An Order of Parliament, FOR A thanksgiving: Together with a DECLARATION OF The Grounds and Reasons of it.  
 
EVer since that Wonderful and unexpected Victory, which the Lord was pleased the last Summer to give unto a small Party of the Parliaments Forces then in Dublin, against that numerous and potent Army under Ormond, which was a Door of Hope to the Parliament, and their Army then on their way for Ireland, That the Lord, who had made so open a way for them, would vouchsafe his Presence with them, to carry on and perfect that Work which himself had so eminently begun in that admirable Providence, wherein he had, as it were, by a Worm threshed the Mountains: The same gracious Hand hath gone along from time to time with his Servants there, vouchsafing them many Victories, giving in many strong Cities, Towns, Castles and garrisons into their hands, raising up their Spirits, overcoming great Difficulties, furnishing seasonable Supplies, and dismaying the hearts of the Enemies, and that in such a Series of continued Successes, as is just matter of high Admiration, and perpetual Thankfulness in all that truly fear the Lord, and love his Cause and People. And seeing every Addition of Mercy, is a further Obligation to Thankfulness and Duty; and that the Lord hath been pleased, as a further Manifestation of his Goodness, to give up into the hands of the Parliament Forces there, Carlo, a garrison of much Strength and Importance; Waterford, a great and populous Town, and the most considerable harbour in all Ireland, upon Saturday the Tenth of August instant; together with the strong Castle of Duncannon, since likewise surrendered upon Articles: The Parliament of England have thought fit not to let such great Mercies pass, without an especial return of Thankfulness, but to publish the Narrative thereof, as it comes to us in a Letter from the Deputy General of Ireland; (viz.) The effect whereof is as followeth: The Deputy having received at the late Leaguer before Catherlagh, several Alarms of great Forces of the Enemies rising and appearing within the Counties of Cork, Kerry, Limrick and Tipperary, to the distressing and endangering of our Parties and garrisons in those parts; where the Enemy threatened to destroy our Quarters, and probably designed a conjunction of their most considerable Forces, in order to the Relief of Waterford, and an Attempt upon that small party that was left to Block it up; after he had disposed divers of his Forces to secure Carrick, to repel and oppose the Enemy in Carbery, and the Western parts, and to march to the Relief of our Forces in Kerry and Limrick, leaving Sir Hardress Waller with the Body of the Army, to carry on the business about Catherlagh, did himself draw down with a small party of Foot towards Waterford, to Beleaguer it more straightly: Coming before Waterford with those Foot, and some small parties left there before, to Block it up at a distance, applied himself to a closer Siege of it, making two Quarters within shot of their Walls, which with our Foot at the Abbey on the other side of the Water, kept them close within the Town on every side; and then trying them with a Summons, the Enemy within so despised our small Numbers, as that they made an offer, as if they durst set open one of their Gates, and let in all our Foot to make the best of it: And to that being answered, It was but a vain Brag, and they durst not make it good; they in Reply, for their honour's sake, seemed to adhere to their former Vanity, but with such conditions and cautions, as they might be sure would not be accepted: But that the Power of God might appear in our despised Weakness against this Pride of Man, These Sons of honour, as they would be thought, did even in both the same Letters, unequally subjoin to these high vapours, an offer of Treaty for Surrender: During which time, News came from Catherlagh, That it had pleased God, beyond, or much before Expectation, upon our men's Battering, and then taking by Storm (without Loss on our part) a small Tower on their Bridge over the Barrow, to bring down the enemy's hearts to a Treaty, and Surrender of that strong and important Place. Hereupon the Deputy conceiving Waterford to be attemptible by force in one or two places, though otherwise exceedingly fortified: while preparations were made for that Attempt, the Lord wrought upon the hearts of the Enemy to desire a Treaty, without their terms of honour, which formerly they insisted on; by which, after high Demands, rejected on our part with Indignation, they were on Tuesday the Sixth of this instant August, brought to Surrender upon Articles, which was performed on Saturday following; At which time there marched out about Seven hundred men well armed, the Townsmen more numerous than before was believed, and the Town better Fortified in all parts, and more difficult to be attempted then our Forces conceived, there being many private Stores, sufficient to have maintained them a long time: whereby we may see the Hand of God, in overpowering the hearts of the Enemy, which was the only cause of their present Surrender. By this of Waterford and Catherlagh, God was pleased to extend his Hand toward Duncannon, the Enemy there (though a Priest were Governor) having on the same Saturday, with Colonel Cook's leave, sent one to Waterford, to see whether it were surrendered, did on the Eleventh of this month desire a Treaty, which produced, through the same Divine Mercy, a Surrender of the same Castle of Duncannon, upon Articles, on Saturday the seventeenth of this month; since which time, the strong garrison and Castle of Charlemount is likewise surrendered, whereby the whole Province of Ulster is now entirely in the Power of the Parliament.  

FOr all which great Mercies, the Parliament doth Order and Appoint, That all Ministers of the several Congregations within the Cities of London and Westminster, and the late Lines of Communication, and Weekly Bills of Mortality, do in their respective Churches and chapels return humble Thanks unto Almighty God, on the next lordsday, being the First day of September next: And all Ministers of all other Churches and chapels within England, Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, do upon that day Fortnight, being the Fifteenth day of the said month of September, render Thanks to God for the same. And that upon the said respective days, all and every the said Ministers do read this Order and Narrative in their said Congregations, immediately after the Psalm before the Sermon, for the better stirring up of the hearts of the People to praise God for the same.   

Die Veneris, 30o Augusti, 1650.  
ORdered by the Parliament, That this Order and Declaration be forthwith printed and published.  
Hen: Scobell, Cleric. Parliamenti.    

London, Printed by Edward Husband and John Field, Printers to the Parliament of England. 1650.