Teutonick Tongue as well as in the Modern doth signifie narrow strait or a nook And a Portugal alluding thereunto hath this verse Anglia terra ferax fertilis Angulus Orbis Insula praedives quae toto vix eget orbe A fruitful Angle England Thou Another world art said An Island rich and hast no need of other Countrie 's aid And although after this many errours in Doctrine and corruptions in Worship crept in more and more into our Church and the Pope encroaching by degrees the Churches of God in this Land did much degenerate as they did in other Nations so that in Process of time the whole world wondered after the Beast and they Worshipped the Beast saying who is like unto the Beast Revel 13. 3 4. Yet even in the darkest times when our Church suffered the greatest Ecclipse when her Silver was become Dross and her Wine was mixed with Water it pleased God then to raise up some eminent Persons to stand up for the Defence of the Truth in this Nation and to discover the impostures of the Church of Rome Yea how many were there that suffered Martyrdom for the Gospel here in England who detested Image-worship and other abominations in the dayes of King Henry the fourth King Henry the fift and others afterward long before Luther was born These and the like in other Nations may be called the forlorn Hope who did obequitare Antichristi castra ad pugnam elicere advance up to and ride round about the camp of Antichrist and provoke him to the main-fight What wonderfull deliverances hath God wrought for this Church and Nation in several ways When King Henry the eighth did renounce the Pope's Supremacy what plots were framed by diverse Princes against this Land to ruine it and how gratiously did the Lord protect his people here from such a storm though then he had but a very little flock in this place When Queen Mary matched with Philip of Spain in what apparent danger was this Land to fall into miserable servitude and bondage under the Iron-yoak of the Spainard ' s which diverse nations that have been subject to them have found intolerable The blind and bloody zeal of Queen Mary was likely to have rooted out all the plants of God's right hand in this Land and so have banished hence the true Church and Gospel of Christ and so to have shut this Kingdom out of the bounds of the Church There was great expectation of Issue by that Marriage between the Spanish Prince and Queen Mary who Her self also was a Spaniard by the Mother's side and Solemn Forms of Thanksgiving and Prayer were made for Her Conception and safe â—â—â—lvery and besides an Act passed in Parliament that if â—ueen Mary died in Child-bed King Philip should have the Government of this Land during the Child's Nonage and if these things had succeeded into what misery might this Land have fallen And besides had an Issue of that Marriage lived to Reign over England together with other Dominions of the Spaniard what had England been but an Inferiour Tributary Province to be Governed as it pleased the Spanish Nation even as was attempted in the Low-Countreys with Devilish cruelties to say nothing of their horrible Massacres in the West-Indies But here sâ—e the wonderful goodness of God who dwelt in the midst of this Church as a Refuge All this was prevented Queen Marie's supposed Conception vanished She was soon taken away by death and King Philip of Spain had no longer any Interest in England Queen Elizabeth a Noursing-mother to this Church Succeeded She was born September the seventh 1533. One calleth Her Angliae Delitias Europae Sydus Mundi Phoenicem c. the joy of England the Star of Europe the Phoenix of the World a Glass of God's Providence and the Mirrour of His Mercy And as if the Devil had presaged what a â—courâ—e She would prove to the Roman greatness and suggested it to Pope Clement the seventh he is said to have made a Perâ—mptory Decree against Her whilst She was in Her Mother's bâ—lly This Pope himself being the Bastard of Julian de Mâ—dâ—cis a Florentine he avowed to make Her illegitimate and unâ—apable of the Crown The like did Pope Paul the third attempt viz. To make that Royal Princess illegitimate when She was but two years Old But as the Lord blessed Her then so he did wonderfully preserve her all her Sister 's Râ—ign when many plots were laid to take away her life But as Seneca told Nero it was impossible for him to kill that man that must be his heir so it was impossible for the malice of hell to accomplish the death of the Lady Elizabeth whom the only-wise God had appointed to be her Sister's Heir So great a Ecclesiae Anglicanae reformationem desperasâ—â—t aetaâ— praeterita admiratur praesens obstâ—pâ—scet futura Scultet Annal. Reformation She wrought in England that one saith of it The Gospel had a swift passage here by diligent Preaching by Printing good Books by translating the holy Scriptures into the Vulgar Tongue by Catechizing youth by publick disputations by recording the Martyrs such a thing as even the former age had even despaired of the present age admireth and the future shall stand amazed at It is evident that the Almighty God who delighteth to shew his power in Weakness was pleased in this Renowed Queen and her brother King Edward to let the world see what great things he was able to effect by a Child and a Woman But what a multitude of plots were contrived for the destruction of Queen Elizabeth when the next heir to the Crown was a Papist and an enemy to the truth of Christianity and married to the Prince of France so that had these plots succeeded England in all probability had been subjected to France in point of Civil Government and to the Roman power in matters of Religion Admire again the singular goodness of God in protecting Queen Elizabeth and whilst the enemies of the Church were seeking ruine in the destruction of Her Royal Person the French King that had Married the next heir to the English Crown dieth and leaveth her a Widow without Issue and she not many years after became a prisoner So eminent was Queen Elizabeth that Thuanus a professed Roman Catholick but very ingenious said he heard the old Dutchess of Guise whose sons were of the greatest Enemies that Queen Elizabeth had to say that she was faelicissima gloriosissima faemina a most happy and a most glorious Woman We know who made her to differ and that she had not any thing which she had not received from above therefore let us give the praise of all to God who appointed her I am perswaded to build the old wast places to raise up the foundations of many generations she found the Kingdom weak she left it strong she found it poor she left it rich they that were enemies to her and the Gospel which they professed
of the See of Canterbury as an Usufructuary was altogether as solicitous for getting a right and title to them as sole proprietary No way to pacifie one and to satisfie the desires of the other but by bringing him when he least looked for it to the fatal Stake And thither they brought him and first he retracts his retraction and after punisheth that hand which had subscribed it by holding it forth into the flame and suffering it to be consumed before the rest of his body had felt the fire The residue of his body being burnt to ashes his heart was found entire and untouched in the midst of the cinders which possibly may serve as a witness for him that his heart stood fast unto the Truth though with his hand he had subscribed some Popish errors Cardinal Pool received Consecration to the See of Canterbury the very next Sunday after Cranmer's death No fewer than two hundred are reported to have been burnt by bloody Bonner the most eminent of all which number was Mr. John Philpot Archdeacon of Winchester who though of Gardiner's Diocess was condemned by Bonner Gardiner being well enough contented to find out the Game and leave it to be followed by that bloody Hunter Dr. John Christopherson Bishop of Chichester is recorded to have burnt ten in one fire at Lewis and seventeen others at several times in sundry places among which was Richard Woodman of Warbleton in Sussex that notable Martyr and four at Mayfield viz. John Hart Thomas Ravensdal a Shoomaker and a Collier Harpfield Archdeacon of London and Thornton the Suffragan of Dover are said to have poured out blood like water The same is said of Griffin of Rochester and Downing Chancellor of Norwich The same character is given of Bishop Bayn of Coventry and Litchfield who burned many faithful Ministers and others In all the Province of York I find none brought to the Stake but George Marsh of Chester condemned thereto by Bishop Coles Besides the burning of Bishop Farrar at Carmarthen by Bishop Morgan and of Rawlins and White at Cardiff by Bishop Kitching No great cruelty seems to have been acted in the four Welsh Diocesses In the Diocess of Exeter Wells Peterborough and Lincoln though this last the greatest in the Kingdom I find mention but of one a piece of two in that of Ely and of no more than three apiece in that of Bristol and Sarisbury for at Newbury were burnt that famous Julius Palmer with two others Doctor Tunstal Bishop of Durham was in Queen Maries time no great persecutor his Bishoprick had dayes of quiet under him When Mr. Russel a Preacher was brought before him and Doctor Himner his Chancellor would have had him examined more strictly the Bishop stayed him saying Hitherto we have had a good report among our Neighbours I pray you bring not this mans blood upon my Head The Bishop of Carlisle also was a man of a moderate temper The Pope had published a Bull in print Anno 1556. in which he threatened excommunication to all persons that kept any Church-lands unto themselves as also all Princes and Magistrates that did not put the same in execution Which though it did not edifie much in the Realm of England yet it found more obedience in that of Ireland in which a Parliament being called in June 1557. there passed an Act for repealing of Statutes Articles and Provisions made against the See of Rome since the twentieth year of King Henry the Eighth and for abolishing of several Ecclesiastical possessions conveyed to the Laity as also for the extinguishment of First-fruits and Twentieth parts no more than the yearly payment of the Twentieth part having been laid by Act of Parliament upon the Clergy of Ireland in the first and last clause whereof as they followed the example of the Realm of England so possibly they might have given a dangerous example to it in the other point if by the Queens death which followed shortly after King Philip and the Popes had not lost all their power and influence on the English Nation by means whereof there was no farther progress in the Restitution of the Abbey-lands no more re-edifying the old Religious houses and no intention for the founding any new Cardinal Poole having visited his own Diocess and given out divers printed Articles to shew his great care for the suppressing the growth of Heresie sent his Commissioners to Cambridge who interdicted the two Churches wherein Martin Bucer and Paulus Fagius had been interred and the Writ being taken out de comburendo Haerâ—tico and being come down and sent to the Mayor of Cambridge on February 6. the two dead Bodies were taken out of their Graves and being laid in their Coffins on mens shoulders were carried to the Market-place with a guard of men well armed and weaponed chained unto several posts as if still alive the wood and fire put to them and their Bodies burned together with so many of their Books as could be gotten which were cast into the same flames also Queen Mary now engageth in her Husband's quarrel and King Philip having made up an Army of thirty five thousand Foot and twelve thousand Horse besides a thousand Horsemen four thousand Footment and two thousand Pioners sent out of England under the command of the Earl of Pembrook sate down before St. Quintin the chief Town of Piccardy On August the tenth the Battels joyn in which the French were vanquished and their Army routed the Constable of France the Prince of Mantua the Duke of Montpensier and Longueville with six others of the prime Nobility and many others of less note being taken prisoners The Duke of Anguien the Viscount Turin most of the Foot-Captains and the common Souldiers to the number of two thousand five hundred were slain upon the place King Philip stormed St. Quintin on the eighteenth day After which service the English finding some neglect from King Philip desired to be dismissed into their Country which was indulged unto them By whose dismission King Philip could do no action of importance in the rest of the War But the Queen shall pay dearly for this Victory The English were then possessed of the Town of Calais with many other Forts thereabout as Guisness Hames Ardres c. together with the whole Territory a Town situate on the mouth of the English Chanel opposite to Dover and distant not above twenty five miles from it King Edward the Third after a Siege of more than eleven months became Master of it Anno 1347. by whom it was first made a Colony of the English Nation and after one of the Staple-Towns for the sale of Wooll kept with great care by his Successors who as long as they had it in their hand were said to carry the Keys of France at their Girdle a Town which for more than two hundred years had been in possession of the English The Queen had broke the peace with France and taken no care to fortifie this place
by Hamilton for such as were Assessors to him took up all their time betwixt their first meeting and their dissolution which was by proclamation solemnly declared on the twenty ninth of the same month But notwithstanding the said dissolution the Members of the said Assembly continued their Session and therein passed many Acts for the utter overthrow of the Polity and Government of the Church They not only excommunicated the Bishops and their Adherents but condemned the very Function it self to be Antichristian and utterly to be abolished out of the Church The like censure also they passed on the Service-book and the Canons with the five Articles of Perth and all the Arminian Tenets in case of Predestination and declared all men subject to excommunication and all other censures of the Church who should refuse to yield obedience to all their determinations And albeit his Majesty by the same Proclamation had commanded all his Subjects not to yield obedience to any of their Acts and Ordinances yet those of the Assembly were resolved to maintain their Authority and not only the Bishops and Clergy but also as many of the Laity as had refused to subscribe to the Acts thereof were deprived of their Offices and Preferments banished their Country and forced to fly into England or other places the King being unable to protect them from the power and malice of their Adversaries The King now thinks of raising an Army against the Scots and a Sir Rich. Bakerâ—s Chron. Loan for the King's assistance against the Scots is subscribed by many Lords of the Council and Bishops c. Cardinal Richlieu was no small Incendiary in this business betwixt the King and Scots who sent his Chaplain and Almoner Mr. Thomas Chamberlain a Scotch-man to assist the Confederates in advancing the business and to attempt all wayes of exasperation and not to depart from them till he might return with good news in this project About the latter end of this year died John Spottiswood Archbishop of St. Andrews at London and was buried near unto King James in the Abbey-church of Westminster The King began his journey towards the North on March twenty seven his Army being advanced before the chief command whereof was committed to the Earl of Arundel The Scots presented a Petition to the King at his Camp near Berwick And Commissioners being on both sides appointed they came at last to this conclusion on June 17. viz. first That his Majesty should confirm whatsoever his Commissioner hath already granted in his Majesties name and that from thenceforth all matters Ecclesiastical should be determined by the Assemblies of the Kirk and all matters civil by the Parliament and to that end a General Assembly to be indicted on the sixth of August and a Parliament on the twentieth of the same month in which Parliament an Act of Oblivion was to pass for the common peace and satisfaction of all parties that the Scots upon the publication of the accord should within forty eight hours disband all their Forces discharge all pretended Tables and Conventicles restore unto the King all his Custles Forts and Ammunition of all sorts the like restitution to be made to all his good Subjects of their liberties lands goods c. taken and detained from them since the late pretended General Assembly at Glascow that thereupon the King should presently recal his Fleet and retire his Land-forces and cause restitution to be made to all persons of their goods detained and arrested since the first of February But as for the proceedings of the Assembly at Glascow they seem to have been left in the same condition in which they stood before his Majesties taking Arms. And the King doing nothing to the abrogating of them when he was in the Head of a powerful Army he could not expect that the Scots could yield to any such abrogation when he had no such Army to compel obedience And this immediately appeared on his Majesties signing the Agreement and discharging his Army thereupon For the Covenanters upon the declaration of this accord produced a Protestation First Of adhering to their late General Assembly at Glascow and to all the proceedings there especially the sentences of Deprivation and Excommunication of the sometimes pretended Bishops of that Kingdom as they were termed Secondly Of adhering to their solemn Covenant and declaration of the Assembly whereby the Office of Bishops is abjured Thirdly That the Bishops have been malitious Incendiaries of his Majesty against this Kingdom by their wicked calumnies and that if they return to this Kingdom they be esteemed and used as accursed c. Fourthly That all the entertainers of the excommunicated Bishops should be orderly proceeded against with Excommunication conform to the Acts and Constitutions of this Kirk They continued their Meetings and Consultations as before they did maintained their Fortifications at Leith the Port-town to Edenborough and kept their Officers and Commanders in continual pay His Majesty hereupon sent for some of the Chiefs of them to come unto him to Berwick but was refused in his Commands The Earls of Kinnoul and Traquair Chief Justice Elphinston and Sir James Hamilton all Privy Counsellors were pulled violently out of their Coach on a suspition that some Bishops were disguised among them that the King might have some cause to suspect that there could be no safety for him in such a place and among people so enraged notwithstanding his great clemency toward them in the pacification In this condition of Affairs his Majesty returned toward London in the Heylin's Hist of Archbish Laud. part 2. end of July 1639. leaving the Scots to play their own game as they listed having first nominated Traquair as his High-Commissioner for managing both the Assembly and the following Parliament In the first meeting of the two they acted over all the parts they had plaid at Glascow to the utter abolition of Episcopacy and the ruine of all that adhered to it their actings in it being confirmed in his name by the High-Commission The news whereof caused the King to send for the Lord Wentworth out of Ireland who was presently made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and not long after with great solemnity created Earl of Strafford in the County of York As Lord Lieutenant he had power to appoint a Deputy that he might the better attend the service here without any prejudice to that Kingdom which Office he committed to Wansford a York-shire Gentleman whom he had took along with him into Ireland at his first going thither His Majesty was pleased to commit the conduct of the Scottish Affairs to a Juncto of three namely the Archbishop of Canterbury the Earl of Strafford and the Marquiss of Hammilton These three move his Majesty to call a Parliament and it was concluded that a Parliament should be called on April 13. 1640. In the mean time the Lord Lieutenant held a Parliament in Ireland and so governed the affair that an Army of eight thousand
Devotions to his Relicks Then Richard Prior of Dover who divided Kent into three Archdeaconries was made Archbishop of Canterbury Fabian saith He was a man of evil living and wasted the goods of the Fâ—bim in Henry 2. Church inordinately A Synod was called at Westminster the Pope's Legat being present thereat where was a great Contention between the two Archbishops of Canterbury and York for Precedency words begat blowes and the Archbishop of Canterbury's party pulled York from his Seat to the ground and tore his Casule Chimer and Rochet from his Back and put the Legat in such fear that he ran away The next day after York Appealeth to Rome Here the Pope interposed and to end old divisions made a new distinction Entitling Canterbury Primate of all England and York Primate of England King Henry died at Chinon in Normandy and was buried with very great Solemnity in the Nunnery of Font-Everard in the same Countrey a Religious House of his own Foundation and Endowment At that time were many Married Priests in Britain His Son Richard the first sirnamed Coeur de Lyon succeeded him and on September 3. was crowned at Westminster of Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury Then this King ordained the City of London to be ruled by two Bailiffs The two first Bailiffs were Henry Chornhil and Richard Fitz-River In the time of the Coronation of the King multitudes of the Jews in this Land were destroyed The King in part of satisfaction for his trespass against his Father for Queen Elianor and his Sons had sided with the King of France against him agreed with Philip the French King to take upon them the recovery of the Holy Land King Richard gave over the Castles of Barwick Faiâ—an Chron. and Roxburgh to the Scottish King for the sum of ten thousand pounds He passed away the Earldom of Northumberland unto Hugh Pudsey Bishop of Durham for a great sum of Money for term of life scoffing that he had made a young Earl of an old Bishop Besides by the commandment of Pope Clement the third a tenth was exacted of the whole Realm The King set over the Realm as principal in his absence the Bishop Pay Acts and Monuments of Ely his Chancellor and the Bishop of Durham whom he ordained to be Chief Justice of England Ely to have custody of the Tower with the oversight of all other parts of the Land on this side Humber and Durham to have charge over all other his Dominions beyond Humber The Pope also made William Bishop of Ely his Legate through all England and Scotland As for Men and Souldiers the Prelates Friars and other Preachers had stirred up innumerable by their manifold exhortations the Archbishop of Canterbury having travelled through Wales in Person for that purpose in Pulpits and private Conferences Then King Richard with some of our English Nobility who adventured their Persons in the Holy War crossed the Seas into France to Philip King thereof After some necessary stayes having passed the River Rhene at Lions they parted company Philip marching over the Alpes into Italy and King Richard to the Sea-side at Marsilia there to meet with his Navy King Richard's Fleet of Ships being not come he embarked himself in twenty hired Galleys and ten great Busses a kind of Shipping then peculiar to the Mediterranean Seas and set Sayl toward Messana in Sicily the Rendezvouz of both the Kings and their Armies In which passage King Richard lying at Anchor on occasion in the mouth of the River Tiber not far from Rome Octavianus the Bishop of Hostia repaired unto him desiring him in the Pope's name that he would visit his Holiness which the King denied to do alleadging that the Pope and his Officers had taken 700 Marks for Consecration of the Bishop of Mains 1500 Marks for the Legative power of William Bishop of Ely but of the Archbishop of Burdeaux an infinite sum of Money whereupon he refused to see Rome King Richard studying to fit himself for the great attempt he had in hand called before him his Archbishops and Bishops that accompanied him into a Chappel at the House where he was lodged where he made a penitent confession of his sins humbly Praying to God for Mercy and them as his subordinate Ministers for Absolution and God saith R. Hoveden respected him with the eyes of Mercy so that from thence-forth he feared God eschewing evil and doing good King Richard sent for Joachim Abbot of Calabria a Man of great Learning and Understanding in the Scriptures who at his coming he heard expounding the Apocalypse of St. John touching the afflictions of the Church and the state of Antichrist which saith he was then born and in the City of Rome of whom the Apostle said He should exalt himself above all that is called God Afterwards at the siege of Acres or Ptolemais in Palestine Radulphus de alta ripa Archdeacon of Colchester ended his Life there also died Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury and Hubert Walter Bishop of Sarisbury afterward Archbishop of Canterbury was a most active Commander there besides many more of the eminent Clergy engaged in that service William Bishop of Ely playd Rex in the King's absence abusing the Royal Authority committed to him Acres was delivered to the King 's of England and France who divided the spoil of that City betwixt them King Richard after this and many other notable Aâ—chievements in Palestine at his return from thence was taken Prisoner by Leopald Duke of Austria and detained by him with hard and Unprince-like usage whil'st the English Clergy endeavoured the utmost for his enlargement His fine was an hundred and fifty thousand Marks to be paid part to the Duke of Austria part to Henry VI. Emperor of Germany Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury with much diligence perfected the work and on his ransom paid King Richard returned into England Hubert Walter Archbishop of Canterbury had almost finished a fair Covent for Monks at Lambeth began by Baldwin his Predecessor but upon the petitions of the Monks of Canterbury to the Pope contrary to the King 's and Archbishop's desire the Covent at Lambeth was utterly demolished As this Richard was the first of the English Kings who bare Armes on his Seals so was he the first who carried in his shield Three Lions Passant born ever after for the Regal Armes of England This King 's daily exercise after his return was to rise early and not to depart from the Church till Divine Service were finished Moreover he bountifully relieved every day much Poor both in his Court and Towns about and restored Gold and Silver to such Churches from which to pay his ransom they had been taken away The Bishop of Beavois being also an Earl of the Royal Blood and the eleventh Peer of France valiantly fighting against John the King's Brother was taken Armed at all points and bravely mounted on whose behalf the Pope upon the Bishop's humble suit pleading the Clergy's immunity wrote
