Church of Scotland? Llato which, the wife and learned King is faid to have returned this Anfwer; That every Parish bath their Pator, ever prefent with them, and watching ever them; That the Pater bath his Elders and Deacons, forted with him; That he, with them, once a week, meets at a fet time and place, for the cenfure of manners, or what ever diforder falls out in the Parish 5 fo as he, by this means, perfectly knowes his flock; and every abberration of them, either in matter of opinion, or practife: And lest any Error, or Herefie may feize upon the PaStor; they have their Presbyteries, confisting of feverall Shrivalties, which meet together in the chiefe Town or City next to them, every week alfo once; and have there their exercife of Prophefying; after which, the Moderator of the faid meeting asks and gathers the judgments of all the said Pactors, concerning the doctrine then delivered, or, of any other doubtfull point, that is then and there propounded; And if the faid Presbyters be divided in their opinions, then the question is, under an injoyned filence, put over to the next Synod,which is held twice a year; unto that all the Pa Stors of that Quarter, or Province,duely refortsaccompanied with their Elders; the Moderator of the former Synod legins the Action; then a new Moderator is chofen for the prefent, or (as it feldome falls out) the last Moderator, by Voices, continued.

Any Question of doubt being propofed, is either decided by that meeting, or (if it cannot be fo done) is, with charge of filence, referved till the National Synod, or Generall Affembly; which they hold every year once: whither come not the Paftors onely, but the King himself, or bis Commiffioners; and fome of all Orders and Degrees, fufficiently authorized for the determining of any controverfie, that shall arife among ft them. Thus he. And certainly this bears the face of a very fair and laudable course, and fuch, as deferves the approbation of all the wel-willers to that difcipline:But let me adde,that we either have, or may have, (in this very fame ftate of things, with fome small variation) in effect, the fame Government with us; only there wants fome care and life in their execution, which might, without much difficulty, be redreffed; Every Parish hath, or by Law ought to have their Minifter ever prefent with them; and carefully watching over them, Inftead then of their Paftor, Elders and Deacons; we have in every Parish, the Minifter, whether a Rector, or Vicar; Churchwardens, Quefimen, or Sidemen, and Overfeers for the Poor ; and in places of any eminence, a Curate or Affiftent to the Rector, who is a Deacon at

leaft

leaft; Thefe may, and ought, and in fome places do duely meet together, every week, on a fet day in their Veftry; and decide fuch differences as happen amongst them; and may well be enjoyned, to take notice of fuch abufes and mif-demeanours, as are incident into their Parish, for their speedy reformation, within the Verge of their

own power.

is

In ftead of their Presbyteries, confifting of feveral Paftors, we have our number, and combination of Minifters, in the Divifions of our feveral Deanries; under which are ranged all the Minifters within that circuit; Over whom the Rural Dean ( as he is called) every year chofen, by the faid Minifters of that divifion, as their moderator, for the year enfuing; whofe office (if it were carefully looked unto, and reduced to the original inftitution) might be of fingular ule to Gods Church; This Deanry, or Presbytery, confifting of feveral Paftors, may be injoyned to meet together every moneth, or oftner (if it feem fit )in fome City or Town next unto them; and may there have their exercife of prophefying, as I have known it practiced in fome parts of this kingdom;and as it is carneftly withed and recommended, by that excellently-Learned Lord Verulame, late Lord Chancelour of England, in his prudent confidetions: and then,and there, may endeavour to decide any doubt,that may arife in their feveral Parishes; either concerning the doctrine of their Minifter, or fcruple in cafes of confcience,and may tranfa& any publique bufineffe that may concerne their whole divifion; But if any fuch matter or question fhould arife, as their divided opinions cannot fully determine; it may (under charge of filence ) be put over to a more publique meeting; which is the Synodal affembly of the Clergy held twice a year, under the moderation ( hitherto) of the Archdeacon; and if there the queftion fail, of a full determination, it is, or may be referred, (with like filence and peace) to a Diocefan Synod, which may be held every year once; under the prefidency of the Bishop; and if yet the decifion come not home, it may be referred to the determining of a Provincial Synod, or yet higher, to a National: So as in thefe cafes of doubts, or errors, if men would not be wanting to themselves, nothing needs to be wanting in the state we now ftand in, to the fafety, and happineffe of our Church.

