To the Kings most ExcelLENT majesty. THE humble PETITION Of the Inhabitants of the County of gloucester. WITH THEIR PROTESTATION to his majesty. Whereunto is annexed Sir Edward Hales, his worthy Speech in PARLIAMENT, Ian. 20. 1641. Vpon the reading of the Letter, which his majesty sent to both Houses of Parliament.  
LONDON, Printed for John Thomas. 1641.   

To the Kings most excellent majesty. The Humble Petition of the Inhabitants of the County of gloucester, with the Protestation annexed.  
IT hath been made known unto your most Sacred Majesty, and also unto the honourable house of Parliament now assembled, how for a long season your poor Petitioners, and most loyal Subjects, have been most grievously burdened, and oppressed, both in their temporal, and spiritual estates, both by most grievous impositions and taxes, and also by extreme, and unlimited power of eclesiastical government, from which most grievous oppressions your Petitioners, did long age hope to have been disburdened, and released, but they find as yet small comfort, or hopes thereof, by reason of the manifold distractions, and disagrements, which have arose between your Sacred majesty, and the house of Commons now assembled by the interposition, and persuasion of some ill affencted Subjects both to your Majesties Peace and content, and your Subjects security and quiet, these suggestions have begot and bread in your Majesty a most sinister conceit of your most loyal Subjects, whereby they have undergone the hard burden of your ill opinion of them, which seems unto them being so loyally affencted a most extreme cause of discontent being stigmatized with the mark of Disobedience, which they never durst conceive or think on, and now of late when we did well that all our hopes would have been brought unto maturity and perfection, and that we should have had an issue of our former desires presented unto the Honourable House of Commons, your Majesty hath accused some of the principal members thereof of Treason, whereby all proceedings are stayed, and your Petitioners hopes are now by this means made frustrate, so that they see no way by which they can be relieved, or have their injuries redressed, for by the impeachment of these men, we do conceive the general affairs of this kingdom to be procrastinated and delayed, the Subject to be vnreleived, and your Majesty to be deluded. For so long as whisperers and flatterers, whose sole aims, reach onely to their own benefit, are in places of Power and dignity, we conceive very small possibility of a flourishing kingdom; We pled not this cause lead on by faction, or envy, but having been deprived by the Pride of our late Prelate of the liberty of our consciences and also being burdened with heavy burdens far beyond our abilities in Estate, we present our grievances unto your Majesties consideration, not doubting but to have all our injuries addressed, hoping that your Majesty will be pleased to look vpon our aggrievances with a gracious eye.  
May it therefore please your most Sacred Majesty to take these pr●mise● into your most royal consideration, and with all to take some Order, for the faire and legal proceedings of Parliament, where your most humble Petitioners do hope to have their agrevances heard, preached and salved, and withall that those whom your Majesty lately accused of High Treason, may enjoy their privileges in Parliament, to perform that respect unto their country, by whose votes they were chosen for Members in this great assembly; that by this means the more urgent affairs of this disquieted realm may take effect, the prelates by whose means and power our liberties and conscience have been much abused, may bee censured according to equity, your loyal Subjects may be relieved, and the general Estate of this kingdom may be settled in peace and tranquillity, and we shall pray. And do here before God and the world make our Protestation, that we are not moved unto this our desire by any sinister or by respect, or that neither malice, or envy unto any particular person, or more then ordinary affection unto any cause or person hath stirred us unto this desire, but onely our deep aggrievances, the decay of this kingdoms felicity in Trade, whereby many of your poor Petitioners have been utterly ruined and overthrown, and the want of Liberty of consciences caused by the Prelates, have moved your Petitioners to move your most Sacred Majesty to the consideration of these our grievances. And we do here also declare our loyal and faithful intentions, that for the gospel, our King, and the kingdoms good, we shall bee at all times ready to hazard both our lives, Liberties, and fortunes, to the utter most of all our endeavours, and abilities.   

SIR Edward Hales, his Speech in Parliament, upon the reading of a Letter from his Majesty the 20. of Ian. 1641.  
Master Speaker,  
THese propositions of his Majesty concerning the Liberties and privileges of the Subject, the establishing of Religion, and the indifferent use of such Ceremonies in the exercise thereof, as may be received, and used without offence, are gracious expressions of his Princely Care and tender affection towards his good and loyal Subjects, and his proposition for the maintenance and defence of his Majesties just Prerogatives and regal Power in his Dominions, are now to be taken into the consideration of this Honnourable House.  
Mr. Speaker We are here met and assembled only for the defence and preservation of the Subjects and just privileges of the Subject, settling of true Religion, maintenance of his Majesties royal Power and Prerogative, and the defence of the laws and Ordinances established in this kingdom for the good government thereof, and for the redressing the manifold grievances and oppressions of the Commonwealth by evil and wicked Members thereof; wee have to this purpose made already many good Laws assented to and confirmed by his sacred Majesty Voted for the settling of Religion, and abolishment of superfluous Ceremonies, stood for the defence of the Liberties of the Subject for Parliaments, the Rights and privileges thereof, for the maintaining his Majesties righfull power in his regal Government, and as far as in us lay endeavoured to redress the grievances of the kingdom, and to appease the differences of late between his Majesties kingdoms to bring the Authors and incendiaries of the same to condign punishment, ●nd to settle unity and Concord amongst ourselves, but the subtle and wily practices of the enemies and professors thereof having so far prevailed that they have raised such distempers and distractions in the State that laying aside the former affairs we had in hand, we have been forced against our desires and real intentions to certify all things amiss both in Church and State, to bend all our endeavours to prevent eminent danger now in agitation both against the Parliament and the whole State, and to remove the impediments that have hindered the same; to secure our own persons from their malicious designs, and to comply with our Brethren in Scotland for the timely aid and assistance of the distressed Protestants in Jreland. But intending I make no doubt but by the blessing of Almighty God in due time when the present distempers shall be removed to prosecute our desires, for the confirmation and conclusion of all things in agitation by this great council concerning the well being of Church and Common-wealth.  
Therefore my humble motion is, that wee may join with the Lords by Petition to his Majesty therein, informing his Majesty of the causes of hindrance in our former proceedings upon those things now propounded to our consideration by his Sacred Majesty.  
FINIS.