THis Letter, or Declaration now read from His Sacred Majeſtie, expreſſing His Princely Care, and tender Affection towards the Parliament, and all His Majeſties Loyall and Dutifull Subjects is now to be taken into our conſideration: And I verily believe there is none here preſent, but hath as tender care and dutifull affection towards his royall Majeſtie and the preſervation of His Honour and Dignity, the Lawes and Religions eſtabliſhed in His Majeſties Dominions, Parliaments, and their juſt rights and priviledges as any Subjects to any Prince in the whole Chriſtian world.
No man Mr. Speaker, I think, doubted, or had the leaſt thought of jealouſie, that are true Proteſtants and loyall ſubjects of his Majeſties ſincerity and integrity towards his Liege people: for wee have ſenſibly felt and underſtood His cleare intentions, and gracious meaning to us all, not onely theſe, but his Princely impreſſions in this his gracious4 Letter and Declaration, but alſo by former Speeches, Proclamations and Proteſtations both publick and private, his willing and cheerefull granting us from time to time our juſt deſires and requeſts, and his cheerefull paſſing of many wholſome Acts, and Lawes for the good of this Kingdome, and the redreſſing of many grievances & opreſſions which his good Subjects did ſuffer by groaning under the burthen of them, and his willing complying with his Parliament for the appeaſing of the great differences that was between this kingdome and Scotland, and the ſetling of peace and unity amongſt our ſelves: Theſe have beene ſufficient teſtimonies of his Princely and tender care over his people, and enough to endeare our hearts and affections to his Royall Majeſty, and his poſterity for ever.
Mr. Speaker, Theſe propoſitions recommended by his Majeſty, to the conſideration of the Houſe, conſiſts of theſe Heads.
1. For the firſt of theſe, it hath been our principall care and endevours hitherto, as farre as the preſent diſtempers and diſtractions in the State would give us leave, to maintaine the juſt Prerogative, and Regall power of his Majeſty, and to ſettle his revenue: But being neceſſitated to conſult and conſider of the greater and weightier affaires of this State, being ſo perplexed and diſtracted through the malice and pernitious endevours of wicked and diſaffected perſons, to the peace and tranquillity both of his Majeſty, and his Kingdomes, thereby forced to lay aſide the determination of his Majeſties demand, till his Majeſties Kingdomes bee ſecured and preſerved from fatall deſtruction; which by the malignant adverſaries thereof, daily ſought and practiſed: But not leaving the ſame either as negligent, or forgetfull of his Majeſties juſt demand, or in any undutifulneſſe, but that in due time, upon the firſt oportunity to take the ſame againe into conſideration, and proceed therein to the finall Concluſion thereof; deſiring this Houſe, that His Majeſty may be informed of our reall intentions therein.
2. For the other propoſition by his Majeſty wee cannot but in dutifull obedience returne our thankefulneſſe to his Majeſty in the name of the whole Parlament for his Princely care of our Liberties and Priviledges and pious reſolution to eſtabliſh our Religion; in its truth and purity, and his indifferency in the uſe and exerciſe of Ceremonies, concerning which wee have received many Petitions from divers Counties and parts of this Kingdome Signed with many thouſand hands for the utter aboliſhment of the ſame, ſhewing likewiſe the inconvenience in the uſe and exerciſe of the ſame, the great dammage and many evills that have ſucceeded upon the tolleration thereof hitherto; which with the continuance of the uſe thereof is alſo like to continue the evils, and daily encreaſe more and more dangerous, upon which it hath beene thought fit by this Honourable Houſe to extinguiſh and aboliſh the ſame forme being joyned with the worſhip of God in the exerciſo of Religion by the generall vote of the Houſe, and divers orders have iſſued through the Kingdome for leaving of, and laying by the further uſe thereof; Theſe things being thus farre proceeded in by joynt conſent of Parliaments, I humbly deſire his Majeſty may be moved by Petition of both Houſes for his royall aſſent thereunto.
And for the ſetling of Religion and good Diſcipline in the Church. We have beene much oppoſed and interrupted in our proceedings therein, when we had the ſame in conſultation and in conſideration, by the Prelats and prelatical faction in the Lords Houſe; having been a great part of our buſineſſe to remove ſuch impediments as have hindred our8 proceedings not onely in that, but other the great affaires of State. and to appeaſe the preſent diſtractions and diſtempers in the Kingdome, to ſupply with ayde and aſſiſtance all our afflicted brethren in Ireland, and to preſerve and ſecure our owne perſons from the malice and wicked deſignes of our malitious and malignant adverſaries, enemies to our peace and ſafety, and enemies to the proſperity and tranquillity of his Majeſty and his good Subjects, with lets and hinderances which have cauſed theſe ſtops, in our proceedings in the ſetling of Religion, I likewiſe deſire may bee repreſented to his Majeſty.
And thus much concerning his Majeſties propoſitions, which I deſire may bee taken into preſent conſideration, and anſwer reformed to his Majeſty concerning the ſame.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A86539)
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