maruailously wounded grieued and molested and that the soules of the people are therby not gouerned at all but left at randon to their owne direction hauing no guyde to conduct them euery one may euydently discerne dispensations in that behalfe to be altogeather intollerable hauing no ground nor foundation of reason equity or lawe but onely graunted for the priuate gayne and lucre of some couetous vaine glorious persons Wheras it may be answered that the statutes of the Realme licensing diuers Ecclesiasticall persons qualified either by degree of schoole or by seruice vnto nobilitie ought more to be respected in this behalfe then the reasons of the Canon law Herevnto I answere that for my part I heartely desire and pray vnto God that these lawes might be respected and that the law of Englande might rule an English man in this case But alas our lawes are bels without clappers they are founded but they sound not they are bandes but they binde not For thogh by the statutes of the realm certain noble mens chappleines and others graduated in the Vniuersities be qualified made capable of dispensatiōs yet I deny the laws of this realm to approue any maner of dispēsations tollerable at al for any kind of these qualified men vnles the same be Frst in cases of necessity for the peace of the cōmon weal Secondly in cases of conueniency for the honor of hir highnesse person and lastly warranted by the holy scriptures lawes of god For though the statute make some men fit men for the Archb. to work vpon and as it were anuiles for him to strike vpon yet the same statute imposeth no necessity for the B. to work without the word But if it be lawful by the word then by the law he may if he wil. But if it be vnlawful by the word thē he may not thogh he would The law followeth Be it enacted that neither the king his heires and successors kinges of this realme nor any of their subiectes of this realm nor of the kinges dominions shall from thence foorth sue to the sea of Rome or vnto any person or persons hauing or pretending any authoritie by the same for licences dispensations impositions faculties grauntes rescriptes delegacies instruments or other writings of what kind name c. for the which any licence dispensation composition faculty graunt rescript delegacie instrument or other wryting heretofore hath ben vsed and accustomed to be had and obtayned at the sea of Rome or by authority therof or of any prelate of this realm nor of any maner of other licenses dispensatiōs compositions faculties grauntes rescriptes delegacies or any other instruments or writinges that in cases of necessity may lawfully be graunted without offending holy scriptures lawes of God but that from henceforth euery such licence c. aforenamed mentioned necessary for your highnes your heires or successors your their people and subiects vpon the due examination of the causes qualities of the persons procuring such dispensations licenses c. shal be granted had obtained frō time to time within this your realm other your dominions not els where in maner and form following no otherwise that is to say the Arch. of canterbury for the time being his successors shall haue power authority frō time to time by their discretions to giue grant dispose by an instrument vnder the seal of the said Archb. vnto your Maiesty and to your heires successors kings of this realm as well all maner such licenses dispensations faculties grants rescripts delegacies instruments all other writings for cases not being cōtrary or repugnant to the holy scriptures lawes of God as heretofore hath ben accustomed to be had obtained by your Highn or any your most noble progenitors or any of yours or their subiectes at the sea of Rome or any person or persons by authority of the same al other licences dispensatiōs faculties c. in for vpon al such causes matters as shal be conuenient and necessary to be had for the honor surety of your highnes your heires successors and the wealth profit of this your realm so that the said Archb. or any his successors in no maner wise shall graunt any dispensation licence rescript or any other writing afore rehearsed for any cause or matter repugnant to the law ofalmighty god This act is renued 1. Elizab. Prouided alwaies that this act nor any thing or things therin cōtained shal be hereafter interpreted or expounded that your grace your nobles subiects intend by the same to decline or vary frō the congregation of christ his church in any thing concerning the verye articles of the catholique faith of Christendome or in any other thinges declared by holy scripture and the word of God necessary for your and their saluations but onely to make an ordinance by policie necessarye and conuenient to represse vice and for good conseruation of this Realme in peace