Images c. This Preface indeed was published at London 1550. under the name of Wickliffe and hath generally passed for his But after all Wickliffe did not write it but the Author of the other old English Translation of the Bible For we have two Translations of the Bible made about that time one by Wickliffe the other by an unknown Person In the Preface the Author giveth several Specimens of his Translation of many difficult places of Scripture which agree not with Wickliff's but with the other Translation Further the Author of the Preface inveighs sharply against the Discipline and Members of the University of Oxford which it is certain Wickliffe would never have done for Reasons before mentioned That Wickliffe condemned praying to Saints we have only the Testimony of his Adversaries I will not affirm any thing at this time but I have reason to suspect the contrary Pag. 25. lin 27. Iohn Braibrook Bishop of London then Lord Chancellor viz. 26 Maii Anno 5. Ricardi 2. His name was Rober Braibrook and he was not Lord Chancellor until the Sixth Year of King Richard Pag. 35. lin 28. The two Prelates that were then in the Year 1503 between February and December in greatest esteem with King Henry the 7 th were Warham Archbishop of Canterbury and Fox Bishop of Winchester Warham was not translated from London to Canterbury till 1504. Ianuary 23. Pag. 88. lin 10. This the small Allowance made by the King to Crook his Agent in foreign Universities I take notice of because it is said by others that all the Subscriptions that he procured were bought So pag. 89. in imo Margine No Money nor Bribes given for Subscriptions This is endeavoured to be farther proved pag. 90. However it might be then thought necessary or useful to procure the Determinations of foreign Universities in favour of the Divorce of King Henry thereby the better to satisfie the Clergy at home and to justifie the Divorce abroad yet to those who know very well that this National Church had sufficient Authority to determine such a Controversie without consulting foreign Universities it will not be accounted a matter of any moment whether these were bribed or not I will not therefore scruple to set down the Testimonies of two undeniable Witnesses who lived at that time and could not but know the truth of the whole matter The first is of Cornelius Agrippa of whom the Historian himself giveth this Character Cornelius Agrippa a man very famous for great and curious Learning and so satisfied in the Kings Cause that he gave it out that the thing was clear and indisputable for which he was afterwards hardly used by the Emperor and died in Prison If this Great Person then had any partiality in this Cause it lay on the side of the King yet in one of his Books he hath these words Sed quis credidisset Theologos in rebus fidei conscientiae non solum amore odio invidia perverti sed nonnunquam etiam flecti conviviis muneribus abduci a vero nisi ipsi illius sceleris fidem fecissent in Anglicani Matrimonii damnatione Who would have believed that Divines in matters of Faith and Conscience are not only perverted by Love Hatred or Envy but also sometimes bribed by Banquets or drawn from the truth by Gifts unless themselves had given evident Proof of this Vileness in condemning the Marriage of the King of England The other is Mr. Cavendish an honest plain Gentleman first a Servant of Cardinal Wolsey afterwards highly obliged by King Henry He in writing the Life of his Master the Cardinal giveth this account of the whole matter It was thought very expedient that the King should send out his Commissioners into all Universities in Christendom there to have this Case argued substantially and to bring with them from thence every Definition of their Opinions of the same under the Seal of the University And thereupon divers Commissioners were presently appointed for this Design So some were sent to Cambridge some to Oxford some to Lovain others to Paris some to Orleance others to Padua all at the proper Costs and Charge of the King which in the whole amounted to a great Summ of Money And all went out of this Realm besides the Charge of the Embassage to those famous and notable Persons of all the Universities especially such as bare the Rule or had the Custody of the University Seals were fed by the Commissioners with such great Summs of Money that they did easily condescend to their Requests and grant their Desires By reason whereof all the Commssioners returned with their Purpose furnished according to their Commissions under the Seal of every several University Pag. 107. lin 5. For then about the time of Edward I. the Popes not satisfied with their other Oppressions did by Provisions Bulls and other Arts of that See dispose of Bishopricks Abbeys and lesser Benefices to Foreigners Cardinals and others that did not live in England This is a very wide mistake For the Popes did not then dispose of Bishopricks and Abbeys to Foreigners Cardinals and others that did not live in England The Popes did not give any Bishoprick of England to any Foreigner that did not live therein till about Thirty years before the Reformation when it was not done without the Kings good liking and in Vertue of some secret compact between them As for Abbeys from the first Foundation to their Dissolution the Popes never gave any one to a Foreigner not residing For Cardinal Abbots there never was any besides Cardinal