MarginaliaAn. 1548.

to whom he was appoynted, requiring them to geue such knowledge thereof in theyr diocesses, as therunto appertayned: as more playnly appeareth by these hys own letters here inserted which here do followe.

MarginaliaBoners letter for the abolishing of Ashes, Palmes, &c.MY very good Lord, after my most hartye commendatons, these be to aduertise your good Lordshyp, that my Lord of Canterburies Grace thys presēt. xxviij. day of Ianuarie, sent vnto me hys letters missiue, contayning thys in effect: That my Lord Protectors grace, wyth the aduise of other the kynges Maisties most honorable Counsell, for certayne considerations them mouing, hath fully resolued that no candels shall be borne vpon Candlemas day, nor also from hence foorth Ashes or Palmes vsed any longer, requyring me thereupon by hys sayd letters, to cause admonition and knowledge thereof to be geuen vnto your Lordship and other Byshops with celeritie accordingly. In consideratiō wherof I doo send at this present these letters vnto your said Lordship, that you therupon may geue knowledge and aduertisement thereof within your diocesse as appertaineth: Thus committing your good Lordship to almightye God, as well to fare as your good hart can best desyre. Wrytten in hast at my house in London the sayde xxviij. day of Ianuary. 1548.

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Your good Lordships to com-
maund Edmund London.  

MarginaliaContention amongest the people for Images.Now about that present tyme credible and certaine reporte was made vnto the Lordes of the Counsayle, that great contention and strife did dayly aryse among the common people in diuers partes of thys Realme, for the pulling downe and taking away of such images out of the Churches as had bene idolatrouslye abused by pilgremage, offerings, or otherwyse (according to the tenure of one of the Iniunctions geuē by the king in hys late visitation) some affirming that the image was abused, others that this, and most, that neither of them both: so that if speedy remedy were not had therin, it mought turne to farther inconuenience. Wherefore they, by one aduise thinking it best (of good experience) for the auoyding of all discord and tumult, that all maner ymages shoulde bee cleane taken out of all Churches, and none suffered to remayne, did thereupon agayne wryte their letters vnto the Archbishop of Canterbury, requyring hys ready ayde therein, in maner following.

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MarginaliaLetters from the Counsell for abolyshing of Images, to the Archbishop of Canterbury.AFter our right harty commendations to your good Lordshyp, where now of late in the kynges Maiesties visitations, among other godly Iniunctions commaunded to bee generally obserued throughe all partes of this hys highnes Realme, one was set forth for the takyng downe of all such Images as had at any tyme ben abused with pilgrimages, offerynges or censinges: albeit that this sayd Iniunction hath in many partes of the Realme bene quietly obeyed and executed, yet in many other places much strife and contention hath risen, and dayly riseth, and more and more encreaseth about the execution of the same: some men beyng so superstitious, or rather willfull, as they would (by theyr good wils) retayne all such Images still, although they haue bene most manifestly abused  

. And in some places also the Images whiche by the sayd Iniunctions were taken downe, be now restored and set vp agayne. And almost in euery place is contention for Images, whether they haue bene abused or not. And whiles these men go on both sides contentiously to obtaine theyr myndes, cōtendyng whether this Image, or that Image hath bene offered vnto, kyssed, censed, or otherwise abused, partes haue in some places bene takē, in such sort, as farther incōueniēce is lyke to ensue, if remedy be not foūd in time. Consideryng therefore that almost in no place of this Realme is any sure quietnes, but where all Images be cleane taken away, and pulled downe already, to the intent that all contention in euery part of the Realme for this matter, may be clearely taken away, and that the lyuely Image of Christ should not contend for the dead Images, which be things not necessary, and without which the Churches of Christ continued most godly many yeares, we haue thought good to signifie vnto you that hys hyghnes pleasure, with the aduise and consent of vs the Lord Protectour and the rest of the Counsayle, is that immediatly vppon the sight thereof, with as cōuenient diligence as you may, you shal not onely geue order that all the Images remainyng in any Churche or Chappell with in our Dioces be remoued and taken away, but also by your letters signifye vnto the rest of the Byshops within your Prouince, that hys highnes pleasure for the lyke order to be geuen by them, and euery of them within their seuerall Dioces   . And in the execution hereof, we requyre both you and the rest of the sayd Byshops to vse such foresight as the same may be quietly done, with as good satisfaction of the people as may be. Thus fare your good Lordshyp hartely well. From Somerset place, the xi. of February. 1548.

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Your Lordshyps assured louyng frendes

Edw. Somerset.	Iohn Russell.
Hen. Arrundell.	Thom. Semer.
Anth. Wyngfield.	Will. Paget.

MarginaliaThe Archbishop writeth to Boner.When the Archbyshop had receaued these letters, hee forthwith directed his precept vnto Boner Byshop of London, requiryng, and in the kynges Maiesties name commaūdyng him, that with all spede he should aswell geue in charge vnto the rest of þ^e Byshops within the Prouince of Caunterbury, to looke immediatly without delay vnto the diligent and carefull execution of the contentes of the sayd letter throughout all places of their Dioces: as also that he him selfe should do the lyke within hys owne Citie and Dioces of London. Wherupon, he seemyng then with lyke outwarde consent as before, to allowe these doynges, presently (by vertue of the sayd precept) did send out his Mandatū,  

aswell vnto the rest of the Byshops, as also agayne vnto the Byshop of Westminster in forme folowyng.

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MarginaliaBoners letter to the byshop of Westminster, for abolishing of images.EDmundus permissione diuina London. Episcopus per illustrissimum in Christo principem & dominum nostrum, dominum Edwardum sectum Dei gratia Angliæ, Franciæ, & Hibernie Regem, fidei defensorum & in terra Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ & Hibernicæ supremum caput, sufficienter & legitime autorisatus, Reuerendo in Christo confratri nostro Domino Thomæ eadem permissione Westm. Episcopo, salutem & fraternam in Domino charitatē. Literas reuerendissimi in Christo patris & domini D. Thomæ, permissione diuina Cantua. Archiepiscopi totius Angliæ primatis & Metropolitani, tenorem literarum missarum clarissimorum & prudentissimorum dominorum de priuatis consilijs dicti illustrissimi domini Regis ini se continen. nuper cum ea quo decuit reuerentia humiliter recepimus exequend. in hæc verba. Thomas permissione diuina Cant. &c. And then makyng a full recitall as well of the Archbyshops precept, as also of þ^e Counsels letters aboue specified, hee concluded w^t these wordes. Quocirca nos Edmūd. Episc. antedictus, Literis prædictis, pro nostro officio obtemperare, vti decet, summopere cupientes, vestræ fraternitati tam ex parte dicti excellentissimi Domini nostri Regis, ac præfatorum clarissimorum dominorū de priuatis suis consilijs, quàm prædicti Reuer. patris domini. Cant. Archiepiscopi, tenore præsentium committimus & mandamus, quatenus attentis & per vos diligenter consideratis Literarum huiusmodi tenoribus, eos in omnibus & per omnia, iuxta vim, formam, & effectum earundē, cum omni quo poteris celeritate accommoda, per totam Dioces. vestrā West. debite & effectualiter exequi faciatis & procuretis. Datum in ædibus nostris London. vicesimo de Februarij. Anno. domini. 1548. Et Regni dicti illustrissimi domini nostri Regis. Anno secundo.

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Now by the tyme that these thinges were thus determined, the learned mē, whiche the kyng had appointed (as ye haue heard before) to assemble together for