OF THE ROYAL ASSENT, UPON THE PRESENTATION TO THE BISHOPRIC OF THE ISLAND OF MAN.

A.D. 1576;

THE Queen to the very reverend father in Christ, and to our well beloved and faithful lord Edmund, by divine permission Archbishop of Canterbury, to whom (the Archiepiscopal seat of York being vacant) it belongs in this particular, and to all other bishops whomsoever being in these 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 Salisberye, 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 sane 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. llericl_e, so presented and nominated, to be bishop and pastor of the Isle of ';Ian aforesaid, as above mentioned, and to confirm the presentation and nomination aforesaid, and to consecrate, authorize, 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 Gorhamberye, 13th April. By writ of Privy Seal.

DE REGIO ASSENSU ; SUPER PRÆSENTATIONE AD EPISCOPATUM INSULÆ DE MAN.

FOEDERA.

PAT. 18 ELIZ.

REGINA Reverendissimo in Christo Patri et prædil6cto et fideli nostro, Domino Edmundo, Permissione divinå, Cantuariensi Archiepiscopo, ad quem (Sede Archiepiscopali Eborum vacante) in hac parte pertinet, ac allis quibuscumque episcopis quorum in hac parte intererit, Salutem.

Cum prædileetns et perquam fidelis consanguineus noster, Henricus Comes Derbiæ, ex indultls et largitionibus progenitorum nostrorum regum et principum hujus regni no-stri Augliæ, pro. genitoribus suis Comitibus Derbiæ ab antiquo factis et elatgitis eidemque Comiti hæredibus et successoribus suis rite et legitime confirmatis, ët longo usu stabilitis, jus, habeat patronatus nominationis præsentationis et dispositionis episcopatius in Insula de Man Eboracensis provinciæ in qualibet ejus vacatione, ita quod, dicto episcopatu quacumque ratione vacante, bene liceat eidem Comiti hæredibus et successoribus suis, quamcunq; personani, dignitati hujusmodi idoneam et habilem, ad eundcm episeopatum nominare præsentare, ipsumq; in episcopatu hujusmodi confirmare, munusque consecrationis eidem conferre, inductionem quoq; sive installationem realem et corporalem ejusdem episcopatûs possessionem, cum suis dignitatibus præeminentiis privilegiis juribus et immunitatibus quibuscumque, petere et obtinere.

Cum itaque prædictus episcopatus fuerit et sit in præsenti, per mortem naturalem bonæ memoriæ domini Johannis Salisberye ultimi ejusdem episcopi, episcopi et psstoris solatio destituta, nobisque supremam in ecclesia Anglicana Insulisque ditionibus et juris-dictionibus eidem qualitercumque pertinentibus et adjacentibus, tam in rebus ecclesiasticis quam secularibus autboritatem gerentibus, de confirmatione et consecratione episcopi hujusmodi sic præsentati et nom.inati, sicut de cæteris regni nostri episeopis impendend , provisio solum et in solidum pertineat, dictus igitur consanguineus noster, Henricus Comes, Derbiæ dilectum sibi in Chrlsto Johannem Mcricke in Artlbus Magistrum, ad prædictum episcopatum de Man modo præmisso vacantem, nobis, per literas suas sub sigillo suo factas et sigillatas, præsentaverit, humiliter supplicans et rogsns quatenes præsentationem suam prædictum et nominationem gratiose acceptam et admittere, cæteraque quæ in hac party ad, nos pertineat agere et perinrplere dignare:nnr, prout per 1;t;,,ra.s su-is prædictus plenius liquet et.apparet.

Sciatis quod nos, præsentationem et nominationem prædictus acceptantes, eisdem regium nostrum. assensum adhibuicnus pariter et favorem; et hoe vobis tenore præsentium significare duxirr.us.

Rogantes, ac in fide et dilectione quibus nobis tenemini firmiter præcip;endo mandantes, quatenes vos, eundem Johanner.a Mericke in episcopum et pastorem. Insulæ de Man prædicuæ, sic ut præfertur, præsentatum et nominatum, præsentationem et nominationem prædictus confirmare, et eundem episeopuni. et pastorem Insulæ prædicte consecrate aucthorizare et invcstire, eæteraq ; omnia et singula peragere quæ vestro in hac parte ineumbunt officio pastorali, juxta formam legum et statutorum in ea parte editorum et provi orum, velitis cum. effectu.

In cujus rei, ete,

Teste Regina apud Gorhamburye decimo tertio die Aprilis. Per Breve de Privato Sigillo.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
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