A Charge of High Treason exhibited against Oliver Cromwell Esq for several Treasons by him committed
FOr that he the said Oliver Cromwell not having the feare of God before his eyes, but being instigated by the Devil, did Trayterously and Villanously by force of armes, dissolve the late Parliament of the Lords the people of England, who they the said Parliament did Represent as the Supreame Authority of the said Lords the people of England, and for that he the said Oliver Cromwell being a hired servant to serve the Lords the people of England, in the Conduct of them the said Lords the people of Englands forces, against their Enemies, of their the said peoples LIBERTIES, RIGHTS and PRIVILEDGES, and notwithstanding the high trust reposed in him the said Oliver Cromwell, so to do, yet the said Oliver Trayterously conspired many times before he the said Oliver did dissolve the said Parl. by force of Arms, wickdly, and Traytorously; thereby to render the said Lords the people of England utterly uncapable for ever, to recover their LIBERTIES, JUST RIGHTS, and PRIVILEDGES, and did become Master of all the strong-holds; Armes, Forces, and Magazines, Armies, Navies, and made, and still doth make noe other use of them but to over awe, and force the Lords the people of England aforesaid, to an Obedience and Compliance, to his the said Oliver Cromwells Tyranicall will and pleasure; contrary to the intent of the trust reposed in him, and contrary to all the Solemne Ingagements, and Declarations, of him the said Cromwell; which did invite the foresaid Lords the people of England to a chearfull Contribution of their assistance to the carying on of the war against the common Enemies of their LIBERTIES, JUST RIGHTS, and PRIVILEGES: And further that he the said Oliver Cromwell, did in an unheard of manner, summon and require upon great penalties, divers persons, and Members of the Lords the people of England to take upon them the Supreame Authority of this Common-wealth, and accordingly upon the forth of July, they the foresaid persons summoned by vertue of the foresaid Traytors summons did appeare at White-Hall, in or nigh the City of Westminster, in the County of Middlesex: where they received an Instrument of Parliament containing these words: I Oliver Cromwell doe appoint you (meaning the afforesaid persons summoned by his warrant, to make their appearance their, and then as aforesaid; that is to say, the forth day of July, 1653. at White-Hall) to be the Supreame Authority of this Nation, and all Territories, and Dominion thereunto belonging; and notwithstanding he the said Oliver in so doing did commit the highest of Treasons that could be committed; for that he the said Oliver did not intreat the Lords the people of England, to Elect their Representative, according to their undubitable Rights, and that he would with their Army stand by them as servants, as in duty he and they (viz. the Army) ought to have done; the which if they had done, their late Act of dissolving the Parliament had not been Treason, because they (viz. the late Parliament) contrary to their trust indeavored to make themselvs perpetuall, contrary to the Law of the Land, & the intent of the trust reposed in them, and after the so many demands by Petitions of the Lords the people, for them [...]o surrender their power to a new Representative (equally Chosen) now for that he the said Oliver Cromwell did not restore the peoples Rights in Election, upon the dissolving the Parliament he hath made that to be Treason, which otherwise would not have been Treason.
But further he the said Oliver Cromwell having not the feare of God before his eyes, and being instigated by the Divill, did contrive, or caused to be contrived, a certaine booke called a coppy of draughts of Acts of Parliament, out of which this mock Parliament is to take their Lessons, and out of which the late Act of Marriages was taken, and in which is the invention of unheard of cruel torments as well for those that offend or oppose him, and his consederats in this unheard of Tirany; as for the transgressors of the Laws of civell societies:
And further the said Cromwell hath by himselfe, and others, forced this mock Parliament, to take away the body of our Law (that hath been our Bulwark , and defence, and only weapons counted against absoluteness) to the end and intent that thereby the Lords the people of England, may be subject to the will, pleasures, and intended Tirany of him the said Cromwell; all which considered wee humbly pray, the Lords the people of England, that justice may be had against this abominable Traytor, and Enemy to God and mankind, Oliver Cromwell.
And to the end that this may be effected it is desired, that upon the 16th of October 1653. being the next comming, that all the people of England would as one man, as well Masters, Sons, as Servants, repaire unto every County-Town, or some other convenient place within England, and Wales, and appear Armed with such weapons of war as with conveniencie they can, then and there to Elect, and Chuse such and so many persons as the people of the respective Counties, Cities, and Boroughs wont to chuse for to represent them in Parliament, the which may be Conducted to London, with such forces of the several Counties as they shall appeare, and because this may not seeme either dangerous, or difficult; it is hereby declared that several Counties with agreat part of the Army will ingage in this work, and that it may not seem to be a weakenes to discover it: It is hereby also declared that it will be so unanimous, that no power will be able to question any for so doing; for that which is not lawfull for one or two, may be, and is, lawfull for all, or the greater part when the remaninder is not able to question the party that attempteth, besides if you the Lords the people of England will be unanimous in this the recovering of your LIBERTIES, it will cost no blood; for rising in small parcells, is but to be overcome in parcels.
And further, we doe hereby delare that such of the Army as shal joyn in this our shaking of this yoke, shal be received into the favour of the Lords the people of England, and be continued in their trusts of Arms; for our incouragement, wee know this of old since man was placed upon the earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is but short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment; for though for the present hipocrith mount up to the Heavens, and their heads reach unto the Clouds; yet assuredly they shall perish for ever, and they which now see them, ere long shall say, where are they for a long time their Tabernacle have only prospered though they be robbers, and [...]ch as provoke God, and that make the uprightman the greatest sufferer, yet for all this the multitude of their lies shall not make all men hold their peace.