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 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 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 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.

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.