To the present visible supreme Power, Assembled at West MINSTER.  
The Humble Petition, and desires of many thousand well-affected persons, in, and about the City of London, in behalf of themselves and the whole kingdom.  
Humbly showeth,  
THat your Petitioners being sensible what it is to offend the Almighty, and procure his wrath upon ourselves and our posterity, (as also of the misery of a late and lasting War) and how dangerous a thing it is to offend against the very light of Conscience, and to dally with oaths and Covenants, &c. And having taken into our Consideration the present straits we are in, if under one hand we shall oppose or speak against those present visible powers in being: Or on the other hand, shall violate the Oath of allegiance, (which we were forced to take when we became freemen, and Subjects to the King) the Protestation, and the late solemn League and Covenant, all which we have, by many learned Divines, been from time to time taught that they ought not to be violated, and that from the same we could not be absolved.  
But so it is, as we humbly conceive, if we shall comply with our Brethren in laying aside of the King, the Parliament, the present Settled laws, and Constitutions of this kingdom; and shall side with, and abet in deposing of the King, and His Posterity, the dismembering of Parliament, the defrauding of Fellow-members of their freedom, for to choose, or to be Chosen, in places of Office and Trust in the kingdom; we shall thereby violate our oaths, give up our undoubted Rights to others, offend God, and sin against the light of our own Consciences: Or if not, we shall expose ourselves, and Estates, into the power of those, who (by the known laws, and undoubted Rights, belonging and appertaining unto the Subjects of England) have no power over us, and to be tried, and disposed by unwritten, and uncertain Dictates, laws and Rules, to which we never gave the least consent, nor had the least knowledge of.  
Neither are we ignorant of what evil Consequences to this kingdom, the deposing of former Kings hath been, witness the Story of Henry the Fourth, and others: And how God from time to time, hath taken vengeance on Covenant-breakers, (though it was amongst Heathens themselves) who have made specious pretences of good, until they have gotten power into their own hands, &c. and of the sad consequences that have risen from the change of Government in a State, witness that of Athens, &c. All which, we beseech you to take into your serious consideration, (know you not yet that ENGLAND is destroyed) before our miseries come inevitably upon us, and there be no remedy, nor hopes of Restauration to our hoped-for Peace and tranquillity; and that for the prevention of the forementioned evils felt or feared,  
1. You will please to propound to the whole kingdom, (and not a part only) that they, within a certain time to be limited, convene together, to declare their approbation of the present Members, or to choose others instead of them: which Parliament so freely and satisfactorily chosen by the whole kingdom, may (with the advice of our Brethren of Scotland) consult, and advise for the speedy settling the Peace of both kingdoms upon sure and lasting Bases.  
2. That for matter of Religion and Church-Government, you will please to take advice of an Assembly of Ministers, Convened out of England, Scotland, and Holland, that so the better satisfaction may be given, as to yourselves, so to the whole kingdom.  
3. That you will declare unto us, what immunities you will please to grant, to those that descent from, and cannot in Conscience join with the now propounded Agreement, or Propositions drawn up and propounded by a few unto the whole kingdom, &c. and that, though in some mean condition, we may live in peace amongst our Brethren, who once declared it as most unreasonable, for all Government to be in the hands of a Party, &c.  
Therefore our humble desire is, that your Honour; would be pleased to take the premises into your serious Consideration: which granted,  
Your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.