Archbishop Abbot the Lord-Keeper Williams and the Learned Andrews Bishop of Winchester commissioned thereunto by the King received the Royal Assent June 30. in the 21st Year of His Majesty's Reign and were thereupon transmitted to JERSEY to have there the Force of Laws in Matters Ecclesiastical as they have to this Day A Copy of which Canons collated with the old French Original extant in our Records is hereunto added for publick Satisfaction JAMES R. JAMES by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To our right Trusty and well beloved Counseller the Reverend Father in God Lancelot Bishop of Winton and to our Trusty and well beloved Sir John Peyton Knight Governor of our Isle of JARSEY and to the Governor of the said Isle for the time being To the Bailiff and Jurats of the said Isle for the time being and to the Officers Ministers and Inhabitants of the said Isle for the time being To whom it shall or may appertain Greeting Whereas we held it fitting heretofore upon the Admission of the now Dean of that Island unto his Place in the Interim until we might be more fully informed what Laws Canons or Constitutions were meet and fit to be made and established for the good Government of the said Island in Causes Ecclesiastical appertaining to the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to command the said Bishop of Winton Ordinary of the said Island to grant his Commission unto David Bandinel now Dean of the said Island to exercise the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction there according to certain Instructions signed with our Royal Hand to continue only until we might establish such Constitutions Rules Canons and Ordinances as we intended to settle for the regular Government of that our Island in all Ecclesiastical Causes conformed to the Ecclesiastical Government established in our Realm of England as near as conveniently might be And whereas also to that purpose our Pleasure was that the said Dean with what convenient Speed he might after such Authority given unto him as aforesaid and after his Arrival into that Island and the publick Notice given of his Admission unto the said Office should together with the Ministers of that our Isle consider of such Canons and Constitutions as might be fitly accommodated to the Circumstances of Time and Place and the Persons whom they concern and that the same should be put into Order and intimated to the Governor Bailiff and Jurats of that our Isle that they might offer to us and to Our Council such Acceptions and give such Informations touching the same as they should think good And whereas the said Dean and Ministers did conceive certain Canons and presented the same unto Vs on the one part and on the other part the said Bailiff and Jurats excepting against the same did send and depute Sir Philip de Carteret Knight Joshua de Carteret and Philip de Carteret Esquires three of the Jurats and Justices of Our said Isle All which Parties appeared before Our right Trusty and well beloved Councellors the Most Reverend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury the Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Lincoln Lord-Keeper of Our great Seal of England and the Right Reverend Father in God the said Lord Bishop of Winton to whom We gave Commission to examine the same who have accordingly heard the said Parties at large read examined corrected and amended the said Canons and have now made Report unto Vs under their Hands that by a mutual Consent of the said Deputies and Dean of our Island they have reduced the said Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiastical into such Order as in their Judgments may well fit the State of that Island KNOW ye therefore that We out of Our Princely Care of the quiet and peaceable Government of all Our Dominions especially affecting the Peace of the Church and the Establishment of true Religion and Ecclesiastical Discipline in one uniform Order and Course throughout all Our Realms and Dominions so happily united under Vs as their supreme Governor on Earth in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil having taken consideration of the said Canons and Constitutions thus drawn perused and allowed as aforesaid do by these Presents ratify confirm and approve thereof AND further We out of Our Princely Power and Regal Authority do by these Presents signed with Our Royal Hand and sealed