for the enabling of Citations Suspensions Excommunications or other Censures of the Church And that it is not necessary that Summons Citations or other Processes Ecclesiastical in the said Courts or Institutions or Inductions to Benefices or Correction of Ecclesiastical Offences by Censure in those Courts be in the King 's Name or with the Style of the King or under the King 's Seal or that their Seals of Office have in them the King 's Arms. And that the Statute of Primo Edwardi Sexti cap. 2. which Enacted the contrary is not now in force We are also of Opinion that the Bishops Arch-deacons and other Ecclesiastical Persons may keep their Visitations as usually they have done without Commission under the Great Seal of England so to do John Bramstone John Finch Humphrey Davenport William Jones John Dinham Richard Hutton George Croke Thomas Trevor George Vernor Robert Berkley Francis Crawley Richard Weston The Right Reverend Father in God George Lord Bishop of London His Advertisment To all and every the Ministers Church-wardens and Side-men within the City Suburbs and Diocess of London WHereas I am daily advertised by the relations of many honest and religious persons of a General Misbehaviour in most Churches in and about the City of London in time of Divine Service Men and Boys sitting then cover'd with their Hats on their heads without all shew of Reverence or Respect either of that Holy place or Action the one being the House of Almighty God the other a continued Vicissitude as it were of Speech between God and his People The due consideration whereof might easily induce any well-disposed Christian to use such Outward posture and gesture of his body as becometh that Sacred place and the great Majesty of that God to whom they come at that time Professedly to perform a Divine Worship I have therefore thought it my duty incessantly to recommend unto you the Ministers Church-wardens and Side-men the Reformation of this prophane abuse scandalous to our Religion against an express Law in that case provided and condemned by the contrary practice of all Christians in all Ages in their like Solemnities and Assemblies praying and requiring you to joyn together your utmost endeavours to effect the same for which purpose it shall be necessary for you the Church-wardens and Side-men during the time of Divine Service diligently to look about the Church and where you see any covered if Boys or of the younger sort those to shame openly by pulling off their Hats and chastize with such Discipline as you have been laudably accustomed to inflict upon such rude and unmannerly Fellows If the Elder or better sort though I well hope that none of that condition out of their own judgment will hereafter offend in this kind those to admonish gravely of their duty representing unto them the inconvenienâ—es of this their ill example and how directly repugnant it is to the Apostle 's Rule of Decency in the Church thus to celebrate Divine Service and to perform a Professed and Religious Worship of Almighty God After which your Admonition if any shall obstinately refuse to uncover his oâ— their heads in Service time you shall then present them to Me or my Chancellor to the end that they by the severity of Censures may be amended by whom brotherly and gentle perswasions have been contemned Moreover also I am certainly informed That the Publick Service of Almighty God in the Churches is omitted and thereby come to neglect and almost scorned forasmuch as the Ministers read not the Divine Service the First and Second Service before their Sermons according to the order of our Church Liturgy and the Canon in that case provided I do therefore hereby require all the Parsons Vicars and Curates in my Diocess to take care that they offend not in this kind strictly likewise requiring you the Church-wardens and Side-men that according to your Oathes you present to Me or my Chancellor those Ministers that shall be faulty in this kind c. City Petition 1646 1. That some strict and speedy course may be taken for the suppressing of all Private and Separate Congregations 2. That all Anabaptists Brownists Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers and all such Sectaries as conform not to the Publick Discipline established or to be established by Parliament may be fully declared against and some effectual course taken for proceeding against such persons 3. That as we are all Subjects of one Kingdom so all may equally be required to yield obedience unto the Government set forth or to be set forth by Parliament 4. That no Person disaffected to the Government set forth or to be set forth by Parliament may be employed in any place of Publick trust The most Reverend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace to all the Lords the Bishops within his Province of Canterbury AFter my hearty Commendations I have lately received Letters from His Majesty wherein He takes notice of the continuance and increase of some bold Abuses and Extravagances in the Church especially in Preachers notwithstanding His great Indulgence used towards them And fore-seeing the mischief and inconveniencies likely to ensue thereupon if not timely prevented and repressed Hath out of His Princely and tender care of the Peace of the Church sent withall certain Directions to be strictly observed by the Bishops in their several Diocesses as by the Copies thereof which I have sent here inclosed your Loâ—dship 's will more fully understand and for the more speedy dispatch and ease in the Communication hath been Graciously pleased