The convocation of 1626

Summary

Convocation anno primo Caroli primi regis held by Archbishop Abbot anno decimo quarto translationis at St Paul's London, videlicet 7 February 1625 [1626]

[fos. 422-6] List of both houses.

Proctors of the clergy:

Peterborough: Si John Lambe

St David's: William Aubrey

Session 1. Tuesday 7 February 1626

[fo. 426] Convocation begun at St Paul's by the bishop of London, president by the archbishop's commission,

[fo. 427] The king's writ of convocation. Archbishop's commission of presidency.

[fos. 427-9] Bishop of London's certificate and archbishop's mandate,

[fo. 429] A writ to the archbishop for parliament,

[fo. 430] Archbishop's commission (he being sick) to the bishops of

London and Winchester coniunctim et divisim to preside.

Session 2. Wednesday 15 February 1626

[fo. 431] At Westminster. Usual protestation there. Dr Donne, dean of St Paul's, prolocutor.

Description of the election of John Donne as prolocutor

On Wednesday last Dr Mawe presented to convocation the dean of St Paul's for prolocutor. His oration in style was good Latin, in matter ordinary, but that he did extraordinarily flatter the bishops and prolocutor, leaving the lower house of clergy nothing but what they should measure from the bishops, in which also did concur the prolocutor, both making the bishops ‘ Stellas maioris magnitudinis’ and the inferior [clergy] ‘minoris magnitudinis’ (and this was well, if you give me leave to interpose my opinions, but what Dr Mawe added did not accord with their comparison of the stars, or divinity [w]rought) that from these bishops we must receive all our directions, that we must be obsequious to their commands, that by their light we must be illightened (at which words I said to one who stood by me, I hope he will not deal with the bishop as Dr Mus did with the pope's legate in concilio Tridentino, to give them the office of the Holy Ghost, spiritual illumination, neither did this fit with their comparison of maiores and minores stellae, for the lesser do not receive their light from the greater stars, but greater and lesser all from one of the great ones, the sun).