A Message from the Isle of WIGHT, Brought by mayor cronwell.  
AND red in the House of COMMONS.  
Coll: Hammond sent for by the Lord general, and Col: Ewers to be at the Isle of Wight.  
Also the chief Heads of Bishop Ushers Sermon.  
And His Majesties Letter to the Parliament: Brought this present monday, Novemb. 27. 1648.  
 king seated on a throne, flanked by four men, while two smaller figures kneel before him  
Printed for R. Smithurst, near pie-corner 1648,   

Right Honourable,  
THe King seems now to be more resolved for Bishops, then ever he was; The Treaty was broken up, because the Lords concurrence to the Commons Votes, came not down soon enough, and the King and the Commissioners were partend. But so soon as they met with the Packet from the Lords, for the lengthening of the Treaty, the Commissioners returned back again to the Isle of Wight, but all to very little purpose.  
His Majesty is so resolute for Bishops that he will by no means harken either to have them abolished, or their lands sold, we had thoughts that the Primate of Ireland( Bishop of Armagh) would have been moderate here, and done some offices, but since he came, none hath been so mischievous amongst all the Kings chaplains, insomuch that he hath much prejudised the Treaty.  
He preached on the last Lords day, it being his Majesties birth day, and did so fawn upon the King, flattering his Majesty, that not only the very Malignants themselves, and all the Court were ashamed at it; But his Majesty himself held his Hand before his face, a good part of the sermon time, as blushing to hear his flattery.  
And being asked( after Sermon) by some of the Court, why he would so flatter, and heighten the King, and seek to make the breach greater between His Majesty and the Parliament at such a time as this? The Bishop answered, That what he preached, was not premeditated, but what then came into his mind; And that if he had said any thing that gave offence, desired that it might be imputed to the distemper of his brain, after his journey, he being very weary.  
The Bishops Text was Genesis 49. ver. 3. the words are these Reuben thou art my first born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of my dignity, and the Excellency of power.  
From whence he had many inferences: Viz.  
1 That Jacob( Reubens Father) was a great Prince, and so was Jacobus, his Majesties Father also: And both holy men, and in high esteem with God.  
2 That when Jacob dyed, reuben was his heir; and so is his Majesty to King James. And that the Crowns of England, Scotland, and Ireland were his Majesties, not only by possession, but by right of succession.  
3 That the King hath Reigned over these kingdoms above these twenty years; and till these late unhappy warres, in great peace and plenty.  
4 That this is his Majesties forty ninth year of his age, and the 49 year, was of old, accounted the year of Jubilee, 7 times 7. And that it was then observed, that care was always taken for all such as were in prison, or servant, or slave, or any bondage, all to be set free. But that his Majesty was more strictly dealt withall.  
5 That the might, and strength of the King was such, before these wars, that thousands came, and many from far, to see the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power, which they admired when they saw, as the Queen of Sheba admired Solomon.  
6 Though his Majesty was low, yet his Excellency was of great dignity and power with God.  
7 That he should not give away his birth-right of his might and power, wherein he doth so excel.  
Yet his Majesty hath given in another paper, wherein he hath yielded something more.  
The governor Coll: Hammond is sent for to the general, and Col. Ewers is to command here, we expect( suddenly) that Orders will come from the Army to set a guard upon the King. The governor hath sent a Letter to the Parliament by mayor cronwell, this bearer.  
Newport 25 Novemb. 1648.   

CHARLES R.  
FOr a final Answer to you: As to your Paper of the 11 of this instant, concerning the Church, and to your last Paper of the 20 instant, his Majesty saith, That he is well pleased with the expressions, both in the Preface and the Conclusion of the said last Paper, That His two Houses intend not to force or offer violence, but to inform and rectify His Conscience; and therefore notwithstanding the necessity which is urged upon Him through your whole Paper, for His present Concessions( which otherwise might seem to contradict those Expressions which so well please his Majesty) yet he hopes his ensuing Answers will satisfy his two Houses, since he is thereunto enforced by his Conscience, which fully concurs with the sense of all other Parliaments( but this) since the Reformation.  
