A MOST GRACIOUS MESSAGE SENT By the King's Majesty to both Houses of Parliament, Declaring his ardent desires for Peace and the setlement of a true and happy union between his three Kingdoms, to be dispersed throughout his Majesty's Realms and Dominions, for satisfaction of all his Majesty's loyal Subjects. ALSO, Divers new Proposals presented to the Divines by His Majesty touching Episcopacy and the Church Litturgy, with their several answers thereunto.  

To all true Subjects.  
Great Brittain's King desires that Wars may cease,  
True Subjects than rejoice, there's hopes of Peace,  
All Subjects now may Halilujah sing,  
And pra●se Jehovah that hath raised their King,  
No Subject ('tis conceived) desires these Jars,  
Then let all pray, that Peace may end these Wars.   
THE TREATING HOUSE:  
THE I'll OF WAIT   depiction of King Charles I at Carisbrooke Castle (Isle of Wight) 
Octob. 23. LONDON, Printed for R. L. 1648.   

The King's Majesties most gracious Message to both his Houses of Parliament.  
Right Honoured  
THe News here for present is of great Concernment: which I have sent in brief viz. HIs Majesty concurs to the Propositions concerning Delinquents, with these alterations, that those in the first and 2 qualification may have life, and be in the Capacity of the 4. qualification. And that their incapability of Offices be for a time. And of b●ing Members of Parl. to be for 3. years.  
His Maj. hath offered Propositions to the Commissioners several times, but being not received. The King sent this Message to the Parl. 1. That his Maj. may come to London, and have the faith of his 2. Houses for his security to be there in safety, freedom, & honour. 2. That an Act (or Acts) may be passed for a full Indemnity, and of oblivion, with such qualifications as shall be agreed on by his Majesty & his 2. Houses of Parl. 3. That his Maj. may have his Revenues restored unto him. And 4. That a Compensation may be allowed to his Maj. in lieu of what he shall pass away. The Ministers have delivered to the King another paper concerning Episcopacy; but his Maj. is not yet satisfied, so as to pass away their Lands quite. A copy whereof followeth viz,  
May it please your Majesty▪  
WE desire to speak both to the Bishop's Challenge, and to your Majesty's description of Episcopal Government. And first to their Challenge; because it is first expressed in your Majesty's Reply.  
The Challenge we undertake in two respects: 1. In respect of the power challenged; 2. In respect of that ground, or Tenure upon which the claim is laid. The power challenged consists of 3. particulars; Ordaining, giving Rules of Discipline and Censures. No more, no other, in respect of their Episcopal Office. We see not, by what warrant this Writ of p●●tition is taken forth, by which the Apostilicall Office is thus shared or divided; The Governing part into the Bishop's hands; the Teaching and administering Sacraments, into the Presbyters. For besides that the Scripture makes no such enclosure, or partition wall, it appears, the challenge is grown to more than was pretended unto in the times of grown Episcopacy. Jerome and chrysostom do both acknowledge for their time, that the Bishop and Presbyter differed only in the matter of Ordination: and learned Dr. Bilson makes some abatement in the claim of 3. saying, the things proper to Bishops, which might not be common to Presbyters, are singularly of succeeding, and superiority in Ordaining.  
1. The name of Bishop the Scripture neither expressly nor by implication gives to either the work which they are enjoined to do is common to Apostles, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, and cannot of itself make a Character of one distinct and proper Office; But that there was such an order of Officers in the Church as Evangelists reckoned amongst the extraordinary and temporary Offices, and that Timothy was one of that Order, and that both Timothy and Titus were not ordained to one particular Church, but were Companions and f●llow Labourers with the Apostles, sent abroad to several Churches as occasion did require, it is as we (humbly, conceive) clear enough in Scripture, and not denied by the learned defenders of Episcopal Government nor (as we remember) by Scultetus himself during the time of their Travels.  
2. To that which Your Maj. secondly saith, That we cannot make it appear by any Text of Scripture that the Office of Evangelist is such as we have described, his work seeming, 2 Tim. 2. 4. 5. to be nothing else but diligence in preaching the word, notwithstanding all impediments and oppositions, We humbly Answer, That exact definitions of these or other Church-Officers are hard to be found in any Text of Scripture, but by comparing one place of Scripture with another, it may be proved as well what they were, as what the Apostles & Presbyters were, the description by us given being a Character ma●e up by collation of Scriptures, from which Mr. Hooker doth not much vary, saying that Evangelists were Presbyters of principal sufficiency whom the Apostles sent abroad and used as Agents in Ecclesiastical Affairs, wheresoever they saw need.  
