BERWICKS BEAUTY, OR A CHURCH Erecting there.  Haggai 1. 7, 8. 
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, consider your own ways in your hearts.  
Go up to the mountain, and bring wood and build this house, and I will be favourable in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.  
LONDON: Printed in the Year, 1650.   

To the honourable, Colonel George Fenwick, Governor of the Town of Berwick upon Tweed; And to the Right Worshipful Thomas Watson Esquire, Major of the same.  
Gentlemen,  
THat zeal to the building the Lord's House, which discovers itself in your care and charge in beginning, and diligent progress in expediting the same, is the ground of this presumption, and encourages me to this boldness. Though with the widow it be but a mite, yet I shall with her heart also cast it into your Treasury, hoping it may further the work, and confident it will be accepted by you both, as a good intention, though no large portion from  
Your faithful and devoted Servant, Robert Denton.   

A MITE Cast into the TREASURY.  
THe glory of God ought to be the first and chiefest end of every intention and action.  
His glory is not more illustrated in any thing, than in erecting Churches (or places, or what you please to term them) for his public worship and service; if therein we pray unto and praise his great and glorious Name: for, My h●use shall be called the house of Prayer to all Nations, saith God by the mouth of the Prophet, Isa. 56. 7. and, He that there offereth praise, shall glorify me, saith the Lord by the prophetic King, Psal. 50. 23.  
This Church, I presume is begun to be erected with the same intentions, nor want I a firm foundation for that presumption; Therefore, I also (being born in, and sworn to that Corporation, to act all things that may conduce to its good) conclude myself engaged in conscience to my power to assist in so religious and pious an action: The way by which I conceive I may best discharge this engagement, is,  
First, by humbly representing such encouragements as may confirm those noble Resolutions, which so piously have begun, cheerfully to proceed in so religious a work.  
Secondly, by discovering such things (as known) may further and advance it.  
And lastly, by humbly requesting a lawful favour of the Major, bailiffs and Burgesses of that Corporation, that thereby I may be enabled to be a contributor also thereunto.  
I shall not need to insist much upon encouragement of those, whose zeal to perfect the work declares them such, as willingly offered themselves, Judges 5. 2. yet I am confident this motive may fan up that zeal to a brighter flame, if they will be pleased to eye the good fruit which this work will produce, and the reward they shall gain thereby.  
Our saviour was much moved, and as a prevalent Motive also it was urged by the Elders of the Jews to persuade and induce Christ to grant the centurion's Petition, and to prevail with him to heal his Servant, because he loveth, said they, our Nation, and hath built us a Synagogue, Luke 7. 5.  
The building an House for the assemblies of the Servants of God, is an undeniable Testimony of a man's zeal towards the true worship and service of God; and when the piety of Superiors shall discover itself, by attempting and furthering the erecting Houses for the exercise of the public Worship of God, weak and simple people are invited by their example to respect Religion, and reverence the service of God; yea Godless Barbarity, is converted to Christian Civility, and Heathenish Liberty to comely Policy; and the present age shall be encouraged by their example, to go and do likewise, Luke 10. 37. at least, seeing This their good work may glorify their Father which is in heaven, Matth. 5. 16.  
And as for their reward; both the present and future ages shall speak their praise, and bless God for this good Monument of their religious Intentions, when children shall be instructed by their godly Parents, to say, This House of God was begun, furthered and finished in the time, by the care and diligence and (in part) at the cost of Colonel Ge●rge Fenwick Governor, and Thomas Watson Esq; Major of the Town of Berwick upon Tweed.  
Neither doth this their zeal want encouragement from the blessed Spirit of God itself, for they have for their precedent, the examples of the best men in God's holy Word, recorded as powerful Motives to persuade them to an unwearied prosecution of such pious Resolutions.  
David in his greatness did advise to build God's House, 2 Sam. 7. 2. the result whereof, was that holy and heavenly ejaculation: The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up, Psal. 69. 9 I will not say, that the expression is now inverted, and the zeal of some hath eaten up God's House.  
