this Heir made amends for the Nation 's so long expectation of a Prince His singular Excellency in all kind of Princely Towardliness to use the words of one who lived in those Times was such that no Place no Time no Cause no Book no Person either in publick Audience or else in private Company made any mention of him but thought himself even of very Conscience bound to powdre the same with manifold Praises of his incomparable Vertues and Gifts of Grace And again How happy are we English-Men of such a King in whose Childhood appeareth as perfect Grace Vertue godly Zeal desire of Literature Gravity Prudence Justice and Magnanimity as hath heretofore been found in Kings of most mature Age of full Discretion of antient Fame and of passing high Estimation And again That God hath of singular Favour and Mercy towards this Realm of England sent your Grace to reign over us the thing it self by the whole Process doth declare The Arch-bishop his Godfather took exceeding complacency in a Prince of such Hopes and would often congratulate Sir Iohn Cheke his School-master having such a Scholar even with Tears His Instructors would sometimes give Account to the Arch-bishop of his Proficiency in his Studies a thing that they knew would be acceptable to him Thus did Dr. Cox his Tutor in a Letter acquaint the ABp of the Prince's Towardliness Godliness Gentleness and all honest Qualities and that both the Arch-bishop and all the Realm ought to take him for a singular Gift sent of God That he read Cato Vives his Satellitium Esop's Fables and made Latin besides things of the Bible and that he conned pleasantly and perfectly The Arch-bishop out of his dear Love to him and to encourage him would sometimes himself write in Latin to him And one of his Letters to him is yet extant in Fox His great Parts might be seen by his Letters Journals Memorials Discourses and Writings which were many divers lost but of those that are yet extant these are the most A Letter to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury his God-father from Ampthil in Latin being then but about seven Years old Another in Latin to the Arch-bishop from Hartford which was an Answer to one from the Arch-bishop A Letter in French to his Sister the Lady Elizabeth writ Decemb. 18 1546. A Letter to his Unkle the Duke of Somerset after his Success against the Scots 1547. To Q. Katharine Par after her Marriage with the Lord Admiral his Unkle Another Letter to her A Letter to the Earl of Hartford his Cousin in Latin A Letter to Barnaby Fitz-Patrick concerning the Duke of Somerset's Arraignment Another to B. Fitz-Patrick consisting of Instructions to him when he went into France Another to Fitz-Patrick giving him an Account of his Progress in August 1552. Orders concerning the Habits and Apparel of his Subjects according to their Degrees and Qualities Mention is also made in the History of the Reformation of Letters in Latin to K. Henry his Father at eight Years old and to Queen Katharine Par. His Journal writ all with his own Hand from the beginning of his Reign 1547 until the 28 th of Novemb. 1552. A Collection of Passages of Scripture against Idolatry in French Dedicated to the Protector A Discourse about the Reformation of many Abuses both Ecclesiastical and Temporal A Reformation of the Order of the Garter Translated out of English into Latin by K. Edward These four last are published in the History of the Reformation Volume II. among the Collections A Book written in French by him at twelve Years of Age against the Pope intitled A L'encontre les abus du Monde A Memorial February 1551. Another Memorial dated Octob. 13. 1552. Another Memorial His Prayer a little before his Death I shall reherse none of these Writings but only one of the Memorials because it bordereth so near upon our present History and shews so much this Young Prince's Care of Religion and for the good Estate of the Church animated admonished counselled and directed in these Matters by the Arch-bishop For Religion Octob. 13. 1552. I. A Catechism to be set forth for to be taught in all Grammar-Schools II. An Uniformity of Doctrine to which all Preachers should set their Hands III. Commissions to be granted to those Bishops that be Grave Learned Wise Sober and of good Religion for the executing of Discipline IV. To find fault with the slightfulness of the Pastors and to deliver them Articles of Visitation willing and commanding them to be more diligent in their Office and to keep more Preachers V. The abrogating of the old Canon-Law and establishment of a New VI. The dividing of the Bishoprick of Durham into two and placing of Men in them VII The placing of Harley into the Bishoprick of Hereford VIII The making of more Homilies IX The making of more Injunctions X. The placing of one in a Bishoprick in Ireland which Turner of Canterbury hath refused Some of these things were already done and some in Hand Hereby we may see what further Steps in the Reformation would have been made had the good King lived So that in this King's Reign Religion made a good Progress and Superstition and Idolatry was in a good manner purged out of the Church Which was the more to be wondred at considering the Minority of the King the grievous Factions at Court and the too common Practice then of scoffing and buffooning Religion and the more conscientious Professors of it For of this sort of Men Russians and dissolute Livers there were many followed the Court and were Favorites to the Leading-Men there I mean the two Dukes and proved after base Time-servers and Flatterers in the Reign of Queen Mary During this Reign Arch-bishop Cranmer was a very active Man and great Deference seemed to be given to his Judgment by the King and Council in the Matters that were then transacting especially as concerning the Reformation of Religion For I find him very frequently at the Council-Board and often sent for thither or sent unto when absent And here I will not think much to set down all the particular Days when and Places where he was present in Person with the Privy-Counsellors from the Year 1550 beginning unto the middle of the Year 1553 near the the Time of the King's Death as it was extracted carefully out of a council-Council-Book that commenceth at the above-said Year Anno 1550 April 19. He was present at the Council then at Greenwich This Month one Putto who had been put to silence for his lend Preaching that is against the Steps made in the Reformation and did now nevertheless of his own Head preach as lendly as he had done before was referred to the Arch-bishop and the Bishop of Ely to be corrected April 28. The Arch-bishop present at Council May 2 4 7 11 On
Rochester by virtue of the Arch-bishop's Letters Commissional to him assisted by Robert Bishop of S. Asaph and Thomas Bishop of Sidon This More held the Monastery of Walden in Essex an House of Benedictines in Commendam where Audley-end now stands and surrendred it to the King 1539. CHAP. XIII The Bishops Book THE pious ABp thought it highly conducible to the Christian Growth of the common People in Knowledg and Religion and to disintangle them from gross Ignorance and Superstition in which they had been nursled up by their Popish Guides that the Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer and the Creed and the Grounds of Religion should be explained soundly and orthodoxly and recommended unto their reading Wherefore he consulting with the Lord Crumwel his constant Associate and Assistant in such Matters and by his and other his Friends importuning the King a Commission was issued out from him in the Year 1537. to the Arch-bishop to Stokesly Bishop of London Gardiner of Winchester Sampson of Chichester Repps of Norwich Goodrick of Ely Latimer of Worcester Shaxton of Salisbury Fox of Hereford Barlow of S. Davids and other Bishops and Learned Divines to meet together and to devise an wholsome and plain Exposition upon those Subjects and to set forth a Truth of Religion purged of Errors and Heresies Accordingly they met at the Arch-bishop's House at Lambeth Their Course was that after they had drawn up their Expositions upon each Head and agreed thereto they all subscribed their Hands declaring their Consent and Approbation In the Disputations which happened among them in this Work Winchester the Pope's chief Champion with three or four other of the Bishops went about with all subtil Sophistry to maintain all Idolatry Heresy and Superstition written in the Canon Law or used in the Church under the Pope's Tyranny But at the last whether overpower'd with Number or convinced by the Word of God and consent of Ancient Authors and the Primitive Church they all agreed upon and set their Hands to a Godly Book of Religion Which they finished by the end of Iuly and staid for nothing but the Vicar-General's Order whether to send it immediately to him or that the Bishop of Hereford should bring it with him at his next coming to the Court But the Plague now raging in Lambeth and People dying even at the Palace-Doors the Arch-bishop desired Crumwel for the King's Licence to the Bishops to depart for their own Safety their Business being now in effect drawn to a Conclusion Soon after the Bishops and Divines parted and the Arch-bishop hastened to his House at Ford near Canterbury The Book was delivered by Crumwel to the King which he at his leisure diligently perused corrected and augmented And then after five or six Months assigned Crumwel to dispatch it unto the Arch-bishop that he might give his Judgment upon the King's Animadversions A Pursevant brought it to Ford. The Arch-bishop advisedly read and considered what the King had writ and disliking some things made his own Annotations upon some of the Royal Corrections there especially we may well imagine where the King had altered the Book in favour of some of the old Doctrines and Corruptions And when he sent it back again with those Annotations he wrote these Lines to Crumwel therewith on the 25 th day of Ianuary MY very singular good Lord After most hearty Commendations unto your Lordship these shall be to advertise the same That as concerning the Book lately devised by me and other Bishops of this Realm which you sent unto me corrected by the King's Highness your Lordship shall receive the same again by this Bearer the Pursevant with certain Annotations of mine own concerning the same Wherein I trust the King's Highness will pardon my Presumption that I have been so scrupulous and as it were a picker of Quarrels to his Grace's Book making a great Matter of every little Fault or rather where no Fault is at all Which I do only for this Intent that because now the Book shall be set forth by his Grace's Censure and Judgment I would have nothing therein that Momus could reprehend And I refer all mine Annotations again to his Grace's most exact Judgment And I have ordered my Annotations so by Numbers that his Grace may readily turn to every place And in the lower Margin of this Book next to the Binding he may find the Numbers which shall direct him to the Words whereupon I make the Annotations And all those his Grace's Castigations which I have made none Annotations upon I like them very well And in divers places I have made Annotations which places nevertheless I mislike not as shall appear by the same Annotations At length this Book came forth printed by Barthelet in the Year 1537 and was commonly called the Bishops Book because the Bishops were the Composers of it It was intituled The godly and pious Institution of a Christian Man and consisted of a Declaration of the Lord's Prayer and of the Ave Mary the Creed the Ten Commandments and the Seven Sacraments It was Established by Act of Parliament having been signed by the two Arch-bishops nineteen Bishops eight Arch-deacons and seventeen Doctors of Divinity and Law The Opinion that the Favourers of the Gospel had of this Book in those Times may appear by what I find in a Manuscript of the Life of this Arch-bishop by an unknown Author that wrote it soon after the said Arch-bishop's Death A godly Book of Religion not much unlike the Book set forth by K. Edward VI. except in two Points The one was the real Preâ—ence of Christ's Body in the Sacrament of the Altar Of the which Opinion the Arch-bishop was at that time and the most part of the other Bishops and learned Men. The other Error was of Praying Kissing and Kneeling before Images Which saith he was added by the King after the Bishops had set their Hands to the contrary But this Book came forth again two Years after viz. 1540. unless my Manuscript mistake this Year for 1543. very much enlarged and reduced into another Form and bearing another Name A necessary Doctrine and Erudition of any Christian Man And because the King had put it forth by his own Authority it was called now The King's Book as before it was called The Bishops But that none might be confounded in these Books he may know that there was in the Year 1536 another Book also called The Bishops Book upon the same reason that this was so called because the Arch-bishops and Bishops had the making thereof It was a Declaration against the Papal Supremacy written upon occasion of Pole's Book of Ecclesiastical Vnion mentioned before And in the Year 1533 there came forth another Book in Latin called The King's Book intituled The Difference between the Kingly and Ecclesiastical Power reported to be made as Bale writes by Fox the King's Almoner Which was translated into English
Crumwel speak against it the Reason being no question because they saw the King so resolved upon it Nay it came to be a flying Report that the Arch-bishop of Canterbury himself and all the Bishops except Sarum consented But this is not likely that Cranmer who had so openly and zealously opposed it should be so soon changed and brought to comply with it Nay at the very same time it passed he staid and protested against it though the King desired him to go out since he could not consent to it Worcester also as well as Sarum was committed to Prison and he as well as the other resigned up his Bishoprick upon the Act. In the foresaid Disputation in the Parliament-house the Arch-bishop behaved himself with such humble modesty and obedience in word towards his Prince protesting the Cause not to be his but God's that neither his Enterprize was misliked of the King and his Allegations and Reasons were so strong that they could not be refuted Great pity it is that these Arguments of the Arch-bishop are lost which I suppose they are irrecoverably because Fox that lived so near those Times and so elaborate a Searcher after such Papers could not meet with them and all that he could do was to wish that they were extant to be seen and read However I will make my Conjecture here that I am apt to think that one of the main Matters insisted on by him at this time was against the cruel Penalty annexed to these Articles For I find in one of the Arch-bishop's Manuscript Volumes now in Benet-College Library there is in this very Year a Discourse in Latin upon this Subject Num in haereticos jure Magistratui gravius animadvertere liceat Decisio Vrbani Rhegii Interprete Iacobo Gisleno Anno 1539. Which Book I suppose he might at this juncture have read over and made use of The Dukes and Lords of Parliament that as above was said came over to Lambeth to visit and dine with him by the King's Command used words to him to this Tenor The King's Pleasure is that we should in his behalf cherish and comfort you as one that for your travail in the late Parliament declared your self both greatly Learned and also Discreet and Wise And therefore my Lord be not discouraged for any thing that past there contrary to your Allegations The Arch-bishop replied In the first place my Lords I heartily thank the King's Highness for his singular good Affection towards me and you all for your pains And I hope in God that hereafter my Allegations and Authorities shall take place to the Glory of God and Commodity of the Realm Every of the Lords brought forth his Sentence in commendation of him to shew what good-will both the King and they bare to him One of them entred into a Comparison between the said Arch-bishop and Cardinal Wolsey preferring the Arch-bishop before him for his mild and gentle Nature whereas he said the Cardinal was a stubborn and churlish Prelate that could never abide any Noble-man The Lord Crumwel as Cranmer's Secretary relates who himself heard the words You my Lord said he were born in an happy Hour I suppose for do or say what you will the King will always take it well at your Hands And I must needs confess that in some things I have complained of you to his Majesty but all in vain for he will never give credit against you whatsoever is laid to your Charge But let me or any other of the Council be complained of his Grace will most seriously chide and fall out with us And therefore you are most happy if you can keep you in this State The Roman Zealots having obtained this Act of the Six Articles desisted not but seconded their Blow by a Book of Ceremonies to be used by the Church of England so intituled all running after the old Popish strain It proceeded all along in favour of the Roman Church's superstitious Ceremonies endeavouring to shew the good signification of them The Book first begins with an Index of the Points touched therein viz. Churches and Church-yards the hallowing and reconcileing them The Ceremonies about the Sacrament of Baptism Ordering of the Ministers of the Church in general Divine Service to be sung and said in the Church Mattins Prime and other Hours Ceremonies used in the Mass. Sundays with other Feasts Bells Vesture and Tonsure of the Ministers of the Church and what Service they be bound unto Bearing Candles upon Candlemass-day Fasting Days The giving of Ashes The covering of the Cross and Images in Lent Bearing of Palms The Service of Wednesday Thursday and Friday before Easter The hallowing of Oil and Chrism The washing of the Altars The hallowing of the Font upon Saturday in the Easter-Even The Ceremonies of the Resurrection in Easter-Morning General and other particular Processions Benedictions of Bells or Priests Holy Water and holy Bread A general Doctrine to what intent Ceremonies be ordained and of what value they be The Book it self is too long to be here inserted but such as have the Curiosity may find it in the Cotton Library and may observe what Pains was taken to smooth and varnish over the old Supperstions I do not find this Book mentioned by any of our Historians The Bishop of Winchester with his own Pen hath an Annotation in the Margin of one place in the Book And I strongly suspect he was more than the Revisor of it and that it was drawn up by him and his Party and strongly pushed on to be owned as the Act of the Clergy For this Year there was a Convocation The King had sent his Letters written March the 12 th in the 30 th Year of his Reign viz. 1538. to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury for summoning a Convocation to meet together at St. Paul's the second day of May. But this Assembly by the King's Letters to him was prorogued till November the 4 th At this Convocation I suppose these Articles were invented and propounded to the House All this long Book in behalf of the Ceremonies did our laborious Metropolitan put himself to the pains of answering and thereby hindred the Reception of it For concerning this I do interpret that Passage of Fox viz. That the Arch-bishop confuted eighty eight Articles devised by a Convocation and which were laboured to be received but were not But to return to the six Articles Great triumphing now there was on the Papists Side as appears by a Letter wrote from some Roman Catholick Member of the House of Lords to his Friend Which may be read in the Appendix But after some time the King perceiving that the said Arch-bishop and Bishops did this thing not of Malice or Stubbornness but out of a zeal they had to God's Glory and the Common-wealth reformed in part the said Six Articles and somewhat blunted the Edg of them March 20. Two Commissions were sent to the Arch-bishop to take the Surrender
because by this means all hope of ripe and compleated Learning was immaturely cut off in the very Bud and also all the Expectations of the poorer sort whose whole Time was spent in good Studies was eluded by these Drones occupying those Places and Preferments which more properly belonged unto them For Parts Learning Poverty and Election were of no strength at Home where Favour and Countenance and the Letters of Noblemen and such-like extraordinary and illegal Courses from Abroad bore all the Sway. CHAP. VII Dr. Smith and others recant AND now before I conclude this Year let me pass from more publick Matters and present the Reader with two or three Passages wherein the Arch-bishop had to do with private Men. May the 15 th Richard Smith D. D. Master of Whittington College and Reader of Divinity in Oxford a hot turbulent Man made his Recantation at Pauls Cross convinced and moved thereunto by the Pains of the Arch-bishop What his Errors were that he had publickly vented in the University and in his Writings may be known by the words of his Recantation which were these I do confess and acknowledg that the Authority as well of the Bishop of Rome whose Authority is justly and lawfully abolished in this Realm as of other Bishops and others called the Ministers of the Church consisteth in the Dispensation and Ministration of God's Word and not in making Laws Ordinances and Decrees over the People besides God's Word without the Consent and Authority of the Prince and People I say and affirm that within this Realm of England and other the King's Dominions there is no Law Decree Ordinance or Constitution Ecclesiastical in force and available by any Man's Authority but only by the King's Majesty's Authority or of his Parliament This Man had wrote two Books in favour of Popish Doctrine and those he also now disclaimed viz. A Book of Traditions and another of the Sacrifice of the Mass. In the former of which he maintained That Christ and his Apostles taught and left to the Church many things without writing which he asserted were stedfastly to be believed and obediently fulfilled under pain of Damnation In the other Book he maintained That Christ was not a Priest after the Order of Melchizedeck when he offered himself upon the Cross for our Sins but after the Order of Aaron and that when Christ did offer his Body to his Father after the Order of Melchizedek to appease his Wrath it was to be understood not of the Sacrifice of the Cross but of the Sacrifice that he made at his Maundy in form of Bread and Wine In which Book were other Errors He that is minded to see his Recantation of these his Books may have it in the Appendix as I transcribed it out of an old Book made by Becon intituled Reports of certain Men. This Recantation he not long after made at Oxon viz. in August following Where he also protested openly That he would abide in the sincere and pure Doctrine of Christ's Gospel all humane trifling Traditions set apart even unto Death though it should cost him his Life And this Recantation he also printed for further Satisfaction to the World Bishop Gardiner who was now at Winchester was very uneasy at the News of this Recantation which some took care to bring down to him He signified to the Protector That Smith was a Man with whom he had no Familiarity nor cared for his Acquaintance That he had not seen him in three Years nor talked with him in Seven He was greatly displeased with the first words of his Recantation which yet were but the words of Scripture Omnis Homo mendax Making all the Doctors in the Church as he inferred to be Liars with himself How it argued his Pride for he that sought for such Company in Lying had small Humility and that he would hide himself by that Number that his depraving of Man's Nature in that sort was not the setting out of the Authority of Scripture He said he neither liked his Tractation nor yet his Retractation That he was mad to say in his Book of Vnwritten Verities that Bishops in this Realm could make Laws wherein he said he lied loudly About this time Chadsey Standish Yong Oglethorp and divers others recanted whose Recantations Fox had by him to shew as well as Smith whom we have now before us After this Recantation he carried not himself according to it but favoured the Old Errors And in the Year 1549 offered some Affront unto Arch-bishop Cranmer opposing him in the Doctrine of the Lawfulness of Priests Marriage and endeavoured to make a Rout in Oxford to the endangering P. Martyr's Life and printed a Book the same Year against him De Votis Monasticis Whereupon incurring as he apprehended some Danger he fled into Scotland But weary of being there and willing to have his Peace made in England he wrote two Letters to the Arch-bishop from thence professing that he would out of hand by open Writing in the Latin Tongue revoke all that erroneous Doctrine which he had before taught and published and set forth the pure Doctrine of Christ. And for a Proof hereof he would straight after his return into England set forth a Book in Latin in defence of the most lawful Marriage of Priests In the Year 1550 he wrote certain Treatises against P. Martyr printed at Lovain And the same Year came out his Book against the Arch-bishop's Treatise of the Sacrament This Man was of a most inconstant as well as turbulent Spirit For in the Reign of Queen Mary he turned to the Religion then professed and was great with Bishop Boner in those Times but greatly despised for his Fickleness He once attempted to discourse with Hawks in Boner's House in London Hawks threw in his Dish his Recantation To which when he said it was no Recantation but a Declaration the other gave him this Rub To be short I will know whether you will Recant any more ere ever I talk with you or believe you and so departed from him We shall hear of him again in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth when he again complied and submitted himself to Arch-bishop Parker And last of all returned to his old Opinions and fled to Lovain Pass we from this Man to another of the same Strain with whom the Arch-bishop had to do As the Popish Clergy in the former King's Reign had made all the rudest and eagerest Opposition they dared against the Steps that were then made towards a Reformation so they ceased not to do in this King 's nay and more hoping to shelter themselves under a milder Government One Instance of this appeared in what was done by the Quondam Abbot of Tower-hill London Who for some Recompence of the loss of his Abby was made Vicar of Stepney-Church succeeding I suppose Mr. Hierom burnt to death in the Year 1540 with Dr. Barnes and Garret He being a bold Man and
resolved to do it by himself and his Parliament without them In this Letter he speaks something concerning Hoper whose Behaviour he disliked and concerning Dr. Smith who had lately written against the Arch-bishop's Book of the Sacrament and against himself concerning Monastick Vows Both these Letters as well worthy the sight and perusal of the Reader I have reposited in the Appendix Thus this Reverend and Learned Foreigner after many great Difficulties passed through for the Cause of Religion flying from one place to another came at last to a natural Death and a quiet End in this Land For his Fame and Wisdom he was called by the Electors Palatine and of Brandenburgh with the Emperor's Permission to temper the Emperor's Rescript about Religion which was to be published that so it might please both Parties But he thought he could not do it with any Honesty and rather than meddle with it he fled to Strasburgh with his Wife and Children hereby he fell under the Displeasure of those Princes as well as before he had done under that of the Emperor for the Reformation of Colen the Envy of which Melancthon escaped but it fell on poor Bucer Being at Strasburgh he also contracted much Ill-will by means of the Anabaptists and others whom he opposed and who by their pretended Sanctimony had a great Party there His Friends apprehended him on these Accounts in great Danger but he thought of no removal to any other Place Patron or Church trusting himself in God's Hands till Sturmius and some others advised him by all means to depart into England Which he at length yielding to the said Sturmius admonished him for his safer Travel to take a more uncommon Way through Lorain and Rhemes and some other parts of France to Calais and there to cross over the Sea Which he did and was very hospitably here entertained as was said before Bishops Consecrated Iune 29. Iohn Ponet or Poynet D.D. Chaplain to the Arch-bishop was Consecrated Bishop of Rochester at Lambeth-Chappel by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury assisted by Nicolas Bishop of London an◠Arthur Bishop of Bangor This Consecration was performed with all the usual Ceremonies and Habits probably for this Reason to give as little occasion of Offence to Papists as might be and to keep close to the old Usages avoiding Superstition Therefore it was set down in the Register at large in what Formalities all was now done The Arch-bishop is described Vsitatis insigniis redimitus uno Epitogio sive Capa indutus Oratorium suum praedictum honestè decenter ornatum ingressus c. Having on his Mitre and Cope usual in such Cases went into his Chappel handsomly and decently adorned to celebrate the Lord's Supper according to the Custom and by Prescript of the Book intituled The Book of Common-Service Before the People there assembled the Holy Suffrages first began and were publickly recited and the Epistle and Gospel read in the Vulgar Tongue Nicolas Bishop of London and Arthur Bishop of Bangor assisting and having their Surplices and Copes on and their Pastoral Staves in their Hands led Dr. Iohn Ponet endued with the like Habits in the middle of them unto the most Reverend Father and presented him unto him sitting in a decent Chair and used these words Most Reverend Father in God we present unto you this godly and well-learned Man to be consecrated Bishop The Bishop Elect forthwith produced the King's Letters Patents before the Arch-bishop Which by command of the said ABp being read by Dr. Glyn the said Ponet took the Oath of renouncing the Bishop of Rome and then the Oath of Canonical Obedience to the Arch-bishop These things being thus dispatched the Arch-bishop exhorted the People to Prayer and Supplication to the Most High according to the Order prescribed in the Book of Ordination set forth in the Month of March 1549. According to which Order he was Elected and Consecrated and endued with the Episcopal Ornaments the Bishop of London first having read the third Chapter of the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy in manner of a Sermon These things being done and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper celebrated upon a Table covered with a white Linen Cloth by the Arch-bishop and the two assisting Bishops the same Arch-bishop decreed to write to the Arch-deacon of Canterbury for the Investiture Installation and Inthronization of the said Bishop of Rochester as it was customary Present Anthony Huse principal Register of the Arch-bishop Peter Lilly Iohn Lewis Iohn Incent publick Notaries and many others as well Clerks as Laicks March 8. Iohn Hoper was consecrated Bishop of Glocester just after the same manner by the Arch-bishop Nicholas Bishop of London and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting clothed say the Words of the Register in Linen Surplices and Copes and Iohn Elect of Glocester in the like Habit. CHAP. XXV The Arch-bishop publisheth his Book against Gardiner THIS Year our Arch-bishop published his Elaborate Book of the Sacrament confuting the gross and carnal Presence of Christ there in vindication of a former Book of his wrote against by Bishop Gardiner and Dr. Smith For to give the Reader some distinct Account of this Matter in the Year 1550 Cranmer printed a Book in English in Quarto with this Title A Defence of the True and Catholick Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ with a Confutation of sundry Errors concerning the same Grounded and established upon God's Holy Word and approved by the Consent of the most ancient Doctors of the Church The great Reason that moved him to write this Book was that he might the more effectually purge the Church of Popery esteeming Transubstantiation and the Mass to be the very Roots of it The taking away of Beads Pilgrimages Pardons and such-like Popery was as he wrote in his Preface but the lopping off a few Branches which would soon spring up again unless the Roots of the Tree which were Transubstantiation and the Sacrifice of the Mass were pulled up Therefore out of a sincere Zeal to the Honour of God he would labour he said in his Vineyard to cut down that Tree of Error Root and Branch By this Book very many were enlightned to perceive the Errors of the Popish Doctrines of the Sacrament This Treatise he divided into five Books or Points I. Of the True and Catholick Doctrine and Use of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. II. Against the Error of Transubstantiation III. The manner how Christ is present in the Sacrament IV. Of the eating and drinking of the Body and Blood of Christ. V. Of the Oblation and Sacrifice of our Saviour Christ. In the third Part he made mention of the Bishop of Winchester in these words As many of them i. e. of the Papist Writers as I have read the Bishop of Winchester only excepted do say That Christ called not the Bread his Body This Bishop
brought into it These his Thoughts he communicated to Arch-bishop Cranmer which was about the Year 1546. Whereupon they both set to examine it with more than ordinary Care And all the Arguments that Cranmer gathered about it he digested into his Book Nor was the good Arch-bishop ashamed to make a publick Acknowledgment in print of this as well as of his other Popish Errors in his Answer to Smith's Preface who it seems had charged him with Inconstancy This I confess of my self that not long before I wrote the said Catechism I was in that Error of the Real Presence as I was many Years past in many other Errors as of Transubstantiation of the Sacrifice propitiatory of the Priests in the Mass of Pilgrimages of Purgatory c. being brought up from my Youth in them For the which and other the Offences of my Youth I do daily pray unto God for Pardon and Mercy After it pleased God to shew me by his Holy Word a more perfect knowledg of his Son Jesus Christ I put away my former Ignorance As God gave me Light so through his Grace I opened my Eyes to receive it And I trust in God's Mercy for pardon of my former Errors I set this down the more at large to shew the great Ingenuity as well as Piety of this good Man Peter Martyr in the Year following this printed a Book of the Sacrament which was the Sum of what he had read before upon that Point in the University of Oxford Which Book he dedicated to his Patron the Arch-bishop of Canterbury And giving the Reason why he made the Dedication to him said That he knew certainly that Cranmer had so great Skill in this Controversy as one could hardly find in any one besides That there was none of the Fathers which he had not diligently noted no antient or modern Book extant that he Martyr had not with his own Eyes seen noted by the Arch-bishop's Hand Whatsoever belonged to the whole Controversy he said that the Arch-bishop had digested into particular Chapters Councils Canons Popes Decrees pertaining hereunto and that with so great labour that unless he had been an Eye-Witness of it and seen it he could not easily have believed others if they had told him in regard of the infinite Toil Diligence and Exactness wherewith the Arch-bishop had done it He added that the Arch-bishop had not bestowed such kind of Pains and Study in the Matter of the Sacrament only but that he had done the same thing as to all other Doctrines in effect which in that Age were especially under Controversy And this that Learned Man said he had made good Observation of Nor as he went on that he wanted Skill a Method and Industry in defending what he held Which might he said be known by this because he had so often conflicted with his Adversaries both publickly and privately and by a marvellous strength of Learning quickness of Wit and dexterity of Management had asserted what he held to be true from the thorny and intricate Cavils of Sophisters glancing at his Controversies with Winchester who was commonly then called the Sophister and that he wanted not a Will yea a Mind ready to defend Sound and Câ—ristian Doctrines That all Men did sufficiently understand who saw him burn with so great an endeavour of restoring Religion that for this Cause only he had great and heavy Enemies and neglected many Commodities of this Life and underwent horrible Dangers The great and intimate Converse that P. Martyr had with Cranmer gave him opportunity to know him very well and therefore I have chosen to set down this Character that he gave of him and particularly of his Ability in this Controversy of thâ— Eucharist And I am apt to think that the careful perusal of these Authorities collected by the Arch-bishop and his Conversation with this Learned Prelate being much with him at Lambeth was a cause of bringing Martyr to the True Doctrine For at his first coming to Oxon he was a Papist or a Lutheran as to the belief of the Presence And so Feckenham Dean of S. Paul's told Bartlet Green at his Examination and that Martyr perceiving the King's Council as he uncharitably suggested to be of another Opinion he to please them forsook the true Catholick Faith But Mr. Green who had been a hearer of him at Oxon replied That he had heard Martyr say That he had not while he was a Papist read S. Chrysostom upon the tenth to the Corinthians nor many other places of the Doctors But when he had read them and well considered them he was content to yield to them having first humbled himself in Prayer desiring God to illuminate him and bring him to the true understanding of Scripture As to the Authorities the Arch-bishop alledgeth in his Book it was the Conjecture of Iohn Fox that he made use of Frith's Book which he wrote of the Sacrament against More divers Years before and that from the said Author the Arch-bishop seemed to have collected the Testimonies of the Doctors which he produced in his Apology against the Bishop of Winchester and that he gathered the principal and chiefest Helps thence that he leaned to But although he might peruse Frith as he did almost all other Authors that wrote of this Controversy yet he was too well versed in the Ecclesiastical Writers that he needed to go a borrowing to the readings of any others for Sentences and Allegations out of them Cranmer lived to see his Book replied again unto by his Adversary Gardiner in Latin under the fained Name of Marcus Antonius Constantius a Divine of Lovain His Book went under this Title Confutatio cavillationum quibus sacrosanctum Eucharistiae Sacramentum ab impiis Capernaitis impeti solet Printed at Paris 1552. In this Book he spared the Name of the Arch-bishop but reduceth all the Arch-bishop's Book into no less then 255 Objections To each of which one by one the Catholick is brought in making answer Next whereas Cranmer had laid down twelve Rules for the finding out the true Sense of the Fathers in their Writings the Catholick examines them and enervates them Then follows a Confutation of the Solutions whereby the Sectary as he is called that is Cranmer endeavoured to take off the Arguments of the Catholicks And which is the fourth and last part of the Book he defends Catholick Mens Sense of the Allegations out of the Fathers against the Sectaries Gardiner when he compiled this Book was in the Tower a Prisoner but yet he was under so easy restraint that he was furnished there with Workmen and Amanuenses As they of old to the building of the Tabernacle so he to the preparing of his Book a kind of Papistical Tabernacle to use the words of Martyr all sorts contributed something For his Book was Pandora's Box to which all the lesser Gods brought their Presents For every Man were his Learning less or more that had
any Arguments for the Popish Doctrine brought them all to him many whereof were windy and trivial enough and he out of the heap made his Collections as he thought good But Watson and Smith were his chief Assistants The Arch-bishop though the Times now soon after turned and he cast into Prison was very desirous to prepare another Book in Confutation of Marcus Antonius and in Vindication of his own Writing He lived long enough to finish three Parts whereof two unhappily perished in Oxford and the third fell into Iohn Fox's Hands and for ought I know that by this time is perished also But the great desire he had to finish his Answer to that Book was the chief cause that at his last Appearance before the Queen's Commissioners he made his Appeal to a General Council That thereby he might gain some time and leisure to accomplish what he had begun before his Life were taken away which he saw was likely to be within a very short space Otherwise as he writ to his Lawyer who was to draw up his Appeal it was much better for him to die in Christ's Quarrel and to reign with him than to be shut up and kept in that Body Unless it were to continue yet still a while in this Warfare for the Commodity and Profit of his Brethren and to the further advancing of God's Glory Peter Martyr his surviving and learned Friend being solicited by many English-Men by Letter and word of Mouth undertook the answering this Book But before he had finished it an English Divine and Friend of Martyr's with whom he held Correspondence in Q. Mary's Reign wrote him word in the Year 1557. that an Answer to Antonius by some other hand was then in the Press naming the Author Martyr replied That he was rather glad of it than any ways moved or disturbed at it as a disappointment of what he was doing and added that he expected nothing from that Man but what was very exquisite acute and elaborate But that he feared the noise thereof would not hold true And so it proved Whether this Learned Man withdrew his Book that he might give way to that which P. Martyr was writing or whether it were a Flam given out to stop Martyr in his Design it is uncertain But not long after this Learned Italian put forth his Answer He had it under the Press at Zurick in December 1558 and it came out the next Year Wherein as he wrote to Calvin he did unravel and confute all the Sophisms and Tricks of the Bishop of Winchester And it came forth very seasonably as Martyr hoped For hereby the English Papalins might see at this time especially that that Book was not as they boasted hitherto invincible He gave this Title to his Book Defensio Doctrina veteris Apostolicae de S.S. Eucharistiae Sacramento In the Preface to which he shewed How this Work fell to his Lot Not that that most Reverend Father wanted an Assistant for he could easily have managed Gardiner himself For he knew how Cranmer in many and various Disputes formerly had with him came off with Victory and great Praise but because the ABp when in Prison was forced to leave his Answer which he had begun unfinished by reason of his strait keeping having scarce Paper and Ink allowed him and no Books to make use of and being cut off so soon by Death before he could bring to perfection what he had writ Wherein as Martyr said he had harder measure by far from the Papists than Gardiner had from the Protestants in K. Edward's Days when he wrote his Book Gardiner in that Book of his under the Name of M. Constantius had shewn such foul play with Cranmer's Book mangling it and taking Pieces and Scraps of it here and there and confounding the Method of it to supply himself with Objections to give his own Answers to with the most advantage that the Arch-bishop thought that if Learned Foreigners saw but his first Book of the Sacrament as he wrote it it would be vindication enough against Gardiner's new Book against it And therefore he took order to have it translated into the same Language in which Gardiner wrote that is Latin that impartial Strangers might be able to read and judg and Sir Iohn Cheke elegantly performed it for his Friend the Arch-bishop This Book of Cranmer's thus put into Latin with some Additions came forth 1553. Before it he prefixed an Epistle to King Edward VI. dated at Lambeth Idib Mart. the same Year Wherein he said It was his Care of the Lord's Flock committed to him that put him upon renewing and restoring the Lord's Supper according to the Institution of Christ. And that that was the Reason that about three Years ago he set forth a Book in English against the principal Abuses of the Papistical Mass. Which Book had great Success upon the Peoples Minds in bringing them to embrace the Truth Whereby he said he perceived how great the Force of Truth was and understood the Benefits of the Grace of Christ that even the Blind should have their Eyes opened and partake of the Light of Truth as soon as it was revealed and shewed it self clearly to them But that this gave great Offence unto Gardiner then Bishop of Winchester so that he thought nothing was to be done till he had answered the Book supposing that there would be no helper of so declining forsaken a Cause unless he put to his Hand And so the Arch-bishop proceeded to shew how that Bishop first put forth his English Book endeavouring to overthrow the true Doctrine and to restore and bring again into Repute the Mass with all its Superstitions and afterwards his Latin Book under a feigned Name In which Gardiner had so unfairly dealt with the Arch-bishop's Arguments chopping and changing defacing and disfiguring them that he could not know them for his own and all that he might make it serve his own turn the better Insomuch that he resolved to have his own Book translated out of English into Latin that his true Opinion and Mind in this Controversy might the better be apprehended The whole Epistle is writ in a pure elegant Latin Stile with a good sharpness of Wit The publication of this his Latin Book he thought sufficient for the present to entertain the World till he should put forth in Latin also a full Answer to Gardiner which he intended shortly to do To this Latin Book the Arch-bishop occasionally reviewing it while he was in Prison made sundry Annotations and Additions not of any new Arguments but only of more Authorities out of the Fathers and Ancient Writers This valuable Autograph fell into the Hands of some of the English Exiles at Embden it may be by the Means of Bp Scory who was Superintendent of the English Church there or Sir Iohn Cheke who also for some time was in this Place both great Friends of the Arch-bishop In the
