=g¢ The Ì-HIS-TORY of the PURITANS. Chap. V. item " municants, and examine into their lives; and the party that is not in Elizabeth, as charity with his neighbour, fhall be put from thrOcommunion. ' q. " After the communion, the minifter (hall vifit every houfe, to un- " derftand whohave not received the communion, and why. co. " Every communion -day, each parifh (hall have two communions, <' one beginning at 5 in the morning, with the fermon of an hour, " and ending at eight, for fervants; the other from q to 12, for matters " and dames. r r. " The manner of the communion (hall be according to,the order of the queen's book, faving that the people being in their confeflion upon their knees, fhall rife up from their pews, and fo pats- to the " communion- table, where they (hall receive the facrament in companies, " and then return to their pews, the minifter reading in the pulpit. 12. " The communion -table fhall Rand in the body of the church, " ° according to the book, at the upper end of the middle ifle, having " three minifters, one in' the middle to deliver the bread, the other " two at each end for the cup, the minifters often calling upon the " people to remember the poor. The communion to end with a pfalm. 13. " Exceffive ringing of bells on the Lord's day is prohibited.; " and carrying of the bell before corpfes in the ftreets, and bidding prayers for the dead, which was ufed till within thefe two years, is 4 reftrained." Here was a fort of affociation, or voluntary difcipline introduced in- dependent of the queen's injunft.ions, or'canons of the church ; this was what the puritans tvere contending for, and would gladly have acquiefced in, if it might have been eftablifhed by law. Betides thefe attempts for difcipline, the clergy, with leave of their bifhop, encouraged religious exercifes among themfelves, for the inter- pretation of fome text of fcripture, one fpeaking to it orderly after ièfe of the another thefe were called PROPHESY INGS from the apoftolical direction, prophefyings. r Cor. xiv. 31. Y'e may all prophecy one by one, that all maylearn, and all be comforted. They alfo conferred among themfelves, touching found do- ¿trine, and good life and manners. The regulations or orders for thefe exercifes in Northampton, were thefe ; Their orders. r. That every minifter, at his firft allowance to be of this Exercife, " shall by fubfcription declare hisconfent in chrift's true religion, with his brethren, and fubmit to the difcipline and order of the fame. z. " The names ofall the members fhall be written in a table; three of " whom (hall be concerned at each exercife; the firft, beginning and 6.L ending with prayer, fhall explain his text, and confute foolish inter- " pretations,
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