THe Lords and Commons having received in a Letter from His Ma­jesty, a printed Paper, intituled, a Proclamation for the suppressing of the present Rebellion under the Com­mand of ROBERT Earle of Essex; And the gracious offer of His Majesties free pardon to him, and all such of his adherents as shall within six dayes after the Date thereof lay downe their Armes, Doe declare and publish, That the matter of this libellous and scandalous Paper is the venom of those Trayterous Counsellors about his Majestie, long since discovered, and so often com­plained of by both Houses of Parliament: Who having for many yeeres together carryed a wicked design to alter Religion, and to introduce Popery, Superstition, and Ig­norance (the ready way to an Arbitrary and Tyran­nicall Government) And for that purpose not onely main­tained Agents at Rome, but invited and procured sundry Nuncio's or Agents to bee sent into this Kingdome from the Pope; by which meanes Popery and Superstition was so farre advanced, that nothing but the convening of this Parliament (occasioned by the comming of the Scots) could in all humane reason have prevented them in their designe, the onely true reason why these mischie­vous counsellors maligning, that power which oppose it selfe against their destructive and horrid coun [...]lls, hav [...] now at last, as the Master-piece of all their Machinations advised His Majestie, in effect, to proclaim [...] at [...] His [Page 4]House of Peers, the hereditary Councellors of the King­dome, and His House of Commons, the representative Body of the whole Commons of the Kingdome, to be all Rebells and Traytors; And by that Paper have en­deavoured so farre to blinde the eyes of the people, as to make them guiltie of their owne destruction, by helping to subdue and destroy the Parliament (the onely meanes, under God, to preserve their Religion, Law, and Liber­ties) And to perswade the Kingdom that his Majestie, by the assistance of Papists, and persons Popishly affected, will maintain the Protestant Religion: that by the help of men Out-lawed, and of desperate fortunes, will main­taine the Lawes of the Land; And with fugitives from Parliament, and Traytors and Delinquents to the Parlia­ment, will preserve the Priviledges thereof; and attempt so desperate, and so transcendently wicked, That the Lords and Commons doe unanimously publish and de­clare, That all they who have advised, contrived, abetted, or countenanced, or hereafter shall abet and countenance the said Proclamation, to be Traitors, and enemies to God, the King, and Kingdom, and to be guilty of the highest degree of Treason that can be committed against the King and Kingdome, And that they will, by the as­sistance of Almighty God, and of all honest English Protestants, and lovers of their Countrey, doe their best endeavours (even to the utmost hazard of their Lives and Fortunes) to bring all such unparallell'd Traitors to a speedy and exemplary punishment.

And whereas the Lords and Commons in Parliament did formerly choose the Earle of Essex to be Captaine Generall of such Forces as are, or shall be raised for the maintenance and preservation of the true Protestant Re­ligion, the Kings Person, the Lawes of the Land, the [Page 5]Peace of the Kingdome, the Liberty and Property of the Subject, and the Rights, and Priviledges of Parliament.

The said Lords and Commons, doe now Declare, That they will maintaine and assist him, and adhere un­to him the said Earle with their lives and estates, in the same Cause, as in Conscience and Duty to GOD; the King and their Country they are bound to do.

And lastly, The Lords and Commons doe further Declare, That notwithstanding those wicked Councel­lors which enclined his Majestie to make warre against our brethren of Scotland, and by Prayers and Procla­mations read in Churches, to pronounce them Rebels and Traitors: That with-held his Majestie from setting forth any Proclamation against those bloody Rebells in Ire­land till January last, although the Rebellion brake forth the 23. of October before, and notwithstanding the im­portunity of both Houses of Parliament, that a Declara­tion might issue to that purpose; have now advised and prevailed with His Majestie by this Proclamation, to invite His Subjects to destroy his Parliament, and good people, by a civill Warre, and by that meanes to bring ruine, confusion, and perpetuall slavery upon the sur­viving part of a then wretched Kingdom: Yet the Lords and Commons to witnesse their constant, and unshaken loyaltie and affection to his Majestie, doe solemnly de­clare, That if his Majestie shall immediatly disband all his Forces, and bee pleased to abandon those wicked Councellors, and leave them to condigne punishment, and returne and hearken to the wholesome advice of his great Councell, they will really endeavour to make both his Majestie, and his posteritie as great, rich, and potent, as much beloved at home, and feared abroad, as any Prince that ever swayed this Scepter, which is their firme and constant Resolution.