To the High and Honourable Court of Parliament.  
The humble Petition of sundry of the Nobles, Knights, Gentry, Ministers, Freeholders, and divers thousands of the Inhabitants of the County Palatine of Chester, whose names are subscribed to the several Schedules hereunto annexed.  
In Answer to a Petition delivered in to the Lords spiritual and temporal, by Sir Thomas Aston, Baronet, from the County Palatine of CHESTER, concerning episcopacy.  
Humbly show;  
THAT whereas divers Petitions, by the practice of the Prelates and our present Diocesan, have been lately posted about this County for the continuance of our present exorbitant hierarchy and Church-Government, under which the whole kingdom hath long time groaned, and the hands of many persons of sundry qualities (Solicited to the same by the Prelates agents) with intent to be preferred to this Honourable House, which we conceiving, not so much to aim at our Church and Prelates Reformation, as at the maintenance of their absolute Jurisdiction and Innovations both in Religion and Government, which will give the greatest advantage to the adversaries of ou● Religion: We hold it our duties to disavow them all, especially that lately tendered to the Lords spiritual and temporal, by Sir Thomas Aston Baronet.  
And hu●bly pray, that we incur no miscensure, if any such scattered Papers have (without our privity) surreptitiously assumed the name of our County.  
We, (as all other Counties of this realm) are deeply sensible of the many common and heavy Grievances (under which the whole three kingdoms suffer) occasioned by the Prelates, and have just cause to rejoice at, and acknowledge with thankfulness, the pious care already taken by your Honours for the suppressing of the growth of Popery; the better supply of able Ministers in all places to instruct the People; removing of all Innovations, and for your endeavours to suppress and remove our Lordly Prelates, the sole Authors of all our present miseries, Innovations, and most professed enemies of the gospel: and we doubt not but in your great wisdoms you will not only regulate the rigour of their exorbitant ecclesiastical Courts, but likewise wholly extirpate them, as neither suiting with the Temper of our Laws, nor the nature of freemen.  
And when we consider, that Diocesan Lordly Bishops, superior to Presbyters, were neither Instituted, nor heard of, in the time of the Apostles, who always ordained 
a Acts 11. 30. c. 14. 23. c, 15. 2. 4, 6. 22, 23. c. 16. 4. c. 20. 17. 28. c. 21. 17, 18. c. 22. 5. phil. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 5. 17. c. 3. 1. to 9 c. 4. 14. Tit. 1. 5, 6, 7. Iam. 5. 14. 1 pet. 5. 1, 2, Rev. 4. 10. c. 5. 11. 14. c. 7. 11. 13. c. 11. 16. c. 19 4. If than it be of Divine and apostolical institution, that there should be many Bishops and presbyters in every particular Church; Then it is point blank against it, to erect one Bishop over many Churches, and one Archbishop over many Bishops, one patriarch over them and one pope superior to them all: And if one man's possessing of a plurality of Churches hath been ever held infamous and unlawful in all ages, because he cannot discharge their cure, much more must one Bishops superintendency over many hundreds or thousands of Churches, which he cannot duly govern and instruct, be more unlawful.  sundry Bishops in every particulor Congregation, and those all equal in Authority; not one Bishop over many hundred Churches, and he paramount his fellow Presbyters: That our 
b See Bishop Usher Do Brit. Eccles. primordiu c. 1, 2, 3, 4. 6, 7, 8. c. 16. pag. 800. Fordon Scotchton l. 3. c. 8. Major de Gest. Scoter. l. 2. c. 2.  Church of England (with that of Scotland) from the first plantation of the gospel here, in the Apostles days, for some hundred of years after had no Bishops at all to govern it. That 
c Bishop Vsher De Brit. Eccles. primordiu c. 5. p. 56, 57, 58, 59  all ancient Authors and Historians unanimously record, that our Archbishops and Bishops, succeeded the Heathenish Arch-Flammines and Flammines here planted in times of paganism, both in their Institution, Jurisdiction and Seas; and so are only of ethnical or diabolical, not apostolical Institution. That they were the greatest firebrands of contention, and Authors of 
d Cent. Magd. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 cap. 8.  all the schisms in the first general counsels, and Primitive-Church. That so many of them have sowed the tares of heresy, Popery, schism, Rebellion, Sedition, 
