The MANIFEST of the County of KENT.  
THat the innocency of our intentions, and justice of all our undertakings, may more clearly appear to all men of uncorrupt understandings, & hearts not made too servile by the long & odious custom of oppression: we the Knights, Gentlemen, and Franchlins of the County of Kent, the most free people of this late flourishing Nation; by the wisdom and valour of our Ancestors, delivered from the Laws of a conqueror, and to these late days of unhappy confusion and distraction enjoying the same, through all the reigns of the most glorious and victorious Kings and Princes of this Nation: do hereby declare and manifest to all the world, That our assembling and meeting together at this time, is no other than for a vindication of ourselves and purposes, from the scandal, and aspersions of the Committee of this County; who upon occasion of a Petition in behalf of the County of Kent, assented and subscribed to by the Grand jury at the Sessions of the Judges upon an especial Commission of Oyer and Terminer executed at the Castle of Canterbury the 11. of May last, for the said County; have not only made Orders against the same, and commanded them publicly to be read in all Churches, sentencing and condemning the said Petition and all the Abettors thereof: and have summoned the troops of Horse, and forces of Foot of this County for suppression of the said Petition: which tends not only to the suppression of the Liberty, even of the most enslaved persons of the world; but also, as much as in them lies, show an endeavour upon any causes whatsoever, which suits not with their humours, to over-awe the senses of other men, and upon opposition therein think they have ground enough to take away the lives and fortunes, or both, of their said opposers.  
In consideration of which, and that now the said Committee finding themselves unable to involve this County in blood, have made their address to the Parliament, & Army; and make strange and malicious representations of our purposes, thereby discovering nothing so much as their own pride & malice. We the said Knights, Gentlemen, & Free-Yeomen of the County of Kent do herein appeal to all the world to judge, If it were not high time for us to put ourselves into a posture of Defence; and do further declare, that we will prosecute our said Petition with our lives and fortunes, not doubting of a fair reception from the two Houses of Parliament; whom we know to have been instigated against us by the said Committee: And therefore saving to ourselves the enlarging of the said Petition, we have resolved to charge the said Committee with increasing the Taxes of this County above the due proportions, and only for maintaining their own private luxury & pride; with usurping a power over the Estates & fortunes of the freemen of this County not granted to them by any power of Parliament; with a tyrannical & imbittered spirit naturally engrafted in them, and expressed by words & actions, all along the exercise of this power, (which makes them unfit for rule) to the exasperating of the people's hearts into all animosity, & overthrowing of all love and peace in this County: which also hath been followed to that height of persecution, That had not the two Houses given a stop to their exorbitant proceedings, we had suffered much more under the torment of these men's projected designs: wherein we acknowledge ourselves also to have been secured in the temper and moderation of the Houses. we have no more to say or do, but to defend ourselves, till we can have a right understanding of our purposes and actions before the Houses; In the mean time, we shall look upon all opposition, as the provocation of a conscious & enraged Committee: & in respect of the Invasion lately made upon the persons of our neighbours, we think fit not to lie at the mercy of soldiers; but to have refuge to our arms, from which no threats, or face of soldiery shall drive us, knowing well the justice of our cause, and the temper of our own hearts.  
FINIS.