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1286 [1285]

K. Ed. 6. The statute of the vj. Articles, & other bloudy statutes repealed. Reformatiō.

MarginaliaAn. 1547.
Iniunctions geuen to the Byshops.
Iniunctions, thertofore geuen, or after to bee geuen from time to time, in and through their Dioces, duely, faithfully, and truely to be kept, obserued and accomplished, and that they should personally preach within their Diocese, euery quarter of a yeare once at þe least, that is to say once in their Cathedrall Churches, and thrise in other seuerall places of their Diocesses, wheras they should see it most conuenient and necessary, except they had a reasonable excuse to the cōtrary. Likewise, that they shoulde not retain into their seruice or houshold, any Chaplein, but such as were learned, or able to preach the word of God, and those they shoulde also cause to exercise the same.

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Moreouer, that they should not geue Orders to any person, but vnto such as were learned in holy Scripture: neither should deny them that were learned in the same, being of honest conuersation and liuing. And last, that they shoulde not at any time or place preach or set forth vnto the people anye doctrine contrary or repugnant to the effect and entent conteined and set forth in the kings highnes Homelies, neither yet should admitte or geue licence to preache to any within their Diocesses, but to such as they should know (or at the least assuredly trust) would doe the same. And if at any time by hearing, or by report proued, they should perceiue the cōtrary, they should then incontinente not onely inhibite that person so offendinge, but also punishe him and reuoke their licence.

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Now duringe the time that the Commissioners were occupied abroad in their circuites about the speedy and diligent execution of these godly and zelous orders and decrees of the king and his Counsel, his maiesty (with the aduise of the same) yet still desiring a farther reformation as well in this case of Religiō, as also in some others of his Ciuill gouernment,MarginaliaA Parlament called in the first yeare of kyng Edward. appointed a parlament of the three estates of his Realme to be summoned against the 4. day of Nouember, in the firste yeare of his raigne and the yeare of our Lorde. 1547. which continued vnto the 24. day of December then next following. In the which Session, forasmuche as his highnes minded the gouernaunce and order of his people to be in perfect vnitie and concord in all thinges and especially in the true faith and religion of God, and therewithall also duely wayed the great daunger that his louing Subiectes were in for confessing the gospell of Christe, through many and diuers cruell statutes made by sondry his predecessors against the the same (which being still left in force mought both cause þe obstinate to contemne his graces godly procedyngs, and also the weake to be fearefull of their christianlike profession) he therfore caused it among other thinges by the authoritie of the same Parlament to be enacted,MarginaliaStatut. an. [illegible text]. Reg. Edwardi. 6. Cap. 12 The statute made An. 1. Reg. Rich. 2. An. 2. Reg. Henr. 5 An. 25. Reg. Henr. 8 Item. An. 33. Henr. 8. An. 34. Henr. 8 An. 35. Hen. 8. repealed.
Item note for the statute, An. 2. Reg. Henr. 4. cap 15  

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De haeretico comburendo ('Concerning the heretic who is to be burned'), 1401. 2 Hen. IV, c. 15; Statutes, 2.125-28. This notorious legislation ordained that those who translated or owned translations of the Bible would be burnt at the stake.

because that statute was repealed by an estatute made 25. an. Henr. 8. therfore the same is here omitted. that all Actes of Parlament and Statutes, touching, mencionyng, or in any wise concerning religion or opinions, (that is to say, as well the statute made in the first yeare of the reign of kinge Richard the second,  
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Possibly a mistaken reference to 5 Rich. II, stat. 2, c. 2 (1382); Statutes of the Realm, 9 vols. in 10 (London: George Ayre and Andrew Strahan, 1810-22), 2.25-26.

and the statute made in the second yere of the reigne of King Henry the fifte  
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2 Hen. V, stat. 1, c. 7 (1414). Statutes, 2.181-84.

