Chap. VII I. The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRTTANS .I. Every provincial a.Jfembly was diff'olved in cou rfe at the end of fix K. Charles I. months, when ~ otice was.given to the feveral claffes to re.turn n~w repre- ~J fentatives; but It was an 1ll omen upon them, that their meetwgs were interrupted almofi the whole fummer, by reafon of the diftraction of the times. The fecond pro'l!incial afT'embly met N o'V. 8. Dr. Seaman moderator, urp .. 'lf' 1' • b d J • h' h Yb'IJIIt; and prefented a petition to the par· 1ament m a o y, an. 1 r. 111 w JC aj[emb!y. they humbly pray, 'f'_heirpeti1. " That the number of delegates to the provincial a.ffembly may be 1 1~on to par•. d . 'ffi l r . k h zament. · " enlarged, be~a ufe they foun 1t d1 cu t 1omet1mes to ma: e up t e num- MS. " ber of thirty-fix. Sion coil•. ·. z. '' That the houfes would quicken the fettlement of thofe claffes ." [in L ondon] that were not yet formed, which they fay were ~our. 3· " That fome more effeCtual encouragement may be provided for a f' learned miniftry. 4· " That effectual provifion may be made againfi clandefiine mar– •' riages, for the puniG1ment of fornication, adultery, and fuch unclean-· " nefs as is not fit to be named. . 5· " That church cenfu res may be fo eftabliihed, that fcandalous per· " fons may be effectually excluded from chu rch communion." T he parliament received them with refpect, and promifed to take the· matter of their petition into confideration, which was all that was done in. the affair. But befides the provincial ajJemb6•, it has been remembered, that the London clergy had their weekly meetings at Sion college, to confu!t abou r church affa irs, in one of which they agreed , .fince they could do nomore, to bear their public teftimony againft the errors of the times ; and accordingly they publ ifhed a treatiie entitled, a tejtimouy to the truth if Jifus London Chrijl, and to our folemn league and covenant ; as a!Jo agai'!fi the errors, 11~inijlers tef– herejies, and b!afpbemies qf tbeje times, and tbe toleratzon qf them; to which tun~y to d is added, a catalogue of tbe .foid errors, &c. dated from Sion college, ~~;o/r~~r~r. Dec. q. I 647. and [ubfcribed by fifty-eight of the moft eminent paftors in London, of whom feventeen were of the affembly of divines. Some t·ime after the mini!lers of Gloucefterjbire publiihed their concurrence with the London mindlers, fublcribed by fixty-four names. T he minifters of the province of Lancqfler by eighty-four. The Devonjbire minifters by eighty-three; and the Somerfet minifters by feventy-one. The London minifl:ers, in their firft article, " touching matters of doe– .. trine, declare their ailcnt to the Wejlminfler affembly's confe!lion of " faith, and heartily delire it may receive the fanClion of authority, ' ' as the joint confe!lion of faith of the three kingdoms,_ in purfuance of " the covenant.:: :Touching
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