O let Me not beare the infamous brand to all posterity of being the first Christian KING in this kingdome, who should consent to the oppression of thy Church, and the fathers of it; whose errours I would rather, with Constantine, cover with silence, and reforme with meeknesse, then expose their persons, and sacred functions, to vulgar contempt.

Thou, O Lord, seest how much I have suffered with, and for thy Church; make no long tarrying, O My God, to deliver both Me, and it, from unreasonable men; whose counsels have brought forth, and continue such violent confusions, by a precipitant destroying the ancient boundaries of thy Churches peace; thereby letting in all manner of errours, schismes, and disorders.

O thou God, of order, and of truth, in thy good time, abate the malice, aswage the rage, and confound all the mischievous devices of thine, Mine, and thy Churches enemies.

That I, and all that love thy Church, may sing praises to thee, and ever magnifie thy salvation, even before the sonnes of men.

XVIII. UPON UXBRIDGE-TREATY AND OTHER OFFERS MADE BY THE KING.

I LOOK upon the way of treaties, as a retiring from fighting like beasts, to arguing like men ;whose strength should be more in their understandings, then in their limbs.

And tho I could seldome get opportunities to treat, yet I never wanted either desire or disposition to it; having greater confidence of My reason, then My sword: I was so wholly resolved to yeeld to the first, that I thought neither My selfe, nor others, should need to use the second, if once we rightly understood each other.

Nor did I ever think it a diminution of Me, to prevent them with expresses of My desires, and even importunities to treat it being an office, not onely of humanity, rather to use reason, then force; but also of Christianity to seek peace and ensue it.

As I was very unwillingly compelled to defend My selfe with armes, so I very willingly embraced any thing tending to peace.

The events of all warre by the sword being very dubious, and of a civil warre uncomfort

able; the end hardly recompencing, and late repairing the mischiefe of the means.

Nor did any successe I had ever enhance with Me the price of peace, as earnestly desired by Me as any man; tho I was like to pay dearer for it then any man: all that I sought to reserve was, Mine honour, and My conscience: the one I could not part with as a KING, the other as a Christian.

The treaty at Uxbridge gave the fairest hopes of an happy composure; had others applied themselves to it with the same moderation, as I did, I am confident the warre had then ended.

I was willing to condescend, as farre as reason, honour, and conscience, would give Me leave; nor were the remaining differences so essential to My peoples happinesse; or of such consequence, as in the least kind to have hindred My subjects either security, or prosperity; for they better enjoyned both, many years, before ever those demands were made, some of which, to deny, I think the greatest justice to My selfe, and favour to My subjects.

I see, jealousies are not so easily allayed, as they are raised: some men are more afraid to re

treat from violent engagements, then to engage: what is wanting in equity, must be made up in pertinacy. Such as had little to enjoy in peace, or to lose in warre, studied to render the very name of peace odious and suspected.

In Church affaires, where I had least liberty of prudence, having so many strict ties of conscience upon Me; yet I was willing to condescend so farre to the setling of them, as might have given fair satisfaction to all men, whom faction, covetousnesse, or superstition had not engaged more, then any true zeale, charity, or love of reformation.

I was content to yeeld to all that might seem to advance true piety; I onely sought to continue what was necessary in point of order, maintenance, and authority to the Churches government; and what I am perswaded (as I have elsewhere set down My thoughts more fully) is most agreeable to the true principles of all government, raised to its full stature and perfection, as also to the primitive apostolicall paterne, and the practise of the Universall Church conforme thereto.

From which wholly to recede, without any probable reason urged or answered, onely to satisfie

some mens wills and fantasies (which yet agree not among themselves in any point, but that of extirpating episcopacy, fighting against Me) must needs argue such a softnesse, and infirmity of mind in Me, as will rather part with Gods truth, then mans peace, and rather lose the Churches honour, then crosse some mens factious humours.

God knows, and time will discover, who were most to blame for the unsuccessfulnesse of that treaty, and who must bear the guilt of after calamities. I believe, I am very excusable both before God, and all unpassionate men, who have seriously weighed those transactions, wherein I endeavoured no lesse the restauration of peace to My people, then the preservation of My owne crowns to My posterity.

Some men have that height, as to interpret all faire condescendings, as arguments of feeblenesse, and glory most in an unflexible stifnesse, when they see others most supple and inclinable to them.

A grand maxime with them was alwaies to aske something, which in reason and honour must be denied, that they might have some colour to refuse all that was in other things granted;