A DECLARATION OF THE ARMY, CONCERNING The Kings Majeſty, the Prince of WALES, and the Citizens of LONDON, Agreed upon by the Officers and Souldiers, under the Command of the Lord Gen. Fairfax, to be read and publiſhed throughout the reſpective Counties within the Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales.
AND A Remonſtrance thereupon, touching the proceedings of the King, and both Houſes of Parliament.
TOGETHER, With a Letter read in both Houſes, containing a Charge againſt all thoſe who ſhall act contrary to the Lawes of the Land, either againſt King or Parliament.
London, Printed for R. Williamſon, and are to be ſold in St. Dunſtons Church-yard, near Temple-Barre, 1648.
VVHereas we have lately ſeen a Copy of your Propoſalls, preſented by the Agents of the reſpective Regiments, to our ever honoured Gen. the Councell of the Army, we do therefore declare, that we do unanimouſly embrace the ſame, and bleſſe God, that he hath made you Inſtruments of ſo happy a work, promiſing all aſſiſtance therein, and proteſting to live and dye with you for the accompliſhing of the ſame; we ſhall be no longer ſilent, in this great work, but are reſolved forthwith to ſend our Agents unto you, to the end, that our ſence and Reſolutions, may appear viſible, to the general Councel, now aſſembled by the voice of the Army.
And we do further declare, that we are reſolved to ſtand and fall with you, for the ſpeedy executing of Juſtice2 upon all perſons whatſoever, even from the higheſt to the loweſt, and in all other particulars whatſoever, now agitating by you (our fellow Souldiers and Commoners) in the South, in relation to the proceedings of the King, the Prince, and the Duke, &c.
LIeutenant Generall Crumwell upon conference with us Gnetlemen of the four Northern Counties, conceives it neceſſary, that the ſtanding Gariſon of Barwick be 1200 foot, and the Garriſon of Carlile 800, and that there be alſo two Regiments of horſe, conſiſting of 600 in a Regiment; to be ready upon all occaſions to reſiſt & oppoſe any Invaſion that may happen by Sea or Land, and to quell Inſurrections, that may riſe amongſt us, & to ſuppreſſe the Moſs troopers, they being now ſtronger then ever, many of the enemies ſcattered horſe being gathered to them, we ſhall moſt readily and heartily endeavour to do the utmoſt theſe poor Counties are able but ſir, you know our intolerable ſufferings, not onely this laſt Summer, but from the beginning of theſe Kingdoms3 troubles, & our Petition doth a little ſet forth the ſad condition that wee are now in; wee, therefore moſt earneſtly intreat you to move the Houſe that theſe forces both of horſe and foot, may be maintained by the whole Kingdom, not only in reſpect of our ex•ream poverty & diſabilities, but becauſe they are the frontier Gariſons between the 2. Kingdoms, and have ever been maintained by the publike, we preſs this the more earneſtly, knowing the neceſſity of a ſpeedy proviſion, and the impoſſibility for theſe Counties to provide for ſuch a force, and to what generall way the Houſe pleaſe to appoint, who ſhall willingly and freely contribute our proportion, and labour both in that and all other things to ſhew our ſelves, Sir, Your faithfull Servant, &c.
WHereas we had formerly ſome hopes that lenity towards thoſe who had been in Arms & otherwiſe active againſt the Parl. would ſo far have prevailed with them, that we might have peaceably enjoyed our own habitations, but we have lately found by wofull experience, that the permitting ſuch perſons, eſpecially thoſe of intereſt in the Country to live amongſt us, hath brought moſt unſufferable miſery upon theſe Countries:4 Inſomuch, as we may juſtly fear the periſhing of many F•milies this Win or for want of bread; Gentlemen of quality and their Families having no other drink but water, and as an exceeding addition to our former ſorrows, ſuffered this Summer by impriſoning our pe ſons, diſpeopling our Towns, compelling all able to bear Arms, betwixt the age of 60. and 16. to aſſiſt againſt the Parl. and by deſtroying our corn and goods, and killing our Neighbours and Countrimen, and driving away our Cattle: And alſo by bringing into the Kingdom a forreign Nation, and by treacherouſly ſurprizing, and moſt baſely delivering into the Scots hands, the two conſiderable Towns of Barwick and Cartile, & by further aiding and aſſiſting of them, towards the ſubduing and enſlaving of our Kingdom, that many of the actors, contrivers, and aſſiſters in that horrible and traiterous Deſign, not only againſt our Countries, but the Parl. and Kingdom, are after all their Summers abominable treaſon and outrages, now returned with much confidence and boldneſſe to their own houſes, intending to hatch (as we have cauſe to believe) now plots this Winter amongſt us.
