and nevertheless all such as shall be thought meet for the office to be admitted again without difficulty or charge... II. Articles for administration of prayers and sacraments. (2) Item, That no parson or curate, not admitted by the bishop of the diocese to preach, do expound in his own cure or otherwhere any scripture or matter of doctrine, . . . but only study to read gravely and aptly, without any glosing of the same or any additions, the homilies already set out, or other such necessary doctrine as is or shall be prescribed for the quiet instruction and edification of the people. (4) In the ministration of the Holy Communion in cathedral and collegiate churches the principal minister shall use a cope, with gospeller and epistoler agreeably, and at all other prayers to be said at the communion table to use no copes but surplices. (5) That the dean and prebendaries wear a surplice with a silk hood in the quire . . . (6) Item, That every minister saying any public prayers or ministering the sacraments or other rites of the church shall wear a comely surplice with sleeves, to be provided at the charges of the parish; and that the parish provide a decent table standing on a frame for the communion table. (8) That all communicants do receive kneeling . . III. Articles for certain orders in ecclesiastical policy. (1) First, Against the day of giving orders appointed, the bishop shall... give notice that none shall sue for orders but within their own diocese where they were born or had their long time of dwelling, except such as shall be of degree in the Universities. (3) Item, That no curate or minister be permitted to serve without examination and admission of the ordinary or his deputy... and that the said ministers, if they remove from one diocese to another, be by no means admitted to serve without testimony of the diocesan from whence they come, in writing, of their honesty and ability. IV. Articles for outward apparel of persons ecclesiastical. (4) Item, That... all ecclesiastical persons or other having any ecclesiastical living do wear the cap appointed by the injunctions... V. Protestations to be made... and subscribed by them that shall hereafter be admitted to any office. . . ecclesiastical. (1) Imprimis, I shall not preach or publicly interpret, but only read that which is appointed by public authority, without special license of the bishop under his seal... (4) I shall uge sobriety in apparel, and specially in church at common prayers, according to order appointed... (7) I do also faithfully promise . . . to observe... such order and uniformity in all external policy, rites, and ceremonies of the church, as by the laws, good usages and orders are already well provided and established ... Agreed upon and subscribed by MATTHAEUS CANTUARIENSIS ROBERTUS WINTONIENSIS NICHOLAUS LINCOLNIENSIS with others. Commissioners Sparrow's Articles, pp. 120-128. 6. Beginnings of Puritanism, 1568. Dum Thomas Hardingus, Nicholaus Sanderus, et T. P.1 theologi ex Anglia profugi strenue exercerent episcopalem potestatem a Pontifice Romano nuper acceptam, absolvendi in foro conscientiae omnes Anglos qui ad ecclesiae gremium revertebantur et dispensandi etiam in causa irregularitatis, exceptis ex homicidio voluntario provenientibus seu deductis in forum contentiosum, etiam ab irregularitate ratione haeresis, dummodo absolvendi abstineant per triennium a ministerio altaris altera parte Colmanus, Buttonus, Hallinghamus, Bensonus et alii, qui sinceriorem religionem ardenti cum zelo professi nihil nisi quod e sacrarum literarum fontibus haustum probarunt, sive ex purioris disciplinae novitatis aut dissensionis studio, receptam 1 Is this a misprint for R. P. (Robert Parsons)? ex Ecclesiae Anglicanae disciplinam, liturgiam, episcoporum vocationem in quaestionem palam vocarunt, imo damnarunt, ut quae Romanam religionem plus nimio sapiant, quacum aliquid habere commune impium esse declamitarunt; omnia versantes, ut ad Genevensis Ecclesiae amussim singula in Anglica Ecclesia reformarentur. Hos quanquam Regina in custodiam dari iusserit, incredibile tamen est, quantum consectanei, qui invidioso Puritanorum nomine statim innotescere coeperunt, obstinata quadam pervicacia, episcoporum vecordia, et occulto quorundam nobilium ecclesiae opibus inhiantium favore, ubique succreCamden, Annales, p. 132; s. a. 1568. verint. 