him being taken according to what he was at his Death differ much from that which I have put in my former Volume Those who compared modern and ancient Times found in him so many and excellent qualities that they did not doubt to compare him to the greatest of the Primitive Bishops not only to the Chrysostomes Ambroses and Austines but to the Fathers of the first Rate that immediately followed the Apostles to the Ignatius's Policarps and Cyprians And it seemed necessary that the Reformation of this Church which was indeed nothing else but restoring of the Primitive and Apostolical Doctrine should have been chiefly carried on by a Man so eminent in all Primitive and Apostolical Vertues And to those who upbraided the Reformed with his Fall it was answered That Liberius whom they so much magnify had fallen as foully upon a much slighter Temptation only out of a desire to reenter to his See from which he had been banished and that he persisted much longer in it But now I shall give account of the rest that were burnt this year On the 27th of Jan. Tho. Wirtle a Priest Bartlet Green a Gentleman Tho. Brown John Tudson and John Went three Tradesmen Isabel Foster Others suffered on the like account and Joan Warne having all been presented because they came not to Church Articles were put to them and upon their Answers they were all condemned and burnt in Smithfield at the same Stake And on the 31st of that Month John Lomas and four Women were burnt at Canterbury They were presented because they came not to Confession whereupon Articles being given them they were found guilty of Heresie and burnt in one Fire In the beginning of March two Women were burnt at Ipswich Three Tradesmen were burnt in Salisbury on the 24th of March. On the 29th of April Robert Drakes a Priest William Tyms a Deacon and four Tradesmen that were sent out of Essex because they came not to Church were condemned and all burnt together in Smithfield John Hanpole and Joan Booek were burnt at Rochester on the first of April and on the second John Hallier a Priest was burnt in Canterbury Six Tradesmen were sent up from Colchester and the Bishop of London who had hitherto kept his Prisoners for some time to see if he could prevail with them growing weary of that fruitless labour and becoming by many Acts of cruelty less sensible of those affections which belong to humane Nature did without any more ado exhibit the Articles to them and they answering in the way he accounted Heresie he gave them time to consider if they would recant till the Afternoon but they continuing in the same mind he condemned them and sent them back to Colchester where they were all burnt in one Fire On the 15th of May he gave yet a more astonishing instance of his barbarity Laverock an old Criple a Man of sixty eight years old and Jo. Ap-price a blind Man were upon the like account condemned and burnt in the same Fire at Stratford-le-bow they comforting one another that they were now to be freed of their lameness and blindness The day after three Women were burnt in Smithfield another blind Man with a Tradesman were burnt at Glocester this Month. On the 21st of the Month three were burnt at Beckles in Suffolk On the 6th of June four Men were burnt at Lewis in Sussex Another was burnt there on the 20th and one was burnt at Leicester on the 26th But on the 27th of June Bonner made an unheard of Execution of thirteen whereof eleven were Men and two Women all burnt in one Fire in Stratfordle-Bow He had condemned in all sixteen but by what Intercession I do not know three of them were preserved by a Warrant from Cardinal Pool It seems Bonner thought it not worth the while to burn those singly and therefore sent them in such droves to the Stake but whether the horror of this Action or the discontent because the Cardinal had saved some of them wrought on him I know not the latter being the more likely he burnt no more till April next Year The 30th of June three were burnt at Bury in Suffolk A strange barbarity at Gernsy of burning a Child born in the Fire On the 16th of July three Men were burnt at Newberry But this July there was done in Gernsey an Act of as great inhumanity as ever was recorded in any Age. A Mother and her two Daughters were burnt at the same Stake and one of them a married Woman big with Child when she was in the Fire the violence of it bursting her Belly a Boy fell out into the Flame that was snatched out of it by one that was more merciful than the rest but after they had a little consulted about it the Infant was thrown in again and there was literally baptized with Fire There were many Eye-witnesses of this who attested it afterwards in Queen Elizabeths time when the matter was enquired into and special care was taken to have full and evident Proofs of it For indeed the Fact was so unnatural that a Man must either be possessed with a very ill opinion of the Actors or be well satisfied about the number and credibility of the Witnesses before he could believe it But Lies and Forgeries are seldom made of Actions done in the Face of the Sun and before so great an Assembly as was present at this Therefore complaint being made of it to Queen Elizabeth the Dean of Garnsey was put in Prison for it and afterwards he and nine more that were all accessary to it took out their Pardons So merciful was the Government then to pardon an Action of such a monstrous nature because done with some colour of Law since it was said the Mother was condemned to be burnt and no exception was made of her Belly On the 18th of July two Women and one Man were burnt at Greenstead On the first of August Joan Wast a blind Woman was burnt at Darby On the 8th of September one was burnt at Bristol and another in the same place on the 25th of that Month. On the 24th four were burnt at Mayfield in Sussex On the 27th a Man and a Woman were burnt at Bristol And on the 12th of October a Man was burnt at Nottingham And thus ended the burning this Year those that suffered were in all eighty five All these Persons were presented as suspect of Heresie and were required to answer the Questions that the Bishop put to them which related to the Corporal Presence in the Sacrament the necessity of Auricular Confession or the Sacrifice of the Mass and upon the Answers they made were condemned to the Fire But none of them were accused of any violence committed on the Persons of any Church-man or of any affront put on their Religion and all their Sufferings were meerly for their Conscience which they kept as private as they could so that it rather appeared in their abstaining from the
plain words of Scripture overthroweth the nature of a â—acrament and hath given occasion to many Superâ—â—itions The Body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the Supper only after an Heavenly and Spiritual Manner And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is Faith but it is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture and hath given occasion to many Superstitions Since the very Being of humane Nature doth require that the Body of one and the same Man cannot be at one and the same time in many places but of necessity must be in some certain and determinate place therefore the Body of Christ cannot be present in many different places at the same time And since as the Holy Scriptures testify Christ hath been taken up into Heaven and there is to abide till the end of the World it becometh not any of the Faithful to believe or profess that there is a Real or Corporeal presence as they phrase it of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Holy Eucharist The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's Ordinance reserved carried about lifted up or worshipped XXIX Of the Wicked which eat not the Body of Christ in the Lord's Supper The wicked and such as be void of a lively Faith altho they do carnally and visibly press with their Teeth as St. Augustine saith the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ yet in no wise are they partakers of Christ but rather to their condemnation do eat and drink the Sign or Sacrament of so great a thing XXX Of both Kinds The Cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the Lay-people For both the parts of the Lord's Sacrament by Christ's Ordinance and Commandment ought not to be ministred to all Christian People alike XXX Of the one Oblation of Christ finished upon the Cross The Offering of Christ once made is a perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World both Original and Actual and there is none other Satisfaction for Sin but that alone Wherefore the Sacrifices of Masses in which it was commonly said That the Priests did offer Christ for the Quick and the Dead to have remission of Pain or Guilt were * blasphemous Fables and dangerous Deceits XXXI A single Life is imposed on none by the Word of God Bishops Priests and Deacons are not commanded by God's Law either to vow the estate of a single Life or to abstain from Marriage Therefore it is lawful for them as for all other Christian Men to Marry at their own discretion as they shall judg thâ— same to serve better to Godliness XXXII Excommunicated Persons are to be avoided That Person which by open Denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off from the Unity of the Church and Excommunicated ought to be taken of the whole Multitude of the Faithful as an Heathen and Publican until he be openly reconciled by Penance and received into the Church by a Judg that hath Authority thereunto XXXIII Of the Tradition of the Church It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one and utterly alike for at all times they have been divers and may be changed according to the diversities of Countries Times and Mens Manners so that nothing be ordained against God's Word Whosoever through his private judgment willingly and purposely doth openly break the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the Word of God and be ordained and reproved by common Authority ought to be rebuked openly that others may fear to do the like as he that offendeth against the common Order of the Church and hurteth the Authority of the Magistrate and woundeth the Consciences of the weak Brethren Every Particular or National Church hath Authority to ordain change or abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained onely by Man's Authority so that all things be done to edifying XXXIV Of the Homilies The second Book of Homilies the several Titles whereof we have joined under this Article doth contain a godly and wholesome Doctrine and necessary for the Times as doth the former Book of Homilies which were set forth in the time of Edward the 6th and therefore we judg them to be read in Churches by the Ministers diligently and distinctly that they may be understood of the People The Names of the Homilies Of the Right Use of the Church Of Repairing Churches Against the Peril of Idolatry Of Good Works c. The Homilies lately delivered and commended to the Church of England by the King's Injunctions do contain a godly and wholsome Doctrine and fit to be embraced by all Men and for that cause they are diligently plainly and distinctly to be read to the People XXXV Of the Book of Common Prayer and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England The Book lately delivered to the Church of England by the Authority of the King and Parliament containing the manner and form of publick Prayer and the Ministration of the Sacraments The Book of Consecration of Arch-Bishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests and Deacons lately set forth in the time of King Edward the Sixth and confirmed at the same time by Authority of Parliament doth contain all things necessary to such Consecration and Ordering Neither hath it any thing that of it self is superstitious and ungodly And therefore whosoever are Consecrated and Ordered according to the Rites of that Book since the second Year of the afore-named King Edward unto this time or hereafter shall be Consecrated or Ordered according to the same Rites we decree all such to be rightly orderly and lawfully Consecrated and Ordered in the said Church of England as also the Book published by the same Authority for ordering Ministers in the Church are both of them very pious as to truth of Doctrine in nothing contrary but agreeable to the wholsome Doctrine of the Gospel which they do very much promote and illustrate And for that cause they are by all faithful Members of the Church of England but chiefly of the Ministers of the Word with all thankfulness and readiness of mind to be received approved and commended to the People of God XXXVI Of the Civil Magistrates The King of England is after Christ The Queens Majesty hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all Cases doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any Forreign Jurisdiction Where we attribute to the Queens Majesty the chief Government by which Titles we understand the minds of some slanderous Folks to be offended We give not to our Princess the Ministry either of God's Word or of the Sacraments the which thing the Injunctions lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie but that only Prerogative which we see to
in the possession of the Temporality that it may please your good Lordships by your discreet Wisdoms to foresee and provide that by this our Grant nothing pass which may be prejudicial or hurtful to any Bishop or other Ecclesiastical Person or their Successors for or concerning any Action Right Title or Interest which by the Laws of this Realm are already grown or may hereafter grow or rise to them or any of them and their Successors for any Lands Tenements Pensions Portions Tithes Rents Reversions Service or other Hereditaments which sometime appertained to the said Bishops or other Ecclesiastical Persons in the Right of their Churches or otherwise but that the same Right Title and Interest be safe and reserved to them and every of them and their Successors according to the said Laws And further whereas in the Statute passed in the first Year of Edward the Sixth for the suppressing of all Colleges c. Proviso was made by the said Statute in respect of the same Surrender that Schools and Hospitals should have been erected and founded in divers parts of this Realm for the good education of Youth in Vertue and Learning and the better sustentation of the Poor and that other Works beneficial for the Common-Weal should have been executed which hitherto be not performed according to the meaning of the said Statute it may please your good Lordships to move the King 's and the Queen 's most Royal Majesty and the Lord Cardinal to have some special consideration for the due performance of the Premises and that as well the same may the rather come to pass as the Church of England which heretofore hath been hononourably endowed with Lands and Possessions may have some recovery of so notable Damages and Losses which she hath sustained It may please their Highness with the assent of the Lords and Commons in this Parliament assembled and by Authority of the same to repeal make frustrate and void the Statute of Mortmayn made in the seventh Year of Edward the First otherwise intituled de Religiosis and the Statute concerning the same made the 15th Year of King Richard the Second And all and every other Statute and Statutes at any time heretofore made concerning the same And forasmuch as Tythes and Oblations have been at all times assigned and appointed for the sustentation of Ecclesiastical Ministers and in consideration of the same their Ministry and Office which as yet cannot be executed by any Lay Person so it is not meet that any of them should perceive possess or enjoy the same That all Impropriations now being in the hands of any Lay Person or Persons and Impropriations made to any secular use other than for the maintenance of Ecclesiastical Ministers Universities and Schools may be by like Authority of Parliament dissolved and the Churches reduced to such State as they were in before the same Impropriations were made And in this behalf we shall most humbly pray your good Lordships to have in special Consideration how lately the Lands and Possessions of Prebends in certain Cathedral Churches within this Realm have been taken away from the same Prebends to the use of certain private Persons and in the lieu thereof Benefices of notable value impropriated to the Cathedral Churches in which the said Prebends were founded to the no little decay of the said Cathedral Churches and Benefices and the Hospitality kept in the same Farther Right Reverend Fathers we perceiving the godly forwardness in your good Lordships in the restitution of this noble Church of England to the pristine State and Unity of Christ's Church which now of late Years have been grievously infected with Heresies perverse and schismatical Doctrine sown abroad in this Realm by evil Preachers to the great loss and danger of many Souls accounting our selves to be called hither by your Lordships out of all parts of the Province of Canterbury to treat with your Lordships concerning as well the same as of other things touching the State and Quietness of the same Church in Doctrine and in Manners have for the furtherance of your godly doing therein devised these Articles following to be further considered and enlarged as to your Lordships Wisdoms shall be thought expedient Wherein as you do earnestly think many things meet and necessary to be reform'd so we doubt not but your Lordships having respect to God's Glory and the good Reformation of things amiss will no less travel to bring the same to pass And we for our part shall be at all times ready to do every thing as by your Lordships Wisdoms shall be thought expedient 1. We design to be resolved Whether that all such as have preach'd in any part within this Realm or other the King and Queen's Dominions any Heretical Erroneous or Seditious Doctrine shall be called before the Ordinaries of such Places where they now dwell or be Benefic'd and upon examination to be driven to recant openly such their Doctrine in all Places where they have preach d the same And otherwise Whether any Order shall be made and Process to be made herein against them according to the Canons and Constitutions of the Church in such Case used 2. That the pestilent Book of Thomas Cranmer late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury made against the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar and the Schismatical Book called The Communion Book and the Book of Ordering of Ecclesiastical Ministers all suspect Translations of the Old and New Testament the Authors whereof are recited in a Statute made the Year of King Henry the Eighth and all other Books as well in Latin as in English concerning any Heretical Erroneous or Slanderous Doctrine may be destroyed and burnt throughout this Realm And that publick Commandment be given in all Places to every Man having any such Books to bring in the same to the Ordinary by a certain day or otherwise to be taken and reputed as a favourer of such Doctrine And that it may be lawful to every Bishop and other Ordinary to make enquiry and due search from time to time for the said Books and to take them from the Owners and Possessors of them for the purpose abovesaid 3. And for the better repress of all such pestilent Books That Order may be taken with all speed that no such Books may be printed uttered or sold within this Realm or brought from beyond the Seas or other parts into the same upon grievous pains to all such as shall presume to attempt the contrary 4. And that the Bishops and other Ordinaries may with better speed root up all such pernicious Doctrine and the Authors thereof We desire that the Statutes made Anno quinto of Richard the Second Anno secundo of Henry the Fourth and Anno secundo of Henry the Fifth against Hereticks Lollards and false Preachers may be by your Industrious Suit reviv'd and put in force as shall be thought convenient And generally that all Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Ordinaries may be restored to their Pristine