by the Pope's Authority but only by their Royal Order Grant and Assent thereto But no Archbishop or Bishop did put this in execution The same year the King licensed Peter Builler by Charter to enter into what Religion he pleased Rex c. Omnibus c. Sciatis nos dedisse licentiam Petro Builler transferendi se ad quam voluerit Religionem inde has liter as nostras patentes ei rei relinquimus in testimonium Teste meipso apud Barnevil 29 die Octobris The French King perfidiously breaking his Truce with King John made in the first year of his reign to carry on that War he not only demanded a supply of Moneys from his Nobility and Clergy but likewise from the Cistercian Abbots The same year the Church and City of Rhoan being consumed with fire King John granted them his Letters Patents for a liberal contribution throughout all England toward the repair of that Church principally for the Virgin Maries sake to whom it was dedicated then adored more than God himself This is the first Patent of such a Collection that we have yet met with Pious this King was in offering one ounce of Gold to God every Lord's-day and Holy-day which the Archbishop of Canterbury then offered and disbursed for him or claimed as his Fee being allowed it in the Exchequer upon his account In the fourth year of King John some Irish Bishops and Archdeacons Suffragans to the Archbishop of Dublin endeavoured without this King 's precedent License and Assent to elect an Archbishop and get him confirmed at Rome by the Pope against the King's Right and Dignity Whereupon he entred an Appeal against them before himself to Preserve his Right and Dignity therein The same year there being many contests between the Dean and Canons and Geoffry Archbishop of York who by his Archiepiscopal authority and violence did much oppress them the King upon their complaint by his Authority and Letters Patents granted them a Protection against Him and his Instruments In the fifth year of King John Godfrid Bishop of Winchester deceasing Petrus de Rupibus a Knight and great Souldier Vir equestrâ—s ordinis in rebus bellicis eruditus procurante Rege Johanne being chosen to the Bishoprick succeeded him who going to Rome Vbi magniâ— zeniis liberaliter collat is ad Ecclesiam Wintonienseâ—â— maturavit Episcopus consecrari This year the Men of Holderness refusing to pay their Traves due to St. John of Beverly out of their Ploughed-lands to the Farmer of them as they did to the Provost and Chapter before the King issued out a Writ to the Sheriffs of York to seize the Persons and Goods of those the Provost and Chapter should excommunicate and detain them till payment since He and his Tenants duly paid them out of his and their Demesnes In the sixth year of King John the Bishop Dean and Chapter of Durham the Dean and Chapter of York with sundry other Deans and Chapters Abbots and Priors within the Province of York to prevent the unjust arbitrary Excommunications Suspensions and Interdicts of Geoffry Archbishop of York against their own Tenants Lands and Possessions by reason of some differences between them concerning their Jurisdictions and Ecclesiastical Priviledges which they complained the Archbishop invaded appearing before the King at York did there in the King 's own presence appeal him before the See of Rome prefixing a certain day to which the King by his Letters Patents gave his Royal Testimony and Assent they not daring to appeal without his License About two years after King John and his Nobles meeting at Winchester placing his hope and strength in his Treasures required and received through all England the thirteenth part of all Movables and other things as well of the Laity as of all other Ecclesiastical Persons and Prelats all of them murmuring at it and wishing an ill event to such rapines but not daring to contradict it Only Geoffry Archbishop of York openly contradicting it privily departed from England and in his recess Anathematis sententia innodavit actually excommunicated all Men especially within his Archbishoprick making this rapine and levying this Tax and in general all Invaders of the Church or Ecclesiastical things for non-payment of this Tax wherewith this King was so highly offended that he seized his Temporalities and banished him the Realm till his death about seven years after Anno 1205. died Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury Before his body was yet committed to the earth the younger sort of the Monks elected Reginald their Superiour and placed him in the Metropolitan See without the King's License and knowledge who being sent unto by the elder sort of Monks requiring his gracious License to chuse their Archbishop consented thereunto requiring them also instantly at his request that they would elect John Grey Bishop of Norwich into that See which they also did And the King sent to the Pope to confirm it The two Suffragans of Canterbury not being made acquainted with the matter sent speedily to Rome to have both the Elections stopped whereupon arose a great tumult for the Pope condemning both their Elections created Stephen Langton with his own hand in the high Church of Viterbo Upon which occasion the King banished sixty four of the Clergy and Monks of Canterbury out of the Land and sharply expostulated Fox Acts and Monuments with the Pope for that he had chosen Stephen Langton a Man brought up long among his Enemies in France besides the derogation to the Liberties of his Crown threatening except he would favour the King 's liking of the Bishop of Norwich he would cut off the trade to Rome and the profits that came thither from the Land The Pope writeth in the behalf of Stephen Langton a froward and arrogant Letter and not long after sendeth a commandment and charge into England to certain Bishops that if the King would not yield they should Interdict his Realm For the execution whereof four Bishops were appointed viz. William Bishop of London Eustace Bishop of Ely Mauger Bishop of Worcester and Giles Bishop of Hereford who pronounced the general Interdiction through the Realm of all Ecclesiastical service saving Baptism of Children Confession and the Eucharist to the dying in case of necessity No sooner had they interdicted the Kingdom but they with Joceline Bishop of Bath as speedily as secretly fled out of the Land And the King took all the possessions of those Bishops into his hands He also proclaimed that all those that had Church-living and went over the Sea should return at a certain day or else lose their Livings for ever and charged all Sheriffs to enquire if any Church-man received any Commandment that came from the Pope that they should apprehend them and bring them before him and also take into their hands for the King's use all the Church-lands that were given to any man by the Archbishop Stephen or by the Priors of Canterbury from the time of the election of
Excommunications of Pope Gregory IX against him in England and all other Kingdoms and Churches endeavoured to vindicate himself and his innocency against the Pope's calumnies by dispatching Letters into all parts and particularly into England These proceedings of the Pope against the Emperor so exasperated the Citizens of Rome that they expelled the Pope from the City and chased him to Perusium Anno 1228. died Stephen Langton Archbishop of Canterbury after whose death there grew a new contest between the King and Monks of Canterbury about the Election of a new Archbishop The Monks chose Walter de Hevesham a Monk whom the King refused to allow of resolving to make Richard his Chancellor Archbishop Walter posting to Rome to get Confirmation and Consecration from the Pope and the King's Proctors there excepting against him pressing the vacating of his Election and making Richard Archbishop with much importunity they could not prevail with the Pope or Cardinals to stop Walter 's Confirmation or promote Richard till they had promised in the behalf of the King unto the Pope the tenths of all things moveable from both his Kingdomes of England and Ireland Whereupon the Pope and Cardinals forthwith vacated Walter 's Election for his insufficiency and made Richard Archbishop So the Pope got two years payment of his annual pension granted by King John and a Tenth in promise Yet where the King gave his Royal assent to Bishops duly Elected by his License where there was no competition the Pope interposed not This Archbishop Richard going to Rome to complain against the King that all affairs of his Kingdom were disposed by the counsel of his chief Justice Hubert when he had there accomplished his designes against the King was presently taken away by sudden Death Then the King issued out a prohibition to the Monks of Canterbury not to do any thing prejudicial to the rights of his Crown nor to elect any Person Archbishop without his special License nor to send any Monks to Rome by the Pope's command to Elect an Archbishop there The Monks in pursuance of this Prohibition by the King's License elected John their Prior Archbishop whom the King by his Letters Patents approved desiring the Pope to confirm him and likewise made new Proctors in the Court of Rome concerning this Election And the King to promote his Affairs the better in the Court of Rome granted Annuities to some Cardinals to obtain that justice from them by such Pensions which he could not procure without them But yet the Pope vacated this second election as well as the first Hereupon the Monks proceed to a third election but this third Person was also cashiered by the Pope This See continued three years after Richard's death and Edmond 〈…〉 being nominated Archbishop by the Pope who sent him a Pall was consecrated by Roger Bishop of London in April Anno 1234. the King being present with thirteen Bishops in Christ-Church Canterbury In the year 1232. the Cavrsines first came into England proving the Fuller Church-Histor lib. 3. â— bane of the Land These were Italians by birth terming themselves the Pope's Merchants driving no other Trade than letting out of Money great Banks whereof they brought into England differing little from the Jews save that they were more merciless to their Debtors Now because the Pope's Legat was altogether for ready Money when any Tax by Levy Commutation of Vows Tenths Dispensations c. were due to the Pope from Prelates Convents Priests or Lay-persons these Cavrsines instantly furnished them with present Coin upon their solemn Bonds and Obligations These Cavrsines were generally hated for their Extortions Roger Black that learned and pious Bishop of London once excommunicated these Cavrsâ—nes for their oppression but they appealing to the Pope their good friend forced him after much molestation to desist These Cavrsines were commonly known by the name of Lombards from Lombardy the place of their nativity in Italy And although they deserted England on the decaying of the Pope's power and profit therein yet a double memorial remaineth of them one of their Habitation in Lombard-street in London the other of their Employment a Lombard unto this day signifies a Bank for Usury or Pawns still continued in the Low-countries and elsewhere See here the Pope's hypocrisie forbidding Usury as a sin so detestable under such heavy penalties in his Canon Law whilst his own Instruments were the most unconscionable practisers thereof without any controul Elias Rubeus an English-man wrote a Book wherein he said That 2. â— 3. â— 4. the Monks had converted Religion into superstition making salvation to consist in things of themselves vain and indifferent that there was no kind of men more blind in concupiscence or infamous for uncleanness than the Popish Clergy c. Certain years after one Laurence an English-man in a Sermon of his admonished the Church That a great danger hung over her head by the Monks that they were seducers and the Ministers of Anti-christ Matthew Paris informs us That Hubert de Burgo Anno 1232. being chief Justice of England the King 's principal faithful Counsellor the greatest opposer of the Pope's Usurpations and Extortions was by the power of the Pope and of Peter Bishop of Winchester suddenly removed from all his Offices and impeached of several Crimes some of them amounting to high Treason Hubert to prevent the rage of his Enemies fled to the Church of Merton and there took Sanctuary Whence the King commanded the Mayor of London by his Letters the Londoners being his mortal Enemies to pull him out forcibly and bring him to him alive or dead Which the Mayor and Citizens readily undertaking and marching thither with great Forces the King by the advice of the Earl of Chester suddenly countermanded them thence to their great discontent After which Godfry of Cranecumb whom the King sent to apprehend him in Essex with three hundred men armed finding the Chappel doors shut violently brake them open apprehended Hubert and carried him thence bound with cords a prisoner to the Tower of London This breach of Sanctuary being made known to Roger Bishop of London whose Diocess it was he tells the King that if the Earl were not restored to the Chappel he would excommunicate all the Authors of that outrage The Earl is accordingly restored but the Sheriffs of Essex and Hertford at the King's command with the Powers of their Countreys besiege the Chappel so long that at last the Earl was compelled to come forth and render himself bearing his affliction patiently Hubert is again imprisoned in the Tower Nothing could appease the King's Ire but that Mass of Gold and other Riches which the Knights Templers had in their custody upon trust which Hubert willingly yielded up This mollified the King's mind toward him Hereupon he had all such Lands granted unto him as either King John had given or himself had purchased There undertook for him as Sureties the Earls of Cornwall and Warren Marshal and Ferrars
against him and likewise to the King against this oppression desiring his favour that no Process might issue out of his Court against them and that he might constitute Attorneys in this Case since he could not come into England without great damage to his house The King this year constituted a special Proctor for three years by Patent to defend the Rights and Liberties of his free Chappels and Crown against all Papal and Episcopal invaders and opposers of them The King seizing the Advousons of several Churches in Wales as forfeited by their Patrons Rebellions against him gave them to the Bishop of St. David's with power to appropriate them to his Church of St. David's and Lekadeken Lancaden and make or annex them to Prebendaries there Hereupon the Bishop of St. Davids by his Charter with consent and approbation of the King and his Dean and Chapter made and erected a new Collegiate Church of Canons in Lan Caden in Wales constituted several Canons and Prebendaries therein annexing and appropriating the forecited Churches thereunto the Patronages whereof were granted him by the King who set his Seal to the Bishop's Charter and ratified it with his own Charter to make it valid in Law In the year 1285. a Parliament at Westminster laid down the limits and fixed the boundaries betwixt the Spiritual and Temporal jurisdictions The King having totally subdued the Welsh the Archbishoprick of York becomming void by the death of William Wickwane Archbishop thereof the King applied the profits thereof during the vacancy towards the building of Castles in Wales to secure it This year Stephen Bishop of Waterford was made chief Justice of Ireland In the fifteenth year of this King Henry de Branceston was elected and confirmed Bishop of Sarum The King granted and confirmed to the Bishop of Bangor and his Successors all the Rights Liberties Possessions and Customes they had formerly used and enjoyed In the sixteenth year of this King's Reign Gilbert de Sancto Leofardo was elected and confirmed Bishop of Chichester by the King 's Royal assent This year there was a great contest between the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Abbot of St. Augustines about the carrying up his cross First The Abbot opposed the bearing up his own Cross before him in the Monastery of St. Augustines even within his own Metropolis and See of Canterbury when specially sent for thither to dine with the King Secondly Observe the Archbishop's pride and obstinacy in refusing to subscribe such a Letter as the King directed to reconcile this difference and preserve the Abbot's Privildges or repair to the King without his Cross carried before him together with his malice against the Abbot and Covent for not admitting him to carry up his Cross within their Monastery Bishop Godwin observes That from the year 1284. the See of Salisbury Pat. 17. 〈◊〉 had five Bishops within the space of five years whereof William de Corner as he stiles him was the fourth But Mr. William de Corner was his name as the King 's Writ for restoring of his Temporalties together with the Patent of the King 's Royal assent to his election assure us The King having Conquered Wales confirmed all the antient Rights Liberties Possessions and Customes of the Church of Asaph to the present Bishop and his Successors which they formerly used and enjoyed and that he might freely make his Testament Pope Nicholas the fourth being setled in his Pontifical Chair in the first year of his Papacy sent a Bull to King Edward the first to demand five years Arrears of the Annual pension of one thousand Marks granted by King John The King hereupon the better to promote his cousin Charles to the Realm of Sicâ—ly and expedite his own affairs in the Court of Rome concerning a dispensation for his Son to Marry the heir of the Crown of Scotland and other business touching Gascoign and France for which he had then sent special Ambassadors to Rome with Letters both to the Pope and Cardinals issued a Writ for the payment of these five years Arrears accordingly Mr. Prynne saith That this was the last payment made by King Edward the first of this Annual pension The Pope upon receipt hereof granted a dispensation to the King's Son Prince Edward to Marry with the heir of the Crown of Scotland thereby to unite these two Crowns and Kingdomes and prevent the long bloody Wars between them though within the prohibited degrees of Consanguinity King Edward upon the receipt of this Dispensation sent Letters and Proxies to Ericus King of Norway and likewise to the Guardians of the Realm of Scotland to consummate this Marriage upon diverse Articles and agreements King Edward likewise to perfect the Marriage between his Son Prince Edward and Margaret Queen of Scots with the general approbation of the Keepers Nobles and Natives of that Realm granted and ratified to the Nobles and People of Scotland diverse Articles agreed on by special Commissioners sent on both sides and approved by him by Letters under his great Seal which he took an Oath to observe under the penalty of forfeiting one hundred thousand pounds to the Church of Rome towards the holy Wars and subjecting himself to the Pope's Pat. 8. Edw. 1. m. 8. Excommunication and his Kingdom to an Interdict in case of Violation or Non-performance as the Patent attesteth enrolled both in French and Latine The King after this appointed the Bishop of Durham to be this Queen Margaret's and his Son Prince Edward's Lieutennant in Scotland for the preservation of the Peace and Government thereof At which time he and his Son likewise constituted Proctors to Treat with the King of Norway in his and his Son Edward's Name concerning his Sons Marriage and Espousals with his Daughter Margaret Queen of Scotland To facilitate this Marriage the Bishop of Durham at the King's request obliged himself to pay four hundred pounds by the year to certain persons in Norway to discharge which annuity the King granted him several Manors amounting to a greater value But the sickness and death of this Queen in her voyage toward Scotland and England frustrated this much desired Marriage between Prince Edward and her and raised new questions between the Competitors for the Crown Thomas Walsingham saith That about this time the Pope requiring it the Churches of England were taxed according to their true value to raise his Dismes and exactions higher In the same year 1290. the King our of his zeal to Christian Religion The Jews banished out of England by Act of Parliament banished all the Jews out of England by a publick Act in Parliament and Confiscated all their Houses and Lands for their Infidelity Blasphemy Crucifying of Children in contempt of Christ Crucified and clipping of his Coyn. In August they were commanded to depart the Land with their Wives and Children between that time and the Feast of all Saints with their moveable Goods Their number was said to be sixteen thousand five hundred
Death as variously construed Life and Death To kill King Edward you need not to fear it is good Life To kill King Edward you need not to fear it is good Death To kill King Edward you need not to fear it is good The Body of King Edward without any Funeral Pomp was buried among the Benedictines in their Abbey at Glocester Edward of Windsor called King Edward the Third being scarce fifteen years of age took the beginning of his Reign on January the twentieth his Throne was established upon his Fathers ruine Upon Candlemas-day Anno 132â— he received the Order of Knighthood by the hands of the Earl of Lancaster while his deposed Father lived and within five dayes after he was Crowned at Westminster by Walter Archbishop of Canterbury Twelve men were appointed to manage the Affairs of the Kingdom during the King's minority the Archbishop's of Canterbury and York the Bishops of Winchester Hereford and Worcester Thomas Brotherton Earl Marshal Edmond Earl of Kent John Earl Warren Thomas Lord Wake Henry Lord Piercy Oliver Lord Ingham and John Lord Ross but the Queen and Roger Lord Mortimer usurped this charge Adam Tarlton was accused of Treason in the beginning of the Reign of this King and arraigned by the King's Officers when in the presence of the King he thus boldly uttered himself My Lord the King with all due respect unto your Majesty I Adam an humble Minister and Member of the Church of God and a consecrated Bishop though unworthy neither can nor ought to answer unto so hard Questions without the connivance and consent of my Lord Archbishop of Canterbury my immediate Judge under the Pope and without the consent of other Bishops who are my Peers Three Archbishops were there present in the place Canterbury York and Dublin by whose Intercession Tarlton escaped at that time Not long after he was arraigned again at the King's Bench whereupon the foresaid Archbishops set up their Crosses and with ten Bishops more attended with a numerous Train of well-weaponed Servants advanced to the place of Judicature The King's Officers frighted at the sight fled away leaving Bishop Tarlton the prisoner alone at the Bar whom the Archbishops took home into their own custody denouncing a Curse upon all such who should presume to lay violent hands upon him The King offended hereat caused a jury of Lay-men to be impannelled and to enquire according to form of Law into the Actions of the Bishop of Hereford This was the first time that ever Lay-men passed their verdict upon a Clergy-man These Jurors found the Bishop guilty whereupon the King seized his Temporalties proscribed the the Bishop and despoiled him of all his moveables But afterwards he was reconciled to the King and by the Pope made Bishop of Winchester where he died The former part of this King's Reign affordeth but little Church-history as wholly taken up with his Atchievements in France and Scotland where his success by Sea and Land was to admiration He had both the Kings he fought against viz. John de Valois of France and David King of Scotland his prisoners at one time taken by fair Fight in open Field There was granted to the King of England for these Wars a Fifteenth of the Temporalty a Twelfth of Cities and Boroughs and a Tenth of the Clergy in a Parliament holden at London And afterwards in a Parliament at Northampton there was granted him a Tenth peny of Towns and Boroughs a Fifteenth of others and a Tenth of the Clergy All such Treasure as was committed to Churches throughout England for the holy War was taken out for the King's use in this The next year after all the Goods of three Orders of Monks Lombards Cluniacks and Cicestercians are likewise seized into the King's hands and the like Subsidy as before granted at Nottingham Now the Cavrsines or Lombards did not drive so full a trade as before whereupon they betook themselves to other Merchandise and began to store England with Forreign Commodities but at unreasonable rates whilst England it self had as yet but little and bad Shipping and those less employed About this time the Clergy were very bountiful in contributing to the King's necessities in proportion to their Benefices Hereupon a Survay was exactly taken of all their Glebeland and the same fairly Fuller Church History engrossed in Parchment was returned into the Exchequer where it remaineth at this day and is the most useful Record for Clergy-men and also for Impropriators as under their claim to recover their right It was now complained of as a grand grievance that the Clergy engrâ—ssed all places of Judicature in the Land Nothing was left to Lay-men but either Military commands as General Admiral c. or such Judges places as concerned onely the very letter of the Common Law and those also scarcely reserved to the Students thereof As for Ambassies into Forreign parts Noblemen were employed therein when Expence not Experience was required thereunto and Ceremony the substance of the Service otherwise when any difficulty in Civil Law then Clergy-men were ever entertained The Lord Chancellor was ever a Bishop yea that Court generally appeared as a Synod of Divines where the Clerks were Clerks as generally in Orders The same was also true of the Lord Treasurer and Barons of the Exchequer Robert Eglesfield Chaplain to Queen Philippa Wiâ—e to King Edward the third founded a Colledge on his own ground in Oxford by the name of Queens Colledge and diverse Queens have been nursing Mothers to this Foundation as Queen Philippa Wife to King Edward the third Queen Elizabeth Wife to King Edward the fourth Queen Mary Wife to King Charles and our Virgin Queen Elizabeth In the mean time the Pope bestirred him in England while the King was busied about his Wars in France so that before Livings were actually void he pre-provided Incumbents for them But at last the King looking into it this Statute of Provision was made whereby such forestalling of Livings to Forreigners was forbidden Another cause of the King's displeasure with the Pope was that when the Pope created twelve Cardinals at the request of the King of France he denied to make one at the desire of the King of England The Papal party notwithstanding this Law of Provision strugled for a time till the King's Power overswayed them Indeed this grievance continued all this and most of the next King's Reign till the Statute of praemunire was made and afterward the Land was cleared from the encumbrance of such provisions Three years after the Statute against the Pope's Provisions was made the King presented unto the Pope Thomas Hatlif to be Bishop of Durham one who was the King's Secretary but one void of all other Epâ—scopal qualifications However the Pope confirmed him and being demanded why he consented to the preferment of so worthless a person he answered that rebus sic stantibus if the King of England 〈◊〉 presented an Ass unto him he would have confirmed him
