A NEW PETITION OF THE PAPISTS.  
Printed in the year 1641.   

THE HUMBLE PETITION OF THE AFFLICTED BRETHREN.  
Humbly showing,  
THat whereas there are so many different Religions now professed in England; as your Honours well know, and that with grief no doubt, casting your eyes upon the great confusion that thereby ariseth in the common wealth; every one hoping and expecting that theirs alone shall be received and established by this present and powerful high Court of Parliament and all others to be cast forth abolished and prosecuted, which certainly would cause (if it be once Decreed) a fare greater confusion and discontentment.  
For the timely prevention of which danger many hold it necessary, and humbly desire, that you would take it into your deep considerations and profound Judgements, whether it were not more convenient for this State, and more grateful to the subjects to tolerate all professions whatsoever, every one being left to use his own conscience, none to be punished or pesecuted for it.  
There is no man that professeth a Religion, but is in conscience persuaded that to be the best wherein to save his soul, & can give no doubt some reason, yea, and allege some authority out of the word of God for it, which is an argument that not his will, but his Judgement is convinced, and therefore holds it unreasonable, to be forced to follow other men's Judgements and not his own in a matter of so great importance as that of his salvation is, which is the only mark his tender soul aims at in his Religion, and for which he reads the word daily, and hourly sucking from thence sweet and holy Doctrines as Bees do honey from sweet flowers in the Spring time.  
It may be objected that this Toleration would breed a greater confusion, but we which know we have the Spirit, believe the contrary; for the establishing of only one, and suppressing all others, will breed in all a general discontent, jarring, railing, libelling, and consequently must needs follow a mighty confusion, where contrariwise, if all were permitted, all would be pleased all in peace, and their obligation and love would be fare greater to the King and State for so great a benefit as the freedom of conscience, which to all men is the most grateful thing in the world, more for the better maintaining of peace with each other, differing in Religion, how easy a matter it were considering the good natures and sweet dispositions of our English nation, who willingly would embrace a law enacted to that effect that were upon some penalty to be imposed, should affront or upbraid the other for his Religion. This in divers well governed Countries is permitted, as Holland Germany, France, and Polonia, etc. where though their Religion be as opposite as Heaven to Hell, yet their concord is so great, that they say with the Prophet David, behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together, Psal. 132.  
If therefore the Brownists upon scruple of their tender conscience, and grounded upon the word, will separate themselves, and not go to the Church with Protestants, let them alone, give them free leave to exercise their Religion where they please without disturbance, the place where doth not import, they not daring to add or diminish any thing in the written word.  
If the Puritants will not use the Service Book, Corner Cap, Surplice, or Altar, nor bow at the name of Jesus, their pure hearts esteeming it Idolatry, let them alone, they are great readers of God's book, and if they be in error, they will sooner find it, having liberty of conscience, then being oppressed with the Tyranny of the High Commission Court or other kinds of persecutions which disquiet their consciences and troubles their patience.  
If the Socinians will not subscribe to the 39 Articles nor credit more than by Natural force of their best wits they can reach unto, let them alone, they profess that if any man can give them a better reason, or confute them by the word, they are ready every hour to change their opinions, of such soft and pliable natures they are.  
If the Arminians will have Bishops, Altars, Lights, Organs, hold , merit of good works, and divers other points with Papists, though as yet no sacrifice with them, upon their Altars, let them alone, let them use their ceremonies without sacrifice, let every spirit praise the Lord, Psal. 150.  
If the Papists will have Altars, Priests, Sacrifice and ceremonies, and the Pope for their supreme head in Spiritual affairs, seeing they affirm so confidently they have had these Sixteen hundred and odd years, let them alone with their pretended prescription, and let every Religion take what Spiritual head they please, for so they will, whether we will or no, but the matter imports not, so they obey the King as temporal head, and humbly submit to the State and civil Laws, and live quietly together.  
Let the Adamits Preach in vaults & caves as naked as their nails, and starve themselves with cold, they think themselves as innocent as Adam and Eve were in their nakedness before their fall, let them therefore alone till some innocent Eve be so curious as to eat forbidden fruit, and then they will all make themselves aprons of fig leaves perceiving their nakedness.  
Let the Family of Love meet together in their sweet perfumed Chambers, giving each other the sweet kiss of peace; great pity it were it were to hinder their mutual charity; let them alone: Lastly the same we desire for all professors of the Gospel, Let every one abound in his own sense, Rom. 14.  
Now were this freedom permitted, there would not be so many idle scandalous pamphlets daily cast abroad to the great vexation of each other, & trouble to the whole Realm, every one labouring to prefer his own Religion.  
