THE HUMBLE PETITION OF Many Thousand Citizens and Inhabitants in and about the City of LONDON.  
To the Parliament of the COMMON-WEALTH of ENGLAND.  
Together with the PARLIAMENTS Answer thereunto.  
LONDON, Printed for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-alley, 1658.   

To the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England.  
The Humble Petition of divers, Citizens and Inhabitants in and about the City of London.  
Sheweth,  
THat whereas after a long Contest in this poor iceland against Tyranny and Injustice( wherein the treasure of the Nation hath been exhausted, and the precious Blood of many thousands spilled, the Parliament being Necessitated to spend their Time for many Years in maintaining the War, and providing for the Defence of themselves, and such who engaged with them in that quarrel) God hath been pleased( we hope in Mercy to the Nation) to bring You once again together in a time of Peace, to heal our Breaches, to Establish firmly the Ancient Rights and freedoms of England, which were the subject of this great quarrel( which God decided on our side) and to settle such ways of dispensing impartial Justice, that the Name of God may be exalted in Righteousness, and no man in the end have cause to repent of the Blood and Treasure expended in the pursuance of the same.  
Your Petitioners therefore humbly crave leave to present to your Honours their sense of some of the principal things wherein that Tyranny consisted, against which we did then in judgement and Conscience Engage; Which were,  

