A DECLARATION Of the PARLIAMENT Aſſembled at Weſtminſter.

THe people of England having bin neceſſitated to take up Arms in the juſt defence of their Laws and Liberties againſt the late King: And it having pleaſed God after a long War, and many Battels fought in the Field, ſo4 to bleſs their Armies, and to bring the War to ſuch an iſſue, that if they were not wanting to themſelves, they might reap the fruit of all the Blood and Trea­ſure exhauſted in that Quarrel, and not only be reſtored to their Freedom for the preſent, but ſecured againſt all the like at­tempts for the future. The Parliament hereupon, as the Truſtees of the People for the accompliſhing of thoſe ends, did Declare and Enact, That the people of England, and of all the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging, ſhould be thenceforth Governed as a Common-wealth and Free State, by the Repreſen­tatives of the people in Parliament, and that without any King, or Houſe of Lords; Judging this not only to be the undoubted Right of the people, but that the Office of a King in theſe Nations, or5 to have the power thereof in any Single perſon, as alſo the Houſe of Lords, was burdenſome and dangerous to the Safety and Liberty of the people: And by this means the Foundations of a Publique In­tereſt being layed in the place of that which was only private and perſonal, this people might grow up (through the goodneſs of God) into perfect Freedom, being Governed in the Supreme Power by their own Repreſentatives; and in the Executive Power, by their known Laws and Judicatory; the beſt meaſure and Standard of Liberty: their Navigation and Trade encouraged and promoted, which in all Monarchies is ſtinted and reſtrained. The true Proteſtant Religi­on both at home and abroad owned and countenanced, which under the former Conſtitution was clogged with vain and6 Superſtitious Ceremonies, and corrupt opinions touching Faith and Worſhip, impoſed upon all, without any regard had to tender Conſciences, and the Miniſters of the Goſpel, and the Profeſſors thereof, with Godlineſs it ſelf, diſcountenanced and perſecuted.

To this ſtate of things did the Parlia­ment judge it their Duty to bring this Nation, and the free people thereof, and no man can reaſonably doubt, but that long before this time ▪ the Parliament (through the ſame good and gracious preſence that had accompanied their Un­dertakings) would have accompliſhed their Intentions in theſe things, and ſet­led the Common-wealth upon the Baſis and Foundation aforeſaid, if they had not been ſo often interrupted, and there­by prevented hitherto from doing that,7 which always was and is the utmoſt de­ſire and intention of their hearts.

And yet the Parliament cannot but take notice of the Artifices that are uſed to miſ-repreſent their Intentions, and to blemiſh their Proceedings before the people, unjuſtly charging them with a Deſigne to perpetuate themſelves now Sitting, to ſubject the people to Arbi­trary Power, and to Govern them by Force. And as to matters of Religion on one hand, That they are enemies to the Miniſtry, their Maintenance by Tythes, to the Univerſities and Learn­ing, and encouragers of Fanatique Prin­ciples; on the other hand, That the Parliament is too ſevere, and of Impo­ſing Principles in matters of Religion; not being ignorant, that thoſe who by theſe means do induſtriouſly labour to8 diſ-affect the people to the Parliament, are ſuch, who by ſpecious pretenſes would firſt put out their eyes, that they might not ſee the way to their own true liberty, and then bring them back again into their old ſervitude.

The Parliament therefore, to omit nothing in their power that may unde­ceive honeſt and well meaning men, have thought it neceſſary in this con­juncture of Time and Affairs, to De­clare and Manifeſt (as they do here­by) what their Intentions are, as to the Government of theſe Nations, with ſome other particulars relating there­unto; wherein they are Reſolved (through the Goodneſs and Aſſiſtance of God) to remain conſtant and im­moveable.

1. That the Parliament will pro­vide forthwith to perfect thoſe begin­ings which are already made for ſet­ling the Government of theſe Na­tions and the People thereof in the way of a Commonwealth and Free-State, without a King, Single Perſon, or Houſe of Lords, in ſuch manner, that they may be governed from time to time by Repreſentatives in Parlia­ment choſen by themſelves, in whom alone the Supream Authority of theſe Nations doth and ought to reſide, and by ſuch as they ſhall appoint and Conſtitute as Officers and Miniſters under them for the good of the Peo­ple; And that the Parliament will make it their Care to form the Army and Forces of theſe Nations in ſuch manner, that whileſt it ſhall be ſound neceſſary for them or any of them to be10 kept up for the Safety of the Com­monwealth, they may be wholly ſub­ject and obedient to the Civil Autho­rity.

2. There being nothing more eſſen­tial to the Freedome of a State, then that the people ſhould be governed by the Lawes, and that Juſtice be ad­miniſtred by ſuch only as are accompt­able for male-adminiſtration, It is hereby further Declared, That all proceedings touching the Lives, Li­berties, and Eſtates of all the Free People of this Commonwealth, ſhall be according to the Laws of the Land. And that the Parliament will not meddle with the ordinary adminiſtra­tion, or the executive part of the Law: It being the principal care of this, as it hath been of all former Par­liaments, to provide for the freedome11 of the people againſt arbitrarineſse in Government.

3. And that they will make effectual proviſion for the Countenancing of a Learned and Pious Goſpel-Miniſtry through all the three Nations, and for the encouraging and protecting them in the work of their Miniſtry againſt diſturbances. And as to their maintenance, that by Tythes ſhall be continued, it being already eſtabliſhed by Law, and is in it ſelf the moſt cer­tain convenient and comfortable way of maintenance, that in the Judgment of the Parliament can be ſettled. And therefore they do expect and require, That the Judges, Juſtices of the Peace, and others whom it concerns, do take care, that the Laws touching the ſame be put in effectual execu­tion. And for a further increaſe of12 maintenance then hath been anciently ſettled upon preaching Miniſters, The Parliament doth Declare, That the Augmentations by the Impro­priations of the late King, Biſhops, Deans and Chapters, and Delin­quents not compounded for, as like­wiſe by Tenths and Firſt-Fruits, ſhall be continued and ſettled upon the Preaching Miniſtry, not to be aliened or altered from that uſe; and diſtributed in ſuch manner, as they may be applied to ſuch places as ſtand in moſt need, that every place in the Land may have a preaching Mini­ſter, who may be able to teach the people the good knowledg of the Lord, and may have a comfortable livelihood and incouragement among them: As alſo that proviſion ſhall be made for due Liberty of Conſcience in matters13 of Religion, according to the Word of God.

4. The Parliament do Declare, That they will uphold the Publique Univerſities, and Schools of this Land, and not onely continue to them the Priviledges and Advantages they now Enjoy, but ſhall be ready to give them ſuch further Countenance as may Encourage them in their Studies, and Promote Godlineſs, Learning, and Good Manners amongſt them.

5. The Parliament being very ſen­ſible of the great Decay of the Trade of theſe Nations, will apply them­ſelves to ſuch Councels and Means, as ſhall be found moſt proper both for the ſpeedy reſtoring and increaſing thereof; Judging, That there is no one thing in the Affairs of State more important to the Welfare,14 Strength, and Glory of a Common-wealth, eſpecially of this being an Iſland, then the Encouragement of Trade and Navigation.

6. As to the preſent Burthens which are upon the Nation, The Par­liament is very ſenſible thereof, and of thoſe Extravagant Councels and Actions which haveing aged the Na­tion in ſo great a Debt and Charge, the guilt whereof will not reſt upon them, though the Danger and Bur­then thereof doth. And it is one of the greateſt Cares they have upon them, how to give the People that Eaſe which their Condition calls for, and alſo provide for their Safety, and an­ſwer the preſsing neceſsities of the State; Which the Parliament hopes in ſome meaſure to do in a very ſhort time, in caſe the unreaſonable Diſ­ſatisfactions16 and turbulent Actings of unquiet men do not Continue the Charge longer then otherwiſe will be neceſſary.