Gods Ark Overtopping the Worlds Waves, Parliamentary chronicle · Floating text 12
A Declaration and Ordinance of the Lords and Commons aſſembled in PARLIAMENT, Touching the Great Seal of England.
WHereas the Great Seal of England, which by the Laws of this Realm ought to attend the Parliament, being the Supreme Court of Juſtice and Judicature within this Realm, for the diſpatch of the great and weighty affaires of the Common-wealth, which is eſpecially intereſſed and concerned therein, was above a yeer laſt paſt, that is to ſay, the two and twentieth day of May, An. 1642. by the then Lord-Keeper thereof, Edward Lord Littleton, then a Member and Speaker of the Houſe of Peers in Parliament, contrary to the great truſt in him repoſed, and duty of his place, ſecretly and perfidiouſly conveyed away from the Parliament into the Kings Army, raiſed againſt the Parliament; the ſaid Lord-Keeper departing therewith into the ſaid Army, without the leave or privity of the ſaid Houſe; By means whereof, great miſchiefs and inconveniences have enſued to this Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Ireland.
And whereas the ſaid Great Seal ought conſtantly to remain in the hands and cuſtody of one or more Officer or Officers (ſworn for that ſervice) and to be uſed and imployed for the weal and ſafety of His Majeſties People; which notwithſtanding hath been divers times ſithence the conveying away thereof, as aforeſaid, put into the hands of other perſons not ſworn, and Popiſhly and dangerouſly affected, who have had the diſpoſing and managing thereof at their own wills and pleaſures, and hath been trayterouſly and perniciouſly abuſed, to the ruine and deſtruction of the Parliament and Kingdom, by granting and iſſuing out divers illegall Commiſſions of Array, and …other unlawfull Commiſſions for raiſing of Forces againſt the Parliament, by iſſuing out of moſt foul and ſcandalous Papers, under the Name and Title of Proclamations, againſt both Houſes of Parliament, and divers Members thereof, and others adhering to them, and proclaming them Traytors and Rebells; Commiſſions of Oyer and Terminer, to proceed againſt divers of them, as Traytors, and other Commiſſions to ſeize and confiſcate their Eſtates, for no other cauſe, but for doing their duties and ſervices to the Common-wealth; as likewiſe by granting that horrid Commiſſion, for executing of that moſt bloudy and deteſtable deſigne of Waller, Tomkins, and others, for the deſtruction of the Parliament, and Citie of London, and of the Army raiſed for their juſt defence; and (as if Maſſacres and Aſſaſinations, had been but light and veniall crimes) another Commiſſion hath been granted under the ſame Seale for a Ceſſation of Armes with the barbarous and bloudy Rebels in Ireland, after the effuſion of ſo much innocent bloud, and ſlaughter of above one hundred thouſand Proteſtants, Men, Women, and Children, by their mercileſſe, and bloudy hands: whereupon a Ceſſation of Armes is accordingly concluded; and thoſe brutiſh Rebels thereby imboldned to prepare themſelves, not onelyonly for a totall Extirpation of the Proteſtants remaining there, but for a Conqueſt alſo of this Kingdome: And further by granting of ſeverall Commiſſions, and Offices of Truſt and Command, to notorious Papiſts, who by the Laws and Statutes of this R…alm, are made uncapable thereof; and by conferring of Honours, and Dignities, and granting of Lands and Eſtates to divers exorbitant Delinquents, who ſtand legally impeached of high Treaſon, and other high Crimes and miſdemeanours in Parliament.
All which, and many other unlawfull and enormous Acts have paſſed under the ſaid Great Seale, ſince the removall thereof from the Parliament, as aforeſaid: Which the Lords and Commons taking into their conſideration, and finding all wayes, and means obſtructed for the procuring of any redreſſe from his Majeſtie, in the Premiſſes, notwithſtanding their long hopes, and unceſſant Labours, for the obtaining thereof, are bound in duty, and of neceſſitie to provide ſome ſpeedy Remedy for theſe inſupportable miſchiefes.
BE it therefore Declared and Ordained, by the ſaid Lords and Commons aſſembled in Parliament, that as well all and every the ſaid acts formerly mentioned, which have paſſed under the ſaid Great Seal, as alſo all Letters Patents and Grants of any Lands, Goods or Eſtates, of any perſon, or perſons whatſoever, for adhering to the Parliament, all Compoſitions or Grants, of any Wardſhips, or Leaſes of any Wards, Lands, Liveries, Primer ſeizins & Ouſter le maines▪ ſince the ſaid 22. of May 1642. which have not according to the due courſe of Law, paſſed through the Court of Wards and Liveries, eſtabliſhed by Law: All grants ſince the ſaid 22. of May 1642. of any Honours, Dignities, Mannors, Lands, Hereditaments, or other thing whatſoever, to any perſon or perſons, which have voluntarily contributed, or ſhall voluntarily contribute any Aid or Aſſiſtance to the maintenance of that unnaturall War, raiſed againſt the Parliament; And all pardons granted to any ſuch perſon or perſons; And all other Acts or things whatſoever, contrary to, or in derogation of the Proceedings of both, or either of the Houſes of Parliament, which have paſſed under the ſaid Great Seal, ſince the removall thereof from the Parliament, ſhall be, and are heerby declared to be utterly Invalid, void, and of none effect, to all intents and purpoſes.
