22 April, 1647.

REMEDIES For removing some OBSTRUCTIONS IN Church-government.

ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parlia­ment, That these Remedies for removing some Obstructions in Church-Government, be forthwith printed and published: H: Elsynge, Cler. Parl. D. Com.

London, Printed for Edward Husband, Printer to the Honorable House of Commons, April 30. 1647.

REMEDIES FOR Removing some Obstructions in Church-Government.

Resolved, &c.

1. THat Letters from the Speakers of both Hou­ses be sent into all coun­ties (from whence no return hath been certified) That their respective Counties be divided into distinct Classes, and the same certified forthwith, with the Names of Mini­sters and others fit to be of each Clas­sis, according to the Ordinance.

2. That such returns from any of [Page 4] the Counties as are already made▪ or shall hereafter be made, be referred to be considered of by the Committee of Lords and Commons for judging of Scandal; and that so soon as such returns shall be made, the Speakers of both Houses do send the said returns to the said Committee accordingly; and that such being by them considered of & alowed, shall have power to act ac­cording to Ordinances of Parliament.

3. That the several Classes consti­tuted by Parliament, in the several Counties within the Limits of the said respective Classes, where no Congre­gational Presbyteries are already set­led, shall have from time to time po­wer to nominate such Ministers and others as are qualified according to the Ordinance, to joyn with them in the [Page 5] same, to be approved by the Commit­tee of Lords & Commons appointed to judge of Scandal, until such time as Congregational Presbyteries shall be setled within the said respective Pre­cincts: And when the said Congre­gational Presbyteries shall be setled within the said Limits, That then the said Congregational Presbyteries shall act according to the power and directions of the Ordinance in that behalf; And that such power shall be executed, not onely in cases of death, or other departure of any Minister or Elder from the place of their wonted dwelling, but also in case of increase of Ministers and Congregational El­derships in their several precincts.

4. That at any such time as seven Congregational Elderships, or more, [Page 6] shall be constituted in any Classical precinct in any of the counties, by the respective Classes established by Par­liament, the same shall by them be sig­nified to the several Congregational Elderships so established; and the said Congregational Elderships shal forth­with proceed to depute such of their Elders as are most fit, who together with their Ministers (according to the Ordinance of Parliament) shall meet as a Classis, and shall be, to all intents and purposes, thenceforth the Classis of that precinct, and execute all power belonging to such or any former Classis; and the Classis formerly con­stituted by Parliament, shall cease as to that precinct.

5. That the Elders of the Classis of the Province of London, shall hold [Page 7] their Provincial Assembly in the Convocation-house at Pauls Church in London, upō the first Monday in May next ensuing, and may adjourn their meeting de die in diem, and conclude their meeting with Adjournment unto the next opportunity, accor­ding to the Ordinance of Parlia­ment: And that no Act shall passe or be valid in the said Province of London, but what shall be done by the Number of Six and thirty pre­sent, or the major part of them, whereof Twelve to be Ministers, and Four and twenty to be Ruling-Elders; and that the first meeting of the Provincial Assemblies in the seve­ral counties, be appointed by the Committee of Lords and Commons aforesaid, and may adjourn as afore­said; [Page 8] who are to appoint the number of which each Province shall consist▪ and the Quorum that shall act in each Province.

6. That in the Classical meeting of all Classes, that which shall be done by the major part present, shall be esteem­ed as the act of the whole Classical number; and the same to hold in the city of London in their meeting of Try­ers, and in all their Classical meetings, and in the several counties; and that no act done by any Classis shall be va­lid and good, unless it be done by the number of fifteen present, or the ma­jor part of them, whereof five to be Ministers, and ten to be Ruling-El­ders.

FINIS.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal licence. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.