THat whereas after a long Contest in this Poore Island against Tyranny and Injustice (wherein the treasure of the Nation hath been exhausted, and the precious Blood of many thousands spilt, the Parliament being Necessitated to spend their Time for many Years in maintaining the War, and providing for the Defence of themselves, and such who Engaged with them in that quarrell) God hath been pleased (we hope in Mercy to the Nation) to bring You once again together in a time of Peace, to heal our Breaches, to Establish firmly the Ancient Rights and Freedomes of England, which were the subject of this great quarrell (which God decided on our side) and to settle such wayes of dispen­sing impartiall Justice, that the Name of God may be exalted in Righteousness, and no man in the end have cause to re­pent of the Blood and Treasure expended in the pursuance of the same.

Your Petitioners therefore humbly crave leave to present to Your Honours their senfe of some of the principall things wherein that Tyranny consisted, against which we did then in Judgement and Conscience Engage, which were

1. The late Kings Usurpation over Parliaments, Committing and keeping diverse of their Members in Prison, as long as he thought good, without bringing them to tryall; In preventing their Meeting, and Dissolving them when they were met, at Pleasure: His Deniall and opposition of their Supream Trust, to provide in all things for the safety and welfare of the People, under pretence of a Negative Voice.

II. The Challenging of such an Interest in the Militia, as to Command the same at his Pleasure, without the Parliament, and to place the Subordinate Commands of the same in whom he pleased: whereby he claimed a Power to enforce O­bedience to any of his illegall commands, both in matters Religious and Civill; which directly tended to the razing out the very Name and Beeing of Parliaments, which have been the Ancient Preservers of the Nations Freedome.

III. His Introducing and exercising of an Arbitrary Power by his Councel and others, over mens Persons and Estates, when they ought to have been tryed by the Laws of the Land.

IV. His assuming a Right (under pretence of Necessity for the Nations good, and to secure it from future Attempts, whereof he onely would be Judge) to Leavy Money upon the People without their Consent in Parliament; wherein (as in the Particulars aforesaid) he pretended he was unaccountable for what he did, either to the Parliament, or any earthly Power whatsoever.

And your Petitioners do humbly crave leave to minde your Honours of the many Signal Testimonies, which God hath given of his displeasure against all who have endeavoured to support the aforesaid Tyranny, or have espoused it as their quarrell, under any notion whatsoever: And of the price now put into your hands to secure the Nation, from fu [...]ure attempts and dangers of the like Nature: And not onely the Armies Declarations, and the Agreement of the People, proposed by them (remaining upon Record in your House) but the Ruines and Spoils of the Land, and of the many thousand families there­in: The expence of many Millions of Treasure, the wounds and scars, and lost members of very many, and (above all) the precious blood of such, who were slain in the quarrell, together with the long waiting, earnest and patient expectation of many good people (retaining in their hearts affection to the good old Cause) cry aloud to you to call upon God with us for Wisdome, that you may be taught, and enabled to establish such a sure foundation of Right, Freedome and Justice, that the People of the Nation may not be put again upon such hazards of their Lives, and expence of their Estates for the desence of the same.

Therefore Your Petitioners Humbly pray,

That together with the constant succession of Free Parliaments duely Chosen, the Supreme Power and Trust, which the People (the Original of all just Power) commit unto them, to make Laws, Constitutions and Offices for the Government of the whole, and to call all Officers of Justice, and Ministers of State whatsoever to accompt, may be so clearly Declared and Secured against all attempts to the contrary, that no question may henceforth arise concerning the same.

That the Militia may be settled with such Wisdome and full Security, that it may not be in the power of any to make use thereof against the People, or their Successive Parliaments either to destroy their Beeing, or their Freedome.

That no Money may be Leavied upon the People (on any pretence whatsoever) but by their common Consent in Par­liament.

That our Civil Wars being long since ended, the Peoples Persons and Estates may be onely subject to be disposed of ac­cording to the Laws of the Land; and that henceforth none may be reputed Offenders, or proceeded against by imprison­ment, or otherwise, but such who shall be really found transgressors of the Law: And that there may be speedy considerati­on had of the long Imprisonment of many Persons well-affected (and some in remote places) without any due prosecution: And we the rather presse this, because it hath been the practise of former Parliaments, and in particular of the late Memo­rable Long-Parliament, to take notice of, and redresse the grievances of the People, to relieve those who were illegally op­pressed, and to restore them to the enjoyment of Liberty, their common Birth-right by the Law of the Land; which the Lord hath signally owned, and blest from Heaven, and the good People have abundantly rejoyced in.

That so long as it shall be judged Necessary to keep up an Army for the preservation of the People from the attempts of the common Enemy, Domestick or Foraign, the Officers and Souldiers who have hazarded their Lives for the Nations Li­berty, may not be turned out-of their respective imployments without a legall Triall at a Court-Martiall, that so the Mili­tary Power may be preserved in the hands of such, who are not meerly Mercenary, Newters, or disaffected.

And that as the safety of our Religion is concerned in the Defence of our Civil Rights, so such provision may now be made for the encouragement of the sincere Professours of the same; that no tender Conscience may be oppressed. And in doing these things you will be glorious Instruments in the hand of God, and Honourable in your Country, And the Lives and Estates of your Petitioners shall be freely exposed to hazzard in your just Defence.