BOOK your preachers, Mr. Dr. Walker, Dr. Gardiner, and Dr. IV. Nevyson, are in the city; that as you can do no les, so you wil put Theophilus therunto, tho' not for our sakes, yet for. saving your Lordship's honour, who we thought would have stand by us. But where I desired of Mr. Dr. Walker to confer with your Honour in those cases, and he hath signified by mine officer your Lordship wil meddle no more therein, it much abasheth me. Therfore, tho' I know how to deal with them wel enough in temporal affairs, yet because I would be glad they should not triumph over your Honour, that they offered to dispute against you and our doings, and you not able to do it, I thought good to put your Lordship in remembrance yet once again, not so willing to leave them, as they to pas with victory; and most especially seeing most of the people hang of them. I have therfore thus boldly written to your Honour of special goodwill I bear to your Lordship's authority. And so leaving that matter to your Lordship's discretion, I humbly take my leave. From Norwich, this 2d. of Aug. 1571:

Your Honours loving friend,

Tho. Grene, Mayor.

MSS. penes

me.

Number LXIV.

The Bishop of Peterburgh to the Queen: to confirm the statutes of their church, for the better redressing of the non-residency of the Prebendaries.

MOST gracious and my most dread sovereign Ladye. I know not whither I should beginne to crave pardon of my boldnes, in presuming after my simple manner to write to your most excellent Majestie, or to make my excuse that I deferred untill this daye to signifie unto yowe a matter of so great necessitye as this that nowe I am to declare. Wherefore touching both those pointes, determining to rest upon your accustomed favour and royal vertue, I procede to my purpose. Your good and gracious father of famous memorye, King Henry the Eighth, erected in Peterborrowe a

IV.

cathedral churche. And that kind of foundation implieth BOOK alwaye a societye of learned men, staied and grounded in al parts of religion, apt to preach the Gospel, and convince 103 errors and heresies, which in the singlenes of opinions, where particular men over particular churches, as Pastors, are set within the dioces, where it is chefe, maye happen to arise. And further, to assist the Bishop, the head of the dioces, in al godlye and wholesome consultations. Insomuch, that the cathedral church ought to be as it were the oracle of the whole diocess, and a light unto al places lieinge neare it.

After this howse was erected, there came to the same certen statuts for the governement therof, under his Majesties name; and so have continued, not without regarde, the rather throughe a confirmation made of them by your Majes ties visitors, appointed for that place and countries adjacent, anno primo of your most happy reygn. Insomuch, that a longe time after my comminge to this bishoprick, I did (as wel I might) conteyne the Prebendaryes of the seyd church in the duties of residence, hospitalitie, and preaching the word, indifferentlye wel. But of late yeres those good offices are diminished; and at the last in a manner, I speak it not without deep sighes, almost cleane vanished. Insomuche, that I dare not expresse unto yowe, howe litle residence here is. Being loth in any wise to have troubled your Majestie herewith, if I had ben able to refourme it of my selfe. I have extended my authoritye and force of jurisdiction to the uttermost, and folowed the severitye of lawes in higher courts, pretermitting no means, under your Majesty, to redresse that which was and is amisse, and have not found either verye good successe, or meane charges, expences, and trouble.

One chefe and sole cause in a manner of al this matter, beside the perversenes of mens natures, being the uncertentye of the aucthoritye of the statutes of the seyd church; the froward and disobedient alwayes pretending for their defence, that the same were and are of no force; and that they stand at liberty to do, or not to do, the premisses, at

BOOK ther pleasure; because they are not extant under the Great

IV.

Seale, and indented.

Wherefore I, your Majesties most faithful poore subject, appoynted under yowe to this churche and governement, most humbly prostrate my self before yowe in this matter, as of great importance, both in respect of God's glorye, and of your fathers, and your own renowne. For this his Majesties most famous worke of erecting cathedral churches, instead of monkish and superstitious howses, was and is the beautie of his reformation of religion, and the greatest benefite, next to the doctrine of the Gospel it self, that the Church of God in his realme receyved at his most royal hands; far excedinge al other acts that were don by eny of his progenitors before him, and surmountinge al that is like to be don in any time to come: if that which is wel founded may likewise be wel governed. Let not then, I most humblie beseche yowe, the matter of governement of these howses (for they, al that are of your father's foundation, be in like uncertentye of the aucthoritye of ther statutes, and especially this church where I am) stand eny longer doubtful; but let it be by your most sacred Majestie decided and determined, under what rules and orders they shal live. And so shal the holy plant of your Father's hands be by yowe wel nourished and cherished; and yowe shal be rightly heire as wel of his glory, as yowe are of his imperial crown and dignity. And the Lord shal bless, prosper, and multiply your dayes and years, to the great comfort of his Church, and al your most faithful subjects. Which thing, until it be perfectly finished, being a matter that needeth no long delaye for the difficultye, nor would not be deferred for the great utilitye, al celeritye wil seem little to me, being an old man, desirous to leave my churche in good order before I dye. And knowing that it is now more then ten yeares since it was moved by me and others to our Archbishop that is dead, and by him to your Majestie, as he said, to be refourmed, I that was loth to begin to write, find difficultie to make an end, because of that weight of this matter that I am entred

