Magnæ Britanniæ notitia: or, the present state of Great Britain. With diverse reflections upon the ancient state thereof / By John Chamberlayne.

Edward Chamberlayne

Date:: 1741

Credit: Magnæ Britanniæ notitia: or, the present state of Great Britain. With diverse reflections upon the ancient state thereof / By John Chamberlayne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$Moderator has no Negative; he only fumsup the Debates, and puts the Quettion. The firft Bufinefs is always to anfwer the js. read and examined, and alter’d, if Need be, and them appro- away to hisMajefty. Though the Bufinefs is ufually done by Committees, yet any Member may propofe what he pleafes in the Aflembly. When a Motion is made, or any Bufinefs is broughtia bya Committee, the Moderator names two or three of the moft eminent Members to fpeak to it; after whom any Member may {peak that pleafes, When the Debate is over, it ig put to the Vote, and carried, Agree, or Difagree, by the Ma- ority. bs Seated of great Weight, that bind the whole Church, are firt brought in by way of Overtures, and then debated in the Houfe; after which, if approved, they are tranfmitted to every Presbytery in Scotland, who return their Anfwers by their Commiffioners to the next Aflembly, who, according © as they find them approved by the Presbyteries, pafs them iato A&s of Aflembly, or reject them. _ : _ Once every Affembly a Dyetis appointed, to infpect the Atts of the Provincial Synods, as they had before inf{pected the Pro- ceedings of the Presbyteries, Before they arife, they nomi- nate a Standing Commiffion of Minifters and Ruling Elders, chofen out of every Synod to attend the Affairs of the Church ill the next Afflembly meets. Of thefe, 2: is a Quorum, of blies moderates inthe Commiflion, if prefent. They are obli- ged to fit the firit Week of every Quarter all Parliament-time, [but now there are no Parliaments,] and as often elfe as the {mall think ft. They have the Power of an Affembly in all Matters referred to them from it ; regularly they can a& in . nothing but what is recommended from the Affembly, but then that Recommendation often includes a General Claufe, empowering them to a& in every thing that may be for the Good of the Church. They are accountable to the next General Afiembly, and therefore keep a Regifter of their Proceedings. . . When the Affembly are to rife, the Moderator tells them,that it is Time to diflolve themfelves, and appoint another Affembly in the Name of their Mafter, the Lord Fefus Chrifi : Then he fpeaks to the Commiflionerin the Name of the Aflembly, who returns an Anfwer, and then diffolves them in the King’s Name, and fixes fime and Place of the New Affembly, which is al- ways co be within a Year and a Day after the Diffolution of the— Old one. ‘he Moderator then prays, and the Affembly fings a~ _ Parocygial Cxamimations and Catechifing,| Before every Communion the Minifter yifits and examines every Family in his$