THE Good Old CAUSE OF ENGLAND Revived and Asserted, With Proposals humbly tendered to the Consideration of the PARLIAMENT; In Order to a settlement, Security and Peace in This NATION.  
By G. P. And divers other well affected Persons.  
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Leach at the falcon in Shoe-Lane, 1658.   

The good old Cause of England Revived, and Asserted; with Proposals humbly tendered to the consideration of the Parliament: In order to a settlement, Security, and Peace, in the Nation, & c..  
THat the power of the former Committees for removing Malignants and Delinquants, from Offices of Power and Trust in the commonwealth, being many years since determined;  
1. Many honest well-affected persons have been removed, and left out of authority.  
2. Divers Malignants and ill-affected persons have crept into power, as Judges, Justices of the Peace, Commissioners of the monthly assessment, &c. by these means.  
1. Some by Marriages and Alliances.  
2. Others by the favour and countenance of Eminent Persons, in authority for private ends.  
3. Many have intruded and insinuated themselves into the society and fellowship, of the honest, godly Congregations, and by their false and deceitful demeanours, have undiservedly acquired the good opinion and certificates of those godly, harmless people, who did not search into the bottom of their designs, nor discovered that ugly shape, covered with that outward vizard and mere formality of Religion, denying the power thereof, the better to conceal their evil purposes.  
And by these wiles having crept into authority, may prove the most dangerous Instruments in the commonwealth: For the most notorious Cavaliers, and enemies of our peace, would accept of places of honour, power, and profit from their enemy's hands, for these reasons & ends:  
1. They are thereby in a better capacity to discover to the common enemy the honest designs and purposes of the well-affected people of the Nation.  
2. To serve, countenance, and protect their own malignant party and interest; and to oppress and undermine the honest well-affected party.  
3. They being conscious of their own guilt and incapacity, are the more ready to act arbitrarily at the will and pleasure of any person, that shall be the means to recommend them to power and authority.  
4. And thereby bring the Government into contempt, in the judgement and affections of the good people, and all conducing to the introducing and reinvesting of the common enemy, and his party, into power and authority in the Nations.  
And the boldness of these subtle Cavaliers have been such, That (having procured themselves to be Elected by their malignant parties and interests in the Countries) they had the confidence to sit in the great Council of the Nation, whereby they are in a capacity to carry on their malignant designs, and to challenge equal voices with those Eminent Members that have spent their blood and treasure to serve this commonwealth, and redeem it ●rom its former Slavery and Tyranny, in order to that Glorious and Blessed Reformation, so often promised, vowed, and protested to be wrought in these Nations.  
And it pleased the Lord in a providential manner to point at, and discover two of these notorious Cavaliers, lately expelled the House.  
But it is to be feared there may be many more of like guilt and principles that are left behind, who may prove the grand obstructors of the blessed work of Reformation in all these three Nations, for which so much blood and treasure hath in many years together, been spilled, which some persons that know, will not, and others dare not discover to the Parliament.  

It is therefore humbly Proposed.  
THat the Parliament will order, that no Persons who have born arms for, aided or assisted the late King, and his party, in the late war against the Parliament, or have been sequestered, or voted delinquents, do sit in Parliament within eight days after publication of such order, upon paenalty of sequestration of their estates, or such other fine and punishment as the Parliament shall think fit to appoint.  
1. And by this means those that know themselves to be guilty, will immediately withdraw, without the trouble of charges, and examination of witnesses.  
2. That a standing Committee be appointed by Parliament from time to time to receive all complaints against all Malignants, Delinquents, and ill-affected persons for bearing Offices, contrary to the several Acts, Orders, Ordinances and Declarations of Parliaments, with power to impose Fines and Imprisonments on the offenders, in case they hold, or exercise their offices after publication made to the contrary. And that the same Committee may have power to send for persons, papers, and witnesses, to examine witnesses on oath, and to grant Commissions to the respective Counties from whence such complaints are made▪ and where the witnesses reside. And that the one half of the Fines may be paid into the public Treasury and the other to go to the Prosecutor.  
And lest this proposition may seem to some unreasonable, It is thought fit herein to insert several Resolves of the late Long Parliament, tending to the purpose aforesaid.   

Die Veneris 9 Julii 1647.  
REsolved, That no person that hath been in actual Wars against the Parliament, or hath acted by the Commission of Array, or voluntarily aided the King in this War against the Parliament, or that since the twentieth of May in the year, 1642. hath sued for, or voluntarily accepted a pardon from the King, or hath directed, advised, assisted, signed, or consented unto the Cessation of Ireland, or otherwise assisted the Rebellion of Ireland, or stands sequestered by authority of Parliament for Delinquency, shall presume to sit in this House.  
Resolved, That the persons that shall be comprehended within this Order, shall incur the penalty of being put into the second branch of the fourth Qualification in the Propositions concerning such Members as deserted the Parliament, and sat in the unlawful Assembly at Oxon.  
Resolved, That such Members as are in Town, or within ten miles of the City of London, as shall conceive themselves concerned in this Order, shall have liberty to present their Case to the House under their hand in writing before Thursday next.  
Resolved, That this be added to the last Vote, That if any of the Members to whom the liberty of twenty days is granted, shall come to the House within the said space of twenty days, shall have four days' liberty only, within the said former twenty days, to present their Case under their hand in writing to the House.  
John Smith Clerk of the Parliament to attend the Commons.   

Die Jovis 15. Julii 1647.  
REsolved, That this House doth declare, That such Members of this House as have delivered in their particular Cases, and as shall within four days present their Cases in reference to the Votes concerning such Members as are not to sit in this House, shall not incur any further danger or penalty, other than their being disabled to sit as Members of Parliament.  
Resolved; That those Members to whom Liberty of twenty days was given by former order to present their Cases, and shall according to the said Order present their Cases, shall incur no further penalty upon any of their Cases, then being disabled to sit as Members of Parliament.  
The state of the several Cases of John Doyley and Bennet Hoskìns, Esqs, Sir Philip Percival, Thomas Cholmeley, 
Observe that these Gentlemen withdrew and did not sit in that Parliament.  and Thomas Dacres Esq were all of them this day read, and ordered, That they be referred to the Committee where Mr. John Corbet hath the Chair, and the Committee hath power to confer with, and examine the Gentlemen respectively upon their several Cases, and concerning any other thing comprehended within the Votes, whereupon their Papers were brought in, and upon all circumstances, and thereupon to ascertain their several Cases, and report the same to the House.  
John Smith Clerk of the Parliament to attend the Commons.