selves and officers you will at all seasonable time reinforce the execution of such laws and constitutions, as enable us to enjoin the use and exercise of our said catechism. And that (by the most effectual remedies 5 that may be) such as, without license, either publicly or privately teach school within your lordship's or their jurisdiction, be forthwith proceeded against, according to such rules as are prescribed unto us for their restraint. And to the end that this mischief may be prevented for the Io future, he moreover strictly chargeth us, that none be admitted to that office without such subscription, oaths, and declaration, as are exactly requisite. But in the mean time I desire that your lordship and they will, with the first conveniency, let me know, how far we are already 15 defective in these particulars, that I may be able to give such satisfaction as hereafter will be necessary. I bid your lordship heartily farewell. Your lordship's very affectionate friend and brother, 20 Lambeth house, Feb. 6. MDCLXXII. GILB. CANT. and so on from time to time in many subsequent impressions, and was used generally in schools, as Strype informs us, down to his own time, the end of the 17th century. (Strype's Parker, vol. ii. p. 18.) So 25 strongly was the subject felt at this time, that during the same month of February, the attorney general was desired to prepare a bill, enjoining all persons possessed of ecclesiastical preferment, under a penalty, to catechise and instruct the youth every Sunday in the afternoon in the church catechism, and to explain the same and expound 30 thereupon to the congregation." Commons' Journals. Comp. Nos. LVI. CIX. CXXXII. Canons 77 and 79. CLVI. Archiepisc. Cant. GILB. SHELDON 13. Anno Christi Reg. Angliæ The archbishop of Canterbury's letter to the bishop of London concerning the number of dissenters. I Right reverend and my very good lord. HAVE thought fit, for some reasons me thereunto especially moving, to pray and require your lordship (and by you the rest of my brethren the bishops) that forthwith, upon receipt hereof, you send letters both to your archdeacons and commissaries within your respective 5 dioceses, willing and straitly charging them, that as well The archbishop of Canterbury's letter] From the time of the removal of lord Clarendon, in the year 1667, various attempts had been made to comprehend dissenters, more especially the presbyterians, within the pale of the church of England. In the year 1673 a bill for their relief 10 passed through the house of commons, and was read a third time, with amendments, in the upper house, but was not finally adopted by both houses before the parliament was prorogued. In the year 1675 several divines of the church of England, with Tillotson and Stillingfleet at their head, had private conferences with Baxter, Manton, and other non- 15 conformists, for the purpose of arranging terms of accommodation; but meeting afterwards with great opposition from the bishops, they abandoned their plan, and Tillotson expressed their reason for doing so in the following manner: "It cannot pass in either house without the concurrence of a considerable part of the bishops, and the countenance 20 of his majesty, which at present I see little reason to expect." Nevertheless the non-conformists had powerful arguments on their side, and were supported by able advocates. The duke of Buckingham proposed a bill for their relief in November 1675, urging the importance of the 25 measure for promoting the wealth, strength, and greatness of the nation. Bishop Wilkins, who died in 1672, had been indefatigable in their favour, having spoken in the house of lords against the conventicle act in the year 1670, although the king had endeavoured to prevent by conference with the ministers, as churchwardens of each parish within their jurisdiction, or such others as may best give them the most punctual satisfaction, they particularly inform themselves as to the several points 5 and queries hereafter mentioned; and that having gained the most certain information therein that they are able, they presently after their next visitation of Easter ended, transmit their account thereupon in writing unto their several diocesans, and they unto your lordship, to be com10 municated to me with your first conveniency. And to the end that they may be the more circumspect and sudden in the performance of this business, I think it not unnecessary that there be some advertisement intimated unto them, that the matters inquired of may nearly con15 cern them in the exercise of their jurisdictions. So not doubting of your lordship's care in the premises, etc. him; and bishop Croft published anonymously (in 1675) an address to the lords and commons, under the title of "The naked truth," which recommended that " peace should be made with lesser enemies, in 20 order to resist more successfully the encroachments of the greater." Among the topics urged at that period in favour of a comprehension, great use was doubtless made of the supposed number and influence of the dissenters, and this letter was issued by the archbishop for the purpose of ascertaining what was the degree of credit to which it was 25 entitled. We learn from a pamphlet, written by bishop Sherlock in vindication of the test act, what was the result. "The non-conformists of all sorts (including papists as well as others) were computed to be in proportion to the members of the church of England, in the year 1676, as one to twenty; a number in proportion too small to have any 30 natural strength to hurt the constitution." (p. 44. edit. 1790.) It is evident however that such a proportion of discontent was too great to continue stationary. State Tracts, 1693. p. 62. Neal, Purit. vol. iii. p. 198. Baxter, Life, p. 345. North's Examen, p. 44. Hallam, vol. ii. p. 266. Common's Journals. Lingard, vol. vii. p. 552. 35 In the copy of this letter preserved in the Tanner MSS. (vol. cclxxxii. p. 104.) is the following note on the words What number of persons:' Bishop of Norwich doubts whether the word was to be restrained to such only as were of years fit to communicate; sc. above the age of 16." 66 The inquiries are these that follow: First, What number of persons, or at least families, are by common account and estimation inhabiting within each parish subject unto them? Secondly, What number of popish recusants, or such 5 as are suspected for recusancy, are there among such the inhabitants aforesaid? Thirdly, What number of other dissenters are resident in such parishes, which either obstinately refuse, or wholly absent themselves from the communion of the 10 church of England at such times, as by law they are required? It cannot be unknown unto your lordship, and the rest of my brethren the bishops, by what artifices and insinuations the established doctrine and discipline of the 15 church of England hath been both heretofore and now lately impugned; and amongst other specious pretences, the consideration of the number of dissenters hath been an argument much insisted upon, as if their party were either too formidable to be suppressed, or that the com- 20 bination of the several factions being infinite, it were but lost labour to re-enforce the censure and execution of the laws provided against them. For manifestation of which groundless and untrue assertion, and other important reasons me thereunto moving, I have thought fit at this 25 time to pray and require your lordship.... And so soon as I shall receive satisfaction as to the particulars, I shall be able from the fact itself to unmask and lay open the prejudices and misapprehensions, wherewith some unwary persons are abused by the designs of our adversaries. I shall I hope justify the diligence, zeal, and integrity of 30 both myself and brethren, in the management of the charge committed to our care. And lastly, having done this, I do not doubt but the pretended increase of schism and superstition will no longer be imputed to our easiness or inadvertency, and the just number of dissenters being known, their suppression will be a work very practicable, if they be not emboldened by the countenance of other 5. authority than ourselves. CLVII. IO Archiepisc. Cant. Anno Christi Reg. Angliæ Directions from the archbishop of Cant. to his suffragans, concerning testimonials to be granted unto candidates for holy orders, dated from Lambeth house Aug. 23. MDCLXXVIII. "SALUTEM in Christo." My lord. Whereas the easy and promiscuous granting of letters testimonial (which is in itself a sacred thing, and in the first intention of great and very weighty importance) is by the lapse of time and the corruption which by insensible degrees is crept into the best institutions, come to be both in the universities and elsewhere abroad in the dioceses a matter of mere formality, and piece of common civility, scarce denied to any that asked it, and many times, 15 upon the credit of the first subscriber, attested by the rest, who have otherwise no knowledge of the person so adorned; or else, where more conscience is made of bearing false witness even for a neighbour, is done so perfunctorily, and in so low and dilute terms, as ought to 20 signify nothing at all to the great end, for which it is designed to serve, and yet is sometimes with a like Directions from the archbishop] D'Oyly's Life of Sancroft, vol. i. p. 182. |