The humble PETITION OF The Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Commons of the City of LONDON in Common Council Assembled, concerning Church-Government: Presented to the House of Peers upon Friday the 16. of january 1645. With the Answer thereunto.  
Die Veneris 16. jan. 1645.  
ORdered by the Lords in Parliament assembled, That this Petition, with the Answer thereunto, shall be forthwith printed and published.  
joh. Brown Cler. Parliamentorum.  
LONDON, Printed for John Wright at the King's Head in the old Bayley. 17. jan. 1645.   

To the Right Honourable the LORDS now Assembled in the High Court of PARLIAMENT. The humble Petition of the Lord Mayor, aldermans and Commons of the City of London, in Common-council Assembled.  
Sheweth;  
THat in Novemb. last the Petitioners made it their humble request to this honourable House, that Church-Government might be settled; and are most humbly thankful for your favourable interpretation thereof, proceeding from the good intentions of the Common-council, who are resolved, according to their duty, to have a tender respect to the Privileges of Parliament, whereby the Liberties of the City and Kingdom are preserved: That in December last, at the choice of new Common-council men for the year ensuing, the Inhabitants of most of the Wards in this City petitioned their respective Aldermen in their Wardmote to move your Petitioners to make their further address to the Honourable Houses of Parliament, for the speedy settling of Church-Government within this City, and against Toleration, as by Copy of one of the said Petitions annexed appeareth.  
That private Meetings, especially on the Lord's Day, (of which there are at least eleven in one Parish) are multiplied, whereby the public Congregations, Ordinances, and godly Orthodox Ministers, are very much neglected and contemned, as if they were Antichristian, and our present times were like the Primitive persecutions, or as if we were still under the Tyranny of the Prelatical Government; and by reason of such Meetings, and the preaching of women and other ignorant persons, Superstition, Heresy, Schism, and profaneness, are much increased, Families divided, and such Blasphemies as the Petitioners tremble to think on, uttered, to the high dishonour of Almighty God.  
That the Petitioners are informed that divers persons have an intention to Petition this Honourable House, for a Toleration of such Doctrines as are against our Covenant, under the Notion of Liberty of Conscience.  
The Petitioners therefore having no power of themselves to suppress or overcome these growing evils; Do, according to their Covenant, reveal and make the same known to this Honourable House, and for timely prevention and removal thereof due humbly pray that the Premises may be taken into your most serious consideration; And that Church-Government may speedily be settled, according to our most Solemn Covenant with the most High God, in such manner and form, as to Your Wisdoms shall seem most agreeable thereunto, before we be destroyed one by another through rents and divisions; And that no Toleration be granted, either of Popery, Prelacy, Superstition, Heresy, Schism, profaneness, or of any thing contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godliness; And that all private Meetings, contrary to the said Covenant (the rather in regard of the sad effects thereof) may be restrained.  
And the Petitioners shall pray, &c, MICHAEL.   

To the Right Worshipful the Alderman and Common Counsell-men of the Ward of Farrington within at their Wardmoot; A representation of the Humble desires of the Inhabitants of the said Ward.  
THat Church-Government may speedily be settled within the City, before we be utterly ruined with rents and divisions.  
TWO That this Government may be that which is agreeable to the Word of God, and example of the best Reformed Churches, according to our solemn League and Covenant with the most High God.  
III That no Toleration either of Popery, Prelacy, Schism, Heresy, Superstition, profaneness, or any thing contrary to sound Doctrine, or the power of godliness may at all be yielded unto, as being against the Word of God, and contrary to the very letter of our Covenant.  
And these our most humble and earnest desires, which we are obliged and encouraged also to make, by reason of our said Covenant, we entreat the Right Worshipful the Alderman, and Common Counsell-men of this Ward, to represent to the right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and the Honourable Court of Common-counsel at their first sitting, that they would make their further address to the Honourable Houses of Parliament, for the obtaining of these our just and necessary desires.   

The Answer to the said Petition, pronounced by the Speaker of the House of Peers.  
THe Lords have always had great experience of the care and good affections of the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Common-council of the City of London, for which they are glad of any opportunity to express their great sense, and to return their hearty thanks, and more especially upon this occasion, wherein the Common-council have manifested so great Zeal and Faithfulness to the true Worship of Almighty God, and care for the Peace and well Ordering of the City of London, in which the whole Kingdom is so nearly concerned; The Lords therefore upon consideration of the Petition now presented unto them, and the expressions of that worthy Alderman made unto their Lordships, have commanded me in their names to give ye further and larger acknowledgements for your great care and endeavours to prevent so growing a mischief, giving ye this assurance, That as they have been very forward formerly to do what in them lay for a settlement of Church-Government, so they shall still continue to advance and perfrom Work so much tending to the glory of God, and to the settling of the Peace of the Kingdom, holding themselves thereunto obliged by their solemn 〈◊〉 and Covenant; and they 〈…〉 care of the Lord Mayor, and such as are in Office in the City, to suppress and prevent such great Offences by you mentioned, which are so much to the dishonour of God and the disturbance of the present and future good Government of the City of London. And wherein ye shall find yourselves wanting in power, the Lords will be ready to contribute their authority for your encouragement and assistance.  
FINIS.