WEE the Grand Jurors for our Soveraign Lord the King and the Body of the County of this City , having too great occasion given us by several Infamous , Scandalous and Seditious Libels of late dispersed and published here , Namely two purporting themselves Printed by one R. Janeway , under the title of the Impartial Protestant Mercury , Numb . 89 , & 96. And four others , The one Entituled ; The Sad and Lamentable Cry of Oppression and Cruelty in the City of Bristol , &c. Another Entituled , More Sad and Lamentable News from Bristol , &c. Another , The Devouring Informers of Bristol , &c. And the other , The Protestant Corant purporting it self , published by Rich . Baldwin , do upon diligent reading and perusal of them , and examination of the Matters concerning this City therein set forth , Present the same to be for the most utterly false , and these few truths that are therein to be most malitiously mis-represented : Whereas what is therein complained of , ( if impartially related ) would have appeared to all honest and unbyassed men , to be not onely agreeable to Law and Reason , but commendable also .

We deem all these Libels to be the Contrivance of Factious and Disaffected persons to His Majesty and our present Establishments in Church and State , who endeavour by all means to Calumniate divers of the Magistrates of this City , The Right Reverend Father in God our Lord Bishop , The Right Worshipful Sir John Knight , one of our Sheriffs , John Romsey Esq ; our Town-Clerk , John Hellier Gent . Chief Constable of the Word of St. James , and several other Constables and others who out of their Zeal to the Church , and their Loyalty and Obedience to the King and his Laws , have been active and industrious in putting them in execution . And we humbly recommend it to this Court as the Sence of this City , That the Authors and Dispersers of these and all such like Libels may be severely proceeded against and punished , and that the Libels themselves may pass under some public and exemplary mark of the displeasure and detestation of this Court .

We are very glad to see and observe , that your Worships proceedings in executing the Laws against Dissenters , have been productive of such good Fruits in order to the reconciling of divers of His Majestiy's Subjects here to the Government both in Church and State ; and particularly we congratulate Erasmus Dole ( a Quaker ) for his taking the Oath of Allegiance now tendered him , which he refused last Sessions , and are so far from any insolent triumph on that occasion , that we think our selves and all Loyal Men obliged in Christian Charity to encourage and cherish him and all others in returning to their Loyalty to His Majesty , and reconciling themselves to the Church .

And whereas Baldwins Libel beforementioned hath the impudence to charge the Execution of the Laws here with partiality towards Papists : For the just Vindication of this City in this particular , We present and affirm , That there are not , nor for Seven Years last past have been to the best of our knowledg above two Families of Papists within this City and County , One of which removed to avoid prosecution , And the other hath hitherto escaped it ( as many scores of other Recusants have done ) by sheltring themselves in the Castle , being extra Parochial and their Common Sanctuary . But even there we hope the Justice of this Court will in short time find them all out , and bring them to Conformity or Condign punishment .

We have lately brought to our hands another Libel styled , The Addresses , importing an Abhorrence of an Association , &c. purporting to be printed for R. Baldwin ; which having read , It gives us just occasion to testify our concurrence with those of this City and elsewhere , who have formerly declared their Thanks to His Majesty for his most Gratious Declaration of his Reasons for Dissolving the Two last Parliaments , and their Detestation and Abhorrence of that Treasonable Instrument of Association seized in the Earl of Shaftsbury's Closet .

And although we are not so tame as to wear Chains or worship the Host , Yet we declare our selves willing to bear the easie Yoke of Obedience and Subjection due to His Majesty , his Heirs and Successors , and to the Laws as now Established , and shall account it our Interest as well as Duty , according to our sworn Allegiance , with our Lives and Fortunes to maintain and defend him and them against that and all other such like Damnable Associations and Confederacies whatsoever . And in regard the Printers of these Libels are out of the Liberties of this City , we humbly request your Worships to Address His Sacred Majesty in Councel , and implore the Aid and Assistance of that Board in order to their being dealt with according to their demerits .