God, and our * patronesse and protectresse, euermore in all aduersity: with such like kynde of prayer and accustomed maner of ringing, as the deuocion of Christs faythfull people is wont to worship her at the ringing of courele feu. Marginalia* Popishe blasphemy fighting agaynst the grace of Christ.
Ringing of Curphew.And when before day in the mornyng ye shall cause them to ring, that with lyke maner of prayer and ringing, she be euery where honoured deuoutly by the aforesayd our and your suffraganes, and their subiectes as well religious as secular, in your and their monasteries and collegiate churches: That we so humbly callyng vpon the mercy of the heauenly father, the right hand of the heauēly piety, may mercifully come to the helpe the protection and defence of the same our Lord the kyng, who for the happy remedy of quietnes, and for our succour frō tempestuous floudes, is redy to apply his hands, to worke, & his eyes wyth all hys whole desire to watching. We therfore coueting more earnestly to stirre vp the myndes of all faythfull people to so deuout and exercise of God. &c:Marginaliaxl. daies pardon, for v. Aues.We graunt by these presents, to all & euery mā;. &c, that shal say the Lordes prayer and the salutation of the Aungell fiue tymes at the mornyng peale with a deuout mynde, totiens quotiēs (how oft soeuer) xl. dayes of pardon by these presents. Geuen vnder our seale in our manor of Lambeth, the x. day of February. an. nostræ trās 9. Ex Regist. Th. Arūdell.

MarginaliaHeaping vp ceremonies in the church.By this friuolous and barbarous constitutiō with many other of lyke sort heaped into the Church by the papists: appeareth the proper nature and condition of this catholicke generation. Who beyng themselues not greatly exercised nor experienced in any serious cogitation of spirituall matter (as semeth) take vpon them to gouerne the spirituall church of Christ, whereof in dede they haue no skill or very little. And therefore accordyng to their vnskilful handling, they lead and rule the church after such outward sightes and ceremonies, semely perhaps to their owne grosse affection: but not agreyng (nay rather cleane contrary) to the right nature & condition, of the spirituall house and kyngdome of the Lord. And like as in their inuentions they swarue vtterly from þ^e right handlyng of all spirituall gouernment: so in their maners & forme of lyfe likewyse, they do resemble litle or no part almost, of such as are and ought to be, true pastors and ministers of the mysticall body of Christ.

Examples hereof are plentie and playne, in these Romaine prelates to be noted: who so well consideryng the humble state and lowly spirit which ought to be in pastorall leaders of the Church, will compare the same with the vsual pompe of these glorious potestates.

As for example, what can be more conuenient for a true pastor ecclesiasticall, then humility of hart and spirit, accordyng to the example of the head Byshop hymselfe? MarginaliaThe pompe of the popes Church noted.So, what greater shew of arragancy and pryde could there be, then in this: whom I haue oft named before, Th. Arundell, archb. of Canterbury, who passing by the high streate of London, did not only loke and waite for the ringing of the bels, for a triumph of hys commyng, but tooke great snuffe and dyd suspend, all such Churches in London (not only with the steple and bels, but also with the organes) so many as did not receiue hys commyng with the noyse of bels: accordyng as out of his own registers may appeare, the wordes wherof written to his owne Somner, I haue hereto annexed in hys owne forme as followeth.

THomas by the permission of God. &c. To our welbeloued Thomas Wilton, our Somner sworne, health, grace, and blessing. The comelines of our holy Church of Caunterbury, ouer which we beare rule: MarginaliaChurches of Londō suspended for not ringing at the comming of the Archb.deserueth and requireth, that while we passe thorough the prouince, of the same our Church (hauyng our Crosse caried before vs) euery parish Church in their turnes, ought and are bounden in token of special reuerence that they beare to vs, to ring their bels. Which notwithstandyng, ye on Tuesday last past, when we betwixt 8. and 9. ofthe clocke before diner, passed openly on foote as it were, through the midst of the City of London, with our Crosse caried before vs: Diuers Churches whose names are here beneath noted, shewed towardes vs willingly (though they certainly knew of our commyng) vnreuerence rather then reuerence, and the duety that they owe to our Church of Canterbury, ringyng not at all at our commyng. Wherfore, we beyng willyng to reuenge this iniury, * Marginalia* Oh iniurious enemies to Christ his humilitie.for the honour of our spouse as we are bounden: commaund you, that by our authoritie, you put all those Churches vnder our interditement, suspendyng Gods holy organes and instrumentes in the same. Whiche we also suspend by the tenour of these presentes, till the ministers of the aforesayd Churches be able hereafter to attayne of vs the benefite of more plentifull grace. Geuen. &c.

