Crumwel speak against it the Reason being no question because they saw the King so resolved upon it Nay it came to be a flying Report that the Arch-bishop of Canterbury himself and all the Bishops except Sarum consented But this is not likely that Cranmer who had so openly and zealously opposed it should be so soon changed and brought to comply with it Nay at the very same time it passed he staid and protested against it though the King desired him to go out since he could not consent to it Worcester also as well as Sarum was committed to Prison and he as well as the other resigned up his Bishoprick upon the Act. In the foresaid Disputation in the Parliament-house the Arch-bishop behaved himself with such humble modesty and obedience in word towards his Prince protesting the Cause not to be his but God's that neither his Enterprize was misliked of the King and his Allegations and Reasons were so strong that they could not be refuted Great pity it is that these Arguments of the Arch-bishop are lost which I suppose they are irrecoverably because Fox that lived so near those Times and so elaborate a Searcher after such Papers could not meet with them and all that he could do was to wish that they were extant to be seen and read However I will make my Conjecture here that I am apt to think that one of the main Matters insisted on by him at this time was against the cruel Penalty annexed to these Articles For I find in one of the Arch-bishop's Manuscript Volumes now in Benet-College Library there is in this very Year a Discourse in Latin upon this Subject Num in haereticos jure Magistratui gravius animadvertere liceat Decisio Vrbani Rhegii Interprete Iacobo Gisleno Anno 1539. Which Book I suppose he might at this juncture have read over and made use of The Dukes and Lords of Parliament that as above was said came over to Lambeth to visit and dine with him by the King's Command used words to him to this Tenor The King's Pleasure is that we should in his behalf cherish and comfort you as one that for your travail in the late Parliament declared your self both greatly Learned and also Discreet and Wise And therefore my Lord be not discouraged for any thing that past there contrary to your Allegations The Arch-bishop replied In the first place my Lords I heartily thank the King's Highness for his singular good Affection towards me and you all for your pains And I hope in God that hereafter my Allegations and Authorities shall take place to the Glory of God and Commodity of the Realm Every of the Lords brought forth his Sentence in commendation of him to shew what good-will both the King and they bare to him One of them entred into a Comparison between the said Arch-bishop and Cardinal Wolsey preferring the Arch-bishop before him for his mild and gentle Nature whereas he said the Cardinal was a stubborn and churlish Prelate that could never abide any Noble-man The Lord Crumwel as Cranmer's Secretary relates who himself heard the words You my Lord said he were born in an happy Hour I suppose for do or say what you will the King will always take it well at your Hands And I must needs confess that in some things I have complained of you to his Majesty but all in vain for he will never give credit against you whatsoever is laid to your Charge But let me or any other of the Council be complained of his Grace will most seriously chide and fall out with us And therefore you are most happy if you can keep you in this State The Roman Zealots having obtained this Act of the Six Articles desisted not but seconded their Blow by a Book of Ceremonies to be used by the Church of England so intituled all running after the old Popish strain It proceeded all along in favour of the Roman Church's superstitious Ceremonies endeavouring to shew the good signification of them The Book first begins with an Index of the Points touched therein viz. Churches and Church-yards the hallowing and reconcileing them The Ceremonies about the Sacrament of Baptism Ordering of the Ministers of the Church in general Divine Service to be sung and said in the Church Mattins Prime and other Hours Ceremonies used in the Mass. Sundays with other Feasts Bells Vesture and Tonsure of the Ministers of the Church and what Service they be bound unto Bearing Candles upon Candlemass-day Fasting Days The giving of Ashes The covering of the Cross and Images in Lent Bearing of Palms The Service of Wednesday Thursday and Friday before Easter The hallowing of Oil and Chrism The washing of the Altars The hallowing of the Font upon Saturday in the Easter-Even The Ceremonies of the Resurrection in Easter-Morning General and other particular Processions Benedictions of Bells or Priests Holy Water and holy Bread A general Doctrine to what intent Ceremonies be ordained and of what value they be The Book it self is too long to be here inserted but such as have the Curiosity may find it in the Cotton Library and may observe what Pains was taken to smooth and varnish over the old Supperstions I do not find this Book mentioned by any of our Historians The Bishop of Winchester with his own Pen hath an Annotation in the Margin of one place in the Book And I strongly suspect he was more than the Revisor of it and that it was drawn up by him and his Party and strongly pushed on to be owned as the Act of the Clergy For this Year there was a Convocation The King had sent his Letters written March the 12 th in the 30 th Year of his Reign viz. 1538. to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury for summoning a Convocation to meet together at St. Paul's the second day of May. But this Assembly by the King's Letters to him was prorogued till November the 4 th At this Convocation I suppose these Articles were invented and propounded to the House All this long Book in behalf of the Ceremonies did our laborious Metropolitan put himself to the pains of answering and thereby hindred the Reception of it For concerning this I do interpret that Passage of Fox viz. That the Arch-bishop confuted eighty eight Articles devised by a Convocation and which were laboured to be received but were not But to return to the six Articles Great triumphing now there was on the Papists Side as appears by a Letter wrote from some Roman Catholick Member of the House of Lords to his Friend Which may be read in the Appendix But after some time the King perceiving that the said Arch-bishop and Bishops did this thing not of Malice or Stubbornness but out of a zeal they had to God's Glory and the Common-wealth reformed in part the said Six Articles and somewhat blunted the Edg of them March 20. Two Commissions were sent to the Arch-bishop to take the Surrender
losing of Promotion nor hope of Gain or winning of Favour could move him to relent or give place unto the Truth of his Conscience As experience thereof well appeared as well in defence of the true Religion against the Six Articles in the Parliament as in that he offered to combate with the Duke of Northumberland in K. Edward's Time speaking then on behalf of his Prince for the staying of the Chauntries until his Highness had come unto lawful Age and that especially for the maintenance of his better State then But if at his Prince's Pleasure in case of Religion at any time he was forced to give place that was done with such humble Protestation and so knit up for the safeguard of his Faith and Conscience that it had been better his Good-will had never been requested than so to relent or give over as he did Which most dangerously besides sundry times else he especially attempted when the Six Articles past by Parliament and when my L. Crumwel was in the Tower At what time the Book of Articles of our Religion was new penned For even at that Season the whole Rabblement which he took to be his Friends being Commissioners with him forsook him and his Opinion and Doctrine And so leaving him Post alone revolted altogether on the part of Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester As by Name Bishop Hethe Shaxton Day and all other of the meaner sort By whom these so named were chiefly advanced and preferred unto Dignities And yet this sudden Inversion notwithstanding God gave him such Favour with his Prince that Book altogether past by his Assertion against all their Minds More to be marvelled at the Time considered than by any Reason to compass how it should come to pass For then would there have been laid thousands of Pounds to Hundreds in London that he should before that Synod had been ended have been shut up in the Tower beside his Friend the Lord Crumwel Howbeit the King's Majesty having an assured and approved affiance of his both deep Knowledg in Religion and Fidelity both to God and Him suspected in that time other Men in their Judgments not to walk uprightly nor sincerely For that some of them swerved from their former Opinions in Doctrine And having great experience of the constancy of the Lord Cranmer it drave him all along to join with the said Lord Cranmer in the confirmation of his Opinion and Doctrin against all the rest to their great Admiration For at all Times when the King's Majesty would be resolved in any Doubt or Question he would but send word to my Lord over Night and by the next Day the King would have in writing brief Notes of the Doctors Minds as well Divines as Lawyers both Old and New with a Conclusion of his own Mind Which he could never get in such a readiness of any no not of all his Chaplains and Clergy about him in so short a Time For being thorowly seen in all kinds of Expositors he could incontinently lay open thirty forty sixty or more some whiles of Authors And so reducing the Notes of them altogether would advertise the King more in one Day than all his Learned Men could do in a Month. And it was no mervail for it was well known that commonly if he had not Business of the Prince's or special urgent Causes before him he spent three parts of the Day in Study as effectually as he had done at Cambridg And therefore it was that the King said on a time to the Bishop of Winchester the King and my said Lord of Winchester defending together that the Canons of the Apostles were of as good Authority as the four Evangelists contrary to my Lord Cranmer's Assertion My Lord of Canterbury said the King is too old a Truant for us twain Again His Estimation was such with his Prince that in Matters of great Importance wherein no Creature durst once move the King for fear of Displeasure or moving the King's Patience or otherwise for troubling his Mind then was my Lord Cranmer most violently by the whole Council obtruded and thrust out to undertake that Danger and Peril in Hand As beside many other times I remember twice he served the Council's Expectation The first time was when he staied the King 's determinate Mind and Sentence in that he fully purposed to send the Lady Mary his Daughter unto the Tower and there to suffer as a Subject because She would not obey the Laws of the Realm in refusing the Bishop of Rome's Authority and Religion Whose stay in that behalf the King then said unto the Lord Cranmer would be to his utter Confusion at the length The other dangerous Attempt was in the disclosing the unlawful Behaviour of Queen Katharine Howard towards the King in keeping unlawful Company with Durrant her Servant For the King's Affection was so mervailously set upon that Gentlewoman as it was never known that he had the like to any Woman So that no Man durst take in Hand to open to him that Wound being in great perplexity how he would take it And then the Council had no other Refuge but unto my Lord Cranmer Who with over-much Importunity gave the Charge which was done with such Circumspection that the King gave over his Affections unto Reason and wrought mervellous colourably for the Trial of the same Now as concerning the Manner and Order of his Hospitality and House-keeping As he was a Man abandoned from all kind of Avarice so was he content to maintain Hospitality both liberally and honourably and yet not surmounting the Limits of his Revenues Having more respect and foresight unto the Iniquity of the Times being inclined to pull and spoil from the Clergy than to his own private Commodity For else if he had not so done he was right sure that his Successors should have had as much Revenues left unto them as were left unto the late Abbies Especially considering that the Lands and Revenues of the said Abbies being now utterly consumed and spread abroad and for that there remained no more Exercise to set on work or no Officers but Surveyors Auditors and Receivers it was high time to shew an Example of liberal Hospitality For although these said Workmen only brought up and practised in subverting of Monastical Possessions had brought that kind of Hospitality unto utter Confusion yet ceased they not to undermine the Prince by divers Perswasions for him also to overthrow the honourable State of the Clergy And because they would lay a sure Foundation to build their Purpose upon they found the Means to put into the King's Head That the Arch-bishop of Canterbury kept no Hospitality or House correspondent unto his Revenues and Dignity but sold his Woods and by great Incomes and Fines made Money to purchase Lands for his Wife and Children And to the intent that the King should with the more facility believe this Information Sir Thomas Seymor the
that the Generality of the Clergy should with the example of such a few light persons procede to mariage without a common consent of his H. and the Realm doth streitly charge and command that al such as have attempted mariage as also such as wil presumptuously procede in the same not to minister the Sacrament or other Ministery mâ—stical nor have any office cure privilege profit or commodity heretofore accustomed and belonging to the Clergy of the Realm But shal be utterly after such marriage expelled and deprived and be held and reputed as Lay persons to al purposes and intents And that such as after this Proclamation shall of presumptuous minds take wives and be maried shal run into his Graces Indignation and suffer further punishment and imprisonment at his Graces will and plesure NUM IX Bishop Fisher to Secretary Crumwel declaring his willingness to swear to the Succession AFTER my most humble commendations Whereas ye be content that I shold write unto the Kings Highnes in good faith I dread me that I cannot be so circumspect in my writing but that some word shal scape me wherewith his Grace shal be moved to some further displeasure against me wherof I wold be very sorry For as I wil answer before God I wold not in any maner of point offend his Grace my duty saved unto God whom I must in every thing prefer And for this consideration I am ful lothe and ful of fear to write unto his Highnes in this matter Nevertheless sithen I conceive that it is your mind that I shal so do I will endeavour me to the best I can But first here I must beseech you good Master Secretary to cal to your remembrance that at my last being before you and the other Commissioners for taking of the othe concerning the Kings most noble succession I was content to be sworn unto that parcel concerning the Succession And there I did rehearse this reason which I said moved me I doubted not but that the Prince of any Realme with the assent of his Nobles and Commons might appoint for his Succession royal soche an order as was seen unto his Wisdom most according And for this reason I said that I was content to be sworn unto that part of the othe as concerning the Succession This is a very truth as God help my soul at my most nede albeit I refused to swear to some other parcels because that my Conscience wolde not serve me so to do NUM X. Lee Bishop Elect of Litchfield and Coventry to Secretary Crumwel concerning Bp. Fisher. PLeasyth you to be adverted that I have been with my Lord of Rochester who is as ye left him that is to say ready to take his othe for the Succession and to swear never to meddle more in disputation of the validity of the Matrimony or invalidity with the Lady Dowager but that utterly to refuse For as for the case of the prohibition Levitical his conscience is so knit thaâ— he cannot send it off from him whatsoever betide him And yet he wil and doth profess his Allegiance to our Soveraign Lord the King during his life Truly the man is nigh going and doubtless cannot continue unles the King and his Council be merciful unto him For the body cannot bear the clothes on his back as knoweth God Who preserve you In hast scribbled by your own most bounden Roland Co. Litch electus confirmatus NUM XI The Archbishop to Secretary Crumwel in behalf of Bp. Fisher and Sr. Thomas More Right Worshipful Master Crumwel AFTER most hearty Commendations c. I doubt not but you do right wel remembre that my Lord of Rochester and Master More were contented to be sworn to the Act of the Kings Succession but not to the Preamble of the same What was the cause of thair refusal thereof I am uncertain and they wold by no means express the same Nevertheless it must nedis be either the diminution of the authority of the Bushop of Rome or ells the reprobation of the Kings first pretensed Matrimony But if they do obstinately persist in thair opinions of the Preamble yet me semeth it scholde not be refused if they wil be sworne to the veray Act of Succession so that they wil be sworne to maintene the same against al powers and potentates For hereby shal be a great occasion to satisfy the Princess Dowager and the Lady Mary which do think they sholde dampne thair sowles if they sholde abandon and relinquish thair astates And not only it sholde stop the mouths of thaym but also of th' Emperor and other thair friends if thay geve as moche credence to my Lord of Rochester and Master More spekyng and doinge against thaym as they hitherto have done and thought that al other sholde have done whan they spake and did with thaym And peradventure it sholde be a good quietation to many other within this reaulm if such men sholde say that the Succession comprized within the said Act is good and according to Gods lawes For than I think there is not one within this reaulme that would ones reclaim against it And whereas divers persones either of a wilfulness wil not or of an indurate and invertible conscience cannot altre from thair opinions of the Kings first pretensed mariage wherein they have ones said thair minds and percase have a persuasion in thair heads that if they sholde now vary therefrom thair fame and estimation were distained for ever or ells of the authority of the Busschope of Rome yet if al the Reaulme with one accord wolde apprehend the said succession in my judgment it is a thing to be amplected and imbraced Which thing although I trust surely in God that it shal be brought to pass yet hereunto might not a little avayl the consent and othes of theis two persons the Busschope of Rochester and Master More with thair adherents or rather Confederates And if the Kings pleasure so were thair said othes might be suppressed but whan and whare his Highness might take some commodity by the publyshing of the same Thus our Lord have you ever in his conservation From my maner at Croyden the xvii day of April Your own assured ever Thomas Cantuar. NUM XII Nix Bishop of Norwich to Warham Archbishop of Cant. for suppressing such as read books brought from beyond Sea AFter most humble recommendations I do your Grace to understand that I am accumbred with such as kepyth and readyth these arroneous books in English and beleve and geve credence to the same and techyth others that they shold so do My Lord I have done that lyeth in me for the suppression of soch persons but it passeth my power or any spiritual man for to do it For divers saith openly in my Diocess that the Kinges grace wold that they shold have the said arroneous books and so maintaineth themselves of the King Wherupon I desired my L. Abbot of Hyde to show this
authority through the world And considering that the Bp. of Cant. beside al the Courts within his own Diocess keepeth in London a Court at the Arches sufficiently authorized to hear and to determine al causes and complaints appertaining to a Metropolitane why should he require this other Court of the Audience to keep it in London within the Church and jurisdiction of another Bp. except he mâ—nded to call other Bps. obedientially out of their jurisdiction contrary to the Act Or else at the lest forasmuch as this Court is kept within the Church and jurisdiction of London and the Arches Court within the city but not within the jurisdiction if he may not vex the Citizens and Diocesans of London at the Arches without an Appele first from the Ordinary immediately because of the Canon Lawes yet he might pul them to his Audience at Pauls as he did heretofore by his Legacy and yet offend not that Act made anno xxiij That no man shall be called out of his own Diocess And where the ABp saith that the Kings Grace bad him continue that Court stil it is to be marvelled that he then hath not in his Citations and other wrirings of that Court expressed or signified the same as he did cal himself in al his Writings Legatum Apostolicae Sedis long after that Act of the Abolishing NUM XVIII Archbishop Cranmers order concerning the Proctors of the Court of Arches shewn to be inconvenient by a Paper presented to the Parlament as followeth ALthough it be expedient that every thing which any way may be noyful unto the common wele be duely reformed yet is there nothing that should be rather looked upon for Reformation than such abuses as may be occasion of not indifferent ministration of justice Wherfore among so many things as heretofore hath been wel and condignely reformed touching other the Spiritualty or the Temporalty there is nothing that requireth speedyer Reformation than a certain Ordinance Lately procured in the Court of the Arches at London by the means of the Proctors there for the advancement of their singular wil only By which may and do come divers abuses in the said Court and occasion not indifferent ministration of justice and chargeable and prolix process there The effect whereof is this The Proctors of the said Court of Arches hath of late upon feigned suggestion surmised unto the most reverend Father in God my Lord Archbp. of Canterbury President and Head of the said Court to have been for the common wele and ease of his Provincialls induced his Grace to make such an Ordinance or Statute in the said Court of the Arches That wher heretofore there were in the same twenty or four and twenty Proctors and my said Lords G. at his liberty alwayes to admit mo or fewer Proctors there as should be seen expedient to his G. for the sufficient attending of the causes there depending for the time there shuld be from thenceforth no mo admitted Proctors there until the said nombre of Proctors than being there were decreased and come down to the nombre of Ten and than the said nombre of Ten Proctors never after to be exceeded And furthermore lest my said Lords G. might be advertised afterwards upon better causes and considerations to dissolve the said Statute as his Predecessors did alike other Statutes made in semblable cause long before the said Proctors knowing that his G. would as alwayes did apply himself to that thing that shuld be most profitable for the Common wele and intending to take away that liberty from him abusing also his G's benignity and good zeal to the restraint of his liberties and â—ulfilling of their covetous intent incontinently upon the obtaining of the said Statute procured the same to be confirmed by the Chapter and Convent of Christ's church in Canterbury So that by reason of the same confirmation my said Lords G. ne his Successors cannot as the said Proctors do pretend though they see never so good a cause therto infringe ne dissolve the same And so therby made in maner an Incorporation among them tho they call it not so Wherin be it considered whether they have first offended the King's Laws which do prohibit such Incorporations to be made without licence had of the King's Highness first thereunto And though all Incorporations in any mystery or faculty be not lightly to be admitted in this case wherupon depends good or evil ministration of justice most of al such Confederacies are to be eschued Also the said Statute is divers wayes noyful to the Commonwele of this Royalm and prejudicial to the King's G. Subjects in the same and occasion of divers abuses in the said Court hereafter to be declared But because the said Proctors are persuaded that my said Lord of Canterbury cannot himself Dissolve the same and seeing that no man wil lighty contend alone with al the said Proctors for the Dissolving thereof For though it touch every man generally no man singularly wil suppose the same to touch him so moche that he should for the impugnation of the same put himself in business against so many and so rich a company as the said Proctors be it were not only expedient but also necessary for the indifferent and speedy ministration of justice in the said Court that his said unreasonable Statute were infringed and dissolved by the authority of this present Parliament where al other abuses and excesses noyeful to the Commonwele ought to be reformed for these causes following First The said Statute is prejudicial unto the Commonwele because it is occasion of prolix sutes and superfluous delayes in the said Court else more necessary to be restrained than augmented For the said nombre of Ten Proctors appointed by the said Statute is unsufficient for the speedy and diligent attending of mens causes in the said Court tho al Ten were procuring there at once as it is not like but that three or four of the same shal bee alwayes impotent or absent For such they account also with the nombre of Ten. And besides that the same Ten or fewer that shal be onely procuring shal serve not onely for the said Court of the Arches but also for my said Lord of Canterburies Audience wherein be as many causes as in the Arches and for the Consistory of the Bp. of London For by the Statutes of both the same Courts of Audience and Consistory there is no man admitted to procure in the same unless he be a Proctor admitted first in the Arches So that so few Proctors appoynted for so many causes as shal be under travayl in al the said Courts can never be able to speed their business without great delayes taking For heretofore when there were in the said Court twenty Proctors continually occupying and more it hath been seen that divers of theym hath been than so overlayd with causes that they were driven to take oft and many delayes and Prorogations ad idem for to bring in their matiers
The King linked Cranmer with him in all his Proceedings about Q. Katherine The King and Archbishop appeal from the Pope to a General Council The King writes to Dr. Boner his Ambassador in that behalf The Archbishop is Consecrated The Pope's Bulls The Archbishop surrenders them to the King The method of the Consecration The Archbishop's Oath for the Temporalties The Archbishop pronounceth the Divorce The Archbishop's Judgment of the Marriage CHAP. V. The Archbishop Visits his Diocess The Archbishop forbids Preaching Visits his Diocess The delusion of a Nun in Kent The Archbishop appeals from the Pope The Archbishop's Letter to Boner Disputes in the Parliament against the Pope's Supremacy Licenses for Chappels CHAP. VI. The Archbishop presseth the Translation of the Bible The Archbishop labours the Reformation of the Church What he did this Convocation A Book for Preaching and the Beads Dispersed by the Archbishop to all the Bishops The Archbishop of York preaches at York The Clergy and Universities subscribe against the Pope Cranmer and others administer the Oath of Succession to the Clergy And to Sir Tho. More who refused it Cranmer's Argument with him More offers to swear to the Succession it self Bishop Fisher offers the same The Archbishop writes to Crumwel in their behalf The Archbishops endeavour to save the Lives of More and Fisher. CHAP. VII The Archbishop Visits the Diocess of Norwich A Premunire brought against Bishop Nix The Archbishop visits this Bishop's See The Bishop of Norwich a Persecutor Goâ—dric Lee and Salcot Consecrated Bishops CHAP. VIII The Archbishop Preacheth at Canterbury The Archbishop preaches up the King's Supremacy at Canterbury A Prior preaches against him Whom he convents before him The Archbishop acquaints the King with the matter A Provincial Visitation Winchester herein opposeth him The Archbishop's Vindication of his Title of Primate The Bishop of London refuseth his Visitation And Protests against him Cranmer sends him a part of the New Testament to translate And his Answer Lawney's Jest upon Bishop Stokesly Who this Lawney was CHAP. IX Monasteries visited Monasteries visited The Archbishop for their Dissolution The Visitors Informations Bishops Diocesan and Suffragan Consecrated Suffragan Bishops usual in the Realm Bishops without Title Nic. Shaxton Edw. Fox Will. Barlow Geo. Brown A Memorial of the good Services of Archbishop Brown in Ireland Tho. Mannyng Iohn Salisbury CHAP. X. The Audience Court The Archbishop's Audience-Court struck at The Archbishop defends it The Archbishop promoting a Reformation in the Convocation CHAP. XI Articles of Religion Articles published and recommended by the King The Original thereof The Original sent into the North to shew to the Rebels The Contents of them Articles of Faith Articles relating to Ceremonies A Conjecture that the Pen of the Archbishop was here CHAP. XII Cranmer 's Iudgment about some Cases of Matrimony Two remarkable Books published I. The Book of Articles II. A Book against the Pope called The Bishop's Book Certain Cases of Matrimony put to the Archbishop His Solution Refuseth to grant a Dispensation for the Marriage of a Relation His Letter thereupon He restrains the number of Proctors Which some complain of to the Parliament The Archbishop divorceth Q. Anne A License for a Chappel Bucer this year dedicates a Book to the Archbishop Bishops consecrated Richard Sampson William Rugge Rob. Warton CHAP. XIII The Bishop's Book The Bishop's Book by the Archbishop's means Winchester's Opposition The King makes Animad versions upon it Published How esteemed Enlarged and Reprinted Some account of the foresaid Book Names of the Composers CHAP. XIV The Archbishop visits his Diocess Goes down into his Diocess Gets a License to visit The Vicar of Croydon The Archbishop visits his Diocess What course he took for the preventing of Superstition CHAP. XV. The Bible Printed His Joy at the publishing the English Bible Presents one by Crumwel to the King Cranmer's Letters to Crumwel Some further Particulars concerning this Edition of the Bible The Printer's Thanks and Requests to Crumwel Grafton to Crumwel The Printer apprehensive of another Edition Other Requests of the Printer CHAP. XVI Many Suffragan Bishops made The Feast of S. Thomas c. forbid Rob. Holgate Consecrated Bishop Iohn Bird Lewis Thomas Some account of Bird. Thomas Morley Rich. Yngworth Iohn Thornton Richard Thornden Iohn Hodgkin Henry Holbeach Suffragans CHAP. XVII The Bible in English allowed The Archbishop reads upon the Hebrews A Declaration for reading the Bible The Bible received and read with great Joy The Archbishop had a hand in Lambert's Death The Bishops dispute against Lambert's Reasons CHAP. XVIII The Archbishop's Iudgment of the Eucharist Cranmer zealous for the Corporal Presence His Reasons for it Sanders his slanders of the Archbishop concerning his Opinion in the Sacrament When Cranmer changed his Opinion Latimer of the same Judgment Divers Priests marry Wives The King's Proclamation against Priests Marriages Anabaptists A Commission against them The way wardness of the Priests occasions the King to write to the Justices The Archbishop visits the Diocess of Hereford Bishops Consecrated William Finch Iohn Bradley CHAP. XIX The Act of Six Articles The Archbishop makes Nic. Wotton Commissary of his Faculties The King offended with the Archbishop and some other Bishops The Six Articles opposed by the Archbishop The Arguments the Archbishop made use of at this time lost The King's Message to the Archbishop by the Lords A Book of Ceremonies Laboured to be brought in A Convocation The Papists rejoice Two Priories surrendred to the Archbishop The Archbishop and Crumwel labour with the King about the new Bishopricks Bishops this year Iohn Bell Iohn Skyp CHAP. XX. The Archbishop in Commission The Archbishop's Enemies accuse him His Honesty and Courage in discharge of a Commission And his Success therein Questions of Religion to be discussed by Divines by the King's Command The Names of the Commissioners Seventeen Questions upon the Sacrament The Archbishop's Judgment upon these Questions The Judgments of other Learned Men concerning other Points An Act to prevent Divorces The Archbishop to Osiander concerning the Germans abuse of Matrimony CHAP. XXI The largest Bible printed Some account of printing the English Bible The New Testament printed 1526. And Burnt Reprinted about 1530. Burnt again The Scripture prohibited in a Meeting at the Star-Chamber The New Testament Burnt the third time The whole Bible printed 1537. Matthews that is Rogers's Bible About 1538 the Bible printed again in Paris The Printers fall into the Inquisition The Bible printed with French Presses in London The largest Bible published in the year 1540. Boner's Admonition for reading the Bible The Bible supprest again Anno 1542 3. King Henry's Judgment for the use of the Bible CHAP. XXII The Archbishop retired The Archbishop keeps himself more retired The Archbishop issues out his Commission for the Consecrating of Boner Boner's Oath of Fidelity The Archbishop makes a
vented Asheton's Recantation Other Errors still Ioan Bocher's Heresy Latimer's Censure of her George Van Paris CHAP. IX The Archbishop visits The Archbishop visits his Diocess His Articles for the Clergy and for the Laity An exchange made between the Archbishop and the L. Windsor Farrar Bishop of S. Davids Consecrated Some account of this Bishop The Archbishop sway'd by Farrar's Enemies CHAP. X. The Archbishop answers the Rebels Articles Rebellion in Devon The Archbishop answers the Rebels Articles Some account thereof Crispin Moreman Cardinal Pole The Archbishop procures Sermons to be made against the Rebellion Peter Martyr's Sermon upon this occasion The French take occasion at this Rebellion Bucer's Discourse against the Sedition The Archbishop's Prayer composed for this occasion CHAP. XI Bishop Boner deprived The Archbishop deprives Boner Discourse between the Archbishop and him concerning his Book and concerning the Sacrament Chargeth the Archbishop concerning the Preachers he allowed The Archbishop's Answer to Boner's Declaration Papists insist upon the Invalidity of the Laws made in the King's Minority An Ordination of Priests and Deacons The Office of Ordination reformed The Archbishop visits some vacant Churches S. Davids Glocester Norwich London A new Dean of the Arches CHAP. XII Duke of Somerset's Troubles The Common-Prayer ratified The Archbishop writes to the Lords at Ely-House Their Answer The Archbishop gets the Common-Prayer-Book confirmed CHAP. XIII The Archbishop entertains learned Foreigners The Archbishop harbours Learned Strangers Bucer writes in the Archbishop's Family The Archbishop's Guests Martyr dedicates his Lectures at Oxon to the Archbishop The Archbishop writes to Bucer to come over Bucer and Fagius Professors at Cambridge Fagius dies The Archbishop sends Money to Fagius's Widow Bucer laments his Loss CHAP. XIV Peter Martyr disputes in Oxford being challenged thereunto Peter Martyr challenged publickly to a Disputation His Answer hereunto Declines it at present and why They agree upon the Conditions of a Disputation They Dispute Martyr sends the Sum of the Disputation to the Archbishop The Disputation published by Martyr And by Tresham Smith writes to the Archbishop from Scotland Disputations at Cambridge before the Commissioners Bucer disputes His Judgment of the Sacrament CHAP. XV. Matters of the Church and its State now Relicks of Popery remaining The Council gives Orders to the Justices And writes to the Bishops Neglect in London Adulteries frequent Books dispersed by Protestants Preaching against Lenâ— Gardiner's Judgment of a Rhime against Lent Latimer counsels the King about Marriage Foreign Protestants their Offer to K. Edward CHAP. XVI Ridley made Bishop of London The Communion-Book reviewed Ridley made Bishop of London Rochester vacant Bucer writes to Dorset not to spoil the Church The Common-Prayer-Book reviewed Bucer and Martyr employed in it CHAP. XVII Hoper's Troubles Hoper nominated for Bishop of Glocester He and Ridley confer about the Habits The Archbishop writes to Bucer for his Judgment in this matter The Questions Martyr writes to Hoper Hoper's Two Objections Considered Another Objection of Hoper considered Other things urged by him Hoper confined to his House and Silenced Committed to the Archbishop's Custody Sent to the Fleet. Hoper Conforms Martyr to Gualter concerning Hoper's Conformity CHAP. XVIII Bishop Hoper visits his Diocess Hoper visits his Diocess His Articles of Religion His Injunctions and Interrogatories Holds Worcester in Commendam And visits that Church and See Goes over both hâ—â— Diocesses again The Councels Order concerning the two Canons License for the Bishop of Glocester to attend upon the Dutchess of Somerset in the Tower Other matters relating to this Bishop CHAP. XIX Troubles of Bishop Gardiner Divers great Lords repair to Gardiner The Council's proceedings with him Articles propounded to him to subscribe Winchester sequestred for three months The Sequestration expires The Commissioners sit to examine him A Letter of some Noblemen whom he had bely'd Gardiner offers his Book against Cranmer to the Commissioners He is deprived The Council's Order for his strait Confinement Poynet made Bishop of Winton CHAP. XX. Bishop Hethe and Bishop Day their Deprivations Other Popish Bishops dealt with Bishop Hethe's Troubles Sent for before the Council Day Bishop of Chichester his Troubles Bishop Day will not pull down Altars Appears before the Council The Archbishop and Bishop of Ely reason with him The Council give him time to confer Before the Council again Before the Council the third time And the fourth time when he was sent to the Fleet. Commissioners appointed for Worcester and Chichester They are deprived Placed the one with the L. Chancellor and the other with the Bishop of London Day writes to Kings-College for leaving off Masses His unnatural Carriage towards his Brother Preaches against Transubstantiation His Change charged on him CHAP. XXI Papists grow bold Loose Professors restrained The Papists write Libels Several Papists now taken up Chedsey Morgan Sir Ant. Brown White Other Professors restrained CHAP. XXII Foreigners allowed a Church A Lasco The Archbishop's care of the Souls of Strangers residing here The Dutch Congregation under Iohn a Lasco The occasion of his coming into England His business here From Embden he wrote to the Archbishop And to Cecyl The sad condition of the Protestants there Latimer mentions A Lasco to the King Contest among A Lasco's people The care of A Lasco over his Church and its Privileges Favourably received by the L. Chancellor Goodrich Labours with the Secretary to procure Letters from the Council in behalf of his Church The extent of his Superintendency Melancâ—hon thought to shelter himself under him His great Abilities for Government Erasmus's Praise of him Purchased Erasmus's Library A Lasco a married man His Influence in the Reformation under Q. Elizabeth Blamed for medling in our Controversies A Church of Italians constituted in London Michael Angelo their Minister The Service the Archbishop did for this Church And for the Minister Divers of this Church fall out with their Minister and go to Mass again A Conjecture at the Cause thereof Their Minister sends their Names to the Secretary and accuses them The Morals of this man tainted Writes a Penitent Letter to the Secretary A French Church also in London CHAP. XXIII The Church at Glastenbury Another Church of Strangers at Glastenbury Their Trade Weaving Valerandus Pollanus their Preacher and Superintendent How they came to fix here Conditions of Trade between them and Somerset Their Trade obstructed by the Troubles of Somerset Apply themselves again to the Council and to the Secretary Cecyl The Council become their Patrons and assist them Orders from the Lords to set this Manufacture forwards Pollanus very serviceable to them An Apology for the largeness of the former relation After the King's Death they remove to Frankford Prove Friends to the English Exiles there A Spanish Church Cassiodorus and Corranus their Preachers Many of K. Philip's Spaniards become Protestants Great Numbers of Protestants in Spain and Italy
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
who had no Authority within this Realm Whereat the King made a Pause and then asked him how he was able to prove it At which time he alledged several Texts out of Scripture and the Fathers proving the Supream Authority of Kings in their own Realms and Dominions and withal shewing the intolerable Usurpations of the Bishops of Rome Of this the King talked several times with him and perceiving that he could not be brought to acknowledg the Pope's Authority the King called one Dr. Oliver an eminent Lawyer and other Civilians and devised â—ith them how he might bestow the Arch-Bishoprick upon him salving his Conscience They said he might do it by way of Protestation and so one to be sent to Rome to take the Oath and do every thing in his Name Cranmer said to this It should be super animam suam and seemed to be satisfied in what the Lawyers told him And accordingly when he was consecrated made his Protestation That he did not admit the Pope's Authority any further than it agreed with the express Word of God And that it might be lawful for him at all times to speak against him and to impugn his Errors when there should be occasion And so he did Whether Warham the Arch-deacon had conceived any Prejudice against our new Arch-Bishop by some warning given him by the former Arch-Bishop as was hinted above or whether he was willing to give place upon Cranmer's Entreaty that he might provide for his Brother so it was that Edmund Cranmer Brother to the Arch-Bishop succeeded Warham in the Arch-deaconry of Canterbury and the Provostship of Wingham Who parted with both these Dignities by Cession And by the Privity and Consent of the Arch-Bishop he had a Stipend or Pension of sixty pounds per Annum allowed him during his Life out of the Arch-deaconary and twenty pounds per Annum out of Wingham by his Successor aforesaid Who continued Arch-deacon until Queen Mary's Days and was then deprived and his Prebend and his Parsonage of Ickham all taken from him in the Year 1554 for being a married Clerk The first was given to Nicholas Harpsfield the second to Robert Collins Bachelour of Law and Commissary of Canterbury and the third to Robert Marsh. The King had before linked him into his great Business about Queen Katharine and the Lady Anne So now when he had nominated him for Arch-Bishop he made him a Party and an Actor in every step almost which he took in that Affair For to fetch the Matter a little backward Not long before the Archiepiscal See was devolved upon Cranmer the King had created the Lady Anne Marchioness of Pembroke and taken her along with him in great State into France when by their mutual Consent there was an Interview appointed between the two Kings At Calais King Henry permitted Francis the French King to take a view of this Lady who then made both Kings a curious and rich Mask where both honoured her by dancing This was in the month of October In the Month before I find a parcel of very rich Jewels were sent from Greenwich to Hampton Court by Mr. Norrys probably he who was Groom of the Stole and executed upon Queen Ann's Business afterwards Which Jewels as some of them might be for the King 's own wearing now he was going into France so in all probability others were either lent or given to the Marchioness to adorn and make her fine when she should appear and give her entertainment to the French King For the sake of such as be curious I have set down in the Appendix a Particular of these most splendid and Royal Jewels from an Original signed with the King 's own Hand in token of his Receit of them Immediately after the King's and â—â—e Marchionesses return from France he married her At which Wedding though very private the Arch-Bishop was one that assisted according to the Lord Herbert but according to the Author of the Britannic Antiquities did the Sacred Office When she was crowned Queen which was Whitsontide following the Arch-Bishop performed the Ceremonies When after that the King had a Daughter by her he would have the Arch-Bishop assist at the Christening and be her Godfather And before this when Queen Katharine was to be divorced from the King and the Pope's Dispensation of that Marriage declared Null our Arch-Bishop pronounced the Sentence and made the Declaration solemnly and publickly at Dunstable Priory Thus the King dipped and engaged Cranmer with himself in all his Proceeding in this Cause Now as all these doings had danger in them so especially this last highly provoked the Pope for doing this without his Leave and Authority as being a presumptuous Encroachment upon his Prerogative Insomuch that a publick Act was made at Rome that unless the King undid all that he had done and restored all things in integrum leaving them to his Decision he would excommunicate him And this Sentence was affixed and set up publickly at Dunkirk Which put the King upon an Appeal from the Pope to the next General Council lawfully called The Arch-Bishop also foreseeing the Pope's Threatning hovering likewise over his Head by the King's Advice made his Appeal by the English Ambassador there I have seen the King's Original Letter to Dr. Bonner ordering him to signify to the Pope in Order and Form of Law his Appeal sending him also the Instrument of his Appeal with the Proxy devised for that purpose This bare date August 18 th from his Castle at Windsor I have reposited it in the Appendix Which Order of the King Bonner did accordingly discharge at an Audience he got of the Pope at Marceilles November 7. And that Letter which the Lord Herbert saith he saw of Bonner to the King wherein he signified as much must be his Answer to this of the King to him Dr. Cranmer having now yielded to the King to accept the Arch-Bishoprick it was in the beginning of the next Year viz. 1533. March 30. and in the 24 th of King Henry that he received his Consecration But that ushered in with abundance of Bulls some dated in February and some in March from Pope Clement to the number of Eleven as may be seen at length in the beginning of this Arch-Bishop's Register The first was to King Henry upon his Nomination of Cranmer to him to be Arch-Bishop The Pope alloweth and promoteth him accordingly The second was a Bull to Cranmer himself signifying the same The third Bull absolved him from any Sentences of Excommunication Suspension Interdiction c. It was written from the Pope to him under the Title of Arch-deacon of Taunton in the Church of Wells and Master in Theology and ran thus Nos ne forsan aliquibus sententiis censuris poenis Ecclesiasticis ligatus sis c. Volentes te a quibusvis excommunicationis suspensionis interdicti aliisque Ecclesiasticis sententiis censuris poenis a jure
Angliae quam quivis externus Episcopus That is That the Bishop of Rome hath not some greater Iurisdiction conferred upon him by God in this Realm of England than any other Foreign Bishop This was consented to by the Prior's own Hand subscribed and sixty nine of the Convent besides The Original whereof is in a Volume of the Cotton Library In another place of the same Volume is extant the Subscription of the Bishops Deans and several Abbots and after that of the University of Oxford and all the particular Colleges and after that the Names of all the subscribing Priors of England The Arch-bishop was one employed about the Act of Succession that was made the last Sessions of Parliament which was to invest the Succession to the Crown upon the Heirs of Q. Ann and that Q. Katharine should be no more called Queen but Princess Dowager In the Preamble to the Act there were certain Touches against the Pope's Supremacy and against his Power of dispensing in the King 's former Marriage with his Brother's Wife carnally known by him To this Act all Persons were to swear to accept and maintain the same upon pain of Treason The Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Ld Chancellor Audley Secretary Crumwel the Abbot of Westminster and others were the King's Commissioners appointed to tender this Oath The Nobility and Gentry took it none denying to which they set their Hands in a long List. On the 13 th of April the Commissioners sat at Lambeth to receive the Oaths of the Clergy and chiefly those of London that had not yet sworn who all took it not one excepted And a certain Doctor Vicar of Croyden that it seems made some boggle before went up with the rest of whom Sir Thomas More who then stood by made an Observation how as he past he went to my Lord 's Buttery-hatch and called for Drink and drank valde familiariter whether saith he sarcastically it were for Gladness or Driness or Quod ille notus erat Pontifici The Oath also now was taken by Dr. Wylson a great Court-Divine in those Days who for Queen Katharine's Business was a Prisoner at this time though a great while he was unsatisfied and consulted much with Sir Thomas More about the Lawfulness of taking it The same Day were conveyed hither from the Tower Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas More the only Layman at this Meeting to tender this Oath to them Who both being separately called refused it After the Clergy were sworn and dispatched immediately Sir Thomas by himself was sent for the second time Now he had much talk with the Lords who would fain have brought him to comply They urged him to declare the Causes why he would not Swear But he excused his so doing Then they charged him with Obstinacy He said it was not Obstinacy but because he might not declare his Mind without peril of incurring the King's further Displeasure He told the Commissioners that for his part he condemned not the Consciences of any but that he was dissatisfied in his own Conscience for certain Reasons The Arch-bishop taking hold of this spake to him thus That it appeared well that Sir Thomas did not take it for a very sure thing and a certain that he might not lawfully swear but rather as a thing uncertain and doubtful But you know said my Lord for a certainty and for a thing without doubt that you be bound to obey your Soveraign Lord the King And therefore are you bound to leave off the doubt of your unsure Conscience in refusing the Oath and take the sure way in obeying of your Prince who commands you to Swear This Argument as Sir Thomas confessed in one of his Letters to his Daughter Roper seemed so subtil and with such Authority coming out of so Noble a Prelate's Mouth that he could answer again nothing thereto but only that he thought with himself that he might not so do because that in his Conscience this was one of the Causes in which he was bounden that he should not obey his Prince sith that whatsoever other Folks thought in the Matter whose Conscience or Learning as he said he would not condemn or take upon him to judg yet in his Conscience the Truth seemed on the other Side wherein he had informed his Conscience neither suddenly nor slightly but by long leisure and diligent search for the Matter In fine the farthest Sir Thomas could be brought and which he offered voluntarily that Morning was to swear to the Succession which was the main Design of the Act though not to the Preamble At parting the Lord Chancellor bad the Secretary before More take notice that More denied not but was content to swear the Succession More assented and said in that Point he would be contented so that he might see the Oath so framed as might stand with his Conscience Fisher Bishop of Rochester offered the same before this Assembly that More had done and in a Letter of his afterwards writ to the Secretary assigned the Reason why he could with a good Conscience swear to the Succession viz. because he doubted not but that the Prince of a Realm with the Assent of the Nobles and Commons might appoint his Successors according as he pleased In the Appendix this Letter will be found which Bishop Fisher writ upon occasion of the Secretary's Advice who laboured to gain him that he should write to the King to declare his Mind to him in swearing to the Succession and to petition him to let that suffice because his Conscience could not consent to the rest of the Act. The Secretary also had sent unto Fisher lying in the Tower Lee Bishop Elect of Lichfield and Coventry to whom he declared again that he would take the Oath to the Succession and moreover that he would swear never to meddle more in Disputation of the Matrimony and promised all Allegiance to the King But he told Lee his Conscience could not be convinced that the Marriage was against the Law of God because of a Prohibition in the Levitical Law See Lee's Letter in the Appendix to Secretary Crumwel The Arch-bishop soon after that meeting of the Commissioners at Lambeth retired to Croydon And being a Man not kind to his own Party and Perswasion only and fierce and bloody-minded to them that differed from him but compassionate towards all Friend and Foe his tender Spirit suggested to him to make this serve for an Occasion to intercede for More and Fisher to Crumwel shewing him in a Letter dated April the 17 th how adviseable in his Judgment it would be to be satisfied with that Oath they had offered to swear in case they would swear to maintain the said Succession against all Power and Potentates Urging to him that there would be these Advantages gained thereby First That it would be a means to satisfy the Consciences of the Princess Dowager and the Lady Mary who it seems made
was at a stand He was translated from this imaginary Bishoprick to be Bishop of Oxford in the Year 1541. One Iohn Hatton had the Title of Episcopus Negropont He was Suffragan under the Arch-bishop of York Iohn Thornden who was several times Commissiary of Oxon while Arch-bishop Warham was Chancellor of that University was stiled Episcopus Syrinensis And hereafter in the progress of this Book we shall meet with a Bishop of Hippolitanum who assisted Arch-bishop Cranmer at his Ordinations These were but Titulary Bishops and the use of them was to supply the Diocesans absence to consecrate Churches and Church-yards and to reconcile them to assist at Ordinations and confer Orders to confirm Children and the like Sometimes these Suffragans had no Titles at all to any place but were Bishops at large Such an one named Richard Martin is met with in an old Register at Canterbury who was Guardian of the Gray-Fryars there By his last Will made 1498 he gave a Library to the Church and Covent He was Parson of Ickham and Vicar of Lyd in Kent and writ himself in the said Will Bishop of the Vniversal Church By which the Antiquarian supposed nothing else was meant but that he was a Bishop in Name endued with Orders but not with Jurisdiction Episcopal having no particular Charge to intend but generally officiating as Bishop in any part of the Christian Church This I have writ that the Reader may not be put to a stand when he shall in these Commentaries meet with some of these Titular Bishops But proceed we now to the Bishops that were this Year Consecrated Diocesan Bishops April the 11 th Nicholas Shaxton was consecrated Bishop of Sarum in the King's Chappel of S. Stephen by our Arch-bishop Iohn Bishop of Lincoln and Christopher Sidoniens assisting Septemb. the 15 th was the Act of Confirmation and Election of Edward Fox Elect of Hereford and of William Barlow Prior of the Priory of Canons Regular of Bisham of the Order of S. Augustin Sarum for the Bishoprick of S. Asaph The Consecration of these two last are not inserted in the Register March the 18 th the Act of Confirmation and Election of George Brown D. D. Provincial of the Order of Friars Augustin in the City of London for the Arch-bishoprick of Dublin Consecrated March the 19 th by the Arch-bishop at Lambeth Nicholas Bishop of Sarum and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting Of this last-mentioned Bishop I shall take some further notice having been the first Protestant Bishop in Ireland as Cranmer was in England a great furtherer of the Reformation in that Land being a stirring Man and of good Parts and Confidence He was first taken notice of by Crumwel Lord Privy Seal and by his sole means preferred to this Dignity in the Church of Ireland upon the observation that was taken of him when he was Provincial of the Augustin Order in England advising all People to make their Application only to Christ and not to Saints Whereby he was recommended unto K. Henry who much favoured him When the King's Supremacy was to be brought in and recognized in Ireland which was the same Year wherein he was made Arch-bishop he was appointed one of the King's Commissioners for the procuring the Nobility Gentry and Clergy to reject the Pope and to own the King for Supream Head of the Church In which Commission he acted with that diligence that it was to the hazard of his Life such opposition was made to it in that Realm At which time in an Assembly of the Clergy George Dowdal Arch-bishop of Ardmagh made a Speech to them and laid a Curse upon those whosoever they were that should own the King's Supremacy Within five Years after this this Arch-bishop Brown caused all Superstitious Relicks and Images to be removed out of the two Cathedrals in Dublin and out of the rest of the Churches in his Diocess and ordered the Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer and the Creed to be set up in Frames above the Altar in Christ's-Church Dublin In K. Edward VI. his Reign he received the English Common-Prayer-Book into that Realm upon the King's Proclamation for that purpose after much opposition by Dowdal And it was read in Christ's-Church Dublin on Easter Day 1551. He preached also a Sermon in Christ's-Church for having the Scripture in the Mother-Tongue and against Image-worship And for this his forwardness and conformity in Religion and the perverseness of the other Arch-bishop of Ardmagh who had violently resisted all good Proceedings the Title of Primacy was taken from him and conferred upon the Arch-bishop of Dublin And Dowdal was banished or as others say voluntarily left his Bishoprick And then Goodacre sent from England with Bale for the See of Ossory succeeded In Q. Mary's days Dowdal was restored and being a great Man in this Reign expulsed Archbishop Brown from his See for being a married Man Who two or three Years after was succeeded by Hugh Corwin a Complier in all Reigns and Brown soon after died Suffragan Bishops The first of these standing in the Register of the Arch-bishop was the Suffragan of the See of Ipswich The Bishop of Norwich according to the direction of the late Act wherein the Bishop was to nominate two for Suffragan to the King and the King was to name one of them to the Arch-bishop to receive Consecration humbly signified to the King that he was destitute of the Aid of a Suffragan and so prayed him to appoint either George Abbot of the Monastery of S. Mary's of Leyston or Thomas Mannyng Prior of the Monastery of S. Mary's of Butley to be his Suffragan without mentioning for what place And on the 7 th of March in the 27 th of his Reign he sent to the Arch-bishop to make the latter Suffragan of Gipwich Who was accordingly consecrated by the Arch-bishop and invested in insigniis Episcopalibus Nicholas Bishop of Sarum and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting The Date not specified but probably on the same Day with the Consecration following there being the same Assistants The said Bishop of Norwich sent to the King recommending to him to be Suffragan Thomas de Castleacre of the Cluniac Order and Iohn Salisbury Prior of S. Faiths of Horsham of the Order of S. Benet both Priors of Monasteries in Norwich Diocess The King sent to the Arch-bishop to consecrate Iohn the Prior of S. Faiths for Suffragan of Thetford Accordingly he consecrated him March the 19 th Nicholas Bishop of Sarum and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting CHAP. X. The Audience Court THE good Arch-bishop almost every Year met with new Opposition from the Popish Clergy The late Act for abolishing the Pope's Authority and some Acts before that for restraining of Applications to Rome served them now as a Colour to strike at one of the Arch-bishop's Courts viz. that of the Audience a Court which the Arch-bishops used to hold in
