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book_n	lord_n	people_n	read_v	2,615	5	6.2486	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03087	A simple, and religious consultation of vs Herman by the grace of God Archebishop of Colone, and prince Electour. [et] c. by what meanes a Christian reformation, and founded in Gods worde, of doctrine, administration of the deuine sacramentes, of ceremonies, and the hole cure of soules, and other ecclesiastical ministeries may be begon among men committed to our pastorall charge, vntil the Lorde graunt a better to be appoynted either by a free, and Christian cou[n]sayle, general, or national, or elles by the states of the empire of the natio[n] of Germanie, gathered together in the holye Gost; Einfaltigs Bedencken, warauff ein christliche in dem Wort Gottes gegrünte Reformation an Lehr, Brauch der heyligen Sacramenten un Ceremonien, Seelsorg und anderem Kirchendienst, biss auff eines freyen, christlichen, gemeinen oder nationals Concilii, oder dess Reichs Teutscher Nation Stende, im Heyligen Geyst versamelt, Verbesserung, bei denen so unserer Seelsorge befohlen, anzurichten seye, English	Wied, Hermann von.; Melanchthon, Philipp, 1497-1560.; Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551.	1547 (1547)	STC 13213; ESTC S103980	258,817	620

out of the worde of God as Paule witnesseth saiynge The swerde of the spirite is the worde of god Ephe. vi Seinge than the beginninge the middle and the ende of oure newe lyfe that is to say regeneration in to the saide lyfe the encrease of it and victorie agaynst Satan consisseth of the worde of God the feeders of congregations maye easely see in to what daunger of Goddes wrath they runne if anie be not parttakers of this regeneration thorough theyr negligence or if they that be borne agayne of the spirite wante the feedinge of goddes worde and the cherishinge of holesome doctrine of exhortation or if they falle from the lyfe and communion of Christe beinge sedused thoroughe false doctrines of men wherefore they that haue this office must euer with al diligence continue in readinge doctrine praier and other exercises spiritual that they maie saie with that faythful seruaunte Lorde thou deliueredest to me ten talētes and lo I haue gained other ten And that they maie heare agayne wel done faythful seruaunte thou wast faithful ouer fewe thinges I wil sette the ouer manie Entre in to the ioye of thy Lorde Wherfore that feeders and al ministers of congregations may the better vnderstande and handle the holye scripture we wil opē vnto thē a certaine way and we wyll declare in ordre the more notable places of the Chrystiane doctrine not that we would haue them to tary in these places but because we desire to haue them brought by these more easelie to the holy scripture it selfe out of which afterward they may be instructed more fully and perfectly ¶ That some leason out of the holie scripture muste be set forth to the people before the sermō and that the same muste be declared to them FYrste we wyll that the pastours take all theyr sermons that they make to the people out of some leason of the holie scripture whiche at the begynnynge of the sermon they shall recite wyth singuler reuerence grauitie As we know that the olde holy fathers vsed it euen from the tyme of the Apostles Which thing also was obserued in the synnagoges of the Iewes as it appeareth by that that we reade of the Lord. Luk. iiii of the synnagog Act. xiii into the whiche Paule and Baruabas entred vppon the Sabbath at Antioche of Pisidia Wherfore in olde tyme euerie congregation had peculiar readers whiche red the bokes of the holie scripture to the people out of the pulpette But this custome being abolished amonge other fautes of ecclesiasticall administration and in thys scarsnes of ministers of the worde by reason wherof Peculiar readers cānot be appointed in euerie congregation we wil that the pastours and preachers execute theyr office and religiouslie to reade to the people afore hande those thinges wherof they wyl speake that so thei may the more accustome them selues to heare the worde of God and that they maye be more fullly enstructed of their saluation It shall healpe also the pastours thē selues to make and finishe their sermons with better ordre if they shal folow the prescripte of the leason preposed and keepe thē selues wythin the bandes therof And they shall measure these leasons after the measure of those lessons that are accustomablye recited in Masses So the people maye more easily remēbre the thynges that shall be redde and the preachers also maye more comodiouslie declare them For they must diligently auoyd this faute that some haue that they tarie not vpon one or two wordes of the premised leason lettyng the reste passe vntoutched or fall quite to other matters then were redde Oure fayth must leaue vpon the pure and onelie worde of God wherefore that worde must be hearde and vnderstanded of euerie person Wherfore it shal be conuenient to reade out of the holie scripture and declare so muche as by likelihode the people may perceyue and retayne to the edification of fayth ¶ That al sermons must be made to set forth and magnifie Christ the Lorde FOrasmuch as Christ our Lorde is the ende of the lawe and Moses the psalmes Rom. x Luke the last Actes x. and the prophetes doe testifi and preach of hym that he is the onely sauiour of the chosen people in whom whosoeuer shal beleue shal receyue forgyuenes of sinnes thorowe his name all pastours must directe ordre theyr sermons to this marcke that they beare and declare witnesse of thys Christe For so he himselfe commaundid the Al christian doctrine is a testimonie of Christ the sauiour Actes i. i. Cor. ij apostles a litle before his ascention into heauen whan he instituted the holie ministerye of preaching you shal be witnesses vnto me at Hierusalē and in all Iurie and Samary vnto the vttermost endes of the earth Here of it cometh that S. Paule wryteth of hym selfe I iudged not myselfe to knowe anye thinge amonge you sauinge Iesus Christe and him crucified And he had a good cause to saye so For as he wrate to the Coloss al thinges were created by him that be in heauen and in erth visible and inuisible whether they be thrones dominations principates or powers All thynges were made by him and in him and he is before al thinges ▪ al thinges cōsist thorough is him He is the head of the body of the church which is the begining the frist begottē of the deade that he may be the chief in al thinges for it hath pleased the father that all fulnes shoulde dwelle in him and thorough hym to reconcile al thinges towardes hymselfe the thinges that be ether in heauen or in erth being pacified by the bloud of his crosse thorough the same persō Iohanne witnesseth the same thinges in the begininge of his gospel and epistle And the Lorde of hym selfe Iohan. v. iii. xii xvii and in manye other places Therefor Christe hym selfe comprehended the summe of the whole scripture in this sentence Luke the last repentaunce and remission of synnes must be preched in the name of Christ wherfore let the faythful ministers of congregations alwayes magnifie the name of oure Lorde Iesus Christe testifiynge that thys only sonne of God the true God and man is he by whome al thinges were made be Ephe. i. gouerned repared and renued which also ruleth al thinges with the worde of his power whyche gathereth together the scattered chyldren of God and straiyng sheepe Hebru i. Iohn x. and gyueth repentaunce and remission of sinnes For there is none other name vnder heauen gyuen to men wherein they shal be Act. v. Act. iiii Iohn xvii Iohn x. saued the power of all fleshe is gyuen to him that he maie gyue euerlastinge lyfe to al thē that the father hath gyuen hym He is that good shepeherde that giueth his life for his sheepe that he maye gyue them eternal lyfe which so defendeth and keepeth his sheepe that noman can take them out of his hande These and suche lyke testimonies of Christe must be often and diligintlye beatē

