Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 6 · Floating text 5
4. Concerning Lecturers and Lectures.
Foraſmuch as of late years the courſe and humor of Lecturing and the frequenting and hearing ſuch exerciſes, is of great reſent in the State and Church of England, (from which courſe, as much good may enſue and be procured, if well and diſcreetly managed, ſo if otherwiſe, great hurt, danger and ſcandall may and often doth reſult; the cure and care whereof properly and immediately belongs to the Biſhop of the Dioceſſe where ſuch exerciſes are) the Church-Wardens and Sideſmen are given to underſtand, that there be amongſt us three ſorts of Lecturers.
1 The firſt, moſt hugged, followed, admired and maintained, is a ſuper-inducted Lecturer in another mans cure and paſtorall charge, who hath ſome reſemblance to the ancient Cathariſt in the Primitive Church, but is up and down the ſame with the Doctor in the New Diſcipline; which (I take it) is the motive of his ſo great approbation and good entertainment above the Incumbent of the Cure, though never ſo learned and painfull.
2 Concerning him, it is to be enquired, of what degrees in Schools he is? and of how long ſtanding and ſtudying in Divinity? whether he be a graduate in Divinity, a Doctor, or at leaſt a Batchelor, and not a young Student or Preacher?
3 Are his Lectures popular Afternoon Sermons? or be they Catechiſticall, and readings upon ſome common place of Divinity, or the four parts of the Engliſh authorized Catechiſme, or ſome of the 39 Articles of our Confeſſion?
4 Is he there admitted with the conſent of the Incumbent, or againſt his will, with warrant and authority from the Biſhop, under his Epiſcopall ſeal? Is the Miniſter and Incumbent of that place where he Lectureth, a Preacher or not? and if a Benefice be offered the Lecturer, do you ſuppoſe he would take it?
5 Doth he often and at times appointed read Divine Service, and adminiſter the Communion in his Surpliſſe and Hood of his degree?
6 Of what length are his Lectures, and how is his Prayer at beginning and end? is he there in conforme unto the Appointment and Order of the Canon? Can. 55.
7 Doth he in his popular Lectures ordinarily fall upon points of miſticall, darke, and abſtruſe Divinity, as Praedeſtination &c. Doth he intermeddle with matters of State, Government, forrein from his profeſſion, above his underſtanding?
8 Doth he oppoſe or traduce openly the Doctrine of his Brethren and neighbouring Miniſters; or obliquely, underhand or upon the by gird at them, the Doctrine, Diſcipline of the Church, any Pariſhioner &c. ſo deſigning him, them, or that, that a man may take notice of his meaning?
9 The ſecond ſort of Lecturers be thoſe of Combination, when many neighbouring Miniſters do voluntarily agree and conſent with the Ordinaries approbation, not otherwiſe, to preach a Sermon, every man in his courſe, at ſome adjoyning market town, upon the market day, for inſtructing of ſuch who repair together to ſell and buy in their duty to God, and commerce with man: Have you any ſuch Lecturers?
10 Who be the Combiners? be they beneficed men of the Dioceſſe, and not ſtrangers or Curates? who are not to be admitted, becauſe if they offend in their Sermons the Dioceſan cannot reach them; they are gone.
11 Doth this Lecturer any way abridge, hinder, or cut off Divine Service, which is compleatly to be finiſhed before the Lecture begin?
12 Do any reſorting thereto, walke aloofe, or in the Church-yard, on ſtay at ſome houſe purpoſely, and not repair to the Church till Lecture begin? If any ſuch miſdemeanour be, preſent it; and without amendment the Lecture ſhall ceaſe.
13 A third ſort be running Lecturers: who point upon ſuch a day to meete at ſuch a Church, moſt an end in ſome Country Town or Village; and then after Sermon, and dinner at ſome houſe of their diſciples, repeat, cenſure, and explain the Sermon, diſcourſe of points propoſed at their laſt meeting, by the head of that Claſſis or Aſſembly, ever to the promoting of their owne fancies, and derogation from the doctrine, and diſcipline of the Church: after all, they do again condicere, and appoint to meet next at ſuch a Church, in like ſort, to like purpoſe. Such I found in Suſſex at my comming thither. If you have any ſuch, or know any ſuch, preſent them (as far as you can learn) who they be, where they do meet, whither any of your Pariſh run after them.
By theſe we may diſcerne the ſpirit of this Prelate and his Malignity againſt Lecturers and Lectures, which he carefully ſuppreſſed in Chicheſter Dioceſſe, (where he publiſhed the like Articles) and would have done the like in Norwich, but that his predeceſſour Biſhop Wren, had left no Lectures for him to ſuppreſſe.
