THE CITIZENS OF LONDON'S Humble Petition TO The Right Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Commons House in PARLIAMENT.  
Subscribed with the Names of above twenty thousand, both Aldermen, Alderman's Deputies, Merchants, Common Counsel men, etc. Presented the 11. of Decem. 1641. And accepted.  
With the manner of their going to the Parliament House.  
Printed at London for T.B.   

To the right Honourable the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament.  
The humble Petition of the Aldermen, Alderman's Deputies, Merchants, Common Council men, Subsidy men, and Citizens of London, of good rank and quality.  
Showeth, that they with all humble thankfulness, acknowledge that great labour & care which this Honourable Assembly hath undergone, now for the space of one whole year, endeavouring the reformation and removal of those many pressures and grievances in the Church and Commonwealth, and do humbly present that grateful acceptance and high esteem, which not only the Petitioners, but also all well affected to the honour of his Majesty, and prosperity of this Kingdom, have of these your great and unwearied endeavours, which although by reason of the Popish Lords and Bishops, voting in the house of Peers, and other impediments (as they humbly conceive) they have not hitherto produced those happy effects you aimed at, yet to the Petitioners great comfort, divers of those pressures are already removed, as Arbitrary Courts, Ship money, Monopolies, and other illegal Impositions, wherewith they were burdened, and further hope given by the happy Act of the Parliaments continuance.  
That not withstanding all this, the Papists and their adherents, whose malice ceaseth not, have by many sundry secret and desperate plots, attempted the ruin and destruction of this State and kingdom; and however some of them have hitherto by God's providence and your prudence, been discovered, and become abortive, yet the sad effects of others of them, are not only felt, and much more feared in this Realm of England; but also have of late broken out into open rebellion in Ireland, where most barbarous, savage, cruel and inhuman actions are practised towards our brethren by nation and religion, whose lamentable and deplorable condition the Petitioners much pity and lament, and have just cause to fear, that as already there hath been much Christian blood spilt; so in short time, if speedy help be not sent, not only the many great debts there owing to divers of the Petitioners, and others of this kingdom, will be wholly lost, but which is more, the very name of the English, and the Protestant Religion, will be rooted out by those Rebels, the foundation of which Religion is written in letters of blood, do only oppose: and for that divers of the Petitioners receive daily information from all parts of this kingdom, of the bold and insolent carriage and threatening speeches of the Papifts in this Realm, as the Petitioners humbly conceive, not only for the prevailing of the rebels in Ireland, but also from the want of such secure & speedy course against Papists here, as the present condition of this kingdom requireth, and the honourable Assembly hath earnestly endeavoured, from which ground the Petitioners cannot omit to represent unto you the great terrors, fears, & distractions they lay under of a sudden surprise by their bloody hands, by means whereof the trading of the City and Kingdom is much more of late decayed than it hath been for many years past, no man following his trade cheerfully, whiles the lives of himself and family, and the public safety of the kingdom are in danger, and while he knoweth not how soon they may feel the like cruelty and inhumanity from the Papists, and their adherents, as those in Ireland have done, which if ever it should happen in their malice and cruelty, against whom they have already by themselves and their abettors, endeavoured to raise a disrespect in the hearts of the people, to divide between the King's Majesty and his Parliament, and seditiously to misconstrue the Citizens dutiful and loyal entertainment of his Majesty, to be a diserting of this Honourable Assembly, the least thought whereof the Petitioners do utterly detest and abhor: to the end therefore that the destructive plots of the Papists and their adherents may be defeated, the grounds of their hopes and insolences removed, considerable forces with all expedition sent to subdue those abominable and bloody rebels in Ireland, this City and Kingdom, for prevention of the like mischief, and fecuring the peace thereof, put into a posture of defence, the Petitioners freed from their fears, encouraged in their trades, and in due time receive such just answers to their former petitions, as shall seem best to your great wisdoms.  
It is humbly prayed that you will vouchsafe to be a means to the King's Majesty and the house of Peers, that life may be speedily given to your good endeavours, by their concurrence with you in the punishment of delinquents, and redressing the pressures and grievances in Church and Commonwealth, amongst which the abuses crept into the ancient government of this City, they humbly desire may in due time be taken into consideration: and for the better effecting hereof, that the Popish Lords and Bishops may be removed out of the house of Peers, as was desired in the presence of divers of this Henourable Assembly, by the representative body of this City, when fifty thousand pounds was freely lent to raise forces for Ireland, the greatest part whereof was speedily brought in by the Petitioners.  
And the Petitioners, who well know their own safeties are wrapped up in yours, shall not fail to put up daily prayers to Almighty God for your good success, and to maintain and defend to the utmost hazard of their lives and estates, according to their late protestation, the King's Majesty and high Court of Parliament, against all wicked Councillors, and malignant opposers, who endeavour either by fecret plots or open force to prejudice the one or the other, or to make divisions between his Majesty and the Parliament, whom God and the laws of this land have united in so near relation.  
And we shall, as in duty bound, pray, etc.   

A Relation in what manner the Petition was delivered the eleventh of December. 1641.  
SUbscribed with the names of above 20000. by Aldermen, Alderman's Deputies, Merchants, Common Council men, and many others of great rank and fashion, to the number of 400. who were selected to deliver the petition, all riding out of the City of London in 50 Coaches, or thereabouts, to the Parliament House. The House hearing of their coming, gave admittance to about an hundred of them, and did receive the petition. One of the Citizens did declare some interruption was given them by ill affected persons in London, about subscribing of hands, and so withdrew themselves. In the interim, the petition was read in the house: whereupon the petitioners were called again, the house did accept of it thankfully; the honourable House gave order, that notice should be taken of such illaffected persons, who should hinder, interrupt, discourage, or take any petition away from any his Majesty's subjects, who should go about to petition to reform grievances, that strict order should be taken with such persons, and immediately return their names to the High Court of Parliament.  
FINIS.