the Land can
be secured from invasion without and insurrection within, or the Cause and
People of GOD be defended from enemies: It is the duty of every one who
hath taken the Covenant, willingly and with a cheerfull minde to bestow
their means and their pains as they shall be called thereunto, in an
orderly way: Yet should these to whom God hath committed the Government,
take carre that they be not needlessely burthened, and that none grind
their faces by oppression, not only by making of Lawes against the same,
but by searching out of the cause of the poor, and by executing these
Lawes timously upon these that oppresse them, that they may find real
redresse of their just grievances and complaints, and be encouraged to
bear those burthens which cannot be avoyded.

As the Parliament have begun, so we hope they will continue, to purge out
all these from trust, that are not of known integrity and affection to the
cause of God, and of a blamelesse and Christian conversation, and that
they and the officers of the Army in their respective places, will
seriously mind, and speedily and resolutely goe about the removing from
the Army all malignant scandalous persons, and also the removing of
Sectaries when any shall be found therein, that they may give real
evidence that they did not deal deceitfully with God, in the day that they
engaged themselves thereto.

Albeit we hope and pray that those who beare charge in our Army, will from
the remembrance of the Lords goodnesse to them, and the honour that he
hath put upon them, endeavour to carry themselves faithfully, and
straightly, Yet it cannot be unseasonable to warn them to take heed of
tentations, and to beware of snares that they be not drawn to indifference
or neutrality in the cause of God, much lesse unto connivance at, or
compliance with the courses and designes of malignants or Sectaries, but
to stick closely by the same, and to be zealous against all the enemies
and adversaries thereof: And it concerns souldiers to be content with
their wages, and to doe violence to no man, but as they are called unto
the defence of the cause and people of God, so to behave themselves in
such a blamlesse and Christian way, that their carriage may be a testimony
to his cause, and a comfort to his people; So shall our Armies prosper,
and the Lord shall goe out with them.

But most of all it concerns the Ministers of the Gospel whom God hath
called to give warning to his people to look to