TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS AND COMMONS ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT.  
The humble Petition of many of the Gentry, Ministers, freeholders, and other Inhabitants of the County of Kent, and the Cities of Canterbury and Rochester, and County of Canterbury, with the Cinque Ports, and their members, and other Corporations within the said County,  
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 true zeal to true Religion in the pure worship of God, and their loving affections to the Kings most excellent Majesty, both Houses, and the kingdoms: That your poor 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 and vigilancy, and uncessant labours for the advancement of the true reformed Religion, the honour and welfare of his Majesty, and his kingdoms, and for your continued endeavours for a right understanding between his Majesty, and his Parliament; for your instant address to his Majesty, to dissuade him from his personal Expedition for Ireland, and especially for that to us so welcome Declaration of Lords and Commons, April 9 1642. concerning your pious intentions for a necessary Reformation, which renews our hopes, and we hope will further your account in the day or the Lord, who are come up as Saviours on Mount Zion, 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 all the three kingdoms do consist.  
Yet your Petitioners cannot but plainly express with what sad hearts they think on the many evil occurrents which interrupt your unparalelled pains, and intercept the fruit of your faithful Counsels, from us among which this is not the least (viz.) a Petition (as we conceive) of dangerous consequence, and published at the last general assizes holden for this County at Maidstone, and then (yea, yet) advanced for subscribers, intended to be exhibited to this Honourable House, as the Petition of the whole body of this 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 blemish and scandal is brought upon this loyal and peaceable County, being styled the Kentish Petition, which we know is not the act of the body of the County, as it seemeth to speak, for as much as it was disavowed by many of the then grand Jury, and Justices on the Bench, and by all us your Petitioners, whose names are under-written.  
1. Wherefore our humble prayer is, that your Honours would be pleased first to accept this our Vindication of ourselves and this 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 thereof.  
2. To lift up your hearts above all discouragements in the ways of the Lord, according to that your so religious resolutions for 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 flight his majesty's Parliament, and the orders thereof, were to hazard the safety of his majesty's 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.  
And we your Petitioners are unanimously resolved to maintain and defend, as far as lawfully we may, with our lives, power and estates, his majesty's royal person and dignities, as also the power and privileges of his Parliament, according to our Protestation.  
And shall daily pray that your hands may be sufficient for you to accomplish every good work.  
This Petition was delivered, and read in the House of Commons the fifth of May, 1642. with 8000. hands thereto.   

London printed for William Larnar. 1642.