or in secret and well affected company, without healths: is declared incapable to elect or be elected: Provided that surfeit and gluttony be not included within this incapacity, nor such other alterations as may fall upon the spirit of a man, at thanksgiving dinners.

Qualific. IV.-Whosoever doth live in adultery, or fornication, or hath at any time had carnal copulation with the wife, sisters, or daughter, of any member of parliament, now sitting, without the consent or satisfaction of the said member; or hath been seen, in the day-time, to resort to houses of evil fame, or frequent the com. pany of common women; is declared incapable to elect or be elected, &c. Provided, that this do not extend to any person, that hath kept a concubine or concubines so long, that now there is no notice taken thereof, or to such as by the loss of their eyes or noses, botches in their skins, or aches in their bones, can bring proof of their repentance, and resentment of their former lives; as it hath been allowed in the cases of William Lord Viscount Monson, Sir Henry Martin, Mr. Secretary Scot, William Heveningham, Esq; and others.

Qualific. V.-Whosoever hath suffered for his conscience, either by imprisonment, sequestration, or sale of his estate, or hath refused to take any oath imposed by this parliament, howsoever contradictory to any former oath, by him taken: Or hath gained nothing by the ruin of his native country, nor is liable to suffer by any revolution, that may tend to the general settlement thereof, but, being unbiassed by any party, is at liberty to promote the proper and natural interests of the nation in general: Or hath subscribed any petition or remonstrance for a free parliament; or for the re-admission of the secluded members to their right of sitting; or, at a time to be prefixed, to determine the sitting of this present parliament, or any thing else against the sense of this house, in order to the settlement of the nation: Or hath declared against taxes, excise, free-quarter, plunder, arbitrary government, the perpetuation and supremacy of the present parliament, continuation of the distractions, decay of trade, and slavery of the English nation. Any, and every such person, is hereby declared not only incapable to be elected a member of this present or any future parliament, or of bearing any office, or place of trust, in this commonwealth, but shall suffer such farther punishment, either by sequestration, or sale of his estate or person, as to the wisdom of this house shall seem expedient.

Qualific. VI.-Whosever hath been engaged in the late rebellions of Sir George Booth, Bart. or Lambert Symnell, Esq; or any way aiding or assisting thereunto: Or hath sat or acted in, or un. der the late committee of safety, or had any hand in the late disturbances of this present parliament; is, beside such other punishment as this house shall judge fitting, declared incapable to elect, or be elected, to serve in this or any future parliament: Provided that this shall not extend to such members of this house, as were engaged in the said insurrections. For, if all such should be im

peached before the house be full, there would not be a quorum left to make it a parliament.

Qualific. VII.-Whosoever hath called Charles Stewart king, or drunk his health, or prayed God to restore him to his right, and every honest man to his own, or used any malignant and treason. able expressions: Or hath called the present parliament Rump, Arse, Bum. Tail, or Breech: Or hath rejoiced at the interruptions thereof, or wished it at an end: Or hath sued, arrested, reviled, beaten, kicked, cuckolded, trepanned, or refused to trust any of the members thereof, during the intervals: Or hath action of debt, or bill of complaint against any member now sitting; and doth refuse to give the said member a full discharge, and general release; any, and every such person, is declared utterly incapable to elect, or be elected, to serve in this present or any future parliament, or of bearing any office or place of trust in this commonwealth.

Qualific. VIII.-No man shall be judged qualified, nor admitted to sit in this house as a member thereof, that doth not first acknow. ledge this parliament to be a free parliament, unfounded by the laws of God or man; that all things are exposed to the will of the members thereof, who may freely dispose of the estates, persons, consciences, and lives of men, as they please, and afterwards make it lawful. That this house hath a greater power in civil affairs than the Turk, and in spiritual than the Pope, for it is head of churches, not yet in being, and Judge more of faith, than all the general councils ever were. That it can damn, and save, and bind, and loose in this world, in despight of the next; make what it pleases holy or profane, true or false, scripture or apocrypha, and no man dares to question its infallibility; and that every member thereof can vote and swear contradictions, and make others do so too, or pay them for it.

