A COPY Of an intercepted Letter from His Majesty, To the Lords and Gentenlemen, Committees of the Scots Parliament, together with the officers of that Army.
MY Lords and Gentlemen: It is no small comfort to me, that my Native Country hath so true a sense of my present Condition, as I find expressed by your Letter of the eight of this Month, and your Declaration, both which I received upon Friday last, and the same reason which makes you Discreetly and Generously at this time, forbear to presse any thing to me, hinders me likewise to make any particular Professions unto you, left it may be imagined that desire of liberty should now be the only Secretary to my thoughts: Yet thus much I cannot but say; that, as in all humane Reason, nothing but a free Presonall Treaty with me, can settle the unhappy Distractions of these distressed Kingdomes: So, if that could once be had, I would not doubt, but, that (by the grace of God) a happy Peace would soon follow. Such force (I believe) true Reason has in the hearts of all Men, when it may be clearly and calmly heard; and I am not ashamed, at all times, to professe, that it hath, and so shall be alwayes want of understanding, not of will, if I do not yeeld to Reason whensoever, and from whomsoever I hear it; and it were a strange thing, if Reason should be lesse esteemed because it comes from me, which (truly) I doe not expect from you: your Declaration seeming to me, (and I hope your Actions will prove that I am not deceived) to be so well grounded upon Honour and Justice; that albeit by way of opinion, I cannot give a Placet to every Clause in it: Yet I am confident, upon a calme and friendly Debate, we shall very well agree. To conclude; I cannot (for the present) better shew my thankfulnesse to you, for the Generous and Loyall expressions of your Affections to me, then by giving you my honest and sincere Advice; which is, Really and Constanstly, without seeking private Ends, to pursue the Publicke professions in your Declaration, as sincere Christians & good Subjects ought to do, alwaies remembring, that as the best foundation of Loyalty is Christianity; So true Christianity teaches perfect Loyalty, for without this Reciprocation, neither is truely what they pretend to be: But I am both confident that needs not to you, as likewise that you will rightly understand this, which is affectionatly intended by