of London and immediately dispatched the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Paget unto her with a Letter writ from Baynard's-Castle where they now were removed from the Tower In which Letter they beg her Pardon and to remit their former Infirmities and assure her calling God to witness to the same that they were ever in their Hearts her true Subjects since the King's Death but could not utter their Minds before that time without great Destruction and Bloodshed of themselves and others The Copy of this Letter may be read in the Appendix The same day the Council wrote to the Duke of Northumberland their Letters dated from VVestminster sent by an Herald Wherein the Duke was commanded and charged in Q. Mary's Name to disarm and discharge his Souldiers and to forbear his return to the City until the Queen's Pleasure And the same was to be declared to the Marquess of Northampton and all other Gentlemen that were with him The Herald was also by virtue of his Letters from the Council to notify in all Places where he came That if the Duke did not submit himself to the Queen's Highness he should be taken as a Traitor and they of the late King's Council would persecute him to his utter Confusion And thus far our Arch-bishop went For this was signed by him and the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor the Marquess of VVinchester the Duke of Suffolk the Earls of Bedford Shrewsbury Pembrook the Lord Darcy Sir Richard Cotton Petre and Cecyl Secretaries Sir Iohn Baker Sir Iohn Mason Sir Robert Bowes The Duke saw it in vain to oppose and so submitted to this Order And the Plot that his â—mbition had been framing so long and with so much Art fell on a sudden Very speedily Queen Mary was owned Abroad as well as at Home Dr. VVotton Dean of Canterbury Sir VVilliam Pickering Sir Thomas Chaloner Ambassadors in France writ their Letters to her and the Council acknowledging her and ceasing any further to act as Ambassadors She continued Dr. VVotton and sent for Pickering and Chaloner Home and sent Sir Anthony St. Leger the beginning of August Ambassador thither joined with VVotton This Determination the Council August 12 signified to the said three Ambassadors But now to cast our Eyes upon the State of Religion at this Time Upon this Access of Queen Mary to the Crown whose Interest as well as Education made her a Zealous Papist the good Progress of Religion was quite overthrown and the pious Arch-bishop's Pains and long Endeavours in a great measure frustrated and he himself soon after exercised with great Afflictions The first pretended Occasion of which was this It was reported Abroad soon after King Edward's Death that the Arch-bishop had offered to sing the Mass and Requiem at the Burial of that King either before the Queen or at S. Paul's Church or any where else and that he had said or restored Mass already in Canterbury This indeed had the Suffragan of Dover Dr. Thornton done but without the Arch-bishop's Consent or knowledg But however such good Impressions of Religion had the Arch-bishop left at Canterbury that though Mass was set up there and Priests were through fear forced to say it yet it was utterly contrary to their Wills And about New-years-tide there was a Priest said Mass there one Day and the next came into the Pulpit and desired all the People to forgive him For he said he had betrayed Christ but not as Judas did but Peter And then he made a long Sermon against the Mass. But the aforesaid slanderous report so troubled the Arch-bishop that to stay it he wrote a Letter to a Friend of his that he never made any promise of saying Mass nor that he did set up the Mass in Canterbury but that it was done by a false flattering lying Monk Dr. Thornden such a Character in his just Anger he gave him who was Suffragan of Dover and Vice-dean of that Church in the absence of Dr. Wotton who was then abroad in Embassy This Thornden saith my Manuscript writ but a few Years after by Scory or Becon as I conjecture was A Man having neither Wit Learning nor Honesty And yet his Wit is very ready For he preacheth as well extempore as at a Years warning so learnedly that no Man can tell what he chiefly intendeth or goeth about to prove so aptly that a gross of Points is not sufficient to ty his Sermon together Not unlike to Iodocus a Monk of whom Erasmus maketh mention in his Colloquies who if he were not garnished with these glorious Titles Monk Doctor Vice-dean and Suffragan were worthy to walk openly in the Streets with a Bell and Cocks-comb Besides this Letter the Arch-bishop resolved to do something in a more publick manner in vindication of the Reformation as well as of himself So he devised a Declaration Wherein he both apologized for himself against this false Report and made a brave Challenge with the assistance of Peter Martyr and a few more to maintain by Disputation with any Man the Reformation made under K. Edward This Declaration after a first draught of it he intended to enlarge and then being sealed with his own Seal to set it upon the Doors of S. Paul's Church and other Churches in London This Writing wherein the good Religion and Doctrine practised and taught in the former Reign was so nobly owned and offered to be defended in such a publick manner was not only read by some Body boldly in Cheapside but many Copies thereof were taken and so became dispersed It was also soon after printed in Latin and I suppose in English too Sure I am in the Year 1557 it was printed beyond Sea by the Exiles From which Print I shall here transcribe it being sent from Grindal to Iohn Fox for his use in the writing his History A Declaration of the Reverend Father in God Thomas Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury condemning the untrue and slanderous Report of some which have reported That he should set up the Mass at Canterbury at the first coming of the Queen to her Reign 1553. AS the Devil Christ's antient Adversary is a Liar and the Father of Lying even so hath he stirred his Servants and Members to persecute Christ and his true Word and Religion Which he ceaseth not to do most earnestly at this present For whereas the most noble Prince of famous Memory King Henry VIII seeing the great Abuses of the Latin Masses reformed something herein in his Time and also our late Soveraign Lord K. Edward VI took the same whole away for the manifold Errors and Abuses thereof and restored in the place thereof Christ's Holy Supper according to Christ's own Institution and as the Apostles in the Primitive Church used the same in the beginning The Devil goeth about by lying to overthrow the Lord's Holy Supper and to restore the Latin Satisfactory Masses a thing of his own Invention and Device And
W. Wilts I. Bedford E. Clynton T. Ely A. Wyngfeld W. Herbert W. Petre. Edw. North. Accordingly Iune 9. The Duke of Somerset the Marquess of Northampton the Lord Treasurer the Earl of Bedford and Secretary Petre went to the Bishop of Winchester to know what he would stick to Whether to conform to and promote the King's Laws or no He answered That he would obey and set forth all things set forth by the King and Parliament And if he were troubled in Conscience he would reveal it to the Council and not reason openly against it And then he desired to see the King's Book of Proceedings At Greenwich Iune 10. Report was made by the Duke of Somerset and the rest sent to the Bishop of Winchester that he desired to see the said Book The next day were the Books sent to him and delivered to him by the Lieutenant of the Tower as the Council appointed to see if he would set his Hand to them and promise to set them forth to the People At Greenwich Iune 13. the Lieutenant of the Tower declared unto the Council that the Bishop having perused the Books of the Proceedings said unto him He could make no direct answer unless he were at Liberty and so being he would say his Conscience On the 14 th Day the Duke of Somerset and five more of the Council again repaired to the Bishop to whom he made this Answer I have deliberately seen the Book of Common-Prayer Altho I would not have made it so my self yet I find such things in it as satisfy my Conscience And therefore I will both execute it my self and also see others my Parishioners to do it And this the Councellors testified under their Hands as his Saying Iuly the 9 th There were certain Articles drawn up signed by King and Council for the Bishop to subscribe which contained the Confession of his Fault the Supremacy of the King and his Successors the establishing of Holy Days or dispensing with them to be in the King the Service-Book to be Godly and Christian the acknowledgment of the King to be Supream Head and to submit to him and his Laws under Age the abolishing the Six Articles and the King's Power of correcting and reforming the Church These Articles together with a Letter from the King the Earl of Warwick Lord great Master the Lord S. Iohn Lord Treasurer Sir William Herbert Master of the Horse and Secretary Petre carried to the Bishop requiring him to sign them Which he did only making exception to the first Iuly 10. The said Lords made report unto the Council that they had delivered the King's Letter unto the Bishop together with the Articles Unto all which Articles he subscribed thus with his own Hand Stev Winton saving the first Against which he wrote in the Margin these words I cannot in my Conscience confess the Preface knowing my self to be of that sort I am indeed and ever have been To which Articles thus subscribed by the Bishop these of the Council wrote their Names E. Somers W. Wilts I. Warwick I. Bedford W. Northampton E. Clynton G. Cobham William Paget W. Herbert W. Petre Edw. North. Iuly 11. at Westminster This was brought to the Council And his boggling in this manner at the Confession displeased the King that being the principal Point But to the intent he should have no just cause to say he was not mercifully handled it was agreed that Sir VVilliam Herbert and the Secretary should go