The Humble PETITION OF JOCK of BREAD, Scotland. To the High and Honourable Court of Parliament, now assembled at Edinburgh. Many Copies whereof were scattered about in the streets of the City of edinburgh in Scotland. woodcut LONDON, Printed for H. beck, and are to be sold in the Old Bayley. 1648. The Copy of a LETTER FROM edinburgh. Sir, THings here are almost come to their height, the prevalent party being purely for the— and by reason of their plausible arguments, that the Parliament of England are gone from their Cause, destroy Monarchy, set up all opinions, yea, a general Toleration: By this they carry many well-meaning men with them, Yet notwithstanding there is a party of Noble men, you know them, Ministers and others, who out of their confidence that the kingdom of England will do all just things, do oppose the prevalent party, bitterly protest in the House, hinder them abroad, The Ministers( also) do most stoutly oppose, have sent in this day a Declaration contrary to the Parliaments, and indeed quiter frustrates it, The prevalent party are quiter mad about it, for it lays open the madness of theirs all along. Sir upon the whole matter, I conceive there is no way to save England, but by union and mutual confidence between those called Presbyterians and Independents, without which I see nothing but ruin from our own Kingdom, and hence also. Sir if you let these Cavaliers long continue, you will not easily fetch them out, they get in provision and strengthen themselves: If there were four or five thousand horse, and so many foot on the borders now, it were to purpose, for the Scots can hardly declare for them, and if against them, then they cannot subsist long, although I am confident nothing is done but by command of the prevalent party here, yet they show it not publicly. For yesterday was a long debate, on the Commissioners of Englands Papers sent in, wherein the Commissioners declared those in Barwick Enemies and Traytors to the kingdom of England, and put them upon it to do so for Scotland, they have referred it to the consideration of the bodies. Sir I beseech you labour for a union, and let all sides lay themselves low( God hath don so) to save the whole. I have sent you the copy of the Petition of a wild fellow, called Jock of Bread, Scotland. edinburgh 3 May, 1648. TO The High and honourable Court of Parliament, now assembled at Edinburgh. THE Humble Petition of Jock of Bread, SCOTLAND. Humbly showing, THat your Petitioner hath waited patiently at your Honors doors these many years, expecting a happy conclusion to the great affairs and cause of God, for settling Religion and peace, but I know not how my hope languishes, as my fear increases, through the prevalencies of the Sectaries in England, and presumption of Malignants in both kingdoms, the first tolerating all Religions, and the last no religion, so that I know not what to say or do, but my recourse is to your Honours, who can best ease me; by weighing all in the balance of your impartial judgement: wherefore my humble desire is, that your Lordships would take out the beam out of my eye, before you take the moat out of my Brother George of England his eye; for I fear he will hardly disband his Sectaries, when you tell him, you will set up an Army of my Malignants; or that he will endure to have his Parliament declared to be under the Black Rod, so long as mine is under the White: Or that he will permit the toleration of all Religions at the suite of him that hath none, when I have both a Church and honest men to seek it, or that he will think any great odds between reposing no more confidence in Charles, and my setting up James And likewise humbly desireth, that as you desire him not to employ Sectaries, in any places of trust, so you would purge your own House from those that were Conformists of old, and of late Malignants, such as anti-Covenanters, Banders, Crosse-petitioners, Delinquents, Compliers, with Rebels, protected persons by Rebels, Sea-Forts Remonstrance, &c. And then I should be confident, the honest religious Church-party of dissenting Protestants should be able to do all things, more effectually for Religion, King and Country, then can be expected, or really intended by many of them: And do not think that faire words, or Declarations can serve my turn, since I hear the kernel of your Committee of Twenty four, drives me to an engagement of war, as did appear by my first coming from my Brother of England, by making honest David Lashly innocently draw the troops and Foot Regiaments together upon my Border, when that failed, then by high and big words, and bringing in all the Malignants party of my Brother of England, but neglecting these, you now seem to pled for, Hollis, Waller, Massey, Poyns, Lewis, &c. and all this upon an undertaking with the King, which I will not yet discover: And now I know all Declarations are alterable, and are the only blinds that States use to deceive by. So again, and again, I humbly beseech you to follow the advice of the Church in Church-matters, and employ faithful and honest men in your Courts and Armies, whom they may trust, then shall I hope to come speed, and beware of explaining the 29 Article of the Parliament 1641. Which is my onely Liberty, all this I pray for at your Honours hands, and your favourable Answer. And so your Petitioner shall pray, &c. JOCK of BREAD. FINIS, May 10 1648 Imprimatur G M.