Mr. Prynne's Demand of his Liberty to the general, Decemb. 26. 1648. with his Answer thereto; and his Declaration and Protestation thereupon:  
For the Honourable Lord Fairfax, general of the present Army.  
THese are to acquaint your Lordship; That I being a Member of the Commons House of Parliament, a Freeman of ENGLAND a great sufferer for, and an assertor of the Subjects Liberties against all regal and prelatical Tyranny, and no way Subject to your own, your council of wars, or Officers Military power or jurisdiction, going to the House to discharge my duty on the sixt of this instant December, was on the stairs next the Commons House door, forcibly kept back from entering the House, seized on, and carried away thence, (without any pretext of lawful authority or cause assigned) by Col. PRIDE and other Officers and soldiers of the army under your Command. And notwithstanding the Houses demand of my enlargement both by their sergeant and otherwise, ever since unjustly detained under your marshal's custody, and tossed from place to place, contrary to the known privileges of Parliament, the liberty of the Subject, and fundamental laws of the land, which you are engaged to maintain against all violation. And therefore do hereby demand from Your Lordship my present enlargement, and just liberty, with Your Answer hereunto.  
From the King's head in the Strand, December 26 1648. WILLIAM PRYNNE;  
This was delivered to the generals own hands at his House in Queenestreet, about three of the clock, the same day it bears date; by Doctor Bastwick, who returned this answer by him, upon the reading thereof: That he knew not but Mr. PRYNNE was already released, and that he would send to his Officers to know what they had against him. Who it seems act all things without his privity, and steer all the Armies present counsels and designs, according to their absolute wills.  

The public Declaration, and Protestation of William Prynne of Lincoln's inn Esquire, against his present Restraint: and the present destructive counsels, and jesuitical Proceedings, of the general, Officers and ARMY.  
I William Prynne, a Member of the House of Commons and Freeman of England; who have formerly suffered 8. years' imprisonment (four of them close, three in exile) three Pillories, the loss of my ears, Calling, Estate, for the vindicating of the Subjects just Rights and Liberties against the arbitrary tyranny and injustice of King and Prelates, and defence of the Protestant Religion here established; spent most of my strength and studies in asserting the people's just freedom, and the Power and privileges of Parliament, against all Opposers, and never received one farthing (by way of damages, gift, or recompense) or the smallest benefit or preferment whatsoever, for all my sufferings, and public services, do here solemn●y declare, before the most just and righteous God of Heaven and Earth, (the searcher of all hearts) the whole kingdom, English Nation, and the World, that having according to the best of my skill and judgement, faithfully discharged my trust and duty in the Commons House, upon real grounds of Religion, Conscience, Justice, Law, Prudence and right reason, for the speedy and effectual settlement of the Peace and safety of our three distracted, bleeding dying Kingdoms, on Monday, the 4th. of December, I was on Wednesday morning following (the sixt of this instant) going to the House to dischage my duty, on the Parliament stairs next the Commons door, forcibly seized upon by Col. Pride, Sir Hardresse Wa●●er, and other Officers of the Army (who had then beset the house with strong Guards and whole Regiments of Horse and Foot) haled violently thence into the Queen's Court, notwithstanding my Protestation of breach of privilege, both as a Member and a Freeman, by a mere usurped tyrannical power, without any lawful Authority, or cause assigned; and there forcibly detained Prisoner (with other Members there restrained by them) notwithstanding the Houses double demand of my present enlargement to attend its service, by the Sergeant, and that night [contrary to faith and promise] carried prisoner to Hell, and there shut up all night, (with 40 other Members) without any lodging or other accommodations, contrary to the known privileges of Parliament, the fundamental laws of the realm, and Liberty of the subject; which both Houses, the three kingdoms, the general with all Officers and soldiers of the Army, are by solemn Covenant and duty obliged inviolably to maintain. Since which I have, without any lawful Power or Authority, been removed and kept prisoner in several places, put to great expenses, debarred the liberty of my person, calling; and denied that Hereditary freedom, which being to me of right, both as an Freeman, a Member, an eminent sufferer for the public, and a Christian, by these who have not the least shadow of Authority or Justice to restrain me, and never yet objected the least cause of this my unjust restraint:  
I do therefore hereby publicly protest against all these their proceedings, as the highest usurpation of an Arbitrary and tyrannical Power, the greatest breach of Faith, Trust, Covenant, privileges of Parliament, and most dangerous encroachment on the subjects' Liberties, and laws of the Land, ever practised in this kingdom by any King or Tyrant, especially by pretended Saints, who hold forth nothing but justice, righteousness, liberty of Conscience, and public freedom in all their Remonstrance; whiles they are triumphantly trampling them all under their armed Iron feet. And do further hereby appeal to, & summon them, before all the tribunals & Powers in Heaven and Earth for exemplary justice against them, who cry out so much for it against others, less tyrannical, Oppressive, unjust, and fedifragus to God and men, than themselves: And do moreover Remonstrate, that all their present exorbitant Actings against the King, Parliament, present Government, & their New-modled Representative, are nothing else but the designs and projects of Jesuits, Popish Priests, & Recusant, [who bear chief sway in their counsels] to destroy and subvert our Religion, laws, Liberties, Government, Maiestracy, Ministry, the present and all future Parliaments, the King, his Posterity, and our three kingdoms, the general, ye Officers, and Army themselves, and that with speedy and inevitable certainty; to betray them all to our foreign Popish Enemies; and give a just occasion to the Prince and Duke, now in the papists power, to alter their Religion, & engage them, and all foreign Princes and Estates to exert all their power to suppress and extirpate the Protestant Religion and Posessors of it through all the world, which these unchristian, scandalous, treacherous, Rebellious, tyrannical, Jesuitical, disloyal, bloody present Counsels and Exorbitances of this Army of Saints, so much pretending to Piety and justice have so deeply wounded, scandalised, and rendered detestable to all pious, carnal and moral men of all conditions. All which I am, and shall always be ready to make good before God, Angels, Men, and our whole three Kingdoms in a free and full Parliament, upon all just occasions; and seal the truth of it with the last drop of my dearest blood.  
In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my Name: at the sign of the King's head in the STRAND: Decemb. 26. 1648. WILLIAM PRYNNE.