cloister bondage shewe themselues so thanckeful to God for his inconparable benifite of the pure doctrine of the gospel restored vnto thē and of christian libertie that they shall sone cōpte that sufficient that shal be allotted vnto them how litel soeuer it be only if they maie therewith serue God with a free and safe cōscience But howe soeuer these thinges shall happen and howe soeuer these controuersies maie be prouided for yet Christiā men must remembre that we praie for dailie breade after the sanctificaciō of goddes name and the cōminge of his kingdome wherefore al carefulnes for temporal thinges must serue and gyue place to the sanctificacion of goddes name and to his kingdome ❧ Of fre and not monasticall Colleges of virgines FIrst we will that euerie college shal be lefte in that cōdition cōcerning dignite of birth wherein it is nowe I meane that suche colleges as were appointed to the daughters of Erles be lefte to them and suche as were appointed to knightes daughters be distributed to the same Secondly that abbasses and other virgines in colleges conforme themselues to this our reformacion in doctrine administration of the sacramentes other ceremonies item in the maner of readinge and singinge in the temples so that they reade and sing al thinges in a tounge which they vnderstande It shal be the abbasses parte to bringe vp and reteine the other virgines in the feare of the Lorde in holie moderacion of lyfe and in al honeste and therfore to stirre thē vp with diligēt warning and with the exēple of their owne life Lette the other virgines shew thē selues obedient to the abbasse and other rulers in all godlines sobrietie honest moderaciō of meates drinckes clothing and other thinges and doinges ❧ Of the ordre of sel bretherne And laie brethern SElle brethern in their profession are nexte to true monckrie they liue together they haunte scholes and labour with their hādes Wherefore we will maintein and aide them for these purposes requiring of them only that they purge and moderate their ceremonies lessons and songes accordinge to this our reformacion and that they liue a blameles life in the communion of the congregation where they dwell and in the obediēce of the cōmune pastours So likewise laie bretherne sustine them selues with their labours minister to the sicke and burie the dead Wherefore we wyll also helpe them fatherly and aide them in thys their holie kinde of life asmanie as wil faith fulli exequite these ministeries leade furth all their lyfe godly in the communion of the rest of the cōgregacion and in the obedience of the commune pastours Al these persones must be diligently examined bi the visiters of their ministeries and of their other conuersation and they muste lerne of the same a certaine form and rule of theyr lyfe and treade of lyuinge and they must obserue the same faythfully ❧ The conclusion of the worcke IT hath semed good vnto vs to publishe and set abrode amonge our men al the premisses beynge thus deuised deliberated and gathered together accordyng to oure simplicite but yet faithfully and with a true zeale of our Lorde Iesus Christe as a plaine introductiō to a christiā reformaciō of ecclesiastical matters and therwyth asmuch as the Lord shal permit to satisfie the office and cōmaūdemēt which we acknowlege to be enioyned vnto vs bi God our creator and also by the decree of the cōuocaciō of Ratespone which thinge moreouer our diocesanes haue required of vs haue cōmitted the same vnto vs to set an order therein Which thinges neuertheles we set furth to be receyued and obserued of men committed to oure charge none otherwise than as a beginninge of so holie and necessarie a thinge vntil a generall reformacion of congregacions be made by the holie empire by a fre and christian counsel vniuersall or nacionall or by the most redoubted emperour our most gracious Lord with the princes electors other princes cōmune estates of the holie empire gathered together in the holie Goste Which that the Lord wil graunte to be appointed and receiued with concorde of mindes for the settinge furth of hys glorie and the promotinge of our helth we ought cōtinually to desire and praie of the same Lorde and our God And where as in the meane ceason we offer thys our deuise to our men we do it for none other cause than we haue declared We labour to a voide the faute of inobedience chefely towardes God whyche hath sondrie wayes prescribed vnto vs in hys lawe this charge and thys worcke Secondly also towardes our superiours who inioyned the same thing vnto vs by the decre of the cōsel of Ratespōe Furthermore we studie to eschue the crime of vnfaithfulnes towardes our subiectes to whome requiring nowe the seconde tyme a godli reformacion of ecclesiastical ministerie and giueing vs authorite to order the same we promised this our diligēce which we also owe vnto thē bi reason of our office of an Archbyshop Therefore that we maye perfourme though not fully yet somewhat the thing that was enioined to vs by God and our sauiour and by our superiors and was required of oure men and by vs promised vnto them we bring furth these our deuises and deliberate sentences and deliuer them vnto our men sekinge therewith to promote and maintayne asmuche as the Lorde will vouchsafe to graunte a godlie concorde and holesome edificacion of al men in doctrine holie ceremonies and discipline of Christe and to preserue oure men chefely in thys so daungerous a time in whiche so many heresies and wicked opinions are daili more perniciousli stirred vp aboute vs from al false doctrine and perdicion which certainli foloweth wicked doctrine But if the Lorde hereafter shall reuele his wil vnto vs more largely shal giue vs more of hys grace and spirite we now kepe this liberte vnto vs to enlarge to shorten to chaunge to correcte to declare farther these our deuises institutiōs howbeit none other wise thā after the worde of God and as the Lorde shall graunt vs to perceyue that the same is for hys glorie and the edifcacion of his people whome he hath cōmitted vnto vs. We thought good to declare and testifie these thinges to al christian men which shal reade this boke vnto the glorie of God and profite of his congregacion Whome almightie God and our heauenlie father vouchsafe to illumine dayely more plentifully wyth his spirite and to brynge them farther in to the knowledge of his wyl to giue and encrease in theym mightie strength to folowe the same in all poyntes and at lēgth to make theym throughly blessed through oure sauioure the Lord Iesus Christ to whō be praise honoure glory for euer and euer Amen Finis ❧ Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye dwellyng in Sepulchres paryshe at the sygne of the Resurrection a lytle aboue Houlbourne Conduyt ❧ ☞ ✚ ☜

true and liuelie fayth they shoulde acknowledge oure Lorde Iesus Christ and confesse him to be the only sauiour and calle for his helpe in al trobles with a verie trust and exercise them selues in such worckes as in dede be good and fruteful in the holye sacramētes and other ceremonies of the church accordinge to Christes institution that godlines maie daily encrease more and more and that al thinges which be contrarie to Godes worde all sinnes and offences that be crept in to the church of God maye be abolisched wherefore attributinge nothinge ether to our wisdome or to the wisdome and doctrine of other but only encouraged and trusting in the true grace and sure promise of God the father and in the merite and strenghth of our Lord Iesus Christ the only hed and vigilant pastour of hys comgregation we haue determined to set furth accordynge to oure simplicite these thynges thus gathered after diligent deliberacion and correction asmuch as coulde be done in shorte tyme and asmuch as God helped vs wyth hys grace for some reformacion of Christian discipline For we graunte that it is our office to fede christes shepe and faithfully to loke to the congregacions cōmitted vnto vs. And we cal God our creator to witnesse whiche is euerlastinge truth and knoweth the hertes and seeth al thoughtes that we in al this matter of reformation seke nether our owne glorie nor oure priuate commodite but only haue respecte hereunto that the glorie of the almightie maye bee mooste largely set furth to the euerlastinge saluacion of oure men Therfore we besech al christen men of what condicion soeuer thei be which shal reade o● heare this our preparation of a reformation by our Lord Iesus Christ whose cause matter and busines is hādled in this boke if thei shal finde anie thinge in it that shal not seme to be agreable to goddes worde and make to the true edificacion of fayth in Christe whiche resteth in the augmentacion of goddes encrease that they wil certifie vs thereof and gently teach vs out of the holie scriptur We wyll take the same by goddes grace in good parte and gladli embrace those thinges that we shal perceiue to helpe to the reparation of the church and we be readie to do them more diligently than it is set furth in this boke that nothinge wante to the nessarie reformacion of the church And contrarie wise we require of them that if they shal perceiue that the Lord hath mercifully giuē vs to attain his meaninge and wil they wil helpe vs wyth their beniuolence and diligence asmuch as they maye that these thinges as the holsome commaundementes of oure maker