Act for Uniformity in Religion.

King Edward VI. January 15th, was read in the House for the third Time and paffed, the Bill for an Uniformity of Service and Administration of Sacraments to be had throughout the Realm. But it was not concluded with the Aflent of the following Lords, for they are put down as against it: The Earl of Derby, the Bishops of London, Durham, Norwich, Carlisle, Hereford, Worcester, Westminster and Chichester, with the Lords Dacres and Windfor. The Preamble of the Act fets forth,' That there had been ⚫ feveral Forms of Service, and that of late there had been great Difference in the Administration of the Sacraments, and other Parts of Divine Worship: And that the most effectual Endeavours could not ftop the Inclinations of many to C depart from the former Cuftoms; which the King had not punished, believing they flowed from a good Zeal. But that there might be an uniform Way over all the Kingdom, the King, C by the Advice of the Lord Protector and his Council, had appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury, with other learned and difcreet Bishops and Divines, to draw up an Order of DivineWorfhip, having Respect to the pure Religion of ⚫ Chrift taught in the Scripture, and to the Practife of the Primitive Church, which they, by the Aid of the Holy Ghoft, had with one uniform Agreement concluded on; wherefore the Parliament < having confidered the Book, and the Things that were altered or retained in it, they gave their most "humble Thanks to the King for his Care about it and did pray that all who had formerly offended in thefe Matters, except fuch as were ' in the Tower of London, or the Prifon of the Fleet, fhould be pardoned: And did enact, that from the Feaft of Whit-Sunday next, all Divine Offices fhould be performed according to it; and that fuch of the Clergy as fhould refuse to do it, ⚫ or continue to officiate in any other Manner, fhould upon the firft Conviction be imprisoned fix Months, and forfeit a Years Profit of their Benefice: For the fecond Offence forfeit all their • Church

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• Church Preferments, and fuffer a Year's Impri- King Edward VI. • fonment: And for the third Offence should be imprisoned during Life. And all that should • write, or put out Things in Print against it, or threaten any Clergymen for ufing it, were to be fined xol. for the firftOffence; 20l. for the second; and to forfeit all their Goods, and be imprisoned for Life, upon a third Offence. Only at the Univerfities they might ufe it in Latin and Greek, excepting the Office of the Communion. It was alfo lawful to use other Pfalms or Prayers taken out of the Bible, fo thefe in the Book were not ⚫ omitted.' This Act was variously cenfured by those who difliked it. Some thought it too much that it was faid the Book was drawn by the Aid of the Holy Ghost. But others faid this was not to be fo understood, as if they had been infpired by extraordinary Affiftance, for then there had been no Room for any Correction of what was now done; and therefore it was only to be understood in that Senfe, as all good Motions and Confultations are directed or affifted by the fecret Influences of God's Holy Spirit; which do oft help good Men, even in their imperfect Actions, where the Good that is done is justly afcribed to the Grace of God. Others cenfured it, because it was faid to be done by uniform Agreement, though four of the Bishops that were employed in the drawing of it, protested against it. These were the Bishops of Norwich, Hereford, Chichester and Westminster; but thefe had agreed in the main Parts of the Work, though in fome few Particulars they were not fatisfied, which made them diffent from the whole (g).'

One Thing must not be omitted; that whilst this Bill of Common Prayer was debating in the House of Commons, one Storey, a Member, fpoke fo fharply against it, and was fo free of his Reflections on the King and the Protector, that he was put into the Serjeant's Hands, and fent to the Tower. The

(g) The King, in his Journal, fays this Bill on the Sacrament occafioned a notable Difputation in the Parliament House. Burnet, Vol. II. in Appendice.

King Edward VI.

Another allow ing Priefts to

marry.

The Words he spoke from, were thefe, Wo untò thee, O England, when thy King is a Child. An Impeachment was actually drawn up against him for it; but, upon his humble Submiffion, the House ordered the Privy Counsellors to acquaint the Protector, that it was their Refolution he fhould be discharged, and they defired the King would forgive his Offence against him and the Council.

