WHere as it doth appeare to the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament, that the King seduced by wicked Councell, hath raised War against the Parliament, and o­ther his good subjects, and hath drawne together great Troopes of Papists and ill-affected persons, and sent out Commission for the levying of o­thers, to the great hazard of Religion, and the publicke peace of the Kingdome.

You shall take speciall care therefore that the Ordinance concerning the Militia be from time to time put in execution through the said County [Page 2]of Essex. as you shall see cause; And for that pur­pose, you or any two or more of you shall have power and authority to Arme, Traine, and put in readinesse all and every the Inhabitants of that County fit for the Warre, aswell Trained Bands as other Voluntiers both Horse and Foote, and them under the Command of such Collonels, Lievtenant-Collonels, Serjeant Majors, Cap­taines, and other Officers, as the Lievtenant of the said County, or you or any three or more of you shall in his absence nominate and appoint to lead and conduct, aswell against all Forraigne Forces that shall in Hostile manner invade the said County, as for resisting and opposing of all other Forces which shall bee either within the said County or else-where raised to the distur­bance of the peace of that County. And the She­riffe and all other Officers of the said Countie are hereby enjoyned to assist you, and every of you therein. And if any person whatsoever shall levie or endeavour to levie or billet any Souldi­ers, or to raise, draw, or keepe together the Trayned-Bands or other Armed Forces of the said Countie, or any other Forces by colour or pretence of any Commission or Warrant from [Page 3]his Majestie under the great Seale or otherwise, without Order or cosent of both Houses of Parliament. You are to make knowne to the Trayned-Bands, or other Inhabitants of the said Countie, that those who shall appeare upon any such Warrant, or obey any such Commission shall bee held disturbers of, and enemies to the publicke peace, and those who shall not appeare upon any such Warrant or Commission, nor doe any thing in execution thereof, shall bee prote­cted by both Houses off Parliament. And you or any one or more of you shall in the name, and by the Authoritie of both Houses of Parliament require and command all persons to forbeare the execution of such Commission or warrant, and to cause the same to be delivered up to you, or any of you, to bee sent to the Speaker of the House of Commons, and you or any two or more of you, are hereby required to draw toge­ther such of the Trained Bands and other For­ces of the said Countie as shall bee expedient for the suppressing of all such Assemblies, and for the apprehending of all or any person or persons as shall after admonition and command by you [Page 4]or any of you made unto them, to forbeare the execution of any such Commission or Warrant, or the calling, or gathering, or keeping together of any such forces or Assemblies still persist in doeing the same, and likewise such as shall beare Armes by colour of any Warrant or Commission from his Majesty under the great Seale or other­wise, without Order or consent of both houses of Parliament and also such disaffected persons as shall be found raising any parties or factions against the Parliament, to be sent up hither to an­swer such their offences as to law and iustice shall appertaine,

You or any one or more of you, shall stay, search, and examine, or cause to be staid, searched, and examined all suspitious persons and carria­ges, and to search or cause to be searched all sus­pitious places, and to seize uppon all horses, Armes, Ammunition, Money, Plate, or other provisions whatsoever, which you or any one of you shall have iust cause to suspect, is or are raised or provided for the fomenting or main­teyning, any such unnaturall and unlawfull [Page 5]War against the Parliament and the King­dome.

You or any two or more of you, shall observe and execute the Ordinance of both houses of Parliament of the 8th of August last for the sup­pression of the Rebellion, and Commotion rai­sed by the Marquesse of Hartford in the County of Somershetshire, and other Westerne Counties, and by the Earle of Northampton and others in the County of Leicester, Northampton, Warwicke, and other adioyning parts and of any other Rebellion or Commotion raised or that shall be raised by any other person or persons within the said County of