with Our Royal Signet for Vs Our Heirs and Successors will and command that the said Canons and Constitutions hereafter following shall from henceforth in all Points be duely observed in Our said Isle for the perpetual Government of the said Isle in Causes Ecclesiastical unless the same or some Part or Parts thereof upon further Experience and Trial thereof by the mutual Consent of the Lord Bishop of Winton for the Time being the Governor Bailiffs and Jurats of the said Isle and of the Dean and Ministers and other Our Officers of Our said Isle for the time being representing the Body of Our said Isle and by the Royal Authority of Vs Our Heirs or Successors shall receive any Additions or Alterations as Time and Occasion shall justly require And therefore We do further will and command the said Right Reverend Father in God Lancelot now Lord Bishop of Winton that he do forthwith by his Commission under his Episcopal Seal as Ordinary of that Place give Authority unto the said now Dean to exercise Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in Our said Isle according to these Canons and Constitutions thus made and established De la Souveraineté du Roy. PRemierement selon le Devoir que nous devons a la Tres-Excellente Majesté du Roy il est Ordonné que le Doyen Ministres ayans cure des Ames seront tenus un chascun de tout leur Pouvoir Scavoir Cognoissance d'enseigner mettre en Evidence desclarer purement sincérement sans aucune feintise ou dissimulation le plus souvent que faire se pourra que les occasions s'en presenteront que toute Puissance Forreine estrangere Vsurpée pour autant qu' elle nâ aucun fondement en la Parole de Dieu est totalement pour bonnes justes Causes ostée abolie par conséquent que nulle sorte d'Obeissance ou Subjection dedans les Royaumes Dominions de sa Majesté n'est deüe à aucune telle Puissance Ains que la Puissance du Roy dedans les Royaumes d'Angleterre d'Ecosse d'Irlande autres ses Dominions Contrées est la plus haute Puissance sous Dieu à laquelle Toutes Personnes habitans natifs dans icelles doivent par la Loy de Dieu toute Fidélité Obeissance avant par dessus toute autre Puissance 2. Quiconque affermera maintiendra que la Majesté du Roy n'a la méme Authoritè en causes Ecclesiastiques comme entre les Juiss ont eû les Rois Religieux les Empereurs Chrestiens en
countenanced and encouraged by the Governor who whether out of Inclination or Affectation of Popularity or which I rather think the hope of adding to his Government the Revenue of the suppressed Deanry favoured that Party They possessed themselves of the Parish Church of St. Helier where the Sieur de la Ripaudiere a French Minister preached and gave the Sacrament after the manner of Geneva and soon after a solemn Deputation was made to the Queen for leave to have all the other Churches in the Island modell'd after that way This the Queen denied allowing them only that Church of which they were possessed and strictly Commanding that Form and Order of Service which was set forth within her Realm to be continued in the Residue of the Parishes of this Isle as appears from the following Letter sent by the Council to the Bailly and Jurats bearing Date Aug. 7. 1565. After our very hearty Commendations unto you Whereas the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty understandeth that the Isles of JARSEY and Guernezey have anciently depended on the Diocese of Constance and that there be certain Churches in the same Diocese well Reformed agreably throughout in Doctrine as it is set forth in this Realm Knowing therewith that you have a Minister who ever since his Arrival in JARSEY hath used the like Order of Preaching and Administration as in the said Reformed Churches or as it is used in the French Church at London Her Majesty for divers Respects and Considerations moving her Highness is well pleased to admit the same Order of Preaching and Administration to be continued at St. Helier's as hath been hitherto accustomed by the said Minister Provided always that the Residue of the Parishes in the said Isle shall diligently put apart all Superstitions used in the said Diocese and so continue there the Order of Service ordained and set forth within this Realm with the Injunctions necessary for that Purpose wherein you may not fail diligently to give your Aids and Assistance as best may serve for the Advancement of God's Glory And so fare you well