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1. Iames the 2nd by the Grace of God of England, Scotland France & Ireland King, Defender of the faith &c. To the most Reverend Father in God our right trusty & right well-beloved Councellor William Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all England & Metropolitan & to our right Trusty & right well-beloved Councellor George Lord Ieffreys Lord Chancellor of England & to our right Trusty & right well-beloved Cosin & Councellor Laurence Earl of Rochester, Lord high Treasurer of England & to our right Trusty & right well-beloved Cosin & Councellor Robert Earl of Sunderland, President of our Councel & our principall Secretary of State, Nathaniel Lord Bishop of Durham, & to the right Reverend Father in God our Trusty & well-beloved Councellor Sir Edward Herbert Knight Cheif Iustice of the Pleas before us to be holden assign'd Greeting.

2. We for divers good weighty & necessary causes & considerations us hereunto especially moving, of our meer motion & certain knowledge by force & virtue of our Supreme Authority, & Prerogative Royal doe assigne name & authorize by these our Letters patents under our great Seal of England you the said Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Chancellor of England Lord high Treasurer of England Lord President of our Councel, Lord Bishop of Durham, Lord Bishop of Rochester, & our cheif Iustice aforesaid, or any three or more of you (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) from time to time & at all times during our pleasure, to exercise, use, occupy & execute under us all manner of Iurisdictions, priviledges & preheminencies in any wise touching or concerning any Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall Iurisdictions within this our Realm of England & Dominion of Wales, & to visit, reform, redresse, order, correct & amend all such abuses offences, contempts & enormities whatsoever, which by the spiritual or Ecclesiastical laws of this our Realm, can or may lawfully be reformed, order'd, redressed, corrected, restrained, or amended to the pleasure of Almighty God, the increase of Virtue, & the Conservation of the peace & unity of this Realm.

3. And we doe hereby give & grant unto you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) thus by us named assigned, authorized, & appointed by force of our Supreme Authority and Prerogative Royal, full power & authority from time to time, & at all times, during our pleasure under us to exercize, use & execute all the premises according to the tenor & effect of these our Letters patents any matter or cause to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

4. And we do by these presents give full power & authority unto you, or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) by all lawful ways & meanes from time to time hereafter during our pleasure, to enquire of all offences, contempts, transgressions and misdemeanors done, & committed, & hereafter done & to be committed contrary to the Ecclesiasticall Laws of this our Realm, in any County, City, Burrough or other place or places, exempt or not exempt within this our Realm of England & dominion of Wales, & of all & every the Offender or Offenders therein, & them & every of them to order, correct, reform & punish by censures of the Church.

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5. And also we do give & grant full power & Authority unto you, or any three or more of you, as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) in like manner as is aforesaid from time to time, & at all times during our pleasure, to enquire of, search out, & call before you all & every Ecclesiasticall person or persons of what Degree or Dignity soever, as shall offend in any of the particulars before mention'd, & them & every of them to correct & punish for such their misbehaviors, & misdemeanors by suspending or depriving them from all promotions Ecclesiasticall & from all Functions in the Church; & to inflict such other punishments or Censures upon them according to the Ecclesiasticall laws of this Realm.

6. And farther we do give full power & authority unto you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one): by virtue hereof & in like manner & form as is aforesaid, to enquire, hear determine & punish all Incests, Adulteries, fornications, Outragious misbehaviors & disorders in Marriages, & all other greivous or great Crimes or Offences which are punishable or Reformeable by the Ecclesiasticall laws of this our Realm, committed or done, or hereafter to be committed or done in any place exempt or not exempt, within this our Realm according to the tenor of the Ecclesiasticall laws in that behalf. Hereby granting you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) full power & authority to order & award such punishment to every such Offender by Censures of the Church, or other lawfull wayes as is aforesaid.

7 And we do farther give full Power & Authority to you, or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) to call before you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) all & every offender and offenders in any of the premises; & also all such as by you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) shall seem to be suspected persons in any of the premises, & them to examine touching every or any of the premises, which you shall object against them, & to proceed against them & every of them as the nature & quality of their offence or suspition in that behalf shall require, & also to call all such witnesses, or any other person or persons, that can inform you concerning any of the premises, as you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) shall think meet to be call'd before you, or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) & them & every of them to examine upon their corporal oaths, for the better tryal & opening of the Truth of the preemises, or any part thereof. And if you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) shall find any person or persons whatsoever obstinate or disobedient either in their appearance before you or any three or more of you (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) at your calling & commandment or else in not obeying or not accomplishing your Orders, decrees or Commandments or any thing touching the premises or any part thereof, or any other branch or clause contain'd in this Commission, that then you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) shall have full power & Authority to punish the same person & persons so offending by Excommunication Suspension, Deprivation, or other Censures Ecclesiasticall.

