THE DECLARATION And Resolution of ROBERT EARL of WARWICK, Lord Admiral for the King, Parliament of England, And all the Officers, and Seamen A Board, His NAVY touching the Personal TREATY:  
And their Resolution to Join with the Prince, in Case the Treaty shall be either Retarded, Obstructed, or Opposed by any Party, as well the Army, as all others: and their Vows, and Engagement to stand for the three States, King, Lords, and Commons; Against all Opposers, and Gain-sayers Whatsoever.  
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1648.   

The Declaration and Resolution of Robert Earl of Warwick, etc.  
IT is not unknown unto all the whole Kingdom how faithfully and zealously, we have behaved ourselves in the service of King and Parliament, and we leave all the world to judge how readily we ventured our lives, and laid out our estates, towards this work of Reformation, to the ends of the Covenant, and our first engagement, and we believed that the bringing home of the King to his Parliament, was the only means, which might perfect the work in hand, and we were verily persuaded, that our present and pressing troubles, could no ways have a period, but by a free convention betwixt King, and Subjects in Parliament, conceiving that to be the means to remove all mistakes and misunderstanding, betwixt King and people, we shall not stand to rehearse all the Covenant, Vows, and protestations put upon us by the Parliament for the maintenance of the protestant Religion, the King's honour, Person, and Estate, the privileges of Parliament, and the established known Laws of the Land, for which we first engaged both lives and fortunes, against those we supposed were the Common Enemies. But now finding by woeful experience, that we are likely to be worse enslaved by a company, who behave themselves like the Turkish Janisary; in imposing taxes on our estates, and forcing our person out to fight against we know not who, for woe know not what, to satisfy the bondles lusts of a company of factious, seditious and covetous persons, who have the influence and greatest stroke in the houses and Army, we know them very well, but shall forbear to particularise them, till another opportunity, but it is not necessary to insert their names, by reason they are too well known to this Kingdom, the total ruin and downfall of all religion, government, and discipline, not only in this, but in the other two Kingdoms. And this we should not offer, but upon good grounds, will prove what we say and declare; to be as true as their actions are unjust and dangerous, and indeed the wickedness of these men, we did not of a long time (and till now of late) deserve the continual masking themselves under the names of Reformers, and would forsooth be called the honest and faithful party, none more forward to speak good words to the people, and make great promises, where and to whomsoever they came, of enlargement from slavery and pressures, than they, when indeed (as is apparent) they meant nothing more than to destroy, and ruin them, Thus have they kept their vizards on for these many years to the blinding & deluding of many poor souls in this Kingdom, who being thus misled by their specious pretents, and dancing after their pipes, to the loss of both lives and estates under these men, by their false suggestions, insomuch that these three Kingdoms have bled and groaned this many years to the desperate hazard of their utter dissolution and loss.  
And now these men appearing in their own colours, and letting the world be spectators of their insolencyes, and imperious carriages to the great terror and amazement of all modest and peaceable people.  
And truly had they not appeared thus audacious and bold, without limits or bonds as hie as the destruction of both King, Lords and Gentry, and that they pretend the house of Commons to be the only supreme power, and that house they will not take notice on, unless it be moulded of a party of their own choosing and faction.  
We say that was one main cause of our now declaring, and engaging, And truly our affection were so great to that Army and Party both in the house and City, that we would have willingly laid down our lives to justify them, and who soever spoke against them, we either thought them Malignants, or men void of grace, and charity, but now their insolences [and our burden] force us to speak that which heretofore we should have blushed to think.  
And now we have great cause to bless God for his goodness, in making us such clear discerners of their juggling and Machavonills demeanours, and do look upon it as the greatest mercy that we are undeceived, in that we have some hopes left us to secure ourselves & help our poor distressed fellow subjects from under the ejection slavery, which these men have brought us to wade to the knees in already, we cannot but believe, but that this faction, which doth so predominate both in the house and field, are of a Jesuitical spirit, knowing very well that that Army abounds with Priests and Jesuits, under whose Counsels we cannot think ourselves in safety, or this Kingdom, since they are the only men, that carries on and hath the business, and hath the transaction of most things done both in the house and Army, these things appearing plain to the understanding of us, we conceived we could not prosper, nor expect a blessing from heaven so long as we remain silent after it had pleased our maker to make us knowers off, & since it is a matter of so great concernment as Religion, law and liberty; we doubt not but we shall have assistence from Heaven above, and all honest and Godly men who love the happiness flourishing of 3 (now dying Kingdoms) which must inevitably come to ruin, if we suffer these cruel Egyptian Taskmasters thus to rule over us, which slavery we are resolved to quit ourselves from, and bring ourselves from under; and we doubt not but heaven will smile upon us as well as it did when we were abused by an exorbitant power gotten from the King by a party who loved him not.  
