pleasure of good men towards them may (as far as it is poffible) fupply what the laws (probably) cannot altogether prevent and we do hereby ftrictly enjoin and prohibit all our loving fubjects, of what degree or quality foever, from playing, on the Lord's day, at dice, cards, or any other game whatsoever, either in public or private houses, or other place or places whatfoever and we do hereby require and command them, and every of them, decently and reverently to attend the worship of God on the Lord's day, on pain of our highest displeasure, and of being proceeded against with the utmoft rigour that may be by law. And, for the more effectual reforming all fuch perfons, who, by reafon of their diffolute lives and converfation, are a fcandal to our kingdom, our further pleasure is, and we do hereby ftrictly charge and command all our Judges, Mayors, Sheriffs, Juftices of the Peace, and all other our officers and minifters, both ecclefiaftical and civil, and all other our fubjects, to be very vigilant and strict in the discovery and the effectual profecution and punishment of all perfons who fhall be guilty of exceffive drinking, blafphemy, profane fwearing and curfing, lewdness, profanation of the Lord's day, or other diffolute, immoral, or diforderly practices; and that they take care alfo effectually to fupprefs all public gaminghouses, and other loofe and diforderly houfes, and allo all unlicensed public fhows, interludes, and places of entertainment, ufing the utmoft caution in licenfing the fame: alfo to fupprefs all loofe and licentious prints, books, and publications, difperfing poifon to the minds of the young and unwary, and to punifh the publithers and venders thereof; and to put in execution the Statute, made in the twenty-ninth year of the reign of the late King Charles the Second, intituled, An A&t for the better Obfervation of the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday; and alfo an Act of Parliament, made in the ninth year of the reign of the late King William the Third, intituled, An Act for the more effectual fuppreffing of Blasphemy and Profaneness; and alfo an Act, paffed in the twentyfirst year of our reign, intituled, An Act for preventing certain Abufes and Profanations on the Lord's Day, called Sunday; and all other laws now in force for the punishing and fuppreffing any of the vices aforefaid; and also to fupprefs and prevent all gaming whatsoever, in public or private houses, on the Lord's day; and likewife that they take effectual care to prevent all perfons keeping taverns, chocolate-houses, coffee-houses, or other public houses what whatfoever, from felling wine, chocolate, coffee, ale, beer, or other liquors, or receiving or permitting guefts to be or remain in fuch their houfes in the time of divine fervice on the Lord's day, as they will anfwer it to Almighty God, and upon pain of our higheft difpleasure. And, for the more effectual proceeding herein, we do hereby direct and command all our Judges of Affize and Juftices of the Peace, to give ftrict charge at their respective Affizes and Seffions, for the due profecution and punishment of all perfons that fhall prefume to offend in any of the crimes aforefaid; and alfo of all perfons that, contrary to their duty, fhall be remifs or negligent in putting the faid laws in execution: and that they do, at their refpective Affizes and Quarter Seffions of the Peace, caufe this our royal Proclamation to be publicly read in open court immediately before the charge is given. And we do hereby further charge and command every Minister in his refpective parish church or chapel to read, or cause to be read, this our Proclamation at least four times in every year, immediately after divine fervice, and to incite and ftir up their refpective auditors to the practice of piety and virtue, and the avoiding of all immorality and profanenefs. And, to the end that all vice and debauchery may be prevented, and religion and virtue practised by all officers, private foldiers, mariners, and others who are employed in our fervice by fea and land, we do hereby ftrictly charge and command all our commanders and officers whatfoever, that they do take care to avoid all profanenefs, debauchery, and other immoralities, and that, by their own good and virtuous lives and conversation, they do fet good examples to all fuch as are under their care and authority; and likewife take care of and infpect the behaviour of all fuch as are under them, and punish all those who shall be guilty of any of the offences aforefaid, as they will be answerable for the ill confequences of their neglect herein. Given at our Court at St. James's, the first day of June, 1787, in the twenty-feventh year of our reign. God fave the King. His X 2 His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury's Letter to the Right Reverend the Lords Bishops of his Province. Lambeth, Feb. 21, 1770. IT My Lord, of T having been the unanimous opinion of as many our brethren, the Bifhops of this province, as I have had an opportunity of confulting, that it might be for the fervice of religion to revive, and enforce, with fome fmall variation, the rules published by the five laft of my predeceffors in the fee of Canterbury, foon after their acceffion to it: I earnestly recommend to you, 1. That you require of every person who defires to be admitted to holy Orders, that he fignify to you his name and place of abode, and tranfmit to you his teftimonial, and a certificate of his age, duly attefted, with the title upon which he is to be ordained, at least twenty days before the time of Ordination; and that he appear on Wednesday, or at fartheft on Thursday, in Ember-week, in order to his examination. 