THREE DECLARATIONS, FIRST, THE DECLARATION of the Lords and Commons assem­bled in Parliament. VVith His MAJESTIES ANSWER thereunto. SECONDLY, A declaration and Protestation a­greed upon by the Grand Iury at the Assizes held for the County of Worcester, the third day of August, 1642. and assented unto by the High Sheriffe, the Lord Coventry, the Barons, Knights, Justices of the Peace, Gentlemen and Freeholders of the County of WORCESTER aforesaid. Thirdly, The Declaration of the Isle of Wight to the KING and PARLIAMENT.

First Printed at Yorke, and now Reprinted at London, September 17. 1642.

A DECLARATION OF the Lords and Commons as­sembled in Parliament.

WHereas the King, seduced by wicked Counsell, doth make Warre against His Parliament and people; And for the promoting of that War, divers Forces both of Horse and Foot have been, and are leavied and raised by severall persons, and His Majesties good Subjects are most cruelly robbed, spoiled, and slaine.

To the end that no man may be misled through ignorance, the Lords and Commons declare, That all such persons as shall upon any pretence whatsoever, assist His Majesty in this War, with Horse, Arms, Plate, or Money, are Traitors to His Majesty, the Parliament, and the Kingdome, and shall be brought to condigne punishment for so high an offence.

Hen. Elsyng. Cler. Parl. D. Com.

His MAIESTIES Answer to the aforesaid Declaration.

VVHereas a late Printed Paper, intituled a Declaration of the Lords and Commons, hath beene published and dispersed, whereby most presumptuously, and treasona­bly, all such persons are declared to be Traitors to Vs and the [Page 2] Kingdome who shall assist Vs in Our necessary Defence, with Horse, Armes, Plate, or Money; Wee hope and are confident, that all Our good Subjects will with great Indignation looke on the Malice, Impu­dence, and Folly of that Declaration as proceeding from the Venome of such men, who can ayme at nothing but a generall Confusion of all Religion, Law, and private Interest: For, what Law can be in Force, when it shal be declared, That such who endeavour to preserve Vs from the Force and Violence of th [...]se who would murther Vs, are Traytors? VVe tell all the VVorld, and all men know, that whosoever Levies Warre against the Kings Person are Traitors, by the known Statute of the 25. yeare of King Edward the third. Let these men informe Our People, by what Law they are Traitors who assist Us for Our Defence: Except they can do that, (as every man knows they cannot) Our good Subjects will be no more affrighted from their Allegiance by such De­clarations, then they will from their Religion, if these men should de­clare them to be Turks for observing the Booke of Common-Prayer, or submitting to the Government of the Church, both which are equally grievous to these men, as Our just Power. And whosoever conceives himselfe to be bound by any oathes, for which he must answer to Al­mighty God, how ever he may escape the Judgement of the Law, will confesse himselfe bound by those of Allegiance and Supremacie, to assist Us at this present with Men, Horse, Plate, Money, or any way he shall be able: And whosoever values the Protestant Religion, the Law and Liberty of the Kingdome, and the freedome and being of Parlia­ments, will joyne in that assistance; and all such shall be as carefully Protected and Defended by Us, as Our own Life, Our Crown, or Our dearest Children. And We do hereby declare, That all such Persons as shall by pretence of any Authority whatsoever, assist the Earle of Essex in this Rebellion against Us, with Horse, Arms, Plate, Money, or any other way, are Traitors by the known Law of the Land, and by Gods helpe, We doubt not in time, they will be brought to con­digne punishment.

THE DECLARATION And Protestation agreed upon by the Grand Iury at the Assizes held for the County of Wor­cester, the third day of August, 1642.