And that all and every act or thing, which after the publication of this Ordinance, ſhall paſſe by, or under the ſaid Great Seal, or under any Great Seal of England (other than what is heerby appointed and eſtabliſhed) ſhall be utterly voyd, fruſtrate, and of no effect; and every perſon, or perſons, which ſhall put the ſame in uſe, or ſhall claime any thing thereby, ſhall be held and adjudged a publique Enemy of this State.
And be it further Ordained by the ſaid Lords and Commons, that a great Seal of England already by them made and provided, ſhall be forthwith put in uſe; and ſhall be, and is hereby authorized and eſtabliſhed to be of like force, power, and validity, to all intents and purpoſes, as any Great Seal of England hath been, or ought to be.
And that it ſhall be put into the hands and cuſtody of the perſons hereafter named, who are heerby Ordained Commiſſioners for that purpoſe; that is to ſay, John Earl of Rutland, and Oliver Earl of Bullingbrooke, Members of the Houſe of Peers, and Oliver St Johns Eſquire, His Majeſties Solicitor Generall, John Wilde Sergeant at Law, Samuel Brown, and Edmund Prideaux Eſquires, Members of the Houſe of Commons; which ſaid perſons, or any three or more of them, whereof one Member or more of the Lords Houſe, alſo one Member or more of the Houſe of Commons, ſhall be preſent, ſhall have, and are heerby Authorized to have the Keeping, Ordering and diſpoſing thereof, as alſo all ſuch and the like Power and Authoritie, as any Lord Chancellour, or Lord Keeper, or Commiſſioner of the Great Seal, for the time being hath had, uſed, or ought to have.
Ordered by the Commons in Parliament, that this Declaration, Touching the Great Seal, be forthwith printed and publiſhed. H: Elſynge, Cler. Parl. D. Com.
And for the more legall and authentick proceeding heerin; the Parliament ſwore a new Clerk of the Crown (Mr Willis the late Clerk of the Crown, and Mr Augar his deputy having abſented themſelves) who, as ſoon as he was ſworn, (according to the Act for a trienniall Parliament) did ſwear thoſe Commiſſioners of the Great Seal; as that act doth direct every Lord Keeper or Commiſſioners of the Great Seal, to ſwear, when they enter upon the cuſtody of the Seal. Thus prudently and providently was this buſineſs of ſo great weight and conſequence carried. And now to proceed.
Although it pleaſed the Lord that that moſt noble and renowned Commander Sir William Waller, had not that ſucceſs at Baſing-Houſe in Hampſhire (by reaſon of the moſt impregnable ſtrength of the baracadoes and fortifications in and about it) which was expected and bravely endeavoured; Yet about the midle of this November, wee had credible information by Letters from thence, that before Sir William had drawn his foot forces from before the ſaid Baſing-Houſe, and voluntarily raiſed that Siege;Sir Wil. Waller apprehends the Lord Saulton, a Popiſh Scotiſh Lord, at Newbery, and 4000li in money with him. Sir William having certain intelligence of the arrivall of the Lord Saulton, a Scotiſh Popiſh Lord, on Suſſex coaſts, who had been in France to promove the Popiſh deſignes in England, and was now landed, and making for Oxford, but was happily met with about Newbery by the troopes of horſe ſent out by Sir William, to way-lay him; where they apprehended him, and about ten or twelve horſe with him, together with a ſumme of about 4000li in money (as was moſt credibly enformed) with whom alſo were found Letters of great importance and concernment: who with his Letters was forthwith ſafely ſent up to London to the Parliament, to be ſecured in ſafe cuſtody by them.
About the 20th of November, 1643. a Letter was ſent to the honourable Houſe of Commons in Parliament, and directed to the honourable William Lenthall Eſquire, Speaker of the ſaid Houſe, concerning a great fight at Mount Stamford neer Plimouth, at which fight though the ſaid Fort was loſt to the enemie;The brave fight at Stamford Mount neer Plimouth, and the excellent effect it produced. yet in regard of the brave defence of it, and the ſingular good event which (notwithſtanding the loſs thereof) it produced, I have heer moſt juſtly thought fit to inſert the relation of it (as a rare Parliamentarie-MercieMercy) as it was ſent in a Letter, I ſay, to the Speaker of the Houſe of Commons in Parliament; together with the Copie of a Vow and Covenant, which the Deputie-Lievtenants, Commanders, Townſmen, and Souldiers took, to live and die in the defence of the Town of Plimouth, which were as followeth.