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four General Councils, which at all times have been of most estimation in the Church of Christ, were called and gathered by the Emperor's commandment, and for a godly intent, that heresies might be extinct, schisms put away, good order and manners in the ministers of the Church and the people of the same, established; like as many Councils more were called, till now of late by the negligence, as well of the Emperor as other Princes, the Bishop of Rome hath been suffered to usurp this power: yet now, forsomuch that the Empire of Rome and the monarchy of the same hath no such general dominion, but many Princes have absolute power in their own realms, and an whole and entire monarchy, no one Prince may by his authority call any General Council; but if that any one or mo of these Princes, for the establishing of the faith, for the extirpation of schisms, &c. lovingly, charitably, with a good sincere intent, to a sure place, require any other Prince, or the rest of the great Princes, to be content to agree, that for the wealth, quietness, and tranquillity of all Christian people, by his or their free consent, a General Council might be assembled; that Prince or those Princes so required, are bound by order of charity, for the good fruit that may come of it, to condescend and agree thereunto, having no lawful impediment, nor just cause to the contrary. The chief causes of the General Councils are before expressed.

In all the ancient Councils of the Church, in matters of the faith and interpretation of Scripture, no man made definitive subscription, but bishops and priests; for so much as the declaration of the word of God pertaineth unto them.

The words of John in his 20th chap. Sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos, &c. hath no respect to a King's or a Prince's power, but only to show, how that the ministers of the word of God, chosen and sent for that intent, are the messengers of Christ, to teach the truth of his Gospel, and to loose and bind sin, &c. as Christ was the messenger of his Father. The words also of St. Paul, in the 20th chap. of the Acts; Attendite vobis et universo gregi, in qua vos Spiritus Sanctus posuit episcopos regere ecclesiam Dei, were spoken to the bishops and priests, to be diligent pastors of the people, both to teach them diligently, and

f [This last paragraph signed by eight bishops, is also printed by Burnet, (Reformat. vol. I. App. B. iii. No. 10.) from a manuscript that belonged to

also to be circumspect that false preachers should not seduce the people, as followeth immediately after in the same place. Other places of Scripture declare the highness and excellency of Christian Princes' authority and power; the which of a truth is most high, for he hath power and charge generally over all, as well bishops and priests, as other. The bishops and priests have charge of souls within their own cures, power to minister sacraments, and to teach the word of God; to the which word of God Christian Princes knowledge themselves subject; and in case the bishops be negligent, it is the Christian princes' office to see them do their duty.

T. Cantuarien.

Joannes London.

Cuthbertus Dunelmens.
Jo. Batwellens.

Thomas Elien.

Johannes Bangor.

Nicolaus Sarisburien.

Hugo Wygorn.

Joannes Roffens.

Wilhelmus Abbas Mo

nasterii Sancti Bene

dicti.

Robertus Aldrydge.

Ricardus Coren.

Edvardus Leyghton.

Wilkins,

vol. iii.

IX.

Mandatum Archiepiscopi Cantuar' de Festo D. Marci Evange lista celebrando.

THOMAS, miseratione divina Cant' Archiepiscopus, totius AnConcilia, gliæ Primas et Metropolitanus, dilecto nobis in Christo Mag' Roberto Colyns, in legibus baccalaureo, infra civitatem et diœp. 826. cesin nostras Cant' commissario et officiali, salutem, gratiam, et benedictionem. Licet serenissima Regia Majestas, tanquam Supremum in terris sub Christo Ecclesiæ Anglicana Caput, atque ea auctoritate, de consensu et assensu prælatorum et cleri hujus regni sui Angliæ in Convocatione legitime congregatorum, inter cætera decrevit et ordinavit, quod omnes dies festi quorumcunque sanctorum contingentes in tempore messium sive autumni, computando hujusmodi tempus a 1o die Julii usque ad 29m diem Septembris, sive temporibus quibus jura apud Westmon' per

suos justitiarios reddi solent, non observabuntur in hoc suo regno tanquam solennes more solito, sed quod liceret unicuique suo subdito in hujusmodi diebus, operibus tam mechanicis quam aliis (ut in diebus profestis fieri solet) operam dare; (diebus, in quibus præfecti justitiarii ad jura reddenda apud aulam Westmonast' sedere non solent, duntaxat exceptis,) nuperrime tamen eadem sua Majestas ex causis justis et rationalibus animum suum in ea parte moventibus, voluit et decrevit, quod festum D. Marci Evangelista (prædicta ordinatione non obstante) solenniter ad instar festorum Apostolorum deinceps annis singulis observabitur more ab antiquo solito; sive infra dies, quibus jus apud Westmonast' reddi solet, sive extra illud tempus contigerit: Tibi igitur committimus et firmiter injungendo mandamus, quatenus cum omni celeritate qua decet, diem D. Marci prædict' solenniter more solito celebrand' clero et populo infra civitat' et dioces' nostras Cant' constituto publices, seu publicari facias. Et quid in præmissis feceris, dicto negotio expedito, nobis, quam cito fieri poterit, debite certifices. In cujus rei testimonium sigillum nostrum præsentibus est appensum. Dat' in manerio nostro de Lamehythe, 190 die mensis Aprilis, anno Dom. MDXXXVII. et consecrat' nostræ anno v.

X.

vol. iii.

