VVHosoever doth Righteousnesse is Righteous, (1 Jo. 2. 29. 3. 7. 10.) Wherefore having the Sword of the Lord put into our hands by His All-Wise Providence, councelling the Godly party in the great Parliament, & stirring up the honest Peo­ple thereto; as also the several Appeals and Declarations of the late King and Parliament, pressing upon us the Necessi­ty of the Sword, even by Protestations, Covenants, & several [Page 4] engagements imposed on us and others, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well, (Rom. 13, 3, 4. 1 Pet. 2. 14.) Which Work the Lord so prospe­red in our hands, that by us he wrought Peace throughout the three Nations, in so much that supposing our work done we slumbered till we saw men in high places Drunk with the Cup of Fornication (Rom. 17. 2. 18. 3.) and our selves al­ready hurried amongst the Worshippers of the Beast, and his Image. (Rev. 14) At last the Terrors of the Lord (2 Cor. 5. 10.) have awakened us, and we now behold all three Na­tions, as in the Parable (Mat. 12. 44. 45.) swept and Gar­nish'd, and the unclean Spirit bringing with him seven other Spirits, more wicked then himself; so that the Treasure is exhausted, Merchants and Sea-men discouraged, Trade de­ [...]yed, Prisons filled, VVest minster-Hall throng'd with Law­yers and Clyents, and complaints, and Fees innumerable, whilst Injustice, Poverty and Oppression increase and Tri­umph; And our selves made use of, but to raise and ex­act Taxes though left without pay, or Honourable employ­ment, and many poor Souldiers Families wholly Fami­shed.

We Declare and Proclaim, That we have obtained now strength of the Lord, and do as One Nan resolve (by his Al­mighty Help) one these Particulars.

1. Liberty of Conscince; but not of Sin.

2. Gods Lawes to be Enthroned; but not the Jewes.

3. Judges to be chosen in every City; but not imposed.

4. Taxes and Excise to be taken off, and never more lay'd on.

5. Free Trade for all Victuals, Ammunition and materi­als inported, & for all Manufactures exported.

6. To indeavour a maintenance for Souldiers that have been for the Good Old Cause, without Taxes or Oppression of the People.

7. To indeavour all the Poor may be imployed and main­tained, [Page 5] without injury to any mans Propriety.

8. Prison Doors to be set open, to let out Debtors to labour toward the payment of their Debts.

9. And for preventing Royalists and Malignants from sit­ting in Parliament to dispose of the Estates, Lives and Liber­ties of those whose Vassels they ought to be by Conquest, and so revenge by Councils what they lost in Warr, the qualifications were thought fit for the Election of either new supplies, or new Parliaments.

10. A Parliament or supply to be called from all Parts of the three Nations for the better settling of this intended Good.

11. Elections not to be by a confused Rabble, nor yet re­turned by a more Corrupt Sheriff; but to be chosen, or at least approved by the several Congregations for places a­foresaid.

12. Such Parliament men to be maintained by the seve­ral respective places they are chosen for, and to bring with them the Attestation of the said Election, under the Hands and Seals of the respective Congregations at large, certify­ing also their Imployment, Conversation, and time of abode amongst them.

13. That each Congregation have liberty to demand an Account of the several Representatives; And upon their not discharging the Trust, to redemand them, and to chuse others.

14. That neither the Army, nor any Officer of the Army shall have to do with Judicature, after the settling of the Laws of God throughout the Nations, so long as they con­tinue Members of the Army.

15. Because that Mercy is better than Sacrifice; and to save Life more then to destroy it: Therefore an Act of Ob­livion for all men that may be pardoned, without leaving the Guilt of Sin upon the Nation, or doing injury to any difference between man and man.

[Page 6] 16. That there may be sufficient Provision for a godly Ministery throughout all three Nations, upon such Establish­ment as may satisfie each Religious Conscience without wounding the Liberty of any.

17. That there may be an honourable entertainment for above 1000 Lawyers or Judges, if so many honest may be found, with sufficient Clarks and Registers under them.

Since this was gathered, as the intent & meaning of some old Souldiers and Officers, together with the mind of some godly people of the Nation; It hath pleased God to hasten the Resurrection of that Parliament, that first modelized these Kingdoms into a Common-wealth: to whose grave consultations, as to all others that desire the good of this Reipublick, and the establishment thereof, upon solid and unalterable foundation; this lies open without interrupting either publick Councils, or private affairs; wherein these 3 difficulties chiefly appear. 1. To pay the Souldier. 2. To take off Taxes. 3. To quicken Trade; For it were great Ingratitude to let the good old Souldier perish for want of pay, who hath stood in the breach, and born the heat of the day.

It were Tiranny and Oppression still to burthen the suf­fering People with Assessements, Taxes, and Excise, who have spent themselves to Poverty and ruin for the Good Old Cause.

It were destructive to the Nation, & would expose us na­ked to the mercy of Forreigners, not to encourage Mer­chants and Sea-men.

All which, having been the long meditations of some able and well-meaning men, and God having answered their fre­quent desires, and Petitions in this behalf: so as to shew them a very probable way, not onely for the maintaining of the Good Old Officers and Souldiers, but of their Families also without Assessements, Excise, or other Taxes on the people, Together with the maintenance of the Navie, with­out Customes on Ammunition, Victual, on materials im­ported, or any Manufactures, exported, or without invading any mans propriety.

[Page 7] They look upon this juncture of time as the Voice of God calling upon them, and giving them opportunity to in­deavour so good a work. Nevertheless desirous to be assist­ed in so great an Enterprize, by as many persons of note & ability as God hath made willing and able, together with themselves to put in sufficient security for performance hereof; they are intreated to send in their names to Live­well Chapman, Book-Seller in Popes-head-Ally by the Ex­change, who hath promised to keep them secret, till by so­ber and freequent meetings the matter may be digested, fit to be presented to the Parliament and chief Officers of the Army. Where if the Propositions prove acceptable, there will be a summe of 500000 l. ready towards performance of the same.

This Paper having found favour in the eyes of some wor­thyes of the Parliament, Army, and the City. It is the de­sire of those in London (who are willing to engage their E­states in the undertakings, when all difficulties are remo­ved) That they likewise in the Countries, whom God hath made able men of Estates, and of a willing mind thereto, might also send in their Names, that so there may be a full meeting to advise, both how to perform these great Ser­vices to the Nation, and how to obtain the favour and Assi­stance of the Parliament and Army herein.

There being very great encouragements and Probabilities to answer all Objections, and overcome all Difficulties that may seem at first sight to appear therein,