upon such attempt and preaching, contrary to this Proclamation, be committed to prison, and there remain until such time as his Majesty, by the advice aforesaid, hath taken order for the further punishment of the same. And that the premises should be more speedily and diligently done and performed, his Highness giveth straitly in commandment to all justices of peace, mayors, sheriffs, constables, headboroughs, churchwardens, and all other his Majesty's officers and ministers, and rulers of towns, parishes, and hamlets, that they be diligent and attendant to the true and faithful execution of this proclamation, and every part thereof, according to the intent, purport, and effect of the same. And that they of their proceedings herein, or if any offender be, after they have committed the same to prison, do certify his Highness the Lord Protector, or his Majesty's Council, with all speed thereof accordingly, as they tender his Majesty's pleasure, the wealth of the realm, and will answer to the contrary at their uttermost perils. God save the King. Wilkins, vol. iv. XXXI. Mandatum ad amovendas et delendas Imagines. THOMAS, permissione divina Cantuariensis Archiepiscopus, Conciliu, totius Angliæ Primas et Metropolitanus, per illustrissimum in p. 22. from Christo principem, et dominum nostrum dominum Edvardum Craumer's Sextum Dei gratia Angliæ, Franciæ, et Hiberniæ Regem, Fidei Register, fol. 32. a. Foxe, Acts, &c. vol. ii. p. 658. Defensorem, et in terra Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ et Hiberniæ Supremum Caput, sufficienter et legitime auctorizatus; venerabili confratri nostro domino Edmundo eadem permissione Londoniensi Episcopo, vestrove vicario in spiritualibus generali et officiali principali, salutem et fraternam in Domino charitatem. Literas missivas clarissimorum et prudentissimorum dominorum de privato Consilio suæ Regiæ Majestatis manibus subscriptas, nobis inscriptas et directas nuper recepimus, tenorem subsequentem complectentes. After our right hearty recommendations to your good Lordship, where now of late, in the King's Majesty's visitation, among other godly Injunctions commanded to be generally observed through all parts of this his Highness's realm, one was set forth for the taking down of all such images as had at any Eccles. time been abused with pilgrimages, offerings, or censings a: Heylyn, albeit that this said Injunction hath in many parts of the realm Restaur. been well and quietly obeyed and executed, yet in many other Edw. VI. places much strife and contention hath risen, and daily riseth, P. 55. more and more increaseth about the execution of the same; Burnet, Reformat. some men being so superstitious, or rather wilful, as they would vol.ii. App. by their good wills retain all such images still, although they b.i. No. 23. have been most manifestly abused; and in some places also the images, which by the said Injunctions were taken down, be now restored and set up again; and almost in every place is contention for images, whether they have been abused or not; and while's these men go about on both sides contentiously to obtain their minds, contending whether this or that image hath been offered unto, kissed, censed, or otherwise abused, parties have in some places been taken, in such sort as further inconvenience is very like to ensue, if remedy be not provided in time: Considering therefore that almost in no places of this realm is any sure quietness, but where all images be wholly taken away and pulled down already; to the intent that all contention in every part of this realm for this matter may be clearly taken away, and that the lively images of Christ should not contend for the dead images, which be things not necessary, and without which the Churches of Christ continued most godly for many years: We have thought good to signify unto you, that his Highness's pleasure, with the advice and consent of us the Lord Protector and the rest of the Council, is, that immediately upon the sight hereof, with as convenient diligence as you may, you shall not only give order that all the images remaining in any church or chapel within your diocese be removed and taken away, but also by your letters signify unto the rest of the bishops within your province his Highness's pleasure for the like order to be given by them and every of them within their several dioceses and in the execution thereof, we require both you and the rest of the bishops foresaid, to use such foresight as the same may be quietly done with as good satisfaction of the people as may be. Thus fare your good lordship well. From Somerset Place, the twenty-first of February, 1547. [1548.] Your lordship's assured friends, E. Somerset, Jo. Russell, Henricus Arundell, T. Seymour, Anthony Wyngefelde, William Pagett. Quibus quidem literis pro nostro erga suam regiam Majesta tem officio, uti decet, obtemperare summopere cupientes, vestræ fraternitati tenore præsentium committimus et Regiæ Majestatis vice et nomine, quibus in hac parte fungimur, mandamus, quatenus attento diligenter literarum hujuscemodi tenore, omnibus et singulis confratribus coepiscopis nostris, et Ecclesiæ nostræ Christi Cantuariensis suffraganeis, cum ea qua poteritis celeritate accommoda præcipiatis, ut ipsorum singuli in suis cathedralibus necnon civitatum et diocesium suarum parochialibus ecclesiis, exposito publice literarum hujuscemodi tenore, omnia et singula in literis præinsertis comprehensa, deducta et descripta quatenus eos concernunt, in omnibus et per omnia exequi et perimpleri sedulo et accurate curent, et fieri non postponant, sicque a vobis frater charissime in civitate et diocesi vestris London' per omnia fieri et perimpleri volumus et mandamus. Dat' in manerio nostro de Lambehithe vigesimo quarto die mensis Februarii, anno Domini, juxta computationem Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, 