IS not the very reading of this Petition more then sufficient to vindicate it from the Aspersions and Calnmniations of this Pamphleter I have to deal with? I prethee tell me, I am in earnest, Is it not a fair, sober, moderate, plain, and peaceable Pe­tition? Can envy it self quarrel with it? Can malice pick any thing that is ill out of it? If not, let this man bear his own doom, I think in my conscience some men will finde fault with any thing. But let us hear what the man saith of it in his uselesse Dialogue, it is a very dangerous Peti­tion, and there is more mischief couch'd in it then you are aware of: A dangerous Petition, Reader, peruse it again, it is worth thy reading twice over: In the Preface it commends the Honorable Court of Common-Councel for promoting the cause of God, gives them hearty thanks for what they have done for the Publike good, promising to adhere to them in all their just and legal proceedings, mark that, Reader, this is according to our Covenant, thanking them for endeavoring to remove the heavy pressing grievances that lie upon us, in that free and necessary, yet humble and dutiful Remonstrance: There is no danger in all this, unlesse the man thinks it is dangerous to keep our Covenant, and all the danger is if we break our Covenant. Let's hear what the Petitionary part is, sure the dangerousnesse of it lies there, and the mischief is couch'd in that part; sure they Petition for persecution of the Saints, and for rigid and harsh usage of peaceable well minded men; not so, or else to desert the Parliament, and make a breach between them and the City, which God forbid: Not so neither. What is it then, where is the danger? Thus, they pray that Ho­norable Court to persevere and go on; what, in any rude and pro­postrous or violent courses? No, but in all pious and prudent means, to setle Religion, the Peace of the Kingdom, the Union of both Nations; In a word, the keeping of the Covenant, in which we are engaged unto God, the Righteous iudge of all the world. All this is in the Letter of our Covenant, and pray them still to go on in their humble Addresses to the Parliament for a gracious Answer to their Remonstrance, and for all other things that may put a happy period to our miserable Distractions; and that them­selves would put in Execution what the Laws of the Kingdom en­abled [Page 3] them to do for the safety of the City. Where the danger and mischief is, I professe Reader, I cannot tell: But lets hear what the man can say against this harmlesse Petition, and against the Subscribers of it: He confesseth, though honest and understand­ing men Subscribe it, and that with mature deliberation, yet he can­not, because he lacks reason to rule him in this action; and he is so Bru [...]ish to tell us, Honest men do Knaves Work, when they move regularly and honestly, and according to their Covenant, which bindes them heartily, sincerely, and constantly to endeavor the Reformation of Religion, the total of this Petition. Knaves work, he means the honest man that wrote these Observations, whilest he was writing them, and busie in this work, was busie in Knaves work, dixit, out of his own mouth he is condemned: He then talks of cunning strains of desperate Malignancy, and here he would have spoken sense if his wit would have done it; but where is the Malignancy? Reader, it lies here, that whereas he was formerly a Ma­lignant that would not take the Covenant, now time hath had such a turn, that to take the solemn League and Covenant, and to make con­science in keeping of it, is Malignancy either in the Root or Branches. The next charge of this innocent Petition, is Sedition in the abstract; But why Sedition? Let's hear his reason for it; for he saith of himself, he is reputed an understanding man, not rash, but rational.

First, It may prove an utter breach betwixt the City and Par­liament: But Reader, this may be doth no make it Sedition; it may be, yea, it is like to be the means to unite and sement the Par­liament and City together; and this is the end of the honest heart­ed Petitioners, and cursed be such Designs that endeavor to divide them.

