HIS majesties royal PROTESTATIONS To all His loving SUBIECTS: DECLARING His Resolution for the maintenance of true Religion, the laws, and Liberty of the Subject, with the just privileges of PARLIAMENT. AND His MAJESTIES Oath taken at His Coronation. PROV. 16.10. A divine sentence is in the lips of the King, his mouth transgresseth not in judgement. C R C R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE royal blazon surmounted by a crown Octob: 22 LONDON. Printed for WILLIAM GAY. 1642. The PREFACE to the READER. I Have been, and am( unfortunately) at this hour a sad observer of these general distractions which possess this( once) flourishing iceland; and am wrapped in admiration, that a kingdom in itself so flourishing( though it hath been sleepy) so divinely fortified to exclude foreign invasion, should at last shrink under the burden of its own happiness; much more wondering, that a truly pious King, and a religious people should at one time actually disagree so much in what they both desire: I mean no ill, and fear none, therfore will boldly communicate to your general view the Protestations I have seen from His Majesty, and my approbation of them; 1. In a Letter from His Majesty to both Houses of Parliament. Jan. 20. The conclusion you may red thus: If all these present distractions( which so apparently threaten the ruin of this Kingdom) do not( by the blessing of Almighty God) end in a happy and blessed accommodation, His Majesty will then be ready to call heaven& earth, God and man to witness, that it hath not failed on his part. I do believe him. In His Majesties speech to the Committee March 9. 1641. when they presented the Declaration of both Houses of Parliament at Newmarket. I am confident that you expect not I should give you a speedy answer to this strange and unexpected Declaration, that( in the distraction of this kingdom) you should think this way of address more convenient then that proposed by my Message the 20. of January last to both Houses. As concerning the grounds of your fears and jealousies, I will take time to answer particularly, and doubt not but I shal do it to the satisfaction of the whole world. God in his good time will discover the secrets and bottoms of all plots and treasons, 〈…〉 I shal stand right in the eyes of my people. God so deal with me and mine, as all my thoughts and intentions are upright, for the maintenance of the true Protestant profession, and for the observation and preservation of the laws of this land: and I hope God will bless and assist those laws for My preservation. A Christian on this vow might believe an infidel. His Majesties Answer to a Petition presented to Him at York april 18. 1642. by the earl of Stamford, M, chancellor of the Exchequer, and M. Hungerford. When We duly weigh the dishonour which will perpetually lye upon this kingdom, if full and speedy relief be not dispatched, We could not, nor cannot think of a better way to discharge Our duty to almighty God, for the defence of the true Protestant Profession, or to manifest Our affection to Our three kingdoms, then by engaging Our Person in this Expedition, as many of our royal Progenitors have done even in foreign parts, upon causes of less importance and piety, with great honour to themselves, and advantage to this kingdom. For the danger of our Person, We conceive it necessary and worthy of a King, to adventure his life to preserve his kingdom, neither can it be imagined, that We will sit still and suffer our kingdom to be lost, and our good Protestant Subjects to be massacred, without exposing our Person to the utmost hazard for their relief and preservation. And in the conclusion of this Answer thus it followeth. God, in his good time, We hope, will so inform the hearts of all our good subjects, that We shall recover from the mischief and danger of this distemper, on whose good pleasure We will wait with patience and humility. Next in His Majesties answer to a book entitled, The Declaration or Remonstrance of the Lords and Commons of the 19. of May. For the bringing up of the Army to London, as we have heretofore( by no other direction then the testimony of a good conscience) called God to witness we never had or knew of any such resolution; so upon the view of the Depositions now published with that Declaration, it is not evident to Us, there was ever such a design, unless very loose discourse or argument be instance enough of such a design. In the same answer pag. 6. And if no better effects then loss of time, and hindrance of the public affairs have been found by Our Answers and Replies, let all good men judge, by whose default, and whose want of duty such effects have been. And We call almighty God to witness all Our complaints and jealousies, which have never been causeless, nor of Our Houses of Parliament, but of some few schismatical, factious and ambitious spirits: Our denial of the MILITIA, Our absenting ourself from London, have been the effects of an upright and faithful affection to Our English Subjects, that We may be able, through all the inconveniences We are compelled to wrestle with, at last to restore their Religion, laws and Liberties unto them. We desire Our actions may no longer prosper or have a blessing from God upon them and Us, then they shalbe directed to the glory of God in the maintenance of the true Protestant profession, to the preservation of the property and liberty of the subjects in the observation of