For matter of ordination of Ministers; the former constitutions

of our Church have deeply enjoyned the prefence, and affistance of those, who, by their original inftitutions, are the Presbytery of the Bishop, at, and in, the examination, and allowance of the perfons to be ordained; requiring alío, the joint-impofition of those hands, which attefted the fufficiency of the faid Examinants ; not without a fevere fanction of two years fufpenfion, of the act of Or daining, to paffe upon any Bishop, or Suffragan, that shall be found failing in any of the particulars; the qualification of thefe that are to be ordained, is in our Canons already set forth, with much cau tion; for their age, their degrees, their abilities, the teftimony of their holy conversation; neither need I doubt to affirm, that he, who (befides all other circumftances of Education) is able to give a good account of his faith in Latine, according to the received Arti cles of the Church of England, and to confirme the fame by suffici ent teftimonies, out of the holy Scripture, may be thought competently fit, (for matter of knowledg) to enter upon the first step of Deaconfhip; which the wisdome of the Church hath (according to the Apoftles rule) appointed (not without a fufficient diftance of time) in way of probation, to the higher order of Ministery; forbidding to give both orders at once; and requiring, that he, who is ordained Deacon, fhall continue a whole year, at leaft in that ftation, except, upon fome weighty reasons, it fhall feem fit to the Bishop, to contract the time limited: and, left there fhould be any fubreption in this facred bufinefs, it is Ordered, that these Ordinations fhould be no other then folemn,both in refpect of time & place; neither ought they to be, nor in fome places are, without a publick precognization of lawful warning affixed upon the Cathedral Church door, where the faid Ordination shall be celebrated; and over and befides the charge, that none fhall be admitted to be a Candidate of holy Orders, but he who brings fufficient teftimonials of his good life and converfation, under the feal of fome Colledg in Cambridge or Oxford, or of three, or four grave Ministers, together with the fubfcription and teftimony of other credible perfons, who have known his life & behaviour, by the space of three years next before; it is well known to you, that before the act of ordination there is publique Proclamation made to the whole Affembly, that if any man knowes any crime or impediment in any of the perfons prefented, for which he ought not to be ordained, that he should come

forth

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forth and declare it before any hand be laid upon his head, for his full admiffion.

Notwithstanding all which care of our dear Mother the Church of England; if it shall be thought meet, that any further act of Tryal, fhall pals upon thofe, which are fuitors for Ordination, how cafily may it be ordered, that at the monethly (or, if need be, more frequent) meeting of the Minifters, within the fame Presbytery, or Deanry; they may be appointed to make tryal of their gifts, and undergee fuch further examination of their abilities, as thall be thought requifite, ere they fhall be presented, and admitted by the Bishop, and his Presbytery to that holy function.

And whereas it is much stood upon, that it is meet the people, (whofe fouls must have right in him, to whofe truft they are committed) fhould have fome hand in their confent to that Paftor, by whom they must be fed; it must be faid, that befides their devolution of their right to the patron, who, as their trustee, prefents a Minister for them, it may be no prejudice at all to the power which by Law and inheritance is ferled upon the patron, that the perfon whom his choise pitches upon, be appointed beforehand to preach, (for a trial) to that Congregation to which he is fo defigned; and if either for his voice, or other juft exceptions he be found unmeet for them, that another, more fit may be recommended by the faid Patron to the place; but if through faction, or felf-will, or partiality, the multitude fhall prove peevish, and faftidious, they may, in fuch a cafe, be over-ruled by juft authority.

As for matter of cenfures, it may not be denyed, that there hath been great great abufe in the managing of them, both upon Ecclefiaftical perfons, and others: fufpenfion of Minifters upon flight,and infufficient causes, both ab officio, and beneficio, hath been too rife in fome places of latter times; and the dreadful fentence of excommunication hath too frequently, and familiary paffed upon light and triviall matters: How happy were it, if a speedy course may be taken, for the prevention of this evil; In the conference at Hampton-Court, a motion was ftrongly made to this purpose, but without effect; if the wifdom of the prefent Parliament fhall fettle fome other way for the curbing of contumacious offences against Church-authority, it will be an act worthy of their care and juftice. In the mean time, as for this, and all other Ecclefiaftical proceedings, it may

with much facility, and willing confent of all parts, be ordered,that the Bishop fhall not take upon him, to inflict either this, or any o ther important cenfure, without the concurrence of his Presbytery; which thall be a means (in all likelyhood) to prevent any inconve nience that may arife from the wonted way of Judicature.

As for the co-affeffion of a Lay-presbytery, in fwaying thefe affairs of Church-government; Ye well know how new it is; fome of you might have been acquainted with the man that brought it firft into any part of this Island; and what ground there is for it, cither in Scripture, or antiquity,l appeall to your judgment: Surely the late learned Author of the Counfail for the reforming the Church of England, (although otherwife a vehement affertor of the French Difcipline) ingenuously confeffeth, that however thofe Proteftants which live under Popish Governours, have done wifely, in deputing fome choise men, felected out of their congregations, whom they call Elders, to share with their paftors, in the care and management of Ecclefiafticall affairs; Yet thofe Proteftant Churches which live under the government of Proteftant Princes, may with the Lafty of those respects, which mutually intercede betwixt Pastors and People, forbear any fuch deputation: for as much, as the lupreme Magiftrate, transferrs (for the moft part) to himself, that which is the wonted charge of thofe deputed Elders; concluding, that those men, do meerly lofe their labour who fo bufily indeavour on the one fide, to difprove the antiquity of the Lay-Elderhip; and, on the other, by weak proofes to maintain, (clean contrary to the mind of the Apoftle) that the text of Saint Paul (1 Tim. 5. 17.) is to be understood of Pastors, and Lay-Elders; Thus he ; with what fair probability, I leave to your judgment.

Neither is it any intention of mine to meddle with any piece of that government, which obtaineth in other the Churches of God; but onely, to contribute my poor opinion, concerning the now-to-be-fetled affairs of our own..

What shall I need to fuggeft unto you the dangerous underworkings of other Seats fecretly indevouring to spring'their hidden mines to the overthrow both of the one government, and the other; whereof, without fpeedy remedy, perhaps it will be too late to complain; no doubt, the wifdom, and authority of that great Senate (whom ye alfo ferve to advise) will forthwith. inter

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