From Richmond the 7th Day of August Anno 1565. Signed N. Bacon R. Leicester R. Rogers Will. Northampton Gul. Clynton Fr. Knolls Will. Cecil Notwithstanding this Letter all the other Churches in the Island soon followed the Example of that of St. Helier and the English Liturgy came to be generally disused This gave mighty Encouragement to the Puritans in England who hoped to draw great Advantages from it and indeed grew very insolent upon it To improve the Opportunity Cartwright and Snap those Two great Incendiaries of the English Church were sent into these Islands At whose coming a Synod of the Ministers and Elders of JERSEY Guernezey Serk and Alderney was Convened at the Town of St. Peter-Port in Guernezey June 28 1576. And there in Presence of both Governors a Form of Classical Discipline digested into twenty Chapters and each Chapter into several Articles was agreed on to be used from thenceforth in the four Islands Which Discipline was again confirmed in another Synod held at Guernezey the 11 12 13 14 15 and 17th Days of October 1597. It was a bold Step in the Governors not only to tolerate that unlawful Assembly but to countenance as they did all the Acts of it by their Presence and their Signature I call it an unlawful Assembly because it met and enacted Laws Ecclesiastical binding the Subject without the Royal Authority throwing the Liturgy out of those Churches where by Express Command of the Queen it had been injoyned to be continued to make way for their Model which was only indulged to St. Helier in JERSEY and to St. Peter-Port in Guernezey But the Governors got well by it for by that means the Spoils of the poor Deanries fell into their Hands Timely Application was made by that Party to K. James at his coming to the Crown to whom it was falsly suggested that the Discipline had been permitted and allowed by Q. Elizabeth Whereupon a Letter under the Privy-Seal dated Aug. 8. 1603. was easily obtained confirming that pretended Permission and setling the Discipline in both Islands as it was alledged to have been in the Days of that Queen The Letter was as followeth JAMES R. JAMES by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland c. Vnto all those whom these Presents shall concern Greeting Whereas We Our Selves and the Lords of Our Council have been given to understand that it pleased God to put it into the Heart of the Late Queen our most dear Sister to permit and allow unto the Isles of JARSEY and Guernezey parcel of our Dutchy of Normandy the Vse of the Government of the Reformed Churches in the said Dutchy whereof they have stood possessed until our coming to this Crown For this Cause we desiring to follow the Pious Example of our said Sister in this behalf as well for the Advancement of the Glory of Almighty God as for the Edification of his Church do will and ordain that our said Isles shall quietly enjoy their said Liberty in the Vse of the Ecclesiastical Discipline there now Established forbidding any one to give them any trouble or impeachment as long as they contain themselves in our Obedience and attempt not any thing against the Pure and Sacred Word of God Given at our Palace at Hampton-Court the 8th Day of August Anno Dom. 1603 and of our Reign in England the First 'T is plain the Grant in this Letter was void and null from the beginning being founded on an Allegation manifestly untrue viz. that Q. Elizabeth had given way to the Establishment of the Discipline throughout all the Churches in these Islands The contrary whereof appears from the very Words of the Letter written by her Council However matters stood thus till a New Governor coming to JERSEY and clashing with the Colloquy about the Right of collating to vacant Benefices which both Sides layed equally claim to He in the Right of the King as the true Patron They by Virtue of the Discipline which empowered them to confer Orders and fill up vacant Livings with such only as had a Call from themselves the Altercation grew so high that it endangered the publick Peace and many of the Principal Inhabitants became humble Suiters to His Majesty to restore to them the Liturgy and to settle among them a Form of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction suitable to that of the Church of England with regard to their ancient Customs and Priviledges to which they prayed His Majesty at the same time not to derogate The Address was well received at Court The Liturgy was restored and the Office of Dean which had been above 60 Years disused was Revived and conferred on the reverend Mr. David Bandinel one of the Ministers of the Island The New Dean and Ministers were injoyned to draw up a Body of Canons to be approved by the King which after several Corrections and Amendments made therein by
