ACTS FOR The utter abolishing of Bishops out of the Churches of ENGLAND and SCOTLAND.  
WITH A Motion to the House for the Order for Church-Government by a better Way.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Watson. 1643.   

The Act of the general Assembly in Scotland for the abolishing of Bishops in that kingdom.  
THe Kings majesty having declared, that it is his royal will and pleasure, that all questions about Religion and and matters ecclesiastical, be detetmined by the Church: having also by public Proclamation indicted this free national Assembly, for settling the present distractions of this Church; and for establishing a perfect peace, against such divisious and discords, as have been sore displeasing to his majesty, and grievous to all his Majesties good subjects, And now his Majesties Commissioner John E. of Traquair, instructed and authorised with●s full Commission, being present and sitting in this Assembly, now fully convened and orderly constitute, in all the members thereof, according to the order of this Church, having at large declared his Majesties xeal to the reformed Religion; and his Koyall care, and tender affection to this Church;( where his majesty had both his Birth and baptism) his great displeasure at the manifold distractions and divisions of this Church and kingdom, and his desire to have all our wounds perfectly cured, with a faire and fatherly hand. And although in the way approved by this Church, trial hath been taken in former Assemblies before from the Church Registers to our full satisfaction. Yet the Commissioner making a particular inquiry, from the Members of the Assembly now solemnly convened concerning the real and true causes, of so many and great evils at this time past, and so sore troubling the peace of the Church and kingdom. It was represented to his Majesties Commissioner by this Assembly, that besides many other, the main and most material causes were.  

Reasons from the Assembly for the change of Church-government.  
1 THe pressing of this Church by Prelates with a Service-book, or Book of Common-Prayer, without direction or warrant ftom the Church, and containing besides the popish frame thereof, divers popish errors and Ceremonies; and the seeds of manifold gross superstitions and idolatry: with a Book of Canons, without warrant or direction from the general assembly, establishing a tyrannicall power over the Church in the person of Bishop; and overthrowing the whole discipline and government of the Church by assemblies: with a Book of consecration and Ordination, without warrant of authority civill or ecclesiastical, appointing offices in the house of God, which are not wa●ranted by the word of God, and repugnant to the Discipline and Acts of our Church: with the Commissicn erected without the consent of the Church, subverting the Jurisdiction and ordinary Judicatories of this Church; and giving to persons merely ecclesiastical the power of both Swords; and to persons merely civill, the power of the keys and Church Censures.  
2. A second cause was the Articles of Perth. viz. Observation of festival dayes, kneeling at the Communion, Confirmation, Administration of the Sacraments in private places, which were brought in by a civill Assembly; and are contrary to the confession of faith 1590 as it was meant and subscribed in Anno. 1580. and divers times since to the order and constitution of this Church.  
3. A third cause was, the change of the Government of the Church, from the Assemblies of the Church to the persons of Church-men, usurping the priority and power over their brethren by the way, and under the name of episcopal government against the confession▪ Anno. 1580. Against the order set down in the book of policy, and against the intentions and Constitutions of this Church from the beginning.  
4. A fourth cause was the civill places and power of Church men, their sitting in Session; counsel, and Exchequer, their ridding, sitting and voting in Parliament; and their sitting in the Bench as Justices of Peace, which according to the constitutions of the Church are incompatible with their spiritual function, do tend to the hindrance of the Ministry.  
A fifth cause was, the keeping and authorizing of corrupt Assemblies at Linlithgow 1606. 1608. at Glasgow 1610. at Aberdeen 1616. at S. Andrews 1617. at Perth 1618. which are all null and unlawful, as being called and constitute quiter contrary to the order and constitutions of this Church received& practised ever since the reformation of Religion,& labouring to introduce innovations in this Church, against the order& religion established.  
A sixth cause was, the want of lawful and free general Assemblies, rightly constitute of Pastors, Doctors and Elders yearly or oftener pro re nata, according to the liberty of this Church, expressed in the Book of Policy, and acknowledged in the Act of Parliament 1592. Which his Majesties Commissioner having heard patiently; and examined particularly; all objections to the contrary being answered to the full. The whole Assembly with express consent of his Majesties Commissioner, in one heart and voice did declare, that these and such other proceedings, from the neglect and breach of the national Covenant of this Church& Kingdom made in An. 1580. have been indeed the true and main cause of all our evils and distractions; and therefore ordains, according to the constitutions of the general Assemblies of this Church, and upon the grounds respective above-specified, that the foresaid Service-Booke, Book of Canons and Ordination, and High Commission be rejected still▪ that the Articles of Perth be no more practised: that episcopal government and the civill places and power of Church-men be holden still as unlawful in this Church: that the above-named pretended Assemblies at Linlithgow 1606▪ 1608. at Glasgow 1610. an Aberden 1616. at S. Andrews 1617. at Perth 1618. be hereafter accounted as null and of none effect; and that for preservation of Religion, and preventing all such evils in time coming, general Assemblies rightly constitute, as the perfect and compent Judge of all matters ecclesiastical hereafter be kept yearly, and oftener, as occasion and necessity shall require, the necessity being first remonstrate to his Majesty by humble supplication; as also of these occasional Assemblies, that Church-Sessions, Presbyteries, and synodal Assemblies, constitute and ordained according to the Book of Policies, and constitutions of this Church, be also hereafter kept as occasion and necessity shall require.   

