A DECLARATION FROM The several Respective Regiments in the Army, to all Freeborn Commons within the Realm of ENGLAND.  
Wherein is set forth, The Grounds and Reasons of their present Design and Engagement; Together with their candid intentions, and real resolutions therein, both towards King, Parliament, and Kingdom.  
AS ALSO, Their Message to the Freeborn People of this Nation, concerning their present proceed, with their most humble desires touching the same.  
APpointed to be printed and published, and sent to every respective County within the Realm of England; By the Agents of the aforesaid Regimenss, whose names are hereunto annexed.  
London, Printed for H. E. November 5. 1647.   

A Declaration from the Army, concerning a present settlement of the peace of the Kingdom.  
HAving by our late lobours and hazards made it appear to the world at how high a rate we value our just freedom, & God having so far owned our cause, as to deliver the Enemies thereof into our hands: We do now hold ourselves bound in mutual duty to each other, to take the best care we can for the future, to avuid both the danger of returning into a slavish condition, and the chargeable remedy of another war: for as it cannot be imagined that so many of our Countrymen would have opposed us in this quarrel, if they had understood their own good, so may we safely promise to ourselves, that when our Common Rights and liberties shall be declared, their endeavours will be disappointed, that seek to make themselves our Masters since therefore our former oppressions, and scarce yet ended troubles have been occasioned either by want of frequent Nationall meeting 〈◊〉 Council, or by rendering those meetings ineffectual: We are ably agreed and resolved, to provide that hereafter our Representativ be neither le●t to an uncertainty for the time, nor made useless to the ends for which they are intended: In order whereunto we declare,  
1. That the people of England being all this day very unequally distributed by Counties, Cities, and Burrouges for the election of their Deputies in Parliament▪ ougot to be more indifferently proportioned, according to the number of the Inhabitants the circumstances whereof, for number, place, and manner, are to be set down before the end of this present Parliament.  
2. That to prevent the many inconveniences apparently arising, from the lo●g continuance of the same persons in authority, this present Parliament be dissolved upon the last day of September, which shall be in the year of our Lord, 1648.  
3. That the People do of course choose themselves a Parliament once in two years, viz. upon the first Thursday in every 2d. March, after the manner as shall be prescribed before the end of this Parliament, to begin to sit upon the first Toursday in April following at Westminster, or such other place as shall be appointed from time to time by the preceding Represen●atives; & to continue till the last of September, then n xt ensuing, rnd no longer.  
4. That the power of this, and all future Representatives of this Nation, is inferior only to theirs who choose them, and doth extend, withoht the consent or concurrence of any other person or persons; to the enacting a tering, and repealing of Laws, to the erecting and abolishing of Offices and Courts, to the appointing, removing, and calling to account Magistrates, and Officers, of all degrees; to the making War and peace, to the treating with foreign States: And generally, to whatsoever is not expressly, or implyedly reserved by the represented to themselves.  
Which are as followeth;  
1. THat matters of Religion, and the ways of God's Wor, ship, are not at all entrusted by us to any humane power-because therein we cannot remit or exceed a tittle of what our Consciences dictate to be the mind of God, without wilful sin: nevertheless the public way of instructing the Nation (so it be not compulsive) is referred to their discretion.  
2. That the matter of impresting and constraining any of us to serve in the wars, is against our freedom; and therefore we do not allow it in our Representatives; the rather, because money (the sinews of war) being always at their disposal, they can never want numbers of men apt enough to engage in any just cause.  
3. That after the dissolution of present Parliament, no person be at any time questioned f r any thing said or done, in reference to the late public differences, otherwise then in execution of the Judgements of the present Representatives, or House of Commons.  
4. That in all Laws made, or to be made, every person may be bound alike, and that no Tenure, Estate, Charter Degree, Birth, or place, do confer any exemption from the ordinary Course of Legal proceed, whereunto others are subjected.  
THese things we declare to be our native Rights, and therefore are agreed and resolved to maintain t●em with our utmost possibillities, against all opposition whatsoever, being compelled thereunto not only by the examples of our Ancestors, whose blood was often spent in vain for the recovery of their Freedoms, suffering themselves, through fraudulent Accommodations▪ to be still deluded of the fruit of their Victories, but also by our own woeful experience, who having long expected, and dearly earned the establishment of these certain rules of Government are yet made to depend for the settlement of our Peace and freedom, upon him that intended our bondage, and crought a cruel War upon us.  