to command so many Copies thereof to be Printed as shall be needful a proportionable number whereof will be forthwith sent unto your Lordship for your Diocess Now as we cannot but with all thankfulness acknowledge His Majesty's Affectionate Care and Zeal in this His providing for the good and Welfare of the Church by all means which He finds may be conducible thereunto So my earnest desire and hope is We shall not be so much wanting to our own good as not to second those His Majesty's Commands with the utmost of Our endeavours But that your Lordship when you shall have given order for the careful dispersing and communicating those Copies as is required will by your diligent inspection and serious Admonitions to your Clergy as occasion shall be offered be able in due time to return an account of the success in the Observation answerable to His Majesty 's expectation and Pious Designs in this His Injunction And so with my Prayers to God for a Blessing upon your Endeavours herein I commit you to His holy Protection and rest Your Lordships very Loving Friend and Brother W. Cant. Lambeth 23 Octob. 1662. The Right Reverend Father in God Gilbert Lord Bishop of London his Injunction GIlbert by the Divine Providence Bishop of London To our Well-beloved in Christ in the City and Our Diocess of London sendeth Greeting Whereas we are informed and sadly resent the great Profanation of
of Religion without any manifest known sin in the Manner of Worshipping of God or in the Matter and therefore our Government ought not to be Altered though Opposed by some that will not Conform because they are Commanded and yet confess Robinson Justific we ought and must obey the Ceremonies for the ends Commanded and as they tend to the Edification of our Selves and Others and that if they tend to the Edification of the Church and good Order they are Lawfull in the Commander Because the Officers of the Church as our Arch-bishops Bishops c. met together to Discuss and Consider of matters for the good of the Churches may be called a Church by the Judgment of the greatest Antagonist of the Church of England Robinson Because the Order of Bishops being of Divine Institution Ordination or Confirmation by the Apostles it follows that they are not of less Excellency than the Churches whose Servants they are but that the Churches are and ought to be in due proportion Inferior unto them The Man was not Created for the Woman but the Woman for the Man and as Ministers of the revealed Will of God they are infinitely above and Superior unto all saith our great Antagonist Robinson and for this Ambassage of God and Christ they are absolutely and simply to be Obeyed Because wearing the Surplice Cope Corner'd Cap Tippet Rotchet the use of the Ring in Marriage Signing with the Sign of the Cross in Baptism Kneeling Sitting or Standing in Divine Service are not Ceremonies in themselves but only when they are so Designed Appointed and Observed Dr. Burges A Bishop doth not wear the Judges Quoif the Counsellour a Surplice the Attourney a Ministers Garment a Lay man Parliament Robes an ordinary Citizen an Alderman's Badge it is one thing to wear a Garment to keep one Warm or for some other Service and another thing to wear it as a Distinctive cognizance of Authority of such and such a Degree Office Calling or Profession in which use it is a Ceremony otherwise not Dr. Burges a Ceremony external because internal actions of the mind being matters of substance cannot be duely called Ceremonies yet the institution or observation of an action or thing to express this or that to such an use as is Ceremonious makes it a Ceremony See Styleman's Peace-Offering Because meer Civility would teach though Religion were silent that men under Authority should obey and candidly forbear to intermeddle in matters of which they are not meet Judges though as Mint Annise and Cummin but Religion should teach them much more and put them in mind of the weighty things of the Law of Christ studying by all ways to gain some I became a Jew that I might gain the Jew saith that great Doctor of the Gentiles and was this by contradicting and gain-saying the Ceremonies of the Jewish Church Because God is a God of Order and Peace and hath ordained and commanded Peace and Unity between Ecclesiastical and Civil Power lest the Peace and Union both of Churches and Kingdoms be equally in danger of being broken Now that there is in the Church of England purity of Doctrine Order and Unity with Peace the Brethren themselves confess who do write about 1602. That in regard of the common grounds of Religion and of the Ministery we are all one we are all of one Faith one Baptism one Body one Spirit have all one Father one Lord and be all of one Heart against all wickedness Superstition Idolatry Heresie and that we seek with one Christian desire the advancement of the pure Religion Worship and Honor of God We are all Ministers of the Word by one Order we administer Prayers and Sacraments by one Form we preach one Faith and substance of Doctrine And we praise God heartily that the true Faith by which we may be saved and the true Doctrine of the Sacraments and the pure Worship of God is truly taught and that by publick Authority and retained in the Book of Articles Because the propounding of the true Doctrine the decision of Controversies making of Canons Orders Constitutions c. expedient and necessary to edification of the Church are Acts of Religion most proper to the Church and to make Laws to establish them to bestow Civil Gifts and Privileges upon the Church to ordain