THE HUMBLE PETITION OF THE PROTESTANT INHABITANTS OF the Counties of Antrim, Downe, Tyrone, &c. part of the Province of Vlster in the Kingdome of Ireland concerning Bishops.
Expressed in thirtie one heads of Grievances, by reason of their Overruling Lordly power.
As it was Presented to the Right Honourable Assembly, the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses, of the House of Commons in this present Parliament.
And accepted of that Honourable House.
LONDON, Printed 1641.
The Humble Petition of the Protestant Inhabitants of the Counties of Antrim Downe, Tyrone, &c. part of the Province of Ʋlster, in the Kingdome of Ireland. As it was humbly Presented to the Right Honourable Assembly of Knights, Citizens, and Burgestes in this present Parliament. And accepted of that Honourable House.
HUmbly representeth unto your grave wisedomes, and juditious considerations, that your Petitioners having translated themselves out of several parts of his Majesties kingdomes of England and Scotland, to promote the infant Plantation of Ireland, wherein your Petitioners by their great labour and industry, so much contribute to the settlement of that Kingdome: As they were in a most hopefull way of a comfortable abode, and when they expected to reape the fruit of their great and long labour, partly by the cruell severitie and arbitrarie proceedings, of the civill Magistrate, but principally through the unblest way of the Prelacy with their faction, our soules are starved, our estates undone, our familles improverished, and many [Page 2]lives among us, cut off and destroyed;
The Prelates, (whose pretended authoritie, though by some published to be by divine right, as wee humbly conceive is directly against the same) have by their Canons of late, their Fines, fees, and Imprisonments at their pleasure; their Silencing, Suspending, Banishing, and Excommunicating of our learned and conscionable Ministers, their obtruding upon us, ignorant, erroneous, and prophane persons to be our Teachers, their censuring of many hundreds even to Excommunication, for matters acknowledged by all to be indifferent and not necessary, their favouring Popery (in this Kingdome a double fault) their persecuting puritie, and indevouring to bring all to a livelesse formalities, divers of them being notorious incendiaries of the unquietnesse and unsettled estate betweene these Kingdomes, with many the like; too tedious to relate, as more fully in our insuing Grievances doth appeare. These our cruell Task-masters have made of us, who were once a people, to become (as it were) no people, an astonishment to our selves, the object of pittie and amazement to others, and hopelesse of remedie, unlesse hee with whom are bowels of compassion worke in you an heart to interpose for Your Petitioners reliefe.
They therefore most humbly pray, that this unlawfull Hierarchicall government with all their appendices may bee utterly extirpate, such course laid downe, as to your great wisdomes shall seeme meete, for reparation [Page 3]in some measure of our unutterable damages sustained by the parties thus injuriously grieved; your Petitioners settled in a way, whereby their persecuted Ministers may have leave to returne from exile, and bee freed from the unjust censure imposed on them, and an open doore continued unto us for provision of a powerfull and able Ministry, the onely best way to promote Plantation, and settle the kingdome in the profession and practise of true religion; which as it is the earnest expectation, so it shall be the daily prayer of many thousands your Petitioners, who will ever intreat the Lord for your direction herein, and in all other your weighty and important affaires, as becommeth your poore Petitioners, &c.
A particular of manifold Evils, and heavy pressures caused, and occasioned by the Prelacie, and their dependants.
1 BEfore they had so much as a pretended Canon, for their warrant the Prelates urged their Ceremonies with such vehemency, that divers of our most learned and painfull Ministers for not obeying them were Silenced, and many of us for the like oppressed in their Courts.
2 In the yeare 1634. they made such Canons and constitutions Ecclesiasticall, as injoyned many corruptions in the worship of God, and government of the Church, which exceedingly retarded the worke of reformation to the true Protestant [Page 4]Religion, animated Papists, and made way for divers popish superstitions.
3 Our most painfull, godly, and learned Ministers were by the Bishops and their Commistaries silenced and deprived for not Subscribing and Conforming to the said unlawfull Canons, yea, through the hotnesse of their persecution forced to flee the Land, and afterwards Excommunicated, to the danger of all, and losse of some of their lives.
4 In their places others were obtruded, not onely ignorant, lazy, and lukewarme, but many of them unfound in doctrine, prophane in life, and cruell in persecution.
5 Many, though sufficiently furnished, were not admitted to the ministery, onely for not swallowing downe their groundlesse innovations, yea some, though conforme, yet for strictnesse in life, were likewise kept out.
