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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<P>AN ACT FOR Setting apart <HI>Friday</HI> the Four and twentieth Day of <HI>October,</HI> One thou&s;and &s;ix hundred fifty one, For a Day of Publique Thank&s;giving: Together with a NARRATIVE DECLARING The <HI>Grounds</HI> and <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> thereof.</P>
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<LICENSE LANG="eng">
<OPENER><DATELINE><DATE>Friday <HI>the</HI> 26^t^h <HI>of</HI> September, 1651.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P><HI>ORdered by the Parliament, That this Act and Narrative be forthwith printed and publi&s;hed.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Hen: Scobell, Cleric. Parliamenti.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</LICENSE>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed by <HI>John Field,</HI> Printer to the Parliament of <HI>England,</HI> 1651.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="Act of Parliament">
<PB REF="3">
<PB N="1433" REF="3" MS="y">
<HEAD>AN ACT For &s;etting apart <HI>Friday</HI> the Four and twentieth Day of <HI>October,</HI> 1651.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">FOR A Day of Publike Thank&s;giving: Together with a NARRATIVE DECLARING The <HI>Grounds</HI> and <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> thereof.</HEAD>
<P>_THe Works of Providence, by which the Lord hath pleaded the Cau&s;e of this Parliament and Commonwealth in the &s;ight of the Nations round about, are Glorious, and will be &s;ought out by all tho&s;e that have plea&s;ure in them; and therefore mu&s;t not pa&s;s under the common Title of <HI>Events and Chances of War:</HI> The Lord having &s;o done this marvellous Work for Time and Place, with a Concurrence of all other remarkable Circum&s;tances, That it ought to be had in Everla&s;ting Remembrance, both by our
<PB N="1434" REF="4">Selves, and by the Generations which &s;hall be born; as will emi|nently and convincingly appear by this brief en&s;uing <HI>Narrative.</HI></P>
<P>AFter the Lord (the Great and Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth) was plea&s;ed &s;o Signally to bear Witne&s;s to the Ju&s;tice and Nece&s;&s;ity of our Armies marching into <HI>Scotland,</HI> by giving Sentence (when Solemn Appeals were made unto him by both Parties) on our &s;ide, in that glorious Victory vouch&s;afed unto our Army the Third day of <HI>September,</HI> One thou&s;and &s;ix hundred and fifty, again&s;t the <HI>Scots</HI> near <HI>Dunbar:</HI> The &s;ame Divine Pro|vidence led on our Forces there to the gaining of many Towns and Gari&s;ons; and in particular, <HI>Leith, Edinburgh,</HI> and not long after, the Ca&s;tle there, though in the E&s;teem of the Enemy im|pregnable. But the Enemy not re&s;ting in that deci&s;ion, did re|inforce them&s;elves, and relying on the advantage of the Town and Pa&s;s at <HI>Sterling,</HI> and other Intrenchments, would by no Pro|vocation or Endeavors on our part u&s;ed, be drawn forth to an Engagement, though our Forces faced them up to their Works, when the <HI>Scots</HI> (as &s;ome of them&s;elves have &s;ince confe&s;&s;ed) were Twenty &s;even thou&s;and, and ours nothing near that number, &s;uffering a &s;trong Gari&s;on of theirs to be &s;tormed and taken with|in the view of their Camp, without once offering to relieve it. The Con&s;ideration hereof, and of the Charge and Difficulties of a Winters War (which the Enemy &s;eemed chiefly to De&s;ign, and might the better effect whiles they had <HI>Sterling,</HI> and there|by the Command of the rich Country of <HI>Fife</HI> at hand to Quar|ter their Forces in, and by means of St. <HI>John&s;tons</HI> (a &s;econd Pa&s;s) the whole North of <HI>Scotland</HI> to furni&s;h them with Recruits of Men and Supplies of all Provi&s;ions; and likewi&s;e many Sea Ports to let in Forreign A&s;&s;i&s;tance) produced a Re&s;olution