Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 6 · Floating text 4
Decemb. 7. 1636. IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN,
AN Account touching the Royall Inſtructions given by the Kings moſt Excellent Majeſtie, to the moſt Reverend Father in God, William Lord Archbiſhop of Canterbury his Grace, Primate and Metropolitan of all England, concerning Orders to be obſerved by all the Biſhops of that Province. To the ſeverall Articles of which Inſtructions, I Mathew, Lord Biſhop of Norwich, thus humbly make anſwer, and in Order. Viz.
To the 5o Article, and the four branches thereof, I ſcarce found any Catechiſing uſed in the whole Dioceſſe, ſome fewe places excepted; but I have very ſtrictly enforced it, and I preſume it is now faithfully performed in moſt Churches of the Dioceſſe. Eſpecially in the City of Norwich, there were not above 4 Sermons on Sunday mornings in 34 Churches, only in the Afternoon they had them. But I cauſed Sermons or Homilies to be had in every Church in the forenoon, and Catechizing in the afternoon according to the Canon. Lectures abounded, eſpecially in Suffolke: Not a Market, or a bowling greene, or an Ordinary could ſtand without one, and many of them were ſet up by private Gentlemen at their pleaſures. At St. Edmunds Bury there were three: Two ſingle Lectures on Wedneſday, and Friday (in either of their Churches one) and one by Combination of neighbouring Divines on Munday the Market day. The Combination ending at Chriſtmas laſt, of themſelves they forbeare to begin it again, till they had fought to me for leave and order therein. I gave my conſent and allowed fifty choice Divines inhabiting within that Archdeaconry, upon theſe two Conditions.
Firſt, that the Divine Service being began duly by the Curate of the Church at nine of the Clocke, the Preacher for that day ſhould be ready in his Surpliſſe and Hood to begin the ſecond Service at the Communion Table; and ſo ſhould aſſend into the Pulpit after the Nicene Creede, and there uſing no other prayer then is preſcribed in the 55. Canon, nor preaching above one hour, ſhould not give the Bleſſing out of the Pulpit; but ſhould deſſend again to the Table and read the Prayer for the univerſull Church; and ſo diſmiſſe the congregation with the Peace of God &c.
Secondly, that the people of the Town ſhould duly reſort to the Church to the beginning of Divine Service and there deport themſelves with all Humility, Reverence and Devotion, in kneeling, ſtanding, bowing, being uncovered and anſwering audibly. Both which conditions are joyfully and duly performed, as well by the Preachers for their part, as the people, for theirs reſpectively: The two ſingle Lectures are likewiſe continued and performed upon the ſame conditions. Only during the time of this Faſt, I appointed the Friday Lecture to be held on the Faſt day alſo.
At Ipſwich there hath been no Lecture ſince Mr Wards cenſure: It was not unknowne to ſome of them, that if they had ſought to have one, I would have granted it, but they are reſolved to have him or none; and him they make account to have in deſpite of all cenſures.
At Yarmouth there hath beene no Lecturer theſe two yeares, ever ſince which time more Peace hath been in the Town, and good Order in Eccleſiaſticall things much increaſed.
At Lyme their Lecturer dyed in February: They preſently ſought to have the Curate of the place allowed to be Lecturer: I gave leave that he ſhould ſupply the place, till I might further enquire of him; but about Whitſuntide, he voluntarily relinquiſhed, and not without ſome contempt; whereupon I would not ſuffer him afterward to return though ſome deſired it.
At Norwich one Lecture is ſtill held by Mr Cock, an honeſt conformable man of whom they make no great regard. Other two have voluntarily relinquiſhed, becauſe they will obſerve no Order, whereof one (Mr Bridge) hath left two Cures and is runne into Holland.
The other Lectures in the Country Towns were at this paſſe: Firſt, they obſerved no Order at all in reading of the Divine Service, or in abſtaining from points of controverſie, or in their habits. Secondly, Laymen had taken upon them to put in and put out ſome Lecturers at their pleaſure. Thirdly, the people alſo knowing before hand who was to preach, when any factious fellow came, would throng and hang upon the Windowes; but if they did not phanſie the man, the Church was halfe empty, to the great diſcouragement of many who complained thereof to me. Fourthly, they never ſought to me to obtaine any allowances or to receive any order about them, whereupon (after more then halfe a years expectation) ſome of them were inhibited untill they ſought leave of their ordinary. Since they in Suffolk Petition was made to me. 1 From Debenham, and I was ready to allow them a Lecture on the ſame conditions with St. Edmunds Bury, which they went to conſider of, but I never heard ſince from them. 2 From Bergholt, (vulgo Baifeld) which is a Mile of Dedham in Eſſex. But it being no Market Town, and I not finding a ſufficient number of grave and orthodox Divines neer that part: and Dr. Jones (an eminent man their late Lecturer) having often complained to me of their factious diſpoſitions, I took time to conſider of it. 3 From Haverill, no Market Town alſo, where a young fellow had thruſt up himſelf without leave, Sede vacanie, to be their Lecturer, yet in regard of his want of means I yeelded; upon condition, that he ſhould behave himſelfe orderly; and the Towne ſhould aſſure fourty Markes per annum, for a Stipend, which they have not yet done. In Norfolk from Wimendam and Eaſtharling ſuite was made to me, but it was ſince the Faſt began, whereupon I reſpited them, till it pleaſed God that it might ceaſe, and then I would be ready to do to them as I had done at Bury. Beſides theſe places afore named. I remember but three in Northfolke as yet inhibited: Viz. at Diſſ. new Buckenham, and Northwalſham, and three in Suffolk; viz. at Ixmom, a Lecture ſtarted up by Sir William Spring within theſe four years; at Cockefield, a private town, where the ſaid Knight bound his Clerk (when he preſented him) to read a Lecture there every Thurſday, becauſe Mr Knewſtubs had for many years before done it: And at Wickham where the Lecturer is no Graduate and hath been a common Stage player, a man of ſmall abilities, and of whom many complaints were brought to me.
This Biſhop Wren likewiſe prohibited, all ringing of Bells to give notice of a Sermon to the Pariſhioners or others; Suppreſſed all Preparation Sermons to fit men for the worthy receiving of the Sacrament; all Prayers before Sermons but that enjoyned by the 55. Canon; forbidding Miniſters to uſe any Prayers after their Sermons: Enjoyned Note.there ſhould be no Catechiſms uſed on the Lordſday inſtead of the Afternoon Sermon, but only ſuch Queſtions and Anſwers as are conteined in the Common Prayer book, not allowing Miniſters to expound or open the points of the ſame to the people, he and his Officers affirming in publike places, that ſuch an Expoſition might be as ill as a Sermon. And by colour of theſe Inſtructions and the Declaration for Sports he ſilenced, ſuſpended at leaſt fifty Miniſters, forcing many of them, and above three thouſand people beſides to deſert the Kingdome, and fly into Holland and New-England; as appears by the Articles of his impeachment, preſented to the Lords by the houſe of Commons and by ſundry witneſſes before ſeverall Committees. All which Exorbitancies iſſued from theſe Inſtructions; and muſt be put on this Archbiſhops ſcore, the Author of them, to whom Biſhop Wren and other Biſhops gave an annuall Account of their due execution.
Biſhop Mountague ſucceeding Biſhop Wren in the Biſhoprick of Norwich, in purſuance of theſe Inſtructions exceeded him in his Viſitation Articles concerning Lectures and Lecturers; as appeares by theſe enſuing; printed both at London and Cambridge: Anno. 1638.