IT is both certain and evident to all men, that the Publick Peace & Happiness of any State or Kingdom cannot be preserved, where the Laws, Liberties, & Customs established by the lawful Authority in it, are o­penly transgressed & annulled: More especially where the Alteration of RELIGION is endeavoured, and that a Religion which is contrary to Law is endeavour'd to be introduced: Upon which, those who are most imme­diately concerned in it, are indispensably bound to en­deavour to preserve and maintain the establish't Laws, Liberties and Customes: and above all, the Religion & Worship of God that is established among them: and to take such an effectual care, that the Inhabitants of the said. State or Kingdome, may neither be deprived of their Religion nor of their Civil Rights. Which is so much the more necessary, because the Greatness and Se­curity both of Kings, Royal Families, and of all such as are in Authourity as well as the Happiness of their Sub­jects and people, depend in a most especial manner, upon the exact Observation, and maintenance of these their Laws Liberties and Customs.

Upon these Grounds it is, that we cannot any longer for bear to Declare, that (to our great Regret) we see that those Councellours who have now the chief Credit with the King, have overturned the Religion, Laws, and Liberties of those Realmes: and subjected them in all things relating to their Consciences, Liberties and pro­perties, to Arbitrary Government: and that not only by secret & indirect waies, but in an open & undisguised manner.

[Page] Those evil Counsellours for the advancing and colour­ing this with some plausibe pretexts, did invent and set on foot, the Kings Dispencing Power, by virtue of which, they pretend that according to Law, he can suspend and dispense, with the execution of the Laws that have been enacted by the Authority of the King and Parliament for the Security and happiness of the Subject, and so have rendred those Laws of no effect: Tho there is nothing more certain, than that as no Lawes can be made but by the joint Concurrence of King & Parliament, so likewise, Lawes so enacted, which secure the publick peace & safe­ty of the Nation & the lives & liberties of every Subject in it, cannot be repealed or suspended but by the same Authority. For tho the King may pardon the Punish­ment that a Transgressoor has incurred, and to which as is condemned, as in cases of Treason or Fellony; yet it can­not be with any colour of Reason, inferr'd from thence, that the King can entirely suspend the Excution of those laws relating to Treason or Felony: unless it is pretend­ed that he is clothed with a despotick or arbitrary Power, and that the lives, liberties, honours & estates of his Sub­jects depend wholly on his good will & pleasure, and are entirely subject to him; which must infallibly follow on the King's having power to suspend the Execution of the Laws, and to dispence with them.

Those evil Counsellours, in order to the giving some Credit to this strange & execrable Maxime, have so con­ducted the matter that they have obtain'd a Sentence from the Judges, declaring that this dispensing Power, is a Right belonging to the Crown; as if it were in the power of the twelve Judges to offer up the Laws, Rights and liberties of the whole Nation to the King, to be disposed of by him arbitrarily & at his pleasure, and expressly contrary to Laws enacted for the security of the subjects. In or­der to the Obtaining this Judgment, those evil Counsel­lours did before hand examine secretly the Opinion of the Judges, and procured such of them as could not in consci­ence concur in so pernicious a Sentence, to be turned out, [Page 3]and others to be substituted in their rooms, till by the Changes which were made in the Courts of Judicature, they at last obtained that Judgment. And they have rais­ed some to those Trusts, who make open Profession of the popish Religion, tho those are by law rendred incapable of all such Employments.

