Declaration Concerning the Uniting of the Two Navies
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A74802.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
A DECLARATION Of His Excellency Robert E. of Warwick Lord High Admiral of ENGLAND, CONCERNING The uniting of the two Navies, and restoring of the Kings Majesty, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York and the rest of the Royal Issue; to their just Rights and Privileges.
And His Resolution touching all those who endeavor to obstruct the Treaty, and hinder the settling of Truth, and a happy Peace, in this unsettled Church and Kingdom.
With His Majesty's last and final Propositions to all Loyall and reasonable Subjects. Subscribed CHARLES R.
Printed for satisfaction of all those who desire Peace, 1648
A DECLARATION OF ROBERT EARL of WARWICK, Concerning the Kings Majesty, and the Prince of Wales, and his resolution touching all those who are opposite to Peace.
WHereas, there are divers persons within the City of London, and parts adjacent, who endeavor to inflame the Kingdom in a most inhumane, bloody, and intestine War, and to involve them in a Labyrinth of troubles and Calamities, by the • r present commotions, actings, and contrivances, in making the King and Parliame •• odious to the People, and stirring up their hearts • gainst them, for the obstructing and blasting the hop • full Issue and Blossomes of this blessed Treaty. Therefore, for preventing thereof, and propogating the present Work in hand, his Excellency Robert Earl of ••• wick Lord High Admiral of his Majesty's narrow Seas, hath declared his Resolution in reference to the same, protesting,
Some Overtures have been la • ely • ade between his Highness the Prince of Wales, and his Lordship, in relation to a conjunction and uniting of both Navies; but his Lordship hath utterly de • ested against the s • me, slighting the Princes invitation and representing a Letter unto his Highness, That he takes it as the greatest di • honor that can be incident to man, for any Personage whatsoever to betray the trust reposed in him, and that He is resolved to sacrifice his life in the Cause and Engagement which • e hath undertaken, not doubting but that the omnipotent God of Heaven (to whom the Honor of his Engagement doth belong) will cause the Wnids and Seas to fight for them, whose Truth is their Banner, Shield and Bucker; and therefore dehorts his Highness to persist no longer in the way he is in, but forthwith to come in, and unite himself with the Parliament, that so his person may be preserved from all violence and injury and a restoration made of all due Rights and privileges, and that he may render himself instrumental for the composing of all differences, and establlshing of a firm and lasting Peace throughout His Fathers Realms and Dominions.
This Letter is said to be sent from aboard the St. George, to the Prince at Helver-Sluce, and signed
WARWICK.
Letters further from the Navy say, That the Prince is desirous to spin out some longer time at Gore • before he puts to Sea, in expectation of what the Treaty will produce, and that if it takes not effect, he is resolved for Ireland, to join with the Marquis of Ormond, and the Lord Inchiqueen, and to land an Army in the West of England at the Spring, for the re-investing of the King, and restoring of Him to his just Rights, Power and Authority
The said Letters do further intimate, That the Lord high Admiral hath received a Letter from his Majesty, purporting things of great concernment, and how far he hath condescended to the desires of his two Hou •••• desiring him to be instrumental for the settling of a firm and lasting peace.
His Majesty's final Answer touching Episcopacy.
Right Honorable,
ON Wednesday morning last the Kings Majesty • nd the Commissioner, met in the Treaty Chamber, and taking • heir places at the Council Table according to the usual manner, the Earl of Northumberland rose up, and made a short Speech, Humbly desiring his Majesty to remove his averseness from the settling of Religion, and to hearken unto the advice of His great and loyal Council, so much tending to the honor of His Majesty and Posterity, and the settling of a true and lasting peace throughout all His Realms and Dominions.
Which done, his Lordship presented a Copy of the Parliaments last Votes brought by Sir Peter Killegrey, on Tuesday night last, in answer to his Majesty's Enlargement of Concessions touching Episcopacy. His Majesty (after reading the same) rose up out of the Chair of State, and made a very learned and excellent Speech to the Commissio • ers.
His Majesty having thus graciously declared Himself, the Commissioners began to proceed according to their Instructions, and desired a more fuller and satisfactory Answer, touching the utter extirpation of Episcopacy, which took up some time of debate in pro and con, and the day being far spent, they referred the further results thereof to the happy succession of the morrow following.
And (accordingly) yesterday morning they met again, where the streams of joy issued from the current of the hearts both of Prince and People, who came to a final close upon all the Proposals, His Majesty promising upon his Royal Word to pass those Bills into Acts which He had already assented to. And being further pressed by the Commissioners to sign to the Bill for the establishing of Episcopacy, his Majesty desired respite of time till Saturday morning, which was accordingly granted.
And this morning (about the accustomed hour) his Majesty gave the Commissioners a visit, and sitting down in the Chair of State, presented a Paper to them, which is said to be very satisfactory, containing His Royal Assent to the Proposition of the Church, and likewise to all the rest of the Bills and Proposals. This joyful tidings were soon echoed throughout the Island; insomuch that the Bels rang tryumphantly in all the respective Parishes. But by reason of the sudden dispatch of the Post, I am forced to conclude, and remain
Newport 5 Octob. 1648.
Your Honors devoted servant, J. RISHTON.
Postscript.
SIR,
SInce my last. Here hath happened several Overtures between his Majesty and the Parliaments Commissioners; they have had much debate upon the Propositions, especially that concerning the Church, which the King stuck much at; but the dark Cloud being expelled, and the splendor of the Gospel shining most gloriously in the eyes of his Majesty, He was graciously pleased to declare his Royal Assent to all the Propositions, and to grant His Royal Word to pass all things desired by his two Houses, that may be agreeable and cousonant to the fundamental Laws of this Kingdom. And as to the business of the Church (which is all they stick at) the King hath promised t • give his concurrence therein, rather then his People shall suffer for his dis assenting. And 14 days mo •• being added to the Treaty, it is hoped a fair conclusion will attend the happy beginning. His Majesty hath •• livered another Paper to the Commissioners, which I have here inserted, viz.
CHARLES R.
HIs Majesty resteth very much unsatisfied, That you have now again wholly declined the answ • ring of those t • ree questions so clearly proposed by him, which yourselves also confess to be of grea importance, upon this only pretence, That the whole volum • of Ecclesia •• icall policy is contained in them: Wherea • his Majesty did neither expect not require from you any large or polemical Discourse concerning those Questions conceiving that you were • n some sort obliged to have declared what your judgment was therein, with the grounds thereof. For certainly until one of these three things can be clearly evidenced unto his Maj. 1. Either that there is no certain form of Church Government at all prescribed in the Word. 2. That th • Civil power may change the same as they see cause. 3 Or if it be unchangeable, that it was not Episcopal, but some other, his Maj. thinks himself excusable in the judgment of all reasonable men, if he cannot be induced to give his consent to the utter abolition of th • Government of the Church which be found here settled to his hands, which hath continued all over the Christian world, from the times of the Apostles until this last Age.