First, As for the abolition of Episcopacy; if what you desire of His Majesty would not( being granted) absolutely remove, nay abolish the exercise of the apostolical Bishop, this Point would be soon agreed between His Majesty and His two Houses; for all the additional Power and Jurisdiction which his Majesties Predecessors have bestowed upon that apostolical Function, he hath consented shall be taken away, as, Arch-bishops, Deans, Champters, &c. leaving nothing but what( as his Majesty believes to have proved by his Paper to your Divines) was clearly instituted by the Apostles themselves: And if he should give way to remove all ecclesiastical Sanctions, which by Law are exercised, by that Rule even the Presbyters themselves might be taken away; for questionless the Civill Sanction gives the legal acting Power to all Divine Institutions, otherwise, the Christian Clergy would now be in little better case then they were before they were Christians.  
As for those apostolical Practices which have or may( for the avoidance of greater evils) be altered, his Majesty denies not, that Circumstances may change the nature of Moral actions, and may, perhaps, make that which is a fault at one time( singly considered in itself) become a duty at another; yet if the particulars now demanded be not fit to be done, or, perhaps, a fault if done, his Majesty conceives( the good end being the same on both sides, to wit, the peace of the Kingdom) that the consideration of extraordinary circumstances, ought rather in this case to have a powerful operation with his two Houses to recede from their Demands( which cannot be thought a fault in them) then to be made use of as an Argument to press his Majesty to do a thing against his conscience, which appears to him to be unlawful, since the same good end may as well be obtained by relaxing on the one side, as by pressing on the other: Besides, his Majesty conceives not this to be of that number; it being not only a bare practise, but an Institution for continual use in the Church.  
Secondly, As for the sale of Bishops Lands, his Majesty conceives, That presidents in cases of Conscience cannot satisfy, they only proving, That such things were done, not the lawfulness of them: Nor that the total alienation of Church Lands( which is the true state of the question) is sacrilege, Divines of all sorts, and of all times( though otherwise differing in Opinions) yet herein agree with His Majesties Judgement; which being well weighed, he hopes may satisfy, as to this particular: nor can the Practices under the ceremonial Law make any thing for this case, because in those dayes full Compensation was always intended, and ordinarily followed, though absolute necessity( and not such as may be otherways avoided) dispended sundry times, with the employing of Sacred things.  
Upon the whole matter, his Majesty hopes, that his two Houses, after a more serious consideration of these and his former Reasons, will clearly discern, that they are not pretended, but real points of conscience upon which He now sticks; and since by the suspension of Episcopacy for three years, his Majesty hath fully for that time granted his two Houses desires, since he hath reduced the Office of a Bishop, not onely to the Apostolical Institution( which you may say is not desired to be removed) but likewise taken away all those additional Powers and jurisdictions which can make them liable to the imputation of those grievances and inconveniences mentioned in your Paper; for( as for the Negative voice in Ordination) His Majesty much wonders, that any can question that power not to have been in the apostolical Bishop, it being evident by 1 Tim. 5. 22. and Titus 1. 5. That sole Ordination was practised by them, since it is more then likely, that upon a solemn debate had with the Divines( according to his Majesties former Desires) his Majesty and the two Houses will agree upon a settled form of Church-government, long before the end of three years, whereby all those d●stractions feared after that time will be prevented.  
And lastly, as for Church-Lands, since by the heavy charging of them, his Majesty hath satisfied those burdens for which they were engaged; He cannot but hope that his two Houses will rest satisfied with these and his former Answers; especially considering, that if the Treaty should break upon this( which God forbid) the violence offered to His Majesties conscience( against which you protest) would be too apparent to all the world, besides the confusion that necessary must follow in these His Dominions, which is no ways in his Majesties power to help; for you know who says, What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world, if he lose his own soul? Whereas by the contrary, the compliance with his Majesty in these particulars, puts him in a right way for the better information of his Conscience, and in the mean time settles a happy Peace in these distressed Kingdoms.  
Concerning His Majesties Declaration for a Set-Form of Divine Service, in His Answer of the 4th. of this instant; His Majesty having now observed the latitude of the Directory, is willing that that expression shall not be taken as any part of his Answers.  
As to all other particulars, his Majesty adheres to his former Answers.  
Newport 21 Novemb. 1648.   
FINIS.