The Heads of the Bill in Parliament for abolishing of Bishops in ENGLAND.  
WHereas the government of the Church of England by Archbishops, Bishops, chancellors and Commissaries, deans, Archdeacons, and other their ecclesiastical Officers, hath been found by long experience to be a great impediment to the perfect reformation and growth of Religion, It is therefore enacted from henceforth there shall be no Archbishops, Bishops, &c, or any their Officers within this Church and kingdom: and that if any person shall take upon him to exercise any such Office, he shall incur a Praemunire according to the Statute of 16. Ric. 2. And that all manors, Lands, Rectories, Impropriations, Houses, Rents, Services, and other Hereditaments whatsoever of the said Archbishops. Bishops, Deans, Deacons and Chapters, Archdeacons, Prebendaries, Canons, and Pettie-Canons, which they or any of them have in the right of the said Churches and dignities, shall be disposed of and ordered in such manner and form as the Kings most excellent Majesty, the Lords temporal and Commons shall appoint. And it is therein further enacted, that all ecclesiastical jurisdiction fit to be exercised in the Church and kingdom of England, shall be committed to such a number of persons, and in such manner as by this present Parliament shall be appointed.   

A Motion to the House concerning Church Government.  
EVery several Shire of England and Wales, to be a several Circuit or diocese, for the eclesiastical jurisdiction, excepting yorkshire, which is to be divided into three.  
2. A constant presbytery of twelve choice Divines to be selected in every Shire or diocese.  
3. A constant President to be established over this presbytery.  
4. This President 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.  
5. 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.  
6. Every President constantly to reside within his diocese, in some one prime or chief City or town with in his diocese, as in particular.  
7. Every President 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 he shall take care that his cure be well supplied by another.  
8. No President shall remove o● be translated from the Presbytery which he shall first undertake.  
9. Vpon every death, or other avoidance of a president, 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.  
10. The first Presbyters of every Shire to be name by the Parliament, and afterwards upon the death of any Presbyter, the remaining Presbyter to choose another out of the Parish Ministers of that Shire, and this to bee done within one month after such death or avoidance.  
11 No President or Clergie-man to exercise or have any temporal Office, or secular employmwnt, but only, for the present, to hold and keep the probate of wills, until the Parliament shall otherwise resolve.  
12. The President 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.  
13. Every three yeares, a national Synod to be, which for persons shall consist of all the Presidents in the Land and of two presbyters to be chosen by the rest out of each presbytery, and of two Clerkes to be chosen out of every Dioces, by the clergy thereof.  
14. This national Synod to make and ordain Canons of the government of the Church, but they not to bind until tey be confirmed by Parliament.  
15. Every President over and above the bnfice 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 bnfice.  
16. As for the revenue of the Bishops, deans, and Chapters, &c. 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.   
FINIS.