The true Copy of a PETITION, DELIVERED To the Right Honorable the Lord Major, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, in Common-Councell assembled, on Tuesday the 23 of June, 1646.
To the Right Honourable the Lord MAJOR, the Right Worshipfull the ALDERMEN and COMMONS of the City of LONDON, in Common-Councell assembled.
The humble Petition of divers wel-affected Citizens and Freemen of London, under the Jurisdiction of the Lord Major.
THat the great care and uncessant paines of this Honourable Court, for promoting the Cause of God, is so eminently known, that your Petitioners conceive they shall bee too much wanting to their owne duty and safety, if they should bee backward in the thankfull acknowledgement thereof; Wherefore, as they give You many humble and hearty Thankes for what You have already done in reference to the Publick Good, so being desirous, what in them lies, yet further to strengthen your hands to so glorious a Work, 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 bee still upon You for good, while You endeavour in your Places the establishment of Truth and Peace, and the removall of those pressing Grievances that lie upon us, as You have lately done in that Free and Necessary, yet Humble and Dutifull Remonstrance and Petition to the Honourable Houses of Parliament. And however there want not those for the present, who out of self-respects calumniate your good Intentions therein; yet being perswaded that in very faithfulnesse to the Publick You have done it; Your Petitioners not onely approve of it, but rejoyce in it, the rather, since they know no other orderly way for obtaining Remedie for their Common Grievances, then by Your addresses to the Parliament in their behalfe.
Your Petitioners therefore humbly Pray, That this Honourable Court would be pleased still to persevere, and couragiously goe on in and by all Pious and Prudent meanes, endeavouring the speedy settlement of Religion, the Peace of the Kingdom, the Ʋnion of both Nations, the safety and welfare of this City, and in a word, the performance of that Covenant wherein we are solemnly engaged to God the Righteous Judge of all the World. In reference to all which good ends, Your Petitioners further pray, That you would still continue your humble Addresses to the Parliament, not onely for a gracious Answer to your said late Remonstrance, but for all such other things as shall necessarily conduce to putting an happy period to our present miserable Distractions: And that in the meane time you would put in execution among your selves so many branches there [...]f, as the Power wherewith (by the Laws of this Kingdom) you are already invested, will extend unto.
And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.
THis Petition was subscribed by many Thousands, all of them Citizens of the best rank and quality, Freemen and Inhabitants within the Jurisdiction of the Lord Major, and presented by many grave and eminent Persons of worth and quality, in the Names of themselves and all the rest of the Subscribers.
Further, they did declare the reason wherefore they did present the said Petition, because they did perceive by divers scandalous Pamphlets, published and set forth (by some who are no friends to Peace, Truth, and Government) wherein it is declared that the late Remonstrance and Petition presented to the Honourable Houses of Parliament by the Lord Major, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, was not the Act of the City, but of some few of the Common-Councell. To prevent which grosse untruth, the said Citizens did present this Petition thus subscribed, to shew their concurrence with, and approbation of so good a Work; and likewise to manifest their good affections and earnest desires of a well grounded Peace, and of a setled Government in Church and Common-wealth; and of using all good and lawfull meanes for the removall of those pressing Grievances that so heavily are upon them. As also to expresse their utter dislike to the proceedings of those who have replyed against the said Remonstrance.
London, Printed by Richard Cotes, Printer to the Honorable City of London, 1646.