A Frivolous PAPER, In FORM of a PETITION: Framed and composed by a DISAFFECTED PARTY in this City of London, intended by them to be presented to the honourable House of COMMONS.  
WITH Certain Considerations propounded by way of Advertisement and Caution unto those who through unadvisedness, are apt to subscribe the same.  
By a well-willer to PEACE and TRUTH.  
ENLARGED With new Additions, by way of Advertisement to all such who unadvisedly had subscribed; and three special Rules for their present Caution, and future Admonition.  
LONDON, Printed for STEPHEN BOWTELL, and are to be sold at his Shop in Pope's bead Alley. 1642.   

A COPY OF THE Frivolous PAPER, .  
THat the present sense of our Mysteries and Apprehensions of inevitable Ruin both of Church and Commonwealth maketh us to become humble Suitors to this Honourable Assembly (the likeliest means under God for our relief) to consider our distressed state and to provide a speedy remedy for our present and future evils.  
Earnestly desiring you to weigh the Care and Judgement of our Predecessors, who by a known Law settled and preserved our Protestant Religion, our Liberties and Properties, with the right understanding between King and Subjects, which produced Plenty and Peace in our Streets. And to reflect with serious thoughts upon our present Distempers, violating Religion by Papists, and Sectaries, engaging our Nation in a Civil, bloody, and destructive War, in, invading our Laws, and Liberties, endangering all our Lives, and utter disabling us to relieve our distressed Brothers in Ireland.  
We beseech you likewise to consider the effect of a continued War, as the Destruction of Christians, the unnatural effusion of blood, Father against Son, Brothers by Brothers, Friends by Friends slain; then a Famine and sickness the followers of a Civil War, making way for a general confusion and Invasion by a foreign Nation, while our Treasure is exhausted, our Trade lost, and the Kingdom dispeopled.  
These things weighed and enlarged by your Wisdoms, we doubt not will be as strong motives in you to labour as in us to desire a speedy Peace and happy Accommodation.  
Wherefore we humbly crave that not lending an ear to any Fomenters of the present War under what pretence soever; nor remembering aught that may increase Jealousies or continual Divisions, between his Majesty and his Houses of Parliament; you will speedily tender his Majesty (according to his Royal Intimations) such Propositions for Accommodation as he may with Honour and safety to the whole Kingdom accept.  
For effecting whereof we shall be ready to assist you with the best and utmost of our abilities; and whilst you endeavour Peace, we shall send up our Prayers to Heaven for the blessing of Peace upon you, and all that desire it.   

CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS UPON THE PREFIXED PETITION.  
AS God and his Church never wanted enemies, so the Devil and Antichrist never wanted friends for the promotion of profaneness and Idolatry in all places, it is hard to say, whether are more the enemies of truth and peace with God, or friends of error and peace with the Devil: men whom the Apostle calls sensual, fleshly, and Devilish, lovers of pleasures more than Lovers of God, who can see no further than this life, fearing more the terrors of man then of the Almighty, choose rather peace with man, and wrath with God, than the wrath of man and peace with God; the truth of all which doth appear by a Petition now in agitation; concerning which I have gathered some plain and undeniable observations, presenting them by way of caution unto others, from these particulars, viz. 

1. The chief composers of this Petition.  
2. The Malignant nature of this Petition.  
3. The most probable Consequences, Reasons and Aims of this Petition.    
First consider whether the chief sticklers and fomenters thereof are not notoriously known to be Pattentees, Proctors, Delinquents, Malignants, who either have not at all, or any of them in any considerable measure according to their Estates assisted the common cause of the Kingdom against the common enemy hereof: whose pretences though they are for Religion, and Law, and the aid of poor bleeding Ireland, yet they are men Popish, Atheistical, and profane in point of Religion, some whereof (and they not of the lowest sort) have most profanely and blasphemously in the presence of those (who being desired, denied to subscribe to a Petition for peace without truth) cursed truth, saying, a pox on truth, give us peace truth will follow, and let us have peace and the Devil take truth, etc. and as for the Law consider, whether many of them have not gotten their Estates by Patents, a lawless occupation; and as for bleeding Ireland let their Receipts show what they have done for its recovery, which will amount to the same nothing as the sum which they have disbursed for distracted England, they are mutinous and tumultuous professing in the presence of many, that if this Petition died, they will die with it, and if one suffer all will suffer, with such like mutinous expressions.— These are the parties.  
