Petition of Henry Jones

fol. 29r

194

No. 9

To the Knights Citizens & Burgesses in the Honorable the Commons House of Parliament
The humble petition of Henry Jones Dr D. on the Behalfe of the Distressed Servants of Jesus Christ the Ministers of the Gospel in Ireland
Whereas your Petitioner is appointed Agent and sent over out of Ireland to
Represent vnto your Ho: the Lamentable Condition of the Dispoiled Ministers in the Church of Ireland; and to desire the Charitable Contribution of this kingdome of England: As by His letters of Agencie to that effect, heerevnto annexed, may more fully appeare:
Your Petitioners therefore in pursuance of that trust reposed in Him doth humbly shewe: That they the said Ministers, have allready Remonstrated to this Honorable Assembly theire humble desires in theise wordes
'' Our most miserable Condition, and of This Our whole distressed Church of Ireland
'' We do in most humble maner Remonstrat and Lay downe at the Feete of that
'' Your pious, charitable, and Honorable Assembly Praying that we and all of us may
'' find a place in your tender Considerations. Humbly desiring that we who
'' have borne the Burden and heate of the Day may not be cast off, not having
'' what to Eate, or what to putt on. That the Ministry may not, in our wants
'' be rendred despicable to Our Owne, as it hath suffered dispight from our
'' Adversaries. And that we may find this admittance into your Charity the Rather
'' in that Our Suffrings are professed by Our Enemyes to proceed (which we
'' glory in) from that your zeale for the Church of God:
'' Of those our Breetheren who have beene murthered by the hands of the Rebells
'' theire wives and Children do yet remaine. The children also of some of
'' them are wholy deprived of theire parents and Left for deserted orphans
All which, with many other particulars the said Ministers have declared in theire Remonstrance presented to your Ho: by the Petitioner theire Agent.
Your Petitioner on the behalfe of the said Remonstrants doth further humbly shewe
That of the Ministers who have, by Gods goodnes, escaped out of the hands of the Enemy, besides the cruelties exercised upon the persons of many of them, all have beene dispoiled of theire livelihood, some beeing stripped naked, and charged with the maintenance of wife and children; All of them for want of clothes and sustenance ready to perish.
That the said dispoiled and distressed Ministers are many of them retired and confined to places of strength in the respective provinces of Mounster, Conaught, Ulster and Leinster (theire number within the City of Dublin beeing 180) Theise remaining there in expectation of an Answer to those theire humble desires, beeing in the meane time overpressed with all the miseries that pinching Necessity can cast upon them.
That some of the said ministers remonstrants have beene by theire said pressing Necessities, so neere driven, that they have beene enforced to a course dissonant to theire Functions by serving as Common Soldiers in that warre to preserve a beeing (such as it is) to themselves and Families.
That the wants of some of them not brooking delay have pressed such of the Remonstrants Remonstrants as reside about Londonderry and Coleraine in Ulster to pursue the said General Remonstrance by a priuat Petition for themselves apart, which hath beene read in this Honorable House and referred to the Committee for Distributions, but yet not taken into consideration.
That they of the Remonstrants about dublin have beene [ ] with received Hopes sent vnto them by your Petitioner (theire Agent) that your Honors would in time convenient take this theire deepe misery into due consideration upon returne of the contribution money in considerable summes: till when your petitioner did deferre the putting in of this his petition, of which now he is pressed to proceed in by theire frequent and daily Letters out of Ireland.
The promises considered: And that so many miserable sufferers may not perish: And for preventing theire comming over into England (which otherwise must of Necessity ensue) to the infinit trouble of your Honors And Above all, to the disfurnishing of that Kingdom of Ireland of theire profitable labours in the ministry, whereby the people that remaine would be deprived of the Light of the Gospel, a misery greater then all theire former sufferings; To all which this beeing added That the said Remonstrance beeing printed by Order of this Honorable House hath beene [ ] exposed to publique view whereby All men have conceived that your Honors either have, or will take the same into serious consideration: concerning which your Petitioner hath beene by persons considerable oft times interogated