The survey furnishes the names of all the ministers, and their fitness or otherwise for the office they held; as most of them were said to be "godly preaching ministers," or were "of good lyfe and conversation, but keept not the fast-days appointed by Parliament," it may safely be inferred that the old vicars and curates had mostly either conformed or been superseded by the then holders of the livings. On September 13, 1646, a petition was sent to both Houses of Parliament, styled "The humble petition of many thousand of the well-affected gentlemen, ministers, freeholders, and other inhabitants of the county palatine of Lancaster." This petition set forth that, "through the not settling of Church government, schism, error, heresy, profaneness, and blasphemy woefully spread"; separate congregations being "erected and multiplied, sectaries grew insolent, confidently expecting a toleration." The petitioners then go on in the true spirit of those times to pray that some speedy course should betaken "for suppressing of all separate congregations of Anabaptists, Brownists, heretics, schismatics, blasphemers, and other sectaries" which refused to submit to "discipline and government," and, further, that such "refusers and members of such congregations" should not only be removed from, but kept out of "all places of public trust." Shortly after this (October 2, 1646) the county was divided into nine classical presbyteries, as follows: 1. The parishes of Manchester, Prestwich, Oldham, Flixton, Eccles, and Ashton-under-Lyne. The members nominated consisted of eight ministers and seventeen laymen.[208] 2. The parishes of Bolton, Bury, Middleton, Rochdale, Deane, and Radcliffe. Its members, ten ministers and twenty laymen. 3. The parishes of Whalley, Chipping, and Ribchester. Its members, eight ministers and seventeen laymen. 4. The parishes of Warrington, Winwick, Leigh, Wigan, Holland, and Prescot. Its members, fourteen ministers and twenty-eight laymen. 5. The parishes of Walton, Huyton, Childwall, Sefton, Alcar, North Meols, Halsall, Ormskirk, and Aughton. Its members, fifteen ministers and twenty-three laymen. 6. The parishes of Croston, Leyland, Standish, Ecclestone, Penwortham, Hoole, and Brindle. Its members, six ministers and fourteen laymen. 7. The parishes of Preston, Kirkham, Garstang, and Poulton.[209] Its members, six ministers and thirteen laymen. 8. The parishes of Lancaster, Cockerham, Claughton, Melling, Tatham, Tunstall, Whittington, Warton, Bolton-le-Sands, Halton, and Heysham. Its members, eight ministers and eighteen laymen. 9. The parishes of Aldingham, Urswick, Ulverston, Hawkshead, Colton, Dalton, Cartmel, Kirkby, and Pennington. Its members, five ministers and eleven laymen. The names of all these members have many times been printed. It does not necessarily follow that all the persons nominated as "fit to be of" each classis absolutely acted in that capacity; indeed, it is well known that many refused the office.