THE PETITION AND VINDICATION Of the Officers of the ARMY UNDER His Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax. SETTING FORTH, Their Candied and clear intentions in their former Petition of the Officers and Soldiers of the Army, intended to be presented to their General. Wherein it will appear, they never intented to enslave the Kingdom, or put Condition on the Parliament, or to h●nder the service of Ireland, but to further it. As it was presenten to the House of Commons on Tuesday, April 27. 1647. BY Colonel Ok●y. Colonel Huson. Lieutenant Col. Reade. Lieutenant Col. Pride. Major Rogers. Captain Reinolds. Captain Goffe.. And read on Friday, April 30. London, Printed for George Whittington, at the Blue Anchor in Cornhill, near the Royal Exchange, 1647. To the Honourable the House of Commons assembled in Parliament. The humble Petition of the Officers of the Army under the command of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax on the behalf of themselves and the Soldiers of the Army; Humbly shewech, THat your Petitioners being sensible of some displeasure in this Honourable House against them through some misinformation concerning the carriage and managing of a late Petition in the Army, do humbly offer unto your consideration, the paper annexed for the better clearing of our intentions, humbly desiring your favourable construction and acceptance of what is therein contained, according to the integrity with which it is presented, And your Petitioners shall pray, etc. THE VINDICATION OF THE OFFICERS of the ARMY under Sir THOMAS FAIREFAX. THe misrepresentations of us, and our harmless intentions to this Honourable House, occasioning hard thoughts and expressions of your displeasure against us. We cannot but look upon as an act of most sad importance; tending, in our apprehensions to alienate your affections from your ever-trusty and obedient Army; than which nothing can more rejoice your Adversaries, or minister greater hopes of their re-advancement, nothing more discouraging us, who should esteem it the greatest point of Honour to stand by you till the consummation of your work, the removal of every yoke from the people's necks, and the establishment of those good Laws you shall judge necessary for the Commonwealth. Out of our fears therefore of the advantage may be made therefrom, and that the Honourable House may retain the same good opinion of us, they formerly had; (whom God hath hitherto blest with abundant blessings) We humbly crave the boldness to present unto you, some Reasons to clear our proceed in those passages, which we find most obvious to exceptions in our Petition; whereby we hope to make it evident to you, that we did no more than what necessity prompted us unto; That the means we used, and the method we took, was as we conceived most orderly, and inoffencive proceeding not in the least from distemper, and aiming in no measure at mutiny, nor in any wise to put conditions upon the Parliament, and that you will from thence discover the corruptions of these men's hearts, who have been the evil instruments of occasioning your late Declaration against us. For our liberty of petitiooing, we hope this honourable house will never deny it unto us, we know not any thing more essential to freedom, without it grievances are remediless, and our condition most miserable, you have not denied it to your Adversaries; you justified it, and commended it in your Declaration of the second of Novemb. 1642. in these words: It is the liberty & privilege of the People to petition unto us for the ease & redress of their grievances, & oppressions; and we are bound in duty to receive their Petitions: And we hope by being Soldiers, we have not lost the capacity of Subjects, nor divested ourselves thereby of our interest in the Commonwealth, That in purchasing of the freedoms of our Brethren, we have not lost our own: besides, we can instance in petitions from Officers in the Earl of Essex, and Sir William waller's Army (even whilst they were in Arms) which were will received by this honourable house, with a return of thanks: and therefore we hope we shall not be considered as men without the Pale of the Kingdom, excluded from the fundamental privilege of subjects, especially since we are conscious to ourselves of