WHereas the Chambers, Studies, and Trunks, of Maſter Denzill Hollis, Sir Arthur Haſlerigg, Maſter John Pym, Maſter John Hampden, and Maſter William Strode Eſquires, Members of the Houſe of Commons, upon Munday, the 3. of this inſtant January, by colour of His Majeſties Warrant have been ſealed up by Sir William Killigrew, & Sir William Flemen, and others, which is not only againſt the Priviledge of Parliament, but the Common Liberty of every Subject: Which ſaid Members afterwards, the ſame day were under the like colour, by Serjeant Francis, one of His Majeſties Serjeants at Arms, contrary to all former Preſidents demanded of the Speaker ſitting in the Houſe of Commons, to be delivered unto him, that he might Arreſt them of high Treaſon. And whereas, afterwards the next day His Majeſtie in His Royall Perſon, came to the ſaid Houſe attended with a great multitude of men armed in warlike manner, with Halberts, Swords, and Piſtols, who came up to the very doore of the Houſe, and placed themſelves there, and in other places, and paſſages neer to the ſaid Houſe, to the great terrour and diſturbance of the Members then ſitting; and according to their duty in a peaceable, and orderly manner, treating of the great affairs of England, and Ireland. And his Majeſtie having placed himſelf in the Speakers Chair, demanded of them the perſons of the ſaid Members to be delivered unto him, which is a high Breach of the Rights, and Priviledges of Parliament, and Inconſiſtent with the Liberties, and Freedom thereof. And whereas afterwards his Majeſtie did iſſue forth ſeverall Warrants to divers Officers, under his own hand, for the apprehenſion of the Perſons of the ſaid Members, which by Law he cannot do; there being not all this time, any Legall charge or accuſation, or due Proceſſe of Law iſſued againſt them, nor any pretence of charge made known to that Houſe; all which are againſt the Fundamentall Liberties of the Subject, and the Rights of Parliament. Whereupon we are neceſſitated, according to our duty, to declare; And we do hereby declare, that if any Perſon ſhall Arreſt M. Hollis, Sir Arthur Haſlerigg, M. Pym, M. Hampden, and M. Strode, or any of them, or any other Member of Parliament, by pretence or colour of any Warrant iſſuing out from the King onely, is guiltie of the Breach of the Liberties of the Subject, and of the Priviledge of Parliament, and a publike enemy to the Common-wealth. And that the Arreſting of the ſaid Members, or any of them, or of any other Member of Parliament, by any Warrant whatſoever, without a legall Proceeding againſt them, and without conſent of that Houſe, whereof ſuch Perſon is a Member, is againſt the Libertie of the Subject, and a Breach of Priviledge of Parliament; And the Perſon which ſhall Arreſt any of theſe Perſons, or any other Member of the Parliament, is declared a publike enemy of the Common-wealth. Notwithſtanding all which we think fit, further to declare that we are ſo farre from any endeavours to protect any of our Members, that ſhall be in due manner proſecuted according to the Laws of the Kingdom, and the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament for Treaſon, or any other miſdemeanours, That none ſhall be more readie and willing then we our ſelves, to bring them to a ſpeedy, and due triall, being ſenſible that it equally imports us, as well to ſee juſtice done againſt them that are Criminous, as to defend the juſt Rights and Liberties of the Subjects, and Parliament of England.

