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<DATE>2013-07-11</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Simon Charles</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
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<STC T="W">T2066</STC>
<STC T="T">E269_17</STC>
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<BIBNO T="umi">99871000</BIBNO>
<VID>123398</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A DIRECTORY OF Church-government. Anciently contended for, and as farre as the Times would &s;uffer, practi&s;ed by the fir&s;t Non-conformi&s;ts in the daies of Queen ELIZABETH. Found in the &s;tudy of the mo&s;t accompli&s;hed Divine, M^r. <HI>Thomas Cartwright,</HI> after his decea&s;e; and re&s;erved to be publi&s;hed for &s;uch a time as this.</P>
<P><HI>Publi&s;hed by Authority.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>John Wright</HI> in the Old-baily. 1644.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>THE SACRED DISCIPLINE of the CHURCH, de&s;cribed in the Word of God.</HEAD>
<P>_THe Di&s;cipline of Chri&s;ts Church that is ne|ce&s;&s;ary for all times is delivered by Chri&s;t, and &s;et downe in the holy Scriptures. Therefore the true and lawfull Di&s;cipline is to be fetched from thence, and from thence alone. And that which re&s;teth upon any other foundation ought to be e&s;teemed unlawfull and counterfeit.</P>
<P>Of all particular Churches there is one and the &s;ame right order and forme: Therefore al&s;o no one may challenge to it &s;elfe any power over others; nor any right which doth not alike agree to others.</P>
<P>The Mini&s;ters of publique charges in every particular Church ought to be called and appointed to their charges by a lawfull Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall calling, &s;uch as hereafter is &s;et downe.</P>
<P>All the&s;e for the divers regard of their &s;everall kinds are of equall power among&s;t them&s;elves.</P>
<P>No man can be lawfully called to publique charge in any Church, but he that is fit to di&s;charge the &s;ame. And none is
<PB REF="3"> to be accounted fit, but he that is endued with the common gifts of all the godly; that is, with faith, and a blamele&s;&s;e life: And further al&s;o, with tho&s;e that are proper to that Mini&s;tery wherein he is to be u&s;ed, and nece&s;&s;ary for the exe|cuting of the &s;ame; whereupon for triall of tho&s;e gifts &s;ome convenient way and examination is to be u&s;ed.</P>
<P>The party to be called mu&s;t fir&s;t be elected, then he is to be ordained to that charge whereunto he is cho&s;en, by the pray|ers of that Church whereunto he is to be admitted; the mutu|all duties of him and of the Church being before laid open.</P>
<P>The Mini&s;ters of the Church are, fir&s;t they that are Mini|&s;ters of the word. In their examination it is &s;pecially to be taken h&eacute;ed unto, that they be apt to teach, and tryed men, not utterly unlearned, nor newly planted and converted to the Faith.</P>
<P>Now the&s;e Mini&s;ters of the word are, fir&s;t Pa&s;tors, which doe admini&s;ter the Word and Sacraments, then Teachers, which are occupied in whol&s;ome doctrine.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides there are al&s;o Elders, which watch over the life and behaviour of every man, and Deacons, which have care over the poore.</P>
<P>Further, in every particular Church there ought to be a Presbytery, which is a Con&s;i&s;tory, and as it were a Senate of Elders. Vnder the name of Elders here are contained they who in the Church mini&s;ter doctrine, and they who are proper|ly called Elders.</P>
<P>By the common Coun&s;ell of the Elder&s;hip all things are directed that belong to the &s;tate of their Church. Fir&s;t, &s;uch as belong to the guidance of the whole body of it in the holy and common a&s;&s;embly gathered together in the name of the Lord, that all things may be done in them duely, orderly, and to edification. 2. Then al&s;o &s;uch as pertaine to particular per&s;ons. Fir&s;t, to all the members of that Church, that the
<PB REF="3"> good may enioy all the priviledges that belong unto them, that the wicked may be corrected with Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ures according to the quality of the fault, private and publique, by admoni&s;hing &amp; by remooving either from the Lords Supper by &s;u&s;pen&s;ion (as it is commonly called) or out of the Church by Excommunication. The which belong &s;pecially to the Mini&s;ters of publique charge in the Church to their calling either to be begun or ended, and ended either by relieving or puni&s;hing them, and that for a time by &s;u&s;pen&s;ion or altoge|ther by depo&s;ition.</P>
<P>For directing of the Elder&s;hip let the Pa&s;tors be &s;et over it, or if there be no Pa&s;tors then one in the &s;ame Church, let the Pa&s;tors doe it in their turnes.</P>
<P>But yet in all the greater affaires of the Church, as in Ex|communicating of any, and in choo&s;ing&punc; and depo&s;ing of Church Mini&s;ters, nothing may be concluded without the knowledge and con&s;ent of the Church.</P>
