A declaration of the Parliament assembled at Westminster. January 23. 1659. Ordered by the Parliament, that this declaration be forthwith printed and published. Thomas St Nicholas, Clerk of the Parliament. England and Wales. Parliament. 1660 Approx. 11 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 8 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2011-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 2). A82739 Wing E1491 Thomason E1013_24 ESTC R208141 99867127 99867127 119418

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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A82739) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 119418) Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 150:E1013[24]) A declaration of the Parliament assembled at Westminster. January 23. 1659. Ordered by the Parliament, that this declaration be forthwith printed and published. Thomas St Nicholas, Clerk of the Parliament. England and Wales. Parliament. 16 [i.e. 15], [1] p. printed by John Streater and John Macock, printers to the Parliament, London : 1659 [i.e. 1660] P. 15 misnumbered 16. Annotation on Thomason copy: "Jan. 31". Reproduction of the original in the British Library.

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 eng England and Wales. -- Parliament -- Early works to 1800. Great Britain -- History -- Commonwealth and Protectorate, 1649-1660 -- Early works to 1800. 2020-09-21 Content of 'availability' element changed when EEBO Phase 2 texts came into the public domain 2010-03 Assigned for keying and markup 2010-04 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2010-05 Sampled and proofread 2010-05 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2011-06 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

A DECLARATION Of the PARLIAMENT Aſſembled at Weſtminſter.

January 23. 1659.

ORdered by the Parliament, That this Declaration be forthwith Printed and Publiſhed.

THOMAS St NICHOLAS, Clerk of the Parliament.

LONDON, Printed by John Streater and John Macock, Printers to the Parliament, 1659.
A DECLARATION Of the PARLIAMENT Aſſembled at Weſtminſter.

THe people of England having bin neceſſitated to take up Arms in the juſt defence of their Laws and Liberties againſt the late King: And it having pleaſed God after a long War, and many Battels fought in the Field, ſo to bleſs their Armies, and to bring the War to ſuch an iſſue, that if they were not wanting to themſelves, they might reap the fruit of all the Blood and Treaſure exhauſted in that Quarrel, and not only be reſtored to their Freedom for the preſent, but ſecured againſt all the like attempts for the future. The Parliament hereupon, as the Truſtees of the People for the accompliſhing of thoſe ends, did Declare and Enact, That the people of England, and of all the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging, ſhould be thenceforth Governed as a Common-wealth and Free State, by the Repreſentatives of the people in Parliament, and that without any King, or Houſe of Lords; Judging this not only to be the undoubted Right of the people, but that the Office of a King in theſe Nations, or to have the power thereof in any Single perſon, as alſo the Houſe of Lords, was burdenſome and dangerous to the Safety and Liberty of the people: And by this means the Foundations of a Publique Intereſt being layed in the place of that which was only private and perſonal, this people might grow up (through the goodneſs of God) into perfect Freedom, being Governed in the Supreme Power by their own Repreſentatives; and in the Executive Power, by their known Laws and Judicatory; the beſt meaſure and Standard of Liberty: their Navigation and Trade encouraged and promoted, which in all Monarchies is ſtinted and reſtrained. The true Proteſtant Religion both at home and abroad owned and countenanced, which under the former Conſtitution was clogged with vain and Superſtitious Ceremonies, and corrupt opinions touching Faith and Worſhip, impoſed upon all, without any regard had to tender Conſciences, and the Miniſters of the Goſpel, and the Profeſſors thereof, with Godlineſs it ſelf, diſcountenanced and perſecuted.

To this ſtate of things did the Parliament judge it their Duty to bring this Nation, and the free people thereof, and no man can reaſonably doubt, but that long before this time▪ the Parliament (through the ſame good and gracious preſence that had accompanied their Undertakings) would have accompliſhed their Intentions in theſe things, and ſetled the Common-wealth upon the Baſis and Foundation aforeſaid, if they had not been ſo often interrupted, and thereby prevented hitherto from doing that, which always was and is the utmoſt deſire and intention of their hearts.

And yet the Parliament cannot but take notice of the Artifices that are uſed to miſ-repreſent their Intentions, and to blemiſh their Proceedings before the people, unjuſtly charging them with a Deſigne to perpetuate themſelves now Sitting, to ſubject the people to Arbitrary Power, and to Govern them by Force. And as to matters of Religion on one hand, That they are enemies to the Miniſtry, their Maintenance by Tythes, to the Univerſities and Learning, and encouragers of Fanatique Principles; on the other hand, That the Parliament is too ſevere, and of Impoſing Principles in matters of Religion; not being ignorant, that thoſe who by theſe means do induſtriouſly labour to diſ-affect the people to the Parliament, are ſuch, who by ſpecious pretenſes would firſt put out their eyes, that they might not ſee the way to their own true liberty, and then bring them back again into their old ſervitude.

