TO THE HONOURABLE, THE KNIGHTS, CITIZENS, AND BURGESSES In the Commons House of PARLIAMENT assembled. The humble Petition of the high Sheriffe, Knights, Esquires, Gentlemen, Ministers, Freeholders and others Inhabitants of the County of BEDFORD.
THat your Petitioners are truely sensible of your pious care, in the reformation of Religion from those scandalous and superstitious innovations, which were introduced into the Church, with intent to subvert the Protestant. Re∣ligion; as also of your incessant labours, prudent Deliberations, and undefatigable paines for the Common-wealth; and that with all humble thankfulnesse they daily blesse Almighty God, the Kings Majestie, the Peers, and this Ho∣nourable Assembly, for many excellent Lawes and Ordinances, made and enacted in this present Parliament, and especially for providing against the long intermission of Parliaments, suppressing the eruptions, and preventing the revivall of illegall taxes, abolishing the Courts of Star-Chamber and high Commission, regulating of other exorbitant Jurisdictions: For ta∣king away the Bishops Votes in Parliament, and disabling of all persons in holy Orders for exercising any Temporall Jurisdiction or Authoritie; and for the late Ordinance for the disposing the Militia of this Kingdome into the hands of such honourable and faithfull personages, as are therein expressed. That your humble Petitioners are immutably resolved with the hazzard of their lives and fortunes, in all just and lawfull wayes, to maintaine and defend you in your Rights and Pri∣viledges against the enemies of God, the King and State, according to their ingagements in the late Protestation; and in all humility do pray the continuation of your Honourable indeavours, that there may be a speedy advancement of all dispatches for the reliefe of IRELAND. That for the removing of our just and increasing feares, and preventing of imminent dan∣gers, the late Ordinance for the Militia may be fully and speedily executed. That the Seas may be strongly and safely guarded under the conduct of persons of honour, worth and ability. That the Papists may be dis-armed and the most dangerous of them secured; That the Masse both publicke and private be abolished; That the undoubted reputation of your late ac∣cused members may be repaired, and the Priviledges of Parliament effectually vindicated; The suffrages of the Recusant No∣bility be excluded from the House of Peers: And that there may be a further discovery and removall of those evill Councel∣lours, by whose pernicious practices the happy progresse of the great Affaires of this Kingdome is retarded; That all delin∣quents, especially those that have been the principall causes of our miseries, may be speedily brought unto exemplary and condigne punishment. That all possible meanes may be used for the prevailing with his Majestie that he would be grati∣ously pleased to repaire to, and abide neere his Parliament; And that the Prince, and the rest of his Majesties children, may be under the care and government of such persons, in whom this Kingdome may confide; That Manufactures and Trading be upheld; That all burdensome and scandalous Ceremonies be taken away, and such an Ecclesiasticall Discipline and Go∣vernment as is agreeable to Gods word may bee settled, by such wayes and meanes as to your wisedomes shall seeme expe∣dient. That the Universities be purged and reformed. That corrupt and scandalous Ministers may be removed, a learned, pious and conscientious Ministery generally settled, and sufficiently maintained, (having an especiall regard and care to Market Townes and populous places.) That the pious and painfull Divines, who for unjust, and inconsiderable causes were deprived by the Bishops, or their Subordinate Officers, may receive ample reparations. That for the compleating the happinesse both of Church and State, there may be as well a faithfull Magistracie, as a painfull Ministerie.