than dehorted from it, it was necessary to set a stay therein. And yet forasmuch as we have a great confidence and trust in you, that you will not only preach truly and sincerely the word of God, but also will use circumspection and moderation in your preaching, and such godly wisdom as shall be necessary and most convenient for the time and place, we have sent unto you the King's Majesty's license to preach; but yet with this exhortation and admonishment, that in no wise you do stir and provoke the people to any alteration or innovation, other than is already set forth by the King's Majesty's Injunctions, Homilies, and Proclamations; but contrarywise, that you do in all your sermons exhort men to that which is at this time more necessary; that is, to the emendation of their own lives, to the observance of the commandments of God, to humility, patience, and obedience to their heads and rulers; comforting the weak, and teaching them the right way, and to flee all old erroneous superstitions, as the confidence in pardons, pilgrimages, beads, religious images, and other such of the Bishop of Rome's traditions and superstitions, with his usurped power; the which things be here in this realm most justly abolished: and straitly rebuking those, who of an arrogancy and proud hastiness will take upon them to run before they be sent, to go before the rulers, to alter and change things in religion without authority, teaching them to expect and tarry the time which God hath ordained to the revealing of all truth, and not to seek so long blindly and hidlings after it, till they bring all orders into contempt. It is not a private man's duty to alter ceremonies, to innovate orders in the Church; nor yet it is not a preacher's part to bring that into contempt and hatred, which the prince doth either allow, or is content to suffer. The King's Highness, by our advice, as a prince most earnestly given to the true knowledge of God, and to bring up his people therein, doth not cease to labour and travail by all godly means that his realm might be brought and kept in a most godly and Christian order, who only may and ought to do it. Why should a private man, or a preacher, take this royal and kingly office upon him; and not rather, as his duty is, obediently follow himself, and teach likewise others to follow and observe that which is commanded? What is abolished, taken away, reformed, and commanded, it is easy to see by the Acts of Parliament, the Injunctions, Procla

mations, and Homilies: the which things most earnestly it behoveth all preachers in their sermons to confirm and approve accordingly; in other things which be not yet touched, it behoveth him to think, that either the prince doth allow them, or else suffer them; and in those it is the part of a godly man, not to think himself wiser than the King's Majesty and his Council, but patiently to expect and to conform himself thereto, and not to intermeddle further to the disturbance of a realm, the disquieting of the King's people, the troubling of men's consciences, and disorder of the King's subjects.

These things we have thought good to admonish you of at this time, because we think you will set the same so forward in your preaching, and so instruct the King's Majesty's people accordingly, to the most advancement of the glory of God, and the King's Majesty's most godly proceedings, that we do not doubt but much profit shall ensue thereby, and great conformity in the people, the which you do instruct; and so we pray you not to fail to do; and having a special regard to the weakness of the people what they may bear, and what is most convenient for the time, in no case to intermeddle in your sermons, or otherwise, with matters in contention or controversion, except it be to reduce the people in them also to obedience, and following of such orders as the King's Majesty hath already set forth, and no others; as the King's Majesty's and our trust is in you, and as you tender his Highness's will and pleasure, and will answer to the contrary at your peril.

Printed at London, June 1, 1548.

Fare you well.

Fuller,

Church Hist. lib. vii.

XXXIV.

A Proclamation for the Inhibition of all Preachers; the second of Edward the VIth, Sept. 23.

WHEREAS of late, by reason of certain controversious and seditious preachers, the King's Majesty, moved of tender zeal and love which he hath to the quiet of the subjects, by the advice of the Lord Protector, and other his Highness's Council, Wilkins, Concilia, hath by proclamation inhibited and commanded, that no manner of person, except such as was licensed by his Highness, the Lord Protector, or by the Archbishop of Canterbury,

vol. iv. p.

30.

