places cited from the New Testament As for that of Herod both Iosephus and Eusebius witness that his Brother Philip was alive when he took his wife and so his sin was Adultery and not Incest We must also think that the Incestous Person in Corinth took his Fathers Wife when he was yet living otherwise if he had been dead St. Paul could not say it was a Fornication not named among the Gentiles for we not only find both among the Persians and other Nations the Marriage of Step-Mothers allowed but even among the Iews Adonijah desired Abisha in Marriage who had been his Fathers Concubine From all which they concluded that the Laws about the Degrees of Marriage were only Judiciary Precepts and so there was no other obligation on Christians to obey them than what flowed from the Laws of the Church with which the Pope might dispense They also said that the Law in Leviticus of not taking the Brothers wife must be understood of not taking her while he was alive for after he was dead by another Law a man might marry his Brothers wife They also pleaded that the Popes Power of Dispensing did reach further than the Laws of the Church even to the Law of God for he daily Dispensed with the Breaking of Oaths and Vows though that was expresly contrary to the Second Commandment and though the Fifth Command Thou shalt do no Murther be against Killing yet the Pope Dispensed with the putting Thieves to death and in some cases where the reason of the Commandment does not at all times hold he is the only judge according to Summa Angelica They Concluded the Popes Power of Dispensing was as necessary as his Power of Expounding the Scriptures and since there was a Question made concerning the obligation of these Levitical Prohibitions whether they were Moral and did oblige Christians or not the Pope must be the only Judge There were also some late Presidents found one of P. Martin who in the case of a mans having Marryed his own Sister who had lived long with her upon a Consultation with Divines and Lawyers Confirmed it to prevent the Scandal which the dissolving of it would have given Upon which St. Antonin of Florence says that since the thing was dispensed with it was to be refered to the judgment of God and not to be condemned The Pope had granted this Dispensation upon a very weighty Consideration to keep peace between two great Crowns it had now stood above Twenty years it would therefore raise an high scandal to bring it under debate besides that it would do much hurt and bring the Titles to most Crowns into Controversie But they Concluded that whatever Informalities or Nullities were pretended to be in the Bulls or Breves the Pope was the only competent judge of it and that it was too high a presumption for inferior Prelates to take upon them to examine or discuss it But to these Arguments it was Answered by the writers for the Kings cause that it was strange to see men who pretended to be such Enemies to all Heretical Novelties yet be guilty of that which Catholick Doctors hold to be the foundation of all Heresie which was the setting up of private senses of Scripture and Reasonings from them against the Doctrine and Tradition of the Church It was fully made out that the Fathers and Doctors of the Church did universally agree in this that the Levitical Prohibitions of the Degrees of Marriage are Moral and do oblige all Christians Against this Authority Cajetan was the first that presumed to write opposing his private conceits to the Tradition of the Church which is the same thing for which Luther and his followers are so severely Condemned May it not then be justly said of such men that they plead much for Tradition when it makes for them but reject it when it is against them Therefore all these exceptions are overthrown with this one Maxime of Catholick Doctrine That they are Novelties against the constant Tradition of the Christian Church in all Ages But if the force of them be also examined they will be found as weak as they are New That before the Law these degrees were not observed proves only that they are not evidently contrary to the Common sense of all men But as there are some Moral Precepts which have that natural evidence in them that all men must discern it so there are others that are drawn from publick inconvenience and dishonesty which are also parts of the Law of nature These Prohibitions are not of the first but of the second sort since the Immorality of them appears in this that the Familiarities and freedoms among near Relations are such that if an horror were not struck in men at conjunctures in these degrees Families would be much defiled This is the Foundation of the Prohibitions of Marriages in these degrees Therefore it is not strange if men did not apprehend it before God made a Law concerning it Therefore all examples before the Law show only the thing is not so evident as to be easily collected by the light of Nature And for the story of Iudah and Tamar there is so much wickedness in all the parts of it that it will be very hard to make a President out of any part of it As for the Provision about Marrying the Brothers wiâ—e that only proves the ground of the Law is not of its own Nature Immutable but may be Dispensed with by God in some cases And all these Moral Laws that are founded on publick conveniency and honesty are Dispensable by God in some cases but because Moses did it by Divine Revelation it does not follow that the Pope can do it by his Ordinary Authority For that about Herod it is not clear from Iosephus that Philip was alive when Herod Marryed his Wife For all that Iosephus says is that she separated from her Husband when he was yet alive and divorced her self from him But he does not say that he lived still after she Marryed his Brother And by the Law of Divorce Marriage was at an end and broken by it as much as if the Party had been dead So that in that case she might have Marryed any other Therefore Herods sin in taking her was from the Relation of having been his Brothers Wife And for the Incestuous person in Corinth it is as certain that though some few Instances of a King of Syria and some others may be brought of Sons Marrying their Step-Mothers yet these things were generally ill looked on even where they were practised by some Princes who made their Pleasure their Law Nor could the Laws of Leviticus be understood of not Marrying the Brothers wife when he was alive for it was not Lawful to take any mans Wife from him living Therefore that cannot be the meaning And all those Prohibitions of Marriage in other degrees excluding those Marriages simply whether during the life or after the death of
jests about Confession praying to Saints Holy Water and the other Ceremonies of the Church were complained of And the last Articles contained sharp reflexions on some of the Bishops as if they had been wanting in their Duty to suppress such things This was clearly levelled at Cranmer Latimer and Shaxton who were noted as the great Promoters of these opinions The first did it prudently and solidly The second zealously and simply And the third with much indiscreet pride and vanity But now that the Queen was gone who had either raised or supported them their Enemies hoped to have advantages against them and to lay the growth of these opinions to their charge But this whole Project failed and Cranmer had as much of the Kings favour as ever for in stead of that which they had projected Cromwell by the Kings order coming to the Convocation Declared to them that it was the Kings pleasure that the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church should be Reformed by the Rules of Scripture and that nothing was to be maintained which did not rest on that Authority for it was absurd since that was acknowledged to contain the Laws of Religion that recourse should rather be had to Glosses or the Decrees of Popes than to these There was at that time one Alexander Alesse a Scotch-man much esteemed for his Learning and Piety whom Cranmer entertained at Lambeth Him Cromwell brought with him to the Convocation and desired him to deliver his opinion about the Sacraments He enlarged himself much to Convince them that only Baptism and the Lords Supper were Instituted by Christ. Stokesley Bishop of London answered him in a long Discourse in which he shewed he was better acquainted with the Learning of the Schools and the Canon-Law than with the Gospel He was Seconded by the Arch-Bishop of York and others of that Party But Cranmer in a long and learned Speech shewed how useless these niceties of the Schools were and of how little Authority they ought to be and discoursed largely of the Authority of the Scriptures of the use of the Sacraments of the uncertainty of Tradition and of the Corruption which the Monks and Friars had brought into the Christian Doctrine He was vigorously seconded by the Bishop of Hereford who told them the world would be no longer deceived with such Sophisticated stuff as the Clergy had formerly vented The Laity were now in all Nations studying the Scriptures and that not only in the vulgar Translations but in the original Tongues and therefore it was a vain imagination to think they would be any longer governed by those arts which in the former Ages of Ignorance had been so effectual Not many days after this there were several Articles brought in to the upper House of Convocation devised by the King himself about which there were great debates among them The two Arch-Bishops heading two Parties Cranmer was for a Reformation and with him joyned Thomas Goodrich Bishop of Ely Shaxton of Sarum Latimer of Worcester Fox of Hereford Hilsey of Rochester and Barlow of St. Davids But Lee Arch-Bishop of York was a known favourer of the Popes Interests which as it first appeared in his scrupling so much with the whole Convocation of York the acknowledging the King to be Supreme Head of the Church of England so he had since discovered it on all occasions in which he durst do it without the fear of losing the Kings favour So he and Stokesley Bishop of London Tonstâ—ll of Duresm Gardiner of Winchester Longland of Lincoln Sherburn of Chichester Nix of Norwich and Kite of Carlisle had been still against all changes But the King discovered that those did in their hearts love the Papal Authority though Gardiner dissembled it most artificially Sherburn Bishop of Chichester upon what inducement I cannot understand resigned his Bishoprick which was given to Richard Sampson Dean of the Chappel a Pension of 400 l. being reserved to Sherburn for his Life which was confirmed by an Act of this Parliament Nix of Norwich had also offended the King signally by some correspondence with Rome and was kept long in the Marshalsea and was convicted and found in a Premunire The King considering his great Age had upon his humble submission discharged him out of Prison and pardon'd him But he died the former year though Fuller in his slight way makes him fit in this Convocation For by the 17th Act of the last Parliament it appears that the Bishoprick of Norwich being vacant the King had recommended William Abbot of St. Bennets to it but took into his own hands all the Lands and Manours of the Bishoprick and gave the Bishop several of the Priories in Norfolk in exchange which was confirmed in Parliament I shall next give a short abstract of the Articles about Religion which were after much consultation and long debating agreed to First All Bishops and Preachers must instruct the people to believe the whole Bible and the three Creeds that made by the Apostles the Nicene and the Athanasian and interpret all things according to them and in the very same words and condemn all Heresies contrary to them particularly those condemned by the first four general Councils Secondly Of Baptism the people must be instructed That it is a Sacrament instituted by Christ for the Remission of sins without which none could attain Everlasting Life And that not only those of full Age but Infants may and must be Baptized for the pardon of Original sin and obtaining the gift of the Holy Ghost by which they became the Sons of God That none Baptized ought to be Baptized again That the opinions of the Anabaptists and Pelagians were detestable Heresies And that those of ripe Age who desired Baptism must with it joyn Repentance and Contrition for their sins with a firm Belief of the Articles of the Faith Thirdly Concerning Penance they were to instruct the people that it was instituted by Christ and was absolutely necessary to Salvation That it consisted of Contrition Confession and Amendment of Life with exterior works of Charity which were the worthy Fruits of Pennance For Contrition it was an inward shame and sorrow for sin because it is an offence of God which provokes his displeasure To this must be joyned a Faith of the mercy and goodness of God whereby the penitent must hope that God will forgive him and repute him justified and of the number of his Elect Children not for the worthiness of any merit or work done by him but for the only Merits of the Blood and Passion of our Saviour Jesus Christ. That this Faith is got and confirmed by the Applicatition of the Promises of the Gospel and the use of the Sacraments And for that end Confession to a Priest is necessary if it may be had whose Absolution was instituted by Christ to apply the promises of Gods Grace to the penitent Therefore the people were to be taught That the Absolution is spoken by an Authority
them a few Bishops in the Northern and Western Parts When afterwards the Patriarch of Constantinople was declared by the Emperor Mauritius The Vniversal Bishop Gregory the great did exclaim against the Ambition of that Title as being equal to the Pride of Lucifer and declared that he who assumed it was the Forerunner of Antichrist saying that none of his Predecessors had ever claimed such a Power And this was the more observable since the English were Converted by those whom he sent over so that this was the Doctrine of that See when this Church received the Faith from it But it did not continue long within those limits for Boniface the Third assumed that Title upon the Grant of Phâ—â—as And as that Boniface got the Spiritual Sword put in his hand so the Eighth of that name pretended also to the Temporal Sword but they owe these Powers to the Industry of those Popes and not to any Donation of Christs The Popes when they are Consecrated promise to obey the Canons of the Eight first General Councils which if they observe they will receive no Appeals nor pretend to any higher Jurisdiction than these give to them and the other Patriarchs equally As for the Decrees of Latter Councils they are of less Authority For those Councils consisted of Monks and Friers in great part whose exemptions obtained from Rome obliged them to support the Authority of that Court and those who sate in them knew little of the Scriptures Fathers or the Tradition of the Church being only conversant in the Disputes and Learning of the Schools And for the Florentine Council the Eastern Churches who sent the Greek Bishops that sate there never received their Determination neither then nor at any time since Many places were also brought out of the Fathers to show that they did not look on the Bishops of Rome as superior to other Bishops and that they understood not those places of Scripture which were afterwards brought for the Popes Supremacy in that sense so that if Tradition be the best Expounder of Scripture those latter glosses must give place to the more ancient But that passage of St. Ierome in which he equals the Bishops of Eugubium and Constantinople to the Bishop of Rome was much made use of since he was a Presbyter of Rome and so likely to understand the Dignity of his own Church best There were many things brought from the Contests that other Sees had with Rome to show that all the Priviledges of that and other Sees were only founded on the practice and Canons of the Church but not upon any Divine Warrant Constantinople pretended to equal priviledges Ravenna Milan and Aquileia pretended to a Patriarchal Dignity and Exemption Some Arch-Bishops of Canterbury contended that Popes could do nothing against the Laws of the Church so Laurence and Dunstan Robert Grostest Bishop of Lincoln asserted the same and many Popes confessed it And to this day no Constitution of the Popes is binding in any Church except it be received by it and in the daily practice of the Canon Law the customs of Churches are pleaded against Papal Constitutions which shows their Authority cannot be from God otherwise all must submit to their Laws And from the latter Contests up and down Europe about giving Investitures receiving Appeals admitting of Legates and Papal Constitutions it was apparent that the Papal Authority was a Tyranny which had been managed by cruel and fraudulent Arts but was never otherwise received in the Church than as a Conquest to which they were constrained to yield And this was more fully made out in England from what passed in William the Conqueror and Henry the 2d's time and by the Statutes of Provisors in many Kings Reigns which were still renewed till within an hundred years of the present time Upon these grounds they Concluded that the Popes Power in England had no Foundation neither in the Law of God nor in the Laws of the Church or of the Land As for the Kings Power over Spiritual persons and in Spiritual causes they proved it from the Scriptures In the old Testament they found the Kings of Israel intermedled in all matters Ecclesiastical Samuel though he had been Judge yet acknowledged Sauls Authority So also did Abimelech the High-Priest and appeared before him when cited to answer upon an Accusation And Samuel 1 Sam. 15.18 sayes he was made the head of all the Tribes Aaron in that was an Example to all the following High-Priests who submitted to Moses David made many Laws about sacred things such as the Order of the Courses of the Priests and their Worship and when he was dying he declared to Solomon how far his Authority extended He told him 1 Chron. 28.21 That the Courses of the Priests and all the people were to be wholly at his commandment pursuant to which Solomon 2 Chron. 8.14 15. did appoint them their charges in the service of God and both the Priests and Levites departed not from his commandment in any matter and though he had turned out Abiathar from the High-Priesthood yet they made no opposition Iehosophat Hezekiah and Iosias made likewise Laws about Eccledsiastical Matters In the New Testament Christ himself was obedient he payed Taxes he declared that he pretended to no earthly Kingdom he charged the people to render to Caesar the things that were Caesars and his Disciples not to affect temporal dominion as the Lords of the Nations did And though the Magistrates were then Heathens yet the Apostles wrote to the Churches to obey Magistrates to submit to them to pay Taxes they call the King Supream and say he is Gods Minister to encourage them that do well and to punish the evil doors which is said of all persons without exception and every Soul is charged to be subject to the Higher Power Many passages were cited out of the Writings of the Fathers to show that they thought Church-men were included in these places as well as other persons so that the Tradition of the Church was for the Kings Supremacy and by one place of Scripture the King is called Supream by another he is called Head and by a third every Soul must be subject to him which laid together make up this conclusion That the King is the Supream Head over all persons In the primitive Church the Bishops in their Councils made rules for ordering their Dioceses which they only called Canons or Rules nor had they any compulsive Authority but what was derived from the Civil Sanctions After the Emperors were Christians they made many Laws about sacred things as may be seen in the Codes and when Iustinian digested the Roman Law he added many Novel Constitutions about Ecclesiastical persons and causes The Emperors called general Councils presided in them and confirmed them And many Letters were cited of Popes to Emperors to call Councils and of the Councils to them to Confirm their Decrees The Election of the Popes themselves was
correspondence with the King fell to the ground with her but he may well cite Cochleus an Author of the same honesty with himself from whose writings we may with the like security make a judgment of Forreign Matters as we may upon Sanders's testimony believe the account he gives of English Affairs 90. He tells us among other things done by the King and picks it out as the only instance he mentions of the King's Injunctions that the People should be taught in Churches the Lord's Prayer the Ave the Creed and the Ten Commandments in English It seems this Author thought the giving these Elements of Religion to the People in the vulgar Tongue a very heinous Crime when this is singled out from all the rest 91. That being done he says there was next a Book published called Articles appointed by the King's Majesty which were the six Articles This shews that he either had no information of English Affairs or was sleeping when he wrote this for the Six Articles were not published soon after the Injunctions as he makes it by the same Parliament and Convocation but three years after by another Parliament They were never put in a Book nor published in the King's Name they were Enacted in Parliament and are neither more nor less than 25 lines in the first Impression of that Act so far short come they of a Book 92. He reckons up very defectively the differences between the Church of Rome and the Doctrine set forth by the King's Authority but in one point he shews his ordinary wit for in the sixth particular he says He retained the Sacrament of Order but appointed a new Form of Consecrating of Bishops This he put in out of malice that he might annul the Ordinations of that time but the thing is false for except that the Bishops instead of their Oaths of Obedience to the Pope which they formerly swore did not swear to the King there was no other change made and that to be sure is no part of the Form of Consecration 93. He resolved once to speak what he thought was Truth tho it be treasonable and impious and says Upon these changes many in Lincolnshire and the Northern parts did rise for Religion and the Faith of Christ. This was indeed the motive by which their Seditious Priests misled them yet he is mistaken in the time for it was not after the six Articles were published but almost three years before it Nor was it for the Faith of Christ which teaches us to be humble subject and obedient but because the King was removing some of the corruptions of that Faith which their false Teachers did impiously call the Faith of Christ. 94. He says The King did promise most faithfully that all these things of which they complained should be amended This is so evidently false that it is plain Sanders resolved dextrously to avoid the speaking of any sort of Truth for the King did fully and formally tell them he would not be directed nor counselled by them in these Points they complained of and did only offer them an Amnesty for what was past 95. Then he reckons up 32 that died for the defence of the Faith They were attainted of Treason for being in actual Rebellion against the King and thus it appears that Rebellion was the Faith in his sense and himself died for it or rather in it having been starved to death in a Wood to which he fled after one of his rebellious Attempts on his Soveraign in which he was the Pope's Nuncio 96. He says The King killed the Earl of Kildare and five of his Uncles By this strange way of expressing a legal Attainder and the execution of a Sentence for manifest Treason and Rebellion he would insinuate on the Reader a fancy that one of Bonner's cruel fits had taken the King and that he had killed those with his own hand The Lord Herbert has fully opened that part of the History from the Records that he saw and shews that a more resolved Rebellion could not be than that was of which the Earl of Kildare and his Uncles were guilty But because they sent to the Pope and Emperor for assistance the Earl desiring to hold the Kingdom of Ireland of the Pope since the King by his Heresie had fallen from his Right to it Sanders must needs have a great kindness for their memory who thus suffered for his Faith 97. He says Queen Iane Seimour being in hard labour of Prince Edward the King ordered her Body to be so opened by Surgeons that she died soon after All this is false for she had a good Delivery as many Original Letters written by her Council that have been since printed do shew but she died two days after of a distemper incident to her Sex 98. He sets down some Passages of Cardinal Pole's Heroical Constancy which being proved by no Evidence and not being told by any other Writer whom I ever saw are to be lookt on as the flourishes of the Poet to set off his Hero 99. He would perswade the World that the Marquess of Exceter the Lord Montacute and the rest that suffered at that time died because they were believed to dislike the King 's wicked Proceedings and that the Countess of Sarum was beheaded on this single account that she was the Mother of such a Son and was sincerely addicted to the Catholick Faith and that she was condemned because she wrote to her Son and for wearing in her Breast the Picture of the five Wounds of Christ. The Marquess of Exceter pretended he was well satisfied with the King's Proceedings and was Lord Stewart when the Lords Darcy and Hussie were tried and he gave judgment against them But it being discovered that he and other Persons approved of Cardinal Pole's proceedings who endeavoured to engage all Christian Princes in a League against the King pursuant to which they had expressed themselves on several occasions resolved when a fit opportunity offered it self to rebel it was no wonder if the King proceeded against them according to Law And for the Countess of Sarum tho the legality of that Sentence passed against her cannot be defended yet she had given great offence not only by her correspondence with her Son but by the Bulls she had received from Rome and by her opposing the King's Injunctions hindring all her Tenants to read the New Testament or any other Books set out by the King's order And for the Picture which was found among her Cloaths it having been the Standard of the Rebellion and the Arms of England being found on the other side of it there was just ground to suspect an ill design in it 100. He says The Images which the King destroyed were by many wonderful Works of God recommended to the Devotion of the Nation All the wonder in these Works was the knavery of some jugling Impostors and the simplicity of a credulous multitude of
PREFACE THere is no Part of History better received than the Account of great Changes and Revolutions of States and Governments in which the Variety of unlooked-for Accidents and Events both entertains the Reader and improves him Of all Changes those in Religion that have been sudden and signal are enquired into with the most searching Curiosity where the Salvation of Souls being concern'd the better sort are much affected and the Credit Honour and Interest of Churches and Parties draw in these who though they do not much care for the Religious part yet make noise about it to serve other Ends. The Changes that were made in Religion in the last Century have produc'd such effects everywhere that it is no wonder if all persons desire to see a clear account of the several steps in which they advanced of the Counsels that directed them and the Motives both Religious and Political that enclined men of all conditions to concur in them Germany produced a Sleidan France a Thuanus and Italy a Frier Paul who have given the World as full satisfaction in what was done beyond Sea as they could desire And though the two last lived and died in the Communion of the Church of Rome yet they have delivered things to Posterity with so much Candour and Evenness that their Authority is disputed by none but those of their own Party But while Forreign Churches have such Historians ours at home have not had the like good fortune for whether it was that the Reformers at first presumed so far on their Legal and calm proceedings on the continued Succession of their Clergie the Authority of the Law and the Protection of the Prince that they judged it needless to write an History and therefore employed their best pens rather to justifie what they did than to deliver how it was done or whether by a meer neglect the thing was omitted we cannot determine True it is that it was not done to any degree of Exactness when matters were so fresh in mens memories that things might have been opened with greater Advantages and vouch'd by better Authority than it is to be expected at this distance They were soon after much provok'd by Sanders History which he published to the World in Latine yet either despising a writer who did so impudently deliver falshoods that from his own Book many of them may be disproved or expecting a Command from Authority they did not then set about it The best account I can give of their silence is that most of Sanders Calumnies being levelled at Queen Elizabeth whose birth and parents he designed chiefly to disgrace it was thought too tender a point by her wise Counsellors to be much enquired into it gave too great credit to his Lies to answer them an answer would draw forth a Reply by which those Calumnies would still be kept alive and therefore it was not without good reason thought better to let them lie unanswered and despised From whence it is come that in this age that Author is in such Credit that now he is quoted with much assurance most of all the writers in the Church of Rome relie on his testimony as a good authority The Collectors of the General History of that Age follow his thred closely some of them transcribe his very words One Pollini a Dominican published an History of the Changes that were made in England in Italian at Rome Anno. 1594. which he should more ingenuously have called a Translation or Paraphrase of Sanders History and of late more candidly but no less maliciously one of the best pens of France has been employed to translate him into their language which has created such prejudices in the minds of many there that our Reformation which generally was more modestly spoken of even by those who wrote against it is now look'd on by such as read Sanders and believe him as one of the foulest things that ever was Fox for all his Voluminous Work had but few things in his eye when he made his Collection and designed only to discover the Corruptions and Cruelties of the Roman Clergie and the Sufferings and Constancy of the Reformers But his work was written in haste and there are so many defects in it that it can by no means be called a Compleat History of these times though I must add that having compared his Acts and Monuments with the Records I have never been able to discover any errors or prevarications in them but the utmost fidelity and exactness Parker Arch-bishop of Canterbury designed only in his account of the British Antiquities to do justice and honour to his See and so gives us barely the life of Cranmer with some few and general hints of what he did Hall was but a superficial Writer and was more careful to get full informations of the Cloaths that were worn at the Interviews of Princes Iusts Tournaments and great Solemnities than about the Counsels or secret Transactions of the time he lived in Holingshead Speed and Stow give bare Relations of things that were Publick and commit many faults Upon their scent most of our later Writers have gone and have only collected and repeated what they wrote The Lord Herbert judged it unworthy of him to trifle as others had done and therefore made a more narrow search into Records and original Papers than all that had gone before him and with great fidelity and industry has given us the History of King Henry the Eighth But in the Transactions that concern Religion he dwells not so long as the matter required leaving those to men of another Profession and judging it perhaps not so proper for one of his condition to pursue a full and accurate Deduction of those matters Since he wrote two have undertaken the Ecclesiastical History Fuller and Heylin The former got into his hands some few Papers that were not seen before he published them but being a man of fancie and affecting an odd way of writing his work gives no great Satisfaction But Doctor Heylin wrote smoothly and handsomly his Method and Stile are good and his work was generally more read than any thing that had appeared before him but either he was very ill informed or very much led by his Passions and he being wrought on by most violent prejudices against some that were concerned in that time delivers many things in such a manner and so strangely that one would think he had been secretly set on to it by those of the Church of Rome though I doubt not he was a sincere Protestant but violently carried away by some particular conceits In one thing he is not to be excused That he never vouched any Authority for what he writ which is not to be forgiven any who write of Transactions beyond their own time and deliver new things not known before So that upon what grounds he wrote a great deal of his Book we can only conjecture and many in their guesses are not apt to be very favourable
