A DECLARATION OF THE LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in Parliament.  
Showing the present Design now on foot (by virtue of a pretended Commission from His Majesty) for a Cessation of Arms, or Treaty of Peace with the Rebels in Ireland, now they are brought to such a low condition, that they are enforced to devour and eat one another in some parts of that Kingdom  
And by what popish Instruments and Ministers in their counsels at the Court, the said design is and hath been carried on; Persons of great trust, eminent for their affection to religion, and hatred of the Rebels being displaced, and men popishly addicted put in their Offices.  
All serving for the better introduction of Popery, and extirpation of the true Protestant religion, in that and other of His Majesty's Dominions.  

Die Sabbathi 30. Septemb. 1643.  
ORdered by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, that this Declaration shall be forthwith printed & published.  
J. Brown Cler. Parliamentorum.   
LONDON, Printed for john Wright in the Old-baily, Octob. 2. 1643.   

A DECLARATION OF THE Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament.  
AS it is evident to all the world that this late horrid rebellion of the Papists in Ireland did, without any colour or pretext of provocation professedly and boldly aim at the destruction of the Protestant Religion, the rejecting of the Laws of England, and the extirpation of the British Inhabitants out of that Kingdom: So it is no less manifest, that this Parliament of England (to whom His Majesty hath left the managing of the War against those Rebels) hath taken the troubles of Ireland to heart with that resentment and compassion as may evidence their zeal to Religion, their love to their distressed Countrymen, and brethren there, in these times, when the like jesuitical practices have cast England into woeful distractions and an unnatural war, not withstanding which the reducing of Ireland hath still been a chief part of the care of this Parliament; And God hath been pleased to bless our endeavours with such success as that those furious bloodthirsty Papists have been stopped in the career of their cruelty, some part of the Protestant Blood which at first was spilt like Water upon the ground, hath been revenged, their massacres, burn, and famishing, have by a Divine retaliation been repaid into their bosom; And the Protestant party hath been erected to that condition of strength and hope, that their enemies are constrained, (distrusting their Forces) to have recourse to their craft and policies; And therefore by their subtle Agents at Court, and their active instruments elsewhere have been endeavouring now of a long time to make our Arms in Ireland disaffected to the Parliament, what by occasion of their wants not so readily supplied as their need required, what by amusing them with these unhappy differences fallen in here between King and people, labouring by that means to divide those Forces into factions, to the end the main work they have in hand might be neglected, which is the prosecuting of the War against the Rebels, so fare brought low in some parts of Ireland, that if they can be deprived of the benefit of this Harvest, they are not likely to see the next Summer. And therefore the Rebels finding that notwithstanding the distractions here occasioning the slowness and scarceness of supplies, yet they themselves are in a fare worse condition, being in want of most things necessary, not only for the maintaining of a war, but even of life, the judgement of God being remarkable upon them in this, that as their bloody and treacherous Religion made them inhumanely cruel in shedding the Protestants blood, so now the famine amongst many of them hath made them unnaturally and Caniball-like eat and feed one upon another: Therefore that they may have time to expect from their friends abroad new supplies both of victual and Ammunition, and may without molestation reap the fruit of this Harvest, they have laboured a Treaty for a Cessation, which Project of theirs doth no less aim at the overthrow of the remainder of the Protestants in that Kingdom, than their treacherous taking of Arms at first did intent the destruction of them all; for their Cessation and Hostility, their War and peace are alike to be esteemed of, and with those that neither in peace nor war keep any faith, it is best to be in perpetual defiance: Therefore the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, according to their continued care of that Kingdom of Ireland, do in a special manner take into their consideration the condition thereof, upon this occasion of an intended Cessation, and so much the rather because it is feared that the Protestant forces through want of provisions for their Armies may at last, it not relieved, be persuaded to admit of this course, in hope thereby to procure some means for their subsisting; as also because there is too much ground to suspect, that if this Cessation should be agreed unto, they might have opportunity to join with the Popish party here for their greater strengthening: And though it were to have no influence upon this Kingdom, yet the evil Consequences of it are so many and pernicious to Ireland, that this Parliament should betray the trust reposed in them, if they did not declare against this Cessation, and use all means in time to make it prove abortive. And therefore they desire that it may be observed and taken notice of:  
