The Declarations of the two Houſes of Parliament.

They have the precedency,The Declara­tions of the two Houſes of Parliament. becauſe they were firſt in Armes.

In the concluſion of their Declaration of 26 May, 1642. apprehending very juſtly, that their expreſſions there would beget at leaſt a great ſuſpition of their Loyalty, they ſay, They doubt not but it ſhall in the end appear to all the world, that their endeavours have been moſt hearty and ſincere for the maintenance of the true Proteſtant Religion, the KING's juſt Prerogatives, the Lawes and Liberties of the Land, and the Priviledges of Parliament, in which en­deavours by the grace of God, they would ſtill perſiſt, though they ſhould periſh in the worke.

2In like manner, June 2. when they publiſhed their Propoſitions for bringing in Money or Plate to raiſe an Army, they declared, That whatſoever is brought in ſhall not at all be imployed upon any other occaſion, then to main­tain the Proteſtant Religion, the KING's Authority, and His Perſon in His Royall dignity, the free courſe of Juſtice, the Lawes of the Land, the Peace of the Kingdome, and the Priviledges of Parliament. Infinite are their Declarati­ons and profeſſions in this kind.

The KING's Declarations.

June 16.The King's Declarations.His Majeſty publiſhed a Declaration to all His loving Subjects, exciting them to bring in ready Mo­ney and Plate, and to furniſh Him with Horſe, Horſe-men, and Armes, for defence of the Proteſtant Religion, the pre­ſervation of His royall Perſon, the Lawes, Liberties, and Peace of the Kingdome, and the vindication of the Privi­ledge and Freedome of Parliament.

In His Declaration to all His loving Subjects con­cerning the proceedings of this preſent Parliament, Aug. 12. His Majeſty ſaies, That nothing, but the preſer­vation of the true Proteſtant Religion, invaded by Brow­niſme, Anabaptiſme, and Libertiniſme, the ſafety of His Perſon, threatned and conſpired againſt by Rebellion, and Treaſon, the Law of the Land, and Liberty of the Subject, oppreſſed, and almoſt deſtroyed by an uſurped, unlimited, ar­bitrary Power, and the Freedome, Priviledge, and Dignity of Parliament awed and inſulted upon by force, and Tu­mults, could make Him put off His long Robe of Peace, and take up defenſive Armes.

And in purſuance of theſe ends did His Majesty offer Propoſitions accordingly,The King's Propoſitions conform to his Declarations. at all Treaties, where He might propoſe any thing.

3But concerning the Propoſitions of the two Houſes of Parliament, at the Treaty at Uxbridge,The Propoſiti­ons of the two Houſes diffe­ring from their Declarations. His Majeſties. Commiſſioners truly obſerved, That after a War of neer 4 Yeares for which the defence of the Proteſtant Religion, the Liberty and Property of the Subject, and the Priviledges of the Parliament, were made the cauſe and grounds, in a Treaty of 20 Daies, nor indeed in the whole Propoſitions upon which the Treaty ſhould be,They alter the ſtate of the warre. there hath been nothing of­fered to be Treated concerning the Breach of any Law, or of the Liberty and Property of the Subject, or Priviledge of Parliament, but onely Propoſitions for the altering a Go­vernment eſtabliſhed by Law, and the making new Lawes, by which almoſt all the old are, or may be cancelled.

I will not here diſpute the Power of the two Houſes of Parliament ſeparate from the KING, but

That they cannot aſſent to any thing in Parliament,What the two Houſes cannot doe in reſpect of the King and Crown. that tends to the diſheriſon of the KING, and His Crowne, whereunto they are ſworne, is acknowledged by the Lords and Commons in full Parliament, 42 Edw. 3.

And, that they neither meant, nor had power,The Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy. to hurt the KING's Prerogative, is declared by the Houſe of Com­mons at the paſſing of the Petition of Right, 3 Caroli.

Beſides,What they are bound to doe for the King and the Crown. by the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy they are bound poſitively, to defend and maintaine His Majeſties royall Perſon, with all the Prerogatives, Privi­ledges, and Preheminencies belonging or annexed to the imperiall Crown.

And they have bound themſelves by the Proteſtation,The Prote­ſtation. with their Lives, power, and Eſtates, to defend and main­taine His Majeſties royall Perſon, Honour, and Eſtate; to­gether with the power of the Priviledge of Parliament, and the lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subject: And to their power to oppoſe all ſuch as ſhall by force, counſell, con­ſpiracy,4 or otherwiſe, doe any thing to the contrary of any thing in the Proteſtation contained: And that they will not for hope, feare, or other reſpects, relinquiſh this Pro­miſe, Vow and Proteſtation.

