His majesties Letter to both Houses of PARLIAMENT. WITH A NEW PROTESTATION Against the PARLIAMENT in ENGLAND. AND ALSO AGAINST ALL PROTESTANTS. Made by the Rebels in IRELAND. Which Protestation was red in the House of COMMONS, Ian. 20. 1641. Whereunto is added the two Petitions of the Inhabitants of the County of Essex, one to the House of peers, Ian. 19. The other to the Committee of the House of Commons fitting at Grocers-Hall, London.  
London, Printed for John Thomas, 1641.   

A copy of a Protestation shewed to me by Thomas Garreldin of Waterford Merchant, about the 20. of Decemb. last, I being with him and four others appointed to watch at the Key-gate of the said City.  
THat wheareas the Parliament of England, had taken away his Majesties royal Power from him, and had left him but the name of a King, we his Highnesse loyal Subjects of Ireland, do protest to spend our lives and Estates to maintain his Majesties said royal Power and prerogative to him and his royal successors.  
And whereas the said Parliament of England, hath used such cruelty to the poor catholics of England as hath not onely extended to the loss of their Estates, but some of their lives, and intended the like to us( had not the Infinite goodness of GOD put it into our hearts to raise this war for defence of ourselves) we desire this should be published, that the world may take notice of our just cause we had to take up arms and require all to be aiding and assisting to vs.  
Thomas monk.   

To the Right Honourable the House of peers. The Humble Petition of sundry of the Knights, Gentlemen, and other Inhabitants of the County of Essex, in their own Names, and in the behalf of many others.  
Most humbly sheweth,  
THat we are truly sensible of, and daily thankful for your care, and pains,( wilite the house of Commons) for the settling of the Church, and State, and that the reformation which is desired, be much retarded, and your endeavours in a great measure, made abortive, by the councells, and practices, of the malignant party, of Prelates, and Popish Lords; yet your judefarigable labours, we with all thankfulness most humbly aclowledge, and yet we do in all humility represent to your most honourable consideration, our remaining fears, and grievances arising from the delays of help to our Brethreu in Ireland, whereby they daily lie under many inhuman villainies, and barbarous cruelties, the fears from the Tower of London, the magazine of the kingdom, which is entrusted in unknown hands, and with one whom we cannot confided, in the defect of the arms of our Trained Bands, which were not long since taken away, whereby a maritant County is in Part left unarmed the putting some of our Gentlemen, out of Commission for the Peace, because they would not serve the turn, of present times, the not execution of Priests, condemned by Law, whereby that party are grown insolent, seeing that Iustice against them is stopped, even in the time of Parliament, though they are Delinquents in the highest kind, the Prelates and Popish Lords still sitting, and Voting in your House, a thing as we conceive, most incompatible to the Office of the one, and no way fit to be allowed to the other. And lastly our fears, are from the vnparrelled breaches of the Liberties of Parliament, which are the strength and safety of your body, and the inheritance of the Subject, all which do cause such a decay of Clothing, and Farming( the two trades of our County whereby the multitudes of our People have lived) that we tremble to think what may follow thereupon.  
Most humbly praying, that bleeding Ireland, may be speedily, and strongly relieved, the Tower of London, may be Committed, to safe hands, the armour of Trained Bands repaired, and trusted with able and approved persons, that the County may be put into a posture of defence both by Land and by Sea, the Gentlemen which have been( for their faithfulness) put out of Commission, may be restored, the condemned priests executed, the Prelates and Popish Lords may be excluded your house, the Privillidges of Parliament, may be fully assured, and the worthy Members of it,( who have been in an unheard of, illegal way endangered) may be vindicated, and receive reparation.  
And your Petitioners do resolve in all just and honourable ways,( according to our late Protestation) to maintain the persons, and Privilidges, of this honourable Parliament, with our lives, and estates, against the enemies of God, the King, the State, and humbly pray. &c.   

To the Honourable Knights and Burgesses of the House of COMMONS in Parliament. The Humble Petition of the Knights, Gentlemen, Ministers, and other Inhabitants in the County of Essex.  
SHEWETH,  
unto your Honourable House, that we are truly sensible of your great care, and extraordinary endeavours, to settle our Religion, and Peace, and daily give thankes to GOD Almighty for it; And we do further in all humility present to your Honourable considerations, which we do apprehended a great stop in Reformation of matters of Religion, and ourselves together with you, and the whole kingdom, to be in great danger of the Papists, and other ill-affected persons, who are every where very insolent, and are ready to act the parts of those cruel blood-suckers in Ireland, if they be not speedily prevented: by means whereof, our Trading, especially of Clothing, and Farming, grew a great place, to so great a damp, as many thousands are like to come to sudden want. Nor can wee expect any redress thereof, unless the Bishops and Popish Lords be removed out of the House of peers.  
Therefore we humbly pray, that you would earnestly mediate his Majesty and the House of peers, That our Brethren in Ireland, may speedily be relieved, And the Papists throughout the kingdom be disarmed, And that such defects of arms, as in your discretions, shall appear to be meet, may be supplied, and this County and kingdom, put into such a Warlike posture, as may be best for its defence, and safety, and that the Bishops, and Popish Lords who as wee conceive, have hindered the success, of your godly Endeavours, may be put out of the House of peers, Not doubting but then our Petition formerly presented to your House, will receive a more full and speedy answer.  
And your Petitioners resolving in all just and Honourable ways, according to the late Protestation, to assist you, with our lives, and Estates, against the Enemies of GOD, the KING, and State, humbly pray to Almighty GOD, for your good success.   

His Majesties Letter to both Houses of Parliament, Ian. 20. 1641.  
HIs majesty perceiving the manifold distractions which now are in this kingdom, which cannot but bring great inconvenience, and mischief to this whole Government; In which, as his Majesty is most chiefly interested, so he holds himself by many reasons most obliged to do what in him lies, for the preventing thereof; Though he might justly expect( as most proper for the duty of Subjects) that propositions for the remedies of these Evils, ought rather to come to him, then from him; yet his fatherly care of all his people being such, That he will rather lay by any particular respect of his own dignity, then that any time should be lost, for prevention of these threatening Evils, which cannot admit the delays of the ordinary proceedings in Parliament; Doth think fit to make these ensuing Propositions to both Houses of Parliament.  
That they will with all speed fall into a serious consideration of all those particulars, which they shall hold necessary, as well for the upholding and maintaining of His MAJESTIES just and regal Authority, and for the settling of his Revenue; As for the present and future establishing of their privileges, the free and quiet enjoying, of their Estates and Fortunes, the Liberties of their Persons, the Security of the true Religion, now professed in the Church of England and the settling of Ceremonies in such a manner, as may take away all just offence: Which when they shall have digested, and composed into one entire body, that so His Majesty and themselves may be able to make the more clear judgement of them: It shall then appear by what his Majesty shall do, how far he hath been from intending or designing any of those things, which the too great fears and jealousies of some persons seem to apprehended: and how ready he will be to equal and exceed the greatest examples of the most indulgent Princes in their Acts of Grace and Favour to their people.  
So that if all these present distractions( which so apparently threaten the ruin of this kingdom) do not( by the blessing of Almighty God) end in an happy and blessed Accommodation; His Majesty will then be ready to call Heaven and Earth, God and Man to witness, that it hath not failed on his part.  
FINIS.