Vox Plebis: Or, THE VOICE OF THE OPPRESSED COMMONS OF ENGLAND Against their OPPRESSORS.  Prov. 19.20. Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. Prov. 11.21. Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. 
Printed in the year 1653.   

VOX PLEBIS.  
SIRS,  
BLame us not (seeing it is now high time after our many years sufferings and tedious expectation to be delivered from our then declared pressures and grievances) that we (by you declared) the free Commons of England should have leave (for losers may have leave to speak) to tell you that we cannot but with bitterness of spirit declare, That we wonder with what strange and unheard of precedents, this Parliament hath acted, there having never been any visible rule for such actions in or by any Parliament before.  
But leaving to speak of things that are past cure, let us come to expostulate with you, about our future security, and that long promised good land, viz. Peace, Freedom, and Justice; promised us at the beginning, and for which we have with the expense of our Lives and Estates, so earnestly contested for.  
Was it not unlimited prerogative, Corruptions in Law and Courts of Justice, infringement of our liberties, illegal Taxes and the like, which was by you then declared to be the misery of the Kingdom, a door and inlet to Tyranny and Oppression? And was it not that Regal power might be limited by Law, not proportioned by will? that the constitutions of our Laws might not be destroyed, but reduced to their fundamental purity? that Justice might be executed, and we preserved in our Liberties and Estates?  
Give us leave then to the expostulate with you a little: How comes it to pass that (notwithstanding all your promises made so solemnly in the presence of God and the Kingdom) we reap not the harvest of this promised seedtime? How comes it to pass, (we beseech you) that such fair blossoms, yield such slender fruits? Whence grows this muttering, nay we may say groaning under, and exclamations against Oppression, Tyranny, and Injustice in our streets, nay Courts of (injustice) Justice we cannot call them, even at the Parliament-door, nay within the Parliament House? How comes it to pass that so many irregular, illegal, nay we may say unparliamentary proceed are daily acted? Whence proceeds this spirit of Ambition, Contention, Oppression, and Sedition, which reigns so powerfully among you? We cannot be seduced to believe, that ever this proceeds from principles of Law or Justice; but from principles of Ambition, Usurpation, Pride, Covetousness or the like, which is made well known to us by woeful experience, from the power of which, Good Lord deliver us, etc.  
Can it (think you) consist with the Peace and Welfare of the Nation, especially considering the state and temper of the people, that you who should be acting for the Subjects liberty should drive on your own particular interests? Is this to discharge the trust which you have in the presence of God so often sworn to perform? Surely so long as you continue thus, we cannot hope for any good, either by or from you.  
What made you exclaim so vehemently against prerogative? Was it with intent to destroy us by privilege? Did you exclaim against Injustice in others, that yourselves might be singular, yea superlatively unjust? Were corruptions in the Law past cure, so that your Wills must be our supreme Law? Was the taking a little of our estates illegal and Tyrannous in his late Majesty, but in you Justice to take all? Is this the promised recompense for our labour? The return of our expectation, the prize for which we have undergone so many dubious changes in the wilderness of disorder and confusion, and for which we have shed so much blood? Certainly we looked for the good Land of Peace, but behold Oppression? We looked for liberty, but behold slavery! and our end is worse than our beginning.  

And now having with sorrow of heart given you some hints of our present insufferable sufferings, take notice (we beseech you) of some of our desires, which in the first place we expect speedy satisfaction.  
First, Cast your eyes back into the rock, out of which you were hewn; were you not our fellow-Commoners? Were not every one of us as equally, fully, and properly interested in the safety, welfare, and government: of the Kingdom, as any (or all) of you? Did you not receive your power from us for our good? And have you not declared yourselves to be our servants, and to be accountable to us by whom you were empowered and entrusted? Have you not likewise declared, that all intrustments are, and aught to be for the good of the Trusters'? Upon this ground we the free Commons of England expect from you the performance and discharge of your duty herein, together with the following particulars.  
