I Am commanded by the Noble men, Knights and Gentry of our Army now resident within the Provinces of Lemster and Vlster, to give your Lordship an account of 'the reasons that have induced us to take Armes, that the same might bee presented to the rest of the Lords of the Councell of this Kingdome; by which meanes our desires might be made knowne to the King and State assembled in Parliament in the Kingdome of England, hoping thereby to procure redresse of our manifold grievances and oppressions, where with wee have been for a long time to­gether afflicted, and could never yet obtaine any remedy of the same, neither by our hum­ble Petitions, nor otherwise; wee never ha­ving [Page] beene desirous to use violence to obtaine the same, untill now of late. This State as­sembled for the most part of English, and them of the Irish Nation, ioyned as members thereof with them, being altogether disaffe­cted to our Religion, have endevoured what in them lay, to take from us our liberties and lawes formerly enacted by Parliament, with the consent of severall Princes and Parlia­ments in England; whereby wee have used and exercised our Religion according to the due rites, and holy and necessary ceremonies thereof, which served as decent ornaments to set forth the honour and glory thereof, where­by we suppose God is honoured, and with it well pleased. Which to defend and preserve, being now ready to fall to decay, and bee brought to destruction:

We have been forced to betake our selves to our Armes, to defend our Religion and li­berty: And if the same may bee againe resto­red, and our Religion tolerated, we shall wil­lingly lay downe our Armes in such manner as followeth.

1. We desire the Lawes of Queene Mary concerning our Religion in the use and exer­cise thereof, may be againe renewed, and now againe by Act of Parliament, as well the Par­liament of England as this Kingdome, may be established and confirmed to us and our poste­rity.

[Page] 2. That the Lawes and Statutes made and enacted in the reigne of Queen Elizabeth and King Iames, against us and our Religion, may be by the Parliament of both Kingdomes, re­pealed and annihilated, viz.

I. That all Statutes made and enacted in ei­ther Kingdome against any in holy Orders of the Catholicke Religion, as Priests, Iesuites, Monkes, Friers, Capuchins, and the like, ei­ther for their execution or banishment, may be repealed, and an ordinance by Parliament of this Kingdome made, whereby they may have free liberty in any part of the Kings do­minions, to use and exercise their severall fun­ctions to educate, teach and instruct all such as are descended of Catholicke Parents, or are inclinable and desirous to bee of the Romane Religion, without incurring any punishment either corporall or in their estates, or by im­prisonment, banishment, or the like.

I. That all Acts and Statutes against publike Recusants, taking away their means and land may be repealed, and that they may freely and publikely professe their Religion, with­out such trouble and punishment.

II. That those lawes made for the abolishment of Abbyes Pryories and Monasteries, may b [...] [Page] repealed, and an Act of libertie made by this State to all holy and devont men, that will build and up-reare the same againe, to doe it without any let or impediment, and that the Ancient demeanes and Revenews of right ap­pertaining and belonging to the same, may be againe to them restored to the mainteynance of those orders of Holy men, for which they were first ordained and erected.

IV. That wee may have free correspondency by Embassages, or otherwise with his Holinesse at Roome, touching any thing concerning our Religion, that wee may have at all times a Nuntio Resident amongst us to informe us of his Holinesse pleasure upon all occasions tending to our soules good, and salvation.

V. That all Lawes and Ordinances hereafter enacted in this Kingdome, may be by select Councells of Romane Catholikes for the Romish Religion. And only of Protestants for theirs, and ioyntly together in matters concerning the Civill and Politicke govern­ment of the State.

VI. That wee may no more bee subiect in this Kingdome to the Crowne of England, and the Lawes and Statutes of the Kingdome; but [Page] altogether governed by this State, and may have placed over us such a Governor, or Vice­roy, as may bee well accepted of by us, that wee may willingly submit our selves to his subiection and obedience.

My Lord,
These are the particulars of our [...] ­mands, which I am commanded to present to your Lordship, and which are desired may be consented unto, ratified and confirmed; which if reiected and refused, wee doe intend to the uttermost of our power, to the losse of lives and fortunes, to maintaine.