1. The late Kings Usurpation over Parliaments, Committing and keeping divers of their Members in Prison, as long as he thought good, without bringing them to trial; In preventing their Meeting, and Dissolving them when they were met, at Pleasure: His denial and opposition of their supreme Trust, to provide in all things for the safety and welfare of the People, under pretence of a Negative voice.  
II. The Challenging of such an Interest in the Militia, as to Command the same at his Pleasure, without the Parliament and to place the Subordinate Commands of the same in whom he pleased: whereby he claimed a Power to enforce Obedience to any of his illegal Commands, both in matters Religious and Civill; which directly tended to the razing out the very Name and being of Parliaments, which have been the Ancient Preservers of the Nations freedom.  
III. His Introducing and exercising of an Arbitrary Power by his council and others, over mens Persons and Estates, when they ought to have been tried by the Laws of the Land.  
IV. His assuming a Right( under pretence of Necessity for the Nations good, and to secure it from future Attempts, whereof he onely would be Judge) to levy Money upon the People without their Consent in Parliament; wherein( as in the Particulars aforesaid) he pretended he was unaccountable for what he did, either to the Parliament, or any earthly Power whatsoever.   
And your Petitioners do humbly crave l●●ve to mind your Honours of the many Signal Testimonies, which God hath given of his displeasure against all who have endeavoured to support the aforesaid Tyranny, or have espoused it as their quarrel, and r any notion whatsoever: And of the price now put into your hands to secure the Nation, from future attempts and dangers of the like Nature: And not onely the Armies Declarations, and the Agreement of the People, proposed by them( remaining upon Record in your House) but the ruins and spoils of the Land, and of the many Thousand Families therein: The expense of many Milions of Treasure, the wounds and scars, and lost members of very many, and( above all) the precious blood of such, who were slain in the quarrel, together with the long waiting, earnest and patient expectation of many good people( retaining in their hearts affection to the good old Cause) cry aloud to you to call upon God with us for wisdom, that you may be taught, and enabled to establish such a sure foundation of Right, freedom and Justice, that the People of the Nation may not be put again upon such hazards of their Lives and expense of their Estates for the defence of the same.  
Therefore Your Petitioners Humbly pray,  
That together with the constant succession of Free Parliaments duly Chosen, the supreme Power and Trust, which the People( the Original of all just Power) commit unto them, to make Laws, Constitutions and Offices for the Government of the who, and to call all Officers of Justice, and Ministers of state whatsoever to account, may be so clearly Declared and Secured against all Attempts to the contrary, that no question may henceforth arise concerning the same.  
That the Militia may be settled with such wisdom and full Security, that it may not be in the power of any to make use thereof against the People or their Successive Parliaments either to destroy their being, or their freedom.  
That no Money may be levied upon the People( on any pretence whatsoever) but by their common Consent in Parliament.  
That our Civill Warres being long since ended, the Peoples Persons and Estates may be onely subject to be disposed of according to the Laws of the Land; and that henceforth none may be reputed Offenders, or proceeded against by imprisonment, or otherwise, but such who shall be really found transgressors of the Law: And that there may be speedy consideration had of the long Imprisonment of many Persons well-affected( and some in remote places) without any due prosecution: And we the rather press this, because it hath been the practise of former Parliaments, and in particular of the late Memorable Long-Parliament, to take notice of, and redress the grievances of the People, to relieve those who were illegally oppressed and to restore them to the enjoyment of Liberty, their common Birth-right by the Law of the Land; which the Lord hath signally owned, and blessed from Heaven, and the good People have abundantly rejoiced in.  
That so long as it shall be judged Necessary to keep up an Army for the preservation of the People from the attempts of the common Enemy, domestic or foreign, the Officers and Souldiers who have hazarded their lives for the Nations Liberty, may not be turned out of their respective employments without a legal trial at a Court-Martiall, that so the Military Power may be preserved in the hands of such, who are not merely mercenary, neuter, or Disaffected.  
And that as the safety of our Religion is concerned in the Defence of our Civill Rights, so such provision may now be made for the encouragement of the sincere professors of the same; that no tender Conscience may be oppressed. And in doing these things you will be glorious Instruments in the hand of God, and Honourable in your Country, And the Lives and Estates of your Petitioners shall be freely exposed to hazard in your just Defence.  
And Your Petitioners, &c.  
Your Petitioners accounting it no small part of their Birth-right( as English-men) not onely to choose their Successive Representatives, but also freely to present their desires and grievances to them when Assembled in Parliament, drew up the Petition above written; with intentions to have submitted the matters therein contained to the judicious consideration of the last Parliament, at their last Session, when the doors were set open to all its members, but were by the sudden unexpected Dissolution thereof prevented.  
But we humbly crave leave to acquaint your Honours with several unusual and intolerable Breaches made upon our freedom, and the dear bought Liberty of all the People of England, concerned with ours therein; both during the time of the modest, sober, and peaceable procedure in the management of the said Petition and afterwards; whilst we were promoting it many threatenings were cast forth against the persons concerned therein; After the Dissolution of the Parliament, the Petition itself was highly Censured; and some of the Petitioners were imprisoned for appearing therein, and others discharged from their employments for favouring the good things Petitioned for.  
Wherefore Your Petionrs farther pray,  
That the Right of sober, peaceable Petitioning unto Parliaments may be asserted and secured to the People.  
That your Petitioners may be vindicated, and such who have sustained illegal restraint, or been turned out of their places for owning the said Petition, may be repaired and satisfied.  
And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.  
This Petition being signed by many thousands, was presented to the Parliament, by several Justices of the Peace, Gentlemen, Merchants and Citizens, who presented the same to the Parliament in the Name of the rest.   

Tuesday, the 15th. of February, 1658.  
The House being informed, that those Gentlemen of good affections to the Common-wealth, who formerly attended to deliver a Petition to this House, were without at the door, they were called in, and Mr. samuel Moyer in the name of the rest, presented to the House their Petition, and afterwards the Petitioners withdrew.  
The Petition was red, and was directed to the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England, and was entitled; The Humble Petition of divers Citizens and Inhabitants in and about London.  
Resolved, &c.  
That the Answer to be given to the Petitioners shall be, That the House hath red their Petition. That some of the particulars mentioned in their Petition, the House hath already taken into Consideration, and that such others as are fit for the consideration of this House, they will in due time consider of them, and do expect that the Petitioners should acquiesee therein, according to their own expressions.  
The Petitioners were again called in, and Mr. Speaker gave them the Answer of the House accordingly.  
Jo. smith Clerk of the Parliament