we Your Majesties most humble and faithfull Subjects, the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, have been very unhappy in many former Petitions and Supplications to Your Ma∣jestie, Wherein we have represented our most dutifull Affecti∣ons, in advising and desiring those things which we held most necessary for the preservation of Gods true Religion, Your Ma∣jesties Safety and Honour, and the Peace of the Kingdom; And with much sorrow do perceive, That Your Majestie, incensed by many false Calum∣nies and Slanders, doth continue to raise Forces against us, and Your other peaceable and loyall Subjects, and to make great Preparations for War, both in the Kingdom, and from beyond the Seas; And by Arms and violence to over-rule the Judgement and Advice of Your great Councell, and by force to determine the Questions there depending, concerning the Government and Liberty of the Kingdom; Yet such is our earnest desire of discharging our duty to Your Majestie and the Kingdom, to pre∣serve the peace thereof, and to prevent the Miseries of Civill War amongst Your Subjects, That notwithstanding we hold our selves bound to use all the means and power, which by the Laws and Constitutions of this Kingdom we are trusted with, for Defence and Protection thereof, and of the Subjects from force and violence; We do in this our humble and Loyall Petition prostrate our selves at Your Maje∣sties feet, beseeching Your Royall Majestie, That You will be pleased to forbear and remove all Preparations and Actions of War, particularly the Forces from about Hull, from Newcastle, Tynmouth, Lincoln, and Lincolnshire, and all other Places; and that Your Majestie will recall the Commissions of Array, which are illegall; Dismisse Troops, and extraordinary Guards, by You raised; That Your Majestie will come neerer to Your Parliament, and hearken to their faithfull Advice, and hum∣ble Petitions, which shall onely tend to the defence and advancement of Religion, Your own Royall Honour and Safety, the Preservation of our Laws and Liberties: And we have been, and shall ever be carefull to prevent and punish all Tumults and seditious Actions, Speeches, and Writings, which may give Your Majestie just cause of distaste or apprehension of danger; from which publike Aimes and Resolutions no finister or private respect shall ever make us to decline; That Your Majestie will leave Delinquents to the due course of Justice; And that nothing done or spoken in Parliament, or by any Person in pursuance of the Command and Direction of both Houses of Parliament be questioned any where but in Parliament.

And we, for our Parts, shall be ready to lay down all those preparations which we have been forced to make for our desence. And for the Town of Hull, and the Ordi∣nance concerning the Militia, as we have, in both these particulars, onely sought the

preservation of the peace of the Kingdom, and the Defence of the Parliament from force and violence; So we shall most willingly leave the Town of Hull in the state it was before Sir Iohn Hotham drew any Forces into it, delivering Your Majesties Ma∣gazine into the Tower of London; And supplying whatsoever hath been disposed by us for the service of the Kingdom; We shall be ready to settle the Militia by a Bill, in such a way, as shall be Honourable and safe for Your Majestie, most agreeable to the duty of Parliament, and effectuall for the good of the Kingdom, that the strength thereof be not imployed against it self, and that which ought to be for our security, applied to our destruction; And that the Parliament, and those who professe and desire still to preserve the Protestant Religion, both in this Realm, and in Ireland, may not be left naked, and indefensible, to the michievous defignes, and cruell attempts of those, who are the profestand confederated Enemies thereof in Your Majesties Do∣minions, and other Neighbour-Nations: To which if Your Majesties Courses and Counsels shall from hence-forth concur, we doubt not but we shall quickly make it appear to the Word, by the most eminent effects of Love and Duty, That Your Ma∣jesties personall safety, Your Royall Honour and Greamesse are much deerer to us then our own Lives and Fortunes; Which we do most heartily Dedicate, and shall most willingly imploy for the support and maintenance thereof.