may clearly see he would bribe him into no Opinion or Party by false or indirect Arts But since Men are generally so apt to let some easie Notions enter into their Minds which will pre-engage their Affections and for most part those who set themselves to gain Proselites do begin with such Arts it will not be amiss to give the Reader such an account of these as may prepare him against them that so he may with a clearer mind consider what is now to be delivered to him concerning the Reformation of Religion among us I shall begin with that which is most commonly urged that the whole Church being one Body the Changes that were made in Religion did break that Vnity and dissolve the Bond by which the Catholick Church is to be knit together and that therefore the first Reformers began and we still continue a Schisme in the Church In answer to this it is to be considered that the Bishops and Pastors of the Church are obliged to instruct their People in the true Faith of Christ according to the Scriptures The nature of their Function being a Sacred Trust binds them to this they were also at their Consecration engaged to it by a formal Sponsion according to the Questions and Answers that are in the Roman Pontifical to this day Pastors owe it as a Debt to their People to teach them according to the Scriptures They owe a Charity to their Brethren and are to live with them in the terms of Brotherly Love and Friendly Correspondence but if that cannot be had on easier terms than the concealing necessary Truths and the delivering gross errors to those committed to their charge it is certain that they ought not to purchase it at so dear a rate When the Pastors of this Church saw it over-run with errors and corruptions they were obliged by the duty they owed to God and to their People to discover them and to undeceive their misled Flocks It is of great importance to maintain Peace and Vnity but if a Party in the Church does set up some Doctrines and Practises that do much endanger the Salvation of Souls and makes advantages by these so that there is no hope left to gain them by rational and softer Methods then as St. Peter was to be withstood to his Face in a lesser matter much more are those who pretend no higher than to be his Successors to be withstood when the things are of great moment and consequence When Heresies sprung up in the Primitive Church we find the neighbouring Bishops condemned them without staying for the concurrence of other Churches as in the Case of Samosatenus Arius and Pelagius and even when the greatest part of the Church was become Semi-Arian and many great Councils chiefly that at Ariminum consisting of above 800 Bishops as some say had through ignorance and fear complied the Orthodox Bishops did not forbear to instruct those committed to their care according to the true Faith A general concurrence is a thing much to be laboured for but when it cannot be had every Bishop must then do his duty so as to be answerable to the chief Bishop of Souls So that instead of being led away by so slight a prejudice we must turn our Enquiries to this Whether there were really such abuses in the Church as did require a Reformation and whether there was any reason to hope for a more general concurrence in it In the following History the Reader will see what corruptions were found to be both in the Doctrine and Worship of this Church from whence he may infer what need there was of Reformation And it is very plain that they had no reason to expect the concurrence of other Churches for the Council of Trent had already made a great progress and it was very visible that as the Court of Rome governed all things there so they were resolved to admit of no effectual Reformation of any considerable matters but to establish by a more formal decision those errors and abuses that had given so much scandal to the Christian World for so many Ages This being the true state of the Case it is certain that if there were really great corruptions either in Belief or Manners in this Church then the Bishops were bound to reform them since the backwardness of others in their duty could not excuse them from doing theirs when they were clearly convinced of it So that the Reader is to shake off this prejudice and only to examine whether there was really such need of a Reformation since if that be true it is certain the Bishops of this as well as of other Churches were bound to set about it and the faultiness of some could be no excuse to the rest The second Prejudice is That the Reformation was begun and carried on not by the major part of the Bishops and Clergy but by a few selected Bishops and Divines who being supported by the Name of the Kings Authority did frame things as they pleased and by their Interest at Court got them to be Enacted in Parliament and after they had removed such Bishops as opposed them then they procured the Convocation to consent to what was done So that upon the matter the Reformation was the Work of Cranmer with a few more of his Party and not of this Church which never agreed wholly to it till the Bishops were so modelled as to be compliant to the designs of the Court. In short the resolution of this is to be taken from a common Case when the major part of a Church is according to the Conscience of the Supream Civil Magistrate in an Error and the lesser part is in the right The Case is not hard if well understood for in the whole Scripture there is no promise made to the major part of the Pastors of the Church and there being no Divine Promise made about it it is certain that the Nature of Man is such that Truth separated from Interest hath few Votaries but when it is opposite to it it must have a very small Party So that most of those things which needed Reformation being such as added much to the Wealth and Power of the Clergy it had been a wonder indeed if the greater part had not opposed it In thâ—t Case as the smaller part were not to depart from their Sentiments because opposed in them by a more numerous Party that was too deeply concerned in the matter so it was both natural for them and very reasonable to take Sanctuary in the Authority and Protection of the Prince and the Law That Princes have an Authority in things Sacred was so universally agreed to in King Henry's Reign and was made out upon such clear Evidence of Reason and Precedents both in the Jewish State and in the Roman Empire when it turned Christian that this ground was already gained It is the first Law in Justinians Code made by Theodosius when he came to the Empire That all should every
Clergy to which he willingly consented But the Emperour knowing That if Religion were declared to be the ground of the War all the Protestants would unite against him who were the much greater number of the Empire resolved to divide them among themselves and to pretend somewhat else than Religion as the cause of the War There were then four of the Electors of that Religion the Count Palatine the Duke of Saxe the Marquess of Brandenburg and the Arch-bishop of Colen besides the Landgrave of Hesse the Duke of Wittemberg and many lesser Princes and almost all the Cities of the Empire Bohem and the other hereditary Dominions of the House of Austria were also generally of the same Religion The Northern Kings and the Swiss Cantons were firmly united to them The two Crowns of England and France were likewise concerned in Interest to support them against the Austrian Family But the Emperour got France and England engaged in a War between themselves So that he was now at leisure to accomplish his designs on the Empire where some of the Princes being extreme old as the Count Palatine and Herman Arch-bishop of Colen others being of soft and unactive tempers as the Marquess of Brandenburg and others discontented and ambitious as Maurice of Saxony and the Brothers of Brandenburg he had indeed none of the first Rank to deal with but the Duke of Saxe and the Landgrave of Hesse Who were both great Captains but of such different tempers that where they were in equal Command there was no great probability of success The former was a Prince of the best composition of any in that Age he was sincerely religious and one of the most equally tempered Men that was then alive neither lifted up with success nor cast down with misfortunes He had a great capacity but was slow in his resolutions The Landgrave on the other hand had much more heat was a quicker Man and of an impatient temper on which the accidents of Life made deep impressions When the Emperour began to engage in this design the Pope being jealous of his greatness and desirous to entangle him in a long and expenceful War published the secret ends of the League and opened the Council in Trent in Novem. 1545. where a few Bishops and Abbots with his Legates presiding over them usurped the most Glorious Title of The most Holy Oecumenical Council representing the Catholick Church They entred by such slow steps as were directed from Rome into the discussion of Articles of Doctrine which were as they were pleased to call it explained to them by some Divines for most part Friars who amused the more ignorant Bishops with the nice speculations with which they had been exercised in the Schools where hard and barbarous words served in good stead to conceal some things not so fit to be proposed bare-faced and in plain terms The Emperour having done enough towards his design that a Council was opened in Germany endeavoured to keep them from determining Points of Doctrine and pressed them to examine some abuses in the Government of the Church which had at least given occasion to that great alienation of so many from the See of Rome and the Clergy There were also divers wise and learned Prelates chiefly of Spain who came thither full of hopes of getting these abuses redressed Some of them had observed That in all times Heresies and Schisms did owe their chief growth to the scandals the ignorance and negligence of the Clergy which made the Laity conceive an ill opinion of them and so disposed them both in inclination and interest to cherish such as opposed them and therefore they designed to have many great corruptions cast out and observing that Bishops Non-residence was a chief occasion of all those evils they endeavoured to have Residence declared to be of Divine Right intending thereby to lessen the Power of the Papacy which was grown to that height that they were slaves to that See taxed by it at pleasure and the care of their Diocesses extorted out of their hands by the several ranks of exempted Priests and also to raise the Episcopal Authority to what it was anciently and to cut off all these encroachments which the See of Rome had made on them at first by craft and which they still maintained by their Power But the Court of Rome was to lose much by all Reformations and some Cardinals openly declared That every Reformation gave the Hereticks great advantages and was a Confession that the Church had erred and that these very things so much complained of were the chief Nerves of the Popedom which being cut the greatness of their Court must needs fall and therefore they did oppose all these motions and were still for proceeding in establishing the Doctrine And though the opposing a Decree to oblige all to Residence was so grosly scandalous that they were ashamed of it yet they intended to secure the greatness of the Court by a Salvo for the Popes Priviledge and Dignity in granting Dispensations These Proceedings at Trent discovered what was to be expected from that Council and alarum'd all the Protestants to think what they were to look for if the Emperour should force them to submit to the Decrees of such an Assembly where those whom they called Hereticks could expect little since the Emperour himself could not prevail so far as to obtain or hinder delays or to give preference for Matters of Discipline to Points of Doctrine So the Protestants met at Frankfort 1546. January Princes meet at Frankfort and entred into Councils for their common safety in case any of them should be disturbed about Religion chiefly for preserving the Elector of Colen whom the Pope had cited to Rome for Heresie They wrote to the Emperors Ministers That they heard from all Hands that the Emperor was raising great Forces and designing a War against them who thought themselves secured by the Edict of Spire and desired nothing but the confirmation of that and the regulation of the Imperial Chamber as was then agreed on A Meeting being proposed between the Emperor and the Landgrave the Landgrave went to him to Spire where the Emperor denied he had any design of a War with which the other charged him only he said he had with great difficulty obtained a Council in Germany and therefore he hoped they would submit to it But after some expostulations on both hands the Landgrave left him and now the thing was generally understood though the Emperor did still deny it and said he would make no War about Religion but only against the disturbers of the Peace of the Empire By this means he got the Elector Palatine to give little or no aid to the other Princes The Marquess of Brandenburg was become jealous of the greatness of Saxe and so was at first Neuter but afterwards openly declared for the Emperor But Maurice the Duke of Saxe's near Kinsman who by that Dukes means was setled in a fair