vnitie and tranquilitie from rauyne and spoyle In which Act is set foorth vnto vs what great care and circumspection our auncestors in the twilight of the Gospel had for the abolishing of corruptions the establishing of a sincere gouernment both in the Church and common weale and how diligently and faithfully they prouided that no maner of dispensatiōs licenses or immunities shold be had or obtayned but in cases of necessitie in cases not contrary or repugnant to the lawes of God in cases wherin the wealth profit peace and conseruation of the realm requireth in cases conuenient for the honor safety of the kings person with a due confideration alwaies of the causes qualities for the which of the persons to whom any licence or immunity shold be granted And therfore out of this statute first I conclude thus against plurified men 1 Whatsoeuer cause or matter is repugnant to the law of God the Archb. may not dispence with the same 2 But the matter of hauing many benefices or being Non residents is repugnant to the laws of God 3 Therfore the Archbish may not dispence with the same Againe 1 Whatsoeuer is not necessary for the wealth peace profite and conseruation of the realm the same by this statute is forbidden 2 But that one man should enioy by way of dispensation from the Archbish liuings appointed for many men is not necessary for the wealth peace profite and conseruation of the realme 3 Therefore the same is forbidden by this statute Lastly 1 Whatsoeuer is not conuenient for the honour and safety of hir highnes person the same by this statute is forbidden 2 But it is not conuenient for the honor and safety of hir highnes person to haue the Archbish disspence for many benefices 3 Therefore by this statute the Archbish is forbidden to dispence c. THe Minor proposition of the first syllogisme hath beene already sufficiently prooued by manye in fallible conclusions of Lawe and vndoubted truethes
them not with his manners and examples for that Diluere aliena peccata non valet is quem propria deuastant Hee cannot put away other mens sinnes whom his owne Sinnes deuour And againe Pericutosum est decentiae ecclesiae in scandalo populari It is dangerous for the Decencie of the Church to be in any publique slaunder or offence 83. distinc nihil Agayne Malus praelatus dicitur lupus rapiens praedam An euil prelate is sayde to be a Wolfe rauening his Praie 2. q. 7. Qui nec He is sayde to be Canis impudicus propter defectum regiminis A shamelesse dog for want of gouernment 2. q. 7. Non omnis He is sayde to be Coruus propter peccatorum nigredinem As black as a Rauen for the foulenes of his sinnes He is saide to be Sal infatuatus ad nihilum proficiens Vnsauory Salt profitable for nothing 40. dist In mandatis Glos lind de offic Archipres c. fin v. canss He is sayde to be Porcus A Swyne He is sayde to be Capo A Capon because as a Capon can not Crowe no more can a dumb Praelate preach And to conclude Praelatus qui in doctrina mutus est non est verè praelatus cum officium praelati non exerceat c. A Prelate which is mute in teaching is not in trueth a Prelate in so much as he exerciseth not the office of a Prelate These Canons constitutions not contrariant or repugnant to the lawes statutes or customes of this realme neither derogatory to her hignesse crowne and dignity â—…d therfore authorized by act of Parliament ought to haue beene better knowne and better executed by our chiefe Prelates then by the space of these 25. yeares they seeme generally to haue been But yet besides these former decrees lawes and ordinaunces and the seuerall reasons principles and maximes whervpon they were first grounded there remayneth somewhat more behind diligeÌ„tly to be coÌ„sidered the which thing the more earnestly euery man shal rightly weigh the more may he be astonished A thing don in Israell at the doing whereof it is a wonder that the eares of the hearers tingle not and the very hayre of the heades of the standers by stare not for feare least the Lorde in his righteous iudgement should execute his terrible vengeaunce vpon them Thus standeth the case some pastorall church or churches being destitute of a Pastour or Pastours to feed the people a solemne assembly and conuocation of the chiefest of the gouernours of the church must be gathered togeather and that not in an angle of a poore country Village but in the chiefest city of the Diocesse that not on a workday but either on the Lordes day or on some other of their own festiuall dayes and that for no small matters or to no small purpose but euen to present and offer vnto the Lorde an holy sacrifice and to call vpon his most holy name To present I say vnto the Lord a present meet and acceptable for his maiestie euen men meet to serue him in his spirituall warres and to be Pastours