Wolsey and of him it is well known that he had his Abbey from the gift of the King and lived in England The matter therefore complained of in the Preamble of the Act of Parliament 25 Edw. I. which the Historian inserteth was this That whereas Bishops and Abbots ought to be Elected by their several Chapters and Convents and these Elections to be confirmed by the King the Popes had taken upon them to Annul the Elections of Chapters and then to substitute whomsoever themselves pleased without a new Election or to dispose of them without expecting any Election yet still none of these were granted to Cardinals or to Foreigners not residing in England And whereas the Popes had usurped the Presentation of and given to Aliens although not residing other Benefices as Deanries Prebends and Parsonages which ought of right to belong to their proper Patrons against these Encroachments a Remedy was desired and provided in this Act. Several Foreigners had a little before this time been preferred to Bishopricks such as Boniface Archbishop of Canterbury Adomarus de Lesignan Bishop of Winchester Petrus de Aqua-blanca Bishop of Hereford But these came in by the Election of their several Chapters overawed thereto by the Power and Authority of King Henry III to whose Queen they were related by near Kindred and after all resided upon their Sees unless when diverted by Employment in the business of
not left to the pleasure of the Abbot or Religious House to whom the Church belonged But the Bishops endowed the Vicarages with what proportion of Tithes and Emoluments they thought fit in many places reserved to the Vicar one half of all manner of Tithes and the whole Fees of all Sacraments Sacramentals c. in most places reserved to them not some little part of but all the Vicarage-tithes and in other places appointed to them an annual pension of Money In succeeding times when the first Endowments appeared too slender they encreased them at their pleasure Of all which our ancient Registers and Records give abundant testimony This was the case of all Vicarages As for those impropriated Livings which have now no settled Endowment and are therefore called not Vicarages but perpetual or sometimes arbitrary Curacies they are such as belonged formerly to those Orders who could serve the oure of them in their own persons as the Canons Regular of the Order of St. Austin which being afterwards devolved into the hands of Laymen they hired poor Curates to serve them at the cheapest rate they could and still continue to doe so Pag. 25. lin 28. Ridley elect of Rochester designed for that See by King Henry but not consecrated till September this Year 1547. If King Henry designed Ridley to be Bishop of Rochester he could not do it by any actual Nomination but only by Prophetical foresight of Longland's Death and Holbeach's Translation For the King died 1547 Ianuary 28th Longland of Lincoln died 1547. May 7th Holbeach of Rochester was elected to Lincoln 9th August So that until August there was no room for Ridley at Rochester Pag. 30. lin 17. The Form of bidding Prayer was used in the times of Popery as will appear by the Form of bidding the Beads in King Henry the 7th's time which will be found in the Collection The Form published by the Historian out of the Festival Printed Anno 1509. seemeth by the length of it and comparing it with another undoubtedly true Form to have been rather a Paraphrase or Exposition of the Form of bidding Beads I have therefore presented to the Reader a much shorter and ancienter Form taken out of an old written Copy Pag. 32. lin 13. Tonstall searching the Registers of his See found many Writings of great consequence to clear the Subjection of the Crown of Scotland to England The most remarkable of these was the Homage King William of Scotland made to Henry the Second by which he granted that all the Nobles of his Realm should be his Subjects and do Homage to him and that all the Bishops of Scotland should be under the Archbishop of York It was said that the Monks in those days who generally kept the Records were so accustomed to the forging of Stories and Writings that little Credit was to be given to such Records as lay in their keeping But having so faithfully acknowledged what was alledged against the Freedom of Scotland I may be allowed to set down a Proof on the other side for my Native Countrey copied from the Original Writing yet extant under the Hands and Seals of many of the Nobility and Gentry of that Kingdom It is a Letter to the Pope c. The ancient and allowed Laws of History exclude Partiality yet this Historian's great Concern for the Honour of his Countrey cannot well be called by any other name which hath induced him to publish and Instrument of the Nobility and Gentry of Scotland not at all relating to the History of our English Reformation If he thinketh that this Liberty ought to be allowed to him in recompence of the great Obligation he hath laid upon the English Nation for having so faithfully acknowledged what was alledged against the Freedom of Scotland we pretend that all Persons conversant in the History of our Nation did before this very well know all these Allegations and ten times as many of no less weight and that either he did not perfectly understand the Controversie or hath not so faithfully represented the Arguments of our side For King William did not herein make any new Grant to King Henry