eight Choristers twenty four Almes-men at this present Students of all sorts with Officers and Servants of the Foundation to the number of two hundred twenty three John Higdon first Dean of this Colledge was a great Persecutor of Protestants viz. John Clark John Frith Henry Sumner Baley + John Fryer Goodman + Nicholas Harmar + Michael Drumme William Betts Lawney Such whose names are noted with a-Cross did afterwards turn zealous Papists Richard Cox Richard Taverner All these were for their Religion imprisoned in a deep Cave under-ground where the Salt-fish of the Colledge was kept Some of them died soon after with the stench thereof and others escaped with great difficulty Taverner was well-skilled in Musick on which account he escaped though vehemently accused the Cardinal pleading for him that he was but a Musitian though afterward he repented to have set Tunes to so many Popish ditties The example of Wolsey's haughtiness made the English Clergy so Martin's Chr. in Henry 8. proud and insolent that their labours formerly applyed to the studies of moral verâ—ues and of Divinity were now employed to devise curious fashions in their behaviour in their apparrel and in their diet In the fifteenth sixteenth and seventeenth year of King Henries Reign this proud Cardinal under colour of the King 's partaking with the Emperor in his Wars against the French King of his own authority and wiâ—hout the King's commandement granted forth Commissions under the Great Seal of England into every Shire and Province of the Kingdome and directed them unto the chiefest men And therein every man was required to depose the true value of their Estates and then of every fifty pounds there was demanded four shillings in the pound And in London he made himself the chief Commissioner The like Commissions he granted forth against all the Clergy of the Land of whom he demanded four shillings in the pound of all their livings These things grieved the Clergy and Common People at the heart The Cardinal perceiving this recalled those Commissions and sent forth others which also being not endured the King by his Letters directed into every County commanded a present cessation of all executions of the said Commissions and protested they were granted forth without his knowledge or consent But if they would by way of a Benevolence of their own accord enlarge themselves towards him he would take it as an infallible proof of their love toward him The Cardinal now resolved to revenge himself on the Emperor Charles the Fifth for not doing him right and improving his power in preferring him to the Papacy according to his promises and intends to smiâ—e Charles through the sides of his Aunt Katharine Queen of England endeavouring to alienate the King's affections from her Wolsey now put this scruple into the head of Bishop Longlands the King's Confessor and he insinuated the same into the King's Conscience King Henry greedily resented the motion and principles of pure Conscience puts him upon endeavours of a divorce The business is brought into the Court of Rome there to be decided by Pope Clement the Seventh But the Pope at this time was a prisoner to the Emperor who constantly kept a guard about him Yet after some delay the Pope dispatched a Commission to two Cardinals Wolsey and Campegius an Italian to hear and determine the matter at London The Pope draws back the cause unto himself and the King being impatient having the consent of both Universities as also of that of Paris he forsaketh Katharine and Marrieth Anna Bolen Anno 1533. And in the year 1534. he denieth obedience to the Pope and chargeth all his Subjects that they send no Money unto Rome nor pay Peter-pence unto any of the Collectors which vexeth the Roman Court. Then he published an Edict whereby he declares himself under Christ The supreme Head of the Church of England and chargeth upon pain of Death that no man ascribe any Power to the Pope within England and commandeth all the Collectors of Peter-pence to be gone These things were confirmed by the Parliament who also enacted That the Archbishop of Canterbury should invest all the Bishops of England and that the Church-men shall pay to the King yearly one hundred and fifty thousand pounds for defence of the Kingdom Wolsey was accused in Parliament for exercising his power Legantine without leave to the prejudice of the King's Crown and dignity Mr. Cromwel Servant to the Cardinal being a Burgess defendeth his Master yet were all his goods of inestimable value confiscated to the King and he outed of most of his Ecclesiastical promotions His enemies get the King to command him away to York leaving him the whole revenues of York-Archbishoprick then worth little less than four thousand pounds yearly besides a large pension paid him out of the Bishoprick of Winchester As he was preparing there in a Princely Equipage for his Installation he is Arrested by the Earl of Northumberland by Commission from the King in his own Chamber at Cawood By slow and short Journeys he setteth forward toward London and coming to Leicester he died where he was obscurely buried Then John Fisher Bishop of Rochester was imprisoned for refusing the Oath of Supremacy The Clergy in the Province of York did a long time deny the King's Supremacy Edward Lee Archbishop of York fomented this difference He was a virulent Papist one that wrote against Erasmus and a persecutor of Protestants witness John Bale Convented before him for suspition of Heresie who in vain pleaded Scripture in his own defence till at last he casually made use of a distinction out of Scotus which the Archbishop more valued than all which he had before more pertinently alledged out the Old and New Testament The King wrote a fair and large Letter to the Convocation of York claiming nothing more than what Christian Princes in the Primitive times assumed to themselves in their own Dominions so that it seems he wrought so far on their affections that at last they consented thereunto Soon after the Clergy in the Convocation so submitted themselves to the King that each one severally promised in verbo Sacerdotis never henceforth to presume to Alledge Claim or put in ure any new Canons unless the King 's most Royal assent might be had unto them and soon after the same was ratified by Act of Parliament After the Statute of Praemunire was made which did much restrain the Papal power and subject it to the Laws of the Land Archbishops called no more Convocations by their sole and absolute command but at the pleasure of the King as oft as his necessities and occasions with the distresses of the Church did require it Yea now their meetings were by verâ—ue of a Writ or Precept from the King For it was Enacted in the Parliament of the twenty fifth of Henry the Eight That all Convocations shall be thenceforth called by the King 's L. Herbert's Hist of Hen. 8. Writ and that in them
collected together John Fisher Bishop of Rochester was beheaded soon after the Pope Anno 1535. had made him Cardinal of St. Vitalis He was Chaplain and Confessor to the Lady Margaret Countess of Richmond at whose Instance and by whose advice she founded and endowed Christ's and St. John's Colledge in Cambridge He died in the seventy seventh year of his Age on June 22. Sir Thomas Moor was beheaded the next month after Bishop Fisher and was buried at Chelsey He was a great Enemy to the Protestants On June the eighth began a Parliament which was dissolved on July the eighteenth following A parallel Convocation began the day after wherein the Lord Cromwel Prime Secretary sate in State above all the Bishops as the King's Vicar or Vicegerent General in all Spiritual matters Deformi satis spectaculo saith Bishop Godwin indocto Laico Godwin Annals Anno 1536. caetui Praesidente Sacratorum Antistitum omnium quos ante haec tempora Anglia unquam habuisset doctissimorum But the Lord Cromwel had in Power and Policy what he wanted in Learning In that Convocation the said Lord tendered unto them an Instrument to be publickly signed by all the Convocation concerning the nullity of the King's Marriage with the Lady Anna Bolen Some ten dayes before Archbishop Cranmer had pronounced it invalid frustrate and of none effect at Lambeth No particular cause is specified in that sentence Sure I am there is no dashing on the credit of the Lady nor any the least insiâ—uation of unchastity in that Instrument Praeclara Domina Serenissima Regina being the worst Titles that are given her therein King Henry got her Divorce confirmed both by Convocation and Parliament She was beheaded May 19. 1536. The King on the next day was married to the Lady Iane Seymour Soon after by little and little began the ruine of the Abbeys and Religious Houses for all Religious Houses whose possessions in yearly revenue exceeded not the sum of two hundred pounds were suppressed and dissolved and all their Sites and Possessions whatsoever were given for ever to the King The Clergy also at the same time of their own accord and to insinuate themselves into grace and favour with the King composed and published in printed Books certain Articles for the ordering and governing of the Church in which mention was made of three Sacraments only and the rest of them which former times did superstitiously receive and maintain were left out of the said Books These proceedings of the King and Clergy against the Pope and Holy Church were so generally disliked by the rude and ignorant people that they openly affirmed that the King's Council irreligiously directed him amiss and that the temporizing Clergy of the Land practised by all means possible to extinguish all Devotion and utterly to subvert all the ancient Rites Ceremonies and commendable Government of the Church And the unruly people in Lincoln-shire to the number of twenty thousand assembled themselves in Arms taking upon themselves to frame better Orders for the governing of the Church and Common-wealth But the King approaching near them with an Army they ran away and Doctor Mackarel their Ring-leader with some others were shortly after apprehended and executed Then there arose another Insurrection in the North and the number of those Rebels exceeded the number of forty thousand men who termed themselves The holy Pilgrims who intended nothing but the establishing of true Religion and the reformation of great abuses which defaced the Government of the Church The King's Army drawing near upon the faithful promise of the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk that commanded his Army that the King should pardon them the Rebels left the field and quietly departed to their own houses Now the King waxed more absolute in his Government especially concerning his Clergy and the ordering of the Church William Tindal who translated the New Testament in English and the five Books of Moses with many other godly Works was burned at the Town of Filford in Flaunders by vertue of the Emperor's Decree made in the Assembly at Ausburgh He was first strangled and after consumed with fire At the Stake he cried with a loud voice Lord open the King of England ' s eyes The King began with a little Book of Articles for the instruction of the people bearing this Title Articles devised by the King's Highness to establish Christian quiet and unity among the people It contained the Creed three Sacramenâ—s Baptism the Eucharist and Penance how Images might safely be worshipped and how Saints departed ought to be reverenced that the Parsons should teach their people that Christ is their only Mediator and how the Ceremonies of holy Water holy Bread Candles c. should without superstition be used It took away also the abuses which arose upon the imagination of Purgatory as Masses for Souls departed Pardons c. Not long after these Articles certain other Injunctions were also given out about the same year whereby a number of Holy-dayes were abrogated especially such as fell in Harvest-time Other Injunctions were also given out by the King concerning Images Relicks and blind Miracles for abrogating of Pilgrimages Also for the Lord's Prayer Creed and ten Commandements and the Bible to be done into English Anno 1538 the Parsons of Churches and the Parishes together were bound to provide in every Parish Church a Bible in English Also for every Parishioner to be taught by the Minister to understand and say the Lord's Prayer and Creed in their own vulgar tongue with other necessary Injunctions as for the free preaching of the Word of God against Images Pilgrimages Avies Suffrages of Saints c. and for a Register-book to be kept in every Church This year was Friar Forrest burned quick hanging in Chains in Smithfield for denying the King's Supremacy with this Forrest was Darvel Gatheren an abominable Idol of Wales burned The First-fruits Office first sâ—t up in 〈◊〉 Great was the King's profit at this time from the Office for the receipt of Tenths and First-fruits which was now first set up in London Such moneys were formerly paid to the Pope who had his Collectors in every Diocess which sometimes by Bills of Exchange but generally in specie to the great impoverishing of the Land yearly returned the Tenths and First-fruits of the English Clergy to Rome The Pope being now dead in England the King was found his Heir at Common Law as to most of the power and profit the other had usurped But now as the Clergy had changed their Landlord so their Rents were new rated Commissioners being employed in all Counties the Bishop of the Diocess being alwayes one of them to value their yearly Revenue that so their Tenths and First-fruits may be proportioned accordingly These Raters were the chiefest in all Counties under the degrees of Barons These Commissioners were impowred by the King to send for the Scribes and Notaries of all Bishops and Archdeacons to swear the Receivers
following the direction of the Church of England whose Rubrick appointeth that Chapter the second Morning-lesson for the thirtieth of January At ten of the Clock in the forenoon he is brought on Foot from St. James's Palace over the Park to Whitehall guarded with a Regiment of Foot-souldiers part before and the rest behind him with Colours flying and Dâ—ums beating his private Guard of Partizans about him and Doctor Juxon Bishop of London next to him on one side and Colonel Tomlinson on the other He bid them go faster saying That heâ— now went before them to strive for an Heavenly Crown with less sollicitude than he had oftentimes bid his Souldiers to fight for an earthly Diadem Then passeth he to the Scaffold where he defendeth his Innocency howbeit he acknowledgeth God's justice pardons his enemies takes pity on the Kingdom He shews the Souldiers how much they are out of the way and tells them They would never go right till they give God his due the King his due and the people their due You must said he give God his due by restoring his worship and Church rightly regulated which is now out of order according to hâ—s Word And a National Synod freely called freely debating among themselves must settle this when every Opinion is freely and clearly heard For the King said he that is my Successor Indeed I will not the Laws of the Land will clearly instruct you for that For the People I must tell you That their liberty and freedom consists in having Government under those Laws by which their Lives and Goods may be most their own It is not in having a share in the Government that pertains not to them A Sovereign and a Subject are two different things He prayed God they might take those courses that are best for the good of the Kingdom and their own Salvation Then having declared That he died a Christian according to the profession of the Church of England as the same was left him by his Father He said I have a good Cause and a gracious God and gave his George to the Bishop bidding him Remember to give it to the Prince Then said He I go from a Corruptible to an Incorruptible Crown where no disturbaâ—ce can be but peace and joy for evermore Then lifting up his eyes and hands to Heaven having prayed secretly stooping down to the block he reâ—â—ivâ—d the fatal stroak On the Wednesday sennight afâ—â—r his Corps â—mbalmed and Coffined in Lead was delivered to the care of some of his Servants to be buried at Windsor That night they brought the Corps to Windsor The Vault being prepared a scarff of Lead was provided some two foot long and five inches broad therein to make an Inscription which was KING CHARLES 1648. The Plummer souldred it to the Coffin about the Breast of the Corpse Then was the Corpse brought to the Vault being born by the Souldiers of the Garrison Over it a black Velvet Herse-cloth the four Labels whereof the Duke of Richmond the Marquess of Hertford the Earls of South-hampton and Lindsey did support The Bishop of London stood weeping by Then was it deposited in silence and sorrow in the vacant place in the Vault near to the Coffin as it was thought which contained the Corps of King Henry the Eighth the Herse-cloth being cast in after it about three of the Clock in the afternoon and the Lords that night though late returned to London Prince Charles eldest Son to King Charles the first by unquestionable right succeeded to the Crowns of England Scotland and Ireland in the eighteenth year of his age Proclamation and Coronation could not now have their due course The Ruling part of the House of Commons who usurped the Government with violence on the person of the late King immediately published an Act even against Kingly Government Yet this Inhibition did not deter many Loyal Subjects from doing their duty and on February 2. a Proclamation in the name of the Noblemen Judges Knights Lawyers Gentlemen Free-holders Merchants Citizens Yeomen Seamen and other Freemen of England did Proclaim Prince Charles King of England The Proclamation was Printed and scattered about the Streets of London The House of Peers continued yet sitting and in regard the Commissions of the Judges were determined by the death of the King they send to the Commons for a Conference about it and other matters relating to the setling of the Government But Monarchy and the House of Lords are declared useless by the Commons The Peers in general resent these indignities put upon them by a small part of the House of Commons they assert their own Priviledges and the Fundamental Laws of the Nation and disclaim and protest against all Acts Votes Orders or Ordinances of the said Members of the Commons House for erecting of new Courts of Justice to try or execute the King or any Peer or Subject of the Realm for altering the Government Laws Great Seal c. Hereupon the Army set a Guard upon the door of the House of Lords and in further prosecution of the late Votes of Commons against Monarchy An Act was passed by that House for the Exhaeredation of the Royal Line the Abolishment of Monarchy in this Kingdom and the setting up of a Common-wealth which they ordered to be published and Proclaimed in all partâ— of the Kingdom But Alderman Reinoldson then Lord Mayor of London refused to publish this Act in London and He with three of the Aldermen of his Judgment were sent prisoners to the Tower But on February 3. the King was Proclaimed at the Cross at Edinburgh In the beginning of March the Duke of Hamilton the Earls of Holland and Norwich the Lord Capel and Sir John Owen were tried and condemned by an High Court of Justice erected for that purpose of which the Duke of Hamilton the Earl of Holland and the Lord Capel were executed March 9. but the Earl of Norwich and Sir John Owen were pardoned The Commons set forth a Declaration to justifie their proceedings They promise the establishment of a firm and sase Peace the advancement of the true Protestant Religion the liberal maintenance of a godly Ministry c. They pass an Act for propagating the Gospel in Ireland March 8. April 10. 1649. An Act was passed by the Commons for the sale of Deans and Chapters Lands and for the abolishing of Deans Deans and Chapters Canons Prebends c. and Tithes of or belonging to any Cathedral or Collegiate Church in England and Wales but it was provided That this should not extend to the Colledge of St. Mary in Winchester nor to the Colledge of Eaton nor to any of the Mannors Lands Tenements and Hereditaments to them belonging June 2. 1649 An Act was passed for the better maintenance of Preaching Ministers and School-masters out of the Lands of Deans and Chapters throughout England and Wales in such places where maintenance is wanting and for other good uses to the advancement of true
Religion Piety and Learning And the Commissioners of the Great Seal of England issued forth Commissions under the Great Seal into all the Counties of England and Wales to such persons as by the Parliament were nominated giving them power by the Oathes of good and lawful men c. to find out the true value of all Parsonages and Vicarages presentative and all other Ecclesiastical Livings with care of Souls within such Cities and Counties and to certifie into the Chancery what each of them were really worth per Annum the names of the Incumbents Proprietors and Possessors thereof and of such as receive the profiâ—s who supplies the Cure what he hath for his Sallary how many Chappels are belonging to one Parish and how situate and fit to be united and how the Churches and Chappels are supplied by Preaching Ministers that so a course be taken for the providing both for Preaching and maintenance where the same should be found to be needful About this time some Dissenters in the Army called Levellers drew together five thousand Horse and Foot at Burford Colonel Reinolds fell in upon them with a greater Body than they had and routed them taking nine hundred Horse and four hundred Foot prisoners whereof one Thomson and two more principal Leaders were immediately shot to death who died resolutely Cornet Den an Army-preacher expressing Flagâ—llum or the life and death of O. C. p. 83. his grief and sorrow was reprieved at the Instant of execution which their Fellows beheld from the leads of the Church The Rest by Cromwells mediation were all pardoned and sent home to their own houses This proved the utter suppression of that faction and rendred the Army entirely at his Command so that they presently submitted to the lot which Regiments should be sent to Ireland then almost reduced to the King's obedience by the Marquess of Ormond Croâ—well was ordained Commander in chief of the Forces appointed for Ireland and tituladoed with the style of Lord Governour of Ireland while the Lord Fairfax was left here to attend the Parliament He with a potent Army landed at Dublin The Marquess of Ormond had besieged Dublin but the siege was raised by Colonel Michael Jones Governour of Dublin with the utter defeat of the Marquesses Army And the siege of London-derry was raised by Sir Charles Coot sallying out of the Town Cromwel takes Drogheda by Storm and puts all in it to the Sword After this in less than a year most of the Cities and Towns in Ireland were taken and that whole Kingdom in a manner subdued to the power of the Common-Wealth of England and the Marquess of Ormond and all that oppose their Authority withdrew themselves But a little before Colonel Rich received a Brush from my Lord Broghil in the County of Cork where the Bishop of Rosse being taken was hanged July 19. 1649. An Act was passed by the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England for the promoting and propagating the Gospel of Christ in New England And a general Collection was made in and through all the Counties Cities Towns and Parishes of England and Wales as the foundation for so pious an undertaking c. King Charles the Second being now at Jersey part of the English Fleet was sent to attacque that Island which put the King upon a speedy remove from thence into France where he resided till the time appointed for the Treaty at Breda which drew near and then he repaired thither The Committee of the Estates of Scotland having concluded with the King at Breda all correspondence with the English was by Proclamation forbidden and all manner of provision stopped from being carryed into England though the Juncto at Westminster had used all Artifices to keep the Scots from closing with the King During the Treaty at Breda 1650. the Marquess of Momrosse landed in the Isles of Orkney with fifteen hundred Armes and five hundred German Souldiers and after he had gathered more strength he was defeated by Colonal Straughan taken and brought to Edinburgh where he is brought to his Trial condemned and executed The rigorous prosecution of the Marquess of Montrosse in that violent manner was chiefly from the instigation of the Kirk by which long before he had been Excommunicated Concerning which he spake to the people in this manner upon the Scaffold What I did in this Kingdom was in obedience to the most just Commands of my Sovereign for his defence in the day of his distress against those that rose up against him I fear God and honour the King according to the Commandments of God and the Law of Nature and Nations c. It is objected against me by many even good people that I am under the censure of the Church this is not my fault siâ—ce it is onely for doing my duty by obeying my Prince's most just Commands for Religion his Person and Authority yet am I sorry they did Excommunicate me and in that which is according to God's Laws without wronging my Conscience or Allegiance I desire to be relaxed If they will not I appeal to God who is the Righteous Judge of the World and who must and will I hope be my Judge and Saviour The King was much troubled at the Scots severity against this Noble Marquess After this the King lands in Scotland and is Proclaimed King at Edinburgh Cross But his Majesty had not been long among the Scots but they began according to their usual manner of Kirk Authority and Discipline to obtrude upon the King such curbing conditions as but ill-suited with Regal dignity Then the Common-wealth of England sent an Army against Scotland and Cromwel is made General of the Parliament's Forces instead of Lord Fairfax and about the end of June he marched towards Berwick in order to his advance into Scotland The Scots raise an Army and in the mean-time send many Expostulatory Letters to Sir Arthur Haslerigg then at Newcastle urging the breach of Covenant and the union between the two Nations which availed nothing The Scots having been routed at Muscleburgh they came to a Battel at Dunbar where the whole Army was defeated by Cromwel of the Scots there were slain in the Battel four thousand and nine thousand were taken prisoners with all their Ammunition bag and baggage and ten thousand Armes The Scots after this loss quitted Leith and Edinburgh whereof the next day Cromwel took possession and the King retired to St. Johnstons where the Committee of Estates were assembled The Scots ascribed this overthrow of the Army to their admitting the King into Scotland before he had given full satisfaction to the Kirk in what they required of him and began very much to impose upon him and remove from his Person the most Faithful and Loyal of his Servants The King departs secretly from St. Johnstons in discontent to the Lord Dedup's house near Dundee The Estates at St. Johnstons send Major General Montgomery to fetch the King back the King returns
