what the Popes had sacrilegiously taken from them And now that we are upon the utter extirpation of Popery let us not retain this Relique of it And I pray God to inspire and direct His Majesty and His two Houses of Parliament effectually to remove this just and for ought I know only great scandal of our English Reformation A fifth Prejudice which seems to give ill impressions of our Reformation is that the Clergy have now no interest in the Consciences of the People nor any inspection into their manners but they are without yoke or restraint All the Ancient Canons for the publick Pennance of scandalous offenders are laid aside and our Clergy are so little admitted to know or direct the Lives and Manners of their Flocks that many will scarce bear a reproof patiently from them Our Ecclesiastical Courts are not in the Hands of the Bishops and their Clergy but put over to the Civilians where too often Fees are more strictly look'd after than the correction of Manners I hope there is not cause for so great a Cry but so it is these Courts are much complained of and publick vice and scandal is but little enquired after or punished Excommunication is become a kind of Secular Sentence and is hardly now considered as a Spiritual Censure being judged and given out by Lay-men and often upon Grounds which to speak moderately do not merit so severe and dreadful a Sentence There are besides this a great many other Abuses brought in in the worst Times and now purged out of some of the Churches of the Roman Communion which yet continue and are too much in use among us such as Pluralities Non-residencies and other things of that nature so that it may be said that some of the manifest corruptions of Popery where they are recommended by the advantages that accompany them are not yet throughly purged out notwithstanding all the noise we have made about Reformation in matters much more disputable and of far less consequence This whole Objection when all acknowledged as the greatest part of it cannot be denied amounts indeed to this that our Reformation is not yet arrived at that full perfection that is to be desired The want of publick Pennance and Penitentiary Canons is indeed a very great defect our Church does not deny it but acknowledges it in the Preface to the Office of Commination It was one of the greatest Glories of the Primitive Church that they were so governed that none of their number could sin openly without publick Censure and a long separation from the Holy Communion which they judged was defiled by a promiscuous admitting of all Persons to it Had they consulted the Arts of Policy they would not have held in Converts by so strict a way of proceeding lest their discontent might have driven them away at a time when to be a Christian was attended with so many discouragements that it might seem dangerous by so severe a Discipline to frighten the World out of their Communion But the Pastors of that time resolved to follow the Rules delivered them by the Apostles and trusted God with the success which answered and exceeded all their expectations for nothing convinced the World more of the truth of that Religion than to see those trusted with the care of Souls watch so effectually over their Manners that for some sins which in these loose Ages in which we live pass but for common effects of humane frailty Men were made to abstain from the Communion for many years and did cheerfully submit to such Rules as might be truly medicinal for curing those Diseases in their Minds But alas the Church-men of the latter Ages being once vested with this Authority to which the World submitted as long as it saw the good effects of it did soon learn to abuse it and to bring the People to a blind subjection to them It was one of the chief Arts by which the Papacy swelled to its height for Confessors in stead of bringing their Penitents to open Penance set up other things in the room of it pretending they could commute it and in the Name of God accept of one thing for another and they accepted of a Penitents going either to the Holy War or which was more Holy of the two to one of the Popes Wars against Hereticks or deposed Princes and gave full Pardons to those who thus engaged in their designs Afterwards when the Pope had no great occasion to kill Men or the People no great mind to be killed in his Service they accepted of Money as an Alms to God and so all publick Penance was laid down and Murder or Merchandise was set up in its room This being the state of things at the Keformation it is no wonder if the People could not be easily brought to submit to publick Pennance which had been for some Ages entirely laid aside and there was reason why they should not be forward to come under the Yoke of their Priests lest they should have raised upon that Foundation such a Tyrannical Dominion over them as others had formerly exercised This made some Reformed Churches beyond Sea bring in the Laity with them into their Courts which if they had done meerly as a good Expedient for removing the jealousie which the World then had of Ecclesiastical Tyranny there was no great Objection to have been made to it but they made the thing liable to very great exception when they pretended a Divine Institution for those Lay-Elders Here in England it is plain the Nation would not bear such Authority to be lodged with the Clergy at first but it will appear in the following Work that a Platform was made of an Ecclesiastical Discipline though the Bishops had no hope of reducing it into practise till the King should come to be of Age and pass a Law for the authorizing of it but he dying before this was effected it was not prosecuted with that zeal that the thing required in Queen Elizabeths time and then those who in their Exile were taken with the Models beyond Seas contending more to get it put in the method of other Churches than to have it set up in any other Form that contention begat such heat that it took Men off from this and many other excellent designs and whereas the Presbyters were found to have had anciently a share in the Government of the Churches as the Bishops Council and Assistants some of them that were of hot tempers demanding more than their share they were by the immoderate use of the Counterpoise kept out of any part of Ecclesiastical Discipline and all went into those Courts commonly called the Spiritual Courts without making distinction between those Causes of Testaments Marriages and such other sutes that require some learning in the Civil and Canon Law and the other Causes of the Censures of the Clergy and Laity which are of a more Spiritual Nature and ought indeed to be tried only by the Bishops and Clergy
Name who made that Testament was appointed to be struck out of the List of those Church-men who had died in the Faith and were remembred in the daily Offices Samosatenus is represented as one of the first eminent Church-men that involved himself much in Secular Cares Upon the Emperors turning Christian it was a natural effect of their Conversion for them to cherish the Bishops much and many of the Bishops became so much in love with the Court and publick Imployments that Canons were made against their going to Court unless they were called and the Canalis or Road to the Court was kept by the Bishop of Rome so that none might go without his Warrant Their medling in Secular Matters was also condemned in many Provincial Councils but most copiously and amply by the General Council at Chalcedon It is true the Bishops had their Courts for the Arbitration of Civil Differences which were first begun upon St. Pauls Epistle to the Corinthians against their going to Law before Unbelievers and for submitting their Sutes to some among themselves The Reasons of this ceased when the Judges in the Civil Courts were become Christians yet these Episcopal Audiences were still continued after Constantines time and their Jurisdiction was sometimes enlarged and sometimes abridged as there was occasion given St. Austin and many other Holy Bishops grew weary even of that and found that the hearing Causes as it took up much of their time so filled their Heads with thoughts of another nature than what properly belonged to them The Bishops of Rome and Alexandria taking advantage from the greatness and Wealth of their Sees began first to establish a Secular Principality of the Church and the Confusions that fell out in â—aly after the 5th Century gave the Bishops of Rome great opportunities for it which they improved to the utmost advantage The Revolutions in Spain gave a Rise to the Spanish Bishops medling much in all Civil Matters And when Charles the Great and his Son had given great Territories and large Jurisdictions to many Sees and Monasteries Bishops and Abbots came after that not only to have a share in all the publick Councils of most of the States of Europe to which their Lands gave them a Right but to be chiefly imployed in all Affairs and Offices of State The Ignorance of these Ages made this in a manner necessary and Church-Preferments were given as Rewards to Men who had served in the State in Embassies or in their Princes Courts of Justice So that it was no wonder if Men advanced upon that merit continued in their former Method and course of Life Thus the Bishops became for the greatest part only a sort of Men who went in peculiar Habits and upon some high Festivities performed a few Offices but for the Pastoral care and all the Duties incumbent on them they were universally neglected and that seriousness that abstraction from the World that application to Study and Religious Exercises and chiefly the care of Souls which became their Function seemed inconsistent with that course of Life which Secular Cares brought on Men who pursued them Nor was it easie to perswade the World that their Pastors did very much aspire to Heaven when they were thrusting themselves so indecently into the Courts of Princes or ambitiously pretending to the Administration of Matters of State and it was always observed that Church-men who assumed to themselves Imployments and an Authority that was excentrick to their Callings suffered so much in that Esteem and lost so much of that Authority which of right belonged to their Character and Office But to go on with the Series of Affairs There was all possible care taken to divert and entertain the Kings Mind with pleasing Sights as will appear by his Journal which it seems had the effect that was desired for he was not much concerned in his Unkles Preservation 1552. An Order was sent for beheading the Duke of Somerset on the 22d of January on which day he was brought to the Place of Execution on Tower-hill His whole deportment was very composed and no way changed from what it had ordinarily been he first kneeled down and prayed and then he spake to the People in these words The Duke of Somerset's Speech at his Execution Dearly beloved Friends I am brought here to suffer death albeit that I never offended against the King neither by word nor deed and have been always as faithful and true to this Realm as any Man hath been But for so much as I am by Law condemned to die I do acknowledge my self as well as others to be subject thereto Wherefore to testifie my obedience which I owe unto the Laws I am come hither to suffer death whereunto I willingly offer my self with most hearty thanks to God that hath given me this time of Repentance who might through sudden death have taken away my Life that neither I should have acknowledged him nor my self Moreover there is yet somewhat that I must put you in mind of as touching Christian Religion which so long as I was in Authority I always diligently set forth and furthered to my power neither repent I me of my doings but rejoice therein sith that now the State of Christian Religion cometh most near unto the Form and Order of the Primitive Church which thing I esteem as a great benefit given of God both to you and me most heartily exhorting you all that this which is most purely set forth to you you will with like thankfulness accept and embrace and set out the same in your living which thing if you do not without doubt greater mischief and calamity will follow DUX EDWARDUS SEIMERUS SOMERSETI R White sculp â—OY POUR DEVOâ— Angliae Protector Edwardi Regis Avunculus Capitruncatus 22 JaÌ„ 1552. Printed for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crowne in S. t Pauls Churchyard When he had gone so far there was an extraordinary noise heard as if some House had been blown up with Gun-powder which frighted all the People so that many run away they knew not for what and the Relator who tarried still says it brought into his remembrance the astonishment that the Band was in that came to take our Saviour who thereupon fell backwards to the ground At the same time Sir Ant. Brown came riding towards the Scaffold and they all hoped he had brought a Pardon upon which there was a general shouting Pardon Pardon God save the King many throwing up their Caps by which the Duke might well perceive how dear he was to the People But as soon as these disorders were over he made a Sign to them with his Hand to compose themselves and then went on in his Speech thus Dearly beloved Friends there is no such matter here in hand as you vainly hope or believe It seemeth thus good unto Almighty God whose Ordinance it is meet and necessary that we all be obedient to Wherefore I pray you all to be quiet
of Marriage But all separation from Bed and Board except during a Trial was to be taken away The 11th was about Admission to Ecclesiastical Benefices Patrons were to consider the choice of the Person was trusted to them but was not to be abused to any sacrilegious or base ends if they did otherwise they were to lose their right for that time Benefices were not to be given or promised before they were void nor let lie destitute above six Months otherwise they were to devolve to the Bishop Clergy-men before their Ordination were to be examined by the Arch-deacons with such other Triers as the Bishop should appoint to be assistant to them and the Bishop himself was to try them since this was one of the chief things upon which the happiness of the Church depended The Candidate was to give an Oath to answer sincerely upon which he was to be examined about his Doctrine chiefly of the whole Points of the Catechisme if he understood them aright and what knowledge he had of the Scriptures they were to search him well whether he held Heretical Opinions None was to be admitted to more Cures than one and all Priviledges for Pluralities were for ever to cease nor was any to be absent from his Cure except for a time and a just cause of which he was to satisfie his Ordinary The Bishops were to take great care to allow no absence longer than was necessary every one was to enter upon his Cure within two Months after he was Instituted by the Bishop Prebendaries who had no particular Cure were to preach in the Churches adjacent to them Bastards might not be admitted to Orders unless they had eminent Qualities But the Bastards of Patrons were upon no account to be received if presented by them Other bodily defects unless such as did much disable them or made them very contemptible were not to be a barr to any Beside the Sponsions in the Office of Ordination they were to swear that they had made no agreement to obtain the Benefice to which they were presented and that if they come to know of any made by others on their account they should signifie it to the Bishop and that they should not do any thing to the prejudice of their Church The 12th and 13th were about the renouncing or changing of Benefices The 14th was about purgation upon common fame or when one was accused for any crime which was proved incompleatly and only by presumptions The Ecclesiastical Courts might not re-examine any thing that was proved in any Civil Court but upon a high scandal a Bishop might require a Man to purge himself otherwise to separate him from Holy things The Form of a Purgation was to swear himself innocent and he was also to have four Compurgators of his own Rank who were to swear that they believed he swore true upon which the Judge was to restore him to his Fame Any that were under suspicion of a Crime might by the Judge be required to avoid all the occasions from which the suspition had risen But all superstitious Purgations were to be rejected The 15th 16th 17th and 18th were about Dilapidations the Letting of the Goods of the Church the confirming the former Rules of Election in Cathedrals or Colledges and the Collation of Benefices And there was to be a Purgation of Simony as there should be occasion for it The 19th was about Divine Offices In the Mornings on Holy-days the Common-Prayer was to be used with the Communion-Service joyned to it In Cathedrals there was to be Communion every Sunday and Holy-day where the Bishop the Dean and the Prebendaries and all maintained by that Church were to be present There was no Sermon to be in Cathedrals in the Morning lest that might draw any from the Parish Churches but only in the Afternoons In the Anthems all Figured Musick by which the Hearers could not understand what they sung was to be taken away In Parish Churches there were only to be Sermons in the Morning but none in the Afternoon except in great Parishes All who were to receive the Sacrament were to come the day before and inform the Minister of it who was to examine their Consciences and their Belief On Holy-days in the Afternoon the Catechism was to be explained for an hour After the Evening-Prayers the Poor were to be looked to and such as had given open scandal were to be examined and publick Penitence was to be enjoyned them and the Minister with some of the Ancients of the Parish were to commune together about the state of the People in it that if any carried themselves indecently they might be first charitably admonished and if that did not prevail subjected to severer Censures but none were to be excommunicated without the Bishop were first informed and had consented to it Divine Offices were not to be performed in Chappels or private Houses lest the Churches should under that pretence be neglected and Errors more easily disseminated excepting only the Houses of Peers and Persons of great Quality who had numerous Families but in these all things were to be done according to the Book of Common-Prayer The 20th was about those that bore Office in the Church Sextons Church-wardens Deacons Priests and Rural Deans This last was to be a Yearly Office he that was named to it by the Bishop being to watch over the manners of the Clergy and People in his Precinct was to signifie the Bishops pleasure to them and to give the Bishop an account of his Precinct every sixth Month. The Arch-deacons were to be general Visitors over the Rural Deans In every Cathedral one of the Prebendaries or one procured by them was thrice a week to expound some part of the Scriptures The Bishops were to be over all and to remember that their Authority was given to them for that end that many might be brought to Christ and that such as had gone astray might be restored by Repentance To the Bishop all were to give obedience according to the Word of God The Bishop was to preach often in his Church was to Ordain none for Rewards or rashly was to provide good Pastors and to deprive bad ones he was to visit his Diocess every third year or oftener as he saw cause but then he was to do it at his own charge he was to have yearly Synods and to confirm such as were well instructed His Family was to consist of Clergy-men whom he should bring up to the Service of the Church so was St. Austins and other Ancient Bishops Families constituted This being a great means to supply the great want of good and faithful Ministers Their Wives and Children were also to avoid all levity or vain dressing They were never to be absent from their Diocesses but upon a publick and urgent cause and when then grew sick or infirm they were to have Coadjutors If they became scandalous or heretical they were to be deprived by the Kings Authority The Arch-bishops
David that we may shew forth Gods Praises which cannot be done if it is in a strange Tongue Prayer is the offering up of our desires to God which we cannot do if we understand not the Language they are in Baptisme and the Lords Supper are to contain Declarations of the Death and Resurrection of Christ which must be understood otherwise why are they made The use of Speech is to make known what one brings forth to another The most Barbarous Nations perform their Worship in a known Tongue which shews it to be a Law of Nature It is plain from Justin Martyrs Apology that the Worship was then in a known Tongue which appears also from all the Ancient Liturgies and a long Citation was brought out of St. Basil for the singing of Psalms duly weighing the Words with much attention and devotion which he says was practised in all Nations They concluded wondering how such an abuse could at first creep in and be still so stifly maintained and whâ—â—â—hose who would be thought the Guides and Pastors of the Church were so unwilling to return to the Rule of St. Paul and the Practise of the Primitive Times There was a great shout of Applause when they had done They gave their Paper signed with all their Hands to the Lord Keeper to be delivered to the other side as he should think fit But he kept it till the other side should bring him theirs The Papists upon this said they had more to add on that Head which was thought disingenuous by those that had heard them profess they had nothing to add to what Cole had said Thus the Meeting broke up for that day being Saturday and they were ordered to go forward on Munday and to prepare what they were to deliver on the other two Heads The Papists though they could complain of nothing that was done except the applause given to the Paper of the Reformers yet they saw by that how much more acceptable the other Doctrine was to the People and therefore resolved to go no further in that matter At the next meeting they desired that their Answer to the Paper read by the Reformed might be first heard To this the Lord Keeper said That they had delivered their mind the former day and so were not to be heard till they had gone through the other Points and then they were to return on both sides to the answering of Papers They said that what Cole had delivered the former day was Ex tempore and of himself but it had not been agreed on by them This appeared to all the Assembly to be very foul dealing so they were required to go on to the second Point Then they pressed that the other side might begin with their Paper and they would follow for they saw what an advantage the others had the former day by being heard last The Lord Keeper said the Order was that they should be heard first as being Bishops now in Office But both Winchester and Lincoln refused to go any further if the other side did not begin Upon which there followed a long debate Lincoln saying that the first Order which was that all should be in Latin was changed and that they had prepared a Writing in Latin But in this not only the Counsellors among whom sate the Arch-bishop of York but the rest of his own Party contradicted him In conclusion all except Fecknam refused to read any more Papers he said he was willing to have done it but he could not undertake such a thing alone and so the Meeting broke up But the Bishops of Winchester and of Lincoln said The Conference between the Papists and Protestants breaks up the Doctrine of the Catholick Church was already established and ought not to be disputed except it were in a Synod of Divines that it was too great an encouragement to Hereticks to hear them thus discourse against the Faith before the unlearned Multitude and that the Queen by so doing had incurred the Sentence of Excommunication and they talked of excommunicating her and her Council Upon this they were both sent to the Tower The Reformed took great advantage from the Issue of this Debate to say their Adversaries knew that upon a fair hearing the Truth was so manifestly on their side that they durst not put it to such hazard The whole World saw that this Disputation was managed with great Impartiality and without noise or disorder far different from what had been in Queen Maries time so they were generally much confirmed in their former belief by the Papists flying the Field They on the other hand said they saw the rude Multitude were now carried with a Fury against them the Lord Keeper was their professed Enemy the Laity would take on them to judge after they had heard them and they perceived they were already determined in their minds and that this Dispute was only to set off the changes that were to be made with the Pomp of a Victory and they blamed the Bishops for undertaking it at first but excused them for breaking it off in time And the Truth is the strength of their Cause in most Points of Controversie resting on the Authority of the Church of Rome that was now a thing of so odious a sound that all Arguments brought from thence were not like to have any great effect Upon this whole matter there was an Act of State made and Signed by many Privy Counsellors giving an account of all the steps that were made in it which will be found in the Collection Collection Number 5. This being over the Parliament was now in a better disposition to pass the Bill for the Uniformity of the Service of the Church Some of the Reformed Divines were appointed to review King Edwards Liturgie and to see if in any Particular it was fit to change it The only considerable Variation was made about the Lords Supper of which somewhat will appear from the Letter of Sandys to Parker It was proposed to have the Communion Book so contrived that it might not exclude the belief of the Corporal Presence for the chief design of the Queens Council was to unite the Nation in one Faith and the greatest part of the Nation continued to believe such a Presence Therefore it was recommended to the Divines to see that there should be no express definition made against it that so it might lie as a Speculative Opinion not determined in which every Man was left to the Freedom of his own Mind Hereupon the Rubrick that explained the reason for kneeling at the Sacrament That thereby no Adoration is intended to any Corporal Presence of Christs natural Flesh and Blood because that is only in Heaven which had been in King Edwards Liturgy was now left out And whereas at the delivery of the Elements in King Edwards first Liturgy there was to be said The Body or Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ Preserve thy Body and Soul to Everlasting Life which words
Judges on the 7th it was read again and joyned to the other Bill about the Sacrament And on the 10th the whole Bill was agreed to by all the Peers except the Bishops of London Hereford Norwich Worcester and Chichester and sent down to the Commons On the 17th a Proviso was sent after it but was rejected by the Commons since the Lords had not agreed to it On the 20th it was sent up agreed to and had afterwards the Royal Assent By it first the value of the Holy Sacrament commonly called the Sacrament of the Altar and in the Scripture the Supper and Table of the Lord was set forth together with its first Institution but it having been of late marvellously abused some had been thereby brought to a contempt of it which they had expressed in Sermons Discourses and Songs in words not fit to be repeated therefore whosoever should so offend after the first of May next was to suffer Fine and Imprisonment at the Kings Pleasure and the Justices of the Peace were to take Information and make Presentments of Persons so offending within three Months after the offences so committed allowing them Witnesses for their own purgation And it being more agreeable to Christs first Institution And the practice of the Church for 500 years after Christ that the Sacrament should be given in both the kinds of Bread and Wine rather than in one kind only Therefore it was Enacted That it should be commonly given in both kinds except necessity did otherwise require it And it being also more agreeable to the first Institution and the primitive Practice that the People should receive with the Priest than that the Priest should receive it alone therefore the day before every Sacrament an Exhortation was to be made to the People to prepare themselves for it in which the benefits and danger of worthy and unworthy receiving were to be expressed and the Priests were not without a lawful cause to deny it to any who humbly askt it This was an Act of great consequence Communion appointed in both kinds since it reformed two abuses that had crept into the Church The one was the denying the Cup to the Laity the other was the Priests communicating alone In the first Institution it is plain that as Christ bad all drink of the Cup and his Disciples all drank of it so St. Paul directed every one to examine himself that he might eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. From thence the Church for many Ages continued this practice and the Superstition of some who received only in one kind was severely censured and such were appointed either to receive the whole Sacrament or to abstain wholly It continued thus till the belief of the Corporal Presence of Christ was set up and then the keeping and carrying about the Cup in Processions not being so easily done some began to lay it aside For a great while the Bread was given dipt in the Cup to represent a bleeding Christ as it is in the Greek Church to this day In other Places the Laity had the Cup given them but they were to suck it through Pipes that nothing of it should fall to the ground But since they believed that Christ was in every crumb of Bread it was thought needless to give the Sacrament in both kinds So in the Council of Constance the Cup was ordered to be denied the Laity though they acknowledged it to have been instituted and practised otherwise To this the Bohemians would never submit though to compel them to it much Blood was shed in this Quarrel And now in the Reformation this was every where one of the first things with which the People were possessed the opposition of the Roman Church herein to the Institution of Christ being so manifest And all private Masses put down At first this Sacrament was also understood to be a Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ of which many were to be partakers while the fervor of devotion lasted it was thought a scandalous and censurable thing if any had come unto the Christian Assemblies and had not stayed to receive these Holy Mysteries and the denying to give any one the Sacrament was accounted a very great punishment So sensible were the Christians of their ill condition when they were hindred to participate of it But afterwards the former Devotion slackening the good Bishops in the 4th and 5th Centuries complained oft of it that so few came to Receive yet the Custom being to make Oblations before the Sacrament out of which the Clergy had been maintained during the poverty of the Church the Priests had a great mind to keep up the constant use of these Oblations and so perswaded the Laity to continue them and to come to the Sacrament though they did not receive it and in process of time they were made to believe that the Priest received in behalf of the whole People And whereas this Sacrament was the Commemoration of Christs Sacrifice on the Cross and so by a Phrase of Speech was called a Sacrifice they came afterwards to fancy that the Priests consecrating and consuming the Sacrament was an Action of it self expiatory and that both for the Dead and the Living And there rose an infinite number of several sorts of Masses some were for commemorating the Saints and those were called the Masses of such Saints others for a particular Blessing for Rain Health c. and indeed for all the accidents of Humane Life where the addition or variation of a Collect made the difference So that all that Trade of Massing was now removed An Intimation was also made of Exhortations to be read in it which they intended next to set about These abuses in the Mass gave great advantages to those who intended to change it into a Communion But many in stead of managing them prudently made unseemly Jests about them and were carried by a lightness of temper to make Songs and Plays of the Mass for now the Press went quick and many Books were printed this year about matters of Religion the greatest number of them being concerning the Mass which were not written in so decent and grave a style as the matter required Against this Act only five Bishops protested Many of that Order were absent from the Parliament so the opposition made to it was not considerable The next Bill brought into the House of Lords An Act about the Admission of Bishops was concerning the admission of Bishops to their Sees by the Kings Letters Patents Which being read was committed to the Arch-bishop of Canterburies care on the fifth of November and was read the second time on the 10th and committed to some of the Judges and was read the third time on the 28th of November and sent down to the Commons on the 5th of December There was also another Bill brought in concerning the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in the Bishops Courts on the 17th of November and pass'd and sent