but only confirmed and acknowledged the ancient Dependence and Subjection of Scotland to England nor did he then first subject the Bishops of Scotland to the Archbishop of York but engaged that hereafter they should be subject to him as of right they ought to be and had wont to be in the time of the former Kings of England The Bishops of Scotland had been all along subject to the Archbishops of York but having about Eleven years before this obtained an Exemption of this Jurisdiction by a Bull of Pope Alexander the King of Scotland now undertook that they should not claim the benefit of that Exemption but be subject to the Church of England as formerly and the Bishops of Scotland also then present concurred with the King and promised for themselves although within a short time after they broke their Faith and procured a new and fuller Exemption from the Pope which Dempster placeth in the Year 1178. The Charter of King William before mentioned was made in 1175. But after all the Bishoprick of Galloway continued to be subject unto the Archbishop of York until towards the end of the Fifteenth Century when it was by the Pope taken from York and subjected to Glasgow then newly erected into an Archbishoprick Now whereas the Historian would invalidate the Authority of this Charter insinuating that it may justly be suspected to have been forged by the Monks because taken out of their Records and coming out of their Custody he may please to know that this very Charter may be found entire in the Printed History of Roger de Hoveden who was no Monk but a a Secular Clergy-man a Domestick of this King Henry attending him in all his Expeditions As for the pretence of the Nobility and Gentry of Scotland in their Letter written to the Pope Anno 1320. and published by the Historian it is not to be wondered if their minds being elated with unusual Success against our unfortunate King Edward II. they enlarged their Pretences and affected an independency from the Crown of England which their Forefathers never pretended to nor had themselves at any other time dared to arrogate All the principal Nobility and Gentry of Scotland had in the Year 1291. made as ample and authentick an Instrument of the Subjection of the Crown of Scotland to England as could be conceived before Edward had either Conquered or invaded their Countrey which Instrument Tonstall taketh notice of in his Memorial and this was indeed the most remarkable of all the Testimonies produced by Tonstall at least accounted by King Edward to be of so great moment that he sent a Copy of it under the Great Seal to every noted Abbey and Collegiate Church in England that it might be safely preserved and inserted into their several Annals It may be seen at length in the Printed History
curiam Saecularem puta Domini Regis Parliamentum quod in camerâ ejusdem Domini fuit inchoatum that this was contrary to the ancient Form and that therefore they would not proceed to act unless they might be assured that this should not be drawn into a President and that for the future the old Form should be observed Which assurance being given to them the Clergy granted a Subsidy apart to the King upon Conditions by them mentioned From this it should appear that before the time of Edward III. the Convocations of the Provinces of Canterbury and York were not held out of the several Provinces and consequently that the Clergy of both did not meet together and with the Laymen constitute one Body in one House of Parliament that the Clergy of the Province of Canterbury were then summoned by Writs of the same Form as afterwards that not the King but the Archbishop appointed the time and place that they never sat at Westminster where the other Estates of Parliament were at that time wont to sit that they permitted not Laymen to entermeddle in their Consultations but sate apart from them and granted Subsidies apart and all this as themselves alledge had been done à tempore cujus memoria non existit Pag. 56. lin 8. The Clerks of Council did not then enter every thing with that Exactness that is since used It had been more cautious in the Historian to have said that he could not find such exact Entries made by them For I find an Order of Council made 1550. April 19th and entred in the beginning of a large Original Book containing the Acts of Council for the last four years of King Edward 6th that there shall be a Clerk attendant upon the said Council to Write Enter and Register all such Decrees Determinations and other things as he should be appointed to enter in a Book to remain always as a Leger as well for the discharge of the said Counsellors touching such things as they shall pass from time to time as also for a Memorial unto them of their own proceedings Unto which Office William Thomas was appointed by the Kings Highness with the advice of his aforesaid Council and in Presence of the same Council sworn Accordingly all the Acts of Council are therein entred largely and with great exactness the Original hands of the Privy Councellors then present being added to the Acts and Orders of every several day This Book I shall often mention hereafter Pag. 71. lin 1. 