BEING required by this Honourable House to give an account concerning the secu­ring of some late Members thereof, and secluding of others from comming to sie there, wee humbly answer, as follow­eth.

First, for the grounds and ends of our defiring to have some of them secured, and others of them [Page 2](comming within the compasse of those corrupt and destru­ctive Councels, pointed at in our late Proposals to this House of the sixth of December last) to be no further trusted in your Councels, but excluded, or at least suspended from the House, wee referre to the paper of our Proposals of the sixth of De­cember, and for the justice and reasonablenesse of those grounds (if not cleare enough as they are there laid downe,) we further referre to our late Declaration, and the Remonstrance pre­ceding.

2. For our actuall doing of that in part, and as farre as in us lay, which in those Proposals we desired, we acknowledge it to be a course in it selfe irregular, and not justifiable, but both by honest intentions for publique good, and an extraordinary necessity for the same end leading us thereunto; For the first of which (our intentions) though wee have exprest enough in our said Proposals, Declaration, and Remonstrance, yet we expect not that words can give satisfaction therein, or that the same can be otherwise fully cleered then by our actuall endea­vours, and the issue which God shall give. For the latter (the necessity) if it be not sufficiently set forth in our former papers, we have this further to say;

First, Wee desire you to looke backe and consider how the majority of this House came to be formed to serve the Kings, and other corrupt and factious interests; wee shall hint at some few occasions thereof, and steps thereunto. It is too evident by the obstructions and diversions of your Councels all along the Warre, from the vigorous prosecution thereof to a speedy issue; That even in those times when most of the old Malignant-members did desert you, the K ng had yet a considerable party that stayed behind at the House (especially of such who though really affected to his Cause, yet durst not leave you, to adhere openly to him, in regard their Estates lay much within your power) and hee was never wanting in any Acts to improve and increase that party; yet while the Warre was in some suspen­sive posture, his hopes of prevailing by force made him lesse [Page 3]carefull to worke that other way, and the feares of all those Members who looked at him as the Common Enemy, to those severall wayes and interests they affected, kept them more close and united against him: but so soone as it pleased God to turne the scales cleare, so at the first Warre became at, or neere an end, by a full victory on your parts against him, then both hee and his party seeing their hopes by force to faile, began to plye more close the wayes of fraud, and under-hand practise, to make, encrease, and work upon divisions amongst your selves, and by all meanes to forme a party in the House unto a Con­junction, or at least complyance with his interest, and then also those severall parties in the House, of different principles and interests from the publique, being more free of their feares from him (their common Enemy) began to looke with more jealousie each at their particular opposites, insomuch as divers of those whose principles were more complyant to a closure with the KING upon satisfaction in the particular matters, especially concerning the forme of Religion and Church go­vernement, which they mainely affected, began to incline the more unto a PEACE with him on such termes, to the end they might avoid any advantage, which the opposers of their way they feared might make, by being forwarder to com­ply with him then themselves, and those who were acted more by personall and selfe-interests then any other principle, rela­ting or seeke complyance with his party and interest, where­by to strengthen their owne, that their ambitions in personall advantages, and their envy or animosities (in crushing those whom they maligned) might be the easier and surer served, and therefore such as these strucke in with the Malignants on the one hand (who were ready to close with any against those they found most opposite to the KING) and with PRESBY­TERIANS on the other hand, with whom by former for­wardnesse against the common Enemie they had more repute, then the noted Royallists had.

And thus this selfe-serving party acting as Mediators betwixt the through-Royallists, and the reall Presbyterians, and ta­king opportunities to serve each of them, against those whom [Page 4]the Royallists with themselves did ha [...]e, and whose prevalence the Presbyterian feared; They daily gained esteeme and trust from both, and their Councels being by both much relyed on as fittest, loading men by the ordinary conjunction of those two parties, with their owne, they soone gained a prevailing vote, especially in things tending to the prejudice or opposall of those against whom all three parties for their severall respects afore­said, were united.