the next day to him to tell him that the King marvelled he refused to put his Hand to the Confession And that if the words thereof seemed too sore then to refer it to himself in what sort and with what words he should devise to submit himself That upon the acknowledgment of his Fault the King might extend his Mercy towards him as was determined Iuly 13. Sir VVilliam Herbert and the Secretary reported that the Bishop stood precisely in his own Justification He said That he could not subscribe to the Confession because he was Innocent and also because the Confession was but the preface to the Articles Upon this it was agreed by the Council that a new Book of Articles and a new Submission should be devised for the Bishop to subscribe And the Bishop of London Secretary Petre Mr. Cecyl and Goodrick a Common Lawyer were commanded to make these Articles according to Law And then for the more authentick proceeding with the Bishop the two former Persons were again to resort to him with the new Draught and to take with them a Divine which was the Bishop of London and a Lawyer which was Goodrick These Articles were 22 in Number and to this Tenor That King Henry VIII had justly supprest Monasteries That persons may Marry who are not prohibited to contract Matrimony by the Levitical Law without the Bishop of Rome's Dispensation That vowing or going Pilgrimages were justly abolished the Conterfeyting S. Nicholas St. Clement c. was mere Mockery That it is convenient that the Scriptures should be in English That the Late King and the present did upon just ground take into their Hands Chauntries which were for maintenance of private Masses That private Masses were justly taken away by the Statutes of the Realm and the Communion placed instead thereof is very Godly That it is convenient that the Sacrament should be received in both Kinds That the Mass where the Priest doth only receive and others look on is but the Invention of Man That it was upon good and Godly Consideration ordered in the Book that the Sacrament should not be lifted up and shewed to the People to be adored That it is politickly and godly done that Images in Churches and Mass-Books were enacted to be abolished That Bishops Priests and Deacons have no Commandment in the Law of God to vow Chastity or abstain from Marriage And that all Canons and Constitutions which do prohibit Marriage to the Clergy be justly taken away by Parliament That the Homilies and the Forms set forth of making Arch-bishops Bishops Priests and Deacons are Godly and wholsome and ought to be received That the Orders of Subdeacon Benet and Colet c. be not necessary and justly left out in the Book of Orders That the Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all Doctrines necessary to Salvation That upon good and godly Consideration it was injoined that Erasmus's Paraphrases should be set up in Churches And that it was the King's Pleasure that the Bishop should affirm these Articles by Subscription of his Hand and declare himself willing to publish and preach the same These Articles were brought to the Bishop by the Master of the Horse and Secretary Petre with the Bishop of London and Goodrick To whom the Bishop answered That he would not consent to the Article of Submission Praying to be brought to his Trial and desired nothing but Justice And for the rest of the Articles when he was at Liberty then it should appear what he
this day the Duke of Somerset was called again to Council and 15. At the Star-Chamber May 16. At Westminster May 28 Iune 5. At Greenwich June 8 11 13 20 22. At Westminster Iune 28 29 30. and Iuly 1. About which time the Arch-bishop seemed to depart into his Diocess and there to remain that Summer Octob. 11. There was an Order of Council for a Letter to be writ to him in answer to his of complaint against the Vicar of Dertford to imprison him for his Disobedience unto him and in Prison to endure until the said Arch-bishop should come to Court Octob. 18. Was another Order of Council for three Letters to be writ The One to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury another to the Bishop of Ely and another to thâ— Bishop of Lincoln Because as the Words run the Parliament draweth near Before which time his Majesty thinketh it expedient to have some Matters there to be consulted Their Lordships were required immediately to repair to the Court where they shall understand his Majesty's further Pleasure And that Day his Grace was sent for November 11. He was present at Council At Westminster November 16 17 18 26. December 4. When the Archbishop and Bishop of Ely answered the Bishop of Chichester then before the Council as to the Texts by him produced in behalf of Altars Decemb. 5 9 11 13. On which Day a Letter was sent to the Lieutenant of the Tower to bring the Bishop of Winchester to Lambeth before the Arch-bishop Ianuary 13. He was present at the Council at Greenwich when Hoper was ordered to be committed to the Arch-bishop's Custody Present again at Council at Greenwich Febr. 8. At Westminster the 16 18. Then upon the Report of the Arch-bishop made of one Young a Learned Man I suppose he of Cambridg that was Bucer's Antagonist viz. That he had preached seditiously against the King's Proceedings in Religion it was ordered that the Arch-bishop and the Bishop of Ely should examine him and thereupon order him as they should think good He was present at Council still at Westminster March 4 8. When he was appointed to receive a Sum of Money in respect of his Charges and Pains in his Process against the late Bishop of Winchester now deprived 9 11 12 22 24. Anno 1551. March 26 31. At Greenwich April the 8 9 11 26. May 4 10 24 25. Iune 4 14. when a Letter was given to the Arch-bishop to send to the Lieutenant of the Tower for the bringing White Warden of New-College in VVinchester and delivering him to the Arch-bishop to remain with him till he might reclaim him 15 21 22. At Richmond August 9. At Hampton-Court Octob. 1. When a Licence was granted to VVolf under the King's Privilege to print the Arch-bishop's Book At VVestminster Octob. 17 19 22 28. Novemb. 2 5 9 10 15 17 21 26. Decemb. 11 12. 13. A Letter was sent from the Council to the Arch-bishop to send them a Book touching Religion sent out of Ireland 17 18 19. Ian. 24 31. Febr. 8 16 22 28. March 22. Anno 1552. He was present at the Council now sitting at VVestminster March 30. April 4 5 8 9 11 18 19 24. From which time till the Month of Octob. he was not at the Council and yet seems to have been at Home Octob. 7. The Council sent to him to stay his going into Kent till Tuesday because the Lords would confer with him that is till Octob. 11. when he was again present at Council The Arch-bishop now retired into his Diocess and was at his House at Ford. Whither several Messages and Letters were sent to him from the Council as Nov. 20. They sent him the Articles of Religion framed chiefly by him and reviewed by the King's Chaplains for his last Review in order to the putting them into due Execution Nov. 24. Another sent him according to the Minute of some Business unknown Decemb. 2. Another Letter to him for the installing of Hoper without paying any Fees And another Feb. 2. in favour of Mr. Knox to be by him collated to the Living of Alhallows This Month he returned and was at the Council at Westminster Likewise Febr. 21 22 2â— 27 28. Anno 1553. March 25. April 1 7. At Greenwich Iune 2 3 6 8. And that was the last time mentioned in the Council-Book ending at Iune 17. Nor cared he to come afterwards the Business then in transaction not pleasing him A Bishop Consecrated May 26. Iohn Harley S. T. P. was Consecrated and was the last that was Consecrated in this King's Reign Bishop of Hereford upon the Death of Skip by the Arch-bishop at Croyden Chappel Nicolas Bishop of London and Robert Bishop of Carlile assisting This Harley was one of the King 's Six Chaplains Bill Bradford Grindal Pern and Knox being the other five that were appointed to be Itineraries to preach sound Doctrine in all the remotest Parts of the Kingdom for the Instruction of the Ignorant in right Religion to God and Obedience to the King The End of the Second Book MEMORIALS OF Arch-Bishop CRANMER BOOK III. CHAPTER I. Queen Mary soon recognized The Arch-bishop Slandered and Imprisoned I Find the Arch-bishop present among Queen Iane's Counsellors Whose Party seemed to be resolute for her until the 19 th of Iuly All these Persons of Quality were with her in the Tower consulting of Affairs for her Service Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor the Earl of Winchester Lord Treasurer the Dukes of Suffolk and Northumberland the Earls of Bedford Arundel Shrewsbury Pembroke the Lords Darcy and Paget Sir Thomas Cheiney Sir Richard Cotton Sir VVilliam Petre Sir Iohn Cheke Sir Iohn Baker Sir Robert Bowes being all of her Council All which excepting Northumberland signed a Letter dated Iuly 19. to the Lord Rich Lord Lieutenant of the County of Essex who had signified to them that the Earl of Oxford was fled to the Lady Mary In their Letter they exhorted him to stand true and tight to Q. Iane as they said they did and would do It was penned by Cheke for Secretary Cecyl was absent and Petre the other Secretary though present did it not though he signed it The Letter is in the Appendix The Day before this Letter was sent viz Iuly 18 there being a Rising in Buckinghamshire and the Parts thereabouts Queen Iane her self thinking her self sure of Sir Iohn Bridges and Sir Nicolas Poyntz signed a Letter to them therein ordering them to raise with speed all the Power they could of their Servants Tenants Officers and Friends to allay that Tumult And so She had written to other Gentlemen in those Parts to do This Letter also I have put in the Appendix And yet to see the vicissitude of Mens Minds and uncertainty of human Affairs Iuly 20. Divers of those very Counsellors that but the Day before set their Hands resolvedly to stand by Q. Iane proclaimed Q. Mary in the City