The premiſſes conſidered, we pray that juſtice may be ſpeedily executed on ſuch impl•cable enemies and declared Traitors to the Parliament, Kingdom, & their Countries, and to that end a Commiſſion of Oyre and Terminer, with learned and faithfull Judges may be forthwith ſent down into theſe Northern parts, or ſuch o h•r legall Courſe reſolved on as to your wiſdome ſhal ſeeme beſt for their ſpeedy trials in theſe Northern Counties where they have committed the offences, and that a Solicitor may be forthwith ſent down into theſe parts, that ſuch as are fled out of the Kingdom, or gone5 yond Sea, may be proceeded againſt according to Law, we know no other way under God to prevent a new war, for many Delinquents late in Arms, are not only returned to their own houſes, but meet, and have already their private conſultations, pretending Articles for their peaceable living at home, and are thereupon ſo inſolent, that they ride armed to publike places, and do not ſtick to ſay that they yet expect a turn for all this, and we find by experience, that unleſſe the Houſe do ſeverely proceed againſt ſuch notorious Delinquents, many of the people in theſe parts will adhere to them, and juſtifie their actions, and be ready to riſe up in Arms with them upon all occaſions.
We preſſe more earneſtly the granting of this, knowing that the peace and quiet of the North, if not of the whole Kingdom, depends upon it.
His Majeſties Remonſtrance to the Parliament.
FOr a finall anſwer to you, as to you paper of the firſt of this inſtant, and the notes therein mentioned concerning the Church, His Majeſty ſaith, that his Conceſſions expreſſeth in that paper, and miſ-apprehended in theſe particulars following, viz. He never did, nor doth intend to make any more new Biſhops during the terme of 3. years, that the power of Ordination ſhould be practiſed in the old manner as formerly, for that heretofore the Biſhops were at liberty to call what Presbyters they would to aſſiſt ordaining, but were not bound to their Councell or conſent; but his Maj•ſty doth now intend, and will conſent, that Biſhops ſhall not receive any into holy orders without the conſent and limited number of Presbyters, to be choſen i•ſuch manner as ſhall be agreed6 on by his M•j. & his 2 Houſes for that purpoſe. Neither did his Maj. intend that a••e the end of 3. years, n••certain way ſhould be ſetled concerning Eccl ſi•ſticall Governm•nt; for that his Maj. did purpoſe du•ing the 3. years, to have a conſultation with the Aſſembly of Divines. 20. being added of his own nomination; which if his 2. Houſes ſhall reſolve to entertain, i•cannot well be doubted, but upon the debate, ſuch a Government will be agreed upon by his Maj. and his 2. Houſes, as ſhall be beſt for the pe•ce of the Church, and moſt proper to prevent thoſe diſtractions which his 2. Houſes apprehend may enſue.
And as to that part of the propoſition concerning the Book of Common-Prayer, for the ſatisfaction of his 2. Houſes, his Maj. will not inſiſt upon any proviſion for continuance of the ſame in his Maj. Chappell for himſelf and his Houſhold; nevertheleſſe, his Maj. declares, that he intends to uſe ſome other ſet form of Divine Service.
And as to all other particulars in your paper mentioned, his Maj. having in his former Anſwers conſented ſo far as poſſibly he can, as he ſtands at preſent perſwaded in his judgment; doth refer himſelf thereunto. And ſince his Maj. by his Conceſſions hath brought all differences concerning the Church into ſo narrow a compaſſe, that the chief viſible obſtruction is that, wherein really in conſcience he is not ſatisfied: He hopes his 2. Houſes will not put further preſſures of ſo tender a nature upon him, when it is moſt likely the time and Debate will happily reconcile all theſe differences.
Dated from his Majeſties Court at Newport,the 12. of November, 1648.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A82119)
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