GOd is the God of Peace , ( saith the Prophet ; ) so is he called the Lord of Hosts , and the God of Battels : Peace is the Attribute of his mercy , War of his justice ; by it he bruiseth offending Nations with a rod of Iron , scattering them in his wrath , and consuming them in his heavie displeasure : by Peace he poures upon them the blessing of Peace , the dew of Hermon , which alwayes engenders wealth , happinesse , and plenty . Such have been the heavenly showres , that have for many yeeres fertilized the beauteous face of this Kingdome , now for the sins of the people over-whelmed with a tempest of civill and intestine differences , raging like an earth-quake in its very bowels : war on the one side ( namely the Parliaments ) having beene apparently necessary and defensive ; on his Majesties , misadvised by malignant counsells , destructive and ruinous .

For the composition of these distractions , divers hopefull overtures have been propounded betwixt his Majesty and his high Court of Parliament , which had they been as graciously received , as heartily and loyally intended , wee had now enjoyed ( that blessing and testimony of the Almighties love ) peace in our dwellings . In these wars ( as wee may rightly terme them on our side ) for our countrey , the honourable and ancient City of London hath been most forward and zealous in their bounties , towards the support of the charge which hath depended on these military proceedings : but surely Man , in his owne nature being a rationall creature , must needs delight in that which is accident to his reason , nay inseparable from it , the desire of peace , — pacem nos poscimus omnes , discord and dissension being the prop●rty of savage beasts , who by the ferocity of their nature thirst after blood : And certainly in no one thing doth man more resemble the divine goodnesse then in gentlenesse and pitty . This desire of peace ( as I am engaged to beleeve ) hath induced many able and honest religious Citizens of London , to entreat in all humility the high Court of Parliament to shape some course in their wisedomes , for the composing all differences with his Majesty . Which petition of theirs ( disliked by many factious and turbulent spirits ) I shall endevour to prove legall , honest , just , and commodious , so far as it is concurrent with and directed by the Votes of the honourable the high Court of Parliament . And first , to prove its legality ; that must needs be legall which seeks the preservation of the fundamentall Lawes of this Kingdome ; This Petition seekes the preservation of the said Fundamentall Lawes ; Therefore legall is this Petition . Nought in this Syllogisme can comprehend a doubt , except the minor , which is thus easily proved : That seeks the preservation of the Fundamentall laws , which labours to induce the preserver of all lawes : Peace is the preserver of all lawes , which this Petition labours to induce ; Ergo , This Petition is legall . The Declaration is evident . Againe , the legality of this Petition is onely proved quatenus it is concurrent with , and directed by the Votes of the high Court of Parliament , that being the fountaine from whence the Fundamentall lawes of this Kingdome are derived ; and whatsoever strikes at the root of our lawes , must needs strike the lawes themselves : Therefore neither this Petition , nor its abettors , can be said any longer to carry legality in their proceedings , then those proceedings are concurrent with , and directed by the Vetes of that sacred assembly . But certainly the good and able Citizens , in their Petition so humbly drawne and presented , never intended any thing , but what should be consonant and consentaneous to the dispose of the Parliament : and if so , the legality of their Petition may justly arise triumphant over all the calumnies of those fiery and factious spirits , that so delight in war and blood-shed .

