Chap. vr: 'I!Je HIs T 0 R y of tbe PuRITANS; 199 to the two houfes, that if they concurred with the committee they might K. ~ga~les T; be added to the catalogue. ~· By thefe provifo's 'tis evident the parliament were determined not to part ~rcsbyte- . with the Jpiritual fword, or fubjeet their civil properties to the power ofmnsdijfatu-. the church, which gave great offence to theJcots commiffioners, and tofied. mofl: of the engiijh pre!byterians, who declaimed againft the ordinance 1 as built upon eraflian principles, and depriving the church of that which it claimed by a DIVINE INSTITUTI ON , They allowed of appeals from one fpiritual court to another, but declared openly from the pulpit and prefs, that appeals to the parliament or civil magifl:ate, as the dernier refort, were infulferable. The parliament obferving their ambition, of making the church independent or the fl:ate, girt the laws clofer about them, . and fubjeCl:ed their determinations more immediately to the civil magiftrate, by an ordinance dated March 14. 1645-6. which enacts, "that an · " appeal ihalllie from the deciGons of every clafiis, to the commifiioners " chofen by parliament out of every province, and from them to the par- " liament itfelf.. That if any perfon commit any fcandalous offences not '" mentioned in the ordinance, the m inifl:er may forbear to adminfl:er the " facrament to him for that time; but then he ihall within eight days, , " certify the fame to the commiffione.rs, who {hall fend up the cafe, with : " their opinions to the parliament, by whofe determination the elderihip . " ihall abide." ' This ordinance of fufpenfion from the facrament, was extorted from . the two houfes before the time, by the importunate folicitations of the ci– ty clergy, for as yet there were no clalfes or pre!byteries in any part of England, which ought to have been ereCl:ed before they had determined . their powers. The houfes had voted, that there ihould be a choice of lay-elders throughout England andWales, and had laid down fome rules for . this purpofe Aug. Ig. 1645. but it was the q .th of March following; before it paifed in to a law. . It was then ordained, I. " That there be forth with a choke of [ru- Ordinance " ling] elders throughout the kingdom of England and dominion offir erecting ' ' Wales. prdbyteries. Th bl . . b . f r. h ) n · . . Ru!hw. P• z. " at pu :c notJce e giVen o 11lC e eu1on m every panlh, 22 6. · c< by the minifl:er of the church, a fortnight before; and that on the '' Lord's day on which the choice is to be made, a fermon be preached ~· fuitable to the occafion. 3· " EleCtions i11all be made by the congregation, or the major part " of them then alfembled, being heads of families, and fuch as have ta- – " ken the covenant. ' 4• "That certain perfons be appointed TRIERS ' in every claffis, viz~. ~· fix minifters an~. three lay-men. whereof feven to be a quorum, - ._. tq
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