Die Mercurii, 20 Augusti, 1645.
Prayers.
THE Grand Committee of the House, according to
former Order, proceeded to take into Consideration
the Business of Keeping of scandalous Persons from the
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
Mr. Whittacre in the Chair.
Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.
Upon Mr. Whittacre's Report from the Grand Committee of Religion;
It is Ordered, upon the Question, That the House be
resolved into a Committee on Tuesday next, at Eight of the
Clock in the Morning: And that the Grand Committee
do then sit, to take into further Consideration the Matter
of Church-Government.
Resolved, &c. That no foreign Impressions of any English Bibles, imported from beyond Seas, shall be put to
Sale in any Parts of this Kingdom, until they have been
viewed, perused, and allowed by the Assembly of Divines,
or such as they shall appoint: And that an Ordinance be
brought in to this Purpose: And it is referred to Mr. Selden and Mr. Maynard, to bring in an Ordinance to this Purpose.
Sir Henry Mildmay, from the Lord Grey, presented the
Book, sent out of Leicestershire, of the Names of divers
Persons of the several Counties, to whom Letters were sent
to by the Enemy, for Contributions: And
It is Ordered thereupon, That it be referred to the Committee where Mr. Tate has the Chair.
Ordered, That the Letters taken at Pontesract-Castle,
and such other Letters as are remaining in the Hands of
the Committee where Mr. Tate has the Chair, as have not
been yet read in the House, be read on Saturday, the first
Business: And that no other Business do then intervene:
And that Mr. Speaker do put the House in mind hereof.
Ordered, That Captain Bettisworth, having done very
good Service to the Parliament, be injoined not to go out
of the Kingdom.
Ordered, That a Hundred Barrels of Powder, and
Match and Bullet proportionable, be forthwith provided
and furnished out of the publick Stores, and sent to Hull,
for the Service of the Forces in Yorkshire: And that the
Money for providing this Powder be charged upon the
Excise, and paid in Course.
Ordered, That Two Tuns of Match be forthwith provided and furnished out of the publick Stores, for the Service of the Forces in the County of Darby.
Whereas, by reason of the Continuance of this unhappy
War, there is a continual Increase of maimed Soldiers and
Widows; whereby there ariseth Increase of Charge towards
their Maintenance: It is Ordered, That a special Collection
of the Benevolence of well-affected Persons shall be made
in every Church and Chapel within the Lines of Communication, and Weekly Bills of Mortality, on Friday next;
being a Day appointed for Thanksgiving to God for his
great and wonderful Mercies of late shewed unto us, in
the great Success he hath been pleased to give our Forces,
over the Enemies of the Kingdom: And all Ministers are
required to exhort the People to an especial Forwardness
herein; it being a most proper Work of Charity, on such
Days of Thanksgiving, and fit to be exercised towards such
whom God hath been pleased to make Instruments of our
Deliverance. Provided that the Moiety of the Monies
collected in St. Margaret's, Westminster, and St. Martin's in
the Fields, shall be employed for the Relief of the Poor
of the said Parishes respectively; and the other Moiety
for the Relief of the poor maimed Soldiers and Widows.
An Ordinance for Charging of Ten thousand Pounds,
with Interest for the same, upon the Excise, in Course, for
the Service of the supernumerary Forces of Horse and Foot,
with their Officers, in Yorkshire, was this Day read; and,
upon the Question, assented to; and ordered to be sent to
the Lords, for their Concurrence.
Ordered, That such Pictures at York-House as are not
superstitious, be forthwith sold; and the Proceed thereof
disposed proportionably, according to former Orders.
Sir Henry Hayman, Lord Fairfax, Sir Wm. Constable,
and Sir Thomas Widdington, are appointed to go this Afternoon to York-House, to view such Pictures as shall remain
there, and are conceived by the Committee to be superstitious; and to report the same to the House, To-morrow
Morning.
Upon the Report this Day made, from the Committee
appointed to pass the Accompts of the Reformadoes,
which went to the Relief of Taunton, That the Two thousand Pounds assigned by this House hath been taken into
the Consideration of the Committee for the Proportioning
thereof; but that it appeareth unto them, that many of
the Accompts shewed by them are not certified by warrantable Officers;
It is this Day Ordered, by the Commons, assembled in
Parliament, That: the said Committee shall have Power to
proportion the said Two thousand Pound, according to
such Lists and Informations as they shall receive of their
being at Taunton; with Consideration to pay unto such as
have their Accompts warrantably stated, according to a
Fifth-Part promised by this House; and to others, that
have them not so stated, such a Proportion as the said Committee shall think fit: And that Captain Vernon, the appointed Treasurer for the said Two thousand Pounds, shall
forthwith pay all such Sums as shall be certified unto him,
in a List under the Hands of the said Committee, or any
Four of them, for their Proportions; and likewise to pay
such other Sum out of the said Two thousand Pounds, as
they shall think fit to appoint, for the Pains and Care of
such as they have employed to help them in the Examining
and Stating of all the Accompts of the said Officers.
A Letter from Colonel Thomas Morgan, the Governor
of Gloucester, was this Day read; and Ordered, That it be
referred to the Committee of Gloucester.
Ordered, That the humble Petition of Walter Powell,
Vicar of Standish in the County of Gloucester, be referred
to the Committee for Gloucester.
Ordered, That the Business of Chester be taken into Consideration on Saturday Morning.