His Excellencies Declaration.

WHereas, in the adventuring of our lives and bloud, we have ſought nothing more then the proſperity of this Kingdom, and the eſtabliſhing of Juſtice and Righte­ouſneſſe in the Land; ſo there is nothing that wee more ab­hor then thoſe wicked calumnies, that we ſhould invade the propriety of any not wilfully making themſelves, or do any thing any way, to hinder or obſtruct that Trade and Com­merce by which this Kingdom doth moſt ſubſiſt and flou­riſh: But that we ſhal, in a moſt ſpecial manner, protect, de­fend, encourage and maintain, in all juſt ways, all manner of Trade and Commerce, either by Engliſh or Strangers: and that we ſhall neither do, nor ſuffer to be done, as far as is in our power, any violence or injury, to the perſons or goods of any, either by Sea or Land.

The Deſires of the Souldiery to their General.

Whereas it hath pleaſed the Lord of Hoſts to write his name upon your Sword in very legible characters, as ap­pears upon record twice, viz. in the year — 45, where wee had 114 Victories, and now this laſt Summer above 30, even to our aſtoniſhment, who were uſed by you in that ſervice, that thoſe proud Billows in Wales, England, & Scot­land, have bin bounded and calmed, in leſſe then ſix months, yet behold, we have our ſorrows repeated, and our fears in­creaſed, making our wounds even to bleed afreſh.

Wherefore, we deſire, in the name of our ſelves, and the abuſed and betrayed people of England, that your Excellen­cy will be pleaſed to aſſiſt us, in theſe enſuing requeſts and groans of our ſoules, which may not long be denyed us, leſt we faint or ſtruggle as we can for the life of good men, and a good Cauſe.

2

• 1. That juſtice may ſuddenly and equally be diſpenſed, ac­cording to the deſires of our honoured friends in London, Lieceſterſhire, and others manifeſted by their ſeverall Petiti­ons, and the Parliaments Declaration concerning the Kings evill aſſerted, or bewayled, and repented of.
• 2 That your Army be inſtantly reckoned withall, & paid and ſo dealt with for future (if they muſt be uſed) that eve­ry Reg. may know their own country, & there receive their pay immediatly, without any other Treaſurers or wayes of trouble, that ſo the people themſelves may ſee what they have for their money. In this we are impatient, or ſo paſſio­nately affected, that we gaſp for help: this Regiment hath had but one moneths pay ſince May, having marched 1300 miles this Summer.
• 3 That the people may know in print, with all ſpeed, which way all publike monies are diſpoſed of in all counties and places ▪ and that of all kinds, which may be done, if every col­lector and receiver of mony be forthwith enjoyned to print their receipts and disburſments; for if the ſouldiers be not paid, the people ask whats become of the Revenue, Compo­ſitions, Sequeſtrations, Exciſe, Lands, &c.
• 4 That we may have juſt and righteous Government ſet­led in this Nation, advancing Godlineſs, we abhorring Anar­chy, Confuſion, and levelling mens eſtates; ſo often charged upon us: for which end, we deſire theſe two things, in purſu­ance of which (by help from Heaven) we are reſolved to venture all.

Firſt that the grand and capital enemies, may without de­lay, be brought to Juſtice, which is the maine root of our miſery, we finding all other wayes attempted altogether in­valid to carty on this work of common ſafety.

Secondly, for the diſpatch of Juſtice upon all Delinquents3 for rectifying all crooked things among us, & for the good of us, and the Generations to come, we humbly conceive our laſt and ſureſt way will be for your Excellency and this ar­my, to make a ſpeedy offer to the Commons houſe in your name and the Armies, and in the behalf of all England, that ſuch of them as have been faithfull to the Kingdomes inte­reſt, to declare with you and the Nation; and that the con­trary minded, falſe, royal, and neutral party may know, that our enemies muſt not be our rulers, we profeſſing, that good men, rather then good laws muſt ſave us, though we disjoyn them not. And if any ſhal object, we put violence upon au­thority, we hereby proclaim to the world, that neither your Excellency, nor our ſelves, have received Cōmiſſions from the parl as now conſtituted, but from that good party in it, who ſtrugled through many hazards to model this army for the kingdoms ſafety; not are we to attend forms & cuſtoms in this extremity; we can as willingly ſ•t down as march, ſuf­fer, as act, would but the godly party in the Kingdom cal us thereunto, and think themſelves preſerved by it.

But the people call to us for theſe things, and we to your Excellency, your known worth inviting us hereunto: in pro­ſecution of which, as an unparaller'd inſtrument, we ſhall live or die with your Excellency, having ſolemnly promi­ſed, to attempt and attend theſe two laſt expedients through all hazard. We cannot ſo undervalue our God, and the rich experienre we have had in the behalf of this Nation, as to ſee them lie (like Iſſachar) under theſe ſinful burdens, our colds nakedneſse, want hunger, hardſhip, difficulties, dangers, out of which our bleſſed, and ever to be praiſed God hath brought us, ſuggeſting theſe things unto us, for that flock of ſlaugh­ter in this Kingdome.

Sir, we can die, but not endure to ſee our Mother England die before us.

• 1 That to prevent the many inconveniences apparently ari­ſing from the•ong continuance of the ſame perſons in au­thority, this preſent Parl. be diſſolyed upon or before the laſt day of April, in the year of our Lord, 1649.
• 2 That the people of England being at this day very une­qually diſtributed, by Counties, Cities, or Burroughs, for the election of their Repreſentatives, be more indifferently pro­portioned, and to this end, that the Repreſentative of the whole Nation, ſhall conſiſt of 300. perſons.
• 3 That 150 members at leaſt be always preſent in each ſit­ting of the Repreſentatives, at the loſt paſſing of any Law, or doing of any Act whereby the people are to be bound
• 4 That the power of the peoples Repreſentatives extend to the enacting, altering repeeling, and declaring of Lawes; to the erecting and aboliſhing Officers of Courts of Juſtice, and to whatſoever is not in this agreement excepted or re­ſerved from them.
• Laſtly and particularly, we do not empower our Repre­ſentatives, to continue in foace or make any Law, Oaths or Covenants, whereby to compell by penalties or otherwiſe, any perſon any to any thing, in or about matters of faith ▪ religion, or Gods Worſhip, or to reſtrain any perſon from profeſſing his faith, or exerciſe of Religion, according to his conſcience, in any place or houſe whatſoever.