SIXTEENE PROPOSITIONS in Parliament.

Touching the manner and forme for Church Governement, by Bishops and the Clergie of this Kingdome.

Whereunto is added. The opinion of the English Do­ctors and Divines at the Synod at Dort, Concerning Episcopacy and Lay-Elders.

Also the Names of 14. Divines more which are Added to the Synod by the House of PARLIAMENT.

With an Order by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, touching the Governement of the Church.

Hen. Elsing. Cler. Parl. D. Com.

London, Printed for I. T. 1642.

THE ORDER For Church-Governement Read in the House of COMMONS. 1642.

Imprimis EVery severall Shire of England and Wales, to be a severall Circuite or Diocesse, for the Ecclesiasticke Iurisdiction, excepting Yorke­shire which is to be divided into three.

II. A Constant Presbyterie of Twelve choyse Divines to be selected in every Shire or Diocesse.

III. A Constant President to bee established as a Bi­shop over this Presbyterie.

IV. This Bishop in each Diocesse to ordaine, suspend, deprive, degrade, excommunicate by: and with the consent and assistance of seven Divines of his Pres­byterie then present and not otherwise.

V. The times of Ordination throughout the land to [Page 2] be foure times every yeare, viz. the first of May, the first of August, the first of November, and the first of February.

VI. Every Bishop constantly to reside within his Dio­cesse, in some one prime, or chiefe City or Towne within his Diocesse, as i [...] particular.

VII. Every Bishop to have one speciall particular Congregation, to be chosen out of the most conve­nient for distance of place, from his chiefe residence, and the Richest in value that may bee had: where he shall duely preach unlesse he be lawfully hindred, and then shall take care that his Cure be well sup­plyed by another.

VIII. No Bishop shall remove or be translated from the Bishopricke which he shall first undertake.

IX. Upon every death, or other avoidance of a Bishop, the King to grant a Conge d'elire to the whole Cler­gie of that Diocesse, and they to present three of the Presbyters aforesaid, and the King to choose and nominate whom he please of them.

X. The first Presbyters of every shire to bee named by the Parliament, and afterwards upon the death or other avoidance of any Presbyter, the remaining Presbyters to choose another out of the Parish [Page 3] Ministers of that shire, and this to bee done within one month next after such death or avoidance.

XI. No Bishop or Clergie-man to exercise or have any Temorall Office, or seculir employment, but onely, for the present, to hold and keepe the probate of wills, untill the Parliament shall otherwise resolve.

XII. The Bishop once a yeare (at Midsummer) to summon a Diocesan Synod, there to heare, and by ge­nerall vote, to determine all such matter of scandall in Life and Doctrine among the Clergie-men, as shall be presented unto them.

XIII. Every three yeares, a Nationall Sinod to be, which for persons shall consist of all the Bishops in the Land, and of two Presbiters to be chosen by the rest out of each Presbitery, and of two Clarkes to be cho­sen out of everie Diocesse, by the Clergie thereof.

XIV. This Nationall Synod to make and ordaine Canons of the Government of the Church, but they not to bind untill they be confirmed by Parliament.

XV. Every Bishop to have over and above the Be­nefice aforesaid, a certaine constant Rent allowed [Page 4] and allotted proportionall to the Diocesse wherein he is to-Officiate, that is to say, every Presbyter to have a constant yearely profit above his Benefice.

XVI. As for the Revenue of the Bishops, Deanes, and Chapters, &c. a strict Survey to be taken of all their rents and profits, and the same to be represented at the beginning of our next Convention, and in the meane time no Lease to be renewed, nor Timber to be felled.

The opinion of the English Doctors and Divines at the Synod of Dort, concerning Episcopacy and Lay-Elders.

WE thought not fit to content our selves with warrantable silence, but consult­ing together what was fit to be done in delivering our opinions. We ioyntly conclude that howsever our Church Discipline had not been Sy­nodically taxed, nor theirs avowed, yet it was cōveni­ent for us, (who were assured in our consiencēs that their Presbyteriall Parity, and Laicall Presbytery was repugnant to the Discipline established by the Apostles, and retained in our Church to declare our Iudgment.

We therefore prosessed and declared our vtter dissent in that point, and further shewed that by our Saviour a Parity of Ministers was never Iustituted, That Christ ordained Twelve Apostles, and seventy Disciples; That the Authority of those twelve was [Page 5] aboue the other; That the Church preserved this Order left by our Saviour. And therefore when the extraordinary Authority of the Apostles ceased, yet their ordinary Authority continued in Bishops, who succeeded them who were by the Apostles themsel­ves left in the government of the Church to ordaine Ministers, and to see that they who were so ordained should preach no other Doctrin; That in an inferi­or degree the Ministers who were governed by Bi­shops succeeded the 70. Disciples, That this Order hath been maintained in the Church, from the time of the Apostls. And herein we appealed to the Iudg­ment of Antiquity, or of any learned man now li­ving, if any could speak to the contrary: To this our exception and allegations, not one word was answered by any of the Synodiques either strangers or Provincialls. Moreover, in our Private conver­sing with the most eminent of the Ministery there, we found divers times (upon oceasion of our de­claring unto them the Order and manner of our Church Government) that they were more ready to deplore then defend their own estate, and wished rather, then hoped to be made like the flourishing Church of England.

Ita Testamur.
  • Georgius Caleton.
  • Gualter Balcanquall
  • Iohn Davenant.
  • Samuell Ward.
  • Thomas Goad.

The Lords added 14. Divines to the Bill sent to them about the Assembly of Divines which were there.

  • DOctor Hamond of Penthurst in Kent.
  • Master Lance of Saint Michaels Querne London.
  • Doctor Marsh of Saint Dunstones in Fleetstreet.
  • Master Earle of Wiltshire.
  • Master Gibbins of Waltham.
  • Master Prophet.
  • Doctor Westfield Bishop of Bristoll.
  • Master Peirce of Northampton.
  • Master Hodges of Kinsington.
  • Master Carter of Denton in Buckinghamshire.
  • Master Lifur, Vicar of Sh [...]rly.
  • Doctor Iones Prebend of Winsor.
  • Doctor Story▪

An Order by the Lords and Commons in Parlia­ment touching the Governement and Liturgie of the Church.

THe Lords and Commons doe declare, they intend a due and necessary reformation of the Governement and Li­turgie of the Church, and to take away nothing in the one or the other, but what shall be evill, and justly offencive, or at least unnecessary and burthensome, and for the better effect­ing hereof, speedily to have consultation with godly and lear­ned Divines, and because this will never of it selfe attaine the end sought therein, they will therefore use their utmost en­deavours to establish Learned and Preaching Ministers, with a good and sufficient maintenance throughout the whole Kingdome, wherin many darke corners are miserably desti­tute of the meanes of salvation, and many poore Ministers want necessary provision.

Hen. Elsyng. Cler. par. D. C.
FINIS.

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