Secondly, Have you not declared, that the Law ought to have been the rule of the King's actions, and must it not be of yours? Certainly you have sometime confessed, that they that give Law to others ought not to be above Law, or without themselves? Therefore we do expect, that all unlawful, unparliamentary actions, either within or without the House, publicly, or privately, either by the whole House, or any particular member, or any other by them entrusted or improved, be publicly declared against, and that a way be opened for just reparation against all such arbitrary and exorbitant practices.  
Thirdly, Have you not declared, That no free Commoner ought or might be disinfranchised of his liberty without Indictment, and that the fining and imprisoning men without due process of Law, was a breach upon the Law, and destructive to the subjects liberty? How comes it then to pass, that since your declaring it to be so unjust in others, you have so frequently used it yourselves, to the reproach of the Nation, and breach of the trust reposed in you by us? What prison hath been free; nay, what County or Corporation but hath some sufferers, being imprisoned by the arbritary, subject destroying power of your Committees, who for the most part are composed of such as yourselves; men without souls, unconscionable wretches? the misery whereof we expect a speedy redress of, it being your own declared duty, and suitable to both law and conscience: that being no way lawful in you, which was by you condemned in others.  
Fourthly, Did you not complain that the King's favourites spent the Kingdom's money, and converted the public stock to private uses? and may not we the poor Commons complain now of the like, or rather worse practices, considering the vast sums of money levied upon us, which rather increase then decrease; notwithstanding the incredible sums by you received, by Excise, Bishop's lands, Deans and Chapters, Kings Revenues, Delinquents Estates, etc. with many other hellish inventions whereby you grind the face both of the Gentry and Commonalty of this Nation, to the utter decay of Trade and Commerce.  
Besides, hath not much (nay, I may say the greater part) of these been shared amongst yourselves, thousands in a morning? but for what memorable service we know not, unless it be for keeping us in perpetual slavery.  
Fifthly, How you, exclaimed against his late Majesty, for protecting Delinquents, and keeping them from trial: How comes it to pass then that you yourselves have protected and abetted so many false and Traitorous members, under pretence of privilege? We conceive (by your leave) the late King's prerogative was a far better plea than your privilege, therefore we expect a speedy suspension of all persons charged with any crime; and that all persons that have acted to the prejudice of the Kingdom (by cozenage, injustice) or otherwise, be speedily brought to condign punishment.  
Lastly, Forasmuch as it is pretended, that (notwithstanding the vast sums of moneys that have been raised) the State are not able to maintain war with the Dutch, and maintain our standing Army without taxations, etc. We answer, That forasmuch as it is apparent, that vast sums of money remain in the hands of several Ministers of State, (as Parliamentmen, Committee-men, Excisemen, Sequestrators, etc.) unaccounted for, to our great loss and prejudice, we desire, that you would speedily call them to an exact account of all such sums of money by them received and detained, and to employ it for the service of the Kingdom, which would somewhat abate our heavy burden, under which our backs are ready to crack.  
Much more might be said, but we shall for this time conclude, desiring and expecting the due execution of justice and judgement; and that all means be used for the ease, peace, and safety of our dominions. That our burdens may be removed, the accounts of the Kingdom perfected; the Public Faith, and other Public debts satisfied; our grievous burdens by taxations and otherwise eased; and our Petitions for Peace and Justice from time to time (without danger of being murdered by you Red-coated-slaves) freely received. And so we expect the fulfilling of these our desires, immediately laying aside all by-respects and self-ends; and unanimously act for the good of the nation, giving a speedy testimony thereof by walking in the ways of justice and righteousness, that thereby we may be secured in our just rights and liberties; which if you neglect to do, we shall not only be necessitated to curse the time we ever entrusted you; (which we have already repent us of) but also to prosecute you as persons wholly bend to destroy our lives and liberties, and to let confusion and desolation break in upon us. Therefore seriously consider of what we have laid open to you, and neglect not this fair opportunity put into your hands to do good; for if you do, the vengeance of God shall dog you at the heels, and you shall be abhorred both of God and man, and we shall be driven to take such a course as providence and our pressing necessities shall lay before us, and leave the issue thereof to God, who is able to direct and protect us in all our undertake.  
These are the Resolutions of us the distressed Commonalty of England. April 1. 1653.   
FINIS.