A Particular of the manifold Evils, Pressures, and Grievances, cau­sed, practized, and occasioned by the Prelates and their Dependants.

I. FIrst, the subjecting and inclining all Mi­nisters under them and their Authori­tie, and so by degrees exempting of them from the Temporall power, whence followes:

II. The faint-heartednesse of Ministers to preach the truth of GOD, lest they should displease the Prelates, as namely the Doctrine of Predestination, of Free-grace, of Perseve­rance, of Originall sinne remaining after Bap­tisme, of the Sabboth, the Doctrine against u­niversall Grace, Election, for Faith fore-seene, Freewill, against Antichrist, non-Residents, humane Inventions of GODS worship, all which are generally with-held from the peo­ples knowledge, because not relishing to the Bishops.

[Page 4] III. The incouragement of Ministers to despise the temporall Magistracie, the Nobles, and Gentry of the Land, to abuse the Subjects and live contentiously with their neighbours, knowing that they being the Bishops crea­tures they shall be supported.

IV. The restraint of many godly and able men from the Ministry, and thrusting out of ma­ny Congregations their faithfull, diligent and powerfull Ministers, who lived peaceably with them and did them good, onely because they cannot in Conscience submit unto and maintaine the Bishops needlesse devices; nay sometimes, for no other cause but for their zeale in Preaching, or great Auditories.

V. The suppressing of that godly Designe set on foot by certaine Sects, and sugred with many great guifts by sundry well-affected persons, for the buying of Impropriations, and placing of able Ministers in them, main­taining of Lectures, and founding of Free-Schooles; which the Prelates could not en­dure, lest it should darken their glories, and draw the Ministers from their dependance upon them

[Page 5] VI. The great increase of Idle, lewd and disso­lute, ignorant and erroneous men in the Mi­nistry, which swarme like the Locusts of Egypt over the whole Kingdome, and will they but weare a Canonicall Coate, a Surplisse, a Hood, bow at the name of JESUS and be zea­lous of Superstitious Ceremonies, they may live as they list, confront whom they please, preach and vent what errours they will, and neglect preaching at their pleasures, without controule.

VII. The discouragement of many from bring­ing up their Children in learning the many schismes, errours and strange opinions which are in the Church; great Corruptions, which are in Universities; the grosse, and lamen­table ignorance almost every where among the people; the want of preaching Ministers in very many places both of England and Wales, the loathing of the Ministry, and the generall defection to all manner of profane­nesse.

VIII. The swarming of lascivious, Idle, and un­profitable books and pamphlets, Play-books, and Ballads, as namely Ovids fits of Love, the Parliament of Women came out at the dissolving of the last Parliament, Barnes Poems, Parkers Ballads in disgrace of Reli­gion [Page 6]to the increase of all vice, and withdraw­ing of people from reading, studying, and hearing the word of God, and other good Bookes.

IX. The hindring of godly Bookes to be printed, the blotting out or perverting those which they suffer all or most of that which strikes either at Poperie or Arminianisme, the adding of what or where pleaseth them and the re­straints of reprinting Bookes formerly lycen­sed without relycensing.

X. The publishing and venting of Popish, Ar­minian, and other dangerous Bookes and Te­nets, as namely; that the Church of Rome is a true Church, and in the worst times never erred in Fundamentals, that the Subjects have no propriety in their Estates, but that the King may take from them what he pleaseth, that all is the Kings, and that he is bound by no Law, and many other, from the former whereof hath sprang.

XI. The growth of Popery, and increase of Pa­pists, Priests and Jesuits in sundry places, but especially about London since the Reformati­on, the frequent venting of Crucifixes and Po­pish pictures, both engraven and printed, and the placing of such in Bibles.

[Page 7] XII. The multitude of Monopolies and Pattents, drawing with them innumerable Perjuries, the large increase of Customes and Imposi­tions upon Commodities, the Ship-moneyes and many other great burthens upon the Common-wealth, under which all groane.

