Religion the preserving of it in Doctrine pure and in discipline from contempt and scorne is that for which above all things else wee beseeâ—â— your Honours againe and againe Here wee would lay the streâ—â— of our desires and expresse the urgency of our affections 〈◊〉 thinke wee can never say enough for our God and for his Truth What are our estates our liberties our lives unto us if the Arke of God bee taken if that bee gone the glory yea the life of our lives is departed from England Wee tremble to thinke if a remedy bee not suddenly applyed what will bee the issue of these things Wherefore our humble desires are renewed to your Honours That you would bee pleased to give Authority to suppresse all such from publike Preaching as have not duely been Ordained whereby their gifts for the Ministery and their soundnesse in the Faith might be evinced As also separate Congregations the very nurseries of all damnable Heresies That an Ordinance be made for some exemplary punishment to be inflicted upon Heretiques and Schismaticks that your utter dislike of them and their proceedings may be manifest to all the world which had been made long since to appeare by a well-setled Reformation had not his Majesty denyed his consent to the Bill for the Assembly so often presented to him by both Houses according to your own Declaration in answer to his Majesties of the 23 of October 1642. And that all Godly and Orthodox Ministers who labour in Gods husbandry may have encouragement some course being thought upon in your wisedomes for their competent maintenance the Lord having so ordained that they which preach the Gospell should live of the Gospel so shall Religion flourish the wrath of God be averted the lips of the just shall blesse you and a gracious recompence of reward from Gods most bounteous hand shall surely waite upon you And forasmuch as the welfare and safety of this Kingdome doth next under God in the preservation of true Religion depend upon the fundamentall Constitutions of the same and the maintenance thereof which fundamentall Constitutions do most eminently appeare in the calling of that great Councell the Parliament and in electing of Members for the same wherein most conspicuously doth shine the Liberty and Property of the Subject here wee can doe no lesse then make it our hearty prayer unto your Honours that you would be pleased to give strict order that writs for a free election without delay may be issued to all places where Knights and Burgesses for Parliament are yet to be chosen and to provide that the people bee not prejudiced in their free choice either by force feare letters promises or sollicitations of any that the Subjects liberties being defended and preserved they may be encouraged and better enabled to serve your Honours and the Publike IV. And here we not omit to hint unto your Honours the exorbitant practices of many Committees and Committee men who have such an influence by meanes of their Authority upon the people they being at their wills and in their power to doe them a displeasure that they dare not do otherwise then obey their unlawfull Commands without the inevitable hazard of their peace and safety through which meanes tyranny is exercised by one fellow subject upon another and justice and equity cannot enter The cries of all sorts of people throughout the land are growne so loud against the people of this vocation and profession by reason of those grievous oppressions that are continually acted by them that in tendernesse of affection towards our brethren not being ignorant or insensible of our owne sufferings in this kinde and the great dishonour accruing to the Parliament thereby that we cannot but be earnest suitors to your mercy and justice that such may be dissolved V. The God of your salvation through the timous helpe of his willing people hath now expelled your adversaries and brought us sate through the Red-sea of our feares and troubles to the borders of that sweet Canaan of our desired peace and what now remaines most worthy Patriots but that in thankfulnesse to God for his mercy and in grateful acknowledgement of the loving affections of his people in their so cheerefull adventures in the Cause of God and the Kingdome but that the heavy yoakes should be loosed to which they so readily did submit their necks nay desired you to put upon them for your security and the Kingdomes weale Which therefore is our humble request that the enemies being now subdued the Armies may be disbanded that the so much complained of oppressions by their meanes may be redressed and taxes for their support may be released and the Militia of the Kingdome settled so shall you make it appeare to the shame of slanderous tongues that this warre hath not beene intended as a trade but as a meanes of regaining our lost peace and that you had no other designe in prosecution of the same then the securing of our Religion Lawes and Liberties so desperately invaded by tyrannicall oppressors and shall indeare the affections of this people to you for your future assistance when in a time of need their helpe shall be required and they will become yours and the Kingdomes servants for ever VI. And now since God hath holpen us in our distresse in will not be unacceptable service unto him that we should put forth the bowells of our Compassions to our distressed brethren as being the most kindely fruits of Gods mercifull dealing with our selves And what an object is Ireland for this purpose Most noble Senators sinoe God hath shewen you mercy in subduing your enemies here let us be your earnest Petitioners for gasping dying Ireland in this their great extremity for in thoughts of their calamities our bowells are rowled within us never did their necessities call lowder to your mercy then now they doe VII And certainely one singular meanes to â—â—â—â—ure so great ablessing must needes be the firme and establisht union of these Kingdoms according to our Covenant In which respect we cannot but with sorrowfull and perplexed hearts resent the hellish devices of malignant factious and seditious spirits who make it their daily practice surely would rejoyce in it as their Master-piece if they could once effect to divide these Kingdoms of England and Scotland so firmly conjoyned by a blessed and we hope everlasting union Therefore we returne againe unto your Justice that according to our Covenant condigne punishment may be inflicted upon such firebrands the greatest enemies to Church and State and that your Honours would readily apply all tendrest care in your most faithfull and diligent endeavours for the preservation of that happy union by solemne League of these two Kingdomes which is so much the envie of our enemies the strength and glory of Great Britaine and the greatest security of our Religion peace and prosperity VIII And whereas the hand of the Almighty hath so eminently appeared on your side that your enemies are
