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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>M^r. HOLLIS HIS SPEECH TO The Lords in Parliament concerning PEACE. WITH A motion for &s;ome cour&s;e to be taken for re|pairing of trade, that &s;o poore trade&s;men may be pre&s;erved to hold out during the&s;e trouble&s;ome Times.</P>
<P><HI>Whereunto is added a Relation of a Vi&s;ion of Blood in the Skie, that appeared about</HI> Redding <HI>on Tue&s;day night la&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>LONDON, Printed for T. Wright. 1643.</P>
</DIV1>
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<DIV1 TYPE="speech">
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<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>Mr. Hollis HIS. Speech to the Lords, upon the delivery of a Me&s;&s;age from the Hou&s;e <HI>of Commons.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Lords,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_I Am commanded by the Knights. Citizens and Burge&s;&s;es of the Com|mons Hou&s;e, to pre&s;ent your Lord&s;hips with a Petition now delivered into their Hou&s;e, by divers poor Trade&s;|men in and about the Citie of London, contaning in the &s;ame the great want and nece&s;&s;itie they and their families are fallen into, through the decay of treading. The means and cau&s;es that have produced this decay, and the remedies to prevant further mi&s;erie, and revive trading: My Lords, it is a common ob&s;ervation, and the experience of former Ages hath made it manife&s;t, that when the &s;word of warre is un&s;heathed, famine that
<PB N="2" REF="3">
followes, the greate&s;t de&s;truction of all Common|wealths and Kingdomes, witne&s;&s;e the mi&s;erable calamities and troubles that have of late years be|fallen upon <HI>Italy</HI> and Germany. If wee call to minde ancient Hi&s;tories mentioning the fatall de&s;truction of the Ea&s;terne Empires, wee &s;hall finde that the fir&s;t &s;tep to their de&s;olation, hath been dome&s;tick di&s;&s;en|tion, and home-bred mutinies, upon which hath followed Nationall warres, and the effects of all hath been famine and pe&s;tilence, which hath given a full period to the utter confu&s;ion of tho&s;e Kingdoms. If wee pry and &s;earch into the ancient Hi&s;tories of <HI>Italy</HI> and <HI>Rome,</HI> we &s;hall find the only de&s;truction both of that Kingdom and Citie; hath happened only by the&s;e occa&s;ions, the pride and ambition of the Popes and Bi&s;hops of that See, u&s;urping authority to them&s;elves over the Churches in the Ea&s;t, produced the wars be|tween the Ea&s;t Vandals and the Romans, beeween the Ea&s;t and We&s;t Gothes, and the <HI>Italians,</HI> which was the utter de&s;olation of the City of Rome.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, by <HI>Allarick</HI> Captain of the We&s;t Gothes. Secondly by <HI>Adolph</HI> their Captain. Thirdly, by <HI>Athila</HI> King of the Hunns. Fourthly, by <HI>Gen&s;erick</HI> King of the Vandalls. Fifthly <HI>Oda&s;ar</HI> a German. Sixthly <HI>Theodericke</HI> an Ea&s;t Goth. And la&s;tly, <HI>Totela Baldivel.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e <HI>Princes</HI> by the &s;word and fire, executed the iu&s;t iudgements of God upon proud and wicked <HI>Rome;</HI> the originall whereof was occa&s;ioned by the impurity and uncleanes of the Clergy: and what ter|rible Famines and grievous pe&s;tilencies followed the&s;e
<PB N="3" REF="3">
warres, is likewi&s;e too manife&s;t by Hi&s;tory; where|as in the beginning whome <HI>Rome</HI> fir&s;t began to lift up her head again&s;t Gods true Religion and his anointed Servants, Kings and Emperours, &s;he had been da&s;hed and &s;uppre&s;&s;ed, all tho&s;e bloudy and long warres procured by the Bi&s;hops thereof in all parts of the Chri&s;tian world had bin prevented and avoyded.</P>
<P><HI>My Lords, I</HI> have &s;poken this onely to remember your Lord&s;hips of the mi&s;eries and calamities that have hapned unto tho&s;e Nations that have entertain|ed among&s;t them&s;elves di&s;&s;en&s;ion about the diver&s;ity of wor&s;hip of God in Religion, which alwaies hath proved the root and principall means of future de|&s;truction, that now in time while opportunity doth &s;erve &s;uch occa&s;ions of difference as do threaten the the &s;ame de&s;olations to the &s;tate wherein we live, and whereof we be a part, may by the wi&s;dome of this high Court of <HI>Parliment</HI> be prevented and avoyded.</P>
<P><HI>My Lords,</HI> if Dearth and Famine be in a Nation, there can be nothing expected but confu&s;ion as well of the rich, as of the poore, It is the Common Pro|verb, nece&s;&s;ity hath no law. There is no delaying of pre&s;ent nece&s;&s;ity. It is not to be thought that Millions of men, women and childrdn will &s;tarve and peri&s;h, &s;o long as there is Corn in the Land of <HI>Go&s;hen,</HI> or in the cu&s;tody of <HI>Io&s;eph,</HI> It is therefore the de&s;ire, my Lords, of the Commons, that as they have compa&s;&s;i|onately con&s;idered among them&s;elves this nece&s;&s;iated Petition of di&s;tre&s;&s;ed Trade&s;-men, and have limited a day certaine for an&s;wering the &s;ame, &s;o your Lord|&s;hips would be plea&s;ed to take the &s;ame Petition into
<PB N="6" REF="4">
your con&s;ideration with them, that the petitioners may at the time appointed, receive from both Hou&s;es of Parliament, &s;uch an&s;wer from their demands, as may give them full &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P>My Lords, under favour, I am to &s;peake a word or two of the means that have occa&s;ioned the decay in trading, and the remedies to prevent the &s;ame for future time, and againe renew Trading, the meanes they conceive is principally want of due execution of Ju&s;tice upon tho&s;e per&s;ons that have bin the cau&s;ers, and Authors thereof, and then the remedies, due exe|cution of Ju&s;tice, without any further protraction of time and the Enacting of &s;uch whol&s;ome and good lawes, for the re&s;triction of vice, and maintaining of vertue, both in goverment of the Church and State, as &s;hall be congruent to the word of God, and the peace and pro&s;perity of his Sacred Maje&s;ty, and all his Kingdoms, as &s;hall be thought meet by the wi&s;dome and policie of this great &amp; high Court of <HI>Parliament,</HI> which I further humbly leave to the grave con&s;idera|tion of this Honourable Hou&s;e.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="account">
<PB N="5" REF="4">
<HEAD>A Relation of a Vi&s;ion of Blood in the Skie, which appeared at Redding on Tue&s;day night la&s;t.</HEAD>
<P>UPon Tue&s;day night la&s;t there appea|red a skie red as bloud about Red|ding, halfe a mile long, or more, which was &s;een &s;o cleare and vi&s;ible about &s;ix of the clock at night, that not onely ma|ny people thereabouts did run to &s;ee it, but it being apparent &s;o farre that it might be &s;een to London; there were thou&s;ands that went to London-Bridge, and many other places, where they could attaine the pro|&s;pect, to &s;ee it; in&s;omuch that there was a great crowd upon the Bridge, &s;ome went into the fields, others to the tops of hou&s;es to behold this wonderfull vi&s;ion, which was in this manner, viz. In length half a mile or more, as it was judged, &s;harp at the North
