If a clergyman omitted any of the ceremonies of the church in his public ministrations, or if a parishioner bore an ill-will to his minister, he might inform the commissioners by letter, that he was a suspected person; upon which a pursuivant or messenger was sent to his house with a citation.* The pursuivant who brought them up, had thirty-three shillings and four-pence for forty-one miles, being about nine or ten-pence a mile. Upon their appearing before the commissioners, they were committed prisoners to the Clink prison seven weeks, before they were called to their trial. When the prisoners were brought to the bar, the court immediately tendered them the oath, to answer all questions to the best of their knowledge; by which they were obliged not only to accuse themselves, but frequently to bring their relations and friends into trouble. The party to be examined, was not to be acquainted with the interrogatories beforehand, nor to have a copy of his answers, which were lodged with the secretary of the court, against the day of his trial. If the commissioners could not convict him upon his own confession, then they examined their witnesses, but never cleared him upon his own oath. If they could not reach the prisoner by their ordinary jurisdiction as bishops, they would then sit as ecclesiastical commissioners. If they * The citation was to the following effect: "WE will and command you, and every of you, in her majesty's name, by virtue of her high commission for causes ecclesiastical, to us ' and others directed, that you, and every of you, do make your personal 6 appearance before us, or others her majesty's commissioners in that behalf appointed, in the consistory within the cathedral church of St. Paul's, London, [or at Lambeth] the 7th day next after the sight hereof, if we or other our colleagues shall then happen to sit in commis'sion, or else at our next sitting there, then next immediately follow'ing: And that after your appearance there made, you, and every of you, shall attend, and not depart without our special licence; willing and commanding you, to whom these our letters shall first be delivered, 'to shew the same, and give intimation and knowledge thereof to the oth'ers nominated upon the indorsement hereof, as you, and every of you, will answer to the contrary at your perils. Given at London, the 16th ' of May, 1584. John Cant. could not convict him upon any statute, 'then they had recourse to their old obsolete law ecclesiastical; so that the prisoner seldom knew by what law he was to be tried, or how to prepare for his defence. Sometimes men were obliged to a long attendance, and at other times condemned in haste without any trial. The Rev. Mr. Brayne, a Cambridge minister, being sent for to Lambeth, made his appearance before the archbishop and two other commissioners, on Saturday in the afternoon, and being commanded to answer the interrogatories of the court upon oath, he refused, unless he might first see them, and write down his answers with his own hand; which his grace refusing, immediately gave him his canonical admonitions, once, twice, and thrice; and caused him to be registered for contempt, and suspended.* Let the reader carefully peruse the twenty-four articles themselves, which the archbishop framed for the service of the court; and then judge, whether it were possible for an honest man to answer them upon oath, without exposing himself to the mercy of his adversaries.† *Life of Whitgift, p. 163. The articles were these that follow : 1. IMPRIMIS, " Objicimus, ponimus, and articulamur, i. e. We object, put, and article to you, That you are a deacon or minister, and priest admitted; declare by whom, and what time you were ordered; and likewise, that your ordering was according to the book in that behalf by the law of this land provided. Et objicimus conjunctim de omni & divisim de quolibet, i. e. And we object to you the whole of this article taken 'together, and every branch of it separately.' 2. Item, "Objicimus, ponimus, & articulamur, That you deem and judge such your ordering, admission and calling into your ministry to be lawful and not repugnant to the word of GOD. Et objicimus ut supra, i. e. And we object as before.' 3. Item, "Objicimus, ponimus, &c. That you have sworn, as well at the time of your ordering as institution, duty and allegiance to the Queen's majesty, and canonical obedience to your ordinary and his suecessors, and to the metropolitan and his successors, or to some of them. Et objicimus ut supra. 