The Honourable Visitours appointed by both
[...]ouses of Parliament for the regulating and reforming of the Vniversity of
Oxford.
Petition of your Friends and Servants in the said Vniversity.
THat divers learned and civill men have been much importuned, and some of them seduced (under pretence of maintaining the old Prelacy and Liturgy) to enter into a kinde of Confederacy [...] Doctor Fell, and his Delegates, to oppose all Reformers, both the [...]rliament, and Visitours, and hinder a just and necessary Reforma [...]. VVe doe not deny that some of us are exercised with doubts, but [...] desire to communicate our speciall scruples to you in an humble and private way; VVe will not conspire together to excuse the errours, and outages of other men, who are as yet (to the great dishonour and prejudice of our Common-Mother the Vniversity) of the same body with us. VVe consider that to oppose you our much honour'd Visitours, is to rebell against the Houses: to maintaine Prelacy is to uphold Tyranny: and to contend for the Common-Prayer-Booke is to contend for a false Translation of the Canonicall Scriptures, to magnifie those bookes that are not Canonicall, and justifie the Court of Rome, not onely in admitting dangerous Ceremonies to corrupt the purity, but in submitting to the Roman Order, which would overthrow the piety of our Common and publique service.
VVe are bold therefore to remonstrate that whatever is propounded and delivered by the pretended Delegates aforesaid, as the sence of the whole Vniversity contrary to this Petition, is contrary both to our sence and consciences; And our humble request is, that you judge not of this Vniversity by the rage and confederacy of some Malignants in it, who would endanger the whole body to save themselves, and have therefore conspired to set up this Delegacy to seduce and corrupt the unsetled, to oppose the Visitation, and hinder the Reformation of this place. Be pleased to command every man to plead his owne cause, and speake for himselfe, onely punish the Heads and Ringleaders of this Rebellious conspiracy, and pardon all seduced Schollers, who upon better information, and more mature deliberation, shew that they have erred out of meere simplicity, and doe not hate to be reformed.
And we shall pray, &c. Iune 2. 1647.
The Protestation of the Well-affected against the Dis-affected Delegacy.
VVEe the Masters, Schollers, and other Officers of the Vniversitie of Oxford (understanding that there is a Delegacy set up here in Oxford without any Right authori [...] for the upholding of the old English Prelacy and Liturgy in [...] position to the Parliament) doe by these presents solemnly pr [...] test against the said Delegacy and their pretended Vice-Chancellour Doctor Fell, because he is neither deputed by our lawfu [...] [...] Chancellour the Earle of Pembroke, nor elected by this Vnive [...] sity for to governe it for this yeare, and therefore is no way authorized to call or hold a Convocation as Vice-Chancellour [...] Oxford. And the Delegacy chosen by the Assembly of Doctor and Masters upon the first of Iune last, is not to be reputed a st [...] tuable Delegacy, they being not orderly called or legally enable to plead as Delegates in the behalfe of the whole Vniversity: [...] witnesse whereof we subscribe our names this third day of Iune, 1647.
MARCH 31. 1648. At the Committee of the Lords and Commons for th [...] Reformation of the Ʋniversity of Oxford.
THat for an Effectuall Remedy none of those that have beene shall be convicted to have denied or resisted the Power and Authority of Parliament in the Visitation of the Vniversity of Oxford, shall be admitted to vote, or to give voice in the Convocation Congregation of that Vniversity.