<PB N="6" REF="5">
end, and broad at the South end: for the length of it was North and South, red as bloud, and very clear, almo&s;t in colour like the Moon when &s;he is in an Eclip&s;e; which though it &s;eemed cleere, yet cau&s;ed rather a darkne&s;&s;e then a light; the length continu|ed much alike, but it grew &s;omtimes broa|der, and &s;ometimes again it was narrower; there was neither Sun, Moone, nor any Star vi&s;ible in the skie, which was very black and dark, onely this bloudy vi&s;ion which appea|red in this manner. What can we other|wi&s;e judge of, then to be a token of Gods di&s;plea&s;ure again&s;t the cruell Cavaliers there|abouts, who kill, murder, and &s;law the peo|ple of God, who&s;e bloud cries to heaven in the ears of God for vengeance again&s;t them.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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<P>handle the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall affaires. And tho&s;e which &s;hall be cho&s;en to goe to the Colloques and Synods with the Mini&s;ters, &s;hall not faile to come thither at the day a&s;&s;i|gned.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. VII.</HI> Of Deacons.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THe Deacons &s;hall be ordained in the Church to gather the almes of the people, and to di&s;tribute them ac|cording to the nece&s;&s;itie of the poore, by the advice of the Con&s;i&s;tory.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. They &s;hall gather together the almes after the Sermon, and &s;hall procure and keepe faithfully, the goods of the poore: And if nece&s;&s;itie &s;o require, they &s;hall goe from hou&s;e to hou&s;e of tho&s;e that are willing, to gather that which it &s;hall plea&s;e them to give.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 3. They &s;hall di&s;tribute nothing without the ad|vice of the Con&s;i&s;tory, if there be not urgent nece&s;&s;itie.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. The almes &s;hall be di&s;tributed principally to tho&s;e which are of the hou&s;hold of faith, and if there be any overplus, it may &s;erve to helpe the &s;trangers.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 5. To meet with all &s;u&s;pition the Deacons &s;hall keepe the Booke, as well of the receits as al&s;o of the di|&s;tribution of the almes, the which they &s;hall count in pre|&s;ence of the Mini&s;ter and of one of the Elders.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 6. The Deacons &s;hall render their accompts every Communion day after the latter Sermon, in the pre&s;ence of the Mini&s;ters, the Ancients, and the people, if there be any that will a&s;&s;i&s;t them: And therefore they &s;hall be exhorted to be pre&s;ent there.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 7. They &s;hall endeavour that the poore &s;hall be nouri&s;hed without going about a begging. And they &s;hall make &s;uite to the Governours, that the youth fit for labour, may be &s;et to occupations: And &s;hall adverti&s;e
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the Ma&s;ters, the Ju&s;tices, to the end they may give order that none goe from hou&s;e to hou&s;e to beg.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 8. They &s;hall vi&s;ite the poore, &s;icke, and impo|tent, and the pri&s;oners, to comfort and a&s;&s;i&s;t them in their nece&s;&s;itie.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 9. They &s;hall be a&s;&s;i&s;tant to the Con&s;i&s;tory with the Mini&s;ters and Ancients, and there &s;hall propo&s;e the nece&s;&s;itie of the poore, and tell their advice: but in the choice of other Deacons, they &s;hall have definitive voice.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 10. There &s;hall be two Deacons in every Pari&s;h, or el&s;e the Elders &s;hall have this charge of gathering and di&s;tributing the almes of the people.</P>
<P><HI>The Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Liturgie, wherein is contained the Preaching of the Word, the Admini&s;tration of the Sacraments, Marriage, the vi&s;itation of the Sicke, wherein al&s;o is &s;poken of Buriall.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. VIII.</HI> Of the Preaching of the Word.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THe people &s;hall a&s;&s;emble them&s;elves twice every Sunday within the Church to heare the Go&s;pell preached, and &s;hall be a&s;&s;i&s;tant to the publike prayers: And al&s;o they &s;hall a&s;&s;emble them&s;elves once or twice every weeke upon the dayes, which &s;hall be commo|dious for the Pari&s;hes: And every hou&s;e-holder &s;hall cau&s;e to be pre&s;ent his family.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. The people being a&s;&s;embled before the Ser|mon, one &s;hall reade a Chapter out of the Canonicall Scripture onely, and not out of the Apocrypha Bookes: and that it be done by one that hath charge in the Church, or of one of good conver&s;ation at the lea&s;t.</P>
<P><PB N="10" REF="7"><HI>Art.</HI> 3. During the time of prayers, every one &s;hall kneele, having the head bare. Item during the time of &s;inging of P&s;almes, and the admini&s;tration of the Sacra|ments, and whiles the Mini&s;ter &s;hall read his Text, eve|ry one &s;hall be uncovered, and be attentive to that which is &s;aid and done of him.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. At the publike Catechi&s;mes which the Mini|&s;ter &s;hall make on the Sunday after dinner, he &s;hall chu&s;e a Text out of the Word of God, which is agreeable unto the &s;ection he is to treate of, and &s;hall reade in the begin|ning of the &s;aid Text, and &s;hall have it for a foundation of the doctrine which &s;hall be &s;poken of in the &s;aid &s;e|ction.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 5. The doores of the Church &s;hall be &s;hut after the Sermon and publike prayers, to wipe away all &s;uper|&s;tition. And the &s;ears &s;hall be &s;et in good order, that every one may commodiou&s;ly under&s;tand the voice of the Mini&s;ter preaching.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 6. The Churches which are dedicated to the &s;peciall &s;ervice of God, &s;hall not be imployed to any pro|phane u&s;es: And the Magi&s;trate &s;hall be de&s;ired that he would not hold there any civill juri&s;diction.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. IX.</HI> Of Bapti&s;me.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THe holy Bapti&s;me &s;hall be admini&s;tred in the Church after the preaching of the Word of God, before the ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. The Fathers of the children (if they be not upon a voyage) &s;hall with the witne&s;&s;es &s;tand neere to the child, to pre&s;ent it to God, and make promi&s;e for the in&s;truction of it, as they are bound there to doe.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 3. None &s;hall be received to pre&s;ent a childe at the Bapti&s;me, unle&s;&s;e he have received the Lords Sup|per,