<P>Particular Churches ought to yeeld mutuall help one to another, for which cau&s;e they are to communicate among&s;t them&s;elves.</P>
<P>The end of this communicating together is, that all things in them may be &s;o directed both in regard of Doctrine and al&s;o of Di&s;cipline, as by the Word of God they ought to b&eacute;e.</P>
<P>Therfore the things that belong hereunto are determined by the common opinion of tho&s;e who meet &s;o to communi|cate together, and what&s;oever is to be amended&punc; furthered or procured in any of tho&s;e &s;everall Churches that belong to that a&s;&s;embly. Wherein, albeit no particular Church hath power over another, yet every particular Church of the &s;ame re&s;ort, m&eacute;eting and coun&s;ell, ought to obey the opinion of more Churches with whom they communicate.</P>
<P>For holding of the&s;e meetings and a&s;&s;emblies there are to
<PB REF="4"> be cho&s;en by every Church belonging to that a&s;&s;embly, prin|cipall men from among the Elders, who are to have their in&s;tructions from them, and &s;o to bee &s;ent to the A&s;&s;embly. There mu&s;t be al&s;o a care had, that the things they &s;hall re|turne to have been godly agr&eacute;ed on by the m&eacute;etings, be dili|gently ob&s;erved by the Churches.</P>
<P>Further in &s;uch a&s;&s;emblies there is al&s;o to be cho&s;en one that may be &s;et over the a&s;&s;emblies, who may moderate and direct them. His duty is to &s;ee, that the a&s;&s;emblies be held godly, quiet and comely. Therefore it belongeth unto him to begin and end the conference with prayer, to know every mans in|&s;tructions, to propound in order the things that are to bee handled, to gather their opinions, and to propound what is the opinion of the greater part. It is al&s;o the part of the re&s;t of the a&s;&s;embly to &s;peak their opinions of the things propoun|ded godly and quietly.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The Synodicall Di&s;cipline gathered out of the Synods and u&s;e of the Churches which have re&s;tored it according to the Word of God, and out of &s;un|dry bookes that are written of the &s;ame, and referred unto certain Heads.</HEAD>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of the nece&s;&s;ity of a Calling.</HEAD>
<P>LEt no man thru&s;t him&s;elfe into the executing of any part of publique charge in the admini&s;tration of the Word, Sacraments, Di&s;cipline or care over the poore. Neither let any &s;uch &s;ue or &s;eek for any publique charge of the Church, but let every one tarry untill hee bee lawfully called.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>The manner of entring and determining of a Calling and again&s;t a Mini&s;tery of no certaine place; and the de&s;ertion of a Church.</HEAD>
<P>LEt none be called but unto &s;ome certain charge ordain|ed of God, and to the exerci&s;ing of the &s;ame in &s;ome particular Congregation. And he that is &s;o called let him be &s;o bound to that&mdash;Church that he may not after be of any other, or depart from it without the con&s;ent thereof. Let none be called, but they that have fir&s;t &s;ub&s;cribed the con|fe&s;&s;ion of Doctrine and Di&s;cipline. Whereof let them be ad|moni&s;hed to have copies with them&s;elves.</P>
<P>In the examination of Mini&s;ters the te&s;timony of the place from whence they come is to be demanded, whereby it may bee under&s;tood what life and conver&s;ation hee hath been of, and whether he hath been addicted to any Here&s;ie, or to the reading of any hereticall books, or to curious and &s;trange que&s;tions and idle &s;peculations; or rather whether hee be accompted &s;ound and con&s;enting in all things to the Doctrine received in the Church. Whereunto if hee a|gree, hee is al&s;o to expound &s;ome part of the holy Scrip|tures twice or oftner, as it &s;hall &s;eem meet to the examiners, and that before the Conference, and that Church which is intere&s;&s;ed. Let him al&s;o be demanded of the principall heads of Divinity. And whether he will diligently execute and di&s;charge his Mini&s;tery, and in the execution thereof propound unto him&s;elfe not his owne de&s;ires and commo|dities, but the glory of God and edification of the Church. La&s;tly, whether hee will be &s;tudious and carefull to main|taine and pre&s;erve whole&s;ome Doctrine, and Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Di&s;cipline. Thus let the Mini&s;ter be examined not onely by one Elder&s;hip, but al&s;o by &s;ome greater meeting and a&s;&s;embly.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB REF="5">
<HEAD>Of Election.</HEAD>
<P>BEfore the Election of a Mini&s;ter and the deliberation of the Conference concerning the &s;ame, let there be a day of Fa&s;t kept in the Church intere&s;&s;ed.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of the place of exerci&s;ing this Calling.</HEAD>
