To the Right HONOURABLE THE Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament,  
The Humble Petition of many of the Gentry, ministry, freeholders, and other Inhabitants of the County of KENT; the City and County of Canterbury, and other Corporations within the said County agreed on at the general quarter Sessions, holden at Maidstone April 20. 1642.  
Most Humbly showeth,  
THat your Petitioners or many of them have heretofore exhibited to both Houses of Parliament, a Petition concurring with those of the Renowned City of London, and other several Counties of this kingdom, expressing their zeal to true Religion and the pure worship of God, and their loyal affections to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, both Houses, and kingdoms.  
That your Petitioners do with all humility, return their utmost thanks unto this Honourable Assembly, for your favourable and gentle acceptance of their Petition, your great care, vigilancy and uncessant labours, for the advancement of the true Reformed Religion, the honour and welfare, of his Majesty and his kingdom. For your continued endeavours for a right understanding between his Majesty and Parliament. For your instant addresses to his Majesty, to dissuade him from his personal expedition into Ireland, and especially for that to us so welcome a Declaration of the Lords and Commons April 9 1642. concerning your pious intentions for a necessary Reformation which revives our hopes, and will further your reckoning in the day of the Lord. And that your Petitioners do most heartily rejoice to behold the happy Union of both Houses of Parliament, and the mutual concurrence of them and the whole kingdom, wherein under his Majesty, the safety of the three kingdoms doth consist,  
Yet your Petitioners cannot but plainly express with what sad hearts they think on the many evil occurrents which interrupt your unparalleled pains and intercept the fruit of your faithful counsels from us, among which this is not the le●st viz. A Petition as we humbly conceive of dangerous consequence, contrived by some and published the last Assizes, holden for this County at MAIDSTONE. And then, yet advanced for Subscribers and intended to be exhibited to this Honourable House the Petition of the whole body of the County, to cause the whole kingdom to believe that Petition to be the Act of the whole County of Kent or the major part thereof, whereby a great scandal is brought upon this loyal and peaceable County, the same Petition being styled the Kentish Petition, which we know is not the Act of the County, as it seems to speak, for as much as it was disavowed by many of the then Grand Jury and Justices of the Bench, and since by all us your petitioners whose names are under written.  
Wherefore your Petitioners humble and earnest prayer is, that your Honours would be pleased to accept this our Vindication of ourselves and County, who utterly disclaim the said Petition, humbly leaving it to the wisdom, justice and clemency of this Honourable Assembly, to difference between the active Contrivers and Promoters and unadvised subscribers of it.  
To list up your hearts above all discouragements in the ways of the Lord, according to that your so religious resolution of reformation in the Church, for a consultation with godly and learned Divines, and for the establishing of a Preaching ministry throughout the whole kingdom.  
And we your Petitioners (being sensible, that to oppose or slight his majesty's Parliament and the Orders thereof, were to hazard the safety of his royal Person and all his kingdoms, and to further the designs of our enemies, who hope by causing our division, to triumph in our confusion) are unanimously resolved to maintain and defend as far as lawfully we may, with our lives; powers, and estates his majesty's royal Person and dignity, as also the Power and privileges of his parliaments, according to our Protestation.  
And shall daily pray, &c.   

Iovis. 5. Maii, 1642.  
The Lord Keeper by the directions of the House of peers, gave the Petitioners this Answer, which was agreed and penned by order of the Lords. (viz.)  
Gentlemen,  
I Am commanded by the Lords to let you know that they are very sensible, and receive much content in the good affection which you have expressed to his Majesty, the Parliament, and the whole kingdom in this your Petition, wherein you have vindicated so considerable a County as Kent, from that imputation which some few malignant and ill affected persons by their undutiful and seditious practices were likely to have cast upon the whole County, which is the more seasonable in respect of the danger that such evil designs aimed at. The Parliament hath faithfully advised the stay of his majesty's Journey into Ireland, and humbly Petitioned his return to his Parliament. There shall be (as you desire) no endeavours wanting on their part for a happy settlement of the government, both of Church and State.   

Jovis 5. Maii. 1642.  
Ordered by the Lords Assembled in Parliament, that this Petition and the answer thereunto▪ shall be forthwith Printed and published.  
John Browne Cleric. Parli.   

London Printed for John Wright. 1642.