to put over a Force into <HI>Fife</HI> (notwith&s;tanding all Hazards) to &s;traiten their Quarters and hinder their Supplies; Which Attempt the Lord was plea&s;ed to Crown, not onely by giving us &s;peedy and happy Footing, but a notable Victory to that part of our Army commanded by the Major General, over the Forces of the Ene|my, whereof the greate&s;t number were a commanded Party of their choice Men out of their whole Army: In which Defeat near One thou&s;and five hundred were taken Pri&s;oners, together with Sir <HI>John Brown</HI> their Commander in Chief, and the greate&s;t part of the re&s;idue &s;lain, Forty two Colours taken, and all this (which made the Mercy the more remarkable) with the lo&s;s onely of Four of our Men &s;lain on the place, and &s;ome wounded. About this very time the General marched up near <HI>Sterling</HI> to engage the Enemy, who having quitted their Camp at <HI>Torwood,</HI>
<PB N="1435" REF="4">were march'd through <HI>Sterling,</HI> Sixteen Miles toward our Forces in <HI>Fife;</HI> And finding the Enemy would not Engage (having di&s;|po&s;ed on this &s;ide the River &s;uch Force as could well be &s;pared to hinder the Enemies Levies and Provi&s;ions; or if they &s;hould Advance for <HI>England,</HI> to be upon our Borders, and to joyn with other Parties there in Readine&s;s to retard their March) The Ge|neral Remarch'd to the <HI>South-Ferry,</HI> and Landed the Re&s;idue of his Army in <HI>Fife;</HI> upon which, the &s;trong Ca&s;tle of <HI>Enisgarvy,</HI> in the Middle of the River, with Sixteen Pieces of Canon, and <HI>Brunt-I&s;land,</HI> were Surrendred, and the Army marcht forthwith towards St. <HI>John&s;tons.</HI> The Enemy being thereby awakened, &s;ent a Party of about One thou&s;and Foot, with a Governor, into St. <HI>John&s;tons,</HI> who arrived there Two hours before the General &s;ate down with the Army: And finding by this Interpo&s;ition his Northern Supplies cut off, marcht directly for <HI>England</HI> with an Army of Sixteen thou&s;and Hor&s;e and Foot, and a Light Train of Artillery; being come near <HI>Carlile,</HI> their King cau&s;ed him&s;elf to be Proclaimed King of <HI>England,</HI> and &s;ending out his Decla|rations full of fair Promi&s;es to all that &s;hould come in to him or not oppo&s;e him, marched forward, being attended in his Moti|ons by &s;ome of our Hor&s;e. The General (St. <HI>John&s;tons</HI> being Surrendred, leaving a Gari&s;on there, and about Seven thou&s;and Hor&s;e and Foot under the Command of the Lieutenant General of the Ordinance, for reducing the Ca&s;tle of <HI>Sterling</HI> and other Gari&s;ons, and preventing any Levies by the Enemy) with the re&s;t of the Army came back for <HI>Lieth,</HI> and the &s;ame day &s;ent away Five Regiments of Hor&s;e and Dragoons to fall into the Rear of the Enemy, whiles him&s;elf with the re&s;t of his Hor&s;e, his Body of Foot, and Train of Artillery, Advanced after with all po&s;&s;ible &s;peed towards <HI>England.</HI> The Enemy being come to <HI>Warrington,</HI> and attempting the Pa&s;s there, our Forces (who a day or two be|fore were joyned and got into his Van) thought not fit long to Di&s;pute it, in re&s;pect the River was in many places Fordable, the Lands and Inclo&s;ures inconvenient for the Hor&s;e; and the Foot, whom they found at the Bridge, though full of Courage, and de|&s;irous to Engage, no way proportionable to the Enemies great numbers, the General al&s;o being at that time about Four days March off them, but marched off to <HI>Knotsford</HI> Heath; where in the way the Enemy twice Charging our Rear-gard, was beaten back with the lo&s;s of about Thirty of theirs (&s;lain and taken Pri|&s;oners) we not lo&s;ing above Three or four in the March, and at the Pa&s;s: On that Heath our Forces drew up in a Po&s;ture to re|ceive and fight the Enemy, but he declined it, and marcht to <HI>Nantwich.</HI></P>
<PB N="1436" REF="5">
