were put by also seeing their Rights depended one upon another But if he pleased to Appoint the Lady Jane the Duke of Suffolk's eldest Daughter and his own next Kinswoman to his Sisters to be his Successor he might then be sure that the True Religion should be maintained to God's great Glory and be a worthy Act of his Religious Prudence This was to strike upon the right string of the young King's Affections with whom nothing was so dear as Preservation of Religion And thereupon his Last Will was appointed to be drawn contrived chiefly by the Lord Chief Justice Mountague and Secretary Cecil By which Will as far as in him lay he excluded his Two Sisters from the Succession and all others but the Duke of Suffolk's Daughters And then causing it to be read before his Council he required them all to Assent unto it and to Subscribe their Hands which they All both Nobility Bishops and Judges did only the Archbishop Cranmer refused at first Sir James Hales a Judge of the Common-Pleas to the last and with them also Sir John Baker Chancellor of the Exchequer His Will being thus made he shortly after dies conceived to have been Poysoned It is noted by some saith Sir Richard Baker That he died the same Month and the day of the Month that his Father King Henry the Eighth had put Sir Thomas Moor to death Thus of this Duke and the Kings Death We will now give an Account of the Years when these changes were made IN the First year a Reformation was resolved on and to prepare the way for it Injunctions were set out and Commissioners sent into all parts of the Kingdom to enquire into all Ecclesiastical Concernments With them also were sent Preachers to disswade the People from their former practices in Religion And this to prepare the way for the total Alteration in Religion which was intended There was likewise a Parliament called to promote and confirm the same Designs In the Second year Images were taken down and many Ancient Customs abolished and a Book of Common-Prayer composed All Colleges Hospitals c. were given to the King In the Third year a part of Pauls and many Churches were pulled down to build Sommerset House in the Strand There were great Troubles and Commotions both in Church and State The Book of Common-Prayer composed in the former year was now set out Peter Martyr and Bucer came over In the Fourth year one John a Lasco a Polonian with his Sectaries settled themselves here The great business of this year was the taking down of Altars Until this following Fifth year nothing had been Positively and Dogmatically concluded in Points of Doctrine Wherefore to set a stop to the great Confusions that were at this time there was a Book of Articles composed And to satisfie the Calvinists ther was a New Book of Common-Prayer set forth In the Sixth year Hopkins Psalms began to be sung in Churches And the use of the New Common-Prayer-Book made strange Alterations but all in order to Calvin's designs who had a chief hand in composing it In the Seventh year the King is found to be extremely engaged in Debt and under Colour of satisfying such Debts great spoyl is made of the Treasures of the Church Thus you have had a short Relation of the strange Confusions and Alterations of Religion which happened in the few years Reign of this King A CONTINUATION Of these HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS Concerning the Restauration of Catholick Religion And the Occurrences concerning it In the Reign of Queen MARY A Preamble WE shall here follow Dr. Heylyns order in relating First some Passages concerning her before She came to the Crown With a brief Narration of her Mother's Death whereof Dr. Heylyn gives this following account in his History of Reformation page 9. The Execution of Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas Moor with many others who wished well unto her added so much affliction to the desolate Queen that not being able longer to bear the burthen of so many miseries she fell into a languishing Sickness which more and more encreasing on Her And finding the near approach of Death the only Remedy now left for all Her miseries She dictated this ensuing Letter which She caused to be delivered to the King by one of Her Women Wherein She laid before him these Her Last Requests Viz. My most Dear Lord King and Husband for so She called Him THe Hour of my Death now approaching I cannot chuse out of the Love I bear you but advise you of your Soul's health which you ought to prefer before all Considerations of the World or Flesh whatsoever For which yet you have cast me into many Calamities and your Self into many Troubles But I forgive you all and pray God to do so likewise For the rest I commend unto you Mary our Daughter beseeching you to be a good Father unto her as I have heretofore desired I must entreat you also to consider my Maids and give them in Marriage which is not much they being but Three And to grant unto all my other Servants a years pay besides their due lest otherwise they should be unprovided for Lastly I make this Vow That my Eyes have desired you above All Things Farewel Within few days after the writing of which Letter She yielded her pious Soul unto God at the Kings Manner-House of Kimbolton and was Solemnly buried in the Abbey of Peterborough The rending of her Letter drew some tears from the King which could not but be much encreased by the news of her Death Moved by them both to such a measure of Commiseration of Her sad condition That he caused the greatest part of Her Goods amounting to Five Thousand Marks to be expended or her Funeral and in the recompensing of such of Her Servants as had best deserved it Never so kind to Her in the time of her Life as when he had rendred Her incapable of receiving any kindness Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning her Mothers death Now concerning her Self he writes thus Pag. 11. THe Princess Mary is now left wholly to her Self declared Illegitimate by her Father deprived of the comfort of her Mother and in a Manner forsaken by all her Friends whom the severe proceedings against Moor and Fisher had so deterred that few durst pay her any offices of Love or Duty In which condition the poor Princes had no greater comfort than what She could gather from Her Books In which She had been carefully instructed by Dr. John Harman appointed her Tutor by the King and for his good Performance in that place of Trust advanced by him to the See of Exon and afterwards made Lord President of Wales By satisfying the King her Father in a Message sent unto her She gained so far upon him that from that time forwards he held her in the same rank with the rest of his Children gave Her her Turn in the Succession of the Kingdom assigned Her a Portion of Ten thousand pounds to
