A DECLARATION FROM Many thousands of His Majesties loyall and faithfull Subjects in the County of YORK, CONCERNING The raising of an Army both of Horse and Foot to aid and assist the KING: AND The Resolution of the Knights, Gentry, and Free-holders thereupon; As also, their Protestation touching the Northern Army.
Likewise, the humble Remonstrance and Proposals of divers Knights, Gentry, and Free-holders in the County of Leicester; concerning the Kings Majesty, Crown, and Kingdome.
Sent to the Kings most Excellent Majesty.
ORdered that this Declaration be published in all the Parish Churches, and Market Towns within the said County of YORK.
⟨march 27⟩ Printed at London for R. VV. 1648.
The Humble REMONSTRANCE AND PROPOSALS OF His Majesties Loyal and faithful Subjects, the Knights, Ministers, Gentry, Freesholders, and many thousands of the Inhabitants of the County of Leicester.
VVEE your Majesties Loyal, faithful, and obedient Subjects of Liecestershire, scituated in the middest of your Kingdom of England, and in the midst of our great fears and apparent dangers, by the levying of Forces, as it is thought, against the Honourable and illustrious Parliament, thereby to rout and ruine their manifest, good, and godly purposes, and the more fully to [Page 2]effect this Designe, you have by the ill advice of your late pernicious Councel morgaged, pawned or sold the glory of the Land, the Jewels and treasvres of the Crown, which ought as highly to be prized as the Militia, or any Magazine whatsoever: For 1. the one chiefly serves to secure what is yours in possession. And 2. the other (being so easily parted with) abateth the lustre of your Kingdom.
Therefore may it please your Majesty to hearken to the worthy and wel-deserving men of your King [...]ome, your hopeful, and our happy Parliament, and become more neer in person, and joyne in affection with your great Court of Judicature; for surely that high Assembly with Gods blessing, and your assenting unto them, can soone procure your and our safety, and annihilate all distractions and distempers.
And that you would freely grant your Royal consent for the putting our county in a posture of defence, by reason of the emminent danger Northward; because we desire to follow the good example of our Neighbour Country men in Lincolnshire, and others, and to joyn your self with your Parliament. Otherwise, when they shal declare, and nominate the particular disturbers of yours and our peace, the procurers of your and our fears, jealousies and amazement out of their known experience, we shal take upon us the boldnesse to remove from your Majesty, such prosecutors as are enemies to the State, and hinderers to the tranquility of the same. Therefore we your faithful Subjects and Servadts humbly sue, that your Majesty woule accord with your Parltament, &c.
And we with our lives, estate, and fortunes, shall be obedient and loyall vnto your Majesty.
And pray, &c.
A Declaration of his Majesties most loyall and faithfull Subj [...]cts within the County of York, touching the raising of Forces for the KING.
WE the Gentry, Free-holders, and others of the county of York, being none of us present, or consenting to the late Assembly, where Propositions were made for the raising of Forces of Horse and Foot in this County, the leavying of monies for the maintenance of them, and taking away the Arms of some peaceable Subjects, or none at all of Us consenting to the lawlesse and unpresidented presentment of the Grand Juries at the last Assizes held for this County, bein [...] framed to give more strength and colour to part of their [...] [...]oposition, the said propositions and presentments, being contrary to the Law of the Land, and tending to the introducing of an arbytrary Government, the taking away the propriety of every Subject in his estate, and which is the worst of all evils, to beget a Warre in the bowels of this Country. We think our selvs, and all the rest of the subjects of this County, to be so highly conceined in the proceedings afore-mentioned, as without great disadvantage to us all, we may not be silent therein, Do make this our Protestation and Declaration before God and the whole world, that all our endeavours and labours shall onely tend to the settlement and continuance of a real peace, according to the Laws of the Land, and to the uniting of the fractions, and taking away the distractions that have most unhappily broken the general unity of the Inhabitants of this County. And that nothing can be more dangerous and deRructive thereunto then the raising of such Forces. We conceiving the advisings thereof to proceed from some destructive councels; the ends whereof are to imbroyl this Kingdom in such [Page 4]a deluge of war, as hath already, though under other pretences, swallowed up the Protestant Religion, the peace and prosperous condition of the Kingdom of Ireland.