The Parliament therefore, to omit nothing in their power that may undeceive honeſt and well meaning men, have thought it neceſſary in this conjuncture of Time and Affairs, to Declare and Manifeſt (as they do hereby) what their Intentions are, as to the Government of theſe Nations, with ſome other particulars relating thereunto; wherein they are Reſolved (through the Goodneſs and Aſſiſtance of God) to remain conſtant and immoveable.

1. That the Parliament will provide forthwith to perfect thoſe beginings which are already made for ſetling the Government of theſe Nations and the People thereof in the way of a Commonwealth and Free-State, without a King, Single Perſon, or Houſe of Lords, in ſuch manner, that they may be governed from time to time by Repreſentatives in Parliament choſen by themſelves, in whom alone the Supream Authority of theſe Nations doth and ought to reſide, and by ſuch as they ſhall appoint and Conſtitute as Officers and Miniſters under them for the good of the People; And that the Parliament will make it their Care to form the Army and Forces of theſe Nations in ſuch manner, that whileſt it ſhall be ſound neceſſary for them or any of them to be kept up for the Safety of the Commonwealth, they may be wholly ſubject and obedient to the Civil Authority.

2. There being nothing more eſſential to the Freedome of a State, then that the people ſhould be governed by the Lawes, and that Juſtice be adminiſtred by ſuch only as are accomptable for male-adminiſtration, It is hereby further Declared, That all proceedings touching the Lives, Liberties, and Eſtates of all the Free People of this Commonwealth, ſhall be according to the Laws of the Land. And that the Parliament will not meddle with the ordinary adminiſtration, or the executive part of the Law: It being the principal care of this, as it hath been of all former Parliaments, to provide for the freedome of the people againſt arbitrarineſse in Government.

3. And that they will make effectual proviſion for the Countenancing of a Learned and Pious Goſpel-Miniſtry through all the three Nations, and for the encouraging and protecting them in the work of their Miniſtry againſt diſturbances. And as to their maintenance, that by Tythes ſhall be continued, it being already eſtabliſhed by Law, and is in it ſelf the moſt certain convenient and comfortable way of maintenance, that in the Judgment of the Parliament can be ſettled. And therefore they do expect and require, That the Judges, Juſtices of the Peace, and others whom it concerns, do take care, that the Laws touching the ſame be put in effectual execution. And for a further increaſe of maintenance then hath been anciently ſettled upon preaching Miniſters, The Parliament doth Declare, That the Augmentations by the Impropriations of the late King, Biſhops, Deans and Chapters, and Delinquents not compounded for, as likewiſe by Tenths and Firſt-Fruits, ſhall be continued and ſettled upon the Preaching Miniſtry, not to be aliened or altered from that uſe; and diſtributed in ſuch manner, as they may be applied to ſuch places as ſtand in moſt need, that every place in the Land may have a preaching Miniſter, who may be able to teach the people the good knowledg of the Lord, and may have a comfortable livelihood and incouragement among them: As alſo that proviſion ſhall be made for due Liberty of Conſcience in matters of Religion, according to the Word of God.

4. The Parliament do Declare, That they will uphold the Publique Univerſities, and Schools of this Land, and not onely continue to them the Priviledges and Advantages they now Enjoy, but ſhall be ready to give them ſuch further Countenance as may Encourage them in their Studies, and Promote Godlineſs, Learning, and Good Manners amongſt them.

5. The Parliament being very ſenſible of the great Decay of the Trade of theſe Nations, will apply themſelves to ſuch Councels and Means, as ſhall be found moſt proper both for the ſpeedy reſtoring and increaſing thereof; Judging, That there is no one thing in the Affairs of State more important to the Welfare, Strength, and Glory of a Common-wealth, eſpecially of this being an Iſland, then the Encouragement of Trade and Navigation.

6. As to the preſent Burthens which are upon the Nation, The Parliament is very ſenſible thereof, and of thoſe Extravagant Councels and Actions which haveing aged the Nation in ſo great a Debt and Charge, the guilt whereof will not reſt upon them, though the Danger and Burthen thereof doth. And it is one of the greateſt Cares they have upon them, how to give the People that Eaſe which their Condition calls for, and alſo provide for their Safety, and anſwer the preſsing neceſsities of the State; Which the Parliament hopes in ſome meaſure to do in a very ſhort time, in caſe the unreaſonable Diſſatisfactions and turbulent Actings of unquiet men do not Continue the Charge longer then otherwiſe will be neceſſary.

Munday, Jan. 23. 1659.

ORdered by the Parliament, That this Declaration be forthwith Printed and Publiſhed.

Thomas St. Nicholas Clerk of the Parliament.

London, Printed by John Streater, and John Macock, Printers to the Parliament, 1659.