, and the statute made in the 25. yere of the raign of king Henry 8. concerning punishment and reformation of heretickes and Lollardes, and euery prouision therin conteined  
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Act for the Punishment of Heresy, 1534 (25 Hen. VIII, c.14; Statutes, 3.454-55.

, MarginaliaThe bloudy statute of the 6. Articles repealed. and the Statutes made for the abolishemnt of diuersitie of opinions in certayne Articles concerning Christian religion commonly called the 6. Articles, made in the 31. yeare of the reigne of king Henry 8  
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Act Abolishing Diversity in Opinions, also known as the Act of Six Articles, 1539 (31 Hen. VIII, c. 14); Statutes, 3.739-43. This notorious legislation ordained that individuals who denied the doctrine of transubstantiation were to be burnt alive. It also imposed stringent penalties for violation of official policy in favor of administration of communion in one kind, clerical celibacy, the binding nature of vows of chastity or widowhood, celebration of private Masses, and auricular confession.

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. & also the statute made in the Parliament begon the 16. day of Ianuary in the 33. yere of the reigne of the sayd king Henry the 8. and after proroged vnto the 21 day of Ianuary in the 24.  
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I.e., thirty-fourth year.

yeare of his sayd raigne, touching, mentioning, or in any wise concerning bookes of the olde and new Testament in English, and the printing, vttering, selling, geuing, or deliuering of bookes or writinges and retayning of englishe bookes or writinges, and reading, preaching, teaching, or expounding the scriptures, or in any wise touching, mētionng or concerning any of the sayd matters  
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Act for the Advancement of True Religion and for the Abolishment of the Contrary, 1543 (34 Hen. VIII, c. 1; Statutes, 3.894-97

: And also one other statute made in the 35>. yeare of the Raigne of the sayd king Henry 8, concerning the qualification of the Statute of the sixe Articles  
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A Bill Concerning the Six Articles, 1544 (35 Hen. VIII, c. 5; Statutes, 3.960-62).

, and all and euery other act or acts, of Parliament concerning doctrine or matters of religion, and all and euery braunch, article, sentence, matter, paynes, or forfaitures contained, mencyoned, or in any wise declared in any of the same Actes or Statutes) should from thenceforth be vtterly repealed, made voyde, and of none effect  
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Act of Repeal, 1547 (1 Edw. VI, c. 12); Statutes, 4.i.18-22.

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By occasion whereof, as well all such his godly subiectes as were then still abiding within this Realme, had free liberty publickly to professe the Gospel: as also many learned and zealous preachers (before banished) were now both lycensed freely to returne home agayne  

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Exiled preachers who now returned included John Hooper and William Turner, both of whom received appointment as chaplains to Protector Somerset, Miles Coverdale, and others.

, and also encouraged boldly and faithfully to trauell in their function and calling, so that God was much glorified, and the people in many places greatly edified.

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Moreouer in the same Session his maiestie with the Lordes spirituall and temporall, and the Commons in the same Parliament assembled, throughly vnderstandyng by the iudgement of the best learned, that it was more agreable vnto the first institution of the sacrament of the most precious body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ, and also more conformable to the common vse and practise both of the Apostles, and of the primatiue Churche by the space of fiue hundreth yeares and more after Christes Ascension, that the saide holy Sacrament shoulde bee ministred vnto all Christen people vnder both the kyndes of bread and wyne  

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Protestants rejected the practice of denying wine to members of the laity on the ground that it was a non-biblical practice that did not come into general use until the twelfth century.

