Gods Ark Overtopping the Worlds Waves, Parliamentary chronicle · Floating text 1
To the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons aſſembled in PAR…IAMENT.
The humble Petition of divers Miniſters of Chriſt, in the Name of themſelves, and of divers others.
Humbly ſheweth;
THat your Petitioners upon ſerious conſideration and deep ſenſe of Gods heavy wrath lying on us and hanging over our heads and the whole Nation,A copie of the Petition of the Aſſembly of Divines delivered to both houſes of Parliament, July 19, 1643. and manifeſted particularly, by the two la…e ſad and unexpected defeates of our forces in the North, and in the Weſt, doe apprehend it to be our dutie, as Watchmen for the good of the Church and Kingdome, to preſent to your religious and prudent Conſideration, theſe enſuing requeſts, in the name of Jeſus Chriſt, your Lord and ours.
Firſt, That you would be pleaſed to command a publike and extraordinary day of humiliation, this weeke, throughout the Cities of London, Weſtminſter, the Suburbs of both, and places adjacent, within the weekly bills of mortalitie, that every one may bitterly bewaile his own ſinnes, and …ny mightily to God, for Chriſts ſake to remove his wrath, and to heal the Land, with profeſſed and renewed reſolutions of more full performance of the late Covenant for the amendment of our wayes.
Secondly, That you would vouchſafe, inſtantly to tale into your more than ordinary ſerious Conſideration, how you may moſt ſpeedily ſet up Chriſt more gloriouſly in all his Ordinances, within this Kingdome, and reform all things amiſs throughout the Land, wherein God is more immediately diſhonoured. Among which, wee humbly lay before you theſe particulars.
Firſt,1. That the brutiſh ignorance and palpable darkneſs poſſeſſing the greateſt part of the people, in all places of the Kingdome, wherby they are utterly unfit to wait upon God in any holy datie (to the great diſgrace of the Goſpel, and the everlaſting endangering of their poore ſoules) may be remedied, by a ſpeedy & ſtrict charge to all Miniſters conſtantly to Catechize all the youth, and ignorant people (they being cammanded to be ſubject to it) and all ſorts to be preſent at it, and information to be given of all perſons who ſhall withſtand or neglect it.
That the grievous and hainous pollution of the Lords Supper,2. by thoſe that are groſsly ignorant and notoriouſly profane, may be henceforth with all Chriſtian care and due circumſpection prevented.
That the bold venting of corrupt Doctrines,3. directly contrary to the ſacred Law of God and religious humiliation for ſin, which open a wide door to all Libertiniſme and diſobedience to God and man, may be ſpeedily ſuppreſſed every where, and that in ſuch manner as may give hope that the Church may be no more infected with them.
That the proph…ation of any part of the Lords day,4. and the dayes of ſolemn faſting, by buying and ſelling, working, ſporting, travelling or neglecting of Gods Ordinances, may be remedied, by appointing Officers in every place, for the due execution of all good Lawes and Ordinances againſt the ſame.
That there may be a through and ſpeedy proceeding againſt blinde guides and ſcandalous Miniſters,5. by whoſe wickedneſs, people either lack or loath the Ordinances of the Lord, and thouſands of ſouls periſh, & wherby the removall of the Ark from among us is (to the trembling of our hearts) evidently threatned. And that your Wiſdomes would finde-out ſome way to admit into the Miniſtrie ſuch godly and hopefull men, as have prepared themſelves and are willing thereunto, without which there will ſodainly be ſuch a ſcarcity of able and faithfull Miniſters, that it will be to little purpoſe to caſt out ſuch as are unable, idle, or ſcandalous.
That the Lawes may be quickned againſt ſwearing and drunkenneſs,6. with which the Land is filled and defiled, and under which it mourneth.
That ſome ſevere cou…ſ… be taken againſt fornication,7. adultery, and inceſt, which doe greatly abound, eſpecially of late, by reaſon of impunitie.
That all Monuments of Idolatry and Superſ…ition,8. but more eſpecially, the whole body and practiſe of Popery be totally aboliſhed.
That juſtice may be executed on all Delinquents,9. according to your ſolemn Vow and Proteſtation to that purpoſe.