6 Good and painfull Ministers are not suffered to exercise that function which God hath called them unto, nor suffered to enjoy any living, many livings, besides those proper to their Bishopricks; and doe conferre livings upon their children and retainers, studendi gratiâ (as is pretended) and divers Benefices, as foure, five, sixe, or more upon their favourites; Hence
7 The cure of soules are committed to hyrelings, who receive 5.6, 8. or 10. pounds by the yeare for their cures; Divers of which are put together to the charge of some illiterate curate, by [Page 5]which meanes, the people perish for want of food, though the Parson or Vicar, through connivance of the Bishop is utterly non resident, and by each one of the many Benefices he injoyeth, hath a competent allowance for a moderately minded man, to maintaine himselfe and family upon.
8 Whereas the Bishops should give all good example, by painfull preaching and holy conversation, they preach very rarely themselves; and like these in the Gospell, who will neither enter themselves, nor suffer others to enter, they have supprest divers others from preaching, both on the afternoone on the Lords day, and in many places where weekly Lectures were maintained, either by the free-will of the Minister, or cost of the people, they have utterly forbidden the same, and showne all manner of discountenance to those who were forward therein, so that a Lecturing Minister appeared before them, under more prejudice then a popish Priest, or undermining Iesuite;
9 Lest those who could not bee admitted into the ministery, undertaking to teach Schoole, should there lay impressions of piety and good learning, they urge on the very Schoole masters a subscription beyond what is enjoyn'd by their owne Canon, and punish by Excommunication, and otherwise the refusers thereof; So as the Schooles formerly much frequented, are now utterly desolate, to the spoyle of youth and promoting of prophanenesse and ignorance.
10 Thus whiles they proceed so severely and [Page 6]uniustly in punishing the refusers to their unlawfull commands, though otherwise never so honest and able men, they favour popery to the continuance, and great increase thereof, Hence,
11 Popish titulary Bishops are by them winked at in the exercise of jurisdiction from Forraine power; Masse priests are frequent, and pretend a title to every parish in the Kingdome, Masses publikely celebrated without controlement, to the great griefe of Gods people, and increase of idolatry and superstition.
12 They permit Frieries and Nunneries to bee within their Diocesses, whereby they continue and increase of late in many places, yea divers of them suffered to remaine in the very places where some of the Bishops have their speciall residence.
13 In many places of the Land where Protestants are forbidden and restrain'd, Papists are permitted to keepe Schooles; unto some whereof such multitudes of children and young men doe resort, that they may be esteemed rather Universities, teaching therein not onely the tongues, but likewise the liberall Arts and Sciences.
14 They set forth and suffer to bee published wicked Libells and ungodly Pamphlets, tending to sedition, faction, and disunion of the Brittish Inhabitants, such as Examen conjurationis Scoticae, Lysimachus, Nicanor, &c. And in their Sermons, Prayers, and ordinary Table-talke, divers of the Bishops in matters quite besides their Calling, have not desisted to rayle, curse, and most bitterly inveigh against the Kingdome of Scotland, and [Page 7]all their proceedings labouring to make them odious, thereby proving themselves firebrands of sedition betweene the two Nations; yea, proclaiming their prophannesse by drinking healths to to the confusion of that Nation.
15 The most learned and seemingly moderate and pious of the prelates, publikely in Sermons at Dublin, exclaimed against, and condemned the Scottish Covenant and Religion profest in that Kingdome with most invective tearmes; And in the Starre-chamber in Dublin, at the censure of Henry Stewart Esquire, his Wife and two Daughters, and Iames Gray, for refusing to take an oath, for which there was no other ground then the Earle of Straffords command, which was against the Covenant of Scotland, uttered these words; ‘These people with Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, doe withstand the ordinance of God, and therefore I leave them to the judgement of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram.’
16 They have frequently made Symonicall pactions and bargaines in the conferring of Benefices, and ordinarily permit Ministers to exchange their livings, thereby to nullifie Leases of tithes, which the former incumbent Ministers have let at certaine rates.
17 The Prelates have usually appointed such men to be their Commissaries, Officials, and Registers, who altogether neglecting the punishment of vices cognizable in their Courts looke onely to their owne gaine; Hence
18 Though they pretend themselves the advancers [Page 8]of vertue, and punishers of vice, yet they usually without further satisfaction absolve the most scandalous persons for a summe of money, and often question not all such from whom they privately before hand receive such a summe, which is a cause that many wickednesses doe more and more abound.
20 If any bee presented by their Apparitors (who are usually Papists) if it bee but for nonpaiment of the Clerkes groat, or not observing some one of their most frivolous injunctions; yea, though the party presented bee not found culpable, yet they require most excessive and unjust fees; And if their demands bee not satisfied, (though never so great poverty might plead for mercy) they presently proceed to the censure of excommunication, thus vainely and blasphemously abusing the high-ordinance of God, so many hundreds of us remaine under that censure, and multitudes constrained to run out of the Land, to the undoing of them and theirs.
