The humble REPRESENTATION of the Committee, Gentry, Mini­ſtry, &c. of the County of Leiceſt.

THat the many great and glori­ous bleſſings, which the Lord of Hoſts hath beſtow­ed, upon this ſhattered and almoſt ruinated Nation, by the remarkable Valour and fidelity of your Excellency, and the Army under your Command, aſcending from one high degree of ſervice to another, with many cleare evidences of your Loyalty to the Nation; together with the Candor of your Excellency, and Councell of Warre, as it were inviting all Perſons, in your draught of the Agreement of the People, to give in their apprehenſions, and reaſons of appro­ving,4 or diſſenting from any thing contained therein; And knowing that it is in the Nature of the very beſt of Men, to be ſubject to frailty and errour, (which we ought ſeriouſly to bewaile in our ſelves and others) ſometimes by Miſtaken Zeale carryed beyond its proper limits, and often by an Exorbitant Charity giving more Latitude to tendernes and pitty, then can well ſtand with Divine Truths; God in his wiſdome having ſet bounds to both, whoſe lawes challenge in all things exact obedience, (eſpecially in ſo high a point as concernes the ſalvation of ſoules.)

Theſe conſiderations have moved us, humbly to preſent our thoughts to your Excellencies peruſall & review, about ſome things of greateſt weight, as concerning the glory of God, the pre­ſervation of Religion, and the Peace and happi­neſſe of the Reformed Churches; And we moſt humbly deſire, that the things ſo propoſed by us, may be taken into your grave examination, without prejudice againſt us, as if we were over­byaſſed by the Example of Others, or any ſiniſter ends of our owne.

Wee ſhall take leave to profeſſe our ſelves un­ſatisfied, concerning ſome Particulars, in the Ninth Article of the Agreement.

Firſt, that Chriſtian Religion, which we juſtly account the greateſt happineſſe,Deut. 32.47. Prov. 3.13.19. 1 Sam 4 12. (the very life and glory of a People) is not reckoned as any of the5 Fundamentals of our Common rights and free­domes; Notwithſtanding our Poſseſsion thereof ſo many yeares, and that we have found it the Pa­rent of all our cheifeſt bleſſings and Priviledges. And farther we think it ſtrange, that the ſaid Chriſtian Religion is only to be Recommended, as the Publique profeſſion in the Nation, and not Eſtabliſhed, as the Publique profeſſion of the Nation. Yea, it is not ſo much as Actually recom­mended, its only Intended to be recommended.

Secondly, that the care of the preſervation of the ſaid Chriſtian Religion, in its purity, is not at all recommended to the Chriſtian Mugiſtrate, (but he to be deveſted of all power in things touching Religion) notwithſtanding the Goſpell promiſe ſo well knowne, Iſa. 60.16, 17, 18. Iſa. 60.16, 17, 18.Iſa. 1.26.Iſa. 1.26. as alſo thoſe eminent glorious exam­ples of Moſes, Samuel, Ioſhua, Aſa, Iehoſaphat, Hezekiah, Ioſiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, &c. All which were famous in their times, for the exerciſe of their power, for reſtoring Religion to its purity.

Thirdly, that inſtructing of the People in the ſaid Chriſtian Religion, by able and faithfull Teach­ers, is but barely allowed and tolerated. Notwith­ſtanding the neceſsity thereof for the ſalvation of ſoules; the Religious care of Iehoſaphat and others, who ſent ſorth and encouraged Levites to inſtruct and teach the People; and Pauls weighty charge to Timothy, I charge thee before God and the Lord6 Ieſus Chriſt, Preach the Word, &c. together with Chriſt his treble charge to Peter, Iohn. 21.15.

Fourthly, that although the Goſpel hath been long planted in this Nation, and the Peo­ple have univerſally engaged to the Profeſſion thereof; It is nevertheleſſe propounded as a Fundamentall right of the People, that they ſhould in no wiſe be Compelled, to hold faſt the ſaid profeſſion, or attend the Ordinances for in­ſtruction therein; whereby (as we conceive) a wide doore is opened to damnable Apoſtacy, yea even to brutiſh Heatheniſme and Atheiſme: for prevention whereof, no proviſion is made, or mentioned in the ſaid Articles, notwithſtanding cleare and pregnant Scriptures, for conſtraining thoſe who had received the true Religion, to con­tinue in the Profeſſion and practice therof, 2 Chr. 15.13. 2 Chro. 34.32. Ezra 7.26, 27.

