COMMISSION FOR THE VERGE. 89 



vice ; or if any have maliciously stricken with weapon, 

 or drawn weapon in any church or church-yard; 

 or if any fair or market have been kept in any 

 church-yard, these are profanations within the pur 

 view of several statutes, and those you are to present : 

 for holy things, actions, times, and sacred places, 

 are to be preserved in reverence and divine respect. 

 For contempts of our church and service, they 

 are comprehended in that known name, which too 

 many, if it pleased God, bear, recusancy ; which 

 offence hath many branches and dependencies ; the 

 wife-recusant, she tempts ; the church papist, he 

 feeds and relieves ; the corrupt schoolmaster, he 

 soweth tares ; the dissembler, he conformeth and 

 doth not communicate. Therefore if any person, 

 man or woman, wife or sole, above the age of six 

 teen years, not having some lawful excuse, have not 

 repaired to church according to the several statutes; 

 the one, for the weekly, the other, for the monthly 

 repair, you are to present both the offence and the 

 time how long. Again, such as maintain, relieve, 

 keep in service of livery recusants, though themselves 

 be none, you are likewise to present ; for these be 

 like the roots of nettles, which sting not themselves, 

 but bear and maintain the stinging leaves : so if any 

 that keepeth a schoolmaster that comes not to 

 church, or is not allowed by the bishop, for that in 

 fection may spread far : so such recusants as have 

 been convicted and conformed, and have not received 

 the sacrament once a year, for that is the touch- 