Secondly, it is Sedition, because the City hath Petitioned and Remonstrated to the House, the House shewed no testimony of their acceptance, but rather disliked it: What means the man by the House? This House he calls the Parliament afterwards: Now if the Parliament doth dislike the Petition, it must be the Houses of Lords and Commons; but if neither of these have given testimony of dislike, then the man speaks falsly. The man cannot be igno­rant of the kinde acceptance and gracious Answer the Remon­strance had from the House of Peers; but by this mans Observa­tion they be not the House, nor no part of the Parliament: See, here is Sedition indeed, to divide betwixt the House of Lords and Commons, sure this man is one of Mr. Lilburns Disciples; and as [Page 4] for the House of Commons, they have not declared their dislike to i [...]: An did not this a high breach of their Priviledge, to anticipate their sense, their weighty occasions permit them no [...] leasure to con­sider of it, they say they will in due time, and [...]he City hopes to have a gr [...]cious and real Answer from them also: For though this man can speak of nothing else but Malignancy in the Root, and Se­dition, the Ci [...]y is no [...] conscious to it self, but that in making the Remonstrance the [...] discharged their du [...]ies, and m [...]rited blood for the Parliam [...]nt: And thus this Famous City will do again, whilest Se­ctaries desert them, and endeavor to al [...]er the Foundation and con­sti [...]uti [...]n of the Government of this Kingdom, and no longer will cry up Parliaments, then they judge them savoring of them; and when they appear otherwise, then they can talk and write of cal­ling [...]he Parliament to an Accompt, and they that gave them the Power can take it from them: is not this Sedition, Friend? But the man would know, Why the Names of those that Subscribe not the Petition must be taken, and from what Authority? If any did do so, it was not Authority that commanded it, but it was their own discretion that put them on it, for these Reasons:

1. That we might know who they were that Subscribed the last Independent Petition, because we would fain know their Names, and can prove forgery, pro confesso, out of their own mouthes, that mens Names were to it, that never saw, nor at that time heard of their Petition.

2. That we might make it appear that the Sectaries are not so numerous, so formicable as they would be esteemed, they are very inconsiderable comparatively; and for all your witlesse Observa­tions upon this Petition, in many Parishes the resusers are so few, that we can write their Number with one Figure, without the help of a cypher: Nay, the more hands will be got to it, because they see Envy it self cannot charge the Petition with any crime; but let the man make up a probable Tale if he can: He tells us, Malig­nant Ministers come in and compound, and these may joyn with the Remonstrants; so he meaneth, and these with the Scots may make a party, &c. The man talks of Sedition, but no such Sedition as this, to divide betwixt the City and the City, the City and the Parlia­ment, England with Scotland, one House of Parliament with the other, and joyn these with Malignant Ministers and Popish Priests: But take this Observation by the way, though all the Sects in the [Page 5] Kingdom shelter themselves under the wings of Independents, yet the plain hearted Petitioners seek not Malignants to make up their number; but though the Dissenting party will not joyn with them in Petitioning what their own principles lead them to, yet we shall be willing to joyn with them for the removing of these or any other Grievances, which our Covenant obligeth us to. Then the man findes fault with our godly Ministers that Exercise every morn­ing, Some out of conscience, others byased with base ends have done, What? stirring up the Magistrate in their popular Sermons at Westminister and Pauls, (to what man) to keep their Covenant, to be zealous for God and for the Publike good? Let all that love God and the Peace of the Kingdoms, say, Gods blessing to their hearts. But in your next take this Observation, That there are no Ministers in the City pray more hearaily for the Parliament and the Armies then they do, (and that all our Victories since our New Model hath been, and then begun when this Lecture was set up) I thought good to give him this hint, lest his impudence leads him at last to blaspheme an Ordinance of God, which God hath honored with incredible successe. (To speak a word to the particular charge) hearken Reader, the great charge that is laid upon this honest Pe­tition, what is it? they Petition for setlement of Religion, the letter of the Covenant; well, if this be Malignancy and Sedition, we will account it our honor to be so, and till we can be disingaged from our Covenant, we will Petition, and Petition, and Petition again for the setling of Religion: This doubtlesse is our duty, and cannot be any breach of Priviledge. Reader, take notice, no Word in the Petition can be excepted against but Religion, but this he faith is meant Pres­byterial Government; but who told him so? how came he to know the sense of our Petition? we did not make any Malignants or Se­ctaries of our counsel (the man in stead of aspersing hath vindicated the Petition) Religion is the worst word in it: well then, to conclude, they that would have Religion (a word in our Covenant) setled and reformed they that would have a happy period put to all our pres­sing grievances, Ireland (poor bleeding dying Ireland) that lately hath received a mortal blow (if God prevent not) relieved, reco­vered; that would have Peace setled upon the Foundation of truth, and a firm Union betwixt us and our aspersed Brethren of Scotland, & an end of this uncivil Civil wars, come and subscribe to this pious, prudent and peaceable Petition, and eccho back, We will all subscribe.