XIII. Moreover, the Offices and Jurisdictions of Arch-bishops, Lord-Bishops, Deanes, Arch-Deacons, being the same way of Church-Go­vernment which is in the Romish Church, and which was in England in the time of Poperie, little change thereof being made (except one­ly the head from whence it was derived) the same Arguments supporting the Pope, which doe uphold the Prelates, and overthrowing the Prelates, which doe pull downe the Pope, & other reformed Churches, having upon their rejection of the Pope, cast the Prelates out also as Members of the Beast: Hence it is, that the Prelates here in England by them­selves or their Disciples, plead and maintaine, that the Pope is not Antichrist, and that the Church of Rome is a true Church, hath not erred in Fundamentall points, and that Salvation is attaynable in that Religion, and therefore have restrayned to pray for [Page 8]the Conversion of our Soveraigne Lady the Queene. Hence also hath come,

XIV. The great Conformity and likenesse both continued and encreased of our Church to the Church of Rome, in vestures, postures, Ceremonies and Administrations, namely as the Bishops Rochets, and the Lawne sleeves, the 4. cornerd Cap, the Cope and Surplisse, the Tippit, the Hood, and the Canonicall Coate, the Pulpit clothed, especially now of late with the Jesuites Badge upon them every way.

XV. The standing up at Gloria Patri, and at the reading the Gospell, praying towards the East, the bowing at the name of JESUS, the bowing to the Altar towards the East, Crosse in Baptisme, the Kneeling at the Commu­nion.

XVI. The turning of the Communion Tables Altar-wise, setting Jmages, Crucifixes, and Conceits over them, and Tapers and Bookes upon them, and bowing, and adoreing to or before them, the reading of the second Service at the Altar, and forcing people to come up thither to receive, or else denying the Sacra­ment to them, tearming the Altar to bee the [Page 9]mercy-seate, or the place of God Almighty in the Church, which is a plain device to usher in the Masse.

XVII. The Christening and Consecrating of Churches and Chappells, the consecrating Fonts, Pulpits, Tables, Chalices, Church-yards, and many other things, and putting holinesse in them; yea, reconsecrating upon pretended pollution, as though every thing were uncleane without their Consecrating, and for want of this sundry Churches have beene interdicted and kept from use as pol­luted.

XVIII. The Liturgy for the most parts framed out of the Romish Breviary Ritualium Masse­booke, also the booke of Ordination, for Archbishops and Ministers framed out of the Roman Pontificall.

IX. The multitude of Canons formerly made, wherein, among other things, Excom­munication, ipso facto is denounced for spea­king of a word against the devises above said or subscription thereunto, though no Law enjoyned a restraint from the Ministry with­out such subscription and Appeale is denyed to any that should refuse subscription or un­lawfull conformity, though hee be never so [Page 10]much wronged by the inferious Judge, also the Canons made in the late sacred Synod, as they call it: wherein are many strange and dangerous Devices to undermine the Gospel, and the Subjects liberties, to propogate Pope­ry to spoyle Gods people, insnare Ministers and other Students, and so to draw all into an absolute subjection and thraldome to them and their government, spoyling both the King and the Parliament of their power.

XX. The countenancing plurality of Benefices, prohibiting of Marriages without their ly­cense at certaine times, almost halfe the yeare and lycensing of Marriages without Banes as­king.

XXI. Proph [...]nation of the Lords day pleading for it, and enjoyning Ministers to read a De­claration, set forth, as 'tis thought, by their procurement for tolerating of sports upon that day, suspending and depriving many god­ly Ministers; for not reading the same onely out of Conscience, it was against the Law of God so to doe, and no Law of the Land to en­joyne it.

XXII. The pressing of the strict observati­ [...] of S [...]ints D [...]yes, whereby great summes of Moneyes are drawne out of Mens [Page 11]purses for working on them, a very high bur­then on most people, who getting their living by their dayly imployments, must either omit them and be idle, or part with their money, whereby many poore families are undone, or brought behind hand, yea many Church-War­dens are sued, or threatned to be sued by their troublesome Ministers, as perjured persons for not presenting their Parishioners, who fayled in observing Holy-dayes.

XXIII. The great increase and frequencie of whore­domes and Adulteries, occasioned by the P [...]e­lates corrupt administration of Justice, in such Cases, who taking upon them the punishment of it, doe turn all into moneyes for the filling of their purses, and lest their Officers should defraud them of their gaine, they have in their late Canon, in stead of remedying their vices, decreed that the Commutation of Pennance, shall not be without the Bishops privity.

