Englands Parliamentary Chronicle, Chronicle · Floating text 14
To the Right Honourable the LORDS now Aſſembled in the High Court of PARLIAMENT.
The humble Petition of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common-Councell Aſſembled.
Sheweth;
THat in Novemb. laſt the Petitioners made it their humble requeſt to this honourable Houſe, That Church-Government might be ſetled; and are moſt humbly thank full for your favourable interpretation thereof▪ proceeding from the good intentions of the Common-Councell, who are reſolved, according to their duty, to have a tender reſpect to the Priviledges of Parliament, whereby the Liberties of the City and Kingdome are preſerved: That in December laſt, at the choiſe of new Common-Councell men for the yeare enſuing, the Inhabitants of moſt of the Wards in this City petitioned their reſpective Aldermen in their Wardmote, to move your Petitioners to make their further addreſſe to the Honourable Houſes of Parliament, for the ſpeedy ſetling of Church-Government within this City, and againſt Toleration, as by a Copy of one of the ſaid Petitions annexed appeared.
That private Meetings, eſpecially on the Lords Day, (of which there are at leaſt eleven in one Pariſh) are multiplyed, whereby the publique Congregations, Ordinances, and godly …, are very much neglected and contemned, as if they were Antichriſtian, and our preſent times were like the Primitive perſecutions, or as if we were ſtill under the Tyranny of the Prelaticall Government, and by reaſon of ſuch …, and the preaching of women and other ignorant perſons, ſuperſtition, Hereſie, Schiſme, and Profaneſſ are much increaſed, … divided, and ſuch Blaſphemies as the Petitioners tremble to thinke on; uttered, to the high diſhonour of Almighty God.
That the Petitioners are informed that divers perſons have an inte…tion to Petition this Honourable Houſe, for a Toleration of ſuch Doctrines at are againſt our Covenants; under the Notion of Liberty of Conſel….
The Petitioners therefore having no power of themſelves to ſuppreſſe or overcome theſe growing evils; Doe, according to their Covenant, reveale and make the ſame knowne to this Honourable Houſe, and for timely prevention and removall thereof do … the Pre…ſſes may be taken into your moſt ſerious conſideration; And that Church Government … ſpeedily, … to our moſt Solemne Covenant, with the moſt high God, in ſuch manner and forme, as to your Wiſdomes ſhall ſeeme moſt agreeable thereunto, before me be deſtroyed one by another through … and diviſions; And that no Toleration be granted, either of Popery, Prelacy, Superſtition, Hereſie, Schiſme, Prophanneſſe, or of any thing contrary to ſound Doctrine and the power of godlineſſe; And that all private Meetings, contrary to the ſaid Covenant (the rather in regard of the ſad effects thereof) may be reſtrained,
And the Petitioners ſhall pray, &c. MICHELL.
To the Right Worſhipfull the Alderman and Common-Councell men of the Ward of Farrington within at their Wardmoot; A repreſentation of the Humble deſires of the Inhabitants of the ſaid Ward.
I THat Church Government may ſpeedily be ſetled within the City, before we be utterly ruined with rents and diviſions.
II That this Government may be that which is agreeable to the Word of God, and example of the beſt Reformed Churches, according … ſolemne League and Covenant with the moſt high God.
III That no Toleration either the Popery, Prelacy, Schiſme, Hereſie, Superſtition, Prophameneſſe, or any thing contrary to ſound Doctrine, or the power of godlineſſe, may at all be yeelded unto, as being againſt the Word of God, and contrary to the very Letter of our Covenant.
And theſe our moſt humble and earneſt deſires, which we are obliged and encouraged alſo to make, by reaſon of our ſaid Covenant, we intreat the Right Worſhipfull the Alderman, and Common-Councell men of this Ward, to repreſent to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and the Honourable Court of Common-Councell at their firſt ſitting, that they would make their further addreſſe to the Honourable Houſes of Parliament, for the ob…aining of theſe our juſt and neceſſary deſires.
The Anſwer to the ſaid Petition, pronounced by the Speaker of the Houſe of Peers.
THe Lords have alwaies had great experience of the care and good affections of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-Councell of the City of London, for which they are glad of any opportunity to expreſſe their great ſenſe, and to returne their hearty thanks, and … eſpecially upon this occaſion, wherein the Common-Councell have ma… ſo great zeale and faithfulneſſe to the true Worſhip of Almighty … and care for the Peace and well ordering of the City of London, … the whole Kingdome is ſo neerly concerned; The Lords therefore … of the Petition now preſented unto them, and the expreſſions of that worthy Alderman made unto their Lordſhips▪ have commanded me in their names to give ye further and larger acknowledgements for your great care and endeavours to prevent ſo growing a miſchief, giving ye this aſſurance, That as they have been very forward formerly to do what in them lay for a ſettlement of Church-Government, ſo they ſhall ſtill continue to advance and perfect a Worke ſo much tending to the glory of God, and to the …er…ing of the Peace of the Kingdome, holding themſelves thereunto obliged by their ſolemne League and Covenant; and they do ſeriouſly recommend it to the care of the Lord Mayor, and ſuch at … in Office in the City, to ſuppreſſe and prevent ſuch great Offences by you mentioned, which are ſo much to the diſhonour of God and the diſturbance of the preſent and future good Government of the City of London. And wherein ye ſhall finde your ſelves wanting in p…wer, the Lords will be ready to contribute their authority for your incouragement and aſſiſtance.
And about the 20 of this inſtant January we were credibly informed by Letters from Abington, of an excellent exploit performed by the Forces of moſt active, loyall, and renowned Major Generall Brown, A brave defeat given to Wallingford Forces by Major Generall Brownes Forces.againſt Wallingford Horſe, in which he had taken Lieutenant Colonell Lour, the Deputy-Governour of Wallingford, ſome other Officers and Priſoners of note, 50 of the Enemies Horſe, their Riders and Armes, and alſo reſcued 30 Horſe which the Enemy had before taken of ours, by which defeat Wallingford Garriſon was much weakened.
On the 23 of this inſtant, we received happy and moſt welcome newes out of the Weſt, of the taking of Dartmouth, with the Caſtle, Ordnance,Dartmouth Towne and Caſtle taken by ſtorme. &c. by ſtorme on Sunday night, Jan. 19. and there was alſo a Letter read in Parliament from his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, of all the particulars of the ſtorming and taking of the ſaid ſtrong Towne and Caſtle, with a Liſt of the Priſoners therein taken, which being a full and authentick narrative of the whole buſineſſe, I have here, for the Readers better content and ſatisfaction, inſerted a true Copy of the ſaid Letter, which was as followeth: