A DECLARATION FROM The severall Respective Regiments in the Army, to all Free-born Commons within the Realme of ENGLAND.
Wherein is set forth, The Grounds and Reasons of their present Designe and Engagement; Together with their candid intentions, and reall resolutions therein, both towards King, Parliament, and Kingdome.
AS ALSO, Their Message to the Free-born People of this Nation, concerning their present proceedings, with their most humble desires touching the same.
APpointed to be printed and published, and sent to every respective County within the Realme of England; By the Agents of the aforesaid Regimenss, whose names are hereunto annexed.
London, Printed for H. E. November 5. 1647.
A Declaration from the Army, concerning a present settlement of the peace of the Kingdome.
HAving by our late lobours and hazards made it appear to the world at how high a rate we value our just freedom, & God having so far owned our cause, as to deliver the Enemies thereof into our hands: We do now hold our selves bound in mutuall duty to each other, to take the best care we can for the future, to avuid both the danger of returning into a slavish condition, and the chargeable remedy of another war: for as it cannot be imagined that so many of our Country-men would have opposed us in this quarrel, if they had understood their owne good, so may we safely promise to our selves, that when our Common Rights and liberties shall be declared, their endeavours will be disappointed, that seek to make themselves our Masters since therefore our former oppressions, and scarce yet ended troubles have been occasi [...]n [...]d either by want of frequent Nationall meeting [...] Councell, or by rendring those meetings ineffectuall: We are [...]bly agreed and resolved, to provide that hereafter our Representativ be neither le [...]t to an uncertainty for the time, nor made uselesse to the ends for which they are intended: In order whereunto we declare,
1. That the people of England being al this day very unequally distributed by Counties, Cities, and Burrouges for the election of their Deputies in Parliament▪ ougot to be more indifferently proportioned, according to the number of the Inhabitant [...]s the circumstances whereof, for number, place, and manner, are to be set down before the end of this present Parliament.
2. That to prevent the many inconveniences apparently arising, from the lo [...]g continuance of the same persons in authority, this present Parliament be dissolved upon the last day of September, which shall be in the year of our Lord, 1648.
3. That the People do of course chuse themselves a Parliament once in two yeares, viz. upon the first Thursday in every 2d. March, after the manner as shall be prescribed before the end of this Parliament, to begin to sit upon the first Toursday in Aprill following at Westminster, or such other place as shall be appointed [Page] from time to time by the preceding Represen [...]atives; & to continue till the last of September, then n xt ensuing, rnd no longer.
4. That the power of this, and all future Representatives of this Nation, is inferiour only to theirs who chuse them, and doth extend, withoht the consent or concurrence of any other person or persons; to the enacting a tering, and repealing of Lawes, to the erecting and abolishing of Offices and Courts, to the appointing, removing, and calling to account Magistrates, and Officers, of all degrees; to the making War and peace, to the treating with forreigne States: And generally, to whatsoever is not expresly, or implyedly reserved by the represented to themselves.
Which are as followeth;
1. THat matters of Religion, and the wayes of Gods Wor, ship, are not at all intrusted by us to any humane power-because therein we cannot remit or exceed a tittle of what our Consciences dictate to be the mind of God, without wilfull sin: neverthelesse the publike way of instructing the Nation (so it be not compulsive) is referred to their di [...]cretion.
2. That the matter of impre [...]ting and constraining any of us to serve in the wars, is against our freedome; and therefore we do not allow it in our Representatives; the rather, because money (the sinews of war) being alwayes at their disposall, they can never want numbers of men apt enough to engage in any just cause.
3. That after the dissolution of present Parliament, no person be at any time questioned f r any thing said or done, in reference to the late publike differences, otherwise then in execution of the Judgements of the present Representatives, or House of Commons.
4. That in all Lawes made, or to be made, every person may be bound alike, and that no Tenure, Estate, Charter Degree, Birth, or place, do confer any exemption from the ordinary Course of Legall proceedings, whereunto others are subjected.
THese things we declare to be our native Rights, and therefore are agreed and resolved to maintain t [...]em with our utmost possibillities, against all opposition whatsoever, being compelled [Page] thereunto not only by the examples of our Ancestors, whose bloud was often spent in vain for the recovery of their Freedomes, suffering themselves, through fraudulent Accommodations▪ to be still d [...]luded of the fruit of their Victories, but also by our own wofull experience, who having long expected, and dearly earned the establishment of these certain rules of Government are yet made to depend for the settlement of our Peace and freedome, upon him that intended our bondage, and crought a cruell Warre upon us.
For the noble and highly honoured the Free-born People of England, in their respective Counties and Divisions, these.