36. The next thing Cranmer set about was the compiling of a Catechism or institution of young Persons in the Grounds of the Christian Religion a work which was wholly his own without the Concurrence of any others In truth Cranmer only translated this Catechism out of Dutch at least translated it from the Latin Translation of Iustus Ionas who had translated the Dutch Catechism as both the Title and the Preface of it might have informed the Historian The Title saith it was overseen and corrected by the Archbishop and Cranmer himself in another Book speaketh of this Catechism in these words a Catechism by me translated and set forth He added indeed a large Discourse of his own to the Exposition of the Second Commandment and inserted some few Sentences elsewhere Pag. 89. lin 29. The people had been more prejudiced against the Marriage of the Clergy if they had not felt greater Inconveniences by the Debaucheries of Priests who being restrained from Marriage had defiled the Beds and deflowred the Daughters of their Neighbours c. As for Adulteries and Rapes which the Historian insisteth on it is charitably to be hoped that they were not so frequent in the Clergy before the Reformation But the greatest Scandal arose by keeping Women in their Houses under the Name and Notion of Concubines and being Licensed by their several Bishops to do it which abuse obtained generally and was practised openly throughout the whole Western Church immediately before the Reformation Yet in any case to cover the faults of the Clergy and to excuse them where the cause admitteth any excuse not only the respect due to the sacred Order but common Justice also requireth Had all these Women thus generally entertained by the Clergy been no other than their Concubines it would indeed have been inexcusable But in truth they were for the most part their Wives whom they married secretly and kept under the name of Concubines since the Laws and Canons then received forbad them to Marry openly or to entertain Women under the name of Wives This the Bishops very well knew and from time to time gave them Licenses to do it and tolerated them in it not allowing them thereby to violate the Divine Laws of Chastity but only in secret to neglect the Ecclesiastical Laws of Celibacy Now that this was the case of the Western Clergy we are assured by Alvarus Pelagius Cassander and others And lest we should imagine the Clergy of England in this practise to have Acted either with less Wit or Conscience than the Clergy of other Nations we find several Constitutions of our latter Provincial Councils directed against the Clandestine Marriages of the Clergy These Constitutions were made for shew but were seldom or never executed But the most express Testimony that can be desired herein is given by Archbishop Parker who publishing a large and accurate Defence of Priests Marriages wrote by an Anonymous Layman in the Reign of Queen Mary hath towards the end of the Book in some Copies of it inserted ten Sheets of his own Composition wherein he giveth a full and learned History of the Marriage and Celibacy of the Clergy of England from the first Reception of Christianity to the Reformation In this History he affirms the practise of the Clergy in Relation to Concubines before mentioned to have continued all along in England concluding thus And so lived secretlye with their Friendes not openly vouched for Wives but in affectu sororio amore uxorio fide conjugali as they use the Tearmes In which kynde of Lyfe there be no small Argumentes that some Bishoppes and the best of the Cleargie lyvyng within the Memorie of man dyd continue And in another place For as many of the Cleargie lyved in Adulteries and some in Vices Sodomitical so dyd diverse whose Consciences were better and in knowledge more wise lyved secretlie with Wives and provyded for their Children under the Names of Nephews and other mens Children In which manner lyved Bonifacius Archbishope of Canterbury and other Bishopes of old dayes but some also of late days dyd lyve though all the World did not barke at the matter Before I dismiss this matter I will add somewhat concerning the Attempt made for the open Restitution of Marriage to the Clergy in the times of Henry 8th of which our Historian is altogether silent The Anonymous Author of the Defence of Priests Marriages before mentioned relateth that after it had been
his Assembly at St. Austin's in London Polidor Virgil desired leave to go out of England which was granted to him on the 2d of Iune this Year 1550. To this I will add that on the 19th of November 1551. the Council ordered a Reward of an 100 Pounds to be given to Iohn Alasco And that Polidor Virgil went not out of England before the end of the Year 1551. For I find an Order of Council 1551. Octob. 14. to deliver to Polidor Virgil in way of the King's reward the Summ of One hundred Marks and another Order 1551. Nov. 9. to pay to to Plidor Virgil in way of the King's Majesties reward the Summ of 300 Crowns after Five shillings the Crown Pag. 155. lin 2. On the 26th of Iune 1550. Poynet was declared Bishop of Rochester The Council-Book saith that 1550. May 11th Mr. Poynet was appointed Bishop of Rochester King Edward's Journal Iune 30th John Poynet made Bishop of Rochester and received his Oath This latter is to be understood of the reception of his Temporalties from and doing Homage to the King For he was consecrated Iune 29th Pag. 156. lin 19. Bucer wrote a Book Entituled Concerning the Kingdom of Christ. In it he complains much of Pluralities and Non-Residence as a Remainder of Popery so hurtful to the Church that in many places there were but one or