TO THE King's MOST Excellent majesty.  
The most humble Petition of your most faithful Servants and subjects, the justices and Gentlemen assembled at the general Sessions for the County of Devon.  
Showeth.  
THat your Petitioners pressed by the earnest complaints herewith humbly presented, and well experienced in your Princely clemency and justice, are thereby heartened to tender into your royal hands both their and our most lowly and loyal desires.  
It is not (Dread sovereign) the fear of Poverty that doth only or chiefly afflict us, though if things continue but a while in the present State, we see it coming unresistably as an armed man, nor yet of death if our lives might be spent in your majesty's service. But your Petitioners beholding Popery in Ireland prevailing (that merciless Religion where it doth prevail) and in England too much countenanced. For our own Consciences sake, and for the salvation of our infant children's souls, we humbly beg your Majesty upon our knees to look into the cause. Distractions in your Parliament. How can it be otherwise? When Popish Lords are admitted to vote in your principal affairs, and your chief Prelates appear in a malevolent conjunction with them against the best proceedings. Oh! that the King of Kings would be pleased to put it into your majesty's royal heart to sequester the different in Religion, to privacy, and your Bishops to their spiritual Callings, your Majesty would soon find (as your Petitioners confidently believe) an effectual benefit and a present correspondency. Had your Church governors been cordial and substantial in their duties, those swarms of Papists in Ireland and England too, had (probably) been prevented.  
If in your House of Commons any be suspected of ill affections, it is far from your Petitioners to desire their impunity, only your Petitioners implore, their fair trial according to the Privilege of their Parliamentary places, wherein your Petitioners and their Posterity have an interest. To which we undervalue all things, but our Religion and loyalty.  
In the name of God let them there receive the fruit of their demerits. This justice as it will be a perpetual comfort to your Majesty in your soul, so shall it be a real and complete satisfaction to your Petitioners, who as they are in all duty bound, will for ever pray for your majesty's temporal and eternal happiness.   

London, Printed for Lawrence Blaikelocke, 1642.