THE PETITION Of Divers Gathered Churches, And others well affencted, in and about the City of LONDON, For declaring the Ordinance of the Lords And Commons, for punishing Blasphemies and Heresies, Null and voided.  
Also, a seasonable Premonition to the Churches of God in the country, that aclowledge the Holy Scriptures the only Word of Faith, and believe that God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not die, but have everlasting life.  
More especially to the thirty Congregations, whose Faith and practise is extant. Printed for William Larner, at the Black-More near Fleet-Bridge. 1651.  
LONDON; Printed, and are to be sold in Pauls Church-Yard. 1655.   

TO His Highness the Lord Protector of the Common-wealth of England Scotland, and Ireland, &c.  
The Humble Petition of divers Gathered Churches, and others well affencted, in and about the City of London.  
Humbly Sheweth,  
THat the hand of the most high God hath been lifted up, and his Arm made bare in our Land, to the amazement of Nations; that he hath caused our Generation to travail in Blood, and his Saints to breath out their souls for the appearance of his power and glory amongst them, and hath been as ready to hear, as to prepare their hearts: your Highness having been an eminent Instrument, both as a man and Christian, in the midst of these dispensations, have them so deeply written upon your heart, that would you( we are persuaded) you could not blot them out: What herein was the end of God, and what was our end, you of men have given the best account, who have  told us what we also can assert; That Religion was not the thing at first contended for, but God brought it to that issue at last, and gave it to us by way of Redundancy, and it proved to be that which was most dear to us, so that all the Moneys of the Nation would not have tempted us to fight upon such an account as we have, if we had not had hopes of liberty of Religion, both for ourselves, and the generations to come: It was the hope of that which in the late change of Government gave us comfort, it was that which drew upon your Highness the heavy burden of our Protection; for in the 36, 37, 38. Articles of the instrument of Government, we judge there is a just liberty provided for the people of God, and protection in the profession of the faith and exercise of their Religion, for the most mistaken Christian that shall desire to lead a peaceable and quiet life in Godliness and honesty. But ala●! what will it avail us to have good Laws, if in the mean time the oppressing & bad( though abrogated Laws) shall by inferior Magistrates be stil put in execution against us, and we have against them no remedy, for many of us know and others are certainly informed, that of late one Mr. John Biddle,( a man, though differing from most of us in many great matters of faith, yet by reason of his diligent study in the holy Scripture, sober and peaceable conversation, which some of us have intimate good knowledge of, we cannot but judge every way capable of the liberty promised in the Government) hath been committed, and is now detained in Prison without bail or mainprize at Newgate, upon the pretence of the breach of an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons for punishing Blasphemies and Heresies 1648. which Ordinance( if it be in force) we humbly conceive, prostrateth us all more or less to punishment, and consequently destroys the Government, and frustrateth us of the fruit of that liberty, whose seed hath been sown in blood.  We do therefore humbly pray that your Highness▪ would be pleased to consider the Premises, and not only by further declaring the said Ordinance Null and voided( except as in the Instrument of Government) vaca●e all proceedings that are or may bee thereupon, against the said Mr. Biddle, and restore him to his liberty. But also upon penalty, forbidding all Magistrates to do any thing in the execution thereof contrary to the true intent of the liberty aforesaid, and your Petitioners shall pray. 