Historical COLLECTIONS Out of several Grave Protestant Historians Concerning the CHANGES OF RELIGION AND The strange Confusions following In the Reigns of KING HENRY the Eighth EDWARD the Sixth QUEEN MARY and ELIZABETH With an Addition of several Remarkable Passages taken out of Sir Will. Dugdale's Antiquities of Warwickshire relating to the Abbies and their Institution Published with Allowance LONDON Printed by Henry Hills Printer to the Kings Most Excellent Majesty for His Houshold and Chappel And for him and Matâ—… Turâ—…er at the Lamb in High holbourn 1686. THE PREFACE HAving perused several of our Histories of England and standing amazed to find in them That the Alteration of Religion here hath been totally carried on by worldly Interest I thought it would not be ungrateful to the Reader to have those various Passages concerning the Changes of Religion collected together out of those Histories for the informing him exactly how those Changes have been made And withal of the Beginning and Progress of Presbytery in this Nation and the Ground of Multiplying other Sects which hath been the cause of all our late Confusions I have laboured to connect these Passages together in as good an order as I think could be expected in matters â—…ulled out of such large volumns Much more might have been Collected concerning these matters out of diverse other Histories But I think the chief matters are here sufficiently handled which may satisfie the curiosity of any indifferent Reader To add more Authority to what shall be here taken out of Dr. Heylyns History of Reformation from whence the chiefest matters of these Collections are gathered I will here Insert a Passage out of the Preface of it by which it will appear what diligence he hath used in composing this History The words of the Preface are these IN this following History you will find more to satisfie your curiosity and inform your judgment then can be possibly drawn up in this general view As for my performance in this work In the first place I am to tell you that towards the raising of this Fabrick I have not borrowed my materials only out of vulgar Authors but searched into the Records of the Convocation consulted all such Acts of Parliament as concerned my purpose advised with many Forein Writers of great name and credit exemplified some Records and Charters of no common quality many rare pieces in the Cottonian Library and not a few Debates and Orders of the Council-Table which I have laid together in as good a form and beautified it with a trimming as agreeable as my hands could give it Thus Dr. Heylyn A Preamble to the following Collections concerning the great Kindness and good Correspondence between King Henry the Eighth and some Popes FIrst King Henry the Eighth for writing a Book against Luther received a Bull from the Pope whereby he had the Title given him to be Defender of the Faith for him and his Successors for ever The Relation concerning which Book and the Reception of it by the Pope is thus set down in the History of the Lord Herbert of Cherbury pag. 104. OUr King being at leisure now from Wars and delighting much in learning thought he could not give better proof either of his Zeal or Education then to write against Luther To this also he was exasperated That Luther had oftentimes spoken contemptuously of the learned Thomas of Aâ—…uin who yet was in so much requst with the King that he was therefore called Thomistious Hereupon the King compiles a Book wherein he strenuously opposed Luther in the point of Indulgences Number of Sacraments the Papal Authority and other particulars to be seen in that his work Entitled de Septem Sacramentis c. a principal Copy whereof richly bound being sent to Leo I remember my self to have seen in the Vatican Library The manner of the delivery whereof as I find it in our Records was thus Doctor John Clark Dean of Windsor our Kings Embassador appearing in full Consistory the Pope knowing the glorious Present he brought first gave him his cheek to kiss and then receiving the Book promised to do so much for the Approbation thereof as ever was done for St. Augustine or St. Hierome's Works Assuring him withal that the next Consistory he would bestow a publick Title on our King which having been heretofore privately debated among the Cardinals those of Protector Defensor Romanae Ecclesiae or Sedis Apostolicae or Rex Apostolicus or Orthodoxus produced they at last agreed on Defensor Fidei a Transcript of which Bull out of an Original sub plumbo in our Records I have here inserted Leo Bishop Servant of the Servants of God to his most dear Son Henry King of England Defender of the Faith All health and happiness God having called Us although infinitely unworthy of it to the Government of the whole Church We bend all Our thoughts to promote the Catholick Faith without which none can be saved and labour by all means as belongs to Our duty to make use of and promote all such helps as have been wisely ordained for the preserving the integrity of Christian Faith amongst all but most especially amongst Princes and to suppress the endeavours of those who labour to corrupt it by lies and false Doctrines And as other Bishops of Rome our Predecessors have been accustomed to confer special favours upon Catholick Princes according to the exigency of Times and Affairs Especially upon such as have not only remained unmovable in their Obedience to the Holy Roman Catholick Church with an entire Faith and servent Devotion in the tempestuous times and raging perfidious fury of Schismaticks and Hereticks But likewise as legitimate Children and stout Champions of the same Church have opposed themselves both temporally and spiritually against the mad fury of such Schismaticks and Hereticks as have opposed it So we also desire to extol your Majesty with condign and immortal Praises for your excellent and immortal works and actions in favour of Us and this Holy See where by Gods permission we are established and to grant you those things which may enable and engage you to have a care to preserve our Lords Flock from Wolves and to cut off with the material Sword rotten members that seek to infect the mystical Body of Christ confirming in the solidity of Faith the Hearts of such as waver or are in danger of falling When our beloved Son John Clark your Majesties Orator or Embassador deliver'd unto Us in Our Consistory before Our Venerable Brethren Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church and many other Prelates of the Roman Court a Book which your Majesty hath composed out of your great Charity and Zeal of Catholick Faith enflamed with a fervour of Devotion towards Us and this Holy See as a Noble and proper Antidote against the errors of divers Hereticks often condemned by this Holy See and lately raised up again by Martin Luther he then likewise further declared unto Us your Majesties desire that this