and indeed all England over the Book was so universally received that the Visitors did return no complaint from any corner of the whole Kingdom All received the new Service except the Lady Mary Only the Lady Mary continued to have Mass said in her House of which the Council being advertised writ to her to conform her self to the Laws and not to cast a reproach on the Kings Government for the nearer she was to him in Blood she was to give the better example to others and her disobedience might encourage others to follow her in that contempt of the Kings Authority So they desired her to send to them her Comptroller and Dr. Hopton her Chaplain by whom she should be more fully advertised of the King and Councils Pleasure Upon this she sent one to the Emperor to interpose for her that she might not be forced to any thing against her Conscience At this time there was a Complaint made at the Emperours Court The Ambassador at the Emperors Court not suffered to use it of the English Ambassador Sir Philip Hobby for using the new Common-Prayer-Book there To which he answered He was to be obedient to the Laws of his own Prince and Country and as the Emperors Ambassador had Mass at his Chappel at London without disturbance though it was contrary to the Law of England so he had the same reason to expect the like liberty But the Emperor espousing the Interest of the Lady Mary both Paget who was sent over Ambassador Extraordinary to him upon his coming into Flanders and Hobby promised in the Kings Name that he should dispense with her for some time as they afterwards declared upon their Honours when the thing was further questioned though the Emperor and his Ministers pretended that without any Qualification it was promised that she should enjoy the free exercise of her Religion The Emperor was now grown so high with his success in Germany A Treaty of Marriage for the Lady Mary and that at a time when a War was coming on with France that it was not thought advisable to give him any offence There was likewise a Proposition sent over by him to the Protector and Council Cotton lib. Galba B. 12. for the Lady Mary to be married to Alphonso Brother to the King of Portugal The Council entertained it and though the late King had left his Daughters but 10000 l. a-piece yet they offered to give with her 100000 Crowns in Money and 20000 Crowns worth of Jewels The Infant of Portugal was about her own Age and offered 20000 Crowns Jointure But this Proposition fell on what hand I do not know She writ to the Council concerning the new Service The Lady Mary writ on the 22d of June to the Council that she could not obey their late Laws and that she did not esteem them Laws as made when the King was not of Age and contrary to those made by her Father which they were all bound by Oath to maintain She excused the not sending her Comptroller Mr. Arundel and her Priest the one did all her business so that she could not well be without him the other was then so ill that he could not travel Upon this the Council sent a peremptory Command to these requiring them to come up and receive their Orders The Lady Mary wrote a second Letter to them on the 27th of June in which she expostulated the matter with the Council She said She was subject to none of them and would obey none of the Laws they made but protested great Obedience and Subjection to the King When her Officers came to Court they were commanded to declare to the Lady Mary that though the King was young in Person yet his Authority was now as great as ever that those who have his Authority and act in his Name are to be obeyed and though they as single Persons were her humble Servants yet when they met in Council they acted in the Kings Name Who required her to obey as other Subjects did and so were to be considered by all the Kings Subjects as if they were the King himself they had indeed sworn to obey the late Kings Laws but that could bind them no longer than they were in force and being now repealed they were no more Laws other Laws being made in their room There was no exception in the Laws all the Kings Subjects were included in them and for a Reformation of Religion made when a King was under Age one of the most perfect that was recorded in Scripture was so carried on when Josiah was much younger than their King was therefore they gave them in charge to perswade her Grace for that was her Title to be a good example of obedience and not to encourage peevish and obstinate Persons by her stiffness But this Business was for some time laid aside And now the Reformation was to be carried on to the establishing of a Form of Doctrine which should contain the chief Points of Religion In order to which there was this Year great enquiry made into many particular Opinions The manner of Christs Presence in the Sacrament examined and chiefly concerning the Presence of Christ in the Sacrament There was no Opinion for which the Priests contended more ignorantly and eagerly and that the People generally believed more blindly and firmly as if a strong Belief were nothing else but winking very hard The Priests because they accounted it the chief support now left of their falling Dominion which being kept up might in time retrieve all the rest For while it was believed that their Character qualified them for so strange and mighty a Performance they must needs be held in great reverence The People because they thought they received the very Flesh of Christ and so notwithstanding our Saviours express Declaration to the contrary that the Flesh profiteth nothing looked on those who went about to perswade them otherwise as Men that intended to rob them of the greatest Priviledge they had And therefore it was thought necessary to open this fully before there should be any change made in the Doctrine of the Church The Lutherans seemed to agree with that which had been the Doctrine of the Greek Church that in the Sacrament there was both the Substance of Bread and Wine and Christs Body likewise Only many of them defended it by an Opinion that was thought a-kin to the Eutychian Heresie that his humane Nature by vertue of the union of the God-head was every where though even in this way it did not appear that there was any special Presence in the Sacrament more than in other things Those of Switzerland had on the other hand taught that the Sacrament was only an Institution to commemorate the Sufferings of Christ This because it was intelligible was thought by many too low and mean a thing and not equal to the high expressions that are in the Scripture of its being the Communion of the Body
lessen the credit of those who had suffered formerly for it was said they saw now that Men of harmless Lives might be put to death for Heresie by the confâ—ssion of the Reformers themselves And in all the Books published in Queen Maries days justifying her severity against the Protestants these Instances were always made use of and no part of Cranmers Life exposed him more than this did This was much censured It was said he had consented both to Lamberts and Anne Askews death in the former Reign who both suffered for Opinions which he himself held now and he had now procured the death of these two Persons and when he was brought to suffer himself afterwards it was called a just retalliation on him One thing was certain that what he did in this matter flowed from no cruelty of temper in him no Man being further from that black disposition of Mind but it was truly the effect of those Principles by which he governed himself Disputes concerning the Baptism of Infants For the other sort of Anabaptists who only denied Infants Baptism I find no severities used to them but several Books were written against them to which they wrote some Answers It was said that Christ allowed little Children to be brought to him and said of such was the Kingdom of Heaven and blessed them Now if they were capable of the Kingdom of Heaven they must be regenerated for Christ said none but such as were born of Water and of the Spirit could enter into it St. Paul had also called the Children of believing Parents Holy which seemed to relate to such a consecration of them as was made in Baptism And Baptism being the Seal of Christians in the room of Circumcision among the Jews it was thought the one was as applicable to Children as the other And one thing was observed that the whole World in that Age having been baptized in their Infancy if that Baptism was nothing then there were none truly baptized in being but all were in the state of meer Nature Now it did not seem reasonable that Men who were not baptized themselves should go and baptize others and therefore the first Heads of that Sect not being rightly baptized themselves seemed not to act with any Authority when they went to baptize others The Practice of the Church so early begun and continued without dispute for so many Ages was at least a certain confirmation of a thing which had to speak moderately so good foundations in Scripture for the lawfulness though not any peremptory but only probable Proof for the practice of it These are all the Errors in Opinion that I find were taken notice of at this time There was another sort of People The Doctrine of Predestination much abused of whom all the good Men in that Age made great complaints Some there were called Gospellers or Readers of the Gospel who were a scandal to the Doctrine they professed In many Sermons I have oft met with severe Expostulations with these and heavy Denunciations of Judgments against them But I do not find any thing objected to them as to their belief save only that the Doctrine of Predestination having been generally taught by the Reformers many of this Sect began to make strange Inferences from it reckoning that since every thing was decreed and the Decrees of God could not be frustrated therefore Men were to leave themselves to be carried by these Decrees This drew some into great impiety of Life and others into desperation The Germans soon saw the ill effects of this Doctrine Luther changed his mind about it and Melancthon openly writ against it and since that time the whole stream of the Lutheran Churches has run the other way But both Calvin and Bucer were still for maintaining the Doctrine of these Decrees only they warned the People not to think much of them since they were Secrets which Men could not penetrate into but they did not so clearly shew how these consequences did not flow from such Opinions Hooper and many other good Writers did often dehort People from entring into these curiosities and a Caveat to that same purpose was put afterwards into the Article of the Church about Predestination One ill effect of the dissoluteness of Peoples manners broke out violently this Summer occasioned by the Inclosing of Lands Tumults in England While the Monasteries stood there were great numbers of People maintained about these Houses their Lands were easily let out and many were relieved by them But now the Numbers of the People encreased much Marriage being universally allowed they also had more time than formerly by the abrogation of many Holy-days and the putting down of Processions and Pilgrimages so that as the Numbers encreased they had more time than they knew how to bestow Those who bought in the Church-Lands as they every where raised their Rents of which old Latimer made great Complaints in one of his Court Sermons so they resolved to enclose their Grounds and turn them to Pasture for Trade was then rising fast and Corn brought not in so much Money as Wooll did Their Flocks also being kept by few Persons in Grounds so enclosed the Landlords themselves enjoyed the profit which formerly the Tenants made out of their Estates and so they intended to force them to serve about them at any such rates as they would allow By this means the Commons of England saw they were like to be reduced to great misery This was much complained of and several little Books were written about it Some proposed a sort of Agrarian Law that none might have Farms above a set value or Flocks above a set number of 2000 Sheep which Proposal I find the young King was much taken with as will appear in one of the Discourses he wrote with his own Hand It was also represented that there was no care taken of the educating of Youth except of those who were bred for Learning and many things were proposed to correct this but in the mean time the Commons saw the Gentry were like to reduce them to a very low condition The Protector seemed much concerned for the Commons and oft spoke against the oppression of Landlords He was naturally just and compassionate and so did heartily espouse the Cause of the poor People which made the Nobility and Gentry hate him much The former year the Commons about Hampton-Court petitioned the Protector and Council complaining that whereas the late King in his Sickness had enclosed a Park there to divert himself with private easie Game the Deer of that Park did overlay the Country and it was a great burden to them and therefore they desired that it might be disparked The Council considering that it was so near Windsor and was not useful to the King but a charge rather ordered it to be disparked and the Deer to be carried to Windsor but with this Proviso that if the King when he came of Age desired to have
from it This was a fatal step to the Emperor thus to trust a Prince who was of a different Religion and had a deep resentment of the injury he had done him in detaining his Father-in-law the Landgrave of Hesse Prisoner against the Faith he had given him But the Emperor reckoned that as long as he had John Duke of Saxe in his Hands Maurice durst not depart from his Interests since it seemed an easie thing for him to repossess the other of his Dominions and Dignity Thus was the crafty Emperor deluded and now put that upon which the compleating of his great designs depended into the Hands of one that proved too hard for him at that in which he was such a Master Cunning and Dissimulation 1551. The Compliance of the Popish Clergy In these Consultations did this Year end In the beginning of the next Year there was a great complaint brought against Dr. Oglethorp afterwards Bishop of Carlisle under Queen Mary and now President of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford But he to secure himself from that part of the Complaint that related to Religion being accused as one that was against the new Book of Service and the Kings other Proceedings Signed a Paper Coâ—lection Number 53. which will be found in the Collection in which he declared That he had never taught any thing openly against those but that he thought them good if well used and that he thought the order of Religion now set forth to be better and much nearer the use of the Apostolical and Primitive Church than that which was formerly and that in particular he did approve of the Communion in both kinds the Peoples communicating always with the Priest the Service in English and the Homilies that had been set forth and that he did reject the lately received Doctrine of Transubstantiation as being not agreeable to the Scriptures or to Ancient Writers but he thought there was an inconceivable Presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament and that therefore it should be received not without great examination before-hand So compliant was he now though he became of another mind in Queen Maries time yet then he was more moderate than the greatest part of those who did now comply most servily In particular Dr. Smith had written a Book for the Caelibate of Priests and had opposed all the Changes that had been made He was brought to London upon the Complaints that were sent up against him from Oxford but after a whiles imprisonment he was set at liberty giving Surety for his good behaviour and carried himself so obediently after it that Cranmer got his Sureties to be discharged upon which he writ him a Letter as full of acknowledgment as was possible Collection Number 54. which is in the Collection He protested he should retain the sense of it as long as he lived he wished that he had never written his Book of the Caelibate of Priests which had been printed against his Will he found he was mistaken in that which was the foundation of it all that the Priests of England had taken a Vow against Marriage he desired to see some of the Collections Cranmer had made against it It seems Cranmer was enquiring after a MS. of Ignatius's Epistles for he tells him They were in Magdalen Colledge Library he acknowledged the Arch-bishops great gentleness toward all those who had been complained of for Religion in that University and protested that for his own part if ever he could serve his basest Servant he would do it wishing that he might perish if he thought otherwise than he said and wished him long Life for the propagation and advancement of the Christian Doctrine Soon after he writ another Letter to Cranmer in which he cited some Passages out of Austin concerning his Retractations and professes he would not be ashamed to make the like and to set forth Christs true Religion and called in St. Pauls words God to be a Witness against his Soul if he lied He had also in the beginning of this Reign made a Recantation Sermon of some Opinions he had held concerning the Mass but what these were King Edwards Journal from whence I gather it does not inform us Day Bishop of Chichester did also now so far comply as to preach a Sermon at Court against Transubstantiation though he had refused to set his Hand to the Book of Common-Prayer before it was enacted by Law For the Principle that generally run among the Popish Party was that though they would not consent to the making of such Alterations in Religion yet being made they would give obedience to them which Gardiner plainly professed and it appeared in the practice of all the rest This was certainly a gross sort of compliance in those who retained the old Opinions and yet did now declare against them and in the Worship they offered up to God acted contrary to them which was the highest degree of prevarication both with God and Man that was possible But Cranmer was always gentle and moderate He left their private Consciences to God but thought that if they gave an external obedience the People would be brought to receive the Changes more easily whereas the proceeding severely against them might have raised more opposition He was also naturally a Man of Bowels and Compassion and did not love to drive things to extremities he considered that Men who had grown old in some errors could not easily lay them down and so were by degrees to be worn out of them Only in the Proceedings against Gardiner and Bonner he was carried beyond his ordinary temper But Gardiner he knew to be so inveterate a Papist and so deep a Dissembler that he was for throwing him out not so much for the Particulars objected to him as upon the ill Character he had of him Bonner had also deceived him so formerly and had been so cruel a Persecutor upon the Statute of the Six Articles and was become so brutal and luxurious that he judged it necessary to purge the Church of him And the Sees of London and Winchester were of such consequence that he was induced for having these well supplied to stretch a little in these Proceedings against those dissembling Bishops In the end of February he lost his friend Martin Bucer Bucers Death on whose assistance he had depended much in what remained yet to be done Bucer died of the Stone and Griping of the Guts on the 28th of February He lay ill almost all that Month and expressed great desire to die Bradford who will be mentioned in the next Book with much Honour waited most on him in his sickness He lamented much the desolate State of Germany and expressed his apprehensions of some such stroke coming upon England by reason of the great dissoluteness of the Peoples Manners of the want of Ecclesiastical Discipline and the general neglect of the Pastoral Charge He was very patient in all his pain which grew violent on him he lay oft
