To the honourable, the knights, citizens and burgesses of the Commons house in Parliament now assembled, Ianuary, 24, 1642 the humble petition of the lay-Catholiques recusants of England. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A74209 of text in the English Short Title Catalog (Thomason 669.f.4[49]). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 6 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A74209 Thomason 669.f.4[49] 50811862 ocm 50811862 160671 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A74209) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 160671) Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 245:669f4[49]) To the honourable, the knights, citizens and burgesses of the Commons house in Parliament now assembled, Ianuary, 24, 1642 the humble petition of the lay-Catholiques recusants of England. England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons. 1 sheet ([1] p.) Printed for Geo. Baily, London : 1642. Caption title. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Catholics -- England -- 17th century -- Early works to 1800. Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1642-1649 -- Early works to 1800. Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649 -- Early works to 1800. A74209 (Thomason 669.f.4[49]). civilwar no To the honourable, the knights, citizens and burgesses of the Commons house in Parliament now assembled, Ianuary, 24, 1642: the humble peti England and Wales. Parliament. 1642 1033 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A This text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2008-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-11 John Pas Sampled and proofread 2008-11 John Pas Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion TO THE HONOURABLE , THE KNIGHTS , CITIZENS AND BURGESSES OF THE COMMONS HOVSE IN PARLIAMENT NOW ASSEMBLED . Ianuary , 24. 1642. The humble Petition of the Lay-Catholiques Recusants of England . Sheweth , THat the chiefest and most glorious Attribute of power , being Mercy , the safest addresse thereto must be Submission , which makes us in all humility offer unto the consideration of this Honourable Assembly , the great and heavy burthen under which we grone , and though to Lawe ; we humbly shall submit , yet such is the weight of some that lye upon us , that nothing lesse then linity can let us live , nor can we any way find our reliefe , but by applying our selves unto this High Court , whereas Fathers and supreame Judges , you reside , retaining still full Power to frame , or change , according to the exigency of times , and occasions , and being prudent and mercifull , can afford us patience , and favour in this short Petition , wherein we shall yeeld our selves fit Subjects for your mercy , or obedient Submittees to your wills and resolutions . The many penall Lawes in force-against your humblest Petitioners are to this Honourable Assembly knowne , as is the ground on which they first were made not out of memory , haveing had their Birth but under Queen Elizabeth , when partly extraordinary proceedings from the See of Rome against her Person , and partly the claime our dread Soveraigns Grandmother , wholly devoted to that Religion , layd to the Immediate succession of the Crowne . Occasioned severall destractions , and even cast jealousies and suspitions upon all , that in Religion had relation to that See . Whereupon from emergent reason of State . And by way of prudent cautions , and preventing future disobedience ( and not to put restraint upon the conscience of the Subject or to punish contrariety of opinion or beliefe ) these Lawes as we conceive were made , and afterward much aggravated and made more heavie to us all , by occasion of that ever most detestable plot of those few decayed , turbulent , and desperately discontented persons , indeed Professors of the same Religion , but quite neglecting and transgressing , and most inhumanely therein forgetting all duty and obligation . If thus ( Right Noble Gentlemen ) these Lawes originally were oppropriated to these times , and no such reason now ( we hope ) appeares , and stil these Lawes overwhelmes us , It is either for the personal offences of other men , whose wicked facts we ( are no way guilty of ) with all good Christians utterly abhorre , or for supposed errors of our understanding and beliefe , which as in it selfe ( according to all Divines ) is an effect immediate of Grace , and therefore not to be enforced : So in its tenents , there is not any thing forbids , invites , or hinders the professors of it , from their due obedience to their Prince , and faithfull preservation of their Countries liberties . In prosecution of which truth , wee here objure as false and most erronious , both assasination of Princes , and Faith is not to be kept with all sorts of people , and do detest them both , as most oppugnant to humanity , and not to be allowed by any Religion whatsoever . We also shall and will be ever ready to maintaine and defend with all our power , lives , and fortunes , all our Countries liberties , the Right and Priviledges of the Parliaments , the Subjects lawfull Rights , liberty and propriety , the peace and unity of his Majesties three Kingdomes of England , Scotland and Ireland , and in all just and honourable waies , endeavour the punishment of all that seeke to worke the contrary : as dutifull , obedient , and Loyall Subjects are obliged , and as true borne lovers of their Countries good are bound ; All which ( under favour ) as the Lawes now stand we no waies are permitted , as having neither freedome , or fortunes of our own , for strictly are our actions , Judgements , and our Tongues tyed up . But the approaching storme that seemes to threaten her , moves us to take shelter under your mercies wings , most freely spread to comfort all agrieved , where we doe hope for shadow and protection . And humbly are Petitioners , that you will be pleased to ease our sufferings , by mitigating the rigor of those penall Lawes , that either ruine us and our posterity , or cast a thraledome on our Consciences , so as we meekly walking in our forefathers steps , aspiring unto nothing but possessing our selve in peace , as people that seeke ease , not honours , and that the crime of Catholiques before this Horourable Assembly now appeares , but onely different waies in serving the same God you serve , the same Christ which you beleeve ( for whosoever in any other sort offends , qui peccaverit ipse moriatur ) we most humbly in your prudence and your goodnesse trust , in this publique Jubilee ( when all 's intended to be joy and consolation ) we shall not be the onely Subject of sorrow and desolation , nor that the Lawes made for offenders in one time , should lay upon the innocent in another . And therefore humbly beg , you will cast your eye upon the Schedule of these Lawes annexed and then your mercifull repeale of what your wisedomes and mercy finde , shall give the Conscience reliefe that is afflicted , and not the minde content that is ambitious , and a thing we thirst not after . And for so great a charity your humble Petitioners shall ever ( as in duty bound ) pray for Your continuall prosperity and eternall happinesse . London , Printed for Geo. Baily , 1642.