Episcopacy (as established by law in England) not prejudicial to regal power a treatise written in the time of the Long Parliament, by the special command of the late King / and now published by ... Robert Sanderson ...

By the KING.

A PROCLAMATION, Declaring that the proceedings of his Majesties Eccle∣siastical Courts and Ministers, are ac∣cording to the Lawes of the Realm.

WHereas in some of the Li∣bellous books and Pam∣phlets lately published, The most Reverend Fa∣thers in God, the Lords Arch-Bishops and Bishops of this Realm, are said to have usurped up∣on his Majesties Prerogative Royal, and to have proceeded in the high Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts, contrary to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm; It was or∣dered by his Majesties high Court of Star-Chamber, the Twelfth day of June last, that the opinion of the two Lords chief Iustices, the Lord chief Baron, and the rest of the Judges and Barons should be had and certified in those particulars, viz. Whether Pro∣cesses

may not issue out of the Ecclesi∣astical Courts in the Name of the Bi∣shops. Whether a Patent under the great Seal be necessary for the keep∣ing of the Ecclesiastical Courts, and enabling Citations, Suspensions, Excommunications, and other cen∣sures of the Church. And whether Ci∣tations ought to be in the Kings name, and under his Seal of Arms, and the like for Institutions and In∣ductions to Benefices, and Correction of Ecclesiastical offences. Whether Bishops, Arch-Deacons and other Ecclesiastical persons may or ought to keep any visitation at any time unless they have express Commission or Pa∣tent under the great Seal of England to do it, and that as his Majesties Ui∣sitors only, and in his name and Right alone.

Whereupon, his Majesties said Iudges having taken the same into their serious consideration, did una∣nimously concur and agree in opinion, and the first day of July last certified un∣der their hands as followeth, That Processes may issue out of the Ecclesia∣stical

Courts in the name of the Bi∣shops; and that a Patent under the great Seal is not necessary for the keeping of the said Ecclesiastical Courts, or for enabling of Citations, Suspensions, Excommunications and other Censures of the Church; And that it is not necessary that Sum∣mons, Citations, or other Processes Ec∣clesiastical in the said Courts, or Insti∣tutions, or Inductions to Benefices, or correction of Ecclesiastical offences by Censure in those Courts, be in the Kings name or with the style of the King, or under the Kings Seal, or that their Seals of Office have in them the Kings Arms; And that the Statute of Primo Edvardi Sexti, cap. secundo, which enacted the contrary, is not now in force: And that the Bi∣shops, Arch-Deacons and other Eccle∣siastical persons, may keep their Uisi∣tations as usually they have done, without Commission under the great Seal of England so to do: which opini∣ons and resolutions being declared under the hands of all his Majesties said Iudges, and so certified into his

Court of Star-Chamber, were there recorded: and it was by that Court further ordered the fourth day of the said moneth of July, that the said certi∣ficate should be inrolled in all other his Majesties Courts at Westminster, and in the High Commission, and other Ecclesiastical Courts, for the satisfaction of all men, That the pro∣ceedings in the High Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts are agree∣able to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm.

And his Royal Majesty hath thought sit, with advice of his Coun∣cel, that a publick Declaration of these the opinions and resolutions of his Reverend and Learned Iudges, being agreeable to the Iudgement and Resolutions of former times, should be made known to all his Subjects, as well to vindicate the legal proceed∣ings of His Ecclesiastical Courts and Ministers, from the unjust and scan∣dalous imputation of invading or en∣trenching on his Royal Prerogative, as to settle the minds and stop the mouths of all unquiet Spirits, that

for the future they presume not to cen∣sure his Ecclesiastical Courts or Mi∣nisters in these their Iust and warran∣ted proceedings: And hereof his Ma∣jesty admonisheth all his Subjects to take warning as they shall answer the contrary at their perils.

Given at the Court at Lyndhurst the 18. day of August, in the 13. year of his Ma∣jesties Raign.

God save the King.