are two Sacraments which are not bare Tokens of our Profession but effectual Signs of Gods good Will to us which strengthen our Faith yet not by vertue only of the Work wrought but in those who receive them worthily The 27th That the vertue of these does not depend on the Minster of them The 28th That by Baptism we are the adopted Sons of God and that Infant Baptism is to be commended and in any ways to be retained The 29th That the Lords Supper is not a bare Token of love among Christians but is the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ that the Doctrine of Transubstantiation is contrary to Scripture and hath given occasion to much Superstition that a Body being only in one place and Christs Body being in Heaven therefore there cannot be a real and bodily Presence of his Flesh and Blood in it and that this Sacrament is not to be kept carried about lifted up nor worshiped The 30th That there is no other Propitiatory Sacrifice but that which Christ offered on the Cross The 31st That the Clergy are not by Gods command obliged to abstain from Marriage The 32d That Persons rightly excommunicated are to be looked on as Heathens till they are by Penance reconciled and received by a Judge competent The 33d It is not necessary that Ceremonies should be the same at all times but such as refuse to obey lawful Ceremonies ought to be openly reproved as offending against Law and Order giving scandal to the weak The 34th That the Homilies are godly and wholesom and ought to be read The 35th That the Book of Common-Prayer is not repugnant but agreeable to the Gospel and ought to be received by all The 36th That the King is Supream Head under Christ that the Bishop of Rome hath no Jurisdiction in England that the Civil Magistrate is to be obeyed for Conscience sake that Men may be put to death for great offences and that it is lawful for Christians to make War The 37th That there is not to be a community of all Mens Goods but yet every Man ought to give to the Poor according to his ability The 38th That though rash swearing is condemned yet such as are required by the Magistrate may take an Oath The 39th That the Resurrection is not already past but at the last day Men shall rise with the same Bodies they now have The 40th That departed Souls do not die nor sleep with their Bodies and continue without sense till the last day The 41st That the Fable of the Millenaries is contrary to Scripture and a Jewish dotage The last condemned those who believe that the damned after some time of suffering shall be saved Thus was the Doctrine of the Church cast into a short and plain Form in which they took care both to establish the positive Articles of Religion and to cut off the errors formerly introduced in the time of Popery or of late broached by the Anabaptists and Enthusiasts of Germany avoiding the niceties of School-men or the peremptoriness of the Writers of Controversie leaving in matters that are more justly controvertible a liberty to Divines to follow their private Opinions without thereby disturbing the Peace of the Church There was in the Ancient Church a great simplicity in their Creeds and the Exposition of the Doctrine But afterwards upon the breaking out of the Arrian and other Heresies concerning the Person of Jesus Christ as the Orthodox Fathers were put to find out new Terms to drive the Hereticks out of the equivocal use of these formerly received so they too soon grew to love niceties and to explain Mysteries with Similies and other subtilties which they invented and Councils afterwards were very liberal in their Anathematismes against any who did not agree in all Points to their Terms or ways of Explanation And though the Council of Ephesus decreed That there should be no Additions made to the Creed they understood that not of the whole Belief of Christians but only of the Creed it self and did also load the Christian Doctrine with many Curiosities But though they had exceeded much yet the School-men getting the management of the Doctrine spun their Thread much finer and did easily procure Condemnations either by Papal Bulls or the Decrees of such Councils as met in these times of all that differed from them in the least matter Upon the progress of the Reformation the German Writers particularly Osiander Illiricus and Amstorfius grew too peremptory and not only condemned the Helvetian Churches for differing from them in the manner of Christs Presence in the Sacrament but were severe to one another for lesser Punctilio's and were at this time exercising the patience of the great and learned Melancton because he thought that in things of their own Nature indifferent they ought to have complied with the Emperor This made those in England resolve on composing these Articles with great temper in many such Points Only one Notion that has been since taken up by some seems not to have been then thought of which is That these were rather Articles of Peace than of Belief so that the subscribing was rather a Compromise not to teach any Doctrine contrary to them than a Declaration that they believed according to them There appears no reason for this conceit no such thing being then declared so that those who subscribed did either believe them to be true or else they did grosly prevaricate The next Business in which the Reformers were employed this Year Some Corrections made in the Common-Prayer-Book was the correcting the Common-Prayer-Book and the making some Additions with the changing of such Particulars as had been retained only for a time The most considerable Additions were That in the daily Service they prepared a short but most simple and grave Form of a general Confession of sins in the use of which they intended that those who made this Confession should not content themselves with a bare recital of the Words but should joyn with them in their Hearts a particular Confession of their private sins to God To this was added a General Absolution or Pronouncing in the Name of God the pardon of sin to all those who did truly repent and unfeignedly believe the Gospel For they judged that if the People did seriously practise this it would keep up in their thoughts frequent reflections on their sins and it was thought that the pronouncing a Pardon upon these Conditions might have a better effect on the People than that absolute and unqualified Pardon which their Priests were wont to give in Confession By which Absolution in times of Popery the People were made to believe that their sins were thereupon certainly forgiven than which nothing could be invented that would harden them into a more fatal security when they thought a full Pardon could be so readily purchased But now they heard the terms on which they could only expect it every day promulgated to them The other
University Orator in Cambridge and Sir Jo. Cheek were employed to put it in Latine And they did so imitate the Stile of the Roman Laws that any who reads the Book will fancy himself to be reading a Work of the purer Ages of that State when their Language was not yet corrupted with these barbarous terms which the mixture of other Nations brought in and made it no where more nauseously rude than in the Canon Law The Work was digested and cast into fifty one Titles to bring it near the Number of the Books of the Pandects into which Justinian had digested the Roman Law It was prepared by February this year and a Commission was granted to thirty two Persons of whom the former eight were a part consisting of eight Bishops eight Divines among whom John a Lasco was one eight Civilians and eight Common Lawyers They were to revise correct and perfect the Work and so to present it to the King They divided themselves into four Classes eight to a Classis and every one of these were to prepare their Corrections and so to communicate them to the rest And thus was the Work carried on and finished but before it received the Royal Confirmation the King died and this fell with him nor do I find it was ever since that time taken up or prosecuted with the care that a thing of such consequence deserved and therefore I shall not think it improper for me having before shewed what was done in the next place to give an account of what was then intended to be done and is now very fit to be well considered The first Title was of the Trinity and the Catholick Faith The Chief Heads of it in which those who denied the Christian Religion were to suffer death and the loss of their Goods The Books of Scripture were numbred these called Apocryphal being left out of the Canon which though they were read in the Church it was only for the edification of the People but not for the proof of the Doctrine The power of the Church was subjected to the Scriptures The four General Councils were received but all Councils were to be examined by the Scripture as were also the Writings of the Fathers who were to be much reverenced but according to what themselves have written they were only to be submitted to when they agreed with the Scriptures The second Title contains an enumeration of many Heresies viz. against the Trinity Jesus Christ the Scriptures about Original sin Justification the Mass Purgatory and censured those who denied Magistracy to be lawful or asserted the Community of Goods or Wives or who denied the Pastoral Office and thought any might assume it at pleasure or who thought the Sacraments naked Signs who denied the Baptism of Infants or thought none could possibly be saved that were not Baptized or who asserted Transubstantiation or denied the lawfulness of Marriage particularly in the Clergy or who asserted the Popes Power or such as excused their ill Lives by the pretence of Predestination as many wicked Men did from which and other Heresies all are disswaded and earnestly exhorted to endeavour the extirpation of them The third was about the Judgments of Heresie before the Bishop of the Diocess even in exempted Places They were to proceed by Witnesses but the Party upon fame might be required to purge himself if he repented he was to make publick profession of it in those places where he had spread it and to renounce his Heresie swearing never to return to it any more but obstinate Hereticks were to be declared infamous incapable of publick Trust or to be Witnesses in any Court or to have power to make a Testament and were not to have the benefit of the Law Clergy-men falling into Heresie were not to return to their Benefices unless the Circumstances were such that they required it and thus all Capital Proceedings for Heresie were laid down The fourth was about Blasphemy flowing from hatred or rage against God which was to be punished as obstinate Heresie was The fifth was about the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper To which is added that Imposition of Hands is to be retained in the Ordination of Pastors that Marriages are to be solemnly made that those who renew their Baptismal Vow be confirmed by the Bishop and that the Sick should be visited by their Pastors The sixth was about Idolatry Magick Witchcraft or consulting with Conjurers who were to be arbitrarily punished if they submitted otherwise to be excommunicated The seventh was about Preachers whom the Bishops were to examine carefully before they licensed them and were once a year to gather together all those who were licensed in their Diocesses to know of them the true state of their Flock what Vices abounded and what Remedies were most proper Those who refused to hear Sermons or did make disturbance in them were to be separated from the Communion It seems it was designed that there should be in every Diocess some who should go round a Precinct and Preach like Evangelists as some then called them The eighth was about Marriage which was to be after asking Banes three Sundays or Holy-days Those who were married in any other Form than that in the Book of Service were not to be esteemed lawfully married those who corrupted Virgins were to be excommunicated if they did not marry them or if that could not be done they were to give them the third part of their Goods besides other arbitrary punishments Marriages made without the consent of Parents or Guardians were declared null Then follow the things that may void Marriages they are left free to all Poligamy is forbid Marriages made by force are declared void Mothers are required to suckle their Children The ninth is about the Degrees of Marriage All these in the Levitical Law or those that are reciprocal to them are forbidden but Spiritual Kindred was not to hinder Marriage since there was nothing in Scripture about it nor was there any good reason for it The tenth was about Adultery A Clergy-man guilty of it was to forfeit all his Goods and Estate to his Wife and Children or if he had none to the Poor or some pious use and to lose his Benefice and be either banished or imprisoned during Life A Lay-man was to restore his Wives Portion and to give her the half of his Goods and be imprisoned or banished during Life Wives that were guilty were to be in like manner punished But the Innocent Party might marry again yet such were rather exhorted if they saw hope of amendment to be reconciled to the offending Party No Marriage was to be dissolved without a Sentence of Divorce Desertion long Absence Capital Enmities where either Party was in hazard of their Life or the constant perverseness or fierceness of a Husband against his Wife might induce a Divorce but little Quarrels might not do it nor a perpetual Disease Relief in such a Misery being one of the Ends
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
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
by them declared legitimate 3. ' That all Institutions into Benefices might be confirmed 4. ' That all Judicial Processes might be also confirmed A Proviso for Church-Lands And finally That all the Settlements of the Lands of any Bishopricks Monasteries or other Religious Houses might continue as they were without any trouble by the Ecclesiastical Censures or Laws And to make this pass the better a Petition was procured from the Convocation of Canterbury A Petition from the Convocation about it setting forth That whereas they being the Defenders and Guardians of the Church ought to endeavour with all their strength to recover those Goods to the Church which in the Time of the late Schism had been alienated yet having considered well of it they saw how difficult and indeed impossible that would prove and how much it would endanger the publick Peace of the Realm and the Unity of the Church therefore they preferring the publick Welfare and the Salvation of Souls to their own privat Interests did humbly pray the King and Queen to intercede with the Legat that according to the Powers given him by the Pope he would settle and confirm all that had been done in the alienation of the Church and Abbey Lands to which they for their Interests did consent and they added an humble Desire That those things which concerned the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Liberty might be re-establish'd that so they might be able to discharge the Pastoral Cure committed to them Upon this the Cardinal granted a full Confirmation of those things ending it with a heavy charge on those who had the Goods of the Church in their hands that they would consider the Judgments of God that fell on Belshazar for his prophane using the Holy Vessels though they had not been taken away by himself but by his Father And he most earnestly exhorted them that at least they would take care that out of the Tithes of Parsonages or Vicarages those who served the Cures might be sufficiently maintain'd and encouraged This was confirmed in Parliament where also it was declared That all Suits about these Lands were only to be in the Queen's Courts and not in the Ecclesiastical Courts and if any should upon the pretence of any Ecclesiastical Authority disturb the Subjects in their possession they were to fall into a Premunire It was also declared that the Title of Supream Head never of right belonged to the Crown yet all Writings wherein it was used were still to continue in force but that hereafter all Writings should be of force in which either since the Queen 's coming to the Crown or afterwards that Title should be or had been omitted It was also declared that Bulls from Rome might be executed that all Exemptions that had belonged to Religious Houses and had been continued by the Grants given of them were repealed and these Places were made subject to the Episcopal Jurisdiction excepting only the Privileges of the two Universities the Churches of Westminster and Windsor and the Tower of London But for encouraging any to bestow what they pleased