'Ihe HIS T 0 R Y of the PutttTANs: VoL. n. .200 ,X. Charles I." to determine the validity of eleCtion~. All members of parliament, x645· ) " nnd peers of the realm, to be triers in the parifhes wherein they live. ~ 5·. " No man to be a ruling elder but for one congregation, and that ·cc in the pari01 where he lives. 6. " The qualifications of a ruling elder are, that he be of good un- " derfl:anding in religion, found in the faith, prudent, difcreet, grave, of .., unblameable converfation, willing to .undergo the office, and in corn~ " munion with the church. 7. " All pariihes, privilege places, exempt jurifdietions, and all other "places whatfoever, i11all be brought under the exercife of congregational, ·" claffical, provincial, and national a!femblies, except chapels within any " of the king's houfes, or the houfe of peers, which {hall continue free " for the exercifes of religion, according to the Directory, but not other~ " wife. 8. " The province of London fhall be divided into twelve claffi.cal elder~ " {hips, each to contain about twelve parifhes of the city, and parts adja– " cent, and thefe to be the boundaries of the province of London. 9· "The feveral counties of England and Wales, fhall be divided into '" claffical preibyteries, by perfons to be appointed by parliament for this '' purpofe, who fhall fettle the boundaries of each claffis, and certify the ~' fame to the parliament for their approbation. J o. " The prejbytery or elderjhip oj e7Jery parijh, fhall meet once a " week; the cla.flical aJ!emblies of each province once a month, by ad– " journment, in fuch places as may be mofl: convenient; provincial af– "femblies !hall meet twice a year ; national a.Jfemblies as often as they 01all " be fummoned by parliament, and fh,lll continue fitting as long as the ·" parliament fhall direCt and appoint, and not otherwife. I I. " Every congregational or parochial elderfhip, fhall fend two ef. " den, or more, not exceeding four, and one minifl:er, to the claffical " a!Tembly; every claffical a!Tembly within the province fhall fend two mi– " nifl:ers, and four ruling elders at leafl:, but not to exceed nine, to the " provincial a!Tembly. Every provincial a!Tembly fhall appoint two mi– " nifl:ers, and four ruling elders, which fhall continue a national a!Tembly, ·".when fuch an one fhall be fummoned by parliament." When this ordinance had pa!Ted the commons, it !tuck a coniiderable time with the lords, infomuch that the preibyterian clergy thoL•ght it ne– celrary to quicken them by a petition, May 29. under the hands of three hundred minifl:ers of Szf!fblk and Ejfex, lamenting the decay of religion, and the want of church-difcipline, and befeeching; th eir lordfhips to put the finifhing hand to the bill fo long depending; which they did accord· ipgly, June 6. 1646. 'f.hus
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