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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	answer_n	letter_n	receive_v	778	5	5.2253	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42137	A true and perfect relation of the whole transactions concerning the petition of the six counties of South-Wales, and the county of Monmouth, formerly presented to the Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England for a supply of Godly ministers, and an account of ecclesiasticall revenues therein with Parliaments resolves, and proceedings thereupon, now humbly represented to His Highnesse the Lord Protector's consideration / published by A.G.	Griffith, Alexander, d. 1690.	1654 (1654)	Wing G1989; ESTC R177698	38,108	69

penalties of these Acts for transgressing against the same when they neither heard or saw the same or were made privy therewith there being a great distance betwixt Westminster Hall and Wales And therefore the Petitioners doe well hope that the same commendable course commandded and observed in England ought to be also Practised in Wales being part of the same Common-wealth subject to the same Law and Authority and not independant or distant from the supreame Power of the Parliament The Petitioners acknowledging the goodnesse and favour of the Parliament to have beene all along equally distributed to them in their Acts Orders and Edicts as well as to other parts of the Nation But the Petitioners with griefe and sadnesse of heart cannot but complaine for want of the due examination and observance thereof And whereas the said Commissioners or at least wise those that have put in their said Answer under a shew of Humanity doe uncharitably conceive and give forth that the Promoters of the Petition are persons well known to be pretenders of the Worke of God thereby to carry on other designes branding them abroade and before this Honourable Committee by way of Recrimination with the Name of Malignants Delinquents and all affected persons and such as have a designe to bring in power Malignants and to re-invest scandalous Malignant unpreaching Ministers and Curats notwithstanding their Petition and Prosecution thereof speaks the contrary The Petitioners and Promoters thereof dare appeale as touching the sincerity of their thoughts and affections to the Parliament and the truth of the Petition to the Righteous God that judgeth righteously and trieth the Heart and Reynes before whose Judgement Seat they doubt not but to appeare as innocent from those things laid to their charge as most of their Accusers who as they feare doe judge before their time and are wise above what is Revealed The Lord onely knowes who are his and who are onely pretenders of true Religion and who not and who they are that drive and carry at selfe interest under faire and specious pretences and count gaine godlinesse making too great hast to grow rich which true Believers dare not doe The Petitioners therefore not regarding the judgement of men dare trust their Good and Gracious God in all Conditions And doe humbly Acquiesce in his most Righteous Judgements Earnestly beseeching your Honours Seriously Piously and Christianly to weigh and consider the Premises and the Particulars exhibited by the Petitioners And as it was impossible for the Petitioners to prepare the particulars of the seven Counties in two Dayes time much lesse in one so it was impossible to Reply to the Commissioners Answer untill they saw the same and had a Copy thereof Especially not understanding the meaning of the Order untill it was explained And as your Honours favourably entertained and received their particulars though the Petitioners for the reason aforesaid failed in strictnesse of time So they likewise pray your Honours to accept of this their Reply the Petitioners having not obtained a Copy of their Answer untill your Honours by the Order of the 16th of July did command and Order the same though your Petitioners ever since the 10. of May since it was lodged with this Committee used their endeavours therein which untill July the 16th proved fruitlesse And the Petitioners pray this Reply may be added and annexed to their particulars to be reported to the Parliament that Command may issue fourth to the Countrey according to the Resolves of Parliament to examine Witnesses for discovery and manifestation of the truth of the premises And the Petitioners likewise pray the particular Booke of Accompt mentioned in the Report of the Sub-Committee may be produced and the Petitioners have a Copy thereof with time and liberty to sur-charge the same And that your Honours would favourably consider of all the grievances in Order to a settlement of a convenient number of Godly able Ministers and Schoole-Masters such as the Parliament and your Honours shall approve of and an accompt for the profits of the Tithes c. Received since the Commissioners were impowered And that in Order to a future supply of such Ministers and Schoole-Masters and improving and advancing the Tithes and Revenues aforesaid The Parliament will be pleased to take such course therein as they shall thinke meete for where is no vision the People perish And so having done our best endeavours therein and discharged our Consciences we shall say no more at this time but patiently waite on our God who in his One time without doubt will beare Witnesse of the Truth by the Petitioners Averred in the Petition In which they aime at nothing more than the Glory of God the good of His Church and People The true Propagation of his glorious Gospell The safety and well-fare of their Countrey in particular and this Commonwealth in generall waiting in hope and Expectation of a blessing and successe accordnigly Mr. Tho Lewis Mr. Tho. Powell and Mr. Griffith Hatley their Letter to Mr. Jenk Jones MR. Jones