176 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 17a 



goodness of God, and to ascribe the glory to him alone, 

 yet would we not be found ingratefuU to your High- 

 ness, as an eminent instrument under God of the peace 

 and liberty we have injoyed, with a continued series of 

 manifold mercies from the Lord, under your Highness' 

 gouernment (notwithstanding all our declensions and 

 unworthynesses), together with the influence it hath 

 had upon the nations abroad to the promoteing of the 

 Protestant interest, we judge it alsoe exceedingly re- 

 markable that the Lord hath so signally blasted the 

 pernicious designes of the common enemy against your 

 Highness' person and gouernment, and against the 

 common interest of the people of God and of these 

 nations, for which we desire unfeignedly to bless the 

 Lord. 



" These things premised, we humbly pray, 



" That the Lord would please to stir up the heart 

 and strengthen the hands of your Highness, in carry- 

 ing on what yet remains for the reforming of these na- 

 tions (according to the word of God) and thesecureing 

 of the interest of godlyness and righteousness for the 

 future, that such as are found in the faith and of holy 

 conversation may live peaceably, and receive encourage- 

 ment to persevere in that upon which the Lord may 

 delight to doe your Highness and these nations good ; 

 in order whereunto we humbly propose these following 

 particulars to your Highness' consideration : 



" 1. First, that a stop may be put to the spreading 

 infection of damnable errors and heresies, by a lively 

 and due suppressing of them according to the mind of 

 the Lord. 



" 2. That an efFectuall course may be taken for the 

 curbeing of all profaneness and libertineisme by the 

 sword of justice, which the Lord hath put into your 

 magistrates' hands. 



" 3. That your Highness would haue an eye upon 

 the designes of the common enemy in general!, and 

 particularly on this (vid. ), their traininge up a young 

 generation in the old destructive principles, as also on 

 the designes of any persons whatsoeuer that indeauour 

 to disturb your Highness' gouernment and the peace of 

 these nations. 



" 4. That the lawes of the nation may be reuised, 

 that for what in them is agreeable to the rules of right- 

 eousness may be continued and executed, and whatever 

 corruption is crept into, or may grow up in, courts of 

 judicature may be duly purged away. 



" 5. That in your Highness' lifetime such prouision 

 be made for the future gouernment of the comm.on- 

 wealth, as may secure the interest of good people of 

 these nations for succeeding generations, that they may 

 call you blessed. 



" And in the prosecution of such ends we shall be 

 ready, as the Lord shall help us, with all that is dear 

 to us, to defend your Highness' person and gouernment, 

 with the true interest of religion and the lawes, and 

 shall ever pray, &c. 



" Ansley. 



Chrystopher Sanderson, Minister of Annesley. 

 Will. Lee. John Dan. 



Geo. Brittain. 

 Abraham" f.Torn off]. 



" To the honourable the Parliament of England. 



" The humble Petition of diuers Gentlemen, Ministers 

 of the Gospell, and others, inhabiteing in the County 

 of Nottingham, 



" Sheweth, 



" That your petitioners, haueing seriously considered 

 how much a thorough reformation of religion and pure 

 administration of the ordinances of Christianity would 

 tend to the honour of God, the good of soules, and the 

 abundant satisfaction of the truly godly in this nation, 

 who have long waited for these mercies as the return of 

 their prayers, and the fruit of their expense both of 

 blood and treasure, and being alsoe very sensible that 

 the duty we owe to God, the eminent and signall 

 mercies of God towards this nation, and our own 

 solemn engagements, doe strongly oblidge us euery one 

 in our places, to the utmost of our power, to indeauour 

 the promoteing and aduancement of pure gospell wor- 

 ship, we are humbly bold to address ourselues to you? 

 honors. 



" We are not undmindfull of, nor would we be un- 

 thankful! for, what hath been indeauoured this way by 

 former Parliaments, yet we cannot but sadly resent the 

 many obstructions this work hath hitherto met withall, 

 and how much it hath been retarded, cliiefly, we con- 

 fess, by our own sins, and the sins of these nations, 

 partly through the malice of Satan, the diuisions of 

 brethren, the secret and subtile practices of Romish 

 emissaries, fomenting errors and heresies, and not a 

 little, as we humbly conceive, through the want of 

 church gouernment, settled and establislied by tlie ciuil 

 authority, whereby those unto whom the exercise of 

 church power is committed by Christ may be impoured 

 to keep back ignorant and prophane persons from pol- 

 luting the ordinances of God, as alsoe by reason of 

 some ancient lawes, alledged and urged by diuers as 

 yet in force, injoyning ministers to dispense the Sacra- 

 ment of the Lord's Supper, without affording them (as 

 we conceiue) suflScient power regularly to keep back 

 such as are not duly qualified for the same, by reason 

 whereof ministers are liable to prosecution att law (of 

 whicli we have had a late instance in this county). 



" We therefore, your petitioners, in faithfulness to 

 the interest of God and his glory, Christ and his gos- 

 pell, our own and otlier men's soules, and from our 

 sincere desires of the aduancement of the kingdome of 

 Christ in these nations, in the promoting whereof the 

 interest and welfare of states and nations is uery much 

 concerned, we neither could nor durst be longer silent, 

 but being persuaded of your willingness to act for 

 Christ, and hopeing that God hath raised you up to 

 carry on the work of reformation already begun 

 amongst us, and to be repairers of our breaches and 

 restorers of pathes to dwet in, we are incou raged hum- 

 bly to pray, 



" 1. That £uch ancient lawes as may be yet in force 

 relating to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, so far 

 as they are or may prove burdensome to truly godly 

 and conscientious ministers and people, may be duly 

 regulated. 



" 2. That so far as you in your wisdomes shall think 

 fitt, ordinances of Parliament that have been made after 

 aduicc had with the late Assembly of Diuines in order 