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or el&s;e if he be not fit to receive it, and that he make promi&s;e to doe it at the next Communion, whereof (if he be a &s;tranger) he &s;hall bring te&s;timony.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. He which would pre&s;ent a childe to be Bap|ti&s;ed, &s;hall adverti&s;e the Mini&s;ter in good time.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 5. The Mini&s;ter &s;hall not receive the names of Heathen, of Idolls, names attributed to God in the Scripture, neither the names of Office, as Angels, Bapti&s;t, Apo&s;tle.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 6. Every Pari&s;h &s;hall regi&s;ter all their Bapti&s;mes, of the Fathers, Mothers, and Witne&s;&s;es of children, and of the day wherein they were baptized; and likewi&s;e of the Marriages and of the dayes; all which &s;hall be care|fully kept.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. X.</HI> Of the Lords Supper.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THe holy Supper of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, &s;hall be celebrated foure times in the yeare; at Ea&s;ter, or the fir&s;t Sunday of Aprill: the fir&s;t Sunday of July: the fir&s;t Sunday of October; and the fir&s;t Sunday of Januarie: And this &s;hall be done after the Sermon, the which &s;hall be made expre&s;ly of this matter, or at the lea&s;t &s;hall be touched at the latter end of the Sermon.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. They &s;hall follow this order; The Table &s;hall be &s;et in &s;ome commodious place by the Pulpit, where they &s;hall communicate in order, being &s;et, which is mo&s;t conformable to the fir&s;t in&s;titution, or &s;tanding, as it is the cu&s;tome of &s;ome Churches, the men fir&s;t, and the women after, and none &s;hall goe away till after the thanke&s;giving and ble&s;&s;ing of the people.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 3. Tho&s;e which would communicate at the ho|ly Supper, &s;hall be catechi&s;ed fir&s;t of all by the Mini&s;ter, to render a rea&s;on of their faith. They ought to know
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the Lords Prayer, the Articles of their faith, and the ten Commandements, at the lea&s;t the &s;ub&s;tance of them; and renounce the Pope, the Ma&s;&s;e, and all Idolatry and Super&s;tition.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. None &s;hall be received to the holy Supper, which is not of age and di&s;cretion, and which hath not good te&s;timony of his life and conver&s;ation, and which doth not promi&s;e to &s;ubject him&s;elfe to the di&s;cipline.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 5. If there be any which is accu&s;ed in ju&s;tice to have committed &s;ome crime, he &s;hall be exhorted to ab|&s;taine from the Communion, till &s;uch time as he &s;hall be ju&s;tified.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 6. There &s;hall not be received to the Lords Sup|per any of other Pari&s;hes without good te&s;timony from his Pa&s;tor, or of two of the Elders where there is no Mini&s;ter.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 7. Tho&s;e that will not be reconciled, &s;hall be de|prived of the Lords Supper.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 8. They &s;hall adverti&s;e the people at the lea&s;t fifteene dayes before the Lords Supper, to the end they may be prepared for it.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 9. Be&s;ides the former examination, which is made of the doctrine before they communicate unto the holy Supper, every one ought againe to be catechi&s;ed once a yeare at the lea&s;t, according to the commoditie of the Mini&s;ters and Pari&s;hioners.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. XI.</HI> Of the Fa&s;t.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THe publike fa&s;t &s;hall be celebrated in the Church, what time the Colloque or Synode &s;hall thinke it meete, as a day of re&s;t, in which there &s;hall be Sermons in the forenoone and afternoone, with prayers, the read|ing of the word of God, and &s;inging of P&s;almes, all mo&s;t
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meete for the occa&s;ions and cau&s;es of the Fa&s;t, and all by the authoritie of the Magi&s;trate.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of Thanke&s;giving.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. The &s;olemne thanke&s;giving mu&s;t be celebra|ted in like manner, as the Fa&s;t: all the exerci&s;es being fit|ted to the occa&s;ions and cau&s;es of it.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. XII.</HI> Of Marriage.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THe promi&s;es of Marriages &s;hall be made in the pre|&s;ence of the Parents friends, Governours, or Ma&s;ters or Mi&s;tre&s;&s;es of the parties, and with con&s;ent of them, and in the pre&s;ence of the Mini&s;ter, or of one Elder or Deacon, who &s;hall receive the promi&s;es pure and &s;imple, with invocation of the name of God, otherwi&s;e they &s;hall not be received. And as for tho&s;e that are at their owne libertie, the pre&s;ence of the Mini&s;ter or one of the Elders or Deacons is al&s;o nece&s;&s;ary for the policie.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. The children and tho&s;e which are under Go|vernment, cannot make any promi&s;e of Marriage with|out the con&s;ent of their Fathers and Mothers, or of their Tutors, or of their Gardians, in who&s;e power they are.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 3. If the Fathers and Mothers are &s;o unrea&s;ona|ble that they will not accord to &s;o holy a thing, the Con|&s;i&s;tory &s;hall give them &s;uch advice as &s;hall be expedient, to the which if the Fathers and Mothers will not agree, they &s;hall have recour&s;e to the Magi&s;trate.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. Even tho&s;e which have beene married, owe this honour to their parents, not to marry them&s;elves without the advice of their parents, for want whereof they &s;hall be cen&s;ured.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 5. Tho&s;e which &s;hall be betrothed, &s;hall promi&s;e
<PB N="14" REF="9">