That all poſſible meanes may be uſed for the ſpeedy relief and releaſe of our miſerable and extremely diſtreſſed Brethren,10. who are priſoners in Oxford, York, and elſewhere, whoſe heavie ſufferings cry aloud in the eares of our God, and it would lie very heavie upon the Kingdome, ſhould they miſcarry, ſuffering, as they doe; for the cauſe of God.
That ſo, God, who is now, by the ſword, avenging the quarrell of his Covenant, beholding your integrity and zeal, may turn from the fierceneſs of his wrath, hear our prayers, goe forth with our Armies, perfect the work of reformation, forgive our ſins, and ſettle Truth and Peace throughout the Kingdome.
And the Petitioners ſhall ever pray, &c.
This Petition being read in Both Houſes, an anſwer was returned to the Divines that preſented it, to this effect: That the Petition was very well approved of; The Parliaments Anſwer to the Divines Petition.That both the Houſes had agreed to have a publike faſt in all thoſe places mentioned in the Petition, on the Fryday, then, next following, being July the 21 (which accordingly was ſolemnly performed by both Houſes of Parliament, and the Aſſembly, altogether as well as by the Cities, in their ſeverall Pariſh-Churches) And that they would take the other particulars into ſpeedie Conſideration.
Say now then (good Reader) was not heer a very fair and proſperous blaſt breathing-forth by Gods providence,A fan gale to carry on the Ark of God. to carry on his Ark the more ſafely and ſecurely through the ſwelling waves of malignant oppoſitions? but to goe on.
About the midſt of July, 1643. came certain information by letters out of Lincolnſhire, that it had pleaſed God to give extraordinary good ſucceſs to our forces in that Countie,Gainesborough in Lincolnſhire won by the noble Lord Willoughby of Parrham. in the taking of that ſtrong Town of Gainesborough by the noble Lord Willoughbie of Parrham, which Town he entred by a deſperate aſſault in the night time, forceing upon their Courts of guard, which they found but negligently manned, and ſo poſſeſſed the Town without any bloudſhed, wherein he took priſoner the Earl of Kingſtone, and alſo 30 Knights and at leaſt 20 other Gentlemen of qualitie of that Countie,The p…izes taken. beſides 250 common Souldiers, and releaſed about 200 of the Parliaments priſoners, who had been taken at ſundry times, in Yorkſhire and Lincolnſhire; and they took alſo in the Town great ſtore of armes and ammunition. And the ſame intelligence aſſured us, that within few dayes after (to complete our cauſe of juſt thankfulneſſe to God) the Siege which was ſodainly made againſt the ſaid Town (immediately after this taking of it) by the Earl of Newcaſtles Popiſh forces (who thus hoped ſodainly to have ſurprized it) was by the vigilancy and magnanimitie of renowned Colonell Cromwell moſt courageouſly raiſed,Colo. Cromwell raiſes the Newcaſtelian forces from beſieging Gainesborough. he having moſt undauntedly faln upon the Newcaſtelians, and taken 300 of them priſoners, ſlain 50 of them on the ground, and routed and diſperſed the great concourſe of their forces which came from Newark, Bradford, Leeds, and other parts of Yorkſhire, then, lately before over-run by Newcaſtle, on the former unhappie Defeat given to the moſt noble Lord Fairfax. Yea, the ſame certain intelligence informed us alſo, that the foreſaid Earl of Kingstone, who as you heard was taken priſoner at Gainesborough, being by the Lord Willoughbies command conducted by ſome of his forces, in a pinnace, and ſo intended to be carried priſoner by water to Hull; but the Earl of Newcaſtles forces thinking to have reſcued him from them, ſummoned the ſaid pinnace (in which the Earl was) to bow ſail and to come aſhore,The Earl of Kingſtone ſlain in a pinnace by Newcaſtles Cavaliers. but the Lord Willoughbies forces refuſing ſo to doe, they ſhot fiercely at the ſhip; in ſo much that they ſhot the Earl to death in the pinnace, and ſo made him a priſoner to death, not hurting any one of the Parliaments forces, but him onelyonly. Yea, and to make thoſe Northern victories yet more glorious and illuſtrious, there came credible information by letters from Lincolnſhire to London, upon Thurſday July 27th,The Town of Stamford taken by Colonell Cromwell. that victorious and courageous Colonell Cromwell had then taken in the Town of Stamford in that Countie, had there ſlain about 200 and taken 300 Cavaliers priſoners, among whom were many Commanders and Gentlemen of qualitie of that Countie: And that which made theſe brave victories the more rare and remarkable was that the knowledge and information of them came to us on the foreſaid Thurſday, Return of our Monethly faſt dayes prayers.July the 27th, which was the very next day after our publike Monethly-faſt, as a moſt bleſſed and gracious return of our prayers into our boſomes, to make us the more thankfull and faithfull for the time to come.