of the Church in the highest Mystery of our Faith the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar For he ministreth the same as the Scripture witnesseth after Supper And now if a contentious Man would strain the Fact to the first Institution St. Augustine answereth not by Scripture for there is none to improve it but indeed otherwise even as the Apostles did Visum est Spiritui sancto ut in honorem tanti Sacramenti in os Christiani hominis prius intret Corpus Dominicum quam exteri cibi It is determin'd saith St. Augustine by the Holy Ghost that in the honour of so great a Sacrament the Body of our Lord should enter first into the Mouth of a Christian Man before other external Meats So that notwithstanding it was the Fact of Christ himself yet the Church moved by the Holy Ghost as is said hath changed that also without offence likewise By the which Sentence of St. Augustine manifestly appeareth that this Authority was deriv'd from the Apostles unto this Time the which same Authority according to Christ's Promises doth still abide and remain with his Church 4. And hereupon also resteth the Alteration of the Sacrament under one kind when-as the multitude of the Gentiles entred the Church instructed by the Holy Ghost understood Inconveniencies and partly also Heresy to creep in through the Ministration under both kinds and therefore as in the former Examples so in this now the Matter nothing diminished neither in it self nor in the Receivers and the thing also being received before by a common and uniform Consent without contradiction the Church did decree that from henceforth it should be received under the form of Bread only and whosoever should think and affirm that Whole Christ remained not under both kinds pronounc'd him to be in Heresy 5. Moreover we read in the Acts whereas it was determined in a Council holden at Hierusalem by the Apostles that the Gentiles should abstain from Strangled an◠Blood in these words Visum est Spiritui Sancto Nobis c. It is decreed by the Holy Ghost and Vs say the Apostles that no other burden be laid upon you than these necessary things That ye abstain from things offered up unto Idols and from Blood and from that is strangled and from Fornication This was the Commandment of God for still it is commanded upon pain of damnation to keep our Bodies clean from Fornication and the other join'd by the Holy Ghost with the same not kept nor observed at this day 6. Likewise in the Acts of the Apostles it appeareth That among them in the Primitive Church all things were common They sold their Lands and Possessions and laid the Mony at the Feet of the Apostles to be divided to the People as every Man had need insomuch that Ananias and Saphira who kept back a part of their Possession and laid but the other part at the Apostles Feet were declared by the Mouth of St. Peter to be tempted by the Devil and to lye against the Holy Ghost and in example of all other punish'd with sudden Death By all which Examples and many other it is manifest that though there were any such Scripture which they pretend as there is not yet the Church wherein the Holy Ghost is alway resident may order the same and may therein say as truly Visum est Spiritui Sancto Nobis as did the Apostles For Christ promised unto the Church That the Holy Ghost should teach them all Truth and that He himself would be with the same Church unto the Worlds end And hereupon we do make this Argument with St. Augustine which he writeth in his Epistle ad Januarium after this sort Ecclesia Dei inter multam paleam multaque Zizania constituta multa tolerat tamen quae sunt contra fidem vel bonam vitam non approbat nec tacet nec facit To this Major we add this Minor But the Catholick Church of God neither reproveth the Service or Common Prayer to be in the Learned Tongue nor yet useth it otherwise Therefore it is most lawful and commendable so to be Third Section Another Cause that moveth us to say and think is That otherwise doing as they have said there followeth necessarily the breach of Unity of the Church and the Commodities thereby are withdrawn and taken from us there follows necessarily an horrible Schism and Division In alteration of the Service into our Mother Tongue we condemn the Church of God which hath been heretofore we condemn the Church that is present and namely the Church of Rome To the which howsoever it is lightly esteemed here among us the Holy Saint and Martyr Ireneus saith in plain words thus Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnes alias Ecclesias convenire hoc est omnes undique Fideles It is necessary saith this Holy Man who was nigh to the Apostles or rather in that time for he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostolorum that all Churches do conform themselves and agree with the See or Church of Rome all Churches that is to say as he declareth himself all Christian and Faithful Men. And he alleadgeth the Cause why it is necessary for all Men to agree therewith propter potentiorem principalitatem for the greater Preeminence of the same or for the mightier Principality From this Church and consequently from the whole Universal Church of Christ we fall undoubtedly into a fearful and dangerous Schism and therewith into all Incommodities of the same That in this doing we fall from the Unity of the Church it is more manifest than that we need much to stand upon St. Augustine Contra Cresconium Grammaticum putting a difference between Heresis and Schisma saith Schisma est diversa sequentium secta Heresis autem Schisma inveteratum To avoid this horrible Sin of Schism we are commanded by the words of St. Paul saying Obsecro vos ut id ipsum dicatis omnes non sint in vobis Schismata And that this changing of the Service out of the Learned Tongue is doing contrary to the Form and Order universally observed is plain and evident to every Man's Eye They are to be named Hereticks saith he which obstinately think and judg in Matters of Faith otherwise than the rest of the Church doth And those are called Schismaticks which follow not the Order and Trade of the Church but will invent of their own Wit and Brain other Orders contrary or diverse to them which are already by the Holy Ghost universally establish'd in the Church And we being declin'd from God by Schism note what follows There is then no Gift of God no Knowledg no Justice no Faith no Works and finally no Vertue that could stand us in stead though we should think to glorify God by suffering Death as St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 13. Yea there is no Sacrament that availeth to Salvation in them that willingly fall into Schism that without fear
Principality which his Unkle George had left him only on condition that he turned Papist notwithstanding which he got him to be possessed of it was made use of by the Emperor as the best Instrument to work his ends To him therefore he promised the Electoral Dignity with the Dominions belonging to the Duke of Saxe if he would assist him in the War against his Kinsman the present Elector and gave him assurance under his Hand and Seal That he would make no change in Religion but leave the Princes of the Ausburg Confession the free exercise of their Religion And thus the Emperor singled out the Duke of Saxe and the Landgrave from the rest reckoning wisely that if he once mastered them he should more easily overcome all the rest He pretended some other quarrels against them as that of the Duke of Brunswick who having begun a War with his Neighbours was taken Prisoner and his Dominions possessed by the Landgrave That with some old Quarrels was pretended the ground of the War Upon which the Princes published a Writing to shew that it was Religion only and a secret design to subdue Germany that was the true cause of the War and those alledged were sought Pretences to excuse so infamous a breach of Faith and of the publick Decrees that the Pope who designed the destruction of all of that Confession had set on the Emperor to this who easily laid hold on it that he might master the liberty of Germany Therefore they warned all the Princes of their danger The Emperors Forces being to be drawn together out of several Places in Italy Flanders Burgundy and Boheme they whose Forces lay nearer had a great advantage if they had known how to use it 1546. June The Elector and Landgrave arm For in June they brought into the Field 70000 Foot and 15000 Horse and might have driven the Emperor out of Germany had they proceeded vigorously at first But the divided Command was fatal to them for when one was for Action the other was against it So they lost their opportunity and gave the Emperor time to gather all his Forces about him which were far inferior to theirs in strength but the Emperor gained by time whereas they who had no great Treasure lost much All the Summer and a great deal of the Winter was spent without any considerable Action though the two Armies were oft in view one of another 1546. Jul. 20. Duke of Saxe and Landgrave proscribed But in the beginning of the Winter the Emperor having proscribed the Duke of Saxe and promised to bestow the Principality on Maurice he fell into Saxony and carried a great many of the Cities which were not prepared for any such impression Nov. 23. The Elector returns into Saxony This made the Duke separate his Army and return to the defence of his own Country which he quickly recovered and drove Maurice almost out of all his own Principality The States of Boheme also declared for the Elector of Saxony This was the state of Affairs there The Princes thought they had a good Prospect for the next Year having mediated a Peace between the Crowns of England and France 1546. Jan. 7. Peace concluded between England and France whose Forces falling into Flanders must needs have bred a great distraction in the Emperors Councils But King Henry's death gave them great apprehensions and not without cause For when they sent hither for an Aid in Money to carry on the War the Protector and Council saw great dangers on both hands if they left the Germans to perish the Emperor would be then so lifted up that they might expect to have an uneasie Neighbour of him on the other hand it was a thing of great consequence to engage an Infant King in such a War Therefore their Succours from hence were like to be weak and very slow Howsoever the Council ordered Paget to assure them that within three or four Months they should send 50000 Crowns to their assistance which was to be covered thus The Merchants of the Still-yard were to borrow so much of the King and to engage to bring home Stores to that value they having the Money should send it to Hamburg and so to the Duke of Saxe But the Princes received a second Blow in the loss of Francis the first of France Who having lived long in a familiarity and friendship with King Henry not ordinary for Crowned Heads was so much affected with the news of his death that he was never seen cheerful after it He made Royal Funeral Rites to be performed to his memory in the Church of Nostredame to which the Clergy who one would have thought should have been glad to have seen his Funerals Celebrated in any fashion were very averse But that King had emancipated himself to a good degree from a servile subjection to them and would be obeyed He out-lived the other not long 1557. Mar. 31. Francis I. died for he died the last of March He was the chief Patron of Learned Men and advancer of Learning that had been for many Ages He was generally unsuccessful in his Wars and yet a great Commander At his death he left his Son an Advice to beware of the Brethren of Lorain and to depend much on the Councellors whom he had employed But his Son upon his coming to the Crown did so deliver himself up to the charms of his Mistress Diana that all things were ordered as Men made their Court to her which the Ministers that had served the former King scorning to do and the Brothers of the House of Lorain doing very submissively the one were discharged of their employments and the other governed all the Councils Francis had been oft fluctuating in the business of Religion Sometimes he had resolved to shake off the Popes Obedience and set up a Patriarch in France and had agreed with Henry the 8th to go on in the same Councils with him But he was first diverted by his Alliance with Clement the 7th and afterwards by the Ascendant which the Cardinal of Tournon had over him who engaged him at several times into severities against those that received the Reformation Yet he had such a close Eye upon the Emperors motions that he kept a constant good understanding with the Protestant Princes and had no doubt assisted them if he had lived But upon his death new Councils were taken the Brothers of Lorain were furiously addicted to the Interests of the Papacy one of them being a Cardinal who perswaded the King rather to begin his Reign with the recovery of Bulloine out of the hands of the English So that the state of Germany was almost desperate before he was aware of it And indeed the Germans lost so much in the death of these two Kings upon whose assistance they had depended that it was no wonder they were easily over-run by the Emperor Some of their Allies the Cities of Vlm and Frankfort and the Duke of
Translation into some Town of the Popes to which it was not likely the Imperialists would follow them and so at least the Council would be suspended if not dissolved For this Remove they laid hold on the first colour they could find One dying of a malignant Feaver it was given out and certified by Physicians that he died of the Plague so in all hast they translated the Council to Bologna Apr. 21. The first Session of Bologna The Imperialists protested against it but in vain for thither they went The Emperor was hereby quite disappointed of his chief design which was to force the Germans to submit to a Council held in Germany and therefore no Plague appearing at Trent he pressed the return of the Council thither But the Pope said it was the Councils act and not his and that their Honour was to be kept up that therefore such as stayed at Trent were to go first to Bologna and acknowledge the Council and they should then consider what was to be done So that now all the hope the Germans had was that this difference between the Pope and Emperor might give them some breathing and time might bring them out of these extremities into which they were then driven Upon these disorders the Forreign Reformers who generally made Germany their Sanctuary were now forced to seek it elsewhere So Peter Martyr in the end of November this Year was brought over to England by the Invitation which the Arch-bishop of Canterbury sent him in the Kings Name He was born in Florence where he had been an Augustinian-Monk He was learned in the Greek and the Hebrew which drew on him the envy of the rest of his Order whose Manners he inveighed oft against So he left them and went to Naples where he gathered an Assembly of those who loved to Worship God more purely This being made known he was forced to leave that Place and went next to Lucca where he lived in society with Tremellius and Zanchius But being also in danger there he went to Zurick with Bernardinus Ochinus that had been one of the most celebrated Preachers of Italy and now forsook his former Superstitions From Zurick he went to Basil and from thence by Martin Bucers means he was brought to Strasburg where Cranmers Letter found both him and Ochinus The Latter was made a Canon of Canterbury with a Dispensation of Residence and by other Letters Patents 40 Marks were given yearly to him and as much to Peter Martyr There had been this Year some differences between the English and French concerning the Fortifications about Bulloigne The French quarrel about Bulloigne The English were raising a great Fort by the Harbour there This being signified to King Henry by Gaspar Coligny afterwards the famous Admiral of France then Governour of the neighbouring Parts to Bulloigne it was complained of at the Court of England It was answered That this was only to make the Harbour more secure and so the Works were ordered to be vigorously carried on But this could not satisfie the French who plainly saw it was of another sort than to be intended only for the Sea The King of France came and viewed the Country himself and ordered Coligny to raise a Fort on a high Ground near it which was called the Chastilion Fort and commanded both the English Fort and the Harbour But the Protector had no mind to give the French a colour for breaking with the English so there was a Truce and further Cessation agreed on in the end of September These are all the considerable Forreign Transactions of this Year in which England was concerned But there was a secret contrivance laid at home of a high nature which though it broke not out till the next Year yet the beginnings of it did now appear The Protectors Brother Thomas Seimour was brought to such a share in his Fortunes The Breach between the Protector and the Admiral that he was made a Baron and Lord Admiral But this not satisfying his ambition he endeavoured to have linked himself into a nearer relation with the Crown by marrying the Kings Sister the Lady Elizabeth But finding he could not compass that he made his Addresses to the Queen Dowager Who enjoying now the Honour and Wealth the late King had left her resolved to satisfie her self in her next Choice and entertained him a little too early for they were married so soon after the Kings death that it was charged afterwards on the Admiral that if she had brought a Child as soon as might have been after the Marriage it had given cause to doubt whether it had not been by the late King which might have raised great disturbance afterwards But being thus married to the Queen he concealed it for some time till he procured a Letter from the King recommending him to her for a Husband upon which they declared their Marriage with which the Protector was much offended Being thus possessed of great Wealth and being Husband to the Queen Dowager he studied to engage all that were about the King to be his Friends and he corrupted some of them by his Presents and forced one on Sir John Cheek That which he designed was That whereas in former times the Infant Kings of England had had Governours of their Persons distinct from the Protectors of their Realms which Trusts were divided between their Unkles it being judged too much to joyn both in one Person who was thereby too great whereas a Governour of the Kings Person might be a check on the Protector he would therefore himself be made Governour of the Kings Person alledging that since he was the Kings Unkle as well as his Brother he ought to have a proportioned share with him in the Government About Easter this Year he first set about this design and corrupted some about the King who should bring him sometimes privately through the Gallery to the Queens Lodgings and he desired they would let him know when the King had occasion for Money and that they should not always trouble the Treasury for he would be ready to furnish him and he thought a young King might be taken with this So it happened that the first time Latimer preached at Court the King sent to him to know what Present he should make him Seimour sent him 40 l. but said he thought 20 enough to give Latimer and the King might dispose of the rest as he pleased Thus he gained ground with the King whose sweet nature exposed him to be easily won by such Artifices It is generally said that all this difference between the Brothers was begun by their Wives and that the Protectors Lady being offended that the younger Brothers Wife had the precedence of her which she thought belonged to her self did thereupon raise and inflame the differences But in all the Letters that I have seen concerning this Breach I could never find any such thing once mentioned Nor is it reasonable to imagine that the
repealed and it was Enacted That from the first of May none should eat Flesh on Fridays Saturdays Ember-days in Lent or any other days that should be declared Fish-days under several Penalties A Proviso was added for excepting such as should obtain the Kings Licence or were sick or weak and that none should be indicted but within three Months after the Offence Christ had told his Disciples that when he should be taken from them then they should fast Accordingly the Primitive Christians used to fast oft more particularly before the Anniversary of the Passion of Christ which ended in a high Festivity at Easter Yet this was differently observed as to the number of days Some abstained 40 days in imitation of Christs Fast others only that Week and others had only an entire Fast from the time of Christs death till his Resurrection On these Fasts they eat nothing till the Evening and then they eat most commonly Herbs and Roots Afterwards the Fridays were kept as Fasts because on that day Christ suffered Saturdays were also added in the Roman Church but not without contradiction Ember-weeks came in afterwards being some days before those Sundays in which Orders were given And a General Rule being laid down that every Christian Festival should be preceded by a Fast thereupon the Vigils of Holy-days came though not so soon into the Number But this with the other good Institutions of the Primitive times became degenerate even in St. Austins time Religion came to be placed in these observances and anxious Rules were made about them Afterwards in the Church of Rome they were turned into a Mockery for as on Fast-days they dined which the Ancients did not so the use of the most delicious Fish drest in the most exquisite manner with the richest Wines that could be had was allowed which made it ridiculous So now they resolved to take off the severities of the former Laws and yet to keep up such Laws about Fasting and Abstinence as might be agreeable to its true end which is to subdue the Flesh to the Spirit and not to gratifie it by a change of one sort of diet into another which may be both more delicate and more inflaming So fond a thing is Superstition that it will help Men to deceive themselves by the slightest Pretences that can be imagined It was much lamented then and there is as much cause for it still that carnal Men have taken advantages from the abuses that were formerly practised to throw off good and profitable Institutions since the frequent use of Fasting with Prayer and true Devotion joyned to it is perhaps one of the greatest helps that can be devised to advance one to a spiritual temper of Mind and to promote a holy course of Life And the mockery that is discernable in the way of some Mens Fasting is a very slight excuse for any to lay aside the use of that which the Scriptures have so much recommended Some Bills were rejected There were other Bills put in into both Houses but did not pass One was for declaring it Treason to marry the Kings Sisters without consent of the King and his Council but it was thought that King Henry's Will disabling them from the Succession in that case would be a stronger restraint and so it was laid aside Another Bill was put in for Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Great Complaints were made of the abounding of Vices and Immoralities which the Clergy could neither restrain nor punish and so they had nothing left but to preach against them which was done by many with great freedom In some of these Sermons the Preachers expressed their apprehensions of signal and speedy Judgments from Heaven if the People did not repent but their Sermons had no great effect for the Nation grew very corrupt and this brought on them severe punishments The Temporal Lords were so jealous of putting power in Church-mens hands especially to correct those vices of which themselves perhaps were most guilty that the Bill was laid aside The pretence of opposing it was that the greatest part of the Bishops and Clergy were still Papists in their Hearts so that if Power were put into such Mens hands it was reasonable to expect they would employ it chiefly against those who favoured the Reformation and would vex them on that score though with Pretences fetched from other things A design for digesting the Common Law into a Body There was also put into the House of Commons a Bill for reforming of Processes at Common Law which was sent up by the Commons to the Lords but it fell in that House I have seen a large Discourse written then upon that Argument in which it is set forth that the Law of England was a barbarous kind of Study and did not lead Men into a finer sort of Learning which made the Common Lawyers to be generally so ignorant of Forreign Matters and so unable to negotiate in them therefore it was proposed that the Common and Statute Laws should be in imitation of the Roman Law digested into a Body under Titles and Heads and put in good Latin But this was too great a Design to be set on or finished under an Infant King If it was then necessary it will be readily acknowledged to be much more so now the Volume of our Statutes being so much swell'd since that time besides the vast number of Reports and Cases and the Pleadings growing much longer than formerly yet whether this is a thing to be much expected or desired I refer it to the learned and wise Men of that Robe The only Act that remains of this Session of Parliament The Admirals Attainder about which I shall inform the Reader is the Attainder of the Admiral The Queen Dowager that had married him died in September last not without suspition of Poison She was a good and vertuous Lady and in her whole Life had done nothing unseemly but the marrying him so indecently and so soon after the Kings death There was found among her Papers a Discourse written by her concerning her self entituled The Lamentation of a Sinner which was published by Cecil who writ a Preface to it In it she with great sincerity acknowledges the sinful course of her Life for many years in which she relying on External Performances such as Fasts and Pilgrimages was all that while a Stranger to the Internal and True Power of Religion which she came afterwards to feel by the study of the Scripture and the calling upon God for his Holy Spirit She explains clearly the Notion she had of Justification by Faith so that Holiness necessarily followed upon it but lamented the great scandal given by many Gospellers So were all these called who were given to the reading of the Scriptures She being thus dead The Queen Dowager dying he courted the Lady Eliz. the Admiral renewed his Addresses to the Lady Elizabeth but in vain for as he could not expect that his Brother and the Council
