MINUTE BOOK OF THE WIRKSWORTH CLASS1S. 157 



Upon the request of M' Thomas Shelm'dine pastor of the Church att 



Matlock Mr Edw : Pole pastor of the Church att Bonteshall & M' John 



Otefield Pastor of Carsington That whereas they were not in a capacitie to 



admitt to the Sacra*' of the Lords Supp such of their Congregations as 



desired to communicate because they had no Congregationall Eld' (they & 



others of their said Congregations being desirous to enjoy that Ordinance in 



their respective Churches) & it being form'ly ord'd by the Classis August 20, 



1650, that the Classis should upon such request assigne two or more of their 



members to assist the minist" of any such Congregation (being a man approved 



by the Classis) in that worke It is this day ord'd that M' Martin Topham 



Pastor of the Congregacon or Church att Wirkesworth M» Henrie Buxton Eld' 



of the Church att Bradbourne & William Storer an Eld' of the Church att 



Wirkesworth shall assist M' Otefield aforesaid in tryall & examination of such 



of that Congregation as desire to be received to the Sacrament Also that M' 



Pole Pastor of Bonteshall & M ' John Sclat' an Elder of the Church att 



Hognaston be assistants to M' Shelm'dine aforesaid, & the said W Shelm'dine 



& M» Slater shall in like manner assist the said M' Pole in the said worke 



when they shall be thereunto called by the ministers of those Congregations 



respectively.* 



This day M' John Wiersdall Minist' of Bradley upon summons according to 

 form' Ord' appeared before the Classis ; where it was Layd to his charge that 

 he had (contrarie to the forme of Govment established) admitted not onlie only 

 h,s owne people p'miscouslie to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but also 

 some others of the Parish of Wirkesworth who were not thought fitt to be 

 received is their own Congregacon. And also that he had spoken disgracefully 

 of some private meetings of Godly & peaceable men & women who joyning 

 W the publicke Congregacons in all Ordinances did yet desire to meet 

 together in the weeke daye for their mutuall edifications spending the time in 

 fasting and pray r 



The said M' Wiersdale did ingenuouslie confesse and acknowledge y< the 

 said charges were true. That being importuned by his people he had 

 adm.nistered the Sacrament of the Lords Supper without tryall of the 

 Communicants being destitute of Congregational Eld™ & having for-otten 

 the form Ord' of the 20th of August, 1650. But that he was surprised by 

 those of other Congregations who intruded into their Communion without 

 make.ng h.m at all acquainted before w* their desire so to doe • & that he 

 being straitened in that exigent did too suddenly & inconsiderately admitt of 

 them, for w<»> he was sorrie yt he had therein offended promissing for the 

 future to be more careful!. 



.1. .^ ef ° r f e . an y on e could become a Communicant, it was necessary that I.p 

 should obtam a certificate of his fitness from his own local PresbvSv The 

 m.n.ster himself did not constitute a Presbytery, but required he Sane J of 

 Sencf thr 0therS ,' w : ho rt l Properly to be elders o? his own ^congregacon 

 Hence the necess.ty, w the absence of elders, of passing this resolution 



