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"(which was knowne to be but weake, Marie's "mother being alive two yeares after she was borne), -against the true and lawful title of

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Mary queen of Scots, your great-grandmother, "of blessed memory, of whom she alwaies had "much jealousie, as well by reason of her alliance "with France, and right declared by the sentence "of the church against the devorce of her father "from his lawfull wife, as also by reason of her own "illegitimation declared by her father in parlia66 ment, and the excommunications denounced against her. These were the reasons of her "penall statutes, which can be no reasons to your "majestie to continue, but rather to annull and re

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peal them, seeing the causes of her feares are just "confirmation of your confidence in us, as plainly "giving testimony to your rightfull succession and "most legitimate possession of the crowne, which "wee have all endeavoured to defend during those "late commotions, not onely to a sale and seques"tration of our estates, but deprivation also of our "lives.

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"The penall statutes of king James your royall grandfather, of happy memory, were occasioned "by that horrid and blackest of plotts,-(wee ex

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cept none but this of fresher memory against your "royall father and yourselfe), the gunpowder plot, "--which was construed and carried on by a few "wretched men of broken and desperate fortunes,"the generalitie of roman-catholiques knowing nothing of it, and all protesting against it even "to this day, as a most damnable designe, con

"trary to their faith and religion. And here, "we humbly appeale to your gratious majestie, "whether it be consistent either with reason, mercie, "or justice, that a multitude of innocent persons "should suffer so long under so many penall lawes "for the fault and wickedness of an inconsiderable "number, whom they have ever disclaymed and "had nothing to doe with at all;—may we not, now, at least, with much modestie petition your royall highness for a repeale thereof? We hope we may, and doe it at your feete; humbly beseeching you that, whilst you offer pardon to desperate rebells, even such as have been stained with your father's blood,-(a demonstration of your matchless clemencie),-it may not be denied "to innocent subjects, whose blood hath often "beene a sacrifice to his and your defence and "safetie; which may, we hope, preponderate to that

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designe of a few impious plotters, seeing it is not "the way of your clemencie to punish a multitude "for the sinns of a few, but rather a few for a mul"tude; witness your overture of a general pardon. "Let not, therefore, the crime of a few catholiques "be made the fault of all!

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By what hath hitherto been said, it cannot but appear to your majestie, that all those penall lawes "of your ancestors were merely particular, and "related onely to the tymes they were made in; "not being applicable to the present, and therefore the cause or reason of them ceasing, we humbly

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begg that the effects may likewise cease.

"A second motive for repealing them, is,-from "that expression of Mary queene of Scots,-your "great-grandmother of blessed memory,-made "at the tyme of her arraignment and execution "before the lords there assembled, viz. 'Woe is mee "for the poore catholiques, and the miseries I fore“ see they are like to suffer for their irremoveable "affection to me and mine; if I were free as mye "stile and innocencie requireth, I would gladly "redeeme their vexations with my dearest blood!' "&c.-Let then your gratious mercie and autho"ritie effect what she dying so earnestly designed, "and lett not those be sufferers by and from you, "whose chiefest sufferings have beene heretofore "for you and yours, not to say any thing of those "sequestrations and degradations layd upon them "of late tymes, for meare performance of their "dutie and allegiance to your royal father and

yourself. Wee shall add onely to this motive, "that gratious saying of king James, made in par"liament, viz,' that he would have no blood for “religion, nor no soule-money contrary to the word "of God,' &c. humbly beseeching God, in whose "hands the hearts of kings are, that his so pious a "resolution towards his catholique loyal subjects, may make a deep impression on your heart.

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"A third motive, is from our religion, which "strictly teacheth and commaundeth us, under "pain of eternal damnation, to render as to God "the things that are God's, so to Cæsar the things "that are Cæsar's, and to obey our temporall

"princes and magistrates, not for feare onely, but "for conscience sake, seeing to resist their au"thoritie is to resist the ordinance of God, which

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we believe with a most steadfast faith; nor are "wee longer roman-catholiques, than wee so be"lieve. We believe also, and sincerely protest "before God and men, without any equivocation " or mental reservation, that we owe obedience "and allegiance to our soveraigne lord king Charles, his heires and successors, and will per"form it faithfully to him and them, notwithstand

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ing any absolution or dispensation to the con"trary whatsoever. We believe likewise, and "swear from our hearts, that wee ought and will "defend the person, rights, titles, and dignities of

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our said soveraigne lord king Charles, his heirs "and successors, with the utmost hazard of our "lives and fortunes against all plotts, conspiracies, " and invasions of any power, foreine or domestique, whatsoever, even in case of papall depo"sition and deprivation.

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"As to the imputation of idolatrie and super"stition, so often charged on our religion by some "defamatorie penns and tongues, wee humbly con"ceive the judgment to have beene given alreadie "on our side by so many generall councils abroad, "and so many convocations and parliaments at home,-(fortie for one at the least),-commanding and approving the religion we professe, that your majestie cannot doubt the authors of that imputation to be more zealous than knowing, and "more malicious than mercifull. I am sure your

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"learned grandfather of happie memorie, king "James, thought no lesse of them when he said, "that such as affirmed roman-catholiques not to "be in a way to salvation, deserved to be burnt,' &c. "by which you may perceive what incendiaries they are, who endeavour to excite your royal highness and the good people of this nation against us, by falsely aspersing our religion with "notes of superstition and idolatrie.

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"A fourth motive,-is from the fidelitie of roman"catholiques in queen Elizabeth's tyme, testified by "the lords of the privie councell, who told them "that the cause of their imprisonment was not for

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any doubt made of their loyaltie, but onely to pre"vent the Spaniard's hopes of their assistance in "his intended invasion; nay, in that of 1588, they besought the lord North, then lieutenant of those parts, in the presence of the deane of Elye, that "they might be employed in hastening forces to Tilbury campes, offering to serve in person, with "their sonnes, tenants, and servants, at their owne charge, and to be placed in the front of the bat"tell, to testifie the loyaltie of their harts, and to stopp the mouthes of envious maligners; all this "was freely offered by them, notwithstanding the

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queene had been twice excommunicated: a de"monstrable argument, that they were not condi❝tionall (as some objected) but absolute loyal and "obedient subjects.

"A fifth motive,-is, from their immoveable "fidelitie to your majestie's predecessors, and your "title in them strongly evidenced on all occasions,

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