The humble PETITION OF The Well-affected of the County OF SOUTH-HAMPTON IN Behalf of the Ministers of the Gospel and for continuance of their Maintenance.
With Mr. RECORDERS Speech.
AND The Parliaments Answer thereunto.
LONDON, Printed for R. Ibbitson dwelling in Smithfield neer Hosier Lane. 1653.
COrnelius Hooper Esquire, Recorder of the City of Winchester; Edward Hooper, Henry Dawley, James Milles, and Robert Pescod, Esquires; were this day by Order of the Parliament called into the House, and being brought in with the Mace before them, Mr. Recorder made a Speech as followeth.
THese Gentlemen, with my self, do humbly present you with a Petition from the well-affected Inhabitants of the County of Southampton; It is not for their own Interests but for the ancient Rights and Proprieties of the Ministers of this Nation, so ancient that they have injoyed them for 500 yeare and upwards, & are also confirmed to them by sundry Acts & Ordinances of Parliament, the fear they have of the shaking of those Acts and Ordinances by a late Petition presented unto your Honors from the County of Kent, hath caused them by us to make this humble Addresse unto you: It is usuall for men that doe either fear or feele a storme to seeke out for shelter, and in danger to flye to the sanctuary; Parliaments through all successions of ages have been the reputed Shields and Asylums to the Rights and Proprieties of the People, and we blesse God, that by his Providence wee have such a Sanctuary as this at this time to fly unto: Such [Page 3] a one that we may say of it, as was said of Salomons Throne, The like was never to be seen in our Nation before.
Your Petitioners glories not in great Attendance, nor in an innumerable traine of names, yet if we had hoped thereby to have obtained the more favor in your Honors eyes, we might have had many thousands to have subscribed it; As it is we humbly present it unto you: And with all humility crave the favour of your gracious Acceptance.
The Petitioners were then desired to withdraw. And then the Petition was read, and is as followeth:
THat your Petitioners taking notice of a late petition to this Honourable Assembly exhibited in the name of many of the well-affected of the County of Kent, [Page 4] by which they desire Tithes of all sorts root and branch may bee abolished, and that they may not bee ensnared with forced maintenance, or any thing like it in the stead thereof. Being herein of different judgements from them, and fore-seeing the great misery and distresse that thereby inevitably must befall the Ministers of the Gospell and their families, Impropriators of Tithes and their families, having for the most part of them none other livelihood wherewith to sustain their charge, and moved with a deep sense thereof, and with bowels of compassion towards their Brethren, as fellow-members of one and the same Body:
Doe humbly desire, that Tithes (which are above 500 years growth confirmed by Magna Charta, by divers and sundry Acts and Ordinances of Parliament unto this present time) may not have the axe laid to the root of it, nor cut downe, nor abolished. That you (who are the Protectors of our Laws, lives, liberties and estates) will maintain and continue all the Laws, Statutes and Ordinances in force, for the due payment of Tithes, at lest wise untill the right of Patrons bee legally determined, the Ministers, faithfull dispensers of Gods word, may by some honorable, sure and no lesse profitable way bee provided for, and the Impropriators of Tithes satisfied for their respective interests, that equal right may bee done unto all men, whereby your Justice shall shine forth as the Sun at noon day throughout the world, have Gods blessing upon your endevours, and the unfeigned prayers of
[Page 5] After a short debate the Petitioners were againe called in, to whom Mr. Speaker gave Answer, That the House had commanded him to give them thanks for their good Affections; And that the particulars by them petitioned for were under Debate, And the Parliament will proceed therein as God shall direct them.