adapted to procure and preserve the peace of the Church at home, as well as to promote nearer agreement with the Church in Scotland, and other reformed communions abroad. This document, without mentioning Presbyterianism, plainly pointed to it. [Sidenote: 1643, July.] Thirty lay assessors were named first, and the priority of their enumeration indicates that the lay element occupied no subordinate place.[337] Some of the persons selected were so eminent that it was impossible they should not occupy a very influential position in the conference to which they were called. John Selden, Bulstrode Whitelocke, Oliver St. John, Sir Benjamin Rudyard, John Pym, and Sir Harry Vane were of the number. Selden and Whitelocke frequently attended, and took a leading part in some of the debates. [Sidenote: _Constitution of the Assembly._] Lay names were followed by those of one hundred and twenty one Divines. Episcopalians were not excluded. Ussher, of world-wide celebrity, Archbishop of Armagh and Bishop of Carlisle; Brownrigg, Bishop of Exeter; Westfield, of Bristol; and Prideaux, of Worcester, are to be found on the roll, with five more persons included, who afterwards became Bishops.[338] These appointments would fall in with the views of such Members of Parliament as still wished for a modified Episcopacy. But names of this order, whilst they saved appearances and gave additional weight to the convention, were too few to tell in divisions; nor could any Episcopalians, identified with a sinking cause, and unbacked by any strong party amongst the Commons, expect to have much influence in the proposed deliberations. A small band of persons, called _Independents_, of whom we shall have to speak at large, were also amongst the theologians summoned: but what they lacked in numbers and in position was compensated for by force of character and vigour of intellect, and by what availed even more--the enjoyment of friendship with those who were destined ere long to guide the entire affairs of the kingdom. Indeed, according to Calamy--a safe authority for the statement--one of the Independent brethren, Philip Nye, had "a great concern in choosing the members of the Assembly of Divines who were summoned from all parts."[339] The decided, nay, the overwhelming majority of those summoned to Westminster were Presbyterians. For that party in England had by this time been greatly multiplied, and it had also much power in Parliament, and derived advantage from the favour naturally manifested towards it by the Scotch. [Sidenote: 1643, July.]