II. BOOK "of these five former articles as shall seem convenient for "the purpose: and with speed send to such persons as have Anno 1563. the jurisdictions of those exempt places, or their deputies, "residing next unto you; willing and commanding them in "her Majesty's name forthwith to send distinct answers "thereunto; to be sent either to yourself, or by them sent " to us. "And because the greater part of these former articles is "such, as we doubt not but ye are by means of your visit"ation able to cause sufficient certificate to be made unto us "with speed, we require your Lordship to use therein all "the diligence that you can, and not to defer any time "therein; but either by this messenger, or within two or "three days at the farthest, to return us answer. And for "some such part thereof as speedily you cannot certify, with "conference had with your Chancellor, Commissioners, "Archdeacons, Deans, or other inferior officers, our like "earnest request is, that you do procure information there" of without delay of time; and to command in her Majes"ty's name the like to be done by all other, having, as above ❝is said, any exempt jurisdiction; so as her Majesty may "be amply and certainly satisfied therein. And so fare your Lordship right heartily well. From Greenwich, the "9th of July, 1563. 66 Sends up a certificate of And accordingly he sent up his certificate to the Lords his diocese, with such speed as they required; naming not only the parishes in each deanery, and the Parsons and Vicars respectively, but the number of households in each of those parishes for the most part. The Certificate was as followeth, bearing this title; The Certificate of the most reverend Father in God, Matthue, XIII. Archbishop of Canterbury, according to the letters mis- CHAP. sives of the Lords of the Queen's Majesty's most honourable Privy Council in that behalf directed, bearing date Anno 1568. the 9th of July, ann. Dom. 1563. Robert. Imprimis, The diocese of Canterbury extendeth to a MSS. Hon. part of the county of Kent only, and to none other shire or county. Item, There is in the same diocese only one Archdeacon, by the name of Archdeacon of Canterbury: who is at this present Edmond Geste, Bishop of Rochester, the Queen's Majesty's Almoner. Item, The diocese is divided into eleven deaneries, [which are by and by expressed.] There is no part of the diocese exempt from the Archbishop; but the said Archbishop hath the sole and plenary jurisdiction ordinary throughout all the said diocese. Harley, Armig. Item, The number of churches and chapels of every 130 deanery aforesaid, with the states and qualities thereof, are here under written. In the deanery of Canterbury, The parish church of Fordwiche. The town of Fordwiche is served by a Parson. Households 24. The parish church of Sturry. The town of Sturry is served by a Vicar. Households 42. The parish church of St. Paul, in the city of Canterbury, is served by a Vicar. Households 80. And so the certificate proceeds, enumerating the parishes in the deanery: and at the foot is set down the sum of the churches and chapels within this deanery, viz. 16. And the sum of the households, viz. 493. In the deanery of Bridge, after the parishes are all specified, then follows the sum total of the churches and chapels of this deanery, viz. 34, households 1135. In the deanery of Charing, parish churches and chapels 24, households 2286. In the deanery of Sutton, churches and chapels 26, households 1474. BOOK Anno 1563. Bristol and Becon collated to Back church. The Curate of Cripplegate. In the deanery of Syttingborn, churches and chapels 26, households 783. In the deanery of Ospringe, churches and chapels 25, households 933. In the deanery of Limpne, churches and chapels 36, households 1094. In the deanery of Westbeere, churches and chapels 15 households 737. In the deanery of Sandwich, churches and chapels 27, households 591. In the deanery of Dover, sum of the churches and chapels 20, households 551. Sum total of all the churches and chapels of the diocese of Canterbury as before expressed, 276. And of all the households before particularly expressed, 10,948. The Archbishop still continued his metropolitical visitation. For besides a commission to Cottrel, LL. D. dated May 23, for visiting Bristol, the day of August 1563, he gave out a commission to Thomas Yale, LL. D. John Pory, D. D. and Edward Leeds, M. A. to visit the city and diocese of Ely. The 10th day of the same month he admitted a famous man, both for his sufferings under King Henry VIII. and Queen Mary, and also for his many useful writings, to be Minister of St. Dionys Back church, London, viz. Thomas Becon; who was also one of the Prebendaries of the church of Canterbury. The ignorance of the ordinary sort of