THE DECLARATION OF THE PROTESTANT ARMY In the Province of Munster (of the Kingdom of IRELAND)  
Under the Command of the Right Honourable the Lord Baron of Inchiquine, Lord Precedent of the same.  
C R  HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon surmounted by a crown and flanked by the English lion on one side and the Scottish unicorn on the other 
Printed at Cork, and reprinted at Edinburgh (by order of the Committee of Estates) by Evan Tyler, Printer to the KING'S most Excellent MAJESTY, 1648.   

THE DECLARATION OF THE PROTESTANT ARMY In the Province of Munster.  
THE fairest actions are obvious to detraction; virtue itself hath many Enemies through ignorance, We expect not to silence the reports of evil speakers; there's as much beside our aim, as beyond our Power: But to give a clear understanding to the unprejudicated Readers, that our present undertake are nothing deviating from our first principles, and our constant profession, is the sole ambition of our desires; wherein we doubt not but to prevail if we may obtain the allowable favour of an equal Justi●e.  
We have formerly testified unto the world by our constant sufferings in this Cause, and sedulous endeavours in the service how firmly we stood devoted to the obedience of the King and Parliament in the prosecution of the Common Enemy, against whom, the several successes where with our weak attempts have been seconded, hath aswell testified the divine Providence over us, as attracted the approbation of men upon our actions, until a growing party of Independency sprung up in the Houses and Army; who finding an unaptness in us to receive the impression of their designs, have on that consideration contrived our subversion. In order whereunto they had no sooner prevailed to place the Lord Lisle in the Lieutenancy of this Kingdom, but in short time there was advanced 180000. pound for the service thereof; a surn so considerable, that had it been effectually employed to the use whereunto it was designed, might have reduced most of this Kingdom to obedience but 10. Months of 12. being spent on preparations, and the moneys detained, lest should come to our unconfiding hands, whiles our Soldiers starved in the streets; the Lord Lisle in February 1646. arrives with 25000. pound of the aforesaid sum, which with the whole contribution of the Country was exhausted in eight week's space, 5000. pound in money, and a few provisions only excepted; the only services performed by the expense of so much treasure, were the taking of Cork, Kinsale and Younghall out of those hands who had long and faithfully hold them for the service of the King and Parliament, and placing in them confidents of their own, to secure unto themselves their own resolutions, which were so fixed upon the suppression of both King and Parliament, as that they endeavoured to postpone a Commission (from both) under the broad Seal of England to a Paper-warrant of their own; and howbeit to give countenance, and enforce obedience to that new contrived Authority they had drawn the head Garrison into Arms, loaden their Muskets with Powder and Ball, shut up the Ports, and drawn in part of the Lord Broghels' Regiment of Horse to the Lord Presidents door, yet finding the Officers generally (a few particularly obliged persons only excepted) to adhere unto the Parliaments Authority in the Lord Presidents person, and nothing moved with their apparition of force, they desisted from further prosecution of that design, and departed the Kingdom, giving testimony of the good affections they had for the service thereof, upon their landing, by labouring to foment a Petition amongst the Horse-Forces then lying ready at the waterside to embark for this Province, whereby they desired to decline this Service, unless under the Command of some of their Faction. But that (with many other) proving to weak a practice to accelerate our ruin, they labour to retard or divert all Supplies for the carrying on this war; For the better accomplishing whereof it bathe been suggested; That the wants of this Army are not so great as they are frequently represented, but that here is a competency upon the place to support us; though to take away that supposition (being of somewhat a long standing) it hath been often most earnestly desired that a Committee might be sent over to improve whatsoever may arise upon the place, and dispose of what shall be transmitted thence; But as there is a suggested sufficiency of means, so there is a supposed deficiency in the Officers which must give ground to detain all supplies till they can be sent by such as have sufficient prejudice to this Army. As a practice to this purpose we must necessarily look upon the endeavour used by some Independents to take off the reputation of our late engagements with the Rebels at Knocknonosse calling it (on the open Exchange) a project to draw on the adventurers (than convening to advance moneys for our relief) and for the greater disparagement of the action, substracting from the number of the Rebels, both alive and slain, lest the considerableness of the service should induce any proportionable relief, which the Houses did not with more alacrity grant, than others laboured to retard: It could not otherwise be that of 10000 pound voted so long since, and revoted on the advertisement of that action, there should be only 2500. li. advanced and remitted, or that of the Ordinance for 20000. pound per Mens. voted four months since, and to continue but for six. We should yet find no effect, the passing of which Ordinance did not more comfort us with the contemplation of a settled competency, then with an expectation that the Levies made for us distinguished from any mixture with other taxations, would come clearly and entirely to us without the accustomed misapplication, whereby the relief of Ireland was made but a stolen to collect great sums by for other uses; It being generally observable, and many of us eye-witnesses thereof, that the Impositions laid in City and Country for the relief of this distressed Kingdom, were paid in with the greatest alacrity and readiness of any other taxes, which occasioned the name of our relief to be interwoven in all assessments.  