<P>ALbeit it be lawfull for a Mini&s;ter upon ju&s;t occa&s;ion to Preach in another Church then that wherof he is Mi|ni&s;ter, yet none may exerci&s;e any ordinary Mini&s;tery el&s;e|where, but for a certaine time upon great occa&s;ion, and by the con&s;ent of his Church and Conference.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of the Office of the Mini&s;ters of the word, and fir&s;t of the order of Liturgy, or Common Prayer.</HEAD>
<P>LEt the Mini&s;ter that is to Preach name a P&s;alme or a part of a P&s;alm (beginning with the fir&s;t, and &s;o procee|ding) that may be &s;ung by the Church, noting to them the end of their &s;inging (to wit) the glory of God and their own edification. After the P&s;alme let a &s;hort admonition to the people follow of preparing them&s;elves to pray duly unto God. Then let there be made a Prayer containing a gene|rall confe&s;&s;ion. Fir&s;t of the guilt of &s;in both originall and actuall, and of the puni&s;hment which is due by the Law for them both. Then al&s;o of the promi&s;e of the Go&s;pell, and in re&s;pect of it &s;upplication of pardon for the &s;aid guilt and puni&s;hment, and petition of grace promi&s;ed, as for the duties of the whole life, &s;o e&s;pecially for the godly ex|pounding and receiving of the Word. Let this petition be concluded with the Lords Prayer. After the Sermon, let Prayer be made againe, Fir&s;t for grace to profit by the doctrine delivered, the principall heads thereof being re|membred; then for all men, but chiefly for the univer&s;all Church and for all e&s;tates and degrees of the people; which is likewi&s;e to be ended with the Lords Prayer and the &s;ing|ing of a P&s;alme as before. La&s;t of all let the Congregation
<PB REF="5"> be di&s;mi&s;&s;ed, with &s;ome convenient forme of ble&s;&s;ing taken out of the Scripture, &s;uch as is <HI>Num.</HI> 6. 24. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13. 13.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of Preaching.</HEAD>
<P>LEt him that &s;hall Preach choo&s;e &s;ome part of the Canonicall Scripture to expound, and not of the <HI>A|pocrypha.</HI> Further in his ordinary Mini&s;tery, let him not take Po&s;tills (as they are called) but &s;ome whole booke of the holy Scripture, e&s;pecially of the new Te&s;tament, to expound in order. In choi&s;e whereof regard is to be had both of the Mini&s;ters ability, and of the edification of the Church.</P>
<P>He that Preacheth mu&s;t performe two things, the fir&s;t that his &s;peech bee uncorrupt, which is to be con&s;idered both in regard of the Doctrine, that it be holy, &s;ound, whol|&s;ome and profitable to edification, not diveli&s;h, hereticall, leavened, corrupt, fabulous, curious, or contentious; and al&s;o in re&s;pect of the manner of it, that it be proper to the place which is handled, that is, which either is contained plainly in the very words; or if it be gathered by con&s;e|quent, that the &s;ame be fit and cleere and &s;uch as may ri&s;e upon the property of the word, grace of &s;peech and &s;uit of the matter, and not be allegoricall, &s;trange, wre&s;ted or far fetched. Now let that which is &s;uch, and chiefly which is fitte&s;t for the times and occa&s;ions of the Church, be de|livered. Further let the explication, confirmation, en|largement and application, and the whole Treati&s;e and handling of it be in the vulgar tongue, and let the whole confirmation and proofe be made by arguments, te&s;timo|nies and examples taken only out of the holy Scriptures, applied fitly and according to the naturall meaning of the places that are alleadged.</P>
<P>The &s;econd thing to be performed by him that preach|eth is a reverend gravity; This is con&s;idered fir&s;t in the
<PB REF="6"> &s;tile, phra&s;e and manner of &s;peech, that it be &s;pirituall, pure, proper, &s;imple and applied to the capacity of the people, not &s;uch as humane wi&s;dome teacheth, nor &s;avo|ring of new fangledne&s;&s;e, nor either &s;o affectate as it may &s;erve for pompe and o&s;tentation, or &s;o carele&s;&s;e, and ba&s;e, as becommeth not Mini&s;ters of the Word of God. Second|ly, it is al&s;o to be regarded a&s;well in ordering the voyce, in which a care mu&s;t be had that (avoyding the keeping al|wayes of one tune) it may be equall, and both ri&s;e and fall by degrees; as al&s;o in ordering the ge&s;ture wherein (the body being upright) the guiding and ordering the whole body is to follow the voyce, there being avoyded in it all un&s;eemely ge&s;tures of the head or other parts and often turning of the body to divers &s;ides. Finally let the ge&s;ture be grave, mode&s;t and &s;eemly, not utterly none, nor too much neither like the ge&s;tures of Playes or Fencers.</P>
<P>The&s;e things are to be performed by him that Preach|eth, whereby when need requireth they may be examined who are trayned and exerci&s;ed to be made fit to Preach: Let there be, if it may be, every Sabbath day two Sermons, and let them that preach alwayes endeavour to keepe them&s;elves within one houre, e&s;pecially on the weekdayes. The u&s;e of preaching at Burialls is to be left as it may bee done conveniently, becau&s;e there is danger that they may nouri&s;h the &s;uper&s;tition of &s;ome, or bee abu&s;ed to pompe and vanity.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of the Catechi&s;me.</HEAD>
