TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS AND COMMONS ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT.
The humble Petition of many of the Gentry, Ministers, Free-holders, and other Inha­bitants of the County of Kent, and the Cities of Canterbury and Rochester, and County of Canterbury, with the Cinque Ports, and their members, and other Corporations within the said County,

Most humbly sheweth,

THat your Petitioners, or many of them have heretofore exhibited to both Houses of Parliament a Petition concurring with those of the renowned City of London, and other severall Counties of this Kingdome, expressing their true zeale to true Religion in the pure worship of God, and their loving affections to the Kings most excellent Majesty, both Houses, and the Kingdomes: That your poore Petitioners doe with all humility returne their utmost thankes unto this Ho­nourable Assembly, for your favourable and gentle acceptance of their Petition, your great care and vigilancy, and unces­sant labours for the advancement of the true reformed Religion, the Honor and welfare of his Majesty, and his Kingdomes, and for your continued endeavours for a right understanding betweene his Majesty, and his Parliament; for your instant ad­dresse to his Majesty, to disswade him from his personall Expedition for Ireland, and especially for that to us so welcome Declaration of Lords and Commons, April 9. 1642. concerning your pious intentions for a necessary Reformation, which renewes our hopes, and we hope will further your account in the day or the Lord, who are come up as Saviours on Mount Sion, and that your Petitioners; doe most heartily rejoyce to behold the happy union of both Houses of Parliament, and the mutuall concurrence of them and the whole Kingdome, wherein under his Majesty, the safety of all the three Kingdomes doe consist.

Yet your Petitioners cannot but plainly expresse with what sad hearts they thinke on the many evill occurrents which in­terrupt your unparalelled paines, and intercept the fruit of your faithfull Counsels, from us among which this is not the least (viz.) a Petition (as we conceive) of dangerous consequence, and published at the last generall Assises holden for this Coun­ty at Maidstone, and then (yea, yet) advanced for subscribers, intended to be exhibited to this Honourable House, as the Petition of the whole body of this County, to cause the whole Kingdom to beleeve that Petition to be the act of the whole County of Kent (or the major part thereof) whereby a great blemish and scandall is brought upon this loyall and peaceable County, being styled the Kentish Petition, which we know is not the act of the body of the County, as it seemeth to speak, for as much as it was disavowed by many of the then grand Jury, and Justices on the Bench, and by all us your Petitioners, whose names are under-written.

1. Wherefore our humble prayer is, that your Honours would be pleased first to accept this our Vindication of our selves and this County, who utterly disclaime the said Petition, humbly leaving it to the Wisdome, Ju­stice and Clemency of this Honourable Assembly, to difference betweene the active contrivers and promoters, and unadvised subscribers thereof.

2. To lift up your hearts above all discouragements in the wayes of the Lord, according to that your so religi­ous resolutions for Reformation in the Church, for a Consultation with godly and learned Divines, and for the establishing of a Preaching Ministry throughout the whole Kingdome: And we your Petitioners being sensible, that to oppose or flight his Majesties Parliament, and the orders thereof, were to hazzard the safety of his Maje­sties Royall person, and all his Kingdomes, and to further the designes of our enemies, who hope by causing our division, to triumph in our confusion.

And we your Petitioners are unanimously resolved to maintaine and defend, as far as lawfully we may, with our lives, power and estates, his Majesties Royall person and dignities, as also the power and priviledges of his Parliament, according to our Protestation.

And shall daily pray that your hands may be sufficient for you to accomplish every good worke.

This Petition was delivered, and read in the House of Commons the fifth of May, 1642. with 8000. hands thereto.

London printed for William Larnar. 1642.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.