THat your Petitioners constant soli­tude here in this place, hath given him time to consider of Your Peti­tioners self and his actions, especially the latter, which as they had divers motives and ends from whence they sprung and whither they tended, so according to them your [Page] Petitioner was generally censured; your humble Petitioner therefore will here lay downe what your Petitioner did labour for, and upon what grounds, that every one may see that humane in­tents are not alwaies prosperous in their events, for which your Petitioner is now exceedingly troubled and grieved, humbly desiring that your Petitioners present sufferings and sorrow may bee considered in mercy and compassion. And where­as it is chiefly laid unto your Petitioners charge that your Petitioner sought and endeavoured to change the present Religion, and instead thereof to introduce Innovation and Popery; which pur­pose was so odious and hatefull to the people, that being once possessed of this opinion, they generally cryed downe your Petitioners purposes and intents, who knowing the great diversity of Religions which have beene and are in the World, and the strange fantasticall exorbitancy of some of them, which agreeing in many things and in their chiefe principles and foundations, doe yet exceedingly differ in many points and Tenets which they doe severally hold and maintaine.

Vpon those considerations your Petitioner [Page] thought it would become his place being Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, and Primate of all Eng­land, to shew a fervent zeale to Christianity, in reconciling as much as might bee the Protestant and Cotholique Religion together, that though the principles of both were inconsistent, and in many things farre different, yet they might be in some sort made conformable the one to the o­ther, and be brought at least to as neare a di­stance as possible could any way bee devised, that so they should agree in such points as for­merly they varied about. And your Petitioner having made this the Ground-worke of your pe­titioners labours, hoping that if your petitioner could effect that which your petitioner had pro­pounded, her Majesty seeing that all differences of opinion are not Fundamentall and of Faith, might be reconciled in some sort, her Majesty would more easily be drawne to adhere and joyn with our Church; so your petitioners end and purpose of all your petitioners endeavours was not Innovation of Religion, but to worke such a conformation and likenesse in both, that her Majesties opinion might be drawne on and indu­ced to embrace the Truth, holding thereby to be [Page] a speedy meanes of her Majesties conversion. If therefore your petitioners hearty zeale to Gods glory, and her Majesties conversion to the pro­testant Faith by that meanes and may which your petitioner intended, did not worke that great and good effect in her Majesty as was ex­pected, nor the petitioners endeavours in that kind were held fitting and agreeable to the peti­tioners dignity and place: your petitioner doth emplore this grave and Honourable Assembly, that in Mercy, not in Iudgement your compassi­on may be shewed, in pardoning those errours wherein your petitioner hath offended. For all men, especially such as are advanced to these emi­nent Honours, (which your petitioner lately en­joyed) are subject to the common condition of humane frailety in matters of Judgement, shewing themselves in the greatest estate to bee but men ready to erre, and fall from the happi­nesse wherein time and favour had invested them, and that most commonly in age, wherein your petitioner deeply stepped forward even to the yeares of 68. all his desires having proceeded con­trary and thwart to those grounds whereon they were builded.

[Page] Your Petitioner therefore humbly beseeches, that in his age and last part of his Life, this grave and Honourable Counsell, now Assembled in high Court of Parliament would looke upon him in mercy, and not permit or suffer your Petitioner to bee transported, to endure the hazard of the Se [...]s, and the long tediousnesse of Voyage into those transmarine parts, and cold Countries, which would soone bring your Petitioners life to a period; but rather that your petitioner may abide in his Native Coun­try, untill your petitioner shall pay the debt which is due from him to Nature, and so your petitioner doth submit himselfe to your Ho­nourable and grave Wisdomes for your peti­tioners request and desire therein.