have had, and have been in use of before: They being alwayes comptable to, and censurable by the next Generall Assembly, for their proceedings thereanent. Sess. 13. Aug. 6. 1642. _A Petition from some distressed Professors in_ Ireland. _To the reverend and right Honourable the Moderator and remanent members of the Generall Assembly of_ Scotland, _conveened at S._ Andrews, _July 1642_. The humble Petition of the most part of the Scottish Nation in the North of _Ireland_, in their own names, and in name of the rest of the Protestants there. _Humbly sheweth_, That where your Petitioners, by the great blessing of the Lord, enjoyed for a little while a peaceable and fruitfull Ministerie of the Gospel, yet through our own abuse of so rich a mercy, and through the tyrannie of the Prelates, we have been a long time spoiled of our Ministers (a yoke to many of us heavier then death) who being chased into _Scotland_, were not altogether un-usefull in the day of your need; And we having been since oppressed and scattered, as sheep who have no shepherd, now at last the wise and righteous hand of the Lord, by the sword of the Rebels, hath bereft us of our friends, and spoiled us of our goods, &c. left us but a few, and that a poor handfull of many, and hath chased from us the rest that were called our Ministers; the greatest part whereof we could scarce esteem such as being rather Officers to put the Prelats Injunctions in execution, then feeders of our souls: So that now being visited with sword and sicknesse, and under some apprehension of famine, if withall we shall taste of the sorest of all plagues, to be altogether deprived of the Ministery of the Word, we shall become in so much a worse condition then any Pagans, as that once we enjoyed a better: Neither know we what hand to turn us to for help, but to the Land so far obliged by the Lords late rare mercies, and so far enriched to furnish help of that kinde; a Land whence many of us drew our blood and breath and where (pardon the necessary boldnesse) some of our own Ministers now are, who were so violently plucked from us, so sore against both their own and our wills; yea, the Land that so tenderly in their bosoms received our poor out-casts, and that hath already sent us so rich a supply of able and prosperous Souldiers to revenge our wrong.