WHereas the Great Seal of England, which by the Laws of this Realm ought to attend the Parliament, being the Supreme Court of Iustice and Iudicature within this Realm, for the di­spatch of the great and weighty affairs of the Com­monwealth, which is especially interessed and concer­ned therein, was above a yeer last past, that is to say, the Two and twentieth day of May, Anno 1642. by the then Lord-Keeper thereof, Edward Lord Littleton, then a Member and Speaker of the House of Peers in Parliament, contrary to the great [Page 4] trust in him reposed, and duty of his place, secretly and perfidiously conveyed away from the Parliament into the Kings Army, raised against the Parliament; the said Lord-Keeper departing therewith into the said Army, without the leave or privity of the said House; By means whereof, great mischiefs and in­conveniencies have ensued to this Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Ireland.

And whereas the said Great Seal ought constantly to remain in the hands and custody of one or more Of­ficer or Officers (sworn for that service) and to be used and imployed for the weal and safety of His Ma­jesties People; which notwithstanding hath been di­vers times sithence the conveying away thereof as aforesaid, put into the hands of other persons not sworn, and Popishly and dangerously affected, who have had the disposing and managing thereof at their own wills and pleasures, and hath been trayte­rously and perniciously abused, to the Ruine and De­struction of the Parliament and Kingdom, by grant­ing and issuing out divers Illegall Commissions of Array, and other unlawfull Commissions for raising of Forces against the Parliament, by issu­ing out of most foul and scandalous Papers, under the [Page 5] Name and Title of Proclamations, against both Houses of Parliament, and divers Members thereof, and others adhering to them, and Proclayming them Traytors and Re­bels; Commissions of Oyer and Terminer, to proceed against divers of them, as Traytors, and other Commis­sions to seize and confiscate their Estates, for no other cause, but for doing their duties and services to the Com­mon-wealth; as likewise by granting that horrid Com­mission, for executing of that most bloody and detestable Designe of Waller, Tomkins, and others, for the de­struction of the Parliament, and Citie of London, and of the Army raysed for their just Defence; and (as if Massacres and Assacinations, had beene but light and veniall crimes) another Commission hath beene granted under the same Seale for a Cessation of Arms with the barbarous and bloody Rebels in Ireland, after the effusion of so much innocent blood, and slaughter of above one hundred thousand Protestants, Men, Women, and Children, by their mercilesse, and bloody hands: wher­upon a Cessation of Arms is accordingly concluded; and those brutish Rebels thereby imboldned to prepare them­selves, not only for a totall Exterpation of the Protestants remaining there, but for a Conquest also of this Kingdome: And further by granting of severall Commissions, and Offices of Trust and Command, to notorious Papists, who by the Laws and Statutes of this Realme, are made unca­pable thereof; and by conferring of Honours, and Digni­ties, and granting of Lands and Estates to divers exorbi­tant Delinquents, who stand legally impeached of high Treason, and other high Crimes and misdemeanours in Parliament.

All which, and many other unlawfull and enormous Acts have passed under the said Great Seale, since the removall thereof from the Parliament, as aforesaid: Which the Lords and Commons taking into their conside­ration, and finding all wayes, and means obstructed for the procuring of any redresse from His Majestie, in the Premisses, notwithstanding their long hopes, and uncessant Labours, for the obtayning thereof, are bound in duty, and of necessity to provide some speedy Remedy for these insup­portable mischiefes.

BE it therefore Declared and Ordained, by the said Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, that aswell all and every the said Acts formerly mentioned, which have passed un­der the said Great Seal, as also all Letters Pa­tents and Grants of any Lands, Goods or Estates, of any person, or persons whatsoever, for adhering to the Parliament, all Compositions or Grants, of any Wardships, or Leases of any Wards Lands, Li­veries, Primer seizins & Ouster le maines, since the said 22. of May 1642. which have not according to the due course of Law, passed through the Court of Wards and Liveries, established by Law: All grants since the said 22. of May 1642. of any Honours, Dig­nities, Mannors, Lands, Hereditaments, or other thing whatsoever, to any person or persons, which have voluntarily contributed, or shall voluntarily contribure any Aid or Assistance to the maintenance of that unnaturall War, raised against the Parliament; And all pardons granted to any such person or per­sons; And all other Acts or things whatsoever, con­trary [Page 7] to, or in derogation of the Proceedings of both, or either of the Houses of Parliament, which have passed under the said Great Seal, since the removall thereof from the Parliament, shall be, and are hereby declared to be utterly Invalid, void, and of none ef­fect, to all intents and purposes.

And that all and every act or thing, which after the publication of this Ordinance, shall passe by, or un­der the said Great Seal, or under any Great Seal of England (other then what is hereby appointed and established) shall be utterly voyd, frustrate, and of no effect; and every person, or persons, which shall put the same in use, or shall claime any thing there­by, shall be held and adjudged a publique Enemy of this State.

And be it further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, that a Great Seal of England already by them made and provided, shall be forthwith put in use; and shall be, and is hereby authorized and established to be of like force, power, and validity, to all intents and purposes as any Great Seal of Eng­land hath been, or ought to be.

And that it shall be put into the hands and custo­dy of the persons hereafter named, who are hereby Ordained Commissioners for that purpose; that is to say, John Earl of Rutland, and Oliver Earl of Bulling brooke, Members of the House of Peers, and Oliver St. Iohns Esquire, His Maiesties Solicitor Ge­nerall, Iohn Wilde Sergeant at Law, Samuel Brown, and Edmund Prideaux Esq Members of the House of Cōmons; which said persons, or any three or more of [Page 8] them, whereof one member or more of the Lords House, also one Member or more of the House of Commons, shall be present, shall have, and are here­by Authorized to have the Keeping, Ordering and disposing thereof, as also all such and the like Pow­er and Authority, as any Lord Chancellour, or Lord Keeper, or Commissioner of the Great Seal, for the time being hath had, used, or ought to have.