Articles which he had not yet answered otherwise they would proceed against him as Contumax and hold him as Confessing But he adhered to his Appeal and so would answer no more New matter was also brought of his going out of St. Pauls in the midst of the Sermon on the 15th of the Month and so giving a publick disturbance and scandal and of his writing next day to the Lord Major not to suffer such Preachers to sow their ill Doctrine This was occasioned by the Preachers speaking against the Corporal Presence of Christ in the Sacrament But he would give the Court no account of that matter so they adjourned to the 27th and from that to the first of October In that time great endeavours were used to perswade him to submit and to behave himself better for the future and upon that condition he was assured he should be gently used But he would yield to nothing So on the first of October when he was brought before them the Arch-bishop told him they had delayed so long being unwilling to proceed to extremities with him and therefore wished him to submit But he read another Writing by which he protested that he was brought before them by force and that otherwise he would not have come since that having appeal'd from them he looked on them as his Judges no more He said that he had also written a Petition to the Lord Chancellor complaining of the Delegates and desiring that his Appeal might be admitted and said by that Appeal it was plain that he esteemed the King to be cloathed with his full Royal Power now that he was under Age since he thus appealed to him Upon which the Arch-bishop the Bishop of Rochester Secretary Smith and the Dean of St. Pauls He is deprived from his Bishoprick gave Sentence against him that since he had not declared the Kings Power while under Age in his Sermon as he was commanded by the Protector and Council therefore the Arch-bishop with the Consent and Assent of his Colleagues did deprive him of the Bishoprick of London Sentence being thus given he appealed again by word of mouth The Court did also order him to be carried to Prison till the King should consider further of it This account of his Trial is drawn from the Register of London where all these Particulars are inserted From thence it was that Fox printed them For Bonner though he was afterward Commissioned by the Queen to deface any Records that made against the Catholick Cause yet did not care to alter any thing in this Register after his re-admission in Queen Maries time It seems he was not displeased with what he found Recorded of himself in this matter Thus was Bonner deprived of his Bishoprick of London Censures past upon it This Judgment as all such things are was much censured It was said it was not Canonical since it was by a Commission from the King and since Secular Men were mixed with Clergy-men in the censure of a Bishop To this it was answered That the Sentence being only of deprivation from the See of London it was not so entirely an Ecclesiastical Censure but was of a mixed nature so that Lay-men might joyn in it and since he had taken a Commission from the King for his Bishoprick by which he held it only during the Kings pleasure he could not complain of this deprivation which was done by the Kings Authority Others who looked further back remembred that Constantine the Emperor had appointed Secular Men to enquire into some things objected to Bishops who were called Cognitores or Triers and such had examined the business of Cecilian Bishop of Carthage even upon an Appeal after it had been tried in several Synods and given Judgment against Donatus and his Party The same Constantine had also by his Authority put Eustathius out of Antioch Athanasius out of Alexandria and Paul out of Constantinople and though the Orthodox Bishops complained of these Particulars as done unjustly at the false suggestion of the Arrians yet they did not deny the Emperors Authority in such Cases Afterwards the Emperors used to have some Bishops attending on them in their Comitatus or Court to whose Judgment they left most Causes who acted only by Commission from the Emperor So Epiphanius was brought to condemn Chrysostome at Constantinople who had no Authority to judge him by the Canons Others objected that it was too severe to deprive Bonner for a defect in his memory and that therefore they should have given him a new Tryal in that Point and not have proceeded to censure him on such an omission since he protested it was not on design but a pure forgetfulness and all People perceived clearly it had been before hand resolved to lay him aside and that therefore they now took him on this disadvantage and so deprived him But it was also well known that all the Papists infused this Notion into the People of the Kings having no Power till he came to be of Age and he being certainly one of them there was reason to conclude that what he said for his defence was only a Pretence and that it was of design that he had omitted the mentioning the Kings Power when under Age. The adding of Imprisonment to his Deprivation was thought by some to be an extream accumulation of Punishments But that was no more than what he drew upon himself by his rude and contemptuous behaviour However it seems that some of these Objections wrought on Secretary Petre for he never sate with the Delegates after the first day and he was now turning about to another Party On the other hand Bonner was little pitied by most that knew him He was a cruel and fierce Man he understood little of Divinity his Learning being chiefly in the Canon Law Besides he was looked on generally as a Man of no Principles All the obedience he gave either to the Laws or the Kings Injunctions was thought a compliance against his Conscience extorted by fear And his undecent carriage during his process had much exposed him to the People so that it was not thought to be hard dealing though the Proceedings against him were summary and severe Nor did his carriage afterward during his imprisonment discover much of a Bishop or a Christian For he was more concerned to have Puddings and Pears sent him than for any thing else This I gather from some original Letters of his to Richard Leechmore Esq in Worcester-shire which were communicated to me by his Heir Lineally descended from him the Worshipful Mr. Leechmore now the Senior Bencher of the Middle-Temple of which I transcribed the latter part of one Collection Number 37. that will be found in the Collection In it he desires a large quantity of Pears and Puddings to be sent him otherwise he gives those to whom he writes an odd sort of Benediction very unlike what became a Man of his Character he gives them to the Devil to the Devil
them but if their Divines had any scruple in which they desired satisfaction with a humble and obedient mind they should be heard And for a safe Conduct he thought it was a distrusting the Council to ask any other than what was already granted Soon after this there arrived Ambassadors from Strasburg and from other five Cities and those sent from the Duke of Saxe were on their Journey so the Emperor ordered his Ambassadors to study to gain time till they came and then an effectual course must be taken for compassing that about which he had laboured so long in vain to bring it to a happy conclusion And thus this Year ended The Parliament was opened on the 23d of January 1552. A Session of Parliament and sate till the 15th of April So I shall begin this Year with the account of the Proceedings in it The first Act that was put into the House of Lords was for an Order to bring Men to Divine Service which was agreed to on the 26th and sent down to the Commons who kept it long before they sent it back On the 6th of April when it was agreed to the Earl of Darby the Bishops of Carlisle and Norwich and the Lords Sturton and Windsor dissented The Lords afterwards brought in another Bill for authorizing a new Common-Prayer-Book according to the Alterations which had been agreed on the former Year This the Commons joyned to the former and so put both in one Act. By it was first set forth That an Order of Divine Service being published An Act authorizing the new Common-Prayer-Book many did wilfully abstain from it and refused to come to their Parish-Churches therefore all are required after the Feast of All-hallows next to come every Sunday and Holy-day to Common-Prayers under pain of the Censures of the Church And the King the Lords Temporal and the Commons did in Gods Name require all Arch-bishops Bishops and other Ordinaries to endeavour the due execution of that Act as they would answer before God for such Evils and Plagues with which he might justly punish them for neglecting that good and wholesome Law and they were fully authorized to execute the Censures of the Church on all that should offend against this Law To which is added That there had been divers doubts raised about the manner of the Ministration of the Service rather by the curiosity of the Ministers and Mistakers than of any other worthy Cause and that for the better explanation of that and for the greater perfection of the Service in some places where it was fit to make the Prayer and fashion of Service more earnest and fit to stir Christian People to the true honouring of Almighty God therefore it had been by the Command of the King and Parliament perused explained and made more perfect They also annexed to it the Form of making Bishops Priests and Deacons and so appointed this new Book of Service to be every where received after the Feast of All-Saints next under the same Penalties that had been enacted three years before when the former Book was set out Which was much censured It was upon this Act said by the Papists That the Reformation was like to change as oft as the Fashion did since they seemed never to be at a Point in any thing but new Models were thus continually framing To which it was answered That it was no wonder that the corruptions which they had been introducing for above a thousand years were not all discovered or thrown out at once but now the business was brought to a fuller perfection and they were not like to see any more material Changes Besides any that would take the pains to compare the Offices that had been among the Papists would clearly perceive that in every Age there was such an encrease of additional Rites and Ceremonies that though the old ones were still retained yet it seemed there would be no end of new improvements and additions Others wondred why the execution of this Law was put off so long as till the end of the Year All the account I can give of this is that it was expected that by that time the new Body of the Ecclesiastical Laws which was now preparing should be finished and therefore since this Act was to be executed by the Clergy the day in which it was to be in force was so long delayed till that Reformation of their Laws were concluded An Act concerning Treasons On the 8th of February a Bill of Treasons was put in and agreed to by all the Lords except the Lord Wentworth It was sent down to the Commons where it was long disputed and many sharp things were said of those who now bore the sway that whereas they who governed in the beginning of this Reign had put in a Bill for lessening the number of such offences now they saw the change of Councils when severer Laws were proposed The Commons at last rejected the Bill and then drew a new one which was passed By it they Enacted That if any should call the King or any of his Heirs named in the Statute of the 35th of his Fathers Reign Heretick Schismatick Tyrant Infidel or Usurper of the Crown for the first offence they should forfeit their Goods and Chattels and be imprisoned during pleasure for the second should be in a Praemunire for the third should be attainted of Treason but any who should advisedly set that out in printing or writing was for the first offence to be held a Traitor And that those who should keep any of the Kings Castles Artillery or Ships six days after they were lawfully required to deliver them up should be guilty of Treason that Men might be proceeded against for Treasons committed out of the Kingdom as well as in it They added a Proviso That none should be Attainted of Treason on this Act unless two Witnesses should come and to their face averr the Fact for which they were to be tried except such as without any violence should confess it and that none should be questioned for any thing said or written but within three Months after it was done This Proviso seems clearly to have been made with relation to the Proceeding against the Duke of Somerset in which the Witnesses were not brought to averr the Evidence to his Face and by that means he was deprived of all the benefit and advantage which he might have had by cross examining them It is certain that though some false Witnesses have practised the Trade so much that they seem to have laid off all shame and have a brow that cannot be daunted yet for the greatest part a bright serenity and cheerfulness attends Innocence and a lowring dejection betrays the Guilty when the Innocent and they are confronted together On the 3d of March a Bill was brought into the Lords for Holy-days and Fasting days and sent down to the Commons on the 15th of March An Act about Fasts and Holy-days by
infer that this would soon grow up to an extream Persecution so that above a thousand Persons fled beyond Seas most of them went in the company and as the Servants of French Protestants who having come over in King Edwards time were now required as the Germans had been to return into their own Country The Council understanding this took care that no Englishman should escape out of their hands and therefore sent an Order to the Ports that none should be suffered to go over as Frenchmen but those who brought Certificates from the French Embassador Among those that had got over some eminent Divines went who either having no Cures or being turned out of their Benefices were not under such ties to any Flock so that they judged themselves disingaged and therefore did not as Hirelings leave their Flock to the Persecution then imminent but rather went to look after those who had now left England The chief of these that went at first were Cox Sanders Grindal and Horn. Cox was without any good colour turned out both of his Deanery of Christ-Church and his Prebendary at Westminster He was put into the Marshalsea but on the 19th of August was discharged Sancts was turned out for his Sermon before the Duke of Northumberland at Cambridge On what account Grindal was turned out I know not Horn soon after he got beyond Sea printed an Apology for his leaving his Country he tells that he heard there was some Crimes against the State objected to him which made him come up from Duresm to clear himself It was said that three Letters had been written to him in the Queens name requiring him to come up and intimating that they were resolved to charge him with contempt and other points of State He protests that he had never received but one which was given him on the Road but seeing how he was like to be used he withdrew out of England upon which he takes occasion in that discourse to vindicate the Preachers in King Edwards time against whom it was now objected that they had neglected Fasting and Prayer and had allowed the People all sorts of Liberty This he said was so false that the ruling Men in that time were much offended at the great freedom which the Preachers then took so that many of them would hear no more Sermons and he says for himself that though Tonstal was now his great enemy he had refused to accept of his Bishoprick and was ill used and threatned for denying to take it All these things tended much to inflame the People The Queen rewards those who had served her Therefore great care was taken first to oblige all those Noblemen who had assisted the Queen at her coming to the Crown since a grateful acknowledgment of past Services is the greatest encouragement both to the same Persons to renew them to others to undertake the like upon new occasions The Earl of Arundel was made Lord Steward Sir Edward Hastings was made Master of the Horse and afterwards Lord Hastings Sir John Gage Lord Chamberlain Sir John Williams who had Proclaimed the Queen in Oxford-shire was made Lord Williams and Sir Henry Jerningham that first gathered the Men of Norfolk about her was made Captain of her Guard but Ratcliff Earl of Sussex had done the most considerable Service of them all for to him she had given the chief Command of her Army and he had managed it with that Prudence that others were thereby encouraged to come in to her Assistance so an unusual Honour was contrived for him that he might cover his head in her Presence which passed under the Great Seal the second of October he being the only Peer of England in whom this Honour was ever conferred as far as I know The like was granted to the Lord Courcy Baron of Kingsale in Ireland whose Posterity enjoy it to this day but I am not so well informed of that Family as to know by which of our Kings it was first granted The Queen having summoned a Parliament to the tenth of October was Crowned on the first of that month by Gardiner who with ten other Bishops all in their Mitres Coaps and Crosiers performed that Ceremony with great Solemnity The Queen is Crowned and discharges all Taxes Day preaching the Coronation Sermon who it seems was accounted the best Preacher among them since he was ordered to Preach both at the late Kings Funeral and now again at the Coronation But Gardiner had prepared a Largess of an extraordinary nature for the Queen to distribute that day among her People besides her general Pardon he caused a Proclamation to be published which did set forth that whereas the good Subjects of England had always exhibited Aid to their Princes when the good of the Publick and Honour of the Realm required it and though the Queen since her coming to the Crown found the Treasury was marvelously exhausted by the evil Government of late years especially since the Duke of Northumberland bare Rule though she found her self charged with diverse great sums of her Father and Brothers Debts which for her own Honour and the Honour of the Realm she determined to pay in times convenient and reasonable yet having a special regard to the welfare of of her Subjects and accounting their loving hearts and prosperity the chiefest Treasure which she desired next to the Favour and Grace of God therefore since in her Brothers last Parliament two Tenths two Fifteenths and a Subsidy both out of Lands and Goods were given to him for paying his Debts which were now due to her she of her great Clemency did fully pardon and discharge these Subsidies trusting her said good Subjects will have loving consideration thereof for their parts whom she heartily requires to bend themselves wholly to God to serve him sincerely and with continual Prayer for the honour and advancement of the Queen and the Common-Wealth A Parliament summoned And thus matters were prepared for the Parliament which was opened the tenth of October In the Writ of Summons and all other Writs the Queen retained still the Title of Supream Head Taylor Bishop of Lincoln and Harley Bishop of Hereford came thither resolving to justifie their Doctrine Most of the other reformed Bishops were now in Prison for besides these formerly mentioned on the fourth of October the Arch-Bishop of York was put in the Tower no cause being given but heinous Offences only named in general When the Mass begun it is said that those two Bishops withdrew and were upon that never suffered to come to their Places again Bishops violently thrust out for not worshiping the Mass But one Beal the Clerk of the Council in Queen Elizabeths time reports this otherwise and more probably that Bishop Taylor took his place in his Robes but refusing to give any reverence to the Mass was violently thrust out of the House He says nothing of Harley so it is probable that he followed the other The
on the Dead or cast the burthen of it wholly upon her Sister But she assured them if ever she married she would make such a Choice as should be to the satisfaction and good of her People She did not know what credit she might yet have with them but she knew well she deserved to have it for she was resolved never to deceive them Her People were to her in stead of Children and she reckoned her self married to them by her Coronation They would not want a Successor when she died and for her part she should be well contented that the Marble should tell Posterity HERE LIES A QUEEN THAT REIGNED SO LONG AND LIVED AND DIED A VIRGIN She took their Address in good part and desired them to carry back her hearty thanks for the care the Commons had of her The Journals of the House of Lords are imperfect so that we find nothing in them of this matter yet it appears that they likewise had it before them for the Journals of the House of Commons have it marked that on the fifteenth of February there was a Message sent from the Lords desiring that a Committee of thirty Commoners might meet with twelve Lords to consider what should be the Authority of the Person whom the Queen should marry The Committee was appointed to treat concerning it but it seems the Queen desired them to turn to other things that were more pressing for I find nothing after this entred in the Journals of this Parliament concerning it On the ninth of February the Lords past a Bill for the Recognizing of the Queens Title to the Crown They recognize her Title to the Crown It had been considered whether as Queen Mary had procured a former Repeal of her Mothers Divorce and of the Acts that passed upon it declaring her Illegitimate the like should be done now The Lord Keeper said The Crown purged all defects and it was needless to look back to a thing which would at least cast a reproach on her Father the enquiring into such things too anxiously would rather prejudice than advance her Title So he advised that there should be an Act passed in general words asserting the lawfulness of her descent and her Right to the Crown rather than any special Repeal Queen Mary and her Council were careless of King Henry's Honour but it became her rather to conceal than expose his Weakness This being thought both Wise and Pious Council the Act was conceived in general Words That they did assuredly believe and declare that by the Laws of God and of the Realm she was their lawful Queen and that she was rightly lineally and lawfully descended from the Royal Blood and that the Crown did without all doubt or ambiguity belong to her and the Heirs to be lawfully begotten of her Body after her and that they as representing the Three Estates of the Realm did declare and assert her Title which they would defend with their Lives and Fortunes This was thought to be very wise Council for if they had gone to repeal the Sentence of Divorce which passed upon her Mothers acknowledging a Precontract they must have set forth the force that was on her when she made that Confession and that as it was a great dishonour to her Father so it would have raised discourses likewise to her Mothers prejudice which must have rather weakned than strengthened her Title And as has been formerly observed this seems to be the true reason why in all her Reign there was no Apology printed for her Mother There was another Act passed for the restoring of her in Blood to her Mother by which she was qualified as a private Subject to succeed either to her Grand-fathers Estate or to any others by that Blood But for the matters of Religion the Commons began The Acts that were passed concerning Religion and on the fifteenth of February brought in a Bill for the English Service and concerning the Ministers of the Church On the 21st a Bill was read for annexing the Supremacy to the Crown again and on the 17th of March another Bill was brought in confirming the Laws made about Religion in King Edwards time and on the 21st another was brought in That the Queen should have the Nomination of the Bishops as it had been in King Edwards time The Bill for the Supremacy was past by the Lords on the 18th of March the Archbishop of York the Earl of Shrewsbury the Viscount Mountacute and the Bishops of London Winchester Worcester Landaffe Coventry and Litchfield Exeter Chester and Carlisle and the Abbot of Westminster dissenting But afterwards the Commons annexed many other Bills to it as that about the Queens making Bishops not according to the Act made in King Edwards time but by the old way of Elections as it was Enacted in the 25th Year of her Fathers Reign with several Provisoes which passed in the House of Lords with the same dissent By it all the Acts past in the Reign of King Henry for the abolishing of the Popes Power are again revived and the Acts in Queen Maries time to the contrary are repealed There was also a Repeal of the Act made by her for proceeding against Hereticks They revived the Act made in the first Parliament of King Edward against those that spoke irreverently of the Sacrament and against private Masses and for Communion in both kinds And declared the Authority of Visiting Correcting and Reforming all things in the Church to be for ever annexed to the Crown which the Queen and her Successors might by her Letters Patents depute to any Persons to exercise in her Name All Bishops and other Ecclesiastieal Persons and all in any Civil Imployment were required to swear that they acknowledged the Queen to be the Supream Governour in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal within her Dominions that they renounced all Forreign Power and Jurisdiction and should bear the Queen Faith and true Allegiance Whosoever should refuse to swear it was to forfeit any Office he had either in Church or State and to be from thenceforth disabled to hold any Imployment during Life And if within a Month after the end of that Session of Parliament any should either by discourse or in writing set forth the Authority of any Forreign Power or do any thing for the advancement of it they were to forfeit all their Goods and Chattels and if they had not Goods to the value of twenty Pounds they were to be Imprisoned a whole year and for the second offence they were to incur the Pains of a Praemunire and the third offence in that kind was made Treason To this a Proviso was added That such Persons as should be Commissioned by the Queen to Reform and Order Ecclesiastical Matters should judge nothing to be Heresie but what had been already so Judged by the Authority of the Canonical Scriptures or by the first four General Councils or by any other General Council in which such Doctrines
Severity when it looked like Revenge The Queen's gentleness to them All this might have been expected from such a Queen and such Bishops But it shewed a great temper in the whole Nation that such a Man as Bonner had been was suffered to go about in safety and was not made a Sacrifice to the Revenge of those who had lost their near Friends by his means Many things were brought against him and White and some other Bishops upon which the Queen promised to give a Charge to the Visitors whom she was to send over England to enquire into these things and after she had heard their Report she said she would proceed as she saw cause by this means she did not deny justice but gained a little time to take off the Edg that was on Mens Spirits who had been much provoked by the ill usage they had met with from them Heath was a Man of a generous temper and was so well used by the Queen for as he was suffered to live securely at his own House in Surrey so she went thither sometimes to visit him Tonstall and Thirleby lived in Lambeth with Parker with great freedom and ease the one was Learned and good natured the other was a Man of Business but too easy and flexible White and Watson were morose sullen Men to which their Studies as well as their Tempers had disposed them for they were much given to Scholastical Divinity which inclined Men to be Cinical to over-value themselves and despise others Christopherson was a good Grecian and had translated Eusebius and the other Church Historians into Latin but with as little fidelity as may be expected from a Man violently addicted to a Party Bain was learned in the Hebrew which he had professed at Paris in the Reign of Francis the First All these chose to live still in England only Pates Scot and Goldwell went beyond Sea After them went the Lord Morley Sir Francis Englefield Sir Robert Peckham Sir Thomas Shelley and Sir John Gage who it seems desired to live where they might have the free exercise of their Religion And such was the Queen's gentleness that this was not denied them tho such favour had not been shewed in Q. Mary's Reign Feeknam Abbot of Westminster was a charitable and generous Man and lived in great esteem in England Most of the Monks returned to a Secular course of Life but the Nunns went beyond Sea Now the Queen intended to send Injunctions over England A Visitation and Injunctions ordered by the Queen and in the end of June they were prepared There was great difficulty made about one of them the Queen seemed to think the use of Images in Churches might be a means to stir up Devotion and that at least it would draw all People to frequent them the more for the great measure of her Councils was to unite the whole Nation into one way of Religion The Reformed Bishops and Divines opposed this vehemently they put all their Reasons in a long Writing which they gave her concerning it the Preface and Conclusion of which will be found in the Collection Coll. Numb 6. They protested they could not comply with that which as it was against their own Consciences so it would prove a Snare to the Ignorant they had often pressed the Queen in that Matter The Queen inclined to retain Images in Churches which it seems stuck long with her They prayed her not to be offended with that Liberty they took thus to lay their Reasons before her it being a thing which Christian Princes had at all times taken well from their Bishops They desired her to commit that Matter to the Decision of a Synod of Bishops and Divines and not to do such a thing meerly upon some Political Considerations which as it would offend many so it would reflect much on the Reign of her most Godly Brother and on those who had then removed all Images and had given their Lives afterwards for a Testimony to the Truth The substance of their Reasons Reasons brought against it which for their length I have not put in the Collection is That the second Commandment forbids the making of any Images as a resemblance of God And Deut. 27. there was a Curse pronounced on those who made an Image an abomination to the Lord and put it in a secret place which they expounded of some Sacraria in private Houses and Deut. 4. among the Cautions Moses gives to the People of Israel to beware of Idolatry this is one that they do not make an Image for the use of these does naturally degenerate into Idolatry The Jews were so sensible of this after the Captivity that they would die rather than suffer an Image to be put in their Temple The Book of Wisdom calls an Image A Snare for the feet of the Ignorant St. John charged those he writ to to beware of Idols So Tertullian said It was not enough to beware of Idolatry towards them but of the very Images themselves And as Moses had charged the People not to lay a stumbling-block in the way of the Blind so it was a much greater Sin to leave such a Trap for the weak Multitude This was not for Edification since it fed the Superstition of the Weak and Ignorant who would continue in their former dotage upon them and would alienate others from the Publick Worship So that between those that would separate from them if they were continued and the Multitude that would abuse them the number of those that would use them aright would be very inconsiderable The outward splendor of them would be apt to draw the minds of the Worshippers if not to direct Idolatry yet to staring and distraction of Thoughts Both Origen and Arnobius tell us That the Primitive Christians had no Images at all Ireneus accused the Gnosticks for carrying about the Image of Christ St. Austin commends Varro for saying that the old Romans worshipped God more chastly without the use of any Images Epiphanius tore a Veil with an Image on it and Serenus broke Images in Gregory the Great 's Time Valens and Theodosius made a Law against the Painting or Graving of the Image of Christ And the use of Images in the Eastern Churches brought those distractions on that Empire that laid it open to the Invasions of the Mahometans These Reasons prevailed with the Queen to put it into her Injunctions to have all Images removed out of the Church The Injunctions given by King Edward at his first coming to the Crown were all renewed with very little variation To these some things were added of which I shall give account The Heads of the Injunctions It was no where declared neither in the Scriptures nor by the Primitive Church that Priests might not have Wives upon which many in King Edward's Time had married Yet great offence was given by the indecent Marriages that some of them then made To prevent the like Scandals for
