AFter so manifest a breach of our Lawes, so un­coulorable a violation of our Priviledges, so hay­nous an invasion of our common Right, and freedome, and so publique a defiance given to the whole Nation, it is more then time for us to prepare for our defence, and to raise new bancks against that violent inundation of Arbitrary power, which h [...] broken in upon us, and is ready to beare downe all before it, and against which our ancient, and great Charters, our fundamentall In­stitutes have been too insufficient to make resistance. I con­fesse it were much to be wished that the necessity of our case had not compeld us to referre this present Controversie to the arbitrement of the Sword, wee having so lately past through all the calamities of a civill Warre, but the axe being layd to the root of our Liberties, and all other meanes proving ineffec­tuall for our redress, like Physick too weake for the body of the Patient, there remaines only this choyce eyther to submit our selves, and posterity perpetuall Slaves to the uncontrolla­ble dictates of one mans will, or by our strengths united to breake his bands a sunder, and cast away his cords from us. [Page 2]Neither ought wee to distrust that the appearance, and owning of the Divine providence will be lesse signall for us in this so necessary and just assertion of our Liberties, then it shew'd it self when wee engaged upon farre slighter provocation against the late King.

To omit his forcible encroachment upon our inherent right when hee assumed the style of Protector (for I will appeale to the brest of every individuall Person, how farre his assent at­tended him to the Throne) let us take a short view of his Go­vernment, that from thence we may gather, whether in any one instance hee hath laboured the Peoples satisfaction for his injurious usurpation of it.

And our Prospect hereof will be the fayrer, if wee begin it from his division of the Land into severall Cantons; and pla­cing over them those lawless M: Gs: which have usurped likewise the Civill power, over-awing the Judges in theyr Circuits, countenancing the causes of theyr owne faction, re­versing the decrees and verdicts of our publique Judicatories; and like the Sultans Timariols farming the Land out at 60000. pounds a Moneth, or what higher rate he shall hereafter please to set it at. Nor shall any man under these rigid tax Masters retayne any longer a property in his estate then this our Grand Signeur shall please to continue him in it. From whose ille­gall exaction of the Tenths of all compounders estates and of whose else hee pleaseth wee may readily conclude, and in the following parts of this discourse shall make cleare how great danger from this kind of oeconomy hangs over all men though of different Principles and interests for them.

This severity therefore exerciz'd upon them from a ground­less surmise (for ought that yet hath bin made appeare to us) of theyr generall guilt, should timely awaken us to our defence, least like those in Poliphemus his den, whilest wee weakly and faintly hoping that it will be our fate to survive the fury of the Monster, or to linger out a wretched life beyond our fellowes, [Page 3]shall at the last find our numbers so decreas'd, and our strengths insensibly abated, that it will bee to no effect to op­pose.

That the condition of those who have faithfully in theyr severall stations discharged theyr Consciences in vindicating the Liberties of the People, is at this day the same with those who in that quarrell formerly withstood them, you shall need for a proofe no further to looke backe, then to the late Secluding the major part of the Members lawfully return'd, who upon their addresse to the remayning Number for theyr admittance, were by them referr'd to the Councell, from whom they received answer, they had refus'd none that to them appear'd to be men of Integrity, and according to the qualification in the Instru­ment; and therefore his Highness and the Councill had given order to the Souldiers at the doore to keepe them out.

Let us stay a little to compare this infringement of our Pri­viledges with that of the late Kings in demanding the Five members, which as it was in it self a violation most unjustifi­able, so was it by him afterwards confess'd to be, and recan­ted; yet even at that time there was a pretence of a particular Charge preparing against them, notwithstanding which alle­gation in excuse of that insolent fact, it was by all men judged to bee the highest Indignity that ever was offerd to that supreme Court. But how infinitely this transcends it in all its mea­sures, considering the Number of the persons secluded, the insufficiency of this generall Charge, and how farre this doth reflect upon the Honour of the respective Countyes, whose De­legates they are, to have theyr Messenger reproachfully dis­miss'd like Davids by Hanun, Sam. 2.10. How neerly this want of Integrity doth entitle us to the cryme of Cavaliers, and consequently to all that ruyne that hath attended them, a man of a very short sight may easily discerne.

