To the KINGS most Excellent MAIESTY. The humble PETITION of divers of your Majesties loyall Subjects inhabiting the County of Bedford, amounting to the number of 3800.
SHEWETH unto Your MAIESTY, that many are the miseries your Subjects suffer, and their feares are beyond their miseries. We are not able to relate what unspeakable Calamities, a Warre, much more a Civill-warre, and that in the Bowells of your Kingdom, will inevitably produce, your MAIESTIE having been lately a sad spectator of some unhappy effects thereof; besides continuall feares and perplexities, decay of Trade and Tillage, exhausting of Treasure, impoverishing of your Subjects, and dispeopling of your Land, whereby it may lye open to Forraign Invasions, and your Subjects disabled to defend your Kingdome, Pestilence and Famine being the undoubted consequences of such a Warre in which those of the nearest relations are likesy to imbrew their hands in each others blood and the whole Kingdome (like a distracted man) lay violent hands upon itselfe, your MAIESTIE hath been graciously pleased to declare your sense of those heavy pressures under which your Subjects groaned before this Parliament: And not to acknowledge with due thanks your MAIESTIES Acts of grace in the removall of some and promise of remedy for the rest, were the highest point of ingratitude, especially considering your MAIESTIES frequent and solemne professions to that effect divulged to the world. Now amongst the miserable Calamities which yet remain without remedy, the difference betwixt your MAIESTIE and your great Counsell (the Parliament) is the greatest as that indeed which blocks up the way, that should lead to the remedy of all the rest, pardon therefore your distressed Subjects, (most gracious Soveraigne) if in these heavy times they become your most humble (though importunate) Petitioners. That your MAIESTIE abandoning all Ielousies would be pleased to lend a gracious Eare to such Propositions as your Parliament shall present, tending to your MAIESTIES Honour; the establishment of the true Protestant Religion, the freedome and Priviledge of Parliament, and the future good of the Common-wealth, by this the wrath of God may be appeased, his Iudgments averted, the peace of Church and State procured, Gods true Religion maintained, your MAIESTIES Royall Throne established, and your Subjects may more cheerefully, without distraction, yeeld unto you (as by their Allegiance they are bound) all due obedience and Subjection. These are the earnest desires of your most humble Suppliants, who daily pray for your MAIESTIES safety, and the peace of all your Kingdomes.
At the Court at Oxford, the 24. day of Decem. 1642. His MAIESTY hath graciously considered this Petition, and hath commanded me to returne this His Answer.
THat He fully concurres with the Petitioners in their sense of the present distractions and Calamities of this Kingdome, the prevention whereof His Majesty hath so much laboured, that well fore-seeing the Miseries of a Civill-warre, Himselfe (notwithstanding so many provocations, well known to the Petitioners, and to all the world) forbore to raise an Army for his defence, till he was almost swallowod up by a desperate and unnaturall Rebellion, what he hath done since, towards the removing those horrid preparations, and dissolving the Clouds of Iealousies and discontent, by his severall Messages, to invite and desire a Treaty, and how those Messages have been entertained, is well and generally known too. And if the care of others had been as great in the observation and execution of the Lawes, as his Majesty hath been to make such Lawes▪ The Peace and security of the Kingdom had not been now disturbed, neither would it have been in the Power of a few furious Persons to have raised this misunderstanding between his great Councell and his Maiesty. And therefore the Petitioners shall doe well (not being deterred by the reception other Petitions have found) to apply themselves to both Houses of Parliament, for composing the present Distempers; and if they can prevaile with them, to make such Propositions to his Majesty, as he may with Honour and Iustice consent to, That is, such Propositions as may tend to the establishment of the true Protestant Religion, the Lawes of the Land, His Majesties just rights, the Liberty and Property of the Subject, and the just Priviledges of Parliament, if his Majesty consent not to them, he is contented to be thought a Promoter of this present war. But if no such Propositions shall be made to him, (all his desires that such should be made, having been rejected) He hopes the Petitioners, and all the world will be easily disabused, and will not suffer them, who have raised, and doe foment this Odious Civill-warre, to lay the Envy, and impute the miseries of this Warre upon His Majesty, whose heart bleeds at the sufferings of his People.
The true Copy of a Petition framed and composed by a Party in the City of London, and intended by them to be presented to the honourable House of COMMONS.
THat the present sence of our Miseries and Apprehensions of inevitable Ruine both of Church and Common-wealth) maketh us to become humble Suiters to this Honourable Assembly (the likeliest meanes under God for our reliefe to consider our distressed state, and to provide a speedy remedy for our present and future evills.
Earnestly desiring you to weigh the Care and Judgement of your Predecessors, who by a knowne Law setled and preserved our Protestant Religion, our Liberties and Properties, with a right understanding between King and Subjects, which produced peace and plenty in our streetes. And to reflect with serious thoughts upon our present Distempers, violating Religion by Papists, and Sectaries, ingaging our Nation in a Civill, bloudy, and destructive Warre, in invading our Lawes, and Liberties, indangering all our Lives, and utterly disabling us to relieve our distressed Bretheren in Ireland.
Wee beseech you likewise to consider the effect of a Civil Warre, as the Destruction of Christians, the unnaturall effusion of bloud, Father against Son, Brothers by Brothers, Friends by friends slaine; a Famine and sicknesse the followers of a continued War, making way for a generall confusion and Invasion by a forreigne Nation, while our Treasure is exhausted, our Trade lost, and the Kingdome dispeopled.
These things weighed and inlarged by your Wisedomes, wee doubt not will be as strong motives in you to labour, as in us to desire a speedy Peace and happy Accommodation.
Wherefore we humbly crave that not lending an eare to any Fomenters of the present Warre under what pretence soever, nor remembring ought that may increase Iealousies or continue Divisions, between his Majesty and his Houses of Parliament; you will speedily render his Majesty (according to his Royall Intimations) such Propositions for Accommodation as he may with honour and safety to the whole Kingdome accept. For effecting whereof we shall be ready to assist you with the best and utmost of our abilities; and whilst you endeavour Peace, we shall send up our Prayers to Heaven for a blessing of Peace upon you, and all that desire it.