notorious Fornicator that was among the Corinthians and by the Authority of his Apostleship unto which Apostles Christ ascending into Heaven did leave the whole Spiritual Government of his Church as it appeareth by those plain words of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians Chap. 4th saying Ipse dedit Ecclesiae suae c. He hath given to his Church some to be Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors and Doctors for consummation of the Saints to the work of the Ministry for edifying of the Body of Christ. But a Woman in the degrees of the Church is not called to be an Apostle nor Evangelist nor to be a Pastor as much as to say a Shepheard nor a Doctor or a Preacher Therefore she cannot be Supream Head of Christ's Militant Church nor yet of any part thereof For this High Government God hath appointed only to the Bishops and Pastors of his People as St. Paul plainly witnesseth in these words in the 20th Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles saying Attendite vobis universo gregi c. And thus much I have here said right Honorable and my very good Lords against this Act of Supremacy for the discharge of my poor Conscience and for the Love and Fear and Dread that I chiefly owe unto God to my Sovereign Lord and Lady the Queens Majesties Highness and to your Honors All. Where otherwise without mature consideration of all these Premises your Honors shall never be able to shew your faces before your enemies in this matter being so strange a spectacle and example in Christ's Church as in this Realm is only to be found and in no other Christian Realm Thus humbly beseeching your Honors to take in good part this my rude and plain Speech which here I have used of much Zeal and fervent good will And now I shall not trouble your Honors any longer Thus as to this Speech But notwithstanding this Speech or whatsoever else could be said against it the Act passed and this Supremacy was granted to the Queen CHAP. IV. A further Prosecution of the Settlement of this Change of Religion Established by Parliament and of the Opposition of the Catholick Clergy against this strange Innovation Dr. Heylyn pag. 108. NOw for the better exercising and enjoying the Jurisdiction thus acknowledged in the Crown there was this Clause put into the Act That it should be Lawful for the Queen to give Power to such as she thought fit to exercise all manner of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and to visit reform redress order correct and amend all kind of Errors Heresies Schisms c. With this Proviso notwithstanding that nothing should from thenceforth be accounted Heresie but what was so adjudged in the Holy Scripture or in one of the four first General Councils or in any other National or Provincial Council determining according to the word of God or finally which should be so adjudged in the time to come by the Court of Parliament This was the first Foundation of the High Commission Court And from hence issued that Commission by which the Queens ministers proceeded in that visitation in the first year of her Reign for rectifying all such things as they found amiss There also passed another Act for recommending and imposing the Book of Common-Prayer and Administration of Sacraments according to such Alterations and Corrections as were made therein by those that were appointed to review it In performance of which service there was great care taken to expunge out all such passages in it as might give any Scandal or Offence to the Papists or be urged by them in excuse for their not coming to Church In the Litany fiâ—…st made and published by King Henry the Eighth and afterwards continued in the two Liturgies of King Edward the Sixth there was a Prayer to be delivered from the Tyranny and all the detestable enormities of the Bishop of Rome Which was thought fit to be left out as giving matter of Scandal and dissatisfaction to all that Party In the first Liturgy of King Edward the Sacrament of our Lord's Body was delivered with this Benediction that is to say The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for the Preservation of thy Body and Soul to Life Everlasting The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Which being thought by Calvin and his Disciples to give some countenance to the Carnal presence of Christ in the Sacrament which passed by the name of Transubstantiation in the Schools of Rome was altered in this Form into the second Liturgy that is to say Take and Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee and feed on him in thy Heart by Faith with Thanksgiving Take and drink this c. But the Revisors of the Book joyned both Forms together lest under colour of rejecting a carnal they might be thought also to ceny a real presence as was deâ—…ended in the Writings of the Ancient Fathers Upon which ground they expunged also a whole Rubrick at the end of the Communion Service by which it was declared That kneeling at the Communion was required for no other reason than for a signification of the humble and grateful acknowledgâ—…ent of the Benefits of Christ given therein unto the worthy Râ—…ceiver and to avoid that Prophanation and Disorder which otherwise might have ensued And not for giving any Adoration to the Sacramental Bread and Wine there bodily received or in regard of any Real or Essential Presence of Christ's Body and Blood This Rubrick is again lately inserted And to come up closer to those of the Church of Rome it was ordered by the Queens Injunctions That the Sacramental Bread which the Book required only to be made of the finest Flower should be made round in the fashion of the Wafers used in the time of Queen Mary She also Ordered that the Lord's Table should be placed where the Altar stood and that the accustomed Reverence should be made at the Name of Jesus Musick retained in the Church and all the other Festivals observed with their several Eves By which compliances and the expunging of the passages before mentioned the Book was made more plausible And that it might pass the better in both Houses when it came to the Vote it was thought requisite That a Disputation should be held about some Points which were most likely to be keked at Two Speeches were made against this Book in the House of Peers by Scot and Feckenham and one against the Queens Supremacy by the Archbishop of York But they prevailed little in both Points by the Power of their Eloquence In the Convocation which accompanied this present Parliament there was little done because they despared of doing any good to Themselves or their Cause The chief thing they did was a Declaration of their Judgments in some certain Points which at that time were conceived fit to be commended to the sight of the Parliament that is to say First That in the Sacrament of the Altar by
