The Signal Loyalty and Devotion of Gods Saints, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Floating text 1 – Floating text 3
Canon II. Impugners of the Kings Supremacy cenſured.
Whoſoever ſhall hereafter affirm, that the Kings Majeſty hath not the ſame authority in cauſe Eccleſiaſtical, that the godly Kings had among the Jews, and Chriſtian Emperours in the primitive Church, or impeach in any part his Regal Supremacy in the ſaid cauſes reſtored to the Crown, and by the Laws of this Realm therein eſtabliſhed, let him be excommunicated ipſo facto, and not reſtored but only by the Archbiſhop after his repentance and publick revocation of thoſe his wicked errors.
Canon XXXVI. Subſcription required of all ſuch who are to be made Miniſters.
No perſon ſhall hereafter be received into the Miniſtry, nor either by Inſtitution or Collation admitted to any Eccleſiaſtical living, nor ſuffered to preach, to Chatechize, or to be a Lecturer, or Reader of Divinity in either Univerſities, or in any Cathedral or Collegiate Church, City, or Market-Town, Pariſh-Church, Chapel, or in any other place within this Realm, except he be licenced by the Archbiſhop, or by the Biſhop of the Dioceſſe, (where he is to be placed) under their Hands and Seal, or by one of the two Univerſities under their Seal likewiſe, and except he ſhall firſt ſubſcribe to theſe three Articles following, in ſuch manner and ſort as we have here appointed.
1. That the Kings Majeſty under GOD, is the only ſupreme Governour of this Realm, and of all other his Highneſſe Dominions and Countries, aſwell in all Spiritual or Eccleſiaſtical things or cauſes, as Temporal: and that no forein Prince, Perſon, Prelate, State, or Potentate, have or ought to have Juriſdiction, Power, Superiority, Preeminence, or Authority Eccleſiaſtical or Spiritual, within his Majeſties ſaid Realms, Dominions and Countreys, &c.
And Can. 55. They preſcribed this form of prayer to be uſed by them in their prayers before all their Ser-Lectures, and Homilies.
And herein I require you, moſt eſpecially to pray for the Kings moſt excellent Majeſty our Soveraign Lord CHARLES, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defendor of the Faith, and Supreme Governour in theſe his Realms, and all other his Dominions and Countries, over all perſons, in all cauſes, aſwell Eccleſiaſtical as Temporal. Ye ſhall alſo pray for the Kings moſt honourable Councel, and for all the Nobility and Magiſtrates of this Realm, that all and every of theſe in their ſeveral callings, may ſerve truly and painfully to the glory of GOD, and the edifying and well governing of his people, remembring the account that they muſt make. Alſo ye ſhall pray for the whole Commons of this Realm, that they may live in true Faith and Fear of God, in humble obedience to the King, and brotherly charity one to another. Which all Miniſters and Preachers duly obſerved; uſually adding this clauſe thereunto; That God out of his infinite mercy, would grant ſo to bleſſe the Kings Majeſtie, and his Royal iſsue with a perpetual Poſterity, that there might never want a Man of that Royal race to ſway the Scepter of theſe Realms, ſo long as the Sun and Moon ſhould endure, and till all Scepters and Kingdoms ſhould be reſigned at the laſt day into the hands of Jeſus Chriſt, the King of Kings.
The Lords Spiritual, Temporal and Commons of the Realm of England, Anno 1603.aſſembled in Parliament, in the firſt year of King James, do thus expreſſe and declare their own and the whole Kingdoms unſpeakeable joys, acclamations and thankſgivings unto God, and their own and their poſterities Signal Loyalty, affection, and Devotion to King James, his Heirs and Royal progeny for ever, in the Statute of 1 Jacobi ch. 1. intituled, A moſt joyfull and juſt Recognition, of the immediate, lawfull, and undoubted ſucceſſion, deſcent and Right of the Crown.
