SInce the Authority of Parliament became openly violated, and that by their own waged servants of the Army in Eng­land, by whom 41. of the Members of Parliament were torn from the Parliament House in Dec. 1648. and imprisoned, and 160 other Members denied entrance into the House, & about 50. more voluntarily withdrew themselves to avoid violence, making in all of secluded Members about 250. when the remaining Members charged the Army with the guilt of that force, and sent to the then General of the Army for the restitution of those excluded Members, which was denyed them, how many and manifold have been the the miseries and calamities under which these Nations have laboured, and do still labour, is evident to all equall minded men. The Godly Ministers of the Gospel despised; The Ministry it selfe villified; Tythes, and other means of their maintenance (par­ticularly in Ireland) taken from them, and misapplyed; the Protestant Religion shaken, and almost overturned; Anabaptists, Quakers, and other Sectaries set up and countenanced; Heresies and Schisms in­creased; The Fundamental Laws of the Land trampled upon, and an Arbitrary Government endeavoured to be introduced; The Ci­vil Rights, Properties, and Liberties of the people in their persons and Estates broken in pieces; Impositions and Taxes on the people without example laid and increased in an excessive manner and mea­sure, whereby Thousands of Famalies have been ruined, and enfor­ced to beg their bread; Manufacture at home discouraged, Publiq [...]e Tr [...]de and Commerce abroad interrupted; The Nations become [Page 3] deeply indebted, and generally impoverished; the reformed Pro­testant Churches abroad exposed to great danger, wanting the won­ted support of England, which (under God) was the Bulwark and chief strength of the Protestant Religion throughout all Christen­dom, and finally the English Nation (which was alwayes deservedly) in so high honour and estimation at home and abroad, as it was a bri­dle and terrour to their Enemies, and a countenance and support to their friends and allies is now become, (we tremble and grieve to have so just cause to speak it) a scorn and derision to all Na­tions round about us; and all this brought to pass to satisfie the Avarice, Ambition, Lusts, and fears of a few inconsiderable persons of Anabaptistical and other Fanatique spirits, who have made it their business to occasion still one trouble on the neck of another, so to embroil and continue the Nations in Division, Warr, and bloody confusions, that sober men might not have time or leisure (with maturity of judgment or Counsel) to look into the inwards of their designs or actings; And after we had beheld all this with bleeding hearts, and calling to mind that when in December 1648. the said force was put upon the Parliament, the then remaining Members sent sundry times to the General to know why he imprisoned their Members, and desired him to set them at liberty, which was not done; and we gathering from all this, that if the House were once freed from the force of an Army, and they again restored to Freedom and Li­berty of sitting, and acting, they would then upon the firmer grounds (in conscience of their duties to God and their Countrie, and in te­stimony of their high resentment of that breach of priviledges of the Parliament, have taken into the House those excluded Members, and filled vacant places by due and orderly Elections of the people,) and after so many years unhappy interruption unite again in a full and Free Parliament, and there assert the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament, and Liberties of the people, which from the very beginning of the War of England have been not the least ground of their contest with the late King, & ever since, and joyn their counsels and endeavors for restoring these Nations to peace and tranquillity.

And thence it was, That on the 14th day of December 1659. se­veral Officers of the Army here, on the behalfe of themselves, and those under their Commands, by their joynt Declaration, Declared and Published their stedfast resolutions to adhere to the Parliament in the defence of its Priviledges, and the just Rights and Liberties of the people of these Nations as Men and Christians; In which De­claration [Page 4] afterwards concurred the whole Army of Ireland, but now finding much contrary to our expectations, that when the Members of Parliament now assembled at Westminster, were in Decemb. 1659. (by an extraordinary providence) restored to their Freedom and liberty of sitting and acting as in Parliament; and that divers of those formerly excluded Members of Parliament on the 27. of De­cember 1659: (as they had formerly done in May 1659.) offered themselves to discharge their Trusts for the several Counties and pla­ces for which they were Elected, and formerly served, those their fellow Members assembled at Westminster, did not onely deny them admittance, but also voted and ordered the utter exclusion of all the excluded Members with this further addition, that none of them should be chosen in future Elections to sit in this Parliament, where­by they have by a more unnatural violence taken away from above the one half of the people of England, their Representatives in Par­liament, and limited and abridged in a high degree the Liberty and Freedom of the people in further Elections, which denyal and order of theirs in a time when they were under no force, is so much the more strange, in regard that in December 1648. when they were un­der a force, they transferred that guilt from themselves to the Army, and pretended a willingness to re-admit those Members if it were in their power, as is formerly mentioned