Platform And others looked upon the Homilies as beggerly Rudiments scarce Milk for Babes But by no means to be looked upon as Meat for a stronger stomack In general thought by the Genevians and Zuinglian Gospellers to have too much in them of the Pope or too little of Calvin and therefore no way to be subscribed unto Of which number none so much remarkable as Father John Fox the Martyrologist who had before appeared in the Schism at Frankfort and left that Church when Cox had got the better in it to retire to Geneva Who being now called upon to subscribe that the opinion which was had of his parts and Piety might advance the work he is said to have appeared before the Bishop carrying the New-Testament in Greek with him before whom he spake these words To this Book I will subscribe and if this will not serve take my Prebend'ry at Salisbury the only Preferment which I hold in the Church of England and much good may it do you But notwithstanding this refractory Answer so much kindness was shewed to him that he both kept his resolution and place together The Genevians for the greater countenanceing of their inconformity had stirred up the most eminent Divines of the French and Zuinglian or Helvetian Churches to declare in favour of their doings And it appears also by remembrances in some Authors that Calvin apprehending some neglect from Mr. Secretary Cecill in making either no return or a return which signified nothing to his first Addresses had laid aside his care of the Church of England But Peter Martyr whilst he lived conceived himself to have some Interest in this Church in which he had enjoyed such a good preferment but more in some particular Persons and Members of it who seemed to depend upon his judgment and to ask counsel of him as their surest Oracle in which how much he countenanced the Faction in King Edward's time both by his Practice and Pen and what encouragement he gave them in this present Reign hath been shewn before But how much he was out-gone by Beza who next usurped a Super-intendency over all the Churches of this Island may be seen hereafter All that shall now be said of either of them or of altogether shall be briefly this That this poor Church might better have wanted their best helps in Points of Doctrine than have been troubled with their intermedlings in matter of Discipline Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning the Calvinists Dr Heylyn having little or nothing in the Fourth and Fifth year of this Queens Reign that belongs to the matter of these Notes we will pass to the 6th year CHAP. XII Of one Cartwright a great Promoter of Presbytery and of the Earl of Leicester and the death of Calvin Anno Reg. Eliz. 6. Dr. Heylyn pag. 164. THis Summer in a Progress the Queen came to Cambridge where were sown the seeds of those Divisions and Combustions with which the Church of England hath been continually distracted to this very day For so it happened that one Preston and Cartwright were appointed to hold a Disputation In which the First was both liked and rewarded by Her the Other receiving neither reward nor commendation Which so incensed the proud man that he retired to Geneva Where having throughly informed himself in all particulars both of Doctrine and Discipline wherein the Churches of that Platform differed from the Church of England he returned home with an intent to repair his credit or rather to get himself a name by raising such a fire and such combustions in the Church of England as never were to be extinguished but by the immediate hand of Heaven The next considerable Action which followed on the Queens Reception at Cambridge was the preferring of Sir Robert Dudley the Second Son then living of the Duke of Northumberland to the Titles of Lord Denbigh and Earl of Leicester She had before Elected him into the Order of the Garter made him Master of her Horse and Chancellor of the University of Oxon suffered him to carry a great sway in all Affairs both of Court and Council and given unto him the fair Mannor of Denbigh being conceived to be one of the goodliest Territories in England And now She adds unto these Honors the goodly Castle and Mannor of Kenelworth part of the parrimony of the Duchy of Lancaster Advanced unto which height he engrossed unto himself the disposing of all Offices in the Court and State and of all Preferments in the Church proving in fine so unappeasable in his Malice and unsatiable in his Lusts so Sacrilegious in his Rapines so false in Promises and treacherous in point of Trust And finally so destructive of the Rights and Proprieties of particular Persons that his Little Finger lay heavier on the English Subjects than the Loins of all the Favourites of the Two last Kings And that his Monstrous Vices most insupportable in any other but himself might either be connived at or not complained of he cloaks them with a seeming zeal to the true Religion and made himself Head of the Puritan Faction Who spared no pains in seting forth his praises upon all occasions Nor was he wanting to caress them after such a manner as he found most agreeable to those Holy Hypocrites using no other language in his Speech and Letters than pure Scripture-phrase in which he was become so dextrous as if he had received the same Inspirations with the Sacred Pen-men But notwithstanding the viciousness of this man yet the Queen laboured further to advance him even to a Marriage with the Queen of Scots As appears by this Relation of Dr. Heylyn pag. 169. Queen Elizabeth kept a Stock still going in Scotland the returns whereof redounded more to her own security than to the profit and advantage of the Church of England The Queen of Scots being now a Widow possessed of that Kingdom and next Heir to this Queen Elizabeth proposes to her a Marriage with the Earl of Leicester whom she pretended to have raised to those Eminent Honors to make him in some sort capable of a Queens Affections Which Proposition proved agreeable to neither party the Queen of Scots disdaining the unequal offer and Leicester dealing under-hand with Randolph the English Resident to keep her still in that aversness having given himself a hope of Marrying Queen Elizabeth interpreting all her Favors to proceed in order to it I had not spoken so much of this Earl of Leicester but that he seemed to have been born for the destruction of the Church of England as will appear by what shall be here said concerning the Presbyterians in this Queens Reign But leaving this Court-Meteor to be gazed on by unknowing men we will now conclude this Sixth year with that which was very advantageous to the Church of England to wit the Death of Calvin By whose Authority if he had lived longer much more Disorders and Confusions must have necessarily succeeded For his Name was much Reverenced not only by