pur- BOOK

into. But because I am grown to more length then I posed, I must of necessitye make an end, most humblie beseching your Majestie to pardon me, in that I dare present, after my rude manner, this or eny cause unto yowe. Peterborrowe, this ninetenth of June, 1582.

Your Majesties most faithful subject,

Edmund Petriburg.

IV.

Number LXV.

The order made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, between the Bishop of Lincoln and Archdeacon Elmer, about their jurisdictions.

104

UNIVERSIS et singulis Christi fidelibus tam præsenti- Paper-Ofbus quam futuris, ad quos præsentes literæ testimoniales indentatæ pervenerint, aut quos infra scripta tangunt, seu tangere poterunt in futurum, Matthæus Divina providentia Cantuar. Archiepiscopus, totius Anglia Primas et Metropolitanus; et Robertus permissione Divina Winton. Episcopus, salutem in Domino sempiternam. Cum dudum inter venerabilem confratrem nostrum Dom. Thomam permissione Divina Lincoln. Episcopum ex una, et magistrum Johannem Aelmer S. Th. Professorem Archidiaconum Lincoln. ex altera parte, de et super exercitio jurisdictionis spiritualis et ecclesiasticæ infra archidiaconatum Lincoln. orta fuisset non modica quæstionis materia: quam partes prædictæ (spiritu unitatis et concordiæ ducta) placare et sedare volentes, ac odiosos anfractus litium, ingentium impensarum effusiones, ac laborum inutilium onerosa tædia effugere cupientes, sese causasque suas arbitrio, ordinationi, judicio et decreto nostris, in hac parte, sponte, ultrò, et deliberatè respectivè submiserunt; solemniter promittentes sese gratum et firmum, durante vita utriusque partium prædictarum habituros, totum quicquid per nos ordinatum et directum vel laudatum fuerit in præmissis, sive eorum aliquo :

Unde nos, pro officii nostri debito, omnium quietem et

BOOK tranquillitatem favere et augmentare cupientes, ac litium anIV. fractus, quoad fieri poterit, amputare volentes, de et cum

expresso consensu, assensu et voluntate partium prædictarum, ac in vim submissionis hujusmodi taliter factæ, ordinamus, decernimus et laudamus inter partes prædictas in hunc qui sequitur modum.

Imprimis, Laudamus, ordinamus, et decernimus, quod Vicarius in spiritualibus generalis, sive commissarius dicti Episcopi Lincoln. et officialis memorati Archidiaconi Lincoln. pro tempore existen. de tempore in tempus durante toto tempore incumbentiæ dicti Episcopi et Archidiaconi in episcopatu et archidiaconatu prædict. in aliquo loco convenienti infra Ecclesiam cathedral. B. Mariæ Lincoln. et civitatem Lincoln. semel in qualibet ebdomadâ (feriatis et de jure privilegiatis temporibus tantummodo exceptis) simul et conjunctim, uno et eodem die et loco, curias suas tenebunt ac jura dicent, causasque tam instantionatas quam ex officio, audient, tractabunt et terminabunt. Testamentorum etiam quorumcunque infra dict. archidiaconatum Lincoln. decedentium, approbationes et insinuationes recipient ac admittent simul et conjunctim. Necnon administrationes bonorum quorumcunque infra dictum archidiaconatum ab intestato, vel per viam intestati morientium, juxta juris et statutorum hujus regni Angliæ exigentiam, committent; omnemque et omnimodam jurisdictionem, spiritualem et ecclesiasticam infra dictum archidiaconatum Lincoln. (collationibus beneficiorum ecclesiasticorum, necnon admissionibus et institutionibus quorumcunque Clericorum ad quæcunque beneficia ecclesiastica dicti archidiaconatus Lincoln. præsentatorum, et in posterum præsentandorum, et eorum deprivationibus, duntaxat exceptis; quas Episcopo Lincoln. et ejus Vicario in spiritualibus generali pro tempore existen. solummodo reservamus) sub modo et forma prænotatis et specificatis exercebunt.

Salva etiam et semper reservata dicto Episcopo Lincoln. potestate et authoritate de tempore in tempus nominandi, ordinandi et constituendi unum sequestratorem tantum in dicto archidiaconatu Lincoln. qui solummodo intromittet se