Again , its honesty is so conspicuous , ( the clause aforesaid observed ) that it is as it were Sol quidem 〈◇〉 ( as the Greeks call it ) a Sun inlightning every one , and shining every way . For if we may believe that Stoicall Legislator of the Romanes , Cicero in his Paradox , namely , {αβγδ} , Quod 〈◇〉 〈◇〉 〈◇〉 〈◇〉 , That onely is good that is honest ; what can be honester then this Petition , since there is nothing can be more replenished with goodnesse : goodnesse in respect of its obedience to the divine mandate , which bids us seeke peace and ensue it , pronouncing in another place , Beati p●cefice ; and Blessed are they that seeke the peace of Sio● . Good it is certainly in respect of the effect it would produce , namely , an union between the King and his people , a reconciliation betweene the dissentious and Cadmean Brethren of this Nation , who with hostile hands seek to teare out one anothers throats : Good also in regard of the definition of honesty it selfe , which is in briefe , nihil iniuste agere , and what better way can there be to compose the injustices now emergent in this Kingdome , then to take away the cause of them , Sublata causa tollitur effectus ; the causes of innumerable rapines , thefts , murthers , burning and plundring ( then which there can be no greater or more dire injustice ) hath been these wars ; they taken away ( as is the intent of this Petition ) those injustices wold easily cease , and therefore the honesty of the Petition ( Luce meridiaenae clurius ) is conspicuous to all indifferent judgements ; those men that would still have warre , taxing themselves of dishonesty in disallowing the honesty of this Petition , as far as it is concurrent with , and directed by the votes of Parliament , that is , as farre as it and the authours of it doe in all humility submit their judgements to the directions of that illustrious Senate , the universall body of the Kingdome , who no doubt , know in their wisdomes , how , and on what termes to propound peace to his Majestie for the good o the Subject and safety of the Kingdome , and will no longer seeke to continue this fatall and unnaturall war , then the necessary defence of the state injoynes them ; and certainely , so long as this City Petition was but an humble tender of their wishes to the high Court of Parliament , leaving them to be directed and effectuated by their discretions , who can but grant it honest and legall ? Thus much for the two first points of the argument : briefly to the two last .

For its justice , if that justice qui tribuit suum cuique proprium , as infallibly it is , nothing can be furnish'd with a clearer equity then this Petition : first , it seekes to give to God Almighty that which is his owne , namely , the setling of his due and true worship : secondly , it strives to give the King that which is his owne , the obedience of his subjects : and thirdly , it endeavours to confer on the subject that which is his owne , the confirmation of their priviledges and properties : For sure no man can imagine that these petitioning Citizens can be so foolish as to intreat the Parliament to thinke of Propositions for peace , that might inslave and inthr●ll their liberties , and the immunities of their fellow subjects , they would surely rather hazard and consume their estates and lives in the just defence of the Parliaments proceedings : If they have any other sinister end reserv'd to themselves , their Petition can neither be just , honest nor legall , because it can have then no concurrency with the votes of the high Court of Parliament , who being intrusted with the security and freedome of the Kingdome , will rather indure all the horrors of a warre then by a prejudiciall peace give away , nay , as it were , betray the very essence of the subject his liberty . For the commodiousnesse which is aym'd at in this Petition , surely there can none so much abuse his owne reason , as to doubt it .

First , by these wars this City , the most famous Emporium or Mart towne of all Europe , is devested of the greatest part of the glory , honour and riches accrued to it by merchandize , forrainers being fearefull to bring their wares into any Countrey which is plung'd over head and eares in domestique troubles ; and till peace and happy concord be settled some way in this Kingdome , that increase of commerce can never be established in this City ; nor can they export out of this City their commodities into the Country , which is now so full of Malignants souldiers nothing of value can escape their rapacious fingers : and certainly , if the taking away discommodities may be allowed commodious , nothing can be fuller of utility to this City and Kingdome then peace , such a peace I meane , as may be concurrent with , and directed by the votes of the high Court of Parliament , and past dispute , in the matter of this Petition nothing can be found which is either illegall , dishonest , unjust , or discommodious , if the manner of it doe not render it guilty of all of them ; I meane the manner of presenting it , such a multitude following the delivery of it to Westminster to the high Court of Parliament , such an assembly rather carrying the face of a tumult then of men who came to Petition for redresse of grievances . Frustra sit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora ; halfe a dozen of the most substantiall of the Petitioners , might with as much ease , and a more free acceptance , have had accesse to the honourable the high Court of Parliament , then such a numerous company ; but they demeaned themselves civilly and peaceably , yet it had been easier for them to have done so , being but a few , then in such a multitude , among which , all could not be alike in their behaviour . But to conclude all this discourse , the Atlas of our English heaven the Parliament knowes better in their wisedome what is fit , honourable and just , for the City of London , and the whole Kingdome , then the Citizens or Subjects themselves ; wee having onely matters contingent to our owne safeties by relation , they by evident proofe , having a sure and notorious intellgience of all the machinations of the Malignants against our lives and liberties : no mans Petition therefore for peace ( though in it selfe , pax est optimum rerum ) can be either legall , honest , just , or commodious , further then it is concurrent with , and directed by the Votes of the honourable the high Court of Parliament , whom God in his mercy preserve for ever .