1642 PRESBYTERIAN MILITIAS. Presbyterian Parliament Empowers Local Citizens to Arrest & Slay Catholics and Royalists.

An absolutely fascinating Declaration of the Lords and Commons, now under the sway of Presbyterians and soon to be aligned with the Westminster Assembly and Oliver Cromwell. In the present Declaration, which a bit cheekily invokes the King, Parliament shockingly empowers local militias, pastors, sheriffs, and regular people to arrest, imprison, kill, and slay those who oppose the Government. 

The title itself seems to imply these will be well-trained, Government sponsored groups, i.e. a military. But the full text expands this . . . "it is and shall be lawfully for all His Majesties loving Subjects, by force of Armes, to resist the said severall Parties & their accomplices, and all other that shall raise or conduct any other Forces for the ends aforesaid."

We should also note that, though the King is invoked, it is clear that they are speaking more of loyalty to the new Parliamentarian structure and several slights against the monarchy lace the document. 

A Declaration of the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, for the raising of all power, and force, as well Trained Bands as others, in severall Counties of this Kingdom, to lead against all Traytors, and their adherents, and them to arrest and imprison, and to fight with, kill, and slay all such as shall oppose any of his Majesties loving Subjects that shall be imployed in this service, by either or both Houses of Parliament. London. Printed for Edward Husbands, and John Franck. 1642. 7pp + Imprimatur.

Textually very crisp and clean; shaken and removed at some point from a larger sammelband. Complete as issued.