Also that according to the ancient custom of this realm, and the tenor of the king's writs for the summoning of the parliament, which be now, and ever have been directed to the bishops of every diocese, the clergy of the lower house of convocation may be adjoined and 5 associated with the lower house of parliament; or else that all such statutes and ordinances, as shall be made concerning all matters of religion, and causes ecclesiastical, may not pass without the sight and assent of the said clergy.

ΤΟ

Also that whereas by the commandment of king Henry VIII. certain prelates and other learned men were appointed to alter the service in the church, and to devise other convenient and uniform order therein, who according to the same appointment did make certain books, as 15 they be informed; their request is, that the said books may be seen and perused by them, for a better expedition of divine service to be set forth accordingly.

Also that men being called to spiritual promotions or benefices, may have some allowance for their necessary 20 living and other charges, to be sustained and borne concerning the said benefices, in the first year wherein they pay the first fruits.

In quinta et sexta sessione hujus synodi, nemine reclamante, communio sub utraque specie stabilita fuit; in 25 quarum ultima nonnulli e domo inferiori convocationis electi sunt ad concipiendam formam statuti pro decimis solvendis in urbibus.

In septima sessione (nono die Decembris) "communi consensu nominati fuerunt solicitatores ad obtinendum 30 effectus sequentes; viz. that the petition made to have this house adjoined to the lower house of the parliament may be obtained. Item, that a mitigation of the sore penalty, expressed in the statutes, against the recusants for non-payment of the perpetual tenth, may be also 35 obtained. And the same day were likewise appointed

to associate Mr. Prolocutor to my lord of Canterbury to know a determinate answer what indempnity and immunity this house shall have to treat of matters of religion, in cases forbidden by the statutes of this realm to treat in.

The words of their address out of archbishop Cranmer's papers were these.

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Where the clergy in the present convocation assembled, have made humble suit unto the most reverend father in God, my lord archbishop of Canterbury, and all 10 other bishops, that it may please them to be a mean to the king's majesty, and the lord protector's grace, that the said clergy, according to the tenor of the king's [writ] and the ancient laws and customs of this noble realm, might have their room and place, and be asso-15 ciated with the commons in the nether house of this present parliament, as members of the commonwealth, and the king's most humble subjects; and if this may not be permitted and granted to them, that then no laws concerning the Christian religion, or which shall concern 20 especially the persons, possessions, rooms, livings, jurisdictions, goods, or chatels of the said clergy, may pass nor be enacted, the said clergy not being made privy thereunto, and their answers and reasons not heard: the said clergy do most humbly beseech an answer and declara- 25 tion to be made unto them, what the said most reverend father in God, and all other the bishops have done in this their humble suit and request, to the end, that the said clergy, if need be, may choose of themselves such able and discreet persons, which shall effectually follow the 30 same suit in the name of them all.

And where in a statute ordained and established by authority of parliament at Westminster, in the twentysecond year of the reign of the most excellent prince king Henry VIII, the clergy of this realm, submitting 35

themselves to the king's highness, did acknowledge and confess according to the truth, that the convocations of the same clergy hath been, and ought to be assembled by the king's writ. And did promise further, in verbo sacerdotii, that they never from henceforth would pre-5 sume to attempt, allege, claim, or put in ure, or enact, promulge, or execute any new canons, constitutions, ordinances, provincial or other, or by whatsoever other name they should be called, in the convocation, unless the king's most royal assent and license may to them be had, 10 to make, promulge or execute the same; and his majesty to give his most royal assent and authority in that behalf, upon pain of every one of the clergy doing the contrary, and being thereof convict, to suffer imprisonment, and make fine at the king's will. And that no canons, con- 15 stitutions or ordinances shall be made, or put in execution within this realm, by authority of the convocation of the clergy, which shall be repugnant to the king's prerogative royal, or the customs, laws or statutes of this realm. Which statute is eftsoons renewed and esta-20 blished in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of the said most noble king, as by the tenor of both statutes more at large will appear. The said clergy being presently assembled in convocation by authority of the king's writ, do desire that the king's majesty's license in writing 25 may be for them obtained and granted, according to the effect of the said statute, authorizing them to attempt, treat and commune of such matters, and therein freely to give their consents, which otherwise they may not do upon pain of peril promised.

