His Maiesties declaration to the ministers, free-holders, farmers, and substantiall copy-holders of the county of York assembled by His Majesties speciall summons at Heworth More on Friday the 3. of June. 1642 : with a catalogue of the names of the dukes, marquesses, earls and lords, who are now with His Majesty at York : also a copy of a letter sent from York, which relates the number that met, with their resolutions ... whereunto is annexed the joynt resolution of the Protestant gentry and commonalty of Cheshire, reflecting upon their petition lately presented to the Kings Majestie at York.

Author: England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I)2016-02

HIS MAIESTIES DECLARATION To the Ministers, Free-holders, Farmers, and Substantiall Copy-holders of the County of YORK: Assembled by His Majesties speciall Summons at Heworth More on Friday the 3. of June. 1642.

With a Catalogue of the Names of the Dukes, Marquesses, Earls and Lords, who are now with His Majesty at York.

Also a Copy of a Letter sent from York, which relates the number that met, with their Resolutions.

Die Sabbati 4. Iunii. 1642.

A Generall Order of both Houses of PARLIAMENT for ordering the Militia throughout England and Wales.

And a Copy of a Letter sent from the Committee at Lincoln, to the House of Commons with their names subscribed.

Whereunto is annexed the joynt Resolution of the Protestant Gentry and Commonalty of Cheshire, Reflecting upon their Petition lately presented to the Kings Majestie at YORK.

Ordered by the House of Commons, that this be forthwith Printed.

LONDON: Printed by T. P. and M. S. for W. Gay, in Goldsmiths Alley, June 7. 1642.

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HIS MAIESTIES DECLARATION To the Ministers, Free-holders, Farmers, and substantiall Copy-holders of the County of YORK.

WEE would have you to be assured that We never intended the least neglect unto you in any former Summons of the Countrey, Our love, as well as Our protection, extending to all Our Subjects; But as you are a great Body, time and conveniency must be observed in your Assembling.

That you may know the generall Reasons of Our being here, you must understand, That when Wee found it neither safe nor honourable to expose Our Person to the tumultuous and licentious proceedings of many (which to this day are unpunished) who did disorderly approach neer Our Court at Whitehall, We trusted this part of Our Dominions chiefly to reside in; where, as most of the Gent [...]y already have, so We assure Our selves, the rest of you will give Us cleer testimony of your service and obedience, which Wee will never use otherwise then for the defence of the true Orthodox Religion, professed and setled in Queen Elizabeths time, and confirmed by the Authoritie of the Statutes of this Realme, the defence of the Lawes and fundamentall Constitutions of this Kingdom (as the justest Measure and Rule for Our Prerogative, and your Liberties and Rights) and lastly, for the preservation of the Peace of this Kingdom.

As for Our own Zeal to the Protestant Profession, Wee refer all the world to Our daily exercise of, and Our Declarations concerning it, and execution of the Lawes against the Papists; so likewise We cannot but declare Our Self most heartily sorry to finde such Separatists and Schismaticks, who presume, against Law, to foment new Doctrines and Disciplines, to the disturbance of Church and State.

For the Law, it being the common inheritance of Our people, Wee shall never enforce any Prerogative of Ours beyond it, but submit Our Self to it, and give you, and all Our Subjects the fullest latitude of it, both for the libertie of [Page 4] your persons, and the proprietie of your estates. And for an inviolable confidence and assurance hereof, as We take God (the Searcher of all hearts) to witnesse Our reall intention herein, so We shall no longer desire you to stand for the defence of Our Person, Honour, and just Prerogatives, then We shall maintaine the Lawes of the Land, the libertie of your persons, and the proprietie of your Goods.

And for the cleer understanding of Our Resolutions to maintain Peace, We may have the confidence and happinesse to refer (against all malignitie whatsoever) to Our former sixteen yeers Reign; (too long to dissemble Our Nature) if in all this time We never caused the effusion of one drop of bloud, it must needs be thought, that in Our riper judgement in Government, We should never open such Issues as might drown Us and Our Posteritie in them: But We are sure to have no enemies, but in the defence of the true Protestant Profession, the Right of the established Lawes, and for the preservation of Peace: and certainly all these must be all yours, as well as Our enemies.