Leases from Colledges and Hospitals Now some sixty Fifth-monarchy men under the conduct of one Thomas Venner a Cooper broke forth into Rebellion This Venner was a Preacher to a Conventicle of that opinion in Coleman-street in London Such was the madness of these men that they believed that They and the rest of their judgement were called by God to reform the world and make all the earthly powers which they called Babylon subservient to the Kingdom of Jesus and in Order thereunto never to sheath their swords till the carnal powers of the world were subdued They were taught and believed that one of them should subdue a Thousand making account when they had done their work in England to go into France Spain Germany and other parts of the world there to prosecute their pretended holy design The place where they plotted and continued their conspiracy was the meeting-place for their devotion and thither they had at several times convayed arms On Sunday January 6. which was the day before their excursion they were very late at their Assembly which made one Martin the Landlord of the House inquisitive after their doings He peeping through a chink in their door saw them arming themselves with Back breast and head-piece and thereupon immediately gave notice to the next Officers Half an hour after they came down and first marched to S. Thomas the Apostle to call some of their party from thence to Bishops-gate and after to White-cross-street They escaped to S. John's Wood and from thence to Canc-wood betwixt High-gate and Hampsted On Wednesday morning the Rebels came again into London and divided themselves into two parties one whereof about five or six in the morning appeared about Leaden-hall and from thence marched to little Eastcheap where they fought desperately but were dispersed by the trained bands Venner and another â—â—rty came to my Lord Mayor's house thinking to have taken him Prisoner but missing him they marched into Woodstreet where Colonel Corbet and nine of his party charged through the Rebels and broke them They fought with admirable courage and if they had not been hindred from encreasing their numbers a Thousand men so resolved might have done much mischief Venner himself was much wounded before he was taken and about five or six were killed that refused quarter About eight or ten dayes after Venner with about sixteen or seventeen of the most notorious were arraigned at Justice-hall in the old Baily found guilty and executed in several parts of London About this time there was a conference at the Savoy between divers Episcopal and Presbyterian Divines about the Church discipline but to little effect A new Parliament was called which assembled at Westminster May 8. 1661. In the first Session whereof an Act was passed Entitled An Act for disenabling all Persons in Holy Orders to exercise any temporal jurisdiction or Authority Repealed The Bishops were brought to sit again as Peers in the House of Lords and their Ecclesiastical jurisdiction restored to them The Parliament explained a clause contained in an Act of Parliament made in the seventeenth year of King Charles the first Entitled An Act for Repeal of a branch of a Statute Primo Elizabethae concerning Commissioners for causes Ecclesiastical At the second Session of this Parliament an Act was made against Quakers and others denying to take a Lawful Oath with several penalties to be inflicted on them for several offences An Act was also passed for Uniformity of publick Prayers and Administration of Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies and of ordering and consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons in the Church of England The King's Majesty according to his Declaration of the 25th of October 1660. had granted his Commission under the Great Seal of England to several Bishops and other Divines to review the Book of Common-Prayer and to prepare such additions and alterations as they thought fit to offer And afterwards the Convocations of both the Provinces of Canterbury and York being by His Majesty called and assembled His Majesty was pleased to Authorize and require the Presidents of the said Congregation and other the Bishops and Clergy of the same to review the said Book of Common-Prayer and the Book of the Form and manner of making and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons c. Since which time upon full and mature deliberation they the said Presidents Bishops and Clergy of both Provinces having accordingly reviewed the same Books and made some alterations which they thought fit to be inserted to the same and some additional Prayers to be used upon proper and emergent occasions and having presented the same unto His Majesty in Writing in one Book entitled The Book of Common-Prayer and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form and manner of making Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons All which His Majesty having duly considered fully approved and allowed the same and recommended to this present Parliament then sitting and yet continuing to sit that the said Book of Common-Prayer c. be the Book which shall be appointed to be used by all that officiate in all Cathedral and Collegiate Churches and Chappels and in all Chappels or Colledges and Halls in both the Universities and the Colledges of Eaton and Winchester and in all Parish-Churches and Chappels within the Kingdom of England Dominion of Wales and Town of Berwick upon Tweed and by all that make or consecrate Bishops Priests or Deacons in any of the said places under such sanctions and penalties as the Houses of Parliament shall think fit And accordingly it was Enacted by the King's Majesty and both Houses of Parliament That Morning and Evening Prayers in the said Book contained should upon every Lord's day and upon all other days and occasions and at the times therein appointed be openly and solemnly read by all and every Minister and Curate in every Church Chappel or other place of publick worship within this Realm of England and places aforesaid It was also Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That every Parson Vicar or other Minister whatsoever who then had and enjoyed any Ecclesiastical Benefice or Promottion within this Realm of England c. should in the Church Chappel or place of publick worship belonging to his said Benefice or Promotion upon some Lord's day before the Feast of St. Bartholomew which should be in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty two openly publickly and solemnly read the Morning and Evening Prayer appointed to be read by and according to the said Book of Common-Prayer at the times thereby appointed and after such reading thereof openly and publickly before the Congregation there assembled declare his unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use of all things in the said Book contained and prescribed in these words and no other I A.
in Oxford-shire was made the seate of Birinus his Bishoprick Sussex and the Isle of Wight also were converted About this time Honorius Arch-Bishop of Canterbury divided England so much thereof as was Christian into Parishes Anno 640. the first lent began in those parts of England which obeyed the Roman celebration of Easter Oswald King of Northumberland fighting at Maserfield since Oswastrey in Shrop-shine against Penda the Pagan Prince of Mercia was Fabian â—â—â—nic partâ— 5. overthrown slain and his Bodie most barbarously abused and chopped in pieces Oswy his younger brother recovered his Kingdome after one year and buried his head in the Church-yard of Lyndesar Sigebert was perswaded by his Monks to enter into a Cloister his end was lamentable for when he had given over his Kingdome to his Cousin Egrick the forenamed Penda entred his Kingdome with an Army his subjects forced him to go into the field where both he and Egrick were slain Others say he was murdered by two Villains Penda Prince of Mercia having married Alfreda Daughter of Oswy King of Northumberland renounced Paganism embraced Christianity and propogated it in his Dominions Indeed Penda his father that persecutor of piety was yet alive and survived ' two years after persâ—â—ting an Heathen till death but mollified to permit a toleration of Christianity in his Subjects From Colmkil as a most famous Seminary of learning at that time sprang forth those who not onely did resist the beginnings of Anti-Christian pride at home and in our neighbour-Country but they sowed the seed of the Gospel in other in other Nations Such was that samous Rumold who was called Mechlinensis Apostolus Gallus brought Helvetia from Pappas in histor convers Gent. Paganism as Paâ—pas witnesseth built sundry Monasteries there Calumban a man of excellent holiness and learning lived sometime in Bangor and thence went into Burgundy where he began the Monasterie Luxâ—vien and taught the Monks of his own Country especially to live by the works of their own hands Also because he rebuked Theodorick for Platina in Bonifacio quarto his leacherous life he was forced to flie and visited sundry parts of Germany thence he went into Italy and began another Abby on the Appennine Hills beside Bobium in Tuscany Levin also turned many to the faith about Ghent and Esca Furseus and his brother Fullan with two Presbyters Gobban and Dicul obtained land from Sigebert King of Essex and built the Abby of Cnobsherburg and passing into France he began the Abby at Latiniac where he died Diuma was ordained first Bishop of Mercia where he converted many to the Faith in the reign of the Christian Penda and for his rare gifts the Bishoprick of Middlesex was committed to his charge unto whom succeeded Cella a Scot. Also Florentius went to Argentine or Strausburg and was the first Bishop thereof he opened the first School in Alsatia about the year 669. Kilian the first Bishop of Wortsburg did first instruct the people of East France in the Christian Faith Anno. 668. Colonat a Priest and Thomas a Deacon followed him in all his Travels Burcard succeeded to whom King Pippin gave a Dukedome and from thence among all the Bishops of Germany onely the Bishop of Wortsburg carieth a Sword and Priests Gown in his badge Unto these Scots John Pappas joyneth some Britans as Willibrod Reformer of Frisia and two brethren Evaldi the one Sir named the Black the other the White John Pappas saith they converted the Westphalians to the Christian Faith and suffered Martyrdome near Bremen John Bale sheweth their Death Pope Agatho sent John the Arch-chaunter of St. Peters in Rome into England to compose the difference betwixt Honoricus and Wilfrid the two Archbishops and withal to deliver them the Acts of Pope Martin the first and to teach them to sing the Liturgy according to the custom of Rome Bencdictus Biscopius a Nobleman of England went to Rome in the service of the Church and brought many Books into the Monasteries of Tinmouth and Wirmouth The first Glass in this Island is said to be his gift Mark what Beda saith of the custom in those dayes Then they never came into a Church but onely for hearing the Word and Prayer no word of the Mass the King would come with five or six and he stayed till the Prayer was ended All the care of these Doctors was to serve God not the World to feed Souls not their own Bodies wherefore in those dayes wheresoever a Clerk or Monk did come he was received as a Servant of God If he were seen journeying they were glad to be signed with his Hand or blessed with his Mouth and they gave good heed unto the words of his Exhortation And on the Lord's day they came in Flocks to the Church or Monasteries not to refresh their Bodies nor to hear Masses but to hear the Word and if any Priest entred into a Village ineontinently all the People would assemble being desirous to hear the Word of Life for neither did the Priests go into Villages upon any other occasion except to Preach or visit the Sick or to feed Souls At that time the Clergy and Monks in England had liberty to Marry Then Theodorus who succeeded Deus-dedit Bishop of Canterbury brought many Books thither erecting a well-furnished Library and teaching his Clergy how to make use thereof He rigorously pressed Conformity to Rome in the observation of Easter and to that purpose a Council was called at Hartford here Easter was setled according to the Romish Rite In this Synod nine other Articles were concluded of as Stapleton hath thus Translated them out of Bede Lib. 4. c. 5. I. That no Bishop should have ought to do in another's Diocess but be contented with the charge of the people committed unto him II. That no Bishop should any-wise trouble such Monasteries as were Consecrated and given to God nor violently take from them ought was theirs III. That Monks should not go from one Monastery to another unless by the leave of their own Abbot but should continue in the obedience which they promised at the time of their conversion and entrance into Religion IV. That none of the Clergy for saking his own Bishop should run up and down where he lists nor when he came any whither should be received without Letters of Commendation from his Diocesan c. V. That such Bishops and Clerks as are strangers be content with such Hospitality as is given them and that it be lawful for none of them to execute any Office of a Priest without the permission of the Bishop in whose Diocess they are known to be VI. It hath seemed good to us all that a Synod and Convocation should be Assembled once a year on the first day of August at the place called Clofeshooh VII That no Bishop should ambitiously prefer himself above another but should all acknowledge the time and order of their consâ—cration VIII That the number of the Bishops should be
them to preserve this Antient right of the Crown descended to him from his Ancestors The same year this King by his Charter commanded all Clerks then Imprisoned for offences throughout England to be delivered to Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury upon his demand of them Likewise he granted a Charter to the Bish of Norwich to recover all Lands and Tenements belonging to that Bishoprick unjustly alienated by his Predecessors The same year Geoffery Plantaginet Archbishop of York King John's base Brother obstructed the Levying of Carvage demanded and granted to the King by common consent paid by all others on the Demesn Lands of his Church or Tenants beating the Sheriff of York's servants excommunicating the Sheriff himself by name with all his Aiders and interdicted his whole Province of York for attempting to levy it Whereupon the King much incensed summoned him to answer these high contempts his not going over with him into Normandy when summoned and also to pay him three thousand Marks due to his Brother King Richard and by his Writs commanded all the Archbishop's servants where-ever they were found to be imprisoned as they were for beating the Sheriff's Officers and denying to give the King of the Archbishops Wine passing through York summoned Geoffery into his Court to answer all these contempts and issued Writs to the Sheriff of York-shire to seize all his Goods Temporalties and to return them into the Exchequer which was executed accordingly The King and Queen repairing to York the next Mid-lent the Archbishop made his peace with the King submitting to pay such a Fine for his offences as four Bishops and four Barons elected by them should adjudge and absolved William de Stutvil the Sheriff and James de Poterna whom he had excommunicated and recalled his former Interdict The same year there fell out a great difference between this Archbishop R. Hoveden Annal. part poster p. 817. the Dean and Chapter of York and the Archdeacon of Richmond The Praecentor's place at York falling void the Dean and Chapter would not suffer him to present Ralph de Kyme his Official to it but themselves gave it to Hugh Murdac Archdeacon of Cleveland the day after he had given it to Kyme And when the Achbishop would have put him into the Praecentor's Stall the Dean told him It belonged not unto him to put any man into a Stall neither shall you therein place him because we have given it by Authority of the Council of Lateran Whereupon when the Archbishop could not have his will he excommunicated Murdac he likewise injured Honorius Archdeacon of Richmond by challenging to himself the Institutions of Churches and Synodals against the ancient Dignities and Customs of the Archdeaconry which the Archbishop pretended Honorius had resigned and confirmed to him by his Charter which he denied The Dean and Chapter and Honorius severally complained of these injuries to the King who thereupon issued two Writs for their relief This Honorius Archdeacon of Richmond complained to the Pope as well as the King of the injurious encroachments of this Archbishop who suspended some of his Clerks interdicted some Churches within his Archdeaconry and excommunicated the Archdeacon all which the Pope in a special Letter requires him to retract as null and void He also sent three Epistles more the first to the Dean and Chapter of York the second to the Bishop of Ely and Archdeacon of Northampton the third to King John himself to defend Honorius his rights against the Archbishop's injuries and encroachments The Pope wrote a menacing Letter to the Archbishop but he was no way daunted at it but proceeded still against Honorius till restrained by the King's Writs Appeals being but then in their infancy and that not as to a supreme judicature but only by way of complaint as a voluntary perswading Arbitrator and that by the King's licence first obtained as learned Sir Roger Twisden truly observes An Historical Vindication oâ— the Church of England in point of Sâ—hism The same year Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury intending to celebrate a Council at Westminster without the King 's special Writ thereupon the King being then in Normandy Geoffery Fitz-Peter Earl of Sussex being then Chief Justice of England sent a Prohibition to inhibit it yet the Archbishop held the Council wherein he made and promulged several Decrees Statuens ea a suis subditis inviolabiliter observari But those Decrees made concerning Procurations Fees for Orders Institutions Inductions Licences of Ministers c. were not esteemed obligatory nor were they regarded Lyndwood Aton and most Histories take no notice of them because made against the King's Prohibition The third year of King John Gilardus Archdeacon of Brecknock pretending himself to be elected Bishop of St. Davids in Wales with the King's consent by provision from Pope Innocent the Third intruded himself into the possession of the Temporalties thereof and likewise endeavoured to make it an Archbishoprick About that time a certain number of Greeks came from Athens into England and asserted that the Latins had erred from the way of Truth in the Articles of Christian Faith and they would shew the right way by invincible Arguments which all should receive if they will be saved This was reported unto King John He answered Our Faith is grounded upon the Authority of Christ and the Saints and I will not suffer that it be tossed with disputes and janglings of men nor will we change the certainty for uncertainty let me hear no more of you So they departed Gilardus had procured Pope Innocent's Procuration and Provision to elect him Bishop of St. Davids at which King John though then in Normandy with his Queen was much incensed and sent out four successive Writs and Proclamations directed to all the Clergy and Laity both of England and Wales in general and the Chapter of St. Davids in special strictly enjoyning them all to oppose and resist Gilardus his rash attempts and innovations against Him to their power according to their Allegiance and no wayes to aid or countenance him therein by advice or otherwise it being unjust to do it Giraldus notwithstanding all his pretended submission to the Archbishop proceeding afresh in the Court of Rome to obtain his ends thereupon the King issued ouâ— a severe Proclamation against him as a publick Enemy and disturber of the Peace of his Kingdom In the same year Pope Innocent takes upon him upon pretext of necessity for relief of the holy Land only to advise and recommend to all the Prelates of the holy Church the levying of the fortieth part of their Estates and Benefices and in what manner to levy â—t not absolutely to impose it to their prejudice Whence Matthew Westminster thus expresseth it Ad instantiam Innocentii Papae data est quadragesima pars redditum omnium Ecclesiarum ad subsidium terrae promissionis Therefore a free Gift not an imposed Tax Neither would the King of England or France suffer it to to be levyed in their Realms
