THE RESOLUTION OF The Gentry and Commonalty of the County OF KENT: Wherein they declare their Love and Loyalty to the Parliament, with their full Determination to hazard their lives and fortunes in this present expedition, against the evil counsellors and Cavaliers that are enemies to the King and Parliament: With their humble Petition presented to the House of peers.  
Also the PARLIAMENTS care for the future prevention of plundering and pillaging, with their Charge for the Restitution of such Goods to the Owners, as have been illegally taken from them by the Souldiers.  
LONDON, Novemb. 28. Printed for T. Wright. 1642.   

THE RESOLUTION Of the County of KENT.  
war hath deeply plunged this land into the misery of a Civill destruction, so that the clearest judgement cannot discern, what should be the event thereof. For both Armies being provided of great strength, they flatter themselves with an expectation of victory, the loss and effusion of blood being certain, the gain nothing but the ruin of the Common-wealth, under a pretended show of Religion, which doth persuade the acting of the bloody Tragedy. In these doubtful, times no County can stand as a looker on, but must declare theit Resolution either to stand for the King or Parliament, so that the affections of the Commons are now clearly discerned, and in this doubtful matter are discovered either to be friends or foes; their hearts by their inclination, to either side being laid naked to view of the world.  
That which shall now be the subject of this Declaration, is the constant Resolution of the Kentish men, whose clear intents do give example to other counties, to be firm and true with themselves and Religion which now lies a bleeding.  
The Kentish-men were formerly conduced by their own opinions, to think it the safest course to stand upon their own guard, or else to assist the King in this civill War, their Petitions not being so well accepted as those of other Counties presented to the Parliament, so that it was supposed that upon any occasion they would raise forces to assist the King, and with all the aid they could afford him, increase the flamme of this Civill dissension.  
Now the Kentish men are happily converted to another opinion, thereby giving certain testemony of a great acknowledging their former error. And they do now intend to be no more blinded, with a glorious show of standing for the King; but in all matters do address their desires to the Parliament, and to honour and defend both Houses.  
The causes moving forward a design, and the good end whereunto any action is directed, do make it perfect and worthy of glory, if therefore the reader would consider the cause, and end, exciting the Kentish-men to this Resolution, he shall find they wete ind●●ed thereunto by the persuasion of Religion and Re●son, they saw their could be no Reformation of the Church, unless they complied with the Parliament, and therefore they sent a late Petition to the Parliament, which gave them better satisfaction then the former did, desiring that the Parliament would be pleased to go on to a through Reformation, and many other good desires they intimated in that Petition showing how much they desired to expedite their proceedings, and in many high expressions declared their Resolution, and constant affection to the Parliament.  
Religion and the sacred care thereof, was the first strong inducement to work this happy change in their affections, and now have made a late demonstration of their firm love to stand for the truth, and and those great defenders thereof the Parliament, they having now as ardent a desire, to advance the common cause, as those other Counties; who made more early address to the house.  
The next consideration that begot in them a good opinion of the Parliament, was the inhuman dealing of the C●valiers, unto which the Turkish slavery being compared would appear mercy, they have their ears strook with the terror of their bloody actions, their pillaging and plundering of houses, their extreme cruelty to such as they take, torturing them with words, before they will afford them the happiness of an expected death; thereby to lengthen their misery, and to rejoice at their own wickedness, in Sacrificeing the lives of all they take, and killing women with child, thinkeing it to be a work of devilish policy to kill a Round-head.  
What Souldiers heart though obdurate as ulysses Mirmidons, can seeing these most bloody and treacherous cruelties refrain from tears, tears, to know and behold so many butcheryes daily by them committed.  
These Kentish men wisely pondering and weighing this unnatural cruelty, have forsaken the Cavaliers and both condemned them and their actions. Now they have forsook those flattering persuasions of exposing their lives and fortunes, amongst the rabble of roaring Cavaliers, and have given themselves up to serve the King and Parliament, in such manner as their consciences do guide them with the light of a pure zeal. In this they show that they were never conquered, because no bad or private respects could subdue them to an obedience against the Common-wealth; but all our strength shall be employed to the desire of our Religious and honourable Parliament. The Kentish men are a people that are sooner drawn by gentle means then any way enforced, their affection must flow uncompelled, and their former standing off, or coldness in the great affairs of the Common-wealth is now grown strong in ardent desires, earnest wishes, and actual expositions of their affection to the Parliament, what a strange alteration hath some few Moneths wrought; Kent was then supposed to be for the King, but for the Parliament now, they will vindicate the Parliaments privileges, they desire now( as all others true subjects do) that there may be peace between the King and Parliament, and that the wounds of this War may be healed, and not by the hand of Delinquents opened ready to bleed unto destruction.  
They have beholded the kingdoms distractions, and htiw bleeding hearts suffered in the misery that hath fallen upon this Common-Wealth, they know that Religion is that sacred knot which neither great Alexander nor any King can cut asunder, but there will follow a general dissolution of all government, and this land be converted into the first principles of heathen barbarism, or which is worse, blind and superstitious Popery. And they have no less observed the progress of wicked cruelty among the Cavaliers, and from their bloody designs against the Parliaments Forces, have instructed themselves how they ought to be affencted to such wicked Cavaliers, giving thereby example unto other Counties, to stand firm in their resolution for Religion and the Parliament.  

To the Right Honourable, the high Court of Parliament: The humble Petition of the Knights, Gentlemen, Ministers, Freeholders, and other Inhabitants of the County of Kent.  
Sheweth,  
THat the Petitioners do with joy and humble thankfulness aclowledge the good correspondency and concurrence which( by the blessing of God) this Honourable House hath held with the Worthy House of Commons, in passing the Bill to take away the Votes of the Prelates in this Honourable House, and disabling them from temporal employments, and settling the kingdom into a Posture of war for its defence.  
And the Petitioners do in like manner most humbly and hearty profess, That they will ever honour this honourable House, and to the utmost of their power defend the same, so far as your Lordships shall continue to hold Correspondence and Concurrence with the said House of Commons in all their just desires, and endeavours. Upon which the Petitioners do humbly conceive, greatly dependeth the Peace and Welfare of this kingdom.  
And the Petitioners most humbly pray, That this Honourable House( declaring therein your noble Resolutions for the public good) would be pleased to go on with the said House of Commons, to a through Reformation, especially of the Church, according to the Word of God; to press dispatch for the aid of Ireland, to expedite proceedings against Delinquents, to vindicate Parliament privileges, to discover, remove, and punish evil Councellors, to deprive the Popish Lords of their Votes, to disarm and search out Papists, and put them into safe custody, to suppress mass, both in public and private; to cast out scandalous Ministers, plant painful Preachers every where, and discover who are Church-Papists, as well as known Recusants,   
And the Petitioners shall daily pray, &c.   

Die Martis 22. Novemb. 1642.  
WHereas the houses of divers of His Majesties god Subjects in the several Counties of England have been plundered, and their goods taken by strong hand from them by Souldiers; It is this day ordered by the Commons House of Parliament, That all such goods( in whose possession soever they be) being found by any party from whom they were taken, and denial made of Restitution upon fight hereof; It shall be lawful for them, or any of them, to call the Constables, and other Officers, and all other His Majesties good People; to be aiding and assisting, for the gaining the possession of them, by way of Examination of any that can give any information before any Officer, or otherwise, in whose hands they shall be found to remain, and such as shall assist in this business, shall be saved harmless by virtue of this Order.  
Hen. Elsing clear. Parl. D. come.