Marginalia1549.MarginaliaPenaltie. profite of such one of hys benefices or spirituall promotions as it should please the kings highnes to assigne and appoint, and also for the same offence should suffer imprisonmentt by the space of sixe monthes, without bayle or maynprise. But if any such person, after hys first conuiction, should eftsones offend agayne, and be therof in forme aforesayd lawfully cōuicted, then he should for his second offence suffer imprisonment by the space of one whole yeare, and should also be depriued Ipso facto, of all hys spirituall promotions for euer, so that it should be lawful for the patrons and Doners therof to geue the same agayne vnto any other learned man, in lyke maner as if the said partie so offending were dead. And if any the sayd person or persones should agayne the third tyme offend, and be therof in forme aforesayde lawfully conuicted, thē he should for the same iij. offence suffer imprisonement duryng his lyfe. If any such person or persons aforesayd, so offendyng, had not any benefice or spirituall promotion, that then he should for his first offence suffer imprisonment by the space of vj. monethes without bayle or maynprise, and for his second offence, imprisonmēt during his life. Which request or rather actuall agreement of the Lordes and commons of the Parlament beyng once vnderstood of the kyng, was also soone ratified and confirmed by his regall consent and authoritie, and therupon the sayd booke of common prayer was presently Imprinted, and commaunded to be exercised throughout the whole Realme and dominions therof, accordyng the tenure and effect of the said Statute.

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Moreouer, in the same Session of the sayd Parliament, it was enacted and established by the authoritie therof: that for as much as great, horrible, and not to be rehearsed inconueniences had from tyme to tyme risen amongest the priests, ministers, and other officers of the Clergy through their cōpelled chastitie, and by such lawes as prohibited thē the godly and lawfull vse of mariage:MarginaliaLawes and constitutiōs against priestes mariage debarred. that therfore all and euery law and lawes positiue, canons, constitutions and ordinances thertofore made by the authoritie of man onely, whiche did prohibite or forbid mariage to any ecclesiasticall or spiritual person or persons, of what estate, condition, or degree so euer they were, or by what name or names they were called, which by Gods law may lawfully mary, in all and euery article, braunch and sentence concernyng onely the prohibition for the mariage of the persons aforesayd,MarginaliaMariage of priestes set free. should be vtterly voyd and of none effect  

. And that all maner of forfaytures, paynes, penalties, crimes, or actions, which were in the said lawes conteyned, and of the same did folow, concerning the prohibition for the mariage of the sayde Ecclesiasticall persons, should be thenceforth also clearely and vtterly void, frustrate, and of none effect. By occasion whereof it was thenceafter right lawfull for any Ecclesiasticall person, not hauyng the gift of chastitie, most godly to lyue in the pure & holy estate of matrimony, accordyng to the lawes and word of God.

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But if the first Iniunctions, statutes, and decrees of the Prince were of many but slenderly regarded, with muche lesse good affection were these (especially the booke of common prayer) of diuers now receiued: yea, and that of some of them, which had alwayes before in outward shew willingly allowed the former doynges, as appeareth most plainely (amongst others) by Boner the Bishop of London. MarginaliaEdmund Boner Byshop of London. Who although by his former letters and other mandates, he semed hitherto to fauour all the kinges procedinges: yet dyd he at that present (notwithstanding both the first statute for the stablishing of the Communion, and the abolishyng of all priuate Masses, and also this Statute of the ratifiyng and confirming of the booke of Common prayer) stil suffer sundry idolatrous priuate masses of peculiar names (as þ^e apostles masse, the Ladye Masse and such lyke) to bee dayly solemnly song within certaine particular Chappels of hys cathedral church of Paules, cloking them with the names of the apostles communion, and our ladies communion, not once finding any fault therwith, vntil such time as the lords of the Counsail hauyng intelligence therof, were fain by their letters to commaund hym to loke better therunto. And thē beyng therwith somewhat pricked forwards (perhappes by feare) he was content to direct hys letters vnto the Deane and Chapter of hys cathedral church of Paules, therby requestyng thē foorthwith to take such order therin, as the tenure of the counsails sayd letters therwithall sent vnto thē, did import. Which both two letters I haue, for the more credite, here followyng inserted.