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8 And where any person shall be convented or prosecuted before you, as aforesaid, for any of the causes above expressed, at the Instance & suit of any person prosecuting the offence in that behalf that then you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) shall have full power & Authority to award such costs & expences of the suit, as well to & against the party as shall preferr or prosecute the said offence, as against the parties that shall be convented according as their causes shall require & to you in Iustice shall be thought reasonable.

9. And farther our will & pleasure is. That you assume our well beloved Subject Nc: Bor. Esquire one of the Clerks of our Councel or his sufficient Deputy, or Deputies in that behalf, to be your Register, whom we do depute by these presents to that effect, for the Registring of all your Acts, Decrees & proceedings by virtue of this our Commission: & that in like manner you or any three or more of you, as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) by your discretions shall appoint one or more Messenger or Messengers, & other officer or officers necessary & convenient to attend upon you for any service in this behalfe.

10. Our Will & expresse Commandment also is. That there shall be two paper books indented & made, the one to remain with the said Register, or his suffcient Deputy or Deputies, the other with such person & in such place as you the said Commissioners or any three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) shall in your discretions think most fit & meet. In both which books shall be fairly entred all the Acts, Decrees & Proceedings made or to be made by virtue of this our Commission.

11. And whereas our Universities of Oxford & Cambridge & divers Cathedral & Collegiate Churches, Colledges, Grammer Schooles, & other Ecclesiasticall Corporations have been erected founded & endowed by several of our Royal Progenitors, Kings & Queens of this Realm & some others by the Charity & bounty of some of their subjects, as well within our Universities, as other parts & places, the ordinances, Rules & Statutes whereof are either imbezil'd, lost, corrupted or altogether imperfect: We do give full power & Authority unto you, or any five or more of you (of whom we will you the forenam'd Lord Chancellor allwayes to be one) to cause & command in our Name all & singular the ordinances, Rules & Statutes of our said Universities, & all & every Cathedral or Collegiate Churches, Colleges, Grammar-Schooles, & other Ecclesiasticall Incorporations, together with their several Letters Patents, & other writings, touching or in any wise concerning their several Erections & Foundations to be brought & exhibited before you, or any five or more of you, as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) willing, cmmanding & Authorizing you or any five or more of you as is aforesaid, (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) upon the exhibiting & upon diligent & deliberate vieu, search & examination of the said Statutes, Rules & Ordinances, Letters Patents & writings as is aforesaid, the same to correct, amend & alter, & also where no statutes are extant in all or any of the aforesaid cases, to devise & sett down such good Orders & Statutes as you, or any five or more of you is aforesaid (whereof you the <2v> said Lord Chancellor to be one) shall think meet & convenient to be by us confirmd ratified, allowed & sett forth for the better Order & Rule of the said Universities Cathedral & Collegiate Churches, Colledges & Grammar Schooles, Erections & Foundations, & the Possessions & revenues of the same, & as may best tend to the honour of Almighty God, Increase of Virtue, Learning & Unity in the said places, & the publick weal & tranquillity of this our Realm.

12. Moreover our Will, pleasure & Commandment is, that you our said Commissioners & every of you shall diligently & faithfully execute this our Commission & every part & Branch thereof in manner & form aforesaid, & according to the true meaning hereof: Notwithstanding any appellation, Provocation, Priviledge, or Exemption, in that behalf to be had, made, pretended or alledged by any person or persons resident or dwelling in any place or places, exempt or not exempt within this our Realm; Any Laws, Statutes, proclamations or other Grants Priviledges or Ordinances which may be or may seem contrary to the premises Notwithstanding.

13. And for the better credit & more manifest notice of your duty in the Execution of this our Commission, our pleasure & Command is that you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid {illeg} forth, had, made, decreed {illeg} the places as shall be appointed {illeg} aforesaid for the due Execution of this our Commission {by you or any} three or more of you as is aforesaid (whereof you the said Lord Chancellor to be one) shall cause to be put & fixed a Seal engraven with a Rose & Crown, & the Letter I. & a figure 2 before, & the Letter R after the same, with a Ring or Circumference about the same Seal containing as followeth, Sigillum Commissarium Regiæ Majestatis {illeg} {ecclesiasticas}.

Finally we will & command all & singular other our ministers & Subjects in all & every place & places exempt & not exempt within our Realm of England & Dominion of Wales, upon any knowledge or request from you or any three or more of you as is aforesaid to them or any of them given or made to be {given}, {illeg} & {illeg} unto you, & at your Commandment in & for the due executing of your Precepts, Letters & other processes, requisite in & for the due executing this our Commission, as they & every of them tender our pleasure & will {illeg} the contrary at their utmost peril. In witnesse &c.

© 2024 The Newton Project

Professor Rob Iliffe
Director, AHRC Newton Papers Project

Scott Mandelbrote,
Fellow & Perne librarian, Peterhouse, Cambridge

Faculty of History, George Street, Oxford, OX1 2RL - newtonproject@history.ox.ac.uk

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