6 sembly be called over, and those that are absent marked; 'but if any member comes in afterwards, he shall have liberty to give in his name to the scribes.

(3.) "That every member before his admission to sit and vote, do take the following vow or protestation :

"I A. B. do seriously and solemnly, in the presence of Almighty God, declare that in this assembly whereof I am a member, I will not maintain any thing in matter ' of doctrine but what I believe in my conscience to be most 6 agreeable to the word of God; or in point of discipline, but what I shall conceivé to conduce most to the glory of 'God, and the good and peace of his church.”

And to refresh their memories this protestation was read in the assembly every Monday morning.

(4.) That the appointed hour of meeting be ten in the 'morning; the afternoon to be reserved for committees. (5.) That three of the members of the assembly be appointed weekly as chaplains, one to the house of lords, another to the house of commons, and a third to the com'mittee of both kingdoms." The usual method was to take it by turns, and every Friday the chaplains were appointed for the following week.

(6.) That all the members of the assembly have liberty 'to be covered, except the scribes ;" who sometime after had also this liberty indulged them.

Besides these, the parliament on Thursday following sent them some further regulations. As,

(1.) That two assessors be joined with the prolocutor, to supply his place in case of absence or sickness, viz. 'Dr. Cornelius Burges, and the reverend Mr. John White of Dorchester.

(2.) "That scribes be appointed, who are not to vote in the assembly, viz. the reverend Mr. Roborough and "Mr. Byfield.

(3.) That every member at his first entrance into the assembly take the forementioned protestation.

(4.) That no resolution be given upon any question the same day wherein it was first proposed.

(5.) "What any man undertakes to prove as a necessa'ry truth in religion he shall make good from the holy ❝ scriptures.

(6.) "No man shall proceed in any dispute, after the prolocutor has enjoined him silence, unless the assembly desire he may go on.

(7.) "No man shall be denied the liberty of entering his dissent from the assembly, with his reasons for it, after the point has been debated; from whence it shall be transmitted to parliament, when either house shall re'quire it.

(8.) "All things agreed upon, and prepared for the parliament, shall be openly read, and allowed in the assembly, and then offered as their judgment, if the majority 'assent; provided, that the opinions of the persons dis'senting, with their reasons, be annexed, if they desire it, and the solution of those reasons by the assembly."

The proceedings being thus settled, the parliament sent the assembly an order to review the XXXIX articles of the church; but before they entered upon business, viz. July 7th, they petitioned the two houses for a fast, on a day when the reverend Mr. Bowles and Matth. Newcomen preached before them. Upon which petition bishop Kennet passes the following severe censure, Impartially speaking, it is stuft with schism, sedition, and cruelty: I will therefore set the substance of the petition before the reader in their own language, that he may form his own judgment upon it, and upon the state of the nation.

To the Right Honorable the Lords and Commons assembled in parliament.

The humble petition of divers ministers of Christ, in the name of themselves, and sundry others,

Humbly sheweth,

"THAT your petitioners upon serious consideration, and deep sense of God's heavy wrath lying upon us, and hanging over our heads, and the whole nation, manifested particularly by the two late sad and unexpected defeats of our forces in the north and in the west, do appre

'hend it to be our duty, as watchmen for the good of the 'church and kingdom, to present to your religious and pru'dent consideration these ensuing requests, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Lord and ours.

First, "That you will be pleased to command a publie ' and extraordinary day of humiliation this week, throughout the cities of London, Westminster, the suburbs of 'both, and places adjacent within the weekly bills of mortality, that every one may bitterly bewail his own sins, and cry mightily to God, for Christ's sake, to remove his wrath, and to heal the land; with professedly new resolution of more full performance of the late covenant, for the amendment of our ways.

Secondly, "That you would vouchsafe instantly to take into your most serious consideration, how you may more 'speedily set up Christ more gloriously in all his ordinan'ces within this kingdom, and reform all things amiss 'throughout the land, wherein God is more specially, and 'more immediately 'dishonored, among which we humbly 'lay before you these particulars :

1. "That the brutish ignorance, and palpable darkness possessing the greatest part of the people, in all places ' of the kingdom, may be remedied, by a speedy and strict charge to all ministers, constantly to catechise all the 'youth and ignorant people within their parishes.

