The HIST ·ORYojthePuRITANs. Vot. IL K. C::harles I. 1j. " That it is not lawful to join in public, or family prayer, or to ~' " teach children to pray. · 14. " That the churches of England are no true churches, nor " their miniiters and ordinances true mioiiters and ordinances; or that " the church government by prdbyters is antichritlian or unlawful. I 5· " That magiitracy, or the power of the civil magil1:rate, by la~ " dl:abli(}~ed in England, is unlawful. I 6. " That all ufe of arms, though for the public defence (and be the " caufe never fo juit) is unlawful." Remarks. This black lift if herejies was taken from the fpeeches or writings of the papi/ls, arminians, antinomians, arians, baptifls, and quakers, &c. of thofe times; The ordinance was a comprebenfive engine of cruelty, and would have tortured great numbers of good cbrifl: ians, and good fubjects, The prdbyterjans of the prefent age are not only thankful that the confulion of the times did not permit their predeceffors to put this law in execution, but wiih alfo, that it could be blotted out of the re– cords of time, as it is impofiible to brand it with a cenfure equal to its demerits. Ordinance Ju11e 21. the army ~ing l1:ill in the field, and the .parliament at lib~rJor fe ttling ty, the ordinance for the more effeCtual fettling the presb)'terian govern– the P;if!'~te- ment, without limitation of time, was read the fecond time and commil– ~;:~. 1 " - ted, and on the zgth of Auglfll it was perfected, and received the fanetion Scob_el, cap. of both houfes, under the tide of a form if church government to be 1jed cxvtn. P· in the churches if England and Ireland. It is a colleClion of the feveral J. 6 S· ordinances for efiabli!hing the branches of prefhyterial government already mentioned, and ordains, that "all pari(hes and places whatfoever with~ " in E11gla11d and Wales ihall be under the government of congregational, '' claffical, provincial, and national affemblies, except the houfes or 'I chapels of the king and his children, and of the peers of the realm, " which are to continue free for the exercife of divine duties, according « to the direCJory, and not otherwife; it gives directions for the choice of "' ruling elders in every paria1, and for proper perfons to be judges of tbe ~· qualifications of the perfons chofen; it appoints commiffioners to di– ,, vide the whole kingdom into difl:inct claflical pre:lbyterics; it gives di– ... reetion about the confl:ituting of provincial and national fynods, with " the extent of their feveral powers; it determines the method of ordi– u nation of minifl:ers, of difpenling church cenfures, and fufpenfion " "from the facrament; and !.aft of all, it gives direction for excom– "' munication and abfolu.tion,'.' but lays no penalty upon reczifants, or · · · fuch
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