Great and manifold were the benefits (moſt dread and moſt gracious Soveraign) wherewith almighty God bleſſed this Kingdom and Nation, by the happy union and conjunction of the two Nobles houſes of York and Lancaſter, thereby preſerving this noble Realm, formerly torn and almoſt waſted with long and miſerable diſſention and bloodie Civil War. But more ineſtimable and unſpeakable bleſſings are thereby powred upon us, becauſe there is derived and grown from and out of that union of thoſe two Princely families, a more famous and greater union, (or rather a re-uniting) of two Mighty, Famous, and antient Kingdoms, (yet antiently but one) of England and Scotland, under one Imperial Crown, in your moſt Royal Perſon, who is lineally, rightfully, and lawfully deſcended of the body of the moſt excellent Lady Margaret, eldeſt daughter of the moſt renowned King Henry the 7th. and the high and noble Princeſſe Queen Elizabeth his wife, eldeſt daughter of King Edward the 4th. The ſaid Lady Margaret being eldeſt ſiſter of King Henry the 8th. father of the high and mightie Princeſſe of famous memorie, Elizabeth late Queen of England.
In conſideration whereof, albeit we your Majeſties loyal and faithfull Subjects of all Eſtates and Degrees, with all poſſible publike Joy and Acclamation, by open Proclamations within few houres after the deceaſe of our late Soveraign Queen, acknowledging thereby, with one full voice of tongue and heart, that your Majeſty was our only, lawfull and rightfull Leige Lord and Soveraign, and by our unſpeakable and general rejoycing, and applauſe at your Majeſties moſt happy inauguration, and Coronation: by the affectionate deſire of infinite numbers of us of all degrees, to ſee your Royal Perſon, and by all poſſible outward means have indeavoured to make demonſtration of our inward love, zeal, and devotion to your moſt excellent Majeſtie, our undoubted rightfull Leige Soveraign Lord and King: yet, as we cannot do it too often or enough, ſo can there be no means or way, ſo fit both to ſacrifice our unfeined and heartie thanks to Almighty God, for bleſſing us with a Soveraign, adorued with the rareſt gifts of mind and body, in ſuch admirable peace and quietneſſe, and upon the knees of our hearts to agnize our moſt conſtant faith, obedience, and loyalty to your Majeſtie, and your Royal Progenie, as in this high Court of Parliament, where all the whole body of the Realm, and every particular Member thereof, either in Perſon or Repreſeatation (upon their own free Elections) are by the Laws of this Realm, deemed to be perſonally preſent.
To the preſent acknowledgment whereof to your Majeſtie, we are the more deeply bounden and obliged, as well in regard of the extraordinarie care and pains, which with ſo great wiſdom, knowledge, experience, and dexteritie, your Majeſtie (ſince the Imperial Crown of this Realm deſcended to you) have taken for the continuance and eſtabliſhment of the bleſſed peace both of the Church of England in the true and ſincere Religion, and of the Common-wealth, by due and ſpeedy adminiſtration of juſtice, as in reſpect of the gracious care and inward affection, which it pleaſed you on the firſt day of this Parliament ſo lively to expreſſe by your own words, ſo full of high wiſdom, learning, and virtue, and ſo repleate with Royal and thankfull acceptation of all our faithfull and conſtant endeavours, which is, and ever will be to our ineſtimable conſolation and comfort.
We therefore your moſt humble and loyal Subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons in this preſent Parliament aſſembled, do from the bottom of our hearts, yield to the divine Majeſtie, all humble thanks and prayſes, not only for the ſaid unſpeakable, and ineſtimable benefits, and bleſſings above mentioned, but alſo that he hath further enriched your Highneſſe with a moſt Royal Progenie, of Moſt rare, and excellent gifts and forwardneſſe, and in his goodneſſe is like to increaſe the happy number of them. And in moſt humble and lowly manner, do beſeech your moſt Excellent Majeſtie, Nota.that (as a memorial to all poſterities, amongſt the Records of your high Court of Parliament for ever to endure, of our Loyalty, Obedience, and harty and humble Affection) it may be publiſhed and declared in this high Court of Parliament, and enacted by authority of the ſame, That we (being bounden thereunto, both by the Laws of God and Man) do recognize and acknowledge, (and thereby expreſſe our unſpeakable Joyes) That immediately upon the diſſolution and deceaſe of Elizabeth late Queen of England, the Imperial Crown of the Realm of England, and of all the Kingdoms, Dominions, and Rights belonging to the ſame, did by inherent Birthright, and lawfull and undoubted Succeſſ…en, deſcend and come to your moſt Excellent Majeſtie, as being Lineally, Juſtly and Lawfully, next and ſole Heir of the Blood Royal of this Realm, as is aforeſaid. And that by the goodneſſe of God Almighty, and lawfull Right of deſcent, under one Imperial Crown, your Majeſtie is of the Realms and Kingdoms of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, the moſt Potent, and mighty King, and by Gods goodneſſe, more able to protect, and govern us your loving Subjects, in all Peace and Plentie, than any of your noble Progenitors. And thereunto we moſt humbly,Nota. and faithfully do ſubmit, and oblige our ſelves, our heirs and poſterities for ever, until the laſt drop of our Bloods be ſpent, And do beſeech your Majeſtie to accept the ſame, as the firſt fruits in this high Court of Parliament, of our Loyalty and faith to your Majeſtie and your Royal Progenie, and poſterity for ever. Which if your Majeſtie ſhall be pleaſed (as an argument of your gracious acceptation) to adorn with your Majeſties Royal Aſſent, (without which, it can neither be complete and perfect, nor remain to all poſteritie according to our moſt humble deſire, as a memorial of your Princely and tender affection towards us) we ſhall adde this alſo to the reſt of your Majeſties unſpeakable and ineſtimable benefits.
