Saviour Christ. We have thought it mete, and our Dutie for the Pure Conservacon of the same Gospell in our Church, with our Uniforme Profession, Doctryne, and Preachinge, and for the avoyding of many Perilous and Vain Opinions, and Errors, to sende unto you certayne Articles, devised and gathered with great Study, and by Council, and good Advice of the greatest learned Parte of our Bychoppes of this Realm, and sundry others of our Clergie; which Articles we Wyll and Exhort your self to Subscribe, and in your Preachings, Redings, and Teachings, to observe and cause to be subscribed and observed, of all other which do, or hereafter shall Preache, or Reade, within your Dioces. And if any Person, or Persons, having Benefice within your Dioces, shall from henceforth, not only refuse wylfully to sett their Hands to these Articles, but also obstinatly Exhort their Parochians to withstande the same, and Teache the People in a contrary way; Our Pleasure is, that beinge duly proved, ye shall advertise Us, or our Cownsaile of the hoole Mattier, fully to thintent suche furter Ordre may by Direction from Us, or our said Cownsail, to be taken as the Case shall require, and shall stande with Justice, and th'Ordre of our Lawes. And further, that when, and as often as ye shall have any manner of Person presented unto you to be admitted by yowe as the Ordinary to any Ecclesiastical Ordre, Ministry, Office, or Cure, within your Dioces, that ye shall before you admit him, conferre with him in every theis Articles. And finding him therto consentinge, to cawse hin Subscribe the same in one Legier Book to be fourmed for that Purpose, which maye remayne as a Registre for a Concorde, and to let him have a a Copye of the same Articles. And if any Men in that Case shall refuse to consent to any of the said Articles, and to Subscribe the same, then we Will and Command you, that neither ye, nor any of you, or by your Procurment in any wise shall admitt him, or allowe him as sufficient and mete to take any Ordre, Ministery, or Ecclesiastical Cure. For whiche yower so doinge, we shall discharge yowe from all maner of Penalties, or Daungers of Actions, Suits, or Plees of Premonirees, quare impedit, or such lyke. And yet our Meaning is, that if any Partie refuse to Subscribe any of these Articles, for lack of Learning and Knowledge of the Trewth, ye shall in that Case by Teachinge, Conference, and Prouf of the same by the Scriptures, reasonably and discretely move, and perswade him therto before yow shall Peremptorilye Judge him as unhable and a Recusant. And for the Tryall of his Conformitie, ye shall according to your Discretion prefix a Time and Space convenient to Deliberate and give his Consent, so that be betwixt Three Weks and Six Weks, from the Time of his First Accesse unto yowe. And if after Six Weks he wyll not consent and agree wyllinglie to Subscribe, then ye may lawfullye, and shall in any wyse refuse to admytt, or enhable him. And where there is of late sett fourthe by our Authoritie a Cathechisme for the Instruction of Younge Scolers in the Feare of God, and the Trewe Knowleage of his Holy Religion, with expresse Commaundyment from us to all Scole Maisters to teache and instruct their Scholars the saide Cathechisme, making it the Beginning and First Foundacion of ther Teaching in their Scholes : Our Pleasure is, that for the better Exequution of our said Commaundyment, ye shall Yearely, at the least once visit, or cause to be visited, every Schole within your saide Dioces, in which Visitacion yt shall be enquired both howgh the Scole Maister of every such Schole hath used himself in the Teaching of the said Cathecisme; and also howgh the Scholars do receyve and followe the same, making playne and full Certificate of the Offendors, contrary to this our Ordre, and of their severall Offences, to the Archbishop of that Province, within the Monethes from Tyme to Tyme after every such Offence. Yeoven undre our Signet at the Manor of Grenewich the Ixth Daye of June, the vIIIth Yeare of our Reign. This is Faithfully Transcribed from which immediately follow After Articuli de quibus in Synodo Londinensi, Anno Domini 1552. ad tollendam Dissensionem et Consensu veræ Religionis, firmandum inter Episcopos et alios eruditos Viros, convenerat Regiâ Authoritate in lucem Editi. 42 Articles, as in the Appendix of IId Volume of the History of the Reformation, N. 55. Subscribed by about 50 Original Hands, thus: Feb. 12, 1713. Per me Milonem Spenser. IX. Ornatiss. Viris Dominis Sands, ac Regentibus et Non-Regentibus Academia Cantabr. EQUUM est, ut qui se Literarum Studiis dediderunt, et in veri Inquisitione versantur, illius Disciplinæ veritatem profiteantur, quæ ad vivendum est utilissima, et ad judicandum cum Verbo Dei convenientissima. Cùm autem in redintegranda Religione, multum diuque Regiæ Majestatis Authoritate, et bonorum atjue eruditorum Virorum judiciis sit elaboratum, et de Articulis quibusdam in Synodo Londinensi Anno Domini 1552. ad tollendam opinionum dissensionem, conclusum: Equissimum judicavimus, eosdem Regiâ Authoritate promulgatos, et omnibus Episcopis ad meliorem Dioceseos suæ Administrationem traditos, vobis etiam commendare, et visitationis nostræ Authoritate præcipere ac Statuere de his, ad hunc modum. Singuli Doctores et Bachallores Theologiæ, et singuli præterea Artium Doctores, solenniter et