, then vnder the fourme of bread onely, and also that it was more agreable vnto the sayd first institution of Christ and the vsage of the Apostles and primatiue Church, that the people beyng present should receaue the same with the priest then that the priest should receyue it alone: MarginaliaThe Communiō vnder both kindes. did by their authoritie moreouer enacte, that the sayde holy Sacrament should be from thenceforth commonly deliuered and ministred vnto the people throughout the churches of England and Ireland and other the kinges dominions, vnder both the kindes of bread and of wyne, except necessitie otherwyse required: and also, that the Priest that shoulde minister the same, should at the least one day before, exhorte all persones which should be present, likewyse to resorte and prepare thē selues to receiue the same. And at þe day prefixed, after some godly exhortation made by the minister (wherin shoulde be further expressed the benefite and comfort promised to them which worthely receiue this holy Sacrament, and the danger and indignation of God threatened to them whiche presume to receiue the same vnworthely, to the ende that euery man might try and examyne hys owne conscience before he should come thereunto) the sayd Minister shoulde not without a lawfull cause denye the same to anye persone that would deuoutly and humbly desire it: any lawe, Statute, ordinaunce, or custome, contrary therunto in any wyse notwithstandyng.

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After whiche most godly consent of the Parlament, the kyng beyng no lesse desirous to haue the fourme of the administration of the Sacrament truely reduced to the right rule of the scriptures and fyrst vse of the primatiue churche, then he was to establishe the same by the authoritie of hys owne regall lawesMarginaliaThe assembly of Byshops and others at Windsore. appointed certayne of the most graue and best learned Byshops and others of his Realme, to assemble together at his Castle of Windsor, ther to argue and entreate vpon this matter, and conclude vpon and set foorth one perfecte and vniforme order accordyng to the rule and vse aforesayd.

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And in the meane while that the learned were thus occupyed about their conferences, the Lorde Protector and the rest of the kynges Counsell farther remembryng that the time of the yeare dyd then approch, wherin were practised many superstitious abuses and blasphemous ceremonies against the glory of God, and truth of his worde (determining the vtter abolishing therof) directed their letters vnto the godly and reuerend father Thomas Cranmer, then archbishop of Canterbury, and Matropolitane of England, requiring him, that vppon the receite therof he shoulde will euery bishop within his Prouince, foorthwith to geue in charge vnto all the Curates their Diocesses,MarginaliaCandles not to be borne on Candlemas day.
Ashes forbidden on Ashe Wedensday.
that neither candels shoulde bee any more borne vppon Candlemas day, neither yet ashes vsed in Lent, nor Palmes vpon palm Sonday  

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In conjunction with the endorsement of iconoclastic destruction of 'abused' religious images, the systematic abolition of ecclesiastical ceremonies on appropriate feast days eradicated the highly affective experience of late medieval worship. King, English Reformation Literature, pp. 150-51.

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Whereupon the Archebishop zealously fauouryng thee good and Christianlyke purpose of the kyng and his Counselll, dyd immediatly in that behalfe wryte vnto all the rest of the Byshops of his prouince, and amongest them vnto Edmond Boner then bishop London. MarginaliaEdm. Boner. Of whose rebellious and obstinate contumacie, for that we haue hereafter more to saye, I thoughe not to stande longe hereupon, but onelye by the waye somewhat to note his former dissimulation and cloked hipocrisie  

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Foxe's attack on Bonner for dissimulation is typical.

in that hee outwardly at the first consented as well vnto this, as also vnto all other the kynges procedynges (but whether of feare or of anye other subtile fetch, I knowe not, howbeit most lyke, rather for one of them or both, then for any true loue.) And therefore receiuyng the Archbyshops letters as one then seeming to allow the contentes therof, he dyd presently write vnto the bishop of Westminster, & to others, to whom he was appointed, requiryng them to geue suche knowledge thereof in their diocesses, as therunto appertayned: as more playnely appeareth by these his owne letters here inserted whiche here do follow.

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¶ A letter missiue of Edmund Boner sent to the Byshop of Westminster, with the tenour of the Archbyshops letter, for abolishyng of Candles, Ashes, Palmes, and other Ceremonies.

MarginaliaBoners letter for the abolishyng of Ashes, Palmes, &c. MY very good Lord, after my most harty commendatons, these bee to aduertise your good Lordshippe, that my

Lord