Lordship writeth to me in the favour of this Bearer Massey an old Servant to the King's Highness that being contracted to his Sister's Daughter of his late Wife deceased he might enjoy the Benefit of a Dispensation in that behalf especially considering it is none of the Causes of Prohibition contained in the Statute Surely my Lord I would gladly accomplish your Request herein if the Word of God would permit the same And where you require me that if I think this Licence may not be granted by the Law of God then I should write unto you the Reasons and Authorities that move me so to think that upon Declaration unto the King's Highness you may confer thereupon with some other Learned Men and so advertise me the King 's farther Resolution For shortness of time I shall shew you one Reason which is this By the Law of God many Persons be prohibited which be not expressed but be understood by like Prohibition in equal degree As S. Ambrose saith that the Niece is forbid by the Law of God although it be not exprest in Leviticus that the Unkle shall not marry his Niece But where the Nephew is forbid there that he shall not marry his Aunt by the same is understood that the Niece shall not be married unto her Unkle Likewise as the Daughter is not there plainly expressed yet where the Son is forbid to marry his Mother it is understood that the Daughter may not be married to her Father because they be of like degree Even so it is in this Case and many others For where it is there expressed that the Nephew shall not marry his Unkle's Wife it must needs be understood that the Niece shall not be married unto the Aunt 's Husband because that also is one equality of degree And although I could allege many Reasons and Authorities mo for this purpose yet I trust this one Reason shall satisfy all that be Learned and of Judgment And as touching the Act of Parliament concerning the Degrees prohibited by God's Law they be not so plainly set forth as I would they were Wherein I somewhat spake my Mind at the making of the said Law but it was not then accepted I required then that there must be expressed Mother and Mother-in-Law Daughter and Daughter-in-Law and so in further degrees directly upwards and downwards in Linea recta also Sister and Sister-in-Law Aunt Aunt-in-Law Niece and Niece-in-Law And this Limitation in my Judgment would have contained all degrees prohibited by God's Law expressed and not expressed and should have satisfied this Man and such others which would marry their Nieces-in-Law I have no News to send you from these Parts but I much long to hear such News as be concurrent with you And therefore if you have any good News I pray you to send me some Thus my Lord right heartily fare you well At Ford the 7 th Day of September Your Lordship 's own Tho. Cantuarien About this Year as near as I can guess the Arch-bishop made an Order concerning the Proctors of his Court of Arches The Numerousness and Irregularities of Proctors made these Civil Courts uneasy to the People Complaints were made of their Clamorousness by reason of the plenty of them that neither Advocates nor Judges could be heard of the Injuries they did to Advocates in retaining and concluding Causes oftentimes without them and of thrusting themselves into Causes without the knowledg or will of the Parties and such like The Evils of which long after endured were endeavoured to be redrest by the Canons and Constitutions made in the beginning of the Reign of King Iames I. Our Arch-bishop conceived that in order to the Reformation of the Proctors it were good to begin at first with a restraint of the Numbers of them Wherefore he decreed That whereas the Number of the Proctors in the Court of Arches was heretofore about Twenty or four and Twenty and my Lord's Grace at liberty to add more Thenceforth no more should be admitted till the Number were reduced to Ten and then that Number never to be encreased This liberty which his Predecessors always had he willingly infringed himself of out of no other intent but for the benefit and ease of the People whom he saw were inticed to Contention by the crafty Insinuations of this kind of Men setting Neighbours together by the Ears for their own Lucre. And therefore the fewer of them the better And this Number he thought sufficient for the necessary Business of the Court. But some looked upon this as a crafty Fetch and Plot of the Proctors of that Time upon the good Nature and pious Disposition of the Arch-bishop That so all others being excluded from officiating as Proctors they might have all the Business of the Arches in their own Hands And hence might divers Abuses come into that Court. And for the confirmation of this Order of the Arch-bishop for the tying of his Hands they who were Counsellors to the Arch-bishop in this matter got it confirmed by the Chapter and Convent of Christ's-Church Canterbury This giving Offence to many there were some who drew up a long Paper against this Order and presented it to the consideration of the Parliament because it could be redressed no other way the Arch-bishop having put it out of his own Power to do it In this Paper they set forth that the said Statute was prejudicial unto the Common-wealth because the Number of ten Proctors was not sufficient to dispatch the Causes that came into that Court and so there must be Delays and prolix Suits while these Proctors were attending other Causes in the Arch-bishop's Court of Audience and the Bishop of London's Court of Consistory Whereas before it had been seen by experience that Twenty Proctors could not suffice for the managery of the Causes in these Courts without Delays and Prorogations from Day to Day That Causes by this means could not be diligently attended when there were many Causes and few Proctors to look after them And hereby many good Causes were like to perish for lack of good looking after That this had occasioned the Proctors to neglect a very good Oath called Iuramentum Calumpniae which was the best Provision that could be against unlawful Suits and lengthning them out further than was necessary This Oath was that the Parties or the Proctors should swear that they believed their Cause was just and that they should not use unlawful Delays whereby Justice might be deferred that they should answer the Judg truly to what he should demand of them that nothing should be given or promised to the Judges or any other Officer besides the Fees allowed by Law and that they should not procure any false Witness Again this Paper urged for a good Number of Proctors that this would be a means that the Judges could not so easily keep them in subjection and fear of them whereby they had been hindred sometimes in speaking freely before them in
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
Rochester by virtue of the Arch-bishop's Letters Commissional to him assisted by Robert Bishop of S. Asaph and Thomas Bishop of Sidon This More held the Monastery of Walden in Essex an House of Benedictines in Commendam where Audley-end now stands and surrendred it to the King 1539. CHAP. XIII The Bishops Book THE pious ABp thought it highly conducible to the Christian Growth of the common People in Knowledg and Religion and to disintangle them from gross Ignorance and Superstition in which they had been nursled up by their Popish Guides that the Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer and the Creed and the Grounds of Religion should be explained soundly and orthodoxly and recommended unto their reading Wherefore he consulting with the Lord Crumwel his constant Associate and Assistant in such Matters and by his and other his Friends importuning the King a Commission was issued out from him in the Year 1537. to the Arch-bishop to Stokesly Bishop of London Gardiner of Winchester Sampson of Chichester Repps of Norwich Goodrick of Ely Latimer of Worcester Shaxton of Salisbury Fox of Hereford Barlow of S. Davids and other Bishops and Learned Divines to meet together and to devise an wholsome and plain Exposition upon those Subjects and to set forth a Truth of Religion purged of Errors and Heresies Accordingly they met at the Arch-bishop's House at Lambeth Their Course was that after they had drawn up their Expositions upon each Head and agreed thereto they all subscribed their Hands declaring their Consent and Approbation In the Disputations which happened among them in this Work Winchester the Pope's chief Champion with three or four other of the Bishops went about with all subtil Sophistry to maintain all Idolatry Heresy and Superstition written in the Canon Law or used in the Church under the Pope's Tyranny But at the last whether overpower'd with Number or convinced by the Word of God and consent of Ancient Authors and the Primitive Church they all agreed upon and set their Hands to a Godly Book of Religion Which they finished by the end of Iuly and staid for nothing but the Vicar-General's Order whether to send it immediately to him or that the Bishop of Hereford should bring it with him at his next coming to the Court But the Plague now raging in Lambeth and People dying even at the Palace-Doors the Arch-bishop desired Crumwel for the King's Licence to the Bishops to depart for their own Safety their Business being now in effect drawn to a Conclusion Soon after the Bishops and Divines parted and the Arch-bishop hastened to his House at Ford near Canterbury The Book was delivered by Crumwel to the King which he at his leisure diligently perused corrected and augmented And then after five or six Months assigned Crumwel to dispatch it unto the Arch-bishop that he might give his Judgment upon the King's Animadversions A Pursevant brought it to Ford. The Arch-bishop advisedly read and considered what the King had writ and disliking some things made his own Annotations upon some of the Royal Corrections there especially we may well imagine where the King had altered the Book in favour of some of the old Doctrines and Corruptions And when he sent it back again with those Annotations he wrote these Lines to Crumwel therewith on the 25 th day of Ianuary MY very singular good Lord After most hearty Commendations unto your Lordship these shall be to advertise the same That as concerning the Book lately devised by me and other Bishops of this Realm which you sent unto me corrected by the King's Highness your Lordship shall receive the same again by this Bearer the Pursevant with certain Annotations of mine own concerning the same Wherein I trust the King's Highness will pardon my Presumption that I have been so scrupulous and as it were a picker of Quarrels to his Grace's Book making a great Matter of every little Fault or rather where no Fault is at all Which I do only for this Intent that because now the Book shall be set forth by his Grace's Censure and Judgment I would have nothing therein that Momus could reprehend And I refer all mine Annotations again to his Grace's most exact Judgment And I have ordered my Annotations so by Numbers that his Grace may readily turn to every place And in the lower Margin of this Book next to the Binding he may find the Numbers which shall direct him to the Words whereupon I make the Annotations And all those his Grace's Castigations which I have made none Annotations upon I like them very well And in divers places I have made Annotations which places nevertheless I mislike not as shall appear by the same Annotations At length this Book came forth printed by Barthelet in the Year 1537 and was commonly called the Bishops Book because the Bishops were the Composers of it It was intituled The godly and pious Institution of a Christian Man and consisted of a Declaration of the Lord's Prayer and of the Ave Mary the Creed the Ten Commandments and the Seven Sacraments It was Established by Act of Parliament having been signed by the two Arch-bishops nineteen Bishops eight Arch-deacons and seventeen Doctors of Divinity and Law The Opinion that the Favourers of the Gospel had of this Book in those Times may appear by what I find in a Manuscript of the Life of this Arch-bishop by an unknown Author that wrote it soon after the said Arch-bishop's Death A godly Book of Religion not much unlike the Book set forth by K. Edward VI. except in two Points The one was the real Preâ—ence of Christ's Body in the Sacrament of the Altar Of the which Opinion the Arch-bishop was at that time and the most part of the other Bishops and learned Men. The other Error was of Praying Kissing and Kneeling before Images Which saith he was added by the King after the Bishops had set their Hands to the contrary But this Book came forth again two Years after viz. 1540. unless my Manuscript mistake this Year for 1543. very much enlarged and reduced into another Form and bearing another Name A necessary Doctrine and Erudition of any Christian Man And because the King had put it forth by his own Authority it was called now The King's Book as before it was called The Bishops But that none might be confounded in these Books he may know that there was in the Year 1536 another Book also called The Bishops Book upon the same reason that this was so called because the Arch-bishops and Bishops had the making thereof It was a Declaration against the Papal Supremacy written upon occasion of Pole's Book of Ecclesiastical Vnion mentioned before And in the Year 1533 there came forth another Book in Latin called The King's Book intituled The Difference between the Kingly and Ecclesiastical Power reported to be made as Bale writes by Fox the King's Almoner Which was translated into English
and put forth by Henry Lord Stafford in King Edward's Days The King affecting to be thought Learned affected also to have Books called by his Name not that he was always the Author of them but that they came out by his Authority and had undergone his Corrections and Emendations But before we pass away from hence it may be convenient to give the Reader a little taste of so famous a Treatise as that Bishop's Book was in those Days And I will do it not in my own words but in the words of a very Learned and Eminent Man the Answerer to Dr. Martin's Book against Priests Marriage not far from the beginning of Q Mary supposed to be Ponet Bishop of Winchester then in Exile Applying himself in his Preface unto the Queen's Prelats he told them That in their Book intituled The Institution of a Christian Man presented by their whole Authorities to the King of famous Memory K. Henry VIII In the Preface thereof they affirmed to his Highness with one assent by all their Learnings that the said Treatise was in all Points concordant and agreeable to Holy Scripture yea such Doctrine that they would and desired to have it taught by all the Spiritual Pastors to all the King 's loving Subjects to be Doctrine of Faith And there intreating of the Sacrament of Orders they desired to have it taught that we be in no subjection to the Bishop of Rome and his Statutes but meerly subject to the King's Laws under his only Territory and Jurisdiction And that the Canons and Rules of the Church were therefore allowable in the Realm because the Assent of the King and of the People accepted the same And that Priests and Bishops whatsoever never had any Authority by the Gospel in Matters Civil and Moral but by the Grant and Gift of Princes and that it was alway and ever shall be lawful unto Kings and Princes and to their Successors with the Consent of their Parliaments to revoke and call again into their own Hands or otherwise to restrain all their Power and Jurisdiction given and permitted by their Authority Assent or Sufferance c. Without the which if the Bishop of Rome or any other Bishop whatsoever should take upon them any Authority or Jurisdiction in such Matters as be Civil No doubt said they that Bishop is not worthy to be called a Bishop but rather a Tyrant and an Usurper of other Mens Rights contrary to the Laws of God and is to be reputed a Subverter of the Kingdom of Christ. Yea besides these things and many other as he added they put in our Creed or Belief as an Article of Salvation or Damnation that the Church of England is as well to be named a Catholick and Apostolick Church as Rome Church or any other Church where the Apostles were resident And that they willed us to believe in our Faith that there is no difference in Superiority Preeminence or Authority one over the other but be all of equal Power and Dignity and that all Churches be free from the Subjection and Jurisdiction of the Church of Rome And that no Church is to be called Schismatical as varying from the Unity of the Church of Christ if it persist in the Unity of Christ's Faith Hope and Charity and Unity of Christ's Doctrine and Sacraments agreeable to the same Doctrine And that it appertained to Christen Kings and Princes in the discharge of their Duty to God to reform and reduce again the Laws to their old Limits and pristine State of their Power and Jurisdiction which was given them by Christ and used in the Primitive Church For it is say they out of all doubt that Christ's Faith was then most firm and pure and the Scriptures of God were then best understood and Vertue did then most abound and excel And therefore the Customs and Ordinances then used and made must needs be more conform and agreeable unto the true Doctrine of Christ and more conducing to the edifying and benefit of the Church of Christ than any Custom or Laws used or made since that Time This he collected out of their Exposition of the Sacrament of Orders The said Learned Author observed that this Doctrine was set forth by the whole Authority of the Bishops in those Days presented by the Subscription of all their Names And since the time of their presenting thereof by the space almost of twenty Years that is to the middle of Queen Mary never revoked but continually from time to time taught by this Book and by such other Declarations And that one more Particular relating to this Book may be known namely who the Bishops and other Divines were that composed it and that were commissioned so to do I shall record their Names as they were found writ by the Hand of Dr. Sam. Ward in his own Book now in the possession of N. B. a Reverend Friend of mine who hath well deserved of this History Thomas Cant. Io. Lond. Steph. Winton Io. Exon. Io. Lincoln Io. Bathon Roland Coven Litch Tho. Elien Nic. Sarum Io. Bang Edward Heref. Hugo Wigorn. Io. Roffen Ric. Cicestr Guilielm Norv Guilielm Menevens Rob. Assav Rob. Landav Edoard Ebor. Cuthb Dunelm Rob. Carliolen Richard Wolman Archidiac Sudbur Guil. Knight Archid. Richmon Io. Bell Archid. Gloc. Edmund Bonner Archid. Leicestr Iohn Skip Archid. Dorset Nic. Hethe Archid. Stafford Cuthb Marshal Archid. Nottingham Rich. Curren Archid. Oxon. Gulielm Cliff Galfridus Downes Robertus Oking Radul Bradford Richardus Smith Simon Matthew Ioannes Pryn Guliel Buckmaster Guliel May Nic. Wotton Ric. Coxe Ioannes Edmunds Thomas Robertson Ioannes Baker Thomas Barret Ioannes Hase Ioannes Tyson Sacrae Theologiae Juris Ecclesiastici Civilis Professores In the Year 1543. The same Book was printed again amended much both in Sense and Language yet not having any step in the Progress of the Reformation more than the former each Edition express positively the Corporal Presence in the Sacrament But in this is much added about Free-Will which it asserts and Good Works In 1544 the same was printed again at London in Latin intituled Pia Catholica Christiani Hominis Institutio CHAP. XIV The Arch-bishop visits his Diocess AS soon as this Business was over with the Arch-bishop and Bishops at Lambeth no Parliament sitting this Year and a Plague being in London and Westminster he went down as was said before into his Diocess But before he went he expressed a great desire to wait upon the King being then I suppose at Hampton-Court or Windsor but he feared he should not be permitted coming out of the smoaky Air as he wrote to the Lord Crumwel in that time of Infection Yet he desired to know the King's Pleasure by him He had a mind indeed to leave some good Impressions upon the King's Mind in the behalf of the Book that he and the rest had taken such Pains about and but newly made an end of But whether he saw the King now or no
he had his Commission and took it down with him Which he advisedly did the better to warrant and bear him out in what he intended to do in his Diocess which he purposed to visit This was a Year of Visitation For there was a new Visitation now again appointed throughout all England to see how the People stood affected to the King to discover Cheats and Impostures either in Images Relicks or such like The Arch-bishop also thinking good now to visit his Diocess procured the Licence of the Vice-Gerent Lord Crumwel so to do Because I suppose all other Visitations were to cease to give way to the King's Visitation And to render his Power of Visiting the more unquestionable and void of scruple he desired the Vice-gerent that in drawing up of his Commission his Licence to visit might be put into it by Dr. Peter who was then if I mistake not Master of the Faculties to the said Vice-gerent and afterwards Secretary of State And because he would not do any thing without the Counsel and Allowance of the Vice-gerent he asked his Advice how he should order in his Visitation such Persons as had transgressed the King's Injunctions Which came out the Year before under Crumwel's Name Whereof some were for the restraint of the Number of Holy Days a great cause of Superstition and of the continuance of it And afterwards other Injunctions came out whereof the first was that in all Parishes once every Sunday for a quarter of a Year together the Supremacy should be taught and the Laws to that intent read These Injunctions were in number Eleven as they are set down in the Lord Herbert's History The Vicar of Croydon under the ABp's Nose had been guilty of certain Misdemeanors Which I suppose were speaking or preaching to the disparagement of the King's Supremacy and in favour of the Pope Now before he went into the Countrey and having as yet divers Bishops and Learned Men with him at Lambeth he thought it advisable to call this Man before them at this time But before he would do it he thought it best to consult with Crumwel and take his Advice whether he should now do it and before these Bishops or not So ticklish a thing then was it for the Bishops to do any things of themselves without the privity and order of this great Vice-gerent Cranmer was aware of it and therefore required Direction from him in every thing But whatsoever was done with this Vicar the Arch-bishop was soon down in his Diocess and having taken an Account of the People and Clergy what Conformity they bare to the King's Laws and Injunctions he found them superstitiously set upon the observation of their old Holy Days Some whereof he punished and others he admonished according to the degree of their Crimes And he discovered the chief Cause to lie in the Curates and Priests who did animatâ— the People to what they did indeed their Interest and Gain was concerned The great inconvenience of these Holy Days lay partly in the numerousness of them so that the attendance upon them hindred dispatching and doing Justice in Westminster-hall in the Terms and the gathering in Harvest in the Countrey partly in the Superstitions that these Holy Days maintained in the idolatrous Worship of supposed Saints and partly in the Riot Debauchery and Drunkenness that these Times were celebrated with among the common People and lastly the Poverty it brought upon the meaner sort being detained from going about their ordinary Labours and Callings to provide for themselves and Families For the prevention of these Superstitions for the Future and to make the People more obedient to the King's Laws he gave out strict Orders to all Parsons of Parishes upon pain of Deprivation that they should cause the abrogated Holy Days not to be observed for the future and to present to the Arch-bishop all Persons in their respective Parishes as should do contrary to any of the King's Ordinances already set forth or that should be hereafter by his Authority relating to the Doctrine and Ceremonies of the Church And this course he conceived so good an Expedient that he counselled the Lord Vice-gerent that all Bishops in their several Diocesses might be commanded to do the same for the avoiding of Disobedience and Contention in the Realm By which means he said The Evil-Will of the People might be conveyed from the King and his Council upon the Ordinaries And so the Love and Obedience of the People better secured to their Soveraign Such was his care of his Prince to preserve him in the Affections of his People that he was willing to take upon himself their Enmity that it might not light upon the King But Cranmer had observed these Holy Days were kept by many even in the Court under the King's Eye which he well knew was an Example and Encouragement to the whole Nation And therefore he signified to the Lord Crumwel that they could never perswade the People to cease from keeping them when the King 's own Houshold were an Example unto the rest to break his own Ordinances See his Letter to Crumwel in the Appendix CHAP. XV. The Bible printed HE was now at Ford and it was in the Month of August when something fell out that gave the good Arch-bishop as much Joy as ever happened to him in all the time of his Prelacy It was the printing of the Holy Bible in the English Tongue in the great Volume Which was now finished by the great Pains and Charges of Richard Grafton the Printer Osiander who knew the Arch-bishop well when he was the King's Ambassador in Germany saith of him that he was Sacrarum Literarum Studiossimum Indeed he always had a great value for the Scriptures because they were the Word of God and extraordinary desirous he was from the very first entrance upon his Bishoprick that the People might have the liberty of reading it and for that purpose to have it interpreted into the Vulgar Language And so by Crumwel's means he got leave from the King that it might be translated and printed The care of the Translation lay wholly upon him assigning little Portions of this Holy Book to divers Bishops and Learned Men to do and being dispatched to be sent back to him And to his inexpressible Satisfaction he saw the Work finished in this Year about Iuly or August As soon as some of the Copies came to his Hand one he sent to Crumwel entreating him that he would present it from him to the King and no question he thought it the noblest Present that ever he made him and withal to intercede with his Majesty that the said Book might by his Authority be both bought and used by all indifferently Both which Crumwel did For which the Arch-bishop was full of Gladness and Gratitude and wrote two Letters to him soon after one another wherein he thanked him most heartily telling him How he had hereby made
his Memory famous to Posterity within the Realm among all such as should hereafter be favourers of God's Word and that he should hear of this good Deed of his at the last Day That for his part it was such a content to his Mind that he could not have done him a greater pleasure if he had given him a thousand Pounds And that such Knowledg would ensue hereupon that it should appear he had done excellent Service both to God and the King He also particularly spake of the Bishop of Worcester how highly obliged he was sure he was to him for this But I refer the Reader to his own Letters which follow MY very singular good Lord In my most harty wise I commend me unto your Lordship And whereas I understand that your Lordship at my Request hath not only exhibited the Bible which I sent unto you to the King's Majesty but also hath obtained of his Grace that the same shall be allowed by his Authority to be bought and read within this Realm My Lord for this your Pains taken in this behalf I give you my most hearty Thanks Assuring your Lordship for the Contentation of my Mind you have shewed me more pleasure here than if you had given me a thousand Pounds and I doubt not but that hereby such Fruit of good Knowledg shall ensue that it shall well appear hereafter what high and excellent Service you have done unto God and the King Which shall so much redound to your Honour that besides God's Reward you shall obtain perpetual Memory for the same within this Realm And as for me you may reckon me your Bondman for the same And I dare be bold to say so may ye do my Lord of Worcester Thus my Lord right hartily fare ye well At Ford the xiii day of August Your own Bound-man ever T. Cantuarien And in another Letter fifteen days after he again renewed his Thanks MY very singular and special good Lord In my most harty wise I commend me to your Lordship These shall be to give you most hearty Thanks that any Heart can think and that in the Name of them which favour God's Word for your diligence at this time in procuring the King's Highness to set forth the said God's Word and his Gospel by his Grace's Authority For the which Act not only the King's Majesty but also you shall have a perpetual Laud and Memory of all them that be now â—or hereafter shall be God's faithful People and the Favourers of his Word And this Deed you shall hear of at the Great Day when all things shall be opened and made manifest For our Saviour Christ saith in the said Gospel that whosoever shrinketh from Him and his Word and is abashed to profess and set it forth before Men in this World he will refuse him at that Day And contrary whosoever constantly doth profess Him and his Word and studieth to set that forward in this World Christ will declare the same at the Last Day before his Father and all his Angels and take upon him the Defence of those Men. Now because by these Letters of the Arch-bishop it appears how instrumental Crumwel was when the Bible was printed to procure the setting it forth by the King's Authority I will here relate more at large what Countenance and Assistance he gave to this pious Work all along and those that were concerned and employed in the doing of it The Bible as Fox speaks had been printed in the Year 1532 and reprinted again three or four Years after The Undertakers and Printers were Grafton and Whitchurch who printed it at Hamburgh The Corrector was Iohn Rogers a Learned Divine afterwards a Canon of St. Paul's in King Edward's Time and the first Martyr in the next Reign The Translator was William Tyndal another Learned Martyr with the help of Miles Coverdale after Bishop of Exeter But before all this second Edition was finish'd Tyndal was taken and put to death for his Religion in Flanders in the Year 1536. And his Name then growing into ignominy as one burnt for an Heretick they thought it might prejudice the Book if he should be named for the Translator thereof and so they used a feigned Name calling it Thomas Matthews Bible though Tyndal before his death had finished all but the Apocrypha which was translated by Rogers abovesaid who added also some Marginal Notes In this Bible were certain Prologues and a special Table collected of the common Places in the Bible and Texts of Scripture for proving the same And chiefly the common Places of the Lord's Supper the Marriage of Priests and the Mass. Of which it was there said that it was not to be found in Scripture This Bible giving the Clergy offence was gotten to be restrained Some Years after came forth the Bible aforesaid wherein Cranmer had the great Hand which as I suppose was nothing but the former corrected the Prologues and Table being left out When Grafton had finished this Work and printed off fifteen hundred Bibles at his great Charge amounting to five hundred Pounds a round Sum in those days the Ld. Crumwel desired to have six of his Books Which he forthwith sent by his Servant a clear Man of all suspicion of any Infection coming that day out of Flanders Grafton not adventuring to come himself with the Books because of the Infection at London where he was These Books therefore he sent together with a Letter of Thanks for being so assistant in the publication which as he writ in his Letter the Arch-bishop said the Tidings of did him more good than the Gift of ten thousand Pounds and for procuring the King's Licence which was thought fit to be signified in the Title Page in red Letters thus Set forth by the King 's most gracious Licence But several would not believe the King had licensed it and therefore he desired further of Crumwel that he would get it licensed under the Privy Seal which would be a Defence for the present and for the future But take the Letter as Grafton himself penned it MOST humbly beseeching your Lordship to understand that according to your Request I have sent your Lordship six Bibles which gladly I would have brought my self but because of the Sickness which remaineth in the City and therefore I have sent them by my Servant which this day came out of Flanders Requiring your Lordship if I may be so bold as to desire you to accept them as my simple Gift given to you for those most godly Pains for which the heavenly Father is bound even of his Justice to reward you with the Everlasting Kingdom of God For your Lordship's moving our most gracious Prince to the Allowance and Licensing of such a Work hath wrought such an Act worthy of Praise as never was mentioned in any Chronicle in this Realm and as my Lord of Canterbury said the Tydings thereof did him more good than the gift of 10000 l.
Person openly in the Church after Mass upon a Holy-day say the Lord's Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandments That they twice a Quarter declare the Bands of Matrimony and the danger of using their Bodies but with such Persons as they might by the Law of God and that no privy Contracts be made as they would avoid the extream Peril of the Laws of the Realm No Diocesan Bishop Consecrated this Year Bishops Suffragans Robert Bishop of S. Asaph recommended to the King Iohn Bradley Abbot of the Monastery of Milton of the order of S. Benedict or William Pelles both Batchellors of Divinity to the Dignity of Suffragan within the Diocess Province rather of Canterbury mentioning no particular See The Bishop of Bath and Wells also recommended two to the King out of which to nominate a Suffragan to some See within the Province of Canterbury viz. William Finch late Prior of Bremar and Richard Walshe Prior of the Hospital of S. Iohn Baptist of Bridgewater April the 7 th William Finch was nominated by the King to the Arch-bishop to be Consecrated for Suffragan of Taunton and then consecrated in the Chappel of S. Maries in the Conventual Church of the Friars Preachers London by Iohn Bishop of Rochester by virtue of Letters Commissional from the Arch-bishop Robert Bishop of S. Asaph and William Suffragan of Colchester assisting And March the 23. Iohn Bradley was consecrated Suffragan of Shaftsbury in the Chancel of the Parish-Church of S. Iohn Baptist in Southampton by Iohn Bishop of Bangor by the Letters Commissional of Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury Iohn Ipolitanen and Thomas Suffragan of Marleborough assisting CHAP. XIX The Act of Six Articles THIS Year October the 6 th I meet with a Commission ad Facultates granted from the Arch-bishop to a famous Man Nicolas Wotton LL. D. a Man of great Learning and made use of by the King afterwards in divers Embassies and a Privy-Counsellor to King Henry and his three Children successively Princes of the Realm and Dean of Canterbury and York This Commission was in pursuance of a late Act of Parliament to this Tenor That in whatsoever Cases not prohibited by Divine Right in which the Bishop of Rome or Roman See heretofore accustomed to Dispence and also in all other Cases in which the Bishop or See of Rome accustomed not to dispence if so be they were not forbid by Divine Right in these Cases the Arch-bishop had Power granted him to Dispense In this Office he constituted Wotton his Commissary or Deputy for the Term of his natural Life He succeeded Edmund Boner Master of the Arch-bishop's Faculties now preferred to the Bishoprick of Hereford So that Cranmer took notice of the Merits of this Man who was so much made use of afterwards in the Church and State and was of that great Esteem and Reputation that he was thought on in the beginning of Q. Elizabeth's Reign for ABp of Canterbury In the Year 1528. he was Doctor of Laws and the Bishop of London's Official In the Year 1540 he was Resident for the King in the Duke of Cleve's Court and had been employed in the Match between the King and the Lady Ann of that House the Year before and perhaps this might be the first time he was sent abroad in the King's Business In the Year 1539 the King took occasion to be displeased with the Arch-bishop and the other Bishops of the new Learning as they then termed them because they could not be brought to give their Consent in the Parliament that the King should have all the Monasteries suppressed to his own sole use They were willing he should have all the Lands as his Ancestors gave to any of them but the Residue they would have had bestowed upon Hospitals Grammar-Schools for bringing up of Youth in Vertue and good Learning with other things profitable in the Common-wealth The King was hereunto stirred by the crafty Insinuations of the Bishop of Winchester and other old dissembling Papists And as an effect of this Displeasure as it was thought in the Parliament this Year he made the terrible bloody Act of the Six Articles Whereby none were suffered to speak a word against the Doctrine of Transubstantiation upon pain of being burnt to Death as an Heretick and to forfeit all his Lands and Goods as in case of Treason And moreover it was made Felony and forfeiture of Lands and Goods to defend the Communion in both kinds Marriage in a Priest or in any Man or Woman that had vowed Chastity or to say any thing against the necessity of Private Masses and Auricular Confession Which Articles were plainly enough designed against any that should dare to open their Mouths against these Romish Errors and especially to impose Silence and that on pain of Death upon many honest Preachers that were now risen up and used to speak freely against these Abuses and as a good means to keep the poor People still securely in their old Ignorance and Superstition But before this Act passed marvellous great struggling there was on both Parts for and against it But the side of the Favourers of the Gospel at this time was the weaker the King now enclining more to the other Party for the reason abovesaid and for other Causes Wherein I refer the Reader to the Conjectures of the Lord Herbert The Bishops disputed long in the House some for it and some against it The Arch-bishop disputed earnestly three days against it using divers Arguments to disswade passing the Act. Which were so remarkable for the Learning and Weight of them that the King required a Copy of them And though he was resolved not to alter his purpose of having this Act made yet he was not offended with the Arch-bishops freedom as knowing the Sincerity of the Man Even those in the House that dissented from him were greatly taken with the Gravity Eloquence and Learning he then shewed and particularly the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk Who told him so at his Table soon after being sent by the King to him to comfort him under his dejection for this Act with Crumwel and many other Lords The Papist Writers say he opposed it because himself was a Married Man and so it would touch him close But it is plain that there were other of these Six Articles which he utterly disliked And especially he abhorred the rigorous penalty of the Act. But hereupon he privately sent away his Wife into Germany among her Friends On this side also were beside the Arch-bishop the Bishops of Ely Sarum Worcester Rochester and St. Davids York Durham Winchester and Carlile went vigorously the other way Against the former the King himself argued with his Learning out of the Scriptures and would by all means prove these Articles thence The Parliament Men said little against this Bill but seemed all unanimous for it Neither did the Lord Chancellor Audley no nor the Lord Privy Seal
of two Houses of Religious Persons namely that of Christ's-Church Canterbury and that of Rochester Towards the latter end of this Year several new Bishopricks were founded out of old Monasteries and several Deaneries and Colleges of Prebends out of divers Priories belonging to Cathedral Churches Herein as Crumwel so Cranmer had a great Hand Who laboured with the King that in these New Foundations there should be Readers of Divinity Greek and Hebrew and Students trained up in Religion and Learning From whence as a Nursery the Bishops should supply their Diocesses with honest and able Ministers And so every Bishop should have a College of Clergy-men under his Eye to be preferred according to their Merits For it was our Arch-bishops regret that the Prebendaries were bestowed as they were This Complaint Bishop Burnet tells us he saw in a long Letter of Cranmer's own hand Bishops Confirmed In Arch-bishops Cranmer's Register I find these Bishops Confirmed their Consecrations being omitted August the 11 th Iohn Bell LL. D. brought up in Baliol College and Arch-deacon of Glocester was Confirmed Bishop of Worcester upon the Resignation of Bishop Latimer in the Chappel of Lambeth He is stiled in the Register the King's Chaplain and Councellor November the Iohn Skyp D. D. Arch-deacon of Dorset and once Chaplain to Queen Ann Boleâ— was Confirmed Bishop of Hereford The King's Letter to the Archbishop to consecrate him bears date November 8. CHAP. XX. The Arch-bishop in Commission THE next Year viz. 1540. The Arch-bishop lost his great Friend and Assistant in carrying on the Reformation I mean the Lord Crumwel And when he was by Popish Craft and Malice taken off their next Work was to sacrifice Cranmer And many were the Accusations that were put up against him and Trial was made many ways to bring him to his Death or at least to bring him in disgrace with the King And first they thought to compass their Ends against him by occasion of a Commission now issued out from the King to a select Number of Bishops whereof the Arch-bishop was one which Commission was confirmed by Act of Parliament for inspecting into Matters of Religion and explaining some of the chief Doctrines of it These Commissioners had drawn up a set of Articles favouring the old Popish Superstitions And meeting together at Lambeth they produced them and vehemently urged that they should be established and that the Arch-bishop would yield to the Allowance of them especially seeing there was a signification that it was the King's Will and Pleasure that the Articles should run in that Tenour But they could not win the Arch-bishop neither by Fear nor Flattery No though the Lord Crumwel at this very time lay in the Tower There was not one Commissioner now on his part but all shrank away and complied with the Time and even those he most trusted to viz. Bishop Hethe of Rochester and Bishop Skip of Hereford The Arch-bishop as he disliked the Book already drawn up by them so he presented another Book wherein were divers Amendments of theirs After much arguing and disputing nor could the Arch-bishop be brought off Hethe and Skip with a Friend or two more walked down with him into his Garden at Lambeth and there used all the Perswasion they could urging to him that the King was resolved to have iâ— so and the Danger therefore of opposing it But he honestly persisted in his constancy telling them That there was but one Truth in the Articles to be concluded upon which if they hid from his Majesty by consenting unto a contrary Doctrine his Highness would in process of Time perceive the Truth and see how colorably they had delt with him And he knew he said his Grace's Nature so well that he would never after credit and trust them And they being both his Friends he bad them beware in time and discharge their Consciences in maintenance of the Truth But though nothing of all this could stir them yet what he said sufficiently confirmed the Arch-bishop to persist in his Resolution The Arch-bishop standing thus alone went himself to the King and so wrought with him that his Majesty joined with him against all the rest of them and the Book of Articles past on his side When indeed this stifness of Canterbury was the very thing his Enemies desired thinking that for this Opposition the King would certainly have thrown him into the Tower and many Wagers were laid in London about it So that this ended in two good Issues that the Arch-bishop's Enemies were clothed with Shame and Disappointment and a very good Book chiefly of the Arch-bishop's composing came forth for the Instruction of the People known by the Name of A necessary Erudition of any Christian Man A particular Account whereof may be read in the History of the Reformation This vexed Winchester to the Heart that his Plot took no better Effect but he put it up till he should find other Opportunities to attack him which after happened as we shall see in the sequel of this Story But this Matter deserves to be a little more particularly treated of The King had as was said before appointed several of the Eminent Divines of his Realm to deliberate about sundry Points of Religion then in Controversy and to give in their Sentences distinctly And that in regard of the Germans who the last Year had sent over in Writing the Judgment of their Divines respecting some Articles of Religion and had offered his Majesty to appoint some of their Divines to meet some others of the King 's in any Place he should assign or to come over into England to confeâ— together And also in regard of a more exact review of the Institution of a Christian Man put forth about two or three Years before and now intended to be published again as a more perfect Piece of Religious Instruction for the People The King therefore being minded thorowly to sift divers Points of Religion then started and much controverted commanded a particular number of Bishops and other his Learned Chaplains and Dignitaries to compare the Rites and Ceremonies and Tenets of the present Church by the Scriptures and by the most Ancient Writers and to see how far the Scripture or good Antiquity did allow of the same And this I suppose he did by the instigation of Arch-bishop Cranmer The Names of the Commissioners were these Cranmer ABp of Canterbury Lee ABp of York Boner Bishop of London Tunstal Bishop of Durham Barlow Bishop of S. David's Aldrich Bishop of Carlisle Skyp Bishop of Hereford Hethe Bishop of Rochester Thirleby Bishop Elect of Westminster Doctors Cox Robinson Day Oglethorp Redman Edgeworth Symonds Tresham Leyghton Curwen Crayford Where we may wonder not to see the Name of the Bishop of Winton But if we consider the Reason the King gave why he left him out of the Number of his Executors viz. because as he told several
Feast that they should be without it The said Proclamation also set the Price at ten Shillings a Book unbound and well Bound and Clasped not above twelve Shillings And charged all Ordinaries to take care for the seeing this Command of the King the better executed And upon this Boner being now newly Bishop of London set up six Bibles in certain convenient Places of S. Paul's Church together with an Admonition to the Readers fastned upon the Pillars to which the Bibles were chained to this Tenor That whosoever came there to read should prepare himself to be edified and made the better thereby That he should join thereunto his readiness to obey the King's Injunctions made in that behalf That he bring with him Discretion honest Intent Charity Reverence and quiet Behaviour That there should no such Number meet together there as to make a Multitude That no Exposition be made thereupon but what is declared in the Book it self That it be not read with Noise in time of Divine Service Or that any Disputation or Contention be used at it But it was not much above two Years after that the Popish Bishops obtained of the King the suppression of the Bible again For after they had taken off the Lord Crumwel they made great complaint to the King their old Complaint of the Translation and of the Prefaces Whereas indeed and in truth it was the Text it self rather than the Prefaces or Translation that disturbed them Whereupon it was forbid again to be sold the Bishops promising the King to amend and correct it but never performed it And Grafton was now so long after summoned and charged with printing Matthews's Bible Which he being timerous made Excuses for Then he was examined about the great Bible and what the Notes were he intâ—nded to set thereto He replied that he added none to his Bible when he perceived the King and the Clergy not willing to have any Yet Grafton was sent to the Fleet and there remained six Weeks and before he came out was bound in three hundred Pounds that he should neither sell nor imprint any more Bibles till the King and the Clergy should agree upon a Translation And they procured an Order from the King that the falsâ— Translation of Tindal as they called it should not be uttered either by Printer or Bookseller and no other Books to be retained that spoke against the Sacrament of the Altar No Annotations or Preambles to be in Bibles or New Testaments in English that so they might keep Scripture still as obscure as they could Nor the Bible to be read in the Church and nothing to be taught contrary to the King's Instructions And from henceforth the Bible was stopp'd during the remainder of King Henry's Reign But however for some certain Ends the King restrained now and then the use of the Scriptures to comply with the importunate Suits of the Popish Bishops yet his Judgment always was for the free use of them among his Subjects and in order to that for the translating and printing them For proof of which I will recite the words of the Translator of Erasmus's Paraphrase upon S. Luke in his Preface thereunto viz. Nic. Vdal a Man of Eminency in those Days a Canon of Windsor and a Servant unto Q. Katharine the King 's last Wife His most Excellent Majesty from the first day that he wore the Imperial Crown of this Realm foresaw that to the executing the Premisses viz. to destroy counterfeit Religions and to root up all Idolatry done to dead Images it was necessary that his People should be reduced to the sincerity of Christ's Religion by knowing of God's Word He considered that requisite it was his Subjects were nurâ—led in Christ by reading the Scriptures whose Knowledg should easily induce them to the clear espying of all the Slights of the Romish Juggling And therefore as soon as might be his Highness by most wholsome and godly Laws provided that it might be lawful for all his most faithful loving Subjects to read the Word of God and the Rules of Christ's Discipline which they professed He provided that the Holy Bible should be set forth in our own Vulgar Language to the end that England might the better attain to the Sincerity of Christ's Doctrine which they might draw out of the clear Fountain and Spring of the Gospel CHAP. XXII The Arch-bishop retired OUR Arch-bishop after the unhappy Death of the Lord Crumwel so excellent an Instrument in correcting the Abuses of Religion out of sorrow and care of himself betook himself to more Retirement and greater Privacy For in and after this Year 1540 I find nothing in his Register but the Acts of Confirmations and Elections and Consecrations of Bishops as Bishopricks fell vacant the Arch-bishop very seldom Consecrating any himself but commissionating others by his Letters to Confirm and Consecrate And nothing to be found a great way on in the Register concerning giving Ordinances and Injunctions to the Diocess or Province And no wonder for there was now no Vicegerent in Ecclesiasticals to be ready to hearken to the Arch-bishop's Directions and Counsels for reforming Abuses and to see them executed in the Church And his own Sorrows and the Troubles he met with in these Times from his Enemies made him judg it convenient for him now more warily to conceal himself till better Days But before the Death of Crumwel when Boner Bishop Elect of London was to be consecrated the Arch-bishop probably not liking him and seeing through him whatever his Pretences were and therefore declining to have any hand in his Preferment sent his Commission in April to Stephen Bishop of Winchester Richard Bishop of Chichester Robert Bishop of S. Asaph and Iohn Bishop of Hertford i. e. Hereford to consecrate him Which it is said in the Register they did accordingly per Sacri chrismatis unctionem manuum suarum impositionem In this Consecration the Prior and Chapter of Canterbury insisted it seems upon an ancient Privilege of their Church which I do not find in this Register they had at other Consecrations done namely that the Consecration should be celebrated at the Church of Canterbury and at no other Church or Oratory without their Allowance And so in a formal Instrument they gave their Licence and Consent directed to the Arch-bishop to proceed to the Consecration elsewhere The Letter is from Thomas the Prior and the Chapter of Canterbury and it ran thus Licet antiquitus fuerit salubriter ordinatum hactenusque in per totam vestram Provinciam Cantuar ' inconcussè observatum quod quilibet Suffraganâ—us Ecclesiae vestrae Metropoliticae Christi Cantuar ' memoratae in Ecclesia vestra Metropolit ' Cantuar ' non alibi pntialiter consecrari benedici debeat c. Yet they gave their Consent that he might be Consecrated in any other Oratory But yet so that neither they nor the Church received any Prejudice and reserving to
themselves a decent Cope as every Suffragan of the Church of Canterbury according as his Profession was ought to give to the same Church by Right and ancient Custom and the Rights Liberties Privileges and other Customs of the said Church always and in all things being safe The renewing of this their old pretended Privilege look'd like some check to the Arch-bishop and as though they required of him a sort of dependence on them now more than before and it shewed some secret Ill-will towards him which brake out more openly not long after as we shall shew in the Process of our Story In the Register is also recorded Boner's Oath of Fidelity to the King against the Bishop of Rome Which I will add here that Men may see with what little Affection to the Pope this Man was let into the Bishoprick which he afterwards made so much use of for him and his Usurpations though thereby he stands upon Record for ever for Perjury But the Oath was this Ye shall never consent nor agree that the Bishop of Rome shall practise exercise or have any manner of Authority Jurisdiction or Power within this Realm or any other the King's Dominions but that ye shall resist the same at all times to the uttermost of your Power And that from henceforth ye shall accept repute and take the King's Majesty to be the only Supream Head in Earth of the Church of England c. So help you God and all Saints and the Holy Evangelists Signed thus ✚ In fidem praemissorum Ego Edm. Boner Elect. Confirmat Londoniens huic praesenti chart a subscripsi By the Arch-bishop's Letters bearing date May 20. he made Robert Harvey B. LL. his Commissary in Calais and in all the other Neighbouring Places in France being his Diocess A Man surely wherein the good Arch-bishop was mistaken or else he would never have ventured to set such a Substitute of such bigotted cruel Principles in that place This Harvey condemned a poor labouring Man of Calais who said he would never believe that any Priest could make the Lord's Body at his pleasure Whereupon he was accused before the Commissary who roundly condemned him to be burnt inveighing against him and saying He was an Heretick and should die a vile Death The poor Man said He should die a viler shortly And so it came to pass for half a Year after he was hang'd drawn and quartered for Treason He seemed to have succeded in the room of a Man of better Principles called Sir Iohn Butler Who was deprived of his Commissariship by some Bishops Commissioners from the King for the examining several Persons suspect of Religion in Calais The Council there had about the Year 1539 complained of him as a maintainer of Damplip a learned and pious Preacher there So he was sent for into England and charged to favour Damplip because he preached so long there and was not restrained nor punish'd by him He answered warily and prudently that the Lord Lisle Lord Deputy and his Council entertained and friendly used him and countenanced him by hearing him preach so that he could not do otherwise than he did After long attendance upon the King's Commissioners he was discharged and returned home but discharged also of his Commissary's place too And having been an Officer of the Arch-bishop's I will add a word or two more concerning him About the Year 1536 he was apprehended in Calais and bound by Sureties not to pass the Gates of that Town upon the Accusation of two Souldiers that he should have said in contempt of the Corporal Presence That if the Sacrament of the Altar be Flesh Blood and Bone then there is good Aqua vitae at John Spicer's Where probably was very bad This Butler and one Smith were soon after brought by Pursevants into England and there brought before the Privy-Council in the Star-Chamber for Sedition and Heresy which were Charges ordinarily laid against the Professors of the Gospel in those Times and thence sent to the Fleet and brought soon after to Bath-place there sitting Clark Bishop of Bath Sampson Bishop of Chichester and Reps Bishop of Norwich the King's Commissioners And no wonder he met with these Troubles For he had raised up the hatred of the Friars of Calais against him by being a Discoverer and Destroyer of one of their gross Religious Cheats There had been great talk of a Miracle in S. Nicolas Church for the conviction of Men that the Wafer after Consecration was indeed turned into the Body Flesh and Bones of Christ. For in a Tomb in that Church representing the Sepulchre there were lying upon a Marble Stone three Hosts sprinkled with Blood and a Bone representing some Miracle This Miracle was in writing with a Pope's Bull of Pardon annexed to those I suppose that should visit that Church There was also a Picture of the Resurrection bearing some relation to this Miracle This Picture and Story Damplip freely spake against in one of his Sermons saying that it was but an Illusion of the French before Calais was English Upon this Sermon the King also having ordered the taking away all superstitious Shrines there came a Commission to the Lord Deputy of Calais to this Sir Iohn Butler the Arch-bishop's Commissary and one or two more that they should search whether this were true and if they found it not so that immediately the Shrine should be plucked down and so it was For breaking up a Stone in the corner of the Tomb instead of the three Hosts the Blood and the Bone they found souldered in the Cross of Marble lying under the Sepulchre three plain white Counters which they had painted like unto Hosts and a Bone that is in the tip of a Sheep's Tail This Damplip shewed the next Day being Sunday unto the People and after that they were sent to the King by the Lord Deputy But this so angred the Friars and their Creatures that it cost Damplip his Life and Commissary Butler much trouble and the loss of his Office After Harvey Hugh Glazier B. D. and Canon of Christ's-Church Canterbury succeeded in the Office of Commissary to the Arch-bishop fo◠Calais He was once a Friar but afterwards favoured the Reformation He was put up to preach at Paul's Cross the first Lent after King Edward came to the Crown and then asserted the observation of Lent to be but of human Institution This Year the Cathedral Church of Canterbury was altered from Monks to Secular Men of the Clergy viz. Prebendaries or Canons Petticanons Choristers and Scholars At this Erection were present Thomas Cranmer Arch-bishop the Lord Rich Chancellor of the Court of the Augmentation of the Revenues of the Crown Sir Christopher Hales Knight the King's Attorney Sir Anthony Sentleger Knight with divers other Commissioners And nominating and electing such convenient and fit Persons as should serve for the Furniture of the said Cathedral Church according to the
