Remarkable PASSAGES: FIRST, A prayer for the Parliament.  
AS ALSO THE Archbishop OF Canterbury's Letter to the Archbishop of York, and the Lord Keeper, to put in Practice the King's desires.  
WITH A PETITION TO His majesty, by divers Noblemen and Gentlemen estated in Ireland, and now residing in London.  
ALSO A NEW DECLARATION FROM Both Houses of Parliament.  
Ordered by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, that this be forthwith Printed.  
Hen. Elsing. Cler. Par. D. come  
Printed for W. G. 1642. July 15.   

A prayer For the High Court of Parliament, to be read in such place of these Prayers after the litany, as the Minister shall think fit.  
MOst gracious God, We humbly beseech thee, as for this Kingdom in general, so especially for the High Court of Parliament, under our most Religious and Gracious King, at this time assembled: That thou wouldest be pleased to bless and direct all their Consultations, to the preservation of thy glory, the good of thy Church, the safety, honour, and welfare of our sovereign and his Kingdoms. Lord look upon the humility and devotion with which they are come into thy courts: and they are come into thy house in assured confidence upon the Merits & Mercies of Christ (our blessed Saviour) that thou wilt not deny them the Grace and Favour which they beg of thee. Therefore O Lord, bless them with all that wisdom, which thou knowest necessary to speed and bring great designs into action, and to make the maturity of his majesties and their Counsels, the happiness and blessing of this commonwealth. These and all other necessaries for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly beg, in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.   

The Archbishop of Canterbury's Letter, to the Archbishop of York.  
MY very good Lord, I doubt not, but before this time, you have received from me the Directions of his most excellent Majesty, concerning preaching and preachers, which are so graciously set down, that no godly or discreet man can otherwise then acknowledge, that they do much tend to edification, if he do not take them up upon report, but do punctually consider the tenor of the words as they lie, and do not give an ill construction to that, which may receive a fair interpretation. Notwithstanding, because some few Churchmen, and many of the people, have finisterly conceived as we here find, that those instructions do tend to the restraint of the exercise of preaching, and do in some sort abate the number of Sermons, and so consequently, by degrees do make a breach to ignorance and superstition; His Majesty in his Princely wisdom, hath thought fit, that I should advertise your Lordship of the grave and weighty reasons, which induced his highness to prescribe that which is done.  
You are therefore to know that his Majesty being much troubled and grieved at the heart, to hear every day of so many defections from our Religion both to Popery and Anabaptism, or other points of separation in some parts of this kingdom, and considering with much admiration: what might be the cause thereof, especially in the reign of such a King, who doth so constantly profess himself an open adversary ●othe Superstition of the one, and madness of the other: his P●incely wisdom could fall upon no one greater probability, than the lightness, affectedness and unprofitableness of that kind of preaching, which hath been of late years to much taken up in Court, University, City, and country.  
The usual scope of very many Preachers, is noted to be soaring up in points of Divinity, too deep for the Capacity of the people or a mustering up of much reading, or a displaying of their own wit, or an ignorant meddling with civil matters as well in the private of several Parishes and Corporations, as in the public of the Kingdom: or a venting of their own distaste, or a smoothing up of those idle fancies, which in this blessed time of so long a peace, do boil in the brains of an unadvised people, or lastly, a rude or undecent railing not against the Doctrines (which when the Text shall occasion the same, is not only approved, but much commended by His royal Majesty,) but against the persons of Papists and Puritans. Now the people bred up with this kind of teaching, and never instructed in the catechism and fundamental grounds of Religion, are for all this Airy nourishment, no better than (abraiae tabulae) new table-books ready to be filled up, either with the Manuals and catechisms of the Popish Priests; or the papers and pamphlets of Anabaptists, Brownists and Puritans.  
His Majesty therefore calling to mind the saying of Tertullian Id verum quod primum:) and remembering, with what doctrine the Church of England in her first and most happy Reformation did drive out the one and k●ep out the other from poisoning and infesting the people of this kingdom doth find that the whole scope of this Doctrine is contained in the articles of Religion, the two books of Homilies, the lesser and the greater catechism, which his Majesty doth recommend again in these directions as the Theatres and proper Subjects of all sound and edifying preaching.  
And so far are these directions from abating that his Majesty doth expect at our hands, that it should increase the number of Sermons, by renewing upon every Sunday in the afternoon in all Parish Churches throughout the Kingdom that Primitive, and most profitable Exposition of the catechism, wherewith the people, (yea) very Children may be timely seasoned and instructed in all the heads of Christian Religion the which kind of teaching, (to our amendment be it spoken,) is more diligently observed in all the reformed Churches of Europe, then of late it hath been here in England. I find his Majesty much moved with this neglect, and resolved: (if we that are his Bishops, do not see a Reformation hereof, which I trust we shall) to recommend it to care of the civil Magistrate. So far is his highness from giving the least discouragement to solid preaching or discreet, or religious Preachers.  
To all this, I am to add, that it is his majesty's Princely pleasure, that both the former directions, and those reasons of the same, be fairly written in every Registers office: to the end, that every Preacher of what denomination soever, may if he be so pleased take out copies of either of them with his own hand (Gratis) paying nothing in the name of see and expedition. But if he do use the pains of the Register, or his clerks, then to pay some moderate fee, to be pronounced in open Court by the chancellors and Commissaries of the place, taking the direction and approbation of my Lords, the Bishops: Lastly, that from hence forward a course may be taken, that every Parson, Vicar, Curate, or Lecturer, do make exhibit of these his majesty's directions, and the reasons for the same at the ensuing visitation of the Bishops and Arch-Deacons, paying to the Register by way of see, but two pence at the time of the exhibit: and so wishing, but withal in his majesty's name requiring your Lordship to have a special and extraordinary c●●e of the premises. I leave you to the Almmighty.  
From Croyden, Sept. 4. 1622. Your lordship's very loving Brother, G. Cant.   