so high Concernment should have been neglected especially in such a Critical time and under so severe a King But as I continued down my search to the Fourth year of Queen Mary I found in the Twelvth Roll of that year a Commission which cleared all my former doubts and by which I saw what was become of the things I had so anxiously searched after We have heard of the Expurgation of Books practised in the Church of Rome but it might have been imagined that publick Registers and Records would have been safe yet lest these should have been afterwards Confessors it was resolved they should then be Martyrs for on the 29th of December in the 4th year of her Reign a Commission was issued out under the great Seal to Bonner Bishop of London Cole Dean of St. Pauls and Martine a Doctor of the Civil Law which is of that importance that I shall here insert the material words of it Whereas it is come to our knowledg that in the time of the late Schisme diverse Compts Books Scrolls Instruments and other writings were practised devised and made concerning Professions against the Popes Holiness and the See Apostolick and also sundry infamous Scrutinies taken in Abbeys and other Religious houses tending rather to subvert and overthrow all good Religion and Religious houses than for any truth contained therein Which being in the Custody of divers Registers and we intending to have those writings brought to knowledg whereby they may be Considered and ordered according to our will and pleasure thereupon those three or any two of them are empowered to cite any persons before them and examine them upon the Premisses upon Oath and to bring all such Writings before them and certifie their diligence about it to Cardinal Pool that further order might be given about them When I saw this I soon knew which way so many Writings had gone and as I could not but wonder at their boldness who thus presumed to raze so many Records so their ingenuity in leaving this Commission in the Rolls by which any who had the Curiosity to search for it might be satisfied how the other Commissions were destroyed was much to be commended Yet in the following Work it will appear that some few Papers escaped their hands I know it is needless to make great Protestations of my sincerity in this Work These are of course and are little considered but I shall take a more effectual way to be believed for I shall vouch my Warrants for what I say and tell where they are to be found And having copied out of Records and MSS. many Papers of great importance I shall not only insert the substance of them in the following Work but at the end of it shall give a Collection of them at their full length and in the Language in which they were originally written from which as the Reader will receive full Evidence of the truth of this History so he will not be ill pleased to observe the Genius and way of the Great men in that time of which he will be better able to judge by seeng their Letters and other Papers than by any representation made of them at second hand They are digested into that order in which they are referred to in the History It will surprize some to see a Book of this Bigness written of the History of our Reformation under the Reign of King Henry the Eighth since the true beginnings of it are to be reckoned from the Reign of King Edward the 6. in which the Articles of our Church and the Forms of our Worship were first compiled and set forth by Authority And indeed in King Henry's time the Reformation was rather conceived than brought forth and two Parties were in the last 18 years of his Reign strugling in the Womb having non and then advantages on either side as the unconstant humour of that King changed and as his Interests and often as his passions swayed him Cardinal Wolsey had so dissolved his mind into pleasures and puffed him up with Flattery and servile Compliances that it was not an easie thing to serve him for being boisterous and impatient naturally which was much heightned by his most extravagant vanity and high conceit of his own Learning and Wisdom he was one of the most uncounsellable persons in the World The Book which he wrote had engaged him deep in these Controversies and by perpetual flatteries he was brought to fancie it was written with some degrees of inspiration And Luther in his answer had treated him so unmannerly that it was only the necessity of his Affairs that forced him into any correspondence with that Party in Germany And though Cranmer and Cromwel improved every advantage that either the Kings temper or his Affairs offered them as much as could be yet they were to be pitied having to do with a Prince who upon the slightest pretences threw down those whom he had most advanced which Cromwel felt severely and Cranmer was sometimes near it The faults of this King being so conspicuous and the severity of his proceedings so unjustifiable particularly that heinous violation of the most sacred Rules of Iustice and Government in condemning men without bringing them to make their Answers most of our Writers have separated the Concerns of this Church from his Reign and imagining that all he did was founded only on his Revenge upon the Court of Rome for denying his Divorce have taken little care to examine how matters were transacted in his time But if we consider the great things that were done by him we must acknowledge that there was a signal providence of God in raising up a King of his temper for clearing the way to that blessed Work that followed and that could hardly have been done but by a man of his humour so that I may very fitly apply to him the witty Simile of an ingenious writer who compares Luther to a Postilion in his waxed Boots and oiled Coat lashing his horses through thick and thin and be spattering all about him This Character befits King Henry better saving the Reverence due to his Crown who as the Postilion of Reformation made way for it through a great deal of mire and filth He abolished the Popes Power by which not only that Tyranny was destroyed which had been long an heavie burthen on this oppressed Nation but all the Opinions Rites and Constitutions for which there was no better Authority than Papal Decrees were to fall to the ground The Foundation that supported them being thus sapped He suppressed all the Monasteries in which though there were some inexcusable faults committed yet he wanted not reason to do what he did For the Foundation of those Houses being laid on the Superstitious Conceit of Redeeming Souls out of Purgatory by saying Masses for them they whose Office that was had by counterfeiting Relicks by forging of Miracles and other like Impostures drawn together a vast wealth to the enriching of their Saints
of whom some perhaps were damn'd Souls and others were never in being These arts being detected and withal their great Viciousness in some places and in all their great abuse of the Christian Religion made it seem unfit they should be continued But it was their dependence on the See of Rome which as the state of things then was made it necessary that they should be supprest New Foundations might have done well and the scantness of those considering the number and wealth of those which were suppressed is one of the great blemishes of that Reign But it was in vain to endeavour to amend the old ones Their numbers were so great their Riches and Interests in the Nation so considerable that a Prince of Ordinary mettal would not have attempted such a design much less have compleated it in Five years time With these fell the Superstition of Images Reliques and the Redemption of Souls out of Purgatory And those Extravagant Addresses to Saints that are in the Roman Offices were thrown out only an Ora pro nobis was kept up and even that was left to the liberty of Priests to leave it out of the Litanies as they saw cause These were great preparations for a Reformation But it went further and two things were done upon which a greater Change was reasonably to be expected The Scriptures were Translated into the English tongue and set up in all Churches and every one was admitted to read them and they alone were declared the Rule of Faith This could not but open the eyes of the Nation who finding a profound silence in these writings about many things and a direct opposition to other things that were still retained must needs conclude even without deep Speculations or nice Disputing that many things that were still in the Church had no ground in Scripture and some of the rest were directly contrary to it This Cranmer knew well would have such an operation and therefore made it his chief business to set it forward which in Conclusion he happily effected Another thing was also established which opened the way to all that followed That every National Church was a Compleat Body within it self so that the Church of England with the Authority and Concurrence of their Head and King might examine and Reform all Errors and Corruptions whether in Doctrine or Worship All the Provincial Councils in the ancient Church were so many Precedents for this who condemned Heresies and Reformed abuses as the occasion required And yet these being all but parts of one Empire there was less reason for their doing it without staying for a General Council which depended upon the pleasure of one man the Roman Emperor than could be pretended when Europe was divided into so many Kingdoms By which a common Concurrence of all these Churches was a thing scarce to be expected and therefore this Church must be in a very ill Condition if there could be no endeavours for a Reformation till all the rest were brought together The Grounds of the new-Covenant between God and man in Christ were also truly stated and the terms on which Salvation was to be hoped for were faithfully opened according to the New-Testament And this being in the strict notion of the word the Gospel and the glad tidings preached through our Blessed Lord and Saviour it must be confessed that there was a great Progress made when the Nation was well instructed about it though there was still an alloy of other Corruptions embasing the Purity of the Faith And indeed in the whole progress of these changes the Kings design seemed to have been to terrifie the Court of Rome and cudgel the Pope into a Compliance with what he desired for in his heart he continued addicted to some of the most extravagant Opinions of that Church such as Transubstantiation and the other Corruptions in the Mass so that he was to his lives end more Papist than Protestant There are two Prejudices which men have generally drunk in against that time The one is from the Kings great Enormities both in his personal Deportment and Government which make many think no good could be done by so ill a man and so cruel a Prince I am not to defend him nor to lessen his faults The vastness and irregularity of his Expence procured many heavy Exactions and twice extorted a publick Discharge of his debts embased the Coin with other Irregularities His proud and impatient Spirit occasioned many cruel proceedings The taking so many lives only for denying his Supremacy particularly Fisher's and More 's the one being extreme old and the other one of the Glories of his Nation for Probity and Learning The taking advantage from some Eruptions in the North to break the Indempnity he had before proclaimed to those in the Rebellion even though they could not be proved Guilty of those second disorders His extreme Severity to all Cardinal Pool's Family his cruel using first Cromwel and afterwards the Duke of Norfolk and his Son besides his un-exampled Proceedings against some of his Wives and that which was worst of all The laying a Precedent for the subversion of Iustice and oppressing the clearest Innocence by attaining men without hearing them These are such remarkable blemishes that as no man of ingenuity can go about the whitening them so the poor Reformers drunk so deep of that bitter cup that it very ill becomes any of their followers to endeavour to give fair Colours to those red and bloody Characters with which so much of his Reign is stained Yet after all this sad enumeration it was no new nor unusual thing in the methods of Gods Providence to employ Princes who had great mixtures of very gross faults to do signal things for his Service Not to mention David and Solomon whose sins were expiated with a severe Repentance it was the bloody Cyrus that sent back the Iews to their Land and gave them leave to re-build their Temple Constantine the Great is by some of his Enemies charged with many blemishes both in his Life and Government Clovis of France under whom that Nation received the Christian Faith was a monster of Cruelty and Perfidiousness as even Gregory of Tours represents him who lived near his time and nevertheless makes a Saint of him Charles the Great whom some also make a Saint both put away his wife for a very slight cause and is said to have lived in most unnatural lusts with his own Daughter Irene whom the Church of Rome magnifies as the Restorer of their Religion in the East did both contrary to the Impressions of Nature and of her Sex put out her own Sons eyes of which he died soon after with many other execrable things And whatever Reproaches those of the Church of Rome cast on the Reformation upon the account of this Kings faults may be easily turned back on their Popes who have never failed to court and extol Princes that served their ends how gross and scandalous soever their
the Proceedings in the Kings Bench since there was no justice done and all thought the King seemed more careful to maintain his Prerogative than to do Justice This I have related the more fully because it seems to have had great Influence on peoples minds and to have disposed them much to the Changes that followed afterwards How these things were entred in the Books of Convocation cannot be now known For among the other sad losses sustained in the late burning of London this was one that almost all the Registers of the Spiritual Courts were burnt some few of the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury and Bishops of London's Registers being only preserved But having compared Fox his Account of this and some other matters and finding it exactly according to the Registers that are preserved I shall the more confidently build on what he published from those Records that are now lost This was the only thing in the first 18 years of the Kings Reign that seemed to lessen the Greatness of the Clergy but in all other matters he was a most faithful Son of the See of Rome Pope Iulius soon after his coming to the Crown sent him a Golden Rose with a Letter to Arch-Bishop Warham to deliver it and though such Presents might seem fitter for young Children than for men of discretion yet the King was much delighted with it and to shew his Gratitude there was a Treaty concluded the year following between the King and Ferdinand of Arragon for the Defence of the Papacy against the French King And when in opposition to the Council that the French King and some other Princes and Cardinals had called first to Pisa which was afterwards translated to Milan and then to Lions that summoned the Pope to appear before them and suspended his Authority Pope Iulius called another Council to be held in the Lateran the King sent the Bishops of Worcester and Rochester the Prior of St. Iohns and the Abbot of Winchelcomb to sit in that Council in which there was such a Representative of the Catholick Church as had been for several of the latter Ages in the Western Church in which a few Bishops packt out of several Kingdoms and many Italian Bishops with a vast number of Abbots Priors and other Inferiour Digniâ—â—ed Clergy-men were brought to Confirm together whatever the Popes had a mind to Enact which passing easily among them was sent over the world with a stamp of Sacred Authority as the Decrees and Decisions of the Holy Universal Church assembled in a General Council Nor was there a worse understanding between this King and Pope Leo the 10 th that succeeded Iulius who did also complement him with those Papal Presents of Roses and at his desire made Wolsey a Cardinal and above all other things obliged him by conferring on him the Title of Defender of the Faith upon the presenting to the Pope his Book against Luther in a pompous Letter Signed by the Pope and 27 Cardinals in which the King took great pleasure affecting it always beyond all his other Titles though several of the former Kings of England had carried the same Title as Spelman informs us So easie a thing it was for Popes to oblige Princes in those days when a Title or a Rose was thought a sufficient Recompence for the greatest Services The Cardinal Governing all Temporal Affairs as he did it is not to be doubted but his Authority was absolute in Ecclesiastical Matters which seemed naturally to lie within his Province yet Warham made some opposition to him and complained to the King of his encroaching too much in his Legantine Courts upon his Jurisdiction and the things being clearly made out the King chid the Cardinal sharply for it who ever after that hated Warham in his heart yet he proceeded more warily for the future But the Cardinal drew the hatred of the Clergy upon himself chiefly by a Bull which he obtained from Rome giving him Authority to visit all Monasteries and all the Clergy of England and to dispence with all the Laws of the Church for one whole year after the date of the Bull. The power that was lodged in him by this Bull was not more invidious than the words in which it was conceived were offensive for the Preamble of it was full of severe Reflections against the Manners and Ignorance of the Clergy who are said in it to have been delivered over to a Reprobate mind This as it was a publick Deâ—aming them so how true soever it might be all thought it did not become the Cardinal whose Vices were notorious and scandalous to tax others whose faults were neither so great nor so eminent as his were He did also affect a Magnificence and Greatness not only in his Habit being the first Clergy-man in England that wore Silks but in his Family his Train and other pieces of State equal to that of Kings And even in performing Divine Offices and saying Mass he did it with the same Ceremonies that the Popes use who judg themselves so nearly related to God that those humble acts of Adoration which are Devotions in other persons would abase them too much He had not only Bishops and Abbots to serve him but even Dukes and Earls to give him the Water and the Towel He had certainly a vast mind and he saw the corruptions of the Clergy gave so great Scandal and their Ignorance was so profound that unless some effectual ways were taken for correcting these they must needs fall into great disesteem with the People For though he took great liberties himself and perhaps according to the Maxime of the Canonists he judged Cardinals as Princes of the Church were not comprehended within ordinary Ecclesiastical Laws yet he seemed to have designed the Reformation of the Inferiour Clergy by all the means he could think of except the giving them a good Example Therefore he intended to visit all the Monasteries of England that so discovering their corruptions he might the better justifie the design he had to suppress most of them and convert them into Bishopricks Cathedrals Collegiate Churches and Colledges For which end he procured the Bull from Rome but he was diverted from making any use of it by some who advised him rather to suppress Monasteries by the Popes Authority than proceed in a Method which would raise great hatred against himself cast foul aspersions on Religious Orders and give the Enemies of the Church great advantages against it Yet he had communicated his design to the King and his Secretary Cromwell understanding it was thereby instructed how to proceed afterwards when they went about the total suppression of the Monasteries The Summoning of Convocations he assumed by vertue of his Legantine Power Of these there were two sorts the first were called by the King for with the Writs for a Parliament there went out always a Summons to the Two Arch-Bishops for calling a Convocation of
and lawful as it had been many Ages before to change Secular Prebends into Canons Regular the endowed Goods being still applied to a Religious use And it was thought hard to say That if the Pope had the absolute Power of dispensing the Spiritual Treasure of the Church and to translate the Merits of one man and apply them to another that he had not a much more absolute Power over the Temporal Treasure of the Church to translate Church-Lands from one use and apply them to another And indeed the Cardinal was then so much considered at Rome as a Pope of another world that whatever he desired he easily obtained Therefore on the 3 d. of April 1524. Pope Clement by a Bull gave him Authority to suppress the Monastery of St. Frediswood in Oxford and in the Diocess of Lincoln and to carry the Monks elsewhere with a very full non obstante To this the King gave his assent the 19 th of April following After this there followed many other Bulls for other Religious Houses and Rectories that were Impropriated These Houses being thus suppressed by the Law they belonged to the King who thereupon made them over to the Cardinal by new and special Grants which are all Enrolled And so he went on with these great Foundations and brought them to Perfection That at Oxford in the 18 th year and that at Ipswich in the 20 th year of the Kings Reign as appears by the Dates of the Kings Patents for Founding them In the last Place I come to shew the new opinions in Religion or those that were accounted new then in England and the State and Progress of them till the 19th year of the Kings Reign From the days of Wickliffe there were many that disliked most of the received Doctrines in several parts of the Nation The Clergy were at that time very hateful to the people for as the Pope did exact heavily on them so they being oppressed took all means possible to make the people repay what the Popes wrested from them Wickliffe being much encouraged and supported by the Duke of Lancaster and the Lord Piercy the Bishops could not proceed against him till the Duke of Lancaster was put from the King and then he was condemned at Oxford Many opinions are charged upon him but whether he held them or not we know not but by the Testimonies of his Enemies who write of him with so much passion that it discredits all they say yet he dyed in peace though his body was afterwards burnt He translated the Bible out of Latine into English with a long Preface before it in which he reflected severely on the corruptions of the Clergy and condemned the Worshipping of Saints and Images and denyed the corporal Presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament and exhorted all people to the Study of the Scriptures His Bible with this Preface was well received by a great many who were led into these Opinions rather by the Impressions which common sense and plain Reason made on them than by any deep Speculation or Study For the followers of this Doctrine were illiterate and ignorant men some few Clerks joyned to them but they formed not themselves into any body or association and were scattered over the Kingdom holding these Opinions in private without making any publick Profession of them Generally they were known by their disparaging the superstitious Clergy whose Corruptions were then so notorious and their Cruelty so enraged that no wonder the people were deeply prejudiced against them Nor were the methods they used likely to prevail much upon them being severe and cruel In the Primitive Church though in their Councils they were not backward to pass Anathematisms on every thing that they judged Heresie yet all Capital proceedings against Hereticks were condemned and when two Bishops did prosecute Priscillian and his followers before the Emperor Maximus upon which they were put to death they were generally so blamed for it that many refused to hold Communion with them The Roman Emperors made many Laws against Hereticks for the fining and banishing of them and secluded them from the Priviledges of other Subjects such as making Wills or receiving Legacies only the Manichees who were a strange mixture between Heathenism and Christianity were to suffer death for their errors Yet the Bishops in those days particularly in Africk doubted much whether upon the Insolencies of Hereticks or Schismaticks they might desire the Emperor to execute those Laws for Fining Banishing and other restraints And St. Austin was not easily prevailed on to consent to it But at length the Donatists were so intolerable that after several Consultations about it they were forced to consent to those inferiour penalties but still condemned the taking away of their lives And even in the Execution of the Imperial Laws in those inferiour punishments they were always interposing to moderate the severity of the Prefects and Governours The first Instance of severity on mens bodies that was not censured by the Church was in the Fifth Century under Iustine the first who Ordered the tongue of Severus who had been Patriarch of Antioch but did daily Anathematise the Council of Chalcedon to be cut out In the Eighth Century Iustinian the 2d called Rhinotmetus from his cropt nose burnt all the Manichees in Armenia And in the end of the Eleventh Century the Bogomili were condemned to be burnt by the Patriarch and Council of Constantinople But in the end of the 12 and in the beginning of the 13th Century a Company of Simple and Innocent persons in the Southern parts of France being disgusted with the Corruptions both of the Popish Clergy and of the publick Worship separated from their Assemblies and then Dominick and his brethren-Preachers who came among them to convince them finding their Preaching did not prevail betook themselves to that way that was sure to silence them They perswaded the Civil Magistrates to burn all such as were judged Obstinate Hereticks That they might do this by a Law the Fourth Council of Lateran did Decree that all Hereticks should be delivered to the Secular Power to be extirpated they thought not fit to speak out but by the Practise it was known that Burning was that which they meant and if they did it not they were to be Excommunicated and after that if they still refused to do their duty which was upon the matter to be the Inquisitors Hangmen they were to deny it at their utmost Perils For not only the Ecclesiastical Censures but Anathema's were thought too feeble a punishment for this Omission Therefore a Censure was found out as severe upon the Prince as Burning was to the poor Heretick He was to be deposed by the Pope his Subjects to be absolved from their Oaths of Allegiance and his Dominions to be given away to any other faithful Son of the Church such as pleased the Pope best and all this by the Authority of a Synod that passed for a Holy General Council
This as it was fatal to the Counts of Tholouse who were great Princes in the South of France and first fell under the Censures so it was terrible to all other Princes who thereupon to save themselves delivered up their Subjects to the Mercy of the Ecclesiastical Courts Burning was the death they made choice of because Witches Vizards and Sodomites had been so executed Therefore to make Heresie appear a terrible thing this was thought the most proper punishment of it It had also a resemblance of everlasting Burning to which they adjudged their Souls as well as their bodies were condemned to the â—ire but with this signal difference that they could find no such effectual way to oblige God to execute their sentence as they contrived against the Civil Magistrate But however they confidently gave it out that by vertue of that Promise of our Saviours Whose sins ye bind on Earth they are bound in Heaven their Decrees were ratified in Heaven And it not being easie to disprove what they said people believed the one as they saw the other Sentence executed So that whatever they condemned as Heresie was looked on as the worst thing in in the world There was no occasion for the execution of this Law in England till the days of Wickliffe And the favour he had from some great men stopt the Proceedings against him But in the 5th year of King Richard the Second a Bill passed in the House of Lords and was assented to by the King and published for an Act of Parliament though the Bill was never sent to the House of Commons By this pretended Law it appears Wickliff's followers were then very numerous that they had a certain habit and did Preach in many places both in Churches Church-yards and Markets without Licence from the Ordinary and did preach several Doctrines both against the Faith and the Laws of the Land as had been proved before the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the other Bishops Prelats Doctors of Divinity and of the Civil and Canon-Law and others of the Clergy That they would not submit to the admonitions nor Censures of the Church but by their subtile ingenious words did draw the people to follow them and defend them by strong hand and in great routs Therefore it was Ordained that upon the Bishops certifying into the Chancery the names of such Preachers and their Abettors the Chancellour should issue forth Commissions to the Sheriffs and others the Kings Ministers to hold them in Arrest and strong Prison till they should justify them according to the Law and reason of Holy Church From the gentleness of which law it may appear that England was not then so tame as to bear the severity of those cruel laws which were setled and put in execution in other Kingdoms The Custome at that time was to engross Copies of all the Acts of Parliament and to send them with a Writ under the great Seal to the Sheriffs to make them be proclaimed within their jurisdictions And Iohn Braibrook Bishop of London then Lord Chancellour sent this with the other Acts of that Parliament to be proclaimed The Writ bears date the 26th of May 5 to Reg. But in the next Parliament that was held in the 6th year of that Kings Reign the Commons preferred a Bill reciting the former Act and constantly affirmed that they had never assented to it and therefore desired it might be declared to be void for they Protested it was never their intent to be Iustified and to bind themselves and their Successors to the Prelats more than their Ancestors had done in times past To which the King gave the Royal Assent as it is in the Records of Parliament But in the Proclamation of the Acts of that Parliament this Act was suppressed so that the former Act was still looked on as a good law and is Printed in the Book of Statutes Such pious frauds were always practised by the Popish Clergy and were indeed necessary for the supporting the Credit of that Church When Richard the 2d was deposed and the Crown usurped by Henry the 4th then he in gratitude to the Clergy that assisted him in his coming to the Crown granted them a law to their hearts content in the 2 d. year of his Reign The Preamble bears That some had a new Faith about the Sacraments of the Church and the Authority of the same and did Preach without Authority gathered Conventicles taught Schools wrote Books against the Catholick Faith with many other heinous aggravations Upon which the Prelats and Clergy and the Commons of the Realm prayed the King to provide a sufficient remedy to so great an evil Therefore the King by the assent of the States and other discreet men of the Realm being in the said Parliament did Ordain That none should Preach without Licence except persons Priviledged That none should Preach any Doctrine contrary to the Catholick Faith or the Determination of the Holy Church and that none should favour and abett them nor keep their Books but deliver them to the Diocesan of the place within 40 days after the Proclamation of that Statute And that if any Persons were defamed or suspected of doing against that Ordinance then the Ordinary might Arrest them and keep them in his Prison till they were Canonically purged of the Articles laid against them or did abjure them according to the Laws of the Church Provided always that the proceedings against them were publickly and judicially done and ended within three Months after they had been so Arrested and if they were Convict the Diocesan or his Commissaries might keep them in Prison as long as to his discretion shall seem expedient and might Fine them as should seem competent to him certifying the Fine into the Kings Exchequer and if any being Convict did refuse to abjure or after Abjuration did fall into Relapse then he was to be left to the Secular Court according to the Holy Canons And the Majors Sheriffs or Bayliffs were to be personally present at the passing the Sentence when they should be required by the Diocesan or his Commissaries and after the Sentence they were to receive them and them before the People in a high place do to be Brent By this Statute the Sheriffs or other Officers were immediatly to proceed to the Burning of Hereticks without any Writ or Warrant from the King But it seems the Kings Learned Council advised him to issue out a Writ De Haeretico comburendo upon what grounds of Law I cannot tell For in the same year when William Sartre who was the first that was put to death upon the account of Heresie was judged Relapse by Thomas Arundel Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in a Convocation of his Province and thereupon was degraded from Priesthood and left to Secular Power a Writ was issued out to Burn him which in the Writ is called The Customary Punishment relating it as like to the Customs that were beyond
And the corruptions of their Worship and Doctrine were such that a very small proportion of common sense with but an overly looking on the New Testament discovered them Nor had they any other varnish to colour them by but the Authority and Traditions of the Church But when some studious men began to read the Ancient Fathers and Councils though there was then a great mixture of Sophisticated stuff that went under the Ancient names and was joyned to their true works which Criticks have since discovered to be spurious they found a vast difference between the first Five Ages of the Christian Church in which Piety and Learning prevailed and the last Ten Ages in which Ignorance had buried all their former Learning only a little misguided Devotion was retained for Six of these Ages and in the last Four the restless Ambition and Usurpation of the Popes was supported by the seeming holiness of the begging Friers and the false Counterfeits of Learning which were among the Canonists School-men and Casuists So that it was incredible to see how men notwithstanding all the opposition the Princes every-where made to the progress of these reputed new Opinions and the great advantages by which the Church of Rome both held and drew many into their Interests were generally inclined to these Doctrines Those of the Clergy who at first Preached them were of the begging Orders of Friers who having fewer engagements on them from their Interests were freer to discover and follow the truth And the austere Discipline they had been trained under did prepare them to encounter those difficulties that lay in their way And the Laity that had long lookt on their Pastors with an evil eye did receive these Opinions very easily which did both discover the Impostures with which the world had been abused and shewed a plain and simple way to the Kingdom of Heaven by putting the Scriptures into their hands and such other Instructions about Religion as were sincere and genuine The Clergy who at first despised these new Preachers were at length much Allarmed when they saw all people running after them and râ—ceiving their Doctrines As these things did spread much in Germany Switzerland and the Netherlands so their Books came over into England where there was much matter already prepared to be wrought on not only by the prejudices they had conceived against the corrupt Clergy but by the Opinions of the Lollards which had been now in England since the days of Wickliff for about 150 years Between which Opinions and the Doctrines of the Reformers there was great Affinity and therefore to give the better vent to the Books that came out of Germany many of them were translated into the English-Tongue and were very much read and applauded This quickned the proceedings against the Lollards and the enquiry became so severe that great numbers were brought into the Toils of the Bishops and their Commissaries If a man had spoken but a light word against any of the Constitutions of the Church he was seized on by the Bishop's Officers and if any taught their Children the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments and the Apostle's Creed in the Vulgar Tongue that was crime enough to bring them to the Stake As it did Six men and a woman at Coventry in the Passion-week 1519. being the 4 th of April Longland Bishop of Lincoln was very cruel to all that were suspected of Heresie in his Diocess several of them abjured and some were Burnt But all that did not produce what they designed by it The Clergy did not correct their own faults and their cruelty was looked on as an evidence of Guilt and of a weak Cause so that the method they took wrought only on peoples fears and made them more cautious and reserved but did not at all remove the Cause nor work either on their reasons or affections Upon all this the King to get himself a name and to have a lasting Interest with the Clergy thought it not enough to assist them with his Authority but would needs turn their Champion and write against Luther in defence of the Seven Sacraments This Book was magnified by the Clergy as the most Learned Work that ever the Sun saw and he was compared to King Solomon and to all the Christian Emperours that had ever been And it was the chief subject of flattery for many years besides the glorious Title of Defender of the Faith which the Pope bestowed on him for it And it must be acknowledged that considering the Age and that it was the Work of a King it did deserve some Commendation But Luther was not at all daunted at it but rather valued himself upon it that so great a King had entred the lists with him and answered his Book And he replied not without a large mixture of Acrimony for which he was generally blamed as forgetting that great respect that is due to the Persons of Soveraign Princes But all would not do These Opinions still gained more footing and William Tindal made a Translation of the New Testament in English to which he added some short Glosses This was printed in Antwerp and sent over into England in the year 1526. Against which there was a Prohibition published by every Bishop in his Diocess Bearing that some of Luthers followers had erroneously Translated the New Testament and had corrupted the Word of God both by a false Translation and by Heretical Glosses Therefore they required all Incumbents to charge all within their Parishes that had any of these to bring them in to the Vicar-General within 30 days after that premonition under the pains of Excommunication and incurring the suspition of Heresie There were also many other Books Prohibited at that time most of them written by Tindal And Sir Thomas More who was a man celebrated for Vertue and Learning undertook the answering of some of those but before he went about it he would needs have the Bishops Licence for keeping and reading them He wrote according to the way of the Age with much bitterness and though he had been no Friend to the Monks and a great declaimer against the Ignorance of the Clergy and had been ill used by the Cardinal yet he was one of the bitterest Enemies of the new Preachers not without great cruelty when he came into Power though he was otherwise a very good-natured man So violently did the Roman Clergy hurry all their Friends into those excesses of Fire and Sword When the Party became so considerable that it was known there were Societies of them not only in London but in both the Universities then the Cardinal was constrained to act His contempt of the Clergy was looked on as that which gave encouragement to the Hereticks When reports were brought to Court of a company that were in Cambridge Bilney Latimer and others that read and propagated Luther's Book and Opinions some Bishops moved in the year 1523. that there might be a Visitation appointed