Thirdly. Your Majesty saith, that that which we so confidently affirm of Timothy & Titus, their acting as Evangelists is by some denied and refuted, yea even with scorn rejected by some rigid Presbyterians, and that which we so confidently deny, that they were Bishops, is confirmed by the consentient testimony of all antiquity, recorded by Jerome himself that they were Bishops of Paul's ordination, acknowledged by very many late Divines, and that a Catalogue of 27. Bishops of Ephesus lineally succeeding from Timothy out of good Record is vouched by Dr. Reynolds and other Writers.  
Our confidence (as your Majesty is pleased to call it) was in our Answer expressed in these words, we cannot say that Timothy and Tytus were Bishops in the sense of Your Maj. but extraordinary Officers are Evangelists, in which opinion we were then clear, not out of a total ignorance of those Testimonies which might be alleged against it, but from intrinsic arguments out of Scripture, from which your Maj. hath not produced any one to the contrary, nor is our confidence weakened by such replies as these, the Scripture never calls them Bishops, but the Fathers do, the Scripture calls Timothy an Evangelist, some of lrte have refuted it, and rejected it with scorn, the Scripture relates their motions from Church to Church, but some affirm them to be fixed at Ephesus and in Crect, the Scripture makes distinction of Evangelists & Pastors, but some say that Timothy & Titus were both, we cannot give Your Majesty a present account of Scultetus and Gherards' Arguments, but do believe that M. Cillespi & Rutherford are able with greater strength to refute that opinion of Timothy and Titus their being Bishops, than they do (if they do) with scorn reject this of their being Evangelists.  
Your Majesty saith, that we affirm but upon very weak proofs, that they were from Ephesus & Crete, removed to other places, the contrary whereunto hath been demonstrated by some, who have exactly out of Scripture compared the times, and order of the several journeys, and stations of Paul and Timothy.  
It is confeffed that our assertion, that Timothy and Titus were Evangelists, lies with some stress upon this, that they removed from place to place, as they were sent by or accompanied the Apostles, the proof whereof appears to us, to be of greater strength than can be taken off by the comparison, which your Majesty makes of the Divines of the Assembly at Westminster.  
And for the travels of Timothy & Titus we find them in order recorded in these Scripture places, Act. 17. 14. 15. 1 Thes. 3. 1. 2. Act. 18. 5. Act. 19 22. Act. 20. 4. 5. 6. 17.  
Now if your Maj. shall be pleased to cast up into one total that which is said, the several journeys and stations of Timothy, the order of them, the silence of Scriptures touching his being Bishop of any one Church, you will acknowledge that such a man was not a Bishop fixed to one Church or precinct; and then by assuming that Timothy was such a man, you will conclude that he was not Bishop of Ephesus.  
The like conclusion may be enforced from the like premises, from the instance of Titus. Gal 1. 2. Titus 3. 12. 22. 12. 2. Cor. 5. 6. 2 Cor. 8. 6. 2. Tim. 4. 10.  
To that which is asserted, That these singular persons were Bish. in distinct sense, whither we brought any thing of moment to infirm this, we humbly submit to your Maj. judgement, and shall only present to you that in your reply you have not taken notice of that which in our Answer seems to us of moment, which is this.  
That in mysterious & prophetic writings or visional representations, a number of things or persons is usual expressed in singulars, and this in visions is the usual way of Representations of things, a thousand persons making up one Church, is represented by one Candlestick; many Ministers making up one Presbytery by one Angel.  
Lastly these writings are directed as epistolary letters to collective bodies usually are (that is) to One, but intended to the body; which your Majesty illustrateth by your sending a Message to your 2 houses, and directing it to the Speaker of the house of Peers, which as it doth not hinder (we confess) but that the Speaker is one fingle person, so it doth not prove at all, that the Speaker is always the same person, or if he were, that therefore because your Message is directed to he● that he is the Governor or Ruler of the 2 houses in the least, and so your Majesty hath given clear instance that though these letters be directed to the angels, yet that notwithstanding they might neither be Bishops nor yet perpetual Moderators.  
As for your Majesty's condescension, in vouchsafing us the Liberty, and Honour of examining Your Learned, Reply Clothed in such Excellency of Style, and for Your exceeding Candour; showed to such men as we are, and for the acceptation of our humble duty we render to your Majesty most humble thanks, and shall pray, That such a Peen in the hand of such abilities, may ever be employed in a subject worthy of it. Sir having thus acquainted you with the chief heads of the answer to His Majesty's last Papers, till next opportunity I remain,  
Your humble servant, E. R Newport Octob. 20. 1638.   
FINIS