THAT As the wisdome and Goodnesse of God is the best example to all Authorities in the World; so those in Authoritie can in no­thing more resemble God, then in their readinesse to heare and receive the complaints and Petitions of any that apply themselves unto them: And who in cases of dissatisfaction willingly condi­scend to a reasoning out of all doubts and differences, for so his goodnesse daigned to commune wi [...]h his servant Abraham, and even to a sinnefull and gainsaying People hee saith, come let us Reason together.

And surely if ever there were neede of such a goodnesse now is the time, when not only complaints and distractions abound in all places, but multitudes of cor­diall friends to the Parliament are exceedingly grieved and sadned in their spirits, as not seeing the Common-Wealth in a condition of freedome, or exemption from grievances and burthens (in any measure) answerable to the many pro­mises of the Parliament, to the affections of those that have assisted them, or to the endeavours, engagements, intentions and desires of the Army.

Every one believing, That in a very short time after the expulsion of the greater number of the Members of this honourable House (as betrayers of their trust) A new Representative should immediately have beene ordered, according to that Moddell of an Agreement of the People, tendered by the Counsell of the Army, or in some other way: And that because that honourable Councell in their Declaration of December last Declared, That they should not looke on the re­maining part as a formall standing Power to bee continued; but in order unto, and untill the inttoducing of a more full and formall Power in a just Representa­tive to bee speedily endeavoured, by an Agreement of the People.

And we were the more confident hereof, because they had formerly declared also, That where the Supreame Authoritie was fixt in the same Persons during their owne pleasure, it rendered that Government no better then a Tyrannie, and the People subject thereunto, no better then Vassells: That by frequent Elections men come to taste of subjection as well as Rule (and are thereby oblieged for their [Page 2]owne sakes to bee tender of the good of the People) so that considering those ex­pressions and those extraordinary things done (declaredly) for a speedy new Elected Parliament; how it should come not only to bee wholly deferred; but to bee matter of blame for us or any of our friends earnestly to desire what is so evidently just and necessary in it selfe, and so essentiall to the Liberties of the Nation perplexeth us above measure; and wee intreat some satisfacton therein.

And truly when you had voted the People under God to bee the originall of all just Power, and the chosen Representatives of the People, the Supreame Authoritie, wee conceived that you did it to convey those Righteous principles (which wee and our friends long laboured for) to the next full and formall Re­presentative, and not that you intended to have exercised the Supreame Law making Power.

Much lesse, that such ensnaring Lawes should ever have issued from a house of Commons so often and so exceedingly purged (intentionally by the Army) for the freedome of the Common-Wealth, as is your Act against Treason, where­in, contrary to the course of former Parliaments and to Magna Charta, so many things are made Treason, that it is almost impossible for any to discourse with any affection for performance of Promises and Engagements, or for the Liberties of the Nation, but hee is in danger of his life, if Judges and Juries should take it for good Law, which God forbid.

Also your Act for continuance and receipt of Excise (which every one hoped upon the prevailing of the Army weuld have had a finall end) to Trade more oppressive then all the Pattents, Projects, and Shipmoney put together.

Also your act for continuance & strict receipt of Customs was exceeding crosse to expectation, that and the other for Excise being esteemed most destructive to all kind of Commerce, Shiping, and Navigation, and are so chargeable in the re­ceipt, as that if what is disbursed to Officers and Collectors were raised in an ordinary way of Subsidies it would goe very farre towards the publique charge, which it was hoped you would have seriously laid to heart, and have prepared a way to have cased the Nation of both, and to have raised all publique moneys by way of Subsidies.

It was hoped also, That you would have don something towards easing the Peo­ple of the long complained burthen of Tythes, rather then to have enforced the same upon treble dammages.

It was also expected upon the prevailing of the Army and the reducement of this honourable House, That the Printing Presses should have beene fully opened and set at free Liberty, for the cleare Information of the People, the stopping of them having beene complained of as a great oppr [...]ssion in the Bishops times, and in the time of the late unpurged Parliament, rather then such an Act against all unlicensed Printing, Writing or Publishing, as for strictnesse and severity was never before seene in England, and is extreamely dissatisfactory to most People.

And truly when you had Declared so highly and resolvedly for the maintenance of the Law of the Land, as to the defence of every mans Liberty and Property according to that excellent Law of the Petition of Right, you may soone conceive what heart breaking and torment of Spirit was occasioned by your seizing in an hostile manner such constant cordiall Promoters of those excellent Maximes fore­mentioned, by the commitment of them in an extrajuditiall manner to an Arbitrary [Page 3]Prison, where they have beene long time Prisoners, and most of that time closse Prison [...]rs, their Chambers and Pockets search'd more then once, to find matter against them (things altogether unparliamentary) yea, denyed a legall Tryall, no legall Crime being laid to their Charge, nor Accuser or Witnesse, over seene by them face to face, as Law requires; and this to the Ruine of themselves and Families as to temporall subsistance: Wee professe wee are not able to expresse the griefe and amazement that seized on us thereupon, and which is dayly renewed upon us, in that, now after extreame provocations, you seeme Resolved to take away the life of our deare friend Mr. Lilburne and others, not by any ordinary way of Triall at the usuall Assizes, but by a speciall Commission of Oyer and Ter­miner, the judges being composed of such as whose interest hee hath long oppo­sed; a way much complained of in the corrupt times before this Parliament, and which wee hoped wee should have heard no more of in this Nation.

