A MESSAGE SENT FROM THE LORDS OF HIS MAJESTY'S Most Honourable Privy Counsel, now resident with His Majesty, Directed to the Citizens of London.  
Wherein is contained divers remarkable and considerable grounds and motives persuading to peace, which is the desire of all good men.  Pax optima rerum. 
Decemb: 13 OXFORD: Printed by Leonard Lichfield. 1642.   

A MESSAGE FOR PEACE.  
WE doubt not but that the well affected Citizens of London are sensible of the present and great calamities of the State, the Church and Commonwealth, and that they do with a knowing compassion consider the distresses of them all three, and how they languish in expectation that some remedy may be provided to bind up the bleeding wounds of this distracted and divided Nation. That the head and body of this Commonwealth may submit to an obedient relation, and in a peaceable manner come to an uniform perfection, that schisms cried up by popular ignorance, may by a loving and judicious agreement be annihilated into that nothing of merit and spiritual ambition from whence they did first arise. We doubt not moreover but that the Citizens of London have taken into consideration the bloody effects of war, and what a sad character it will present to after ages, where they shall read or hear of a Land wherein peace and glory had chosen to inherit and quietly in every poor village to dwell together, should now be made a prey to the cruelty of a Civil war, which word doth include these miseries following. The violent plundering of houses, and taking away of their goods; nay, oftentimes there have, if they offered to make any resistance, the violating of Churches, as the blinded rage of some Soldiers lately committed at Worcester, Canterbury, and other Cathedrals, besides the cruel effusion of blood at divers places, but most especially at Kenton bartail, which the mercy of our gracious Sovereign would fain have avoided, and may instruct all good people that the sword is the cruel executioner of God's wrath and anger, and is a dear and costly way both of life & state to obtain peace, when it may by gentle and soft means be sooner gotten, for if there should be a constant opposition, as there hath been hitherto, nothing is to be expected but the ruin and desolation of this Kingdom, that good men should be a weary of living in such a cruel and distracted time, wherein Justice, Loyalty, and Religion can protect them from the violence of domestic fury and cruelty, and if this war should continue, the husband man who is the best victualler of the City, must be forced to forsake and leave off his tillage, and then must necessarily follow a great dearth and scarcity throughout the whole Land.  
Besides, we understand that you the loyal and well affected Citizens of London cannot be in any quiet safety within your own houses, lo there are a company of giddy heads round about the City that had rather see the ruin and overthrow of this Kingdom then to be conformable to their King in his most merciful desires of peace, they desire that the Church and Commonwealth should still suffer that they may in Conventicles despise all things in themselves who are indeed arrogant and execrable persons valuing their own ungrounded opinions at a higher rate than the peace and happiness of their own Country.  
But as we desire the conversion of such, so we do not apply this our message unto them, but to all Loving, Religious, Loyal and well affected Citizens, we earnestly desire to take into consideration, the present distressed estate of this Kingdom, as we have set it out in this present Message; and since there is no true hearted Subject but doth unfeignedly wish and desire that there might be a happy cessation of this civil war, that the King and Kingdom might enjoy one another, that true Religion hitherto made scandalous and without shade, defence or protection, (but that God and His Majesty have stood for it) may to the comfort of all true Protestants flourish again in this Kingdom. We do therefore with intimation of our places of being Privy Counselors to the King's sacred Majesty; and out of our tender care for the good and prosperity of this City and Kingdom, hearty and lovingly desire you to take unto you hearts, actively, obediently, and complying to a happy union and peace, between the King's Majesty and this present Parli: not doubting but your forwardness therein will be very acceptable unto them, and your willingness to promote & give the first moving to an accommodation of peace so generally desired by the best & well affected subjects of this Kingdom: we have justly condescended in a loving way to make known our estates unto you, and to move uno you that the general votes and desires of the City may in a substantial and judicious Petition with all convenient opportunity be presented and tendered to the two Houses of Parliament, who it may be do expect by such a brief information, to be certified of your inclinations to desire a firm and settled confirmation of peace throughout the whole Kingdom. And as we do urge this peaceable motion, being thought in our consultations worthy your allowance & approbation, so we promise to join with you in advancing and bringing about a prosperous peace for the general good of the Kingdom.   
FJNJS.