we desire to be resolved by you whether the ejected Ministers of this Country who have been silenced suspended now this long time ab officio beneficio may at last have the door of utterance opened and be permitted to preach the Gospel freely among those that do much want it do as earnestly call for it as the parched Earth after the dew and Raine of Heaven The reason why we put this busines to the question is because about the last spring some of our fellow Ministers taking the boldnes to preach the word of God were some of them sent prisoners to Chepsto Garrison others pull'd out of the Pulpit and all the rest were threatned to have the same measure meted unto them if they should make the same attempts and therefore wee desire to know whether we are under the same restraint still or are at liberty wee doubt not but that you can resolve us herein as well as any other in this County and we hope you will be pleased to satisfie our civill request herein and vouchsafe a line of answer which you may direct to either of the subscribers who are Sir Your friends as far as you are a friend to Christ and his wayes Tho. Lewis Tho. Powell Griffith Hatley Feb. 6. 1653 Mr. Jenk Jones Letter in Answer to the former Gentlemen YOur Letter dated Feb. 6. 1653. I received the first of March And in answer to what you propose therein I shall onely put you in minde that you are still and more than like to be in the same condition with those in the last Spring And tell you that you are to expect the same measure from the * See the Government or the Articles signed by the Lord Protector present Power whose connivance you seem at least to fansie to your selves As your brethren had the last Spring from the then powers And also that you need not pretend your being pressed as from pitty to water the parched earth there being more Sermons Preached now in one moneth then were formerly in twelve and with very much though I dare not say with a greater blessing consider the restraint-fearing-Spirit that 's in you Your friend and servant Jen. Jones March 2. 1653. Mr. Lewis Mr. Powel and Mr. Ha●lies Reply to Mr. Jenkin Jones Answer MR. Jones wee thank you for your Letter wherein you have fully resolved us what we must expect if we Preach the Gospell in this poor Countrey nothing but bonds and imprisonment if you divine aright abide us If we be silent and do not Preach we are reproached and if we do Preach we are menaced A hard dilemma Sir notwithstanding your paines in preaching which nevertheless is much abated of what it was since you have caught the f●●h that you looked for there are many dry and thirsty soules in this Country that are very seldom refreshed with the dew of Heavenly Doctrine and for want thereof do daily relapse to Popery and that in no small number we could name above 20 Parish churches in this County in many whereof there have not been above two Sermons this 12 moneth and in most of them none at all yet the Inhabitants pay their Tithes still as formerly Their complaints have fill'd the ears of men long since and have no doubt e're this ascended up to the eares of the Lord of Saboth We shall therefore in compassion to these poor soules adventure to bestow our paines among them and put our selves upon the candor clemency of our present Governour from whom we do expect and doubt not to find better measure then you forbad us or then our fellow Ministers received the last Spring when other powers swayed to wit your own That there are more Sermons preached now in a month then was formerly in 12. will hardly finde credit with any that knowes this Country and is such a story that men will admire to have proceeded from your Pen since that we do not know of above two Itinerant Preachers resident in the Country and one of the two hardly worth the name of a Preacher whereas formerly there was a preaching Minister almost in every parish some Impropriations except and most of them graduated in the Universities and able and painfull men in their callings Consider better of that passage of your Letter and consider what spirit you are of for the Spirit of God is a spirit of truth Nec mendax est nec mordax Your loving friends Tho. Lewis Tho. Pow. Gr. Hatly March 6. 1653. And thus you have a full Narration of the Petition the Petitioners charge The Commissioners Answer and the Reply thereunto which makes evident to all Christian soules the deplorable Condition of the Inhabitants of Wales concerning their Soules we fare wherein they continue to this very day enduring a Famine of the Word and the Bread of life being tendered unto them is forbidden As may appeare by these Letters sent unto me from 3 Reverend and Orthodox Ministers and Batchelors of Divinity within the County of Brecknock directed to Capt Jenk Jones one of the Itineraries with his unchristian and insolent Answer thereunto FINIS

raise the whole Revenue of the Sequestred Tithes of the seven Counties to but 9518 l. 5 s. 8 d. for the yeare 1650. And for the yeare 1651. but 10418 5 s. 2 d. And humbly conceive that more thereof could not be then made out of which there is paid to Ministers Schoole-masters and others according to the intent of the Act for Propagating of the Gospell in the yeare 1650 the sum of 7923 l. 13 s. 5 d. And for the yeare 1651 in part the sum of 5894 l. 9 s. 10 d. the remainder whereof being for the yeare 1650 the sum of 1594 l. 12 s. 3 d. and for the yeare 1651 4523 l. 15 s. 4 d resteth in the Tenants hands so that the Ministers Probationers are not paid up their full sailares for the yeare 1651. Nor some for the yeare 1650. And the Fifts and Contributions not fully knowne nor allowed Petitioners 4 Reply The Petitioners doe deny there are 478 Parishes impropriated c. unsequestred as by the Commissioners answer is aledged But acknowledge the Commissioners