And although this is too too lamentable, yet would this were all; but if wee un­derstand the Petition of Right truly, the puting of Souldiers to death, or to other reproachfull & painfull punishments, by Martiall-Law, in time of Peace, is not a­greeable thereunto, and if wee are deceived therein, the expresse words of that Law hath deceived us.

But that such as have ventured their Lives for you, and thought nothing too deere to bee spent in defence of a just Parliamentary-Authority, should yet be im­prisoned [as some such there are] in remote Castles, and used more Barbarously then Mr. Burton, M. Prinne, and Dr. Bastwick in the Bishops time, and how soone intended to bee proceeded against, by speciall Commission of Oyer and Terminer [wee cannot but feare:] This makes our very hearts to bleed, and our Bowels to ea [...]ne within us; insomuch as if no Reason, Conscience, feare of God, or sence of Religion will put a speedy stop to these proceedings, but our most deere Friends [because ever faithfull to their Countrey] must thus bee ruined and slaughtered, under pretence of Tryalls, wee shall not desire to breathe longer i [...] this World, as seeing nothing but Misery and Slavery like to follow after them.

What a sad thing, we beseech you is it, that it should be thus in this Nation, in the first yeere of Englands Liberty [as you would haue it esteemed] which in our apprehension exceeds in Misery & Thraldome, the worst of Englands bondage.

For b [...]sides what hath been mentioned, what is more frequent then to examine men against themselves, to imprison men by votes of Committees, to seize upon mens Persons by Pursuivants and Messengers, to sweare men against themselves; Taxes and Impositions never so high, and Soldiers [not civill Officer] let to ga­ther them, to the terror of the People; and upon the least denyall, either violence or an Imprisonment ceriainly ensue [...]h: Lawyers in effect are said to rule all, the Lawes are trod under-foot by them, and wrested to what sence they please, & Law­suits extended beyond all reason, in respect of time & charge, then [as is verily sup­posed] having mudded the cleere intentions of this House, and perverted the just intentions of the Army, poore impotent Prisoners for debt and small offences a­bound, and starve in Prisons, through poverty and the cruelty of Lawyers and Goalers: and the poore abroad even perish for want of imployment, and through the excessive price of foode, and few or none lay these things to heart: And if a­ny doe, and b [...]come passionately affected therewith, and but speake their mindes freely thereof, or [as hath been usuall and commendable] endeavor to get Peo­ple [Page 4]together in meetings and propose Petitions for redresse, the Puritans were ne­ver more reproched in the Bishops times, nor the Independents & Anabaptists in the late defection of Parliament, then now all such are, with more odious Titles (or the same in a more odious forme, as Atheists, Levellers, Libertines, Introducers of Monarchy, Anarchy and Confusion; which are poysoned Arrowes shot princi­pally at us and our friends, though most unjustly, none hating or abhorring either the Principles or the Practice more then wee or our Relations.

To our understandings this is truly our miserable condition, and the sad condition of the Common-wealth, and which is the more grievous (because in a time when up­on promises made in the presence of God, and with appeales to his most righteous Judgements, we justly expected the cleerest and largest freedoms, with even a totall redresse of all grievances, and which is no small addition to our sorrow, that we are wounded thus sorely, by the hands whence we expected our most perfect Cure.

So that what to say or doe, either to help our selves or our friends that are both in misery and danger, and the Common-wealth that lyeth in no small degree of thraldome, we are exceedingly to seeke, and therefore as in fit condition for his help only, that is a present help in time of trouble, and who maketh mans extremity his oportunity, we most humbly and ardently beseech his divine goodnesse to vouchsafe you a true Christian like Spirit of Condiscention, whereby you may bee inclined to appoint some impartiall persons to informe our understandings aright of many things here complained of, that if we be, we may appeare to have been mistaken, pro fessing from our Consciences, that as yet we are confirmed in these our apprehensi­ons of things, not only from our own reasons, but from the Declarations, Promises, and Egagements of Parliament; and we trust, this way of reasoning out of diffe­rences will appeare more like unto the waies of God, then by force or threats to stop our mouthes, or suppresse our understandings.

Also that he will both rectifie and mollifie your hearts, that you may instantly look back from whence you are fall'n, To the just ends for which the Army reserved you together, & then not despayring but the hand that wounded may heale (it being Gods way) wee would beseech you to render up unto the People their long de­teined Right of new elections, and a new elected Parliament.

To fulfill your promises concerning Magna Charta and the Petion of Right, to unbind every Burthen and to breake every Yoake; to give bread to the hungry, when you see the naked to cover him; & not to hide your selves from those of your owne flesh (your present humble Petitioners) though never so much scandalized and reproached: To deliver the captive and set the oppressed free: and if for a testimony of your Reall intentions herein you shall release unto us ours and the Nations true Friends, though pointed unto death or continuance in bonds, wee [...] have shall bee ever ready to preserve you; and wee shall ever pray that the Lord our God may bee your exceeding great reward.