A TRUE COPY OF THE PETITION OF THE CENTLEWOMEN, and Tradesmens-Wives in and about the City of LONDON.  
Delivered, To the Honourable, the KNIGHTS, Citizens, and Burgesses, of the House of COMMONS in Parliament, the 4th, of February, 1641.  
Together, With the Reasons why their Sex ought thus to Petition, as well as the Men; and the manner how both their Petition and Reasons was delivered.  
Likewise the Answer which the Honourable Assembly sent to them by Mr. Pym, as they stood at the House-doore.  
Whereunto is added the Prophecy of old Sibylla.  
LONDON. Printed for john Bull, dwelling in Grubstreet. 1642.   

TO THE HONOURABLE Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, of the House of COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
The most humble PETITION of the Gentlewomen, Trades-mens-wives, and many others of the Female Sex, all Inhabitants of the City of LONDON, and the Suburbs thereof.  
With lowest submission showing,  
THat we also with all thankful humilty acknowledging the unwearied pains, care, and great charge, besides hazatd of health and life, which you the noble Worthies of this Honourable and Renowned Assembly have undergone, for safety both of Church and Commonwealth, for a long time already past: for which not only we your humble Petitioners, and all well affected in this Kingdom, but also all other good Christians are bound, now, and at all times, to acknowledge; yet notwithstanding that many worthy deeds have been done by you, great danger and fear do still attend us, and will, as long as Popish Lords and Superstitious Bishops are suffered to have their Voice in the House of Peers, and that accursed and abominable Idol of the Mass suffered in the Kingdom, and that Arch-enemy of our Prosperity and Reformation lieth in the Tower, yet not receiving his deserved punishment.  
All these under correction, gives us great cause to suspect, that God is angry with us, and to be the chief causes, why your Pious endeavours for a further Reformation, proceedeth not with that success as you desire, & is most earnestly prayed for, of all that wish well to true Religion, and the flourishing both of King and Kingdom; the insolences of the Papists and their Abettors, raiseth a just fear and suspicion of sowing sedition, and breaking out into bloody persecution in this Kingdom, as they have done in Ireland, the thoughts of which sad and Barbarous events, maketh our tender hearts to melt within us, forcing us humbly to Petition to this Honourable Assembly, to make safe provision for yourselves and us, before it be too late.  
And whereas we, whose hearts have joined cheerfully with all those Petitions which have been exhibited unto you in the behalf of the purity of Religion, and the liberty of our Husband's persons and estates, recounting ourselves to have an interest in the common privileges with them, do with the same confidence assure ourselves to find the same gracious acceptance with you, for easing of those greevances, which in regard of our frail condition, do more nearly concern us, & do deeply terrify our souls: our Domestical dangers with which this kingdom is so much distracted, especially growing on us from those treacherous and wicked attempts already are such, as we find ourselves to have as deep a share as any other.  
We cannot but tremble at the very thoughts of the horrid and hideous facts, which modesty forbids us now to name, occasioned by the bloody Wars in Germany, his Majesties late Northern Army, how often did it affright our hearts, whilst their violence began to break out so furiously upon the persons of those, whose Husbands or Parents were not able to rescue: we wish we had no cause to speak of those insolences, and savage usage and unheard of rapes, exercised upon our Sex in Jreland, and have we not just cause to fear they will prove the forerunners of our r●ine? except Almighty God by the wisdom & care of this Parliament be pleased to secure us, our Husbands and Children, which are as dear and tender unto us, as the lives and blood of our hearts, to see them murdered and mangled and cut in pieces before our eyes, to see our Children dashed against the stones, and the Mother's milk mingled with the Infant's blood, running down the streets; to see our Houses on flaming fire over our heads: Oh how dreadful would this be! we thought it misery enough (though nothing to that we have just cause to fear) but few years since for some of our Sex, by unjust divisions from their bosom comforts, to be rendered in a manner Widows, and the children Fatherless, Husbands were imprisoned from the Society of their Wives, even against the Laws of God and Nature, and little Infants suffered in their Father's banishments: thousands of our dearest friends have been compelled to fly from Episcopal persecutions into desert places amongst wild Beasts, there finding more favour than in their native soil, and in the midst of all the sorrows, such hath the pity of the Prelates been, that our cries could never enter into their ears or hearts, nor yet through multitudes of obstructions could never have access or come nigh to those Royal mercies of our most gracious Soverrigne, which we confidently hope, would have relieved us: but after all these pressures ended, we humbly signify, that our present fears are, that unless the bloodthirsty faction of the Papists and Prelates be hindered in their designs, ourselves here in England as well as they in Ireland, shall be exposed to that misery which is more intolerable than that which is already past, as namely to the rage not of men alone, but of Devils incarnate, (as we may so say) besides the thraldom of our souls and consciences in matters concerning God, which of all things are most dear unto us.  
Now the remembrance of all these fearful accidents aforementioned, do strongly move us from the example of the Woman of Tekoa to fall submissively at the feet of his Majesty, our dread Sovereign, and cry Help O King, help O ye the noble Worthies now sitting in Parliament: And we humbly beseech you, that you will be a means to his Majesty and the House of Peers, that they will be pleased to take our heart breaking grievances into timely consideration, and to add strength and encouragement to your noble endeavours, and further that you would move his Majesty with our humble requests, that he would be graciously pleased according to the example of the good King Asa, to purge both the Court and Kingdom of that great Idolatrous service of the Mass, which is tolerated in the Queen's Court, this sin (as we conceive,) is able to draw down a greater curse upon the whole Kingdom, than all your noble and pious endeavours can prevent, which was the cause that the good and pious King Asa would not suffer Idolatry in his own Mother, whose example if it shall please his Majesty's gracious goodness to follow, in putting down Popery and Idolatry both in great and small, in Court and in the Kingdom throughout, to subdue the Papists and their abetters, and by taking away the power of the Prelates, whose Government by long and woeful experience we have found to be against the liberty of our conscience and the freedom of the Gospel, and the sincere profession and practise thereof, then shall our fears be removed, and we may expect that God will pour down his blessings in abundance both upon his Majesty, and upon this Honourable Assembly, and upon the whole Land.  
For which your new Petitioners shall pray affectionately.  