with their parents that they &s;hal be married within three moneths after their promi&s;es are made, or within &s;ix moneths, in ca&s;e they be in a voyage. And if they will not obey, they &s;hall be pur&s;ued by the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Cen&s;ures.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 6. No &s;tranger &s;hall be betrothed, unle&s;&s;e he have leave of the Right Wor&s;hipfull the Governours, or their Leiftenants.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 7. In marriages the degrees of con&s;anguinitie and affinitie &s;hall be diligently ob&s;erved according to the law of God.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 8. The publication of Matrimony &s;hall be de|clared three Sundayes, one after another immediately in the Church where the parties dwells, or if they marry in &s;ome other Pari&s;h, they &s;hall bring good te&s;timony from the Mini&s;ter that &s;hall have publi&s;hed them, otherwi&s;e they cannot be married.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 9. To avoyde the abu&s;e and prophanation of the day of Re&s;t, and the manife&s;t contempt of the Word of God, which is made in the marriage-dayes, it is thought good that marriage be no more celebrated upon Sun|day, but on the weeke dayes onely when there is a Ser|mon.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 10. If any will oppo&s;e him&s;elfe again&s;t the pub|lication of Matrimony, they mu&s;t addre&s;&s;e them&s;elves to the Mini&s;ter fir&s;t, or to two of the Elders, which &s;hall &s;ignifie it to the next Con&s;i&s;tory, to come and give the rea&s;ons of his oppo&s;ition: Of which the Con&s;i&s;tory &s;hall judge: And if there be any appeale, it &s;hall be referred to the Colloque.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 11. Tho&s;e which have companied together be|fore they are married, &s;hall not be married before they have made confe&s;&s;ion of their fault; and if the fault be o|penly knowne, they &s;hall doe it before all the Church: And if it be le&s;&s;e knowne, the Con&s;i&s;tory &s;hall give order for it.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 12. The promi&s;es of Widdowes that would re|marry them&s;elves, &s;hall not be received but &s;ix moneths
<PB N="15" REF="9">
after the death of their decea&s;ed husband, that both for the hone&s;tie and well &s;eemline&s;&s;e, and to meet with ma|ny inconveniences. As for the men, they &s;hall be ex|horted to &s;tay a certain time al&s;o, without con&s;training them thereunto.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="13" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. XIII.</HI> Of the Vi&s;itation of the &s;icke.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THo&s;e which have &s;icke folke, &s;hall adverti&s;e tho&s;e which have charge in the Church in commodious time to this end, that they may be vi&s;ited and com|forted.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. Tho&s;e which are &s;icke &s;hall be adverti&s;ed to make their will in good time, and whil&s;t they are in their good &s;en&s;e, which &s;hall be done in the pre&s;ence of the Mini&s;ter or Elder, or &s;ome other able men, and worthy of faith, which &s;hall &s;eale the &s;aid Te&s;tament, to this end they may be approved.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="14" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. XIV.</HI> Of Buriall.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THe dead bodies &s;hall not be brought nor made enter into the Churches: but into the Church-yard ordai|ned for the faithfull.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. The kinsfolke, friends, and neighbours of the dead, and as many as the kinsfolkes will pray, even the Mini&s;ters, if they be at lei&s;ure, as members of the Church and brethren, not in regard of their charge, no more than the Elders and Deacons, and &s;hall goe to conduct the dead corps, for the comeline&s;&s;e of the buriall: At the
<PB N="16" REF="10">
which there &s;hall be neither Sermon, nor prayer, nor ringing of Bells, neither any kinde of other ceremony.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 3. The dead &s;hall not be buried without adver|ti&s;ing of the Mini&s;ter before.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. The dead corps of tho&s;e which are excom|municated &s;hall not be buried among the faithfull with|out ordinance of the Magi&s;trate.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="15" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAPTER XV.</HI> Of Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Cen&s;ures.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. ALL tho&s;e which are of the Church &s;hall be &s;ubject to the cen&s;ures, as well tho&s;e which have charge in the Church, as tho&s;e which have no charge.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. The &s;u&s;pention from the holy Supper of the Lord, &s;halbe publi&s;hed only in matter of here&s;ie, &s;chi&s;me, or other notable fault, of which the Con&s;i&s;torie &s;hall judge.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 3. Tho&s;e which &s;hall not receive the adverti&s;e|ments and reprehen&s;ions of faults made by the Word of God, and which continue hardened, without hope of being brought into the right way after many exhorta|tions, if they cannot be brought againe they &s;hall be ex|communicated: whereunto &s;hall be proceeded by three Sundayes, according to the order as followeth.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. The fir&s;t Sunday every one &s;hall be exhorted to pray for the &s;inner, without naming or declaring the &s;inne, or the &s;inner.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 5. The &s;econd Sunday the &s;inner &s;hall be named and not the &s;inne: the third Sunday the &s;inner &s;hall be named and the &s;inne declared, and he excommunicated, which &s;hall &s;o continue as long as he remaineth rebel|lious.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 6. Tho&s;e which are excommunicated, are re|jected of the Church, that they ought not to be admit|ted
<PB N="17" REF="10">
either to publick prayers, or unto the preaching of the Word.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 7. If any having publick charge in the Church, &s;hall commit any fault which in a private per&s;on meri|teth publick &s;u&s;pention from the Lords Supper, they &s;hall be &s;u&s;pended from their charge, and if they com|mit any fault the which in a private per&s;on meriteth ex|communication they &s;hall be depo&s;ed.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 8. And likewi&s;e tho&s;e which have committed any &s;uch fault, by the which they are made uncapable of exerci&s;ing their charge to the edification of the Church, &s;hall be depo&s;ed.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 9. If the &s;inner commeth to repentance, de&s;i|ring of the Con&s;i&s;tory to be received to the peace of the Church, diligent information mu&s;t be had of his con|ver&s;ation, and &s;hall advi&s;e the people thereof the Sunday before he be received, and make confe&s;&s;ion to have peace of the Church.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 10. The &s;econd Sunday he &s;hall pre&s;ent him&s;elfe before the Pulpit, and &s;hall confe&s;&s;e his fault, asking par|don of God and of the Church by his owne mouth, in ratifying onely that which the Mini&s;ter &s;hall have &s;aid of his repentance.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="16" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. XVI.</HI> Of the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall A&s;&s;emblies for the guiding and governing of the Church.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. IN all Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall A&s;&s;emblies the Mini&s;ters &s;hall be Moderators, to gather the voyces, to impo&s;e &s;ilence, and to give &s;entence according to the pluralitie, and to give the Cen&s;ures; to the which they &s;hall be &s;ubject as well as others.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. All Cen&s;ures &s;hall be done in meekne&s;&s;e of &s;pi|rit and doctrine.</P>
