XLIII. Mandates by Edward VI. for Subscription to the Articles of 15521, 1. The King’s Mandate to the Bishop of Norwich, sent with the Articles to be
subscribed by the Clergy
By the King.
Rigur reverend father in God, right trusty and well-beloved, we greet you pt. well And because it hath pleased Almighty God in this latter time of the world, after long darkness of knowledge, to reveal to this his church of England, whereof we 18%. have under Christ the chief charge in earth, a sincere knowledge of the gospel, to s the inestimable benefit of us and our people, redeemed by our Saviour Christ: we Ecc, have thought it meet and our duty, for the pure conservation of the same gospel in i our church, with one uniform profession, doctrine, and preaching, and for the avoiding Pul of many perilous and vain opinions and errors, to send unto you certain Articles, devised and gathered with great study, and by counsel and good advice of the greatest ^ learned part of our bishops of this realm, and sundry others of our clergy; which Articles we will and exhort yourself to subscribe, and in your preachings, readings, and teachings to observe, and cause to be subscribed and observed of all other, which do, or hereafter shall preach, or read, within your diocese. And if any person or persons, having benefice within your diocese, shall from henceforth not only refuse wilfully to set their hands to these Articles, but also obstinately exhort their parochians to withstand the same, and teach the people in a contrary way; our pleasure is, that, being duly proved, ye shall advertise us, or our council, of the whole matter fully, to the intent such further order may by direction from us, or our said council, be taken, as the case shall require, and shall stand with justice and the order of our laws. And further, that when and as often as ye shall have any manner of person presented unto you to be admitted by you as the ordinary to any ecclesiastical order, ministry, office, or cure within your diocese, that ye shall, before you admit him, confer with him in every these Articles; and finding him thereto consenting, to cause him to subscribe the same in one ledger book to be formed for that purpose, which may remain as a register for a concord, and to let him have a copy of the same Articles. And if any men in that case shall refuse to consent to any of the said Articles, and to subscribe the same, then we will and command you, that neither ye, nor any for you, or by your procurement in any wise shall admit him, or allow him as sufficient and meet to take any order, ministry, or ecclesiastical cure. For which your so doing we shall discharge you from all manner of penalties, or dangers of actions, suits, or pleas of premunires, quare impedit, or such like. And yet our meaning is, that if any party refuse to subscribe any of these Articles for lack of learning and knowledge of the truth, ye shall in that case by teaching, conference, and proof of the same by the scriptures, reasonably and discreetly move and persuade him thereto, before you shall peremptorily judge him as unable and a recusant. And for the trial of his conformity, ye shall, according to your discretion, prefix a time and space convenient to deliberate and give his consent, so that be betwixt three weeks and six weeks from the time of the first access unto you. And if after six weeks he will not consent and agree willingly to subscribe, then ye may lawfully, and shall in any wise, refuse to admit or enable him. And where there is of late set forth by our authority a catechism for the instruction of young scholars in the fear of Godand the true knowledge of his holy religion, with express commandment from us to all schoolmasters to teach and instruct their scholars the said catechism, making it the beginning and first foundation of their teaching in their schools; our pleasure is, that for the better execution of our said commandment, ye shall yearly at the least once visit, or cause to be visited, every school within your said diocese; in which visitation it shall be inquired both how the schoolmaster of every such school hath used himself in the teaching of the said catechism, and also how the scholars do receive and follow
[[’ Vid. Letter CCCVIT. p. 440. The above mandate is printed from Burnet; whose copy in some]
[respects differs verbally from that in Strype.]]
the same; making plain and full certificate of the offenders contrary to this our order, and of their several offences, to the archbishop of that province, within the months from time to time after every such offence. Yeoven under our signet, at the manor of Grenewich, the rxth day of June, the vith year of our reign. 2. A Mandate in King Edwards name to the officers of the Archbishop of Canterbury; requiring them to see that the Articles of Religion should be subscribed. Mandatum pro publicatione nonnullorum Articulorum, veram Christi fidem con-