And whereas Lt. Gen. Ludlow had placed in Ireland several Of­ficers who are Anabaptists, and persons of the like fanatique spirits, (many of whom had been very active in the late conspiracies and actings of the factious part of the Army in England, even against those Members of Parliament now sitting at Westminster; of which Officers so placed by Lt. Gen. Ludlow, it was found necessary to purge the Army, and to put in their places persons more soberly minded and well affected to the Parliament; yet after all that done, and after Lt. Gen. Ludlow stood, justly and deservedly charged with High Treason, the said Lt. Gen. Ludlow himselfe, and some others of the like principles with him, were by a report from the Council of State proposed ro be appointed to govern not onely the Army, but also the whole Nation of Ireland, to the astonishment of the people and Army here, to the unsetling of those persons so well deserving, to the hazard of the peace of the Nation and Army, (and which is a­bove all) to the endangering even of Religion it, self. And here it is observable, that those Members now sitting at Westminster, by their Declaration of 23. of Ianuary 1659. since their restitution to their [Page 5] present liberty of sitting) have published that extravagant Councils and actions, have engaged the Nations in a great debt and charge, which it seems necessitates their laying a new increase of charge on the Nations; and yet so indulgent they are to those persons, that in a high degree created that necessity of so unreasonably charging the people; and whose Estates might well bear a great part of that burden, as without so much as any suit made to them by those Delinquents, they granted them indempnity for their persons and Estates, where­by it seems the said Members now sitting at Westminster, hold it fit that those who are of sober spirits, and offended not the Parliament, should out of their Estates pay for those extravagant mens. Delin­quency, rather then the Delinquents themselves. And although the said Lt. Gen, Ludlow, and Miles Corbet Esq together with Col. Iohn Iones, and Col. Mat. Thomlinson, stand impeached from hence most justly of High-Treason, and that charge against them, being known to the House, and there remaining, yet they have admitted 2 of those persons, namely the said Lt. Gen. Ludlow, and Miles Corbet actually to sit in the said House.

And now the greatness of those miseries which have befaln these three Nations in General, by such late actings in England, and those heightned with many aggravations in the circumstances of them, (too many and too long to be repeated) as it hath begotten in us, and in all good men in the three Nations deep impression of astonish­ment and horror, so it is evident, that if it be any longer continued, it will perpetually nourish dishonour to God, grief to all good men, and (we doubt and fear) utter infamy and destruction to the three Nations.

In contemplation whereof, and considering how God hath in his justice blasted all attempts that since the year 1648. have been made for resetling of these Nations in peace and tranquillity, and that af­ter all the tryals and various changes of Government which we have in all that time with much-long-suffering and patience endured, there is no way visible to us under Heaven whence deliverance may be pro­bably wrought or expected, but from the care and wisedom of a Free, and full Parliament in England, which (by the experience of all for­mer ages hath been found the best and only expedient for providing remedies to be applyed to so great and general mischiefs arising in Church or State. And considering also that the marks of the true Reformed Religion according to the Word of God, and of the Fun­damental Laws of the Land, and of our now dying Liberties and [Page 6] Freedom, are not yet so utterly razed and defaced, but that some foot­steps of them do yet remain, so as (by the wisedom of a full and Free Parliament) they may be again renewed and firmly re-establish­ed; and considering likewise that our hopes of having the said ex­cluded Members restored, and of new Elections to be made for va­cant Places, whereby there might be a full and Free Parliament, as there was on Dec. 5. 1648. and the ancient and long contested for Li­berties of the People might be asserted, are much contrary to our expectations, and contrary to the Fundamental Laws of the Land, and indeed contrary to all justice and reason become frustrated; and considering further how unjust and unreasonable a thing it is, that of above 500 Members, whereof the Commons House of Parliament usually consisted, there were but 44 or thereabouts, when that fatal Vote passed for the keeping out the aforesaid excluded Members by the prevalency of a major part of the said 44 persons (not much exceeding those who voted then on the contrary side) which assumes to it self the Supream Authority, not only of England, but also of the three Nations, without president or example of any former age, there being above 250 which stand eleven years excluded, without so much as the least offer of an Impeachment against them in all that time; which unexampled and unparallel'd assumption in those men is not possible to continue but by the force of an Army poisoned with Ana­baptistical and corrupted principles, to the continual grief and unsup­portable burden and charge of the three Nations.

And besides that act of the aforesaid persons chasing away (for so it now appears) about 250 Members, of above 500 chosen by all the several parts of England, according to the known Laws of the Land, to represent the whole Nation in Parliament; and after the forcible exclusion of so many, that the 44 persons remaining (amongst whom we believe there are some worthy Patriots who are not so fully con­curring in the actings of the rest of their number, as violently over-voted them, which is a further aggravation of the others guilt) should dare to usurp to themselves as is formerly mentioned, contrary to all Laws, the Supream Power not only of England, but also of Ireland and Scotland, is a thing which none but Conquerers or Tyrants would attempt, and in all circumstances is so hideous and monstrous to be endured by a Free People, formerly famous to all the world for wise­dom and valour, as the English Nation have been, as it will be in­credible to all posterity.

