TWO PETITIONS TO THE HONOURABLE COURT OF PARLIAMENT IN BEHALF OF EPISCOPACY.  
ONE DELIVERED BY Sr THOMAS ASTON from the County Palatine of Chester.  
THE OTHER FROM THE Cities of L. and W.  
Printed in the year 1641.   

A PETITION DELIVERED INTO The Lords Spiritual and Temporal, by Sir THOMAS ASTON, Baronet, from the County Palatine of CHESTER concerning EPISCOPACY.  
To the High and Honourable Court of PARLIAMENT.  
The Nobility, Knights, Gentry, Ministers, Freeholders', and Inhabitants of the County Palatine of Chester, whose names are subscribed in the several Schedules hereunto annexed.  
Humbly show,  
THat whereas divers Petitions have lately been carried about this County, against the present form of Church-Government, (and the hands of many persons of ordinary quality solicited to the same, with pretence to be presented to this Honourable Assembly:) which we conceiving not so much to aim at reformation as absolute innovation of Government, & such as must give a great advantage to the Adversaries of our Religion, We held it our duty to disavow them all.  
And humbly pray, that We incur no miscensure, if any such clamours have (without our privity) assumed the name of the County.  
We, as others, are sensible of the common Grievances of the Kingdom, & have just cause to rejoice at, and acknowledge with thankfulness, the pious care which is already taken for the suppressing of the growth of Popery, the better supply of able Ministers, and the removing of all Innovation; and We doubt not but in your great Wisdoms, you will regulate the rigour of Ecclesiastical Courts, to suit with the temper of our laws, and the nature of Freemen.  
Yet when We consider, that Bishops were instituted in the time of the Apostles; That they were the great lights of the Church in all the first general Counsels; That so many of them sowed the seeds of Religion in their bloods, and rescued Christianity from utter extirpation in the Primitive Heathen persecutions; That to them we own the redemption of the purity of the Gospel We now profess from Romish corruption; That many of them for the propagation of the truth, became glorious Martyrs; That divers of them (lately and yet living with us) have been so strong assertors of our Religion against its common enemy of Rome; And that their Government hath been so long approved, so oft established by the Common and Statute-Lawes of this Kingdom; And as yet nothing in their doctrine (generally taught) dissonant from the Word of God, or the Articles ratified by Law: In this case to call their Government a perpetual vassalage, an intolerable bondage; And (primâ fancy & inauditâ alterá parte) to pray the present removal of them, or (as in some of their Petitions) to seek the utter dissolution and ruin of their Offices (as Antichristian:) We cannot conceive to relish of justice or charity, nor can We join with them.  
But on the contrary, when We consider the tenor of such Writings, as in the name of Petitions are spread amongst the Common People; the tenants preached publicly in Pulpits, and the contents of many printed Pamphlets, swarming amongst us; all of them dangerously exciting a disobedience to the established form of Government, and their several intimations of the desire of the power of the Keys, and that their Congregations may execute Ecclesiastical Censures within themselves: We cannot but express our just fears, that their desire is to introduce an absolute Innovation of Presbyterial Government, whereby We, who are now governed by the Canon and Civil Laws, dispensed by twenty-six Ordinaries (easily responsal to Parliaments for any deviation from the rule of Law,) conceive We should become exposed to the mere arbitrary Government of a numerous Presbytery, who together with their ruling Elders will arise to near forty thousand Church-governors, and with their Adherents, must needs bear so great a sway in the Commonwealth, that if future inconvenience shall be found in that Government, We humbly offer to consideration, how these shall be reducible by Parliaments, how consistent with a Monarchy, and how dangerously conducible to an Anarchy, which We have just cause to pray against, as fearing the consequences would prove the utter loss of Learning and Laws, which must necessarily produce an extermination of Nobility, Gentry, and Order, if not of Religion.  
With what vehemency of spirit, these things are prosecuted, and how plausibly such popular infusions spread as incline to a parity, We held it our duty to represent to this Honourable Assembly; And humbly pray, that some such present course be taken, as in your Wisdoms shall be thought fit, to suppress the future dispersing of such dangerous discontents amongst the Common People. We having great cause to fear, that of all the distempers that 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 Spirits before they swell beyond the bounds of Government: 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, so indissolubly cement the affections of his people to our Royal Sovereign, that without any other change of Government, He can never want revenue, nor We justice.  
We have presumed to annex a Copy of a Petition (or Libel) dispersed, and certain positions preached in this County, which We conceive imply matter of dangerous consequence to the peace both of Church and State. All which We humbly submit to your great judgements, praying they may be read.  
And shall ever pray, etc. Subscribed to this Petition, 

Four Noblemen.  
Knight, Baronet's, Knights and Esquires, fourscore and odd.  
Divines, threescore and ten.  
Gentlemen, three hundred and odd.  
Freeholders and other Inhabitants, above six thousand.   All of the same County.  
The Anti-Petition, or Answer to this, is a base Libel and a forgery.   

