Gold tried in the fire, OR The burnt Petitions revived.A Preface.

COuteous Reader, I ſhall give thee a ſhort Narative of ſome paſſages upon the following Petitions, firſt con­cerning the large Petition: Divers printed coppies thereof being ſent abroad to gaine ſubſcriptions, one whereof was intercepted by an Informer, and ſo brought to the hands of Mr. Glyn Recorder of London, and a member of the Commons Houſe: who was pleaſed to call it a ſcanda­lous, and ſeditious paper: Whereupon it was referred to Co­lonell Leighes Commitee (it being that Commitee appoynted to receive informations againſt thoſe men who preached with­out licence from the Ordainers) to finde out the Authours of the ſaid Petition; upon this a certificate being drawn up, and intended by the Petitioners, to have been delivered to the ſaid Commitee, for vindication of the ſaid Petition, as will appeare by the certificate herewith printed; and notice being taken of one of the petitioners named Nicholas Tue, who red the ſaid certificate in the Court of Requeſt; for the Concur­rence of friends who had not formerly ſeen nor ſubſcribed the certificate: and for his ſo doing he was ſent for preſently before the ſaid Commitee, and for refuſing to anſwer to Interroga­tories, was preſently by them Committed, and ſtill remaineth in priſon, it being at the leaſt three Moneths ſince his firſt com­mitment.

Likewiſe Major Tuledah, was upon complaint of that Com­mitee, the next day committed by the Houſe; but ſince diſcharged upon baile, without any juſt cauſe ſhewn for either of their Commitments: and others of the Petitioners abuſed, and vi­lified by that Committee; ſome of them offering to draw their ſwords upon the Petitioners. All which, with more was ready to be proved to the whole Houſe, but could by no meanes be obtained, though earneſtly deſired, by a Petition, preſently de­livered into the Houſe, humbly deſiring the examination of theſe miſcarriages; but after eight weekes attendance, with much importunity; after many promiſes and dayes appointed to take their Petition into conſideration, they obtained a very ſlight anſwer: which was that they could not like of their Peti­tion.

Occaſion being taken ſodainely after to commit one of the Petitioners named Mr. Browne to the priſon of Newgate; for his importunity in deſiring an anſwer to that Petition, after many promiſes and delayes. Shortly after the ſlight anſwer obtained to the ſaid Petition, the Petitioners thought good to deliver a ſecond Petition to the Houſe, to ſee if it were poſſible to obtain a better anſwer to their juſt deſires; hoping that they would better conſider of things, but after attendance and im­portunity, they obtained an anſwer in theſe words. That the Parliament had Voted it a breach of priviledge, ſcandalous, and ſeditious, and that Petition, and the large Petition, to be bur­ned by the hand of the Hangman; which was accordingly done by Order of the Houſe, in theſe words.

And ſhortly after this the Petitioners prepared a third Peti­tion, which is the la•t Petition herewith printed: and after much importunity with the Members of the Houſe; after al­moſt two dayes attendance, obtained ſo much favour from one of the Members, as to preſent that Petition to the Houſe, and after all this could obtaine no other anſwer to that Petition; but the Houſe after long diſpute thereupon paſſed this Vote.

Upon the 2^d. of June 1647. That no anſwer ſhall be given to the Petition at the preſent: and two dayes after the Petiti­oners attended the Houſe, for a further anſwer delivering copies of their Petition to the ſeverall Members of the Houſe, but could obtaine no further anſwer thereunto; but received ma­ny vilifying, and diſgracefull ſpeeches, from ſeverall Members of the Houſe: and ſo after a whole dayes attendance, departed without any hope, to receive any anſwer to their juſt deſires in the ſaid Petition.

And thus I have faithfully, and truly (though briefly) given ye an account of the proceedings upon the enſuing Petitions. Now let the judicious and conſiderate Reader judge whether the Petitioners have received equall and even dealing herein from this preſent Parliament: the Petitioners being ſuch who have laid out themſelves, both in their perſons and purſes, far above their abilities; who have not valued their lives, their childrens lives, nor their ſervants lives, nor eſtates, to deare for the ſervice of the Parliament, and Common-wealth.

And is this the reward they ſhall receive, after they have thus laid out them ſelves? Nay, they have juſt cauſe to feare that they and their friends are men appointed to utter ruine, and deſtru­ction; otherwiſe what meaneth all the rayling, reviling, and reproachfull ſpeeches of their Miniſters, and Agents, out of the pulpit and preſſe, to ſtirre up the rude multitude to fall upon them, and deſtroy them; is not this ingratitude in the higheſt degree, ſhall not the very Heathen riſe up in judgement againſt ſuch a generation, of degenerate men as theſe? Who could ſay, Si ingratum dixeris, omnia dixeris.

You cannot chuſe but take notice of ſeverall Remonſtrances, and Petitions preſented to the Houſe from theſe men, who call themſelves Lord Major, Aldermen and Commons, of the City of London in Common-councell aſſembled, what high affronts they have offered to the Parliament; yet they have in ſome meaſure by ſteps, and degrees, anſwered the Remonſtrances, and granted their Petitions, and you may obſerve what anſwer they have given to their laſt Petition, for raiſing of Horſe, &c. (The tendencie whereof may be of very dangerous conſe­quence if well weighed) which is thus. Mr. Speaker by com­mand of the Houſe, expreſſe unto them the true ſenſe the Houſe hath of their conſtant good affections to this Parliament; and that no alterations whatſoever can work any change in their duty, and love; for which he is to give them the hartieſt thanks of this Houſe.

I could enlarge my ſelfe, but I affect brevitie, and the judi­cious and conſiderate Reader, may enlarge himſelfe in his own thoughts: well weighing the matter in the ſaid Remonſtran­ces, and Petitions; and upon due conſideration may judge whe­ther their Petitions, or the Petitions burnt, vilified, and diſ­graced, deſerve moſt thanks, or tend moſt to the ſafetie of the Parliament, and Common-wealth.

And will hence forth conclude, that as there is little good to be hoped for from ſuch Parliaments, as need to be Petitioned; ſo there is none at all to be expected from thoſe that burn ſuch Petitions as theſe.

If the endeavours of good Common-wealths-men in the Houſe could have prevailed, theſe Petitions had not been burnt, nor the Petitioners abuſed; but the ſons of Zerviah were to ſtrong for them, that is to ſay, the Malignants, and Delinquents, the Lawyers (ſome few excected) the Monopoliſing mer­chants, the ſons and ſervants of the Lords; all theſe joyning to­gether, over Voted them about 16 Voyces; but God in time, will we truſt, deliver the people of this Nation, from their de­ceipt, and malice; and therefore let us not ſorrow as men with­out hope, nor be diſcouraged, but goe on and perſiſt, for the juſt liberties of England, a word to the wiſe is ſufficient.

Fare­well,