seen so manifestly of so many in these dayes But here peradventure ye wold know of me what is the truth Sir Gods word is the truth as S. Iohn saith and it is even the same that was heretofore For albeit man doth vary and chaunge as the Moon yet Gods word is stable and abydeth for evermore And of Christ it is truly said Christus heri hodie idem etiam in secula When I was in office al that were esteemed for learned men in Gods word aggreed this to be a truth in Gods word written that the Common prayers of the Church shuld be had in the common tongue You know I have conferred with many and I ensure you I never found man so far as I do remembre neyther old nor new Gospeller or Papist of what judgmâ—nt soever he was in this thing to be of a contrary opinion If then it were a truth of Gods word think you that the Alteration of the world can make it now an untruth If it cannot why do men so many shrink from the confession and maintenance of this truth once received of us al For what is it I pray you else to confes or deny Christ in this world but to confes and maintain the truth taught in Gods word nor for any worldly respect to shrynke from the same This one have I brought but for an example Other things be in like case which now particularly I nede not to rehearse For he that wil forsake wittingly eyther for fear or gain of the world any one open truth of Gods word if he be strayned he wil assuredly forsake God and al his truth rather then he wil endaunger hymself eyther to loose or to leave that he loveth indede better then he doth God and the truth of his word I lyke therin very wel your plain speaking wherin you say I must eyther aggree or dy and I thynk you mean of the bodily death which is common both to good and bad Sir I know I must dy whether I aggree or no. But what folly were it then to make such an aggreement by the which I could never escape this death which is so common to al and also I might incur the guilt of eternal death and damnation Lord graunt that I may utterly abhor and detest this damnable aggreement so long as I lyve And because I dare say you wrot of frendship to me this short ernest advertisement and I think verily wyshing me to lyve and not to dy Therfore bearing you in my hear no less love in God then you do me in the world I say to you In verbo Domini that except you and this I say to you I say to al my frends and lovers in God except ye confes and mainteyn to your power and knowledg thyngs which be grounded upon Gods word but wil eyther for fear or gayn of the world shrynke and play the Apostata indede you shal dy the death You understand what I mean And I beseech you and al my true freynds and lovers in God remembre what I say For this peradventure may be the last time that ever I shal write to you From Bocardo in Oxenford theighth day of April Anno 1554. Yours in Christ Nicolas Rydley NUM LXXXVII John Hopton Bishop of Norwich to the Earl of Sussex giving account of the joy conceived and Te Deum sung for the newes of the Queens being brought to bed of a Noble Prince RIght honorable and my singular good Lord. After mine humble commendations with like thanks for your honorable and gentle letters sent to me touching the behaviour of the Curate of Bokenham and the reformation of other enormities there It may please you to understand that I did send immediatly for the said Curate and the Church-wardens and the Quest-men there And upon their appearance with twelve or fourteen of the most substantial men of the parish and upon due examination I could perceive none other thing but al things to be wel and decently ordered and provided for at this holy time of Easter contrary to the information given to your good Lordship And if there had been any thing amiss they should have been punished according to their demerits Beseeching your good Lordship if any further knowledg come to you either for that Town or any other concerning the Reformation of my jurisdiction or the negligence of mine Officers that I may be advertised therof and have your favorable ayd and assistance And I shal do the best I can for my discharge And wher it pleased your honorable Lordship to wil me to take a dinner or a supper with you in the time of my Visitation I humbly thank you therfore most heartily Beseeching your Lordship when occasion shal serve you to visit this city that ye wil vouchsafe to take this my poor house at your commandment wherunto your Lordship shal be as welcome as unto your own Further I understand that Mr. Mayor here hath certified your Lordship of the sudden good news brought to us by one of the city of the Queens highnes most joyful deliverance of a Noble Prince Wherupon to laud God Te Deum was solemnly songen in the Cathedral church and other places of the city with wonderful joy and much gladnes of al people throughout the whole city and the country therabouts And if ye have any further knowledg therof I beseech your honorable Lordship that I may be partaker of the same by this bringer my servant whom I send purposely therfore as knoweth the Holy Ghost who preserve your Lordship in continual health and honor At Norwich the thred of May 1555. Your Lordships assuredly Iohn Norwich Postscripta I received even now knowledg from a friend of mine of two witnesses more of the good and joyful newes above written as this said bringer can declare to your good Lordship Iohn Norwich NUM LXXXVIII A Proposition in the Convocation against Residence With Reasons for the said Proposition and Remedies against Non-residence Decretum perpetuae Residentiae juxta Canonum Sanctiones optant pij sed multa sunt quae hodie impediunt quo minus suum effectum juxta bonorum virorum vota consequatur The Reasons I. THE Statutes of the Kingdome not disallowed as we hear by the Pope do permit to the Barons and other great men of the kingdome a certain number of Priests having cure of souls II. Not only the Statutes of the kingdom but the Canons do permit Bishops a certain number of fellow workers to assist them III. Bishops and Prelates who by reason of their great learning prudence integrity of life and high faith are chosen to be the Kings Counsillors and whose counsils are very necessary for the restoring of religion ought not as it seems to be compelled to perpetual Residence IV. When the Barons and other great men may be retained in the orthodox faith by the doctrin honesty age and frequent exhortations of Reverend men it seems not convenient that
Part and Opinion to be on his Part. For being now after some absence returned to Cambridg divers of the University and some of those Doctors that before had given in their Judgments to the King for the Validity of the Pope's Dispensation repaired to him to know his Opinion And after long Reasoning he changed the Minds of Five of the Six Then almost in every Disputation both in Private Houses and in the Common Schools this was one Question Whether the Pope might dispense with the Brother to marry the Brother's Wife after Carnal Knowledg And it was of many openly defended that he might not The Secretary when he came Home acquainted the King with what they had done and how Dr. Cranmer had changed the Minds of Five of the said Learned Men of Cambridg and of many others beside Afterward this University as well as the other determined the King's Cause against the Pope's Dispensation From an Academic our Doctor being now become a Courtier he so prudently demeaned himself that he was not only dear to the Earl of Wiltshire's Family but grew much favoured by the Nobility in general as the Lord Herbert collects from the Historians of those Times and especially by the King himself He was very much about him the King holding frequent Communication with him and seemed unwilling to have him absent Which may appear from hence that when Cranmer was minded for some reason to resort to the Earl of Wiltshire who was then from Hampton-Court and as it seems at London upon some Occasions of his own he doubted whether the King would let him go And so he writ to him that he would come the next Day to him If the King's Grace let him not CHAP. II. Pole's Book about the King's Matrimony ABout this time a Book of Reginald Pole afterwards Cardinal earnestly perswading the King to continue his Marriage with his Queen fell into Dr. Cranmer's Hands I do not find mention of this Book in any Historian that hath come to my Hands No not in his Life published by Bacatellus Bishop of Ragusa though he hath there given us a Catalogue of his Books But in likelihood the Reason was because this was some private Discourse or Letter chiefly intended for the King 's own Use as appears from some words of Cranmer concerning it Viz. That it was writ with that Eloquence that if it were set forth and known to the common People an evidence it was a more private Writing it were not possible to perswade them to the contrary It was penned about the Year 1530 as may be collected from another Passage in the said Writing wherein he mentioneth the King's living in Wedlock with Queen Katherine twenty Years the expiration of which fell in about that Time What induced Pole to write on this Subject is to me uncertain for he avoided as much as could be to meddle in this Affair out of Fear of the King's Displeasure which was the Reason of his departing Abroad Probably it was at the King's Command like as some Years after he commanded him to write his Judgment of the Title of Supream Head which he had lately assumed Which occasioned Pole's four Books of Ecclesiastical Vnity For some about the King had told him it would have a great Influence upon the People especially the Nobility if he could bring Pole over to allow and approve of his Marriage Who was a Person tho then but Young yet highly valued in the Nation for his Piety and Learning and great Descent The Book was soon delivered whether by the Earl of Wiltshire or the King himself unto the Examination and Consideration of Cranmer now the great Court-Divine Who after he had greedily perused it sent the Contents of it in a Letter