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 shal with­in six dayes after the date thereof lay downe their Armes, doe publish and declare, that the matter of this libellious and scandalous paper, is the venome of those Traiterous Councel­lors about his Majesty, long since discovered, and so often complained of by both Houses of Parliament, who having for many yeares to­gether [Page] carried on a wicked designe, to alter Religion, and to introduce Popery, Supersti­tion, and Ignorance, the ready way to an Ar­bitrary and Tirannicall Governement, and for that purpose, not onely maintained Agents at Rome, but invited and procured sundry Nuntioes, or Agents, to be 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 humaine reason have pre­vented them in their designe, the onely true reason which these mischievous Councellors, maligning that Power which opposes it selfe a­gainst their destructive and horrid Counsels, have now at last, as the Master-piece of all their Machinations, advised his Majesty, in effect, to proclaim at once, his House of Peeres, the Hereditary Councellors of the King­dome, and his House of Commons, the re­presentative Body of the whole Commons of the Kingdome, to be all Rebels and Traytors, [Page] & by that paper have endeavoured so to blind the eyes of the people, as to make them guilty of their own destruction, by helping to subdue and destroy the Parliament, (the onely means under God, to preserve their Religion, Law, and Liberties) and to perswade the Kingdom that his Majesty by assistance of Papists and persons popishly affected, will maintaine the Protestant Religion. That by the helpe of men utlawed and of desperate fortunes will main­taine the Lawes of the Land, and with Fugi­tives from parliament, and Delinquents to the Parliament▪ wil preserve the priviledges ther­of: an 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 ab­bet, or countenance the said Proclamation to be Traitors and Enemies to God, the King, and Kingdome, and to be guilty of the highest de­gree of Treason that can be committed against the King and Kingdome, and that they wil by [Page] the assistance of Almighty God, and of all ho­nest English Protestants, and lover of their Country, doe their best endeavours (even to the utmost hazard of their lives and fortunes, to bring all such unparall'd Traytors to a spee­dy and exemplary punishment. And whereas the Lords and Commons in Parliament did formerly chuse the Earle of Essex to be Cap­taine Generall of such Forces as are, or shall be raised, for the maintenance of the true Pro­testant Religion, the Kings person, the Lawes of the Land, the peace of the Kingdome the Liberty and propriety of the Subject▪ and the rights and priviledges of Parliament, The said Lords and Commons do declare, that they wil maintain 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 Councells which inclined his Majesty to make war against our brethren [Page] of Scotland, and by prayers and proclamations read in Churches to pronounce them Rebels and Traytors that with-held his Majesty from setting forth any Proclamation against those bloody and barbarous Rebells in Ireland, till January last, although the rebellion brak 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 Majesty by this proclamation, to invite his Subjects to destroy his parliament and good people by [...] Civill War, [...]nd by tha [...] me [...]es to bring ruine, confusion and perpetuall save­ry upon the surviving part of a then wretched Kingdome. Yet the Lords and Common, to witnesse their constant and unshaken Loyalty and affection to his Majesty, do solemnely de­clare, That if his Majesty shall immediately disband all his forces, and be pleased to aban­don those wicked Councellors, & leave them to condigne punishment, and return and hear­ken to the wholesome advise of his Great [Page] Counsell: they will really indeavour to make both his Majesty and his Posterity, as Great, Rich, and Potent, as much beloved at home, [...]d feared abrod, as an Prince that ever swa­yed this Scepter: which is their firme and constant Resolution.