religion, or preachers thereof, scolds, ribalds or such like; which faults are each Thursday presented unto them in writing by certain sworn men, appointed for that service in each parish. So by the bishop's authority and the mayor's joined together, being assisted with other gentlemen in the commission of the peace, evil life is corrected...

...

XVII. There is hereafter to take place, order that all ministers of the shire, once every quarter. . . repair to the said town; and there after a sermon . . . privately to confer among themselves of their manners and lives. Among whom if any be found in fault, for the first time exhortation is made to him among all the brethren to amend; and so likewise the second; and [the] third time, by complaint from all the brethren, he is committed unto the bishop for his correction.

The order of the exercise of the ministers with a confession of the faith.

I. Every one at his first allowance to be of this exercise shall, by subscription of his own hand, declare his consent in Christ's true religion with his brethren, and submit himself to the discipline and orders of the same.

II. The names of every man that shall speak in this exercise shall be written in a table...

III. The first speaker beginning and ending with prayer ought to explain the text that he readeth. Then he may confute any false or untrue expositions . . . But he shall not digress...

IV. Whatsoever is left of the first speaker... they that speak afterwards have liberty to touch, . . . without repeating the selfsame words which have been spoken before or impugning the same, except any have spoken contrary to the scriptures.

V. The exercise shall begin immediately after nine of the clock and not exceed the space of two hours . . . One of the moderators shall always make the conclusion.

VI. After the exercise is ended, . . . if any of the speakers in this exercise be infamed or convinced of any grievous crime, he shall be there and then reprehended.

VII. ... And this consultation shall be ended with some

short exhortation, to move each one to go forward in his office ...

Then followed a confession which these exercisers were to subscribe...

The confession in the exercises.

We whose names are hereunder written . . . believe and hold, that the word of God written in the canonical scriptures of the Old and New Testament... [is] and ought to be open, to be read and known of all sorts of men, . . . and the authority thereof far to exceed all authority, not of the Pope of Rome only... but of the church also, of councils, fathers or others whosoever, either men or angels. And therefore to this word of God we humbly submit ourselves and all our doings; willing and ready to be judged... thereby, in all points of religion.

...

Strype, Annals, III. pp. 133-140, s. a. 1571; cf. id. III. p. 472.

(b) Suppression of Exercises, 1574.

Archbishop Parker to Mr Matchett.

You shall go unto my lord your ordinary, and show him that the Queen's Majesty willed me to suppress those vain prophecyings. And thereupon I require him in her Majesty's name immediately to discharge them of any further such doing... MATTHUE CANTUAR.

[Dated 25 March, 1574.]

1

Parker Correspondence, p. 456.

(c) Grindal's Regulations, 1576.

Orders for reformation of abuses about the learned exercises and conferences among the Ministers of the Church.

I. The said exercises are to be used only in such churches and at such times as the bishop of the diocese shall . . . appoint.

II. Item, That in all such exercises, either the archdeacon, if he be a divine, or else some one other grave learned graduate, at the least, to be appointed... by the bishop... and moderate the said exercises.

1 Cf. Letter of Grindal to the Queen, 20 Dec. 1576 (Remains of Grindal, p. 383).

III. Item, That a catalogue of names be made and allowed of those that are judged meet to be speakers . . . and such parts of the Scripture entreated of as the bishop shall appoint.

IV. Item, That the rest of the ministers. . . be assigned by the moderators some tasks, for the increase of their learning, to be comprised in writing or otherwise, concerning the exposition of some part of Scripture . . .

V. Item, ante omnia, that no lay person be suffered to speak publicly in those assemblies.

VI. Item, That no man speaking in the said exercises shall be suffered to glance openly or covertly against any state or any person public or private . . .

VII. Item, That no man be suffered in the said exercises to make any invections against the laws, rites, policies and discipline of the Church of England established by public authority...

VIII. Item, Forasmuch as divers ministers, deprived from their livings and inhibited to preach for not obeying the public orders and discipline of the Church of England, have intruded themselves in sundry places to be speakers in the said exercises, and . . . have in the said exercises usually made their invections against the orders, rites and discipline of the church . . ., every bishop is to take strict order in his diocese, that hereafter none be suffered to be speakers in the said exercises, which remain deprived or inhibited for the causes aforesaid, except they shall have before conformed themselves to order, neither any other which shall not . . . conform himself . . .

