A DECLARATION Of the daily grievances of the Catholics RECUSANTS of ENGLAND. With Protestations to the same for their Loyalty and truth to their King and Country. Whereunto is annexed by them a Prayer for the King. And also a Prayer for the Honourable House of Parliament, for their quiet proceed, good succession, and happy ending. LONDON, Printed for JOHN THOMAS, 1641. The DECLARATION. WHereas we the poor distressed Catholics Recusants of England, have by reason of the penal Laws in former time made and enacted against us, whereby we have to our great hindrances many times been constrained to part with our good Chattills and money, and sometimes imprisonment also to the great hindrance of our estate and calling. Yet nothing more grievous unto us, than the remembrance of that most detestable plot of the Powder-Treason, only wrought by some decayed furious discontented and evil minded persons, professors of the same Religion, but quite contrary to all godly or humane Laws, neglecting, transgressing and most inhumanely forgetting all goodness, duty, and obligation to God their King and Country, which detestable or rather most damnable plot still singing in the ears of the people and daily augmenting and increasing the memory of the same, by many strange Discoveries of unknown Plots, wherein we that truth hath little share, only divised and set forth by some evil willers to Catholic Religion, to make us hateful to the world, knowing the vulgar sort apt to believe (through the evil minds of some bad Catholics or rather detestable Traitors) actors of the Plot, whatsoever is or can be invented, or set forth against us in any other newly divised Plots, now daily spread about the City and Country, in many pamphlets which we hope and perfectly know to be false other ways we should have more hanging, drawing, and quartering then now we have, but heartily wish it to all offenders in such like hands that shall deserve it and desiring that we being innocent and clear from all Conspiracies or Plots of Treason, or any such things hurtful to our King and Country, may not be always made reproachable and contemptible to the world. Let not the faults of some detestable persons be still inflicted and laid to our charge, do not for a few desperate or ill conditioned Traitors condemn the whole Church to be so, but let a more gracious conceit spring from your hearts, and truly concur us, as you would yourselves be censured by the highest and most dreadful Judge, for we ought not to judge of others more than certainly we can prove for truth, lest that judgement light upon ourselves. If any of us deserve to suffer, let us suffer, but let us not scourge the innocent, lest we suffer stripes, forgive, as you would be forgiven, and esteem of us, as you would be esteemed, true Subjects, as we have always been and ever will be, in witness whereof we have here set down some little Protestations for our Royalty and truth to our King and Country. The Protestations. WE the Catholic Recusants of England, do truly confess, and acknowledge King Charles, to be our true and Lawful King, and chief Governor under God. And that next unto God, we ought, and are bound in all duty, to Love honour, and obey him in all things, not contrary, to Catholic Religion. Wherein we here protest, as befitting good Catholics, and Loyal Subjects, to be true to our King Charles, not giving, or yielding any Obedience, or Allegiance to strangers, but will with all our Powers, Lives, and Fortunes, defend, and maintain his Rightâ–ª and the Right of our Country, against all Foreign Kings, or Princes whatsoever, though of our own Religion. We do protest likewise, not to have hand or heart in any conspiracy, or plot of Treason, or any such thing that may any ways condescend to the hurt, or prejudice of our King or Country. In like manner we protest, never to entertain into our houses any Ammunition, as Guns, Powder, or Halberds, Pikes, or Swords, or any other Jnstruments of War thereby to defend ourselves, or to raise any forces against our Royal King Charles, or Native Country. Also we deo protest, and yield ourselves, as true loyal Subjects to our King, as in all respective duty we are bound, Loving friends to our Country, and most humble Submittees, to the Honourable assembly of Parliament, Hoping they will as prudent, Fathers, and merciful Judges, one day give a judicious ear to all our aggrievances, (and in their good consideration of our loyalty) grant a gracious censure to the same, and so make us free from this imputation, and scandal now laid upon us by the vulgar, for which we shall be ever bound to pray for happy success in this world, and their everlasting joys in the world to come, in the mean time we have thought good to add to rhiss little Protestation, a Prayer for his Majesty, and another for the Honourable assembly of Parliament. A Prayer for the King WE besehch the O Almighty God, to bless thy Servant Charles out King, and preserve him from all conspiracies, dangers or hurts of his Enemies, who through thy mercy, hath taken upon him the Government of this Kingdom, or Kingdoms, and mercifully grant that he may to thy Honour, and glory, reign in peace and quietness, and that he may also receive the increase of all virtues, wherewith being decently adorned, he may both be able to avoid the monstrousness of vices, as also to come to thee right gracious, who art the way, the truth, and the life, through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth God with the and the Holy Ghost, world without end, Amen. A Prayer for the Honourable House of Parliament. O Almighty and everlasting God who of thy great Providence for the general good of this Kingdom hast called and gathered together from all parts thereof this most Honourable Assembly of Parliament, mercifully grant unto them true knowledge of thy holy will therein, and a right firm understanding of what they take in hand, that they may settle all things according to thy blessed will and pleasure, to the good of the King, and the Commonwealth. Grant them O Lord a quiet proceeding a good success, and a most happy ending in all their actions, that what they do may be to thy Honour and glory, to the good of the Kingdom, and to the everlasting happiness of their own soul's health, inspire them O Lord with thy heavenly grace with Ghostly wisdom and true understanding, that they may happily consummate all things, that we may live together in true peace and unity, to the Everlasting praise of thy most holy name, and our eternal good and theirs, through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth, God with thee in the unity of the holy Ghost, world without end, Amen. Laus Deo. in Eternum. FINIS.