trouve point soit en se cachant ou autre Collusion la Citation sera affichée à l'huis du Temple Paroissial d'icelle en cas qu'il n'ayt aucun Domicile ce en jour de Dimanche 49. S'il parvient aux oreilles du Doyen par Relation de gens de bien que quelqu ' un vit notoirement en quelque Scandale il en pourra avertir le Ministre les Surveillâ—ns de la Paroisse afin que s'en estant informés ils Presentent telles personnes qui meritent d'estre punies ou Censurées 50. Là où il constera de la faute commise par quelque Ministre le Doyen aprés Monition réitérée procédera à la Reformation par l'avis Consentement de deux Ministres jusqu'a Suspension Sequestration en cas que ledit Ministre demeure Refractaire le Doyen procédera par le Consentement de la plus part des Ministres presents en l'Isle jusqu'a Déprivation 51. On ne fera point de Commutation pour Pénitence sinon avec grande Circonspection ayant égard à la qualité des Personnes Circonstances des fautes Et sera la Commutation enregistrée ès Actes de la Court pour estre employée aux Pauvres usages pi eux dont Accomptes seront rendus selon ledit Registre 52. Aprés la premiere Defaute la Non-comparence de ceux qui seront derechef cités par Mandat sera reputée Contumace si estans cités par aprés en Péremptoire ils ne comparoissent on pourra procéder à l'encontre d'eux à l' Excommunication Que si dans le prochain jour de Court la Partie ne fait devoir d'obtenir Absolution on procédera à la Publication de la Sentence Mineure Excommunication laquelle sera delivrée au Ministre de la Paroisse pour en faire lecture à jour Solennel à l'oâ—ye de la plus part des Paroissiens assemblés lapartie persistant en son Endurcissement on procédera à la Majeure Excommunication qui forclost le Pécheur à Sacris Societate Fidelium Que si cette Censure ne sert pour l'induire à Obéissance se ranger dans le Terme de 40 jours alors le Doyen parson Certificat authentique donnera Avertissement au Bailly Jurétz de ladite Contumace les requerra en Assistance de sa Jurisdiction de le faire saisir par les Officiers Civils pour le rendre Prisonnier en Détention Corporelle jusqu'a ce quil se soit submis obligé d'obtemperer à l'Ordonnance de l'Eglise devant qu'estre Absous sera tenu de payer les frais Coustages de la poursuite de la Cause 53. En Causes de Paillardise sur la Presentation des Surveillans avec les Probabilités commun Bruit Scandale Presumptions à ce requises la partie sera sujette de subir le Serment de sa Purgation ou autrement sera tenu pour Convaincu 54. En cas d'Adultére à l'Instance de Partie on y procédera meurement par bonnes preuves Informations pour avoir Evidence du faict objecte le sujet Preuve du fait le requerant on pourra conclurre jusqu'a Séparation à Thoro Mensâ 55. Là où il y aura Calomnie ou Diffamation prouvée on fera Recognoissance des Injures selon l'Exigence du cas pourveu que l'Action ne soit prescrite par lapse de temps d'un an entier pourveu que le sujet de l'Action soit de Crimes Ecclesiastiques cy devant Specifiés Des Appellations 56. Les Appeaux en Causes Ecclesiastiques seront oûis définis par le Révérend Pére en Dieu l'Evesque de Winchestre en personne en cas de Vacance de ce Siége par le Trés Révérend Pére en Dieu l'Archvesque de Canterbury en personne 57. Tout Appels interjettera dans Quinze jours aprés Cognoissance de la Sentence sera la partie obligée de prendre exhiber tout le Procés Actes du Registre ou Rolles de la Court lesquels Actes aussy luy seront delivrés en forme temps convenable authentiqués sous le sceau de l'Office sera l'Appellant sujet de le poursuivre dans an jour aut Sententiae latae stare compellitur 58. Il ne sera licite d'Appeller qu'aprés Sentence Définitive de la Cause sinon pour ces deux égards ou quand l'Interlocutoire est telle qu'elle met fin à la Cause ou quand ladite Interlocutoire estant obéie elle apporte tel Damage irreparable à la partie qu'il ne peut estre amendé par Appel de la Définitive Of the King's Supremacy FIrst according to the Duty we owe to the King 's most Excellent Majesty it is ordained