Year 1557 the Exiles here printed it with this Title Defensio c. a Thoma Cranmero Martyre scripta Ab Authore in Vinculis recognita aucta Before it is a new Preface to the Reader made as it is thought by Sir Iohn Cheke relating to the Arch-bishop and this his Book shewing how well-weighed and well-thought on this Doctrine of the Sacrament was before he published it and that he let it not go abroad till he had diligently compared and pondred all Scriptures and Ancient Authors and confirmed it at last by his Blood In the body of the Book the places where any Enlargements are are signified by an Hand pointing thereunto In the Margent is often to be found this word Object with certain Numbers added Which Numbers shew those Places which Gardiner under the Name of Marcus Antonius did endeavour to confute The very Original these English Exiles here at Embden kept as a great Treasure among them and as a Memorial of the Holy Martyr Besides this the Arch-bishop fully intended to have his Vindication of his Book impugned by Gardiner put into Latin also but he lived not to see that done But care was taken of this Business among the Exiles Insomuch that both Sir Iohn Choke and Iohn Fox were busied about it at the same time But the former surceased and left the whole Work to Fox then at Frankford after he had finished the first part In this Piece done by Cheke Iohn a Lasco had an hand for he put in the Latin School-Terms instead of more pure good Latin which Cheke had used And it was judged fit that such Words should be used where the ABp in his English had used them And this Cheke and A Lasco themselves wrote to Fox Fox undertook the rest by the Incitation and Encouragement of P. Martyr and of Grindal and Pilkington both Bishops afterwards Who gave him Directions for the translating and as Doubts occurred concerning the Sense of certain Matters in the Book as he met with them he consulted with these Men for their Judgments therein Grindal in one Letter bad him write a Catalogue of all Passages by him doubted of and send it to him Fox finished his Translation in the Year 1557 before Iune For which he had a Congratulatory Letter from Grindal who was his chief Assistant and Counsellor herein The Work was dispatched to the Press at Basil I suppose and when one Part was printed the Censors of the Press thought it would be better to defer an Argument of that Nature to better Times the Controversy having been bandied up and down so much already But Froscover undertook the printing of the whole Book Fox would do nothing of himself but leaving himself to the Judgment of his Learned Brethren to commit the Work now to Froscover or no Queen Mary's Death and the return of the Exiles I suppose stopped further progress in this Matter The Original Manuscript under Fox's own Hand in very cleanly elegant Latin I have lying by me It bears this Title De totâ Sacramenti Eucharistiae causa Institutionum Libri V. Autore D. THOMA CRANMERO Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi Quibus Stephani Garneri Episcopi Wintoniensi SMYTHI Doctoris Theologi impugnationibus respondetur And that I may bring here together all that relates to Cranmer as to this Matter of the Sacrament I must not omit what I saw in the Benet-Library There is a thin Note-book of this Arch-bishop's with this Title wrote by his own Hand De re Sacramentaria which I verily believe are his Meditations and Conclusions when he set himself accurately to examine the Sacramental Controversy and fell off from the Opinion of the Carnal Presence The Notes consist of nothing but Quotations out of ancient Ecclesiastical Authors about the Lord's Supper interlined in many Places by the Arch-bishop's Pen. On the top of some of the Pages are these Sentences writ by himself being Doctrines provable out of the Sentences there produced and transcribed Panis vocatur Corpus Christi Vinum Sanguis Panis est Corpus meum Vinum est Sanguis meus figurativae sunt locutiones Quid significet haec figura Edere carnem bibere sanguinem Mali non edunt bibunt corpus sanguinem Domini Patres Vet. Testamenti edebant bibebant Christum sicut Nos Sicut in Eucharistia ita in Baptismo presens est Christus Contra Transubstantiationem After this follow these Writings of the Arch-bishop's own Hand which Arch-bishop Parker elsewhere transcribed for his own Satisfaction Multa affirmant crassi Papistae seu Capernaitae quae neque Scriptura neque ullus Veterum unquam dixerat Viz. Quod Accidentia maneant sine subjecto Quod Accidentia panis vini sunt Sacramenta non panis vinum Quod Panis non est figura sed accidentia panis Quod Christus non appellavit panem corpus suum Quod cum Christus dixit Hoc est corpus meum pronomen Hoc non refertur ad panem sed ad corpus Christi Quod tot corpora Christi accipimus aut toties corpus ejus accipimus quoties aut in quot partes dentibus secamus panem Thus having set down divers Assertions of Papists or Capernaites as he stiled them which neither Scripture nor Ancient Fathers knew any thing of his Notes proceed to state wherein Papists and Protestants disagree Praecipua Capita in quibus a Papisticis dissentimus Christum Papistae statuunt in pane nos in homine comedente Illi in comedentis ore nos in toto homine Illi Corpus Christi aiunt evolare masticato vel consumpto pane Nos manere in homine dicimus quamdiu membrum est Christi Illi in pane statuunt per annum integrum diutius si duret panis Nos in homine statuimus inhabitare quamdiu Templum Dei fuerit Illorum Sententiâ quod ad realem praesentiam attinet non amplius edit homo quam bellua neque magis ei prodest quam cuivis animanti Thus God made use of this Arch-bishop who was once of the most violent Asserters of the Corporal Presence to be the chiefest Instrument of overthrowing it But this good Work required to be carried on after Cranmer's Death For great Brags were made of Gardiner's second Book and it was boasted that none dared to encounter this their Goliath P. Martyr was thought the fittest Man to succeed Cranmer in this Province to maintain the Truth that began now to shine forth He overcome by the Solicitation of Friends composed a Book against Gardiner as was said before and printed it at Zurick Wherein I. He defended the Arguments of our Men which had been collected together and pretended to be confuted by Gardiner's Book II. He defended those Rules which Cranmer had put forth in his Tract of the Sacrament III. He maintained those Answers whereby the Arguments of the Adversaries were wont to be refuted And IV. He asserted the just and
of that which lacked And so transmitted the Book again from Croydon Septemb. 19. to Sir William Cecyl and Sir Iohn Cheke the one the King 's Principal Secretary and the other his Tutor being the two great Patrons of the Reformation at the Court Desiring them together to take these Articles into their serious Considerations for he well knew them to be both wise and good Men and very well seen in Divine Learning And he referred it to their Wisdoms whether they thought best to move the King's Majesty therein before his coming to Court as though he conceived the King might make some demur in so weighty an Affair till he should consult with the Metropolitan in order to the coming to a Resolution or that there were some great Persons about the King that might cast some Scruples and Objections in his Mind concerning it which he by his Presence might prevent or be ready at hand to resolve Cecyl and Cheke thought it more convenient the Arch-bishop should offer them to the King himself So coming to Court soon after he delivered the Book to the King and moved him for their publishing and due observation And so leaving them before the King and Council they were then again delivered unto certain of the King's Chaplains who made some Alterations For I find that Octob. 2. a Letter was directed to Mr. Harley Bill Horn Grindal Pern and Knox to consider certain Articles which must be these Articles of Religion exhibited to the King's Majesty to be subscribed by all such as shall be admitted to be Preachers or Ministers in any part of the Realm and to make report of their Opinions touching the same The Time of the Year declined now towards the latter end of November and the Arch-bishop being retired down from Croydon to his House at Ford near Canterbury the Privy-Council Novemb. 20. dispatched by a Messenger the Articles unto him to be reviewed and for his last Hand that they might be presented before the Convocation and allowed there and so be published by the Royal Authority The Arch-bishop received the Book and Letter from the Council Novemb. 23. And making some Notes upon it enclosed them in a Letter to the Lords and sent them together with the Book the next day beseeching them to prevail with the King that all Bishops should have Authority to cause their respective Clergy to subscribe it And then he trusted as he wrote that such a Concord and Quietness in Religion would soon follow as otherwise would not be in many Years And thereby God would be glorified the Truth advanced and their Lordships rewarded by him as the setters forth of his true Word and Gospel This pious Letter may be read in the Appendix The King went a Progress this Summer and the Arch-bishop retired to Croydon where I find him in Iuly August and September And thence Octob. 11. he went to Ford to spend some time in his Diocess Now he was absent from the Court and the King abroad at that distance that he could not frequently wait upon him and be present at the Council his Enemies were at work to bring him into trouble as we shall see by and by CHAP. XXVIII Persons nominated for Irish Bishopricks THERE were certain Bishopricks in Ireland about this time vacant one whereof was that of Armagh And it was thought convenient to have them filled by Divines out of England In the Month of August the Arch-bishop was consulted with for this that so by the Influence of very wise and learned Men and good Preachers the Gospel might be the better propagated in that dark Region But because it was foreseen to be difficult to procure any English Men so endowed to go over thither therefore Secretary Cecyl being then with the King in his Progress sent a Letter to the Arch-bishop at Croyden to nominate some worthy Persons for those Preferments and whom he thought would be willing to undertake them He returned him the Names of Four viz. Mr. Whitehead of Hadley Mr. Turner of Canterbury Sir Thomas Rosse and Sir Robert Wisdome He said He knew many others in England that would be meet Persons for those Places but very few that would gladly be perswaded to go thither For it seems the English were never very fond of living in Ireland But he added concerning these four which he had named That he thought they being ordinarily called for Conscience-sake would not refuse to bestow the Talent committed unto them wheresoever it should please the King's Majesty to appoint them He recommended likewise a fifth Person for this Promotion one Mr. Whitacre a wise and well-learned Man as he characters him who was Chaplain to the Bishop of Winchester Poynet But he doubted whether he would be perswaded to take it upon him It may not be amiss to make some enquiry who and what those Four before-mentioned Persons were Mr. Whithead was an Exile in Queen Mary's Reign and Pastor of the English Congregation at Frankford And at the Conference in the beginning of Q. Elizabeth's Government he was one of the Nine Disputants on the Protestant side and one of the appointed Eight to revise the Service-Book The Writer of the Troubles at Frankford mentions three viz. Coverdale Turner and this Whitehead of whom he saith That they were the most ancient Preachers of the Gospel and the most ancient Fathers of this our Country and that from their Pens as well as their Mouths most of Queen Elizabeth's Divines and Bishops first received the Light of the Gospel Why Cranmer should stile him VVhithead of Hadley I do not apprehend seeing Dr. Rowland Taylor his Chaplain was now Parâ—on of Hadley who not long after was there burnt And one Yeomans was Taylor 's Curat there who also was afterwards burnt at Norwich But I suppose this was some other Hadley I find two about this Time bearing the Name of Turner both eminent Men and Preachers The one was named William Turner a Doctor in Physick and greatly befriended by Sir Iohn Cheke and Sir William Cecyl This Man a Native of Northumberland was the first English Man that compiled an Herbal which was the Ground-work of that which Gerard laid the last Hand unto He was a Retainer to the Duke of Somerset in Edward the Sixth's Time and was Physician in ordinary to his Family And the Year before this viz. 1551 I find him Dean of Wells The other was Richard Turner a Staffordshire-Man in former time Curate of Chartam in Kent and commonly called Turner of Canterbury living in the family of Mr. Morice the Arch-bishop's Secretary of whom afterwards who held the Impropriation of that Parsonage and had presented this Man to the Vicarage For his free and bold preaching against Popish Errors and asserting the King's Supremacy and for the extraordinary Success of his Ministry in bringing Multitudes of People in those Parts out of Ignorance and Superstition he was put to much Trouble and Danger He was
be excused from taking the Archbishoprick of Canterbury because this Promotion would so much interrupt his beloved Studies Desiring rather some smaller Living that he might more quietly follow his Book And as he had been an hard Student so he was a very great Writer both in respect of the number of Books and Treatises he compiled as of the Learning Judgment and Moment of them The first Treatise he wrote was that which was done at the Command of Henry VIII viz. Concerning the Unlawfulness of his Marriage with his Brother Arthur's Widow Which he made appear to be both against the Word of God and against the Judgment of the Antient Fathers of the Church and therefore a Case indispensable by the Pope And so well had he studied the Point and so well was assured of what he had wrote that he undertook before the King to maintain the Truth of it at Rome in the presence of the Pope himself The King accordingly dismissed him to the Pope in joint Embassy with the Earl of Wiltshire and some others for that purpose He presented his Book to the Pope offering to stand by it against any whomsoever that should attempt to gainsay it But the Pope thought not fit to suffer so tender a Point to be disputed wherein his Prerogative was so much touched When he had finished thâ—s Discourse it was sent to Cambridg and had the Approbation and Subscription of the eminentest Doctors there viz. Sâ—lcot Repps Câ—me and divers others Among which I suppose were Heines Litiner Shaxton Skip Goodrick Hethe who were then Gremials After this Book â—e was much employed in writing more at various Times and â—pon various Occasions Fox mentioneth Cranmer's Book of the â—eformation which I suppose was that of the Publick Service the Catechism the Book of Homilies which was part by him contrâ—ed and part by his Procurement and by him approved and pubished Likewise the Confutation of eighty eight Articles devised and propounded by a Convocation in King Henry's Reign and laboâ—red to be received and enjoined though they were not But his Discoâ—rse wherein he stated the Doctrine of the Sacrament in five â—ooks must especially be remembred Which he wrote on purpose for the publick Instruction of the Church of England And it â—s the more to be valued as being writ by him in his mature Age after all his great Readings and Studies and most diligent and serioâ—s perusals of all the Ecclesiastical Writers whereby he became throughly acquainted with their Judgments and Opinions in that Doctrine And in it are contained his last and ripest Thoughts on â—hat Argument This Book displayeth the great Weakness of that â—istinguishing Doctrine of the Church of Rome that asserts Transubstantiation Besides these many other Writings and Discourses were made by him Which we are beholden to the Bishop of Sarum for retrieving the Memory of and preserving the Substance of divers of them in his excellent History viz. A Learned Speech made to the Lords concerning the Pope and a general Council Which that Right Reverend Author thinks was made about the Year 1534 which was soon after his being made Arch-bishop Some Queries in order to the correcting of several Abuses in Religion whereby the People had been deceived Some Queries concerning Confirmation With the Answers which were given to them by Arch-bishop Cranmer Some Considerations to induce the King to proceed to a further Reformation These three last were presented by the Arch-bishop to the King about the Year 1536 as the Bishop of Sarum supposeth And having seen the Originals thereof in the Cotton-Library hath transcribed them to us in the Addenda to the Collections His Resolution of seventeen Questions concerning the Sacraments Anno 1540. A Collection of Passages out of the Canon Law to shew the necessity of Reforming it Anno 1542. His Letters to Osiander and Letters of Osiander to him concerning the Proceedings of the German Divines Whose Violence the Arch-bishop disliked A Speech made in the Convocation Wherein he exhorted the Clergy to give themselves to the study of the Scriptures and to consider seriously what things in the Church neeâ—ed Reformation Anno 1547. His Answer to the Demands of the Rebels in the West drawn up by him by Order of the Council Anno 1549. His Declaration to vindicate himself from an Aspersion That he had caused Mass to be sung in Canterbury Aâ—d offering therein a publick Dispute to maintain the Reformation Anno 1553. Besides two Volumes in Folio writ by Cranmer own Hand upon all the Heads of Religion Consisting of Allegtions of Texts of Scripture and of antient Fathers and later Doctos and School-men upon each Subject There were also six or seveâ— Volumes of his Writings which were in the Lord Burleigh's Iâ—ssession as appeared by a Letter of the said Lord which the Bishop of Sarum saw But he thought these may now be lost Most of tâ—e forementioned Writings are preserved in the Cotton-Library or iâ— that of Corpus-Christi Cambridg or among the Manuscripts of the Right Reverend Bishop Stillingsleet To which we must add the mention of a bundle of Books lying in the Palace-Treasury in Westminster in defence of the King's Title of Supream Head and concerning the Divorce and seveal other Matters with a Pâ—eface against Cardinal Pole Which aâ—e supposed to be written partly by Dr. Clark Bishop of Bath and Wels and partly by our Arch-bishop Several other Letters Speeches and Arguments of our Arch-bishop may be found in these Memorials which I omit here rehersing But I will add to these divers Pieces besides of this Prelat's writing as they are set down by Melchior Adam at the End of Cranmer's Life Who indeed did but transcribe them from Gesner and he from Iohn Bale's Centuries I. A Preface to the English Translation of the Bible This is transcribed in the Appendix II. A Catechism of Christian Doctrine printed by Gualter Lynn Anno 1548. This Catechism was first framed in Germany and by the Arch-bishop himself or his special Order turned into English And to fix an Authority to the same he caused it to be published in his own Name and owned it for his own Book This Dr. Rowland Taylor who lived in the Arch-bishop's Family declared before Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor at his Examination before him And in this sense we must understand the Author of the History of the Reformation when speaking of this Catechism he stiles it A Work that was wholly his own It was said before that Iustus Ionas he I suppose that dwelt with the Arch-bishop was the Translator of it into Latin It treated of the Sacrament after the Lutheran way Which Way the Arch-bishop embraced next after his rejection of the gross Papal Transubstantiation This Catechism was printed first by the Arch-bishop's Order about the Time of King Henry's Death or soon after In a second Edition tâ—e word
Not was inserted in a certain place of the Book to alter the Doctrine of the Real Presence which was asserted in the first Edition This Dr. Martin one of Queen Mary's Commissioners threw in his Dish at his Examination in Oxford But the Arch-bishop professed his Ignorance concerning the foisting in of that Word The addition of which Word indeed he thought was needless still holding the Body and Blood truly present in the Holy Supper though after a spiritual manner III. The Ordinances or Appointments of the Reformed Church This was the Book of Common-Prayer with the Preface before it beginning There was never any thing c. as I learn out of Bale IV. One Book of Ordaining Ministers Which I suppose was the Form of Ordination published in the Year 1550. V. One Book concerning the Eucharist with Luther With whom Cranmer once consented in the Doctrine of the Presence VI. A Defence of the Catholick Doctrine in five Books Which was his excellent Work in vindication of himself against Bishop Gardiner and Dr. Richard Smith Whereof much hath been said before VII Ecclesiastical Laws in the Time of King Edward This was the Book of the Reformation of the Ecclesiastical Laws the management of which was by the King's Letters committed to eight whereof Cranmer was the chief VIII The Doctrine of the Lord's Supper against Gardiner's Sermon This Sermon is the same I suppose with that Book of his intituled A Detection of the Devil's Sophistry wherewith he robbeth the unlearned People of the true Belief of the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar Which gave occasion to the Arch-bishop's first writing upon this Argument IX One Book against the Error of Transubstantiation X. One Book How Christ is present in the Supper XI One Book Concerning eating the Lord's Supper XII One Book Concerning the offering up of Christ. These five Books last mentioned are nothing else but the five Parts of his Book of the Holy Sacrament mentioned before XIII One Book of Christian Homilies Which must be the first Part of our Book of Homilies published under King Edward XIV One Book in answer to the Calumnies of Richard Smith For this Man had writ against Cranmer's Book of the Sacrament as well as Gardiner but done so scurrilously that Cranmer calls it his Calumnies XV. Confutations of Unwritten Verities Written against a Book of the same Smith intituled De veritatibus non scriptis Which he afterward recanted XVI Twelve Books of Common-Places taken out of the Doctors Those Volumes mentioned by Bishop Burnet I suppose were some of these Common-Place Books XVII Concerning not marrying the Brother's Wife Two Books Which must be those drawn up for the Use and by the Command of King Henry XVIII Against the Pope's Supremacy Two Books This was the Declaration against the Papal Supremacy said to be put forth by the Bishops in the Year 1536 upon occasion of Pole's Book of Ecclesiastical Vnion XIX Against the Pope's Purgatory Two Books XX. Concerning Justification Two Books I cannot trace these two last-mentioned Books unless by them be meant those two Treatises of Justification and Purgatory that are set at the end of the Institution XXI Pious Prayers One Book This Book I suppose was the Orarium seu libellus precationum put forth by the King and Clergy 1545. From whence a Book of Prayers was translated into English Anno 1552. XXII Letters to Learned Men One Book This I cannot hear any tidings of XXIII Against the Sacrifice of the Mass and against the Adoration of the Bread One Book Said to be writ while he was a Prisoner Which makes me conclude it to be part of his Reply to Gardiner's second Assault of him under the Name of Constantius XXIV To Queen Mary One Book or rather one Letter which was that he writ after his Examinations before her Commissioners and the Pope's Sub-delegate If some body of Leisure and that had the Opportunity of Libraries would take the pains to collect together all these Books and other Writings of this Arch-bishop and publish them it would be a worthy Work as both retrieving the Memory of this extraordinary Man who deserved so well of this Church and serving also much to illustrate the History of its Reformation But I know nothing of this nature done since the industrious Iohn Day in the Year 1580 printed a Book in Folio containing our Arch-bishop's Answer unto Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester against the true Doctrine of the Sacrament Also to Richard Smith Also a true Copy of the Book writ by Stephen Gardiner Also The Life and Martyrdom of Cranmer extracted out of the Book of Martyrs And now we are mentioning this great Prelat's Writings it may not be unworthy to take notice of what I meet with in a Letter of Arch-bishop Parker to Secretary Cecyl in the Year 1563 his Grace being then at Canterbury Where he spake of the Great notable written Books as he stiles them of his Predecessor Dr. Cranmer which he had left behind him at some of his Houses at or near Canterbury whether Ford or Bekesborn or both or with some Friends in those Parts These Manuscripts it seems were embezeled and surreptitiously taken away by private Hands probably during his restraint in Queen Mary's Days and now studiously concealed by some that were minded it may be to stifle them being chiefly levelled against the Roman Church and Bishop Parker who was a great and painful Searcher after Antient and Learned Manuscripts and a diligent Retriever of eminent Mens Writings had by credible Information learn'd in what Hands many of those Books were and had sent either for the Persons concerned or to them to demand the said Books But they denied them Whereupon knowing no other way to recover them he desired the Secretary by some Power from the Queen's Council to authorize him to enquire and search for those Books and such-like Monuments by all Ways as by the said Parker's Discretion should be thought good whether giving the Parties an Oath or viewing their Studies Wishing he might recover them to be afterwards at the Queen's Commandment Adding that he should be as glad to win them as he would be to restore an old Chancel to Reparation This Letter of Arch-bishop Parker I have inserted in the Appendix But whether after all his diligence he succeeded in the recovery of those Manuscripts I know not I am apt to think he did and that these Writings of Cranmer that were in his Possession and afterwards bequeathed unto the Library of Benet-College and those other divers Volumes which were as was before-said in the keeping of the Lord Burghley might be some at least of them An inquisitive Man would be glad to know what the Matter and Contents of these numerous Writings of our Arch-bishop were and that seeing so many of them are perished the knowledg of the various Subjects of them at least might be preserved This besides what hath been shewn already may be gathered by what
his Inconstancy viz. That he that was an earnest Protestant but the day before and one whom Dr. Sands had done much good for was now become a Papist and his great Enemy Thus was our Arch-bishop a Friend to this Man and divers others who went along with him as far as he and the Times favoured them but when these failed them they failed the Arch-bishop through Timorousness in some and worldly Respects in others But onâ—e more of this Dr. Mowse and I have done with him As a Reward of his forwardness at Cambridg before mentioned I find he was soon after incorporated at Oxon together with Andrew Pern D.D. a Man of the same Inconstancy and preferred to be Reader of the Civil Law there in the room of Dr. Aubrey who probably was removed for Incompliance And when the next Change happened under Queen Elizabeth Mowse came about again and in the Year 1560 obtained a Prebend in the Church of York He lived till the Year 1588 leaving some Benefactions to his old College The Arch-bishop was indeed a great Patron to all Learned and Pious Men especially those of the Reformation cherishing those not only of his own Country but Foreigners and Strangers also And as he brought over divers with him when he returned into England from his Embassy in Germany so he sent for more And such as came to him he gave honourable Harbour and Maintenance to keeping them at his own Cost till he had made Provisions for them either in the Church or University For Erasmus our Arch-bishop had a great value whose Worth and Service to the Church he well knew He allowed him an Honorary Pension promising him that he would be no less kind unto him than his Predecessor Warham had been before him Which Arch-bishop was one of Erasmus his best and most extraordinary Friends and Benefactors Of whom he used these words to a Friend of his Qui mihi unus multorum instar erat Soon after the succession of Cranmer into this Arch-bishop's Room Sir Thomas More wrote to Erasmus that he that then filled the See of Canterbury bore no less love to him than Warham had done before and Quo non alius vixit tui amantior That there was no Man living loved him better And Erasmus himself mentioning his great Loss in Arch-bishop VVarham and divers other Patrons of his that were taken off by Death comforted himself that God had made up those Losses to him by raising him up other Friends So saith he in the room of VVarham succeeded the Reverend Thomas Cranmer Professione Theologus Vir integerrimus candidissimisque moribus Qui ultro pollicitus est sese in studio ac beneficentia erga me priori nequaquam cessurum quod sponte pollicitus est sponte praestare coepit ut mihi Vuaramus non ereptus sed in Cranmero renatus videri queat By Profession a Divine a Person of the greatest Integrity and most unblamable Behaviour VVho of his own accord promised That in Favour and Kindness toward me he would be no ways behind his Predecessor And that which he voluntarily promised he hath voluntarily begun to make good So that methinks Warham is not taken away from me but rather Born again to me in Cranmer One Specimen of his Munificence towards this Learned Man I meet with in one of his Letters wherein he acknowledged to have received of Cranmer eighteen Angels when the Bishop of Lincoln sent him also Fifteen and the Lord Crumwel Twenty Alexander Aless was another Learned Stranger whom our Arch-bishop gave Harbour and shewed Favour to A Scotch-Man by Birth but that had long lived and conversed with Melancthon in Germany Who knowing the generous and hospitable Disposition of the Arch-bishop recommended this Aless to him giving a high Character of him for his Learning Probity and Diligence in every good Office In the Year 1535 he brought over from Melancthon a Book to be presented to the Arch-bishop wherein That Learned German laboured as he told the Arch-bishop in his Letter sent at the same time to state diligently and profitably most of the Controversies and as much as he could to mitigate them leaving the Judgment of the whole unto his Grace and such learned and pious Men as He from whose Judgment he said he would never differ in the Church of Christ desiring him also to acquaint Aless what his Grace's own Judgment was of the Book that Aless might signify the same unto him Such was the Deference Melancthon gave unto the Learning and Censure of Cranmer This Book I should suppose to have been his Common Places but that they came out a Year after By the same Messenger he sent another of these Books to be presented in his Name to the King and in case the Arch-bishop approved of what he had wrote he entreated him to introduce the Bringer and to assist him in the presenting of it Upon these Recommendations of Aless and the Arch-bishop's own Satisfaction in the Worth of the Man he retained him with him at Lambeth and much esteemed him This was that Aless that Crumwel probably by Cranmer's means brought with him to the Convocation in the Year 1536 whom he desired to deliver there his Opinion about the Sacrament Who did so and enlarged in a Discourse asserting two Sacraments only instituted by Christ namely Baptism and the Lord's Supper As the Author of the British Antiquities relates ad Ann. 1537. calling him there Virum in Theologia perductum A thorow-paced Divine This Man compiled a useful Treatise against the Schism laid to the Charge of Protestants by those of the Church of Rome The Substance and Arguments of which Book were Melancthon's own Invention but Aless composed and brought it into Method and Words This Book Melancthon sent unto George Prince of Anhalt The Consolations of which as he wrote to that Noble and Religious Man he was wont to inculcate upon himself against those who objected commonly to them the horrible Crime of Schism as he stiles it For saith he their monstrous Cruelty is sufficient to excuse us Which it seems was one of the Arguments whereby they defended themselves against that Charge Esteeming it lawful and necessary to leave the Communion of a Church which countenanced and practised Cruelty a thing so contrary to one of the great and fundamental Laws of Christian Religion namely that of Love and that their abiding in a Church where such bloody and barbarous Practices were would argue their approbation and concurrence And as Melancthon made use of him in composing his Thoughts into a handsom Stile so did another great Light of the same Nation I mean Bucer In King Edward's Days he had wrote a Book in the German that is in his own Country-Language about Ordination to the Ministery in this Kingdom of England intituled Ordinatio Ecclesiae seu Ministerii Eccesiastici in florentissimo Angliae regno This our
sins or that the veray bare observation of theym in it self is a holines before God Although they be remembrances of many holy things or a disposition unto goodness And evyn so do the lawes of your G's realm dispose men unto justice unto peace and other true and perfect holines Wherfore I did conclude for a general rule that the people ought to observe theym as they do the laws of your G's realm and with no more opinion of holines or remission of sin then the other common Laws of your G's realm Though my two Sermons were long yet I have written briefly unto your Highness the sum of theym both And I was informed by sundry reports that the people were glad that they heard so much as they did until such time as the Prior of the black frears at Canterbury preached a sermon as it was thought and reported clean contrary unto al the three things which I had preached before For as touching the first part which I had preached against the erroneous doctrin of the Bp. of R. his power which error was that by God's Law he should be Gods Vicar here in earth the Prior would not name the Bp. of R. but under color spake generally That the Church of Christ never erred And as touching the second part where I spake of the Vices of the Bishops of R. And there to the Prior said that he would not sclawnder the Bishops of Rome And he said openly to me in a good Audience that he knew no vices by none of the Bishops of Rome And he said also openly that I preached uncharitably whan I said that these many years I had daily prayed unto God that I might see the power of Rome destroyed and that I thanked God that I had now seen it in this realm And yet in my sermon I declared the cause wherfore I so prayed For I said that I perceived the See of Rome work so many things contrary to Gods honor and the wealth of this realm and I saw no hope of amendment so long as that See reigned over us And for this cause onely I had prayed unto God continually that we might be separated from that See and for no private malice or displesure that I had either to the Bp. or See of Rome But this seemed an uncharitable prayer to the Prior that the power of Rome should be destroyed And as for the third part where I preached against the Laws of the Bp. of Rome that they ought not to be taken as Gods Lawes nor to be esteemed so highly as he would have them the Prior craftily leaving out the name of the Bp. of Rome preached that the Lawes of the Church be equal with Gods lawes These things he preached as it is proved both by sufficient witnes and also by his own confession I leave the judgment hereof unto your G. and to your Councel whether this were a defence of the Bp. of Rome or not And I onely according to my bounden duty have reported the truth of the Fact But in mine opinion if he had spoken nothing else yet whosoever saith that the Church never erred maintaineth the Bp. of Rome his power For if that were not erroneous that was taught of his power That he is Christs Vicar in earth and by Gods law Head of al the World spiritual and temporal and that al people must believe that De necessitate Salutis and that whosoever doth any thing against the See of Rome is an heretick and that he hath authority also in Purgatory with such other many false things which were taught in times past to be Articles of our Faith if these things were not erroneous yea and errors in the Faith then must nedis your G's Laws be erroneous that pronounce the Bp. of Rome to be of no more power by Gods Law than other Bishops and theym to be Traitors that defend the contrary This is certain that whosoever saith that the Church never erred must either deny that the church ever taught any such errors of the Bp. of Rome his power and then they speak against that which al the world knoweth and al books written of that matter these three or four hundred years do testifie or else they must say that the said errors be none errors but truths And then it is both treason and heresy At my first Examination of him which was before Christmas he said that he preached not against me nor that I had preached any thing amiss But now he saith that I preached amiss in very many things and that he purposely preached against me And this he reporteth openly By which words I am marvellously sclawndered in these parts And for this cause I beseech your G. that I may not have the judgment of the cause for so moch as he taketh me for a party but that your G. would commit the hearing therof unto my L. Privy Seal or else to associate unto me some other persons at your G's plesure that we may hear the case joyntly together If this man who hath so highly offended your G. and preached against me openly being Ordinary and Metropolitane of this Province and that in soch matters as concerne the misliving and the laws of the Bp. of Rome and that also within mine own church if he I say be not looked upon I leave unto your G's prudence to expend what example this may be unto others with like colour to maintain the Bp. of Rome his authority and also of what estimation I shal be reputed hereafter and what credence shal be given unto my preaching whatsoever I shal say hereafter I beseech your G. to pardon me of my long and tedious writing For I could not otherwise set the matter forth plaine And I most heartily thank your G. for the Stag which your G. sent unto me from Wyndsor Forest. Which if your G. knew for how many causes it was welcome unto me and how many ways it did me service I am sure you would think it moch the better bestowed Thus our Lord have you Highness alwayes in his preservation and governance From Ford the xxvj day of August Your Graces most humble Chaplain and bedisman T. Cantuarien NUM XIV The Archbishop to Mr. Secretary Crumwel concerning his styling himself Primate of al England RIght worshipful in my most harty wise I commend me unto you Most hartily thanking you for that you have signified unto me by my Chaplain Mr. Champion the complaint of the Bp. of Winchester unto the Kings Highnes in two things concerning my Visitation The one is that in my style I am written Totius Angliae Primas to the derogation and prejudice of the Kings high power and authority being Supreme Head of the Church The other is that his Dioces not past five years agone was visited by my Predecessor and must from henceforth pay the tenth part of the Spiritualties according to the Act granted in the last Sessions of Parlament Wherfore he thinketh that his
of grace of repentaunce hymself wold draw al other to his dampnation and dissuadeth al retorne to grace This your charitie yow now show to your contrie which as I said hitherto is very vengeaunce of God toward yow Of the which this great blyndnes gyveth a great testimonie that yow show in your lettre writeng of thise thynges as though yow had never knowledge what had been done in the realme afore your tyme nor what was the state of your time nor yet what is the state of the realm at this present bryngeng for a great inconvenient that if the Parlament shuld accept the lawes of the Pope thei shuld be constrayned to repeal those that were done against his lawes and authoritie As though this were not so done already And showeng so great ignoraunce both touching the doctrine of the church and in this â—oyncte touching the Popes authoritie and the experience of the custome of the realm yet yow conclude that ignoraunce might excuse other men how prejudicyal the canon lawes be to the wealth of the realm if thei wold accept the same But you cannot be excused by ignoraunce And seeing in this the very trouthe that ignoraunce cannot excuse yow as in trouthe it cannot being of that kynde it is But if that do not excuse you then malice doith condempne yow Which is the very cause to bring you to ignoraunce inexcusable both in this poincte of the authoritie of the Pope as in the doctrine of the Sacrement Wherin it is no lesse monstrous And this yow show most where yow think to speak with lesse obstinacy As where yow say that if thei that follow the Popes doctrine hereiâ— could bryng in but one old auncyent Doctor of the Church of their opinion you have offred afore as yow offer yet to gâ—ve place unto them and to consent to the same What a proffe is this to show your profound blyndnes If there be no let but this because yow see not of the old Doctors at the least one that were against yowr opinion in the defence of the Popes doctrine other men seeing so many and not one auncient approved doctor that ever dissented what a wonderful blyndnes is this not to see one against yow For this is playne when the Pope showeth his sence and doctrine in this Article he doith not speak thereof as of an Article that he himself hath newly found nor yet ony of his predecessours but that al hath uniformally received one of another of their fathers unto the Apostles tyme and they of Christ. Which argument is so strong so evident to the condempnation of your opinion and confirmatyon of the Popes that manie sage and learned men writing against the opinion yow follow being diverse sortes of arguments to confound the same set apart al form of reasoneng and onelie stick upon the testimony and uniforme consent of al the old Doctors of the Church to this day Which testimonies be so meny that they fyll up great books as amongst other my Lord of Durham at this present in his book written of this matter taketh this way to ground hymself most apon the perpetual consent of the old Doctors continuing unto this age and al against your opinion Which book is abrode and hath been seen of yow Then if yee wil think him of so smal judgment or knowledge that in such a nombre as he bringeth there is not one that maketh to his purpose but al for your purpose whom he entendeth to oppugne other this must prove a wonderful blyndnes in hym and not in hym alone but in so menie learned men that taketh the same way or ells in yow that amongst so menye testimonies som more clerer then som not to see so moche as one alone this is an evydent proff that yee be stark blynd For if yee were not if it were but one brought furth unto yow as is mentioned in that book the condempnation of Berengarius that was of your opinion and that done by a General Councel of all the Nations in Chrystendom growndeng it self upon the uniform doctrine of their forefathers Were not this enough yf yow had yies to see to show that more then one old Doctor were of the Popes doctrin And if this be not sufficyent proff unto yow the same being enough to Berengarius hymself which was converted therby and persuaded to recant his opinion what doth this show but that he was not utterly blynded but that he saw some testimonie against hym yow utterly to have lost al syght that se not so moch as one But of this your monstrous blyndnes I mervell the less the more I see the same to procede of the very justice and wrath of God against yow with whom yow mocking on that maner as yow showed in comyng in such a high place in service of the church as was to be Archbishop and Primate of the Realm as to swere in dolo not onlye Proximo but Vniversae Ecclesiae Wylleng afterward to pervert the old order of the churche which yow called a Reformation me semeth to here the very words and curse of S. Paul that lighted upon the false Prophet Bariesu letting the coorse of the doctrine Evangelical preached by hym when he then curseng hym said O! plene omni malo omni fallaciâ fili diaboli inimice omnis justitiae non desinis pervertere vias Domini rectas Et ecce nunc manus Domini super te eris caecus non videns solem usque ad tempus The effect of this I do see hath lighted upon yow for entreng by deceit to be a chieff Doctour in the church perverteng Vias Domini rectas to be blynded I pray God it be but ad tempus But hitherto I have not known a more deaper blyndnes And if that was ponnyshment of that false prophet to lese his corporal syght for a tyme that being an infidelle for very ignoraunce did put obstacle to the very trew doctrine of the faith never hard of afore to be blynded corporallie for a tyme yow that first knew the doctrine and preached the same which afterward yow do pervert if yow were stricken with a gretter and more notable blyndnes the which yow show now this is evident to come of the verie hond of god which mans hond cannot heale but only the hond of god that justlie ponnyshed yow therewithal And the sorer and more desperate cure is of this your blyndnes the more yow acquyett your self therein as though yow had a great gift of light above al other For so yow show in your lettres persuadeng your self to have found a way in teacheng the doctrine of the Sacrament of the aulter that other hath not seen Which is to take away the absurdity both to the sence and reason of man that is in the catholick doctrine toucheng the Sacrement of the aulter as yow say in that forme of bread and wyne to be the verie trew real presence of the body of Christ and that it is
silent in some things more fully and largely treated of elsewhere But here are numberless Notices given concerning the Archbishop some which are no where else others very imperfectly observed besides the Narrations of the State and History of the Church which are every where interposed in most of which the Archbishop bore a part The Cathedral Church of Canterbury now called Christ-Church I have in some places stiled Trinity Church because I so find it named in those particular Records I make use of in those places and it seems in some of the first years of our Archbishop it ordinarily went by that old Name My Stile may seem rough and unpolished and the Phrases here and there uncouth the reason of which is because I confess I have often taken the very Expressions and Words of the Papers I have used and so may fall sometimes into obsolete Terms and a Style not so acceptable to the present Age whose Language is refined from what it was an Hundred and fifty or forty years ago But I have chosen to do this that I might keep the nearer Truth and lest that by varying of the Language I might perhaps sometimes vary from the true meaning of my Writer And in truth he that is a Lover of Antiquity loves the very Language and Phrases of Antiquity The Reader will find some few things here which are already published in the late Specimen put forth by Anthony Harmer he and I it seems lighting unwittingly upon the same Records to wit K. Edward's Council-Book and the Register of Christ-Church Cant. Nor could I strike out of my Book what I found published in the said Specimen having fully finished it and the Copy being under the Press some Weeks before that Book came forth and the matters there related interwoven into the Contexture of my History And now after all this Pains that I have taken in fulfilling this Task which I assure the Readers have not been small nor of a few Years let me not for every little slip fall under their Censure and Reproach but rather let them use me with Gentleness and Charity considering how few tho much abler will trouble themselves to Labour and Drudge and take Journeys and be at Expences in making such Collections for the Publick Good It calls to mind what happened upon the Death of the Laborious Antiquary Iohn Stow who had been a Collector of Matters for the English History Seven and forty years and dyed 1605. and had all the Collections of Reiner Wolf another Historian and a Printer in K. Edward the Sixth's days and if he had lived but one year longer intended to have published his long Labours But after his death there was not a man to be found to take the small Pains to review his Papers and fit them for the Press Many indeed were talked of to do it both Persons of Quality among the Laity and Clergy For the World had great and earnest expectation to see Stow in Print But when they were spoke to to take the good Work in hand some of them said That they thought the giving out of their Names was rather done by secret Enemies on purpose to draw them into Capital Displeasure and to bring their Names and Lives into a general question Others said That they who did such a Work must flatter which they could not neither wilfully would they leave a Scandal unto their Posterity Another said he could not see how in any Civil action a man should spend his Travel Time and Money worse than in that which acquires no Regard or Reward except Backbiting and Detraction And one among the rest swore an Oath and said He thanked God that he was not yet mad to waste his Time spend Two hundred Pounds a Year which it seems Stow had done trouble himself and all his Friends only to gain assurance of endless Reproach loss of Liberty and bring all his days in question Yet at last one Edward Howes undertook it and effected it But it happened just so to him having been intolerably abused and scandalized for his Labour So slothful and backward are most to take Pains in Works of this nature and so apt to censure those that do I hope I shall meet if not with Thanks at least with more candid men and better usage But whatever happens I shall arm my self with Patience to undergo it since I intend nothing hereby but to be serviceable unto my Countrey and God's Church and to Justify the excellent Reformation of it in these Kingdoms and finally to do Right unto the Memory of that truly Great and Good Archbishop of Canterbury And thus recommending the Success of this Work unto God's Blessing I here make an End J. STRYPE Sept. 29. 1693. Low-Leyton I desire the Reader to take Notice That when I quote Fox's Acts and Monuments it is the Edition in the Year 1610. And when the Life of K. Henry VIII by the L. Herbert it is the Edition of 1672. And when the History of the Reformation by Bishop Burnet it is that of the Year 1681. Farewel A TABLE OF THE Books Chapters and Contents OF THESE MEMORIALS OF ARCHBISHOP CRANMER BOOK I. CHAP. I. Cranmer 's Birth Education and Rise A Worthy Work to revive his Memory His Family Account of his younger years Sent to Cambridge An. 1503. Sets himself to study the Scripture Is made Doctor of Divinity Marries Refuses to go to Wolsey's College Oxon. He is made one of the University-Examiners The King 's great Cause first proposed to the Universities The occasion of his Rise His Opinion of the King's Cause The King sends for him Suitably placed with the Earl of Ormond Friendship and Correspondence between the Earl and Cranmer A Providence in his being placed here Cranmer disputes at Cambridge Grows dear to the King and his Court. CHAP. II. Pole 's Book about the King's Matrimony Pole's Book against the King's dissolving his Marriage Cranmer peruses it His Account of it His Censure thereof CHAP. III. Cranmer 's Embassies He is employed in Embassies To the Pope Offers him a Dispute in favour of the King's Cause To the Emperor Cornel. Agrippa gained by Cranmer to the King's Cause Becomes acquainted with Osiander and marries his Kinswoman Treats with the Emperor about the Contract of Traffick and about sending Supplies against the Turk Sends the King the News in those Parts And the Proclamation for a General Council And the Tax of the States of the Empire He goes in an Embassy to the Duke of Saxony and other Protestant Princes CHAP. IV. Cranmer made Archbishop of Canterbury Made Archbishop of Canterbury His Dignities before he was Archbishop Archbishop Warham foretels a Thomas to succeed him Archbishop Warham for the King's Supremacy Cranmer's Testimony of Warham A Reflection upon a Passage relating to Cranmer in Harpsfields History Cranmer tries to evade the Archbishoprick Declares the reason thereof to the King The Archbishop's Brother is made Archdeacon of Canterbury
