The Humble Petition of the In habitants of the County of Buckingham. In the behalfe of Maſter Hampden Knight for the ſaid County, and of the reſt of the members of Parliament, accuſed by his Majeſtie of High Treaſon.

THat your petioners having by vertue of your highnes writ choſen Iohn Hampden Eſquire Knight for our Shire in whoſe loyalty and wiſe­dome, we his Countreymen, and Neighbours have e­ver had good cauſe to coufide: how ever of late, to our no leſſe amazement then greife, wee finde him with other members of Parliament accuſed of Treaſon, and having taken to our ſerious conſideration, the man­ner of their impeachments we cannot but (under your Maieſties favour) conceive, that it doth ſo oppugne the rights of Parliaments, to the miaintenance whereof our Proteſtation bind us: That we beleive it is the ma­lice (which their zeale to your Maieſties ſervice, and the State, hath contracted) in the enewies to your Ma­ieſty, the Church, and common wealth hath occaſio­ned this fowle accuſation rather then any defert of theirs; who doe likewiſe through their ſides wound the iudgement and care of us your Petitioners, and others by whoſe choice they were preſented to the Houſe.

Your petitioners moſt humbly pray that Maſter Hamp­den, and the reſt that lye under the burden of that ac­cuſation may enjoy the Iuſt priviledges of Parliament.

And your Petitioners will ever pray &c.

The Humble Petition of the Knights, Gentle­men, Clargy and other Inhabitants of the County of Sommerſet.

THat having with great ioy of mind often heard of the pious inclination of this Honourable Aſſembly unto the Refor­mation of Church Government, and having of late (not without ſome re­gret) ſeene a Petition in the name of the Knights,6 Gentlemen and others of this County, tending moſt to the Confirmation of Epiſcopall power: We have thought it our duty likewiſe to rouſe up our affection unto Gods cauſe, and in all humility to lay theſe ex­preſſions thereof at the feet of this great Councell, as being (under God) the chiefe Arbitrator betweene our ioy and ſorrow.

FOr the preſent Church Government, of what right it is wee may not diſpute, preſuming it to be ſubiect to the power of this Honourable aſſembly; Neither doth it much import how ancient it is, or how neere the Apoſtles dayes, ſeeing we know that in the dayes of the Apoſtles themſelves, the myſtery of iniquity be­gan to worke, and that by the efficatious operation of the ſame, the man of ſinne hath advanced himſelfe from the Epiſcopall chaire to the top of Antichriſtian Tyranny. But that this Government is the wifeſt and moſt pious that any people hath been bleſt withall ſince the Apoſtles days (what ever others may beleeve) we preſume is no part of the Creed of this great coun­cell; whoſe godly zeale in purging the corruptions, and puniſhing the enemie of the true Church, being alrea­dy in part made manifeſt, doth give us rather a inſt cauſe to hope that God hath yet ſome further bleſſing of Reformation for us, to be wrought by the ſame hands, In proſecution whereof, if it ſhall enter into your hearts at this time to give a deadly wound unto that power, againſt which you have received ſo many complaints, we are ſure you ſhall not walke in an un­knowne path, but ſuch as hath beene troden before you by almoſt all the Churches of God which have exchanged the ſuperſtition and bondage of Rome, for the glorious light and liberty of the Goſpell. Neither7 may it be conceived as the leaſt degree of indignity of­fered to the bleſſed memory of thoſe ancient or later Biſhops who have ſo well deſerved of the Church of God both in life and death, if that Government which they have adorned by their ſingular piety and vertues being through the corruption and wickedneſſe of thoſe which have ſucceeded them made intolerable, ſhall by your iuſt authority be aboliſhed. Or if the number and merit of learned and godly Biſhops famous in their ge­nerations be preſumed to be a reaſonable inducement for the continuation of that Government, we leave it to conſideration of this wiſe Councell, whether the great and far ſurpaſſing multitude of ambitious; ungod­ly, and infamous Prelates, in moſt Countries and Ages by-paſt, be not a more effectuall motive for the extirpa­tion of the ſame. Hereunto if we adde the preſent ex­perience even in theſe our dayes of their many inſolen­cies and ontrages againſt the truth and power of God­lineſſe, ſuppreſſing and corrupting Gods Ordinances, Vnhollowing his day, perſecuting his Miniſters; Their late miſchevous attempt to impoſe on us and our poſ­terity an in ſupportable Yoake of ſervitude and that which deſerveth the higheſt pitch of Zeale and all the bowels of this Honourable Senate, the notorious mul­titude of profane and ſcandalous Miniſters the moſt ac­tive and malitious enemies unto Reformation, and the authoritie from which it is deſired. Wee truſt that all this to gether, with much more well knowne to this Honorable Aſſembly, will be ſufficient to juſtify the feares wee have conceiued of ſo dangerous a power.

WHERE FORE being perſwaded in our mindes, that it will be a worke acceptable unto God, of great ad­vantage and comfort to the Churches of Chriſt, and no leſſe conducing to the ſaftie, peace and ſtrength of8 all His Majeſtis eKingdomes? wee moſt humbly im­plore the Authority and zeale of this honuradle Aſ­ſembly to proceed unto the full accompliſhment of the ſame; And having laid the Axe to the root of this Tree, to do unto it as to a plant which the Heauenly Father hath not planted, that neither the ſpreading boughes of the ſame may over-ſhadow the Vineyeard of the Lord, nor the bitter fruit thereof make ſad the heart of the people of God any more for ever.

THESE are the deſires of your most humble Petitioners, and wee are perſwaded, would have beene the expresſions of Multitudes more of true-hearted Chriſtians and Subiects, had there not beene ſome indirect practices uſed in ſoliciting the former Petion; whereby many wonne to ſubſcribe thereunto, who have ſit hence decla­red themſelves in the point of Epiſcopacie, to have beene at the doing thereof otherwiſe affected. Howbeit unto us it is ſufficient, that relying wholly on the good Providence of God, the pietie and wiſedome of this Ho­nourable aſſembly, and the ſincerity of our owne intenti­ons, wee cannot want the comforts of a good hope, while we have the liberty to powre out our ſoules unto Almigh­ty God to continne and encreaſed his favours and graci­ous aſpect towards this honourable & religious aſſembly.

SIr Simon Harcot and the Governer of Dublin Caſtle have diſarmed all Papiſts in Dublin, and have overthrowne the Rebells and killed many, ſo that no Rebell is to be ſeene within 7. miles of Dublin. The 9. of this moneth the Proteſtant Soldi­ers beate down the Maſſe houſe in Dublin, & threatned to hang the Maſſe Prieſt, & broke down all the Images & ſpoyled their Trinkets. Tredath was ready to be relieved by ſea. That day we came away we ſaw the Iriſh make fires to raiſe more helpe, ſo their hopes will be fruſtrate. Corne is reaſonable at Dublin, con­ſidering our occaſions; the Ieſuites and roring Iriſh captaines would willingly be gone with the Proteſtants mony & goods, but we hope they ſhall leave their heads firſt, if wee can but be ſupplyed gaine from England.