CXXXVIII. Archiepisc. Cant. Anno Christi Reg. Angliæ The king's instructions for the most reverend father in God our right trusty and right entirely beloved counsellor William, lord archbishop of Canterbury, concerning certain orders to be observed and put in execution by the several bishops of his province, anno Domini, MDCXXXIII.-Ex MSS. Harleyanæ Bibl. lib. 61. B. fol. 19. et Rymer. Foed. vol. xix. p. 470. HAT the lords the bishops respectively be com I. THAT manded to their several sees, there to keep residence, excepting those which are in necessary attendance at our court. 5 II. That none of them reside upon his land or lease, that he hath purchased, nor on his commendam, if he hold any, but in one of his episcopal houses, and that he waste not the woods where any are left. III. That they give charge in their triennial visitation, 10 and at other convenient times, both by themselves and the archdeacons, that our declaration for settling all questions in difference be strictly observed by all parties. The king's instructions] It is evident from these instructions that lecturers, who had always been objects of suspicion in the church, had 15 been encouraged and increased by the influence of puritanical principles, and had in their turn contributed to the growing spirit of independency. They were employed as chaplains in private houses, as occasional lecturers in market towns, and as preachers before corporations; and in all these cases they were engaged by the dissatisfied 20 parties in the church, and naturally adopted such practices and inculcated such opinions as were agreeable to their employers. But the evil had been made more conspicuous by the system and organization that had been given to it. VOL. II. Twelve persons, all belonging to the N IV. That there be a special care taken by them all, that their ordinations be solemn and not of unworthy persons. V. That they likewise take great care concerning the lecturers within their several dioceses, for whom we give these special directions following: 1. That in all parishes the afternoon sermons be turned into catechising, by questions and answers, where and whensoever there is not some great cause apparent to break this ancient and laudable order. 5 2. That every bishop take care in his diocese, that all 10 lecturers do read divine service, according to the liturgy printed by authority, in their surplices and hoods, before the lecture. 3. That where a lecture is set up in a market town, it may be read by a company of grave and orthodox divines 15 near adjoining and of the same diocese, and that they ever preach in such seemly habits as belong to their degrees, and not in cloaks. 4. That if a corporation maintain a single lecturer, he be not suffered to preach, till he professes his willingness 20 to take upon him a living with cure of souls within that corporation, and that he do actually take such benefice or cure, so soon as it shall be fairly procured for him. VI. That the bishops do countenance and encourage the grave and orthodox divines of their clergy; and that 25 puritan party, had formed themselves into a society for purchasing impropriations, for establishing lectureships, for hiring schoolmasters, and for other purposes of a similar nature; and being supported by ample subscriptions, they became the centre of a large religious party, and seemed likely to acquire a permanent control over the affairs of the 30 church. In the year 1630 Dr. Heylin, in an Act sermon preached in Oxford, first pointed out the dangerous character of this new society; and in the year 1632 it was dissolved and its property confiscated, on an information which had been laid against it by Noy the attorney general, as being an illegal association. Archbishop Laud speaks of it 35 in his Diary (Feb. 13, 1632) as being "the main instrument for the puritan faction to undo the church." (Heylin's Laud, p. 198. Can they use means by some of the clergy or others to have knowledge, how both the lecturers and preachers within their several dioceses behave themselves in their sermons, that so they may take present order for any abuse ac5 cordingly. VII. That the bishops suffer none under noblemen or men qualified by law, to keep any private chaplain in his house. VIII. That they take special care that divine service 10 be diligently frequented as well for prayers and catechism as sermons; and that particular notice be taken of all such as absent themselves as recusants or otherwise. IX. That no bishopa whatsoever, who by our grace and good opinion of his service shall be nominated by us to 15 another bishopric, shall from the day of our nomination presume to make any lease for three lives or one and twenty years, or a concurrent lease, or any ways renew any estate, or cut any wood or timber, but merely receive the rents due, and quit the place: for we think it a 20 hateful thing, that any man's preferment to a better bishopric should almost undo the successor. And if any shall presume to break this order, we will refuse him our royal assent, and keep him at the place which he hath so abused. 