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Marginalia An other letter to Boner for abrogating priuate Masses. AFter harty commendation: hauing very credible notes, that within that your cathedrall Church there be as yet the Apostles masse, and our Ladies masse, and other masses of such peculiar name, vnder the defence and nomination of our Ladies communion, and the Apostles communion, vsed in priuate chappels and other remote places of the same, & not in the Chauncell, contrary vnto the kynges Maiesties proceedings, the same being for the misuse displeasing to God, for the place of Paules in example not tolerable, for the fondnes of the name, a scorne to the reuerence of the Communion of the Lords body and bloud: we for augmentation of Gods glory and honour, and the consonancie of his Maiesties lawes, and the auoiding of murmure, haue thought good to will and commaunde you,MarginaliaThe Apostles masse put downe in Paules. that frō henceforth no such Masses in this maner be in your Church any longer vsed, but that the holy blessed Communion, according to the acte of Parliament, be ministred at the high aultar of that Church, and in no other places of the same, and onely at such tyme as your high Masses were wont to be vsed, except some number of people desire for their necessary busines to haue a communion in the mornyng, and yet the same to be executed in the Chauncell at the high aulter, as it is appointed in the booke of the publicke seruice, without cautele or digression from the commō order. And herein you shall not onely satisfie our expectation of your conformitie in all lawfull thinges, but also auoyde the murmure of sundry that be therwith iustly offended. And so we bid your Lordship hartely farewell. From Richmond the 24. of Iune. an. 1549.

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Your louing friendes

E. Somerset.	R. Rich Chan.
W. Saint Iohn.	Fra. Shrousbury.
Ed. Mountague.	W. Cecill.

MarginaliaBoners letter to the Deane and Chapter of Paules. RIght worshipful, wyth most harty commendations. So it is: this Wensday the. xxvi. of Iune, goyng to dynner, I receaued letters from the kinges Counsell by a Pursiuant, and the same I do send now herewith vnto you, to the intent you may peruse them well, and proceede accordingly: praying you in case all be not present, yet those that be now resident and supplying the places, may in their absence call the company together of the Church, and make declaration hereof vnto them: Thus committing you to God, right wel to fare. Written wyth speede this. xxvi. of Iune, at one of the clocke.
Your louing brother Ed. London.  

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Ouer and besides all this, the Lord Protectour, wyth the residue of the Kynges priuie and learned Counsell, assemblyng together in the Starre chamber about the same matter, that is, for the aduauncement and setting forward of the kynges so godly proceedinges, called before them all the Iustices of peace, where was vttered vnto them by the L. Rich then Lord Chauncellour, an eloquent and learned admonicion, the tenor whereof ensueth.

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MarginaliaAn exhortation or admonition vnto the Iustices of peace. IT hath bene vsed & accustomed before this tyme to call at certayne tymes the Iustices of peace before the Kinges Maiesties Counsaile, to geue vnto them admonition or warnyng, diligently (as is their dutie) to looke to þ^e obseruing of such things as be cōmitted to their charges, according to the trust which þ^e kings maiestie hath in thē. Howbeit now at this time we call you before vs, not onely of custome, but rather of necessitie. For hearyng dayly, & perceauing of necessitie as we do, the great negligence and the litle heede which is taken and geuen to the obseruing of the good and holesome lawes and orders in thys realme, wherupon much disorder doth dayly ensue, and the kynges Maiesties Proclamations and orders taken by the Counsayle (as we are aduertised) not executed, þ^e people are brought to disobedience, and in a maner all his Maiesties study and ours in setting a good and most godly stay, to the honour of God, and the quiet of the Realme, is spent in vayne and come to nothyng. The which as we haue great hope and trust not to be altogether so, yet so much as it is, & so much as it lacketh of keeping the realme in a most godly order and stay, we must needes impute and lay the fault thereof in you which are the Iustices of peace in euery Shiere, to whom we are wont to direct our writynges, and to whose trust and charge the kings maiestie hath committed the execution of all his Proclamations, of his Actes of parlament,

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