WE having lately received an Overture from ſome per­•ons in England, with a ſeeming pretence of a Peace and Reconcilement betwixt Us and our Subjects of England, and although they acknowledge themſelves few in number, and not ſo well reſolved as to truſt us with their Names, yet undertake on the behalf of many thouſands, to make good their propoſitions to us, conditionally, that we grant and aſſure unto them, their (as they call them, reaſonable and modeſt) requeſts; whether theſe mens Intentions are juſt and upright, as they pretend, or whether with Jo•b's Salutation to Abner, they would entrap us to our deſtruction; or with Shimei, come the firſt of all the Houſe of Joſeph to meet us, not being able to ſupport themſelves in their decaying Condition, we ſhall not be much deſirous to enquire after: Only from hence we take occaſion to let thoſe perſons, and all the world know, that we are ready to grant to all our Subjects (ſome very few excepted) more then they can have the confidence to expect from us: Yet let not any raſh Judgement condemn us for our large Offers, as being in ſo low, and forlorn a Condition, as never any Chriſtian Prince for many Ages hath been; That we are forward in promiſes, though intend little or no performance: We ſay, were our calamity more heavy upon us, (which can hardly be) we ſhall not be drawn by the greateſt allurements and advantages to paſſe our engagement for any thing we are not fully reſolved to perform, which being chiefly for the general good and peace of all our Subjects, we can­not but hope for a happy Succeſſe to enſue, and therefore do de­clare that (if peaceably receiv'd) we ſhall forthwith grant,

• 1. A general and free pardon to all (ſeven of thoſe only ex­cepted, which were the bloody Judges and Murderers of the King our Father.
• 2. That all the Armies ſhall be within ſix months dsibanded, if Moneys for their ſatisfaction can in a Parliamentary way be ſo ſoon raiſed, and that they ſhall have all Arrears fully payed them, and three months pay over and above to every common Soldier, for their better removal and ſettlement, in their former or better way and place of living.
• 3. That the Armies being ſo ſatisfied and disbanded, no Sol­dier ſhall be continued, but in the ancient Garriſons, accuſtomed on the Sea Coaſts, and that no new Army ſhall be raiſed, or any4 Fleet by us ſet forth to Sea, upon any occaſion whatſoever, but by conſent of Parliament.
• 4. That not any of our Subjects ſhall be burdened with Taxes, Exciſe, Free-quarterings, or other illegal payments or preſſures, or any Oaths impoſed, nor any debarred of their Liberties, queſtioned for their Lives or Eſtates, for any cauſe or pretence whatſoever, but by the ancient and known Laws of the Land, ac­cording to Magna Charta, and the Petition of Right.
• 5. That the Purchaſers of Crown Lands and Rents being ſatis­fied their purchaſe mony and Intereſts by the Profits theteof, and further payment to their full Reimburſement: The ſaid Lands and Rents may return to the Crown again; we being reſolved in the mean time to caſt our Self on the Love of our Subjects for our fu­ture ſupport: And if the Parliament (that ſhal next be called) ſhal not think fit to give us a reparation, & ſuch a competent revenue as we might expect, we have learned, and ſhal ſubmit (if there be occaſion) to the Condition of the meaneſt of our Predeceſſors.
• 6. That the purchaſers of Biſhops, and Deans and Chapters Lands, and Rents, being in like ſort ſatisfied their purchaſe mo­ny and Intereſt by the profits and further payment, till they be re­imburſed, that then the ſaid Lands and Rents ſhall be conferred on the Clergy and Miniſtery, as the next Parliament ſhall ordain.
• 7. That as ſoon as Writs can be iſſued, a free and legal Parlia­ment ſhall be ſummoned, and the Privileges thereof maintained, without any exemption to any perſon whatſoever, being legally choſen and returned, according to the ancient Laws and Cuſtomes of England in that caſe provided.
• 8. That the Parliament ſhall be deſired by us (and with whom we ſhal concur, to take care for the ſetling of the Proteſtant Re­ligion, and the publick worſhip of God (with liberty for tender Conſciences,) and for the providing for the Miniſtry in the firſt place, as being the moſt weighty affair, and ought to be preferred before any other Concernment whatſoever, without which no bleſſing from above can be expected upon our Government.
• 9. That if the Parliament ſhall paſſe an Act of general pardon, (and if they ſhall deſire thoſe ſeven perſons by us intended to be executed, ſhall be included, and giving us ſatisfactory reaſons for the ſame) we ſhall concur with them therein.
• 10. That the Affairs of the Land and our Government, ſhall be conſtantly regulated and managed by Parliaments, and that the Act for Triennial Parliaments ſhall be by us duly obſerved.