First, from whence the counsel and design of this Cessation ariseth, even from the Rebels and Papists themselves for their own preservation; for soon after they had miss of their intent, to make themselves absolute Masters of that Kingdom of Ireland by their treacherous surprises; and seeing that this Kingdom did with most Christian and generous resolutions, undertake the charges of the War for the relief and recovery of Ireland; Propositions were brought over from the Rebels by the Lords Dillon and Tase, at which time they were intercepted and restrained by Order of the House of Commons. After that, they had the boldness, even while their hands were still imbrued in the Protestants blood, to petition His Majesty that their demands might be heard, and for this purpose they obtained a Commission to be sent over into Ireland to divers persons of quality (whereof some were Papists) to hear, receive, and transmit to His Majesty their Demands, which was done accordingly: and one Master Burke, a notorious pragmatic Irish Papist, was the chief Solicitor in this business. After this, the just revenging God giving daily success to handfuls of the Protestant Forces against their great numbers; so that by a wonderful blessing from Heaven they were in most parts put to the worst; Then did they begin to set on foot an Overture for a cessation of Arms; concerning which, what going and coming hath been between the Court and the Rebels is very well known; and what Meetings and Treaties have been held about it in Ireland by warrant of his Majesty's ample Commission sent to that effect; and what reception and countenance most pragmatic Papists negotiating the business have found at Court, and that those of the State in Dublin, who had so much Religion and Honesty as to dissuade the Cessation, were first discountenanced, and at last put out of their places and restrained to prison, as Sir Wil Parsons one of the Lords justices there, Sir John Temple Master of the Rolls, Sir Adam Loftus Vice-Treasurer of Ireland, and Treasurer at Wars, and Sir Robert Merideth one also of the Council Table.  
Secondly, the Lords and Commons desire it may be observed, That during all these Passages and Negotiations, the Houses of Parliament were never acquainted by the State of Ireland with the Treaty of a Cessation, much less was their Advice or Council demanded, notwithstanding that the care and managing of the War was devolved on them, both by Act of Parliament, and by His Majesty's Commission under the great Seal, To advise, order, and dispose of all things concerning the government and defence of that Kingdom. But the wants of the Army were often represented and complained of, whereby with much craft a ground was preparing for the pretext, wherewith now they would cover the Counsels of this Cessation, as if nothing had drawn it on, but the extreme wants of their Armies; whereas it is evident, That the reports of such a Treaty have been (in a great part) the cause of their wants, for thereby the Adventurers were dis-heartened, Contributions were stopped, and by the admittance to Court of the Negotiators of this Cessation, their wicked counsels have had that influence, as to procure the intercepting of much provisions which were sent for Ireland, so that Ships going for Ireland with Victuals, and others coming from thence with Commodities to exchange for Victuals had been taken, not only by Dunkirkers having his Majesty's Warrant, but also by English Ships commanded by Sir John Pennigton under his Majesty. 
Mr. Davis his ships, and others.  And moreover, the Parliament Messengers sent into several Counties with the Ordinance of january last for Loans and Contributions, have been taken and imprisoned, their Money taken from them, and not one penny either Loane or Contribution hath been suffered to be sent in for Ireland from those Counties which were under the power of the King's Army, while in the mean time the Houses of Parliament by their Ordinances, Declarations, and Solicitations to the City of London, and the Counties free from the terror of the King's Forces, were still procuring not contemptible aid and relief for the distresses of Ireland.  
3. As the Lords and Commons have reason to Declare against this Plot and design of a Cessation of Arms, as being treated and carried on without their advice so also because of the great prejudice which will thereby redound to the Protestant Religion, and the encouragement and advancement which it will give to the practice of Popery, when these 〈…〉 Papists shall by this agreement, continue and set up with more freedom their Idolatrous Worship, their Popish Superstitions, and Romish abominations in all the places of their command to the dishonouring of God, the grieving of all true Protestant hearts, the disposing of the laws, of the Crown of England, and to the provoking of the wrath of a jealous God; as if both Kingdoms had not smarted enough already, for this sin of too much●●●●niving at, and tolerating of Antichristian Idolatry, under pretext of civil contracts and politic agreements.  
