DIE LUNE, 22 IAN. 1643.

AN ORDINANCE*

FOR

REGULATING THE VNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE,

And for removing of scandalous Ministers in the seven associated Counties.

WHER

HEREAS many complaints are made by the well-affected Inhabitants of the associated counties of Essex, Norffolk, Suffolk, Hartford, Cambridge, Huntington, and Lincolne †, that the service of the parliament is retarded, the enemy strengthned, the peoples soules starved, and their minds diverted from any care of God's cause, by their idle, ill-affected, and scandalous clergy, of the vniversity of Cambridge, and the associated counties; and that many that would give evidence, against such scandalous ministers, are not able to travell to London, nor beare the charges of such a journey: It is ordained by the lords and commons assembled in parliament, that the Earle of Manchester shall appoynt one or more committees in every countie, consisting of such as have beene nominated deputy lieutenants, or committees by any former ordinance of parliament, in any of the said associated counties, every committee to consist of ten, whereof any five or more of them, to sit in any place or places within any of the said associated counties where the said Earle shall appoyut, with power to put in execution these instructions following, and, in pursuance thereof, to give assistance to the said committees.

First, they shall have power to call before them all provosts, masters, and fellowes of colledges, all students, and members of the vniversity, and all ministers in any countie of the association, and all schoolemasters that are scandalous in their lives, or ill-affected to the parlia ment, or fomentors of this unnaturall war, or that shall wilfully refuse obedience to the ordinances of parliament, or that have deserted their ordinary places of residence, not being employed in the service of the King and parliament. And they shall have power to send for any witnesses, and examine any complaint or testimony against them, upon oathes of such persons as shall and may be produced to give evidence against them, and shall certifie their names, with the charge and proofes against them, to the said Earle of Manchester, and he shall have power to eject such as he shall judge unfit for their places, and to sequester their estates, meanes, and revenues, and to dispose of them

By the Parliament. + Including the Isle of Ely and the city of Norwich.

as he shall thinke fitting, and to place other fitting persons in their roome, such as shall be approved of by the assembly of divines sitting at Westminster.

The Earle of Manchester, or the said committee or committees, shall have power to administer the late covenant taken, and to be taken of all the three kingdoms, of England, Scotland, and Ireland, to all persons in any of the said associated counties, and the Isle of Ely, upon such penalties as are, or shall be assigned by the parliament in this behalfe.

And be it ordained, that the said Earle of Manchester shall have power to dispose of a fifth part of all such estates as they shall sequester, for the benefit of the wives and children of any of the aforesaid persons.

The said committee or committees shall imploy a clerke for the registring of all warrants, orders, summons, and ejectments made by them: And that they choose some convenient place for the preserving of the writings of this committee.

That the said Earle of Manchester shall have power to examine and inhibite all such as doe obstruct the reformation now endeavoured by the parliament and assembly of divines.

And be it further declared, that all such as shall doe any thing in execution of this ordinance, shall be kept indempnified by the authoritie and power of both houses of parliament.

And further be it ordained, that the Earle of Manchester shall have power to appoynt a convenient number, consisting of one or more out of every countie, one out of the citie of Norwich, and one out of the countie and citie of Lincolne: Provided that three of these be deputielieutenants to sit at Cambridge for the better ordering of all businesses of the association, according to ordinances and orders of parliament, and according to his commission granted by his excellencie the Earle of Essex; and that the present committee for the association sitting at Cambridge shall cease, when the Earle of Manchester shall have poynted another under his hand and seale,

John Browne Cler. Parliament.

ар

The following commission granted by the Earle of Manchester, according to the power given him by the foregoing ordinance of parliament, is here printed from an original MS. signed by the said Earl, and directed to Sir Edmund Bacon, Sir William Spring, Sir William Soham, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Gurdon, sen. Mr. Tyrrell, Mr. Gurdon, jun, Mr. Harvie, Mr. Moody, Mr. Chaplyn.

Gentlemen,

I SEND you, by this bearer, a commission, with instructions for the executinge of the ordinance of parliament, against scandalous ministers within your county: I neither doubt of your abilities nor affections to further the service; yet, according to the great trust

ymposed uppon me herein by the parliament, I must be earnest with you to be diligent herein: You know how much the people of this kingdome have formerly suffered, in their persons, soules, and estates, under an idle and ill-affected, scandalouse and insolent clergy, upheld by bishops: And you cannot but foresee, that their pressures and burthens will still continue, although the forme of government be altered, unlesse greate care be taken to displace such ministers, and to place arthodox and wholy men in every parish; for, lett the govern ment be what it will, for the forme thereof, yet it will never be good, unlesse the partyes employed therein be good themselves. By the providence of God, it now lyes in our parte to reforme the former abuses, and to remove the offendors; your power is greate, and soe is the trust reposed in you; and your fault will bee no lesse, if you doe not well discharge this greate trust: Yf a generall reformation follow not within your county, assuredly the blame will be layed uppon you, and you must expect to be called to an accompt for it, both here and hereafter; my parte, I am resolved to ymploy the utmost of that power, given unto me by that ordinance, for the procuring a generall reformation in all the associated countyes, and, expectinge your forwardness and harty joyninge with mee herein, I rest

for

Your Friend to serve you.

