WE the Freeholders, Citizens, Burgesses, Commons and Freemen of the respective Counties, Cities, and Bo­roughs of England and Wales, taking into our serious Considerations the many late various Forms and Revolutions of our publick Government, with the miserable Distractions and Oppressions of our ruinated Churches and Realms since the violent changes of our antient established Kingly Government, and Constitution of Parliaments, consisting of King, Lords, and Commons, by whose united Coun­sels and Interests we were happily secured against all treacherous Plots and Conspiracies of forein Ene­mies, and pernicious Domestick Vipers, and advanced to the highest degree of worldly Peace, Pro­sperity, and Felicity. And finding by above eleven years sad Experience, that there is neither Hope nor Probability of restoring our 3. shipwrack'd Nations to their Pristine Tranquillity, Unity, Wealth, Honour, Traffick, Security, but by a speedy Restitution of our antient Form of Parliaments, and hereditary Regal Government; and with all observing, that in the Writs of Summons now issued for a Parliament to be held at Westminster, on the 25th day of April next, there is no-known single Chief Governour, nor yet any real Commissioners nominated, but only Fictitious Utopian Keepers of the Liberties of England, with whom the Members appearing in Parliament can neither conferr nor consult, concerning the difficult and urgent Affairs either of the Realm or Church of England; And that all the Lords and Great Men of the Realm (the antientest hereditary Members of Parliament, the Grand Councellors of the Kingdom, and Chiefest Assertors of our Liberties in all precedent times) are totally omitted out of these new Forms of Writs, and all Clauses in them, contrary to all former Presidents, without whose concurrent Advice and Assistance with the Commons House in this approaching Parliament, no firm Peace or Settlement can probably be ex­pected, a full and free English Parliament, (from which no legal Members, much lesse the whole English Peerage and Nobility ought to be excluded) being the principal thing the Generality of this Nation lately petitioned and declared for, as the only Instrument under God to compose all Differences and dissenting Parties, and put a happy period to our manifold long-lasting Distractions and Confusions: Have thereupon app [...]ehended it our bounden Duty, seriously to recommend these ensuing INSTRUCTIONS to our respective Knights, Citi­zens, and Burgesses elected, and to be elected and returned by us for our Representatives and Trustees in this approaching Parliament; who receiving full and sufficient Power for themselves, and the respective Commonalties of the said Counties, Cities and Boroughs from the said Com­monalties alone who elect them, to do and consent to all such things as shall be ordained by Common Council of the Realm in the said Parlia­ment, in their Rights and Behalfs, are thereby obliged in point of Duty and Conscience as their publick Servants and Proxies, vigorously to pursue all such just Prescriptions for the Common welfare and Establishment of our Native Country, as they shall present unto them.

We therefore earnestly desire and require them in pursuance of the Trust reposed by us in them, to improve their uttermost Endea­vours and Counsels, (there being no particulars prescribed to them in the Writs themselves, as heretofore) to effect these few Individuals.

1. To restore the antient Constitution, Rights, Privileges and Freedom of our English Parliaments, their respective Houses and Members, and to preserve them from all future Mutulations and Violations by armed Force or otherwise, that so they may by free unin­terrupted and combined Counsels proceed to the speedy Settlement of our distracted Churches and Nations, without any Diversions or Obstructions by Souldiers or popular Tumults.

2. To re-establish the antient Fundamental Regal Government of this Kingdom, and the Dominions thereunto belonging (under which we and our Ancestors in former Ages have flourished in great Peace and Prosperity) according to our known Laws, Oaths, Pro­testations, Covenants, and multiplyed Declarations, and secure it against all future Underminings and Powder-plots of Jesuitical and Fa­natick Conspirators.

3. To revive and ratifie the miserably subverted and violated Great Charters, Fundamental Laws and Statutes of the Land, made for the preservation of the Persons, Lives, Liberties, Free-holds, Estates and Properties of all English Freemen, against all Arbitrary and Ty­rannycal Judicatures, High Courts of Iustice, Proceedings, Tryals, Executions, Iudgements, Banishments, Imprisonments, Confine­ments, Confiscations, Forfeitures, Attainders, Outlawries, Sequestrations, illegal Taxes, Impositions, Excises, and publick Char­ges whatsoever, not granted by Common consent in Parliament, and to prevent all future Subversions, Contempts and Violations of them, after so vast expences of Treasure and Bloud for their just defence.

4. To establish an able, learned, Orthodox Ministry, and just and righteous Magistracy throughout our Dominions, and to take speci­al care that the Gospel of Christ may be duly and sincerely preached, propagated, the Sacraments and publike justice freely and rightly administred in all places, without neglect or obstruction, to the consolation, protection of all good Christians, and well-doers, and the terror and suppression of all Malefactors.

5. To advance all sorts of Trade, Merchandize, and Navigation, by diminishing all excessive Customs, Excises, Imposts at home, by making Peace and holding good correspondence with all forein Kings and Nations abroad, and using all other good means condu­cing thereunto.

6. To redresse all publick Grievances, Oppressions, Frauds, Misdemeanours; to retrench and regulate all exorbitant Taxes, Excises, Imposts, Fees, Extortions, Salaries, superfluous Forces, Garrisons, Officers, (Civil or Military) by Land and Sea, for the peoples ease.

7. To procure a speedy, honorable, safe, Christian Treaty and accord with our long Exiled Protestant King, and Royal posterity, upon moderate, just, righteous terms and Propositions on either side, whereby the bleeding Protestant cause and Religion, (much en­dangered in all places) may be promoted and secured, the Plots of Popish Enemies to extirpate them prevented; the Peace, Govern­ment, Laws and Liberties of our Kingdoms, restored, preserved, and perpetuated to posterity; the just publick Debts of the Nation and Souldiers arrears discharged; a general Act of Indempnity, Pardon and Oblivion for all sorts of persons justly capable thereof, pro­cured; all former Injuries, Feuds, Animosities totally extinguished, and all just sales of duly confiscated Estates, made without Fraud Covin, practice or Duresse for valuable considerations, confirmed or recompenced; that so all parties and interests being perfectly re­conciled, may henceforth studiously endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace, and to live peaceable and quiet Lives un­der their lawfull King and Governors in all Godlinesse and Honesty; being all Members of one and the same Mystical & politick Body, having all one Spiritual and Temporal Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, and one God, and Father; which should both perswade and oblige them to put away all bitternesse, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, with all malice, and to be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven them, for bearing one another in love. But if we still proceed to bite and devour one another, (as we have done for many years by-past) we shall sodenly be consumed one of another, and made a prey to our common Enemies; which the accomplishment of these Instructions by Gods blessing, and the Parliaments wisedom, will prevent, and make us once more THE GLORY AND LADY OF ALL CHRISTIAN KINGDOMS, as we are now their reproach.