on the Church the Statutes of Mortmain were repealed for twenty Years to come provided always that nothing in this Act should be contrary to any of the Rights of the Crown or the Ancient Laws of England but that all things should be brought to the State they were in at the 20th Year of her Father's Reign and to continue in that condition For understanding this Act more perfectly An Address made by â—he Inferior Clergy I shall next set down the Heads of the Address which the Lower House of Convocation made to the Upper for most of the Branches of this Act had their first rise from it I have put it in the Collection Coll. Numb 16. having found it among Arch-Bishop Parker's Papers In it they petitioned the Lords of the Upper House of Convocation to take care that by their consent to the settlement of the Church Lands nothing might be done in prejudice of any just Title they had in Law to them as also it being said in the Grant of Chantries to King Edward that Schools and Hospitals were to be erected in several parts of the Kingdom they desired that some regard might be had to that Likewise that the Statutes of Mortmain might be repealed and whereas Tithes had been at all times appointed for the Ecclesiastical Ministry therefore they prayed that all Impropriations might be dissolved and the Tithes be restored to the Church They also proposed 27 Articles of things meet to be considered for the Reformation of the Church Namely That all who had preached any Heretical Doctrine should be made openly to recant it that Cranmer's Book of the Sacrament the late Service Books with all Heretical Books should be burnt and all that had them should be required to bring them in otherwise they should be esteemed the favourers of Heresy That great care should be had of the Books that were either printed or sold That the Statutes made against Lollards might be revived and the Church restored to its former Jurisdiction That all Statutes for Pluralities and Non-residence might be repealed that so Beneficed Men might attend on their Cures That Simoniacal Pactions might be punished not only in the Clergy that made them but in the Patrons and in those that mediated in them that the Liberties of the Church might be restored according to the Magna Charta and the Clergy be delivered from the heavy Burdens of First-Fruits Tenths and Subsidies That there might be a clear explanation made of all the Articles of the Premunire and that none should be brought under it till there were first a Prohibition issued out by the Queen in that Particular and that disobedience to it should only bring them within that Guilt That all Exemptions should be taken away all Usury be forbid all Clergy Men obliged to go in their Habits The last was That all who had spoiled Churches without any Warrant might be obliged to make restitution The Laws against Hereticks revived The next Act that was brought in was for the reviving the Statutes made by Richard the Second Henry the Fourth and Henry the Fifth against Hereticks of which an account was given in the first Book of the former Part. The Act began in the House of Commons who as was observed in the former Parliament were much set on Severities It was brought in on the 12th of December and sent up to the Lords on the 15th who pasied it on the 18th of that month The Commons put in also another Bill for voiding all Leases made by married Priests It was much argued among them and the first Draught being rejected a new one was drawn and sent up to the Lords on the 19th of December but they finding it would shake a great part of the Rights of the Church Lands that were made by Married Priests or Bishops laid it aside Thus did the servile and corrupted House of Commons
were declared to be Heresies by the express and plain Words of Scripture All other Points not so decided were to be judged by the Parliament with the assent of the Clergy in their Convocation This Act was in many things short of the Authority that King Henry had claimed and the severity of the Laws he had made The Title of Supream Head was left out of the Oath This was done to mitigate the Opposition of the Popish Party but besides the Queen her self had a scruple about it which was put in her Head by one Lever a famous Preacher among those of the Reformation of which Sands afterwards Bishop of Worcester complained to Parker in a Letter that is in the Collection Collection Number 2. There was no other punishment inflicted on those that denied the Queens Supremacy but the loss of their Goods and such as refused to take the Oath did only lose their Imployments whereas to refuse the Oath in King Henry's time brought them into a Praemunire and to deny the Supremacy was Treason The Bishops oppose the Queens Supremacy But against this Bill the Bishops made Speeches in the House of Lords I have seen a Speech of this kind was said to have been made by Arch-bishop Heath but it must be forgery put out in his Name for he is made to speak of the Supremacy as a new and unheard of thing which he who had sworn it so oft in King Henry's and King Edwards times could not have the face to say The rest of the Bishops opposed it the rather because they had lately declared so high for the Pope that it had been very indecent for them to have revolted so soon The Bishop of Duresme came not to this Parliament There were some hopes of gaining him to concur in the Reformation for in the Warrant the Queen afterwards gave to some for Consecrating the new Bishops he is first named and I have seen a Letter of Secretary Cecils to Parker that gives him some hope that Tonstal would joyn with them He had been offended with the Cruelties of the late Reign and though the resentments he had of his ill usage in the end of King Edwards time had made him at first concur more heartily to the restoring of Popery yet he soon fell off and declared his dislike of those violent Courses and neither did he nor Heath bring any in trouble within their Diocesses upon the account of Religion though it is hardly credible that there was no occasion for their being severe if they had been otherwise enclined to it The Bishop of Ely was also absent at the passing of this Act for though he would not consent to it yet he had done all that was prescribed by it so often before that it seems he thought it more decent to be absent than either to consent to it or to oppose it The Power that was added for the Queens Commissionating some to Execute her Supremacy gave the Rise to that Court which was commonly called the High Commission Court The beginning of the High Commission and was to be in the room of a single Person to whom with the Title of Lord Vice-gerent King Henry did delegate his Authority It seems the Clergy-men with whom the Queen consulted at this time thought this too much to be put in one Mans Hand and therefore resolved to have it shared to more Persons of whom a great many would certainly be Church-men so that they should not be altogether kept under by the hard Hands of the Laity who having groaned long under the Tyranny of an Ecclesiastical Yoke seemed now disposed to revenge themselves by bringing the Clergy as much under them for so Extreams do commonly rise from one another The Popish Clergy were now every where beginning to declaim against Innovation and Heresie Harpsfield had in a Sermon at Canterbury in February stirred the People much to Sedition and the Members belonging to that Cathedral had openly said that Religion should not nor could not be altered The Council also heard that the Prebendaries there had bought up many Arms so a Letter was written to Sir Thomas Smith to examine that matter Harpsfield was not put in Prison but received only a Rebuke There came also complaints from many other Places of many Seditious Sermons So the Queen following the Precedent her Sister had set her did in the beginning of March forbid all Preaching except by such as had a Licence under the Great Seal But lest the Clergy might now in the Convocation set out Orders in opposition to what the Queen was about to do she sent and required them under the Pains of a Praemunire to make no Canons Yet Harpsfield that was Prolocutor with the rest of the lower House made an Address to the upper House to be by them presented to the Queen for the discharge of their Consciences They reduced the Particulars into five Articles 1. That Christ was corporally present in the Sacrament 2. That there was no other Substance there but his Body and Blood 3. That in the Mass there was a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Dead and the Living 4. That St. Peter and his lawful Successors had the Power of feeding and governing the Church 5. That the Power of treating about Doctrine the Sacraments and the Order of Divine Worship belonged only to the Pastors of the Church These they had sent to the two Universities from whence they were returned with the Hands of the greatest part in them to the first four but it seems they thought it not fit to sign the last For now the Queen had resolved to have a publick Conference about Religion in the Abby-Church of Westminster The Arch-bishop of York was continued still to be of the Council so the Conference being proposed to him he after he had Communicated it to his Brethren accepted of it though with some unwillingness It was appointed that there should be nine of a side who should confer about these three Points 1. Whether it was not against the Word of God and the Custom of the Ancient Church to use a Tongue unknown to the People in the Common-Prayers and the Administration of the Sacraments 2. Whether every Church had not Authority to appoint change and take away Ceremonies and Ecclesiastical Rites so the same were done to edification 3. Whether it could be proved by the Word of God that in the Mass there was a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Dead and the Living All was ordered to be done in Writing The Bishops as being actually in Office were to read their Papers first upon the first Point and the Reformed were to read theirs next and then they were to exchange their Papers without any discourse concerning them for the avoiding of jangling The next day they were to read their Papers upon the second and after that upon the third Head and then they were to answer one anothers Papers The Nine on both sides were the Bishops of Winchester
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
the Church till they met in a Convocation yet they soon after prepared them And for the present they agreed on a short Profession of their Doctrine which all Incumbents were obliged to read and publish to their People This will be found in the Collection Coll. Num. 11. copied from it as it was then printed In the Articles made in King Edward's Reign which I have put in the Collection the Reader will find on the Margent the differences between those and these marked In the third Article the explanation of Christ's descent to Hell was left out In that about the Scriptures they now added an enumeration of the Canonical and Apocryphal Books declaring that some Lessons were read out of the latter for the Instruction of the People but not for the confirmation of the Doctrine About the Authority of the Church they now added That the Church had power to decree Rites and Ceremonies and had Authority in Controversies of Faith but still subordinate to the Scripture In the Article about the Lord's Supper there is a great deal left out for instead of that large refutation of the Corporal Presence from the impossibility of a Bodies being in more places at once from whence it follows that since Christ's Body is in Heaven the Faithful ought not to believe or profess a Real or Corporal Presence of it in the Sacrament In the new Articles it is said That the Body of Christ is given and received after a Spiritual manner and the means by which it is received is Faith But in the Original Copy of these Articles M.SS. C. Cor. Christ Cant. which I have seen subscribed by the hands of all that sat in either House of Convocation there is a further addition made The Articles were subscribed with that Precaution which was requisite in a matter of such consequence for before the Subscriptions there is set down the number of the Pages and of the Lines in every Page of the Book to which they set their hands In that Article of the Eucharist these words are added Christus in Coelum ascendens corpori suo immortalitatem dedit naturam non abstulit Humanae enim naturae veritatem juxta scripturas perpetuo retinet quam in uno definito loco esse non in multa vel omnia simul loca diffundi oportet Quum igitur Chistus in Coelum sublatus ibi usque ad finem Soeculi sit permansurus atque inde non aliunde ut loquitur Augustinus venturus sit ad judicandum vivos mortuos non debet quisquam fidelium Carnis ejus Sanguinis realem corporalem ut loquuntur praesentiam in Eucharistia vel credere vel profiteri In English thus Christ An Explanation of Christ's Presence in the Sacrament when he ascended into Heaven made his Body Immortal but took not from it the nature of a Body For still it retains according to the Scriptures the verity of a humane Body which must be always in one definite place and cannot be spread into many or all places at once Since then Christ being carried up to Heaven is to remain there to the end of the World and is to come from thence and from no place else as says St. Austin to judg the Quick and the Dead None of the Faithful ought to believe or profess the real or as they call it the corporal Presence of his Flesh and Blood in the Eucharist But this in the Original is dasht over with minium yet so that it is still legible â—uâ— 't is suppresseâ— The Secret of it was this The Queen and her Council studied as hath been already shewn to unite all into the Communion of the Church and it was alleaged that such an express definition against a Real Presence might drive from the Church many who were still of that Perswasion and therefore it was thought to be enough to condemn Transubstantiation and to say that Christ was present after a Spiritual manner and received by Faith to say more as it was judged superfluous so it might occasion Division Upon this these words were by common consent left out And in the next Convocation the Articles were subscribed without them of which I have also seen the Original This shews that the Doctrine of the Church subscribed by the whole Convocation was at that time contrary to the belief of a Real or Corporal Presence in the Sacrament only it was not thought necessary or expedient to publish it Though from this silence which flowed not from their Opinion but the Wisdom of that Time in leaving a Liberty for different Speculations as to the manner of the Presence some have since inferred that the chief Pastors of this Church did then disapprove of the Definition made in King Edward's Time and that they were for a Real Presence For the Translating of the Bible it was divided into many Parcels The Pentateuch was committed to William Alley Bishop of Exeter The Books from that to the second of Samuel were given to Richard Davis who was made Bishop of St. Davids when Young was removed to York All from Samuel to the second Book of Chronicles was assigned to Edwin Sandys then Bishop of Worcester From thence to the end of Job to one whose Name is marked A. P. C. The Book of the Psalms was given to Thomas Bentham Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield The Proverbs to one who is marked A. P. The Song of Solomon to one Marked A. P. E. All from thence to the Lamentations of Jeremy was given to Robert Horn Bishop of Winchester Ezekiel and Daniel to Bentham From thence to Malachi to Grindal Bishop of London The Apocripha to the Book of Wisdom was given to Barlow Bishop of Chichester and the rest of it to Parkhurst Bishop of Norwich The Gospels Acts and Epistle to the Romans were given to Richard Cox Bishop of Ely The Epistles to the Corinthians to one marked G. G. I know not to whom the rest of the New Testament was assigned All these Allotments I gather from the Bible it self as it was afterwards set out by Parker What Method they followed in this Work I cannot discover unless the Rules afterwards given in King James his Time when the Translation was revived Coll. Num. 10. were copied from what was now done which Rules for the curiosity of the thing I shall put in the Collection as I copied it from B. Ravis's Paper They were given with that care that such a matter required There were many Companies appointed for every parcel of the Scripture and every one of a Company was to translate the whole Parcel then they were to compare these together and when any Company had finished their Part they were to communicate it to the other Companies So it is like that at this Time those several Bishops that had undertaken the Translation did associate to themselves Companies with whose assistance they perfected it afterwards and when it was set out at the end
