ΤΟ enough observed what is most like to bring disadvantage to it," we do conjure all our loving subjects to acquiesce in and submit to this our declaration concerning those differences, which have so much disquieted the nation at home, and given such offence to the protestant churches 5 abroad, and brought such reproach upon the protestant religion in general, from the enemies thereof; as if upon obscure notions of faith and fancy, it did admit the practice of Christian duties and obedience to be discountenanced and suspended, and introduce a license in opinions and manners, to the prejudice of the Christian faith. And let us all endeavour, and emulate each other in those endeavours, to countenance and advance the protestant religion abroad, which will be best done by supporting the dignity and reverence due to the best re- 15 formed protestant church at home; and which being once freed from the calumnies and reproaches it hath undergone from these late ill times, will be the best shelter for those abroad, which will by that countenance both be the better protected against their enemies, and be the more 20 easily induced to compose the differences amongst themselves, which give their enemies more advantage against them and we hope and expect that all men will henceforward forbear to vent any such doctrine in the pulpit, or to endeavour to work in such manner upon the affec- 25 tions of the people, as may dispose them to an ill opinion of us and the government, and to disturb the peace of the kingdom; which if all men will in their several vocations endeavour to preserve with the same affection and zeal we ourself will do, all our good subjects will by 30 God's blessing upon us enjoy as great a measure of felicity as this nation hath ever done, and which we shall constantly labour to procure for them, as the greatest blessing God can bestow upon us in this world. Given at our court at Whitehall this twenty-fifth day of October, 35 MDCLX. CL. Archiepisc. Cant. Anno Christi Reg. Angliæ A proclamation prohibiting all unlawful and seditious meetings and conventicles under pretence of religious worship. CHARLES R. LTHOUGH nothing can be more unwelcome to us, than the necessity of restraining some part of that liberty, which was indulged to tender consciences by our 5 late gracious declaration; yet since divers persons (known by the name of Anabaptists, Quakers, and Fifth-monarchy men, or some such like appellation, as a mark of distinction and separation) under pretence of serving God, do daily meet in great numbers in secret places, and at 10 unusual times, by reason whereof they begin to boast of their multitudes, and to increase in their confidences, as having frequent opportunities to settle a perfect correspondency and confederacy between themselves, of which some evil effects have already ensued, even to the dis15 turbance of the public peace by insurrection and murder, for which the offenders must answer to the law, and far worse may be still expected, unless some speedy course be taken to prevent their further growth. A proclamation] The insurrection of Venner and the fifth-monarchy 20 men (of whose opinions sir Henry Vane was the principal promoter) took place on the 7th of January 1661. The quakers and anabaptists disowned all connection with them, on finding themselves included within the terms of the proclamation. Kennet, Reg. p. 357. Clarke's Life of James II. vol. i. p. 388. Lingard, vol. vii. p. 365. To the intent therefore that none of those persons, who have presumed to make so ill an use of our indulgence, may be strengthened in such their proceedings by any general words or expressions in our late declaration; we have thought fit by these presents to publish 5 and declare our royal will and pleasure, that no meeting whatsoever of the persons aforesaid, under pretence of worshipping God, shall at any time hereafter be permitted or allowed, unless it be in some parochial church or chapel in this realm, or in private houses by the per- 10 sons there inhabiting. And that all meetings and assemblies whatsoever in order to any spiritual exercise, or serving of God by the persons aforesaid, unless in the places aforesaid, shall be esteemed, and are hereby declared to be unlawful assemblies, and shall be prosecuted 15 accordingly, and the persons therein assembled shall be proceeded against as persons riotously and unlawfully assembled. And for the better execution of this our proclamation, and the prevention of all illegal and seditious meetings and conventicles, we do hereby straitly charge and command all mayors, sheriffs, justices of the peace, constables, head-boroughs, commanders, and other our chief officers, and ministers, whom it may concern, that they cause diligent search to be made from time to time in all and 25 every the places, where any such meetings or conventicles, as aforesaid, shall or may be suspected. And that they cause all and every the persons therein assembled to be apprehended and brought before one or more justices of the peace, and to be bound over to appear at the next 30 sessions within the respective precincts, and in the mean time to find sureties for their good behaviour, or in default thereof to be committed to the next gaol. And further we do will and command our justices of the peace, that they cause the oath of allegiance to be 35 tendered to every person so brought before them, and upon his or their refusal, to proceed according, as by the statute made in the seventh year of the reign of our royal grandfather, of ever blessed memory, they are directed 5 and commanded. Given at our court at Whitehall the tenth day of January, in the twelfth year of our reign, King Charles' letter to the archbishop of Canterbury about some abuses in the church. To the most reverend father in God, William, lord archbishop of Canterbury. CHARLES R. MOST reverend father in God, we greet you well. Whereas the bold abuses and extravagancies of preachers in the pulpit have not only by the experience King Charles' letter] A canon had passed in convocation on the 15 12th of May 1662, and had afterwards been confirmed by act of parliament (Wilkins, Conc. vol. iv. p. 575,) enjoining uniform reverence, decency and order to be observed by all people in churches. The act of uniformity also (13 and 14 Charles II. c. 4) began to take effect on the 24th of August. In the October following the king issued his letter 20 with directions for the government of the clergy in their preaching and exhortations. Bishop Burnet gives the following description of the kind of sermon which Tillotson, Lloyd, and Wilkins delivered, and the king approved. "The style their discourses generally ran in was clear, plain, and short. They gave a short paraphrase of their text, unless 25 where great difficulties required a more copious enlargement: but even then they cut off unnecessary shows of learning, and applied themselves to the matter, in which they opened the nature and reasons of things so fully, and with that simplicity, that their hearers felt an instruction of another sort than had commonly been observed before." Own Times, 30 vol. i. p. 348. Kennet, Reg. p. 794. Comp. No. CXXXII. of former ages been found to tend to the dishonour of God, the scandal of religion, and disturbance of the peace both of church and state, but have also (through the licentiousness of the late times) much increased, to the inflaming, fomenting, and heightening, of the sad distem- 5 pers and confusions that were among us: and whereas even at this present (notwithstanding the merciful providence of God, so signally manifested in restoring us to our crown, and our pious care and endeavours to govern our realms in peace and tranquillity) the said abuses do 10 yet continue in a very high measure in sundry parts of this realm, through the busy diligence of some unquiet and factious spirits, who instead of preaching the pure word of God, and building up the people in faith and holiness, have made it a great part of their business to 15 beget in the minds of their hearers an evil opinion of their governors, by insinuating fears and jealousies, to dispose them to discontent, and to season them with such unsound and dangerous principles, as may lead them into disobedience, schism, and rebellion: and whereas 20 also sundry young divines, and ministers, either out of a spirit of contention and contradiction, or in vain ostentation of their learning, take upon them in their popular sermons to handle the deep points of God's eternal counsels and decrees, or to meddle with the affairs of state 25 and government, or to wrangle about forms and gestures, and other fruitless disputes and controversies, serving rather to amuse, than profit the hearers; which is done for the most part, and with the greatest confidence, by such persons as least understand them: we out of our 30 princely care and zeal for the honour of God, the advancement of piety, peace, and true religion, and for the preventing for the future, as much as lieth in us, the many and great inconveniences and mischiefs that will unavoidably ensue, if a timely stop be not given to these 35 and the like growing abuses, do, according to the exam |