BOOK selves to minister in our offices comfortably, in perfect joy and quiet of heart. II. Thus beseeching your gracious disposition to interpret our true and faithful heart, as we most sincerely before Almighty God mean the same, we shal continue to your Highnes dayly bedesmen, the same eternal God to endue you with al grace, vertue, and honour. Amen. MSS. C. C. Registr. Number XV. The Queen to the Archbishop, the Bishop of London, Dr. Bill her Almoner, and Dr. Haddon, Master of Requests, her ecclesiastical Commissioners; to alter some Lessons appointed to be read by the Book of Common Prayer ; and for the better and more comely keeping of the churches. By the Queen. MOST reverend Father in God, right trusty and right welbeloved, right reverend Father in God, right trusty and welbeloved, trusty and right welbeloved, and trusty and welbeloved, we greet you wel. Letting you to understand, that where it is provided by act of Parlament holden in the first year of our reign, that whensoever we shall se cause to take further order in any rite or ceremony appointed in the Book of Common Prayer, and our pleasure known therin, 28 either to our Commissioners for causes ecclesiastical, or to the Metropolitan; that then eftsones consideration should be had therin; we therefore, understanding that there be in the said Book certain chapters for Lessons, and other things appointed to be read, which might be supplied with other chapters or parcels of Scripture, tending in the hearing of the unlearned or lay people more to their edification : II. and that furthermore in sundry churches and chappels BOOK where Divine service, as prayer, preaching, and administration of sacraments be used, there is such negligence and lack of convenient reverence used towards the comely keeping and order of the said churches, and especially of the upper part, called the chancel, that it breedeth no smal offence and slaunder, to se and consider, on the one part, the curiosity and cost bestowed by al sorts of men upon their private houses, and, on the other part, the unclean and negligent order and spare keeping of the house of prayer; by permitting of open decays and ruins of coverings, walls, and windows, and by appointing of unmeet and unseemly tables, with foul cloths for the communion of the Sacrament; and generally, leaving the place of prayer desolate of al cleanliness, and of meet ornaments for such a place, wherby it might be known a place provided for divine service have thought good to require you our Commissioners, so authorized by our Great Seal for causes ecclesiastical, or four of you, wherof we wil you, Matthew, Archbishop of Canterbury, Edmund, Bishop of London, William Bil, our Almoner, and Walter Haddon, one of the Masters of our Requests, to be always two, to peruse the order of the said Lessons throughout the whole year, and to cause some new calendars to be imprinted. Wherby such chapters or parcels of les edification may be removed, and others more profitable may supply their rooms. And further also, to consider, as become the foresaid great disorders in the decays of churches, and in the unseemly keeping and order of the chancels and such like; and according to your discretions to determin upon some good and speedy means of reformation. And among other things, to order that the Tables of the Commandments may be comely set or hung up in the east end of the chancel, to be not only read for edification, but also to give some comely ornament and demonstration, that the same is a place of religion and prayer: and diligently to provide, that whatsoever ye shal devise in this disorder, that the or JI. BOOK der and reformation be of one sort and fashion; and that the things prescribed, may accord in one form as nigh as ye may. Specially, that in al collegiate and cathedral churches, where cost may be more probably allowed, one maner to be used: and in all parish churches also, either the same, or at the least the like, and one maner throughout our realm. And further, we wil, that where we have caused one book of common service to be translated into the Latin tongue for the use and exercise of such students, and other learned in the Latin tongue, we wil also, that by your wisdoms and discretions ye prescribe some good order to the collegiate churches, to which we have permitted the use of the divine service and prayers in the Latin tongue, in such order as ye shal conclude to be most meet to be used, in respect of their companies or of resort of our lay-subjects to the said churches. So that our good purpose in the said translation be not frustrated, nor be corruptly abused, contrary to the effect of our meaning. And for the publication of that, which you shal order, we wil and require you, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to se the same put in execution throughout your province; and that you, with the rest of our Commissioners before mentioned, prescribe the same to the Archbishop, now in nomination, of York, to be in like maner set forth in that province. And that the alteration of any thing hereby ensueing be quietly done, without shew of any innovation in the church. And these our letters shal be your sufficient warrant in this behalf. Geven under our signet at our palace of Westminster, the 22d of January, the third year of our reign. BOOK Number XVI. The Queen's letter to the Archbishop, to visit Eaton col 29 lege. By the Queen. ELIZABETH R. II. MOST reverend Father in God, right trusty and right MSS. c. c. welbeloved, we grete you wel. We hear that the Fellows C. C. of our college of Eaton, next Windesor, without our assent, or without our pleasure therin by them sought, have chosen one to be their Provost, of whom there is disperst very evil fame. And for that you and others have had heretofore. commission to visit the same college, as a member of our college, in Cambridge, which yet continueth; our pleasure is, that you shal have good consideration hereof; and taking with you such other our Commissioners as speedily as may be had for such a purpose, repair to our said college, and visit the state of the same; and to examine the authority of this rash election; and to make also a good scrutiny of the quality of this pretended Provost: using the matter in such sort, as whatsoever you shal duely find in the said pretended election not justifyable by law, or by laudable usage of that house, that the same be severely reformed, and the persons found therin faulty, committed, to receive due punishment. The rest of the order of that college we require you to se reduced to the best, for th'honour of Almighty God, and increase of learning. And of your doing we require advertisement. Geven under our signet at Lea, the XXII. of August, in the third year of our reigne. Number XVII. The Archbishop to Secretary Cecyl; upon some speeches uttered to him by the Queen, against the marriage of the Clergy. SIR, Yesterday attending upon the Queens Majesty, to MSS. G. know if her Highnes had any spiritual matter to appoint mig. Petyt. Ar II. BOOK me, I perceived her affection to be such toward the state of the Clergy, that I cannot but lament to se the adversary so to prevail. Who either envieth the quiet government of her time, which is now at a good point, with some labour and diligence of our parties; or else, who, under colour of dissimulation, labour to undermine the state of religion, and to intervert, or rather subvert the Gospel of Christ, and the liberty of his holy word. Whose devices I doubt not but ·he qui habitat in cœlis deridebit, et subsannabit in tempore. Nam Deus est qui custodit veritatem in secula seculo rum. I was in a horror to hear such words to come from her mild nature, and christianly learned conscience, as she spake concerning Gods holy ordinance and institution of matrimony. I marvailed that our states in that behalf cannot please her Highness, which we doubt nothing at al to please Gods sacred majesty, and trust to stand before Gods judgment seat in a good conscience therewith, for al the glorious shine of counterfeited chastity. And it is a wonder to me that her Highnes is so incensed by our adversaries, that al the world should understand her displesure against us. Wherby our credits be little, our doing God service and her shal take least among her subjects, to her own disquiet of governance. I never heard or read, but that al maner of princes, as wel Christian as profane, did evermore 30 cherish their ecclesiastical state, as conservators of religion; by the which the people be most strongly knit together in amity; their hearts stayed and won to God; their obedience holden under their governors: and we alone of our time openly brought in hatred, shamed and traduced before the malicious and ignorant people, as beasts without knowledge to Godward, in using this liberty of his word, as men of effrenate intemperancy without discretion, or any godly disposition, worthy to serve in our state. In so much, that the Queens Highnes expressed to me a repentance, that we were thus appointed in office, wishing it had been otherwise. Which inclinations being known at large to Queen Maries Clergy, they laugh prettily to se how the Clergy of our |