Fifthly, whereas in darker times, whole­ſome and Chriſtian lawes have bin made againſt Idolatry, Sabbath-breaking, Blaſphemy, and Prophaneneſſe; and ſome of theſe Lawes revived and enlarged by this preſent Parliament, that (notwithſtanding ſo many Prayers, Teares, and humble endeavours to bring on reformation, and alſo the heavy hand of God upon the Kingdome, in this inteſtine Warre, with other fearefull judgements) yet by this Ninth Article, the Mounds will be broken downe, and the flood­gates7 opened, to all manner of impiety and pro­faneneſſe, by repealing and making voide all Lawes of reſtraint, to the great diſhonour of God, the heart-breaking of many deare Chriſtians throughout the Kingdome, and opening the mouthes of Gods enemies to blaſpheme, de­ride and triumph.

Sixthly, that (as if the ſinnes of our owne Nation were not yet enough, to draw downe more and heavier Judgements from heaven upon us) incouragement is hereby implicitly given, to Idolaters, Turks and Heathens, to come in and exerciſe their groſſe Idolatries amongſt us; againſt which practices,Deut. 7.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Deut. 12.30, 31, 32. Rev. 2 20. the Lord from Heaven hath declared, as the higheſt abominations; and upon theſe very grounds ſtraightly charged his People of old, to drive them out from amongſt them, leſt they ſhould learn their waies, and the land be defiled. Which grounds we conceive to be Moral and Perpetuall;Lev, 18.25.27, 28. and if the Land Spued them out for theſe abominations, O let not us lick up the vomit; And although we may thinke our ſelves out of danger of ſuch infection, yet the fearefull example of Solomons Apoſtacy, and Iſraels de­fection upon Admiſſions of like nature, do de­terre us from entertaining ſuch perilous temp­tations, to our ſelves and all poſterity. And if the Lord require us to come out from amongſt them,2 Cor. 6.16•7. how ſhall we invite or permit them to come in to us.

8Seventhly, whereas we have eves ſeen, and at the preſent feele, the ſad effects of the de­ſtructive principles of Popery, both upon our ſelves and our neighbour Nations, in Murders and Maſſacres of all manner of perſons, by all manner of meanes; Witneſſe two Kings ſucceſ­ſively murdered upon the ſame account in France, their many bloody deſignes upon Queen Elizabeth, that horrid attempt of blowing up the Parliament, theſe late barbarous Murders and Maſſacres in Ireland; (all which may ſtand as unanſwerable arguments, for the rooting up of that pernicious profeſſion, which hath been found to grow up and ſpread in this Nation, un­der the ſharpeſt lawes enacted againſt it): yet in your third particular concerning Religion, wherein you would ſeem to make ſome proviſion againſt it, you have ſo ſlenderly and obſcurely, provided (and upon the matter not at all, if not held forth as the Publique Profeſſion in the Na­tion) that it fils us with amazement,Hab. 3.1.6. makes our bellies to tremble, and rottenneſſe to enter into our bones.

Eightly, by the third clauſe, all that doe profeſſe faith in God by Jeſus Chriſt, as Pa­piſts, Socinians, Familiſts, &c. will pretend to do, have liberty to profeſſe their faith, and exerciſe their Religion in any place whatſoever, (even in ſuch places as are appointed for Pub­lique worſhip if they may have but leave) 9Which liberty being granted, although it ſhould not diſturbe the Civill peace, yet, may prove infinitely pernicious, and deſtructive to many thouſands of ignorant and unſtable ſoules; as we already finde by ſad and deplorable experience, even now, before this liberty be granted.

What ſtrange and woefull iſſues, may we then expect, when not onely boundleſſe liberty, but (as we humbly conceive) moſt unwarrantable Protection, is to be provided? So that hereby, Er­rors are under as ſafe & powerful a ſhelter, as truth; and the moſt corrupting ſedueers, as the ſoundeſt and moſt Religious Chriſtians; which ſeemes extremely againſt the very current of Scrip­tures, which tell us that ſeducing will eate as doth a Gangrene, and overthrow the faith of ſome. 2 Tim. 2.16, 17, 18. Deut. 13.And if God commanded ſuch falſe Prophets to be put to death, how then may we dare to give protecti­on to them?

And beſides all this, caſting our eyes fur­ther upon the Agreement, we perceive that you intend not onely to ſettle it for the preſent, but now (at once) to forme it into an Irrevocable E­ſtabliſhment, which (as farre as it relates to Re­ligion, being our buſineſſe in hand) addes hea­vineſſe unto our ſpirits; againſt which we hum­bly offer theſe enſuing reaſons.

Firſt, ſome things therein appeare dangerous, as hath in part been here preſented; others (at10 leaſt) dubious; and ſo not to be immutably eſta­bliſhed.