assurance of a great Army if it was necessary and charged the Lord Gray not to quit the Seige till the French were gone Ships were also sent to lye in the Frith to block them up by Sea The French apprehending the total loss of Scotland sent over Monluc Bishop of Valence to London to offer to restore Calais to the Queen of England if she would draw her Forces out of Scotland She gave him a quick Answer on the sudden her self that she did not value that Fish-Town so much as she did the quiet of Brittain But the French desiring that she could mediate a Peace between them and the Scots she undertook that and sent Secretary Cecil and D. Wotton into Scotland to conclude it As they were on the Way the Queen Regent died The Queen Regent of Scotland dies in the Castle of Edinburgh on the 10th of June She sent for some of the chief Lords before her Death and desired to be reconciled to them and asked them pardon for the Injuries she had done them She advised them to send both the French and English Souldiers out of Scotland and prayed them to continue in their Obedience to their Queen She also sent for one of their Preachers Willock and discoursed with him about her Soul and many other things and said unto him that she trusted to be saved only by the Death and Merits of Jesus Christ and so ended her Days which if she had done a Year sooner before these last Passages of her Life she had been the most universally lamented Queen that had been in any time in Scotland For she had governed them with great Prudence Justice and Gentleness and in her own Deportment and in the order of her Court she was an Example to the whole Nation but the Directions sent to her from France made her change her Measures break her Word and engage the Kingdom in War which rendred her very hateful to the Nation Yet she was often heard to say that if her Counsels might take place she doubted not to bring all things again to perfect Tranquillity and Peace The Treaty between England France and Scotland A Peace is concluded was soon after concluded The French were to be sent away within Twenty Days an Act of Oblivion was to be confirmed in Parliament the Injuries done to the Bishops and Abbots were referred to the Parliament Strangers and Church-men were no more to be trusted with the chief Offices a Parliament was to meet in August for the confirming of this During the Queen's absence the Nation was to be governed by a Council of Twelve of these the Queen was to name seven and the States five the Queen was neither to make Peace nor War but by the Advice of the Estates according to the Ancient Custom of the Kingdom The English were to return as soon as the French were gone and for the matter of Religion that was referred to the Parliament and some were to be sent from thence to the King and Queen to set forth thier desires to them and the Queen of Scotland was no more to use the Arms and Title of England All these Conditions were agreed to on the 8th of July and soon after both the French and English left the Kingdom In August thereafter the Parliament Reformation is setled in Scotland by Parliament met where four Acts passed one for the abolishing of the Pope's Power A second For the repealing of all Laws made in favour of the former Superstition A third For the punishing of those that said or heard Mass And the fourth was A Confirmation of the Confession of Faith which was afterwards ratified and inserted in the Acts of Parliament held Anno 1567. It was penned by Knox and agrees in almost all things with the Geneva Confession Of the whole Temporalty none but the Earl of Athol and the Lords Somervile and Borthick dissented to it They said they would believe as their Fathers had done before them The Spiritual Estate said nothing against it The Abbots struck in with the Tyde upon assurance that their Abbies should be converted to Temporal Lordships and be given to them Most of the Bishops seeing the Stream so strong against them complied likewise and to secure themselves and enrich their Friends or Bastards did dilapidate all the Revenues of the Church in the strangest manner that has ever been known and yet for most of all these Leases and Alienations they procured from Rome Bulls to confirm them pretending at that Court that they were necessary for making Friends to their Interest in Scotland Great numbers of these Bulls I my self have seen and read So that after all the noise that the Church of Rome had made of the Sacriledge in England they themselves confirmed a more entire waste of the Churches Patrimony in Scotland of which there was scarce any thing reserved for the Clergy But our Kings have since that time used such effectual endeavours there for the recovery of so much as might give a just encouragement to the Labours of the Clergy that universally the inferior Clergy is better provided for in no Nation than in Scotland for in Glebe and Tythes every Incumbent is by the Law provided with at least 50 l. Sterling a Year which in proportion to the cheapness of the Country is equal to twice so much in most parts of England But there are not among them such Provisions for encouraging the more Learned and deserving Men as were necessary When these Acts of the Scotish Parliament were brought into France to be confirmed they were rejected with much scorn so that the Scots were in fear of a new War Francis the 2d died But the King of France dying in the beginning of December all that Cloud vanished their Queen being now only Dowager of France and in very ill tearms with her Mother-in-Law Queen Katherine de Medici who hated her because she had endeavoured to take her Husband out of her Hands and to give him up wholly to the Counsels of her Uncles So she being ill used in France was forced to return to Scotland and govern there in such manner as the Nation was pleased to submit to Thus had the Queen of England separated Scotland entirely from the Interests of France and united it to her own And being engaged in the same Cause of Religion she ever after this had that influence on all Affairs there that she never received any disturbance from thence during all the rest of her glorious Reign In which other Accidents concurred to raise her to the greatest Advantages in deciding Forreign Contests that ever this Crown had In July after she came to the Crown Henry the Second of France The Civil Wars of France was unfortunately wounded in his Eye at a Tilting the Beaver of his Helmet not being let down so that he died of it soon after His Son Francis the Second succeeding was then in the 16th Year of his Age and assumed
removed and the Penalty of the refusal thereof turned only to disablement to take any Promotion or to exercise any Charge and yet of liberty to be reinvested therein if any Man should accept thereof during his Life But after when Pius Quintus excommunicated her Majesty and the Bulls of Excommunication were published in London whereby her Majesty was in a sort proscribed and that thereupon as upon a principal Motive or Preparative followed the Rebellion in the North yet because the ill Humours of the Realm were by that Rebellion partly purged and that she feared at that time no Foreign Invasion and much less the Attempt of any within the Realm not back'd by some potent Power and Succour from without she contented her self to make a Law against that special case of bringing in and publishing of any Bulls or the like Instruments Whereunto was added a Prohibition upon pain not of Treason but of an inferior degree of Punishment against the bringing of the Agnus Dei's and such other Merchandice of Rome as are well known not to be any essential part of the Romanish Religion but only to be used in practice as Love-Tokens to inchant and bewitch the peoples Affections from their Allegiance to their Natural Soveraign In all other Points her Majesty continued her former Lenity but when about the 20th Year of her Reign she had discovered in the King of Spain an intention to Invade her Dominions and that a principal part of the Plot was to prepare a Party within the Realm that might adhere to the Forreigner and that the Seminaries began to blossom and to send forth daily Priests and professed Men who should by Vow taken at Shrift reconcile her Subjects from their Obedience yea and bind many of them to attempt against her Majesty's Sacred Person and that by the Poison which they spread the Humours of most Papists were altered and that they were no more Papists in Conscience and of Softness but Papists in Faction Then were there new Laws made for the punishment of such as should submit themselves to such Reconcilements or Renunciation of Obedience And because it was a Treason carried in the Clouds and in wonderful secrecy and come seldom to light and that there was no presuspicion thereof so great as the Recusancy to come to Divine Service because it was set down by their Decrees that to come to Church before Reconciliation was to live in Schism but to come to Church after Reconcilement was absolutely heretical and damnable Therefore there were added Laws containing Punishment pecuniary videlicet such as might not enforce Consciences but to enfeeble and impoverish the means of those about whom it resteth indifferent and ambiguous whether they were reconciled or not and when notwithstanding all this Provision the Poison was dispersed so secretly as that there was no means to stay it but by restraining the Merchants that brought it in Then lastly There was added a Law whereby such seditious Priests of new Erection were exiled and those that were at that time within the Land shipped over and so commanded to keep hence upon pain of Treason This hath been the proceeding though intermingled not only with sundry Examples of her Majesty's Grace towards such as in her Wisdom she knew to be Papists in Conscience and not Faction and Singularity but also with extraordinary mitigation towards the Offenders in the highest Degree committed by Law if they would but protest that if in case this Realm should be invaded with a Forreign Army by the Pope's Authority for the Catholick Cause as they tearm it they would take part with her Majesty and not adhere to her Enemies For the other Party which have been offensive to the State though in another Degree which named themselves Reformers and we commonly call Puritans this hath been the proceeding towards them A great while when they enveighed against such Abuses in the Church as Pluralities Non-residence and the like their Zeal was not condemned only their Violence was sometime censured When they refused the use of some Ceremonies and Rites as Superstitious they were tolerated with much connivancy and gentleness yea when they called in question the superiority of Bishops and pretended to a Democracy into the Church yet their Propositions were here considered and by contrary Writings debated and discussed Yet all this while it was perceived that their Course was dangerous and very popular as because Papistry was odious theretofore it was ever in their Mouths that they sought to purge the Church from the Reliques of Papistry a thing acceptable to the people who love ever to run from one extream to another Because multitude of Rogues and Poverty was an Eye-sore and a dislike to every Man therefore they put into the peoples head that if Discipline were planted there should be no Vagabonds nor Beggars a thing very plausible and in like manner they promised the people many of the impossible Wonders of their Discipline besides they opened to the people a way to Government by their Consistory and Presbytery a thing though in consequence no less prejudicial to the Liberties of private Men than to the Soveraignty of Princes yet in first shew very popular Nevertheless this except it were in some few that entred into extream contempt was born with because they pretended in dutiful manner to make Propositions and to leave it to the Providence of God and the Authority of the Magistrate But now of late Years when there issued from them that affirmed the consent of the Magistrate was not to be attended when under pretence of a Confession to avoid Slander and Imputations they combined themselves by Classes and Subscriptions when they descended into that vile and base means of defacing the Government of the Church by ridiculous Pasquills when they begun to make many Subjects in doubt to take Oaths which is one of the Fundamental parts of Justice in this Land and in all Places when they began both to vaunt of their strength and number of their Partizans and Followers and to use Cominations that their Cause would prevaile though Uproar and Violence then it appeared to be no more Zeal no more Conscience but meer Faction and Division And therefore though the State were compelled to hold somewhat a harder hand to restrain them than before yet was it with as great moderation as the Peace of the State or Church could permit And therefore Sir to conclude consider uprightly of these Matters and you shall see her Majesty is no more a Temporizer in Religion It is not the Success Abroad nor the Change of Servants here at Home can alter her only as the things themselves alter she applyed her Religious Wisdom to Methods correspondent unto them still retaining the two Rules before mentioned in dealing tenderly with Consciences and yet in discovering Faction from Conscience and Softness from Singularity Farewel Your loving Friend F. Walsingham THUS I have prosecuted what I at first undertook the Progress of the
Bargain made with the Foulcare for about 60000 l. that in May and August should be payed for the defraying of it 1. That the Foulcare should put it off for 10 in the 100. 2. That I should buy 12000 Marks weight at 6 s. the ounce to be delivered at Antwerp and so conveyed over 3. I should pay 100000 Crowns for a very fair Jewel of his four Rubies marvelous big one Orient and great Diamond and one great Pearl 27. Mallet the Lady Mary's Chaplain apprehended and sent to the Tower of London 30. The Lord Marquess of Northampton appointed to go with the Order and further Commission of Treaty and that in Post having joined with him in Commission the Bishop of Ely Sir Philip Hobbey Sir William Pickering and Sir John Mason Knights and two other Lawyers Smith that was Secretary c. May. 2. There was appointed to go with my Lord Marquess the Earls of Rutland Worcester and Ormond the Lords Lisle Fitzwater and Bray Barguenny and divers other Gentlemen to the number of thirty in all 3. The Challenge at running at the Ring performed at the which first came the King sixteen Footmen and ten Horsemen in black Silk Coats pulled out with white Taffety then all the Lords having three Men likewise apparelled and all Gentlemen their Footmen in white Fustian pulled out with black Taffety The other side came all in yellow Taffety at length the yellow Band took it thrice in 120 courses and my Band touched often which was counted as nothing and took never which seemed very strange and so the Prize was of my Side lost After that Tournay followed between six of my Band and six of theirs 4. It was appointed that there should be but four Men to wait on every Earl that went with my Lord Marquess of Northampton three on every Lord two on every Knight or Gentleman Also that my Lord Marquess should in his Diet be allowed for the loss in his Exchange 5. The Muster of the Gendarmoury appointed to be the first of June if it were possible if not the 8th 6. The Testourn cried down from 12 d. to 9 d. and the Groat from 4 d. to 3 d. 9. One Stewart a Scotchman meaning to poison the young Queen of Scotland thinking thereby to get Favour here was after he had been a while in the Tower and Newgate delivered on my Frontiers at Calais to the French for to have him punished there according to his deserts 10. Divers Lords and Knights sent for to furnish the Court at the coming of the French Ambassadour that brought hither the Order of St. Michael 12. A Proclamation proclaimed to give warning to all those that keep any Farms multitudes of Sheep above the number limited in the Law viz. 2000 decayed Tenements and Towns Regratters Forestalling Men that sell dear having plenty enough and put Plough Ground to Pasture and Carriers over-Sea of Victual That if they leave not these Enormities they shall be streightly punished very shortly so that they should feel the smart of it and to command execution of Laws made for this purpose before 14. There mustered before Me an hundred Archers two Arrows apiece all of the Guard afterward shot together and they shot at an inch Board which some pierced quite and stuck in the other Board divers pierced it quite thorow with the Heads of their Arrows the Boards being very well-seasoned Timber So it was appointed there should be ordinarily 100 Archers and 100 Halbertiers either good Wrestlers or casters of the Bar or Leapers or Runners or tall Men of Personage 15. Sir Philip Hobbey departed toward France with ten Gentlemen of his own in Velvet Coats and Chains of Gold 16. Likewise did the Bishop of Ely depart with a Band of Men well furnished 20. A Proclamation made That whosoever found a Seditious Bill and did not tear and deface it should be a partaker of the Bill and punished as the Maker 21. My Lord Marquess of Northampton had Commission to deliver the Order and to treat of all things and chiefly of Marriage for Me to the Lady Elizabeth his Daughter First To have the Dote 12000 Marks a Year and the Dowry at least 800000 Crowns The Forfeiture 100000 Crowns at the most if I performed not and paying that to be delivered and that this should not impeach the former Covenants with Scotland with many other Branches 22. He departed himself in Post 24. An Earthquake was at Croidon and Blechinglee and in the most part of Surrey but no harm was done 30. Whereas before Commandment was given that 160000 l. should be Coined of three ounces in the Pound fine for discharge of Debts and to get some Treasure to be able to alter all now was it stopped saving only 80000 l. to discharge my Debts and 10000 Mark weight that the Foulcare delivered in the last Exchange at four ounces in the pound 31. The Musters defered till after Midsummer June 2. It was appointed that I should receive the Frenchmen that came hither at Westminster where was made preparation for the purpose and four garnish of new Vessels taken out of Church Stuff as Miters and Golden Missals and Primers and Crosses and Reliques of Plessay 4. Provision made in Flanders for Silver and Gold Plate and Chains to be given to these Strangers 7. A Proclamation set forth that Exchange or Re-exchange should be made under the Punishment set forth in King Henry the Seventh's Time duly to be executed 10. Monsieur Mareschal departed from the Court to Bulloigne in Post and so hither by Water in his Galleys and Foists In this Month and the Month before was great Business for the City of Parma which Duke * It should be Octavio Horatio had delivered to the French King for the Pope ascited him as holding it in capite of him whereby he could not alienate it without the Pope's Will but he came not at his Day for which cause the Pope and Imperialists raised 8000 Men and took a Castle on the same River side Also the French King sent Monsieur de Thermes who had been his General in Scotland with a great piece of his Gendarmory into Italy to help Duke Horatio Furthermore the Turks made great preparation for War which some feared would at length burst out 21. I was elected of the Company of St. Michael in France by the French King and his Order 13. Agreement made with the Scots for the Borders between the Commissioners aforesaid for both the Parties In this month Dragute a Pirat escaped Andrea Doria who had closed him in a Creek by force of his Galley-Slaves that digged another way into the Sea and took two of Andrea's Galleys that lay far into the Sea 14. Pardon given to those Irish Lords that would come in before a certain day limited by the Deputy with Advertisement to the Deputy to make sharp War with those that would resist and also should administer my Laws every-where 18. Because of my Charges in
Proceedings therein and in all things committed to our Charge shall be such as shall be able to answer the whole World both in honour and discharge of our Consciences And where your Grace writeth that the most part of the Realm through a naughty Liberty and Presumption are now brought into such a Division as if we Executors go not about to bring them to that stay that our late Master left them they will forsake all Obedience unless they have their own Will and Phantasies and then it must follow that the King shall not be well served and that all other Realms shall have us in an Obloquy and Derision and not without just cause Madam as these words written or spoken by you soundeth not well so can I not perswade my self that they have proceeded from the sincere mind of so vertuous and so wise a Lady but rather by the setting on and procurement of some uncharitable and malicious Persons of which sort there are too many in these days the more pity but yet we must not be so simple so to weigh and regard the Sayings of ill-disposed People and the Doings of other Realms and Countries as for that Report we should neglect our Duty to God and to our Soveraign Lord and Native Country for then we might be justly called evil Servants and Masters and thanks be given unto the Lord such hath been the King's Majesty's Proceedings our young Noble Master that now is that all his faithful Subjects have more cause to render their hearty thanks for the manifold Benefits shewed unto his Grace and to his People and Realm sithence the first day of his Reign until this hour than to be offended with it and thereby rather to judg and think that God who knoweth the Hearts of all Men is contented and pleased with his Ministers who seek nothing but the true Glory of God and the Surety of the King's Person with the Quietness and Wealth of his Subjects And where your Grace writeth also That there was a Godly Order and Quietness left by the King our late Master your Graces Father in this Realm at the time of his Death and that the Spiritualty and Temporalty of the whole Realm did not only without compulsion fully assent to his Doings and Proceedings specially in Matters of Religion but also in all kind of Talk whereof as your Grace wrote ye can partly be witness your self at which your Graces Sayings I do something marvel For if it may please you to call to your remembrance what great Labours Travels and Pains his Grace had before he could reform some of those stiff-necked Romanists or Papists yea and did not they cause his Subjects Rise and Rebel against him and constrained him to take the Sword in his hand not without danger to his Person and Realm Alas why should your Grace so shortly forget that great Outrage done by those Generations of Vipers unto his Noble Person only for God's Cause Did not some of the same ill kind also I mean that Romanist Sect as well with his own Realm as without conspire oftentimes his Death which was manifestly and oftentimes proved to the confusion of some of their privy Assisters Then was it not that all the Spiritualty nor yet the Temporalty did so fully assent to his Godly Orders as your Grace writeth of Did not his Grace also depart from this Life before he had fully finished such Orders as he minded to have established to all his People if death had not prevented him Is it not most true that no kind of Religion was perfected at his Death but left all uncertain most like to have brought us in Parties and Divisions if God had not only helpt us And doth your Grace think it convenient it should so remain God forbid What regret and sorrow our late Master had the time he saw he must depart for that he knew the Religion was not established as he purposed to have done I and others can be witness and testify and what he would have done further in it if he had lived a great many know and also I can testifie And doth your Grace who is learned and should know God's Word esteem true Religion and the knowledg of the Scriptures to be new-fangledness and fantasie For the Lord's sake turn the Leaf and look the other while upon the other side I mean with another Judgment which must pass by an humble Spirit through the Peace of the Living God who of his infinite Goodness and Mercy grant unto your Grace plenty thereof to the satisfying of your Soveraign and your most noble Hearts continual desire Number 16. Certain Petitions and Requests made by the Clergie of the Lower House of the Convocation to the most Reverend Father in God the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury his Grace and the residue of the Prelats of the Higher House for the furtherance of certain Articles following FIrst Ex M. S. Dr. Stillingfleet That Ecclesiastical Laws may be made and established in this Realm by thirty two Persons or so many as shall please the King's Majesty to name and appoint according to the effect of a late Statute made in 35th Year of the most noble King and of most famous Memory King Henry the 8th So that all Judges Ecclesiastical proceeding after those Laws may be without danger and peril Also that according to the Ancient Custom of this Realm and the Tenour of the King 's Writ for the summoning of the Parliament which be now and ever have been directed to the Bishops of every Diocess the Clergy of the Lower House of the Convocation may be adjoined and associate with the Lower House of the Parliament or else That all such Statutes and Ordinances as shall be made concerning all Matters of Religion and Causes Ecclesiastical may not pass without the sight and assent of the said Clergy Also that whereas by the Commandment of King Henry the 8th certain Prelats and learned Men were appointed to alter the Service in the Church and to devise other convenient and uniform Order therein Who according to the same Appointment did make certain Books as they be informed Their Request is That the said Books may be seen and perused by them for a better expedition of Divine Service to be set forth accordingly Also that Men being called to Spiritual Promotions or Benefices may have some Allowance for their necessary Living and other Charges to be sustained and born concerning the same Benefices in the first Year wherein they pay the first Fruits Whether the Clergy of the Convocation may liberally speak their Minds without danger of Statute or Law Number 17. A second Petition to the same purpose Ex M. S. Dr. Stillingfleet WHere the Clergy in this present Convocation assembled have made humble suit unto the most Reverend Father in God my Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and all the other Bishops That it may please them to be a Mean to the King's Majesty and Lord Protector 's Grace
Duke refuse to agree hereunto we must think him to remain in his naughty and detestable determination The Protectorship and Governance of your most Royal Person was not granted him by your Father's Will but only by agreement first amongst us the Executors and after of others Those Titles and special Trust was committed to him during Your Majesty's Pleasure and upon condition he should do all things by advice of Your Council Which condition because he hath so many times broken and notwithstanding the often speaking to without all hope of amendment we think him most unworthy those Honours or Trust Other particular things too many and too long to be written to Your Majesty at this time may at our next access to Your Royal Presence be more particularly opened consulted upon and moderated for the conservation of Your Majesty's Honour Surety and good Quiet of Your Realms and Dominions as may be thought most expedient Number 44. Letters from the Lords at London to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Sir William Paget c. MY Lords after our most hearty Commendations Ex Libro Concilii we have received your Letters by Mr. Hobbey and heard such Credence as he declared on the King's Majesty's and your behalfs unto us The Answers whereunto because they may at more length appear to you both by our Letters to the King's Majesty and by report also of the said Mr. Hobbey we forbear to repeat here again most heartily praying and requiring your Lordships and every of you and nevertheless charging and commanding you in the King's Majesty's Name to have a continual earnest watch respect and care to the surety of the King's Majesty our natural and most gracious Soveraign Lord's Person and that he be not removed from his Majesty's Castle of Windsor as you tender your Duties to Almighty God and his Majesty and as you will answer for the contrary at your uttermost perils We are moved to call earnestly upon you herein not without great cause and amongst many others we cannot but remember unto you That it appeareth very strange unto us and a great wonder unto all true Subjects that you will either assist or suffer his Majesty's most Royal Person to remain in the Guard of the Duke of Somerset's Men sequestred from his own old sworn Servants It seemeth strange that in his Majesty's own House Strangers should be armed with his Majesty's own Armour and be nearest about his Highness Person and those to whom the ordinary Charge is committed sequestred away so as they may not attend according to their sworn Duties If any ill come hereof you can consider to whom it must be imputed once the Example is very strange and perilous And now my Lords if you tender the preservation of his Majesty and the State join with us to that end we have written to the King's Majesty by which way things may soon be quietly and moderately compounded In the doing whereof we mind to do none otherwise than we would be done to and that with as much moderation and favour as honourably we may We trust none of you have just cause to note any one of us and much less all of such cruelty as you so many times make mention of One thing in your Letters we marvel much at which is that you write that you know more than we know If the Matters come to your knowledg and hidden from us be of such weight as you seem to pretend or if they touch or may touch his Majesty or the State we think you do not as you ought in that you have not disclosed the same unto us being the whole State of the Council And thus praying God to send you the Grace to do that may tend to the surety of the King's Majesty's Person and tranquility of the Realm we bid you heartily farewel c. Number 45. An Answer to the former Letter An Original Ex Libro Concilii IT may like your good Lordships with our most hearty Commendations to understand That this morning Sir Philip Hobbey hath according to the Charge given him by your Lordships presented your Letters to the King's Majesty in the presence of us and all the rest of his Majesty's good Servants here which was there read openly and also the others to them of the Chamber and of the Houshold much to their Comforts and ours also and according to the Tenours of the same we will not fail to endeavour our selves accordingly Now touching the marvel of your Lordships both of that we would suffer the Duke of Somerset's Men to guard the King's Majesty's Person and also of our often repeating this word Cruelty although we doubt not but that your Lordships have been throughly informed of our Estates here and upon what occasion the one hath been suffered and the other proceeded yet at our convening together which may be when and where pleaseth you we will and are able to make your Lordships such an account as wherewith we doubt not you will be satisfied if you think good to require it of us And for because this Bearer Master Hobbey can particularly inform your Lordships of the whole discourse of all things here we remit the report of all other things to him saving that we desire to be advertised with as much speed as you shall think good whether the King's Majesty shall come forthwith thither or remain still here and that some of your Lordships would take pains to come hither forthwith For the which purpose I the Comptroller will cause three of the best Chambers in the great Court to be hanged and made ready Thus thanking God that all things be so well acquieted we commit your Lordships to his tuition From Windsor the 10th of Octob. 1549. Your Lordships assured loving Friends T. Cant. William Paget T. Smith Number 46. Articles objected to the Duke of Somerset 1. THat he took upon him the Office of Protector upon express condition That he should do nothing in the King's Affairs but by assent of the late King's Executors or the greatest part of them 2. That contrary to this condition he did hinder Justice and subvert Laws of his own Authority as well by Letters as by other Command 3. That he caused divers Persons Arrested and Imprisoned for Treason Murder Man-slaughter and Felony to be discharged against the Laws and Statutes of the Realm 4. That he appointed Lieutenants for Armies and other Officers for the weighty Affairs of the King under his own Writing and Seal 5. That he communed with Ambassadors of other Realms alone of the weighty Matters of the Realm 6. That he would taunt and reprove divers of the King 's most honourable Councellors for declaring their Advice in the King 's weighty Affairs against his Opinion sometimes telling them that they were not worthy to sit in Council and sometimes that he â—eed not to open weighty Matters to them and that if they were not agreeable to his Opinion he would discharge them 7.