<P>In their pa&s;&s;age through <HI>Lanca&s;hire,</HI> the Enemy had left the Earl of <HI>Derby</HI> with Three hundred Foot and a Troop of Hor&s;e, which he brought from the <HI>I&s;le of Man,</HI> together with Sir <HI>Wil|liam Widderington,</HI> Sir <HI>William Throckmorton,</HI> Sir <HI>Timothy Fe|ther&s;tonhaugh,</HI> Major General Sir <HI>Thomas Tild&s;ey,</HI> Colonel <HI>Boynton,</HI> with many Commanders and other Gentlemen of qua|lity, to rai&s;e Six thou&s;and Foot and One thou&s;and five hundred Hor&s;e in that County, as an Additional Strength to their Ar|my; Major General <HI>Ma&s;&s;ey</HI> being al&s;o left with him to a&s;&s;i&s;t that Work, whiles the Enemy him&s;elf marcht on in a direct cour&s;e to <HI>Worce&s;ter,</HI> in his way &s;ummoning <HI>Shrewsbury,</HI> and at|tempting by Letters and Declarations to gain more a&s;&s;i&s;tance, but without &s;ucce&s;s.</P>
<P>The Two and twentieth of <HI>Augu&s;t,</HI> with five hundred Hor&s;e and Dragoons, about Noon, he entred <HI>Worce&s;ter,</HI> then which no Place &s;eemed more to an&s;wer all his Ends, it being a City &s;eat|ed on the <HI>Severn,</HI> within twelve Miles of five Counties, near unto <HI>Gloce&s;ter,</HI> the Fore&s;t of <HI>Dean</HI> and <HI>Southwales,</HI> where <HI>Ma&s;&s;ey</HI> (who was a little before called off from the Earl of <HI>Der|by</HI> to &s;erve this De&s;ign) pretended his greate&s;t Intere&s;t to be; and by gaining that Place, the Enemy well knew he &s;hould be Ma&s;ter of all the Pa&s;&s;es upon <HI>Severn,</HI> from <HI>Shrewsbury</HI> to <HI>Glo|ce&s;ter,</HI> and (there not being One hundred of the Parliaments Forces within twenty Miles of him) he might lie the more &s;ecure for refre&s;hing his wearied men, imploy his Intere&s;t to get what Additional Strength he could from tho&s;e Parts, or at lea&s;t make it a winter War; and thereby gain time for Forreign A&s;&s;i&s;tance, and better opportunity for his Agents to &s;tir up Tumults in <HI>England,</HI> and for the Rai&s;ing a new Army in <HI>Scotland</HI> under the Earl of <HI>Leven</HI> (whom he had left General there for that pur|po&s;e) to come al&s;o into <HI>England:</HI> Our Forces in <HI>Worce&s;ter</HI> being few, and finding the Place untenable (though three&s;core onely of them beat the Enemy twice out of the Town, and killed and wounded &s;ome of them) withdrew in &s;afety to <HI>Gloce&s;ter.</HI></P>
<P>The General with his Forces (which on the Third of <HI>Augu&s;t</HI> were at <HI>St. John&s;tons</HI> in <HI>Scotland</HI>) upon the Twenty eighth of the &s;ame moneth with a continued March, except one days Re&s;t, took up his Head-quarters within two Miles on the Ea&s;t &s;ide of <HI>Worce&s;ter,</HI> being from <HI>St. John&s;tons</HI> about three hundred Miles, the re&s;t of the Forces which had hitherto attended the Enemy being joyned with him; the Lieutenant General, with the Forces under him, quartered the &s;ame day about &s;even Miles from <HI>Worce|&s;ter</HI> near <HI>Upton</HI> Bridge, of which Pa&s;s the Enemy was po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ed,
<PB N="1437" REF="5">and in <HI>Upton</HI> Town on the other &s;ide the River, was Major General <HI>Ma&s;&s;ey</HI> with Sixty Dragoons and Two hundred Hor&s;e to &s;ecure it. Whiles a &s;mall Party of ours went to view the Bridge, without De&s;ign or expectation at that time to gain the Pa&s;s, and finding the Bridge broken down by the Enemy (one piece of Timber onely left, which reached from one Arch to another) twenty Dragoons and di&s;mounted Troopers with Car|bines being commanded over to po&s;&s;e&s;s the Church near the Bridge, crept over the piece of Timber, and got to the Church, whereupon the Enemy took the Alarm, and advanced towards them and offered them quarter, and were attempting to fire the door; mean while a hundred Dragoons more came up, and in like maner got over and beat off the Enemy, who&s;e whole Par|ty was now come down upon them; in which Action Major Ge|neral <HI>Ma&s;&s;ey</HI> had his hor&s;e killed under him, him&s;elf received &s;everal Shots and was wounded, and forced to retreat with his Party in di&s;order towards <HI>Worce&s;ter.</HI> The Lord having been plea&s;ed thus unexpectedly and happily to give us this Pa&s;s, the Lieutenant General marched over, and lodged part of his Forces that night in <HI>Upton.</HI></P>
