THat wee cannot but take notice, how welcome to this Hono­rable House, many Petitions have beene, which yet came not from an Assembled body of any County (as this doth) we do therefore hope to finde as gentle and favourable a re­ception of this as any other have found of their Peti­tions, our hearts witnessing unto us, as good, peace­able, and pious purposes as the best.

These are therefore the true and Ardent de­sires of this County.

• 1. That you will be pleased to accept our due and [Page]hearty thanks for those excellent Laws (which by his Majesties grace & goodnes) you have obtained for us.
• 2. That all Laws against Papists, be put in due ex­ecu [...]ion, and an accompt taken of their disarming, and that all Children of the Papists, may be brought up in the reformed Religion.
• 3. That the Solemne Litturgy of the Church of England (Celebrious by the piety of the Bishops and Martyrs who composed it) establisht by the supream Laws of this Land, attested and approved by the best of all Forraigne Divines, confirmed by the suscrip­tion of all the Ministry of this Land. A Cleargy as able and Learned as any in the Christian world ere injoyed, and with a holy love embraced by the most and best of all the Laity, that this holy exercise of Re­ligion may by your Authority be injoyed quiet and free from interruptions, scornes, prophanenes, threats and force of such men, who dayly do deprave it, and neglect the use of it in divers Churches, in despight of the Laws established.
• 4. That Episcopall Government, as Ancient in this Iland as Christianity it selfe, deduced and disper­sed throughout the Christian world, even from the A­postolicall times, may be preserved (as the most pious most prudent, and most safe Government) for the peace of the Church.
• 5. That all differences concerning. Religion and Ceremonies, may be referred to a Lawfull, free, and Nationall Synod, as your Remonstrance promiseth, to a generall Synod of most grave, learned, pious and Iudicious Divines, (the proper Agents) whose inter­ests, gifts, and callings, may quicken them in that gret Worke, whose choyce to be by all the Cleargy [Page]of the Land, because all the Cleargy are to be bound by their Resolutions, and the determination of this Synod to bind us all, when you have first formed them into a Law, and this we take to be according to the ancient and fundamentall Law of this Land, con­fi [...]med by Magna Charta.
• 6. That some speedy and good provision may be made (as by his Majesty hath been and is by all good men desired) against the odious and abominable scan­dall of schismatical and seditious Sermons and Pam­phlets, and some severe Law made against Lay men, for daring to arrogate to themselves & to execute the holy function of the Ministry, who (some of them) do sow their impious and discontented Doctrin even in Sacred places, by abuse of Sacred Ordinances, to the advancing of Heresie, Schisme, Profanenesse, Li­bertinisme, Anabaptisme, and Atheisme.
• 7. That if the coertive power of Ecclesiasticall Courts by way of Excommunication bee already abrogated, or shal be thought fit so to be, that there be some other power and authority speedily established, for suppressing the heynous and now so much aboun­ding sins of Incest, Adultery, and Fornication, and other crimes, and for recovering Tythes, repairing of Churches, Probate of Wills, Church assesses, provi­ding bread and Wine for the Communion, & choice of Church-wardens, and other officers in the Church and especially for Ministers, who neglect the Cele­brating of the Holy Communion, and the Parishio­ners for not receiving.
• 8. That the Professors of that Learned faculty of the Civill Law, and (without which this Kingdome cannot but suffer manifold inconveniences) may not find discouragements, and so divert their Studies and Professions.
• [Page] 9. That honour and profits the powerful encou­ragements of industry, Learning, and Piety, may be preserved without further dimination to the Clergy.
• 10. That you please sadly to consider the bleeding wounds of our Brethren in Ireland, and with speedy succours endeavour to preserve them, whereunto his Majesty hath promised a gracious concurrence.
• 11. That you please to frame an especiall Law for the Regulating of the Militia of this Kingdome, so that the Subject may know how at once to obey both his Majesty and both Houses of Parliament, a Law whereby may be left to the discretion of Governors, as little as may be, but that the number of Armes and what measure of punishment shall be inflicted upon the offendors, may be expresly set down in the Act, and not left to any Arbitrary power, and that accor­ding to the president of former Lawes the offendors may not be tryed out of the County.
• 12. That the Precious Liberty of the Subject (the common birth right of every Englishman) may be as in all these points preserved entire, so in this also, that no order of either of both Houses not grounded on the Lawes of this Land, may be enforced on the Subject, till it be fully enacted by parliament.
• 13. That his Majesties gracious Message of the 20. of Ian. last, for the present and future establish­ment of the Priviledges of Parliament, the free enjoy­ing of our estates and Fortunes, the liberty of our per­sons, the security of the true Religion professed, the maintaining of his Majesties Iust and Regall Autho­rity, the establishing his Revenue, may be taken in­to speedy consideration, the effecting whereof wil sa­tisfie the desires of all us, his faithfull and loving Sub­jects,
• [Page] 14. That all possible care may be taken, that the Native Commodities of this Kingdome, may have a quicke vent, and that Cloathing, and other Manufac­tures may be improved, wherein the livelyhood of many thousands do consist, and that Trade may bee ballanced, that the importation do not exceed the ex­portation, otherwise it will prove a consumption of the Land.
• 15. That you please to frame some Lawes concer­ning Depopulations, Purveyances, Cart-taking, de­layes in Iustice, Trafficke, Fishing in the Coasts, Ful­ling earth, that out Sea Forts may be repaired, and our Magazins renewed.
• 16. That you please to consider the generall po­verty that seemes to overgrow this Kingdome.
• 17. Lastly, We humbly beseech you to consider the sad condition, that we and the whole Land are in, if a good understanding be not speedily renued be­tween his Majesty and both houses of Parliament.

Our hopes are yet above our feares, secure them we beseech you, God direct and guide your consulta­tions for the removing of all distrusts and Iealousies, for the renewing that tye of confidence and trust, (which is the highest happines) between our gracious Prince, and his loving Subjects.

And you shall have the dayly prayers of your humble Orators of the Commonalty of Kent.

To meete at Blacke Heath the 29. of April, by 9. of the Clocke at the furthest to accompany this Pettion to the Parliament. 1642.