The compleat History of independencie Upon the Parliament begun 1640. By Clem. Walker, Esq; Continued till this present year 1660. which fourth part was never before published.

THE PROTESTATION AND DECLARATION.

THe premises considered, I do hereby in the name and behalf of my selfe, and of all the Free People of England, Declare and protest, That the Generall, Councel of Warre, and officers of the Army, by their said violent and treasonable force upon the farre major, more honest and moderate part of the House of Commons (being above 250.) and leaving only 50. or 60. Schismaticks of their own engaged party, sitting and voting under their Command, and almost all of them such as have and do make a prey of the Commonwealth, to enrich themselves and their Faction; have broken, discontinued, and waged War against this Parliament, & have forfeited their Commissions. And the remaining Facti∣on in the House of Commons, by abetting▪ aiding and concurring with the said Councel of War, in the said rebellious Force; & by setting up new, illegal, and arbitrary Courts of Judicature to murder King Charles the First, our Lawful King, and Go∣vernour, (who by his Writ according to the Law) summoned and authorized this Parliament to meet, sit, and Advise with Him, and was the Fountain Head and Conclusion, or consumma¦tory End of the Parliament, and Supreme Governour over all Persons, and in all Causes of this Kingdom) and by Abolishing

the House of Peers, and the Kingly Office, and dis-inheriting the Kings Children, and Usurping to themselves the Supreme Authority and Legislative Power of this Nation in order to make and establish themselves a Councel of State, Hogen Mogens, or Lords States General, and translate the said Su∣preme Power and Authority into the said Councel of State and then Dissolve this Parliament and perpetuate their said Tyranny and this Army, and Govern Arbitrarily by the power of the Sword; and raise what illegal Taxes they please, and eat out, consume and destroy whosoever will not basely submit to their Domination, have by the aforesaid ways and means totally sub∣verted this Kingdome, and destroyed the fundamental Laws, Authority and Government thereof, Dissolved and Abolished this and all future Parliaments, so that there is now no visible, lawful Authority left in England, but the Authority of King CHARLS the Second, who is actually KING of all his Dominions presently upon the Decease of the King his Father, before any Proclamation made, or Coronation solemnized, not∣withstanding that by his unjust Banishment (caus••d by the in∣terposition of the said traiterous, combined, Antimonarchical Fa∣ction) He be eclipsed for the present, and not suffered to perform any Acts of Government to his three Kingdoms, and restore peace, plenty, justice, mercy, Religion, Laws, and Liberties, to them again, which no Hand but his own can bestow; and therefore in vain do the people long for & expect Figs from thistles, Grapes from thornes: This Kingdom of the Brambles now set up, being only able to Scratch and Tear, not to Protect and Govern them. I farther Declare and Protest, That this combined traiterous Faction, have forced an Interregnum and a Justitium upon us, an utter suspension of all lawful Government, Magistracy, Lawes and Judicatories: so that we have not de jure, any Laws in force to be executed, any Magistrates or Judges lawfully con∣stituted to execute them: any Court of Justice wherin they can be

judicially executed; any such Instrument of the Law as a law∣ful Great Seal, nor any Authority in England that can lawful∣ly Condemn and Execute a Thief, Murderer, or other Offender, without being themselves called Murderers by the Law, all legal proceedings being now coram non Judice; nor can this re∣maining Faction in the House of Commons shew any one Presi∣dent, Law, Reason or Authority whatsoever for their aforesaid doing, but only their own irrational tyrannical Votes, and the Swords of their Army, Wherefore I do further Declare and Pro∣test before God and the World, That all free-born subjects of the Kingdom of England and Ireland, are bound by the Stat. of Recognition, 1. Jac. and by all our Lawes and Statutes, By their Oathes of Allegiance, Obedience and Supremacy the Pro∣testation and National Covenant, by very many Declarations, Remonstrances, Petitions, and Votes of this Parliament; and all Souldiers are engaged also by their own Declarations, Re∣monstrances, and Proposals, to defend, assert, and vindicate, with their Lives and Fortunes, the Person, Authority, & Title of our aforesaid Lawful KING and Suprem Governour (the un∣doubtful Heire of all his late Fathers Dominions) CHARLS the Second, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland, &c. against all opposites and pretended Authorities whatsoever, unlesse they will be guilty of the fowlest sinnes of Treason, Rebellion, Perjury, and Perfidiousnesse against their God, their King and Countrey; and of prostituting the Re∣ligion, Laws and Liberties of the Land, their Wives, Children and Estates, to the lusts of an Armed Faction, usurping a farre more Arbitrary and Tyrannical Power over our Consciences, Persons, Liberties and Estates, then ever was known in Eng∣land before, or then is now used by the Russe, Turk or Tartar, or any the most enslaving and lawlesse Tyrants under Heaven.

Notes

• Principium, Caput & finis Parliamenti. Oaths of Al∣legiance and Supremacy.
• See 1. part, sect. 105, 106. and the Conclusi∣ons; 15, 16, 17, 18. and returne to sect 79, 109 110. Stat. of Recognition, 1. Iac. Oaths of Allegiance and Supre∣macy.