redemer iugde Iesus Christ maye be sette furth chiefely seing that they vnder stand that it becōmeth vs in nowyse in those thinges whiche we surely knowe to be enioyned and commaunded vnto vs by oure God and sauiour out of hys worde to differ any lōger either for the authorite and power of anie men or for the expectacion of a councell generall or nationall the thinges which perteine to the glorie of God and of his most dere sonne and the saluation of the people but rather as commodiously as we maye to propone the same to be obserued of our men and other asmuch as the almightie will helpe vs with hys diuine grace whiche we wishe to al them that seke the same truly thorough our Lord Iesus Christ As we cōmende vnto them this our obedience such as it is in this our purpose whiche we owe to the diuine maieste with al our subiectes and our office desiringe the same children of god which with a sincere herte wishe the amplification of Christes kingdom to whome vndoubtedly our necessarie diligence though it be slender shal be acceptable that they with their godlie praiers will diligentlye ayde in this our purpose and ministerie vs and our subiectes Which thinge how acceptable it was vnto vs we desire to declare to euerie one whan we shal be able ❧ Giuen at Buschonie ❧ A Table of the principall Articles in this boke of a Reformacion OF Doctrine That some Lesson muste be resited out of the holye Scripture before a Sermon and declared vnto the people That al Sermōs must be made to the magnifiyng of the Lord Christ Of the Trinitie Of the creacion and gouernaunce of all thynges Of the cause of synne and death Of original sinne and mannes wekenes before regeneration Of the olde Testament Of the difference of the olde and newe Testament Of preachyng peculiar to the newe Testament Of the preachyng of Repentaunce Of the true and proper vse of Goddes lawe A short exposition of the .x. commaundementes Of remission of synnes and iustification Of good workes Of the true and natural significatiō of this worde fayth Of the crosse and tribulations Of the church of God Of the vnitie or concorde of the church Of christian prayer A short exposition of the Lordes praier Of the abuse in prayer Of the true and false vse of Images Of Christian fast Of holy offerynges A premoniciō and commaundement against the errours of the Anabaptistes Of the administration of religion Of Sacramentes generally Of Baptisme The fourme of a Catechisme before Baptisme The exorcisme Of the administration of Baptisme Howe Baptisme must be administred at times not prescribed Of Confirmation Of the Lordes Supper At what tyme the Lordes Supper ought to be celebrated Of the cōmuniō of straungers and sickfolke Howe sicke persōs must be visited and how we must celebrate the cōmunion with thē Of communion in priuate houses for menne in health Of turning from sins and true repentaunce Of excommunication Of the makyng of Pastours Of the blessyng of Mariages Of Buriyng Of holy and feastful dayes Of fastyng dayes and Lent Of the difference of meates Of certayne other ryghtes or ceremonies of the church Of ecclesiastical rites vpon working daies Of peculiar dayes of procession Of Letany Of commune almes Of scholes for chyldren Of scholes of Diuinitie Of disputation By what meanes a christian reformation of holy ministerie and cure of soules maye be begunne and practised in parishes Of refourmyng of canonical colleges Of the reformation of monasteries both of men and women Of free and not Monasticall Colleges of virgins Of the ordre of selbrethren and laye brethrē The ende of the table Of Doctrine OUR sauiour Gods sonne Iesus Christ which cam into this world to the intent to open that wonder ful and hyd wil of God concernyng the saluation of mankynd after this sort spake to his disciples and to all them that are called to the ministery of his Gospel As the father hath sente me so I sende Iohn x. Marke the last Chap. you And in another place Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to euery creature teachyng theim to kepe all thynges that I haue cōmaunded you Further God eternal the father of our Lord Iesu Chryst Mat. iii. xvii spake thus from heauen of hys sonne Him heare

bodies holye seede and children of thy kyngdome graunte that thei maye brynge theym vp to thy glorye that thy holye name maye be euer more sanctified and glorified by them and by theyr chyldren and by vs with them in al our wordes and dedes and that so thy kingdome maye be euer prōmoted and amplified and that al oure conuersation vpon erth maye be so framed to thy pleasure wyth lyke readynes of mynde and zeale as they whiche be in heauē obeie they wil. And that these thinges maie preuaile in vs and be dayly encreased gyue vs also our dayly breade necessarie thinges for the bodye prosperous health peace and tranquillite that we maye gette and enioye those thinges that be nedeful for oure life to thi glorie Forgiue vs also our dettes which we dayly renne in to thoroughe neglectinge oure duties forgeue vs oure synnes wherewith we offēde the perpetually and remoue mercyfully thei scourges which we wel deserue through our misdedes and synnes as we also before thine eyes doe gladli forgiue al them whiche maye seme to owe vs anye thynge either in omittinge theyr dutie or in dowinge wronge nether leade vs in to anye tentation whom thou instly examinest and tryest wyth sonder tentations on the ryght hande and the lyste with prosperite and aduersite But deliuer vs frō the deuil the olde craftie enenie Satan and from al hys subtillities and violente inuasions wherewith he tempteth vs sondrie waies and euer laboreth to pulle vs from the and thi cōmaundementes deliuer vs I saye that we maye neuer decline from the and thy worde nor suffer oure selues at anye tyme to bee drawen awaye therwyth entisementes or terrible threates but that we maye continue to the ende in the fayth of thy worde and in the obedience of thy commaundementes as they true and germain children for thou arte our only God and father thine is the kingdome and the power and the glorie with our lord Iesu Christe thy sonne and the holye goste now and euerlastingly ❧ Or more breifely Lorde God whyche wouldest ioyn man and woman in matrimonie and hast blessed them with the fruite of the wōbe and wouldest that in theyr copulacion a sacrament of thy loue towardes the congregacion should be sette furth we beseche thy mercifulnes that thou wilte not suffer this thy institucion and holie worcke to be in anye wife violated in thy seruauntes or thy blessinge to be turned from thē but preserue thē thorough thy bountuousnes and encrease in them the thinge that thou hast begonne to the welth of them and of thy congregacion and giue them the ample blessinge of thy mercye thorough our Lorde Iesus Christ The pastoures shal cause also the names of them whome he hath maried or baptised to be writtē in a boke with a note of the daie and the yere And forasmuche as the ingnorauncie of degres of consanguinite and affinite causeth often tymes muche busines and manye errous we wil procure that they shal be clearely and distinctly sette furth whiche the pastoures shal often declare to the people Furthermore greuous offences and many periuries growe of this that yonge persones promise matrimonie one to a nother rashly and priuily with out witnesses For it sone chaūceth that they forsweare theyr promisses we wil therefore that no promisse of matrimoni bee ratified that is made the parentes not knowinge of it or not consentynge ther vnto or agaynst the myndes of their kynsfoke or tutors if theyr parentes be absēt or not able to rule themselues But if the parentes kinsfolke or tutors wil haue yonge men or maidens beinge of ripe age to differre mariage or dryue theym to vnpleasaunte mariages which thing as it fighteth with humanite and with the worde of God so it is also forbiden by the lawes than they that be so burthened shal bringe the matter before the pastours and officers whiche shal labour to aswage the rigorousnes of the parentes kinsfolke or tutors wyth a frendlie exhortacion and if they can preuaile nothinge with that exhortacion they shall referre the mater to an ordinarie officer which by iudicial authoritie shall resiste the vniust rigorousnes of the parentes kinsfolke or tutors and he shal chose and appoynte some honest and wyse men by whose aduise some thinge shal be determined to the glori of God welth of the yong persons and edificacion of the churche concerninge the mariage of theym to whō their parentes kynsfolke or tutors be some what vngentle in thys behalfe And if anye haue nether parētes nor tutors neuertheles the despousation and promisse of mariage which they make is not