WEE the Noblemen, Knights, Gentlemen, Clergy-men, Freeholders, Citizens, [...]gesses and Commons of the late Eastern, Southern, and Western Associations of England, whose names are hereunto subscribed, having for a song season with bleeding hearts, perplexed spirits, weeping eyes, and over-much patience and silence, beheld the miserable publike Distractions, intollerable Oppressions, various Re­volutions, great Tumults, and destructive Confusions, wherewith our former most glorious, flourishing Churches and Nations (for want of a setled Government, and Free Parliament) have many years by-past been violently rent in pieces, wasted, consumed, made the very hissing, scorn, laughing-stock of all Neighbour Countries; whether Friends or Foes, Christians or Infidels; and thereby exposed to the justly dreaded hostile Invasions of combined forein Romish Adversaries, whose Emissaries have been very active, instrumental in our late Combustions and Changes; being now deeply sensible of the deplorable, desperate Condition and imminent ruine, not only of our own Persons, Families, Posterities, but of our dearest, exhausted, enthralled, dying Native Country, and Protestant Religion too, farr dearer to us than our Lives or private Interests, the pre­servation whereof is the Supremest Law; and calling to our minds the first publike ends and causes for which we took up arms (since totally perverted, subver­ted, oppugned by ambitious, self-advancing Commanders, Officers of the Army, and others contrary to their trusts and Commissions) with the manifold Oaths, Protestations, Vows, Solemn League and Covenant, and other Sacred as well as Civil Obligations lying upon our Consciences, engaging us all in our seve­ral places and callings in this day of Englands trouble, and extreme danger, to put to our helping hands and best advice to obviate those Perils, and remove those Disorders, Grievances, Confusions which menace utter desolation both to her and us, if we should any longer sit stupidlie silent, or unactive in our spheres, like persons altogether uninterested or unconcerned in these perillous times of unpresidented exorbitances, usurpations, tyrannies over our persons, estates, Laws, Liberties, and Parliaments themselves, by ambitious, turbulent self-seekers and Incendiaries, and of universal decay of trade by Sea and Land; Have therupon conceived it our necessary bounden duties in this sad posture of our Sacred and Civil Concernments both as Christians and English Freemen, by this our joynt REMONSTRANCE to tender to the rest of our English Brethren throughout the whole Nation of what rank, calling, or condition soever; such just, legal, safe, rational, honest and Christian Proposals, as through Gods blessing upon our and their unanimous, vigorous prosecution of them against all self-ended Opponents, may redeeme us from our present bondage, dangers, Schisms, Confusions, frequent Rotations of publique Government, and restore our tottering Church, State, Kingdoms, Religion, to their pristine Unity, Tranquillity, Purity, Stability, Dignity, Felicity, and secure them against all future Concussions and Convulsions.

For which end we all passionately desire, and shall unanimously and cordially endeavour by all lawfull means within our Orbs,

1. That a legal, full and free Parliament of England may be speedily summmoned, according to the prescription of 16 Caroli, c. 1. enacted for this pur­pose, not hitherto put in execution; and that free elections of able Knights, Citizens and Burgesses, by and of all well-affected persons to Peace, and the old Parliaments good Cause, to represent them therein, may be no wayes disturbed, nor restrained by force of arms or otherwise.

2. That the said Parliament may safely, freely meet at Westminster on the third Monday in January next, to consult of, vote, and settle the Peace, Govern­ment of our distracted Churches and Nations, without the interruption, disturbance, force or dissolution of any Commanders, Officers or Souldiers of the Army, or other tumultuous persons whatsoever, under pain of being declared, prosecuted, executed as Traytors and Enemies to the publique.

3. That the full power of the Militia both by Sea and Land be delivered up to this Parliament, on the first day of their Convention therein, for the bet­ter assurance of their free and peaceable Session, and not continued as a distinct bodie or interest in opposition, contradistinction, or super-inspection, but in real subordination to the Parliament and people.

4. That the whole frame and settlement of the Government of our Nations be intirely referred to the Parliaments unanticipated consideration, the proper Judges thereof, without any antecedent restrictions, prescriptions, or impositions by the Army-Officers, or any others.

5. That the Supreme management of all Civil, Politique, Militarie affairs, and appointment of all Great Officers of State and Ministers of Justice, shall be in all the surviving Members of the long Parliament without secluding any, as in a General Council of State and Safety only (who are all desired to meet for that purpose) till the New Free Parliament shall assemble, and no longer.

6. That the Preservation of the Peace, Government of each County, shall be in the hands of such Sheriffs, Conservatorss of the Peace, and other antient Officers, as the Freeholders of every County shall publikely elect in their County-Court, according to their antient Rights and Liberties; and of every City and Corporation in the Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs and other Officers elected by them, according to their Charters, Customs, and in none other Officers impo­sed on them, till the Parliament shall take further Order therein.

7. That no Taxes, Contributions, Excises, Imposts, New Customs, Militiaes, or other Payments whatsoever shall be henceforth imposed, assessed, levied up­on, or payed by the people, but by their common grant and consent in free and full Parliament, by Act of Parliament, under pain of High Treason in the Im­posers, Assessors, Collectors, and voluntary payers thereof; this being the peoples indubitable Birthright, acknowledged, declared, confirmed by manifold Acts and Declarations old and new.

