Cabala, sive, Scrinia sacra mysteries of state & government : in letters of illustrious persons, and great agents, in the reigns of Henry the Eighth, Queen Elizabeth, K. James, and the late King Charls : in two parts : in which the secrets of Empire and publique manage of affairs are contained : with many remarkable passages no where else published.

Directions concerning Preachers.

THat no Preacher under the degree of a Bishop, or a Dean of a Ca∣thedrall or Collegiat Church, and that upon the Kings days, and set Festivals, do take occasion by the expounding of any Text of Scripture whatsoever, to fall to any set Discourse or Common-place, otherwise then by opening the coherence and division of his Text, which be not comprehended and warranted in essence, substance, effect, or naturall inference within some one of the Articles of Religion set forth by autho∣rity in the Church of England, and the two Books of Homilies set forth by the same authority in the year 1562. or in some of the Homilies set forth by authority of the Church of England, not onely for the help of non-preaching, but withall for a Patern or a Boundary as it were for the preaching Ministers; and for their further instruction for the performance hereof, that they forthwith read over and peruse diligently the said Book of Articles, and the two Books of Homilies.

2. That no Parson, Vicar, Curat, or Lecturer, shall preach any Ser∣mon

or Collation hereafter upon Sundays or Holidays in the afternoon in any Cathedral or Parish-Church throughout the Kingdom, but upon some part of the Catechism, or some Text taken out of the Creed, the ten Commandments, or the Lords prayer, (Funeral-sermons only ex∣cepted) And that those Preachers be most encouraged and approved of who spend their afternoons exercises in the examination of Children in their Catechism, which is the most antient and laudable custom of teach∣ing in the Church of England.

3. That no Preacher of what title or denomination soever under the degree of a Bishop, or Dean at the least, do from henceforth presume to preach in any popular Auditory the deep points of Predestination, Ele∣ction, Reprobation, or the universality, efficacie, resistibility or irre∣sistibility of Gods grace; but leave these Theams to be handled by learned men, and that moderately and modestly by way of use and appli∣cation, rather then by way of positive doctrine, as being fitter for Schools and Universities then for simple Auditories.

4. That no Preacher of what title or denomination soever shal presume from henceforth in any Auditory within this Kingdom to declare, limit, or bound out by way of positive doctrine in any Sermon or Lecture the power, prerogative, jurisdiction, authority, right or duty of soveraign Princes; or otherwise meddle with these matters of State, and the dif∣ferences betwixt Princes and people, then as they are instructed and presidented in the Homilies of Obedience, and in the rest of the Homilies and Articles of Religion set forth as before is mentioned by publique Authority, but rather confine themselves wholly to these two heads, Faith and good life, which are all the subject of ancient Homilies and Sermons.

5. That no Preacher of what title or denomination soever shall cause∣lesly or without invitation of the Text fall into bitter invectives, or un∣decent railing speeches against the persons of either Papists or Puritans, but modestly and gravely when they are occasioned thereunto by the text of Scripture, cleer both the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England from the aspersions of either adversary, especially when the Auditory is suspected with the one or the other infection.

6. Lastly, That the Archbishop and Bishops of this Kingdom (whom his Majesty hath good cause to blame for their former remisness) be more wary and choise in the licensing of Preachers, and revoke all grants

made to any Chancellor, Official or Commissary, to pass Licences in this kind. And that all the Lecturers throughout the Kingdom, a new body, and severed from the antient Clergie of England, as being neither Parsons, Vicars, nor Curates, be licensed henceforward in the Court of Faculties only upon recommendations of the party from the Bishop of the Diocess under his hand and seal, with a Fiat from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and a confirmation under the great seal of England; and that such as transgress any of these Directions, be suspended by the Lord Bishop of that Diocess, or in his default by the Lord Archbishop of that Province (ab officio & beneficio) for a year and a day, untill his Majesty by the advice of the next Convocation shall prescribe some fur∣ther punishment.

By this you see his Majesties Princely care that men should preach Christ crucified, obedience to the higher powers, and honest and Chri∣stian conversation of life, but in a regular form, and not that every young man should take unto himself an exorbitant liberty to teach what he listeth to the offence of his Majesty, and to the disturbance and dis∣quiet of the Church and Commonwealth. I can give unto your Lord∣ship no better directions for the performance hereof then are prescribed to you in his Majesties Letter, and the Schedule hereunto annexed. Wherefore I pray you be very carefull, since it is the Princely pleasure of his Majesty to require an exact account both of you and of me for the same. Thus not doubting but by your Register or otherwise you will cause these Instructions to be communicated to your Clergy, I leave you to the Almighty, and remain your Lordships loving brother,

Croydon, Aug. 15. 1622.

George Cant.