Civil Punishments for Offences committed against Christian Religion to erect Courts for the Cognizance of such Causes and the execution of the Laws is the peculiar and proper work of Christian Kings who are the onely Judges of their People Lambard Nevertheless Christian Kings though they may well do all these things without the help of the Church yet have they not done it but have made use of the Church for the more ample discharge of that great trust reposed in them Ut levior sit illis labor Because the Church hath power in Civil actions that draw scandal with them Ecclesiastically to censure yea the Church is to censure them Ecclesiastically in her members though the Magistrate pardon or pass them by except the Parties delinquent repent of them for then they are to be forgiven And what Usurpation is here upon the Magistracy The greatest enemy of the Church hath confessed this for a truth Robinson Because our Ceremonies are not immediate means of Worship neither do they terminate themselves in God who is worshipped Because the Church doth not give signification and effecting supernatural events to human Ceremonies as the Papists do K. James And no Church ought further to separate it self from the Church of Rome either in Doctrine or Ceremonies than she hath departed from her self when she was in her flourishing and best estate and from Christ her Lord and Head Because Ceremonies are ordained for those ends for which Rites may be ordained and are agreeable to those Rules which God's Word prescribes to wit Decency Order and Edification For Order and Uniformities sake Not any one Duty in all the Scripture so oft and so earnestly recommended as Unity which cannot be effected without some joint care to walk Uniformly in the Publick Worship of God Because the appointment of Ceremonies to be used as Ceremonies and not at all as Worship to God in themselves are no where condemned in the Scripture though not commanded Because our Ceremonies are of an indifferent nature and no Religion doth lie in the opposing of them but scandal and offence doth arise thereby causing even the good the Opposers might do to be evil spoken of and to become unprofitable Because our Ceremonies are not against Faith or a good life few and easie which Custome hath allowed and the not conforming to the Custom of a Church or State doth give occasion to Censures and Opinions and thereby cause suspition where a man might pass unquestion'd Because the Church of England never cast away all Ceremonies nor utterly abolish'd them but cast away all that which was properly Popish and corrupt in
sought to bring the Authority of Ecclesiastical Praelates to nothing when as they never forbad them that worldly Government and Authority which they have given unto them by Kings and Emperours for the civil Government of their Goods c. it being conferred upon them by Pious Princes out of their Love to Christ and his Ambassadors the better to preserve them from the contempt of the wicked and to inable them the better to maintain the great interest which in civil things belongs to the Ecclesiastical State and that the great Honour of a Christian Kingdome should not sit without giving the Ambassadors of Christ an Honourable place and Privilege amongst them Because the Churches abroad confess that so many as do despise Ecclesiastical Assemblies and separate themselves from them they are contemners of true Religion and are to be compelled by the Bishops and Godly Migistrates to surcease stubbornly to separate and absent themselves from sacred Assemblies Because the Churches abroad confess if any Church do Religiously celebrate the memory of the Lord's Nativity Circumcision Passion Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven and sending the Holy Ghost upon his Disciples according to Christian Liberty they do very well allow of it Because the Churches abroad confess no Religion doth keep every where the same Ceremonies although they admit and receive the self same Doctrine touching them For say they even they which have one and the self same Faith disagree amongst themselves about Ceremonies the Churches having always used their liberty in Rites as being things indifferent Because the Churches abroad confess Ceremonies brought in by good Custome are with an Uniform consent to be retained in the Ecclesiastical Assemblies of Christian People at the common Service of God according to the Doctrine of the Holy Apostles Let all things be done in the Church decently and in order For God is not the Author of confusion but of peace and no man by pretending a shew of Christian liberty should withdraw himself from such constitutions as be godly and serve to a good use Because the Churches abroad confess although their Preachers do not keep all Rites with other Churches yet they do not withstand or oppose themselves to any good and godly Constitutions neither are they so minded as that for the Ceremonies sake they would raise up any dissentions although they should think that some of them were not very necessary Because the Churches abroad confess their meaning is not to have Rule taken from the Bishops but teach that the true Pastors of the Churches may ordain Publick Rites in their Churches for good Order's sake and if they be broken with offence given there where the Churches are well ordered and there be not error in Doctrine let him that in such a place breaketh them know that he doth offend because he disturbeth the peace of the Church well ordered or doth withdraw others from the true Ministery Because the Churches