The next was a Bill for the Marriage of Priests, which paffed both Houfes on the 19th of February; amongst the Peers the Bifhops of London, Durham, Norwich, Carlife, Worcester, Bristol, Chichester and Landaff, with the Lords Morley, Dacres, Windfor and Wharton, diffenting. The Preamble of this A&t declares,

That it were better for Pricfts and the Mini• fters of the Church to live chaite and without Marriage; whereby they might better attend to the Miniftry of the Gofpel, and be less distracted with fecular Cares; fo that it were much to be wifhed, that they would of themselves abstain. But great thinefs of living, with other Inconveniencies had followed on the Laws that com'pelled City, and prohibited Marriage; fo that it was better they fhould be fuffered to marry than be fo refrained: Therefore all Laws and Canons that had been made againft it, being only made by human Authority, are repealed. So that all Spiritual Perfons, of what Degree foever, might lawfully marry, provided they married according to the Order of the Church. But a Provifo was • added, that because many Divorces of Priests had been made after the fix Articles were enacted, and that the Women might have thereupon married again, all thefe Divorces, with every Thing that had followed on them, fhould be confirmed?' Bishop Burnet obferves, that there was no Law that pafled in this Reign more contradicted and cenfured than this. And has taken great Pains to prove the Validity of it, from Scripture and the Fathers (b). He

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(b) Reformation, Vol. II. P. 89 to 93. See alfo Heylin, P. 67, &c. Foxe's Martyrs, Vol. II. P. 1134.

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He has alfo thoroughly examined the Vows and other Reasons against it; and, in fine, hath endeavoured to convince the World, that there is much more Chastity in a married than an unmarried Priest. His Conduct fhewed that he himself was thoroughly fatisfied in this Matter, having married no lefs than three Wives to preserve his own Chastity.

Two other Acts paffed this Seffion, which Dr. Heylin fays were exceeding neceffary for the Prefervation of the Church's Patrimony, then near diffipated.

King Edward VI.

The firft was made for the Encouragement and Support of the Parochial Clergy, in the true Payment of their Tithes, lately invaded by their Patrons, and otherwife in Danger to be loft for ever, by the Avariciousness of the Parishioners, as before was faid. For Remedy whereof, it was enacted, That no Perfon or Perfons, fhould from And for better thenceforth take or carry away, any Tithe or fupporting the Parochial Clergy. Tithes, which had been received, or paid, within forty Years next before the Date thereof, or of Right ought to have been paid, in the Place or Places tithable in the fame, before he hath juftly 'divided or fet forth the Tithe thereof, the tenth. Part of the fame, or otherwise agree for the fame Tithes, with the Parfon, Vicar, or other Owner, Proprietor, or Farmer of the fame, under the Pain or Forfeiture of the treble Value of the • Tithes fo taken or carried away.' To which a Claufe was alfo added, enabling the faid Parfons, Vicars, &c. to enter upon any Man's Land for the due fetting of his Tithes, and carrying away the fame without Moleftation; with other Claufes no lefs beneficial to the injured Clergy. And because the Revenue of the Clergy had been much diminished by the Lofs of fuch Offerings and Oblations, as had been accuftomably made at the Shrines of certain Images, now either defaced or removed; it was thought meet to make them fome Amends in another Way. And thereupon it was enacted, That every l'erfon exercising Merchandifes, Bargaining, and Selling, Cloathing, Handy-Craft,

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King Edward VI. and other Art and Faculty, being fuch Kind of Perfons, and in fuch Places as heretofore, within 'the Space of forty Years then before passed, have accuftomably used to pay fuch perfonal Tithes, or of Right ought to pay, (other than fuch as the common Day-Labourers) fhall yearly, at, or before, the Feast of Eafter, pay for his Perfonal Tithes, the tenth Part of his clear Gains; his Charges and Expences, according to his Estate ' and Condition, or Degree, to be there allowed, 'abated and deducted; with a Provifo for some

Proceedings on
the Attainder of
Thomas Lord
Seymour.

Remedy to be had therein before the Ordinary, in the Cafe of Tergiverfation, or Refufal.' But the Power of the Bishops, and other Ordinaries, growing less and lefs, and little or no Execution following in that Behalf, this laft Claufe proved of little Benefit to thofe whom it moft concerned; who, living for the most Part in Market-Towns, and having no Predial Tithes to trust to, are thereby in a far worse Condition than the rural Clergy.'

And now that we have done with the most material Religious Acts, which paffed this Seffion, we shall go on to others.

On the 25th of February a Bill was brought in to the House of Lords for the Attainder of Sir Thomas Seymour, Knt. Lord Seymour of Sudley, Lord High Admiral of England, own Uncle to the King, and Brother to the Lord Protector. It was read a fecond and a third Time, on the next Day, and the Day following; but, before it paffed the Lords, It was thought good, fays the Journal, to fend down certain Minifters of the Upper Houfe, to declare unto the Members of the Nether Houfe, the Manner after which the Lords had proceeded in this Matter; and to declare unto them, alfo, that if they minded to proceed in like Sort, certain Noblemen, who had given Evidence against the faid Admiral, fhould be fent unto them to < declare, by Mouth and Presence, fuch Matter as by their Writing fhould in the mean Time appear before them.' After which follows this Memo-. randum, That it appears by the Journal Book, as.

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