should take upon him to preach in any open audience, upon pain in the said Proclamation contained, and that upon hope and assurance that those being chosen and elect men should preach and set forth only to the people such things, as should be to God's honour and the benefit of the King's Majesty's subjects: yet nevertheless his Highness is advertised, that certain of the said preachers so licensed, not regarding such good admonitions as have been by the Lord Protector and the rest of the Council on his Majesty's behalf by letters or otherwise given unto them, have abused the said authority of preaching, and behaved themselves irreverently, and without good order in the said preachings contrary to such good instructions and advertisements as were given unto them; whereby much contention and disorder might rise and ensue in this his Majesty's realm: wherefore his Highness, minding to see very shortly one uniform order throughout this his realm, and to put an end to all controversies in religion, so far as God should give grace, (for which cause at this time certain bishops, and notable learned men, by his Highness's commandment are congregate,) hath by the advice aforesaid thought good, although certain and many of the said preachers so before licensed, have behaved themselves very discreetly and wisely, and to the honour of God and to his Highness's contentation; yet at this present, and until such time as the said order shall be set forth generally throughout his Majesty's realm, to inhibit and by these presents do inhibit generally as well the said preachers so before licensed, as all manner of persons whosoever they be, to preach in open audience in the pulpit or otherwise, by any sought colour or fraud, to the disobeying of this commandment; to the intent that the whole clergy in this mean space might apply themselves to prayer to Almighty God for the better achieving of the same most godly intent and purpose, not doubting but that also his loving subjects in the mean time will occupy themselves to God's honour, with due prayer in the Church and patient hearing of the godly Homilies heretofore set forth by his Highness's Injunctions unto them; and so endeavour themselves that they may be the more ready, with thankful obedience, to receive a most quiet, godly, and uniform order to be had throughout all his said realms and dominions; and therefore hath willed all his loving officers and ministers, as well justices

of peace as mayors, sheriffs, bailiffs, constables, or any other his officers, of what estate, degree, or condition soever they be, to be attendant upon this Proclamation and commandment, and to see the infringers or breakers thereof to be imprisoned, and his Highness or the Lord Protector's Grace, or his Majesty's Council to be certified thereof immediately, as they tender his Majesty's pleasure, and will answer to the contrary at their peril.

Strype,

Memorials, vol. ii. App.

XXXV.

Of Unwritten Verities b.

IN the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and Disciples of Christ, they received such AA. from grace and ghostly knowledge, that they had forthwith the gift Bp. Moore's of the understanding of Scripture, to speak in the tongues of Library. all men and also that upon whomsoever they laid their hands, the Holy Ghost should descend upon them. And thereupon they by their preaching and good doctrine converted in short time great multitudes of people unto the faith of Christ. And after that, divers blessed men, in strength of the faith, wrote the life, miracles, doctrine, passion, death, and resurrection of our master Christ: but four of those writings were only received by all the whole Church of Christ, that is to say, of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And they received them to be of such authority, that it should not be lawful to any man that would confess Christ, to deny them. And they were called The four Gospels of Christ. And the Epistles of Paul, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles that be called Canonic, and the Apocalypse, were received to be of like authority as the Gospels were. And thus by assent as well of the people as of the clergy, was the New Testament affirmed to be of such authority as it is now taken to be of, and as it is of indeed. So that it is not lawful to deny any thing that it affirmeth, ne to affirm any thing that it denieth. And it is no marvel though it be taken

to be of such strength. For it was authorized, when the people that were newly converted to the faith were full of grace and of devotion, replenished with virtues, desiring alway the life to come, and the health of their own souls and of their neighbours.

[b See note, p. 144, and Preface.]

Then also were blessed bishops, blessed priests, and other blessed persons of the clergy. And what could such men ask of God right wisely, that should be denied them? And who may think but that they and all the people at the said authorizing of the Scripture, prayed devoutly for the assistance of the Holy Ghost, that they might have grace to authorize such as should be to his honour, to the increase of his faith, and to the health of the souls of all his people?

The time also that this authorizing of the New Testament, and the gathering it together was made, was, as I suppose, the time of the most high and gracious shedding out of the mercy of God into the world, that ever was from the beginning of the world unto this day: and I mean the time that was from the incarnation of Christ unto the said authorizing of the New Testament was accomplished. For in part of that time our Lord was here himself in bodily presence, preaching and teaching his laws, gathering and choosing his Apostles and Disciples, that should teach and preach his laws, when he was gone: which they did not only by word, but also by good examples, that yet remain unto this day. So that all that time may in manner be called the golden time. And not only the New Testament was then received, but also the Old Testament. And by preaching and teaching of these Testaments was the faith of Christ marvellously increased in many countries.

After all this, by a common speaking among the people, the bishops, priests, and other of the clergy, which were as lanterns unto the people, and the special maintainers of the Christian faith, were called The Church, or men of the Church: and under the colour of that name Church, many of the clergy in process of time pretended that they might make expositions of Scripture, as the universal Church of Christ, that is to say, as the whole congregation of Christian people might. And thereupon when covetyse and pride somewhat increased in many of the clergy, they expounded very favourably divers texts of Scripture, that sounded to the maintenance of their honour, power, jurisdiction, and riches; and over that take upon them to affirm that they were the Church that might not err: and that Christ and his Apostles had spoken and taught many things that were not expressly in Scripture, and that the people were as well bound to love them, and that under like pain, as if they