In this stall' of matters all hope of a legislative remedy was abandoned, and the Puritan ministers set
themsi Ives i \ ise plans for their own usefulness and
effic v as < liristian teachers. Although many of
the Puritans thus formed separate Beets, a very large
proportii f them still continued in the Church; and
very subtle measure - were taken by some' of their lead- r- a l.'vv vear- later, under Cartwright's aelvie-e ami di- rection, for the inoculation of the country with Presby- terian principles in such a manner as to avoid the h>r-
feiture of t In ir benefices, ( 'n May 8, 1582, sixty cler- gymen from the eastern counties met at Cockrield. in Suffolk, of which parish one- of them — Know-stub — waa vie-ar (oddly enough, Cockheld i- within a short dis- tance of Hadleigh, w here the earliest plan- of the Trac- tarians were- laid), tee consult about the ordinary Puri- tan platform— "apparel, matter, form, days, fastings, in- j unctions," etc. They adjourned to Cambridge, and from thence tee London, "where they hoped to he' con- cealed by the general resorl ol the people to Parlia- ment." At Length, under the guidance of Cartwright, the late' Margaret professor, and of Travers, afterwards Hooker's opponent, ami whe* was at the- time domestic chaplain and tutor in the family of lord Burleigh, this convocation of Puritan clergy framed the following systematic plan for grafting their new system em that of the Church. The document is of sufficient impor- tance to in- -iven at lull length :
"Concenmtg Ministers. —Let do man, though he' 1 e a university man, offer himself to the ininistiv: nor let any man take upon him an nncertaiu and vague minis- try, though it he' i ffert-il unto him.
'• But Slich as lie' called r i » the' ministry hy s n Chmch, let them impart it onto that Classis oi I whereof themselves are, or else nnto some greatei « hurch assembly; and if such shall be found fit by them, then let tlie'in he commended by their letters nnto "the bishop, that they may he ordained ininisicis by him.
"Those ceremonies in the Le.ok of Common Prayer which, being taken from popery, are in controversy onght to be omitted anil given over, if ii maj he done without danger of being put from the ministry. Bui if there be any imminent danger to be deprived, then this matter must he communicated to the Classi- in which that Church is, that by the judgment thereof it may be determined what ought to he done.
If subscription ti
i f Religion and to the
Book of Common Prayer shall he again urged, ihonghl that the' Book of Articles may be sul unto', according to the statutes 13 Eliz., that is. mite) such of them only a- contain the sum of Christian faith and doctrine of the sacraments. But, for many weighty causes, neither the' rest of the Articles in that boi k nor the- Book of Common Prayer may he allowed: no, ihongh a man
si !d he' deprived of his ministry for it.
"Concerning ( hurchicardens.—i\ seemeth Unit church- wardens and collei tors for the pen r might he thus turned
"■When they are to he' chosen, lei the Church have' warning fifteen day- before id' tin- time of elect of the ordinances of the realm ; hut especially of Christ's ordinance touching appointing of watchmen ami < \ «m- seers in his church, who are' to foresee that none offence 1 do arise in the- Church; and If any such hap- pen, that by them it be duly abolished.
"Of Ccllectorsf, r th, P m I J. And tonchiDg
deacons of bi th son- v :/.. men at 'i we men the » hnn n shall be nioni-hed what is required hy the apostle; and that they are net tee choose men of enstom and of course, or e,t riches, but for their faith, zeal, ami integrity; ami that the church is to pray, in the meantime, t < > i e' so eli- leiti'd that they make choice of them that be meet,
•• I e", the' names of such as are chosen be published the next Lord's day, and after that their duties to the Church, ami the church's towards them, shall he declared; then let them be ret eived nnto the ministry to which they are chosen with the general prayers of the whole Church.
"Of Classes. The brethren are to be requested to or- dain a distribution of all churches, accordin<» to these Mile- in that behalf thai are' set eh wu in the Synodieal
Discipline, touching classical, provincial, comilial, or of i ommencemeuts ami assemblies for ihe w hole' kingdom.
"1 1:.' Classes are to 1 e required t < > keep aits of memo- rable matters, which they shall see delivered to I till assembly, that from thence they may he brought by i i,e pro\ incial assembly.
"They arc to d< al earnestly with patrons to present tit men whensoever Rny Church is fallen void in that Classic.
"The comitial assemblies are t" be admonished t<> make collections for tin' relief of the poor and . r si hol- ai'-, hut espccialh- for i lie relief of such ministers here as are put onl for not subscribing to the articles i.v the' bishops; also lor relief of Scottish ministers am! mil ior other profitable ami necessary uses.