Humble Petition of Sundry Ministers, Petition – Endorsement
TO THE HONOURABLE THE KNIGHTS, CITIZENS AND BVRGESSES OF THE COMMONS HOVSE OF PARLIAMENT: The humble Petition of ſundry Miniſters intruſted to ſolicite the Petition and Remonſtrance formerly exhibited to this Honourable Houſe, and of many of their Brethren, moſt humbly ſheweth,
THat the Petitioners doe moſt thankfully value and heartily acknowledge the indefatigable paines and Piety of this Honourable Aſſembly, manifeſted in very many things of high concernment for the glory of God, the honour of the King, the purging of the Church, and the ſafety and proſperity of this and the reſt of his Majeſties Kingdomes; but more eſpecially, in procuring that publique Faſt at your firſt Sitting, which hath prevented many miſchiefes, and drawne downe many bleſſings upon the Kingdome ever ſince: In your zeale and courage for the true Religion profeſſed among us againſt all Popiſh Idolatry and Superſtitious Innovations expreſſed by your noble and Religious Proteſtation and Vow: In countenancing the Sacred Ordinance of Preaching after long and deepe contempt caſt upon it by too many who had almoſt exiled it from divers parts of this Kingdome: In encouraging painfull and godly Miniſters formerly ſet aſide, and now againe profitably imployed in many Congregations greatly needing them: In diſcountenancing bold and unmeete men, that without ſufficient Calling have preſumptuouſly intruded into that holy Office,, as alſo of all unworthy and ſcandalous Miniſters that have beene convented before you: In accepting a former Petition and Remonſtrance from the Petitioners, taking the ſame into your grave Conſideration, and vigorouſly proſecuting ſome part thereof: In freeing divers godly Miniſters out of P…iſon, and exile, and many others from heavie Cenſures unjuſtly inflicted: In preventing the utter ruine of the Petitioners, and of many moe, by breaking that wicked Yoke or the late pernitious Oath and Canons juſtly branded by both Houſes of Parliament, and by taking away the late dreadfull tyranny of the High Commiſſion Court, and other illegall and heavie preſſures of the reſt of the Courts Eccleſiaſticall: In your worthy Orders for removing of all illegall Rites and Ceremonies, ſuperſtitious and ſcandalous Images and Pictures, and other Innovations out of all Churches and Chappels: In your prudent, happy, and timely reuniting (without ſpilling of Chriſtian bloud) of the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland in a firme and religious Peace unhappily diſturbed to the apparant endangering of both: In your honourable endeavours to relieve and reſcue our diſtreſſed brethren in Ireland from the barbarous outrages and butcheries of the Popiſh Rebels there: In your conſtant vigilancie to diſcover and defeate the many deſperate and diviliſh Conſpiracies and Treaſons againſt the King, Parliament, and the Kingdome, plotted by Papiſts and their malignant Adherents, implacable Enemies to our Religion and Peace. Together with all other your excellent labours for reforming and ſetling the Affaires of the Common-wealth, whereof the Petitioners doe alſo with others enjoy the comfort: and the large and bleſſed hopes given to the Petitioners of your further endeavours for perfecting the Reformation of Religion and the Church according to the neceſſity thereof, in a way beſt becomming the Honour of ſuch a Grave and Religious Body. All of which doe much encourage them to powre out their ſoules in all poſſible thankfulneſſe unto God for you, and to put up more fervent prayers, publiquely, and privately, upon all occaſions, on your behalfe, at the Throne of Grace.
But ſo it is, that whereas the Petitioners did, in their former Petition repreſent unto you divers unſufferable grievances ariſing from ſundry Invaſions made upon the publique Doctrine of this Church, from ſome mixtures and blemiſhes in the publique Worſhip of God by Law eſtabliſhed, as well as from ſundry groſſe Innovations & Superſtitions in Rites and Ceremonies without Law introduced, from many Exorbitances and unſupportable Vſurpations in Eccleſiaſticall Government, and from the ſcandalous defect of Miniſters Maintenance in too many places: All, or moſt of which doe yet remaine in greateſt part unremoved, by reaſon of your many neceſſitated diverſions from this great Worke, for the preſervation of the very Being of this Kingdome. And, by meanes hereof, many diſtractions and diſorders about matters of Religion and the Church have, to the great ſcandall and griefe of the Petitioners, happened, and are ſtill continued; which puts them upon a neceſſity of renewing their former ſuit for redreſſe of the aforeſaid evils, and for removing what ever ſhall appeare to your Wiſdome to be the roote and cauſe of them.