Much alſo about the ſame time came certain intelligence to London by letters out of Lincolnſhire, that about a 1000 of the Cavaliers from Newark and Bever-Caſtle hovered and roved about Stamford and Wothrop-houſe, a great and ſtrong ſeat in thoſe parts, but were bravely moleſted and chaſed thence by that brave and moſt worthily renowned Commander, Colonell Cromwell, and at laſt forced to take Sanctuary in a very ſtrong and ſtately Stone-built houſe, not far from Stamford alſo,Burleigh-houſe in Lincolnſhire taken by Colonell Cromwell. called Burleigh-Houſe, ſcituated in a large Park, and ſurrounded with a ſtrong Stone-wall, but God ſeaſonably ſending Colonell Hubbard and Colonell Palſgrave to his aſſiſtance, both with men and Ordnance, the brave Colonell with this auxiliarie ſtrength, immediately advanced to the ſaid Burleigh-Houſe, ſate down before it, and having commodiouſly planted his Ordnance, ſhot at it two or three houres (beginning about three of the clock that morning) but could doe no good that way, the houſe being ſo ſtrongly built. Then the noble Colonell ſounded a parley to the enemie,A parly ſounded by Colonell Cromwell. and offered them quarter, to have their lives and libertie to depart without their weapons; But the enemy utterly refuſed the motion, reſolutely anſwering that they would neither take nor give quarter.Burleigh houſe ſtormed. Heerupon the valiant Colonell gave preſent order to ſtorm and aſſault it with his Musketteers, whereupon the fight grew very hot and was bravely performed on both ſides for a while, and with much difficultie and danger on ours, the enemy being very active and confident; and thus the aſſault continued divers houres, till at laſt the Cavaliers courage began to fall, ours preſſing on them very fiercely and furiouſly, ſo that they ſounded a parley from within the Houſe;A parly ſounded from within the Houſe. whereupon the as virtuous as valourous Colonell, commanding preſently that not one of his Souldiers ſhould dare to ſhoot or kill any man during the parley on pain of death, notwithſtanding their former cruell and bloudy anſwer to his foreſaid proffer of quarter to them. In brief they ſoon concluded upon quarter for their lives,The Houſe taken, and the priz. and ſo they took them all, being 2 Colonells, 6 or 7 Captaines, 3 or 400 foot, about an 150 or 200 horſe, with all their armes and ammunition, together with the pillage of the whole houſe. Admirable was the providence of God in this victory,The great providence of God in the preſervation of our Souldiers in this victorie. 400 Clubmen come to ayd the Cavaliers diſcomfited, and fiftie of them ſlain by ours. in that, in all this fight which continued about nine or ten houres, not above ſix or ſeven of our men were ſlain (though many were hurt) in that ſo hot and fierce an encounter or aſſault: onelyonly about two miles beyond Stamford toward Grantham, ſome 400 Clubmen coming to the ayd of the Cavaliers, and having kill'd ſome of our Colonells Scouts, he ſent three or foure troops of horſe to meet and encounter them, who at the firſt onſet had almoſt ſlain one of the Captaines of one of our ſaid troopes, ſo furiouſly they fell upon ours at the firſt; whereupon ours being inſtantly much enraged, fell very fiercely upon them, and had quickly ſlain about fiftie of them, and forced the reſt to flie into a great Wood, hard by them, for their lives.
Immediately after this brave victory thus moſt ſucceſsfully atchieved, namely, about July the 31, 1643. this noble and renowned Colonell ſent a Letter to Cambridge to the Parliaments Committee there, informing them of his brave proceedings alſo with the Earl of Newcaſtles Popiſh forces; who had then lately again beſieged Gainesborough, which for the Readers better content therein, and clearer ſatiſfaction, I have thought fit heer to inſert, verbatim, as it came to my hands.