You, or any two or more of you, shall con­duct and leade all such forces of horse and foot as shall be appointed by the Lord Generall the Earle of Essex for the service of the Parliament and Kingdome, and shall fight with, kill and slay all such as shall by force oppose you, or any of you, in the execution of that Ordinance, and all other their Assistants and ayders, and abettors, [Page 6]and you or two of you shall levie such other for­ces of horse and foote as his Excellence shall by his Commission giue you power to levie under such Collonels, Commanders, and other Officers as shall bee by him appointed or directed; & you shall persue the said Traitors, & Rebbels and their Adherents in the said County or in any other pla­ces or Counties of the Kingdome into which they shall retire themselves; all which forces so to bee raised shall haue the same pay as the rest of the Ar­my is to have; and you shall defend and protect his Majesties subjects from violence and oppres­sion by the illegall Commission of Array or otherwise, and you shall hinder and forbid the execution of that illegall Commission and in all places to the uttmost of your power endeavour to preserve and restore the peace of the King­dome.

You or any one of you shall take from the said Rebells and Traytors all such Armes Ordnance and Ammunition as they have taken from his Majesties subjects, and restore the same to the owners.

[Page 7] You or any one or more of you shall take care that such resolutions and Orders of both houses as have been or shall be delivered or sent downe unto you or any of you be put in execution, and shall require the Sheriffes and Justices of the Peace, and all other His Majesties Officers and Subjects of the said County, to be aiding and as­sisting unto you & every of you for that purpose.

You shal likewise declare unto all men, that it hath ever been, and still shall be the care and en­deavours of the Parliament to provide for His Majesties safety, and that they doe not, nor never did know of any evill intended towards His Ma­jesties Person, which might move him to require any extraordinary Guard, that his greatest safety is in the affections and fidelity of His Subjects, and in the advice and counsel of His Parliament; and His greatest danger in withdrawing himselfe to such disaffected and malignant persons, ob­noxious to justice for their great enormities, who under colour of doing Him service have rai­sed forces which they labour to encrease, to the hazard of ruining Religion and the whole Kingdom.

And you or any one or more of you shal in the name of the Lords and Commons require the Sheriffs of the said County to publish through­out [Page 8]the same the Declarations commanded to be published by both houses of Parliament, And you, and every of you shall endeavour to cleere the proceedings of Parliament from imputati­ons and aspersions, and shall from time to time certifie us of all things which you conceive neces­sary for the present service, and that we may have a speedy account of it, and that our directions to you, aswel as your advertisements to us, may have cleere and speedy passage, you and every of you shall lay a strict charge upon all Postmasters and Messengers, that they doe not suffer any Letters or other dispatches to or from the Parliament to be intercepted or stayed, and if any shall presume to make stay of any such dispatches, you and eve­ry of you shal direct the Postmasters and Messen­gers to repaire to t [...]e Justices of the Peace, Con­stables, and other Officers for their aid and assi­stance, who are hereby required to take speciall care that there be no such interruption.

You or any two or more of you are hereby authorised and required forthwith to disarme all Popish Recusants and other dangerous and ill-affected persons, as well Clergymen as others, as have testified or shal testifie their ill dispositions to the peace of the Kingdom and proceedings of Parliament, and all such Armes, and all other [Page 9]Armes formerly taken from Popish Recusants shal be imployed by you for the defence of the said County.

You or any one or more of you shal take care that none of the Recusants Armes or other Am­munition of the said County shall be taken or carried out of the same, upon any pretence or command whatsoever, without warrant from both Houses of Parliament. And you, or any one or more of you shal give order and directions to the Sheriffe of the said County, Justices of the Peace, and other Officers, to require and com­mand all Popish Recusants in the said County to confine themselves to their dwelling places ac­cording to the Statute in that case provided; and if any such Recusant shal be found to transgresse therein, you or any one or more of you shal cause the Justice of Peace forthwith to bind them to their good behaviours, and upon refusall or neglect to give security, accordingly to commit them to prison, and further proceed against them according to Law.

You or any one or more of you shal also in the name of both houses of Parliament require all such persons who have in their custody any part of the publique Magazine of the said County, to deliver the same to you or any two of you, to be [Page 10]disposed of, and imployed for the defence of the County; and in case of refusall, you are hereby authorised to seize, take, carry away, and dispose of the same for the purpose aforesaid.