said Alms whereby they may buy some kind of Stuff by the working sale and gains whereof they may repay the Sum borrowed and also well relieve themselves or else the said Church-Wardens to buy the Stuff themselves and pay the Poor for their working thereof and after sale of the same to return the Sum with the Gain to the said Chest there to remain to such-like use Item Forasmuch as heretofore you have not by any means diligence or study advanced your selves unto knowledg in God's Word and his Scriptures condignly as appertaineth to Priests and Dispensators of God's Testament to the intent you may hereafter be of better ability to discharge your selves towards God and your Offices to the World you shall daily for your own study and knowledg read over diligently and weigh with judgment two Chapters of the New Testament and one of the Old in English and the same shall put in ure and practice as well in living as preaching at times convenient when occasion is given Item Forasmuch as Drunkenness Idleness Brawls Dissention and many other Inconveniences do chance between Neighbour and Neighbour by the assembly of People together at Wakes and on the Plough Mundays it is therefore ordered and enjoined That hereafter the People shall use make or observe no more such Wakes Plough Mundays or drawing of the same with any such Assembly or Rout of People or otherwise as hath been accustomed upon pain of forfeiting to the King's Highness 40 s. for every Default to be paid by the Owner of the Plough and Housholder whereunto the said Plough is drawn or Wakes are kept The Names of the Visitors Sir John Markham John Hearn Thomas Gragrave Roger Tongue William Moreton Edmund Farley Number 22. A Proclamation against those that do innovate alter or leave down any Rite or Ceremony in the Church of their private Authority and against them which Preach without License Set forth the 6th day of February in the Second Year of the King's Majesty's most gracious Reign Ex Reg. Cranmer Fol. 111. THe King's Majesty by the advice of his most entirely beloved Vncle the Duke of Somerset Governor of his most Royal Person and Protector of all his Realms Dominions and Subjects and others of his Counsel Considering nothing so much to tend to the disquieting of this Realm as diversity of Opinions and variety of Rites and Ceremonies concerning Religion and worshipping of Almighty God and therefore studying all the ways and means which can be to direct this Church and the Cure committed to his Highness in one and most true Doctrine Rite and Vsage yet is advertised That certain private Curats Preachers and other Lay-men contrary to their bounden Duties of Obedience do rashly attempt of their own and singular Wit and Mind in some Parish-Churches and otherwise not only to perswade the People from the old and accustomed Rites and Ceremonies but also themselves bringeth in new Orders every one in their Church according to their Phantasies the which as it is an evident token of Pride and Arrogance so it tendeth both to Confusion and Disorder and also to the high displeasure of Almighty God who loveth nothing so much as Order and Obedience Wherefore his Majesty straitly chargeth and commandeth That no manner of Person of what Estate Order or Degree soever he be of his private Mind Will or Phantasie do omit leave done change alter or innovate any Order Rite or Ceremony commonly used and frequented in the Church of England and not commanded to be left undone at any time in the Reign of Our late Soveraign Lord his Highness Father other than such as his Highness by the Advice aforesaid by his Majesty's Visitors Injunctions Statutes or Proclamations hath already or hereafter shall command to be omitted left innovated or changed but that they be observed after that sort as before they were accustomed or else now sith prescribed by the Authority of his Majesty or by the means aforesaid upon pain That whosoever shall offend contrary to this Proclamation shall injure his Highness Indignation and suffer Imprisonment and other gxievous Punishments at his Majesty's Will and Pleasure Provided always that for not bearing a Candle upon Candlemass-day not taking Ashes upon Ash-wednesday not bearing Palm upon Palm-Sunday not creeping to the Cross not taking Holy Bread or Holy Water or for omitting other such Rites and Ceremonies concerning Religion and the Vse of the Church which the most Reverend Father in God the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury by his Majesty's Will and Commandment with the Advice aforesaid hath declared or hereafter shall declare to the other Bishops by his Writing under Seal as heretofore hath been accustomed to be omitted or changed no Man hereafter be imprisoned nor otherwise punished but all such things to be reputed for the observation and following of the same as though they were commanded by his Majesty's Injunctions And to the intent that rash and seditious Preachers should not abuse his Highness People it is his Majesty's Pleasure That whosoever shall take upon him to Preach openly in any Parish-Church Chappel or any other open place other than those which he licensed by the King's Majesty or his Highness Visitors the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury or the Bishops of the Diocess where he doth preach except it be Bishop Parson Vicar Dean Warden or Provost in his or their own Cure shall be forthwith upon such attempt and preaching contrary to this Proclamation be committed to Prison and there remain until such time as his Majesty by the advice aforesaid hath taken order for the further punishment of the same and that the Premises should be more speedily and diligently done and performed his Highness giveth straitly in Commandment to all Iustices of Peace Mayors Sheriffs Constables Headborroughs Church-wardens and all other his Majesty's Officers and Ministers and Rulers of Towns Parishes and Hamlets that they be diligent and attendent to the true and faithful execution of this Proclamation and every part thereof according to the intent purport and effect of the same And that they of their proceedings herein or if any Offender be after they have committed the same to Prison do certifie his Highness the Lord Protector or his Majesty's Council with all speed thereof accordingly as they tender his Majesty's Pleasure the Wealth of the Realm and will answer to the contrary at their uttermost perils God save the King Number 23. An Order of Council for the Removing of Images AFter our right hearty Commendations to your good Lordship Regist Cranmer Fol. 32. where now of late in the King's Majesty's Visitation among other Godly Injunctions commanded to be generally observed throughout all Parts of this his Highness Realm one was set forth for the taking down all such Images as had at any time been abused with Pilgrimages Offerings or Censings Albeit that this said Injunction hath in many parts of the Realm been well and quietly obeyed and executed yet in many other places much strife and
Man Elien doth not avail or profit any other but as all good Deeds profit the Congregation and as one Member healed or taking nourishment profiteth another Member And I suppose also Covent Litchfield that the Receiving of one Man doth not avail or profit another but as every good Act or Deed of one Member doth profit to the whole Body The Receiving of the Sacrament Carliolen as it noteth the Act of him who receiveth it may be that it neither availeth or profiteth him who receiveth nor any other but also hurts the Receiver if he presume to take it rashly or unworthily But as touching the thing which is Sacred offered and distributed by the Common Minister in the Mass representing the Holy Church or Mystical Body of Christ and is received both of him and other that will whatsoever the Receiving or Receiver be it availeth and profiteth all present absent Living and Dead No but as the receipt of wholsome Doctrine Roffen the receipt of the Fear of God the receipt of any Godly Gift that is profitable to any one Member of Christ's mystical Body may be said generally to profit the whole Body because there is a mystical Communion and a spiritual Participation amongst all the Members of Christ in all Godliness as there is in the natural Body a natural participation of all natural Affections both good and evil It appeareth by the words of St. Cyprian Bristollen Epist 6. Lib. 3. that it should be profitable and available to others forasmuch as he wrote these words of the faithful Christians which departed this World in Prison and said Quanquam fidelissimus devotissimus frater noster inter caetera solicitudinem curam suam cum fratribus in omni obsequio operationis impertitur qui nec illic curam corporum scripserit ac scribat ac significat mihi dies quibus in carcere beati fratres nostri ad immortalitatem gloriosae mortis exitu transeant celebrentur hic a nobis Oblationes Sacrificia ob commemorationes eorum quae cito vobiscum domine prosperante celebrabimus Ita enim docuit Apostolus Christi unus Panis unum Corpus multi sumus omnes 1 Cor. 1. qul de uno Pane de uno Calice participamus Nec loquitur de his solis qui eo tempore Corinthi conveniebant Sacramentum ab unius Sacerdotis manu recipiebant Verum potius de seipso tunc procul a Corintho agente Corinthiis ipsis omnibusque in Christum credentibus ubi tandem constituti essent quos omnes significat unum esse Corpus qui toto orbe de uno Pane communicantes participarent Meneven The Sacrament profiteth him only that receiveth it worthily like-as it damnifieth him only that receiveth it unworthily Nam qui edit aut bibit indigne judicium sibi ipsi edit ac bibit 1 Cor. 11. Dr. Cox The Receiving of the said Sacrament doth avail and profit the Receiver only and none other but by occasion to do the like Dr. Tyler So much as the Christening of Man profiteth another which after my Opinion profiteth nothing Quest 3. What is the Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass Answers Cantuarien THe Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass is not so called because Christ indeed is there offered and sacrificed by the Priest and the People for that was done but once by himself upon the Cross but it is so called because it is a Memory and Representation of that very true Sacrifice and Immolation which before was made upon the Cross Eboracen The Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass is the presenting of the very Body and Blood of Christ to the Heavenly Father under the Forms of Bread and Wine consecrated in the Remembrance of his Passion with Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Universal Church London Worcester Hereford Norvicen Cicestren Assaven I think it is the Presentation of the very Body and Blood of Christ being really present in the Sacrament which Presentation the Priest maketh at the Mass in the Name of the Church unto God the Father in memory of Christ's Passion and Death upon the Cross with thanksgiving therefore and devout Prayer that all Christian People and namely they which spiritually join with the Priest in the said Oblation and of whom he maketh special remembrance may attain the benefit of the said Passion Dunelm The Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass is the presenting of Christ by the Priest in commemoration of his Passion being our eternal and permanent Sacrifice present in the Sacrament by his Omnipotent Word left to us to have his Death and Passion in remembrance with giving thanks for the same and Prayer of the Minister and them which be present that the same may be available to the whole Church of Christ both Quick and Dead in the Faith of Christ Which Oblation commemoration of Christ's Passion Sarisburie giving of Thanks and Prayer taketh effect only in them which by their own proper Faith shall receive the same effect There is properly no Oblation nor Sacrifice Lincoln but a remembrance of the One Oblation of Christ upon the Cross made once for all a giving of Thanks for the same and the Prayer of the publick Minister for the whole Congregation which Prayer only taketh effect in them who by their own proper Faith receive the benefit of Christ And where many of those Authors do say there is an Oblation and Sacrifice they spoke so because in this Sacrament we be admonished of the Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross If Oblation be taken pro re Oblata then Elien as old Ancient Doctors write it Is Corpus Sanguis scil Verum Corpus scil Mysticum If ye take it pro actu offerendi it is a Commemoration and Representation of Christ's Death once suffered upon the Cross with Thanksgiving for the same I suppose the very Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass Covent Litchfield is this That after the Benediction that is to say the words of Consecration spoken by the Priest and the divine working of Christ presently by the which there is the very precious Body and the precious Blood of Christ present to be so received then the Priest offereth up the holy Memory of our Redemption to God the Father most humbly praying That as it was once offered up by Christ upon the Cross for the Redemption of Man-kind so it may take effect now and at all times especially in those that with a true Faith with a full Trust and hope shall so worthily receive it The Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass is Carliolen even the same which was offered by Christ on the Cross ever and every-where abiding and enduring of like strength virtue and power The difference is That on the Cross Christ being there both Priest and Sacrifice
Number 55. Articles agreed upon by the Bishops and other Learned Men in the Convocation held at London in the Year 1552. for the avoiding diversities of Opinions and stablishing Consent touching true Religion Published by the King's Authority With Marginal Notes of the differences between these and those set out by Queen Elizabeth Anno 1562. I. Of Faith in the Holy Ghost THere is but one living and true God everlasting without Body Parts or Passions of infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness the Maker and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible And in the unity of this God-head there are three Persons of one Substance Power and Eternity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost II. The Word of God made very Man The Son which is the Word of the Father The Son which is the Word of the Father begotten from everlasting of the Father the very and eternal God of one Substance with the Father took Man's Nature in the Womb of the blessed Virgin c. took Man's Nature in the Womb of the blessed Virgin of her Substance So that two whole and perfect Natures that is to say the God-head and Manhood were join'd together in one Person never to be divided whereof is one Christ very God and very Man who truly suffered was crucified dead and buried to reconcile his Father to us and to be a Sacrifice not only for Original Guilt but also for Actual Sins of Men. III. Of the going down of Christ into Hell As Christ died for us and was buried so also is it to be believed that he went down into Hell * These words were left out For his Body lay in the Grave till his Resurrection but his Soul being separate from his Body remained with the Spirits which were detained in Prison that is to say in Hell and there preached unto them as witnesseth that place of Peter IV. The Resurrection of Christ Christ did truly rise again from Death and took again his Body with Flesh Bones and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man's Nature wherewith he ascended into Heaven and there sitteth till he return to judg all Men at the last day Of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son is of one Substance Majesty and Glory with the Father and the Son very and eternal God V. The Doctrine of the Holy Scripture is sufficient to Salvation Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought necessary or requisite to Salvation In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament of whose Authority was never any doubt in the Church that is to say Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1st of Samuel 2d of Samuel c. And the other Books as Hierom saith the Church doth read for example of Life and instruction of Manners but yet doth it not apply them to establish any Doctrine such are these following The 3d of Esdras the 4th of Esdras the Book of Tobias the Book of Judeth the rest of the Book of Hester the Book of Wisdom c. All the Books of the New Testament as they are commonly received we do receive and account them Canonical Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby although sometimes it may be admitted by God's faithful People as pious and conducing unto order and decency yet is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation VI. The Old Testament is not to be rejected The Old Testament is not to be rejected as if it were contrary to the New but to be retained Forasmuch as in the Old Testament as in the New everlasting Life is offered to Mankind by Christ who is the only Mediator betwixt God and Man being both God and Man Wherefore they are not to be heard who feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory Promises Although the Law given from God by Moses as touching Ceremonies and Rites do not bind Christian Men nor the Civil Precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any Common-wealth yet notwithstanding no Christian Man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral VII The three Creeds The three Creeds Nice Creed Athanasius Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed ought throughly to be received * And believed for they may be proved by most certain Warrants of the Holy Scripture VIII Original Sin Original Sin standeth not in the following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainly talk * Left out and at this day is affirmed by the Anabaptists but it is the fault and corruption of every Man that naturally is ingendred of the Off-spring of Adam whereby Man is very far gone from Original Righteousness and is of his own nature inclined to evil so that the Flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit and therefore in every Person born into this World it deserveth God's Wrath and Damnation And this Infection of Nature doth remain yea in them that are regenerated whereby the lust of the Flesh called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some do expound the Wisdom some Sensuality some the Affection some the desire of the Flesh is not subject to the Law of God And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized yet the Apostle doth confess that Concupiscense and Lust hath of it self the nature of Sin IX Of Free-will The condition of Man after the Fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good Works to Faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasant and acceptable unto God c. We have no power to do good Works pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will X. Of Grace The Grace of Christ or the Holy Ghost which is given by him doth take from Man the heart of Stone and giveth him a heart of Flesh And though it rendereth us willing to do those good Works which before we were unwilling to do and unwilling to do those evil Works which before we did yet is no violence offered by it to the will of Man so that no Man when he hath sinned can excuse himself as if he had sinned against his will or upon constraint and therefore that he ought not to be accused or condemned upon that account XI Of the Justification of Man Justification by Faith only in Jesus Christ