Qualific. IX.-No man shall be judged rightly qualified, nor admitted to sit in this house, until he hath engaged to use his christian endeavour to carry on a thorough reformation of the calendar, that the English nation may no more use the Julian account, no reckon by the year of our Lord, but by the Roman indiction, according to the custom of the christians in ancient times; that is, reckon the year by their taxes, and not their taxes by the year: A reformation, which this parliament made some progress in before their late interruption, when they drew the whole year within the compass of four months, and do intend, by God's help, to bring to perfection with all convenient expedition.

Qualific. X.-Whosoever makes profession of godliness and holiness of life, although he be commonly reputed to be both a fool, and a knave, a notorious villain, and diabolical hypocrite; shall, nevertheless, be allowed, if duly elected, to be rightly qualified to sit in this present parliament. Provided that this capacity do not extend to Charles Fleetwood, Esq; John Desbrow, Yeoman; and Sir Henry Vane, Knight, lately elected; or John Hewson, Cordwainer, of the city of London.

Ordered that Dr. John Owen, Mr. Hugh Peters, and Major John Wildman be included within this qualification, notwithstanding they are in orders.

Qualific. XI.-Whosoever hath had a hand in the late king's blood, or petitioned to bring him to tryal, or hath demolished his houses, cut down his woods, or pulled down churches, to sell the materials; or can bring proof, that he hath been of one or more high-courts of justice, or at one or more committees of sale or sequestration, of the committee for propagation of the gospel; or hath been a commissioner of the excise, a sequestrator, treasurer, or trustee, for the sale of king's lands or goods, or bishops, and deans and chapters, and delinquents lands; and hath gotten a considerable estate, by buying or selling the aforesaid lands; and can make it appear, that his head is forfeited to the Tower on LondonBridge, and the four quarters of his outward man to four respective gates of the city, if any revolution should happen to the general settlement of the nation. Any, and every such person, is declared rightly qualified to sit in this present parliament, and shall be admitted without taking any oath at all; for a man's skin is tenderer than his conscience, and this world much nearer to him than the next.

Qualific. XII.-Whosoever can bring proof, by the loss of his ears, or otherwise, that he hath stood on the pillory for perjury, forgery, faction, or sedition, to hinder the government of the late king; or that he hath been burnt in the hand, forehead, or shoul der, thrown over the bar, set in the stocks, carted, or whipped at the tail of a cart, for any thing by him done, said, or written against the said goverument, before the year 1612, shall be approved as most fitly qualified to sit in this present parliament. Provided that this shall not extend to William Prynne, of Swanswick, Esq; Utter Bencher of Lincoln's-Inn, nor to Major William Poe.

Qualific. XIII.-Whosoever is son, brother, or nephew, or can prove himself to be the natural son or bastard of any member, or of the mother, sister, or wife of any member of this parliament now sitting, or any member thereof deceased, that sat since the year 1648, and will engage to conform to the sense of this house, according to the example of the said member unto whom he hath relation, is hereby declared rightly qualified, either to elect, or be elected, a member of this present parliament.

Qualific. XIV.-Whosoever can bring proof, that he is a man of a publick spirit, fit for all times and occasions, of approved liberty of conscience, and of courage and resolution to encounter any danger that extends to soul or body, if need be, rather than live out of authority and command, or under the laws of God or man. That he hath proper suits for the service of the present government, and can do the same things by the spirit of God, which other men are drawn to by the temptations of the devil. That he can break oaths by Providence, and forswear himself, to the glory of God; deal falsely and treacherously with men, out of consci

ence; and verily believeth it to be a greater sin to name faith, than to break it. That religion is his trade, and God himself his occupation. That he can hold forth any useful, though notorious untruth, with convenient obstinacy, until he believes himself, and so renders it no sin. That he hath an excellent spirit to find out ways of raising money, and will deserve his share both of the substance and curses of the people. Any, and every such person, is declared to be most aptly qualified to elect, or be elected, member of this present parliament. Provided that this capacity do not extend to Bulstrode Whitlock, Esq; or Richard Salway, Grocer, lately ejected this house.