And seeing his sacred Majesty hath often declared unto Us, That the Laws of the Land shal qe the Rule of His Government, and that hh suspects it shal be the measure of our subjection; we cannot conceive that any of these proceedings so grievous to the Subject, are consented to, or waranted by his gracious Majesty.
And therefore we further declare, that we wil not consent, nor as much as in us lyeth, suffer that any such Forces be raised within this County, nor that the Arms of any subjects, other then Popish Recusants be taken from them; nor wil wee consent or suffer, that any frrraign Forces bee brought in upon Us; and if any such attempts [...]albe offered or made, we wil endeavour to suppresse them, and to keepe the peace of the County entire, so far as the known Lawes of the Land shal inable us therein.
And we do likewise declare, That we shal be most ready and willing, to meet the rest of the Gentry and Inhabitants of this County, to advise of such matters as may indanger the violation of the peace thereof.
And we desire that this our Declaration may be published in all the Parish Churches and Markets of this County, to the end that all men may take notice of this our Resolution and proceedings.
The Resolution of the Commissioners of Scotland, concerning severall Articles touching the Kings Majesty.
TO the first Article, they declare, That his Majesty hath nothing in it of his affection to, or liking and approbation of the Covenant, but only what He is content to yeeld in order to his own interest. Yea, an Act of Parliament for security of those who have taken, or shal take the Covenant [Page 3]doth or may suppose some fault or somewhat justly challengable in the taking of the Covenant, which needeth an Act of Indemnity.
And although the concession were certain and absolute, it amounts to no more but to a leaving of the Covenant arbitrary, which is contrary to the Acts of the General Assembly and Parliament in this Kingdom, and to one of the chief Propositions of Religion once agreed upon by both Kingdoms for a safe and wel grounded peace, viz.
The Proposition concerning his Majesties swearing and signing of the League and Covenant, and enjoyning by Act of Parliament in both Kingdomes the taking thereof by all the Subjects in the three Kingdoms, with such penalties as shalbe agreed by both Kingdoms: So that the first Article of his Majesties offer is a most manifest altering of the state of this cause; Is is also a strengthning of the hearts & hands both of the Sectaries, and of the malignant party, a partaking and conniving at the sinne of all those who in the three Kingdoms have refused, or shal refuse to enter into the Solemn League and Covenant, an introducing of a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this Cause which so much concerneth the glory of God, the good of the Kingdom, and the honour of the King.
Neither are wee moved with that objection which is hinted concerning the constraining or enforcing mens consciences.
They refuse a necessary duty who refuse to take the Covenant; and the penalty or punishment of such refusal is no constraining of the conscience, more then the penalty or punishment of a Subject, who refuseth to take the Oath of allegiance, is a constraining of the conscience to Loyalty, or more then the punishment of Idolaters, and Seducers mentioned so often in Scripture, can be called a restraining of the co [...]science to the fear of God.
To the second. For ought wee know the conditions couched in the first Article, are also to be understood in this & the following Article: However this second Article as it is but the same in substance with some of his Majesties concessions in former messages, so that which is proposed in it is but a toleration of Presbyterial Government in England, and that but for three yeers.
To the 3. As wee doe approve of the suppression of the particular Heresies and Schisms ennumerate in his Maj. offer; so we see not how it can be reconciled with his Majesties Message of Novem. 16. in which there was a concession to all such as differ from Presbyterial Government: And do further find the Article dangerous and defective in omitting Erastianism, and other dangerous errours, especially those which may prove destructive to the Covenant, in ministring the occasion for Papists and Prelates to plead for a toleration, although the Covenant bindes us to endeavour the extirpation both of Popery and Prelacy.
And being now very sensible of the present danger His Maj. person and Monarchial Government is in by that prevalent party of Sectaries, We shal so far as concerneth the duty of our places and callings, endeavour the preservation of Monarchial Government in his Majesty, and his Posterity, according to the Covenant; not being ignorant what calamities and confusion use to attend to change either of the government it self, or of the Royal Line.
And having now discovered the snares and dangers, we shal in the next place seriously propose some pious counsels to the Members of this Church and Kingdom, viz.
- 1. We exhort every one to make more conscience of endeavouring a real Reformation. And
- 2. To avoid enemies, & beware of dangers on all hands. We c [...]not see but Religion, Govenant, & Presbyterial Governme [...] is now in great danger by the power and prevalency of Se [...]ries in England.
Impr.