'lbe HIS T 0 RY oj the PuRITANs. VoL. n. K. CharleJ I. gular clergy: one of the univet:fities was entirely ufele~s, an~ th~ young 16 45· ftudents who adhered to the parliament, could not obtam ordmatwn in a ~ legal way, becaufe all the bilhops were in the oppofition , and would or– dain none except thofe of their own prirrciples, which was another caufe of the encreafe of unqualified preachers. To put fome· fl:op to the cla. moUI's of the royalifl:s; and to the mifchiefs of lay-preaching, which beHusb. col. gan to appear in the army, the parliament ordained, April 26. " that no P· 6 45· " perfon ll1all be permitted to preach who is not ordained a miniller in " this or fome other reformed church, except fuch as intend the minit1ry " who fhall be allowed for the trial of their gifts, by thofe that lhall be " appointed thereunto by both houfes of parliament; and it is earnet1ly " defired, that Sir 'Iho. Fairfax take care, that this ordinance be put in " execution in the arrny. lt is further ordered to be fent to the lord– ,,. mayor, and committee of the militia in L ondon ; to the governors and " commanders of all forts, garrifons, forces, cities and towns, with the " like injunCtion ; and the mayor, fheriffs, and juftices of the peace, are " to commit all offenders to fafe cufl:ody, and give notice to the parlia– " ment,. who will take a fpeedy courfe for their punilhment." J!lireEI~ry . At the fame time the lords fent to the q/Jembly, to prepare a new direc~ ~o;o~d!~atzon tory for the ordination of minijlers of the church in England, without the '!I mm!J.ers. r f d' r b'rt. Th' k h d I f · Rufhw. part IV. Vol. I. p. ?=!.2. pre1ence o a toce1an 11110p. IS too t em up a great ea o ttme, by reafon of the oppofition it met with from the eraftians and indepm. dents, but was at !aft accompli01ed, and paffed into an ordinance, bear– ing dateNovem. 8. 1645· and was to continue in force by way of trial for twelve months; on the 28th of A ugujt following, it was prolonged for three years, at the expiration of which term it was made perpetual. The ordinance fets forth, " that whereas the words presbyter and bijl:op " do in fcripture fignify the L1me funCtion, though the title of bijhop has " been, by corrupt cufl:om, appropriated to one, who has alfumed to " himfelf, in the matter of ordination, that which was not meet; which· " ordination, notwithfl:anding being performed by him, we hold for " fubfl:ance to be valid, and not to be difclaimed by any that have recei– " ved it; and whereas it is manifefl:, that ordination, that is, an outward, " jolemn Jetting apart of perfons for the qfjtce of the minijlry in the church " by preaching presbyters, is an infiitution of Chrift, it is therefore ordain– « ed by the lords and commons, with the advice of the alfembly of di– " vines at lfl'ejlminfler, that the feveral and refpeClive claffical prefbyters, '' within thei r refpeCl:ive bounds may examine, approve, and ordain i\ppendi11,. " preiliyters, according to the following directory," which I have placed. ;N"-.lll. in ~he appendix, and is in fubftance as follows ;.
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