you shall find any Person stubborn or disobedient in not bringing in the said Books according to the tenour of these our Letters that then ye commit the said Person to Ward unto such time as you have certified us of his misbehaviour And we will and command you that you also search or cause search to be made from time to time whether any Book be withdrawn or hid contrary to the tenour of these our Letters and the same Book to receive into your Hands and to use all in these our Letters we have appointed And further whereas it is come unto our knowledg that divers froward and obstinate Persons do refuse to pay towards the finding of Bread and Wine for the Holy Communion according to the Order prescribed in the said Book by reason whereof the Holy Communion is many times omitted upon the Sunday These are to will and command you to convent such obstinate Persons before you and then to admonish and command to keep the Order prescribed in the said Book and if any shall refuse so to do to punish them by Suspension Excommunication or other Censures of the Church Fail you not thus to do as you will avoid our Displeasure Westminst Decemb. 25. Regni tertio Thom. Cantuarien Rich. Chanc. Will. St. John J. Russel H. Dorset W. Northampton Number 48. Cardinal Woolsey's Letters to Rome for procuring the Popedom to himself upon Pope Adrian's death Ex MS. Col. Cor. C. Cant. MY Lord of Bath Mr. Secretary and Mr. Hannibal I commend me unto you in my right hearty manner letting you wit That by Letters lately sent unto me from you my Lord of Bath and Mr. Hannibal dated at Rome the 14th day of September Which Letters I incontinently shewed unto the King's Grace his Highness And I have been advertised to our great discomfort That the said 14th day it pleased Almighty God to call the Pope's Holiness unto his Infinite Mercy whose Soul Jesu pardon News certainly unto the King's Grace and to me right heavy and for the universal weal or quiet of Christendom whereunto his Holiness like a devout and virtuous Father of Holy Church was very studious much displeasant and contrarious Nevertheless conforming our selves to the Pleasure of Almighty God to whose Calling we all must be obedient the Mind and Intention of the King's Highness and of me both is to put some helps and furtherances as much as conveniently may be that such a Successor unto him may now by the Holy College of Cardinals be named and elected as may with God's Grace perform atchieve and fulfil the good and vertuous Purposes and Intents concerning the Pacification of Christendom whereunto our said late Holy Father as much as the brevity of the time did suffer was as it should seem minded and inclined which thing how necessary it is to the state of Christs Religion now daily more and more declining it is facil and easie to be consider'd and surely amongst other Christian Princes there is none which as ye heretofore have perfectly understood that to this purpose more dedicated themselves to give Furtherance Advice and Counsel than the Emperor and the King's Grace who as well before the time of the last Vacation as sithence by Mouth and by Letters with Report of Ambassadors and otherwise had many sundry Conferences Communications and Devices in that behalf In which it hath pleased them far above my merits or deserts of their goodness to think judg and esteem me to be meet and able for to aspire unto that Dignity persuading exhorting and desiring me that whensoever opportunity should be given I should hearken to their Advice Counsel and Opinion in that behalf and offering unto me to interpone their Authorities Helps and Furtherances therein to the uttermost In comprobation whereof albeit the Emperor now being far distant from these Parts could not nor might in so brief time give unto the King's Grace new or fresh confirmation of his Purpose Desire and Intent herein Yet nevertheless my Lady Margaret knowing the inclination of his mind in this same hath by a long discourse made unto me semblable Exhortation offering as well on the Emperor's behalf as on her own that as much shall by them be done to the furtherance thereof as may be possible Besides this both by your Letters and also by particular most loving Letters of the Cardinal 's de Medicis Sanctorum Quatuor Campegius with credence show'd unto me on their behalf by their Folks here resident I perceive their good and fast minds which they and divers other their Friends owe unto me in that matter And finally the King's Highness doth not cease by all the gracious and comfortable means possible to insist that I for manifold notable urgent and great respects in any wise shall consent that his Grace and the Emperor do set forth the thing with their best manner The Circumstances of whose most entire and most firm mind thereunto with their bounteous godly and beneficial Offers for the Weal of Christendom which his Grace maketh to me herein is too long to rehearse For which Causes albeit I know my self far unmeet and unable to so high a Dignity minding rather to live and die with his Grace in this his Realm doing Honour Service Good or Pleasure to the same than now mine old days approaching to enter into new things yet nevertheless for the great zeal and perfect mind which I have to the exaltation of the Christian Faith the honour weal and surety of the King's Grace and the Emperor and to do my Duty both to Almighty God and to the World I referring every thing to God's disposition and pleasure shall not pretermit to declare unto you such things as the King's Highness hath specially willed me to signify unto you on his Grace's behalf who most effectually willeth and desireth you to set forth the same omitting nothing that may be to the furtherance thereof as his special trust is in you First Ye shall understand that the mind and entire desire of his Highness above all earthly things is That I should attain to the said Dignity having his perfect and firm hope that of the same shall ensue and that in brief time a general and universal Repose Tranquillity and Quietness in Christendom and as great Renown Honour Profit and Reputation to this Realm as ever was besides the singular comfort and rejoice that the King's Grace with all his Friends and Subjects should take thereof who might be well assured thereby to compone and order their great Causes and Affairs to their high Benefit Commodity and most Advantage For this and other great and urgent Causes the Pleasure of his Highness is That like-as ye my Lord of Bath and Mr. Hannibal have right prudently and discreetly begun so ye all or as many of you as be present in the Court of Rome and continue your Practices Overtures Motions and Labours to bring and conduce this the King 's inward Desire to perfect end
and effect And because it is not to be doubted but that before the receipt of these my Letters ye having former Instructions shall have far entred your Devices in this Matter wherein the King's Grace trusteth ye do lose no time or opportunity that possibly may be had I shall therefore briefly and compendiously touch such this things as the King's Highness would ye should substantially note in this behalf One is That albeit ye both before and also now know the King's mind and desire herein as is aforesaid taking that for your Foundation yet nevertheless forasmuch as it appeareth by your said Letters and otherwise that the Cardinal de Medicis whose preferment if this may not be had both the King's Grace and I tendereth above all other mindeth to experiment what may be done for himself great policy and dexterity is in your Labours and Communications to be used so that ye may first by great ensearch and enquiry perfectly understand as nigh as may be the Disposition Mind Affection and Inclination as well of the said Cardinal de Medicis as of all the residue if it be possible which thing well known well ponder'd and consider'd ye shall thereby have a great light to the residue of your Business wherein always ye must so order your selves that the Matter appearing unto you much doubtful and uncertain your particular practices the desired Intent peradventure failing shall not be cause of displeasure or unkindness to be noted by any that may be elected and for your introduction herein the King's Grace sendeth unto you at this time two Commissions under his great Seal the one couch'd under general words without making mention of any particular Person and in the other his Highness hath made mention of me by special Name Besides that ye shall receive herewith two Letters from his Grace to the College of Cardinals with the Copies of the same the one in special recommendation of me and the other in favour of the Cardinal de Medicis beside such other particular Letters in my recommendation to certain Cardinals and other as by the Copies of them herewith enclosed ye shall now perceive After the receipt thereof if the Cardinals before that time shall not be entred into the Conclave ye taking your Commodity as by your Wisdom shall be thought most expedient shall deliver unto the Cardinal de Medicis the King's Letters and mine to him addressed shewing unto him with as good words and manner as ye can that for his great Virtue Wisdom Experience and other commendable Merits with the entire love and favour which the King's Grace and I bear unto him thinking and reputing him most meet and able to aspire unto the Papal Dignity before all other Ye have Commandment Commission and Instruction specially and most tenderly to recommend him unto the whole College of Cardinals having also the King 's and my Letters to them in his favour upon which Declaration ye shall perceive his Answer to be made unto you in that behalf whereupon and by knowledg of the Disposition of the Residue ye may perceive how to govern your selves in the delivery of the rest of your said Letters for in case it may evidently appear unto you that any of the Cardinals to whom the King's Letters be directed have firmly establish'd their minds upon the said Cardinal de Medices the more circumspection is to be used with any such in the delivery to him of the King's Letters and overture of the secretness of your minds touching me considering that if the King's Intent might in no wise take effect for me his Grace would before all other advance and further the said Cardinal de Medicis Nevertheless if either by his Answer to be made unto you or by other good knowledg ye shall perceive that he hath so many Enemies herein that of likelihood he cannot attain the same ye may be the more bold to feel his mind how he is inclin'd towards me saying as indeed the King's Grace hath written unto him That in case he should fail thereof the King's Highness would insist as much as to his Grace were possible for me which ye may say were in manner one thing considering that both the Cardinal de Medices and I bear one mind zeal and study to the Weal and Quiet of Christendom the Increase and Surety of Italy the Benefit and Advancement of the Emperor's and the King's Majesty's Causes and I being Pope he in a manner whom I above all Men love trust and esteem were Pope being sure to have every thing according to his mind and desire and as much Honour to be put unto him his Friends and Family as might be devised in such wise That by these and other good words and demonstrations ye may make him sure as I think he be that failing for himself he with all his Friends do their best for me and seeing no likelihood for him ye may then right-well proceed to your particular labour and practices for me delivering the King's Letters both to the College of Cardinals and to the other apart as ye shall see the case then to require and solliciting them by secret labours alleadging and declaring unto them my poor Qualities and how I having so great experience of the Causes of Christendom with the entire Favour which the Emperor and the King's Grace bear unto me the knowledg also and deep Acquaintance of other Princes and of their great Affairs the studious mind that I have ever been in both to the Surety and Weal of Italy and also to the Quiet and Tranquility of Christendom not lacking thanked be God either Substance or Liberality to look largely upon my Friends besides the sundry great Promotions which by election of me should be vacant to be disposed unto such of the said Cardinals as by their true and fast Friendship had deserved the same the loving Familiarity also which they should find in me and that of my Nature I am not in great disposed to rigour or austereness but can be contented thanked be God frankly pleasantly and courteously to participate dispose and bestow such things as I have or shall come to my disposition not having any such Faction Family or Kinsman to whom I might shew any partiality in bestowing the Promotions and Goods of the Church and which is highest to be regarded that is likely and in manner sure that by my means not only Italy shall be put in perfect surety for ever but also a final rest peace and quiet now most necessary established betwixt all Christian Princes whereupon the greatest and most notable Expedition might be made against the Infidels that hath been heard of many Years For the King's Highness in that case would be contented and hath fully promised God willing to come in Person when God shall send time unto Rome whither also I should not doubt to bring many more of the Christian Princes being determined if God should send me such Grace to expone mine own Person in
in all things with Authority sufficient to execute Justice as well in Causes Criminal as in Matters of Controversy between Party and Party his Majesty hath commanded and appointed two Commissions to be made out under his Grace's Great Seal of England by virtue whereof they shall have full Power and Authority in either Case to proceed as the Matter occurrent shall require And for the more speedy expedition to be used in all causes of Justice his Majesty's Pleasure is That the said Lord President and Council shall cause every Complainant and Defendant that shall have to do before them to put and declare their whole Matter in their Bill of Complaint and Answer without Replication Rejoinder or other Plea or Delay to be had or used therein which Order the said L. President and Council shall manifest unto all such as shall be Councellors in any Matter to be intreated and defined before them charging and commanding the said Councellors and Pleaders to observe this Order upon such Penalties as they shall think convenient as they will eschew the danger of the same and not in any ways to break it without the special License of the said Lord President and that only in some special Causes And further his Highness by these Presents doth give full Power and Authority to the said Lord President and Council as well to punish such Persons as in any thing shall neglect contemn or disobey their Commandments or the Process of the Council as all other that shall speak seditious Words invent Rumors or commit such-like Offences not being Treason whereof any Inconvenience might grow by Pillory cutting their Ears wearing of Papers Imprisonment or otherwise at their Discretions And the said L. President and Council at their discretions shall appoint Counsellors and other Requisites to poor Suitors having no Mony without paying Fees or other things for the same And his Highness giveth full Power and Authority to the said L. President Council being with him or four of them at the least whereof the said L. President Sir John Hind Sir Edmond Molineux Sir Robert Bowes Sir Leonard Becquith Sir Anthony Nevill Sir Thomas Gargrave Knights Robert Mennell and Robert Chaloner to be two with the Lord President to assess Fines of all Persons that shall be convict or indicted of any Riot how many soever they be in number unless the Matter of such Riot shall be thought unto them of such importance as the same shall be meet to be signified unto his Majesty to be punished in such sort by the Order of his Council attending upon his Grace's Person as the same may be noted for an Example to others And his Grace giveth full Power and Authority to the said Lord President and Council or four of them at the least whereof the Lord President and two others bound to continual Attendance to be three to Award and Assess Costs and Dammages as well to the Plaintiffs as to the Defendants by their discretions and to award execution of their Decrees and Orders and to punish the breakers of the same being Parties thereunto by their discretions All which Decrees and Orders the Secretary shall be bound incontinently upon the promulgation of the same to write or cause to be written in one fair Book which shall remain in the hands and custody of the said Lord President And to the intent it may appear to all Persons there what Fees shall be paid and taken for all Processes and Writings to be used by the said Council his Majesty therefore appointeth that there shall be a Table affixed in every place where the said Lord President and Council shall sit at any Sessions and a like Table to hang openly that all Men may see it in the Office where the said Secretary and the Clerks shall commonly sit and expedite the said Writings wherein shall be declared what shall be paid for the same That is to say For every Recognisance wherein one alone or more standeth bounden 12 d. for the cancelling of every like Recognisance 12 d. For the entring of every Decree 6 d. for the Copy of the same if it be asked 6 d. For every Letter Commission Attachment or other Precept or Process sent to any Person 4 d. For every Dismission before the said Council if it be asked 4 d. For the Copies of Bills and Answers and other Pleas for every ten lines reasonably writ 1 d. for the Examination of every Witness 4 d. And his Grace's Pleasure is That the Examination of Witnesses produced in Matters before the said Council shall be examined by such discreet Person and Persons as shall be thought convenient and meet by the said Lord President and two of the said Council bound to continual Attendance and that the said Lord President with such-like two of the said Council shall reform appoint and allow such Persons to write Bills Answers Copies or other Process in that Court as they shall think convenient over and beside the said Secretary and his two Clerks which Clerks also the said Lord President and Council shall reform and correct as they shall have cause and occasion In which Reformation and Appointments the said Lord President shall have a Voice Negative And for the more certain and brief determination of Matters in those parts his Majesty by these Presents ordaineth that the said Lord President and Council shall keep four general Sittings or Sessions in the Year every of them to continue by the space of one whole Month whereof one to be at York another at Kingston upon Hull one at New-Castle and another at Duresme within the limits whereof the Matters rising there shall be ordered and decreed if they conveniently so may be And they shall in every of the same Places keep one Goal Delivery before their departure from thence his Grace nevertheless referring it to their Discretions to take and appoint such other Place and Places for their said four general Sittings as they or the said Lord President with three of the Council bounden to continual Attendance shall think most convenient for the time and purpose so that they keep the full term of one Month in every such place if they may in any wise conveniently so do And forsomuch as a great number of his Majesty's Tenants and Farmers have been heretofore retained with sundry Persons by Wages Livery Badg or Connysance by reason whereof when his Grace should have had service of them they were rather at Commandment of other Men than according to their Duties of Allegiance of his Highness of whom they have their Livings his Majesty's Pleasure and express Commandment is That none of his said Council nor others shall by any means retain or entertain any of his Graces Tenants or Farmers in such sort as they or any of them should account themselves bounden to do him or them any other Service than as to his Highness Officers having Office or being appointed in Service there unless the same Farmers and Tenants be continually
attendant in the House of him that shall retain them And the said Lord President and Council shall in every their General Sittings give special notice and charge That no Nobleman nor other shall retain any of the said Tenants and Farmers otherwise than is aforesaid Charging also the said Farmers and Tenants upon pain of the forfeiture of their Farms and Holds and incurring of his Majesty's further Displeasure and Indignation in no wise to agree to any such Retainers other than is before-said but wholly to depend upon his Highness and upon such as his Highness hath or shall appoint to be Officers Rulers or Directors over them And his Grace's Pleasure further is That in every such Sitting and in all other Places where the said Lord President and Council shall have any notable Assemblies before them they shall give strait Charge and Commandment to the People to conform themselves in all things to the observation of such Laws Ordinances and Determinations as be made passed and agreed upon by his Grace's Parliament touching Religion and the most Godly Service set forth in their own Mother Tongue for their Comforts And likewise to the Laws touching the abolishing of the usurped and pretended Power of the Bishop of Rome whose Abuses they shall so beat into their Heads by continual inculcation as they may smell and understand the same and may perceive the same to be declared with their Hearts and not with their Tongues only for a form And likewise they shall declare the Order and Determination taken and agreed upon for the Abrogation of certain vain Holy Days being appointed by the Bishop of Rome to blind the World and to persuade the same that they might make Saints at their pleasures and thereby through idleness do give occasion of the increase of many and great Vices and Inconveniences which Points his Majesty doth earnestly require and straitly commmand the said Lord President and Council to set forth with all dexterity and to punish extreamly for example all Offenders in the same And his Majesty willeth the said Council as he doubteth not but they will most earnestly set forth all such other Things and Matters as for the confirmation of the People in those Matters and other the King's Majesty's Proceedings and things convenient to be remembred be or shall be set forth or devised and sent unto them for that purpose Further his Highness Pleasure is That the said Lord President and Council shall from time to time make diligent inquisition of the wrongful taking in and inclosing of Commons and other Grounds and who be extream therein and in taking and exacting of unreasonable Fines and Gressomes and overing or raising of Rents and to call the Parties that have so evil used themselves therein before them and leaving all Respects and Affections apart they shall take such order for the Redresses of Enormities used in the same as the poor People be not oppressed but that they may live after their Sorts and Qualities And if it shall chance that the said Lord President and Council shall vary in Opinion either in the Law or for any Order to be taken in any Matter or Fact before them if the case be of very great Weight and Importance then the Opinion of the greater or more part of the number of Counsellors appointed to give continual attendance shall take place and determine the Doubt and if they be of like like number of Counsellors bounden to continual Attendance then that Party whereunto the Lord President shall give his Assent shall be followed and take place And if the Case and Matter be of great Importance and the Question of the Law then the Lord President and Council shall signify the Case and Matter to the Judges at Westminster who shall with diligence advertise them again of their Opinions therein And if the Matter be of great Importance and an Order to be taken upon the Fact then the said Lord President and Council attendant upon his Person upon the same whereupon they shall have knowledg again how to use themselves in that behalf And the said Lord President and Council shall take special regard upon complaint of Spoil Extortions or Oppressions to examine the same speedily that the Party grieved may have due and undelayed Remedy and Restitution And for want of Ability in the Offenders thereunto they to be punished to the Example of others And if any Man of what degree soever he be shall upon a good lawful and reasonable Cause or Matter and so appearing to the Lord President and Council by Information or otherwise demand Surety of Peace or Justice against any great Lord or Nobleman of that Country the said Lord President and Council shall in that case grant the Petition of the poorest Man against the richest or greatest Lord being of the Council or no as they should grant the same being lawfully asked against Men of the meanest sort degree and behaviour And forasmuch as it may chance the said Lord President to be sometime diseased that he shall not be able to travel for the direction of such Matters as then shall occur or to be called to the Parliament or otherwise to be imploied in the King's Majesty's Affairs or about other Business for good Reformation or Order within his Rule or for other reasonable cause by his discretion To the intent therefore that the said Council may be and remain ever full and perfect and that they may be at all times in the same one Person to direct and use all things in such and the same order sort and form as the said Lord President should and might do by virtue of the afore-said's Commissions and these Instructions his Majesty's Pleasure is That when the said Lord President shall be so diseased absent or letted as is before-said that he cannot conveniently supply his room himself that then he shall name and appoint one of the said Commissioners being appointed to give continual attendance to supply his Room for that season during his said Disease Absence or Lett and shall deliver the Signet to the Person so appointed to keep during the same time And the King's Highness during the same time giveth unto the said Person so appointed the Name of Vice-President which Name nevertheless he shall no longer continue than during the time that the said Lord President shall so be sick absent or letted as is before-said And his Majesty's Pleasure is That for the time only that any of the said Council as is before-said shall occupy the said Room and Place as a Vice-President that all the rest of the Council shall in all things use him in like sort and with like reverence as they be bound by those Injunctions to use the Lord President himself whereunto his Grace doubteth not but every of them will conform themselves accordingly And further his Majesty by these Presents giveth full Power and Authority to the said Lord President and Council That when the Condition of any Recognisance
clam Autographum surripuerat 5. Septemb. Anno Dom. 1553. Number 9. The Conclusion of Cardinal Pool's Instructions to Mr. Goldwell sent by him to the Queen An Original Cotton Libr. Titus B. 2. FOr the conclusion of all that is comprised in your Instruction as that the which containeth the whole Sum of my poor Advice and Counsel it pleaseth her Grace to ask of me you shall say That my most humble desire is that in all deliberation her Grace shall make touching the maintenance of her State the same will ever well ponder and consider what the Providence of God hath shewed therein above that which hath been shewed in her Predecessors Kings of this Realm in this one Point which is to have the Crown not only as a King's Daughter and Heir but hath ordered that this Point of right Inheritance shall depend as it doth of the Authority he hath given to his Church and of the See of Rome which is the See Apostolick approving her Mother to be Legitimate Wife of King Henry the Eighth whereby she is bound afore God and Man as she will show her self the very Daughter of the said King Henry the Eighth right Heir of the Crown so also to show her self right Daughter of the Church and of them that be resident in the See Apostolick who be the right Heirs of Peter to whom and his Successors Christ chief Head of the Church in Heaven and in Earth hath given in Earth to bear his Place touching the Rule of the same Church and to have the Crown thereof which well considered and pondered her Grace shall soon see how in her Person the Providence of God hath joined the Right she hath by her Father in the Realm with the Right of the Church that she cannot prevail by the one except she join the other withal and they that will separate these two take away not only half her Right but her whole Right being not so much Heir because she is King Henry's only Daughter without Issue Male as she is his lawful Daughter which she hath by the Authority of the Church Which thing prudently and godly considered she cannot but see what faithful counsel this is That above all Acts that in this Parliament shall be made doth advertise her Grace to establish that the which pertaineth to the establishing of the Authority of the Church and the See of the same what rendering to him that is right Successor to Peter therein his right Title of Head in the Church in Earth without the which she cannot be right Head in the Realm and this established all Controversy is taken away and who will repine unto this he doth repine unto her right of the Crown Wherefore this is my first Advice That this Point above all other should be entreated and enacted in the Parliament and so I know her Graces full mind was and is that it should be But she feareth Difficulties and hereupon dependeth that her Grace asketh my poor Advice how these Difficulties may be taken away Unto this you may say That they must be taken away by the help of him that by his high Providence above Man's expectance hath given her already the Crown Which will have as well this second Act known of the maintainance thereof to depend of him as the first in attaining thereto And to have his help the mean is by humble Prayer wherein I would advertise her Highness not only to give her self to Prayer but also by Alms to the needy excitate the Minds of others to Prayer these be the means of most efficacy and with this to take that ardent Mind to establish the Authority of the Church casting away all fear of Man that she to be to have her Crown and not so much for her own sake as for the Honour of God which gave her the Crown And if any Difficulty should be feared in the Parliament herein leave the honour to take away the difficulty thereof to none other but assume that person to her self as most bound thereto and to propone that her self which I would trust to be of that efficacy that if inwardly any Man will repugn outwardly the Reasons be so evident for this part that joined with the Authority of her Person being proponent none will be so hardy temerarious nor impious that will resist And if in this deliberation it should seem strange to put forth these Matters in the Parliament as I have said in the Instructions without communicating the same with any of her Council I would think it well her Grace might confer it with two of the chiefest that be counted of the People most near her favour one Spiritual and another Temporal with declaring to them first how touching her Conscience afore God and her Right afore the World she can never be quiet until this Matter be stablished touching the Authority of the Church requiring their uttermost help in that as if she should fight for the Crown her Majesty may be sure she putting the same forth with that earnest manner they will not lack to serve her and they may serve quietly in the Parliament after her Grace hath spoken to prosecute and justify the same with efficacy of words to give all others example to follow her Grace leaving this part unto them That if the Name of Obedience to the Pope should seem to bring as it were a Yoke to the Realm or any other kind of servitude beside that it should be profitable to the Realm both afore God and Man that her Grace that bringeth it in again will never suffer it nor the Pope himself requireth no such thing And herein also that they say That my Person being the Mean to bring it in would never agree to be an Instrument thereof if I thought any thraldom should come thereby they shall never be deceived of me And if they would say beside I would never have taken this Enterprize upon me except I thought by the same to bring great Comfort to the Country wherein the Pope's Authority being accepted I would trust should be so used that it might be an Example of Comfort not only to that Country but to all other that hath rejected it afore and for that cause hath been ever since in great misery This is the sum of all my poor Advice at this time in this Case whereof I beseech Almighty God so much may take effect as shall be to his Honour and Wealth to her Grace and the whole Realm besides Amen Number 10. A Copy of a Letter with Articles sent from the Queens Majesty unto the Bishop of London and by him and his Officers at her gracious Commandment to be put in speedy execution with effect in the whole Diocess as well in places exempt as not exempt whatsoever according to the Tenour and Form of the same Sent by the Queen's Majesty's Commandment in the Month of March Anno Dom. 1553. By the QUEEN RIght Reverend Father in God Right trusty and well-beloved We
