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lowed the by statutes of this realme, in which cases he shall finde a sufficient preacher to be allowed by the byshoppe of the dioces, yf the lyvinge shal be thought to the byshoppe able to find a preacher.

Every incumbent of moe cured benefices then one by lawful dispensation, is to be compelled to be equallie resydent, or to have a sufficient preacher to be allowed by the byshoppe upon that benefice, from the which he shall happen to be absent, yf the lyvinge shall be thought to 10 the byshoppe able to finde a preacher.

If any person having one or more benefyces with cure shal be absent from the same by color of his resydence in any cathedral church, or of the service of any prelate or nobleman, or woman; such a non-resydent that shal be 15 absent by any such occasions by the space of 4. monthes in one yeare, shal be compelled (as before) to fynde such a sufficient preacher to supplye his absence as the bishoppe of the place shall allow of.

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If any mynister havinge any lyvinge ecclesiastical in perpetuitie, or otherwise, shall so notoriously offend in anye great cryme, that he shall be justly offensyve and scandalous to his profession and calling, and thereby shal be unable to profytte the place where he offendeth, he is to be removed from suche his lyvinge, and not to be ad25 mytted after to serve any cure.

That noe mynister unlearned and not able to catechise shal be hereafter admytted to serve any cure. And yf any such be incumbent of any benefyce alreadie, the byshoppe shall, and by the lawe maye appoynt unto him a 30 coadjutor with a convenient stypend accordinge to the value of the benefyce.

That none be suffered to place or displace any curate without authoritie from the archbishoppe or byshoppe of the dyocesse, where such a cure lyethe.

THE

'HE queen's most excellent majesty considering how within these few years past, and now of late, certain seditious and evil disposed persons towards her majesty, and the government established for causes ecclesiastical 5 within her majesty's dominions, have devised, written,

A proclamation against] The controversy between Whitgift and Cartwright which had grown out of "the Admonition to the Parliament," published in 1572, had ceased on the publication of Cartwright's second reply in the year 1577, and had been succeeded by other con- 10 tests, whenever an eminent work had been written in favour of any of the three great parties, Conformists, Puritans, and Romanists, that express in general terms the different religious sentiments of this period. But in the year 1588 began a series of publications under the name of Martin Mar-Prelate, commonly ascribed to Penry, Udall, Field, and 15 Throgmorton, which completely changed the character of religious controversy, and alienated some of their most constant and powerful friends from the cause of the non-conformists. The whole progress of puritanism, as connected with this matter, is well shewn in the following statement of secretary Walsingham, himself disposed originally to 20 protect the puritans, but disgusted at last by the scurrilous publications and dangerous conspiracies in which many of the most worthless, but most active, of their party were engaged. "When they inveighed against such abuses in the church as pluralities, non-residence and the like, their zeal was not condemned, only their violence was sometimes 25 censured. When they refused the use of some ceremonies and rites as superstitious, they were tolerated with much connivance and gentleness. Yea, when they called in question the superiority of bishops, and pretended to bring a democracy into the church, yet their propo

printed, or caused to be seditiously and secretly published and dispersed sundry schismatical and seditious books, defamatory libels, and other fantastical writings amongst her majesty's subjects, containing in them doctrine very 5 erroneous, and other matters notoriously untrue, and slanderous to the state, and against the godly reformation of religion and government ecclesiastical established by law, and so quietly of long time continued, and also against the persons of bishops, and others placed in authority ecTo clesiastical under her highness, by her authority, in railing sort, and beyond the bounds of all good humanity: all which books, libels, and writings, tend by their scope to persuade and bring in a monstrous and apparent dangerous innovation within her dominions and countries, of 15 all manner of ecclesiastical government now in use, and

sitions were heard, considered, and by contrary writings debated and discussed. Yet all this while it was perceived that their cause was dangerous and very popular. As, because papistry was odious, therefore it was ever in their mouths that they sought to purge the church from 20 the relics of popery; a thing acceptable to the people, who love ever to run from one extreme to another. Because multitudes of rogues and poverty were an eye-sore and dislike to every man, therefore they put it into the people's heads that if discipline were plaintiff, there should be no beggars nor vagabonds; a thing very plausible. And in like 25 manner they promise the people many other impossible wonders of their discipline. Besides, they opened the people a way to government by their consistory and presbytery; a thing, though in consequence no less prejudicial to the liberties of private men, than to the sovereignty of princes, yet in the first show very popular. Nevertheless this (except 30 it were in some few that entered into extreme contempt) was borne with, because they pretended but in dutiful manner to make propositions, and to leave it to the providence of God and the authority of the magistrate. But now of late years, when there issued from them a colony of those that affirmed the consent of the magistrate was not to be 35 attended; when under pretence of a confession to avoid slanders and

imputations, they combined themselves by classes and subscriptions; when they descended in that vile and base means of defacing the government of the church by ridiculous pasquils. . . . . then it appeared to be no more zeal, no more conscience, but mere faction and division.