University under the notion of a Visitor The Archbishop angry at the affront fairly retreated re infecta to London King Henry at the joynt instances of both parties summoned them to Lambeth to hear and determine the Controversie where the King pronounced sentence on the Archbishop's side Afterward the King confirmed the same with the consent of the Lords and Commons in Parliament as in the Tower-Rolls doth plainly appear The King though courteous was not servile to the Pope and the Clergy terrified with the wavering doubtfulness of the King granted him a tenth every year for diverse years King Henry the fourth is not observed as all English Kings before Fuller Church Hist of Brit. and after him to have erected and endowed any one entire house of Religion as first or sole-founder thereof though a great Benefactor to the Abby of Leicester and Colledge of Fothringhay in Northamptonshire His picture is not so well known by his Head as his Hood which he weareth upon it in an odd fashion peculiar to himself He died Anno 1413. Henry the fifth his Son succeeded in the Kingdom An universal Synod of all the Bishops and Clergy was called at London where among other weighty matters it was determined That the day of St. George and also of St. Dunstan should be a double Feast in holy Church At the Petition of the Commons in Parliament to the King all Irish Rotul in Turri Lond. begging Priests called Chamberdakyns were ordered to depart the Realm by Michaelmas following upon pain of loss of goods and imprisonment during the King's pleasure In the beginning of this King's Reign arose Sir John Oldcastle who Camd. Brit. in Kent Married Joan de la Pole Baroness of Cobham the Lord whereof he became a Man saith one Regi propter probitatem charus acceptus in great favour with King Henry the fifth for his honesty and likewise renouned for his valour and great skill in feats of Armes who sent into the Diocesses of London Rochester and Hereford some to publish the truth of the Gospel without the leave and License of the Ordinaries who were especially in their Sermons to confute the Doctrine of Transubstantiation the Popish Sacrament of Penance Peregrinations worshipping of Images the Keys usurped by the Church of Rome At that time there resorted to the Synod in London twelve Inquisitors for Heresie whom they appointed at Oxford the year before to search out for Hereticks withall Wickliff's Books who brought two hundred forty six Conclusions which they had collected as Heresies out of the said Books The Names of the Inquisitors were these John Witnam a Master in New Colledge John Langdon Monk of Christ-church in Canterbury William Vfford Regent of the Carmalites Thomas Clayton Regent of the Dominicks Robert Gilbert Richard Enthisdale John Luck Richard Sindisham Richard Fleming Thomas Rotborn Robert Rouberry Richard Grafdale who all concluded that the chief favourers of Wickliff's Doctrine were to be first dealt against The Lord Cobham was complained of by the General Proctors to be the chief principal abettor of suspected Preachers contrary to the mind of the Ordinaries and to have assisted them by force of Armes The King sent for the Lord Cobham and when he was come he admonished him secretly to submit himself to his Mother the holy Church Unto whom he made this Answer You most Worthy Prince saith he I am always ready to obey forasmuch as I know you a Christian Prince and the Minister of God bearing the Sword to the punishment of evil doâ—rs and safeguard of them that do well Vnto you next unto my eternal God owe I most reverence and submit thereunto as I have done ever all that I have either of Nature or Fortune ready at all times to fulfill whatsoever You in the Lord command me But as touching the Pope and his Spiritualty I owe them neither Suit nor Service forasmuch as I know him by the Scriptures to be the Great Antichrist the Son of Perdition the open Adversary of God The King having heard this would talk no longer with him but utterly left him And the Archbishop resorting to the King he gave him authority to Cite him Examine and Punish him according to their Decrees The Archbishop Cited him to appear before him at the Castle of Leeds in Kent and because he appeared not he Excommunicated him Then the Lord Cobham wrote a draught of the Confession of his Faith and Sealed it with his own Hand in which he answered the four chiefest Articles that the Archbishop laid against him and that done he took the Copy with him and went therewith to the King who would not receive it but commanded it to be delivered to those who should be his Judges Then he desired in the King's presence that an hundred Knights and Esquires might be suffered to come as upon his Purgation which he knew would clear him of all Heresies Moreover he offered himself after the Law of Armes to fight for Life or Death with any man living Christian or Heathen in the quarrel of his Faith the King's Majesty and the Lords of his Council excepted and furthermore protested That he would obey all manner of Laws agreeable to the Word of God yet for all this the King suffered him to be summoned personally in his own Privy-chamber He appeared before the Archbishop sitting in the Chapter-house of Pauls with Richard Clifford Bishop of London Henry Bullinbrook Joh. Capgrave lib. 2. de nobilib Henriciâ— Bishop of Winchester He professed That the Pope was true Antichrist That he is his Head and that the Popish Bishops were his Members the Friars his Tayl. And as touching the other Points saith he they are Ordinances of the Church of Rome made against the Scriptures after it grew rich and the poison had dispersed it self therein and not before Another Annalist saith That he had openly said in Parliament that it would never be well in England till the Pope's power were banished beyond the Seas The Archbishop read a Bill of Condemnation against him after which Bill read the Lord Cobham said with a cheerful countenance Though you judge my Body which is but a wretched thing yet I am sure ye can do no harm to my Soul no more than Satan could do to the Soul of Job And as concerning these Articles I will stand to them to the very death by the grace of my eternal God And after a short instruction to the people he fell down upon his Knees holding up his Hands and Eyes to Heaven And prayed God to forgive his Prosecutors The Lord Cobham was condemned to dye being led back to the Tower he escaped out of the Tower and fled into Wales where he continued by the space of four years In January 1414. Sir Roger Acton Knight Mr. John Brown and John Beverley a Minister suffered Martyrdom in the Fields of St. Giles with thirty six more Some say that Sir Roger Acton was hanged naked at Tyburn saving that
Calvin and his followers at some parts thereof The Liturgy so reviewed was ratified by Act of Parliament in the year following By the learned Writings of Erasmus and Melancthon together with the Augustan Confession a Book of Articles being thought necessary to be composed the Composers of those Articles were much directed using them as subservient Helps to promote the service Now followed the fatal Tragedy of the Duke of Sommerset and we must recoyl a little to fetch forward the cause thereof Thomas Seymour Baron of Sudely and Lord Admiral the Protector 's younger Brother had married the Lady Katherine Par the Relict of King Henry the Eighth A contest arose between their Wives about place The Women's discords derived themselves into their Husbands hearts whereupon not long after followed the death of the Lord Thomas Seymour arraigned for designing to translate the Crown to himself Soon after the Lords of the Council accuse the Protector of many high offences his greatest Enemy and Accuser was John Dudley Earl of Warwick Hereupon he was imprisoned at Windsor yet he was acquitted though outed his Protectorship restored and continued Privy Counsellor But after two years and two months his Enemies assault him afresh He was indicted of Treason and Felony he was condemned for Felony by a new made Statute for plotting the death of a Privy Counsellor namely the Earl of Warwick Here a strange oversight was committed that he craved not the benefit of the Clergy which could not legally be denied him Not long after he was beheaded on Tower-hill with no less praise for his piety and patience than pity and grief of the beholders In the beginning of the year 1551. happened a terrible Earthquake at Croydon and some other Villages thereabouts in the County of Surrey Afterwards six Dolphins were taken up in the Thames three at Queenborough and three near Greenwich the least as big as any Horse Their coming up so far beheld by States-men as a presage of those storms and Tempests which afterwards befel this Nation in the death of King Edward and the tempestuous Reign of Queen Mary But the saddest presage of all was the breaking out of a Disease câ—llâ—d the Sweating-sickness appearing first at Shrewsbury on April 15. and afterwards spreading by degrees over the Kingdom wherewith if any man were attacqued he died or escaped within nine or ten hours if he slept as most persons desired to do he died within six hours if he took cold he died within three hours Sir Michael Stanhop Sir Thomas Arundel Sir Ralph Vane and Sir Miles Partridge were arraigned and condemned to dye The two first were beheaded and the two last hanged at what time they solemnly protested taking God to witness that they never practised Treason against the King c. Vane adding after all the rest that his Blood would make the pillow of the Earl of Warwick lately made Duke of Northumberland uneasie to him Then fifty six Articles are drawn up against Robert Farrars Bishop of St. Davids and a Commission issued March 9. to enquire into the merit of those Articles charged against him on the return whereof he is indicted of a Praemunire at the Assizes at Carmarthen committed thereupon to prison where he remained all the rest of King Edward's time never restored to liberty till he came to the Stake in Queen Maries Reign On the twenty ninth of January 1552. The Bishoprick of Westminster was dissolved by the King's Letters Patents by which the County of Middlesex which had before been laid unto it was restored unto the See of London The Book of Articles made in the Synod at London may be truly said to be the work of that Convocation though many Members of it never saw the same till the Book was published in regard as Mr. Philpot saith that they had a Synodical Authority to make such spiritual Laws Fox Acts and Monuments fol. 1282. as to them seemed to be necessary or convenient for the use of the Church Moreover the Church of England for the first five years of Queen Elizabeth retained these Articles and no other as the publick Tenents of the Church in point of Doctrine which she had not done had they been commended to her by a less Authority than a Convocation These Râ—giâ authoritate in lucemedâ—ti Articles were confirmed and published for such by the King's Authority as appears further by the Title in due form of Law And so it is resolved by Philpot in behalf of the Catechism which came out Anno 1553. with the approbation of the said Bishops and learned Men. The Liturgy being setled and confirmed in Parliament was by the King's command translated into French for the use of the â—sles of Guernsey and Jersey and such as lived within the Marches and command of Calais But no such care was taken for Wales till the fifth year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth nor of the Realm of Ireland from that time to this as Doctor Heylin observeth Then that which concerns as well the nature as the number of such Feasts and Fasts as were thought fit to be retained were determined and concluded on by an Act of Parliament Which Statute though repealed in the first of Queen Mary and not revived till the first year of the Reign of King James yet in effect it stood in force and was more punctually observedin the time of Queen Elizabeth's Reign than after the reviving of it The next care was that Consecrated places should not be profaned by fighting and quarrelling as they had been lately since the Episcopal Jurisdiction and the ancient Censures of the Church were lessened in Authority and reputation This Parliament ending on April 15. the Book of Common-prayer was printed and published which had been therein authorized And the time being come which was set for the officiating it there appeared much alteration in the outward solemnities of Divine service to which the people had formerly been so long accustomed For by the Rubrick of that Book no Copes or other Vestures were required but the Surplice only whereby the Bishops must forbear their Crosses and the Prebends of St. Paul â—s leave off their Hoods To give a beginning hereunto Bishop Ridley then Bishop of London did the same day officiate the Divine service of the Morning in his Rochet only without Cope or Vestment he preached also at St. Paul's in the afternoon the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Companies in their best Liveries in their Companies being present at it the Sermon tending for the most part to the setting forth the said Book of Common-prayer and to acquaint them with the Reasons of such alterations as were made therein On the same day the new Liturgy was executed also in all the Churches of London Not long after the upper Quire in St. Paul's Church where the high Altar stood was broken down and all the Quire thereabout and the Communion-table was placed in the lower part of the Quire where the Minister
likewise to Preach or by way of reading in Churches or other publick or private places except in Schools of the Universities to Interpret or Teach any Scripture or any points of Doctrine concerning Religion Hereupon many of the people in divers places received their old Religion erected again their Altars and used the Mass and Latin Service as was wont to be in King Henrie's time In Cambridge the Vice-chancellor chalenged one Peirson on Octob. 3. for officiating the Communion in his own Parish Church in the English Tongue and on the 26. displaced Doctor Madew Master of Clare-hall for being Married In like manner some of the Popish party in King's Colledge on the 28th of the same moneth officiated the Divine Service in the Latin Tongue At Oxford John Jewel was chosen to pen the first gratulatory Letter to the Queen in the name of the University an Office imposed on him by his Enemies Doctor Tresham a Van-eurrier before authority repaired the great Bell in Christ-church and named it Mary Harley Bishop of Hereford and Taylor of Lincoln two of the last of King Edward's Bishops were present at the opening of the Parliament Octob. 10. But no sooner was the Mass begun though not then restored by any Law than they left the Church For which the Bishop of Lincoln being first examined and making profession of his Faith prevented the malice of his enemies by a timely Death And Harley upon information of his Marriage was presently excluded from the Parliament-house and not long after from his Bishoprick also Hereupon Bishop Barlow of Wells and Scory of Chichester passed beyond the Seas followed not long after by Bishop Poinet of Winchester On November 3. Archbishop Cranmer was arraigned at the Guild-hall in London with the Lord Guilford Dudley the late Queen Jane his Wife and others all of them being attainted and condemned of Treason After Peter Martyr had quit the Realm his Wive's Body having been buried in the Church of St. Frideswid was afterward by publick order taken out of the Grave and buried in a common dunghill John a Lasco was forced to dissolve his Congregation and He with his Strangers to quit the Countrey The like hast made the French Protestants also At which time many of the English as well Students as others deparâ—ed also The principal of those were Katherine the last Wife of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk Robert Berty Esq Husband to the Dutchess the Bishops of Winchester and Wells as before was said Sir Richard Morison Sir Anthany Cook and Sir John Cheek Doctor Cox Doctor Sands and Doctor Grindal The News of Queen Maries succeeding her Brother to the Crown of England posted to Rome and was very welcome to Pope Julius the Third because it gave him some assurance of his re-admission into the Power and Jurisdiction of his Predecessors in the Realm of England in pursuance of which hopes it was resolved that Cardinal Pool should be sent Legate into England who being of the Blood-royl and a man of eminent Learning and of exemplary life was looked on as the fittest Instrument to reduce that Kingdom The Parliaments first Act was to take away all Statutes passed by the two last Kings wherein certain Offences had been made High Treason and others brought within the compass of a Pramunire This was done especially for Pool's security that neither He by exercising his authority nor the Clergy by submitting to it might be entangled in the like snares as Cardinal Wolsey and the whole Clergy of his time had before been caught Then an Act was passed for repealing certain Statutes of King Edward thereby they took away all former Statutes for administring the Sacraments in both kinds for establishing the first and second Liturgy c. In a word by this one blow the Queen cut down all that had been done in the Reformation in seven years before And then for want of Canonical Ordination on the one side and under colour of Uncanonical Marriages on the other there was presently such a remove among the Bishops and Clergy as it is not any where to be paralelled in so short a time An Act was passed likewise Entitled An Act against offenders of Preachers c which two Acts were seconded by the Queen with two Proclamations December 5. By one of which it was declared that all Statutes made in the time of the late King Edward which concerned Religion were repealed by Parliament and therefore that the Mass should be said as formerly to begin on the twentieth of that moneth And by the other it was commanded that no person should dare from thenceforth to disturb any Priests in saying Mass or executing any other Divine Office Accordingly the Mass was publickly officiated in all parts of the Kingdom and so continued during the Reign of the Queen without interruption Another Act was passed wherein it was Enacted That the Marriage between King Henry the Eighth and Queen Katherine his first Wife was lawful and to stand with God's Laws and his Holy Word c. That the Decree of Divorce heretofore passed between the said King Henry and the said Queen by Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury should be reputed to be void and null with a Repeal of all such Statutes wherein the Queen had been diclared to be Illegitimaâ—e There also past another Act in which there was a clause for the invalidating of all such Commissions as had been granted in the time of the late Queen Jane and one in confirming the Attainders of the late Duke of Northumberland Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury c. Together with this Parliament the Queen summoned a Convocation that all matters of Religion might first be debated and concluded in a Synodical way before they were offered to the Parliament In the Writs of which Summons she retained the Title of Supreme Head on Heylin Hist of Q. Mary Earth of the Church of England c. the want whereof in those of the present Parliament occasioned dispute among some of the Members Whether they might lawfully proceed or not in such publick business as were to be propounded to them in that Session The Presidentship of the Convocetion was transferred upon Bishop Bonner priviledged in respect of his See to preside in all such Provincial Synods which were either held during the vacancy of the See of Canterbury or in the necessary absence of the Metropolitan The lower House of the Clergy also was fitted with a Prolocutor of the same affections Doctor Hugh Weston Dean of Westminster in the place of Doctor Cox So partially had the elections been returned from the several Diocesses that we find none of King Edward's Clergy among the Clerks and but six of the Deans and Dignitaries to have suffrage in the Convocation viz. James Haddon Dean of Exeter Walter Philips Dean of Rochester John Philpot Archdeacon of Winchester John Elmer Archdeacon of Stow in the Diocess of Lincoln Richard Cheiney Archdeacon of Hereford one more mentioned by Mr. Fox
imploring the mercy of God received Absolution for themselves and the rest of the Kingdom Which Absolution was pronounced in these words Our Lord Jesus Christ which with his most pretious blood hath redeemed us from all our sins c. and whom the Father hath appointed Head over all his Church absolve you And we by Apostolick Authority given unto us by the most holy Lord Pope Julius the third His Vicegerent here on earth do absolve and deliver you and every of you with the whole Realm and the Dominions thereof from all heresie and schism and from every judgement censure and paein for that cause incurred And also we do restore you again unto the unity of Our Mother the Holy Church In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Which words of His being seconded with a loud Amen by such as were present he concluded the dayes work with a solemn Procession to the Chappel for rendring thanks to God Then did the Cardinal dispence with much irregularity in several persons confirming the Institution of Clergy-men in their Benefices legitimating the Children of forbidden Marriages ratifying the processes and sentences in matters Ecclesiastical and his dispensations were confirmed by Acts of Parliament Then was Anthony Brown Viscount Montacute Thursby Bishop of Ely and Sir Edward Carn sent on a gratulatory Embassie to Pope Paul IV. to tender England's thanks for the favours conferr'd thereon The Convocation that then was held knew that the Cardinal was to be entreated not to insist upon the restoring of Church-lands rather to confirm the Lords and Gentry in their present possessions And to that end a Petition is presented to both their Majesties that they would be Herlin Hist of Q. Mary pleased to intercede with the Cardinal concerning it Which Petition was offered to the Legate in the name of the whole Convocation by the Lord Chancellor the Prolocutor and six others of the Lower House Concerning which the Legate was not ignorant that a Message had been sent to the Pope in the name of the Parliament to desire a confirmation of the Sale of all the Lands belonging to Abbies Chanteries c. or otherwise to let him know that nothing could be granted on his behalf And it is likely they received some fair promises to that effect in regard that on New-years day next following the Act for restoring the Pope's Supremacy was passed in both Houses of Parliament The whole matter being transacted to the content of all parties the poor Protestants excepted only on January 25. there was a solemn procession throughout London to praise God for their Conversion to the Catholick Church wherein were ninety Crosses an hundred and Sixty Priests and Clerks each of them attired in his Cope and after them eight Bishops in their Pontificalibus followed by Bonner carrying the Popish Pix under a Canopy and attended by the Lord Mayor and Companies in their several Liveries Which Procession being ended they all returned to S. Paul's Church where the King and Cardinal together with all the rest heard Mass and the next day the Parliament and Convocation were dissolved The English Ambassadours came to Rome on the first day of the Papacy of Pope Paul IV. and in the first consistory after his Inauguration they were brought before him who granted the pardon desired and lovingly embraced the Ambassadours and as an over plus the Pope conferred the Title of King 's of Ireland on their Majesties In his private discourses with the Ambassadours he said that the Church-goods ought to be wholly restored saying also that his Authority was not such as to profane things dedicated unto God He also told them that the Peter-pence ought to be paid as soon as might be and that according to the custom he would send a collector for that purpose He closed his discourse with this that they could not hope that S. Peter would open to them the Gates of Heaven as long as they usurped his goods on earth A rumour was spread of the Queen's being with Child and that she was quick and thereupon Letters were sent from the Lords of the Council to Bonner Bishop of London that prayers and thanksgivings should be made in all Churches The Parliament also while it was sitting passed an Act desiring the King that if the Queen should fail he would be pleased to take upon him the Education of the Child Set forms of prayer were also made for her safe delivery Great preparations were also made of all things necessary against the time of her delivery And upon a sudden rumour of her being delivered the Bells were rung and Bonfires made in most parts of London But it proved in fine that the Queen neither was with Childe for the present nor had any hopes of being so for the time to come A Gun was shot at one Doctor Pendleton as He Preached at Paul's Cross June 10. 1554 the pellet whereof went very neer him but the Gunner was not to be heard of Upon which the Queen published a Proclamation prohibiting the shooting with hand-guns and the bearing of weapons A little before this some had caused a Cat to be hanged upon the Gallows near the Cross in Cheapside with her head shorn the likeness of a vestment cast upon her and her two feet tyed together holding between them a piece of Paper in form of a Wafer tending to the disgrace of the Popish Religion Then were some Antient Statutes revived that were made in the time of King Richard the second Henry the fourth and Henry the fifth for the severe punishment of obstinate Hereticks even to death it self and an Act was passed for that purpose Hereupon followed that Inquisition for Blood which raged in London and more or less was exercised in most parts of the Kingdom Mr. John Rogers a Learned man and a great companion of that Tyndal by whom the Bible was translated into English in the time of King Henry after whose Martyrdom he retired to Wittenberg in the Dukedome of Saxony where he abode till King Edward's coming to the Crown and was by Bishop Ridley presented to the Lecture of S. Paul's and made one of the Prebendaries He was convented and condemned and publiâ—kly burnt in Smithfield on Feb. 4 He was the first Martyr in Queen Mary's dayes On the nineth day of which moneth John Hooper late Bishop of Glocester was burnt in that City The like course was taken with Bishop Farrar Bishop of S. David's but that I do not find him restrained from speaking his mind unto the people as the other was He was cast into prison by the Protestants in King Edward's days Being continued in prison in Queen Mary's dayes and called before Bishop Gardiner he gave such offence that he was sent back again to prison and being sent back into his own Diocess he there received the sentence of condemnation at the hand of Morgan who had supplanted and succeeded him in the See of S. David's He desisted not till
