WHereas the Parliament, his High­ness the Lord Protector and the Council, by reason of some late Rebellions and Insurrections within this Common-wealth, and upon occasion of many dangers and trou­bles threatned from beyond the Seas, have been necessitated to imploy divers Persons in their Service for suppressing the said rebellious Insurrections, and for securing the Peace, and carrying on the Publick Service of these Nations, which the said Persons have wil­lingly engaged in; whereof his Highnesse and Parliament well approving, and being fully satisfied of their Fidelity and Integrity in such their Actings, and that their Endeavors tended only to the Security and Advantage of the Publick, and Reformation of these Na­tions, without any sinister respects of their own; and therefore conceive themselves to be obliged in Honor and Iustice, that they be pro­tected and acquitted from any Suit, Action, Prosecution or Molestation, for or in respect of such Service.

Be it therefore Enacted by his Highnesse [Page 2] the Lord Protector and this present Parlia­ment, and the Authority thereof, That all and every person and persons, who have be­fore the twentieth day of June, One thousand six hundred fifty and seven, mediately or im­mediately, acted or done, or commanded or appointed to be acted or done, or by command or appointment have acted or done any matter or thing whatsoever by Vertue or Authority of Parliament, his Highnesse the Lord Pro­tector or the Councill, by any Commission or Instructions from them, or any of them, That every such person and persons shall be, and are hereby fully Acquitted, Pardoned, and Discharged of and from all Actions, Suits, Indictments, Informations, Pro­secutions, Iudgements, Executions, and Molestations whatsoever, for or concerning the same; but that such their Actings and Service, and whatsoever hath ensued there­upon, shall in no time hereafter be called in question, whatsoever be the Quality of the person, or of whatsoever kind or degree, Civil or Criminal, the Offence or Injury is sup­posed to be; And that no mention be made thereof in time to come, in Iudgment or Iu­dicial Proceedings, but that the same be had and put in perpetual Oblivion; And that the said Council for all Acts done, or advised to be done by them as aforesaid, shall be and are hereby likewise Acquitted, Pardoned, and Discharged, to all intents and purposes aforesaid.

And it is further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That Richard Hill Esq; Samuel Wil­son, John Sparrow, Humphrey Blake, Robert Turpin, [Page 3] and Richard Blackwal, the late Commissioners for Prize-Goods, and John Carleton Treasu­rer, and every of them shall be, and are hereby Indempnified and Discharged, for and con­cerning the Payment of all such Sum and Sums of Money, which by Order of his Highnesse and Council, they, or any of them have paid in to the use of the Commonwealth; And that the said late Commissioners for Prize-Goods, and the said Treasurer, shall not be lyable to any Suit or Action for the Pay­ment of the said Sums of Money, or any part thereof.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all Acts, Ordinances and Orders of Parliament, which have heretofore been made for the Encouragement, Indemp­nity, and saving harmless of such persons as have in any sort, either by Sea or Land, En­gaged, Acted, or done any matter or thing whatsoever, by Authority, or for the service or benefit of the Parliament; and every Clause, Article and Sentence in them, or any of them contained, shall stand and remain, and be in full force, effect and vertue, and be put in pra­ctice and execution, and be pleadable and made use of in all Courts of Iustice, as fully and absolutely to all intents and purposes, as if the same had been now made particularly for such purpose.

And be it Ordained and Enacted by the Au­thority aforesaid, That all and every the Words, Clauses and Sentences in this Act, and in all and every other the Acts, Ordi­nances and Orders of Parliament, shall be adjudged, expounded, and taken in all Courts [Page 4] and proceedings of Iustice, and else-where, most beneficial and available unto all and sin­gular the persons that have so acted or done by any Authority as aforesaid, or for the ser­vice or benefit of the Parliament, or other­wise as aforesaid. And for further relief and ease of the persons aforesaid, It is likewise Enacted; That if upon any Tryal or Pro­ceedings in any Court of Iustice, it shall ap­pear unto the Iudge or Iudges before whom such tryal or proceedings shall be had or made, that the party that hath so acted by the Au­thority as aforesaid, or for the service or bene­fit of the Parliament, or otherwise as afore­said, hath not had or cannot have such full be­nefit and just relief, as by this and other Acts, Ordinances, and Orders of Parliament, was intended or provided, Then such Iudge and Iudges shall, and are hereby required to make Certificate thereof to the Barons of the Exchequer; upon which Certificate the said Barons, or any two of them shall have Au­thority, and are hereby impowered, authorized and required, upon such Certificate and Com­plaint of the party grieved, to proceed and do therein to all intents and purposes; And they have hereby given unto them the same and like Powers, Authorities, Iurisdictions, and Course of Proceedings in all Causes for relief of such party or parties grieved, in any the pre­mises, as any Committee or Commissioners of or for Indempnity appointed by Authority of Parliament, had or might have lawfully exercised.

And it is hereby lastly Ordained, That all and every the matters and things in this Act [Page 5] mentioned and intended shall be adjudged and deemed to be within all and every the said Acts, Ordinances, and Orders of Parlia­ment, as if the same had been particularly ex­pressed and comprised in the same, and to have relief, and be proceeded in accordingly.

Provided, That nothing in this Act be construed or understood to revive the Power of the said Committees in any of the former Acts or Ordinances of Parliament named, so as to enable the said Committees to inter­meddle in the execution of any of the said Acts or Ordinances.