The Printer t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reader.  
Hearing that many are desirous to see the London ministers petition, and fea●●●g lest some corruptions might be spread, in sundry written copies: I thought it m●●te to prevent the one, and to remove the other, by giving the● a true and faithful copy thereof in print, hoping that none willbe offended by p●●●ting it, seeing that nothing was meant by the first penning of it, neither is, by the present publishing of the same, but that which is good and dutiful.   

TO THE kings MOST EXCELLENT MAIE●●●E.  
The humble Petition of two and Twenty Preachers, in London and the suburbs thereof.  
Wouchsafe (most gracious Sovereign) a favourable and pitiful ear, unto the humble petition, of many your distressed subjects. Preachers of the gospel, now called upon in your majesties name, to approve by subscription and practice, five several books, with certain Ceremonies therein prescribed. If any thing were commanded us by your Majesty, which we might do, without offence to the highest Majesty, there is not a man among us, that would not willingly obey the same, though it were to the loss of all he hath, yea, of his very life. But being persuaded▪ that the said ceremonies, and many things else in those books, are repugnant to the word of God, we most humbly beseech your Highness: to spare our consciences in the same, especially seeing hitherto, neither our exceptions (a view whereof we have to show) have been answered, nor any one sufficient reason given, according to your majesties proclamation, to prove the lawfulness of the things imposed, we have heard and do believe, that your Majesty hath often said, that if any can show the things required to be unlawful, your Highness will not have them urged. And except we be able, by the evidence of holy scripture, to prove the same, we will presently yield to conformity required. In the mean time, it might please your Majesty in your princely wisdom to consider, that howsoever these things have not heretofore, been by authority removed, yet have they never had quiet possession in this Church under the gospel, since the first abolishing of popery, that our late gracious Queen of famous memory, at the humble suit of the Commons in Parliament, signified her express will and pleasure, yet upon record. That no preacher or Minister, should be impeached, or otherwise molested or troubled, for the rites and Ceremonies in question, that the common judgement, of almost all the painful & resiant ministers of the land, is against them: that they have been long disused in many places, & generally distasted, with the people of better ●cate, as hath appeared in many parliaments of former times, and also in this last. In regard whereof, we humbly beseech your Highness, to take this burden from our consciences, and to vouchsafe the continuance of our ministry, at the least, until the ignorant and scandalous Ministers be removed, nonresidentes reform, and all the Churches of this kingdom, be provided of able, godly, and resident preachers, that popery and Atheism get not the head among us, to the ruin of this famous Church and common wealth. And this we verily hope, your Majesty will not deny us, the rather for that we are the servants of your God, Preachers of that faith, whereof your Highness is both professor, and defender: we have always sincerely, favoured and to our power furthered, your just and lawful claim unto this kingdom: we are adversaries to them, that are adversaries to your soul and body, supremacy, Crown, and Kingdoms. We have been brought up, and taken degrees in the universities: we are many of us become greay headed in the service of God, and of his Church, having preached the gospel, some of us ten years, some twenty, some thirty, and some more, and divers of us in this City adventured our lives by preaching, in the time of the late infection: neither are we so few, as is pretended: to say nothing of our brethren, which yield with much grief and sorrow of heart: we have wives and children, kinsfolks & friend depending on us, who are all undone, if we be displaced. God forbid, that ever it should be said or written, in succeeding ages▪ that in the days of so religious, and learned a King, so many learned and painful pastors and preachers, were cast out, as unsavoury salt: and that for refusing such a subscription, as in no age of the Church, was ever urged, and is more than the law of the land requireth, and for not using such ceremonies, as are profitable to none, Prince or subject, and (to speak the least) have been and continue, to be polluted with Idolatry: and in the mean time, so many dumb Ministers, so many scandalous Ministers and non-residents (the shame and bane of the Church of God) kept in, and that so many learned, godly, and (many of them) aged men, were exposed to such reproach and misery, as neither the dumb and scandalous ministers with theirs of late, nor Monks, Friars and Nuns, in former times have been. Oh that your Majesty did know, the reproach that is already fallen upon us, yea upon the gospel which we have preached, the insulting of Papists and profane persons, the discouraging of young students, the pitiful cries of many thousands most faithful subjects throughout the land, and chiefly in your highness chamber, and famous City of London. If your Majesty did but hear and see, these woeful effects, your royal and compassionate heart (we are persuaded) would not be able to endure the same. But your Majesty is, as an Angel of God, to discern more than is meet for us to speak. And therefore forbeareing to proceed further herein, we humbly cast ourselves, at your majesties feet, for the continuance of our ministry, to the glory of God: and salvation of his people, through jesus Christ, whom we daily beseech to bless your Majesty, and posterity forever.