EDM. CANTUAR.

Strype, Grindal, pp. 327, 328, s. a. 1576.

(d) The Queen's Letter against Prophesyings, 1577.

Right reverend father in God, we greet you well. We hear to our great grief, that in sundry parts of our realm there are no small number of persons . . . which contrary to our laws. .. do daily devise. . . and put in execution sundry new rites and forms in the church, as well by their preaching, reading and ministering the sacraments, as by procuring unlawful assemblies of a great number of our people... to be hearers of their disputations and new devised opinions upon matters of divinity, far and unmeet of unlearned people, which manner of invasions

they in some places call prophecying and in some other places exercises; by which manner of assemblies great numbers of our people... are brought to idleness and seduced and in a manner schismatically divided amongst themselves . . . and manifestly thereby encouraged to the violation of our laws... Wherefore, considering that it should be the duty of the bishops... to see these dishonours against the honour of God and the quietness of the church reformed, . . . we will and straightly charge you that you also charge the same forthwith ..; but if any shall attempt or continue or renew the same, we will you not only to commit them unto prison as maintainers of disorders, but also to advertise us or our council of the names and qualities of them and of their maintainers and abettors, that thereupon for better example their punishment may be more sharp for their reformation. And in these things we charge you to be so careful and vigilant as by your negligence. . . we be not forced to make some example or reformation of you according to your deserts.

to cease...

[Dated 7 May, 1577-] Cardwell, Documentary Annals, I. p. 373

(e) Regulations in the diocese of Chester, 1585.

A copy of the authority given by the bishop [of Chester] to the moderators of every several exercise . . . and other orders to be observed in the exercises.

William', by God his providence bishop of Chester, to ..., moderators for the exercises holden at Bury, within the diocese of Chester, greeting. Whereas the right honourable the lords of her Majesty's most honourable privy council... have recommended unto us some further enlargements of the ecclesiastical exercise, . . . since which time we do understand... that many who ought to frequent the said exercise... either negligently deal in the same or wilfully absent themselves, . . . these are therefore to authorise you that you do... give notice to all the clergy... of the contents of these presents. And if you shall find any... negligent... after warning given,... to suspend him so offending... And what you do concerning the premisses we will you certify us . . .

... All parsons, vicars, curates and schoolmasters within every deanery are to appear personally on every exercise day, there either to write or speak . . . All the people and the whole congregation are to resort to the sermon, but none to the other exercise but clergymen only . . . and schoolmasters.

...

[Dated 1 Sept. 1585.]

Strype, Annals, IV. pp. 546–549.

(f) Harrison on Prophesyings.

In many of our archdeaconries we have an exercise lately begun, which for the most part is called a prophecy or conference, and erected only for the examination or trial of the diligence of the clergy in their study of holy scriptures. Howbeit such is the thirsty desire of the people in these days to hear the word of God, that they also have as it were with zealous violence intruded themselves among them (but as hearers only), to come by more knowledge through their presence at the same... The laity never speak of course, except some vain and busy head will now and then intrude themselves with offence, but are only hearers; and as it is used in some places weekly, in others once in fourteen days, in divers monthly and elsewhere twice a year, so is it a notable spur unto all the ministers thereby to apply their books, which otherwise (as in times past) would give themselves to hawking, hunting, tables, cards, dice, tippling at the alehouse, shooting of matches and other such like vanities.

... But alas! as Satan the author of all mischief hath in sundry manners heretofore hindered the erection and maintenance of many good things, so in this he hath stirred up adversaries of late. . . who have procured the suppression of

these conferences.

Harrison's Description of England, Bk. II. ch. 1.

(g) Bacon on Prophesyings.

Is there no means to nurse and train up ministers, . . . to train them, I say, not to preach... but to preach soundly and handle the scriptures with wisdom and judgment? I know prophecying was subject to great abuses. . . But I say the only reason of the abuse was because there were admitted to it a