TO all Christian people to whom these presents shall come, know that we are a people in that our Parish of Mugleswicke who have beene destitute of a preaching Minister; yea, ever since any of us that now are breathing were borne, to our soules great griefe and dreadfull hazard of destruction; neither is it our case alone but also ten, yea or twelve Parishes all adjoyning are in like manner void of the meanes of salvation, whose case and condition is deepely to be deplored: And as for us in Mugleswicke wee have had none, neither good nor bad since Martinmas, Anno Dom. 1640. but such as the Scottish Presbiterie furnished us withall (bemoaning our miserable estate) for hee who then supplyed the place, departed this life about the day of the date above mentioned; and wee immediatly after his death rode to one Master Jam [...]s, Minister of Riton, being one of the Prebends of Durham, intreating him with all earnestnesse with an humble Petition, because he then was in authoritie, and no more of that sect left in the Countie, but all fled because of the Scots; that this our poore Parish of Mugleswick might once at length have the fruition of a faithfull Minister, but hee answered that they (viz.) the Pre­bends had already appointed us a man, namely one Iohn Duery whom we knew; Then with all our soules wee besought him that we might be exempted of that Duery, because wee knew him to be no Preacher, and his life and conversation scandalous, and had two plaees at that present already as we told him; and also that he publikely confessed in a Pulpit before an open assembly that hee could not preach, and yet that aspiring Prebend (whose lifelesse conscience we leave to your censure) replyed that they had once authorized him, and wee neither could nor should depose him, and he also told us in plaine tearmes, that if he could reade the prayer booke, and an homily, it was nothing to us what kind of man he was; so when things would be no better, it behooved us to come home with these cold comforts, having heavy hearts that our soules should a longer season be inthralled to such a simple, yea (we dare say) sinfull Minister, who is ignorant of the very principles of Religion: (yet our Allsufficient God (seeing that we were but breeding and beginning in Christianitie) would let no more be laid upon us then we were able to beare) and so seeing us unwilling to accept of him he gave over. Then the place being void for the space of a whole yeare, wee our selves betwixt griefe and necessitie went abroad to seeke, and it pleased our God to send such an one as our soules longed after, and no sooner found we one whom our minds affected, but immediatly those Prebends (who whether they were friends or foes to Christ, judge yee) that will not sticke to hazard their heads, so they may hinder the truth, doe impose one Braidly upon us, a bird brought out of the nest of their bosomes, who (we may say without sinne) is one of the most deboist amongst the sonnes of men, for hee will neither preach himselfe nor yet permit others, but upon the Sabbath day hee tooke the Locke from the Church doore, and fastned on one of his owne, so as that the Parishioners were forced for to stand in the Church yard to discharge divine duties with their Minister in cold frost and snow, to the infinite dishonour of the Almightie the great griefe of their minds, and the dreadfull indangering of themselves in that stormy time of the yeare; other times before he came into the Church whilst our own Minister was in his exhortation, and stood up beside him reading with a loud voyce in a booke to overtop the sound of his words, Afterward pulled him by the coate when hee was in the Pulpit, but when neither of these would cause him to desist from duty, he goes and rings the Bels all aloud; neither is this all, but out of malice cals a Commu­nion and enters upon the sacred action without any preparation Sermon before the day. Now the people having protested before as they were directed to doe before by the Parliament against all Popish innovations, they doubted and therefore durst not communicate with him in these his corrupt courses. And likewise the sayd Braidly had affirmed before the open assembly, that the