to his Friend and Patron the Earl being then absent from Court The Book though the Argument of it chiefly depended upon Divinity proceeded more on Political Principles than Divine Take the following account of it as Cranmer gave it in his said Letter First Pole treated of the Danger of Diversity of Titles to the Crown Which might follow if the present Marriage with Queen Katherine were rejected in which there was an Heir and another consummated As appeared by the Titles and Pretensions of the two Houses of Lancaster and York And that the King ought to provide against the Miseries that might be brought upon his Realm by the People if he should reject his Daughter whom they took for his Lawful Heir and should perswade them to take another Then he urged the Danger of incurring the Emperor's Displeasure the Queen being his Aunt and the Princess his Cousin Then he proceeded to consider the Reasons that moved the King to his present Resolutions Namely That God's Law forbad marrying the Brother's Wife And that the People however averse at first besides that it belongâ—d not to them to judg of such Matters would be content in the King's Doings when they should know how the ancient Doctors of the Church and so many great Universities were on the King's Side And that however the Emperor might fall out with the King for this Matter yet God would never fail those that stood on his part and refused to transgress his Commandments and that England might depend on the French King's Aid by virtue of the League which he had entred into with the King and the old Grudg which he bore towards the Emperor Afterwards Pole goes on to review these Reasons And first his Judgment was that Scripture might be brought to justify this Marriage and that there was as good ground of Scripture for that as for the part which the King then took namely the unlawfulness of it That if indeed he thought the King's Part was just and that his Marriage were undoubtedly against God's Pleasure then he could not deny but that it should be well done for the King to refuse it and take another Wife Yet he confessed that for his own part he could not find in his Heart to have any Hand or be any furtherer or abetter in it Acknowledging however that he had no good Reason for it but only out of Affection and Duty to the King's Person Because he would not disannul the Princess his Daughter's Title nor accuse the most part of the King's Life as the Books written on the King's part did As though he had lived in a Matrimony Shameful Abominable Bestial and against Nature This seemed an high Complement of Pole's indeed that he would rather chuse to let the King live and die in an habitual Breach of God's Law than be guilty of something that might argue a want of civil Affection and Duty in him And as concerning the People his Judgment was That neither by Learning nor Preaching would they ever be brought into an ill Conceit of the King 's former Marriage and to think so dishonourably of their King as to live so many Years in Matrimony so abominable But as they had
none until some other Means should be found out by the States of the Empire for healing the present Divisions And that he would use his utmost diligence that a Council should be denounced within six Months and the Year after to be commenced And that if this could not be obtained then these Matters should be referred to the Imperial Diets to be handled there That in the mean time all Judicial Proceedings relating to Religion should be suspended and that no Law-Suits should hereafter be commenced against the Protestants and that in case any were he commanded that they should be void and null This Edict was published in the Month of August this Year Together with the aforesaid Proclamation he transferred over to the King the Tax of all the States of the Empire that is How many Souldiers every Man was limited to find for Aid against the Turk Whence our Ambassador made a particular Observation to his Master for his better Direction what number of Forces it were equal for him to send and to justify his Refusal to comply with the Emperor in case he should have demanded more than was his Proportion Taking his Measures from the said Tax And the Observation which he made was this That his Grace might perceive that the greatest Prince in Germany only the Duke of Burgundy and Austria excepted was not appointed above 120 Horsemen and 554 Footmen A Transcript of this Letter of Cranmer to the King I have put in the Appendix These Passages will serve to shew Dr. Cranmer's Diligence Wisdom and other Abilities in the Quality he now stood in of an Ambassador Being now resident in the Emperor's Court the King made use of him in another Embassy but to be more secretly made to the Elector Frederick Duke of Saxony that the Emperor might not be privy to it For in the Month of Iuly Dr. Cranmer departed incognito from Ratisbon where the Emperor was and had there appointed a Diet in order to the coming to some Terms of Peace with the Protestants until a Council should be called and came privately to the Duke then abiding in a certain Hospital as it was called and delivered Letters to him and to Philip Duke of Lunenburgh and Wolfgang Prince of Anhalt At this first Congress he assured the Elector of his Master the King of England's Friendship as the Letters he delivered imported The next day he returned to the Elector's Court Pontanus and Spalatinus two of the Elector's Counsellors being present Here at this Meeting he required divers things concerning Peace with the Emperor the State of Religion Aid against the Turk and the Goods of the Church which the Princes were said to invade He spake magnificent things of the King his Master as what mighty Aids he had offered the Emperor against the Turk and as he told them the French King would do And so taking Letters to the King from Frederick dated Iuly 15. he was dismissed But four days after he came again privately with one Servant only and had conference with Spalatinus all alone telling him that he had forgot as he pretended one part of his Message and that was That not only his Master but the French King was ready to give Assistance to the Elector and his Confederates in the case of Religion And he desired to know in what state the Business of the Election of Ferdinand stood whom being the Emperor's Brother he had made King of the Romans by a pretended Election Which Election gave offence and Frederick Duke of Saxony had manifested Imperfect and Defective What Answer was given to Cranmer was not known Only it was thought that this was somewhat unseasonably acted because saith my Author there was Peace at this time between the Emperor and the English which the Kings Ambassador by those Offers did desire to disturb This it seems was the Judgment of the Protestants concerning this Overture to them by the King's Ambassador as tho it were not sincere But I do not find but that whatsoever Peace was now between the Emperor and the English the former League with him was shaking by reason of the Emperor's disobliging the King in siding so earnestly with Queen Katharine in the Controversy between the King and her CHAP. IV. Cranmer made Arch-Bishop of Canterbury AND this great Trust the King his gracious Master committed to him as a mark of the Honour he had for him and a Sign of further Preferment he was minded to advance him to And about this very time happened a fair Opportunity to the King to manifest his Favour to him Warham Arch-Bishop of Canterbury departing this mortal Life whereby that See became Vacant The Preferment indeed seemed too great for Cranmer at one stride to step into without some other intervening Dignities to have been first conferred on him But the King thinking him the fittest Man of all the English Clergy to be promoted to this high Office resolved to give it to him though now absent abroad upon his Business Hereupon the King commanded him to hasten Home though he concealed the Reason from him which was to take the Archbishoprick he had designed for him Which when he came Home in Obedience to his Majesty though much against his Inclination and after many Refusals proceeding from his great Modesty and Humility and certain Scruples at length he did accept It doth not appear to me what Ecclesiastical Places he had before only that he was the King's Chaplain and Arch-deacon of Taunton The Pope also in honour to his Master had constituted him Poenitentiary General of England He had also a Benefice while he lived in the Earl of Wiltshire's Family which was bestowed upon him by the King A mention whereof I find in one of his Letters to the said Earl It was in the Month of August 1532 that William Warham Arch-Bishop of Canterbury died a wise and Grave Man a great Patron of the most Learned Erasmus and once Lord Chancellor of England Who seemed to foresee and foretell or at least to conjecture that Thomas Cranmer should succeed him as judging him in his own Mind the fittest Person for the King 's and Church's Service in that juncture to enter upon that See For this truth methinks we may pick out of those malicious words of Harpsfield in his Ecclesiastical History viz. That Arch-Bishop Warham should say That a Thomas should succeed him who by a loose and remiss indulgence of a licentious sort of Life granted to the People and by unsound Doctrines would more disgrace the Church of Canterbury and all the rest of the Church of England than Thomas the Martyr did amplify it by his Martyrdom And that he admonished his Nephew and Name-sake William Warham Arch-deacon of Canterbury that if any Thomas should succeed in the See while he lived he should not by any means enter into his Service It is not unusual nay it is seldom otherwise for Popish Historians to
