HAving by our late labours and ha­zards made it appeare to the world at how high a rate wee value our just freedome, and God having so far owned our cause, as to deliver the Enemies thereof into our hands: We do nowhold our selves bound in mutual duty to each other, to take the best care we can for the future, to avoid both the danger of returning into a slavish condition, and the chargable remedy of another war: for as it cannot be imagined that so many of our Country-men would have opposed us in this quarrel, if they had understood their owne good; so may we safely promise to our selves, that when our Common Rights and liberties shall be cleared, their endeavours will be dis­appointed, that seek to make themselves our [Page 2]Masters: since therefore our former oppressi­ons, and scarce yet ended troubles have beene occasioned, either by want of frequent Na­tionall meetings in Councell, or by rendring those meetings ineffectuall; We are fully a­greed and resolved, to provide that hereafter our Representatives be neither left to an un­certainty for the time, nor made uselesse to the ends for which they are intended: In or­der whereunto we declare,

I. That the People of England being at this day very unequally distributed by Counties, Cities, & Burroughs, for the election of their Deputies in Parliament, ought to be more in­differently proportioned, according to the number of the Inhabitants: the circumstances whereof, for number, place, and manner, are to be set down before the end of this present Parliament.

II. That to prevent the many inconveniences apparently arising, from the long continuance of the same persons in authority, this present Parliament be dissolved upon the last day of [Page 3]September, which shall be in the year of our Lord, 1648.

III. That the People do of course chuse them­selves a Parliament once in two yeares, viz. upon the first Thursday in every 21. March, after the manner as shall be prescribed before the end of this Parliament, to begin to sit up­on the first Thursday in Aprill following at Westminster, or such other place as shall bee appointed from time to time by the prece­ding Representatives; and to continue till the last day of September, then next ensuing and no longer.

IV. That the power of this, and all future Re­presentatives of this Nation, is inferiour only to theirs who chuse them, and doth extend, without the consent or concurrence of any other person or persons; to the enacting, alte­ring, and repealing of Lawes; to the erecting and abolishing of Offices and Courts; to the appointing, removing, and calling to account Magistrates, and Officers of all degrees; to the making War and peace, to the treating with [Page 4]forraign States: And generally, to whatsoe­ver is not expresly, or implyedly reserved by the represented to themselves.

• 1. THat matters of Religion, and the wayes of Gods Worship, are not at all intrusted by us to any humane po­wer, because therein wee cannot remit or ex­ceed a tittle of what our Consciences dictate to be the mind of God, without wilfull sinne: neverthelesse the publike way of instructing the Nation (so it be not compulsive) is refer­red to their discretion.
• 2. That the matter of impresting and con­straining any of us to serve in the warres, is a­gainst our freedome; and therefore we do not allow it in our Representatives; the rather, because money (the sinews of war) being al­wayes at their disposall, they can never want numbers of men, apt enough to engage in a­ny just cause.
• 3. That after the dissolution of this present Parliament, no person be at any time questio­ned for any thing said or done, in reference [Page 5]to the late publike differences, otherwise then in execution of the Judgments of the pre­sent Representatives, or House of Commons.
• 4. That in all Laws made, or to be made, every person may be bound alike, and that no Tenure, Estate, Charter, Degree, Birth, or place, do confer any exemption from the or­dinary Course of Legall proceedings, where­unto others are subjected.
• 5. That as the Laws ought to be equall, so they must be good, and not evidently destru­ctive to the safety and well being of the peo­ple.

THese things we declare to be our na­tive Rights, and therefore are a­greed and resolved to maintain them with our utmost possibilities, against all oppositi­on whatsoever, being compelled thereunto, not only by the examples of our Ancestors, whose bloud was often spent in vain for the recovery of their Freedomes, suffering themselves, through fradulent accom­modations [Page 6] to be still deluded of the fruit of their Ʋictories, but also by our own wo­full experience, who having long expected, & dearly earned the establishment of these certain rules of Government are yet made to depend for the settlement of our Peace and Freedome, upon him that intended our bondage, and brought a cruell Warre upon us.