<P><PB N="18" REF="11"><HI>Art.</HI> 3. All A&s;&s;emblies &s;hall be begun and ended by prayers and thanke&s;giving; and it &s;hall be done by him that is then Moderator.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. All tho&s;e which there &s;hall be a&s;&s;i&s;tant, &s;hall &s;peake by order, without interrupting one of the o|ther.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 5. None &s;hall depart from the A&s;&s;embly without leave.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 6. All Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall matters there &s;hall be in|treated of, and decided by the Word of God, without taking upon them any civill Juri&s;diction.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 7. If there come any matter of importance, which cannot be decided in the le&s;&s;er A&s;&s;emblies, they &s;hall be &s;ent to the greater. And likewi&s;e if any man doe feele him&s;elfe grieved with the judgement of the le&s;&s;er, he may appeale to the greater: And there &s;hall be no|thing in the greater handled, which hath not been hand|led before in the le&s;&s;er, unle&s;&s;e it be in a matter which is remitted.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 8. For all the things that are memorable in all the A&s;&s;emblies, there &s;hall be a Regi&s;ter made, which &s;hall be done by a Scribe appointed in every one of the A&s;&s;emblies.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 9. The Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall A&s;&s;emblies &s;hall not be day&s;men in cau&s;es and matters civill, yet the particular members of it as private per&s;ons may, but yet very rare|ly, when it is for making an end of debate, and the &s;ame of great con&s;equence.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 10. He which hath been deprived of the Com|munion, or &s;u&s;pended from his Charge by an a&s;&s;embly, &s;hall be ree&s;tabli&s;hed by the &s;ame.</P>
<P><HI>The&s;e A&s;&s;emblies are either &s;imple, or com|pound; &s;imple, as the Con&s;i&s;tories.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="17" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="19" REF="11">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. XVII.</HI> Of the Con&s;i&s;tories.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THe Con&s;i&s;tory is the a&s;&s;embly of the Mini&s;ters and Elders of every Church, for the Government of it, and to watch over the manners and doctrine, and to cor|rect the vices, and encourage the well-doers, where the Deacons, together with the propo&s;ants, may be a&s;&s;i&s;tant to the Mini&s;ters, to the end to fa&s;hion them in the di&s;ci|pline and guiding of the Church.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. The Con&s;i&s;tories are to be a&s;&s;embled every Sunday, or other dayes and houres ordained, according to the commoditie of the Con&s;i&s;tories, to con&s;ult of the affaires of the Church.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 3. None &s;hall be called to the Con&s;i&s;tory without the advice of the Mini&s;ter and of two Elders, in ca&s;e of nece&s;&s;itie at the lea&s;t: and every Elder or he that giveth &s;ommance, &s;hall call them of his quarter, as &s;hall be ordained.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. The Elders &s;hall not report the &s;ecret faults, not having ob&s;erved the order commanded by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>Matth.</HI> 18. Reprehending in &s;ecret the faults that are &s;ecret.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 5. The Mini&s;ter or Elders &s;hall not name to the Con&s;i&s;torie, tho&s;e who&s;e faults they &s;hall bring to the Con&s;i&s;torie, without the advice of the &s;aid Con&s;i&s;torie.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 6. The cen&s;ures of the Con&s;i&s;torie &s;hall be gi|ven before every Communion in the mo&s;t commodious day; wherein the School-Ma&s;ters al&s;o &s;hall be cen&s;u|red.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 7. The Con&s;i&s;torie &s;hall choo&s;e tho&s;e which ought to goe to the Colloques.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 8. The correction of faults and offences, apper|taineth to the Con&s;i&s;tories, excommunication excepted.</P>
<P><PB N="20" REF="12"><HI>Art.</HI> 9. In Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall A&s;&s;emblies the Con&s;i&s;tories &s;hall make inqui&s;ition of the faults which &s;hall come be|fore them; and &s;hall adjure the parties in the name of God to &s;peake the truth.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="18" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. XVIII.</HI> Of the compo&s;ed A&s;&s;emblies, which are the Colloques and the Synods.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. AT the beginning of the A&s;&s;embly there &s;hall be cal|led the Mini&s;ter and the Elders, which ought to be a&s;&s;i&s;tants there.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. The per&s;ons who are named to be a&s;&s;i&s;tants &s;hall not mi&s;&s;e to be pre&s;ent there, upon paine to be cen|&s;ured at the next a&s;&s;embly, unto the which they &s;hall be called.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 3. The Articles of the former a&s;&s;emblies &s;hall be read before they enter the affaires, to the end to know if they have been executed: And at the end of every a&s;&s;em|bly the Elders &s;hall take a copie of that which hath been determined there: to the end that all may walk after the &s;ame rule.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. In every A&s;&s;embly there &s;hall be a Scribe to write that which &s;hall be re&s;olved of by the Compa|ny.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 5. At the end of every a&s;&s;embly they &s;hall give a brotherly cen&s;ure of the Con&s;i&s;tories, in generall of the Mini&s;ters and Elders, which &s;hall be a&s;&s;i&s;tant there, and principally of that which hath been done in the a&s;&s;embly during the action.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 6. The excommunication &s;hall be onely conclu|ded in the&s;e a&s;&s;emblies.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 7. The Ma&s;ters the Ju&s;tices &s;hall be prayed to cea&s;e the exerci&s;e of Courts, ordinary and extraordinarie in the dayes of the Colloques and Synods, to this end
