This question, touching the rights of mayors in the cathedrals and their precincts, was decided by the King a few years later in favour of the ecclesiastical authorities, as appears by the following letter of Richard (Neile), archbishop of York, to the bishop of Chester, preserved in the Diocesan Registry at Chester:—
"Salutem in Christo.
- My very good Lo: &c.
It hath pleased his Matie of late to take notice, That the Majors of sundry Cities of this kingdome do not come orderly to the publicke praiers and sermons to the Cathedrall Churches, and that in some places where they do come to ye Cathedralls wch have liberties and priviledges wthin their precinctes, they cary up their sword and Maice, as if the
there hath been heretofore some differences between the Deane of that church & the Major of that citie, touching pre'dency in the church & close of Chichester, & that the Major & Aldermen have been lately seated in a place in the body of that cathedrall church, against wch they tooke some exceptions: and whereas it hath been a question whether the Mace should be carried before the said Major in the said close & church: It was this day by his Maty in those particulars . . . ordered: ffirst, that the Major & Aldermen (for some espetiall reasons alleadged to his Matie by the said Dean) shall upon the receipt of this order constantly come to sermons in the cathedrall, & shall sit in the place where they are now seated by the Dean, their ordinary, untill Mich'mas next: and that after Mich'mas they shall be placed in a seat better then that they desired of him, vizt in the same seats where the Knts now sit, & shalbe there continued with this condic'on, that this p'sent Major some time before Mich'mas shall by some act in writing (under the common seal of the said city) be engaged that neither hee nor any his successors shall henceforth disturbe or affront the p'sent Dean of that church, or his deputy, or their successors, in the church or close for matter of precedency (as lately this Major did). And as concerning the carrying of the Mace before the Major, his Matie did espetially order that the same be not permitted to be borne before the Major in the Quire; byt his Matie (resolving to settle a generall order in that point to be observed by all Majors in all cathedrall churches) did not think fit at p'sent to resolve whether absolutely to forbid or allow the carrying of the said Mace before the Majors of cities in the cathedrall churches or the closses belonging to the same; leaving it to be further advised on by some civill & common lawiers, for his Matie will (in convenient time) give order to consider thereof; and thereupon will further declare his royall pleasure in that behalfe." (Copy of order in council, among Bridgeman Family Evidences.) John Selden was one of the greatest lawyers of the day, a writer of great eminence, and a leading man in the House of Commons. He took the covenant in 1643, but was never a violent opposer of the church, though he did his best to check what he considered to be usurpations of ecclesiastical power.
