The
Kings
MAIESTIES
Letter
to
the
Lords
Grace
of
Canterbury
,
touching
Preaching
,
and
Preachers
.
MOST
Reuerend
Father
in
God
,
Right
trustie
and
right
intirely
beloued
Councellor
,
We
greet
yee
well
.
Forasmuch
as
the
abuse
and
extrauagancies
of
Preachers
in
the
Pulpit
,
haue
been
at
all
times
repressed
in
this
Land
,
by
some
Act
of
Councell
or
State
,
with
the
aduise
and
resolution
of
Graue
and
Reuerend
Preachers
,
insomuch
as
the
very
licensing
of
`
Preachers
,
had
beginning
by
order
in
the
Star-Chamber
,
the
eighth
of
Iuly
,
in
the
nineteenth
yeare
of
King
Henry
the
Eight
,
Our
Noble
Predecessor
:
And
whereas
at
this
present
diuerse
young
Students
,
by
reading
of
late
Writers
and
vngrounded
Diuines
,
doe
preach
many
times
vnprofitable
,
vnseasonable
,
seditious
and
dangerous
doctrine
,
to
the
scandall
of
the
Church
,
and
disquieting
of
the
State
and
present
Gouernment
:
Wee
,
vpon
humble
presentation
vnto
Us
of
these
ill
inconueniencies
by
your Selfe
,
and
sundrie
other
Graue
and
Reuerend
Prelates
of
this
Church
;
as
of
our
Princely
care
and
desire
,
for
the
extirpation
of
Schisme
and
Dissention
growing
from
these
seedes
;
and
for
the
setling
of
a
Religious
and
Peaceable
Gouernement
both
of
Church
and
State
:
Doe
by
these
Our
speciall
Letters
straightly
charge
and
command
you
,
to
vse
all
possible
care
and
diligence
,
that
these
limitations
and
cautions
herewith
sent
you
concerning
Preachers
,
be
duely
and
strictly
from
henceforth
obserued
,
and
put
in
practise
by
the
seuerall
Bishops
in
their
seuerall
Diocesses
within
your
Iurisdiction
.
And
to
this
end
Our
Pleasure
is
,
that
you
send
them
forth
seuerall
Copies
of
these
Directions
,
to
be
by
them
speedily
sent
and
communicated
to
euery
Parson
,
Uicar
and
Curate
,
Lecturer
and
Minister
,
in
euery
Cathedrall
and
Parish
Church
within
their
seuerall
Diocesses
;
and
that
ye
earnestly
require
them
,
to
employ
their
vtmost
endeauours
for
the
performance
of
this
so
important
a
businesse
:
Letting
them
know
,
We
haue
an
especiall
eye
to
their
proceedings
,
and
expect
a
strict
accompt
thereof
both
from
you
and
euery
of
them
,
and
this
Our
Letter
shall
be
your
sufficient
warrant
and
discharge
in
this
behalfe
.
Giuen
vnder
Our
Signet
at
Our
Castle
of
Windsor
,
the
fourth
day
of
August
,
in
the
twentieth
yeare
of
Our
Reigne
of
England
,
France
,
and
Ireland
,
and
of
Scolland
the
sixe
and
fiftieth
.
Directions
concerning
Preachers
.
1
THat
no
Preacher
,
vnder
the
degree
and
calling
of
a
Bishop
,
or
Deane
of
a
Cathedrall
or
Collegiate
Church
,
and
they
vpon
the
Kings
dayes
,
and
set
Festiuals
,
doe
take
occasion
by
the
expounding
of
any
text
of
Scripture
whatsoeuer
,
to
fall
into
any
set
discourse
or
Common-place
(
otherwise
then
by
opening
the
coherence
and
diuision
of
his
Text
)
which
shall
not
be
comprehended
and
warranted
,
in
essence
,
substance
and
effect
,
or
naturall
inference
,
within
some
one
of
the
Articles
of
Religion
set
forth
1562.
or
in
some
of
the
Homelies
set
forth
by
authoritie
in
the
Church
of
England
,
not
onely
for
a
helpe
for
the
Non-preaching
,
but
withall
for
a
patterne
and
a
bundarie
(
as
it
were
)
for
the
preaching
Ministers
,
and
for
their
further
instructions
:
for
the
performance
hereof
,
that
they
forthwith
peruse
ouer
,
and
read
diligently
the
said
Articles
,
or
the
two
bookes
of
Homilies
.