<PB N="21" REF="12">
that they which ought to be there a&s;&s;i&s;tant may not be hindred.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="19" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. XIX.</HI> Of the Colloques.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THe Colloque in the A&s;&s;embly of the Mini&s;ters and Ancients deputed of every Church, in every one of the Governments of tho&s;e Iles, for the government and entertainment of the Di&s;cipline.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. The Colloques &s;hall be a&s;&s;embled foure times in the yeare; ten dayes before every Communion: In which day there &s;hall be the propo&s;ition of the Word of God, following the forme which is before e&s;tabli&s;hed in the Chapter of Mini&s;ters.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 3. The Mini&s;ters of <HI>Alderney</HI> and <HI>Sparke,</HI> &s;hall meet once a yeare at the lea&s;t, at the Colloque at <HI>Gern&s;ey,</HI> and they &s;hall choo&s;e the mo&s;t fit time to come in.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. The Colloque &s;hall choo&s;e tho&s;e which ought to goe to the Synode, and &s;hall give them Letters te&s;ti|moniall of their &s;ending.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="20" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. XX.</HI> Of the Synods.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Article</HI> I. THe Synode is the A&s;&s;emblie of Mini&s;ters and Elders, deputed by the Colloques of the&s;e Iles.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 2. The Synode &s;hall be a&s;&s;embled from two yeares to two yeares, in <HI>Ger&s;ey</HI> and <HI>Garn&s;ey</HI> by cour&s;e, unle&s;&s;e nece&s;&s;itie doe con&s;traine to a&s;&s;emble it &s;ooner&punc; In which ca&s;e tho&s;e of the Ile where the Synode is to be holden, may ha&s;ten&punc; it by the advice of both the Collo|ques.</P>
<P><PB N="22" REF="13"><HI>Art.</HI> 3. In every Synode there &s;hall be cho&s;en a Mini|&s;ter to governe the action, and a Scribe to regi&s;ter the actions.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 4. The Mini&s;ter of the place where the a&s;&s;embly is made, &s;hall make a prayer in the beginning of the fir&s;t &s;itting.</P>
<P><HI>Art.</HI> 5. The Colloques &s;hall mutually adverti&s;e one another of the generall things they have to propo&s;e to the Synode in commodious time, to this end that every one may have time to think of it more ripely. And they &s;hall give &s;ome adverti&s;ement thereof before the Collo|que, which goeth next before the Synode, &s;o farre as they may: And as for things of &s;maller importance, they &s;hall be communicated of in the day of the fir&s;t &s;itting.</P>
<P><HI>The&s;e Articles touching the Di&s;cipline, are &s;o &s;et downe that &s;o much and &s;o farre as they are grounded upon the Word of God, they are immoveable: And as for the points that are meerely Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, that is to &s;ay, framed and &s;et downe for the commoditie of the Church, according to the circum&s;tance of per&s;ons, time, and place, they may be changed by the &s;ame au|thoritie they have been in&s;tituted.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>Here followeth the manner of In&s;talling the Officers of the Church.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The Promi&s;e in generall.</HEAD>
<P>YOu promi&s;e before God, his elect Angels, and his Church, that you will &s;erve him faithfully in this Office, taking heed to your &s;elfe, to this end, that in this vocation of God, you may walke worthily, &s;o as it be|commeth a good &s;ervant of God, without abu&s;ing it to &s;erve your owne affections, or to be plea&s;ing unto men, but that you u&s;e it with a good con&s;ciente, carrying all
<PB N="23" REF="13">
that you doe in this office to the glory of God, and to the edification of the Church, principally of that over which you are &s;et: giving in all things good example unto all, namely, in keeping and taking good heed to the pollicy as well Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall as Civill, procuring the good and honour of the Kingdome of <HI>England</HI> and of the Ile: taking paines that the people may live in good order, peace and union one with another, and in &s;ubjection and obedience to the Government of his Maje&s;tie, the right Wor&s;hipfull the Governours, his Lieftenant, the Bailiefe, and the Ju&s;tices, not con&s;enting to any thing which is repugnant to the Lawes Civill, Pollicy of the Countrey and Kingdome, and the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Cen&s;ures. All which you &s;hall doe &s;o farre as your office doth require, that is to &s;ay, without being prejudiciall to the libertie of a good con&s;cience.</P>
<P>Furthermore, You &s;hall not abandon or leave off your Charge for any di&s;contentment, or tediou&s;ne&s;&s;e, or any thing what&s;oever: unle&s;&s;e it be by the con&s;ent of the Con&s;i&s;tory, or other to whom it appertaineth: At which Con&s;i&s;tory you &s;hall attend (if there be no hinderance) the Sunday, after the Catechi&s;me to handle the Eccle&s;i|a&s;ticall affaires: And you &s;hall take heed of not di&s;clo|&s;ing any thing that hath been handled, to the parties or any other per&s;ons (unle&s;&s;e it be that they ought to know it) in paine of being rejected from the Company: Re|membring alwayes that you mu&s;t render an account of the charge which hath been committed unto you; to the end that you may heare his mo&s;t amiable voice, <HI>It is well done good &s;ervant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.</HI> Finally, that which toucheth you mo&s;t neerly in regard of the particu|lar charge you are called unto.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="promise">
<HEAD>Promi&s;es Common to Mini&s;ters of the Word of God, and to the Elders.</HEAD>
<P>YOu doe promi&s;e that you will feed and governe the flocke of Chri&s;t, which is committed unto you,
<PB N="24" REF="14">
which is his hou&s;e, according to the pollicy that our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath e&s;tabli&s;hed in his Church, in ha|ving a care not by con&s;traint, but willingly and with a ready courage, not for gaine or un&s;eemely honour, but onely having regard to the glory of God, and to the &s;al|vation of the people: Not raigning over the Church, but in humilitie and feare, following the Word of God.</P>
<P>You promi&s;e al&s;o to have an eye and watch upon the flocke, to admoni&s;h and comfort in particular, according as neede requires: Al&s;o to reprehend the private faults, and to bring to the Con&s;i&s;torie the publick faults; to the end the &s;candalls of the Church may be hindred.</P>