And whereas further the Petitioners and very many others (in whoſe name and behalfe they now humbly ſupplicate) deſirous in all things to ſubmit to the Lawes ſo far as poſſibly they may, yet, meerly out of tenderneſſe and ſcruple of conſcience, dare not continue (as formerly they did) the uſe and exerciſe of ſome things, as now they ſtand enjoyned, not onelyonly becauſe they have more ſeriouſly weighed the nature and ſcandall of them, and that ſundry Biſhops, and other grave Divines, called to their aſſiſtance, by Order of the Houſe of Peeres, have (as they are informed) diſcovered divers particulars needing alteration in the Liturgy, and the uſe thereof; and that there is not, as they humbly conceive, at this day commonly extant any Booke of Common-Prayer, without ſo many variations, alterations, and additions, as render it in many parts another thing from that which was by Law eſtabliſhed; but chiefely becauſe you alſo have vouchſafed to be ſo far ſenſible of the defects thereof, and of the juſt ſcruples of the Petitioners thereabout, as to take the reformation thereof under conſideration, which they hoped would be ſome ſhelter againſt the ſtrict preſſing the uſe of it, till your pleaſure, upon the full debate thereof, had beene declared in a Parliamentary way; for that it ſeemes moſt equall that the Conſciences of men ſhould not beforced upon that which a Parliament it ſelfe holds needfull to conſider the Reformation of, and to give Order in, till the ſame be accordingly done. And the Petitioners having been comfortably aſſured of ſome eaſe therein, doe now, to their great ſorrow, apprehend that the ſame things are a new reinforced, which (contrary to the bleſſed inclination and intention of his moſt Gracious Majeſty) may occaſion much trouble and vexation to ſundry worthy and peaceable Miniſters: which the Petitioners have more cauſe to feare, becauſe ſundry of their Brethren, have, ſince the beginning of this Parliament, beene indicted upon the Stat. of 1. Eliz. 2. and others threatned for bare omiſſions of ſomethings complained of to this high Court, and ſtill depending before you; whiles, in divers places, your Religious Orders neceſſarily made and publiſhed for removing of things illegall, are not obſerved; and, in other places, where ſome ſuperſtitious rites and practiſes had by vertue thereof, beene laid aſide, the ſame are againe called backe and repractiſed, without any check or animadverſion.
And becauſe the premiſſes are of extraordinary conſequence, and cannot receive a perfect Cure but by authority of Parliament: and that a free Synod of this Nation, differing in the whole Conſtitution from the preſent Convocations of the Clergy now in uſe among us, might be (as the Petitioners apprehend) of great uſe for that purpoſe; and, that not onelyonly this, but all other your great Conſultations might be much furthered by a more earneſt and aſſiduous ſeeking of God by the joynt and publique Faſting and Prayers of the whole Kingdome in theſe ſad times ſo full of diſtractions and helliſh Conſpiracies at home, and bloudy cruelties of thoſe Popiſh Rebels againſt our owne fleſh and our bones in Ireland.
The Petitioners humbly pray that you would vouchſafe to lay hold upon the firſt opportunity, that your important affaires will permit, of reaſſuming in… your further conſideration their former Petition, and to proceed thereupon as you ſhall finde cauſe, either by committing the ſame to the debate and diſquiſition of a free Synod, or otherwiſe; And in the meane time to become Mediators to his gratious Majeſty (who could not take notice of their former Petition to this honourable Houſe) for ſome relaxation in matters of Ceremonies, and of reading of the whole Liturgy, which, as the Petitioners verily beleeve and hope to prove, have beene of late times urged further than ever the Law intended: and that a free Synod of Grave, Learned, and Judicious Divines of this Kingdome, the Dominion of Wales, and the Iſlands adjacent, may be by authority of Parliement indicted, for the more through and fruitfull debate of the premiſſes, to expedite a full Reformation by the high Court of Parliament, for the ſetling of a godly and religious Order and Government in this Church, as your Wiſdome ſhall finde convenient: And that a publique Faſt may be commanded and religiouſly obſerved throughout the Kingdome, once in every monethmonth, during your ſitting in Parliament, for the more effectuall procuring of Gods protection of your perſons, and of his bleſſing upon your proceedings; and till the miſeries of our brethren in Ireland bee happily put to an end.
And the Petitioners ſhall be ready further to attend the pleaſure of this Houſe with their reaſons of their preſent ſuite for a free Synod of this Nation, and of a new Conſtitution thereof differing from thoſe now in being, when they ſhall be required; and, to pray without ceaſing, &c.
This Petition was preſented by the Miniſters themſelves, and afterwards read, and well accepted in the Houſe, Decemb. 20. 1641.
LONDON, Printed for Iohn Bellamie and Ralph Smith. 1641.
End of the text · Cornelius Burges, Humble Petition of Sundry Ministers (1641)