FOr your sakes, our friends, estates and lives, have not been deare to us; for your safety and freedom we have cheerfully indured hard Labours and run most desperate hazards, and in comparison to your peace and freedome we neither doe nor e­ver shall value our dearest bloud and wee professe, our bowells are and have been troubled, and our hearts pained within us, in seeing & considering that you have been so long bereaved of these fruites and ends of all our labours and hazards, wee cannot but sympathize with you in your miseries and oppressions. It's greife and vexation of heart to us; to receive your meate or moneyes, whilest you have no advantage, nor yet the foundations of your peace and freedom surely layed: and therefore upon most serious considerations, that your principall right most essentiall to your well being is the clearnes, certaintie, sufficiencie and freedom of your power in your representatives in Parliament, and conside­ring that the original of most of your oppressions & miseries hath been either from the obscuritie and doubtfulnes of the power you have committed to your representatives in your elections, or from the want of courage in those whom you have betrusted to claime and exercise their power, which might probably pro­ceed from their uncertaintie of your assistance and maintenance of their power, and minding that for this right of yours and ours wee engaged our lives; for the King raised the warre against you and your Parliament, upon this ground, that hee would not suffer your representatives to provide for your peace safetie and freedom that were then in danger, by disposing of the Militia and otherwise, according to their trust; and for the maintenance and defense of that power and right of yours, wee hazarded all that was deare to us, and God hath borne witnesse to the justice [Page 8]of our Cause. And further minding that the only effectual meants to settle a just and lasting peace, to obtaine remedie for all your greivances, & to prevent future oppressions, is the making clear & secure the power that you betrust to your representatives in Par­liament, that they may know their trust, in the faithfull execution whereof you wil assist them. Vpon all these grounds we propound your joyning with us in the agreement herewith sent unto you; that by vertue th [...]reof, we may have Parliaments certainly cal'd and have the time of their sitting & ending certain, & their pow­er or trust cleare and unquestionable, that hereafter they may re­move your burdens, & secure your rights, without oppositions or obstructions, & that the foundations of your peace may be so free from uncertainty, that there may be no grounds for future quar­rels, or contentions to occasion warre and bloud-shed; & wee desire you would consider, that as these things wherein we offer to agree with you, are the fruites & ends of the Victories which God hath given us: so the settlement of these are the most ab­solute meanes to preserve you & your Posteri [...]y, from slavery, oppression, distraction, & trouble; by this, those whom your selves shall chuse, shall have power to restore you to, and secur you in, all your rights; & they shall be in a capacity to tast of sub­jection, as well as rule, & so shall be equally concerned with yourselves, in all they do. For they must equally suffer with you under any common burdens, & partake with you in any freedoms; & by this they shal be disinabled to defraud or wrong you, when the lawes shall bind all alike, without priviledge or exemption; & by this your Consciences shall be free from tyrannie & oppressi­on, & those occasions of endlesse strifes, & bloudy warres, shall be perfectly removed: without controversie by your joyning with us in this Agreement, all your particular & common grievances will be redressed forthwith without delay; the Parliament must then make your reliefe and common good their only study.

Now because we are earnestly desirous of the peace and good of all our Country-men, even of those that have opposed us, and would to our utmost possibility provide for perfect peace and freedome, & prevent all suites, debates, & contentions that may happen amongst you, in relation to the late war: we have there­fore inserted it into this Agreement, that no person shall be que­stionable for any thing done, in relation to the late publike dif­ferences, [Page 9]af [...]er the dissolution of this present Parliament, further then in execution of their judgment; that thereby all may be se­cure from all sufferings for what they have done, & not liable hereater to be troubled or punished by the judgment of another Parliament, which may be to their ruine, unlesse this Agreement be joyned in, whereby any acts of indempnity or oblivion shalbe made unalterable, and you and your posterities be secure.

But if any shall enquire why we should desire to joyn in an Agree­ment with the people, to declare these to be our native Rights, & not rather petition to the Parliam [...]nt for them; the reason is evident: No Act of Parliament is or can be unalterable, and so cannot be suf­ficient security to save you or us harmlesse, from what another Par­liament may d [...]termine, if it should be corrupted; and besides Parlia­ments are [...]o receive the ext [...]nt of their power, and trust from those that betrust them; and theref [...]re the people are to declare what their power and trust is which is the intent of this Agreement; and its to be obse [...]ved, that though there hath formerly been many Acts of Par­liament, for the calling of Pa [...]liaments every yeare, yet you have been d [...]prived of them, and insl [...]ved through want of them; and therefore both necessity for your security in these freedomes, that are essenti­all to your well-being, and wofull experience of the manifold mise­ries and distractions that have been lengthened out since the war [...]en­ded, through want of such a settlement, requires this Agreement and when you and we shall be joyned together therein, we shall readily joyn w [...]th you, to petition the Parliament, as they are ou [...] fellow Com­moners equally conc [...]rned, to joy a with us.

