The humble Petition of many thousands of Courtiers, Citizens, Gentlemen, and Trades-mens wives, inhabiting within the Cities of London and Westminster, &c.

THat your Petitioners, their husbands, their children, and their families, amounting to many thousand soules; have lived in plentifull and good fashion, by the exercise of severall Trades and venting of divers workes: for learning where­of, many of them have served Apprentiships, o­thers taken houses and shops both in the Citie and Suburbs, and also in the Exchanges at very great rents: all depending wholly for the sayle of their Commodities, (which is the maintenance and very existence and being of themselves, their husbands, and families) upon the splendour and glory of the English Court and principally upon that of the Queens Majesty; by occasion of whose [Page 1]Royall presence we have hitherto had ready utte­rance for our Commodities, and were thereby en­abled to pay our rents, and live in good repute: but upon late notice that her. Majesty is resolved instantly to depart the Kingdome, we cannot but thereby foresee an utter cessation and decay of all our trading, so shal we become utterly disabled to pay our rents, support our selves, or our families; and can apprehend nothing but distraction, penu­ry, and ruine: or that our eminent and inevitable necessities will produce some violent effect. And your Petitioners have cause to feare that this sud­den resolution in her Majesty is occasioned by some just distaste taken at divers unusual and tu­multuous assemblies, to the affright of her Royall Person, and at the unpunisht printing of many li­centious and scandalous Pamphelets; some covert­ly, some plainely, wounding her sacred Majesty in the opinion of the vulgar, as an Abbettor or Counsellor of such designes, which are pretended to disturbe the peaceable government both of this Kidgdome and Ireland: whereas your Petitioners are consident she was not onely a solicitous me­diator for the assembling of this gracious Parlia­ment, but that since Her comming into this King­dome she never did ill office to any particular Subject, but hath oft beene an instrument of ma­ny Acts of mercy and grace, to multitudes of distressed people.

And your Petitioners likewise considering the great happynesse brought to this Nation in her Princely Issue, of which native comfort this Na­tion [Page 2]hath beene barren now almost a hundred yeares; are the more encouraged, ‘ Humbly to pray, That this Honourable Assem­bly would give some speedy assurance to her Majesty, that the Authors and Instigators of such seditious tumults and scandalls, shall be strictly enquired after, and punisht; and that she may receive such publike vin­dication by Parliament, against all such ca­lumners of her sacred Majesty; and give her that due honor and reverence we are sure she merits, and joyne with us in Petition for her continuall residence amongst us: where­by she receiving full assurance of the love and fidelity of her Subjects in this King­dome; your Petitioners may with some comfort redresse themselves to her Majesties compassion of her affectionate people, humbly to pray her stay.’

So shall they have cause to pray for your Ho­nours prosperity in all your actions: And ever remaine the true and faithfull Protestants to the Church of England,till death.

To the Right HONOVRABLE THE LORDS Assembled in Parliament, The humble Petition of the Gentry, Mi­nistry, and Commonalty of Cleveland, in the County of YORKE:

WHereas we know no other meanes under God, to divert the just Judgements which he hath executed against the Church of the Laodi­ceans, for the luke-warmenesse in Rebellion, or a­gainst the Church of Thyatira, for keeping Sedu­cers, nor to prevent our eminent dangers, but by a most necessary and speedy executing of the Lawes of God and the King. We doe therefore desire to certifie, that we are resolved to live and dye in the Faith of the Protestant Religion; (knowing no o­ther meanes of Salvation) and that we will defend it with our Lives and Goods, which that we may with our abilities, be encouraged in performing.

We humbly above all things desire, that wee may be secured, a happy Reformation aforded, and the Lawes of God and the King without fa­vour or delay, justly put in execution against Papists.

To the most Honourable and high Court of Parliament. The humble Petition of the Gentlemen, and other of the Inhabitants of the County of Cornuwall.

HAving seene and heard the many (though scarce divers) Petitions to this Honorable Assembly by the Inhabitants of divers Counties and Cities of this Land, as also Corporations, Companies, and Trades, some against Bishops, some against the Common prayer, and all against such judiciall and things super-elementary to the Region of their capacity of judging, and matters onely belonging to the Judicature of this grave Synot, which seemes either to distrust, or direct, or both, your great wisedomes; Wee therefore the Gentlemen and other the Inhabitants of Corn­wall, with as many hearts, though not hands, with as wany good wills, though not persons, not in imitation, but rather by provocation, and necessity in these times, to show our good minded affections, doe humbly prostrate the ut­most of our service to your feet. In which (or rather after which) we take leave humbly to beg.

That you will bee pleased to bend your auxi­liary and good affections to the redresse of the distresse of the misertble Protestants in Ireland. To gaine whose good, prosperity, peace, and tranquility, to perserve the Soveraignty of that [Page 5]Land to our Royall King, and to maintaine his and this Kingdomes honour, We shall willing­ly lay downe our lives and fortunes.

That you will bee pleased to continue your great respect, dutifull love, and true obedience to out Royall Soveraigne, by maintaining his just, and no way antelegall Prerogative.

That you will be pleased to put the Lawes in due execution against all Jesuites, Seminaries, Papists and Recusants.

That you will be pleased to looke upon the otherside, and duely weighing the actions (or ra­ther factious) of some, (whom most men call Ci­tizens) to scourge their irregular and disorderly schisme and hereticall Sects, into tight paths of serving God, to frequent his House, and to pray as well as heare, to allow order, and obey confor­mity, to reverence learning, and bow to authori­ty, to be under a discipline, and live in order.

That you will be pleased to maintaine and esta­blish the ancient fundamentall and most venera­ble Lawes, order and discipline, both of our Church and Commonwealth, to continue the revence'd Office, and punish the offending per­sons of Bishops, to have in high account, and eternize as farre as in you lyes) the Divine and excellent forme of Common prayer, to correct braine forg'd doctrine, by your examplary pre­cepts strike a reverence of Gods House into every mans breast.

That you will be pleased to intimate to the people your honorable and wise intentions con­cerning [Page]Divine Service, least while you hold your peace, some rejecting it in part, others altogether, they vainly conceive you countenance them.

Lastly, (not to trouble your great affaires any longer) That you will be pleased to take into your sage consideration, those scandalous and ill affected Pamphlets, which flye abroad in such swarmes, as are able to cloud the pure ayre of truth, and present a darke ignorance to those who have not the two wings of Justice and knowledge to fly above them.

Now to polish this our worke with a smooth demonstration of our modest intents, that the tinctures which in introduction fell on the forementioned presents, may slide without a staine from this; Wee doe in all humility de­clare, that neither distrust of your intentions, nor opinion of any of our councels worthy your eares ever tainted our thoughts, but that we have still beene and are confident, that this most wise Synod hath ever thought fit, resolv'd and will confirme into action, what wee now humbly request, therefore this our present, not so much a Petition as a prayer of willing and thankefull hearts for the hop'd sequell, is onely to shew our true intentions and good-will towards his gracious Majestie, and this high Court, as Instruments of the peace of our soules and bodies, for which wee are unani­mously and immutably resolv'd to spend our dearest blood.