..342 'Ihe HIST.OR Y of the PuRITANS. VoL. II• K. Charles I." 0 M 0 ST merciful Father, Lord God of peace anmtruth, we ~ '' a people forely affiicted by the fcourge of an unnatural war, " do earnefi:ly befeech thee to command a bleffing from heaven upon this " prefent treaty, begging for the e!tablifhment of an happy peace. Softe 11 " the moll: obdurate hearts with a true chrifl:ian defire of faving thofe " mens blood for whom Chrifl: himfelf bath fhed his; or if the guilt of '' our great fins caufe this treaty to break off in vain, Lord, let the truth '' clearly appear, who thofe men are, who under pretence of the public . " good do purfue their own priv-ate ends; that this people m.ay be no " longer fo blindly miferable, , as not to fee at leafl: in this their day, '' the things that belong to their peace. Grant this, gracious God, " for his fake, who is our peace itfelf, even Jefus Cbrift our Lord, ''Amen." Pariiammt's The conferences opened on !Yfonday September I 8. about nine in the propof"l: and morning, at the houfe of Sir Wti!iam Hodges. The firft day the com. 1 J' kmg s ,.,. miffioners prefented the king with -a draught of three bills; the firfl: l'l· to eftablifh the presbyterian government for ever in the church of England; the fecond to relinquifh the militia to the two houfes for thirty years; and the third to recal all his rnajefty's declarations againft the parliament. To the !aft of thefe the king readily confented, but excepted to the preamble, in which were thefe words, that the two bolffes if parliamfnt had been neRulhw. p. cd]itated to enter into a qvar in their ju.ft and la.;:ful difence. Inftead of 1263. which, the king propofed an act of indemnity; but the commiffioners in· fifl:ing peremptorily upon the words as thofe without which they could not be fafe, his maj efty with great reluctance contented, having firft protefted in writing, that no concd]ion if his jhould be binding if the treaty broke off without ejfet!. His majefty yielded the militia to the parliamen~ for twenty years; and the management of the irijh war. He conceded to vacate thofe titles of honour that had been conferred fince the carrying away the great jeal, ·and to confirm the parliament's greatjfal. He agreed to the payment of the public debts, provided they were fiated within two years; to confirm the charter of the city of London; to irnpower the parliament to confer offices, and confiitute magiftrates for twenty years; and to take away the court ofwards provided he might have one hundred thouf:1nd pounds a year in lieu ofit. His majefly,confented further that thofe of his party whom they calleddelinquents fhould fubmit to a fine, or be profcribed the court, if the parliament faw fit; but he abhorred the thoughts of charging them with treafon who had aCl:ed .by his commifii0n, and therefore abfolutely refufed to confent to it. . With
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