<P>LEt the Catechi&s;me bee taught in every Church. Let there be two &s;orts. One more large applied to the de|livering of the &s;um of Religion by a &s;ute and order of certaine places of the Scriptures, according to which &s;ome point of the holy Doctrine may be expounded every week. Another of the &s;ame &s;ort but &s;horter, fit for the exammati|on
<PB REF="6"> of the rude and ignorant before they be admitted to the Lords Supper.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of the other parts of Liturgy or Divine Service.</HEAD>
<P>ALL the re&s;t of the Liturgy or Divine Service con|&s;i&s;teth in the admini&s;tration of the Sacraments and by the cu&s;tome of the Church in the ble&s;&s;ing of Marriage. The mo&s;t commodious forme thereof is that which is u&s;ed by the Churches that have reformed their&mdash;Di&s;cipline ac|cording to the Word of God.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of Sacraments.</HEAD>
<P>LEt onely a Mini&s;ter of the Word that is a Preacher mini&s;ter the Sacraments, and that after the preach|ing of the Word, and not in any other place then in the pub|lique a&s;&s;emblies of the Church.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of Bapti&s;me.</HEAD>
<P>WOmen only may not offer unto Bapti&s;me tho&s;e that are to be baptized, but the Father if it may be, or in his name &s;ome other. They which pre&s;ent unto Bapti&s;me ought to be per&s;waded not to give tho&s;e that are Baptized the names of God or of Chri&s;t, or of Angells or of holy Offices, as of Bapti&s;t, Evangeli&s;t, &amp;c. nor &s;uch as &s;avour of Pagani&s;me or Popery; but chiefly &s;uch whereof there are examples in the holy Scriptures in the names of tho&s;e who are reported in them to have beene godly and vertuous.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of the Communion.</HEAD>
<P>LEt the time of celebrating the Communion bee made known eight dayes before, that the Congregation may prepare them&s;elves, and that the Elders may do their duty in going to and vi&s;iting whom they ought.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of Signifying their names that are to communicate.</HEAD>
<P>LEt them which before have not beene received to the Lords Table when they fir&s;t de&s;ire to come to it, give their names to the Mini&s;ter &s;eaven dayes before the Com|munion
<PB REF="7"> that care of enquiring of them may be committed to the Elders, that if there be any cau&s;e of hindrance there may be &s;tay made betime; but if there be no &s;uch thing let them proceed (where neede may be) to the examining of their faith before &s;ome of the Elders and Mini&s;ters every moneth before the Communion. Let this whole Treati&s;e of Di&s;cipline be read in the con&s;i&s;tory, and let the Mi|ni&s;ters, Elders and Deacons be cen&s;ured one after an other; yet &s;o that the Mini&s;ter concerning Doctrine be cen&s;ured of Mini&s;ters only.</P>
<P>Let them only be admitted to the Communion that have made confe&s;&s;ion of their faith, and &s;ubmitted them&s;elves to the Di&s;cipline: unle&s;&s;e they &s;hall bring letters te&s;timoniall of good credit from &s;ome other place, or &s;hall approve them&s;elves by &s;ome other &s;ufficient te&s;timonie</P>
<P>Children are not to be admitted to the Communion be|fore they be of the age of 14 yeares except the con&s;i&s;tory &s;hall otherwi&s;e determine.</P>
<P>On the Sabbath day next before the Communion, let mention be made in the Sermon of the examination, wher|unto the Apo&s;tle exhorteth, and of the peace that is by faith, in the day of the Communion, let there be &s;peech of the Doctrine of the Sacraments, and e&s;pecially of the Lords Supper.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of Fa&s;ting.</HEAD>
<P>LEt the day of Fa&s;ting bee publi&s;hed by the Pa&s;tor ac|cording to the advi&s;e of the con&s;i&s;tory, either for &s;up|plication, for turning away of calamities pre&s;ent or threat|ned; or for petition of &s;ome &s;peciall grace. Let the Ser|mons upon the &s;ame day before and after noone (as on the Lords day) bee &s;uch as may bee fit for the pre&s;ent oc|ca&s;ion</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB REF="7">
<HEAD>Of Holidaies.</HEAD>
<P>HOlidaies are conveniently to be aboli&s;hed.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of Marriage.</HEAD>
<P>LEt e&s;pou&s;ing goe before marriage. Let the words of e&s;pou&s;ing be of the pre&s;ent time, and without condi|tion, and before &s;ufficient witne&s;&s;es on both &s;ides. It is to be wi&s;hed that the Mini&s;ter or an Elder be pre&s;ent at the e&s;pou&s;als who having called upon God may admoni&s;h both parties of their duties. Fir&s;t, may have care of avoyding the degrees forbidden both by the Law of God and man: and then they may demand of them, whether they be free from any bond of Marriage, which if they profe&s;&s;e and be &s;trangers, he may al&s;o require &s;ufficient te&s;timony. Further al&s;o they are to be demanded, whether they have been married before, and of the death of the party with whom they were married, which if they acknowledge and be &s;trangers he may demand convenient te&s;timony of the death of the other party. Finally, let them be a&s;ked if they be under the government of any; whether they whom it concerneth have con&s;ented.</P>