in this time of War Then the Duke of Guise one of the best Souldiers of that Age now called back out of Italy being informed by the Governor of Bulloign that the Town was neither so well fortified nor so strongly garriloned but that it might easily be taken on New-years-day sate down before it and on Twelfth-day had it surrendred up unto him by the Lord Deputy Wentworth who had the chief government of it Guisnesse Hames and all the other Forts in the County of Oye were reduced under the power of the French within few dayes after The Pope is displeased with Cardinal Pool by whose perswasion it was thought that the Queen had broke her League with France to take part with her Husband therefore he deprives Pool of the Legantine power confers the same upon Friar Peitow an English-man by birth and of good descent whom he designs also to the See of Sarisbury then void by the death of Capon Karn the Queens Agent with the Pope advertiseth her of these secret practices Pool layes by the Cross of his Legation and abstains from the exercise of his Bulls and Faculties Peitow the new Cardinal-Legat puts himself on the way to England when the Queen commandeth him at his peril not to adventure to set foot on English ground Peitow died in April following the rupture was made up again and Pool was confirmed in the possession of his former powers And thereupon followed the burning divers persons in the Diocess of Canterbury whereof two suffered at Ashford and six in his own Metropolitan City These Godly Martyrs in their prayers which they made before their Martyrdom desired God that their blood might be the last that should be shed and so it came to pass The number of prohibited Books increasing every day more and more a Proclamation was set forth on June the sixth to hinder the continual spreading of so great a mischief Which Proclamation though it were very smart yet not so full of rigour as another which came out at the burning of seven persons in Smithfield published both at Newgate where they were imprisoned and at the Stake where they were to suffer whereby it was straitly charged and commanded That no man should either pray for or speak to them or once say God help them Which Proclamation notwithstanding Bentham the Minister of one of the London Congregations seeing the fire set to them turning his eyes unto the people and cried We know they are the People of God and therefore we cannot chuse but wish well to them and say God strengthen them And so he said Almighty God for Christ's sake strengthen them With that all the people with one consent cried Amen Amen It was very admirable that the Protestants should have a Congregation under Bonner's nose yet so it was and in one of those Congregations whereof Bentham was Minister there assembled feldom under forty many times an hundred and more the Ministers whereof successively were Mr. Edward Scambler after Bishop of Peterborough Mr. Thomas Foule Mr. John Rough convented and condemned by Bonner and burnt for the Truth After whom followed Mr. Augustine Bernher a moderate and learned man and finally Mr. Thomas Bentham forementioned who continued in that charge till the death of Queen Mary and was by Queen Elizabeth preferred to the Sea of Lichfield Anno 1589. And notwithstanding all the care of the Queens Inquisitors many good Books of true Christian Consolation and good Doctrine did either find some Press in London or were sent over to their Brethren by such learned men as had retired themselves to their several Sanctuaries Then raged a contagious Fever in most parts of the Land and no former Plague was thought to have destroyed a greater number so that divers places were left void of Justices and men of worth to govern the Kingdom At which time died also so many Priests that a great number of Parish-Churches in divers places were unserved and no Curates could be gotten for money Much corn was also lost in the field for want of Workmen to get it in Physitians died as well as the Patients two of the Queens Doctors dying of it a little before the death of the Queen It spared the Prelat no more than the Priest insomuch that within less than the space of twelve months almost one half of the English Bishops had made void their Sees Now God put an end to those calamities of his Children by the death of Queen Mary who died of a Dropsie November the seventeenth 1558. Within few hours after her death died Cardinal Pool Archbishop of Canterbury He procured of the Queen the Patronage of nineteen Benefices unto his See promised and intended to repair the Palace at Canterbury He was buried in his own Cathedral with this short and modest Epitaph upon his plain Monument DEPOSITVM CARDINALIS POLI. The Parliament sate at Queen Maries death after which they only continued so long as joyntly and publickly to proclaim Elizabeth Queen and then they were dissolved Queen Maries body was enterred in the Chappel of King Henry the Seventh in the Isle on the North side thereof ELIZABETH the only Child then living of King Henry the Eighth succeeded her Sister in the Throne on November the seventeenth Anno 1558. She was proclaimed by the King at Arms first before Westminster-hall door in the presence of the Lords and Commons and not long after at the Cross in Cheapside and other places in the City in the presence of the Lord Mayor Aldermen and principal Citizens to the great joy of all peaceable and well-affected people The news whereof being brought unto her by some of the Lords she removes from Hatfield on the nineteenth of that month and with a great and royal Train sets forward to London At Highgate four miles from the City she was met by all the Bishops then living who presented themselves before her upon their knees In which address as she expressed no small contentment so she gave to each of them particularly her hand to kiss except only unto Bonner of London At her first coming to the City she took her lodging in the Charter-house where she staid some dayes till all things in the Tower might be fitted for her reception Attended by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen with a stately Train of Lords and Ladies she entreth by Cripple-gate into the City passeth along the Wall till she came to Bishops-gate where all the Companies of the City in their several Liveries waited her coming in their proper and distinct ranks reaching from thence until the further end of Mark-lane where she was entertained with a peal of great Ordinance from the Tower At her entrance into which place she rendred her most humble thanks to Almighty God for the great and wondrous change of her condition in bringing her from being a prisoner in that place to be the Ruler of her people and now to take possession of it as a Royal Palace Here she remained till December
midst thereof Which last remained there for some years The antient Ceremonies customably observed by the Knights of the Garrer in their Adoration toward the Altar were by this Queen retained aâ— formerly in her Father's time The solemn Sermons Preached upon each Wednesday Friday and Lords-day in the time of Lent Preached by the choycest of the Clergy she devoutly heard attired in black according to the custom of her Predecessors The Bishoprick of Carlile was first profered to Bernard Gilpin Rector â—uller Church History of Britain of Houghton in the North but Mr. Gilpin refused the offer not that he had any disaffection to the Office but because he had so much kinred about Carlile at whom He must either connive in many things not without hurt to himself or else deny them not without offence to them It was afterward given to Dr. John Best as was shewed before As for Miles Coverdale formerly Bishop of Exeter he hever returned to his See but remained a private Minister to the day of his death Such of the Scots as desired a Reformation of Religion taking advantage by the Queen's abscence and want of power in the Queen Regent to suppress their practices had put themselves into a Body Headed by some of the Nobility they take unto themselves the name of the Congregation managing their own Affairs apart from the rest of the Kingdom They petition the Queen Regent and the Lords of the Council that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper might be administred in both kinds That divine Offices might be celebrated in the vulgar Tongue and that they might have the choice of their own Ministers The chief of the party well backed by the common people put themselves into Perth the news whereof occasioneth Mr. Knox to leave Geneva and joyn himself to the Lords of the Congregation At Perth he Preacheth against Images Idolatry and other Superstitions of the Church of Rome so bitterly that the people in a popular fury deface all the Images in that Church and presently demolish all Religious Houses in that City Those of Couper hearing of it forthwith destroyed all Images and pulled down the Altars in that Church also The like was done after his Preaching at Craile and St. Andrews in those places They burnt down the rich Monastery of Scone and ruined that of Cambuskenneth demolished all the Altars Images and Covents of Religious persons in Sterling Lithgow Glascough Edenburgh which last they possess and put up their own Preachers into all the Pulpits of that City not suffering the Queen Regent to have the use of one Church onely for her own devotions They alse deprive the Queen Regent of all place and power in the publick Government But she gathering Forces recovereth Edenborough and the chief key of all that Kingdom garisoned by the French In their extremity Maitland and Melvin being dispatched to the Court of England imploring aid from Queen Elizabeth And an Army is sent into Scotland of six thousand Foot and three thousand Horse commanded by the Lord Gray Some Ships were also sent to block up the haven and hinder all Relief which might come by Sea to the Town of Leith At length after divers Articles signed and confirmed for both Kingdoms the French take their leave of Scotland and the English Army was disbanded at Berwick As the Congregation was by the Queen put upon a present confidence of going vigorously on in their Reformation so it concern'd them to proceed so carefully in pursuance of it as might comply with the dependance which they had upon her First Therefore they bound themselves by their subscription to embrace the Liturgy with all the Rites of the Church of England which for a time remained the onely form of Worship for the Kirk of Scotland In the next place They cause a Parliament to be called in the moneth of August for the Boroughs there appeared the accustomed number but of the Lords Spiritual no more than six Bishops of thirteen with thirteen Abbots and Priors and the Temporal Lords to the number of ten Earls and as many Barons Three Acts were passed to the advantage of the Reformation The first was for the abolishing the Pope's Jurisdiction and Authority within the Realm The second for annulling all Statutes made in former times for maintenance of Idolatry and Superstition The third for the punishing the Sayers and Hearers of the Mass To this Parliament also some of the Ministers presented a Confession of the Faith and Doctrine to be believed and professed by the Protestants of the Kirk of Scotland which being put to the Vote was opposed but by three of the Temporal Lords The Popish Prelates were silent in it which being observed by the Earl Marshal he broke out into these words Seeing saith He that my Lords the Bishops who by their Learning can and for the zeal they should have to the Truth ought as I suppose to gainsay any thing repugnant to it say nothing against the Confession we have heard I cannot think but that it is the very Truth of God and that the contrary of it is false Doctrine The Queen was now as active in advancing the Reformed Religion in Ireland as she had been in either of the other Kingdoms A Parliament is therefore held on January 12. where past an Act restoring to the Crown the antient Jurisdiction over all Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Persons By which Statute were established both the Oath of Supremacy and the High Commission as before in England There past also an Act for the Uniformity of Common-Prayer c. with a permission Heyliâ—'s Hist of Q. Elizab. for saying the same in Latin in those Churches where the Minister had not the knowledge of the English Tongue The people by that Statute are required under several penalties to frequent their Churches and to be frequent at the reading the English Liturgy which they understand as little as the Mass by which means the Irish were kept in ignorance as to the Doctrines and Devotions of the Church of England There also past another Statute for restoring to the Crown the first-fruits and twenty parts of all Ecclesiastical promotions within that Realm as also of all Impropriate Parsonages The like Act passed for restoring all such Lands belonging to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem An Act was also past for the recognition of the Queen 's just Title to the Crown as before in England The Queen left the prosecution of the work to her Bishops and Clergy But they so dissipated the Revenues of their several Bishopricks by long Leases Fee-farmes and plain Alienations that to some of their Sees they left no more than a Rent of five Marks per annum to others a bare yearly Rent of forty shillings to the great dishonour of God disservice of the Church and the perpetual Ignominy of themselves Now Return we again to England where we find Reverend Jewel newly consecrated Bishop of Salisbury to have Preached a Sermon at
Paul's Cross on 1 Cor. 11. 23. That which I delivered to you I received of the Lord c. on March 30. 1560. There he published that memorable Challenge which so much exercised the Pens and Studies of the Romish Clergy Bishop Jewel's Chalenge If any Learned man of our Adversaries or all the Learned men that be alive be able to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any old Catholick Doctor or Father or General Council or Holy Scripture or any one Example in the Primitive Church whereby it may be clearly and plainly proved during the first six hundred years I. That there was at that time any private Mass in the World II. Or that there was then any Communion ministred unto the people in one kind III. Or that the People had their Common-Prayer in a strange Tongue IV. Or that the Bishop of Rome was then called the Head of the Vniversal Church V. Or that the People were then taught to believe that Christ's Body is really Substantially Carnally Corporally or Naturally in the Sacrament VI. Or that his Body is or may be in a thousand places or more at one time VII Or that the Priest did then hold up the Sacrament over his head VIII Or that the People did then fall down and Worship it with godly honour IX Or that the Sacrament was then and now ought to be hanged up under a Canopy X. Or that in the Sacrament after the words of Consecration there remained onely the accidents and shews without the substance of Bread and Wine XI Or that then the Priests divided the Sacrament into three parts and afterwards received Himself all alone XII Or that whosoever had said the Sacrament is a Figure a Pledge a Taken or a Remembrance of Christ's Body had therefore been judged for an Heretick XIII Or that it was lawful then to have thirty twenty c. Masses said in one day XIV Or that Images were then set up in the Churches to the intent the people should worship them XV. Or that the Lay-people were then forbid to read the Word of God in their own Tongue XVI Or that it was then lawful for the Priest to pronounce the words of Consecration closely or in private to Himself XVII Or that the Priest had then authority to offer up Christ unto his Father XVIII Or to receive the Sacrament for another as they do XIX Or to apply the vertue of Christ's death to any man by the means of the Mass XX. Or that it was then thought a sound Doctrine to teach the People that Mass Exopere operato is able to remove any part of our sin XXI Or that any Christian man called the Sacrament of the Lord his God XXII Or that the People were then taught to believe that the Body of Christ remaineth in the Sacrament as long as the Accidents of Bread and Wine remain there without corruption XXIII Or that a Mouse or any other Worm or Beast may eat the Body of Christ. XXIV Or that when Christ said Hoc est corpus meum the word Hoc pointed not the Bread but Individuum Vagum as some of them say XXV Or that the Accidents Formes or Shews of Bread and Wine be the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood and not rather the very Bread and Wine it self XXVI Or that the Sacrament is a Token or sign of the Body of Christ that lieth underneath it XXVII Or that Ignorance is the Mother and Cause of true devotion The Conclusion is That then I shall be content to yield and subscribe This Chalenge being published in so great an Auditory startled the English Papists both at home and abroad The business was first agitated by the exchange of friendly Letters betwixt Bishop Jewel and Dr. Henry Cole the late Dean of St. Pauls more violently followed in a Book of Rastals followed therein by Dorman and Marshal Dorman was well answered and foiled by Nowel and the other by Calfhil But the main encounter was between the Chalenger himself and Dr. John Harding who had the better of the day will easily appear to any that consults their Writings But these Discourses came not out till some years after Pope Paul the Fourth dying Pope Pius the Fourth succeedeth him who being moved to Excommunicate Queen Elizabeth by the Count of Feria takes a more moderate course by sending Vincent Parpalia Abbot of St. Saviour's with courteous Letters unto her Parpalia was instructed to offer in the Name of the Pope That the English Liturgy should be confirmed the use of the Communion in both kinds allowed of And that all sentences passed in the Court of Rome against her Mother should be rescinded upon condition she would own the Pope's Primacy and cordially unite her self to the Catholick Church yea some thousands of Crowns but all in vain were promised to the effecters thereof But for all this the Abbot came no nearer than Bruxels with his Bulls and Faculties not being suffered to set Foot on English ground Now another Enemy quarrels at the Rites and Extrinsecals of the Church Those that for Religion fled to Frankford in Queen Marie's days after her death hastened into England followed not long after by the Brethren of the Separation which retired from thence unto Geneva Some Friends they had about the Queen and Calvin make 's use of all his power and credit both with the Queen and Cecil as appears by his Letters unto both to advance their ends And he was seconded therein by Peter Martyr But the Queen resolved to keep up the Church in such outward splendor as might make it every way considerable in the eye of the World when therefore they saw the Liturgy imposed by Act of Parliament and so many Episcopal Sees supplied with able Pastors they began to revive the quarrels raised in King Edward's time about Caps and Surplices c. saith Dr. Heylin And herein they were seconded as before in King Edward's time by the same Peter Martyr as appears by his Letters to a nameless friend bearing date at Zurich November 5. 1560. to which he added his dislike in another of his Letters touching the Cap the Episcopal Habit the Churche's Patrimony the manner of proceeding to be held against Papists the Perambulation used in the Rogation week c. in which his judgement was desired But these helps being too far off another project was set on foot Gryndal the new Bishop of London was known to have a great respect to Calvin the business therefore is so ordered that by Calvin's Letters to Gryndal and the friends they had about the Queen way should be given to such of the French Nation as had repaired hither to enjoy the freedom of their own Religion to have a Church unto themselves and in that Church not onely to erect the Genevian Discipline but to set up a Form of Prayer saith Dr. Heylin which should hold no conformity with the English Liturgy This was effected And now there is another Church in London as
different from the Church of England in Government and Forms of worship as that of John Alasco was in the Augustine Friars Upon the news of which success divers both French and Dutch came into England planted themselves in the Sea-Towns and openly professed the Reformed Religion But some of them proved to be Anabaptists and others infected with corrupt Oâ—inions of as ill a nature which being made known to the Queen she commands them all by Proclamation to depart the Kingdom whether they were Aliens or natural-born English within twenty days upon pain of imprisonment and loss of all their goods yet notwithstanding many of them lurked in England without fear of discovery especially after the erecting of so many French and Dutch Churches in the Maritime parts The French and Dutch Churches in London were infected with their frenzies and such disputes were among them on that account that Peter Martyr interposed his Authority with them to the composing of those differences which had grown among them for which see his Letter bearing date at Zurich on February 15. next following after the date of the said Proclamation which seemeth to have been about September 16. and superscribed Vnto the Church of Strangers in the City of London By another Proclamation she labours to restrain a sacrilegious kind of people which under pretence of abolishing Superstition demolished antient Tombâ—s razed the Epitaphs and Coat-armors of most Noble Familes and other Monuments of venerable Antiquity took the Bells out of Churches and pluckt off the Lead from the Church-roofs The Abbey of Westminster most renouned for the Inauguration of the Kings of England their Sepulture and the keeping of the Regal Ensignes she converted to a Collegiat Church and there she instituted a Dean twelve Prebendaries a School-master an Usher forty Scholars called the Queen's Scholars whereof six or more are preferred every year to the Vniversities Petit Canons and others of the Quire to the number of thirty ten Officers belonging to the Church and as many Servants belonging to the Colledge-diet and twelve Almes-men besides many Officers Stewards and Collectors for keeping Courts and bringing in of their Revenue The principal of which called the High Steward of Westminster hath ever since been one of the prime Nobility The Dean intrusted with keeping the Regalia honoured with a place of necessary service at all Coronations and a Commissioner for the peace within the City of Westminster and the libâ—rties of it by Act of Parliament The Sâ—holars annually preferred by election either to Christ-church in Oxford or Trinity Colledge in Cambridge Since this new Foundation of it it hath given breeding and preferment to four Archbishops two Lord Keepers of the Great Seal of England twenty two Bishops and thirteen Deans of Cathedral-churches besides Archdeacons Prebendaries and other Dignitaries in the Church to a proportionable number The death of Francis the second the young King of France who had married Mary Queen of Scots encouraged the Scots to proceed boldly with their Reformation The Duke of Guise laboured with the Pope to fulminate his Excommunications against Queen Elizabeth as one that had renounced his authority apostatized from the Catholick Religion and utterly exterminated the profession of â—t out of her Dominions But the Duke sped no better in his negotiation than the Count of Feria did before About this time one Geoffrys was committed Prisoner to the Marshalsey in Southwark and More to the house of Mad-men commonly called Bethlem without Bishop's-gate in London More professed himself to be Christ Geoffrys believed him to be such and reported him so Having remained a whole year in prison without shewing any sign of their repentance Geoffrys was whipt on April 10. 1561. from the said Marshalsey to Bethlem with a paper bound about his head which signified That this was William Geoffrys a most blasphemous Heretick who denied Christ to be in Heaven At Bethlem he was whipt again in the presence of More till the lash had extorted from him a confession of his damnable error After which More was stript and whipt in the open Streets till he had made the like acknowledgment confessing Christ to be in Heaven and Himself to be a vile sinful man Which being done they were again remitted to their several prisons for their further cure On June the fourth a lamentable fire about four a Clock in the afternoon first shewed it self near the top of the Steeple of St. Paul's Church in London and from thence burnt down the Spire to the Stone-work and Bells and raged so terribly that within the space of four hours the Timber and Lead of the whole Church and whatsoever else was combustible in it was miserably consumed to the great terror of all Beholders Which Church said to be the largest in all the Christian World for all dimensions contains in length seven hundred and twenty foot in breadth one hundred and thirty foot and in height from the pavement to the top of the roof one hundred and fifty foot The Steeple from the ground to the Cross or Weather-cock contained in height five hundred and twenty foot of which the square Tower onely amounted to two hundred and sixty the Pyramide or Spire to as many more which Spire being raised of massy Timber and covered over with sheets of Lead as it was the more apt to be enflamed so was the mischief more incapable of a present remedy The Queen hereupon directed her Letters to the Lord Mayor and City of London to take care therein In obedience to whose Royal Pleasure the Citizens granted a Benevolence and three Fifteens to be speedily paid besides the great bounty of particular persons c. The Queen also sent in a thousand Marks in ready money and Warrants for one thousand load of Timber to be served out of Her Majesties Woods The Clergy of the Province of Canterbury contributing to this work the fortieth part of their Benefices which stood charged with first-fruits and the thirtieth part of those which had paid the same The Clergy of the Diocess of London bestowed the thirtieth part of such of their livings as were under the burden of that payment and the twentieth part of those which were not To which the Bishop added at several times the sum of nine hundred pound one shilling eleven pence the Dean and Chapter one hundred thirty six pound thirteen shillings four pence By all which and some other little helps the work was carried on so fast that before the end of April 1566. the Timber-work of the Roof was not onely fitted but compleatly covered And now the Pope's Nuncio being advanced already in his way to England as far as Flanders expecteth the Queen's pleasure touching his admittance for the Pope could not be taken off from sending his Nuncio to the Queen with whom he conceived himself to stand upon termes of Amity But the Queen persevered in her first intent affirming she could not treat with the Bishop of Rome whose authority was