to feede his people with spirituall food of his holy word men meet to take vppon them the most highest and most noblest callinges that he hath appointed to the sonnes of men the office and dignitie of the preaching of his holy gospell This I say is the action wherof deliberate consideration is to be had and whereof followeth a discourse and wherin when all is done as it is imagined that can be done yet in truth there is nothing so nor so done they doe but flatter them selues bleare the 〈◊〉 of others and which is most execrable as it were mock and delude the Lorde to his face Well then let vs consider what is done herein In the time of that vertuous king Edwarde the sixt an order and forme was appoynted by act of Parliament for consecrating Archbishops and bishops and for the making of Priestes Deacons and Ministers Which statute is reuiued and the same order and forme approoued in the eight yeare of hir most excellencies raigne The wordes of the statute are these And that such order and form for the consecrating of Archbishops and Bishops and for the making of Priestes Deacons and Ministers as was set foorth in the time of the sayde late King and authorized by Parliament in the fifth and sixth yeare of the sayde late King shall stande and be in full force and effecte and shall from hence foorth be vsed and obserued in all places within this Realme and other the Queenes maiesties dominions and countreis The title of the booke is this Ordering of Deacons The forme and maner of making and consecrating Bishops Priestes and Deacons And first to intreat of Deacons according to the forme of the booke you shall vnderstande that in the order and forme of making Deacons three thinges principally are to be obserued First the qualities requisite to be in him that is to be made a Deacon Secondly the circumstaunces in making him a Deacon And thirdly the proper duetie and office belonging to him that is made a Deacon Touching his qualities they must be such as were requisite for the same First he must be a man of vertuous conuersation and without cryme Secondly he must be learned in the Latine tongue Thirdly he must be sufficiently instructed in the holy scriptures Fourthly he must be a man meete to exercise his ministerie duely Fifthly he must beleeue all the Canonicall scriptures Sixthly he must be diligent in his calling Seuenthly he must be inwardly mooued to that office by the holy Ghost And as touching the circumstaunces First he must be called Secondly tryed Thirdly examined Fourthly he must be twentie one yeares of age at the least he must be presented by the Archdeacon or his deputie Fifthly he must be made on a Sunday or holy day Sixthly he must be made openly in the face of the Church where must be an exhortation made declaring the dutie and office as well of the Deacons towardes the people as of the people towardes the Deacons Lastly touching the office committed vnto him it is First to assist the minister in deuine seruice Secondly to reade holy scriptures and Homilies in the congregation Thirdly to instruct the youth in the Catechisme â—ourthly to search for the sicke poore and impotent of the parrish and to intimate their estates names and places to the Curate that they may be relieued by conuenient almes The forme of ordering Priestes COncerning the making of Ministers not onely all those things before mentioned in the making of Deacons but other circumstances and solemnities are required also these demaundes and answers following must be made and giuen Bishop Doe you thinke in your heart that you be truely called according to the will of our Lord Iesus Christe and the order of this church of England Answere I thinke it Bishop Be you perswaded that the holy scriptures contayne sufficiently all doctrine required of necessitie
commaunded generally by the bishop to be taught vnto the youth of the realme in all schooles of their Diocesse yet notwithstanding the minister contrary to a vowe made by him at the commaundement of his Ordinarie appoynted thervnto by lawe is very iniuriously dealt with for that he is not permitted to exercise any discipline at al our Bishops and Archdeacons challenging vnto themselues a principal prerogatiue to punish al malefactors within their seuerall iurisdictions An other reason that this statute hath appoynted as well the discipline of Christ as the doctrine and sacramentes to be ministred as the Lord commaunded onely and none otherwyse is this namely for that this statute was made to refourme as well the disordered discipline vsed in the time of popery amongst the popish idolatrous Priestes as it was to reprooue their false doctrine and prophanation of the sacraments so that neither the one neither the other should be ministred by the ministers of the Gospell for