THE PETITION AND ARTICLES Exhibited by the Parishioners of Pont island and others in the County of Northumberland, against Dr. Gray, Vicar of the said Parish.  
unto the Honourable, the House of Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
March, 15th. 1641.  
London, Printed for John Thomas, 1641.   

To the Honourable the Commons House now assembled in Parliament.  
The humble Petition of the Parishioners of the Parish of Pont iceland and others in the County of Northumberland.  
SHEWETH,  
THat about 15. or 16. yeares since one Thomas Gray the reputed Bastard of one Mr. Phillip Gray, Symoniacally having got the Viccaridge of the said Parish hath since continued Vicar there, being very scandalous both in Life and Doctrine, & thereby a great offence, burden ▪ and oppression to the said Parish by his new erected Altar, East-worshipping, Popish consecration of the Sacrament, Secondly, Service not preaching, wilful neglect of his Cure, Popish Doctrines, double Beneficed, non-residence from both Cures, oppression of the Parish, familiarity and countenancing with Papists, prosecution of some Parishioners in the high Commission. And Lastly, by cheating the said Parish and other places of money paid to them by the Scots for your Petitioners and others, in recompense of their charges, as by the Articles hereunto annexed more at large appeareth: Whereby the said Mr. Gray hath been a great and intolerable offence, burden, and oppression to the said Parish both in their souls and Bodies.  
Your Petitioners therefore most humbly pray this honourable Assembly to sand for the said Thomas Gray to answer the premises, that he may receive such condign punishment for his offences, and your Petitioners such relief and comfort both in soul and body ●y his removal; and placing a 〈…〉 le and conscientious Minister in the said Parish, as to Iustice and equity, and your great wisedoms shall seem meet.  
And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.   

Articles exhibited by the Parishioners of Pont-Iland in the County of Northumberland, against Thomas Gray Vicar of the said Parish.  
INprimis, That the said Thomas Gr●y being vicar of Edlingham in the County of Northumberland, did resign the same unto one Mr. Charles Oxley the then Incumbent vicar of Pont-Island aforesaid, and paid likewise to him 200. l. or some such like sum of ready money part of his wifes portion for and in consideration of this said Viccaridge of Pont-Iland, whereby about 15. or 16. yeares since he was instituted into the said Viccaridge of Pont-Island, and so Symoniacally became Vicar thereof, which ever since he hath enjoyed.  
2. That the said Thomas Grey is a Bastard, the supposed base son of one Phillip Grey Esq. and a poor mean woman an Alewife, whereby he being not capable of the ministry, divers in the Parish were exceedingly offended, that they should be constrained to receive the holy Sacraments from, and the souls be committed to the charge of one who ought not to enter into the Congregation of the Lord.  
3. That the Communion Table in the said Church having always stood in the body of the Church, that the Minister might stand at the North side at the time of the administration of the holy Communion, according to the Book of Common Prayer and Canon in that ease provided: The said Tho: Gray caused the Table to be removed and placed it Alterwise close to the wall of the East end of the choir, according to the Lord of Canterburies fashion, as he himself said and did Officiate thereat with his face to the East, and back to the people at the Administration of the holy Communion, whereby divers in the Parish, did absence themselves from coming to the Sacrament, and to divers other it became a stumbling block, and rock of offence, to the great scandal of our Religion, and rejoicing and increase of Papists, with whom he was very conversant and familiar.  
4. That the said Thomas Gray did usually at certain set times and Festivals, go up to the said Altar in his Surplice, Hood, Tipper, far distant and remote from the Congregation, and red and sung a second Service as he called it, a thing never heard of in that Church before in the memory of manto the great amazement of the people, who could neither see him, nor understand what he sung or said, only that they heard a great noise, full of confusion and clamour.  
5. That the said Thomas Gray being earnestly entreated by the parish, either to suffer a Lecturer to preach in the said Church on the afternoons of the Lords day, or to Lecture to them himself, did upon a large contrib●tion of the people, promise to preach constantly himself which for a little while about a quarter of a year he did, but afterwards discontinued altogether himself, and would not suffer any other to preach, whereby the Parish was not onely robbed by him of the word of God the means of salvation, to their great discontent and trouble, but also usually there was no prayers nor service at all red in the said Church in the afternoon.  