4. Item, "Objicimus, &c. That by a statute or act of parliament made in the 1st year of the Queen's majesty that now is, one virtuous and godly book, entitled, The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of Sacraments, &c. was authorized and established to stand and be from and after the feast of the nativity of St. John Baptist then next ensuing, in full force and effect, according to the said statute, and so yet remaineth. Et obj. ut supra. When the Lord Treasurer Burleigh had read them over, and seen the execution they had done upon the clergy, he wrote his grace the following letter: 5. Item, "Obj. That by the said statute all ministers within her majesty's dominions, ever since the said feast, have been and are bound to say and use, a certain form of morning and evening prayer called in the act Mattins, even-song, celebration of the Lord's supper, and administration of each of the sacraments; and all other common and open prayer in such order and form is as mentioned in the same book, and none other, nor otherwise. Et obj. ut supra. 6. Item, Obj. "That in the said statute her majesty, the lords temporal, and all the commons, in that parliament assembled, do in GOD'S name earnestly charge and require all the archbishops, bishops, and other ordinaries, that they shall endeavor themselves to the uttermost of their knowledge, that the due and true execution of the said aet might be had throughout their diocese and charge, as they would answer it before Almighty God. Et obj. ut supra. 7. Item, "Obj. ponimus, &c. That you deem and judge the said whole book to be a godly and a virtuous book, agreeable, or at least not repugnant to the word of God; if not, we require and command you to declare, wherein, and in what points.' Et objicimus ut supra. 8. Item, "Obj. That for the space of these three years, two years, one year, half a year; three, two, or one month last past, you have at the time of communion, and at all or some other times in your ministration, used and worn only your ordinary apparel, and not the surplice, as is required: declare how long, how often, and for what cause, consideration, or intent, you have so done, or refused so to do.' Et obj. ut supra. 9. Item, "Obj. That within the time aforesaid you have baptized divers, or at least one infant, and have not used the sign of the cross in the forehead, with the words prescribed to be used in the said book of common prayer ; 'declare how many you have so baptized, and for what cause, consideration, and intent." Et obj. ut supra. 10. Item, "Obj. &c. That within the time aforesaid you have been sent unto, and required divers times, or at least once, to baptize children; or some one child being weak, and have refused, neglected, or at least so long deferred the same, till the child or children died without the sacrament or baptism: " declare whose child, when, and for what consideration." Et. obj. ut supra. 11. Lem, "Obj. &c. That within the time aforesaid you have cele brated matrimony otherwise than the book prescribes, and without a ring and have refused at such times to call for the ring, and to use such words in that behalf as the book appoints, and particularly those words, that by matrimony is signified the spiritual marriage and unity between Christ and his church."-" Declare the circumstances of time, person, and place, and for what cause, intent, and consideration.' Et obj. ut supra. 12. Item, "Obj. &c. That you have within the time aforesaid neglected, or refused to use the form of thanksgiving for women, or some one woman after child-birth, according to the said book. Declare the "It may please your grace, “I am sorry to trouble you so oft as I do, but I am more troubled myself, not only with many private petitions of sundry ministers, recommended for persons of 'credit, and peaceable in their ministry, who are greatly like circumstances thereof, and for what intent, cause, or consideration, you have so done, or refused so to do." Et obj. ut supra. 13. Item, "Objicimus, &c. That you within the time aforesaid baptized divers infants, or at the least one, otherwise and in other manner than the said book preseribeth, and not used the interrogatories to the godfathers and godmothers in the name of the infant, as the said book requireth. Declare the like circumstances thereof, or for what cause, intent, or consideration, you have so done, or refused so to do.' Et objicimus ut supra. 14. Item, "We do object, That you have within the time aforesaid, used any other form of litany, in divers or some points, from the said book; or that you have often, or once, wholly refused to use the said litany. Declare the like circumstances thereof, or for what cause, in❝tent, or consideration, you have so done, or refused so to do.' 15. Item, "We do object, &c. That you have within the time aforesaid, refused and omitted to read divers lessons prescribed by the said book, and have divers times either not read any lessons at all, or read others in their places. Declare the like circumstances thereof, and 'for what intent, cause, or consideration, you have so done or refused.' Et obf. ut supra. 