Clergymen, Curates, and such like, is commonly said to be great about these times. For notwithstanding all the pains that was used to deliver the Church of that blindness that enveloped the Priests in the late Popish times, it would not yet be dispelled. For an instance of this, I bring in here the Curate of Cripplegate, one Tempest, a well-meaning man; who having upon some occasion (perhaps the metropolitical visitation) been before Peerson the Archbishop's Chaplain, was asked by him some questions: and among the rest, what was the meaning of the word function. Which hard word he could not well tell what to make of: for which it seems he CHAP. XIII. was reprehended. But soon after, to vindicate himself, and to make his excuse by the pretence of a surprise, he wrote Anno 1563. a right learned letter, which may be read in the Appendix. Numb. XX. CHAP. XIV. The Archbishop at Canterbury. His pious motion. An Office of Prayer and Fasting appointed for the plague and other judgments. The Archbishop's concern therein. The state of the church of Durham. Whittingham Dean there; his letter concerning it. An Office of Thanksgiving. 131 bishop at Canter bury. In the latter end of the month of July I find our Arch-The Archbishop at his house at Bekesbourn, near Canterbury, a place Bekesof retirement, healthfully and pleasantly seated, which he bourne. took a great deal of delight in. Here he piously considering how the nation was at this time afflicted universally by war, and the pestilence broken out at London, and a famine at Canterbury, the people wanting necessary provisions, as was reported to him; he thought good to call upon the Appoints fasting and Mayor of Canterbury, and his Commonalty, to meet him on prayer at Friday at the cathedral church: where he did himself exhort them to prayer: and then appointed Friday for the future to be set apart for prayer and preaching in the cathedral, and Mondays and Wednesdays in the parish churches: prescribing for this occasion a form of prayer, muchwhat the same with that that had been before appointed by authority in the Guises' time, a few words only in the same being altered. For you must know, that about the year 1559 or 1560, the nation was in great fears and apprehensions of Queen Elizabeth's safety, upon the malice of the Duke of Guise and his brother, who ruled all France in those times: and being uncles to the Queen of Scots, laboured to reduce Scotland under France, and to wound England on that side. And, having a peculiar hatred to Queen BOOK Elizabeth for the sake of her religion, "bent themselves II. "with might and main," as Camden writes, "to work her Anno 1568. " destruction, relying upon the promises of some English Camd. Eliz. that were averse to the Protestant religion." Upon these ad ann. 1560. But not in the rest of jealousies a form of prayer had been drawn up, probably by our Archbishop, and ordered to be used in the kingdom for her Majesty's safety, and the good estate of the nation, and of the religion professed therein. These prayers, after the Archbishop had accommodated the diocese; them to the present occasion, he prescribed now to be used and why. in Canterbury. This he did, not enjoining the like to the rest of his diocese, nor to the rest of his province, for want of sufficient warrant from the Prince or Council, lest he might otherwise run into some transgression of the laws. But he writ to the Secretary, that he marvelled he had no advertisements from above, enjoining him to take order for so pious a purpose, in a time that so much required it. And lest it might be objected to him and the rest of the Bishops, that they by their vocation should have had special regard of such matters, he answered, "That they were holden "within certain limits by statutes, and so might stand in "doubt, how it would be taken, if they should of them"selves have given order herein." This was the cause that he thought it prudent not to charge the rest of his diocese with injunctions for fasting and prayer, but left them to their own liberty to follow them in the city for common prayer, if they would. But withal the Archbishop desired a warrant from the Council for the same; that he might direct his precepts, as he thought it very necessary, to exercise the said public prayers. A public form of prayer and dered. The Archbishop having made this good motion, Cecil, the Queen's Secretary, immediately acquainted the Queen fasting or therewith, and recommended the devising a form of solemn prayer and fasting, unto Grindal, Bishop of London, chiefly for the judgment of the plague then lying upon the nation, brought over from Newhaven in France, when the English surrendered it. This very matter that careful and pious Bishop had already thought on, and made some progress in |