AS we are Engliſh-men we are all incorporated into one Body, and though diſtinct and different Families, Fortunes, and Qualities, yet Fellow Members and Coheires of one and the ſame Birthright; not only by nature, as we are the Sons of men, (nature obliging all in one Common and equal Bond of Freedome and Unity,) but by certaine ſacred Laws and Cuſtomes of peculiar and inherent Right to this Nation; generall, equall, and impartiall to all, without reſpect of Perſons, Rank, Quality, or Degree; derived through all ſucceſſions of Ages, by the Blood, Juſtice and Prudence of our fore-Fathers to us their poſterity, as Ours, and the Right of our Children after us, not Diſinheritable: Though this Age were wholly made up of Apoſtates and Traytors to Common Juſtice and Freedom, and ſhould make ſale of, and deliver up their Children as Slaves and Vaſſails, yet Engliſh Right abideth, to wit our Juſt Lawes and Liberties, and may Juſtly be reinforced as Opportunity may preſent; Sometime they Sleep but never Dye, their totall Extinguiſhment is not to be imagined ſo long as any Engliſh-man or Engliſh-blood abideth: and whoever undertaketh, (though by Armes or otherwiſe) their Recovery and Redemption is juſtifyed in that very Action by the Laws of God, of Nations, Nature, Reaſon, and by the Laws of the Land, and within the Bowels of our Nation amongſt our ſelves no War can be juſtifyed, but upon that Score, the contrary is Sedition, Murder, Treaſon, Tyranny and what not, and the Inſtruments thereof no other in the Eye of Engliſh Freedom and Right, but as Beares, Woolves, and other Beaſts of Prey.

Now right Worthy and Noble Citizens, and all other our Engliſh Brethren, let us conſider and lay to heart the Sad and Deplorable condition of our native Countrey: Oppreſſion, Injuſtice, and Tyranny raigneth; Diviſion, Diſcord and Diſſimulation fomented and foſtered; Trade and Induſtry diſcouraged, our Land rent into Parties and Factions, and the Common Band of Unity Cancel'd, our Fundamentall Laws ſupplanted, High Courts of Juſtice Introduced, the Blood of War ſhed in times of Peace; Arbitrary and Illegall Impriſonments, Pattents, Monopolies, Exciſe, and other Payments brought upon us, and continued contrary to Magna Charta, and the Petition of Right; no forme or face of Government of Engliſh Conſtitution amongſt us; the name and Authority of the People in Parliament Uſurped and Abuſed, and the Stamp thereof put upon Strange and Prodigious Actions, Vexing and Oppreſſing the People with dayly Changes and Alterations in Government, as the intereſt of ſome Few Ambitious Grandees alter and change, or get Advantages one of another, and all under the Name of a Common-wealth, when as the Nature is not practiſed or intended at all, it being utterly inconſiſtent with their very Temper and Intereſt; they are wrapt up and compounded of nothing but Guilt, Blood and Tyranny; and Equall and Common Juſtice (the Eſſence of a Common-wealth) are utterly repugnant thereto; and whatſoever they can doe muſt be Planted and Maintained by Sword and Violence againſt the very Heart and Sence of the Nation; and they know not where nor how to centre an Oligarchy or ſomething they would have to be Maſters of the People, and Perpetuate their Power and Tyranny, and therefore would Amaze and Confound us with their New Debates of a Coordinate Power or Senate for Life, ſuch as our Engliſh Lawes and Liberties know not of, and of pernitious Conſequence to this Nation; So that from theſe men that thus handle the Sterne at Weſtminſter, there is no expectation of any Juſt Settlement of Peace or freedom from Oppreſſion; eſpecially conſidering the Apoſtacy, Hypocriſie, Deceipt and Perjury of thoſe Men, their manifold Solemne Engagements, Oaths, Vows, Proteſtations, Appeales unto Heaven, Promiſes, Remonſtrances, Declarations all by them broken again and again, never keeping Faith, Truce or Oath, being Unbounded, Unlimited, Certain to nothing, not to be held either by the Law of God, of Man, of Conſcience or Reaſon; And from ſuch Perſons in Government good Lord deliver us, and all the good people in England; and that all this is true of them, your Conſciences Noble Citizens, and all other the Free People of England can witneſs, there is no Tongue, no Pen is able to Vindicate them in this Point, it is known of all, owned by all, and can be denyed by none; how then can any Honeſt or Juſt man ſhed any Blood in their Quarrell, or lend them Aſſiſtance? ſurely that Blood will be required at their hands, and we doubt not but you will be carefull what you do.