Mandatum Archiepiscopi Cantuar' de non celebrandis Festis Diebus jussu Regio in Synodo Provinciali abrogatis. THOMAS, miseratione divina Cant' Archiepiscopus, totius An- Wilkins gliæ Primas et Metropolitanus, dilecto nobis in Christo decano Concilia, nostræ peculiaris jurisdictionis Ecclesiæ nostræ Christi Cant' p. 827. immediatæ de Bocking, ejusve in absentia commissario, salutem, gratiam, et benedictionem. Cum serenissimus noster Princeps Henrico VIII. Dei gratia, &c. in Convocatione præsulum et cleri Cant' provinciæ, anno Dom' MDXXXVI. apud ædes D. Pauli London legitime indicta, cum consensu omnium et singulorum interessentium, inter alia pie sanxierat et ordinaverat quasdam ferias, justissimis causis id exigentibus, abrogari ac penitus tolli; cujus quidem statutis seu ordinationis tenorem clero nostræ pe

culiaris jurisdictionis ante hæc tempora, literis in illum usum impressis, promulgari fecimus et curavimus; cumque idem serenissimus noster Princeps visitatione sua regia eodem anno habita Injunctiones quasdam subditorum salutem et gloriam Dei promoventes, per commissarios suos ad hoc deputatos, clero nostræ peculiaris jurisdictionis de Bocking prædict' observandas exhibuerit; quia tamen accepimus et comperimus quosdam, imo quamplurimos, quod dolemus, nostræ peculiaris jurisdictionis hujusmodi statutis non obtemperare, præmissa observare non curantes; nos, qui potius clementia quam severitate præesse volumus, quique hujusmodi hominum malitiam pietate paterna vincere conamur, ea demum vobis, aut uni vestrum per præsentes mandamus, quatenus clericis nostræ peculiaris jurisdictionis prædictæ ad subsequentia convocatis, in capellis vestris authoritate nostra (seu potius regia) præcipiatis, quibus et nos sic præcipimus, uti sano consilio obtemperantes, omnia et singula præmissa summo cum studio et maxima cum diligentia, sub pœna privationis beneficiorum, observare curent: intimando iisdem, quod si aliqui in posterum circa præmissa se præstiterint culpabiles, nos, si beneficiati fuerint, sine dubio contra eosdem ad beneficiorum privationem, contra alios legitimis juris censuris processuros. Et quoniam nuper in eruditissimo concilio archiepiscoporum, episcoporum, ac aliorum doctorum virorum hujus regni, de rebus religionis consultantium, multa de religione controversa definita sunt, multaque populo ad vitæ institutionem explicata, quæ propediem uno volumine congesta Regiæ Majestatis auctoritate emittentur; vobis mandamus, uti omnes et singulos clericos, quibus cura animarum committitur, moneatis, ut voluminis prædicti partem, sub pœna prædicta, ordine singulis diebus dominicis clara apertaque voce et suggesto populo legant. Et quid in præmissis feceritis, ille vestrum, qui præmissa executus fuerit, cum ad hoc requisitus fuerit, debite certificet. In cujus rei testimonium sigillum nostrum præsentibus apponi feciDat' in manerio nostro apud Ford, 10. die mensis Sep' A. D. MDXXXVII. et nostræ consecrat' v.

mus.

[See Burnet, Ref. vol. i. App. B. 111. No. 9.]

Re

i [The book here referred to is The Institution of a Christian Man. specting its being issued by royal authority, see vol. i. Letter CLXXXIV. note (i).]

XI.

Archiepiscopi Cantuar' Epistola ad Regem pro Suffraganeo Do

vorensi.

Cranm.

EXCELLENTISS' et potentiss' in Christo principi et D'no' nostro Strype, D'n' Henrico Octavo Dei gra' Angliæ et Fr' Regi, Fidei DefenApp. No. sori, et D'no' Hiberniæ, ac in terris Supremo Ecclesiæ Angl' Ca- 21. from piti, vester humilis orator et subditus Thomas, permissione di- Cranmer's Register. vina Cantuar' Archiepiscopus, totius Angliæ Primas et Metropoliť' omnimod' reverentiam et observantiam tanto Principi debit' et condignas cum omni subjectionis honore. Ad sedem episcopalem de Doveria infra Cantuar' dioc' existen' dilectos mihi in C'to' Richardum Yngworth Priorem domus sive prioratus de Langley Regis, et Johannem Codenham, sacræ theolog' professores, juxta et secundum vim, formam, et effectum statuti Parlamenti hujus inclyti regni vestri Angliæ in hoc casu editi et provisi, vestri Regiæ Majestati per has literas meas nomino et præsento; ac eidem Majestati vestræ humiliter supplico, quatenus alteri eorum, (cui vestra Regia Majestas id munus conferend' præoptaverit) titulum, nomen, stylumq; et dignitatem episcopalem ac suffraganeam ad sedem prædictam misericorditer conferre: ipsumque mihi præfato Archiepiscopo, infra cujus dioc' et provinciam sedes antedicta consistit, per literas vestras patentes Regias intuitu charitatis punctare, mihique mandare dignetur vestra Regia Majestas, quatenus ipsum sic nominatum et præsentatum, in episcopum suffraganeum sedis prædict' juxta formam statuti prædict' effectualiter consecrem et benedicam: cæteraque faciam et exequar in ea parte, quæ ad effectum meum Archiepiscopale spectaverint, seu requisita fuerint in præmissis. Vivat denique et valeat in multos annos vestra Regia Celsitudo prælibata in eo per quem reges regnant et principes dominantur. Dat' apud Lambeth primo die mensis Decembr', anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo tricesimo septimo: et regni vestri florentiss. vicesimo nono.

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