A public DECLARATION and PROTESTATION of the secured and secluded Members of the House of Commons; Against the treasonable and illegal late Acts and proceedings of some few Confederate Members of that dead House, since their forcible Exclusion, 13. Febr. 1648.  
WE the secured and secluded Members of the late House of Commons, taking into our sad and serious Considerations the late dangerous, desperate & treasonable proceedings of some few Members of that House (not amounting to a full eighth part of the House if divided into ten) who confederating with the Officers and General council of the Army, have forcibly detained and secluded us (against the Honour, freedom, and privileges of Parliament) from Sitting and Voting freely with them, for the better settling of the kingdom's peace; and contrary to their oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, their Protestation, the solemn League and Covenant, and sundry Declarations and Remonstrances of both Houses, to His late Murdered MAJESTY, His heirs, and successors, the whole kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and to all foreign States and Nations (since our exclusion and forced absence from their Counsels, by reason of the army's force) most presumptuously arrogated and usurped to themselves the Title of, The supreme Authority of this kingdom: and by colour and pretence thereof, have wickedly and audaciously presumed, without and against our privities or consents, and against the unanimous Vote of the House of Peers, to erect a High Court of Justice (as they term it) though never any Court themselves, to arraign and condemn His Majesty against the laws of God, and the municipal laws of the realm: which Court (consisting for the most part of such partial and engaged Persons who had formerly vowed His majesty's destruction, and sought His blood) most illegally and unjustly refused to admit of His majesty's just Reasons and exceptions against their usurped jurisdiction; and without any lawful Authority or proof against Him, or legal trial, presumed most traitorously and impiously to condemn and Murder Him: and since that, have likewise presumed to try and arraign some Peers, and others Free Subjects of this realm for their Lives, contrary to Magna Charta, the Petition of Right, the laws of the Land, and the Liberty of the Subjects, to the great enslaving and endangering of the lives and liberties of all the Free People of England.  
And whereas the said confederated Commons, have likewise tyrannically and audaciously presumed contrary to their oaths and Engagements aforesaid, to take upon them, to make Acts of Parliament (as they term them) without our privity or assents, or the joint consent of the King and House of Lords, contrary to the Use and privileges of Parliament and known Laws of the Land, and by pretext thereof have traitorously and wickedly endeavoured to disinherit the Illustrious CHARLES Prince of Wales, next heir to the crown, and actual KING of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, immediately after His said royal Fathers barbarous murder, by right of descent; and proclaimed it Treason, for any Person to proclaim Him KING; (whereas it is High Treason in them thus to prohibit His proclaiming) and have likewise traitorously and impudently encroached a tyrannical and lawless Power to themselves to vote down our ancient Kingly and monarchical Government, & the House of Peers; and to make a New Great seal of England without the King's portraiture or style, & to alter the ancient regal and legal stile of Writs, and Proceedings in the Courts of justice; and to create New judges, and Commissioners of the Great seal, and to dispense with their Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance, and to prescribe New Oaths unto them contrary to Law, (though they have no Authority by any Law, Statute, or custom to administer or enjoin an Oath to any man) and thereby have traitorously attempted to alter the fundamental Laws and Government of this kingdom, and to subvert the freedom, privileges and being of Parliaments; for which Treasons, Strafford and Canterbury (though less criminal) lost their Heads this last Parliament, by some of their own prosecutions, and the judgement of both Houses.  
We in discharge of our respective duties and obligations both to God, the King, our own Consciences, our bleeding dying kingdoms, and the several Counties, Cities and boroughs for which we serve, do by this present Writing, in our own Names, and in the Names of all the Counties, Cities, and boroughs which We represented in Parliament, publicly declare and solemnly protest before the all-seeing God, the whole kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the world, that we do from the bottom of our hearts abominate, renounce and disclaim all the said pretended Acts, Votes, and proceedings of the said confederate Members, (acted under the army's power against our Consents) as treasonable, wicked, illegal, unparliamentary, tyrannical, and pernicious both to the King, Parliament, kingdoms, and all the free born People of this realm; extremely disadvantageous and dishonourable to our Nation, scandalous to our Religion, and mere forcible Usurpations, and Nullities void in Law to all intents and purposes; which we, and all the freemen of this kingdom, and all the kingdoms and Dominions thereto belonging, are bound openly to disavow, oppugn, and resist as such, with our purses, arms, lives, to the last drop of our bloods; and to which, neither We, nor any other can, ought, or dare to submit or assent in the least degree, without incurring the guilt of High Treason, and the highest perjury, infamy & disloyalty. And in case the said Confederates shall not speedily retract, & desist from those their treasonable practices, and tyrannical usurpations; (which We cordially desire and entreat them by all obligations of love and respect they have to God, Religion, their King, Country, & Posterity timely to do.) We do hereby denounce & declare them to be traitors & public Enemies both to the King and kingdom, and shall esteem and prosecute them, with all their wilful Adherents, and voluntary Assistants as such; and endeavour to bring them to speedy and condign Punishment, according to the solemn League and Covenant; wherein, We trust the whole kingdom, all those for whom We serve, and the Lord of Hosts himself to whom We have sworn and lifted up our hands, hearts, and fervent prayers will be aiding and assisting to us, and all our Brethren of Scotland & Ireland who are united & conjoined with us in Covenant to our God, and Allegiance to our sovereign King CHARLES the Second, Who (we trust) will make good all His destroyed father's Concessions which really concern our peace, or safety, and secure us against all force and tyranny of our Fellow-subjects; who now, contrary to their Trusts and former Engagements, endeavour by the mere power of that Sword, which was purposely raised for the protection of our Persons, Government, Religion, laws, Liberties, the KING'S royal Person and Posterity, and the privileges of parliament) to Lord it over Us at their pleasure, and enthrall and enslave Us to their armed violence, and lawless martial Wills; which we can no longer tolerate nor undergo, after so long fruitless and abused patience in hope of their repentance.  
FINIS.