It is also manifest & notorious, that as his Majesty was upon his coming to the Crown, received & acknowledg­ed by all the Subjects of England, Scotland & Ireland, as their King, without the least Opposition, tho he made then open Profession of the popish Religion; so he did then promise & solemnly swear at his Coronation, that he would maintain his Subjects in the free enjoyment of their laws & liberties, and in particular, that he would maintain the Church of England as it was established by Law. It is like­wise certain, that there have been at diverse and sundry times, several laws enacted for the preservation of those Rights & liberties, & of the protestant Religion: and a­mong other Securities, it has been enacted, that all per­sons whatsoever, that are advanced to any Ecclesiastical Dignity, or to bear Office in either University, as like­wise all other, that shall be put in any Imployment, Ci­vil or Military, should declare that they were not Papists but were of the Protestant Religion, (and that by their ta­king of the Oaths of Allegiance & Supremacy and the Test) yet these evil Counsellors have in effect annulled & abo­lished all those Laws, both with relation to Ecclesiastical and Civil Employments. In order to Ecclesiastical Dig­nities and Offices, they have not only without any colour of Law, but against most express. Laws to the contrary, set up a Commission, of a certain number of persons, to whom they have committed the Cognisance and Direction of all Ecclesiastical matters: in the which Commission there has been & still is, one of his Majesties Ministers of state, who makes now publick Profession of the popish Religion and who, at the time of his first professing it, declared that for a great while before, he had believed that to be the only true Religion. By all this, the deplorable state to [Page 4]which the Protestant Religion is reduced, is apparent, since the Affairs of the Church of England, are now put into the hands of Persons who have accepted of a Commission that is manifestly illegal, and who have executed it contrary to all Law; and that now one of their chief Members has abjured the Protestant Religion and declared himself a Pa­pist, by which he is become incapable of holding any pub­lick imployment. The said Commissioners have hitherto given such proof of their Submission to the directions giv­en them, that there is no reason to doubt, but they will still continue to promote all such designs as will be most agreable to them. And those evil Counsellors take care, to raise none to Ecclesiastical Dignities, but persons that have no Zeal for the Protestant Religion, and that now hide their Unconcernedness for it under the specious pre­tence of Moderation. The said Commissioners have sus­pended the Bishop of London, only because he refused to obey an order, that was sent him to suspend a Worthy Divine, without so much as Citing him before him, to make his own Defence, or observing the common Forms of Process. They have turned out a President, chosen by the Fellows of Magdelen Colledge, and afterwards all the Fellows of that Colledge, without so much as Citing them before any Court that could take legal Cognisance of that Affair, or obtaining any Sentence against them by a Com­petent Judge: and the only Reason that was given for turning them out, was their Refusing to choose for their President, a person that was recommended to them by the In­stigation of those evil Councellors: to the Right of a Free-Election belonged undoubtedly to them. But they were turned out of their Free-holds contrary to Law, and to that express provision in Magna Charta, that no man shall lose life or goods, but by the Laws of the Land. And now these evil Counsellours have put the said College wholly in­to the hands of Papists, tho as is above said, they are in­capable of all such Imployments, both by the law of the Land and the Statutes of the Colledge. These Commissi­oners have also cited before them all the Chancellors & [Page 5] Arch-Deacons of England, requiring them to certify to them, the names of all such Clergy men as have read the Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, and of such as have not read it: without considering that the Reading of it was not enjoined the Clergy by the Bishops, who are their Ordinaries. The Illegality and Incompetency of the said Court of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners was so notoriously known, & it did so evidently appear, that it tended to the Subversion of the Protestant Religion, that the Most Reve­rend Father in GOD, William Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate & Metropolitan of all England, seeing that it was raised for no other End, but to Oppress such Persons as were of eminent Vertue Learning and Piety, refused to fit or concur in it. And tho there are many express Laws against all Churches or Chapels for the excercise of popish Religion, and also against all Monasteries and Con­vents, and more particularly against the Order of the Je­suits, yet those evil Counsellors have procured Orders for the Building of several Churches and Chapel for the Ex­ercise of that Religion: they have also procured diverse Monasteries to be erected; and in contempt of the Law, they have not only set up several Colledges of Jesuits, in diverse places for the Corrupting of Youth, but have rais­ed up one of the Order to be a Privy Councellor & a Mini­ster of State. By all which they do evidently shew that they are restrained by no rules of Law whatsoever; but that they have subjected the Honours and Estates of the Subjects, and the Establish't Religion to a despotick Power and to arbitrary Government: In all which, they are served & seconded by those Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