For the noble and highly honoured the Freeborn People of England, in their respective Counties and Divisions, these.  
Dear Countrymen, and fellow-Commoners,  
FOr your sakes, our friends, estates & lives, have not been dear to us; for your safety and freedom we have cheerfully endured hard Labours and run most desperate hazards, and in comparison to your peace and freedom we neither do nor ever shall value our dearest blood and we profess, our bowels are and have been troubled and our hearts pained within us, in seeing & considering that you have been so long bereft of these fruits & ends of all our labours and hazards, we cannot but sympathise with you in your miseries and oppressions. It's grief and vexation of heart to us to receive your meat or monies, whilst you have no advantage nor yet the fouddations of your peace & freedom surely laid: & therefore upon most serious considerations that your principal right most essential to your well-being is the clearness certa nty sufficiency & freedom of your power in your representative in Parliament and considering that the original of most of your oppressions and miseries hath been either from the obscurity ou● doubtfulness of the power you have committed to your representatives in your elections, or from the want of c●u●age in those whom you have betrusted to claim and exerci●e their power, which might propably proceed from their uncertainty of your assistance and maintenance of their power, and minding that for this right of yours and ours we engaged our lives, for the King ra●sed the war against you and your Parliament, upon this ground, that he would not suffer your representatives to provide for your peace, safety and freedom that were then in danger, by disposing of the Militia and otherwise, according to their trust; and for the maintenance & defence of that power and right of yours, we hazarded all that was dear to us, & God hath born witness to the justice of our Cause. And further minding that the only effectual means to settle a just & lasting peace, to obtain remedy for all your grievances, and to prevent future oppressions, is the making clear & secure the power that you betrust to your representatives in Parliament, that they may know their trust in the faithful execution whereof you will assist them. Upon all these grounds, we propound your joining with us in the agreement herewith sent unto you; that by virtue thereof, we may have Parliaments certainly called, & have the time of their sitting and ending certain, and their power or trust clear and unquestionable, that hereafter they may remove your burdens, and secure your rights without oppositions or instructions, and that the foundations of your peace may be so free from uncertainty, that there may be no grounds for future quarrels, or contentions to occasion war and bloodshed; & we desire you would consider, that as these things wherein we offer to agree with you are the fruits and ends of the Victories which God hath given us; so the settlement of these are the most absolute means to preserve you and your posterity, from slavery, oppression, distraction, and trouble; by this, those whom yourselves shall choose, shall have power to restore you to, and secure you in all your rights, & they shall be in a capacity to taste of subjection, as well as rule, and so shall be equally concerned with yourselves, in all they do. For they must equally suffer with you under any common burdens and partake with you in any freedoms; and by this they shall be disenabled to defraud or wrong you, when the laws shall bind all alike, without privilege or exemption; and by this your consciences shall be free from tyranny and oppression, and those occasions of endless strifes, and bloody wars, shall be in this Agreement, all your particular and common grievances will be redressed forthwith without delay; the Parliament must then make your relief and common good their only study.  
Now because we are earnestly desirous of the peace and good of all our Countrymen, even of those that have opposed us, and would to our utmost possibility provide for perfect peace and freedom, and prevent all snites, debates, and contentions that may happen amongst you, in relation to the late war: we have therefore inserted it into this Agreement, that no person shall be questionable for any thing done, in relation to the late public differences, after the dissolution of this present Parliament, further than in execution of their judgement; that thereby all may be secure from all sufferings ●or what they have done, and not liable hereafter to be troubled or punished by the judgmene of another Parliament, which may be to t●●ir ruin, unless this Agreement be joined in, whereby any acts of indemp●ito or oblivion shall be made unalterable, and you and your posterities be secure.  
But if any shall inquire why we should desire to join in an Agreement with the People, to declare these to be our native Rights, and not rather petition to the Parliament for them; the reason is evident: No Act of Parliament is or can he unalterable, and so cannot be sufficient security to save pou or us harmless, from what another Parliament may determine of it should be corrupted; and besides Parliaments are to receive the extent of their power, and trust from those that betrust them; and therefore the people are to declare what their power & trust is, whic is the intent of this Agreement; and it's to be observed, that though there hath formerly been many Acts of Parliament, for the calling of Parliaments every year yet you have been deprived of them and enslaved through want of them; and therefore both necessity for your security in these freedoms, that are assential to your well-being and woeful experience of the maenifold miseries and distractions that have been lengthened out, since the wars ended, through want of such a settlement, tequires this Agreement, and when you and we shall be joined together therein, we shall readily join with you, to petition the Parliament, as they are our fellow-Commoners equally concerned, to join with us.  
And if any shall inquire, why we undertake to offer this Agreement we must profess, we are sensible that you have been so often deceived with Declarations and Remonstrances, and fed with vain hopes that you have fufficient reason to abandon ●ll confidence in any persons whatsoever, from whom you have no other security of their intending your freedom, then bare Declarations.  
And therefore, as our consciences witness, that in simplicity and integrity of heart, we have proposed lately in the Case of the Army stated, your freedom and deliverance from slavery, oppression, and all burdens: so we desire to give you satisfying assurance thereof by this Agreement whereby the foundations of your freedoms provided in the Case, etc. shall be settled unalterably, and we shall as faithfully proceed to, and all other most vigorous actings for your good that God shall direct and enable us unto; And though the malice of our enemies, and such as they delude, would blast us by scandals, aspersing us with the designs of Anarchy, and community; yet we hope the righteous God will not only by this our desire of settling an equal just Government, but also by directing us unto all righteous undertake, simply for public good; make our uprightness and faithfulness to the interest of all our Countrymen, shine forth so clearly that malice itself shall be silenced, and confounded. We question not, but the longing expectation of a firm peace, will incite you to the most speedy joining in this Agreement: in the prosecution whereof, or of any thing that you shall desire for public good; you may be confident, you shall never want the assistance of  
Your most faithful fellow-Commoners, now in Arms for your service. 

Lieut. Gen. Regiment. 

Edmond Bear  
Robert Everard    
Com. Gen. Regiment. 

George Garret  
Thomas Beverley    
Col. Fleetwoods' Regimnet. 

William Pryor  
William Bryan    
Col. Whalies' Regiment. 

Matthew Weale  
William Russell    
Col. Riches Regiment. 

John Dover  
William Hudson. Col. Riches Regiment.       
 
This Declaration is assented to, and agreed upon by the several Respective Regiments in the Army.  
FINIS.