March 1646: An Ordinance for maintenance for Preaching-Ministers in the city and county of Hereford.

March, 1646

[28 March, 1646.]

Six Preaching Ministers to be named for Hereford.; Three for Cathedral.; Three for parish churches.

Whereas there is great want of able Preaching Ministers in the County and City of Hereford, much occasioned by the small and inconsiderable Livings in the said City and County, which the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament taking into their pious consideration, are very desirous in some measure to supply, Do Order, and it is hereby Ordered and Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That there shall be six able, godly and learned Divines, named by the Committee of Plundered Ministers, to be approved of by the Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster, placed in the City of Hereford, three of the said Divines to Preach in turn in the Cathedral Church there on the Lords days, each of them in his turn to Preach both Morning and Afternoon; and those two which do not Preach in the said Cathedral on the Lords day, shall Preach the same Lords day in some Churches in the Countrey. And also both of them shall Preach one Sermon weekly on two several days, as shall be appointed by the Committee of the said County, and the other three Divines shall every Lords day, Morning and Afternoon, Preach and Officiate in the three other Parish Churches of the said City: viz.

Cathedral Preachers each to have £150 yearly.; Habitation.; Houses and Salaries of Preachers in Parish Churches.

One of them in the Parish Church commonly called St. Peters Parish, one other of them in the Church of Alhallows Parish, and the third in the Parish Church of Nicholas within the said City, by the appointment likewise of the said Committee; each of which Preachers to Preach in the said Cathedral Church, shall have the yearly maintenance of One hundred and fifty pounds to be paid unto him out of the Possessions of the Dean, Dean and Chapter of the said Cathedral Church, the same to be paid Quarterly, the first payment to begin the Five and twentieth day of March, 1646. And shall have a convenient place of Habitation unto him appointed in some of the Dean or Prebends houses in the said City Rent free, which the said Committee or any five or more of them are hereby Authorized and required to provide for the said Preachers accordingly; And each of the said Divines that shall be appointed to Preach and Officiate in the said Parish Churches of the said City, shall have the House and yearly Profits belonging and of right due to the Minister of the said several Parishes respectively: viz.

The House Rent free; which yearly Profits respectively, if they shall not arise to the sum of One hundred pounds, then to be made up out of the Possesions of the said Dean, Dean and Chapter, the full sum of One hundred pounds per annum, to be paid Quarterly as aforesaid to the said last three mentioned Divines appointed to Preach and Officiate in the said Parish Churches: All which the said Committee, or any five or more of them, are hereby Authorized and required to see from time to time duly performed, for which this present Ordinance shall be to them and every of them a sufficient Warrant in that behalf; all which several and respective alowances are to be made and to continue until both Houses shall take further Order.