King intended to Marry her to France the more effectually to seclude her from the Succession considering the aversion his Subjects had to a French Government that so he might more easily settle his Bastard Son the Duke of Richmond in the Succession of the Crown While this Treaty went on the Kings scruples about his Marriage began to take vent It is said that the Cardinal did first infuse them into him and made Longland Bishop of Lincoln that was the Kings Confessor possess the Kings mind with them in Confession If it was so the King had according to the Religion of that time very just cause of Scruple when his Confessor judged his Marriage sinful and the Popes Legate was of the same mind It is also said that the Cardinal being alienated from the Emperor that he might irreparably embroil the King and him and unite the King to the French Interests designed this out of Spite and that he was also dissatisfied toward the Queen who hated him for his lewd and dissolute Life and had oft admonished and check't him for it And that he therefore designing to engage the King to Marry the French Kings Sister the Dutchess of Alenoon did to make way for that set this Matter on foot but as I see no good Authority for all this except the Queens suspitions who did afterwards charge the Cardinal as the cause of all her trouble so I am inclined to think the Kings Scruples were much ancienter for the King declared to Simon Grineus four years after this that for seven years he had abstained from the Queen upon these Scruples so that by that it seems they had been received into the Kings mind three years before this time What were the Kings secret motives and the true grounds of his Aversion to the Queen is only known to God and till the discovery of all Secrets at the day of Judgment must lye hid But the reasons which he always owned of which all Humane Judicatories must only take notice shall be now fully opened He found by the Law of Moses if a man took his Brothers Wife they should die childless This made him reflect on the death of his Children which he now looked on as a Curse from God for that unlawful Marriage Upon this he set himself to Study the case and called for the judgments of the best Divines and Canonists For his own Enquiry Thomas Aquinas being the Writer in whose works he took most pleasure and to whose judgment he submitted most did decide it clearly against him For he both Concluded that the Laws in Leviticus about the forbidden degrees of Marriage were Moral and Eternal such as obliged all Christians and that the Pope could only Dispense with the Laws of the Church but could not Dispense with the Laws of God Upon this reason that no Law can be Dispenced with by any Authority but that which is equal to the Authority that enacted it Therefore he infers that the Pope can indeed Dispence with all the Laws of the Church but not with the Laws of God to whose Authority he could not pretend to be equal But as the King found this from his own private Study so having commanded the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to require the Opinions of the Bishops of England they all in a Writing under their hands and Seals declared they judged it an unlawful Marriage Only the Bishop of Rochester refused to set his hand to it and though the Arch-Bishop pressed him most earnestly to it yet he persisted in his refusal saying that it was against his Conscience Upon which the Arch-Bishop made another write down his Name and set his Seal to the Resolution of the rest of the Bishops But this being afterwards questioned the Bishop of Rochester denied it was his hand and the Arch-Bishop pretended that he had leave given him by the Bishop to put his hand to it which the other denied Nor was it likely that Fisher who scrupled in Conscience to Subscribe it himself would have consented to such a weak Artifice But all the other Bishops did declare against the Marriage and as the King himself said afterwards in the Legantine Court neither the Cardinal nor the Bishop of Lincoln did first suggest these scruples but the King being possessed with them did in Confession propose them to that Bishop and added that the Cardinal was so far from cherishing them that he did all he could to stiffle them The King was now convinced that his Marriage was unlawful both by his own study and the resolution of his Divines And as the point of Conscience wrought on him so the Interest of the Kingdom required that there should be no doubting about the Succession to the Crown left as the long Civil-War between the Houses of York and Lancaster had been buried with his Father so a new one should rise up at his death The King of Scotland was the next Heir to the Crown after his Daughter And if he Married his Daughter to any out of France then he had reason to judge that the French upon their Ancient Alliance with Scotland and that they might divide and distract England would be ready to assist the King of Scotland in his pretensions Or if he Married her in France then all those in England to whom the French Government was hateful and the Emperour and other Princes to whom the French Power grew formidable would have been as ready to support the pretensions of Scotland Or if he should either set up his Barstard Son or the Children which his Sister bore to Charles Brandon there was still cause to fear a Bloody decision of a Title that was so doubtful And though this may seem a consideration too Politick and Forreign to a matter of that nature yet the obligation that lies on a Prince to provide for the happiness and quiet of his Subjects was so weighty a thing that it might well come in among other Motives to incline the King much to have this matter determined At this time the Cardinal went over into France under colour to conclude a League between the Two Crowns and to Treat about the means of setting the Pope at liberty who was then the Emperours Prisoner at Rome and also for a project of Peace between Francis and the Emperour But his chief business was to require Francis to declare his Resolutions concerning that alternative about the Lady Mary To which it was answered That the Duke of Orleance as a fitter Match in years was the French King's Choice but this matter fell to the ground upon the Process that followed soon aâ—ter The King did much apprehend the opposition the Emperour was like to make to his designs either out of a principle of nature and honour to protect his Aunt or out of a Maxime of State to raise his Enemy all the trouble he could at home But on the other hand he had some cause to hope well even in that
Court of Rome to procure a Breve that Divines or Canonists might without fear or hazard deliver their opinions according to their Consciences requiring them under the pain of Excommunication that they should write nothing for gain or Partial affections but say the pure and simple truth without any artifice as they would answer to God in the great day of Judgment This seemed so fair that it might have been expected the Successor of St. Peter would not deny it yet it was not easily obtained though the King wrote a very earnest Letter to the Bishop of Verona to assist his Minister in procuring it And I find by another Dispatch that the Breve was at length gained not without much opposition made to it by the Emperors Ambassadors For at Rome though they knew not well how to oppose this method because it seem'd so very reasonable yet they had great apprehensions of it because they thought it was designed to force the Pope to determine as the King pleased and they abhorred the President that a company of poor Friars should Dictate to them in matters of this nature Crook reports out of a Letter of Cranmers to him from Rome these words As for our Successes here they be very little nor dare we attempt to know any mans mind because of the Pope nor is he content with what you have done and he says no Friars shall discuss his Power and as for any favour in this Court I look for none but to have the Pope with all his Cardinals declare against us But Crook as he went up and down procuring hands told these he came to he desired they would write their Conclusions according to Learning and Conscience without any respect or favour as they would answer it at the last day and Protested he never gave nor promised any Divine any thing till he had first freely written his mind and that what he then gave was rather an honourable Present than a Reward And in another Letter to the King he writes Upon pain of my head if the contrary be proved I never gave any man one half-penny before I had his Conclusion to your Highness without former Prayer or Promise of reward for the same From whence it appears that he not only had no orders from the King to corrupt Divines but that his orders were express to the contrary As for the Money he gave the Reader will be best able to judge by the following account whether it was such as could work much on any man There is an Original Bill of his accounts yet extant audited and signed by Peter a Ghinuâ—iis out of which I have extracted these particulars Item To a Servite Friar when he subscribed one Crown To a Iew one Crown To the Doctors of the Servites two Crowns To the Observant Friars two Crowns To the Prior of St. John and St. Pauls who wrote for the Kings Cause fifteen Crowns To that Convent four Crowns Item Given to John Maria for his expence of going to Milan from Venice and for rewarding the Doctors there thirty Crowns Item To John Marino Minister of the Franciscans who wrote a Book for the Kings cause Twenty Crowns This shews that they must have had very prostituted Consciences if they could be hired so cheap It is true Crook in many of his Letters says That if he had Money enough he did not doubt but he should get the hands of all the Divines in Italy for he found the greatest part of them all Mercenary But the Bishop of Worcester in his Letters to him ordered him only to promise rewards to those who expected them and lived by them that is to the Canonists who did not use to give their opinion without a fee. But at the same time the Emperor did reward and fee Divines at another rate for Crook informed the King that one Friar Felix having written for the validity of the Marriage against the King there was a Benefice of 500 Ducats a year given him in reward And the Emperors Ambassador offered a thousand Ducats to the Provincial of the Gray-friars in Venice if he would Inhibite all within his Province to write or subscribe for the Kings cause But the Provincial refused it and said he neither could nor yet would do it And another that wrote for the Queen had a Benefice of 600 Crowns So that it was openly said at Ferrara that they who wrote for the King had but a few Crowns a-piece but they who wrote on the other side had good Benefices They also tryed what could be done at Padua both by threatnings entreaties and rewards to induce them to reverse the determination they had made in the matter but with no success And though Francis Georgius the Venetian Friar did greatly promote the Kings cause both by his writings and authority yet Crook wrote that he could not prevail to make either him or his Nephew accept one farthing of him By such fair means it was that Crook procured so many Subscriptions First of particular Divines many Franciscans Dominicans and Servites set their hands to the Conclusions though even in that there was opposition made by the Popes Agents Campegio was now engaged in the Emperors Faction and did every-where mis-represent the Kings cause Being at Venice he so wrought on the Minister of the Franciscans that though he had declared for the King and engaged to bring the hands of 24 Doctors and Learned men of his Order for it and had received a small Present of ten Crowns yet aâ—ter he had kept the Money three weeks he sent it back and said he would not meddle more in it But they procured most of these hands without his help At Milan a Suffragan Bishop and sixteen Divines Subscribed Nine Doctors Subscribed at Vincenza but the Pope's Nuntio took the writing out of his hands that had it and suppressed it At Padua all the Franciscans both Observants and Conventuals Subscribed and so did the Dominicans and all the Canonists and though the Popes and Emperor's Emissaries did threaten all that Subscribed yet there were got eighty hands at Padua Next the Universities determined At Bononia though it was the Popes Town many Subscribed The Governour of the Town did at first oppose the granting of any Determination but the Popes Breve being brought thither he not without great difficulty gave way to it So on the 19th of Iune the matter being publickly debated and all Cajetans Arguments being examined who was of Opinion That the Laws of Marriage in Leviticus did not bind the Christian Church they determined That thâ—se Laws are still in force and that they bind all both Christians and Infidels being parts of the Law of Nature as well as of the Law of God and that therefore they judged Marriages in these degrees unlawful and that the Pope had no Authority to dispence with them The University of Padua after
the whole Matter that I hope the Reader will not be ill pleased to have a short abstract of them laid before him An Abstract of those things which were written for the Divorce The Law of Marriage was originally given by God to Adam in the state of Innocence with this Declaration that man and wife were one Flesh but being afterwards corrupted by the Incestuous commixtures of those which were of Kin in the nearest degrees the Primitive Law was again revived by Moses And he gives many Rules and Prohibitions about the Degrees of Kinred and Affinity which are not to be looked on as new Laws and judiciary Precepts but as a Restoring of the Law of Nature originally given by God but then much corrupted For as the Preface which is so oft repeated before these Laws I am the Lord insinuates that they were conform to the Divine Nature so the consequences of them show they were Moral and Natural For the Breaches of them are called Wickedness and Abomination and are said to defile the Land and the Violation of them is charged on the Canaanites by which the Land was polluted and for which it did vomit out the Inhabitants From whence it must be concluded that these were not positive Precepts which did only bind the Iews but were parts of the Law of Mankind and Nature otherwise those Nations could contract no Guilt by their Violating them Among the forbidden Degrees one is Thou shalt not discover the Nakedness of thy Brothers wife it is thy Brothers Nakedness And it is again repeated If a man shall take his Brothers wife it is an unclean thing he hath uncovered his Brothers Nakedness they shall be childless These are clear and express Laws of God which therefore must needs oblige all persons of what rank soever without exception In the New Testament St. Iohn Baptist said to Herod It is not Lawful for thee to take thy Brothers wife which shows that these Laws of Moses were still obligatory St. Paul also in his epistle to the Corinthians condemns the Incestuous person for having his Fathers wife which is one of the Degrees forbidden by the Law of Moses and calls it a Fornication not so much as named among the Gentiles From whence it is inferred that these forbidden degrees are excluded by the Law of Nature since the Gentiles did not admit them St. Paul also calling it by the common name of Fornication within which according to that place all undue Commixtures of men and women are included Therefore those places in the New Testament that condemn Fornication do also condemn Marriages in forbidden degrees our Saviour did also assert the foundation of affinity by saying that man and wife are one Flesh. But in all Controverted things the sense of the Scriptures must be taken from the Tradition of the Church which no good Catholick can deny and that is to be found in the Decrees of Popes and Councils and in the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church against which if any argue from their private understanding of the Scriptures it is the way of Heresie and savours of Lutheranism The first of the Fathers who had occasion to write of this Matter was Tertullian who lived within an Age after the Apostles He in express words says that the Law of not Marrying the Brothers wife did still oblige Christians The first Pope whose decision was sought in this Matter was Gregory the Great to whom Austin the Apostle of England wrote for his resolution of some things in which he desired direction and one of these is Whether a man may Marry his Brothers wife who in the Language of that time was called his Kinswoman The Pope answered Negatively and proved it by the Law of Moses and therefore Defined that if any of the English Nation who had Marryed within that degree were converted to the Faith he must be admonished to abstain from his wife and to look on such a Marriage as a most grievous Sin From which it appears that that good Pope did judge it a thing which by no means could be dispenced with otherwise he had not pressed it so much under such Circumstances since in the first Conversion of a Nation to the Christian Faith the Insisting too much upon it might have kept back many from receiving the Christian Religion who were otherwise well inclined to it Calixtus Zacarias and Innocent the Third have plainly asserted the obligation of these Precepts in the Law of Moses the last particularly who treats about it with great vehemency So that the Apostolick See has already judged the Matter Several Provincial Councils have also declared the obligation of the Precepts about the degrees of Marriage in Leviticus by the Council at Neocesarea If a woman had been Marryed to two Brothers she was to be cast out of the Communion of the Church till her death and thâ— man that Marryed his Brothers wife was to be Anathematized which was also Confirmed in a Council held by Pope Gregory the Second Iâ— the Council of Agde where the Degrees that make a Marriage incestuous are reckoned this of Marrying the Brothers wife is one of them and there it was Decreed that all Marriages within these Degrees were Null and the Parties so Contracting were to be cast out of the Communion of the Church and put among the Catechumens till they separated themselves from one another And in the Second Council of Toledo the Authority of the Mosaical Prohibitions about the Degrees of Marriage is acknowledged It was one of Wickcliffs errors that the Prohibition of Marriage within such degrees was without any foundation in the Law of God for which and other points he was condemned first in a Convocation at London then at Oxford and last of all at the general Council of Constance these Condemnations were confirmed So formally had the Church in many Provincial Councils and in one that was General decided this matter Next to these the Opinions of the Fathers were to be considered In the Greek Church Origen first had occasion to Treat about it writing on Leviticus and Chrysostome after him but most fully St. Basil the Great who do expressly assert the obligations of these Precepts The last particularly refuting at great length the Opinion of some who thought the Marrying two Sisters was not unlawful laies it down as a Foundation That the Laws in Leviticus about Marriage were still in force Hesychius also writing upon Leviticus proves that these Prohibitions were universally obligatory because both the Egyptians and Cananites are taxed for Marrying within these Degrees From whence he inferrs they are of Moral and Eternal obligation From the Greek they went to the Latine Fathers and alledged as was already observed that Tertullian held the same Opinion and with him agreed the three great Doctors of the Latin Church Ambrose Ierom and
Cardinal A King of France desired a Dispensation to Marry his Wives Sister The matter was long considered of and debated in the Rota himself being there and bearing a share in the Debate but it was concluded That if any Pope either out of Ignorance or being Corrupted had ever granted such a Dispensation that could be no president or warrant for doing the like any more since the Church ought to be governed by Laws and not by such Examples Antonin and Ioannes de Tabia held the same And one Bacon an English-man who had taught the contrary was censured for it even at Rome and he did retract his Opinion and acknowledged that the Pope could not dispence with the Degrees of Marriage forbidden by the Law of God The Canonists agree also to this both Ioannes Andreas Ioannes de Imola and Abbas Panormitanus assert it saying That the Precepts in Leviticus oblige for ever and therefore cannot be dispenced with And Panormitan says These things are to be observed in Practice because great Princes do often desire Dispensations from Popes Pope Alexander the 3d. would not suffer a Citizen of Pavia to Marry his younger Son to the Widow of his eldest Son though he had Sworn to do it For the Pope said it was against the Law of God therefore it might not be done and he was to repent of his unlawful Oath And for the Power of dispencing even with the Laws of the Church by Popes it was brought in in the latter Ages All the Fathers with one consent believed That the Laws of God could not be dispenced with by the Church for which many places were cited out of St. Cyprian Basil Ambrose Isidore Bernard and Urban Fabian Marcellus and Innocent that were Popes besides an infinite number of latter Writers And also the Popes Zosimus Damasus Leo and Hilarius did freely acknowledge they could not change the Decrees of the Church nor go against the Opinions or Practices of the Fathers And since the Apostles confessed they could do nothing against the truth but for the truth the Pope being Christs Vicar cannot be supposed to have so great a Power as to abrogate the Law of God and though it is acknowledged that he is Vested with a fulness of Power yet the phrase must be restrained to the matter of it which is the Pastoral care of Souls And though there was no Court Superiour to the Popes yet as St. Paul had withstood St. Peter to his face so in all Ages upon several occasions holy Bishops have refused to comply with or submit to Orders sent from Rome when they thought the matter of them unlawful Laurence that Succeeded Austin the Monk in the See of Canterbury having Excommunicated King Edbald for an Incestuous Marriage would not Absolve him till he put away his Wife though the Pope plied him earnestly both by Intreaties and Threatnings to let it alone and Absolve him Dunstan did the like to Count Edwin for an other Incestuous Marriage nor did all the Popes Interposition make him give over They found many other such instances which occurred in the Ecclesiastical History of Bishops proceeding by Censures and other Methods to stop the course of Sin notwithstanding any encouragement the Parties had from Popes And it is certain that every man when he finds himself engaged in any course which is clearly sinful ought presently to forsake it according to the opinion of all Divines And therefore the King upon these Evidences of the unlawfulness of his Marriage ought to abstain from the Queen and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with the other Bishops ought to require him to do it otherwise they must proceed to Church Censures Many things were also brought from reason or at least the Maximes of the School Philosophy which passed for true reason in those days to prove Marriage in the degrees forbidden by Moses to be contrary to the Law of Nature and much was alledged out of Profane Authors to show what an abhorrency some Heathen Nations had of Incestuous Marriages And whereas the chief strength of the Arguments for the contrary opinion rested in this That these Laws of Moses were not confirmed by Christ or his Apostles in the New Testament To that they answered That if the Laws about Marriage were Moral as had been proved then there was no need of a particular Confirmation since those Words of our Saviour I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it do confirm the whole Moral Law Christ had also expresly asserted the Relation of Affinity saying That man and wife are one Flesh. St. Paul also condemned a Match as Incestuous for Affinity But though it were not expresly set down in the Gospel yet the Traditions of the Church are received with equal Authority to written Verities This the Court of Rome and all the Learned Writers for the Catholick Faith lay down as a Fundamental Truth And without it how could the Seven Sacraments some of which are not mentioned in the New Testament with many other Articles of Catholick Belief be maintained against the Hereticks The Tradition of the Church being so full and formal in this particular must take place And if any Corruptions have been brought in by some Popes within an Age or two which have never had any other Authority from the Decrees of the Church or the Opinions of Learned men they are not to be maintained in opposition to the Evidence that is brought on the other side This I have summed up in as short and Comprehensive words as I could Being the Substance of what I gathered out of the Printed Books and Manuscripts for the Kings cause But the Fidelity of an Historian leads me next to open the arguments that were brought against it by those who wrote on the other side for the Queens cause to prove the validity of the Marriage and the Popes Power of Dispensing with a Marriage in that degree of Affinity I could never by all the search I have made see either MSS. or Printed Books that defended their Cause except Cajetans and Victorias Books that are Printed in their works But from an answer that was written to the Bishop of Rochesters Book and from some other writings on the other side I gather the Substance of their arguments to have been what follows Cardinal Cajetan had by many arguments endeavored to prove that the Prohibitions in Leviticus were not parts of the Moral Law They were not observed before the Law no not by the holy seed Adams Children Married one another Abraham Married his Sister Iacob Married two Sisters Iudah gave his two Sons to Tamar and promised to give her the third for her Husband By the Law of Moses a Dispensation was granted in one case for Marrying the Brothers wife which shows the Law was not Moral otherwise it could not be dispenced with and if Moses dispensed with it why might not the Pope as well do it nor was there any force in the
the Father Son Uncle and other such Relations there is no ground to disjoynt this so much from the rest as to make it only extend to a Marriage before the Husbands death And for any Presidents that were brought they were all in the latter Ages and were never Confirmed by any publick Authority Nor must the Practices of later Popes be laid in the Ballance against the Decisions of former Popes and the Doctrine of the whole Church and as to the Power that was ascribed to the Pope that began now to be enquired into with great Freedom as shall appear afterwards These Reasons on both sides being thus opened the Censures of them it is like will be as different now as they were then for they prevailed very little on the Queen who still persisted to justifie her Marriage and to stand to her Appeal And though the King carryed it very kindly to her in all outward appearance and employed every body that had credit with her to bring her to submit to him and to pass from her Appeal remitting the Decision of the matter to any Four Prelates and Four Secular men in England she was still unmovable and would hearken to no Proposition In the judgments that people passed the Sexes were divided the Men generally approved the Kings cause and the Women favoured the Queen But now the Session of Parliament came on the Sixteenth of Ianuary and there the King first brought in to the House of Lords the Determination of the Universities and the Books that were written for his cause by Forreigners After they were read and Considered there the Lord Chancellor did on the 20th of March with Twelve Lords both of the Spiritualty and Temporalty goe down to the House of Commons and shewed them what the Universities and Learned men beyond Sea had written for the Divorce and produced Twelve Original Papers with the Seals of the Universities to them which Sr. Brian Tuke took out of his hand and read openly in the House Translating the Latine into English Then about an Hundred Books written by Forreign Divines for the Divorce were also showed them none of which were read but put off to another time it being late When that was done the Lord Chancellor desired they would report in their Countries what they had heard and seen and then all men should clearly perceive that the King hath not attempted this matter of Will and Pleasure as strangers say but only for the Discharge of his Conscience and the Security of the Succession to the Crown Having said that he left the House The matter was also brought before the Convocation and they having weighed all that was said on both sides seemed satisfied that the Marriage was unlawful and that the Bull was of no force more not being required at that time But it is not strange that this matter went so easily in the Convocation when another of far greater consequence passed there which will require a â—ull and distinct account Cardinal Wolsey by exercising his Legantine Authority had fallen into a Premunire as hath been already shewn and now those who had appeared in his Courts and had sutes there were found to be likewise in the same guilt by the Law and this matter being excepted out of the Pardon that was granted in the former Parliament was at this time set on foot Therefore an Indictment was brought into the Kings Bench against all the Clergy of England for breaking the Statutes against Provisions or Provisors But to open this more clearly It is to be Considered that the Kings of England having claimed in all Ages a Power in Ecclesiastical Matters equal to what the Roman Emperors had in that Empire they exercised this Authority both over the Clergy and Laity and did at first erect Bishopricks grant Investitures in them call Synods make Laws about Sacred as well as Civil Concerns and in a word they Governed their whole Kingdom Yet when the Bishops of Rome did stretch their Power beyond either the limits of it in the Primitive Church or what was afterward granted them by the Roman Emperors and came to assume an Authority in all the Churches of Europe as they found some Resistance every where so they met with a great deal in this Kingdom and it was with much Difficulty that they gained the Power of giving Investitures Receiving Appeals to Rome and of sending Legates to England with several other things which were long contested but were delivered up at length either by feeble Princes or when Kings were so engaged at home or abroad that it was not safe for them to offend the Clergy For in the first Contest between the Kings and the Popes the Clergy were generally on the Popes side because of the Immunity and Protection they enjoyed from that See but when Popes became ambitious and warlike Princes then new Projects and Taxes were every where set on foot to raise a great Treasure The Pall with many Bulls and high Compositions for them Annates or first Fruits and Tenths were the standing Taxes of the Clergy besides many new ones upon emergent occasions So that they finding themselves thus oppressed by the Popes fled again back to the Crown for Protection which their Predecessors had abandoned From the days of Edward the 1st many Statutes were made to restrain the Exactions of Rome For then the Popes not satisfied with their other oppressions which a Monk of that time lays open fully and from a deep sense of them did by Provisions Bulls and other Arts of that See dispose of Bishopricks Abbeys and lesser Benefices to Forreigners Cardinals and others that did not live in England Upon which the Commonalty of the Realm did represent to the King in Parliament That the Bishopricks Abbeys and other Benefices were founded by the Kings and people of England To inform the people of the Law of God and to make Hospitality Alms and other works of Charity for which end they were endowed by the King and people of England and that the King and his other Subjects who endowed them had upon Voidances the Presentment and Collations of them which now the Pope had Usurped and given to Aliens by which the Crown would be disinherited and the ends of their endowments destroyed with other great Inconveniences Therefore it was ordained that these Oppressions should not be suffered in any manner But notwithstanding this the abuse went on and there was no effectual way laid down in the Act to punish these Transgressions The Court of Rome was not so easily driven out of any thing that either encreased their Power or their Profits Therefore by another Act in his Grand-Child Edward the 3ds time the Commons complained that these abuses did abound and that the Pope did daily reserve to his Collation Church-Preferments in England and raised the first-Fruits with other great Profits by which the Treasure of the Realm was carried out of it
