ORDERS FOR THE BISHOPS AND CLERGY. Id. Chap. xxx. [SANDYS, bishop of Wigorn, drew up orders] to be observed by the bishops and other ecclesiastical persons, by their consents and subscriptions in this present synod. First, Forasmuch as bishops are not born for themselves, but for their successors, and are only possessors for their own time; every bishop, by the subscription of his hand, promiseth that he shall not either by lease, grant, or any other means, let, set, or alienate any of his manors, or whatsoever heretofore hath not been in lease, except only for his own time, and while he is bishop. Item, That no bishop, dean, or chapter, shall give or grant any advowson of their prebend, parsonage, or vicarage, after the date hereof. Item, That no bishop shall admit any into the ministry, who hath not good testimony of his conversation; who is not learned, fit to teach the people; and who hath not presently some appointed place, cure, and living to serve. And that he do not admit the same without the consent of six learned ministers; who shall all lay their hands upon his head at his admission. Item, That every bishop by himself, or by his officer, shall see that every curate, parson, vicar, or other, do catechise the children and youth of his parish every Sunday, according to the injunction in that behalf. Item, It is ordered, that no minister shall marry any other than be within his parish, the woman-party at the least; and that he do it not, except the banns be openly thrice proclaimed in the same parish, and that he knew that the parents of the party consented thereto. Item, That no bishop, dean, or chapter, shall bestow their benefices, whereof they be patrons, but upon such as be learned and fit for the office, and such as will subscribe to sound religion now by authority set down. Item, That every bishop take order, that whosoever is a common swearer in his diocese, if after two admonitions by the minister he will not leave the same, that then it shall be lawful for the minister to exclude him from the communion, until he shall find reformation in him. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE TRANSLATION OF LUTHER'S COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. To the Reader. THIS book being brought unto me to peruse and to consider of, I thought it my part, not only to allow of it to the print, but also to commend it to the reader, as a treatise most comfortable to all afflicted consciences exercised in the school of Christ. The author felt what he spake, and had experience of what he wrote, and therefore able more lively to express both the assaults and the salving, the order of the battle and the mean of the victory. Satan is the enemy, the victory is by only faith in Christ, as John recordeth. If Christ justify, who can condemn? saith St Paul. This most necessary doctrine the author hath most substantially cleared in this his commentary which being written in the Latin tongue certain godly learned men have most sincerely translated into our language, to the great benefit of all such as with humbled hearts will diligently read the same. Some began it according to such skill as they had. Others godly affected, not suffering so good a matter in handling to be marred, put to their helping hands, for the better framing and furthering of so worthy a work. They refuse to be named, seeking neither their own gain nor glory, but thinking it their happiness, if by any means they may relieve afflicted minds, and do good to the church of Christ, yielding all glory unto God, to whom all glory is due. Aprilis 28, 1575. EDWINUS LONDON. EPISTOLA PASTORALIS EPISC. CESTRENS'. E MSS. Caio-Gonvill. Cantab. 197. pp. 471—4. Archiepiscopus Eborum Cestrensi Episcopo. GRATIA, pax, et salus, a Deo Patre et Domino nostro Jesu Christo. Intuenti mihi, frater venerande, cursum et conditionem hujus impietate perditi sæculi, quantos agat triumphos Satan, quam longe lateque dominetur scelus, quam innumeri sint ac frequentes improborum hominum flagitiosi greges, quam exilis, quam arida, vel potius quam nulla sit in terris fides, nulla pietas; videmur in ultima et impia mundi hujus jam interitui vicina tempora devenisse. Cum porro mihi in mentem venit zizaniam, horum peccatorum semen, nulla re magis in agro Domini vel spargi vel succrescere, quam quam agricolarum somnolentia, colonorum desidia; nec aliunde tantam cladem invectam esse Hierosolymæ nostræ sanctæ civitati (qua et muri ejus evertuntur, et ipsa pene capta cedit inimicorum violentiæ) quam quod excubiæ, quæ deberent vigilare, somno sopitæ, suis muneribus desunt: ad hæc cum recolo nos etiam ipsos, quibus curam suæ vineæ commisit Dominus, officio nostro parum satisfecisse, vitas nimium secure tanquam