WHereas the Generality and as (for the number) much the greater, so also (for the quality) much the better part of this famous and populous County and City, hath from the Alpha to the Omega, from the first to the last of these distracted, distempered, and unhappy times, been truly cordial, constant and steady (in the matter of their Fidelity and Loyalty) to their Prince and Soveraign, without the least thought or desire to deviate, apostatize, or turn out of the good old way of due Allegiance, or (in the least measure to diminish or detract from his Majesties just Rights and Royalties; much less to blast or blaspheme his Honour; least of all to lift up their hard, or offer any violence to his Sacred Person, as no other in their esteem, then what undoubtedly he is, The Lords Anointed.

Whereas (also) Truth and Syncerity, with their Friends and Followers, by the invincible oppression and opposition of a Massanellian brood of bold Usurpers and Invaders of the Government, (who, like that Neapolitan Crew, unhappily thri­ving in their wayes of blood and violence, had got the Mastery and upper hand of their more Loyal Fellow-Subjects) durst not of latter times appear abroad, or shew themselves in publick: but were inevitably forced to strike sail, and give way to the violent and irresistable tide and torrent of Falshood and Imposture, with their impudent Abettors; and in silence pa­tiently to wait for such an opportunity and season as this (of safer and more sober times) to discover and assert themselves.

And whereas (further) it highly concerns all men in general; more especially Christians; most of all Subjects; and amongst them Protestants, (both in point of Conscience and Credit) to keep themselves free not only from the actual guilt, but also from the just suspition of Regicide and King-killing; of all crying sins the loudest and most execrable, as scarcely, if at all capable of Expiation.

VVhereas (moreover) of latter times, since we of this County and City, with the rest of the Nation, laboured under an universal and common force, (being with the Defender of our Faith robbed of the Protector of our Freedom, and slavishly captivated and subjected to the lawless and Arbitrary power and Tyranny of a perfidious and bloody English Phocas, and his Confederates:) many several Petitions, Remonstrances, Declarations, and other like Addresses, framed, or rather forged by a few disloyal, factious and seditious time-serves, (persons, for the most part, as inconsiderable for their estates, as num­ber) have with much Impudence in the Authors, and injury to us, without our privity, and to our great and just regret, been fathered, foisted and obtruded upon us, and presented and exposed to the open view of all the world in Print, under our Name and Stamp, as carrying the Title, some of this Counties, others of this Cities Addresses: and amongst these, one more black, detestable, and odious then all the rest, nor indeed to be remembred without just abomination, and perfect abhor­rency, to wit, That for requiring of Justice against his late Majesty (of ever Blessed and pretious memory) and for bringing his sacred and royal Person to (what no Law either of God or Man subjected him unto) his Tryal, as an arraigned prisoner at the Bar of a pretended, but spurious, illegal, and for ever infamous Court of Justice; a Court never once heard or thought of, much less with approbation, amongst Christians, or indeed but civilized Men, in any Age or Nation until then; nor then erected without the perpetual and indeleble shame and reproach both of the English Nation, and of (what should be of highest esteem with it) the Protestant Cause and Religion, clearly repugnant to such prodigious and infernal practises.

And whereas (lastly) in truth and verity, (which thanks, under God, to that ever indeared Saviour of his Countrey, our gallant General, may freely now be spoken) all those Petitions and Addresses in general, and that never enough abomi­nated one in particular, were fo far from being the Acts, or from speaking the Sence and Desires of our more Loyal County and City, that as they were hatch'd and bred in corners, and in a sly and clandestine way carried on, without either Counties or Cities privity; so were they never subscribed or avouched by any party of either place, considerable or comparable (ei­ther for number or weight) with the Non-subscribers: scarce one of a hundred, we may truly say of a thousand, of the numerous Inhabitants of either putting his hand, or giving his consent to them, but (with full concurrence of heart and ton­gue) unanimously abhorring, abominating, renouncing, detesting, disclaiming and disowning all such (we want words to expresse how foul and horrible) designes and practises, with their promotors and abettors.

WHerefore to vindicate our undistained and unshaken Loyalty to our Prince and our constant readinesse (ac­cording to our bounden Duty and Allegiance) to adhere, and (had it been as much in our power as desires) to have defended and rescued his late Majesties sacred Person from violence, and his Honour, Greatness and just rights from the least violation or incroachment: and to wash off, and purge away all just suspition of our concur­rence with the men of bloud, those sons of violence, the worst of Paricides, (titles which they have taken more de­light to deserve, than we to impose (who have not spared to imbrue their hands in that of their and our late Dread and gratious Soveraign, their and our common Father, the best of Men, and Mirrour of Princes: we cannot but (with those renouned Patriots of the Citie of London) lay hold on this first opportunity (given to Loyal Subjects, both to declare the Truth, and to assert their own Integrity) to renounce, disown, disclaim, and from our hearts and souls to protest, as against all Petitions, Declarations, and other like Addresses inconsistent with the Duty of Loyal Subjects, and such as desire to make the known Laws of the Land the Rule and Square of their Obedience; so particularly and principally, against that impious, infamous, and most uncharitable Address (framed and pre­sented as the rest, in an under the name of our County and City) for calling his late sacred Majesty into question, and bringing him, as a Malefactor to a personal Tryal, with all the sad and accursed effects, results and consequen­ces of it: humbly desiring (what in justice cannot be denied as) that what was so clandestinely, surreptitiously, and impiously contrived and acted by a few individual Members, may not pass or be imputed, either by the present or future ages, to the whole body of so large and populous a County and City: or that (at least) it may not be laid to the charge, or cast in the teeth of any one of us, who by this Protest of ours (aiming only at the righting and vindication of our selves, not at the wronging or irritation of others; we being, though at enmity with their practises, yet in charity with their persons) do as truly as solemnly disclaim it: with this annexed serious Vow and Promise, as in the presence of God, since we cannot recall the Father, to redouble our Endeavours for establishing the Son (the true and apparent Heir of his paternal Throne and Vertues) in that fulness of Honour, Splendor and Greatness, which (with Gods blessing) may in good time justly crown him with the Title of Charles the Great.