To the Honourable, the Commons of England in Parliament Assemble [...]
The humble Petition of Abel Carew, an Excluded Door-Keeper from This Honourable House.
THAT if your Petitioner had nothing to have help'd himself, and had no [...] met with some Friends that employed him in Writing, by which he made a shift to live, he might have starv'd for want of Relief, in reference to his Place, ever since Their Majesties came to the Crown; for a poor Mans Employment in reference to his livelyhood is as much to him as a rich Mans Employment or Estate of a Thousand a Year is to him, Isa. 3. 15. so that there is a right belongs to the poor [...] to well as the rich▪ but that which is above all, your Petitioner is for all Men to render unto Cesar the things that are Cesars, and unto God the things that are Gods; and accordingly as the Kings Honour is in the whole Nation, so that whatsoever all the Protestants in England can do for the King and Queen, it is not comparable to that inestimable kindness of the King and Queens most Excellent Majesties, in securing and preserving the Protestant Religion against Popery, &c. and as the Convention Parliament denyed the Popes Supremacy upon their Coronation of King William and Queen Mary; so your Petitioner is for all the Protestants in England to be unanimous in their denyal of the Popes Supremacy, and acknowledg King William and Queen Mary to be Supreme: But your Petitioner was never against making a gratification for any kindness that he receiv [...]s, as considering the words of King Solomon, Prov. 18 16. A mans gift maketh roome for him, and bringeth him before great men; and accordingly your said Petitioner [...]aving now presented your Honours with the aforesaid vindication of the Protesta [...]t Religion, or of the innocency of the Martyrs against Popery, &c. as being the best of gifts, so he hopes it will obtain for him the favour, benignity and benevolence of all you [...] Honours above and before any thing of a Sum of Money in buying and selling of Plac [...]s, and your said Petitioners vindication of the Protestant Religion, or of the Innocency of the Martyrs, against Popery, &c. is all the Offence that he has comm [...]tted against any person, and is the only cause of your said Petitioners being kept out of his Door-Keepers Place belonging to this Honourable House, by the late Serjeant at Arms Deceas'd, as having yet had no Relief ever since Their Majesties came to the Crown, and if it is in the power of any Officer, attending the Service of this Honourable House to Restore your said Petitioner either sor Money or without Money, how much more is it in all your Honours power to Restore and Continue him in his said Doorkeepers Place, upon his vindication of the Protestant Religion, or of the Innocency of the Martyrs against Popery, &c. But what partiallity is this, that if a Man gives a Sum of Money for a Place, and afterwards shall be turn'd out of it, and can have no Justice shewed him for his Money, how will that be look'd upon to be, as bad as picking of a Man's Pocket, but as the Martyrs suffered greater injustice then picking of a Man's Pocket, so certainly the innocency of the Martyrs in reference to the Protestant Religion ought to be Regarded.
Therefore your Petioner prostrates himself to all your Honours Mercies, praying for all your Honours Commiseration (in your Zeal for the innocency of the Martyrs, or for the Protestant Religion against Popery) to Restore and continue him in his Door-Keeper's Place, and your Petitioner doth now hope that no Person of Quality whatsoever and worthy Member of this Honourable House that were formerly his Friends will now be against him; for true Liberallity and Beneficence is [...] to the innocency of the Martyrs,