greet you well And whereas heretofore in the time of the late Reign of Our most dearest Brother King Edward the Sixth whose Soul God pardon divers notable Crimes Excesses and Faults with divers kinds of Heresies Simony Advoutry and other Enormities have been committed within this our Realm and other our Dominions the same continuing yet hitherto in like disorder since the beginning of our Reign without any correction or reformation at all and the People both of the Laity and Clery and chiefly of the Clergy have been given to much insolence and ungodliness greatly to the displeasure of Almighty God and very much to Our regret and evil contentation and to the slander of other Christian Realms and in a manner to the subversion and clear defaceing of this our Realm And remembring our Duty to Almighty God to be to foresee as much as in Us may be that all Vertue and Godly Living should be embraced flourish and encrease And therewith also that all vice and ungodly behaviour should be utterly banished and put away or at the least wise so nigh as might be so bridled and kept under that Godliness and Honesty might have the over-hand understanding by very credible report and publique fame to Our no small heaviness and discomfort that within your Diocess as well in not exempted as in exempted Places the like disorder and evil behaviour hath been done and used like also to continue and encrease unless due provision be had and made to reform the same which earnestly in very deed We do mind and intend to the uttermost all the ways We can possible trusting of God's furtherance and help in that behalf For these Causes and other most just Considerations us moving We send unto you certain Articles of such special Matter as among other things be most special and necessary to be now put in execution by you and your Officers extending to them by Us desired and the Reformation aforesaid wherein ye shall be charg'd with Our special Commandments by these our Letters to the intent you and your Officers may the more earnestly and boldly proceed thereunto without fear of any presumption to be noted on your part or danger to be incurred of any such our Laws as by your doings of that is in the said Articles contain'd might any wise grieve you whatsoever be threatned in any such Case and therefore we straitly charge and command you and your said Officers to proceed to the execution of the said Articles without all tract and delay as ye will answer to the contrary Given under our Hand at our Palace of Westminster the 4th day of March the first Year of our Reign ARTICLES 1. THat every Bishop and his Officers with all other having Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction shall with all speed and diligence and all manner and ways to them possible put in execution all such Canons and Ecclesiasticall Laws heretofore in the time of King Henry the 8th used within this Realm of England and the Dominions of the same not being direct and expresly contrary to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm 2. Item That no Bishop or any his Officer or other Person aforesaid hereafter in any of their Ecclesiastical Writings in Process or other extra-judicial Acts do use to put in this Clause or Sentence Regia Auctoritate fulcitus 3. Item That no Bishop or any his Officers or other Person aforesaid do hereafter exact or demand in the admission of any Person to any Ecclesiastical Promotion Orders or Office any Oath touching the Primacy or Succession as of late in few Years passed hath been accustomed and used 4. Item That every Bishop and his Officers with all other Persons aforesaid have a vigilant eye and use special diligence and foresight that no Person be admitted or received to any Ecclesiastical Function Benefit or Office being a Sacramentary infected or defamed with any notable kind of Heresy or other great Crime and that the said Bishop do stay and cause to be staied as much as lieth in him that Benefices and Ecclesiastical Promotions do not notably decay or take hinderance by passing or confirming of unreasonable Leases 5. Item That every Bishop and all other Persons aforesaid do diligently travel for the repressing of Heresies and notable Crimes especially in the Clergy duly correcting and punishing the same 6. Item That every Bishop and all other Persons aforesaid do likewise travel for the condemning and repressing of corrupt and naughty Opinions unlawful Books Ballads and other pernicious and hurtful devices engendring hatred among the People and discord amongst the same And that School-masters Preachers and Teachers do exercise and used their Offices and Duties without Teaching Preaching or setting forth any evil corrupt Doctrine and that doing the contrary they may be by the Bishop and his said Officers punish'd and remov'd 7. Item That every Bishop and all the other Persons aforesaid proceeding summarily and with all celerity and speed may and shall deprive or declare depriv'd and amove according to their learning and discretion all such Persons from their Benefices and Ecclesiastical Promotions who contrary to the state of their Order and the laudable Custom of the Church have married and used Women as their Wives or otherwise notably and slanderously disordered or abused themselves sequestring also during the said Process the Fruits and Profits of the said Benefits and Ecclesiastical Promotions 8. Item That the said Bishop and all other Persons aforesaid do use more lenity and clemency with such as have married whose Wives be dead than with other whose Women do yet remain in Life And likewise such Priests as with the consents of their Wives or Women openly in the presence of the Bishop do profess to abstain to be used the more favourably in which Case after Penance effectually done the Bishop according to his discretion and wisdom may upon just consideration receive and admit them again to their former Administration so it be not in the same Place appointing them such a Portion to live upon to be paid out of their Benefice whereof they be depriv'd by discretion of the said Bishop or his Officers shall think may be spared of the said Benefice 9. Item That every Bishop and all Persons aforesaid do foresee That they suffer not any Religious Man having solemnly profest Chastity to continue with his Woman or Wife but that all such Persons after deprivation of their Benefice or Ecclesiastical Promotion be also divorced every one from his said Woman and due punishment otherwise taken for the Offence therein 10. Item That every Bishop and all other Persons aforesaid do take Order and Direction with the Parishoners of every Benefice where Priests do want to repair to the next Parish for Divine Service or to appoint for a convenient time till other better Provision may be made one Curat to serve Alternis Vicibus in divers Parishes and to allot to the said Curat for his Labour some portion of the Benefice that he so
you four three or two of you full Power and Authority to call before you if ye shall think so good the said John Tailour John Hooper and John Harley and every of them And thereupon either by Order of the Ecclesiastical Laws or of the Laws of our Realm or of both proceed to the declaring the said Bishopricks to be void as they be already indeed void To the intent some such other meet Personages may be elected thereunto as for their godly Life Learning and Sobriety may be thought worthy the Places In Witness c. Apud Westm 15 die Martii Number 13. Bonner's Certificate that Bishop Scory had put away his Wife Regist Bonn. Fol. 347. EDmundus permissione Divina London Episcopus Universis singulis Christi fidelibus ad quos praesentes literae nostrae testimoniales pervenerint ac eis praesertum quos infra scripta tangunt seu tangere poterint quomodolibet in futurum salutem in Auctore salutis fidem indubiam praesentibus adhibere Quia boni Pastoris officium tunc nos rite exequi arbitramur cum ad exemplar Christi errantes oves ad caulam dominici gregis reducimus Ecclesiae Christi quae redeunti gremium non claudit restituimus quia dilectus Confrater noster Joannes nuper Cicestrien Episcopus in Dioc. jurisdictione nostris London ad praesens residentiam moram faciens qui olim laxatis Pudicitiae castitatis habenis contra Sacros Canones Sanctorum Patrum decreta ad illicitas prohibitas convolavit nuptias se ea ratione non solum Ecclesiastic Sacrament pertractand omnino indignum verum etiam a publica officii sui pastoralis functione privatum suspensum reddens transactae licentiosae vitae valde poenitentem deplorantem plurimis Argumentis se declaravit ac pro commissis poenitentiam alias per nos sibi injunctam salutarem aliquo temporis tractu in cordis sui amaritudine animi dolore peregit vitam hactenus degens laudabilem spemque faciens id se in posterum facturum atque ob id ad Ecclesiasticae ac Pastoralis Functionis statum saltem cum quodam temperamento justitia exigente reponend hinc est quod nos praemissa ac humilem dicti confratris nostri petitionem pro reconciliatione sua habenda obtinenda considerantes ejus precibus favorabiliter inclinati eundem Confratrem nostum ad publicam Ecclesiastici Ministerii Officii sui Pastoralis Functionem Executionem infra Dioc. nostram London exercend quatenus de jure possumus absque cujusque praejudicio restituimus rehabilitavimus redintegravimus prout tenore praesentium sic restituimus rehabilitamus redintegramus Sacrosanctae Ecclesiae clementia Christianae Charitate id exigentibus Vobis igitur universis singulis supradictis praefatum confratrem nostrum sic ut praemittitur restitutum rehabilitatum reintegratum fuisse esse ad omnes effectus supradictos significamus notificamus per praesentes sigillo nostro sigillat Dat. in Manerio nostro de Fulham die mensis Julii Anno Dom. 1554. nostrae Transla Anno 15. Number 14. A Letter of the Queen's to the Justices of the Peace in Norfolk MARY the Queen TRusty and well-beloved We greet you well And whereas We have heretofore signified our Pleasure both by our Proclamation general and by our Letters to many of you particularly for the good Order and Stay of that our County of Norfolk from Rebellions Tumults and Uproars and to have a special regard to Vagabonds and to such as did spread any vain Prophesies seditious false or untrue Rumors and to punish them accordingly We have nevertheless to Our no small grief sundry Intelligences of divers and sundry lewd and seditious Tales forged and spread by certain malicious Persons touching the Estate of our Person with many other vain and slanderous Reports tending to the moving of Sedition and Rebellion whose Fault and passing unpunished seemeth either to be winked at or at least little considered which is to Us very strange We have therefore thought good eftsoons to require and command you to be not only more circumspect in the good ordering of that our County according to our Trust conceived of you but also to use all the best means and ways ye can in the diligent examining and searching out from Man to Man the Authors and Publishers of these vain Prophesies and untrue Bruits the very foundation of all Rebellions and the same being found to punish them as the quality of their Offence shall appear to you to deserve whereby the malicious sort may be the more feared to attempt the like and Our good loving Subjects live in more quiet And for Our better service in this behalf We think good that ye divide your selves unto several parts of that our County so that every of you have some part in charge whereby ye may the better butt out the malicious and yet nevertheless to meet often together for the better conferring herein And that ye signify your Doings and the state of that Shire by your general Letters once every month at least to our Privy Council And like-as We shall consider such of you to your advancements whose diligence shall set forwards our Service in this Part so shall We have good cause to note great negligence and fault in them that shall omit their Duty in this behalf Given under our Signet at our Mannor of St. James the 23d of May in the first Year of our Reign Number 15. The Title of Bonner 's whole Book Articles to be enquired of in the General Visitation of Edmund Bishop of London exercised by him in the Year of our Lord 1554. in the City and Diocess of London and set forth by the same for his own discharge towards God and the World to the Honour of God and his Catholick Church and to the Commodity and Profit of all those that either are good which he would were all or delighteth in goodness which he wisheth to be many without any particular grudg or displeasure to any one good or bad within this Realm which Articles he desireth all Men of their Charity especially those that are of his Diocess to take with as good intent and mind as the said Bishop wisheth and desireth which is to the best And the said Bishop withal desireth all People to understand That whatsoever Opinion good or bad hath been received of him or whatsoever usage or custom hath been heretofore his only intent and purpose is to do his Duty charitably and with that love favour and respect both towards God and every Christian Person which any Bishop should shew to his Flock in any wise Article 1. VVHether the Clergy to give example to Laity have in their Living in their Teaching and in their Doing so behaved themselves that they in the judgment of indifferent Persons have declared themselves to search principally the Honour of God and his Church the Health of
Jurisdiction against Hereticks Schismaticks and their Fautors in as large and ample manner as they were in the first Year of King Henry the Eighth 5. And that the Premises may be the better executed by the presence of Beneficed Men in their Cures the Statutes made Anno 21. of Henry the Eighth concerning Pluralities of Benefices and Non-residence of Beneficed Men by reason whereof a larger Liberty or License is given to a great multitude of Priests and Chaplains to be absent from their Benefices with Cure than was ever permitted by the Canon Laws and all other Statutes touching the same may be repealed void and abolished and that the Bishops and other Ordinaries may call all Beneficed Men to be resident upon their Cures as before the making of that Act they might have done 6. Item That the Ordinaries do from time to time make Process for punishment of all Simoniacal Persons of whom it is thought there were never so many within this Realm And that not only the Clerks but also the Patrons and all the Mediators of such Pactions may be punish'd Wherein we think good that Order were taken that the Patrons should lose their Patronage during their natural Lives according to the Ecclesiastical Constitutions of this Realm 7. Item That the ancient Liberty Authority and Jurisdiction be restored to the Church of England according to the Article of the great Charter called Magna Charta at the least wise in such sort as it was in the first Year of Henry the Eighth and touching this Article we shall desire your Lordships to be with us most humble Suitors to the King 's and Queen's Majesty and to the Lord Legat for the remission of the importable Burdens of the First-Fruits Tenths and Subsidies In which Suit whatsoever advancement your Lordships shall think good to be offered unto their Majesties for the same we shall therein be always glad to do as shall be thought good 8. Item That no Attachment of Premunire be awarded against any Bishop or other Ordinary Ecclesiastical from henceforth in any Matter but that a Prohibition be first brought to the same and that it may please the King 's and Queen's Majesty to command the Temporal Judges of this Realm to explicate and declare plainly all and singular Articles of the Premunire and to make a certain Doctrine thereof 9. Item That the Statutes of the Provisors be not drawn by unjust Interpretation out of their proper Cases nor from the proper sense of the words of the same Statutes 10. Item That the Statute of Submission of the Clergy made Anno 25. of Henry the Eighth and all other Statutes made during the time of the late Schism in derogation of the Liberties and Jurisdictions of the Church from the first Year of King Henry the Eighth may be repealed and the Church restored in integrum 11. Item That the Statute made for finding of great Horses by Ecclesiastical Perâ—â—ns may likewise be repealed 12. Item That Usurers may be punish'd by the Common Laws as in times past hath been used 13. Item That those which lay violent Hands upon any Priest or other Ecclesiastical Minister being in Orders may be punish'd by the Canon Laws as in times past hath been used 14. Item That all Priests Deacons and Sub-Deacons and all other having Prebends or other Ecclesiastical Promotions or Benefices from henceforth use such Priest-like Habit as the quality of his State and Benefice requireth 15. Item That Married Priests may be compelled to forsake their Women whom they took as their Wives 16. Item That an Order may be taken for the bringing up of Youth in good Learning and Vertue and that the School-Masters of this Realm may be Catholick Men and all other to be removed that are either Sacramentaries or Hereticks or otherwise notable Criminous Persons 17. Item That all exempt and peculiar Places may from henceforth be immediately under the Jurisdiction of that Arch-Bishop or Bishop and Arch-Deacon within whose several Diocess and Arch-deaconry the same are presently constitute and scituate And whereas divers Temporal Men by reason of late Purchases of certain Abbies and exempt Places have by their Letters Patents or otherwise granted unto them Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in the said Places That from henceforth the said Jurisdiction be devolv'd to the Arch-Bishop or Bishop and Arch-Deacon within whose Diocess and Arch-deaconry the same now be 18. Item Where the Mayor of London by force of a Decree made Anno of Henry the Eighth hath attributed unto him the Cognition of Causes of Tythes in London that from henceforth the same Cognition and Jurisdiction may utterly cease and be reduced immediately to the Bishop of London Ordinary there 19. Item That Tythes may be henceforth paid according to the Canon Laws 20. Item That Lands and Places impropriated to Monasteries which at the time of Dissolution and Suppression thereof were exempt from payment of Tythes may be now allotted to certain Parishes and there chargeable to pay like Tythes as other Parishoners do 21. Item That there be a streight Law made whereby the reparations of Chancels which are notoriously decay'd through the Realm may be duly repaired from time to time by such as by the Law ought to do the same and namely such as be in the King 's and Queen's Hands and that the Ordinaries may lawfully proceed in Causes of Dilapidations as well of them as of all other Parsonages Vicarages and other Ecclesiastical Benefices and Promotions 22. Item That Order be taken for the more speedy payment of Pensions to all Priests Pentionaries and that they may have the same without long Suits or Charges 23. Item That an Order be taken for payment of Personal Tythes in Cities and Towns and elsewhere as was â—sed in Anno 21. of Henry the Eighth 24. Item That such Priests as were lately married and refuse to reconcile themselves to their Order and to be restored to Ministration may have some special Animadversion whereby as Apostates they may be discern'd from other 25. Item That Religious Women which be married may be divorced 26. Item That in Divorces which are made from Bed and Board Provision may be made that the Innocent Woman may enjoy such Lands and Goods as were hers before the Marriage or that happened to come to her use at any time during the Marriage and that it may not be lawful for the Husband being for his Offence divorced from the said Woman to intermeddle himself with the said Lands or Goods unless his Wife be to him reconciled 27. Item That Wardens of Churches and Chappels may render their Accounts before the Ordinaries and may be by them compell'd to do the same 28. Item That all such Ecclesiastical Persons as lately have spoiled Cathedral Collegiat and other Churches of their own heads and temerity may be compelled to restore all and singular things so by them taken away or the true value thereof and farther to re-edify such things as by them are destroy'd and defac'd
nos justitiam ejus Causae perpendentes c. doth make as much and more for the maintenance of that shall be done in your Highness Cause then if the Commission Decretal being in Cardinal Campegius's Hands should be shewed and this your Highness at your liberty to shew to whom of your Council it shall please your Grace thinking in my poor Opinion that it were not the best therefore to move the Pope in that Matter again in this adverse Time I most humbly desire your Majesty that I may be a Suitor to the same for the said Mr. Gregory so as by your most gracious Commandment payment may be made there to his Factors of such Diets as your Highness alloweth him for omitting to speak of his true faithful and diligent Service which I have heretofore and do now perceive in him here I assure your Highness he liveth here sumptuously and chargeably to your Highness Honour and in this great Scarcity must needs be driven to Extremity unless your Highness be a gracious Lord unto him in that behalf Thus having none other Matter whereof privately to write unto your Majesty besides that is contained in our common Letters to my Lord Legat's Grace desiring your Highness that I may know your Pleasure what to do in case none other thing can be obtained here I shall make an end of these Letters praying Almighty God to preserve your most noble and royal Estate with a short expedition of this Cause according to your Highness Purpose and Desire From Rome the 21 day of April Your Highness most humble Subject Servant and daily Orator Stephen Gardiner Number 27. The Writ for the burning of Cranmer PHILIP and MARY c. Rot. Pat. 2 3 Phil. Mar. 2. par TO Our right trusty Nicholas Arch-Bishop of York Lord Chancellor of England Greeting We Will and Command you that immediately upon the sight hereof and by Warrant of the same ye do cause to be made a Writ for the Execution of Thomas Cranmer late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the same so made to Seal with our Great Seal of England being in your Custody according to the Tenor and Form hereafter following PHilippus Maria Dei Gratia c. Majori Ballivis Civitatis Oxon. Salutem Cum Sanctissimus Pater noster Paulus Papa ejusdem Nominis Quartus per sententiam definitivam juris Ordine in ea parte requisito in omnibus observato juxta canonicas sanctiones judicialiter definitive Thomam Cranmer nuper Cantuariensem Archiepiscopum fore Haeresiarchum Anathematizatum Haereticum manifestum propter suos varios nefandos Errores manifestos damnabiles Haereses detestandas pessimas Opiniones Fidei nostrae Catholicae Vniversalis Ecclesiae determinationi obviantes repugnantes praedict Thomam Cranmer multis modis contract comiss dict affirmat perpetrat publice pertinaciter tent defens judicavit declaravit pronunciavit condemnavit eadem causa idem Sanctissimus Pater noster Papa Paulus quartus Iudicialiter definitive more solito praedictum Thomam Cranmer a praedicto Archiepiscopatu aliis Praelaturis dignitatibus Officiis Beneficiis deprivavit abjudicavit prout cunctam inde habemus noticiam Cumque etiam Reverendus in Christo Pater Edmundus Londini Episcopus Thomas Elien Episcopus Authoritate ejusdem Sanctissimi nostri Patris Papae praedictum Thomam Cranmer ab omni Ordine Gradu Officio Dignitate Ecclesiastica tanquam Haeresiarcham Haereticum manifestum realiter degradaverunt Vigore cujus idem Thomas Cranmer in presenti Haereticus Haeresiarcha juste legitime Canonice Iudicatus condemnatus degradatus existit Et cum etiam Mater Ecclesia non habet quod ulterius in hac parte contra tam putridum detestabile membrum heresiarchum faciat aut facere debeat Iidem Reverendi Patres eundem Thomam Cranmer damnatum Haereticum Haeresiarcham brachiis potestati nostris secularibus tradiderunt commiserunt reliquerunt prout per Literas Patentes eorundem Reverendorum Patrum superinde confect nobis in Cancellaria nostra Certificatum est Nos igitur ut Zelatores Iusticiae Fidei Catholicae Defensores volentesque Ecclesiam Sanctam ac Iuxa Libertates ejusdem Fidem Catholicam manutenere defendere hujusmodi Haereses Errores ubique quantum in nobis est eradicare extirpare praedictum Thomam Heresiarcham ac convictum damnat degradat animadversione condigna punire Attendentesque hujusmodi Heretic Heresiarch in forma praedicta convict damnat degradat juxta Leges consuetudines Regni nostri Angliae in hac parte consuetas ignis incendio comburi debere Vobis Praecipimus quod dictum Thomam Cranmer in custodia vestra existen in Loco publico aperto infra Libertatem dicti Civitatis nostrae Oxon. ex causa praedicta coram Populo igni Committi ac ipsum Thomam Cranmer in eodem igne realiter comburi facietis in hujusmodi Criminis detestationem aliorum Christianorum exemplum manifestum Et hoc sub paena periculo incumbente ac prout nobis subinde respondere volueritis nullatenus Omittatis Test nobis ipsis apud Westmonasterium Vicesimo quarto Februarii Annis Regis Reginae secundo ac tertio And this Bill signed with the hand of Us the said Queen shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge for the same Number 28. A Commission to Bonner and others to search and raze Records PHILIP and MARY c. TO the Right Reverend Father in God Rot. Pat. 3 4 Phil. Mar. 12. Pars. Edmond Bishop of London and to Our trusty and well-beloved Henry Cole Doctor of Divinity and Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul London and Thomas Marten Esq Doctor of the Civil Law Greeting Where is come to Our knowledg and understanding that in the time of the late Schism divers and sundry Accompts Books Scroles Instruments and other Writings were practised devised and made concerning Professions against the Pope's Holiness and the See Apostolick And also sundry and divers infamous Scrutinies were taken in Abbeys and other Religious Houses tending rather to subvert and overthrow all good Religion and Religious Houses than for any Truth contained therein which Writings and other the Premises as We be informed were delivered to the Custody and Charge of divers and sundry Registers and other Officers and Ministers of this Our Realm of England to be by them kept and preserved And minding to have the said Writings and other the Premises brought to knowledg whereby they may be considered and ordered according to Our Will and Pleasure And trusting in your Fidelities Wisdoms and Discretions We have appointed and assigned you to be Our Commissioners and by these presents do give full Power and Authority unto you or two of you to call before you or two of you all and singular the said Registers and other Officers and Ministers within this Our