Dearly beloved Brethren,  
OUr dear Lord well knowing that it much conduced to the benefit of his Disciples, that they should foreknow the tribulations that would befall them after his departure; he forewarned them, saying, They shall put you out of the Synagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think he doth God service, John 16. 2. But these things have I  told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I  told you of them. Ver. 4. And shall we( seeing affliction and persecution hanging over yours, and our own heads) hold our peace? The example of our Lord, love and duty to him & you, bindeth us to give you notice of approaching evil; yea, Providence having placed us near the Fountain, whence this Bitter Water begins already to bubble out, and the streams whereof have embittered the peace of some; should we not be in some measure guilty if we should not call upon you to prepare yourselves, either by prevention or patience? we had thought that by the casting in of this humble address, we might have stopped the further issues, and dried up that stream: but we find our endeavours unsuccessful, and by trying discover a mighty spring, the Fountain will not be hindered the streams are like to increase; we hoped that the wellspring of our former afflicton and oppression for conscience, being dried up, we should now have enjoyed a jubilee of rest and liberty to worship God, and prof●ss faith according to our persuasions, and that the most mistaken Christian, being sober and peaceable, should have been protected; but in stead of that, we find, that even the dregs of the cup of the last conscience-oppression is prepared for us to drink, what else meaneth the putting in execution that bloody▪ Ordinance the line whereof, nothing but the mere pleasure of men in power can hinder from being stretched over our lives and liberties? And will not the severity of the said Ordinance fall first upon you, who have begun already to reject the Traditions of men, the unscriptural words & notions of Trinity in Unity, & Unity in Trinity, of three persons in one essence, of the hypostatical Union of two natures in one person, &c. and to profess your faith in the form of sound words that are found in the holy Scriptures; what else meaneth his Highness leaving you and us out of that liberty he pleads for to Godly men of different judgments? Speech Ian. 22. 1654. pag. 17, 18. for they are men of the same Faith with them they call the Orthodox Ministry, whom he also describes by the the term, Species of Protestants, or, sound in the faith,( which we are not accounted to be) whom he intercedes for. And so he lately interpnted the words of the Instrument of Government, Artic. 37. By faith in Iesus Christ( saith he) we meant such faith as the generality of Protestants have: And what doth the speech of one of his Favourites( rejecting us from the name of Churches) import less than persecution, compared with what himself said, that if we took care of keeping our societies clean by excommunication, he also must take the like care of the Common-wealth.  
Ah! Our Brethren, did we not hope that the great effusion of blood in our Land, for the redemption of the Saints from the bands of Antichristian slavery, would at least have had this glorious effect, that we might not have been afraid to have sought out, and having discovered to have professed any measure of that divine light, which long Apostacle, as well in Doctrine, as worship and discipline, had hide from our eyes: But it seemeth the time is not yet come, when he will make( Z●on) her Officers peace, and her Exactors righteousness, violence shall no more be heard in thy Land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders, Isa. 60. 17, 18. When the Sons of the stranger shall no more afflict, but Kings shall be thy Nursing Fathers, and Queens thy Nursing Mother, Isa. 49. 23. O cruel Fathers that kill the children, because they have not the understanding of men! Oh cruel Mothers that beat the children because they cannot digest the strongest meat, the greatest mysteries! Nay rather that force them to eat the poison of corrupt inv●ntion, instead of the sincere milk of that word, 1 Pet. 2. 2. It seemeth that all our Lords Enemies are not yet put under his feet, they will not suffer him on whose Shoulders the Lord of Hosts hath laid the Government to exercise it, Isa. 9. 6. The Kingdom and Dominion and greatness of the kingdom under the whole Heaven, is not yet given to the people of the Saints of the most high, Dan. 7. 27. But they that will live Godly in Christ Jesus, must stil suffer persecution. Beloved in the Lord, though we believe ye are always prepared to give a testimony to that Truth which ye have received, and are not ashamed of the GOSPEL of CHRIST, which is the Power of GOD to SALVATION; But can Glory in the across of CHRIST: Yet, lest the Day of Suffering should take ye at unawares, we have found in our hearts to sound this alarum to you; Take unto you therefore the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the Evil Day, and having done all to stand, stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, Eph. 6. 13, 14.  
Labour to be settled and established in the truth, for error will scarce give you constant comfort in a day of temptation, Having on the breastplate of righteousness; for ye will never suffer well except ye have in you▪ The testimony of a good Conscience that in simplicity and Godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God ye have had your conversations in the world, 2 Cor. 1. 12. Then will ye be as bold as lions, when ye have consciences voided of offence towards God and men, Act. 24. 16. And your feet shod with the preperations of the Gospel of peace. A bold confession of the truth is better armor against persecution than an hypocritical silence: Take the shield of Faith, for that overcometh the World, and quencheth the fierry darts of the wicked one. Take the Helmet of salvation, the blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the gread God, and our saviour Iesus will superabundantly recompense all your sufferings; The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The Sheep of Christ know not the voice of strangers Joh. 10. 45. harken diligently to the voice of Christ, and be afraid of the devised expressions and consequences of men, Praying always, &c. for all Saints, for them that suffer, for them that are in danger of suffering; pray that the cry of blood which hath been  shed for Religion, may not be made louder; pray that the guilt of the former murders and oppressions for conscience, may not again be brought upon this our poor weary England; prepare yourselves for the battle of persecution, and if the Lord shall account you worthy to suffer for his sake, rejoice and be exceeceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven.   
FINIS.