with the Lutherans he did not think it was then seasonable to call one That as for sending a Proxy to Rome if he were a private Person he could do it but it was a part of the Prerogative of his Crown and of the Priviledges of his Subjects That all Matrimonial Causes should be originally judged within his Kingdom by the English Church which was consonant to the general Councils and Customs of the ancient Church whereunto he hoped the Pope would have regard And that for keeping up his Royal Authority to which he was bound by Oath he could not without the consent of the Realm submit himself to a Forreign Jurisdiction hoping the Pope would not desire any violation of the Immunities of the Realm or to bring these into publick Contention which had been hitherto enjoyed without intrusion or molestation The Pope had confessed that without an urgent cause the Dispensation could not be granted This the King laid hold on and ordered his Ambassador to show him that there was no War nor appearance of any between England and Spain when it was granted To verifie that he sent an attested Copy of the Treaty between his Father and the Crown of Spain at that time By the words of which it appeared that it was then taken for granted that Prince Arthur had Consummated the Marriage which was also proved by good witnesses In fine since the thing did so much concern the Peace of the Realm it was fitter to judg it within the Kingdom than any where else therefore he desired the Pope would remit the discussing of it to the Church of England and then confirm the Sentence they should give To the obtaining of this the Ambassador was to use all possible diligence yet if he found real intentions in the Pope to satisfie the King he was not to insist on that as the Kings final Resolution And to let the Cardinal of Ravenna see that the King intended to make good what was promised in his name the Bishoprick of Coventry and Litchfield falling vacant he sent him the offer of it with a promise of the Bishoprick of Ely when it should be void Soon after this he Married Anne Boleyn on the 14th of November upon his landing in England but Stow says without any ground that it was on the 25th of Ianuary Rowland Lee who afterward got the Bishoprick of Coventry and Liechfield officiate in the Marriage It was done secretly in the presence of the Duke of Norfolk and her Father her Mother and Brother and Dr. Cranmer The grounds on which the King did this were That his former Marriage being of it self null there was no need of a Declarative Sentence after so many Universities and Doctors had given their judgments against it Soon after the Marriage she was with-Child which was looked on as a signalEvidence of her Chastity and that she had till then kept the King at a due distance But when the Pope and the Emperor met at Bononia the Pope expressed great Inclinations to favour the French King from which the Emperor could not remove him nor engage him to accept of a Match for his Neece Katherine de Medici with Francis Sforza Duke of Milan But the Pope promised him all that he desired as to the King of England and so that matter was still carried on Dr. Bennet made several propositions to end the matter either that it should be judged in England according to the Decree of the Council of Nice and that the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with the whole Clergy of his Province should determine it or that the King should name one either Sir Thomas More or the Bishop of London the Queen should name another the French King should name a third and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to be the fourth or that the cause should be heard in England and if the Queen did Appeal it should be referred to three Delegates one of England another of France and a third to be sent from Rome who should sit and judge the Appeal in some indifferent place But the Pope would hearken to none of these Overtures since they were all directly contrary to that height of Authority which he resolved to maintain Therefore he ordered Capisucci the Dean of the Rota to cite the King to answer to the Queens Appeal Karne at Rome protested against the Citation since the Emperor's Power was so great about Rome that the King could not expect justice there and therefore desired they would desist otherwise the King would Appeal to the Learned men in Universities and said there was a nullity in all their proceedings since the King was a Soveraign Prince and the Church of England a free Church over which the Pope had no just Authority But while this depended at Rome another Session of Parliameot was held in England which began to sit on the 4th of February In this the Breach with Rome was much forwarded by the Act they passed against all Appeals to Rome The Preamble bears that the Crown of England was Imperial and that the Nation was a compleat Body within it self with a full Power to give justice in all cases Spiritual as well as Temporal and that in the Spiritualty as there had beed at all times so there were them men of that sufficiency and integrity that they might declare and determine all doubts within the Kingdom and that several Kings as Edward the 1st Edward the 3d Richard the 2d and Henry the 4th had by several Laws preserved the Liberties of the Realm both Spiritual and Temporal from the annoyance of the See of Rome and other forreign Potentates yet many inconveniences had arisen by Appeals to the See of Rome in Causes of Matrimony Divorces and other cases which were not sufficiently provided against by these Laws by which not only the King and his Subjects were put to great charges but justice was much delayed by Appeals and Rome being at such a distance Evidences could not be brought thither nor Witnesses so easily as within the Kingdom Therefore it was Enacted that all such Causes whether relating to the King or any of his Subjects were to be determined within the Kingdom in the several Courts to which they belonged notwithstanding any Appeals to Rome or Inhibitions and Bulls from Rome whose Sentences should take effect and be fully Executed by all Inferior Ministers and if any Spiritual Persons refused to Execute them because of Censures from Rome they were to suffer a years Imprisonment and fine and ransom at the Kings will and if any Persons in the Kings Dominions procured or executed any Process or Censures from Rome they were declared liable to the pains in the Statute of Provisors in the 16th of Rich. the 2d But that Appeals should only be from the Arch-Deacon or his Official to the Bishop of the Diocess or his Commissary and from him to the Arch-Bishop of the Province or the Dean of the Arches where the
Letter in defence of the Kings Proceedings in this matter to Reginald soon after Cardinal Pool from these writings and the Sermons preached by some Bishops at this time with other Authentick pieces I have Extracted the Substance of the Arguments upon which they grounded their Laws which I shall divide in two heads The one of the reasons for rejecting the Popes pretended Power The other for setting up the Kings Supremacy with the Explanations and Limitations of it First of the Popes Power they declared that they found no ground for it in the Scripture All the Apostles were made equal by Christ when he committed the Church to their care in Common And he did often declare there was no Superiority of one above another St. Paul claimed an equality with the chief Apostles both Peter Iames and Iohn and when he thought St. Peter blame-worthy he withstood him to his face But whatsoever Preheminence St. Peter might have that was only Personal and there was no reason to affix it to his Chair at Rome more than at Antioch But if any See be to be preferred before another it should be Ierusalem where Christ dyed and out of which the Faith was propagated over all Nations Christ commanding his Disciples to begin their Preaching in it so that it was truly the Mother Church and is so called by St. Paul whereas in the Scripture Rome is called Babylon according to Tertullian and St. Ierome For the places brought from Scripture in favor of the Papacy they judged that they did not prove any thing for it That Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church if it prove any thing in this matter would prove too much even that the Church was founded on St. Peter as he was a private person and so on the Popes in their Personal Capacity But both St. Ambrose St. Ierome and St. Austin think that by the Rock the Confession he had made was only to be meant Others of the Fathers thought by the Rock Christ himself was meant who is the only true Foundation of the Church though in another sense all the Apostles are also called Foundations by St. Paul That Tell the Church is thought by Gerson and Aeneas Silvius afterwards Pope Pius the 2d rather to make against the Pope and for a General Council And the Fathers have generally followed St. Chrysostome and St. Austin who thought that the giving of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Charge Feed my Sheep were addressed to St. Peter in behalf of all the rest of the Apostles And that I have prayed for thee that thy Faith sail not was only Personal and related to his Fall which was then Imminent It is also clear by St. Paul that every Apostle had his peculiar Province beyond which he was not to Stretch himself and St. Peters Province was the Circumcision and his the Uncircumcision in which he plainly declares his Equality with him This was also clear from the constant Tradition of the Church St. Cyprian was against Appeals to Rome and would not submit to P. Stephens definition in the point of Re-baptizing of Hereticks and expresly says That all the Apostles were equal in Power and that all the Bishops were also equal since the whole Office and Episcopate was one entire thing of which every Bishop had a compleat and equall share And though some places are brought out of him concerning the Unity of the Roman Church and of other Churches with it yet those places have no relation to any Authority that the Roman Church had over other Churches but were occasioned by a Schism that Novatian had made there at Rome being Elected in opposition to the Bishop that was rightly chosen and of that unity only St. Cyprian writes in those places But from all his Epistles to the Bishops of Rome it is visible he look't on himself as their Equal since he calls them Brother Collegue and Fellow-Bishop And whatsoever is said by any Ancient Writer of St. Peters Chair is to be understood of the pure Gospel which he delivered as St. Austin observes that by Moses Chair is to be understood The delivering of Moses Law But though St. Peter sate there the succeeding Popes have no more right to pretend to such Authority than the Kings of Spain to claim the Roman Empire because he that is now their King is Emperor When Constantine turned Christian the Dignity of the chief City of the Empire made Rome to be accounted the first See but by the General Council of Nice it was declared that the Patriarches of Alexandria and Antioch had the same Authority over the Countries round about them that he of Rome had over those that lay about that City It is true at thaâ— time the Arrian Heresie having spread Generally over the Eastern Churches from which the Western were free the oppressed Catholick Bishops of the East made Appeals to Rome and extolled that See by a natural Maxime in all men who magnifie that from which they have Protection But the Second general Council took care that that should not grow a President for they Decreed that every Province should be governed by its own Synod and that Bishops when they were accused must first be judged by the Bishops of their own Province and from them they might appeal to the Bishops of the Diocess but no higher appeal was allowed and by that Council it appears what was the Foundation of the greatness of the Bishop of Rome for when Constantinople was made the Seat of the Empire and New Rome it had the same Privileges that Old Rome had and was set next to it in order and dignity In a Council at Milevi in which St. Austin sate they appointed that every Clerk that should appeal to any Bishop beyond the Sea should be excommunicated And when Faustianus was sent by the Pope to the African Churches to claim the Right of receiving appeals and pretended a Canon of the Council of Nice for it the Pretension was rejected by the Afâ—ican Fathers who acknowledged no such Right and had never heard of that Canon Upon which they sent to the Eastâ—rn Churches and search was every-where made for the Copies of the Canons of that Council but it was found that it was a Forgery From whence two things were observable The one that the Church in that Age had no Tradition of any Divine Institution for the Authority of that See since as the Popes who claimed it never pretended to any such thing so the African Bishops by their rejecting that Power shew that they knew nothing of any Divine Warrant all the Contest being only about a Canon of the Church It also appeared how early the Church of Rome aspired to Power and did not stick at making use of Forged writings to support it But Pope Agatho more modestly writing to the Emperor in his own name and in the name of all the Synods that were Subject to his See calls
conferr'd Grace That Consecrations and Benedictions used by the Church were good That it was good and profitable to set up the Images of Christ and the Saints in the Churches and to adorn them and burn Candles before them and that Kings were not obliged to give their people the Scriptures in a vulgar tongue By these Articles it may be easily Collected what were the Doctrines then preach'd by the Reformers There was yet no dispute about the presence of Christ in the Sacrament which was first called in question by Frith for the Books of Zuinglius and Oecolampadius came later into England and hitherto they had only seen Luthers works with those written by his followers But in the year 1532. there was another memorable instance of the Clergies cruelty against the dead bodies of those whom they suspected of Heresie The Common style of all Wills and Testaments at that time was First I bequeath my Soul to Almighty God and to our Lady St. Mary and to all the Saints in Heaven but one William Tracie of Worcestershire dying left a Will of a far different strain for he bequeathed his Soul only to God through Jesus Christ to whose intercession alone he trusted without the help of any other Saint therefore he left no part of his goods to have any pray for his Soul This being brought to the Bishop of Londons Court he was condemned as an Heretick and an order was sent to Parker Chancellor of Worcester to raise his Body The Officious Chancellor went beyond his order and burn't the Body but the Record bears that though he might by the Warrant he had raise the body according to the Law of the Church yet he had no Authority to burn it So two years after Tracies heirs sued him for it and he was turn'd out of his Office of Chancellor and fined in 400 Pound There is another Instance of the Cruelty of the Clergy this year One Thomas Harding of Buckinghamshire an Ancient man who had abjured in the year 1506. was now observed to go often into woods and was seen sometimes reading Upon which his house was search'd and some parcels of the New Testament in English were found in it So he was carryed before Longland Bishop of Lincoln who as he was a cruel Persecutor so being the Kings Confessor acted with the more Authority This Aged man was judged a Relapse and sent to Chesham where he lived to be burn't which was Executed on Corpus Christi Eve At this time there was an Indulgence of 40 dayes pardon proclaimed to all that carryed a Faggot to the burning of an Heretick So dextrously did the Clergy endeavor to infect the Laity with their own cruel Spirit and that wrought upon this occasion a signal effect for as the fire was kindled one flung a Faggot at the old mans head which dash't out his brains In the year 1533. it was thought fit by some signal evidence to convince the World that the King did not design to change the establish'd Religion though he had then proceeded far in his breach with Rome and the crafty Bishop of Winchester Gardiner as he complyed with the King in his second Marriage and separation from Rome so being an inveterate Enemy to the Reformation and in his heart addicted to the Court of Rome did by this argument often prevail with the King to punish the Hereticks That it would most effectually justifie his other proceedings and convince the World that he was still a good Catholick King which at several times drew the King to what he desired And at this time the steps the King had made in his Separation from the Pope had given such heart to the new Preachers that they grew bolder and more publick in their Assemblies Iohn Frith as he was an excellent Schollar which was so taken notice of some years before that he was put in the list of those whom the Cardinal intended to bring from Cambridge and put in his Colledge at Oxford so he had offended them by several writings and by a discourse which he wrote against the Corporal presence of Christ in the Sacrament had provoked the King who continued to his death to believe that firmly The substance of his Arguments was that Christ in the Sacrament gave eternal life but the receiving the bare Sacrament did not give eternal life since many took it to their damnation therefore Christs presence there was only felt by Faith This he further proved by the Fathers before Christ who did eat the same spiritual food and drink of the Rock which was Christ according to St. Paul since then they and we communicate in the same thing and it was certain that they did not eat Christs Flesh Corporally but fed by Faith on a Messias to come as Christians do on a Messias already come therefore we now do only communicate by Faith He also insisted much on the signification of the word Sacrament from whence he concluded that the Elements must be the Mystical Signs of Christs Body and Blood for if they were truly the Flesh and Blood of Christ they should not be Sacraments he concluded that the ends of the Sacrament were these three by a visible action to knit the Society of Christians together in one body to be a means of conveighing Grace upon our due participating of them and to be Remembrances to stir up men to bless â—od for that unspeakable love which in the death of Christ appeared to mankind To all these ends the Corporal presence of Christ availed nothing they being sufficiently answered by a Mystical presence yet he drew no other Conclusion from these Premisses but that the belief of the Corporal presence in the Sacrament was no necessary Article of our Faith This either flowed from his not having yet arrived at a sure perswasion in the matter or that he chose in that modest style to encounter an opinion of which the World was so fond that to have opposed it in down-right words would have given prejudices against all that he could say Frith upon a long conversation with one upon this Subject was desired to set down the heads of it in writing which he did The Paper went about and was by a false Brother conveyed to Sr. Thomas More 's hands who set himself to answer it in his ordinary style treating Frith with great contempt calling him alwayes the young man Frith was in Prison before he saw Mores Book yet he wrote a reply to it which I do not find was then published but a Copy of it was brought afterwards to Cranmer who acknowledged when he wrote his Apology against Gardiner that he had received great light in that matter from Friths Books and drew most of his Arguments out of it It was afterwards Printed with his works Anno 1573. and by it may appear how much Truth is Stronger than Error For though More wrote with as much Wit and Eloquence as any man
Relicks without number were every-where discovered and most wonderful relations of the Martyrdome and other miracles of the Saints were made and read in all places to the people and new Improvements were daily made in a Trade that through the craft of the Monks and the simplicity of the people brought in great advantages And though there was enough got to enrich them all yet there was strange rivalling not only among the several Orders but the Houses of the same Order The Monks especially of Glassenbury St. Albans and St. Edmundsbury vied one with another who could tell the most extravagant stories for the honour of their House and of the Relicks in it The Monks in these Houses abounding in wealth and living at â—ase and in idleness did so degenerate that from the Twelfth Century downward their reputation abated much and the Priviledges of Sanctuaries were a general Grievance and oft complained of in Parliaments For they received all that fled to them which put a great stop to Justice and did encourage the most criminal offenders They became lewd and dissolute and so impudent in it that some of their farms were let for bringing in a yearly tribute to their Lusts nor did they keep Hospitality and relieve the poor but rather encouraged Vagabonds and Beggars against whom Laws were made both in Edward the 3d King Henry the 7th and this Kings Reign But from the Twelfth Century the Orders of Begging Friers were set up and they by the appearance of Severity and Mortification gained great esteem At first they would have nothing no real estates but the ground on which their House stood But afterwards distinctions were found for satisfying their Consciences in larger Possessions They were not so idle and lazy as the Monks but went about and Preached and heard Confessions and carryed about Indulgences with many other pretty little things Del's Rosaries and Pebles which they made the World believe had great vertue in them And they had the esteem of the people wholly engrossed to themselves They were also more formidable to Princes than the Monks because they were poorer and by consequence more hardy and bold There was also a firmer union of their whole Order they having a General at Rome and being divided into many Provinces subject to their Provincials They had likewise the Schooll-Learning wholly in their hands and were great Preachers so that many things concurred to raise their esteem with the people very high yet great Complaints lay against them for they went more abroad than the Monks did and were believed guilty of Corrupting Families The Scandals that went on them upon their relaxing the primitive strictness of their Orders were a little rectified by some Reformations of these Orders But that lasted not long for they became liable to much Censure and many visitations had been made but to little purpose This Concurring with their secret practices against the King both in the matter of his Divorce and Supremacy made him more willing to examine the truth of these reports that if they were found guilty of such scandals they might lose their credit with the people and occasions be ministred to the King to justifie the Suppression of them There were also two other Motives that enclined the King to this Counsel The one was that he apprehended a War from the Emperor who was then the only Prince in the World that had any considerable force at Sea having both great Fleets in the Indies and being Prince of the Netherlands where the greatest trade of these parts was driven Therefore the King judged it necessary to fortifie his Ports and seeing the great advantages of Trade which began then to rise much was resolved to encourage it For which end he intended to build many Havens and Harbors This was a matter of great charge and as his own revenue could not defray it so he had no mind to lay heavie Taxes on his Subjects therefore the Suppression of Monasteries was thought the easiest way of raising Money He also intended to erect many more Bishopricks to which Cranmer advised him much that the vastness of some Diocesses being reduced to a narrower compass Bishops might better discharge their duties and oversee their Flocks according to the Scriptures and the Primitive Rules But Cranmer did on another reason press the Suppression of Monasteries He found that their Foundations and whole State was inconsistent with a full and true Reformation For among the things to be reform'd were these Abuses which were essential to their Constitution such as the Belief of Purgatory of Redeeming Souls by Masses the worship of Saints and Images and Pilgrimages and the like And therefore those Societies whose interest it was to oppose the Reformation were once to be suppressed and then he hoped upon new Endowments and Foundations new Houses should have been erected at every Cathedral to be Nurseries for that whole Diocess which he thought would be more suitable to the primitive use of Monasteries and more profitable to the Church This was his Scheme as will afterwards appear which was in some measure effected though not so fully as he projected for Reasons to be told in their proper place There had been a Bull sent from Rome for dissolving some Monasteries and Erecting Bishopricks out of them as was related in the former Book in the year 1532. And it seems it was upon that Authority that in the year 1533. the Priory of Christs Church near Algate in London was dissolved and given to the Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas Audley not to make him speak shriller for his Master in the House of Commons as Fuller mistakes it for he had been Lord Chancellor a year before this was given him The Popes Authority not being at that time put down nor the Kings Supremacy set up I conjecture it was done pursuant to the Bull for the Dissolution of some Religious Houses but I never saw the Dissolution and so can only guess on what ground it was made But in the Parliament held the former year in which the Kings Grant of that House to the Lord Chancellor was confirmed it is said in the Preamble That the Prior and Convent had resigned that House to the King the 24th of February 23d Regni and had left their House but no mention is made upon what Reason they did it But now I come to Consider how the Visitors carryed on their Visitations Many severe things are said of their Proceedings nor is it any wonder that men who had traded so long in lies as the Monks had done should load those whom they esteemed the Instruments of their Ruin with many Calumnies By their Letters to Cromwell it appears that in most Houses they found Monstrous disorders That many fell down on their knees and prayed they might be discharged since they had been forced to make vows against their wills with these the Visitors dispensed and set them at liberty They found great
Wives gained most on his esteem and affection But she was happy in one thing that she did not out-live his love otherwise she might have fallen as signally as her Predecessor had done Upon this turn of Affairs a great change of Counsels followed There was nothing now that kept the Emperor and the King at a distance but the Illegitimation of the Lady Mary and if that matter had been adjusted the King was in no more hazard of trouble from him Therefore it was proposed that she might be again restored to the Kings favour She found this was the best opportunity she could ever look for and therefore laid hold on it and wrote an humble submission to the King and desired again to be admitted to his presence But her Submissions had some reserves in them therefore she was pressed to be more express in her acknowledgments At this she stuck long and had almost embroyled her self again with her Father She freely offered to submit to the Laws of the Land about the Succession and confessed the fault of her former Obstinacy But the King would have her acknowledge that his Marriage to her Mother was incestuous and unlawful and to renounce the Popes Authority and to accept him as Supream Head of the Church of England These things were of hard digestion with her and she could not easily swallow them so she wrote to Cromwell to befriend her at the Kings hands Upon which many Letters passed between them He wrote to her that it was impossible to recover her Fathers favour without a full and clear Submission in all points So in the end she yielded and sent the following Paper all written with her own hand which is set down as it was Copied from the Original yet extant The Confession of me the Lady Mary made upon certain points and Articles under written in the which as I do now plainly and with all mine heart confess and declare mine inward Sentence Belief and Judgment with a due conformity of Obedience to the Laws of the Realm so minding for ever to persist and continue in this determination without change alteration or variance I do most humbly beseech the Kings Highness my Father whom I have obstinately and inobediently offended in the denial of the same heretofore to forgive mine offences therein and to take me to his most gracious Mercy First I confess and knowledg the Kings Majesty to be my Soveraign Lord and King in the Imperial Crown of this Realm of England and do submit my self to his Highness and to all and singular Laws and Statutes of this Realm as becometh a true and faithful Subject to do which I shall also obey keep observe advance and maintain according to my bounden duty with all the power force and qualities that God hath endued me with during my Life Item I do recognize accept take repute and knowledg the Kings Highness to be Supream Head in Earth under Christ of the Church of England and do utterly refuse the Bishop of Romes pretended Authority Power and Jurisdiction within this Realm heretofore usurped according to the Laws and Statutes made in that behalf and of all the Kings true Subjects humbly received admitted obeyed kept and observed and also do utterly renounce and forsake all manner of Remedy Interest and advantage which I may by any means claim by the Bishop of Rome's Laws Process Jurisdiction or Sentence at this present time or in any wise hereafter by any manner of title colour mean or case that is shall or can be devised for that purpose Mary Item I do freely frankly and for the Discharge of my duty towards God the Kings Highness and his Laws without other respect recognize and knowledg that the Marriage heretofore had between his Majesty and my Mother the late Princess Dowager was by Gods Law and Mans Law incestuous and unlawful Mary Upon this she was again received into favour One circumstance I shall add that shows the frugality of that time In the Establishment that was made for her Family there was only 40 l. a quarter assigned for her privy purse I have seen a Letter of hers to Cromwell at the Christsmas quarter desiring him to let the King know that she must be at some Extraordinary expence that season that so he might encrease her allowance since the 40 l. would not defray the Charge of that quarter For the Lady Elizabeth though the King devested her of the Title of Princess of Wales yet he continued still to breed her up in the Court with all the care and tenderness of a Father And the new Queen what from the sweetness of her disposition and what out of compliance with the King who loved her much was as kind to her as if she had been her Mother Of which I shall add one pretty evidence though the childishness of it may be thought below the Gravity of a History Yet by it the Reader will see both the kindness that the King and Queen had for her and that they allowed her to subscribe Daughter There are two Original Letters of hers yet remaining writ to the Queen when she was with Child of King Edward the one in Italian the other in English both writ in a fair hand the same that she wrote all the rest of her life But the conceits in that writ in English are so pretty that it will not be unacceptable to the Reader to see this first Blossome of so great a Princess when she was not full Four years of Age She being born in September 1533. and this writ in Iuly 1537. Although your Highness Letters be most joyful to me in absence yet considering what pain it is to you to write your Grace being so great with Child and so sickly your Commendation were enough in my Lords Letter I much rejoyce at your health with the well liking of the Countrey with my humble thanks that your Grace wished me with you till I were weary of that Countrey Your Highness were like to be combered if I should not depart till I were weary being with you although it were in the worst soil in the World your presence would make it pleasant I cannot reprove my Lord for not doing your Commendations in his Letter for he did it and although he had not yet I will not complain on him for that he shall be diligent to give me knowledg from time to time how his busie child doth and if I were at his birth no doubt I would see him beaten for the trouble he has put you to Mr Denny and my Lady with humble thanks prayeth most entirely for your Grace praying the Almighty God to send you a most lucky deliverance And my Mistress wisheth no less giving your Highness most humble thanks for her commendations Writ with very little leisure this last day of Iuly Your Humble Daughter Elizabeth But to proceed to more serious matters A Parliament was Summoned to meet the 8th of Iune
the terms of the Covenant between God and man in Christ were rightly opened without the niceties of the Schools of either side Immediate worship of Images and Saints was also removed and Purgatory was declared uncertain by the Scripture These were great advantages to them but the establishing the necessity of Auricular Confession the Corporal presence in the Sacrament the keeping up and doing reverence to Images and the praying to Saints did allay their joy yet they still counted it a victory to have things brought under debate and to have some Grosser abuses taken away The other Party were unspeakably troubled Four Sacraments were passed over which would encourage ill-affected people to neglect them The gainful trade by the Belief of Purgatory was put down for though it was said to be good to give Alms for praying for the dead yet since both the dreadful Stories of the Miseries of Purgatory and the Certainty of Redeeming Souls out of them by Masses were made doubtful the peoples Charity and bounty that way would soon abate And in a word the bringing matters under dispute was a great Mortification to them for all concluded that this was but a Preamble to what they might expect afterwards When these things were seen beyond Sea the Papal party made every-where great use of it to show the Necessity of adhering to the Pope since the King of England though when he broke off from his Obedience to the Apostolick See he pretended he would maintain the Catholick Faith entire yet was now making great Changes in it But others that were more moderate acknowledged that there was great temper and prudence in contriving these Articles And it seems the Emperor and the more Learned Divines about him both approved of the Precedent and liked the particulars so well that not many years after the Emperor published a work not unlike this called The Interim because it was to be in force in that Interim till all things were more fully debated and determined by a General Council which in many particulars agreed with these Articles Yet some stricter persons censured this work much as being a Political dawbing in which they said there was more pains taken to gratifie persons and serve particular ends than to assert Truth in a free and un-biassed way such as became Divines This was again excused and it was said that all things could not be attained on a sudden that some of the Bishops and Divines who afterwards arrived at a clearer understanding of some matters were not then so fully convinced about them and so it was their ignorance and not their Cowardice or Policy that made them compliant in some things Besides it was said that as our Savior did not reveal all things to his Disciples till they were able to bear them and as the Apostles did not of a sudden abolish all the Rites of Judaisme but for some time to gain the Jews complyed with them and went to the Temple and offered Sacrifices so the people were not to be over driven in this Change The Clergy must be brought out of their ignorance by degrees and then the people were to be better instructed but to drive furiously and do all at once might have spoiled the whole design and totally alienated those who were to be drawn on by degrees it might have also much endangered the peace of the Nation the people being much disposed by the practices of the Friers to rise in Arms Therefore these slow steps were thought the surer and better method On the last day of the Convocation there was another Writing brought in by Fox Bishop of Hereford occasioned by the Summons for a General Council to sit at Mantua to which the Pope had cited the King to appear The King had made his appeal from the Pope to a General Council but there was no reason to expect any Justice in an assembly so constituted as this was like to be Therefore it was thought fit to publish somewhat of the Reasons why the King could not submit his matter to the Decision of such a Council as was then intended And it was moved that the Convocation should give their sense of it The Substance of their Answer which the Reader will find in the Collection was That as nothing was better Instituted by the Ancient Fathers for the Establishment of the Faith the Extirpation of Heresies the Healing of Schisms and the Unity of the Christian Church than General Councils gathered in the Holy Ghost duely called to an indifferent place with other necessary requisites So on the other hand nothing could produce more pestiferous effects than a General Council called upon private malice or Ambition or other carnal respects which Gregory Nazianzen so well observed in his time that he thought all Assemblies of Bishops were to be eschewed for he never saw good come of any of them and they had encreased rather than healed the distempers of the Church For the appetite of vain-glory and a contentious humor bore down reason Therefore they thought Christian Princes ought to employ all their endeavors to prevent so great a mischief And it was to be considered First who had Authority to call one Secondly If the Reasons for calling one were weighty Thirdly who should be the Judges Fourthly what should be the manner of Proceeding Fifthly what things should be treated of in it And as to the first of these they thought neither the Pope nor any one Prince of what dignity soever had Authority to call one without the Consent of all other Christian Princes especially such as had entire and supream Government over all their Subjects This was Signed on the 20th of Iuly by Cromwell and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with 14 Bishops and 40 Abbots Priors and Clerks of the Convocation of Canterbury Whether this and the former Articles were also Signed by the Convocation of the Province of York does not appear by any Record but that I think is not to be doubted This being obtained the King published a long and sharp Protestation against the Council now Summoned to Mantua In which he shewes that the Pope had no Power to call one for as it was done by the Emperors of old so it pertained to Christian Princes now That the Pope had no Jurisdiction in England and so could Summon none of this Nation to come to any such meeting That the place was neither safe nor proper That nothing could be done in a Council to any purpose if the Pope sate Judge in chief in it since one of the true ends why a Council was to be desired was to reduce his Power within its old limits A free General Council was that which he much desired but he was sure this could not be such And the present distractions of Christendom and the Wars between the Emperor and the French King shewed this was no proper time for one The Pope who had long refused or delayed to call one did now choose this