their Clients Causes It was urged also that it was a great discouragement to young Men in studying the Law when there is so little prospect of Benefit thereby Lastly That it was contrary to the Civil and Canon Law that permits any Man to be Proctor for another a few excepted But this Paper notably enough written may be read at large in the Appendix And so I leave the Reader to judg of the Expediency of this Order of the Arch-bishop by weighing the Arch-bishop's Reasons with these last mentioned Surely this his Act deserved commendation for his good Intentions thereby though some lesser Inconveniences attended which no doubt he had also well considered before he proceeded to do what he did When Queen Ann on May the 2 d was sent to the Tower by a sudden Jealousy of the King her Husband The next day the Arch-bishop extreamly troubled at it struck in with many good Words with the King on her behalf in form of a Letter of Consolation to him yet wisely making no Apology for her but acknowledging how divers of the Lords had told him of certain of her Faults which he said he was sorry to hear And concluded desiring that the King would however continue his Love to the Gospel lest it should be thought that it was for her sake only that he had favoured it Being in the Tower there arose up new Matter against Queen Ann namely concerning some lawful Impediment of her Marriage with the King and that was thought to be a Pre-Contract between her and the Earl of Northumberland Whereupon the Arch-bishops of Canterbury and York were made Commissioners to examine this Matter And she being before the Arch-bishop of Canterbury confessed certain just true and lawful Impediments as the Act in the 26 of Hen. VIII expresseth it but not mentioning what they were So that by that Act the said Marriage is declared never to have been good nor consonant to the Laws Yet the Earl of Northumberland being examined upon Oath before both the Arch-bishops denied it Upon the Truth of which he received also the Blessed Sacrament And the Lord Herbert saw an Original Letter to Secretary Crumwel to the same import But her Confession of it so far prevailed with the King that he would be divorced from her and with our Arch-bishop that he performed it by due Order and Process of Law And an Act passed that the Marriage between the King and Queen Ann was null and void and the Issue illegitimate The Arch-bishop granted a Licence dated Iuly the 24 th with the full Consent of Richard Withipol Vicar of Walthamstow in Essex to George Monoux Alderman of London and Thomas his Son to have the Sacrament administred in his Chappel or Oratory in his House De Moones now a Farm near Higham-hill in the said Parish of VValthamstow Indulging therein to the Wife of the said Thomas to be purified or churched in the same Chappel I the rather mention this that it may serve to recal the Memory of that pious and charitable Citizen and Draper Sir Geo. Monoux who built the fair Steeple of that Parish-Church and allowed a Salary for ever for ringing the great Bell at a certain Hour in the Night and Morning the Winter half Year He built also the North Isle of the said Church in the Glass-windows whereof is yet remaining his Coat of Arms. In the Chancel his Body was interred under a fair Altar-Monument yet standing In the Church-yard he founded an Hospital and Free-School and very liberally endowed it though now the Endowments are sadly diminished He also made a Causeway over Walthamstow-Marsh to Lockbridg over the River Lee for the conveniency of Travellers from those Parts to London and left wherewith to continue and keep it in Repair but that also is lost and the Ruins now only to be seen But enough of that The Germans conceived great hope of good to befal the Church by Cranmer's Influence and Presidency in England and took their opportunities of addressing to him This Year Martin Bucer published a large Book in Folio upon the Epistle to the Romans intituled Metaphrasis Enâ—rratio and dedicated it in a long Epistle to the Arch-bishop Wherein are sundry Expressions which will shew how well known abroad the Arch-bishop was already among the Protestants and what an excellent Bishop they looked upon him to be and how fixed their Eyes were upon him for doing great things towards a Reformation in England For thus he writ in this Epistle Te omnes praedicant animo praeditum Archiepiscopo tanti sicque ad gloriam Christi comparati regni Primate digno c. That all Men proclaimed him endowed with a Mind worthy of an Arch-bishop and Primate of so great a Kingdom and so disposed to the Glory of Christ. That he had so attained to this high Estate in Christ by his spiritual Wisdom Holiness of Life and most ardent Zeal to render Christ's Glory more illustrious that gathering together the Humble and taking pity upon the Sheepfold being indeed dispersed and scattered abroad he always sought and saved that which was lost and brought back Christ's poor Sheep to his Fold and the Pastures of everlasting Life when they had been before most miserably harassed by the Servants of Superstition and the Emissaries of the Roman Tyranny And after speaking of the King 's rooting out the Usurpation of the Pope and his pretended Jurisdiction by taking to himself the Supremacy the said Learned Man excited Cranmer to a further Reformation by telling him How easy now it would be for him and the other Arch-bishops and Bishops who were endued with the Spirit and Zeal of Christ from the remainders of the Ecclesiastical Administration to retain what might contribute to the true edifying of Consciences the saving Instruction of Youth and to the just Discipline and Polity of the whole Christian People For when the Enemies were once removed out of the way there could not then happen among us any extraordinary great Concussion of Religion and Ecclesiastical Discipline or any dashing one against another as among them in Germany of necessity came to pass striving so many Years for the Church of Christ against such obstinate Enemies The Consecrations this Year were these Diocesan Bishops Iune the 10 th Richard Sampson Doctor of Decrees and Dean of the King's Chappel was elected and confirmed Bishop of Chichester by Resignation of Robert Sherburn who was now very old No Consecration set down in the Register Iune William Rugg a Monk was consecrated Bishop of Norwich This is omitted also if I mistake not in the Register Probably he was consecrated with Sampson Iuly the 2 d Robert Warton Abbot of Bermondsey was consecrated Bishop of S. Asaph at Lambeth by the Arch-bishop Iohn Bishop of Bangor and William Bishop of Norwich assisting Suffragan Bishops Octob. 20. William More B. D. consecrated Suffragan of Colchester by Iohn Bishop of
the University at that Time and of the great Sway the Arch-bishop then carried in the Publick and the marvellous Good-will he was esteemed to bear towards Learning I have therefore placed in the Appendix tho printed before This Favour of having their Privileges confirmed sued for in the forementioned Letter the University then got partly by the Means of their cordial Patron the Arch-bishop and partly by the Intercession and Friendship of Queen Katherine Par a great Favourer of Learning and pure Religion of Wriothesly Lord Chancellor the Earl of Warwick the Marquess of Northampton the Earl of Arundel and Sir William Paget to all whom at that time they addressed their Letters whether it were out of fear of the difficulty of getting the thing done or to take this Opportunity to obtain the Countenance of the great Men of the Court. Some time after upon another Occasion the Heads of the University made another Application to their Patron the Arch-bishop which was to befriend them at Court against the Townsmen their old Enemies who were now wresting from them one of their Ancient undoubted Privileges namely the use of the Prisons of the Toll-booth and Castle The Occasion was this In the time of Sturbridg-Fair the Proctors upon great Complaints made to them going their Rounds one Night had taken certain evil Persons in Houses of Sin and had brought them to the Toll-booth in order to the commitment of them there But having sent to the Mayor for the Keys he absolutely refused to part with them So they were fain to carry their Prisoners to the Castle where they left them in Custody But the Mayor's Son after an Hour or two let them all out to return if they pleased to their former Lewdness to the Breach of Law and Affront of the Magistrate Upon this the University sent their Letters to the Arch-bishop making certain of their grave Members the Bearers to relate the Matter more fully earnestly requiring that such Insolence might be punished and that the King and his Council would make such Men feel what it was to violate Laws and to cherish Impunity and to break their Oaths which they had taken to maintain the University-Privileges They urged to him how serviceable and ready their University had been to him in his pious Labours and Counsels in establishing the true Doctrine in the Church and what fit and worthy Men they had sent him for his Assistance in that good Work In like manner they required and expected of him that their Dignity might be maintained and preserved by his Aid and Authority That the University was then but in a low Condition and that Abroad it scarcely retained the Shadow of its former Glory But if at Home and within it Self the Bonds and Sinews of its Safety should thus be cut as not to have a Power to restrain Vice by Imprisonment what could the Kingdom Religion and the King's Majesty hope for any more from that University They inculcated how Learning and the true Religion rise and fall together and that if it went otherwise than well with the one the other would feel the Smart of it And truly say they no remarkable Dammage can light upon the Studies of Learning which by the same Motion draws not along with it the true Religion into the same Catastrophe And these Considerations they made use of to excite his Grace to assist them in vindicating their Privileges and in having that gross Infringement of them punished Upon the same Occasion they wrote their Letters also to Sir William Paget a great Friend of theirs and eminent Patron of good Learning What the Issue of these