IT is this day ordered by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, That houses for Courts of Guard, and Posts, Bars, and chaines, be forthwith erected and set up in such places and by-Lanes of the Parishes of S. Margarets Westminster, S Martins in the fields (in the confines of Westminster, S. Clements Danes, S. Mary Savoy, S. Andrewes Holborne, S. Giles in the fields, Coven-Garden, S Iohn-street, S. Iames at Cl [...]arken-well, S. Giles Crippl [...]gate, Shorditch, White-Chappell, Islington, Mile-end, Southwarke, Lambeth, or any other place or places, as shall be thought necessary and convanient for the defence and safe guarding of the said Parishes, places▪ and by-Lanes, the charge thereof to be borne by the inhabitanrs of the severall Parishes aforesaid respectively, who shall be rated and assessed by such persons respectively, as the Lord Lievtenant of that County or any two of his Deputies shall nominate for that purpose. And if any shall refuse to contribute their proportion, then the said persons so to be named to rate and assesse, shall certifie the names of such refusers to the Lord-Lieutenant, or any two of his Deputies, who are to acquaint one or both Houses of Parliament therewith, that such further order may be taken therein as to them shall be thought most convenient; And that a competent number of the Trained-bands and Companies of Voluntiers in and belonging to the said Pa­rishes, shall day and night attend with their Armes in or neer the said Court of Guard; who shall have power and authourity hereby to ap­prehend, seize and arrest all suspitious persons, Ammunition and Armes, passing through the said Parishes, places, or by-Lanes, or any part of them, untill either of the said Houses of Parliament be made acquainted therewith, and their pleasure be further known concer­ning the same; And the Captains and Officers of the Trained-Bands and Voluntiers. And the persons here under named are required to take care that the premises be carefully performed accordingly▪ which persons are to be named by the Lord Lievtenant, or any two or more of his Deputy-Lievtenants.

VVE the Lords and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, do in the presence of Almighty God, for the satisfaction of our Consciences, and discharge of that great trust which lyes up­on us, make this protestation and Declaration to this King­dome and Nation, and to the whole world, that no private pas­sion or respect, no evill intention to his Majesties person, no designe to the prejudice of his just honour and authority, en­gaged us to raise Forces and take up armes against the authors of this War, wherewith the Kingdome is now inflamed.

And we have alwayes desired from our hearts and soules, manifested in our actions and proceedings, and in severall humble Petitions and Remonstrances to his Majesty, pro­fessed our loyalty and obedience to his Crown, readinesse and resolution to defend his person and support his estate with our lives and fortunes to the uttermost of our power.

That we have been willing to passe by, not onely those In­juries, Ignominies, Slanders, and false Accusations, where­with we have been privately oppressed and grieved, but like­wise many publike incroachments, and high usurpations, to the prejudice of Religion and Liberty, divers bloudy, tray­terous and cruell practises and designes, for the utter ru­ine and destruction of the Church and State, so as we might for the time to come have been secured from that wicked and malignant party, those pernicious and Trayterous Counsels, who have beene the Authours and fomentors [Page 4] of the former mischiefes and present calamities which have and still doe distemper this Church and State.

That for the same purpose, and for the avoyding of blood we directed the Earle of Essex Lord Generall by himselfe, or others in some safe and honourable way to cause to be deli­vered an humble Petition, wherein we doe desire nothing from His Majesty but that he would return in peace to his Parliament, and by their faithfull counsell and advice com­pose the distemper, and confusions abounding in his King­domes, as he is bound to doe, we therein professeth in the sight of Almighty God, which is the strongest obligation that any Christian, and the most solemne publike faith which a­ny such State as a Parliament can give, that we would receive him with all honour, yeeld him all true obedience and sub­jection, and faithfully endeavour to defend his person and e­state from all danger, and to the uttermost of our power to establish to him and to his people, all the blessings of a glo­rious and happy Raigne, as it is more largely exprest in that Petition.

For the delivery of which Petition, his Excellency hath twice sent unto the King, humbly desiring a safe conduct for those who should be imployed therein, but his Majesty refused to give any such safe conduct, or to receive this hum­ble and dutifull Petition, by any addresse from the Earle of Essex, saying that if Justice had beene done, the Gentleman which brought the second Message could not expect his liberty.

By all which and many other evidences and Inducements, we are fully convinc't in our judgements and beleefe, that the Kings counsels and resolvtions are so engaged to the Popish party, for the suppression and extirpation of the true Reli­gion, that all hopes of peace and protection are excluded, and that it is fully intended to give satisfaction, and to the Papists by alteration of Religion, and to the Cavaliers and [Page 5] other Souldiers, by exposing the wealth of the good subjects, especially of this City of London, to be sackt, plundered, and spoyled by them.

That for the better effecting hereof, great numbers of Papists have in show conformed themselves to the Protestant Reli­gion by comming to the Church, receiving the Sacrament, and taking the oathes of Alegiance and Supremacy, which some of their owne Priests have encouraged them to doe, by maintaining that they might doe all those things and yet con­tinue good Catholicks: Under which cover his Majesty did at first begin to strengthen himselfe, those of that Religion being weake, and unable to endure the envy and discontent which the arming of the Papists would procure in the King­dome, and therefore endeavuored to keepe off all Jealousies and suspitions by many fearefull oathes and imprecations, concerning his purpose of maintaining the Protestant Reli­gion and the Lawes of the Kingdome; causing some profest Papists to be discharged out of his Army, and none to bee received that would not indure the Test of commidg to Church, receiving the Sacrament, and taking the oathes of Allegiance.