to shake him in his Throne The Preamble of it was That as our Saviour had pity on St. Peter after his fall so it became St. Peters successors to imitate our Saviour in his Clemency and that therefore though he having heard of King Henry's crimes had proceeded to a sentence against him Here the former Bull was recited Yet some other Princes who hoped he might be reclaimed by gentler methods had interposed for a suspension of the Sentence and he being easie to believe what he so earnestly desired had upon their Intercession suspended it But now he found they had been deceived in their hopes and that he grew worse and worse and had done such dishonour to the Saints as to raise St. Thomas of Canterburies body to arraign him of High Treason and to burn his Body and Sacrilegiously to rob the Riches that had been offered to his Shrine as also to suppress St. Austins Abbey in Canterbury and that having thrust out the Monks he had put in wild Beasts into their grounds having transformed himself into a Beast Therefore he takes off the Suspension and publishes the Bull commanding it to be executed Declaring that the affixing it at Diepe or Bulloign in France at St. Andrews or Callistren that is Callstream a Town near the border of England in Scotland or Tuam or Artifert in Ireland or any two of these should be a sufficient Publication Dated the 7th of December Anno Dom. 1538. No man can read these Bulls but he must conclude that if the Pope be the Infallible and Universal Pastor of the Church whom all are bound to obey he has a full authority over all Kings to proceed to the highest Censures possible and since the matters of fact enumerated in the Sentence as the grounds of it were certainly true then 〈◊〉 the Pope is either cloathed with the powers of Deposing Princes or if otherwise he lied to the world when he pretended to it thus and taught false Doctrine which cannot stand with Infallibility And the pretended grounds of the sentence as to matter of fact being evidently true this must be a just Sentence and therefore all that acknowledged the Infallibility of that See were bound to obey it and all the Rebellions that followed during the reign of the King or his Children were founded on this sentence and must be justified by it otherwise the Popes Infallibility must fall to the ground But this was to be said for the Pope that though he had raised the several branches of this Sentence higher than any of his Predecessors had ever done yet as to the main he had very good and Authentick Precedents for what he did from the Depositions of Emperours or Kings that were made by former Popes for about 500 years together This I thought needful to be more fully opened because of the present Circumstances we are now in since hereby every one that will consider things must needs see that the belief of the Popes Infallibility does necessarily infer the acknowledgment of their power of deposing Heretical Kings For it is plain the Pope did this ex Cathedra and as a Pastor Feeding and Correcting his Flock But not content with this he also wrote to other Princes inflaming them against the King Particularly to the Kings of France and Scotland To the last of these he sent a Breve declaring King Henry a Heretique a Schismatique a manifest Adulterer a publick Murtherer a Rebel and convict of High Treason against him the Pope his Lord for which Crimes he had deposed him and offered his Dominions to him if he would go and invade them And thus the breach between him and the Pope was past reconciling and at Rome it was declared equally meritorious to fight against him as against the Turk But Card. Pool made it more meritorious in his Book Yet the Thunders of the Vatican had now lost their force so that these had no other effect but to enrage the King more against all such as were suspected to favour their interests or to hold any correspondence with Cardinal Pool Therefore he first procured a Declaration against the Popes pretensions to be Signed by all the Bishops of England In which after they declared against the Popes Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction upon the grounds formerly touched they concluded That the People ought to be Instructed that Christ did expresly forbid his Apostles or their Successors to take to themselves the power of the Sword or the authority of Kings And that if the Bishop of Rome or any other Bishop assumed any such power he was a Tyrant and Usurper of other mens Rights and a subverter of the Kingdom of Christ. This was subscribed by 19 Bishops all that were then in England and 25 Doctors of Divinity and Law It was at some time before May 1538. For Edward Fox Bishop of Hereford who was one that signed it died the 8th of May that year There was no Convocation called by Writ for doing this For as there is no mention of any such Writ in the Registers so if it had been done by Convocation Cromwell had signed it first but his hand not being at it it is more probable that a meeting of the Clergy was called by the Kings Missive Letters or that as was once done before the Paper was drawn at London and sent over the Kingdom to the Episcopal Sees for the Bishops hands to it There is another original Paper extant Signed at this time by eight Bishops from which I conjecture those were all that were then about London It was to shew That by the Commission which Christ gave to Church-men they were only Ministers of his Gospel to instruct the people in the purity of the Faith But that by other places of Scripture the Authority of Christian Princes over all their Subjects as well Bishops and Priests as others was also clear And that the Bishops and Priests have charge of Souls within their Cures Power to administer Sacraments and to teach the word of God To the which word of God Christian Princes acknowledg themselves subject and that in case the Bishops be negligent it is the Christian Princes Office to see them do their duty This being Signed by Iohn Hilsey Bishop of Rochester must be after the year 1537. in which he was consecrated and Latimer and Shaxton also Signing it must be before the year 1539. in which they resigned But I believe it was Signed at the same time that the other was And the design of it was to refuse those Calumnies spread at Rome as if the King had wholly Suppressed all Ecclesiastical Offices and denyed them any divine Authority making them wholly dependent on the Civil Power and Acting by Commission only from him And therefore they explained the limits of both these Powers in so clear and moderate a way that it must have stopt the Mouths of all Opposers But whether there was any publick use made of this Paper I can by no means discover
received it Laying Censures upon such as were present at the rest of that office and did not stay and Communicate For the Fifth it touched Cranmer to the quick for he was then Marryed The Scripture did in no place enjoyn the Celibate of the Clergy On the contrary Scripture speaks of their Wives and gives the Rules of their living with them And St. Paul in express words condemns all mens leaving their Wives without exception saying That the man hath not Power over his own body but the Wife In the Primitive Church though those that were in orders did not Marry yet such as were Marryed before Orders kept their Wives of which there were many Instances and when some moved in the Council of Nice that all that had been Marryed when they entred into Orders should put away their Wives it was rejected and ever since the Greek Churches have allowed their Priests to keep their Wives Nor was it ever commanded in the Western Church till the Popes began their Usurpation Therefore the prohibition of it being only grounded on the Papal Constitutions it was not reasonable to keep it up since that Authority on which it was built was now overthrown What was said concerning Auricular Confession I cannot so easily recover For though Cranmer argued three days against these Articles I can only gather the substance of his Arguments from what himself wrote on some of these Heads afterwards For nothing remains of what passed there but what is conveyed to us in the Journal which is short and defective On the 24th of May the Parliament was Prorogued to the 30th upon what reason it does not appear It was not to set any of the Bills backward for it was agreed that the Bills should continue in the State in which they were then till their next meeting When they met again on the 30th of May being Friday the Lord Chancellor intimated to them that not only the Spiritual Lords but the King himself had taken much pains to bring things to an agreement which was effected Therefore he moved in the Kings name that a Bill might be brought in for punishing such as offended against these Articles So the Lords appointed the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of Ely and St. Davids and Doctor Petre a master of Chancery afterwards Secretary of State to draw one Bill and the Arch-Bishop of York the Bishop of Duresin and Winchester and Doctor Tregonnel another Master of Chancery to draw another Bill about it and to have them both ready and to offer them to the King by Sunday next But the Bill that was drawn by the Arch-Bishop of York and those with him was best liked yet it seems the Matter was long contested for it was not brought to the House before the 7th of Iune and then the Lord Chancellor offered it and it was read the first time On the 9th of Iune it had the second reading and on the 10th it was engrossed and read the third time But when it passed the King desired the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to go out of the House since he could not give his consent to it but he humbly excused himself for he thought he was bound in conscience to stay and vote against it It was sent down to the House of Commons where it met with no great opposition for on the 14th it was agreed to and sent up again And on the 28th it had the force of a Law by the Royal Assent The Title of it was an Act for abolishing Diversity of opinions in certain Articles concerning Christian Religion It is said in the Preamble that the King considering the blessed effects of union and the mischiefs of discord since there were many different opinions both among the Clergy and Laity about some points of Religion had called this Parliament and a Synod at the same time for removing these differences where six Articles were proposed and long debated by the Clergy And the King himself had come in person to the Parliament and Council and opened many things of high Learning and great knowledg about them And that he with the Assent of both Houses of Parliament had agreed on the following Articles First That in the Sacrament of the Altar after the Consecration there remained no Substance of Bread and Wine but under these forms the Natural Body and Blood of Christ were present Secondly That Communion in both kinds was not necessary to Salvation to all persons by the Law of God but that both the Flesh and Blood of Christ were together in each of the kinds Thirdly That Priests after the order of Priesthood might not Marry by the Law of God Fourthly That vows of Chastity ought to be observed by the Law of God Fifthly That the use of private Masses ought to be continued which as it was agreeable to Gods Law so men received great benefit by them Sixthly That Auricular Confession was expedient and necessary and ought to be retained in the Church The Parliament thanked the King for the pains he had taken in these Articles And Enacted that if any after the 12th of Iuly did speak preach or write against the first Article they were to be judged Hereticks and to be burnt without any abjuration and to forfeit their real and personal Estates to the King And those who preached or obstinately disputed against the other Articles were to be judged Felons and to suffer death as Felons without benefit of Clergy And those who either in word or writing spake against them were to be Prisoners during the Kings pleasure and forfeit their goods and Chattels to the King for the first time And if they offended so the second time they were to suffer as Felons All the Marriages of Priests are declared void and if any Priest did still keep any such woman whom he had so Marryed and lived familiarly with her as with his Wife he was to be judged a Felon And if a Priest lived carnally with any other woman he was upon the first Conviction to forfeit his Benefices Goods and Chattels and to be Imprisoned during the Kings pleasure and upon the second Conviction was to suffer as a Felon The women so offending were also to be punished in the same manner as the Priests and those who contemned or abstained from Confession or the Sacrament at the accustomed times for the first offence were to forfeit their Goods and Chattels and be Imprisoned and for the second were to be adjudged of Felony And for the Execution of this Act Commissions were to be issued out to all Arch-Bishops and Bishops and their Chancellors and Commissaries and such others in the several shires as the King should name to hold their Sessions quarterly or oftner and they were to proceed upon presentments and by a Jury Those Commissioners were to swear that they should execute their Commission indifferently without favour affection corruption or malice As Ecclesiastical Incumbents were to read this Act in their Churches once a
He declared that he died in the Catholick Faith not doubting of any Article of Faith or of any Sacrament of the Church and denied that he had been a Supporter of those who believed ill opinions He confessed he had been seduced but now died in the Catholick Faith and desired them to pray for the King and for the Prince and for himself and then prayed very fervently for the remission of his past sins and admittance into Eternal Glory and having given the Sign the Executioner cut off his Head very barbarously Thus fell that great Minister that was raised meerly upon the strength of his natural parts For as his Extraction was mean so his Education was low All the learning he had was that he had got the new-Testament in Latine by heart His great wisdom and dexterity in business raised him up through several steps till he was become as great as a Subject could be He carryed his greatness with wonderful temper and moderation and fell under the weight of popular Odium rather than Guilt The disorders in the Suppression of Abbeys were generally charged on him Yet when he fell no Bribery nor cheating of the King could be fastned on him though such things came out in swarms on a disgraced Favourite when there is any ground for them By what he spoke at his death he left it much doubted of what Religion he dyed But it is certain he was a Lutheran The term Catholick-Faith used by him in his last speech seemed to make it doubtful but that was then used in England in its true sense in Opposition to the Novelties of the See of Rome as will afterwards appear on another occasion So that his Profession of the Catholich-Faith was strangely perverted when some from thence Concluded that he dyed in the Communion of the Church of Rome But his praying in English and that only to God through Christ without any of these tricks that were used when those of that Church died shewed he was none of theirs With him the Office of the Kings Vice-gerent in Ecclesiastical affairs died as it rose first in his person and as all the Clergy opposed the seting up a new Officer whose Interest should oblige him to oppose a Reconciliation with Rome so it seems none were fond to succeed in an Office that proved so fatal to him that had first carryed it The King was said to have lamented his death after it was too late but the fall of the new Queen that followed not long after and the miseries which fell also on the Duke of Norfolk and his Family some years after were looked on as the Scourges of Heaven for their cruel prosecution of this unfortunate Minister With his fall the progress of the Reformation which had been by his endeavours so far advanced was quite stopt For all that Cranmer could do after this was to keep the ground they had gained But he could never advance much further And indeed every one expected to see him go next For as one Gostwick Knight for Bedfordshire had named him in the House of Commons as the Supporter and Promoter of all the Heresie that was in England so the Popish party reckoned they had but half done their work by destroying Cromwel and that it was not finished till Cranmer followed him Therefore all possible endeavors were used to make discoveries of the Encouragement which as was believed he gave to the Preachers of the condemned Doctrines And it is very probable that had not the Incontinence of Katherine Howard whom the King declared Queen on the 8th of August broken out not long after he had been Sacrificed the next Session of Parliament But now I return to my proper business to give an account of Church-matters for this year with which these great Changes in Court had so great a Relation that the Reader will excuse the digression about them Upon Cromwels fall Gardiner and those that followed him made no doubt but they should quickly recover what they had lost of late years So their greatest attempt was upon the Translation of the Scriptures The Convocation Books as I have been forced often to lament are lost so that here I cannot stir but as Fuller leads me who assures the World that he Copied out of the Records with his own Pen what he published And yet I doubt he has mistaken himself in the year and that which he calls the Convocation of this year was the Convocation of the year 1542. For he tells us that their 7th Session was the 10th of March. Now in this year the Convocation did not sit down till the 13th of April but that year it sate all March So likewise he tells us of the Bishops of Westminster Glocester and Peterborough bearing a share in this Convocation whereas these were not Consecrated before Winter and could not sit as Bishops in this Synod And besides Thirleby sate at this time in the lower House as was formerly shewn in the Process about Anne of Cleves Marriage So that their attempt against the new Testament belongs to the year 1542. But they were now much better employed though not in the way of Convocation For a select number of them sate by vertue of a Commission from the King confirmed in Parliament Their first work was to draw up a Declaration of the Christian Doctrine for the necessary erudition of a Christian man They thought that to speak of Faith in general ought naturally to go before an Exposition of the Christian Belief and therefore with that they began The Church of Rome that designed to keep her Children in ignorance had made no great account of Faith which they generally taught consisted chiefly in an Implicite Believing whatever the Church proposed without any explicite knowledg of particulars So that a Christian Faith as they had explained it was a Submission to the Church The Reformers finding that this was the Spring of all their other errors and that which gave them colour and Authority did on the other hand set up the strength of their whole Cause on an Explicite believing the truth of the Scriptures because of the Authority of God who had revealed them And said that as the great Subject of the Apostles Preaching was Faith so that which they every-where taught was to read and believe the Scriptures Upon which followed nice Disputing what was that saving Faith by which the Scriptures say we are Iustified They could not say it was barely crediting the Divine Revelation since in that sense the Devils believed Therefore they generally placed it at first in their being assured that they should be saved by Christs dying for them In which their design was to make Holiness and all other Graces necessary requisites in the Composition of Faith though they would not make them formally parts of it For since Christs death has its full vertue and effect upon none but those who are regenerate and live according to his Gospel none
whole World that receive the Faith of Christ who ought to hold an unity of Love and Brotherly agreement together by which they become members of the Catholick Church Upon which a long excursion is made to shew the unjustice and unreasonableness of the plea of the Church of Rome who place the unity of the Catholick Church in a submission to the Bishop of their City without any ground from Scripture or the Ancient writers From that they proceeded to Examine the seven Sacraments And here fell in stiff debates which remain in some Authentick Writings that give a great light to their proceedings The method which they followed was this First the whole business they were to consider was divided into so many heads which were proposed as Queries and these were given out to so many Bishops and Divines And at a prefixed time every one brought his opinion in writing upon all the Queries So concerning the sâ—ven Sacraments the Queries were given out to the two Arch-Bishops the Bishops of London Rochester and Carlisle though the last was not in the Commission And to the Bishops of Duresm Hereford and St. Davids For though the Bishop of Winchâ—ster was in this Commission yet he did nothing in this particular but I Imagine that he was gone out of Town and that the Bishop of Carlisle was appointed to supply his absence The Queries were also given to Doctor Thirleby then Bishop Elect of Westminster to Doctor Robertson Day Redmayn Cox Leighton though not in the Commission Symmonds Tresham Coren though not in the Commission Edgeworth Oglethorp Crayford Wilson and Robins When their answers were given in two were appointed to compare them and draw an Extract of the particulars in which they agreed or disagreed which the one did in Latine and the other in English only those who compared them it seems doing it for the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury took no notice of his Opinions in the Extract they made And of these the Original answers of the two Arch-Bishops the Bishops of London Rochester and Carlisle and these Doctors Day Robertson Redmayn Cox Leighton Symmonds Tresham Coren Edgeworth and Oglethorp are yet extant But the Papers given in by the Bishops of Duresm Hereford and St. Davids and the Elect of Westminster and Doctors Crayford Wilson and Robins though they are mentioned in the Extracts made out of them yet are lost This the Reader will find in the Collection which though it be somewhat large yet I thought such pieces were of too great Importance not to be communicated to the World since it is perhaps as great an Evidence of the ripeness of their proceedings as can be shewed in any Church or any Age of it And though other Papers of this sort do not occur in this Kings Reign yet I have reason to conclude from this Instance that they proceeded with the same maturity in the rest of their deliberations In which I am the more confirmed because I find another instance like this in the Reformation that was further carried on in the succeeding Reign of Edward the 6th of many Bishops and Divines giving in their opinions under their hands upon some heads then examined and changed In Cranmers Paper some singular opinions of his about the nature of Ecclesiastical Offices will be found but as they are delivered by him with all possible modesty so they were not established as the Doctrine of the Church but laid aside as particular conceits of his own and it seems that afterwards he changed his opinion For he Subscribed the Book that was soon after set out which is directly contrary to those opinions set down in these Papers Cranmer was for reducing the Sacraments to two but the Popish party was then prevalent so the old number of seven waâ— agreed to Baptism was explained in the same manner that had been done three years before in the Articles then set out only the matter of Original Sin was more enlarged on Secondly Pennance was formally placed in the absolution of the Priest which by the former Articles was only declared a thing desirable and not to be contemned if it might be had yet all merit of good works was rejected though they were declared necessary and sinners were taught to depend wholly on the Sufferings of Christ with other good directions about Repentance Thirdly In the Explanation of the Eucharist Transubstantiation was fully asserted as also the Concomitancy of the Blood with the Flesh so that Communion in both kinds was not necessary The use of hearing Mass though one did not Communicate was also asserted To which were added verâ— good Rules about the disposition of mind that ought to accompany this Sacrament Fourthly Matrimony was said to be Instituted of God and Sanctified by Christ The degrees in the Mosaical Law were declared obligatory and none else and the Bond of Marriage was declared not separable on any account Fifthly Orders were to be administred in the Church according to the New-Testament but the particular forms of Nominating Electing Presenting or appointing Ecclesiastical Ministers was left to the Laws of every Countrey to be made by the assent of the Prince The Office of Church-men was to Preach Administer the Sacraments to bind and loose and to pray for the whole Flock But they must execute these with such limitation as was allowed by the Laws of every Kingdom The Scripture they said made express mention only of the two Orders of Priests and Deacons To these the Primitive Church had added some Inferior degrees which were also not to be contemned But no Bishop had any Authority over other Bishops by the Law of God Upon which followed a long Digression confuting the pretensions of the Bishops of Rome with an Explanation of the Kings Authority in Ecclesiastical matters which was before hand set down in another place to shew what they understood by the Kings being Supream Head of the Church Sixthly Confirmation was said to have been used in the Primitive Church in Imitation of the Apostles who by laying on their hands conferred the Holy-Ghost in an extraordinary manner And therefore was of great advantage but not necessary to Salvation Seventhly Extream-unction was said to have been derived from the practice of the Apostles mentioned by St. Iames for the health both of Body and Soul And though the sick person was not always recovered of his bodily sickness by it yet remission of sins was obtained by it and that which God knew to be best for our bodily condition to whose will we ought always to submit But this Sacrament was only fruitful to those who by pennance were restored to the State of Grace Then followed an Explanation of the Ten Commandements which contains many good rules of Morality drawn from every one of them The 2d Commandment Gardiner had a minde to have shortned and to cast it into the first Cranmer was for setting it down as it was in the Law of Moses But a
that Commotion were severely handled It was by their means that the discontents were chiefly fomented they had taken all the Oaths that were enjoyned them and yet continued to be still practising against the State which as it was highly contrary to the peaceable Doctrines of the Christian Religion so it was in a special manner contrary to the Rules which they professed that obliged them to forsake the World and to follow a Religious and Spiritual course of Life The next Example of justice was a year after this of one Forrâ—st an Observant Frier he had been as Sanders says Confessor to Queen Katharine but it seems departed from her interests for he insinuated himself so into the King that he recovered his good Opinion Being an ignorant and lewd man he was accounted by the better sort of that House to which he belonged in Greenwich a Reproach to their Order concerning this I have seen a large account in an Original Letter written by a Brother of the same House Having regained the Kings good Opinion he put all those who had favoured the Divorce under great fears for he proceeded cruelly against them And one Rainscroft being suspected to have given secret Intelligence of what was done among them was shut up and so hardly used that he dyed in their hands which was as that Letter relates done by Frier Forrests means This Frier was found to have denyed the Kings Supremacy for though he himself had sworn it yet he had infused it into many in Confession that the King was not the Supream Head of the Church Being questioned for these practices which were so contrary to the Oath that he had taken he answered that he took that Oath with his outward man but his inward man had never consented to it Being brought to his Tryal and accused of several Heretical opinions that he held he submitted himself to the Church Upon this he had more freedom allowed him in the Prison but some coming to him diverted him from the Submission he had offered so that when the Paper of Abjuration was brought him he refused to set his hand to it upon which he was judged an Obstinate Heretick The Records of these Proceedings are lost but the Books of that time say that he denyed the Gospel it is like it was upon that pretence that without the determination of the Church it had no Authority upon which several writers of the Roman Communion have said undecent and scandalous things of the holy Scriptures He was brought to Smithfield where were present the Lords of the Council to offer him his pardon if he would abjure Latimer made a Sermon against his errors and studyed to perswade him to recant but he continued in his former opinions so he was put to death in a most severe manner He was hanged in a chain about his middle and the great Image that was brought out of Walâ—s was broken to pieces and served for fewel to burn him He shewed great unquietness of mind and ended his Life in an ungodly manner as Hall says who adds this Character of him that he had little knowledg of God and his sincere truth and less trust in him at his ending In Winter that year a correspondence was discovered with Cardinal Pole who was barefaced in his Treasonable designs against the King His Brother Sir Geofrey Pole discovered the whole Plot. For which the Marquess of Exceter that was the Kings Cousin-german by his Mother who was Edward the 4ths Daughter the Lord Montacute the Cardinals Brother Sir Geofrey Pole and Sir Edward Nevill were sent to the Tower in the beginning of November They were accused for having maintained a correspondence with the Cardinal and for expressing an hatred of the King with a dislike of his proceedings and a readiness to rise upon any good opportunity that might offer it self The special matter brought against the Lord Montacute and the Marquis of Excetâ—r who were tryed by their Peers on the 2d and 3d of December in the 30th year of this Reign is that whereas Cardinal Pole and others had cast off their Alleageance to the King and gone and submitted themselves to the Pope the Kings mortal enemy the Lord Montacute did on the 24th of Iuly in the 28th year of the Kings Reign a few months before the Rebellion broke out say that he liked well the proceedings of his Brother the Cardinal but did not like the proceedings of the Realm and said I trust to see a change of this World I trust to have a fair day upon those Knaves that rule about the King and I trust to see a merry World one day Words to the same purpose were also charged on the Marquess the Lord Montacute further said I would I were over the Sea with my Brother for this World will one day come to stripes it must needs so come to pass and I fear we shall lack nothing so much as honest men he also said he had dreamed that the King was dead and though he was not yet dead he would die suddenly one day his Leg will kill him and then we shall have jolly stirring saying also that he had never loved him from his childhood and that Cardinal Wolsey would have been an honest man if he had had an honest Master And the King having said to the Lords he woulâ—â—eave them one day having some apprehensions he might shortly die that Lord said if he will serve us so we shall be happily rid a time will come I fear we shall not tarry the time we shall do well enough He had also said he was sorry the Lord Abâ—rgâ—â—â—â—y was dead for he could have made ten thousand men and for his part he would go and live in the West where the Marquess of Excâ—ter was strong and had also said upon the breaking of the Northern Rebellion that the Lord Darcy played the fool for he went to pluck away the Council but he should have begun with the head first but I beshrew him for leaving off so soon These were the Words charged on those Lords as clear discoveries of their Treasonable designs and that they knew of the Rebellion that brake out and only intended to have kept it off to a fitter opportunity they were also accused of Correspondence with Cardinal Polâ— that was the Kings declared Enemy Upon these points the Lords pleaded not Guilty but were found Guilty by their Peers and so Judgment was given On the 4th of December were Indicted Sir Geofrey Polâ— for holding Correspondence with his Brother the Cardinal and saying that he approved of his proceedings but not of the Kings Sir Edâ—ard Nevill Brother to the Lord Abergaveny for saying the King was a Beast and worse than a Beast George Crofts Chancellor of the Cathedral of Chichester for saying the King was not bâ—t the Pope was Supream head of the Church and Iohn Collins for saying the King would hang in Hâ—ll one day for the plucking down of