In which Act there are theſe particulars, very ſeaſonable and obſervable, in reſpect of the preſent poſture of our publike affairs.
1. That the happy union and conjunction of our divided Kingdoms, formenly torn and waſted, with long and miſerable diſſentions and bloody civil wars, between Competitors for the Crown, and the King and Subjects, is a great and unſpeakable benefit and bleſſing to the Kingdom and Nation, beſtowed on them by God himſelf.
2. That the re-uniting not only of the two, but three mighty, famous and antient Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, under one Imperial Crown, and Heredirary King, is a far more ineſtimable and unſpeakable bleſſing to all 3. Kingdoms and Nations.
3. That there is no Interregnum in Law in the Realm and Crown of England, but that immediately upon the deceaſe of the King thereof; the Imperial Crown of the Realm of England, and of all the Kingdoms, Dominions, and Rights belonging to the ſame, do by inherent birthright, and lawfull and undoubted Succeſſion, Lineally, Juſtly, and lawfully deſcend to the next heir of the blood Royal, before he be publikely crowned King. As this Act in direct Terms declares, andaCooks 7. Rep. Calvins Caſe f. 10, 11. 3 Inſtit. p. 7. Brook Treaſon 29. Graftons Cronicle p. 1326, &c. Fox Acts and Monuments, vol. 3. Holinſhed, and Speed, 1. Mariae. My Plea for the Lords, p. 494, to 499. all the Judges of England, unanimouſly adjudged in the caſe of Watſon, and Cleark, 2. Popiſh Prieſts, (who held King James no lawfull King, before he was Crowned, and thereupon conſpired to impriſon him in the Tower, &c. for which they were both condemned and executed as Traytors) Hill. 1. Jacobi; as had been oft adjudged before in the firſt 7. years of King H. 6. and in the caſes of Queen Jane, the Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolk, the Lord Rochford, Sir John Gates, Sir, Thomas Palmer and others, condemned, in levying War againſt her, and executed 1 Mariae, for Treaſon againſt Qu. Mary, before ſhe was Crowned, to deprive her of the Crown; which both the Peers and Judges of the Realm, and the Parliament of 1 Mariae, ch. 16. adjudged Treaſon within 25 E. 3. againſt the miſtaken Doctrine of Mr. Thomas Scot, and ſome temporizing Lawyers of late years.
4. That it is the duty and practice of all loyal and faithfull Subjects, of all eſtates and degrees, with all poſſible publike joyes, unſpeakable general rejoycings, acclamations, applauſes, affectionate deſires, & by other means to proclaim, acknowledge and Crown their lawfull hereditary Kings, after the deceaſe of their Anceſtors, and to make all poſſible demonſtrations of their cordial loyalty, love, zeal and affection to them both in and out of Parliment, being obliged thereunto both by the Laws of God and Man.
5. That this Act of Parliament, and the Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance, do both in point of Law, Loyalty, Juſtice, Conſcience, oblige the whole Engliſh Nation, their heirs and poſterities for ever, to be true, faithfull, loyal and obedient to King James, his heirs and poſteritie for ever, (and ſo to our preſent King) till the laſt drop of their blood be ſpent, as to their undoubted, lawfull, and hereditary Kings and Soveraigns.
6. That a numerous hopefull royal Progeny, likely to continue and perpetuate the hereditarie ſucceſſion of the Crown in the true Regal line, is an extraordinarie bleſſing and happineſſe to the Kingdom, for which they are all bound both in and out of Parliament, to render all humble thanks and praiſes unto God.
