A Complaint TO THE Lord Protector,  
By THOMAS GRANTHAM, Minister of Waddington, near LINCOLN.  
Concerning the unjust, and illegal ejecting of miserable MINISTERS.  
These are to be distributed by the Author, Professor of the speedy way of teaching the Hebrew, Greek and Latin tongues, living at Mr. Martin's in the great Old Bayly, near the Ship.   

The Complaint of THOMAS GRANTHAM, Minister of Waddington.  
IN the greatest Persecutions, the Christians ever set forth their Apologies; look upon Justin Martyrs Apology for the Christians, look upon Jewels Apology for the Church of England; And he that will not hear the Oppressed complain, is worse than that unjust Judge, that neither feared God, nor reverenced man; It was lawful amongst the Romans, if a man was unjustly dealt withal, to Appeal to Caesar; The great Turk walks once a month in a certain place to hear any man complain of injustice done to him, and he is sure to have satisfaction: Solomon himself was much given to do Justice to particulars, witness that Case of the two Women striving for the Child, and the glory of his Throne of Justice, shows that he resorted to it, what should I speak of Moses, when he sat from morning to night judgof causes; and Augustus, Caesar was so given to it, that Ovid wonders he could be at leisur to read a little Poem of his; Horace sets him out highly in this kind, Quum tot sustineas ac tanta negotia solus, lib. 2. Ep. 1. What should I speak further, Justice is an Attribute of God, and Mercy is a higher Attribute; for although all God's Attributes are equal in themselves, where Justice hath her Thousands, Mercy hath her ten Thousands; he punisheth the faults of the Fathers to the third and fourth generation of the Children of those that hate him, but shows Mercy unto thousands of those that love him and keep his Commandments; Mercy then is the highest Attribute in God; And thrice happy are we who have a Ruler whose Name implies that Attribute; Whence is Mercy expected to come, but from a PROTECTOR? And indeed it hath come unto us, and no question but will continue. That we may all say as Tertullus the Orator said, Act. 20. vers. 2. Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done in this Nation by thy Providence, etc.  
There is nothing grieves a man more than a false accusation laid upon him; but for an innocent man to continue all his life time under the burden of it, and to let a Knave, nay rather a Devil, (for he is called the accuser of the brethren) to go away victorious and bragging over the ruin of a man, what patience can bear it? Actum est de homine quando actum est de nomine; A man in an ill name is half hanged.  
The Case is thus, There came two or three ignorant lying men of my Parish to the Commissioners, and said I was insufficient for the Ministry; there was no Oath given, the Commissioners without any trial of me, ejected me; at my next summons, so soon as they read the Article to me, I desired to be tried: without any Trial they ejected me; The Ordinance runs thus, There must be five Commissioners at the least; and five Ministers at least; and if upon Examination or proof made upon Oath, it shall appear, and be declared under the hands of the said Commissioners, or Ministers; who shall be present at such examination or proof, that the Minister or Schoolmaster is ignorant or insufficient, then to be ejected; it is repeated often that five Ministers should be there at least; now there was never a Minister there present, and the five Commissioners differed, but let them all agree, there must be five Ministers at least, and I desire but the Oaths of these five Commissioners present; now in this case, I think it necessary to set down the names of these five Commissioners, Mr: Harvey of Lincoln an Attorney, and Sequestrator for Lincolnshire when time was, the Major of Boston, Mr. Whiteing the Chairman for this purpose, I should have named him sirst but only I saw him rely much upon the Attorney's discretion, Mr: Yarborough, Capt: Tompson, Capt: Hart: Now Mr: Harvey received a great sum of money of my Parish some years before this Commission came down to put me and my Curate out; and upon this score I except against him; I must needs be short, and so I bundle up all their cruelties as quick as I can. Before ever they called me to trial, they took all my profits of Hay, and corn, for that was the time the fittest for them to begin; I was eighteen weeks after that before I was ejected; they left me not one farthing to maintain me all this while; now there is two things sticks in my stomach; first to have my goods taken away before I be proved to be guilty; secondly, when I come to my trial, to be put out without any. Trial or Examination at all; which is plum against the Ordinance; As they took my Tenths; take you but notice of the tenth part of their cruelties; they summoned me to Sleeford in Lincolnshire, when my Parish was in the Liberty of Lincoln, but two miles from my Personage at Waddington, and forced me to ride thirteen or fourteen miles, and to be there at eight of the Clock in the morning, and say two or three days, and have never a word said to me: All this while; they knew I had no money, nor a bit of bread to eat, nor drop of beer to drink, nor bed to lie on; all the relief that I had, was from a very poor Alehouse; and my enemies did strive to dry up that little spring, to starve me, or put me to flight.  
Take a little of the witnesses, one being so poor a man, that he could not get to be a Soldier, & was but an Inmate lately come to Town; the other confessed he went to speak against me in heat of blood, because I would not take such a one for my Curate; and he being told how he was bred from a boy to be a Coachman to my Lady Grantham, and being charged of Ingratitude, he fell so mad, that he openly professed himself sorry for what he had done: there was another that would often come to his Wife, and say, Wife let me cut thy throat, for now the evil spirit is upon me, and I must do it whether I will or no; and this he did very often; besides stranger things that I will not now speak of: to speak further of the Cruelty of these five Commissioners, and some of the dregs of of my Parish: I forbear at this time to do it; because that I will not spot this Paper, which I dedicate to my Lord Protector, only let me end with this as I began, My Lord Protector hath found the hand and finger of God, in God's Mercy of his deliverance: and God's finger, when he pointed him out to those that sought his ruin: I desire only a fair trial and proof against me, and not to be hanged until I be tried.  
Any man may guests, that I can write a volume of this; but I end now in brief, and will be bold to say, That those men shall be more excusable before God & man; who have sought my Lord Protectors life, than these men who do Tyrannize under him, and do scratch and by't, and tear and worry the lives & Estates of his peaceable Subjects; for God and man will defend him from treachery; but it was never known that oppressing hungry barking, sharking, hollow bellied Committee-men; of whom Pulpit and Blow hath complained of to every Government, that they brought ruin to it; Let them take notice but of one thing; it is in God's Law, Thou shalt not be an Informer; and if there be a necessity of such Vermin, yet be sure to credit them as little as you can. If any thing can be proved otherwise, I shall think myself worthy of the hardest censure; I have just now done, and let them take this for the first Alarm.  
Gloria Deo in Excelsis.  
FINIS.