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
separate and divide themselves from the Sacred Unity of Christ's Holy Spouse the Church as St. Augustine plainly saith Quicunque ille est qualiscunque ille est Christianus non est qui in Ecclesia Christi non â—est that is Whosoever he be whatsoever degree or condition he be of or what qualities soever he hath though he should speak with the Tongues of Angels speak he never so holily shew he never so much Vertue yet is he not a Christian Man that is guilty of that Crime of Schsm and so no Member of that Church Wherefore this is an evident Argument Every Christian Man is bound upon pain of Damnation by the plain words of God uttered by St. Paul to avoid the horrible Sin of Schism The changing of the Service-Book out of the Learned Tongue it being universally observ'd through the whole Church from the beginning is a cause of an horrible Schism wherefore every good Christian Man is bound to avoid the change of the Service Now to confirm that we said before and to prove that to have the Common Prayer and Ministration of the Sacraments in English or in other than is the Learned Tongue let us behold the first Institution of the West Church and the Particulars thereof And first to begin with the Church of France Dyonisius St. Paul's Scholar who first planted the Faith of Christ in France Martialis who as it is said planted the Faith in Spain And others which planted the same here in England in the time of Eleutherius And such as planted the Faith in Germany and other Countries And St. Augustine that converted this Realm afterwards in the time of Gregory almost a thousand Years ago It may appear that they had Interpreters as touching the Declaration and Preaching of the Gospel or else the Gift of Tongues But that ever in any of these West Churches they had the Service in their own Language or that the Sacraments other than Matrimony were ministred in their own Vulgar Tongue that does not appear by any Ancient Historiographer Whether shall they be able ever to prove that it was so generally and thereby by continuance in the Latin the self-same Order and Words remain still whereas all Men do consider and know right-well that in all other inferiour and barbarous Tongues great change daily is seen and specially in this our English Tongue which in quovis Seculo fere in every Age or hundred Years there appeareth a great change and alteration in this Language For the proof whereof there hath remained many Books of late in this Realm as many do well know which we that be now Englishmen can scarcely understand or read And if we should so often as the thing may chance and as alteration daily doth grow in our Vulgar Tongue change the Service of the Church what manifold Inconveniences and Errors would follow we leave it to all Mens Judgments to consider So that hereby may appear another invincible Argument which is the Consent of the whole Catholick Church that cannot err in the Faith and Doctrine of our Saviour Christ but is by St. Paul's saying the Pillar and Foundation of all Truth Moreover the People of England do not understand their own Tongue better than Eunuchus did the Hebrew of whom we read in the Acts that Philip was commanded to teach him and he reading there the Prophesy of Esay Philip as it is written in the 8th Chapter of the Acts enquired of him Whether he understood that which he read or no He made answer saying Et quomodo possum si non aliquis ostenderit mihi in which words are reproved the intollerable boldness of such as will enterprize without any Teacher yea contemning all Doctors to unclasp the Book and thereby instead of Eternal Food drink up deadly Poison For whereas the Scripture is misconstrued and taken in a wrong sense that it is not the Scripture of God but as St. Hierom saith Writing upon the Epistle to the Galathians it is the Scripture of the Devil And we do not contend with Hereticks for the Scripture but for the true sense and meaning of the Scripture We read of Ceremonies in the Old Testament as the Circumcision the Bells and Pomegranates of Aaron's Apparel with many other and kinds of Sacrifices which all were as St. Paul saith unto the Hebrews Justitia Carnis and did not inwardly justify the Party before God that objected in Protestation of their Faith in Christ to come And although they had the knowledg of every Fact of Christ which was signified particularly by those Ceremonies And it is evident and plain that the High Priest entred into the inner Part of the Temple named Sanctum Sanctorum whereas the People might not follow nor lawful for them to stand but there where they could neither see nor hear what the Priest either said or did as St. Luke in the first Chapter of his Gospel rehearseth in the History of Zachary Upon Conference of these two Testaments may be plainly gathered this Doctrine That in the School of Christ many things may be said and done the Mystery whereof the People knoweth not neither are they bound to know Which things that is that the People did not hear and understand the Common Prayer of the Priest and Minister it is evident and plain by the practice of the Ancient Greek Church and that also that now is at Venice or else-where In that East Church the Priest standeth as it were in a Travice or Closet hang'd round about with Curtains or Vails apart from the People And after the Consecration when he sheweth the Blessed Sacrament the Curtains are drawn whereof Chrysostom speaketh thus Cum Vela videris retrahi tunc superne Coelum aperiri cogita When thou seest the Vails or Curtains drawn open then think thou that Heaven is open from above It is also here to be noted That there is two manners of Prayings one Publick another Private for which cause the Church hath such considerations of the Publick Prayer that it destroyeth not nor taketh away the Private Prayer of the People in time of Sacrifice or other Divine Service which thing would chance if the People should do nothing but hearken to answer and say Amen Besides the impossibility of the Matter whereas in a great Parish every Man cannot hear what the Priest saith though the Material Church were defaced and he left the Altar of God and stood in the midst of the People Furthermore If we should confess that it were necessary to have Common Prayer in the Vulgar Tongue these two Heresies would follow upon it that Prayer profiteth no Man but him that understandeth it and him also that is present and heareth it and so by consequent void was the Prayer for St. Peter in Prison by the Church abroad Now consider the Practice of this Realm If we should grant the Service to be in English we should not have that in the same form that it is in now being in Latin
enabling of their own Judgments to treat and conclude of such Laws as might depend thereupon This also being thought very reasonable was signified to both Parties and so fully agreed upon And the day appointed for the first Meeting to be the Friday in the Forenoon being the last of March at Westminster Church where both for good Order and for Honour of the Conferences by the Queen's Majesty's Commandment the Lords and others of the Privy-Council were present and a great part of the Nobility also And notwithstanding the former Order appointed and consented unto by both Parties yet the Bishop of Winchester and his Colleagues alleadging that they had mistaken that their Assertions and Reasons should be written and so only recited out of the Book said Their Book was not then ready written but they were ready to Argue and Dispute and therefore they would for that time repeat in Speech that which they had to say to the first Proposition This variation from the former Order and specially from that which themselves had by the said Arch-Bishop in writing before required adding thereto the Reason of the Apostle that to contend with words is profitable to nothing but to the subversion of the Hearer seemed to the Queen's Majesty somewhat strange and yet was it permitted without any great reprehension because they excused themselves with mistaking the Order and argued that they would not fail but put it in writing and according to the former Order deliver it to the other Part. And so the said Bishop of Winchester and his Colleagues appointed Dr. Cole Dean of Pauls to be their Utterer of their Minds who partly by Speech only and partly by reading of Authorities written and at certain times being informed of his Colleagues what to say made a declaration of their Meanings and their Reasons to the first Proposition Which being ended they were asked by the Privy Council If any of them had any more to be said and they said No. So as then the other Part was licensed to shew their Minds which they did accordingly to the first Order exhibiting all that which they meant to propound in a Book written Which after a Prayer and Invocation made most humbly to Almighty God for the enduing of them with his Holy Spirit and a Protestation also to stand to the Doctrine of the Catholick Church builded upon the Scriptures and the Doctrine of the Prophets and the Apostles was distinctly read by one Robert Horn Batchelor in Divinity late Dean of Duresm And the same being ended with some likelyhood as it seemed that the same was much allowable to the Audience certain of the Bishops began to say contrary to their former Answer that they had now much more to say to this Matter wherein although they might have been well reprehended for such manner of cavillation yet for avoiding any more mistaking of Orders in this Colloquie or Conference and for that they should utter all that which they had to say it was both ordered and thus openly agreed upon of both Parts in the full Audience that upon the Monday following the Bishops should bring their Minds and Reasons in Writing to the second Assertion and the last also if they could and first read the same and that done the other Part should bring likewise theirs to the same and being read each of them should deliver to other the same Writings And in the mean time the Bishops should put in writing not only all that which Doctor Cole had that day uttered but all such other Matters as they any otherwise could think of for the same and as soon as might possible to send the same Book touching the first Assertion to the other part and they should receive of them that Writing which Master Horn had there read that day and upon Monday it should be agreed what day they should exhibit their Answer touching the first Proposition Thus both parts assented thereto and the Assembly was quietly dismissed And therefore upon Monday the like Assembly began again at the Place and Hour appointed and there upon what sinister or disordered meaning is not yet fully known though in some part it be understanded the Bishop of Winchester and his Colleagues and specially Lincoln refused to exhibit or read according to the former notorious Order on Friday that which they had prepared for the second Assertion and thereupon by the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal they being first gently and favourably required to keep the Order appointed and that taking no place being secondly as it behoved pressed with the more earnest request they neither regarding the Authority of that Place nor their own Reputation nor the Credit of the Cause utterly refused that to do And finally being again particularly every one of them apart distinctly by Name required to understand their Opinions therein they all saving one which was the Abbot of Westminster having some more consideration of Order and his Duty of Obedience than the other utterly and plainly denied to have their Book read some of them as more earnestly than other some so also some others more indiscreetly and irreverently than others Whereupon giving such Example of Disorders Stubbornness and Self-will as hath not been seen and suffered in such an Honourable Assembly being of the two Estates of this Realm the Nobilities and Commons besides the Persons of the Queen's Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council the same Assembly was dismissed and the Godly and most Christian Purpose of the Queen's Majesty made frustrate And afterwards for the contempt so notoriously made the Bishops of Winchester and Lincoln who have most obstinately disobeyed both Common Authority and varied manifestly from their own Order specially Lincoln who shewed more folly than the other were condignly committed to the Tower of London and the rest saving the Abbot of VVestminster stand bound to make daily their personal appearance before the Council and not to depart the City of London and VVestminster until further Order be taken with them for their Disobedience and Contempt N. Bacon Cust Sigill F. Shrewsbury F. Bedford Pembrok E. Clynton G. Rogers F. Knollys W. Cecill A. Cave Number 6. An Address made by some Bishops and Divines to Queen Elizabeth against the Use of Images To the Queen 's most Excellent Majesty WE knowing your gracious Clemency and considering the necessity of the Matter that we have to move the one doth encourage us and the other compel us as before to make our humble Petition unto your Highness and to renew our former Suit not in any respect of self-will stoutness or striving against your Majesty God we take to Witness for with David we confess that we are but as Canes mortui aut Pulices in comparison But we do it only for that fear and reverence which we bear to the Majesty of Almighty God in whose Hands to fall 't is terrible for it lieth in his Power to destroy for ever and to cast both Body and Soul into Hell Fire