And therefore from thoſe Conſiderations and Juſt Provocations we have taken up Armes in Purſuance of, and Inquiſition after our Government, Laws, and Liberties, that every Engliſh-man may be Protected, and Secured in his Religion, Liberty, and Property; and though it may be ſuggeſted, that we intend to introduce Perſecution for Conſcience into the Land again, we doe hereby (in the preſence of Almighty God) Proteſt and Declare againſt all Coercive power in matters of Religion, and that to the utmoſt of our Strength (through Gods Aſſiſtance) we will endeavour to the hazzard of our Blood and Fortunes the Freedom and Protection of all Virtuous and Religious People, by what Name ſoever differenced from Us, equall with our Selves: And that no Forraign or other Authority ſave only the Civil be Exerciſed in England: That the Practiſe of the Law be Reformed; all Corrupt Statutes Repealed; Annuall Elections of all Officers and Magiſtrates, with the conſtant Succeſſion of Parliaments reſtored; our Fundamentall Laws cleared and aſſerted, and whatever is contrary thereto be aboliſhed: That no Tryals be admitted in England for Life, Limb, Liberty or Eſtate but by the good old way of Juries, and that they be reſtored to their Originall power and purity: That all Extrajudicial and Illegal proceedings by High-Courts of Juſtice, or otherwiſe, with all Illegall and Arbitrary Committees be ſtrictly provided againſt: That the Exciſe, and all other Payments and Taxes ſuch as our Anceſtors never knew of, together with all Monopolies and Pattents deſtructive to Trade and the Common good of the Nation be alſo aboliſhed: And, that our Parliaments and Magiſtrates be ſecured from all Force and Violence; and utterly cleared from all boundleſſe Prerogative, and unlimited Priviledge: That the Right of the Poor in the Commons of England, all Donations for Charitable Uſes, and all Lands formerly belonging to the People be reſtored again: And that Mercy and Juſtice be truly eſtabliſhed amongſt us. And for theſe ends and what elſe may be of publick good to the Nation, we do deſire, and indeed challenge as of Engliſh Right, the ſpeedy Election of a New Free Parliament.

And thus, moſt Noble Citizens, Brethren and fellow Free-men of England, we have dealt Truly and Plainly with you, and given you the reall Grounds and Reaſons of our Taking up Arms; looking upon you as the moſt concern'd in the Nation, and therefore hold our ſelves the more obliged to give you this Early Advice of our Candid and Juſt Intentions in this Undertaking, that you may not be Deluded or Frighted (though falſly) into any ſtrange Opinion of us, either through your own miſtake, or by the Pollicy of thoſe men who will leave no meanes unattempted to render us as Publick Enemies, Rebels and Traitors, Plunderers, Tyrants and Perſecutors, or what ever is Odious and Monſtrous, to engage you in Blood.

Believe us, Right worthy Citizens, and Free-borne Engliſh Brethren, we have no Deſigne of Fire or Sword, or Evill toward you or your City; or any part of the Nation, or any Perſon in it: We know there are thouſands amongſt you that are ſatisfied in us; It may be indeed that many or moſt of the Gathered Seperate Churches may be Fearfull and Jealous of us, and ſo may be induced to Arms againſt us; but we do again and again proteſt before Almighty God, and the whole World, that we have no other purpoſe towards them, but that they with us, and we with them, may be bound up as Friends and Brethren in the Common Cauſe of our Countrey, that every Engliſh-man may have Engliſh Freedome and Right; and we doe not deſire to wrong either Man, Woman or Child the worth of a Shooe-latchet: Therefore we hope you will firſt well adviſe before you proceed in a new War, leſt you bring not only your own, but others Blood on your Heads (for we are reſolved to proſecute this to the laſt drop of our Blood.) The Caſe of England is laid before you, our Laws and Liberties, they are Yours as well as Ours, and for which we have all engaged in the firſt War, and not to be ſo ſlightly vallued as to be ſet at Stake againſt the Private Ends of ſome Ambitious and Corrupt Perſons: Salus Populi, Suprema Lex; Let the People Live, and their Enemies Periſh.

Therefore we beſeech you, we conjure you as Engliſh-men, to ſtand by your Native Countrey, and your Countreys Cauſe: Our voyce is, and it is no other than the Conſent and Voyce of the People, A New Free Parliament, A New Free Parliament; it is the Engliſh-mans Main Birthright, which we are reſolved to put the People in poſſeſſion of, or to periſh with our Swords in our hands. But if you will not joyn, but degenerate, we hope notwithſtanding (by Gods Bleſſing) to carry on this Work: Yet to that Juſt and Glorious Work we may challenge your Concurrence, it being your Duty as well as ours to endeavour the procurement thereof And therefore to you make it our Propoſall, to your Militia, to the Army, and the whole People, for the prevention of a New War, and the effuſion of Engliſh Blood, that you would be inſtrumentall with us for the ſpeedy Election of a New Free Parliament, for the ends aforeſaid; and in the interim all Hoſtility to be forborn; and that a day may be appointed, and the People ſuffered to goe to their free Elections, and we ſhall quietly ſubmit to their Authority; heartily deſiring all Revenge, Diviſion, Rancor, and Animoſitie of ſpirit may be for ever buried in one Generall Act of Oblivion; And that all Parties, Sects, and Sorts (now jarring, and making up intereſts one againſt another) may Reconcile, Cement, and Concenter in the common Brotherhood of Engliſh Freedome and Right; in and for which we are.