otherwise this branch of the statute should ordayne nothing so contrary to the nature of a Law be Lex absurda an absurd Law And therfore what open wrong intollerable iniury is offered the Saintes of God loyal subiects to her Maiestie calling for discipline at the cheefe Prelates handes commaunded by the Lord and in trueth established by the Lawes of her highnesse Empire euery indifferent man may easily discerne It followeth in the Booke of making of Ministers Bishop Will you be diligent to frame and fashion your owne selues and your Families according to the Doctrine of Christe and to make both your selues and them as much as in you lyeth wholesome examples and spectacles of the flock of Christ Answere I will Byshop Will you maintain and set forwards as much as lieth in you quietnesse peace and loue amongst all Christian people and specially amongst them that are or shall be committed to your charge Answere I will In the end when hee layeth on his handes he sayth to euery one Be thou a faithfull Dispenser of the worde of God and of his holy Sacraments And againe Take thou authority to preach the word of god and to minister the holy Sacramentes Which action and Speeches of the Bishop are to bee well wayed and considered The words which the Byshop pronounceth Be thou a Faithful dispēser c. Take thou authority to preach are wordes appoynted him by the whole State to bee pronounced What was it trowe you the meaning of all the States and Nobles of the Realme or was it our most excellent Soueraigne the Queenes Highnesse her pleasure to haue enacted by Parliament that a Byshop should commaund an Apothecarie not exercised at all in holy scriptures and altogeather vnable to teache to bee notwithstanding a faythfull dispensor of the worde of God and to take authoritie to preache No no they verie well knew that the outward sound of the bishoppes wordes in the eares of such a man coulde not worke any inwarde grace or giue any inwarde vertue to the perfourmaunce of so high a calling or of so holy a function And therefore as it becommeth a true and loyall subiect I dare not for my part so dishonourablye conceyue of their wisedomes much lesse I take it shoulde the Bishop so disloyallye abuse their credite and authoritie Was their intente and purpose trowe you that the bishop by these his demaundes and the minister by these his aunsweres shoulde not bynde the minister him selfe to perfourme by him selfe this duetie to preach but that the same should be done by a thirde personne I trowe no. For my maisters and Doctors of the Canon and Ciuile Lawe Burgesses in the house of Parliament know Institu de invtili stipu § si quis that Promssio facti alieni mutilis est quod si testator iusserit aliquem in certum locum abire vel liberalibus studiis imbui vel domum suis manibus extruere vel pingere vel vxorem ducere per alium id facere non potest quia haec omnia testatoris voluntas in ipsius solius persona intelligitur conclusisse A promise made of an other mans fact is vnprofitable and that if a Testator shall will any to goe to a certayne place or to be furnished with the liberall Sciences or to buylde an house or to paynt a Table with his owne handes or to marry a Wyfe that he can not doe any of these thinges by an other man because the will of the Testator hath concluded all these thinges onely in his owne person Was their meaning that the bishop pronouncing these wordes Be thou a dispensor was their meaning I saye by those wordes to haue the bishop committe the office of reading Homilies to a minister or to iudge reading of Homilies to be preaching No no Their proceedinges appeare to bee of greater wisedome knowledge iudgement discretion and Godlinesse They appoynted by the same their consultation three kindes of offices to bee in the Church Deacons Ministers and Bishoppes appoynting seuerally to euery officer his seuerall duetyes and hath expresly appoynted reading Homilies to bee the office of a Deacon For in the ordering of Deacons the Bishoppe by vertue of the Statute pronounceth these wordes vnto the Deacon It pertayneth to the office of a Deacon in the church where he shall be appoynted to assiste the Priest in deuine seruice and speciallye when hee ministereth the holye Communion and to helpe him in the distribution thereof and to reade holye scriptures and Homilies in the congregation c. I take it and holde it for a principle that the Bishop hath no authoritie by his Lordship to alter or transforme an Act of Parliament and therefore I take it that I maye safelye conclude without offence to his Lordshippe that he can not by lawe appoynt anye minister to reade anye Homilies in anye Church Statute lawe is Stricti Iuris and maye not be extended What will you then by lawe positiue barre reading of Homilies in the Churche