Preston, Novemb. 17. 1646.  
The deliberate RESOLUTION of the Ministers of the Gospel within the County Palatine of LANCASTER With their grounds and Cautions according to which they put into execution the Presbyterial Government upon the present ORDINANCES OF PARLIAMENT.  
Jan: 1●th 1646 LONDON, Printed for LUKE FAWN, and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Parrot in Pauls-Church-yard 1647.   

Preston Novemb. 17. 1646.  
The deliberate Resolution of the Ministers of the Gospel within the County PALATINE of LANCASTER, etc.  
WE Ministers of Christ residing within the County of Lancaster, seriously weighing, How that by the merciful assistance of God, the Parliament hath removed the book of Common Prayer with all its unnecessary and burdensome Ceremonies, and established the Directory in the room thereof; and hath abolished the Prelatical Hierarchy by Archbishops, Bishops and their Dependants and in stead thereof laid the foundation of a Presbyterial Government in every congregation, with subordination to Classical Provincial and Nationall Assembly (that government we apprehend most agreeable the Word of God, and which is practised by the best Reformed Churches, keeping a golden mean betwixt Prelatical Tyranny, and Popular Anarchy, strengthened by the light of Nature, the most suitable to the civil Government of this Kingdom, a Government that the old godly non-conformists who were in their times Pillars in the Church, and the moderate conscionable conformists, did pray for, contend for, writ for, suffer for, and who if they had lived to see what we see, would have sung old Simeons' Song, and also considering, That the Parliament hath enabled the Elderships by their authority to keep away from the Lords Supper all ignorant persons and many scandalous, with a Declaration of their Resolution, that all sorts of notorious scandalous offenders should be suspended from the Sacrament, and likewise authorised the Classical presbyters to Ordain Ministers within their respective bounds: (For all which we desire unfeignedly to be thankful to Almighty God and do hereby testify our due acknowledgement of the wisdom, zeal, and piety of our Honourable Houses therein;) And when also with sad and bleeding hearts we cannot but observe the lamentable breaches, miserable confusion, disorder and unsettlement under which this poor distressed Church groans, the increase and spreading of all kind of errors, heresies, blasphemies, schism, and profaneness, tending to the utter ruin of many thousand souls, and that so flatly contrary to our solemn Covenant, and that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to the great grief and spiritual damage of the godly hath been much disused for want of a regular and effectual means to keep back the ignorant and scandalous, and also that sundry Congregations lie waste and desolate for want of Pastors for lack of Ordination being all of them the woeful and sad effects of Ecclesiastical Anarchy, and that therefore urgent and pressing necessity is incumbent upon every one in their place, to their utmost to endeavour the putting Church-government into execution, that so an effectual means might be applied for the healing of this sick Church of her dangerous distempers, the remedying whereof when in any just and lawful sort it may be obtained, may admit no longer delay:  
And whereas we have received the Votes of both Houses of Parliament, approving the division of our County into nine Classical presbyteries, and also approving of the Ministers and other persons represented from this County as fit to be of the several respective Classis, for the better constituting of Elderships in the particular congregations, and which in this extraordinary case before government be set up we conceive very useful, (and for which we return most humble and hearty thanks to the honourable Houses and take the same as a real testimony of their favourable and kind acceptance of our County-Petition lately presented to them, being hereby encouraged to hope they also will in due time take the other particulars of that Petition into their consideration) We do conceive it our duty, and accordingly resolve to lay hold on this happy opportunity put into our hands, of beginning to actan reference to Church-government, by congregational Classical Provincial and Nationall Assemblies.  
But yet because having perused all the several Ordinances of Parliament concerning Church Government, we find sundry things wanting (to instance only in excommunication for one particular) which we apprehend necessary, and that we are as yet unsupplied or incompetently furnished with remedy against that which may greatly annoy the Church, and also remain unsatisfied in our consciences concerning the warrantableness of other things established; that we may approve ourselves faithful unto God, justify our actions before men, and preserve the peace of our own consciences, we have thought it necessary in all humility and faithfulness to declare our resolutions and the grounds we go upon.  