XXIV. The generall abuse of that great ordinance of Excommunication, which GOD hath left in his Church to bee used as the last and greatest punishment the Church can inflict upon obstinate and great Offendors, and that the Prelates and their Officers, who of right, have nothing to doe with [Page 12]it doe daily excommunicate men ei­ther for doing that which is lawfull, or for vaine idle and triviall matters, as working or opening a shop on a Holiday, for not appea­ring at every beck upon their summons, not paying a fee or the like, yea they have made it, as they doe all other things, a hooke or in­strument wherewith to empty mens purses, and to advance their owne greatnesse, and so that sacred ordinance of God, by their perver­ting of it, becomes contemptible to all men, and seldome or never used against notorious offendors, who, for the most part, are their fa­vorites.

XXV. Yea further the pride and ambition of the Prelates being boundlesse, unwilling to be sub­ject to either man or Lawes, they claime their Office and Jurisdiction to be Jure divino, ex­ercise Ecclesiasticall authority in their owne names and Rights, and under their owne Seales, and take upon them Temporall dig­nities, places and offices in the Common-wealth, that they may sway both swords.

XXVI. Whence followes the taking Commissi­ons in their owne Courts & Consistories, and where else they sit in matters determinable of Right at Common Law, the putting of Mi­nisters [Page 13]upon Parishes, without the Patrons and peoples consent.

XXVII. The imposing of Oathes of various and tri­viall Articles yearly upon Church-wardens, and Side-men, which without perjury, unlesse they fall at jarres continually with their Mi­nisters and Neighbours, and wholly neglect their owne calling.

XXVIII. The exercising of the Oath Ex Officio and other proceedings by way of Inquisition rea­ching even to mens thoughts, the apprehen­ding, and detaining of men by Pursivants, the frequent suspending and depriving of Mini­sters, fining & imprisoning of all sorts of peo­ple, breaking up of mens houses and studyes, taking away mens Bookes, Letters, and other writings, seizing upon their Estates, removing them from their callings, separating betweene them and their wives against both their wills, the rejecting of prohibitions with threatnings and the doing of many other out-rages, to the utter infringing the Lawes of the Realme, and the Subjects liberties, and arraigning of them and their families, and of latter time, the Jud­ges of the Land are so awed with the power and greatnesse of the Prelates, and other wayes promoted, that neither prohibition, Habeas Corpus or any other lawfull remedy can be had or take place for the distressed Subjects in [Page 14]most cases, onely Papists, Jesuits, Priests, and such others as propagate Popery or Armini­anisme are countenanced, spared, & have much liberty, and from hence followed among others these dangerous Consequences.

1. FIrst the generall hope and expectation of the Romish part, that their superstitious Re­ligion will ere long be fully planted in this King­dome againe, and so they are encouraged to persist therin, and to practice the same openly in divers places, to the high dishonour of God, and contrary to the Lawes of the Realme.

II. Secondly, the discouragement and destructi­on of all good Subjects, of whom all Multi­tudes both Clothiers, Marchants, and others being deprived of their Ministers, and over­burthen'd with these pressures, have departed the Kingdome to Holland, and other parts, and have drawne with them a great part of manu­facture of Cloth and Trading out of the Land into other places, where they reside, whereby wooll, the great staple of the Kingdome, is become of small value and vends not, Trading is decayed, many poore people want worke, Sea-men lose imployment, and the whole Land much impoverished, to the great disho­nour of this Kingdome, and blemishment to the government thereof.

[Page 15] III. The present warres and Commotions hap­ned betweene his Majesty and his Subjects of Scotland, wherein his Majesty and all his King­dome are indangered, and suffer greatly, and are like to become a prey to the common E­nemy, in case the wars goe on, which wee ex­ceedingly feare, will not onely goe on, but also increase to an utter Ruine of all, unlesse the Prelates with their dependancies be removed out of England, and also they and their practi­ses, who, as wee, under your Honours favour, doe verily beleeve and conceive have occasio­ned the Quarrell.

All which we humbly referre to the consideration of this Honourable Assembly, desiring the Lord of Heaven to direct you in the right way to redresse all these evills.