To the honorable the knights, citizens, and burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament. The humble petition of the knights, esquires, gentlemen, ministers, freeholders, and other inhabitants of the county of Stafford, delivered May 14 1642.
      
       
         This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A94496 of text R211834 in the  English Short Title Catalog (Thomason 669.f.6[14]). Textual changes  and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more  computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life.  The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with  MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish.  This text has not been fully proofread 
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         EarlyPrint Project
         Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO
         2017
         A94496
         Wing T1471
         Thomason 669.f.6[14]
         ESTC R211834
         99870526
         99870526
         160875
         
           
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         Early English books online.
      
       
         (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A94496)
         Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 160875)
         Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 245:669f6[14])
      
       
         
           
             To the honorable the knights, citizens, and burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament. The humble petition of the knights, esquires, gentlemen, ministers, freeholders, and other inhabitants of the county of Stafford, delivered May 14 1642.
             England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.
          
           1 sheet ([1] p.)
           
             Printed for Thomas Banks,
             London :
             1642.
          
           
             Thanks Parliament for past services, will carry out the protestation. Thanks for the Lord-Lieutenant chosen. Prays for immediate help for Ireland: .. -- Steele.
             Reproduction of the original in the British Library.
          
        
      
    
     
       
         eng
      
       
         
           Staffordshire (England) -- History -- Early works to 1800.
           Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649 -- Early works to 1800.
        
      
    
       A94496  R211834  (Thomason 669.f.6[14]).  civilwar no To the honorable the knights, citizens, and burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament. The humble petition of the knights, esquires, gent England and Wales. Parliament.  1642    643 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A This text  has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription.  
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           TO
           THE
           HONORABLE
           THE
           KNIGHTS
           ,
           CITIZENS
           ,
           and
           Burgesses
           of
           the
           
             Commons
          
           House
           of
           PARLIAMENT
           .
        
         
           The
           humble
           Petition
           of
           the
           Knights
           ,
           Esquires
           ,
           Gentlemen
           ,
           Ministers
           ,
           Freeholders
           ,
           
             and
             other
             Inhabitants
             of
             the
             County
             of
          
           Stafford
           ,
           Delivered
           
             
               May
            
             14
             1642.
             
          
        
         
           Sheweth
           ,
        
         
           THat
           in
           their
           own
           names
           ,
           and
           in
           the
           names
           of
           many
           thousands
           of
           the
           Inhabitants
           of
           the
           County
           of
           
             Stafford
             ,
          
           your
           Petitioners
           with
           hearts
           fuller
           of
           Thankfulnesse
           ,
           then
           their
           tongues
           can
           be
           of
           Expression
           ,
           humbly
           acknowledge
           their
           sensiblenesse
           of
           the
           unparallel'd
           Travel
           ,
           and
           indefatigable
           endeavour
           of
           this
           Honorable
           House
           already
           spent
           in
           the
           discharge
           of
           that
           Trust
           deservedly
           by
           the
           
             Commons
          
           of
           all
           the
           Land
           vested
           in
           You
           ;
           whereby
           an
           ample
           Testimony
           is
           given
           ,
           as
           of
           your
           faithfulnesse
           and
           courage
           in
           the
           exposure
           of
           your selves
           and
           Fortunes
           in
           these
           desperate
           times
           :
           so
           likewise
           of
           the
           good
           hand
           and
           providence
           of
           God
           carrying
           you
           through
           many
           difficult
           straits
           ,
           and
           dangerous
           conspiracies
           of
           the
           Popish
           and
           malignant
           party
           ,
           who
           have
           hitherto
           way-laid
           your
           proceedings
           .
           All
           which
           your
           Petitioners
           take
           as
           very
           promising
           beginnings
           ,
           and
           faire
           pledges
           of
           the
           healing
           of
           the
           unsupportable
           Grievances
           both
           Ecclesiasticall
           and
           Civill
           ,
           which
           the
           Church
           and
           State
           groan
           under
           .
           And
           do
           concurrently
           and
           freely
           confesse
           their
           Contributions
           to
           the
           work
           under
           your
           hands
           ,
           not
           onely
           by
           their
           prayers
           ,
           but
           also
           by
           the
           devotement
           of
           their
           lives
           ,
           power
           ,
           and
           estates
           ,
           according
           to
           that
           wise
           and
           religious
           
             Protestation
          
           set
           forth
           by
           you
           ,
           conceiving
           their
           own
           lives
           and
           safeties
           to
           be
           shipt
           in
           one
           bottome
           with
           Yours
           .
        