As it is that which hath hitherto preserved our fainting spirits in patience under hope, that shortly there would come forth such a complete form of Church-government and Discipline established by public authority as would be in every point fully satisfactory, so in this our beginning to enter upon this weighty business, it would have been much more to our comfort and encouragement if our desires herein had been accomplished; yet considering, that many things have hitherto retarded the work of reformation now in hand, and not knowing how long it may be before it be completed, we do not apprehend we can acquit ourselves either, before God or men, therefore to do nothing at all, because we have not every thing yet so full as we could desire, especially when we also call to remembrance, what it hath pleased the Honourable Houses to declare, so that it cannot be expected that a present rule in every particular should be settled all at once, but that there will be need of supplyments and additions and happily also of alterations in some things as experience shall bring to light the necessity thereof: But rather because we find several things established in the present Ordinances, agreeable to the Word of God (notwithstanding our non-satisfaction in other particulars) we conceive the discharge of our duty towards God, the edification of our people committed to our charge, the preventing the growth of the spreading mischiefs of the times for want of Church Government, do require of us, that we should for the present put in execution what we apprehend in them correspondent to the rule of God's Word, and pray and wait on God for the altering of what hereafter we hope may appear to the Parliament to be otherwise, and also for the perfecting of them to an entire model of Church Government, and Discipline in all the parts thereof, when God's time shall come, and he have fitted us for the receiving so great a mercy.  
Here also we do freely acknowledge that it concerns the civil Magistrate to have his conscience satisfied, concerning the lawfulness of all those things to which the Church craves the adding of his civil sanction. And however we believe, all the Officers of the Church do hold their Office and Authority immediately from Jesus Christ as Mediator, who when he ascended on high gave gifts unto men, and who is the only spiritual King, Governor, and Monarch of the Church, the sole head of all Ecclesiastical Power and Spiritual Jurisdiction; and in whose name, and by whose authority the Church Officers, by way of immediate subordination, exercise their function; And though also with our reverend and godly brethren the Ministers of London and Westminster we hold that the power of Church censures, and in particular the keeping of ignorant and scandalous persons from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to be in Church Officers by the will and appointment of jesus Christ; that is, in the Elders that rule and those that labour in the Word and Doctrine: yet we do most readily grant that the peaceable freedom of exercise of their office they enjoy from the civil Magistrate, who being Christian and godly as he knows he is in duty bound (being himself also to give an account to God how he hath discharged the duty of his place) so he also will be ready to assist, maintain, and fortify, the jurisdiction of the Church in which respect we have conceived ourselves bound in conscience (condemning the contrary practices of our dissenting brethren) patiently to wait upon this Reforming Parliament (who for their assistance in matters of such high concernment have called together a reverend and learned Assembly of godly Divines of both Kingdoms to advise withal) that so Church Government might be set up by their authority.  
And as we do take ourselves bound to yield all due subjection to the civil Power not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake; so we hope in the exercise of our office, so to carry ourselves, as not only to give no just occasion of offence unto the Magistrate, but also to enjoy his concurrence with us on all occasions, and to be countable to him whensoever he shall call us thereunto: as also considering the great trust reposed in us by Jesus Christ (to whom, having received our Commission from him, we are to give an account how we have fulfilled our Ministry in every part thereof) we conceive it our duty, and by the grace of God resolve, to make his Word our rule, in all such things as concern the discharge of our Spiritual functions, and shall carefully walk according to these present Ordinances so far as we apprehend them agreeable to the un-erring pattern and (holding ourselves by manifold and deep engagements most strictly bound to pray daily for the Honourable Houses of Parliament, that this great work of Reformation being by them so happily begun, may also by them with the advice of the reverend Assembly of Divines, to the exceeding great rejoicing of all the Churches of God, be as gloriously finished) do most humbly beseech the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of wisdom and might, so to direct, guide, assist, and strengthen us by his holy Spirit in this great and weighty undertaking, as may be to the glory of his name, the advancement of the power of godliness, the suppression of errors, schisms, & profaneness, the edification, peace, and establishing of the Church, the just and due content of the Christian Magistrate, the peace and comfort of our own souls here, and that when the chief Shepherd shall appear we may receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.   
FINIS.