to be compted of effecte if both the parties acknowlege it not or if there were not at the lest three or foure witnesses at the handfastinge which muste be honest men and worthey to be beleued For mariage is an holie thing and therefore we must go aboute the same with good aduisement and with the feare of God not thorough anie passion or desire of the flesh raschnes gylte deceyte and nawghtie craftes Whereof the pastours must often warne the people and declare howe vnsemelye a thinge it is for Christian menne to contracte matrimonie the ryght holie copulacion of men secretely and raschly that hereby yong men and maydens maye be ware that they knytte not thēselues together folishlye and craftely whereof periuries debates diuorces and miseries and that that is most greuous of all the wrathe of God is wonte to folowe But that those cōtrouersies which 〈◊〉 often about matrimonie may be more commodiouslye declared and decided and ●hat ignorante persones maye be the better prouided for we wil appoynte iudgementes in certayne places of our dominion to whiche suche matrimoniall causes shal be referred It shal also pertayne to the pastoures to enstruct to the people certaye tymes in the yere of Matrimonye wyth what religion and reuerence it ought to be taken in hande and to be kepte And they must teach wyth singular diligence what an holie copulacion of men marige is and what an excellent benifite it is of goddes prouidence to obtyne a good and tractable husbande or wyfe that they maye learne to praie God humbly and relygiously that he wyll prouide them and theyr children of conuenient mariages Let the pastoures also warne how grate a sinne it is and howe it is forbidden of God with a peculier curse not to regarde religion aboue al thinges in contractynge of mariage that euerye body seke principally a companion of fayth whiche dothe knowledge call vpon and worshippe Christ the Lord which maye be with him one man in the Lord and an helpe to goforwarde in the fayth and seruice of Christ Item after a consideracion of a consente in religion that they muste also se that there be a singuler cōsente of myndes and a likenes of maners and honest desiers whiche are wounte to be signes of goddes copulation fruther more that they must prefere the affinite of godlye and honest men by whom a man maye be encreased in

doctrine most diligētli and that it be lerned and kept perpetualy And this is a singular benifit of God that he preserueth hys worde beinge sette furth in certayne bokes from the beginning vnto the ende of the worlde wherein we haue a sure knowlege and doctrine of hym to lyue godly and blisfully and by the same we maye lerne the beginning the growynge furth and the spreadinge abrode of thys doctriue in to the hole worlde Thys benifite I saie of God is right excellent and verie inestimable wherefore that studie and care wherewith mē labour that this boke of lyfe and euerlaystinge saluacion maye be kepte sincere and faythfully taught and declared to men that they maye lerne thereby the true knowlege of God is vndoubtedly an office of godlines a seruice of god most acceptable For which cause God instituted the kyngedome of Iuda and mainteined it wonderfully so manye hundred yeres name ly that there mighte be a people a monge whome this booke shoulde be rightly kepte and a monge whom there shoulde remayne sure testimone is of God and of his wyl towardes vs vnto the cominge of Christ So God preserued also after the comminge of Christe and shall euer preserue some kyngdomes and cōmen weales where this boke shal be kepte to the ende of the worlde Seinge than that God and our father regardeth so much that this boke be religiousli kepte taught and lerned it is surely the office of all princes and of them that ministre the commē weale to erecte Scholes and so to prouide mete teachers for the same and such maner of teaching the youth of Christ that thys heauenlie doctrine comprehended in the holie Byble maye euer be kepte pure and faythfully taught in the congregacion For thys cause it is well knowen that at the beginning the Apostles euer instituted scholes in the congregations There be moreouer other liberal sciēces right goodlie giftes of God whereby great commodites are procured to the commē lyfe of men and preserued whyche also be verie necessarie for the ciuile administracion of the worldly matters It is than expediēt that the youth be enstructed herein Wherfore if we shall suffer schooles to fall downe and the studie of lerninge to perishe in shorte tyme the congregations shall want pastours and teachers and professours of other good sciences and the commen weale shall lacke gouerners whereby both the congregations and the common weale must nedes vtterly perishe and be ouerthrowen Wherefore we wyl that in euerie towne aswel smale as great latine scholes be erected for the behofe of the youth as the condion of euerie place wyll suffer And that the scholemasters and such as shal worcke with them in scholasticale labour may haue theyr rewarde and wages with lesse charge of the people we wyll by thaduise and assente of oure diosesanes after that we haue tried the cōmodite thereof depute certaine vicarages and other prebēdes to this vse Neuertheles the children shal also paie parte of the stipēd to the maisters namely such as nede not the almes of the congregacion Which rewarde euerie scholmaster shal equally dyuide with his assistantes Further more what order shal be kepte in euerie schoole what fourmes there shal be what howres shal be appoynted to teach the youth the scholmaster shal so order as it shal seme moste conuenient for the teachinge of children after that he hath consulted wyth the pastour and suche as we shal make visitours or ouerseers of this matter peculierly For as in other thynges so in schooles also a conuenient order is of greate importaunce The sholemasters and theyr fellowes shall haue theyr office inioyned vnto them by the consul of euerie place the pastour beinge present To these persōs the scholemasters shal promise that they wyll applye theyr office faythfully teach the youth after thys sorte First that they wyll teach the chyldren of the lowest fourme to reade and write and for that purpos they shal vse latyne bookes wherein is the Lordes praier the crede the ten cōmaundementes and such like thynges pertainyng to the institution of chyldren in religion so that wyth the first letters they may acquaynte theym selues wyth the preceptes of godlines Hereunto they shall adde the reading of Donate And the scholemasters shall prescriebe to these children certayne latine wordes or sentences daily in the eueninge whyche they shal render the next daye in the moringe They whiche haue lerned to reade and beginne to assaye to write shal be remoued to another fourme And the boke of Cato shal be red vnto them and thei shal be sette to lerne Donate wythout boke whom whan they haue learned some commen grammer shal be sette before thē which they shall also lerne wythout booke in order worde bi worde And the high procuratours of scholes shall principaully haue a regarde hereunto that the childrē lerne some certaine and regular grammer For that is necessarie for manie causes But bicause greate labour and continuall repeticion is requisite to the printinge of grammaticall rules in childrē and the children themselues abhorre from thys labour the most parte of sholemasters neglect the rules of grammar or teache thē negligently and make haste to the readinge of poets and Tullie and such like authors whyche is pleasaunter both to the teachers and heares than the perpetual repeticion of the rules of grammare is But by this preposterous maner of teachinge the youth is greatli hindred for thei neuer lerne to speake certaineli and purely whan they be not accustomed to certayne rules of speakynge Wherefore the sholemasters must be enioyned with singular diligence and bounde by an other to teache a certayne accustoumed and reguler grammer and certayne preceptes of speakinge to beate in the same with cōueniēt interrogaciones and answeres that they maye be grammarians and knowe acertayne way to speake latine In thys companie than of the seconde fourme the childrē shal be reteined so lōg til they haue perfectly lerned Donate and al grammar rules And herwyth besides Cato Aesopes fables and some dialoges of Mosellane or Erasmus shal be expouned and such other good for exercises and preludies And the thynges that shal be interpreted vpon one daye aboute eueninge they thē selues shall interprete the same the nexte daye with the declinacion and cōiugacion of some nownes and verbes wher rules of the gendre case preterperfectetens supine shal be demaunded of thē as al good scholmasters know they must do and wil do also diligently Further more this fourme must be daily exercised in writinge and euerie one shall delyuer to the master some enioyned writinge After the children haue lerned the Etimologie or rules of grammare metely well a thirde fourme shal be appointed of suche as haue profited so far in learninge To these children the masters shal expoune Tirence and the Aeneis of Virgil and they must procure that they learne perfectly the rules of construction which the masters shal declare with plaine and euident exemples Further in the repetion of

