WHEREAS by the Great Charter of the Liberties of England it is provided, that the Church ſhould have all its Rights whole, and Liberties inviolable; and amongſt others the Church hath theſe Priviledges, That regularly no Eccleſiaſticall Poſſeſſions may be extended, ſeized or ſequeſtred but by the Ordinary, And that Diſtreſſes may not be taken of Lands wherewith Churches have been anciently endowed; And that Churches preſentative cannot be filled, and the Lawfull Incumbents thereof removed but by the Ordinary, nor the Cure of the Incumbents ſerved by Curates, Lecturers or others, but by their own appoyntment, or in their default by the appoyntment of the Ordinary; neither are any of Our Subjects of the Laity by the Common Lawes of Our Realme capable to take or receive Tithes (which are the portion of the Clergy) unleſſe by demiſe from them, or ſuch as are appropriate and made Lay-Fee: Nevertheleſſe by colour of Orders or pretended Ordinances of one or both Houſes of Parliament, the Eſtates Reall and Perſonall as well of Our Clergy as Laity have been and are daily ſeized, ſequeſtred and taken from them, and their Poſſeſsions diſtrayned for illegall Taxes and Contributions for ſupporting the Rebellion againſt Us; Which being clearly againſt Law and unwarrantable, We did forbid by Our Proclamation of the ſeventh of Aprill laſt, and doe hereby forbid the ſame, under the penalties in that Our Proclamation contained. And whereas diverſe of Our Clergy eminent for their Piety and Learning, becauſe they publiſh Our lawfull and juſt Commands and Declarations, and will nor, againſt the known Lawes of the Land and their own Conſciences, ſubmit to Contributions, nor publiquely pray againſt Us and Our Aſsiſtants, but conforme themſelves to the Book of Common-Prayer eſtabliſhed by Law, and Preach Gods Word according to the purity thereof, and in their Sermons will not teach Sedition, nor will publiſh illegall Commands and Orders for fomenting the unnaturall Warre levied againſt Us, are ſome of them 〈◊〉 and found 〈◊〉 their Cares and Habitat •••• , 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 and Perſecuted, and their C 〈…〉 if O 〈…〉 • ded and put in, to ſow Sedition • 〈…〉 expreſly contrary to the word of God, and the Lawes of the Land 〈…〉 of Right belonging to such Incumbents as 〈…〉 Pariſhes where ſuch Arbitray power prevailes, and distributed part 〈…〉 the maintenance of this Warre, againſt Law and the Liberties of the Ch •• ch 〈…〉 and the Ple • ſure therefore is, and We doe hereby ſtraitly charge and Command all Our Subject as well Eccleſticall as Tempo • all, not to preſume to intermeddle in diſcharging or hindering any of Our ſaid Clergy for the cauſe aforeſ •• d