An Humble Supplication to the King's Majesty

p. 49AN HUMBLE SUPPLICATION TO THE Kings Majesty; As it was presented, 1620.

To the High and Mighty KING, JAMES, By the Grace of God, King of Great Brittain, France, and Ireland. To the Right Excellent and Noble PRINCE, CHARLES, Prince of Wales, &c. To all the Right Hanorable NOBILITY, Grave and Honorable JUDGES, and to all other the Right Worshipful GENTRY, of all Estates and Degrees, assembled in this present Parliament.

Right High and Mighty,

Right Excellent & Noble,

Right Honourable, and

Right Worshipful;

AS the Consideration of that divine Commandment of the King of kings (Let Supplications, Prayers, Intercessions, and giving of Thanks be made for Kings, and for all that are in Authority, that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life, in all Godliness and Honesty) doth cause in us a daily practice thereof in our secret Chambers for you all, as in duty we are bound, of which the searcher of all hearts beareth us witness; so let it be pleasing unto your Majesty; and the rest in Authority, that we make humble Supplications and Prayers to you, for such our bodily miseries and wants as are upon us; in that it is in your power to redress them; and especially at this present in this High Meeting, assembled for the publick weal of all your loyal Subjects. Our miseries are long and lingring Imprisonments for many years in divers Counties of England, in which many have dyed p. 50and left behind them Widows and many small Children: taking away our Goods, and others the like, of which we can make good probation; not for any disloyalty to your Majesty, nor hurt to any mortal man, (our Adversaries themselves being Judges) but only because we dare not assent unto, and practise in the Worship of God, such things as we have not Faith in, because it is sin against the Most High, Heb. 11.6. Rom. 14.23. as your Majesty well observeth in these words: It is a good and safe Rule in Theology, That in matters of the Worship of God, Quod dubitas, ne fereris, according to Pauls rule, Rom. 14.5. Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind. Medit. on Lo. Prayer.

p. 50If we were in error herein, these courses of afflicting our bodies for Conscience cause, are not of Christ, but of Antichrist, as hereafter is most plainly shewed; And if no Church be the Rule of Faith, but only the holy Scriptures; as the learned Protestants do truly confess, and that therefore the Doctrine of the Church of Rome (that all must believe as the Church believes, and so practise, or else be cruelly persecuted) be most ungodly, as it is: then how can they avoid the like censure that practise the same thing, contrary to their own Judgement? For the learned Protestants do say, it is high cruelty for the Papists to constrain them to practise those things in Gods Worship which they have not Faith in, nay, which they know to be evil, with Imprisonment, Fire and Faggot: and therefore why may not we say, it is great cruelty for the learned Prorestants to constrain us to practise such things in Gods Worship, which we have not Faith in? Nay, which we certainly know to be evil, with lingring Imprisonment, loss of Goods, and what other cruelties they can procure against us of your Majesty and the Civil State. If your Learned say, they have the Truth, and we are in Errour; that resteth to be tryed by the true Touchstone, the holy Scriptures. If they be our Judges, the Verdict must needs go against us. If their sayings be a safe Rule for us to be saved by, we will rest upon them; And then why may not the saying of the Papists be sure also, and they be the Protestants Judges? and so bring us all to believe as the Church believes. The iniquity of which we have discovered as briefty as we could; beseeching your Majesty and all that are in Authority, to hear us. It concerneth our eternal Salvation, or Condemnation, and is therefore of great importance; for what can a man give for the ranfom of his Soul?

Oh he pleased to remember the saying of that great and good man p. 51Job, chap. 29. I delivered the Poor that cryed, and the Fatherless, and him that had none to help him: The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the Widows heart to rejoyce. I was a Father to the Poor, and when I knew not the cause, I sought it out diligently. I brake also the jaws of the unrighteous man, and pluckt the prey out of his teeth.

p. 51Our prayers are, and shall be for you day and night, to that God of glory, by whom you reign and are advanced, that He will pat it into your hearts to let these things enter into your thoughts, and then we doubt not (the evidence of them being such) that you will be moved to repeal and make void all those cruel Laws (which we most humbly beseech) which persecute poor men only for matters of conscience; not that we any way desire for our selves or others, any the least liberty from the strict observation of any Civil, Temporal, or Humane Law, made or to be made, for the preservation of your Majesties Person, Crown, State or Dignity; for, all that give not to Caesar that which is his, let them bear their burden: but we only desire, that God might have that which is his, which is the heart and soul in that Worship that He requireth, over which there is but one Lord, Eph. 4.5. and one Lawgiver, who is able to save it, or to destroy it, Jam 4.12, which no mortal man can do. It is not in your power to compel the heart; you may compel men to be Hypocrites, as a great many are, who are false-hearted both towards God and the State; which is sin both in you and them.