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BOOK which before his laws we might at our choise have doen II. them, or left them. But after they be commanded or forbidden by his lawe, we must nedes kepe the commanded,

Rom. xiv.

and shoyne the forbidden, even for conscience sake, as it is Rom. xiii. in Poule. If this were true, that we might not use thinges indifferent, when they be commanded, bycause then of thinges indifferent, they be made not indifferent, but necessarye; then we shuld not obey Poule, in commanding us not to eate the meate, nor to breake the holy daye, that our weake brothers will be offended withall: bycause by this his commandment, the absteynynge from meate, and the kepyng of holy dayes, which be thinges indifferent, be made not indifferent, but Rom. xiii. necessarye in the case of offence. But it is certen by Poule, that we must obey the prince, when of thinges indifferent he maketh them by his lawe necessarye: and we must not eate meate, nor break the holye daye, (as indifferent things as they be,) when and where thereby we offend our weake bretherne.

Rom. xiv.

59

Therefore we ought to weare Priestis apparel, even when it is commanded, thoughe by the commandement it is made, of indifferent, necessarye. Bycause it is commanded, not for religion, but for order. To end this answer, necessarye in this reason is taken two wayes. In the major for necessarye for religion; in the minor for necessarye for policie. And so there be fower termes in the syllogisme: and so the reason is not good. For it is a fallux ab æquivocatione.

The sixth reason.

If we shuld graunt to weare Priestis apparel, then it might and wold be required at our handes, to have shawen crownes, and to receive more Papistical abuses. Therefore it is best at the first not to graunt to weare Priestis apparel.

The answer.

What wolde be requyred, if al Ministers did weare Priestes apparel, we knowe not. For thinges to come be out of our knowledge. But it is our part to judge the best, and to praye for the best. And we ought not to fear the worst,

II.

but to trust for the best. Bycause we evidently see the BOOK Prince to set forth and to favour good religion, both in word and dede. This evil suspicion might be wel gathered, if the Prince were (as God forbid) a Papist; but in no wise, she being as she is, (God be thanked,) a Protestant. If we might thus reason of uncerten likelyhodes, then this might be saied: If they that be Ministers wil not wear Priestes apparel, as the Prince hath commanded, then it is to be feared (which I pray God be not) that she wil put them out of theire lyvinges, and out of the ministerie also, as wel lerned, and as necessarye as they be, as disobedient persons; as Eulabius, a Bishop, served his own sonne, bycause he wold not weare Priestes apparel, (as Camerarius in his Catechisme writeth, cap. de Traditionibus:) and that the Gospel shal be slaundered, hindered, and lesse loved for such unruly teachers therof. The which is a great deal worse, than to have a shaven crowne, which is worne without superstition. But bycause this kinde of reasonynge is both hateful and uncerten, I wil leave to speake more of the foresaid reason, for that it is uncerten, and so cannot prove that which is doubtful, nor disprove that which is certen.

[Number XXXII.]

The University's letter of thanks to the Archbishop of Canterbury, upon their obtaining a licence to eat flesh on Wednesdays.

Orat. Publ.

QUANTIS beneficiis à dominatione tuâ, jam superioribus sæpe temporibus affecti simus, non agnoscimus solum (reverendiss. Domine) sed præ nobis etiam ferimus libentissimè. Et quanquam sanè aut virtus tua, aut etiam ad gratifican-Ex Registro dum propensum studium, te ad perpetuam quandam bene- Literar. ficentiam exsuscitat, tamen hoc certè quicquid est commodi, Cantab. quod per te sumus consecuti, tantâ præsertim celeritate, vix potuisse quidem confieri credidimus, petere à te certe non ausi simus. Quo tua est uberior laus, sive consilii, qui nostris admonitionibus non egueris, sive benignitatis, qui tanto

II.

BOOK beneficio Academiam diutius solicitè carere non passus sis. Quare quod Academiæ rationibus tam opportunè prospexerit dominatio tua, cum in eo tibi omnes debemus plurimùm, tum posteri etiam nostri hujus tuæ beneficentiæ memoriam, benevolentiâ prosequentur sempiternâ.

Deus Opt. Max. dominationem tuam quam diutissimè nobis reique publicæ conservet incolumem. Vale. 15. kal. Decemb. 1564.

