To the Right Honourable the Lord Major, the Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Councell Assembled.
The humble Petition of divers well-affected Citizens and Free-men of London under the jurisdiction of the Lord Major.

THat the great care and uncessant paines of this Ho­nourable Court for the promoting of the cause of God, is so eminently knowne, that your Petitio­ners cunceive that they shall be too much wanting to their owne duties and safety if they should bee backward in the thankfull acknowledgement thereof. Where­fore as they give you many humble and hearty thanks for what you have already done in reference to the publike good, so being desirous in what in them lyes yet further to strengthen your hands to so glorious a worke they cannot but let you know their resolutions to adhere unto you in all your just and legall proceedings, not doubting but the same good hand of God that hath hitherto been with you will still bee upon you for good, whilst you endeavour in your places the establishment of truth & peace, & the removing those pressing grievances, that lye upon us as you have lately done in that free & necessary, yet [Page 2]humble and dutifull Remonstrance & Petition unto the Honou­rable Houses of Parliament, and however there wants not those for the present, who out of self-respects calumniate your good intention therein, yet being perswaded that in very faithful­nesse to the publike you have done it, your Petitioners not only approve of it but rejoyce in it, the rather since they know no o­ther ordinary way for obtaining remedy for their common grie­vances then by your addresses to the Parliament in their behalf.

Your Petitioners therfore humbly Pray, that this Honorable Court would be pleased still to persevere and couragi­ously goe on, and by all pious and prudent meanes en­deavouring the speedy settlement of Religion, the Peace of the Kingdome, the union of both Nations, the safety and welfare of this City, and in a word the performance of the Covenant,, wherein we are Solemn­ly engaged unto God the righteous Judge of all the world: In reference unto all which good ends your Petitioners pray, that you would still continue your humble addresses unto the Parliament, not onely for a gracious Answer of your said late Remonstrance, but for all such other things as shall necessary conduce to the putting a happy period to our present miserable distractions; and that the meane time you would put in execution amongst your selves so many branches thereof as the power wherewith (by the Lawes of this Kingdome, you are already invested) will extend unto.

And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.

Observations upon the fore going Petition by way of Dialogue between a Church-warden and a Parishioner.

COme Neighbour, here is a very sober, moderate, and pious Petition, tending much for the glorie of God, the peace of the kingdome, and the common good; will you subscribe it?

Sir, I desire to be excused: for my part I doe not like it.

Not like it man? what honest man can dislike it?

Sir, It is a very dangerous Petition, and there is more mischiefe coucht in it then you are aware of.

I thinke in my conscience some men will finde fault with any thing; why man it is as harmlesse a Petition as ever was sub­scribed unto; and many honest, and understanding men have sub­scribed it.

I will not make other mens examples, but mine owne Reason, the Rule of my actions: honest men may sometimes do knaves worke, & the most cunning straines of destperate Malig­nancy; and dangerous consequence are alwaies carried on by a­bused simplicity, but I look upon it as a very dangerous Petition

I know you are none of these Shimaticall Sectaries, which have ever beene the unhappie disturbers of the publike peace of Church and state; whose totall suppression would bee a happie thing to this land and nation, I pray you tell mee the rea­son why you will not subscibe it, I'le assure you wee are to re­turne the names of those that deny subscription.

Returne the names, to whom? have you any authority that put you on worke? for my part I was never known to con­temne thority; tell me to whom must you returne the names of the non-subscribers.

Excuse me there, I speake as your friend, and in my love to you, but I pray you take no notice of that, but tell me the rea­son why you will not subscribe it.

Why I'le tell you, first I like not the thing in the generall. 2. I like not some things more particular?

What doe you dis-like in it in the generall.

Why truly in the generall I look upon it as meer sediti­tion, and that which hath a very dangerous tendency in it, and may likely prove an utter breach between Citie and Pariiament, and confident I am (however you are abused) close malignancy lies at the root, and if my councell be worthy to be taken, have no further hand in it.

Sedition man? how can that be, I am sure as honest men, and as good friends to the Parliament as any are in this Citie (none excepted) have their hands in it.

It's no matter for that, honest men are not in all things the most politiek, I'le give you an account of my thoughts of it.

Truly I have alwayes taken you for an understanding man, not rash, but rationall, tell me why do you think it sedition?

Why I'le tell you, the City hath petitioned and Remon­strated to the House, the House shew no testimonie of their ac­ceptance (but rather their dislike) of it, if in such a Case a party shall joyne together, and subscribe a resolutution to sticke unto those, and promise to backe them in any thing whereto the Par­liament shows their dislike, it is absolute in my judgement sedi­tion, and a direct faction, and that which tends to make a very heavy breach between the Citie and Parliament: for it is no less then to raise up a party against the Parliament.