Or that the Communion Table if any then were was removable up and down hither and thither and brought at any time to the lower part of the Church there to Celebrate the Lord's Supper Or That any Communion was kept upon Good-Friday Or That the Sacrament was administred then sometimes in Loaf-Bread sometimes in Wafers And that without the Name of Jesus or the sign of the Cross Or That at the Communion-time the Minister should wear a Coap and at all other Service a Surplice only Or as it is used in some places nothing at all beside his Common Apparel Or That they used a Common and Prophane Cup at the Communion pag. 162 Or That a solemn Curse should be used on Ashwednesday Or That a Procession about the Fields was used in Rogation week rather thereby to know the Bounds and Borders of every Parish than to move God to Mercy and mens hearts to Devotion Or That the Man should put the Wedding-Ring upon the Fourth Finger of the left hand of the Woman and not on the right as hath been many Hundred years practised pag. 163 Or That the residue of the Sacrament unreceived was taken of the Priest or of the Parish Clerk to spread their young Childrens Butter with or to serve their own Tooth with it at their homely Table Or That it was lawful then to have but one Communion in one Church in one day pag. 164 Or That the Lent or Friday was to be Fasted for Civil Policy not for any Devotion pag. 165 Or That the Lay-People Communicating did take the Cup at one anothers hands and not at the Priests pag. 166. Or That any Bishop then threw down the Images of Christ and his Saints and set up their own their Wives and their Childrens Pictures in their Chambers and Parlours pag. 164. Or That being a Virgin at the taking of the Holy Order of Priesthood did afterwards lawfully Marry pag. 165. Or That was Married on Ashwednesday Or That preached it to be all one to Pray on a Dunghil and in a Church Or That any Friar of 60 years obtaining afterwards the Dignity of a Bishop Married a young Woman of Nineteen years c. pag. 166. Here ends Dr. Heylyn's History of Reformation Now to compleat the story of the Presbyterians I will here add what is related by Dr. Heylyn concerning their actings in this Queens Reign in his History of Presbytery AN ADDITION Of some other Historical Collections Taken out of Dr. Heylyn's History of Presbytery CHAP. XV. A Discovery of the Insolent and Rebellious Spirit of the Presbyterians and particularly of Knox. Dr. Heylyn pag. 244. AT Queen Elizabeths first coming to the Crown such English as had lived in exile amongst the Zwitzers or at Geneva became exceedingly enamored with Calvin's Platform by which they found so much Authority ascribed unto Ministers in their several Churches as might make them absolute and independent without being called to an account by King or Bishop This Discipline they purposed to promote at their coming home But the Queen had heard so much from others of their carriage at Frankfort and their untractableness in point of Decency and comly Order in the Reign of her Brother as might sufficiently forewarn her Besides She was not to be told with what reproaches Calvin had reviled her Sister nor how she had been persecuted by his followers in the time of her Reign Some of them railing at her Person in their scandalous Pamphlets Some practising by false and dangerous Allusions to subvert her Government and others openly praying to God That he would either turn Her heart or put an end to her days And of these Men she was to give her self no hope but they would proceed with her in the self same manner whensoever any thing should be done how necessary and just soever which might cross their humours The Consideration whereof was of such prevalency with those of her Council who were then deliberating about the altering of Religion that they were resolved to have an eye upon those Men Who were so hot in the persuit of their flattering hopes that out of a desire of Innovation as my Author tells me they were busied at that very time in setting up a new form of Ecclestastical Policy and therefore were to be supprest with all care and diligence before they grew to a head But notwithstanding this discovery of their Rebellious practices yet they had so many Friends in England that they might easily have obtained Favour in order to the Promoting their designs had not Knox's furious Spirit moved him to write these following malicious Letters In one of which to Sir William Cecill he first upbraids him with consenting to the suppressing of Christ's true Evangile to the erecting of Idolatry and the Shedding the Blood of God's most dear Children during the Reign of mischievous Mary the professed enemy of God as he plainly calls her Then he proceeds to justifie his Treasonable and Seditious Book against the Regiment of Women of the truth whereof he positively affirms That he no more doubted than of the truth of that Voice of God pronounced against that Sex to wit That in dolour they should bear their Children Next he declared in reference to the person of Queen Elizabeth That he would willingly acknowledge her to be raised by God for the manifestation of his Glory although not nature only but Gods own Ordinance did oppugn such Regiments And thereupon did inferr That if Queen Elizabeth would confess that the Extraordinary Dispensations of God did make that Lawful in her which both Nature and Gods Laws did deny in all Women beside none in England should bemore ready to maintain her Lawful Authority than himself But on the other side he pronounces this Sentence on her That if she built her Title upon Custom Laws and Ordinances of Men such foolish Presumption would grievously offend God and that her ingratitude in that kind should not long lack punishment To the same purpose he writes also to the Queen her self reproaching her withal That for fear of her life she had declined from God Bowed to Idolatry and gone to Mass during the persecution of Gods Saints in the time of her Sister In both his Letters he complains of his being denied the liberty of Preaching in England and endeavours to excuse his Flock of late assembled in the most Godly Reformed Church and City of Geneva Thus Dr. Heylyn CHAP. XVI A further Discovery of their Practices in order to the Promoting of their Discipline which was much Advanced by their being admitted into the Publick Ministry Dr. Heylyn pag. 246. SUch was the necessity which the Church of England was under that it was hardly possible to supply all the vacant places in it but by admitting some of the Genevian Zealots to the Publick Ministry the Realm had been extreamly visited in the foregoing year with a dangerous and contagious Sickness which took away almost half of the Bishops and occasioned such a
