THE Hamlet of Spittle-fields is part of the Parish of Stepney , Their Parish Church is far distant , and not very large , The Parishioners so Numerous as in the Bills of Mortality to bear the Proportion of more than two Thirds to the whole City of London within the Walls .

The Inhabitants of the said Hamlet of Spittle-fields by a moderate estimate , amount to more than fifteen thousand Souls , and their Poors Rate Communibus Annis is not less then Twelve Hundred Pounds .

Their Numbers being so great , they have often desired a Church or Chappel of Ease , with a Burying-Place , which might hold some Proportion to them : And the Reverend Mr. John Wright the present Vicar of Stepney , has several times declar'd his Readiness to promote the same by his own Friends and Interest .

Some Years since Sir G . w — r to encourage the Building of such a Church or Chappel , by a Solemn Instrument drawn up by himself , and under his own Hand promis'd Five Hundred Pounds in Money and Moneysworth , and some of the Inhabitants subscribed readily ; yet , though Trading were then very Good , the Inability of the said Inhabitants to accomplish so great a Work appear'd but the more plainly , and the Design prov'd Abortive .

In the Year 1693. Sir G. w — r , with the Assistance of Mr. Tho . Seimour Goldsmith , purchas'd an old Tabernacle and set it up on a little piece of Ground of his own ; the Purchase , Remove , and Fixing it , cost One Hundred Pounds : The Dimensions of the Tabernacle are about 30 Foot wide , 50 long ; the Ground it stands on is 16 Foot Southward , but cut off by a Brick-House 12 Foot Northward , 8 and 9 Westward , and 10 Eastward : A Garden lies on the South , out of which he promis'd 100 Foot in length , and 30 Foot in Breadth for a Passage and Burying-Place : And this he pretended to give to the Hamlets of Spittle-fields , the Old Artillery-Ground , and Northeme Falgate , for a Place of Divine Worship .

Northeme Falgate and the Old Artill●ry-Ground are Extraparochials , are inhabited by more then Four Hundred Families , and have no manner of Concern with Spittle-fields .

The first Provision for this Tabernacle was a Pulpit , a Reading Desk , and two and twenty Fourms of about Eleven Foot each in length .

On this Mr. Milbourne a Conformable Clergy-man adventur'd , and open'd the Place with Prayers and Preaching on Christmas-Day , in the Year 93. He was approv'd and recommended by the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London , chosen and agreed to by the People , accepted by Sir G. w — r , the People being the more satisfied by reason of those Hopes they had , that their Forwardness might be a Motive to the High Court of Parliament , when the Act for Building and Finishing the Cathedral of St. Pauls should be renewed , to grant that Humble Petition , they have now with all submission given in to this Honourable House .

Sir G. w — r profest openly , That He gave the Tabernacle aforesaid , to the Hamlets above-named , Congratulated their Choice of Mr. Milbourne , who was Licensed accordingly , at Sir G. w — rs own Motion , by the Bishop himself , to be Curate there . Mr. Milbourne officiated duly , Pray'd , Preach'd , Catechis'd 'd constantly , was respected , brought many to the Publick , got a reasonable Subsistence among them ; The Hearers laid out more than One Hundred Pounds in Seats and Galleries for the greater Convenience , so as its capable of near five Hundred People , and all this in Confidence of Sir G. w — rs kind meaning , and an Opportunity of Petitioning this Honourable House on the now emergent Occasion for some Assistance to Build a greater , and more convenient Place for Worship .

Sir G. w — r soon cut off the Entail of the Ground on which the Tabernacle stood , and instead of settling it in Trustees for the Use of the Neighbourhood , settled it on himself and his Heir Male , during each of their Natural Lives , and after their Decease to Devolve on Lincoln College in Oxon .

Next he takes upon himself as Minister of the Tabernacle , Disturbs the Curate in Officiating ; Such as Singing Psalms before the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer , Preaching in the Surplice , singing a Penitential Psalm before the Litany , beginning the Communion-Service on Sacrament Days , with nothing on the Table but a Linnen Cloath , and ordering the Clerk to bring in the Bread and Wine in a Wicker Basket and Glass Crewets at or just before the Prayer of Consecration , &c. See his Letter to Mr. M. of Febru . 12.93 . Appoints New Orders , not us'd in other Churches , gives great Trouble and Dissatisfaction to the Congregation , makes a long and notoriosly Scandalous Speech to them against their Curate ; and after many other Disorders committed , on the Sunday before Christmas-Day , in the Year 1695. the said Sir G. w — r seizes the Keyes of all the Doors of the Tabernacle , forbids Mr. Milbourne the Pulpit , gives Another Unlicens'd Clergy-man possession of the Reading Desk , sets a Chair before the Pulpit Stairs , seating himself in it during all the Time of Prayers , to prevent Mr. Milbourn's Preaching ; and in short , forc'd the much greater part of the Congregation to hire a large Throwsters Shop , then by chance empty , at a very great Charge , where by and with the Express Order and Consent of our Right Reverend Diocesan they have since continued , Prayers , Preaching , and constant Catechising , being there still carryed on by the Curate Mr. Milbourne ; But the place they so meet in , tho' far bigger then Sir G. w — rs Tabernacle is much too little for those vast Numbers which would gladly attend the publick Service .

Sir G. w — r still Officiates in his own Place , has an Unlicens'd Assistant under Him , does what himself pleases undisturbed , has a full Congregation from the Old Artillery Ground , Northeme Falgate , and some few of the Inhabitants of Spittle-fields , whom the nearness invites to it ; But neither does nor can supply our great Numbers with any such Place as we Petition for . Only He refuses to repay that Money which many of the Inhabitants out of their very streight Circumstances had laid out in Seats and Galleries , and endeavours to keep up Feuds and Contentions among the Neighbourhood , who were , otherwise , Kind to one Another , Peaceable , Well-minded , and ready to perform their Duties in all respests both to their God , and to their King .

The Reverend Mr. Wright , our Vicar , ( who is most concern'd , had we presented any unjust Petition ) approves of our Request , and the best of our Neighbours , who make use of Sir G. w — r's Tabernacle have joyn'd with us in it , as being sufficiently sensible of the Unsuitableness of that for our Extraordinary Necessities .

These Reasons have the more strongly obliged Us , to present our Humble Petition at this time , and We cannot Doubt the Favourable Assistance of this Honourable House in so Pious and Necessary a Work , the Attempts of all troublesome , unconcerned and busie Persons to the contrary notwithstanding .