WHereas for some time past hitherto there hath not been any certain course established for the supply­ing vacant places with able and fit persons to preach the Gospel, by rea­son whereof not onely the Rights and Titles of Patrons are prejudiced, but many weak, scandalous, popish, and ill-affected persons have intruded themselves, or [Page 130] been brought in to the great grief and troubl [...] of the good people of this Nation; For remedy and prevention whereof, Be it Ordained by his Highness the Lord Protector, by and with the consent of his Council, that every person, who shall from and after the five and twenti­eth day of March instant be presented, nomina­ted, chosen, or appointed to any Benefice (for­merly called Benefice with Care of Souls) or to preach any publick settled Lecture in Eng­land or Wal [...], shall, before he be admitted into any such Benefice, or Lecture, be judged and approved, by the persons hereafter named, to be a person for the Grace of God in him, his holy and unblamable Conversation, as also for his knowledge and utterance, able and fit to preach the Gospel; And that after the said five and twentieth day of March, no person, but such as shall upon such approbation be admitted by the said persons, shall take any publique Lecture, having a constant stipend legally annexed and belonging thereunto, or take or receive any such Benefice as aforesaid, or the profits thereof; And be it further or­dained, That Francis Rous, Esq; Dr. Thomas Goodwin Dr. John Owen, Mr. Thankful Owen, Dr. Arrowsmith, Dr. Tuckney, Dr. Hor­to [...], Mr. Joseph Caryl, Mr. Philip Ny, Mr. William Garter, Mr. Sidrach Simpson, Mr. William Greenhill, Mr. William Strong, Mr. Thomas Manton, Mr. Samuel Slater, Mr. Wil­liam Cooper, Mr. Stephen Marshal, Mr. John Tombes, Mr. Walter Cradock, Mr. Samuel Faircloth, Mr. Hugh Peters, Mr. Peter Sterry, Mr. Samuel Bamford, Mr. Thomas Valentine of Chaford, Mr. Henry Jessee, Mr. Obadiah Sedge­wick, [Page 131] Mr. Nicholas Lockier, Mr. Daniel Dyke, Mr. James Russel, Mr. Nathanael Campfield, Robert Titchborn Alderman of London; Mark Hildesley, Thomas Wo [...]d, John Sadler, William Goff, Thomas St. Nicholas, William Packer, and Edward Cresset, Esquires, shall be, and are hereby nominated, constituted and appointed Commissioners for such approbation and ad­mission as is abovesaid, and upon death or re­moval of any of them, others shall from time to time be nominated in their places by the Lord Protector and his Successors, by ad­vice of his Council, in the Interval of Par­laments, and sitting the Parlament, by the Protector and Parlament; And the said Com­missioners, or any five or more of them, met to­gether in some certain place in the City of Lon­don or Westminster, as his Highness shall ap­point, are hereby authorized to judge and take knowledge of the ability and fitness of any person so Presented, nominated, chosen or appointed according to the qualification above­mentioned, and upon their approbation of such his ability and fitness, to grant unto such person admission to such Benefice or Lec­ture by an Instrument in writing under a Common Seal to be appointed by his High­ness, and under the hand of the Register [Page 132] or Registers for the time being to be also no­minated by the Lord Protector and his Suc­cessors, which Instrument the said Re­gister or Registers shall cause to be entered in a Book for that purpose, and kept upon Record.

And it is hereby declared, That the said per­son so admitted into any such Benefice, shall be Possessor and Incumbent of the same, and intituled thereby to the Profits, Perqui­sits, and all Rights and Dues incident and belonging thereunto, as fully and effectually as if he had been instituted and inducted according to the Laws of this Realm; as also the person that shall be so admitted to any Lecture as aforesaid, shall be thereby e­nabled, according to the establishment and constitution of such Lecture, to preach there­in, and to have and receive the Stipend or Profits to such Lecture belonging.

Provided alwaies, That no person who shall tender himself, or be tendred, for ap­probation as aforesaid, shall be concluded by any vote of the said Commissioners which shall passe in the Negative as to his approba­tion, unless nine or more of the said Com­missioners be present at such Vote.

