IT is notoriously knowne to all the World, especially of this (whilome) flourishing King­dome of England (our deare native soyle) that Matter be­ing more than much amisse in Church and Common-wealth, and those occasioned by the un­happy and long intermission and want of Parliaments, this present Parliament, being by divine providence called and convened, hath from its beginning endeavoured with in­defatigable labour and paines to rectifie matters in Reli­gion and [...]he State; and amongst many other things their endeavour and severall Ordinances to settle the Militia in the severall Shires and Counties of the Kingdome, for the defence of the same. Now it is also as notoriously knowne, that his Majesty suffering himselfe to be seduced and misse-led by evill and wicked Councell, who for their owne ends, to crosse and thwart the Parliaments good, re­ligious, and wholesome proceedings, have caused a strange and unparalleld thing, called, A Commission of Array, to be sealed and given unto certaine Noble men and others of his evill Counsell, most properly denominated by both [Page 3]the most Honourable Houses of the Lords and Commons of Parliament, the Malignant-party: And amongst other the said most offensive and destructive Commission of Ar­ray is given and granted to William Marquesse of Hert­ford. And he endeavoured to put the said Commission in execution in Sommersetshire, Wiltshire, and other places, untill he was driven away by the Countrey and Militia, and other Parliament Forces, he fled from Wells to Sher­borne Castle &c. The Copie of which the said Marquesse his Commission, as Lieutenant Generall for many Coun­ties, being printed and published to the view of all the World, is thus over-viewed, Arraigned, condemned, and confuted, as followeth:

It is wondered how his Majesty, were he not seduced by wicked Counsell, can terme Him Trusty and welbelo­ved, that to gaine Honour hath been so untrustie, and an Apostate to his first vowes and Votes in this present Par­liament.

And it followes, Whereas there is now in and neere the City of London, great Forces raising, and Money raising by order of our two Houses of Parliament, &c. Wee have found it necessary to raise and levie Forces for defence of the Protestant Religion, Our Person, the two Houses of Par­liament, the Lawes of the Land the Liberty and Property of the Subject, and Priviledges of Parliament,

O Dens bone! have either Houses of Parliament, or any of the major and Orthodox Partie gone about to raise any Forces against, but for the defence of the Protestant Re­ligion, the Kings person, their owne sacred two Houses, Pro­perty of the Subject, and Priviledges of Parliament? If there be any such among them, as some Tares will al­wayes be found amongst the finest Corne; If, I say, there be any such Monsters of men amongst them that goe a­bout to enslave them-selves and their Posterity, let them [Page 4]be accursed with Anathoma Maranatha, and to this curse no doubt but all good men will say Amen. Indeed we are not ignorant that not a few Members of both Houses proving false to their Countries (that have put their trust or confided in them for good) are for their severall ends, like Renegadoes, run away and become the Malevolent and Malignant partie, such as hate Religion in its puri­tie and the power thereof, and the peace of the State and Common-wealth; for as the Scripture saith, The way of peace (the wicked) they have not knowne.

The said great Commissioner by his said large Commis­sion of Array is commanded and charged to conduct and lead all such his Majesties subjects Arrayed, tryed, and Armed, as well men of Armes as other Horsemen, Archers & Foot­men of all kinds of degrees, meet and apt for the Warre against all and singular Enemies, Rebels and Traytors and their ad­herents, attempting any thing against Vs, Our Crowne and Dignity, &c. for so run the very words.

Verily, if any such singular Enemies Rebels and Traytors, and their Adherents be to be found, they are not the right Noble Earle of Essex and his adherents, his Excellencie being appointed Captaine Generall by both the Honou­rable Houses of Parliament, which were to make both the Houses Enemies, Rebels, and Traytors, who are the Re­presentative Body of the Kingdome, and the Worthies of our English Israel, which is most absurd to thinke or be­leeve by any moderate minded Christian; but in very deed, the very Enemies, Rebels and Traytors, are the Ma­lignant party: And his Majesties Army is too well known to consist (for the most part) of Papists, Athiests, or Liber­tines, amongst whom must be found those Enemies, Re­bels and Traytors, and they having purchased the name of Cavaliers, doe glory in it, and for the most part, they are fearefull and most execrable Damne-me Swearers, which fearefull execration they never would once use, much lesse not usually and often use; if they had any Religion, feare [Page 5]of God, or sparke of Grace in them, and did consider the Word of God in the sacred Scripture denounced against all wicked and resolved ordinary prophane men, whose Damnation sleepeth not: they J say, doubtlesse would not so often invocate Almighty God to aggravate and accele­rate their Damnation. But to leave all such to their desired, doome of Damnation.

