MOst Reverend Father in God, We Greet you well: Whereas by an Act made by this present Parliament, in the fourteenth year of Our Reign, for Granting unto Us the Duty of two shillings upon every Fire-Hearth, Stove, &c. Entituled, An Act for establishing an additional Revenue upon His Majesty, His Heirs, and Successors, for the better Support of His, and their Crown and Dignity. It is provided and enacted, That if the Church-wardens and Overseers of the poor of any Parish, together with the Minister of the same, or any two of them (whereof the Minister to be one) shall in Writing under their Hands, yearly certifie their belief, that the House wherein any person doth inhabit, is not of greater value than twenty shillings per annum, upon the full improved Rent. And that neither the person so inhabiting, nor any other using the same Messuage, hath, useth, or occupieth any Lands or Tenements of their own, or others, of the yearly value of twenty shillings per annum, nor hath any Lands, Tenements, Goods, or Chattels of the value of ten pounds in their own possession, or in the possession of any other in trust for them; That then upon such Certificate made in such case to the two next Justices of the Peace, and allowed by them (for which Certificate and Allowance, no Fee shall be paid) the person in whose behalf such Certificate is made, shall not be returned by the Constable or other Officer. And the said House is thereby discharged of, and from all the Duties by the said Act imposed.
And whereas We are informed, That either through the ignorance of some persons in the Law in this behalf, or by partiality and favour, great number of undue Certificates are from time to time signed in all places of the Kingdom, by the respective Ministers, Vicars, and Curates of the places, and the Church-wardens and Overseers of the poor of the same, for persons not qualified, as the Law above recited doth require, to the great diminishing and detriment of Our said Revenue. Now to the end that some better care may be taken for the future in this matter; Our Will and Pleasure is, And We have thought fit hereby, to require you forthwith to write to the Right Reverend Fathers in God the Bishops of the several Dioceses within your Province of Canterbury, to direct them, and recommend it to their care, to take effectual Order strictly to charge all Ministers, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and Church-wardens within their respective Dioceses, to use all possible circumspection in the signing of any Certificates, and that they be well assured, that the persons for whom they do certifie, are in all respects qualified as the Law directs. And that they do not certifie for any other persons whatsoever: And you are also to take care, That the same charge be given to all Ministers, Parsons, Vicars, and Curates within your immediate Diocese of Canterbury. Given at our Court at Whitehall this fourth day of November, in the six and twentieth Year of our Reign, 1674.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY His Letter to each Bishop in His Province.
THe inclosed contains a true Copy of His Majestie's Commands directed unto Me, to be Communicated to the Rest of my Brethren my Lords the Bishops of this Province of Canterbury, and by them and Me to be put in speedy Execution within Our Respective Iurisdictions. Upon Perusal thereof Your Lordship will be sufficiently informed of the Nature of the Business therein intended: And I doubt not but accordingly You will take Care that all Means possible be used to give punctual Satisfaction to His Majestie's Desire and Commands in each Particular: At least that your Lordship by your Chancellor, Arch-Deacon, Commissary, and other Inferiour Officers, will give such Intimation to the Clergy, and other Persons within your Diocess there in concerned, as is thereby required; To the End that all Occasion of Complaint in such Cases may cease, And that they may proceed therein with such Circumspection and Integrity, as by Law they ought; And by this Notice prevent that Trouble to themselves which will unavoidably ensue if they proceed in the contrary Practice for the future. I bid your Lordship heartily farewel, And am
FOr the more speedy Notice and Execution of His Majestie's Pleasure; Order and leave is given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, That these Letters be Printed.
LONDON, Printed Anno Dom. 1674.