WE do with all thankfulnesse, acknowledge our selves very sensible of those sundry good Lawes which through His Majesties great Grace and Goodnesse, have been obtained for us this Parliament. And we do no lesse rejoyce in His Majesties Pious and tender care repeated by His gracious Declarations in print, and expres­sions by letter read unto us, and all the County at this Assizes, in open Court, to defend and maintaine the true PROTESTANT RELIGION by Law established, against Popish Recusants, Anabaptists, and all other Sepera­tists. And that the Laws of the Land shall be the Rule of His Majesties Government, whereby the Subjects Liberty and Property is defended: And that His Majesty will preserve the freedom and just priviledge of Parliament, with all which promises and expressions we are so abundantly satisffed, that we do not any way distrust His Majesties Constancy in these Resolutions. And we do declare, that we will be ready to attend His Majesty in all lawfull ways, for the putting of the County in a posture of Arms, for the defence of His Majesty, and the peace of His Kingdomes. Therefore we do resolve, according to our oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance, and late Protestation, to adventure our lives and fortunes in de­fence [Page 4] of His Majesties Royall Person and Honour, and the just Rights and Priviledges of Parliament, and the knowne Laws of the Land, and Liberties of the Subjects, That there­by the Distractions and Disturbances of His Majesties King­doms may be reduced to His Majesties Legall Government. And whereas the Grand Iury at the last Sessions, delivered a Petition, thereby desiring the exercising of the Militia, we utterly disavow it, as not agreeable to the intents or desires of us, or any considerable number of the said County. And we do hereby declare, that by the information which we have received from severall of the persons then of the Grand Iury, that it was not of their own framing, but contrived and pre­pared for them by some few persons, not well affected to the peace and quiet of this County.

  • THo. Coventry.
  • Ed. Vernon. Vic. Com.
  • Iohn Washbourne.
  • Robert Steynor.
  • Ed. Littleton.
  • Ed. Solley Major.
  • Henry Foord, Vic.
  • Iohn Packington.
  • William Russell.
  • Henry Herbert.
  • Row. Berkley.
  • Iohn Hambury.
  • George Street.
  • Francis Hincley.
  • Iohn Slantan.
  • Iames Littleton.
  • Henry Ingram.
  • Ioseph Walshe.
  • Sam. Sandys.
  • Robert Wy [...]d.
  • Henry Townshead.
  • Ed. Burret.
  • Nich. Gower.
  • Iohn Fleet.
  • George Savage.
  • George [...]ymonds.
  • Ed. Dingley.
    • Anthony Palmer
    • Vrban Eyre.
    Coronet.
  • Francis Walker, Cler.
    • Iohn Baion.
    • Iohn Hunt.
    • Ed. Emes.
    Constables Capital.
  • The Grand Iury of the County of WORCESTER.
  • Mar. Sandys.
  • [Page 5]Tho. Childe.
  • Phil. Brace.
  • Iohn Dyccins
  • Fran. Sheldon.
  • Io. Ewett.
  • William Cliffe.
  • I. Clent.
  • Ed. Brode.
  • Ed. Davies.
  • Tho. Chetle.
  • George Middlemore.
  • Thomas Sanders.
  • William Muckland.
  • The Grand Iury of the County of the CITIE.
  • William Taylor.
  • Francis Hughes.
  • George Brooke.
  • Philip Davis.
  • Tho. Lysons.
  • Tho. Pomfrey.
  • Rich. Sharman.
  • Francis Sharman.
  • William Gibbes.
  • Tho. Rea.
  • Hen. Smith.
  • Thom. Hill.
  • Robert Sollers.

The Declaration of the Isle of Wight, to the KING and PARLIAMENT. August 18. 1642.

VVE the Deputie Lievetenants and Iustices, the Knights & Gentlemen of this Isle of Wight, whose Hands are underwritten, have thought it our Duty to God, to our Soveraign, Lord the King, and to His Parliament: Upon Rumours now spread amongst us, of tumults likewise to arise in this Kingdome, to declare to the rest of the inhabitants of this Island, and to all others of His Majesties Dominions as followeth. First that we will with our lives and estates, be assistant to each o­ther in the defence of the true Protestant Religion established in the Church of England, against all Papists, or other ill af­fected Persons whatsoever.

That we will unanimously joyne the uttermost of our en­deavours, for the Peace of this Island, by protecting it by those Forces already legally substituted amongst us, and will admit no Forraigne Power, or Forces, or new Government; except his Majestie by advice of His Parliament: upon oc­cassions that may arise, shall thinke it necessary to alter it in a­ny particulers, for the good and safety of the Kingdome. Dated t [...]e 18. day of August. 1642.

  • IOhn Oglander.
  • William Hopkins.
  • William Bowreman.
  • Stephen March.
  • Brutus Bucke.
  • Humphrey Turney.
  • Ier. Bret.
  • Henry Knollys.
  • Rob. Dillington Iunior.
  • Tho. Leigh.
  • Edw. Morseley.
  • Hugh Leigh.
  • Robert Dillington.
  • Iohn Leigh.
  • William Oglander.
  • Bartholmew Burley.
  • Edw. Leigh.
  • Iohn Meux.
  • Nicholas Weston.
  • Iohn Richards.
  • Iohn Burley.
  • Barthol. Leigh.
FINIS.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal licence. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.