<P>The E&s;pou&s;als being done in due order, let them not be di&s;&s;olved though both parties &s;hould con&s;ent. Let the mar|riage be &s;olemnized within two moneths after. Before the marriage let the promi&s;e be publi&s;hed three &s;everall Sab|bath daies; but fir&s;t, let the parties e&s;pou&s;ed, with their parents or governours de&s;ire the publi&s;hing thereof of the Mini&s;ter and two Elders at the lea&s;t, that they may be de|manded of tho&s;e things that are needfull, and let thom re|quire to &s;ee the in&s;trument of the covenant of the Marri|age, or atlea&s;t &s;ufficient te&s;timony of the E&s;pou&s;als. Mar|riage may be &s;olemnized and ble&s;&s;ed upon any ordinary day of publique prayer, &s;aving upon a day of Fa&s;t.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB REF="8">
<HEAD>Of Schooles.</HEAD>
<P>LEt children be in&s;tructed in Schooles; both in other learning, and e&s;pecially in the Catechi&s;me; that they may repeat it by heart, and under&s;tand it; when they are &s;o in&s;tructed, let them be brought to the Lords Supper, after they have been examined by the Mini&s;ter, and allowed by him.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of Students of Divinity, and their Exerci&s;es.</HEAD>
<P>IN every Church where it may conveniently be done, care is to be had that &s;ome poore Schollers &s;tudious of Divinity being fit for Theologicall exerci&s;es, and e&s;peci|ally for expounding of holy Scripture, may by the libe|rality of the godly rich be taught and trained up to preach.</P>
<P>Let that expo&s;ition as often as it &s;hall be convenient to be had be in the pre&s;ence at lea&s;t of one Mini&s;ter, by who&s;e pre&s;ence they may be kept in order, and in the &s;ame &s;ort, (as touching the manner of preaching) that publique Ser|mons are made. Which being ended, let the other &s;tudents (he being put a part that was Speaker) note wherein he hath failed in any of tho&s;e things that are to be performed by him that preacheth publiquely, as is &s;et down before. Of who&s;e opinion let the Mini&s;ter that is pre&s;ent and is mode|rator of their exerci&s;e, judge and admoni&s;h the &s;peaker, as he &s;hall thinke meet.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of Elders.</HEAD>
<P>LEt the Elders know every particular hou&s;e and per&s;on of the Church, that they may enforme the Mini&s;ter of the condition of every one, and the Deacons of the &s;icke, and poore, that they may take care to provide for them: they are not to be perpetuall, neither yet ea&s;ily to be changed.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<PB REF="8">
<HEAD>Of Con&s;i&s;tories.</HEAD>
<P>IN the Con&s;i&s;tory the mo&s;t voices are to be yeelded unto. In it onely Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall things are to be handled. Of them; fir&s;t they are to be dealt with &s;uch as belong to the common direction of the publique a&s;&s;embly, in the order of Liturgy or divine Service, Sermon, Prayers, Sacraments, Mariages, and Burials. Then with &s;uch al&s;o as pertaine to the over&s;ight of every one, and their particular deeds. Fur|ther, they are to cau&s;e &s;uch things as &s;hall be thought meet to be regi&s;tred and written in a booke. They are al&s;o to cau&s;e to be written in another booke the names of them that are baptized, with the names of their parents and &s;ure|ties. Likewi&s;e of the Communicants. Further al&s;o are to be noted their names that are married, that die, and to whom Letters te&s;timoniall are given.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of the Cen&s;ures.</HEAD>
<P>NOne is to be complained of unto the Con&s;i&s;tory un|le&s;&s;e fir&s;t the matter being uttered with &s;ilencing the parties name, if it &s;eem meet &s;o to be done by the judgment of the Con&s;i&s;tory.</P>
<P>In private and le&s;&s;e faults the precept of Chri&s;t, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18. is to be kept.</P>
<P>Greater and publique offences are to be handled by the Con&s;i&s;tory. Further publique offences are to be e&s;teemed, fir&s;t, &s;uch as are done openly before all, or whom&s;oever, the whole Church knowing of it. Secondly, &s;uch as be done in a publique place, albeit few know it. Thirdly, that are made &s;uch by pertinacy and contempt. Fourthly, that for the hel|nou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the offence are to be puni&s;hed with &s;ome grie|vous civill puni&s;hment.</P>
<P>They that are to be excommunicated being in publique charge in the Church, are to be depo&s;ed al&s;o from their charges. They al&s;o are to be di&s;charged that are unfit for
