A DECLARATION Made by the Earl of Newcastle, governor of the town and County of Newcastle. And general of all His majesty's Forces raised in the Northern parts of this kingdom, for the Defence of the same. For his Resolution of Marching into YORKSHIRE.  
As also a just Vindication of himself from that unjust aspersion laid upon him for entertaining some Popish Recusants in his Forces.  
With other passages of consequence.  
Printed for W. Webb. M.DC.XLIII.   

A DECLARATION made by the Earl of Newcastle, governor of the town and County of Newcastle; and general of His majesty's Forces raised in the Northern Parts of this kingdom, &c.  
I Have now by His majesty's special Command and Commission for some months last past, resided in the town of Newcastle All which time I have proceeded in pursuance of the points of my Commission (which were none else but the preservation of this town, the County of Northumberland, and the bishopric of Durham, and the Liberty of the True Protestant Religion, of the laws of this kingdom established by Parliaments, the Property of the Subjects, Persons, and Goods, and securing of this Port) with that integrity and tenderness of His majesty's Honour, who doth passionately affect the safety and Liberty of the Subjects, in all the particulars above mentioned: That I have great and just occasion to bless Almighty God for so prospering this his own, and our sovereign His Servants work, in my weak hands. As I am confident I have not yet miscarried in any one particular, wherein by God and His majesty I have been entrusted. For whereas in most of the counties of this kingdom, there are nothing to be heard but most pitiful, and yet most unpitied complaints of the Subjects, for the horrible violation of their Churches, and indignities offered to the service of God, unjust captivating of their Persons, exhausting of their purses by most racking exactions, plundering and pillaging of their Houses and Goods, against the Law of God, and the known laws of this Land; and all this exercised by a party who pretend nothing but the Religion of God, the Law of the Land, and the Liberty of the Subject, (and all this is done under pretence of Parliament power.) Yet (blessed be God for it) all they who live in these parts under my charge, can with one accord testify, that as yet they have not tasted in the least degree any of these sharp outrages, either in their possessions, Persons or Goods, from that party in whom they had little reason to put any trust, if by my Forces they had not been kept under: Nor yet can any of that lawless party aver, that by any Forces of mine, or indeed any force at all, they have suffered under such wicked veaxtions, as they of their own side in all places where they have had power, have used towards these who have continued in Loyalty and Obedience to His Majesty. And farther, that His majesty's Port and Haven; hath to his great benefit, and the comfort of all his good Subjects who adhere to him, been so secured as that now it remaineth as entirely at his majesty's devotion, as ever it did in times of highest peace and tranquillity.  
But it hath not pleased God, That our Neighbours in Yorkshire, and the adjacent Counties should enjoy the like calm, which hath moved many of the Prime Noblemen and Gentlemen of the County of York, to remonstrate unto me their sufferings, which they endure from Sir John Hotham his son, and many their seditious and outrageous Complices, and to desire my aid for the redressing of them, and repressing their tumultuous oppressions, before they shall swell to that height, as it cannot stand with the safety of the Persons and Estates of His majesty's good Subjects in Yorkshire, to make any expressions of their Loyalty and Allegiance to His Majesty, unless by some of my forces they be speedily comforted and relieved.  
I having seriously weighed the purport of my Commission, and finding it not only consistent with, and agreeable to the same; but knowing well His majesty's sacred Intention and constant Resolution to secure the Lives and Liberties of his Subjects by all means which he can compass: I have now resolved to assist His majesty's distressed Subjects in the County of York with competent Forces; and yet to leave this Town, and the two other Counties under my Charge, so strongly guarded, that their former security shall be no ways discontinued or intercepted.  
And therefore I do by these presents, desire all his majesty's loyal Subjects of the County of York to take these particulars into their serious consideration, and I expect credit to be given to them.  
First, that I come not into their County by Intrusion, but by Invitation; and that from those Noblemen and Gentlemen, whom by long experience, they have known to be their soundest and sincerest Patriots, and who have promised me in their names a cheerful reception, their utmost assistance, and absolute obedience to all my Just and lawful commandments.  
Secondly, I do solemnly promise, That I come free from the least intention of pillaging and plundering any of his majesty's good and loyal Subjects, or of exacting any thing from them which shall be against the privileges of a free Parliament, the known laws of the Land, and Liberty of the Subject.  
And thirdly, That I intend by my Forces to vindicate you from the violent encroachment and oppressions made upon you in any of these particulars, by those who to their own lawless ends, abuse the sacred name of Parliament.  
And fourthly, That I shall (during the time of my abode amongst you) do nothing of moment, but by the advice and consultation with those Noblemen and Gentlemen, who have been Solicitors to me in your behalf; and when it shall please God to give a happy consummation to those great businesses for which I intend to come amongst you, I shall retire myself and forces out of your County, with much more cheerfulness than I conducted them thither.  
And now I desire to give satisfaction both to you of Yorkshire, and all other true Protestants of this kingdom, why I have been necessitated to take under my command and conduct diverse Popish Recusants in these Northern parts.  