And whereas upon ſeverall examinations taken the 7. day of this inſtant January, before the Committee appointed by the Houſe of Commons, to ſit in London, it did fully appear, that many ſouldiers, Papiſts, and others, to the number of about 500. came with His Majeſtie on Tueſday laſt, to the ſaid Houſe of Commons, armed with Swords, Piſtols, and other weapons; and divers of them preſſed to the door of the ſaid Houſe, thruſt away the door Keepers, and placed themſelves, between the ſaid door and the ordinary attendants of hs Majeſty; holding up their Swords, and ſome holding up their Piſtols ready cock'd neer the ſaid door; and ſaying, I am a good Markſman, I can hit right I warrant you, and they not ſuffering the ſaid door, according to the cuſtome of Parliament to be ſhut, but ſaid they would have the door open, and if any oppoſition were againſt them, they made no queſtion, but they ſhould make their party good, and that they would maintain their partie; and when ſeverall Members of the Houſe of Commons were coming into the Houſe, their attendants deſiring that Room might be made for them, ſome of the ſaid Souldiers anſwered, A Pox of God confound them, and others ſaid, A Pox take the Houſe of Commons, let them come and be hang'd, what a do is here with the Houſe of Commons, and ſome of the ſaid Souldiers did likewiſe violently aſſault, and by force diſarm ſome of the Attendants, and ſervants of the Members of the Houſe of Commons, waiting in the Room next the ſaid Houſe, and upon the Kings return out of the ſaid Houſe, many of them by wicked oath • ▪ and otherwiſe, expreſſed much diſcontent, that ſome Members of the ſaid Houſe, for whom they came were not there, and others of them •• id, when comes the word, and no word being given at his Majeſties coming out, they cried a lane, a lane; afterwards ſome of them being demanded, what they thought the ſaid company intended to have done, anſwered, That queſtionleſſe in the poſture they were ſet, if the word had been given, they ſhould have fallen upon the Houſe of Commons, and have cut all their throats. Upon all which we are of opinion, that it is ſufficiently proved, that the coming of the ſaid Souldiers, Papiſts, and others with his Majeſtie to the Houſe of Commons on Tueſday laſt, being the fourth of this inſtant January, in the manner aforeſaid, was to take away ſome of the Members of the ſaid Houſe; and if they ſhould have found oppoſition, or deniall, then to have fallen upon the ſaid Houſe in an hoſtile manner, And we do hereby declare that the ſame was a traiterous deſigne againſt the King and Parliament. And whereas the ſaid M. Hollis, Sir Arthur Haſlerigg, M. Pym, M. Hampden, and M. Strode, upon report of the coming of the ſaid Souldiers, Papiſts, and others in the warlike and hoſtile manner, aforeſaid, did with the approbation of the Houſe abſent themſelves from the ſervice of the Houſe, for avoiding the great, and many inconveniences, which otherwiſe apparantly might have hapned: Since which time a printed paper in the form of a Proclamation, bearing date the ſixth day of this inſtant January, hath iſſued out for the apprehending, and impriſoning of them, Therein ſuggeſting that through the conſcience of their own guilt, they were abſent and fled, not willing to ſubmit themſelver to Juſtice; We do further declare that the ſaid printed paper is falſe, ſcandalous and illegall, and that notwithſtanding the ſaid printed paper, or any Warrant iſſued out, or any other matter; yet appearing againſt them or any of them, they may and ought to attend the ſervice of the ſaid Houſe of Commons, and the ſeverall Committees now on foot. And that it is lawfull for all perſons whatſoever to lodge, harbour or converſe with them, or any of them; And whoſoever ſhall be queſtioned for the ſame, ſhall be under the protection and priviledge of Parliament.

And we do further declare, That the publiſhing of ſeverall Articles purporting a form of a charge of high Treaſon againſt the Lord Kimbolton, one of the Members of the Lords Houſe, and againſt the ſaid M. Hollis, Sir Arthur Haſlerigg, M. Pym, M. Hampden, and M. Strode, by Sir William Killigrew, Sir William Flemen, and others in the Innes of Court, and elſewhere in the Kings Name, was a high Breach of the Priviledge of Parliament, a great ſcandall to his Majeſtie and his Government: A ſeditious Act manifeſtly tending to the ſubverſion of the Peace of the Kingdom, and an injury, and diſhonour to the ſaid Members, there being no legall charge or accuſation againſt them.

That the Priviledges of Parliament, and the liberties of the Subject ſo violated and broken, cannot be fully and ſufficiently vindicated, unleſſe his Majeſty will be gratiouſly pleaſed, to diſcover the names of thoſe perſons, who adviſed his Majeſty to iſſue out Warrants, for the Sealing of the Chambers and Studies of the ſaid Members, to ſend a Serjeant at Arms to the Houſe of Commons, to demand their ſaid Members, to iſſue out ſeverall Warrants under his Majeſties own hand, to apprehend the ſaid Members. His Majeſties coming thither, in his own Royall Perſon. The publiſhing of the ſaid Articles, and printed Paper in the form of a Proclamation againſt the ſaid Members, in ſuch manner as is before declared; To the end that ſuch perſons may receive condigne puniſhment.

And this Houſe doth further declare, That all ſuch perſons as have given any Councell, or endeavoured to ſet or maintain diviſion or diſlike, between the King and Parliament, or have listed their names, or otherwiſe entred into any combination or agreement, to be ayding, or aſsiſting, to any ſuch councell or endeavour, or have perſwaded any other ſo to do, or that ſhall do any the things above mentioned; And ſhall not forthwith diſcover the ſame to either Houſe of Parliament: Or the Speaker of either of the ſaid Houſes reſpectively, and diſclaim it, are declared publike enemies of the State and Peace of this Kingdome, and ſhall be inquired of, and proceeded againſt accordingly.