<P>You &s;hall attend the Colloques and Synodes at all times, when you &s;hall be deputed thereunto, revealing nothing of that which hath been handled to the parties, or any of the per&s;ons, unle&s;&s;e they ought to know it, upon paine to be rejected from the company.</P>
<P>You promi&s;e to take carefull heed of the accompts of the Deacons at the Communion day, or at lea&s;t at the Communion dayes of September and Ea&s;ter, and that after the &s;econd Sermon of the Sabbath; in which day ordinarily there is no Con&s;i&s;torie kept, or el&s;e the Sun|day following, according to the opportunitie of the Church.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="promise">
<HEAD>A Promi&s;e particular to the Mini&s;ter of the Word.</HEAD>
<P>YOu promi&s;e that you will deliver the mo&s;t holy Word, and Sacraments of God, in all faithfulne&s;&s;e, purene&s;&s;e, and reverence, that you will take paines in teaching the people which are capable, in convincing tho&s;e which contradict, in ca&s;ting downe the proud, in erecting and lifting up the humble, in bringing againe tho&s;e that are &s;trayed out of the way, in cutting rightly the word of truth, as a good workman, which needeth
<PB N="25" REF="14">
not be a&s;hamed, and as a good and wi&s;e Steward of the Hou&s;e of the Lord, di&s;tributing the &s;pirituall meate as well to every one apart, according to his abilitie, as in common to all the family. You &s;hall doe this in all dili|gence, being earne&s;t in time and out of time: And for this cau&s;e you promi&s;e to follow with all care and dili|gence, all meanes and helpes of &s;tudie, things proper to execute &amp; honour your &s;aid Mini&s;tery, which notwith|&s;tanding &s;hall be done in all &s;implicitie and ea&s;ine&s;&s;e, as well in words as in &s;entences, to this end, that the rude&s;t and mo&s;t unlearned, and the Church may be edified by it. Above all, you &s;hall imploy your &s;elfe in &s;tudying the holy Scriptures, to this end, that being well in&s;tructed touching the Kingdome of Heaven, you may be like a good Father of a Family, who is able to draw out of his trea&s;ure both old and new things.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="promise">
<HEAD>A Promi&s;e particular to the Elders.</HEAD>
<P>YOu promi&s;e to be a&s;&s;i&s;tant unto the Mini&s;ters of the Word, for the Government of the Church, over the which you are appointed, and &s;hall take heed to the Mi|ni&s;tery of the Word; Fir&s;t, that the Church be not un|provided, and that being e&s;tabli&s;hed it may be reveren|ced, and therefore you &s;hall have an eye to them as well for the holy doctrine, as for their holine&s;&s;e of life, and af|terwards upon the re&s;t of the Church, e&s;pecially upon tho&s;e which are committed more neerly to your charge. And therefore if there &s;hall come any di&s;cord between any of your quarter, you &s;hall endeavour to accord them by good and brotherly advi&s;ement, and if they will not obey, you &s;hall &s;ummon them to come to the Con&s;i&s;to|rie to have &s;ome convenient remedy thereof, which you &s;hall doe principally in the Vi&s;itation before the Com|munion: Al&s;o you &s;hall goe at every Communion throughout all the Families of your quarter, as well to
<PB N="26" REF="15">
your neighbours, as tho&s;e that are of your own hou&s;|hold, to know whether they live in the feare of God, whether they frequent preaching, if they doe pray in their hou&s;es, their particular prayers evening and mor|ning, before and after meate.</P>
<P>Furthermore, You doe promi&s;e to vi&s;it the &s;icke of your quarter, and when there &s;hall be need, you &s;hall call with you the Mini&s;ters of the Word to comfort them; finally, you &s;hall procure that all things in the a&s;&s;emblies may be done in good order and &s;eemline&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="promise">
<HEAD>A Promi&s;e particular to Deacons.</HEAD>
<P>YOu promi&s;e to receive, di&s;pence, and keepe faithfully, and without deceipt or acceptation of per&s;ons, the goods which are given to the poore; you &s;hall gather the almes of the poore given by the people at the going out of the Church after the Sermons, and e&s;pecially on the Sabbath day: And if that nece&s;&s;itie &s;o require (becau&s;e of &s;ome extraordinary need) you &s;hall goe by the hou&s;es of tho&s;e which are willing, to gather &s;ome come or o|ther almes, according to the good will or di&s;cretion of well di&s;po&s;ed people. And to wipe away all evill &s;u&s;piti|on, you &s;hall count out of hand the almes received (which &s;hall be &s;et down in writing) in the pre&s;ence of the Mini|&s;ters, and one or two of the Elders: And for this cau&s;e you &s;hall have a Booke, wherein to Regi&s;ter as well the things that are received as tho&s;e that are laid out.</P>
<P>You doe promi&s;e that you will not give any almes without communicating it unto the Mini&s;ters and the Elders, that you di&s;tribute the almes, fir&s;t of all unto tho&s;e that are of the hou&s;hold of faith; and if there be any overplus, you may let it run down unto &s;trangers from the Church.</P>
<P>You do promi&s;e to vi&s;it the poore, &s;icke, and to cau&s;e them to be tended and looked unto, and to inquire of the
<PB N="27" REF="15">
nece&s;&s;itie of other poore, principally of your quarter, and to the end that they may be nouri&s;hed by the almes of the Church, without letting them wander and range about the &s;treets, or other Pari&s;hes. And you &s;hall pro|cure that tho&s;e which are meet to be put to occupation, that they may be imployed, of the which, you &s;hall ad|verti&s;e the Con&s;tables, or tho&s;e which have the charge of Ju&s;tice, to the end that they may not be &s;uffered to beg.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A Prayer Common for all the Officers of the Church.</HEAD>
<P>OH Lord God, Father of light, from whom commeth every good and perfect gift, we doe pray thee mo&s;t humbly in the name and favour of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, thy one|ly Sonne our Saviour, who being a&s;cended into heaven in glory, doth not cea&s;e to inlarge towards as thy grati|ous liberalitie of Officers, for the work of the Mini&s;tery, and building of thy my&s;ticall bodie, wee mo&s;t humbly pray thee, that &s;eeing it hath plea&s;ed thee to call this our brother to the &s;ervice of the Church, that thou woulde&s;t &s;o fa&s;hion and fit him to &s;o holy a charge, that he may quit him&s;elfe in all diligence, imploying him&s;elfe faith|fully and with a fervent zeale to all that which belongeth unto his charge. Give him prudency to governe him|&s;elfe well in it, and force to execute all things that apper|taine to him in regard of his office. Above all things, fill him with the &s;pirit of thy feare, to the end that he may be pre&s;erved from all &s;candall, confu&s;ion, and the allurements of this pre&s;ent world, of the &s;nares and am|bu&s;hments of Sathan, giving him patience and con&s;tan|cy, that he may acquit faithfully his dutie as much as humane frailtie may &s;uffer: Ble&s;&s;e thou his labour, to the end that nothing hinder the holy worke which is in his hands; Shew al&s;o this grace to every one of us, to ac|knowledge
