Marginalia1548. Lord of Caunterburies grace this present 28. day of Ianuary sent vnto me his letters missiue, contayning this in effect: that my Lord Protectoures Grace with the aduise of other the kings maiesties most honourable Counsaile, for certayn considerations them mouing, hath fully resolued that no cādels shalbe borne vpon Candlemas day, nor also from henceforth Ashes or Palmes vsed any longer, requiryng me thereupon by his sayde letters, to cause admonition and knowledge thereof to bee geuen vnto your Lordshippe and other Byshops with celeritie accordyngly. In consideration whereof I doe sende at this presente these letters vnto your sayde Lordship, that you therupon may geue knowledge and aduertisement thereof within your Diocesse as appertayneth: Thus committyng your good Lordship to almightye God, as well to fare as your good harte can best desyre. Written in haste at my house in London, the sayde xxviij. day of Ianuary. 1548.

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Your good Lordships to com-
maund Edmund London. 

MarginaliaContention amongest the people for Images. Now about that present tyme credible and certayne reporte was made vnto the Lords of the counsaile, that great contention and strife dyd dayly aryse among the commō people in diuers partes of this Realme, for the pullyng downe and takyng away of such Images out of the Churches as had ben idolatrouslye abused by pilgrimage, offeryngs, or otherwise (according to the tenure of one of the Iniunctions geuen by the kynge in hys late visitation) some affirmyng that that image was abused, others that this, & most, that neither of them both: so that if speedy remedy were not had therin, it mought turne to farther inconuenience. Wherfore they, by one aduise thinking it best (of good experience) for the auoydyng of all discord and tumult, that all maner images shoulde be cleane taken out of all Churches, and none suffered to remayne, did thereupon agayn wryte their letters vnto the Archbyshop of Canterbury, requiring hys readye ayde therin, in maner following.

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MarginaliaLetters frō the Counsell for abolishing of Images, to the Archb. of Canterb. AFter our right harty commendations to your good Lordshippe, where now of late in the Kynges Maiesties Visitations, among other godly Iniunctions commaunded to bee generally obserued through all partes of this his hyghnes Realme, one was set forth for the takyng downe of all such Images as had at any tyme bene abused with Pilgrimages, offeringes or censinges: albeit that this sayde Iniunction hathe in manye partes of the Realme bene quietlye obeyed and executed, yet in manye other places muche strife and contention hath risen, and daylye riseth, and more and more encreaseth about the execution of the same: some men beyng so superstitious, or rather willfull, as they woulde (by theyr good willes) retayne all such Images still, although they haue bene most manifestly abused 

. And in some places also the Images which by the sayd Iniunctions were taken downe, be now restored and set vp agayne. And almost in euery place is contention for Images, whether they haue bene abused or not. And whiles these men go on both sides contentiously to obtaine their myndes, contendyng whether this Image, or that Image hath bene offered vnto, kissed, censed, or otherwise abused, partes haue in some places bene taken, in such sorte, as farther inconuenience is lyke to ensue, if remedy be not founde in tyme. Consideryng therefore that almost in no place of this Realme is any sure quietnesse, but where al Images be cleane taken away, and pulled downe already, to the intent that all contention in euery part of the Realme for this matter, may be clearely taken away, and that the liuely Image of Christ should not contēd for the deade Images, which be thyngs not necessary, and wythout which the Churches of Christ continued moste godly many yeares, we haue thought good to signifie vnto you that his highnes pleasure, with the aduise and consent of vs the Lorde Protectour and the rest of the Counsayle, is, that immediatly vppon the sight hereof, with as conuenient diligence as you may, you shall not onely geue order that all the Images remayning in any Church or chappell within your Diocesse be remooued and taken away, but also by your letters signifie vnto the rest of the Byshoppes within your Prouince, that his hyghnesse pleasure for the lyke order to be geuen by them, and euery of them within theyr seuerall Diocesse  . And in the execution hereof, we require both you and the rest of the sayde Byshoppes to vse such foresight as the same may be quietly done, with as good satisfaction of the people as may be. Thus fare your good Lordship hartely well. From Somerset place, the xi. of February. 1548.

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Your Lordships assured louyng frendes.

