House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 20 January 1658

Wednesday, 20th January, 1657.

Meeting of Parliament.

HIS Highness the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging, issued his Commission under the Great Seal of England, bearing Date at Westminster, the Eighteenth Day of this Instant January; "To the Right honourable Nathaniel Fiennes, and John Lisle, Commissioners of the said Great Seal; the Right honourable John Thurloe, his Highness' Principal Secretary of State; Sir Thomas Wroth Knight, Sir John Thorowgood Knight, Sir John Trevor Knight, Sir John Copplestone Knight; Sir Lislebone Long Knight, Recorder of London; Sir Thomas Foote Knight, Alderman of London; Wm. Ellis Esquire, his Highness' Solicitor General; Nathaniel Bacon, and Francis Bacon, Esquires, his Highness' Masters of Requests; Francis Drake, William Purefoy, John Clarke, Dennis Bond, John Stone, William Boteler, Dudley Templer, Thomas Kelsey, Hezekiah Haynes, John Crofts, and Thomas Saunders, Esquires, directed; thereby authorizing them, or any Three or more of them, to tender and administer the Oath, according to the Form and Effect prescribed and set down in the humble Additional and Explanatory Petition and Advice of the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, assembled in the Parliament of this Commonwealth; unto all and every Person and Persons, which then were, or then after should be, elected and returned to be Knights, Citizens, or Burgesses, of this present Parliament; and to take and receive the said Oath of all and every Person and Persons which were, or should be, so elected and returned to be Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the same Parliament; the Tenor of which Oath followeth, in these Words; viz.

I A. B. do, in the Presence, and by the Name of God Almighty, promise and swear, that, to the uttermost of my Power, in my Place, I will uphold and maintain the True, Reformed, Protestant, Christian Religion, in the Purity thereof, as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, and encourage the Profession and Professors of the same; and that I will be true and faithful to the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging, as chief Magistrate thereof; and shall not contrive, design, or attempt, any thing against the Person or lawful Authority of the Lord Protector; and shall endeavour, as much as in me lies, as a Member of Parliament, the Preservation of the Rights and Liberties of the People.

This present Day, early in the Morning, the aforesaid, Sir Thomas Wroth, Sir John Copplestone, Nathaniel Bacon, Francis Bacon, Dennis Bond, and John Stone, Esquires, Six of the said Commissioners, being met together in the Outer Court, at the Door of the Parliament House, with the said Commission; the Clerk of the Commonwealth's Deputy in Chancery attended with a Book of the Returns of the Names of the Knights, Citizens, Burgesses, and Barons, elected and returned, of this Parliament: And a large Table, covered with a Carpet, was placed on the South Side of the said Outer Court, and Seats on either Side thereof: And the Clerk of the Parliament attending the Commons, standing at the West End of the said Table, by Command of the said Commissioners, read the said Commission in their Audience: Whereupon the said Six Commissioners did themselves first take and receive the said Oath, every one of them repeating the Words thereof distinctly after the Clerk, who read the same, and afterwards marked the aforesaid Book of Returns, that they the said Commissioners were sworn: And the said Commissioners, being sat down at the said Table, did, in the like manner, administer the said Oath to others of the said Commissioners and Members of Parliament then present, and so successively to other Members, as they came into the said Outer Court; who, after they had taken the same, went into the House: And the Right honourable Sir Thomas Widdrington, one of the Commissioners of his Highness' Treasury, and Speaker of this House, being attended with the Serjeant at Arms, and divers other Gentlemen, waiting on him; after he had entered into the Parliament House, and that the Mace was placed on the Table, in the usual Manner; came back to the said Commissioners; and at the Table, in the said Outer Court, did, with others, take the said Oath, and then returned to the House: Also, during the Time the said Oath was admistering to the Members, the said Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal, before their going to the other House, came, attended with their Serjeant at Arms, and divers other Officers and Ministers of his Highness' Court of Chancery, to the said Outer Court; and sat down at the aforesaid Table there; and were present, with others of the said Commissioners in the said Commission named, whilst the said Oath was administered unto divers of the said Members of Parliament; and afterwards, taking their Leave of the other Commissioners then present at the Table, retired, and went to the other House.

Clerk of the House chosen.

THE House, having adjourned itself, by Act of this present Parliament, unto this Day, did this Day meet, and sit.

Resolved, That this House doth make Choice of John Smythe Esquire to be Clerk of this House.

Resolved, That Mr. Speaker do acquaint Mr. Smythe, at his coming in, that this House hath made Choice of him to be Clerk of this House.

Mr. Smythe was called in: Mr. Speaker did acquaint Mr. Smythe, That the House had commanded him to acquaint him, That this House had made Choice of him for their Clerk.

Whiteing's Petition.

The humble Petition of John Whiteing, of Lincolne'sInne, Esquire, was this Day read.

House to keep Day of Humiliation.

Resolved, That a Day be set apart by this House for Humiliation, and Seeking of God, for his special Assistance and Blessing upon the Endeavours of this House.

Resolved, That Wednesday next, being the Twentyseventh of this instant January, be the Day.

Resolved, That this Day of Humiliation be kept, in this House.

Resolved, That Mr. Calamy be desired to be assisting in carrying on the Work of the Day of Humiliation, in this House: And Major Beake is desired to give him Notice thereof accordingly.

Resolved, That Mr. Griffith be desired to be assisting in carrying on the Work of the Day of Humiliation, in this House: and Mr. Trenchard is desired to give him Notice thereof accordingly.

Message to attend the Protector.

The House being acquainted, That the Usher of the Black Rod was at the Door, with some Message to this House;

He was called in: And, having made his Obeisance, and approaching towards the Middle of the House, with the Rod in his Hand, he acquainted the House, That his Highness is in the Lords House, and stays for this House.

Resolved, That the Serjeant at Arms attending this House do stand by Mr. Speaker, bearing his Mace upon his Shoulder, whilst this House are with his Highness, as formerly he was appointed to do.

This House thereupon went, accordingly, to the Lords House, to his Highness.