No. But I woulde haue the Lawe positiue obserued and so barre reading of Homilies from a Minister because the Lawe positiue hath appoynted that office to a Deacon For it is not lawefull for one priuate man and fellowe seruaunt to transpose from his fellowe seruaunt an office committed vnto him by publike authoritie And it is verily to be thought the bishop him selfe will challenge as much vnto him selfe by this statute from the minister and plainly tell him that by this statute he alone hath authoritie to make Deacons and ministers and to gouerne them and that therefore it beseemeth not a minister to be ordered otherwise then according to the forme of the booke no otherwise to preach then as he shall be licensed therevnto by him the Bishop As touching the iniunctions the aduertisments and the articles of religion wherein mention is made sometimes that Parsons Vicars and Curates somtimes that the minister shall reade Homilies they may easely be reconciled by this statute For the iniunctions
set foorth primo Elizabeth the aduertisementes and articles set foorth septimo Elizabeth and this statute being made 8. Elizabeth and so since doth bounde and limit the meaning of the iniunctions and aduertisementes For whereas before the names were vsed in them confusedly this statute doth aptly distinguish them applying properly euery proper office to his proper officer and bringing those names before recited vnto two principal heades For though there be parsons Vicars Curates ministers generally in the Church of whom mention is made in the iniunctions articles and aduertisementes Yet these and euery one of these must by this statute be either a Deacon or a minister specially And beeing a Deacon he ought to execute the office of a Deacon and being a minister the office of a minister by this statute and so a Deacon if he be a Parson vicar or Curate he must execute the office of a Deacon onely that is he must read the scriptures and Homilies by this statute Likewise a minister if he be a Parson Vicar or Curate he must minister the doctrine and sacraments and discipline of Christ he must be a dispensor of the word of God and he must preach onely and yet in saying that he must preach onely I do not exclude him from doing those other dutyes Sine quibus illud fieri non potest Without the which he cānot preach as frō reading the scriptures and praying with the people but I exclude him from those thinges onely which are not incident to his office as from reading of Homilies for he may preach and neuer read Homilies but he can not preach profitablie vnlesse he reade the scriptures and vse prayer What will you then by law positiue barre all ministers that be Parsons Vicars or Curates and yet can not preach from reading Homilies I aunswere that whether they can preach or can not preach Currat lex Let the law runne and let him that hath defiled his handes by laying them vppon such a one contrary to the commaundement of the Lorde and contrary to the lawes of his gouernour vnder whom he liueth and by whom he hath his preferment holde vp his guyltie handes vnto the Lorde for mercy in the day of the Lord and fall downe before hir highnesse for hir gratious pardon in so abusing hir highnesse lawes And to the ende you may see more apparauntly these two offices by the lawe it selfe to be thus distinguished I haue set downe the Bi. wordes pronounced by vertue of the statute vnto the ministers as followeth You haue hearde brethren as well in your priuate examination as in the exhortation and in the holy lessons taken out of the Gospell out of the wrytinges of the Apostles of what dignitie and of how great importaunce this office is whervnto yee be called and moreouer exhort you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ to haue in remembraunce into how high a dignitie and to how chargeable an office yee be called that is to saye to be the messengers the watchmen the Pastours and the stewardes of the Lorde to teach to premonish to feede and prouide for the Lordes familie to seeke for Christ his sheepe that be dispersed abroade and for his children which be in the middest of this nuaghty worlde to be saued thorow Christ for euer haue alwayes therefore printed in your remembraunce how great a treasury is committed to your charge for they be the sheepe of Christe which he bought with his death and for whom he shed his bloud the Church and congregation whom you must serue is his spouse and his body and if ye shall see the same Church or any member thereof to take anye hurt or hinderauuce by reason of your negligence yee know the greatnesse of your faulte and also of the horrible punnishment which will ensue Wherefore consider with your selues the ende of your ministerie towardes the children of GOD towarde the spouse and