THAT your Petitioners have for divers yeares, groaned under most heavy pres­sures and grievances, both in our Religi­on, civill rites and liberties, which were growne to such height, that they became unsupportable, and yet no hopes of redresse appeared to the eye of man, till it pleased the Almighty God of his infinite goodnesse, to stirre up the Kings Majesty to call this present Parliament, whereby our dying hopes were raised to very great and confident expectations to of a full and perfect Reformation, but they were soon abated to our exceeding great discouragement, by the lets and hinderances which are largely expressed in the late Remonstrance of the state of the Kingdome, set forth by the Honourable house of Commons, arising [Page 4]from the endeavours of a malignant party within this Kingdome: and (as we humbly conceive) from the po­pish Lords and Bishops, Voting in the House of Peers: Neverthelesse we now cannot but entertain new hopes of comfort, and of the happy proceedings and successe of this Parliaement, beholding with unspeakable joy, your late concurrence with the Honourable House of Commons, especially in taking away the Votes of pre­lats, and setling this Kingdome in a posture of defence: which we do with all possible thankfulnesse acknowledg.

Humbly beseeching your Lordships, that you would keep up our hopes by proceeding in your happy concurrence with the house of Commons, to a per­fect Reformation, and particularly, in vindicating the priviledges of Parliament, discovering, punishing and removing evill Counsellors and Magistrates, taking away from the popish Lords, their Votes in parliament, utterly abollishing that Kingdome de­stroying sin of idolatry, together with superstition and Arminianisme, so much professed and counte­nanced in our Vniversity: pasing the Bill against plurallities, and joyning in that order of the house of Commons, for the demollishing of Altars, and scan­dalous pictures: And your petitioners shall still have cause to look upon your Lordships with as high esteem as ever our fore-Fathers did upon your most Noble progenitors, and also with our best endea­vours, will maintain you in your happy concurrence with the said House of Commons, in your persons, Honours, and Dignities.

And your petitioners shall ever pray, &c.

OVr most humble and thankfull acknowledgment of your ex­ceeding great care and pairs already taken, during this Par­lament, to the hazarding of your healths and lives, in the en­deavouring a removal of the many grievances in Church & Common-wealth: As also the continued care, and unwearied en­deavours, for a perfect Reformation: The Remonstrance wherof, as we cannot consider without unspeakable joy (it putting life into our languishing soules) so we desire it may be remembred with high e­steeme by us and our posterity for ever. And for that you under Al­mighty God, and his most excellent Majesty, are now called to the place of our chiefest hopes against all our ells: Your Petitioners humbly presnt our daily fears and distractions arising from the des­perate plots of the malignant Party of this Kingdome, and from the certaine reports of the most barbarous and bloody practises of the Rebels in Iceland, by whose prevailing and the small provision that is made for their suppressing and securing of this Kingdom against the like attempts, the said party is much imboldened, the Petitio­ners feares augmented, their common Commerce and Trading a­bated, and the publike safety of the Kingdome end angered,

It is therefore the humble desire of your Petitioners, That some course may bee taken as to suppresse those Rebels in Ireland: so to put this Kingdom in such a posture of defence, as the present condition ther­of requireth: And that it may please you in our behalfs, to be a meanes to the Kings most gracious Majesty, and to the House of Peers, to per­fect their endeavours by their concurrence with you, in punishing De­linquents, and removing ull those pressures and grievances, in Church and Common-wealth, with the causes, and Causers of the same. And your Petitioners shall uncessantly pray unto Almighty God for the pros­perous and happy successe, and withall. put forth our best endeavours to maintaine and defend the Kings most excellent Majesty and high Court of Parliament in their good endeavours and undertakings for the com­fortable and secure setling of Religion, and Liberties against all malig­nant opposers whatsoever.

THat the Petitioners doe with joy and humble thankfulnesse acknowledge the good Corres­pondency and Concurrence, which (by the blessing of God) this Honourable House hath held with the Worthy House of Commons, in passing the Bill to take away the Votes of the Prelats in this Honourable House, and disabling them from Temporall im­ployments; And for setting the Kingdome into a Posture of War for its defence.

And the Petitioners doe in like manner most humbly and heartily professe, That they will ever honour this Honou­rable House, and to the utmost of their power defend the same, so far as your Lordships shall continue to hold Cor­respondence and Concurrence with the said House of Com­mons in all their just desires and endeavours. Upon which the Petitioners doe humbly conceive, greatly dependeth the peace and Welfare of this Kingdome.

And the Petitioners most humbly pray, That this Honou­able House (declaring therein your Noble Resolutions for he publike good) would bee pleased to go on with the said [Page 7]House of Commons, to a through Reformation, especially of the Church, according to the Word of God; To presse dis­paech for the reliefe of Ireland; To expedite proceedings a­gainst Delinquents; To Vindicate Parliament Priviledges; To discover, remove, and punish evill Counsellors; To de­prive the Popish Lords of their Votes; to disarme and scarch out Papists, and put them into fafe custody; To suppresse Masse, both in publike and private; To cast out scandalous Ministers, plant painfull Preachers every where; And disco­ver who are Church Papists, as well as known Recusautss.

And the Petitioners shall daily pray.

THat we these many years past have bin pressed with many unusuall and heavy burdens on our consciences and states, to our great grief and discouragement, yet good hath been shewed us from the Lord our God, who hath extended mercy to us to give us a little reviving by the provideece and uncessant care of this Honourable House, whose matchlesse diligence hath already removed many al­most insuperable difficulties, whose pious intentions (under our God) upholds our hopes for removal of al our pressures which continue upon us by the Popish Lords and Prelates with their party in the House of Peers, which have been the [Page 8]great opposers of your just proceedings and zealous endea­vours, whereby our grievances increase upon us.

First, the trade of cloathing being decaid to the impove­rishing of the County, and to the bringing of many thousands of the poore depending thereon to unavoidable necessities.

2. That this his Majesties County bordering upon the Sea Coast is exposed to danger by forraign enemies, whose fears threaten us being greatly weakned by so many armes forced from us for the Northern Service.

3. That our brethren the Protestants in Ireland lie blee­ding under the inhumane hand of Popish Rebels, who have conspired and lift up the head to root out true religion there, and without timely prevention to cause confusion here.

4. That the priviledges of Parliament (in the peace wher­of is our peace) broken in so a unparelled a manner, to the great amazement of us, who according to our duty are come to make expression of our loyalty to our Soveraign and fide­lity to his Parliament, in maintaining and defending, as far as lawfully we may, with our lives, power and estates his Majesties Royall Person and priviledges of Parliament a­gainst all adversarie attempts.

Wherefore our ardent prayer is that by the wisedome of this Honourable House the popish Lords may be outed the House of Peers, the causes of our grievances taken away, the County put in a posture of defence, the ports fortified and committed to trusty hands, our armes restored; the fire in Ireland spsedily quenched, delinquents punished, and the priviledges of Parliament confirmed, which will turne our mourning into a good day.

And wee shall pray that God would crowne this happy Parliament with such successe, that the Lord may be an ha­bitation of Iustice, and the Church the mountaine of holi­nesse.