90 JUDICIAL CHARGE UPON THE 



stone of their true conversion : and of these offences 

 of recusancy take you special regard. Twelve miles 

 from court is no region for such subjects In the 

 name of God, why should not twelve miles about 

 the king s chair be as free from papist-recusants, as 

 twelve miles from the city of Rome, the pope s chair, 

 is from protestants ? There be hypocrites and 

 atheists, and so I fear there be amongst us ; but no 

 open contempt of their religion is endured. If 

 there must be recusants, it were better they lurked 

 in the country, than here in the bosom of the 

 kingdom. 



For matter of division and breach of unity, it is 

 not without a mystery that Christ s coat had no 

 seam, nor no more should the Church if it were pos 

 sible. Therefore if any minister refuse to use the 

 book of Common-prayer, or wilfully swerveth in 

 divine service from that book ; or if any person 

 whatsover do scandalize that book, and speak openly 

 and maliciously in derogation of it ; such men do 

 but make a rent in the garment, and such are by 

 you to be inquired of. But much more, such as are 

 not only differing, but in a sort opposite unto it, by 

 using a superstitious and corrupted form of divine 

 service ; I mean, such as say or hear mass. 



These offences which I have recited to you, are 

 against the service and worship of God : there re 

 main two which likewise pertain to the dishonour of 

 God ; the one, is the abuse of his name by perjury ; 

 the other, is the adhering to God s declared enemies, 