abroad do profess Ceremonies invented by Man such as are seemly devised for Order may be observed without any opinion of Merit Worship or Necessity and confess they do both observe certain Ceremonies which are comely and made for good order and also teach that they ought to be observed even as men cannot live without good order Because the Churches abroad confess that it is lawful for the Bishops with the consent of the Church to appoint Holy-days Lessons and Sermons for edifying and for instruction in the true Faith in Christ Because the Churches abroad touching Traditions of the Fathers or such as the Bishops and the Churches do at this day ordain hold it as their opinion such as agree with the Scripture and were ordained for good manners and the profit of men although they be not expressed in the Scripture nevertheless in that they proceed from the commandement of Love which ordereth all things most decently they are worthily to be accounted rather of God than of man which no good Christian will refuse to obey no not unlawful Laws so they have no wicked thing in them Because the Churches abroad deny not the Churches Canons about Rites which serve for the publick order and edification of the Church but that the matter of the Canon warranted by God's Word doth bird Because the Churches abroad confess indeed they teach that the care of Religion doth chiefly appertain to the Magistrats and he that opposeth himself against the Magistrate doth procure the wrath of God against him and therefore condemn all contemners of Magistrates as Rebels enemies of the Common-wealth seditious Villains and all such as do either openly or closely refuse to perform those duties which they ought to do and confess all men of what dignity condition or state soever they be ought to be subject to their lawful Magistrates and obey them in all things which are not repugnant to the Word of God and condemn all those troublesome spirits who do reject Higher Powers and Magistrates overthrow Laws and Judgments that do abolish and confound all those Orders and Degrees which God hath appointed amongst men for Degrees and Vocations should not be confounded nor is it lawful for every man to start up into the Pulpit and there shew his mind and teach others openly Con. Tol. Solus ad sacra Dei mysteria tractanda accedat quem morum innocentia literarum splendor reddunt illustrem Let such an one alone undertake to handle the Divine mysteries of God who is renowned both for integrity of life and excellency of Learning and these Councils conclude Concil Mediolan Toledo Trident. Lateran Carthage Apostoli in quorum locum Episcopi successerunt satis nobis aperuerunt verbi Dei praedicationem esse praecipuum illorum munus qui in Episcopali sede collocantur The Apostles in whose room the Bishops come have made it sufficiently manifest unto us that the preaching of the Word of God is the principal function of those who are placed in Bishops Seas Because it were scandal not to give obedience to the Laws of the Church when they prescribe things necessary or expedient for eschewing of scandal and it were contempt to refuse obedience to them when we are not certainly perswaded of the unlawfulness or inexpediency of things prescribed Because in things which are in themselves indifferent and none of them inexpedient we ought to do that the Church requireth though our Brethren should exhort us unto the contrary being bound in conscience to obey the Ordinances of the Church except they be evidently unlawful and when the Authority of the Church doth ordain and the things be lawful and expedient we are bound by both saith an Anonymus of Scotland Because the Church of Scotland profess his Majesty shall ever find that he hath none more loyal and true Subjects who will more gladly imploy and bestow their Lives Lands Goods Houses Holds Gear Rents Revenues Places Privileges Means Moyeties and all in his Highness Service and maintenance of his Royal Crown and moreover
are perswaded will be very profitable not only to Our Clergy but to the Whole Church of this Our Kingdome and to all the true Members of it if they be well observed Have therefore for Us Our Heirs and Lawfull Successors of Our especial Grace certain Knowledge and meer Motion Given and by these presents do Give Our Royal assent according to the form of the said Statute or Act of Parliament aforesaid to all and every of the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions and to all and every thing in them contained as they are before Written And furthermore We do not only by Our said Prerogative Royal and Supreme Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical Ratifie Confirm and Establish by these Our Letters Patents the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions aforesaid but do likewise Propound Publish and straightly Enjoyn and Command by Our said Authority and by these Our Letters Patents the same to be diligently Observed Executed and Equally kept by all Our Loving Subjects of this Our Kingdome both within the Province of Canterbury and York in all points wherein they do or may concern every or any of them according to this Our Will and Pleasure hereby signified and expressed and that likewise for the better Observation of them Every Minister by what Name or Title soever he be called shall in the Parish-Church or Chapel where he hath Charge Read all the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions once every Year upon some Sundays or Holidays in the afternoon before Divine Service dividing the same in such Sort as that the