nothing that may deserve the same. We have not till now appeared in petitioning, though our necessities have been frequent and urgent, not that we doubted our liberty, but because we were unwilling to interrupt you in your other weighty affairs, and we proceeded at this time with the greatest care and caution we could, of giving the least offence, intending not to present our Petition to this honourable house, but with the approbation, and by the mediation of his Excellency, our ever honoured General, knowing how watchful our Enemies were to make the hardest construction of all our actions, and represent us to you, and the world under such terms as may render us most odious. You may see the insidies of them by the false suggestions they have already made to you; of our forcing subscriptions, the reasonableness and necessity of our desires whereof almost every soldier is abundantly sensible, will plead the vanity of such an enforcement, especially when it shall be known that the Petition took its first Rise from amongst the soldiers, and that we engaged but in the second place to regulate the soldiers proceed, & remove as near as we could all occasion of distaste. For our desires of indemnity for such actions, as being not warrantable by Law in time of Peace, we were enforced unto them by the necessity and exigency of the war-wee are confident this honourable house will approve o it, when you shall be informed, that the soldiers are frequently indicted at Assizes and Sessions, and otherwise grievously molested for such actions, and many lately suffering for the same. Notwithstanding that provision you lately made against it, That divers have had verdicts passed against them this last Assizes, for actions done as soldiers (as we are credibly informed) if this be our Portion in the time of your Session, for what we did through the exigency of your service; what cruel and violent proceed are we like to find, after you are pleased to dissolve. For the particular intimation, That the Royal Assent may be desired, we never intended it to lessen your authority; but since you have by offering the Propositions, judge the desiring of the King's assent convenient. Since likewise the City of London made the same desire without offence, and your Orders to the Judges, we know not how effectual they may prove to save us from such proceed after your Sessions; All these Reasons considere will, we hope, manifest our intentions in that intimation to be only a provident caution for our future safety, without the least thought of disrespect to your authority. For the desire of our Arrears necessity (especially of our Soldiers) enforced us thereunto, that we have not been mercenary, or proposed gain as our end, the speedy ending of a languishing war will testify for us, whereby the people are much eased of their Taxes and daily disbursments and decayed Trade restored to a full and flourishing condition in all Quarters. We left our estates, an● many of us our Trades and Callings to others, and forsook the contentments of a quiet life, not fearing or regarding the difficulties of war for your sakes. After all which we hoped that the desires of our hardly-earned-wages (by the mediation of our General) would have been no unwelcome request, nor argued us guilty of the least discontent, or intention of mutiny. We know not any thing further in our Petition which hath been excepted against, but your apprehensions that it tendeth to hinder the relief of Ireland, which we do not understand; wherein having always manifested in all our actions, our readiness to further that work, unless you mean by that desire, that those who have served voluntarily should not be pressed to go out of th● Kingdom, to which we humbly offer this; that those who have voluntarily served in these wars, and left their Parents Trades and Livelihoods, and without any compulsion, engaged of their own accords, should after all their free and unwearied labours be now forced and compelled to go out of this Kingdom, whose peace they have so much endeavoured with unwaried pains, hoping thereby to have lived & enjoyed the fruits of their labours would to them seem very hard, but besides this, our several votes and engagements March 21. to endeavour the advancement of the service of Ireland what we could, wil● clear us, and our good affections in promoting that work, and therefore we hope what hath been said, will remove all scruples, and restore us to the good opinion of this Honourable House, in assurance whereof, and in consideration of the premises, we are further emboldened to make these our requests unto this honourable House. 