To the KING'S most Excellent Majesty, THE HUMBLE ANSWER OF THE Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, To His Majesty's last Message the 11. September, 1642.  
With a true Copy of the Message.  

16. Septemb. 1642.  
ORdered by the Lords in Parliament, That this Message with the Answer shallbe forthwith printed and published.  
J. Brown Cler. Parliamentorum.   
LONDON, Printed for J. Wright. 17. Septemb. 1642.   

TO THE KING'S most Excellent MAJESTY The humble Answer of the Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled.  
May it please Your Majesty,  
WE the Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled, do present this our humble Answer to your Majesty's message of the 11. of this instant month of Septemb. When we consider the oppressions, rapines, firing of houses, murders, (even at this time whilst your Majesty propounds a Treaty) Committed upon your good Subjects by your Soldiers, in the presence, and by the authority of their commanders, being of the number of those, whom your Majesty holds yourself bound in honour and conscience to protect as persons doing their duties; we cannot think your Majesty hath done all that in you lies to prevent or remove the present distractions, nor so long as your Majesty will admit no peace without securing the Authors and Instruments of these mischiefs from the justice of the Parliament, which yet shall be ever dispensed with all requisite moderation, and distinction of offences, although some of those persons be such in whose preservation your Kingdom cannot be safe, nor the unquestionable rights and privileges of Parliament be maintained: without which, the power and dignity thereof will fall into contempt: We beseech your Majesty therefore to consider your expressions, That God shall deal with you and your posterity as your Majesty desires the preservation of the just rights of Parliament, which being undeniable in the trying of such as we have declared to be Delinquents, we shall believe your Majesty, both towards your self and Parliament, will not in this privilege we are most sensible of, deny us that which belongs unto the meanest Court of Justice in this Kingdom: neither hath your Majesty cause to complain that you are denied a Treaty, when we offer all that a Treaty can produce, or your Majesty expect, security, honour, service, obedience, support, and all other effects of an humble loyal and faithful subjection; and seek nothing, but that our Religion, Liberty, Peace of the Kingdom, sa●ty of the Parliament, may be secured from the open violence, and cunning practices of a wicked party, who have long plotted our ruin and destruction: And if there were any cause of Treaty, we know no competent persons to Treat betwixt the King and Parliament: And if both cause and persons were such as to invite Treaty, The season is altogether unfit, whilst your Majesty's Standard is up, and your Proclamations and Declarations ●●●●●● lled, whereby your Parliament is ch●●●●● with Treason.  
If Your Majesty shall persist to make Yourself a shield and defence to those instruments, and shall continue to reject our faithful and necessary advice, for securing and maintaining Religion and Liberty, with the peace of the Kingdom, and safety of the Parliament, we doubt not but to indifferent judgements it will easily appear who ismost tender of that innocent Blood which is like to be spilt in this cause, Your Majesty, who by such persisting, doth endanger yourself, and your Kingdoms, or we who are willing to hazard ourselves to preserve both. We humbly beseech Your Majesty to consider 〈…〉 ●●w impossible it is, that any Protestation, though published in Your Majesty's Name, of Your tenderness of the miseries of your Protestant Subjects in Ireland, of your resolution to maintain the protestant Religion, and Laws of this Kingdom, can give satisfaction to reasonable and indifferent men, when at the same time divers of the Irish Traitors and Rebels, the known favourers of them, and agents for them are admitted to Your Majesty's presence with grace and favour, and some of them employed in Your service: when the , Munition, Horses, and other necessaries bought by Your Parliament, and sent for the supply of the Army against the Rebels there, are violently taken away, some by Your Majesty's command, others by Your ministers, and applied to the maintenance of an unnatural war against Your people here.  
All this notwithstanding, as we never gave your Majesty any just cause of withdrawing Yourself from your great Council, so it hath ever been and shall ever be fare from us to give any impediment to your return, or to neglect any proper means of curing the distempers of the Kingdom, and closing the dangerous breaches betwixt your Majesty and your Parliament, according to the great trust which lies upon us. And if your Majesty shall now be pleased to come bacl to Your Parliament, without Your Forces, we shall be ready to secure your Royal Person, your Crown and Dignity with our lives and fortunes; your presence in this your great Council being the only means of any Treaty betwixt your Majesty and them, with hope of success.  
And in none of our desires to your Majesty shall we be swayed by any particular man's advantage, but shall give a clear testimony to your Majesty and the whole World, that in all things done by us, we faithfully intent the good of your Majesty, and of your Kingdoms. And that we will not be diverted from this end by any private or self-respects whatsoever.   

 Tudor rose  Scottish thistle  French fleur-de-lis  Irish harp emblem  
To Our Right Trusty and Wellbeloved, The SPEAKER of the House of PEERS.  
WE have taken most wries, used most endeavours, and made most real expressions to prevent the present distractions and dangers; let all the World judge, as well by former passages as by Our two last Messages, which have been so fruitless, that though we have descended to desire and press it, not so much as a treaty can be obtained, unless we would denude ourself of all force to descend us from a visible strength marching against us, and admit those persons as Traitors to Us who according to their duty, their paths of Allegiance, and the Law, have appeared in defence of Us their King and Liege-Lord, whom We are bound in Conscience and Honour to preserve, though We disclaimed all Our Proclamations and Declarations, and erecting of Our Standard as against Our Parliament: All We have now left in Our power is to express the deep sense We have of the public misery of this Kingdom, in which we involved that of our distressed protestants of Ireland, and to apply ourself to our necessary defence, wherein we wholly rely upon the providence of God, and the justice of our cause, and the affection of our good people, so far We are from putting them out of Our protection, when you shall desire a treaty of Vs●… We shall piously remember whose blood is to be spilt in t●●● quarrel, and cheerfully embrace it. And as no other reason induced Us to leave our City of London, but that with honour and safety We could not stay there nor raise any force, but for the necessary defence of Our Person, and the Law, against levies in opposition to both, so we shall suddenly and most willingly return to the one and disband the other as soon as those causes shall be removed. The God of Heaven direct you and in mercy divert those judgements which hang over this Nation, And so ●eale with Us and our Posterity as we desire the preservation, and advancement of the true Protestant Religion, the Law and liberty of the Subject, the just rights of Parliament, and the peace of the Kingdom.  
FINIS.