in alta pace transegisse, neque hostibus Christi satis fortiter resistendo, neque Domini fundum arando satis diligenter, neque pascendo gregem satis fideliter, neque satis vigilanter in specula consistendo, munus nostrum prout decuit adimplevisse: uti meipsum negligentiæ coarguo, testeque conscientia cogor succumbere veniamque petere, (quanquam dissolutum et penitus desidem me nunquam fuisse novit Dominus;) ita, charitate pia fraternaque benevolentia commotus, meum esse duco te cohortari: uti quemadmodum idem nobis incumbit onus, eadem est administrandæ provinciæ reddenda ratio; sic conjunctis animis [This pastoral epistle has been printed by Strype, Annals, Vol. I. Book 1. Chap. 15. Appendix, No. XXIX.-ED.] [ Coargo, MS.-ED.] quales nos esse decet ponderemus, securitatem et somnolentiam discutiamus, redimamus tempus, accingamus nos ad prælium, gladios et arma Spiritus capiamus, hostem communem profligemus, et Christi fidem vel ad sanguinem et cædem defendamus. Præfecit enim nos Deus gentibus et populis, ut extirpemus et eradicemus, ut perdamus et ejiciamus, ut ædificemus et plantemus. Ideoque nostrum est, fibras superstitionis et idololatriæ radices falce divini verbi resecare, bonas etiam fruges evangelii propagatione per animos hominum conserere, arces et turres Jerechuntis tuba coelestis Spiritus evertere, muros autem Jerosolimæ sacrumque templum, quantum in nobis est, erigere; sævitiam et tyrannidem Antichristi summa contentione convellere, regnum autem et imperium Filii Dei sedula prædicatione stabilire. Neque vero solum hunc in pascendo suo grege laborem videtur Dominus a nobis postulare, verum etiam flagitat, ne solutis legum sacratarum vinculis impune peccatum volitet. Vult enim Dominus libidinem comprimi, scelus constringi, dissolutos mores contineri, quæque dilapsa jam diffluxerunt, severis legibus et dignis suppliciis coerceri. Ita et saluti præcipitantis patriæ melius consulemus, et eorum furorem qui afflictam eam cupiunt opprimere fœlicius concutiemus. Hic igitur fideles et justos nos esse convenit, æqua lance quod suum est cuique tribuentes. Non enim debemus nos quenquam, vel ob opes divitem, vel ob auctoritatem potentem, vel ob amicitiam charum, vel ob commoditatem utilem, sic respicere, quo minus opus Domini strenue compleamus. Qui ergo sunt contumaces et præfracti hostes virga sunt ferrea comminuendi, saltem, ne lepra sua sanos inficiant, constringendi: capiendæ sunt vulpeculæ quæ demoliuntur vineam, et pandenda venabula quibus errones papani, seditionum faces et ecclesiæ pestes, irretiti cadant. Hoc enim genus hominum pessimum est, et nostri fundi calamitas, qui nimia licentia fiunt deteriores, et impunitate jam feroces, audacter cum summo discrimine bonorum omnium insolescunt. Est misericordia crudelis, et cur non cogeret ecclesia perditos filios ut redirent, si perditi filii coegerunt alios ut perirent? Ut autem hæc omnia facilius eveniant, ac partitis operibus facilius optatos exitus sortiantur, non alienum arbitror, si pro auctoritate nobis con['Cogerunt, MS.-ED.] 1 cessa quisque nostrum quos apud se noverit pietate præstantes et fide sanos convocet, eorumque strenuam et diligentem operam in his ecclesiæ reique publicæ tam incertis et dubiis rebus exposcat. Lumbis enim succinctis, frater, oportet nos sedulo negotium Domini conficere: multi sunt hostes, multa nobis quærenda sunt consilia; nec in hisce difficultatibus omittendum quicquam quod ullo modo saluti communi possit conducere. Neque enim debemus extimescere quenquam, cujus est in naso ipsius spiritus. Dominus omnipotens nobis aderit et dux et vindex, simus modo pro domo Dei zelo ferventes, flagrantes studio, neque aliqua necessitudine complectamur, quos aliena in Dominum nostrum et suam ecclesiam esse mente1 ; nam qui perfidi sunt in Deum, in principem fideles esse non possunt. Quas nacti sumus provincias, ornemus eas, nobisque ipsis et universo gregi diligenter caveamus. Aderit enim proculdubio brevi Dominus, qui nos præfecit ecclesiæ suæ, proprioque sanguine redemptam eam e gehennæ faucibus eripuit, ante cujus tribunal stare nos oportet, nostræque dispensationis districtam rationem reddere. Qua tempestate fœlix ille qui intrepide coram Filio Dei, mortuorum et viventium judice, poterit consistere. Hæc mihi in mentem venerunt, de quibus tuam dominationem admonere mei esse officii putavi, sperans humanitatem tuam fidele hoc meum consilium et amicum animum bonam in partem esse accepturam. Deus Opt. Max. ecclesiam suam protegat, hostes veritatis conterat, nostrisque piis studiis fœlices et prosperos exitus concedat. Amen. Bushopthorpiæ, 13 Februarii 1583 Tuus in Christo frater E. EBOR. To the Right Reverend in Christ, my very Bushopp of Chester. ['A word omitted in MS.-ED.] |