The Reasons follow.  
IT may be thought strange, and unbeseeming our sex to show ourselves by way of Petition to this Honourable Assembly: but the matter being rightly considered, of the right and interest we have in the Common and public cause of the Church, it will, as we conceive (under correction) be found a duty commanded and required.  
First, Because Christ hath purchased us at as dear a rate as he hath done men, and therefore requireth the like obedience for the same mercy, as of men.  
Secondly, Because in the free enjoining of Christ in his own Laws, and a flourishing estate of the Church and Commonwealth, consisteth the happiness of Women as well as Men.  
Thirdly, Because Women are sharers in the Common calamities that accompany both Church and Commonwealth, when oppression is exercised over the Church or Kingdom wherein they live; and an unlimited power have been given to Prelates to exercise authority over the Consciences of Women, as well as Men; witness Newgate, Smithfield, and other places of persecution, wherein Women as well as Men have felt the smart of their fury.  
Neither are we left without example in Scripture, for when the State of the Church, in the time of King Abasuerus was by the bloody enemies thereof sought to be utterly destroyed, we find that Ester the Queen and her Maids fasted and prayed, and that Ester petitioned to the King in the behalf of the Church: and though she enterprised this duty with the hazard of her own life, being contrary to the Law to appear before the King before she were sent for, yet her love to the Church carried her thorough all difficulties, to the performance of that duty.  
On which grounds we are emboldened to present out humble Petition unto this Honourable Assembly, not weighing the reproaches which may and are by many cast upon us, who (not well weighing the premises) scoff and deride our good intent. We do it not out of any self conceit, or pride of heart, as seeking to equal ourselves with Men, either in Authority or wisdom: But according to our places to discharge that duty we owe to God, and the cause of the Church, as fare as lieth in us, following herein the example of the Men, which have gone in this duty before us.    

A Relation of the manner how it was delivered, with their Answer, sent by Mr. Pym.  
THe Petition with their Reasons was delivered the fourth of Feb. 1641. by Mistress Anne Stagg a Gentlewoman and Brewers-wife, and many others with her of like rank and quality, which when they had delivered it, after some time spent in reading of it, the Honourable Assembly sent them an Answer by Master Pym, which was performed in this manner.  
Master Pym came to the Commons door, and called for the Women, and spoke unto them in these words: Good Women, your Petition and the Reasons have been read in the House; and is very thankfully accepted of, and is come in a seasonable time: You shall (God willing) receive from us all the satisfaction which we can possibly give to your just and lawful desires. We entreat you to repair to your Houses, and turn your Petition which you have delivered here, into Prayers at home for us; for we have been, are, and shall be (to our utmost power) ready to relieve you, your Husbands, and Children, and to perform the trust committed unto us, towards God, our King and Country, as becometh faithful Christians and Loyal Subjects.   

The Prophecy of old Sibylla, Which secretly she told Tom Milla.  
WHen Scotland's hundreth and ninth unconquered King,  
The sixteen hundred, thirty and ninth year,  
Into his age of thirty nine shall Reign,  
Then shall the Papal overthrow appear,  
Which all the Arts of Europe shall admire:  
For Scotland shall that blessed work begin,  
Then shall the Whore of Babel, we had here,  
Be banished quite, which Bishops did bring in.  
Then then brave England which was led so blind,  
By their perverse Episcopapall pride,  
And Ireland's shameless superstitious sin,  
Shall he suppressed, who cruelly have cried;  
So that, hat sacred Prophetess Sibylla,  
Shall shortly come to pass, she tells Tom Milla;  
And Tom tells me, and I must tell't again,  
Through Scotland, England. Ireland, France and Spain.  
FINIS,