falne under you and hath given the troublers of yours and the Kingdomes peace into your hands Wee doe beseech that according to the severall qualities of their Delinquencies your Iustice may goe forth against them with speedy execution And withall that now you would bee so mindefull of your great ingagements in the full and effectuall discharge of the Kingdomes debts who have shewed themselves such free Contributers and also have been such extreme sufferers for your assistance in the Kingdomes cause as to provide that a faithfull improvement of the estates of these notorious enemies of the Kingdome may be made by a right conversion of them unto publick use And that those streams of wealth which daily are flowing in by Compositions of Delinquents may according to your solemne promises runne in the right channell and returne back into that Ocean whence at your desire they did so freely issue forth And whereas in your Wisdomes your Honours have made so good provision that men of estates and fortunes in the world may bee repayed their disbursements upon the loane of so much more as in your Ordinance for the sale of Bishops Lands doth more fully appeare Wee doe intreat that you would please to take into your further consideration those well-affected persons who have so freely and fully laid out themselves as that they have not been able to make that addition required in the aforesaid Ordinance but must now be forced for the relief of their great necessities to sell at great losse their very principal lent upon the publick Faith to their great discouragement and discontent which wee feare may prove no small impediment to your future assistance if need thereof should be unlesse remedy herein shall by your Honours be provided IX And for protections wee neede say little so much having beene said before in our Remonstrance that wee hope your Honours are so sensible of the sufferings of those Creditors who have great summes of money owing by some of your Members and of the injustice of those among them that have Estates to satisfie their ingagements yet will not but stand upon their priviledge as there needs no other argument to move your Honours to doe us justice in this behalfe X. And because wee are obliged to indeavour the preservation of the Liberties of the Kingdome therefore that wee may performe our engagements as to God and you so likewise to the Subjects of the Kingdome whose sufferings in matters that concerne their Rights are our owne wee hold our selves bound in all humility to signifie unto your Honours that contrary to the Rights and Liberties of the Subjects on Friday evening the 4. of this instant moneth there was an illegal Warrant signed by Sir William Strickland served upon three of our fellow Subjects and fellow Citizens by name Patrick Bamford Nicholas Widmerpoole Valentine Fyge to bee taken into custody and committed to a Serjeant at Armes which thing was also done contrary to the Order of that Honourable House as by some of the Committee themselves was acknowledged Wherefore wee doe humbly pray that the aforesaid Warrant with the manner of its issuing forth may bee taken into your serious consideration for the vindication of the Honour of the Parliament which is herein so much concerned and maintenance of the Subjects Liberty and to make such reparations to the persons wronged as may stand with justice and in your wisedomes shall seâ— me fit And now renowned Worthies wee trust that in your wonted goodnesse you will not entertaine any misconceptions of us for that wee have endeavoured to bee a little more patheticke and pressing in our phrase of speech then heretofore but that in your wisedomes you will throughly weigh our feares and sorrows with our pressing burdens which have even forced us as against our wills to these expressions and that looking upon the sincere affections of your Petitioners you will please to make so benigue an interpretation of what wee have here represented in the urgency of our afflicted spirits as not to thinke wee had the least aime to reflect upon the Honour of this famous Parliament but that the sense of our miseries in our approaching dangers might stand more conspicuously before your eyes and as by the most forcible argument wee could thinke upon effectually to move your Honours the great Physitians of our Church and State to apply your most seasonable and speedy helpe The Glory of God the safety of our Religion and Liberties and the Kingdomes welfare is that wee levell at in this our undertaking If through your favourable acceptation of these our humble addresses wee may obtaine the security of these wee have our utmost aime And you shall bee called the Repairers of the breaches the Restorers of paths to dwell in you shall raise monuments of your eternall praises the Churches of God shall call you blessed and you shall for ever engage us not to thinke our estates or lives too deare to serve your Honours and the Publique so long as wee have breath and being FINIS
