WHereas it doth appeare to the Lords and Com­mons in Parliament now assembled, that the King seduced by wicked Counsell, intends to make War against the Parliament, and for that it is not improbable that under colour of a guard for his Majesties person, or some o­ther pretences, the Knights, Gentlemen, Freeholders, and In­habitants of the County of Chester, may be drawne together, therefore you, and every of you, shall take speciall care that the Ordinance concerning the Militia be put in execution through the whole County; and the Sheriffe, and all other Officers are hereby moved to assist you, and every of you therein; and if any person whatsoever shal leavie or endeavor to leavy any Souldiers, or draw, or keepe together the trained bands, or other armed Forces of the said County, or any o­ther Force, by colour or pretence of any Commission or warrant from his Majesty, under the great Seale or other­wise, without Order or consent of both Houses of Parlia­ment, you, and every of you, shall in the name and authority of both Houses, require and command all persons to forbeare the execution of such Commission or warrant, & the same to be delivered up to you, or any of you, to be sent to the Spea­ker of the House of Commons, and you, and every of you, shall require and command all his Majesties Subjects, to for­beare to obey any such warrant or Commission, and you, & every of you, are hereby required to draw together such of [Page 2] the trained Bands and other forces of the said County, as shall be expedient for the suppressing of all such Assemblies, and for apprehending of all or any person or persons as shall after admonition and command by you, or any of you, made unto them to forbeare the execution of any such command or warrant, or the calling or gathering of or keeping together any such forces or assemblies, still persist in doing the same, and likewise such disaffected persons as shall be found raising any parties or forces against the Parliament, to be sent up hither to answer such their offences as to law and Justice shall appertaine; and you the abovesaid Sir William Brereton, shall in the names of the Lords and Commons, require and com­mand the Sheriffe of the County of Chester, to publish throughout the said County, the Declarations formerly Printed by both Houses of Parliament, and you, and every of you, shall further take care that such Resolutions, and Orders of both Houses (as have bin, or shal be delivered, and sent down to you, or any of you) be put in execution, & shall require the Sheriffe and Justices of the peace, and all other his Majesties Officers and Lieutenants, to be aiding and assisting to you for that purpose; and you shall declare unto all men, that it hath beene, and still shall be the care and endeavour of both Hou­ses of Parliament to provide for his Majesties safety, that they doe not, nor ever did know of any evill intended to his Maje­sties person which might move him to require any extraordi­nary armed guard, that his greatest safety is in the Parliament, and his greatest danger in withdrawing himselfe from them; To that under colour of doing him service, disaffected and Malignant persons, obnoxious for their bad counsells against the Justice of the Law, labour to raise forces and a party, a­gainst the Parliament, which at the last may break out into o­pen Rebellion & civil war, to the destruction both of King and Kingdome, you the said Sir William Brereton, and every of you, shall endeavour to cleare the proceedings of Parliament from all imputation and aspersions, and shall from time to time [Page 3] certifie so of all things which you conceive necessary for the present service, and that we may have a sudden warning of it, and that our directions to you as well as your advertisements to us may have a cleare and ready passage, you and every of you, shall lay a strict charge upon all post-masters, that they doe not suffer any Letters or other dispatches to or from the Parliament to be intercepted or stayd; and if any shall pre­sume to make stay of such dispatches, you and every of you, shall direct the post-masters to repaire to the Justices of the peace, Constables, and all other Officers, for their ayd and as­sistance, who are hereby required to take a speciall care that there may be no such interruptions.

You and every of you, shall take care that none of the Re­cusants armes or other Amunition of the said County, becar­ried or taken out of the County upon any pretence or comand whatsoever, without warrant of both Houses of Parliament.

And you and every of you, shall give order and direction to the Sheriffes, Justices of the peace and other Officers, to require and command all the Popish Recusants in that Coun­ty, to confine themselves to their dwellings, according to the Statute in that case provided, and if any such Recusant shall be found to transgresse therein, you and every of you, shall cause the Justices of the peace forthwith to bind them to their good behaviour, and upon refusall or neglect to give security ac­cordingly, to commit them to prison, and further to proceed against them according to the Law.

You shall also in the name of both Houses of Parliament, require all such persons who have in their custody any part of the publike Magazine of your County, to deliver the same un­to you or some of you, to be imployed for the service of the said County.

And you & every of you, are likewise to give charge from both Houses of Parliament, to all Captaines and Lieutenants, and other Officers of the Militia, that they be observant to such [Page 4] directions as they shall from time to time receive from the Lieutenant of the County or his Deputies, or any of them, for due performance of any commands of the said hou­ses.

And you and every of you, shall resist and repell, and are hereby authorized to resist and repell by the power of the said County and by all other wayes and meanes, all such force and violence as shall be raised or brought by any person ot persons to the hindrance or disturbance of the said service, or for the Arresting or seizing the persons of you or any of you, or of any other that shall be imployed in the Ordinan­ces, instructions, and commands of both Houses of Parlia­ment, for any thing done in execution thereof, and the She­riffe, and the Justices of peace of the said County, and all o­ther Officers and Subjects are hereby injoyned to be ayding and assisting to you and every of you, for the more better and speedier execution of the premises.

And the Lords and Commons doe hereby declare, that they will protect, defend and assist, all manner of persons for such actions as they shall performe in pursuance of these in­structions and other Orders and commands of the said Hou­ses of Parliament.