We doubt nor but many will be ready to object an impossibility that any man can be so unchristian to obstruct or divert the supplies of this bleeding Kingdom, to the support whereof all so highly pretend; And yet the detaining most part of the train of Artillery with its Carriages and Utencills, for which the Lord Lisles account stands charged with above 12000. pound, and for transportation whereof 1000 was imprested to Sir John Veal, could not have passed with impunity if some did nor contrive the retarding the work of Ireland; The reproachful full usage of those Gentlemen who in Conformity to the Ordinance of Parliament disbanded and subscribed for the service of Ireland; The suffering of many men desirous to come for Ireland to lie upon free quarter in the West, till they had eaten as much as would have maintained them here a twelvemonth, and were at last disbanded; The strict course taken (by the interposition of some particular persons) to deprive us of all hope of relief from the shipping, by reprizals taken at Sea upon our Coasts, and even in our Harbour's mouths (an expedient that hath formerly often preserved us in our greatest exigencies) savoureth of no mean endeavours to retard the relief of Ireland: And the words of a powerful Member of the Army to a late servant of the Lord Lisles declaring our starving condition for want of food and raiment. (That if we in Munster were not poor enough, they would make us so) have been in a great measure verified; But we do the less wonder that it should be their endeavour to make us so, when we consider the arguments raised by Colonel Lambert and others of the Army, against the justice and lawfulness of this war on our parts, and justifying the actions of the Rebels; it having been avouched to some of ourfaces, that the English interest were better in the hands of the Rebels then in ours: And there have not been wanting those of the Lord Lisles own retinue, who have openly professed that they made No distinction betwixt the Rebels and those of the Protestant party which they found upon the place, his Lordship's domestic Chappellain at the same time diffusing words of the same sense in the Pulpit, whiles other Orthodox Divines were not admitted to preach: But we shall sum up all their practices to obstruct our relief, in this one instance of their late seizure upon the moneys brought in upon the Ordinance of 20000. l. per Mens. and taking the same out of the hands of our Treasurers, so as that it may be feared that to have the war finished here before the perfection of their designs in England, would prove to them the greatest dissatisfaction in the world, by means whereof many of our poor Soldiers have been already swept into a miserable Grave; for whose lives as these men stand justly accountable, so will it be difficult for them to be freed of the guilt of all that blood which hath been shed in the service which but for their practices had been long ago foreclosed; and yet their, confidence is remarkable; for though these things have been visibly practised in our eyes, yet we find the cry raised aloud against the KING, the eleven Members, involving the Lord Precedent for obstructing the War of Ireland; and the INDEPENDANTS putting on as sober countenances, as if their hands were innocent of our blood, and that it were just that they should pass by plausibly unblameable; And for this end they make that Criminal in some, that they allow to be commendable in others: If we importune Relief, declare against Innovations in Government, profess a readiness to serve and obey the Parliament, we must at least sue forth an Act of Indemnity; and it is held for a special lenity that two of our Officers were not executed on that score. But if the Army in England refuse to disband at the appointment of an Ordinance of Parliament, or to obey the major Votes of the Houses, and march up to the City of London with Banners displayed, it shall not only be approved, but made penal to us, or any other that dare mention it with dislike; though as being Englishmen and Subjects, we esteem our interest and propriety in the Law of The Land, and liberty of the Subject, proportionably as good as theirs: Though these their private practices were sufficiently notorious unto us, yet we were resolved to struggle with all difficulties, and to maintain the Protestant interest in these parts successively to the last man, rather than by any Cessation with the Irish, or otherwise to give a jealousy of forfeiting the least trust which was imposed in us by chat authority which employed us hither; while they continued in the Government, we would not decline our obedience for the greatest hardships; But now at last discovering the resolutions of our adversaries to cast off all obligations both to King and Parliament, rather than to fail in their intendments: We conceive we are obliged by the Law of God and of the Kingdom, not to assent unto their requirement whom Power, not Justice, hath seated n those places of authority: It is, and was ever a main principle whereon all our resolutions were grounded to contend for the safety of his Majesty's Person and Prerogative, for the Freedom & Privilege of Parliament, and liberty of the Subject, as they were inter woven, and had a clear and mutual dependency each upon other; & it was long before we could entertain any suspicion of a design to engage us further, until the practice of the Independents party grew more obnoxious, and that we saw his Majesty in effect deposed, made prisoner to the closest confinement, the freedom of the Parliament highly invaded & their inclination & assent to a Personal Treaty with his Majesty (the only expedient of a happy Peace) made frustrate, by the over pouring awe