to the abridging, or rather to the overthrow of her highness's lawful prerogative, allowed by God's law, and established by the laws of the realm, and consequently to reverse, dissolve, and set at liberty the present government of the church, and to make a dangerous change of the 5 form of doctrine and use of divine service of God, and the ministration of the sacraments now also in use, with a rash and malicious purpose also to dissolve the estate of the prelacy, being one of the three ancient estates of this realm under her highness, whereof her majesty mindeth 10 to have such reverend regard, as to their places in the church and commonwealth appertaineth: all which said lewd and seditious practices, do directly tend to the manifest wilful breach of great number of good laws and statutes of this realm; inconveniences nothing regarded 15 by such innovations.

And therefore though the state was compelled to hold somewhat a harder hand to restrain them than before, yet it was with as great moderation as the peace of the church and state could permit." Collier, vol. ii. p. 608. Comp. Hooker, Ecc. Pol. Pref. p. 181; and lord Bacon, 20 Works, vol. ii. p. 513.

It would have been well if these pamphlets had always been answered in the sober and rational spirit of bishop Cooper in his " Admonition to the people of England;" of whom lord Bacon remarks, "I do much esteem the wisdom and religion of that bishop which replied to the 25 first pamphlet of this kind, who remembered that a fool was to be answered, but not by becoming like unto him; and considered the matter which he handled, and not the person with whom he dealt." Advertisem. on Ch. Controvers. Works, vol. ii. p. 503.

This proclamation bears date Feb. 13, 1589, according to our com- 30 mon computation, and it is worthy of notice that on the 9th of the same month Dr. Bancroft, then chaplain to the lord chancellor and afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, preached his well-known sermon at Paul's Cross, which may be considered as the origin of other important measures besides the issuing of this proclamation. Strype, Ann. 35 vol. iii. P. 2. p. 70. Whitg. vol. i. p. 549. Wood's Ann. vol. i. p. 591. Collier, vol. ii. p. 609. Neal's Purit. vol. i. p. 326. Biog. Brit. art. Bancroft, &c. Bancroft's Dangerous Positions, b. 2. c. 3-14. Hallam, Const. Hist. vol. i. p. 220.

In consideration whereof, her highness graciously minding to provide some good and speedy remedy to withstand such notable dangerous and ungodly attempts, and for that purpose to have such enormous malefactors disco5 vered and condignly punished, doth signify this her highness's misliking and indignation of such dangerous and wicked enterprises; and for that purpose doth hereby will and also straitly charge and command, that all persons whatsoever, within any her majesty's realms and do10 minions, who have or hereafter shall have any of the said seditious books, pamphlets, libels or writings, or any of the like nature already published, or hereafter to be published, in his or their custody, containing such matters as above are mentioned, against the present order and go15 vernment of the church of England, or the lawful ministers thereof, or against the rites and ceremonies used in the church, and allowed by the laws of the realm; that they, and every of them do presently after, with convenient speed bring in, and deliver up the same unto the ordinary of the diocese, or of the place where they inhabit, to the intent they may be utterly defaced by the said ordinary, or otherwise used by them. And that from henceforth no person or persons whatsoever be so hardy as to write, contrive, print, or cause to be pub:5 lished or distributed, or to keep any of the same, or any other books, libels, or writings of like nature and quality, contrary to the true meaning and intent of this her majesty's proclamation. And likewise, that no man hereafter give any instruction, direction, favour or assistance ; to the contriving, writing, printing, publishing, or dispersing of the same, or such like books, libels, or writings whatsoever, as they tender her majesty's good favour, will avoid her high displeasure, and as they will answer the contrary at their uttermost perils; and upon such pains and penalties, as by the law any way may be inflicted upon the offenders, in any of these behalfs, as persons

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