The King linked Cranmer with him in all his Proceedings about Q. Katherine The King and Archbishop appeal from the Pope to a General Council The King writes to Dr. Boner his Ambassador in that behalf The Archbishop is Consecrated The Pope's Bulls The Archbishop surrenders them to the King The method of the Consecration The Archbishop's Oath for the Temporalties The Archbishop pronounceth the Divorce The Archbishop's Judgment of the Marriage CHAP. V. The Archbishop Visits his Diocess The Archbishop forbids Preaching Visits his Diocess The delusion of a Nun in Kent The Archbishop appeals from the Pope The Archbishop's Letter to Boner Disputes in the Parliament against the Pope's Supremacy Licenses for Chappels CHAP. VI. The Archbishop presseth the Translation of the Bible The Archbishop labours the Reformation of the Church What he did this Convocation A Book for Preaching and the Beads Dispersed by the Archbishop to all the Bishops The Archbishop of York preaches at York The Clergy and Universities subscribe against the Pope Cranmer and others administer the Oath of Succession to the Clergy And to Sir Tho. More who refused it Cranmer's Argument with him More offers to swear to the Succession it self Bishop Fisher offers the same The Archbishop writes to Crumwel in their behalf The Archbishops endeavour to save the Lives of More and Fisher. CHAP. VII The Archbishop Visits the Diocess of Norwich A Premunire brought against Bishop Nix The Archbishop visits this Bishop's See The Bishop of Norwich a Persecutor Goâ—dric Lee and Salcot Consecrated Bishops CHAP. VIII The Archbishop Preacheth at Canterbury The Archbishop preaches up the King's Supremacy at Canterbury A Prior preaches against him Whom he convents before him The Archbishop acquaints the King with the matter A Provincial Visitation Winchester herein opposeth him The Archbishop's Vindication of his Title of Primate The Bishop of London refuseth his Visitation And Protests against him Cranmer sends him a part of the New Testament to translate And his Answer Lawney's Jest upon Bishop Stokesly Who this Lawney was CHAP. IX Monasteries visited Monasteries visited The Archbishop for their Dissolution The Visitors Informations Bishops Diocesan and Suffragan Consecrated Suffragan Bishops usual in the Realm Bishops without Title Nic. Shaxton Edw. Fox Will. Barlow Geo. Brown A Memorial of the good Services of Archbishop Brown in Ireland Tho. Mannyng Iohn Salisbury CHAP. X. The Audience Court The Archbishop's Audience-Court struck at The Archbishop defends it The Archbishop promoting a Reformation in the Convocation CHAP. XI Articles of Religion Articles published and recommended by the King The Original thereof The Original sent into the North to shew to the Rebels The Contents of them Articles of Faith Articles relating to Ceremonies A Conjecture that the Pen of the Archbishop was here CHAP. XII Cranmer 's Iudgment about some Cases of Matrimony Two remarkable Books published I. The Book of Articles II. A Book against the Pope called The Bishop's Book Certain Cases of Matrimony put to the Archbishop His Solution Refuseth to grant a Dispensation for the Marriage of a Relation His Letter thereupon He restrains the number of Proctors Which some complain of to the Parliament The Archbishop divorceth Q. Anne A License for a Chappel Bucer this year dedicates a Book to the Archbishop Bishops consecrated Richard Sampson William Rugge Rob. Warton CHAP. XIII The Bishop's Book The Bishop's Book by the Archbishop's means Winchester's Opposition The King makes Animad versions upon it Published How esteemed Enlarged and Reprinted Some account of the foresaid Book Names of the Composers CHAP. XIV The Archbishop visits his Diocess Goes down into his Diocess Gets a License to visit The Vicar of Croydon The Archbishop visits his Diocess What course he took for the preventing of Superstition CHAP. XV. The Bible Printed His Joy at the publishing the English Bible Presents one by Crumwel to the King Cranmer's Letters to Crumwel Some further Particulars concerning this Edition of the Bible The Printer's Thanks and Requests to Crumwel Grafton to Crumwel The Printer apprehensive of another Edition Other Requests of the Printer CHAP. XVI Many Suffragan Bishops made The Feast of S. Thomas c. forbid Rob. Holgate Consecrated Bishop Iohn Bird Lewis Thomas Some account of Bird. Thomas Morley Rich. Yngworth Iohn Thornton Richard Thornden Iohn Hodgkin Henry Holbeach Suffragans CHAP. XVII The Bible in English allowed The Archbishop reads upon the Hebrews A Declaration for reading the Bible The Bible received and read with great Joy The Archbishop had a hand in Lambert's Death The Bishops dispute against Lambert's Reasons CHAP. XVIII The Archbishop's Iudgment of the Eucharist Cranmer zealous for the Corporal Presence His Reasons for it Sanders his slanders of the Archbishop concerning his Opinion in the Sacrament When Cranmer changed his Opinion Latimer of the same Judgment Divers Priests marry Wives The King's Proclamation against Priests Marriages Anabaptists A Commission against them The way wardness of the Priests occasions the King to write to the Justices The Archbishop visits the Diocess of Hereford Bishops Consecrated William Finch Iohn Bradley CHAP. XIX The Act of Six Articles The Archbishop makes Nic. Wotton Commissary of his Faculties The King offended with the Archbishop and some other Bishops The Six Articles opposed by the Archbishop The Arguments the Archbishop made use of at this time lost The King's Message to the Archbishop by the Lords A Book of Ceremonies Laboured to be brought in A Convocation The Papists rejoice Two Priories surrendred to the Archbishop The Archbishop and Crumwel labour with the King about the new Bishopricks Bishops this year Iohn Bell Iohn Skyp CHAP. XX. The Archbishop in Commission The Archbishop's Enemies accuse him His Honesty and Courage in discharge of a Commission And his Success therein Questions of Religion to be discussed by Divines by the King's Command The Names of the Commissioners Seventeen Questions upon the Sacrament The Archbishop's Judgment upon these Questions The Judgments of other Learned Men concerning other Points An Act to prevent Divorces The Archbishop to Osiander concerning the Germans abuse of Matrimony CHAP. XXI The largest Bible printed Some account of printing the English Bible The New Testament printed 1526. And Burnt Reprinted about 1530. Burnt again The Scripture prohibited in a Meeting at the Star-Chamber The New Testament Burnt the third time The whole Bible printed 1537. Matthews that is Rogers's Bible About 1538 the Bible printed again in Paris The Printers fall into the Inquisition The Bible printed with French Presses in London The largest Bible published in the year 1540. Boner's Admonition for reading the Bible The Bible supprest again Anno 1542 3. King Henry's Judgment for the use of the Bible CHAP. XXII The Archbishop retired The Archbishop keeps himself more retired The Archbishop issues out his Commission for the Consecrating of Boner Boner's Oath of Fidelity The Archbishop makes a
their Pain But because the Place where they be the Name thereof and kinds of Pain there is to us uncertain by Scripture therefore we remit this with all other things to Almighty God unto whose Mercies it is meet to commend them That such Abuses be put away which under the Name of Purgatory have been advanced As to make Men believe that through the Bishop of Rome's Pardons Souls might clearly be delivered out of Purgatory and the Pains of it or that Masses said at Scala Coeli or otherwise in any Place or before any Image might deliver them from all their Pains and send them streight to Heaven These are the Contents of that memorable Book of Articles There are Reasons added now and then to confirm the respective Tenets there laid down and many Quotations of Holy Scripture which for brevity sake I have omitted Which one may conjecture to have been inserted by the Pen of the Arch-bishop Who was the great Introducer of this Practice of proving or confuting Opinions in Religion by the Word of God instead of the ordinary Custom then used of doing it by School-men and Popish Canons We find indeed many Popish Errors here mixed with Evangelical Truths Which must either be attributed to the Defectiveness of our Prelate's Knowledg as yet in True Religion or being the Principles and Opinions of the King or both Let not any be offended herewith but let him rather take notice what a great deal of Gospel-Doctrine here came to light and not only so but was owned and propounded by Authority to be believed and practised The Sun of Truth was now but rising and breaking through the thick Mists of that Idolatry Superstition and Ignorance that had so long prevailed in this Nation and the rest of the World and was not yet advanced to its Meridian Brightness CHAP. XII Cranmer's Iudgment about some Cases of Matrimony IN this Year then came forth two remarkable Books whereof both the King and the Arch-bishop and Bishops might be said to be joint Composers In as much as they seemed to be devised by the Arch-bishop and some of the Bishops and then Revised Noted Corrected and Enlarged by the King The one of these was the Book of Articles of Religion mentioned before This Book bore this Title Articles devised by the King's Highness to stable Christian Quietness and Vnity among the People c. With a Preface by the King Where the King saith he was constrained to put his own Pen to the Book and to conceive certain Articles Which words I leave to the Conjecture of the Reader whether by them he be enclined to think that the King were the first Writer of them or that being writ and composed by another they were perused considered corrected and augmented by his Pen. The other Book that came out this Year was occasioned by a Piece published by Reginald Pole intituled De Vnione Ecclesiastica Which inveighing much against the King for assuming the Supremacy and extolling the Pope unmeasurably he employed the Arch-bishop and some other Bishops to compile a Treatise shewing the Usurpations of Popes and how late it was e're they took this Superiority upon them some hundred Years passing before they did it And that all Bishops were limited to their own Diocesses by one of the eight Councils to which every Pope did swear And how the Papal Authority was first derived from the Emperor and not from Christ. For this there were good Arguments taken from the Scriptures and the Fathers The Book was signed by both the Arch-bishops and nineteen other Bishops It was called the Bishops Book because devised by them The Lord Crumwel did use to consult with the Arch-bishop in all his Ecclesiastical Matters And there happened now while the Arch-bishop was at Ford a great Case of Marriage Whom it concerned I cannot tell but the King was desirous to be resolved about it by the Arch-bishop and commanded Crumwel to send to him for his Judgment therein The Case was three-fold I. Whether Marriage contracted or solemnized in Lawful Age per Verba de presenti and without carnal Copulation be Matrimony before God or no II. Whether such Matrimony be consummate or no And III. What the Woman may thereupon demand by the Law Civil after the death of her Husband This I suppose was a cause that lay before the King and his Ecclesiastical Vicegerent to make some determination of And I suspect it might relate to Katharine his late divorced Queen The Arch-bishop who was a very good Civilian as well as a Divine but that loved to be wary and modest in all his Decisions made these Answers That as to the first he and his Authors were of Opinion that Matrimony contracted per Verba de presenti was perfect Matrimony before God 2. That such Matrimony is not utterly consummated as that term is commonly used among the School-Divines and Lawyers but by carnal Copulation 3. As to the Woman's Demands by the Law Civil he therein professed his Ignorance And he had no learned Men with him there at Ford to consult with for their Judgments only Dr. Barbar a Civilian that he always retained with him who neither could pronounce his Mind without his Books and some learned Men to confer with upon the Case But he added that he marvelled that the Votes of the Civil Lawyer should be required herein seeing that all manner of Causes of Dower be judged within this Realm by the Common Laws of the same And that there were plenty of well-learned Men in the Civil Law at London that undoubtedly could certify the King's Majesty of the Truth herein as much as appertained unto that Law warily declining to make any positive Judgment in a Matter so ticklish This happened in the month of Ianuary And indeed in these Times there were great Irregularities about Marriage in the Realm many being incestuous and unlawful Which caused the Parliament two or three Years past viz 1533. in one of their Acts to publish a Table of Degrees wherein it was prohibited by God's Law to marry But the Act did not cure this Evil many thought to bear out themselves in their illegal Contracts by getting Dispensations from the Arch-bishop which created him much trouble by his denying to grant them There was one Massy a Courtier who had contracted himself to his deceased Wife's Niece Which needing a Dispensation the Party got the Lord Crumwel to write to the Arch-bishop in his behalf especially because it was thought to be none of the Cases of Prohibition contained in the Act. But such was the Integrity of the Arch-bishop that he refused to do any thing he thought not allowable though it were upon the perswasion of the greatest Men or the best Friends he had But he writ this civil Letter to the Lord Crumwel upon this occasion MY very singular good Lord in my most hearty-wise I commend me unto your Lordship And whereas your
he had his Commission and took it down with him Which he advisedly did the better to warrant and bear him out in what he intended to do in his Diocess which he purposed to visit This was a Year of Visitation For there was a new Visitation now again appointed throughout all England to see how the People stood affected to the King to discover Cheats and Impostures either in Images Relicks or such like The Arch-bishop also thinking good now to visit his Diocess procured the Licence of the Vice-Gerent Lord Crumwel so to do Because I suppose all other Visitations were to cease to give way to the King's Visitation And to render his Power of Visiting the more unquestionable and void of scruple he desired the Vice-gerent that in drawing up of his Commission his Licence to visit might be put into it by Dr. Peter who was then if I mistake not Master of the Faculties to the said Vice-gerent and afterwards Secretary of State And because he would not do any thing without the Counsel and Allowance of the Vice-gerent he asked his Advice how he should order in his Visitation such Persons as had transgressed the King's Injunctions Which came out the Year before under Crumwel's Name Whereof some were for the restraint of the Number of Holy Days a great cause of Superstition and of the continuance of it And afterwards other Injunctions came out whereof the first was that in all Parishes once every Sunday for a quarter of a Year together the Supremacy should be taught and the Laws to that intent read These Injunctions were in number Eleven as they are set down in the Lord Herbert's History The Vicar of Croydon under the ABp's Nose had been guilty of certain Misdemeanors Which I suppose were speaking or preaching to the disparagement of the King's Supremacy and in favour of the Pope Now before he went into the Countrey and having as yet divers Bishops and Learned Men with him at Lambeth he thought it advisable to call this Man before them at this time But before he would do it he thought it best to consult with Crumwel and take his Advice whether he should now do it and before these Bishops or not So ticklish a thing then was it for the Bishops to do any things of themselves without the privity and order of this great Vice-gerent Cranmer was aware of it and therefore required Direction from him in every thing But whatsoever was done with this Vicar the Arch-bishop was soon down in his Diocess and having taken an Account of the People and Clergy what Conformity they bare to the King's Laws and Injunctions he found them superstitiously set upon the observation of their old Holy Days Some whereof he punished and others he admonished according to the degree of their Crimes And he discovered the chief Cause to lie in the Curates and Priests who did animatâ— the People to what they did indeed their Interest and Gain was concerned The great inconvenience of these Holy Days lay partly in the numerousness of them so that the attendance upon them hindred dispatching and doing Justice in Westminster-hall in the Terms and the gathering in Harvest in the Countrey partly in the Superstitions that these Holy Days maintained in the idolatrous Worship of supposed Saints and partly in the Riot Debauchery and Drunkenness that these Times were celebrated with among the common People and lastly the Poverty it brought upon the meaner sort being detained from going about their ordinary Labours and Callings to provide for themselves and Families For the prevention of these Superstitions for the Future and to make the People more obedient to the King's Laws he gave out strict Orders to all Parsons of Parishes upon pain of Deprivation that they should cause the abrogated Holy Days not to be observed for the future and to present to the Arch-bishop all Persons in their respective Parishes as should do contrary to any of the King's Ordinances already set forth or that should be hereafter by his Authority relating to the Doctrine and Ceremonies of the Church And this course he conceived so good an Expedient that he counselled the Lord Vice-gerent that all Bishops in their several Diocesses might be commanded to do the same for the avoiding of Disobedience and Contention in the Realm By which means he said The Evil-Will of the People might be conveyed from the King and his Council upon the Ordinaries And so the Love and Obedience of the People better secured to their Soveraign Such was his care of his Prince to preserve him in the Affections of his People that he was willing to take upon himself their Enmity that it might not light upon the King But Cranmer had observed these Holy Days were kept by many even in the Court under the King's Eye which he well knew was an Example and Encouragement to the whole Nation And therefore he signified to the Lord Crumwel that they could never perswade the People to cease from keeping them when the King 's own Houshold were an Example unto the rest to break his own Ordinances See his Letter to Crumwel in the Appendix CHAP. XV. The Bible printed HE was now at Ford and it was in the Month of August when something fell out that gave the good Arch-bishop as much Joy as ever happened to him in all the time of his Prelacy It was the printing of the Holy Bible in the English Tongue in the great Volume Which was now finished by the great Pains and Charges of Richard Grafton the Printer Osiander who knew the Arch-bishop well when he was the King's Ambassador in Germany saith of him that he was Sacrarum Literarum Studiossimum Indeed he always had a great value for the Scriptures because they were the Word of God and extraordinary desirous he was from the very first entrance upon his Bishoprick that the People might have the liberty of reading it and for that purpose to have it interpreted into the Vulgar Language And so by Crumwel's means he got leave from the King that it might be translated and printed The care of the Translation lay wholly upon him assigning little Portions of this Holy Book to divers Bishops and Learned Men to do and being dispatched to be sent back to him And to his inexpressible Satisfaction he saw the Work finished in this Year about Iuly or August As soon as some of the Copies came to his Hand one he sent to Crumwel entreating him that he would present it from him to the King and no question he thought it the noblest Present that ever he made him and withal to intercede with his Majesty that the said Book might by his Authority be both bought and used by all indifferently Both which Crumwel did For which the Arch-bishop was full of Gladness and Gratitude and wrote two Letters to him soon after one another wherein he thanked him most heartily telling him How he had hereby made
intangle the Thred of the Discourse if I should here insert them And therefore I must omit them and proceed to other matters In this thirty second Year of the King by a seasonable Law a stop was put to an Evil that now mightily prevailed Namely the frequency of Divorces For it was ordinary to annul Marriages and divide Man and Wife from each other who it may be had lived long together and had Children in Wedlock When upon any disgust of Man or Wife they would withdraw from one another and so in effect make their Children Bastards upon pretence of some Pre-contract or Affinity Which by the Pope's Law required a Divorce The King himself took particular care of this Act and there were two rough Draughts of it which I have seen in the Cotton Library both which he himself revised diligently and corrected with his own Pen. These Divorces the Arch-bishop highly disliked and might probably have laid before the King the great Inconveniences as well as Scandal thereof It troubled him to see how common these Divorces were grown in Germany and After-Marriages and Bigamy There is a Letter of his to Osiander the German Divine concerning Matrimony In what Year written appeareth not unless perhaps in this Year or the following now that the King was employing his Thoughts about redress of this Business The sum of the Letter is to desire Osiander to supply him with an Answer to some things that seemed to reflect a Fault upon those in Germany that professed the Gospel and that was that they allowed such as were divorsed to marry again both Parties divorsed being alive and that they suffered without any Divorce a Man to have more Wives than one And Osiander had acknowledged as much expressly to Cranmer in a Letter seeming to complain of it and added that Philip Melancthon himself was present at one of these Marriages of a second Wife the first being alive Indeed if any thing were done among those Protestants that seemed not just and fair to be sure Cranmer should presently be twitted in the Teeth for it And then he was fain to make the best Answers he could either out of their Books or out of his own Invention And he was always asked about the Affairs in those Parts And sometimes he was forced to confess some things and be ready to blush at them such a concern had he for Germany as concerning their Allowance of Usury and of Concubines to their Noble-men as he wrote to the said German But I will not longer detain the Reader from perusing the excellent Learned Letter of the Arch-bishop which he may find in the Appendix concerning this Subject CHAP. XXI The largest Bible printed THE largest English Bible coming forth in Print this Year wherein our Arch-bishop out of his Zeal to God's Glory had so great an influence I shall here take occasion to give some account of the Translation of as well as I can there having been no exact Story thereof any where given as I know of The first time the Holy Scripture was printed in English for written Copies thereof of Wickliffs Translation there were long before and many was about the Year 1526. And that was only the New Testament translated by Tindal assisted by Ioy and Constantine and printed in some Foreign Parts I suppose at Hamburgh or Antwerp For in this Year I find that Cardinal Wolsey and the Bishops consulted together for the prohibiting the New Testament of Tindal's Translation to be read And Tonstal Bishop of London issued out his Commission to his Arch-deacons for calling in the New Testament This Year also Tonstal and Sir Thomas More bought up almost the whole Impression and burnt them at Paul's Cross. I think it was this first Edition that Garret alias Garrerd Curate of Hony-Lane afterwards burnt for Heresy dispersed in London and Oxford Soon after Tindal revised his Translation of the New Testament and corrected it and caused it again to be printed about the Year 1530. The Books finished were privily sent over to Tindal's Brother Iohn Tindal and Thomas Patmore Merchants and another young Man who received them and dispersed them For which having been taken up by the Bishop of London they were adjudged in the Star-Chamber Sir Thomas More being then Lord Chancellor to ride with their Faces to the Horse Tail having Papers on their Heads and the New Testaments and other Books which they dispersed to be fastened thick about them pinned or tacked to their Gowns or Clokes and at the Standard in Cheap themselves to throw them into a Fire made for that purpose and then to be fined at the King's Pleasure Which Penance they observed The Fine set upon them was heavy enough viz. eighteen thousand eight hundred and forty Pounds and ten Pence as was extant to be seen in the Records of the Star-Chamber Anno 1531. The Bishops came into the Star-Chamber and communing with the King's Counsel and alledging that this Testament was not truly translated and that in it were Prologues and Prefaces of Heresy and Raillery against Bishops upon this Complaint the Testament and other such like Books were prohibited But the King gave Commandment to the Bishops at the same time that they calling to them the best Learned out of the Universities should cause a New Translation to be made so that the People might not be ignorant in the Law of God But the Bishops did nothing in obedience to this Commandment The same Year viz. 1531. in the Month of May Stokesly Bishop of London as Tonstal his Predecessor had done four or five Years before caused all the New Testaments of Tindal and many other Books which he had bought up to be brought to Paul's Church-yard and there openly burnt In the Year 1537. The Bible containing the Old and New Testaments called Matthews Bible of Tindal's and Roger's Translation was printed by Grafton and Whitchurch at Hamburgh to the number of fifteen hundred Copies Which Book obtained then so much Favour of the King by Crumwel's and Canterbury's Means that the King enjoined it to be had by all Curates and set up in all Parish-Churches throughout the Realm It was done by one Iohn Rogers who flourished a great while in Germany and was Superintendent of a Church there being afterwards a Prebend of S. Paul's and the first Martyr in Queen Mary's Days He is said by my Author to have translated the Bible into English from Genesis to the end of the Revelations making use of the Hebrew Greek Latin German and English that is Tyndal's Copies He added Prefaces and Notes out of Luther and dedicated the whole Book to King Henry under the Name of Thomas Matthews by an Epistle prefixed minding to conceal his own Name Graston and the rest of the Merchants concerned in the Work thinking that they had not Stock enough to supply all the Nation and this Book being of a
Feast that they should be without it The said Proclamation also set the Price at ten Shillings a Book unbound and well Bound and Clasped not above twelve Shillings And charged all Ordinaries to take care for the seeing this Command of the King the better executed And upon this Boner being now newly Bishop of London set up six Bibles in certain convenient Places of S. Paul's Church together with an Admonition to the Readers fastned upon the Pillars to which the Bibles were chained to this Tenor That whosoever came there to read should prepare himself to be edified and made the better thereby That he should join thereunto his readiness to obey the King's Injunctions made in that behalf That he bring with him Discretion honest Intent Charity Reverence and quiet Behaviour That there should no such Number meet together there as to make a Multitude That no Exposition be made thereupon but what is declared in the Book it self That it be not read with Noise in time of Divine Service Or that any Disputation or Contention be used at it But it was not much above two Years after that the Popish Bishops obtained of the King the suppression of the Bible again For after they had taken off the Lord Crumwel they made great complaint to the King their old Complaint of the Translation and of the Prefaces Whereas indeed and in truth it was the Text it self rather than the Prefaces or Translation that disturbed them Whereupon it was forbid again to be sold the Bishops promising the King to amend and correct it but never performed it And Grafton was now so long after summoned and charged with printing Matthews's Bible Which he being timerous made Excuses for Then he was examined about the great Bible and what the Notes were he intâ—nded to set thereto He replied that he added none to his Bible when he perceived the King and the Clergy not willing to have any Yet Grafton was sent to the Fleet and there remained six Weeks and before he came out was bound in three hundred Pounds that he should neither sell nor imprint any more Bibles till the King and the Clergy should agree upon a Translation And they procured an Order from the King that the falsâ— Translation of Tindal as they called it should not be uttered either by Printer or Bookseller and no other Books to be retained that spoke against the Sacrament of the Altar No Annotations or Preambles to be in Bibles or New Testaments in English that so they might keep Scripture still as obscure as they could Nor the Bible to be read in the Church and nothing to be taught contrary to the King's Instructions And from henceforth the Bible was stopp'd during the remainder of King Henry's Reign But however for some certain Ends the King restrained now and then the use of the Scriptures to comply with the importunate Suits of the Popish Bishops yet his Judgment always was for the free use of them among his Subjects and in order to that for the translating and printing them For proof of which I will recite the words of the Translator of Erasmus's Paraphrase upon S. Luke in his Preface thereunto viz. Nic. Vdal a Man of Eminency in those Days a Canon of Windsor and a Servant unto Q. Katharine the King 's last Wife His most Excellent Majesty from the first day that he wore the Imperial Crown of this Realm foresaw that to the executing the Premisses viz. to destroy counterfeit Religions and to root up all Idolatry done to dead Images it was necessary that his People should be reduced to the sincerity of Christ's Religion by knowing of God's Word He considered that requisite it was his Subjects were nurâ—led in Christ by reading the Scriptures whose Knowledg should easily induce them to the clear espying of all the Slights of the Romish Juggling And therefore as soon as might be his Highness by most wholsome and godly Laws provided that it might be lawful for all his most faithful loving Subjects to read the Word of God and the Rules of Christ's Discipline which they professed He provided that the Holy Bible should be set forth in our own Vulgar Language to the end that England might the better attain to the Sincerity of Christ's Doctrine which they might draw out of the clear Fountain and Spring of the Gospel CHAP. XXII The Arch-bishop retired OUR Arch-bishop after the unhappy Death of the Lord Crumwel so excellent an Instrument in correcting the Abuses of Religion out of sorrow and care of himself betook himself to more Retirement and greater Privacy For in and after this Year 1540 I find nothing in his Register but the Acts of Confirmations and Elections and Consecrations of Bishops as Bishopricks fell vacant the Arch-bishop very seldom Consecrating any himself but commissionating others by his Letters to Confirm and Consecrate And nothing to be found a great way on in the Register concerning giving Ordinances and Injunctions to the Diocess or Province And no wonder for there was now no Vicegerent in Ecclesiasticals to be ready to hearken to the Arch-bishop's Directions and Counsels for reforming Abuses and to see them executed in the Church And his own Sorrows and the Troubles he met with in these Times from his Enemies made him judg it convenient for him now more warily to conceal himself till better Days But before the Death of Crumwel when Boner Bishop Elect of London was to be consecrated the Arch-bishop probably not liking him and seeing through him whatever his Pretences were and therefore declining to have any hand in his Preferment sent his Commission in April to Stephen Bishop of Winchester Richard Bishop of Chichester Robert Bishop of S. Asaph and Iohn Bishop of Hertford i. e. Hereford to consecrate him Which it is said in the Register they did accordingly per Sacri chrismatis unctionem manuum suarum impositionem In this Consecration the Prior and Chapter of Canterbury insisted it seems upon an ancient Privilege of their Church which I do not find in this Register they had at other Consecrations done namely that the Consecration should be celebrated at the Church of Canterbury and at no other Church or Oratory without their Allowance And so in a formal Instrument they gave their Licence and Consent directed to the Arch-bishop to proceed to the Consecration elsewhere The Letter is from Thomas the Prior and the Chapter of Canterbury and it ran thus Licet antiquitus fuerit salubriter ordinatum hactenusque in per totam vestram Provinciam Cantuar ' inconcussè observatum quod quilibet Suffraganâ—us Ecclesiae vestrae Metropoliticae Christi Cantuar ' memoratae in Ecclesia vestra Metropolit ' Cantuar ' non alibi pntialiter consecrari benedici debeat c. Yet they gave their Consent that he might be Consecrated in any other Oratory But yet so that neither they nor the Church received any Prejudice and reserving to
Mannor was not given to Christ-Church till after the Year 1400. Thomas Goldstone a Prior of that Church and a great Builder built the Mannor-house for a Mansion for the Priors and a Chappel annexed and a new Hall adjoining to the Dormitory and divers other Edifices there as we learn from the History of the Priors of Canterbury lately published To which we may add a Record in that Church to direct us in the Computation of the Time Viz. Anno Dom. 1508. In vigiliis S. Marci Capella dedicatur in Manerio de Lyvyngsborn procurante Thoma Goldston At the Dissolution this was alienated and given to Gage and from him it came to Arch-bishop Cranmer and his Successors And the Bargain was confirmed by Act of Parliament Anno Henr. 34. The Arch-bishop as he had opportunity preferred Learned and Pious Men in his Diocess in the Benefices of his Church and such who freely preached against the Pope and his Superstitions against Images and the Worship of them The chief of these were Nic. Ridley afterwards Bishop of London whom he made Vicar of Herne and Prebend of Canterbury and Iohn Scory afterwards Bishop of Chichester whom he made one of the six Preachers Michael Drum and Lancelot Ridley worthy Men were two more of the Six These he preferred and divers others about through his Diocess that set the Abuses of Popery open before the Peoples Eyes in their Sermons This so angred the Men of the old Religion and particularly some of his own Church in Canterbury that they detected them to the Arch-bishop by articling against them for their Doctrine This they did this Year when the Arch-bishop visited his Church And about two Years after they did so again as shall be taken notice of in due Season About this time it was that Serles and Shether two of the Six Preachers of Canterbury were by the Arch-bishop's Censure put to Recantation for some unsound Passages they had preached Which made them such Enemies to the Arch-bishop and such Contrivers of his Ruin by devising and drawing up a great number of Articles against him if they could have accomplished their Design as shall be seen hereafter under the Year 1543. It was observed of Shether at this time that after the pronouncing his Recantation or Declaration he added these words Good Christians I take God to record that I never preached any thing to you in my Life but the Truth And so in short gave himself the Lie and overthrew all the Recantation he had made before The latter end of the Year there was a Convocation Wherein one of the Matters before them was concerning the procuring a true Translation of the New Testament Which was indeed intended not so much to do such a good Work as to hinder it For having decried the present Translation on purpose to make it unlawful for any to use it they pretended to set themselves about a new One But it was merely to delay and put off the People from the common use of the Scripture As appeared plainly enough in that the Bishops themselves undertook it And so having it in their own Hands they might make what delays they pleased For in the third Session a Proposition was made for the Translation and an Assignation to each Bishop of his Task As Matthew to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury Mark to the Bishop of Lincoln Luke to Winton Iohn to Ely and so of the rest But the Arch-bishop saw through all this And therefore in a Sessions that followed after told the House from the King to whom I suppose he had discovered this Intrigue that the Translation should be left to the Learned of both Universities This was a Surprize to the Bishops who all except Ely and S. David's protested against it and began to undervalue the Sufficiency of the Universities as much decayed of late and that they were but young Men and that the greatest Learning lay in the Convocation-men But the Arch-bishop roundly said that he would stick by his Master's Will and Pleasure and that the Vniversities should examine the Translation Bishops Consecrated May 29 being Sunday William Knight was Consecrated Bishop of Bath and Wells by Nicolas Bishop of Rochester by Virtue of the Arch-bishop's Letters to him assisted by Richard Suffragan of Dover and Iohn Suffragan of Bedford in the Chappel of the said Bishop of Bath's House situate in the Minories without Aldgate September the 25 th Iohn Wakeman late Abbot of Teuksbury was Consecrated the first Bishop of Glocester by the Arch-bishop Edmond Bishop of London and Thomas Bishop of Westminster assisting Iohn Chambre B. D. was Consecrated first Bishop of Peterburgh Octob. 23. in the Cathedral Church of Peterburgh in the Presbytery there by Iohn Bishop of Lincoln Thomas Bishop of Ely and William Bishop of Norwich by Commission from the Arch-bishop February the 19 th Arthur Bulkeley in the Chappel of Iohn Incent LL. D. Dean of St. Paul's by Iohn Bishop of Sarum by virtue of Letters Commissional from the Arch-bishop William Bishop of St. David's and Iohn Bishop of Glocester assisting Robert King another Abbot and Titular Bishop Reonen Suffragan to the Bishop of Lincoln was this Year Consecrated Bishop of Oxford The Date or his Consecrators I cannot assign the Act being omitted in the Arch-bishop's Register He was first a Monk of Rewly a Priory without Oxford of the Cistertian Order Then Abbot of Bruerne in Oxfordshire After Abbot of Thame of which he was also called Bishop and lastly of Oseney Both which he surrendred to the King at the dissolution of Monasteries This Man when Suffragan preached at S. Mary's in Stamford where he most fiercely inveighed against such as used the New Testament In Q. Mary's Reign he was a persecutor of the Protestants and died 1557. CHAP. XXIV The King's Book revised THE Arch-bishop was this Year among other things employed in the King's Book as it now was called that is The Erudition of any Christian Man spoken of before For the King was minded now to have it well reviewed and if there were any Errors and less proper Expressions to have them corrected and amended And so to have it recommended unto the People as a compleat Book of Christian Principles in the stead of the Scripture which upon pretence of their abuse of the King would not allow longer to be read Accordingly a Correction was made throughout the Book and the correct Copy sent to Cranmer to peruse Which he did and added his own Annotations upon various Passages in it at good length And had it not been too long I had transcribed it wholly out of a Volume in the Benet-College Library But for a taste take this that follows In the Title under his own Hand was this written Animadversions upon the King's Book Vpon the Chapter of Original Sin For the first Offence of our Father Adam No Man shall be damned for the Offences of Adam
but for his own proper Offences either Actual or Original Which Original Sin every Man hath of his own and is born in it although it came from Adam The principal means viz. God's Favour whereby all Sinners attain their Iustification This Sentence importeth that the Favour and Love of the Father of Heaven towards us is the Means whereby we come to his Favour and Love And so should one thing be the Means to it self And it is not the use of Scripture to call any other the Means and Mediator for us but only Jesus Christ by whom our access is to the Father Having assured Hope and Confidence in Christ's Mercy willing to enter into his perfect Faith He that hath assured Hope and Confidence in Christ's Mercy hath already entred into a perfect Faith and not only hath a Will to enter into it For perfect Faith is nothing else but assured Hope and Confidence in Christ's Mercy Vpon the Explication of the Tenth Commandment Without due Recompence This Addition agrees not well with the Coveting of another Man's Wife wherein is no Recompensation And in the other things although Recompensation be made yet the Commandment nevertheless is transgrest and broken Vpon another Chapter concerning Obedience to the Civil Power By his Ordinate Power This word Ordinate Power obscureth the Sentence in the understanding of them that be simple and unlearned and among the Learned it gendreth Contention and Disputation rather than it any thing edifieth Therefore methinketh it better and more plain as it is in the print or else to say By his Ordinance For the Scripture speaketh simply and plainly Potestati ejus quis resistit By these few Passages which I have carefully taken out of the Arch-bishop's own Book may be seen of what a Critical and Exact Judgment he was But besides these Adversaria in these Papers of the Arch-bishop's Annotations there be divers large Discourses of his upon several Heads of Religion drawn up as I conceive upon the King's Command to be inserted into his Book above mentioned I have extracted some of these Discourses as upon Faith Justification and Forgiveness of Injuries Wherein may be seen his sound Opinion in those great Doctrines of Christian Religion I took also out of the same Volume some Specimen of three other Discourses of his One with this Title writ by his own Hand De Consolatione Christianorum contra metum mortis Ex Doctoribus Ecclesiasticis Compiled I guess as well for his own use being not inapprehensive of his ticklish Station and Danger from so many and implacable Enemies which he had as to be inserted in the aforesaid Book The others were two Exhortations to take the Pains of Sickness well and Adversity patiently the one taken out of Cyprian the other out of S. Augustin Lib. De visitatione infirmorum The Specimen of them are in the Appendix as also the Discourses of Faith Justification and Forgiveness of Injuries This Year Boner Bishop of London set forth Injunctions for the Clergy of his Diocess containing Directions for their Preaching and Conversation together with a Catalogue of certain Books prohibited Which the Curats were to enquire after in their respective Parishes and to inform their Ordinaries of them and of those in whose possessions they found them Among these Books were the English Testament of Tindal and divers other Pieces of the said godly and learned Man some Prefaces and Marginal Glosses of Thomas Matthews in his English Bible A Book of Friar Barnes The Supplication of Beggars The Practice of Prelates The Revelation of Antichrist The Church of Iohn Rastal The Disputation between the Father and the Son The Preface made in the English Primers by Marshal This Marshal was he I suppose whose Christian Name was Cutbert and was D. D. and Arch-deacon of Nottingham and died about 1549. At this Book I will stop a little being a Book of Eminency and Remark in those Times and that hath such a strain of Truth and serious Piety in it that it seems very probable that the Arch-bishop had a considerable hand it and procured the Publication of it Cum privilegio Regali It was stiled A Goodly Primer or Book of Prayers and called The King's Primer I speak of the second Edition which was about the Year 1535. It began with an Admonition to the Reader containing very sharp and severe Reflections upon the Popish Devotions and praying to Saints And towards the conclusion the Writer professeth That this his Admonition proceded neither of blynde Zele or Affection neyther of Wyll or Purpose to offend or displease any Man moch less than to displease any Saint in Heven and in no wyse than our blessed Lady but evin of very pure Love to the Honour of God and Helth of Mennes Souls Then followeth a pious Exposition of the Ten Commandments and the Creed Then is a general Confession of Sin Which goes according to the Commandments after this manner 1. I have not set my whole Belief Confidence Trust and Hope in thee c. 2. I have divided thy Worship and Honour from Thee and given it to thy Creatures and to dead things imagined of my own fond Fantasy I mean in the misusing of Images 3. I have abased thy Name c. 4. In the Sabbath-day I have not given my self to hearing reading and learning the Holy Scriptures c. Then comes an Exposition upon the Lord's Prayer and the Salutation Some short Prayers Some Graces before and after Meat most of which are Graces still retained in our English Primers after the Catechism And the Method of the Book is the same with our Childrens Primer now in use In this Edition there was a Litany added with a Preface before it directly against praying to Saints and shewing the difference of the Case between presenting our Petitions to God and presenting a Petition to an Earthly King that though this latter cannot be done without the mediation of some Servant of the King yet the former may be done immediately to God in the Name of Christ. Besides he said there were many doubtful Saints that many Saints canonized by the Bishop of Rome whether they were Saints or no he committed to the secret Judgment of God By this taste of the Preface you easily see why Bishop Boner placed it among the prohibited Books to be diligently searched for The Litany the Author added for the sake of many People that thought there could be no right Prayers without they were in the old form of Processions which were by way of Litany or Supplication to Angels and Saints And so he writ in this Preface that it was for the Contentation of such weak Minds and somewhat to bear their Infirmities that he had at this his second Edition of the Primer caused the Litany to be printed In this Litany all doubtful Saints are left out and he addresseth only to the Holy Angels S. Michael S. Raphael c. to pray for us And the Blessed
