HIS majesties PROPOSITIONS FOR PEACE, AND The Cessation of this Civill war.  
Propounded to all His Majesties loving Subjects.  
Decemb: 5th OXFORD, Printed by L. L. Printer to the university. M.DC.XLII.   

HIS MAJESTIES PROPOSITIONS FOR PEACE, and the cessation of this civill war.  
THe KINGS Majesty hath considered the great distractions of this kingdom, and that it is like to be laid waste as germany is, if no speedy course be taken to settle it both in the Church and State, whereby those obstacles and common opinions now reigning may be deposed, and known to be no other but the false impostures of Religion, whereby many foolish people, desirous of change, are blinded with an irreligious contempt both of the King, and his great council the Parliament, that this may be reconciled, you shall see what faire offers he doth make in these Propositions following.  
First know, that he is a gracious King, whom the subjects are bound by many obligations to obey, the particulars are these.  
First he doth aclowledge, that as the sceptre is his, so he will maintain the Protestant Religion, being the very basis and foundation of al temporal government, desiring therein to concur with the Parliament.  
He hath considered the great pressures and grievances of the Land, the pillaging and murdering many of his subjects, and desiring not the death of simplo people, lead away by the poor salary and reward of pay, desires that the Kingdom may not be ruinated by the fury of a civill war, and that they would agree all to receive his offers of peace. He desires moreover, that the Church now made the very pack-horse of the times, to bear the load of scandal and disgrace, may be vindicated from those Sects and schisms, who have rent the sacred garment of the Church into several pieces by their schism, and that the Church may not be converted into a humorous fancy of ungrounded opinion, but flourish as it did in the happy dayes of Qu. Elizabeth.  
His desire is also, that there may be no mistakes between him and his people, but that with a clear understanding they would know what doth belong to Caesar, since they cannot be religious toward God that are not obedient to their King. Moreover his sacred Majesty out of his care for the preservation of the kingdom, desireth that the calamity and disease of the times may not be only imputed to those who are commonly called Malignants, but that every one should examine his conscience, and see if a malignant do not harbour there, and then they will be more fit to complain, when they mend their own prejudicate opinions. And that there may be a concurrence between him and his Parliament, he doth aclowledge his grief for the great effusion of blood at Kinton field, and that his heart doth bleed for the wounds of the common-wealth: let therefore all fury and prosecution of malice cease in particular persons,& know that God is the author of peace and concord,& then his majesty is confident the whole Land shall flourish again in peace and prosperitic.  
That his majesty will disband all his forces which by his majesties command are assembled, and rely for his safety, as his predecessors have done, upon the loves and affections of his people, and desist from any farther designs of a warlike nature, if all causeless jealousies concerning his majesty be laid aside, and that he may return with safety and honour, as becomes the dignity of his Person, that so he may in a peaceable manner govern this Land according to Religion and Law.  
He desireth also to avoid all answers and oppositions of words already betwixt His Majesty and the Parliament,& have of late proved more then verbal contestations; he affirmeth, that if all the countreys of England would, as some have done, receive him with that loyal affection and alacrity which he expecteth, and have a care of his safety upon all occasions, he would lay aside all violence, and for such their love and loyalty, they should be paid in that which is the proper expression of a Princes gratitude, a perpetual vigilant care to govern this kingdom justly, and to preserve the only Rule by which they can be governed, the Law of the Land, and a settled peace may be established. That His Majesty was unwilling there should have been any blood  shed at Kinton field, knowing that civill war is the fountain and source by which poverty, desolation and crowding calamities flow into a kingdom. His Majesty is therefore desirous that he may not be pressed any further to defend his own Person from violence, but that he may rest secure in the affections of his Parliament and other subjects, and then his happy return, and the mutual love of his subjects shalbe by him embraced, and peace again restored to the kingdom.  
The King being a religious Prince, doth think fit, that in the distracted state of the Commonwealth, things succeeding not according to common desires, the people should fast from their sins and schisms, since God Almighty for sin doth punish this nation,& dissension between a King and his People is such a sin as brings ruin and destruction to a common-wealth. It is therefore His Majesties desire, that Prince& People would so behave themselves, that the justice of the Law may be equally distributed, and peace on both sides be maintained, to the profit of the subject, and honour of the kingdom; and thus the taking away of some schism and disobedience, will be, as His Majesty conceives, a special means to restore a peace unto this kingdom.  
His Majesty doth profess, that he doth look on his great council as on the representative body of the whole kingdom, being lawfully called together, and elected by the peoples general suffrages; yet himself is the soul of the whole common-wealth, elected and authorised by the power of God himself, and his government being established by his lineal succession, and confirmed by the laws of the Land; and therefore he desires that the Parliament would show how much they do affect that peace which His Majesty upon any honourable terms is so willing to embrace, accounting it his chiefest Prerogative royal to seek the good of his Subjects, not doubting but such a loving relation and compliance between His Majesty and his Parliament, will make him willing to return again unto his Parliament, that all differences may be butted in oblivion, this destructive war cease, and this Kingdom flourish again in peace and prosperity.  
Lastly, the Kings Majesty desireth all his loving Subjects to pray that all variances and distractions may be composed by a connexion and united correspondency between the King and Parliament, that the kingdom may flourish in peace and tranquillity, to the renowned honour of His Majesty, and to the general good, safety and felicity of this whole kingdom.   
FINIS.