Secondly, consider the nature of this Petition, and see if ye find it not intolerably saucy and peremptory against the Parliament in many particulars.  
First in taxing closely but clearly this present Parliament with inconsideration of the known Laws of the Land, as if either they were ignorant thereof, or impotent thereby, as not able to repeal or alter the same, being made by themselves in their predecessors having power to nul the same at their pleasure.  
Secondly, consider whether they do not covertly, but unavoidably tax this present Parliament, either with indiscretion in that they presume to be wiser than their predecessors, and therefore desire them to weigh the care and judgement of our predecessors, who by a known Law settled and preserved our Protestant Religion and Property, etc. or else closely implying, that this present Parliament accuseth former Parliaments of folly and unadvisedness, in that they have confirmed those things that must now be reversed; either whereof is most unsufferable arrogancy and Nationall injury.  
Thirdly, consider whether they do not tax this present Parliament with their tendering unto his Majesty such Propositions hitherto, which he may not with his honour, and safety of the Kingdom accept, and therefore they desire that they would speedily tender unto his Majesty (according to his regal intimations) such Propositions for Accommodation, as He may with honour, and safety to the whole Kingdom accept: Whereas it is most evidently known, that many Propositions have been tendered, and not one either to the dishonour of the King, whose greatest honour would be to govern his Kingdom by the advice of his great Council, and faithful Parliament, and not by the Malignant Counsels of Papists, and Traitors, and outlawed Delinquents: neither hath there been one Proposition tendered which doth not most uberously carry along with it the safety and future prosperity of this Kingdom.  
Fourthly consider whether the Malignity of this Petition doth not appear in many phrases and expressions scattered up and down therein, as if it were the birth of the same womb which hath lately been very fruitful in many printed and scandalous Pamphlets, in casting reproaches, and most unworthy scandals, upon both Houses of Parliament, such as The known Law of the Land; ascribing the violation of our Religion to Papists and Sectaries: Under which latter word, hath ever been implied, every man that in any thing hath differed from the Bishop's Innovations, and superstitious Ceremonies, in the government of the Church: Thus the malignity of this Petition appears in the nature of it.  
Thirdly, consider the undoubtedly aimed at Consequences and Tendences thereof, which must be such as these,  
First, the raising of mutinies, divisions and discontents in the City (the unity whereof is the ruin of the common enemy) that the report hereof in the Countries, whose eyes are upon the City, may discourage the well affected there, and so the common cause may meet with reluctancy throughout the whole Kingdom.  
Secondly, that the enemy now very weak and like to fall of themselves for want of Ammunition and means (the vital blood of an Army) may yet strengthen and encourage themselves, and make shift by plundering, robbing, and spoiling the Country, to spin out a little time, knowing that our division here, if continued, will effectually advantage them in their bloody designs: and thus these hypocritical Petitioners as Ehud to Eglon, cry Peace, Peace, to the Kingdom, while they secretly and maliciously endeavour to thrust a Sword of destruction into the bowels thereof.  
Thirdly, a third aimed at effect must be this, the stirring up of other their Brethren malignant wretches in other parts of the Kingdom, ad exemplum to do the like that so they may bring the whole Kingdom divided against i● self to inevitable ruin, whereas by the mercy of the Almighty the present care and endeavour of our Parliament, by our Forces abroad, and associations of the several Counties against the common enemy, may put a very speedy and timely end unto these present troubles, with all advantages both to Church, and State, and desired assistance of our poor Brethren in Ireland.  