<P>Whiles the General was on his March from <HI>Scotland,</HI> he &s;ent off Colonel <HI>Lilborn</HI> with his Regiment of Hor&s;e to wait upon the Enemies Rear; who finding the Earl of <HI>Derby</HI> rai&s;ing Forces in <HI>Lanca&s;hire,</HI> in his endeavoring to prevent him was forced to en|gage, where the Lord was graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed by that Regiment of Hor&s;e (though harrazed by a tedious March from <HI>Scotland</HI>) and three Companies of Foot, to defeat the Earl of <HI>Derby</HI>'s whole Forces, being One thou&s;and five hundred Hor&s;e and Foot near <HI>Wiggon</HI> in <HI>Lanca&s;hire,</HI> where were &s;lain Sir <HI>William Widde|rington</HI> Major General, Sir <HI>Thomas Tild&s;ey,</HI> Colonel <HI>Boynton</HI> (&s;ometimes Governor of <HI>Scarborough</HI> for the Parliament, which Place he betrayed to the Enemy) and Colonel <HI>Trollop,</HI> and ta|ken, Four hundred Pri&s;oners, together with Sir <HI>William Throck|morton,</HI> Sir <HI>Timothy Fether&s;ton-haugh,</HI> and &s;everal Colonels and Commanders of quality: The Earl of <HI>Derby</HI> with about thirty Hor&s;e e&s;caping, carried the News of his own Defeat to <HI>Worce|&s;ter.</HI> In which Mercy the Lord was graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to appear for our &s;mall Forces (who were engaged upon great Di&s;advanta|ges of place and number beyond their intentions) and that mo&s;t &s;ea&s;onably, in de&s;troying that growing Army, and giving in the &s;ame as a Pledge of what he would yet do for his People.</P>
<P>The&s;e glad Tidings were followed by the News from <HI>Scotland</HI> of the Surrender of <HI>Sterling</HI> Ca&s;tle, in which were many thou|&s;and Arms, Forty Pieces of Ordnance, Six and twenty Barrels of
<PB N="1438" REF="6">Powder, the Publique Records of <HI>Scotland,</HI> the Sword, Cloth and Chair of State. Not long after this followed the Routing of the New Levies of the Enemy in the We&s;t of <HI>Scotland,</HI> taking the Lord <HI>Osbar&s;ton</HI> and others pri&s;oners; The gaining <HI>An&s;truther</HI> by Storm with Fifteen Ships in the Harbor, the Surprizing the Earl of <HI>Leven</HI> General of their Forces in <HI>Scotland,</HI> the Earl <HI>Craford-Lind&s;ey</HI> Lieutenant General, the Earl <HI>Mar&s;hal,</HI> with four Lords more, and divers Knights, Mini&s;ters and Gentlemen of quality; with the &s;cattering and di&s;per&s;ing of Four thou&s;and, which at that time were Rendezvouzed at <HI>Ellit</HI> in <HI>Perth,</HI> to relieve <HI>Dundee</HI> then be&s;ieged by our Forces; the taking many Pri&s;oners at <HI>Dumfreeze</HI> and Di&s;&s;ipating them, attempting again new Levies there, and the gaining <HI>Dundee</HI> it &s;elf by Storm, in which were Forty Pieces of Ordnance, Six hundred of the Enemy &s;lain, with Major Ge|neral <HI>Lum&s;den</HI> the Governor, Colonel <HI>Coningham</HI> late Gover|nor of <HI>Sterling,</HI> and many others of quality, four hundred taken Pri&s;oners, great &s;tore of Ships and other Ve&s;&s;els found in the Harbor; to which was &s;ince added, the giving up of <HI>St. Andrews, Montro&s;s</HI> and <HI>Aberdeen.</HI></P>