A [...]d if any shall inqui [...]e, why we undertake to off [...]r this Agree­ment, we must professe, we are sensible that you have bien so often de­ceived with Declara [...]ions and Remonstrances, and fed with vain [...]oper that you have suffi [...]ient reason to abandon all confidence in any per­sons whatsoever, from whom you have no other security of their in­tending your freedome, then h [...]ve Declaration: And therefore, as our conscie [...]ces witnesse, that in sim [...]licity and int [...]grity of heart, we have proposed lately in the Case of the Army stated, your freedome and d [...] ­liverance from slavery, oppression, and all burdens: sowe desire to give you satis [...]ying assurance thereo [...] by this Agreement wherby the foundations of your freedomes provided in the Case, &c. sh [...]ll be set­led unalterably & we shall as faithfully proceed to, and all other m [...]st [Page 10]vigorus actings for your good that God shall direct and enable us unto; And though the m [...]lice of our enemies, and such as they de­lude, would blast us by scandalls, aspersing us with designes of Anar­chy, and community; yet we hope the righteous God will not onely by this our present desire of setling an equall just Government, but also by directing us unto all righteous undertakings, simply for publike good, make our uprightnesse and faithfulnesse to the interest of all our Countreymen, shine forth so clearly, that malice it selfe shall be si­lenced, and confounded. We question not, but the longing expectati­on of a firme peace, will incite you to the most speedy joyning in this Agreement: in the prosecution whereof, or of any thing that you shall desire for publike good; you may be confident, you shall never want the assistance of

THe deepe sense of many dangers and mischiefes that may befall you in relation to the late War, whensoever this Parliament shall end, unlesse sufficient prevention be now provided, hath constrained Us to study the most absolute & certain means for your security; and upon most serious considerations, we judge that no Act of Indempnity can sufficiently provide for your quiet, ease, and safety; because, as it hath formerly been, a corrupt Party (chosen into the next Parliament by your Enemies meanes) may possibly surprize the house, and make any Act of Indemnity null, seeing they cannot faile of the Kings Assistance and concurrnece, in any such actings against you, that conquered him.

And by the same meanes, your freedome from im­pressing also, may in a short time be taken from you, though for the present, it should be granted; wee appre­hend no other security, by which you shall be saved harmlesse, for what you have done in the late warre, then a mutuall Agreement between the people & you that no person shall be questioned by any Authority whatsoever, for any thing done in relation to the late publike diffe­rences, after the dissolution of the present house of Commons, further then in execution of their judgment; and that your native freedome from constraint to serve in warre, whether domestick or forraign, shall never be sub­ject [Page 12]to the power of Parliaments, or any other; and for this end, we propound the Agreement that we herewith send to you, to be forthwith subscribed.

And because we are confident, that in judgment and Conscience, ye hazarded your lives for the settlement of such a just and equall Government, that you and your posterities, and all the free-borne people of this Nation might enjoy justice & freedome, and that you are really sensible that the distractions, oppressions, and miseries of th [...] Nation, and your want of your Arreares, do proceed from the want of the establishment, both of su [...]h certain rules of just Government, and foundations of peace, as are the price of bloud, and the expected fruites of all the peoples cost: Therefore in this Ag [...]eement wee have in­serted the certaine Rules of equall Government, under which the Nation may enjoy all its Rights and Free­domes securely; And as we doubt not but your love to the freedome and lasting peace of the yet distracted Country will cause you to joyn together in this Agree­ment.

So we question no [...]: but every true English man that loves the peace and freedome of England will concurre with us; and then your Arrears and constant pay (while you continue in Armes) will certainly be brough [...] in out of the abundant love of the people to you, and then shall the mouthes of those be stopped, that scndalize you and us, as endeavouring Anarchy, or to rule by the sword, & then will so firm an union be made between the people and you, that neither any homebred or forraigne Enemies will dare to disturbe our happy peace. We shall adde no more but this; that the knowledge of your uni­on in laying this foundation of peace, this Agreement, is much songed for, by