A booke of certaine canons, concernyng some parte of the discipline of the Churche of England In the yeare of our Lord. 1571.

Patrones and Proprietaries.

THe Bishop shall earnestly and dili∣gently exhorte patrones of benefi∣ces, to consider the necessities of the churches, and to haue before theyr eyes the last day, and iudgement, & the tribunall seat of God. Therefore that they preferre no man to any ecclesiastical liuing, but him whiche by doctrine, iudgement, godlynes, honestie, & innocencie of life, is able to beare so heauy a burthen, y^t they do nothing therin, but vprightly, vncorruptly & truly: & he shal professe that he will vse all honest, & lawfull meanes to search out the truth. But if, either in the pre••ē∣tation, or els after he shall perceiue any corrup∣tiō, or simony to be committed any way, either closely, either directly, or indirectly, by him, or any other, either that money, or moneyworth, or that any commoditie, or any part of the pro∣fites should come vnto him: y^t he then wil pub∣lish and declare this wicked deed and simonie, not onely in the cathedrall Church, but also els where, to his shame & perpetuall reproch, & also thrust out that minister, whom he so wickedly presented, not onely from the office of a Priest, which he vnlawfully entred: but also from all ministery, and out of the whole Dioces.

Humble petition must be made to the Queenes maiestie, that some way by her leaue and commaundement may be found, that the 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

our byshop, by the name and autho∣ritie of the most mightie God, hath excommunicated him from all com∣pany of the churche of God, & hath cut him of as a dead member, from the body of Christ: In this state, & in so great daūger of his soule is he at this time. S. Paule being taught by the inspiration of the holy ghost, commaundeth that we eschue the fellowship, & company of such men, least we be partakers of the same wickednesse. Yet, as christian chari∣tie warneth vs, because he will not pray for himself, neither vnderstan∣deth hys daunger, let vs all in hys name pray vnto God, that once he may acknowledge his miserye and filthines of life, and may repent, and turne vnto God. For our God is mercifull, and can cal them from death, that were fallen.