Doctor Pierce Biſhop of Bath and Wells, a great creature of this Arch-Prelates, to pleaſe his Grace the better, by colour of theſe Inſtructions (which he rigorouſly obſerved) ſuppreſſed all Lectures within his Dioceſſe both in Market Townes and elſewhere, as well combination Lectures, as thoſe maintained by Miniſters, or Lecturers upon ſtipends or the peoples benevolence, ſome of wch Lectures had continued 40 or 50 years without interruption, and were countenanced by ſome of his Predeceſſors actuall preaching at them in their turnes: which when he had effected, he publikely gloryed in this wicked act, uſing this moſt execrable ſpeech: I thank God I have not one Lecture leſt in my Dioceſſe: profeſſing before, that he hated the very name of Lectures, and would not leave ſo much as one Lecture in his Dioceſſe; and requiring the Miniſters upon their canonicall obedience not to preach any Lecture; alleaging, that there was no ſuch need of preaching no was there was in the Apoſtles dayes. Yea, he ſuſpended Mr Deveniſh the Miniſter of Bridgewater for preaching a Lecture there in his own Church on the Market day (which Lecture had continued from Queen Elizabeth time till then) and refuſed to abſolve him, till he hath faithfully promiſed to preach it no more. And when Note.he abſolved him on this promiſe, he moſt prophanely uſed to him theſe words of our Saviour ſpoken to the Woman taken in Adultery, Iohn 8. 14. Go thy way ſinne no more (that is, preach this Lecture no more, as if preaching was as heinous a ſinne as Adultery) leſt a worſe thing happen to thee: Furthermore in purſuit of theſe Inſtructions, he put down all Sermons on the Lords dayes in the Afternoon throughout his Dioceſſe, ſtrictly charging the Miniſters in his Viſitations, not to preach on Lords dayes in the Afternoon upon any occaſion, under pain of Suſpenſion; After which hee ſuſpended one Mr Corniſh, only for preaching a Funerall Sermon on a Lordſday Evening: Furthermore, he convented the Miniſter of Beercoockham before him, for having two Sermons on that pariſh Revellday; alleadging, that it was a hinderance to the Revel, and utterance of the Church-all provided to be ſpent 'on that day: (belike he had more care of the Church wardens Ale then the peoples Soules) and he queſtioned one Mr Thomas Erford a Miniſter, as a Delinquent, for preaching at the pariſh of Mountague on their Revellday, upon the Prophet Joels exhortation to Faſting Note.weeping and mourning; charging him; that not only his Sermon, but his every text too, was ſcandalous to the Revel, and gave offence to the meeting: And whereas divers godly Miniſters of his Dioceſſe being reſtrained from preaching, did take great paine thereupon to catechiſe their Pariſhioners in the principles of Religion on Lordſdayes in the Afternoon, according to the Letter of theſe Inſtructions, enlarging themſelves upon the Queſtions and Anſwers in the Catechiſme in the Common-Prayer-Booke for the peoples better Inſtruction, and uſing a ſhort prayer before and after that exerciſe, this Biſhop being informed of it corrected and ſharply reproved theſe Miniſters for their pains, threatning to puniſh them ſeverely if they Perſiſted therein; ſaying, Thus it was a Catechizing Sermon-wiſe, and AS BAD AS PREACHING: Charging Note.them, that they ſhould aske no other Queſtions, nor receive any other Anſwers from the people, but ſuch as were conteined in the Book of Common prayer; which one Mr B… rett Rector of Barwick not obſerving, was enjoyned penance for it; and one Humfrey Blake Churchwarden of Bridgewater, was likewiſe put to penance for not preſenting Mr Deveniſh the Miniſter there as a Delinquent, for expounding the Church-Cateckiſme, and making a ſhort prayer of his own before he began his exerciſe: All which particulars were proved by ſubſtantiall witneſſes before a Committee of the Houſe of Commons, drawn up into an Impeachment againſt this Biſhop; and being in verity the Impious fruites of this Arch-Prelates project (who encouraged him herein) muſt be juſtly and principally charged upon his ſcore: Quia plus peccat Author quàm Actor.
The like Suppreſſions of Sermons and Catechizing on the Lords day in the Afternoon were common in all or moſt other Dioceſſe; neither could any Combination Lectures be obtained in them; but with very great ſuite, and upon very hard conditions, which the Biſhops tooke advantage to preſcribe by colour of theſe Inſtructions, all ſtrictly obſerved till this preſent Parliament; This we could prove by many Inſtances we ſhall produce but one inſtead of all the reſt found among Sir Iohn Lambes Papers (the Archbiſhops grand Inſtrument herein) by Mr Prynns, endorſed with Sir Iohns own fift.