ive any claim to magistracy; wherefore
you shall never find that it disquieted the commonwealth, nor does the
name denote any more in Oceana than the duty of such a man's estate to
the public.

But the surveyors, both in this place and in others, forasmuch as they
could not observe all the circumstances of this order, especially that
of the time of election, did for the first as well as they could; and,
the elections being made and registered, took each of them copies
of those lists which were within their allotments, which done they
produced--

The sixth order, directing "in case a parson or vicar of a parish comes
to be removed by death or by the censors, that the congregation of the
parish assemble and depute one or two elders by the ballot, who upon
the charge of the parish shall repair to one of the universities of this
nation with a certificate signed by the overseers, and addressed to
the vice-chancellor, which certificate, giving notice of the death
or removal of the parson or vicar, of the value of the parsonage or
vicarage, and of the desire of the congregation to receive a probationer
from that university, the vice-chancellor, upon the receipt thereof,
shall call a convocation, and having made choice of a fit person, shall
return him in due time to the parish, where the person so returned shall
return the full fruits of the benefice or vicarage, and do the duty of
the parson or vicar, for the space of one year, as probationer; and
that being expired, the congregation of the elders shall put their
probationer to the ballot, and if he attains not to two parts in three
of the suffrage affirmative, he shall take his leave of the parish, and
they shall send in like manner as before for another probationer; but
if their probationer obtains two parts in three of the suffrage
affirmative, he is then pastor of that parish. And the pastor of the
parish shall pray with the congregation, preach the Word, and administer
the sacraments to the same, according to the directory to be hereafter
appointed by the Parliament. Nevertheless such as are of gathered
congregations, or from time to time shall join with any of them, are in
no wise obliged to this way of electing their teachers, or to give
their votes in this case, but wholly left to the liberty of their own
consciences, and to that way of worship which they shall choose, being
not popish, Jewish, or idolatrous. And to the end they may be the better
protected by the St