The Humble PETITION AND PROTESTATION of the County of KENT: Preſented the 30th of Auguſt, 1642. to the Honorable Houſes of PARLIAMENT By Sir JOHN SIDLEY Knight, with many thouſands of hands thereunto.
Wherein they diſclaim that late, bold, and unexampled Petition ſent to His Majeſtie, contrived by a few malevolent, ambitious and looſe perſons, and their reall affections to KING and PARLIAMENT.
Together with Sir John Sidleys Speech upon the preſenting of the ſaid Petition.
Alſo, the Anſwer of the Houſe of Commons to the ſaid Petition delivered by their SPEAKER.
ORdered by the Commons in Parliament, That theſe Petitions be forthwith Printed and publiſhed:
London, Printed by LUKE NORTON and JOHN FIELD for E. Husband and J. Franck, and are to be ſold at their ſhops in the Middle-Temple, and next door to the Kings-head in Fleetſtreet. September 1. 1642.
1. I Am intruſted by the well-affected Gentry, and Commons of Kent, to preſent their humble deſires, and faithfull Reſolutions, in a Petition to this Honorable Houſe.
2. This Petition comes guided hither with as many hearts as hands; It is like a coat without ſeame; it hath no ſubtill diſguiſed Preamble to it; it is all of a piece, ſpeaking plain language, yet full of loyalty, and obedience to His Majeſty and the Parliament.
3. This Petition is more conſiderable then any that hath been preſented from this County, coming not onely from that part of the Gentry who are exceedingly well-affected to the true Religion, and their Country, but embraced with ſuch a unanimous conſent of the intire body of the Commonalty, as that each man conteſted for the firſt ſubſcription to it.
4. The Commons of Kent are very deeply ſenſible of the many injuries done them by ſeverall Petitions, eſpecially by that late unexampled bold one to His Majeſtie, falſly aſſuming to it the Votes of the whole County; whereas indeed, it was contrived by a few malevolent and ambitious ſpirits only, and wholly diſclaimed of the Commons, and was ſubſcribed by divers4 looſe and diſſolute perſons. This was growing to a dangerous Impoſthume (having gathered the moſt of its corruption about the Town of Maydstone) had not the Parliament timely obſerved it, and applyed that ſeaſonable remedy, ſending down the late Troops of Horſe to launch the ſore, thereby preventing all further or future ulceration: For which vigilant care of theirs thus to preſerve the whole body, the Commons have deſired me to return their moſt humble and gratefull acknowledgement to this Honorable Houſe.
THat the feare of miſapprehenſions and miſunderſtandings of our duties and reſpects to this Houſe, is that which emboldens us humbly to preſent our affections and proteſtations.
And firſt, with all poſſible thanks for your great care and Reſolution in the well diſcharge of your publick truſt, which (with ſo much oppoſition to you, never read or heard of in former times) you have hitherto undertaken and encountred, with the hazard of ſome of your Lives and Fortunes.
And we do all moſt confidently believe, and much5 joy in the thought of it (notwithſtanding the miſrepreſentation of your Actions by ſome ill-affected to publick good for private ends) that all your Actions and endeavours have aymed at the maintenance of the Proteſtant Religion, the preſervation of the Kings Perſon, the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament, and the Liberties of the Subject, according to the late Proteſtation commended to us.
And that there may not appear of any fayler in our duties and reſpects to you, We the Knights, Gentlemen, and Commons of the County aforeſaid, Do humbly preſent this Proteſtation; That to our utmoſt powers and endeavours, and with the hazard of all that is neer and deer unto us in our lives and eſtates, we ſhall and will maintain, preſerve, and defend, the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament, and the full authority thereof, the Kings Perſon, the Proteſtant Religion, and the Liberties of the Subject.
And we humbly deſire that all ill-affected perſons oppoſite hereunto, by the power and juſtice of this Houſe, may receive ſuch a degree of puniſhment, as thoſe that are profeſſed enemies to the true Religion, the peace and proſperity of this Kingdom.