First, It was not his majesty's intention, nor the intention (for any thing I know) of any in authority under him, to admit any of them into this service, if the way had not been chalked out unto His Majesty, and his Ministers, by these very men; on whose Forge this objection was hammered: Let the muster Roles of that Army which is named from the Parliament be perused, and then it shall appear plainly, that the managers of that Army do exactly and distinctly know, that they now have, and for many months have had great numbers under their pay, both English, French and other Nations, whom at the time of their enrolment (and ever since) they did know to have been professed Papists: whereas by the contrary, it is notoriousley known, that before this course was taken by the other party; his Majesty and his Ministers did not admit to, nor continue any soldiers in pay, who were suspected to be that way inclined, or did refuse the oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy; not that His Majesty thought it unlawful for him so to do, or that he did not hold his Recusant Subjects, to be as strongly obliged by the laws of this Land for the defence of his Person, and the Liberty of Parliaments, and laws of this kingdom, as any of his Protestant Subjects; for if the kingdom stood now under the fear of a foreign Invasion, is it to be conceived, that the Recusants of this Land were by the laws of the same obliged to adventure their Lives and Fortunes in defence thereof? Sure the great confusion which is now in this kingdom is of as fearful a consequence as any foreign Invasion possibly can be, and therefore the Recusants are so far from being disobliged, as they stand deeply obliged for giving their assistance in this time of extremity, if they shall be required; But His Majesty was very cautelous and tender in this point, and certainly would not have looked towards it, if the other Party had not first assumed that liberty to themselves, from which by the Law of the Land he saw himself no way barred.  
If there be no bar in Law against it, then let us examine these pretended grand inconveniences, wherewith (as they allege) it is attended: Sure the wisest Heathen Emperors that ever were, did admit into their Armies whole Legions of Christian soldiers, whose fidelity they relied much upon, though the Emperors themselves blasphemed that God whom those Christian soldiers adored, Look upon Christian popish Emperors; did Charles the fifth, that wise & Warlike Emperor, refuse the service of any of the protestants of Germany in that Army wherewith he made War upon the Protestants? No, but cherished all such of them as he did conceive to stand for the Majesty and Liberty of the Empire: look upon Protestant Kings and Princes; did Henry the fourth the late French King, while he was yet a Protestant, reject the assistance of those many French Papists, who spent their lives in asserting his Crown, and approving their allegiance to him: Or did blessed Queen Elizabeth of most precious memory, upon whose aid and advice that great King did principally rely, go about to persuade him to dismiss all his popish Subjects out of his Army? and yet it was well known, that She was the greatest Patron and prop of the Protestant Religion in the whole world. Do our Neighbours of the United Provinces reject the auxiliary Regiments under the pay of the French King, because many of them (if not most) are Papists, so long as they are secured of their fidelity to them? the point than will not be of their Religion, but whether they may be trusted in point of fidelity and allegiance.  
But they do allege in that point, they are not to be trusted, since they refuse to take the Oath of allegiance and Supremacy; It were to be wished, that those blessed times had been perpetuated to us, in which it had continued a good distinction, though not between ill Papists, yet between Jesuited Papists and Protestants, the taking or refusing of those two oaths; but we have lived to see, that these two oaths (to the intolerable scandal of the Protestant Religion) are indeed taken by some who call themselves Protestants, but most manifestly violated; and refused to be taken by some Papists, and yet the tenor of them kept by those refusers.  
Our saviour's question in the gospel was, Whether of the two was the better Servant, He who said he would do what his Master bid him, but did it not: or he who said he would not do it, but yet did it. this latter, by our saviour's approbation, was the better Servant: It is easy to be applied: hath not His Majesty, and all the World reason to think that those Recusants who upon weak, yet seeming strong grounds unto them, refused to take the Oath of allegiance, and yet at this time perform the contents of it, are far better Subjects and (in this point) far better Christians, than all those Protestants who have taken this Oath, and yet at this time practise quite contrary to that which is contained in it? and not only to what is contained in it, but to what is contained in the last Protestation, which they themselves so magnified, and in it did so expressly aver the defence of the King's Person and Dignity; so that the tumultuous Petitioners who came riding to the Parliament through the Streets of London, with that Protestation in their hats, seemed too honest and good Subjects, like men standing upon several Pilloryes with Papers in their hats, carrying in them their crime and condemnation for it.  
And besides, it is well known, That there are other Recusants in England besides the Popish, and those are such, who will not communicate in our Service and Sacraments as they are established by the laws of this kingdom; and yet some of these are admitted to sit in either House of Parliament; though, contrary to the order of Parliament, they have not received the Communion. And how many hundreds be in the adverse Army, of Anabaptists, Brownists, and other Sectaries, who by the laws of this Land are reputed far more dangerous Recusants, and do incur by the same Law, far heavier punishments then ordinary Papists do; for they being convicted are to abjure the Land and kingdom; whereas Papists incur only personal or pecuniary mulcts, if they be not Priests or Jesuits, or harbourers of them. If one would truly learn the damnable Doctrines of these Recusant Separatists, and foresee how, upon their own ground and tenants, when they shall have power to put them in practice, they will attempt the cutting of throats of all Landlords and Magistrates, and will maintain, That it is against the Law of God for any Man to hold an Estate by Law or birthright; but only according to Merit and worth. Let him read the Commentaries of John Sleidan a Grave and Wise Historian, who in the life of Charles the fifth, hath excellently set down their lamentable tenants and Tragedies, broached and Acted by them about the beginning of the Lutheran Reformation, and is now in English, and goes under the name of, A warning for England.  
To conclude, I wish from my heart there were Recusants of no kind in this kingdom; I am resolved, as I have lived, so to die in the profession of the true reformed Religion, as it now standeth established by the laws of the Land, and as it was professed, and practised in the purest times of peerless Queen Elizabeth, and for these few Recusants under my Command, I shall use all possible care, that they do nothing against the laws of this kingdom, for I have received them, not for their Religion, but for the Allegiance which they profess to so gracious a King: whom I pray God to Protect, and long continue amongst us, and let all good People say, Amen.  
FINIS.