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORDS and COMMONS ASSEMBLED In the High Court of PARLIAMENT An humble Representation of the pressing grievances and important desires of the well-affected Freemen and Covenant-engaged Citizens of the City of London OUt of our zeale to Gods glory so exceedingly prophaned our love to Gods truth so wofully corrupted our compassionate affection to our Brethren oppressed the grievous calamities that lye upon our selves and are still more and more growing upon us together with the sad feares which doe daily possess and afflict our hearts because of Divine vengeance and displeasure so imminently impending over our heads and even ready to seize upon Church and State Wee have been forced yet once againe in the discharge of our Consciences to take the humble boldnesse to poure forth into your bosomes the sorrows of our hearts and to present unto your Honours the conceived causes of our Miseries trusting that in your grave wisdomes you will both see into them and in your Justice give remedy against them For who can see Religion Lawes Liberties things of so great and precious concernment not onely assaulted but even overwhelmed and the Unity Peace and Prosperity of the Kingdomes violated and almost destroyed and by a treacherous and cowardly silence continue to hold his peace Wee cannot wee dare not the oath of God with a curse lyes upon us if wee shall so basely yeeld to a Spirit of indifferency and neutrality in a Cause which doth so much concerne Gods glory and the Kingdomes good and shall not especially in such a time as this zealously and constantly in our places and callings according to our power apply our sincerest endeavours notwithstanding all lets and oppositions to promote the same 1. It cannot but bee acknowledged most worthy Senators that the Churches of God in times of Reformation have ever thought it the fittest season of all others in some extraordinary manner to oblige themselves unto Almighty God as the Divine goodnesse hath put it into your hearts according to the laudable practise upon all occasions of the most godly and religious Governours to strike a solemne Covenant with him and by your Authority to enjoyne the same to the Kingdomes for the reformation and defence of Religion Lawes Liberties as an excellent meanes to acquire the favour of God and the uniting and strengthening of the three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland against the common enemies of the true reformed Religion peace and prosperity of the Kingdomes to the apparent manifestation of your most Christian zeale and piety to God and to his truth Wherefore we cannot here but make our sad complaint unto your Honors in the expression of our deepest sense of that great dishonour which is done unto the heavenly Majesty in the most horrible slighting and treacherous infringement of this most sacred Oath and that bold contempt which is offered at this day to the authority of this renowned Parliament in this their so religious undertaking and injunction on the one part by those that altogether refuse to enter into this holy Covenant of God and the Kingdomes and on the other part by them which declaime against it and cast disgracefull aspersions upon it that wee can not looke at these persons whatsoever their pretences bee as any other then either malignant Enemies to the Parliament or the Peace and Union of the Kingdomes and the reformation of Religion nor can we promise to our selves any security so long as they are suffered undiscovered or unpunished to live among us Wee therefore make it our humble prayer unto your Honors that you would bee pleased as in your pious wisedome you shall thinke most fit to find out and appoint such wayes or meanes to discover and bring so great misdoers and offenders against God and your Authority to condigne punishment as may be most agreeable to the merit of their so crying offences and that as you have long since enjoyned by Ordinance of Parliament the taking of this sacred Covenant which notwithstanding is not yet done in many places of this Kingdome so you would countenance and defend it inviolable from neglect infringement scorne and defamation and by your Civill sanction effectually impose it to bee sworne by all without exception under some certaine penalty as best shall seeme unto your Honours to bee duly inflicted by your religious Justice upon the wilfull contemners of the same And here give us leave in all humility to offer what seems to us both just and necessary That such persons as have not taken and shall not take the solemne League and Covenant or having taken it are manifestly disaffected to the ends therein expressed especially in point of Religion may not bee countenanced imployed in or advanced to places of publike Trust as being a discredit to your Government dangerous to the Kingdomes and a hinderance to the reformation of Religion By so doing you shall preserve this great Oath of our God from contempt and violation a sin which wee humbly conceive is the chiefest cause of most of those miseries and calamities that Gods just hand hath brought upon us II. When you did at first conclude upon that sacred Covenant wherein now you have solemnly engaged both your selves and us how glad were the hearts of all the faithfull in the Land and what rejoycing was there at the Oath as in the dayes of Asa Wee hoped then that our Religion more precious then our lives which was that the truly godly had chiefly in their eye had beene so secured that all the malice power and policy both of men and devills should never have beene able to overturne the same But with bleeding hearts we speak it how is it that for all this such an inundation of Errors Schisms Heresies is broken in upon us which if not speedily prevented by your Wisdomes and opposed by your impartiall Justice wee feare will have its dreadfull effect to the totall subversion of the power of godlinesse Wee are even strucke with such astonishment that after such a Covenant there should such blasphemies bee uttered to Gods highest dishonour that such hereticall opinions should bee broached to the never so much vilifying of the truth that such Schismes should bee acted and fomented to the renting and dividing of the Church that the Government established should bee so much defamed and opposed to the contempt of the Parliament in words in bookes in practise by the Sectaries of these times who yet seeme as men under sanctuary finding nothing done unto them for the hindring of these mischiefes or the punishment of these enormities God hath done great things for us and hath shewed us great Salvation as at this day then woe bee to us if these bee our returnes for so great blessings Trusty and Right Worthy Patriots wee know not whither to goe in these our sad distempers but unto you whom God and this Kingdome hath betrusted with what is most pretious unto him and dearest unto us the protection of