And we are likewise pleased upon the said humble petition of our said loving subjects assembled in parliament, straitly to charge and command our justices of peace in all parts of this our realm, that according to 5 our laws in that behalf, they do take from all popish recusants convicted, all such armour, gunpowder, and ammunition of any kind, as any of them hath either in their own hands, or in the hands of any other for them, and see the same safely kept, and disposed according to 10 the law; leaving them for their necessary defence of their house and persons, so much as by the laws is prescribed: wherein as our said justices have been hitherto too remiss, so if we shall find this our express commandment neglected, or not diligently executed, as is fit, and 15 as the importance thereof doth require, we will make them know by severe punishment, what it is to be careless of our royal commandments in cases of this nature. And because that priests and Jesuits do more abundantly swarm as well throughout our whole kingdom, as 20 within our city of London, than ever they did heretofore, not only coming daily home in flocks, to the high contempt of our authority and laws, but even a number of those particular persons amongst them, who after they have been kept in prisons and convicted by our laws, 25 yet were, out of our clemency, put forth of the country again upon condition not to return, have notwithstanding presumed to return again into this country, in high contempt of our great clemency and favour extended towards them, thereby as it were, seeking and begging 30 at our hands their own just punishment; we have therefore thought good, for staying the like abuses and inconveniences in time to come, to give from henceforth free passage and course to all such laws as are now in force, and ought to be put in execution against such offenders. 35 And yet being ever willing to mix some part of our clemency with the rigour of the law, notwithstanding that in the first year, and afterwards in the fourth year of our reign, we did by two several gracious proclamations give a certain day to all priests and Jesuits, for transporting themselves out of our dominions between and the said day, at that time intimating all rigour unto 5 them, that should thereafter return within our kingdom; yet are we content notwithstanding their contempt of this former grace twice before offered unto them, yet to renew the same now again this third time and do therefore by these presents declare and publish, that it 10 shall be lawful for all manner of Jesuits, seminaries, and other priests whatsoever now in this kingdom, as well those whom we shall vouchsafe to deliver out of prison, as those that are not yet apprehended, freely and safely to depart forth of our realm, so as they make their re- 15 pair unto any of our ports between the day of the date of this proclamation, and the fourth day of July next, for the same purpose there to transport themselves with the first opportunity into any foreign parts; admonishing and assuring all such Jesuits, seminaries, and priests of 20 what sort soever, departing upon this our pleasure signified, as also all other that have been heretofore released by our gracious favour in the same condition, that if any of them shall hereafter return into this our realm again, that their blood shall then be upon their own heads, and 25 upon those that shall send them, seeing that by so doing they shall not only incur the danger of our laws, but also a high and treble contempt of our gracious favour and clemency now extended towards them. And in general, since no man can pretend ignorance 30 of our laws, that all Jesuits and priests of what order soever, and their senders, may hereby be admonished to beware any further to tempt our mercy, in presuming to repair any more within this our kingdom, in regard of their known peril, and of the care that we are resolved 35 to have for preserving of our good subjects from their danger of body and soul, since their errand can be no other here, but only for diverting of our good subjects' hearts from their due obedience both to God and us. And lastly, because the horror and detestation of the 5 powder treason in the minds of our parliament bred amongst other things, that oath of allegiance to be taken by our subjects, so highly impugned by the pope and his followers, as we are enforced by our own pen to take in hand the maintenance of our cause for that oath, which 10 howsoever odious it was to the pope, yet was it only devised as an act of great favour and clemency towards so many of our subjects, who though blinded with the superstition of popery, yet carried a dutiful heart towards our obedience; for hereby was there a separation and 15 distinction made between that sort of papists and the other pernicious sort, that couple together that damnable doctrine and detestable practice before mentioned; therefore in consideration that the said oath serveth to make so true and merciful a distinction between these two 20 sorts of papists, as is already said, we cannot but hold it most convenient for the weal of all