at that time in special favor oâ—… known aversness to the Earl of Leicester and consequently no friend to the Puritan Faction This obstactle must be removed one way or other This Office Burchet undertakes and does it upon this opinion That it was Lawful to assassinate any man who opposed the Gospel But he mistakes the man and stabs one Hawkins desperately with a Ponyard conceiving him to be Hatton But by the terror of a Proclamation and the Execution of this Burchet they were restrained from practising any further at the present But what they durst not do directly and in open sight they found a way to act Obliquely and under disguise of setting up another Church of Strangers in the midst of London Many of the Low-country men had fled their Country and setled their Dwellings in the Ports and Sea Towns of England and good numbers of them at London For these there must be a Church in London And for this purpose a Suit is made by their Friends in Court for the obtaining of it And that they might proceed in setting up their Presbytery and New Forms of Worship they obtain not only a connivence or Toleration but a plain Approbation of their Acting in it This likewise gave the First Beginning to the now Dutch Churches in Canterbury Sandwich Yarmouth Norwich and some other places in the North to the great animation of the Presbyters and to the discomfort of all such who were of Judgment to fore-see the sad consequents of it With like felicity they drove on their designs in Jersey and Gernsey introducing their Discipline by degrees into all the Villages Furthered therein by the Sacrilegious avarice of their several Governors out of a hope to have the spoyl of the Deaneries to engross all the Tythes to themselves and then put off the Ministers with some sorry Stipends as in fine they did It was also thought fit That Snape and Cartwright the great Supporters of the Cause in England should be sent unto them to put their Churches in a posture and settle the Discipline amongst them in such Manner and Form as it was practised at Geneva Grindall's being Translated from the See of York unto that of Canterbury gave great hâ—…pes to the Presbyterians who soon found how plyant he was like to prove to their expectation Which happened accordingly he seeking in all things to promote their designs and making great Alterations in the Church of England A Breach happened betwixt him and Leicester that mighty Patron and Protector of the Puritan Faction occasioned by his denying at the Earl's request to Alienate his House and Mannor of Lambeth that it might serve for a Retiring-place to that mighty Favourite And hereunto he did contribute further by refusing to grant a Dispensation to Marry One that was neer of Kindred to him This Leicester thought he might command and was exceedingly vexed not to find obedience in one who had been raised by him and depended on him Upon which ground all passages which before where shut against his enemies were now left free and open for them Whereupon they acquainted the Queen what a neglect there was of the Publick Liturgy in most parts of the Kingdom what ruin and decay of Churches what Innovations made already and what more projected by which She would be eased in time of all Cares of Government and find the same to be transferred to the Puritan Consistories Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning the sad state of the Church of England CHAP. XX. A further Relation concerning Cartwright and other Presbyterian Ministers and how they laboured to set up Presbytery in this Nation Dr. Heylyn pag. 290. CArtwright having setled the Presbytery in Jersey and Gernsey first sends back Snape to his old Lecture at Northampton there to pursue such Orders and Directions as they had agreed on And afterwards put himself into the Factory at Antwerp and was soon chosen for their Preacher The news whereof brings Travers to him who receives Ordination if I may so call it by the Presbytery of that City and thereupon is made his Partner in that Charge They easily perswaded the Merchants to admit the Discipline And they endeavoured it the rather that by their help they might effect the like in the City of London whensoever they should find the times to be ready for them The like they did also in the English Church at Middleborough the chief Town in Zealand in which many English Merchants had their constant Residence To which Two places they drew over many of the English Nation to receive admission into the Ministry in a different Form from that which is allowed in the Church of England Some of them following the Example of Cartwright himself renounced the Orders which they had from the hands of Bishops and took a new Vocation from those Presbyters and others there admitted to the rank of Ministers who never were ordained in England Not to say any thing of such as were Elected to be Elders or Deacons in those Forreign Consistories that they might serve the Churches in the same capacity at their coming home And now at last they are for England where Travers put himself into the Service of the Lord Treasurer Burleigh by whose recommendation he is chosen Lecturer of the Temple-Church which gave him opportunity for managing all affairs that concerned the Discipline with the London-Ministers Cartwright applies himself to the Earl of Leicester by whom he is sent down to Warwick and afterwards made Master of an Hospital of his Foundation In the chief Church of which Town he preached when he pleased making it his business to promote the Discipline and to undermine the Church of England But this was not done all at once or in the first year only after his Return but by degrees as opportunity was offered to them Yet so far he prevailed in the first year only that a Meeting of Sixty Ministers out of the Counties of Essex Cambridge and Norfolk was held at a Village called Corkhill where Knewstubs who was one of the Number had the Cure of Souls Which Meeting was held May the 8th Anno 1582 there to Confer about some passages in the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book as what might be tolerated in it and what refused The like Meeting was held at the Commencement in Cambridge then next ensuing Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning these proceedings of the Calvinists It would be too tedious to relate all the particulars in the carrying on this business And therefore for this I remit the Reader to the History it self CHAP. XXI The Queens Resolution of maintaining Episcopal Government and the great Opposition that was made against it Dr. Heylyn pag. 302. THe Queen was resolved to hold Her Prerogative Royal at the very height and therefore would not hearken to such Propositions as had been made in favour of the Puritan-faction by their great Agents in the Court though She had been many times sollicited in it She acquaints Whitgift Archbishop of Canterbury that She
