THE Government of the Commonwealth of England , Scotland , and Ireland , and the Dominions thereunto belonging , and the Supreme Legislative Authority of the same being setled and established to be , and reside in One Person , and the People assembled in Parlament ( the stile of which Person is already declared to be LORD PROTECTOR of the Commonwealth of England , Scotland , and Ireland ) and the Exercise of the chief Magistracy and Administration of the Government over the said Countries and Dominions , and the People thereof , to be in the Lord Protector , assisted with a Council , who have power , untill the meeting of the next Parlament , ( which is to be the third of Sept. next ) to make Laws and Ordinances for the Peace and Welfare of these Nations , where it shall be necessary , which shall be binding and in force , untill Order shall be taken in Parlament concerning the same ; And it being a matter of greatest Importance to the just Government of a People , That Crimes and Offences of highest nature , punishment and forfeiture , should be most clearly and fully expressed , and reduced into such certainty as the People might readily know them , and knowing them , might the better shun and avoid the same ; And by reason that the Nation of Scotland is reduced unto , and brought under this Government , which must necessarily occasion an alteration of some Laws formerly in force ; His Highness revising and perusing the severall Laws heretofore made in Cases of High Treason , and to the end the same might be brought into one Body , Doth Declare , Establish and Ordain , And be it Established and Ordained by His Highness the Lord Protector , by , and with the consent of His Council , That if any person or persons shal compass or imagine the death of the Lord Protector for the time being ; Or if any person or persons shall maliciously or advisedly either by writing , printing , openly declaring , preaching , teaching , or otherwise , publish , That the Lord Protector , and the people in Parlament assembled , are not the Supreme Authority of this Commonwealth ; Or that the Exercise of the chief Magistracie and Administration of the Government over the said Countreyes and Dominions , and the People thereof , is not in the Lord Protector , assisted with a Council ; Or that the said Authority or Government is tyrannical , usurped , or unlawful ; Or that there is any Parlament now in being , or that hath any Continuance , or any Law in force for continuing the Parlament , which is hereby declared to have been absolutely dissolved and determined upon the twentieth day of April , one thousand six hundred fifty and three , and shall be adjudged and taken so to be ; Or shall plot , contrive or endeavour to stir up or raise force against the Protector or the present Government , or for the subversion or alteration of the same , And shall declare such endeavour or endeavours by an open Deed , Then every such Offence shall be taken and adjudged to be high Treason .

And whereas the Lord Protector and the Council , for the just and lawfull defence of this Commonwealth , are at present necessitated , by reason of the manifold distractions within the same , and Invasions threatned from abroad , to continue Armies and Forces in England , Scotland , and Ireland , which ( under God ) must be the Instrumental means of preserving the good People of these Nations in peace and safetie ; Be it further Ordained and Established by the Authority aforesaid , That if any person ( not being an Officer , Souldier , or Member of the Armies or Forces ) shall plot , contrive or endeavour to stir up any mutiny in the said Armies , or among the said Forces , or any of them ; Or to withdraw any Souldiers or Officers from their obedience to their Superiour Officers , or from the present Government , as aforesaid ; Or if any person or persons whatsoever shal procure , invite , aid or assist any Forreiners or Strangers to invade England , Scotland , or Ireland , or any the Dominions thereunto belonging ; Or shall adhere unto any Forces raised by the Enemies of this Commonwealth ; Or if any person or persons shall plot , contrive or endeavour the betraying , surrendring or yeelding up any City , Town , Fort , Mag●zine , Ship , Vessel , or Forces by Sea or Land belonging to this Commonwealth ; Or if any person or persons shall counterfeit the Great Seal of England , or of Scotland , or Ireland , for the time being , used and appointed by Authority of Parlament , or by the Lord Protector , with the Consent of the Council ; Or the Sign Manual , Privie S●gnet , or Privie Seal of the Lord Protector for the time being ; Or if any person or persons whatsoever shall proclaim , declare , publish , or any way promote Charls Stuart , Eldest Son to the late King , or James Stuart , ●ne other of his Sons , or any other the Issue or Posterity of the said late King , or any other person or persons claiming by , from , or under him or them , or either , or any of them , to be King or Chief Magistrate of England , Scotland , or Ireland , or of either or any of them , or of any the Dominions to them , or either , or any of them belonging ; Or if any person or persons shall give , keep , or hold any Intelligence whatsoever , by Lette●s , M●ss●g●s , or otherwise , to or with the sa●d Charles Stuart , James Stuart , the late Queen their Mother , or any of th●m ; Or i● any person or persons shall counterfeit the Money of this Commonwealth ; or shall bring any false Money into this Land , either Counterfeit or other , like to the Money of this Common-wealth ( knowing such Money to be false ) to the intent to Merchandize , or otherwise ; Or if any person or persons shall hereafter falsly forge or Counterfeit any such kinde of Coyn , either of Gold or Silver , which is not the proper Coyn of this Common wealth , and yet is or shall be current within the same ; Or shall bring from the parts beyond the Seas into this Common-wealth or into any the Dominions of the same , any such false or Counterfeit Coyn of Money , being current within this Common wealth , as is abovesaid ( knowing the said Money to be false and Counterfeit ) to the intent to utter or make payment with the same , within this Common-wealth , by Merchandize or otherwise ; Or if any person or persons shall Impair , Diminish , Falsifie , Clip , Wash , Round , File , Scale , or lighten , for wicked lucre , or gaines sake , any the proper Moneys of this Common-wealth or of the Dominions thereof , or of the Moneys or Coyns of any other place allowed or suffered to be current within this Common-wealth or the Dominions thereof ; Then all and every the offences above-mentioned shall be , and are hereby deemed , ordained and adjudged to be high Treason ; And the Offenders therein , and their Counsellors , Procurers , Aiders , and Abetters , being Convicted according to the Laws of this Nation of any of the said Offences , shall be and are hereby deemed and adjudged to be Traitors against this Common-wealth , and shall suffer and have such pains of death , and incurre such forfeitures , as in case of high Treason is used and Ordained .