Qualific. XV.-Whosoever can produce testimony, that he hath taken the late oath of allegiance and supremacy, the protestation, the solemn league and covenant, the engagement, to be true and faithful to the present government, without king or house of lords. That he hath subscribed the addresses, to live and die with Oliver and Richard Cromwell, and taken the oaths to be true and faithful to the governments under them, and feels no alteration in his conscience, but is ready to take the oath of abjuration of Charles Stewart, King Jesus, or any other single person. Any, and every such person, is declared, as rightly qualified to elect, or be elected, a member of this present parliament, and shall be admitted to sit, being duly elected, without taking any further oath at all.

Qualific. XVI.-Ordered, that a bill be forthwith brought in, to make Newgate, Bridewell, and Bedlam Corporations; that writs may be issued out, to impower them to chuse their respective representatives, to serve in this present parliament, in as full manner, as the Upper-bench and the Fleet have already done.

Qualific. XVII.-Any nobleman, or late peer of the realm, that will renounce his creation, or his Creator, and is otherwise qualified, shall be allowed capable (being first naturalised by an act of this house) to be made a knight, citizen, or burgess; and, being duly elected and sworn, shall be admitted to sit among the rabble of this house, in as full manner as Philip Herbert, Esq; late Earl of Pembroke, and William Cecill, late Earl of Salisbury, at this present do. Provided that this shall not extend to any peer of the late other house, that, having a trade to get his living honestly by, did, nevertheless, betake himself to so lewd a course

of life.

Qualific. XVIII.-Whosoever, by fraud, coven, or otherwise, hath possessed himself of another man's estate, or hath gotten into his hands any office or place, of considerable value, by ejecting, indirectly, the right owner thereof, and does not know how to maintain and justify the same so well, as by being chosen a member of this house, shall be approved of, in so doing, to have given good security for his fidelity to the present government, and be capable to elect, or be elected, &c.

Qualific. XIX.-Resolved, that the curses of the people shall, henceforth, that is to say, from this present fourteenth of Febru

ary, 1659, be reputed, and taken for their free voices; and whosoever hath most of the curses of his country, shall be understood to have most of their free voices, and be approved, as most fitly qualified to sit in this present parliament. For such will be very profitable members to this house, when it shall be judged seasonable to make the people pay for their cursing, as well as they have done for their swearing.

Qualific. XX.-No man shall be admitted to sit in this house, as a member thereof, howsoever duly qualified and elected, except before excepted, until he hath taken the following oath upon the Holy Evangelists.

THE OATH.

'I A. B. do swear, in the presence of Almighty God, and by 'the contents of this book, to be true and faithful to this present 6 government, as it is now unestablished, and to the keepers of the liberties, unsight unseen, whether they are of an invisible and 'internal nature, as fiends, pugs, elves, furies, imps, or goblins, or whether they are incarnate, as redcoats, lobsters, corporals, C troopers, or dragoons. I do also swear, that neither Charles Stewart, nor any person claiming from King James, shall ever 'be restored to the crown of England, Scotland, or Ireland, either by foreign or domestick assistance, all dispensations and outgoings of providence to the contrary notwithstanding. I do likewise swear, never to understand, nor believe any thing, that is C against the authority, interest, or sense of this house; and that 'I will never give my vote, to determine the sitting thereof, during 'the natural life of every respective member thereof now sitting, nor consent to the establishment of any thing, but taxes, excise, 'free-quarter, plunder, confiscations, arbitrary government, high'courts of justice, committees of sale and sequestration, a gospelpreaching ministry, and liberty of conscience. I do further

6 swear, that I will constantly believe in all the privileges of parliament, as the house believes; and that I will, to the utmost of my power, maintain and defend the same, although I do not un'derstand, nor ever will, what they are, or how far they extend. And lest the present members should, when the house is full, be 'secluded by their own votes (by which the secluded members are declared uncapable of ever sitting in parliament, or bearing any 'office of trust in this commonwealth) I do swear, that the seclu'ded members, properly so called, are not these who have been 'twice secluded, that is to say, the present members now sitting, but those who have been secluded but once, that is, the major part of the long parliament. As also, that, when it shall seem good unto this parliament to make every member thereof an offi cer or commander of the army, this house will, nevertheless, be no council of officers, but a very parliament, and the sword still ' in the hand of the civil magistrate. I do also swear, that whatsoever time shall hereafter produce (six governments off) for the advantage of the present parliament, or whatsoever they shall at any time do, say, or swear, in order thereunto, how contrary