a lesson these two exercises must be diligently retained namely that the childrē do euer declare the constructiō of the text and also adde the rules so that they recite the coniugations and declinations and shewe the rules of the same In this exercise of repetinge and examininge a lerned and faithful master shal teach how manie waies the same sentence maye be spoken in latine with such declaracions of the propriete and elegancie of the latine toung they shal cause more plentious fruit than may be here fully expressed But this matter consisteth altogether in the faythfulnes and dexterite of the master Wherfore men thoroughly learned faythfull and prompte in teachinge must be sought furth to haue the gouernance of scholes cheifely in greate townes In thys fourme there shal be a certayne howre appoynted euerye weeke at whyche howre the childrē shal reherse wythout boke the rules of grammar that they forget them not The masters maye also change thir lectures and in the howre deputed to virgil expoune Tullies epistles In thys furme also euerie childe shall write and delyuer euery weeke a latine Epistle that together thei may learne both to speake to write latyne The fourth fourme shal be of thē whiche haue lerned theyr grammare rules and construction and haue attained a metly good latyne toung To thē afterwarde some logike shal be red as the logik of Cesarius Philip or Sturmius and some easie accentinge as of Murmelius or some other lyke In thys fourme more ouer some bookes of Ouides Metamorphosis de Pōto and Tullies offices shal be red The childrē of this fourme shal also be sterred vp to write verses which they shall deliuer to the master euerie month But forasmuch as manie be of that nature that thei lern to mak verses with much difficultie the shole master shal vse such moderacion in requiringe thys studie that he maye exercise euerie one in that that he shall perceyue the nature of euerie one to preuaile in Howe be it he shall exhorte the dulle also to this arte that thei do not vtterly caste a waie thys art for the greate profite which it hath vndoubtedly But they shall stirre them to trauaile furth as much as they canne and to write some verses though they be but fewe For this exercise maketh perfite grammarians and putteth the youth in remembraūce of manie necessarie thinges of figures of sōdrie wayes to speake latine and fedeth maruailously copie of latine speach Two howres a weeke shal suffice for the readinge of logike But whan it is ended it must be begonne a gayne At other howres the master shal interprete to theim to whom logike is red the greke grammare if they be fitte for that purpose whan he hath ended the grammare he shal expoune Hesiodus or Phocilides or some like thinge as a wise master shal percieue to be profitable for the children But the exercises of grammar rules and construction shal not be omitted in thys fourme but shal be vsed in the repeticion of Ouide These be the lectures whiche maye conuenently be reade the seconde thirde fifte and sixte daye of the weke For seinge that christiā scholes ought chifely to serue for the mainteinaunce and furtheraūce of the knowlege of God among men and to retaine and promote the doctrine of Christe and the hole true Christian religion we wyll and commaund that vpon the furth daie of the weke the schole cease frō other lectures and exercises and that thys daye be bestowed vpon teaching the catechisme and demaūde what the chilhren canne saye therein And we wyll do oure endeuoure that some commē and vniforme Catechisme shal be vsed thorought the hole diocese For we must not graunte to the scholemasters that euerie one shall make a newe catechisme but we wyll that they all vse the receyued whiche they shal so decylre and beate in to children that the youth maye be kepte and euer furthered in the syncere knowlege of Christ in fayth and communion of the congregacion And the selfe same doctrine must be taught in the scholes and in the cōgrgaciōs Which thinges the ouerseers of the congregacions shal cheifly loke to Furthermore the scholemayster shal exhorte his elder sholars to the communion of the Lords supper but let him first enstructe them diligently of this sacrament and examen them Finally in this fourth daye of the weke whan the catechisme shabe handled let eueri childe of the lowest fourme be hearde whether he can faye in latine and in hys mother toung the partes of the catechisme that is to saye the Lordes praier the crede the ten commaundmentes the wordes of baptisme and of the Lordes supper and of discipline and christian correction as they are wrytten Math. xviij Vpon the same day the schole master shal grammatically interprete to hys elder sholers and to suche as canne attaine to it the Gospel of the sondaye nexte folowyng and shal declare the sume of that lesson to them and shewe them what thinges are touched therein concerninge faith and other vertues that the scholemaster and the youth may accustome them selues to knowe more certainly and to serch out more religiousli the thiuges that be taught in the Gosples lette the Saturday be bestowed vpon Musike that vpon that daye the rules of Musike may be taught and the yong men enstructed and exercised to singe cheifely those songes which vpon the nexte sondaye shal be sounge in the temple For scholemaysters and scholars must not only be present at the songes in the congregacions befor other but they must al so beare the cheifeste stroke not only vpon holie dayes but also vpon other dayes whā there shal be holye assembles as it shal be appointed after the cōdicion and commodites of euerie place In this mater suche moderacion must be kept that the childrens heath be not hurted in the winter thorought colde if they be deteined to long in the temple and that they be not so occupied in singinge that theyr study of lerninge be hindred It pertaineth also to the maintenaunce and encrese of grauite and religion in temples that to sondrie and longe songes be not vsed But these thinges and suche other that pertaine to the dignitie of holie assembles edificaciō of the people of Christ the visiters shal appoint accordinge to the oportunitie of euerie place ¶ Of the schole of deuinitie But for maiteinaunce of Christean doctrine and holesome administration of churches those firste beginninges are not onely required whyche be gotten in the scholes of children but furthermore it is necessarie that men giuen theym selues altogether to lerne perfetly the vniuersal scripture of the prophetes and the Apostles and to excusse al the hearde questions whyche haue exercised the churche from the begninge Item to knowe the waye and meane whereby the holy fathers in theyr time defēded the Lordes truth in the cōgregacion and kepete the same pure vnto vs and finallye howe we maye in our time defende and retaiue the same That there maye bee