7. Bull of Excommunication, 1570. Pius episcopus, servus servorum Dei, ad perpetuam rei memoriam. ... Regnans in excelsis, cui data est omnis in caelo et in terra potestas, unam sanctam Catholicam et Apostolicam Ecclesiam, extra quam nulla est salus, uni soli in terris, videlicet apostolorum principi Petro, Petrique successori Romano Pontifici in potestatis plenitudine tradidit gubernandam. . . . Quo quidem in munere obeundo... nullum laborem intermittimus. . . ut ipsa unitas et Catholica religio... integra conservetur. Sed impiorum numerus tantum potentia invaluit, ut nullus jam in orbe locus sit relictus, quem illi pessimis doctrinis corrumpere non tentarint, adnitente inter caeteros flagitiorum serva Elizabeth, praetensa Angliae regina, ad quam veluti ad asylum omnium infestissimi profugium invenerunt. Haec eadem, regno occupato, supremi ecclesiae capitis locum in omni Anglia ejusque praecipuam auctoritatem atque jurisdictionem monstruose sibi usurpans, regnum ipsum, jam tum ad fidem catholicam et bonam frugem reductum, rursus in miserum exitium revocavit. Usu namque verae religionis, quam ab illius desertore Henrico Octavo olim eversam clarae memoriae Maria, regina legitima, huius sedis praesidio reparaverat, potenti manu inhibito, secutisque et amplexis haereticorum erroribus, regium consilium ex Anglica nobilitate confectum diremit, illudque obscuris hominibus haereticis complevit, Catholicae fidei cultores oppressit, improbos concionatores atque impietatum administros reposuit,... deque ecclesiae causis decernere ausa, praelatis, clero et populo ne Romanam Ecclesiam agnoscerent . . . interdixit, plerosque . . . Romani Pontificis auctoritatem atque obedientiam abjurare seque solam in temporalibus et spiritualibus dominam agnoscere jurejurando coegit. . . . Illius itaque auctoritate suffulti, qui Nos in hoc supremo justitiae throno, licet tanto operi impares, voluit collocare, de apostolicae potestatis plenitudine declaramus praedictam Elizabeth, haereticam et haereticorum fautricem, eique adhaerentes in praedictis anathematis sententiam incurrisse, esseque a Christi corporis unitate praecisos; quin etiam ipsam praetenso regni praedicti jure, necnon omni et quocunque dominio, dignitate privilegioque privatum; et item proceres, subditos et populos dicti regni ac caeteros omnes qui illi quomodocunque juraverunt a juramento hujusmodi ac omni prorsus dominii, fidelitatis et obsequii debito perpetuo absolutos, prout nos illos praesentium auctoritate absolvimus; et privamus eandem Elizabeth praetenso jure regni aliisque omnibus supradictis. Praecipimusque et interdicimus universis et singulis proceribus, subditis, populis et aliis praedictis, ne illi ejusve monitis, mandatis et legibus audeant obedire. Qui secus egerint, eos simili anathematis sententia innodamus . . . Datum Romae apud sanctum Petrum, anno incarnationis Dominicae millesimo quingentesimo sexagesimo nono, quinto Kal. Martii, pontificatus nostri anno quinto. 1 Bullarium Romanum, II. p. 325. 8. Puritan Doctrines. (a) Cartwright's propositions, 1570. I. Archiepiscoporum et archidiaconorum nomina simul cum muneribus et officiis suis sunt abolenda. II. Legitimorum in ecclesia ministrorum nomina, qualia sunt episcoporum et diaconorum, separata a suis muneribus in verbo Dei descriptis, similiter sunt improbanda et ad institutionem apostolicam revocanda; ut episcopus in verbo et precibus, diaconus in pauperibus curandis versetur. III. Episcoporum cancellariis aut archidiaconorum officiali 1 Called by Strype 'a copy of the propositions Cartwright had set down and subscribed with his own hand.' bus regimen ecclesiae non est committendum, sed ad idoneum ministrum et presbyterium ejusdem ecclesiae deferendum. IV. Non oportet ministerium esse vagum et liberum, sed quisque debet certo cuidam gregi addici. V. Nemo debet ministerium tanquam candidatus petere. VI. Episcopi tantum authoritate et potestate ministri non sunt creandi... sed ab ecclesia electio fieri debet. Strype, Annals, II. p. 380; Whitgift, III. p. 17. (b) Chark's propositions, 1572. Chark', in a clerum at St Mary's before the University [of Cambridge], had roundly condemned the hierarchy of this church... laying down these two bold positions : Isti status episcopatus, archiepiscopatus, metropolitanatus, patriarchatus, denique papatus, a Satana in ecclesiam introducti sunt. Inter ministros ecclesiae, non debet alius alio esse superior. Strype, Annals, III. p. 278; cf. Strype, Parker, II. p. 194; Whitgift, I. p. 88; III. p. 24. (c) Dering's propositions, 1573 The lordship or civil government of bishops is utterly unlawful... And what, I beseech you, is the fruit it bringeth? Is it not the same that springeth out of the pope's breast? What else are officials, commissaries, chancellors, archdeacons, &c., which rule and govern by the common laws? Much worse than the statutes of Omri, and all the ordinances of the house of Achab: which uphold in the midst of us a court of Faculties, a place much worse than Sodom and Gomorrah . . . Letter from Edw. Dering, reader at St Paul's, to Lord Burleigh, dated 1 Nov. 1573; Strype, Annals, IIl. pp. 401-411. (d) Sampson's propositions, 1574. My good lord, pro Christo Domino dominantium rogo, obsecro, that there may be a consideration had of the state of the Church of England. The doctrine of the gospel is and may be purely preached in England: but the government of the church appointed in the gospel yet wanteth here. The doctrine 1 William Chark, late fellow of Peterhouse, then chaplain to Lord Cheynie. |