25 terb. Doom, p. 386. Wood's Ath. Ox. vol. iii. p. 554. Neal, Purit. vol. i. p. 548. Collier, vol. ii. p. 754. Rushw. vol. ii. p. 30. Lingard, vol. vi. p. 302.) This was the first subject to which the archbishop turned his attention, and he found his remedy in these instructions and in his letters respecting titles for ordination, which he issued imme30 diately after his appointment. See No. CXXXIX. For further particulars respecting the episcopal house at Cuddesden, the building of which was much promoted by the archbishop, see Laud's Diary of Sept. 2, 1635. and Wood's Ath. Ox. vol. ii. p. 893. a IX. That no bishop] This just and salutary regulation was some35 times suspended by the king himself; as, in the instance of bishop Wren on his removal from the see of Hereford to that of Norwich in the year 1636. Wren's Parental. p. 50. X. That every bishopb give his metropolitan a strict account yearly of their obedience to our late letters prohibiting them to change any leases from years into lives, and that they fail not to certify, if they find that the dean, or dean and chapter, or any archdeacon or prebendary 5 etc. within their several dioceses have at any time broken our command in any particular contained in the aforesaid letters. ΤΟ XI. That every bishop to whom in regard of the small revenue of his bishopric, we either have already or shall hereafter not only give power but command to receive and hold as in commendam any lease expired, or near expiring, and belonging to the see, or any ecclesiastical benefice or benefices or other promotions with cure or without, being in his or their own gift, by letters given 15 under our signet and sent to those bishops respectively, do likewise give an account yearly to his metropolitan, that he doth not put any of the aforenamed benefices or other preferment out of his commendam to give to any son, kinsman, friend, or other, upon any pretence whatso- 20 ever, thereby to frustrate our gracious intention to the bishops succeeding to those several sees. XII. That every bishop respectively do likewise in his yearly account to his metropolitan give notice of any notable alteration or other accident within his diocese, 25 which may any ways concern either the doctrine or the discipline of the church established. XIII. That whereas John Bancroft, doctor in divinity, and bishop of Oxford, hath very worthily at his own proper cost and charges built a house for himself and the bishops of Oxford successively by both our leave and encouragement upon the vicarage of Cudsden near Oxford, which vicarage is in the patronage and gift of him and his successors; and whereas our further will and pleasure b X. That every bishop] See No. CXLII. 30 35 JO is, that the said house together with the vicarage aforesaid shall ever be held in commendam by the bishops of Oxford successively; that therefore the said bishop for the time being do yearly give his particular account of 5 his holding both the house and benefice aforesaid, to the end that we and our successors may upon all occasions be put in mind of keeping that house and vicarage to the see of Oxford at all times of change, when or howsoever that bishopric shall become vacant or void. XIV. Lastly we command every bishop respectively to give his account in writing to his metropolitan of all these our instructions, or as many of them as may concern him, at or before the tenth day of December yearly, and likewise that you out of them make a brief of your whole 15 province, and present it to us yearly by the second day of January following; that so we may see how the church is governed, and our commands obeyed: and hereof in any wise fail you not. CXXXIX. Archiepisc. Cant. Anno Christi Reg. Angliæ 20 25 The king's and archbishop's letters against ordaining any "sine titulo."-Rush. Col. vol. ii. fol. 213. Reg. Laud, fol. 191. 66 SALUTEM in Christo." My very good lord. His majesty hath been often and much troubled upon The king's and archbishop's letters] See No. CXXXVIII. Archbishop Laud was confirmed on the 19th of September 1633, and on the same day issued the king's letter, which the archbishop, says Dr. Heylin, had both advised and digested, (Laud, p. 255,) against ordaining any "sine titulo." The evil of which he complained was that many persons were admitted into holy orders without any title assigning them to a pastoral |