euer in the congregation meete men and well furnished to set furthe and defende the doctrine of Christe and that so the true doctrine of Christ reueled vnto vs from God and comended and beclared by the Appostles which the true catholike church of Christe hath euer holden maye be kepte and sprede furth vnto oure posterite by the grace and goodnes of christ thys of righte ought to be chiefeste care of great princes and al gouerners of commenweales as in dede it is the principall seruice of God For these causes the Apostles and their disciples instituted in theyr congregacions such peculiar lectures and scholes as we read of Iohan the Euāgeliste Pof olicarpus of the scholes erected Antioch Alexandre and constātinople And such wer scholes at the beginning whych nowe be ecclesiastical colleges And this maner of institutinge such scholes was verie profitable to the cōgregacions for foure causes First that the writinges of the Apostles and prophet in such colleges and scholes might be preserued from perishinge Secōdly that there myght euer be witnesses of the Apostolike writinges whyche shoulde be true and which counterfeit For euen streyght waye at the beginninge some wrytinges were carred aboute vnder the name of the Apostles vntruly whyche were furth with reiected and noted by these scholes As we reade that Ihon the Euangeliste reproued one for addyng a false appendice to the Actes of the Apostles Thirdlye that such scoles might bear witnes what doctrin and vnderstandinge of the scriptures was taught by the Apostles least straunge doctrines and enterpretations of the scriptures and suche as fyght with the doctrine of the Apostles might crepe in the authours wher of should be vnknowne or elles aduersaries to this testimoni of the cōgregacion Fourthly that out of suche colleges and scholes meete teachers and gouerners might be taken for other churches also These I thinck wer the causes whither wer alwaies in the congregations such companies and colledges from the beginninge whyche after that they wer enriched by the liberalitie of princes and godlye men thei were broughte to such colledges of Cannons as we se nowe a dayes But forasmuch as the studie of the holie scriptures is euer quēched a greate while sithens in these colledges many other slanders pernitious to the cōgregations ar com in with a lamentable ignorance of holy matters surely the great nede necessitie of the congregations requireth that scholes be restored and preserued asmuche as the Lorde wyl helpe thereunto Wherfore we also haue purposed to erect and cōstitute such a schole of Diuinitie at Bonne wherein after the custome some mete readers shal teach the holye scriptures and other good learnyng in which we wyll also procure that the studentes shal haue a place and a table as the maner is in other vniuersities And moreouer we wyl depute somwhat for pore younge men There shall then be appoynted for a beginning seuē professours in this our schole The firste shall professe diuinitie and shall teache openly two dayes of the wieke in the olde testament and two other in the newe to whose iudgement we wyll permitte that he shall chuse out of the holie bokes those that he thynketh wyll be moste profitable for the hearers as in the olde Testament Genesis Deutoronomie the Psalmes Esaie In the newe Paule Iohn Luke And this professoure shall so moderate his doctrine that it agre with this sūme of holie doctrine which we haue described in thys boke and whiche is in deede the doctrine and meanyng of the true and catholike churche of Christe This principall reader of diuinitie shall also exercise the office of the superintendant in the cōgregrations nigh aboute and as the rector of thys schole he shall haue charge of the other reders and shal warne thē of their duti if neede be and if they do not their duties he shal bryng the matter before them whō we wyl appoint to be vphoders and maynteyners of thys our ordinaunce He shal labour also to maynteyne mutuall cōcorde betwene the professours that one hurte not an other wyth wordes writinges or other wayes And he shall decree and put in execution by the aduise and assent of the other readers thynges perteynynge to the discipline and correction of the youth The seconde reader shal also examine the holie scripture but there wythall he shall teache the hebrue tonge Two daye in the wicke he shall enterprite some boke wyth a theological exposition Foure dayes he shall reade hebrue in order First he shal teach the grammer and then he shall expoune some boke of the Bible and therin he shal declare the rules and vse of the grammer that thys tonge maye be more certeynely knowen of yonge men and be made more familiar vnto them The thyrde professour shal reade logike and the greke tonge both twaine euerie day in the wieke in the which he muste teache as vpon the seconde the thyrde the fifte the sixt day of the wieke Which thynge shal not be harde vnto hym whiche hath atteyned but euen a meane knowledge of both the artes For he that hath once wel perceyued the ru●es of Logike shall not haue muche a do to teache them But he shal chuse some cōmune and good Logike as is the Logike of Cesarius philip or Sturmius And he shal not chaunge that that he hath begonne to teache and moreouer as often as he hath ended the same he shall adde some boke of Aritoteles his Logike whom he shall interprete in greke But he shall chose the easiar bokes as is the boke of Porphyrius or of the Predicamentes or some parte of the Analitikes that the youth maye be prepared to the readyng of Aristotle And he shall moderate all these thynges accordynge to the capacitie of the hearers When the boke of Aristotle is finished he shall returne to the accostomed Logike of Cesarie Philippe or Sturmius In the other houre when he muste reade greke this reader shal first teache the grammar and afterward Hesiodus or some part of Homere or some Tragidies of Euripides or Sophocles or some oratiō of Isocrates or somewhat of Luciane or Herodotus Those ended he shall returne to the grammare The fourth reader shall professe Rhetorike and shall reade euerie daye twyse one houre he shal bestowe vpon the preceptes of Rhetorike and he shal chuse some good Rhethorike cōmunely vsed in the scholes which ended he shall expoune Erasmus his boke de copia rerum and after that some bokes of Quintilian namely the second the thirde the eight and the tenth On the other houre he shal expoune some ●ration of Cicero wherein asmuche as he shall thynke needfull he shall declare howe the oration agreeth wyth the rules and preceptes of Rhethorike Howbeit some tymes in the steede of oratiōs he shall mengle some what out of the poetes This reader of Rhethorike shal also professe moral philosophie Therefore in the houre deputed to thys lecture he shall expoune sometymes Tullies offices and sometymes he shal interprete

Aristotles his Ethikes in greke and shall introduce the youth to the readynge of these bokes The fifte reader shal be a grammarian for though thys schole shall be appoynted and instituted for thē that haue learned grāmare in the scholes of chyldren yet for as muche as the wittes of chyldren and yonge folke be vnlike and some when they come to these cōmune lectures knowe not theyr grāmare fully and some forget the same it shall be necessarie that amonge other cōmune lectures some chyldely exercise in grammare be also reteyned Lette the professours then whē they haue tried the learnynge of euerie one distribute the chyldrē into certeyne fourmes as euerie one hath profited in learning and lette them pricke those forwarde whiche haue not bene sufficiently trained in grammare to learne the same more perfectly To thys reader there muste be two houres assigned euerie daye in whiche he shall cause the youth to rehearse wythout boke the rules of grammare euerie one in ordre And thys custome must needes be euer reteyned in scholes and not chaunged And forasmuche as the youth vnwillingly susteyneth thys exercise the professours muste all agree vpon the maynteynaunce of thys statute and cōpell the youth wyth punishmentes to thys exercise euerie one accordynge to his age and according as he hath profited in learnynge that they may make theyr hearers perfecte grammarians whiche thinge healpeth excedynge muche to true and substantiall learnynge For cōmune studies are greatly endamaged in thys tyme by reason that a perfecte institution of grammare is neglected and manie yonge men go to other professions and artes before that they haue perfectly learned grammare Of whiche hinderaunce though all faythfull enstructours of youth complayne and as muche as in them lyeth woulde gladly remoue the same from theyr scholars and compell them to learne grammare perfectly yet they wante the authoritie and ayde of them whiche haue superiour power in scholars Wherefore we wyll that oure ouerfears shall diligently resiste thys euyll and procure wyth all diligence that thys exercise of grammare be faythfully maynteyned and sette forth In the other houre thys reader shall cause the chyldren to rehearse without boke the accentynge of Mycillus and shall require of them that they exercise them selues in wrytyng of verses And for thys purpose he shall expoune some Poete vnto them We wyll that the sixte professoure shall reade Mathematicall sciences and naturall Philosophie and we thynke it sufficient that he reade one houre in a daye Therefore on the seconde and thyrde daye of the wieke he shall teache Arithmetike and that done he shal reade the litle boke of the Sphere made by Iohn de Sacro busto whiche muste be diligently declared to the youth Afterward he shall returne to Arithmetike and shal cōtinue therin On the other two daies namely vpon the fifte and the sixte he shall professe somewhat in naturall Philosophie and he shall chuse some vsed and approued boke in thys arte as summula Alberti or Philippes boke De anima or some such that is not veri lōge nor obscure Whā these