And thus for the most part they long since easily carryed all things to the encrease of their owne advantages, and diminuti­on of those maligned by them, who stood firmest for the pub­lique Interest, and by subtile degrees drew all things on fair, to­wards a complyance with the KINGS Interest, which best served and suited with their owne, save that the honest and conscientious Presbyterians (discerning oft their bent that way, and their palpable animosity and virulence against the reputed Independents, to the frequent prejudice and endangering of the common cause) did in such cases ordinarily dissert them, oft oppose their violence, and gave checkes to their carriere; and therefore that ambitious and selfe-seeking party to make their Faction strong by such as would the surer serve their turnes, es­pecially in their affected closure with the KING, and cru­shing of those that stood most in the way to his and their owne full Dominion, it was the great endeavour of them, and the Royall party upon vacancy of Burgesses, to fill up the House with either Malignants or Newtors, whose elections for such places were industriously laboured by them, and for that pur­pose Writs were especially procured and speeded out for Electi­ons to all such vacant places where they could hope to prevaile for such men to be chosen, and particularly for the many poor Boroughs in Cornwall, Wales, and other places, whose for­mer Burgesses in the time of Warre had most of them gone off to the KING, and (where the Countries having been so whol­ly and highly engaged for him, and but newly reduced from under his power) such persons were likelist to be chosen as would serve his, and their turn, at least for the corrupt peace designed with him, and likewise for such vacant Boroughs elsewhere a [...] were either infected with malignancy, or by their poverty [Page 5]and dependence on the great men of the Kings party were like­liest to be wrought on for the same purpose.

Thus was there a flood of such new Burgesses, brought in up­on you, as had beene some of them engaged against you, and by your owne Qualifications incapable of that trust: (yet by the acts and prevalence of the aforesaid party) admitted and kept in the House, and most of them at best, disaffected to the cause you first engaged in, and where divers such have come up­on undue or disputable Elections, yet by the same arts and prevalence they have beene got first into the House, and so kept in, while the Elections have been disputed at the Committee for Priviledges, where by the practices and prevalence, the Elections of many honest men have beene long suspended under examina­tion, and kept off from tryall, and when cleared there in be­halfe of such, yet the reports thereof from that Committee have been industriously evaded and held off from the House.

By these arts, those selfe-serving Men united with the old Roy­alists and new Malignants and Newters broughts into the House, had gained ordinarily, a prevailing party in your Councels and Committees, and assisted oft with others (formerly faithfull in the common cause, but either corrupted by the insinuations of the King and his party, or from jealousies or otherwise, as is before expressed, byassed from the Common cause:) They powerfully carryed on their owne Designes to serve themselves and make their owne advantages in a corrupt closure with the King, and by subtile endeavours made way for the bringing of him is on termes destructive to the publique; we have formerly set forth much of the series of their Designes, and corrupt Coun­cels in this kinde: Wee againe set before you some few particu­lars thereof: As,

1. Their betraying Ireland into the Enemies hands, by recal­ling the Lord Lisle from his command there, and put­ting the power of the best part of that Kingdome, and where the Parliament had the strongest sooting (Mun­ster,) into the hands of In [...]quine, a native Irish-man, [Page 6]one who had formerly served the King there, and who hath since revolted from the Parliament, hath lately u­nited with the Irish Rebels, and (with them, and Or­mond) is againe engaged for the King.

2. Their endeavouring to bring in the King upon his owne Termes without satisfaction or security to the King­dome, viz. upon his Message of the twelfth of May 1647. And to this end (with so manifest injustice and indignity) to disband the Army before any peace made or assured.

3. They ende avoured protection of the Eleven impeached Members from Justice, and endeavouring with them to raise a new Warre, by gratifying, listing, and engaging against the Army, many Reformadoes, and other Offi­cers and Souldiers in and about LONDON, in June and July, 1647. and therein profusely mispending and imbezelling the 200000 l. or the greatest part thereof, which was borrowed by the Parliament upon great se­curities, and designed chiefly for Ireland.