1547. [1548.] et nostræ consecrationis anno decimo quinto. XXXII. vol. iv. p. 31. Letter Missive from the Council to the Bishops of the Realm, concerning the Communion to be ministered in both Kinds. Foxe, Acts, AFTER our most hearty commendations unto your Lordship, &c. vol. ii. Where in the Parliament late holden at Westminster, it was, p. 659. Wilkins, amongst other things, most godly established, that, according to Concilia, the first institution and use of the primitive Church, the most holy sacrament of the body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ should be distributed to the people under the kinds of bread and wine: according to the effect whereof, the King's Majesty, minding, with the advice and consent of the Lord Protector's Grace, and the rest of the Council, to have the said statute well executed in such sort, or like as is agreeable with the word of God, (so the same may be also faithfully and reverently received of his most loving subjects, to their comforts and wealth,) hath caused sundry of his Majesty's most grave and well learned prelates, and other learned men in the Scripture, to assemble themselves for this matter; who, after long conference together, have with deliberate advice finally agreed upon such an order to be used in all places of the King's Majesty's dominions, in the distribution of the said most holy Sacrament, as may appear to you by the book thereof, which we send herewith unto you; albeit, knowing your lordship's knowledge in the Scriptures, and earnest good-will and zeal to the setting forth of all things according to the truth thereof, we be well assured you will of your own good-will, and upon respect to your duty, diligently set forth this most godly order here agreed upon, and commanded to be used by the authority of the King's Majesty; yet remembering the crafty practice of the Devil, who ceases not, by his members, to work by all ways and means the hinderance of all godliness; and considering furthermore that a great number of the curates of the realm, either for lack of knowledge cannot, or for want of good mind will not, be so ready to set forth the same as we would wish, and as the importance of the matter and their own bounden duty requires; we have thought good to pray and require your lordship, and nevertheless in the King's Majesty, our most dread Lord's name, to command you, to have an earnest diligence and careful respect both in your own person and by all your officers and ministers; also to cause these books to be delivered to every parson, vicar, and curate, within your diocese, with such diligence as they may have sufficient time well to instruct and advise themselves for the distribution of the most holy Communion according to the order of this book, before this Easter time; and that they may by your good means be well directed to use such good, gentle, and charitable instruction of their simple and unlearned parishioners, as may be to all their good satisfactions as much as may be: praying you to consider, that this order is set forth to the intent there should be in all parts of this realm, and among all men, one uniform manner quietly used; the execution whereof, like as it shall stand very much in the diligence of you and others of your vocation, so do we eftsoons require you to have a diligent respect thereunto, as ye tender the King's Majesty's pleasure, and will answer for the contrary. And thus we bid your lordship right heartily farewell. From Westm', the thirteenth of March, 1548. Burnet, Ref. vol. ii. 27. XXXIII. A Letter sent to all those Preachers which the King's Majesty hath licensed to preach, from the Lord Protector's Grace, and other of the King's Majesty's most honourable Council; the 13th day of May, in the second year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, King Edward the VIth. [1548.] AFTER our right hearty commendations: as well for the conservation of the quietness and good order of the King's Majesty's subjects, as that they should not, by evil and unlearned preachers, be brought unto superstition, error, or evil doctrine, or otherwise be made stubborn and disobedient to the King's Majesty's godly proceedings, his Highness, by our advice, hath thought good to inhibit all manner of preachers, who have not such license as in the same proclamation is allowed, to preach, or stir the people in open and common preaching of sermons, by any means, that the devout and godly Homilies might the better in the mean while sink into his subjects' hearts, and be learned the sooner, the people not being tossed to and fro with seditious and contentious preaching, while every man, according to his zeal, some better some worse, goeth about to set out his own phantasy, and to draw the people to his opinion. Nevertheless it is not his Majesty's mind hereby clearly to extinct the lively teaching of the word of God by sermons made after such sort, as for the time the Holy Ghost shall put into the preacher's mind, but that rash, contentious, hot, and undiscreet preachers should be stopped; and that they only which be chosen and elect, be discreet and sober men, should occupy that place, which was made for edification, and not for destruction; for the honour of God, and peace and quietness of conscience to be set forward, not for private glory to be advanced; to appease, to teach, to instruct the people with humility and patience, not to make them contentious and proud; to instil into them their duty to their heads and rulers, obedience to laws and orders, appointed by the superiors who have rule of God, not that every man should run, before their heads have appointed them what to do, and that every man should choose his own way in religion: the which thing yet being done of some men, and they being rather provoked thereto by certain preachers, |