The Humble and Serious TESTIMONY Of many Hundreds, of Godly and well affencted People in the County of BEDFORD, and parts adjacent, Constant Adherers to the Cause of God and the Nation.  
IT is well known to all the faithful and Godly People of these Nations, that the late great contest, and grievous war amongst us, was not onely to recover our civill, but also religious rights and Liberties, undertaken and managed not by one, or a few persons, but by the common faith, prayers, and endeavours of the People of God in these Nations: who upon so manifest a call of God, as they then had, loved not their lives unto the death, for the word of God, and testimony which they held. And as God himself lead them unto these great Undertakings, so he was present with them, on all occasions, and in all places, whithersoever his special providence lead them, for the performing that glorious work of his, till he had subdued his enemies under them, and the Nations under their feet; by which means they that feared the Lord, were put into a real capacity to have done his whole pleasure upon Babylon in these Nations, and to recover to the people their just freedom and liberties both in spiritual, and civill things; which during the reign and authority of the late King and his Prelates, was impossible for us to enjoy.  
But we now unexpectedly beholding this so good and glorious a cause of Christ, as ever was on foot in any age, so far deserted, even by many of those who had before been chief Instruments in it, and to be now in a great measure changed from what it was then, and so by degrees in danger to be brought into a particular quarrel between Person and Person, Family and Family, touching the administration of government in these Nations: And we also perceiving those very things which we had destroyed, through the good hand of God with us, to be by some attempted to be built up again, both in Church and State, to the great dishonour of God and reproach of the Gospel, both at home and abroad, and also to the great discouragement and danger of Gods own people, and encouragement of the common enemy, who seeing this defection of ours( contrary to so many public Protestations, Declarations, Remonstrances, Engagements, and solemn Appeals, before God and man) do rejoice thereat among themselves, and say, So, so would we have it.  
Now through the deep sense of these things, we( having been long pained at the very heart, and fearing lest our further silence should be reckoned an approving of the fore-mentioned evils) are now at last prest in Spirit, for the love of Christs kingdom, and welfare of the Nations, no longer to hold our peace, but( looking unto God our hope, and casting off the care of the things that are seen, for the hope of the things that are not seen) we do give forth this our hearty Testimony( with others else where, that have born witness in the same cause, 
The Serious Attestation of many Thosands, Religious& well disposed people, living in London, Westminster Borough of Southwark, and parts adjoining.  whose Attestation we have seen) viz. That the Lord of his especial grace hath so kept us in this time of Back-sliding, that we have always endeavoured to have neither heart, nor hand, in these late Declinings from the cause of Christ; nor in the change of the Government from a Commonwealth, whereby we conceive a foundation is laid for a new, most bloody and desolating, War.  
And though we judge all forms of civill Government may be useful, yet we apprehended the form of a Common-wealth as opposed to Monarchy, to be more expedient, yea necessary( having been lead thereinto both by the Declarations of the Parliament and Army, as also by the apparent providence of God) for the preservation of the peace of these Nations; seeing the interest of no single person will probably be able long to stand out, against the Interest and Family of the Stuarts, which a Common-wealth wifely managed( in an ordinary way of providence) may better do.  
Wherefore we declare that we still remain faithful to the first good cause, which God himself set on foot amongst us, and witnessed to from Heaven by so many m ghty and wonderful providences, and from which through the goodness of God, we trust we shall never depart, neither for the obtaining any profits, or preferments, or for the avoiding any evils or tribulations of this present world.  
And this we do willingly Testisie both before God and men, and shall wait in all meekness, patience, and long suffering, in our several places and callings, till God shall appear again in his own due time, and shall fulfil his gracious promises, wherein he hath caused us to trust, for the full destruction of Antichrists kingdom and for the advancing of the kingdom of Christ, together with the obtaining of our just rights and freedoms in civill things which thereby will undoubtedly accrue to the Nations.  
April 14. 1657.