The Serious ATTESTATION of many Thousands, Religious and well disposed People, living in London, Westminster, Borough of Southwark, and parts adjoining.  
WHEREAS it pleased the Lord, some years since, to put a Spirit, and opportunity into the hearts, and hands, of the people's Representatives in Parliament; to assert and vindicate their birth-rights in civils, and their liberties in matters of a Religious Consideration, which had been well nigh swallowed up in the tyrannical, and Arbitrary prosecution of Court Principles, by persons of corrupt Interest, brought in, and continued upon the necks of the freemen of England, (viz.) Monarchy, backed with an House of Lords, spiritual and temporal; by whose conjoined Influence the foundations of the people's Rights were successively from the Conquest more or less subverted, and destroyed; For the recovery whereof, the said Nations trusties in Parliament, engaged themselves, and the good people thereof, in a long, expensive, and Bloody War; which by the blessing of the Lord of Hosts ended in the total Subduing of their adversaries, and Capacitating them to Execute exemplary Justice upon the principal, and his Abettors; to remove from their long Usurped Authority over the Commons, the Lords civil and ecclesiastic: And to assert by public Declaration The supreme Authority to Reside originally in the People, according to the Law of God, light of nature, and right reason; And did thereupon by a Law Impose an engagement upon all persons To own and stand by that commonwealth Constitution; as then Established without King or House of Lords. And whereas we are by common fame Informed there is at present an endeavour to introduce the old demolished fabric of Government in its essential parts, and attendances; from whence little can be expected (as we conceive) but the Reviving the Barons War, by a successive contention betwixt distinct Families, and Persons, for the sovereignty, and a total loss of the good ends of the late Contest, and Conquest, with a precipitating into tyranny, and oppression, in matters Religious and civil: And whereas our former and late silence hath been, and is, Interpreted a consent too, and Approbation of the Transgressions of such who build what formerly they have destroyed, upon and after their frequent seeking of, and solemn appeals to the most high God in the case. To the end we may discharge our Consciences towards God, and men, by freeing ourselves (as much as in us lieth) from the guilt of all that blood shed in the late Wars, for the obtaining of the good things, and removing of the evil, by us and all good people aimed at; expressed in several Petitions and Remonstrances to the then supreme Authority, and prevent (what we may) the further Blaspheming of the holy name of God, his cause, and people (formerly associating and going hand in hand in Prayings, Declarations, Engagements, and Appeals) by his and their Implacable Enemies: We conceive ourselves obliged to testify to the world, That we remain firm and faithful to the good old cause, that our principles are the same, and our affections, desires, and prayers run out after, and are importunate with the Father of spirits, for the obtaining, and accomplishing (in his own way & time) the blessed ends formerly contended for, (viz.) The Advancing the Gospel and kingdom of our Lord Jesus, and of impartial Justice, judgement, and righteousness, in the way of a commonwealth, in opposition to Monarchy, name and thing, very Rationally declared against by the long Parliament, 
* March 17. 1648.  as unnceessary burdensome and dangerous to the liberty, safety, and public Interest of the people, and for the most part made use of to oppress, impoverish and enslave the good people of the land, the removing and taking away the several burdens and grievances complained of, Particularly the exercise of Arbitrary power over the lives, liberties and estates of the people, The oppression of persons in their consciences, liberties, and estates for differences of judgement in matter of religion from the way of the State, The Regulating of the laws and their Administration, the abuse whereof is exceeding great, and burdensome, with many other particulars which might be mentione●, and are at large expressed in the several Petitions of ourselves, and others well-affected in the Nation. Together with the several Petitions, Declarations, and Remonstrances of the Army, before and after their going into Scotland, as also in the agreement of the people presented to the then Parliament by the Army, and there remaining upon Record, All which together with this sober Attestation may continue (as so many Pillars) to testify the good old Spirit to the present and future Ages.  
March 26, 1657.