THat by sad experience we doe daily find the Government of the Church of England, by Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Deanes and Arch-Deacons, with their Courts, Iurisd [...]ctions, and Administrations by them and their inferiour Officers, to be very dangerous both to Church and Common-wealth, to be the occasions of manifold Greevances unto his Majesties Subjects, in their Consciences, Liberties, and Estates, and likely to be fatall unto us in the continuance thereof, the dangerous effects of which Lordly power in them have often appeared in these particulars following.

1. They doe (with a hard hand) over-rule all other Ministers, subjecting them to their cruell Authority.

2. They doe suspend and deprive many godly, Religions and painfull Ministers, upon sleight, and upon no grounds; whilest in the meane time few of them preach the Word of God themselves, and that but seldome, but they doe restraine the painfull preaching of others, both for Lectures, and for Afternoone Sermons on the Sabbath day.

3. They doe countenance, and have of late encouraged Papist Priests, and Arminian bookes and persons.

4. They hinder good and godly bookes, yet they doe lycense to be published many Popish and Arminian and other dangerous Bookes and Tenents.

5. They have deformed our Churches with Popish Pictures, and seated them with Romish Altars.

6. They have of late extolled and commended much the Church of Rome, denying the Pope to be Anti­christ, affirming the Church of Rome to be a true Church in Fundamentals.

7. They have practised and enforced antiquated and obsolete Ceremonies, as standing at all Hymns, and at Gloriapatri, turning to the East at severall parts of the Divine Service, Bowing to the Altar, which they terme the place of Gods Residence upon earth, the reading of a second Service at the Altar, and denying the holy Sacra­ment of the Eucharist to such as have not come up to the new set rayle before the Altar.

8. They have made and confirmed new illegall Canons and Constitutions, and framed a most pernitious and desperate Oath, an Oath of covenant and confederacie for their owne Hierarchicall greatnesse, besides ma­ny other very dangerous and pernitious passages in the said Canons.

9. They doe dispense with pluralities of Benefices, they doe both prohibit and grant Marriages, neither of them by the rule of Law or Conscience, but doe prohibit that they may grant, and grant that they may have money.

10. They have procured a lycentious liberty for the Lords Day, and have pressed the strict observation of the Saints Holydayes, and doe punish, suspend and deprive godly Ministers, for not publishing that Booke for liberty of sports on the Sabboth day.

11. They doe generally abuse the great Ordinance of Excommunication, making a great ga [...]e of it, some­times, to the great discomfort of many poore soules, who for want of money can get no absolution.

12. They claime their Office and Jurisdiction to be jure divino, and doe exercise the same contrary to Law in their owne names, and under their owne Seales.

13. They receiue and take upon them temporall Honours, Dignities, places and Offices in the Common-wealth, as if it were lawfull for them to use both swords.

14. They cognizance in their Courts and else-where of matters determinable at the Common-Law.

15. They put Ministers upon Parishes without the Patrons and without the peoples consent.

16. They doe yearly impose Oaths upon Church-wardens, to the most apparent danger of filling the land with perjuries.

17. They doe exercise Oaths ex officio in the Nature of an inquisition even unto the thoughts of men.

18. They have apprehended men by Pursevants without citation or missives first sent, they break up mens houses and studies, taking away what they please.

19. They doe awe the Iudges of the Land with their greatnesse to the inhibiting of prohibition, and hinde­ring of Habeas Corpus when it is due.

20. They are strongly suspected to be confederated with the Roman party in this Land, and with them to be Authors, Contrivers, or Consenters to the present Commotions in the North, and the rather because of a Con­tribution by the Clergie and by the Papists in the last Yeare 1639. and because of an ill-named benevolence of six Subsidies, granted or intended to be granted this yeare, 1640. thereby and with these monies to ingage (as much as in them lay) the two Nations into blood.

It is therefore our humble and earnest prayer, that all this Hierarchicall power may be totally abrogated, if the wisedome of this Honourable House shall find that it cannot be maintained by Gods word and to his glory.

And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.