4. Their countenancing, abetting, and partaking with that tumultuous violence of the Apprentices and others, a­gainst both Houses of Parliament, when both the Spea­kers and many faithfull Members were driven away in August 1647. which was acted clearely in prosecution of that Treasonable engagement, for bringing of the King in upon his owne termes, in his Message of the twelfth of May preceding: Their setting up a new Speaker under that force in the absence of the other, and the Members with him, and passing divers Ordinances, and giving large powers for the raising of a new Warre (by arming Malignants, and those Apprentices and o­thers that appeared in the sayd tumultuous violence) visibly and professedly in maintenance and prosecution of that Treasonable engagement.

[Page 7] 5. Their correspondencies, engagements, and assistances to and with the tumultuous Petitioners last Spring, for a per­sonall Treaty, and with the rebellious insurrections in Kent, Essex, &c. the revolted ships and Prince of Wales in them, and with the Scots Army by their invitations or correspon­dencies, encouraged to invade this Kingdome; by which meanes the Kingdome was last Summer engaged in a new and bloody warre, to the utter hazard of losing the Cause you had engaged for, and of a totall Conquest over the King­dome.

6. That when the Army was dispersed and engaged in se­verall parts of the Kingdome, in opposing the enemies, and suppressing the troubles these men had raised: And when many faithful members of Parliament were employed abroad upon necessary publique services, and others through malig­nant tumults about the City, could not with safety attend the House; Then that corrupt and Apostatising Party taking ad­vantage of these distractions and diversions which themselves had caused, First recall'd in those Members whom the House had formerly impeached, and voted guilty of Treason, or high crimes, and for the same (in regard they were fled) to be ex­pelled the House, and made in capable any more of that trust; some of whom had so farre engaged to the Prince in his un­dertakings, as that they had Commissions from him, and se­verall Counties appertained to them to be under their severall commands, in order to a conjunction of Forces with and for him when he should appeare in Action. Then they recalled the votes you had passed for no more Addresses, and for se­curing the Kings Person, and setling the Kingdome without him, voted a personall Treaty with him, thereby (besides other evils to the prejudice of the publique interest of the Kingdome) betraying to his and his Parties revenge, both the Army, and those well-affected people, who (upon your aforesaid votes against him) had with your gratefull accep­tance, declared their Resolutions to live and dye with you therein, they voted also to treat with him upon such Propo­sitions as himselfe should make, and exempted from justice [Page 8]their corresponding Leaders in the last Summers Warres and Insurrections, by an hypocriticall voting of many of them onely to bee banish'd, and the rest onely to Fines, or small Compositions, and resolved that the King should be restored with freedome, safety, and honour, and an enlargement of his Revenue.

When thus necessitated (to avoid the immediate effect of these destructive counsels and proceedings, and no other help appearing) we interposed to remonstrate against the e­vill and danger of these wayes, finding a majority for the most part pack'd and form'd (as is before exprest) and partly cor­rupted by time, factions, divisions, and the insinuating Arts of the King and his Party. Thereupon with the deprecation of the present imminent mischiefes appearing in the Treaty, we propounded the two ordinary Remedies against such pre­vailing evils in a supreame Councell, viz. That a period might be set for the ending of this Parliament, in order to the suc­cessive elections of new and equall Representatives (which for the maine is the remedy originally due to the people, and the very foundation of their liberty,) and that for the mean time in matters of such high concernment to the pub­lique, as the then transactions were, there might be a liberty for such Members as in behalfe of the Common-wealth did dissent from the Majority, to enter their dissents or pro­tests, so as the Kingdome might have an orderly way to distinguish betwixt such as deserted or betrayed the pub­lique trust, and those that kept faithfully to it, which is the ordinary remedy in such cases, in most publique Councels through the world constantly allowed in the House of Peeres, and of late most happily used in the Parliament of Scotland, with glorious witnesse from God, and and unva­luable blessing thereby to both Kingdomes. But what ever we propounded, or could say, we could obtain no answer or consideration at all. The things we tendered against the e­vils of the Treaty in hand, and against the corrupt unsafe peace thereby designed, were put off from time to time as the Treaty was prolonged, not to bee considered till the Treaty [Page 9]should bee ended, and the peace concluded, as was endea­voured, (that is) till they should bee past considering. For that remedy by a period to this Parliament, and succession of new, as we and other people upon our severall addresses for it before had been rejected, and discountenanc'd therein, so was it now too apparent, That the said corrupt Majority ha­ving designed the establishment of a lasting Dominion sha­red betwixt the King and themselves in a perpetuall Parlia­ment, would not lend an eare, nor admit a thought to­wards the laying downe their owne power, or rendring it back to the people from whom they received it; neither would the other Remedy by Protests bee borne by them, who in their Councels of Darknesse found it more for their safety and advantage to walke invisible and cover'd under that priviledged name of Parliament then by admitting Protests, to be exposed naked under their own.