And we humbly pray God (whom we infinitely praiſe and thank for his bleſſings hitherto, your endeavours manifeſted in the happy ſettlement of peace betwixt us and our Neighbour Nation, and in the preſervation of ſome of your Members from apparent dangers) that thoſe miſts of miſunderſtandings fomented by perſons ill-affected to our publick peace & religion, and now interpoſing betwixt His Majeſties grace and goodneſſe to you, and your duties to Him (hindering6 thoſe ſweet influences, which otherwiſe in a great meaſure by all probability would have a free paſſage betwixt His Majeſtie and you) by your great wiſdoms may be ſo diſpel'd and taken away, that a cleer and right underſtanding might be had of your Actions and Intentions to His Majeſtie and this Kingdom: And this (God working in his Majeſties heart an inclination thereunto) we are confident will ſpeedily render a great proportion of happineſſe to His Majeſtie, your ſelves and the reſt of this Kingdom.
Which ſhall be the prayers of, &c.
WE your humble and faithfull Petitioners inhabiting the Countie of Kent, being deeply ſenſible of the many miſeries which theſe calamitous times (notwithſtanding your great care and vigilance to prevent the ſame) are likely to produce, wherein His gratious Majeſtie, ſeduced by the malevolent Councell of an ill-affected party of Malignants and Cavaliers, the Proteſtant Religion, His Royall Perſon and Honour, the Priviledge of Parliament, & the Subjects Liberty are threatned with too too apparent hazard and ruine, towards the ſupport of which, your Petitioners according to the duty of loyal ſubjects and good Chriſtians, are not only willing to contribute7 their beſt wiſhes & Votes, but even the utmoſt of their endeavours, both with their lives & fortunes, for the redeeming of His Majeſtie from ſuch hands, and our Religion & Liberty from ſuch peril and danger; But may it pleaſe this honorable Houſe to conſider, that the Petitioners apprehend themſelves in a condition and poſture nothing ſutable to this their Reſolution, being deprived and left naked by the taking our Arms from us in the late expedition for Scotland; We therefore beſeech your provident care to impower us with ſuch a proportion of Ammunition and Arms to be magazin'd in theſe parts, whereby we may be enabled to manifeſt our affections and obedience to the Command of King and Parliament, both for the purſuance of the aforeſaid intentions, and oppoſition of all illegall infringements of our Laws and Liberties, ſuch as the Commiſſion of Array, wherewith we are at this time threatned, and what other of the like nature and condition ſoever, ſhall be hereafter obtruded upon us.
And your Petitioners ſhall be bound, &c.
I Am commanded by the Houſe to let you know, That it is no ſmall ſatisfaction and contentment to this Houſe, to find the affectiōs & reſolutions of your County, expreſſed to them ſo ſeaſonably and ſo worthy of your ſelves, as they now receive them in theſe Petitions; eſpecially obſerving the many ſubtill practiſes that have bin ſet on foot under the name of that County,8 to work in this Houſe a contrary opinion of you; from which you have now ſo well and fully vindicated your ſelves and them.
Nor can we but obſerve, that at this time, when contrary to the Fundamentall Conſtitution of this Government, both Houſes of Parliament, and the whole Kingdom in them repreſented, are by the ſeducement of wicked Councell, proclaimed Traytors, (a thing until this time unheard of) you do with ſo much zeal and reſolution, offer your ſelves, your lives and fortunes, to ſupport your Religion and Liberty, your Country, King and Parliament, all now in imminent danger of utter ruine. For which, the Houſe hath commanded me to return you their moſt hearty thanks. And touching thoſe Malignant and ill-affected perſons, whereof you have in your Petition given a generall character, and in particular preſented a Liſt of ſome of them; This Houſe doth aſſure you, That they will, according to your deſires, proceed againſt them with all expedition and ſeverity.
And concerning your deſires for a ſupply of Ammunition and Arms for the defence of your County, ſuch hath been the care of both Houſes in that particular, and for the generall ſecurity and peace hereof, That they have already granted full power and Inſtructions to a Committee, and the Deputy Lieutenants appointed by them for your County, to take a courſe therein, which they doubt not will give you ample ſatisfaction.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A86749)
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