Edw. Somerset.	Iohn Russell.
Hen. Arrundel	Tho. Semer.
Anth. Wingfield.	Wll. Paget.

MarginaliaThe Archbishop writeth to Boner. When the Archbyshop had receiued these letters, he forthwith directed his precept vnto Boner Byshop of London, requiryng, and in the kyngs Maiesties name cōmaundyng hym, that with all spede he should aswel geue in charge vnto the rest of the Byshops within the Prouince of Canterbury, to looke immediatly without delaye vnto the diligent & careful execution of the contentes of the sayd letter throughout all places of their Dioces: as also that he him selfe should doe the like within his owne Citie and Dioces of London, wherupon he, seeming then with lyke outwarde consent as before, to allowe these doynges, presently (by vertue of the sayde precept) did send out his Mandatum 

aswell vnto the rest of the Byshops, as also agayne vnto the Byshop of Westminster in forme followyng.

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MarginaliaBoners letter to the byshop of Westminster, for abolyshing of Images. E Dmundus permissione diuina London. Episcopus per illustrissimum in Christo principem & dominum nostrum, dominum Edwardum sextum Dei gratia Anglie, Franciæ, & Hibernæ Regem, fidei defensorum & in terra Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ & Hibernicæ supremum caput, sufficienter & legitime autorisatus, Reuerendo in Christo confratri nostro domino Thomæ eadem permissione Westm. Episcopo, salutem & fraternam in Domino charitatem. Literas reuerendissimi in Christo patris & domini D. Thomæ, permissione diuina Cantuar. Archiepiscopi totius Angliæ primatis & Metropolitani, tenorem literarum missarum clarissimorum & prudentissimorum dominorum de priuatis consilijs dicti illustrissimi domini Regis ini se continen. nuper cum ea qua decuit reuerentia humiliter recepimus exequend. in hæc verba. Thomas permissione diuina Cant. &c. And then making a full recitall as well of the Archbishops precepte, as also of the Counsels letters aboue specified, he concluded wyth these wordes. Quocirca nos Edmund. Episc. antedictus, Literis prædictis, pro nostro officio obtēperare, vti decet, summopere cupientes, vestræ fraternitati tam ex parte dicti excellentissimi Domini nostri Regis, ac præfatorum clarissimorum dominorum de priuatis suis consilijs, quàm prædicti Reuer. patris domini. Cant. Archiepiscopi, tenore præsentium committimus & mandamus, quatenus attentis & per vos diligenter consideratis Literarum huiusmodi tenoribus, eos in omnibus & per omnia, iuxta vim, formam, & effectum earundem, cum omni quo poteris celeritate accōmoda, per totam Dioces. vestram West. debite & effectualiter exequi faciatis & procuretis. Datum in ædibus nostris London. vicesimo die Februarij. Anno. domini. 1548. Et regni dicti illustrissimi domini nostri Regis. Anno secundo.

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Now by the tyme that these things were thus determined, the learned men, whiche the kyng had appointed (as ye haue heard before) to assemble together for thee true and right maner of administeryng the Sacrament of the bodye and bloude of Christ accordyng to the rule of the Scriptures of God, and first vsage of the primatiue Churche, after their long, learned, wyse, and deliberate aduises, MarginaliaAn vniforme order of the Communion. dyd finally conclude & agree vppon one godly and vniforme order of receiuyng the same, not much differyng from the maner at this present vsed and authorised within this realme and Church of England, commonly called the Communion. Which agreement beyng by them exhibited vnto the kyng, & of him most gladly accepted, was thereupon publickly Imprinted 

, and by his maiesties Counsell particularly diuided and sent vnto euery Bishop of the Realme, requiryng and commaundyng thē by their letters on the kings Maiesties behalfe, that both they in their owne persons should forthwith haue a diligent and carefull respecte to the due executiō therof, and also shoulde with all diligence cause the bookes which they then sent them, to be deliuered to euery Parson, Vicare, and Curate within their Dioces, that they likewise might well and sufficiently aduise them selues for the better distribution of the sayde Communion (accordyng to the tenour of the sayd booke) agaynst the feast of Easter thē next ensuing: as more fully appeareth by these their letters here folowyng.

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