They have also followed the same Methods with relati­on to civil Affairs: for they have procured Orders to ex­amine all Lord Lieutenants, deputy Lieutenants, Sherriffs, Ju­stices of the peace, and all others that were in any publick Imployment, if they would concur with the King in the Repeal of the Tests & Penal Laws; and all such whose Consciences did not suffer them, to comply with their de­signs, were turn'd out, and others were put in their places, [Page 6]who they believed would be more compliant to them, in their designs of defeating the Intent & Execution of those laws, which had been made with so much care & caution, for the Security of the Protestant Religion. And in ma­ny of these places they have put professed Papists, tho the Law has disabled them, and warranted the Subjects not to have any regard to their Orders.

They have also invaded the Priviledges, and seised the Charters of most of those Towns that have a right to be re­presented by their Burgesses in Parliament; and have pro­cured Surrenders to be made of them, by which the Magis­trates in them have deliver'd up all their Rights and Pri­viledges to be disposed of, at the pleasure of those Evil Counsellors, who have thereupon placed new Magistrates in those Towns such as they can most entirely confide in: and in many of them they have put popish Magistrates, notwith­standing the incapacities under which the law has put them.

And whereas no Nation whatsoever can subsist without the Administration of good & impartial Justice, upon which mens Live, liberties, honours, & estates do depend; those evil Counselors have subjected these to an arbitrary and de­spotick power. In the most important affairs, they have studied to discover before hand, the Opinions of the Judges; and have turned out such, as they found would not con­form themselves to their Intentions: and have put others in their places, of whom they were more assured, without having any regard to their abilities. And they have not stuck to raise even professed Papists to Courts of Judicature notwithstanding their incapacity by law, and that no re­gard is due to any Sentences flowing from them. They have carried this so farr, as to deprive such Judges, who in the common Administration of Justice, shewed that they were govern'd by their consciences, and not by the directions which others gave them: by which it is apparent that they design to render themselves the absolute Masters of the lives, honours & estates of the subjects, of what rank or Dignity soever they may be; and that without having any regard to the equity of the cause, or to the Consciences of [Page]the Judges, whom they will have to submit in all things to their own will and pleasure: hoping by such ways to intimidate those who are yet in imployment, as also such others, as they shall think fit, to put in the rooms of those whom they have turn'd out; and to make them see what they must look for, if they should at any time, act in the least contrary to their good liking: and that no failings of that kind are pardon'd in any persons whatsoever. A great deal of blood has been shed in many places of the Kingdom by Judges guided by those evil Counsellors, a­gainst all the Rules and Forms of Law, without so much as suffering the persons that were accused, to plead in their own Defence. They have also, by Putting the Ad­ministration of Justice in the hands of Papists, brought all the matters of civil Justice into great uncertainties, with how much exactness and Justice soever that these Senten­ces may have been given. For since the Laws of the Land do not only exclude Papists from all places of Judicature, but have put them under an incapacity, none are bound to acknowledge or to obey their Judgments, and all Sen­tences given by them, are null and void of themselves: so that all persons who have been cast in Trials before such popish Judges, may justly look on their pretended Sentences as having no more force, than the Sentences of any private & unauthorised person whatsoever. So de­plorable is the case of the subjects who are obliged to an­swer to such Judges, that must in all things stick to the Rules which are set them by those evil Counsellours, who as they raised them up to those Imployments, so can turn them out of them at pleasure; and who can never be esteem­ed lawful Judges; so that all their Sentences are, in the Construction of the Law, of no force and efficacy. They have likewise disposed of all Military Imyloyments in the same manner: for tho the Laws have not only excluded Papists from all such Imployments, but have in particu­lar provided that they should be disarmed; yet they in contempt of these Laws, have not only armed the Papists, but have likewise raised them up to the greatest Military [Page 8]Trusts both by Sea & Land; and that strangers as well as Natives, and Irish as well as English; that so by those meanes, having rendred themselves Masters both of the affairs of the Church, of the Government of the Nation, and of the Course of Justice, and subjected them all to a despoick and arbitrary power, they might be in a Capaci­ty to maintain and execute their wicked Designs by the Assistance of the Army, and thereby to enslave the nation.