Apostles S. Peter S. Paul S. Andrew c. The Prayer for the King nameth K. Henry VIII and his gracious Son Prince Edward In the Kalendar Thomas a Becket's Days are still retained in red Letters But I suppose that was done of course by the Printer using the old Kalendar In the same Book is a large and pious Paraphrase on Psalm LI. A Dialogue between the Father and the Son Meditations on Christ's Passion and many other things By somewhat that happened this Year the Arch-bishop proved very instrumental in promoting the Reformation of corrupt Religion in the Neighbouring Nation of Scotland which this Year had received a great Overthrow by the English Army and great Numbers of Scotish Noblemen and Gentlemen were taken Prisoners and brought up to London and after disposed of in the Houses of the English Nobility and Gentry under an easy Restraint The Earl of Cassillis was sent to Lambeth where the good Arch-bishop shewed him all Respects in providing him with Necessaries and Conveniences but especially in taking care of his Soul He detected to him the great Errors of Popery and the Reasons of those Regulations that had been lately made in Religion in England And so successful was the Arch-bishop herein that the Earl went home much enlightned in true Religion which that Nation then had a great aversion to for they highly misliked the Courses King Henry took Which Prejudices the King understanding endeavoured to take off by sending Barlow Bishop of S. Davids to Scotland with the Book of The Institution of a Christian Man Which nevertheless made no great Impression upon that People But this that happened to the Scotish Nobility that were now taken Prisoners and especially this Guest of the Arch-bishop becoming better enclined to Religion by the Knowledg they received while they remained here had a happier Effect and brought on the Reformation that after happened in that Kingdom The Parliament being summoned in Ianuary in order to the King 's making War with France whither he intended to go in Person the Arch-bishop resolved to try this Occasion to do some good Service again for Religion which had of late received a great stop His Endeavour now was to moderate the severe Acts about Religion and to get some Liberty for the Peoples reading of the Scripture Cranmer first made the Motion and four Bishops viz. Worcester Hereford Chichester and Rochester seconded him But Winchester opposed the Arch-bishop's Motion with all earnestness And the Faction combined with so much Violence that these Bishops and all other fell off from the Arch-bishop and two of them endeavoured to perswade the Arch-bishop to desist at present and to stay for a better Opportunity But he refused and followed his Stroke with as much vigour as he could and in fine by his perswasion with the King and the Lords a Bill past And the King was the rather inclined thereunto because he being now to go abroad upon a weighty Expedition thought convenient to leave his Subjects at home as easy as might be So with much struggling an Act was past intituled An Act for the Advancement of True Religion and the Abolishment of the contrary In this Act as Tindal's Translation of the Scriptures was forbidden to be kept or used so other Bibles were allowed to some Persons excepting the Annotations and Preambles which were to be cut or dashed out And the King 's former Proclamations and Injunctions with the Primers and other Books printed in English for the Instruction of the People before the Year 1540 were still to be in force which it seems before were not And that every Nobleman and Gentleman might have the Bible read in their Houses and that Noble Ladies and Gentlewomen and Merchants might read it themselves But no Men or Women under those Degrees That every Person might read and teach in their Houses the Book set out in the Year 1540 which was The necessary Erudition of a Christian Man with the Psalter Primer Pater noster Ave and Creed in English But when Winchester and his Party saw that they could not hinder the Bill from passing they clogged it with Provisoes that it came short of what the Arch-bishop intended it as that the People of all sorts and conditions universally might not read the Scriptures but only some few of the higher Rank And that no Book should be printed about Religion without the King's Allowance And that the Act of the Six Articles should be in the same Force it was before A Bishop Consecrated Iune the 25 th being Sunday Paul Bush Provincial of the Bonhommes was consecrated the first Bishop of Bristol by Nicolas Bishop of Rochester assisted by Thomas Bishop of Westminster and Iohn Suffragan of Bedford This Consecration was celebrated in the Parish-Church of Hampton in the Diocess of Westminster CHAP. XXV Presentments at a Visitation BY the Act above-mentioned the generality of the People were restrained from reading the Holy Scriptures But in lieu of it was set forth by the King and his Clergy in the Year 1543 a Doctrine for all his Subjects to use and follow which was the Book abovesaid and all Books that were contrary to it were by Authority of Parliament condemned It was printed in London by Thomas Barthelet This Book the Arch-bishop enjoined to be made publick in his Diocess as I suppose it was in all other Diocesses throughout the Kingdom and allowed no preaching or arguing against it And when one Mr. Ioseph once a Friar in Canterbury now a learned and earnest Preacher and who was afterward preferred to Bow-Church in London had attempted to preach against some things in the Book the Arch-bishop checked and forbad him For indeed there were some Points therein which the Arch-bishop himself did not approve of foisted into it by Winchester's Means and Interest at that time with the King Which Bishop politickly as well as flatteringly called it The King's Book a Title which the Arch-Bishop did not much like for he knew well enough Winchester's Hand was in it And so he told him plainly in K. Edward's Time when he might speak his Mind telling him in relation thereunto That he had seduced the King But because of the Authority of the Parliament ratifying the Book and the many good and useful Things that were in it the Arch-bishop introduced and countenanced it in his Diocess and would not allow open preaching against it The Arch-bishop about the Month of September held a Visitation in Canterbury chiefly because of the Jangling of the Preachers and the divers Doctrines vented among them according as their Fancies Interests or Judgments led them The Visitation proceeded upon the King's Injunctions and other late Ordinances And here I shall set down before the Reader some of the Presentments as I take them from an Original in a Volume that belonged to this Archbishop Wherein notice may be taken what ignorance was then in some of the Priests what
White-meats About Alhallontide was twelve-month he preached in S. Dunstan's Church beside Canterbury that Men should love God and fear God but not to trust him too much Turnor in the time of his being at Chartham did cast no Holy Water neither before the Sacrament nor upon any Altar in the Church except the high Altar Nor also before the Crucifix in the Rood-loft according to the laudible Ceremony He christned three Children upon one day and did not anoint them with Holy Oil neither upon Back nor Belly He neither incensed the Crucifix in the Rood-loft nor any Altar in the Church except the high Altar Nor distributed any Holy Candles among his Parishioners as hath been accustomed Sir Iames Newnam and one Lawrence took down an Image of our Lady to the which was no Offering except Candles at the Purification of Women nor any Miracles noted to be done there by the said Image Scory one of the six Preachers said that much Superstitions were used in the Church as making of Crosses upon Palm-Sunday setting of them up and Blessing them with the Holy Candles Ringing of Bells in the Thunder For think you said he that the Devil will be afraid or flee away at Cross-making hurling of Holy Water ringing of Bells and such other Ceremonies when he was not afraid to take Christ himself and cast him on his Back and set him on a Pinacle Those things that be good of themselves may not utterly be put away although they be abused For then the Holy Sacrament of the Altar should be set aside which is daily bought and sold. Serles one of the six Preachers in a Sermon said If the Preacher preach Error and erroneous Doctrine the simple Man though he receive it and believe it it doth not infect nor corrupt him And this he repeated twice He said also that Moses sent Letters from Hell to teach the State thereof and how Men should live And another likewise out of Heaven Item they say said he that only Faith justifies and that it maketh no matter how we do live Christ died for us and by his Blood hath washed all our Sins away therefore what needeth us to fast or pray Sandwich a Canon of Christ's-Church said in his Sermon in the Year 1542. Whereas a good Christian or Evil preached unto you truly the Word of God as I report me to the Conscience of you all yet some that have evil Ears did Evil report of me But if their Ears were cut off as Malchus's was and set up where every Man might wonder at them I think therein a Man should not wish much against Charity At another time in the Year 1543. he said in his Sermon Some if they are given to Goodness to follow the Decrees of Holy Church to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament they will counsel them from the same and say Deus in manufactis Templis non habitat They will have none of the Holy Doctors They will not have S. Augustin S. Ambrose S. Hierom S. Gregory Basil Gregory Nazianzen c. Since the time we have been given to new Fangles the Spirit of new Fangle hath brought in the Spirit of Error But what Remedy then said he to obtain the Spirit of Truth again Of that said he I spake the last time that I preached and shewed you that we must return where we went out We must return to our Dog to our Conscience again and that will certify us where is the Truth Shether one of the six Preachers said That there was one strait Way to the Truth in which we all Men have gone a long time saving a few now of late not being content to follow that Trade have wandred in divers Pathways to seek a neerer way to the Truth But they are like unto one that being clean lost was fain to ask which way he might go to the end of his Journey And to such it was answered You be clean out of the Way and there is none other means for you but even to turn back again and to begin your Journey again where you left Nothing at all as the Informer adds admonishing the People of the Way which Men had lost by defending and retaining the Usurpations of Rome Nor no mention that the King's Majesty hath reformed the Abuses of Superstitious Religion But even as one that would have all things honestly reformed to revert again into their Superstition for the maintenance of all Blindness and Error commanded every Man to turn back and to begin where they left Dr. Willowby the Vicar of Chilham keepeth still in his Church a certain Shrine gilt named S. Austin's Shrine Which Shrine was conveyed from S. Austin's of Canterbury unto the Parish-Church of Chilham at the suppression of the Monastery of S. Austin's Item a Rood there which had Shoes of Silver being a Monument of Pilgrimage or Offering standeth yet still being only spoiled of the Monument He said Images had Power of God to help sick People vowing unto them the Communication then being of our Lady of Cutupstreet between the said Vicar and own Dawson of Chartham a Miller Memorandum that Potter's Wife was banished out of Feversham for her suspect lying with Dr. Willowby and also was compelled to forsake Chilham for the same about two or three Years past and yet she remains in the Company of the said Doctor Serles mentioned before in a Sermon made in the Chapter-house of Christ's-Church An. 1543 said Some that occupy this place of Preaching say no Mattins Mass nor Even-song once in a Quarter They be never seen confessed nor to occupy Porteous nor mass-Mass-Book These use no Vocal Prayer Beware of their Doctrine In the Church of Leneham in the Day of Assumption he said That as the Moon is in the Full at fourteen Days even so Mary was conceived fully with Christ when she was fourteen Years old Item he said That if one had looked in Mary when she was full conceived with Christ he should have perceived him in his Mother's Womb with a Bush of Thorns on his Back For he was Crucified Crowned and pricked with Thorns That Mary bare Christ poorly for she had no Fire but begged a Coal of one and a Stick of another to warm her Child He preached that Mary nourished her Son with Milk but not with material Milk but with Milk that came from Heaven For no Woman else can nourish her Child with material Milk than she that is conceived by knowledg of Man And no question this Heavenly Milk came along the milky Way That all the whole Faith of the World remained in Mary only for the space of three Days and three Nights That Faith was dead in the Apostles and in all the World from the Death of Christ till his Resurrection and remained in the Virgin Mary whole and only That the Sorrows that she had were greater and more painful than Christ's but for Death only That Christ descended into Hell and rose the third Day and ascended into
as were contrary to the King's Injunctions But notwithstanding Willoughby got himself excused and delivered them not but the Prebendaries soon after Easter did The Articles are not specified in the Papers I use but by the Interrogatories and other Passages it appears that some of them were these that follow That he rebuked Serles for that he preached that Images might be permitted in the Church as Representatives of Saints and not be Idols Item That the Arch-bishop spake openly before all the Prebendaries and Preachers in Consistory that the King's Pleasure was to have the Six Preachers consist of three of the New Learning and three of the Old Item That Serles and Shether underwent Censure laid upon them by the Arch-bishop for somewhat they had preached when the Honesty of their Audience offered themselves to testify that they were falsely accused and that that which was laid against them was not true and although they were a great Number yet they could not be admitted That they were Innocent Preachers and being Innocent were condemned the one to Prison and the other to read a Declaration of false surmised Articles Item That those that would speak against evil Opinions dared not for if they did they were complained of and called Seditious Persons stirring the People to Commotion and complaining to their Ordinary they got nothing but displeasure and the evil Preachers had much more Favour and Boldness Item That there were two Images of Christ and two of our Lady that were taken down whereunto was neither Oblation nor any Lights standing before them Other Articles which were of Serles his own collecting as appears by the Interrogatories that Cranmer under his own hand had prepared to put to him were such as these and were chiefly against the Arch-bishop's Commissary That there were a great number of evil Preachers in Canterbury Diocess That the Arch-bishop's Commissary Dr. Leigh in his Visitation commanded that the Wax-Candles blessed upon Candlemass-day should not be delivered unto the People That Holy-Water should not be born nor cast into Mens Houses That in some Churches by the Commissaries command all the Images were pulled down and hewed with Axes That the Commissary was most conversant with Abjured Persons and other suspect of Heresy aiding maintaining and succouring them That Ioanna Bochier was delivered by the Favour of the Commissary Whereas indeed she was by the King's Pardon This is she that was afterwards burnt for Arianism in King Edward's Days That one Giles came to Canterbury in a Courtier 's Coat and a Beard being a Priest and there lodged ten Days And one Hardes a Justice complained of him to the Commissary but the Commissary did nothing Whereas in truth he was not a Priest but a Lay-man That a Taylor in Canterbury did openly read and expound the Scripture in his own House and open resort thither was suffered by the Commissary That the Master of S. Iohn's in Canterbury at his Death refused to receive and despised the Blessed Sacrament and yet by the Sufferance of the Commissary was both buried like a true Christian and also was of very many praised for a good and holy Man That Mr. Bland in communication with Mr. Sponer Vicar of Boughton denied Auricular Confession to be requisite and delivered his Opinion to the said Sponer in Writing Which the Commissary hearing desired Sponer to let him see the Writing swearing that he would not keep it from him But when he had the Bill he put it into his Purse That the Commissary resigned a Benefice to the said Bland binding Bland and his Successor by a Writing made under the Hand of my Lord of Canterbury and the Chapter to pay unto him and his Assigns a great part of the clear yearly Value for many Years This was the Sum of Serles's Articles but most of them were found to be frivolous and false Articles yet more against our Arch-bishop were That he held a constant correspondence with Germany sending Letters thither and receiving Letters thence That he gave out a great many Exhibitions in Germany and had many Pensioners there In relation to which there seemed to be a design carrying on that the Bishop of Winchester should seize some of these Letters of the Arch-bishop For Gardiner told him whose Hands they past through namely one Fuller of Canterbury and that if the said Bishop would send for him and command him upon his Allegiance he should know more Or at least that he might make use of Fuller for a Witness to serve to prove this Article Moreover they put in their Articles That his Grace's Sister was a Milner's Wife and that She and her Husband lived nine or ten Years together in Canterbury And then that She married to one Mr. Bingham her former Husband being yet alive and that Mr. Commissary married her Daughter And though he were thus a married Priest yet he was joined with Mr. Dean Wotton to be one of the Proctors of the Clergy in the Convocation-house and not of their Election but that it was obtained by the Interest of his Affinity The chief Witnesses and Persons concerned as Vouchers and Informers were Roper Balthazar a Chirurgion Heywood Moor Beckinsal German Gardiner At length after much adoe some of the Prebendaries in the Name of the Church of Canterbury delivered into the Council not long after Easter the Articles swelled to a good Quantity of Paper And so they came at last into the King's Hand Having received them he bade Baker the Chancellor of the Court of Augmentation a Kentish Man being one of the Privy-Council and a Privado in this Matter to send to Canterbury for some to prove the Articles The said Chancellor orders the Dean ignorant of the Matter to send to Shether Serles to come up as secretly as might be to London Being come up Shether repairs to the Dean Who â—ad him with Gardiner and Parkhurst to go to the Chancellor who sent for them Being come before him he said to them That the King had a Book against the Arch-bishop delivered to him which he had himself perused And because that he perceived that they could say somewhat wishing also for Serles who was not yet come he told them the King willed them to say what they knew fearing no Person but to dread only one God and one King Whereupon they took the Book and drew out such Articles as they could witness of He bad them return to Canterbury and provide the Witnesses there and that Shether the youngest should come back again after he had perfected the Book in the Day and Year and to bring it with him From him they applied again to the Bishop of Winchester the great Wheel and shewed him what Baker had said to them CHAP. XXVII The King the Arch-bishop's Friend in this Danger THE King well perceiving the Malice of the Men and a Plot contrived against an honest and innocent Man strengthned with the Favour and Aid of Winchester
Possession of Arch-bishop Parker From whence he published the Book in the Year 1571 intituling it Reformatio Legum Ecclesiasticarum c. Which was printed again in the Year 1640. Both these Manuscript Draughts were diligently compared together by Iohn Fox and the main Difference seemed to consist in putting the latter into a new Method and placing the Titles differently For in this Matter Cranmer was much busied in King Edward's Reign also being greatly desirous to bring that good Work to perfection For he thought it greatly inconvenient when the Pope's Power was abrogated that his Laws should remain in Force holding it highly necessary that the Nation might have a Body of wholsome Laws for the good Administration of Justice in the Spiritual Courts Wherefore he procured in the fifth Year of that King Letters Commissional to him and seven more diligently to set about the perusal of the old Church-Laws and then to compile such a Body of Laws as should seem in their Judgments most expedient to be practised in the Ecclesiastical Courts and Jurisdictions These seven were Thomas Goodrick Bishop of Ely Richard Cox the King's Almoner Peter Martyr William May Rowland Taylour Iohn Lucas and Richard Goodrick But the Matter was in effect wholly intrusted by the King to the Arch-bishop who associated to himself in the active part of this Work Taylour Martyr and Haddon The Method they observed in managing this Affair was that after they had finished a Title and drawn it up it was then sent to Dr. Haddon who was a Civilian and an accurate Latinist to peruse And if any thing was less elegantly expressed to correct it So I find at the Title De Decimis these words writ by Cranmer This is finished by us but must be over-seen again by Dr. Haddon Thus for instance I observe these Corrections by Haddon's Pen in the Chapter intituled De Commodis quae perveniunt à Sacris ritibus instead of Gratiarum actionis mulierum a partu he corrected it Levatarum puerperarum And in another place Cuicunque hoc Praerogativum est instead of hoc Praerogativum he put Hoc peculiare jus tribuitur quod Praerogativum vocant But his Corrections are very few and but of words less proper The Work and Words were mainly Cranmer's own But all this great and long Labour of the Arch-bishop came to no effect by reason of the King 's untimely Death and it may be the secret opposition of Papists At the same time that he being at Hampton-Court dealt with the King concerning the Reformation of the Canon-Laws he also gave him an Account of a Business his Majesty had imployed him in and with him also Heth and Day Bps of Worcester and Chichester and some other of his Chaplains and Learned Men whom he had of late appointed with the Arch-bishop to peruse certain Books of Service delivered by the King to them wherein there were many Superstitions fit to be amended Which the Arch-bishop in the Name of the rest at this time acquainted the King with As namely the Vigil and ringing of Bells all the Night long upon Alhallow-Night and the covering of Images in the Church in the time of Lent with the lifting the Vail that covereth the Cross on Palm-Sunday and kneeling to the Cross at the same time He moved the King in his own Name and the Name of the rest that these things might be abolished and the Superstitions and other Enormities and Abuses of the same And that because all other Vigils which in the beginning of the Church were godly used yet for the manifold Superstitions and Abuses which did after grow by means of the same were many Years past taken away throughout Christendom and there remained nothing but the Name of the Vigil in the Calendar saving only upon Alhallow-Day at Night he moved that it might be observed no more And because creeping to the Cross was a greater Abuse than any of the other for there the People said Crucem tuam adoramus Domine And the Ordinal saith Procedant Clerici ad Crucem adorandum nudis pedibus and it followeth in the said Ordinal Ponatur Crux ante aliquod Altare ubi à Populo adoretur Which by the Bishop's Book intituled A necessary Instruction is against the second Commandment therefore he desired of the King that the creeping to the Cross might also cease hereafter These superstitious Usages were allowed in the Articles of Religion put forth Anno 1536. Cranmer then not having Interest enough to procure the laying them aside or thinking it then not a fitting season to attempt it as being in vain to oppose what the King himself at that time approved of But now the King listned to the Arch-bishop and bad him confer with the Bishop of Worcester and send to him their Thoughts what course they would advise him to take for Redress The Arch-bishop accordingly consulted with the said Bishop who then went along with Cranmer in the Reformation The Effect of which was as the Arch-bishop wrote to the King soon after from Bekesbourn That his Majesty should send his Letters to both the Arch-bishops to reform these Superstitions and they to send in the King's Name to all the Prelates within their respective Provinces to the same purpose The Arch-bishop withal sent to the King the Minutes of a Letter to be sent to him the said Arch-bishop to that intent He also advised the King that at the same time that this Alteration was commanded to be made he should set forth some Doctrine which should declare the Cause of the abolishing these Usages for the Satisfaction of the Consciences of the People For he knew well as he wrote that the People would think the Honour of Christ was taken away when this honouring of the Cross was taken away And therefore that they should need some good Instruction herein He nominated the Bishops of Worcester and Chichester and some other his Graces Chaplains for the preparing this And this he said would make the People obey him without murmuring nay be thankful to him for shewing them the Truth And it would be a Satisfaction to other Nations when they should see the King do nothing but by the Authority of God's Word and for the setting forth of God's Honour and not the diminishing thereof This Letter of the Arch-bishop to the King is extant in the Paper-Office whence the Bishop of Sarum extracted a Copy These things were agitated in the Bishop of VVinchester's Absence whom the King had sent Ambassador this Year with the Bishop of VVestminster to Charles the Emperor about the Mediation of a Peace between England and France The Arch-bishop took this occasion to move the King in these good Purposes for a further Reformation of Abuses in Religion towards the which the King appeared to be in so good a Mind VVinchester being absent who if he had been at Home would undoubtedly have done his Endeavour to put a Check to these Attempts But it
made of seven steps of height all round where the King's Majesty's Chair Royal stood and he sat therein after he was crowned all the Mass-while Fourthly At nine of the Clock all Westminster Choire was in their Copes and three goodly Crosses before them and after them other three goodly rich Crosses and the King's Chappel with his Children following all in Scarlet with Surplices and Copes on their Backs And after them ten Bishops in Scarlet with their Rochets and rich Copes on their Backs and their Mitres on their Heads did set forth at the West Door of Westminster towards the King's Palace there to receive his Grace and my Lord of Canterbury with his Cross before him alone and his Mitre on his Head And so past forth in order as before is said And within a certain space after were certain blew Cloths laid abroad in the Church-floor against the King's coming and so all the Palace even to York place Then is described the setting forward to Westminster Church to his Coronation Unction and Confirmation After all the Lords in order had kneeled down and kiss'd his Grace's right Foot and after held their Hands between his Grace's Hands and kiss'd his Grace's left Cheek and so did their Homage Then began a Mass of the Holy Ghost by my Lord of Canterbury with good singing in the Choire and Organs playing There at Offering time his Grace offered to the Altar a Pound of Gold a Loaf of Bread and a Chalice of Wine Then after the Levation of the Mass there was read by my Lord Chancellor in presence of all the Nobles a General Pardon granted by King Henry the Eighth Father to our Liege Lord the King that all shall be pardoned that have offended before the 28 th day of Ianuary last past When the King's Majesty with his Nobles came to the Place of the Coronation within a while after his Grace was removed into a Chair of Crimson Velvet and born in the Chair between two Noblemen unto the North-side of the Stage and shewed to the People and these words spoken to the People by my Lord of Canterbury in this manner saying Sirs here I present unto you K. Edward the rightful Inheritor to the Crown of this Realm Wherefore all ye that be come this Day to do your Homage Service and bounden Duty Be ye willing to do the same To the which all the People cried with a loud Voice and said Yea Yea Yea and cried King Edward and prayed God save King Edward And so to the South-side in like manner and to the East-side and to the West-side After this his Grace was born again to the high Altar in his Chair and there sat bare-headed And all his Nobles and Peers of the Realm were about his Grace and my Lord of Canterbury Principal And there made certain Prayers and Godly Psalms over his Grace and the Choire answered with goodly Singing the Organs playing and Trumpets blowing Then after a certain Unction Blessing and Signing of his Grace he was born into a Place by the high Altar where the Kings use always to kneel at the Levation of the Parliament-Mass And there his Grace was made ready of new Garments and after a certain space brought forth between two Noble-men and sat before the High Altar bare-headed Then after a while his Grace was anointed in the Breast his Soles of his Feet his Elbows his Wrists of his Hands and his Crown of his Head with vertuous Prayer said by the Bishop of Canterbury and sung by the Choire Then anon after this a goodly fair Cloth of red Tinsel Gold was hung over his Head And my Lord of Canterbury kneeling on his Knees and his Grace lying prostrate afore the Altar anointed his Back Then after this my Lord of Canterbury arose and stood up and the fair Cloth taken away Then my Lord Protector Duke of Somerset held the Crown in his Hand a certain space and immediately after began Te Deum with the Organs going the Choire singing and the Trumpets playing in the Battlements of the Church Then immediately after that was the Crown set on the King's Majesty's Head by them two viz. Somerset and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury And after that another Crown and so his Grace was crowned with three Crowns The Relation breaks off here abruptly But what is wanting may be supplied by the Order of the Coronation as Bishop Burnet hath taken it out of the council-Council-Book and given it us in his History At this Coronation there was no Sermon as I can find but that was supplied by an excellent Speech which was made by the Arch-bishop It was found among the inestimable Collections of Arch-bishop Vsher and though published of late Years yet I cannot but insert it here tending so much to illustrate the Memory of this great and good Arch-bishop MOST Dread and Royal Soveraign The Promises your Highness hath made here at your Coronation to forsake the Devil and all his Works are not to be taken in the Bishop of Rome's Sense when you commit any thing distastful to that See to hit your Majesty in the Teeth as Pope Paul the Third late Bishop of Rome sent to your Royal Father saying Didst thou not promise at our permission of thy Coronation to forsake the Devil and all his Works and dost thou run to Heresy For the Breach of this thy Promise knowest thou not that 't is in our Power to dispose of thy Sword and Scepter to whom we please We your Majesty's Clergy do humbly conceive that this Promise reacheth not at your Highness Sword Spiritual or Temporal or in the least at your Highness swaying the Scepter of this your Dominion as you and your Predecessors have had them from God Neither could your Ancestors lawfully resign up their Crowns to the Bishop of Rome or his Legats according to their ancient Oaths then taken upon that Ceremony The Bishops of Canterbury for the most part have crowned your Predecessors and anointed them Kings of this Land Yet it was not in their Power to receive or reject them neither did it give them Authority to prescribe them Conditions to take or to leave their Crowns although the Bishops of Rome would encroach upon your Predecessors by their Act and Oil that in the end they might possess those Bishops with an Interest to dispose of their Crowns at their Pleasure But the wiser sort will look to their Claws and clip them The solemn Rites of Coronation have their Ends and Utility yet neither direct Force or Necessity They be good Admonitions to put Kings in mind of their Duty to God but no encreasement of their Dignity For they be God's Anointed not in respect of the Oil which the Bishop useth but in consideration of their Power which is Ordained Of the Sword which is Authorized Of their Persons which are elected of God and endued with the Gifts of his Spirit for the better ruling and guiding of his People The Oil if added
of the Second omitted according to the use in those Times But that Commandment is explained under the first The Substance of this Book is grave serious and sound Doctrine It is said in the Title Page to be overseen and corrected by the Arch-bishop Indeed it was a Catechism wrote originally in the German Language for the use of the younger Sort in Norinberg Translated into Latin by Iustus Ionas Junior who now was entertained by the Arch-bishop in his Family and thence turned into our Vulgar Tongue by the said Arch-bishop or his special Order But 't is certain so great a Hand he had therein that in the Arch-bishop's first Book of the Sacrament he said that it was translated by himself and set forth Bishop Gardiner in his Book against the Arch-bishop takes advantage of two things in this Catechism against him as though he himself when he put it forth was of the Opinion of the Corporal Presence The one was a Picture that stood before the Book where was an Altar with Candles lighted and the Priest apparelled after the old Sort putting the Wafer into the Communicant's Mouth The other is an Expression or two used somewhere in the Book That with our bodily Mouths we receive the Body and Blood of Christ And that in the Sacrament we receive truly the Body and Blood of Christ. And this we must believe if we will be counted Christen Men. But to both Cranmer in his next Book against Gardiner made answer That as for the Picture it was that was set before the Dutch Edition of the Book and so none of his doing but that he afterwards caused the Popish Picture to be altered into a Picture representing Christ eating his last Supper with his Disciples As for the Expressions he said he taught that we in the Sacrament do receive the Body and Blood of Christ spiritually and that the words Really and Substantially were not used but Truly And in his Answer to Dr. Richard Smith's Preface wrote against the said Arch-bishop who it seems had twitted him also with this Catechism he spake largely of these his Expressions in his own Vindication There was another Book of the Arch-bishop's against Vnwritten Verities which I do by Conjecture place here as put forth under this Year or near this Time Which I suppose Dr. Smith nibbled at in his Book of Traditions which this Year he recanted The Book was in Latin and consisted only of Allegations out of the Bible and Ancient Writers In Queen Mary's Days the Book was again published by an English Exile naming himself E. P. The Title it now bore was A Confutation of Vnwritten Verities by divers Authorities diligently and truly gathered out of the Holy Scripture and Ancient Fathers By Tho. Cranmer late Arch-bishop and burned at Oxford for the Defence of the true Doctrine of our Saviour Translated and set forth by E. P. Before it is a Preface of the Translator to his Country-men and Brethren in England In it he lamented the woful State of Things in England by the Restoring of Popery and the Persecution of Protestants there and shewed what a kind of Man the chief Bishop then in England viz. Cardinal Pool was who in the last King's Reign went from Prince to Prince to excite them to make War against his own Prince and Country This Treatise is but a bare Collection of places of Holy Scripture and Ancient Fathers to prove That the Canon of the Bible is a true and sound and perfect Doctrine containing all Things necessary to Salvation That neither the Writing of the Old Fathers without the Word of God nor General Councils nor the Oracles of Angels nor Apparitions from the Dead nor Customs can be sufficient in Religion to establish Doctrine or maintain new Articles of Faith Then Reasons are given against Unwritten Verities and the places of Holy Scripture and other Writers which the Papists bring to maintain Unwritten Verities are answered At last the Objections of the Papists are confuted in a concluding Chapter Which last part was not writ by the Arch-bishop but by the Translator For relating here the Story of the Holy Maid of Kent he saith she was examined by Tho. Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury And at last he saith I have plainly and fully answered to all that I remember the Papists do or can allege by Writing Preaching or Reasoning for the Defence of their Unwritten Verities on which they build so many detestable Idolatries and Heresies But yet if any be able to answer so plainly and truly to the Scriptures Authorities and Reasons rehearsed by me as I have done to theirs and to prove their Doctrines by as plain Testimonies and Reasons as I have done mine I shall not only acknowledg my Ignorance and Error but I shall gladly return into England recant my Heresies c. Hence it is plain that the Conclusion of the Book as well as the Preface was writ by the Translator I will add one Passage taken out of this Book about the middle whereby it may be seen what a Clergy was now in England Having quoted the Canons of the Apostles Let not a Bishop or Deacon put away his Wife c. He makes a heavy complaint against the frequent practice of beastly Sins in the Priests Adultery Sodomy c. and that they never were punished And in my Memory as he proceeds which is above thirty Years and also by the Information of others that be twenty Years elder than I I could never learn that one Priest was punished This is some Account of the Care he took for the Church in general as Metropolitan But he had a particular Care of his own Diocess now his Power was not checked as it was in the former Reign especially of the City of Canterbury which had been formerly the backwardest in Religion of any other Place of his Diocess He supplied this City with store of excellent Learned Preachers Turner the two Ridleys Becon Besely and Iohn Ioseph who this Year went along with the King's Visitors as one of their Preachers These converted not a few to sincere Religion as may appear by those Numbers of Canterbury that in Queen Mary's Reign suffered the Torment of Fire for their Profession of the Gospel But in that Reign all the Preachers fled so that there was scarce one remaining in the City Which was looked upon as a particular Sign of God's Displeasure against that Place because the Professors there and others reformed not themselves according to those Opportunities of Grace which God had put into their Hands And so I find in a Letter to them wrote by some eminent Person in Prison in Queen Mary's Reign Alas how few faithful Servants hath the Lord of Life in these troublesome Days within Canterbury to whom above all other People in comparison of multitude he hath sent most plenteously his Word in the Mouths of most excellent Preachers But even as the People were Negligent Hard-hearted nothing willing
Year when Ridley was translated thither as we shall see by and by Indeed this was the most plausible Pretence the Papists had and which they made much use of Which Boner and Gardiner had cunningly invented viz. That though the King were to be obeyed and all were bound to submit to his Laws yet not to the Orders and Placits of his Counsellors who made what Innovations they pleased in his Name and were none of his Laws and that therefore things should remain in the State wherein the former King left them till the King now a Child came to Years of Discretion to make Laws himself This the Rebels in Devon made use of And this also the Lady Mary urged very boldly to the Lords of the Council for her incompliance with the communion-Communion-Book and for continuance of the use of the Mass telling them in a Letter That she was resolved to remain obedient to her Father's Laws till the King her Brother should have perfect Years of Discretion to order that Power that God had given him Which Letter whereof I have the Original may be seen in the Appendix For the satisfying therefore of the People in this the Preachers were fain to do their Endeavours in the Pulpits Shewing them that those that were in Office under the King were by the Word of God to be obeyed as the King himself There be some Men that say as Latimer in one of his Sermons in these Days when the King's Majesty himself commandeth me so to do then I will do it not afore This is a wicked Saying and damnable For we may not so be excused Scripture is plain in it and sheweth us that we ought to obey his Officers having Authority from the King as well as unto the King himself Therefore this Excuse will not nor cannot serve afore God Yet let the Magistrates take heed to their Office and Duty This Year the Arch-bishop celebrated a great Ordination consisting of such chiefly as shewed themselves Favourers of the King's Proceedings to be sent abroad to preach the Gospel and to serve in the Ministry of the Church At this Ordination Bishop Ridley also assisted the Arch-bishop The old Popish Order of conferring of Holy Orders was yet in force the new Office as yet not being prepared and established But this Ordination nevertheless was celebrated after that Order that was soon after established At this Ordination great Favour was shewn and Connivance to such who otherwise being well qualified for Piety and Learning scrupled wearing the Habits used by the Popish Priests I meet with two famous Men now ordained The one was Robert Drakes who was Deacon to Dr. Tayler Parson of Hadley at the Commandment of Arch-bishop Cranmer afterwards Parson of Thundersley in Essex and in the Year 1556 burnt to death in Smithfield for his constant Profession of Christ's Religion The other was Thomas Sampson Parson of Breadstreet London and successively Dean of Chichester and Christ's-Church Oxon. Who in a Letter of his written to Secretary Cecyl in Q. Elizabeth's Reign said That at his Ordination he excepted against the Apparel and by the Arch-bishop and Bishop Ridley he was nevertheless permitted and admitted All the Divine Offices were now reformed but only that for Ordination of Ministers Therefore for the doing of this the Council appointed Twelve Learned Men consisting half of Bishops and half of other inferior Divines Whose Names I do not meet with excepting Hethe Bp of Worcester Who because he would not assist in this Work was sent to Prison The chief of them no doubt was the Arch-bishop After mature deliberation this Office was agreed upon and finished And Ponet was the first Bishop Consecrated after this new Form And that I suppose may be the reason that it is set down at length in the Arch-bishop's Register in that manner as it is there to be seen as we shall see under the next Year Upon the Vacancy of Cathedral Churches the Arch-bishop used to visit So now the Church of S. Davids being vacant upon the remove of Barlow to Bath and Wells the Arch-bishop issued out a Commission to Eliseus Price to visit that Church And upon the Vacancy of Glocester by the Death of Wakeman there was a Commission to I. Williams LL. D. and Prebendary there to be his Commissary and to visit that Church and to be Keeper of the Spiritualties of the City and Diocess of Glocester in this third Year of the King This Year also the Church of Norwich being become Vacant by the Resignation of Repps the Arch-bishop granted a Commission to Iohn Bishop Suffragan of Thetford and Dean of the Church of the Holy Trinity Norwich to be his Deputy and Commissary for Visitation and Jurisdiction But somewhat before this he constituted Roland Taylor LL.D. and Will. Wakefeld D. D. to be Keepers of the Spiritualties of Norwich From whose Jurisdiction he protested not to derogate by those his Commissional Letters to the Suffragan nor to withdraw from them any Authority of Jurisdiction This was dated February 15. Also the Church of London being Vacant by the Deprivation and Destitution of Boner the Arch-bishop constituted Gabriel Donne Residentiary of S. Pauls to be his Official and Keeper of the Spiritualties to exercise all manner of Episcopal Jurisdiction in the said City and Diocess This Year he made Griffin Leyson LL.D. Dean of the Arches CHAP. XII Duke of Somerset's Troubles The Common-Prayer Ratified WHEN most of the Council had combined together in the Month of October against the Protector of the King's Person the Duke of Somerset and had withdrawn themselves to Ely-House the King then being at Hampton-Court and suddenly conveyed by the said Duke to Windsor upon the fear of Tumult then I find the Arch-bishop and but two Privy-Counsellors more with the King and the Protector there Being here the good Arch-bishop though he would not forsake his Friend the Duke nor the King his Master yet he did what lay in him to appease and pacify these Heats And so he with the Lord Paget and Secretary Smith in their own and the King's Name wrote an earnest Letter to the Separating Counsellors and sent it by Sir Philip Hoby Wherein as appears by their Answer They were charged by the Arch-bishop with creating much Care and Sorrow to the King and that he thought they had not that Care that beseemed them of pacifying the present Uproars and for the preservation of the State from Danger That they forgat the Benefits they had received from the King's Father nor were mindful of their Duty of Allegiance That their Doings bespake Wilfulness and that the Protector meant nothing but the Safety and Protection of the King in what he had done and that he had that consideration of his Duty to God that the Promise and Oath he made required They were advised to do as they would be done unto And mention was made of Cruelty more than once charging