The said Commission of Array hath such a large extent, that if put in Execution, it overthrowes and destroyes all the fundamentall Lawes of the Land and Liberty of the Subject, of the Commone especially, and brings all to be involved in Warre, thraldome and slavery: and not into a defensive Warre against any forraigne Enemy, but a Ci­vill and unheard of intestine Warre and Blood-shedding amongst our selves. And his Majesties wicked Councell the better to confirme and strengthen the said Commissi­ons of Array, have caused him to set up his Standard-Royall as it is called: whereby what else is but a Flag of Defiance and a denunciation of open Warre and Hostility with his Parliament, the great Councell of Him and his Kingdome, and His most faithfull religious and loyall Subjects: and never was any Standard set up since K. Richard the third, against the lawfull Competitour for the Crowne Henry Earle of Richmond, in all the Haleyon Reignes of Henry the 8. Edward the 6. Queene Elizabeth, and King Iames. But what ill successe the Marquisse of Hertford and other great Lords and Commissioners of the Malignant-party have had in attempting to put the aforesaid Commission of Ar­ray in Execution is well known daily to the Hon: Houses of Parliament, and to be seene by every ordinary obser­vant Eye in our printed weekly Diurnals, —

The Lord Strange, who is a main man of the Malignant party and a great Commissioner in the said illegall Com­mission for divers Counties, gives out a Warrant, to all and every the High Constables in the Hundred of Amounderves [Page 6] in Lancashire, for putting the said Commission in Execution, The Copie of which his Warrant is as followeth here in­serted, with the Animadversions or marginall Notes of some ingenuous as ingenious Parliament-proofe-Pen-man, And it is a Strange Warrant from a Strange Nobleman.

We that have read the Chronicles and Histories of Eng­land, did never read that such a Commission was made or granted, nor that ever any King in this our Fairie-Land did ever cause Armes to be leavyed and taken up [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 8]with such a large extent against his owne Loyall Subjects, His Bowells the two Houses of Parliament, &c. God for his mercy sake grant peace, Amen.

And now, albeit both the Houses of Parliament, the Kings greate Councell, and the Representative Body of England; Their so solid, and serious Voting, Declaring, and Demonstrating this afore-said Commission of Array, to be illegall and destructive. And Learned Mr. Serjeant Wild, Recorder of Worcester, (and a Member of the House of Commons) his publike confutation thereof; We are not ignorant that some of the Cabinet or Cavalier-Coun­cell have pumped hard, and most notoriously abused His Majesty and the Lawes, (unto which He is sworne) to set out in Print in his name, so many sheets (about eight) of paper, The Booke entituled (pretending) to shew the legali­tie of the Commission of Array.

And we are not out of hope but some of us may live to see such Apostate Iudges, and Achitophell Councell as have caused his Majesty to create the said Commission of Ar­ray, and to prate the legallity thereof, to have Chiefe Justice Trissilian his Fate, either upons barren Heath, a high Banke, or up H [...]lborne, as farre as Tyborne; nor can we exempt the nimble tongu'd Chequer-Baron. Yea, though they never so long Hide themselves as Trissilian did under the Kings winges, having King Richard the second (that unhappy and unfortunate Prince) for his Lord and Master: And I never thinke of the late Lord Major of London Sir Richard Gurney, but we call to minde Sir Ni­cholas Brembre Lord Major of London in the said unhappy Kings reigne.

We hope by this time sufficient is said for the Arraign­ment and condemnation of the Commission of Array.

By the next yee are like to see the illegality of his Ma­jesties late erecting His Standard.