6. That the said Thomas Gray did preach in the said Church in defence of Auricular confession, Altars, praying to the East, and did highly commend the reverend and learned Bishops and Prebends of Durham,( as he called them) for that they had set up and restored the Altar in the Cathedrall Church, and taken away the Communion Table, saying that Altars were altogether used in the best and primitive times, and so continued by all antiquity, until of late Calvin broached a new Doctrine, and brought in Tables into Churches, so that ab initio non fuit sic, now there was blessed be God, assured hopes of having the true Religion planted amongst us, likewise he uttered words to that effect in the presence of an ancient papist, very hotly arguing wilh one of the said parish in defence of Altars.  
7. That the said Thomas Gray, being not contented with the said Viccaridge, procured for himself another Viccaridge called Chillingham, which he still holdeth contrary to the laws, which saith ▪ no man shall hold two Viccarages and became a Farmer of a place called Horton, where he Lived non-resident from both the said Viccarages for divers yeares and also the said Gray became Steward of all the Lord Grayes Estate in the North, and Farmer or disposer of divers Tithes, as of the Parishes of Emilton, Stanington, and Pont-Island; where he also now farms Lands to the Value of about 150, l. Per. annum, by which farms and vndertakings, he Lived for many yeares out of the said Parish, and left, the Cure vnprovided, so as for divers Lords Dayes, there was neither Service nor Sermon, for that he had hired a farm, bought a piece piece of Ground, and not five, but many Yokes of Oxon, and could not come to the great offence, of the godly and well disposed person●, scandal of Religion, increase of Athisme, & ncouragement of Papists.  
8. That the said Grey, hath greatly oppressed the said Parish especially the poorer sort, by his said farm of 150. l. Land where they used to have both grass and Hay for their Catteil which now they cannot get but are forced to seek elsewhere at excessive Rates, for that the said Gray hath ploughed up all those meadows to the great enriching of himself and impoverishing of them, and was by his framing and disposing the Tithe corn, lamb, and wool of the said parish, and taking them from the several Towns and places, and inhaunsing them to unreasonable Rates, never the like of which was paid before.  
9. That the said Thomas Gray being an English man sometimes of the university of Cambrdge. declined the said university, and did go into Scotland, where he took( as he said at his return) the degree of doctor in Divinity and procured himself to be made Justice of the peace for the County of Northumberland, and did report and aver that he was the Kings chaplain, and usually so Signified in his prayer before Sermon; though indeed he neither was chaplain in Ordinary or extraordinary to his Majesty. but this he did that by such his Honour and Authority he might the better keep his parishioners in Subjection by his grandeur, & the said Gray during the time of his being Justice of the peace, Doctor and supposed chaplain to his Majesty, did put his Children to school in a convict Papists house to a popish schoolmaster, supposed to be a popish Priest, and amongst them a jesuit, to the great scandal of our Religion and perverting of Justice, and the manifest violation of his Oath at his admission to be Iustice of the peace, whereby he was tied to a strict observation and execution of the laws of England, by which his great familiarity with papists, especially with one Roger Withrington, most scandalous and dangerous of all the rest, having been twice confined for matters against the State, and by neglect of his pastoral charge, execution of Justice, and scandal both in life and doctrine ●t was suspected in the parish, and by men of the best quality in the Cuontry. that he the said Gray, was an absolute hear p●pist or a mere atheist.  
10. That by such exorbitant impious and irreligious Acts of the said Gray, divers of the said Parish refused to come to the said Church, their consciences not suffering them either to hear or Communicate with a man so extremely scandalous, both in life and doctrine. And others having been formerly disappointed, and not knowing whether they should have either Sermon or Service, when they came to Church ▪ did go to other neighbour Parishes where they might hear the word of God, and receive the holy Communion with comfort, for which and no other cause they were convented in divers eclesiastical Courts, and persecuted with pursuivants of the high Commission and at last excommunicated, and some of them stand still excommunicate to this day for the same.  
11. That the said Doctor Gray by his earnest Solicitation, faithful promises, and corrupting a Scottish Quarter-master, did receive 180 l. o● there abouts from the●cots, to be paid unto the said Parish, and other places adjoining, for Hay. Oats and other losses and charges, which the said Parish had undergone by reason of the earl of Carlils Regiment, who then billeted there, yet notwithstanding the said Gray concealed the receipt thereof from the Parish, and when some of the Parish had notice and intelligence thereof, and did thereupon demand the money of the said Gray, h● altogether refused to repay the said money or make any satisfaction, and still detaineth the same, whereby he hath couzned both the Scots in discharging their credits, and faithful engagements, to the said Parish, and the other places, and cheated them in defrauding them of their moneys.   
FINIS.