FOr your sakes, our friends, estates & lives, have not been dear to us; for your safety and freedome we have cheerfully indured hard Labours and run most desperate hazards, and in comparison to your peace and freedome we neither do nor ever shall value our dearest bloud and we professe, our bowels are and have been troubled and our hearts pained within us, in seeing & considering that you have been so long bereaved of these fruits & ends of all our labours and hazards, we cannot but sympathize with you in your miseries and oppressions. It's grief and vexation of heart to us to receive your meat or moneyes, whilest you have no advantage nor yet the fouddations of your peace & freedome surely layed: & therefore upon most serious considerations that your principall right most essentiall to your wel-being is the clearnesse certa nty suffic [...]ency & freed [...]m of your power in your representative in Parliament and considering that the originall of most of your oppressions and miseries hath been either from the ob [...]cur [...]ty ou [...] dou [...]tfulnesse of the power you have committed to your representatives in your elections, or from the want of c [...]u [...]age in those whom you have betrusted to claime and exerci [...]e their power, which might propably proceed from their uncertainty of your assistance and maintenance of their power, and minding that for this right of yours and ours we engaged our lives, for the King ra [...]sed the war against you and your Parliament, upon this ground, that he would not suffer your representatives to provide for your peace, safety and freedome [Page] that were then in danger, by disposing of the Militia and otherwise, according to their trust; and for the maintenance & defense of that power and right of yours, we hazarded all that was dear to us, & God hath born witnesse to the justice of our Cause. And further minding that the only effectuall means to settle a just & lasting peace, to obtain remedy for all your grievances, and to prevent future oppressions, is the making clear & secure the power that you betrust to your representatives in Parliament, that they may know their trust in the faithfull execution whereof you will assist them. Vpon all these grounds, we propound your joyning with us in the agreement herewith sent vnto you; that by vertue thereof, we may have Parliaments certainly cal'd, & have the time of their sitting and ending certain, and their power or trust clear and unquestionable, that hereafter they may remove your burdens, and secure your rights without oppositions or instructions, and that the foundations of your peace may be so free from uncertainty, that there may be no grounds for future quarrels, or contentions to occasion war and bloud-shed; & we desire you would consider, that as these things wherein we offer to agree with you are the fruits and ends of the Victories which God hath given us; so the settlement of these are the most absolute means to preserve you and your posterity, from slavery, oppression, distraction, and trouble; by this, those whom your selves shall chuse, shall have power to restore you to, and secure you in all your rights, & they shall be in a capacity to tast of subjection, as well as rule, and so shall be equally concerned with your selves, in all they do. For they must equally suffer with you under any common burdens and partake with you in any freedomes; and by this they shall be dis-inabled to defraud or wrong you, when the lawes shall bind all alike, without priviledge or exemption; and by this your consciences shall be free from tyranny and oppression, and those occasions of endlesse strifes, and bloudy wars, shall be in this Agreement, all your particular and common grievances will be redressed forthwith without delay; the Parliament must then make your reliefe and common good their only study.
Now because we are earnestly desirous of the peace and good of all our Country-men, even of those that have opposed us, and would to our utmost possibility provide for perfect peace and [Page] freedome, and prevent all snites, debates, and contentions that may happen amongst you, in relation to the late war: we have therefore inserted it into this Agreement, that no person shall be questionable for any thing done, in relation to the late publike differences, after the dissolution of this present Parliament, further then in execution of their judgment; that thereby all may be secure from all sufferings [...]or what they have done, and not liable hereafter to be troubled or punished by the judgmene of another Parliament, which may be to t [...]ir ruine, unlesse this Agreement be joyned in, whereby any acts of indemp [...]ito or oblivion shall be made unalterable, and you and your posterities be secure.
But if any shall inquire why we should desire to joyn in an Agreement with the People, to declare these to be our native Rights, and not rather petition to the Parliament for them; the reason is [...]vident: No Act of Parliament is or can he unalterable, and so cannot be sufficient security to save pou or us harmlesse, from what another Parliament may determine of it should be corrupted; and besides Parliaments are to receive the extent of their power, and trust from those that betrust them; and therefore the people are to declare what their power & trust is, whic is the intent of this Agreement; and its to be observd, that though there hath formerly been many Acts of Parliament, for the calling of Parliaments every yeare yet you have been deprived of them and inslaved through want of them; and therefore both necessity for your security in these freedomes, that are assentiall to your well-being and wofull experience of the maenifold miseries and distractions that have been lengthened out, since the wars ended, through want of such a settlement, tequires this Agreement, and when you and we shall be joyned together therein, we shall readily joyn with you, to petition the Parliament, as they are our fellow-Commoners equally concern'd, to joyn with us.
And if any shall inquire, why we undertake to offer this Agreement we must professe, we are sensible that you have been so often deceived with Declarations and Remonstrances, and fed with vain hopes that you have fufficient reason to abandon [...]ll confidence in any persons whatsoever, from whom you have no other security of their intending your freedome, then bare Declarations.
And therefore, as our consciences witnesse, that in simplicity and integrity of heart, we have proposed lately in the Case of the [Page] Army stated, your freedome and deliverance from slavery, oppression, and all burdens: so we desire to give you satisfying assurance thereof by this Agreement whereby the foundations of your freedomes provided in the Case, &c. shall be setled unalterably, and we shall as faithfully proceed to, and all other most vigorous actings for your good that God shall direct and enable us unto; And though the malice of our enemies, and such as they delude, would blast us by scandals, aspersing us with the designs of Anarchy, and community; yet we hope the righteous God will not only by this our desire of setling an equall just Government, but also by directing us unto all righteous undertakings, simply for publike good; make our uprightnesse and faithfulnesse to the interest of all our Country-men, shine forth so clearly that malice it self shall be silenced, and confounded. We question not, but the longing expectation of a firme peace, will incite you to the most speedy joyning in this Agreement: in the prosecution whereof, or of any thing that you shall desire for publike good; you may be confident, you shall never want the assistance of
- Lieut. Gen. Regiment.
- Edmond Bear
- Robert Everard
- Com. Gen. Regiment.
- George Garret
- Thomas Beverley
- Col. Fleetwoods Regimnet.
- William Pryor
- William Bryan
- Col. Whalies Regiment.
- Matthew Weale
- William Russell
- Col. Riches Regiment.
- John Dover
- William Hudson. Col. Riches Regiment.
This Declaration is assented to, and agreed upon by the severall Respective Regiments in the Army.