Declaration Concerning the Uniting of the Two Navies, Letter 1 – Letter 2
His Majesties finall Anſwer touching Epiſcopacy.
Right Honourable,
ON Wedneſday morning laſt the Kings Majeſty …nd the Commiſſioner, met in the Treaty Chamber, and taking …heir places at the Councell Table according to the uſuall manner, the Earl of Northumberland roſe up, and made a ſhort Speech, Humbly deſiring his Majesty to remove his averſneſse from the ſetling of Religion, and to hearken unto the advice of His great and loyall Councell, ſo much tending to the honour of His Majeſty and Poſterity, and the ſetling of a true and laſting peace throughout all His Realms and Dominions.
Which done, his Lordſhip preſented a Copy of the Parliaments laſt Votes brought by Sir Peter Killegrey, on Tueſday night laſt, in anſwer to his Majeſties Enlargement of Conceſſions touching Epiſcopacy. His Majeſty (after reading the ſame) roſe up out of the Chair of State, and made a very learned and excellent Speech to the Commiſſio…ers.
His Majeſty having thus graciouſly declared Himſelf, the Commiſſioners began to proceed according to their Inſtructions, and deſired a more fuller and ſatisfactory Anſwer, touching the utter extirpation of Epiſcopacy, which took up ſome time of debate in pro and con, and the day being far ſpent, they referred the further reſults thereof to the happy ſucceſſion of the morrow following.
And (accordingly) yeſterday morning they met again, where the ſtreames of joy iſſued from the current of the hearts both of Prince and People, who came to a finall cloſe upon all the Propoſals, His Majeſty promiſing upon his Royall Word to paſſe thoſe Bills into Acts which He had already aſſented to. And being further preſſed by the Commiſſioners to ſigne to the Bill for the eſtabliſhing of Epiſcopacy, his Majeſty deſired reſpite of time till Saturday morning, which was accordingly granted.
And this morning (about the accuſtomed houre) his Majeſty gave the Commiſſioners a viſit, and ſitting down in the Chair of State, preſented a Paper to them, which is ſaid to be very ſatisfactory, containing His Royall Aſſent to the Propoſition of the Church, and likewiſe to all the reſt of the Bills and Propoſals. This joyfull tydings were ſoon eccho'd throughout the Iſland; inſomuch that the Bels rang tryumphantly in all the reſpective Pariſhes. But by reaſon of the ſudden diſpatch of the Poſt, I am forced to conclude, and remain
Newport 5 Octob. 1648. Your Honours devoted ſervant, J. RISHTON.
Postſcript.
SIR,
SInce my laſt. Here hath hapned ſeverall Overtures between his Majeſty and the Parliaments Commiſſioners; they have had much debate upon the Propoſitions, eſpecially that concerning the Church, which the King ſtuck much at; but the dark Cloud being expelled, and the ſplendor of the Goſpell ſhining moſt gloriouſly in the eyes of his Majeſty, He was graciouſly pleaſed to declare his Royall Aſſent to all the Propoſitions, and to grant His Royall Word to paſſe all things deſired by his two Houſes, that may be agreeable and couſonant to the fundamentall Lawes of this Kingdom. And as to the buſines of the Church (which is all they ſtick at) the King hath promiſed t… give his concurrence therein, rather then his People ſhall ſuffer for his diſ aſſenting. And 14 dayes mo… being added to the Treaty, it is hoped a fair concluſion will attend the happy beginning. His Majeſty hath … livered another Paper to the Commiſſioners, which I have here inſerted, viz.
CHARLES R.
HIs Majeſty reſteth very much unſatisfied, That you have now again wholly declined the anſw… ring of thoſe t…ree queſtions ſo clearly propoſed by him, which your ſelves alſo confeſſe to be of grea importance, upon this only pretence, That the whole volum… of Eccleſia…icall policy is contained in them: Wherea… his Majeſty did neither expect not require from you any large or polemicall Diſcourſe concerning thoſe Queſtions conceiving that you were …n ſome ſort obliged to have declared what your judgment was therein, with the grounds thereof. For certainly untill one of theſe three things can be clearly evidenced unto his Maj. 1. Either that there is no certain form of Church Government at all preſcribed in the Word. 2. That th… Civill power may change the ſame as they ſee cauſe. 3 Or if it be unchangable, that it was not Epiſcopall, but ſome other, his Maj. thinks himſelf excuſable in the judgment of all reaſonable men, if he cannot be induced to give his conſent to the utter abolition of th… Government of the Church which be found here ſetled to his hands, which hath continued all over the Chriſtian world, from the times of the Apoſtles untill this laſt Age.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Rich, Declaration Concerning the Uniting of the Two Navies (1648)