16. Item," Ojicimus, That within the time aforesaid you have either not used at all, or else used another manner of common prayer or service at burial, from that which the said book prescribeth, and have refused there to use these words, We commit earth to earth, in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life. Declare the like circumstances thereof, and for what intent, cause or consideration, you have so done or refused so to do.' Et obj. ut supra. 17. Item, Objicimus, &e. That within the time aforesaid you have advisedly, and of set purpose, not only omitted and refused to use the aforesaid parts, or some of them, of the said book, but also some other parts of the said book of common prayer, as being persuaded that in such points it is repugnant to the word of God. Declare what other 'parts of the said book you have refused to use, for what intent, cause, or considertion.' Et objic. ut supra. 18. Item, Objic. &c. That within the time aforesaid you have at the communion, and in other parts of your ministration, advisedly added unto, diminished, and taken from, altered and transposed manifoldly at your own pleasure, sundry parts of the said book of common prayer. Declare the circumstances of time and place, and for what intent, 6 cause, and consideration.' Et obj. ut supra. 19. Item, "Objic. That within the time aforesaid you have advisedly, and of set purpose preached, taught, declared, set down, or published by writing, public or private speech, matter against the said book VOL. 1. 53 'troubled by your grace, and your colleagues in commis. 'sion; but I am also daily charged by counsellors and pub'lic persons, with neglect of my duty, in not staying your grace's vehement proceedings against ministers, whereby of common prayer, or of some thing therein contained, as being repugnant to the word of God, or not convenient to be used in the church; or some thing have written or uttered, tending to the depraving, despising, or defacing, of some things contained in the said book. 'Declare what, and the like circumstances thereof, and for what cause, 'or cansideration, you have so done.' Et objic. ut supra. 20. Item, "Objicimus, &c. That you at this present do continue all, or some of your former opinions against the said book, and have a settled purpose to continue hereafter such additions, diminutions, alterations, and transpositions, or some of them, as you heretofore unlawfully have used in your public ministration: and that you have used private conferences, and assembled, or been present at conventicles, for the maintenance of their doings herein, and for the animating and encouraging of others to continue in the like dispsoition in this behalf that 'Declare the like circumstances, and for what intent, cause, and consideration.' Et objic. ut supra. you are of. 21. Item. "Objicimus, &c. That you have been heretofore noted, defamed, presented, or detected publicly, to have been faulty in all and singular the premises, and of every, or some of them; and that you have been divers and sundry times, or once at the least, admonished by your ordinary, or other ecclesiastical magistrate, to reform the same, and to observe the form and order of the book of common prayer, which you have refused, or defer to do. Declare the like circumstances thereof.' Et objic. ut supra. 22. Item, "That for the testifications hereafter of your unity with the church of England, and your conformity to laws established, you have been required simply and absolutely, to subscribe with your hand, (1.) That her majesty under God hath and ought to have, the sovereignty and rule over all manner of persons born within her realm, dominions, and countries, of what estate either ecclesiastical or temporal soever they be; and that none other foreign power, prelate, state or potentate, hath, or ought to have, any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within her majesty's said realms, dominions, or countries. (2.) That the book of common prayer, and of ordering bishops, priests and deacons, containeth in it nothing contrary to the word of God, and that the same may be lawfully used; and that you who do subscribe will use the form in the said book prescribed, in public prayer and administration of the sacraments, and none other. (3.) That you allow the book of articles of religion, agreed upon by the archbishops and bishops of both provinces, and the whole clergy in the convocation holden at London in the year of our Lord God, 1562, and set forth by her majesty's authority; and do believe all the articles therein contained to be agreeable to the word of God. Declare by whom, and how often, which hitherto you have advisedly refused to perform, and so yet do persist.' Et objic. &e. |