of old Popish Curats The Letter is dated the 23 d of Iuly and is extant in Fox In London by the Connivance and Remisness of the Bishop many neglected the Divine Service then established and others did in secret Places of the Diocess often frequent the Popish Mass and other Superstitious Rites not allowed by the Laws of England The Sins of Adultery greatly encreased The Churches and particularly the Mother-Church of S. Paul's ran into Dilapidations the Glass was broken and the Ornaments and other Buildings belonging to Churches neglected Many refused to pay Tithes to their Curates probably of both sorts such as were Papists to those Curats as more diligently preached Reformation and obeyed the King's Laws and such as were not so to such Curats as were more backward thereunto Bishop Boner also himself now seldom came to Church seldomer preached and celebrated the English Communion Wherefore the Council sent certain private Injunctions to Boner for the redress of these things That he should preach in his own Person at Paul's Cross and declare certain Articles relating to the before-mentioned Neglects which the Council now sent to him to redress That he should preach once in a Quarter and exhort the People to Obedience and that he should be present at every Sermon at Paul's Cross that he should on the principal Feasts celebrate the Communion and at all times that his Predecessors used to Celebrate and sing High Mass. That he should call before him all such as did not frequent the Church and Common-Prayer and the Holy Communion and punish them as also Adulterers and that he should look to the Reparation of S. Paul's and other Churches and that the People pay their Tithes The Adulteries before hinted which the Council thought fit to recommend to the Bishop to take particular cognizance of makes me add that about this time the Nation grew infamous for this Crime It began among the Nobility and so spread at length among the inferior sort Noblemen would very frequently put away their Wives and marry others if they liked another Woman better or were like to obtain Wealth by her And they would sometimes pretend their former Wives to be false to their Beds and so be divorced and marry again such whom they fancied The first occasion of this seemed to be in the Earl of Northampton divorcing himself from his first Wife Anne Daughter to the Earl of Essex and after marrying Elizabeth Daughter to the Lord Cobham In like manner Henry Son of William Earl of Pembroke put away Katharine Daughter to Henry the Duke of Suffolk and married Mary the Daughter of Sir Henry Sidney These Adulteries and Divorces encreased much yea and marrying again without Divorce which became a great Scandal to the Realm and to the Religion professed in it and gave much Sorrow and Trouble in good Men to see it In so much that they thought it necessary to move for an Act of Parliament to punish Adultery with Death This Latimer in a Sermon preached in the Year 1550 signified to the King For the Love of God saith he take an order for Marriage here in England This is some Account of the Retardation of Religion On the other hand the Endeavors of those that wished well to it were not wanting Now the Protestants began more freely to put forth Books and to disperse such as were formerly printed beyond Sea in the behalf of Religion against Popery and concerning such as had suffered under the Cruelties of the Church of Rome Bale about these Days dispersed his Books One was The Image of both Churches applying the Divine Prophecy of the Revelations to the Apostate Church of Rome Another was a Vindication of the Lady Anne Ascue who suffered the cruel Death of Burning about the end of King Henry's Reign Whose Cause the Papists studiously had rendred bad This Book he intitled The Elucidation of Anne Ascue's Martyrdom Which was this Year exposed publickly to sale at Winchester and the Parts thereabouts as a Reproach to the Bishop of Winchester who was the great Cause of her Death Four of these Books came to that Bishop's own Eyes being then at Winchester they had Leaves put in as Additions to the Book some glewed and some unglewed which probably contained some further Intelligences that the Author had gathered since his first writing of the Book And herein some Reflexions were made freely according to Bale's Talent upon some of the Court not sparing Paget himself though then Secretary of State Another of Bale's Books that went now about was touching the Death of Luther Therein was a Prayer of the Duke of Saxony mentioned which the Bishop of Winchester gladly took hold on Wherein that Duke as to the justness of his Cause remitted himself to God's Judgment to be shewed on him here in this World if the Cause he undertook were not Just concerning Religion and desired God if it were not Good to order him to be taken and spoiled of his Honors and Possessions Since which the Duke was taken Prisoner and at the very time of his taking the Papists made an Observation that the Sun appeared so strangely in England as the like had not been seen before So apt are Men to interpret Events according to their own preconceived Opinions But at this Winchester took much Advantage Whereas indeed the Issues of God's Providence in this World are not favourable always even to the best Causes The keeping of Lent was now called into Controversy and asserted that it was not to be observed upon a religious Account And this was done the rather because the Papists placed so much Religion in the bare Fast. In the Pulpit it began to be cried down Tongue and Ioseph two great Preachers in London said That Lent was one of Christ's Miracles which God ordained not Men to imitate or follow And that it was an insupportable Burden There was a set of Rhimes now made about the burial of Lent which was called Iack of Lent 's Testament and publicly sold in Winchester Market therein Steven Gardiner the Bishop was touched who was a great Man for keeping it For in the Ballad Stephen Stockfish was bequeathed in this Will to Stephen Gardiner Of this he made a long Complaint to the Protector But yet this Neglect of Lent was not encouraged by the Superiors For it was kept at Court and Preparations for the King's Diet were made accordingly this Lent by the Protector The Protestants indeed were for keeping it and an Order was issued out for that purpose tho not upon a Religious but Politick Account But the greater part of the ordinary People would not be brought to it by this Distinction So that the Preachers were fain to be employed Latimer preached That those that regard-not Laws and Statutes were despisers of Magistrates There be Laws made of Diet he said what Meats we shall eat at all times And this Law is made in Policy as I suppose for
Victual's sake that Fish might be uttered as well as other Meat Now as long as it goeth so politickly we ought to keep it Therefore all except those that be dispensed withal as sick impotent Persons Women with Child old Folk c. ought to live in an ordinary obedience to those Laws and not to do against the same in any wise Gardiner urged the great Inconvenience these Rhimes against Lent might occasion That they could serve for nothing but to learn the People to rail and to make others forbear to make their usual Provisions of Fish against the ensuing Year fearing Lent to be sick as the Rhime purported and like to die About these Times there arose much talk of the King 's matching The Protestants were much afraid of his marrying with some Foreign Princess Abroad that might turn his Heart from Religion But the Popishly-affected did their endeavours to perswade him to please himself with some Lady Abroad as best agreeable with Politick Ends as the enlarging of his Dominions and the Surety and Defence of his Countries Some therefore put Latimer upon giving the King Counsel in this Matter from the Pulpit So he advised the King to chuse him one that is of God that is which is of the Houshold of Faith and such an one as the King can find in his Heart to love and lead his Life in pure and chaste Espousage with Let him chuse a Wife that fears God Let him not chuse a Proud Wanton and one full only of rich Treasures and worldly Pomp. The Sentiments of the Protestant Foreigners concerning the present English State deserves a particular Remark They took such great Joy and Satisfaction in this good King and his Establishment of Religion that the Heads of them Bullinger Calvin and others in a Letter to him offered to make him their Defender and to have Bishops in their Churches as there were in England with the tender of their Service to assist and unite together This netled the Learned at the Council of Trent who came to the knowledg of it by some of their private Intelligencers and they verily thought that all the Hereticks as they called them would now unite among themselves and become one Body receiving the same Discipline exercised in England Which if it should happen and that they should have Heretical Bishops near them in those Parts they concluded that Rome and her Clergy would utterly fall Whereupon were sent two of their Emissaries from Rotterdam into England who were to pretend themselves Anabaptists and preach against baptizing Infants and preach up Rebaptizing and a Fifth Monarchy upon Earth And besides this one D. G. authorized by these Learned Men dispatched a Letter written in May 1549 from Delf in Holland to two Bishops whereof Winchester was one signifying the coming of these pretended Anabaptists and that they should receive them and cherish them and take their Parts if they should chance to receive any Checks Telling them that it was left to them to assist in this Cause and to some others whom they knew to be well-affected to the Mother-Church This Letter is lately put in print Sir Henry Sydney first met with it in Queen Elizabeth's Closet among some Papers of Queen Mary's He transcribed it into a Book of his called The Romish Policies It came afterwards into the Hands of ABp Vsher and was transcribed thence by Sir Iames Ware Let it be remembred here and noted that about this time Winchester was appointed with Ridley Bishop of Rochester to examine certain Anabaptists in Kent I find no Bishops Consecrated this Year CHAP. XVI Ridley made Bishop of London The communion-Communion-Book reviewed RIdley Bishop of Rochester was designed to succeed Boner lately deprived in the Bishoprick of London and April 3. took his Oath an half Year being almost spent before he entred upon the Care of that See after Boner's Deprivation At his entrance he was exceeding wary not to do his Predecessor the least Injury in Goods that belonged to him He had not one Penny-worth of his moveable Goods for if any were found and known to be his he had Licence to convey them away otherwise they were safely preserved for him There was some quantity of Lead lay in the House which he used about it and the Church but Ridley paid for it as Boner's own Officers knew He continued Boner's Receiver one Staunton in his Place He paid fifty three or fifty five Pounds for Boner's own Servants common Liveries and Wages which was Boner's own Debt remaining unpaid after his Deposition He frequently sent for old Mrs. Boner his Predecessor's Mother calling her his Mother and caused her to sit in the uppermost Seat at his own Table as also for his Sister one Mrs. Mongey It was observed how Ridley welcomed the old Gentlewoman and made as much of her as though she had been his own Mother And though sometimes the Lords of the Council dined with him he would not let her be displaced but would say By your Lordships favour this Place of Right and Custom is for my Mother Boner But to see the base Ingratitude of Boner when he was restored again in Q. Mary's Reign he used Ridley far otherwise than Ridley had used him For he would not allow the Leases which Ridley had made which was in danger to redound to the utter Ruin and Decay of many poor Men. He had a Sister with three Children whom he married to one Shipside a Servant of his and provided for them This Sister Boner turned out of all and endeavoured the Destruction of Shipside had not Bishop Hethe delivered him Ridley in his Offices and in an Iron Chest in his Bed-Chamber had much Plate and considerable Quantities of other Goods all which Boner seized upon Insomuch that Ridley but a little before his Burning wrote a Supplicatory Letter to the Queen to take this into her Consideration That the poor Men might enjoy their Leases and Years renewed for that they were made without Fraud or Covin either for their Parts or his and the old Rents always reserved to the See without any kind of Dammage thereof Or at least that they might be restored to their former Leases and Years and might have rendred to them again such Sums of Money as they paid him and the Chapter as Fines for their Leases and Years taken from them Which Fines he desired the Queen would command might be made good out of the Plate and other Things he left in his House half whereof would disburse those Fines This did so much run in the good Man's Mind that at the time of his Burning he desired the Lord Williams then present to remember this his Suit to the Queen Which he promised him he would do But what Effect it had I cannot tell In the Vacancy of the Church of Rochester by the remove of Ridley the Arch-bishop committed the Spiritualities to William Cook LL. D. April 18. The Nobility and Gentry
this Year flying so much upon the Spoil of the Church Bucer by the Arch-bishop's Instigation as well as his own Inclinations wrote to the Marquess of Dorset to forbear disswading him from spoiling the Church of her Maintenance In which Letter he hath these Expressions Antiquum dictum est neminem posse vere ditari furtis aut rapinis quibus invaduntur res alienae multo minus peculatu quo defraudatur Respublica Quem igitur habeat sensum Dei qui dubitet minimè omnium posse cujusquam opes augeri salutariter Sacrilegiis quibus acciduntur res Ecclesiasticae Sunt nimium amplae hae opes addictae Ecclesiis in luxum permulti eas diripiunt Homines planè otiosi nec ullam Reip. conferentes utilitatem Submoveantur igitur hi fuci ab Ecclesiae alvearibus nec depasci permittantur apum labores Deinde procurentur ut restitutis passim Scholis nusquam desint Ecclesiarum frugi ministri c. That is It is an old Saying No body can grow Rich by the stealing and taking away of private Peoples Possessions much less by robbing of the Publick What Sense therfore hath he of God that doubts not that his Riches shall encrease to good purpose that commits Sacrilege and robs the Church of what belongs to it But it is objected the Church hath too much and many spend it in Luxury The Church-men are idle and bring no Profit to the Common-Wealth Let these Drones therefore be removed from the Hives of the Church but let not the Pains of the Bees be eaten up And then having Schools of good Literature every where restored let not the Church want sober Ministers c. A Review was made of the Book of Common-Prayer about the latter end of the Year by Arch-bishop Cranmer and the Bishops Divers things that savoured too much of Superstition were endeavoured to be changed or amended But there were among them some that made what opposition they could The Arch-bishop had now by Wilkes Master of Christ's College desired Bucer that great Divine then at Cambridg that he would take an impartial view of the whole Book having procured him a Translation of it into Latin done by Aless the Learned Scotch Divine for his understanding of it and that he should judg if he thought any thing in the Book might be more explained agreeable with God's Word and for better Edification of Faith Bucer in answer sent the Arch-bishop word first what his Judgment was of the Book and then what Course he intended to use in the Examination of it that he was now to make He said That when he first came into England and by the help of an Interpreter took some knowledg of the Rites and Doctrines of this Church that he might see whether he could join his Ministry with it he thanked God That had inclined the Officers of the Church to reform the Ceremonies to that degree of Purity and that he found nothing in them that was not taken out of the Word of God or at least was not repugnant to it being fitly taken For some few things there were added he that unless they were candidly interpreted might seem not so sufficiently agreeable with the Word of God As for what he was now to do in order to the fulfilling what the Arch-bishop required of him he intended in short Notes at every Chapter of the Book to observe what he thought to be according to God's Word and to be retained and vindicated what to be taken away or mended and what to be more plainly explained and allowed After his perusal of the Book he gave this Judgment in general That in the Description of the Communion and daily Prayers he saw nothing enjoined in the Book but what was agreeable to the Word of God either in Word as the Psalms and Lessons or in Sense as the Collects Also that the Manner of their Lessons and Prayers and the Times of using them were constituted very agreeable both with God's Word and the Observation of the Ancient Churches And therefore that that Book ought to be retained and vindicated with the greatest strictness What particular Animadversions the said Learned Man made upon the Book may be seen in his Scripta Anglicana and in the Bishop of Sarum's History as he hath there abridged them And such a Deference was given to his Judgment that most of the things that he excepted against were corrected accordingly And that the Book might be the more exact and perhaps be the more agreeable to the Doctrine and Practice of Foreign Churches the Arch-bishop recommended the diligent examination of it unto another great Divine Peter Martyr who was now at Lambeth the Arch-bishop desiring him to note what he thought good concerning the Book and because he knew not the Language the Version of Sir Iohn Cheke who had also translated it into Latin was given him He was also requested to set down in writing what he thought deserved Correction And he accordingly made his Annotations Martyr agreed clearly in Judgment with Bucer about the Book as he wrote to him in a Letter sent him to Cambridg extant among Arch-bishop Parker's Manuscripts On the back-side of which Letter is written by that Arch-bishop's own Hand Censura libri communium precum In this Letter Martyr told Bucer that the same things that he disapproved of the same likewise had he P. Martyr done And that afterward he drew them up into Articles and shewed them to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury That to all that Bucer judged ought to be amended he had subscribed and that he thanked God that had given occasion to admonish the Bishops of these things From this Letter it appears that the Arch-bishop had told Martyr that in the Conference among the Divines concerning the Correction of these Publick Prayers it was concluded to make many Alterations But what those things were as the Arch-bishop told him not so neither as he wrote did he dare to ask him But what Cheke told him did not a little refresh him viz. That if they themselves would not change what ought to be changed the King would do it of himself and when they came to a Parliament the King would interpose his Majesty's own Authority CHAP. XVII Hoper's Troubles IN the Month of Iuly Iohn Hoper who had lived long abroad in Germany and in Switzerland and conversed much with Bullinger and Gualâ—er the chief Reformers there but returned into England in King Edward's Reign and retained by the Duke of Somerset and a famous Preacher in the City was nominated by the King to the Bishoprick of Gloucester But by reason of certain Scruples of Conscience he made to the wearing of the old Pontifical Habits as the Chimere and Rochet and such-like and disliking the Oath customarily taken he was not Consecrated till eight Months after and endured not a little Trouble in the mean Season Soon after his nomination he repaired to the Arch-bishop desiring
Subscription to his Articles of Religion But in his absence when his Back was turned they became as bad altogether as they were before Yet he conceived good hopes of the Lay-people if they had but good Justices and faithful Ministers placed among them as he wrote to Secretary Cecyl To whom he signified his Desire that the Articles of Religion which the King had mentioned to him when last at London were set forth Them he intended to make the Clergy not only subscribe which being privately done he saw they regarded not but to read and confess them openly before their Parishioners At his Visitation he constituted certain of his Clergy Superintendants who in his absence were to have a constant Eye over the Inferior Clergy After this Visit to Glocester he returned back again to VVorcester in October and then proceeded in his Visitation there Here Iohnson and Iollisf two Canons of this Church disallowing some Doctrines recommended to them by the Bishop in his Articles abovesaid held a Dispute thereupon with him and Mr. Harley who was afterward Bishop of Hereford And one of these behaved himself most insolently and disrespectfully to both The Bishop sent up by Harley a large Relation of his Visitation in writing and the Matter these Canons misliked and recommended Harley to the Secretary to give Account of the Disputation This caused him to break out into a Complaint for want of good Men in the Cathedrals Ah! Mr. Secretary that there were good Men in the Cathedral Churches God then should have much more Honour than he hath the King's Majesty more Obedience and the poor People better Knowledg But the Realm wanteth Light in such Churches whereas of right it ought most to be In Worcester Church he now put in execution the King's Injunctions for the removal of Superstition For which there arose a great Clamour against him as though he had spoiled the Church and yet he did no more than the express Words of the Injunctions commanded to be done After his Visitation was over he accounted not his Work done but soon went over both his Diocesses again to take account of his Clergy how they profited since his last examining them and to oversee even his Superintendents themselves to commend their Well-doings and to see what was ill done So great was his Pains and Zeal which made him most truly and experimentally write as he did to the Secretary There is none that eat their Bread in the sweat of their Face but such as serve in Publick Vocation Yours is wonderful but mine passeth Now I perceive that private Labours be but Plays nor private Troubles but Ease and Quietness These Matters I extract from two Original Letters of this Bishop to Secretary Cecyl which I have thought well worthy of preserving in the Appendix and there they may be met with Whereas it was mentioned before how the Bishop had sent up a Writing of the Matters in Controversy between the two Canons and himself we may see what Care the Council took hereof and what Countenance they gave the Bishop by an Order they made Novemb. 6. 1552. Which was that a Letter should be wrote to Mr. Cheke and Mr. Harley to consider certain Books sent unto them touching Matters of Religion in Controversy between the Bishop of VVorcester and two of the Canons of VVorcester and to certify their Opinion hither that further Order may be therein taken Ian. 29. 1551. Upon suit made by the Dutchess of Somerset to Sir Philip Hobby and Mr. Darcy Lieutenant of the Tower to be a Mean unto the King's Majesty and my Lords that the Bishop of Glocester who had been Chaplain unto the Duke might be suffered to have access unto her for the settling of her Conscience Order was by their Lordships taken for the same and a Letter written to the Lieutenant of the Tower in that behalf as followeth To the Lieutenant of the Tower to permit the Bishop of Glocester from time to time to speak with the Dutchess of Somerset in the presence of Sir Philip Hobby and of the said Lieutenant And in case the said Lady of Somerset desire to speak with the said Bishop apart that in that case they license her so to do May 29 1552. A Warrant to make a Book to the Elect Bishop of VVorcester and Glocester of discharge of the first Fruits and Tenths to be paid for the same in consideration that he hath departed with certain Lands to the King's Majesty Which probably he seeing would whether he would or no be pulled away from him to be conferred upon some of the Mighty of the Court made the best of a bad Market and got himself freed from that Charge payable to the King April 12 1553. A Letter was wrote to the Chancellor of the Augmentations to cause a Book to be made from the Bishop of Worcester and Glocester of a Surrender to the King's Majesty of his Jurisdiction in the Forest of Dean with a certain Deanery which of right belongeth to the Bishoprick of Hereford And thereupon to make another Book of the Grant thereof from his Highness to Mr. Harley Elect Bishop of Hereford April 16 1553. A Letter to the Chancellor of the Agumentations to cause a Book to be devised in form of Law Licensing the Bp of Worcester and Glocester to give to three poor Vicarages in his Diocess the Parsonages whereof are impropriated to his Bishoprick such Augmentation of Living towards their better Maintenance as he shall think convenient out of the Lands of the said See April 25 1553. A Warrant to the Receiver of the Wards to deliver to the Bishop of Worcester by way of Reward twenty Pounds for his Attendance here ever since the Parliament by his Majesty's Commandment These are Transcriptions out of a council-Council-Book CHAP. XIX Troubles of Bishop Gardiner IN this Year 1550 the Council and our Arch-bishop had much trouble with some other Bishops also of a quite different Judgment from the above-spoken of I mean Gardiner Bishop of Winchester Nicolas Bishop of Worcester and Day Bishop of Chichester Of whom what I shall here briefly set down are for the most part Extractions out of an old Council-Book and K. Edward's Journal At Greenwich June 8. was this Order of Council concerning Bishop Gardiner Considering the long Imprisonment that the Bishop of Winchester hath sustained it was now thought time he should be spoken withal and agreed that if he repented his former Obstinacy and would henceforth apply himself to advance the King's Majesty's Proceedings His Highness in this Case would be his good Lord and remit all his Errors passed Otherwise his Majesty was resolved to proceed against him as his Obstinacy and Contempt required For the Declaration whereof the Duke of Somerset the Lord Treasurer the Lord Privy-Seal the Lord great Chamberlain and Mr. Secretary Petre were appointed the next Day i. e. Iune 9. to repair unto him Signed by E. Somerset T. Cant.
Sentence Definitive ready to be pronounced made an Appeal from them to the King For his doing which he produced these Reasons For that these his pretended Judges were not indifferent but prejudiced against him That my Lord of Canterbury had caused him to be sent to Prison whereas the Arch-bishop was only present at the Council when he was by them ordered to the Tower And so had Hales Goodrick and Gosnold counselled to send him thither Also that the Arch-bishop and the Bishops of London and Lincoln did contrary to the Laws Ecclesiastical and taught and set forth manifest condemned Errors against the Presence in the Sacrament And because the Bishop as well in his Writings as otherwise did set forth the Catholick Faith of the very Presence of Christ's Body and Blood therefore they shewed themselves unduly affected towards him That Sir William Petre decreed the Fruits of his Bishoprick to be sequestred de facto sed non de jure and now was Judg in his own Cause But notwithstanding this Appeal the Arch-bishop with the rest of the Commissioners pronounced him Deprived and his Bishoprick void After this was done the Bishop appealed again to the King instantly more instantly most instantly from their Sentence as Injust and of no effect in Law and asked of them Letters Dimissory to be granted to him and a Copy of the Judgment But the Judges declared they would first know the pleasure of the King and his Council therein And so this last Session brake up The day after being the 15 th of February the Council sitting at VVestminster upon debating the Bishop of VVinton's Case Forasmuch as it appeared he had at all times before the Judges of his Cause used himself unreverently to the King's Majesty and slanderfully towards his Council and especially Yesterday being the Day of his Judgment given against him he called his Judges Hereticks and Sacramentaries they being there the King's Commissioners and of his Highness's Council it was therefore concluded by the whole Board that he should be removed from the Lodging he hath now in the Tower to a meaner Lodging and none to wait upon him but one by the Lieutenant's Appointment in such sort as by the resort of any Man to him he have not the liberty to send out to any Man or to hear from any Man And likewise that his Books and Papers be taken from him and seen and that from henceforth he have neither Pen Ink nor Paper to write his detestable Purposes but be sequestred from all Conferences and from all means that may serve him to practise any way March 8. at VVestminster This day by the King's Majesty 's own Appointment Dr. Poynet Bishop of Rochester was chosen Bishop of VVinchester And the Arch-bishop of Canterbury had given him 266 l. 13 s. 4 d. i. e. 400 Marks for his Pains and Charges about the Bishop of VVinchester And thus I have from very Authentick Authority gathered together these Memorials of this turbulent haughty Man who was now so seasonably laid aside in this King's Reign till we hear of him loudly in the next when he sufficiently wracked his Revenge against our good Arch-bishop and the true Religion CHAP. XX. Bishop Hethe and Bishop Day their Deprivations WHile the aforesaid Bp lay under Sequestrationin the Tower two other Bps that were wayward to the King's Proceedings in the Reformation of the Church viz. of Worcester and Chichester came under the Hands of the Privy-Council resolving to make them comply or deprive them That others more willing and better affected to Reformation might succeed and do service in the Church and that the Arch-bishop might go forward with less Stop and Impediment in the good Work he had dedicated himself unto Both of them were of the Arch-bishop's raising and seemed very compliant with the Arch-bishop during K. Henry's Reign But now both hung off from him seeming much offended with him for his relinquishing the Doctrine of the Corporeal Presence and for writing a Book against it Whereof they made mention with dislike in their Depositions in the Bishop of Winchester's Trial before the Commissioners In the last Year the Year 1549 Twelve Learned Divines Bishops and others were appointed by the Council to prepare a new Book for the Ordination of Ministers purged of the Superstitions of the old Ordinal Hethe Bishop of Worcester was nominated for one of these But he not liking the thing would not agree to what the others did nor subscribe the Book when made For which in March he was committed to the Fleet where he lay under easy Confinement all the next Year the Year 1550 during which time I find him once produced as a Witness on Bishop Gardiner's behalf council- But in the Year 1551 the Court being at Chelsey and the Council sitting September 22. by virtue of the King 's express Commandment Nicolâ—s Bishop of Worcester was sent for and came before the Lords and others To whom was repeated the Cause of his Imprisonment to be For that he refused to subscribe the Book devised for the Form of making Arch-bishops Bishops Priests and Deacons being authorized by Parliament At the time of which refusal being not only gently and reasonably required to subscribe it but also being manifestly taught by divers other Learned Men that all Things contained in the Book were Good and True and that the Book was expedient and allowable the said Bishop declared himself to be a vâ—ry obstinate Man And for this his doing it was now shewed unto him that he deserved longer Imprisonment Nevertheless the King's Majesty's Clemency was such that now if he had or would reconcile himself to obey his Majesty in this former Commandment he should recover the King's Majesty's Favour For which Cause it was told him That he was then presently sent for and willed now to subscribe the same Whereunto he answered That he took the Cause of his Imprisonment to be as was alleged and that also he was very gently used rather like a Son than a Subject Nevertheless he said he remained still in the same mind not willing to subscribe it although he would not disobey it And although he was reasoned withal by every of the said Council in disproving his manner of answer that he would not subscribe it being every thing in the said Book True and Good and being devised by eleven other Learned Men to which he was joined as the twelfth and received of all the whole Estate of the Realm agreeing also that he would obey it not subscribe it which contained a Contradiction in Reason Yet he still as a Man not removeable from his own Conceit refused to subscribe it Whereupon to prove all manner of Ways for the winning of him to his Duty he was offered to have Conference with Learned Men and to have time to consider the Matter better Whereunto he said That he could not have better Conference than he had heretofore and well might he have
time but of other Mind he thought never to be Adding that there were many other things whereunto he would never consent if he were demanded as to take down the Altars and set up Tables And in this sort seeing him obstinately settled in Mind not to be conformable he was in the King's Majesty's Name expresly commanded and charged to subscribe the same Book before Thursday next following being the 24 th hereof upon pain of Deprivation of his Bishoprick to all and singular Effects which might follow thereof And hearing the Commandment he resolutely answered He could not find in his Conscience to do it and should be well content to abide such End either by Deprivation or otherwise as pleased the King's Majesty And so as a Man incorrigible he was returned to the Fleet. This Order was subscribed by these of the Privy-Council W. Wilts I. Warwyck W. Herbert W. Cecyl Io. Mason That which gave the Council the first Occasion against Day Bishop of Chichester was partly his refusal of complying with the Order of changing the Altars in his Diocess into Tables and partly going down into his Diocess and there preaching against it council- and other Matters of that nature then in agitation to the raising of dangerous Tumults and Discontents among the People This came to the Council's Ears and Octob. 7. this Year Dr. Cox the King's Almoner was ordered to repair into Sussex to appease the People by his good Doctrine which were now troubled through the seditious preaching of the Bishop of Chichester and others Novemb. 8. The said Bishop appeared before the Council to answer such things as should be objected against him for preaching And because he denied the words of his Accusation therefore he was commanded within two days to bring in writing what he preached Novemb. 30. This day the Duke of Somerset declared to the Council That the Bishop of Chichester came within two days past and shewed to him that he received Letters from the King's Majesty signed with his Majesty's Hand and subscribed with the Hands of divers Lords of the Council The Tenor of which Letter here ensueth Right Reverend Father in God c. It is the same Letter as is printed in Fox's Acts about pulling down Altars According to this Letter the said Bishop said He could not conform his Conscience to do that he was by the said Letter commanded and therefore prayed the said Duke he might be excused Whereunto the said Duke for Answer used divers Reasons moving the said Bishop to do his Duty and in such things to make no Conscience where no need is Nevertheless the said Bishop would not be removed from his former Opinion Therefore the said Duke said He would make report to the rest of the Council And so in the end he prayed the Lords of the Council this Day that the Bishop might be sent for and shew his Mind touching this Case Which was agreed and Commandment given for the Bishop to be at the Council the next Day Decemb. 1. The Bishop came before the Council and being asked what he said to the Letters sent to him from the King's Majesty He answered That he could not conform his Conscience to take down the Altars in the Churches and in lieu of them to set up Tables as the Letter appointed For that he seemed for his Opinion to have the Scripture and Consent of the Doctors and Fathers of the Church and contrariwise did not perceive any strength in the six Reasons which were set forth by the Bishop of London to perswade the taking down Altars and erection of Tables And then being demanded what Scripture he had he alledged a saying in Esay Which place being considered by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishop of London and other Lords of the Council was found of no purpose to maintain his Opinion And thereupon by the said Arch-bishop and Bishop of Ely divers good Reasons were given to prove that it was convenient to take down the Altars as things abused and in lieu of them to set up Tables as things most meet for the Supper of the Lord and most agreeable to the first Constitution And besides that his other Reasons were then fully answered Wherefore the Council commanded him expresly in the King's Name to proceed to the execution of his Majesty's Commandment in the said Letter expressed Whereunto he made request That he might not be commanded to offend his Conscience saying If his Conscience might be instructed to the contrary he would not thus molest the Council with his refusal Which his Saying considered by the Council moved them to shew thus much Favor unto him that they willed him to resort unto the Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of Ely or London and confer with them in the Matter so as he might be instructed by them to accept the just Command of the King's Majesty with a safe Conscience And for his second Answer Day was given him until the 4 th of this Month. At which day he was commanded to return again Decemb. 4. This day the Bishop of Chichester came before the Council and was demanded Whether he had been with the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the other Bishops according to former Order given him Who answered That he was one Afternoon at Lambeth to have waited on the Arch-bishop but he was answered that he was at the Court. And upon a demand what time his Grace would come home one of the Chamberlains as he saith answered That he doubted it would be late e're his Grace come home because he so used Therefore he tarried not And to any other Bishops he made no repair saying further He had not been well in Health For the which cause he took some Physick yesterday The Arch-bishop thereunto said that the same Afternoon that the Bishop of Chichester had been there he came home very early on purpose to have conferred with the said Bishop For the which cause he had leave of the King's Majesty to depart the same day home sooner than for other Business he might conveniently To the Matter he was asked what mind he was of touching the executing the King's Command and what he could say why the same should not be obeyed Who answered as he did before That his Conscience would not permit him to do the same for that the same was against the Scripture and the Doctors And being asked of the first he alledged a place in the last to the Hebrews mentioning the word ALTAR Which place being considered was manifestly by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely declared to be meant of Christ as by the very Context of the same most manifestly appeared to every Reader Next to this he alledged the former place of Esay which also was most evident to be meant otherwise than he alledged and so proved As to the use of the Primitive Church besides the Texts of the New Testament it was most clearly by Origen
be a Prey Which he calls Malum sanè intolerabile And of the same thing and not long after viz. Iuly 1551. he admonished the Duke of Somerset in a French Letter all of his own hand-writing which because of the Antiquity of it and the Matter it treats of referring to our Church and not being among his printed Epistles I have added in the Appendix In which Letter he excites the Duke to take care that there might be fit and able Ministers fixed in Parishes to teach the People The want whereof he attributed to two Causes The one whereof he made to lie in the Universities and the other in the Matter that we are speaking of That the Revenue of the Cures was withdrawn and dispersed away So that there was nothing to maintain good Men who were fit to perform the Office of true Pastors And hence it came to pass that ignorant Priests were put in which made great Confusion For the Quality of the Persons begat great Contempt of God's Word Advising the Duke to endeavour to bring those that had these Spiritual Possessions to be willing to part with them in as much as they could not prosper in defrauding God's People of their Spiritual Food which they did by hindring the Churches of good Pastors Bucer the King's Divinity-Professor at Cambridg was this Year engaged in a publick Disputation as his Collegue Peter Martyr the King's Professor at Oxon had been there the last Before this Disputation happened Bucer communicated his Purpose to his said Collegue and Friend Who having sufficient experience of the vain-glorious Ends of the Papists in these kinds of Disputations and of their unfair Dealings advised him in a Letter not to engage in it but to decline it On which Letter Arch-bishop Parker into whose Hands it fell wrote this Inscription Ad Bucerum prudens Martyris consilium ut non det se in disputatione cum gloriosulis Thrasonibus But it seems he was too far engaged to avoid it with Reputation nor thought he fit to do it for the vindication and sake of Truth The Questions disputed of and his Antagonists were before mentioned It seems he came off with great Credit for his Friend Martyr in a Letter to him soon after it was over professed a great deal of gladness that his Disputations had that good Success and that it so well happened was by God's Providence Which he said he could scarce have believed to have been a thing possible without Visitors or other grave Judges since the Papists reckoned it enough for their Business only to dispute afterwards studiously dispersing their Lies to their own Advantage and the disparagement of those that disputed against them And therefore Martyr said he wondred not that Christ in the beginning confirmed the Disputations of his Apostles with Miracles MARTINUS BUCERUS S.S. Theologiae apaid Cantabrigienyes Profefsor Regius Natus Selestadij Anno MCCCCXCI Denatus MDLI. Bucer's Friends after they had taken care for giving him an honorable Funeral consulted the Supply of his Widow Wibrand Bucerin that she might be well gratified and presented with some Gratuities that might shew the Respect the Nation had for her learned Husband So the University wrote a Letter to the King and Council concerning Bucer's Death and their respectful Interment of him with the signification of their Desire that his Majesty would send them another able Professor in his room With this University-Letter Dr. Parker wrote another to Sir Iohn Cheke entreating him to present their Letter and that he would particularly speak to the Council and to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury to remember the Widow Sir Iohn Cheke March 9. wrote a Letter in answer to Dr. Parker's which I have placed in the Appendix He therein lamented the loss of this Man commended him for his Depth of Knowledg Earnestness in Religion Fartherliness in Life and Authority in Knowledg He added that the King would provide some grave Learned Man to maintain God's true Learning in that University though he thought in all Points they would not meet with Bucer's like He desired Parker that all Bucer's Books and Writings might be sent up and saved for the King's Majesty except Mrs. Bucer might turn them to better Account some other way These Books and Papers were apprized at one hundred Pounds But she received but fourscore Pounds of those that bought them Which she desired Parker and Haddon the Executors here in England to testify under their Hands that she might shew it to vindicate her Truth and Honesty not to have wronged the Heirs The Library was divided into three parts The King had the Manuscripts which was one part The Dutchess of Somerset I suppose had the greater part of the Books and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury had the remainder for which he for his share paid her forty Pounds The University gave her an hundred Crowns the King an hundred Marks more besides her Husband's half-half-year's Pension though he died before Lady-day when it came due He also allowed for such reasonable Repairs as Bucer had bestowed about the House wherein he lived And March 31. 1551. She had a Passage by Sea granted her with eight Persons in her Company She returned unto Strasburgh whither She retired by Mr. Rich. Hills Merchant the Sum of two hundred twenty six Pounds two Shillings From Strasburgh in February the next Year She wrote a Letter to the Executors wherein She acknowledged their Kindness to her praying God for them in respect of their singular Humanity and Benefits which they had shewed to her Husband and her self and especially when he was dead Miseram me said She in that Letter omnique solatio destitutam non deseruistis sed in vestram me tutelam benigne suscepistis omnia denique Christianae charitatis officia demonstrastis Bucer left a Son named Nathaniel and a Daughter named Elizabeth behind him at Strasburgh when he came into England Which I suppose were all the Children he left surviving him whom he had by a former Wife that died of the Plague there By her he had many more but they died before him As long as Bucer lived there was a dear Correspondence between him and P. Martyr while they were the one at Cambridg and the other at Oxford In the private Library at Benet-College there be still remaining divers Letters from Martyr to him One whereof was writ upon occasion of Bucer's communicating to him his Judgment of the Habits which he had composed for the use of Hoper Which Letter began thus S. P. Perlegi Vir Dei quae de Vestium discrimine doctè piéque scripsisti ac ex illis non mediocrem voluptatem cepi tum quia vera quae praedicas intelligebam tum quod per omnia consentiebant cum his quae ego Londinum ad Hopperum ipsum pridie ejus diei qua tuae mihi redderentur miseram So that hence it appears they were both unanimous for wearing of the Habits enjoined
