TO THE RIGHT honourable THE house OF peers Now assembled in Parliament.  
The Humble Petition of the Knights, Gentlemen, Freeholders and others Inhabitants of the County of Oxford.  
Showeth,  
THat the Petitioners being very sensible of those pressures under which the whole kingdom growneth; and having ever since this happy Parliament began, with patience waited for a final redress, and a perfect reformation of the Church and State; seeing much hath been endeavoured for the ease of our grievances, and much more might have been done, had it not been (as we humbly conceive) for the opposition of the ill affected parties of Popish Lords and Bishops; as not being the first in this way of Petitioning, are constrained to represent to your Honours our just fears and distractions, arising from that Barbarous and bloody rebellion in Ireland, wherein innocent blood of many thousand Protestants hath been cruelly and inhumainely shed, without respect to Age or Sect, threatening the subversion of the Protestant Religion, and the irreparable loss of that kingdom; to the emboldening of the Popish and malignant parties of this kingdom to the like attempt if opportunity be put into their hands, which may produce (which God forbid) as sad effects in this, from the not passing the Bill for impressing of soldiers, whereby a sufficient aid may be sent, to the speedy relief of our Brethren in Ireland, from the late unparalleled breach of the Privilige of Parliament, from the not putting of this kingdom into a posture of defence, and the Cinque Ports into safe hands in whom the King and Parliament may confide; notwithstanding the many Petitions put up in this behalf: from the Papists not being disarmed, and forsaking their own houses, and privately living in places where they are not known: which justly casts jealousies into us, that they have in hand some desperate plot as yet undiscovered: from the great increase of Arminianism in our university, and the insolency of that party: From the not punishing of Delinquents; and from the continuance of many corrupt and scandalous Ministers, which grow more impudent and incorrigible by the delay of punishment: Lastly, from the not consenting of this honourable House with the House of Commons, in the passing of many motions for the common good. All which have been the cause of the total decay of Trade and want of coin throughout the kingdom, to the great impoverishing thereof, and without which it will not be able long to subsist.  
We therefore your Potitioners, do humbly pray, that a speedy remove all of these our grievances with the causes; and of the Votes of the Popish Lords and Bishops out of this honourable House, which (we humbly conceive) are not consistent with the Honour of the King and Parliament, and the safety of this kingdom, and your Petitioners to the utmost hazard of our lives and estates will be ready to defend the King and Parliament against all opposers whatsoever.   

The Heads of the Petition.  
1. Thanks, to be given to the Lords for voting down the Bishops, with our earnest desire that they would do as much for the Popish parties.  
2. That our sea towns, Forts, and Castles, may be speedily guarded and put into the custody of such, which in whom we may safely confide.  
3. That the kingdom may be put into a posture of defence.  
4. That for the better disarming of Papists an oath may be administered, not only to the Masters of Families, but to their Servants and tenants, for the better finding out where their arms are, since the former courses of searching only, are most commonly frustrated.  
5. That all Papists may be enjoined to keep their own houses in these dangerous times, that they may not have their meettings in London and elsewhere, whereby they may know each others minds, and so enabled to put in execution their dangerous designs.  
6. That they would be pleased to have an especial eye unto the university of Oxford, that that seminary might not be overwhelmed with Popery, Arminianism, and superstition, that their altars, Images, and Crucifixes, may be demolished, that governors of colleges may be questioned, wherefore they did not demolish them, according to the order set forth by the House of Commons.  
7. That a Preaching ministry may be planted throughout the whole diocese, since there are near upon 280. Parishes, and not above thirty Ministers that are constant Preachers.  
8. That they would be pleased to take into consideration the multiplicity of dignities and preferments that some Heads of Houses, everywhere you shall find some to enjoy a rich Lordship worth many 100 per annum, a Denery, a Preband, and two fat Parsonages, and seldom Preach at either.  
9 That further care may be taken for the suppressing of the rebels in Ireland.   

London, printed for F. L. and W. W. 1641.