be ended he shall take in hande to declare some short Cosmographie as the Cosmographie of Appian wherein he shal teache the youth the maner of comptyng diligently The seuenth reader shall be a lawyar whyche shalle expowne the Institutions of Iustinian one houre euerie daye For it shal be good to introduce gentlemēnes children and the chyldren of other worshypfull Citizins whiche shall come to thys schole to the knowledge of the lawe teachynge the fyrste principles of thys arte Whiche thing shall haue thys commoditie that while they trauayle in the lawe they shal perceiue how greate the vse of other artes is chiefely of Rhethorike and Logike But bycause manie chyldren and yonge men shall come into thys schole a phisition and an Apothecharies shoppe shall be needfull Where we wyll haue an eye to this cōmoditie also Euerie wieke on the fourth day thre professours shall come togyther the Rethoritian the Logitian and the Grammarian that they maye examen the yonge mennes wrytynges as well prose as verses and amende some of them that the youth maye see what thynges be fautie and learne to auoyed the same and to wryte better The professours also shall procure asmuche as maye be that the scholars do euer speake latine ❧ Of disputation It pleaseth vs also that foure tymes in a yere a disputation of diuinitie be kept vpon a saturdaye in whiche disputation the professours of diuinitie shall sitte as Iudges by course But the professours of artes shall procure that some disputation or declamation be vsed euerie moneth In disputations lette the better learned amonge the studētes make argumentes and then the professours thē selues At these disputatiōs we wyl haue a Rector to be euer presente that they maye dispute comely and wyth friendlie myndes and that the disputations gyue not occasion to pernitious brawlynges and dissentions Further it shall perteyue to the Rector to see that profitable matters be sette forth to be disputed of and suche as be offensiue to no man The same man shall diligently exhorte the youth to the holie communion and shal laboure to bringe to passe that they go to the Lordes table often in the yere But they that shal come to the communion shall fyrste aske absolution and then they shall be examined what they haue profited in the doctrine of Christe But howe the houres shall be destributed when euerie professoure shall reade the professours them selues wyth the Rectour shall appoynte whom we wyl also to make statutes by commune aduise concernynge the maners of the studentes whereby they maye be allured and dryuen to those thynges that perteyne to godlines and other vertues and whereby also they maye be an exemple to other men of godlinesse and honestie The Rectour then and the professours shall make lawes that the Scholars at conuenient tymes go to the temple comely and together that they be present in the holie assembles heare sermons praye wyth the cōgregation vse the Sacramentes offre their gyfttes to Christe the Lorde for the pore that they eschue vngodly othes euyll speakyng eursynge and all noysome and vncleane speache all gloutonie dronkennes and vnchastnes that they weare comely and honest apparell not iagged or otherwise gaye and proude that theyr gounes come doune beneth theyr knees These thynges and suche lyke perteynynge to discipline semely for christian Scholars and to honestie shall be comprehended in statutes and ena●ted with punishmentes Suche a Schole out of which most ample cōmodities shal come to the congregation and that eueri ordre of mē mai be wel instituted and mainteined so that not only the professors shal haue iuste stipendes but also certeine poore scholars shal be founde if the reuenues of one abbaie be appoynted hereunto which now be wretchedly wasted For ye maye fynde many Monasteries euerie where in whiche there scarcely remaine fiue or sixe monkes and such men as neither be nor cā be any waies

the same frely and frākly without let or perturbatiō of any man howbeit vn●er this cōditiō that in doctrine celebratiō of Masses administratiō of the sacramētes and other ecclesiastical ministeries thei so behaue them selues as it is described in thys our forme of reforma●iō and that thei ordre their life as it becommeth thē that profes the discipline of clearks and thei must passe other in religiō that not only nobody be offēded with their conuersa●iō but that manie by theyr exemple may be alured and stirred vp vnto al godlines and honesti Further that thei so order and moderat their lessōs and sōges in the tēple that thei fech al thinges that thei wil read or sing out of the diuine scriptures or at the lest that thei dissēt not frō the same Which thing that we may bring to passe more cōmodiously certainli we offer our selues to chuse to ioyne mete mē for this purpose to thē whō it shal please our suprēe cāons to depute to this matter which with their chosē mē shal examen the bokes of holie lessōs and sōges that ar now vsed and shal frame al thinges that must be read or songe in the temples thorough the yere according to the rules of the holie scriptures So that not only our principal Chap college but also al other clerkes thorough oure citie and diocese shal haue a forme and maner that they maye folowe to reade and singe in temples And that the vse of the latine tounge maye be keptein congregacions we wil that it be fre and lawful not only to our principal Cha. and college but also to al other colleges thorough our diocese to vse the latine tounge in goddes seruice yet so that wher as parishes be incorporated to colleges those lessōs and sōges which are vsed for the peple be red and sōg in douch as it is cōstituted in this our fourme of reformacion that the cōmen people maye vnderstande the thinges that shal bee red or songe out of the scripture and adde their A men to the same Thirdly let the colleges of Canōs thorowe our whole dioses prouide that the parishes which they haue had long time in corporated wante not mete pastours teachers and scholemasters And that they be not defrauded of iuste wages lest these cōgregacions shoulde want lawful ministerie both of religiō also of cōmune lerninge And if the colleges shall thyncke that they are burthened therewith their maye some vicarages whan they shall be vacant be turned to thys vse which is right necessarie for the cōgregaciōs Fourthly that there be appointed in our prēcipal college tow men of excellēt lerninge religion to preach to the cōmen people daily to whom let their be tow prebēdes assigned and it shal be cōueniēt that they be exēpted frō the quiare for the purpose rehersed Fiftly that thei order a schole of the college with singular diligēce that the yonge princes and Erles whiche be appōinted to the high college and also other maye be so taught and enstructed therein that they maye be an ornament and aide boeth to thēselues and also to other and to the hole congregacion of God Sixtly we require that eueri prelate and cānon of our principal colledges execute the ministerie that is peculyarly enioyned to euery man faythfully and diligently that is to say that the prouost and eueri Archdeacō prouide euerye man in his Archdenerie first that the congregations and scholes be fayth fulli loked vpō and renued in tyme. Secōdly that the goodes of the church be faithfully kept and distributed and nothing wasted therof or alienated from the congregation Furthermore that euery mā exercise his iurisdictiō in his Archedenery after that sorte and reformation that hertofore we haue prescribed in our seculer and ecclesiastical iudgemētes and will prescribe hereafter by the aduise and consent of our counsayle Finallye let this be the proper charge of the prouest that asmuch as he may he mantain the goodes of al the churches and suche as shal be geuen to scholes and that he bring to passe that al the ministeries of the congregaciōs of hys Archedenery be restored and preserued euery where and renued whā the matter shal so require accordinge to Gods word and this is our forme of reformatiō So it shal pertain to the Deane of the principal colledge first to labour herein that all ecclesiastical ministeries administrations of sacramēts and their ceremones be ordred and executed chiefli in the principal college afterwarde in other cōgregatiōs also accordynge to the lordes worde and thys our reformatiō Secondly that all the Canons of the principal college order theyr life wel and honestli and liue in Christian discipline as their profession requireth Further that he bestowe faithful labour aboute the colleges matters that they maye be rightly and timeli hādled and dispatched as cōmodiously as maye be Finalli that he haue a peculiar charge of the preachers of the high