new Foundation it came to pass that when they should elect the Children of the Grammar-School there were of the Commissioners more than one or two who would have none admitted but Sons or younger Brethren of Gentlemen As for other Husband-mens Children they were more meet they said for the Plough and to be Artificers than to occupy the place of the Learned sort So that they wished none else to be put to School but only Gentlemens Children Whereunto the most Reverend Father the Arch-bishop being of a contrary Mind said That he thought it not indifferent so to order the matter For said he poor Mens Children are many times endued with more singular Gifts of Nature which are also the Gifts of God as with Eloquence Memory apt Pronunciation Sobriety and such like and also commonly more apt to apply their Study than is the Gentleman's Son delicately Educated Hereunto it was on the other part replied That it was meet for the Ploughman's Son to go to Plough and the Artificer's Son to apply the Trade of his Parents Vocation and the Gentleman's Children are meet to have the knowledg of Government and Rule in the Common-Wealth For we have said they as much need of Ploughmen as any other State And all sorts of Men may not go to School I grant replied the Arch-bishop much of your meaning herein as needful in a Common-wealth But yet utterly to exclude the Ploughman's Son and the Poor Man's Son from the benefit of Learning as though they were unworthy to have the Gifts of the Holy Ghost bestowed upon them as well as upon others is as much to say as that Almighty God should not be at liberty to bestow his great Gifts of Grace upon any Person nor no where else but as we and other Men shall appoint them to be employed according to our Fancy and not according to his most godly Will and Pleasure Who giveth his Gifts both of Learning and other Perfections in all Sciences unto all Kinds and States of People indifferently Even so doth he many times withdraw from them and their Posterity again those beneficial Gifts if they be not thankful If we should shut up into a strait Corner the bountiful Grace of the Holy Ghost and thereupon attempt to build our Fancies we should make as perfect a Work thereof as those that took upon them to build the Tower of Babel For God would so provide that the Off-spring of our best-born Children should peradventure become most unapt to learn and very Dolts as I my self have seen no small number of them very dull and without all manner of Capacity And to say the truth I take it that none of us all here being Gentlemen born as I think but had our beginning that way from a low and base Parentage And through the benefit of Learning and other Civil Knowledg for the most part all Gentlemen ascend to their Estate Then it was again answered That the most part of the Nobility came up by Feats of Arms and Martial Acts. As though said the Arch-bishop that the noble Captain was always unfurnished of good Learning and Knowledg to perswade and disswade his Army Rhetorically Who rather that way is brought unto Authority than else his manly Looks To conclude the poor Man's Son by pains-taking will for the most part be learned when the Gentleman's Son will not take the pains to get it And we are taught by the Scriptures that Almighty God raiseth up from the Dunghil and setteth him in high Authority And whensoever it pleaseth him of his Divine Providence he deposeth Princes unto a right humble and poor Estate Wherefore if the Gentleman's Son be apt to Learning let him be admitted if not apt let the poor Man's Child that is apt enter his Room With words to the like effect Such a seasonable Patron of poor Men was the Arch-bishop Bishops consecrated April the 4 th Edmond Boner LL. D. Bishop of Hereford consecrated Bishop of London and Nicolas Hethe consecrated Bishop of Rochester in a Chappel in S. Paul's on the North side of the Nave by Stephen Bishop of Winton assisted by Richard Bishop of Chichester Robert Bishop of S. Asaph and Iohn Bishop of Hereford by virtue of Commissional Letters from the Arch-bishop December the 29 th Thomas Thirlby consecrated the first Bishop of Westminster in S. Saviours Chappel near the Sepulchre of Henry VIII in the Church of Westminster by the Bishop of London assisted by Nicolas Bishop of Rochester and Iohn Suffragan of Bedford by Letters Commissional from the Arch-bishop Dr. Butts the King's Physician first moved him to take Dr. Thirlby into his Service for that the said Thirleby was accounted a favourer of all such as favoured sincere Religion The Arch-bishop soon became acquainted with him and liked his Learning and his Qualities so well that he became his good Lord towards the King's Majesty and commended him to him to be a Man worthy to serve a Prince for such singular Qualities as were in him And indeed the King soon employed him in Embassies in France and elsewhere So that he grew in the King's Favour by the means of the Arch-bishop who had a very extraordinary Love for him and thought nothing too much to give him or to do for him And we may conclude it was by his means that after the dissolution of the Bishoprick of Westminster he was preferred to Norwich in the Year 1550. He complied with King Edward's Proceedings all his Reign and so he did with Queen Mary's during hers being then translated to Ely And was then made use of to be one of the Bishops Boner being the other that were sent to Oxon to degrade the Arch-bishop which he did with Tears If this Bishop did not to his uttermost endeavour practise to save the Arch-bishop's Life he not only did him much wrong but also abused his singular Benevolence with over-much Ingratitude I use the words of Morice the Arch-bishop's Secretary as though he suspected he did not CHAP. XXIII All-Souls College visited THE following Year the College of All-Souls Oxon underwent the Arch-bishop's Visitation by virtue of a Commission May 12. to Iohn Cocks the Arch-bishop's Vicar-general in Spirituals Iohn Rokesby LL. D of the Arches Walter Wright LL. D. Publick Notary and Iohn Warner M. D. Warden of the College This Visitation was occasioned upon a Complaint of the very ill and loose Behaviour of the Members of that House The College grew scandalous for their Factions Dissentions and Combinations one against another for their Compotations Ingurgitations Surfeitings Drunkennesses enormous and excessive Comessations They kept Boys in the College under pretence of poor Scholars They entred not into Orders and became not Priests after they were Masters of Art Nor observed their Times of Disputations Their Habit and Apparel was gaudy And other things there were among them contrary to the Statutes of the College This Visitation was prorogued and all the
Apostles S. Peter S. Paul S. Andrew c. The Prayer for the King nameth K. Henry VIII and his gracious Son Prince Edward In the Kalendar Thomas a Becket's Days are still retained in red Letters But I suppose that was done of course by the Printer using the old Kalendar In the same Book is a large and pious Paraphrase on Psalm LI. A Dialogue between the Father and the Son Meditations on Christ's Passion and many other things By somewhat that happened this Year the Arch-bishop proved very instrumental in promoting the Reformation of corrupt Religion in the Neighbouring Nation of Scotland which this Year had received a great Overthrow by the English Army and great Numbers of Scotish Noblemen and Gentlemen were taken Prisoners and brought up to London and after disposed of in the Houses of the English Nobility and Gentry under an easy Restraint The Earl of Cassillis was sent to Lambeth where the good Arch-bishop shewed him all Respects in providing him with Necessaries and Conveniences but especially in taking care of his Soul He detected to him the great Errors of Popery and the Reasons of those Regulations that had been lately made in Religion in England And so successful was the Arch-bishop herein that the Earl went home much enlightned in true Religion which that Nation then had a great aversion to for they highly misliked the Courses King Henry took Which Prejudices the King understanding endeavoured to take off by sending Barlow Bishop of S. Davids to Scotland with the Book of The Institution of a Christian Man Which nevertheless made no great Impression upon that People But this that happened to the Scotish Nobility that were now taken Prisoners and especially this Guest of the Arch-bishop becoming better enclined to Religion by the Knowledg they received while they remained here had a happier Effect and brought on the Reformation that after happened in that Kingdom The Parliament being summoned in Ianuary in order to the King 's making War with France whither he intended to go in Person the Arch-bishop resolved to try this Occasion to do some good Service again for Religion which had of late received a great stop His Endeavour now was to moderate the severe Acts about Religion and to get some Liberty for the Peoples reading of the Scripture Cranmer first made the Motion and four Bishops viz. Worcester Hereford Chichester and Rochester seconded him But Winchester opposed the Arch-bishop's Motion with all earnestness And the Faction combined with so much Violence that these Bishops and all other fell off from the Arch-bishop and two of them endeavoured to perswade the Arch-bishop to desist at present and to stay for a better Opportunity But he refused and followed his Stroke with as much vigour as he could and in fine by his perswasion with the King and the Lords a Bill past And the King was the rather inclined thereunto because he being now to go abroad upon a weighty Expedition thought convenient to leave his Subjects at home as easy as might be So with much struggling an Act was past intituled An Act for the Advancement of True Religion and the Abolishment of the contrary In this Act as Tindal's Translation of the Scriptures was forbidden to be kept or used so other Bibles were allowed to some Persons excepting the Annotations and Preambles which were to be cut or dashed out And the King 's former Proclamations and Injunctions with the Primers and other Books printed in English for the Instruction of the People before the Year 1540 were still to be in force which it seems before were not And that every Nobleman and Gentleman might have the Bible read in their Houses and that Noble Ladies and Gentlewomen and Merchants might read it themselves But no Men or Women under those Degrees That every Person might read and teach in their Houses the Book set out in the Year 1540 which was The necessary Erudition of a Christian Man with the Psalter Primer Pater noster Ave and Creed in English But when Winchester and his Party saw that they could not hinder the Bill from passing they clogged it with Provisoes that it came short of what the Arch-bishop intended it as that the People of all sorts and conditions universally might not read the Scriptures but only some few of the higher Rank And that no Book should be printed about Religion without the King's Allowance And that the Act of the Six Articles should be in the same Force it was before A Bishop Consecrated Iune the 25 th being Sunday Paul Bush Provincial of the Bonhommes was consecrated the first Bishop of Bristol by Nicolas Bishop of Rochester assisted by Thomas Bishop of Westminster and Iohn Suffragan of Bedford This Consecration was celebrated in the Parish-Church of Hampton in the Diocess of Westminster CHAP. XXV Presentments at a Visitation BY the Act above-mentioned the generality of the People were restrained from reading the Holy Scriptures But in lieu of it was set forth by the King and his Clergy in the Year 1543 a Doctrine for all his Subjects to use and follow which was the Book abovesaid and all Books that were contrary to it were by Authority of Parliament condemned It was printed in London by Thomas Barthelet This Book the Arch-bishop enjoined to be made publick in his Diocess as I suppose it was in all other Diocesses throughout the Kingdom and allowed no preaching or arguing against it And when one Mr. Ioseph once a Friar in Canterbury now a learned and earnest Preacher and who was afterward preferred to Bow-Church in London had attempted to preach against some things in the Book the Arch-bishop checked and forbad him For indeed there were some Points therein which the Arch-bishop himself did not approve of foisted into it by Winchester's Means and Interest at that time with the King Which Bishop politickly as well as flatteringly called it The King's Book a Title which the Arch-Bishop did not much like for he knew well enough Winchester's Hand was in it And so he told him plainly in K. Edward's Time when he might speak his Mind telling him in relation thereunto That he had seduced the King But because of the Authority of the Parliament ratifying the Book and the many good and useful Things that were in it the Arch-bishop introduced and countenanced it in his Diocess and would not allow open preaching against it The Arch-bishop about the Month of September held a Visitation in Canterbury chiefly because of the Jangling of the Preachers and the divers Doctrines vented among them according as their Fancies Interests or Judgments led them The Visitation proceeded upon the King's Injunctions and other late Ordinances And here I shall set down before the Reader some of the Presentments as I take them from an Original in a Volume that belonged to this Archbishop Wherein notice may be taken what ignorance was then in some of the Priests what
bandying against one another and what good Progress the Gospel did begin to make and what good Numbers of Priests and Lay-men there were that savoured of the Gospel-Doctrine Sir Humphrey Chirden Parson of S. Elphins on a Sunday in Lent said If Iudas had gone to God and confessed his Fault saying Peccavi as he went unto the Priests he had not been damned This Passage was plain enough levelled against confessing to a Priest But this was presentable because against the Six Articles One Lancaster the Parson of Pluckley was presented because that when one Giles said That he blessed himself daily and nightly saying In nomine Patris Filii Sp. Sancti and then said In the Honour of God and our Lady and all the company of Heaven and for all Christen Souls that God would have prayed for a Pater-noster an Ave and a Creed the said Parson said to him That if he knew it of Truth that the said Giles used the same form of Prayer he would not accompany him nor once drink with him Vincent Ingeam a Justice of Peace I suppose commanded on Easter Munday 33 o of the King that no Man should read or hear the Bible read upon pain of Imprisonment and cast two into Prison the one for speaking against him therein and the other for showing him the King's Injunctions concerning the same He repugned against the Doings of the Commissary for taking down the Image of S. Iohn by the King's Commandment Where I find among other witnesses to this one Daniel Cranmer a Relation doubtless of the Arch-bishop Sir Thomas Curate of Sholden and Thomas Sawier set up again four Images which by the King's Commandment were taken down for Abuses by Pilgrimages and Offerings viz. S. Nicolas S. Stephen S. Laurence and our Lady Another accused for forsaking his own Parish-Church at the time of Easter two Years together not liking his Parish-Priest for his affection to the Gospel and for going to Walsingham in Pilgrimage and that he would at no time shew to the Vicar a lawful Certificate that he had received the Blessed Sacrament at the time commonly accustomed as a Christen Man ought to do And obstinately refused to learn his Pater Noster Ave Credo and Ten Commandments in English according to the King's Injunctions Sir Edward Sponer Vicar of Boughton had not declared to his Parishioners the right use of Ceremonies neither shewed the difference between them and Works commanded by God as he is commanded by the King's Proclamation He had not preached against the Bishop of Rome his usurped Power and set forth the King's Supremacy as he is bound by the King's Injunctions and other his Proceedings He hath not preached his Quarters Sermons neither at Boughton nor at his Benefice in the Mersh He never declared that the Even of such Saints whose Days be abrogated be no Fasting-days The Arch-deacon of Canterbury that was Edmund the Archbishop's Brother the morrow after the Ascension was three Years took out of the Church of S. Andrews in Canterbury three lamp Tapers brenning before the Sacrament and a Coat from a Rood and did violently break the Arms and Legs of the Rood Sir William Kemp Vicar of Northgate had not read the Bible since Pentecost as he was commanded by the Ordinary He doth not declare to his Parishioners the right use of Holy Water Holy Bread bearing of Candles upon Candlemassday giving of Ashes bearing of Palms creeping to the Cross. For lack wherof the most part of the said Parish be as ignorant in such things as ever they were And many of them do abuse Holy Water insomuch that against Tempests of Thunder and Lightning many run to the Church for Holy Water to cast about their Houses to drive away Evil Spirits and Devils notwithstanding the King's Proclamations in the same He hath not read to them the King's Injunctions as he ought to do by reason whereof his Parish be blind and ignorant in them Bartholomew Ioy confessed to his Curate in general saying I am a Sinner And when the Vicar asked him wherein he had sinned he answered that he had confessed himself to the Lord already and that he would make none other Confession at that time and so departed Iohn Tofts Christopher Levenysh Bartholomew Ioy in the 30 th of the King pulled down all the Pictures in the Church of Northgate in Canterbury except only the Rood Mary and Iohn the Twelve Apostles the Picture of our Lady and S. Iohn Baptist. And in the thirty fourth of the King Tofts pulled down the Picture of our Lady and had her and the Tabernacle home to his House and there did hew her all to Pieces And at another time the same Tofts openly with a loud Voice read the Bible in English in the Church to his Wife Sterkies Wife George Tofts Wife to the Midwife of the same Parish and to as many others as then were present Ioanna Meriwether of S. Mildreds Parish for displeasure that she bare towards a young Maid named Elizabeth Celsay and her Mother made a Fire upon the Dung of the said Elizabeth and took a holy Candle and dropt upon the said Dung And she told unto her Neighbours that the said Enchantment would make the Cule of the said Maid to divide into two parts Rafe the Bell-ringer of Christ-Church at the Burial of Dr. Champion the Arch-bishop's Chaplain after the Priest had censed his Grave and a Boy was bearing away the Censers and the Coals called after the Boy and took the Censers and poured the hot Coals upon him in his Grave to the great slander of the said Dr. Champion as though he had been an Heretic worthy burning Also he said the King was content that all Images should be honoured as they were wont to be Coxson Petty Canon of Christ-Church made his Testament by the advice of Mr. Parkhurst Mr. Sandwich and Mr. Mills Canons of the said Church and gave and bequeathed to every Vicar of Christ-Church twenty Pence that had a pair of Beads and would say our Lady Psalter for his Soul departed And this was executed according to the Will The Parson of Alyngton never preached in the Church of Alyngton nor declared against the usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome nor set forth the King's Supremacy according to the King's Proclamations Letters and Injunctions He hath been a great setter forth in his Parish of the Maid of Kent Pilgrimages fained Relicks and other such Superstitions and yet never recanted and reproved the same according to the King's Majesty's Injunctions He hath not declared to his Parishioners that the Eves of such Holy-days as be abrogate be no Fasting-days according to the King's Injunctions So upon the Sundays Candlemass-day Ash-wednesday Palm-Sunday and Good-Friday he hath not declared the true use of the Ceremonies used those Days according to the King's Proclamation The Curate of Stodmersh did dissuade Men from eating of White-meats the last Lent and rebuked them that did eat
which they made was to prefer Bills of Accusation against the Arch-bishop's Chaplains and Preachers viz. The two Ridleyes Scory Turner Bland Drum Lancaster and others and slantingly through their Sides striking at the Arch-bishop himself This they did to the Justices at their Sessions upon the Statute of the Six Articles And that by the suggestion of London who thought it convenient that the Articles should first be carried to the Sessions and from thence returned to the Council-Board Willoughby being the King's Chaplain and a Man of some Quality was prevailed with to present the Articles to the Justices and to make them willing to meddle in this Affair which otherwise they had no great Stomach to do fearing they might draw the King's displeasure upon themselves Willoughby by the direction of London told Moyle and Thwaits and the other their Fellow-Justices That they should be shent for suffering such Preaching and Contention without doing any thing therein to stop it And this was that they drove at that after these Articles were preferred from the Justices up to Court and seen and read by the King and Council a Commission should then be obtained and such put into the Commission as might effectually take order with the Preachers And these three Prebendaries Parkhurst Gardiner and Mills they laboured especially to be put in Commissioners and that the Arch-bishop himself should be left out For so London had promised Their next Care was to prepare the Articles Gardiner and Serles are extraordinary diligent in this Work and had been gathering Matter a good space before The Writings were finished at Justice Moyle's House And Willoughby seems to be the Man that offered the Bill in Court They dealt earnestly with Baro Clark of the Peace to draw up the Indictment against the good Men complained of in their Bill of Articles the chief whereof were Iohn Bland and Richard Turner but he denied it And when the Jury that were to be sworn came they took them not orderly as they stood in the Panel but overleaped some of them and left them unsworn that they might be sure to have such Men as would do their Business After they had proceeded thus far their next Care was to get their Articles sent up to the Court and laid before the King and Council And to these foresaid Articles they drew up another Book against the Arch-bishop himself the matter being first plotted between Dr. London and Serles a discontented Man lately imprisoned And this created them a new Diligence and divers Journeys from Kent to London to take their Instructions and from London to Kent to get their Informations And there was at last a parcel of Articles Trifles for the most part raked out of the Dunghil picked up any where and from any Person without Proof For they had nothing to shew for the truth of them but Hear-say and Report and scarcely that Serles inveighles Dr. Willoughby into this Business and brings him into acquaintance with Dr. London In whose House the Articles are first read to whom it was propounded to present them But when Searles had said that the things mentioned in the Articles were such as were openly spoken Willoughby replied Though he heard such things he was not sure they were true and there was no Record to affirm them true no Witnesses Hands being subscribed And so made a great boggle at presenting them and put Serles upon that Work But London urged Willoughby to carry them to the Council telling him that it would be a Matter of great Danger for him being so near the King if he should not give information of such ill things in that Country where he lived especially knowing the King's Pleasure that such Matters should not be concealed but that complaint should be made of them to Him and his Council And he bad him not fear for that he himself had made such a Spectacle at Windsor in bringing to light abominable Heresies meaning in causing those three poor Men to be burnt and indicting so many more their Maintainers whereat the King he said was astonished and angry both with the Doers and Bearers And therefore if he should now shrink he should shew himself to be no true Subject Upon these words which created some fear in Willoughby if he should decline what London put him on to do he was content to present them Thus having gotten a Person ready for this part of the Drudgery to prefer the Complaints against the Arch-bishop London writ them over again and added other new Articles as he pleased Which Serles himself liked not But London said he meant by putting in some things to bring the Matter before the Justices and certain of the Spirituality for his purpose Matters many of them of mere untruth and not so much as the pretence of a Rumor for But he told Willoughby and Serles that it should never be known to be their doings And so Willoughby took the old Copy with him into Kent to get it recorded and signed with Hands And London sent a Copy to the Bishop of Winchester Willoughby being now at Canterbury about this Business requiring the Prebendaries to sign the Articles they all refused Up rode Willoughby to London again and acquaints Dr. London therewith with a heavy heart Then he began another practice to tamper with the Justices bidding Willoughby let them know that the King would be angry with them for taking no more notice of the Disorders in Kent London went also himself to Moyles Lodging a Leading Justice then in Kent and talked with him exhorting him to forward this Work against the Arch-bishop telling him That he himself had taken up my Lord of Canterbury before the Council meaning thereby to signify to him that he needed not to fear him so much as he seemed to do or his Interest at the Court. Upon this Moyle sent to several other Gentlemen and Justices to search out for any Priests that wanted a Crown as a Reward for their Information who should enquire about the Country for what things were rumoured against the Arch-bishop And so as many Rumors and Bruits as were brought were presently turned into Articles But Moyle warily sent all the Reports that came to his hand to the Arch-bishop not so much out of good-will to him as that he might pretend to discharge his Duty in giving Information to the Diocesan of Abuses in his Diocess thereby also reckoning to avert the Displeasure of the Arch-bishop from himself But this London liked not of and told him he would mar all At length Serles and Willoughby had got together a mass of Accusations whether true or false mattered not but a great heap they made For these two were the chief Collectors of Articles both at Canterbury and other Places in Kent London having advised them to get as much Matter as could be devised for it would be the goodliest Deed as he said and the most bounden Act to the King that
ever they did These Reports were digested into two or three Books Serles brought up some of the Articles roughly drawn to London and London transcribed them and brought them to the Bishop of Winchester and there they were copied out by German Gardiner his Secretary another busy Man Gardiner the Prebendary by this time had gotten a Book of Articles signed by the rest of the Prebendaries and Willoughby brought them up some of the Prebendaries coming up too being about to be the Presenters of the Book themselves Winchester and Baker Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations gave the said Prebendaries encouragement to proceed in what they went about And busy London to make the Articles the better entertained when they should be presented to the Council had officiously shewn the Copy of them to several of the said Council before-hand I must here give this further note concerning Serles that he was so zealous a Man that he had the Year before put up to the Council Articles against the Preachers of the Gospel But they were such that the Council thought not fit the King should see them Which he complained of and it seems at his return was clapt up in Prison for his pains for some either malicious Insinuations or irregular Practices herein Shether was another of the Gang and one of the forwardest in this invidious Business against the innocent Arch-bishop He was one of those that came up to London to present the Bill It may be guessed what a hot-headed Man he was by a passage we meet with concerning him when he was Proctor at Oxford in the Year 1535. In which Year he made such a Combustion betwixt the University and the Towns-men that they being enraged against him he went in danger of his Life So that he and his Company were fain to go armed when they went abroad And when he was out of his Proctorship the University allowed him to defend himself from the Towns-men at the University Charge if he should be set upon by them This Shether brought up also his Collections to one Ford his Brother-in-Law to write them out which amounted to a great Book of two days Labour For they were resolved to have enough and to make out in Bulk what was wanting in Truth Take an hint or two here of Gardiner Bishop of Winchester the secret Machine in all this ingrateful Work Coming once from the Council that then was beyond the Sea at Calais about the time of the Breach with France he after hearing Mass at the Cathedral Church at Canterbury took his Name-sake Gardiner the Prebendary by the Hand and asked him how he did and how they did in Canterbury meaning in relation to Religion professed in the City And when Gardiner answered But meetly he enquired How they did within the House among themselves with relation to the Church-men belonging to it He told him That they did not agree all in Preaching So do I hear said Winchester Then he asked wherein they did not agree Gardiner then repeated somewhat of Ridley's and Scory's Sermons and this among other things That Prayer ought to be made in a Tongue known and not in a Tongue unknown for so it were but babling Winchester then said He missed For the Germans themselves are now against that saying Well said he this is not well My Lord of Canterbury will look after this I doubt not or else such Preaching will grow unto an evil Inconvenience I know well he will see Remedy for it Well how do you do with them Gardiner replied My Lord Hardly I am much marked in my Sermons And I cannot tell whether I be taken or no. I pray your good Lordship of your Counsel what were best for me to do I had rather leave Preaching betimes than to be taken in my Sermons Then said Winchester Do thus Write your Sermons into a Book every word as you will preach it and when you go into the Pulpit deliver your Book unto the chiefest Man there that can read and let him take heed of your Book while you do preach and say no more but that you have written and studied for And I warrant you you shall do well enough And when you do hear any Man preach any otherwise then well hold you contented and meddle not so shall you do best Then he past forth his time in Communication concerning the Ordinances of their Choir their Statutes their Masses and Hours of them And at the last sent for Ridley the Prebendary and had some conference with him but what it is uncertain The bulky Articles being at last hammered out and made ready London now required Willoughby to deliver them to the Council which he would fain have shrunk from He then charged him upon his Allegiance to go with him to the Council-Chamber-Door meaning to have him into the Council Having gotten him there he went in and informed some of the Privy-Council and Friends I suppose to the Matter that Dr. Willoughby was without desiring he might be called in Willoughby was before instructed by London to use words to the Council to this Tenor when he should deliver his Articles viz. That the King and they had been at great Charges and taken great Pains to set a good and godly Way among them meaning the Statute of the Six Articles And for all that they had with them in Kent the most enormous Heresies And because he heard that it was the King's Will and Pleasure that every Man on pain of his Allegiance should bring in what he knew or else if he knew and did conceal it it should be his damage therefore in discharge of his Duty he came to tender that Bill of Articles But this Speech was not delivered that Day the Council not being at leisure And lest some People knowing the pragmatical temper of London might be jealous what he did at the Court and suspect it was for no Good to the Professors of the Gospel it was studiously given out that he was there for some Promotion from the King The next day the sedulous Man carried Willoughby to the Lord Privy-Seal Lord Russel if I mistake not with his Articles but neither would my Lord-Privy-Seal see them having no leisure as he pretended I suppose because he liked them not and loved my Lord of Canterbury The Day after London carried him to the Bishop of Winchester Into whom he went and tarried an Hour carrying in the Copy of the Articles In which time no question the Bishop and his trusty Substitute contrived for the managing of the Matter Soon after Willoughby being with Winchester and desiring him That he might not be put to present the Articles not being able to testify to the Truth of them Winchester bade him Fear not to do his Duty and that if the Matter were not to be abidden by the Doers should bear the blame and not the Presenter And that it was all our Duties to stand in such things
one of the great Incendiaries was censured at Windsor For he and one Symons a Lawyer and Ockham that laid Traps for others were catch'd at length themselves They were Men that busied themselves in framing Indictments upon the six Articles against great Numbers of those that favoured or professed the Gospel and in sending them to Court to Winchester who was to prefer the Complaints to the Council The King being more and more informed of their base Conspiracies and disliking their bloody Dispositions commanded the Council should search into the Matters And so London and his Fellows being examined before the said Council were in the end found to be perjured in denying upon their Oaths what they had indeed done and was proved manifestly to their Faces Hereupon they were adjudged perjured Persons and appointed to ride through Windsor Reading and Newbery where they had done most Mischief with their Faces towards the Horse-Tail and a Paper upon their Heads declaring their Crime and to stand upon the Pillory in each of those Towns And that Punishment they underwent and then were sent to the Fleet. London not long after died there probably out of Shame and Sorrow This was the End of one of these Conspirators German Gardiner was a Year after hanged drawn and quartered as a Traitor for denying the King's Supremacy And the Bishop of Winchester after this never had Favour or Regard of the King more And Heywood another of the Crew of the Informers and Witnesses was condemned for Treason with Gardiner but making a Recantation his Life was spared CHAP. XXVIII The Arch-bishop falls into more Troubles AFter this the Arch-bishop received two terrible Shocks more if I am right in the placing them as I think I am though I leave Fox to follow Morice the Arch-bishop's Secretary in his Manuscript Declaration of the said Arch-bishop The former was a Complaint that was made openly against him in Parliament and the latter when the Lords of the Privy-Council accused him unto the King and required that he should be sent to the Tower Sir Iohn Gostwick a Knight for Bedforshire a Man of great Service in his Time but Papistical stood up in the House and laid to his Charge his Sermons and Lectures both at Sandwich and Canterbury containing as he said manifest Heresy against the Sacrament of the Altar Though it was much they should accuse him in that Point seeing he then held a Corporal Presence but it displeased them that it was after the Lutheran way rather than after theirs of Transubstantiation But the King perceived easily this proceeded of Malice for that he was a Stranger in Kent and had neither heard the Arch-bishop preach nor read there Knowing thereby that he was set on and made an Instrument to serve other Mens Purposes the King marvellously stormed at the Matter calling Gostwick openly Varlet and said That he had plaid a villanous part to abuse in open Parliament the Primate of the Realm especially being in Favour with his Prince as he was What will they do with him said he if I were gone Whereupon the King sent word unto Gostwick by one of his Privy-Chamber after this sort Tell the Varlet Gostwick That if he do not acknowledg his Fault unto my Lord of Canterbury and so reconcile himself towards him that he may become his good Lord I will soon both make him a poor Gostwick and otherwise punish him to the Example of others He wondred he said he could hear my Lord of Canterbury preaching out of Kent And that if he had been a Kentish-Man he might have had some more shadow to put up an Accusation against him Now Gostwick hearing of this grievous Threat came with all possible speed unto Lambeth and there submitted himself in such sorrowful case that my Lord out of hand not only forgave all his Offences but also went directly unto the King for the obtaining of the King's Favour which he obtained very hardly and upon condition that the King might hear no more of his meddling that way This happened I suppose in the Parliament that began in Ianuary and continued till March 29. 1544. The Arch-bishop's Palace at Canterbury was this Year burnt and therein his Brother-in-Law and other Men according to Stow. I find no Bishops Consecrated in this Year At length the Confederacy of the Papists in the Privy-Council whereof I suspect the Duke of Norfolk to be one a great Friend of Winchester's by whose Instigation this Design was set on Foot came and accused him most grievously unto the King That he with his Learned Men had so infected the whole Realm with their unsavoury Doctrine that three parts of the Land were become abominable Hereticks And that it might prove dangerous to the King being like to produce such Commotions and Uproars as were sprung up in Germany And therefore they desired that the Arch-bishop might be committed unto the Tower until he might be examined The King was very strait in granting this They told him That the Arch-bishop being one of the Privy-Council no Man dared to object Matter against him unless he were first committed to durance Which being done Men would be bold to tell the Truth and say their Consciences Upon this Pâ—rswasion of theirs the King granted unto them that they should call him the next Day before them and as they saw cause so to commit him to the Tower At Midnight about Eleven of the Clock before the Day he should appear before the Council the King sent Mr. Denny to my Lord at Lambeth willing him incontinently to come over to VVestminster to him The Arch-bishop was in Bed but rose straitway and repaired to the King whom he found in the Gallery at VVhitehall Being come the King declared unto him what he had done in giving Liberty to the Council to commit him to Prison for that they bare him in hand that he and his learned Men had sown such Doctrine in the Realm that all Men almost were infected with Heresy and that no Man durst bring Matter against him being at Liberty and one of the Council And therefore I have granted to their Request said the King but whether I have done well or no what say you my Lord The Arch-bishop first humbly thanked the King that it had pleased him to give him that warning before-hand And that he was very well content to be committed to the Tower for the trial of his Doctrine so that he might be indifferently heard as he doubted not but that his Majesty would see him so to be used Whereat the King cried out O Lord God what fond Simplicity have you so to permit your self to be imprisoned that every Enemy of yours may take Advantage against you Do not you know that when they have you once in Prison three or four false Knaves will soon be procured to witness against you and condemn you which else now being at Liberty dare not once open their Lips or appear before
your Face No not so my Lord said the King I have better regard unto you than to permit your Enemies so to overthrow you And therefore I will have you to Morrow come to the Council which no doubt will send for you And when they break this Matter unto you require them that being one of them you may have so much Favour as they would have themselves that is to have your Accusers brought before you And if they stand with you without regard of your Allegations and will in no Condition condescend unto your Request but will needs commit you to the Tower then appeal you from them to our Person and give to them this my Ring which he then delivered unto the Arch-bishop by the which said the King they shall well understand that I have taken your Cause into my Hand from them Which Ring they well know that I use it for no other Purpose but to call Matters from the Council into mine own Hands to be ordered and determined And with this good Advice Cranmer after most humble Thanks departed from the King's Majesty The next Morning according to the King's Monition and his own Expectation the Council sent for him by Eight of the Clock in the Morning And when he came to the Council-Chamber-Door he was not permitted to enter into the Council-Chamber but stood without among Serving-men and Lacquies above three quarters of an hour many Counsellors and others going in and out The Matter seemed strange unto his Secretary who then attended upon him which made him slip away to Dr. Butts to whom he related the manner of the thing Who by and by came and kept my Lord Company And yet e're he was called into the Council Dr. Butts went to the King and told him that he had seen a strange Sight What is that said the King Marry said he my Lord of Canterbury is become a Lacquey or a Serving-man For to my knowledg he hath stood among them this hour almost at the Council-Chamber-Door Have they served my Lord so It is well enough said the King I shall talk with them by and by Anon Cranmer was called into the Council there it was declared unto him That a great Complaint was made of him both to the King and to them That he and others by his Permission had infected the whole Realm with Heresy And therefore it was the King's Pleasure that they should commit him to the Tower and there for his Trial to be examined Cranmer required as is before declared with many both Reasons and Perswasions that he might have his Accusers come there before them before they used any further Extremity against him In fine there was no Intreaty could serve but that he must needs depart to the Tower I am sorry my Lords said Cranmer that you drive me unto this Exigent to appeal from you to the King's Majesty who by this Token hath resumed this Matter into his own Hand and dischargeth you thereof And so delivered the King's Ring unto them By and by the Lord Russel swore a great Oath and said Did not I tell you my Lords what would come of this Matter I know right well that the King would never permit my Lord of Canterbury to have such a Blemish as to be imprisoned unless it were for High-Treason And so as the manner was when they had once received that Ring they left off their Matter and went all unto the King's Person both with his Token and the Cause When they came unto his Highness the King said unto them Ah my Lords I thought that I had had a discreet and wise Council but now I perceive that I am deceived How have you handled here my Lord of Canterbury What make ye of him A Slave Shutting him out of the Council-Chamber among Serving-men Would ye be so handled your selves And after such taunting words as these spoken the King added I would you should well understand that I account my Lord of Canterbury as faithful a Man towards me as ever was Prelate in this Realm and one to whom I am many ways beholden by the Faith I owe unto God and so laid his Hand upon his Breast And therefore who loveth me said he will upon that Account regard him And with these words all and especially my Lord of Norfolk answered and said We meant no manner of Hurt unto my Lord of Canterbury that we requested to have him in Durance Which we only did because he might after his Trial be set at Liberty to his greater Glory Well said the King I pray you use not my Friends so I perceive now well enough how the World goeth among you There remaineth Malice among you one to another let it be avoided out of hand I would advise you And so the King departed and the Lords shook Hands every Man with the Arch-bishop Against whom never more after durst any Man spurn during King Henry's Life And because the King would have Love always nourished between the Lords of the Council and the Arch-bishop he would send them divers times to Dinner with him And so he did after this Reconciliation Thus did the King interpose himself divers times between his Arch-bishop and his irreconcileable Enemies the Papists and observing by these Essays against him under what Perils he was like to come hereafter for his Religion about this Time it was as I conjecture that the King changed his Coat of Arms. For unto the Year 1543 he bore his Paternal Coat of Three Cranes Sable as I find by a Date set under his Arms yet remaining in a Window in Lambeth-House For it is to be noted That the King perceiving how much ado Cranmer would have in the Defence of his Religion altered the Three Cranes which were parcel of his Ancestors Arms into Three Pelicans declaring unto him That those Birds should signify unto him that he ought to be ready as the Pelican is to shed his Blood for his young Ones brought up in the Faith of Christ. For said the King you are like to be tasted if you stand to your Tackling at length As in very deed many and sundry times he was shouldered at both in this King's Reign as you have heard and under the two succeding Princes CHAP. XXIX Occasional Prayers and Suffrages OCcasional Prayers and Suffrages to be used throughout all Churches began now to be more usual than formerly For these common Devotions were twice this Year appointed by Authority as they had been once the last which I look upon the Arch-bishop to be the great Instrument in procuring That he might by this means by little and little bring into use Prayer in the English Tongue which he so much desired and that the People by understanding part of their Prayers might be the more desirous to have their whole Service rendred intelligible whereby God might be served with the more Seriousness and true Devotion The last Year there was a plentiful Crop upon the Ground
both as to their Lodgings and Benefits But at a late Chapter they had obtained an Order in their behalf This the Arch-bishop now who favoured Preaching reminded them speedily to make good Concerning both these Affairs he wrote this Letter to them for the preserving Quietness Peace and good Order in his Church AFter my hearty Commendations Whereas I am informed that you be in doubt whether any Prebendary of that my Church may exchange his House or Garden with another Prebend of the same Church-Living and that you be moved by this Statute so to think which here followeth Statuimus ut Canonicus de novo Electus demissus in demortui aut resignantis aut quovismodo cedentis aedes succedat These be to signify unto you that neither this Statute nor any other Reason that I know maketh any thing against the Exchange between two Prebends Living but that they may change House Orchard or Garden during their Life this Statute or any other Reason contrary notwithstanding And whereas you have appointed your Preachers at your last Chapter their Chambers and Commodities I require you that they may be indelayedly admitted thereunto according to that your Order Thus fare you well From my Mannor of Croyden the 12 th of December 1546. Th. Cantuariens To my loving Friends the Vice-dean and Prebendaries of my Church in Canterbury This was the last Year of King Henry And the two last things the Arch-bishop was concerned in by the King were these The King commanded him to pen a Form for the Alteration of the Mass into a Communion For a Peace being concluded between Henry and the French King while that King's Ambassador Dr. Annebault was here a notable Treaty was in hand by both Kings for the promoting that good Piece of Reformation in the Churches of both Kingdoms of abolishing the Mass. The Kings seemed to be firmly resolved thereon intending to exhort the Emperor to do the same The Work our King committed to the Arch-bishop who no question undertook it very gladly But the Death of the King prevented this taking Effect The last Office the Arch-bishop did for the King his Master was to visit him in his last Sickness whom of all his Bishops and Chaplains he chose to have with him at that needful Hour to receive his last Comfort and Counsel But the King was void of Speech when he came though not of Sense and Apprehension For when the King took him by the Hand the Arch-bishop speaking comfortably to him desired him to give him some Token that he put his Trust in God through Iesus Christ according as he had advised him and thereat the King presently wrung hard the Arch-bishop's Hand and soon after departed viz. Ianuary the 28 th The End of the First Book MEMORIALS OF Arch-Bishop CRANMER BOOK II. CHAPTER I. He Crowns King Edward OUR Arch-bishop having lost his old Master was not so sorrowful but the Hopefulness of the new One did as much revive and solace him because he concluded that the Matters requisite for the Reformation of the Church were like now to go on more roundly and with less Impediment One of the very first Things that was done in young King Edward the Sixth's Reign in relation to the Church was that the Bishops who had the Care of Ecclesiastical Matters and the Souls of Men should be made to depend intirely upon the King and his Council and to be subject to suspension from their Office and to have their whole Episcopal Power taken from them at his Pleasure which might serve as a Bridle in case they should oppose the Proceedings of a Reformation In this I suppose the Arch-bishop had his Hand For it was his Judgment that the Exercise of all Episcopal Jurisdiction depended upon the Prince And that as he gave it so he might restrain it at his Pleasure And therefore he began this Matter with himself Petitioning That as he had exercised the Authority of an Arch-bishop during the Reign of the former King so that Authority ending with his Life it would please the present King Edward to commit unto him that Power again For it seemed that he would not act as Arch-bishop till he had a new Commission from the new King for so doing And that this was his Judgment appeared in the first words of that Commission granted to him In the composing of which I make no question he had his Hand Quandoquidem omnis juris dicendi autoritas atque etiam jurisdictio omnimoda tam illa quae Ecclesiastica dicitur quam Secularis à Regia potestate velut à supremo capite ac omnium Magistratuum infra Regnum nostrum fonte scaturigine primitus emanaverit c. That is Since all Authority of exercising Jurisdiction and also all kind of Jurisdiction as well that which is called Ecclesiastical as Secular originally hath flowed from the King's Power as from the Supream Head and the Fountain and Source of all Magistracy within our Kingdom We therefore in this part yielding to your humble Supplications and consulting for the Good of our Subjects have determined to commit our Place to you under the Manner and Form hereunder described And the King then licenseth him to ordain within his Diocess and to promote and present to Ecclesiastical Benefices and to institute and invest and if occasion required to deprive to prove Testaments and the rest of the Business of his Courts And so all the rest of his Offices were reckoned This was dated Feb. 7. 1546. But yet all these things were committed to him with a Power of Revocation of the Exercise of this Authority reserved in the King durante beneplacito Thus a formal Commission was made to him I do not transcribe it because the Bishop of Sarum hath saved me that Pains And hence I find that the Arch-bishop in some of his Writings is stiled The Commissary of our dread Soveraign Lord King Edward One of the first Exercises of his Episcopal Power was the Coronation of young King Edward Which was celebrated February the 20 th at the Abbey of Westminster the Arch-bishop assisting now at his Coronation as he had done about nine Years before at his Christening when he stood his Godfather The Form and Solemnity of it and wherein the Arch-bishop bore so great a part was in this manner as I collect and transcribe out of a Manuscript in Benet College First There was a goodly Stage richly hanged with Cloth of Gold and Cloth of Arras and the Steps from the Choire contained two and twenty Steps of height and down to the high Altar but fifteen Steps goodly carpetted where the King's Grace should tread with his Nobles Secondly The high Altar richly garnished with divers and costly Jewels and Ornaments of much Estimation and Value And also the Tombs on each side the high Altar richly hanged with fine Gold Arras Thirdly In the midst of the Stage was a goodly thing
made of seven steps of height all round where the King's Majesty's Chair Royal stood and he sat therein after he was crowned all the Mass-while Fourthly At nine of the Clock all Westminster Choire was in their Copes and three goodly Crosses before them and after them other three goodly rich Crosses and the King's Chappel with his Children following all in Scarlet with Surplices and Copes on their Backs And after them ten Bishops in Scarlet with their Rochets and rich Copes on their Backs and their Mitres on their Heads did set forth at the West Door of Westminster towards the King's Palace there to receive his Grace and my Lord of Canterbury with his Cross before him alone and his Mitre on his Head And so past forth in order as before is said And within a certain space after were certain blew Cloths laid abroad in the Church-floor against the King's coming and so all the Palace even to York place Then is described the setting forward to Westminster Church to his Coronation Unction and Confirmation After all the Lords in order had kneeled down and kiss'd his Grace's right Foot and after held their Hands between his Grace's Hands and kiss'd his Grace's left Cheek and so did their Homage Then began a Mass of the Holy Ghost by my Lord of Canterbury with good singing in the Choire and Organs playing There at Offering time his Grace offered to the Altar a Pound of Gold a Loaf of Bread and a Chalice of Wine Then after the Levation of the Mass there was read by my Lord Chancellor in presence of all the Nobles a General Pardon granted by King Henry the Eighth Father to our Liege Lord the King that all shall be pardoned that have offended before the 28 th day of Ianuary last past When the King's Majesty with his Nobles came to the Place of the Coronation within a while after his Grace was removed into a Chair of Crimson Velvet and born in the Chair between two Noblemen unto the North-side of the Stage and shewed to the People and these words spoken to the People by my Lord of Canterbury in this manner saying Sirs here I present unto you K. Edward the rightful Inheritor to the Crown of this Realm Wherefore all ye that be come this Day to do your Homage Service and bounden Duty Be ye willing to do the same To the which all the People cried with a loud Voice and said Yea Yea Yea and cried King Edward and prayed God save King Edward And so to the South-side in like manner and to the East-side and to the West-side After this his Grace was born again to the high Altar in his Chair and there sat bare-headed And all his Nobles and Peers of the Realm were about his Grace and my Lord of Canterbury Principal And there made certain Prayers and Godly Psalms over his Grace and the Choire answered with goodly Singing the Organs playing and Trumpets blowing Then after a certain Unction Blessing and Signing of his Grace he was born into a Place by the high Altar where the Kings use always to kneel at the Levation of the Parliament-Mass And there his Grace was made ready of new Garments and after a certain space brought forth between two Noble-men and sat before the High Altar bare-headed Then after a while his Grace was anointed in the Breast his Soles of his Feet his Elbows his Wrists of his Hands and his Crown of his Head with vertuous Prayer said by the Bishop of Canterbury and sung by the Choire Then anon after this a goodly fair Cloth of red Tinsel Gold was hung over his Head And my Lord of Canterbury kneeling on his Knees and his Grace lying prostrate afore the Altar anointed his Back Then after this my Lord of Canterbury arose and stood up and the fair Cloth taken away Then my Lord Protector Duke of Somerset held the Crown in his Hand a certain space and immediately after began Te Deum with the Organs going the Choire singing and the Trumpets playing in the Battlements of the Church Then immediately after that was the Crown set on the King's Majesty's Head by them two viz. Somerset and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury And after that another Crown and so his Grace was crowned with three Crowns The Relation breaks off here abruptly But what is wanting may be supplied by the Order of the Coronation as Bishop Burnet hath taken it out of the Council-Book and given it us in his History At this Coronation there was no Sermon as I can find but that was supplied by an excellent Speech which was made by the Arch-bishop It was found among the inestimable Collections of Arch-bishop Vsher and though published of late Years yet I cannot but insert it here tending so much to illustrate the Memory of this great and good Arch-bishop MOST Dread and Royal Soveraign The Promises your Highness hath made here at your Coronation to forsake the Devil and all his Works are not to be taken in the Bishop of Rome's Sense when you commit any thing distastful to that See to hit your Majesty in the Teeth as Pope Paul the Third late Bishop of Rome sent to your Royal Father saying Didst thou not promise at our permission of thy Coronation to forsake the Devil and all his Works and dost thou run to Heresy For the Breach of this thy Promise knowest thou not that 't is in our Power to dispose of thy Sword and Scepter to whom we please We your Majesty's Clergy do humbly conceive that this Promise reacheth not at your Highness Sword Spiritual or Temporal or in the least at your Highness swaying the Scepter of this your Dominion as you and your Predecessors have had them from God Neither could your Ancestors lawfully resign up their Crowns to the Bishop of Rome or his Legats according to their ancient Oaths then taken upon that Ceremony The Bishops of Canterbury for the most part have crowned your Predecessors and anointed them Kings of this Land Yet it was not in their Power to receive or reject them neither did it give them Authority to prescribe them Conditions to take or to leave their Crowns although the Bishops of Rome would encroach upon your Predecessors by their Act and Oil that in the end they might possess those Bishops with an Interest to dispose of their Crowns at their Pleasure But the wiser sort will look to their Claws and clip them The solemn Rites of Coronation have their Ends and Utility yet neither direct Force or Necessity They be good Admonitions to put Kings in mind of their Duty to God but no encreasement of their Dignity For they be God's Anointed not in respect of the Oil which the Bishop useth but in consideration of their Power which is Ordained Of the Sword which is Authorized Of their Persons which are elected of God and endued with the Gifts of his Spirit for the better ruling and guiding of his People The Oil if added
is but a Ceremony If it be wanting that King is yet a perfect Monarch notwithstanding and God's Anoined as well as if he was inoiled Now for the Person or Bishop that doth anoint a King it is proper to be done by the chiefest But if they cannot or will not any Bishop may perform this Ceremony To condition with Monarchs upon these Ceremonies the Bishop of Rome or other Bishops owning his Supremacy hath no Authority but he may faithfully declare what God requires at the Hands of Kings and Rulers that is Religion and Vertue Therefore not from the Bishop of Rome but as a Messenger from my Saviour Iesus Christ I shall most humbly admonish your Royal Majesty what Things your Highness is to perform Your Majesty is God's Vicegerent and Christ's Vicar within your own Dominions and to see with your Predecessor Iosias God truly worshipped and Idolatry destroyed the Tyranny of the Bishops of Rome banished from your Subjects and Images removed These Acts be Signs of a second Iosias who reformed the Church of God in his Days You are to reward Vertue to revenge Sin to justify the Innocent to relieve the Poor to procure Peace to repress Violence and to execute Justice throughout your Realms For Precedents on those Kings who performed not these Things the Old Law shews how the Lord revenged his Quarrel and on those Kings who fulfilled these things he poured forth his Blessings in abundance For Example it is written of Iosiah in the Book of the Kings thus Like unto him there was no King that turned to the Lord with all his Heart according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him This was to that Prince a perpetual Fame of Dignity to remain to the End of Days Being bound by my Function to lay these Things before your Royal Highness the one as a Reward if you fulfil the other as a Judgment from God if you neglect them Yet I openly declare before the living God and before these Nobles of the Land that I have no Commission to denounce your Majesty deprived if your Highness miss in part or in whole of these Performances Much less to draw up Indentures between God and your Majesty or to say you forfeit your Crown with a Clause for the Bishop of Rome as have been done by your Majesty's Predecessors King Iohn and his Son Henry of this Land The Almighty God of his Mercy let the Light of his Countenance shine upon your Majesty grant you a prosperous and happy Reign defend you and save you and let your Subjects say Amen God save the King I find no Bishop Consecrated this Year CHAP. II. A Royal Visitation BY these and other pious Instigations of the Arch-bishop who was of high esteem with the King he began early to think of the Church and to take care about rectifying the Disorders of its Members For about April there was a Royal Visitation resolved upon all England over for the better Reformation of Religion And accordingly in the beginning of May Letters were issued out from the King to the Arch-bishops that they and all their Fellow-Bishops should forbear their Visitations as was usually done in all Royal and Archiepiscopal Visitations And it was enjoined that no Ministers should preach in any Churches but in their own In a Volume in the Cotton Library there be extant the King's Letters to Robert Arch-bishop of York relating to this Visitation signed by our Arch-bishop the Duke of Somerset the Protector and his Brother Sir Thomas Seymour the Lord Russel Favourers of the Reformation the Lord St. Iohns Petres the Secretary who went along with it Gage Controuler of the Houshold and Baker Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations back-Friends to it I do not set down the Letter it self because the Bishop of Sarum hath already published it in his History Very worthy sober and learned Men were appointed for Visitors both of the Laity and Clergy And there was a Book of Injunctions prepared whereby the King 's Visitors were to govern their Visitation The Original of which Book of Injunctions is extant in Benet-College Library There I have seen them being signed by Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Duke of Somerset Sir Thomas Seymour and divers others of the Privy-Council but no Bishop save Cranmer only he being I suppose the only Bishop then a Privy-Counsellor and now often appearing in the Council for the better forwarding of Religion These Injunctions are printed in Bishop Sparrow's Collection and briefly epitomized in the History of the Reformation The Persons nominated for this present Employment were these as I find them set down in a Manuscript formerly belonging to Arch-bishop Parker but now in the Benet-College Library Where you may observe the Visitors were divided into six Sets and to each Set were apportioned particular Counties and a Preacher and a Register in this exact Method following Visitors Added by ABp Parker Counties visited Dean of Westminster Boston York Sir Iohn Herseley Kt.  Durysme Nicholas Ridley Preacher  Carlyll Edward Plankney Register  Chester Sir Anthony Coke Kt.  Westminster Sir Iohn Godsalve Kt.   Dr. Christopher Nevison The Elder London Iohn Gosnold A Lawyer  Dr. Madewe Preacher  Norwich Peter Lylly Register  Ely Sir Iohn Hales Kt.  Rochester Sir Iohn Mason Kt.   Sir Anthony Cope Kt.  Canterbury Dr. Cave A Lawyer  Mr. Briggs Preacher Once of Pembroke Chichester Rafe Morice Register  Winchester Dean of Pauls Dr. May. Sarisbury Dean of Exeter Dr. Hains Exeter Sir Walter Buckler Kt.  Bath Mr. Cotisford Preacher  Bristow Iohn Redman Register Of Haslingfeld Glocester Dean of Lincoln Dr. Taylor Peterburgh Dr. Rowland Taylor  Lincoln Mr. Iohn Ioseph Once of Canterbury Oxford  a Friar Coventry Iohn Old Register  Litchfeld Mr. Morison Once Husband to the Earl of Rutland's Wife Worcester  Hereford Mr. Syddel  Landaff Mr. Ferrowr Preacher After L. Bishop of S. Davids S. Davids George Constantine Register  Bangor Hue Rawlins Preacher in the Welch Tongue  S. Asse Where we may observe that in every Company of Visitors was joined one Preacher or more whose Business in the respective Circuits was to preach to the People to dehort them from the superstitious use of Beads and such-like Things and to learn them to worship God truly in Heart and Mind and to obey the Prince The Method which these Commissioners used in their Visitation as we collect from what was done at S. Pauls London was this They summoned the Bishop and the Members of each Cathedral and first sware them to renounce the Bishop of Rome and to the King's Supremacy and then that they should present all things in their Church and Diocess needful to be reformed Then certain Interrogatories and Articles of Enquiry were read to them by the Register To perform which an Oath was administred to