That his Majesty being now growne stronger, and able as he conceives to make good his owne ends by Armes, his confidence in the Priests doth more clearely appeare per­sons imprisoned for Priests and Jesuits have been released out of the Iale of Lancaster, profest Papists have been invited to rise and take up Armes, Commissions under his Ma­jesties Authority, have been granted to many of them for pla­ces of command in this warre, with power to raise men and great numbers have been raised by them, and they dayly en­crease, as namely to Sir Nicolas Thornton Sir Tho. Howard Bar. Sir Edwiard Widdington, Sir William Kiddell, Master Smith, of Ash, Master George Wray, Master Edward Gray, of Morpeth Castle, Master Lancelot Errington, of Denico, Master Lancelot [Page 6] Holtby, all of Northumberland, Bishopricke of Durham and New-Castle, to Master Clifton, Master William Walter, Sir Wil­liam Gerrard, Baronet, Sir Cicill Trafford, Master Anderson of Lostocke in the County of Lancaster, and divers Forces are raised and payed by the Earle of Worcester, and his son the Lord Herbert, and as we are informed by an expresse messenger sent from those parts, the said Lord Herbert, a notorious Pa­pist, is made Generall of all South-Wales; and we are further informed out of Yorke-shire, by divers persons of great worth and quality, that those that raise Forces in these parts for His Majesty▪ doe arme and imploy Papists, and use their advice in their consultations, all which is contrary to the solemne oaths, Protestations and execrations, whereby His Majesty bound himselfe to maintaine the Protestant Religion, and the Lawes of the Land, by which he endeavoured to get a confidence in the people of his good intentions, which how well it is answe­red, we leave to the world to judge.

That Sir Iohn Hinderson, and Colonell Cockrom, men of ill report both for Religion and honesty, sent to Hamburg and Denmarke, as we are credibly informed, to raise Forces there, and to bring them to New-Castle, and to joyn with the Earle of New-Castle, & the army of Papists, which they intend to raise there, and that divers endeavours have bin used in other forrain parts to bring in strange Forces into the Kingdome, that the K. hath received about him divers Papists of Ireland, some of which are indited of high Treason for their Rebellion there, notoriously known to have been in actuall rebellion, as namely the L. Yaffe, Sir Iohn Oungane proclaimed a Rebell, Colo. Fitz Williams, Doctor Meara indited for the rebellion in Ireland, and fled for the same, and yet appointed Physitian to Prince Rupert, and that His Majesty hath sent for the Petition of the Irish Rebels, which the Justices had stopt, with evident expression of favour to them, whereby that Kingdome is like to become an unfit habitation of any Protestants, and a [Page 7] seminary of war and treason against this Kingdome.

That divers English Traytors, actors in the former designes against the Kingdome and Parliament, are the chiefe Counsel­lors and actors in this unnaturall warre against his Subjects, as the Lord Digby, O neale, Wilmot, Pollard, Ashburnham and others.

That we have been likewise credibly informed, that diverse Jesuites and Priests in forreigne parts, make great collections of money, for reliefe of the Papists in Ireland, and the furthe­ring of His Majesties designes here against the Parliament, and that by them and some others, fled out of this Kingdome for Treason; great meanes are made to take up the differences betwixt some Princes of the Romane Religion, that so they might unite their strength, for the extirpation of he prote­stant Religion, wherein principally this Kingdome, and the Kingdome of Scotland are concerned, as making the greatest Body of the Reformed Religion in Christendome, and best able to defend themselves, and succour other Chur­ches.

For all which reasons we are resolved to enter into a so­lemne Oath and Covenant with God, to give up our selves, our Lives and Fortunes into his hands, and that we will to the ut­termost of our power and judgement maintaine his truth, and conforme our selves to his will. That we will defend this cause with the hazard of our lives, against the Kings Army, and a­gainst all that shall joyne with them in the prosecution of this wicked designe, according to the forme to be agreed upon by both Houses of Parliament, to be subscribed by our hands, and that we will for the same ends associate our selves, and unite with all the well affected in the City of London, and other parts of His Majesties Dominions.

That we expect our Brethren of Scotland, according to the act of pacification, whereby the two Kingdomes are mutually bound to suppresse all debates and differences, to the distur­bance [Page 8] of the publike peace, that they will help and assist us in defence of the Cause, which if the Popish party prevaile, must needs either involve them in that alteration of Religion which will be made here, or ingage them in a War against this king­dome, to defend their own Religion and liberty: And we doubt not but the God of truth, and the great protector of his peo­ple, will assist and inable us in this our just defence, to restrain the malice and fury of those that seeke our ruine, and to secure the persons, estates, and liberties of all that joyne with us: And to procure and establish the safety of Religion, and fruition of our Lawes and Liberties, in this and all other His Majesties Dominions, which we doe here againe professe before the ever­living God, to be the chief end of all our Counsels and Resolu­tions, without any intention or desire to hurt or injure[?] His Majesty, either in His Person or just Power.

IT is this Day Ordered by the Lords and Commons▪ That all People within the Cities of London and Westminster, and [...] Priveledged Places, Liberties and Suburbs thereof, and in the Borrough of South­warke be required to shut up their Shops, and for [...] their Trades and other ordinary Imployments, that so they may w [...] the greater diligence and freedome for the present attend the defence of the said places, and put in Execution, and performe such Commands[?] for the Defence and safety thereof, as they shall from time to time receive from both Houses of Parliament; the Committee for the defence of the Kingdome, the Lord Generall, or the Lord Maior and[?] Committee for the Militia.