college that there be euer mete mē appointed and that they which be appointed do their dutie diligently For the perfurmaunce of al these thinges the Subdeāe or Vicedeāe muste be an helper to the Deane and in the absense of the Dean he must exequute al the forerehersed matters pertaning to the Deane The ouerfear of the Quiar shal procure that al thinges be cōely and religiously red and soung in the Quiar and in the assemble that is wounte to come to gether to the principal temple and that al troblesome and vncomelie actiōs be eschwed The office of the scholerulers of the principal college shall be first to prouide diligently that the schole of the high colege haue faithfull and mete teachers and that the same order and exequite their lecturs and ecclesiastical exercises rightli and cōely Secōdli to procure that the yonger Canons be stirred vp warned and pricked furth to godlie and honest studies of lerninge and also to a semelie institution and framinge of their life and maners Further to watch that thei which must be appointed to the holie ministeries be lawfully examined and that no mā be admitted or ordained to any holy ministery except he be approued accordinge to this our reformacion Finally he shall faythfully exequite his wounted office in the chapter houses in demaundinge of sentences and in speakinge and aunswering In the name of the chapter After the same sorte other Canons also must faithfully applie their office and ministerie aswel noble mē as priestes in reading and in hādlinge matters of the college in the Chapter and obeinge theyr prelates as it is conuenient And whā Canons which be priestes shal not be boūd to somanie masses as they haue ben heretofore it woulde please vs that this waie be kepte cōcernig them hereafter namely that tow of them be deputed and bounde vpon the sōdaies and holie daies to celebrate the holie Eucharista and to dispense sacramentes Tow to preache whyche therefore shoulde be fre frō the Quiar Tow to reade diuinite in the scholes

ye Wherefore let vs constitute hym a Doctoure of authoritie and iudge of all writinges Peruse Cypriās boke ij Epistle iij. And that Christ ought only to be heard the father witnesseth also from heauen saying this is my sonne in whom I am well pleased heare hym Wherfore if Christ only oughte to be hearde we must not looke what any mā before vs hath thought good to bee doone but what Christe fyrste dyd whych is before all All preachinges ought to be taken out of the holie scriptures Forasmuch as thā this doctrine of God the father and of oure Lorde Jesus Chryst is taught in no wrytinges but in the wrytynges of the Propheies and the Apostles and seyng that there is none other doctrine wherin the wyll of God from the begynnyng concernyng mannes saluation is set furth with more certayne and strong testimonies Paule saiyng also that the churche Ephe. ij is buylded therupon it is ryght necessary that al the ministers of the Gospel read often pondre the hole deuine scripture with the feare of God and exquisite diligence both that they them selues maye be better learned and also that they may enstruct other of the euerlastyng wyl of God of the law of synne of the wrath of God of grace and ryghteousnes promysed for Chryst the mediatour of lyfe euerlastyng and paynes euerlasting which the dispisers of the word must nedes suffre This wysdome as Paule witnesseth to the Corinth doth far excel al mans wisdom For he saith we speake the wisdome of God in mistery which is hid whych God predestinated before the worldes vnto our glory whyche none of the prynces of this worlde hath knowne but God hath opened it vnto vs by his spirit i. Corin. xi Wherefore forasmuch as God hathe propouned vnto vs this his holesome and heauenlye doctryne onely in the writynges of the Prophetes of the holy Apostles and because we cannot receiue the same certaine and vndouted els where al shepherdes preachers ought to exercyse them selues diligently daye and nyght in these holy and deuyne bokes that they may be apter to teach other As the holy S. Ciprian to Pompeius agaynst Stephanes Epistle I● behoueth a byshop not only to teach but also to learne For he dothe better teache which dayely encreaseth and profiteth in learnynge better thynges Se. s Augu. also boke v. of Baptisme agaynste the Donatistes Cha. xvi Gost requireth it in them by name that they declare and shewe them selues approued to God and such workemen of Christ as nede not to be ashamed of their mynistery and whych also may rightly deuide the word of truth and teach other with fruite ij Timoth. ij Item that they holde fast that faythful word whych is accordyng to doctryne that they may bee able to exhort thorough holsome doctrine and to conuince the agaynsayers therof Titu i. In which deuine precept propouned to al teachers ministers of congregations the pastours and preachers shall obserue diligently Fyrst that it is required of thē that in teachyng they hold fast the certayne and faythful word that is to say to whych certayne and vndouted fayth ought to be geuē Wherof it foloweth that thei must take ryght diligent hede that they myngle none opinions of men with their doctryne and preachyng but that they teache religiously and deliuer to the people the syncere worde Ther be ma ▪ of God For this saiyng is euer true Euery man is a lyar Psalm Cxvi And Paule saith The natural man vnderstandeth not those thynges that be of the spirite of God for thei be folyshnes vnto hym and he cannot perceiue them i. Cori. ij After the same sort sayth Esay xl Al flesh is grasse and al the glory therof is as the flour of the felde the grasse wythereth and the floure fadeth But the word of the lorde abideth for euer Seing then that men of theyr owne nature be deceyued and can not of them selues vnderstande the doctrine of grace and seinge that theyr glorie or excellencie by whiche worde the prophete would chiefely signifie mannes wysedome falleth awaye lyke a floure howe can mannes reason and wisdome when it is not guyded and directed by the spirite and worde of God perceyue and teache anie certentie and truth chiefely concernyng diuine matters and the restitution of man And although al christian men haue the spirite of God whiche as he leadeth eche one into all truth as muche as is sufficient for his owne saluation and for the profitte of the congregation so he hath witnessed in man the gospell of Christe wyth goodly bookes and wrytynges and doeth euen vnto thys daye wytnesse and preache neuerthelesse fleshe and bloude abyde in al men be they neuer so holy and spiritual as Augustine I can not denie nether ought to denie that as in oure elders them selues so there be many thinges in so manie my workes that may be blamed wyth ryghte iudgement and no rashenes at all longe as they lyue here whiche fleshe and bloude perceyue not the thynges that pertayne vnto God The sense and vnderstandyng of the fleshe remayneth whiche stryueth agaynst God Wherfore in thys lyfe there neyther hath ben nor is anie man endued wyth so great holines or doctrine but that it hath chaunced hym often to fall and to be deceyued Wherefore as Saynte Augustine so lykewyse other fathers and olde doctours allowed not all the writinges and sentences of them whiche had taughte eyther before them or in theyr tyme for thys cause that those thynges came from men so excellent in godlines and learnynge but as farre as euerie man confirmed his doctrine The same antour in the Epistle to saint Hierome and sentence with the worde of God and sure reasons And they counted those onely reasons to be sure and certaine which thei perceiued to be deriued out of the word of God Of which sort those be with which S. Paule proueth that a woman muste couer Howe we muste iudge of the wrytynges of the fathers hyr heade in the congregation and kepe silence and not teache men i. the Corhinth xi and. xiiii For the apostle cōfirmeth these thynges wyth thys reason namely because the worde of God testifieth that the womā is of the man that she was made after the man and first admitted the gyle of Satan Item that she oughte to be subiecte to hy husbande Wherfore al cōfirmations of godlie doctrine consiste in the onely testimonie of the Vppon what foundation al godly doctrine ought to stand scripture vpon wihche scripture al that we either beleue or teache of God and oure Christe oughte to be grounded For thys scripture only setteth before vs the word of God vnmixte and certayne wherunto onely we ought to giue credence in diuine matters for it was not taught of mē but of the holy goste from heauen as S. Petre wytnesseth sayinge knowe this first that euerie prophetical scripture is not of priuate interpretation For prophecie was not at