Fourthly, they now well perceive that they shall no longer be tolerated either in their detected malignity, or unworthy neutrality, but Nolentes Volertes shall be compelled by just assessments and censures in their estates to help the present state of the Kingdom, and therefore will now adventure such courses as may bring all to confusion, rather than be helpful, endeavouring like judas for a little moneys sake, under colour of a kiss of of peace, to betray the Kingdom into the hands of violent and bloody men, and although like reverend Plush-cloakes, and intelligent Statesmen they cry out against the Parliament, saying, did they not plead the Subjects property, lo where is property if they shall take what they please from us? yet they may know, that though we may plead property in respect of the Kings taxing without Law, yet we can plead no property from the Parliament in a time of imminent danger, into whose disposal we have committed our estates and all that we have, which we never did to the King; and surely were our Parliament as selvish as these Petitioners are, we should all have known long before this time, what the power of a Parliament had been, by our ruin and slavery, being not in the tenth measure so provoked by such ingratitude, and unnatural provocations, as they have been.  
Fiftly, consider what a rock we may run upon, thus unthankfully to provoke the Parliament, may they not compromise differences to their own personal safe●y, and preferment, and our irrecoverable slavery? have they not us at such advantage, that they may undo us every hour? can we allege any thing against them wherein they have been unfaithful in that trust we committed to their charge? is it not in the prosecution of our peace, wherein they meet with such frowns and oppositions from above? have they not hazarded their estates and livelyhoods for us? did not many of them oppose with their blood in their personal adventures, the malignity of that unnatural and bloody Army that came against their mother Nation? did we not choose them because we thought they would be faithful? and shall we distaste them for their faithfulness; hath not the peace and welfare of the Kingdom been precious in their eyes? let malice itself produce any instance to the contrary: what had become of us before this time had not their care and diligence in securing the Seas prevented those preparations made beyond the Seas by known Traitors to the Kingdom? hath God by them discovered so many plot? prevented so many apparent dangers? freed us from so many preslures, and taxations? procured so much freedom for us? and do we thus requite them? had they not every day a fresh ointment from above with the Spirit of meekness and love unto the Kingdom, they would make our hearts ache for such daring provocations as this Petition imports.  
It is not to be doubted but many have put their hands hereunto, not discerning any such malignity either in the nature or consequences thereof, whose integrity and discretion can no way better be vindicated but by their Recantation, which if I might be their Monito●) should be as publicly divulged as is their unadvisedness, against these; the imputation employed in what hath been said is not intended; but because honest men have been more than once taken by this slight, I shall desire to propound two or three Rules of advice for their caution and prevention astainst another time.  
First take special notice of the prime and chief Actors and Promoters in matters of this nature. It is hard to draw evil men to good actions, especially for Church and State; therefore will I suspect that wherein they are more forwarder then honester men.  
Secondly, observe these men and their number; who seconds any thing of this kind once begun, evil men (though one age hath been delivered of two such births) may happily both centrive and bring forth a Design intending both the purity of Religion and Peace of the Kingdom together, but seldom seconded by many such as themselves; and never deserted by a more conscientious party; if I cannot see who the Leaders are, I will take the more notice of the followers, and accordingly will I come up in the Rear, or decline them.  
Thirdly, let not the goodness, or badness, quality, or number of men in any matter wherein your subscription is required, quit your own personal examination thereof, if any thing be propounded chief by suspicious men, lege, per lege, & relege; read it, and that throughly and over again; for though such men are most apt to call men more upright than themselves, hypocrites and dissemblers; yet you shall find a great dexterity in this ●ivi●●ish Art of dissembling in such men's expressures: plausible intimations of aiming at Religion, and the good of the Kingdom, are commonly the green leaves, under which they hatch their Cockatrice Fggs, as is their pretence in this Petition, though the chief Actors were never known to have the least dram of true love either to Religion or Kingdom.  
In fine, let us follow hard after Peace but harder after Truth, the best peace will follow truth, though truth will not follow every peace; let us pray for peace, but of Jerusalem, not of Babylon; if our peace be enmity to truth, truth will quickly devour our peace: let us admit of a p●ace upon any terms of personal disadvantage, so we engage not the God of peace against us; what ever we abate of that which is called ours, yet let us not leave a hoof behind of all that is called Gods; better it is to purchase Truth for our posterity by our blood, then to betray them by a sinful peace. God hath hither to been with us, while we have been with him, if we forsake him he will forsake us: though the Sons of Anak be great and tall, yet shall God drive them out before us as he hath done: If we honour God by believing he will honour us by succeeding our endeavours; 'tis true God bids us follow Peace, but never without Holiness.   
FINIS.