Solomon thought it the chiefest part of his Royalty, to act what his Father projected, 1 Kings 5. 5.  
Cyrus an Heathen proclaims it as his charge from the God of Heaven, to build the House of the Lord for his Worship and Service, Ezra 1. 2. and both Ezra and Nehemiah made it their principal work to put in execution that religious Proclamation Ezra 8. and Nehem. 4.  
These examples I hope are not needlessly inserted for their encouragement, I come now to my promised discovery.  
King Joash minding to renew the house of the Lord, gathered together the Priests and the Levites, and said unto them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of God from year to year, or for a year, and see that you haste the matter, 2 Chron. 24. 5.  
Jehoiada the Priest took a chest, and slit an hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side, as one cometh into the house of the Lord; and the Priests that kept the door, put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, 2 Kings 12. 9  
This money (when much, or a sum) was taken out and delivered to the overseers of the work, to be laid out to the workmen, but were not called to an account; for THEY dealt faithfully, 2 Kings 12. 15.  
Faithful dealing in matters belonging to the public good, procures a quietus est, at an easy rate; whereas those who waste their Master's goods, aught at a dear rate to receive that summons, Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer steward, Luke 16. 2.  
Would not those men deserve a sharp check, whose private avarice should swallow up a King's public bounty, and Policy divert that to their own ends, which a Prince's Piety granted and designed for a common good? They then who should make use of that for the repairing of their own, which such a King intended for the restoring the house of God, must justly merit Haggaie's reprehension: Is it time for yourselves to dwell in sealed houses, and this house lie waste, Haggai 1. 4.  
For, (be the pretence what it will) yet the abuse of such sums as are collected for pious and religious purposes, evidently demonstrates that such men prefer self-policy and private profit to Religion; nay, it clearly shows that such men seek their private necessities, yea very pleasures before God's honour; and such unfaithful Collectors, merit the unprofitable servant's judgement, Matth. 25. 28.  
The late King granted his Letters Patents in 1641. to the Major, bailiffs and Burgesses of the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, to gather and collect through all England money to build a new Church in the said Town, in lieu of Trinity Church demolished in Queen Mary's days; the virtue of those Letters Patents was to endure for one year only.  
Thomas Davison Taylor, having all the Briefs delivered to him, in number 9000, and some hundreds, gives his Bill to be accountable to the whole Town for the same, and that Bill was attested by J●hn Sleigh, Robert Sleigh his Son, Patrick Ramsey, and Robert Denton of Black friars in L●nd●n: This Bill is in the custody of Mr. Sleigh senior, and as for Thomas Davison, he being deceased, his Executrix is able to make satisfaction, and lives in the said blackfriars.  
But here the af●resaid Robert Denton must in conscience give this Testimony to the said Thomas Davison deceased, that he hath often professed to him, that he had paid in all the moneys that he had received for this business to Mr. Sleigh, either by Bills of Exchange, or according to his special Orders, and therefore he humbly conceives that this should be charged home to Mr. Sleigh to clear himself; and also that every person concerned in this business, be compelled to give in their account upon Oath, and where any are found tardy, that interest be exacted (as in justice and equity it may) for the sums they shall be f●und to be in arrears; but this he submits to the wisdom of those in authority whom it chiefly concerns.  
Thomas Davison, in September 1641. did send some of these Briefs to the abovenamed Robert Den●ons house (because as then he had not anhouse of his own) and being the same Septemb. sent by the Parliament into Scotland, returned not almost in three months after; and the year consuming, the said Robert Denton by virtue of a Commission from the Town, under the common Seal and Hands subscribed (which he can make appear) having also great Seals and Letters of Deputation, delivered some Briefs to such Brief-gatherers as repaired to him, and took Bonds of them to be accountable, as followeth;  
polo Logous a Grecian, received Briefs to collect in Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, his security Mr. Brown in Blackfriars, the sum 300l.  