themselves to be an Assembly wherein the Lord's cause could not be heard wherein the infelicity of the miserable could not be respected wherein Truth Religion and Piety could bear no sway an Assembly that willingly called for the Judgment of God upon the whole Realm And finally That not a Man of their Seed should prosper be a Parliament Man or bear rule in England any more This necessary preparation being thus premised they tender to the Parliament a Book of the Form of Common-Prayer by them desired containing also in effect the whole pretended Discipline so revised by Travers And their Petition in behalf of it was in these words following to wit May it therefore please your Majesty That the Book hereunto annexed and every thing therein contained may be from henceforth used through all your Majesties Dominions But in this they were able to effect nothing It may seem strange that Queen Elizabeth should be so severe to her English Puritans and yet protect and countenance the Presbyterians in all other places But that great Monster in Nature called Reason of State is brought to plead in her defence Leicester Walsingham and others gave such encouragment under-hand to the Presbyterians that they resolved to proceed towards the putting of their Discipline in execution These great Persons did likewise entertain their Clamours and promote their Petitions at the Council-Table crossing and thwarting the Archbishop whensoever any cause which concerned the Brethren was brought before them It may be gathered from hence what a hard game this Prelate had to play when such great Masters in the Art held the Cards against him For at that time the Earls of Huntingdon and Leicester Walsingham and Knolls Comptroller of the Houshold a professed Genevian were his open Adversaries Burleigh a Neutral at the best Thus Dr. Heylyn The Order of their Government both at London and in the Country Dr. Heylyn pag. 213. THe Book of Discipline being published was no where better welcome than in London the Wealth and Pride of which City was never wanting to cherish and support such as most apparently opposed themselves to the present Authority or practised the introducing of Innovations both in Church and State The several Churches or Conventicles rather which they had in the City they reduced into one great and general Classis of which Cartwright Egerton or Travers were for the most part Moderators and whatsoever was there ordered was esteemed for current from thence the Brethren of other places did fetch their light and as doubts did arise thither they were sent to be resolved the Classical and Synodical decrees of other places not being Authentical till they were ratified in this which they held the Supream Consistory and chief Tribunal of the Nation But in the Country none appeared more forward than those of Northampton Daventry and Nottingham and the device is taken up in most parts of England but especially in Warwick-shire Suffolk Norfolk Essex c. In these Classes they determined Points of Doctrine Interpreted hard places of Scripture delivered their resolution in such cases of Conscience as were brought before them decided doubts and difficulties touching Contracts of Marriage c. and whatsoever was concluded by such as were present yet still with reference to the better judgment of the London Brethren became forthwith binding to the rest none being admitted into any of the aforesaid Classes before he had promised under his hand that he would submit himself and be obedient unto all such Orders and Decrees as were set down by the Classis to be observed At these Classes they enquired into the Life and Doctrine of all that had subscribed unto them censuring some and deposing others as they saw occasion Unto every Classis there belonged a Register who took the Heads of all that passed and saw them carefully entred into a Book for that purpose that they might remain upon Record Thus Dr. Heylyn gives a full Relation of the Progress of Presbytery in this Nation Now I will make a short Relation of the Queens Proceedings against Catholicks CHAP. XXIII Of the great endeavors used totally to extirpate Catholick Religion by Penal Laws and a horrid Effusion of Blood Stow pag. 678. THere was an Act of Parliament passed 5 Eliz In the Body whereof it was provided That no Man living or residing in the Queens Dominions should from thenceforth maintain the Power and Jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome And for the better discovery of all such persons as might be Popishly affected it was Enacted that none should be admitted to receive Orders in the Church or to take any Degree in either of the Universities or to be Barrester or Bencher in any of the Inns of Court c. Or to practice as an Attorney or otherwise to bear any Office in any of the Courts at Westminster-Hall or any other Court whatsoever till they had taken the Oath of Surpemacy It was likewise made Treason for any one to be reconciled to the Church of Rome or to be made Priest beyond the Seas upon which Two accounts very many were afterwards Executed A Proclamation also was set forth That whosoever had any Children beyond the Sea should by a certain day call them home Commissioners were sent into all Parts and Divisions of the Realm to enquire out Priests and such as were reconciled by them further charging all manner of Persons to retain none in their Houses without due examination of their conditions manner of life and conformity in Religion and to keep thereof a Register to be shewed to the said Commissioners if they should demand it In pursuance of which Commission a Priest was taken saying Mass in the Lord Morley's House and the Lady Morley with her Children and divers others were also taken hearing the same Mass. There was also taken at the same time another Priest at the Lady Gilfords in Trinity-lane for saying Mass and for hearing the said Mass the Lady Gilford with divers other Gentlewomen were taken And likewise at the same instant were taken Two Priests in the Lady Browns House in Cow-lane for saying Mass with the Lady her self and divers others for hearing it All which persons were Endicted Convicted and had the Law Executed according to the Statute There was found in their several Chappels Beads Images Palms Chalices Crosses Vestments Pixes Paxes and such-like Thus Stow. He that desires to be fully satisfied concerning all the severe Laws made against Catholicks in this Queens Reign may have recourse to the Penal Statutes Now we will proceed to a further Execution of these Laws by a horrid effusion of Blood TWo Laymen and one Priest wher hanged bowelled and quartered for denying the Queens Supremacy Stow pag. 684 and 685. Six Priests were drawn from the Tower to Tyburn and there hanged bowelled and quartered Stow pag. 695. Four Priests more were found guilty of High-Treason in being made Priests beyond Seas and by the Pope's Authority and had Judgment to be hanged bowelled