Applications was I find not but may conclude they received a Success proportionable to the good Will and Authority of those to whom they were made And as the whole Body of the University knew what Favour our Prelate bore to it so every single ingenious Member confided in him and applied to him in their Needs Roger Ascham the University Orator whom I had occasion to mention before was a Man of a weak Constitution and had contracted more frailty by reason of a long Ague that then hung about him and his Complexion became Melancholy by the Relicts of that stubborn Distemper He had also in his Nature a great averseness to the Fish-diet Upon these Reasons he address'd his Letters to the ABp with an humble Suit very handsomly penned that he might be dispensed with as to abstinence from Flesh-meats Lent and Fish-days being then strictly observed in the Colleges And this Licence he desired might be not only Temporary but perpetual as long as he lived which was somewhat extraordinary But to encline the Arch-bishop to yield to his Suit he told him That it was not to pamper his Flesh nor out of an affectation of doing that which was unusual or against common Custom but only for the preserving his Health and that he might the more freely pursue his Studies He added That the Air of Cambridg was naturally Cold and Moist and so the Fish-diet the more unwholsome He desired therefore That by his Authority he might no longer be tied by that Tradition which forbad the Use of certain Meats at certain Times He said That those who granted this Liberty to none but such as laboured under a desperate Disease did like them who never repaired their Houses but when they were just ready to fall down by Age. Thrifty House-keepers did otherwise So did skilful Physicians who did not use to prescribe their Physick when it was too late but always put a stop to Beginnings That they who never would impart the using of this Liberty of eating Flesh to any but when all Health was despaired of knew not what good a prudent Foresight did in all Common-wealths and did too insolently abuse a good Thing bestowed upon us by God when little or no use at all could be made of it Nay that such a Good was no Good at all being External but in that respect only as there might some use be made of it That we ought not therefore unprofitably to abuse Food to Diseases that are desperate but to accommodate it to the preservation of Health And so did S. Paul command Therefore I exhort you to take some Food for this is for your Health Then he subjoins a Passage of Herodotus in his Euterpe concerning the Egyptian Priests from whom issued originally all kinds of Learning and Arts and who were always conversant in Learned Studies These saith that Author religiously tied themselves ever to abstain from all eating of Flesh. No doubt for this only Cause saith Ascham Nè ignea vis ingenii atque praestantia ullo frigido succo quem esus piscium ingeneraret extingueretur That the Wits of Men that have a noble fiery Quality in them might not be quenched by some cold Juice which the eating of Fish might ingender And that it was somewhat unjust he adds that when so many kinds
of old Popish Curats The Letter is dated the 23 d of Iuly and is extant in Fox In London by the Connivance and Remisness of the Bishop many neglected the Divine Service then established and others did in secret Places of the Diocess often frequent the Popish Mass and other Superstitious Rites not allowed by the Laws of England The Sins of Adultery greatly encreased The Churches and particularly the Mother-Church of S. Paul's ran into Dilapidations the Glass was broken and the Ornaments and other Buildings belonging to Churches neglected Many refused to pay Tithes to their Curates probably of both sorts such as were Papists to those Curats as more diligently preached Reformation and obeyed the King's Laws and such as were not so to such Curats as were more backward thereunto Bishop Boner also himself now seldom came to Church seldomer preached and celebrated the English Communion Wherefore the Council sent certain private Injunctions to Boner for the redress of these things That he should preach in his own Person at Paul's Cross and declare certain Articles relating to the before-mentioned Neglects which the Council now sent to him to redress That he should preach once in a Quarter and exhort the People to Obedience and that he should be present at every Sermon at Paul's Cross that he should on the principal Feasts celebrate the Communion and at all times that his Predecessors used to Celebrate and sing High Mass. That he should call before him all such as did not frequent the Church and Common-Prayer and the Holy Communion and punish them as also Adulterers and that he should look to the Reparation of S. Paul's and other Churches and that the People pay their Tithes The Adulteries before hinted which the Council thought fit to recommend to the Bishop to take particular cognizance of makes me add that about this time the Nation grew infamous for this Crime It began among the Nobility and so spread at length among the inferior sort Noblemen would very frequently put away their Wives and marry others if they liked another Woman better or were like to obtain Wealth by her And they would sometimes pretend their former Wives to be false to their Beds and so be divorced and marry again such whom they fancied The first occasion of this seemed to be in the Earl of Northampton divorcing himself from his first Wife Anne Daughter to the Earl of Essex and after marrying Elizabeth Daughter to the Lord Cobham In like manner Henry Son of William Earl of Pembroke put away Katharine Daughter to Henry the Duke of Suffolk and married Mary the Daughter of Sir Henry Sidney These Adulteries and Divorces encreased much yea and marrying again without Divorce which became a great Scandal to the Realm and to the Religion professed in it and gave much Sorrow and Trouble in good Men to see it In so much that they thought it necessary to move for an Act of Parliament to punish Adultery with Death This Latimer in a Sermon preached in the Year 1550 signified to the King For the Love of God saith he take an order for Marriage here in England This is some Account of the Retardation of Religion On the other hand the Endeavors of those that wished well to it were not wanting Now the Protestants began more freely to put forth Books and to disperse such as were formerly printed beyond Sea in the behalf of Religion against Popery and concerning such as had suffered under the Cruelties of the Church of Rome Bale about these Days dispersed his Books One was The Image of both Churches applying the Divine Prophecy of the Revelations to the Apostate Church of Rome Another was a Vindication of the Lady Anne Ascue who suffered the cruel Death of Burning about the end of King Henry's Reign Whose Cause the Papists studiously had rendred bad This Book he intitled The Elucidation of Anne Ascue's Martyrdom Which was this Year exposed publickly to sale at Winchester and the Parts thereabouts as a Reproach to the Bishop of Winchester who was the great Cause of her Death Four of these Books came to that Bishop's own Eyes being then at Winchester they had Leaves put in as Additions to the Book some glewed and some unglewed which probably contained some further Intelligences that the Author had gathered since his first writing of the Book And herein some Reflexions were made freely according to Bale's Talent upon some of the Court not sparing Paget himself though then Secretary of State Another of Bale's Books that went now about was touching the Death of Luther Therein was a Prayer of the Duke of Saxony mentioned which the Bishop of Winchester gladly took hold on Wherein that Duke as to the justness of his Cause remitted himself to God's Judgment to be shewed on him here in this World if the Cause he undertook were not Just concerning Religion and desired God if it were not Good to order him to be taken and spoiled of his Honors and Possessions Since which the Duke was taken Prisoner and at the very time of his taking the Papists made an Observation that the Sun appeared so strangely in England as the like had not been seen before So apt are Men to interpret Events according to their own preconceived Opinions But at this Winchester took much Advantage Whereas indeed the Issues of God's Providence in this World are not favourable always even to the best Causes The keeping of Lent was now called into Controversy and asserted that it was not to be observed upon a religious Account And this was done the rather because the Papists placed so much Religion in the bare Fast. In the Pulpit it began to be cried down Tongue and Ioseph two great Preachers in London said That Lent was one of Christ's Miracles which God ordained not Men to imitate or follow And that it was an insupportable Burden There was a set of Rhimes now made about the burial of Lent which was called Iack of Lent 's Testament and publicly sold in Winchester Market therein Steven Gardiner the Bishop was touched who was a great Man for keeping it For in the Ballad Stephen Stockfish was bequeathed in this Will to Stephen Gardiner Of this he made a long Complaint to the Protector But yet this Neglect of Lent was not encouraged by the Superiors For it was kept at Court and Preparations for the King's Diet were made accordingly this Lent by the Protector The Protestants indeed were for keeping it and an Order was issued out for that purpose tho not upon a Religious but Politick Account But the greater part of the ordinary People would not be brought to it by this Distinction So that the Preachers were fain to be employed Latimer preached That those that regard-not Laws and Statutes were despisers of Magistrates There be Laws made of Diet he said what Meats we shall eat at all times And this Law is made in Policy as I suppose for