And you or any two or more of you are like­wise to give charge from both houses of Parlia­ment to all Collonels, Captaines, Lieutenants, & all other Officers for the Militia, that they shall be observant to such directions as they shal from time to time receive from the Lord Lieutenant of the said County, or his Deputy, or any of them, for the due performance of any the com­mands of the said Houses.

You or any one or more of you shal resist and repell, and are hereby authorised to resist and re­pell by the power of the said County, and by all other waies and means, all such force and vio­lence as shall be raised or brought by any person or persons, to the hinderance or disturbance of this present service, or for the Arresting or sei­zing of the persons of you or any of you, or any other which shal be imployed in performance of the Ordinance, instructions, and commands of both houses of Parliament, for any thing done in execution thereof. And the Sheriffs and Justices of peace of the said County, and all other Offi­cers & subjects, are hereby required to be aiding [Page 11]and assisting to you and every of you, for the bet­ter and more speedy execution of the premisses.

You or any two or more of you shall hereby with the consent of two of the Members of the house of Commons aforenamed, have power and authority to fortifie any part or place of the said County, in such manner and sort as you or any two or more of you, with the consent of two of the Members of the house of Commons as afore­said shal think fit for the safety of the said Coun­ty, and for the more security of the same shall set such severall guards and forces in all places and Towns of the said County, as you or any two or more of you, with the consent of any two of the said Members of the house of Commons, shall thinke fit and requisite; and to cause the Beacons within the said County to be watched, guarded, and fired as occasion shall require.

You and every of you shall take care to put in execution the Propositions and Orders made by the Lords and Commons, now assembled in Par­liament, for bringing in money or Plate to main­taine Horse and Armes, for the preservation of the publique peace, and for the defence of the King and both houses of Parliament; As also o­ther instructions and additions for Deputy-Lieu­tenants which are Members of the house of [Page 12]Commons, and other Deputy-Lieutenants of severall Counties concerning the last propositi­ons according to a Declaration of the Lords and Commons made thereupon.

You or any three or more of you shall or may call together the Inhabitants of the County at such times and places as you shall thinke fit, and propound to them what Horse, Men, and Armes they will finde and maintaine, or what money they will contribute for the defence of the said County, which forces and all other forces that shall be raised in that County by the authority of the Lords and Commons in Parliament, and their Officers, you or any two or more of you shall lead, conduct, and imploy for the defence of the said County; and you or any two or more of you shall have power to appoint Treasurers to receive the said Monies so raised, as aforesaid, who are hereby required to issue forth the same, as they shal receive order or warrant from you or any two of you under your hands, for the provi­ding of Armes and Ammunition for the defence and security of the said County; as also for the paying of such Officers and Souldiers as shall be leavied and imployed for the purpose aforesaid, and of all other necessaries for the defence of the said County.

[Page 13] You or any three or more of you shall or may in the absence of the Lievtenant of the said Countie make and appoint such Captaines and other Officers as shall be requisite for the ser­vice and defence of that Countie, and to remove them out of their places, and to make others from time to time, as you shall thinke fit for that purpose.

You or any two or more of you shall or may require strong Watches, and Wards, to be set by the Constables or such other persons as you shall thinke meete in all convenient places in that county, for the peace and safetie thereof.

You or the greater part of you, whereof two to be Members of the house of Commons, may joine in assotiation with the adjacent counties for the mutuall defence each of others county.

You or any one or more of you shall or may apprehend all such persons as shall oppose you, or refuse to obey you in the premises, and to send him or them in safe custody up to the Par­liament, or the Committte of Parliament for the defence of the Kingdome, to be proceeded with according to justice.

You and every of you shall observe and exe­cute all such further directions and instructions [Page 14]as you shall from time to time receive from both houses of Parliament, as likewise from the Com­mittee of the Lords and Commons appointed to take care for the surety of the Kingdome, and whatsoever you shall doe therein or any other person in ayd arid assistance of you, it shall be accepted as good and acceptable service to the Kingdome. And for their and your so doing, they and you shall be defended and protected by the authority of Parliament, and resolution of the Lords and Commons to protect those that shall obey and further their commands, you shall publish and declare upon all occasions for the better encouragement of the Subjects of this Kingdome in that behalfe.