21 The Prelats that they might manage Peters sword aswell as his keyes have some of them procured that most unlawfull Writ of assistance, whereby his Majesties Officers and Ministers are required to yeeld assistance unto the Bishop his Officiall, or any deputed by him; which Writ is by their Officers most notoriously abused, and many times put into the hands of their Apparitours, who under colour thereof apprehend honest men and women, casting them into prison, untill they be forced to free themselves by an heavy composition.
21 They charge Churchwardens with Articles farre beyond their understanding; to every particular whereof, if they refuse to answer or present, then are they bound to answer for it at Councell table, or high Commission court, or both, and though there acquitted, yet no remedy left them for their great damages.
22 They force Churchwardens to attend all their visitation and circular Court; And there, for their Articles, Oathes, Admissions, and Discharges, they make them pay most excessive and undue fees, never before practised or required.
23 The communications for penance, which either should not be at all, or if exacted, then set apart for the poore, and other pious uses commeth either to the Prelates kitchin, and Commissaries purse, or both;
24 The Prelates and their faction, as they inherite then superstition of the Payacy, so of late they exact with all severity the absolute customes of S. Mary gallous, Mortuaries, Portions, &c. which as they were given by superstition and used to Idolatry, so now they are taken by oppression and applied to riotousnesse.
25 They have also constantly practised and suffered, the buying and selling of the Sacraments, which is an heavy burden; And where the poore have not to pay the Minister and Clerkes fees, they will not marry them, nor suffer their dead to be buried.
26 In the high Commission court against all law and equitie, they sit as ludges in their owne [Page 10]cause, and take Cognizance of the highest and smallest matters, going therein without controll; Hence
27 In the said Court they usurpe with an high hand the judicature of civill causes, impose Fines, beyond all bounds, and imprison at their pleasure, whereby many have beene utterly undone.
28 They proceed in the said Court, by way of most cruell and lawlesse inquisition, not onely into mens actions and words, but reaching even to their very thoughts, in imposing that most unlawfull oath Ex officio, to force to accuse, not onely others, but likewise their owne selves, contrary to law, and the very maximees of nature; And if any refuse to take this oath, then are they imprisoned, and fined beyond measure, to the ruine of all that fall under the weight of there indignation.
29 Divers of the Prelates did joyntly frame and wickedly contrive with the Earle of Strafford, that most lawlesse and scandalous oath imposed upon the Scottish-Brittish among us, who were Protestants, for receiving all commands indefinitely; And some of the Prelates were the occasion, that women and maids should be forced thereunto; Hence Commissions issuing to all places for the exacting of it, they were persecuted with so much rigour, that very many as if they had beene traytours in the highest degree, were searched for, apprehended, examined, reviled, threatned, imprisoned, fettered together by threes and foures in Iron yoakes, some in chaines carried [Page 11]up to Dublin, in Starre-chamber fine in thousands beyond abilitie, and condemned to perpetuall imprisonment; Divers poore women but two dayes before delivery of children were apprehended, threatned, and terrified; others of them two or three dayes after child-birth, so narrowly searched for, that they were faine to flee out of all harbour, into woods, mountaines, caves, and corne-fields, and many dayes and nights together absent themselves, to the impayring of the health of very many, the death of divers, and losse of their goods, which the enemy at their pleasure made havocke of. These, with many more unexpressible, have beene the wofull effects of the Oath drawne up by advice of the Prelates, and so unjustly prest by authority of the Earle of Strafford.
30 The Prelates with their faction have beene injurious, not onely to the spirituall, but also to the temporall estates of most men; for under colour of Church lands they have injuriously seized into their hands, much of the best lands in every County, so that there is scarce a Gentleman of any worth, whom they have not bereaved of some part of his inheritance, few daring to oppose their unjust demands; and if any did, yet non able to maintaine their just titles, against their power and oppression.
31 By their wayes have they enivated and undone many families, destroyed and cast away thousands of soules, and moreover in their owne persons have beene a scandall to the Gospell, and [Page 12]a stumbling blocke even to the common enemy, by their swearing, cursing, drunkennesse, Sabbath-breaking, &c. having such servants usually in their Families, as are most prophane in the Kingdome, few others countenanced by them, but such, and if any seeme to be of an holy life, he is scorned and persecuted by them.
Thus they publishing and proclaiming themselves the children of Ishmael and E [...]au, wee most humbly beseech you as the true sons of Israel to take order with them as God shall direct, whom wee shall ever pray to be ayding, and assistant unto you in this great and glorious worke of reformation.