APETITION DELIVERED IN TO THE LORDS spiritual AND temporal, BY SIR THOMAS ASTON, BARONET, FROM THE county PALATINE OF CHESTER CONCERNING EPISCOPACY; To the High and Honourable Court of Parliament.  
The nobility, Knights, Gentry, Ministers, Freeholders, and Inhabitants of the County Palatine of Chester, whose names are subscribed in the several Schedules hereunto annexed.  
Humbly show;  
THat whereas divers Petitions have lately been carried about this county, against the present form of Church government, (and the hands of many persons of ordinary quality solicited to the same, with pretence to be presented to this Honourable Assembly) which we conceiving not so much to aim at reformation as absolute innovation of government, and such as must give a great advantage to the adversaries of our Religion, we held it our duty to disavow them all.  
And humbly pray, that we incur no miscensure, if any such clamours have (without our privity) assumed the name of the County.  
We, as others, are sensible of the common grievances of the kingdom, and have just cause to rejoice at, and acknowledge with thankfulness, the pious care which is already taken for the suppressing of the growth of Popery, the better supply of able Ministers, and the removing of all innovation; and we doubt not but in your great wisdoms, you will regulate the rigour of ecclesiastical Courts, to suit with the temper of our laws, and the nature of freemen.  
Yet when we consider, that Bishops were instituted in the time of the Apostles; That they were the great lights of the Church in all the first general counsels; That so many of them sowed the seeds of Religion in their bloods, and rescued Christianity from utter extirpation in the primitive Heathen persecutions; That to them we owe the redemption of the purity of the gospel we now profess from Romish corruption; That many of them for the propagation of the truth, became such glorious Martyrs; That divers of them (lately and) yet living with us, have been so great assertors of our Religion against its common enemy of Rome; And that their government hath been so long approved, so oft established by the common and statute-laws of this kingdom; And as yet nothing in their doctrine (generally taught) dissonant from the Word of God, or the Articles ratified by Law. In this case to call their government a perpetual vassalage, an intolerable bondage; And (prima fancy & inaudita altera parte) to pray the present removal of them, or (as in some of their Petitions) to seek the utter dissolution and ruin of their offices (as Antichristian) we cannot conceive to relish of justice or charity, nor can we join with them.  
But on the contrary, when we consider the tenor of such writings, as in the name of Petitions, are spread amongst the common people; the tenants preached publicly in Pulpits, and the contents of many printed Pamphlets, swarming amongst us; all of them dangerously exciting a disobedience to the established form of government, and their several intimations of the desire of the power of the keys, and that their Congregations may execute ecclesiastical censures within themselves, we cannot but express our just fears, that their desire is to introduce an absolute innovation of presbyteral Government, whereby we who are now governed by the Canon and civil laws, dispensed by twenty-six Ordinaries (easily responsal to Parliaments for any deviation from the rule of Law) conceive we should become exposed to the mere arbitrary government of a numerous Presbytery, who together with their ruling Elders, will arise to near forty thousand Church governors, and with their adherents, must needs bear so great a sway in the commonwealth, that if future inconvenience shall be found in that government, we humbly offer to consideration, how these shall be reducible by Parliaments, how consistent with a Monarchy, and how dangerously conducible to an Anarchy, which we have just cause to pray against, as fearing the consequences would prove the utter loss of learning and laws, which must necessarily produce an extermination of nobility, Gentry, and order, if not of Religion.  
With what vehemency of spirit, these things are prosecuted, and how plausibly such popular infusions spread as incline to a parity, we held it our duty to represent to this Honourable Assembly; And humbly pray, That some such present course be taken, as in your wisdoms shall be thought fit to suppress the future dispersing of such dangerous discontents amongst the common people. We having great cause to fear, that of all the distempers that at present threaten the welfare of this State, there is none more worthy the mature and grave consideration of this Honourable Assembly, then to stop the Torrent of such spirits before they swell beyond the bounds of Government: Then we doubt not but his Majesty persevering in his gracious inclination to hear the complaints, and relieve the grievances of his Subjects in frequent Parliaments, it will so unite the head and the body, so indissolubly cement the affections of his people to our royal sovereign, that without any other change of Government, he can never want revenue nor we justice.  
we have presumed to annex a copy of a Petition (or libel) dispersed, and certain positions preached in this County, Which we conceive imply matter of dangerous consequence to the peace both of Church and State. All which we humbly submit to your great Judgements, praying they may be read.  
And shall ever pray, &c.  
Subscribed to this Petition, 

Four Noblemen.  
Knight Baronets, Knights and Esquires, fourscore and odd.  
Divines, threescore and ten.  
Gentlemen, three hundred and odd.  
Freeholders and other Inhabitants above six thousand.  
All of the same County.     

Printed for John Aston. 1641.