THE PETITION Of his Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax, Lord General AND HIS Councel of Officers, FOR THE Recalling of all Penal Laws made againſt private Meetings, the puniſhing of Prophanneſs, as Swearing, &c. the releaſing of perſons under Reſtraint, and the taking away unneceſſary Laws with their Intricacies and Delays.
Preſented to the PARLIAMENT on Thurſday, Auguſt 16. 1649.
With their Anſwer thereunto.
⟨Aug ▪ 18⟩ London, Printed for John Playford, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in the Inner Temple. 1649.
THat being very ſenſible of that power and preſence of God, which hath lately appeared in Jreland, as the fruit of that Spirit of Faith and ſupplication, which God hath powred forth on the hearts of his people, to the bringing down the common Enemy, and exalting4 his own Name, that doth great things, by ſmall and contemptible means, That no fleſh may boaſt, but he who glories, may glory in the Lord, We are much preſſed in minde (we truſt by the ſame power and preſence that hath made bare his Arme in the late Victory) to tender to this Honourable Houſe, the annexed Propoſals, that your ſelves being ſet in high Place and power of doing good in this Nation, may in the ſenſe of this late Mercy, ſo ſhine forth in ways of truth and Righteouſneſs, That Gods People, and this Common-wealth, may have cauſe to rejoyce in You, and bleſſe his Name for You.
1. That all ſuch Penal Statutes made under the ſeveral Kings of England, and5 likewiſe any Ordinance made this preſent Parliament, whereby many conſcientious people are much moleſted, a•d the propagation of the Goſpel hindred may be removed, and ſome courſe taken, that the Spirit of Chriſt, flowing forth in his ſervants for the declaring his Name in the Nation, may not be ſuppreſsed, but receive all due encouragement, they living peaceably under the preſent Government, without diſturbing the publike Worſhip.
2. And becauſe we are ſenſible, that through the ſubtlety of ſ•t•n the moſt lawful & Chriſtian Liberty may be abuſed to licentiouſneſs and prophaneſs, which from our hearts, We therfore do humbly declare, That it is not our meaning, that the liberty before deſired by us, ſhould extend to the Toleration of Popery, Prelacy, the Book of Common-Prayer, publike ſcorn or contempt of God and his Word; and do further6 deſire, That through your care and zeal, all open acts of prophaneſs, as drunkenneſs, ſwearing, uncleanneſs, & the like, be vigorouſly proceeded againſt, and puniſht in all perſons whatſoever.
3. That upon the ſence of this great Mercy lately received from God, your hearts would be moved to extend your favour ſo far as may ſtand with the ſafety of this preſent Government to thoſe who have formerly ſerved you, and the Intereſt of this Nation against the Common Enemies thereof, but of late for their miſcarriages have fallen under your diſpleaſure, and are now under Reſtraint, and for the future all diſturbers of the publike Peace be vigorouſly proceeded againſt.
4. That ſpeedy conſideration may be had of thoſe great Oppreſsions which the People of this Nation groan under by Reaſon of the Multiplicity of unneceſſary7 Laws with their intricacies and delays, which tends to the profit of ſome particular men, but much to the expence and damage of the whole.
The Officers (after reading the ſame) were called in, and Maſter SPEAKER in the name of the Houſe gave them thanks for their conſtant good affections, and in particular, for the Petition, acquainting them that they had the things therein, already under conſideration, but that this ſhould haſten the Granting of the ſame with all poſſible ſpeed and convenience.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A84897)
Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 117746)
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