And lastly considering, that as in all ages, and more particularly [Page 7] since the beginning of the late horrid Rebellion in Ireland, our Bre­thren in England have abundantly manifested a tender and compas­sionate sence of the condition in Ireland, and were carefull to re­lieve us in our lowest estate, as bone of their bone, and flesh of their flesh; which we do, and shall ever acknowledge with humble thank­fulness, and (as a debt which we well know to be due from us to them above all people in the world) shall be for ever as tender of their happiness and welfare as of our own, which indeed is involved in theirs, and without whom Ireland cannot be happy. We there­fore remaining constant in the reasons of our said Declaration of Dec. 14. 1659. for adhering to the Parliament in defence of it's Priviledges, and the just Rights and Liberties of these Nations; all which we see now are apparently more and more violated by the not admission of the said excluded Members, and by not filling the vacant Places, whereby the House might be full; and being freed from force, might interruptedly act according to their judgments and con­sciences towards resettling the peace of these Nations, which other­wise in all humane probability can never be restored to peace and tranquillity.

We do therefore declare for a full and free Parliament in England, consisting not only of those that sate on Oct. 11. 1659. but al [...]o of all such of the Members of Parliament imprisoned, excluded, or with-drawn in December 1648. as are yet living, whom we de­sire may be restored to [...]he f [...]edom and l [...]be [...]ty of [...]t [...]ing, and acting according to the Trust committed to them by the several Counties & places which did chuse them, that so they may be no longer debarred from discharging their said Trust, and that vacant places may be speedyly supplyed by free and due Elections of the people, yet so as none of the persons to be admitted or elected, be any of those who have been in Arms, or otherwise ayding, ab [...]tting, or assisting the late King or his Son in the late War against the Parliament, and that the House being so filled, may proceed unani­mously to consult the best means for resettling the Peace of the Nations, the re-estab­lishment of true Religion (the surest foundation, as of all righteous Government, so of all the happiness of a Nation;) the fundamental Laws of the Land (whereby all mens rights and properties are preserved) and the liberties and freedom of the people which are supported by those Laws.

And for those ends, and in discharge of our duty to God, and to our Country, We do resolve (by the blessing of Almighty God) to joyn with our Brethren in England, Ireland and Scotland, who have or shall joyn with us for the ends aforesaid; and do re­solve for the maintenance and preservation thereof, to hazard our Lives and Estates, and all that is dear to us: And we doubt not but all our Brethren in the said Nations, who disdain to be made Slaves, will joyn with us herein, as being with wisdome and reason desirous to deliver over to their Posterity that Liberty and Freedom which was conveyed to them at so dear a rate by our Ancestors. And then we trust, [Page 8] that by the great mercy of God, will speedily follow a happy settlement of these yet miserable and distracted Nations; and cnosequently that the true Protestant Religion, in the power and purity thereof, may be established; the Godly, Learned, and Orthodox Ministers of the Gospel maintained by their Tithes, and other their accusto­med rights; their persons supported and countenanced; the Universities and all other Se­minaries of Learning cherished; Heresies and Schisms suppressed, needless Impositions & Taxes on the people removed; and no charge to be laid on any of the Nations, without their own free consents, given by their Representatives, in their several and respective Parliaments; Manufactures, and Publique Trade and Commerce, at home and abroad advanced; Justice in its due and wonted course administred; the just debts of the Nati­on satisfied; the Treasure and Revenues thereof preserved, and returned to their right and proper channels; the Arrears of the Army and other publique debts duely satisfied; the Armyes and Forces continued in due obedience to the Supream Authority, and not presume as some haue done, to give Laws thereunto, which hath been the root of a great part of our miseries; the N [...]tions enriched, united, and strengthned; the R [...]med Protestant Churches abroad supported and count [...]nanced; the Honou [...] of the E [...]glish Nation restored, to the comfort of Friends, and te [...]rou [...] of Enemies, [...] of Ireland in the hands of Adventurers and Souldiers and [...] Advanced, as a farther acce [...]sion of honour and greatn [...]s [...] [...] so by the blessing of God, all will shortly terminate in the g [...] [...] [...]c [...] [...]d tranquillity of these Nations, the strengthning of them against fo [...]eign [...]sion▪ and intestine Rebellion, and the comfort, contentnent of all the good people in th [...]se N [...]ti­ons, VVhich the Lord of his Mercy grant.