them After that the printed Injunctions and others not printed with the Book of Homilies were delivered both to the Bishop for his Church and the Arch-deacons for their respective Arch-deaconries strictly injoining them to see them speedily executed reserving other new Injunctions to be ministred afterwards as they should see cause Their next Work was to examine the Canons and Priests by virtue of their Oaths which they had taken concerning their Lives and Doctrines What was discovered in other Places concerning the Vices of the Clergy we may conlude from what was found among the Dignitaries of St. Pauls For when the Canons and Priests belonging to this Church were examined one of them named Painter openly confessed that he had often carnally used a certain Married-man's Wife whom he would not name And divers others both of the Canons and Priests confessed the same of themselves There be remaining in the Archives of the Church of Canterbury the Injunctions of the King's Visitors to the Dean and Chapter there bearing date Sept. 22. An. 1 Edw. VI. subscribed by the Visitors Hands Which Injunctions do all relate to the particular Statutes of the Church and are of no other moment There was now a Book of Homilies prepared for present use to be read in all Churches for the Instruction of the People and Erasmus's Paraphrase upon the New Testament in English was to be set up in all Churches for the better instruction of Priests in the Sense and Knowledg of the Scriptures And both these Books by the King's Injunctions aforementioned were commanded to be taught and learned CHAP. III. Homilies and Erasmus's Paraphrase ARch-bishop Cranmer found it highly convenient to find out some Means for the Instruction of the People in true Religion till the Church could be better supplied with learned Priests and Ministers For which purpose he resolved upon having some good Homilies or Sermons composed to be read to the People which should in a plain manner teach the Grounds and Foundation of true Religion and deliver the People from popular Errors and Superstitions When this was going in hand with the Arch-bishop sent his Letters to the Bishop of Winchester to try if he could bring him to be willing to join in this Business shewing him that it was no more than what was intended by the former King and a Convocation in the Year 1542 wherein himself was a Member to make such a stay of Errors as were then by ignorant Preachers spread among the People But this Bishop was not for Cranmer's Turn in his Answer signifying to him That since that Convocation the King his old Master's Mind changed and that God had afterwards given him the Gift of Pacification as he worded it meaning that the King made a stop in his once intended Reformation He added That there was a Convocation that extinguished those Devices and this was still in force And therefore that now nothing more ought to be done in Church-Matters And a Copy of this Letter he sent to the Lord Protector trying to perswade him also to be of his Mind The Arch-bishop answered these Letters of Winchester Wherein he again required these Homilies to be made by virtue of that Convocation five Years before and desired Winchester to weigh things But he replied It was true they communed then of such things but they took not effect at that time nor needed they to be put in execution now And that in his Judgment it could not be done without a new Authority and Command from the King's Majesty Then he used his Politicks urging That it was not safe to make new Stirs in Religion That the Lord Protector did well in putting out a Proclamation to stop vain Rumors and he thought it not best to enterprize any thing to tempt the People with occasion of Tales whereby to break the Proclamation And as in a natural Body he said Rest without Trouble did confirm and strengthen so it was in a Common-wealth Trouble travaileth and bringeth things to loosness Then he suggested the Danger the Arch-bishop might involve himself in by making Alterations That he was not certain of his Life when the old Order was broken and a new brought in by Homilies that he should continue to see the new Device executed For it was not done in a Day He wished there were nothing else to do now He suggested that a new Order engendred a new Cause of Punishment against them that offend and Punishments were not pleasant to them that have the Execution And yet they must be for nothing may be contemned There were two Letters Winchester sent to the Arch-bishop in answer to as many from the Arch-bishop In which he laboured to perswade the Arch-bishop not to innovate any thing in Religion during the King's Minority and particularly to forbear making Homilies and refusing for himself to meddle therein An imperfect part of one of these Letters I have laid in the Appendix as I transcribed it from the Original So when it was perceived that Winchester would not be brought to comply and join in with the Arch-bishop and the rest they went about the composing the Homilies themselves Cranmer had a great hand in them And that Homily of Salvation particularly seems to be of his own doing This while he was in composing it was shewn to Winchester by the Arch-bishop to which he made this Objection That he would yield to him in this Homily if they could shew him any old Writer that wrote how Faith excluded Charity in the Office of Justification and that it was against Scripture Upon this Canterbury began to argue with him and to shew him how Faith excluded Charity in the Point of Justifying And Winchester denied his Arguments And in fine such was his Sophistication that the Arch-bishop at last told him He liked nothing unless he did it himself and that he disliked the Homily for that Reason because he was not a Counsellor The Council had now put this Bishop in the Fleet for his Refractoriness to the King's Proceedings where if his Complaint to the Lord Protector were true he was somewhat straitly handled For he was allowed no Friend or Servant no Chaplain Barber Taylor nor Physician A sign he gave them high Provocation While he was here the Arch-bishop sent for him once or twice to discourse with him and to try to bring him to comply with their Proceedings in reforming Religion He dealt very gently with him and told him That he was a Man in his Opinion meet to be called to the Council again but withal told him that he stood too much in Obstinacy that it was perverse Frowardness and not any Zeal for the Truth And laboured to bring him to allow the Book which was now finished and the Paraphrase of Erasmus The former he could not allow of because of the Doctrine therein by Cranmer asserted of Justification by Faith without Works Which Cranmer took pains to perswade him about
telling him his Intent was hereby only to set out the Freedom of God's Mercy But Winchester challenged him to shew Scripture for it or any one ancient Writer That Faith in justifying excludeth Charity This Winchester afterward declared at large to the Lord Protector and added That the Arch-bishop in that Homily of Salvation had taken such a Matter in hand and so handled it as if he were his extream Enemy he would have wished him to have taken that Piece in hand and so to have handled it as he did He represented one of the Arch-bishop's Arguments for Faith excluding Charity to be thus out of that Homily We be justified by Faith without all Works of the Law Charity is a Work of the Law Ergo We are justified without Charity But I warn the Reader to consult the Homily it self before he pass his Judgment upon Cranmer's Argument as it is here represented by one that was none of his Friend In fine he said There were as many Faults in that Homily of Salvation as he had been Weeks in Prison and that was seven besides the Matter viz. making a Trouble without Necessity In short he charged the Arch-bishop for troubling the World with such a needless Speculation as this is because he said that in Baptism we are justified being Infants before we can talk of the Justification we strive for For all Men receive their Justification in their Infancy in Baptism And if they fall after Baptism they must arise again by the Sacrament of Penance And so this Doctrine he said was to be sent to the Universities where it is meet to be talked and disputed of and not fit for Homilies And to disparage further the Arch-bishop's Judgment he told the Protector That if my Lord of Canterbury would needs travail in this Matter he should never perswade that Faith excluded Charity in Justification unless he borrowed Prisons of the Protector and then he might percase have some to agree to it As poor Men kneel at Rome when the Bishop of Rome goeth by or else are knocked on the Head with a Halbard And then he made some scoffing mention of the Strength of God's Spirit in the Arch-bishop and his Learning in his Laws so as to be able to overthrow with his Breath all Untruths and establish Truths I make no Reflection upon all this unseemly Language of this Bishop but leave it to the Reader to judg hereby of the Learning and Spirit that was in him And could we have retrieved the Arch-bishop's own Arguments and Replies to these Barkings of Winchester they would have left to the World a full Vindication of Cranmer and his Doctrine As to Erasmus's Paraphrase the said Bishop pretended He found divers things in it to condemn the Work and that he agreed with them that said Erasmus laid the Eggs and Luther hatched them and that of all the monstrous Opinions that have risen evil Men had a wondrous Occasion ministred to them from that Book He also wrote to the Protector the particular Objections he made against it He said He might term it in one word Abomination both for the Malice and Untruth of much Matter out of Erasmus's Pen and also for the arrogant Ignorance of the Translator of it considering that Book was authorized by the King and a Charge laid upon the Realm of twenty thousand Pounds by enjoining every Parish to buy one Whereof he had made an Estimate by the probable number of Buyers and the Price of the Book He charged the Translator with Ignorance both in Latin and English a Man he said far unmeet to meddle with such a Matter and not without Malice on his part Finally The Matter he had to shew in both the Books was in some part dangerous and the Concealment thereof a great Fault if he did not utter it And that he pretended made him some-while ago write to the Council declaring his Mind in relation thereunto For which he was sent to the Fleet. The true Occasion whereof as I take it from his own Letter written with his own Hand which I have before me was this Upon the Departure of the Lord Protector against the Scots the King's Visitors began their Visitation Then as soon as the Bishop heard of the Visitation and the Books of Homilies and Injunctions were come to his hands he wrote to the Council trusting upon such earnest Advertisements as he made they would incontinently have sent for him and upon knowledg of so evident Matter as he thought he had to shew would have staid till the Protector 's Return He saw as he said a Determination to do all things suddenly at one time Whereunto though the Protector had agreed yet of his Wisdom as the Bishop conjectured he had rather these Matters should have tarried till his Return had he not been pressed on both Sides an Expression which the Protector in a Letter to him had used He reckoned that if he could have staid this Matter in his Absence though by bringing himself into extream Danger besides his Duty to God and the King he should have done the Protector a Pleasure of whom he had this Opinion that willingly and wittingly he would neither break the Act of Parliament nor command Books to be bought by Authority that contained such Doctrine as those Books did Thus he had he said remembrance of his Grace in these his Letters to the Council but he chiefly made not his Grace but God his Foundation with the Preservation of the late deceased King's Honour and the Surety of the King then being His Writing he confessed was vehement but he would have none offended with it for he wrote it with a whole Heart and if he could have written it with the Blood of his Heart he would have done it to have staid the thing till it had been more maturely digested He touched lively one Point in his Letter to the Council and considered whether the King might command against a Common Law or an Act of Parliament and shewed the Danger of it in the late Lord Cardinal and the Lord Typtoft before him who was Executed on Tower-hill for acting against the Laws of the Land though it were by the King's Commission and by other Precedents Not long after these Letters of the Bishop to the Council they sent for him When he came before them he came furnished with his Trinkets his Sleeves and Bosom trussed full of Books to furnish his former Allegations He was heard very well and gently Then he shewed Matter that he thought would have moved them For there he shewed the two contrary Books meaning the Homilies and Erasmus's Paraphrase But the Council told him they were not moved and added That their Consciences agreed not with his using many good Words to bring him to Conformity After he had been aside from them and was returned again they entred a precise Order with him either to receive the Injunctions or to refuse In which Case they told him
that the Protector was privy to what was done there The Bishop answered That he would receive them as far as God's Law and the King's would bind him And because he saw they drew to such Preciseness he told them there were three Weeks of Delay to the coming of the Visitors to him In the mean time he offered to go to Oxford to abide the Discussion there That Offer was not allowed He desired to go to his House at London and have Learned Men speak with him there That was not accepted He entred then the Allegation of the Gospel of the Servant that said he would not do a thing and yet did it And so the Bishop said it might be that although he then said Nay as his Conscience served him yet he might change and was a Man that might be tempted But as his Conscience was then he thought that God's Laws and the King 's letted him Then they asked him if he had spoken to any Man of what he found in the Books To which he answered truly acknowledging he had But told the Lords that he thought it hard unless there were a greater Matter than this to send him to Prison for declaring his Mind before-hand what he minded to do before it had been by him done who had all the mean time to repent himself In the End the Council committed him to the Fleet. Of his Behaviour under this Censure he hath these words That he had well digested it and so all might be well he cared not what became of his Body That he departed as quietly from them as ever Man did and had endured with as little grudg He had learned this Lesson in the World never to look backward as S. Paul saith ne remember that is past That he would never grudg or complain of any thing for himself To the Lord Protector to whom he wrote all this Account of himself turning his Discourse he said That he thought it very weighty to have these Books recommended to the Realm in the King's Name by his the Protector Direction since the King himself knew nothing of them and therefore nothing could be ascribed to him And his Grace had been so occupied as all Men knew that he had no leisure to peruse them And yet of such sort were the Books according to the Account he had before written and that if no Man had advertised the Council as he had it was because they had not read them as he had done In Vindication of the Learned Author of the Paraphrase so bedashed by Winchester I will here use the words of him that writ the Epistle Dedicatory before the translated Paraphrase on the Acts. I cannot but judg that whoso are prompt and hasty Condemners of Erasmus or eager Adversaries unto his Doctrine do under the Name and Colour of Erasmus rather utter their Stomach and Hatred against God's Word and the Grace of the Gospel which Erasmus for his part most diligently and most simply laboureth to bring to light And to such as said that his Doctrine was scarcely sincere and that he did somewhat err he answered That Erasmus forasmuch as he was a Man and so esteemed himself would that his Works should none otherwise be read or accepted than the Writings of other mortal Men. And that after his Judgment a little Trip among so many notable good Works for the interpretation of Scripture and for the help of the Simple should rather be born withal than so many good Things to be either rejected or kept away from the hungry Christian Reader It is a cold Charity that can bear with nothing and an eager Malice it is that for a Trifle or a Matter of nothing would have the Ignorant to lack so much good edifying as may be taken of Erasmus Mention was made a little above of the Bishop of Winchester's Objections aganst the Paraphrase of Erasmus sent by him in a Letter to the Lord Protector This Paper I have met with in Sir Iohn Cotton's Library and being somewhat long I have put it into the Appendix Wherein may be seen at large the Bishop's Quarrels both against the Paraphrase and the Homilies labouring here to shew that the Book of Homilies and Erasmus's Paraphrase did contradict each other and therefore could not both be received and that there were Errors in each and so neither ought to be admitted Moreover he urged the Danger of making Alterations in Religion contrary to the Laws then in Force designing thereby if he could over-perswade the Protector to enervate the King 's late Injunctions For the Papists whose chief Instrument was VVinchester saw it was time now to bestir themselves to overthrow these Proceedings that were in hand if it were possible When this Affair happened between the Council and the Bishop for which they cast him into the Fleet Somerset the Protector was absent in an Expedition against the Scots By whose Conduct in the Month of September God blessed the King with a very glorious Victory in a Battel fought near Musselburrough Which redounded much to the Protector 's Honour wherein was more Danger than he looked for which gave him the greater occasion to shew his Valour For there were but few lost on the English-side but fifteen thousand Scots reckoned to be slain and two thousand taken Prisoners For this Victory a Publick Thanksgiving was thought fit to be Celebrated And the Arch-bishop required of the Bishop of London to procure a Sermon at S. Pauls before the Mayor and Aldermen and immediately after a Procession in English and Te Deum The Arch-bishop's Letter which will shew what the Court thought of that good Success was as followeth AFter our right hearty Commendations Whereas it hath pleased Almighty God to send the King's Majesty such Victory against the Scots as was almost above the Expectation of Man and such as hath not been heard of in any part of Christendom this many Years In which Victory above the Number of 15000 Scots be slain 2000 taken Prisoners and among them many Noble-men and others of good Reputation all their Ordnance and Baggage of their Camp also won from them The King's Majesty with Advice of his Highness Privy-Council presently attending upon his Majesty's most Royal Person well-knowing this as all other Goodness to be Gifts of God hath and so doth account it And therefore rendereth unto him the only Glory and Praise for the same And so hath willed me not only in his Majesty's Cathedral Church and other Churches of my Diocess to give Thanks to Almighty God but also to require in his Name all other Bishops in the Province of Canterbury to do or cause to be done semblably in their Course Which his Majesty's Pleasure I have thought good to signify unto you Requiring you not only to cause a Sermon to be made in your Cathedral Church the next Holy-day after receipt hereof declaring the Goodness of God and exhorting the People to Faith and amendment of
appear there before the Arch-bishop Where Iohn Whitwel the Arch-bishop's Almoner and Thomas Langley both Priests and his Grace's Chaplains exhibited a Schedule of divers Heresies and damned Opinions against the said Assheton Which are recited in the Abjuration which he made The Tenor whereof is as followeth In the Name of God Amen Before you most Learned Father in God Thomas Arch-bishop Primate and Metropolitan of all England Commissary of our most dread Soveraign Lord and excellent Prince Edward VI by the Grace of God c. I Iohn Assheton Priest of my pure Heart Free-will voluntary and sincere Knowledg confess and openly recognize that in Times past I thought believed said heard and affirmed these Errors Heresies and damnable Opinions following that is to say 1. That the Trinity of Persons was established by the Confession of Athanasius declared by a Psalm Quicunque vult c. And that the Holy Ghost is not God but only a certain Power of the Father 2. That Iesus Christ that was conceived of the Virgin Mary was a holy Prophet and especially beloved of God the Father but that he was not the true and living God Forasmuch as he was seen and lived hungred and thirsted 3. That this only is the Fruit of Iesus Christ's Passion that whereas we were strangers from God and had no knowledg of his Testament it pleased God by Christ to bring us to the acknowledging of his holy Power by the Testament Wherefore I the said Iohn Assheton detesting and abhorring all and every my said Errors Heresies and damned Opinions willingly and with all my Power affecting hereafter firmly to believe in the true and perfect Faith of Christ and his Holy Church purposing to follow the true and sincere Doctrine of holy Church with a pure and free Heart voluntarily mind will and intend utterly to forsake relinquish renounce and despise the said detestable Errors Heresies and abominable Opinions Granting and confessing now 1. That the blessed Trinity consisteth in Three distinct Persons and one Godhead as God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost coequal in Power and Might 2. That Jesus Christ is both God and Man after his holy Nature eternally begotten of his Father of his own Substance and in his Humanity was conceived by the Holy Ghost incarnate and for our Redemption being very God became Man 3. That by the Death of Iesus Christ we be not only made Partakers of the Testament and so disposed to the Knowledg of his godly Will and Power but also that we have full Redemption and Remission of our Sins in his Blood Then he subscribed his Hand to this Confession before the Arch-bishop exhibiting it for his Act and lifting up his Hand beseeched his Grace to deal mercifully and graciously with him and touching the Gospel gave his Faith that he would faithfully and humbly obey the Commands of the Holy Mother-Church and whatsoever Penance the said most Reverend Father should lay upon him To these erroneous Doctrines we must add others that now also spread themselves As that Christ took not Flesh of the Virgin That the Baptism of Infants was not profitable Of which Error one Michael Thombe of London Butcher recanted the Year following viz. 1549 May 11. having been then convented before the Arch-bishop at Lambeth I Michael Thombe of London Bocher of my pure Heart and free Will voluntarily and sincerely acknowledg and confess and openly recognize that in times past I thought believed said heard and affirmed these Errors and Heresies and damnable Opinions following that is to say That Christ took no Flesh of our Lady and that the Baptism of Infants is not profitable because it goeth before Faith Wherefore I the said Michael Thombe detesting and abhorring all and every such my said Errors Heresies and damned Opinions and with all my Power affecting hereafter firmly to believe in the true and perfect Faith of Christ and of the Holy Church purposing to follow the true and sincere Doctrine of Holy Church with a pure and free Heart voluntarily mind will and intend utterly to forsake relinquish renounce and despise the said detestable Errors Heresies and damnable Opinions granting and confessing now That Christ took Flesh of the Virgin Mary and that the Baptism of Infants is profitable and necessary And by this Submission and Penance doing Thombe escaped But another of the same Opinion more obstinate came to a sadder End and was Burnt namely Ioan Bocher or Ioan of Kent Her Opinion is in the Instrument drawn up against her in the ABp's Register Which ran thus That you believe that the Word was made Flesh in the Virgin 's Belly but that Christ took Flesh of the Virgin you believe not because the Flesh of the Virgin being the outward Man was sinfully gotten and born in Sin But the Word by the Consent of the inward Man of the Virgin was made Flesh. This she stood perversely in So the Arch-bishop himself excommunicated her judicially the Sentence being read by him April 1549 in S. Mary's Chappel within the Cathedral Church of Pauls Sir Thomas Smith William Cook Dean of the Arches Hugh Latimer Richard Lyell LL. D. the King's Commissioners assisting She was committed afterwards to the Secular Arm and certified so to be by an Instrument made by the Commissioners to the King After she was condemned she was a Sevennight in the Lord Chancellor Rich his House and every day the Arch-bishop and Bishop Ridley came and reasoned with her that if possible they might save her from the Fire But nothing would do I will here produce Latimer's Censure of her who well knew her Case being one of the Commissioners that sat upon her She would say saith he in his Sermon on S. Iohn Evangelist's Day That our Saviour was not very Man nor had received Flesh of his Mother Mary And yet she could shew no reason why she should believe so Her Opinion was this The Son of God said she penetrated through her as through a Glass taking no Substance of her This foolish Woman denied the common Creed Natus ex Maria Virgine and said that our Saviour had a fantastical Body A Dutch Man an Arian named George van Paris denying Christ to be true God came to a like End with Ioan namely that of burning to Death being condemned for Heresy that was in the Year 1551. But tho I make some Anticipation in my History yet I do it that I may lay these Heresies here together that started up or rather shewed themselves more visibly in this Reign CHAP. IX The Arch-bishop Visits THE Arch-bishop in this Year held a Visitation in divers Places throughout his Diocess Wherein enquiry was to be made concerning the Behaviour both of the Priests and the People in eighty six Articles Whereby may be seen the Arch-bishop's conscientious Care and Solicitude for the abrogating of Superstition and the promoting of true Religion That he might reduce the Clergy to Learning
Oriel College Moreman was beneficed in Cornwal in King Henry's Time and seemed to go along with that King in his steps of Reformation and was observed to be the first that taught his Parishioners the Lord's Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandments in English yet shewing himself in the next King's Reign a Zealot for the old Superstitions Hence we perceive the Reason why the Arch-bishop charged him to be a Man full of Craft and Hypocrisy In Q. Mary's Time he was for his Popish Merits preferred to be Dean of Exeter and was Coadjutor to the Bishop of that Diocess probably then superannuated and died in that Queen's Reign Besides these two there was another Clergy-man the Rebels spent another Article in speaking for namely Cardinal Pole Whom they would have sent for Home and to be preferred to be of the Privy-Council But Cranmer told them his Judgment first in general of Cardinals that they never did Good to this Realm but always Hurt And then in particular of this Cardinal that he had read once a virulent Book of his writing against King Henry exciting the Pope the Emperor the French King and all other Princes to invade this Realm And therefore that he was so far from deserving to be called Home and to live in England that he deserved not to live at all In fine in this excellent Composition of the Arch-bishop his Design was to expose the Abuses and Corruptions of Popery and to convince the Nation what need there was that such Matters should be abolished as the Pope's Decrees Solitary Masses Latin Service hanging the Host over the Altar Sacrament in one Kind Holy Bread and Holy Water Palms Ashes Images the old Service-Book praying for Souls in Purgatory And to vindicate the English Service the use of the Holy Scriptures in the Vulgar Tongue and other Matters relating to the Reformation made in King Edward's Time Which he doth all along with that strain of happy Perspicuity and Easiness that one shall scarcely meet with elsewhere mixed every where with great Gravity Seriousness and Compassion The Arch-bishop thought it highly convenient in these Commotions round about to do his Endeavour to keep those People that were still and quiet as yet in their Duty And for this Purpose had Sermons composed to be now read by the Curats to the People in their Churches to preserve them in their Obedience and to set out the Evil and Mischief of the present Disturbances I find in the same Volume where Cranmer's Answers aforesaid are a Sermon against the Seditions arising now every where with the Arch-bishop's Interlinings and marginal Notes and Corrections This Sermon was first wrote in Latin by Peter Martyr as a Note of Arch-bishop Parker's Hand testifieth at Arch-bishop Cranmer's Request to the said Learned Man no question and so by his Order translated into English and printed I suppose for the common Use in those Times It begins thus The common Sorrow of this present Time dear beloved Brethren in Christ if I should be more led thereby than by Reason and Zeal to my Country would move me rather to hold my Peace than to speak For the great Evils which we now suffer are to be bewailed with Tears and Silence rather than with Words And hereunto I might allege for me the Example of Iob who when he came to his extream Misery he lying upon a Dunghil and three of his Friends sitting upon the Ground by him for the space of seven Days for great Sorrow not one of them opened his Mouth to speak a word to another If then the miserable Estate of Iob like a hard and sharp Bit stopped his Mouth from speaking and the lamentable Case of their Friend staid these three Men being of Speech most Eloquent that they could not utter their words surely it seems that I have a much more cause to be still and hold my peace For there was the piteous Lamentation of no more but one Man or one Houshold and that only concerning temporal and worldly Substance but we have cause to bewail a whole Realm and that most Noble which lately being in that State that all other Realms envied our Wealth and feared our Force is now so troubled so vexed so tossed and deformed and that by Sedition among our selves of such as be Members of the same that nothing is left unattempted to the utter Ruin and Subversion thereof And besides this the everlasting Punishment of God threatneth as well the Authors and Procurers of these Seditions as all other that join themselves unto them c. Besides this Sermon of P. Martyr's there is another Discourse pen'd by him under his own hand on the same occasion designed as it seems to be translated into English and sent to the Rebels thus beginning Tantum voluit Deus vim charitatis amoris magnitudinem inter populum magistratum intercedere ut per Hieremiam admonuerit plebem Israeliticam quod pro Rege Nebuchadnezar orarent qui corum Rempub. everterat illosque adhuc captivitate Babylonica premebat Dominus tametsi voluit suos instar columbarum simplices degere idem nihilominus admonuit ut serpentum prudentiam imitarentur qua suas actiones Literarum Sacrarum praeceptâ—s regerent moderarentur caverentque ne aliena consilia ut Papistarum vel Seditiosorum se in transversum auferrent Si potuissetis quod est prudentium in longinquum prospicere omnino vidissetis caeteros hostes uti nunc res ipsa declarat fretos vestris tumultibus in vestrum Regnum arma sumpturos ausuros impunè qui nunquam si in officio mansissetis tentassent c. This last Paragraph respected the French King who taking occasion from these Broils at Home brake out into open Hostility against the Kingdom recalling his Ambassador and on a sudden brought his Ships against the Isles of Iersey and Guernsey with an intent to have conquered them But by the Valour of the Inhabitants and some of the King's Ships he was beaten off with great Loss This was in the Month of August Martin Bucer also wrote a Discourse against this Sedition as well as Martyr Both of them were now I suppose under the Arch-bishop's Roof entertained by him And he thought it convenient that these learned Foreigners should give some publick Testimony of their Dislike of these Doings Bucer's Discourse subjoined to Martyr's began in this Tenor Quae dici possunt ad sedandos animos plebis ab omni conatu seditioso absterrendos quod ad rem ipsam attinet inscripta sunt omnia in Reverendissimi D. N. M. Ven. Collegae nostri Pet. Martyris Schedis ut nostra adjectione nulla sit opus tamen ut consensum spiritus testemur haâ— subjecta libuit annotare c. An Office of Fasting was composed for this Rebellion which being allayed in the West grew more formidable in Norfolk and Yorkshire For I find a Prayer composed by the Arch-bishop with
Year when Ridley was translated thither as we shall see by and by Indeed this was the most plausible Pretence the Papists had and which they made much use of Which Boner and Gardiner had cunningly invented viz. That though the King were to be obeyed and all were bound to submit to his Laws yet not to the Orders and Placits of his Counsellors who made what Innovations they pleased in his Name and were none of his Laws and that therefore things should remain in the State wherein the former King left them till the King now a Child came to Years of Discretion to make Laws himself This the Rebels in Devon made use of And this also the Lady Mary urged very boldly to the Lords of the Council for her incompliance with the Communion-Book and for continuance of the use of the Mass telling them in a Letter That she was resolved to remain obedient to her Father's Laws till the King her Brother should have perfect Years of Discretion to order that Power that God had given him Which Letter whereof I have the Original may be seen in the Appendix For the satisfying therefore of the People in this the Preachers were fain to do their Endeavours in the Pulpits Shewing them that those that were in Office under the King were by the Word of God to be obeyed as the King himself There be some Men that say as Latimer in one of his Sermons in these Days when the King's Majesty himself commandeth me so to do then I will do it not afore This is a wicked Saying and damnable For we may not so be excused Scripture is plain in it and sheweth us that we ought to obey his Officers having Authority from the King as well as unto the King himself Therefore this Excuse will not nor cannot serve afore God Yet let the Magistrates take heed to their Office and Duty This Year the Arch-bishop celebrated a great Ordination consisting of such chiefly as shewed themselves Favourers of the King's Proceedings to be sent abroad to preach the Gospel and to serve in the Ministry of the Church At this Ordination Bishop Ridley also assisted the Arch-bishop The old Popish Order of conferring of Holy Orders was yet in force the new Office as yet not being prepared and established But this Ordination nevertheless was celebrated after that Order that was soon after established At this Ordination great Favour was shewn and Connivance to such who otherwise being well qualified for Piety and Learning scrupled wearing the Habits used by the Popish Priests I meet with two famous Men now ordained The one was Robert Drakes who was Deacon to Dr. Tayler Parson of Hadley at the Commandment of Arch-bishop Cranmer afterwards Parson of Thundersley in Essex and in the Year 1556 burnt to death in Smithfield for his constant Profession of Christ's Religion The other was Thomas Sampson Parson of Breadstreet London and successively Dean of Chichester and Christ's-Church Oxon. Who in a Letter of his written to Secretary Cecyl in Q. Elizabeth's Reign said That at his Ordination he excepted against the Apparel and by the Arch-bishop and Bishop Ridley he was nevertheless permitted and admitted All the Divine Offices were now reformed but only that for Ordination of Ministers Therefore for the doing of this the Council appointed Twelve Learned Men consisting half of Bishops and half of other inferior Divines Whose Names I do not meet with excepting Hethe Bp of Worcester Who because he would not assist in this Work was sent to Prison The chief of them no doubt was the Arch-bishop After mature deliberation this Office was agreed upon and finished And Ponet was the first Bishop Consecrated after this new Form And that I suppose may be the reason that it is set down at length in the Arch-bishop's Register in that manner as it is there to be seen as we shall see under the next Year Upon the Vacancy of Cathedral Churches the Arch-bishop used to visit So now the Church of S. Davids being vacant upon the remove of Barlow to Bath and Wells the Arch-bishop issued out a Commission to Eliseus Price to visit that Church And upon the Vacancy of Glocester by the Death of Wakeman there was a Commission to I. Williams LL. D. and Prebendary there to be his Commissary and to visit that Church and to be Keeper of the Spiritualties of the City and Diocess of Glocester in this third Year of the King This Year also the Church of Norwich being become Vacant by the Resignation of Repps the Arch-bishop granted a Commission to Iohn Bishop Suffragan of Thetford and Dean of the Church of the Holy Trinity Norwich to be his Deputy and Commissary for Visitation and Jurisdiction But somewhat before this he constituted Roland Taylor LL.D. and Will. Wakefeld D. D. to be Keepers of the Spiritualties of Norwich From whose Jurisdiction he protested not to derogate by those his Commissional Letters to the Suffragan nor to withdraw from them any Authority of Jurisdiction This was dated February 15. Also the Church of London being Vacant by the Deprivation and Destitution of Boner the Arch-bishop constituted Gabriel Donne Residentiary of S. Pauls to be his Official and Keeper of the Spiritualties to exercise all manner of Episcopal Jurisdiction in the said City and Diocess This Year he made Griffin Leyson LL.D. Dean of the Arches CHAP. XII Duke of Somerset's Troubles The Common-Prayer Ratified WHEN most of the Council had combined together in the Month of October against the Protector of the King's Person the Duke of Somerset and had withdrawn themselves to Ely-House the King then being at Hampton-Court and suddenly conveyed by the said Duke to Windsor upon the fear of Tumult then I find the Arch-bishop and but two Privy-Counsellors more with the King and the Protector there Being here the good Arch-bishop though he would not forsake his Friend the Duke nor the King his Master yet he did what lay in him to appease and pacify these Heats And so he with the Lord Paget and Secretary Smith in their own and the King's Name wrote an earnest Letter to the Separating Counsellors and sent it by Sir Philip Hoby Wherein as appears by their Answer They were charged by the Arch-bishop with creating much Care and Sorrow to the King and that he thought they had not that Care that beseemed them of pacifying the present Uproars and for the preservation of the State from Danger That they forgat the Benefits they had received from the King's Father nor were mindful of their Duty of Allegiance That their Doings bespake Wilfulness and that the Protector meant nothing but the Safety and Protection of the King in what he had done and that he had that consideration of his Duty to God that the Promise and Oath he made required They were advised to do as they would be done unto And mention was made of Cruelty more than once charging
them obliquely therewith And in fine he wrote that He and those with him knew more than they did to whom they writ Probably he meant that he knew that this Anger against the Duke arose from the private Malice of some of them or their Hatred of the Reformation notwithstanding all the fair Pretences of their Care of the King and the Protector 's Misgovernment This Letter the Lords from Ely-house answered Charging and commanding the Arch-bishop and those with him to have a continual earnest watch of the King's Person and that he be not removed from Windsor-Castle as they would answer the same at their utmost Perils They wondred much they said that they would suffer the King's Royal Person to remain in the Guard of the Duke's Men and that Strangers should be Armed with the King's Armour and be nearest about his Person For it seems many of the King's Servants in this Fear were removed away They advised the Arch-bishop and the Lord Paget to come over to their Side and to leave the poor Duke alone Upon this the Arch-bishop and the others wrote a second Letter dated October the 10 th Wherein they assured the Lords that they could whensoever they pleased to require it give such very good Reasons for their so often mentioning Cruelty in their other Letter as they questioned not they would be well satisfied with And so upon the Lord 's propounding a Meeting with the King and them they accorded thereunto in great prudence willing for Peace and Quietness in that dangerous Time so to do These Letters are recorded in the History of the Reformation The Common-Prayer-Book and Administration of the Sacraments by the great care and study of the Arch-bishop was now finished and settled by Act of Parliament which would not down with a great many But upon the taking up of the Duke of Somerset in the Month of October and laying him in the Tower it was generally said that now the old Latin-Service should come in again the common Opinion being that the Common-Prayer was peculiarly of his procuring And that there were such Designs among Somerset's Enemies who were generally favourers of the old Religion it is not improbable The good Arch-bishop thought it now time to interpose in this thing and to obtain from the Privy-Council somewhat to confirm the Book of Common-Prayer So there was in Decemb. 25. a general Letter drawn up to all the Bishops of England Letting them understand That there was no intention of bringing in again Latin-Service conjured Bread and Water nor any such abrogated Ceremonies And that the abolishing of these and the setting forth of the Book of Common-Prayer was done by the whole State of the Realm That the Book was grounded upon the Holy Scripture and was agreeable to the Order of the Primitive Church and much to the edifying of the Subject And therefore that the changing of that for the old Latin-Service would be a preferring of Ignorance to Knowledg Darkness to Light and a preparation to bring in Papistry and Superstition again The Bishops therefore were bid with all speed to command their Deans and Prebendaries and all Parsons Vicars and Curates to bring to such Places as the Bishops should appoint all Antiphoners Missals c. and all other Books of Service and that they be defaced and abolished that they be no let to that Godly and uniform Order set forth And to commit to Ward any stubborn and disobedient Persons that brought not the said Books and to certify the Council of their Misbehaviour That they should make search if any of these Superstitious Books were withdrawn or hid That whereas there were some Persons who refused to contribute to the buying of Bread and Wine for the Communion according to the Order of the Book whereby many-times the Holy Communion was fain to be omitted to convent such Persons before them and admonish them and if they refused to do accordingly to punish them by Suspension Excommunication or other Censure This was signed by the Arch-bishop and the Lord Chancellor Rich and four more CHAP. XIII The Arch-bishop entertains learned Foreigners THE Arch-bishop had now in his Family several Learned Men. Some he sent for from beyond Sea and some in pity he entertained being Exiles for Religion Among the former sort was Martin Bucer a Man of great Learning and Moderation and who bore a great part in the Reformation of Germany While he and the rest abode under his Roof the Arch-bishop still employed them sometimes in learned Conferences and Consultations held with them sometimes in writing their Judgment upon some Subjects in Divinity Here Bucer wrote to the Lady Elizabeth a Letter bearing Date the 6 th of the Calends of September commending her Study in Piety and Learning and exciting her to proceed therein incited so to do I make no doubt by the Arch-bishop whom Bucer in that Letter makes mention of and stileth Patrem suum benignissimum hospitem Hence also he wrote another Letter to the Marquess of Northampton who was a Patron of Learning and a Professor of Religion in the behalf of Sleidan who was promised a Pension by the King to enable him to write the History of the Progress of Religion beginning at Luther A part of the Letter translated into English ran thus Therefore if we should not take care that this so great Act of Divine Goodness towards us viz. the Reformation began in the Year 1517 should be most diligently written and consecrated to Posterity we should lie under the Crime of the neglect of God's Glory and most foul Ingratitude Therefore Iohn Sleidan a very Learned and Eloquent Man five Years ago began to compile an History of this Nature as the Work he had published did witness But after he was much encouraged in this Undertaking and well furnished with Matter the Calamities that befel Germany for our own Deserts intercepted the pious Attempts of this Man so very useful to the Church Nor doth it appear now from whence besides the King's Majesty we may hope that some small Benignity may be obtained for Sleidan since the Salaries which he received for this purpose from the German Princes failed and he was poor That Iohn Alasco Dr. Peter Martyr and he considering these things and weighing how the truly Christian King Edward was even born with a desire of illustrating the Glory of Christ and what need there was to set Sleidan again upon finishing the History of the Gospel restored to us they had therefore presumed to supplicate the King in his behalf and intreated the Marquess to promote and forward their Supplication and to vouchsafe to contribute his Help also We shall hear more of this hereafter I find also Annotations writ by the said Bucer upon S. Matthew reaching as far as the eighth Chapter and there ending in this method There is the Latin Translation with large Notes added in the Margin and at the end of each Chapter common
Riot in the University and thereby to endanger the King's Professor and was therefore got away into Scotland conscious likewise to himself of Calumnies and Wrongs done by him against the Arch-bishop some time after wrote to the Arch-bishop a submissive Letter praying him to forgive all the Injuries he had done his Grace and to obtain the King's Pardon for him that he might return Home again And he promised to write a Book for the Marriage of Priests as he had done before against it That he was the more desirous to come Home into England because otherwise he should be put upon writing against his Grace's Book of the Sacrament and all his Proceedings in Religion being then harboured as he would make it believed by such as required it at his Hands But in Q. Mary's Days he revolted again and was a most zealous Papist and then did that indeed which he gave some Hints of before for he wrote vehemently against Cranmer's Book But from Oxford let us look over to Cambridg Where Disputations likewise were held in the Month of Iune before the King's Commissioners who were Ridley Bishop of Rochester Thomas Bishop of Ely Mr. Cheke Dr. May and Dr. Wendy the King's Physician The Questions were That Transubstantiation could not be proved by Scripture nor be confirmed by the Consent of Antient Fathers for a thousand Years past And that the Lord's Supper is no Oblation or Sacrifice otherwise than a Remembrance of Christ's Death There were three Solemn Disputations In the first Dr. Madew was Respondent and Glyn Langdale Sedgwick and Yong Opponents In the Second Dr. Glyn was Respondent on the Popish side Opponents Pern Grindal Guest Pilkington In the third Dr. Pern was Respondent Parker Pollard Vavasor Yong Opponents After these Disputations were ended the Bishop of Rochester determined the Truth of these Questions ad placitum suum as a Papist wrote out of whose Notes I transcribe the Names of these Disputants Besides these Disputations when Bucer came to Cambridg he was engaged in another with Sedgwick Pern and Yong upon these Questions I. That the Canonical Books of Scripture alone do teach sufficiently all things necessary to Salvation II. That there is no Church in Earth that erreth not as well in Faith as Manners III. That we are so freely justified of God that before our Justification whatsoever good Works we seem to do have the Nature of Sin Concerning this last he and Yong had several Combates Which are set down in his English Works As to Bucer's Opinion of the Presence in the Sacrament the great Controversy of this Time it may not be amiss to consider what so great a Professor thought herein and especially by what we saw before that Martyr and he did somewhat differ in this Point For as he would not admit those words Carnally and Naturally so neither did he like Realiter and Substantialiter Bucer's Judgment drawn up by himself sententiously in 54 Aphorisms may be seen in the Appendix as I meet with it among Fox's Papers It is extant in Latin among his Scripta Anglicana and intitled Concessio D. M. Buc. de Sancta Eucharistia in Anglia Aphoristicos scripta Anno 1550. And so we take our leave of Bucer for this Year We shall hear of him again in the next CHAP. XV. Matters of the Church and its State now LET me now crave a little room to set down some Matters that relate to the Church coming within the compass of this Year which will shew what mean Advances Religion as yet had made in the Nation Divers Relicks of Popery still continued in the Nation by means partly of the Bishops partly of the Justices of Peace Popishly affected In London Bishop Boner drove on but heavily in the King's Proceedings though he outwardly complied In his Cathedral Church there remained still the Apostles Mass and our Lady's Mass and other Masses under the Defence and Nomination of our Lady's Communion used in the private Chappels and other remote places of the same Church tho not in the Chancel contrary to the King's Proceedings Therefore the Lord Protector and others of the Council wrote to the Bishop Iune 24. Complaining of this and ordering that no such Masses should be used in S. Paul's Church any longer and that the Holy Communion according to the Act of Parliament should be ministred at the high Altar of the Church and in no other place of the same and only at such times as the high Masses were wont to be used except some number of People for their necessary Business desired to have a Communion in the Morning and yet the same to be exercised in the Chancel at the high Altar as was appointed in the Book of Publick Service Accordingly Boner directed his Letters to the Dean and Chapter of Paul's to call together those that were resident and to declare these Matters As it was thus in London so in the Countries too many of the Justices were slack in seeing to the execution of the King's Laws relating not only to Religion but to other Affairs And in some Shires that were further distant the People had never so much as heard of the King's Proclamation by the Default of the Justices who winked at the Peoples neglect thereof For the quickening of the Justices of Peace at this time when a Foreign Invasion was daily expected and Foreign Power was come into Scotland to aid that Nation against England the Lord Protector and the Privy-Council assembled at the Star-Chamber and called before them all the Justices which was a thing accustomed sometimes to be done for the Justices to appear before the King and Council there to have Admonitions and Warnings given them for the discharge of their Duty And then the Lord Chancellor Rich made a Speech to them That they should repair down into their several Countries with speed and give warning to other Gentlemen to go down to their Houses and there to see good Order and Rule kept that their Sessions of Goal-delivery and Quarter-Sessions be well observed that Vagabonds and seditious Tale-bearers of the King or his Council and such as preached without Licence be repress'd and punished That if there should be any Uproars or Routs and Riots of lewd Fellows or privy Traitors they should appease them And that if any Enemy should chance to arise in any Place of England they should fire the Beacons as had been wrote to them before and repulse the same in as good Array as they could And that for that purpose they should see diligently that Men have Horse Harness and other Furniture of Weapon ready And to the Bishops the Council now sent Letters again for Redress of the Contempt and Neglect of the Book of Common-Prayer which to this time long after the publishing thereof was either not known at all to many or very irreverently used Occasioned especially by the winking of the Bishops and the stubborn Disobedience
Subscription to his Articles of Religion But in his absence when his Back was turned they became as bad altogether as they were before Yet he conceived good hopes of the Lay-people if they had but good Justices and faithful Ministers placed among them as he wrote to Secretary Cecyl To whom he signified his Desire that the Articles of Religion which the King had mentioned to him when last at London were set forth Them he intended to make the Clergy not only subscribe which being privately done he saw they regarded not but to read and confess them openly before their Parishioners At his Visitation he constituted certain of his Clergy Superintendants who in his absence were to have a constant Eye over the Inferior Clergy After this Visit to Glocester he returned back again to VVorcester in October and then proceeded in his Visitation there Here Iohnson and Iollisf two Canons of this Church disallowing some Doctrines recommended to them by the Bishop in his Articles abovesaid held a Dispute thereupon with him and Mr. Harley who was afterward Bishop of Hereford And one of these behaved himself most insolently and disrespectfully to both The Bishop sent up by Harley a large Relation of his Visitation in writing and the Matter these Canons misliked and recommended Harley to the Secretary to give Account of the Disputation This caused him to break out into a Complaint for want of good Men in the Cathedrals Ah! Mr. Secretary that there were good Men in the Cathedral Churches God then should have much more Honour than he hath the King's Majesty more Obedience and the poor People better Knowledg But the Realm wanteth Light in such Churches whereas of right it ought most to be In Worcester Church he now put in execution the King's Injunctions for the removal of Superstition For which there arose a great Clamour against him as though he had spoiled the Church and yet he did no more than the express Words of the Injunctions commanded to be done After his Visitation was over he accounted not his Work done but soon went over both his Diocesses again to take account of his Clergy how they profited since his last examining them and to oversee even his Superintendents themselves to commend their Well-doings and to see what was ill done So great was his Pains and Zeal which made him most truly and experimentally write as he did to the Secretary There is none that eat their Bread in the sweat of their Face but such as serve in Publick Vocation Yours is wonderful but mine passeth Now I perceive that private Labours be but Plays nor private Troubles but Ease and Quietness These Matters I extract from two Original Letters of this Bishop to Secretary Cecyl which I have thought well worthy of preserving in the Appendix and there they may be met with Whereas it was mentioned before how the Bishop had sent up a Writing of the Matters in Controversy between the two Canons and himself we may see what Care the Council took hereof and what Countenance they gave the Bishop by an Order they made Novemb. 6. 1552. Which was that a Letter should be wrote to Mr. Cheke and Mr. Harley to consider certain Books sent unto them touching Matters of Religion in Controversy between the Bishop of VVorcester and two of the Canons of VVorcester and to certify their Opinion hither that further Order may be therein taken Ian. 29. 1551. Upon suit made by the Dutchess of Somerset to Sir Philip Hobby and Mr. Darcy Lieutenant of the Tower to be a Mean unto the King's Majesty and my Lords that the Bishop of Glocester who had been Chaplain unto the Duke might be suffered to have access unto her for the settling of her Conscience Order was by their Lordships taken for the same and a Letter written to the Lieutenant of the Tower in that behalf as followeth To the Lieutenant of the Tower to permit the Bishop of Glocester from time to time to speak with the Dutchess of Somerset in the presence of Sir Philip Hobby and of the said Lieutenant And in case the said Lady of Somerset desire to speak with the said Bishop apart that in that case they license her so to do May 29 1552. A Warrant to make a Book to the Elect Bishop of VVorcester and Glocester of discharge of the first Fruits and Tenths to be paid for the same in consideration that he hath departed with certain Lands to the King's Majesty Which probably he seeing would whether he would or no be pulled away from him to be conferred upon some of the Mighty of the Court made the best of a bad Market and got himself freed from that Charge payable to the King April 12 1553. A Letter was wrote to the Chancellor of the Augmentations to cause a Book to be made from the Bishop of Worcester and Glocester of a Surrender to the King's Majesty of his Jurisdiction in the Forest of Dean with a certain Deanery which of right belongeth to the Bishoprick of Hereford And thereupon to make another Book of the Grant thereof from his Highness to Mr. Harley Elect Bishop of Hereford April 16 1553. A Letter to the Chancellor of the Agumentations to cause a Book to be devised in form of Law Licensing the Bp of Worcester and Glocester to give to three poor Vicarages in his Diocess the Parsonages whereof are impropriated to his Bishoprick such Augmentation of Living towards their better Maintenance as he shall think convenient out of the Lands of the said See April 25 1553. A Warrant to the Receiver of the Wards to deliver to the Bishop of Worcester by way of Reward twenty Pounds for his Attendance here ever since the Parliament by his Majesty's Commandment These are Transcriptions out of a Council-Book CHAP. XIX Troubles of Bishop Gardiner IN this Year 1550 the Council and our Arch-bishop had much trouble with some other Bishops also of a quite different Judgment from the above-spoken of I mean Gardiner Bishop of Winchester Nicolas Bishop of Worcester and Day Bishop of Chichester Of whom what I shall here briefly set down are for the most part Extractions out of an old Council-Book and K. Edward's Journal At Greenwich June 8. was this Order of Council concerning Bishop Gardiner Considering the long Imprisonment that the Bishop of Winchester hath sustained it was now thought time he should be spoken withal and agreed that if he repented his former Obstinacy and would henceforth apply himself to advance the King's Majesty's Proceedings His Highness in this Case would be his good Lord and remit all his Errors passed Otherwise his Majesty was resolved to proceed against him as his Obstinacy and Contempt required For the Declaration whereof the Duke of Somerset the Lord Treasurer the Lord Privy-Seal the Lord great Chamberlain and Mr. Secretary Petre were appointed the next Day i. e. Iune 9. to repair unto him Signed by E. Somerset T. Cant.
