and in the expounding of the several points and heads of the Catechism, which is the most ancient and laudable custom of teaching in the church of England.

III. That no preacher of what title soever, under the degree of a bishop, or dean at the least, do from hence- 5 forth presume to preach in any popular auditory the deep points of predestination, election, reprobation, or of the universality, efficacy, resistibility, or irresistibility of God's grace; but leave those themes to be handled by learned men, and that moderately and modestly by way of use 10 and application, rather than by way of positive doctrine, as being fitter for the schools and universities, than for simple auditories.

IV. That no preacher of what title or denomination soever, shall presume from henceforth in any auditory 15 within this kingdom to declare, limit, or bound out, by way of positive doctrine, in any lecture or sermon, the power, prerogative, jurisdiction, authority, or duty of sovereign princes, or otherwise meddle with these matters of state, and the references betwixt princes and the 20 people, than as they are instructed and presidented in the homily of obedience, and in the rest of the homilies and articles of religion, set forth (as before is mentioned) by public authority; but rather confine themselves wholly to those two heads of faith and good life, which are all 25 the subject of the ancient sermons and homilies.

V. That no preacher of what title or denomination soever, shall causelessly, and without invitation from the text, fall into bitter invectives, and indecent railing speeches against the persons of either papists or puritans; 30 but modestly and gravely (when they are occasioned thereunto by the text of scripture) free both the doctrine and discipline of the church of England from the aspersions of either adversary, especially when the auditory is suspected to be tainted with the one or the other 35 infection.

VI. Lastly, That the archbishops and bishops of the kingdom, whom his majesty hath good cause to blame for this former remissness, be more wary and choice in licensing of preachers, and revoke all grants made to any 5 chancellor, official, or commissary to pass licenses in this kingdom; and that all the lecturers throughout the kingdom (a new body severed from the ancient clergy of England, as being neither parsons, vicars, or curates) be licensed henceforth in the court of Faculties, only upon 10 recommendation of the party from the bishop of the diocese under his hand and seal, with a "fiat" from the lord archbishop of Cant. and a confirmation under the great seal of England; and that such as transgress any one of these directions, be suspended by the bishop of 15 the diocese, or in his default, by the lord archbishop of that province "ab officio et beneficio" for a year and a day, until his majesty by the advice of the next convocation shall prescribe some further punishment.

20

The archbishop of Canterbury's letter explaining the former directions.-Reg. II. Abbot, fol. 200. a.

MY very good lord. I doubt not but before this time

you have received from me the directions of his most excellent majesty, concerning preaching and preachers; which are so graciously set down, that no godly or discreet man can otherwise than acknowledge, that they do much tend to edification, if he do not take them up 25 upon report, but do punctually consider the tenour of the words, as they lie, and do not give an ill construction to that, which may receive a fair interpretation: notwithstanding, because some few churchmen, and many of the people have sinisterly conceived, as we here find, that 30 these instructions do tend to the restraint of the exercise of preaching, and do in some sort abate the number of sermons, and so consequently by degrees do make a

breach to ignorance and superstition; his majesty in his princely wisdom hath thought fit, that I should advertise your lordship of the grave and weighty reasons, which induced his highness to prescribe that which is done. You are therefore to know, that his majesty, being much 5 troubled and grieved at the heart, to hear every day of so much defection from our religion, both to popery and anabaptism, or other points of separation, in some parts of this kingdom; and considering with much admiration what might be the cause thereof, especially in the reign 10 of such a king, who doth so constantly profess himself an open adversary to the superstition of the one, and madness of the other; his princely wisdom could fall upon no one greater probability, than the lightness, affectedness, and unprofitableness of that kind of preaching 15 which hath been of late years too much taken up in court, university, city, and country. The usual scope of very many preachers is noted to be a soaring up in points of divinity, too deep for the capacity of the people, or a mustering up of much reading, or a displaying of their 20 own wit, or an ignorant meddling with civil matters, as well in the private of several parishes and corporations, as in the public of the kingdom, or a venting of their own distastes, or a smoothing up of those idle fancies, which in this blessed time of a long peace do boil in the 25 brains of unadvised people; or lastly, a rude or undecent railing, not against the doctrines, (which when the text shall occasion the same, is not only approved but much

a The usual scope of very many preachers] Lord Bacon had referred to these practices some years previously in the following manner: 30 "A point of great inconvenience and peril is to entitle the people to hear controversies and all kinds of doctrine. They say no part of the counsel of God is to be suppressed, nor the people defrauded; so as the difference which the apostle makes between milk and strong meat is confounded; and his precept that the weak be not admitted unto 35 questions and controversies, taketh no place. But most of all is to be

commended by his royal majesty,) but against the persons of papists and puritans. Now the people bred up with this kind of teaching, and never instructed in the Catechism, and fundamental grounds of religion, are for all 5 this airy nourishment no better than "abrasæ tabulæ,” new table books, ready to be filled up with the manuals and catechisms of the popish priests, or the papers and pamphlets of Anabaptists, Brownists, and Puritans. Hist majesty therefore calling to mind the saying of Tertullian, 10" Id verum quod primum," and remembering with what doctrine the church of England in the first and most happy reformation did drive out the one, and keep out the other from poisoning and infecting the people of this kingdom, doth find that the whole scope of this doctrine 15 is contained in the articles of religion, the two books of homilies, the lesser and the greater catechism, which his majesty doth therefore recommend again in these directions, as the themes and proper subjects of all sound and edifying preaching; and so far are these directions from 20 abating, that his majesty doth expect at our hands that it should increase, the number of sermons, by renewing upon every Sunday in the afternoon, in all parish churches throughout the kingdom, that primitive and most profitable exposition of the Catechism, wherewith the people, 25 yea very children may be timely seasoned and instructed in all the heads of Christian religion, the which kind of preaching (to our amendment be it spoken) is more diligently observed in all the reformed churches of Europe,

suspected, as a seed of further inconvenience, their manner of handling 30 the scriptures; for whilst they seek express scripture for every thing, and that they have, in a manner, deprived themselves and the church of a special help and support by embasing the authority of the fathers, they resort to naked examples, conceited inferences, and forced allusions, such as do mine into all certainty of religion." Works, vol. ii. 35 p. 521.

primitive and most profitable exposition] Comp. Nos. CIX. CLV.

than of late it hath been here in England. I find his majesty much moved with this neglect, and resolved (if we that are his bishops do not see a reformation thereof, which I trust we shall) to recommend it to the care of the civil magistrate; so far is his highness from giving 5 the least discouragement to solid preaching, or discreet or religious preachers. To all these I am to add his majesty's princely pleasure that both the former directions and these reasons of the same be fairly written in every register's office, to the end that every preacher, of 10 what denomination soever, may, if he be so pleased, take out copies of either of them with his own hand “ gratis," paying nothing in the name of fee or expedition; but if he do use the pains of the register or his clerks, then to pay some moderate fee to be pronounced in open court 15 by the chancellors and commissaries of the place, taking the direction and approbation of my lords the bishops. Lastly, that from henceforward a course may be taken that every parson, vicar, curate, or lecturer do make exhibit of these his majesty's directions and the reason 20 for the same, at the ensuing visitation of the bishops and archdeacons, paying to the register by way of fee but twopence only at the time of exhibit. And so wishing, but withal in his majesty's name requiring your lordship to have a special and extraordinary care of the premises, I 25 leave you to the Almighty. From Croydon, September 4.

MDCXXII.

Your lordship's very loving brother,

G. CANT.