destribution of the said moste holy sacrament, as may appeare to you by the booke therof, which we sende herwith vnto you. Albeit knowing your Lordships knowledge in the scriptures and ernest good will and zeale to the setting forth of all things according to the truth therof, we be well assured, you will of your owne good will, and vpon respect to your dewty diligently set forth, this moste godly order, here agreed vpon and commended to be vsed, by the autoryty of the Kinges magesty: yet remembring the crafty practyse of the Deuill, who ceaseth not by his mēbers to worke by all wayes and meanes, the hinderaunce of all godlynes, and considering furthermore, that a great nomber of the curates of the Realme, eyther for lacke of knowledge, cãnot, or for want of good mind will not be so redy to set fourth the same, as we would wyshe, and as the importance of the matter, and there one bounden dutyes, requireth, we haue thought good to pray and require your Lordship, and neuertheles in the Kinges maiestys our moste drede souereigne Lordes name to commaund you to haue anernest diligence, and carefull respect both in your owne persone, and by all your officers & Ministers, also to cause these bookes to be delyuered to euery Persone, Vicare, and Curate, within our dioces with such diligence as they may haue sufficient tyme, well to instruct and aduise them selues, for the distribucion of the most holy communion, according to the order of this booke before thys Ester time, and that they may by your good means well directe to vse such good, gentell, and charitable instruction, of there simple and vnlearned parishners, as maie be to all there good satysfactiones as much as may be, prayeng you to cõsider, that this order is set fourth to the intent, ther should be in all partes of the realme, and emong all men one vniforme maner quietly vsed, The execution wherof, like as yet shall stand very much in the diligence of you, and others of your vocacion: So do we eft sones require you to haue a diligente respect therunto, as ye tender the kings maiestys plesure, and will aunswer for the contrary. And thus we bid your Lordship right hartily farewell. From Westminster the xiii. of March 1548. your Lordships louing frendes. T. Canturbury R. Riche. W. Saynt Iohn, Iohn Russell, H. Arundell. An. Wingfelde. W. Peter, Edward North. E. Woottõ. To our very good Lord the Bishop of Westminster, and in hys absence, to hys Vicar generall, and other ministers within the sayd dioces, and to euery of them.

AFter harty commendacions hauing very credible notes, that within that your cathedral church ther be as yet the apostlsmasse, MarginaliaOur Ladyes masse maintained vndere the name of our Ladies communion, in bonners churchand Ladies masse, and other masses of such peculier name, vnder the defence and nominacion of our Ladies communion and the apostles communion, vsed in pryuate chappelles, and other remote places of the same & not in the chauncell, contrary to the Kinges maiestyes procedinges, the same being for the myseuse, despleasing to god, for the place of Poules in example not tollorable for the fondnes of the name, a skorne to the reuerēce of the communion of our Lords body & bloud we for augmētacion of gods glory & Honour, and the consonancie of hys maiesties lawes, and the auoyding of murmore, haue thought good to will and commaunde you, that from hence fourth no such masses in this maner be in your church any longer vsed. MarginaliaMasses abrogated in the church of S paulBut that the holly blessed communion, accordinge to the act of parlament, be ministred at þ^e high aulter of that church, and in no other places of the same, and only at such tyme as your highe masses were wonte to be vsed, except some nomber of people, desyre for theyr necessarye busynes to haue a communion in the morning and yet the same to be executed in the chauncell at the high altar, as yt is appointed in the booke of the publike seruice, without cautel or digression, from the common order, and herin you shall not only satisfye our expectation of your conformitye herein in all lawfull thynges, but also auoid the murmore of sondry that be there which iustely offēded. And so bid your Lordship hartely farewel frõ Richmond the. 24. of Iune. Anno. 1549.

your louing frends. E. Somerset. R
Riche, Chancelor, William Saint
Ihon, F, Shrosbury. Edward.
Mountague. Cicill.

Marginaliaboner with his owne hand consentyth to the abrogatione of the masse yf he dyd yt of feare. wher was then his conscience? If he dyd yt of conscience. why is hee now aferd?RIght worshipfull, with most harty commendacions. so yt is. This wensday the. xxvi. of Iune going to dinner, I receaued letters frõ the Kinges Councell by a pursyuant and the same I do sende now herewith vnto you. To the intent you may peruse them well and procede accordingly, prayieng you in case all be not present, yet those that be now resident and supplieng the places, may in there absence call the company to gether of the church, and made declaracion hereof vnto them. Thus committing you to god right well to fare, wrytten with speede this xxvi. of Iune at one of the clocke.

your louing brother Edmund
London.  

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Reform in London

Edmund Bonner. He wrote this letter to the Dean and members of the Chapter of St. Paul's Cathedral barely two weeks after the imposition of the Book of Common Prayer on 9 June had triggered the Western Rebellion, in which the populace of Cornwall and Devon rose up in resistance to the new prayer book and ecclesiastical reforms promulgated under Protector Somerset.

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John King

☞ An other letter directed by the Kings maiesty, and his counsell to Bonner Bishop of London, partly rebuking hym of neglygence partly charging hym to se to the better setting out of the seruyce boke within hys dioces  

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Cattley/Pratt, V, 844: 'This letter from the king and his council to Bonner is at folio 219 of Bonner's Register.

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RIght reuerend father in God, ryghte trustye and welbeloued we great you well, and wheras after great and serious debating and long conference of the Bishops, and other graue and well learned men in the holy scriptures, one vniforme or-