I confesse there may be more in it then I see before: but confident I am, that there are many honest men that would cut off their hands before they would subscribe it, if they thought so?

I do beleeve so too; but I verily think the designe is dee­per then you are aware of, and I partly perceive whence it comes about, that there are such daily tamperings with Citizens in matters of this nature?

I pray you tell me your thoughts freely.

Why, I'le tell you, many Malignants are come into the City, and have made their peace with the Parliament by their Compositions; though they are as directly Royallists as ever they were: moreover, many Malignant Episcopall Priests are likewise by Compositions admitted into the City, both the one and the other, having cunning heads, choise wits, deep reaches, and malignant hearts, having some hopes that the Scots and the King will joyne together against the Parliament: (though [Page 7]for my part I have strong confidence (what ever the Kings design may be) the Scots will appeare honest) these men well knowing that if they could but divide London from the Parliament, and get those men suppressed that have done them as much mischiefe as any in the Kingdome under the notion of Schismaticks, An­nabaptists, Independants and Sectaries, these men (I say may fo­ment divisions between the well-affected, and the City and Par­liament, not doubting but (if that was once irreconcileably done, what with the Scots, the Kings Party in the Kingdome & Citie) the game would goe on their sides, and so they have their desires; Againe we have a great many Ministers here, in and a­bout the Citie, some whereof doubtlesse in conscience to the glory of God, being much affected with the divisions and errours of the Times, others byassed with base ends of honour, and profit, these by their invective preachings, stirring up the Magistrates in their more popular Sermons at Westminster, Pauls, every morning exercise in the Citie: as also by their bitter wri­tings against those that agree not with them in Church govern­ment? and their dispersions of their unchristian like bookes a­broad, such as Master Edwards bookes are (enough to set a whole Kingdome on fire) as also by the methods that are contriv'd by some, sending abroad, and spreading their instructions, directi­ons, & advice for the preaching on such subjects throughout the Citie and Kingdome as people are not able to bear; whereby di­visions, wrath, discord, and generall discontents are fomented throughout the Kingdome, setting Menister against people, and people against Minister, stirring up and provoking the City to be troublesome to the Parliament, to petition againe and again, under a pretence of zeal for the house of God, the glory of God, the reformation of the Kingdome, the setting up (and that with a rigorous exaction of uniformity therein) of that governement wherein indeed themselves do not agree, some holding it Jure Divino, others Jure Humano, and so they make a great busling in the Citie and Kingdome about they know not what: hereupon it is very probable, for I speake my thoughts, they stirre up the people to joyne with the Common Councell, and to stick unto them, insinuating that the Parliament can do nothing without the Citie, and therefore petition: and if that will not do, peti­tion, and if that will not doe, petition againe and againe untill [Page 8]they doe answer you, and that to your content: for doubtlesse if they see you are many in number, and resolved in the thing, they must not deny you, &c. This is another cause of these kind of procceedings, I blunder out my own opinion, you know I am plain, these I professe are my very thoughts? and for my part I look upon this very Petition as widening the distance, and en­creasing the fire, and enlarging divisions, and therefore beleeve it I shall have no hand in it; it grieves me to see how simply men are hurried on to their own dammage, let the Parliament alone and God blesse them, and let the City act within its spheare, and every of us study more peace and love and Christian sweetenesse in our carriages one towards another then we do. This for the generall:

What are your particular exceptions against it?

Truly I cannot stand now to examine all things in it, but I shall only for present upon a suddain let you know my ex­ceptions against one thing you spake of in the prayer, you peti­tion the Lord Major and Common Councell, as they make conscience of their solemn Leagus and Covenant, that they en­deavour the settlement of Religion, I concceive you mean Pres­biteriall Government, do you not?

Yes doubtlesse we mean nothing else, for that we suppose to be according to the Word of God, and the best Reformed Churches?

Why then by this kind of interpretation every man is bound to strive to compell others to conformity unto that Go­vernment, which hee supposeth to be according to the Word of God, and the example of the best Reformed Churches: so the Anabaptist he is bound to compell others to his judgement: In­dependants to do the like, seekers to do the like, and so this kind of exposition of the Covenant, puts a sword into the hands of all sorts of Sectaries, and people of different judgments to rend and teare and devour one another, and what a dividing and dan­gerous interpretation of the Covenant is this? to presse men as they tender a good conscience to ruine one another. Sir, I am a little in hast, I have told you my present thoughts in short: I cannot subscribe the Petition.

I thank you for your freenesse of discourse, I promise you I'le be better advised before I proced any further therein.

Farewell Sir.