THat your Petitioners underſtanding that divers worthy peacable and fa •••… full Chriſtians in our Iſrael endevouring to prepare for Chriſt a godly, lea 〈…〉 and numerous Miniſtry; now in our great need have choſen certaine faithfull • which they call their Truſtees for the propagation of the Goſpell, eſpecially 〈…〉 the ſending to and maintaining at the Univerſities hopefull poore Schollers, 〈◊〉 have promiſed under their hands unto the ſaid Truſtees, divers conſiderable 〈…〉 of mony to be paid upon demand, or by forbearing one meales meat in a week, and giving to them the valew thereof, or both, to be imployed as aforeſaid, without any intent to reckon with them, becauſe they judged that their ſaid Truſtees like thoſe mentioned, 2 Kings 12.15. would deale faithfully, yet their ſaid Truſtees of their one accord, have requeſted one Common Councell man in every Ward of London, to come as often as they can, and to ſit with them, and to be eye and eare witneſſes of their actions, and once in a yeare out of the ſaid Truſtees owne bookes to audit their accompts, and to declare in Common Councell, how they ſhall finde the ſame.

And alſo that the ſaid Truſtees, in like manner have reſolved to paſſe the ſaid poore Schollers, through a probationary Colledge here in London.

And have requeſted one Miniſter in every Presbytery, or Claſſis of the province of London, to examine the ſaid poore Schollers maturity or ripneſſe, before they goe to the Univerſities, and to provide them good Tutors there.

And your petitioners having peruſed too little bookes, the one entituled, Motives, to perſwade people to abſtaine from one meales meat in a weeke &c. The other Motives grounded upon the Word of God, &c. As alſo a Paper entituled. A good Motion, all which are hereunto annexed.

And your Peritioners being convinced by the ſaid Motives, or by their owne reaſons, that it is their Duties to encourage the ſaid Truſtees, and to aſſiſt them in the excellent works mentioned in the ſaid bookes, namely the repleniſhing of Cambridge and Oxford with Schollers, as full as they can hold, yea and laying the foundation of another Univerſity here in London, (if it may be alſo) becauſe they perceive their is not ſufficient Colledge roome in both our Univerſities to hold Schollers enough to furniſh all our occaſions.

Your Petitioners humbly pray your ſpeedy and ſerious peruſall of the ſaid bookes, and paper, and if you ſhall alſo approve both the ſaid workes perſwaded unto in the ſame, your encouraging likewiſe of the ſaid Truſtees, and furthering of their endeavours herein, as ſhall ſeeme beſt unto your wiſdomes.

IF the rich will deale their Bread to the Hungry, as Iſaiah 58.7. by forbearing one Meales Meat in a weeke, and giving the value of it but for one yeare to maintaine the Children of the poore: and the poore doe the like to maintaine their owne Children; the rich may be re-imburſed in one yeare (without any doubt of Sacriledge) the foure hundred thouſand pounds lent upon the aſſurance of the Biſhops Temporalities (which will bee ſix yeares ſooner then all the rich are likely by a doubted courſe to get in their Monies) the Children of the poore may have the whole revenue of the Biſhops Temporalities to breed them up in Learning. A glorious Univerſity may be founded in London, every Biſhops Houſe in the Countries be imployed as Eaton Colledge, Victuals become cheaper, ſpirituall and corporall Famine be avoided: And all theſe (in reaſon) be certainly effected without expence of one halfe penny.

For if the value of one Meale in a weeke in each Pariſh (one with another) amounteth but to twenty ſhillings) there being almoſt ten thouſand Pariſhes in England) and ten thouſand pound weekly amounteth to five hundred thouſand pounds in one yeare; then in one yeare the foure hundred thouſand pounds will be re-imburſed with an overplus. And God, the Rich, the Poore (yea all) be well pleaſed.