The Jesuit's memorial for the intended reformation of England under their first popish prince published from the copy that was presented to the late King James II : with an introduction, and some animadversions by Edward Gee ...

CHAP. VIII. Of divers other Points that will belong to the Council of Reformation to deal in.

HItherto only hath been treated of Abby-Lands and Ecclesiastical Li∣vings to be collected, imployed, and disposed by this Council, and Religious Orders to be replanted; but many other Points do yet remain, for that the whole weight of Restitution, both of the Ex∣ternal and Internal face of our English Church, and the perfect reparation both material and formal of the same, will de∣pend principally of the Authority, Wis∣dom, Zeal, Magnanimity, and Piety of this Council; and for this purpose such principal branches as come now to my Mind, I will here set down.

First of all it will appertain to these Men to send Commissioners abroad into the Realm, and to have ordinary Cor∣respondence in all the Shires of England, thereby to advise from time to time, what are the greatest wants, and what first is to be remedied or provided for: As for

Example, here Preachers, here Confessors, here Priests to say Mass, here Seminaries, here Schools, here Monasteries, here Col∣leges, here Nunneries, here Hospitals, here building, or enlarging, or repairing of old Parish-Churches, with their Sacristies, or Revestries, Tabernacles, Church-Houses, publick Crosses, and the like; whereof I shall treat more in some particular Chap∣ters afterwards in the Second Part of this Memorial. And for that the Reverence of Religion, and motive of Devotion to the People, doth greatly depend of these external things, it must be one principal care of this Council to have them well reformed, and practical Men sent about the same.

The like necessity will be also to aug∣ment the Livings of certain Curates and Pastors, in many places, and to increase in some others, where one is not suffici∣ent, as commonly it will not be conve∣nient for one only Priest to live any where alone, if it may be remedied in re∣spect of wanting a Confessor for himself or others, when he should be sick, except the Parish lay so near to some other, as in all necessities they might give mutual help one to the other, as if they lived together.

For singing and hearing of Mass also at the beginning, order must be taken that divers Parishes repair to one upon Sun∣days, and great Holy-days, and that Priests be so distributed, as they may supply the best that may be, until better provision can be made, and perhaps it would not be amiss to call in some stranger Priests, for a time, Men of Edifi∣cation and Vertue, such as might be pro∣cured by means of some Pious and Zealous Bishops of Foreign Countries, and by Commendation and Election of some Re∣ligious Orders, that keep Schools, and do know the Vertue of every one, and being requested by our Council of Reforma∣tion, would have care to direct only such Men unto us as should be for the purpose; who being divided about the Realm, and convenient Stipends appointed them, with∣out appropriation of any Benefice (for that would have inconvenience) they would greatly ease and help our English Clergy, until it be increased and grown stronger; and these Strangers would serve to say Mass, and administer some Sacraments in Parish-Churches, and might supply also the Labour and Function of some Canons, for singing in the Quire and divers Cathe∣dral and Collegiate Churches, where other

Provision of our own Nation could not be so soon made. And it perchance would be less hurt to pass on with these Strangers for a time, who afterwards may be re∣moved, if they should not prove well, than for haste and want to make up a number of unable or evil Priests of our own, who would be ever after a Seed of Corruption and Disorder to the whole Realm: of which point I shall say also more in the Second Part, when I come to speak of Seminaries; where no Priests at all could be planted at the beginning, there some honest and discreet Person or Persons of the Parish or of the next to it, though they be Lay-men, were to be as∣signed to have care of the Church Revestry, and Priest's House, and to see all dressed up, and kept in good order; and that pre∣sently such things as were to be redressed or builded up for the necessity or decent use of all, when Priests could be had, should be out of hand beginning to be put in order, and Mony to be allotted thereunto by the Council according to the Informa∣tion given of the necessities; for which effect divers Visitors, Commissaries and Under-officials, should continually be im∣ployed to advertise and see how matters go forward.

And as for the Church-service, if it may not be had as were to be wished every where at the beginning, nor that it can else be done in all places by a Priest or Deacon, or by one in Holy Orders, yet at leastwise some such discreet Lay-man, as before is mentioned, might be appointed to see some good or∣der kept; and that the Bell be rung thrice a day to the Angels Salutation, and that upon Holy-days at least (if not more of∣ten) the People be called together to the Church by the common Bell, there to pray alone in private Prayer, if no publick can be said (as perhaps there may) at least wise the Service of our Lady may be said by some one or other, or many together, and some Homily or Spiritual Book read, and some Instruction given how to say every one the Beads, and other like helps; to the end that Prophanity, Atheism, or forgetfulness of God and Godliness enter not at the beginning before Priests may be had.

A Calendar is to be drawn out and a∣greed upon for the Holy-days that are to be observed in England; few and well kept were much better than many with hurt of the Commonwealth and Dissolu∣tion of manners. It is no small temporal loss for poor labouring Men, that live and

maintain their Families upon the labours of their hands, to have so great a num∣ber of vacant days as in some Countries there be, whereby the poor are brought to great necessity, and the Realm much hindered in things that otherwise might be done, and Corruption of Manners by idleness much increased. For remedy of the first, which is the multitude of Holy-days, (I mean besides Sundays) let it be considered, whether this Moderation a∣mongst others might not be admitted, that some days had only Obligation to hear Mass, and that afterwards Men should work, and that nothing should be taken from labouring Men's wages for this time spent in hearing of Mass; so that this loss would fall only upon the richer sort that are better able to bear it. Holy-days might be for half a day only, to wit, for the Forenoon, and that after Dinner, every Man should work, and that this should not be left to every Man's proper will to work or to make Holy-days at his plea∣sure; for that many out of idleness would play, and induce others to the same; but only the order set down should be invio∣lably kept.