great Moment and that he would not be wanting to him in any Matters of that sort being a Person of that Knowledg in Sacred Prophane Learning of that Prudence Circumspection and Dexterity in managing Business And so finally joined him with Pope to perform all this piously and catholickly according to the Rule of Evangelick Religion and the Exigency of the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom And deputed him his Vice-gerent This Letter was dated at Croydon the 20 th of August This Commission seemed to be somewhat extraordinary The occasion whereof might be because the Arch-bishop did not confide in this Chancellor of the Church suspecting his Religion and Compliance with the King's Proceedings therefore he thought good to associate him with Taylor the Dean of whom he was well assured The Church of Worcester became also Vacant by the Deprivation of Hethe the Bishop The Arch-bishop committed the Spiritualties thereof to Iohn Barlo Dean of the said Church and Roland Taylor LL. D. his Domestick Chaplain These he constituted his Officials to exercise all Episcopal Jurisdiction This Commission was dated at Lambeth Ian. 10. 1554 by an Error of the Scribe for 1551. as appears by a Certificate sent from the Church to that Arch-bishop signifying the Vacation of it Upon the Vacancy of the Church of Chichester by the Deprivation of Day the Arch-bishop made Iohn Worthial Arch-deacon of Chichester and Robert Taylor LL. B. Dean of the Deanery of South-Malling his Officials This Commission to them dated Novemb. 3 1551 was to Visit c. Upon the Vacancy of the Church of Hereford by the Death of Skip late Bishop there the Spiritualties were committed to Hugh Coren LL. D. Dean of that Church and Rich. Cheny D.D. Arch-deacon of Hereford Their Commission was to Visit c. Upon the Vacancy of the Bishoprick of Bangor either by the Death of Bulkly the Bishop or his Resignation upon his blindness the Arch-bishop made his Commissaries Griffin Leyson his principal Chancellor and Official Rowland Merick a Canon of S. David's and Geofrey Glynn L L. D D. The Church of Rochester also became this Year Vacant by the Translation of Scory to Chichester In these Vacancies the Bishopricks were lamentably pilled by hungry Courtiers of the Revenues belonging to them This Year Bishop Hoper was by the Council dispatched down as was said before into his Diocess where things were much out of order and Popery had great footing and therefore it wanted such a stirring Man as he was That he might do the more Good he had the Authority of the Lords of the Council to back him by a Commission granted to him and others He brought most of the Parish-Priests and Curates from their old Superstitions and Errors concerning the Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper The Recantation of one of them of more note named Phelps the Incumbent of Ciciter which he made publickly and subscribed may be seen in the Appendix This Year there happened two learned Conferences in Latin privately managed about the Corporeal Presence in the Sacrament The one on the 25 th of November in the House of Sir William Cecyl Secretary of State performed by the said Cecyl Sir Iohn Cheke Horne Dean of Durham Whitehead and Grindal on the Protestant side and Feckenham and Yong on the Popish But first before they began Cecyl under his solemn Protestation assured them that every Man should have free Liberty to speak his Mind and that none should receive any Dammage or incurr any Danger Cheke began by propounding this question Quis esset verus germanus sensus verborum Coenae Hoc est corpus meum Num quem verba sensu grammatico accepta prae se ferebant an aliud quiddam To whom Feckenham answered There were present besides those that disputed these noble and learned Persons The Lord Russel Sir Anthony Coke Mr. Hales Mr. Wroth Mr. Frogmartin Mr. Knolles Mr. Harrington The second Disputation was Decemb. 3. following in Mr. Morisin's House where were present the Marq. of Northampton the Earl of Rutland the Lord Russel and those above named and Watson added on the Papists side Then Cheke again propounded the Question Whether the words of the Supper are to be understood in a grammatical or in a figurative Sense To which Watson Responded Both these Disputations are too large for this place but they are set down in one of the Manuscript Volumes of the Benet-Library In November died Dr. Iohn Redman Master of Trinity-College in Cambridg and one of the great Lights of that University for the bringing in solid Learning among the Students a Prebendary of the Church of Westminster and who in the Year 1549 assisted in the compiling the English Book of Common-Prayer and preached a Sermon upon the Learned Bucer's Death the day following his Funeral He was a Person of extraordinary Reputation among all for his great Learning and Reading and profound Knowledg in Divinity So that the greatest Divines gave a mighty Deference to his Judgment And therefore when he lay sick at Westminster many learned Men repaired to him desiring to know his last Judgment of several Points then so much controverted And he was very ready to give them Satisfaction Among the rest that came were Richard Wilks Master of Christ's College Cambridg Alexander Noel afterwards Dean of Paul's and Yong a Man of Fame in Cambridg for his disputing against Bucer about Justification In these Conferences with these learned Man he called the See of Rome Sentina Malorum A Sink of Evils he said That Purgatory as the Schoolmen taught it was ungodly and that there was no such kind of Purgatory as they fancied That the offering up the Sacrament in Masses and Trentals for the Sins of the Dead was ungodly That the Wicked are not partakers of the Body of Christ but receive the outward Sacrament only That it ought not to be carried about in Procession That nothing that is seen in the Sacrament or perceived with the outward Sense is to be worshipped That we receive not Christ's Body Corporaliter grosly like other Meats but so Spiritualiter that nevertheless Verè truly That there was not any good ground in the old Doctors for Transubstantiation as ever he could perceive nor could he see what could be answered to the Objections against it That Priests might by the Law of God marry Wives That this Proposition Faith only justifies so that this Faith signify a true lively Faith resting in Christ and embracing him is a true godly sweet and comfortable Doctrine That our Works cannot deserve the Kingdom of God And he said that it troubled him that he had so much strove against Justification by Faith only A Treatise whereof he composed which was printed at Antwerp after his Death in the Year 1555. He said also to Yong That Consensus Ecclesiae was but a weak Staff to lean to and exhorted him to read the Scriptures
Oxford But with much ado For at first he was not only forbid to read his Lectures but not to stir a Foot out of the City of Oxon nor to convey any of his Goods away He obeyed and afterwards was permitted by the Council to depart He came first to Lambeth to the Arch-bishop but when he was committed to Prison Martyr went to London where he remained in great Danger both for his Religion and for his great Familiarity with the Arch-bishop and other pious Protestant Bishops However he thought not fit to transport himself without leave from the Government He signified to them that he came not hither on his own Head but that he was sent for by K. Edward and sent from the Town of Strasburgh And produced his Broad-seals from both And so since there was no further need of him he desired leave to depart Which he obtained by Letters from the Queen her self But the Papists his fatal Enemies cried out That such an Enemy of the Popish Religion ought not to be dismist but to be fetched out of the Ship and carried to Prison and punished He understood also by his Friends that when he was got over the Sea the Danger was not past For there were Snares for him in Flanders and Brabant whereby they made no doubt to take him But he used his Wits to save himself For when other Congregations of Protestant Strangers went straight some for Freezland and some for Denmark by Vessels they had hired among which was Iohn a Lasco's Congregation he procured an honest and godly Ship-master who kept him fourteen Days in his own House that so all might think he was gone with the other Strangers and his Enemies cease making search for him in the Vessels that were bound for Foreign Parts And then the Master sailed away with P. Martyr to Antwerp going into that Place by Night for the more privacy And by him he was brought to his Friends and by them before Day conveyed in a Waggon out of Town and so travelled safely through Countries that hated him unto Strasburgh And by God's Goodness and his own Celerity he arrived safe among his Friends who received him with the greatest Joy And the Senate conferred upon him his old Place which he enjoyed before he went for England And Martyr needed not to be discontented that he was gotten out of England considering how insufferably he was affronted undermined belied by the Popish Party in Oxon Who one would think might have better intreated a Man of Quality by Birth a Man besides of great Learning Integrity and Reverence and whom the King had thought good for his great Parts to place for his Professor of Divinity in that University and a Man who also had always carried himself inoffensively unto all The blame of this inhospitable Usage might lie upon the English Nation and be a Reflection upon the Natives were it not more truly to be laid to the furious Spirit that Popish Principles inspire Men with This Peter Martyr did resent and took notice of to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury in his Epistle Dedicatory before his Book of the Eucharist There he writes That he could not have thought there were any in the World unless he had found it that with such crafty Wiles deceitful Tricks and bitter Slanders would rage so against a Man that deserved no manner of Evil of them nor ever hurt any one of them either in Word or Deed. And yet they tore his Name with most