That all the Doctrins and Practices which this Nation hath deserted in these Changes of Religion were delivered to us by those Apostolical Men that converted the Saxons our Predecessors to the Christian Faith and this by the Confession of many Learned Protestants themselves Which being so it must necessarily be granted that we have as much certainty of the Truth of those Doctrins and Practices as we have of any other Doctrins or Practices in Christianity Since they were all confirmed to us by the same Miracles that first made us Christians So that if they be now found to be false and erroneous all the other Doctrins and Practices of Christianity must be so likewise since the truth of them all depends upon the same Testimony To wit the Miracles that were then wrought and the Authority of those Apostolical men that delivered them to us Now for warrant of what I have here said concerning this besides the Testimony of St. Gregory's Writings Liturgy Ritual Missal c. and besides the ancient Ecclesiastical History especially of England and the Synods anciently Assembled in this Nation I appeal to the Confession of the most Learned Protestants as Humfrâ—…y Fulk the Centuriators of Magdeburg c. Whose words describing the Religion brought into England by St. Gregory and St. Augustin the Benedictin Monk are these They brought in say they Altars Holy Vestments Images Chalices Candlesticks Censors Sacred Vessels Holy-Water and Sprinkling with it Reliques and the Translation of them Dedication of Churches with the Bones and Ashes of Dead men Consecrations of Altars of Chalices of Corporeals of Baptismal Fonts of Chrysme of Oyl of Churches by using sprinkling of Holy-Water Celebration of the Mass use of the Archiepiscopal Pall in the Solemnizing of the Mass Books of Roman Rituals and a Burden of Ceremonies Free-will Merit and Justification by Works Pennance Satisfaction Purgatory Single-life of Priests Publick Invocation of Saints and Worship of them Veneration of Images Exorcisms Indulgences Vows Monachism Transubstantiation Prayer for the Dead Exercise of the Jurisdiction of the Roman Bishop and his Primacy over all Churches In a word the remaining Chaos as these zealous Reformers are pleased to call them of Popish Superstition Here you have had it clearly confessed by these Protestants that these Doctrins and Practices were delivered unto us by those that first Converted our Predecessors the Saxons to the Christian Faith And therefore be your self a Judge whether these men do with Justice and Reason call the said Doctrins and Practices Superstitions And withal by this you may further perceive how unjust all the Choppings and Changes in Religion have been which have been related to you in this Book And moreover it will appear That by these proceedings we have renounced our Right and made our selves uncapable of defending the Truth of our Christianity Since if those who first brought us the News of it and Converted us to it brought such a Mass of Superstitions with it as Protestants are pleased to call them then it is evident we cannot be certain of the Truth of any Thing they taught us Thus we may see how unjust we have been to our selves in pretending these Reformations of Religion Now yet further to manifest the sad condition of this Nation in having thus deserted its Mother-Church I will here annex some other Additional Chapters to make this appear CHAP. II. Testimonies of Scripture evidently convincing That there can be no hope of Salvation for such as are separated from the Church by Heresie or Schism SAint Paul says Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you Brethren observe those who make Schisms and Scandals contrary to the Doctrin which you have been taught and avoid them For such men serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by kind Speeches and Benedictions seduce the hearts of the simple Annotations St. Paul here carefully warns them to take heed of Seditious sowers of Sects and dissention in Religion and this ever to be the mark to know them by to wit If they teach or move them to any thing which was not agreeable to that which they had learned at their Conversion Not bidding them to examine the case by the Scriptures but by their First Form of Faith and Religion delivered to them before they had or did read any Book of the new Testament Now his saying That such Seducers serve their own belly does evidently manifest that howsoever Hereticks pretend in words and external shew of their Sheeps-coat to preach the Truth yet indeed they seek but after their own profit and pleasure And by the Apostle's own Testimony here we are warranted so to judge of them as of men that indeed have no Religion nor Conscience Now to manifest how much such Hereticks are to be detested he writes thus to Titus Tit. 3. 10. 11. A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition avoid Knowing that he that is such an one is subverted and sinneth being condemned by his own judgment Annotations It is here to be noted that not every one who errs in Religion is an Heretick but he only that after the Churches determination wilfully and stubbornly stands in his false Opinion not yielding to the Decrees of Councils or to the chief Pastors of the Church therein Tâ—…y saith St. Augustin Epist. 162. that defend their Opinions although they be false and erroneous with no stubborness nor obstinacy especially if they be such as themselves did not broach by bold presumption but received them of their deceived Parents and do seek the Truth warily and carefully being ready to be reformed if they find it such are not to be reputed Hereticks And again Lib. 18. De Civitat Dei Cap. 11. They that in the Church of Christ hold any unsound or erroneous Opinion if being admonished to be of a right and sound Opinion they resist obstinately and will not amend their pestiferous opinions but persist in defence of them are thereby become Hereticks and going forth out of the Church are to be accounted for Enemies that Exercise us to wit by Disputing against them Again Lib. 4. De Baptism cont Donatist cap. 16. He is an Heretick that when the Doctrin of Catholick Faith is made plain and manifest to him had rather resist it and chuse that which himself held And in divers places he declares that St. Cyprian though he held an Error yet was no Heretick because he would not defend it after a General Council had declared it to be Erroneous Lib. 2. De Bapt. Cap. 4. So Possidonius in the Life of St. Augustin Vit. August cap. 18. reports how after the Determination of the See Apostolick to wit that Pelagius his Opinion was Heretical all men esteemed Pelagius an Heretick and the Emperor made Laws against him as against an Heretick Again St. Augustin says Lib. De Utilit Credendi cap. 1. He is an Heretick in my opinion that for some Temporal Commodity and specially for his Glory and