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
Sentence Definitive ready to be pronounced made an Appeal from them to the King For his doing which he produced these Reasons For that these his pretended Judges were not indifferent but prejudiced against him That my Lord of Canterbury had caused him to be sent to Prison whereas the Arch-bishop was only present at the Council when he was by them ordered to the Tower And so had Hales Goodrick and Gosnold counselled to send him thither Also that the Arch-bishop and the Bishops of London and Lincoln did contrary to the Laws Ecclesiastical and taught and set forth manifest condemned Errors against the Presence in the Sacrament And because the Bishop as well in his Writings as otherwise did set forth the Catholick Faith of the very Presence of Christ's Body and Blood therefore they shewed themselves unduly affected towards him That Sir William Petre decreed the Fruits of his Bishoprick to be sequestred de facto sed non de jure and now was Judg in his own Cause But notwithstanding this Appeal the Arch-bishop with the rest of the Commissioners pronounced him Deprived and his Bishoprick void After this was done the Bishop appealed again to the King instantly more instantly most instantly from their Sentence as Injust and of no effect in Law and asked of them Letters Dimissory to be granted to him and a Copy of the Judgment But the Judges declared they would first know the pleasure of the King and his Council therein And so this last Session brake up The day after being the 15 th of February the Council sitting at VVestminster upon debating the Bishop of VVinton's Case Forasmuch as it appeared he had at all times before the Judges of his Cause used himself unreverently to the King's Majesty and slanderfully towards his Council and especially Yesterday being the Day of his Judgment given against him he called his Judges Hereticks and Sacramentaries they being there the King's Commissioners and of his Highness's Council it was therefore concluded by the whole Board that he should be removed from the Lodging he hath now in the Tower to a meaner Lodging and none to wait upon him but one by the Lieutenant's Appointment in such sort as by the resort of any Man to him he have not the liberty to send out to any Man or to hear from any Man And likewise that his Books and Papers be taken from him and seen and that from henceforth he have neither Pen Ink nor Paper to write his detestable Purposes but be sequestred from all Conferences and from all means that may serve him to practise any way March 8. at VVestminster This day by the King's Majesty 's own Appointment Dr. Poynet Bishop of Rochester was chosen Bishop of VVinchester And the Arch-bishop of Canterbury had given him 266 l. 13 s. 4 d. i. e. 400 Marks for his Pains and Charges about the Bishop of VVinchester And thus I have from very Authentick Authority gathered together these Memorials of this turbulent haughty Man who was now so seasonably laid aside in this King's Reign till we hear of him loudly in the next when he sufficiently wracked his Revenge against our good Arch-bishop and the true Religion CHAP. XX. Bishop Hethe and Bishop Day their Deprivations WHile the aforesaid Bp lay under Sequestrationin the Tower two other Bps that were wayward to the King's Proceedings in the Reformation of the Church viz. of Worcester and Chichester came under the Hands of the Privy-Council resolving to make them comply or deprive them That others more willing and better affected to Reformation might succeed and do service in the Church and that the Arch-bishop might go forward with less Stop and Impediment in the good Work he had dedicated himself unto Both of them were of the Arch-bishop's raising and seemed very compliant with the Arch-bishop during K. Henry's Reign But now both hung off from him seeming much offended with him for his relinquishing the Doctrine of the Corporeal Presence and for writing a Book against it Whereof they made mention with dislike in their Depositions in the Bishop of Winchester's Trial before the Commissioners In the last Year the Year 1549 Twelve Learned Divines Bishops and others were appointed by the Council to prepare a new Book for the Ordination of Ministers purged of the Superstitions of the old Ordinal Hethe Bishop of Worcester was nominated for one of these But he not liking the thing would not agree to what the others did nor subscribe the Book when made For which in March he was committed to the Fleet where he lay under easy Confinement all the next Year the Year 1550 during which time I find him once produced as a Witness on Bishop Gardiner's behalf But in the Year 1551 the Court being at Chelsey and the Council sitting September 22. by virtue of the King 's express Commandment Nicolâ—s Bishop of Worcester was sent for and came before the Lords and others To whom was repeated the Cause of his Imprisonment to be For that he refused to subscribe the Book devised for the Form of making Arch-bishops Bishops Priests and Deacons being authorized by Parliament At the time of which refusal being not only gently and reasonably required to subscribe it but also being manifestly taught by divers other Learned Men that all Things contained in the Book were Good and True and that the Book was expedient and allowable the said Bishop declared himself to be a vâ—ry obstinate Man And for this his doing it was now shewed unto him that he deserved longer Imprisonment Nevertheless the King's Majesty's Clemency was such that now if he had or would reconcile himself to obey his Majesty in this former Commandment he should recover the King's Majesty's Favour For which Cause it was told him That he was then presently sent for and willed now to subscribe the same Whereunto he answered That he took the Cause of his Imprisonment to be as was alleged and that also he was very gently used rather like a Son than a Subject Nevertheless he said he remained still in the same mind not willing to subscribe it although he would not disobey it And although he was reasoned withal by every of the said Council in disproving his manner of answer that he would not subscribe it being every thing in the said Book True and Good and being devised by eleven other Learned Men to which he was joined as the twelfth and received of all the whole Estate of the Realm agreeing also that he would obey it not subscribe it which contained a Contradiction in Reason Yet he still as a Man not removeable from his own Conceit refused to subscribe it Whereupon to prove all manner of Ways for the winning of him to his Duty he was offered to have Conference with Learned Men and to have time to consider the Matter better Whereunto he said That he could not have better Conference than he had heretofore and well might he have
time but of other Mind he thought never to be Adding that there were many other things whereunto he would never consent if he were demanded as to take down the Altars and set up Tables And in this sort seeing him obstinately settled in Mind not to be conformable he was in the King's Majesty's Name expresly commanded and charged to subscribe the same Book before Thursday next following being the 24 th hereof upon pain of Deprivation of his Bishoprick to all and singular Effects which might follow thereof And hearing the Commandment he resolutely answered He could not find in his Conscience to do it and should be well content to abide such End either by Deprivation or otherwise as pleased the King's Majesty And so as a Man incorrigible he was returned to the Fleet. This Order was subscribed by these of the Privy-Council W. Wilts I. Warwyck W. Herbert W. Cecyl Io. Mason That which gave the Council the first Occasion against Day Bishop of Chichester was partly his refusal of complying with the Order of changing the Altars in his Diocess into Tables and partly going down into his Diocess and there preaching against it and other Matters of that nature then in agitation to the raising of dangerous Tumults and Discontents among the People This came to the Council's Ears and Octob. 7. this Year Dr. Cox the King's Almoner was ordered to repair into Sussex to appease the People by his good Doctrine which were now troubled through the seditious preaching of the Bishop of Chichester and others Novemb. 8. The said Bishop appeared before the Council to answer such things as should be objected against him for preaching And because he denied the words of his Accusation therefore he was commanded within two days to bring in writing what he preached Novemb. 30. This day the Duke of Somerset declared to the Council That the Bishop of Chichester came within two days past and shewed to him that he received Letters from the King's Majesty signed with his Majesty's Hand and subscribed with the Hands of divers Lords of the Council The Tenor of which Letter here ensueth Right Reverend Father in God c. It is the same Letter as is printed in Fox's Acts about pulling down Altars According to this Letter the said Bishop said He could not conform his Conscience to do that he was by the said Letter commanded and therefore prayed the said Duke he might be excused Whereunto the said Duke for Answer used divers Reasons moving the said Bishop to do his Duty and in such things to make no Conscience where no need is Nevertheless the said Bishop would not be removed from his former Opinion Therefore the said Duke said He would make report to the rest of the Council And so in the end he prayed the Lords of the Council this Day that the Bishop might be sent for and shew his Mind touching this Case Which was agreed and Commandment given for the Bishop to be at the Council the next Day Decemb. 1. The Bishop came before the Council and being asked what he said to the Letters sent to him from the King's Majesty He answered That he could not conform his Conscience to take down the Altars in the Churches and in lieu of them to set up Tables as the Letter appointed For that he seemed for his Opinion to have the Scripture and Consent of the Doctors and Fathers of the Church and contrariwise did not perceive any strength in the six Reasons which were set forth by the Bishop of London to perswade the taking down Altars and erection of Tables And then being demanded what Scripture he had he alledged a saying in Esay Which place being considered by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishop of London and other Lords of the Council was found of no purpose to maintain his Opinion And thereupon by the said Arch-bishop and Bishop of Ely divers good Reasons were given to prove that it was convenient to take down the Altars as things abused and in lieu of them to set up Tables as things most meet for the Supper of the Lord and most agreeable to the first Constitution And besides that his other Reasons were then fully answered Wherefore the Council commanded him expresly in the King's Name to proceed to the execution of his Majesty's Commandment in the said Letter expressed Whereunto he made request That he might not be commanded to offend his Conscience saying If his Conscience might be instructed to the contrary he would not thus molest the Council with his refusal Which his Saying considered by the Council moved them to shew thus much Favor unto him that they willed him to resort unto the Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of Ely or London and confer with them in the Matter so as he might be instructed by them to accept the just Command of the King's Majesty with a safe Conscience And for his second Answer Day was given him until the 4 th of this Month. At which day he was commanded to return again Decemb. 4. This day the Bishop of Chichester came before the Council and was demanded Whether he had been with the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the other Bishops according to former Order given him Who answered That he was one Afternoon at Lambeth to have waited on the Arch-bishop but he was answered that he was at the Court. And upon a demand what time his Grace would come home one of the Chamberlains as he saith answered That he doubted it would be late e're his Grace come home because he so used Therefore he tarried not And to any other Bishops he made no repair saying further He had not been well in Health For the which cause he took some Physick yesterday The Arch-bishop thereunto said that the same Afternoon that the Bishop of Chichester had been there he came home very early on purpose to have conferred with the said Bishop For the which cause he had leave of the King's Majesty to depart the same day home sooner than for other Business he might conveniently To the Matter he was asked what mind he was of touching the executing the King's Command and what he could say why the same should not be obeyed Who answered as he did before That his Conscience would not permit him to do the same for that the same was against the Scripture and the Doctors And being asked of the first he alledged a place in the last to the Hebrews mentioning the word ALTAR Which place being considered was manifestly by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely declared to be meant of Christ as by the very Context of the same most manifestly appeared to every Reader Next to this he alledged the former place of Esay which also was most evident to be meant otherwise than he alledged and so proved As to the use of the Primitive Church besides the Texts of the New Testament it was most clearly by Origen
contra Celsum proved That in his time Christen Men had no Altars by direct negative Propositions Besides this the abuse of the Altars was shewed unto him and Reasons declared how necessary it was to reform the same Touching the naming the Table an Altar it was left indifferent to him because Antient Writers sometimes call the Table an Altar But yet notwithstanding that his own Reasons were fully solved and divers good and weighty Reasons made he persevered in the pertinacy of his own singular Opinion Whereupon the Council rehersing to him the evil that should come of this his Disobedience if he should be suffered commanded him in the King's Majesty's Name upon his Allegiance expresly to become an obedient Subject and so to execute the King's Commandment And for that it should appear to him that there was as much Favor meant as might be not offending the King's Majesty in his Majesty's behalf they would be so bold as to appoint him Sunday next to make his final Answer And in the mean time he might advise himself and weigh the Cause as it ought to be And so the day was given him Decemb. 7. The Bishop of Chichester again appeared before the Council and being asked touching the execution of his Majesty's Commandment in the Letter he answered plainly He could not do it saving his Conscience For the Altars seemed to him a thing antiently established by the agreement of the Holy Fathers and confirmed by Antient Doctors with the Custom also of a number of Years and as he thought according to the Scriptures Wherefore he could not in Conscience consent to the abolishing of them and determined rather to lose all that ever he had than to condemn his own Conscience with many other Circumstances to that effect Finally the Matter being well debated it was thought good yet to give him two Days respit further to be advised in hope he might reconcile himself which if he did not upon his next Answer appointed to be upon Tuesday next the Council agreed to proceed ordinarily against him as against a contemptuous Person by way of Sequestration December 9. This day the Bishop of Chichester appeared before the Council and being demanded whether he would obey the King's Commandment in pulling down the Altars as is before rehersed he answered That he thanked both the King's Highness and his Council of their great Clemency used towards him but he said he could not by any means perswade himself to do that thing that was against his Conscience Wherefore he prayed them to do with him what they thought requisite for he would never obey to do the thing that his Conscience would not bear Whereupon for his Contempt he was by the Order of the whole Council committed to Ward in the Fleet till further Order should be taken for him We hear no more of him and his Fellow the Bishop of Worcester till nine Months hence And so we leave them both in the Fleet till September 27 1551. When we find Sir Roger Cholmely Kt. Lord chief Baron of the Exchequer Sir Richard Read Richard Goodrick Iohn Gosnold Iohn Oliver and Richard Ryel being Commissioners appointed by the King's Majesty for the Proceedings in the Causes laid against these two Bishops were commanded by Letter from the Council to call the said Bishops before them at Whitehall and beginning with the Bishop of Worcester's Cause to proceed also with Chichester So as the Judgment of the one might succeed the other without any delay of time more then needed And when the Acts of the Council proceeded in those Causes should be requisite the same upon knowledg given thither should be sent them And in the mean time to use for their Instruction the Acts that were passed upon Worcester's Cause and those that Mr. Read had already concerning Chichester with Admonition seeing their Contempts so evident not to give them any long delay by granting any Learned Counsel or otherwise by such Pretexts Septemb. 28. The Council sent a Letter to the Lord-Chancellor with the Commission directed to the above-named Persons for the examination and determining of the Bishops of Worcester and Chichester's Causes Praying him to send the same to such of the Council as are at or near London whose Hands be not thereto that they might sign it and then to seal it and send it with a Letter from the said Lords inclosed within his to the said Commissioners According to these Orders within less than a Month these two Bishops were at last Deprived after the expectation of their Compliances a long while And October 24 1551. The Council sent a Letter to the Chancellor of the Augmentations to take immediate Order for seizure in the King's Majesty's Hands of the Temporalties of their Bishopricks lately given to his Highness by the Judgment past by the Commissioners appointed for the hearing of those Bishops Causes These Bishops remained Prisoners in the Fleet after their Deprivation till the next Summer When as it seems for their Healths sake they desired to be removed to some place of better Air and more Liberty Whereupon Iune 15 1552. Dr. Day was sent to the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor and Dr. Hethe to the Bishop of London by the appointment of his Majesty And they were directed to use them as to Christian Charity should be most seemly At whose Hands the King doubted not but they should receive such Christian Advice as would tend to the Glory of God Iuly 17. Upon the motion of the Bishop of London the Lords of the Council were content that he should send Dr. Hethe unto the Bishop's own House at London from Fulham to recover his Health and then to have him again So far more kindly were these Popish Bishops dealt withal in this Reign than the Protestant Bishops were in the next Hoper Bishop of Glocester succeeded in the See of Worcester and Scory Bishop of Rochester in that of Chichester I will here crave the Reader 's leave to insert two or three words concerning Bishop Day thereby to judg the better of him About the Year 1547. Saying of Masses was laid aside in King's College in Cambridg the Members of which College generally favoured the Gospel Day the Provost thereof which Place he held in Commendam with his Bishoprick hearing of this wrote an angry Letter to the Vice-provost and in him to the whole College for divers things which they had done relating to Reformation and particularly for leaving off saying Masses In which he said They departed from the Institution of the House and that they did it rashly and besides the Law There being as yet no Law for so doing He charged them with the Breach of Statute and so would involve them in the Sin of Perjury And whereas in their publick Disputations they gave Questions against Popish Doctrines he charged them with disputing wickedly and turbulently to the wounding of tender Consciences and the Infamy of the House And finally required that
any Arguments for the Popish Doctrine brought them all to him many whereof were windy and trivial enough and he out of the heap made his Collections as he thought good But Watson and Smith were his chief Assistants The Arch-bishop though the Times now soon after turned and he cast into Prison was very desirous to prepare another Book in Confutation of Marcus Antonius and in Vindication of his own Writing He lived long enough to finish three Parts whereof two unhappily perished in Oxford and the third fell into Iohn Fox's Hands and for ought I know that by this time is perished also But the great desire he had to finish his Answer to that Book was the chief cause that at his last Appearance before the Queen's Commissioners he made his Appeal to a General Council That thereby he might gain some time and leisure to accomplish what he had begun before his Life were taken away which he saw was likely to be within a very short space Otherwise as he writ to his Lawyer who was to draw up his Appeal it was much better for him to die in Christ's Quarrel and to reign with him than to be shut up and kept in that Body Unless it were to continue yet still a while in this Warfare for the Commodity and Profit of his Brethren and to the further advancing of God's Glory Peter Martyr his surviving and learned Friend being solicited by many English-Men by Letter and word of Mouth undertook the answering this Book But before he had finished it an English Divine and Friend of Martyr's with whom he held Correspondence in Q. Mary's Reign wrote him word in the Year 1557. that an Answer to Antonius by some other hand was then in the Press naming the Author Martyr replied That he was rather glad of it than any ways moved or disturbed at it as a disappointment of what he was doing and added that he expected nothing from that Man but what was very exquisite acute and elaborate But that he feared the noise thereof would not hold true And so it proved Whether this Learned Man withdrew his Book that he might give way to that which P. Martyr was writing or whether it were a Flam given out to stop Martyr in his Design it is uncertain But not long after this Learned Italian put forth his Answer He had it under the Press at Zurick in December 1558 and it came out the next Year Wherein as he wrote to Calvin he did unravel and confute all the Sophisms and Tricks of the Bishop of Winchester And it came forth very seasonably as Martyr hoped For hereby the English Papalins might see at this time especially that that Book was not as they boasted hitherto invincible He gave this Title to his Book Defensio Doctrina veteris Apostolicae de S.S. Eucharistiae Sacramento In the Preface to which he shewed How this Work fell to his Lot Not that that most Reverend Father wanted an Assistant for he could easily have managed Gardiner himself For he knew how Cranmer in many and various Disputes formerly had with him came off with Victory and great Praise but because the ABp when in Prison was forced to leave his Answer which he had begun unfinished by reason of his strait keeping having scarce Paper and Ink allowed him and no Books to make use of and being cut off so soon by Death before he could bring to perfection what he had writ Wherein as Martyr said he had harder measure by far from the Papists than Gardiner had from the Protestants in K. Edward's Days when he wrote his Book Gardiner in that Book of his under the Name of M. Constantius had shewn such foul play with Cranmer's Book mangling it and taking Pieces and Scraps of it here and there and confounding the Method of it to supply himself with Objections to give his own Answers to with the most advantage that the Arch-bishop thought that if Learned Foreigners saw but his first Book of the Sacrament as he wrote it it would be vindication enough against Gardiner's new Book against it And therefore he took order to have it translated into the same Language in which Gardiner wrote that is Latin that impartial Strangers might be able to read and judg and Sir Iohn Cheke elegantly performed it for his Friend the Arch-bishop This Book of Cranmer's thus put into Latin with some Additions came forth 1553. Before it he prefixed an Epistle to King Edward VI. dated at Lambeth Idib Mart. the same Year Wherein he said It was his Care of the Lord's Flock committed to him that put him upon renewing and restoring the Lord's Supper according to the Institution of Christ. And that that was the Reason that about three Years ago he set forth a Book in English against the principal Abuses of the Papistical Mass. Which Book had great Success upon the Peoples Minds in bringing them to embrace the Truth Whereby he said he perceived how great the Force of Truth was and understood the Benefits of the Grace of Christ that even the Blind should have their Eyes opened and partake of the Light of Truth as soon as it was revealed and shewed it self clearly to them But that this gave great Offence unto Gardiner then Bishop of Winchester so that he thought nothing was to be done till he had answered the Book supposing that there would be no helper of so declining forsaken a Cause unless he put to his Hand And so the Arch-bishop proceeded to shew how that Bishop first put forth his English Book endeavouring to overthrow the true Doctrine and to restore and bring again into Repute the Mass with all its Superstitions and afterwards his Latin Book under a feigned Name In which Gardiner had so unfairly dealt with the Arch-bishop's Arguments chopping and changing defacing and disfiguring them that he could not know them for his own and all that he might make it serve his own turn the better Insomuch that he resolved to have his own Book translated out of English into Latin that his true Opinion and Mind in this Controversy might the better be apprehended The whole Epistle is writ in a pure elegant Latin Stile with a good sharpness of Wit The publication of this his Latin Book he thought sufficient for the present to entertain the World till he should put forth in Latin also a full Answer to Gardiner which he intended shortly to do To this Latin Book the Arch-bishop occasionally reviewing it while he was in Prison made sundry Annotations and Additions not of any new Arguments but only of more Authorities out of the Fathers and Ancient Writers This valuable Autograph fell into the Hands of some of the English Exiles at Embden it may be by the Means of Bp Scory who was Superintendent of the English Church there or Sir Iohn Cheke who also for some time was in this Place both great Friends of the Arch-bishop In the
true Interpretation of certain Places out of the Fathers which Gardiner and his Companions brought for themselves and their Errors After this Defence followed another by the same Author printed in the same Town of Zurick against two Books of Dr. Rich. Smith concerning the single Life of Priests and Monastick Vows which he wrote at Lovain against Martyr For when Martyr had read at Oxford upon 1 Corinthians Chap. vii where the Apostle speaks much of Virginity and Matrimony the Notes of which Readings Smith had very diligently taken being constantly present at them from thence he composed two Books not so strong as malicious Of the Celibacy of Priests and of Vows designing thereby to confute Martyr's Arguments Which he therefore thought fit to vindicate In this Book he not only answered Smith's Arguments but whatever else he could meet with upon that Subject But it was thought to be a very improper Undertaking and proved cause of Mirth that so filthy a Fellow as Smith was known to be and once taken in the Act of Adultery should write a Book of Priestly Chastity Which occasioned these Verses made by Laur. Humfrey Haud satis affabrè tractans fabrilia Smithus Librum de vita caelibe composuit c. Dúmque pudicitiam dum vota monastica laudat Stuprat sacra notans foedera conjugii CHAP. XXVI The Duke of Somerset's Death New Bishops THE Arch-bishop of Canterbury this Year lost the Duke of Somerset whom he much valued and who had been a great Assistant to him in the Reformation of the Church and a true Friend to it His violent Death exceedingly grieved the good Arch-bishop both because he knew it would prove a great Let to Religion and was brought about by evil Men to the shedding of Innocent Blood for the furthering the Ends of Ambition and begat in him Fears and Jealousies of the King's Life It is very remarkable what I meet with in one of my Manuscripts There was a Woman somewhat before the last apprehension of the Duke Wife of one Woocock of Pool in Dorsetshire that gave out that there was a Voice that followed her which sounded these words always in her Ears He whom the King did best trust should deceive him and work Treason against him After she had a good while reported this Sir William Barkley who married the Lord Treasurer Winchester's Daughter sent her up to London to the Council with two of his Servants She was not long there but without acquainting the Duke of Somerset whom it seemed most to concern he being the Person whom the King most trusted was sent home again with her Purse full of Money And after her coming home She was more busy in that talk than before So that She came to a Market-Town called Wimborn four Miles from Pool where she reported that the Voice continued following her as before This looked by the Circumstances like a practice of some Popish Priests accustomed to dealing in such Frauds to make the World the more inclinable to believe the Guilt of the good Duke which Somerset's Enemies were now framing against him And so some of the Wiser Sort thereabouts did seem to think For there were two Merchants of Pool that heard her and took a Note of her Words and came to the House of Hancock Minister of Pool who was known to the Duke counselling him to certify my Lord of her Which Hancock accordingly did and came to Sion where the Duke then was and told him of the Words He added Whom the King doth best trust we do not know but that all the King 's loving Subjects did think that his Grace was most worthy to be best trusted and that his Grace had been in Trouble and that all the King 's Loving Subjects did pray for his Grace to the Almighty to preserve him that he might never come in the like trouble again Then the Duke asked him whether he had a Note of the Words Which when he had received from Hancock he said to him suspecting the Plot Ah! Sirrah this is strange that these things should come before the Councellors and I not hear of it I am of the Council also He asked Hancock Before whom of the Council this matter was brought Who replied He knew not certain but as he supposed The Duke asked him Whom he supposed He answered Before the Lord Treasurer because his Son-in-Law Sir W. Barkley sent her up The Duke subjoyned It was like to be so This was three weeks before his last Apprehension This I extract out of Mr. Hancock's own Narration of himself and and his Troubles to which he added That at his first apprehension the report was that the Duke what time as he was fetch'd out of Windsor-Castle having the King by the Hand should say It is not I that they shoot at This is the Mark that they shoot at meaning the King Which by the Sequel proved too true For that good Godly and vertuous Prince lived not long after the Death of that good Duke Indeed it seemed to have been a Plot of the Papists and the Bishop of Winchester at the Bottom of it This is certain when in October 1549. the Duke was brought to the Tower the Bishop was then born in hand he should be set at Liberty Of which he had such Confidence that he prepared himself new Apparel against the Time he should come out thinking verily to have come abroad within eight or ten Days But finding himself disappointed he wrote an expostulatory Letter to the Lords within a Month after to put them in remembrance as Stow writes The Articles that were drawn up against the Duke upon his second Apprehension and Trial were in number Twenty which I shall not repeat here as I might out of a Manuscript thereof because they may be seen in Fox But I do observe one of the Articles is not printed in his Book namely the Tenth which ran thus Also you are charged that you have divers and many times both openly and privately said and affirmed That the Nobles and Gentlemen were the only Causes of the Dearth of things whereby the People rose and did reform things themselves Whence it appears that one Cause of the hatred of the Nobility and Gentry against him was because he spake against their Debauches and Excesses Covetousness and Oppressions But that which I chiefly observe here is that the draught of these Articles which I have seen were made by Bp Gardiner being his very Hand unless I am much mistaken So that he I suppose was privately dealt with and consulted being then a Prisoner in the Tower to be a Party in assisting and carrying on this direful Plot against the Duke to take away his Life Notwithstanding his outward Friendship and fair Correspondence in Letters with the said Duke But Gardiner was looked upon to be a good Manager of Accusations and he was ready enough to be employed here that he might put to his Hand in taking off one
Catalogue of Learned Men and such as he esteemed fit for Places of Preferment in the Church and University that so as any Place fell in the King's Gift the said Secretary might be ready at the least Warning to recommend fitting and worthy Men to supply such Vacancies and to prevent any Motion that might be made by any Courtiers or Simonists for ignorant Persons or corrupt in Religion In answer to which Letter the Arch-bishop writ him word That he would send him his Mind in that Matter with as much Expedition as he could And undoubtedly we should have seen the good Fruits of this afterwards in the Church had not the untimely Death of that admirable Prince that followed not long after prevented this good Design This Year the Arch-bishop laboured under two Fits of Sickness at Croydon The latter was caused by a severe Ague of which his Physicians doubted whether it were a Quotidian or a double Tertian and seizing him in the declining of the Year was in danger to stick by him all the Winter But by the Care of his Physicians in the latter end of August it had left him two Days which made him hope he was quit thereof yet his Water kept of an high Colour That second Day he wrote to Cecyl and desired him to acquaint Cheke how it was with him And now the most Danger was as he said that if it came again that Night it was like to turn to a Quartan a most stubborn Ague and likelier to continue and wear him out A Disease indeed that carried off his Successor Cardinal Pole and was as Godwin observed a Disease deadly and mortal unto elder Folk The Arch-bishop's Friends had reason to fear his Distemper if we think of the Severity of Agues in that Age greater as it seems than in this Roger Ascham complaineth to his Friend Iohn Sturmius Anno 1562 That for four Years past he was afflicted with continual Agues that no sooner had one left him but another presently followed and that the State of his Health was so impaired and broke by them that an Hectick Fever seiz'd his whole Body And the Physicians promised him some Ease but no solid Remedy And I find six or seven Years before that mention made of hot burning Feavers whereof died many old Persons and that there died in the Year 1556 seven Aldermen within the space of ten Months And the next Year about Harvest-time the Quartan Agues continued in like manner or more vehemently than they had done the Year before and they were chiefly mortal to old People and especially Priests So that a great number of Parishes became destitute of Curats and none to be gotten and much Corn was spoiled for lack of Harvest-men Such was the Nature of this Disease in these Days But the Severity or Danger of the Arch-bishop's Distemper did not so much trouble him as certain Inconveniences that attended it viz. That it put him off from â—hose pious and holy Designs that he was in hand with for God's Glory and the Good of the Church For so he exprest his Mind to his Friend the Secretary However the Matter chance the most Grief to me is that I cannot proceed in such Matters as I have in hand according to my Will and Desire This Terrenum Domicilium is such an Obstacle to all good Purposes So strongly bent was the Heart of this excellent Prelat to the serving of God and his Church But out of this Sickness he escaped for God had reserved him for another kind of Death to glorify him by A little before this Sickness befel him something fell out which gave him great Joy Cecyl knew how welcome good News out of Germany would be to him and therefore in Iuly sent him a Copy of the Pacification that is the Emperor's Declaration of Peace throughout the Empire after long and bloody Wars which consisted of such Articles as were favourable unto the Protestants after much persecution of them As that a Diet of the Empire should shortly be summoned to deliberate about composing the Differences of Religion and that the Dissensions about Religion should be composed by placid and pious and easy Methods And that in the mean time all should live in Peace together and none should be molested for Religion with divers other Matters And in another Letter soon after the said Cecyl advised him of a Peace concluded between the Emperor and Maurice Elector of Saxony a warlike Prince and who headed the Protestant Army Which being News of Peace among Christians was highly acceptable to the good Father But he wanted much to know upon what Terms out of the Concern he had that it might go well with the Protestant Interest And therefore Cecyl having not mentioned them the Arch-bishop earnestly in a Letter to him desired to know whether the Peace were according to the Articles meaning those of the Pacification or otherwise Which when he understood for upon the same Articles that Peace between the Emperor and Duke Maurice stood it created a great Tranquillity to his pious Mind Thus were his Thoughts employed about the Matters of Germany and the Cause of Religion there Which he rejoiced not a little to see in so fair a way to a good Conclusion CHAP. XXXI His Kindness for Germany TO this Country he had a particular Kindness not only because he had been formerly there in quality of Ambassador from his Master King Henry and had contracted a great Friendship with many eminent Learned Men there and a near Relation to some of them by marrying Osiander's Niece at Norinberg but chiefly and above all because here the Light of the Gospel began first to break forth and display it self to the spiritual Comfort and Benefit of other Nations He had many Exhibitioners in those Parts to whom he allowed Annual Salaries Insomuch that some of his Officers grumbled at it as though his House-keeping were abridged by it For when once in King Henry's Reign one in discourse with an Officer of his Grace had said He wondred his Lordship kept no better an House though he kept a very good one He answered It was no wonder for my Lord said he hath so many Exhibitions in Germany that all is too little to scrape and get to send thither He held at least a monthly Correspondence to and from Learned Germans and there was one in Canterbury appointed by him on purpose to receive and convey the Letters Which his Enemies once in his Troubles made use of as an Article against him And Gardiner a Prebend of Canterbury and preferred by the Arch-bishop of this very thing treacherously in a secret Letter informed his grand Enemy and Competitor Gardiner the Bishop of Winton Among the rest of his Correspondents in Germany Herman the memorable and ever-famous Arch-bishop and Elector of Colen was one who by the Counsel and Direction of Bucer and Melancthon did vigorously labour a Reformation of
Tonstal late Bishop of Durham should have the Liberty of the Tower where he continued till the Time of Queen Mary But we will look back to learn for what Cause this severe Punishment was inflicted upon this Reverend grave Bishop and the rather because the Bp of Sarum could not find as he writes what the Particulars were In the Year 1550 a Conspiracy was hatching in the North to which the Bishop was privy at least if not an Abetter And he wrote to one Menvile in those Parts relating to the same This Menvile himself related unto the Council and produced the Bishop's Letter Which was afterwards by the Duke of Somerset withdrawn and concealed as it seems out of kindness to Tonstal But upon the Duke's Troubles when his Cabinet was searched this Letter was found Upon which they proceeded against Tonstal This is the sum of what is found in the Council-Book Viz. May 20. 1551. The Bishop of Durham is commanded to keep his House Aug. 2. He had licence to walk in the Fields Decemb. 20. Whereas the Bishop of Durham about Iuly 1550 was charged by Vivian Menvile to have consented to a Conspiracy in the North for the making a Rebellion and whereas for want of a Letter written by the said Bishop to the said Menvile whereupon great trial of this Matter depended the final Determination of the Matter could not be proceeded unto and the Bishop only commanded to keep his House the same Letter hath of late been found in a Casket of the Duke of Somerset's after his last Apprehension The said Bishop was sent for and this Day appeared before the Council and was charged with the Letter which he could not deny but to be his own Hand-writing and having little to say for himself he was then sent to the Tower there to abide till he should be delivered by Process of Law Agreeable to this is that King Edward writes in his Journal Decemb. 20. The Bishop of Durham was for concealment of Treason written to him and not disclosed sent to the Tower In the latter end of the Year 1551 a Parliament sitting it was thought convenient to bring in a Bill into the House of Lords attainting him for Misprision of Treason But Arch-bishop Cranmer spake freely against it not satisfied it seems with the Charge laid against him But it past and the Arch-bishop protested But when it was carried down to the Commons they would not proceed upon it not satisfied with the bare Depositions of Evidences but required that the Accusers might be brought Face to Face And so it went no further But when the Parliament would not do Tonstal's Business a Commission was issued out to do it as is above spoken In the mean time that the Bishoprick might not want a due Care taken of it during the Bishop's Restraint Feb. 18. 1551 a Letter was sent from the Council to the Prebendaries of Durham to conform themselves to such Orders in Religion and Divine Service standing with the King's Proceedings as their Dean Mr. Horn shall set forth whom the Lords required them to receive and use well as being sent to them for the Weal of the Country by his Majesty CHAP. XXXIII The new Common-Prayer The Arch-bishop in Kent THE Book of Common-Prayer having the last Year been carefully Revised and Corrected by the Arch-bishop and others the Parliament in April this Year enacted that it should begin to be used every where at All-Saints Day next And accordingly the Book was printed against the Time and began to be read in S. Paul's Church and the like throughout the whole City But because the Posture of Kneeling was excepted against by some and the words used by the Priest to the Communicant at the reception of the Bread gave Scruple as though the Adoration of the Host were intended therefore to take off this and to declare the contrary to be the Doctrine of this Church Octob. 27. a Letter was sent from the Council to the Lord-Chancellor to cause to be joined to the Book of Common-Prayer lately set forth a Declaration signed by the King touching the Kneeling at the receiving of the Communion Which in all probability was done by the Motion of the Arch-bishop who in his late Book had taken such pains to confute the Adoration and now thought it necessary that some publick Declaration should be made in the Church-Service against it So now the first of November being come Dr. Ridley the Bishop of London was the first that celebrated the new Service in S. Paul's Church which he did in the Forenoon And then in his Rochet only without Cope or Vestment preached in the Choir And in the Afternoon he preached at Pauls-Cross the Lord-Mayor and Aldermen and Citizens present His Sermon tended to the setting forth this new Edition of the Common-Prayer He continued preaching till almost five a Clock so that the Mayor and the rest went home by Torch-light By this Book of Common-Prayer all Copes and Vestments were forbidden throughout England The Prebendaries of St. Pauls left off their Hoods and the Bishops their Crosses c. as by Act of Parliament is more at large set forth Provision also was made for the King's French Dominions that this Book with the Amendments should be used there And the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor a great forwarder of good Reformation procured a learned French-man who was a Doctor of Divinity carefully to correct the former French Book by this English new One in all the Alterations Additions and Omissions thereof For the first Common-Prayer Book also was in French for the use of the King's French Subjects Being translated by Commandment of Sir Hugh Paulet Governour of Calais And that Translation overseen by the Lord Chancellor and others at his Appointment The Benefit of this last Book was such that one of the French Congregation in London sought by the Means of A Lasco's Interest with Secretary Cecyl for a Licence under the King's Letters Patents to translate this Common-Prayer and the Administration of Sacraments and to print it for the use of the French Islands of Iersey and Guernsey But Cecyl after a Letter received from A Lasco in August to that effect not willing to do this of his own Head and reckoning it a proper Matter to be considered by the Arch-bishop who were to be intrusted with the translating of such a Book desired him being now at Ford to give him his Advice and Judgment herein both as to the Work and as to the Benefit To whom the Arch-bishop gave this Answer That the Commodity that might arise by printing of the Book was meet to come to them who had already taken the Pains in translating the same Enforming the Secretary who they were namely those formerly and now of late employed by Sir Hugh Paulet and the Lord-Chancellor But I find this Book was not presently finished being not printed till the Year 1553 for the Use of Iersey and Guernsey
Council wrote a Letter to the great Men in those Parts viz. the Lord Russel Lord Windsor to the Justices of the Peace and the rest of the Gentlemen within that County in favour of the said Knox the Preacher A Bishop Consecrated June 26. Iohn Taylor S. Th. P. Dean of Lincoln a Learned and Pious Man was Consecrated Bishop of Lincoln at Croyden-Chappel by the Arch-bishop assisted by Nicolas Bishop of London and Iohn Bishop of Rochester CHAP. XXXIV A Catechism The Arch-bishop opposeth the Exclusion of the Lady Mary WE are now come to the last Year of good K. Edward's Reign when the Arch-bishop was as commonly at the Council as he used to be before For the Counsellors made great use of him and did not use to conclude any thing in matters relating to the Church without him And if he came not they often sent for him and once the last Year in October when he had fixed his Day of going into Kent they staied him for some Days that they might confer with him about some certain Matter I suppose relating to the Articles of Religion that were then under their Hands To look no further than the latter end of the last Year He was at Council at Westminster in February and this Year in March and April And the Court being at Greenwich where the King lay sick and died the Arch-bishop was there at Council in Iune but not after the eighth Day The reason he came no more we may well conjecture to be because he did no ways like the Methods that were now taking by Northumberland to bring the Crown into his own Family and disenherit the King's Sisters For soon after viz. Iune 11. The Lord Chief Justice Mountagne and some other Judges with the King's Attorny and Solicitor were sent for to the Council to consult about drawing up the Instrument On one of these Council-Days he procured the King's Letters in behalf of the Book of Articles which he had taken such Pains about the two last Years both in composing and in bringing to effect The King had before given order to the Arch-bishop by his Letters to put forth these Articles And now they were put forth he procured the King's Letters also to his own Officers for to see the Clergy of his Diocess to subscribe thereunto So the King's Letters were directed to the Official of the Court of Canterbury and the Dean of the Deanery of the Arches and to their Surrogates Deputies c. Setting forth That whereas he had given order unto Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury in Letters sealed with his Signet for the Honour of God and to take away Dissension of Opinion and confirm Consent of true Religion that he should expound publish denounce and signify some Articles and other things breathing the right Faith of Christ for the Clergy and People within his Jurisdiction the King therefore enjoined them the Arch-bishop's Officers that they should cause all Rectors Vicars Priests Stipendiaries School-masters and all that had any Ecclesiastical Employment to appear in Person before the Arch-bishop in his Hall at Lambeth there further to obey and do on the King's part according as it shall be signified and to receive according to Reason and the Office owing to the King 's Royal Dignity And in obedience hereunto the Official Iohn Gibbon LL. D. Commissary of the Deanery of the Blessed Virgin of the Arches signified by an Instrument dated Iune 2 to the Arch-bishop that he had cited the Clergy I do not find the success of this only that the City-Clergy made their appearance before the Arch-bishop at Lambeth and that he did his endeavor by Perswasion and Argument to bring them to subscribe Which no question very few refused But this Matter afterwards served Q. Mary's Commissioners for one of their Interrogatories to be put to the Arch-bishop as though he had compelled many against their Wills to subscribe Which he denied saying He compelled none but exhorted such to subscribe as were willing first to do it before they did it In the Month of May the King by his Letters Patents commanded a Latin Catechism to be taught by School-masters to their Scholars It was intitled Catechismus brevis Christianae disciplinae summam continens The King in his Letters dated May 20. said It was made by a certain Pious and Learned Man and presented to him and that he committed the diligent examination of it to certain Bishops and other Learned Men whose Judgment was of great Authority with him The same Bishops and Learned Men I suppose that were framing and preparing the Articles of Religion the last Year The Author of this Catechism is not certainly known Some conjecture him to be Ponet the Bishop of Winchester The Learned Dr. Ward one of the English Divines sent to the Synod of Dort having this Catechism in his Library now in the possession of a Friend of mine wrote therein these words A ro N llo autore siquid ego divinare possum Meaning probably Alexander Nowel who was now if I mistake not School-master of Westminster and afterwards Dean of S. Pauls But whosoever was the Author the Arch-bishop we may conclude to be the furtherer and recommender of it unto the King it being that Prelate's great Design by Catechisms and Articles of Religion and plain Expositions of the Fundamentals to instil right Principles into the Minds of the Youth and common People for the more effectual rooting out Popery that had been so long entertained by the industrious nurselling up the Nation in Ignorance There was a Catechism that came forth about this time whether it were this or another I cannot say allowed by the Synod or Convocation In the beginning of Q. Mary the Popish Divines made a great stir about this Catechism and thought they had a great Advantage against it because it was put forth as from the Synod whereas that Synod knew nothing of it Whereupon Wesâ—on the Prolocutor in Q. Mary's first Convocation brought a Bill into the House declaring that Catechism being Pestiferous and full of Heresies to be foisted upon the last Synod fraudulently and therefore that the present Synod disowned it To which he set his own hand and propounded that all the House should do the like Which all but six consented to One whereof was Philpot Arch-deacon of Winchester who stood up and told them in justification of those that published the said Catechism that the Synod under K. Edward had granted to certain Persons to be appointed by the King to make Ecclesiastical Laws And whatsoever Ecclesiastical Laws they or the most part of them did set forth according to a Statute in that behalf provided might well be said to be done by the Synod of London although such as were of the House then had no notice thereof before the Promulgation And therefore in this Point he thought the setters forth of the Catechism had nothing slandered the House since they had that
