Petition of the dispoyled ministers

fol. 36r

196

No 13

The dispoyled ministers of Ireland who by peiticion have remonstrated the Lamentable state of that church, for the future glory therof, and for their and their brethrens present benefit, most humbly offer their particular desires by their Agent Henry Jones, Doctour in Divinity, to this honorable Assembly
1.In confidence that the freewill offerings of the Church of England which hath alwayes been ready to distribute to the necessity of the Saints especially of dispoyled Ministers of the Gospel though strangers unto her will not be wanting for the reliefe of those that are soe neare and deare unto her; They that heretofore have relieved many others strangers from beyond the Seas recommended unto their charity are now forced in their extreame want and misery, with much shamefastnes (not being used to begge) humbly and modestly to recommend their miserable estate to this honorable Assembly; and to desire a generall Collection through all the Churches of England or any other such way as shalbe thought meet for reliefe, for themselves and for the rest of the well deserveing Ministers of Ireland, sufferers aswell as they, and for the widdowes and Orphans of Such.
2.That it would please this honorable Assembly (the benevolence being granted) 1.To consider the suppliants whoe have offred up their Remonstrance by themselves not only in regard of their particular Losses, (the Certificates whereof their Agent hath) but especially, 1. In respect of their constant preacheing three dayes each weeke in the greatest assembly in Dublin without any reward but with God; 2 In respect of their great care, and paines in so great a worke as their Commission requireth concerning God and Religion aswell as concerning the state & Treason (a taste whereof they have given in their Remonstrance the first fruites of their Labours) A work imposed on them for want of others that fled away, whereby 3.They are tyed to a Constant abode in Dublin where all things are exceeding deare and like to be dearer so that their weekly Salary of 12 s. 9 d. cannot defray their personall charges much lesse the charge of their Families: And to Lay downe (if it seeme good to this honorable Assembly) what proportion of that benevolence they shall have
2.That the Collection may be the better distributed among others in such a proportion as may best answer the quality Condicion &Losses of the and sufferers; May it please this honorable Assembly to appoynt the honorable Sir John Temple knight, Master of Rolles, Sir John Veel knight Sir Samuel Mayard 2d Justice of the Common please William Hilton Esquire punys Baron of the Exchequer Mr Ambrose Aungier preacher of Gods word, and Doctor Henry Jones or any three of more of them wherof Sir John Temple to be one, meet overseers of such a distribution.
3.That this honorable house for the honour of Gods house, the propagation of Religion, and for the salvation of soules, would be pleased 1 To purge this church of Ireland of Scandalous, non=preacheing, vaine=preacheing Ministers; some such corrupt members that infect the body (they confesse) there are. And to prevent the admission of any such hereafter.
2. To establish one Catechisme to be taught in Schooles; Schoole{s} to be erected in meet precincts some little meanes to be allotted

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to the School=masters were it but the proffits of the County Schooles (wherewith hitherto little good hath been done) to be devided among them, and that Catechisme to be taught and explayned by the Ministers, to the ignorant in every parish, and they under some penalty to be compelled to learne the same, not to exclude preaching at any time, but to prepare them the better for heareing sermons and by Gods blessing to banish Ignorance the sinne of this Land
4. Fo preventing of pluralities and non=residencie for the time to come, which canot be avoyded in that church, where many Rectories are not worth 10 li. per annum very many Cures of Appropriations not worth three pounds per Annum, and most Rectories and Cures have noe Gleabe or too little or too remote from the Church for convenient residency, That this honorable house in the hopefull settlement of this kingdome would be pleased to settle the state of this Church by Unions or new divisions of Parishes and by Addition of Appropriate Tithes held by the Rebells, to the Incumebents, they payeing his Maiesties usuall Rent for them, if held by others, to confirme plantation Lands on them, in liew of the Tithes and the Church to be reinvested in the Tithes, as aforesaid, that pluralities may be prevented and to allot convenient Glebe to every Church to avoyd non=residence.
5. That it would please this honorable house for preserveing of peace for abolisheing of Popish Customes & for furthering the worke of the Ministry, that Ministers may have noe occasion to Contend with their parishoner, nor be diverted from their studies, by followeing suites of Law, occasioned by diverse popish Customes, and severall manners of Titheing, To settle one sette forme of Titheing through out the kingdome and that to be (if it may be) according to the Late Table of Ulster.
Lastly That it would please this honorable Assembly for the more easy assembling of the people to the Church to provide that new Churches may Lawfully be built in places most convenient when the former Churches stand in the remotest parts of Large Parishes or in places almost inaccessible as many doe encompassed with waters Bogges or Marishes.
And what soever their said agent shall doe for the effecting the premises or any Branch thereof the persons undernamed doe hereby ratify and confirme the same under their respective hands this 8th day of March 1641
Roger Puttocke
Randall: Adams:
William Hitchcocke
John Sterne
John Watson
Hen: Brereton
William Aldrich