that the Dean and Ministers having Cure of Souls shall be obliged to the utmost of their Power Knowledge and Learning purely and sincerely without any Backwardness or Dissimulation to teach publish and declare as often as they may and as occasion shall offer it self that all forreign strange and usurped Power for as much as it has no ground in the Word of God is wholly for good and just Causes taken away and abolished and that therefore no manner of Obedience or Subjection within His Majesty's Kingdoms and Dominions is due unto any such Power But that the King's Power within his Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland and other his Dominions and Countries is the highest Power under God to which all Persons Natives and Inhabitants within the same do by God's Law owe Loyalty and Obedience before and above all other Power 2. Whosoever shall affirm and maintain that the King's Majesty hath not the same Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical which Godly Kings had among the Jews and Christian Emperors in the Primitive Church or shall in any manner of way impeach or obstruct the King's Supremacy in the said Causes Moreover whosoever shall affirm that the Church of England as it is established under the King's Majesty is not a true and Apostolical Church purely teaching the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles or shall impugne the Government of the said Church by Archbishops Bishops and Deans affirming it to be Anti-christian shall be ipso facto Excommunicated and not restored but by the Dean sitting in Court after his Repentance and publick Recantation of his Error Of Divine Service 3. It is injoyned unto all sorts of Persons to submit to the Divine Service contained in the Book of Common Prayers of the Church of England And for as much as concerns the Ministers they shall be obliged to observe with Uniformity the said Liturgy without Addition or Alteration And no Conventicle or Congregation shall be suffered to make Sect apart or withdraw themselves from the Ecclesiastical Government established in the Island 4. The Lord's Day shall be sanctified by the Exercises of publick
Under Signed in the Original G. Cant. Jo. Lincoln C. S. La. Winton These Islands were first in the Diocese of Dol in Bretagne and so continued from the time of St. Sampson till the coming of the Danes or Normans into Neustria who falling out with the Bretons about the limits of their Territories and a War ensuing thereupon betwixt them withdrew these Islands from the Obedience of the British Bishop and gave them a Bishop of their own viz. that of Coûtance in Normandy the lofty Towers of whose beautiful Cathedral once our Mother Church are seen from JERSEY To this Bishop these Islands remained subject even after the Defection of Normandy notwithstanding the frequent Wars betwixt the two Crowns untill the Tenth Year of Queen Elizabeth King John indeed having lost Normandy had once in an angry Mood designed to annex them to the See of Exeter in England but did not It was the Change of Religion in these Islands that took away from the Popish Bishop of Coûtance his Jurisdiction over them For then they were by an Order of Council dated March 11th 1568. transferred and united to the Diocese of Winton Robertus Cenalis Bishop of Avranches in Normandy imposes upon himself and his Readers when he says that these Islands were sometime under his Predecessors Bishops of Avranches This certainly is a mistake and must proceed from some Papers which belike he found in the Archives of that Church mentioning some Parcels of Tythes paid here in time past to the Bishops of his See The Bishops of Dol and Coûtance for the Exercise of their Authority had in each Island of JERSEY and Guernezey a Commissary or Surrogate called Decanus the Dean An Office of great Antiquity since I find it mentioned in very old Records and have reason to believe it as ancient as Episcopacy and consequently as ancient as Christianity it self in these Islands To him those Bishops left the Cognizance of all Matters of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction reserving only to themselves Ordinations Institutions and Appeals The same Power is vested in the present Deans with this limitation that they are to govern themselves by the Advice and Opinions of the rest of the Ministers who are to be their constant Assessors much after the manner of those