Synodal Authority unto them committed And moreover he desired the Prolocutor would be a Means unto the Lords that some of those that were Learned and the publishers of this Book might be brought into the House to shew their Learning that moved them to set forth the same and that Dr. Ridley and Rogers and two or three more might be Licensed to be present at this Disputation and be associate with them But this would not be allowed The last thing we hear of concerning our Arch-bishop in this King's Reign was his denial to comply with the new Settlement of the Crown devised and carried on by the domineering Duke of Northumberland for the Succession of Iane Daughter to Gray Duke of Suffolk whom he had married to one of his Sons This he did both oppose and when he could not hinder refused to have any hand in it First he did his endeavour to stop this Act of the King He took the boldness to argue much with the King about it once when the Marquess of Northampton and the Lord Darcy Lord Chamberlain were present And moreover he signified his desire to speak with the King alone that so he might be more free and large with him But that would not be suffered But if it had he thought he should have brought off the King from his Purpose as he said afterward But for what he had said to the King the Duke of Northumberland soon after told him at the Council-Table That it became him not to speak to the King as he had done when he went about to disswade him from his Will To the Council the Arch-bishop urged the entailing of the Crown by K. Henry upon his two Daughters and used many grave and pithy Reasons to them for the Lady Mary's Legitimation when they argued against it But the Council replied That it was the Opinion of the Judges and the King 's Learned Counsel in the Law that that Entailing could not be prejudicial unto the King and that he being in possession of the Crown might dispose of it as he would This seemed strange unto the Arch-bishop Yet considering it was the Judgment of the Lawyers and he himself unlearned in the Law he thought it not seemly to oppose this Matter further But he refused to sign Till the King himself required him to set his Hand to his Will and saying That he hoped he alone would not stand out and be more repugnant to his Will than all the rest of the Council were Which words made a great Impression upon the Arch-bishop's tender Heart and grieved him very sore out of the dear Love he had to that King and so he subscribed And when he did it he did it unfeignedly All this he wrote unto Queen Mary To which I will add what I meet with in one of my Manuscripts When the Council and the chief Judges had set their Hands to the King's Will last of all they sent for the Arch-bishop who had all this while stood off requiring him also to subscribe the same Will as they had done Who answered That he might not without Perjury For so much as he was before sworn to my Lady Mary by King Henry's Will To whom the Council answered That they had Consciences as well as he and were also as well sworn to the King's Will as he was The Arch-bishop answered I am not judg over any Man's Conscience but mine own only For as I will not condemn their Fact no more will I stay my Fact upon your Conscience seeing that every Man shall answer to God for his own Deeds and not for other Mens And so he refused to subscribe till he had spoken with the King herein And being with the King he told the Abp that the Judges had informed him that he might lawfully bequeath his Crown to the Lady Iane and his Subjects receive her as Queen notwithstanding their former Oath to King Henry's Will Then the Arch-bishop desired the King that he might first speak with the Judges Which the King gently granted And he spake with so many of them as were at that time at the Court and with the King's Attorney also Who all agreed in one that he might lawfully subscribe to the King's Will by the Laws of the Realm Whereupon he returning to the King by his Commandment granted at last to set his Hand From the whole Relation of this Affair we may note as the Honesty so the Stoutness and Courage of the Arch-bishop in the management of himself in this Cause against Northumberland who hated him and had of a long time sought his Ruin and the Ingratitude of Q. Mary or at least the Implacableness of Cranmer's Enemies that the Queen soon yielded her Pardon to so many of the former King's Council that were so deep and so forward in this Business but would not grant it him who could not obtain it till after much and long suit And that it should be put into two Acts of her Parliament to make him infamous for a Traitor to Posterity that he and the Duke of Northumberland were the Devisers of this Succession to deprive Q. Mary of her Right Which was so palpably false and untrue on the Arch-bishop's part But this was no question Winchester's doing through whose Hands being now Lord Chancellor all these Acts of Parliament past and the wording of them Finally I have only one thing more to add concerning this matter Which is that besides the Instrument of Succession drawn up by the King's Council Learned in the Law signed by himself and 32 Counsellors and dated Iune 21 according to the History of the Reformation there was another Writing which was also signed by 24 of the Council And to this I find our Arch-bishop's Name Herein they promised by their Oaths and Honours being commanded so to do by the King to observe all and every Article contained in a Writing of the King 's own Hand touching the said Succession and after copied out and delivered to certain Judges and Learned Men to be written in Order This Writing thus signed with the other Writing of the King being his Devise for the Succession may be seen in the Appendix as I drew them out of an Original CHAP. XXXV The King dies THE good King made his most Christian departure Iuly the 6 th to the ineffable loss of Religion and the Kingdom being in aâ—â— likelihood by his early Beginnings to prove an incomparable Prince to the English Nation It was more than whispered that he died by Poison And however secretly this was managed it was very remarkable that this Rumour ran not only after his Death but even a Month or two before it Reports spred that he was dead For which as being rash Speeches against the King they studiously took up many People and punished them Before his Father K. Henry had him his only Son lawfully begotten it was 28 Years from his first entrance upon his Kingdom And
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
deprived of their Receits somewhat after the day with the which their Fruits to the Queen's Majesty should be contented And in general the Deprivations were so speedy so hastily so without warning c. The Bishops saith another Writer and Sufferer in these Days that were Married were thrust out of the Parliament-House and all Married Deans and Arch-deacons out of the Convocation many put out of their Livings and others restored without Form of Law Yea some Noble-men and Gentlemen were deprived of those Lands which the King had given them without tarrying for any Law lest my Lord of VVinchester should have lost his Quarter's Rent Many Churches were changed many Altars set up many Masses said many Dirges sung before the Law was repealed All was done in post haste Nor was their Deprivation all they endured but they together with many other Professors of the Religion were taken up very fast For VVinchester did resolve to make quick Work to reduce if he could the Realm to the old Religion So that they came into the Marshalsea thick and three-fold for Religion sent by him thither And that they might be sure to suffer Hardship enough when the Bishop's Almoner Mr. Brook's he who was I suppose after Bishop of Glocester came to this Prison with his Master's Alms-Basket he told the Porter named Britain that it was his Lord's Pleasure that none of the Hereticks that lay there should have any part of his Alms. And that if he knew any of them had any part thereof that House should never have it again so long as he lived To which the Porter replied That he would have a care of that he would warrant him and that if they had no Meat till they had some of his Lordship's they should be like to starve And so he bad him tell his Lord and added That they should get no favour at his Hand These Sufferings P. Martyr now gotten out of England took notice of in a Letter to Calvin dated Novemb. 3. Where having related to him how the two Arch-bishops of Canterbury and York the Bishops of Worcester and Exon and many other Learned and Pious Preachers were in Bonds for the Gospel and together with them many other godly Persons were in extream Danger he proceeded to mention two things to Calvin to mitigate the Trouble he knew he conceived for this ill News The own was That although the Infirmity of some betrayed them yet great was the constancy of far more than he could have thought So that he doubted not England would have many famous Martyrs if Winchester who then did all should begin to Rage according to his Will The other was That it was the Judgment of all that this Calamity would not be long And therefore said Martyr let us pray to God that he would quickly tread down Satan under the Feet of his Church The same Learned Man speaking in another Letter concerning the good Forwardness of Religion at the first coming of Queen Mary to the Crown said That he had many Scholars in England Students in Divinity not to be repented of whose Harvest was almost ripe Whom he was forced to see either wandring about in uncertain Stations or remaining at home unhappily subverted And that there was in this Kingdom many Holy as well as Learned Bishops that were then in hard Confinement and soon to be dragged to the extremest Punishments as if they were Robbers And that here was the foundation of the Gospel and of a Noble Church laid and by the Labours of some Years the holy Building had well gone forward and daily better things were hoped for But that unless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God from above came to the succour of it he thought there would not be a Footstep of Godliness left at last as to the external Profession All the Matters of the Church the Queen left wholly to the management of the Bishop of Winchester whom She now advanced from a Prisoner in the Tower to be Lord High Chancellor of England And indeed the Governance of the whole Realm was committed to him with a few other He ruled Matters as he would and that all England knew and saw plainly Nay the Consent of the whole Parliament followed his Head and his Will So that against their Wills and against the Wills of many thousand true Hearts in the Realm as they of the Parliament well knew they condescended unto him and what he could not do in one Parliament that he did in another So that in a Year and an half he had three Parliaments During which time many things the Parliament condescended unto against their Wills As that the Queen should Marry with a Foreign Prince that the Service in the English Tongue should be taken away that the Bishop of Rome should have his old ejected Authority here again as one of the Divines in those Times had intended to have told Winchester to his Face had he been permitted Speech October 1. The Queen was Crowned at the Abby-Church at Westminster And then was proclaimed a Pardon but not over-gracious For all the Prisoners in the Tower and Fleet were excepted and sixty two besides whereof the Printers of the Bible Grafton and Whitchurch were two Most of these excepted were of the chief Professors of the Gospel No Pardon for them At the Coronation among other triumphal Showes Paul's Steeple bare top and top Gallant like a Ship with many Flags and Banners and a Man stood triumphing and danceing on the top Whereat one Vnderhill a Gentleman that sat on Horse-back there to see the Show said to those about him At the Coronation of King Edward I saw Paul's Steeple lay at Anchor and now She wears top and top Gallant Surely the next will be Ship-wrack or it be long And indeed there followed a Ship-wrack of the Church The Service established in K. Edward's Days did not cease upon Queen Mary's grasping the Scepter But the Ministers performed the Worship of God and celebrated the Holy Sacrament and used the Common-Prayer diligently and constantly And the People frequented the same with more seriousness than before They foresaw what Times were coming which made them meet often together while they might Lamenting bitterly the Death of K. Edward and partaking of the Sacrament with much Devotion It was the Bishop of Winchester's Resolution to redress this in London For he was purposed to stifle the Religion as speedily and as vigorously as he could And one way he had to do this was to send his Spies into all the Churches in London And these would come into the Churches and disturb the Ministers with rude Words and Actions in their very Ministration and then go to the Bishop and make their Informations And so the Ministers were fetch'd up by the Officers before him and then committed unless they would comply And this in the very beginning of the Queen's Reign when the Preachers did
seemed to gratify him For Vstazades desired that the Cause of his Death might be published This I ask said he for the Guerdon of my Time-service to thee and to thy Father Which the King readily granted thinking that when the Christians should all know it it would make them the more afraid and sooner to consent to him But so soon as it was published and Vstazades put to death Lord how it comforted not only Simeon then being in Prison but also all the Christians Bradford having told this History improved it after this Tenor. This History I wish said he were marked as well of us as of all our Popish Gospellers which have none other things to excuse them than Vstazades had For his Heart was with God howsoever he framed his Body We should behave our selves straitly against such Brethren as Simeon did and then they the sooner would play Vstazades Part. Which thing no marvail though they do not so long as we rock them asleep by regarding them and their Companions as daily we do and so are partakers of their Evil and at the length shall feel of their Smart and Punishment Of these outward Compliers with the Mass was one Ann Hartipol that formerly harboured the Lady Ann Ascue burnt in King Henry's Reign She now went to Mass pretending her Conscience to be â—ound before God and that her Conscience gave her leave to go To whom Philpot wrote an excellent Letter which is extant among the Letters of the Martyrs The People of this Practice had been tampering with the Lady Vane a pious Lady and a great Benefactor to the poor Prisoners of Christ Insomuch that she propounded to Bradford three Questioâ—s concerning the Mass being Cases of Conscience what she were best to do whether to go to it or not He told her in a Letter That the Questions would never be well seen nor answered until the Thing whereof they arose were well considered That is how great an Evil it was That there was never Thing upon the Earth so great and so much an Adversary to God's true Service to Christ's Death Passion Priesthood Sacrifice and Kingdom to the Ministry of God's Word and Sacrament to the Church of God to Repentance Faith and all true Godliness of Life as that was whereof the Questions arose And that therefore a Christian Man could not but so much the more abhor it and all things that in any Point might seem to allow it or any thing pertaining to the same Bradford also writ a little Book on this Argument intituled The Hurt of the Mass. This Book he sent to his Acquaintance to stop their going to the Popish Service and particularly to Mr. Shaleros a Friend of his in Lancashire and recommended the reading of it to one Riddleston that had defiled himself in this false Service CHAP. XVII A bloody Time The Queen 's great Belly A Convocation THE Year 1555 was a bloody Year and many honest People both of the Clergy and Laity were burnt alive in all Parts because they believed not Transubstantiation Insomuch that a tender Heart cannot but shrink at the very remembrance thereof And as if there were a kind of Delight in this sort of cruel Executions Instructions were sent abroad in the beginning of the Year unto the Justices of Peace through all Counties in England to enquire diligently in every Parish for Persons disaffected to the Popish Religion And in each Parish were some appointed to be secret Informers against the rest And for the better discovery of such poor Professors of the Gospel that fled from Place to Place for their Safety the Constables and four or more of the Catholick sort in every Parish were authorized to take Examination of all such as might be suspected how they lived and where they were And such as absented from the Mass and conformed not themselves to the Church were to be brought before the Justices Who were to perswade them to conform and if they would not to bind them to good Abearing or commit them to Prison The Justices were also commanded by another Order soon after to deliver such as leaned to Erroneous and Heretical Opinions and would not be reclaimed by the Justices to the Ordinaries to be by them travailed with and continuing Obstinate to have the Laws executed upon them May 27. These Orders came from the King and Queen to the Justices of Norfolk Which as I extract from a Manuscript relating the Orders sent into that County were in these special Articles I. To divide themselves into several Districtions II. To assist such Preachers as should be sent For it was thought convenient to send abroad Itinerary Preachers as was done in the last King's Reign who should by their Doctrine endeavour to reduce the People to the old Religion and to use them reverently and to be present at their Sermons and to travail soberly with such as abstained from coming to Church or by any other open Doings should appear not perswaded to conform themselves and to use others that be wilful and perverse more roundly either by rebuking them or binding them to good Behaviour or by imprisoning them as the Quality of the Persons and the Circumstance of their Doings may deserve III. To lay special wait for Teachers of Heresies and Procurers of secret Meetings to that purpose That they and their Families shew good Examples and begin first to reform their Servants if any of them be faulty IV. To apprehend spreaders of false and seditious Rumours V. To procure one or more in every Parish secretly instructed to give information of the Behaviour of the Inhabitants VI. To charge the Constable and four or more Catholick Inhabitants of every Parish to give account of idle Vagabonds and suspected Persons meaning by these the poor Professors or Preachers of the Gospel who crept about for their own Safety and had no settled Habitation and the Retainers of such Persons To observe Hue and Cry and to look after the Watches in every Parish VII To send an Account of Felons c. when any should be apprehended VIII To meet every Month and confer about these Matters Whereupon the Justices meeting together it was resolved by them to obey every of the said Orders Particularly concerning the Fifth they resolved That these secret Informations should be given to the Justices and that the accused Parties should be examined without knowledg by whom they were accused The Earl of Sussex lived in that County and was one of chief Trust there For this Earl had Command in Norfolk of Queen Mary's Army when she first laid her Claim to the Crown and managed it with that Prudence and Conduct that others were induced by his Means to come in This Earl received several Informations against Ministers and others for it seems notwithstanding all these severe Usages the Popish Mass had not yet so prevailed every where but that in divers places there were some remainders of
that they be God's Ministers appointed by God to Rule and Govern you And therefore whoso resisteth them resisteth God's Ordinance The third Exhortation is That you Love all together like Brethren and Sistern For alas pity it is to see what Contention and Hatred one Christian-Man hath to another Not taking each other as Sisters and Brothers but rather as Strangers and mortal Enemies But I pray you learn and bear well away this one Lesson To do good to all Men as much as in you lieth and to hurt no Man no more than you would hurt your own natural and loving Brother or Sister For this you may be sure of that whosoever hateth any Person and goeth about maliciously to hinder or hurt him surely and without all doubt God is not with that Man although he think himself never so much in God's Favour The fourth Exhortation shall be to them that have great Substance and Riches of this World That they will well consider and weigh those Sayings of the Scripture One is of our Saviour Christ himself who saith It is hard for a Rich Man to enter into Heaven A sore saying and yet spoke by him that knew the Truth The second is of S. Iohn whose saying is this He that hath the Substance of this World and seeth his Brother in Necessity and shutteth up his Mercy from him how can he say he loveth God Much more might I speak of every part but Time sufficeth not I do but put you in remembrance of things Let all them that be Rich ponder well those Sentences For if ever they had any Occasion to shew their Charity they have now at this present the poor People being so many and Victuals so dear For though I have been long in Prison yet I have heard of the great Penury of the Poor Consider that that which is given to the Poor is given to God Whom we have not otherwise present corporally with us but in the Poor And now for so much as I am come to the last End of my Life whereupon hangeth all my Life passed and my Life to come either to live with my Saviour Christ in Heaven in Joy or else to be in Pain ever with wicked Devils in Hell and I see before mine Eyes presently either Heaven ready to receive me or Hell ready to swallow me up I shall therefore declare unto you my very Faith how I believe without Colour or Dissimulation For now is no time to dissemble whatsoever I have written in Times past First I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth c. and every Article of the Catholick Faith every Word and Sentence taught by our Saviour Christ his Apostles and Prophets in the Old and New Testament And now I come to the great Thing that troubleth my Conscience more than any other thing that ever I said or did in my Life and that is the setting abroad of Writings contrary to the Truth Which here now I renounce and refuse as things written with my Hand contrary to the Truth which I thought in my Heart and writ for fear of Death and to save my Life if it might be and that is all such Bills which I have written or signed with mine own Hand since my Degradation wherein I have written many things untrue And forasmuch as my Hand offended in writing contrary to my Heart therefore my Hand shall first be punished For if I may come to the Fire it shall be first burned And as for the Pope I refuse him as Christ's Enemy and Antichrist with all his false Doctrine And here being admonished of his Recantation and Dissembling he said Alas my Lord I have been a Man that all my Life loved Plainness and never dissembled till now against the Truth which I am most sorry for He added hereunto That for the Sacrament he believed as he had taught in his Book against the Bishop of Winchester And here he was suffered to speak no more So that his Speech contained chiefly three points Love to God Love to the King and Love to the Neighbour In the which talk he held Men very suspense which all depended upon the Conclusion Where he so far deceived all Mens Expectations that at the hearing thereat they were much amazed and let him go on a while till my Lord Williams bad him play the Christen Man and remember himself To whom he answered That he so did For now he spake Truth Then he was carried away and a great number that did Run to see him go so wickedly to his Death ran after him exhorting him while Time was to remember himself And one Friar Iohn a godly and well-learned Man all the way travelled with him to reduce him But it would not be What they said in particular I cannot tell but the Effect appeared in the End For at the Stake he professed that he died in all such Opinions as he had taught and oft repented him of his Recantation Coming to the Stake with a chearful Countenance and willing Mind he put off his Garments with haste and stood upright in his Shirt And a Batcheler of Divinity named Elye of Brazen-nose-College laboured to convert him to his former Recantation with the two Spanish Friars But when the Friars saw his Constancy they said in Latin one to another Let us go from him We ought not to be nigh him For the Devil is with him But the Batcheler in Divinity was more earnest with him Unto whom he answered That as concerning his Recantation he repented it right sore because he knew it was against the Truth with other words more Whereupon the Lord Williams cryed Make short Make short Then the Bishop took certain of his Friends by the Hand But the Bachelor of Divinity refused to take him by the Hand and blamed all others that so did and said He was sorry that ever he came in his Company And yet again he required him to agree to his former Recantation And the Bishop answered shewing his Hand This is the Hand that wrote it and therefore shall it suffer first Punishment Fire being now put to him he stretched out his right Hand and thrust it into the Flame and held it there a good space before the Fire came to any other Part of his Body where his Hand was seen of every Man sensibly burning crying with a loud Voice This Hand hath offended As soon as the Fire got up he was very soon Dead never stirring or crying all the while His Patience in the Torment his Courage in dying if it had been taken either for the Glory of God the Wealth of his Country or the Testimony of Truth as it was for a pernicious Error and subversion of true Religion I could worthily have commended the Example and matched it with the Fame of any Father of antient Time but seeing that not the Death but the Cause and Quarrel thereof commendeth the Sufferer I cannot but much
Not was inserted in a certain place of the Book to alter the Doctrine of the Real Presence which was asserted in the first Edition This Dr. Martin one of Queen Mary's Commissioners threw in his Dish at his Examination in Oxford But the Arch-bishop professed his Ignorance concerning the foisting in of that Word The addition of which Word indeed he thought was needless still holding the Body and Blood truly present in the Holy Supper though after a spiritual manner III. The Ordinances or Appointments of the Reformed Church This was the Book of Common-Prayer with the Preface before it beginning There was never any thing c. as I learn out of Bale IV. One Book of Ordaining Ministers Which I suppose was the Form of Ordination published in the Year 1550. V. One Book concerning the Eucharist with Luther With whom Cranmer once consented in the Doctrine of the Presence VI. A Defence of the Catholick Doctrine in five Books Which was his excellent Work in vindication of himself against Bishop Gardiner and Dr. Richard Smith Whereof much hath been said before VII Ecclesiastical Laws in the Time of King Edward This was the Book of the Reformation of the Ecclesiastical Laws the management of which was by the King's Letters committed to eight whereof Cranmer was the chief VIII The Doctrine of the Lord's Supper against Gardiner's Sermon This Sermon is the same I suppose with that Book of his intituled A Detection of the Devil's Sophistry wherewith he robbeth the unlearned People of the true Belief of the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar Which gave occasion to the Arch-bishop's first writing upon this Argument IX One Book against the Error of Transubstantiation X. One Book How Christ is present in the Supper XI One Book Concerning eating the Lord's Supper XII One Book Concerning the offering up of Christ. These five Books last mentioned are nothing else but the five Parts of his Book of the Holy Sacrament mentioned before XIII One Book of Christian Homilies Which must be the first Part of our Book of Homilies published under King Edward XIV One Book in answer to the Calumnies of Richard Smith For this Man had writ against Cranmer's Book of the Sacrament as well as Gardiner but done so scurrilously that Cranmer calls it his Calumnies XV. Confutations of Unwritten Verities Written against a Book of the same Smith intituled De veritatibus non scriptis Which he afterward recanted XVI Twelve Books of Common-Places taken out of the Doctors Those Volumes mentioned by Bishop Burnet I suppose were some of these Common-Place Books XVII Concerning not marrying the Brother's Wife Two Books Which must be those drawn up for the Use and by the Command of King Henry XVIII Against the Pope's Supremacy Two Books This was the Declaration against the Papal Supremacy said to be put forth by the Bishops in the Year 1536 upon occasion of Pole's Book of Ecclesiastical Vnion XIX Against the Pope's Purgatory Two Books XX. Concerning Justification Two Books I cannot trace these two last-mentioned Books unless by them be meant those two Treatises of Justification and Purgatory that are set at the end of the Institution XXI Pious Prayers One Book This Book I suppose was the Orarium seu libellus precationum put forth by the King and Clergy 1545. From whence a Book of Prayers was translated into English Anno 1552. XXII Letters to Learned Men One Book This I cannot hear any tidings of XXIII Against the Sacrifice of the Mass and against the Adoration of the Bread One Book Said to be writ while he was a Prisoner Which makes me conclude it to be part of his Reply to Gardiner's second Assault of him under the Name of Constantius XXIV To Queen Mary One Book or rather one Letter which was that he writ after his Examinations before her Commissioners and the Pope's Sub-delegate If some body of Leisure and that had the Opportunity of Libraries would take the pains to collect together all these Books and other Writings of this Arch-bishop and publish them it would be a worthy Work as both retrieving the Memory of this extraordinary Man who deserved so well of this Church and serving also much to illustrate the History of its Reformation But I know nothing of this nature done since the industrious Iohn Day in the Year 1580 printed a Book in Folio containing our Arch-bishop's Answer unto Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester against the true Doctrine of the Sacrament Also to Richard Smith Also a true Copy of the Book writ by Stephen Gardiner Also The Life and Martyrdom of Cranmer extracted out of the Book of Martyrs And now we are mentioning this great Prelat's Writings it may not be unworthy to take notice of what I meet with in a Letter of Arch-bishop Parker to Secretary Cecyl in the Year 1563 his Grace being then at Canterbury Where he spake of the Great notable written Books as he stiles them of his Predecessor Dr. Cranmer which he had left behind him at some of his Houses at or near Canterbury whether Ford or Bekesborn or both or with some Friends in those Parts These Manuscripts it seems were embezeled and surreptitiously taken away by private Hands probably during his restraint in Queen Mary's Days and now studiously concealed by some that were minded it may be to stifle them being chiefly levelled against the Roman Church and Bishop Parker who was a great and painful Searcher after Antient and Learned Manuscripts and a diligent Retriever of eminent Mens Writings had by credible Information learn'd in what Hands many of those Books were and had sent either for the Persons concerned or to them to demand the said Books But they denied them Whereupon knowing no other way to recover them he desired the Secretary by some Power from the Queen's Council to authorize him to enquire and search for those Books and such-like Monuments by all Ways as by the said Parker's Discretion should be thought good whether giving the Parties an Oath or viewing their Studies Wishing he might recover them to be afterwards at the Queen's Commandment Adding that he should be as glad to win them as he would be to restore an old Chancel to Reparation This Letter of Arch-bishop Parker I have inserted in the Appendix But whether after all his diligence he succeeded in the recovery of those Manuscripts I know not I am apt to think he did and that these Writings of Cranmer that were in his Possession and afterwards bequeathed unto the Library of Benet-College and those other divers Volumes which were as was before-said in the keeping of the Lord Burghley might be some at least of them An inquisitive Man would be glad to know what the Matter and Contents of these numerous Writings of our Arch-bishop were and that seeing so many of them are perished the knowledg of the various Subjects of them at least might be preserved This besides what hath been shewn already may be gathered by what
Duke of Somerset's Brother being one of the Privy-Chamber was procured to take this Matter in hand And before he informed the King thereof he blasted it abroad in the Court Insomuch that the Gentlemen and he fell out for the same They declare That his Report was manifestly false as well for the keeping of his House as for the purchasing Lands for his Wife and Children This notwithstanding Mr. Seymor went through with his Information and declared unto the King as is before declared The King hearing this Tale with the Sequel that was That it was meet for the Bishops not to be troubled ne vexed with Temporal Affairs in ruling their Honours Lordships and Manors but rather they having an honest Pension of Money yearly allowed unto them for their Hospitality should surrender unto the King's Majesty all their Royalties and Temporalties said I do marvel that it is said my Lord of Canterbury should keep no good Hospitality for I have heard the contrary And so with a few more Commendations of my Lord as one that little regarded the Suit but yet as it appeared afterward something smelling what they went about left off any further to talk of that Matter and converted his Communication to another Purpose Notwithstanding within a Month after whether it was of Chance or of Purpose it is unknown the King going to Dinner called Mr. Seymour unto him and said Go ye straightways unto Lambeth and bid my Lord of Canterbury come and speak with me at two of the Clock at Afternoon Incontinently Mr. Seymor came to Lambeth and being brought into the Hall by the Porter it chanced the Hall was set to Dinner And when he was at the Skreen and perceived the Hall furnished with three principal Messes beside the rest of the Tables thorowly set having a guilty Conscience of his untrue Report made to the King recoâ—led back and would have gone in to my Lord by the Chappel-way Mr. Nevyl being Steward perceiving that rose up and went after him and declared unto him that he could not go that way and so brought him back unto my Lord through the Hall And when he came to my Lord and had done his Message my Lord caused him to sit down and dine with him But making a short Dinner because he would bring the King word again of his Message he departed and came to the King before he was risen from the Table When he came to the King's Presence said the King Will my Lord of Canterbury come to Us He will wait on your Majesty said Mr. Seymor at two of the Clock Then said the King had my Lord dined before you came No forsooth said Mr. Seymor for I found him at Dinner Well said the King What Chear made he you With these words Mr. Seymor kneeled down and besought the King's Majesty of Pardon What is the matter said the King I do remember said Mr. Seymor that I told your Highness that my Lord of Canterbury kept no Hospitality correspondent unto his Dignity and now I perceive that I did abuse your Highness with an Untruth For besides your Grace's House I think he be not in the Realm of none Estate or Degree that hath such a Hall furnished or that fareth more honourably at his own Table Ah said the King have you spied your own Fault now I assure your Highness said Mr. Seymor it is not so much my Fault as other Mens who seemed to be honest Men that enformed me hereof But I shall henceforth the worse trust them while they live Then said the King I knew your Purpose well enough you have had among you the Commodities of the Abbies which you have consumed Some with superfluous Apparel some at Dice and Cards and other ungracious Rule And now you would have the Bishops Lands and Revenues to abuse likewise If my Lord of Canterbury keep such a Hall as you say being neither Term nor Parliament he is merely well visited at those Times I warrant you And if the other Bishops kept the like for their Degree they had not need to have any thing taken from them but rather to be added and holpen And therefore set your Hearts at rest there shall no such Alteration be made while I live said the King So that in very deed where some had penned certain Books for the altering that State in the next Parliament they durst never bring them forth to be read Whereupon it also came to pass that when the King understood that contrary unto the Report my Lord of Canterbury had purchased no Lands his Highness was content upon the only Motion of Dr. Butts without my Lord Cranmer's Knowledg That he should have the Abbey in Nottinghamshire which his Wife now enjoyeth Thus much I have declared concerning Mr. Seymor's Practice to the intent Men may understand that my Lord Cranmer's Hospitality was a mean to stay the Estate of the Clergy in their Possessions CHAP. XXXI Arch-bishop Cranmer preserved the Revenues of his See AND here I must answer for my Lord Cranmer against certain Objections which are in divers Mens Heads That by his Means all the Preferments Offices and Farmes are so given and let out that his Successors have nothing to give or bestow upon their Friends and Servants nor that such Hospitality can be kept by reason of his Fault in letting go such things as should have maintained Provisions of Household But to answer this in a few words before I descend to any particular Declaration It is most true that if he had not well behaved himself towards his Prince and the World his Successors should not been cumbred with any piece of Temporal Revenues either Lands Woods or other Revenues And I pray God they may maintain in this mild and quiet Time that which he in a most dangerous World did uphold and left to his Successors Yet for better declaration in answering to those Objections it is to be considered that when he entred upon his Dignity every Man about the King made means to get some Reversion of Farmes or of other Office of him In so much that the King himself made means to him for one or two things before he was Consecrated as for the Farm of Wingham-Barton Which was granted unto Sir Edward Bainton Kt. for fourscore and nineteen Years When my Lord perceived that in such Suits as he granted to the King and Queen Men would needs have an hundred Years save one he wrote to the Chapter of Christ-Church and willed them in any Condition not to confirm any more of his Grants of Leases which were above one and twenty Years By this means much Suit was stopped So that in very deed he gave out his Leases but for one and twenty Years Which would not satisfy the greedy Appetites of some Men And therefore they found a Provision for it For when my Lord had let out certain goodly Farmes at Pinner Heyes Harrow on the Hill Mortlake c. to the number of ten or
twelve Farmes for one and twenty Years taking no manner of Fine for them all these Farmes by and by were put into an Exchange for the King And the King had them not in Possession six Days but they were my Lord North's and other Mens And they were not past one Year in their Possessions but that the Reversion of every of them was sold for more Years some for an hundred Pounds and some for more and some for less making Sweepstakes of altogethers And so was my Lord used in all things almost that he did let out for one and twenty Years By means whereof Justice Hales and other of his Counsel learned in the Laws advised him to let out his Farmes for many Years which might be a mean that they should not be so much desired in Exchanges as they were For those Farmes which came to my Lord came with Years enough upon their Backs And so upon this Conclusion my Lord was fain to alter his Purpose in letting of his Farmes Whereupon he did let S. Gregories in Canterbury to Mr. Nevyl the Priory of Dover Chislet-Park and Curleswood-Park with others for so many Years as he did on purpose to stay them or else he had gone without them one time or other And as I heard say since your Grace was Elect Curleswood-Park was in Exchange and the Rent thereof paid for one half Year unto the Queen's Use. But so soon as they understood there were so many Years to come it was reversed to the Arch-bishoprick again So that hereby partly may be perceived in what State my Lord Cranmer stood with his Lands And as touching the diminishing of his Rents Houses and other Commodities for the Provision of his Hospitality if all things be well pondered he had left the same in better State than he found it For as touching his Exchanges Men ought to consider with whom he had to do especially with such a Prince as would not be bridled nor be gain-said in any of his Requests unless Men would danger altogethers I was by when Otford and Knol were given him My Lord minded to have retained Knol unto himself said That it was too small an House for his Majesty Mary said the King I had rather have it than this House meaning Otford for it standeth on a better Soil This House standeth low and is Rheumatick like unto Croiden where I could never be without Sickness And as for Knol it standeth on a sound perfect wholesome Ground And if I should make abode here as I do surely mind to do now and then I will live at Knol and most of my House shall live at Otford And so by this means both those Houses were delivered up into the King's Hands And as for Otford it is a notable great and ample House Whose Reparations yearly cost my Lord more than Men would think And so likewise did Maidstone which had no manner of Commodity to belong unto it And I am sure that after certain Exchanges past between the King and him there were an hundred Marks a Year or thereabouts allowed unto him in his last Exchanges for Recompence of Parks and Chases And yet those Parks and Chases beside the Provision of his Venison stood him yearly in much more by the reason of the Patents and Fees belonging unto them than he by any means else got by them For as for Curleswood it stood him in twenty Nobles a Year Fee And yet there was no Gain in it but only Conies which the Keeper had also in his Patent So that the Arch-bishop by suppressing of that and raising that small Rent it payeth may spend thereby seven Pounds a Year more than it was accustomed to pay towards the Arch-bishoprick And touching Chislet-Park it came to my Lord in Exchange for eight Pounds a Year And the Farmer payeth ten Pounds So that thereby is gained forty Shillings a Year Wherefore it cannot be indifferently gathered that my Lord in preferring his Friends unto these things hath any whit hindred the Revenues of the Bishoprick And as touching Pasture and Meddow for the Provision of his House both at Croyden and about Canterbury Ford and Chislet there is thrice so much Meddow Pasture and Mersh as was left unto him And as for the Sale of his Woods like as he was driven to exchange them and sell them for to maintain his Hospitality especially having almost twenty Years together Learned Men continually sitting with him in Commission for the trying out and setting forth of the Religion received and for the discussing of other Matters in Controversy Some of them daily in Diet with him and some evermore living in his House So provided he again like Woods more commodious for his Houses As the Blene-Woods belonging to S. Austins and Pyne-Wood and others which be known well enough And as touching Provision for Corn out of Chislet-Court and in other Places it is incredible what a Business he had and adoe with Sir Christopher Hales for that Farm and Corn who challenged it of the King by Promise and so would have defeated my Lord thereof had not the King very benignely stood on his Side And it is no small Revenue to have yearly so much Corn both Wheat Malt and Oats at so mean a Price And therefore let Men leave off that Report of him that he was not beneficial to his Successors Other Bishops some of them lost whole Manors and Lordships without any Exchange at all Thus much my Conscience hath compelled me to say in defence of my Lord and Master his good Name Whom I knew to take as much Care for his Successors in that Bishoprick as ever did Arch-bishop or shall And would have as much advanced the same if the Iniquity of the World would have permitted him Now finally concerning his Behaviour towards his Family I think there was never such a Master among Men both feared and intirely beloved For as he was a Man of most gentle Nature void of all crabbid and churlish Conditions so he could abide no such Quality in any of his Servants But if any such Outragiousness were in any of his Men or Family the correction of those Enormities he always left to the ordering of his Officers who weekly kept a Counting-house And if any thing universally were to be reformed or talked of on that Day which commonly was Friday the same was put to Admonition And if it were a Fault of any particular Man he was called forth before the Company To whom warning was given That if he so used himself after three Monitions he should lose his Service There was an Infamy of him that he should have been an Hostler Which the ignorant Popish Priests for very Mâ—â—ice had published against him Saying That he had no manner of Lâ—â—rning at all more than Hostlers are wont to have And this Rumour sprang of that that when he had married his first Wife being Reader then of
a firm Purpose to conform himself thereunto and so continue to proceed from time to time shewing himself a sober and fruitful Hearer and Learner This whole Preface for the Antiquity and Usefulness of it and to preserve as much as we can of the Writings of this most Reverend Man I have transcribed and placed in the Appendix The Edition in the Year 1540 had a remarkable Frontispiece before it Which because it is somewhat rare both in regard of the Antiquity and Device of it I will relate In the upper â—art thereof you see King Henry VIII sitting in State guarded on each hand of him with the Lords Spiritual and Temporal holding in his right Hand a Bible closed which he delivered unto Arch-bishop Cranmer being on his Knee in the Name of the rest of the Bishops all which stood at his right Hand bare-headed their Mitres lying up-the Ground in token of their Acknowledgment of the King's Supremacy and this Motto issuing out of the King's Mouth Haec praecipe doce Holding also in his left Hand another Bible stretched towards the Lords Temporal and delivered to one whom I suppose to be intended for the Lord Crumwel at the head of them standing on the left Side and this Word coming out of the King's Mouth towards them Quod justum est judicate and this Ita parvum audietis ut magnum and this A me constitutum est decretum ut in Vniverso Imperio Regno meo homines revereantur paveant Deum Viventem Among these Nobles is the Figure of one on his Knees and these Words issuing out of his Mouth Verbum tuum Lucerna pedibus meis Over the King's Head is the Figure of God Almighty sitting in the Clouds with these Words coming out of his Mouth in a Scrole towards the right Hand Verbum quod egredietur de me non revertetur ad me vacuum sed faciet quaecunque volui And in another Scrole towards the Left with his Hand pointing to the King Ecce servum qui faciet omnes voluntates meas Underneath the Bishops there is another Figure representing Arch-bishop Cranmer his Coat of Arms by him with the distinction of a Crescent He stood with his Mitre on his Head and dress'd in his Pontificalibus his Chaplain behind him and a Priest with a Tonsure kneeling before him in the posture of a Candidate for Priests Orders and having his Hand stretched out to receive the Bible offered him by the Arch-bishop and out of his Mouth this Scrole Pascite qui in vobis est gregem Christi On the other Side opposite to the Arch-bishop and underneath the Lords Temporal stood another Person whom I conjecture to be the Lord Crumwel with his Shield by him blank without any bearing and out of his Mouth came Diverte a malo sequere pacem persequere In the lowest part of this Fronticepiece you have the resemblance of a Priest preaching out of a Pulpit before a great Auditory of Persons of all Ranks Qualities Orders Sexes Ages Men Women Children Nobles Priests Souldiers Tradesmen Countrymen Out of the Mouth of the Preacher went this Verse Obsecro igitur primum omnium fieri obsecrationes orationes postulationes gratiarum actiones pro omnibus hominibus pro regibus c. Implying the Benefit accruing to Princes by the Peoples Knowledg of the Scriptures namely That it taught them to obey and pray for them And out of the Mouths of these Hearers of all sorts issued Vivat Rex Vivat Rex and out of the Mouths of the Children God save the King denoting the great Joy the People conceived for the enjoyment of God's Word and the preaching thereof and their Thankfulness to the King for his Permission of the same In the middle stood the Title of the Bible which was this The Bible in English that is to say The Contents of all the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament with a Prologue thereunto made by the Reverend Father in God Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury This is the Bible appointed to the Use of the Churches Printed by Richard Grafton Cum Privilegio ad imprimendum solum An. Dom. MDXL. CHAP. XXXIV Arch-bishop Cranmer compassionate towards Sufferers for Religion AS he had a great Love and Value for the eminent Professors and Patrons of the Gospel so he bare a most compassionate Spirit towards those that suffered for the sake of it It made a very greaâ— Impression upon him when he heard that Sir Iohn Cheke had been taken up and Indicted soon after Queen Mary's access to the Crown namely in the Month of August which was the next Month after And not knowing wherefore he was Indicted whether for his meddling in the Lady Iane's Business or for his Zeal in promoting Religion he earnestly desired Sir William Cecyl to inform him whether If for the former Considering as he said he had been none of the chief Doers in that Matter he hoped he should have been one of them that should have partaken of the Queen's Favour But if it were for the latter viz. his earnestness in Religion if he suffer for that said he Blessed is he of God that suffereth for his sake howsoever the World judg of him For what ought we to care for the Iudgment of the World when God absolves us But wishing most passionately withal That some means might be used for the Relief of him and the Lord Russel who it seems was clap'd up for the same Cause And indeed as our Arch-bishop was in the time of King Edward he was the same under King Henry that is the common Patron as far as he might or dared of such Priests who were drawn into Trouble for professing or preaching that Gospel So he shewed himself to Turner before-mentioned And in the Year 1533 or 1534 I find him in a Commission for the relieving of another that had been most straitly and rigorously handled by Stokesly then Bishop of London and his Chancellor His Name was Thomas Patmore Parson of Hadham in Hertfordshire a Learned and Godly Man who had by them been condemned to Imprisonment for Life together with the loss of his Benefice and Goods because he had perswaded his Curat to marry a Wife and being privy to his Marriage did nevertheless suffer him to officiate in his Church And because he had preached certain Doctrines at Cambridg as laying little stress upon the Pope's Curse and that we are saved only by God's Mercy and that all that are saved are saved by Faith and that it is against God's Law to burn Hereticks This poor Man after three Years close Imprisonment in Lollards-Tower by the Means of his Friends who put up frequent Petitions to the King and the Lady Ann Bolen was at last released and obtained of the King a Commission to our Arch-bishop to whom were joined Audley Lord Chancellor and Crumwel Secretary of State to enquire into his Injuries and unjust handling and to determine
it is easy to see from whence this Author had this Character of our Arch-bishop namely from Parsons and Saunders two malicious calumniating Jesuits The former hath these words of him That to the King's Will and Liking he resolved to conform himself as well in Religion as in other things And that when King Henry was large towards the Protestants Cranmer was so also but when the King became more strict and rigorous especially after the Six Articles Cranmer was ready to prosecute the same And therefore Saunders framed a Name for the Arch-bishop calling him Henricianus in the same sense as Herod's Creatures in the Scriptures were called Herodiani A very false Character of this good Arch-bishop to say no worse of it I must here make a Note of one Quality more of our Archbishop Which was this That he was a Man of ardent Affections and of an open and generous Temper and where he loved he thought he could never enough express it An Instance of this I will give in Bishop Thirleby To whom for the good Qualities he supposed were in him he had a most earnest Love An Account of this I will lay down in the words of Morice the Arch-bishop's Secretary who well knew it Besides his special Favour to him saith he that way in recommending him to the King there was no Man living could more friendly esteem any Man of himself as my Lord Cranmer did this Thirleby For there was no kind of Pleasure which my Lord Cranmer was liable to do that was not at this Man's Commandment Whether it were Jewel Plate Instrument Map Horse or any thing else though he had it from the King's Majesty but if this Man did once like or commend it the gentle Arch-bishop would forthwith give it unto him And many times Dr. Thirleby for Civility-sake would instantly refuse the same yet would he send it unto him the next day after to his House Insomuch that it came into a common Proverb That Dr. Thirleby 's commendation of any Thing of my Lord's was a plain winning or obtaining thereof So that some Men thought that if he would have demanded any Finger or other Member of his he would have cut it off to have gratified him therewith such was his ardent Affection towards him This no small sort of honest Men now living can testify that is about the Year 1565 when this was written It may deserve also a Remark that our good Prelat rose upon the Fall of another great Church-man viz. the Cardinal of York For about that very Time the King rejected Wolsey from his Favour and Employment Cranmer succeeded into them It may be also observed That as the King 's great Matter of the Divorce was first moved and managed by Wolsey so it was taken up and vigorously carried on and successfully ended by Cranmer And as the former started it upon an unjust Policy and so in the Issue by God's secret Judgment prospered no better by it it finally proving his Ruin so the latter acting in it out of a better and more honest Principle of Conscience and Religion became thereby advanced to the greatest Honour in the Church Which he held for twenty Years together Though at last indeed it had the same fatal Issue to him by the secret Malice of Queen Mary as it had to the Cardinal before by the secret Displeasure of Queen Ann. But as they were thus parallel in the Cause of their Falls so their Demeanours under their Calamities were very different The Cardinal under his shewed a most abject and desponding Mind but our Arch-bishop's Carriage was much more decent under his remaining Undaunted and Magnanimous having a Soul well fortified by the Principles of solid Vertue and Religion which the other had not And this appeared in him when being brought forth to be baited before Brooks the Pope's Subdelegate and Martin and Story the King 's and Queen's Commissioners at Oxford he gravely and with an unmoved Spirit used these words That he acknowledged God's Goodness to him in all his Gifts and thanked him as heartily for that State wherein he found himself then as ever he did in the Time of his Prosperity and that it was not the loss of his Promotions that grieved him at all CHAP. XXXVII Osiander's and Peter Martyr's Character of the Arch-bishop THE last Thing I shall observe of him is That he always remained the same Man not altered by his Honours and high Advancements As he was a Person of great Piety Goodness Affability and Benignity before he was Arch-bishop and the Sun-shine of Royal Favour so he continued at all Times after For a Witness of this I will set down two Characters given him by two Foreign learned Men both which knew him well The one shall be of Osiander from whom we may take this Account of what he was before he was Bishop while he remained abroad in Germany Osiander that great Divine of Norinberg professed to love him for some excellent Endowments that were common to him with some other good Men but especially for others more extraordinary and peculiar to himself Of the former sort was That he was a Gentleman of good Birth and Quality that he had an Aspect and Presence that carried Dignity with it an incredible sweetness of Manners that he had Learning beyond the common Degrees of it was Benign and Liberal towards all and especially to those that were Studious and of good Literature Of the latter were those more abstruse and heroical Vertues of his Mind rare to be found in the Age wherein he lived viz. his Wisdom Prudence Fortitude Temperance Justice a singular Love towards his Country the highest Faithfulness towards the King a Contempt of earthly Things a Love of Heavenly a most burning study towards the Evangelick Truth sincere Religion and Christ's Glory And this was Cranmer before he was placed in his high and honourable Station The other Character of Cranmer is that of Peter Martyr who thus speaks of him when he was at the Top of all his earthly Honour in the middle of King Edward's Reign That his Godliness Prudence Faithfulness and his singular Vertues were known to all the Kingdom That he was so adorned with the Grace and Favour of Christ as that though all others are the Children of Wrath yet in him Piety and Divine Knowledg and other Vertues might seem to be naturally born and bred such deep Root had they taken in him So that Martyr often wished and professed he should esteem it as a great Benefit vouchsafed him of God that he might come as near as might be to his Vertues which he admired in him as the wonderful Gifts of God And as to himself and others fled into these Quarters for Religion that Cranmer's Kindness and Humanity Merits and Benefits towards them were such that if he should render just Thanks and speak of them as they deserved he must do nothing but tell of them and