Protestation was false. Then hee after that venteth his inveterate envie with his secret and sinfull intention, for after that he had come and collected a Catalogue of the names of those that had restrayning consciences; at the next Sessions after he indicted them all above 14. yeares old and above, yea many of them being such as a prudent Pastor would in no wise have admitted to partake of those precious ordinances, by reason of their minoritie and nonage, and so at this instant scarce liable to the censure of the Law, to the number of 67. soules or more, yea many of them being indicted a­gaine and againe, are so prosecuted and perplexed as that they are even forced to forsake their vocations and callings, and cast themselves upon the Lords speciall providence, and others of them that staie, are driven to excessive expences, many of them to more then they have of their owne; and others againe, namely old women, and infirme women, being so great with child or so newly delivered of child that they can neither ride nor goe, therefore doe desire to keepe out of their clawes, yet their owne houses cannot keepe them safe from certaine pestiferous Bayliffes, who through the procurement of the sayd Braidly are preferred to the office, that like for lewd lives they could no where else have found among Christians, for they are full as inhumane as those Rebels in Ireland, that neither doubt nor dread superiour powers; yea they will not sticke to burst and breake open doores, picke barres, and being come within the house they draw their Swords, and hold out Pistols against poore womens breasts, commanding them to light candles, otherwise they shall let them see a lamentable light with their Pi­stols; and doe so astonish poore simple women with children that they drive them to a desperate condition, well nigh beside themselves. Some of the said parties got a Warrant from a Justice to bind them to the peace, and delivered it to the Bayliffe to serve, and so they went before some of his Majesties Justices of peace (whereof Sir John Conyers was one) who refused to binde those deboist fellowes; now the Bayliffes names are as followeth, Master Clement Richardson (who sayd that they who had taken the Protestation had need to goe to the Parliament to beg a par­don or else they would be beggered) Hugh Joplin, Thomas Foser sonne in law to the said Joplin, Cuthbert Hopper and Robert Simpson, these through the assistance of one Thomas Misse, who is intimate with authority, and makes his brags openly that he is the author of all these troubles, and onely useth the rest as agents for the effecting of these his mischievous prankes. Now know to whomsoever these presents shall come, that wee are a poore people, not fully as yet brought forth by the spirituall birth, and therefore helpe, helpe, helpe, as you tender the honour of your hea­venly King; and finally know this, that all herein is truth, and nothing but the truth, as all those whose names are here subscribed will testifie.

• Mr. William Moore.
• Iohn Iley.
• Isahell Iley.
• Elizabeth Iley.
• George Oliver.
• Richard March.
• Iane His wife.
• Iohn March.
• Thomas March.
• Iane March.
• Elizabeth March.
• Edward Ward.
• Margret Ward.
• Robert Raw.
• Iohn Readshaw.
• Elizabeth Readshaw.
• William Loborne.
• Iane Loborne.
• Iohn Arde.
• Francis Lampton.
• Robert Readshaw.
• George Rippon.
• Elizabeth Rippon.
• Anne Carrudders.
• Rowland Harrison.
• Iane Harrison.
• Thomas Lonsedale.
• Francis Ward.
• Cuthbert Ward.
• Cuthbert Ward, Elder.
• Mary Ward.
• Elizabeth Ward.
• Cuthbert Harrison.
• Iane, His wife.
• Iohn Hopper.
• Anne Hopper.
• Margret Ioplin Widdow.
• Iohn Ioplin,
• William Ioplin.
• Elizabeth Ward.
• Margret Ioplin.
• Richard Chester.
• Iohn Blenkinsop.
• Cuthbert Pallesor.
• Robert Kirkeley.
• Alice, His wife.
• Thomas Maddeson.
• Anne, His wife.
• Thomas Maddeson, Jun.
• Anne Maddeson, Jun.
• Alexander Maddeson.
• Andrew Raw.
• Nicholas Kirkeley.
• George Raw.
• Arthur Kirkeley.
• Iane Kirkeley.
• Elizabeth Kirkeley.
• Steven Raw.
• Iohn Darnell.
• Margret Ioplin.
• Elizabeth Wheeteley
• Margret Wheeteley.
• Iames Carie
• Mary Richardson.
• Nicholas Maughen.
• Iohn Dridon.
• Matthew Stokoe.

These are all indicted.