the Writings of the Disciples and of the Prophets are read as much as may be Afterwards when the Reader doth cease the Head-Minister maketh an Exhortation exhorting them to follow so honest things After this we rise all together and offer Prayers which being ended as we have said Bread Wine and Water are brought forth then the Head-Minister offereth Prayers and Thanksgivings as much as he can and the People answereth Amen These words of Justin who lived about 160 Years after Christ considered with their Circumstances declare plainly That not only the Scriptures were read but also that the Prayers and Administration of the Lord's Supper were done in a Tongue understood Both the Liturgies of Basil and Chrysostom declare That in the Celebration of the Communion the People were appointed to answer to the Prayer of the Minister sometimes Amen sometimes Lord have mercy upon us sometimes And with thy Spirit and We have our Hearts lifted up unto the Lord c. Which Answers they would not have made in due time if the Prayers had not been made in a Tongue understood And for further proof Basil Epist 63. let us hear what Basil writeth in this Matter to the Clerks of Neocesarea Caeterum ad Objectum in Psalmodiis crimen quo maximè simpliciores terrent Calumniatores c. As touching that is laid to our charge in Psalmodies and Songs wherewith our Slanderers do fray the Simple I have this to say That our Customs and Usage in all Churches be uniform and agreeable For in the Night the People with us riseth goeth to the House of Prayer and in Travel Tribulation and continual Tears they confess themselves to God and at the last rising again go to their Songs or Psalmodies where being divided into two parts sing by course together both deeply weighing and confirming the Matter of the Heavenly Saying and also stirring up their Attention and Devotion of Heart which by other means be alienated and pluck'd away Then appointing one to begin the Song the rest follow and so with divers Songs and Prayers passing over the Night at the dawning of the Day all together even as it were with one Mouth and one Heart they sing unto the Lord a new Song of Confession every Man framing to himself meet words of Repentance If ye will flee us from henceforth for these things ye must flee also the Egyptians and both the Lybians ye must eschew the Thebians Palestines Arabians the Phenices the Syrians and those which dwell besides Euphrates And to be short all those with whom Watchings Prayers and common singing of Psalms are had in honour These are sufficient to prove that it is against God's Word and the Use of the Primitive Church to use a Language not understood of the People in Common Prayer and Ministration of the Sacraments Wherefore it is to be marvelled at not only how such an Untruth and Abuse crept at the first into the Church but also how it is maintained so stifly at this Day And upon what ground these that will be thought Guides and Pastors of Christ's Church are so loath to return to the first Original of St. Paul's Doctrine and the Practice of the Primitive Catholick Church of Christ J. Scory D. Whithead J. Juel J. Almer R. Cox E. Grindal R. Horn. E. Gest. The God of Patience and Consolation give us Grace to be like minded one towards another in Christ Jesus that we all agreeing together may with one mouth praise God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen Number 4. The Answer of Dr. Cole to the first Proposition of the Protestants at the Disputation before the Lords at Westminster Est contra Verbum Dei consuetudinem veteris Ecclesioe Linguâ Populo ignotâ uti in publicis precibus Administratione Sacramentorum Most Honourable Ex MS. Col. Cor. C. Cant. VVHereas these Men here present have declared openly That it is repugnant and contrary to the Word of God to have the Common Prayers and Ministration of the Sacraments in the Latin Tongue here in England and that all such Common Prayer and Ministration ought to be and remain in the English Tongue Ye shall understand that to prove this their Assertion they have brought in as yet only one place of Scripture taken out of St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians Cap. 14. with certain other places of the Holy Doctors whereunto answer is not now to be made But when the Book which they read shall be delivered unto us according to the appointment made in that behalf then God willing we shall make answer as well to the Scripture as other Testimonies alledged by them so as all good Men may evidently perceive and understand the same Scripture to be misconstrued and drawn from the native and true sense And that it is not St. Paul's mind there to treat of Common Prayer or Ministration of any Sacraments And therefore we now have only to declare and open before you briefly which after as opportunity serves in our Answer shall appear more at large causes which move us to persist and continue in the order received and to say and affirm that to have the Common Prayer or Service with the Ministration of the Sacraments in the Latin Tongue is convenient and as the state of the Cause standeth at this present necessary Second Section 1. And this we affirm first because there is no Scripture manifest against this our Assertion and Usage of the Church And though there were any yet it is not to be condemn'd that the Church hath receiv'd Which thing may evidently appear in many things that were sometime expresly commanded by God and his Holy Apostles 2. As for Example to make the Matter plain ye see the express Command of Almighty God touching the observation of the Sabbath-Day to be changed by Authority of the Church without any Word of God written for the same into the Sunday The Reason whereof appeareth not to all Men and howsoever it doth appear and is accepted of all good Men without any Controversy of Scripture yea without any mention of the Day saving only that St. John in his Apocalyps nameth it Diem Dominicam In the change whereof all Men may evidently understand the Authority of the Church both in this cause and also in other Matters to be of great weight and importance and therein esteemed accordingly 3. Another Example we have given unto us by the Mouth of our Saviour himself who washing the feet of his Disciples said I have herein given you an Example that as I have done even so do you Notwithstanding these express words the Holy Church hath left the thing undone without blame not of any Negligence but of great and urgent Causes which appeareth not to many Men and yet universally without the breach of God's Commandment as is said left undone Was not the Fact also and as it seemeth the express Commandment of Christ our Saviour changed and altered by the Authority
but be-like we should have that as it was of late days The Matter of which Service is taken out of the Psalms and other part of the Bible Translated into English wherein are manifest Errors and false Translations which all by depravation of God's Scripture and so verè mendacia Now if the Service be so fram'd then may Men well say upon us That we serve God with Lyes Wherefore we may not so travel and labour to alter the form of our Common Prayer that we lese the Fruit of all Prayer which by this barbarous contention no doubt we shall do And the Church of God hath no such custom as St. Paul alledgeth in such Contentions And may not the whole World say unto us as St. Paul said unto the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14. An à vobis Verbum Dei processit aut in vos solos pervenit As though the whole Church had been ever in Error and never had seen this Chapter of St. Paul before And that the Holy Ghost had utterly forsaken his Office in leading that into all Truth till now of late certain boasting of the Holy Ghost and the sincere Word of God hath enterprised to correct and overthrow the whole Church Augustinus lib. 1. contra Julianum Pelagium à Graecis pro suâ Heresi profugum querentem ad hunc modum respondit Puto inquit tibi eam partem orbis debere sufficere in quâ primum Apostolorum suorum voluit Dominus gloriosissimo Martyrio Coronari Et idem paulo post Te certe Julianum alloquitur Occidentalis Terra generavit Occidentalis Regeneravit Ecclesia Quid ei quaeris inferre quod in eâ non invenisti quando in ejus membra venisti Imò Quid ei quaeris auferre quod in eâ tu quoque accepisti Haec ille A number of Authorities out of the Doctors we could rehearse that maketh for the Unity of the Church and for not disturbing the quiet Government of the same which all impugn this their first Assertion by way of Argument But because they have framed their Assertion so that we be compelled to defend the Negative in the probation whereof the Doctors use not directly to have many words therefore of purpose we leave out a number of the Sayings of the Doctors which all as I said before would prove this first Matter by way of Argument lest we should be tedious and keep you too long in a plain Matter And therefore now to conclude for not changing the Divine Service and the Ministration of the Sacraments from the Learned Tongue which thing doth make a Schism and a Division between us and the Catholick Church of God we have brought in the Scripture that doth forbid all such Schism And also the Consent and Custom of the whole Church which cannot Err and maketh us bold to say as we do with other things as ye have heard for confirmation of the same And in answering to the first Matter we intend God willing to say much more beseeching Almighty God so to inspire the Heart of the Queen's Majesty and her most Honourable Council with the Nobility of this Realm and Us that be the Pastors of the People in these Causes that so we may dispose of the Service of God as we may therein serve God And that we do not by altering the said Service from the Uniform manner of Christ's Church but also highly displease God and procure to Us infamy of the World the Worm of Conscience and Eternal Damnation which God forbid and grant us Grace to acknowledg confess and maintain his Truth To whom be all Glory Amen Number 5. The Declaration of the Proceedings of a Conference begun at Westminster the last of March 1559 concerning certain Articles of Religion and the breaking up of the said Conference by default and contempt of certain Bishops Parties of the said Conference THe Queen 's most Excellent Majesty having heard of diversities of Opinions in certain Matters of Religion Ex Chartophylac Regio amongst sundry of her Loving Subjects and being very desirous to have the same reduced to some Godly and Christian Concord thought it best by advice of the Lords and others of her Privy Council as well for the satisfaction of Persons doubtful as also for the knowledg of the very Truth in certain Matters of difference to have a convenient chosen number of the best Learned of either Part and to confer together their Opinions and Reasons and thereby to come to some good and charitable Agreement And hereupon by her Majesty's Commandment certain of her said Privy Council declared this purpose to the Arch-Bishop of York being also one of the said Privy Council and required him that he would impart the same to some of the Bishops and to make choice of 8 nine or ten of them and that there should be the like number named of the other part and further also declared to him as then was supposed what the Matters should be and as for the time it was thought upon and then after certain days past it was signified by the said Arch-Bishop that there was appointed by such of the Bishops to whom he had imparted this Matter eight Persons that is to say four Bishops and four Doctors who were content at the Queen's Majesty's Commandment to shew their Opinions and as he termed it render account of their Faith in those Matters which were mentioned and that specially in writing Although he said they thought the same so determined as there was no cause to dispute upon them It was hereupon fully resolved by the Queen's Majesty with the Advice aforesaid that according to their desire it should be in writing on both Parts for avoiding of much alteration in words And that the said Bishops should because they were in Authority of Degree Superiours first declare their Minds and Opinions to the Matter with their Reasons in writing And the other number being also eight Men of good degree in Schools and some having been in Dignity in the Church of England if they had any thing to say to the contrary should the same day declare their Opinions in like manner And so each of them should deliver their Writings to the other to be consisidered what were to be improved therein and the same to declare again in Writing at some other convenient day and the like Order to be kept in all the rest of the Matters All this was fully agreed upon with the Arch-Bishop of York and so also signified to both Parties and immediately hereupon divers of the Nobility and States of the Realm understanding that such a Meeting and Conference should be and that in certain Matters thereupon the present Court of Parliament consequently following some Laws might be grounded they made earnest means to her Majesty that the Parties of this Conference might put and read their Assertions in the English Tongue and that in the presence of them the Nobility and others of her Parliament-House for the better satisfaction and
Hostages though that Assurance might be good to preserve her from Violence in Scotland yet it may be doubted how the same will be sufficient to keep her from escaping or governing a-again seeing for her part she will make little Conscience of the Hostages if she may prevail and the punishing of the Hostages will be a small satisfaction to the Queen's Majesty for the Troubles that may ensue And for the doubt of her escape or of Rebellion within this Realm it may be said That if she should not be well guarded but should be left open to practise then her Escape and the other Perils might be doubted of but if the Queen's Majesty hold a stricter hand over her and put her under the Care of a fast and circumspect Man all practice shall be cut from her and the Queen's Majesty free from that Peril And more safe it is for the Queen to keep the Bridle in her own Hand to restrain the Scottish Queen than in returning her home to commit that trust to others which by Death composition or abusing of one Person may be disappointed And if she should by any means recover her Estate the doubt of Rebellion there is not taken away but rather to be feared if she have ability to her Will And if she find strength by her own or Forreign Friends she is not far off to give Aid upon a main Land to such as will stir for her which so long as she is here they will forbear lest it might bring most Peril to her self being in the Queen's Hands The like respect no Doubt will move Forreign Princes to become Requesters and no Threatners for her delivery And where it is said That the Queen's Majesty cannot be quiet so long as she is here but it may breed danger to her Majesty's Health That is a Matter greatly to be weighed for it were better to adventure all than her Majesty should inwardly conceive any thing to the danger of her Health But as that is only known to such as have more inward Acquaintance with her Majesty's disposition than is fit for some other to have So again it is to be thought that her Majesty being wise if the Perils like to follow in returning her Home were laid before her and if she find them greater than the other she will be induced easily to change her Opinion and thereby may follow to her Majesty's great satisfaction and quietness Cautions if she be retained To remove her somewhat nearer the Court at the least within one days Journey of London whereby it shall be the more easie to understand of her Doings To deliver her in custody to such as be thought most sound in Religion and most void of practice To diminish her number being now about forty Persons to the one half to make thereby the Queen's Charges the less and to give her the fewer means of Intelligence To cut from her all Access Letters and Messages other than such as he that shall have the Charge shall think fit To signify to all Princes the occasion of this streight Guard upon her to be her late practice with the Duke of Norfolk which hath given the Queen cause to doubt further assuring them that she shall be used honourably but kept safely from troubling the Queen's Majesty or this State That she be retained here until the Estate of Scotland be more setled and the Estate of other Countries now in garboil be quieted the Issue whereof is like to be seen in a Year or two Number 12. A Letter written by the Earl of Leicester to the Earl of Sussex concerning the Queen of Scots taken from the first Draught of it written with his own hand MY good Lord I received your Letter in the answer of mine Ex M. SS Nob. D. Evelyn and though I have not written sooner again to your Lordship both according to your desire and the necessity of our Cases at this time yet I doubt not but you are fully advertised of her Majesty's Pleasure otherwise For my own part I am glad your Lordship hath prospered so well in your Journey and have Answered in all Points the good Opinion conceived of you And touching her Majesty's further Resolution for these Causes my Lord I assure you I know not well what to write First I see her Majesty willing and desirous as Reason is to work her own Security and the quietness of her State during her time which I trust in God shall be far longer than we shall live to see end of And herein my Lord there be sundry Minds and among our selves I must confess to your Lordship we are not fully agreed which way is best to take And to your Lordship I know I may be bold beside the Friendship I owe you the Place you hold presently doth require all the understanding that may be to the furtherance of her Majesty's good Estate wherefore I shall be the bolder even to let you know as much as I do and how we rest among us Your Lordship doth consider for the State of Scotland her Majesty hath those two Persons being divided to deal with the Queen of Scotland lately by her Subjects deprived and the young King her Son Crown'd and set up in her Place Her Majesty of these two is to chuse and of necessity must chuse which of them she will allow and accept as the Person sufficient to hold the principal Place And here groweth the Question in our Council to her Majesty Which of these two are most fit for her to maintain and join in Amity with To be plain with your Lordship The most in number do altogether conceive her Majesty's best and surest way is to maintain and continue the young King in this his Estate and thereby to make her whole Party in Scotland which by the setling of him with the cause of Religion is thought most easiest most safest and most probable for the perpetual quieting and benefit to her own Estate and great assurance made of such a Party and so small Charges thereby as her Majesty may make account to have the like Authority and assured Amity in Scotland as heretofore she had in the time of the late Regent The Reasons against the other are these shortly The Title that the Queen claimeth to this Crown The overthrow of Religion in that Country The impossibility of any assurance for the observing of any Pact or Agreement made between our Soveraign and her These be Causes your Lordship sees sufficient to dissuade all Men from the contrary Opinion And yet my Lord it cannot be denied upon indifferent looking into the Matter on both sides but the clearest is full enough of Difficulties And then my Lord is the Matter disputable and yet I think verily not for Argument-sake but even for Duty and Conscience-sake to find out Truth and safest means for our Soveraign's best doing And thus we differ The first you have heard touching the young King On the other side this it
is thought and of these I must confess my self to your Lordship to be one And God is my Judg whether it be for any other respect in this World but that I suppose and verily believe it may prove best for her Majesty 's own quietness during her time And here I must before open to your Lordship indeed her Majesty's true State she presently stands in which though it may be granted the former Advice the better way yet how hardly it layeth in her Power to go thorow withal you shall easily judg For it must be confessed That by the taking into her protection the King and the Faction she must enter into a War for it And as the least War being admitted cannot be maintained without great Charge so such a War may grow France or Spain setting in foot as may cause it to be an intollerable War Then being a War it must be Treasure that must maintain it That she hath Treasure to continue any time in War surely my Lord I cannot see it And as your Lordship doth see the present Relief for Mony we trust upon which either failing us or it rising no more than I see it like to be not able long to last Where is there further hope of help hereafter For my own part I see none If it be so then my Lord that her Majesty's present estate is such as I tell you which I am sure is true How shall this Counsel stand with security by taking a Party to enter into a War when we are no way able to maintain it for if we enter into it once and be driven either for Lack or any other way to shrink what is like to follow of the Matter your Lordship can well consider the best is we must be sorry for that we have done and per-chance seek to make a-mends where we neither would nor should This is touching the present State we stand in Besides we are to remember what already we have done how many ways even now together the Realm hath been universally burdened First For the keeping of new bands after the furnishing of Armour and therein how continually the Charge sooner hath grown than Subsidies payed And lastly the marvellous charge in most Countries against the late Rebellion with this Loan of Mony now on the neck of it Whether this State doth require further cause of imposition or no I refer to your Lordship And whether entring into a further Charge than her Majesty hath presently wherewithal to bear it will force such a Matter or no I refer to wiser to judg And now my Lord I will shew you such Reasons as move me to think as I do In Worldly Causes Men must be governed by Worldly Policies and yet so to frame them as God the Author of all be chiefly regarded From him we have received Laws under which all Mens Policies and Devices ought to be Subject and through his Ordinance the Princes on the Earth have Authority to give Laws by which also all Princes have the Obedience of the People And though in some Points I shall deal like a Worldly Man for my Prince yet I hope I shall not forget that I am a Christian nor my Duty to God Our Question is this Whether it be meeter for our Soveraign to maintain the young King of Scotland and his Authority or upon Composition restore the Queen of Scots into her Kingdom again To restore her simply we are not of Opinion for so I must confess a great over-sight and doubt no better Success than those that do Object most Perils thereby to ensue But if there be any Assurances in this World to be given or any Provision by Worldly Policy to be had then my Lord I do not see but Ways and Means may be used with the Queen of Scots whereby her Majesty may be at quiet and yet delivered of her present great Charge It is granted and feared of all sides that the cause of any trouble or danger to her Majesty is the Title the Queen of Scotland pretends to the Crown of this Realm The Danger we fear should happen by her is not for that she is Queen of Scotland but that other the great Princes of Christendom do favour her so much as in respect of her Religion they will in all Causes assist her and specially by the colour of her Title seem justly to aid and relieve her and the more lawfully take her and her Causes into their Protection Then is the Title granted to be the chief Cause of danger to our Soveraign If it be so Whether doth the setting up the Son in the Mothers Place from whence his Title must be claimed take away her Title in the Opinion of those Princes or no notwithstanding she remain Prisoner It appeareth plainly No for there is continual Labour and means made from the greatest Princes our Neighbours to the Queen's Majesty for restoring the Queen of Scotland to her Estate and Government otherwise they protest open Relief and Aid for her Then though her Majesty do maintain the young King in his present Estate yet it appears that other Princes will do the contrary And having any advantage how far they will proceed Men may suspect And so we must conceive that as long as this Difference shall continue by the maintaining of these two so long shall the same Cause remain to the trouble and danger of the Queen's Majesty And now to avoid this whilst she lives What better Mean is there to take this Cause away but by her own consent to renounce and release all such Interest or Title as she claimeth either presently or hereafter during the Life of her Majesty and the Heirs of her Body Albeit here may two Questions be moved First Whether the Scots Queen will renounce her Title or no Secondly If she will do so What Assurance may she give for the performance thereof To the first It is most certain she hath and presently doth offer wholly and frankly to release and renounce all manner of Claims and Titles whatsoever they be to the Crown of this Realm during her Majesty's Life and the Heirs of her Body And for the second She doth likewise offer all manner of Security and Assurances that her Majesty can devise and is in that Queen 's possible Power to do she excepteth none Then must we consider what may be Assurances for here is the difficulty For that Objections be that Princes never hold Promises longer than for their own Commodity and what Security soever they put in they may break if they will All this may be granted but yet that we must grant also that Princes do daily Treat and deal one with another and of necessity are forced to trust to such Bonds and Assurances as they contract by And as there is no such Surety to be had in Worldly Matters but all are subject to many Casualties yet we see such Devices made even among Princes as doth tie them to perform that which
if they might conveniently chuse they would not And in this Matter of the Queen of Scotland since she doth offer both to leave the cause of the difference that is between the Queen's Majesty and her and also to give all Surety that may be by our selves devised to observe the same I do not see but such means may be devised to tie her so strongly as though she would break yet I cannot find what advantage she shall get by it For beside that I would have her own simple Renunciation to be made by the most substantial Instrument that could be devised The assent of some others should confirm the same also Her own Parliaments at home should do the like with the full Authority of the whole Estates They should deliver her Son and such other principal Noblemen of her Realm for Hostages as the Queen's Majesty should name She should also put into her Majesty's Hands some one piece or two of her Realm and for such a time as should be thought meet by her Majesty except Edinburgh The Queens Majesty might also by ratifying this by a Parliament here make a Forfeiture if the Queen of Scotland should any way directly or indirectly go about to infringe this Agreement of all such Titles and Claims that did remain in the Queen of Scotland after her Majesty and her Issue never to be capable of any Authority or Soveraignty within this Realm These I would think to be sufficient Bonds to bind any Prince specially no mightier than she is And this much more would I have that even as she shall be thus bound for the relief of her Title to the Queen's Majesty and her Issue So shall she suffer the Religion received and established in Scotland already to be confirmed and not altered In like sort the Amity between these two Realms to be such and so frankly united as no other League with any Forreign Prince should stand in force to break it For I think verily as the first is chiefest touching her Majesty's own Person so do I judg the latter I mean the confirmation of the Religion already there received to be one of the assuredst and likeliest means to hold her Majesty a strong and continual Party in Scotland The trial hereof hath been already sufficient when her Majesty had none other Interest at all but only the maintenance of the True Religion the same Cause remaining still the same affection in the same Persons that do profess it I trust and it is like will not change And thougn the Scots Queen should now be setled in her Kingdom again yet is she not like to be greater or better esteemed now than heretofore when both her Authority was greater and her good will ready to alter this Religion but could not bring it to pass No more is it like these further Provisions being taken she shall do it now And the last Cause also is not without great hope of some good Success for as the oppression of Strangers heretofore had utterly wearied them of that Yoke so hath this peaceable time between them and us made them know the Liberty of their own and the Commodity of us their Neighbours This my Lord doth lead me to lean to this Opinion finding thereby rather both more surety and more quietness for my Soveraign's present time having by the contrary many occasions of trouble cut off and the intolerable Charge eschewed which I cannot find by any possible means her Majesty able to sustain for any long time Thus hastily I am driven to end my long cumbersome Letter to your Lordship though very desirous to impart my mind herein to your Lordship Number 13. The Bull of Pope Pius the Fifth Deposing Queen Elizabeth absolving her Subjects from the Oaths of Allegiance and Anathematising such as continued in their Obedience Pius Episcopus Servus Servorum Dei ad futuram rei memoriam REgnans in Excelsis cui data est omnis in Coelo in Terra Potestas Potestas Petri unam Sanctam Catholicam Apostolicam Ecclesiam extra quam nulla est Salus uni soli in Terris videlicet Apostolorum Principi Petro Petrique Successori Romano Pontifici in potestatis plenitudine tradidit gubernandam Hunc unum super omnes gentes omnia Regna Principem constituit qui evellat destruat disperdat plantet edificet ut fidelem populum mutuae charitatis nexu constrictum in unitate Spiritus contineat salvumque incolumem suo exhibeat Salvatori Quo quidem in munere obeundo nos ad praedictae Ecclesiae gubernacula Dei benignitate vocati nullum laborem intermittimus omni opere contendentes ut ipsa Unitas Catholica Religio quam illius autor ad probandum suorum fidem correctionem nostram tantis procellis conflictare permisit integra conservetur Sed impiorum numerus tantum potentia invaluit Elizabethae Flagitia ut nullus jam in Orbe locus sit relictus quem illi pessimis doctrinis corrumpere non tentarint adnitente inter caeteros flagitiorum Serva Elizabetha praetensa Angliae Regina ad quam veluti ad asylum omnium infestissimi profugium invenerunt Haec eadem Regno occupato Supremi Ecclesiae capitis locum in omni Anglia ejusque praecipuam autoritatem atque Jurisdictionem monstrose sibi usurpans Regnum ipsum jam tum ad fidem Catholicam bonam frugem reductum rursus in miserum exitium revocavit Usu namque verae Religionis quam ab illius desertore Henrico Octavo olim eversam clarae memoriae Maria Regina legitima hujus sedis praesidio reparaverat potenti manu inhibito Secutisque amplexis Haereticorum erroribus Regium Consilium ex Anglica Nobilitate confectum diremit illudque obscuris hominibus Haereticis complevit Catholicae Fidei cultores oppressit improbos Concionatores atque impietatum administros reposuit Missae Sacrificium Preces Jejunia ciborum delectum Coelibatum Ritusque Catholicos abolevit libros manifestam Haeresim continentes toto Regno proponi impia mysteria instituta ad Calvini praescriptum a se suscepta observata etiam a subditis servari mandavit Episcopos Ecclesiarum Rectores alios Sacerdotes Catholicos suis Ecclesiis Beneficiis ejicere ac de illis aliis rebus Ecclesiasticis in Haereticos homines disponere deque Ecclesiae causis decernere ausa Prelatis Clero Populo ne Romanam Ecclesiam agnoscerent neve ejus praeceptis Sanctionibusque Canonicis obtemperarent interdixit plerosque in nefarias leges suas venire Romani Pontificis autoritatem atque obedientiam abjurare seque solam in Temporalibus Spiritualibus Dominam agnoscere jurejurando coegit poenas supplicia eis qui dicto non essent audientes imposuit easdemque ab iis qui in unitate fidei predicta obedientia perseverarunt exegit Catholicos Antistites Ecclesiarum Rectores in vincula conjecit ubi multi diuturno languore tristitia