To this I ſhall ſubjoyn the Statute of 3 Iacobi, ch. 1. entituled,
An Act for a publick Thanksgiving to Almighty God every year, on the fifth day of November.
FOraſmuch as Almightie God hath in all ages ſhewed his power and mercy, in the miraculous and gracious deliverance of his Church, and in the protection of religious Kings and States: And that no Nation of the earth hath been bleſſed with greater benefits than this Kingdom now enjoyeth, having the true and free profeſſion of the Goſpel under our moſt gracious Soveraign Lord King Iames, the moſt great, learned and religious King that ever reigned therein, enriched with a moſt hopefull and plentifull Progeny, proceeding out of his Royal loyns, promiſing continuance of this happineſſe and profeſſion to all poſterity: the which many malignant and devilliſh Papiſts, Jeſuites and Seminary Prieſts much envying and fearing, Conſpired moſt horribly, when the Kings moſt Excellent Majeſty, the Queen, the Prince, and all the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons ſhould have been aſſembled in the Upper Houſe of Parliament upon the fifth day of November in the year of our Lord 1605. ſuddenlie to have blown up the ſaid whole Houſe with Gunpowder; An invention ſo inhuman, barbarous and cruel, as the like was never before heard of, and was (as ſome of the principal Conſpirators thereof confeſſe) purpoſely deviſed and concluded to be done in the ſaid Houſe, that where the ſundry neceſſarie and Religious Laws for preſervation of the Church and State were made, which they falſly and ſlanderouſly term cruel Laws: enacted againſt them and their Religion, both place and perſons ſhould be all deſtroyed and blown up at once, which would have turned to the utter ruine of this whole Kingdom, had it not pleaſed Almighty God, by inſpiring the Kings moſt Excellent Majeſtie with a Divine ſpirit, to interpret ſome dark phraſes of a Letter ſhewed to his Majeſtie, above and beyond all ordinarie conſtruction, thereby miraculouſly diſcovering this hidden Treaſon not many hours before the appointed time for the execution thereof: Therefore the Kings moſt Excellent Majeſtie, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and all his Majeſties Faithfull and loving Subjects, do moſt juſtly acknowledge this great and infinite Bleſſing to have proceeded merely from God his Great Mercy, and to his moſt holy Name do aſcribe all the Honour, Glory and Praiſe. And to the end this unfeigned Thankfulneſſe may never be forgotten, but be had in perpetual Remembrance, that all Ages to come may yield praiſe to his Divine Majeſty for the ſame, and have in memorie THIS IOYFULL DAY OF DELIVERANCE.
Be it therefore enacted by the Kings moſt Excellent Majeſtie, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons in this preſent Parliament aſſembled, and by the Authoritie of the ſame, That all and ſingular Miniſters in everie Cathedral and Pariſh-church, or other uſual place of Common prayer within this Realm of England, and the Dominions of the ſame, ſhall alwaies upon the fifth day of November, ſay Morning Prayer, and give unto Almighty God thanks for this moſt happy Deliverance. And that all and everie perſon and perſons inhabiting within this Realm of England, and the Dominions of the ſame, ſhall alwaies upon that day diligentlie and faithfullie reſort to the Pariſh Church or Chapel accuſtomed, or to ſome uſual Church or Chapel where the ſaid Morning prayer, preaching, or other ſervice of God ſhall be uſed, and then and there to abide orderlie and ſoberlie during the time of the ſaid prayers, preaching, or other ſervice of God there to be uſed and miniſtred.
And becauſe all and everie perſon may be put in mind of this Dutie, and be the better prepared to the ſaid holy ſervice, Be it enacted by Authoritie aforeſaid, That every Miniſter ſhall give warning to his Pariſhioners publikelie in the Church at morning prayer, the Sunday before everie ſuch fifth day of November, for the due obſervation of the ſaid day. And that after morning Prayer or preaching upon the ſaid fifth day of November, they read publicklie, diſtinctlie, and plainlie this preſent Act.
Upon this occaſion there was a ſpecial Book of Prayers and Thankſgivings, compiled by the Biſhops and Clergy, preſcribed by Authority to be annually read in all Churches and Chapels, on the 5th. of November, wherein (amongſt others) there were four remarkable prayers and thankſgivings relating to the King, Queen, Prince, all the Royal poſterity, Nobility, and Magiſtrates, which I ſhall here inſert.