<P>On Saturday the Three and twentieth of <HI>Augu&s;t,</HI> the Scotch King with his whole Army marched into <HI>Worce&s;ter,</HI> and applied him&s;elf to the Fortifying thereof, and had &s;oon made up &s;ome Works, and repaired the Royal Fort on the Ea&s;t &s;ide of the City, and planted Canon upon it, the General being encamped before the Town: On the Third of <HI>September</HI> (being the &s;elf &s;ame Day of the moneth upon which a year before we obtained that Memo|rable Victory at <HI>Dunbar</HI>) our Forces at <HI>Upton,</HI> under the Com|mand of the Lieutenant General, in pur&s;uance of former Coun|cels (the Execution whereof Providence had delayed till this day, without any &s;uch Predetermination on our part) advanced towards the Enemy at <HI>Worce&s;ter,</HI> but by rea&s;on of &s;ome hinder|ances reached not to <HI>Teame</HI> River (which lying on the We&s;t &s;ide of <HI>Severn,</HI> empties it &s;elf thereinto about a Mile beneath <HI>Worce|&s;ter</HI>) till between two and three of the Clock in the Afternoon, Boats al&s;o being brought up at the &s;ame time, two Bridges were made over the Rivers. The Enemy taking no Alarm till the Van of our Forces were marcht within the &s;ight of the Town, did now draw down his Hor&s;e &amp; Foot from his Leaguer at <HI>St. Jones</HI>'s, lyning all the Hedges from their Pa&s;s at <HI>Poyick</HI> to the River <HI>Se|vern</HI> with Mu&s;queteers to oppo&s;e our Advance: The General commanded &s;ome Forces over <HI>Severn</HI> towards the Enemy, whiles others were &s;ent over <HI>Teame</HI> to the &s;ame ground; the Enemies Foot with &s;ome difficulty were beaten from the Hedges, which they for &s;ome time di&s;puted, and were at length driven back to the Body
<PB N="1439" REF="6">of their Hor&s;e and Foot, which was then drawn up in <HI>Wickfield</HI> near <HI>Poyick</HI> Bridge, being the &s;ame Field where the late king fir&s;t engaged the Forces of the Parliament, in the &s;ame moneth of <HI>Se|ptember,</HI> One thou&s;and &s;ix hundred forty two: Our hor&s;e and Foot marched up with great re&s;olution to the Enemies Body, and came to pu&s;h of Pike with them, and through the Goodne&s;s of God drove back and wholly routed them, killing many upon the place, and pur&s;uing the re&s;t to the Draw-bridge and Gate of the City. Whiles this was in action, &s;ome Hor&s;e and Dragoons &s;ent to a Pa&s;s over <HI>Teame</HI> about two Miles above <HI>Poyck</HI> Bridge (which the Enemy had broken down) gained that Ford, where our Hor&s;e pa&s;|&s;ed over, and pur&s;ued &s;uch of the Enemies Hor&s;e as could not get into the Town, and &s;ecured that Bridge at the We&s;t-gate, that none might e&s;cape that way.</P>
<P>The greate&s;t part of our Army was now drawn over to the we&s;t of <HI>Severn,</HI> where it was conceived the Stre&s;s of the Battel would be, which the Enemy perceiving, and &s;uppo&s;ing them too far en|gaged to get back over the Bridge of Boats that night, he poured forth at the &s;everal Gates of the City all his Hor&s;e and Foot upon that part of our Forces left on the Ea&s;t &s;ide of the River, which being &s;ea&s;onably di&s;covered, our General him&s;elf ha&s;tened back to that part of the Army, which the Enemy pre&s;ently charged with good Re&s;olution; yet through the good hand of our God upon that part of the Army, after about two hours &s;harp Di|&s;pute, they were beaten back into the Town, and our men pa&s;&s;ing by their great Fort and Canon, entred the Town with the Ene|my, whiles others of our Forces ran up and &s;tormed the Royal Fort it &s;elf, po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed them&s;elves of it, turning the Canon upon the Enemy.</P>
<P>The Scotch King (having in vain u&s;ed all Endeavors to make the Hor&s;e and Foot in the Town face about for Defence thereof) fled away, and about Three thou&s;and Hor&s;e and &s;ome High-land Foot, leaving the re&s;t in the Town, fled towards <HI>Bewdley,</HI> whether the General &s;ent the day before One thou&s;and Hor&s;e and Dra|goons to &s;ecure that Pa&s;s, who took more Pri&s;oners then them|&s;elves were in number, and many of tho&s;e who e&s;caped them and the Hor&s;e &s;ent in their Pur&s;uit, were met with by other of the Ar|my and Countrey Forces (Expre&s;&s;es being the &s;ame night the Bat|tel was fought &s;ent into all the Northern Counties and <HI>Scotland,</HI> giving notice of the Succe&s;&s;es) &s;o as they were gathered up by Hundreds and Fifties, that very few of tho&s;e who fled from <HI>Wor|ce&s;ter</HI> e&s;caped.</P>
