Humble Address of the Presbyterians
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A25210.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
The Humble ADDRESS OF THE Presbyterians, Presented to the KING
With His Majesty's GRACIOUS ANSWER.
Printed for I W. in the Year 16 •• .
The Humble Address of the Presbyterians, Presented to the KING.
TO believe the Thankfulness of our Hearts, beyond any Expressions of our Lips or Pens, for Your most Gracious Declaration for Liberty for us, in the Worship of God, which we trust we shall ever value above our Property, as that without which we could enjoy nothing which we could call our own, without the greatest uneasiness imaginable: But Your Majesty having in the same Declaration also secured that unto us, both by Your Royal Word and Act: What could Your Majesty have done more for us? Or what is left for us further to ask of the King? And forasmuch as it hath pleased Your most Excellent Majesty, to give this safe Port to Your poor Subjects, so long tossed with Tempests, and justly to believe, that Loyalty is not entailed to a Party, as we hope we shall ever justify the Credit, which Your Majesty's Charity in that point hath given us; So we shall not cease to bow our Knees to the God whom we serve, and by whom Kings Reign, beseech • ng him to recompense this Royal Favor to Your Majesty, with length of days, uninterrupted Health, Felicity in Your Royal Relations, Success in Your Great Councils and Affairs, and finally, with the most Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, heartily crying, as with one Voice, Let the King live forever.
Subscribed on the Behalf of ourselves, and the rest of our Persuasion.
THE Kings Answer.
Gentlemen,
I Have already found two good Effects of my Declaration ; the Easing and, Pleasing My Subjects You spake of, and My restoring to God the Empire over Conscience : It has been my Judgment a long time, that none Has or ought to Have any power over the Conscience but God. I understand there are some Iealousies among my Subjects, That I have done this in a Design: But you look like Gentlemen of too great Ingenuity to entertain any such Suspition.
Gentlemen, I protest before God, and I desire you to tell all manner of People of all Persuasions, as you have opportunity to Converse with them, that I have no other Design than that I have spoke of.
And Gentlemen, I hope to live to see the Day when you shall as well have Magna Charta for the Liberty of Conscience, as you have had for your Properties.
And now Gentlemen, do You so Preach to Your Hearers as they may be good Christians, and then I do not question but they will be good Subjects.