And to the end that this present Posture wherein We meet, should not affright you, with the distempers of the times, the Example of the two Houses having made Us prepare for a Guard to Us and Our Childrens persons, We wish you to looke into the Composition and Constitutition of it, and you will finde it so farre from the face or feare of Warre, that it serves to secure you, as well as Us, from it: For Our Choice is of the prime Gentry, and of one Regiment of Our Trained Bands, which cannot be thought to oppresse the Countrey (being their own) nor warre with themselves. And We further assure you, We never intended to use Forreigners or disaffected in Religion: and that you may fully assure your selves of Our sole dependancy upon the love and service of Our own people, to live and die with them, We have Armed these Our Subjects; which had been most irrationall, if We had ever intended to have used Strangers. And further, you may perceive that We receive none, but such as stand cleer in Loyaltie and Religion; for which Reason We have caused the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to be given them. Likewise, to prevent any distempers at home, We have, and shall put the Trained Bands of all this Our Kingdome under the Command of Persons of honour, confidence, and affection to their Countrey; straitly charging, upon their Allegiance, no Officer to accept any command in them, nor Souldiers to obey any save such as are authorized by Us. And for the prevention of any innovated power over you, you shall have Us here to governe you, and the Souldiory to protect you in peace, and to relieve you against all oppressions; for that, as We have told you before, must arise from some great violation (which We hope God will prevent) and not from this preparation of Our Subjects. Therefore let none of you be affrighted with vaine feares; if such a Warre should follow, it follows the Authors home to their owne doores: and such (by the confidence of Our Person with you) We assure Our Self you are not.

Here We had left you to your fidelity and duty, had not some malicious insolence in Our former meetings sent forth most presumptuous Summons, deceiving Our People, and presuming upon Our Royall Authority; and these present themselves [Page 5] as great Defenders of Religion, Peace, and Liberty; whereas they become infectious, and contagious to the people, seducing them into vain fancies and delusions, as may appear by their Warrants which we could trace to some Pulpits, as We are credibly informed: And you see it were just in Us, to punish these as Authors of sedition, but that it would be too great a favour, for it would honour them with the Title of Martyrdome, for Gods cause, as they vainly pretend: But you may now see from whence this Spirit comes, that would make Us to be in the Act of destruction of Religion; Our Person a disturber of the Peace, and ready to introduce Slavery. These here are all the forreign Forces We have, or ever shall intend to have, to act these great designes, notwithstanding the vain fears hitherto imagined. So that you see it is high time that these fancies were dispersed and driven away, that We might be repaired in Honour and Interest, and you enjoy the blessing of Peace and Happinesse; the advancement whereof shall be our study and comfort: and therefore We shall (when you shall think it a convenient time) ease you of the number of the Trained-Bands: And for your Billet-Money, it had been long since paid, but that no part of the Subsidies (which We passed for that purpose) came to Our hands, and We shall not be wanting in any thing that lieth in Us for the full satisfaction thereof: And shall make Our Grace and Bounty to you answerable to your best fidelity and loyalty, as occasion shall be offered to Us.

A CATALOGVE OF THE Names of the Dukes, Marquesses, Earles, and Lords, that have Absented themselves from the PARLIAMENT, and are now with His Majestie at YORK.

The Copy of a Letter from a Gentleman at YORK, to his friend in London, relating the number of those that appeared, with their Resolution.

Sir,

I Received yours of this Post, and here I do return you answer. First the King granting out a Summons to our Countrey Gentlemen, Ministers, and Free-holders for to be here: so there did as this day appear one hundred thousand men on Heworth More, with declaring themselves, that they as long as they could stand with life▪ and heart would see the King righted. And the King declared himself, as you will see by this inclosed book. Thus with my love and service to you I rest,

York 3. June, 1642

Your friend ever, F. H.

Die Sabbati 4^o. Junii. 1642.

IT is this day ordered by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, That the Deputy-Lieutenants of the severall and respective Counties within the Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, that are not Members of the House of Commons, be hereby required and enjoyned to be present at the dayes, and places which are, or shall hereafter be appointed by the Lord-Lieutenants, or their Deputies, for the Training, Mustering, and Exercising of the Inhabitants of the said Counties, according to the authority given unto them by an Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament. And it is further ordered, That all Deputy-Lieutenants, aswell those that are Members of the House of Commons, as others, shall give such dispatch, by preparing of Warrants, Commissions, or Letters, and subscribing of the same as the service shall require; And that such as shall refuse, or neglect so to do, that their Names be certified unto us by their fellow-Deputies, or any one of them that shall or do perform the said service. And it is further declared, That it is the [...]ntention of both Houses, for the better incouragement of so [Page 7] good a work, so much conducing to the safety of His Majesties Person and Kingdoms, That some of their Members at the times and places appointed, or to be appointed for the execution of the said Ordinance, shall be sent down to give their personall attendance upon the said Service.

