popular auditory, and it was contained with a private conference of ministers.

Bacon, Discourse concerning Church Affairs, ed. 1641, pp. 32, 33. 12. The Queen's Proclamation against Nonconformists, 1573A proclamation against the despisers or breakers of the orders prescribed in the book of Common Prayer. BY THE QUEEN.

The Queen's Majesty being right sorry to understand that the order of Common Prayer set forth by the common consent of the realm and by authority of parliament in the first year of her reign, wherein is nothing contained but the scripture of God and that which is consonant unto it, is now of late of some men despised and spoken against, both by open preachings and writings, and of some bold and vain curious men new and other rites found out and frequented; whereupon contentions, sects and disquietness doth arise among her people, and, for one godly and uniform order, diversity of rites and ceremonies, disputations and contentions, schism and divisions already risen, and more like to ensue the cause of which disorders her Majesty doth plainly understand to be the negligence of the bishops and other magistrates, who should cause the good laws and acts of parliament made in this behalf to be better executed, and not so dissembled and winked at as hitherto it may appear that they have been:

For speedy remedy whereof her Majesty straitly chargeth and commandeth all archbishops and bishops . . . and all other who have any authority, to put in execution the Act for the uniformity of Common Prayer and the administration of the sacraments, made in the first year of her gracious reign, with all diligence and severity...

And if any persons shall either in private houses or in public places make assemblies and therein use other rites of Common Prayer and administration of the sacraments than is prescribed in the said book, or shall maintain in their houses any persons being notoriously charged by books or preachings to attempt the alteration of the said orders, they shall see such persons punished with all severity, according to the laws of this realm, by pains appointed in the said Act.

And because these matters do principally appertain to the persons ecclesiastical and to the ecclesiastical government, her Majesty giveth a most special and earnest charge to all archbishops, bishops, archdeacons and deans, and all such as have ordinary jurisdiction, in such cases to have a vigilant eye and care to the observation of the orders and rites in the said book prescribed, throughout their cures and diocese... upon pain of her Majesty's high displeasure for their negligence and deprivation from their dignities and benefices or other censures to follow, according to their demerits.

[Dated 20 Oct. 1573.]

Cardwell, Documentary Annals, I. p. 348.

13. Queen's Message1 to Parliament, 1576.

[9 March, 1576.] Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, touching the petition for reformation of discipline in the Church, doth bring word from the Lords that their Lordships having moved the Queen's Majesty touching the said petition, her Highness answered their Lordships:

That her Majesty, before the Parliament, had a care to provide in that case of her own disposition; and at the beginning of this session her Highness had conference therein with some of the bishops and gave them in charge to see due reformation thereof; wherein, as her Majesty thinketh, they will have good consideration, according unto her pleasure and express commandment in that behalf: and so did her Highness most graciously and honourably declare further that, if the said bishops should neglect or omit their duties therein, then her Majesty, by her supreme power and authority over the Church of England, would speedily see such good redress therein, as might satisfy the expectation of her loving subjects, to their good contentation.

Which message and report was most thankfully and joyfully received by the whole House with one accord.

Commons' Journals, I. p. 112.

1 This message was sent in consequence of the introduction into the House of Commons of a bill for ecclesiastical reformation. Cp. above, pp. 120-124.

2 i.e. of the Privy Council.

P

14. The Queen's Message1 to the House of Commons, 1581. 7 March, 1581... Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer declareth, that Mr Vicechamberlain, both Mr Secretaries and himself have, according to their commission from this House, conferred with some of my lords the bishops touching the griefs of this House, for some things very requisite to be reformed in the Church; as, the great number of unlearned and unable ministers, the great abuse of excommunication for every matter of small moment, the commutation of penance, and the great multitude of dispensations and pluralities, and other things very hurtful to the Church; . . . declaring further that they found some of the said lords the bishops, not only to confess and grant the said defects and abuses, wishing due redress thereof... whereupon they afterwards joined in humble suit together unto her Highness and received her Majesty's most gracious answer: That, as her Highness had, the last session of parliament, of her own good consideration and before any petition or suit thereof made by this House, committed the charge and consideration thereof unto some of her Highness' clergy, who had not performed the same according to her Highness' commandment, so now her Majesty would eftsoons commit the same unto such others of them as with all convenient speed . . . should see the same accomplished accordingly... For the which as they did all render unto her Majesty most humble and dutiful thanks, so did Mr Chancellor further declare that the only cause why no due reformation hath been already had in the said petitions was only by the negligence and slackness of some others, and not of her Majesty nor of this House; alleging withal that some of the said bishops had yet done something in those matters,... as in a more advised care of allowing and making of ministers, but yet in effect little or nothing to the purpose...

