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I Promyse and sweare that in ye mi∣nistery to the which I am called, I shall serue faythefully before God: vsing his worde purely to edify thys churche to the which I am bounde, &
that I shall not abuse his worde to serue my carnall affectyon, to please any man liuing, but that I shal vse it with a pure conscience to serue to his glorye and ye profit of hys people, to ye which I am bounde.
Also I promyse and sweare to kepe the ecclesiasticall ordinances which are passed and ordayned by the small great, & generall Counsells of this Citie, as is geuen to me in charge, to admonyshe them which haue fay∣led, to execute my dutie lawfully, not geuing place to hatred, fauour ven∣geāe cor other fleshly desire, & in gene∣ral to doe yt which apperteyneth to a good and faithfull minister.
Thirdly I sweare and promyse to kepe and maintayne the honour and profyt of the Seniorye and the Citie, to endeuoure my selfe wt all possybi∣litye that the people be kept and con∣serued in good peace and vnity, vnder the gouernemēt of the Seniorie, and not to cōsent in any case to any thing agaynst the same, but to folowe my sayd vocation as wel in tyme of aduer¦sitie as ī prosperity, be it peace, warre
pestilence or other wise.
Fynally I promise and swere to be subiecte to the pollicye and Statutes of this citye, mynistring good exam∣ple of obedience to all other, yelding my selfe for my part subiecte and obe∣dient to the lawes and magistrates as much as my office doth beare, that is to saye withoute preiudice to the libertie which we ought to haue, and teache according as god cōmaundeth vs, and to doe all thinges whiche ap∣perteine to oure office. Also I promise in suche sorte to serue the Seniorye & the people, that I be therby ī no case letted to render vnto god the seruice which I owe to him in my vocatyon.
Nowe euen as it is required dyli∣gently to examine the ministers whē they shalbe chosen, so it is necessarye to haue good pollicye to holde & kepe them in their vocation: for the which first it shalbe expedient that all the mi¦nisters gather them selues to gether one certayne day in the weke, to con¦serue and kepe the puritye & concorde of doctrine, to haue conference of the Scriptures, and that none exempte
them selues wtoute a lawfull excuse: yf anye be negligent, that he be ad∣monnished.
For those which preache in the vil∣ladges parteyning to the Seniorie, it is necessarie that the mynisters of the citie shal exhorte them to come as of∣ten as maye be: and moreouer if they be lacking one moneth together, the same to be estemed to greate a negli∣gence, excepte it be by sicknes or other lawfull let.
And if there happen to spring anye difference in doctrine, ye ministers shal treate of it together to heare the mat¦ter. After, yf that nede shall require, they shal cal ye elders or cōmissioners appointed by the Seniorie to helpe to appease the contention. Finallye, yf they cannot come to anye amyable concorde, by the obstinacye of anye of the partyes, let the cause be referred to ye magistrates, to set order therin.
For the auoiding of slaunderouse offences of lyuing, it shalbe nedefull that there be a forme of correction vp¦on the mynisters as shalbe declared here after, to the which al they with∣oute
exception shall submytte them selues: which shalbe also the meanes to cōserue the ministerie in reuerēce, and that the worde of god be not by ye euyll reporte of the mynisters disho∣nored or dispised. For as correctiō is to be done vpon him which hath fayled, so it shall be nedefull to reproue the slaunders and false reportes whyche maye be iniustly made against Inno∣centes.
But first it is to be noted yt there be crimes which vtterly be intollerable in a mynister, and also there be vyces which some what may be borne with all, so that there be geuen brotherlye admonicions.
Concerning Crimes they ought in no case to be borne with, if they be ci¦uyll Crimes, that is to saye, yf they oughte to be punished by the lawes. And if any of the mynisters doe faile, then the Seniorye oughte to put to their handes, and ouer and besides the ordinarie punyshement with whiche they be accustumed to punishe other offēders, to take him, punishe him, & depose him, from his office.
As touchinge other crimes of the which the first inquisicion perteineth to the consistorie eccleciasticall, let the commissioners or elders with ye mi∣nisters take hede therto: and if any be conuicted let them make their reporte to the counsell with their aduise and
Iudgement, so that ye last Iudgement for the correction be alwaies reserued to the Seniorie.
As concerning the offences whiche ought to be corrected by simple admo∣nicions, let them therin procede accor¦ding to ye order of oure sauiour christ, so that the cause maie be ended in the ecclesiasticall Iudgement.
To mainteine this discipline in his estate, euery thre monethes let the mi¦nisters specially enquiere yf there be any thing to be talked of amōge them selues, and remedye it accordinge to reason.