have brought it to pass But I verily believe the quite contrary to this confident Assertion and that he would have owned the Truth to the last as he did afterwards in the Reign of that King's Daughter Q. Mary That he always fell jump with them that governed and could do most No he never fell in with Gardiner who sometime had the Ascendent over King Henry nor with the Duke of Northumberland who could do most and did all for a time with the King Edward That when King Henry was large towards the Protestants Cranmer was so also joining with Crumwel to protect them But when the King became more strait and rigorous especially after the Six Articles Cranmer was ready to prosecute the same He argued long and earnestly in the House against those Six Articles and when he saw they would pass he protested against it and was so troubled about it that the King sent the Duke of Norfolk and the Lord Crumwel and divers other Noble Persons to comfort him in the King's Name So that I hardly think he would after this be brought to prosecute that bloody Act the making of which he so utterly disliked Nor is there the least Foot-step of it in History Indeed Parsons bringeth in some Persons in whose Deaths he would have the Arch-bishop to have a Hand As may appear saith he by the Sentence of Death pronounced against Lambert Tho. Gerard William Jerome and Ann Ascue and others condemned by him for denying the Real Presence Though in King Henry's Time the Arch-bishop believed the Real Presence yet he was not for putting any to Death that denied it No such extream Rigours for an Error he utterly detested Lambert suffered before the Act of the Six Articles Nor did the Arch-bishop condemn him but only by the King's Command disputed against him Gerard he means Garret and Ierome and Ann Ascue were condemned and burnt indeed but he had no manner of hand either in their Condemnation or Death as we can find in our Histories But Winchester Boner and Wriothesly and others of that Gang shed those good Peoples Blood And it is an impudent Falshood to lay their Condemnation to the Arch-bishop's Charge He saith further That to the King's Will and Liking he resolved to conform himself as well in Religion as in all other Things If he had said this of Bishop Gardiner the Character would have better by far fitted him He saith That he divorced the King of his own Authority from Queen Katherine Whereas in truth what he and Winchester and other Bishops did in this Affair was by Commission from the King and not by their own Authority That he married the King to Queen Ann. That it was in open Parliament under his Hand-writing yet extant in publick printed Records to his eternal shame that the Queen that is Queen Ann was never true Wife unto the said King Where was the eternal Shame of this when he set his Hand to no more than what she her self confessed before him See more of this before That after this he married the King to Jane Seymour and after to Queen Ann of Cleves and after that to Katherine Howard and after that to Katherine Parre Which we must take upon his Word For I think it hard by any good History to know it And what if Cranmer did all this That he joined with the Protector in overthrowing K. Henry 's Will and with Dudley against the Protector Palpable Falshoods The contrary whereof is notoriously known to any ordinary Historian Of the same Truth is That he joined with Dudley and the Duke of Suffolk for the overthrow of the King 's two Daughters and after that with Arundel Pembroke Paget for the overthrow of Northumberland and Suffolk He joined with these for the setting the true Heir in the Throne not for the overthrow of any particular Persons Again he saith Cranmer and Ridley followed K. Henry 's Religion and Humour while he lived and resolved to enjoy the Pleasures and Sensualities of this Time of K. Edward so far as any way they might attain unto No they were Men more mortified and that made littlâ— Account of the Pleasures and Vanities of this wretched World Getting Authority into their Hands by the Protector and others that were in most Place began to lay lustily about them and to pull down all them both of the Clergy and others whom they thought to be able and likely to stand in their way or resist their Inventions Instancing in Gardiner and Boner and speaking of their unjust Persecution and Deprivation by such violent and calumnious manner as is proper to Hereticks to use Whereby a Man may take a taste what they meant to have done if they had had time Here they are set forth as a couple of most worldly ambitious haughty Men contriving by all however base and unlawful ways to build up themselves and their Fortunes upon the Ruin of others and to beat down all that opposed their Designs Whereas to any that shall read their Histories there is nothing in the World so contrary to their Aims Tempers and Inclinations And things were done towards the two Bishops before-mentioned with great Mildness and Patience under unsufferable Provocations offered by them Nor was it Cranmer's and Ridley's doings but rather the King's Council who thought not fit to put up the Affronts those Bishops had offered to the Government He saith That in King Edward 's Time Cranmer plaid the Tyrant That be punished one Thomas Dobb a Master of Arts of Cambridg casting him into the Counter where he died And John Hume imprisoned for the same Cause by Cranmer Both these Passages the Author had from Fox Dobbs indeed in the very beginning of K. Edward's Reign disturbed the Mass that was saying in a Chappel in S. Pauls For which the Mayor complained of him to the Arch-bishop And what could he do better than commit him to the Counter both to punish him for making a publick Disturbance in the Church and also to deliver him from the Rage of the Multitude till his Pardon could be gotten him Which was obtained soon after from the Duke of Somerset But he suddenly died in Prison before his Deliverance And as for Hume he was a Servant to a very stiff Papist who sent him up to the Arch-bishop with a grievous Complaint against him for speaking against the Mass but whether the Arch-bishop imprisoned him or what followed Fox mentioneth not and leaves it uncertain what was done with him He saith That Cranmer stood resolutely for the Carnal Presence in the Sacrament in K. Edward 's first Parliament Wherein a Disputation about it was continued for the space of four Months that is from Novemb 4. to March 14. Which was the full time of the second Session of that first Parliament and was in the Year 1548. What he means by this long Disputation in that Parliament for so many Months I cannot tell Does he mean that the Parliament did nothing else all
Diocess should not be charged with my Visitation at this time First as concerning my style Wherein I am named Totius Angliae Primas I suppose that to make his cause good which else indeed were naught he doth mix it with the King's cause As ye know the man lacketh neither learning in the law neither witty invention ne craft to set forth his matters to the best that he might appear not to maintain his own cause but the Kings Against whose Highnes he knoweth right wel that I wil maintain no cause but give place and lay both my cause and my self at my Princes feet But to be plain what I think of the Bp. of Winchester I cannot persuade with my self that he so much tendereth the Kings cause as he doth his own that I should not visit him And that appeareth by the veray time For if he cast no further then the defence of the Kings G's authority or if he intend that at al why moved he not the matier before he received my Monition for my Visitation Which was within four miles of Winchester delivered unto him the xxii day of April last as he came up to the Court. Moreover I do not a little mervayl why he should now find fault rather then he did before when he took the Bp. of Rome as chief Head For though the Bp. of R. was taken for Supreme Head notwithstanding that he had a great number of Primates under him And by having his Primates under him his Supreme authority was not less esteemed but much the more Why then may not the Kings Highnes being Supreme Head have Primates under him without a diminishing but with the augmenting of his said Supreme Authority And of this I doubt not at all but the Bp. of Winchester knoweth as well as any man living that in case this said style or title had been in any poynt impediment or hindrance to the Bp. of Rome's usurped authority it would not have so long been unreformed as it hath been For I doubt not but all the Bushops of England would ever gladly have had the Archbushops both authority and title taken away that they might have been equal together Which well appeareth by the many contentions against the Archbushops for jurisdiction in the Court of Rome Which had be easily brought to pass if the Bushops of R. had thought the Archbushops titles and styles to be an erogation to their Supreme authority Al this notwithstanding if the Bushops of this realm pas no more of their names styles and titles then I do of mine the Kings Highnes shal soon order the matier betwixt us al. And if I saw that my style were against the Kings authority whereunto I am especially sworn I would sue my self unto his G. that I might leave it and so would have done before this time For I pray God never be merciful unto me at the general judgment if I perceive in my heart that I set more by any title name or style that I write then I do by the paring of an apple further then it shal be to the setting forth of Gods word and will Yet I wil not utterly excuse me herein For God must be judge who knoweth the bottome of my heart and so do not I my self But I speak for so much as I do feel in my heart For many evil affections ly lurking there and wil not lightly be espied But yet I would not gladly leave any just thing at the pleasure and suite of the Bp. of Wynchester he being none otherwise affectionate unto me than he is Even at the Beginning of Christs profession Diotrephes desired gerere primatum in Ecclesia as saith S. Iohn in his last Epistle And since he hath had mo successors than al the Apostles had Of whom have come al these glorious titles styles and pomps into the Church But I would that I and al my Brethren the Bushops would leave al our stiles and write the style of our Offices calling our selves Apostolos Iesâ— Christi so that we took not upon us the name vainly but were so even indeed So that we might order our Diocess in such sort that neither paper parchment lead nor wax but the very Christian Conversation of the people might be the letters and seals of our offices As the Corinthians were unto Paul to whom he said Literae nostrae signa Apostolatus nostri vos estis Now for the second Where the Bp. of Winchester alledgeth the Visitation of my Predecessor and the tenth part now to be payd to the King Truth it is that my Predecessor visited the Dioces of Winchester after the decease of my L. Cardinal Wolsey as he did al other Diocesses Sede Vacante But else I think it was not visited by none of my Predecessors this forty years And notwithstanding that he himself not considering their charges at that time charged them with a new Visitation within less then half a year after and that against al right as Dr. Incent hath reported to my Chancellor the Clergy at that time paying to the King half of their benefices in five years Which is the tenth part every year as they payd before and have payd since and shal pay stil for ever by the last Act. But I am very glad that he hath now some compassion of his Diocess although at that time he had very smal when he did visit them the same year that my Predecessor did visit And al other Bushops whose course is to visit this year kept their Visitations where I did visit the last year notwithstanding the tenth part to be paid to the Kings G. Howbeit I do not so in Winchester Dioces For it is now the third year since that Diocess was Visited by any man So that he hath the least cause to complain of any Bushop For it is longer since his Dioces was visited then the other Therfore where he layeth to aggravate the matier the charges of the late Act granted it is no more against me then against al other Bushops that do visit this year nor maketh no more against me this year then it made against me the last year and shal do every year hereafter For if they were true men in accounting and paying the Kings Subsidies they are no more charged by this new Act then they were for the space of ten years past and shal be charged ever hereafter And thus to conclude if my said L. of Winchesters objections should be allowed this year he might by such arguments both disallow al maner Visitations that hath bee done these ten years past and that ever shal be done hereafter Now I pray you good Master Secretary of your advise whether I shal need to write unto the Kings Highnes herein And thus our Lord have you ever in his preservation At Otteford the 12 day of May. Your own ever assured Thomas Cantuar. NUM XV. The Appeal of Stokesly Bishop of London to the King against the Archbishops Visitation Contra
a Proctor represents him that he is Proctor for and may make or marr his Clients matier by one word speaking wel or il and that the office of a Proctor was first invented for men that might or would not intend to their own business theymself it were more consonant with reason that a man were suffered to take to his Proctor such as he lusteth and may best trust unto of his matier than be driven to commit the order of his cause being mefortune of great weight to such a one as he never knew ne saw before For whan a man is at his choise to choose him what Proctor he lust best if his matier do delay through the default of his Proctor than he can blame no body but himself For that that he would not take better heed to whom he should have committed his matier unto And whan a man is compelled to take one that he knows not if his matier do than delay he may put the blame therof to that Statute that constrained him to take such a Proctor Nevertheles though the tone of both those ways that is the same that is taken by the same Law be moche better than the tother yet the mean way betwixt both as of al other Extremes were best That is to say that nother every man unlearned or unexpert shuld forthwith be admitted to procure for every man in the said Courts lest of that there shuld be no good order but a confuse tumult there Nor yet that there shuld be so few admitted therunto that they were not able ne sufficient for the due exercise of causes there depending But most reasonable and highly expedient for the Common wele it is that it were enacted by the authority of this present Parlament that there should be as many of such as were sufficiently learned and exercised in the experience and practise of the said Courts admitted to procure there as shuld be seen convenient to my said Lord of Canterbury his Grace or other Presidents of the said Courts for the due exercise and expedition of causes there depending as it was used heretofore til the obtaining of the said Statute without prefixion of any precise nombre which for no cause may be exceded For how can a precise nombre of Proctors be prefixed when the nombre of causes can never be appoynted For causes doth grow and encrease as the nature of seasons and men doth require And therfore it were expedient that there were mo Proctors than shuld suffice admitted than fewer For better it were that some of theym shuld lack causes than causes shuld want theym And that such ones so admitted shuld not be removeable from the same their Offices at the said Juges or any other mans plesure as they were heretofore but only for certain great offences proved to be committed by theym after their admission and juged so to be of indifferent Juges chosen to examine the same by the consent of the Proctors that shal be accused therof And because that the Proctors aforesaid are al sworn at the time of their admission that they shal never after be against the Liberty jurisdiction and prerogatives of the said Courts but shal maintain and defend the same to their power And that there may be in the said Courts otherwhiles such causes depending as shuld appertaine to the Kings Gs. determination by his Royal Prerogative or such other as may be there attempted against the Juges or Presidents of the said Courts It were highly expedient as wel for the Conservation and soliciting of the Kings interest there as for the faithful and bold assistence of Proctors there to the Kings Subjects that were called thither at the instance of the said Juges or their fautors or any other person That like as his Grace hath in other his Courts temporal his Solicitors and Atturneys he shuld also have in his said Courts two Proctors or so admitted by his G. and his councel which shuld be sworn to promote and solicite his Gs. interest there and to advertise the same of any thing that shuld appertain to his Gs. prerogative and to defend such of the Kings subjects as shal desire their assistance boldly and without fear or affection of the said Juges And that the same Proctors so admitted be not removeable from the same their offices by any man but the Kings G. or his Councel Which so enacted and established shuld be the readiest means that the foresaid abuses with divers others here not rehearsed caused through the occasion of the said statute shuld be utterly taken away and justice more plainly and speedily proceed in the said Courts than heretofore hath been seen to do And the Kings subjects called thither from al parts of England shuld have plenty of counsil faithful assistance in their matters and speedy process in the same Which ought to be tendred affectantly of every man that regardeth the encrease of the Common wele and true execution of justice NUM XIX The Archbishop to the L. Crumwel giving him some account of his Visitation of his Diocess THese shal be to advertise your Lp. that since my last coming from London into Kent I have found the people of my Diocess very obstinately given to observe and keep with solemnity the hali dayes lately abrogated Wherupon I have punished divers of the Offendors and to divers I have given gentle monitions to amend But inasmuch as by examination I have perceived that the people were partly animated therto by their Curates I have given streit commandment and injunction unto al the Parsons and Vicars within my Diocess upon paine of deprivation of their benefices that they shal not only on their behalf cause the said hali dayes so abrogated from time to time not to be observed within their Cures but also shal from henceforth present to me such persons of their Parishes as wil practise in word or deed contrary to that Ordinance or any other which is or hereafter shal bee set forth by the Kings Graces authority for the redress or ordering of the doctrine or ceremonies of this Church of England So that now I suppose through this means all disobedience and contempt of the Kings Graces Acts and Ordinances in this behalf shal be clearly avoyded in my Diocess hereafter Not doubting also but if every Bp. in this realm had Commandment to do the same in their Diocess it would avoyd both much disobedience and contention in this said realm I would faine that al the enmity and grudge of the people in this matter should be put from the King and his Councel and that wee who be Ordinaries should take it upon us Or else I fear lest a grudge against the Prince and his Council in such causes of religion should gender in many of the peoples hearts a faint subjection and obedience But my Lord if in the Court you do keep such hali dayes and fasting dayes as be abrogated when shal we persuade the people to
day after Dr. London carried me to my L. Privy Seals chamber and the Articles with us But he had no leisure to se them Also the next day after that I had been with my L. Privy Seal Dr. London carried me to my L. of Winchester And there he was carried in to my Lords secret chamber and tarried there an hour and had his Articles new copied with him And in the next day in the morning betimes I went there to speak with my L. of Winchester my self And I spake with him and prayed him that the Articles that Mr. London brought should not be put up in my name for I knew not the matter but in the names of them that sent them And he said he would And another time I came to my L. of Winchester and brought a roll from Mr. London and then I prayed him again that he would not put them up in my name and had him recommended from Mr. Gardiner that he would be good Lord to him for a busines of for he had taken great paines in this matter But he made me no promise And also my L. of Winch. bad me not fear to do my duty And the matter were not to be byde by the doers should bear the blame and not the presenter It is al our duties to stand in such things as are contrary to the Kings Injunctions And here is al that ever I did in this matter as I can remember and al the Council that ever I came before in this matter or any other But thus by the comforting in this matter of my L. of Winchester and Dr. London's threatnings have brought my self in great dangers with other mens matters Nothing of my self that I can either se or prove nor never did But busied my self with other mens Articles Yet had I never done it and London had not been that threat me to be no true subject Wo worth them both he and Serles for by their false inventions I am shamed If their Articles be false punish the Inventors with shame for shameful matters and many have been gathered among them Also Mr. London commanding both Serles and me that in ony wise wee should get as much matter as could be devised for it would be the goodliest deed and the most bounden duty to our Prince that ever we did Also Mr. Shether sent his man to me on Sunday before Al-Solne day bidding me in any wise not to be known of nothing for that they had uttered nothing themselves And that I should go to his brother Parson and I should know more But he was sworn not to write to me but he had written to his brother al his mind and of him I should knowal For Mr. Dr. Cockes and Mr. Hossy as he thought was sent to catch me And therfore he sent his man to be afore And if I did speak with them I should say that I received no letter but of Cockson which is dead And this was but to bring me in danger and skuse themselves And if I come before the Councel I will byde by al this for it is true But it is impossible for a man to have every day or time in remembrance that hath been done or said in a year But I put al to Gods grace and the Kings and to your Lordship Also I asked Shethers man whether he had been with my L. of Winch. since the coming down of my Lords Grace And he said Yea and told my Lord how al was handled here among us And my L. of Winch. answered and said My Lord of Cant. could not kil them Therfore suffer For al was against himself that he did And he should se what would come of it Also at the coming up of the Prebendaries to London Mr. Shether put the Articles and Writings to Mr. Ford that married his Sister that he should write them Which was a great book of two dayes labour What was the Contents therof I know not I think al the whole Articles compiled together Also Mr. Dr. Thornton in the Ale Alley before my door in London I desired him to speak to my L. of Cant. or some of his Officers to instruct him that I never put up Articles against any man in my life And he bade me stick to it and be not afraid For he had spoken to the Councel his mind therin as he was bound and so be yee being the Kings Chaplain or else hereafter it would be laid to your charge By me Iohn Willughby Another Writing of Willoughby ABout Avent Mr. Serles preached at home with me at Chillam and there he talked of his trouble Saying he had put up certain Articles to the Kings Majesty And yet they were so cloaked that his Grace never saw them Whereupon at his return he was layd in prison And so he lay upon me and moved me to put up such Articles as he and his company should devise Whereupon I granted so they might be true and proveable So I heard no more of this til Passion-Sunday For that day he preached with me again At which time he told me he would to London that week and so to Oxford And I promised to ride with him And so I did meaning no more of this matter than the child unborn Mine errand was to speak with the Chamberlain of London So on Palmâ—Sunday in the morning he sent his man for me to come meet him in Pauls And so I did meet him there And so he prayed me to go to Dr. London with him Which man I never saw before of my faith But he had been with him the night before and put up his Articles promising him that he would go on Monday in the Morning with him to the Court and put them up before the Councel as Mr. Lond. said before his face And in the morning he was clean changed saying to Mr. London that there was one Willoughby that came to the Town with him which had promised him that whensoever we wil bring our Articles unto him he wil present them And so Dr. London told me that Serles said so unto him and hereupon he moved me And I desired to hear them And so they were read unto me Which things methought were but trifles And I said they were of no effect to present before the Councel and also neither knew nor could affirm none of them to be true Saying let Serles put them up that brought them hither For here is no record to affirm none of these to be true Then said Serles ye know that al the Country doth speak of these And I said though I did hear part of them yet I am not able to say that one of them is true And because ye know them perfect and the doers of them and have also brought them hither it is most meet for you to answer to them And then Mr. London said that he had shewed them to part of the Councel and to my L. of Winchester For I see the Copy that was sent to
with force of armes to their natural King and Prince and say This we wil have But now leaving your rude and unhansome maner of speech to your most Soveraign Lord I wil come to the point and joyn with you in the effect of your first Article You say you wil have al the holy Decrees observed and kept But do you know what they bee The holy Decrees as I told you before be called the Bp. of Romes ordinances and lawes Which how holy and godly soever they be called they be indeed so wicked so ungodly so â—ul of tyranny and so partial that since the beginning of the world were never devised or invented the like I shal reherse a certain of them that your selves may see how holy they be and may say your minds whether you would have them kept or no. And at the hearing of them if you shal not think them meet to be kept here in this realm then you may see how they deceived you that moved you to ask this Article And if you like them and would have them kept after you know what they be then I say assuredly that you be not only wicked Papists but also Heretics and most hainous Traitors to the King and this his realm And yet how an absolute Papist varieth from an Heretick or Traitor I know not but that a Papist is also both a Heretic and a Traitor withal One Decree saith That whosoever doth not acknowledg himself to be under the obedience of the Bp. of Rome is an Heretic Now answer me to this Question Whether be you under the obedience of the Bp. of Rome or not If you say that you be under his obedience then be you Traytors by the laws of this realm And if you deny it then be you Heretics by this Decree And shift is there none to save you from treason but to renounce this Decree that commandeth you to be under the Bp. of Rome and so to confes contrary to your own first Article That al Decrees are not to be kept Yet a great many other Decrees be as evil and worse than this One saith That al Princes lawes which be against a Decree of the Bp. of Rome be void and of no strength Another Decree saith That al the Decrees of the Bp. of Rome ought for ever to be kept of al men as Gods word Another Decree there is That whosoever receiveth not the law of the Bp. of Rome availeth neither him the Catholick faith nor the four Evangelists For his sin shal never be forgiven Yet is there a worse and more detestable decree That al Kings and Princes that suffer the Bp. of Romes Decrees to be broken in any point are to be taken as Infidels Another is there also That the Bp. of Rome is bound to no maner of Decrees but he may constrain al other persons both Spiritual and Temporal to receive al his Decrees and Canons Another is yet more devilish then any before rehersed That altho the Bp. of Rome neither regard his own Salvation nor no mans else but put down with himself headlong innumerable people by heaps unto hell yet may no mortal man presume to reprove him therfore But what should I tarry and make you weary in rehersing a number For a thousand other like Canons and Decrees there be to the Advancement of the Bp. of Rome his usurped power and authority I cannot think of you that you be so far from al godliness from al wit and Discretion that you would have these Decrees observed within this Realm which be so blasphemous to God so injurious to al Princes and Realms and so far from al equity and reason But here you may easily perceive what wily foxes you met withal which persuaded you to arme your selves to make sedition in your own Country to stand against your Princes and the laws of your Realm for such Articles as you understand not and to ask you wist not what For I dare say for you that the subtil Papists when they moved you to stand in this Article that al the holy Decrees should be observed they shewed you nothing of these Decrees that they would have taken for holy Decrees For if they had they knew right wel that you would never have consented unto this Article but would have taken them for Traitors that first moved you thereto For now shal I shew you what miserable case you should bring your selves unto if the Kings Majesty should assent unto this first Article that al the Decrees should be kept and observed For among other partial Decrees made in favor of the Clergy this is one That none of the Clergy shal be called or sued before any Temporal Iudge for any maner of cause either for debt suit of lands fellony murther or for any other cause or crime Nor shal have any other Iudge but his Bp. only Another is That a Spiritual man may sue a Temporal man before a Temporal or Spiritual Iudge at his plesure but a Temporal man cannot sue a Spiritual but only before his Ordinary I cannot deny but these been good and beneficial laws for the liberty of the Clergy But for your own part I suppose you do not think it any indifferent Law that a Priest shal sue you where he list with the licence of his Ordinary and you shal sue him for no maner of cause but only before his own Ordinary Or if a Priest had slain one of your sons or brether that you should have no remedy against him but only before the Bp. What mean those Papistical priests that stirred you to ask and wil such decrees and lawes to be observed in this realm but covertly and craftily to bring you under their subjection And that you your selves ignorantly asking you wist not what should put your own heads under their girdles For surely if you had known these Decrees when you consented to this Article you would have torn the Article in pieces and they that moved you therto also For these Decrees â—e not only partial and against al equity and reason made only for the favor of the Clergy and the suppression of the Laity but also they be and ever have â—e clearly contrary to the Lawes and customes of this Realm And yet by this Article you wil have the old antient Laws and customes of this realm which have ever been used in al Kings times hitherto to be void and to cease and these Decrees to come in their place and be observed of al men and againsaid of no man For whosoever speaketh against them you wil hold them for Heretics And in so saying look what sentence you give of your selves altho your Article say it yet I am sure you be not so much enemies to your own Realm that you would have the old antient Laws and Customs of this Realm for the defence whereof al the Noble Kings of this Realm have so valiantly and so justly stand against the Bishops of Rome now to be taken
away and give place unto Romish Decrees And then by your own Article you hold and condemn your selves to be Heretics How be you bewitched by these false Papists Why do you suffer them thus to abuse you by their subtilty to make you condemn your selves of Heresy Why do you not send them unto the Kings Majesty like errant Traitors as indeed they be Saying unto him Most mighty Prince and most drad Soveraign Lord we present here unto you most heinous Traitors against your Majesty and realm and greatest Dissemblers and falsest Deceivers of us your Simple and ignorant people and yet in our own hearts your true and faithful Subjects We have erred We have grievously offended your Majesty but by ignorance being so seduced and provoked by the crafty persuasions of these most hainous Traitors that we wist not what we did But pardon us Soveraign Lord have pity upon our Simplicity and ignorance and these abominable Traitors punish according to their deservings Have mercy most merciful Prince of us your poor flock which were ignorantly led out of the way and strike with the Swords those malicious guides that purposely would have led us to our utter destruction If you did thus then would you do the parts of true faithful and loyal Subjects and should declare to the world that al that you have hitherto done was done by error and ignorance And I would nothing doubt of the Kings Majestie his Clemency and Mercy towards you But yet to the intent that you may further know how unreasonable your first Article is I wil yet reherse another sort of the holy Lawes and Decrees One is That no Lay man may have a Benefice to farm Another is That none of the Clergy may give any thing to the relief of the commonweal and necessity of their own realm without the consent of the Bp. of Rome Another is That no Lay man may meddle with election or any other thing that pertaineth unto any of the Clergy Another is That none of the Clergy ought to give any oath of fidelity to their Princes except they have temporal lands of them Another is That Princes ought to obey the Bps and the Decrees of the Church and to submit their Heads unto their Bps and not to be judges over the Bps. Another is Whosoever offendeth the Liberties of the Church or doth break any Interdiction that cometh from Rome or conspireth against the Person or Estate of the Bp. or See of Rome or by any maner offendeth disobeyeth or rebelleth against the same Bp. or See or that killeth a Priest or offendeth personally against a Bp. or other Prelate or invadeth spoileth withholdeth or wasteth Lands belonging to the Church of Rome or to any other Church immediately subject unto Rome or whosoever invadeth any Pilgrims that go to Rome or any Suitors to the Court of Rome or that let the devolution of causes unto that Court or that put any new charges or impositions real or personal upon a Church or ecclesiastical person and generally All others that offend in the cases contained in the Bul which is usually published by the Bps. of Rome upon Maunday thursday Al these can be assoiled by no Priest Bp Archbp nor by none other but only by the Bp. of Rome or by his express Licence These with an infinite number of like sort be the godly and holy Decrees which you long so sore for and so much desire Now would I know whether you think that these decrees were made for the common wealth of al realmes or only for the private weal of the Bp. of Rome and of his Bps. and Clergy And whether you like and long for these laws or now at the hearing of them your longing is done If you like them Wel for my part I would you had them practised among you for a while so that the rest of the Realm were not troubled neither with you nor with your Decrees unles you repented your selves of your foolish demands I think within a year you would kneel on your knees to the Kings Majestie desiring him to take from your necks the yokes and halters which you had made for your selves But to conclude the sum of the first Article in few words It is nothing else but a clear subversion of the whole State and Lawes of this realm and to make this Realm to be whole governed by Romish Lawes and to crown the Idol and Antichrist of Rome king of this realm and to make our most undoubted and natural King his vile Subject and slave Oh! what was in your minds to ask such a thing and so presumptuously to say that you wil have it I trust there be not in you so much malice and devilishness as the Article containeth but that you were craftily subornate by subtil Papists to ask and demand you wist not what If you had asked that the Word of God might be duly observed and kept every where within this Realm And whosoever would gainsay Gods word to be holden as a Heretic If you had declared your selves to be godly men al that be godly would have commended and furthered your requests But forasmuch as you ask Romish Canons and Decrees to be observed and kept here in England and whosoever shal againsay them to be holdon as hereticks there is neither godly nor truly English man that will allow you or consent to your Articles But clean contrary to your Articles a great number of godly persons within this realm for the very love that they have to God that his Name may be glorified above al things be daily humble Suitors to the Kings Majesty that he following the steps of his Father wil study and travail to weed out of this his Realm al Popish Decrees Lawes and Canons and whatsoever else is contrary to Gods word and that the speakers against Gods word may be taken as they be indeed for Heretics And is any of you so far from reason that he thinketh the Kings Majesty ought to hearken to you that by force and stubbornness say you wil have Romish Laws and Decrees kept in this realm and to turn his ears from them that with al humility be suitors for Gods Word But now wil I come to your other Articles wherein I wil be brief forasmuch as in the first I have been long and tedious II. Your second Article is this WEE wil have the Law of our Soveraign Lord K. Henry VIII concerning the six Articles to be used again as in his time they were Letting pas your rude stile nothing becoming Subjects to say You wil have First I examine you of the cause of your wilful wil wherefore you wil have these six Articles which never were laws in no region but this nor in this realm also until the 31 st year of King Henry VIII And in some things so enforced by the evil Counsil of certain Papists against the truth and common judgment both of Divines and Lawyers that if the Kings Majesty himself
shewe such an alteration called a Transubstantiation as the papistes do imagine For wythout sure auctoritie of the scripture no Article of the faith may be ordeyned 52. And so I thinke it evident that three thinges are geven and received in the Lords supper of them that rightly communicate at the Lords table First bread and wine nothing in themselfe chaunged but that they are by the wordes and the ordinaunce of the Lord made all onely the sygnes Secondly the selfe body and bloud of the Lord that by these we maye the more parfectly communicate in the participation of the regeneration or rather to have the more parfyt partaking of these or else that they may be of more perfection in us Thirdly the establishing of the new Testament of the forgevenes of synnes or of us by election to be made the sonnes of God 53. I call the signs after the mind of Ireneus an earthly thing The partaking of the Lord to be as the effect therof I call the establishing of the new testament the heavenly thing and therefore to be laid hold upon only by faith and not to be wrapped in with any worldly imaginations 54. And forasmuch as in the supper we be not all only admonished of one Christ and of the partaking of him but also we do receive him I had leaver yet say according to the Lords words Take and eate c. that in the bread and the wyne the body and bloud is geven and that they signify the Lord. So that the bread here is as well a sign of the Lords body exhibitive I mean which geveth the thing signifyed as to be but a bare signe Wherfore certain of the fathers have well used herein the word of Representing For truly I think we must most chiefly expres the thing that is here most principal For this word Accipite is all together a word of gevyng or delyvering The Lord geve us grace that we may all speake one thing to the edyfying of the faith among us Amen Subscribed Martin Bucerus D. Professor Theologiae Cantabrigiae NUM XLVII Bishop Hoper to the Clergy of his Diocess of Glocester To the glory of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost FOrasmuch as of all Charges and Vocations the Charge of such as be appointed to the ministry and function of the Church is the greatest it is to be provided and foreseen that such as be called and appointed to such Vocation and Office be such as can satisfy the said Office Which may be done as S. Paul saith two manner of wayes The one if they be of sound doctrine apt to teach and to exhort after knowledg and able to withstand and confute the evil sayers The other if their Life and maners be unculpable and cannot justly be blamed Which consisteth in this if the minister be sober modest keeping hospitality honest religious chast not dissolute angry nor given to much wine no fighter no covetous man such as governeth wel his own house and giveth an example of vertue and honesty unto others For as the godly life and conversation of the Parson or Doctor doth no less avayle in the reformation of others then the doctrin it self so likewise they who have no respect nor regard what evil mischievous and devilish example of life outwardly appeareth to be in them cannot have in them any just authority to reform or correct the faults of others For by what just means canst thou reprehend and blame any other in that fault wherin thou thy self art to be blamed Or by what occasion canst thou preach chastity or desire to have the same in another man when as thou thy self despising both God and holy matrimony dost other nourish or keep a whore or concubine at home in thy house or else must defile other mens beds Nother is he any thing les to be ashamed that wil persuade others to Live in sobriety he himself being drunk Wherfore what authority shal he obtain or get unto himelf and his ministery which is daily seen and marked of men to be a common haunter of Alehouses and tavernes of whores cards dice and such like Hereby shal you perceive and know how that the old Priests and pastors of Christs church did by their truth and gravity subjugate and bring under the hardnecked and stif stubborn Ethnicks and caused them to have the same in fear In so much that the wicked Emperor Iulian caused the priests of the Pagans to order their lives according to the lives of the others But look what authority and reverence the old severity and gravenes of the Pastors and Priests did bring unto them at that time even as much shame and contempt or else a great deal more as I fear doth the Letcâ—ery Covetousnes Ambition Simony and such other corrupt maners bring unto most priests pastors and ministers that be now in our dayes of al men Wherfore I being not forgetful of my office and duty towards God my Prince and you do desire and beseech al you for Christs sake who commanded that your Light should so shine before men that they seing and perceiving the same might glorify the father which is in heaven Give your diligence Welbeloved brethren together with me so that the dignity and majesty of the order of Priests being fallen in decay may not only be be restored again but that first and principally the true and pure worshipping of God may be restored and that so many souls being committed to my faith and yours may by our wholsome doctrin and cleannes of conversation be moved unto the true study of perfect charity and called back from al error and ignorance and finally to be reduced and brought unto the high Bp. and Pastor of Souls Iesus Christ and to the intent yee may the more easily perform the same I have according to the talent and gift given me of the Lord collected and gathered out of Gods holy word a few Articles Which I trust shal much profit and do yee good And if that any thing shal be now wanting or lacking I trust by the help of your prayers and good counsil they shal be shortly hereafter performed Let every one of you therfore take good heed to approve your selves faithful and wise ministers of Christ. So that when I shal come to visit the Parishioners committed to my Cure and come from God and the Kings Majesty yee be able not only to make answer unto me in that behalf but also unto our Lord Iesus Christ judge both of the quick and the dead and a very streit revenger of his church Thus fare you wel unto the day of my coming unto you NUM XLVIII Hoper Bishop of Glocester to Sr. William Cecyll Secretary of State THE grace of God be with you Amen Syns my commyng down I have byn at Worcestre gentle Mr. Secreatori and thought not to have departid thense til I had set thinges in a good order as nere as I could But the negligence
que si j'avois moien de vousfaire de bons Services il ne tiendroit pas a m'y employer que vous n'eussiez approbation d'un meilleur vâ—uloir que je ne le puis exprimer Je vous eusse faict ces excuses plus tost ou bien remerciemens sâ—il vous plaist les tenir pour telz n'eust esté le desir que ce gentilhomme avoit de vous presenter mes letteres En quoy aussi j'appercois l'amitie que vous plaist monstrer envers moy quant ceux qui meritent bien d'avoir acces envers vous esperent estre tres bien venus par le moien de mes lettrez Cependant Monseigneur je ne cesseray de vous recommander ce qui vous est de soy assez cher precieux cest que vous procuriez tous jours mettiez poine que Dieu soit droictement honore servy Sur tout qu'il se dresse meilleur ordre en l'eglise qu'il ny est pas encore Car a ce qu'on dit il a graud faulte de doctrine pour le simple peuple Combien qu'il ne soit pas ayse de recouvrer gens propres idoines pour f ire ceste oâ—fice toutefois a ce que j'entens il y a deux grandz empeschemens ausquelz il seroit necessaire de proveoir L'un est que les revenus des Universitez qui ont esté fondez pour nourrir les escholiers sont mal d stribuez en partie Car plusieurs sont nourris de bourses qui font profession manifeste de resister a l'evangile Tant s'en fault quilz donnent esperance de maintenir ce qui aura esté la edifie a grande poine travail Le second mal est que le revenu des Cures est distraict dissipe en sorte qu'il n'y a point pour nourris gens de bien qui seroient propres a faire l'office de vrays pasteurs Et par ce moien on y mest prestres ignorans qui empâ—rte une grande confusion Car la qualité des personnes engendre un grand mespris de la parole de Dieu Et puis quant ilz auroient toute l'authorite du monde il ne leur chault guere de s'acquiter Je vous prie doncque Monseigneur pour faire tousiours advancer en mieulx la reformation luy donner fermité permanente a ce qu'elle tienne qu'il vous plaise employer toutes vos forces a la correction de cest abus Je croy bien qu'il n'a pas tenu a Vous que les choses n'ayent esté mieux reglees de prime face Mais puis qu'il est bien difficile d'avoir du primier coup un estat si bien dresse qu'il seroit a desirer il reste de tousiours insister pour parfaire avec le temps ce que est bien commencé Il ne doit pas faire mal a ceux qui tirent aujourdhuy profit du bien des eglises que les pasteurs ayent nourriture suâ—fisante veu que chascun se doit efforcer de les nourrir du sien propre quant ilz n'auroient poin de quoy du publicq Mesme ce sera leur profit de s'en acquiter Car ilz ne peuvent pas prosperer en fraudant le peuple de Dieu de la pasture spirituelle en ce qu'ilz privent les eglises de bons pasteurs Et de vostre part Monseigneur je ne doubte pas quant vous aurez fidelement traivaille a reduire ces choses en ordre que Dieu ne multiplie d'aultant pâ—us ses benedictions en vous Mais pour ce que je me tiens asseure que vous estes si bien affectionné de vous mesme qu'il nest ja besoing en faire plus longue exhortation je feray fin apres avoir supplie nostre bon Dieu qu'il luy plaise vous conduire tousiours par son esprit vous augmenter en tout bien faire que son nom soit de plus en plus glorifie par vous Ainsi Monseigneur je me recommande bien humblement a vostre bonne grace De Genesve ce 25 de Juillet 1551. Vostre tres humble Serviteur Jehan Calvin NUM LIX Sir John Cheke to Dr. Parker upon the Death of Martin Bucer I Have delivered the Universities Letters to the Kings Majesty and spoken with the Lords of the Councel and with my L. of Cant. for Mrs. Bucer I doubt not but she shal be wel and worthily considered The University hath not done so great honor to Mr. Bucer as credit and worship to themselves The which if they would continue in as they cease not to complain they might be a great deal better provided for then they think they be But now complaining outright of al other men and mending little in themselves make their friends rather for duty towards learning then for a deserâ— of the Students show their good wils to the University Howbeit if they would have sought either to recover or to increase the good opinion of men they could not have devised wherin by more duty they might worthily be commended then in following so noble a man with such testimonie of honor as the child ought to his father and the Lower to his Superior And altho I doubt not but the Kings Majesty wil provide some grave learned man to maintain Gods true learning in his University yet I think not of al learned men in al points yee shal receive Mr. Bucers like whether we consider his deepnes of knowledg his earnestnes in religion his fatherliness in life his authority in knowledg But what do I commend you to Mr. Bucer who knew him better and can praise whom ye knew trulier I would wish that that is wanting now by Mr. Bucers death they would by diligence and wisdome fulfil in themselves and that they herein praised in others labour to obtain themselves Wherof I think ye be a good stay to some unbrideled young men who have more knowledg in the tongues then experience what is comely or fit for their life to come I pray you let Mr. Bucers books and scroles unwritten be sent up and saved for the Kings Majesty that he choosing such as shal like him best may return the other without delay Except Mrs. Bucer think some other better thing to be done with them or she should think she should have loss by them if they should not be in her ordering I do not Mr. Parker forget your friendship shewed to me aforetime and am sorry no occasion serveth me to shew my good wil. But assure your selfe that as it lyeth long and taketh deep root in me so shal the time come I trust wherin ye shal understand the fruit therof the better to endure and surelier to take place Which may as wel shortly be as be deferred But good occasion is al. The Lord keep you and grant the Vniversity so much encrease of