         
           And
           your
           Petitioners
           further
           shew
           ,
           That
           it
           is
           not
           the
           least
           part
           of
           their
           comfort
           ,
           That
           you
           have
           continued
           the
           
             Militia
          
           of
           this
           County
           unto
           so
           Honorable
           a
           Lord
           ,
           in
           whom
           they
           may
           safely
           (
           under
           God
           )
           confide
           .
        
         
           
             And
             your
             Petitioners
             do
             humbly
             pray
             ,
             That
             the
             unexampled
             miseries
             ,
             and
             almost
             expiring
             estate
             of
             our
             brethren
             in
             
               Ireland
               ,
            
             may
             be
             considered
             by
             an
             expedite
             dispatch
             of
             seasonable
             succour
             ,
             and
             that
             they
             may
             from
             time
             to
             time
             during
             their
             miseries
             ,
             be
             looked
             upon
             by
             you
             ,
             not
             onely
             as
             English
             and
             fellow-Subjects
             ,
             but
             as
             
               Protestants
               ,
            
             and
             professors
             of
             Gods
             truth
             ,
             under
             which
             notion
             they
             suffer
             these
             Extremities
             .
             And
             that
             the
             Insurrection
             of
             the
             Papists
             there
             may
             be
             reckoned
             of
             ,
             not
             onely
             as
             a
             Rebellion
             ;
             but
             a
             horrid
             persecution
             of
             Christ
             in
             his
             truth
             and
             members
             ,
             that
             so
             the
             Interest
             of
             God
             and
             his
             Cause
             may
             quicken
             your
             Sympathy
             with
             ,
             and
             endeavours
             for
             them
             .
          
        
         
           
             That
             the
             
               Papists
            
             (
             who
             are
             in
             great
             number
             in
             this
             small
             County
             )
             may
             be
             throughly
             and
             speedily
             disarm'd
             and
             so
             disposed
             of
             ,
             that
             they
             be
             not
             formidable
             to
             your
             Petitioners
             ,
             by
             being
             able
             either
             to
             keep
             us
             in
             Jealousies
             by
             their
             practises
             at
             home
             ,
             or
             to
             foment
             that
             fire
             kindled
             by
             their
             party
             in
             
               Ireland
               .
            
          
        
         
           
             That
             the
             
               Church
            
             in
             her
             Government
             ,
             Officers
             and
             worship
             may
             be
             ordered
             according
             to
             the
             rule
             of
             Gods
             holy
             Word
             ,
             The
             particular
             Accommodation
             of
             which
             we
             humbly
             leave
             to
             the
             wisdom
             of
             this
             Honorable
             House
             to
             determine
             ,
             by
             the
             assistance
             of
             an
             Assembly
             of
             godly
             and
             learned
             
               Divines
               .
            
          
        
         
           
             That
             the
             present
             state
             and
             condition
             of
             the
             Church
             may
             be
             thought
             upon
             for
             Ministery
             ,
             maintenance
             and
             supply
             of
             an
             able
             preaching
             Ministery
             ,
             pluralities
             supprest
             ,
             the
             Fountains
             of
             Learning
             cleared
             ,
             all
             insufficient
             for
             the
             work
             of
             the
             Ministery
             ,
             all
             grosly
             scandalous
             and
             negligent
             in
             their
             functions
             ,
             removed
             ,
             that
             they
             may
             no
             longer
             remain
             a
             Burthen
             to
             keep
             out
             others
             .
          
        
         
           
             And
             your
             Petitioners
             shall
             pray
             ,
             &c.
             
          
        
      
    
     
       
         
           London
           ,
           
             Printed
             for
          
           Thomas
           Banks
           .
           1642.