BY vertue of an ordinance of the lords and commons in parliament assembled, to mee directed, and entituled, An ordinance for regulatinge the vniversity of Cambridge, and for removinge the scandalous ministers in the seven associated countyes: I doe authorize, constitute and appoynt you Sir John Wentworth, knt. Francis Bacon, Nathaniel Bacon of Ipswich, Nathaniel Bacon of Freston, Francis Brewster, William Blayes, Robert Brewster, esqrs. Robert Duncon, Peter Fisher, and John Base, gents. or any five of you, to call before you all ministers and schoolemasters within the county of Bucks, that are scandalous in their lives, or ill-affected to the parliament, or fomentors of this unnaturall warre, or that shall willfully refuse obedience to the ordinances of parliament, or that have deserted their ordinary places of residence, not beeinge ymployed in the service of the Kinge and parliament, with full power and libertie to send for any wittnesses, and to examine any complaint or testimony against any such ministers, uppon such persons oathes as shall and may be produced to give evidence against them; and you to certifie the names of such ministers, with the charge and proofs against them, to mee: And I do hereby further authorize and appoynt you, to administer the late covenant, taken, or to be taken, of all the three kingdomes of England, Scotland, and Ireland, to all persons within the said county, and to performe and execute all other things directed by the said ordinance, within the said county: And whatsoever you, or any five of you, shall doe in the premisses, this shall be your warrant.

Given under my hand, &c.

Manchester

Instructions to the Commissioners, for removinge scandalous Ministers within the county of Suffolk.

YOU are with all diligence to apply yourselves to the speedy and effectuall executinge of this ordinance; and, for that end, you are to divide yourselves into several committees, five of you beeinge a committee, and to appoynt certeyne days for your settinge, at several places with the county, that soe all partyes, by the easinesse, may be incouraged to addresse themselves to you in their complaynts.

When any complaynts are made unto you, and articles preferred against any minister, you are to send out your warrant to the witnesses, as allso to the minister, to appeare before you at the time and place appoynted.

I thinke it not fitt that the partyes accused should be at the takinge of the depositions, because of discountenancinge the wittnesses, and disturbinge the service: But, when the depositions are taken, uppon oath, you are then to lett the party accused have a coppy of them, yf they will pay for itt, and to give him a day to retorne his answere, in writinge, and to make his defence, at any other meetinge, to be appoynted within fourteene days, or thereabouts.

You are to retorne both the accusation and the defence, under your hands, sealed, to Mr. Good, or Mr. Ashe, whom I have appoynted to receive the same, who thereupon shall receive such further directions as shall be thought fitt.

Yf the party accused will not appeare, nor make his defence, you are to certifie the cause of his absence and neglect herein; for if he bee non-resident, or in armes against the parliament, or the like, I shall proceede against him notwithstandinge.

And because it is found, by sad experiance, the parishoners are not forward to complayn of their ministers, although they be very scandalous, but, havinge the price and power in their hands, yet want harts to make use thereof, too many beeinge enemyes to that blessed reformation so much desired by the parliament; and loath to come under a powerfull ministry: And some sparinge their ministers, because such ministers, to gayne the good opinion of their people, for the present, doe spare them in their tythes, and thereuppon are es teemed quiet men, or the like; you are therefore required to call unto you some well-affected men within every hundred, who, havinge no private engagements, but intendinge to further the publique reformation, may be required and incouraged by you, to inquire after the doctrines, lives and conversations of all ministers and schoolemasters, and to give you informations, both what can be deposed, and who can depose

the same.

And, for better incouragement, both to the commissioners and prosecutors, in this service, every commissioner shall be allowed five shillings per Diem, that he setts in executinge this ordinance, to be payd by John Base, of Saxmondham, sequestrator of the county; who is

hereby required to pay it upon demand, and who shall be allowed it upon his accompt; out of which money it is desired, that the clarke may receive some pay; that soe the clarke may not discourage the prosecutors or informers, by demanding fees, either for warrants or coppyes of the proceedings, unlesse the writinge be very large, and the partyes will voluntarily give him somethinge.

You are to proceede against all ministers and schoolemasters that are scandalous in their doctrine or lives, non-resident, ignorant, or unable for the service, idle or lazy, and all that are any ways ill affected to the parliament, or the proceedings thereof, expressed either by their speeches or actions.

You are to require the parishoners, to make choyse of a fitt and able minister to succeed, who must bringe unto mee a very good testimoniall, from the best-affected gentery and ministry of the county, of his sufficiency, as allsoe of his life and conversation; and you are to take speciall care, that no Anabaptist or Antinomian be nominated, but such as are very arthodox in their opinions, and such as the assembly of divines, now assembled at Westminster, will allow of.

You are diligently to inquire out the true value of every livinge, that shall be questioned before you, and to certifie the same, as allsoe the estate, livelihood, and charge of cheildren of the party questioned, that soe I may know what allowance to make to the party, uppon the sequestration, for to maintayne his wife and cheildren, accordinge to the ordinance of parliament.

Lastly, You are required to use all other wayes and meanes, according to your discretions, for speeding this service.

Manchester.

A SYNOPSIS,

OR,

CONTRACT VIEW OF THE LIFE OF JOHN ARMAND,

CARDINAL OF RICHLIEU,

Great favourite and Minister of State to Lewis the Thirteenth, King of France. To be engraven on his tomb. First written in Latin, and now, verbatim, rendered English.

Printed in the year 1643. Quarto, containing eight pages.

Cardinal Richlieu's Epitaph.

THE first thing requested of thee, O passenger, is, that thou wouldst bless Almighty God, that in France thou mayest now read these lines securely.