<PB REF="9"> the Mini&s;tery by rea&s;on of their ignorance, or of &s;ome in|curable di&s;ea&s;e, or by any other &s;uch cau&s;e, are di&s;abled to performe their Mini&s;tery. But in the roomes of &s;uch as are di&s;abled by meanes of &s;ickne&s;&s;e or age, let another be placed without the reproach of him that is di&s;charged; and further, &s;o as the reverence of the Mini&s;tery may remaine unto him, and he may be provided for liberally and in good order.</P>
<P>When there is que&s;tion concerning an heretique, com|plained of to the Con&s;i&s;tory, &s;treight let two or three neigh|bour Mini&s;ters be called, men godly and learned, and free from that &s;u&s;pition, by who&s;e opinion he may be &s;u&s;pen|ded till &s;uch time as the Conference may take knowledge of his cau&s;e.</P>
<P>The ob&s;tinate after admonition by the Con&s;i&s;tory, though the fault have not been &s;o great, are to be &s;u&s;pen|ded from the Communion; and if they continue in their ob&s;tinacy, this &s;hall be the order to proceed to their Ex|communication. Three &s;everall Sabbath daies after the Sermon publiquely let be declared the offence committed by the offender. The fir&s;t Sabbath let not the offenders name be publi&s;hed. The &s;econd let it be declared, and withall a certaine day of the weeke named, to be kept for that cau&s;e in fa&s;ting and prayer. The third let warning be given of his Excommunicating to follow the next Sab|bath after, except there may be &s;hewed &s;ome &s;ufficient cau&s;e to the contrary: &s;o upon the fourth Sabbath day let the &s;entence of Excommunication be pronounced again&s;t him, that his &s;pirit may be &s;aved in the day of the Lord.</P>
<P>He that hath committed great offences, opprobrious to the Church, and to be grievou&s;ly puni&s;hed by the Magi|&s;trates authority, albeit he profe&s;&s;e his repentance in words,
<PB REF="9"> yet for the triall thereof, and to take away the offence, let him for a time be kept from the Communion. Which how often, and how long it is to be done, let the Con&s;i&s;tory ac|cording to their di&s;cretion determine. After which, if the party repent, he is brotherly to be received againe; but not untill he have openly profe&s;&s;ed his repentance before the Church, by con&s;ent whereof he &s;hould have been Excom|municated.</P>
<P>If the Mini&s;ters of any publique charge of the Church commit any &s;uch thing, they are to be depo&s;ed from their charge.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of the a&s;&s;emblies of the Church.</HEAD>
<P>PArticular Churches are to communicate one with ano|ther by common meetings and re&s;orts. In them onely Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall matters are to be handled, and of tho&s;e, onely &s;uch as pertaine to the Churches of that re&s;ort; concerning other Churches, unle&s;&s;e they be de&s;ired, they are to deter|mine nothing further then to referre &s;uch matters to their next common and great meeting.</P>
<P>Let the Order of proceeding in them be this: Fir&s;t, let the &s;urvey be taken of tho&s;e that are pre&s;ent, and the names of tho&s;e that are ab&s;ent, and &s;hould be there, be noted that they may give a rea&s;on at their next meeting of their ab|&s;ence, or be cen&s;ured by the judgement of the a&s;&s;embly next. Let the acts of the la&s;t a&s;&s;embly of that kinde be read, that if any of the &s;ame remaine unfini&s;hed they may be di&s;patched. Then let tho&s;e things be dealt in that are properly belonging to the pre&s;ent a&s;&s;embly. Where fir&s;t the in&s;tructions &s;ent from the Churches are to be delivered by every one in order, as they &s;it together, with their Let|ters of credence. Secondly, let the &s;tate of the Churches of that re&s;ort be con&s;idered, to wit, how they are in&s;tructed
<PB REF="10"> and guided. Whether the holy Doctrine and Di&s;cipline be taught and exerci&s;ed in them, and whether the Mini|&s;ters of publique charges doe their duty, and &s;uch like. Further more they &s;hall determine of tho&s;e things that doe appertaine to the common &s;tate of all the Churches of that re&s;ort, or unto any of the &s;ame, which way may be &s;uf|ficient for the over&s;ight of the Churches. La&s;tly, if it &s;eem meet, the Delegates pre&s;ent may be cen&s;ured.</P>
<P>They that are to meet in &s;uch a&s;&s;emblies are to be cho&s;en by the con&s;ent of the Churches of that a&s;&s;embly and confe|rence to whom it may appertaine.</P>
<P>Let &s;uch onely be cho&s;en that exerci&s;e publique functi|on in the Church of Mini&s;tery or Elder&s;hip, and which have &s;ub&s;cribed to the Doctrine and Di&s;cipline, and have promi&s;ed to behave them&s;elves according to the Word of God. Notwith&s;tanding it may be lawfull al&s;o to be pre&s;ent for other Elders and other Mini&s;ters, and likewi&s;e (if the A&s;&s;embly thinke it meet) for Deacons and for Students in Divinity, e&s;pecially tho&s;e that exerci&s;e them&s;elves in ex|pounding the holy Scriptures in the Conferences, and be a&s;ked their opinion. Which in &s;tudents is to this end, that their judgements in handling matters Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall may be both tried and &s;harpned. But they onely are to give voyce which are cho&s;en by the Churches, and have brought their in&s;tructions &s;igned from them.</P>