of the Army; the Liberty of the Subject, and propriety of interest totally suppressed, and all other the genuine Immunities of that once glorious Nation, made arbitrary at the pleasure and determination of the Armies dictations; and though while these things were in our eye and observation, we had still quiet desires of sitting silent, and intent upon our own engagement here, and the prosecution and conduct of our charge in this Kingdom, yet we came at last to discern, that if we would not be involved and engaged in the same practices with those who were resolved to trample under foot, the subject matter of our Nationall League, that we should be made partakers of their ruin, whom we had sworn to support; of which besides other evidences, we had that signal Testimony of the Vice Admiral's demand (in this Army's absence in the field) of certain persons committed to close custody for contriving the Army's ruin, of his blocking up our Harbours thereupon, and menacing us with a Declaration of being enemies to the State, and with the access of great Powers to suppress and suddenly swallow us up (though nothing considerable in twelve month's space came to support the War against the Rebels) unless we did declare those who acted contrary to our and their own engagements, of seducing and encouraging our fugitive and mutinous Soldiers abroad, for the accomplishing the most wicked end of necessitating us, to submit to Famine or Cessation with the Irish: All which we could not imagine he would presume to act, without direction & authority from that part of the Parliament which is solely guided by the pleasure of the Army (for the doing whereof he now avoucheth Authority at the same time, that the Committee at Derby house assures us of the houses confidence in our integrity,) And did therefore esteem it absolutely necessary, at a general Rendezvous upon, our return out of the field, to declare and manifest our intentions and resolutions to the Soldiery, as well to give them clear understanding of our intendments as to confirm them against the practices of seducers, against whose charms we resolve to arm ourselves with these ensuing resolutions: That we will not be involved by consent or coopperation in any Actions which shall tend to the violation of our public engagements to the King and Parliament, nor prostrate ourselves to a misguidance with those who (with grief of heart) we observe to be under the coercive enforcement of the Independent power, from which as we shall labour to restore them to their proper freedom, so we shall not during their continuance under these pressures, esteem ourselves obliged to the observance of any injunctions which by the usurped Authority of the Independents they shall labour to lay upon us, under the notion of Parliament but by the ensuing Protestation do declare: First, to improve our utmost endeavours for the settlement of the Protestant Religion according to the examp1e of the best Reformed Churches. Secondly, to defend the King in his Prerogatives. Thirdly, to maintain the Privileges and freedom of the Parliament and the Liberty of the Subject; and that in order hereunto, we shall oppose to the hazard of our lives those Rebels of this Kingdom who shall refuse their obedience to his Majesty, upon what terms soever he shall think fit to require it: And we shall endeavour to the utmost the suppressing of that Independent party, who have thus fiercely laboured the extirpation of the true Protestant Religion, the mine of our Prince, the dishonour of our Parliament, and the Vassalidge of our Fellow-Subiects, against all those who shall depend upon them or adhere unto them: And that this our undertaking might not appear obnoxious to the trade of England but that we desire a firm union and agreement be preserved betwixt us: We do likewise declare, that we will continue free Traffic and commerce, with all his Majesty's good Subjects of England: And that we will not in the least manner prejudice any of them that shall have recourse to our Harbours either in their bodies, ships, or goods, nor shall we take any thing from them without payment of ready money for the same.  
It may happily be judged by some as an Act of Imprudence that we should take this unseasonable time for this Remonstrance, wherein, the King himself is in confinement, his party nothing; the moderate party of the houses (or most of them) either in retirement or banishment for the preservation of their lives, and only those in power and authority against whose proceed, we make this our public Protestation: All which we cannot but with much sorrow acknowledge to be too true, and that these inconveniences are to be resisted but not avoided; Had we been ascertained heretofore that th●ir intentions were as now we find them, to introduce an Anarchy upon us, and by the destruction of the Fundamentals of these Kingdoms to advance a Government of their own imaginations, we had long ere this time approved our duty to King and Country by opposing them, which in all probabilites we might have done upon more advantageous terms both to our persons and undertake, had we not been drawn on in an expectation of a fair composure of all differences, as not able to discern (beyond suspicion) the clear drift of their designs through those various pretences which they put upon them, till they had gained the whole power of the Kingdom into their hands: Yet these difficulties must not be admitted into the balance with honesty; Though it may not come within the compass of our abilities to serve our King and Country as we would (which we shall never decline upon the least occasion) yet we desire to approve our integrities to both by this manifest of our resolution.  
April, 1648.   
FINIS.