The Copy of a Letter sent from the Committe at Lincoln, to the House of COMMONS, directed to the Speaker of the said House, and subscribed with the Names of the said Committee.

SIR,

SUch is our earnest desire, to manifest our obedience to the Commands of both Houses, That we cannot omit any opportunitie to advertise you of our first dayes proceeding, and successe therein. The Lord Francis Willoughby appointed by the Ordinance of Parliament, to be Lord Lieutenant of this County, had by his Warrant, summoned the chief Constables to attend him yesterday, the last of May, in this place, to give him an account concerning the Arms of the Trained-Bands and Ammunition, within their severall hundreds, and Wapentakes; which service accordingly they performed with all readinesse and alacrity, even beyond our expectations, there being the fullest apparance of them that we have observed upon any occasion heretofore, so as about fourscore in this great County, not above two or three of them were absent; Neither did the Kings Proclamation (published on purpose as we conceive, throughout the County, and which some had officiously fixed upon the Gates of the Inne where we met;) nor this inclosed Letter from His Majestie sent to the old (but as we hear new re-established Deputy Lieutenants, under the Earl of Linsey, who likewise hath a Commission under the broad Seal, for the Lieutenancy of Lincolnshire, as we are informed, any whit deterre, or hinder them. We have already delivered forth Warrants to those head Constables for Musters to be held (for the more conveniencie) in severall places of this County, at each of which, God willing) we all of us intend to be assistant, the rather because we understand that our presence here doth not a little comfort and revive the spirits of all honest and well affected persons in this County; whose forward good examples will (we doubt not) be a means to draw the rest to a more ready conformity. In which hopes we are further incouraged by this dayes tryall in the Citie, finding, besides the Trained-Bands thereof, a like number of Volunteers well and compleatly Armed, who are ready to make tender of their Service, for the defence of His Majesties Person, the Parliament, and the Kingdom, according to their late Protestation. These are our first beginnings in your service, which we humbly submit unto you, and so remain

Lincoln, 1. Junii. 1642.

Your affectionate Friends and Servnats, W. Armyne, Edw. Acsscough, Tho. Hatcher, Christ [...], Wray, Antho. Irby, Ioh. Broxolme.

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The Resolution of the Protestant Gentry and Commonalty of Cheshire.

SUch have been the fears and distractions of the County of Chester, by reason of the innumerable and indeed unsufferable assemblies and tumultuous meetings of the Papists, and others that are Neutrals, or as we may terme them, luke-warm both in Loyalty and Religion, that the Gentry and Commonalty of the Protestant Party were constrained to draw themselves to a head, and set down their Resolution, protesting to perform these two particulars.

First, they resolved to be loyall to His Maiesty, according to the Petition lately presented to His Majestie at York, by the Gentry and Commonalty of the said County.

Secondly, they resolved to be obedient to the Parliament.

Withall desiring that all true hearted Protestants, that desire to expresse themselves Loyall Subiects to His Majestie, and obedient Servants to the Parliament, would with unite consent take the same Resolution.

First they resolved and solemnly Protested to declare themselves true and loyall Subjects to His Sacred Majestie, and to His heirs for ever.

Next to maintain and to defend the Protestant Religion in all points whatsoever, agreeable to the Church of England, against all Sects and Schismes, against all Papists, Donatists, Arminians, and all other hipocriticall doctrines whatsoever, also to maintain the just Prerogative of His Majesties authoritie, against all opposers whatsoever.

Secondly, they constantly and with a joynt consent resolved to maintain and defend the high Court of Parliament, and according to their bounden Duty to acknowledge them (next to God, and his Majestie) the chief authors of their present securitie, and the onely means of their happy continuance, and future preservation, declaring their Counsels to be Religious, their Commands Lawfull, and their Actions Loyall, without promising and protesting obedience to their Commands, and to those appointed by them to have command, and to be Governours of the Militia.

FINIS.

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