An Admiration by way of Answer to the Petition of the Rebels in Ireland.  
To all true hearted Protestants, why the Rebels in Ireland should petition to his Majesty to transport themselves into England to aid and assist him, and by strength to carry on his designs until they arrive at a prosperous end, and that they joining with the Papists here in England, which are a great and considerable number, do not doubt but to curb the insolences of the Protestants.  
Whereunto is adjoined the exact Copy of the Petition to the King's Majesty by the Rebels in Ireland, subscribed by 11. Lords, and others of quality; Examined by the Original by a person of honour there, being intercepted, was sen over to two Members of the House of Commons  
Dated the 17. of August, 1642.  
Sept: 17 Printed at London for Thomas Homer. 1642.   

An Admiration (by way of answer) to the Petition of the Rebels in Ireland to all true hearted Protestants, etc.  
IT is the nature of Truth that though it be long suppressed and obscured with humane policy, yet being gotten out of the clouds, it shines with clear beams, & doth appear more evedently to every common understanding, so that the guard which his Majesty is pleased to raise in the the North, doth now seem to be an army against Parliament, and shows what was in the thoughts of His evil Counsellors, before Hull or the Militia or any thing of that nature was in question. And besides there are many reasons to fortify opinions, that the Rebellion in Ireland was a plot deeply laid, they grounding their confidence on a true supposition that their design was favoured by some chief persons of England, and by their bold carriage therein have drawn the King into the suspicion of a neutrality or at least a coldness in the Protestant Religion, confirmed since by his adheering to the Counsel of the Malignant party, being most of them Papists, for is it not a miracle that a King who might be so strong in the affections of his Subjects, should endeavour to persecute his subjects with the destroying sword, and to make them suffer in his undeserved displeasure, by laying close siege unto divers Towns and Cities, and battering them with Cannons. How clear and free from aspersion might he be if he would embrace the love of his Subjects? how safe from transporting errors, if he would confide in the knowledge and uprightness of his loyal Parliament? while on the contrary, being violently led on by pernicious Councillors, his actions do not redound to the improvement of his Royal dignity, but only to the increasing of the fears, jealousies, and amazements of this Kingdom, who though loath to offend through remerity of judgement, yet, when the appearance in what a strange way of violence matters have been carried, though the Parliament hath with all humility besought a reconcilement, and how the illaffected party hath embellished His Majesty in the cruelty of a civil war, the … enesse whereof kill and disanimate the hearts of all true loving Subjects, these considerable reasons have plunged many into distracted opinions, as that the Parliaments destruction under a colourable and close pretence, hath been the intended aim of many precedent actions, that Hull and the Militia were not the chief grounds of distance between the King and Parliament, but that something else of more high consequence did foment and cherish this separation, and made the disaffected party withdraw the K. to remote parts, there to ripen designs, which being formerly premeditated do now break out with apparent violence, it being very difficult to hid affection though shadowed under the fairest pretences. But that which doth beget the greatest and newest admiration, is, that the rebels in Ireland should proceed to such a miraculous boldness, that being not contented to have perpetrated such unheard of cruelties against the English, to have made mother's spectators of their own children's murder, to have showed their inveterate tyranny in the bloody masacre massacre of the Protestants, making the whole Land to overflow with innocent blood, what blinded presumption should make them dare to become petitioners unto the King in such an audacious manner as they have lately done, for it is most certain that being led on with a hope that thereafter will be seasonable according to the distractions of the present estate of England, they have adventured with a world of impudence to present unto the K. a disgraceful tender of their service, that seeing his Majesty is engaged in a civil war, and by divers reasons necessitated thereunto, they would beseech his gracious favour to accept of their good wills in assisting him against his Parliament and Subjects, and knowing that their miseries hitherto endured were not by his Majesty procured nor altogether allowed, they in all willing obedience to vindicate the King's honour, and advance ●ll his ●roceedings and intents, will be ready, if his Majesty would give them leave, to transport themselves over into England, so to aid and assist his Majesty, and by strength to carry on all his designs till they arrive at a prosperous end, & that they joining with the Papists here in England (which are a great and considerable number) do not doubt but to curb the insolence of the Protestants, to plant again the despised popish Religion, to reunite to all the errors of the Church unto the Catholic unity, to vindicate the King's supremacy, & stare him in an unlimited arbitrary government. Thus much in effect the Rebels of Ireland do intimate to the King by way of petition, & whence this boldness should proceed is doubtful to imagine, unless some secret familiarity with the King's inclination gave them this confidence, how can they that are rebels condemned to the King's mercy, presume to offer him the help of their hands in a warlike assistance, who have already by their Rebellion forfeited their heads, this seems most strange, neither can the wonder be taken off, unless it be admitted that they have some ground to hope that their offer should be accepted, but how they should proceed to present this petition to the King's Majesty is full of mystery, and doth discover many close affections and conceal contrivances of policy, and doth imply that they have some reason unto them formerly known, which makes the popish cruel Rebels to prostrate their service to the King, in a bold and unexpected manner in the form of the aforesaid petition.   

A true Copy of the Petition of the Rebels in Ireland, subscribed by 11. Lords. and others of quality among them; Attested to be an exact Copy, being examined with the Original by a person of Honour there, when it was intercepted; and sent over unto two Members of the House in Letters, dated the 17 of August 1642.  
To the Kings most Excellent Majesty, The humble Petition of the Catholics of IRELAND.  
Most Sacred and Dread Sovereign,  
We your most loyal and Obedient Subjects, whom it nearest concerns to preserve the Rights and Prerogatives of Your Crown firm and entire, as yielding us a just and merciful protection against the security of our penal Laws. In maintenanne of that power the birthright of Kings, kept unblemished for You by Your famous Ancestors, we have had recourse to Arms, to that end only, that You our Gracious Sovereign, with all the preeminences due and derived unto You, by a long succession of Monarches, might alone Reign over us: And we in the just freedom of Subjects (Independent of jurisdiction not derived from Your Majesty) live happily under any the Crown of England. Yet lest these our intendments by the practice of our Adversaries might be misrepresented unto You, and we enforced undeservedly to suffer in Your Majesty's opinion, (which would be a burden more heavy unto us, than the sword of our Adversaries, although daily imbrued in the blood of our wives and children) we have often endeavoured to have access to that Royal Throne, which with the hazard of our Lives and Fortunes, we labour to maintain glorious and unspoited.  
Yet such is the unwearied watchfulness of our Adversaries, that all our attempts are made frustrate; And now of late when by Lieutenant Colonel Read, whom therefore we employed, because a stranges to our cause and Country, and so likeliest to pass undiscovered, we sent our Petition. He poor Gentleman was intercepted, and put to the torture of the Wrack, so as now it is beyond our reach, and only in Your Power to provide that we may be heard by Your Majesty, since we are so unhappy as that Your Majesty's resolution of coming into this Your Kingdoms, met with greater diversions than the threats and menaces of the Puritan party of the Parliament of England, who seek all things to limit You our King, and to govern us Your Subjects.  
That it would therefore please Your Majesty, to appoint some such way by which with safety we may approach Your Royal presence, that so You may be informed truly of the whole scope of our Resolutions, and we receive faithfully Your Command.  
And we, as our duty binds us, will ever pray f●● Your Majesty's happy reign over us.   
FINIS.