two several times that is to say the Sundays next following Easterday and St. Michael the Arch-Angel or on some other Sunday within one month after those Feasts immediately after the Gospel FOrasmuch as it appertaineth to all Christian Men but especially to the Ministers and the Pastors of the Church being Teachers and Instructers of others to be ready to give a Reason of their Faith when they shall be thereunto required I for my part now appointed your Parson Vicar or Curat having before my Eyes the Fear of God and the Testimony of my Conscience do acknowledg for my self and require you to assent to the same I. First That there is but one living and true God of infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness the maker and preserver of all Things And that in Unity of this God-head there be three Persons of one Substance of equal Power and Eternity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost II. I believe also whatsoever is contained in the Holy Canonical Scriptures In the which Scriptures are contained all things necessary to Salvation by the which also all Errors and Heresies may sufficiently be reproved and convicted and all Doctrine and Articles necessary to Salvation established I do also most firmly believe and confess all the Articles contained in the Three Creeds The Nicene Creed Athanasius Creed and our Common Creed called the Apostles Creed for these do briefly contain the principal Articles of our Faith which are at large set forth in the Holy Scriptures III. I do acknowledg also that Church to be the Spouse of Christ wherein the Word of God is truly taught the Sacraments orderly ministred according to Christ's Institution and the Authority of the Keys duly used And that every such particular Church hath authority to institute to change clean to put away Ceremonies and other Ecclesiastical Rites as they be superfluous or be abused and to constitute other making more to Seemliness to Order or Edification IV. Moreover I confess That it is not lawful for any Man to take upon him any Office or Ministry either Ecclesiastical or Secular but such only as are lawfully thereunto called by their High Authorities according to the Ordinances of this Realm V. Furthermore I do acknowledg the Queen's Majesty's Prerogative and Superiority of Government of all Estates and in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal within this Realm and other her Dominions and Countries to be agreable to God's Word and of right to appertain to her Highness in such sort as is in the late Act of Parliament expressed and sithence by her Majesty's Injunctions declared and expounded VI. Moreover touching the Bishop of Rome I do acknowledg and confess that by the Scriptures and Word of God he hath no more Authority than other Bishops have in their Provinces and Diocesses And therefore the Power which he now challengeth that is to be the Supream Head of the Universal Church of Christ and so to be above all Emperors Kings and Princes is an usurped Power contrary to the Scriptures and Word of God and contrary to the Example of the Primitive Church and therefore is for most just Causes taken away and abolished in this Realm VII Furthermore I do grant and confess That the Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Holy Sacraments set sorth by the Authority of Parliament is agreeable to the Scriptures and that it is Catholick Apostolick and most for the advancing of God's Glory and the edifying of God's People both for that it is in a Tongue that may be understanded of the People and also for the Doctrine and Form of ministration contained in the same VIII And although in the Administration of Baptism there is neither Exorcism Oil Salt Spittle or hallowing of the Water now used and for that they were of late Years abused and esteemed necessary Where they pertain not to the substance and necessity of the Sacrament they be reasonably abolished and yet the Sacrament full and perfectly ministred to all intents and purposes agreeable to the Institution of our Saviour Christ IX Moreover I do not only acknowledg that Privat Masses were never used amongst the Fathers of the Primitive Church I mean publick Ministration and receiving of the Sacrament by the Priest alone without a just number of Communicants according to Christ's saying Take ye and eat ye c. But also that the Doctrine that maintaineth the Mass to be a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Quick and the Dead and a mean to deliver Souls out of Purgatory is neither agreeable to Christ's Ordinance nor grounded upon Doctrine Apostolick But contrary-wise most ungodly and most injurious to the precious Redemption of our Saviour Christ and his only-sufficient Sacrifice offered once for ever upon the Altar of the Cross X. I am of that mind also That the Holy Communion or Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ for the due obedience to Christ's Institution and to express the vertue of the same ought to be ministred unto the People under both kinds And that it is avouched by certain Fathers of the Church to be a plain Sacrilege to rob them of the Mystical Cup for whom Christ hath shed his most precious Blood seeing he himself hath said Drink ye all of this Considering also That in the time of the Ancient Doctors of the Church as Cyprian Hierom Augustine Gelasius and others six hundred Years after Christ and more both the Parts of the Sacrament were ministred to the People Last of all As I do utterly disallow the extolling of Images Reliques and feigned Miracles and also all kind of expressing God Invisible in the form of an Old Man or the Holy Ghost in form of a Dove and all other vain worshipping of God devised by Man's fantasy besides or contrary to the Scriptures As wandering on Pilgrimages setting up of Candles praying upon Beads and such-like Superstition which kind of Works have no promise of Reward in Scripture but contrary-wise Threatnings and Maledictions So I do exhort all Men to the Obedience of God's Law and to the Works of Faith as Charity Mercy Pity Alms devout and fervent Prayer with the affection of the Heart and not with the Mouth only Godly Abstinence and Fasting Chastity Obedience to the Rulers and Superior Powers with such-like Works and godliness of Life commanded by God in his Word which as St. Paul saith hath Promises both of this Life and of the Life to come and are Works only acceptable in God's sight These things above-rehearsed though they be appointed by common Order yet do I without all compulsion with freedom of Mind and Conscience from the bottom of my Heart and upon most sure persuasion acknowledg to be true and agreeable to God's Word And therefore I exhort you all of whom I have Cure heartily and obediently to embrace and receive the same That we all joining together in unity of Spirit Faith and Charity may also at length be joined together in the Kingdom of God and that
chuse And as for our own Persons we shall bestow with all that ever we have to the death where and however it shall please him submitting our selves to his Majesty's Judgment in this Matter and to the execution and doing of that whatsoever either his Majesty or any other Man shall devise to be done better than we have said in this Answer and more for the honour and surety of their Majesties and Common-Wealth of this their Realm Feb. 1. 1577. Number 37. Sir Thomas Pope's Letter concerning the Answer made by the Lady Elizabeth to a proposition of Marriage sent over by the Elected King of Sweden FIrst Ex M. S. D G. Petyt After I had declared to her Grace how well the Queen's Majesty liked of her prudent and honourable Answer made to the same Messenger I then opened unto her Grace the Effect of the said Messengers Credence which after her Grace had heard I said The Queen's Highness had sent me to her Grace not only to declare the same but also to understand how her Grace liked the said Motion Whereunto after a little pause taken her Grace answered in form following Master Pope I require you after my most humble Commendations to the Queen's Majesty to render unto the same like thanks that it pleased her Highness of her Goodness to conceive so well of my Answer made to the same Messenger and here withal of her Princely Consideration with such speed to command you by your Letters to signify the same unto me who before remained wonderfully perplexed fearing that her Majesty might mistake the same for which her Goodness I acknowledg my self bound to honour serve love and obey her Highness during my Life Requiring you also to say unto her Majesty That in the King my Brother's time there was offered me a very honourable Marriage or two and Ambassadors sent to treat with me touching the same whereupon I made my humble Suit unto his Highness as some of Honour yet living can be testimonies that it would like the same to give me leave with his Grace's favour to remain in that Estate I was which of all others best liked me or pleased me And in good Faith I pray you say unto her Highness I am even at this present of the same mind and so intend to continue with her Majesty's favour and assuring her Highness I so well like this Estate as I perswade my self there is not any kind of Life comparable unto it And as concerning my liking the said Motion made by the said Messenger I beseech you say unto her Majesty That to my remembrance I never heard of his Master before this time and that I so well like both the Message and the Messenger as I shall most humbly pray God upon my Knees that from henceforth I never hear of the one nor of the other assure you that if it should eft-soons repair unto me I would forbear to speak to him And were there nothing else to move me to mislike the Motion other than that his Master would attempt the same without making the Queen's Majesty privy thereunto it were cause sufficient And when her Grace had thus ended I was so bold as of my self to say unto her Grace her pardon first required that I thought few or none would believe but that her Grace could be right-well contented to marry so there were some honourable Marriage offered her by the Queen's Highness or her Majesty's Assent Whereunto her Grace answered What I shall do hereafter I know not but I assure you upon my Truth and Fidelity and as God be merciful unto me I am not at this time otherwise minded than I have declared unto you no though I were offered the greatest Prince in all Europe And yet percase the Queen's Majesty may conceive this rather to proceed of a maidenly shamefastness than upon any such certain determination Tho. Pope FINIS A COLLECTION OF RECORDS c. BOOK III. Number 1. The Device for Alteration of Religion in the first Year of Queen Elizabeth offered to Secretary Cecill Question 1. WHen the Queen's Highness may attempt to reduce the Church of England again to the former purity Ex M. SS Nob. D. Grey dc Ruthen and when to begin the Alteration Answer At the next Parliament so that the Dangers be foreseen and Remedies provided for the sooner that Religion is restored God is the more glorified and as we trust will be more merciful unto us and better save and defend her Highness from all Dangers Quest 2. What Dangers may ensue thereof Answ 1. The Bishop of Rome all that he may will be incensed he will Excommunicate the Queen's Highness Interdict the Realm and give it in Prey to all Princes that will enter upon it and stir them up to it by all manner of means 2. The French King will be encouraged more to the War and make his People more ready to fight against us not only as Enemies but as Hereticks He will be in great hope of Aid from hence of them that are discontented with this Alteration looking for Tumults and Discords He will also stay concluding of Peace upon hope of some alteration 3. Scotland also will have the same Causes of boldness and by that way the French King will seem soonest to attempt to annoy us Ireland also will be very difficultly stayed in the Obedience by reason of the Clergy that is so addicted to Rome 4. Many People of our own will be very much discontented especially all such as governed in the late Queen Mary's Time and were chosen theâ—â—to for no other Causes or were then most esteemed for being hot and earnest in that other Religion and now remain unplaced and uncalled to Credit will think themselves discredited and all their Doings defaced and study all the ways they can to maintain their own Doings destroy and despise all this Alteration 5. Bishops and all the Clergy will see their own ruin and in Confession and Preaching and all other means and ways they can will persuade the People from it they will conspire with whomsoever will attempt and pretend to do God a Sacrifice in letting the Alteration though it be with murder of Christian Men and Treason Men which be of the Papists Sect which of late were in a manner all the Judges of the Land the Justices of the Peace chosen out by the late Queen in all the Shires such as were believed to be of that Sect and the more earnest therein the more in estimation These are most like to join and conspire with the Bishops and Clergy Some when the Subsidy shall be granted and Mony levied as it appeareth that necessarily it must be done will be therewith offended and like enough to conspire and arise if they have any heed to stir them to do it or hope of Gain or Spoil 6. Many such as would gladly have Alteration from the Church of Rome when they shall see peradventure that some old Ceremonies be left still
for that their Doctrine which they embrace is not allowed and commanded only and all other abolished and disproved shall be discontented and call the Alteration a Cloak'd Papistry or a Mingle-Mangle Quest 3. What Remedy for the same Dangers What shall be the manner of doing of it and what is necessary to be done before Answ 1. First for France to practise a Peace or if it be offered not to refuse it If Controversy of Religion be there amongst them to kindle it Rome is less to be feared from whom nothing is to be feared but evil Will Cursing and Practising Scotland will follow France for Peace but there may be Practice to help forward their Division and especially to augment the Hope of them who inclined them to good Religion For certainty to fortify Barwick and to employ Demilances and Horsemen for safety of the Frontiers and some Expences of Mony in Ireland The fourth divided in five parts 1. The first is of them which were of Queen Mary's Council elected or advanced to Authority only or chiefly for being of the Pope's Religion and earnest in the same Every Augmentation or Conservation of such Men in Authority or Reputation is an encouraging those of their Sect and giveth hope to them that it shall revive and continue although it hath a contrary shew lest seeing the Pillars to stand still untouched it be a confirmation of them that are wavering Papists and a discouraging of such as are but half inclined to this Alteration Dum in dubio est animus parvo momento huc illuc impellitur This must be searched by all Law so far as Justice may extend and the Queen's Majesty's Clemency not to be extended before they do acknowledg themselves to have fallen into the lapse of the Law They must be abased of Authority discredited in their Countries so long as they seem to repugn the true Religion or to maintain the old Proceedings and if they should seem to allow and bear with the new Alteration yet not lightly to be credited quia neophiti and no Man but he loveth that time wherein he did flourish and when he came and as he came those Ancient Laws and Orders he will defend and maintain with whom and in whom he was in Estimation and Authority and a Doer for every Man naturally loveth that which is his own Work and Creature And contrary as those Men be abased so must her Highness old and sure Servants who have tarried with her and not shrunk in the late Storm be advanced with Authority and Credit that the World may see that her Highness is not unkind nor unmindful And throughout all England if such Persons as are known to be sure in Religion and God's Cause shall be slack yet their own Safety and Estate should cause to be vigilant careful and earnest for the conservation of her Estate and maintenance of this Alteration and in all this she shall do but the same that the late Queen Mary did to establish her Religion 2. The second is the Bishops and Clergy being in manner all made and chosen such as were thought the stoutest and mightiest Champions of the Pope's Church who in the late Queen Mary's Times taking from the Crown impoverishing it by extorting from private Men and all other means possible per fas nefas have sought to enrich and advance themselves These her Majesty being inclined to use much clemency yet must seek as well by Parliament as by the just Laws of England in the Premunire or other such Penal Laws to bring again in order and being found in the default not to pardon until they confess their Fault put themselves wholly to her Highness Mercy abjure the Pope of Rome and conform themselves to the new Alteration and by these means well handled her Majesty's necessity of Mony may be somewhat relieved 3. The third is to amended even as all the rest above by such ways as Queen Mary taught That no such as were may be in Commission of Peace in their Shires but rather Men meaner in Substance and younger in Years so that they have discretion to be put in Place A sharp Law made and extended against Assemblies of People without Authority Lieutenants made in every Shire one or two Men known to be sure of the Queen's Devotion In the mean time Musters and Captains appointed Young Gentlemen which do favour her Highness No Office of Jurisdiction or Authority to be in any discontented Man's hands so far as Justice or Law may extend 4. The fourth is to be remedied otherwise than by gentle and dulce handling it is by the Commissioners and by the readiness and good-will of the Lieutenants and Captains to repress them if any should begin a Tumult or murmur or provide any Assembly or stoutness to the contrary 5. The fifth For the Discontentation of such as could be content to have Religion altered but would have it to go for fear the strait Laws upon the Promulgation of the Book and severe execution of the same at the first would so oppress them that it is great hope it shall touch but a few And better it were that they did suffer than her Highness and Common-Wealth should shake or be in danger and to this they must well take heed that draw the Book And herein the Universities must not be neglected and the hurt which the last Visitation in Queen Mary's Time did must be amended Likewise such Colleges where Children be instructed to come to the University as Eaton and Winchester that as well the encrease hereafter as this present time may be provided for Quest 4. What may be done of her Highness for her own Conscience openly before the whole Alteration or if the Alteration must tarry longer Answer This consultation is to be referred to such Learned Men as be meet to shew their Minds therein and to bring a Plot or Book hereof ready drawn to her Highness which being approved by her Majesty may so be put in the Parliament-House To which for the time it is thought that these are apt Men Dr. Bill Dr. Parker Dr. May Dr. Cox Mr. Whitehead Grindall Pilkington and Sir Thomas Smith to call them together and to be amongst them and after the consultation with these to draw in other Men of Learning and grave and apt Men for your Purpose and Credit to have their Assents As for that is necessary to be done before it is thought to be most necessary that a strait Prohibition be made of all Innovation until such time as the Book come forth as well that there should be no often Changes in Religion which would take away Authority in the common Peoples estimation as also to exercise the Queen's Majesty's Subjects to Obedience Quest 5. What Orders be sit to be in the whole Realm as in the interim Answer To alter no further than her Majesty hath except it be to receive the Communion as her Majesty pleaseth at high Feasts and that where there be