The Hartlib Papers

Title:Copy Declaration On Exiled Protestants, Cromwell
Dating:undated
Ref:15/7/17A-18B: 18A-B BLANK
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[15/7/17A]

[scribal hand:]
     A Declaration of His Highnes for a Collection towards the Releife of diverse Protestant Churches driven out of Poland
[Dury's hand:]
     & of twentie Protestant families driuen out of the Confines of Bohemia.
[scribal hand:]
His Highness the Lord Protector haveing received a petition from severall Churches of Christ professing the Reformed Religion lately seated at Lesna and other places in Poland representing their sad and deplorable Condition through the persecution and Cruelty of their Antichristian Enemyes in those parts, in the tyme of the Warre in Poland, by whom they have been not onely driven from their habitations, and spoyled of their goods, upon the accompt of Religion onely, but forced to fly into Silesia for preservation of their lives, and for the liberty of their Consciences, where a Considerable number of them continue in great want and misery, The truth whereof hath been witnessed as well by Deputyes sent unto his Highnes from the said Churches, authorized by an Instrument under the hands of the pastors of five of those Churches, as also by the Testimony of severall protestant Princes, who out of a deep sence of the Calamity of these distressed Exiles have afforded them shelter, untill it shall please the Lord otherwise to provide for them <left margin, Dury's hand: And his Highnes hauing in like manner receiued a petition from twentie Protestant families heretofore seated in the confines of Bohemia where Misnia belongs unto it, representing their distressed & lamentable condition, through the persecution of the Iesuites & Inquisitors of the house of Austria, by whom they haue been driuen out of their habitations, & spoyled of their goods, upon the sole [accompt? MS torn] of Religion, who now for the safetie of their liues & for the Libertie of their Consciences are retired into the Marquisat of Culembach, where they liue in a very sad & calamitous condition which hath been witnessed both by their Deputies sent unto his Highness authorized by an Instrument under the hands of the Chief of those families, and also by a Public Certificat from the Baron of [Donak?] Gouvernour of the foresaid Marquisat, who out of compassion to them in their miserable Calamitie doth giue them shelter till God shall send them further relief.> [scribal hand:] And it being the earnest desire of the said afflicted Churches <Dury's hand: & Bohemian families> aswell by their said petition, as by their said Deputyes, that his Highness out of Compassion to their sufferings, would be pleased to recommend their lamentable Condition to their Brethren in these Nations, in whom they hope to finde bowells of mercy yearning towards those, who professing the same faith with them, are now under so great extremityes and misery for the Cause of the Gospell and testimony of the Lord Iesus. His Highness being greatly afflicted with their miserable and Calamitous Condition and not doubting but the people of these Nations, whom the Lord hath graciously and wonderfully preserved from that Antichristian bondage and Tyranny will have a fellow feeling of the afflictions of their Brethren, hath with the advise of his Highnes privy Councell thought fit to recommend their Case to the Charity of those whose hearts the Lord shall stirre up in these [catchword: Nations]
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[15/7/17B]

Nations, to afford them some seasonable releife, whose liberality in this kind hath been testified in their large Contributions to the releife of the poore protestants in the Valleys of Piedmont, to the refreshing of their bowells (touching the faithfull distribution whereof an account is ordered by his Highnes to be printed for generall satisfaction) And to the end the said Collections may be Carefully made, and the moneys thereupon Collected be disposed of to the releife of the said poore Churches and their Members <Dury's hand: and the Bohemian familes aforesaid> and to no other use, His Highnes doth hereby require and Command the Ministers & Churchwardens of the respective parishes within England Wales and Towne of Berwick upon Tweede the next Lords day after this Declaration shall come unto their hands to publish the same, and on the Lords day following to make a Collection of the Charitable Contribution of the people in their parishes, and that within three dayes after, they pay over the Summe or Summes so Collected unto the High Sheriffe of the respective Countyes, to be by him payd into the hands of Sir Thomas Vyner and Sir [Christopher? MS torn] Pack knights Aldermen of the City of London, (who are appointed Treasurers for this service, and) who shall transmit the moneys so to be by them received for the releife of the said poore distressed Churches and their Members <Dury's hand: and the foresaid twentie families> as the Committee formerly appointed for the disposing of the moneys for releife of the said poore protestants in Piedmont shall thinke fitt and direct, and to the end none of the moneys Collected for soe pious and Charitable an end may miscarry, The Minister and Churchwardens aforesaid are enioyned upon payment of the said money to the respective Sheriffes as aforesaid to send up unto the said Sir Thomas Vyner a note in writing under their hands, of the Summe so Collected, the parish and County where such Collection was made, and the person to whom the same was payd, to the end Care may be taken, that the same be duly returned & imployed to the use intended.