two or few more Sermons in a whole Year The Historians affection to the present Constitution of our Church in relation to Plurality of Benefices is well known He had before said in his Preface that the present use of Pluralities of England was a Relique of Popery a scandal of a crying Nature which may justly make us blush But he will never be able to adapt Bucer's words to such Pluralities as are now allowed and practised in this Church The words of Bucer are these Quot reperias qui licet manifesto horrendo Sacrilegio plurium Parochiarum emolumenta absumant tamen ne uni quidem debitum impendere ministerium vel per suos mercenarios taceo per seipsos dignetur Si enim bi inlocis Splendidis frequentioribus unam alteram vel paulo plures in anno conciones habuerint existimant se suo munere proeclare esse defunctos reliqúum omne tempus otio luxui pompae mundanae impendunt Wherein he blamed those who received the Profits of many Benefices with Cure of Souls and yet served not the Cure of any one of them either by Curates or their own Persons whereas it is notorious that at this time none is permitted to hold above two Benefices and both are constantly supplied by the Beneficiary either personally or by Curates and Sermons preached in either every Sunday whereas also those whom Bucer complaineth of thought they satisfied their Duty if they preached two three or more Sermons in a year in some populous and eminent places which the Historian by mistake interprets of their own Parishes I find but one remarkable thing concerning Pluralities during the whole Reign of Edward VI. and that is an Order of Council 1550. Iune 28 That upon Consideration Mr. Poynet now Elect Bishop of Rochester hath no House to dwell on and his Living small it was agreed he should enjoy his Benefice in Commendam But from henceforth it is decreed that no Bishop shall keep other Benefice than his Bishoprick only Pag. 160. lin 18. The Duke of Lunenberg had offered the King 10000 men to his Assistance and desired to enter into a Treaty of Marriage for the Lady Mary The Council-Book saith it was the D. of Brandenburgh who proposed to treat of a Marriage with the Lady Mary and that the Embassador who came to propose it had Two hundred pounds given to him by way of Gratuity King Edward's Journal indeed relateth it of the Duke of Brunswick Pag. 165. lin 3. Gardiner was soon after February 1551. put out There was a Commission issued out to the Archbishop c. He put in a Compurgation Upon this many Witnesses were Examined His Judges on the 18th of April gave Sentence against him by which they deprived him of his Bishoprick I find in the Council-Book that the Bishop of Winchester's Case was first renewed after the Sequestration 1550. Nov. 23. when it was agreed in Council that the Bishop of Ely Secretary Petre Dr. May and Dr. Glynn should confer on the matter and on Tuesday following should certifie to the Council what was to be done by the Order of Law in that case What was their report doth not appear But Decemb. 14. the Council ordered that the Lieutenant of the Tower should carry him to Lambeth before the Archbishop and other Commissioners constituted in his Cause on Monday following and after that when and as often as he shall be by them required Decemb. 16. The Commissioners having allowed Council to Gardiner this was approved by the King's Council and the Persons by him named were Licensed to repair to the Tower to him and that although one of them was the King's Chaplain Ianuary 19th Two of his Servants came to the Privy-Council and desired that certain of them might be sworn upon certain Articles as Witnesses in behalf of the Bishop The Privy Councellors offered to Answer to those Articles upon their Honour but would not be sworn February 15th It was ordered in Council That for asmuch as the Bishop had at all times before the Iudges of his cause used himself unreverently to the King's Majesty and very slanderously towards his Council and especially yesterday being the day of his Iudgment given against him so that he was deprived on the 14th of February he called the Iudges Hereticks and Sacramentaries these being there the Kings Commissioners and of his Highnesses Counsail he should be removed from his present into a meaner Lodging in the Tower and have but one Servant to wait on him that his Books and Papers be taken from him and that from henceforth he have neither Pen Ink nor Paper but be sequestred from all Conference and from all means that may serve him to practise any ways King Edward's Journal saith that the Bishop after long Tryal was Deposed February 13th Pag. 165. lin 47. Eight days after on the 26th of April Poynet was translated from Rochester to Winchester That the See of Winchester was void by the Deprivation of Gardiner before the 18th of April the Historian might have learned from King Edward's Journal published by himself wherein it is said that April the 5 th Poynet Bishop of Rochester received his Oath for the Bishoprick of Winchester viz. then he received the Temporalities of Winchester The Council-Book saith that February 8th This day by the King 's own Appointment Dr. Poynet Bishop of Rochester was appointed and admitted Bishop of Winchester And April the 9th A Letter was writ to the Treasurer of the First fruits in favour of Mr. Skorie appointed Bishop of Rochester Pag. 166. lin 1. Veysey Bishop of Exeter did also resign pretending