WHEREAS the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Comons assembled at Westminster lawfully fully and freely representing all the estates of the people of this Realme did upon the thirteenth day of February in the yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred eighty eight present unto their Majesties then called and known by the names and stile of William and Mary Prince and Princesse of Orange being present in their proper persons a certaine declaration in writeing made by the said Lords and Comons in the words following viz

The Heads of Declaration of Lords and Commons, recited.

WHEREAS the late King James the Second by the assistance of diverse evill Councellors Judges and Ministers imployed by him did endeavour to subvert and extirpate the Protestant religion and the lawes and liberties of this Kingdome.

Dispensing and Suspending Power.

By assumeing and exerciseing a power of dispensing with and suspending of lawes and the execution of lawes without consent of Parlyament.

Committing Prelates.

By committing and prosecuting diverse worthy prelates for humbly petitioning to be excused from concurring to the said assumed power.

Ecclesiastical Commission.

By issueing and causeing to be executed a commission under the Great Seale for erecting a court called The Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiasticall Causes.

Levying Money.

By levying money for and to the use of the crown by pretence of prerogative for other time and in other manner then the same was granted by Parlyament.

Standing Army.

By raising and keeping a standing army within this Kingdome in time of peace without consent of Parlyament and quartering soldiers contrary to law.

Disarming Protestants, etc

By causing severall good subjects being Protestants to be disarmed at the same time when Papists were both armed and imployed contrary to law.

Violating Elections.

By violating the freedome of election of members to serve in Parlyament.

Illegal Prosecutions.

By prosecutions in the Court of Kings Bench for matters and causes cognizable onely in Parlyament and by diverse other arbitrary and illegall courses.

Juries.

And whereas of late yeares partiall corrupt and unqualifyed persons have beene returned and served on juryes in tryalls and particularly diverse jurors in tryalls for high treason which were not freeholders,

Excessive Bail.

And excessive baile hath beene required of persons committed in criminall cases to elude the benefitt of the lawes made for the liberty of the subjects.

Fines.

And excessive fines have beene imposed.

Punishments.

And illegall and cruell punishments inflicted.

Grants of Fines, etc before Conviction, etc.

And severall grants and promises made of fines and forfeitures before any conviction or judgement against the persons upon whome the same were to be levyed.

All which are utterly and directly contrary to the knowne lawes and statutes and freedome of this Realme.

Recital that the late King James II had abdicated the Government, and that the Throne was vacant, and that the Prince of Orange had written letters to the Lords and Commons for the choosing representatives in Parliament.

And whereas the said late King James the Second haveing abdicated the Government and the Throne being thereby vacant His Hignesse the Prince of Orange (whome it hath pleased Almighty God to make the glorious instrument of delivering this Kingdome from Popery and arbitrary power) did (by the advice of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and diverse principall persons of the Commons) cause letters to be written to the Lords Spirituall and Temporall being Protestants and other letters to the severall countyes cityes universities burroughs and cinque ports for the choosing of such persons to represent them as were of right to be sent to Parlyament to meete and sitt at Westminster upon the two and twentyeth day of January in this yeare one thousand six hundred eighty and eight in order to such an establishment as that their religion lawes and liberties might not againe be in danger of being subverted, upon which letters elections haveing beene accordingly made.

The Subject's Rights.

And thereupon the said Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons pursuant to their respective letters and elections being now assembled in a full and free representative of this nation takeing into their most serious consideration the best meanes for attaining the ends aforesaid doe in the first place (as their auncestors in like case have usually done) for the vindicating and asserting their auntient rights and liberties, declare