one half may be Read one day and the other another day the Book of the said Canons to be provided at the Charge of the Parish betwixt this and the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord God next ensuing straightly Charging and Commanding all arch-Arch-Bishops Bishops and all other that Exercise any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within this Realm every man in his place to see and procure so asmuch as in them lieth all and every of the same Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions to be in all points duely observed not sparing to execute the Penalties in them severally mentioned upon any that shall wittingly or wilfully Break or Neglect to observe the same as they Tender the Honour of God the Peace of the Church the Tranquillity of the Kingdome and their Duties and Service to Us their King and Soveraign In witness c. By the King A Proclamation Declaring that the Proceedings of his Majestie 's Ecclesiastical Courts and Ministers are according to the Laws of the Realm WHereas in some of the Libellous Books and Pamphlets lately published the most Reverend Fathers in God the Lord's Arch-Bishops and Bishops of this Realm are said to have Usurped upon his Majestie 's Prerogative Royal and to have Proceeded in the High Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts contrary to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm it was Ordered by his Majestie 's High-Court of Star-Chamber the Twelfth day of June last that the Opinion of the two Lords Chief Justices the Lord Chief Baron and the rest of the Judges and Barons should be had and Certified in those particulars viz. Whether Processes may not issue out of the Ecclesiastical Courts in the Name of the Bishops Whether a Patent under the great Seal be necessary for the keeping of the Ecclesiastical Courts and enabling Citations Suspensions Excommunications and other Censures of the Church And whether Citations ought to be in the King's Name and under his Seal of Arms and the like for Institutions and Inductions to Benefices and Correction of Ecclesiastical offences Whether Bishops Arch-Deacons and other Ecclesiastical Persons may or ought to keep any Visitation at any time unless they have express Commission or Patent under the great Seal of England to do it and that as his Majestie 's Visitors only and in his Name and Right alone Whereupon his Majestie 's said Judges having taken the same into their serious Considerations did Unanimously concurr and agree in Opinion and the first day of July past Certified under their hands as followeth That Processes may issue out of the Ecclesiastical Courts in the Name of the Bishops and that a Patent under the Great Seal is not necessary for the keeping of the said Ecclesiastical Courts or for enabling of Citations Suspensions Excommunications and other Censures of the Church and that it is not necessary that Summons Citations or other Processes Ecclesiastical in the said Courts or Institutions or Inductions to Benefices or Correction of Ecclesiastical offences by Censure in those Courts be in the King's Name or with the Style of the King or under the King's Seal or that their Seals of Office have in them the King's Arms and that the Stature of Primo Edwardi Sexti cap. 2. which Enacted the contrary is not now in Force And that the Bishops Arch-Deacons and other Ecclesiastical Persons may keep their Visitations as usually they have done without Commission under the Great Seal of England so to do which Opinion and Resolutions being Declared under the Hands of all his Majestie 's said Judges and so Certified into his Court of Star-Chamber were there Recorded and it was by that Court further ordered the Fourth day of the said Moneth of July that the said Certificate should be Enrolled in all other his Majestie 's Courts at Westminster and in the High Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts for the satisfaction of all men That the proceedings in the High Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts are agreeable to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm And his Royal Majesty hath thought fit with advice of his Council that a Publick Declaration of these the Opinions and Resolutions of his Reverend and Learned Judges being agreeable to the Judgement and Resolutions of former times should be made Known to all His Subjects as well to Vindicate the Legal proceedings of His Ecclesiastical Courts and Ministers from the unjust and scandalous Imputation of Invading or Entrenching on His Royal Prerogative as to settle the Minds and stop the Mouths of all unquiet Spirits that for the future they presume not to Censure His Ecclesiastical Courts or Ministers in these their Just and Warrantable proceedings And hereof His Majesty admonisheth all His Subjects to take Warning as they shall answer the contrary at their Perils Given at the Court at Lyndhurst the eighteenth day of August in the thirteenth year of His Majesty's Reign 1637. God save the King Primo Julii 1637. The Judges Certificate concerning Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction May it please your Lordships ACcording to your Lordships Order made in His Majesty's Court of Star-chamber the Twelfth of May last we have taken consideration of the Particulars wherein our Opinione are required by the said Order and we have all agreed That Processes may issue out of the Ecclesiastical Courts in the Name of the Bishops and that a Patent under the Great Seal is not necessary for the keeping of the said Ecclesiastical Courts or