TO THE HONOURABLE, THE Knights, Citizens, etc.  
The humble Petition of the Cities of L. and W.  
Humbly showeth,  
THAT whereas there hath of late a Petition subscribed by many (who pretend to be Inhabitants of these Cities) been delivered, received, and read in this HONOURABLE House, against the ancient, present, and by Law established Government of the Church, and that not so much for the Reformation of Bishops, as for the utter subversion and extirpation of Episcopacy itself; We whose names are underwritten, to show there be many, and those of the better sort of the Inhabitants of these Cities otherwise and better minded, do humbly represent unto this Honourable House, these considerations following.  
I. That Episcopacy is as ancient as Christianity itself in this Kingdom.  
II. That Bishops were the chief instruments in the Reformation of this Church against Popery, and afterwards the most eminent Martyrs for the Protestant Religion, and since, the best and ablest Champions for the defence of it.  
III. That since the Reformation, the times have been very peaceable, happy, and glorious, notwithstanding Episcopal Government in the Church: and therefore that this Government can be no cause of our unhappiness.  
iv We conceive that not only many Learned, but divers other Godly persons would be much scandalled and troubled in Conscience, if the Government of Episcopacy, conceived by them to be an Apostolical Institution, were altered: & since there is so much care taken, that no man should be offended in the least Ceremony, we hope there will be some, that such men's Consciences may not be pressed upon, in a matter of an higher nature and consequence, especially considering that this Government by Episcopacy, is not only lawful and convenient for edification, but likewise suitable and agreeable to the Civil policy and Government of this State.  
V That this Government is lawful it appears by the immediate, universal & constant practice of all the Christian World, grounded upon Scripture, from the Apostles time to this last Age, for above 1500 years together: It being utterly incredible, if not impossible, that the whole Church for so long a time, should not discover by God's word this Government to be unlawful, if it had been so. To which may be added, that the most learned Protestants, even in those very Churches which now are not governed by Bishops, do not only hold the Government by Episcopacy to be lawful, but wish that they themselves might enjoy it.  
Again, that the Government by Episcopacy is not only lawful, but convenient for edification, & as much, or more conducing to Piety and devotion than any other, it appears, because no modest man denies, that the Primitive times were most famous for Piety, Constancy, & Perseverance in the Faith, notwithstanding more frequent and more cruel persecutions then ever have been since; and yet it is confessed, that the Church in those times was governed by Bishops.  
Lastly, That the Government of the Church by Episcopacy, is most suitable to the frame and form of the Civil Government here in this Kingdom, it appears by the happy & flourishing Union of them both, for so long a time together; Whereas no man can give us an assurance, how any Church Government besides this (whereof We have had so long an experience) will suit and agree with the Civil policy of this State. And We conceive it may be of dangerous consequence, for men of settled fortunes to hazard their estates, by making so great an alteration, and venturing upon a new form of Government, whereof neither We, nor our Ancestors have had any trial, or experience; especially considering that those, who would have Episcopacy to be abolished, have not yet agreed, nor (as We are verily persuaded) ever will or can agree upon any other common form of Government to succeed in the room of it, as appears by the many different and contrary draughts, and platforms they have made & published, according to the several humours and sects of those that made them. Whereas, seeing every great alteration in a Church or State, must needs be dangerous, it is just and reasonable that whosoever would introduce a new form in stead of an old one, should be obliged to demonstrate and make it evidently appear aforehand, that the Government he would introduce, is proportionably so much better, then that he would abolish, as may recompense the loss we may sustain, and may be worthy of the hazard we must run, in abolishing the one, and in introducing and settling of the other. But this We are confident can never be done, in regard of this particular.  
And therefore our humble and earnest request to this Honourable House is, that as well in this consideration, as all the other aforesaid, We may still enjoy that Government, which most probably holds its Institution from the Apostles, and most certainly its plantation with our Christian Faith itself in this Kingdom, where it hath ever since flourished, and continued for many Ages without any interruption or alteration: whereby it plainly appears, that as it is the most excellent Government in itself; so it is the most suitable, most agreeable, and every way most proportionable to the Civil constitutions and temper of this State. And therefore We pray and hope will always be continued, and preserved in it & by it, notwithstanding the abuses and corruptions which in so long tract of time through the errors or negligences of men may have crept into it: Which abuses and corruptions being all of them (what and how many soever they may be) but merely accidental to Episcopacy; We conceive and hope, there may be a Reformation of of the one, without destruction of the other.  
Which is the humble suit of Ten thousand thousand.