The dismal effects of this Subversion of the established Religion, laws and liberties in England appear more e­vidently to us by what we see done in Ireland; where the whole Government is put into the hands of Papists, and where all the protestant Inhabitants are under the daily fears of what may be justly apprehended from the arbitra­ry power which is set up there, which has made great numbers of them, leave that Kingdom, and abandon their estates in it, remembring well that cruel and bloudy Mas­sacre, which fell out in that Island, in the year 1641.

Those evil Counsellors have also prevailed with the King to declare in Scotland, that he is clothed with abso­lute Power, and that all the Subjects are bound to obey him without Reserve: upon which he has assumed an arbitra­ry power both over the Religion and Laws of that King­dom, from all which, it is apparent, what is to be look't for in England, as soon as matters are duly prepar'd for it.

Those great & insufferable Oppressions & the open Contempt or all Law, together with the Apprehensions of the sad Consequences that must certainly follow upon it, have put the Subjects under great and just fears, and have made them look after such lawful Remedies, as are allowed of in all Nations, yet all has been without effect. And those evil Counsellors have endeavoured to make all men apprehend, the loss of their Lives, Liberties, Honours, & Estates, if they should go about to preserve themselves from this oppression, by Petitions, Representations, or other means authourised by Law. Thus did they proceed with the Archbishop of Canterbury & the other Bishops who hav­ing offered a most humble Petition to the King, in terms [Page 9]full of Respect, and not exceeding the number limited by Law, in which they set forth in short the reasons for which they could not obey that Order, which by the In­stigation of those evil Counsellors was sent them, require­ing them to appoint their Clergy to read in their Church­es, the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, were sent to prison, and afterwards brought to a Tryal, as if they had been guilty of some enormous crime. They were not on­ly obliged to defend themselves in that pursute, but to appear before professed Papists, who had not take the Test, and by Consequence were men whose Interest lead them to condemn them: and the Judges that gave their Opinion in their Favours were thereupon turned out.

And yet it cannot be pretended that any Kings, how great soever there power has been, and how arbitrary & despotick soever they have bin in the excercise of it, have ever reckoned it a Crime for their Subjects to come (in all Submission & Respect, & in a due number, not exceed­ding the limits of the Law,) and represent to them the Reasons that made it impossible for them to obey their Orders. Those evil Councellors have also treated a Peer of the Realm as a Criminal, only because he said that the Subjects were not bound to obey the Orders of a popish Justice of Peace: tho it is evident that (they being by law rendred incapable of all such Trusts) no regard is due to their Orders. This being the security which the people have by the Law, for their lives, liberties, honours, and estates, that they are not to be subjected to the arbitrary proceedings of Papists, that are contrary to Law put in­to any employments Civil or Military.

Both We our Self, and Our dearest & most entirely beloved Consort the Princess, have endeavour'd to signify in terms full of respect, to the King, the just & deep Re­gret which all these proceeding have given us; and in Compliance with his Majesty's desires signified to us, We declared both by word of mouth to His Envoy, and in writing, what Our thoughts were touching the Repealing of the Tests & penal Laws, which we did in such a manner, [Page 10]that we hoped we had proposed an Expedient, by which the peace of those Kingdoms & a happy Agreement among the Subjects of all persuasions might have been settled: but those evil Counsellors, have put such ill Constructions on these our good intentions, that they have endeavour'd to alienate the King more & more from us, as if we had de­signed to disturb the Quiet & Happiness of the Kingdom.

