SIXTEEN PROPOSITIONS in Parliament.  
Touching the manner and form for Church Government, by Bishops and the Clergy of this Kingdom.  
Whereunto is added. The opinion of the English Doctors and Divines at the Synod at Dort, Concerning Episcopacy and Lay-Elders.  
Also the Names of 14. Divines more which are Added to the Synod by the House of PARLIAMENT.  
With an Order by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, touching the Government of the Church.  
Hen. Elsing. Cler. Parl. D. Com.  
London, Printed for I. T. 1642.   

THE ORDER For Church-Governement Read in the House of COMMONS. 1642.  
Imprimis EVery several Shire of England and Wales, to be a several Circuit or Diocese, for the Ecclesiastic jurisdiction, excepting Yorkshire which is to be divided into three.  
II. A Constant Presbytery of Twelve choice Divines to be selected in every Shire or Diocese.  
III. A Constant Precedent to be established as a Bishop over this Presbytery.  
iv This Bishop in each Diocese to ordain, suspend, deprive, degrade, excommunicate by: and with the consent and assistance of seven Divines of his Presbytery then present and not otherwise.  
V The times of Ordination throughout the land to be four times every year, viz. the first of May, the first of August, the first of November, and the first of February.  
VI Every Bishop constantly to reside within his Diocese, in some one prime, or chief City or Town within his Diocese, as i● particular.  
VII. Every Bishop to have one special particular Congregation, to be chosen out of the most convenient for distance of place, from his chief residence, and the Richest in value that may be had: where he shall duly preach unless he be lawfully hindered, and then shall take care that his Cure be well supplied by another.  
VIII. No Bishop shall remove or be translated from the Bishopric which he shall first undertake.  
IX. Upon every death, or other avoidance of a Bishop, the King to grant a Congee d'elire to the whole Clergy of that Diocese, and they to present three of the Presbyters aforesaid, and the King to choose and nominate whom he please of them.  
X. The first Presbyters of every shire to be named by the Parliament, and afterwards upon the death or other avoidance of any Presbyter, the remaining Presbyters to choose another out of the Parish Ministers of that shire, and this to be done within one month next after such death or avoidance.  
XI. No Bishop or Clergyman to exercise or have any Temorall Office, or seculir employment, but only, for the present, to hold and keep the probate of wills, until the Parliament shall otherwise resolve.  
XII. The Bishop once a year (at Midsummer) to summon a Diocesan Synod, there to hear, and by general vote, to determine all such matter of scandal in Life and Doctrine among the Clergymen, as shall be presented unto them.  
XIII. Every three years, a Nationall Synod to be, which for persons shall consist of all the Bishops in the Land, and of two Presbyters to be chosen by the rest out of each Presbytery, and of two Clerks to be chosen out of every Diocese, by the Clergy thereof.  
XIV. This Nationall Synod to make and ordain Canons of the Government of the Church, but they not to bind until they be confirmed by Parliament.  
XV. Every Bishop to have over and above the Benefice aforesaid, a certain constant Rent allowed and allotted proportional to the Diocese wherein he is to-Officiate, that is to say, every Presbyter to have a constant yearly profit above his Benefice.  
XVI. As for the Revenue of the Bishops, Deans, and Chapters, etc. a strict Survey to be taken of all their rents and profits, and the same to be represented at the beginning of our next Convention, and in the mean time no Lease to be renewed, nor Timber to be felled.  

The opinion of the English Doctors and Divines at the Synod of Dort, concerning Episcopacy and Lay-Elders.  
WE thought not fit to content ourselves with warrantable silence, but consulting together what was fit to be done in delivering our opinions. We jointly conclude that howsever our Church Discipline had not been Synodically taxed, nor theirs avowed, yet it was convenient for us, (who were assured in our consiencens that their Presbyterial Parity, and Laical Presbytery was repugnant to the Discipline established by the Apostles, and retained in our Church to declare our judgement.  
We therefore processed and declared our utter dissent in that point, and further showed that by our Saviour a Parity of Ministers was never justituted, That Christ ordained Twelve Apostles, and seventy Disciples; That the Authority of those twelve was above the other; That the Church preserved this Order left by our Saviour. And therefore when the extraordinary Authority of the Apostles ceased, yet their ordinary Authority continued in Bishops, who succeeded them who were by the Apostles themselves left in the government of the Church to ordain Ministers, and to see that they who were so ordained should preach no other Doctrine; That in an inferior degree the Ministers who were governed by Bishops succeeded the 70. Disciples, That this Order hath been maintained in the Church, from the time of the Apostls. And herein we appealed to the judgement of Antiquity, or of any learned man now living, if any could speak to the contrary: To this our exception and allegations, not one word was answered by any of the Synodiques either strangers or Provincials. Moreover, in our Private conversing with the most eminent of the Ministry there, we found divers times (upon oceasion of our declaring unto them the Order and manner of our Church Government) that they were more ready to deplore then defend their own estate, and wished rather, then hoped to be made like the flourishing Church of England.  
Ita Testamur. 

Georgius Caleton.  
Gualther balcanqual  
john Davenant.  
Samuel Ward.  
Thomas Goad.     

The Lords added 14. Divines to the Bill sent to them about the Assembly of Divines which were there.  

DOctor Hamond of Penthurst in Kent.  
Master Lance of Saint Michael's Querne London.  
Doctor Marsh of Saint Dunston's in Fleetstreet.  
Master Earl of Wiltshire.  
Master Gibbins of Waltham.  
Master Prophet.  
Doctor Westfield Bishop of Bristol.  
Master Peirce of Northampton.  
Master Hodges of Kinsington.  
Master Carter of Denton in Buckinghamshire.  
Master Lifur, Vicar of Sh●rly.  
Doctor jones Prebend of Windsor.  
Doctor Story▪    

An Order by the Lords and Commons in Parliament touching the Government and Liturgy of the Church.  
THe Lords and Commons do declare, they intent a due and necessary reformation of the Government and Liturgy of the Church, and to take away nothing in the one or the other, but what shall be evil, and justly offensive, or at least unnecessary and burdensome, and for the better effecting hereof, speedily to have consultation with godly and learned Divines, and because this will never of itself attain the end sought therein, they will therefore use their utmost endeavours to establish Learned and Preaching Ministers, with a good and sufficient maintenance throughout the whole Kingdom, wherein many dark corners are miserably destitute of the means of salvation, and many poor Ministers want necessary provision.  
Hen. Elsing. Cler. par. D. C.   
FINIS.