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Also the said clergy desireth that such matters as concerneth religion, which be disputable, may be quietly and in good order reasoned and disputed among them in this house, whereby the verities of such matters shall the better appear. And the doubts being opened and reso-35 lutely discussed, men may be fully persuaded with the quietness of their consciences, and the time well spent."

In sessione octava (xvii. die Decembris) "exhibita fuit quædam propositio sub his verbis: that all such canons, laws, statutes, decrees, usages and customs heretofore made, had or used, that forbad any person to contract matrimony, or condemn matrimony already contracted, by any person, 5 for any vow or promise of priesthood, chastity or widowhood, shall from henceforth cease, be utterly void, and of none effect. Cui propositioni multi subscripserunt, affirmantes 53, negantes 22." Et quia doctor Johannes Redman huic convocationi non interfuit, sensum suum 10 ut separatim declararet, rogabatur; quem subscriptione sua hoc modo expressit.

"I think that though the word of God do exhort and counsel priests to live in chastity, out of the cumber of the flesh and the world, that thereby they may the 15 more wholly attend to their calling; yet the band of containing from marriage doth only lie upon priests of this realm by reason of canons and constitutions of the church, and not by any precept of God's word, as in that they should be bound by reason of any vow, which (in as 20 far as my conscience is) priests in this church of England do not make: I think that it standeth well with God's word, that a man, which hath been and is but once married, being otherwise accordingly qualified, may be made a priest. And I think that forasmuch as canons and 25 rules, made in this behalf, be neither universal nor everlasting, but upon considerations may be altered and changed; therefore the king's majesty and the higher powers of the church may, upon such reason as shall move them, take away the clog of perpetual continency 30 from priests, and grant that it may be lawful to such as cannot or will not contain, to marry one wife; and if she dies, then the said priest to marry no more, remaining still in his ministration.”

C

Ex reg. Cranmer.

fol. 14. et regist. convoc.

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ONVOCATIO provinciæ Cantuariensis, ii. die Martii per breve regium summonita, primo die Aprilis per aliud dissolvebatur. Eadem convocabatur ad xix. diem Septembris per breve regium dat. xix. Junii. Antequam autem dies ille illucesceret, rege Edwardo sexto mortuo, 10 regina Maria breve regium archiepiscopo Cant. more solito directum dat. iv. Augusti emisit ad convocandum prælatos et clerum provinciæ Cant. in ecclesia S. Pauli London. vi. die Octobris prox. In primo hujus convocationis die post electionem Hugonis Weston in prolo-15 cutorem, episcopus London. præses eam continuavit ad diem Veneris seq. Octob. 13. et ab hoc in alium, sc. Octob. 20. quo die exhibitæ sunt duæ propositiones disputandæ (de reali præsentia Christi in sacramento altaris,

Convocatio provincia] "In this synod there was great stir to restore 20 the abandoned doctrines again, and especially those of the mass: yet some few learned and good men of the reformation here shewed themselves, that tightly disputed these points with them: viz. Philpot, Haddon, Aylmer, and one or two more, whose disputations may be read in Mr. Fox. (Acts and Mon. p. 1410. ed. 1583.) At last, four 25 points were defined by the upper house on the following subjects; De sacramento altaris, De transubstantiatione, De adoratione eucharistiæ et reservatione, De substantia sacrificii ecclesiæ, et ejus institutione, et a quibus et pro quibus, et cui offerendum. Out of these doctrines were framed by this synod three questions to be disputed on at Oxford, 30 by some members of the same and others, of both universities, against archbishop Cranmer, Ridley and Latymer, who were sent down thither on purpose. These questions are, 1. In sacramento altaris, virtute verbi divini a sacerdote prolati, præsens est sub speciebus panis et vini realiter verum et naturale corpus Christi, quod ex virgine natum est; 35