ancient Presbyteries or Councils of Priests who sate with the Bishops in their Consistories and assisted them in giving Judgment in all Causes brought before them An excellent Government and grounded on the Primitive Pattern When the Office of Dean was revived in JERSEY in the Reign of K. James I a Motion was made to give the said Dean the Power of a Bishop Suffragan within the Island Appeals being still reserved to the Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Winchester I could never know why that Motion was rejected But we daily see the necessity of such a Power particularly in the want of Confirmation of Children after Baptism That Apostolical Institution being thereby become altogether unpracticable amongst Us. Nor have we any way to supply that Defect but by taking great care as we generally do to have Children brought to publick Catechism where in the presence of God's Church they renew their Baptismal Vow and taking upon themselves the Obligations of Christianity discharge their Sponsors of the Promise made for them at their Baptism Upon which and not before we admit them to the Holy Communion The Patronage of all the Churches here in time of Popery belonged to several Great Abbots in Normandy as to the Abbots of St. Sauveur le Vicomte Cherbourg St. Michael Blanche Lande c. which Patronage at the Reformation was vested in the King who has since made Cession of it to the Governor It is he that presents now to all vacant Benefices in His Majesty's Right But the Deanry continues of Royal Nomination and is held by Patent under the Great Seal These Great Norman Abbots had not only the Nomination but the Tythes also of all the Parishes in this Island A small Proportion as the 3 d 7 th 8 th 9 th or 10 th Sheaf of the said Impropriated Tythes being reserved for those that ministred at the Altar These Impropriations at the Dissolution of Monasteries in England instead of returning to the Church were annexed to the Crown and are become part of the King's Revenue in the Island Much the same Proportion as before being still allotted to the Incumbents together with the Novals or Desarts which are the Tythes of Lands that remained wast and untill'd at the Suppression of those Houses but have been since converted into Arable The following Scheme drawn out of the Black-Book of Coûtance like that in the Exchequer will shew what that Proportion was and what the King enjoys now in right of the dispossessed Abbots Vniversis praesentes Literas inspecturis Officialis Constantiensis Salutem Notum facimus quod nos ad Requestam Religiosorum Virorum Abbatis Conventûs Sancti Salvatoris Vicecomitis visitavimus legimus inspeximus atque visitari legi inspici fecimus quendam Librum in Domo seu Manerio Episcopali Constantiensi existentem vulgariter Librum Nigrum nuncupatum in quo vidimus legimus nonnullas Clausulas Ecclesias Beneficia Insulae JERSEY de eis cum praefato Libro Nigro collationem fecimus diligenter Quarum quidam Clausularum Tenor sequitur de verbo ad verbum est talis Ecclesia Sancti Breverlardi Patronus Abbas S. Salvatoris Vicecomitis percipit duas partes Garbarum Rector sextam Abatissa de Cadomo duodecimam Abbatissa Vilmonasterii duodecimam Rector item habet sex Virgas Eleemosynae Et valet dicta Ecclesia Annis communibus XXX Lib. Turonens Ecclesia Sancti Petri. Patronus Abbas S. Salvatoris Vicecom Et percipit medietatem Garbarum Abbatissa Cadomensis quartam Garbam Abbatissa Vilmonasteriensis aliam quartam exceptâ carucatâ de Nobretez Rector percipit novalia habet VIII Virgas Terrae Eleemosynae valet XXX Lib. Turon Ecclesia de Trinitate Patronus Abbas Caesaris-Burgi Abbas S. Salvatoris percipit sextam Garbam Abbas Caesaris-Burgi tertiam liberam Decimam Episcopus Auritanus medietatem Garbarum Rector percipit novalia habet VIII Virgas Eleemosynae valet communibus Annis XXX Lib. Turon Ecclesia Beatae Mariae Patronus Abbas Caesariensis Abbas S. Salvatoris Vice-com percipit sextam Garbam Abbatissa Cadomensis Monasterii Villers quartam partem Decimae Garbarum Rector percipit tertiam partem Garbarum habet XVI Virgas Eleemosynae valet XXX Lib. Turon Ecclesia Sancti Johannis Patronus Abbas S. Salvatoris Vicecom percipit totam Decimam Ecclesia ibidem Prioratus ejusdem Monasterii Et sunt ibi duae Virgae Eleemosynae valet XXVIII Lib. Turon Ecclesia Sancti Audoeni Patronus Abbas S. Michaelis in periculo Maris percipit ibi duas Garbas IV Lib.