Gangrena Part 3, Theological tract · Letter 6 – Letter 7
A Copie of a Letter ſent from ſome of the Committee of the City of Exeter, to ſome of that City here in London.
GEntlemen we referre you to our former Letter ſent you by poſt, wherein we gave you information of the impriſoning of our honeſt Citize…s by the Deputy Governour and Officers of that Garriſon, they yet continue in cuſtody: The Committee was refuſed to have the knowledg of the cauſe of their impriſonment. Our Conſtables are oppoſed in doing their duties; in a word, they do openly contemne, and violently incroach upon the civill power contrary to former ordem ſent them: Yeſterday they demanded more monies of us for the Garriſon; We do what in us lyeth to oppoſe them in their undue courſes. But the inſolencie of this day is ſuch, that we thought it our duty to make this preſent diſpatch to you, doubting what a day may bring forth. The cauſe is thus; we taking notice of the frequent preaching of Captaines at the Caſtle, Guild-Hall, and in private houſés, and of their drawing away of the people, thought it neceſſary, with the advice of Miniſters, to have the Ordinance of Parliament of the twentie ſixth of Aprill, 1645. to be publiſhed, which prohibits all ſuch to preach as were not ordained Miniſters, &c. which accordingly was read at the Cathedrall before the morning Sermon this day; The Deputy Governour hearing it, commands it to be read the ſecond and third time, the Officers jeering and ſcoffing ☞all the time of the publiſhing of it, in contempt both of the Ordinance and of the Committee. After the Sermon was ended, the Deputy Governour moſt preſumptuouſly ſtands up in the Biſhops ſeat, and takes upon him publikely to give the meaning of the Ordinance, and ſaith aloud, that it did not forbid their meetings, and that in the after-noones they would have their exerciſe in the Cuſtle (which accordingly they had) and that he had the command of the City, and of all that were in it; with many words to the like effect: After ſtands up Captaine Leivtenant Vernum, and openly ſaies that in deſpight of men they would have their exerciſe, adding at laſt with ſubmiſſion to Authority; Preſently after Maſter Parſons, who publiſhed the Ordinance was ſent for, and although he ſhewed the order of the Committee, yet he was ſent to priſon by the Deputy Governour; the whole Church was in an uproare and the City is in diſorder; what the conſequence may be we know not; we have been and ſtill are affronted by the ☞Garriſon, and the civill power is in a manner trampled under foot. We conceive the publike preſumption to interpret an Ordinance of Parliament, and to commit to priſon the publiſher of it, is ſuch an act as cannot be paralled in the whole Kingdome. We have written to Maſter Prideaux very earneſtly about it, and have deſired him to impart it to the Committee of the Weſt; the like requeſt is made to you, that ſo ſome ſpeedy courſe may be taken herein, and an anſwer returned to
Exon. 2. Auguſt, 1646. Your affectioned friends and ſervants
Samuel Clark.
Richard Saunders.
Richard Croſſing…
This is a Coppie of a former ſent laſt night by a Poſt at nine of the clock under Mr Prideaux cover; the packet was ſuperſcribed for the Parliaments ſervice, which packet going out of Eaſt-gate was ſtopt by the Officers of the Garriſon, and was broken open; the Poſt-boy wasſtopt about three houres between Eaſt-gate and the draw-Bridge, and then a packet was returned, and put into his hands againe, and he willed to depart, the boy being unwilling, had twelve pence given him and ſo went away. We are in great haſte, and have ſent this bearer expreſſe, unto whoſe relation we refer your for more particulars; He that commanded the guard gives us certain information that the packet was ſtopt as above, and broken open, and he promiſes to bring three or foure more to teſtifie it.
Exon. 3. of Auguſt, 1646. One of the clock.
Since upon examinations, we …inde the ſtoping and opening the Letters to be true.
UPon Sunday being the ſecond of Auguſt, 1646. about nine or ten of the clock in the night, the aforeſaid Committee had diſpacht away a packet and Poſt, directed to the Honourable Edward Prideaux, a Member of the Honourable Houſe of Commons, and at the foot of it ſuperſcription for the Parliaments ſervice, which packet was cleared out of the Gates by two Conſtables of the ſaid Citie, who ſaid to the Poſtillian, goe haſten on thy way, to which ſome of the guard ſaid, and the plague goe with them, but Captaine Vernon and ſome others laid in waite between the Port, and the out-work, to intercept the Poſt, and took from the Poſtillion the ſaid packet, which immediatly was opened by them, and reading the ſame they laughed and jeered thereat; afterwards they commanded ſome Musketeers to guard the Poſtilion that he may carrie the packet to the Deputy Governour, which they did; and after three houres time the ſaid Captaine Vernon and ſome others returned with a Pa…ket, directed to Colonell Hamman, or in his abſence to Colonell — or in his abſence to — When the packet was delivered, the Poſtillion replyed this is not my packet, I will not goe with this but returne to my Maſter to acquaint him thereof, whereupon ſome of the Captaines ſaid, Sirah get you gone, and withall gave him a ſhilling.
Copies of Letters, and extracts of Letter▪s written from the Army, Gariſon Townes and other parts of the Countries unto Friends in London and Weſtminſter, concerning ſome Officers, Souldiers, and Preachers who are Sectaries.
Gentlemen,
NOtwithſtanding all orders, they perſiſt in incroatching on the civill Authority; Yeſterday in the Market they ſet Sir Francis Fulfetts ſonne a Miniſter in the ſtocks, under the gallowes before the Guild-hall for being drunk, refuſing to accept of five ſhillings tendered by him for the poore; he deſerved puniſhment, but it was out of their cognizance, and their jeers, and ſcoffs did plainly manifeſt they aimed and envied more at the function then at the fault. We have ſince the departing of the expreſſe, had full teſtimony of the intercepting, breaking open and reading of our Letters by Captain Leivtenant Vernum, and ſome other of the Captaines, and ſending another directed packet to Governour Hamond inſtead thereof; And this returne they ſet a guard on the Poſt-houſe, and had we not been very vigilant and dilligent, we ſhould have miſſed out Letters. They ſoare very high, and if their wings be not clipt 'twill be very dangerous, but if the proverbe be verified, pride muſt have a fall.
Exon. Auguſt, 8. 1646. Your truly affectionate Friends,
Samuel Clark.
Richard Saunders.
Adam Bennet.
Richard Croſſing.
James Gould.
Gentlemen, The Martialiſts begin againe to ſhew themſelves in their former colours, and reaſſume their late uſurpation: They have of late reſcued a priſoner from the Sergiants Arreſt: The laſt Faſt day one of the Captaines affronted the Conſtables in their office in obſervance of the Ordinance for the Faſt, not permitting them to queſtion ſuch as ridde and travelled on that day.
Exon. Auguſt, 18. 1646. Your friends and ſervants,
Samuel Clark.
Richard Saunders.
James Gould.
Richard Croſſings.