<P>Thus was our gracious God plea&s;ed to appear as <HI>The Lord of Ho&s;ts.</HI> (which was our Word in this and the Battel at <HI>Dunbar</HI>)
<PB N="1440" REF="7">with and for his People, in de&s;troying this de&s;perate and in&s;olent Enemy, and working a glorious &s;alvation for us.</P>
<P>Of the Enemy, which were about Sixteen thou&s;and Hor&s;e and Foot, there were &s;lain in and about <HI>Worce&s;ter</HI> and in the Pur&s;uit, about Three thou&s;and; The Pri&s;oners taken in the Town and in their Flight, about Twelve thou&s;and; among&s;t whom were Duke <HI>Hamilton,</HI> the Earls of <HI>Derby, Cleveland, Rothes, Lauderdale, Kinmore;</HI> the Lords, <HI>Montgomery, Pea&s;ly, Cran&s;ton, Grandi&s;on,</HI> with many other per&s;ons of quality; as al&s;o <HI>David Le&s;ley</HI> Lieute|nant General of their Army, Lieutenant General <HI>Middleton,</HI> Major General <HI>Ma&s;&s;ey,</HI> and divers other General Officers, be|&s;ides Seven hundred other Officers, above an hundred Colours, with all their Arms, Artillery, Bag and Baggage; and all this with the lo&s;s of about Two hundred of our men, whereof but Three Commi&s;&s;ion Officers, and about Three hundred of our Sol|diers wounded.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="account">
<P><HI>THe Parliament taking the Premi&s;es into their &s;erious con&s;ideration, and being ex|ceedingly affected with the glorious Appear|ances of God for them, and for all the good People throughout</HI> England, Ireland <HI>and</HI> Scot|land, <HI>in vouch&s;afing the&s;e wonderful and un|paralled Succe&s;&s;es and Victories to their Ar|mies and Forces (wherein the forwardne&s;s of the Counties to &s;end out their re&s;pective</HI> Mi|litia's, <HI>and the Courage and Re&s;olution of their Soldiers expre&s;&s;ed in this Service, by owning this Cau&s;e and pre&s;ent Government again&s;t the Common Enemy, is a Mercy greatly to be acknowledged by us, and re|ceive a la&s;ting Memorial) Have thought fit to Enact and Ordain, and be it Enacted and Ordained, That</HI> Friday <HI>the Four and twen|tieth day of</HI> October, <HI>One thou&s;and &s;ix hun|dred fifty one, be ob&s;erved and kept as a day of Publique and Holy Rejoycing and Thank&s;|giving unto the Lord, in all the Churches
<PB N="1441" REF="7">and Chappels, and Places of Divine Wor|&s;hip within</HI> England, <HI>and al&s;o in</HI> Ireland <HI>and</HI> Scotland: <HI>And that the Mini&s;ters of the re|&s;pective Pari&s;hes and Places within this Commonwealth, be and are hereby required and enjoyned to give notice on the Lords-day next preceding the &s;aid Four and twentieth day of</HI> October, <HI>of the day &s;o to be ob&s;erved, to the end the People may more Generally and Diligently attend the Publique Exerci&s;es of Gods Wor&s;hip to be Di&s;pen&s;ed upon that oc|ca&s;ion; at which time, that the People may be the more particularly and fully informed of this great Mercy, The &s;aid Mini&s;ters are hereby required and enjoyned to publi&s;h and reade this pre&s;ent Act and Declaration; and for the better Ob&s;ervation of the day, The Parliament doth hereby inhibit and forbid the holding and u&s;e of all Fairs, Markets, and &s;ervile works of mens ordinary Callings up|on that day; and all Majors, Sheriffs, Iu|&s;tices of the Peace, Con&s;tables and other Of|ficers, be and are hereby enioyned to take &s;pe|cial care of the due Ob&s;ervation of the &s;aid day of Thank&s;giving accordingly.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="license">
<OPENER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>Friday the</HI> 26^t^h <HI>of</HI> September, 1651.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>ORdered by the Parliament, That this Act and Narrative be forthwith printed and publi&s;hed.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Hen: Scobell, Cleric. Parliamenti.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
