Petitions to the House of Lords: 1613

Poor prisoners and many other loyal subjects. HL/PO/JO/10/1/7 (1613)

To the right Honorable assemblie of the Commons
house of Parliament.

A most humble supplication of divers poore prisoners, and many other
the kinges majesties loyall subjectes ready to testifie it by the oath of
allegeance in all sinceritie, whose Greviances are lamentable
only for cause of conscience

Most humbly sheweing That whereas in the Parliament holden in the 7th
yere of the Kinges majesties raigne that now is, it was enacted that all persons
whatsoever above the age of 18 yeres, not comeing to Church etc. should
take the oath of allegeance; and for the refusall thereof, should be committed
to prison without baile etc. By which Statute the Popish Recuzantes upon
takeing the oath, are daily delivered from imprisonementes: and divers
of us also are set at libertie when wee fall under the handes of the Reverend
Judges and Justices, But when wee fall under the handes of the Bishops
wee can have no benifitt by the said oath, for they say it belongeth
onely to the Popish recuzantes, and not to others; but kept have wee bene
by them many yeres in lingering imprisonementes, devided from wives,
children, servantes and callinges, not for any other cause but onely for
conscience towardes God, to the utter undoeing of us, our wives and children.

Our most humble supplication therefore to this
high and Honorable assemblie is, that in commiseration of
the distressed estate of us our poore wives and children
that it may be enacted in expresse wordes that other
the kinges majesties faithfull subjectes, as well as Popish
Recuzantes may be freed from imprisonementes upon
taking the said oath.

And wee shall still (as wee do day and night) pray that the God of
Heaven may be in your Honorable assemblie, for by him do Princes decree
Justice.

By his majesties faithfull subjectes

most falsly called

Anabaptistes