In this Case we advanced hither to attend Providence, for the opening of some way to avoid the present evils designed, and introduce the desired good unto the Kingdom; where we said or acted nothing in relation to the Parliament or any Member of it, untill by the Vote past (upon the long nights debate Decemb. 5.) wee found that corrupt majoritie so resolvedly bent to compleat their designe of bringing in the King: as that though he had finally denied such things from some of which by their Covenant (whereto they had pre­tended so much zeale) and from others by the Publique Faith given; they were oblidged not to recede. And though the ending of this Parliament and setling the Kingdome upon the Foundation of successive Parliaments, (which we are sare were things most estentiall to a settlement) had not at all been considered or mentioned in the Treatie: yet upon what the King had granted, They did by that Vote lay the foundation for a closure with him on his own Tearms, or at least for uni­ting the Interest of Him and His Partie with their own in order to another War, in that behalf, against your selves, and all that should oppose their designe. And besides the visible tendencie of that Vote thereunto, wee wanted not good in­telligence, [Page 10]That (had they been suffered to meet all in the House but once more) it was designed to have past some high­er Resolutions, to lay further foundations for such a new quarrel, so as to carry therein the Name and Countenance of Parliamentary authority together with the Kings, & the accep­table pretence of Peace to draw men in, and then to have adjourned the Parliament for a long time, to the exclusion of all Remedie in the Case but by another Warre.

4. Thus finding a necessitie of some presen course to pre­vent such a mischeife; and the onely ordinary, or orderly wayes of Remedie being denied and shut up against us, as is before exprest, we were prest on by that necessitie, to a sud­dain and extraordinary way; and by reason of their denying you that libertie of acquiting your selves by Protest, or by entring your Discents (whereby any ground of dis­crimination might bee laid in a voluntary Act within the House, having no other means or ground to make such a dis­crimination, but by a conjecturall judgement amongst our selves, according to the best information we could gain; we were enforced to proceed as we did. First, to seize and secure such as by your own former Impeachments, and by credible Informations of their later criminall practizes ap­peared obnoxious to Justice, together with some others, who by like Information had appeared most active and united in those Counsels with them: And secondly, to keep out of the House such others, who in their discourses and carriages a­broad had discovered themselves to favour the same designes.

Having thus set before you the necessitie for what we did, upon these grounds premised.

1. Wee appeale to the knowledge and Consciences of all true and faithfull Patriots in the House, who may best understand the complexion and temper thereof; whether they have been able to satisfie themselves with the Councels of the majoritie ordinarily, since it has been so formed and packt or corrupted as aforesaid? and since the Royall practi­zes began to be set on foot amongst them? or whether since then they could tell how by the best use of Authoritie or Rea­son [Page 11]to amend or repaire the Constitution of the House, or reduce it to a true English Complexion by any alteration or purgation arising from within themselves? And (if not so) whether some Remedy from without were not necessary?

