HONI SOIT MAL Y PENSE

THE HVMBLE PETITION OF The peacefull, obedient, religious, and honest Protestants of this Kingdome, presen­ted unto the Honourable House of Commons, in their behalfe, by Doctor Hynton, 1642.

With an Answer to the severall Obje­ctions proposed against him concerning the Protestants Petition, by a Committee ap­pointed from the Honourable House of COMMONS.

Printed in the yeare 1642:

The humble Petition of the peacefull, Obedient, religious, and honest protestants Of this Kingdome, presented unto the Honou­rable House of Commons, in their be­halfe, by Doctor Hynton.

THat you will be pleased to reflect upon the divine Service of God, according to the antient lawes of this King­dome, that thereby the poore Protestants betweene the two extremities of zeale may not suffer a disturbance of their religion.

That you will be pleased to preserve Gods annointed his immediate Vicegerent our true and lawfull Soveraigns Lord the King, in his person in all his Regall dignities and lawfull immunities without any impeachment of his Regality, in whose honour the reputation of the Kingdome depends.

That you will be pleased to ratifie and confirme all things both con­cerning His Majesty and the state of this Kingdome as they were in those blessed dayes of Queens Elizabeth and King Iames, that wee may thereby live in these latter and turbulent times, with as much peace to our consciences, with as much dignity to our Nation, in as true love and obedience to our lawfull Sovereigne, and with as much liberty and liberality of our fortunes as our forefathers hertofore have done.

That you will not suffer Learning to be defaced nor discountenanced by the ignorant, but rather that you will be pleased to advance is to its Dignity, it being the maine supporter of lawfull obedience, of order, civility, and regularity in all States.

That you will be pleased to qualifie the exorbitances of the S [...] and unworthy persons, that thereby the City of London and the Su­burbes may be disburdened from their continuall cares and fear it be­sides their losse of time, healths, and fortunes, which the T [...] ­bands, and the double and treble watches and wards continually [...] sustaine.

That you will be pleased, as the State hath by election both made you members of this Honourable House, and adopted you our Fathers to governe our fortunes, to establish our Lawes, and to regulate our actions: so we now beseech you to satisfie our consciences, to preserve our reputations, and to admit of a liberall and free debate in Parli­ament, concerning all these particulars, without interruption, that thereby the glory of God may be exalted, the dignity of our King and Kingdome preserved, the immunities of the House according to the ancient custome of England continued, all precipitated tumults appea­sed, all discords amongst us peacefully united, the valiant and re [...] ­ned acts of our predecessors revived, our tottering fortunes established, our King and Kingdome united; that so our mindes and conscTences may be fully satisfyed, &c.

Answer to severall Objections concer­ning the Protestants Petition.

1. Quest VPon what reason doe you present this Petition in the name of the Gentle­men of the foure Innes of Court?

Ans. My meaning was; because the Gentlemen of the Innes of Court, having lately appeared before the face of the Court, to preserve the Kings person, according to their allegiance, his Majesty being in emi­nent danger, as they conceived, which might not s [...]eme al­together conformable in these turbulent times, being not invoked by publick authority, therefore I deemed it not much incongruent for me; having been a member of that Society, to make my addresse unto this honorable House, without their especiall advice, by preferring an humble Petition, which might manifest a perfect intention of their true devotion, both towards your Honourable Assembly; as also unto their country.

2. Quest. Why did you not take the advice of some particular friends, or of some one Innes of Court rather then the generall, and for all the Protestants of England?

Ans. My meaning was, because I did conceive that [Page]the Petition being universall and concerning all the loy­all Protestants of this Kingdome, it required a generall counsell of the whole foure Innes of Court; that therby through a perfect and judicious judgement it might re­ceive the better influence from the whole Kingdome, upon whose Counsell this Nation doth most depend.

3. Quest. What do you meane by the reflection upon the divine service of God?

Ans. My intention was that the divine service of God might bee duly executed, by reason of our daily schismatical interruptions, frequently appearing in some of our Churches, manifestly repugning the Protestant professed faith in our Religion.

4. Quest. What do you meane by the two extremi­ties of zeale?

Ans. My meaning was Jesuits and Brownists.

5. Quest. Doe you not thinke that we have as much care to preserve the Kings person as you, what doe you meane by that?

Ans. My meaning was, that you would be pleased to appoint an especiall guard to preserve the Kings person, by reason of the multitude of people which passe by the Court gate in troops, with acclamations, and in a tumul­tuous manner.

6. Quest. What do you intend by the Kings immu­nities?

Ans. My meaning was, all the Kings Regall dignities, it being the glory of our Nation.

7. Quest. Do you intend by settling things as they were in Queene Elizabeths and King Iames his dayes, to abrogate those Lawes which we have enacted in this Par­liament?

Answ. God forbid: but my meaning was, that you [Page]would be pleased to settle us in that happy peace among us which our Predecessors most happily enjoyed in those precedent dayes both with our King and Country, without any impeachment or diminution of those lau­dable and worthy Lawes by your Honourable House hi­therto established.

8. Quest. What doe you mean by the peace of your conscience?

Ans. My meaning was, that being devoutly imploy­ed in the divine service of God, wee might not be inter­rupted in our devotions by the Papists and Separatists.

9. Quest. What doe you intend by the defacing of Learning?

Answ. My meaning was, the manifest and daily af­fronts which our honest and learned Divines sustaine by schismaticall persons, both in the Church and pub­like places, to the great dishonour and dis-repuration of Learning.

10. Quest. What doe you intend by the advance­ment to its dignity?

Answ. My meaning was, that Doctors and Coblers might not be equall competitors, but that the Cob­ler might not goe beyond his Last.

10. Quest. What doe you intend by Separatists?

Ans. My meaning was, the Brownists and non-Con­formists to the established doctrine in our true Prote­stant Church of England, so anciently profest by our predecessors.

12. Quest. Why doe you endeavour to introduce the Gentlemen of the Innes of Court to petition for the Traine Band, and double Watches?

Ans. My meaning was, because the Gentlemen of the Innes of Court having the custody of many and great [Page]estates, ought to endeavour a generall pacification, that thereby the Traine Bands, and extraordinary Wat­ches may as well be relieved from their chargeable and carefull attendance, as we of our continuall feare with dangerous tumults.

13. Quest. What doe you intend by free debate in Parliament, without interruption or fear of punishment?

Ans. My meaning was, that there may be some on the behalfe of the Petition admitted to a liberall and free discourse before the Parliament, concerning the particu­lars, without feare of punishment.

14. Quest. What doe you intend by the valiant and renowned acts of your predecessors?

Ans. My meaning was, but onely a lively expression, to retaine the dignity of our Nation.

Quest. 15. What doe you meane by this Protest?

Ans. My meaning was, no more but to testifie my in­nocency, and the reality of my heart to serve my God, my King, and Country.

16. Quest. What advice and counsell had you to draw up this Petition, and is this your true Copy?

Ans. I doe confesse this to be my true Copy, and doe most seriously protest, that I had neither counsell nor advice from any man towards the contriving, either of the heads thereof, or this rough and impolished draught; and I take God to witnesse, the publication thereof was never. Intended without a generall and exact counsell vpon every particular, that thereby it might appeare lau­dable before God and man; and therefore I humbly crave and beseech your favourable construction of this loose Paper, submitting my selfe in all humility to the grave wisdomes of your Honourable Assembly; and with a cheerfull heart ready to sacrifice my life and fortune at your commands.

FINIS.

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