publice, ante creationem suam, hoc Jurejurando sequenti se astringant, et in Commentarios Academiæ, ad id designatos, suâ ipsorum manu referant. Quod ni fecerint gradus sui capiendi repulsam patiantur. Ego N. N. Deo Teste promitto ac spondeo, primo me veram Christi Religionem, omni Animo Complexurum, Scripturæ Authoritatem Hominum judicio præpositurum, Regulam Vitæ et summam Fidei, ex Verbo Dei petiturum, cætera quæ ex Verbo Dei non probantur, pro humanis et non necessariis habiturum. Authoritatem Regiam in hominibus summam, et externorum Episcoporum Jurisdictioni minime subjectam æstimaturum; et contrarias Verbo Dei Opiniones, omni voluntate ac mente refutaturum. Vera consuetis, Scripta non Scriptis, in Religionis Causâ antehabiturum. Deinde me Articulos, de quibus in Synodo Londinensi Anno Domini 1553. ad tollendam Opinionum Dissensionem et consensum veræ Religionis firmandum_inter Episcopos et alios eruditos Viros convenerat, et Regia Authoritate in lucem editos, pro veris et certis habiturum, et omni in loco tanquam Consentientes cum Verbo Dei defensurum, et contrarios Articulos in Scholis et Pulpitis vel respondendo vel concionando oppugnaturum. Hæc om nia in me recipio, Deoque Teste, me Sedulo facturum promitto ac Spondeo. An. 1553, 1 Jun. Ex MS. Tho. Ely Canc. Joannes Cheeke. X. King Edward's Device for the Succession, written with his own Hand. (Ex MS. Petyti.) FOR lack of Issue Mate of my Body, to the Issue Male coming of the Issue Female, as I have after declared. To the said Frances Heirs Males if she have any; for lack of such Issue before my Death, to the said Jane and Heirs Males; to the said Katherine's Heirs Males; to the Lady Mary's Heirs Males: To the Heirs Males of the Daughters, which she shall have hereafter. Then to the Lady Marget's Heirs Males. For Lack of such Issue, to the Heirs Males of the Lady Jane's Daughters; to the Heirs Males of the Lady Katherine's Daughters, and so forth, till you come to the Lady Marget's Heirs Males. 2. If after my Death the Heir Male be entred into Eighteen Year old, then He to have the whole Rule and Governance thereof. 3. But if He be under Eighteen, then his Mother to be Governes, till he enters Eighteen Year old: But to do nothing without the Advice and Aggreement of Six Parcell of a Councill, to be pointed by my last Will, to the Number of 20. 4. If the Mother die before the Heir enter into Eighteen, the Realm to be governed by the Councill: Provided that after He be Fourteen Year, all Great Matters of Importance be opened to Him. 5. If I died without Issue, and there were none Heir Male; then the Lady Frances to be Gouvernes Regent. For lack of her, her Eldest Daughters; and for lack of them, the Lady Marget to be Governes after, as is aforesaid, till some Heir Male be born; and then the Mother of that Child to be Governes. 6. And if, during the Rule of the Gouvernes, there die Four of the Councill; then shall She, by her Letters, call an Assembly of the Councill, within One Month following, and chuse Four more: Wherein She shall have Three Voices. But after her Death, the Sixteen shall Chuse among themselves, till the Heir come to Fourteen Year old; and then He, by their Advice, shall chuse them. The last Two Paragraphs, and what is scored underneath, are dash'd out, yet so as to be legible XI. The Council's Original Subscription, to Edward the VIth's Limitation of the Crown; in these Words: WE whose Hands are underwritten, having heretofore many times heard the King's Majesty, our most Gracious Sovereign Lord's earnest Desire, and express Commandment, touching the Limitation of the Succession in the Imperial Crown of this Realm, and others his Majesty's Realms and Dominions; and having seen his Majesty's own Device, touching the said Succession, first wholly written with his most Gracious Hand, and after Copied out in his Majesties Presence, by his most High Commandment, and confirmed with the Subscription of his Majesties own Hand; and by his Highness deliver'd to certain Judges, and other Learned Men, to be written in full Order: Do, by his Majesties Speciall and Absolute Commandment, eftsoones given us, aggree, and by these Presents signed with our Hands, and sealed with our Seals, promise by our Oaths and Honours, to observe fully, perform, and keep, all and every Article, Clause, Branch and Matter contained in the said Writing delivered to the Judges and others, and Superscribed with his Majesties Hand in Six several Places and all such other Matter, as his Majesty, by his last Will, shall appoint, declare or command, touching or concerning the Limitation of the Succession of the said Imperiall Crown. And we do further promise, by his Majesty's said Commandment, never to vary or swerve, during our Lives, from the said Limitation of the Succession; but the same shall, to the uttermost of our Powers, defend and maintain. And if any of us, or any other, shall at any time hereafter (which God forbid) vary from this Agreement, or any Part thereof; we, and every of us, do assent to take, use, and repute him for a Breaker of the Common Concord, Peace and Unity of this Realm; and to do our uttermost, to see him or them so varying or swerving, punished with most sharp Punishments, according to their Deserts. T. Cant. T. Ely, Canc. Winchester. Northumberland. Edward Mountague. John Baker. Edward Gryffin. John Lucas. John Gosnald. |