A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



rules and confession are accompanied by an elaborate series of orders,' regulat- 

 ing the religious affairs of the town and, to a certain extent, of the county 

 also, and laying down the details of a stern religious discipline. A specially 

 noteworthy point in these orders is the bishop's sanction to the use in church 

 of Calvin's Catechism. 



Whatever may be thought of the ' discipline ' above mentioned, and of 

 the ' classes ' to be described presently, there was nothing necessarily revo- 

 lutionary in their exercises or ' Prophesyings ' elaborated at Northampton, so 

 long as they remained merely devotional meetings for the clergy under strict 

 regulation, coupled with successive expositions of Scripture before the general 

 congregation. The idea became popular, and spread from Northampton to 

 the dioceses of London and Norwich, and by 1573 had reached the dioceses 

 of Chester, Durham, Ely, and York. The Privy Council, however, having 

 before them the Northampton document, in which the rules for spiritual 

 exercise were annexed to the discipline orders which we have just cited, and 

 dreading all religious enthusiasm, determined on their suppression. It will 

 be remembered that it was the refusal of Archbishop Grindal to put down 

 these ' prophesyings ' in accordance with the letter of Elizabeth to the bishops 



' Ctil. S.P. Dom. Ellz. Ixxviii, 38. The orders and dealings in the Churche of Northampton established 

 and sett up, by the consent of the Bysshop of Peterborough the maior and bretherne of the Towne there and 

 others the Queenes Ma"" Justices of peace within the saide Countie and Towne taken and founde the Vth daie 

 of June I 57 I, Annoque XIIJ Regine Elizabeth. 



1. The singinge and playeinge of Organes before tyme accustomed in the Quier is putt downe and 

 the comen prayer theare accustomed to bee said is brought downe into the bodie of the churche amongest 

 the people before whome the same ys used accordinge to the Queene's booke with singinge psalms before 

 and after the Sermond. 



2. There is in the chefe churche every tewsdaye and thursdaie from IX of the clock untill X in the 

 mornynge Redd a lecture of the scriptures begynnynge with the confession in the booke of Comen prayer 

 and ending with prayer, and confession of the faith, etc. 



3. There is in the same churche every sondaye and holydaie after mornynge praier A Sermond the 

 people singinge the psalmes before and after. 



4. That service be ended in everie parishe churche by IX of the clock in the mornynge every sondaye 

 and holydaye to thcnde the people maye resort to the sermon to the same church and that every mynister 

 gyve warnynge to the parishioners in tyme of comen prayer to repaire to the sermon theare, excepte they 

 have a sermon in their owne parishe Churche. 



5. That after praiers don, in the tyme of Sermon or Catechisme none sitt in the streetes or 

 walk up and downe abroade or otherwye occupie themselves vaynely, uppon such pcnaltie as shalbe 

 appointed. 



6. That youth at thende of eveninge prayer every sondaie and holydaye before all the elder 

 people are examyned in A por9on of Calvyns Catechisme which by the reader is expounded unto 

 them and holdeth an hower. 



7. There is a general Communyon every quarter in every parish churche with a sermond whiche 

 is by the mynister at Comen praier warned fower several! sondaies before every Communyon, with 

 exhortafon to the people to prepare for that daie. 



8. One fourthnighte before eche Comunyon, the mynister with the Churchewardens maketh 

 his Circuyt from howse to howse to take the names of the Comunycantes and to examyne the state of 

 their lyves, amongse whom yf any discorde be founde the parties are brought before the Maior and 

 his bretherne being assisted with the preacher and other gentillmen before whome there ys recon- 

 sylement made, or ells Correccion and puttinge the partie from the Comunyon which will not dwell 

 in Charitie. 



9. And ymediatly after the comunyon the mynister &c. retorneth to euery howse to understand 

 whoe have not receaved the comunion accordinge to comon ordre taken and certyfieth it to the Maior 

 &c. who w"" the mynister examyneth the matter and useth mcanes of persuation to induce them to 

 their duties. 



10. Every comunyon daie eche parisshe hath ij comunyons thone for servauntes and officers to 

 beginne at V of the clocke in the mornynge w"" a sermonde of an hower, and to ende at VIIJ The 

 other for m« and dames etc., to begynne at IX the same daie w"" a like sermonde and to ende at XII at 

 the uttermoste. 



1 1. The manner of this comunion is besides the sermonde accordinge to the order of the Queene's 

 book saving the people, beinge in their confession uppon their knees for the dispache of manye doo orderly 

 aryse from their pewes, and so passe to the Comunyon table, where they receave the sacram' and from 



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