was much offended that he was named in the Book and pretended this to be one Reason why he did write against it to vindicate himself as well as the Papal Church hereby so dangerously struck at This Book of Cranmer's was turned into Latin by Iohn Yong who complied afterwards with the old Religion under Queen Mary and was Master of Pembroke-Hall Cambridg At this Book the Defenders of Popery were so nettled that in the same Year 1550 Winchester then in the Tower and fickle Dr. Smith then at Lovain printed Answers Of Smith's Book I shall only note by the way that March 8. 1550. there was an Order of Council to examine the bringer over of his Book against Cranmer Such a Countenance did the State give to the Arch-bishop and his Book Gardiner's Book made the greatest noise Which was printed in France and intituled An Explication and Assertion of the true Catholick Faith touching the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar with the Confutation of a Book written against the same In the Beginning of his Book he wrote That his Sermon before the King on St. Peter's Day touching the Sacrament of the Altar gave occasion to the Arch-bishop's Book against it and that he was called before the King's Commissioners at Lambeth for his Catholick Faith in the Sacrament Whereas indeed this was not the Cause of his Troubles nor had some former Copies of his Book these words But after the Commission was issued forth against him to make his Cause appear the more specious as if it were the Cause of the Church he thought fit to make an Alteration in the beginning of his Book in the manner abovesaid And to carry on the Scene he in open Court offered his Book before the King's Commissioners To this Book of Gardiners our Arch-bishop studied and composed an Answer holding himself bound for the Vindication of the Evangelical Truth as well as of his own Writing and for the Satisfaction of the People not to suffer it to lie untaken notice of When it was known the Arch-bishop was preparing an Answer against Gardiner the People were in very great expectation and conceived an earnest desire to see and read it Having therefore dispatched his Copy and sent it to Rainold Wolf his Printer it was printed off in the Month of September 1551. But there was some stop put to the publishing of it occasioned by a Proclamation issued out from the King whereby for some political Ends both the printing and selling of English Books without the Allowance of the King's Majesty or six of his Privy-Council was forbidden The Arch-bishop being desirous that his Book might come abroad the next Term for the Contentation of many who had long expected the same sent to Secretary Cecyl and Sir Iohn Cheke to procure either from the King or Council a Licence to the said Wolf for printing and selling his Book Which was obtained and the Book published accordingly This Letter of the ABp's dated Sept. 29. I have thought not amiss to reposit in the Appendix Octob. 1. A Licence was granted to Wolf to publish the Book under the King's Privilege the Court then being at Hampton-Court and the Arch-bishop himself present The Title this second Book of the Arch-bishop's bore was An Answer by the Reverend Father in God Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitan unto a crafty and sophistical Cavillation devised by Stephen Gardiner Doctor of Law late Bishop of Winchester against the true and godly Doctrine of the most Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ. Wherein is also as occasion serveth answered such Places of the Book of Dr. Richard Smith as may seem any thing worthy the answering Also a true Copy of the Book written and in open Court delivered by Dr. Stephen Gardiner not one Word added or diminished but faithfully in all Points agreeing with the Original This Book of Arch-bishop Cranmer's was printed again at London 1580 with his Life and some other things His Reply to Gardiner was in the most fair and candid Method that could be devised For he first set down his own Treatise Piece by Piece then Gardiner's Reply thereunto Word for Word leaving not one Paragraph without a full Answer His Reply to Smith was only of some things most worthy to be taken notice of the rest of Smith's Book being meer Trifles This Reply to Smith he inserted in the Body of his Answer to Gardiner as occasion served Only at the end he made a particular Reply to Smith's Preface It seemed to be a very compleat Exercitation upon that Subject The Book was stored with so great Learning and Plenty of Arguments Vt ea Controversia saith one of his Successors a nemine unquam contra Pontificios accuratius tractata esse videatur That no one Controversy was by any ever handled against the Papists more accurately It may not be amiss to mention here the Opinion that Cranmer himself had of his Book in that famous and renowned Confession he made of his Faith in S. Mary's Church Oxon immediately before he was led away to his Burning Where he expressed his full Approbation and great Confidence of the Doctrine contained therein saying That as for the Sacrament he believed as he had taught in his Book against the Bishop of VVinchester The which Book he said taught so true a Doctrine of the Sacrament that it should stand at the last Day before the Judgment of God where the Papistical Doctrine contrary thereto should be ashamed to shew her Face The Papists spake as much against this Book being much galled by it Dr. Tresham in his Disputation with Latimer said There were six hundred Errors in the Book Weston thinking to invalidate the Book by the pretended Novelty of the Doctrine asked the same Father How long he had been of that Opinion He said Not past seven Years that is about the Year 1547 and that Arch-bishop Cranmer's Book confirmed his Judgment therein and added That if he could but remember all therein contained he would not fear to answer any Man in this Matter The Arch-bishop had acknowledged to the Queen's Commissioners at Oxford that Ridley had first begun to enlighten him as to the true Notion of the Presence as he had maintained it in his Book Hereupon one of them took occasion to try to baffle the true Doctrine by making the whole stress of it to depend upon the Authority of single Ridley Latimer said he leaned upon Cranmer and Cranmer leaned upon Ridley Whereas the truth of this was no more but that Ridley reading Bertram's Book of the Body and Blood of Christ was sharpened to examine the old Opinion more accurately of the Presence of Christ's Flesh and Blood and looking into Ecclesiastical Authors he found it greatly controverted in the ninth Century and learnedly writ against Which made him begin to conclude it none of the ancient Doctrines of the Church but more lately
that was such a great Instrument of promoting the Reformation He is generally charged for the great Spoil of Churches and Chappels defacing antient Tombs and Monuments and pulling down the Bells in Parish-Churches and ordering only one Bell in a Steeple as sufficient to call the People together Which set the Commonalty almost into a Rebellion As the Arch-bishop the last Year had procured Amendments and Alterations in the Book of Publick Prayers and had consulted therein with the two Learned Foreign Divines Bucer and Martyr so this Year in Ianuary an Act was made by the Parliament for authorizing the new Book and obliging the Subjects to be present at the reading of it In this Book the general Confession was added and the Absolution At the beginning of the second Service was added the Recital of the Ten Commandments with the short Ejaculation to be said between each Commandment Something was left out in the Consecration of the Sacrament that seemed to favour a Corporal presence Several Rites were laid aside as that of Oil in Confirmation and Extream Unction and Prayer for the Dead which was before used in the Communion-Office and that of Burial together with the change and abolishing of some other things that were offensive or Superstitions as may be seen by those that will take the pains to compare the two Books the one printed in the Year 1549 and the other 1552. And this was brought about by the great and long Diligence and Care of our pious Arch-bishop and no question to his great Joy and Satisfaction So that I look upon that but as an improbable report that was carried about in Frankford in those unseemly Branglings among the English Exiles there that Bullinger should say That Cranmer had drawn up a Book of Prayers an hundred times more perfect then that which was then in being but the same could not take place for that he was matched with such a wicked Clergy and Convocation with other Enemies But as his Authority was now very great so there was undoubtedly a great Deference paid to it as also to his Wisdom and Learning by the rest of the Divines appointed to that Work so that as nothing was by them inserted into the Liturgy but by his good Allowance and Approbation so neither would they reject or oppose what he thought fit should be put in or Altered The Learning Piety and good Deserts of Miles Coverdale in translating the Holy Scriptures into the English Tongue and in a constant preaching of the Gospel and sticking to the true Profession for many a Year and withall very probably their antient acquaintance in Cambridg were reasons that made our Arch-bishop a particular Friend to him When the Lord Russel was sent down against the Rebels in the West he was attended by Coverdale to preach among them Coverdale afterwards became Coadjutor to Veyzy the Bishop of Exeter who seldom resided and took little care of his Diocess But this Year whether voluntarily or by some Order he resigned up his Bishoprick having first greatly spoiled it of its Revenues And when some wise and bold Person and excellent Preacher was found extreamly needful to be sent thither to inspect the Clergy and Ecclesiastick Matters in those Parts the late Rebellion having been raised chiefly by Priests in hatred to the Religion heating and disaffecting the Minds of the common People Coverdale was judged a very fit Person to succeed in that Charge Being now Bishop Elect of Exon he had long attended at Court to get his Matters dispatched namely The doing of his Homage and the obtaining a Suit to be excused the paiment of his first Fruits being but a poor Man But such at that Time were the great and urgent Affairs of the State or the secret Hinderers of the Gospel that he found nothing but Delaies So that he was forced to apply himself unto his Friend the Arch-bishop to forward his Business Who forthwith sent his Letters to Secretary Cecyl making Coverdale himself the Bearer Entreating him to use his Interest to get this Bishop dispatched and that with speed Urging this for his Reason becoming his paternal Care over his Province That so he might without further delay go down into the Western Parts which had great need of him And also because he was minded on the 30 th of August to consecrate him and the Bishop of Rochester Scory according to the King's Mandate This Scory was at first preferred by the Arch-bishop to be one of the six Preachers at Canterbury and always continued firm to the Purity of Religion and endured Trouble for the good and wholesome Doctrine that he preached having been presented and complained of both in the Spiritual Courts and to the Justices at their Sessions when the Six Articles were in Force He was a Married Man and so deprived at the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign fled beyond Sea and was Superintendent of the English Congregation at Embden in Friezland There in the Year 1555 he wrote and printed A Comfortable Epistle unto all the Faithful that be in Prison or in any other Trouble for the defence of God's Truth Wherein he doth as well by the promises of Mercy as also by the Examples of divers holy Martyrs comfort encourage and strengthen them patiently for Christ's Sake to suffer the manifold cruel and most tyrannous Persecutions of Antichristian Tormentors As the Book bears title There were divers Bishopricks vacant this Year As that of Lincoln by the Death of Holbech The Arch-bishop deputed the Spiritualties to Iohn Pope LL. B. and Chancellor of that Church The Church commending unto the Arch-bishop this Pope and two more viz. Iohn Prin LL. D. Subdean of the Church and Christopher Massingberde LL. B. Arch-deacon of Stow. So he chose the first But yet he committed a special trust to Taylor the Dean of Lincoln whom he knew to be tight to Religion sending a Commission fiduciary to him before Pope entred upon his Office to give the said Pope his Oath Legally and faithfully to perform his Office committed to him by the Arch-bishop and to answer to the said Arch-bishop for all Obventions coming to him by virtue of his Jurisdiction and Office and that he should not by Malice or Wrong squeez the Subjects of the King and of that Diocess whether Clerks or Laics that he should not knowingly grieve them in their Estates or Persons and that he shall abstain from Oppressions Extortions and unlawful Exactions and that he shall renounce the Bishop of Rome his usurped Jurisdiction and Authority according to the Statutes of Parliament And of all this he wrote a Letter to the said Pope signifying that he required such an Oath of him to be taken before the Dean The Tenor of the Arch-bishop's Letter to the Dean went on further requiring him by his sound Council singular Prudence and by the assistance of his sincere Judgment to be present with him in any hard Cases and of
for there was that which would comfort him when he should be in such a case as he was then in One asked him concerning the Doctrine of the School-Doctors that Bread remained not after Consecration He replied There was none of the School-Doctors knew what Consecratio did mean And pausing a while said It was Tota actio The whole Action in ministring the Sacrament as Christ did institute it After the Conference with him was ended Yong retiring into another Chamber said to Wilks that Dr. Redman so moved him that whereas he was before in such Opinion of certain things that he would have burned and lost his Life for them now he doubted of them But I see said he a Man shall know more and more by process of time and by reading and hearing others And Mr. Dr. Redman's saying shall cause me to look more diligently for them Ellis Lomas Redman's Servant said he knew his Master had declared to King Henry that Faith only justifieth but that he thought that Doctrine was not to be taught the People lest they should be negligent to do good Works All this I have related of this Divine that I may in some measure preserve the Memory of one of the Learnedest Men of his Time and lay up the dying Words of a Papist signifying so plainly his dislike and disallowance of many of their Doctrines The Sweating-sickness breaking out this Year in great violence whereby the two Sons of the Duke of Suffolk were taken off Letters from the Council dated Iuly 18 were sent to all the Bishops to perswade the People to Prayer and to see God better served It being enacted 1549 That the King might during three Years appoint sixteen Spiritual Men and sixteen Temporal to examine the old Ecclesiastical Laws and to compile a Body of Ecclesiastical Laws to be in force in the room of the old this third Year Octob. 6. a Commission was issued out to the same number of Persons authorizing them to reform the Canon Laws that is to say to eight Bishops eight Divines eight Civil Lawyers and eight Common Whose Names as they occur in an Original are as follow BISHOPS The Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of London Winchester Ely Exeter Glocester Bath Rochestre DIVINES Mr. Taylor of Lincoln Cox Almoner Parker of Cambridg Latimer Cook Sir Anthony I suppose Peter Martyr Cheke Ioannes a Laseo CIVILIANS Mr. Peter Cecyl Sir Tho. Smith Taylor of Hadeligh Dr. May Mr. Traheron Dr. Lyel Mr. Skinner LAWYERS Justice Hales Justice Bromly Goodrick Gosnal Stamford Carel Lucas Brook Recorder of London It was so ordered that this number should be divided into four distinct Classes or Companies each to consist of two Bishops two Divines to Civilians and two Common-Lawyers And to each Company were assigned their set parts Which when one Company had finished it was transmitted to the other Companies to be by them all well considered and inspected But out of all the number of two and thirty eight especially were selected from each rank two viz. out of the Bishops the Arch-bishop and the Bishop of Ely out of the Divines Cox and Martyr out of the Civilians Taylor and May out of the Common-Lawyers Lucas and Goodrick To whom a new Commission was made Novemb. 9 for the first forming of the Work and preparation of the Matter And the Arch-bishop supervised the whole Work This Work they plied close this Winter But lest they should be straitned for time the Parliament gave the King three Years longer for accomplishing this Affair So Feb. 2. A Letter was sent from the Council to make a new Commission to the Arch-bishop and to the other Bishops and Learned Men Civilians and Lawyers for the establishment of the Ecclesiastical Laws according to the Act of Parliament made in the last Session This was a very noble Enterprize and well worthy the Thoughts of our excellent Arch-bishop Who with indefatigable Pains had been both in this and the last King's Reign labouring to bring this Matter about and he did his part for he brought the Work to perfection But it wanted the King's Ratification which was delayed partly by Business and partly by Enemies Bishops Consecrated August the 30 th Iohn Scory Ponet being translated to Winchester was consecrated Bishop of Rochester at Croyden by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury assisted by Nicolas Bishop of London and Iohn Suffragan of Bedford Miles Coverdale was at the same time and place Consecrated Bishop of Exon all with their Surplices and Copes and Coverdale so habited also CHAP. XXVII The Articles of Religion OUR Arch-bishop and certain of the Bishops and other Divines but whom by Name I find not were this Year chiefly busied in composing and preparing a Book of Articles of Religion which was to contain what should be publickly owned as the Sum of the Doctrine of the Church of England This the Arch-bishop had long before this bore in his Mind as excellently serviceable for the creating of a Concord and Quietness among Men and for the putting an End to Contentions and Disputes in Matters of Religion These Articles the Arch-bishop was the Penner or at least the great Director of with the assistance as is very probable of Bishop Ridley And so he publickly owned afterwards in his Answer to certain Interrogatories put to him by Queen Mary's Commissioners viz. That the Catechism the Book of Articles and the Book against Winchester were his Doings These Articles were in number Forty two and were agreed to in the Convocation 1552. And in the Year 1553 they were published by the King's Authority both in Latin and English After they were finished he laboured to have the Clergy subscribe them but against their Wills he compelled none though afterwards some charged him falsly to do so Which he utterly denied as he declared before the said Queen's Commissioners But to enter into some Particulars concerning so eminent a Matter Ecclesiastical as this was In the Year 1551 the King and his Privy-Council ordered the Archbishop to frame a Book of Articles of Religion for the preserving and maintaining Peace and Unity of Doctrine in this Church that being finish'd they might be set forth by Publick Authority The Arch-bishop in obedience hereunto drew up a set of Articles which were delivered to certain other Bishops to be inspected and subscribed I suppose by them Before them they lay until this Year 1552. Then May 2. a Letter was sent from the Council to our Arch-bishop to send the Articles that were delivered the last Year to the Bishops and to signify whether the same were set forth by any Publick Authority according to the Minutes The Arch-bishop accordingly sent the Articles and his Answer unto the Lords of the Council In September I find the Articles were again in his Hands Then he set the Book in a better Order and put Titles upon each of the Articles and some Additions for the better perfecting of the Work and supply
and therewith procure for him the like Licence as to the other had been granted And lastly that Goodacre and his Collegue Bale might find the better Countenance and Authority when they should exercise their Functions in that Country the Privy-Council wrote two Letters to the Lord-Deputy and Council of Ireland the one dated Octob. 27. in commendation of Bale Bishop Elect of Ossory council- and the other dated Novemb. 4. in commendation of Goodacre Bishop Elect of Armachan CHAP. XXIX The Arch-bishop charged with Covetousness TO divert the King after the loss of his Unkle whom he dearly loved Northumberland took him in Progress in the Summer of this Year While he was in this Progress some about his Person that they might the better make way for their Sacrilegious Designs and to make the King the more inclinable to lay Hands on the Episcopal Demeans or at least to clip and pare them buzzed about the Court Rumours how Rich the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the other Bishops were and withal how niggardly and unsutably they lived to their great Incomes laying up and scraping together to enrich themselves and their Posterities whereby Hospitality was neglected which was especially required of them Hereupon Sir William Cecyl the Secretary who was now with the King and took notice of these Discourses and saw well the malicious Tendency thereof and moreover thought them perhaps in some measure to be true laboured to hinder the ill Consequence For he was ever a very great Favourer as of the Reformed Clergy so of their Estate and Honours This put him upon writing a private Letter from Court to the Arch-bishop desiring him favourably to take a piece of good Counsel at his Hands as he intended it innocently and out of a good Mind acquainting him with the Reports at the Court of his Riches and of his Covetousness reminding him withal of that Passage of St. Paul They that will be Rich fall into Temptation and a Snare meaning probably thereby the Danger that he and the rest of his Brethren might expose their Revenues to thereby The Arch-bishop seemed somewhat netled and perceiving the ill Designs dispatched an Answer hereunto giving a true Account of his own Condition and of the other Bishops as to temporal Things and letting him understand how much the World was mistaken in him and the rest That for himself he feared not that Saying of St. Paul half so much as he did stark Beggary That he took not half so much Care for his Living when he was a Scholar of Cambridg as he did at that present For although he had now much more Revenue yet he said he had much more to do withal That he had more Care now to live as an Arch-bishop than he had at that Time to live like a Scholar That he had not now so much as he had within ten Years past by an hundred and fifty Pounds of certain Rent besides Casualties That he paid double for every thing he bought And that if a good Auditor had this Account he should find no great Surplusage to grow rich upon And then as for the rest of the Bishops he told him That they were all Beggars but only one single Man of them and yet he dared well say that he was not very Rich. And that if he knew any Bishop that were Covetous he would surely admonish him Intreating the Secretary that if he could inform him of any such he would signify him and himself would advertise him thinking he could do it better than the other Who seemed to have hinted his Mind to the Arch-bishop that he intended to do it This Letter will be found among the rest in the Appendix No doubt the Arch-bishop was thus large and earnest on this Subject to supply the Secretary with Arguments to confute that malicious Talk at Court concerning the Bishops and to prevent the Mischiefs hatching against them Nor indeed was this the first time this Arch-bishop was thus slandered For some of his Enemies divers Years before had charged him to his loving Master King Henry VIII with Covetousness and ill House-keeping And the chief of these that raised this Report was Sir Thomas Seimour But the King made him to convince himself by sending him to Lambeth about Dinner-time upon some pretended Message Where his own Eyes saw how the Arch-bishop lived in far other sort than he had told the King keeping great and noble Hospitality So that when he returned he acknowledged to his Majesty that he never saw so honourable a Hall set in this Realm besides his Majesty's in all his Life with better Order and so well furnished in each Degree And the King then gave this Testimony of him Ah good Man all that he hath he spendeth in House-keeping For this Reason probably it was as well as upon the account of his good Service and also of the Exchanges he was forced to make that the said King gave him a promise of a Grant of some Lands and by a general Clause in his Will signified as much which was That certain Persons should be considered Accordingly I find in the forementioned manuscript-Manuscript-Book of Sales of King's Lands that Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury did in the first Year of King Edward VI. partly by Purchase and partly by Exchange of other Lands procure divers Lands of the King He obtained the Rectory of VVhalley Blackbourn and Rachdale in the County of Lancaster lately belonging to the Monastery or Abby of VVhalley in the same County and divers other Lands and Tenaments in the Counties of Lancaster Kent Surrey London Bangor And this partly in Consideration of King Henry VIII his Promise and in performance of his Will and partly in exchange for the Mannor and Park of Mayfield in the County of Sussex and divers other Lands and Tenements in the Counties of Middlesex Hertford Kent Buckingham and York This Purchase he made I suppose not for himself but for his See About the same time he also bought of the King for the sum of five hundred and eighty Pounds eight Shillings and four Pence the Mannor of Sleford in the County of Lincoln and of Middleton-Cheny in the County of Northampton and divers other Lands and Tenements in the said Counties He made another Purchase of the King the same Year that is the first of his Reign for four hundred twenty nine Pounds fourteen shillings and two Pence and for the fulfilling the last Will of the late King and in consideration of Services as it is expressed in the said Book of Sales This Purchase was the Priory of Arthington in the County of York and divers other Lands and Tenements in York Nottingham and Kent An Extract of which three Purchases exactly taken out of the said Book with the Value of the Lands and the Rent reserved and the Time of the Issues and the Test of the Patent I have thought fit to insert in the Appendix which
corrupt Religion within his Province and Territories But finding the Opposition against him so great and lying under the Excommunication of the Pope for what he had done and being deprived thereupon by the Emperor of his Lands and Function he resigned his Ecclesiastical Honour and betook himself to a retired Life which was done about the Year 1547. But no question in this private Capacity he was not idle in doing what Service he could for the good of that Cause which he had so generously and publickly espoused and for which he had suffered so much I find that in this Year 1552 our Arch-bishop had sent a Message to Secretary Cecyl who accompanied the King in this Summer's Progress desiring him to be mindful of the Bishop of Colen's Letters And in another Letter dated Iuly 21 he thanked the Secretary for the good remembrance he had thereof What the Contents of these Letters of the Arch-bishop of Colen were it appeareth not But I am very apt to think the Purport of them was that Cranmer would solicite some certain Business in the English Court relating to the Affairs of Religion in Germany and for the obtaining some Favour from the King in that Cause But the King being now abroad and the Arch-bishop at a distance from him he procured the Secretary who was ever cordial to the State of Religion to solicit that Arch-bishop's Business for him sending him withal that Arch-bishop's Letters for his better Instruction And this whatever it was seems to have been the last good Office that Arch-bishop Herman did to the Cause of Religion for he died according to Sleidan in the Month of August and our Arch-bishop's Letter wherein that Elector's Letters are mentioned were writ but the Month before And if one may judg of Mens commencing Friendship and Love according to the sutableness of their Tempers and Dispositions our Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the Arch-bishop of Colen must have been very intimate Friends It was said of this Man that he often wished That either he might be instrumental to the propagating the Evangelical Doctrine and Reformation of the Churches under his Iurisdiction or to live a private Life And when his Friends had often told him what Envy he would draw upon himself by the changing of Religion he would answer like a true Christian Philosopher That nothing could happen to him unexpectedly and that he had long since fortified his Mind against every Event These two Passages spake the very Spirit and Soul of Cranmer Which they may see that are minded to read what Fox saith of him as to his Undauntedness and Constancy in the maintaining of the Truth against the many Temptations and Dangers that he met with during these three Reigns successively And lastly as our Arch-bishop devoted himself wholly to the reforming of his Church so admirable was the Diligence Pains and Study this Arch-bishop took in contriving the Reformation of his He procured a Book to be writ concerning it called Instauratio Ecclesiarum which contained the Form and Way to be used for the redressing the Errors and Corruptions of his Church It was composed by those great German Divines Bucer and Melancthon which Book was put into English and published here as a good Pattern in the Year 1547. This Book he intended to issue forth through his Jurisdiction by his Authority to be observed But first he thought fit well and seriously to examine it and spent five Hours in the Morning for five Days to deliberate and consult thereupon Calling to him to advise withal in this great Affair his Coadjutor Count Stolberg Husman Ienep Bucer and Melancthon He caused the whole Work to be read before him and as many Places occurred wherein he seemed less satisfied he caused the Matter to be disputed and argued and then spake his own Mind accurately He would patiently hear the Opinions of others for the information of his own Judgment and so ordered things to be either changed or illustrated And so dextrously would he decide many Controversies arising that Melancthon thought that those great Points of Religion had been long weighed and considered by him and that he rightly understood the whole Doctrine of the Church He had always lying by him the Bible of Luther's Version and as Testimonies chanced to be alledged thence he commanded that they should be turned to that he might consider that which is the Fountain of all Truth Insomuch that the said Melancthon could not but admire and talk of his Learning Prudence Piety and Dexterity to such as he conversed with and particularly to Iohn Caesar to whom in a Letter he gave a particular Account of this Affair And it is to be noted by the way that the said Book according to which the Reformation was to be modelled contained only as Melancthon in his Letter suggested a necessary Instruction for all Children and the Sum of the Christian Doctrine and the Appointments for the Colleges and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy were very moderate the Form of the Ecclesiastical Polity being to remain as it was and so were the Colleges with their Dignities Wealth Degrees Ornaments thereunto belonging only great Superstitions should be taken away Which the wise Melancthon aforesaid did so approve of that he professed he had often propounded it in Diets of the German Nation as the best way to Peace And this I add that it might be observed how Arch-bishop Cranmer went by the same Measures in the Reformation of the Church of England maintaining the Hierarchy and the Revenues Dignities and Customs of it against many in those Times that were for the utter abolishing them as Relicks of Popery Such a Correspondence there was between our Arch-bishop and the wisest moderatest and most learned Divines of Germany But let us look nearer Home CHAP. XXXII Troubles of Bishop Tonstal AS the last Year we heard of the Deprivation of two Popish Bishops so this Year another underwent the like Censure I mean Tonstal Bishop of Durham whose Business I shall the rather relate because our Arch-bishop had some Concern in it Septemb. 21. A Commission was issued out to the Lord Chief Justice and his Colleagues to examine and determine the Cause of Tonstal Bishop of Durham and eight Writings touching the same which he is willed to consider and to proceed to the hearing and ordering of the Matter as soon as he may get the rest of his Colleagues to him It was not long after viz. about the midst of October that this Bishop by these Commissioners whose Names besides the Chief Justice do not occur was deprived and his Estate confiscated Octob. ult Sir Iohn Mason was ordered by the Council to deliver to the use of Dr. Tonstal so he is now stiled remaining Prisoner in the Tower such Money as should serve for his Necessities until such time as further Order shall be taken touching his Goods and Money lately appertaining to him Decemb. 6. It was agreed by the Council that Dr.
Tonstal late Bishop of Durham should have the Liberty of the Tower where he continued till the Time of Queen Mary But we will look back to learn for what Cause this severe Punishment was inflicted upon this Reverend grave Bishop and the rather because the Bp of Sarum could not find as he writes what the Particulars were In the Year 1550 a Conspiracy was hatching in the North to which the Bishop was privy at least if not an Abetter And he wrote to one Menvile in those Parts relating to the same This Menvile himself related unto the Council and produced the Bishop's Letter Which was afterwards by the Duke of Somerset withdrawn and concealed as it seems out of kindness to Tonstal But upon the Duke's Troubles when his Cabinet was searched this Letter was found Upon which they proceeded against Tonstal This is the sum of what is found in the Council-Book Viz. May 20. 1551. The Bishop of Durham is commanded to keep his House Aug. 2. He had licence to walk in the Fields Decemb. 20. Whereas the Bishop of Durham about Iuly 1550 was charged by Vivian Menvile to have consented to a Conspiracy in the North for the making a Rebellion and whereas for want of a Letter written by the said Bishop to the said Menvile whereupon great trial of this Matter depended the final Determination of the Matter could not be proceeded unto and the Bishop only commanded to keep his House the same Letter hath of late been found in a Casket of the Duke of Somerset's after his last Apprehension The said Bishop was sent for and this Day appeared before the Council and was charged with the Letter which he could not deny but to be his own Hand-writing and having little to say for himself he was then sent to the Tower there to abide till he should be delivered by Process of Law Agreeable to this is that King Edward writes in his Journal Decemb. 20. The Bishop of Durham was for concealment of Treason written to him and not disclosed sent to the Tower In the latter end of the Year 1551 a Parliament sitting it was thought convenient to bring in a Bill into the House of Lords attainting him for Misprision of Treason But Arch-bishop Cranmer spake freely against it not satisfied it seems with the Charge laid against him But it past and the Arch-bishop protested But when it was carried down to the Commons they would not proceed upon it not satisfied with the bare Depositions of Evidences but required that the Accusers might be brought Face to Face And so it went no further But when the Parliament would not do Tonstal's Business a Commission was issued out to do it as is above spoken In the mean time that the Bishoprick might not want a due Care taken of it during the Bishop's Restraint Feb. 18. 1551 a Letter was sent from the Council to the Prebendaries of Durham to conform themselves to such Orders in Religion and Divine Service standing with the King's Proceedings as their Dean Mr. Horn shall set forth whom the Lords required them to receive and use well as being sent to them for the Weal of the Country by his Majesty CHAP. XXXIII The new Common-Prayer The Arch-bishop in Kent THE Book of Common-Prayer having the last Year been carefully Revised and Corrected by the Arch-bishop and others the Parliament in April this Year enacted that it should begin to be used every where at All-Saints Day next And accordingly the Book was printed against the Time and began to be read in S. Paul's Church and the like throughout the whole City But because the Posture of Kneeling was excepted against by some and the words used by the Priest to the Communicant at the reception of the Bread gave Scruple as though the Adoration of the Host were intended therefore to take off this and to declare the contrary to be the Doctrine of this Church Octob. 27. a Letter was sent from the Council to the Lord-Chancellor to cause to be joined to the Book of Common-Prayer lately set forth a Declaration signed by the King touching the Kneeling at the receiving of the Communion Which in all probability was done by the Motion of the Arch-bishop who in his late Book had taken such pains to confute the Adoration and now thought it necessary that some publick Declaration should be made in the Church-Service against it So now the first of November being come Dr. Ridley the Bishop of London was the first that celebrated the new Service in S. Paul's Church which he did in the Forenoon And then in his Rochet only without Cope or Vestment preached in the Choir And in the Afternoon he preached at Pauls-Cross the Lord-Mayor and Aldermen and Citizens present His Sermon tended to the setting forth this new Edition of the Common-Prayer He continued preaching till almost five a Clock so that the Mayor and the rest went home by Torch-light By this Book of Common-Prayer all Copes and Vestments were forbidden throughout England The Prebendaries of St. Pauls left off their Hoods and the Bishops their Crosses c. as by Act of Parliament is more at large set forth Provision also was made for the King's French Dominions that this Book with the Amendments should be used there And the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor a great forwarder of good Reformation procured a learned French-man who was a Doctor of Divinity carefully to correct the former French Book by this English new One in all the Alterations Additions and Omissions thereof For the first Common-Prayer Book also was in French for the use of the King's French Subjects Being translated by Commandment of Sir Hugh Paulet Governour of Calais And that Translation overseen by the Lord Chancellor and others at his Appointment The Benefit of this last Book was such that one of the French Congregation in London sought by the Means of A Lasco's Interest with Secretary Cecyl for a Licence under the King's Letters Patents to translate this Common-Prayer and the Administration of Sacraments and to print it for the use of the French Islands of Iersey and Guernsey But Cecyl after a Letter received from A Lasco in August to that effect not willing to do this of his own Head and reckoning it a proper Matter to be considered by the Arch-bishop who were to be intrusted with the translating of such a Book desired him being now at Ford to give him his Advice and Judgment herein both as to the Work and as to the Benefit To whom the Arch-bishop gave this Answer That the Commodity that might arise by printing of the Book was meet to come to them who had already taken the Pains in translating the same Enforming the Secretary who they were namely those formerly and now of late employed by Sir Hugh Paulet and the Lord-Chancellor But I find this Book was not presently finished being not printed till the Year 1553 for the Use of Iersey and Guernsey
Council wrote a Letter to the great Men in those Parts viz. the Lord Russel Lord Windsor to the Justices of the Peace and the rest of the Gentlemen within that County in favour of the said Knox the Preacher A Bishop Consecrated June 26. Iohn Taylor S. Th. P. Dean of Lincoln a Learned and Pious Man was Consecrated Bishop of Lincoln at Croyden-Chappel by the Arch-bishop assisted by Nicolas Bishop of London and Iohn Bishop of Rochester CHAP. XXXIV A Catechism The Arch-bishop opposeth the Exclusion of the Lady Mary WE are now come to the last Year of good K. Edward's Reign when the Arch-bishop was as commonly at the Council as he used to be before For the Counsellors made great use of him and did not use to conclude any thing in matters relating to the Church without him And if he came not they often sent for him and once the last Year in October when he had fixed his Day of going into Kent they staied him for some Days that they might confer with him about some certain Matter I suppose relating to the Articles of Religion that were then under their Hands To look no further than the latter end of the last Year He was at Council at Westminster in February and this Year in March and April And the Court being at Greenwich where the King lay sick and died the Arch-bishop was there at Council in Iune but not after the eighth Day The reason he came no more we may well conjecture to be because he did no ways like the Methods that were now taking by Northumberland to bring the Crown into his own Family and disenherit the King's Sisters For soon after viz. Iune 11. The Lord Chief Justice Mountagne and some other Judges with the King's Attorny and Solicitor were sent for to the Council to consult about drawing up the Instrument On one of these Council-Days he procured the King's Letters in behalf of the Book of Articles which he had taken such Pains about the two last Years both in composing and in bringing to effect The King had before given order to the Arch-bishop by his Letters to put forth these Articles And now they were put forth he procured the King's Letters also to his own Officers for to see the Clergy of his Diocess to subscribe thereunto So the King's Letters were directed to the Official of the Court of Canterbury and the Dean of the Deanery of the Arches and to their Surrogates Deputies c. Setting forth That whereas he had given order unto Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury in Letters sealed with his Signet for the Honour of God and to take away Dissension of Opinion and confirm Consent of true Religion that he should expound publish denounce and signify some Articles and other things breathing the right Faith of Christ for the Clergy and People within his Jurisdiction the King therefore enjoined them the Arch-bishop's Officers that they should cause all Rectors Vicars Priests Stipendiaries School-masters and all that had any Ecclesiastical Employment to appear in Person before the Arch-bishop in his Hall at Lambeth there further to obey and do on the King's part according as it shall be signified and to receive according to Reason and the Office owing to the King 's Royal Dignity And in obedience hereunto the Official Iohn Gibbon LL. D. Commissary of the Deanery of the Blessed Virgin of the Arches signified by an Instrument dated Iune 2 to the Arch-bishop that he had cited the Clergy I do not find the success of this only that the City-Clergy made their appearance before the Arch-bishop at Lambeth and that he did his endeavor by Perswasion and Argument to bring them to subscribe Which no question very few refused But this Matter afterwards served Q. Mary's Commissioners for one of their Interrogatories to be put to the Arch-bishop as though he had compelled many against their Wills to subscribe Which he denied saying He compelled none but exhorted such to subscribe as were willing first to do it before they did it In the Month of May the King by his Letters Patents commanded a Latin Catechism to be taught by School-masters to their Scholars It was intitled Catechismus brevis Christianae disciplinae summam continens The King in his Letters dated May 20. said It was made by a certain Pious and Learned Man and presented to him and that he committed the diligent examination of it to certain Bishops and other Learned Men whose Judgment was of great Authority with him The same Bishops and Learned Men I suppose that were framing and preparing the Articles of Religion the last Year The Author of this Catechism is not certainly known Some conjecture him to be Ponet the Bishop of Winchester The Learned Dr. Ward one of the English Divines sent to the Synod of Dort having this Catechism in his Library now in the possession of a Friend of mine wrote therein these words A ro N llo autore siquid ego divinare possum Meaning probably Alexander Nowel who was now if I mistake not School-master of Westminster and afterwards Dean of S. Pauls But whosoever was the Author the Arch-bishop we may conclude to be the furtherer and recommender of it unto the King it being that Prelate's great Design by Catechisms and Articles of Religion and plain Expositions of the Fundamentals to instil right Principles into the Minds of the Youth and common People for the more effectual rooting out Popery that had been so long entertained by the industrious nurselling up the Nation in Ignorance There was a Catechism that came forth about this time whether it were this or another I cannot say allowed by the Synod or Convocation In the beginning of Q. Mary the Popish Divines made a great stir about this Catechism and thought they had a great Advantage against it because it was put forth as from the Synod whereas that Synod knew nothing of it Whereupon Wesâ—on the Prolocutor in Q. Mary's first Convocation brought a Bill into the House declaring that Catechism being Pestiferous and full of Heresies to be foisted upon the last Synod fraudulently and therefore that the present Synod disowned it To which he set his own hand and propounded that all the House should do the like Which all but six consented to One whereof was Philpot Arch-deacon of Winchester who stood up and told them in justification of those that published the said Catechism that the Synod under K. Edward had granted to certain Persons to be appointed by the King to make Ecclesiastical Laws And whatsoever Ecclesiastical Laws they or the most part of them did set forth according to a Statute in that behalf provided might well be said to be done by the Synod of London although such as were of the House then had no notice thereof before the Promulgation And therefore in this Point he thought the setters forth of the Catechism had nothing slandered the House since they had that
