peace, and all other our officers, whom it may concern, to minister the same to all such persons, and in all such cases, as by the law they are enabled, knowing that the meaning of the law was not only to authorize them to do it when they would, and to forbear it at their pleasure, 5 but to require it at their hands, as a necessary duty committed to them, and imposed upon them, as persons of chief and principal trust under us, for the good and safety of us and our state. Given at our palace of Whitehall the second day of June, in the eighth year of our 10 reign of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, anno Domini MDCX. Archiepisc. Cant. CXXVI. Anno Christi Reg. Angliæ The archbishop of Canterbury's letter about pluralities and other matters relating to the church.-Reg. Bancroft, fol. 172. b. "SALU ALUTEM in Christo." That which I should have signified to your lordship at your being here, had we The archbishop of Canterbury's letter] This letter was occasioned by 15 the proceedings of the house of commons in the session that opened on the 9th of Feb. 1610. Early in the session two separate bills were brought into the house, and proceeded with, against pluralities and nonresidence; and a committee of grievances was appointed, which collected materials and made reports to the house. On the 7th of July 20 the commons presented their grievances to the king, and on the 10th of the same month attended in a body at Whitehall to hear his majesty's determination so far as he was then able to answer them; which may be expressed summarily in the three following instructions they then received from him. I. " That they meddle not with the main 25 points of government; that is his craft tractent fabrilia fabri,' 2. He met together, I am now to impart unto you in this sort. Upon the grievances exhibited unto his majesty by the lower house of parliament, he hath been pleased to undertake much on our behalf, and to lay a great burden 5 upon me, which I am not otherwise able to bear, but by the assistance of your lordship and others our brethren the bishops. These are therefore, in discharge of mine own duty, very heartily to pray and require your lordship, that you forthwith inform yourself, how many ministers 10 have two benefices within your diocese, and whether every one of them hath a preaching minister to supply his absence where he doth not reside himself, according to the XLI. and XLVII. constitutions; and if herein you find any want, send presently for the parties, and 15 charge them by virtue of the said canons, and in his majesty's name, as they will avoid his displeasure, that with would not have such ancient rights, as he had received from his predecessors, accounted grievances. 3. That they should be careful not to present that for a grievance, which was established by a law; for it is 20 very undutiful in subjects to press their king wherein they are sure to 25 : be denied. Complaints may be made unto them of the high commissioners let the abuse appear then and spare not; there may be errors among them but to take away the commission is to derogate from him and it is now in his thoughts to rectify it in a good proportion.” The king's complete and final answer to the grievances of the commons was given on the 23rd of July in the presence of both houses when he prorogued the parliament. From that answer it appears that the complaints were for the most part on matters of religion, viz. “touching execution of laws against popish recusants: touching deprived and si30 lenced ministers: touching pluralities and non-residents: touching excommunication: concerning the commission for causes ecclesiastical, and particularly of the extent of the statute of 1 Eliz. cap. 1: of grievances apprehended in the commission itself: of the grievances found in the execution of the commission: and touching prohibitions." On 35 these several points the king gave temperate answers, and the archbishop was commanded, as appears from the letter before us, to look closely into all cases of real abuse, for the purpose of correcting them. See Journals of Lords, an. 1610. p. 658. Journals of Com. an. 1610. pp. 393. 447. Wilson in Kennet, vol. ii. 682. p. out any delay they supply that defect. Perhaps some may give unto your lordship froward answers, and either refuse or delay to give you satisfaction herein; which if they do, I require you, in his majesty's name, to suspend them for their contempt, and to certify me thereof pre- 5 sently, that I may give order to stay all inhibitions in that case. If any such person keep the benefice in his own hands, whereupon he doth not reside, then I would have you to sequester the fruits of it, and to allow out of them a reasonable portion for a curate that is a preacher. 