And it is further Ordained, That all Pa­trons of any Benefices that are now void, shall within six Moneths next after the five & twen­tieth of this instant M [...]rch, and of any Be­nefice that shall hereafter be void within six Months next after the avoidance of the same, Present unto the said Commissioners, or any five of them, some fit person to be admitted, and for default of such Presentation with­in that time, the Presentation for that turn shall devolve by lapse unto the Lord Protec­tor and his Successors.

Provided alwaies, That in case the Patron be disturbed to Present unto such Benefice, and thereupon within six moneths after the a­voidance of such Benefice a Sute be com­menced for the Recovery of such Presentati­on, and notice thereof in writing left with the said Commissioners, or any five of them, or the Register, that then such notice shall be as effectual to prevent the lapse, as where the sute was heretofore commenced against the Bishop or Ordinary.

And it is further Ordained, That during the [Page 134] vacancy of such place by reason of such Sute, the said Commissioners, or any five or more of them, have hereby authority to sequester the fruits and profits thereof for supplying of the place with an able Preacher, by the said Commissioners, or any five or more of them, to be nominated and approved of as afore­said.

And forasmuch as many persons since the first day of April last past have been placed in such Benefices, and publique Lectures, It is hereby Ordained, That in case such person shall not before the four and twentieth day of June next, obtain approbation and admit­tance in the manner before exprest, Then such person or persons as have right there­unto shall or may Present or nominate some other fit and able person to such place.

And in default of such Presentation with­in two Moneths after the said four and twentieth day of June, or within six Moneths after the place became void, the Presentation for that turn shall likewise devolve by lapse unto the Lord Protector and his Successors

And for the better satisfaction of the said Commissioners touching the godly and un­blameable conversation of such persons as are to bee admitted into any place as aforesaid, It is further Declared and Ordeined, that before any admittance of any person as afore­said, there shall bee brought to the said Com­missioners, or any five of them, a Testimonial or Certificate in writing, subscribed with the hands of three persons of known godliness and integritie, whereof one at least to bee a prea­cher of the Gospel in som constant setled place; Testifying upon their personal knowledg the holy and good conversation of the person so to bee admitted: which said Certificat shall bee dulie Registred and filed. And it is also De­clared, that the penaltie for or in respect of the not subscribing or reading the Articles mentioned in the Act of the 13^th yeer of Queen Elisabeth, Intituled, Reformation of Disorders in the Ministers of the Church: or for not produce­ing such Testimonial as in the said Act is required, shall from henceforth ceas and bee void.

And whereas for the better maintenance of preaching Ministers, several Augmentations by Authoritie of Parlament have been hereto­fore granted, Bee it further Ordeined, that all person or persons, who claim or shall here­after claim the benefit of such Augmentation, shall before hee or they receiv the same, obtain the approbation of the said Commissioners or five of them, as a person qualified as is before mentioned. And in case of approbation, such [Page 136] approbation shall bee entred by the Register, who under his hand shall also signifie the same to such person or persons as are or shall bee au­thorized to pay such Augmentation, who are hereby required and authorized from time to time to pay the person or persons so approved, such Augmentation as hath been or shall bee granted unto him or the place where hee preach­eth, taking his or their Acquittances for the same. Provided, and it is hereby Declared, that this Ordinance or any thing therein con­teined, shall not bee construed to extend unto, or to revive any dignities, offices or benefits Ecclesiastical, suppressed by Authoritie of Par­lament. Nor to any benefices Ecclesiastical that were not presentative before the Ordi­nance for suppression of Bishops: Nor to any Lectures preached or read in any of the Vni­versities.

And it is hereby lastly Declared and Or­dained, That the Approbation or admittance aforesaid, in such manner as is before prescri­bed, is not intended nor shall bee construed to bee any Solemn or Sacred setting apart of a person to any particular office in the Mini­strie: But onely by such trial and approbati­on to take care that places destitute may bee supplied, with able and faithful Preachers throughout this Nation. And that such fit and approved persons faithfully labouring in the work of the Gospel, may bee in a capacitie to receiv such publick stipend and maintenance, as is or shall bee allotted to such places.