to bring the same more easily to pass some have abused the Name of Me Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury bruting abroad that I have set up the Mass at Canterbury and that I offered to say Mass before the Queen's Highness and at Paul's Church and I wot not where I have been well exercised these twenty Years to suffer and bear evil Reports and Lies and have not been mych grieved thereat and have born all things quietly Yet when untrue Reports and Lies turn to the hindrance of God's Truth they be in no wise to be tolerate and suffered Wherefore these be to signify to the World that it was not I that did set up the Mass at Canterbury but it was a false flattering lying and dissembling Monk which caused the Mass to be set up there without my Advice or Counsel And as for offering my self to say Mass before the Queen's Highness or in any othea Place I never did as her Grace knoweth well But if hâ—r Grace will give me leave I shall be ready to prove against all that will say the contrary and that the communion-Communion-Book set forth by the most innocent and godly Prince K. Edward VI in his High Court of Parliament is conformable to the Order which our Saviour Christ did both observe and command to be observed and which his Apostles and Primitive Church used many Years Whereas the Mass in many things not only hath no Foundation of Christ his Apostles nor the Primitive Church but also is manifest contrary to the same and containeth many horrible Blasphemies in it And altho many either unlearned or maliciously do report that Mr. Peter Martyr is unlearned yet if the Queen's Highness will graunt thereunto I with the said Mr. Peter Martyr and other four or five which I shall choose will by God's Grace take upon us to defend that not only our Common-Prayers of the Churches Ministration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies but also that all the Doctrine and Religion by our said Soveraign Lord K. Edward VI is more pure and according to God's Word than any that hath been used in England these thousand Years so that God's Word may be the Judg and that the Reason and Profes may be set out in writing To th entent as well all the World may examine and Judg them as that no Man shall start back from their Writing and what Faith hath been in the Church these fifteen hundred Years we will joyne with them in this Point and that the Doctrine and Usage is to be followed which was in the Church fifteen hundred Years past And we shall prove that the Order of the Church set out at this present in this Church of England by Act of Parliament is the same that was used in the Church fifteen hundred Years past And so shall they never be able to prove theirs Some Copies of this Declaration soon fell into the Hands of certain Bishops who brought them to the Council The Council sent a Copy to the Queen's Commissioners Who soon after ordered him to appear before them and to bring in an Inventory of his Goods The reason as is alledged of his being ordered to bring in this Inventory was because it was then intended that he should have a sufficient Living assigned him and to keep his House and not meddle with Religion So on the Day appointed which was August 27 the Arch-bishop together with Sir Thomas Smith Secretary of State to K. Edward and May Dean of S. Pauls came before the Queen's Commissioners in the Consistory of Pauls and the Arch-bishop brought in his Inventory We are left to guess what he was now cited for I suppose it was to lay to his charge Heresy and his Marriage What more was done with him at this time I find not He retired to his House at Lambeth where he seemed to be confined For about the beginning of August as may be collected from a Letter of the Arch-bishop's to Cecyl he was before the Council about the Lady Iane's Business without all question And then with the severe Reprimands he received was charged to keep his House and be forth-coming At that time he espied Cecyl who was in the same Condemnation and would fain have spoken with him but durst not as he told him in a Letter dated August 14 as it seems out of his Love and Care of him lest his very talking with Cecyl might have been prejudicial to that Pardon which he now lay fair for But by Letter he desired him to come over to him to Lambeth because he would gladly commune with him to hear how Matters went and for some other private Causes Cecyl being now at Liâ—erty September 13 following the Arch-bishop was again summoned to appear that Day before the Queen's Council Then he appeared and was dismissed but commanded to be the next Day in the Star-Chamber And so he was The effect of which appearance was that he was committed to the Tower partly for setting his Hrnd to the Instrument of the Lady Iane's Succession and partly for the publick Offer he made a little before of justifying openly the Religious Proceedings of the deceased King But the chief Reason was the inveterate Malice his Enemies conceived against him for the Divorse of K. Henry from the Queen's Mother the blame of which they laid wholly upon him though Bishop Gardiner and other Bishops were concerned in it as deep as he In the Tower we leave the good Arch-bishop a while after we have told you that soon after the Queen coming to the Tower some of the Arch-bishop's Friends made humble suit for his Pardon and that he might have access to her but She would neither hear him nor see him Holgate also the other Arch-bishop about the beginning of October was committed to the Tower upon pretence of Treason or great Crimes but chiefly I suppose because he was Rich. And while he was there they rifled his Houses at Battersea and Cawood At his former House they seized in Gold coined three hundred Pounds in Specialties and good Debts four hundred Pounds more in Plate gilt and Parcel gilt sixteen hundred Ounces A Mitre of fine Gold with two Pendants set round about the sides and midst with very fine pointed Diamonds Saphires and Balists and all the Plain with other good Stones and Pearls and the Pendants in like manner weighing one hundred twenty five Ounces Six or seven great Rings of fine Gold with Stones in them whereof were three fine blew Saphires of the best an Emerald very fine a good Turkeys and a Diamond a Serpent's Tongue set in a Standard of Silver gilt and graven the Arch-bishop's seal in silver his Signet an old Antick in Gold The Counterpane of his Lease of Wotton betwixt the late Duke of Northumberland and him with Letters Patents of his Purchase of Scrowby Taken from Cawood and other Places appertaining to the Arch-bishop by one Ellis Markham First in ready Money nine hundred
this Time by a pious Italian to his Friend who had conceived these good Opinions of him This I have put in the Appendix and the rather because it will give some Light into our present History CHAP. XIII A Convocation Articles framed therein AT a Convocation the latter end of this Year an Address was made by the Lower House to the Upper wherein they petitioned for divers things in 28 Articles meet to be considered for the Reformation of the Clergy One whereof was That all Books both Latin and English concerning any heretical erroneous or slanderous Doctrines might be destroyed and burnt throughout the Realm And among these Books they set Thomas Cranmer late Arch-bishop of Canterbury his Book made against the Sacrament of the Altar in the forefront and then next the Schismatical Book as they called it viz. the Communion-Book To which they subjoined the Book of ordering Ecclesiastical Ministers and all suspect Translations of the Old and New Testament and all other Books of that nature So that if Cranmer's Book was burnt it was burnt with very good Company the Holy Bible and the Communion-Book And that such as had these Books should bring the same to the Ordinary by a certain Day or otherwise to be taken and reputed as Favourers of those Doctrines And that it might be lawful for all Bishops to make enquiry from time to time for such Books and to take them from the Owners And for the repressing of such pestilent Books Order should be taken with all speed that none such should be printed or sold within the Realm nor brought from beyond Sea upon grievous Penalties And from another Article we may learn from what Spring all the Bloody Doings that followed the ensuing Years sprang namely from the Popish Clergy For they petitioned That the Statutes made in the fifth of Richard II. and in the second of Henry IV. and the second of Henry V. against Heresy Lollards and false Preachers might be revived and put in force And that Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Ordinaries whose Hands had been tied by some later Acts might be restored to their pristine Jurisdiction against Hereticks Schismaticks and their Fautors in as large and ample manner as they were in the first Year of Henry VIII I shall not recite here the whole Address as I find it in a Volume of the Benet-College Library because the Bishop of Sarum hath faithfully printed it thence in his History Only I observe that the 17 th Article is in the Manuscript scratched out and crossed viz. That all exempt Places whatsoever might be from henceforth under the Jurisdiction of the Arch-bishop or Bishop or Arch-deacon in whose Diocesses or Arch-deaconaries they were That they judged might grate a little too much upon the Pope's Authority which they were now receiving since these Exemptions were made by Popes And the last or 28 th Article was added by another Hand viz. That all Ecclesiastical Persons that had lately spoiled Cathedral Collegiate or other Churches of their own Heads might be compelled to restore them and all singular things by them taken away or to the true value and to reedify such things as by them were destroyed or defaced This I suppose was added by Boner's Interest that he might hereby have a pretence against Ridley his Predecessor it affording a fair opportunity to crush the good Bishops and Preachers that had in Zeal to God's Glory taken away out of their Churches all Instruments of Superstition and Idolatry And it might serve their turn who had lately in a most barbarous manner plundered the rich Arch-bishop of York And as they of this Convocation were for burning Hereticks Books so they were as well disposed to the burning of the Hereticks themselves For Protestants were already not only imprisoned but put to Death without any Warrant of Law but only by virtue of Commissions from the Queen and the Lord Chancellor Whereupon when one in the Convocation started this Objection That there was no Law to condemn them Weston the Prolocutor answered It forceth not for a Law We have a Commission to proceed with them and when they be dispatched let their Friends sue the Law CHAP. XIV The Condition of the Protestants in Prison Free-Willers BY this time by the diligence of the Papists the Popish Religion was fully established in England This Apostacy Cranmer saw with a sad Heart before his Death and all his Labour overturned And Ridley sends the bad News of it from Oxon to Grindal beyond Sea in these words To tell you much naughty Matter in a few words Papismus apud nos ubique in pleno suo antiquo robore regnat As for the Protestants some were put in Prisons some escaped beyond Sea some went to Mass and some recanted and many were burned and ended their Lives in the Flames for Religion's sake They that were in Prison whereof Cranmer was the chief being the Pastors and Teachers of the Flock did what in them lay to keep up the Religion under this Persecution among the Professors Which made them write many comfortable and instructive Letters to them and send them their Advices according as Opportunity served One thing there now fell out which caused some disturbance among the Prisoners Many of them that were under restraint for the Profession of the Gospel were such as held Free-will tending to the derogation of God's Grace and refused the Doctrine of Absolute Predestination and Original Sin They were Men of strict and holy Lives but very hot in their Opinions and Disputations and unquiet Divers of them were in the King's-Bench where Bradford and many other Gospellers were Many whereof by their Conferences they gained to their own Perswasions Bradford had much discourse with them The Name of their chief Man was Harry Hart Who had writ something in defence of his Doctrine Trew and Abingdon were Teachers also among them Kemp Gybson and Chamberlain were others They ran their Notions as high as Pelagius did and valued no Learning and the Writings and Authorities of the Learned they utterly rejected and despised Bradford was apprehensive that they might now do great Haâ—m in the Church and therefore out of Prison wrote a Letter to Cranmer Ridley and Latimer the three chief Heads of the Reformed though Oppressed Church in England to take some Cognizance of this Matter and to consult with them in remedying it And with him joined Bishop Ferrar Rowland Taylor and Iohn Philpot. This Letter worthy to be read may be found among the Letters of the Martyrs and transcribed in the Appendix Upon this Occasion Ridley wrote a Treatise of God's Election and Predestination And Bradford wrote another upon the same Subject and sent it to those three Fathers in Oxâ—ord for their Approbation and theirs being obtained the rest of the eminent Divines in and about London were ready to sign it also I have seen another Letter of Bradford to
them either by Writiting or by Disputation in the English Tongue By whom this Declaration was drawn up unless by Iohn Bradford I know not for I meet with it a MS. which contains divers Pieces of that good Man This remarkable Declaration I have reposited in the Appendix This now is the second time a publick Challenge was made to justify K. Edward's Reformation the former the last Year by Cranmer the latter now by divers of the Learned Men in Prison After they had lain fifteen or sixteen Months thus in Prison their Livings Houses and Possessions Goods and Books taken from them they made such another Address unto the King and Queen and the Parliament therein undertaking either by Word or Writing before them or indifferent Arbiters to be appointed by them to prove themselves no Hereticks nor Teachers of Heresy as they were pretended to be nor cut off from the true Catholick Church though by the Popish Clergy excommunicated and Secondly By the Testimony of Christ his Prophets and Apostles and the Godly Fathers of the Church to prove the Doctrine of the Church the Homilies and Service taught and used in K. Edward's Time to be the true Doctrine of Christ's Catholick Church and most agreeable to the Articles of the Christian Faith And this was the third publick Challenge they made This being preserv'd in Fox's Acts I forbear to transcribe it CHAP. XV. The Exiles and their Condition BUT let us now turn our Eyes from the Prisoners which were kept under close Confinement here in England unto the Exiles that by the good Providence of God made their Flight into foreign Countries from these Storms at home These were both of the Clergy and Laity Who though great watch was laid for them and Prohibitions given out against any that should privately attempt to transport themselves yet by taking their Opportunities and the favour of divers Masters of small Vessels at Lee in Essex and upon the Coasts in those Parts they safely got to the other side of the Sea They scattered themselves and took up their Harbours as they could But they found little Hospitality in Saxony and other places in Germany where Lutheranism was professed But on the contrary the Exile English were much hated by those of that Profession because they looked upon them as Sacramentaries and holding as Calvin and Peter Martyr did in the Doctrine of the Sacrament Therefore when any English came among them for Shelter they expelled them out of their Cities And when a grave Pastor of Saxony a Friend of P. Martyr's who though he were a Minister yet was not of their Mind had entertained some of them the rest clamoured against him and hated him for it About this time the Saxon Divines wrote many Books against the Sacramentaries and namely one Ioachim Westphalus wrote a Book against Calvin And he and the rest got these Books printed at Frankford on purpose as Martyr conjectured the more to spight the English and French Churches that abode now there and to provoke them At Wesel the English were under some trouble and the Senate were about to command them to depart thence because of their different Sentiments from the Augustan Confession in some Points But Philip Melancthon interposed and interceded with the Senate on their behalf And when some clamoured against them he took their part saying That their Case ought to be weighed by friendly Disputations and not exploded by Noise and Hissing and declared his judgment to be That these poor Exiles were to be retained and helped not afflicted and vexed by any rough Sentence He wrote also to the Governors of Frankford to the same purpose viz. That the English were not to be oppressed but to be cherished considering their Sentiments were found in the main Articles of the Christian Confession and that whereas they differed in some Points they were to be instructed and informed and not to be rudely thrown out from among them by Force and Violence And indeed it was admirable to observe at this Time the exceeding Heats that were in the Lutherans against all other Protestants only for differing from them in this one Point of the Sacrament There was a Book published in the Year 1555. in favour of their Opinion of the Corporeal Presence which was called Farrago Doctrinae Lutheranae This P. Martyr called Valdè insulsa a very foolish Book It contained a Collection of Sentences out of the Fathers and also out of the Writings of Luther Philip Brentius Pomeran c. They added some out of Bucer Illyricus and Ioachim Westphalus to shew that they agreed together They inserted divers Letters sometime writ against the Sacramentaries Indeed Calvin and Martyr they mentioned not by Name but A Lasco they did In this Book there was a Discourse added under this Title Quod Christi Corqus sit ubique Which was to serve as a Proof of their Doctrine And in the conclusion there was a Common-place De Magistratus officio Which was thought to be put in upon no other reason but to inflame and irritate Princes against the Sacramentaries These Saxon Divines were exceeding hot against those that believed not as they did In their ordinary Discourses they stiled them Hereticks False Prophets Suermeros Sacramentiperdas About this Time they were gathering new Votes against Calvin and as it was thought they intended to attempt some Excommunication against such as differed from them in this Point And this that I have said is enough to explain the Reason of the Inhospitality of the Lutherans to our Exiles But in other Places they were received with much Kindness and had the Liberty of their Religious Worship granted them as in Strasburgh Frankford Embden Doesburge Basil Zurick Arrow Geneva At Zurick they were received into one House with Bullinger and had great Favour and Countenance shewn them by the Towns-men and Magistrates Who offered them by Bullinger to supply them with such a quantity of Bread-corn and Wine as should serve to sustain thirteen or fourteen People But they with Thanks refused it Having I suppose wherewith to subsist otherwise of themselves and being willing to be as little burthensome as might be In these Places some followed their Studies some taught Schools some wrote Books some assisted at the Printing-Presse and grew very dear to the Learned Men in those Places At Embden they â—aving gotten among them by Sir Iohn Cheke's Means as was thought an Original Copy of Arch-bishop Cranmer's Book of the Sacrament translated it into Latin and printed it there with a Preface before it And there they preserved the said Original as a most invaluable Treasure Here they printed other good Books in English and conveyed them into England At Geneva a Club of them employed themselves in translating the Holy Bible into English intending to do it with more Correctness than had hitherto been done having the opportunity of consulting with Calvin and Beza in
King Edward's Reformation and Service Among the rest the Curat of old Bokenham and divers in that Parish were complained of because the Ceremonies of the holy Time of Easter were not observed there And it seems the Bishop's Officers themselves were not all so diligent as they should be The Earl signified this Information to Hopton the Bishop who being in his Visitation soon after sent for several of the Parish and made his Inquiries but found things in other sort than were represented to the Earl And being returned to his House at Norwich informed him hereof and desired the Earl to inform him further if any thing were amiss even amongst his own Officers and he would endeavour to reform them In these Times for the better taking up of all Gospellers there were certain Spies and secret Informers set every where to give notice of any that came not to Church or that spake any thing against the Superstitions For London were Iohn Avales Beard and others For Stepney one Banbury a Shifter a Dicer and a Whoremonger By which means none almost could be safe Yet the Professors made some Provision against this Evil. There were some that kept them Company who were honest Men by whom they often had secret Intelligence what Persons Avales and Beard intended to take up And so several by shifting Places and Houses were preserved The Knight-Marshal Sir Thomas Holcroft the Under-Marshal the Knight-Marshal's Secretary were secret Friends of the Protestants and when Designs were laid to take any of them some signification was often privately brought them that Search would within some few Hours be made for them and therefore that they should depart from their Lodgings and conceal themselves And when any good Men were under their Hands in Prison they would take all occasions to shew them Kindness as far as safely they might But notwithstanding these Persecutions and that very few of the Ministers remained being either burnt or fled yet the Protestants in London had very frequently their Assemblies And sometimes for want of Preachers of the Clergy Lay-men exercised Among these I find one old Henry Daunce a Bricklayer of White-chappel who used to preach the Gospel in his Garden every Holy-day Where would be present sometimes a thousand People The very beginning of May there was exceeding Joy among the Papists for the Birth of an Heir-male to the Crown Whereof the Report was so confident every where that in the County of Norfolk the Mayor of Norwich sent word of it to the Earl of Sussex and the Bishop had Te Deum sung in the Cathedral and other Places of the City And all expressions of Joy both in City and Country were shewn And so it was no question in other Parts of the Nation And which is more strange so long did this Bruit hold that besides the first Intelligence thereof brought to Norwich within a day or two after came two Persons more averring the Truth thereof The Bishop desired the Earl according as he heard if he had any further knowledg to impart it to him The Contents of all this may be read in the Original Letter which is transcribed into the Appendix But the belief of the Queen 's great Belly went not over so For then it was given out that in Iune about Whitsuntide was the Time that the Queen expected her Delivery and Midwives Rockers and Nurses were provided And just when that Time came another Rumour was blown about in London that the Queen was delivered of a Child And the Bells were rung Bonfires and Processions made and in most parts of the Realm so it was Nay in Antwerp Guns were shot off by the English Ships and the Lady Regent rewarded the Mariners with an hundred Pistols But there happened now two things which make it seem as tho all this were but Design to impose upon the Belief of the World The one was this There was a Woman living near Aldersgate delivered Iune the 11 th 1555 being Whitsunday Morning of a Man-Child Unto whom the Lord North and another Lord came and desired to have her Child from her with very fair Offers As that her Child should be well provided for and that She should take no care for it if She would swear that She never knew nor had such Child And after this other Women came to her of whom one they said should have been the Rocker But She would in no case part with her Child This very Woman before Witness made this Declaration unto Mr. Fox and others about the Year 1568 while he was printing his Book but he leaves it to the liberty of the Reader to believe what he list Add to this one other Passage of a Man within four Miles of Berwick who speaking of the Bonfires for Joy of the Birth of a Prince said There was a joyful Triumph but at length all would not prove worth a Mess of Pottage As the Queen 's great Belly gave these great Disappointments so while She went with it it gave her occasion to be more severe against the poor Gospellers who were now daily burnt For She thought and so She said She could not be safely and happily delivered nor that any thing could succeed prosperously with her unless all the Hereticks in Prison were burnt ad unum not sparing one Which Cruelty I do suppose her Priests and Confessors put into her Head There was a Convocation in November this Year Wherein Cardinal Pole presided The Queen gave him a Licence under the Great Seal to hold a Synod Wherein She ordered him to decree what Canons he thought fit So he composed a Book with a very specious Title viz. Reformatio Angliae Ex Decretis Reginaldi Poli Cardinalis c. which was printed A Manuscript Copy whereof was in the famous Library of Mr. Smith of late Years sold by Auction The Decrees of this Book in number Twelve were agreed to in February They are briefly set down by the Bishop of Sarum in his History There was an Article made in Favour of Non-residences which I meet with in the Benet-Library There is no Date but I strongly conjecture it is to be laid to this Convocation The Cardinal seemed not to favour Non-residences but the rich Clergy and Dignitaries were of another Mind wherefore they made this Proposition Decretum perpetuae Residentiae juxta Canonum Sanctiones optant pii sed multa sunt quae hodie impediunt quominus suum effectum juxta bonorum virorum vota consequatur To which are subjoined Reasons for this Proposition and Remedies for this evil Which may be read in the Appendix CHAP. XVIII Ridley and Latimer burnt WE can declare little this Year of the poor Arch-bishop being now a Prisoner at Oxford and out of all place of Action The Arch-Bishoprick was sequestred into the Hands of Cardinal Pole and his Palace at Lambeth appointed for the Cardinal 's Abode In a
meaning Thirlby Hethe Tonstal c. that they held their Peace for this Consideration though they knew this well enough Who if they had done their Duty to the Crown and Realm should have opened their Mouths at this Time and shewn the Peril and Danger that might insue to the Crown hereby Another Cause he urged to the Queen why he could not allow the Pope's Authority was Because he subverted not only the Laws of the Nation but the Laws of God So that whosoever be under his Authority he suffered them not to be under Christ's Religion purely For proof of which he gave these Instances God's Will and Commandment is that when the People be gathered together to serve God the Ministers should use such a Language as the People might understand and take profit thereby For God said by the Mouth of S. Paul As a Harp or Lute if it give no certain sound that Men may know what is stricken who can dance after it it is put in vain So it is in vain profiteth nothing if the Priest speak to the People in a Language they know not And whereas when he urged this to the Commissioners they told him That that Place respected Preaching only He told the Queen That S. Paul's words meant it not only of Preaching for that he spake expresly of Praying Singing and giving Thanks and of all other things which the Priests say in the Churches And so he said all Interpreters Greek and Latin Old and New School-Authors and others that he had read understood it Till about thirty Years past Eckius and others of his Sort began to invent this new Exposition And so he said all the best Learned Divines that met at Windsor 1549 for the Reformation of the Church both of the New Learning and the Old agreed without Controversy not one opposing that the Service of the Church ought to be in the Mother-Tongue and that that Place of S. Paul was so to be understood Again Christ ordained the Sacrament to be received of Christian People under both Forms of Bread and Wine and said Drink ye all of this The Pope gives a clean contrary Command That no Lay-man shall drink of the Cup of their Salvation So that if he should obey the Pope in these things he must needs disobey his Saviour Again He instanced in the Pope's taking upon him to give the Temporal Sword to Kings and Princes and to depose them from their Imperial States if they were disobedient to him and in commanding Subjects to disobey their Princes Assoiling them as well from their Obedience as their lawful Oaths made unto them directly contrary to God's Commandment that commandeth all Subjects to obey their Kings and their Rulers under them Then he spake of the Superiority the Pope claimed above Kings and Emperors and making himself Universal Bishop And how his Flatterers told him he might dispense against God's Word both against the Old and New Testament and that whatsoever he did tho he drew innumerable People by heaps with himself to Hell yet might no mortal Man reprove him because he is the Judg of all Men and might be judged by no Man And thus he sat in the Temple of God as he were a God and named himself God and dispensed against God If this were not he said to play Antichrist's part he knew not what Antichrist was that is Christ's Enemy and Adversary Now added he until the time that such a Person may be found Men might easily conjecture where to find Antichrist He took God to record that what he spake against the Power and Authority of the Pope he spake it not for any Malice he ought to the Pope's Person whom he knew not nor for fear of Punishment or to avoid the same thinking it rather an Occasion to aggravate than to diminish the same but for his most bounden Duty to the Crown Liberty Laws and Customs of this Realm of England and most especially to discharge his Conscience in uttering the Truth to God's Glory casting away all Fear by the Comfort which he had in Christ who saith Fear not them that kill the Body As touching the Sacrament he said That forasmuch as the whole Matter stood in the understanding those words of Christ This is my Body This is my Blood He told the Commissioners That Christ in those words made demonstration of the Bread and Wine and spake figuratively calling Bread his Body and Wine his Blood because he ordained them to be Sacraments of his Body and Blood And he told them He would be judged by the old Church which Doctrine could be proved Elder and that he would stand to And that forasmuch as he had urged in his Book Greek and Latin Authors which above a thousand Years continually taught as he did if they could bring forth but one old Author that said in these two Points as they said he offered six or seven Years ago and offered so still that he would give place Then he shewed her how fond and uncomfortable the Papists Doctrine of the Sacrament is For of one Body of Christ is made two Bodies One natural having distance of Members with Form and Proportion of Man's perfect Body and this Body is in Heaven But the Body of Christ in the Sacrament by their own Doctrine must needs be a monstrous Body having neither distance of Members nor Form Fashion or Proportion of a Man's natural Body And such a Body is in the Sacrament teach they as goes into the Mouth with the Form of Bread and entreth no further than the Form of Bread goes nor tarrieth no longer than the Form of Bread is by natural Heat digesting So that when the Form of Bread is digested the Body of Christ is gone And what Comfort said he can be herein to any Christian Man to receive Christ's unshapen Body and it to enter no further than the Stomach and depart by and by as soon as the Bread is consumed It seemed to him a more sound and comfortable Doctrine that Christ hath but one Body and that hath Form and Fashion of a Man's true Body Which Body spiritually entreth into the whole Man Body and Soul And though the Sacrament be consumed yet whole Christ remaineth and feedeth the Receiver unto eternal Life if he continue in Godliness and never departeth until the Receiver forsaketh him That if it could be shewed him that the Pope's Authority be not prejudicial to the things before-mentioned or that his Doctrine of the Sacrament be erroneous then he would never stand perversly in his own Opinion but with all humility submit himself to the Pope not only to kiss his Feet but another Part also For all these Reasons he could not take the Bishop of Gloucester for his Judg representing as he did this Pope But another Reason was in respect of his own Person being more than once perjured having been divers times sworn never to consent that the Bishop of Rome should have any Jurisdiction within this Realm
Prison skulking about for some time at length he saved himself by Exile He was a Man mightily tossed about For to look upon him before this in King Henry's Reign then for his Security he was forced to leave his Friends and Country wandring as far as Darbyshire and the Peak where he privately taught School for a Subsistence And coming a mere Stranger into Alsop in the Dale one Mr. Alsop a pious Man in that barbarous Country shewed him great Civility Afterwards he travelled into Stafforâ—shire where he also educated Children in good Literature and instilled into their Minds the Principles of Christian Doctrine After a Year's tarrying there and in Leicester-shire he flitted into Warwick-shire where he taught also divers Gentlemens Sons and where he met with old Father Latimer to his great Joy who had first made him acquainted with the Gospel when he was a Scholar in Cambridg twenty Years before He wrote a great many Books forty in number suted to the various Occasions of Christians both in the Persecutions under Queen Mary and the free Profession and Restoration of the Gospel under King Edward and Queen Elizabeth and many more against the Religion of the Roman Church All these did this learned and painful Author compose for the Benefit of the Professors of Religion Whereby he did such Service to the enlightning of Mens Minds in the knowledg of the Truth and for the exposing the Corruptions of Popery that it was thought convenient that some of that Communion should be employed to write against him And so Richard Smith sometime Reader of Divinity in Oxon and one that had subscribed to the Reformed Religion and after fled into Brabant and became a zealous Assertor of Popery writ in a bitter Stile against some of Becon's Books as he had done against the Arch-bishop himself before I find this Becon put up to preach one of the Lent Sermons at St. Pauls Cross in the Year 1566. And such then was his Fame for a Preacher and such his Favour with the greatest Prelats that the Lord Mayor for that Year sent a Message to Arch-bishop Parker That his Grace would prevail with him to preach one of the Sermons at the Spittle that Easter In the Year 1564 he revised and reprinted all his former Books in three Volumes dedicating the whole to all the Arch-bishops and Bishops of the Realm And in Commendation thereof Parkhurst Bishop of Norwich wrote these Verses to him Vidi perlegi doctos Baecone Libellos Quos tua non pridem Sancta Minerva dedit Dispeream siquid legi unquam sanctius aut si Quid potuit populo tradier utilius Auspice perge Deo tales vulgare Libellos Vaniloquax sed nec lingua timenda tibi est Sic Christum possis avido inculcare popello Sic possis nomen condecorare tuum Besides these there was his Postil being Godly and Learned Sermons on all the Sunday-Gospels in the Year Printed in Quarto in the Year 1567. I shall say no more of his Chaplains after I shall have mentioned Richard Harman Who seems to have been one of his first Chaplains being once of King's-College but went away Scholar probably for Religion afterwards lived in Iesus-College and commenced Master of Arts with Cranmer Whom he also preferred to be his Domestick afterwards This Man was one of those Cambridg-Men that were elected into S. Frideswide's-College in Oxon and suffered much there for Religion He was afterwards a Canon of Windsor but fell back to Popery CHAP. XXIX Arch-bishop Cranmer's Officers I Shall now add a few words of Two of his Civil Officers His Steward and his Secretary on Nevyl was his Steward in K. Henry's Reign who conducted Sir Iohn Seimour coming with a Message from the King through the Hall when the Tables were sumptuously set unto the ABp at Dinner him I have nothing to say of But he had another afterwards named Robert Watson born in Norwich of whom I have a word or two say He was a great Civilian and an Exile for Religion in Queen Mary's Reign But before his escape beyond Sea he lay in Prison in Norwich a Year and four Months saith Bale almost two Years saith Fox And then was most fortunately delivered without doing any Violence to his Conscience by the Subscription which he made Being Abroad he wrote a Piece intituled Aetiologia to all that sincerely professed Christ wheresoever dispersed especially his Countrymen the English banished with him In this Tract he gave a Relation of himself and his Imprisonment and Escape and of the Disputes that happened between him and his Adversaries concerning Transubstantiation and the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament and by what means he escaped safe in Body and Conscience Which was a rare Matter to do from such Inquisitors It was propounded to him to set his Hand to these words viz. That he believed and confessed that the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist through the Omnipotency of God's Word pronounced by the Priest were turned into the Body and Blood of Christ and after Consecration under the Forms of Bread and Wine remained the true Body and Blood of Christ and no other Substance To which he made this Subscription His omnibus eatenus assentior subscribo quatenus Verbo Dei nituntur eoque sensu quo sunt ab Ecclesia Catholica a Sanctis Patribus intellecta By the Means of one Dr. Barret a Learned Friar of Norwich he was upon this favourable Subscription dismissed But Christopherson Dean of Norwich when he understood it was much incensed and laid out to take him again But he by the help of Friends escaped over the Seas Now lastly of Ralph Morice his Secretary so much employed and so greatly intrusted by our Arch-bishop it may not be amiss to set down a few Memorials He was his Secretary not so much for ordinary Matters incident to his Archiepiscopal Office as his Amanuensis for Learned Treatises and Discourses which he composed In this Place he remained for twenty Years that is from the Arch-bishop's first entrance upon his See to the Death of King Edward VI his good Master He was a very considerable Person and of good Birth being the Son of Iames Morice of Royden in the County of Essex Esq. Which Iames was sometime Servant unto the Lady Margaret Countess of Richmond and Derby and Clerk of her Kitchin and Master of her Works and particularly of Christs-College and S. Iohns in Cambridg both which she founded He also and his Son William were joint Receivers of the Lands called Richmond-Lands and other Lands called the Recovered-Lands Our Ralph by reason of his Service about the Arch-bishop was well known to Bishop Heth Bishop Thirlby Bishop Cox Bishop Barlow and Bishop Scory Men that were much about the Arch-bishop and his Friends and who were privy to those Volumes that the Secretary writ out for his Master He dwelt sometime in Chartham not far from Canterbury and had the
Farm of that Parsonage and the Nomination of the Curat And being a Man of Conscience and Integrity endeavoured to procure here an honest and able Preacher and so presented to the Church one Richard Turner a Man of an irreprehensible Life and well-learned in the Holy Scriptures Who for his Doctrine against the Popish Superstition and the Pope's Supremacy met with great Troubles But his Patron very stifly stood by him and procured the Arch-bishop to favour him And having an Interest with Sir Anthony Denny and Sir William Butts Courtiers he wrote Mr. Turner's Case at large to them and got them to read his Letter before the King Who though before he had been by sinister Reports so incensed against him as to command him to be whip'd out of the Country now by this Means he conceived better Thoughts of him and commanded him to be cherish'd as a good Subject as I have before more at large related Another Passage I meet with of this Man relates to the Kindness of the ABp his Master to him Who in token of his Good-will he bore him and of his readiness to reward his Diligence and Faithfulness in his Service did procure him a Lease of the Parsonage of Ospring in Kent being an Impropriation belonging unto S. Iohns-College in Cambridg worth better than forty Marks by the Year de claro when Wheat was but a Noble the Quarter This the Arch-bishop got a Grant of from the said College for him But when the Lease was prepared and ready to be sealed one Hawkins of the Guard by his importunate Suit got King Henry VIII to obtain it of the College to be sealed for the use of him the said Hawkins The Arch-bishop then solicited the King in his Servant's behalf and the King promised him and also Dr. Day the Master of the College that he would otherwise recompense Morice for the same with like Value or better Which was never done the King dying before he did any thing for him This caused Morice to prefer a Supplication unto Queen Elizabeth setting forth his said Case and desiring therefore her Liberality Aid and Succour especially considering that her Royal Father had in his Will provided that all such who had sustained any manner of Damage or Hinderance by him should be satisfied for the same Suing therefore to her Majesty for a Pension that had been allowed unto one Wilbore late Prior of the Monastery of S. Augustines lately deceased that it might be conferred upon him during his Life And indeed he seemed now in his old Age to have need of some such Favour his Condition being but mean according to worldly Things and having four Daughters all marriageable and not where-withal to bestow them according to their Quality This his Poverty he urged to the Queen and that the granting him this Pension would be a good furtherance of his said Daughters Marriage The same Person had some Lands descended to him from Iames his Father out of two Manors the one called Royden-Manor and the other called The Temple both situate and lying in the Parish of Royden His said Father upon some certain Reasons and Agreements surrendred two long Leases of both these Manors into King Henry VIII his Hands In consideration of which and of long and true Services the said King did give except and reserve certain Tenements Lands Pastures and Meadows out of the said two Lordships to the Use of the said Iames and his Heirs and Assigns for ever as appeared by his Letters Patents And Iames did enjoy them peaceably and quietly without any molestation until his Death which was in the second Year of Queen Mary But of late the Leases of the Manors being sold away unto others they laid Claim and Titlâ— unto the said reserved Lands upon the Information of one Thurgood Steward of the Courts there pretending that there were not Words sufficient in the said Letters Patents to justify the said Exceptions This occasioned Ralph Morice the Son who enjoyed some of the Copy-holds within the said Exceptions to sue unto the Queen for her Majesty's Letters Patents to ratify and confirm the said Exceptions that the King 's Godly Disposition Intent and Meaning might be in Force to Iames Morice's Heirs and Assigns for ever What Success he had in this and the former Petition I find not but am ready to think the Queen gratified him in both as well for his own Merits as out of that high Respect she bore to the Memory of our incomparable Prelat whose Servant he had so long been and for whose sake he recommended himself and his Suit to her I have inserted the former of these Supplications in the Appendix being an Original of Morice's own Hand-writing and containing some memorable Passages in it This Man was by the Arch-bishop's Means appointed Register in King Edward VI his Visitation which was in the second Year of his Reign the Articles whereof were drawn up by the Arch-bishop and preserved to us in Bishop Sparrow's Collections And being ready to depart with the King's Commissioners the Arch-bishop sent for him to Hampton-Court and willed him to make Notes of certain Matters in the said Visitation whereof he gave him particular Instructions and had large Discourse with him of the good Success that this Course was like to have In the beginning of Queen Mary he suffered much Being glad to fly from his own House but afterwards taken by the Justices and committed to Custody Out of which he escaped by breaking Prison His House was often searched But he out-lived those hard Times and was alive in the Year 1565 and then lived at Bekesborn It was this Morice that supplied Mr. Fox the Writer of the Acts and Monuments with those Memorials concerning the Bishop of Winchester which shewed how small a Share he had in King Henry's Affections notwithstanding his boasting thereof which he was very apt to do and particularly how that King came to leave him out of his last Will. All which Sir Anthony Denny related to our Arch-bishop in the hearing of this his Secretary Who was alive when Fox wrote this and whom he asserts towards the end of his eighth Book as a Witness to the same For it is to be noted here that among those Persons that assisted this Author with Matter for the compiling his laborious Books this Morice was one and to whom we are to reckon our selves beholden for divers other material Passages of our Church-History and especially those of his Lord and Master the Arch-bishop which are preserved in the said Books to Posterity To Day the Printer he sent many Papers of Monuments for the furnishing Fox's History and many more he had communicated but that in Queen Mary's Reign his House in two Years was thrice searched by which means he lost a great sort of Things worthy perpetual Memory and especially divers Letters of King Edward to the Arch-bishop and of the Arch-bishop to him
by any Doctor above a thousand Years after Christ that Christ's Body is in the Sacrament of the Altar really he would give over So that his Library was the Storehouse of Ecclesiastical Writers of all Ages And which was open for the use of Learned Men. Here old Latimer spent many an Hour and found some Books so remarkable that once he thought fit to mention one in a Sermon before the King And when Ascham of Cambridg a great Student of Politer Learning and of Greek Authors wanted Gregory Nyssen in Greek not the Latin Translation of him and which it seems the University could not afford he earnestly entreated Poynet his Grace's Chaplain to borrow it in his Name and for his use for some Months of the Arch-bishop For in those Times it was rare to meet with those Greek Fathers in their own Language and not spoiled by some ill Latin Translation Another of his Books I will mention because it is now in the possession of a Reverend Friend of mine near Canterbury in which Book the Arch-bishop's Name is yet to be seen written thus with his own Hand Thomas Cantuariensis and a remarkable Book it is which we may conclude the Arch-bishop often perused viz. Epistolae Historiae Joannis Hus. Printed at Wittemberg 1537. And this Learning happening in a Mind possessed with Piety made him the more deeply sensible of the greatness of the Charge that lay upon him And as he well knew under what Needs the Church laboured so he was very solicitous that nothing might be wanting on his part shewing himself a most conscientious Bishop and tender Pastor of Christ's Flock He was not guided in his Episcopal Function by vain Glory or Affectation of popular Applause or worldly Ambition or Covetousness but only by the Holy and Pious Ends of discharging his Duty and promoting the Honour of Christ and the Knowledg of his Gospel and the Good of his People as he took God to witness in the Preface of his Book of the Sacrament A Paragraph whereof I think not unworthy to be here inserted whereby it may appear of what a truly Apostolical Spirit our Arch-bishop was When I see said he Christ's Vinyard overgrown with Thorns Brambles and Weeds I know that everlasting Woe appertaineth to me if I hold my Peace and put not to my Hand and Tongue to labour in purging his Vinyard God I take to witness who seeth the Hearts of all Men thorowly unto the bottom that I take this Labour for none other Consideration but for the Glory of his Name and the Discharge of my Duty and the Zeal I have toward the Flock of Christ. I know in what Office God hath placed me and to what Purpose That is to say to set forth his Word truly unto his People to the uttermost of my Power without respect of Persons or regard of Things in the World but of him alone I know what Account I shall make to him hereof at the last Day when every Man shall answer for his Vocation and receive for the fame Good or Evil according as he hath done I know how Antichrist hath obscured the Glory of God and the true Knowledg of his Word overcasting the same with Mists and Clouds of Error and Ignorance thrô false Glosses and Interpretations It pitieth me to see the simple and hungry Flock of Christ led into corrupt Pastures to be carried blindfold they know not whither and to be fed with Poison instead of wholsome Meats And moved by the Duty Office and Place whereunto it hath pleased God to call me I give warning in his Name unto all that profess Christ that they flee far from Babylon if they will save their Souls and to beware of that great Harlot that is to say the pestiferous See of Rome that she make you not drunk with her pleasant Wine c. And as he had this Care of the whole Church of this Land as the high Patriarch thereof so he particularly had his Eye upon his own Diocess He took Care even in King Henry's ticklish Reign to place such Ministers in Kent as were Learned and dared to open their Mouths to preach Gospel-Doctrin and to convince the People of the Usurpations of the Bishop of Rome and of the Idolatry and Superstitions wherein they had been so long nursled up And for the preventing whereof for Time to come he ordered his Arch-deacon and other his Officers to take down Images out of Churches and deface them Which things created him much hatred among the Popish Clergy whose Gain depended so much therein He had a peculiar regard of the greater Towns of his Diocess that such Places might be furnished with able Men where the Inhabitants were numerous and the Salaries generally small Whereby he saw it came to pass that where there was most need of Learned Men there the most Ignorant were placed Therefore he thought this worthy his redressing I meet with this Memorandum in one of his Note-books These Towns following are especially to be remembred that in them there be placed Learned Men with sufficient Stipends Sandwich Dover Folkston Ashford Tenderden Crambroke Faversham Hearn Whitstable Marden Maydston Wye and Wingham In these great Towns as well as Canterbury he often preached himself And for his Sermons at Sandwich he was once complained of openly in the Parliament-house to have brought him under the Lash of the Statute of the Six Articles And within seven or eight Years after his first entrance into the See he had placed such store of good Preachers about Kent that at another time a long List of Articles were drawn up against them and given in to the Justices of the County at a Quarter-Sessions of the Peace and they by a Combination preferred the Complaint to the King and Council His high Estate puffed him not up nor made him forget the great Work of his Calling which he very earnestly desired to prosecute above all things in the World Nor did he care at all for the high Titles that were attributed to him as he was Arch-bishop of Canterbury as may appear by this Passage Upon occasion of a Question arising concerning his Stile of Primate of all England for bearing which in his Summons for a Provincial Visitation the Bishop of Winchester out of Malice had complained to King Henry against him as though it were an Encroachment upon the King's Supremacy he protested to Crumwel then Secretary who had sent him word of it That as God should be merciful to him in the Day of Judgment he set not more by any Title or Stile than he did by the paring of an Apple further than it should be to the setting forth God's Word and Will His Expression was That they were the Successors of Diotrephes that affected glorious Titles Stiles and Pomps He professed He could have been willing that Bishops should lay aside their lofty Stiles and only write themselves by the Stile of their Offices The