excluded out of England by consent of Parliament The greatest obstacle to the Nuncio's coming was partly laid by the indiscretion of some Papists in England and partly by the precipitancy of the Pope's Ministers in Ireland for sundry ill-disposed persons upon the noise of the Nuncio's coming not onely brake the Laws made against the Pope and his Authority but spread abroad slaunderous reports that the Queen was at the point to change her Religion and alter the government of the Realm Some also had practised with the Devil by Conjurations Charms and casting of Figures to be informed in the length of her Majesties Reign And on the other side the Pope's Legate being at the same time in Ireland joyned himself to some desperate Traitors who stirred up rebellion there and as much as in him was had deprived the Queen of all Right and Title to that Kingdom Upon which grounds it was carried clearly at the Council-boord against the Nuncio notwithstanding the Intercession of the French the Spaniard or the Duke of Alva Yet notwithstanding the Emperor Ferdinand sends to perswade the Queen to return to the old Religion at least that she would set apart some Churches to the use of the Catholicks To whom she answered That she had setled her Religion on so sure a Bottom that she could not easily be changed And for granting Churches to the Papists it did not consist with the Polity and good Laws of the Land Then divers abuses arising in the Church Archbishop Parker found it necessary to have recourse unto the power which was given to him by the Queen's Commission and by a clause of the Act of Parliament For the Vniformity of Common-Prayer and service in the Church c. As one of the Commissioners for causes Ecclesiastical he was authorized with the rest of his Associates To reform redress order correct and amend all such Errors Heresies Schismes Abuses Offences Contempts and Enormities whatsoever as might from time to time arise in the Church of England And in the passage of the Act forementioned it was provided That all such Ornaments of the Church and the Ministers thereof should be retained as were in the Church of England by Authority of Parliament in the second year of King Edward the Sixth untill further order should be taken therein from the Queen's Majesty c. And also if there shall happen any contempt or irreverence to be used in the Rites of the Church by the misusing of the Orders of the said Book of Common-Prayer the Queen might by the advise of the Commissioners or Metropolitan ordain or publish such further Ceremonies or Rites as should be most for the advance of God's glory the edifying the Church c. Hereupon the Archbishop by the Queen's consent and the advice of some of the Bishops sets forth a certain Book of Orders to be diligently observed and executed by all persons whom it might concern In which it was provided That no Parson Vicar or Curate of any Heylin Hist of Q. Elizab. An. Reg. 3. exempt Church should from thenceforth attempt to conjoyn by solemnization of Matrimony any not being of his or their Parish-church without good Testimony of the Bains being ask'd in the several Churches where they dwell or otherwise were sufficiently Licensed That no other days should be observed as Holy-days and Fasting-days but onely such as be expressed in the Calendar lately set forth by the Queen's Authority That neither the Curates or Parents of Children which are brought to Baptism should answer for them at the Font but that the antient use of Godfathers and Godmothers should still be retained and that in all such Churches in which the steps to the Altar were not taken down the said steps should remain as before they did That the Communion-Table should be set in the said place where the steps then were or had formerly stood and that the Table of the Decalogue should be fixed upon the wall over the said Communion-Table This year the Merchants Tailors School in London was founded first by the Master Wardens and Assistants of the Company of Merchants Tailors whence it had the name and by them founded for a Seminary to St. John's in Oxford built and endowed at the sole costs of one of their Livery But of a far more private nature was the Foundation of another Grammar School in the Town of Sandwich built at the charge of Sir Roger Manwood and endowed with forty pound per annum The Council of Trent being now opened it was said in that Council that iâ— was good to let the Protestants alone and not name them alledging the danger of moving ill humors in a Body which was then quiet To give a safe conduct to the English-men which neither They nor any of them did require were a great indignity They were content it should be given to the Scots because their Queen would demand it but so as that the demand should first be made But the English Protestant Bishops would not venture themselves into that Council on such weak assurance considering how ill the safe conduct had been formerly kept to John Hus and Jerom of Prague at the Council of Constance And the Queen kept the Papal party safe from gadding thither Then Scipio a Venetian Gentleman formerly acquainted with Master Jewel whil'st he was a Student at Padua wrote now an expostulating Letter unto him being lately made Bishop of Sarisbury in which he much admireth that England should send no Ambassador nor Letter nor Message to excuse their Nation 's absence from the General Appearance of Christianity in that Council c. Bishop Jewel returned him such an Answer that neither Scipio himself nor any other of that party durst reply upon him The Answer is to be found at large at the end of the History of this Council Translated by Sir Nathanael Brent At this time it was advised by Lewis Prince of Conde the Cardinal Chastilion and other principal leaders of the Protestant party in France that they should put themselves under the protection of the Queen of England who had not long before so seasonably relieved the Scots in the like distress The Queen had been secretly advertised of all passages there by Sir Nicholas Throgmorton her Majestie 's Resident in that Kingdom It being agreed on between them that the Queen should supply the Prince of Conde and his Associates with a sufficient quantity of Money Corn and Ammunition for the service of the French King against the practices of the House of Guise and that the Town of New-haven should be put into her Majestie 's hands to be garrisoned by English Souldiers Immediately a manifest was published in the name of the Queen wherein was declared that she had observed how the Guisian Faction in the names of the Queen-Mother of France and the young King had endeavoured to root out the Professors of the Reformed Religion and what massacres had been made at Vassey Paris Sene Tholouse Bloys Touers Angier
Prophecyings were thus modelled 1. The Ministers of the same Precinct by their own appointment Fuâ—â—er Church Hist An. 158. met at the principal place therein 2. The Junior Divine went first into the Pulpit and for about half an hour treated upon a portion of Scripture formerly by a joynt agreement assigned unto him After him four or five more observing their seniority successively dilated on the same Text. 3. At last a Grave Divine made the closing Sermon somewhat larger than the rest praising the pains of such who best deserved it and mildly reproving the mistakes of such of those if any were found in their Sermons Then all was ended as it was begun with a solemn Prayer And at a publick refection of those Ministers together with many of the Gentry repairing to them the next time of their meeting was appointed Text assigned Preachers deputed a new Moderator elected or the one continued and so all were dissolved But some incoveniences were seen and more foreseen if these Prophecyings might generally take place in the Land However the Aâ—chbishop to vindicate himself wrote a large Letter to the Queen But all in vain for the Earl of Leicester had so filled the Queens ears with complaints against him that there was no room to receive his Peâ—ition Indeed Leicester cast a covetous eye on Lambeth-house and maliced him because he stoutly opposed the alienating this his principal Palace Now began Priests and Jesuits to flock faâ—â—er into England than ever before having exchange of clothes names and professions Hereupon the Parliament now met at Westminster enacted severe Laws against them John Pain a Priest was executed at Chelmsford Thomas Ford John Shert and Robert Johnson Priests were executed at London This year died Gilbert Berkley Bishop of Bath and Wells The Presbyterian party met at Cockfield Mr. Knewstub's Cure in Suffolk even sixty Ministers of Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridge-shire to confer of the Common-prayer-book what might be tolerated and what refused in every point of it apparel matter form dayes fastings injunctions c. whilst the severity of the State was at this time great against Jesuites some lenity of course fell to the share of the Nonconformists The City of Geneva being now reduced to great extremities by the Duke of Savoy Beza addressed himself by Letters to Mr. Walter Travers one of the chief of the Presbyterian party then Chaplain to the Lord Treasurer in which Letter may be seen much of the secret sympathy betwixt England and Geneva about Discipline Geneva helping England with her Prayers England aiding Geneva with her purse The Duke of Anjou came into England and was an earnest Suitor to Queen Elizabeth A Book was set forth against the Marriage entitled The Gulps wherein England will be swallowed by the French Marriage The Queen by open Proclamation commended the Duke of Anjou's affection towards her and the Protestants Religion sorrowed that so great an injury was offered to so high a Prince she condemned the Author of the Book as a publisher of Sedition and commanded the Book to be burnt before the Magistrates face From this time she began to be more incensed against the Innovators from whom she believed that these things proceeded And within few dayes after John Stubs of Lincolns-Inn whose Sister Mr. Cartwright formerly mentioned had married the Author of this Book William Page who dâ—â—persed the Copies and Singleton the Printer were apprehended Stubs and Page had their right hands cut off with a Cleaver driven through the wrist with the force of a Beetle upon a Scaffold in the Market-place at Westminster The Printer was pardoned Stubs having his right hand cut off put off his hat with his left and said with a loud voice God save the Queen The Queen also to take away the fear which had possessed many mens minds that Religion would be altered and Popery tolerated permitted that Edmond Campian Jesuite Ralph Sherwin Luke Kirby and Alexander Briant Priests should be arraigned they were condemned and executed for Treason This was done during the abode of Anjou in England The Earl of Leicester improved his power at this time very great with the Queen to obtain great Liberty for the Non-conformists Hence it was that many Bishops active in pressing subscription in their Diocess when repairing to Court were checked by this great Favourite to their great discouragement Hereupon the Brethren who hitherto The sorm oâ— Discipline by the Brethren considered of in a solemn Synod with the Decrees thereof may be read in Fuller Church Hist Cent. 16. Anno 1582. had no particular platform of Discipline among themselves as universally practised by their party began in a solemn Council held by them to conclude on a certain form as may be seen in their Decrees faithfully translated out of their Latin Copy The Title thereof These be the things that do seem may well stand with the peace of the Church This year died three that seemed Pillars in the Romish Church Frist Richard Bristow born in Worcester-shire bred at Exeter-colledge in Oxford whenâ—e he fled beyond the Seas and by Cardinal Allen was made Overseer of the English Colledge first at Doway then at Rhemes For the recovery of his health he returned into his native Land and died quietly near London The second Nicholas Harpsfield bred first in Winchester-school then in New-colledge in Oxford where he proceeded Doctor of Law and after became Archdeacon of Canterbury Under King Edward the Sixth he banished himself Under Queen Mary he returned and was advanced Under Queen Elizabeth imprisoned for denying her Supremacy Yet such was his mild usage in his Restraint that he wrote much therein and among the rest his Ecclesiastical History He wrote also six Dialogues in favour of his own Religion He set it forth under the name of Alan Cope Yet caused he these Capital letters to be engraven at the end of his Book A. H. L. N. H. E. V. E. A. C. Hereby mystically meaning Auctor Hujus Libri Nicolaus Harpfeldus Edidit Vero Eum Alanus Copus The third Gregory Martin born at Mayfield in Sussex bred with Campian at St. John's-colledge in Oxford Tutor to Philip Earl of Arundel eldest Son to Thomas Duke of Norfolk Afterwards he went over beyond Sea and became Divinity Professor in the Colledge of Rhemes and died there Now as touching the Controversie of Church-government the Ministers of Kent having been called to subscribe to certain Articles propounded to them by the Archbishop of Canterbury send their Petition to the Privy Council Subscribed thus Your Honours daily and faithful Orators the Ministers of Kent which are suspended from the execution of their Ministry The Lords of the Council sent this Petition with another Bill of complaint exhibited unto them against Edmond Freak Bishop of Norwich unto the Archbishop of Canterbury What his Answer was thereunto may be seen at large in Fuller's Church History Doctor John Whitgift was now Archbishop of Canterbury Anno 1583. who
wrote a Letter to the Lord Treasurer complaining of Mr. Beal Clerk of the Council who brought these Letters to him his insolent carriage towards him Now that the Presbyterian party were befriended at the Council-board who endeavoured to mittigate the Archbishop's proceeding against them appeareth also from the Privy Counsellors Letter to the Archbishop in favour of the Non-conformists Signed W. Burleigh G. Shrewsbury A Warwick R. Leicester C. Howard J. Croft Ch. Hatton Fr. Walâ—ingham But albeit Sir Chr. Hatton subscribed among the Privy Counsellors for moderation to Non-conformists yet that he was a great countenancer of Whitgift's proceedings against them appeareth in an immediate Address of the Archbishop unto him As for the Lord Burghleigh he was neither so rigid as to have Conformity prest to the height nor so remiss as to leave Ministers at their own liberty He would argue the case both in Discourse and Letters with the Archbishop and one Letter he wrote to the Archbishop for some Indulgence to the Ministers Mr. Travers seems to have an hand in all this who being the Lord Burghleigh's Chaplain by him much respected and highly affected to the Geneva Discipline was made the mouth of the Ministers to mediate to his Lord in their behalf But the Archbishop's unmoveableness appeared by his Letter sent to the Lord Treasurer at some passages whereof he took exception and sends a smart Letter to the Archbishop That which concerneth the Non-conformists therein is this I deny nothing that your Grace thinketh meet to proceed in with those whom you call factious and therefore there is no controversie between you and me expressed in your Letter the controversie is passed in your Graces Letter in silence and so I do satisfie Your Grace promised me to deal I say only with such as violated Order and to charge them therewith which I allow well of But your Grace not charging them with such faults seeketh by examination to urge them to accuse themselves and then I think you will punish them I think your Grace's proceeding is I will not say rigorous or captious but I think it is scanâ— charitable c. If I had known the fault of Brown I might bâ— blamed for writing for him but when by examination only it is to sift him with twenty four Articles I have cause to pity the poor man Your Grace's as friendly as any W. Burghleigh The Archbishop writes a calm Letter in answer to the Lord Treasurer's Letter sending him enclosed therein certain Reasons to justifie the manner of his proceedings praying his Lordship not to be carried away either from the cause or from the Archbishop himself upon unjust surmises and clamours lest he be the occasion of that confusion which hereafter he would be sorry for Professing that in these things he desired no further defence neither of his Lordship nor of any other than Justice and Law would yield unto him Sir Francis Walsingham was a good Friend to Non-conformists he wrote a Letter to the Archbishop to qualifie him for a Semi-Non-conformist one Mr. Leverwood Grindal being sensible of the Queens displeasure had desired to resign his place and confine himself to a yearly Pension This place was proffered to Whitgift but he in the presence of the Queen refused it yet what he would not snatch suddenly fell into his hands by Grindal's death who out of his contempt of the world left not much wealth behind him That little he had as it was well gotten was well bestowed in pious uses in Oxford and Cambridge with the building and endowing of a School at St. Bees in Cumberland where he was born yea he may be held as a Benefactor to this Nation by bringing in Tamarix first over into England that Plant being very excellent in mollifying the hardness of the Spleen Now Robert Brown a Cambridge-man and young Student in Divinity of whom the Separatists in those dayes and long after were called Brownists born in Rutland-shire of an ancient Family near allied to the Lord Treasurer Cecil began with one Richard Harison a Schoolmaster to vent their Opinions They set forth Books in Zealand whither they travelled Brown returning home disperseth these Books all over England But their Books were suppressed by the Queens Authority confuted by Learned men and two of his followers were executed one after another at St. Edmonds-bury Brown coming to Norwich there infected both Dutch and English for which he was confined The Lord Treasurer writes a Letter to the Bishop of Norwich in his behalf Brown being thus brought up to London was wrought to some tolerable compliance and being discharged by the Archbishop was by the Lord Treasurer sent home to his Father Anthony Brown at Tolethorp in Rutland Esquire But it seemâ— Brown's errors were so inlaid in him no conference with Divines could convince him to the contrary whose incorrigibleness made his own Father weary of his company He and Harison inveighed against Bishops Ecclesiastical Courts Ceremonies Ordination of Ministers fancying here on earth a platform of a perfect Church Doctor Fulk learnedly proveth that the Brownists were in effect the same with the ancient Donatists Nicholas Saunders more truly Slanders died this year 1583. being starved to death among the Bogs and Mountains in Ireland Near the same time one John Lewis was burnt at Norwich for denying the Godhead of Christ and holding other detestable Heresies At this time the Jesuites set forth many slaunderous libels against her Majesty one of their principal Pamphlets was a Treatise of Schism William Carter the Stationer was executed at Tyburn for publishing it Soon after five Seminaries John Fen George Haddock John Munden John Nutter and Tho. Hemmerford were hanged bowelled and quartered for Treason at Tyburn and many others about the same time executed in other places Yet at the same time the Queen by one Act of Grace pardoned seventy Priests some of them actually condemned to die all legally deserving death Among these were 1. Gasper Haywood Son to that eminent Epigrammatist the first Jesuite that ever set foot in England 2. James Bosgrave 3. John Hart a zealous disputant 4. Edward Rushton an ungrateful wretch who afterwards railed on the Queen in Print who gave him his life In the year 1584. Two conferences were kept at Lambeth about the Discipline and Ceremonies of the Church For the same were the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and Cooper Bishop of Winchester Unconforming Ministers against it The Lords of the Privy Council and some other Honorable persons Auditors thereof This conference effected nothing on the Disputants as to the altering their Opinions Some of the Lords afterwards secretly acted against the Archbishop in favour of the other party The Archbishop now take's another course enjoyning all admitted to the Ecclesiastical Orders and Benefices the subscription of the following Articles I. That the Queen had supreme Authority over all persons born within her Dominions of what condition soever they were And that no other Prince Prelate or
and her Boxes searched Fourteen of the Conspirators were Arraigned Condemned of High-treason and executed Afterwards in the Star-chamber sentence was pronounced against the Queen of Scots And in a Parliament presently following the Lords petition the Queen that the sentence passed against her may presently be promulged The King of Scots and the King of France sollicit for her life But when this would not prevail L' Aubespine the French Ambassador thinks no way so effectual for saving the Queen of Scots life as to take away the life of Queen Elizabeth The plot was discovered And at length the Sentence against the Queen of Scots was put in execution and she ended her doleful life at Fothringhay Castle She was buried in the Quire of Peterborough and Doctor Wickham Bishop of Lincoln Preached her Funeral-sermon Some twenty yaars after King James caused her Corps to be solemnly removed from Poterborough to Westminster where in the South-side of the Chappel of King Henry the Seventh he erected a stately Monument to her Memory The Earl of Leicester having raised great offence is called home again into England by the Queen giveth over his Government and the free Administration of his Government is left to the States Now Conformity was pressed to the height The power of the High Fuller Church Hist in An. 1537. Commission began to extend far and penalties to fall heavy on offenders whereupon the favourers of Non-conformists much opposed it in their Printed Books some questioning the Court as not warranted by Law others taxing their proceedings as exceeding their Commission But the most general exception against the High Commission was this That proceeding Ex Officio mero by way of enquiry against such whom they suspected they tendred unto them an Oath which was conceived unjust that in cases criminal a party should be forced to discover what might be penal to himself The lawfulness of which Oath was learnedly canvassed with arguments on both sides Because many did question the Legalâ—ty and Authority of the High Commission Archbishop Whitgift so contrived the matter that the most sturdy Non-conformists especially if they had any visible Estates were brought into the Star-chamber the power whereof was above dispute where some of them besides imprisonment had very heavy fines imposed on them And because most of the Queens Council were present at the Censures this took off the odium from the Archbishop This year died Mr. John Fox the Industrious compiler of the Acts and Monuments of the Church and was buried at St. Giles near Cripplegate in London It is said he foretold the destruction of the Invincible so called Spanish Armado in the year 1588. which came so to pass though he survived not to see the performance of his own prediction About this time Mr. William Lambert finished his Hospital at Greenwich Camd Brit. in Kent founded and endowed by him for poor people He was the first Protestant who erected a charitable house of that nature saith Camden But King Edward the Sixth â—ounded Christ-church and St. Thomas Hospital Now the sticklers against the Hierarchy appeared more vigorous though for a time they had concealed themselves The Parliament now sitting aâ— Westminster the House of Commons presented to the Lords a petition complaining how many Parishes especially in the North of England and Wales were destitute of Preachers and no care taken to supply them Sixteen were the particulars whereof the six first were against insufficient Ministers Of all the particulars the House fell most fiercely on the debate of pluralities and Non-residents The Arch-bishop pleads for Non-residency in divers cases He affirmed whatever was pretended to the contrary that England then flourished with able Ministers more than ever before yea had more than all Christendom besides The Lord Grey rejoyned to this Assertion saying That England had more able Ministers than all the Churches in Christendom was onely to be attributed to God who now opened the hearts of many to see into the truth and that the Schools were better observed The Lord Treasurer seemed to moderate betwixt them Matters flying thus high the Archbishop with the rest of the Clergy Petition the Queen To the Petition were annexed a Catalogue of those inconveniences to the State present State to come Cathedral Churches Universities to her Majesty to Religion in case pluralities were taken away Nothing was effected in relation to this matter but things left in statu quo prius at the dissolution of this Parliament This year died Richard Barnes Bishop of Durham In the year 1588. when there was a Treaty of Peace between England and Spain out cometh their Invincible Navy and Army perfectly appointed for both Elements Land and Water to Sayl and March compleat in all Warlike Equipage but that great Fleet was wonderfully defeated by the English and dissipated by stormy Winds and many of the Spaniards were Barbarously butchered by the Irish For the happy success of this action Queen Elizabeth appointed Prayers and Thanksgivings over all the Churches in England and she with a great Train of the Nobility came into St. Pauls Church where the Banners taken from the Enemy were placed in view and there in most humble manner gave thanks to Almighty God the giver of all Victory About this time many Papists were committed to custody in Wisbych Castle At this time many Libels flew abroad thus named 1. The Epitome 2. The Demonstration of Discipline 3. The Supplication 4. Diotrephes 5. The Minerals 6. Have ye any work for the Cooper 7. More work for the Cooper 8. Martin Senior Mar-prelate 9. Martin Junior Mar-prelate The main drift of these Pamphlets was to defame the English Prelates scoffing at them for their Garb Gate Apparel Vanities of their Youth natural Defects and personal Infirmities It is strange how secretly they were Printed how speedily Dispersed how generally Bought how greedily Read how firmly Believed especially of the Common sort Some precise men of that side thought these jeering pens well employed but these Books were disclaimed by the more descreet and devoutsort of men And how highly the State distasted these Books will appear by the heavy censures inflicted on such as were but accessary thereunto To pass by John Vdal and John Penry Ministers accused for making some of them together with the Printers and Humfry Newman a Cobler chief disperser of them The Star-chamber deeply fined Sir Richard Knightly and Sir 〈…〉 Wigston for entertaining and receiving the press Gentlemen But upon their submission they had their liberty and were eased of their fines A Synod of the Presbyterians of the Warwick-shire Classis was called at Covâ—ntry wherein the questions brought the last year from the Brethren of Cambridge-Synod were thus resolved I. That private Baptism was unlawful Ep. â—â—â—croâ—t's Book called Englands Scoâ—izing for Discipline by practice II. That it is not lawful to read Hâ—miles in the Church III. That the sign of the cross is not to be used in Baptism IV.