<PB N="28" REF="16">
him as &s;et and ordained of thy hand in this mo&s;t holy vocation, that we may be led by him, with|out with&s;tanding the order thou ha&s;t e&s;tabli&s;hed in thy Charge: And that by this means remaining in thy obe|dience, thou may&s;t be glorified in us, and thy Church may receive continuall growth, to the good and &s;alvati|on of thy children:</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="version">
<HEAD>Proper to the Mini&s;ter of the Word.</HEAD>
<P>And in regard of his particular Charge, we mo&s;t humbly pray thee, that this our brother which thou ha&s;t called to the Mini&s;tery of thy holy Word, to the which even the holy Angells are in&s;ufficient, thou woulde&s;t enlarge him with the true keowledge of the wonderfull &s;ecrets thereof, and with a &s;ingular wi&s;dome, by the which he may know how to di&s;pence and apply to every one, ac|cording to the circum&s;tance of time, of places, and prin|cipally of per&s;ons, that he may have his mouth opened to declare in all libertie and boldne&s;&s;e, truly &s;pirituall, the my&s;tery of the Go&s;pell; As al&s;o all that which is meete for him to declare; And al&s;o to admini&s;ter the holy Sa|craments in all puritie and reverence: Give to every one of us this grace, that we may receive as well the one as the other, in all humilitie and trembling of heart, not as comming from men, but (as the truth is) comming from thee the living God, thereby to be quickned eternally to</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="version">
<HEAD>Proper to the Elders.</HEAD>
<P>be an Elder and watchman, graunt thou that he being given for helpe to the Mini&s;ters of the Word in the go|vernment, and as the eares of the body of the Church, he may apply him&s;elfe with &s;uch diligence to know the e|&s;tate as well of the faith as of the manners of the flocke, principally of tho&s;e over the which he hath more parti|cular charge, that by this meanes he may as well admo|ni&s;h, reprehend, comfort, and encourage every one, ac|cording as there is need; as al&s;o to certifie the Mini&s;ters of the Word of it, that the Mini&s;ters by help thereof may with more profit addre&s;&s;e their doctrine to the Church of God. Give al&s;o this grace to every one of us, that we
<PB N="29" REF="16">
may obey and reverence him as well in private admoni|tions, as the re&s;t of the guiding of the Church, as a father whom God hath &s;et to watch over our &s;oules, to this end he may doe it with cheerfulne&s;&s;e and not with griefe to</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="version">
<HEAD>Proper to Deacons.</HEAD>
<P>be a Deacon, that thou woulde&s;t graunt him thy Spirit, fir&s;t of &s;implicitie, to di&s;tribute the trea&s;ure of the church without acceptation of per&s;ons; and then the &s;pirit of di&s;|cretion, to di&s;cern of the e&s;tate of every one of the poore, and e&s;pecially of tho&s;e which are of his quarter. Finally, and above all, the &s;pirit of compa&s;&s;ion, to execute his du|tie towards the poore (principally towards the &s;icke and weake) in all joy and readnine&s;&s;e, to the end they be not put to further &s;orrow: Touch al&s;o the hearts &amp; entrayles of every one of us, that following thy liberalitie towards us, we may willingly and frankly di&s;tribute of our goods to &s;u&s;tain the nece&s;&s;itie of the afflicted, as members of the &s;ame bodie, and entertaining the communion, which ought to be between the faithfull, we may &s;hew by effect that we are true members of the Church.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="version">
<HEAD>Laying on of hands.</HEAD>
<P>I lay upon him the hands in the name of the Con&s;i&s;tory, by which impo&s;ition of hands, you are adverti&s;ed that you are &s;et apart from the affaires of this world, whether they be your own or any others (in &s;o much as they may hinder the charge you are called unto) to be dedicated &amp; con&s;ecrated to the holy &s;ervice of God. Moreover, that in doing your dutie faithfully, roundly, and in all &s;impli|citie (as before God) you &s;hall be a&s;&s;ured of the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the hand of God, helpfull unto you in all your nece&s;&s;i|tie: And therefore that you be not di&s;couraged for the afflictions that may come upon you in executing your charge, rather that you may &s;u&s;tain con&s;tantly and in all patience, contempt, &s;hame, and reproach of men given in this world, both which things being &s;ignified by this ceremony, God by his mercy and faithfulne&s;&s;e accom|pli&s;h and perfect in you, in the name of his Sonne Je&s;us Chri&s;t our Saviour.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="admonition">
<PB N="30" REF="17">
<HEAD>A generall Admonition to the people for all the Officers of the Church.</HEAD>
<P>ANd as for you Brethren and Si&s;ters know, that the dutie of the Church towards the Brother pre&s;ent, is to receive him willingly, as &s;ent of God, bearing him ho|nour and reverence, in regard of his Charge, the which he executeth towards you: Take heed that you mur|mur not again&s;t him, or again&s;t his Mini&s;tery in any &s;ort what&s;oever, for the Lord will not leave unpuni&s;hed the contempt of his &s;ervants, and much le&s;&s;e the murmuring and ra&s;h rebellion again&s;t their per&s;ons: As the horrible examples that may be &s;eene in the Scriptures doe plainly te&s;tifie. It is al&s;o required of you that you pray unto God for him, to this end that he may execute the office God hath called him unto in all wi&s;dome and faithfulne&s;&s;e, referring all to Gods glory, and the edification of his Church, whereof he hath charge.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="version">
<HEAD>Speciall for the Mini&s;ter of the Word.</HEAD>
<P>Which you &s;hall doe &s;o much more carefully for him in regard that his charge is of &s;o great importance, as well for the glory of God, as for the &s;alvation of us all, as you have partly under&s;tood by the dutie which hath been al|ready recited. To the end that &s;peech may be given him and a mouth opened in all boldne&s;&s;e to make known the &s;ecret of the Go&s;pell, and to &s;peak frankly as it behoveth him to &s;peak. Secondly, it is meet you know that the of|fice of the Church towards the Mini&s;ters is to entertaine them hone&s;tly, according to their power and abilitie: for it is good rea&s;on that &s;eing they &s;ow &s;pirituall things, they &s;hould reap the corporall things: And that the Oxe that treadeth out the graine, &s;hould not want feeding, as S^t <HI>Paul</HI> teacheth: Therefore al&s;o you &s;hall have this our Brother for recommended as touching his entertain|ment.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="17">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</GROUP>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