And that none for the future shall be deem'd worthy to beare Office in the Common-wealth, but such who have in­terests distinct from the Peoples, and owne their sole and immediate dependance upon the Protector, that none shall bee reputed Men of Integritie but the corrupt part of the Soulderie, and theyr abettors, that this qualification of the In­strument admits so great a latitude of interpretation that the most zealous Patriots and incorrupt assertours of the Peoples rights may stand secluded by it, I presume this our last repulse hath put out of dispute; and that those who have not streyn'd at this Gnat, may swallow a Camell, and from this scanda­lous objection, this odious defamation of our Persons names proceed to derive a tytle to our estates wee have too great rea­son to feare: Especially if wee recollect at what vast charge he hath maintayned those Fleets and Armyes for these two last yeares against the Spanyard; for it is most confessedly true that when a period was put to the long Parliament, and in their dissolution to all our hopes of future Fieedome and felicity, there remained in Banck above Four hundred thousand pounds, all which in these late inglorious Enterprizes hath been expen­ded; and the Nation at this day above two Millions in debt. And how farre future exigencyes will drive his Highness to make use of the estates of such persons whom hee deems men of no integrity wee may finde when these arreares come to be audited and payed.

It was then little thought (for into what heart could it en­ [...]er?) when wee oppos'd our selves agaynst the illegall exor­bitancyes of the Court, that a Person of so great austeritie of life, so frequent in bewayling the miseries of his Countrey; so sedulous and vigilant in his Charge; so tender of the Lawes, and Libertyes of the Nation, and so narrowly searching into all the hidden corners of arbitrary and encroaching Policy, should at the last arrogate to himself a jurisdiction farre grea­ter then that with which hee contested, or then yet any King [Page 5]of England ever assumed. It was then little imagin'd that the time should come, when this great Champion of the Lawes, should stop the Lawes in theyr due course and imprison the most eminent of the long Robe for declaring the expresse letter of the Lawes; That this defender of Liberty of Conscience should discountenance and restraine men in the exercise of their Conscience; and this rigid maintayner of the Rights, and Pri­viledges of Parliament, laying asyde his now useless religicall vizard, subvert the very foundation of that venerable Assem­bly; To this I say some yeares past, though the tongue of an Oracle had praedicted it, we should slowly have given credit.

But that these pleasant dreames might no longer delude us, hee declares how that our Lawes are not the Card by which he is to steere, and that it were Ridiculous, and foolish; nay bru­tish to imagyne that those Charters which our Aneestours with so great hazard and expence contended for, were now any longer fit to bee maintayned as the square of his Government, that in the intercourse pretended betweene his and the Divine Spirit, whatsoever should be dictated to him hee would observe as his rule, and wee ought to follow as our blind guide; That hee had rather be led by necessity and providence (his owne Creatures) then by the wisest, and best instituted Lawes of the world.

That our supreme Magistrate is irreprehensible, that his actions ought neither to fall under the examination of the Peo­ple, or be lyable to the Censure of any Court whatsoever.

Wee doe not, we cannot believe that the whole body of the Army are so forgetfull of theyr engagements, that they contribute so much as theyr assent to this sad oppression of their Countrymen; or that those who so strenuously oppos'd it in the late King, can now favour tyrannie under the disguise of another name. Nay wee rest assur'd that these praevarications have averted the hearts of many whom the impostures of his zeale had allur'd and seduced.

For if these Maximes must now be tamely subscribed to; if a select Number of his favourites must beare the tytle and au­thority of a Parliament, if persons legally returned must with a hatefull brand upon theyr Reputations be secluded, and ren­dred incapable for the future (which is a conjecture not at all improbable) of trust in the behalfe of theyr Country; how much better had it been for us patiently to have borne the yoke of Kingly Government, then after the effusion, of so much bloud, and the expence of so great Treasure, after all our glorious victories over our Enemyes to beare this mans yoke, and that heavier, and more insupportable then eyther wee, or our Fore-fathers ever endured.

This our Condition therefore manifesting a necessity for the defence of our Libertyes, let us first implore the assistance of that Almighty arme which hath shew'd it self so strong for Us, and then with holy confidence in our invincible Ayder, joyntly and unanimously oppose our selves against this mighty oppressour, and all his Apostate adhaerents, and no doubt but God will scatter the bones of all them that encampe agaynst us, and wee shall put them to shame; because God hath despised them, Psal. 53. vers. 5.