e See Baleus de vitis pontificum. The imperial History. Morney his mystery of Iniquity. The English and French Book of Martyrs, Holingshead, Speed, and goodman's Catalogue of Bishops.  opposed, excommunicated, dethroned, yea murdered Christian Kings, Emperors, and raised up many bloody wars to the effusion of much Christian blood, in all kingdoms, where they have swayed; preserved and rescued Popery and heresy from utter extirpation in this and former ages; exceeded the Primitive persecutors in Martyring and shedding the blood of God's dear Saints. That to them we owe the corruption of the purity of the gospel we now profess, with Romish Errors and Superstitions, as your Honou●s have already unanimously voted. That many of them for the propagation of Popery, and suppressing of the Truth (especially the Arch-prelate of Canterbury, William Laud, accused by your Honours, and committed to the Tower of London for 
* See his Articles.  High Treason against his Majesty, our Laws, and established Religion; Bishop Wren, Bishop Montague, Bishop Pierce, Bishop Goodman, and others now in question before this Honourable Assembly) are like to become glorious Martyrs in the Roman Calendar. That (not divers, but) most of them lately, and yet living with us, have been very great Oppugners of our Religion, endeavouring to reduce or captivate it to the common enemy of Rome. And that their tyrannical, papal, Lordly government hath been so long oppugned by 
f See Catalogus Testium veritatu: Flagellum pontificu the last Edition, and a Catalogue of Testimonies in all ages, &c. lately Printed.  infinite godly Martyrs and writers both at home and abroad; established (through their own overswaying power, and undermining subtlety) by the Common and Statute Laws of the kingdom made only in times of Popery, but oft exploded or restrained by sundry Laws and Statutes since the time of Reformation, though with little good success: And as yet there is nothing in their Doctrine (generally taught, when they rarely preach) but what is dissonant from the word of God, or the Articles ratified by Law. In this case, not to call their government, a perpetual vassalage, an intolerable bondage. And (prima fancy, though not, inaudita altera parte, of whom your Honours have heard so much evil already in the Committees for Religion; for the High Commission, Bishop Wren, Bishop Peirce, the Ministers Londoners, and other Counties Petitions against prelacy) not to pray the removal of them, and not to seek the utter desolation and ruin of their Offices as ●●●hristian (as divers Counties else have done in their Petitions to your Honours,) we cannot conceive but to relish of injustice, and uncharitableness, both to the So●●●● Bodies and Estates of us and our posterity; nor can we join with them who petition for their continuance.  
But on the contrary, when we consider the Tenor of such writings and Books as by the Prelates and their agents have been lately spread among the people with their public allowance (as the Prelates New Canons, Oath, and act for a malevolent Benevolence, for non payment whereof every Minister shall at first bout be ipso facto deprived, without the benefit of any appeal, Bishop Montague's, Dr. Heylins, Dr. Pocklingtons', Shelfords, Doves, Reeves, Francis Salis, Franciscus de Sancta Clara, their late Books, with others: and our Prelates Letters in nature of Commissions, for the collecting of the late loan for the maintenance of the wars against the Scots, which Bishop Peirce affirmed in sundry speeches to the clergy of his Diocese, to be Bellum Episcopale, the Bishop's war, using it as the chief motive why they should liberally contribute towards it. When we again ponder the tenants preached publicly in Pulpits, and the Contents of many Printed Pamphlets swarming everywhere amongst us, 
* See the Archbishop's Articles, n. 2.  against the frequency power and use of Parliaments; the Right and Liberties of the Subjects, the propriety of their goods; in advancing the exorbitant Jurisdiction of Prelates, their Inj●nctions and Courts under the name of the Church; their asserting of his majesty's absolute power both over the Laws, Goods, Lives and Liberties of the Subject, and the like; all of them dangerously tending to the introduction of a lawless tyranny, and arbitrary form of Government both in Church and State; to rob his majesty of the hearts and loyal affections of his people: And then further consider, not only the Bishops several usurpations of the sole power of the keys, and Ordination, but likewise their intimations of their desire of the full power of the Sword, that they in their several Courts (as they do in all their High-Commissions) may execute both ecclesiastical and civil Censu●es within themselves. We cannot but express our just fears, that their intention is to introduce an absolute Innovation of tyrannical and papal Government: Whereby we who are now governed only by the Common and Statute Laws of this realm made in Parliament, shall be governed (as our Anti-petitioners confess we are) only by the Canon and civil Laws (which the now 