What great reason was in this, why this Archbishop either should thus looke for the ringing of the bels, or why he should be so displeased with not ringing, I doe not see. Belike his mynd in the meane time was greatly occupied with some great muse, as felyng of Gods feare, with repentaunce and remembraunce of his sinnes, with zelous care and sollicitude for hys flocke, with the earnest meditation of the passion and lyfe of our sauiour, who in this world was so despised: or els was set vpon some graue study, while he so wayted for the ringyng of the bels, which are wont to be so noysome to all students. And why were not the trumpetiers also shent as well, because they did not sound before hys person?

MarginaliaOrgans suspended in the Church because the belles did not ring.But and though the bels did not clatter in the steples, & therfore hys thunderbolt should haue fallē vpō the steples which had deserued: why should the body of the church therfore be suspended? At least, the poore organes (me thinketh) had some part of wrong to be put to silence in the quier, because the bels rang not in the tower.

Of the lyke matter also we read in the said registers, falling betwene the B. of Worcester, and the Priory of the same town, for not ringing at þ^e bishops comming into the church. Wherupon much sute and contention was betwene them, till at length the Archb. of Cant. tooke vp the matter, moderatyng it, as in the sayd registers, fol. 441. appeareth to be sene as followeth.

VNiuersis &c. Thomas. &c.MarginaliaVariaunce betwene the B and Prior of Worcester for not ringing at the Bishops comming.where as there hapned variance lately betwene our reuerend brother the Lord B. of Worcester on the one party, and the religious and discret mē, the Prior and couent of the same church on the other party, for not ringing of bels at the commyng of our sayd brother to his foresayd church, at length the parties (considering the great inconuenience that might come thereof) at our instance and request did agree on this maner: that as often as it shall happen our reuerend brother to go to hys aforesayd church, eyther to celebrate orders, or to visite his church in the head or in the inferiours, or to make creame and oyle in the same Church: also in the feast of the Assumption of the blessed virgin Mary, which is the chiefest feast inthe Abbey aforesayd: then the Prior and the couent, and their successors for the tyme beyng, shall ring solemnly agaynst his comming or shall cause to be rong solemnly without all contradiction, or any reclayming hereafter to be made agaynst þ^e same. Which agreement, that it may be more firmly kept, we let you all vnderstand by these presents, sealed with our seale. Geuen at our palace of Canterbury, xij. Iuly, the x. yeare of our gouernement.

The like stirre for belringing and for processions had almost hapned betwene the Archb. of Cant. successor to thys Tho. Arundell named Henr. Chichley on the one party, and the abbey of S. Albons on the other party, had not the Abbot in tyme submittyng himself to the Archb. so prouided, þ^t the ringing of their bels at his comming might not redound to any derogation of their liberties. Wherunto the Archbish. graunted by these his letters as followeth.

MarginaliaRinging in the Archb. at S. Albons.HEnry &c. to the religious men, the Abbot and Couent of the Monastery of S. Albons in the diocesse of Lincolne, health &c. When as of late there hapned a matter of variā;ce betwene vs, and you the Abbot and Couent, by reason of not geuyng reuerence to vs, beyng due to our prouince of Canterbury, that is, for not ringyng the bels and meting vs wyth processions when we passed by diuers places of our prouince as well due of common custome as of old vse, and for the prerogatiue of the Church of Canterbury, MarginaliaEx Regist. Hen. Chicheley Fol. 365as also being due of euery one beyng within the compasse of this our sayde prouince, when and as often as we shall passe by their places: at length you Lord Abbot (commyng personally to vs) did graunt both for you and the Couent aforesaid, to do and to geue of your gentlenesse all reuerence and honour, wyth such reuerence both to vs and our church of Canterbury, as often as we passe by your monastery, or the places nigh or adioynyng thereto, or shall hereafter go by: So that it myght not be preiudiciall to your exemption and nothyng bee attempted to the violating of your priuiledge: & that it might not be chalenged for duety hereafter. Wherefore, we desiring to kepe you from dammage, let you vnderstand by these presents, that it is not our entent to derogate your exemptions or priuiledge whatsoeuer herein: nor by any meanes to be preiudiciall to you by these your reuerences or other