IT being the laudable Custom of our Ancestors , when they elected and authorized their Knights , Citizens , and Burgesses , to deliver them Breviates of all those publick Grievances they thought necessary to be redressed , and such Propositions as they apprehended most effectual for the welfare and prosperity of themselves and the English Nation , to be vigorously prosecuted by them in Parliament ; We the Freeholders , Citizens and Burgesses of the respective Counties , Cities , and Boroughs of the late associated Western Counties ( whose names are hereunto subscribed ) reviving this good Custom , as the probablest means ( through Gods blessing thereon ) to remove our manifold long continued oppressing Grievances , restore our subverted fundamental Laws , Liberties , Properties , with the Rights , Privileges , and Freedom of Parliaments , and their Members , and establish a long expected Reformation , Peace , Settlement in our sadly distracted , near-ruinated Church and State ; in this day wherein we hope the Lord will bind up the breaches of his people , and heal the stroke of their wounds ; have thereupon unanimously drawn up these ensuing twelve general Heads of Grievances , and such usefull necessary Proposals , which we earnestly recommend to the deliberate consideration , and industrious prosecution of all and every our elected Knights , Citizens , and Burgesses in the approaching General Assembly at Westminster , as they will answer the contrary to God , the whole English Nation , and us who have intrusted them . In the diligent pursuit whereof , and discharge of the publick trust now reposed in them , we do hereby faithfully promise ( according to our former Protestation , and Solema League and Covenant ) in our several places and callings , to be constantly ayding , and cordially assisting to them with our Estates and Lives , by all just and lawfull means .

1. That all and every of these our elected Trustees shall improve their utmost power and skill sincerely , constantly , and effectually to vindicate , and restablish the antient undoubted just Rights , Privileges , Immunities of lawfull English Parliaments , and all their proper Members ; to secure them and every of them from all future force , violence , unjust seclusions , ejections , suspensions , oaths , engagements , and against all forein Intruders into them , by all legal waies ; without which no future Parliaments can be either legal , medicinal or beneficial to the Nation , but destructive and oppressive Nusances .

2. To maintain , propagate , and restore the true publick worship of God , the sincere preaching of the Gospel , the due administration of Baptism , and free and frequent celebration of the Lords Supper in all places where they are wilfully neglected ; to execute all good suspended Laws against Jesuits , Papists , seminary Priests , blasphemous Hereticks , Sectaries , Atheists ; and to redress the manifold exorbitances , and illegal arbitrary proceedings of Committees for sequestring , ejecting out of , and trying , approving , admitting Ministers to Benefices and Church-livings .

3. To restore , restablish , and defend against all future Violations the Great Charters of our Liberties , with all other good fundamental Laws , securing the Lives , Liberties , Freeholds , Properties of the Freemen of England , against all illegal excutions , imprisonments , banishments , confinements , restraints , violent breaking up , and ransacking of their Houses , Studies , Cabinets , by day and night , forfeitures , sequestrations , disseisins , outlawries , taxes , imposts , and all arbitrary or tyranical proceedings whatsoever ; and to punish all late transcendent Violatious of them in every kind , in some of those who have more wilfully , audaciously , and treacherously subverted them than any in former times , against their Oaths , Trusts , Covenants , Protestations , and late publick censures of others as Traytors , and publick Enemies , for lesser offences .

4. To ease and unburden our impoverished , oppressed Nations from their many years unsupportable , incessant Burdens , Taxes , Contributions , Excises , and Imposts of all kinds , and the insufferable oppressions , abuses of Excise-men , Customers , Collectors , Souldiers , and other Officers in the levying thereof , deserving exemplary punishments for future terror unto others .

5. To examine , redress , and punish all Extortions , extorted fees and corruptions in all publick Courts of Justice , Officers , and Offices relating to them ; especially in the Crown-Office , Exchequer , Admiralty , and Office for Probate of Wills , and granting Administrations , ( extorting ten times more than the Statute of 21. H. 8. c . 5. allows ) Together with the late intollerable extorsions , abuses of all Keepers of Prisons , Goalers , Marshals , Messengers and Pursevants .

6. To suppress all future arbitrary , illegal , criminal , and capital Proceedings in New High-Courts of Justice , endangering all mens lives ; and to examine all irregular proceedings therein to the destruction of any Innocents .

7. To examine , redress , correct the manifold Exorbitances and Usurpations of the late Counsels of State , exceeding those of the old Counsel-Table , against the express provision and tenor of the late Statute , made in the Parliament of 17 Caroli , for regulating the Privy Counsel ; which we desire may be henceforth duly executed .

8. To discharge and disband all unnecessary Garrisons , and superfluous Mercinary forces by Land or Sea ; to re-settle the antient Trained-bands and Militia of the Nation for its necessary future defence , and easing the People from all needless taxes and burdens : and to resume all the antient Lands , Rents , and Revenues of the Crown , given or granted away to private Persons for unvaluable considerations , without lawfull Authority , which formerly did and still ought to discharge all ordinary publick expenses of the Nation and Government .

9. To remove all Obstructions of the free trade and traffique of this Nation , by unchristian and unjust wars with any Neighbour-Nations formerly in league or amity with England : impressing of Merchants ships or Mariners , over-high Customs and Impositions upon Merchandize imported and exported , imploying Foreiners ships and Seamen by English Merchants , unjust seisures of Merchants Goods , Letters of Mart , or any other means : and by punishing the late , and preventing the future intollerable waste and destruction of Ship-timber in England and Ireland , and transportation of it into forein parts , to the apparent dammage and decay both of the Shipping and Navy of the Nation .

10. To call all Treasurers , Collectors , Receivers , and other Officers whatsoever imployed in the sale , collecting , levying , sequestring , or leasing of any Lands , Rents , Customs , Taxes , Excises , Sequestrations , Monies , Woods , Goods , Chattels , Prizes , or other things for 12 years last past to the use of the Publiek , in England , Scotland , and Ireland , to a speedy and just Account for all the several sums of mony , treasure , rents , goods , and profits , received or disbursed by them , or any of them ; and to examine , punish all frauds , corruptions , and abuses therein , to the prejudice of the Publick .

11. To examine and reform all misdemeanours , and corruptions in the elections of Knights , Citizens , and Burgesses , contrary to the Laws and Statutes of this Land ; and to put the antient Statute of 15 E. 3. ch . 4. and the self-denying Ordinance of 3 Aprilis 1645. in due execution , disabling all Military and Civil Officers to sit or Vote as Members in Parliament , unless they shall first resign their Offices ; that so they may not over-awe their Fellow-Members , nor be the Peoples Tax-Masters , Pensioners , their own Pay-Masters , and Disposers of the Taxes they impose , at one and the self-same time .

12. That according to the course and practise of our antient Parliaments , they will take special care to see all these and other publick Grievances effectually redressed , the Privileges of Parliament , the Grand Charters , and all good old fundamental Laws of the Land , preserving the Lives , Liberties , Freeholds , Properties of the People effectually restablished , and by all good means secured against future Infringements , before they admit of any further Debates , or grant the least publick Ayd or Tax whatsoever , to our further prejudice .