ARTICLES OF HIGH-TREASON Drawn up in the Name of all the Commoners of England against One Hundred and fifty Judges, Lawyers, and Attorneys: Together with the Charge exhibited against them; And a Declaration to the People, showing the Grounds and Reasons thereof.  
ALSO, Eight Propositions, to the Inhabitants of each respective County, throughout England and Wales, and the Method, and particular Laws, to be established.  
LIKEWISE, The manner of administering Justice; and in case any Lawyer shall take either Money, or Bribes, to die as a Traitor to the Commonwealth; and the Government to be established, as the Commonwealth of Israel was, in Mose's time.  
feb: 21 Published by Authority.  
London, Printed for George Horton, 1652. 1651   

A DECLARATION OF A glorious Reformation; and the Resurrection of the Law: etc.  
THe Government of a commonwealth is the uniting of the people of a Nation into one heart and mind; And blessed is that People, whose Earthly Government is the Law of common Righteousness. When Israel was under a commonwealths Government, they were a terror to all Oppressing Kings in all Nations of the World; and so will England be, if this righteous Law become our Governor: But when the Officers of Israel began to be covetous and proud, they made a breach; and then the Government was altered, and fell into the hand of Kings like other Nations, and then they fled before their Enemies and were scattered. But if we lôok upon the customs of the Law itself, it is the same it was in the King's days, only the name is altered; as if the Commoners of England had paid their Taxes, Freequarter, and shed their blood, not to reform, but to baptise the Law into a new name, from Kingly Law, to State Law; by reason whereof the spirit of discontent is strengthened, to increase more Suits of Law, then formerly was known to be: And so as the Sword pulls down Kingly power with one hand, the King's old Law builds up Monarchy again with the other. And indeed the main work of Reformation lies in this, to reform the clergy, Lawyers, and Law; for all the complaints of the Land are wrapped up within them three, not in the person of a King; And for redress of these intolerable and Infidel-Tyranny, a Charge of High Treason is drawn up against 150 Judges, Lawyers, and Attorneys, in the name of all the commoners of England, and consists of these Heads, viz. 1 That they sit in the Norman chair. 2 That their arbytrary Wills are Tyrannical Rules above the letter of the Law. 3 That many Cases and Suits are lengthened to the great damage and vexation of the poor Clients, and to the lodging of their Estates in the purse of the unbounded Lawyer. So that the course of the Law and Lawyers hath been a mere snare to entrap the people, and to pull their Estates from them by craft; for they do uphold the conquerors Interest, and the people's slavery. But now if the laws were few and short, and often read, it would prevent those Evils: As Moses laws in Israel's commonwealth: The people did talk of them when they lay down, and when they risen up, and as they walked by the way; and bound them as bracelets upon their hands: so that they were an understanding people in the laws wherein their peace did depend.  
As for the Commonwealth's Government, it is the Restorer of ancient Peace, and long-lost Freedoms (if it be right in power, as well as in name) and so becomes the joy of all Nations, and the blessing of the whole Earth. Therefore all you, who profess Religion and spiritual things, now look to it, and see what spirit you do profess, for your profession is brought to trial. If once Commonwealths Oovernment be set upon the Throne, than no Tyranny or Oppression can look him in the face and live.  
O ENGLAND; ENGLAND, wouldst thou have thy Government sound and healthful? then cast about, and see, and search diligently to find out all those burdens that came in by Kings, and remove them; and then will thy Government arise from under the clods, under which as yet it is buried, and covered with deformity.  
The Freeborn People of this Nation have humbly remonstrated their earnest Desires for Liberty and Freedom, to his Excellency the L. Gen. Further declaring themselves in these words, That God hath made you a successful Instrument to cast out the Conqueror, and to recover our Land and Liberties again, by your Victories, out of that Norman hand. That which is yet wanting on your part to be done, is this, To see the Oppressor's power to be cast out with his person; and to see that the free possession of the Land and Liberties be put into the hands of the Oppressed Commoners of England. For the Cr●wn of Honour cannot be yours; neither can those Victories be called Victories on your part, till the Land & Freedoms won be possessed by them who adventured person and purse for them. Now you know Sir, that the Kingly Conqueror was not beaten by you only as you are a single man, nor by the Officers of the Army joined to you; but by the hand and assistance of the Commoners, whereof some came in person, and adventured their lives with you; others stayed at home, and planted the Forth, and paid Taxes and Freequarter to maintain you that went to war. So that whatsoever is recovered from the Conqueror, is recovered by a joint consent of the Commoners: therefore it is all Equity, That all the Commoners who assisted you, should be set free from the Conqueror's power with you. And now you have the power of the Land in your hand, you must do one of these things: First, either set the Land free to the Oppressed Commoners, who assisted you, and paid the Army their wages; and than you will fulfil the Scriptures and your own Engagements, and so take possession of your deserved Honor. Or secondly, you must only remove the conquerors power on't of the Kingly hand into other men's maintaining the old Laws still: And then your Wisdom and honour is blasted for ever; and you will either lose yourself, or lay the foundation of greater slavery to posterity than you ever knew. You have the eyes of the people all the Land over, nay I think I may say all neighbouring Nations over, waiting to see what you will do: And the eyes of your oppressed friends, who lie yet under Kingly power, are waiting to have the possession given them of that Freedom in the Land, which was promised by you, if in case you prevailed. Lose not your Crown, take it up, & wear it. But know, that it is no Crown of Honour, till Promises and Engagements, made by you, be performed to your friends. And it is our desire, That the Commonwealth's Land, which is the ancient Commons and waste Land, and the Lands newly got in, by the Army's Victories, out of the Oppressor's hands, as Parks, Forests, Chases, and the like, may be set free to all that have lent assistance, either of person on purse, to obtain it; and to all that are willing to come in to the practice of this Government, and be obedient to the Laws thereof.  

Propositions for such a Method of Laws, whereby a Commonwealth may be governed.  
1 The bare letter of the Law established by Act of Parl. shall be the Rule for Officer and People, and the chief Judge of all Actions. 2 He or they who add or diminish from the Law, excepting in the Court of Parl. shall be cashiered his Office, and never bear Office more. 3 No man shall administer the Law for money or reward; he that doth shall die as a Traitor to the Commonwealth: for when Money must buy and sell Justice, there is nothing but Oppression to be expected. 4 The Laws shall be read by the Minister to the people four times in the year, viz. every quarter, that every one may know whereunto they are to yield Obedience. 5 No accusation shall be taken against any man, unless it be proved by two or three Witnesses, or his own confession. 6 The accuser and the accused shall always appear face to face before any Officer, that both sides may be heard, and no wrong to either party. 7 He who raises an accusation against any man, and cannot prove it, shall suffer the same punishment the other should. 8 He who strikes his Neighbour, shall be struck himself by the Executioner blow for blow, and shall lose eye for eye, tooth for tooth, limb for limb, life for life; and the reason is, that men may be tender of one another's bodies, doing as they would be done by.   
FINIS.