Tui Honoris et Dignitatis Studiosissimi
Procancell. et Universus Sen. Cant.

Reverendiss. in Christo Patri D.

Archiepo. Cant. patrono nostro
colendissimo.

60

Ex vet.libro impresso.

Cathedrals.

Number XXXII.

The manner how the Church of England is administered and governed. Drawn up by the Archbishop.

THE Church of England is divided into two provinces, Canterbury and York.

The province of Canterbury hath the Archbishop of the same, who is Primate of al England, and Metropolitan; the Bishop of London, Winchester, Elye, Chichester, Hereford, Salisbury, Worcester, Lincolne, Coventry and Litchfield, Bath and Wells, Norwich, Exeter, Rochester, Peterborough, S. Davids, S. Asaph, Landaff, Bangor, Oxford, Glocester, and Bristol.

The province of York hath the Archbishop of the same, who is also Primate of England, and Metropolitan; the Bishop of Durham, Carliel, and Chester.

Amongst us here in England, no man is called or preferred to be a Bishop, except he have first received the orders of priesthood, and be wel hable to instruct the people in the holy Scriptures.

Every one of the Archbishops and Bishops have their several cathedral churches, wherin the Deans bear chief rule, being men specially chosen, both for their learning and godlines, as neer as may

be.

II.

These cathedral churches have also other dignities and BOOK canonries, wherunto be assigned no idle or unprofitable persons, but such as either be preachers or professors of the sciences of good learning.

In the said cathedral churches, upon Sondays and festival days, the Canons make ordinarily special sermons. Whereunto duely resort the head officers of the cities, and the citizens. And upon the worken days, thrice in the week, one of the Canons doth read and expound some piece of holy Scripture.

cons.

Also, the said Archbishops and Bishops have under them Archdeatheir Archdeacons, some two, some four, some six, according to the largenes of the dioces. The which Archdeacons keep yearly two visitations, wherin they make diligent inquisition and search both of the doctrin and behaviour, as wel of the Ministers as of the people. They punish th❜offenders. And if any errors in religion, and heresies fortune to spring, they bring those and other weighty matters before the Bishops themselves.

There is nothing read in our churches but the canonical Scripture Scriptures, which is done in such order, as that the Psalter read. is read over every month; the New Testament four times in

the

year, and the Old Testament once every year. And if61 the Curate be judged of the Bishop to be sufficiently seen in the holy Scriptures, he doth withal make some exposition and exhortation unto godliness.

And forsomuch as our Churches and Universities have Homilies. been wonderfully marred, and so foully brought out of al fashion in time of Papistry, as there cannot be had learned Pastors for every parish, there be prescribed unto the Curats of meaner understanding, certain Homilies devised by learned men, which do comprehend the principal poincts of Christian doctrin, as of original sin, of justification, of faith, of charity, and such like, for to be read by them unto the people.

As for common prayer, the Lessons taken out of the Common Scriptures, th'administring of the sacraments, and the resi-prayer. due of service don in the churches, are every whit don in the vulgar tongue, which al may understand.

BOOK

II.

Touching the Universities.-Moreover this realm of England bath two Universities, Cambridge and Oxford.

And the maner is not to live in these as within houses that be inns, or a receipt for common guests, as is the custom of some Universities; but they live in colleges under most grave and severe disciplin; even such as the famous learned man Erasmus, of Roterodame, being here amongst us about fourtie years past, was bold to preferre before the very rules of the Monks.

In Cambridge be XIV colledges; these by name that follow: Trinity colledge, founded by | Peter colledge, or Peter King Henry VIII.

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house.

Gunwel and Gaius colledge or hall.

One other Trinity colledge,
or Trinity hall.

Clare colledge, or Clare hall.
S. Katharin's colledge, or
Katherin hall.
Magdalen colledge.

In Oxford likewise there be colledges, some greater, some smaller, to the number of XXIV. The names wherof be as followeth :

The Cathedral Church of Christ: wherein also is a great company of students.

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Exceter colledge.

Brazen-nose colledge.
Th'University colledge.
Glocester colledge.
Brodegate hall.
Heart hall.

Magdalene hall.
Alborn hall.

S. Mary hall.

White hall.

New inne.

Edmond hall.

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