A Midst the severall miseries and distractions under which this Kingdome hath groaned since this unnatu­rall warre began by the enemies of our Religion and Liberties, God hath been pleased in his meer grace to raise unto us many means of preservation: otherwise undoubtedly we had been, long before this time, under the power of those enemies. Among which means this is not the least, that God put it into the heart of the Parliament, to associate these Counties for the mutuall defence one of another, and the good of the Kingdome in generall. Neither are the successes which God hath been pleased to give the forces raised by these Associated Coun­ties to be forgotten, but to be had in thankfull remembrance of all that love and fear God. Therefore our desire is, that God (who is onely to be acknowledged in all these deliverances and happy victo­ries) may have the glory due unto his name: And to that end, a day of publick Thanksgiving be solemnly kept & observed upon the Lords day, being the seventh of April instant, in all the Congregations within this Association; and that the people be stirred up by their Ministers to acknowledge the goodnesse of God, for inclining the Parliament to cause these Counties thus to be knit together for the ends aforesaid, and for his blessing given to their forces, which have been employed in severall parts of this Kingdome, and in particular to call to mind these things following.

• 1. THe quenching that fire kindled at Laystaff, which would undoubtedly have hazarded all the East parts of this Kingdome, if God had not by a seasonable provi­dence timely prevented the same, breaking it in that very conjuncture of time in which there was a confederacy of the disaffected of those parts to gather to a head.
• [Page] 2 The reducing Croyland, which was a place strong by situati­on, and which had a professed Papist for the Governour, which how dangerous it was to some parts of this Asso­ciation, and to the neighbouring parts of Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Huntingdonshire, is well known to those that were subject to their daily plundrings and pil­lagings.
• 3 The defeat given to the enemies at Grantham, where eleven of the Parliament Troops facing one or two and twenty of the enemies, five of the Associated Troops charging the right wing of the enemies body, utterly routed them, and had the execution and chase of them almost two miles, and got five or six of their colours.
• 4 The taking Burlygh house, where was also taken the Lord Camdens regiment of horse, with their colours, three or foure companies of Foot and Dragooneers, with all their ammunition, with about 400. prisoners.
• 5 The defeat given to the enemies horse at Gainsborough, to the breaking of near thirty troops of the enemie; where was slain the Lieutenant Generall Charles Cavendish: Colonel Heron, the High Sheriffe of Lincolnsh. forced into Trent, with many other Officers and Souldiers, and there drown­ed, whereby Gainsborough was at that time relieved with ammunition, which then it exceedingly wanted; and this battel fought, and victory gotten, as without any conside­rable losse to us, so within a mile of the Marquesse of Newcastles Army.
• 6 The saving near twenty Troops of horse belonging to the Lord Fairfax, and under that renowned Gentleman Sir Thomas Fairfax, his sonne, with which horse he hath since performed such notable good service in Cheshire, and other parts; which said horse were almost starved by [Page] the straight siege of Hull, and could not in probability have been thence delivered but by the horse of this Asso­ciation, which was done by fourteen Troops of horse and three of Dragoons belonging to this Association, there being nothing in assistance of them, but six Troops be­longing to the Lord Willoughby, and near fourty Troops of the enemy under the command of Sir John Hinderson, who had opportunity to have fought with our horse be­fore we could come to joyn with Sir Thomas Fairfax his horse, if he had pleased, but did not take it.
• 7 The taking of Lin, a strong town and of great importance, by raw and undisciplined new raised souldiers; which was a place as likely to have undone this whole Association as any, which rebelled at such a time as the Marquesse of Newcastle was at the strongest, and so absolute in Lin­colnshire, that if he would have engaged his Army to have come to the rescue thereof, the forces of this Association then raised, had not been considerable to have made resi­stance.
• 8 The fight at Winsby, where ours being about fifty colours of horse and dragoons, did encounter near ninety colours of the enemie: both parties being by estimate between eight and nine thousand horse and dragoons, the enemie being in all probability about five thousand of that num­ber, where we gave him such a defeat, that we took and killed about 1100. of them, and took near thirty of their colours.
• [...] The taking of Lincoln, where the force of the defendants were in computation many more then of the assailants, which the enemie surrendred up to us upon hard terms to themselves, where we got about 3000. Arms, the ene­mies colours, with good proportion of ammunition, and five or six pieces of Ordnance.
• [Page] 10 The taking of Gainsborough by storm, the greatest part of the foot being our men, who repulsed the enemie, got over their works without any losse, and possessed the town, whereby Lincolnshire (formerly almost totally under the enemies power) became wholly cleared of them.
• 11 And lastly, the taking of Hilsden house, which a week before the garrison of Ailsbury attempted but could not take, af­ter which time and before we endeavoured it, the enemie sent in two or three loads of ammunition; where were taken above 200. prisoners, about twelve barrels of pow­der and proportionable match, all their arms, and about fifty horse, which service was much to the ease and com­fort of the poore inhabitants of the almost wasted Coun­ty of Buckingham, which was oppressed by them, and by the countenance of which house great summes of money and contributions were raised both for themselves and Oxford; and a regiment of foot, and the completing Co­lonel Smiths regiment of horse was speedily intended. Where also were taken men of quality, Sir A. Denton, and Colonel Smith, besides two field Officers and divers Captains.

These things are thus particularly recited (not for vain osten­tation, nor that any honour should be given to any person, no nor to your forces, but) that by commemorating particulars, your hearts may be enlarged and quickned in sincerity to give God the glory due alone to him. Let your confidence be ever more placed in God, and when we again go out, we desire your prayers to the Lord, professing our trust to be in his Name, and our rejoycing in hope we shall have his presence to go along with us: in this we rest: And therefore let the Name of God alone be glorified by all, through Christ for evermore.