TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS AND COMMONS In the high Court of PARLIAMENT now assembled.  
THE HUMBLE PETITION of the well affected PRENTICES and youngmen of the City of London and Suburbs.  
In humble manner showeth,  
THat your former gracious acceptations of Petitions from persons of as mean quality as ourselves, together with your late kind embracement of that Petition from our Masters, and others of eminent quality (for which we present our humble thanks) hath concited us (though in regard of our present condition not so much considerable) to address ourselves in all humility to this Honourable Assembly (whom we conceive the only means under God for our redress) beseeching you to endeavour a period to these ruinating distractions.  
And though the present calamity doth not so immediately reflect upon your Petitioners, yet we considering the loss of so many of our fellow's lives, and the daily hazard the rest are exposed unto, and foreseeing the face of our own ruin in our Master's present condition, as also prizing our Parents and friends loves and livelihood, as dear as our own, holding ourselves engaged by the laws of Conscience and Nature, to be no less Solicitors for the bleeding Miseries of the Church and State, in regard (though Servants) we are Subjects, and humbly conceive ourselves concerned herein.  
We come therefore in the still voice to embowel our grievances, and zealous desires before you, not presuming to dictate to your graver judgements, but humbly desire you to pardon our boldness in petitioning; and unanimously beseeching you to consider the present distractions, the continual and increasing violation of our Religion by Papists and Sectaries, the breach of our known laws, the invasion of the Subjects Liberty, and general decay of Trade.  
Reflecting also with serious thoughts upon those inevitable dangers that hover over our heads, ushered in by a civil unnatural and bloody war, whose effects are the impartial destruction of Christians, the effusion of much innocent blood, the impoverishing and dispeopling of the kingdom, and exposing the body of the State to the merciless Tyranny of Famine, sickness, Invasion, the Prodroms of an universal confusion.  
All which (better known to your apprehensions) we humbly desire you to ponder, and leave no just way unatempted which may conduce to the settlement of the differences that the undiscerning Sword be not umpire to decide controversies of so near concernment, neither give audience to the fementors of this war, whose only aim (we fear) is to prey upon the Lives and Livings of his majesty's loving Subjects, that so the gospel of Peace need not be maintained by war, but that these semented joints of Church and State may hold firmer, the bond of unity, to the glory of God, the good of his majesty, the preservation of Parliament, the only happiness of this kingdom, and enablement for a supply of the necessities of our distressed brethren of Ireland.  
And your Petitioners as in duty bound, shall daily pray for a blessing upon your consultations. To which we subscribe our hands and hearts, each ready to sacrifice his life for the accomplishment hereof.   

London Printed for John Johnson, in the year. 1642.