The Lord archbishops Letter to the Lord Keeper.  
BY this you see, his majesty's Princely care, that none should preach Christ crucified, obedience to the Higher Powers, and honest, and Christian conversation of life, but in a Religious form; and not that every young man shall take upon himself an exorbitant liberty to teach what he listeth, to the offence of his Majesty, and the disturbance and disquiet of the Church and commonwealth. I can give your Lordship no better directions for the pursuance hereof, then are prescribed to you in his majesty's Letter, and the Schedule herewith sent unto you, whereof I pray your Lordship to be very careful, since it is the Princely pleasure of his highness to require an account both of you and me for the same. And so not doubting, but by your Register, or otherwise, you will cause these instructions to be communicated to your Clergy. I leave you to the Almighty and remain.  
Your loving Brother CANT.   

To the Kings most Excellent majesty, The humble Petition of divers Noblemen and Gentlemen Estated in Ireland, now at London.  
Humbly showeth,  
THat most of Your Petitioners, and many thousands of Your majesty's most faithful Subjects, and late Inhabitants of Your Kingdom of Ireland, being robed, and spoiled of all their substance (and thereby many of them reduced to a most miserable condition, who formerly faithfully served Your majesty) are now enforced to flee into this Kingdom by occasion of the unexampled, bloody, and unhuman cruelties of the Rebels of that Kingdom, who through the instigation of Papist Priests, friars, and Jesuits and other malignant persons, have risen in arms in that Kingdom against Your majesty's crown and Dignity, and destroyed, or banished almost all Your Majesties loyal and dutiful Subjects the Protestants there, for no other cause, but for that they do not worship God after their Idolatrous and superstitious manner: which is manifest by their public Declarations, Speeches, oaths, and Confederacies (albeit some few other fond pretences are added, to gloss their most barbarous actions) That these four months past, the expectation of powerful Supplies, Treasure and Ammenition from England and Scotland, hath supported the drooping and languishing Spirits of your petitioners and others, the Protestants, interessed in that Kingdom, who finding but small succours hitherto sent thither, notwithstanding the several orders of both Houses of Parliament, do now with unspeakable grief of heart, apprehend nothing but despair of ever being restored to their habitations, if your Majesty be not graciously pleased to give life and power to the painful endeavours of both Houses of parliament, the prosecution of that War necessarily requiring a great sum of money to be presently raised. And in all humility. The Petitioners conceive, the act lately passed by Your majesty's royal Grace and goodness, (upon the propositions made by those who shall adventure their moneys) to be the only way left for raising present Money for that work. And they find that the removal of your sacred Majesty to places so remote, and distant from the Parliament doth much discourage the Adventurers in advancing Moneys for effectual proceeding in the work, and consequently will be a means unavoidably to retard the long expected supplies, contrary to Your majesty's royal intentions often expressed, and will much encourage the Rebels, and their adherents in that Kingdom, and may in the opinion of some, (as they fain) gain a belief of those false reports, which divers of the Rebels have taken the boldness to raise, even very lately, since the publishing of your majesty's Proclamation for suppressing the Rebels, that they are your majesty's soldiers and that the supplies that arrived here, were but the Parliaments supplies. And your further Petitioners humbly show, That if strong Forces be not presently raised, and transported thither, (the season of the year now serving) the British and Protestants in that Kingdom cannot long subsist, but will be extirpated, and Papists and the idolatrous mass thereby established, which is already publicly used in most of the Churches of that Kingdom.  
May it therefore please Your most sacred Majesty, to reflect upon the desperate and miserable condition of that poor Kingdom and weighing the premises and other the consequences of delaying the effectual setting forward of the War against the Rebels in Ireland, of Your Princely goodness and wisdom, to vouchsafe Your majesty's presexce unto Your Parliament, for the encouragement of the Adventurers, and all other your majesty's good subjects in this pious work for the discouragement of the Rebels and for expediting such further Acts, Commissions and Warrants to issue as shall be requisite for the preservation of the remnant of Your good subjects, the Protestants yet left in Ireland, or driven for the present thereout.  
And Your Suppliants will pray, &c.   

A NEW DECLARATION FROM BOTH Houses of PARLIAMENT.  
THe Lords and Commons in Parliament do declare, That it is against the laws and Liberties of the kingdom, that any of the Subjects thereof, should be commanded by the King to attend him at his pleasure, but such as are bound thereto by special Service: and that whosoever upon pretence of his majesty's command shall take arms, and gather together with others in a warlike manner, to the terror of the King's people shall be esteemed disturbers of the public peace, and to do that which may introduce a precedent of very dangerous consequence for the future, and produce most mischievous effects for the present considering the great distempers of the Kingdom, and what pernicious councillors and Incendiaries, are now about the King, and how desperate and ill affected divers persons attending upon his Majesty, have showed themselves to the Parliament, and to his other good subjects, threatening and reproaching them publicly, even in His majesty's presence, and for preventing and avoiding such great mischiefs as may thereupon ensue.  
It is Ordered and Ordained by both Houses of Parliament. That if the Trained-band, or any other his majesty's Subjects, shall upon pretence of any such command be drawn together, and put into a posture of war, the sheriff of that County where there shall be such raising, or drawing together of armed men: do forthwith raise the power of the County to suppress them and to keep his majesty's peace according to the Law. And that the Lord Lieutenants, justices of the Peace, and all other his majesty's Subjects, be aiding and assisting to the several and respective Sheriffs in performance hereof, as they will answer the contrary at their peril.  Hen. elising. Cler. Parl. D. Com. 
FINIS.