THE PETITION Of the Gentry, Ministers, and Commonalty of the County of KENT.  
Agreed upon the General Assizes last holden for that County.  
The Copy of which Petition being delivered to Judge Mallet (who was for that Circuit) and afterwards to the Earl of Bristol.  
Which Petition being concealed from the Parliament by the Earl of Bristol and the said judge Mallet, was for the same both committed to the Tower, March 28. 1642.  
LONDON, Printed for S. H.   

To the Honourable House of Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
The Humble Petition of the Gentry, Ministers, and Commonnalty of the County of Kent, agreed upon, at the geneerall Assizes of the County.  
Most humbly showeth,  
THat we cannot but take notice, how welcome to this Honourable House, many Petitions have been, which yet came not from an Assembled body of any County (as this doth) we do therefore hope to find as gentle and favourable a reception of this as any other have found of their Petitions, our hearts witnessing unto us, as good, peaceable, and pious purposes as the best.  
These are therefore the true and Ardent desires of this County.  

1. That you will be pleased to accept our due and hearty thanks for those excellent Laws (which by his Majesty's grace & goodness) you have obtained for us.  
2. That all Laws against Papists, be put in due execution, and an account taken of their disarming, and that all Children of the Papists, may be brought up in the reformed Religion.  
3. That the Solemn Litturgy of the Church of England (Celebrious by the piety of the Bishops and Martyrs who composed it) established by the supreme Laws of this Land, attested and approved by the best of all Foreign Divines, confirmed by the suscription of all the Ministry of this Land. A Clergy as able and Learned as any in the Christian world ere enjoyed, and with a holy love embraced by the most and best of all the Laity, that this holy exercise of Religion may by your Authority be enjoyed quiet and free from interruptions, scorns, profaneness, threats and force of such men, who daily do deprave it, and neglect the use of it in divers Churches, in despite of the Laws established.  
4. That Episcopal Government, as Ancient in this Island as Christianity itself, deduced and dispersed throughout the Christian world, even from the Apostolical times, may be preserved (as the most pious most prudent, and most safe Government) for the peace of the Church.  
5. That all differences concerning. Religion and Ceremonies, may be referred to a Lawful, free, and Nationall Synod, as your Remonstrance promiseth, to a general Synod of most grave, learned, pious and judicious Divines, (the proper Agents) whose interests, gifts, and callings, may quicken them in that great Work, whose choice to be by all the Clergy of the Land, because all the Clergy are to be bound by their Resolutions, and the determination of this Synod to bind us all, when you have first form them into a Law, and this we take to be according to the ancient and fundamental Law of this Land, confirmed by Magna Charta.  
6. That some speedy and good provision may be made (as by his Majesty hath been and is by all good men desired) against the odious and abominable scandal of schismatical and seditious Sermons and Pamphlets, and some severe Law made against Lay men, for daring to arrogate to themselves & to execute the holy function of the Ministry, who (some of them) do sow their impious and discontented Doctrine even in Sacred places, by abuse of Sacred Ordinances, to the advancing of Heresy, Schism, Profaneness, Libertinism, Anabaptism, and Atheism.  
7. That if the coertive power of Ecclesiastical Courts by way of Excommunication be already abrogated, or shall be thought fit so to be, that there be some other power and authority speedily established, for suppressing the heinous and now so much abounding sins of Incest, Adultery, and Fornication, and other crimes, and for recovering Tithes, repairing of Churches, Probate of Wills, Church assesses, providing bread and Wine for the Communion, & choice of Churchwardens, and other officers in the Church and especially for Ministers, who neglect the Celebrating of the Holy Communion, and the Parishioners for not receiving.  
8. That the Professors of that Learned faculty of the Civil Law, and (without which this Kingdom cannot but suffer manifold inconveniences) may not find discouragements, and so divert their Studies and Professions.  
9 That honour and profits the powerful encouragements of industry, Learning, and Piety, may be preserved without further dimination to the Clergy.  
10. That you please sadly to consider the bleeding wounds of our Brethren in Ireland, and with speedy succours endeavour to preserve them, whereunto his Majesty hath promised a gracious concurrence.  
11. That you please to frame an especial Law for the Regulating of the Militia of this Kingdom, so that the Subject may know how at once to obey both his Majesty and both Houses of Parliament, a Law whereby may be left to the discretion of Governors, as little as may be, but that the number of Arms and what measure of punishment shall be inflicted upon the offenders, may be expressly set down in the Act, and not left to any Arbitrary power, and that according to the precedent of former Laws the offenders may not be tried out of the County.  
12. That the Precious Liberty of the Subject (the common birth right of every Englishman) may be as in all these points preserved entire, so in this also, that no order of either of both Houses not grounded on the Laws of this Land, may be enforced on the Subject, till it be fully enacted by parliament.  
13. That his Majesty's gracious Message of the 20. of jan. last, for the present and future establishment of the Privileges of Parliament, the free enjoying of our estates and Fortunes, the liberty of our persons, the security of the true Religion professed, the maintaining of his Majesty's Just and Regal Authority, the establishing his Revenue, may be taken into speedy consideration, the effecting whereof will satisfy the desires of all us, his faithful and loving Subjects,  
14. That all possible care may be taken, that the Native Commodities of this Kingdom, may have a quick vent, and that Clothing, and other Manufactures may be improved, wherein the livelihood of many thousands do consist, and that Trade may be balanced, that the importation do not exceed the exportation, otherwise it will prove a consumption of the Land.  
15. That you please to frame some Laws concerning Depopulations, Purveyances, Cart-taking, delays in justice, Traffic, Fishing in the Coasts, Fulling earth, that out Sea Forts may be repaired, and our Magazines renewed.  
16. That you please to consider the general poverty that seems to overgrow this Kingdom.  
17. Lastly, We humbly beseech you to consider the sad condition, that we and the whole Land are in, if a good understanding be not speedily renewed between his Majesty and both houses of Parliament.   
Our hopes are yet above our fears, secure them we beseech you, God direct and guide your consultations for the removing of all distrusts and jealousies, for the renewing that tye of confidence and trust, (which is the highest happiness) between our gracious Prince, and his loving Subjects.  
And you shall have the daily prayers of your humble Orators of the Commonalty of Kent.  
To meet at Black Heath the 29. of April, by 9 of the Clock at the furthest to accompany this Pettion to the Parliament. 1642.  
FINIS.