The Humble REPRESENTATION AND REMONSTRANCE Of Divers FREE-MEN of ENLAND, Well-Affected to PARLIAMENTS; To the Right honourable the council of Officers of the ARMY.  
London Printed, Anno Dom. 1659.   

The Humble Representation and Remonstrance of Divers Freemen of England, well affencted to Parliaments.  
DIvers Freemen of England, well affencted to Parliaments and the Army, underderstanding that several designs and Petitions are on foot, for bringing in again those Gentlemen who lately sate as in Parliament, and as Members of the Long Parliament, do Remonstrate to this honourable council, that they humbly apprehended that it cannot stand with the Safety and Rights of the People of this Commonwealth, that those Gentlemen should be again assembled as a Parliament, and that for the following Reasons.  

I. Because for many years they have exercised Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government over the Consciences, Lives, Liberties and Estates of their Brethren, doing the same things, and worse then those, for which themselves formerly impeached and put to death most considerable persons in these Nations.  
II. Because most of the things done by them, have been contrary to the known Laws and customs of the Nations, without the least shadow or colour of lawful authority.  
III. Because contrary to the known Rights and liberties of the people, they judged Causes of private right and title, and that upon report onely from their Committees, without hearing pa●●●● or 〈◇〉 themselves, but by others, though 〈◇〉 Appe●●●ay ▪ 〈◇〉 their sentence in case of life, liberty, or property, nor any Review or Negative upon them, or means of rectifying any mistake how fatal so ever.  
IV. Because they have imposed heavy burdens upon the people, and shared a great part thereof among themselves and their creatures, as the payment of large sums lent by their Members to furnish the late King against the Scots, twelve hundred pounds a year to Vane, two thousand pounds a year to 〈…〉 thousand pounds a year to bradshaw & also the like to divers others who never fought a stroke in this Cause.  
V. Because the issues of their Government for the most part have been wars, overturnings, confusions, slaughters, burnings, impoverishments, destructions, lamentations, and all the sad companions of civil discords.  
VI. Because their pride and oppression, both in their Countries and in their Thrones at Westminster was intolerable.  
VII. Because divers of them are known to be scandalously and abominably vicious and wicked in their conversations and opinions, and very few of them have spent one drop of blood in this cause.  
VIII. Because at their late sittings, there seldom met above fifty or sixty persons, whereas a full Parliament consisteth of above five hundred.  
IX. Because many places, and several Counties of England, had no Representatives at all for them in that number contrary to all right and custom.  
X. Because these few Gentlemen were so ambitious of power in their own hands that they would not fill up the House, and yet took upon them, though so small a number to exercise the whole Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Power in the same few hands in one single House over three great Nations.  
XI. Because they disingeniously abused the privilege of freedom of speech in Parliament, to the reproaching of their brethren and friends behind their backs, and some of their fellow Members with bitter words, calling them perfidious, Traytors, Apostates, and the like, for no other reason, but because they assisted in the preservation of the peace, and administration of Justice under a single person when they reigned not, neither did they forbear insulting over a dead single person, to whom they would not have given a distasteful word in his life time.  
XII. Because they used to condemn others, and boast of their own righteousness, when they knew more wickedness by themselves, then they know by any others.  
XIII. Because they have been ungrateful and unjust, as is known by their dealings with Essex, Waller, Balsour, and many others, the excluded Members, and the whole Army in those times, and lately with the Commissioners of the Seal, the Judges, and civil Officers, and as to Military Officers, with Fleetwood, Lambert, Disbrough, Berry, several other Field Officers, and near two hundred other Officers, whom they would reward for their faithful hazardous services done for these Gentlemen with others, by cashiering and exposing them to the rage of a subdued enemy, and this without hearing them, or any cause alleged, but their good pleasure for so doing.  
XIV. Because several of these Gentlemen have declared themselves publicly in the House as offended with almost all the people of this Commonwealth, affirming that not only the Cavaliers, but the Ministers, Lawyers, Presbyterians, independents, Anabaptists, and in effect all but themselves and their associates, to be a corrupt interest and unholy.  
XV. Because it is impossible for them ever to be reconciled to this Army who have so highly offended them, for which cause they threaten and will certainly labour to execute revenge and destruction upon them, and thereby deliver over all the good people of this Commonwealth into the hands of an enraged enemy, and which is worse, betray our liberties both as men and Christians.  
XVI. Because those Gentlemen if they sit again will probably make themselves a perpetual Parliament, or Oligarchy, some of them having publicly declared their resolution for the same.  
XVII. Because the Animosities of Hasterige and his party are so high, that if they return to power, there will be no end of their revenge, nor of those Tyrannical oppressions, whereof the bishopric as well as other places gives too much testimony.  
XVIII. Because it may be presumed that Lambert and his Brigade will take it for no great advantage to them, who have been formerly so much rebuked by them, and for so little cause, and did not tamely sit down by it.  
XIX. Because the return of these Gentlemen to power, would be a ready means to further the return of Charles Steward to the Crown, there being multitudes of disobliged injured persons by these Gentlemen, who will much rather bring in Charles Steward, and submit to his Government, then to the insolent Tyranny of fifty or sizty of their equals, or of an Army.  
XX. Because these Gentlemen labour by raising Tumults and Insurrections, by disturbing the public peace, and by raising a new civil War, wherein some of them do now personally appear, rather then they will endure to be out of command and domineering over their brethren.  
XXI. Because these Gentlemen cannot make a lawful Parliament, in regard( as divers of themselves in Parliament acknowledged) that the long Parliament was undoubtedly dissolved, if not by the late Kings death, yet by the new Elections of the peoples Representatives to serve in Parliament for the same Counties and places, for which these Gentlemen were formerly chosen, and their Commissions determined by the peoples choice of others to serve in their places.   
The Remonstrants are not ignorant that the foundations of all Commonwealths have been laid from Military power, and that it will be more honourable for the Army then for any others to advance and obey the civil authority, in order whereunto, and upon the reasons before expressed, the Remonstrants humbly desire this honourable council,  

That those few Gentlemen late Members of the Long Parliament may not be re-assembled, but that a new full Parliament may be chosen, consisting of two Assemblies, the Elections to be by those who have not forfeited this privilege, and no other distinction to be but of sober or not sober men.  
That particular Forms and regulations be remitted to the new Parliament.  
That 〈…〉 away without satisfa●●●●● 〈…〉 upon his death, and then as 〈…〉 by Rent or Land upon the suc●●●●.  
That liberty of conscience be given to all good Christians, with equal protection and encouragement, and that the new Parliament be forthwith called.   
In the procuring of these rights, if any shall daub with untempered mortar, the Lord will blast them, if you shall act herein sincerely, the Remonstrants with their lives and fortunes will be ready to assist you against all opposers and tyranny under Oligarchy, Royalty, Long Parliament or any other shape: posterity will have cause to bless the Lord for you, and the God of truth will prosper your integrity.  
For which your Remonstrants shall ever pray, &c.