bodie of Christe and see that yee neuer cease your labour your care and diligence vntill you haue done all that lyeth in you according to your bounden duetie to bring all such as are or shall bee committed to your charge vnto that agreement in faith and knowledge of GOD and to that ripenesse and perfectnesse of age in Christe that there be no place left among them either for errour in religion or for viciousnesse in life As here you see the whole summe of the office of a Minister recited by Act of Parliament and pronounced by the Bishoppe So in the whole action of ordering Ministers both the bishops interrogatories and the parties aunsweres and all tende to admonishe the Minister still of his duetie in teaching and instructyng the people and in preaching Where the whole action of ordering Deacons tendeth to admonishe the Deacon of his office in reading As thus Will you diligently reade the same vnto the people assembled in the Church where you shall be appoynted to serue Answere I will And againe It pertaineth to the office of a Deacon to read holy scriptures and Homilies in the congregation And againe take thou authoritie to execute the office of a Deacon in the Churche of God and take thou authoritie to reade the Gospell in the Church of God And thē one of them appoynted by the Bishop shall reade the Gospell of that day And no doubt the whole house of Parliament had a singular care to haue these offices distinguished by their lawe euen as they are distinguished by the lawe of Christe him felfe as appeareth both by the places of scripture appoynted by the statute to be reade for euery office And also by appoynting the prouision for the poore vnto the Deacons And furthermore it is his office sayth the bishop by the same statute where prouision is so made to search for the sicke poore and impotent people of the parrishe and to intimate their estates names and places where they dwell to the Curate that by his exhortation they be relieued by the parrishe or other conuenient almose And therefore I conclude againe that the Bishop can no more appoynt the office of prouision for the poore vnto a Minister then he can change or alter an Act of Paliament And therfore that he can no more commaunde a minister to reade Homilies then hee can commaunde him to make prouision for the poore For as touching these wordes towarde the latter ende of this action Take authoritie to preache where thou shalt be appoynted Whereby they take holde no otherwise to suffer them to preach then as they shal be licensed afterward by wryting hath neither head nor tayle They make by their fauourable patience a construction thereof without all ryme or reason They expounde Where which is a worde signifying place and referred to a place for When which is a worde importing time But had this worde When beene placed insteed of Where they might perhaps haue had some cloak for the raine for so the worde When and the word Shalt might both haue
thinges mooue me neyther is my life deare vnto my selfe that I might fulfill my course with ioye and the ministration of the worde which I haue receyued of the Lorde Iesue to testifie the Gospell of the Grace of GOD. And nowe beholde I am sure that hencefoorth you all thorowe whome I haue gone preaching the kingdome of GOD shall see my face no more Wherefore I take you to recorde this day that I am pure from the blood of all men For I haue spared no labour but haue shewed you all the counsell of GOD. Take heede therefore to your selues and to all the flocke among whome the holy Ghoste hath made you ouerseers to rule the congregation of God which he hath purchased with his blood c. Or else the thirde Chapiter of the first Epistle to Tymothie THis is a true saying If any man desire the office of a Byshop he desireth an honest worke A Byshop therfore must be blameles the husband of one wife diligent sober discreete a keeper of hospitalitie apt to teach not giuē to ouermuch wine no fighter not gredi of filthy lucre but courteous gētle abhorring fighting abhorring couetousnesse one that ruleth well his owne house one that hath children in subiection with all reuerence For if a man cannot rule his owne house howe shall hee care for the Congregation of God Hee may not bee a yong Scholler lest hee swell and fall into the iudgement of the euill speaker Hee must also haue a good report of them whiche are without least he fall into rebuke and snare of the euill speaker After this shal be read for the Gospell a piece of the last Chapiter of Matthewe Fol. 9. pag. 2. THen Iesus came and spake vnto them saying All power is giuen vnto mee in heauen and in earth Goe yee therefore and teach all nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghoste teachiug them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you