have been carefull in imploying Collectors Treasurers and other Agents in the respective Counties to let set receive and dispose of the Tythes and Premises who have since their imployments improved their own Estates so well that in so short a time many of them have become great purchasers And it appeares by the Commissioners owne Answer that they make accompt to the Parliament but for 19936 l. 10 s 10 d for the yeares 1650 and 1651 although the Petitioners doe affirme that the Tythes and Premises within the said 7 Counties are annually worth 20000 l. and have and doe hereby offer so much for the same and what hath beene paid out of the Premises to Ministers and Schoole-masters will more fully appeare by the Commissioners particular accompt which the Petitioners have not yet seene but pray a sight and Copy thereof and liberty to surcharge the same And for the sum of 1594 l. 12 s. 3 d for the yeare 1650. and 4523 l. 15 s. 4 d. for 1651. that resteth as they say in the Tenants hands in arreare The Petitioners doe averre that if any be unpaid it resteth in the hands of such as are friends to the Commissioners or their Agents who for reasons best knowne to themselves did not use their wonted rigidnesse in Collecting and Receiving the same as hath been shewne to others of further Relation who have beene forced to pay the treble values of their Tithes and how well the Commissioners have disposed of the vast revenue aforesaid may appeare by their Answer annexed wherein they complaine of want of monies to pay the Ministers approbationers who are not paid up their full Salaries for the yeare 1650. nor some for the yeare 1651. though on due examination it will appeare that some of the Itinerants have not above 10 or 20 l. per annum And the fifts and contributions not fully knowne or allowed as by the Commissioners Answer is ingeniously confessed Whereas one of the Commissioners Major Generall Harrison not long since openly confessed before your Honours that there was a Banke of money in South-wales And when the Fifts and Contributions are paid and allowed what will accrue to the State is left to your Honours consideration And what hope the Petitioners have of a future supply of Ministers and Schools-Masters for the 600 Parishes that are all destiture of Ministers according to the Commissioners promise in their precedent Answer Particular 2 when in this particular part of their Answer relating to accompts they complaine of wanting Monies to pay these few and inconsiderate number of Ministers and Schoole-Masters now imployed especially when the Fifts and Contributions are paid and allowed By all which it may appeare to this Honourable Committee the truth of the Petition in relation to the aforesaid Charge The Commissioners 5. Answer To say nothing of the 127 unejected we have taken care to disperse the Ministers above mentioned paid out of the Treasury over the Counties as equally and conveniently as wee might with due respect had to the carrying on the worke of God and the particular inclination of the Peoples spirits and through singular mercy to the Word of of God hath in these last yeares beene more frequently and with more successe preached then in many Ages before whereunto wee doubt not but those that have lately traveled through this poore Country will beare witnesse The Petitioners 5. Reply That they have so dispersed them that a man may ride 20 miles together on the Lords day and not finde one doore open supplied with a constant able godly Minister and how the Worke and Word of God hath beene propagated in those parts the two last yeares the Petitioners doe appeale to all indifferent unbiassed Men and especially to the Judges and other publique Officers who are and have been imployed by the State there and can give a further relation of the sad condition of those Countries and what rents divisions and disturbances of the publique peace have beene made in those parts since the Itinanaries were imployed there to the distraction of the minds and consciences of the people The Commissioners 6. Answer We have been very carefull that it might not be so but where it otherwise happened it was upon some of these insuing reasons 1. That most part of the yeare 1650. and in some places much of the yeare 1651. was spent and most of the profits raysed by the scandalous pretended Ministers before they were ejected 2. For better satisfaction of the Countrey and carrying on the Worke of the Lord without offence to the people we tooke order that the Sequestred Tythes c. should be let to the Parishioners that every man might enjoy what came from his owne Lands at somewhat a lower rate in case they would take it then to any particular Farmour 3. In some cases where the ejected Minister was much in debt and had a great family and no other Estate and had Fifts due to his Wife hee or some of them was admitted Tennant at somewhat an undervalue to answer these considerations 4. Vicaridges that were heretofore in respect of Easter-booke offering c. received of the Papists considerable are now little worth 5. The considerations had to Taxes Reparations and other incident charges besides the generall disgust against Tythes and the disturbance put upon our Countrey by malignants at home at the least Invasion of the Enemy and since by the promoters of the Petition by reason of all which wee have found it no small difficulty to bring them to the rate they are at The Petitioners 6. Reply 1. How carefull they have beene therein appeares by the particulars preferred to your Honours by the Petitioners which they are ready to prove who doe further affirme that a great number of the Ministers were ejected by the Committees of Sequestration in the respective Counties in the yeares 1647 1648. and part of 1649. which lay under Sequestration when the