And by the Solemne League and Covenant,The League & Covenant. In the preſervation of Religion and Liberties, to maintain and de­fend the KING's Perſon and Authority, without diminiſh­ing His juſt Power and Greatneſſe: And that they will all the daies of their lives continue in this Covenant againſt all oppoſition whatſoever.

The Expedient for Peace.

Now let the Lords and Commons at the Treaty pro­ceed,The expedient for Peace. not according to their ſtrengths and ſucceſſes, but according to their Declarations, and their legall and vo­luntary Oaths (i. ) with Religion, Priviledges, and Li­berties; Let them maintaine and defend the KING, the Crown, His Majeſties Honour and Eſtate, His Au­thority, Power, and Greatneſſe; And an Agreement and Peace will follow thereupon. An Oath being the end of all ſtrife, Heb. 6.16.

An Appeale to the Aſſembly of Divines.

And I appeale to the Aſſembly of Divines (for their Aſſent,An Appeale to the Aſſembly of Divines. or Anſwer) whether in point of Religion and Con­ſcience they may proceed otherwiſe then according to their Declarations, Proteſtation, and Covenant? And whether they are not guilty of diſloyalty and perjury pro­ceeding otherwiſe?The Parl. and the Army have altered the ſtate of the warre. as the two Houſes have done hither­to by their Propoſitions deveſting the KING, and the Crown of the chief Power and Government, and eſtabliſh­ing it in themſelves: And as the Army did by their laſt Declaration, Reſolving to ſettle the Government without5 the KING, and againſt Him, and againſt all that take part with Him.

And hence our late Petitions for His Majeſties Re­turne to His Parliament and Government (being con­trary to their ſenſe) were ſo unwelcome to them,Why our late Petitions were ſo unwelcome to them. that the Petitioners from Surrey and Kent were chaſtiſed by them.

An Admonition to the People concerning the Engagements.

And to involve the People in this damnable Apoſtacy from their faith and allegiance to GOD, and the KING;The preſent Engagements. and the better to carry on their deſigns againſt the King and the Crown, have they framed an Ingagement for us, to adhere to the authority of the two Houſes of Parliament, (i. ) to Renounce the KING, His Proteſtation, and Go­vernment, and to ſubmit to the uſurpation and domina­tion of the two Houſes of Parliament, and to ſerve them: And this Ingagement is carried on at this day in the ſe­verall Counties, Cities, and Corporations (ſilently, and covertly) for encreaſing and ſtrengthning their Confe­deracy, and for enlarging and eſtabliſhing their Domi­nion privily and inſenſibly.

There is alſo another Engagement on foot (of the ſame nature with the Negative Oath) Not to aſsiſt the KING in this War (for Recovering His Rights and Pre­rogatives) and not to doe any thing to the prejudice of the affaires of the two Houſes of Parliament (in proſecution of their deſignes againſt the KING and the Crowne.) And when any become liable to them, they are forced to take this Ingagement before they can get off from their Delinquency.

The People in their ſeverall Pariſhes to conſult their reſpective Miniſters about the Ingagements.

But I would have the people of the Kingdome to re­member when they took the Oath of Supremacy,The People in every Pariſa to conſult their reſpective Mi­niſters. That they promiſed from thenceforth to bear faith and true Alle­giance to the KING's Highneſſe, His Heires, and lawfull Succeſſours; and to their power to aſsiſt and defend all Ju­riſdictions, Priviledges, Preheminences, and Authority granted, or belonging to the KING's Highneſſe, His Heirs and Succeſſours, or linked and annexed to the Imperiall Crown of the Realme.

And when they took the Oath of Allegiance, That they ſwore to beare faith and true Allegiance to His Majeſty, His Heires and Succeſſours; and Him, and them to defend to the utmoſt of their power, againſt all conſpiracies and at­tempts whatſoever, which ſhall be made againſt His, or their Perſons, their Crowne and Dignity.

And I would have the people in the ſeverall Pariſhes (in the City and County) to conſult their reſpective Miniſters, whether conſidering the Oaths aforeſaid they can engage or comply with the two Houſes and the Army in manner aforeſaid without high diſloyalty & manifeſt perjury? or whether conſidering their Obligations by thoſe Oaths and by the Proteſtation & Covenant, they ought not rather to oppoſe, and fight againſt them for the defence and main­tenance of the KING and Crown, and the eſtabliſhed Go­vernment of the Kingdome?

I Counſell thee to keep the King's Commandement, and that in regard of the Oath of God, Eccl. 8.2.

[It is a pernicious Doctrine to teach Subjects they may be diſchar­ged from the Oath of Allegiance.] Mr. Pym, p. 17. of his Speech or Declaration delivered after the recapitulation or ſummoning up of the Charge of High Treaſon againſt the E. of Strafford; and publiſhed by the Order of the Houſe of Commons.