WE being conscious of the Mercy of those dispensations, which have come very thick upon Vs within the space of Five mo­neths last past, cannot but think Our Self obliged to call for a Day of Thanksgiving in these Nations; which that it might be the more seriously and spiritually performed, We have thought it meet to make a brief Remembrance, and as it were in a Glass, to represent the state of Our Affairs, as they stood much about the beginning of the time before mentioned, and summarily to rehearse those things, which God hath wrought for Vs within that time; that so all such as fear God, and are wise to observe these things, and thereby understand­ing the loving kindness of the Lord, may have their hearts and mouths filled with his praise.

It is well known that the last Parliament did, by Adjournment, meet the Twentieth day of January last past, and that these Nations had very good hopes, by those preparations made in their former Sitting, that We should have gone on upon those Foundations, to an happy Settlement: But those hopes were [Page 2] soon dashed, through the intemperance of some mens Spirits; Notwithstanding it was throughly represented, that the old Enemy had a design of an immediate Invasion, with an Army consisting of Papists and Atheists, upon the accompt of Charles Stuart, in conjunction with the King of Spain, in whose Counsels it was agreed more adviseable to give Vs work in England, rather then that We should assist the French, to engage them in their own Countrey. It being also at the same time most visible, that diverse of the inferiour sort of people (set on by men of the same Spirit with them before hinted at) and naturally fluctuating, were en­clined to dangerous commotions, seeing the disputes were more readily taken up and im­proved, then the putting in execution, and pro­secuting the agreements before made; and that the Army seemed to have some unsettlement in it self, partly arising from the before mention­ed disappointment; partly from the great wants which were upon them, and fears of being necessitated to take free Quarter upon the People (then which, nothing could be more abhorrent to them) the Trade of the Na­tion, and Our Honour at Sea ready to be ha­zarded and lost for want of due Supplies, We being forced to keep Our men of War out at Sea, not having money to pay Our Mari­ners when they came in. In the mean time Our Neighbours every where preparing greater Fleets then usual, and even they in Flanders themselves, having made ready a Fleet of above twenty men of War at Ostend, for the transporting of Charles Stuart, and his Spanish Forces to invade Vs. In order whereunto, [Page 3] divers of Our Garrisons were by Bribes en­deavoured to be gained, for receiving the said invading Army, and Insurrections designed and laid in several Counties by the Malignant Party, to rise in assistance of the said Invasi­on, accompanied also with that desperate de­sign of firing the City of London, and seising upon the Treasure that could be found there; which wicked Plot was managed by many Colonels, and other chief Officers, who were to head this Tragical Action: All which hath been made evident, as well by clear proofs a­gainst, as by the confessions of divers of the persons engaged therein; some of which have already suffered the paines of Death; and fur­ther Examinations touching others are still going on, that all the world may see that these things have not been matters of invention or surmise, but real and demonstrable truths, and things, that as they heighten greatly the danger, so also the recital of them tends to Our end in making this Narrative, which is the magnifying of the good hand of God to­wards Vs in Our deliverance.

And lastly, (which did not the least afflict Vs) We had cause deeply to apprehend, that the Lords hand was upon Vs in that Epide­mical sickness, which was so long continued upon the Nation, and lay sore upon the City of London, and in the marvellous unseasona­bleness of the Spring, threatning Vs even with a deprivation of the fruits of the earth, and consequently with a sore famine.

That this hath been the danger hanging o­ver the head of these Nations, no honest or ingenuous man can deny. And therefore let [Page 4] us now consider in what State and Condition We are, and what the Lord by his own Arm and for his own Names sake, hath wrought for Vs.

It is very true, We are not yet setled, but it hath fared with Vs as with y^e burning Bush, though We have for these five Moneths last past, and longer too, been in a burning condi­tion, yet We are not consumed. We yet live in the enjoyment of a sweet peace, to praise the Lord in hope of better things: We are not yet weltring in bloud. It appears, that as God was in the midst of the Bush, so he hath been in the midst of Vs, and therefore We are not consumed. He disappointed the Inva­sion, by giving Vs timely notice of the Enemies preparations, and of the place thereof; by means of which Our Ships were layed to break their designe. He discovered to Vs their attempts to gain Our Sea-garisons into their hands, and disappointed them. He re­vealed the conspiracies in the Counties in order to Insurrections, and prevented them. He brought to light also the bloudy and hellish de­sign for the destruction of the City of London by fire and sword, and hath brought the guilty persons under judgement for the same.

He hath given Our Souldiery a spirit of union, of honesty and integrity, so that, not­withstanding the great temptations of want upon them, and the contrivements to divide them, to the praise of God We speak it, they retain that good old spirit y^t hath carried them through all their difficulties. Those that have had too much distemper upon them, through murmuring and discontents, are We hope (at [Page 5] least some of them) sensible of the evil there­of, and instead thereof both Counties and Cities have testified a very contrary spirit, a spirit owning mercies, blessing the Lord for them, and thirsting after the continuance of them, and for a just settlement. As for that sore Visitation, how hath the Lord, upon the prayers of his poor People, ceased that? and tis not without remark, that the two weeks Bills of Mortality, immediately after the Fast upon that occasion, were brought to the half of what they were the week before, and did amount not to more discernably then in the healthiest times. And as to the evils threatned by the unseasonableness of the spring, the Lord hath so contradicted our fears, that We are all of Vs to be convinced by sence, that the hopes of greater plenty hath been seldom seen upon the face of the Earth.

And lastly in that place where the Enemy layd all his designs from whence to invade Vs, and to give Vs trouble, and had brought it to that pass for the heightning of their con­fidence both there and here, that they were ready even to triumph, as having as good as obtained their wishes, even there hath the great God abased them, and brought them low in a signal victory gained by the French and Vs over them: In which success the French themselves have owned much to the honour of the English Nation, not without admiration, observing that the English on Our part should behave themselves with so much valour and undaunted resolution, and the English on Charls Stuarts part more cowardly then any in the Spanish Army. The Lord also hath in the same [Page 6] place given Vs a Port Town, not the worst in Flanders, which We beg we may make use of to the glory of God, and the good of the Chri­stian cause. These things being thus, how could We forbear, for the honour of God, to give you a remembrance of them? And how can you and We forbear the returning of our humblest and heartiest thanks to the Lord? How can We refraine any longer from break­ing forth into the high praises of Our God, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever? Let the redeemed of the Lord say so; Let Is­rael now say so, Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever. And when We have with our mouthes and with our hearts thus blessed God, let Vs like a People blessed by him, keep in our hearts a thankfull remembrance of these, and all other Our mercies, giving glory to God and Christ through the spirit, seeking the Peace and the truth for evermore.

We have therefore thought fit to appoint Wednesday y^e one & twentieth day of July instant to be a day of Publique Thansgiving unto the Lord for these great and eminent mercies, to be observed in all places within England, Wales and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and do Com­mand and require all Ministers and Pastors to give notice thereof in their Congregations on the Lords-day next before the said day of Thanksgiving, and that upon the said day of Thanksgiving they do read this Declaration in their respective Congregations; And We do hereby prohibite the keeping of all Fairs and Markets upon the day aforesaid.

Given at White-hall this third day of July, 1658.