Provided alwayes , That neither this Ordinance , nor any thing therein contained as touching the Moneys and Coynes aforesaid , nor any attainder of any person or persons for the same , shall in any wise be adjudged to make any corruption of blood to any the heir or heirs of any such Offender or Offendors , nor to make the wise of any such Offenders to lose or forfeit her Dower of or in any Lands Tenements , or Hereditaments , or her Title , Action , or Interest in or to the same .

Provided alwayes , That no person or persons shall be Indicted or arraigned for any of the Offences before mentioned in this Ordinance , unlesse such Offender or Offendors shall be indicted or prosecuted for the same within one year after the offence committed .

And it is lastly Ordained and Established , That no other Matter , Fact , Crime , or Offence whatsoever , then onely such as are herein mentioned and expressed , shall be deemed , taken , or adjudged to be high Treason , any Law , Statute , Act , or Ordinance to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding .

Provided neverthelesse , and it is hereby declared to be the full purpose and true intent and meaning of this Ordinance , That the Laws and Statutes made in the times of the late Queen Elizabeth and of King James against the pretended Authority of the Bishop of Rome , and his See , Jesuits ; Seminary Priests , and Professors of the Romish Religion , should not be repealed , but stand , be , and continue in full force and effect in every Clause and part thereof ; And therefore , If any person or persons shall attribute unto , maintain , or defend the Bishop of Rome , or his See , to have any Power , Authority , or Jurisdiction within this Common-weath , Or if any Person hath procured , or shall obtain from the Bishop of Rome or his See , any Bulls , writings or Instruments to absolve the People of this Common wealth from their obedience to this Government , and to reconcile them to the Authority of the said See ; And hath used , or put in ure , or shall use or put in ure , any such Instrument , either upon or beyond the Seas , or in any place within this Common-wealth , Or if any person or Persons by colour of any such Instrument , hath or have heretofore taken , or shall hereafter take upon him or them to absolve or reconcile , or to grant , or promise any such Absolution or Reconciliation ; Or if any person or persons shall obtain or get any manner of Bull , writing , or other Instrument , either written or Printed , which shall contain any thing , matter or Cause whatsoever ; Or shall publish , or by any wayes or meanes put in ure any such Bull , writting or Instrument ; Or if any person on persons shall pretend to have Power , or shall by any wayes or meanes put in practice to absolve , perswade or withdraw any of the people of this Common wealth from their obedience to the Government established in the same ; Or to move any of them to promise any obedience to any pretended Authority of the See of Rome , or of any other Prince , State , or Potentate to be had or used within this Commonwealth ; And shall do any overt Act to that intent or purpose ; Or if any person shall by any means be willingly reconciled or absolved , or withdrawn as aforesaid ; Or shall promise any obedience to any such pretended Authority , Prince , State , or Potentate , as aforesaid ; Or if any Jesuit , Seminary Priest , or such other Priest , Deacon , or Religious or Ecclesiasticall person whatsoever being born in any pa t s within this Commonwealth , or the Dominions thereof , that hath been or shall be made , ordained , or professed by any Authority or Jurisdiction dirived , or challenged , or pretended from the See of Rome , by , or of what Name , Title , or Degree soever the same be called , or known , and shall come into , be , or remain in any parts of this Commonwealth , or the Dominions thereof , That then all and every the offences above-mentioned shall be and are hereby deemed and adjudged to be high Treason .