4. In the fourth place they desire it may be observed that this Cessation will prove dishonourable to the public Faith of this Kingdom, it will elude and make null the Acts and Ordinances of Parliament, made for the forfeiting of the Rebels Lands; at the passing of which Acts, it was, represented, that such a course would drive the Rebels to despair, and it proves so, but otherways then was meant, for despairing of their force and courage, they go about to overcome us with their craft.  
5. Lastly, what shall become of the many poor exiled Protestants, turned out of their Estates by this Rebellion, who must now continue begging their bread while the Rebels shall enjoy their Lands and houses? and who shall secure the rest of the Protestants, that either by their own courage, industry, and great charges, have kept their possessions, or by the success of our Armies have been restored? Can there be any assurance gotten from a perfidious Enemy, of a Cessation from Treachery and breach of agreement, when they shall see a fit time and opportunity? These and many other Considerations being well weighed, it will appear evidently that this design of a Cessation is a deep Plot laid by the Rebels, and really invented for their own safety, and falsely pretended to be for the benefit of our Armies.  
And whereas the Lords and Commons, have no certain Information that the Treaty is concluded, but are informed by several Letters that all the Protestants, as well Inhabitants as Soldiers in that Kingdom, are resolved to withstand that proceeding, and to adventure on the greatest extremities rather then have any sort of Peace with that generation, who have so cruelly in time of Peace murdered many thousands of our Country men, and laboured to extirpate the Protestant Religion from amongst them; So they do believe, that these rumours of a Cessation were first contrived by the Enemies of our Religion and peace, and by their practices: The Treaty was carried on with much subtlety and solicitation, thereby to stop the sending of supplies from thence to our Armies, and for the cooling of the affections of those who have already shown their Zeal to the Weal● of Ireland: And therefore the only means to defeat this their policy, & prevent the evils intended by it, is to settle a course whereby the Armies of Ireland may be at least fenced against hunger and cold: For which purpose it is desired, that all those who are well-affected to the Protestant Religion, either in that or this Kingdom, and all those who by their adventures already made, have embarked their particular interests with the public of that Kingdom, and do desire a good return of their engagements, would join their endeavours, for obviating of that necessity, which may be made a strong argument to enforce a destructive Cessation of Arms, & that they would not through too much suspicion and jealousy of it forbear the providing of supplies, and so occasion that inconvenience which they ought by all means to prevent, for by so doing, they will lose all their former pains and charges; and the withholding of provisions now will gain credit to that calumny laid against this Kingdom, of neglecting the Armies of Ireland, and by the continuing of supplies, these Forces will be encouraged to continue the War, and so crown both their work and ours. And lastly, the Rebels seeing assistance against them still flowing from hence, must needs be out of hope of prosecuting or concluding this their design. The cry of much Protestant blood, the great indigency of many ruined Families, the danger of our Religion almost exiled out of that Kingdom, calls for this last Act of Piety, Charity, justice, and Policy from us, which being resolved on, Letters are to be dispatched to the several parts of that Kingdom, to encourage the Commanders & Soldiers upon the aforesaid reasons and assurances, that they may not hearken to such an unjust and deceitful counsel, and as 〈◊〉 their prosecuting of the War, through God's blessing they have successfully resisted the Rebels cruelly, so they may upon this occasion beware they be not overreached by their craft.  
All which the Lords and Commons do earnestly desire, may be seriously taken to heart by all the Kingdom, and that from those other encouragements mentioned at large in the Ordinance of the 14 of July last and such as now are offered, a 〈◊〉 may be taken whereby such a constant weekly ●●●tribution may be settled as will supply to the Armies in Ireland, the mere necessities of nature, which may be more punctually and seasonably transmitted unto the several parts of that Kingdom, according to their respective wants, that so the benefit and honour of so pious a work happily begun, and successfully hitherto carried on, may not be lost when so little remains to be done; and that the fading of a Kingdom, the re-establishing of so many Protestant Churches, the repossessing of so many thousand Christians into their Estates, may not be deserted and let fall to the ground, for a little more pains and cost.  
FINIS.