The Laws made in England against Hereticks p. 25. Vnder Richard the 2d ibid. Vnder Henry the 4th ibid. And Henry the 5th p. 26 Heresie declared by the Kings Iudges p. 27 Warhams proceeding against Hereticks ib. The Bishop of London's proceedings against them p. 29 The Progress of Luthers Doctrine p. 30 His Books were Translated into English p. 31 The King wrote against him ibid. He replyed ibid. Endeavours to suppress the New Testament p. 32 Sir Thomas More writes against Luther ibid. Bilney and others proceeded against for Heresie ibid. BOOK II. Of the Process of Divorce between King Henry and Queen Katherine and of what passed from the 19th to the 25th year of his Reign in which he was declared Supream Head of the Church of England THe beginning of the Sute of Divorce p. 34 Prince Arthur Marryed the Infanta ibid. And died soon after p. 35 A Marriage proposed between Henry and her ibid. It is allowed by the Pope ibid. Henry Protested against it p. 36 His Father disswaded it ibid. Being come to the Crown he Marries her ibid. Shâ— bore some Children but only the Lady Mary lived ibid. Several Matches proposed for her p. 37 The Kings Marriage is questioned by Forreigners ibid. Anno 1527. He himself has Scruples concerning it ib. The Grounds of these p. 38 All his Bishops except Fisher condemn it ibid. The reasons of State against it p. 39. Wolsey goes into France ibid. The Kings fears and hopes ibid. Arguments against the Bull p. 40 Calumnies cast on Anne Boleyn p. 41 They are false and ill-contrived p. 42 Her Birth and Education p. 43 She was contrâ—cted to the Lord Piercy p. 44 The Divorce moved for at Rome ibid. The first Dispatch concerning it ibid. Anno 1528. The Pope granted it p. 47 And gave a Bull of dispensation p. 48 The Popes craft and policy ibid. A subtile method proposed by the Pope p. 49 Staphileus sent from England p. 50 The Cardinals Letters to the Pope p. 57 A fuller Bull is desired by the King ibid. Gardiner and Fox are sent to Rome p. 52 The Bull desired by them ibid. Wolsey's earnestness to procure it p. 53 Campegio declared Legate p. 54 He delaies his Iourney ibid. The Pope grants the Decretal Bull p. 55 Two Letters from Anne Boleyn to Wolsey ibid. Wolsey desires the Bull may be seen by some of the Kings Council p. 56 The Emperor opposes the Kings business p. 57 A Breve is found in Spain ibid. It was thought to be forged ibid. Campegio comes to England p. 58 And lets the King see the Bull ibid. But refuses to shew it to others ibid. Wolsey moves the Pope that some might see it ibid. But in vain p. 59 Campana is sent by the Pope to Engl. p. 60 The King offers the Pope a Guard ibid. The Pope inclines to the Emperor ibid. Threatnings used to him p. 61 Anno 1529. HE repents the sending over a Bull ibid. But feeds the King with Promises p. 62 The Popes sickness p. 63 Wolsey aspires to the Papacy Ibid. Instructions for promoting him p. 64 New motions for the Divorce p. 65 The Pope Relapses dangerously ibid. A new Dispatch to Rome p. 66 Wolseys Bulls for the Bishoprick of Winton p. 67 The Emperor Protests against the Legates ib. Yet the Pope promises not to recal it ibid. The Legates write to the Pope p. 68 Campegio led an ill life p. 69 The Emperor moves for an Avocation ibid. The Popes Dissimulation p. 70 Great contests about the Avocation ibid. The Legates begin the Process p. 72 A severe charge against the Queen ibid. The King and Queen appear in Court ibid. The Queens speech p. 73. The King declares his scruples ibid. The Queen Appeals to the Pope p. 74 Articles framed and witnesses examined ib. An Avocation prest at Rome ibid. The Pope joyns with the Emperor p. 75 Yet is in great perplexities ibid. The Avocation is granted p. 76 The Proceedings of the Legates ibid. Campegio adjourns the Court p. 77 Which gave great offence ibid. Wolseys danger ibid. Anne Boleyn returns to Court p. 78 Cranmers Opinion about the Divorce p. 79 Approved by the King p. 80 Cardinal Wolsey's fall ibid. The meanness of his temper p. 81 He is Attached of Treason ibid. He dies his Character p. 82. A Parliament called ibid. Complaints against the Clergy p. 83 The Kings debts are discharged ibid. The Pope and the Emperor unite p. 84 The Womens peace ibid. Anno 1530. The Emperor is Crowned at Bononia ib. The Vniversities consulted in the Kings sute of Divorce p. 85 The answers from Oxford and Cambridge p. 86. D. Crook Imployed in Venice p. 87 Many in Italy wrote for the Divorce p. 88 It was opposed by the Pope and the Emperor p. 89 No Money given by the Kings Agents ibid. Great Rewards given by the Emperor p. 90 It is determined for the King at Bononia Padua Ferrara and Orleance p. 91 At Paris Bourges and Tholose p. 92 The Opinions of some Reformers ibid. And of the Lutherans p. 94 The King will not appear at Rome ibid. Cranmer offers to defend the Divorce p. 95 The Clergy Nobility and Gentry write to the Pope for the Divorce ibid. The Popes answer to them p. 96 A Proclamation against Bulls ibid. Books written for the Divorce p. 97 Reasons out of the Old and New Testament ibid. The Authorities of Popes and Councils p. 98 And the Greek and Latine Fathers p. 99 And Canonists p. 100 Marriage is Compleat by Consent ibid. Violent Presumptions of the Consummation of the former Marriage ibid. The Popes Dispensation of no force p. 101. Bishops are not to obey his Decrees p. 102 The Authority of Tradition ibid. The Reasons against the Divorce p. 103 Answers made to these p. 104 The Queen is intractable p. 105 Anno 1531. A Session of Parliament ibid. The Clergy found in a Premunire p. 106 The Prerogatives of the Kings of England in Ecclesiastical affairs ibid. The Encroachments of Popes ibid. Statutes made against them p. 107 The Popes endeavoured to have those repealed p. 109 But with no effect p. 111 The Clergy excused themselves p. 112 Yet they submit and acknowledg the King Supream Head of the Church ibid. The King Pardons them p. 113 And with some difficulty the Laity ibid. One Attainted for Poysoning ibid. The King leaves the Queen p. 114 A disorder among the Clergy ibid. The Pope turns to the French p. 115 And offers his Niece to the Duke of Orleance ibid. The Turk invades the Empire p. 116 Anno 1532. THe Parliament complains of the Spiritual Courts ibid. They reject a Bill concerning Wards p. 117 An Act against Annates ibid. The Pope writes to the King p. 118 The Kings answer ibid. Sir Edward Car sent to Rome p. 119 His Negotiation there p. 120 He corrupts the Cardinal of Ravenna ibid. The Process against the King at Rome p. 121 A Bull for new Bishopricks ibid. The Pope desires
pleasure Item If the said Commissioners have but one County in charge then to certifie the said Chancellor in form aforesaid and there to remain till they know further of the King's pleasure VII Injunctions given by the Authority of the King's Highness to the Clergy of this Realm IN the Name of God Amen In the Year of our Lord God one thousand five hundred thirty six and of the most noble Reign of our Sovereign Lord Henry the Eighth King of England and France the 28 Year and the day of I Thomas Cromwel Knight Lord Cromwel Keeper of the Privy-Seal of our said Sovereign Lord the King and Vicegerent unto the same for and concerning all his Jurisdictions Ecclesiastical within the Realm visiting by the King's Highness's Supream Authority Ecclesiastical the People and Clergy of this Deanery of by my trusty Commissary lawfully deputed and constitute for this part have to the glory of Almighty God to the King's Highness's honour the publick Weal of this his Realm and encrease of Vertue in the same appointed and assigned these Injunctions ensuing to be kept and observed of the Dean Parsons Vicars Curates and Stipendaries resiant or having cure of Soul or any other Spiritual Administrations within this Deanery under the pains hereafter limited and appointed The first is That the Dean Parsons Vicars and other having cure of Soul any-where within this Deanery shall faithfully keep and observe and as far as in them may lie shall cause to be observed and kept of other all and singular Laws and Statutes of this Realm made for the abolishing and extirpation of the Bishop of Rome's pretensed and usurped Power and Jurisdiction within this Realm And for the establishment and confirmation of the King's Authority and Jurisdiction of the same as of the Supream Head of the Church of England and shall to the uttermost of their Wit Knowledg and Learning purely sincerely and without any colour or dissimulation declare manifest and open for the space of one quarter of a year next ensuing once every Sunday and after that at the least-wise twice every quarter in their Sermons and other Collations that the Bishop of Rome's usurped Power and Jurisdiction having no establishment nor ground by the Law of God was of most just causes taken away and abolished and therefore they owe unto him no manner of obedience or subjection and that the King's Power is within his Dominion the highest Power and Potentate under God to whom all Men within the same Dominions by God's Commandment owe most loyalty and obedience afore and above all other Powers and Potentates in Earth Item Whereas certain Articles were lately devised and put forth by the King's Highness's Authority and condescended upon by the Prelates and Clergy of this his Realm in Convocation whereof part are necessary to be holden and believed for our Salvation and the other part do concern and teach certain laudable Ceremonies Rites and Usages of the Church meet and convenient to be kept and used for a decent and politick order in the same the said Dean Parsons Vicars and other Curats shall so open and declare in their said Sermons and other Collations the said Articles unto them that be under their Cure that they may plainly know and discern which of them be necessary to be believed and observed for their Salvation and which be not necessary but only do concern the decent and politick order of the said Church according to such Commandment and Admonition as hath been given unto them heretofore by Authority of the King's Highness in thaâ— behalf Moreover That they shall declare unto all such as be under their Cure the Articles likewise devised put forth and authorized of late for and concerning the abrogation of certain superfluous Holy-days according to the effect and purport of the same Articles and perswade their Parishioners to keep and observe the same inviolable as things honesty provided decreed and established by common consent and publick Authority for the Weal Commodity and Profit of all this Realm Besides this to the intent that all Superstition and Hypocrisie crept into divers Mens hearts may vanish away they shall not set forth or extol any Images Reliques or Miracles for any superstition or lucre nor allure the People by any inticements to the pilgrimages of any Saint otherwise than is permitted in the Articles lately put forth by the Authority of the King's Majesty and condescended upon by the Prelates and Clergy of this his Realm in Convocation as though it were proper or peculiar to that Saint to give this Commodity or that seeing all Goodness Health and Grace ought to be both asked and looked for only of God as of the very Author of the same and of none other for without him it cannot be given But they shall exhort as well their Parishioners as other Pilgrims that they do rather apply themselves to the keeping of God's Commandments and fulfilling of his Works of Charity perswading them that they shall please God more by the true exercising of their bodily Labour Travail or Occupation and providing for their Families than if they went about to the said Pilgrimages and that it shall profit more their Souls health if they do bestow that on the Poor and Needy which they would have bestowed upon the said Images or Reliques Also in the same their Sermons and other Collations the Parsons Vicars and other Curats aforesaid shall diligently admonish the Fathers and Mothers Masters and Governors of Youth being within their Cure to teach or cause to be taught their Children and Servants even from their Infancy their Pater Noster the Articles of our Faith and the Ten Commandments in their Mother Tongue And the same so taught shall cause the said Youth oft to repeat and understand And to the intent that this may be the more easily done the said Curats shall in their Sermons deliberately and plainly recite of the said Pater Noster the Articles of our Faith and the Ten Commandments one Clause or Article one day and an other another day till those be taught and learnt by little and shall deliver the same in writing or shew where printed Books containing the same be to be sold to them that can read or will desire the same And thereto that the said Fathers and Mothers Masters and Governors do bestow their Children and Servants even from their Childhood either to Learning or some other honest Exercise Occupation or Husbandry exhorting counselling and by all the ways and means they may as well in their said Sermons and Collations as otherwise perswading the said Fathers Mothers Masters and other Governors being under their Cure and Charge diligently to provide and foresee that the said Youth be in no manner-wise kept or brought up in idleness lest at any time afterwards they be driven for lack of some Mystery or Occupation to live by to fall to begging stealing or some other unthriftiness forasmuch as we may daily see through sloth and
likewise and also there insert every Person 's Name that shall be so wedded christened and buried and for the safe keeping of the same Book the Parish shall be bound to provide of their common charges one sure Coffer with two Locks and Keys whereof the one to remain with you and the other with the Wardens of every such Parish wherein the said Book shall be laid up which Book ye shall every Sunday take forth and in the presence of the said Wardens or one of them write and record in the same all the Weddings Christenings and Buryings made the whole week afore and that done to lay up the Book in the said Coffer as afore And for every time that the same shall be omitted the Party that shall be in the fault thereof shall forfeit to the said Church 3 s. 4 d. to be employed on the reparation of the said Church Item That ye shall every quarter of a year read these and the other former Injunctions given unto you by the Authority of the King's Highness openly and deliberately before all your Parishioners to the intent that both you may be the better admonished of your duty and your said Parishioners the more incited to ensue the same for their part Item Forasmuch as by a Law established every Man is bound to pay the Tithes no Man shall by colour of duty omitted by their Curats detain their Tithes and so redouble one wrong with another or be his own Judg but shall truly pay the same as hath been accustomed to their Parsons and Curats without any restraint or diminution and such lack or default as they can justly find in their Parsons and Curats to call for reformation thereof at their Ordinaries and other Superiors hands who upon complaint and due proof thereof shall reform the same accordingly Item That no Person shall from henceforth alter or change the order and manner of any Fasting-day that is commanded and indicted by the Church nor of any Prayer or of Divine Service otherwise than is specified in the said Injunctions until such time as the same shall be so ordered and transported by the Kings Highness's Authority The Eves of such Saints whose Holy-days be abrogâ—ted be only excepted which shall be declared henceforth to be no Fasting-days excepted also the commemoration of Thomas Becket some-time Arch-Bishop of Canterbury which shall be clean omitted and in the stead thereof the Ferial Service used Item That the knolling of the Avies after Service and certain other times which hath been brought in and begun by the pretence of the Bishop of Rome's pardon henceforth be left and omitted lest the People do hereafter trust to have pardon for the saying of their Avies between the said knolling as they have done in times past Item Where in times past Men have used in divers places in their Processions to sing Ora pro nobis to so many Saints that they had no time to sing the good Suffrages following as Parce nobis Domine and Libera nos Domine it must be taught and preached that better it were to omit Ora pro nobis and to sing the other Suffrages All which and singular Injunctions I minister unto you and your Successors by the King's Highness Authority to me committed in this part which I charge and command you by the same Authority to observe and keep upon pain of Deprivation Sequestration of your Fruits or such other coercion as to the King's Highness or his Vice-gerent for the time being shall seem convenient These are also in the Bp. of London's Register Fol. 29 30. with Bonner's Mandate to his Arch-Deacons for observing them 30 Sept. 1541. Anno Regn. 32. XII Injunctions given by Thomas Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to the Parsons Vicars and other Curats in his Visitation kept sede vacante within the Diocess of Hereford Anno Domini 1538. I. FIrst That ye and every one of you shall with all your diligence and faithful obedience observe and cause to be observed all and singular the King's Highness Injunctions by his Graces Commissaries given in such places as they in times past have visited II. Item That ye and every one of you shall have by the first day of August next coming as well a whole Bible in Latin and English or at the least a New Testament of both the same Language as the Copies of the King's Highness Injunctions III. Item That ye shall every day study one Chapter of the said Bible or New Testament conferring the Latin and English together and to begin at the first part of the Book and so to continue until the end of the same IV. Item That ye or none of you shall discourage any Lay-Man from the reading of the Bible in English or Latin but encourage them to that admonishing them that they so read it for reformation of their own Life and knowledg of their Duty and that they be not bold or presumptuous in judging of Matters afore they have perfect knowledg V. Item That ye both in your Preaching and secret Confession and all other works and doings shall excite and move your Parishioners unto such Works as are commanded expresly of God for the which God shall demand of them a strict reckoning and all other Works which Men do of their own Will or Devotion to teach your Parishioners that they are not to be so highly esteemed as the other and that for the not doing of them God will not ask any accompt VI. Item That ye nor none of you suffer no Friar or Religious Man to have any Cure or Service within your Churches or Cures except they be lawfully dispensed withal or licensed by the Ordinary VII Item That ye and every one of you do not admit any young Man or Woman to receive the Sacrament of the Altar which never received it before until that he or she openly in the Church after Mass or evening Song upon the Holy-day do recite in the vulgar Tongue the Pater Noster the Creed and the Ten Commandments VIII Item That ye and every one of you shall two times in a quarter declare to your Parishioners the Band of Matrimony and what great danger it is to all Men that useth their Bodies but with such Persons as they lawfully may by the Law of God And to exhort in the said Times your Parishioners that they make no privy Contracts as they will avoid the extream pain of the Laws used within the King's Realm by his Graces Authority XIII A Letter of Cromwell's to the Bishop of Landaff directing him how to proceed in the Reformation An Original AFter my right hearty Commendations to your Lordship ye shall herewith receive the King's Highness Letters addressed unto you to put you in remembrance of his Highness travels and your duty touching order to be taken for Preaching to the intent the People may be taught the Truth and yet not charged at the beginning with over-many Novelties the publication whereof unless the same be tempered and
every of them other than the said Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex and his Heirs and all and every other Person and Persons claiming by the same Thomas Cromwell and to his use all such Right Title Entrie Possession Interest Reversions Remainders Lease Leases Conditions Fees Offices Rents Annuities Commons and all other Commodities Profits and Hereditaments whatsoever they or any of them might should or ought to have had if this Act had never been had nor made Provided always and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid that this Act of Attainder ne any Offence ne other thing therein contained extend not unto the Deanery of Wells in the County of Sommerset nor to any Mannors Lands Tenements or Hereditaments thereunto belonging nor be in any wise prejudicial or hurtful unto the Bishop of Bath and Wells nor to the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew of Wells nor to any of them nor to any of their Successors but that the said Bishop Dean and Chapters and their Successors and every of them shall and may have hold use occupy and enjoy all and singular their Titles Rights Mannors Lands Tenements Rents Reversions and Services and all and singular other their Hereditaments Commodities and Profits of what nature kind or quality or condition soever they be in as ample and large manner and form as tho this Act of Attainder or any Offence therein mentioned had never been had committed nor made and that from hence-forth the Dean and his Successors Deans of the said Cathedral Church that hereafter shall be prefected elected and admitted to the same Shall by the Authority aforesaid be Dean of the said Cathedral Church fully and wholly incorporated with the Chapter of the same in as ample large and like manner and form to all intents and purposes as the Deans before this time hath been and used to be with the said Chapter of the said Cathedral Church of Wells And that the same Dean and Chapter and their Successors shall have occupy and enjoy all and singular their such Possessions Mannors Lands Tenements Rents Reversions and Services and all and singular their Hereditaments of what nature kind name or names they be called or known And shall be adjudged and deemed in actual and real possession and season of and in the same Premisses to all intents and purposes according to their old Corporation as tho this Act of Attainder or any thing clause or matter therein contained had never been had committed nor made This said Act of Attainder or any other Act Provision or any thing heretofore had or made to the contrary notwithstanding Cui quidem petitioni cum provisione praedict perlect intellect per dictum Dominum Regem ex Authoritate consensu Parliamenti praedicti sic Responsum est Soit faict come il est desiro Cromwell's Letter to the King concerning his Marriage with Ann of Cleve An Original To the King my most Gracious Sovereign Lord his Royal Majesty MOst Merciful King and most Gracious Sovereign Lord may it please the same to be advertised That the last time it pleased your benign Goodness to send unto me the Right Honourable Lord Chancellor the Right Honourable Duke of Norff. and the Lord Admiral to examine and also to declare unto me divers things from your Majesty among the which one special thing they moved and thereupon they charged me as I would answer before God at the dreadful day of Judgment and also upon the extreme danger and damnation of my Soul and Conscience to say what I knew in the Marriage and concerning the Marriage between your Highness and the Queen To the which I answered as I knew declaring unto them the Particulars as nigh as I then could call to remembrance Which when they had heard they in your Majesty's Name and upon like charge as they had given me before commanded me to write to your Highness the truth as much as I knew in that Matter which now I do and the very truth as God shall save me to the uttermost of my knowledg First After your Majesty heard of the Lady Ann of Cleves arrival at Dover and that her Journies were appointed toward Greenwich and that she should be at Rochester on New-years Even at night your Highness declared to me that you would privily visit her at Rochester upon New-years-day adding these words To nourish love which accordingly your Grace did upon New-years-day as is above-said And the next day being Friday your Grace returned to Greenwich where I spake with your Grace and demanded of your Majesty How ye liked the Lady Ann your Highness answered as me thought heavily and not pleasantly Nothing so well as she was spoken of saying further That if your Highness had known as much before as ye then knew she should not have come within this Realm saying as by the way of lamentation What Remedy Unto the which I answered and said I know none but was very sorry therefore and so God knoweth I was for I thought it a hard beginning The next day after the receipt of the said Lady and her entry made unto Greenwich and after your Highness had brought her to her Chamber I then waited upon your Highness into your Privy-Chamber and being there your Grace called me unto you saying to me these words or the like My Lord is it not as I told you say what they will she is nothing so fair as she hath been reported howbeit she is well and seemly Whereunto I answered and said By my Faith Sir ye say truth adding thereunto that I thought she had a Queenly manner and nevertheless was sorry that your Grace was no better content And thereupon your Grace commanded me to call together your Council which were these by name The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk my Lord Admiral and my Lord of Duresme and my self to commune of these Matters and to know what Commissions the Agents of Cleves had brought as well touching the performance of the Covenants sent before from hence to Dr. Wotton to have been concluded in Cleves as also in the declaration how the Matters stood for the Covenants of Marriage between the Duke of Lorrain's Son and the said Lady Ann. Whereupon Olisleger and Hogeston were called and the Matters purposed whereby it plainly appeared that they were much astonished and abashed and desired that they might make answer in the next morning which was Sunday And upon the Sunday in the morning your said Counsellors and they met together early and there eft-soons was proposed unto them as well touching the Commission for the performance of the Treaty and Articles sent to Mr. Wotton as also touching the Contracts and Covenants of Marriage between the Duke of Lorrain's Son and the Lady Ann and what terms they stood in To which things so proposed they answered as Men much perplexed That as touching Commission they had none to treat concerning the Articles sent to
Ministers in his Church as he had received authority of the Father to make them Bishops but if any Christian Prince had then been the Apostles had been and ought to have been obedient Subjects and would nothing have attempted but under the permission and assent of their Earthly Governors yet was it meet that they which were special and most Elect Servants of our Saviour Christ and were sent by him to convert the World and having most abundantly the Holy Ghost in them should have special ordering of such Ministry as pertained to the planting and encreasing of the Faith whereunto I doubt not but a Christian Prince of his godly mind would most lovingly have condescended And it is to be considered that in this Question with other like this word making of a Bishop or Priest may be taken two ways for understanding the Word to ordain or consecrate so it is a thing which pertaineth to the Apostles and their Successors only but if by this word Making be understood the appointing or naming to the Office so it pertaineth specially to the Supream Heads and Governours of the Church which be Princes The Apostles made Bishops and Priests by authority given them of God and not for lack of any higher Power Notwithstanding where there is a Christned King or Prince the Election Deputation and Assignation of them that shall be Priests or Bishops belongeth to the King or Prince so that he may forbid any Bishop within his Kingdom that he give no orders for Considerations moving him and may assign him a time when he shall give Orders and to whom Example of King David 1 Chron. 24. dividing the Levites into 24 Orders deputing over every Order one chief Bishop prescribing an Ordinal and Rule how they should do their Duties their Courses and what Sacrifices Rites and Ceremonies they should use every day as the day and time required And his Son King Solomon diligently executed and commanded the same usages to be observed in the Temple after he had erected and finished it 2 Chron. 8. The Apostles made Bishops and Priests by authority given them of God I say That the Apostles had authority of God to make Bishops yet if there had been a Christian King in any place where they made Bishops they would and ought to have desired authority also of him for the executing of such their godly Acts which no Christian King would have denied To the ninth I say That the Apostles as I suppose made Bishops by authority given unto them of Christ Howbeit I think they would and should required the Christian Princes consent and license thereto if there had been any Christian Kings or Princes The Apostles made Bishops and Priests by authority given them of God Notwithstanding if there had been a Christian King at that time it had been their Duties to have had his License and Permission to do the same Omnes Conveniunt Apostolos Divinitus accepisse Potestatem creandi Episcopos Eboracens addit non opus fuisse alia authoritate Apostolis quam divina Sic Thirleby Edgworth Redmanus distinguit de Institutione Presbyteri Ordinationem Consecrationem tribuit tantum Apostolicis eorum Successoribus nominationem electionem Magistratibus Sic Londinens Leightonus Redman Tresham Curren aiunt petendam fuisse Potestatem a Magistratu Christiano si tum fuisset Robertsonus non respondet Quaestioni concedit enim datam esse Apostolis Potestatem creandi Episcopos ubi Magistratus permittit Oglethorpus putat eos impetrasse potestatem a principibus Carliolens Roffens Dayus non respondent ultimae Parti In the ninth touching the Authority of the Apostles in making Priests the Bishop of York the Elect of Westminster Dr. Edgeworth say That the Apostles made Priests by their own Power given them by God and that they had no need of any other Power The Bishop of St. David saith That because they lacked a Christian Prince by that necessity they Ordained other Bishops Dr. Leighton Curren Tresham and Redmayn suppose That they ought to have asked license of their Christian Governours if then there had been any 10. Question Whether Bishops or Priests were first and if the Priests were first then the Priest made the Bishop Answers THe Bishops and Priests were at one time and were no two things but both one Office in the beginning of Christ's Religion To the tenth We think that the Apostles were Priests before they were Bishops and that the Divine Power which made them Priests made them also Bishops and altho their Ordination was not by all such Course as the Church now useth yet that they had both Visible and Invisible Sanctification we may gather of the Gospel where it is written Sicut misit me Pater vivens ego mitto vos cum haec dixit insufflavit in eos dixit accipite Spiritum Sanctum Quorum remiseritis c. And we may well think that then they were made Bishops when they had not only a Flock but also Shepherds appointed to them to over-look and a Governance committed to them by the Holy Ghost to over-see both for the name of a Bishop is not properly a name of Order but a name of Office signifying an Overseer And altho the inferior Shepherds have also Cure to over-see their Flock yet forsomuch as the Bishops Charge is also to oversee the Shepherds the name of Overseer is given to the Bishops and not to the other and as they be in degree higher so in their Consecration we find difference even from the Primitive Church To the tenth I think the Bishops were first and yet I think it is not of importance whether the Priest then made the Bishop or else the Bishop the Priest considering after the Sentence of St. Ierome that in the beginning of the Church there was none or if it were very small difference between a Bishop and a Priest especially touching the signification I find in Scripture That Christ being both a Priest and a Bishop ordained his Apostles who were both Priests and Bishops and the same Apostles did afterwards ordain Bishops and commanded them to ordain others Christ made his Apostles Exorcists as it appeareth in the 10. Mat. Deacons Priests and Bishops as partly there and after in the 20 of St. Iohn Quorum Remiseritis c. and where he said Hoc facite in meam Commemorationem In the Acts Caeterorum nemo audebat se conjungere illis So that they were all these together and so being according to the Ordinance of Christ who had made after them 72 other Priests as it appeareth in the 10 of St. Luke They made and ordained also others the seven principal Deacons as it is shewed in the 6 of the Acts where it is said That they praying laid their hands upon them In the 13 of the Acts certain there named at the commandment of the Holy Ghost severed Saul and Barnabas to that
God had taken them Fasting Praying and laying their hands upon them the which Saul Ananias the Disciple had baptized laying his hand upon him that he might be replenished with the Holy Ghost And Paul so made ordained Timothy and Tite willing them to do likewise as he had done and appointed to be done from City to City Iames was ordained the Bishop of Ierusalem by Peter Iohn and Iames. So that Example otherwise we read not Incertus sum utri fuere priores at si Apostoli in prima profectione Ordinaâ—i erant apparet Episcopos fuisse priores nempe Apostolos nam postea designavit Christus alios septuaginta duos Nec opinor absurdum esse ut Sacerdos Episcopum Consecret si Episcopus haberi non potest Although by Scripture as St. Hierome saith Priests and Bishops be one and therefore the one not before the other Yet Bishops as they be now were after Priests and therefore made of Priests The Apostles were both Bishops and Priests and they made Bishops and Bishops as Titus and Timotheus made Priests Episcopatum ejus accipiat alter Act. 1. Presbyteros qui in vobis sunt obsecro ego Compresbyter 1 Pet. 5. And in the beginning of the Church as well that word Episcopus as Presbyter was common and attributed both to Bishops and Priests Utrique primi a Deo facti Apostoli Episcopi Septuaginta discipuli ut conjectura ducor Sacerdotes Unde verisimile est Episcopos praecessisse Apostoli enim prius vocati erant They be of like beginning and at the beginning were both one as St. Hierome and other old Authors shew by the Scripture wherefore one made another indifferently Christ our chief Priest and Bishop made his Apostles Priests and Bishops all at once and they did likewise make others some Priests and some Bishops and that the Priests in the Primitive Church made Bishops I think no inconvenience as Ierome saith in an Epist. ad Euagrium Even like as Souldiers should choose one among themselves to be their Captain So did Priests choose one of themselves to be their Bishop for consideration of his learning gravity and good living c. and also for to avoid Schisms among themselves by them that some might not draw the People one way and others another way if they lacked one Head among them Christ was and is the great High Bishop and made all his Apostles Bishops and they made Bishops and Priests after him and so hath it ever-more continued hitherto I say Christ made the Apostles first Priests and then Bishops and they by this Authority made both Priests and Bishops but where there had been a Christian Prince they would have desired his Authority to the same To the Tenth The Apostles were made of Christ Bishops and Priests both at the first and after them Septuaginta duo Discipuli were made Priests Menevens Therleby Redmanus Coxus asserunt in initio eosdem fuisse Episcopos Presbyteros Londinens Carliolens Symons putant Apostolos fuisse institutos Episcopos a Christo eos postea instituisse alios Episcopos Presbyteros 72 Presbyteros postea fuisse Ordinatos Sic Oglethorpus Eboracens Tresham aiunt Apostolos primo fuisse Presbyteros deinde Episcopos cum aliorum Presbyterorum credita esset illis cura Robertsonus incertus est utri fuere priores non absurdum tamen esse opinatur ut Sacerdos consecret Episcopum si Episcopus haberi non potest Sic Londinens Edgworth Dayus putant etiam Episcopos ut vulgo de Episcopis loquimur fuisse ante Presbyteros Leightonus nihil Respondet In the tenth Where it is asked Whether Bishops or Priests were first The Bishop of St. David my Lord Elect of Westminster Dr. Cox Dr. Redmayn say That at the beginning they were all one The Bishops of York London Rochester Carlisle Drs. Day Tresham Symmons Oglethorp be in other contrary Opinions The Bishop of York and Doctor Tresham think That the Apostles first were Priests and after were made Bishops when the overseeing of other Priests was committed to them My Lords of Duresme London Carlisle Rochester Dr. Symmons and Crayford think That the Apostles first were Bishops and they after made other Bishops and Priests Dr. Coren and Oglethorp say That the Apostles were made Bishops and the 72 were after made Priests Dr. Day thinks That Bishops as they be now-a-days called were before Priests My Lord of London Drs. Edgworth and Robertson think it no inconvenience if a Priest made a Bishop in that time 11. Question Whether a Bishop hath Authority to make a Priest by the Scripture or no And whether any other but only a Bishop may make a Priest Answers A Bishop may make a Priest by the Scripture and so may Princes and Governours also and that by the authority of God committed to them and the People also by their Election for as we read that Bishops have done it so Christian Emperors and Princes usually have done it and the People before Christian Princes were commonly did Elect their Bishops and Priests To the eleventh That a Bishop may make a Priest may be deduced of Scripture for so much as they have all Authority necessary for the ordering of Christ's Church derived from the Apostles who made Bishops and Priests and not without Authority as we have said before to the ninth Question and that any other than Bishops or Priests may make a Priest we neither find in Scripture nor out of Scripture To the eleventh I think That a Bishop duly appointed hath authority by Scripture to make a Bishop and also a Priest because Christ being a Bishop did so make himself and because alive his Apostles did the like The Scripture sheweth by example that a Bishop hath authority to make a Priest albeit no Bishop being subject to a Christian Prince may either give Orders or Excommunicate or use any manner of Jurisdiction or any part of his Authority without Commission from the King who is Supream Head of that Church whereof he is a Member but that any other Man may do it besides a Bishop I find no example either in Scripture or in Doctors By what is said before it appeareth that a Bishop by Scripture may make Deacons and Priests and that we have none example otherwise Opinor Episcopum habere Authoritatem creandi Sacerdotem modo id Magistratus publici permissu fiat An vero ab alio quam Episcopo id rite fieri possit haud scio quamvis ab alio factum non memini me legisse Ordin conferr gratiam vid. Eck. homil 60. Bishops have authority as is afore-said of the Apostles in the tenth Question to make Priests except in cases of great necessity Bishops have authority by Scripture to ordain Bishops and Priests Joh. 20. Hujus rei gratia reliqui te Cretae ut constituas oppidatim Presbyteros