King Henry at his Death but two Years before Ibid. 5. He says On the 27th of February two days before the King was crowned the Protector persuaded the King to create many new Peers who were all Hereticks except Dudley Earl of Warwick Our Author by this shew of exactness would persuade the Reader that he had considered Dates and the smallest particulars with the care that became an Historian But he little thought that any would come after him and examine what he said By this Account the King must have been crowned the first of March but it was done Feb. 20. and the Peers were created on the 16th of February four days before They were not all Hereticks for he forgot that Wriothesley was at the same time made Earl of Southampton which he afterwards insinuates was done upon another account But all those Creations were in persuance of King Henry's Designs and in obedience to his latter Will Ibid. 6. He says They forced Wriothesley to resign his Office and turned both him and the Earl of Arundel out of the Council because they were Catholicks Wriothesley was turned out upon no account of Religion but for putting the Great Seal to a Commission that was against Law according to the Opinion which the Judges declared under their hands without any Warrant from the Council himself acknowledging the justice of the Sentence The Earl of Arundel was not turned out of the Council on the contrary in the Patent by which the Protector held his Office that passed after the Chancellor was removed he is named to be one of the Privy Council 7. He says Pag. 179. The Protector would needs force all the Clergy to submit in every thing to the King's Orders and sets down the Form in which the King writ to Arch-Bishop Cranmer In this nothing was done but what was begun by King Henry and to which all the Clergy even his beloved Bonner not excepted had formerly submitted So this was no new thing set up by the Protector it being only the renewing the Bishops Patents in the new King's Name And this was no part of the Reformation for it was done only to awe the Popish Bishops but was soon after laid aside What he sets down as a Letter of King Edward's to Cranmer is the Preamble of the Patent he took out So little did this Writer know the things that truly make to the advantage to the Cause which he designed to assert 8. He says The New Protector among the first things he did Pag. 180. restrained all Preaching and silenced all the Bishops and Pastors so that none were licensed to preach but the Lutherans and Zuinglians The first Injunctions set out in the King's Name required all Bishops to preach at least four times a Year in their Diocesses and to keep Learned Chaplains who might be able to preach and should be often much employed in it And thus Matters stood the first Year of this Reign In the beginning of the second Year upon complaints made of the rashness of some Preachers a Proclamation was put out that none should preach without a License from the King or the Arch-Bishops or the Bishop of the Diocess except Incumbents in their own Parishes Afterwards there was for some little time a total prohibition of Preaching but that was to last for a short while till the Book of Common Prayer which was then a preparing should be finished This was equally made on both hands for the Prohibition was universal without exception so falsly has our Author stated this Matter which one would think he ignorantly drew from what Queen Mary did applying it to this Reign for she upon her coming to the Crown did prohibit all Preaching excepting only such as were licensed to it by Gardiner under the Great Seal 9. He says Latimer was turned out of the Bishoprick of Worcester Pag. 181. by King Henry upon suspicion of Heresy Latimer did freely resign his Bishoprick upon the passing of the Act of the six Articles with which he could not comply with a good Conscience 10. He says The Protector put Cox and Cheek about the King Pag. 182. that they might corrupt his Mind with Heretical Doctrines These were put about him three Years before by King Henry's Order as that young King himself informs us in his Journal Pag. 184. 11. He says The Heads of the Colleges were turned out and the Catholick Doctors were forbid to preach I do not find one Head of a College in either University was turned out for though they generally loved the Old Superstition yet they loved their Places much better And indeed the whole Clergy did so readily conform themselves to every Change that was made that it was not easy to find Colours for turning out Bonner and Gardiner All Preachers had the liberty of their own Pulpits except for a very little while Ibid. 12. He says They decried the School Divinity and the Works of Lombard Aquinas and Scotus and so threw all Learning out of the Schools They could not do that more than Sir Thomas More Erasmus and other Popish Writers had done before them who had expressed their scorn of that way of Treating Divine Matters so copiously that it was no wonder it was much despised Those Writers had by a set of dark and barbarous Maxims and Terms so intangled all the Articles of Faith and imposed by the World on an appearance of saying somewhat when really they said nothing and pretending to explain Religion they had so exposed it that their way of Divinity was become equally nauseous and ridiculous Pag. 186. 13. He says Bucer and Peter Martyr being brought out of Germany did corrupt the Universities and entertained the Youth with Discourses of Predestination Reprobation and a fatal necessity of things This was so far from being much taught that on the contrary in one of the Articles of Religion the curious Enquiries into those abstruse Points was by Publick Authority forbid Bucer and Martyr read for most part in the Chairs upon the Mass and the other Corruptions of the Popish Worship They also declared St. Austin's Doctrine about Grace but I do not find they ever medled with Reprobation Pag. 190. 14. After a long Invective which is to pass as a piece of his Wit and Poetry he says Bucer was inclined to become a Jew and was descended from Jewish Parents and that the Lord Paget had heard him say That the Corporal Presence was so clear in the Scripture that no Man could deny it who believed the Gospel but for his part he did not believe all that was said in the New Testament concerning our Saviour This is as sutable to our Author's Honesty as can be Bucer was never accused of this by any of his Enemies as long as he lived No Man in that Age writ with a greater sense of the Kingdom of Christ than he did And for the Story of the Lord Paget we have nothing
Subject But in the new Office of the Communion the Idolatry of worshipping carrying about or exposing the Sacrament was laid aside The trade of particular Masses for private Occasions the Prayers to the Saints the denying the People the Chalice with a great many of the Rites and Gesticulations formerly used were all laid aside so that there were great changes made Every thing was not done at once but they began with the Abuses that did most require a Reformation and went on afterwards to the changing of lesser things 22. He says Ibid. Sir Ralph Sadler took the Wife of one Matthew Barrow so upon pretence of his being dead his Wife married Sadler but her first Husband coming home he sought to have his Wife again It was brought into the Parliament in King Henry's Time and now it was enacted that she should be Sadler's Wife he being the richer and greater Man So against the Laws of the Gospel a Wife while her Husband was yet alive was adjudged to a second Husband This is as far as I can learn a Forgery from the beginning to the end and it seems Sadler that was a Privy Counsellor in Queen Elizabeth's Time did somewhat that so provoked Sanders that he resolved to be revenged of him and his Family by casting such an aspersion on him I find no Foot-steps of any such Story sure I am there is nothing concerning it in the Records of this Parliament And for the Business of the Dissolution of Marriages for Adultery Absence or any other Cause there was so great and so strict an enquiry made into it after the Parliament was ended in the Case of the Marquess of Northampton that it is clear it was the first of that sort that was examined and might perhaps after it was confirmed in Parliament in the 5th Year of this Reign have been made a Precedent for other Cases but this of Sadler in the first Parliament is a Contrivance of our Authors It is not improbable that when afterwards it was judged that the Marriage-Bond was dissolved by Adultery they might likewise declare it dissolved upon voluntary and long absence since St. Paul had said That a Brother or a Sister were not under Bondage in such Cases 22. He says Gardiner Bonner Tonstal Heath and Day Pag. 196. were much grieved at the Changes that were made yet they complied in many things till being required to deliver some Blasphemous Doctrines in their Sermons they refusing to give Obedience in that were deprived but were afterwards condemned to perpetual Imprisonment under Queen Elizabeth all which were the Effects of God's Displeasure on them for complying with K. Henry in his Schism I shall grow tedious if I insist on all the Falsities that do occur in this Period First Only Gardiner and Bonner were questioned and deprived for their Sermons Tonstall was deprived for Misprision of Treason Heath and Day were judged by Lay-Delegates so it is like their Offences were also against the State 2. There was nothing enjoined Bonner or Gardiner to preach upon which they were censured but that the King's Authority was the same when he was under Age that it was afterwards which is a Point that belongs only to the Laws and Constitution of this Government and so there was just reason to impute their Silence in that particular when they were commanded to touch upon it in their Sermons to an ill Design against the State 3. Three of these Bishops did concur in all the Changes that were made the first four Years of this King's Reign and both preached and wrote for them and even Bonner and Gardiner did not only give Obedience to every Law or Injunction that came out but recommended them much in their Sermons 4. These did not suffer perpetual Imprisonment under Queen Elizabeth Gardiner and Day died before she reigned and so were not imprisoned by her Heath was never put in Prison by her but lived at his own Country House and Tonstal lived at Lambeth in as much ease and was treated with as much respect as if it had been his own House so that Bonner was the only Man that was kept in Prison but that was believed to be done in kindness to him to preserve him from the Affronts which otherwise he might have met with from the Friends of those he had butchered Pag. 197. 24. He says The Lady Mary never departed from her Mothers Faith and Constancy It appears by many of her Letters that she complyed with every thing that had been done by her Father so it seems she was dispenced with from Rome to dissemble in his time for otherwise her constancy had very likely been fatal to her but she presumed on the mildness of her Brother's Government to be more refractory afterwards Pag. 198. 25. He says The King was sorry when he understood how hardly his Sister had been used by the Council It was so far otherwise that when the Council being much pressed by the Emperor to connive at her having Mass were resolved to give way to it the King himself was so averse to it thinking it a sin in him to consent to the practice of Idolatry that the Council employed the Bishops to work on him and they could hardly induce him to tolerate it Pag. 200. 26 He says The Visitors carried with them over England Bibles of a most corrupt Translation which they ordered to be set up in all the Churches of England In King Henry's Time it had been ordered that there should be a Bible in every Church so this was not done by the Visitors in this Reign as may appear by the Injunctions that were given them which have been often printed 27. He says The Visitors did every-where enquire Ibid. Whether all the Images were broken down and if the Altars were taken away and Communion Tables were put in their rooms and if all the old Offices were destroyed Here he confounds in one Period what was done in several Years In the first Year the Images that had been abused by Pilgrimages were ordered to be removed In the second Year all Images were taken down without exception In the third Year the old Books of the former Offices were ordered to be destroyed And in the fourth Year the Altars were turned to Communion Tables so ignorantly did this Author write of our Affairs 28. He say Page 201. The Visitors did every where encourage the Priests to Marry and looked on such as did not Marry as inclined to Popery The Marriage of the Clergy was not so much as permitted till near the beginning of the third Year of this Reign and then it was declared that an unmarried State was more honourable and decent so that it was recommended and the other was only tolerated and so far were they from suspecting Men to be firm to the Reformation that were married that Ridley and Latimer the most esteemed next to Cranmer were never married nor was any ever vexed for his not
Offices and the Parties so refusing were subjected to no other Danger nor was the Oath to be put to them a second Time It is true if any did assert the Authority of any Forreign Potentate that was more penal Yet that was not as our Author represents it for the first Offence there was a forfeiture of ones Goods or in case of Poverty one Years Imprisonment the second Offence brought the Offender within a Premunire and the third was Treason 5. He says The Change that was made Pag. 258. of the Title of Supream Head into that of Supream Governor deceived many yet others thought that the Queen might have thereby assumed an Authority for Administring the Sacraments but to clear all Scruples she in the first Visitation ordered it to be thus explained that she thereby pretended to no more Power than what her Father and Brother had exercised In the first Visitation ordered by the Queen there was an Injunction given Explanatory to the Oath of Supremacy declaring that she did not pretend to any Authority for the Ministry of Divine Service in the Church and challenged nothing but what had at all times belonged to the Crown of England which was a Soveraignty over all manner of Persons under God so that no Forreign Power had any Rule over them and so was willing to acquit such as took it in that sense of all the Penalties in the Act. So that it is plain she assumed nothing but the Royal Authority and was ready to accept of such Explications as might clear all Ambiguities 6. He reckons among the Laws that were made this for one Pag. 259. that Bishops should hold their Sees only during the Queen's Pleasure and exercise no other Authority but only as they derived it from her The Laws he reckons were those made by King Henry now revived but this Law is falsly recited in both the parts of it for the Bishops were to hold their Sees as all others do their Free-holds without any dependence on the Queen's Pleasure and were to exercise their Jurisdiction in their own Names and according to the Ecclesiastical Laws and were not forced to take Commissions to hold their Bishopricks during the Queen's Pleasure as had been done both in King Henry and King Edward's Time Pag. 263. 7. After a long discourse against the Queen's Supremacy he says The Laws concerning it and other Points of Religion did pass with great difficulty in the House of Lords all the Bishops opposing them and those Noblemen in particular who had gone to Rome upon the Embassy Queen Mary sent thither did very earnestly disswade it It is true all the Bishops did oppose them tho both Tonstal Heath Thirleby and some others had consented to and written for King Henry's Supremacy which was at least as to the manner of expressing it of a higher strain than that to which the Queen did now pretend They had also submitted to all the Changes that had been made in King Edward's Time For the Temporal Lords none dissented from the Act of Supremacy but the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Viscount Montacute so the opposition was small where so few entred their Dissents and of these only the Viscount Montacute had been at Rome sent thither by Queen Mary It is true the Marquess of Winchester and the Lords Morley Stafford Dudley Wharton Rich and North dissented from the Bill for the Book of Common Prayer and some other Acts that related to the Reformation but these being but few in number were far short of those that were for them and it is clear the Queen left the Peers wholly to their freedom since the Marquess of Winchester notwithstanding his Dissent continued to hold that great Office of Lord Treasurer in which he had been put in King Edward's Time and which he had kept all Queen Mary's Reign till his Death fourteen Years after this this may perhaps be justly censured as looking too like a remissness in the Matters of Religion when he that dissented to the Reformation was yet so long employed in the greatest Trust in the Kingdom but certainly this is none of the Claws to know the Lioness by 8. He says The Queen gave the Earl of Arundel some hopes that she would marry him and so perswaded him to consent to the Laws now made but afterwards slighted him and declared she would live and die a Virgin The Journals of Parliament shew how false this is for the Address was made to the Queen persuading her to marry to which she made the Answer set down by our Author on the 6th of February and the Act of Supremacy with the other Acts concerning Religion passed in April thereafter so that the Queen after so publick a Declaration of her unwillingness to marry could not have deluded the Earl of Arundel with the hopes of it Ibid. 9. He says She wrought on the D. of Norfolk by promising him a Dispensation in the Business of his Marriage which he could not obtain of the Pope It is not like the Duke of Norfolk was denied any such Dispensation from Rome nor are there any Dispensations granted in England for marrying in the forbidden Degrees Cousin Germans are the nearest that may marry The obtaining a License for that at Rome is a matter of course so the Fees are but paied and the Law allows that to all in England Nor are there any Dispensations in Matrimonial Matters except concerning the Time the Place or the asking of Banes and it is not likely these were ever denied to any at Rome As for his long Excursion concerning that Duke's Death it not falling within the compass of my History I shall not follow him in it 10. He says The Protestants desired a publick Disputation Pag. 266. so the Queen commanded the Bishops to make ready for it they refused it a great while since that seemed to make the Faith of the Church subject to the judgment of the ignorant Laity but at last they were forced to yield to it and the Points were Communion in both kinds Prayer in a known Tongue and the like The Act of Council has it otherwise By it we see that the Arch-Bishop of York being then a Privy Councellor did heartily agree to it and undertook that the rest of his Brethren should follow the Orders that were made by the Council concerning it tho it is not to be denied but some of the Bishops were secretly dissatisfied with it as they had good reason since a publick Disputation was like to lay open the weakness of their Cause which was never so safe as when it was received in gross without descending to troublesome Enquiries concerning it The Communion in both kinds was not one of the Articles 11. He says Bacon a Lay-man was Judg Ibid. the Arch-Bishop of York sitting next to him only for forms-sake Bacon was not Judg the whole Privy-Council were present to order the Forms of the Debate and he as the first of
aliorum Militum detrimento in sede ejus gradui Nobilitatis apta accomoda secundum veterem modum vestes recipiet quas vulgo dicunt Anglice The Mantel the Cirtel and the Hood his vestibus indutus audiet preces divinas in sede illi constituta simul cum substituto coadjutoribus Communionem recipiens 12. Post preces absolutas recipiet hoc jusjurandum se pro viribus velle sustinere defendere omnes honores titulos querelas Dominia Regis Angliae Ordinis Praefecti velle etiam quantum in se est protegere amare colere Divini Verbi studiosos velle deponere humanas Traditiones augere Gloriam Honorem Dei. 13. Ille ordo qui institutus fuit olim de insignibus gladiis galaeis armis reponendis in cellis aut sedibus maneat in priori forma 14. Adhaec cum Dedicatio Ordinis auferatur a divo Georgio si tempus anni non sit idoneum ad multos homines cogendos ex patria accersendos praesertim vero ne ipsam dedicationem Verbis auferentes re videremur retinere idcirco statutum est caetum caelebratum fore ut olim in Anglia die Divi Georgii sic nunc primo Die Sabbati primo Die Dominico in mense Decembris nisi forte primus dies mensis Decembris sit dies Dominicus tunc autem celebrabitur primo Die Sabbati secundo die Dominico 15. Primo vero Die Sabbati Milites qui adsunt omnes autem adesse debent nisi forte habeant licitam excusationem audient preces Vespertinas institutas Autoritate Parliamenti vestibus Ordinis induti sedentes quisque in sede constituta Miles autem electus non collocatus in sede stabit directe versus eum locum ubi collocabitur 16. Die Dominico sequenti in aurora audient supradicti Milites preces qui se paratos facere possint Communionem recipient vesperi etiam audient preces vespertinas 17. Milites autem absentes tenebuntur eadem facere in suis aedibus toto hoc tempore vestibus Ordinis induti 18. Praeterea Milites qui adsunt vestibus Ordinis induti prandebunt omnes ab uno latere sedentes in eodem gradu quo collocantur Windesorae in cellis in caetum etiam intrabunt hoc die ut si quid faciendum sit perficiant 19. Cantatores Praebendarii fruentur suis possessionibus durante Vita post mortem autem eorum conferentur in Concionatores in castro Windesorae 20. Pauperes autem qui in eodem Collegio manent habebunt omnia sua pristino more loci autem conferentur in Milites vulneratos aut admodum senes viros solum privabuntur superstitiosis vanis Caeremoniis quibus uti sunt soliti ut Oratione pro defunctis c. Quemadmodum vero soliti sunt missae adesse sic jam adsint in precibus constitutis 21. Sunt autem certae summae Argenti quae solent impendi cum moriantur Milites Ordinis  l. s. d. A Rege Angliae 08 06 8 A Rege peregrino 06 13 4 A Principe 05 16 8 A Duce 05 00 0 A Marchione 03 13 0 A Comite 02 10 0 A Vice Counte 02 01 8 A Barone 01 13 4 A Milite 00 16 8 Baccalaureo Adhaec cum Milites eligantur solvendae sunt hae summae Peccuniae  l. s. d. A Rege Angliae 30 00 0 A Rege peregrino 20 00 0 A Principe 13 06 8 A Duce 10 00 0 A Marchione 08 06 8 A Comite 06 13 8 A Vice Comite 05 16 8 A Barone 05 00 0 A Milite 03 06 8 Hae praedictae summae Argenti colligantur quotannis pauperibus destribuantur ut interdum solitum est fieri 22. Rex Angliae exsolvat Pecuniam quam peregrini Principes debebunt propter articulum supradictum 23. Sed quia difficile est omnia haec sine Ministris idoneis fieri igitur constitutum est fore quatuor Ordinis hujus Ministros Cancellarius Annotator sive Register Praecessor qui nigram virgam gestabit praecipuus Rex armorum qui ab Ordine nomen obtinebit Garter 24. Sigillum Ordinis habebit ex uno latere Arma Angliae Franciae simul cum Armis Ordinis circumligata hac circumscriptione Verbum Domini manet in aeternum ex altera parte equitem sculptum ut Milites gestabunt circumligatum fascia sive Garterio 25. Hoc sigillo Cancellarius sigillabit omnia decreta licentias constitutiones literas reliqua omnia quae ad ordinem praedictum pertinent aut ullo modo debent pertinere 26. Annotator in magno Libro Annotabit Latine quibus temporibus quisque miles fuerit electus quibus mortuus quaenam sancita erant decreta quaenam dissoluta si quae erunt alia pertinentia ad Ordinem supradictum hunc autem librum relinquet in Castro Windesorae suo successori in eodem officio 27. Rex Heraoldorum insignium Garter servabit nomina cognomina arma insignia cujusque Militis electi eundem librum relinquens suo successori si quae sit ambiguitas de armis ipse dijudicabit 28. Praecessor Ordinis gestans virgam nigram praeibit ordinem ostium custodiet eandem autoritatem habebit qua antehac usus est Quod siquis Militum contumeliose graviter offenderit ejus criminis in cetu fuerit convictus Praecessor Ordinis cum Rege Heroaldorum eum exuent catena Garterio 29. Adhaec cum aliquis peregrinus Rex in Militum numerum substituatur eligatur Caeremoniis hujus Ordinis non detinebitur sed prout placuerit 30. Post electionem vero praefectus Ordinis mittet duos Milites ejusdem Ordinis qui post preces in ejus patria vulgares induent eum vestibus illis quae solent gestari viz. Anglice The Mantel the Cirtel and the Hood In collum etiam imponent catenam rosarium cum equite sculpto appendente fascia vulgo dicto Garterio 31. Postea per procuratorem in sede collocabitur nullum omnino juramentum recipiens nec preces unquam alias quam solitas audiens 32. Quod Rex Angliae possit dispensare veniam dare omittendi ullas Caeremonias si causa postulet 33. Quod hi articuli ut monumenta decreta Leges Ordinis reponentur in Collegio Windesorae omnes autem his contrariae penitus abrogabuntur FINIS A Paper concerning a Free Mart in England Number 4. The Reasons and Causes why it is now most necessary to have a Mart in England 1. BEcause our vent of Clothes might be open in all Wars 2. Because our Merchants Goods might be out of danger of Strangers without fear of arresting for every light Cause 3. Because it would much enrich the Realm for as a Market enricheth a Town so doth a Mart enrich a Realm 4. Because for at a need round Sums of Mony might be of them borrowed that haunt the
Mart. 5. Because we should have a great multitude of Ships strangers to serve in the Wars 6. Because all strangers Goods when War is made should be in our danger 7. Because we should buy all things at the first hand of Strangers whereas now the Spaniards sell to the Flemings their Wares and the Flemings to us 8. Because the Towns toward the Sea-side should be much more populous 9. Because whereas now they bring Tapestry Points Glasses and Laces they would then bring in Bullion and other substantial Merchandice to the intent to have our Cloth and our Tin 10. Because we should take from our Enemies their Power and make that they should borrow no Mony of Merchants but when we list at least no great Sum of Mony The Causes why this Time is most Commodious to erect a Mart in 1. The Wars between the French King and the Emperor and the Ships of either side maketh the Italians Genoa's Portugals and Spaniards to forbear their Trade to Antwerp 2. The Frenchmen the Stadts the Sprusses and Ships of Eastland being against the Emperor will not come neither 3. The French King invading Lorrain and fearing Flanders 4. And the Almains lying on the River of Rhene stopeth the Course of Merchants out of Italy to Antwerp and also Frankfort 5. The putting of Men of War in the Town maketh the Merchants to forbear their Traffique and to look to their Lives 6. The breach of the last Tempest is like they say to make the Channel uncertain and the Haven naught 7. The stop of the Exchange to Lions will make many Flemings Bankrupts These things will decay the Marts of Antwerp and Frankfort But these Nations cannot live without a Vent therefore they will now most willingly come hither if they had a Free Mart. 2. It were an easier matter to come to Southampton for the Spaniards Britanes Vascoins Lombards Geneoese Normands and Italians than to go to Antwerp 3. It were easier for the Merchants of the Eastland the Sprusses the Danes Swedens and Norvegians to come to Hull than to Antwerp 4. Southampton is a better Port than Antwerp 5. The Flemings have allured Men to make a Mart there with their Privileges having but very little Commodities much easier shall we do it having Cloth Tin Seacoal Lead Bellmettal and such other Commodities as few Realms Christian have the like nor they when they began had no such opportunity How the Mart will be brought to pass 1. Our Merchants are to be staied from a Mart or two under pretence that they abstain because of the Imposition 2. Then Proclamation must be made in divers places of the Realm where Merchants resort That there shall be a free Mart kept at Southampton with these Liberties and Customs 1. The time of the Mart to begin after Whitsontide and to hold on five weeks by which means it shall not let St. James's Fair at Bristol nor Bartholomew Fair at London 2. All Men coming to the Mart shall have free going and free coming without Arresting except in cases of Treason Murder or Felony 3. For the time of the Mart all sorts of Men shall pay but half the Custom they do in other places of the Realm 4. No Shipping shall be from any other place from South-Wales to Essex during that time 5. In the Shires of Hampshire Wiltshire Sussex Surrey Kent Dorsetshire That no Bargain shall be made of Wares during that time but in the Mart Town 6. A Court to correct Offenders with Liberties thereto 7. Some one Commodity must be assigned to the Mart or some one kind of Cloth 8. The Merchants of the Staple must be bargained withal and contented with some honest Offer to the intent by their Liberties they may not let the Mart. 9. Some more Liberties must be given to the Inhabitants of Southampton and if Mony may be spared some must be lent them to begin their Trade withal 10. Our Ships on the Sea must look as well as they may observing the Treaties to the safeguard of the Merchants when they come 11. If this prove well then may another be made at Hull to begin after Stowrbridg-Fair to the intent they may return before the great Ices come to their Seas The Discommodities and Let ts to the Mart to be kept in England 1. BEcause Strangers lack access hither by Land which they have at Antwerp 2. The ill-working of our Cloths which maketh them less esteemed 3. The abundance of our Cloths in Flanders will make them less sought for here 4. The Merchants have established their dwelling-places at Antwerp 5. That other Nations will stay their coming hither for a while by the Emperor's Commandment 6. The denial of the Request of the Merchants of the Stiliard will somewhat let the Mart if it be not looked to 7. The poverty and littleness of the Town of Southampton 8. The goodliness of the Rhine The Remedies and Answers thereunto To the first Point 1. At this time when the Mart should begin at Southampton the French King and the Almains shall stop the entercourse by Land so that nothing shall come that way but in great danger 2. When War shall be made against us then our Navy may defend them 3. As the Town of Southampton lacketh the Commodity of the Access of Merchandise by Land so it hath this Commodity that there can be no access of Enemies by Land which may be at Antwerp and Men think will be this Year which is a great safety to the Merchants 4. The Traffique that cometh by Land will not much diminish the Mart for it is only almost the Venetians Traffique who shall much easilier come hither by Sea than to Antwerp and with less danger of the Seas To the second Point 1. The ill-making of our Clothes will be meet to be looked on this Parliament and order thereupon to be given The Matter is come to some ripeness already the Upper House hath one Bill and the Nether House hath another in good forwardness 2. As ill as they be made the Flemings do at this time desire them wonderfully offering rather to pay the Imposition of the Emperor than to lack them To the third Point 1. It were very necessary that the Ships that shall be hereafter going were staied till the Mart were come to some ripeness 2. The Clothes hereafter might be bought up with our Mony here and conveied to Southampton to be there uttered at the Mart time and so it should help the Mart very well To the fourth Point 1. The danger of their Lives which they now fear very much will make them seek another Harbor to rest in more safely 2. They came from Bruges to Antwerp only for the English Commodities although they were setled at Bruges 3. They have a great Commodity to come to Southampton and a great fear of spoiling to drive them from Antwerp 4. The Merchants never assign to themselves such a Mansion but for more gain they will leave that and take