The last and great Remedy for all those evils, is, the Calling of a Parliament, for the securing of the Nation, a­gainst the evil practises of those wicked Counsellors: but this could not be yet compassed, nor can it be easily brought about. For those men apprehending, that a lawful Parli­ament being once assembled, they would-be brought to an account for all their open violations of Law, and for their Plotts and Conspiracies against the protestant Reli­gion, and the Lives & Liberties of the Subjects, they have endeavour'd under the specious Pretence of Liberty of Con­science, first to sow divisions among Protestants, between those of the Church of England and the Dissenters: the design being laid to engage Protestants, that are all equally concerned to preserve themselves from popish Oppressi­ons into mutual quarrellings; that so by these, some ad­vantages might be given them to bring about their De­signs, and that both in the Election of the Members of Parliament, and afterwards in the Parliament it self. For they see well that if all protestants could enter into a mu­tual good understanding one with another, and concur to­gether in the preserving of their Religion, it would not be possible for them to compass their wicked ends, They have also required all persons in the several Counties of England, that either were in any imployment, or were in any considerable Esteem to declare before hand, that they would concur in the Repeal of the Tests & penal Laws; and that they would give their voices in the Elections to Parliament, only for such as would concur in it: Such as would not thus pre-engage themselves were turned out of all Employments, and others who entred into those en­gagements were put in their places, many of them being [Page 11]Papists: and contrary to the Charters and Priviledges of those Burroughs that have a Right to send Burgesses to Parliament, they have Ordered such Regulations to be made, as they thought sit & necessary for assuring them­selvs of all the Members that are to be chosen by those Corporations: and by this means they hope to avoid that punishment which they have deserved: tho it is ap­parent, that all Acts made by popish Magistrates are null and void of themselves; so that no Parliament can be lawful, for which the Elections and Returns are made by Popish Sheriffs & Mayors of Towns: and Therefore as long as the Authority & Magistracy is in such hands, it is not possible to have any lawful Parliament. And tho ac­cording to the Constitution of the English Government & Immemorial Custom, all Elections of Parliament-Men ought to be made with an entire Liberty, without any sort of Force, or the requiring the Electors to choose such persons as shall be named to them: and the persons thus freely elected, ought to give their Opinions freely upon all matters that are brought before them, having the good of the Nation ever before their eyes, and following in all things the dictates of their Conscience; yet now the peo­ple of England cannot expect a Remedy from a free Par­liament, legally called and Chosen. But they may per­haps see one called, in which all Elections will be carried by fraud or force, and which will be composed of such persons, of whom those evil Counsellors hold themselves well assured, in which all things will be carried on accor­ding to their direction & Interest, without any regard to the Good or Happiness of the Nation. Which may appear evidently from this, that the same persons tried the Mem­bers of the last Parliament, to gain them to consent to the Repeal of the Test & penal Laws, and procured that Par­liament to be dissolved, when they found that hey could not, neither by Promises nor Threatnings, prevail with the Members to comply with their wicked designs.

