 Parliament finally passed an ordinance to hold the assembly on its own authority without Charles 's assent on 12 June 1643 . It named as many as 121 ministers and thirty non @-@ voting parliamentary observers : twenty from Commons , and ten from the House of Lords . The Assembly was almost entirely English ; Parliament appointed Englishmen for the counties of Wales , but the French stranger churches ( churches of Protestant refugees from Catholic France ) sent two ministers in place of any from the Channel Islands . Many of the divines were internationally recognized scholars of the Bible , ancient languages , patristics , and scholastic theology . Many were also famous preachers . Most of these theologians had retained their positions in the Church during the tenure of William Laud . Some had been ejected from their churches or cited by ecclesiastical courts for their views . Some had fled to the Continent , and one to the American colonies . Nonetheless , they all considered themselves members of the Church of England and had received episcopal ordination . Most were conformists , meaning they agreed to follow the Act of Uniformity 1558 and the Book of Common Prayer . 
 Parliament finally passed an ordinance to hold the assembly on its own authority without Charles <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>assent on 12 June 1643 . It named as many as 121 ministers and thirty non @-@ voting parliamentary observers : twenty from Commons , and ten from the House of Lords . The Assembly was almost entirely English ; Parliament appointed Englishmen for the counties of Wales , but the French stranger churches ( churches of Protestant refugees from Catholic France ) sent two ministers in place of any from the Channel Islands . Many of the divines <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> internationally recognized scholars of the Bible , ancient languages , patristics , and scholastic theology . Many <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> also famous preachers . Most of these theologians <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>had</mark></a> retained their positions in the Church during the tenure of William Laud . Some <a href='been_done' title='5'><mark>had</mark></a> been ejected from their churches or cited by ecclesiastical courts for their views . Some <a href='been_done' title='6'><mark>had</mark></a> fled to the Continent , and one to the American colonies . Nonetheless , they all considered themselves members of the Church of England and <a href='been_done' title='7'><mark>had</mark></a> received episcopal ordination . Most <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>were</mark></a> conformists , meaning they agreed to follow the Act of Uniformity 1558 and the Book of Common Prayer . 
Parliament finally passed an ordinance to hold the assembly on its own authority w/o Charles  assent on 12 June 1643 . It named as many as 121 ministers and thirty non @-@ voting parliamentary observers : twenty from Commons , and ten from the House of Lords . da Assembly was almost entirely English ; Parliament appointed Englishmen for tdacounties of Wales , but the French stranger churches ( churches of Protestant refugees from Catholic France ) sent two ministers in place of any from the Channel Islands . Many of thdaivines was internationally recognized scholars of thedable , ancient languages , patristics , and scholastic theology . Many was also famous preachers . Most of these theologians done retained their positions in the Church during the daure of William Laud . Some done been ejected from their churches or cited by ecclesiastical courts for their views . sum done fled to the Continent , and one to the Adaican colonies . Nonetheless , they all considered theyself members of the Church of England and done received episcopal ordination . Most was conformists , meaning they agreed to follow the Act of Uniformity 1558 and the Book of Common Prayer .