ROYAL ASSENT FOR THE BISHOP OF THE ISLE OF MAN.

A.D 1575.

THE Queen, etc, to the most reverend father in Christ, and to our well beloved and faithful lord, Edmund, by divine permission, Archbishop of York, and to all other bishops whomsoever, present in those parts, greeting.

Since our well beloved and truly faithful kinsman Henry, Earl of Derby, has, of the indulgence and liberality of the kings and princes of this our kingdom of England, our progenitors made and bestowed of old time upon the Earl of Derby, his progenitors, and lawfully and by rite confirmed, and by long use established to the said Earl, his heirs, and successors, the right of patronage, nomination, presentation, and disposal of the bishopric in the Isle of Man, in the province of York, at each vacancy, so that, the said bishopric being in any way vacant, it may be lawful for the said Earl, his heirs, and successors, to nominate and present any person fit and suitable for this dignity, to the said bishopric, and to confirm him in the bishopric of the same, and to confer the gift of consecration upon him, and to seek and obtain his induction also, or installation into the real and corporeal possession of the said bishopric, with its dignities, honors, privileges, rights and immunities whatsoever.

And since therefore the aforesaid bishopric may have been, and is at this present destitute, of the care of a bishop and pastor by the natural death of lord John Salesbery, the late bishop, of good memory, and that to us, holding the supreme authority in the church of England, and power and jurisdiction in like manner in the Islands appertaining and adjacent thereto, as well in ecclesiastical as in secular matters, belongs the providing entirely and wholly for the confirmation of the bishop of the same, so presented and nominated, as is the case with other bishops of our kingdom; and farther that the said our kinsman, Henry, Earl of Derby, has by his letters made and sealed with his seal, presented to us his beloved in Christ, John Mericke, Master of Arts, for the aforesaid bishopric of Man, now vacant, humbly supplicating and asking us graciously to accept and admit his presentation and nomination aforesaid, and that we would deign to perform and perfect all things that appertain to us in this respect, as by his letters aforesaid more fully appears.

Know that we, accepting the presentation and nomination aforesaid, have accorded to the same our royal assent and favor, and have thought fit to signify the same to you by the tenor of these presents.

Requesting you, and, by the fidelity and love in which ye are bound to us, firmly commanding you [to admit] the said John Mericke, so presented and nominated, to be bishop and pastor of the Isle of Man aforesaid, as above mentioned, and to confirm the presentation and nomination aforesaid, and to consecrate, authorise, and invest the same, bishop and pastor of the Island aforesaid, and to perform all other and singular the things which appertain to your pastoral office, according to the form of the laws and statutes in that particular made and provided.

In testimony whereof, etc.

Witness the Queen at Westminster, 5th November.

REGIUS ASSENSUS PRO EPISCOPO INSULAE MAN. FOEDERA.

PAT. 17 ELIZ.

REGINA etc. Reverendissimo in Christo Patri et prædilecto et fidcli nostro, Domino Edmundo, permissione divinå Eborem Archiepiscopo, ac aliis quibuscumque Episcopis quorum in hac parte intererit, Salutem.

Cum prædilectus et per quam fidelis consanguineus uostrr, Henricus Comes Darby, ex ipdultis et largitionibus progenitorum nostrorum regum et principum hujus regni nostri Angliæ, progenitoribus suis Comitibus Darby ab antiquo factis et elargitis eidemque Comiti hæredibus et successoribus suis rite et legittime confirmatis ac longo usu stabilitis, jus habeat patronatus nominationis præsentationis et dispositionis episcopatus in Insula de Mann Eboracensis provinciæ in qualibct ejusdem vacatione, ita quod, ditto episcopatu quacumque ratione vacante, bene liceat eidem Comiti hæredibus et successoribus suis quamcumque personam, dignitati hujusmodi confirmare, nunusque conseerationis eidem conferre, inductionem quoque sive installationem in realem et corporalem ejusdem episcopatüs possessionem, cum. suis dignitatibus præeminenciis privilegiis juribus et immunitatibus quibuscumque, petere et obtinere.

Cum itaque prædictus episcopatus fuerit et sit in præsenti, per mortem naturalem bonæ mernoriæ domini Johannis Salesbery ultimi ejusdem episcopi, episcopi et pastoris solatio destituta, nobisque superemam in ecclesia Anglicana, insulisque ditionibus . et jurisdictionibus eidem qualitercumq; pertinentibus et adjacentibus, tara in rebus ecclesiasticis quam secularibus aucthoritatem gerentes, de confirmatione espiseopi hujusmodi sic præsentati et nominati, sicut de cæteris regni nostri episcopis, impendenda, provisio solum et in solidum pertineat, dictusque igitur consanguincus noster, Henricus Comes Darby, dilectnm sibi in Christo, Johannem Mericke in Artibus Magistrum, ad prædictum episcopatum de Man modo præmisso vacantem, nobis, per literas suas sub sigillo suo faetas et sigillatas, præsentaverit, humiliter supplicans et rogans quatenus præsentationem snara prædictam et nominationem gratiose acceptare et adraittere, cæteraque quæ in hae parte ad nos pertineat agere et perimplere dignaremur, prout per literas suas prædictas plenius liquet et agparet.

Sciatis quod nos, præsentationem et nominationem prædictas acceptantes, eisdem regium nostrum assensum adhibuimus pariter et favorera, et hoc vobis tenore præsentium significare duximus.

Rogantes, ac in fide et dilectione quibus nobis tenemini firmiter præcipiendo mandantes, quatenus vos, eundem Johannem Mericke in episeopam et pastorem Insulæ de Mann prædictæ, sic ut præfertnr, præsentatum et norainatum, præsentationemque et nominationem prædictas confirmare, et eundem episcopum et pastoremn Instnlæ prædietæ consecrate auctorizare et investire, cæteraque omnia et singnla peragere, quæ vestro in hae parte incumbunt officio pastorali, juxta formam leg-Urn et statnto rumin ea parte editorum et provisorum, velitis cum effectu. In cujus rei, ete.

Teste Regina apud Westmonasterium quinto Die Novembris.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
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