[Page 12] But to crown all, there are great & violent presump­tions, inducing us to believe that those evil Counsellors in order to the carrying on of their ill designs, and to the gaining to themselves the more time for the effecting of them, for the encouraging of their Complices, and for the discouraging of all good Subjects, have puhlished that the Queen hath brought forth a Son: tho there have ap­peared both during the Queen's pretended Bigness, and in the manner in which the Birth was managed, so many just & visible grounds of suspicion, that not only we our selves, but all the good Subjects of those Kingdoms, do vehemently suspect that the pretended Prince of Wales was not born by the Queen. And it is notoriously known to all the world, that many both doubted of the Queen's Bigness, & of the Birth of the Child, and yet there was not any one thing done to satisfy them, or to put an end to their Doubts. And since our dearest & most entirely-beloved Consort the Princess & likewise We our selvs have so great interest in this Matter, and such a Right, as all the world knows, to the Succession to the Crown: Since also the English did in the year 1672. when the States General of the Ʋ ­nited Provinces were involved in a most unjust War, use their utmost endeavours to put an end to that War, and that in Opposition to those who were then in the Go­vernment, and by their so doing, they run the hazzard of losing both the favour of the Court and their Employ­ments; And since the English Nation has ever testified a most particular affection and esteem both to our dearest Consort the Princess and to Our Selves, We cannot ex­cuse Our Selves from espousing their Interests, in a mat­ter of such high consequence, and from contributing all that lies in us for the maintaining both of the Protestant Religion, and of the Laws & Liberties of those Kingdoms, & for the securing to them the continual enjoyment of all their just Rights. To the doing of which, we are most earnestly solicited by a great many Lords both Spiritual & Temporal, and by many Gentlemen and other Subjects of all Ranks.

[Page 13] THEREFORE it is, that we have thought fit to go over to England, and to carry over with as a Force sufficient, by the Blessing of God, to defend us from the violence of those evil Counsellors. And WE being de­sireous that Our intentions in this may be rightly under­stood, have for this End prepared this Declaration, in which as We have hitherto given a true account of the reasons inducing us to it; So we now think fit to Declare that this Our Expedition, is intended for no other De­sign but to have a Free and Lawful Parliament assembled as soon as is possible: And that in Order to this, all the late Charters by which the Elections of Burgesses are limited contrary to the ancient Custom, shall be considered as null and of no force, and likewise all Magistrates who have been injustly turned out, shall forthwith resume their for­mer Imployments, as well as all the Burroughs of Eng­land shall return again to their ancient Prescriptions and Charters! And more particularly that the ancient Char­ter of the great & famous City of Lodnon, shall again be in force: and that the Writts for the Members of Par­liament shall be addressed to the proper Officers, accord­ing to Law & Custom. That also none be suffered to choose or be chosen Members of Parliament, but such as are qualified by Law: and that the Members of Parliament being thus lawfully chosen, they shall meet and sit in full Freedom, that so the two Houses may concur in the pre­paring of such laws as they, upon full & free debate, shall judge necessary and convenient, both for the Confirming and Executing the Law concerning the Test, and such o­ther Laws as are necessary for the Security and mainte­nance of the Protestant Religion; as likewise for make­ing such Laws as may establish a good agreement between the Church of England, and all Protestant Dissenters, as also for the covering and securing of all such who will live peaceably under the Government, as becomes good subjects, from all persecution upon the account of their Religion, even Papists themselvs not excepted; and for the doing of all other things which the 2 Houses of Par­liament [Page 14]shall find necessary for the Peace Honour & Safe­ty of the Nation, so that that there may be no more dan­ger of the Nations falling at any time hereafter under ar­bitrary Government. To this Parliament we will also refer the enquiry into the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales, and all things relating to it, and to the Right of Succession.

And We, for Our part will concur in every thing, that may procure the peace & Happiness of the Nation, which a free and lawful Parliament shall determine; since We have nothing before Our eyes in this Our Undertaking, but the Preservation of the Protestant Religion, the Co­vering of all men from persecution for their Consciences, and the securing to the whole Nation the free enjoyment of all their Laws, Rights & Liberties under a just & le­gal Government.

This is the design that We have proposed to Our sevls in appearing upon this occasion in Arms: in the Con­duct of which, we will keep the Forces under Our Com­mand, under all the Strictness of Martial Discipline, and take a special care, that the people of the Countreys thro which We must march, shall not suffer by their means: and as soon as the state of the Nation will admit of it, We promise that We will send back all those forreign Forces, that We have brought along with Us.

We do therefore hope that all people will judge rightly of us, and approve of these our Proceedings: But we cheifly rely on the Blessing of God, for the success of this our Undertaking, in which we place our whole and only Confidence.

