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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 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 preachersa 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. His 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 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,

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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.

Archiepisc. Cant.

GEO. ABBOT 15.

CXXXIII.

Anno Christi
1625.

Reg. Angliæ
CAROL. I. 1.

The king's letter to the archbishop of Canterbury touching recusants.-Reg. II. Abbot, fol. 211. a.

IGHT reverend father in God, my very good lord.

I have received from the king's majesty a letter, the tenour whereof here followeth: Most reverend father in God, right trusty and well beloved counsellor, we greet 5 you well. Whereas upon sundry weighty considerations us specially moving, we lately awarded our commission under our great seal of England, for the due and effectual putting in execution of the several laws and statutes remaining in force against popish recusants, and did cause 10 our said commission to be publicly read in our several courts holden the last term at Reading, that all our loving subjects might take notice of our princely care, and special charge for the advancement of true religion, and suppressing of superstition and popery; we have now 15 thought fit, out of the same care to add a further charge

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The king's letter] The most important act of the first parliament that assembled after the accession of king Charles, was to present to him a petition concerning religion, setting forth "the dangerous consequences of the increase of popery in the land, and what they conceived to be the principal causes thereof, and what the remedies." His majesty having answered their several points successively, informed them "that as he took well their minding him of the care of religion, so he would have done and granted the same things though they had never petitioned him." The sequel however did not correspond with this amicable beginning; and the commons having determined to withhold their supplies until they had obtained a redress of grievances, the parliament was dissolved on the 12th of August 1625. But being induced by

to you, and all others having ecclesiastical jurisdiction under us, that no good means be neglected on your part for discovering, finding out, and apprehending of Jesuits, seminary priests, and other seducers of our children to the Romish religion, or for repressing popish recusants 5 and delinquents of that sort, against whom you are to proceed by excommunication and other censures of the church, not omitting any other due and lawful means to bring them forth to public justice. And as our pleasure is, that due and strict proceeding be used against such as 10 are open and profest papists, of whom our temporal laws will more easily take hold; so we do recommend to the vigilant care of you and the rest of our clergy the repressing of those, who being ill affected to the true religion here established, do keep more close and secret their ill 15 and dangerous affections that way, and as well by their example, as by secret and underhand sleights and means, do much encourage and increase the growth of popery and superstition in sundry parts of this kingdom: and therefore we not only require, that none of them may 20 have any manner of cover, protection, countenance, or connivance from you, or any of the rest, as you tender our royal commandment in that behalf; but that all possible diligence be used as well to unmask the false

many urgent considerations to summon another to meet in the ensuing 25 February, Charles took measures in the mean time to satisfy the wishes of his subjects respecting popery. "The plague still continuing in London and Westminster and the places near adjoining, the king had adjourned a part of Michaelmas term from the city of Westminster, as also the receipt of the revenue from Richmond, to the town of Reading. 30 In which term a commission issued forth under the great seal for executing the laws against recusants, according to the petition of the late parliament, which was read in all the courts of judicature at Reading." Rushworth, vol. i. p. 201. Heylin's Laud, p. 140. Collier, vol. ii. p. 735. Neal, Purit. vol. i. p. 500.

It is well known from his subsequent history that king Charles was sincerely attached to the doctrine and discipline of his own church;

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