And loe I am with you alway euen vnto the ende of the worlde The prayer vsed by the Bisshoppe in the ordering of Ministers Fol. 11. pag. 1 ALmightie God giuer of all good thinges which by thy holy spirite hast appoynted dyuers orders of Ministers in the Churche mercifully beholde these thy seruauntes now called to the office of priesthood and replenish them so with the trueth of thy doctrine and innocencie of life that both by word and good example they may faythfully serue thee in this office to the glory of thy Name profit of the congregation thorow the merites of our sauiour Iesu Christ who lyueth and reygneth with thee and the holy Ghoste worlde without end Amen These prayers and these places of scripture appoynted by the whole consent of the Realme to be made read at the time of making Deacons ministers most strongly prooue that their intent and purpose was to haue such men placed in the office of Deacons and ministers as whom the holy scriptures hath commaunded should be placed as they pray might be placed But suppose that they being not so faithful to the lord as were expedient for them account not the Lordes wayes to be the best wayes his councels not to be the wisest counsels to interpret the meaning of the statute because they are such wayes as wherein the Lordes seruants applie them selues precisely to walke therfore ignominiously are termed Precisians Suppose this I say yea and suppose that they haue preferred their own inuentions and set the consultations of the grauest Senatours and wisest counsellours and chiefest rulers of the lande behinde their backes yet if reason might haue ruled them and their will might haue beene no lawe there was and is an other maner of calling of triall of examination other qualities an other face of the church an other Latine tongue by other positiue lawes required which as partly by sequell of their proceedinges and partly by their owne recordes appeareth was neuer or very seldome vsed by any of them The maner of calling ought to haue beene thus The maner of calling QVANDO EPISCOPVS c. When the Bishop is disposed to make an ordination all they which will come to the holy ministery the fourth day before the ordination are to be called to the Citie togeather with the Elders which ought to present thē And this kind of calling is a solemne publishing the bishops purposes either by some processe openly fixed vpon the doores of the Cathedrall Church or proclaymed Voce Preconis by the voyce of an Apparitor to make the Byshops intent knowen that happely such a day he will make Deacons or ministers and therefore citeth such to be present as will offer themselues meet men for that seruice Which maner of calling is briefly also commaunded by order and forme of the booke of ordayning ministers First when the day appoynted by the Bishop is come c. Fol. 2. p. 2. 27. Article And in the Articles of religion the selfe same is expressed It is not lawfull for any man to take vppon him the office of publike preaching or ministring the Sacramentes in the congregation before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the same In the title Articles for certaine orders in ecclesiasticall pollicie In the aduertisementes likewise you haue these wordes First against the day of giuing orders appoynted the bishop shall giue open monitions to all men to except against such as they know not to be worthy either for life or conuersation The maner of tryall followeth and ought to be after this sort The maner of tryall ET TVNC EPISCOPVS c. And then the bishop ought to choose him ministers and other men skilfull of the law of God exercised in Ecclesiasticall functions who first of all ought diligently to enquire out the life of them that are to be ordayned their kindred their Countrey their age their bringing vp the place where they were borne whether they be learned whether instructed in the lawe of God whether they firmely holde the catholike faith in plaine wordes can vtter the same and they to whom this charge is committed ought to take heed that they do not for fauour or for desire of reward decline from the truth to present any to the handes of the B. either vnworthily or not meet to take holy orders And therfore let them continually three dayes together be examined so on the sabboth in the which they are approoued let them be presented vnto the B. Constitu Otho Sacer. Out of the constitutions of Otho I haue before cited this decree following which may aptly be repeted againe to prooue the hauing of a scrutine to be necessary before the making of ministers as it was there to prooue what qualities were requisite in them Quare cum ninus periculosum sit c. Considering that it is a thing very perrillous to ordayne men vnworthy Idiotes illegitimate irreguler persons vnlearned