Mr. Gravener, to collect in Suffolk and N●rfolk; his security Mr. L●w in Butt●lph-Lane, the sum 300 l.  
Mr. Anthony Que, to collect W●lts, Berks, and Hampshire, with other places, as by his Bond appears; his security Mr. Newberry in Watling-street, the sum 300l.  
These Bonds were by a special Order from Mr. Sleigh then Major, commanded from Denton and delivered to Davison.  
Davison took Bonds of many in the West part of England on this side Trent, for which his Executrix is to be accountable according to his aforesaid security.  
Mr. John Burges and Eward Allison, paid in unto Mr. Sleigh aforesaid, the sum of 300l. or thereabouts.  
The Castle of Berwick was by Dentons care and diligence, purchased of the Earl of Suffolk for 330l. for which Sir Thomas Witherington (a worthy Instrument of this work) was bound, and the materials to be employed merely to this end (towards the building of the Church) though Mr. Nicholas Foster offered unto the said Denton 450l. to have purchased it for his own particular use, as he himself will justify; but how some of the materials so purchased were disposed of, the abovenamed Mr. Sleigh may give account: but Denton can give no other account for this his careful service, but that for his pains he was hardly dealt with by the Guild, Septemb. 1649.  
Mr. Thomas Carew a Bedchamber-man, gave by Will towards the building of the Church 200l. which sum by Mr. Fisher was paid to Davison, for which his Executrix is to be accountable.  
Robert Dento●, coming to account for his collections for Kent, & some part of Warwickshire, as by the Briefs Endorsed appears, was found Debtor to the Town for the foresaid use in the sum of 50l. as will appear by Record in the Guild Book, September, 1649. and this necessitates Robert Dentons humble Request of a lawful favour of the Major, bailiffs and Burgesses of the Corporation of Berwick aforesaid, as followeth;  
Sir Pelham Carew (deceased) in his life time became debtor in a Bond of 150l. real debt to Robert Denton, but taken in the name of the Major, bailiffs and Burgesses of Berwick aforesaid, because some part thereof by the said Robert Denton, was designed towards the building of the aforesaid Church.  
His Relict the Lady Mary Carew, now wife to Mr. George Palour living in the Tower of London, is liable to this debt, and able to pay it, having an estate of her late husband's worth 90l . per annum, in Horsham in the County of Sussex.  
This Bond is for the present in the hands of the Widow Davison, delivered by Robert Denton as a pledge or Engagement for his faithful performance of his promises and obligations as aforesaid.  
Mistress Davison denies to deliver the Bond without a special Proxy from the Guild, because made in their name.  
Therefore the said Robert Denton humbly desires that the Guild would by a Proxy command the Bond out of the said Mistress Davisons Custody, and that the honourable the Governor, the Worshipful the Major, bailiffs and Burgesses, would be pleased to write effectually and prevalently to the Lady Mary Carew, without further delay or trouble to pay the foresaid 150l. having been now due about Ten years, by which payment he shall be enabled, not only to pay the 50l. which he owes to the Town, but also to perform the free Design of his heart as a contribution towards this so religious a work; besides, it will help towards the payment of Mr. young (the Mason in this work) to whom the said Robert Denton is indebted in 100l.  
And as for the Lady Mary Carew, report (and her own conversation justifying that report) speaks her to the world as the most religious, most pious, and withal exactly just in her dealings: Therefore, it is not to be doubted that she will so derogate from her native worth and nobleness, as to deny the payment of that debt, which her conscience cannot but dictate unto her is most justly due and payable by her, in relation to the Noble Knight her Husband deceased; but especially, seeing it will advance so religious a work, and that in her Native Town, when she shall hear the work is begun.  
To all, I take not upon me to advise, much less to prescribe to such honourable and Worthy persons, in so great and high employments: These are only humble Representations of that service which is due to them, and desires, which are with humility requested of them, by Their faithful Servant, Robert Denton.  
FINIS.