5We acknowledge it is very difficult, if not impoſſible to pleaſe all, eſpecially where there are ſo many diviſions, and every man almoſt of a ſeveral mind and opinion: But as we have propoſed to our Self, ſo ſhall we endevour to give all reaſona­ble Satisfaction to all our Subjects. And if the Actings of the Repreſentatives in a Free Parliament of their own choice can ſa­tisfie them, we ſhall not be wanting in ſummoning and concur­ring with them: But if that will not pleaſe them, nothing will.

Now, if theſe condeſcentions of ours ſhall have ſo much free­dome of paſſage in England, as many a ſcurrilous and lying Pamphlet flye abroad without our control, we are confident that all of underſtanding, that are not wilfully blinded or not over-ſwayed with preſent ſelf-intereſt, thereby knowing our large Offers, muſt needs be fully convinced of the amplitude thereof, extending to all their grievances.

However, if it ſhall be inſtanced wherein we are two ſhort, (for we are ready for the Good, and Peace of the Nation, to give large ſatisfaction, and ample aſſurance to our moſt invete­rate Enemies;) We having yielded to all matters of moſt im­portance, ſhall not ſtick at leſſer things.

And if any that have been adherers and aſſiſting to our late royal Father and us, ſhall think we are herein to free and indulgent to ſuch, and ſo many open and profeſſed Enemies; and that we have made no proviſion for our Servants, and Friends; we deſire them all to conſider our own, and alſo their Conditions, and how things now ſtand in England; That neither we, nor them­ſelves, can otherwiſe (in any probability) better our ſelves, unleſs by a bloody and hazzardous War; which though we cannot doubt of the lawfulneſs on our part, and conſequently a pro­ſperous ſucceſs, if we ſhall be neceſſitated thereto for the recovery of our-juſt right, yet we are aſſured that the God of peace will rather proſper a peaceable then violent and forceable entrance: And therefore we hope all thoſe our friends, and lo­ving Sujects, will reſt fully ſatisfied with what we ſhall do purſu­ant to theſe propoſitions, we being deſirous hereafter to conſi­der their ſufferings (though not comparable to ours) as God ſhall enable, and in all juſt and lawful ways.

And now we wiſh that all the people of England would re­member how they have performed their Proteſtations, Oaths, Vows, Solemn League and Covenant: But to inſtance in no6 more then the Honour and Priviledges of Parli•ment, the foun­dation of all their laws, which they have ſo often ſworn and vowed to maintain with their lives and fortunes: What face of a Parliament they have now left, which ſhould conſiſt of three Eſtates, King, Houſe of Peers, and Houſe of Commons: The two firſt wholly deſtroyed: And what of the laſt is in being (not to mention at leaſt 150 that at the beginning of the Wars left them and went to Oxford) when a conſiderable number of their own party proteſted againſt their proceedings, and deſerted the Houſe: How many impriſoned, and what great numbers by force expulſed by that late bloody & hypocritical Uſurper, which actions of his (though they were a main ſtep to his intended Throne and Tyrannical Government) yet are ſo well reliſhed, by that Tail of a Parliament remaining, that they are reſolved nei­ther to readmit the perſons ſo illegally and injuriouſly expelled, nor to fill the up the void places of any removed or dead; ſo that in a few years, what by death, and new expulſions, they may reduce themſelves to the number of thoſe infamous Tyrants of Athens, and if they can eſtabliſh themſelves by their deſigned Militia, and that they may thereby be able to command their now Maſters, the Sword-men, and Caſhire them, they will mod­dle ſuch a new Army as ſhall be in ſubjection to them, and then Vote Themſelves, their Sons, and Nephews, a Parliament for ever.

Let thoſe that have generous Engliſh Spirits ſeriouſly conſider into what a Labyrinth of woe and miſery they have run them­ſelves and now lye under, what a confuſion there is in Church and State; that what hath been gotten by blood and rapine, muſt be ſo upheld. The Government theſe Uſurpers would ſettle, not being to be maintained, but by continual Armies and Navies, and the ſupport of thoſe muſt be Taxe•, Exciſe Free-quarterings, and chargeable Militia's, and other unſupportable burdens to per­peruity.

Now let the whole Nation beg and implore a bleſſing from the Father of Mercies, and let them all be of one heart and one mind, to free themſelves of theſe Iron yokes and heavy preſſures, and joyn and concur with us ▪ in eſtabliſhing a peaceable Govern­ment, to the great joy and happineſſe of the honeſt and true­hearted, and to the advancement of the true Proteſtant Religion and Gods glory. And let them all unanimouſly with one Voyce ſay, Amen.

A true Copy taken from the Original.