Commons' Journals, I. p. 131.

15. Whitgift and the Nonconformists, 1583.

Successit Ioannes Whitgiftus. Huic Regina (quae ut in politicis, ita et in legibus ecclesiasticis nihil unquam laxandum

In consequence of a resolution of the Commons that Mr ViceChamberlain and others should move the Lords of the Clergy to continue unto her Majesty the prosecution of the purposes of reformation.'

censuit) mandavit, ut ante omnia disciplinam ecclesiae Anglicanae et uniformitatem in sacris authoritate parlamentaria sancitam restauraret, quae praesulum conniventia, novatorum pervicacia, et nobilium quorundam potentia laxata iacuit; dum quidam e ministris regiam in ecclesiasticis authoritatem tecte impugnarent, sacramentorum administrationem a verbi praedicatione seiungerent, novos ritus pro arbitrio in privatis aedibus usurparent, Liturgiam, Sacramentorum administrationem constitutam ut sacris literis in quibusdam contraria et episcoporum vocationem omnino damnarent; ideoque templa adire recusarent, et plane schisma facerent, Pontificiis plaudentibus multosque in suas partes pertrahentibus, quasi nulla esset in Ecclesia Anglicana unitas... Nec hi solum domi Ecclesiam exagitarunt, sed etiam foras qui ex his prodierunt, Robertus Brownus Cantabrigiensis in theologia tyro, a quo novi sectarii Brownistae dicti, et Richardus Harrisonus e trivio paedagogus. Hi enim ex suo spiritu de re religionis iudicare ausi, libris hac tempestate in Zelandia editis, et per Angliam dispersis, Ecclesiam Anglicanam quasi nullam damnarunt, multoque novi schismatis laqueis irretierunt; quamvis eorum libri regia authoritate prohibiti et ab eruditis nervose confutati unusque et alter e sectariis ad S. Edmundi, extremo supplicio affecti.

Camden, Annales, I. p. 346, s. a. 1583.

16. Whitgift's articles touching preachers and other orders for the Church', 1583.

I. That the laws late made against the recusants be put in more due execution, considering the benefit that hath grown unto the Church thereby, where they have been executed, and the encouragement which they and others do receive by remiss executing thereof.

II. That all preaching, reading, catechising and other such like exercises in private places and families whereunto others do resort, being not of the same family, be utterly inhibited ...

Strype, Whitgift, I. 228, says of these: 'In the month of Sept. [1583] divers good articles were drawn up and agreed upon by himself [the archbishop] and the rest of the bishops of his province, and signed by them. Which the Queen also allowed of, and gave her royal assent unto, to give them the greater authority.'

III. That none be permitted to preach, read or catechise in the church or elsewhere unless he do four times in the year at least say service and minister the sacraments according to the Book of Common Prayer.

IV. That all preachers and others in ecclesiastical orders do at all times wear and use such kind of apparel as is prescribed unto them by the book of Advertisements and her Majesty's Injunctions anno primo.

V. That none be permitted to preach or interpret the Scriptures unless he be a priest or deacon at the least, admitted thereunto according to the laws of this realm.

VI. That none be permitted to preach, read, catechise, minister the sacraments or to execute any other ecclesiastical function. . . unless he first consent and subscribe to these articles following . . . videlicet:

(a) That her Majesty, under God, hath and ought to have the sovereignty and rule over all manner of persons born within her realms, dominions and countries, of what estate ecclesiastical or temporal soever they be; and that no foreign power, prelate, state or potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction . . . authority ecclesiastical or temporal1 within her Majesty's said realms, dominions and countries.

(b) That the Book of Common Prayer and of ordering bishops. priests and deacons containeth nothing in it contrary to the word of God, and that the same may lawfully be used, and that he himself will use the form of the said book prescribed in public prayer and administration of the sacraments, and none other.

(c) That he alloweth the book of Articles of Religion, agreed upon by the archbishops and bishops in both provinces and the whole clergy in the Convocation holden at London in the year of our Lord God 1562 and set forth by her Majesty's authority, and that he believeth all the articles therein contained to be agreeable to the word of God.

Strype, Whitgift, I. pp. 228-232; Reg. I, Whitgift.

spiritual (Cardwell, from Reg. I, Whitgift).