2. Wee appeale to all unbyas't and considering men; whe­ther while that corrupted Party being Masters of the major Vote did, by their deniall of any libertie to enter discents therefrom, held all the Councels and Judgements of the rest involved in the Dark with their own, under the name of Par­liament-Resolves, there were any means left us for a regu­lar and judiciall discrimination, or other way then to make the best distinction we could in our own judgements, upon the best Informations. And (if so) whether in assuming that and proceeding thereupon as we did, we be not both justifi­able by the necessity thereof; and (in want of the due ground for a more unerring distinction) excusable in mistaking (per­haps) as to some particulars. And though in these Councels that have lately prevailed in the House, there had been no­thing of Malignant Designe, intentionally to the hurt of the Publique, for which any of them could be clearly judged to have betrayed, or forfeited their Trust: yet upon the single consideration of the dividednesse of Mens Councels, Prin­ciples and Wayes in the House, and of the incertaintie and unsettlenesse of Resolutions, and Proceedings thereby occa­sioned, (which has so long been visible amongst you) wee appeale to the severall late years experiences of the whole Kingdome, whether without some extraordinary course to weed out those Roots of Faction and division, which so many years Sitting had bred, encreas'd, and fasten'd amongst you, and to render your resolutions more fix't, united, and free from the interruptions or intanglements of such different and distracted Councels, there were any hopes of good to be produc't for the Kingdome, or of any comfortable settle­ment, in such time as the condition of the Kingdome would beare the delay?

And now to conclude, in answer to what you have deman­ded an Account of.

First for those Members who are yet detayned in Custody, they are either such who have beene formerly Impeached, and (in part,) judged by the house for treason, or other high crimes and never acquitted; and against whom wee can and very shortly shall produce new matter of no lesse Crime: or else such who have appeared most active and united in Councels with them, against whom also wee are preparing, and shall shortly give matters of particular Impeachment.

Secondly, For those others who have beene withheld by the Guard from comming into the House, as nothing but such necessity, as aforesaid, and the cleare denyall of any ground of distinction by voluntary discrimination admitted amongst your selves, should have made us in such manner to exercise our owne Judgement and power in the case; so you having since by your Resolutions of the 12 and 13 of December last declared many of those votes (wherein cheif­ly the publique interest hath beene of late diserted) to bee dishonourable and destructive; and having admitted the en­tring of dissents against the vote oft December the 5 last, wherein the will of all the rest seemes comprehended and closed up (as farre as God would suffer it to proceede,) and many faithfull Members having thereupon publiquely decla­red, and entred their dissents from the same; By which meanes there are now clearer grounds of discrimination be­gun amongst your selves, and a competent number of Mem­bers of whom by their dissents registred wee can publiquely take notice as of men standing entire to the publique trust; and in whose judgements wee may repose: We shall there­fore henceforth forbear to proceed any further in the exclusion of any upon our owne judgement or information gayn'd from without, and shall referre to the knowledge and judgement of those whose dissents from that vote already are, or hereafter shall be entered, both to consider what other Members have stood cleare from the series of those Corrupt Counsels; you have so declared against, and who have beene notoriously guilty thereof, and accordingly to determine which shall be readmitted as having kept to their trust, and which excluded, [Page 13]as having diserted the same. But we most earnestly desire, as you tender the good and quiet of the Kingdome with the easing of the burthens and ending the troubles thereof, and would for the time this Parliament shall continue prevent in irrecoverable relapse of all things into their former misera­ble condition, and avoide the numerous evils and endlesse troubles which the renewed prevailing of the same corrupt Councels, or but of like Divisions and unsetlednesse in your Councels, would evidently produce; that therefore you would resolve to exclude henceforth from the House, and make the strictest caution, and provision, to keepe out all such who are knowne to have carryed on, or to bee guilty of that series of corrupt votes which you have so justly branded, as aforesaid, and that none may be readmitted amongst you who shall not either by their owne protests or upon your certaine Knowledge bee particularly acquitted there­from.