Secondly, becauſe many of theſe things were never found ſafe, by the experience of any Church or State; and to eſtabliſh immutably, in matters of high concernment, ſuch untried expedients (we conceive) cannot be ſo ſuitable to piety or prudence.

Thirdly, becauſe to ſettle ſuch irrevocable eſtabliſhments, ſeemes to be inconſiſtent with a common principle of reaſon, obliging us to en­deavour and awaite the increaſe of light and know­ledge, in things both Civill and Religious: in which (through mercy) we have found much in­creaſe of late yeeres; and ſo have no ground to conclude, that we are now growne up, to ſuch perfection in them, as may not yet receive addi­tionall and future improvement. From all benefit whereof, We, by this Agreement, conceive our ſelves from henceforth for ever excluded.

Fourthly, by ſuch Eſtabliſhment, we con­ceive, we ſhall (under the pretence of liberty) but inthrall Poſterity, and tie them faſt with a Gilded Chaine. And therefore we are unſatiſ­fied, concerning the immutableneſſe, of the Eſta­bliſhment propoſed.

11And laſtly, although we doe, exprofeſſo, in this addreſſe, decline ſuch things propoſed in the ſaid Agreement, as are meerely of Civil Concern­ment; wherein we ſhall reſigne up our ſelves to the determination of thoſe in whom the great truſt and ſupreme authority of the Kingdome doth reſide, (as we hope your ſelves and others will, which is our earneſt deſire:) yet, foraſmuch as the way propoſed, for ſetling and determi­ning the Civil intereſt, and alſo that of Religion, is one and the ſame, viz. by offering the ſame forme of Agreement to the People, to be eſtabli­ſhed or laid aſide, as it ſhall be received or diſliked by the Generality of them; We hum­bly conceive that gathering Subſcriptions, in the way you ſuggeſt, and which (as we underſtand) is already practiſed, may be of dangerous con­ſequence, for dividing the Kingdome; eſpe­cially the godly and well affected therein, who being already Generally ingaged, by the Nati­onall Covenant, to maintaine the power and pri­viledges of Parliament, in the maintenance of true Religion, and the fundamentall lawes of the Kingdome, muſt needs, by ſuch intended ſub­ſcriptions (for and againſt your Agreement) be dangerouſly ingaged, in ſuch oppoſitions one of another, as may greatly advantage the deſignes of the Common Enemy, hazard the ruine of the honeſt party, and hinder the ſettlement of the Na­tion in Peace and Safety.

12Thus having briefely, plainely, and ſincere­ly, ſummed up our thoughts of the premiſes, we now leave them in your boſomes, with our Prayers and Teares, from Hearts and Eyes lif­ted up to Heaven, for a ſpirit of wiſdome and holineſſe, to direct you in all your proceedings referring thereunto; Beſeeching you would not repute us, among the number of thoſe, whoſe ſouls can mingle with none however God­ly, but ſuch as in every point concurre in Judge­ment with themſelves. For as (we know) Chriſts owne Heart, and Armes are open to weake Saints; ſo by his grace, are ours, and ever ſhall, to conſcientious Brethren, as farre as the word allowes, though in matter of Diſci­pline they may differ from us, or in other points alſo, that ſhake not the foundation of faith, or enervate the power of Holineſſe. Nor are we ſuch as have been backe friends to your Excel­lency and the Army. No (God knoweth) we are of them, that have loved and honoured you, (for what we have ſeen of God in and upon you,) and have often•efended you from the ſtrife of tongues: Ye•,〈◊〉•••ſe many prayers and prai­ſes, are laid up in Heaven for you. Pardon us therefore (we beſeech you) Noble Sirs, if we have been ſomewhat bold, in this our hum­ble addreſſe unto you: for our buſineſſe con­cernes our owne immortall ſoules, and our Poſte­rities, yea the very foundations of precious Truth, the leaſt whereof laid in the balance,13 is more weighty, then the lives of many. It is this we now plead for, and (God will beare us record) it is truly this, and not any private Intereſt of our owne. You are Gentlemen that are tender to conſciences, we beg it that you will tender ours, and many thouſands more, of the Godly in the Nation, who, (we are confident) might a true eſtimate be had, are clearely of out mindes herein.

Other things might have been mentioned, referring to Religion, and particularly, that no mention is made of the function of the Miniſte­ry; which Chriſt hath undoubtedly eſtabliſhed in the Church, and greatly proſpered in his worke; which hath been ever mainely oppoſed by Sathan, and is by many in theſe times. But that Ordinance being ſo clearely founded by Chriſt in the Holy Goſpell; and hoping that your intentions are more full for that and o­ther things, then your words in that Agree­ment expreſſe, we forbeare to inſiſt further thereon.