We the Grand-Jury, Summoned and Sworn for this preſent Seſſions of the Peace, holden for this Town and Borough of Southwark, do with all Humble Deference to our Superiors, Preſent as followeth, viz.

I. THAT what the Wiſe and Learned King James, his Majeſties Royal Grandfather of Bleſſed Memory has, from his Own Obſervation, and ſad Experience (among other things) ſo ſolemnly Aſſerted in His Excellent Book of Inſtructions to his Eldeſt Son Prince Henry, concerning the Puritans of that Age, may as truly be affirmed of the generality of the Separatiſts of our Times; to wit, Baſil. Doron, p. 31. That they are the very Peſts in the Church and Common-weal, whom no Deſerts can Oblige, neither Oaths or Promiſes Bind; Breathing nothing but Sedition and Calumnies, Aſpiring without Meaſure, Railing without Reaſon, and making their own Imaginations (without any Warrant of the Word) the ſquare of their Conſcience; and that ye ſhall never find with any High-land, or Border-Thieves greater Ingratitude, and more Lies and vile Perjuries, than with theſe Phanatick Spirits.

II. That Popery and Phanaticiſm being equally groſs Defections from Primitive Chriſtianity, and equally deſtructive of the Eſtabliſhed Government of theſe Kingdoms both in Church and State, equal Zeal and Vigor, as we humbly conceive, ought to be uſed towards the Extirpation of them both: And the rather, for that it is plain from Coleman's Papers, and other unqueſtionable Evidence, that ever ſince his Majeſties happy Reſtauration, both Papiſt and Phanatick, for the compaſſing their end of Subverting the preſent Eſtabliſhment, have been united in their Endeavours to procure a Toleration, as the only means to accompliſh it.

III. That all who do leſs than their utmoſt towards the Suppreſſing all Conventicles prohibited by Law, and yet ſtile themſelves his Majeſties Loyal Subjects, are meer Uſurpers of that Title. And that all who plead for the Relaxation of the Penal Laws againſt either Popiſh, or Proteſtant Diſſenters, at this time, under what ſpecious Pretext ſoever, are, in our opinion, Enemies to the King and the Proteſtant Religion; and are either ſuch as live in the open Breach of thoſe Laws, or ſuch others as lie under a juſt Suſpicion of being Penſioners to the Pope and the French King, and engaged in a Conſpiracy againſt the Government.

IV. And whereas the often repeated Experiments of Lenity and Indulgence towards Diſſenters have been ſo far from rendering them more Modeſt in their Behaviour towards the Government, that on the contrary they are thereby become more Audacious in their lewd Practices againſt it; and thoſe who take upon them to Preach in Conventicles, are generally obſerved to take Occaſion, from the faint Execution of the Laws againſt them and their Followers, moſt blaſphemouſly to entitle God Almighty to an Eſpecial, nay, even to a Miraculous Protection of them in their Diſobedience to his Vice-gerent, and thereby to make more Proſelytes to Faction, than they could do if they were not proſecuted at all: And whereas alſo from the Practices of the generality of the Diſſenters in diſpenſing with Oaths and Sacraments in Matter and Mode repugnant to their commonly avowed Principles, meerly to qualifie themſelves for Places of Truſt and Profit, it is undeniably apparent that they daily proſtitute the moſt Sacred Rites of Religion to ſerve their ſecular Intereſts, and thereby have baffled their own pretences to Tenderneſs of Conſcience, and are become a Scandal to the Chriſtian name. Therefore we humbly conceive, that the only way to maintain the Honor of Chriſtianity, to preſerve the Kings Perſon, the Monarchy, the Religion Eſtabliſhed, the publick Peace, the juſt Rights and Liberties of his Majeſties Loyal Subjects, to defeat the Deſigns of that accurſed Mixture of Atheiſts, Papiſts, Democraticks and Enthuſiaſts, of which the Faction, which has ſo much annoyed the Government, is compounded, and to faſten a juſt brand of Infamy upon the Impoſtors, and charitably to reſcue and undeceive their deluded Diſciples, is a thorow and impartial Execution of the Penal Laws againſt all Diſſenters whatſoever.

V. Moreover, we of this Borough labouring more particularly under this Grievance, that perſons notoriouſly Diſaffected to the Royal Intereſt, are through Arbitrary Incroachments upon the ancient Rules and Uſages of Choice, become the Majority of Governors of an Hoſpital of Royal Foundation among us, and ſo effectually the diſpoſers of all Offices and Employments relating thereunto, and the managers of a large Revenue belonging to the ſame, and generally abuſe the Power and Reputation they gain thereby to the perverting of thoſe who prefer a ſordid Intereſt before Duty and Allegiance. We offer our humble Opinion that a ſpeedy Regulation in that matter would be a very ſeaſonable means of relieving us, that ſo the numerous Party of Honeſt Trading men of this vaſt Body may be no longer diſcouraged in their Induſtry, or cramp'd in their Loyalty by the Artifices of thoſe who meditate our Ruine.

Upon this humble Repreſentation of our ſenſe in the Premiſſes, we pray that this Honorable Court will take ſome effectual courſe for the Suppreſſion of all the Conventicles in this Borough; and exerciſe its utmoſt Authority in order to increaſe the Number, and ſtrengthen the Intereſt of his Majeſties Loyal Subjects among us.