Tit. 1. Act. 14. Autoritas ordinandi Presbyteros data est Episcopis per verbum multisque aliis quos lego To the first part I answer Yea for so it appeareth Tit. 1. and 1 Tim. 5. with other places of Scripture But whether any other but only a Bishop may make a Priest I have not read but by singular priviledg of God as when Moses whom divers Authors say was not a Priest made Aaron a Priest Truth it is that the Office of a Godly Prince is to over-see the Church and the Ministers thereof and to cause them do their duty and also to appoint them special Charges and Offices in the Church as may be most for the Glory of God and edifying of the People and thus we read of the good Kings in the Old Testament David Ioas Ezekias Iosias But as for Making that is to say Ordaining and Consecrating of Priests I think it specially belongeth to the Office of a Bishop as far as can be shewed by Scripture or any Example as I suppose from the beginning A Bishop hath authority by Scripture to make a Priest and that any other ever made a Priest since Christ's time I read not Albeit Moses who was not anointed Priest made Aaron Priest and Bishop by a special Commission or Revelation from God without which he would never so have done A Bishop placed by the Higher Powers and admitted to minister may make a Priest and I have not read of any other that ever made Priests I say a Bishop hath authority by Scripture to make a Priest and other than a Bishop hath not power therein but only in case of necessity To the eleventh I suppose that a Bishop hath authority of God as his Minister by Scripture to make a Priest but he ought not to admit any Man to be Priest and consecrate him or to appoint him unto any ministry in the Church without the Princes license and consent in a Christian Region And that any other Man hath authority to make a Priest by Scripture I have not read nor any example thereof A Bishop being licensed by his Prince and Supream Governour hath authority to make a Priest by the Law of God I do not read that any Priest hath been ordered by any other than a Bishop Ad primam partem Quaestionis respondent omnes convenit omnibus praeter Menevens Episcopum habere autoritatem instituendi Presbyteros Roffens Leighton Curren Robersonus addunt Modo Magistratus id permittat Ad secundam partem Respondent Coxus Tresham in necessitate concedi potestatem Ordinandi aliis Eboracen videtur omnino denegare aliis hanc autoritatem Redmayn Symmons Robertson Leighton Thirleby Curren Roffen Edgworth Oglethorp Carliolen nusquam legerunt alios usos fuisse hac Potestate quanquam privilegio quodam data sit Moysi ut Redmanus arbitratur Edgeworth Nihil respondent ad secundam partem Quaestionis Londinensis Dayus In the eleventh To the former part of the Question the Bishop of St. Davids doth answer That Bishops have no authority to make Priests without they be authorized of the Christian Prince The others all of them do say That they be authorized of God Yet some of them as the Bishop of Rochester Dr. Curren Leighton Robertson add That they cannot use this authority without their Christian Prince doth permit them To the second part the answer of the Bishop of St. Davids is That Laymen have other-whiles made Priests So doth Dr. Edgworth and Redman say That Moses by a priviledg given him of God made Aaron his Brother Priest Dr. Tresham Crayford and Cox say That Laymen may make Priests in time of Necessity The Bishops of York Duresme Rochester Carlisle Elect of Westminster Dr. Curren Leighton Symmons seem to deny this thing for they say They find not nor read not any such example 12. Question Whether in the New Testament be required any Consecration of a Bishop and Priest or only appointing to the Office be sufficient Answers IN the New Testament he that is appointed to be a Bishop or a Priest needeth no Consecration by the Scripture for election or appointing thereto is sufficient To the twelfth Question The Apostles ordained Priests by Imposition of the Hand with Fasting and Prayer and so following their steps we must needs think that all the foresaid things be necessarily to be used by their Successors and therefore we do also think that Appointment only without visible Consecration and Invocation for the assistance and power of the Holy Ghost is neither convenient nor sufficient for without the said Invocation it besâ—emeth no Man to appoint to our Lord Ministers as of his own authority whereof we have example in the Acts of the Apostles where we find that when they were gathered to choose one in the place of Iudas they appointed two of the Disciples and commended the Election to our Lord that he would choose which of them it pleased him saying and praying Lord thou that knowest the hearts of all Men shew whether of these two thou dost choose to succeed in the place of Judas And to this purpose in the Acts we read Dixit Spiritus Sanctus segregate mihi Barnabam c. And again Quos posuit Spiritus Sanctus regere Ecclesiam Dei And it appeareth also that in the Old Testament in the ordering of Priests there was both Visible and Invisible Sanctification and therefore in the New Testament where the Priesthood is above comparison higher than in the Old we may not think that only appointment sufficeth without Sanctification either Visible or Invisible To the twelfth I think Consecration of a Bishop and Priest be required for that in the Old Law being yet but a shadow and figure of the New the Consecration was required as appears Levit. 8. yet the truth of this I leave to those of higher Judgments The Scripture speaketh de Impositione manus de Oratione and of other manner of Consecrations I find no mention in the New Testament expresly but the Old Authors make mention also of Inunctions Upon this Text of Paul to Timothy Noli negligere gratiam quae in te est quae data est tibi per prophetiam cum Impositione manuum Presbyterii St. Anselm saith This Grace to be the Gift of the Bishops Office to the which God of his meer goodness had called and preferred him The Prophesy he saith was the inspiration of the Holy Ghost by the which he knew what he had to do therein The Imposition of the hands is that by the which he was ordained and received that Office And therefore saith St. Paul God is my Witness that I have discharged my self showing you as I ought to have done Now look you well upon it whom that ye take to Orders lest ye lose your self thereby Let Bishops therefore who as saith St. Hierome hath power to make Priests consider well under
what Law the order of Ecclesiastical Constitution is bounden and let them not think those words of the Apostle to be his but rather the words of Christ himself Opinor requiri Consecrationem quandam hoc est impositionem manuum Orationem jejunium c. tamen nusquam hoc munere fungi posse nisi ubi Magistratus invitet jubeat aut permittat By Scripture there is no Consecration of Bishops and Priests required but only the appointing to the Office of a Priest cum Impositione manuum Consecration of Bishops and Priests I read not in the New Testament but Ordinatio per manuum Impositionem cum Oratione is read there as in the places above and the only appointment as I think is not sufficient Praeter vocationem ceu designationem externam quae vel a Principe fit vel a populo per electionem suffragia requiritur Ordinatio alia per manuum impositionem idque per Verbum Dei Besides the appointing to the Office it appeareth that in the Primitive Church the Apostles used certain Consecration of the Ministers of the Church by imposition of Hands and Prayer Acts 6. and with Fasting Acts 14 c. The Office of Priesthood is too dangerous to set upon when one is but appointed only Therefore for the confirmation of their Faith who take in hand such charge and for the obtaining of farther Grace requisite in the same Consecration was ordained by the Holy Ghost and hath been always used from the beginning Deputation to the Office is not sufficient to make a Priest or a Bishop as appeareth by David and Solomon who deputed the 24 above-mentioned to their Offices yet they made none of them Priests nor any other The appointing to the Office per manuum Impositionem is in Scripture and the Consecration of them hath of long time continued in the Church There is a certain kind of Consecration required which is imposition of the Bishops hands with Prayer and the appointing only is not sufficient To the twelfth I suppose that there is a Consecration required as by Imposition of Hands for so we be taught by the ensample of the Apostles In the New Testament is required to the making of a Bishop Impositio manuum cum Oratione which I take for Consecration and Appointment unto the Office is not sufficient for King David 1 Chron. 24. did appoint 24 to be Bishops who after were consecrated so that both the Appointment and the Consecration be requisite Respondent Eboracens Londinens Carliolens Leighton Tresham Robertâ—onus Edgeworth Curren Dayns Oglethorp Consecrationem esse requisitam Redmanus ait eam receptam esse ab Apostolis atque a Spiritu Sancto institutam ad conferendam gratiam Dayus Roffens Symmons aiunt Sacerdotium conferri per manuum impositionem idque ê Scripturis Consecrationem vero diu receptam in Ecclesia Coxus Institutionem cum manuum impositione sufficere neque per Scripturam requiri Consecrationem Robertsonus addit supra alios nusquam hoc munere fungi posse quempiam nisi ubi Magistratus invitet jubeat aut permittat In the twelfth Question where it is asked Whether in the New Testament be required any Consecration of a Bishop or only appointing to the Office be sufficient The Bishop of St. Davids saith That only the appointing Dr. Cox That only appointing cum manuum Impositione is sufficient without Consecration The Bishops of York London Duresme Carlisle Drs. Day Curren Leighton Tresham Edgworth Oglethorp say That Consecration is requisite Dr. Redmayn saith That Consecration hath been received from the Apostles time and institute of the Holy Ghost to confer Grace My Lord of Rochester Dr. Day and Symmons say That Priesthood is given per manuum impositionem and that by Scripture and that Consecration hath of long time been received in the Church 13. Question Whether if it fortuned a Christian Prince Learned to conquer certain Dominions of Infidels having none but temporal learned Men with him if it be defended by God's Law that he and they should Preach and Teach the Word of God there or no And also make and constitute Priests or no Answers IT is not against God's Law but contrary they ought indeed so to do and there be Histories that witnesseth that some Christian Princes and other Laymen unconsecrate have done the same To the thirteenth To the first part of this Question touching Teaching and Preaching the Word of God in case of such need we think that Laymen not ordered not only may but must preach Christ and his Faith to Infidels as they shall see opportunity to do the same and must endeavour themselves to win the Miscreants to the Kingdom of God if that they can for as the Wise Man saith God hath given charge to every Man of his Neighbour and the Scripture of God chargeth every Man to do all the good that he can to all Men And surely this is the highest Alms to draw Men from the Devil the Usurper and bring them to God the very Owner Wherefore in this case every Man and Woman may be an Evangelist and of this also we have example But touching the second part for case of Necessity As we neither find Scripture nor Example that will bear that any Man being himself no Priest may make that is to say may give the Order of Priesthood to another and authority therewith to minister in the said Order and to use such Powers and Offices as appertaineth to Priesthood grounded in the Gospel So we find in such case of need what hath been done in one of the ancient Writers altho this authority to ordain after form afore-mentioned be not to Laymen expresly prohibited in Scripture yet such a prohibition is implied in that there is no such authority given to them either in Scripture or otherways for so much as no Man may use this or any other authority which cometh from the Holy Ghost unless he hath either Commission grounded in Scripture or else Authority by Tradition and ancient use of Christ's Church universally received over all To the thirteenth and fourteenth following I think that necessity herein might either be a sufficient Rule and Warrant to determine and order such Cases considering that tempore necessitatis mulier baptizat laicus idem facit audit confessionem or else that God would inspire in the Princes heart to provide the best and most handsome Remedy therein And hard were it peradventure to find such great necessity but either in the train of the said Prince or in the Regions adjoining thereunto there might be had some Priests for the said purposes or finally That the Prince himself godlily inspired in that behalf might for so good purposes and intents set forth the Act indeed referring yet this thing to the better judgment of others To the thirteenth and fourteenth following I never read these cases neither in Scripture nor in
the Doctors and therefore I cannot answer unto them by Learning but think this to be a good Answer for all such Questions viz. Necessitas non habet Legem It is to be thought that Christ may call as it pleaseth him inwardly outwardly or by both together So that if no Priest might be had it cannot be thought but that a Christian Prince with others learned inwardly moved and called might most charitably and godlily prosecute that same their Calling in the most acceptable Work which is to bring People from the Devil to God from Infidelity to true Faith by whatsoever means God shall inspire In hoc casu existimarem accersendos verbi Sacramentorum Ministros si qui forent vicini quin si nulli invenirentur Principem illum Christianum haberemus pro Apostolo tanquam missum a Deo licet externo Sacramento non esset commendatus quum Deus Sacramentis suis non sit alligatus To the thirteenth and fourteenth following It is not against God's Law that the Prince and his learned temporal Men may Preach and Teach and in these cases of extream Necessity make and institute Ministers In this case as I think the Prince and other temporal learned Men with him may by God's Law Teach and Preach the Word of God and Baptize and also the same Necessity standing elect and appoint Men to those Offices In summa necessitate Baptizare praedicare possunt debent haec etenim duo necessaria sunt media ad salutem at ordinare ut conjectura ducor non debent sed aliunde Sacrificos accersire quos si habere nequeant Deus ipse cujus negotium agitur vel oraculo admonebit quid faciendum erit vel necessitas ipsa quae sibiipsi est Lex modum Ordinandi suggeret ac suppeditabit I think they might in such case of Necessity for in this case the Laymen made the whole Church there and the authority of preaching and ministring the Sacraments is given immediately to the Church and the Church may appoint Ministers as is thought convenient There be two Stories good to be considered for this Question which be written in the 10 th Book of the History Ecclesiastick the one of Frumentius who preached in India and was after made Priest and Bishop by Athanasius And the other Story is of the King of the Iberians of whom Rufâ—ine the writer of the Story saith thus Et nondum initiatus Sacris fit suae gentis Apostolus Yet nevertheless it is written there That an Ambassad was sent to Constantine the Emperor that he would send them Priests for the further establishment of the Faith there The Prince and his temporal learned Men might and ought in that necessity to instruct the People in the Faith of Christ and to baptize them ut idem rex sit suae gentis Apostolus and these be sufficient for the Salvation of his Subjects But as concerning other Sacraments he ought to abide and look for a special Commission from Almighty God as Moses had or else to send unto other Regions where Priests or Bishops may be had and else not to meddle Examples in Eccles. Hist. lib. 10. cap. 1. de Frumentio cap. 2. de Ancilla captiva quae convertit gentem Hiberorum cujus captivae monitis ad Imperatorem Constantinum totius gentis legatio mittitur res gesta exponitur Sacerdotes mittere exorantur qui coeptum erga se Dei munus implerent c. I think that in such a necessity a learned Christian Prince and also temporal Men learned be bound to preach and minister either Sacraments so that the same Ministers be orderly assigned by the High Power and the Congregation I say to the first part That such a King and his temporal learned Men not only might but were also bound to preach God's Word in this case And as to the second part I say That if there could no Bishop be had to Institute the Prince might in that of necessity do it To the thirteenth I suppose the Affirmative thereof to be true Quamvis potestas clavium residet praecipue in Ecclesia In such a case I do believe that God would illuminate the Prince so that either he himself should be made a Bishop by internal working of God as Paul was or some of his Subjects or else God would send him Bishops from other parts And as for preaching of the Word of God the Prince might do it himself and other of his learned Subjects altho they were no Priests In prima parte Quaestionis Conveniunt omnes etiam laicos tali rerum statu non solum posse sed debere docere Menevens Thirlebeus Leightonus Coxus Symmons Tresham Redmanus Robertsonus etiam potestatem Ministrandi Sacramenta Ordinandi Ministros concedunt illis Eboracens hanc prorsus potestatem denegat Coren credit Principem Divinitus illuminandum consecrandum fore in Episcopum interne aut aliquem ex suis Pauli exemplo Simile habet Herefordensis Carliolensis Dayus nihil respondet de Ordinandis Presbyteris in hac necessitate In the thirteenth Concerning the first part Whether Laymen may Preach and Teach God's Word They do all agree in such a case That not only they may but they ought to teach But in the second part touching the Constituting of Priests of Laymen my Lord of York and Doctor Edgworth doth not agree with the other they say That Laymen in no wise can make Priests or have such Authority The Bishops of Duresme St. Davids Westminster Drs. Tresham Cox Leighton Crayford Symmons Redmayn Robertson say That Laymen in such case have authority to minister the Sacraments and to make Priests My Lords of London Carlisle and Hereford and Dr. Coren think That God in such a case would give the Prince authority call him inwardly and illuminate him or some of his as he did St. Paul 14. Question Whether it be forefended by God's Law that if it so fortune that all the Bishops and Priests of a Region were dead and that the Word of God should remain there unpreached and the Sacrament of Baptism and others unministred that the King of that Region should make Bishops and Priests to supply the same or no Answers IT is not forbidden by God's Law To the fourteenth In this case as we have said in the next Article afore Teaching of the Word of God may be used by any that can and would use it to the Glory of God and in this case also the Sacrament of Baptism may be ministred by those that be no Priests which things altho we have not of Scripture yet the universal Tradition and practice of the Church doth teach us And peradventure contract of Matrimony might also be made the Solemnization thereof being only ordained by Law positive and not by any ground either of Scripture or of Tradition altho for very urgent causes the said Solemnization is
of ancient Authors to shew that a Bishop or a Priest may Excommunicate open deadly sinners continuing in obstinacy with contempt I have read in Histories also that a Prince hath done the same Opinor Episcopum aut Presbyterum Excommunicare posse tanquam ministrum os Ecclesiae ab eadem mandatum habens Utrum vero id juris nulli nisi Sacerdotibus in mandatis dari possit non satis scio Excommunicandum esse opinor pro hujuscemodi criminibus qualia recenset Paulus 1 Cor. 5. si is qui frater nominatur est fornicator aut avarus aut idolis serviens aut maledicus aut ebriosus aut rapax cum hujusmodi ne cibum sumere c. A Bishop or a Priest as a publick Person appointed to that Office may excommunicate for all publick Crimes And yet it is not against God's Law for others than Bishops or Priests to Excommunicate A Bishop or a Priest may Excommunicate by God's Law for manifest and open Crimes Also others appointed by the Church tho they be no Priests may exercise the power of Excommunication Non solum Episcopus Excommunicare potest sed etiam tota Congregatio idque pro lethalibus criminibus ac publicis ê quibus scandalum Ecclesiae provenire potest Non tamen pro re pecuniaria uti olim solebant They may Excommunicate as appeareth 1 Cor. 5. 1 Tim. 1. and that for open and great Crimes whereby the Church is offended and for such Crimes as the Prince and Governours determine and thinketh expedient Men to be excommunicate for as appeareth in nonnullis Constitutionibus Iustiniani Whether any other may pronounce the Sentence but a Bishop or a Priest I am uncertain A Bishop or a Priest only may excommunicate a notorious and grievous Sinner or obstinate Person from the Communion of Christian People because it pertaineth to the Jurisdiction which is given to Priests Io. 26. Quorum Remiseritis c. et Quorum retinetis c. There is one manner of Excommunication spoken of 1 Cor. 5. which private Persons may use Si is qui frater nominatur inter vos est fornicator aut avarus aut idolis ferviens c. cum hujusmodi ne cibum quidem capiatis Excluding filthy Persons covetous Persons Braulers and Quarrellers out of their Company and neither to eat nor drink with them Whosoever hath a place under the Higher Power and is assigned by the same to execute his Ministry given of God he may Excommunicate for any Crime as it shall be seen to the High Power if the same Crime be publick A Bishop and Priest may Excommunicate by Scripture as touching for what Crimes I say for every open deadly sin and disobedience And as touching Whether only the Priest may Excommunicate I say not he only but such as the Church authorizes so to do To the sixteenth I say that a Bishop or a Priest having License and Authority of the Prince of the Realm may excommunicate every obstinate and inobedient Person for every notable and deadly sin And further I say That not only Bishops and Priests may Excommunicate but any other Man appointed by the Church or such as have authority to appoint Men to that Office may Excommunicate A Bishop or a Priest may Excommunicate an obstinate Person for publick Sins Forsomuch as the Keys be given to the whole Church the whole Congregation may Excommunicate which Excommunication may be pronounced by such a one as the Congregation does appoint altho he be neither Bishop nor Priest Menevens Herefordens Thirleby Dayus Leightonus Coxus Symmons Coren concedunt authoritatem excommunicandi etiam Laicis modo a Magistratu deputentur Eboracens Edgworth prorsus negant datum Laicis sed Apostolis eorum successoribus tantum Roffensis Redmanus Robertsonus ambigunt num detur Laicis Londinens non respondet Quaestioni Oglethorpus Thirliby aiunt Ecclesiae datam esse potestatem Excommunicandi Idem Treshamus In the sixteenth Of Excommunication they do not agree The Bishops of York Duresme and Dr. Edgworth say That Lay-men have not the authority to Excommunicate but that it was given only unto the Apostles and their Successors The Bishops of Hereford St. Davids Westminster Doctors Day Coren Leighton Cox Symmons say That Lay-men may Excommunicate if they be appointed by the High Ruler My Lord Elect of Westminster Dr. Tresham and Dr. Oglethorp say further That the Power of Excommunication was given to the Church and to such as the Church shall institute 17. Question Whether Unction of the Sick with Oil to remit Venial Sins as it is now used be spoken of in the Scripture or in any ancient Authors Answers UNction of the Sick with Oil to remit Venial Sins as it is now used is not spoken of in the Scripture nor in any ancient Authors T. Cantuarien This is mine Opinion and Sentence at this present which I do not temerariously define but do remit the judgment thereof wholly unto your Majesty To the seventeenth Of Unction of the Sick with Oil and that Sins thereby be remitted St. Iames doth teach us but of the Holy Prayers and like Ceremonies used in the time of the Unction we find no special mention in Scripture albeit the said St. Iames maketh also mention of Prayer to be used in the Ministry of the same Edward Ebor. To the seventeenth I think that albeit it appeareth not clearly in Scripture whether the usage in extream Unction now be all one with that which was in the beginning of the Church Yet of the Unction in time of Sickness and the Oil also with Prayers and Ceremonies the same is set forth in the Epistle of St. Iames which place commonly is alledged and so hath been received to prove the Sacrament of extream Unction Ita mihi Edmundo Londinensi Episcopo pro hoc tempore dicendum videtur salvo judicio melius sentientis cui me prompte humiliter subjicio In Unction of them that be Sick with Oil and praying for them for remission of Sins is plainly spoken of in the Epistle of St. Iames but after what form or fashion the said Inunction was then used the Scripture telleth not Written on the back of the Paper The Bishop of Rochester's Book Extream Unction is plainly set out by St. Iames with the which maketh also that is written in the 6 th of St. Mark after the mind of right good ancient Doctors Robert Carliolen De Unctione Infirmorum nihil reperio in Scripturis praeter id quod scribitur Marc. 6. Jacob. 5. Thomas Robertson T. Cantuarien Unction of the Sick with Oil consecrat as it is now used is not spoken of in Scripture Richardus Cox Unction of the Sick with praying for them is found in Scripture George Day Opiniones non Assertiones De Unctione Infirmorum cum oleo adjecta Oratione expressa mentio est in
Regni Regis Henrici Octavi trigesimo secundo XXIV A Proclamation ordained by the King's Majesty with the advice of his Honourable Council for the Bible of the largest and greatest Volume to be had in every Church devised the sixth day of May the 33 year of the King 's most gracious Reign WHereby Injunctions heretofore set forth by the authority of the King 's Royal Majesty Supream Head of the Church of this his Realm of England it was ordained and commanded amongst other things That in all and singular Parish-Churches there should be provided by a certain day now expired at the costs of the Curats and Parishioners Bibles containing the Old and New Testament in the English Tongue to be fixed and set up openly in every of the said Parish Churches the which godly Commandment and Injunction was to the only intent that every of the King's Majesties loving Subjects minding to read therein might by occasion thereof not only consider and perceive the great and ineffable Omnipotent Power Promise Justice Mercy and Goodness of Almighty God but also to learn thereby to observe God's Commandments and to obey their Sovereign Lord and High Powers and to exercise Godly Charity and to use themselves according to their Vocations in a pure and sincere Christian Life without murmur or grudging By the which Injunctions the King 's Royal Majesty intended that his loving Subjects should have and use the commodities of the reading of the said Bibles for the purpose above rehearsed humbly meekly reverently and obediently and not that any of them should read the said Bibles with high and loud Voices in time of the Celebration of the Holy Mass and other Divine Services used in the Church or that any his Lay-Subjects reading the same should presume to take upon them any common Disputation Argument or Exposition of the Mysteries therein contained but that every such Lay-man should humbly meekly and reverently read the same for his own instruction edification and amendment of his Life according to God's Holy Word therein mentioned And notwithstanding the King 's said most godly and gracious Commandment and Injunction in form as is aforesaid his Royal Majesty is informed That divers and many Towns and Parishes within this his Realm have neglected their duties in the accomplishment thereof whereof his Highness marvelleth not a little and minding the execution of his said former most godly and gracious Injunctions doth straitly charge and command That the Curats and Parishioners of every Town and Parish within this his Realm of England not having already Bibles provided within their Parish Churches shall on this side the Feast of All-Saints next coming buy and provide Bibles of the largest and greatest Volume and cause the same to be set and fixed in every of the said Parish Churches there to be used as is afore-said according to the said former Injunctions upon pain that the Curat and Inhabitants of the Parishes and Towns shall loose and forfeit to the King's Majesty for every month that they shall lack and want the said Bibles after the same Feast of All-Saints 40 s. the one half of the same forfeit to be to the King's Majesty and the other half to him or them which shall first find and present the same to the King's Majesties Council And finally the King 's Royal Majesty doth declare and signify to all and singular his loving Subjects that to the intent they may have the said Bibles of the greatest Volumn at equal and reasonable prices his Highness by the advice of his Council hath ordained and taxed That the Sellers thereof shall not take for any of the said Bibles unbound above the price of ten shillings and for every of the said Bibles well and sufficiently bound trimmed and clasped not above twelve shillings upon pain the Seller to lose for every Bible sold contrary to his Highness's Proclamation four shillings the one Moiety thereof to the King's Majesty and the other Moiety to the finder and presenter of the Defaulter as is aforesaid And his Highness straitly chargeth and commandeth That all and singular Ordinaries having Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within this his Church and Realm of England and Dominion of Wales that they and every of them shall put their effectual endeavours that the Curats and Parishioners shall obey and accomplish this his Majesties Proclamation and Commandment as they tender the advancement of the King 's most gracious and godly purpose in that behalf and as they will answer to his Highness for the same God save the KING XXV An Admonition and Advertisement given by the Bishop of London to all Readers of this Bible in the English Tongue TO the intent that a good and wholsome thing godly and vertuously for honest intents and purposes set forth for many be not hindred or maligned at for the abuse default and evil behaviour of a few who for lack of discretion and good advisement commonly without respect of time or other due circumstances proceed rashly and unadvisedly therein and by reason thereof rather hinder than set forward the thing that is good of it self It shall therefore be very expedient that whosoever repaireth hither to read this Book or any such-like in any other place he prepare himself chiefly and principally with all devotion humility and quietness to be edified and made the better thereby adjoining thereto his perfect and most bounden duty of obedience to the King's Majesty our most gracious and dread Soveraign Lord and supream Head especially in accomplishing his Graces most honorable Injunctions and Commandments given and made in that behalf And right expedient yea necessary it shall be also that leaving behind him vain Glory Hypocrisy and all other carnal and corrupt Affections he bring with him discretion honest intent charity reverence and quiet behaviour to and for the edification of his own Soul without the hindrance lett or disturbance of any other his Christian Brother evermore foreseeing that no number of People be specially congregate therefore to make a multitude and that no exposition be made thereupon otherwise than it is declared in the Book it self and that especially regard be had no reading thereof be used allowed and with noise in the time of any Divine Service or Sermon or that in the same be used any Disputation contention or any other misdemeanour or finally that any Man justly may reckon himself to be offended thereby or take occasion to grudg or malign thereat God save the KING XXVI Injunctions given by Bonner Bishop of London to his Clergy INjunctions made by the consent and authority of me Edmond Bonner Bishop of London in the Year of our Lord God 1542 and in the 34 Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord Henry the Eighth by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and supream Head here in Earth next under God of the Church of England and Ireland All which and singular Injunctions by the Authority