2
That
no
Parson
,
Vicar
,
Curate
,
or
Lecturer
,
shall
preach
any
Sermon
or
Collation
vpon
Sunday
and
Holy-dayes
in
the
afternoone
in
any
Cathedrall
or
Parish
Church
throughout
the
Kingdome
,
but
vpon
some
part
of
the
Catechisme
,
or
some
text
taken
out
of
the
Creed
,
tenne
Commandements
,
or
Lords
Prayer
,
(
funerall
Sermons
onely
excepted
)
and
that
those
Preachers
be
most
encouraged
and
approoued
of
,
who
spend
these
afternoone
Exercises
in
examining
the
children
in
their
Catechisme
,
and
in
expounding
of
the
seuerall
points
and
heads
of
the
Catechisme
,
which
is
the
most
auncient
and
laudable
custome
of
teaching
in
the
Church
of
England
.
3
That
no
Preacher
of
what
title
soeuer
,
vnder
the
degree
of
a
Bishop
or
Deane
at
the
least
,
do
from
henceforth
presume
to
preach
in
any
populous
auditorie
,
the
deepe
points
of
Predestination
,
Election
,
Reprobation
;
of
the
Vniuersalitie
,
Efficacie
,
Resistabilitie
,
or
Irresistabilitie
of
Gods
grace
,
but
leaue
those
Theames
to
be
handled
by
the
learned
men
,
and
that
moderately
,
and
modestly
,
by
way
of
vse
and
application
,
rather
then
by
way
of
positiue
doctrine
,
as
beeing
fitter
for
the
Schooles
and
Vniuersities
,
then
for
simple
auditories
.
4
That
no
Preacher
of
what
title
or
denomination
soeuer
,
shall
presume
from
hence
forth
in
any
auditorie
in
this
Kingdome
,
to
declare
,
limit
,
or
bound
out
by
positiue
doctrine
,
in
any
Lecture
or
Sermon
,
the
Power
,
Prerogatiue
,
Iurisdiction
,
Authoritie
,
or
Duty
of
Soueraigne
Princes
;
or
otherwise
meddle
with
these
matters
of
State
,
and
the
references
betweene
Princes
and
the
People
,
then
as
they
are
instructed
and
presidented
in
the
Homilie
of
obedience
,
and
in
the
rest
of
the
Homilies
and
Articles
of
Religion
,
set
forth
as
is
before
mentioned
by
publike
authoritie
;
but
rather
confine
themselues
for
those
two
heads
,
Faith
and
good
Life
,
which
are
the
subiect
of
auncient
Sermons
and
Homilies
.
5
That
no
Preacher
of
what
title
or
denomination
soeuer
,
shall
causlesly
,
and
without
inuitation
from
the
Text
,
fall
into
bitter
inuectiues
,
and
vndecent
rayling
speeches
,
against
the
persons
of
either
Papist
or
Puritan
,
but
modestly
,
and
grauely
when
they
are
inuited
or
occasioned
thereunto
by
their
text
of
Scripture
,
free
both
the
Doctrine
and
Discipline
of
the
Church
of
England
,
from
the
aspersion
of
either
Aduersarie
,
especially
where
the
auditorie
is
suspected
to
be
tainted
with
the
one
or
the
other
infection
.
6
Lastly
,
the
Archbishops
and
Bishops
of
this
kingdome
(
whom
his
Maiestie
hath
good
cause
to
blame
for
their
former
remisnes
)
be
more
warie
and
choice
in
licensing
Preachers
,
and
reuoke
all
grants
made
to
any
Chancellor
,
Officiall
,
or
Commissary
to
licence
in
this
kind
.
And
that
all
the
Lecturers
throughout
the
kingdome
(
a
new
body
seuered
from
the
auncient
Clergie
of
England
,
as
beeing
neither
Parson
,
Vicar
,
nor
Curate
)
be
licensed
henceforth
in
the
Court
of
faculties
,
onely
vpon
recommendation
of
the
party
from
the
Bishop
of
the
Diocesse
,
vnder
his
hand
and
seale
with
a
Fiat
from
the
L.
Archbish.
of
Canterbury
,
and
a
confirmation
of
the
great
seale
of
England
▪
and
that
such
as
transgresse
any
of
these
directions
,
bee
suspended
by
the
L.
Bish.
of
the
Diocesse
;
in
his
default
by
the
L.
Archbish.
of
the
prouince
,
ab
Officio
&
Beneficio
,
for
a
yeare
and
a
day
,
vntill
his
Maiestie
by
aduice
of
the
next
Conuocation
shall
prescribe
some
further
punishment
.