For the Second Point, which is to keep well these Holy-days that are commanded, it will import much that certain good Ex∣ercises be appointed to occupy and enter∣tain the People upon these set days; and these may be partly Spiritual, as Service said, or singing the Church-mattins, Mass, Even-Song, Preaching, reading of Homi∣lies, Catechisings, or teaching the Chri∣stian Doctrine to the People, wherein great care and special labour should be employ∣ed at the beginning, and some other Ex∣ercises may be of honest entertainment, and Relaxation of Mind, which may keep the common sort from more disorderly Games; and amongst other things, the going of one Parish to another in Procession, upon their Festival days, is not the worst, if some little abuses be taken away, which were crept in, and might be remedied by teach∣ing them to go with Devotion, saying their Beads, the Litanies, and the like, and some Men appointed to repeat the principal points of the Saints Lives, which they celebrate; and by this means also one poor Parish helpeth another for the main∣tenance of their Church, albeit the Coun∣cil of Reformation may take order, a∣mongst other points, that every Parish-Church have some particular Rent in a

common Purse for their maintenance with∣out asking Alms of the People. Order may be taken also to bring in certain Brotherhoods and Societies in every Parish that shall be capable thereof, whose pecu∣liar profession may be to treat upon Holy-days of all good works, and reforming of such abuses or wants as shall be disco∣ver'd. And these Societies must have cer∣tain Priviledges, Preeminences, and Ex∣emptions for them that do their Office well, and Chastisement for the contrary; but all must be subject and subordinate to the Ordinary: For of Exemptions of Con∣fraternities from Visitation of their Bi∣shops, many disorders and inconveniences have been seen in other Countries.

And above all other Confraternities or Societies, one of the Christian Doctrine would be the most necessary in every Parish at the beginning, whereof the Cu∣rate may be the head, and some other of the graver sort and principal Men of the Parish may be adjoyned, and their Office may be to be present on Holy-days, when Disputation is held amongst the Children publickly in the Church, and procure that none be away. And it should be good, that some particular emolument should re∣sult to these Men for their diligence, and

that there were some particular Rent also to buy rewards for their Children that shall prevail in this Disputation, which would animate greatly both them and their Parents, and others to be present, and perfect in the Doctrine. And to this Con∣fraternity of Christian Doctrine might be joyned, in the beginning, the Society also of the Blessed Sacrament in the little Parishes where more Societies could not be put in ure, whose principal charge 'tis (I mean the Confraternity of the Sa∣crament of the Altar) to accompany the Body of our Saviour with Lights and o∣ther Actions of honour, when it is car∣ried abroad to the Sick, and in other occa∣sions.

And for that in no other thing God hath been more dishonoured in England than in matters touching this heavenly Sacra∣ment, it will be reason that particular re∣compence be made therein at the very first entrance of Religion again.

Some such Officer as the Romans called their Censor to look that no Man lived idly, nor brought up his Children with∣out some Exercise and means to live, would be of importance for this Refor∣mation. And this man might call to ac∣count also such Men as lived suspitiously

or scandalously, as by Carding and Dicing, or spent riotously any way his own Goods or his Wives. And the like Commissi∣oners were to be sent to the Universities to reform them to the best utility of the Commonwealth, and of those that study in them, and for drawing of strangers to frequent them, as in other Countries.

And the like Visitation and Reforma∣tion may be made of the Universities of our common Laws; to wit, of the Inns of Courts and Chancery in London. And this concerning both Manners and Learn∣ing; and certain skilful, prudent and pious Men, may have Commission to consult what were to be redressed about the com∣mon Laws, either for learning, teaching, or practice of the same, to the end the Prince and Parliament might afterwards determine thereof.

And the like about our Colleges, Halls, and manner of reading both of Philosophy and Divinity, Physick, Civil and Com∣mon Laws, and other Sciences in the U∣niversities.

And amongst other Points, to consider whether a Third University were not ne∣cessary in the North parts of England, as at Durham, Richmond, New-Castle or the like place in these quarters, for the better

polishing of those parts towards Scotland, and planting learned Men in the same, seeing they have need; and that the other two Universities which we have al∣ready, are both of them far towards the South, and many of the North parts can∣not so conveniently send their Children unto them.

And divers other Countries have three Universities, within much less circuit than these three would be. A like Considera∣tion also might be, whether it were not expedient to have a third Archbishoprick in England; for example, at Bristol or thereabouts, which might have for his Suffra∣gant Bishopricks, those of the West Coun∣try, and more parts of Wales, that lye near about. And hereby might the Arch∣bishoprick of Canterbury's charge and la∣bour be eased much, and the Metropoli∣tan Visitations from three Years to three Years, more commodiously performed, and yet sufficient priviledges and preemi∣nence left to the said Archbishop and Primate of Canterbury, according to the ancient dignity of the said Church.

In like manner it may be put in Deli∣beration, whether the number of Bishops, in some part of the Realm, were not to be increased, for the better governing of

the Clergy, or at leastwise that their cir∣cuits were better divided, some of them being, at the present, very ample and la∣boursome, as Lincoln, York, and some o∣ther; and in some other places, perhaps the Livings of some other Bishopricks were to be augmented for better main∣taining of the Dignity, though ordinarily this is the least want of our Bishops in our Realm; and the authority of the Place is better maintained by opinion of Gravity, Learning, Wisdom, and Holiness, than by much abundance of Riches.