The HI .S T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS. 26-r ·chap. VIII. Though the city and fuburbs of London had been formed into a pro- K. Charles r-. vince, and divided into 12 clailical prefbyteries (as has been remembered ~under the !aft year, new complaints were fiill made to the parliament of J certain obftruCl:ions to their proceedings; upon which the houles publilhed ~o~. pamp. their refolu.tions of April 22. I b47. entitled, remedies )or removing Jome 4 ' objlruCliom in church governmmt; in which they ordered letters to be fent from the fpeakers of both houfes to the feveral counties of England, im– mediately to divide themfelves into diilinCl: prefbyteries and cla!fes; " They then appoint the elders and minifters of the feveral clalfes of the "province of London, to hold their provincial afi'embly in the convocation " houfe of St. Paul's 'in London, upon the firfi: Monday in May next " enfuing, and to adjourn their meetings de die i11 diem, and conclude « them with adjournment to the next opportunity, according to the or.:. " dinance of parliament; but that no acl: {hall pafs or be valid in the faid '' province of London, except it be done by the number of thirty- fix. " prefent, or the major part of them, whereof twelve to be minifi:ers, '' and twenty-four ruling elders. That in the clailical meetings, that " which !hall be done by the major part prefent, !hall be efteemed the aCt « of the whole ; but no aCt done by any clalfes !hall be valid, unlefs it be " done by the number of fifteen prefent, or the major part of them, " whereof five to be miniilers and ten ruling elders." So that the nu m:... ber of lay-elders in thefe alfemblies was double to the number of minijlers. According tb this appointment the firft provincial alfembly met at the Firft pro– convocation houfe of St. Paul's, May 3· confifting of three minifl:ers and vincinl af– fix ruling elders from the fever a! claffes, in all about one hundred. and femb&-. eight perfons; at their firfi: feilion they chofe the reverend Dr. Gouge prolocutor, who opened the affembly with a fermon at his own church in Black-friars, the reveret'ld Mr. 'Thomas Manton, Mr. Ralph Robilifrm; and Mr. Cardel, being appointed fcribes. After their return to the con-· vocation-boufe, a committee of [even minifl:ers and fourteen ruling elders;, were chofen to confider of the bnfinefs of the province. The MINISTERS were, 'Ihe rerverend Mr. Whitaker, 'The reverend Mr. Tuckney; Dr. Seaman, Mr. Proffet. Mr. Edw. Calamy;. Mr.Jackfon•. Mr. Sp,urfl:ow,, The · " pre!byteries, royal burghs, and univerlities, A pre!bytery · of. twelve minifiers fend~ " two mJnJfiers and one rulinK elder; a prc!bytery of between twelve and eighteen fends u three, and one ruling elder; of between eighteen and twenty-four fends four, and two · " ruling elders; of twenty-four fenrls five-, and two elders; every royal burgh fends ~ne " elder, and Edinburgh two; every univer!ity fends one commillioner, ufually a mi– " nifier. The general affembly meets once a year, in the month of May, and is open~ '' ed and adjourned; by the king's royal commillioner appointed for that purpofe.'~
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