2. "That the grievous and heinous pollution of the 'Lord's supper, by those who are grossly ignorant, and notoriously profane, may be henceforth, with all christian 'care and due circumspection, prevented.

3. "That the bold venting of corrupt doctrines, directly contrary to the sacred law of God, may be speedily 'suppressed.

4. That the profanation of any part of the Lord's 'day, and the days of solemn fasting, by buying, selling, 'working, sporting, travelling, or neglecting of God's or'dinances, may be remedied, by appointing special officers in every place for the due execution of all good laws and ' ordinances against the same.

5. “That there may be a thorough and speedy proceed'ing against blind guides, and scandalous ministers; and that your wisdom would find out some way to admit in

to the ministry such godly and hopeful men as have prepared themselves, and are willing thereunto, without which there will suddenly be such a scarcity of able and 'faithful ministers, that it will be to little purpose to cast out such as are unable, idle, or scandalous.

6. That the laws may be quickened against swearing ' and drunkenness, with which the land is filled and defiled, and under which it mourns.

7. "That some severe course be taken against fornication, adultery, and incest, which do greatly abound.

8. That all monuments of idolatry and superstition, but more especially the whole body and practice of po'pery may be totally abolished.

9. "That justice may be executed on all delinquents, according to your religious vow and protestation to that purpose.

10. "That all possible means may be used for the speedy relief and release of our miserable, and extremely dis⚫tressed brethren, who are prisoners in Oxford, York, and ' elsewhere, whose heavy sufferings cry aloud in the ears of our God; and it would lie very heavy on the kingdom should they miscarry suffering as they do for the 'cause of God.

"That so God, who is now by the sword avenging the quarrel of his covenant, beholding your integrity and zeal, may turn from the fierceness of his wrath, hear our prayers, go forth with our armies, perfect the work of reformation, forgive our sins, and settle truth and peace throughout the kingdom.

"And your petitioners shall ever pray, &c.t

Pursuant to this petition, Friday July 21,* was appointed for a fast, when the reverend Mr. Hill, Mr. Spurstow, and Mr. Vines, preached before both houses of parliament and the assembly together; and the fast was observed with great solemnity in all the churches within the limits above mentioned.

Rushworth, vol. v. p. 344.

*July 7th," Dr. Grey says, "was the day on which Mr. Bowles and Newcomen preached. Ed.

Next day a committee of divines was appointed to consider what amendments were proper to be made in the doctrinal articles of the church of England, and report them to the assembly, who were ten weeks in debating upon the first fifteen, before the arrival of the Scots commissioners; the design was to render their sense more express and determinate in favor of calvinism. It is not necessary to trouble the reader with the theological debates; but the articles, as they were new modelled, being rarely to be met with, I have placed them in the appendix, with the original articles of the church, in opposite columns, that the reader, by comparing them, may judge whether the alterations are real improvements.*

As the assembly were for strengthening the doctrines of the church against arminianism, they were equally solieitous to guard against the opposite extreme of antinomianism, for which purpose they appointed a committee to peruse the writings of Dr. Crisp, Eaton, Saltmarsh, and others; who having drawn out some of their most dangerous positions, reported them to the assembly, where they were not only condemned, but confuted in their public sermons and writings.

At this time the interest of the parliament was so reduced, they were obliged to call in the assistance of the Scots. The conservators of the peace of that kingdom had appointed a convention of the states, June 22, under pretence of securing their country against the power of the royal army in the north ; and a general assembly, Aug. 2, to consider the state of religion. His majesty would have prevented their meeting, but that being impracticable, he gave orders to limit their consultations to the concerns of their own country; but the parliament of England sent the earl of Rutland, sir William Armyn, sir H. Vane, Mr. Hatcher, Mr. Darley, and two divines from Westminster, viz. Mr. Marshal and Mr. Ney, with letters to each of these

* Appendix, No. VII.

"At

§ Yet these conservators issued out, in the king's name, a proclamation for all persons, from 16 to 60 years old, to appear in arms. which," says Rushworth, "the king was much incensed." Dr. Grey Who will not own, that he had great reason to resent his name being used against himself? Ed.