2. That if you fhall reject any person who applies for holy Orders, upon the account of immorality proved against him, you fignify the name of the perfon fo rejected, with the reafon of your rejecting him, to me, within one month; that fo I may acquaint the rest of my fuffragans with the case of such rejected person before the next Ordination. 3. That you admit not any person to holy Orders, who, having refided any confiderable time out of the University, does not fend to you, with his teftimonial, a certificate figned by the Minifter, and other credible inhabitants of the parish where he fo refided, expreffing that notice was given in the church, in time of divine fervice, on fome Sunday, at least a month before the day of Ordination, of his intention to offer himfelf to you to be ordained at fuch a time: and that, upon fuch notice given, no objections have come to their knowledge for the which he ought not to be ordained. 4. That you admit no letters teftimonial, on any occafion whatsoever, unless it be therein expreffed for what particular end and design such letters are granted; nor un lefs lefs it be declared by those who fhall fign them, that they have perfonally known the life and behaviour of the perfon for the time by them certified: and do believe in their confcience, that he is qualified for that order, office, or employment, to which he defires to be admitted. 5. That in all teftimonials fent from any college or hall, in either of the Universities, you expect that they be figned as well as fealed; and that, among the perfons figning, the Governor of fuch college or hall, or, in his abfence, the next perfon under fuch Governor, with the Dean, or Reader of Divinity, and the Tutor of the perfon to whom the teftimonial is granted, (fuch Tutor being in the college, and fuch person being under the degree of Mafter of Arts,) do fubfcribe their names. 6. That you admit not any person to boly Orders upon letters dimiffory, unless they are granted by the Bishop himself, or Guardian of the Spiritualities, fede vacante; nor unless it be expreffed in fuch letters, that he who grants them has fully fatisfied himself of the title, and converfation, of the perfon to whom the letter is granted. 7. That you make diligent enquiry concerning Curates in your diocese, and proceed to ecclefiaftical cenfures against those who fhall prefume to ferve cures without being firft duly licensed thereunto; as alfo against all Incumbents who fhall receive and employ them, without firft obtaining fuch licence. 8. That you do not by any means admit of any Minifter who removes from another diocese, to ferve as a Curate in yours, without the teftimony in writing of the Bishop of that diocefe, or Ordinary of the peculiar jurisdiction, from whence he comes, of his good life, ability, and conformity to the ecclefiaftical laws of the Church of England. 9. That do not allow you Minister to ferve more any than one church or chapel in one day, except that chapel be a member of the parish church, or united thereunto; and unless the said church or chapel, where fuch Minister fhall ferve in two places, be not able, in your judgment, to maintain a Curate. 10. That in the inftrument of licence granted to any Curate, you appoint him, what fhall appear to you, upon due confideration of the duty to be performed by him, the value of the benefice, and the other circumftances of the cafe, a fufficient falary, according to the power vefted in you by the Jaws of the Church, and the particular direction of the Act of Parliament for the better maintenance of Curates. X 3 II. That 11. That you take care, as much as is poffible, that whofoever is admitted to serve any cure, do refide in the parish where he is to ferve; especially in livings that are able to fupport a refident Curate: and where that cannot be done, that he do at least refide fo near to the place, that he may conveniently perform all the duties both in the church and parifh. 12. That you be very cautious in accepting refignations; and endeavour with the utmost care, by every legal method, to guard against corrupt and fimoniacal prefentations to benefices. 13. That you require your Clergy to wear their proper habits, preferving always an evident and decent diftinction from the Laity in their apparel; and to fhew in their whole behaviour that feriousness, gravity, and prudence, which becomes their function. These directions I defire you would, with all convenient fpeed, communicate to the Clergy of your diocefe, affuring them, that it is your fixed refolution to make them the rule of your own practice. In the mean time, commending you to the divine bleffing, I remain, |