WHereas long since, for ease of the People, both Houses in a full and free Parlia­ment Voted the Disbanding of this Army: in opposition to which, some great Officers of the said Army, (to continue their rich Commands) with some Mem­bers of the House of Commons, (who daily inrich themselves by the troubles of the times) secretly mutinied the Army against the Parliament. And whereas, lately the farre major part of the House of Commons, pitying the bleeding condition, and teares of the oppres­sed People, Voted, and entred into a Personall Treaty with the King: without which (by the Armies own confession in their Remonstrance at St. Albons, pag. 64.) there can be no Peace; which the Army interrupted by obtruding upon the Commons a Treasonable Remonstrance, 20 Novemb. 1648. tending to destroy the King, and His Posterity, and wholly to subvert all Parlia­ments, Religion, Lawes, and Liberties for ever; whereby the Commons in Parliament found it absolutely necessary to prevent such pernitious innovations, by concluding a safe Peace with His Majesty; whereupon (after mature debate) the House of Commons the 5 Decemb. 1648. Voted, That the Kings Answer to the Propositions of both Houses upon the Treaty, were a ground for the Hou­ses to proceed to the settlement of a safe and well-grounded Peace: Upon which, the Generall, and Councell of Warre, Wednesday morning 6 December 1648. Seized and Imprisoned 41 of the Members going to the House of Commons to do their Duty, secluded above 160 other Mem­bers, besides 40 or 50 Members who voluntarily withdrew themselves to avoid their violence; leaving only their own engaged party of 40 or 50 Members sitting, who now passe Acts of Par­liament, of the House of Commons (as they call them) without the Lords; and comply with the said Councell of Warre, to carry on their said Remonstrance: To which purpose this pre­sent remnant of the Commons have un-voted in a thinne House, under the force of the Army, what was deliberately Voted in a full and free House; whereas by their own Ordinance passed upon the Tumult of Apprentises, 20 August 1647. to null, and make void ab initio, all Acts, Or­ders, Votes, &c. passed under the said force; This remaining Party ought not to sit, act, nor take upon them the style of a House, under so visible, actuall, and horrid a Force.

The premisses considered, We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, Members of the House of Commons, doe Declare and Protest, That the said Generall, Commissioned Officers, and Gene­nerall Councell of the Army, by the said Act of violence, upon the major part of the House, which legally, and virtually is the whole House, have waged Warre, and Rebelled against the Parliament, their Masters, who raised them to defend the Priviledges of Parliament, and the Kings Person and Authority, in defence of Religion, Lawes, and Liberties, and have thereby forfeited their Commissions, and have broken and dis-continued this Parliament; so that, untill this force be removed, punished, the Honour of the Parl. and their wronged Members vindicated, and all the Members resummoned, all the Votes, Orders, and Actings, Passed, and to be Passed by this nomi­nall House of Commons, are, and will be void, ab initio, and all such as do, or shall obey them, are and will be punishable, both by the Armies own Judgment in their Remonstrance, August 18. and by the Houses Declaration, and the said Ordinnnce, 20 August 1647. We doe farther De­clare, and protest against this present House of Commons illegall Acts, Order, or Ordinance, for erecting a High Court of Justice, and usurping a Power, without any Law or president, to Try, Depose, and bring to capitall punishment the King, and to dis-inherit His Posterity, or any of them, and against the said Generall Councell of Officers, aiding & abetting them therein, as highly impious against the Law of God, Nations, & the Protestant Profession, Traitors against the Stat. of Treasons, 25 Ed. 3. and against all Lawes & our Statutes, Perjurious and perfidious, against the Oaths of Allegeance, Supremacy, Nationall Covenant, and Protestation; all the Parliaments Declara­tions and Remonstrances held forth to the world; their treaties and promises made to the Scots, when they delivered the Kings person into our hands; against our promises made to the Hollan­ders, and other Nations, and against all the Professions, Declarations, Remonstrances, and Pro­posalls made by this Army, when they made their Addresses to the King at New-market, Hamp­ton Court, and other places.