<P>If there fall out any very waighty matter to be con&s;ulted of, let notice of it be given to the Moderator of the A&s;&s;em|bly next going before, or to the Mini&s;ter of that Church where the next meeting is to be. The &s;ame is to &s;end word of it in due time to the Mini&s;ter of every Church of that A&s;|&s;embly, that they may communicate it afore-hand with tho&s;e to whom it appertaineth, that the Delegates re&s;orting
<PB REF="10"> to the next meeting may under&s;tand and report their judgements.</P>
<P>In appointing of the place for the A&s;&s;embly regard mu&s;t be had of the convenient di&s;tance, and other commodities that no part may ju&s;tly complaine that they are burthened above others.</P>
<P>In every &s;uch Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall A&s;&s;embly it is meet there be a Moderator. Hee is to have charge of the A&s;&s;embly, to &s;ee it kept in good order. Hee is alwaies, if it may be conveniently, to be changed. The choi&s;e is to be in this manner:</P>
<P>The Moderator of the former A&s;&s;embly of that kind, or in his ab&s;ence the Mini&s;ter of the Church where they meet, having fir&s;t prayed fitly to that purpo&s;e, is to move the A&s;&s;embly to choo&s;e a Moderator. He being cho&s;en is to provide that the things done in the A&s;&s;embly may be writ|ten, that the Delegates of every Church may write them out and communicate them with the Conferences from whence they came.</P>
<P>The Moderator is al&s;o by the order and judgement of the A&s;&s;embly, to give an&s;wer either by &s;peech or by Let|ters, to &s;uch as de&s;ire any an&s;wer, and to execute cen&s;ures if any be to be executed. Further, he is to procure all things to be done in it godly and quietly, exhorting to meekne&s;&s;e, moderation of &s;pirit, and forbearing one of another where need &s;hall be, and referring it to the A&s;&s;em|bly to take order for &s;uch as are ob&s;tinate and contentious. La&s;tly, he is to remember them of the next meeting fol|lowing, with thankes for their paines, and exhortation to proceed cheerfully in their Callings, and &s;o curteou&s;ly to di&s;mi&s;&s;e the A&s;&s;embly. Before &s;uch time none may depart without leave of the A&s;&s;embly.</P>
<PB REF="11">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB REF="11">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB REF="12">
<P>Tho&s;e A&s;&s;emblies, according to their kinds have greate authority, if they be greater; and le&s;&s;e, if they be le&s;&s;e. Therefore (unle&s;&s;e it be a plaine act, and manife&s;t unto all) if any thinke him&s;elfe injured by the le&s;&s;e meeting, he may appeale &s;till unto a greater, till he come to a ge|nerall Councell, &s;o that hee a&s;cend orderly from the le&s;&s;e to the next greater. But it is to be under&s;tood, that the &s;entence of the A&s;&s;emblies be holden firme untill it be otherwi&s;e judged by an A&s;&s;embly of greater au|thority.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>A&s;&s;emblies or meetings are either Conferences or Synods.</HEAD>
<P>COnferences are the meetings of the Elders of a few Churches, as for example, of twelve. There are to meet in a Conference cho&s;en by the Elder&s;hip of every particu|lar Church, one Mini&s;ter, and one Elder. The Conferences are to be kept once in &s;ix weeks.</P>
<P>They are &s;pecially to looke into the &s;tate of the Chur|ches of that re&s;ort and Conference: Examining particularly the&s;e &s;everall points. Whether all things be done in them according to the holy Doctrine and Di&s;cipline of the Go&s;pell, (to wit) whether any que&s;tions be moved con|cerning any point of Doctrine. Whether the Eccle&s;ia|&s;ticall Di&s;cipline be duely ob&s;erved. Whether any Mi|ni&s;ter be wanting in any of tho&s;e Churches, that a &s;uffici|ent one in due time may be procured. Whether the other Mini&s;ters of publique charge in the Church be ap|pointed in every Congregation. Whether care be had of Schooles, and for the poore. Finally, they are to be demanded wherein any of them needeth the advice of the Conference, for the advancement of the Go&s;pell a|mong&s;t them.</P>
<PB REF="12">
<P>Before the end of the meeting, if it &s;hall be &s;o thought good by them, let one of the Mini&s;ters a&s;&s;embled in Con|ference either cho&s;en by voyce, or taking it by turn, Preach publiquely. Of his Speech let the re&s;t judge among them|&s;elves (the Elders being put apart) and admoni&s;h him brotherly, if there be any cau&s;e, examining all things ac|cording to tho&s;e Rules that are before declared in the Chapter, concerning the things that are to be performed by tho&s;e that preach.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Of Synods.</HEAD>
