WHereas divers ill-affected Per­sons seeking the ruine of Reli­gion and the publique libertie have procured illegall Com­missions to be issued out unto them thereby to get a colour to deceive those that naturally sift not into the bottome of their pretences and to perfect their De. designes, have by feare and terrour caused divers persons to send in their arms and hor­ses for them to make use of. And whosoever [Page 2] refused to second them in their violent cour­ses, they have of some seized their persons, and of others plundred their houses, as of Master Carter the Minister, Thomas Lake of (Castleford, and divers others during the Trea­tie, and M. Nevill hath made Proclamation in Wakefield, that whomsoever shall not as­sist them, themselves, wives and children shall be seized on, and their houses razed to the ground To prevent these mighty vio­lencies, and to give a stop to these miseries, that the Subjects every where groaned un­der, I was forced to make use of that power and authority the Parliament the great Pro­tector of the Oppressed) had put into my hands, to march into this County with some troops of Horse and Foot, and to give a breathing to these Oppressions. In pursuance of which, contrary to my Order, and ex­presse Command, the unruly souldiers have committed some misdemeanours, for which there have bin divers punisht, and all care shal hereafter be taken to keep them in order and obedience. And my not observing the [Page 3] last pacification, I expresly declared, that I could never give my consent to anything, wherein the Parliament advise and con­sent was not first asked, neither doe I con­ceive it to be by any generall consent seeing there was six for the West-riding, and [...] for the North and East. And that all liberty is given to transport the Ordnance now in this County to the King, to the great dis-ser­vice of the Parliament, and an association to 07 obey neither as if the County were indepen­dant to the King, Parliament, or the rest of the Kingdome.

And I doe here professe, I have no other end in this businesse, but to give assistance to those that are by violence oppressed, for do­ing their duties in performing the com­mands of the Parliament, and bringing to punishment those that have been the causers of all these unhappy breaches betwixt the King and his people, and have beene so de­clared by Parliament. For the effecting of which I doubt not of the assistance of all those that are sensible what it is to have nei­ther [Page 4] Religion or Liberty, but at other mens pleasures. This I thought fit to testifie to the World, that men may be no more deluded with specious pretences. And this is all that I aime at, and therefore have sent abroad this Declaration, attested under my hand.