the laws, and the maintenance of the Rights and freedom of Parliament, in the allowance and protection of all their just privileges. Then again, make a survey of His Majesties Declaration to the Ministers, Free-holders, Farmers and substantial Copie-holders of the County of York, assembled by His Majesties special Summons at Heworth-Moore, on Friday the 3. of June, 1642. We would have you to be assured, that We never intended the least neglect unto you in any former Summons of the county, Our love, as well as our protection, extending to all Our Subjects; but as you are a great body, time and conveniency must be observed in your assembling. That you may know the general reasons of Our being here, you must understand, that when We found it neither safe nor honourable to expose Our Person to the tumultuous and licentious proceedings of many( which to this day are unpunished) who did disorderly approach near Our Court at White-Hall, We trusted this part of Our dominions chiefly to reside in, where, as most of the Gentry already have, so We assure ourself, the rest of you will give Us clear testimony of your service and obedience, which We will never use otherwise then for the defence of Our orthodox Religion, professed and settled in Qu. ELIZABETHS time, and confirmed by the authority of the Statutes of this realm, the defence of the laws and fundamental Constitutions of the kingdom( as the justest measure and rule for Our Prerogative, your Liberties and Rights) and lastly, for the preservation of the peace of this kingdom. As for our own zeal to the Protestant profession, we refer all the world to our daily exercise of, and our Declarations concerning it, and execution of the laws against the Papists, so likewise we cannot but declare ourself most hearty sorry to find such Separatists and schismatics, who presume against Law, to foment new doctrines and disciplines, to the disturbance of Church and State. For the Law, it being the common inheritance of Our people, we shall never enforce any Prerogative of Ours beyond it, but submit ourself to it, and give you and all Our subjects the fullest latitude of it both for the liberty of your persons, and the propriety of your estates, and for an inviolable confidence and assurance hereof, as we take God( the searcher of all hearts) to witness Our real intention herein, so We shall no longer desire you to stand for the defence of Our Person, Honor and just Prerogatives, then we shall maintain the laws of the Land, the liberty of your persons, and propriety of your goods. After this in His Majesties Answer to the Petition of the Lords and Commons presented to His Majesty at York June 17. 1642. concerning recusants. For the resort of Papists to the Court, His Majesties great care for the prevention thereof, is notoriously known, that when he was informed two or three of his Guard were of that Religion, he gave special direction, with expressions of his displeasure, that they should be immediately discharged and provided, that no person should attend on him under that relation, but such as took the oath of Allegiance and supremacy. His Majesties Declaration and profession disavowing any preparations or intentions in Him to levy war against His Houses of Parliament, June15. There having been many rumors spread, and informations given, which may have induced many to believe, that We intend to make war against Our Parliament, We profess before God, and declare to all the world, that We always have and do abhor all such designs, and desire all Our Nobility and council, who are here upon the place, to declare whether they have not been witnesses of Our frequent and earnest declarations and professions to this purpose, whether they see any colour of preparations or counsels that might reasonably beget a belief of any such design, and whether they be not fully persuaded, that we have no such intention, but that all Our endeavours( according to Our many professions) tend to the firm and constant settlement of the true Protestant Religion the just privileges of Parliament, the Liberty of the Subject, peace and prosperity of this kingdom. The conclusion of His Majesties reply in a Message to the Answer and hamble Petition of both Houses of Parliament, Septemb. 11. 1642. The God of heaven direct you, and in mercy divert those judgments which hang over this Nation, and so deal with Us and Our Posterity, as We desire the preservation and advancement of the true Protestant Religion, the Law, and the Liberty of the Subject, the just Rights of Parliament, and the peace of the kingdom. Since a King at his first Coronation can confirm his Subjects no other way but by Oath for the maintenance of such Rights, this royal King hath divers times solemnly protested, the art of man cannot produce a more divine assurance, but by the performance, which must be attended( as I think) by the faith of His good Subjects. The KINGS Oath taken at His Coronation thus followeth. WI●h a willing and devout heart I promise and grant my pardon, and that I will preserve to you, and the Churches committed to your charge, all canonical privileges, and due Law and Justice, and that I will be your Protector and Defender to my power, by the assistance of God, as every good King in his kingdom by right ought to protect and defend the Bishops and Churches under their government, If Our sacred sovereign the King have prevaricated from this, I am yet to be instructed. FINIS.