diſapoint and oppoſe the ſame; And for that end, having gathered ſome mutinous Commons and others, who by a few ſeditious Miniſters, had been preached into an open Rebellion, they in the moneth of September, one thouſand ſix hundred fourty and eight years, without any lawful Authority, (and not giving the Oath mentioned in the Commiſſion of Parliament: without which, it was expreſſly provided, they were not to have accede to, nor place in, the Commitee) did uſurpe to themſelves the name and power of a Commitee of Eſtates; and having by their own Edicts, declared all ſuch perſons as had given teſtimoney of their duty and loyalty to the King, to be uncapable of being Members of Parliament, or of having voice in the Elections to the Parliaments. They then, without any lawful Authority, called a Packt meeting of Parliament, to conſiſt only of perſons of their own ſtamp and faction: who accordingly met in January, one thouſand ſix hundred fourty and nine years: and aſſuming to themſelves the Soveraign Authority and Government of the Kingdom, intended to Eſtabliſh and fix the power in their own perſons for ever. For which purpoſe, having publickly declared againſt that neceſſary and juſt Engagement, for His Majeſties relief and reſtitution to His Royal Government: Having approven all the oppoſitions and riſings in Armes againſt the ſame, and by Oath ſolemnly engaged themſelves to a conſtant adherence thereunto: Having for their aſſiſtance called in the Uſurper Cromwel, and a part of his Army: Having by publick engagement, given up the honour and ſafety of this ancient Kingdom to the Engliſh: and declared, that His Majeſty ſhould be oblieged to Ratifie that unworthy act, before any Treaty were with Him for His relief: Having given order to their Commiſſioners, to proteſt againſt any agreement betwixt His Majeſty and His Subjects in England, in the Treaty at the Iſle of Wight: Having, ſo far as in them lay, weakned and diſſolved the common Allegiance of the Subjects to the King's Majeſty, by proclaiming His Right to the Crown, with baſe reſtrictions and limitations, and preſſing the Subjects againſt their conſciences, to ſubſcribe the ſame: Having diſowned His Majeſties intereſt in the Quarrel betwixt them and the Engliſh, who had invaded this Kingdom, meerly to deſtroy His Majeſties Intereſt in it: Having taken the lives of ſome, and forced others of His Majeſties good Subjects, of beſt quality, to flee to Forraign parts for their ſafety: Having fined, confined, impriſoned, and ſeized upon the livelihood of many: Having put diſgraceful characters and incapacities upon all who had witneſſfed any affection to His Majeſties Government: Having unjuſtly pronounced, and with cruelty executed Sentences of Forfeiture againſt the lives and fortunes of ſuch as from conference of their duties, did oppoſe them: Having in their publick Meetings, appointed, that the innocent Wives and Children of theſe, who offered to vindicate His Majeſties Authority, ſhould be ſeized on, and tranſ ported to Forraign Countries: Having once and again ſollicite their Brethren in England, that ſuch of this Kingdom, as (for venturing their lives for the King) were then priſoners in England, ſhould be ſtill kept Priſoners,as Pledges of the Peace: Having thruſt out of the Offices of State, places of Judicatory and publick Truſt, all ſuch as were willing to engage for His Majeſties relief and reſtitution to His Government, and put ſuch in their places, as did oppoſe the ſame: Having laid on, and raiſed, great exactions and ſums of money from the people, and employed them for their own uſes; Having ſeized on His Majeſties Revenues, and beſtowed them upon themſelves, and ſuch others as were in open Oppoſition and Arms againſt Him: Having alſo ſeized upon the Properties and due Rights of the Subjects, and the Patronages by Law ſecured unto them: And having, by theſe and many ſuch like Acts, endeavoured to perpetuate themſelves in their uſurped Power, they prorogated the meetings of their pretended Parliaments from time to time, ſubſtituting ſome of their Truſtees, for carrying on of their deſigns in the while. And the Eſtates of Parliament, having taken theſe proceedings unto their ſerious conſederation, Do find, that there was no Law, nor lawful Authority for the Meetings of theſe pretended Parliaments and Committes of Eſtates; But that the perſons, meeting therein, did without any lawful warrand, and in contempt of His Majeſties Authority, uſurp the power to themſelves.
And therefore, the King's Majeſty, with advice and conſent of His Eſtates of Parliament, doth Reſcind and Annul theſe pretended Meetings of Parliament, and Committes above mentioned, and all other Meetings of any pretended Parliaments or Committees flowing from the ſame, and all Acts, Deeds and Treaties, done by them or their warrand: Excepting alwayes all ſuch Acts as were paſt in any Meeting of Parliament, or Committee of Eſtates, authorized by His Majeſties preſence, and are not inconſiſtent with this preſent Act. And alſo Declares any Ratification, which thereafter was paſt, of thoſe Meetings and Acts, to have been void from the beginning: Except in ſo far as is expreſt in the lndempnity, Declarations and Proviſions, after-mentioned. Yet, notwithſtanding of all theſe provocations, the King's Majeſty, from His innate goodneſs, being more deſirous to reclaim His Subjects to their duty by Acts of Mercy, then to reduce them by their too much deſerved Cenſure, Doth of His meer favour and grace, with advice and conſent foreſaid, Indemniſie all ſuch perſons, who far and acted in theſe pretended Parliaments and Committees, or who acted in order thereunto, or by vertue of, and in obedience to, the ſame, To be in all time coming, unqueſtioned in their lives and fortunes, for theſe their actings; Excepting ſuch as ſhall be excepted in a general Act of Indemnity, to be paſt by His Majeſty in this Parliament.
And
