Against the Late Treasonable Proceedings
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A91169.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
A DECLARATION AND PROTESTATION Of the Peers, Lord's, and Barons of this Realm, against the late Treasonable Proceedings, and Tyrannicall Usurpations of some Members of the Commons House, who endeavor to subvert the Fundamental Laws and Regal Government of this Kingdom, and enslave the People to their boundless Tyranny instead of Freedom.
February 8. 1648.
WEE the Peers, Lord's and Barons of this Realm of England, for the present necessary Vindication of the Undoubted Rights and Privileges of Parliament, and more particularly of the House of Peers, the just Prerogatives and personal safety of our Kings, the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom, the Hereditary Freedom of all the Freemen of this Nation, and our own affronted and contemned Honors and Authority, against the many late unparalleled dangerous Invasions and treasonable Usurpations of a few insolent mis-advised Members of the (late) House of Commons, whiles the greatest and ablest part of that House were forcibly derained or deterred from thence, where with we find ourselves and the whole Kingdom unsufferably injured and deeply afflicted: Do, after a long patient expectation of their own ingenious Retractations of such uniustifiable Exorbitances (which their own judgments and consciences cannot but condemn whereof we now utterly despair; being thereto engaged in point of Honor, Loyalty, Conscience, Oath, and love to our Native Country, as also by our Solemn League and Covenant, publicly declare and protest to all the world; That by the Laws and Customs of this Realm; & Usage of Parliament time out of mind, ever since there were Parliaments in this Island, the principal Authority and Judicatory of the Parliaments of England hath always constantly resided, and ought still to continue only in the King and House of Peers, (wherein he always sits) and not in the Commons house; who never had, claimed, nor ought to have any right or power to judge any Person or cause civilly or criminally [having no Authority to examine any witnesses upon Oath, and being no Court of Record ) but only to accuse and impeach Delinquents in and before the house of Peers. where they always have used to stand bare-headed at their Barre; but never yet to stand covered, much less to sit, vote or give Judgment. And that the House of Commons without the concurrent assent of the house of Peers, and Kings of England, never heretofore challenged nor enjoyed, nor can of right pretend to any lawful power or Jurisdiction to make or publish any firm or binding Ordinance, Vote, Act, or Acts of Parliament whatsoever, nor ever once presumed to pass any Act or Acts to erect a new high court of Instice, to try, condemn, or execute the meanest Subject, least of all their own Sovereign Lord and King, or any Peer of the Kingdom (who by the Common and Statute Laws of this Realm, and Magna Charta, ought to be tried only by their Peers and not otherwise) or to disinherit the Right heir to the Crown, or to alter the Fundamental Government, Laws, Great Seal, or ancient forms of process and legal Proceedings of this Realm, or to make or declare High-Treason to be no Treason; or any Act to be Treason, which in it self, or by the Law of the Land is no Treason; or to dispose of any Offices or places of Judicature, or impose any penalties, Oaths, or Taxes, on the Subjects of this Realm. And therefore we do here in the presence of Almighty God, Angels, and Men, from our hearts disclaim, abhor, and protest against all Acts, Votes, Orders or Ordinances of the said Members of the Commons house lately made and published, for setting up any New court of Justice to try, condemen, or execute the King, or any Peer or Subject of this Realm: (which for any person or persons to sit in or act as a Judge or Commissioner, to the condemning or taking away the life of the K. or any Peer or other subject, we declare to be High Treason and willful Murder) to difinherit the Prince of Wales of the Crown of England, or against proclaiming him King after his Royal Faehers late most impious, Trayterous and barbarous murder, or to alter the Monarchical Government, Laws; Great Seal, Iudicatories, and ancient forms of writs, and legal process and proceedings; or to keep up or make good any Commissions, Judges or Officers, made void by the Kings bloody execution; or to continue any old, or raise any new forces or Armies; or to impose any New Taxes, Payments, Oaths or forfeitures on the Subjects, or to take away any of their lives, Liberties or Estates against the fundamental laws of the Realm, or to make any new Judges, Justices or Officers; Or set aside the House of Peers (far ancienter then the Commons house) and particularly this insolent and frantique vote of theirs, Febr. 6. ( That the House of Peers in Parliament is useless and dangerous and ought to be abolished, and that an act be brought in for that purpose ) to be not only void, null, and illegal in themselves by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm, but likewise Treasonable, Detestable, Tyrannicall, and destructive to the Privileges, Rights and being of Parliaments, the just Prerogatives and personal safety of the Kings of England, the fundamental Government and Laws of the Realm, the Lives, Liberties, Propertyes and Estates of the People, and the most transcendent Tyranny and Usurpation over the King, Kingdom, Parliament, Peers, Commons, and Freeemen of England ever practiced or attempted in any age, tending only to dishonor, enslave, and destroy this ancient flourishing Kingdom, and set up Anarchy and confusion in all places.
All which exorbitant and Trayterous Usurpations: We, and all free-born English men are by all obligations bound to oppose to the uttermost with ovr lives and forunes least we should be accessories to our own and our posterities slavery and ruin, for preventing whereof we have lately spent so much blood and, Treasure, against the Malignant party, whose Treasons and insolences they far exceed