Petition of divers eminent citizens of London, presented to the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen the 28th of April, 1681

THE
PETITION
O F
Divers Eminent Citizens of L ONDON, prefent-
ed to the Lord Mayor and Court of
Aldermen the 28th of April, 1A81.
To the Honourable Sir Patient Ward Lord Mayor of the City Lon¬
don, and to the tftjghtWorJhipful the Aldermen his Brethren. The hum9
lie ^Petition of us whofe Names are hereunto fubfcribed, Citizens of the faid
City.
Humbly fheweth,
f* U x,^Hat the DefigflS of the Popiili and Jefuitical Party,for fubverting and
deflroying the Protefiant Religion and the eitabliihed Govern^
ment of this Kingdom, have for forr e years part been carried on
in an extraordinary way, encouraged h) the hopes the Papifts
(as your Petitioners believe) had of a Pc piih Succeffur, Witncfs the burning
of this City, with intention of a MsfTacre at the fame time, their many and
frequent attempts of firing other parts of the City, and other places in the
Kingdom; and tofucb a height did thofe hopes tranfport the agents of that
party, that they took upon them to hold Correfpondencies with forein Prin¬
ces, to influence His Majefltes Councils to diflblve the then Parliament, and
to frame a Declaration to have been publilhed in His Mayflies name on that
Occasion ; and at laft to contrive that Devililh and horrid Plot for afla/Hnat^
ing His Majeflies Royal Perfbn, putting the Papifts in arms, bringing in forein
forces both inro England and Ireland, to eftabhih their Religion, and deftroy
the Pr» teiiants, Wnat endeavours have been by them fet on foot to prevent
the Difcovery & fuller Detection of their Villanies,the Morder of Sir Edmond
Godfrey^ the attempt on Juitice Arnold, the means ufed to take off and dif-
coarage the King’s Evidence, the fuborning Perfons to fwear falfly, and the
ftttmg upfeveral Sham plots contrived by themfelves to be changed by falfe
Wuncffcs on His Majeffies Proteflant Subjcd:s, are evident and apparent to
all the World,
That by reaibn hereof fitch have been, and Rill are the fears and diftra&i-
ons in the minds of People, that many have withdrawn from the City, others
declined their Trades,and all true Proteflants been in continual fears and anx¬
ieties of mind, whereby great expence and charge in keeping and maintaining
continual GuardS'hath been tieceffitated, and yet mod people live under daily
apprehensions, doubting every night what may be their condition before
Morning.
That on HisMajedies fummomng a Parliament to meet the 6th of March,
1678, It was hoped that ede&uai eourfe would have been taken to detetifc
and bring the Confpirators to condign punilhmenr, and by Laws to have fe-
cured the Protedant Religion agalnd their attempts. (It being impodible, as
your Petitioners humbly conceive, that the fame can any way be done, but
by authority of Parliament.) And thofe hopes were the moreraifed from His
Majedics mod gracious Declaration of the 2,1 April 167on the change of
his Privy Council, that he was refoived in all weighty and important Affairs
A (next