We do in the last place Invite and Require all persons whatsoever, all the Peers of the Realm, both Spiritual and Temporal, all Lords Lieutenants, Deputy Lieute­nants, and all Gentlemen, Citisens and other Commons, of all Ranks, to come and assist Us in order to the execu­ting of this our design, against all such as shall endeavour to oppose us; that so we may prevent all those Miseries which must needs follow upon the Nation's being kep't [Page 15]under Arbitrary Government & Slavery: and that all the Violences and Disorders, which have overturned the whole Constitution of the English Government, may be fully redressed in a Free & Legal PARLIAMENT.

And We do likewise resolve, that as soon as the Nati­ons are brought to a State of Quiet, We will take care that a Parliament shall be called in Scotland, for the Re­storing the ancient Constitution of that Kingdom, and for bringing the Matters of Religion to such a Settlement, that the people may live easie & happy, and for putting an end to all the unjust Violences that have been in a Course of so many years committed there.

We will also study to bring the Kingdom of Ireland to such a state, that the Settlement there may be religiously observed: and that the Protestant & British Interest there may be secured. And we will endeavour by all possible means to procure such an establishment in all the Three Kingdoms that they may all live in a happy Union and Correspondence together; and that the Protestant Reli­gion, and the Peace, Honour, and Happiness of those Na­tions may be established upon lasting Foundations.

AFter we had prepared & Printed this our Declaration, we have understood, that the subverters of the Religion & Law of those Kingdoms, hearing of our preparations to assist the people against them, have begun, to retract some of the Arbitrary & Despotick powers that they had assumed, and to vacate some of their Injust Judgments and Decrees. The sense of their Guilt, and the distrust of their force, have induced them to offer to the City of London some seeming relief from their Great Op­pressions: hoping thereby to quiet the People, and to divert them from demanding a Re-establishment of their Religion and Laws under the shelter of our Arms; They do also give out, that we [Page]do intend to conquer & enslave the Nation, & therefore it is that we have thought fit to add a few words to our Declaration. We are confident that no persons can have such hard thoughts of us, as to imagine that we have any other Design in this Ʋn­dertaking, than to procure a settlement of the Religion & of the Liberties & Properties of the Subjects upon so sure a Foundation, that there may be no danger of the Nations relapsing into the like miseries at any time hereafter. And as the forces that we have brought along with us, are utterly disproportioned to that wicked Design of conquering the Nation, if we were capable of Intending it, so the great Numbers of the Principal Nobility & Gentry, that are Men of Eminent Quality & Estates, & persons of known Inte­grity & Zeal both for the Religion & Government of England, many of them being also distinguish'd by their constant fidelity to the Crown, who do both accompany us in this Expedition, & have earnestly solicited us to it, will cover us from all such Malicious Insinuations: For it is not to be imagined; that either those who have Invited us, or those that are already come to assist us, can joyn in a wicked attempt of Conquest, to make void their own lawful Titles to their Honours, Estates & Interests, We are also confident that all men see how little weight there is to be laid, on all Pro­mises & Engagements that can be now made: since there has been so little regard had in time past, to the most solemn Promises. And as that imperfect redress that is now offered, is a plain Confession of those Violations of the Government, that we have set forth, so the Defectiveness of it is no less Apparent: for they lay down nothing which they may not take up at Pleasure: & they reserve entire & not so much as mentioned, their claims & pretences to an Arbitrary & Despotick Power; which has been the root of all their Oppression, & of the total subversion of the Government. And its plain, that there can be no redress nor Remedy offered but in Parliament: by a Declaration of the Rights of the Subjects that have been Invad­ed: & not by any Pretended Acts of Grace, to which the extremity of their affairs has driven them. Therefore it is that we have thought fit to declare, that we will refer all to a free Assembly of the Nation, in a lawful Parliament.