BE it Ordained by the Lords and Com­mons assembled in Parliament, and by authority of the same, That Robert Earl of Essex, Captain Generall of the Forces raised by the authority of Parliament, Al­gernon Earl of Northumberland, Henry Earl of Kent, Philip Earl of Pembroke, William Earl of Salisbury, Oliver Earl of Bullingbrook, Ed­ward Earl of Manchester, Basil Earl of Den­bigh, William Lord Viscount Say and Seale, Philip Lord Whatton, Dudley Lord North, William Lord Grey of Werk, John Lord Ro­berts, Philip Lord Lisle, Sir William Waller, Sir Arthur Haslerig, Sir John Corbet, Sir [Page 4] John Bamfield, Sir Henry Heyman, Colonell Alexander Popham, Col: Stapeley, Col: White­head, Col: Morley, Col: Purefoy, Col: Ven, Ed­ward Bainton Esq Col: William Jephson, Col: Alexander Rigby, Tho: Arundell Esq Serge­ant Major Generall Skippon, Sir Nathaniel Brent, Doctor Tho: Eden, John Bradshaw Esq William Steele Esq Sir James Harrington, Col: Brown, Col: West, Col: Charls Fleetwood, Col: William Strode, Col: Turner, Col: Manwa­ring, Col: Whitchcote, Col: Pyndar, Lieutenant Col: Welden, Lieutenant Col: Underwood, Lieutenant Col: Wilson, Major Salloway, Major Titchborn, Col: Humfrey, Col: Player, Col: Prince, Col: Harsnet, Major Camfield, [...] Molyns, Col: Owen, Lieutenant Col: Web, Lieutenant Col: Bradley, or any Twelve or more of them, whereof such of the Members of either House of Parlia­ment, as have Commission and com­mands in any of the Armies or Garrisons; and Sir William Waller, Sir Arthur Haslerig, Sir John Corbet, Sir Henry Heyman, Col. Alexander Rigby, Col: William Jephson, Col: Ven, Sir Nathaniel Brent, alwayes to be Three, shall be Commissioners, and shall [Page 5] have full power and authority to hear and determine all such causes as belong to Mi­litary cognizance, according to the Arti­cles in this present Ordinance mentioned; And to proceed to the Tryall, Condemna­tion, and Execution of all Offenders a­gainst the said Articles, and to inflict up­on the Offenders such punishment, either by Death or otherwise corporally, as the said Commissioners or the major part of them then present shall judge to apper­tain to Iustice, according to the nature of the Offence, and Articles here insu­ing:

I. NO persons whatsoever shall from henceforth vo­luntarily repair or go from the Cities of London and Westminster, or from any other parts of the kingdom, under the power of the Parliament, unto the person of the King or Queen, or Lords of the Counsell abiding with him or her, or to any Commander or Officer of the Kings Army, or shall give or hold any Intelligence by Letters, Messages or other­wise with any in Arms against the Parliament, without con­sent of both Houses of Parliament, or the Committee ap­pointed by Ordinance of Parliament for managing the war, the Lord Generall of the forces raised by the two Houses, or from the respective Officers that shall Command in chief any of the said forces, upon paine of death, or other Cor­porall punishment at discretion.

[Page 6] II. Whosoever hath or shall Plot, Contrive, or endeavour the betraying, surrendring, or yielding up to the Enemy, or hath or shall contrary to the rules of War, surrender, yield up or betray any Cities, Townes, Forts, Magazines, or forces which now are, or hereafter shall be under the power of the Parliament, shall be punished with death.

III. No Person or Persons whatsoever not under the power of the Enemy, shall voluntarily relieve any Person being in Armes against the Parliament, knowing him to have been so in Armes, with any money, victualls, or Ammuniti­on, upon paine of death or other corporall punishment at di­scretion, or shall voluntarily and knowingly harbour or re­ceive any being in Armes as aforesaid, upon paine of punish­ment at discretion.

IIII. No Officer or Souldier shall make any mutinous as­semblies, or be assisting thereunto upon paine of death.

V. No Guardian, or Officer of any Prison, shall wilfully suffer any Prisoner of War to escape under paine of death, or negligently under paine of imprisonment, and further punish­ment at discretion.

VI. Whosoever shall voluntarily take up Armes against the Parliament, having taken the Nationall Covenant, shall dye without mercy.

VII. Whatsoever Officer, or Commander, hath or shall desert their trust, and adheare to the enemy, shall dye with­out mercy.

[Page 7] And it is hereby further Ordained by the authority aforesaid, that the said Commis­sioners, or any twelve or more of them, whereof such of the Members of either House of Parliament as have Commissi­ons, and commands in any of the Armies or Garrisons, and sir William Waller, sir Ar­ther Haslerig, sir Iohn Corbet, sir Henry Heyman, Colonell Alexander Rigby, Col. William Iephson, Col. Venn, sir Nathaniell Brent, alwaies to be three, shall be authorized from time to time so often as they shall thinke fit, or shall be ordered thereunto by both or either House of Parliament, to sit in some convenient place within the cities of London and West­minster, or Lines of Communication, and to appoint a Iudge Advocate, a Provost Martiall, and all other Officers needfull. And it is hereby further Ordained, that all Maiors, Sheriffs, Iustices of Peace, Con­stables, Bailiffes, and other Officers shall be aiding and assisting to the said Commis­sioners in the execution of the Premisses, and that the said Commissioners, and eve­ry of them, and all and every other Person and Persons, that shall be aiding and as­sisting [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 8] to them in the execution of the Pre­misses, shall be saved harmlesse and in­dempnified for what they shal do therein by authority of Parliament, provided never­thelesse that no Member of either Houses of Parliament, or Assistants of the house of Peeres shall be questioned, or tryed before the Commissioners appointed by vertue of this present Ordinance, without assent and leave first had and obtained of both Houses of Parliament.

And be it also provided, that this present Ordinance, and the authority hereby given, and appointed to the Persons hereby nomi­nated, shall endure and have continuance for four moneths from the making hereof.

Provided that this Ordinance for any of­fence hereafter to be committed shall not take place, or be of force untill eight daies after the publication hereof, any thing in this Ordinance to the contrary notwith­standing.