And now we shall declare who we will not have to bare rule amongst us.  
1 We declare against that party who denied to observe the Parliament Orders at New-market and engaged themselves contrary to the Orders, Votes, and Resolution of both houses, to stand in Arms, till they were satisfied in unjust and treasonable demands.  
2. We Declare against those who violently carried his Majesty away from Holmby, contrary to the Order, Votes, and Ordinances of both houses of Parliament, from house to house whither they pleased on purpose to force him to own them in their treasonable undertake.  
3. We declare against that party which deserted the house and ran to the Army, and brought them into the City of London, and joined with them for the expelling and driving away all the honest Godly peaceable members of the houses and City.  
4. We declare against those who plotted, contrived and effected his Majesty's imprisonment, and the party set on in the time of his Majesty's imprisonment, to poison or take away his sacred life.  
5. We declare against all those which have broken the peace and engagement betwixt us, and our brethren of Scotland.  
6. We declare against all Brownists, Anabaptists, Seekers, Independents, Antitremptarion, and all blasphemers.  
7. We declare against all Taxes, Excise, Contribution. Sequestrations and Committees.  
And now to let the world know that we desire the benefit and prosperity of these three Kingdoms, we shall declare and show what we wish and desire  
1. That Keligion may be established according to the rule of God's word, and as near to the Covenant as is possible, admitting the example of best reformed Churches, and that Discipline may be speedily set up, and put in execution to the bridling of licentious liberty, and the destroying and routing out of heresy and Schism,  
2. That this personal Treaty may be hastened and cherished with all the honest opportunities that may tend to the restoring of the King to his just rights, and that his Queen may with his children come home in safety and honour, and live with his Majesty as all other Queens have done in former times.  
3 That the Freedoms of Parliament and privileges may be known and declared, to the end we may not be brought to a contempt of their Authority through ignorance, and that this present Parliament would be pleased to set a time for their ending, that so the subject may be eased of many taxes which now lies upon them through and by their means.  
4 That all Armies may be disbanded und paid off out of Forrest-lands and course taken that all idle persons who have been Soldiers may be set at work or sent beyond the Seas.  
5 That all Garrison may be slight, demolished and dismantled except such as are Sea port Towns, and inlets to a foreign enemy.  
6 That all Widows and Fatherless children whose husbands and fathers have been slain, in these wars may be provided for in some competent measure to keep them from beggary and starving.  
7 That a considerable Army may be raised for Ireland, of such honest and sober principled men, as will observe the command of the authority that levyes them and pays them, that they may disband when it shall be judged by that power fit.  
8. That there may a firm act of Parliament be made and concluded, that the Kingdom may be governed according to the known laws of the Land, by King, Lords and Commons, and that an oath may be taken throughout the Kingdom by all persons to acknowledge the same government, and that it may be death or banishment for any to refuse the same.  
9, That a considerable company of honest moderate men may be sent into Scotland to take up the difference betwixt us and our brothers, that so we may prevent the effusion of any more Christian blood, and that we may continue our late engagement with them (as it is just) in love and charity.  
10. and Lastly, We desire that all such persons who shall any way retard, obstruct, or discountenance these things may be declared against as Traitors and Rebels, to the King, Parliament and Kingdom.  
These things we conceive to be the only means, under God, to make these 3 Kingdoms happy, and we should not have declared thus far, but that we see a many of persons who endeavour to interpose betwixt us and our peace, by petitioning against a Personal Treaty, and that their petitions and expressions, words and actions tends to levelling and ruin of both King and Lords and are so bold as to say the repream power rests in the house of commons, to which men, we will be so bold as answer, they know not what they ask, therefore forgive them father, for if the Commons of England be the supreme power, than he that can make the best friends shall have what he desires, though sit be to the ruin of (a whole) or many families, We are already satisfied, that it is as dangerous a thing to be governed by Votes, as it is to be governed by armies, when especially in such a time as when so many men, so many minds.  
And now we have given the world to understand what we desire, & are assured that what we wish and desire is well pleasing both to God and all moderate minded men, and if these things shall be opposed, we shall endeavour to strengthen ourselves both by Sea and land, and join with his highness the Prince of Wales, and the fleet under him, which we doubt not but will bring a happy peace to these three Kingdoms, and ruin and shame to their and our Enemies.   

Printed and Published by the Command of Robert Earl of Warwick, and all the Commanders and Common Soldiers under him, the Navy raised for defence of King and Parliament.  
FINIS,