8. That such an Act of Indemnity may be agreed on and assented to in this Parliament by Common consent, as may secure and indemnify all persons, whose future peaceable deportment till this Act passed shall demerit it.

9. That care may be therein taken for the speedy satisfaction of all just arrears of all Officers and Souldiers, duly listed before the 7. of May last, who shall peaceably and dutifully submit to the free convening and safe sitting of this desired Parliament. That all others who shall tumultuously oppose or inter­rupt the summoning, assembling, or sitting thereof, shall forfeit all their Commands, arrears, indemnity, and incurr the penalty of Traytors and publike E­nemies to the Parliament and Nation.

10. That an effectual course may be taken both for the settled old maintenance, succession, protection and encouragement of a godly, learned, painfull Orthodox, preaching Ministry throughout the three Nations.

11. That due care and order may be taken for the speedy detection, banishment, and execution of the Laws against all Jesuits, Seminary Priests, Freers, and other Romish Emissaries, or Seducers whatsoever, imployed to divide, corrupt, seduce the people; and the Oath of Abjuration duly tendered by Justices of Peace and other Officers to all persons, who shall be accused and justly suspected to be such, for their better detection.

12. That the causes of the great extraordinary decay of all sorts of Trade, Merchandise, Shipping, Scarcity of Bullion, Coin, with all frauds and abuses in Manufactures; dilatory vexatious proceedings, extortions in Courts of Law and Equity, may be diligently inquired into, redressed, punished; and the great destruction and waste of Timber in all parts inhibited under severe penalties.

13. That all Treasurers, Receivers, Collectors, Farmers of any Monies, Customs, Excises, Rents, Revenues, Taxes, Imposts, Sequestrations or other goods, profits whatsoever to the use of the publike, may be speedily called to account in each County, by fitting, unaccountable persons appointed for that end, and all their frauds and abuses therein inquired of and condignly punished.

14. That all good Laws formerly enacted for the preservation and defence of the Persons, Lives, Liberties, Properties of the Subjects, against illegal Imprisonments, Banishments, Restraints, Confinements, Corporal punishments, executions by any Person or Persons, Powers, Committees, Council of State, Military, Civil Officers, or Judicatures whatsoever, and against all unjust Taxes, Confiscations, Sequestrations, Rapines, Plunders, may be ratifyed; and the late, and future high wilfull violations of them, exemplarily punished.

15. That every Person who shall henceforth Canvas for Voices to make himself a Knight, Citizen, Burgess or Baron of the Ports, in the next, or any ensu­ing Parliament, either by Letters of Recommendation from Great men, feasting the Electors before, at, or after Elections, Gifts, Bribes, or otherwise, shall upon due proof thereof, be made Uncapable to sit or serve in Parliament.

16. That all Members of Parliament, Officers of State, Justices, Sheriffs, Mayors, Recorders, shall henceforth take a Corporal Oath, to the best of their knowledge, skill, power, inviolably to preserve the Fundamental Laws, Liberties, Franchises of the Free-men of England, and to give all Laws for the de­fence of them in charge to the Grand-Jury, in their respective Assizes, and General Sessions of the Peace, that they may inquire and present all Offences against, and violations of them, to be condignly punished according to Law.

17. That all Unnecessary Garrisons, Supernumerary Souldiers, and Sea-men, may be speedily payd off, dismantled, disbanded, and all superfluous Offi­cers, excessive Fees, and extortions whatsoever taken away, for the Impoverished peoples ease; And the manifold extortions, abuses of Gaolers, Marshals, Messengers, and other detainers of Prisoners, punished and redressed.

18. That Able, Faithfull, Conscientious, fitting Persons fearing God and hating Covetousnesse, may be preferred to all Offices, Places of publick Trust, and Administration of Justice; and detur digniori, made the only rule in all Elections and Preferments whatsoever.

19. That all Universities, Colleges, Schools of learning in our three Nations, with all Lands, Rents, Annuities, Gifts, Revenues, for their support, may be [...]onstantly maintained, preserved from rapine, and all misimployments, substractions of them, and of any Lands, Rents, Annuityes, Monyes, Gifts, Legacies to them, or any other publike or charitable use whatsoever, diligently inquired after and reformed.

All which proposals we are resolved by Gods gracious assistance with unanimitie, constancy, and activity, in our several stations, with our lives and for­tunes, to prosecute and accomplish to our powers by all just, and legal wayes, with what ever else may conduce to the Peace, Safety, Unity, Wealth, Prospe­rity of our Lacerated, Macerated, Naufragated Church and State; wherein as we shall constantly pray for Gods Divine assistance and blessing upon our weak endeavours, without which they will be altogether succeslesse: So we cannot but confidently expect and shall importunately desire the cordial Concurence, assistance, Prayers of all other Noble-men, Knights, Gentlemen, Clergy-men, Free-holders, Citizens, Burgesses, and English Freemen, without the mallest opposition, that so Righteousnesse and Peace may kisse each other, and glory once more dwell within our Land, wherein they have been strangers over-long: And let all the People (by their joynt subscriptions) say, Amen, Amen, Amen.