A Toleration therefore would hinder all this strife and discontentment, but if oppressed with persecution they will cry out of the word of God, We will render to Caesar, the things that are due to Caesar, and to God that which is due to God, Mark 12. If Tolerated, more promptly will they obey the King and State, if troubled or molested, they will cry, We must obey God rather than men, Acts 5. and so remain discontented and afflicted in spirit.  
Neither doth a Toleration seem dissonant, but rather concordant with the Doctrine of the most learned Protestants: First the Primate of Jreland Doctor Usher, in a Sermon before King james at Wansted 1624. admits all Christians into the Church of what Religion soever, good soul! he will have none persecuted, his tender heart draws all to Heaven. Muscovites, Grecians, Ethiopians, all reformed Churches even from Constantinople, to the East Indies, none! none by him are excluded from Paradise, as you may read in the 10. and 11. page of his aforecited sermon, his pitiful heart cannot pass such a bloody sentence upon so many poor souls; nay he will pull in the very jews and Papists, for the Ethiopians though they baptise with us, yet they circumcise also both male and female, and in all other things join hands with the Pope, as in the confession of their faith sent to Gregory the 13. is manifest, this learned Doctor being so gracious and mercifully pitiful, how can we Imagine that your clemencies will persecute those in earth which are esteemed worthy of Heaven. Master Hooker in his five books of Ecclesiastical policy, page 138. affirms the Church of Rome to be part of the house of God, a limb of the visible Church of Christ, and page 130. he saith, we gladly acknowledge them to be of the family of jesus Christ: now if the family of the Roman Church be of the family of jesus Christ, than I hope you will not deny other professors of the Gospel to be of the family of Christ, if they be of the family of God, others are not of the family of the Devil, no, all servants of Christ, brethren of Christ, all according to Doctor Ushers doctrine shall be saved: why then should any be persecuted, shall the servants of the same family persecute their fellow servants, this must needs be greatly displeasing to the Master of the family, let therefore none of the servants of the family be persecuted for the love and honour you bear to the Lord and Master.  
Seeing therefore in the opinions of these and divers other learned Protestant Doctors which you know well, the Papists may be saved, and as Doctor Some saith, in his defence against Master Penrie. Page 164. 182. and 176. that it is absurd to think the contrary ye will without question think it more absurd to hold either professors damned, than it follows that it is most absurd to persecute any whose names are written in the book of life, never to be blotted out, if they persevere and live the life of the righteous.  
Let every one therefore follow his own Religion so he be obedient to the State and temporal laws certainly, that which is erroneous will in time appear, and the professors of it will be ashamed, it will perish and whither as a flower, vanish as smoke, and pass as a shadow.  
The Apostles of Christ preaching (Acts. the 5.) the jews hearing these things it cut them to the heart, and they consulted to kill them; but as the same Chapter relates verse 34. one of the counsel rising up, a Pharisee called Gammaliell, a Doctor of the Law honourable to the people commanded the men to be put forth a while, and then he said to them, you men of Israel what mean you to yourselves for before these days there risen Theodus, saying he was some body, to whom consented a number of men, above 400. who was slain, and all that believed him were disperfed, and brought to nothing. After this fellow there risen judas of Galilee, and drew away the people after him who were dispersed.  
And therefore I say to you, depart from these men, and let them alone, for if this council or work be of men, it will be dissolved, but if it be of God, you are not able to dissolve them, lest perhaps you be found to resist God also. And they consented to him, here is a precedent, here is an example even from the Scripture itself, follow it we beseech you, give your consents, agree, vote it, that every man may have freedom of conscience, let them alone; you desire nothing but the truth by this freedom and connivency truth will at last appear, that which is of men will be dissolved, that which is of God will continue and remain for ever, now many men are wavering what to follow, what to embrace, neither will they be contented with any thing that shall be established by Act of Parliament, were it never so good, only freedom will in time cause the truth to shine upon them.  
The matter therefore of so great importance and consequence, we prostrate; leaving to your honours profound and deep judgements, humbly requesting and imploring again and again, that for the quiet of the state, for the comfort of the subject, and for the love of truth, you cause and proclaim a toleration, that for Religion none shall be persecuted, but every one shall freely enjoy his conscience.  
This is every man's case, this would bring joy to all, discontent to none; this would breed the heartiest love, loyalty and affection to our dread Sovereign, our gracious King, this would cause all dutiful and loving respects to you, right honourable and noble Peers of the upper House of Parliament, and no less to the most noble Kights, Citizens and Burgesses of the Honourable House of Commons, the careful watchful, and painful laborus, and endeavourers in this, behalf for the good of the Common wealth, and the comfort of afflicted souls and concscieces, grant therefore this Petition, and for ever you will eternize your names.  
And so praying to the Lord that he wiould endue your hearts with the spirit of true wisdom and clemency towards your poor servants and brethren in the Lord, and grant their humble petition, we ceaes.  
FINIS.