<P>A Synod is the meeting of cho&s;en men of many Con|ferences. In them let the whole Treati&s;e of Di&s;cipline be read. In them al&s;o (other things fir&s;t being fini&s;hed as was &s;aid before) let all tho&s;e that are pre&s;ent be cen&s;ured (if it may be done conveniently) and let them al&s;o have a communion in, and with the Church where they were called.</P>
<P>There are two &s;orts of Synods, the fir&s;t is particular, which comprehendeth both the Provinciall and Natio|nall Synod. A Provinciall Synod is the meeting of the cho&s;en Men of every Conference, within the Province. A Province containeth foure and twenty con|ferences.</P>
<P>A fit way to call a provinciall councell may be this, The care thereof (except them&s;elves will determine of it) may be committed to the particular Elder&s;hip of &s;ome confe|rence within the Province, which by advi&s;e of the &s;ame conference may appoint the place and time for the meeting of the Provinciall Synod.</P>
<P>To that Church or Elder&s;hip are to be &s;ent the matters that &s;eemed to the particular conferences more difficult for
<PB REF="13"> them to take order in, and &s;uch as belong to the Churches of the whole Province, which is to be done diligently, and in good time, that the &s;ame may in due &s;ea&s;on give notice of the place and time of the Synod, and of the matters to be debated therein, that they which &s;hall be &s;ent may come the better prepared and judge of them according to the ad|vi&s;e of the Conferences.</P>
<P>Two Mini&s;ters and as many Elders are to be &s;ent from every Conference unto the Provinciall Synod: The &s;ame is to be held every halfe yeare or oftner till the Di&s;cipline be &s;etled. It is to be held three moneths before every na|tionall Synod, that they may prepare and make ready tho&s;e things that pertaine to the Nationall. The acts of the Provinciall Synod are to be &s;ent unto the Nationall, by the Elder&s;hip of that Church in which it was holden, and every Mini&s;ter is to be furni&s;hed with a Copy of them, and with the rea&s;ons of the &s;ame. A Nationall Synod or con|vocation is a meeting of the cho&s;en men of every Pro|vince, within the Dominion of the &s;ame Nation and civill government. The way to call it (unle&s;&s;e it &s;hall determine otherwi&s;e) may be the &s;ame with the Provinciall, that is, by the Elder&s;hip of &s;ome particular Church, which &s;hall ap|point the time and place of the next Nationall Convoca|tion; but not otherwi&s;e then by the advi&s;e of their Pro|vinciall Synod.</P>
<P>Out of every Provinciall Synod there are to bee cho|&s;en three Mini&s;ters, and as many Elders to bee &s;ent to the Nationall. They are to handle the things pertaining to the Churches of the whole Nation or Kingdome, as the Doctrine, Di&s;cipline, Ceremonies, things not deci|ded by inferiour meetings, appeales and &s;uch like. By the order of the &s;ame, one is to bee appointed which may
<PB REF="13"> gather into one booke the Notes of every particular Church.</P>
<P>Thus much for particular meetings, the univer&s;all fol|loweth, which is called a generall, or oecomenicall coun|cell, which is a meeting of the cho&s;en men of every Nati|onall Synod. The acts of all &s;uch councells are to be regi|&s;tred and reported in a book.</P>
<P>The Di&s;cipline intituled the Di&s;cipline of the Church' de&s;cribed in the Word of God, as farre as we can judge, is taken, and drawne from the mo&s;t pure Fountaine of the Word of God, and containeth in it the Di&s;cipline of the Church that is nece&s;&s;ary, e&s;&s;entiall and common to all ages of the Church.</P>
<P>The Synodicall al&s;o adjoyned as it re&s;teth upon the &s;ame foundations is likewi&s;e nece&s;&s;ary and perpetuall, But as farre as it is not expre&s;ly, confirmed by Authority of the holy Scripture, but is applied to the u&s;e and times of the Church as their divers &s;tates may require, ac|cording to the Analogy and generall Rules of the &s;ame Scripture, is to bee judged profitable for the Churches that receive it, but may bee changed in &s;uch things as belong not to the e&s;&s;ence of the Di&s;cipline upon a like godly rea&s;on, as the divers e&s;tates of the Church may require.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The forme of the Sub&s;cription.</HEAD>
<P>THe Brethren of the conference of N. who&s;e names are here under written have &s;ub&s;cribed this di&s;cipline after this manner. This Di&s;cipline wee allow as a godly Di&s;cipline, and agreeable to the Word of God, (yet &s;o as wee may be fir&s;t &s;atisfied in the things hereunder no|ted) and de&s;ire the &s;ame &s;o acknowledged by us, to be furthered by all lawfull meanes, that by publique autho|rity
<PB REF="14"> of the Magi&s;trate, and of our Church it may bee e&s;tabli&s;hed.</P>
<P>Which thing, if it may bee obtained of Her right Excellent Maje&s;ty, and other the Magi&s;trates of this King|dome, we promi&s;e that we will doe nothing again&s;t it whereby the publique peace of the Church may be troub|led. In the meane time we promi&s;e to ob&s;erve it &s;o far as it may be lawfull for us &s;o to doe, by the publique Lawes of this Kingdome, and by the Peace of our Church.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