g See the Archbishop's Articles Art. 1.  Archbishop of Canterbury professed he would introduce and govern us by) made and dispensed only by twenty-six Ordinaries and their under-Officers (or rather only by one over-potent Arch-Prelate) not easily responsible to Parliaments, for their deviations from the Rules of Law, so long as they enjoy such ample Lordly Revenues, continue Lords in Parliament, Lords of the privy counsel, and greatest swaying Officers in the realm, 
h Archbishop's Articles, Ar. 13.  able to dissolve even Parliaments themselves in case they attempt to question them (as we know by many late experiments;) whereas if we were governed (as was the 
i See the Answer to an Humble Remonstrance. Gersonius Encerus de Gobernat. Ecclesiae.  Primitive Church) by a numerous Presbytery and ruling Elders, (Far less in power, though more in number) according to the Laws of God, and those this Honourable Assembly (not the Convocation, or every Bishop in his Diocese at his mere pleasure) shall prescribe; we dare assure ourselves, no such inconveniences shall be found in that Government, equivalent to those of episcopacy; which how corrigible they have been by Parliaments and counsels, how ill consistent with a monarchy; and how dangerously conducible to an anarchy; their incorrigibleness, Treasons, Rebellions, Conspiracies, with the wars and tumults occasioned by them in all former ages, and now, abundantly manifest. And therefore we have just cause to pray against their continuance, as fearing their consequences would prove the utter loss of piety, liberty, unity, peace, Laws, and divine learning, and necessarily produce an extermination, if not of nobility, gentry, and Order, yet certainly of Religion, and all true piety.  
With what vehemency and arrogancy of Spirit the Prelates and their Instruments have prosecuted all good Ministers and people of all sorts, even to the loss of Members, Blood, liberty, Life, Goods, Fortunes: and how many thousands of his majesty's good Subjects they have driven out of the realm into foreign parts; and how plausible your Honourable proceedings in this present Session of Parliament against their Innovations, Canons, Exorbitances, (yea, and their very Callings too) have been to the whole kingdom (who daily bless God for them) we need not represent to your honours. And therefore humbly pray, that some present speedy course may be taken, as in your wisdoms shall be thought fit, to suppress all Lordly Prelates; together with the importing, Printing and dispersing of all Popish and Arminian books, and the calling in and burning of those forenamed, (especially of the late Canons, Oarh, and Act for the Benevolence) which have produced dangerous discontents both in the clergy and common people, We having great cause to fear, that of all the distempers which at present threaten the welfare of this State, there is none more worthy the mature and grave consideration of this Honourable Assembly, then to stop the Torrent of such ambitious Spirits, as lie masked under our Lordly Prelates white Rochets, before they swell beyond the bounds of Government, and drown his majesty's three whole kingdoms in a deluge of blood, and utter desolation. Then we doubt not but his majesty, persevering in his gracious inclination to hear the Complaints, and relieve the grievances of his Subjects in frequent Parliaments, it will so unite the Head and the body (
(k) Archbishop's Charges Art. 14. Mr. Nathanael Fines Speech in parliamett, Febr. 9 p.  severed principally by the practices and continuance of the Prelates) and so indissolubly cement the affections of the people to our royal sovereign; that without any future government at all by Bishops, he shall be a more absolute and happy Prince than any of his Predecessors, and shall never want revenue, and honour, nor his people justice.  
We have presumed to annex a Copy of several Petitions exhibited to your Honours against the Prelates this Parliament, and of sundry Positions preached by their instruments in this and other Counties, which we conceive imply matter of dangerous consequence to the peace both of Church and State: together with a brief Remonstrance of sundry Grievances, Innovations and Persecutions, under which we of this County (especially those of the City of Chester) have miserably suffered, by means of our now Bishop, and the highcommissioners at York. All which we humbly submit to your grave judgements, praying that they may be read, and redressed.  
Subscribed to this Petition, 

Eight Noblemen.  
Knight Baronets, Knights and Esquires, ninescore and nineteen.  
Divines, one hundred and forty; not one of them a maker, taker, or approver of the new &c. Oath and Canons.  
Gentlemen, seven hundred fifty seven.  
Freeholders and other Inhabitants, above twelve thousand.   All of the same mind, and County, and not one of them a Popish Recusant.