our good subjects, and discovery of bad people, that greater care shall be used hereafter in the general ministration of this oath to all our subjects, than hath been heretofore used. 25 And therefore it is our express will and pleasure, and accordingly we do hereby straitly charge and command all and singular our bishops, justices of assize, justices of b by our own pen to take in hand] King James wrote first" An Apology for the Oath of Allegiance, against the two breves of pope 30 Paulus Quintus and the late letter of cardinal Bellarmine to G. Blackwel the archpriest," and afterwards on reprinting it, a "Premonition to all most mighty Monarchs, Kings, Free Princes, and States of Christendom" on the same subject; in the latter of which he proves at considerable length that the papacy is Antichrist, and states his 35 own personal faith on the principal points at issue between the Churches of England and Rome. [CXXVI. peace, and all other our officers, whom it may concern, to minister the same to all such persons, and in all such cases, as by the law they are enabled, knowing that the meaning of the law was not only to authorize them to do it when they would, and to forbear it at their pleasure, 5 but to require it at their hands, as a necessary duty committed to them, and imposed upon them, as persons of chief and principal trust under us, for the good and safety of us and our state. Given at our palace of Whitehall the second day of June, in the eighth year of our 10 reign of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, anno Domini MDCX. Archiepisc. Cant. CXXVI. Anno Christi Reg. Angliæ The archbishop of Canterbury's letter about pluralities and other matters relating to the church.-Reg. Bancroft, fol. 172. b. "SALUTEM in Christo." That which I should have signified to your lordship at your being here, had we The archbishop of Canterbury's letter] This letter was occasioned by 15 the proceedings of the house of commons in the session that opened on the 9th of Feb. 1610. Early in the session two separate bills were brought into the house, and proceeded with, against pluralities and nonresidence; and a committee of grievances was appointed, which collected materials and made reports to the house. On the 7th of July 20 the commons presented their grievances to the king, and on the 10th of the same month attended in a body at Whitehall to hear his majesty's determination so far as he was then able to answer them; which may be expressed summarily in the three following instructions they then received from him. I. "That they meddle not with the main 25 points of government; that is his craft tractent fabrilia fabri.' 2. He met together, I am now to impart unto you in this sort. Upon the grievances exhibited unto his majesty by the lower house of parliament, he hath been pleased to undertake much on our behalf, and to lay a great burden 5 upon me, which I am not otherwise able to bear, but by the assistance of your lordship and others our brethren the bishops. These are therefore, in discharge of mine own duty, very heartily to pray and require your lordship, that you forthwith inform yourself, how many ministers 10 have two benefices within your diocese, and whether every one of them hath a preaching minister to supply his absence where he doth not reside himself, according to the XLI. and XLVII. constitutions; and if herein you find any want, send presently for the parties, and 15 charge them by virtue of the said canons, and in his majesty's name, as they will avoid his displeasure, that with 25 : would not have such ancient rights, as he had received from his predecessors, accounted grievances. 3. That they should be careful not to present that for a grievance, which was established by a law; for it is 20 very undutiful in subjects to press their king wherein they are sure to be denied. Complaints may be made unto them of the high commissioners let the abuse appear then and spare not; there may be errors among them but to take away the commission is to derogate from him and it is now in his thoughts to rectify it in a good proportion." The king's complete and final answer to the grievances of the commons was given on the 23rd of July in the presence of both houses when he prorogued the parliament. From that answer it appears that the complaints were for the most part on matters of religion, viz. “touching execution of laws against popish recusants: touching deprived and si30 lenced ministers: touching pluralities and non-residents: touching excommunication: concerning the commission for causes ecclesiastical, and particularly of the extent of the statute of 1 Eliz. cap. 1: of grievances apprehended in the commission itself of the grievances found in the execution of the commission: and touching prohibitions." On 35 these several points the king gave temperate answers, and the archbishop was commanded, as appears from the letter before us, to look closely into all cases of real abuse, for the purpose of correcting them. See Journals of Lords, an. 1610. p. 658. Journals of Com. an. 1610. pp. 393. 447. Wilson in Kennet, vol. ii. p. 682. : |