necessary to our Salvation as also the other touching the honest ceremonies and good and politick order as is aforesaid which their determination debatement and agreement forasmuch as we think to have proceeded of a good right and true judgment and to be agreeable to the Laws and Ordinances of God and much profitable for the establishment of that charitable concord and unity in our Church of England which we most desire we have caused the same to be published willing requiring and commanding you to accept repute and take them accordingly most heartily desiring and praying Almighty God that it may please him so to illumin your hearts that you and every of you may have no less desire zeal and love to the said unity and concord in reading divulging and following the same than we have had and have causing them to be thus devised set forth and published And for because we would the said Articles and every of them to be taken and understanden of you after such sort order and degree as appertaineth accordingly We have caused by the like assent and agreement of our said Bishops and other Learned men the said Articles to be divided into two sorts that is to say such as are commanded expresly by God and are necessary to our Salvation and such other as although they be not expresly commanded of God nor necessary to our Salvation yet being of a long continuance for a decent order and honest policy prudently instituted are for that same purpose and end to be observed in like manner which ye following after such sort as we have prescribed unto you shall not only attain that most charitable unity and loving concord whereof shall ensue your incomparable commodity profit and lucre as well spiritual as other but also ye conforming your selves and using these our said Articles as is aforesaid shall not a little encourage us to take further travel pains and labours for your commodities in all such other matters as in time to come may happen to occur and as it shall be most to the honour of God and ours the profit tranquillity and quietness of all you our most loving Subjects The Articles of our Faith FIrst as touching the chief and principal Articles of our Faith sith it is thus agreed as hereafter followeth by the whole Clergy of this our Realm we will that all Bishops and Preachers shall instruct and teach our people by us committed to their spiritual Charge that they ought and must most constantly believe and defend all those things to be true which be comprehended in the whole body and Canon of the Bible and also in the three Creeds or Symbols whereof one was made by the Apostles and is the common Creed which every man useth the second was made in the Holy Council of Nice and is said daily in the Mass and the third was made by Athanasius and is comprehended in the Psalm Quicunque vult and that they ought and must take and interpret all the same things according to the selfe-same sentence and interpretation which the words of the selfe-same Creeds or Symboles do purport and the Holy approved Doctors of the Church do intreat and defend the same Item that they ought and must repute hold and take all the same things for the most Holy most sure and most certain and infallible words of God and such as neither ought ne can be altered or convelled by any contrary opinion or Authority Item that they ought and must believe repute and take all the Articles of our Faith contained in the said Creeds to be so necessary to be believed for mans Salvation that whosoever being taught will not believe them as is aforesaid or will obstinately affirm the contrary of them he or they cannot be the very members of Christ and his Spouse the Church but be very Infidels or Hereticks and members of the Devil with whom they shall perpetually be Damned Item that they ought and must most reverently and religiously observe and keep the selfe-same words according to the very same form and manner of speaking as the Articles of our Faith be already conceived and expressed in the said Creeds without altering in any wise or varying from the same Item that they ought and must utterly refuse and condemn all these opinions contrary to the said Articles which were of long time past condemned in the four Holy Councils that is to say in the Council of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcidonense and all other sith that time in any point consonant to the same The Sacrament of Baptism SEcondly as touching the Holy Sacrament of Baptism we will that all Bishops and Preachers shall instruct and teach our people committed by us unto their Spiritual Charge that they ought and must of necessity believe certainly all those things which hath been always by the whole consent of the Church approved received and used in the Sacrament of Baptism that is to say that the Sacrament of Baptism was instituted and ordained in the New Testament by our Saviour Jesus Christ as a thing necessary for the attaining of everlasting life according to the saying of Christ Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua Spiritu Sancto non potest intrare in Regnum coelorum Item that it is offered unto all men as well Infants as such as have the use of Reason that by Baptism they shall have remission of sins and the grace and favour of God according to the saying of St. Iohn Qui crediderit Baptizatus fuerit Salvus erit Item that the promise of Grace and everlasting life which promise is adjoyned unto the Sacrament of Baptism pertaineth not only unto such as have the use of reason but also to Infants innocents and children and they ought therefore and must needs be Baptised and that by the Sacrament of Baptism they do also obtain remission of their sins the grace and favour of God and be made thereby the very sons and children of God insomuch as Infants and Children dying in their Infancy shall undoubtedly be saved thereby or else not Item that Infants must needs be Christened because they be born in Original sin which sin must needs be remitted which cannot be done but by the Sacrament of Baptism whereby they receive the Holy-Ghost which exerciseth his Grace and efficacy in them and cleanseth and purifieth them from sin by his most secret vertue and operation Item that Children or men once Baptized can ne ought ever to be Baptized again Item that they ought to repute and take all the Anabaptists and the Pelagians opinions contrary to the premisses and every other mans opinion agreeable unto the said Anabaptists or the Pelagians opinions in this behalfe for detestable Heresies and utterly to be condemned Item that men or children having the use of reason and willing and desiring to be Baptized shall by the vertue of that holy Sacrament obtain the grace and remission of all their sins if they shall come thereunto
grant that the Article of Priests Marriage may be openly disputed in both Universities under indifferent Judges before it be determined All the Arguments of the contrary party first to be delivered in writing to the defenders twelve days before the disputation to the intent they may the more maturely and deliberately make answer to the same and they that shall enter as defenders into this disputation to do it under this condition that if their Judges decern them to be overcome they be right well contented to suffer death therefore And if their adversaries cannot prove their purpose their desire is no more but that it may please your Highness to leave your most humble Subjects to the liberty that Gods Word permitteth them in that behalf and your said humble Subjects shall pray unto Almighty God for the preservation of your most Royal Estate long to continue to Gods Glory and Honour V. A Declaration made of the Functions and Divine Institution of Bishops and Priests AN ORIGINAL AS touching the Sacrament of Holy Orders we will that all Bishops and Preachers shall instruct and teach our people committed by us unto their spiritual charge First How that Christ and his Apostles did institute and Ordain in the New Testament that beside the Civil Powers and governance of Kings and Princes which is called in Scripture potestas gladij the Power of the Sword there should be also continually in the Church Militant certain other Ministers or Officers which should have Spiritual Power Authority and commission under Christ to Preach and teach the Word of God unto his people and to dispence and administer the Sacraments of God unto them and by the same to confer and give the grace of the Holy Ghost to consecrate the blessed body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar to loose and absoil from sin all persons which be duly penitent and sorry for the same to bind and excommunicate such as be guilty in manifest crimes and sins and will not amend their defaults to order and consecrate others in the same room Order and Office whereunto they be called and admitted themselves and finally to feed Christs people like good Pastors and Rectors as the Apostles calleth them with their wholsome doctrine and by their continual exhortations and monitions to reduce them from sin and iniquity so much as in them lyeth and to bring them unto the perfect knowledg the perfect love and dread of God and unto the perfect charity of their neighbours Item that this Office this Ministration this Power and Authority is no tyrannical Power having no certain Laws or Limits within the which it ought to be contained nor yet none absolute Power but it is a moderate Power subject determined and restrained unto those certain Limits and ends for the which the same was appointed by Gods Ordinance which as was said before is only to administer and distribute unto the members of Christs Mystical body spiritual and everlasting things that is to say the pure and heavenly doctrine of Christs Gospel and the graces conferred in his Sacraments And therefore this said Power and administration is called in some places of Scripture donum Gratia a gift and a grace in some places it is called Claves sive potestas clavium that is to say the keys or the Power of the keys whereby is signified a certain limited Office restrained unto the execution of a special Function or Ministration according to the saying of St. Paul in his first Chap. of his Epistle to the Romans and in the fourth Chap. of his first Epistle to Timothy and also in the fourth Chap. of his Epistle to the Ephes. Where he writes in this Sentence Quum ascendisset Christus in altum captivam duxit captivitatem dedit dona hominibus dedit autem alios qâ—idem Apostolos alios vero Prophetas alios vero Evangelistas alios autem pastores ac doctores ad instaurationem sanctorum in opus administrationis in aedificationem corporis Christi donec perveniamus omnes in unitatâ—m fidei agnitionis filii Dei in virum perfectum in mensuram aetatis plene adultae Christi That is to say when Christ ascended into Heaven he subdued and vanquished very captivity her self and led or made her thrall and captive and distributed and gave divers heavenly gifts and graces unto men here on earth and among all he made some the Apostles some Priests some Evangelists some Pastors and Doctors to the intent they should execute the work and office of their administration to the instauration instruction and edifying of the members of Christs Mystical body And that they should also not cease from the Execution of their said Office until all the said members were not only reduced and brought unto unity of the Faith and the knowledg of the Son of God but also that they were come unto a perfect state and full age therein that is to say until they were so established and confirmed in the same that they could no more afterwards be wavering therein and be led or carryed like children into any contrary doctrine or opinion by the craft or subtile perswasion of the false Pastors and Teachers which go about by craft to bring them into erroneous opinions but that they should constantly follow the true Doctrine of Christs Gospel growing and encreasing continually by charity unto a perfect member of that body whereof Christ is the very head in whom if the whole body that is to say if every part and member be grown and come unto his perfect estate not all in like but only one according to the gift and quality which is deputed unto it and so to be compacted united and corporated together in the said body no doubt buâ— that whole body and every part thereof shall thereby be made â—he more perfect and the more strong by reason of that natural love and charity which one member so united in the body hath unto the other by which words it appeareth evidently not only that St Paul accounted and numbred this said Power and Office of the Pastors and Doctors among the proper and special gifts of the Holy Ghost but also it appeareth that the same was a limited power and Office ordained specially and only for the causes and purposes before rehearsed Item That this Power Office and Administration is necessary to be preserved here in Earth for three special and principal causes First for that it is the Commandment of God it should be so as it appeareth in sundry places of Scripture Secondly for that God hath instituted and ordained none other ordinary mean or instrument whereby he will make us partakers of the reconciliation which is by Christ and confer and give the graces of his holy Spirit unto us and make us the right inheritors of everlasting Life there to Reign with him for ever in glory but only his words and Sacraments and therefore the Office and Power to Minister the said Word and
Sacraments may in no wise be suffered to perish or to be abolished according to the saying of St. Paul Quomodo credent in eum de quo non audiâ—runt quomodo autem audient sine praedicante quomodo autem praedicabunt nisi missi fuerunt sicut scriptum est quam speciosâ— super montes pedes Evangelizantium pacem annunciantium bona Thirdly because the said Power and Office or Function hath annexed unto it assured promises of excellent and inestimable things for thereby is conferred and given the Holy Ghost with all his graces and finally our justification and everlasting life according to the saying of St. Paul Non me pâ—det Evangelii Iesu Christi potentia siquidem est Dei ad salutem omni credenti that is to say I am not ashamed of the room and Office which I have given unto me by Christ to preach his Gospel for it is the Power of God that is to say the elect Organ or instrument ordained by God and endued with such vertue and efficacy that it is able to give and Minister effectually everlasting Life unto all those that will believe and obey unto the same Item That this Office this Power and Authority was committed and given by Christ and his Apostles unto certain persons only that is to say unto Priests or Bishops whom they did elect call and admit thereunto by their Prayer and Imposition of their hands Secondly We will that all Bishops and Preachers shall instruct and teach our people committed unto their Spiritual charge that the Sacrament of Order may worthily be called a Sacrament because it is a holy Rite or ceremony instituted by Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament and doth consist of two parts like as the other Sacraments of the Church do that is to say of a spiritual and an invisible grace and also of an outward and a visible Sign The invisible gift or grace conferred in this Sacrament is nothing else but the Power the Office and the Authority before mentioned the visible and outward Sign is the Prayer and Imposition of the Bishops hands upon the person which receiveth the said gift or grace And to the intent the Church of Christ should never be destituted of such Ministers as should have and execute the said power of the keys it was also Ordained and commanded by the Apostles that the same Sacrament should be applyed and ministred by the Bishop from time to time unto such other persons as had the qualities which the Apostles very diligently descryve as it appeareth evidently in the third Chap. of the first Epistle of St. Paul to Tim. and his Epistle unto Titus And surely this is the whole vertue and efficacy and the cause also of the institution of this Sacrament as it is found in the New Testament for albeit the Holy Fathers of the Church which succeeded the Apostles minding to beautifie and ornate the Church of Christ with all those things which were commendable in the Temple of the Iews did devise not only certain other ceremonies than be before rehearsed as Tonsures Rasures Unctions and such other observances to be used in the administration of the said Sacraments but did also institute certain inferiour orders or degreâ—s as Ianitors Lectors Exorcists Acolits and Subdeacons and deputed to every one of those certain Offices to Execute in the Church wherein they followed undoubtedly the example and rites used in the Old Testament yet the truth is that in the New Testament there is no mention made of any degrees or distinctions in Orders but only of Deacons or Ministers and of Priests or Bishops nor there is any word spoken of any other ceremony used in the conferring of this Sacrament but only of Prayer and the Imposition of the Bishops hands Thomas Cromwell T. Cantuarien Edwardus Ebor. Ioannes London Cuthbertus Dunelmensis Ioannes Lincoln Ioannes Bathoniens Thomas Elien Ioannes Bangor Nicolaus Sarum Edwardus Hereforden Hugo Wygorn Ioannes Roffen Rich. Cicestr Richardus Wolman Ioannes Bell. Willielmus Clyffe Robertus Aldridge Gilfridus Downes Ioannes Skip Cuthbertus Marshall Marmaduke Waldeby Robertus Oking Nicolaus Heyth Rodolphus Bradford Richardus Smith Simon Matthew Ioannes Prynn Gulielmus Buckmastre Willielmus Maye Nicolaus Wotton Ricardus Cox Ioannes Redman Thomas Robertson Thomas Baret Ioannes Nase Ioannes Barbar Some other hands there are that cannot be Read Sacrae Theologiae Iuris Ecclesiastici Civilis Professores VI. A Letter of Melanthons to perswade the King to a further Reformation An Original S. D. Serenissime Inclyte Rex Etsi audieramus Romanum Episcopum omnibus artificiis incendere Caesaris Caroli Regis Gallici animos adversus Britannos Germanos tamen quia spero Deum haec pericula gubernaturum esse defensurum tranquillitatem tuam scripsi in alteris literis de Ecclesiarum emendatione quam si tempora sinent rogo ut Regia Majestas tua suscipiat Postea adjeci hanc Epistolam non impudentia sed optimo studio amore cum Ecclesiarum cum Regiae Majestatis tuae incitatus quare per Christum obtestor Regiam Majestatem tuam ut meam libertatem boni consulat Saepe cogito Britannicae Ecclesiae primordia caeteras laudes hinc enim propagata est doctrina Christiana in magnam Germaniae Galliae partem imo Britannicae Ecclesiae beneficium fuit quod primum Romanae Provinciae liberatae sunt persecutione Haec primum nobis Imperatorem pium Constantinum dedit magna haec gloria est vestri nominis Nunc quoque Regia Majestas tua primum heroica magnitudine animi ostendit se veritati patrocinaturum esse excussit Romani Episcopi tyrannidem quare veterem puritatem Ecclesiae vestrae maxime optarim restitui integram Sed animadverto istic esse quosdam qui veteres abusus ortos aut confirmatos a Romano Episcopo adhuc mordicus tenent Mirum est autem Autore abusuum ejecto ipsa tamen venena retineri qua in re illud etiam periculi est quod illi ipsi aut eorum imitatores aliquando revocaturi potestatem Romani Episcopi videntur si populus hunc putavit esse Magistrum Ecclesiarum incurrunt enim ritus in oculos admonent de autore ut Solonis memoria cum legibus Athenis propagata jucunda fuit Gaudebam igitur in Edicto recens istic proposito de Religione promitti publicam deliberationem emendationem de Ecclesiarum ritibus legibus eaque sententia mitigavit Decreti acerbitatem quanquam enim laudo pietatem quod errores prohibentur qui pugnant cum doctrina Catholicae Ecclesiae quam nos profitemur tamen doleo ad eas causas adjectum esse articulum in quo praecipitur omnium rituum usitatorum caelibatus observatio Primum enim multi transferent Edicti Autoritatem ad stabiliendos abusus Missae Deinde in universum confirmatur pertinacia eorum qui Doctrinae nostrae sunt iniquiores debilitantur studia piorum Augustinus
18. v. 16. Lev. 20.21 And in the New Mat. 14.4 1 Cor. 5. â— Lib. 4 to cont Marcionâ—â— The Authorities of Popes a ad omnes Galâ—iâ—e Episcopos b 30. Quaest. 3. cap. Pitanâ—m c De Pres. cap. cum in juventutem and Counciâ—s Can. 2. Chap. 5. 〈◊〉 61. Chap. 5. a And the Greek In 20. Levit. b Homil. 71. on 22. Mat. c Epist. ad Diodor. On Levit. 18. and 20. And the Latine Fathers a Lib. 8. Ep. 66. b Cont. Hâ—â—vidium c Cont. Faâ—st chap. 8 9 10. Quaest. 64. in Lev. Ad Bonifac Lib. 3. chap. 4. Lib. 15. de Civ Dâ—i chap. 16. And of the Modern Writers In Epist. ad Pium Fratâ—em e On 18. Lev. g Epist. ad Arch. Rotomag Epis. Sag. f Lib. 2. de Sacram. p. 2. chap. 5. Art 2. h Epist. 240. The Schoolmen 2 dâ— 2 dae Quaest. 154. art 9. In Tertiam Quaest. 54. art 3. In 4tam. dist 40. Q. 3. and 4. And Canonists Marriage compleated by Consent Violent presumptions of the Consummation of Prince Artâ—â—r's Marriage The Popes Dispensation of no force In Quodiâ— Lib. 4. Art 13. in 4 tam dist 15. Q. 3. art 2. Sâ—p Cap. Conjunctioniâ— 35. Q. 2. 3. Sup. Cap. Literas de Rest. Spons Cap. ad Audien Spousal Several Bishops refuse to submit to the Popes Decrees The Authority of Tradition The Arguments for the Marriage 1529. The Anwers made to h ese 1531. The Queen still intractable Hall A Session of Parliament Morâ— Convocation The whole Clergy sued in a Premâ—nire The Prerogative of the Kings of England in Ecclesiastical affairs The Encroachment of the Papacy Mat. Paris The Laws made against them 25 Edw. 1st repeated in the Stat. of Provisors 25. Edw. 3d. 25. Edward 3d. Statute of Provisors 27. Edward 3d. cap. 1st 38. Edward 3d. cap. 1st 3. Richard 2d cap. 3d. 12 Richard 2d cap. 15. 16. Richard 2d cap. 5. 2. Hen. 4. cap. 4. 6. Henry 4. cap. 1st 7. Hen. 4. cap. 6.8 17. Hen. 4. cap. 8. 4. Hen. 5. cap. 4. Ex MSS. D Petyt 1530. Reg. Chicâ—el Fol. 39. Collect. Numb 37. 1531. And to the King and Parliament Collect. Numb 38. Collect. Numb 39. But to no purpose Collect. Numb 40. The Clergy excuse themselves Yet they Compound And acknowledge the King Supreme Head of the Church of England Lord Heâ—bert Antiquit. Britanniae in vita Warham Printed in the Cabala The Commons desire to be included in the King's Pardon Hall Which thâ— King afterwards grants One Attainâ—â—ed for Poisoning 22. Hen. 8 Act. 16. Lord Herbert The King leaves the Queen A disorder among the Clergy of London about the Subsidy Hall The Pope falls off to the French Faction A Match projected between the Pope's Neece and the Duke of Orleance The Emperor is engaged in a War with â—he Turk 1532. The Parliament complains of the Ecclesiastical Courts Hall But reject a Bill about Wards The Commons Petition that they may be Dissolved 1532. The King's Answer An Act against Annates Collect. Numb 41. Parl. Rolls The Pope writes to the King about the Queens Appeal L. Herbert Collect. Numb 42. A Dispatch of the King to the Pope Sir Edward Karne sent to Rome His Negotiation there taken from the Original Letters Cott. lib. Viteli B. 13. The Cardinal of Ravenna corrupted by Bribes Collect. Numb 43. Collect. Numb 44. Collect. Numb 45. A Bull for erecting new Bishopricks The Pope desires the King would submit to him Collect. Numb 46. A Session of Parl. One moves for bringing the Queen to Court At which the King is offended A Subsidy is voted The King remits the Oaths which the Clergy swore to be considered by the Commons Their Oath to the Pope Their Oath to the King More laid down his Office An Enterveiw with the French King Eliot sent to Rome with Instructions Cott. Lib. Vil. B. 13. The King Married Anne Boâ—eyn Nov. 14. Cowper Holinsâ—ies and Sanders An enterview between Pope and Emperor Some overtures about the Divorce Lord Herbert 1533. A Session of Parliament An Act against Appeals to Rome 24. Hen. 8. Act 22. 1533. Warhams Death Aug. 23. The King resolves to promote Cranmer Fox Cranmers Bulls from Rome His Protestation about his Oath to the Pope Antiq. Brit. iâ— vita Cranmâ—â— 1532. New Endeavours to make the Queen submit But in vain 1533. Cranmer proceeds to a Sentence of Divorce taken from the Originals Cott. lib. Otho C. 1â— Collect. Numb 47. The Censures past at that time Cott. lib. Otho C. 10. The Pope unites himself to the French King And condemns the Kings proceedings in England Queen Elizabeth Born Sâ—p 7. An Interview between the Pope and Frâ—nch King at Marsâ—illâ—s The Pope promises to give Sentence for the King of England's Divorce Fidel. serv. Infidâ— subdit Responsio Bzovius The French King prevails with the King of England to submit to the Pope Which was well received at Rome Hist. Council of Trent by Padre Paule But the Imperialists opposed it 1531. And with great preparation procure a sentence against the King The King resolves to abolish the Popes Power in England Which had been much disputed there 1532. â—elerine Inglese Hall The Arguments upon which it was rejected 1533. 1534. The Arguments for the Kings Supremacy From the old Testament 1533. And the New And the Practises of the primitive Church And from Reason And from the Laws of England 1534. The Qualification of that Supremacy Necessary Erudition upon the Sacrament of Orders The necessity of extirpating the Popes Power Pains taken to satisfie Fisher about it The Origiâ—nal is in the Cott. lib. 〈◊〉 C. 10. Journal Procer The Act for taking away the Popes Power It is the Act 21 in the Statute Book 27 in the Record and 8 in the Journal The judgments past on that Act. Act about the Succession to the Crown 22 in the Statute Books 34 in the Reâ—ord 26 in the Journal The Oath about the Succesâ—ion Journal Procer Act about punishing Hereticks 14 in the Stâ—tute Book 33 in the Record 31 in the Journal The submission made by the Clergy to the King 19 in the Statute Book 25 in the Record Journal Procâ—r 〈…〉 26 in the Record Collect. â—umb 48. The Act about the Maid of Kâ—nt and her Complices 12 in Statute Book 31 in the Record 7 in the Journâ—â— See his Works paâ— 1435. The 〈…〉 of the 〈◊〉 Sâ—ow Stow. The Nuns speech at her death Hall Stow Fisher gently dealt with But is obstinate and intractable Collect. Numb 49. Cott. Lib. Cleopatâ—e E. 4. The Oath for the Succession generally sworn Orig. Cott. Lib. Otho C. â—â— Collect. Numb 50. Rot. Claus. Those last clausâ—◠〈◊〉 not in the other Writing More and Fisher refuse the Oath See his works p. 1428. Weavers Monuments page 504 and 506. And are proceeded against Another Session of Parliament The Kings Supremacy declared The Oath about the Succession conâ—iâ—med The first Fruits of Benefices given to the King Sundry
at last expedited at what Rates I cannot tell but this I set down to show how severe the Exactions of the Court of Rome were As the Pope recovered his health so he inclined more to joyn himself to the Emperor than ever and was more alienated than formerly from the King and the Cardinal which perhaps was increased by the distaste he took at the Cardinals aspiring to the Popedom The first thing that the Emperor did in the Kings Cause was to protest in the Queen of Englands name that she refused to submit to the Legates The one was the Kings chief Minister and her mortal enemy The other was also justly suspected since he had a Bishoprick in England The Kings Ambassador pressed the Pope much not to admit the Protestation but it was pretended that it could not be denyed either in Law or Justice But that this might not offend the King Salviati that was the Popes Favourite wrote to Campegio that the Protestation could not be hindred but that the Pope did still most earnestly desire to satisfie the King and that the Ambassadors were much mistaken who were so distrustful of the Popes good mind to the Kings Cause But now good words could deceive the King no longer who clearly discovered the Popes mind and being out of all hopes of any thing more from Rome resolved to proceed in England before the Legates and therefore Gardiner was recalled who was thought the fittest person to manage the Process in England being esteemed the greatest Canonist they had and was so valued by the King that he would not begin the Process till he came Sr. Francis Brian was also recalled and when they took leave of the Pope they were ordered to Expostulate in the Kings name Upon the Partiality he expressed for the Emperor notwithstanding the many assurances that both the Legates had given the King that the Pope would do all he could toward his Satisfaction which was now so ill performed that he expected no more justice from him They were also to say as much as they could devise in the Cardinals name to the same purpose upon which they were to try if it were possible to obtain any Enlargement of the Commission with fuller Power to the Legates for they saw it was in vain to move for any new Bulls or Orders from the Pope about it And though Gardiner had obtained a Pollicitation from the Pope by which he both bound himself not to recal the cause from the Legates and also to confirm their Sentence and had sent it over they found it was so conceived that the Pope could go back from it when he pleased So there was a new Draught of a Pollicitation formed with more binding Clauses in it which Gardiner was to try if he could obtain by the following Pretence He was to tell the Pope that the Courier to whom he trusted it had been so little careful of it that it was all wet and defaced and of no more use so that he durst not deliver it And this might turn much to Gardiners prejudice that a matter of such Concern was through his neglect spoiled upon which he was to see if the Pope would renew it If that could be obtained he was to use all his Industry to get as many pregnant and material words added as might make it more binding He was also to assure the Pope that though the Emperor was gone to Barcellona to give reputation to his affairs in Italy yet he had neither Army nor Fleet ready so that they needed not fear him And he was to inform the Pope of the Arts he was using both in the English and French Court to make a separated Treaty But that all was to no pâ—rpose the two Kings being so firmly linked together But the Pope was so great a Master in all the Arts of Dissimulation and Policy that he was not to be overreached easily and when he understood that his Polliâ—itation was defaced he was in his heart glad at it and could not be prevailed with to renew it So they returned to England and Dr. Bennet came in their place He carryed with him one of the fullest and most important Dispatches that I find in this whole matter from the two Legates to the Pope and the Consistory who wrote to them that they had in vain endeavoured to perswade either party to yield to the other That the Breve being shewed to them by the Queen they found great and evident Presumptions of it's being a meer forgery and that they thought it was too much for them to sit and try the Validity or Authenticalness of the Popes Bulls or Breves or to hear his Power of Dispencing in such cases disputed therefore it was more expedient to Avocate the cause to which the King would consent if the Pope obliged himself under his hand to pass Sentence speedily in his favour but they rather advised the Granting a Decretal Bull which would put an end to the whole matter in order to which the Bearer was Instructed to show very good Precedents But in the mean while they advised the Pope to press the Queen most effectually to enter into a Religious life as that which would compose all these differences in the softest and easiest way It pitied them to see the rack and torments of Conscience under which the King had smarted so many years and that the Disputes of Divines and the Decrees of Fathers had so disquieted him that for clearing a matter thus perplexed there was not only need of Learning but of a more singular Piety and Illumination To this were to be added the desire of Issue the Settlement of the Kingdom with many other pressing reasons that as the matter did admit of no further delays so there was not any thing in the opposite scale to ballance these Considerations There were false Suggestions surmised abroad as if the hatred of the Queen or the desire of another wife who was not perhaps yet known much less designed were the true causes of this Suit But though the Queen was of a rough Temper and an unpleasant Conversation and was passed all hopes of Children yet who could imagine that the King who had spent his most youthful days with her so kindly would now in the decline of his Age be at all this trouble to be rid of her if he had no other Motives But they by searching his sore found there was rooted in his heart both an awe of God and a respect to Law and Order so that though all his people pressed him to drive the Matter to an issue yet he would still wait for the decision of the Apostolick See Therefore they most pressingly desire the Pope to grant the Cure which his distemper required and to consider that it was not fit to insist too much on the Rigour of the Law but since the Soul and Life of all the Laws of the Church was in the Popes breast in doubtful cases
where there was great hazard he ought to mollifie the severity of the Laws which if it were not done other Remedies would be found out to the vast prejudice of the Ecclesiastical Authority to which many about the King advised him There was reason to fear they should not only lose a King of England but a Defender of the Faith The Nobility and Gentry were already enraged at the delay of a Matter in which all their Lives and Interests were so nearly concerned and said many things against the Popes Proceedings which they could not relate without horror And they plainly complained that whereas Popes had made no scruple to make and change divine Laws at their pleasure yet one Pope sticks so much at the Repealing what his Prodecessor did as if that were more sacred and not to be medled with The King betook himself to no ill Arts neither to the charms of Magitians nor the Forgeries of Impostours therefore they expected such an Answer as should put an end to the whole matter But all these things were to no purpose the Pope had taken his measures ard was not to be moved by all the reasons or Remonstrances the Ambassador could lay before him The King had absolutely gained Campegio to do all he could for him without losing the Popes favour He led at this time a very dissolute life in England hunting and gaming all the day long and following whores all the night and brought a Bastard of his own over to England with him whom the King Knighted so that if the King sought his pleasure it was no strange thing since he had such a Copy set him by two Legates who representing his Holiness so lively in their manners it was no unusual thing if a King had a slight sense of such disorders The King wrote to his Ambassadors that he was satisfied of Campegio's love and affection to him and if ever he was gained by the Emperors Agents he had said something to him which did totally change that Inclination The Imperialists being Alarm'd at the recalling of some of the English Ambassadors and being Informed by the Queens means that they were forming the Process in England put in a Memorial for an Avocation of the cause to Rome The Ambassadors answered that there was no Colour for asking it since there was nothing yet done by the Legates For they had strict orders to deny that there was any Process forming in England even to the Pope himself in private unless he had a mind it should go on but were to use all their Endeavours to hinder an Avocation and plainly in the Kings name to tell the Pope that if he granted that the King would look on it as a Formal decision against him And it would also be an high affront to the two Cardinals and they were thereupon to Protest that the King would not obey nor consider the Pope any more if he did an Act of such high Injustice as after he had granted a Commission upon no complaint of any Illegality or Injust Proceedings of the Legates but only upon surmises and suspitions to take it out of their hands But the Pope had not yet brought the Emperor to his Terms in other things therefore to draw him on the faster he continued to give the English Ambassador good words and in discourse with Peter Vannes did insinuate as if he had found a means to bring the whole matter to a good Conclusion and spoke it with an Artificial smile adding In the name of the Father c. But would not speak it out and seemed to keep it up as a secret not yet ripe But all this did afterwards appear to be the deepest Dissimulation that ever was practised And in the whole Process though the Cardinal studied to make tricks pass upon him yet he was always too hard for them all at it and seemed as Infallible in his Arts of Jugling as he pretended to be in his Decisions He wrote a Cajoling Letter to the Cardinal but words went for nothing Soon after this the Pope complained much to Sr. Gregory Cassali of the ill usage he received from the French Ambassador and that their Confederates the Florentines and the Duke of Ferrara used him so ill that they would force him to throw himself into the Emperors hands and he seemed inclined to grant an Avocation of the cause and complained that there was a Treaty of peace going on at Cambray in which he had no share But the Ambassador undertook that nothing should be done to give him just offence yet the Florentines continued to put great affronts on him and his Family and the Abbot of Farfa their General made excursions to the gates of Rome so that the Pope with great signs of fear said that the Florentines would some day seize on him and carry him with his hands bound behind his back in Procession to Florence and that all this while the Kings of England and France did only entertain him with good words and did not so much as restrain the Insolencies of their Confederates And whereas they used to say that if he joyned himself to the Emperor he would treat him as his Chaplain he said with great Commotion that he would not only choose rather to be his Chaplain but his horse-Groom than suffer such injuries from his own Rebellious Vassals and Subjects This was perhaps set on by the Cardinals Arts to let the Pope feel the weight of offending the King and to oblige him to use him better but it wrought a contrary effect for the Treaty between the Emperor and him was the more advanced by it And the Pope reckoned that the Emperor being as he was informed ashamed and grieved for the taking and Sacking of Rome would study to repair that by better usage for the future The Motion for the Avocation was still driven on and pressed the more earnestly because they heard the Legates were proceeding in the cause But the Ambassadors were instructed by a Dispatch from the King to obviate that carefully for as it would reflect on the Legates and defeat the Commission and be a gross violation of the Popes Promise which they had in writing so it was more for the Popes Interest to leave it in the Legates hands than to bring it before himself for then whatever Sentence passed the ill effects of it would ly on the Pope without any Interposition And as the King had very just exceptions to Rome where the Emperors forces lay so near that no safety could be expected there so they were to tell the Pope that by the Laws of England the Prerogative of the Crown Royal was such that the Pope could do nothing that was prejudicial to it To which the citing the King to Rome to have his cause decided there was contrary in a high degree And if the Pope went on notwithstanding all the diligence they could use to the contrary they