the said Act. There was indeed an Act made which seemed contrary to this Act namely That which in the Year 1536 put by the Succession of Q. Ann and carried it to the King's Children by another Queen and to this Act the Subjects were to swear also And we will suppose that the ABp swore with the rest to this Act. Neither was there any Perjury here for this Oath in truth was not contrary to the former For by reason of some lawful Impediment of Queen Ann's Marriage with the King as was then pretended it was declared by the Parliament That the Issue of that Queen was Illegitimate and not Inheritable And the first Oath was only for the Succession of lawful Issue by Queen Ann. Therefore there being no lawful Issue of that Queen as was then at least supposed the Oath to the lawful Issue of another Queen might certainly be very innocently taken without infringing the breach of the former And where at length is this Notorious Perjury and swearing and forswearing at every turn Allen again lets fly upon him calling him Apostata But surely it is not Apostacy to leave Error Superstition and Idolatry for the true Doctrine and Profession of the Gospel He chargeth him also with often Relapsing and Recanting He made no Relapses nor Recantations at all as I know of unless a little before his Death when he subscribed to a parcel of Popish Articles by the Importunity of Papists working upon his Frailty and long-Sufferings But he soon revoked all again and died most patiently in the Profession of the true Religion And to this at last comes all this mighty Clamour That he was notoriously Perjured an often relapsed Apostata recanting swearing and forswearing at every Turn Saunders his scurrilous and false Accounts of Cranmer are numberless I will only mention one or two He saith That from Cambridg he went to the Service of Sir Tho. Bullen and by his Preferment was made Arch-bishop of Canterbury Whereas from Cambridg he was immediatly made the King's Chaplain and wanted not the Recommendation of any to his Preferment the King being so well acquainted with his Merits And though he abode sometime with the Earl of Wiltshire whom he stileth Sir Tho. Bullen yet it was not in the quality of his Chaplain but of one whom the King recommended to him He writeth That the Arch-bishop carried his Wife about him in a Chest when he removed and addeth a ridiculous Story relating thereunto And his Brother Parsons saith This was a most certain Story and testified at that Day by Cranmer 's Son's Widow to divers Gentlemen her Friends from whom Parsons saith he had it Other Popish Dignitaries in those Days kept and conversed with their Concubines and Whores more publickly and did the Arch-bishop keep his Wife so close But in case he had travelled with her more openly who should examine the Arch-bishop and call him to Account whether she were his Wife or his Concubine and therefore the Story is most improbable The King himself knew he had a Wife well enough And when the Arch-bishop saw the Danger of having her with him he sent her away to her Friends beyond-Sea for a Time And that silly Story comes through too many Hands before it came to Parsons to make it credible Cranmer's Son tells it to his Wife No Body knows where She being a Widow tells it to certain Gentlemen No Body knows who And they tell it to Parsons no Body knows when No one Place Person or Time mentioned And so all the Faith of the Matter lies upon a Woman's Evidence and hers upon the Credit of those two very honest Men Parsons and Saunders In Parsons his three Conversions of England are these many favourable Expressions of our Arch-bishop to be found That he was the first Heretick in that Order of Arch-bishops of Canterbury Because he was the first that laboured a Reformation of the horrible Errors of the degenerate Church of Rome And that he was the first Arch-bishop of Canterbury that ever brake from the Roman Faith And that this was the first Change of Religion in any Arch bishop from the beginning unto his Days Designing thereby to fix a very black Mark upon him which rather redounds to his everlasting Honour That he was an unconstant Man in his Faith and Belief Incontinent in his Life Variable in all his Actions Accommodating himself always to the Times wherein he lived and to the Humours of those who could do most and this in Matters even against Right and Conscience No but quite contrary he was constant in his Faith and Belief to the very last except one Fall which he soon recovered Most chaste in his Life living in the holy State of Marriage Steady in all his Actions accommodating himself always neither to the Times nor to the Humours of any Man let him be as great as he would any farther than he might do in Righâ— and Conscience And often opposing King Parliament Privy-Council and Synods to his utmost Danger in defence of Truth and for the disâ—harge of his own Conscience Again That he was a Roman Catholick in most Points during K. Henry 's Reign Whereas he was so in no Point excepting in that of the Corporeal Presence That he applied himself to the Religion which the State and Prince liked best to allow of in that Time of K. Henry VIII From which he was so far that he often boldly and publickly declared against divers Things which the King was bent upon as in the Act of the Six Articles and in composing the Book called The Necessary Erudition That these three the King Queen Ann and Arch-bishop Cranmer held the Catholick Faith Vsages and Rites and went as devoutly to Mass as ever and so remained they in outward shew even to their Deaths Though some Years before Cranmer's Death namely from the first Year of King Edward the Mass was wholly laid aside and never used at all That Cranmer and Crumwel went to Mass after the King married the Lady Ann Bolen as before What they did as to the going to Mass our Histories tell us little of If they did it was with little Approbation of it And as Crumwel on the Scaffold protested that he was a good Catholick Man but there is difference between a Good Catholick and a Roman Catholick and never doubted of any of the Church-Sacraments then used Thereby intending I suppose to make a Difference between them and the Gospel-Sacraments But surely Crumwel in his Life-time was so utterly against four or five of them that he brought Aless a Learned Man into a Convocation to dispute there for two only And the like Cranmer had done no doubt if he had been brought to the Scaffold in King Henry 's Days Which had been a happy Case for him To a Scaffold they of the Roman Perswasion endeavoured many a Year to bring him and they would have thought it a happy Case for them if they could
Carnal Presence For a Conclusion let the Reader not hear me but another speak for our Arch-bishop against one of these Calumniators and he a Portugal Bishop After Cranmer by hearing of the Gospel began to savour of Christian Profession what Wickedness was ever reported of him With what outrage of Lust was he enflamed What Murders what seditious Tumults what secret Conspiracies were ever seen or suspected so much to proceed from him Unless ye account him blame-worthy for this that when King Henry Father to Mary upon great Displeasure conceived was for some secret Causes determined to strike off her Head this Reverend Arch-bishop did pacify the Wrath of the Father and with mild continual Intercession preserved the Life of the Daughter Who for Life preserved acquitted her Patron with Death As concerning his Marriage if you reproachfully impute that to Lust which Paul doth dignify with so honourable a Title I do answer That he was the Husband of one Wife with whom he continued many Years more chastly and holily than Osorius in that his stinking sole and single Life peradventure one Month tho he flee never so often to his Catholick Confessions And I see no Cause why the Name of a Wife shall not be accounted in each respect as Holy with the true Professors of the Gospel as the Name of a Concubine with the Papists Thus Fox And so I have at last by God's favourable Concurrence finished this my Work and have compiled an imperfect History yet with the best Diligence I could of this singular Arch-bishop and blessed Martyr and in the conclusion have briefly vindicated him from those many false Surmises and Imputations that his implacable Enemies of the Roman Faction have reported and published abroad against him Not contented with the shedding of his Blood unless they stigmatized his Name and Memory and formed the World into a belief that he was one of the vilest Wretches that lived who in Reality and Truth appeareth to have been one of the holiest Bishops and one of the best Men that Age produced THE END THE APPENDIX TO THE MEMORIALS OF Archbishop Cranmer THE APPENDIX TO THE MEMORIALS OF Archbishop Cranmer NUM I. Account of Mr. Pool's Book by Dr. Cranmer To the Ryght honorable and my syngular good Lorde my Lorde of Wylshire IT may please your Lordeshipe to bee advertised that the Kynge his grace my Lady your wyfe my Lady Anne your doughter be in good helth whereof thankes be to God As concernynge the Kinge hys cause Mayster Raynolde Poole hath wrytten a booke moch contrary to the kinge hys purpose wyth such wytte that it appereth that he myght be for hys wysedome of the cownsel to the kinge hys grace And of such eloquence that if it were set forth and knowne to the commen people I suppose yt were not possible to persuade them to the contrary The pryncypal intent whereof ys that the kinge hys grace sholde be contente to commyt hys grete cause to the jugement of the pope wherein me semeth he lacketh moch jugement But he swadeth that with such goodly eloquence both of words and sentence that he were lyke to persuade many but me hee persuadeth in that poynt no thynge at al. But in many other thynges he satysfyeth me very wel The som wherof I shal shortly reherse Furst he sheweth the cause wherfore he had never pleasure to intromytte hymself in this cause And that was the trouble which was lyke to ensue to this realme therof by dyversitie of tytles Wherof what hurte myght come we have had exsample in our fathers dayes by the tytles of Lancaster and Yorke And where os god hath gyven many noble gyfts unto the kinge hys grace as wel of body and mynde os also of fortune yet this excedeth al other that in hym al tytles do mete and come togyder and this Realme ys restored to tranquillitie and peace so oweth he to provide that this londe fal not agayne to the forsaide mysery and troble which may come aswel by the people within this realme which thynke surely that they have an hayre lawful alâ—â—ady with whom they al be wel contente and wolde be sory to have any other And yt wolde be harde to persuade thaym to take any other levynge her os also by the Emperour whych ys a man of so grete power the quene beying hys awnt the Princes hys nece whome he so moch doth and ever hath favored And where he harde reasons for the kynge hys party that he was moved of god hys lawe which doth straytly forbed and that with many gret thretts that no man shal mary hys brother hys wife And os for the people yt longeth not to thayr judgement and yet yt ys to be thought that thay wil be contente whan thay shal knowe that the awncyente Doctores of the Chyrch and the determinations of so many grete vniversities be of the kynge hys sentence And os concernynge the Emperour if he be so unryghtful that he wyl mayntene an unjust cause yet god wil never fayl thaym that stonde opon his party and for any thynge wyl not transgresse hys commawndments And besyde that we shal not lacke the ayde of the Frenshe kynge whyche partely for the Lege whych he hath made with us and partly for the dyspleasure and olde grutch which he bereth toward the Emperour wolde be glad to have occasion to be avenged Thies reasons he bryngeth for the kyngs party agaynst hys owne opynyon To which he maketh answer in this maner Fyrst os towchynge the Lawe of god he thynketh that yf the kinge were pleased to take the contrary parte he myght os wel justifie that and have os good grownde of the scripture therfore os for that parte which he now taketh And yet if he thought the kyngs party never so juste and that this his mariage were undowtedly agaynst godds pleasure than he cowde not deny but yt sholde be wel done for the kynge to refuse this mariage and to take another wyfe but that he sholde be a doar therin and a setter forwarde therof he cowde never fynde in hys harte And yet he grawnteth that he hath no good reason therfore but only affection which he bereth and of dewty oweth unto the kyngs parson For in so doing he sholde not only wayke ye and utterly take away the Princes Title but also he must neds accuse the most and cheife parte of al the kyngs lyfe hiderto which hath bene so infortunate to lyve more than xx yers in a matrimony so shameful so abominable so bestial and agaynst nature yf it be so os the books which do defend the kyngs party do say that the abomination therof ys naturally wrytten and graven in every mans harte so that none excusation can be made by ignorance And thus to accuse the noble nature of the kyngs grace and to take away the title of hys succession he cowde never fynd in hys harte were the kyngs cause never so
al times What enemies be you to al Lay-men and to your selves also to refuse to drink of Christs cup which he commanded al men to drink upon saying Take and divide this among you and Drink ye al of it But need any more be brought for the reproving of this Article then your own first Article where you wil have kept al Decrees and Councels Now in the Decrees De Consecrat Di. 2. there is one Decree that commandeth al men to receive the Communion at the least thrice in the year at Easter Whitsuntide and Christmas Another commandeth every man to receive the same upon Shere-thursday The Councel Agathense saith that al Lay-men which receive not the Communion at Christmas Easter Whitsuntide shal not be taken for Catholics And the Decree of Gelasius that the receiving under one kind is great Sacrilege Then by your first Article you do not only condemn your fift Article but also you shew your selves not to be Catholics except you receive the Communion at the least three times in the year and that under both kinds Which is clean repugnant to this Article And yet I pray God you receive it worthily once in your life which you shal never do except you wonderfully repent this your misbehaviour and al your life time study to amend and redress that you have now offended Now to your sixt Article VI. Your Sixt Article is this WEE wil that our Curates shal minister the Sacrament of Baptism at al times as wel in the week day as on the holy day Who letteth your Ministers to baptize your child every day if any case of necessity so do require But commonly it is more convenient that Baptism should not be ministred but upon the holy day when the most number of people be together As wel for that the whole church there present may rejoice together of the receiving of new members of Christ into the same church as also that al men being present may remember and the better know what they promised themselves by their Godfathers and Godmothers in their own baptisâ—â— and be the more earnestly stirred in their hearts to perform the same And also may altogether pray for them that be baptized that they may have grace to perform their Profession S. Greg. Nazienz as great a Clerk as ever was in Christs church and Master to S. Hierom counselled that children should not be christened until they came to three years of age or thereabouts except they were in danger of life And it was thought sufficient to our forefathers to be done two times in the year at Easter and Whitsuntide as it appeareth by divers of their Councels and Decrees Which forbid Baptism to be ministred at any other time than Easter and Whitsuntide except in case of necessity And there remained lately divers signes and tokens thereof For every Easter and Whitsun-even until this time the Fonts were hallowed in every church and many Collects and other prayers were read for them that were baptized But alas in vain and as it were a mocking with God For at those times except it were by chance none were baptized but al were baptized before For as Vigils otherwise called Watchings remain in the Calendars upon certain Saints Evens because in old times the people watched al those nights and Vigilantius because he speaketh against these Watchings was condemned of heresy but now these many years those Vigils remained in vain in the books for no man did watch Even so until this day the order and form of christening was read and kept every year at Easter and Whitsuntide but none was then christened Wherin it appeareth how far we be swerved from our forefathers And to conclude this Article shortly If you wil needs have Baptism ministred no more at one time than another then must you needs renounce your first Article Which willeth the Councels and Decrees of the forefathers to be observed and kept And this briefly sufficeth for the sixt Article VII Your Seventh Article is this WEE wil have holy bread and holy water every Sunday Palmes and ashes at the time accustomed Images to be set up again in every Church and al other antient old Ceremonies used heretofore by our Mother holy Church Oh! Superstition and Idolatry how they prevaile among you The very true heavenly bread of life the food of everlasting life offered unto you in the Sacrament of the holy Communion you refuse to eat but only at Easter And the Cup of the most holy bloud wherewith you were redeemed and washed from your sins you refuse utterly to drink of at any time And yet in the sted oâ— these you wil eat often of the unsavoury and poisoned bread of the Bishop of Rome and drink of his stinking puddles which he nameth Holy bread and Holy water Consider oh ignorant people the authors and intents of the makers of them both The water of Baptism and the holy bread and wine of the holy Communion none other person did ordain but Christ himse f. The other that is called Holy bread Holy water Holy ashes Holy Palmes and al other like ceremonies ordained the Bps. of Rome Adversaries to 〈◊〉 and therfore rightâ—y called Antichrist And Christ ordained his Bread and his Wine and his Water to our great comfort to instruct us and teach us what things we have only by him But Antichrist on the other side hath set up his Superstitions under the name of Holines to none other intent but as the Devil secketh al means to draw us from Christ so doth Antichrist avance his holy Superstitions to the intent that we shouâ—d take him in the sted of Christ and believe that we have by him such things as we have only by Christ. That is to say Spiritual food Remission of our sins and Salvation First Our Savior Christ ordained the Water of Baptism to signify unto us that as the Water washeth our bodies outward y so be we spiritually within washed by Christ from al our sins And as the Water is ca led Water of Regeneration or New birth so it declareth unto us that through Christ we be born anew and begin a New life towards God and that Christ is the beginning of this New life And as the body that is new born altho it have life within it yet can it not continue in the spiritual life towards God except we be continually nourished with spiritual food And that spiritual food is Christ also For as he is the first beginning of our spiritual life so is he the Continuance and ending therof And for this cause did Christ ordain in the holy Communion to be eaten bread and drunken wine that we should surely believe that as our bodies be fed with bread and wine in these holy mysteries so be we out of doubt that our souls be fed spiritually with the lively food of Christs body and blood wherby we have remission of our sins and salvation But the Bp. of Rome invented new devises of
Willelmus Episcopus Landavensis Bishop of Landaff whose Title of Landavensis the Ignorance or Mistake of the Scribe changed into Navatensis By a like mistake very frequent in our Ancient Records the Bishop of Lincoln Lincolniensis is corruptly stiled Nicoliensis Page 37. line 6. Iohn Thornden who was often Commissary of Oxon while Archbishop Warham was Chancellor of that University was stiled Episcopus Syrinensis His Name was Iohn Thornton Many years after him Richard Thornden was Suffragan Bishop in the Diocess of Canterbury In Thornton endeth the Catalogue of Suffragan Bishops which you could find Consecrated before the time of Archbishop Cranmer being in all seven If it pleaseth God to permit me to to finish my Angliâ— Sacra I shall exhibit a perfect Succession of Suffragan Bishops in almost all the Diocesses of England for about Two hundred years before the Reformation Ibid. line 8. And hereafter we shall meet with a Bishop of Hippolitanum who assisted Archbishop Cranmer at his Ordinations It will be hard to find such a City as Hyppolitanum in the world We had in England many Suffragan Bishops who successively assumed the Title of Bishops of Hippo the See of the Great St. Austin These were wont to stile themselves Hipponenses but some of them not being so good Grammarians took the Stile of Ypolitanenses and Hippolitanenses which latter Appellation might give occasion to the mistake concerning a Bishop of Hippolitanum Page 38. line 3. ab imo The King sent to the Archbishop to make Thomas Mannyng Suffragan of Gipwich who was accordingly Consecrated by the Archbishop This Gipwich is no other than Ipswich the chief Town of Suffolk in Latin called Gipâ—svicum and Gipwicum from which place Mannyng at his Prâ—motion to the Office of a Suffragan Bishop took his Title Page 41. line 3. This choice Treasure the Original Book containing the Subscription of the Members of the Convocation to certain Articles of Religion Sir Robert Cotton afterwards procured And at the bottom of the first Page is written Robertus Cotton Bruceâ—s by Sir Robert's own hand signifying his Value of this Monument Sir Robert did not by that Subscription of his Name testify any extraordinary Value of this Volume for he wrote the same words at the bottom of the first Page of all or almost all the Manuscript Volumes of his Library Page 50. line 26. Iune Anno 1536. William Rugg was Consecrated Bishop of Norwich His Consecration is omitted in the Register Probably he was consecrated with Sampson Bishop of Chicâ—ester who was Confirmed Iune 10 th Rugg could not be Consecrated in Iune for he was not Confirmed till the 28 th of that Month and the first Sunday after that day was Iuly 2 d. Bishops were wont to be Consecrated on the next Sunday after their Confirmation So that it is most likely Sampson was Consecrated Iune 11 th and Rugg together with Warton of St. Asaph on Iuly 2 d. Page 61. line 18. ab imo Iune 24. Anno 1537. Iohn Bird was Consecrated Suffragan of the See of Penrith in Landaff Diocess and Lewis Thomas Suffragan Bishop of the See of Salop. It should have been said that Bird was Consecrated Suffragan of the Diocess of Landaff with the Title of Bishop of Penrith Bishop of Shrewsbury not Salop for Penrith is no more in Landaff Diocess than Shrewsbury is in that of St. Asaph But it may be observed That in the first Act of Parliament made in this Reign touching Suffragan Bishops certain Titles were appointed to which the said Suffragans should be Consecrated taken from several of the chief Towns in England but it was not required that the Suffragan of any particular Diocess should take his Title from some Town in that Diocess but was left at liberty to take it from any Town mentioned in that Act. Which was accordingly practised indifferently till the Promulgation of the second Act concerning Suffragans Ibid. line 2. It was now forbidden by the Parliament that the Feast of St. Thomas a Becket the pretended Martyr should be celebrated any more He is also stiled Thomas a Becket Page 70. line 21. 28. Page 92. line 4. c. This is a small Error but being so often repeated deserveth to be observed and corrected The Name of that Archbishop was Thomas Becket nor can it otherwise be found to have been written in any Authentick History Record Kalendar or other Book If the Vulgar did formerly as it doth now call him Thomas a Becket their Mistake is not to be followed by Learned men Page 62. line 8. The Reason why Archbishop Cranmer all this while that is from the first making the Act concerning Suffragans in the year 1534 to this time 1537. had nominated none for Suffragan to this See Dover till now when he nominated and consecrated Richard Yngworth in December might be because there seemed to be a Suffragan already even the same that had been in the time of Archbishop Warham namely Iohn Thornton Prior of Dover who was one of the Witnesses appointed by that Archbishop to certify what was found and seen at the opening of St. Dunstan's Tomb. Richard Thornden seems to have succeeded Yngworth in this Office St. Dunstan's Tomb was opened in April 1508 and Thornden died not till the last year of Queen Mary So that if to Thernton succeeded Yngworth and to Yngworth succeeded Thornden there will be no room for any of those three Bishops of Sidon who were before in this History pag. 36. said to have assisted the Archbishops Warham and Cranmer in the Quality of Suffragan Bishops For the very first of them Thomas Wellys was Suffragan Bishop after the year 1508. I know not when he was made Suffragan or when he died but I am certain that he survived the year 1511. As for Christopher and the other Thomas Bishops of Sidon they indeed were not the peculiar Suffragans of the Archbishops of Canterbury as I before said Page 63. line 28. March 24. 1537. Henry Holbeach was Consecrated Suffragan Bishop of Bristow in the Bishop of London's Chappel in the said Bishop's House scituate in Lambeth-Marsh by the said Bishop c. The Bishops of London never had any House scituate in Lambeth-Marsh but the Bishops of Rochester at that time had which House was soon after conveyed from the See of Rochester to the Crown and afterwards from the Crown by exchange to the See of Carlisle to which it now belongeth Page 86. line 22. ab imo In this Consecration of Bonner Bishop of London Anno 1540. the Prior and Chapter of Canterbury insisted it seems upon an Ancient Privilege of their Church which I do not find in this Register that of Archbishop Cranmer they had at other Consecrations done namely that the Consecration should be celebrated at the Church of Canterbury and at no other Church or Oratory without their allowance And so in a formal Instrument they gave their License and Consent The renewing of this their old pretended Privilege looked
And Smith The Duke of Somerset's Death Inter Foxii MSS. Winchester suppos'd to be in the Plot. Articles against the Duke What he is blamed for The new Book of Common-Prayer established Troubles at Frankford Coverdale made Bp of Exon. Scory Bp Elect of Rochester The ABp appoints a Guardian of the Spiritualties of Lincoln Cranm. Reg And of Wigorn. Cranm. Regist. And of Chichester And of Hereford And of Bangor Hoper visits his Diocess No. LXIII Two Disputations concerning the Sacrament Miscellan C. Dr. Redman dies Bâ—con's Reports Fox's Acts. The ABp and others appointed to Reform the Ecclesiastical Laws The Method they observed Scory Cranm. Regist Coverdalâ— An. 1552. The Articles of Religion framed and published Fox The ABp's diligence in them Council-Book No. LXIV The ABp retires to Ford. Consulted with for fit Persons to fill the Irish Seeâ— * I suppose this might be a slip of the ABp's Pen or Memory writing Whitacre for Goodacre who afterwards was placed in that Irish See and haâ— been Poynet 's Chaplain Some Account of the four Divines nominated by him for the Archbishoprick of Armagh Mr. Wâ—ithead Mr. Turner Bale's Cent. Thomas Rosse or Rose Robert Wisdome * The Iewel of Ioy. †They were both forced to recant openly at St. Pauls Cross in the Year 1544 together with one Shingleton And herâ—upon I suppose they conveyed themselves into the North parts for Security The Character the ABp gave of the two former Turner designed for Armagh But declines it Hist. Ref. Vol. 1. p. 205. N. LXV LXVI Goodacre made ABpof Armagh Vocation of Iohn Bale Beatae memoriae in Hibernià concionatorem vigilantissimum ac Theologica eloquentia non immerito commendatum Balaei Centur. Letters from the Council to Ireland recommending the Irish Bishops Council-Book A Rumour gigen out of the ABp's Covetousness and Wealth Which Cecyl sends him word of The ABp's Answer for himself and the other Bishops †He probably was Holgate ABp of York No. LXVII This very Slander raised upon him to K. Henry Fox K. Henry promised him Lands This promise performed by King Edward His Purchases No. LXVIII The Arch-bishoprick fleeced by K. Henry Lands past away to the Crown by Exchange Villarâ— Cantian Lands made over to the Arch-bishop The Arch-bishop parted also with Knoll and Otford to the King MSS. C.C.C.C What moved him to make these Exchanges His Cares and Fears for the King His care for filling the Vacancies of the Church Labored under an Ague this Autumn The great Mortality of Agues about this Time Stow's Chron. That which most concerned him in his Sickness The Secretary sends the Arch-bishop the Copy of the Emperor's Pacification Vid. Slâ—id Lib. 24. His Kindness for Germany His Correspondence with Germany And with Herman Arch-bishop of Colen The Sutableness of both these Arch-bishops Dispositions Their diligence in Reforming Mel. Epist. Printed at Leyden 1647. Pag. 34. Nec aliam video nisi hanc unam ut retineant Episcopi Collegia sâ—a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suas opes recipiant doctrinam piam Ubi supra The Troubles of Bp Tonstol MS. of an old Council-Book The Cause of this Bp's Punishment A Bill in Parliament to attaint Tonstal The Care of the Diocess committed to the Dean The new Common-Prayer began to be used Stow's Chron. This Book put into French for the King's French Subjects The Age still vicious Iewâ—l of Ioy. A new Sect in Kent council-Council-Book The ABp's Business in Kent A Letter for Installing Bishop Hoper Council-Book The Vicar of Beden Council-Book Sampson and Knox. The Council favour Knox. Collect. Vol. 2. p. 42. Council-Book Iohn Taylor An. 1553. Great use made of the ABp at Council The Articles of Religion enjoined by the King's Authority Cran. Regist. An. 1553. The Catechism for Schools A Catechism set forth by the Synod Fox The ABp opposeth the new Settlement of the Crown Denieth before the Council to subscribe to the Exclusion of the Lady Mary Foxii MSS. Sets his Hand The ABp ingratefully dealt with The Council subscribe and swear to the limited Succession Vol. II. p. 223. No. LXVIII The King dies Cooper's Chron. His Character Nic. Vdal his Pres. to Erasm. Paraphrase The ABp delights in this Prince's Proficiency K. Edward's Writings Fox Fox Mr. Petyt's MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Full. Ch. Hist. Full. Ch. Hist. Ibid. Mr. Petyt's MSS. Cotton Libr. and Hist. Ref. Trinity-Col Libr. Cott. Librar Cott. Libr. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Fox The King 's Memorial for Religion The Ab◠〈◊〉 at Council His Presence in Council in the Year 1550. In the Year 1551. In the Year 1552. An. 1553. Iohn Harley The ABp's and Counsellors concern with the Lady Iane. No. LXIX No. LXX They declare for Q. Mary No. LXXI And write to Northumberland to lay down his Arms. Stow. The Queen owned by the Ambassadors The ABp misreported to have said Mass. Mass at Canterbury Which he makes a publick Declaration against Foxii MSS. The Declaration Appears before the Commissioners at Pauls And before the Council The ABp of York committed to the Tower and his Goods seized C.C.C.C. Librar Miscell Bâ— At Battersea At Cawood Gardiner's Passage of the two ABps This Reign begins with Rigour Halts Oration The Protestant Bishops deprived Registr Eccl. Cant. The hard Usage of the inferior Clergy * Mr. Rich. Wilks ‖ Dr. Parker †Mr. Bradford Bullingham and May. ‖ A great Number * Dr. Ponet Taylâ—r Parker Preface to the Defence of Priests Marriage * Mr. Aylmer Harbour for Faithful Subjects Professors cast into the Marshalsea Winchester's Alms. Pet. Martyr writes of this to Calvin P. Martyr's Epist. The State of the Church now P. Martyr Amico cuidam The Queen leaves all Matters to Winchester I. Rogers The Queen crowned The Service still said The Queen's Proclamation of her Religion Signs of a Change of Religion The ABp adviseth to flight No. LXXII Cranmer will not flee Whither the Prosessors fly And who ‖ Chiliades Pref. to Cranmer's Book of the Sacrament in Latin Duke of Northumberland put to death His Speech No. LXXIII Sir Iohn Gates his Speech And Palmer's The Duke's labours to get hiâ— Life Wardword p. 43. Whether he was always â— Papist P. Martyr departs Vit. P. Mart. per Simler Malice towards him A Scandal of the Queen Titus B. 2. A Parliament Hales Oration The Parliament repeal Q. Katherine's Divorce and Cranmer taxed for it Hist. Reform Vol. 2. p. 254. The ABp attainted of Treason The Dean of Canterbury acts in the Vacancy Ex Reg. Eccl. Cant. The ABp sues for Pardon of Treason No. LXXIV Obtains it He desires to open his Mind to the Queen concerning Religion A Convocation How it opened The ABp and three more crowded together in the Tower The Queen sends to Pole The Contents of her Letters Concerning theSupremacy Concerning the new Bishops Pole's Advice to the Queen
I had omitted in their Places not meeting with them in Cranmer's Register The former I suppose was consecrated with Shaxton in April as the latter might be with Fox and Barlow in September his Temporalties having been restored to him in the beginning of October This Hilsey was a great Assistant to Archbishop Cranmer and a learned man He wrote a Book of Prayers with Epistles and Gospels in English I suppose which he dedicated to the Lord Crumwel by whose command it was published P. 57. l. 17. After Him add But he could not see his Desire effected by these men till it was happily done by other hands P. 75. l. 7. r. Superstitions P. 58. l. 6. * f. Three or four r. Four or five P. 59. l. 14. del Some years after came forth c to thâ— end of the Paragraph P. 77. l. 4. * After Winton Whereas I had said That the Bishop of Winchester was not in a Commission there specified it appears by Crumwel's Speech set down by the Bishop of Sarum that that Bishop was then indeed a Commissioner Here my MS. deceived me But be it noted what the L. Paget testified before the Commissioners at that Bishop's Trial in 1549 namely That because he was so wilful in his opinion and addicted to the Popish part the King left him out of the Commission for Compiling the last Book of Religion And what that Book was I know not unless the Necessary Erudition P. 78. l. 13. * after Hands dele the Period P. 85. l. 21. * Remove thâ— Close of the Parenthesis after That P. 94. l. 8. * r. Translation P. 95. l. 13. after Bulkley insert was Consecrated P. 97. l. 4. * r. Abused P. 104. l. 17. * r. one P. 109. l. 16. r. Archbishop's Endeavour P. 126. l. 13. * After Arms Whereas it was conjectured there that the King changed Archbishop Cranmer's Coat of Arms about 1544 it must have been several years before For his New Coat of the Pelicans may be seen in the Frontispiece of the great English Bible printed 1540. And how long before that time I know not P. 135. l. 16. * r. Church living P. 146. l. 7. * f. Counties r. Episcopal Sees P. 149. l. 25 26. These words When the old Order was broken and a New brought in by Homilies to be within a Parenthesis Ibid. l. 5. * after and add said P. 151. l. 17. dele and. Ibid. after Charge add was P. 153. l. 4. r. Protectors P. 154. l. 17. after them instead of a Period make a Colon. P. 186. l. 16. f. them r. it P. 196. l. 15. * r. Bucer P. 197. l. 4. in the Marg. r. Vit. P. 219. l. 8 9 10 11. dele the Comma's on the sides P. 220 l. 1. r. Augmentations P. 226. l. 4. r. Wreaked P. 234. l. 25. r. Strangers P. 235. l. 7. r. Embark P. 237. l. 12. of the Marg. r. Extent P. 238. l. 14. * dele the Comma's before Leave P. 239. l. 4. r. Strasburgh P. 243. l. 14. r. Glastenbury P. 266. l. 22. r. Superstitious P. 268. l. 5. r. Counsil P. 270. l. 12. * add in the Margent The Sweating Sickness P. 271. l. 12. r. two P. 286. l. 12. f. were r. was P. 306. l. 23. r. other Ibid. l. â—5 dele the Comma P. 307. l. 16. * r. Hand P. 311. l. 14. r. one P. 314. l. 14. * r. Joh. Ibid. l. ult after Humfrey make a Comma P. 315. l. 24. â— r. convince P. 349. l. 19. after all add and. P. 351. l. 11. * r. Conversation P. 352. l. 5. * after it add in P. 354. l. 25. r. Corpus P. 378. l. ult r. but. P. 395. l. 10. f. Contrived r. Composed P. 396. l. 21. del With a Preface P. 394 395 396 397 398 399 400. on the Top of each Margent del An. 1555. P. 411. l. 10. r. was P. 421. l. 21. * after him add be P. 422. l. 1â— f. Flesh r. Fish P. 424. l. 4. * r. one Ibid. l. 3. * f. John r. Thomas P. 425. l. 2. after two add to P. 427. l. 20. after appointed add a. P. 437. l. 9. * f. Historiae r. Historia P. 444 l. 18. * f. 1538 or 1539. r. 1537 or 1538. P. 448. l. 1. f. that r. the. Ibid. l. 9. * r. Sanctuary P. 461. l. 5. f. infringing r. incurring Ibid. l. 28. after about add with P. 464. l. 22. f. is r. was Errata in the Appendix PAge 7. in the Margent for Sir W. S. read Sir W H. P. 8. l. 10. * r. Popes P. 45. l. 9. * r. Controversiam P. 46. l. 13. * r. Oecolampadio Ibid. l. 3. * r. nec P. 55. l. 9. dele the Colon. P. 56. l. 13. r. Concedant Ibid. r. concessit P. 116. l. 18. after Parcyalyte add as P. 131. l. 18. r. Circumcision And so P. 132. l. 21. and l. 29. and l. 31. P. 143. l. 15. * r. praeponenda P. 180. l. 6. * r. Decanatu P. 183. l. 18. after Verbo add a Comma and after Consentientibus dele the Comma l. 19. after Authoritatibus add a Comma P. 188. l. 18. after Liberantes instead of the Period make a Semicolon Ibid. l. 20. after Legati dele the Period P. 190. l. 22. before dam add quibus Ibid. l. 6. * Draw the Comma after Eos before it P. 191. l. 12. r. Procedetur P. 193. l. 10. * r. deterrimo carcere P. 194. l. 13. * f. ita r. ira P. 195. l 17. r. Bernher P. 197. l. 6. * f. quin r. quum P. 199. l. 5. Cognoscentiae perhaps for Ignoscentiae Ibid. l. 11. * r. imbuerat P. 212. l. 3. r. your P. 222. l. 14. Remove the Comma after Abripere before it P. 224. l. 20. * r. punitus P. 232. l. 20. r. habes P. 237. l. 16. * r. angustijs P. 238. l. 17. f. 1552. r. 1553. P. 251. l. 9. r. Appointment MEMORIALS OF Arch-Bishop CRANMER BOOK I. CHAPTER I. Cranmer's Birth Education and Rise THE Name of this most Reverend Prelate deserves to stand upon Eternal Record having been the first Protestant Arch-Bishop of this Kingdom and the greatest Instrument under God of the happy Reformation of this Church of England In whose Piety Learning Wisdom Conduct and Blood the Foundation of it was laid And therefore it will be no unworthy Work to revive his Memory now though after an hundred and thirty Years and upwards I pretend not to write a compleat Narrative of his Life and Death that being scarce possible at such a distance of Time and in the want of full Intelligence and Information of the various Matters that passed through his Hands and the Events that befel him All that I attempt by this present Undertaking is to retrieve and bring to light as many Historical Passages as I can concerning this Holy Prelate by a careful and long search not only into printed Books of History but the best Archives and many most precious and inestimable Manuscripts
that have fallen into my hands I shall pass over in a few words his earlier Days because I have so much to say of him in his riper Years Aslacton a Town in the County of Nottingham was the Place of his Birth and the second Day of Iuly in the Year 1489 was the Day of it He was the Son of Thomas Cranmer Esq a Gentleman of a right ancient Family whose Ancestor came in with the Conqueror And for a long Series of Time the Stock continued in good Wealth and Quality as it did in France for there were extant of his Name and Family there in the Reign of Henry the Eighth One whereof came then into England in company with the French Ambassador To whom for Relation-sake our Bishop gave a noble Entertainment Our Youth was put to learn his Grammar of a rude Parish-Clerk in that barbarous Age. Under whom he learn'd little and endured much from the harsh and curst Disposition of his School-master Though his Father were minded to have his Son educated in Learning yet he would not he should be ignorant of Civil and Gentleman-like Exercises Insomuch that he used himself to Shoot And many times his Father permitted him to Hunt and Hauk and to ride rough Horses So that when he was Bishop he feared not to ride the roughest Horses that came into his Stables which he would do very comely As otherwise at all times there was not any in his House that would become an Horse better And after his Studies when it was time for Recreation he would both Hauk and Hunt the Game being prepared for him And sometimes he would shoot in the Long-Bow and many times kill the Deer with his Cross-Bow though his Sight was not perfect for he was pore-blind But to return to his younger Days He lost his Father early but his Mother at the Age of fourteen Years Anno 1503 sent him to study at Cambridg Where he was nursled in the grossest kind of Sophistry Logick Philosophy Moral and Natural Not in the Text of the old Philosophers but chiefly in the dark Riddles of Duns and other subtile Questionists And in these he lost his Time till he came to two and twenty Years of Age. After that he gave himself to the reading of Faber Erasmus good Latin Authors four or five Years together unto the Time that Luther began to write And then considering what great Controversy was in Matters of Religion not only in Trifles but in the chiefest Articles of our Salvation he bent himself to try out the Truth herein And forasmuch as he perceived he could not judg indifferently in such weighty Matters without the Knowledg of the Holy Scriptures therefore before he was infected with any Man's Opinions or Errors he applied his whole Study three Years therein After this he gave his Mind to good Writers both New and Old not rashly running over them for he was a slow Reader but a diligent Marker of whatsoever he read seldom reading without Pen in Hand And whatsoever made either for the one Part or the other of things in Controversy he wrote it out if it were short or at least noted the Author and the Place that he might find it and write it out at leisure which was a great help to him in debating of Matters ever after This kind of Study he used till he was made Doctor of Divinity which was about the Thirty-fourth Year of his Age and about the Year 1523. But before this being Master of Arts and Fellow of Iesus College he married a Gentleman's Daughter And then leaving the College he read the Common Lecture in Buckingham College before that called Monks College because Monks studied there but now Magdalen College But in a Year after his Wife travailing with Child both she and the Child died And being now single again immediately the Master and Fellows of his old College chose him in Fellow again where he remained During his Residence here divers of the ripest and solidest sort of Scholars were sought out of this University of Cambridg to be transplanted into Cardinal Wolsey's new College in Oxon to be Fellows there Our Cranmer was nominated for one by Dr. Capon to whom that Matter was as it seems intrusted by the Cardinal And tho the Salary was much more considerable there and the way to Preferment more ready by the Favour of the Cardinal to such as were his own Scholars yet he refused to go chusing rather to abide among his old Fellow-Collegians and more closely to follow his Studies and Contemplations here though he were not without danger for his incompliance with this Invitation giving them that were concerned great Offence hereat But of those that went from Cambridg at this time who were all Men pick'd out for their Parts and Learning these were the chief Clark Friar afterwards Doctor of Physick Sumner Harman afterwards Fellow of Eaton Betts afterwards Chaplain to Queen Ann. Cox afterwards School-master to King Eâ—ward Frith afterwards a Martyr Baily Godman Drum afterwards one of the six Preachers at Canterbury Lawney afterwards Chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk All these were cast into Prison for suspicion of Heresy and divers through the hardship thereof died So that well it was for Cranmer that he went not Soon after he took his Degree of Doctor of Divinity and became the Reader of the Divinity-Lecture in his own College And out of the value the University had of his Learning he was appointed one of the Examiners of such as commenced Batchelors and Doctors in Divinity According to whose Approbations the University allowed them to proceed In which Place he did much Good for he used to examine these Candidates out of the Scriptures And by no means would let them pass if he found they were unskilful in it and unacquainted with the History of the Bible So were the Friars especially whose Study lay only in School-Authors Whom therefore he sometimes turned back as insufficient advising them to study the Scriptures for some Years longer before they came for their Degrees it being a shame for a Professor in Divinity to be unskilled in the Book wherein the Knowledg of God and the Grounds of Divinity lay Whereby he made himself from the beginning hated by the Friars Yet some of the more ingenuous sort of them afterward rendred him great and publick Thanks for refusing them whereby being put upon the Study of God's Word they attained to more sound Knowledg in Religion One of these was Dr. Barat a White Friar who lived afterwards in Norwich Not long after this King Henry being perswaded that the Marriage between him and Q. Katharine Daughter to K. Ferdinand of Spain was unlawful and naught by Dr. Longland Bishop of Lincoln his Confessor and other of his Clergy he sent to six of the best learned Men of Cambridg and as many of Oxford to debate this Question Whether it were