Kingdom of Naples and nominated him to be Archbishop of Machlin but he died and was buried in the Church Pitraeus de illustr Angl. script p. 793. of the English Colledge at Rome His loss was much lamented by the Catholicks for he had done many good offices in composing the grudgings which began to grow between the Secular Priests and Jesuites Untill this time the prime Catholicks in Wisbich Castle had lived there in restraint with great concord And the Papists do brag that then and there the English Church was most visible untill one Father Weston a Jesuite coming thither erected a Government among them making certain Sanctions and Orders which all were bound to observe claiming a superiority over all the Catholicks there Besides those of his own society many of the Secular Priests submitted unto him though the greatest number and Learned sort of the Secular Priests resisted his superiority If any Order might pretend to this Priority it was most proper for the Benedictines extant in England above a thousand years ago one might admire why Father Weston should so earnestly desire so silly a Dominion having his power as well as his own person confined within the walls of Wisbich Castle Anno 1595. Began throughout England the more solem and strict observation of the Lord's day occasioned by a Book then set forth by P. bound D. D. and enlarged with additions Anno 1606. Hereupon the Lord's day especially in Corporations began to be precisely kept people forbearing such sports as yet by Statute permitted yet Learned men were much divided in their Judgments about the Sabbatarian Doctrines The first that publickly opposed Dr. Bounds Opinions was Mr. Thomas Rogers of Horninger in Suffolk in his Preface to the Book of Articles yet notwithstanding were these Sabbatarian Doctrines published more generally than before The price of the Doctor 's Book began to be doubled as commonly Books are then most called on when called in Yea six years after Bounds book came forth with enlargements publickly sould Now also began some Opinions about Predestination Free-will Perseverance which much troubled the Schools and Pulpit Wherein Archbishop Whitgift caused a solemn meeting of many Learned Divines at Lambeth where besides the Archbishop Richard Bancroft Bishop of London Richard Vaughan Bishop of Bangor Humfrey Tyndal Bishop of Ely Dr. Whitaker Queen's Professor in Cambridge and others were assembled These after a serious debate resolved on the now following Articles Fuâ—â—er Church Hist An. 1595. I. God from eternity hath Predestinated certain men unto life c. II. The moving cause of Predestination unto life is not Faith and good Works foreseen c. but onely the good will and pleasure of God III. There is predetermined a certain number of the predestinate c. IV. Those who are not predestinated to Salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins V. A true living justifying Faith c. is not extinguished vanisheth not away in the elect either finally or totally VI. A man truly faithful i. e. such a one who is endued with justifying Faith is certain with the full assurance of Faith of the Remission of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ. VII Saving Grace is not given granted communicated to all men by which they may be saved if they will VIII No man can come unto Christ Vnless it shall be givenll unto him and unless the Father shall draw him And as men are not drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son IX It is not in the will or power of every one to be saved Matthew Hutton Archbishop of York did also fully and freely in his judgement concur with those Divines as appeareth by a Letter of his sent to a most Reverend Prelate Mountague in his Appeal p. 55. 56 71 72. When these Articles came abroad into the World some had an high Opinion of them others valued them at a low rate Some flatly condemned both the Articles and the Authors of them One affirmeth that these Articles were forbidden by publick Authority but when where and by whom he saith nothing Forreign Divines raised or decryed the esteem of these Articles just as they were biassed in judgment Some Printed set forth and cited them as the sence of the Church of England others as fast slighted them as the narrow positions of a few private and partial persons Although those Learned Divines be not acknowledged as competent Judges to pass definitive sentence in those points yet their testimony is an infallible evidence what was the general and received Doctrine of England in that Age about the forenamed Controversies This year died first Dr. William Wickham bred in King's Colledge in Cambridge first Bishop of Lincoln after of Winchester Secondly Worthy Dr. William Whitaker And among the Romanists Daniel Halesworth More infamous was the death of Robert Southwel a Jesuite who was executed for a Traitor at London In the year 1596. died Bishop Fletcher of London who died suddenly and John Coldwel Bishop of Sarisbury About this time also died Doctor Laurence Humfrey a moderate Non-conformist Dean of Winchester and Master of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford Master Baltazar Zanchez a Spaniard born in Estremadura founded an Almes-house at Totnam-Highcross in Middlesex for eight single people allowing them competent maintenance Thomas Stapleton this year ended his life at Lovain he was born at Henfield in Sussex and was a Learned assertor of the Romish Religion This year also died Richard Cosins Doctor of the Law and Dean of Arches one of the greatest Civilians which our Nation hath produced The death of Robert Turner was now much lamented by the Papists He was born at Barstable in Devonshire bred for awhile in Oxford whence flying beyond the Seas he became Canon of Breslaw in Silesia and at the same time Privy Councellor to the Duke of Bavaria Ferdinand of Gratz afterwards Emperor took him from the Duke to be his own Secretary in the Latin Tongue He lieth buried at Gratz under a handsom Monument In the year 1599. died Richard Hooker of whom largely before He was much lamented by Protestants Anno 1600. died two eminent Roman Catholicks John Saunderson born in Lancaster bred in Trinity Colledge in Cambridge from whence he fled to Cambray in Artois The other Thomas Case of St. Johns in Oxford Doctor of Physick always a Papist in heart but never expressing the same till a little before his Death CENTURY XVII THe difference betwixt the Seculars and the Jesuites still continuing and encreasing Bishop Bancroft afforded the Seculars countenance and maintenance in London-house furnishing them with necessaries to write against their Adversaries hoping the Protestants might assault the Romish cause with the greater advantage by the breach made to their hands by the others own dissentions Archbishop Whitgift founded and endowed an Hospital at Croydon in Surrey for a Warden and twenty eight Brethren as also a free School with liberal maintenance for the training up of Youth The
a long and woful War in both Kingdoms They erected a new Government among themselves which consisted of four Tables for the four Orders of the State viz. the Noblemen Heylin on the life of Archbishop Laud part 2. Barons Burgesses and Ministers These fixed themselves in Edenborough leaving the Lords of Council and Session to make merry at Sterling where they had little else to do than to follow their pleasures The Tables being formed they resolved upon renewing the ancient Confession of that Kirk with a Band thereunto subjoyned but accommodated to the present occasion which had been signed by King James on January 28. Anno 1580. And by this Band they entred Covenant for maintenance of their Religion then professed and his Majesty's person but aiming at the contrary And to this Covenant they required an Oath of all the Subjects which was as great an Usurpation of the Regal power as they could take upon themselves for confirming their own authority and the peoples obedience in any project whatsoever which should afterwards issue from those Tables Return we now to England where we shall find things in a better condition at least to outward appearance And now the Metropolitical visitation having been carried into all parts of the Realm of England and Dominion of Wales the Archbishop of Canterbury began to cast his eye upon the Islands of Guâ—rnsey and Jersey two Islands lying on the Coast of Normandy to the Dukedom whereof they once belonged and in the Right of that Dukedom to the Crown of England As parts of Normandy they were subject in Ecclesiastical matters to the Bishops of Constance in that Dukedom and so continued till the Reformation of Religion Heylin's Hist of Arcbishop Laud. Ad An. 1637. here in England and were then added to the Diocess and Jurisdiction of the Bishops of Winchester But the Genevian Discipline being more agreeable to such Preachers as came to them from France they obtained the exercise thereof in the eighth year of Queen Elizabeth Anno 1565. The whole Goverment distinguished into two Classes both meeting in a Synod every second or third year according to the order of their Book of Discipline digested by Snape and Cartwright in a Synod held at Guerâ—sey June 28. 1576. In this manner they continued till King James his time when the Churches in the Isle of Jersey falling into some disorder and being under an immediate Governor who was no great friend to Calvin's Platform they were necessitated for avoiding a great mischief to cast themselves into the Arms of the Church of England The principal Ecclesiastical Officer whilst they were under the Bishops of Constance had the Title of Dean for each Island one the several powers both of the Chanceslor and Archdeacon being united in his Person This Office is restored again his Jurisdiction marked out his Fees appointed his Revenue setled but made accountable for his Administration to the Bishop's of Winchester The English Liturgy is translated also into French to be read in their Churches Instructions first and afterwards a Body of Canons framed for regulating both Ministers and people in their several duties Now it was resolved that the Metropolitical visitation should be held in each of them at the next opening of the Spring And the Archbishop had designed a Person for his principal Visitor who had spent some time in either Island and was well acquainted with the Bailiffs Ministers and Men of special note among them But the Affairs of Scotland growing worse this Council was laid by But these Islands were not out of his mind The Islanders used to breed such of their Sons as they designed for the Ministry either at Saumur or Geneva from whence they returned well-seasoned with Calvinism Therefore to alâ—ure the people to send their Children to Oxon or Cambridge he thought of providing some preferment for them in our Universities It now happened that one Hubbard the Heir of Sir Miles Hubbard Citizen and Alderman of London died to whom upon an Inquisâ—tion taken after his death in due form of Law no Heir was found which could lay claim to his Estate Which so unexpectedly fallen to the Crown and being a fair Estate withall the Archbishop perswaded his Majesty to bestow some small part thereof upon pious uses And so much was allotted out of it as for the present served sufficiently to endow three Fellowships for the perpetual education of so many of the Nâ—tives of Guernsey and Jersey These Fellowships to be founded in Exeter Jesus and Pembrook Colledges that being disperst into several Houses there might be an increase both of Fellows and Revenues of the said Foundations By means whereof he did as Doctor Heylin observeth both piously and prudently provide for those Islands and the advancement of Conformity among them for the future It is not to be thought that the Papists were all this while asleep Pancani arriving in England brought with him many pretended Relicks An. 1636. of Saints Medals and pieces of Gold with the Pope's Picture stamped upon on them to be distributed among those of the Party but chiefly to the Ladies of the Court and Countrey to whom he made the greatest part of his Applications Then he practised upon some of the principal Lords and used his best endeavours to be brought into the acquaintance of the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury But his Grace neither liked the Man nor the Message he came about and admitted him neither to complement nor communication However the Popish faction multiplying in some numbers about the Court resorted more openly to the Masses at Sommerset-house where the Capuchins had obtained both a Chappel and Convent Of this none bears the blame but the Archbishop who is traduced in Libels and common â—alk for the principal Architect in the plot and the contriver of the mischief Awakened by so many Alarms he had good cause to look about him but more at the great noise not long after raised about the seduceing of the Countess of Newport to the Church of Rome effected by the practices of Walter Mountague a younger Son of the Earl of Manchester and the importunities of Toby Mathews an undeserving Son of a worthy Father Con interposing in it as he found occasion Wherefore he passionately besought the King that they might be barred either from coming into the Court at all or to give no offence and scandal to their misbehaviours Hereupon Mountague and Mathews were discharged the Court the one betaking himself to his Countrey-practice the other for a time to his former Travels in France and Italy The next year he moved for a Proclamation for the calling in of a Popish Book written in French by Francis Sales Bishop of Geneva translated into English entitled an Introduction to a holy life The Printer was thereupon apprehended and the Translator diligently sought for to be brought to Justice His Majesty caused the said Book to be called in and as many as could be seized on to be
the fifth then next following and from thence removed by water to Sommerset-house In each remove she found such infinite throngs of people which flocked from all parts to see her both by land and water and testified their publick joy by such loud acclamations as much rejoyced her heart to hear and could not but express it in her words and countenance As she passed through London the Bible was presented to her at the little Conduit in Cheapside which she received with both her hands and kissing it laid it to her breast saying That the same had ever been her delight and should be the rule by which she meant to frame her Government She was crowned by Owen Oglethorp Bishop of Carlisle on January Camden's Hist of Q. Elizab. the fourteenth for that the Archbishop of York and the rest of the Bishops refused to perform that office suspecting her Religion who had been first bred in the Protestants Religion and also for that she had very lately forbidden the Bishop in saying Mass to lift up the Host to be adored and permitted the Litany with the Epistle and Gospel to be read in the vulgar tongue For the first six weeks things stood in their former state without the least alteration She being now twenty five years of age and taught by Experience and Adversity had gathered wisdom above age the proof whereof she gave in chusing her Counsellors which were as follow Nicholas Heath Archbishop of York William Pawlet Marquess of Winchester Lord Treasurer Henry Fitz-Alan Earl of Arundel Francis Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury Edward Stanley Earl of Darby William Herbert Earl of Pembrook Edward Lord Clinton Lord Admiral of the Sea William Lord Howard of Effingham Lord Chamberlain Sir Thomas Cheiney Sir William Peter Sir John Mason Sir Richard Sackvill Nicholas Wotton Dean of Canterbury All these were Papists and of Queen Maries Council To these she joyned of her own William Par Marquess of Northampton Francis Russel Earl of Bedford Edward Rogers Ambrose Cave Francis Knollys William Cecil who had been Secretary to King Edward the Sixth and soon after Nicholas Bacon whom she made Lord Keeper of the Great Seal All these were of the Protestants Religion and had been in no place under Queen Mary Proclamations came forth that Preachers should abstain from questions controverted in Religion Then care was taken for sending new Commissioâ—s unto such Ambassadors as resided in the Courts of several Princes both to acquaint them with the change and to assure those Princes of the Queen's desire to maintain all former leagues between them and the Crown of England To her Agent in the Court of Spain it was given in charge to represent to the King the dear remembrance which she kept of those many Humanities received from him in the time of her Troubles Instructions are sent also to Sir Edward Karn the late Queen's Agent with the Pope and now confirmed by her in the same employment to make the Pope acquainted with the death of Queen Mary and her succession to the Crown not without some desire that all good Offices might be reciprocally exchanged between them But the Pope answered That the Kingdom of England was held in Fee of the Apostolick See Hâ—ylin Hist of Q. Elizab. An. â—eg 1. That she could not succeed being Illegitimate That He could not contradict the declaration of Clement the Seventh and Paul the Third That it was a great boldness to assume the Name and Government of it without him yet being desirous to shew a Fatherly affection if she would renounce her pretensions and refer her self wholly to his free disposition He will do whatsoever may be done with the Honour of the Apostolick See The new Queen having performed this office of Civility to him as she did to others expected no answer nor took much thought of it when she heard it Many who were imprisoned for Religion she restored to liberty at her first coming to the Crown which occasioned Rainsford a Gentleman of the Court to make a sute to her in the behalf of Matthew Mark Luke and John who had been long imprisoned in a Latin Translation that they also might walk abroad as formerly in the English Tongue To whom she made answer That he should first endeavour to know the minds of the prisoners who perhaps desired no such liberty as he demanded King Philip fearing least he should lose the strength and title of the Kingdom of England and that the Kingdom of England Scotland and Ireland would by Mary Queen of Scots be annexed unto France dealt seriously with Queen Elizabeth about a Marriage to be contracted with her promising to procure a special dispensation from the Bishop of Rome The Queen weighing in her mind the unlawfulness of such a Marriage puts off King Philip by little and little with a modest answer but indeed out of scruple of Conscience And now she thought nothing more pleasing to God than that Religion should be forthwith be altered Thereupon the care of correcting the Liturgy was committed to Doctor Matthew Parker Bill May Grindal Whitehead and Pilkinton Learned and moderate Divines and to Sir Thomas Smith Knight the matter being imparted to no man but the Marquess of Northampton the Earl of Bedford Sir John Grey of Pyrgo and Sir William Cecil A Parliament was summoned to begin on January 25. which opened with an Eloquent and Learned Sermon Preached by Dr. Cox In the House of Commons there were some furious Spirits who eagerly opposed all propositions which seemed to tend unto the prejudice of the Church of Rome Of which number none so violent as Scory Doctor of the Laws and a Great Instrument of Bonner's Butcheries in Queen Mary's Reign who being questioned for the cruelty of his Executions declared himself to be sorry for nothing more That instead of lopping off some few boughes and branches he did not lay his Ax to the Root of the Tree Yet passed He unpunished for the present though Divine Vengeance brought him in the end to his just reward In this Parliament passed an Act for recognizing the Queen's just Title to the Crown but without any Act for the validity of her Mother's Marriage on which her Title most depended There passed an Act also for restoring the Tenths and first Fruits to the Crown first setled thereon in the time of King Henry the Eighth and afterwards given back by Queen Mary to the Pope They passed an Act also for the dissolution of all such Monasteries Convents and Religious Orders as had been Founded and established by Queen Mary By vertue of which Act Queen Elizabeth was repossessed of all those Lands which had been granted by her Sister to the Monks of Westminster and Shen the Knights Hospitallers the Nuns of Sion together with the Mansion houses re-edified for the Observants of Greenwich and the Black-friers in Smithfield In passing the Act of the Supremacy there was some trouble it seemed to be a thing even abhorrent in
Nature and Polity that a Woman should be declared to be the Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England But the Queen declined the Title of Head and assumed the name of Governor of the Church of England This Act having easily passed the House of Commons found none of the Temporal Lords in the House of Lords to oppose it save onely the Earl of Shrewsbury and Anthony Brown Viscount Montacute As for the Bishops there were but fourteen and the Abbot of Westminster then alive of whom four being absent the rest could not make any considerable opposition In the Convocation of the Clergy there passed certain Articles of Religion which they tendered to the Parliament which were these I. That in the Sacrament of the Altar by the vertue of Christ assisting after the word is duly pronounced by the Priest the natural Body of Christ conceived by the Virgin Mary is really present under the Species of Bread and Wine also his natural Blood II. That after the Consecration there remains not the substance of Bread and Wine nor any other substance save the substance of God and Man III. That the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is offered a propitiatory Sacrifice for the quick and dead IV. That the supreme power of feeding and governing the Militant Church of Christ and of confirming their Brethren is given to Peter the Apostle and to his lawful Successors in the See Apostolick as unto the Vicars of Christ. V. That the Authority to handle and define such things which belong to Faith the Sacraments and Discipline Ecclesiastical hath hitherto ever belonged and onely ought to belong unto the Pastors of the Church whom the Holy Spirit hath placed in the Church of God and not unto Lay-men This Remonstrance exhibited by the lower house of Convocation to the Bishops was according to their Requests presented by Edmond Bonner Bishop of London to the Lord Keeper of the Broad-seal of England in the Parliament Both Universities did concur to the truth of the foresaid Articles the last onely excepted This Declaration of the Popish Clergy hastened the disputation appointed on the last of March in the Church of Westminster wherein these Questions were debated I. Whether Service and Sacraments ought to be celebrated in the vulgar Tongue II. Whether the Church hath not power to alter Ceremonies III. Whether the Mass be a propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead Popish Disputants White Bishop of Winchester Watson Bishop of Lincoln Baynes Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield Scot Bishop of CHESTER Protestant Disputants John Scory late Bishop of Chichester David Whitehead Robert Horn. Edmond Gwest Edwyn Sandys John Elmer Edmond Grindal John Juel Moderators Nicholas Heath Archbishop of York Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great Seal Besides the Disputants there were present many of the Lords of the Queens Council with other of the Nobility as also many of the lower House of Parliament For the manner of their conference it was agreed it should be performed in writing and that the Bishops should deliver their Reasons in writing first Many differences arose between them so that the conference broke off and nothing was determined The Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester thought meet that the Queen and the Authors of this defection from the Church of Rome should be Excommunicated who for this cause were imprisoned Then a Peace being made was Proclaimed over all England betwixt the Queen of England the King of France the Daulphin and the Queen of Scots The Parliament being dissolved by Authority of the same the Liturgy was forthwith brought into the Churches in the Vulgar Tongue the Oath of Supremacy offered to the Popish Bishops and others of the Ecclesiastical profession which most of them had sworn unto in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth All the Bishops refused except Anthony Bishop of Landaff As many as refused were turned out of their Livings Dignities Bishopricks In the Sees of the Prelates removed were placed Protestant Bishops Matthew Parker was made Archbishop of Canterbury who was Consecrated by three that formerly had been Bishops namely William Barlow of Bath and Wells John Scory of Chichester and Miles Coverdale of Exeter And being Consecrated himself he afterward Consecrated Edmond Grindal Bishop of London Richard Cox Bishop of Ely Edwyn Sandys Bishop of Worcester Rowland Merick Bishop of Bangor Thomas Young Bishop of St. David's Nicholas Bullingham Bishop of Lincoln John Juel Bishop of Salisbury Richard Davis Bishop of St. Asaph Edward Guest Bishop of Rochester Gilbert Barkley Bishop of Bath and Wells Thomas Bentham Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield William Alley Bishop of Exeter John Parkhurst Bishop of Norwich Robert Horn Bishop of Winchester Richard Cheiney Bishop of Glocester Edmond Scambler Bishop of Peterborough William Barlow Bishop of Chichester John Scory Bishop of Hereford Thomas Young Archbishop of York James Pilkinton Bishop of Durham John Best Bishop of Carlile and William Dounham Bishop of Chester Nicholas Health Archbishop of York lived privately many years in his Mannor of Chobham in Surrey never restrained to any one place and died in great favour with the Queen who bestowed many gratious visits upon him during his retirement Tonstal of Durham spent the remainder of his time with Archbishop Parker by whom he was kindly entertained and honourably buried The like civility was afforded to Thurlby Bishop of Ely in the same house and unto Bourn of Wells by the Dean of Exon in which two houses they both died about ten years after White though at first imprisoned for his faults after some cooling himself in the Tower of London was suffered to enjoy his liberty and to retire himself to what friend he pleased Which favour was vouchsafed unto Turbervil also who being a Gentleman by extraction wanted not friends to give him good entertainment Watson of Lincoln after a short restraint spent the remainder of his time with the Bishops of Rochester and Ely till having practised against the State he was shut up in the Castle of VVisbich where at last he died Oglethorp died soon after his deprivation of an Apoplexy Bayn of the Stone and Morgan in December following Pool enjoyed the like freedom and died in a good old age Christopherson lived on his Estate Bonner alone was doomed to a perpetual imprisonment the prison proving to that wretch saith Dr. Heylin his greatest Sanctuary whose horrid Butcheries had otherwise exposed him to the popular sury We find no more to have been deprived of their preferments than fourteen Bishops six Abbots Priors and Governors of Religious Orders twelve Deans and as many Archdeacons fifteen Presidents or Masters of Colledges fifty Prebendaries of Cathedral Churches and about eighty Parsons or Vicars The whole number not amounting to two hundred men which in a Realm consisting of nine thousand Parishes and twenty six Cathedral Churches could be no great matter But there was not a sufficient number of Learned men to supply the Dr. P.