1. That you will be pleased to allow us our liberty of petitioning in what may concern us now as Soldiers, & afterwards as members of the Commonwealth 2. Since upon the false suggestions of some men informing you, that this Army intended to enslave the Kingdom; the honourable House was so fare prevailed withal, as to summon divers of us to appear at your Bar; and to pass a Declaration thereby expressing your high dislike of our Petition, declaring it tended to put conditions upon the Parliament: The sense of such expressions is so irksome to us who have ventured whatsoever we esteemed dear to us in this world or preservation of your freedom and privileges, that we cannot but earnestly ●mplore your justice in the vindication of us, as in your wisdoms you sha●●hink fit. Thomas Hammond Leiutennat General of the Ordnance. Colonels. Edward Wha●ley Colonel. john Lambert Calonel. Robert Lilburne Colonel. Nathaniel Rich Colonel. john Hewson Colonel. Robert Hammond Colonel. john Okey Colonel. Leivetennant Colonels. Thomas Pride Leiv. Colonel. Thomas Kelsay Leiv. Col. Thomas Read Leiv. Col. john jubbs L. Colonel. Mark Grim● L. Col. _____ Ewer L. Col. Edward Salmon L. Col. Majors Matthew Roger's Major. Danniel Axtel Major. William cowel Major. Thomas Smith Major. Thomas Horton Major. john Desborow Major. Adam Lawrence Cap. james Berry Cap. William Packer Cap. Sammuel Packer. john Gladman Cap. Leiu William Disher L. Richard Merris Leu joseph Wallington Capt. Leiu Nathaniel White Leiv. Edmond Chillenden Leiv. Cox Took Coronet. Henry Pretty Capt. Samson Toogood Leiv. john Friend. Francis Wheeler. George Ensor Leiv. George Gregson Capt. William Leigh Capt. Thomas Parsons Capt. Henry Bal. Cornet William Farley. Edmond Rolfe. Capt. john jenkin's Capt. Abraham Holmes. john Carter Capt. john Puckle Capt. William Arnop Capt. L. Thomas Price Capt. Thomas Davis Capt. Edward Orpin Capt. William Ste●ton. Richord Z●nchy Capt. Griffith Loyde Leiv. William Goffe. Capt. john Mason Capt. Wartoff Lagoe Capt. Edward Scotton Leiv. William Cobb Cornet. john Forgison Capt. Roger Alsop Capt. Thomas Disney Capt. john Nicholas Leiv. john Spencer Cornet. Richard Mass Leiv. Richard Kemp. Leiv. john Bifcoe Capt. james Loyde. Matthew Cadwell Capt. Sammuel Rosse Capt. Leiv. William Sheares. Leiv. Thomas Sheares. William I●g. Charles Whitehead Cornet. john Merriman Leiv. Henry Dorney Leiv. Azariell Husbands Capt. Charles Bolton Ensign. Stephen White Lieut. Lawrence Nunny Capt. Robert Lewis Capt. William jones Ensign. Thomas Cartwright Ensign. W. Wear Capt. Leiut. Edw. Atkinson Capt. Fran. Hawes Capt. Rich. Wagstaffe Capt. Gyles Sanders. Capt. Hugh jenkin's Lieut. Benj. Burges Capt. Rich. Essex. john Risleden. Henry Clear. T. Pennyfather Capt. Walter Bethel Capt. Sam Gardiner Capt. W. Forster. W. Milward Capt. Clem. Arnold. W. Parry. john Grove capt. W. Evanson Capt. T. Chamberlain Lieut. john Wright. john Frend. Francis Allen. Thomas Day. Abraham Davis Lieut. john Tapendean Capt. Hen. Davis Capt. Sam: Grame Capt. Alexander Brafield Capt. Tho. Atkinson Capt. W. Arnold. Lieut: john Web. Lieut. jenkin Buen Lieut. George jenkin's. Lieut. W. Hill. Lieut Ralph Gell Lieut. T. Baker Lieut. George Smith Lieut. Sam: Axtell Lieut. Henry Williams. Ens. Edw. Hoare Ens. T, Rawlins Capt. T. Lewis Ens. Ier: Canfield Ens. Rob. Nunwings Ens. T. Newnam Ens. john Davis Ens. Morgan Porter Ens. john Blunfield. Natthan. Bolet, W. powel. john Savage Lieut. john Shrimpton Lieut. jehn Mill. john Grime Capt. john Reynolds Capt. T. Mercer Capt. john Blackwell Capt. & Treas. Tho: Coleman Capt. john Goodw●ne Quartermr. john Perk. W. Stiles Cap. john Miller Lieut. Anth. Lacon Cornet. Abel Warren Gornet. T. Savage Quartermr. George Hayes Quartermr. john Adice quartermr. Reader, take notice that all the names hereunto subscribed, are Commission Officers, but by reason they did not set down their titles, the Publisher could not make them known to thee. Finis.