shameless Lies and would never make an end And if they did thus rudely carry themselves towards him in K. Edward's Time what then may we conclude they would do when the Government favoured them In this first Year of Q. Mary a very foul Scandal was blown about of her that She was with Child by her Chancellor Bishop Gardiner however it was raised whether of her Enemies to render her odious or of some Zealots of Popish Religion to shew the desire they had of her Matching with him or some other round Roman Catholick as he was and for whom She carried a very great Reverence A great Reflection upon her Chastity and might have spoiled her Marriage It fled as far as Norfolk and there spred it self But such an infamous Report not being fit to be put up Henry Earl of Sussex being Lord Lieutenant of that County took upon him to examine this Scandal and to search it to the very first Reporter And so I find a Bill drawn in the Cotton-Library subscribed by that Earl's own Hand which set forth that Laurence Hunt of Disse in Norfolk came to Robert Lowdal Chief Constable and told him That he did hear say that the Queen's Majesty was with Child by the said Bishop and that his Wife did tell him so And when his Wife was examined She said She had it of one Sheldrake's Wife And when Sheldrake's Wife was examined She said She had it of her Husband And when he was examined he said he had it of one Wilby of Diss. And Wilby examined said he had it of one Iohn Smith of Cockstreet And Iohn Smith said he heard it of one Widow Miles And She being examined said she had it of two Men but what they were she could not tell nor where they dwelt And then after this Bill follow all their Examinations distinctly Which I suppose was drawn up for the Council signed with Sussex's Hand And what followed of this I know not Only in another Manuscript there is a Memorial of one Iohn Albone of Trunch in Norfolk who in the first of the Queen was indicted for saying that the Queen was with Child by Winchester A Parliament met this Year in the Month of October The Queen knew how difficult it would be to obtain her Purpose to overthrow all that had been established concerning Religion in her Brother's Days And therefore when this Parliament was to be summoned She impeached the free Election of Members by dispatching abroad into the several Counties her Letters directing the choice And such Knights and Burgesses were chosen by Force and Threatning for many Places as were judged fit to serve her Turn And divers that were duly chosen and lawfully returned were thrust out and others without any Order or Law put in their Places For the People were aware what the Queen intended this Parliament should do and therefore did bestir themselves in most Places to return honest Men. In the Upper House Taylor Bishop of Lincoln was in his Robes violently thrust out of the House In the House of Commons Alexander Nowel and two more chosen Burgesses lawfully chosen returned and admitted were so served Which according to the Judgment of some made the Parliament actually void as by a Precedent of the Parliament holden at Coventry in the 38 o of H. VI. it appeareth As also her third Parliament was reckoned by many to be void because in the Writs from Philip and Mary part of the Title of the
would not be allowed any well-disposed Person to relieve his Necessity nor to give him an Alms a Privilege allowed any Beggar beside And when a Gentleman of Gloucestershire sensible of the Arch-bishop's Need and withal knowing how dangerous it was to give the poor Arch-bishop any Money had conveyed somewhat to the Bailiffs to be by their Hands bestowed on him Boner and Thirleby the two Bishops that degraded him staid this Gentleman intending to send him up to the Council had he not gotten off by the Intercession of some Friends CHAP. XXXV Some Account of Arch-bishop Cranmer's House-keeping BUT the more fully to confute this Calumny it will not be amiss to look more narrowly into his House-keeping His daily custom at Lambeth was to dine in a Room above where all Noble-men and Persons of better Quality that came to dine with him were entertained Here he was very honourably served both with Dishes and Attendants In the Hall the Table was every Day very plentifully furnished both for Houshold-Servants and Strangers with three or four principal head-Messes of Officers Besides the Relief of the Poor at his Gates And which is a very observable Charity as well as Hospitality he appropriated his Mansion-house at Bekesborn in Kent and his Parsonage-Barn for Harbour and Lodgings for the Poor Sick and Maimed Souldiers that came from the Wars of Bulloign and other Parts beyond Seas For these he also appointed an Almoner a Physician and a Chirurgeon to attend on them and to dress and administer Physick to such of them as were not able to resort to their own Countries Having also daily from his Kitchin hot Broth and Meat Besides the common Alms of his Houshold that were bestowed upon the poor People of the Country And when any of these were recovered and were able to travel they had Money given them to bear their Charges according to the number of Miles they were to pass before they got Home I do not know whether some might have taken Advantage thus to slander him from a laudable Endeavour of his to reduce within some Bounds the Provisions of Clergy-mens Tables which in the latter Times of King Henry the Eighth grew to great Excess and Extravagancy so unbecoming Spiritual Men. For in the Year 1541 the Arch-bishop with the Consent of the other Arch-bishop and most of the Bishops and divers other Deans and Arch-Deacons made a Constitution for moderating the Fare of their Tables viz. That Arch-bishops should not exceed six divers kinds of Flesh or as many Dishes of Fish on Fish-days A Bishop not above Five A Dean or Arch-Deacon Four and all under that Degree Three But an Arch-bishop was allowed at second Course to have four Dishes a Bishop Three and all others Two as Custards Tarts Fritters Cheese Apples Pears c. But if any of the inferior Clergy should entertain any Arch-bishop Bishop Dean or Arch-Deacon or any of the Laity of like Degree as Duke Marquess Earl Vicount Baron Lord Knight they might have such Provision as were meet for their Degree Nor was their Diet to be limited when they should receive an Ambassador to recommend I suppose to Foreigners the English Hospitality It was ordered also That of the greater Fish or Fowl as Cranes Swans Turkies Hadocks Pike Tench there should be but one in a Dish Of lesser Sorts than they as Capons Pheasants Conies Woodcocks but Two Of less sorts still as of Partridges an Arch-bishop Three a Bishop and other Degrees under him Two The Number of the Blackbirds were also stinted to Six at an Arch-bishop's Table and to Four for a Bishop And of little Birds as Larks Snytes c. the Number was not to exceed Twelve But so strongly bent were the Clergy in those Days to this sort of Sensuality that these Injunctions of our Arch-bishop were observed but two or three Months and so they returned to their old Superfluity again The Arch-bishop's pious Design hereby was only to curb Intemperance and unnecessary Prodigality in such upon whose Office those Vices cast such just Reflections but it could not reasonably argue any covetous Temper in him for that the Poor might not fare the worse for this Intrenchment of Exorbitant Hospitality but rather the better the Arch-bishop in these aforesaid Orders provided That whatsoever was spared out of the old House-keeping should not be pocketed up but laid out and spent in plain Meats for the Relief of poor People And that this Charge may still appear to be nothing but a meer detraction proceeding from Envy or some other ill Principle others there were that would blame him for the contrary Vice of too much lavishing and unprofitable Expence So hard a matter is it for the best Men to escape the spiteful and venomous Insinuations of the World But he patiently and with an even Mind bore all CHAP. XXXVI Arch-bishop Cranmer Humble Peaceable Bold in a good Cause FOR which is another thing to be remarked in him he was very Humble and Condescending and did not only bear to be reproved but was thankful for it and that even when the Reproof was undeserved Which was the more to be valued in him considering the Height and Dignity of his Calling To give an Instance or two of this When in the Year 1552 Cecyl had charged him with the Imputation of Covetousness as a Report that went of him in the Court and which himself seemed partly to believe begging withal Pardon of his Grace for his freedom with him Our Arch-bishop told him That as for the Admonition he took it very thankfully and that he had ever been most glad to be admonished by his Friends accounting no Man so foolish as he that would not hear friendly Admonishment And when at another time the same Cecyl who would always take the liberty to speak his Mind to his Friends whensoever he thought they wanted Counsel had signified to him the Hazard he incurred in not shewing more Compliance towards the Duke of Northumberland who now swayed all and then apologizing for his Boldness Cranmer was so far from taking this ill that he returned him his very hearty Thanks for his friendly Letter and Advertisements desiring him to be assured that he took the same in such good part and to proceed of such a friendly Mind as he ever looked for at his Hands and whereof he would not be unmindful if Occasion hereafter served to requite the same And this good Temper led him also to Gentleness and Lenity He was no Huffer nor Contender but of an exceeding peaceable and amicable Spirit Whereunto he was moved by the Reason of Policy as well as Religion Because he well saw how a contentious quarrelsome Disposition in great Men would be apt to give an ill Example unto Inferiors There happened once in the Year 1552 a Contest between him and the Lord-Warden of the Cinque-Ports who lived not far from him and so probably it might be about some worldly Matters