10 If a pluralist, having one benefice in your lordship's diocese, be resident in another, then you to call him by process; if he be a delinquent herein, I heartily desire your lordship to use your best diligence in this matter, to the end that notice thereof may be had throughout your 15 diocese before the next session of parliament; and fail not to write unto me before that time what you have done therein, and upon any wilfulness shewed to your lordship, or other impediment, whereby you cannot prevail with some party, let me presently be informed of his 20 name, and I will send for him myself. Secondly, you are to inform me of the names and degrees of all those that have two benefices within your diocese, or but one in your diocese and another in another diocese. Thirdly, it is his majesty's strait charge, that you require all your 25 prebendaries to be resident upon their benefices, and there to preach every Sunday, according to the tenour of two canons made in that behalf; and taking the course before mentioned, write unto me the names of such as shall refuse to obey you herein. Fourthly, you must be 30 careful and diligent in the administering of the oath of allegiance, according to the trust reposed in you by the statute made this session, which I pray you procure forth a by the statute made this session] Stat. 7 Jac. 1. c. 6. " An act for administering the oath of allegiance, and reformation of married women 35 recusants." with, as soon as the same, together with the rest shall be printed they are now in the press. Fifthly your lordship is to use the best means and help you can, by the assistance of all your officers, that his majesty may 5 receive from you, to be delivered unto him by me, the number of all recusants men and women within your diocese, in as exact a manner as you can possibly procure it, and this not only to be done this vacation, but every year hereafter it is his majesty's direct commandment. Sixthly, you are to give order to your officers, to use their best endeavours and diligence, that all recusants in every parish may be presented unto them, and then take some pains yourself to see, that they be all truly certified to the judges and justices in their sessions and assizes, to 15 the end they may be there indicted and convicted; and when your lordship doth make your certificate, as is aforesaid, write to the judges and justices, as having received direction therein from me; then they will be careful for the indicting and conviction of such, as shall be 20 presented unto them; letting them know, that if I may be certified of any slackness herein of them, I will assuredly acquaint his majesty with it. I have heard that when recusants are presented, there is some negligence in setting down their true names, whereby they oftentimes 25 escape from being proceeded with; I pray your lordship give your best directions for the prevention hereof. If any gentleman, who keepeth any recusants in his house, shall refuse to deliver to the churchwardens, or to any, whom your lordship shall send unto him, the true names 30 of them; write unto me thereof, and I will cause him to be sent for by the lords of his majesty's privy council. Seventhly, until by the means aforesaid, that all recusants within your diocese shall be convicted, take such order in any wise with them, as that they may be all excommu35 nicated, and accordingly denounced in your cathedral church, and send me the names of all that shall be so your denounced, with their qualities, callings, and abilities, that I may make such use thereof, as shall be fit for the good of the church. Eighthly, I will be bold as of myself straitly to charge you, that forasmuch as our excommunications of recusants are utterly by them contemned, and 5 for that they find more favour, than I would wish, to the increasing of their obstinacy, you do forthwith give your order, if you list in my name, to all the ministers of diocese, that they do not bury neither in the church nor the churchyard, nor suffer to be buried, as much as in 10 them lieth, any popish recusants, that die excommunicated. We that are bishops, have much to answer before God for our slackness hitherto in this point; the law therein being our warrant. Ninthly, I must likewise charge you to examine very narrowly the proceedings of 15 your chancellors, commissaries, archdeacons, and officials; for whilst we repose so much trust in them as we do, and they intend little, I mean especially chancellors, commissaries, and officials, but their own profit, many true complaints and mischiefs do indeed thereof ensue. If in 20 your lordship's care to reform these kinds of abuses, you find any chancellors, commissaries, or officials, stubborn and disobedient, write unto me thereof, for we may no longer, to our utter discredit, leave these abuses unreformed, and I am well assured, that wherein we shall 25 want ability, his majesty will yield unto us sufficient strength. Tenthly, it being more than notorious, that many parsons and vicars, and especially such as have two benefices, do suffer their houses to run into decay, where they do not reside themselves; it is his majesty's plea- 30 sure, that you take present care in that behalf, by appointing all your underofficers to look upon presentments already made of such defects, and otherwise, by all ways and means to inform yourself, and thereupon to call the parties offending herein before you, and to take such 35 order as that either they themselves shall presently repair |