BOth you and your request are welcome to Us, and cannot faile of a kind reception here, where your former merits, and your present good inten­tions are so well knowne. It is naturall in the Patient to seeke cure of his disease, and to move the Physi­tion to use his best skill, and it is commendable in you under your sufferings to apply your selves to Us for ease; and we hope it is not meere im­patience urges you to seeke things impossible, or unjust: Your prayers for peace are Honourable, so was Jacobs wife for children; yet when shee cried, Give me children or I die, shee was too blame; for she sought that of Jacob, which Ja­cob had no power to give, and she sought the same [Page 2]with such violence, as Jacob ought not to have heard. But we will onely conceive, that without all impatience, you seeke of Us Peace, so farre as we can procure it, and not absolutely, for it de­pends not so much upon Us, as the King, and it is not in Us to draw the King to a Peace, except His Majesty be as inclinable to it, as wee are. And we will conceive also that you seeke not Peace nakedly, except it come along with Truth, Righteousnesse, and Honour, and of such a Peace we are as zealous as you can wish Us to be; and for other Peace, if we should wholly submit to the Kings partie, without all conditions for fu­ture security, such a submission to that Partie would be no redresse but an increase of your pre­sent sufferings. Wee are intrusted in this by the whole Kingdome, and that trust wee must not breake upon the solicitation of any part of the kingdome: You are a considerable part of Lon­don, but you are not whole London, and London is a considerable part of this kingdome, but it is not the whole kingdome, and we, according to our trust, must looke upon the whole kingdome: but it may be, that you see more than the whole kingdome, and may out of that sight offer some thing to Us for the ease and reliefe of the whole kingdome; in this we will not gainesay you, it is possible that some cleere way and forme of a just, safe, and honourable Accommo­dation [Page 3]may be opened, and discovered to you, which hath not yet beene found out by Us; if this be so, we desire you cordially, and in a friendly manner to communicate your apprehensions, and understandings of this affaire to us, and by our sudden and full embrasement there of, you shall soone finde how deere, and pre­cious the face, the very name or sound of Peace is to us: In the meane time we desire you to rest assured, that if there be any defect in us, it must needs be in point of understanding, it can­not be in point of affection. No men living can be in affection more devoted to safe Peace then we are. And further, we desire you not to censure us of any defect at all, no, not so much as in under­standing, except you can reveale to us some better way, then wee have hitherto assayed: No Ac­commodation can be, but wee must leave some­thing to the King upon trust, and if the Accom­modation be even, the King will not deny some trust to us, but in this helpe to advise us how farre we shall trust the King, and how far we shall trust the Kings partie; were the King utterly dis­ingaged from all parties, perhaps wee would wholly trust the King, and desire no trust at all to be left in us from his Majestie: but we see in the Kings partie, some that have a strange power in his affection, yea a greater power farre than wee have, and yet they are knowne to be deepely in [Page 4]raged Papists, violently ingaged Delinquents: and if you would wholly put your selves and the kingdome into the trust of such a partie, wee are bound to withstand it, as much as wee can, The King protests to hate Popery, and disavowes all thoughts of Arbitrarie Rule, yet wee know all, how far hee is addicted to Papists, and Malignant haters of Parliaments: and since we cannot sub­mit to the King, but wee must submit to His Partie, whom He preferres before us, what advantage is it to us, whether Hee be in heart the selsesame, as His Partie is, or not? The truth is, wee and the Kings party are so dia­metrically opposite in Religion and State both, that he cannot protect both, if they are his friends, we are his enemies; if wee are his friends, they are questionlesse his enemies; if he shield them from our justice, he must expose us to their inju­stice; either they must judge us, or we them, no middle way can be safe; nor deserve the name of Accommodation, it must prove inevitable con­fusion in the end. Many yeares wee have already struggled together, and they have all the while found more favour from the Court then wee; but now we are more implacablie exasperated by blood, one against the other, and they will not lay downe Armes before us, nor ought wee be­fore them, and if both lay downe Armes toge­ther, [Page 3]yet little safety will be to us; for our Reli­gion and profession will [...]inde us truly to per­forme, but theirs will [...]inde them to betray us, and since they are greater in the Kings favour, and are loose from Oaths, when we are discountenan­ced, and our hands are tyed from defence, what equalitie of Treatie is there? We will speak now to you, as we would to the whole bodie of Eng­land; if you prefer their cause and beeing before ours, speak it out more plainlie: if you wish better to us, and think better of us, be wary of such Ac­commodation, as may render us upon unequall termes into their hands. You will say we have re­ceived other Petitions with more favour, when they have more concurred with us in their Votes, We confesse and justifie it: for when the people have encouraged us by Petitions, answering to our Votes, and have invited us to be more hardy in searching their wounds, fearing our too much tendernesse in their owne case, we could not but resent a better disposition and capacitie of cure, then now we take notice of in such contrarie Pe­titions, as seeme to expresse a distrust of us, though indeed your professions be cleane contrary. Yet to deale plainlie with you, and all other Petiti­oners: We love not to be sollicited at all by the People in any case whatsoever, except when wee doe manifestly faile of our dutie, either out of too [Page 6]much feare, or too much presumption. Howsoe­ver for the present goe peaceablie home, and if you think us worthie of that trust which you have hitherto reposed in us, leave to us to consider of this your Petition with all its circumstances, and assure your selves, wee will condescend to the more hazzard, and depart something the more from our owne due in our demands from his Ma­jestie for your sakes. And if you prefer your own judgements before ours, proceed to advertise us lovingly and fairelie, wherein wee may doe you more good, or how we may draw nearer to a pru­dent Accommodation, and impart more particu­larly your open sence thereof. Howsoever wee desire you to addresse your selves to his Majesty in the same manner as you have done to us, unless you condemne us as more indisposed to peace then his Majestie is, and let your request be, that in this valuation of his Party, and his Parliament, He would be equally pleased to condescend, and depart from his former rigor of Termes, as you expect from us, or else we must pronounce you in this unequall. And for the summe of all, let your desired Accommodation be such, as shall main­taine us to be the Kings legall Parliament, and a legall Parliament to be the Kings highest Court of Judicature, and the highest Judicature of the King fittest to determine all publike disputes; and [Page 7]best disposed to mercy, as well as justice; and policy, as well as Law: and without more adoe your wished Accommodation is perfected, and agreed upon.