The Cheshire Petition for establisshing of the common-prayer-book, and suppression of schismatics, presented to the King's majesty, and from him recommended to the House of Peers by the Lord Keeper.  
To the Kings most Excellent majesty, and to the Right Honourable the Lords, and the Honourable the House of Commons Assembled in Parliament.  
The humble Petition of divers of the Nobility, justices, Gentry, Ministers, Freeholders, and other Inhabitants of the County Palatine of Chester, whose names are nominated in the Schedule annexed.  
Your Petitioners with all cheerfulness and contentation, affying in the happy settlement of the distractions both of Church and State by His majesty's pious care, and the prudent and religious endeavours of this Honourable Assembly, & with due humility and obedience, submitting to the unanimous conclusions thereof, yet conceive themselves bound in duty,  
Humbly to represent to your mature considerations, that the present disorders of many turbulent and ill disposed spirits, are such, as give not only occasion of present discontent to your Petitioners, but seem to import some ill event without early prevention.  
The pure seed of our faith (the doctrine of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, established by so many Acts of Parliament, and so harmoniously concurring with the confessions of all other Reformed Churches, being tainted with the Tares of divers Sects and schisms lately sprung up amongst us.  
Our pious, laudable, and ancient form of Divine Service, composed by the holy Martyrs, and worthy Instruments of reformation established by the prudent Sages of State (your religious Predecessors) honoured by the approbation of many learned foreign Divines, subscribed by the ministry of the whole kingdom, and with such general content received by all the Laity, that scarce any family or person that can read, but are furnished with the books of Common Prayer: In the conscionable use whereof many Christian hearts have found unspeakable joy and comfort, wherein the famous Church of England our dear Mother hath just cause to glory; And may she long flourish in the practice of so blessed a liturgy; yet it is now, not only depraved by many of those who should teach conformity to established laws, but in contempt thereof in many places wholly neglected. All these daily practised, with confidence, without punishment: To the great dejection of many sound Protestants, and occasioning so great insultation and rejoicing in some Separatists, as they not only seem to portend, but menace some great alteration; And not containing themselves within the bounds of civil government, do commit many tumultuous (if not sacrilegious) violences both by day and night upon divers Churches.  
Therefore your Petitioners being all very apprehensive of the dangerous consequences of Innovation, and much scandalised at the present disorders, 
 do all unanimously pray, 
 That there be admitted no Innovation of Doctrine or liturgy, that holy public Service being so fast rooted by a long settled continuance in this Church, that in our Opinion and judgements it cannot be altered (unless by the advice and consent of some national synod) without an universal discontent. And that some speedy course be taken to suppress such schismatics and Separatists, whose factious spirits do evidently endanger the peace both of Church and State.  
And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.  
The Petition Signed by 
 

Lords, Knights, Justices of the Peace, and Esquires, 94.  
By Gentlemen of quality 440.  
By Divines, 86.  
By Freeholders and others, in all. 8936.     

London Printed for John Austin▪ 1642.