augmentation of Gods mercy and gracious promise to al men that receive it in the Faith of Christ Jesu with hatred of sin and intent purpose and mind to live always a vertuous life And that is the very Transubstantiation and change that God delighteth in in the use of the Sacraments most that we should earnestly and from the bottome of our hearts be converted into Christ and Christs holy commandments to live a christen life and to dy from sin as he gave us example both by his life and doctrin and meaneth not that the bread and wine should in substance be turned or converted into the substance of his body and bloud or that the substance of the bread should be taken away and in the place therof to be the substance matter and corporal presence of Christs corporal holy humane and natural body Item That the same holy word of God doth confess hold defend acknowledg and maintain that the very natural substantial real and corporal body of Christ concerning his humanity is only and soly in heaven and not in the Sacrament and Communion of his precious body and bloud But whosoever worthily with true repentance and lively faith in the promise of God receiveth that holy Sacrament receiveth Sacramentally by faith al the mercies riches merits and deservings that Christ hath deserved and paid for in his holy bloud and passion And that is to eat Christ and to drink Christ in the holy Sacrament to confirm and Seal Sacramentally in our Souls Gods promises of eternal Salvation that Christ deserved for us not in or by his body eaten but by and for his body slain and killed upon the Cross for our Sinns as S. Paul saith Col. 1. Eph. 1.3 Ebru 2.7 8 9 10. As for eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud really corporally materially and substantially it is but a carnal and gross opinion of man besides and contrary to the word of God and the articles of our faith and christen religion that affirmeth his corporal departure from th earth placeth it in heaven above at the right hand of God the father Almighty and keepeth retaineth holdeth and preserveth the same corporal body of Christ there til the general day of judgment as the word declareth From thence he shal come to judge the quick and the dead And that heretofore I have been in the contrary opinion and believed my self and also have taught other to believe the same that there remained no substance of bread and wine in the Sacrament but the very self same body and bloud of Christ Jesu that was born of the blessed Virgin Mary and hanged upon the Cross I am with al my heart sorry for mine error and false opinion detesting and forsaking the same from the bottome of my heart and desire God most heartily in and for the merits of his dear sons passion to forgive me and al them that have erred in the same false opinion by and through my means Praying them in the tender compassion and great mercies of God now to follow me in truth verite and singleness of Gods most true word as they were contented to follow me in error superstition and blindness and be no more ashamed to turn to the truth then they were ready to be corrupted by falshood If the holy Apostle S. Paul and the great Clerk S. Augustine with many mo Noble and vertuous members of Christs church were not ashamed to returne acknowledge and confess their error and evil opinions what am I miserable creature of the world inferior unto them both in knowledg holines and learning that should be ashamed to do the same Nay I do in this part thank God and rejoyce from the bottome of my heart that God hath revealed unto me the truth of his word and geven me leave to live so long to acknowledg my fault and error and do here before you protest that from henceforth I will with al diligence and labor study to set forth this mine amended knowledg and reconciled truth as long as I live by the help of God in the holy Ghost through the merits of Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate To whom be al honor for ever and ever Amen Subscribed and confirmed 29 of April 1551. in the presence of John Bp. of Gloucester and divers other ther present NUM LXIV The Archbishop to the Lords of the Councel concerning the Book of Articles of Religion AFter my veray humble recommendations unto your good Lordeships I have sent unto the same the boke of Articles which yesterday I receyved from your Lordeships I have sent also a Cedule inclosed declarynge briefly my minde upon the said boke besechynge your Lordeshipps to be means unto the Kyngs Majestie that al the Bushops may have authority from hym to cause all their Prechers Archdecons Deans Prebendaries Parsons Vicars Curates with al their Clergie to subscribe to the said articles And than I trust that such a concorde and quyetness in religion shal shortely follow therof as ells is not to be loked for many years God shal therby be glorified his truth shal be avaunced and your Lordeships shal be rewarded of hym as the setters forward of his true word and gospel Unto whom is my dayly prayer without ceasynge to preserve the Kynges Majestie with al your honorable Lordeships From my house at Forde the 24 of this present month of November Your Lordeshipps ever to commaunde T. Cant. To my veray good Lordes of the Kinges Majestie his most honor able Councel NUM LXV The Archbishop nominates certain persons for an Irish Archbishoprick To my veray Lovinge friende Sir William Cecyl Knight one of the Kinges Majesties principal Secretaries THough in England there be many meete men for the Archbushopricks of Ireland yet I knowe veraye fewe that wil gladlie be perswaded to go thither Nevertheless I have sent unto you the names of iiij Viz. Mr. Whiteheade of Hadley Mr. Tourner of Caunturbury Sir Thomas Rosse and Sir Robert Wisdome Which being ordinarily called I thincke for conscience sake wil not refuse to bestowe the talent committed unto theim wheresoever it shal please the Kinges Majestie to appoincte theim Among whom I take Mr. Whiteheade for his good knowledge special honestie fervent zeale and politick wisdome to be most meete And next him Mr. Tourner who besides that hee is merry and witty withal nihil appetit nihil ardet nihil somniat nisi Iesum Christum and in the lively preaching of him and his wourde declareth such diligence faithfulness and wisdom as for the same deservithe much commendation There is also one Mr. Whitacre a man both wise and wel learned Chaplain to the Bushopp of Winchester veray meet for that office if he might be perswaded to take it upon him I pray you commend me unto Mr. Cheke and declare unto him that myn ague whither it were a quotidian or a double tertian wherof my Physitions doubted hath left me these two dayes and so I
trust I am quite thereof Notwithstanding my water keapithe stil an high colour Now the most daunger is that if it come againe this night it is like to tourne to a quartane However the matter chaunce the most grief to me is that I cannot proceade in such matters as I have in hande according to my wil and desire This Terrenum Domicilium is such an obstacle to all good purposes Forasmuche as I perceave that the Kings Majesties progress is altered I pray you send me the gests of the latter end of his Progress from this time unto the end that I may from time to time know where his Majestie shal bee whom I beseeche Almighty god to preserve and prosper in al his affairs with his most honorable Councel and al his courte From my mannor of Croydon the xxvth of August 1552. Your own assured T. Cant. NUM LXVI That Mr. Turner intended for the Archbishopric of Armagh was come up to court To my lovynge frende Sir William Cecyl Knight one of the Kyngs Majestie his principal Secretary AFter my veray harty recommendations Now at the last agaynst his wil Turner is come up unto the courte He preched twise in the campe that was by Canterbury for the which the rebells wolde have hanged hym and he semed than more glad to go to hangynge than he doth now to go to Armachane he alleged so many excuses but the chiefe is this that he shal prech to the walls and stalls for the peple understande no English I beare him in hande Yes and yet I dowte whether they speak English in the dioces of Armachane But if they do not then I say that if he wil take the paine to lerne the Irish tonge which with diligence he may do in a yeare or two than both his personne and doctrine shal be more acceptable not only unto his dioces but also thorowe out al Ireland I commytt hym to your cure praying you to help hym to have as redy a dispach as may be for he hath but a little money I have sent the boke of Articles for Religion unto Mr. Cheke set in a bettre order than it was and the titles upon every matier addynge therto that which lacked I pray you considre wel the articles with Mr. Cheke and whether you thynke best to move the kyngs majestie therin bifore my commynge I referre that unto your two wisdomes I pray you let me have your advise unto whom I myght best write concernynge Rayner Wolfe for I wot not to whom I myght write but to my Lorde of Northumberlande The everlyvynge god ever preserve you in this life and in the life to come From Croydon the xix th of September Anno 1552. Your assured frende T. Cant. NUM LXVII Wherein the Archbishop justifies himself and the rest of the Bishops against the charge of Covetousnes To my Lovyng frende Sir William Cycil one of the Kyngs Majesties principal Secretaries AFter my most harty commendations and thanks as wel for your gentyl Letters as for the copy of the Pacification and for your good remembrance of the two matters which I desiered you not to forget the one concernynge the B. of Colens lettres and the other Mr. Mowse for whom eft-sonnes I gyve you my most harty thanks As for your Admonition I take it most thankfully as I have ever been most glad to bee admonished by my frendes accomptynge no man so folish as he that wil not heare frendely admonishments But as for the sayinge of S. Paul Qui volunt ditescere incidunt in tentationem I feare it not halfe so moche as I do starke beggery For I toke not halfe so moche care for my lyvynge whan I was a Scholer of Cambrige as I do at this present For altho I have now moch more revenewe yet I have moch more to do withal and have more care to lyve now as an Archbuschope than I had at that time to lyve like a scholer I have not so moch as I had within tenne yeares passed by CL l. of certen rent beside casualties I pay duble for every thynge that I bye If a good Auditor have this accoumpt he shal fynde no grete surplusage to waxe rich upon And if I knew any B. that were covetous I wolde surely admonyshe hym but I knowe none but al beggers except it be one and yet I dare wel say hee is not veray rich If you know any I besech you to advertise me for peradventure I may advertise hym bettre than you To be shorte I am not so doted to set my mynde upon thynges here which neither I can cary away with me nor tary longe with them If tyme wold have served I wolde have written of other thynges unto you but your servant makynge hast compelleth me heare to cut of the threde besechynge almyghty god to preserve the Kynges Majestie with al his councel and familie and send him wel to returne from his progresse From my Manor of Croydon the xxj of Iuly Your own ever T. Cant. NUMB. LXVIII Purchases made by the Archbishop Extracted out of K. Edwards Book of Sales Anno Regni Regis Edwardi Sexti primo The name of the Purchaser The some of Money for the purchase The Lands The yerely value of the landes The rent reserved The tyme of the issues The Teste of the Patent Thomas Archiepiscopus Cantuar In consider promis Dom. R. H. VIII perform Test. sui ac in escamb Maner Parc. de Mayfeld in Com. Sussex ac divers al terr ten in Com. Midd. Hertf. Kant Buck. Ebor. ac pro summa Rect. de Whalley Blackborne Rachdale in Com. Lanc. nuper Monastio sive Abbie de Whalley in eodem Com. Lancastr modo dissolut dudum spectan pertinent ac divers al. terr ten in Com. Lanc. Kant Surr. London Bangor c. CCCClxxix 1. 2 d. ob lv 1. xiiij s. vj d. q. A festo S. Michael Arch. Ao. xxxvij o. H. viij ui      Test. xxxj o. die Augusti Thomas Cranmer Archiepiscopus Cantuar. v c. iiij l. viij s. iiij d. Maner de Sleford in Com. Lincoln maner de Middleton Cheny in Com. Northam ac divers al. terr ten in Com. Northam Lincoln x l. vj s. iiij d. xv l. Nichil A festo Annunc B. Marie Virgin ultimo praedicto    iiij l. xv s. viij d.    Thomas Archiepiscopus Cantuar iiij c. xxix l. xiiij s. ij d. Et in complement Testi Dom. Regis H. VIII in consider Servicij Scit nuper Prioratus de Arthington in Com. Ebor. ac diversa alia Maneria terr ten in Com. Ebor. Not. Kant v l. viijs. iiij d. lj l. xvij s. iiijd. xv l. vij l. x s. x l. xvj s. j d. ob xij s. vj l. j d. xxxiij s. iiij d. xvj s. viij d. A festo S. Michaelis Arch. ultimo praeterito Test. vj to die Junij NUM LXVIII An
Instrument of the Councel swearing and subscribing to the Succession as limited by the King EDWARD WEE whose Names be underwritten having heretofore manitimes heard the Kings Majesty our most gracious Sovereign Lords earnest desire and express Commandment touching the Limitation of the Succession in the Imperial Crown of this Realm and others his Majesties Realmes and Dominions and having seen his Majesties own Devise touching the said Succession first wholly written with his most Gracious hand and after Copied out in his Majesties presence by his most high Commandment and Confirmed with the Subscription of his Majesties own Hand and by his Highnes delivered to certain Judges and other learned men to be written in sul Order DO by his Majesties special and absolute Commandment eftsoons given us aggree and by these Presents signed with our hands and sealed with our Seales promise by our Oaths and Honors to observe fully perform and keep al and every Article Branch and Matter contained in the said Writing delivered to the Judges and others and subscribed with his Majesties hand in six several places and al such other matters as his Majesty by his Last Wil shal appoint declare or command touching or concerning the Limitation of the Succession of his said Imperial Crown And WEE do further promise by his Majesties said Commandment never to vary or swarve during our lives from his said Limitation of his Succession But the same shal to the uttermost of our powers Defend and Maintaine And if any of us or any other shal at any time hereafter which God forbid vary from this Aggrement or any part therof We and Every of us do assent to â—ake use and repute him for a Breaker of the common Concord Peace and Unity of this Realm and to do our utmost to se him or them so varying or swerving punished with most sharp punishment according to their deserts T. Cant. T. Ely Wynchester Northumberland I. Bedford I. Suffolk W. Northampt. F. Shrewsbury F. Huntyngdon PEMBROKE E. Clynton T. Darcy G. Cobham T. Cheyne R. Ryche Iohn Gate William Petres Ioan Cheek W. Cecyll Edward Mountagu Iohn Bakere Edward Gryffyn Iohn Lucas Iohn Gosnald These are the Names with which this Instrument is signed but there be no Seals The Kings own Writing directing the Succession My Devise for the Succession FOR lack of issue for my Body to the L. Fraunceses heir Masles if she have any such issue before my Death To the Lady Iane and her Heir Masles To the Lady Katerins Heir Masles To the Lady Maryes heir Masles To the Heires Masles of the Daughters which she shal have hereafter Then to the Lady Margarets heires Masles For lack of such issue to the Heire Masles of the Lady Ianes Daughters To the heir masles of the Lady Katerins Daughters and so forth til you come to the Lady Margarets daughters heires masles If after my Death their Masle be entred into eighteen years old then he to have the whole Rule and Governance therof But if he be under 18 then his Mother to be Governess til he enter 18 years old But to do nothing without the Advice and Aggrement of Six Parcel of a Councel to be pointed by my last Wil to the number of Twenty If their Mother dy before their Entry into Eighteen the Realm to be governed by the Councel Provided that after he be 14 years al great matters of Importance be opened to him NUM LXIX A Letter of Q. Jane's Councel to the Lord Rich L. Lieutenant of the County of Essex AFter our right hartie commendations to your Lp. Although the matter conteined in your letters of therle of Oxfords departing to the Ladi Mari be grevous unto us for divers respects yet we must neades give your Lp. our hartie thankes for your redi advertisement therof Requiring your Lp. nevertheless like a Noble man to remain in that promise and steedfastnes to our Sovereign Lady Queen Ianes Service as ye shal find us redi and firm with al our force to the same Which neither with honor nor with saftie nor yet with duty we mai now forsaake From the Toure of London the xix th of Iulie 1553. Your L. assured loving freends T. Cant. T. Ely Canc. I. Suffolk Pembroke William Paget Winchester Arundel T. Darcy T. Cheyne W. Petre S. Io. Bakere I. Bedford F. Shrewsbury Rychard Cotton Io. Cheek Robert Bowes NUM LXX Queen Jane to Sir John Bridges and Sir Nicolas Poyntz to raise forces against a rising in Bucks IANE the Queen TRusty and Welbeloved we grete you wel Because we doubt not but this our most lawful possession of the Crown with the free consent of the Nobility of our realm and other the States of the same is both plainly known and accepted of you as our most loving subjects Therfore we do not reiterate the same but now most earnestly wil and require and by authority hereof warrant you to assemble muster and levy al the power that you can possible make either of your servants Tenants officers or freends as wel horsemen as footmen reserving to our trusty and right wel beloved Cousins the Erles of Arundel and Penbroke their tenants servants and officers and with the same to repair with al possible speed towards Buckinghamshire for the repression and subduing of certain tumults and rebellions moved there against us and our Crown by certain seditious men For the râ—pression wherof we have given ordre to divers others our good subjects and gentlemen of such degree as you are to repair in like maner to the â—ame parties So as we nothing doubt but upon the access of such our loving subjects as be appointed for that purpose to the place where this Seditious people yet remaine the same shal eyther lack harts to abyde in their malicious purpose or ells receive such punishment and execution as they deserve seking the destruction of their native country and the subversion of al men in their degrees by rebellion of the base multitude Whose rage being stirred as of late years hath been seen must needs be the confusion of thole common weale Wherfore our special trust is in your courage wisdome and fidelities in this matter to advaunce your self both with power and speed to this enterprise in such sort as by our Nobility and Councel shal be also prescribed unto you And for the sustentation of your charges in this behalf our said Councel by our Commandment do furthwith give order to your satisfaction as by their letters also shal appear unto you And besides that we do assure you of our special consideration of this your service to us our Crowne and expresly to the preservation of this our Realm and commonweale Yeven under our signet at our Toure of London the xviij day of Iuly the first year of our reigne NUM LXXI The Councellors of Q. Jane their letter to the Lady Mary acknowledging her Queen OUR bownden duties most humbly remembred to your most excellent
Majesty It may like the same to understand that We your most humble faythful and obedient Subjects having alwayes God we take to witnes remayned your Highnes true and humble Subjects in our harts ever sythens the death of our late Soveraign Lord and Master your Highnes brother whom God pardon And seeing hitherto no possibilite to utter our determination herein without great destruction and bludshed both of our selves and others tâ—l this time Have this day proclaimed in your city of London your Majesty to be our true natural Soveraign Liege Lady and Queen Most humbly beseeching your Majesty to pardon and remit our former infirmities and most graciously taccept our meanings which have byn ever to serve your Highnes truly And so shal remain in al our powers and forces to theffusion of our bludds as thies bearers our very good Lords therle of Arundel and L. Paget can and be redy more particularly to declare To whom it may please your Excellent Majesty to give firme credence And thus we do and shal daily pray to Almighty God for the preservation of your most royal person long to reign over us From your Majesties city of London this day of Iuly the first year of your most prosperous Reygne Thus endorsed by the hand of Sir Will. Cecyl Copy of the letter to the Quene from Baynards Castle 20 July 1553. NUM LXXII The Archbishop to Mrs. Wilkinson persuading her to fly THE true Comforter in all distress is only God through his son Iesus Christ. And whosoever hath him hath compaâ—y enough although he were in a wildernes al alone And he that hath twenty thousand in his company if God be absent is in a miserable wilderness and desolation In him is al comfort and without him is none Wherefore I beseech you seek your dwelling there whereas you may truly and rightly serve God and dwel in him and have him ever dwelling in you What can be so heavy a burden as an unquiet conscience to be in such a place as a man cannot be suffered to serve God in Christs religion If you be loth to depart from your kin and friends remember that Christ calleth them his mother sisters and brothers that do his fathers wil. Where we find therfore God truly honored according to his wil there we can lack neither friend nor kin If you be loth to depart for slandering Gods word remember that Christ when his houre was not yet come departed out of his countrey into Samaria to avoyd the malice of the Scribes and Pharisees and commanded his Apostles that if they were pursued in one place they should fly to another And was not Paul let down by a basket out at a window to avoid the persecution of Aretas And what wisdome and policy he used from time to time to escape the malice of his enemies the Acts of the Apostles do declare And after the same sort did the other Apostles Albeit when it came to such a point that they could no longer escape danger of the persecutors of Gods true religion then they shewed themselves that their flying before came not of fear but of godly wisdome to do more good and that they would not rashly without urgent necessity offer themselves to death Which had been but a temptation of God Yea when they were apprehended and could no longer avoid then they stood boldly to the profession of Christ Then they shewed how little they passed of death How much they feared God more then men How much they loved and preferred the eternal life to come above this short and miserable life Wherefore I exhort you as wel by Christs commandment as by the example of him and his Apostles to withdraw your self from the malice of yours and Gods enemies into some place where God is most purely served Which is no slandering of the truth but a preserving of your self to God and the truth and to the society and comfort of Christs little flock And that you wil do do it with speed lest by your own folly you fal into the persecutors hands And the Lord send his holy spirit to lead and guide you whersoever you go And al that be godly wil say Amen NUM LXXIII The words and sayings of John Duke of Northumberland spoken by him unto the people at the Towerhill of London on Tuesday in the forenoon being the 22d day of August immediatly before his death as hereafter followeth GOod people I am come hither for to dy this day for the which al you are come hither to see And that although this is most horrible and detestable yet justly have I deserved the same for that I have been most grievous sinner unto Almighty God and to al the whole world and to the Queens grace In as much as I did presume of my self in the plain field to bear armor against her Grace Wherfore I do acknowledg that I have offended her lawes and that justly she might have put me to death without any Law had she so pleased But of her most clemency hath weighed my death by a law which justly hath condemned me But the more I trust for my Salvation and the more better for me to consider the greatnes of my sins And therfore the better for my Salvation And forasmuch as I am permitted to speak my conscience this I do protest before God the World and al you that this my death hath not been altogether of mine own procuring but hath been incensed by others Whom I pray God to pardon For I wil not name nor accuse any man here And now I shal shew how I have been of a long time led by false Teachers somewhat before the death of K. Henry VIII and ever since Which is a great part of this my death Wherfore good people beware and take heed that you be not led and deceived by these seditious and leud Preachers that have opened the Book and know not how to shut it But return home again to your true religion and Catholick faith which hath been taught you of old For since the time that this new teaching hath come among us God hath given us over unto our selves and hath plagued us sundry and many wayes with wars commotions tumults rebellions pestilence and famine besides many more great and grievous pâ—agues to the great decay of our common wealth Wherfore Good people be obedient unto the Queen her lawes and be content to receive again the true Catholic faith from which of long time you have been led Examples we have of Germany Which in like manner being led and seduced how are they now brought to ruine as wel it is known to the world And also we are taught by our Creed in the latter part of the same Where it is said We believe in the holy Ghost the holy Catholick faith the Communion of Saints Thus you may see the Articles of our belief do teach us the true faith Catholic This is my very faith and
our greatest cros may be to be absent from him and strangers from our home and that we may godly contend more and more to please him Amen c. As for your parts in that it is commonly thought your staff standeth next the door â—ee have the more cause to rejoyce and be glad as they which shal come to their fellowes under the Altar To the which Society God with you bring me also in his mercy when it shall be his good plesure I have received many good things from you my good Lord Master and dear Father N. Ridley Fruits I mean of your good labours Al which I send unto you again by this bringer Augustin Benher one thing except which he can tell I do keep upon your further plesure to be known therin And herewithal I send unto you a little treatise which I have made that you might peruse the same and not only you but also ye my other most dear and reverend Fathers in the Lord for ever to give your Approbation as ye may think good Al the prisoners here about in maner have seen it and read it and as therin they aggre with me nay rather with the truth so they are ready and wil be to signify it as they shal se you give them example The matter may be thought not so necessary as I seem to make it But yet if ye knew the great evil that is like hereafter to come to the posterity by these men as partly this bringer can signify unto you Surely then could ye not but be most willing to put hereto your helping hands The which thing that I might the more occasion you to perceive I have sent you here a writing of Harry Harts own hand Wherby ye may see how Christs glory and grace is like to loose much light if your sheep quondam be not something holpen by them that love God and are able to prove that al good is to be attributed only and wholly to Gods grace and mercy in Christ without other respects of worthines then Christs merits The effects of salvation they so mingle and confound with the cause that if it be not seen to more hurt will come by them than ever came by the Papists in as much as their life commendeth them to the world more then the Papists God is my witnes that I write not this but because I would Gods glory and the good of his peopâ—e In Free wil they are plain Papists yea Pelagians And ye know that Modicum fermenti totam Massam corrumpit They utterly contemn al learning But hereof shal this bringer show you more As to the chief captains therefore of Christs church here I complain of it unto you as truly I must do of you even unto God in the last day if ye wil not as ye can help something Vt veritas doctrinae maneat apud posteros in this behalf as ye have done on the behalf of matters expugned by the Papists God for his mercy in Christ guide you Most dearly beloved Fathers with his holy Spirit here and in al other things as most may make to his glory and the commodity of the Church Amen Al here God therfore be praised prepare themselves willingly to pledg our Captain Christ even when he wil and how he wil. By your good prayers we shal al fare the better and therefore we al pray you to cry to God for us as we God willing do and wil remember you My brethren here with me have thought it their duty to signify this need to be no less then I make it to prevent the plantations which may take root by these men Yours in the Lord Robert Ferrar Rowland Taylor Iohn Bradford Iohn Philpot. NUM LXXXIV The Prisoners for the Gospel their Declaration concerning K. Edward his Reformation To the King and Queens most excellent Majesties with their most honorable high court of Parlament WE poor Prisoners for Christs religion require your Honours in our dear Saviour Christs name earnestly now to repent for that you have consented of late to the unplaceing of so many godly lawes set furth touching the true religion of Christ before by two most Noble Kings being Father and brother to the Queens Highnes and aggreed upon by al your consents not without your great and many deliberations free and open disputations costs and paines taking in that behalf neither without great Consultations and conclusions had by the greatest learned men in the realm at Windsor Cambridg and Oxford neither without the most willing consent and allowing of the same by the whole Realm throughly So that there was not one Parish in al England that ever desired again to have the Romish Superstitions and vaine Service which is now by the Popish proud covetous clergy placed again in contempt not only of God al Heaven and al the holy ghostes lessons in the blessed Bible but also against the honors of the said two most noble Kings against your own Country fore aggreements and against al the godly consciences within this realm of England and elsewhere By reason wherof Gods great plagues must needs follow and great unquietnes of consciences besides al other persecutions and vexations of bodies and goods must needs ensue Moreover we certify your honours that since your said unplaceing of Christs true religion and true service and placing in the room therof Antichristâ— Romish Superstition heresy and idolatry al the true preachers have been removed and punished and that with such open robbery and cruelty as in Turky was never used either to their own Countrimen or to their mortal enemies This therfore our humble suit is now to your honourable estates to desire the same for al the mercies sake of our dear and only Savior Iesus Christ and for the duty you owe to your native Country and to your own souls earnestly to consider from what light to what darknes this realm is now brought and that in the weightiest chief and principal matter of Salvation of al our souls and bodies everlasting and for ever more And even so we desire you at this your assembly to seek some effectual reformation for the afore written most horrible deformation in this church of England And touching your selves we desire you in like maner that we may be called before your Honors and if we be not able both to prove and approve by the Catholic and Canonical rules of Christs true religion the church Homilies and Service set furth in the most innocent K. Edwards days and also to disallow and reprove by the same authorities the Service now set furth since his departing then we offer our bodies either to be immediately burned or else to suffer whatsoever other painful and shameful death that it shal please the King and Queens Majesties to appoint And we think this trial and probation may be now best either in the plain English tongue by Writing or otherwise by disputation in the same tongue Our Lord for his great mercy sake
requite the same I have written lettres unto my Lorde of Northumberlande declarynge unto hym the cause of my staye in the Commission which is bicause that al the gentylmen and Justices of the peace of Kent which be in commission with me be now at London Bifore whos 's comynge home if I sholde procede without them I myght perchaunce travel in vayne and take more payne than I sholde do good I have written also unto hym in the favour of Michael Angelo whose cause I pray you to helpe so moche as lieth in you The Sophy and the Turke themperor and the French kynge not moch better in religion than they rollynge the stone or turnynge the whele of fortune up and downe I pray God send us peace and quyetnes with al realmes as wel as among our selfes and to preserve the Kyngs majestie with al his councill Thus fare you wel From my howse of Forde the xx day of November Anno 1552. Your assured T. Cant. NUM CVIII Signifying his desire to have the good will of the Lord Warden his neighbour To my lovyng frende Sir William Cecill Knyght Secretary to the Kings Majestie Yeve thies AFter my harty commendations and thanks for your letters ther is no man more loth to be in contention with any man than I am specially with my Lorde Warden my nere neighbour dwellynge both in one contray and whose familier and entier frendeshippe I most desier for the quyetnes of the hole contray For the example of the rulers and heades wil the people and membres followe And as towchynge learned men I shal sende you my mynde with as moch expedition as I can which by this poste I can not do evyn in the colde snowe sittynge opon coles untyl he be gone But hartely fare you wel in the Lorde Iesus From Forde the last day of November Your Lovynge frende T. Cant. NUM CIX Desiring Cecyl to enform him of the cause of Chekes indictment To my very Lovynge frende Sir William Cecyl Knight AFter my very harty recommendâ—tions Yester nyght I harde reported that Mr. Cheke is indited I pray you hartely if you know any thynge therof to sende me knowledge and wheruppon he is indited I had grete trust that he sholde be one of them that sholde fele the Queens grete mercie and pardon as one who hath been none of the grete doers in this matier agaynst her and my trust is not yet gone excepte it be for his ernestnes in religion For the which if he suffre blâ—ssed is he of god that suffreth for his sake howsoever the worlde juge of hym For what ought we to care for the jugement of the worlde whan god absolveth us But alas if any means cowde be made for hym or for my Lorde Russel it were not to be omitted nor in any wise neglected But I am utterly destitute both of counseil in this matter and of power being in the same condemnation that they be But that onely thynge which I can do I shal not ceasse to do and that is only to pray from theym and for my selfe with al other that be now in adversity Whan I saw you at the courâ—e I wolde fayne have talked with you but I durst not nevertheless if you cowde fynde a tyme to come over to me I wolde gladly commen with you Thus fare you hartely well with my Lady your wife From Lamhith this 14 day of this month of August Your own assured T. Cant. FINIS READER MY Reverend Friend Mr. Wharton as he formerly Encouraged and Assisted me in the Foregoing History hath also further obliged me by the Perusal of it and by communicating to me his Ingenious and Learned Observations and Animadversions thereupon which do highly deserve to be made more Publick and therefore are here gladly added by me together with his Letter as a Supplement to my Book for the Reader 's Benefit To the Reverend Mr. STRYPE SIR AT the Desire of Mr. Chiswell our Common Friend I have perused your Memorials of Archbishop Cranmer not without great Satisfaction being much pleased to see the Actions of that Excellent Prelate and the Affairs of the Reformation of our Church happily begun and carried on in his Time and by his Conduct disposed in so clear a Method I have not been able to make my Observations upon it with that Exactness and Fulness which I desired and you may perhaps expect being at this time placed at a very great distance from all my Papers and Collections and not enjoying the use even of such Printed Books as would be necessary to this Design So that I have been forced to pass by very many Places of your History wherein I have suspected some Error to have been committed but could not either confirm or remove my Suspicion for want of farther present Evidence However I have noted several Places which at first Reading appeared Suspicious and after farther Consideration were judged Erroneous by me altho even in some of those Places I have only Pointed at the Error not being able always to rectify it without the Assistance of Books and Papers whereof I am now wholly destitute Be pleased to accept of my Performance herein with that Candor wherewith I read your Book and made the following Observations since I willingly profess That the commission of Errors in writing any History especially of times past being altogether unavoidable ought not to detract from the Credit of the History or Merit of the Historian unless it be accompanied with Immoderate Ostentation or Vnhandsome Reflections upon the Errors of others from which Imputation that Indifference and Candor which appear throughout your whole Work wholly exempt you altho no History of those Matters or Times which I have seen be wrote with equal Exactness PAGE 16. Line 4. It is the sense of an Ingenious and Learned Friend of mine That the pretended Martyr Thomas Becket tho he died in Vindication of the Privileges of the Church yet he was the First Betrayer of the Rights of his See viz. of Canterbury He made the greatest Breach upon the Authority of the Primacy of Canterbury by resigning the Archbishoprick into the Pope's hands and receiving it again from him as the Pope's Donation Thomas Becket was not the First nor the Chief Betrayer of the Rights of the See of Canterbury The first and greatest Breach upon the Authority of the Primacy of that See was made by his Predecessor William de Corboil Thirty seven years before who after he had been fully Invested in the Archbishoprick of Canterbury by due Authority solicited and accepted the Bulls of Pope Honorius conferring it upon him as by Papal Gift and other Bulls constituting him the Pope's Legate in England whereby he subjected his own See and the Church of England to the Authority of the See of Rome which were before wholly independent of it Page 21. line 21. The Twelfth Article of Cranmer's Judgment of the Unlawfulness of K. Henry's Marriage is this We think that
great Joy Inter Foxii MSS. An. 1537. The ABp had a hand in Lambert's Deathâ— The Bishops dispute against Lambert'â— â—eâ—sonâ— An. 1538. Rom x. Cleopatra E. 5. No. XXIV Cranmer zealous for the Corporal Presence His Reasons for it N. XXV Sanders Slanders of the Abp concerning his Opinion in the Sacrament When Cranmer changed his Opinion Acts and Mon. p. 1101. Latimer of the same Judgment Fox p. 1581. Divers Priests marry Wives The King's Proclamation against Priests Marriages Defence of Priests marriage p. 198. Anabaptists A Commission again them Cranm. Regist. The waywardness of the Priests Clâ—opat E. 6. p. 222. Occasions the King to write to the Justices He visits the Diocess of Hâ—reford Cranm. Regist. Par. I. Book III. Collect. 12. Bishops consecrated Cranm. Registi William Fâ—nch Iohn Bradly The ABp makes Nic. Wotton Commissary of his Faculties Cranm. Regist. An. 1539. Ath. Oxon. p. 124. An. 1539. The King offended with the ABp and some other Bishops Life of Cranm. inter Foxii MSS. The six Articles opposed by the ABp Life of K. Henry p. 512. The Argumentâ— the ABp made use of at this time lost The King's Message to the ABp by the Lords MS. Life of Cranmer in C.C.C.C. A Book of Ceremonies laboured to be brought in Cleopatra E. â— p. 259. A Convocation The Papists rejoice No. XXVI Two Priories surrendred to the ABp The ABp and Crumwel labour with the King about the new Bishopricks Hist. Ref. P. I. p. 301. Bishops this Year An. 1540. Iohn Bell. Iohn Skyp An. 1540. The ABp's Enemies accuse him His Honesty and Courage in discharge of a Commission And his Success therein Hist. Ref. P. I. p. 286. Questions of Religion to be discussed by Divines by the King's Command The Names of the Commiâ—sioners Seventeen Questions upon the Sacrament Part I. Collect. xxi p. 201. Cleopatra E. 5. p. 36. Nâ— XXVII No. XXVIII The ABp's Judgment upon these Questions Vol. I. Book 3. Collect. XXI Cleopatra E. 5. The Judgments of other Learned Men concerning other Points Part I. Addendâ— to the Collect. No. XI An Act to prevent Divorces The ABp to Osiander concerning the Germans abuse of Matrimony No. XXIX Some account of printing the English Bible New Testament printed in 1526. And burnt Fox's Acts p. 929. Reprinted about 1530. Inter Foxii MSS. Burnt again The Scripture prohibited in a Meeting at the Star-Chamber New Testaments burnt the third Time Fox p. 937. The whole Bible printed 1537. Matthews that is Roger's Bible Balaei Centur. About 1538. the Bible printing again in Paris Fox p. 1086. No. XXX The Printers fall into the Inquisition Cleopatra E. â— The Bible printed with French Presses in London The English Bible burnt the fourth time The largest Bible published in the Year 1540. Boner's Admonitions for reading the Bible The Bible suprest again An. 154â— K. Henry's judgment for the use of the Bible The ABp keeps himself more retired The ABp issues out his Commission for the Consecrating of Boner Cranm. Regist. Boner's Oath of Fidelity The ABp makes a Commissary in Calais Fox p. 1120. Butler a better Commissary His Troubles The occasion thereof the Discovery of a Religious Cheat. Glazier Commissary in Calais ABp's Judgment of Admission of Scholars into the School belonging to the Cathedral Foxii MSS. Edm. Boneâ— Nic. Hethe Cranm. Regist. Tho. Thirlby Some account of Thirlby's Rise In a Letter to Day the Printer An. 1565. An. 1541. The ABp visits All-Soâ—ls College ABp Cranm. Registi Visits it a second Time The ABâ— giveâ— order about Shrines The King to the ABp for searching after Shrines ABp Cranm. Regist. The ABp's Orders accordingly to his Dean his Arch-Deacon and Commissary The ABp lays Bekesburn to the See Angl. Sacra Vol. 1. p. 148. Records of Chr. Ch. Cant. Learned Preachers preferred by the ABp The ABp makes some recant A Convocation Their Business Fuller's Ch. Hist. from the Records of Canterbury William Knight Iohn Wakâ—man Iohn Chambre Arthur Bulkeley Robert King An. 1542. The King's Book revised by the ABp Misâ—â—llanâ—â— D. inter MSS. C.C.C.C. Divers Discourses of the ABp No. XXXI No. XXXII The goodly Primer The ABp instrumental to the Reformation in Scotland Hist. Reform Vol. 1. p. 320. An Act procured by the ABp Hist. Refor Vol. 1. p. 321. Paul Bush. An. 1543. The King's Book published by Authority A Visitation at Caâ—terbury Intit Accusatio Cranmer inter MSS. C.C.C.C. Presentments An. 1543. Reflections upon the former Presentments The Prebendaries and Preachers admonished by the ABp The Prebendaries Plot against the ABp Winchester the chief Manager Winchester designs the Death of divers of the Court. Fox And of the ABp and his Friends The Papers relating to ABp Cranmer's Accusation The Contents thereof The Canons and Preachers of Canterbury Cranmer's Chaplains complained of at the Sessions They prepare the Articles and prefer them They Article against the ABp himself †Little thinking what a Spectacle he was soon after to make there when he was carried on Horse-back through the Town with a Paper upon his head declaring his Perjury and his Face to the Horse's Tail London's Practices A great Mass of Articles against the ABp procured The chief Instruments GARDINER SERLES SHETHER Fasti Oxon. p. 686. The Bishop of Winchester's Discourse with a Prebendary of Canterbury Willoughby and London wait at the Council-Chamber Willoughby brought to the Lord Privy-Seal and to Wiâ—chester The Contents of the Articles against the ABp More Articles against his Commissary More still The Witnesses The Prebendaries deliver the Articles The King himself discovers all to the ABp The ABp desires a Commission The ABp in Commission expostulates with his Accusers Shether in Prison sends to Winchester Their Reasonâ— which they pretended for what they did Cockes and Hussey Commissioners and his Officers false New Commissioners sent down The Register false The Delinquents Chambers and Chests searched The Treachery of Thornton and Barber The ABp's Discourse to them Mark XIII 12 The Brother shall betray the Brother to death and the Father the Son and Children shall rise up against their Parents c. The Conspirators are imprisoned Their Release The Confessions Letters No. XXXIII The Ends of the Conspirators The ABp accused before theParliament MS. Declaration of ABp Cranmer The Palace of Canterbury burnt An. 1544. The Council accuse the ABp The King sends privately for the ABp An. 1544. Comes before the Council The King rebukes the Council for Cranmer The King changes the ABp's Arms. Prayers to be made against immoderate Rain Cranm. Regist. English Suffrages commanded to be used The Contents of the King's Letter to that intent Cranm. Regist. Fol. 48. A Procession for the King's Expedition The Councils Letter to the ABp Reg. Cranm. Popery prevails Image of both Churches Gardiner and the Bishops now carry all Bp of Landaff removed to York The ABp's Oath Cranm. Regist. An. 1545. The ABp sets upon reforming the Canon Law Part I. among the Collections p. 257. An. 1545. An
Act concerning it The Progress made by the ABp in this Work No. XXXIV The MSS. of these Laws Inter Fox MSS. Reformatio Legum Ecclesiast Lond. 1640. The ABp labours in this Work under K. Edward The ABp employed in mending Books of Service The King consults with the ABp for the Redress of certain Superstions Hist. Ref. Vol. II. Collect. p. 236. The opportunity of Winchester's Absence taken The ABp prevails with the King in two great Points Seeks to redress Alienation of the Revenues of the Cathedral Scripture and Sermons more common by the ABp's means Vid. Herb. Hist. P. 600. Anth. Kitchin An. 1546. A Proclamation against the English Testament He interprets a Statute of his Church Ex Regist. Eccles Christ. Cant. The ABp by the King's Command pens a Form for a Communion His last Office to the King Conceives great Hopes of K. Edward The ABp takes a Commission to execute his Office Cranm. Regist. Hist. Reâ— P. II. Coll. p. 90. K. Edward crowned by the ABp C.C.C.C. Library Miscellan B. The manner of the Coronation Hist. Ref. Vol. 11 Collect. p. 93. The ABp's Speech at the Coronation Foxes Firebrands Part 2. An. 1547. A Royal Visitation on foot Titus B. 2. Hist. Ref. Vol. II. Collect. p. 103. Vol. 11. p. 28. The Visitors Vol. intit Syuodalia †He belonged to the Office of the Signet and was Protonotary The Method of this Visitation Fox The Homilies and Erasmus's Paraphrase The ABp to Winchester concerning the Homilies See his Letters to the Protector in Fox No. XXXV The ABp c. compose Homilies Winchester in the Fleet. The Bp of Winchester's Censure oâ— the Homily of Salvation And of the ABp for it Winchester's Censure of Erasmus's Paraphrase His Account of his Commitment Inter Foxil MSS. Erasmus vindicated Winchester's Letter to Somerset concerning these things No. XXXVI The ABp appoints a Thanksgiving for a Victory The ABp to the Bp of London Cranm. â—egist * It should be Sept. I suppose A Convocation in the first Year of the King C.C.C.C. Library Vol. intit Synodalia Defence of Priests Marriage p. 268. Dr. Redman's Judgment of Priests Marriage Irenic p. 387. The ABp's Influence on the Parliament Hist. Râ—s Vol. 1. p. 40. The Communion in both Kinds established Fox The ABp's Queries concerning the Mass. The ABp assists at the Funeral of the French King Stow. The Marquess of Northampton's Divorce committed to the ABp Bp of Wigorn. Hist. Ref. Vol. 2. p. 56. Processions forbid by his means Stow. Examines the Offices of the Church The ABp puts forth a Catechism And a Book against Vnwritten Verities Caâ— 3. His Care of Canterbury Fox's MSS. The ABp's Influence upon the University Some of St. Iohn's College apply to him upon the apprehension of a Danger Offended with some of this College and why No. XXXVII The ill Condition and low Estate of the University Hist. Ref. Part II. p. 8. An Address of the University to the ABp The Sum thereof No. XXXVIII The Success of the University's Address to him and others Another Address to him against the Townsmen Roger Ascham's Application to him for a Dispensation for eating Flesh. Favourably granted by the ABp The ABp's Opinion concerning Lent Ascham acquaints him with the present State of the University as to their Studies Epistol libro 2. Sir Iohn Cheke the ABp's dear Friend the prime Instrument of politer Studies there The Impediments of the Universities flourishing state laid before him Dr. Smith recants at Paul's Cross. His Books No. XXXIX Gardiner offended with this Recantation Psal. 116.11 Other University-Men recant Smith affronts â—he ABp His Inconstancy The ABp's admonition to the Vicar of Stâ—pney Foxii MSS. The ABp Licenseth an eminent Preacher Foxil MSS. Who preacheth against the Errors and Superstitions of the Church Foxii MSS. Is bound to answer for his Sermon at the Assizes How far the Reformation had proceeded Part 3. Ridley consecrated Bp. Cran. Reg. p. 321. Churches profaned Cotton Libr. Titus B. 2. Church Ornaments embezelled The Council's Letter to the ABp thereupon Cran. Regist. A Form of Prayer sent to the ABp With the Council's Letter Cran. Regist. New Opinions Broached Cranm. Regist. Champneys revokes six Articles And abjureâ— Other Heresies vented Cranm. Regist. Assheton's Recantation Other Errors still Ioan Bocheâ—s Heresy Latimeâ—'s Censure of her Georgâ— Van Paris The ABp visits his Diocess His Articles for the Clergy And for the Laity An Exchange made between the ABp and the Lord Windsor Bishop of S. Davids Consecrated Cran. Regist. Fol. 327. Some account of this Bishop The ABp swayed by Farrar's Enemies Sutâ—liâ—s Answ. to Parson's Threefold Convers. of England An. 1549. Rebellion in Devon The ABp Aâ—â—swers the Rebels Articles An. 1549. N â— XL. Some Account thereof Crispin Morâ—man Cardinal Pole The ABp procures Sermons to be made against the Rebellion Miscellâ—n D. Peter Martyr's Sermon upon this Occasion The French take Occasion at this Rebellion Bucer's Discourse against the Sedition The ABp's Prayer composed for this Occasion No. Xâ—I The ABp deprives Boner Discourse between the ABp and him concerning his Book Concerning the Sacrament Chargeth the ABp concerning the Preachers he allowed The ABp's Answers to Boner's Declaration Papists insist upon the invalidity of the Laws made in the King's minority No. XLII Lat. Serm. Fol. 25. An Ordination of Priests and Deacons The Office of Ordination reformed The ABp Visits some Vacant Churches S. David's Glocester Norwich London A new Dean of the Arches The ABp writes to the Lords at Ely-house Their Answer Vol. II. Collect. p. 187.188 The ABp gets the Common-Prayer-Book confirmed The ABp harbours Learned Strangers MSS. C.C.C.C. Miscellan A. Bucer writes in the ABp's Family MSS. C.C.C.C. Miscellan D. The ABp's Guests Calvin Ep. 197 Martyr dedicates his Lectures at Oxon to the ABp The ABp writes to Bucer to come over No. XLIII Bucer and Fagius Professors at Cambridg Vet. P. Fag per Ministr aliquos Eccles. Argent Fagius dies No. XLIV The ABp sends money to Fagius's Widow Bucer laments his Loss MSS. C.C.C.C. His Answer hereunto Declines it at present and why They agree upon the Conditions of a Disputation They Dispute No. XLIV Martyr sends the Sum of the Disputation to the ABp The Disputation published by Martyr Quid enim nâ—gare ausâ—m Rever Archiâ—piscopo Cant. cui plant omnia debto In Praefat. ad Disp. And by Tresham No. XLV Smith writes to the ABp from Scotland Disputations at Cambridg before the Commissioners Bucer Disputes His Judgment of the Sacrament No. XLVI Relicks of Popery remaining Fox's Acts. The Council gives Orders to the Justices And writes to the Bishops Neglect in London Adulteries frequent Books dispersed by Protestants Letter to the Lord Protector Preaching against Lent Gardiner's Judgment of a Rhime against Lent Latimer counsels the King about Marriage Foreign Protestants their offer to King Edward Fox's and Firebrand's Part II. An. 1550. Ridley made Bp of London Ridl Letter among the Letters of the Martyrs Rochester Vacant
Bucer writes to Dorset not to spoil the Church MSS. C. C. C. C. Miscellan D. The Common-Prayer-Book reviewed Nec enim quicquam in illis deprehendi quod non sit ex Verbo Dei desumptum aut saltem ei non adversetur commodè acceptum Buceri Scripta Anglican Modus quoque harum Lectionum ac precum tempora sunt admodumcongruenter cum Verbo Dei observationâ— priscarum Ecclesiarum constituta Religione igitur summa retinenda erit vindicanda haec Ceremonia Censura inter Scripta Anglican Bucer Martyr employed in it MSS. C.C.C.C. Vol. intit Epist. Viror illustr German Hoper nominated for Bp of Glocester He and Ridley confer about the Habits MS. of the Council Book The ABp writes to Bucer for his Judgment in this Matter TheQuestions Script Anglic. p. 705. 681. Martyr writes to Hoper Inter P. Mart. Epist. Hoper's two Objections Considered †Episcopal Garments * Episcopal Garments Another Objection of Hoper considered Other things urged by him Hoper Confined to his House and silenced Council-Book Committed to the ABp's Custody Sent to the Fleet. Council-Book Hoper conforms Martyr to Gualter concerning Hoper's Conformity Hoper Visits his Diocess No. XLVII His Articles of Religion His Injunctions and Interrogatories Holds Worcester in Commendam And visits that Church and Sec. Goes over both his Diocesses again No. XLVIII The Council's Order concerning the two Canons MS. Council-Book Licence for the Bp of Glocester to attend upon the Dutchess of Somerset in the Tower Other Matters relating to this Bishop Divers great Lords repair to Gardiner The Council's proceedings with him Articles propounded to him to subscribe Winchester Sequestred for three Months The Sequestration expires Council-Book The Commissioners sit to examine him A Letter of some Noblemen whom he had belied Gardiner offers his Book against Cranmer to the Commissioners Page 2. He is deprived The Council's order for his strait Confinement Council-Book Poynet made Bp of Winton Other Popish Bps dealt with Bp Hethe's Troubles Sent for before the Council Council-Book Bp of Chichester his Troubles Council-Book Bp Day will not pull down Altars Appears before the Council Es. xix 19 The ABp and Bp of Ely reason with him The Council give him time to confer Before the Council again Heb. xiii 10 Before the Council the third Time And the fourth Time when he was sent to the Fleet. Commissioners appointed for Worcester and Chichester They are deprived Placed the one with the Lord Chancellor the other with the Bp of London Day writes to King's College for leaving off Masses Haddoni Ep. p. 169. His unnatural Carriage towards his Brother Hatcher's MS. Catal. of Provosts c. of King's Coll. Preaches against Transubstantiation His Change charged on him The Papists write Libels No. XLIX Several Papists now taken up Council-Book Chedsey Morgan Brown White Other Professors restrained The ABp's Care of the Souls of Strangers residing here The Dutch Congregation begun under Iohn a Lasco From Embden he wrote to the ABp And to Cecyl The sad Condition of the Protestants there No. L. Latimer mentions A Lasco to the King Third Sermon before the King Anno 1549. Contest amongst A Lasco's People MSS. of Benet College The Care of A Lasco over his Church and its Privileges Favourably received by the Lord Chancellor Goodrich Labours with the Secretary to procure Letters from the Councel in behalf of his Church No. LI. The extant of his Superintendency Melancthon's Epistles printed at Leyden 1647. Melancthon thought to shelter himself under him His great Abilities for Government Erasmus's Praise of him Ep. 3. Lib. 28. Lib. 19. Ep. 15. Purchased Erasmus's Library Abel Rediviv A Lasco a married Man His influence in the Reformation under Q. Elizabeth Blamed for medling in our Controversies A Church of Italians constituted in London Michael Angelo their Minister The Service the ABp did for this Church And for the Minister Anno 1552. Divers of this Church fall out with their Minister and go to Mass again A Conjecture at the Cause thereof Their Minister sends their Names to the Secretary and accuses them The Morals of this Man tainted Writes a penitent Letter to the Secretary No. LII LIII A French Church also in London No. LIV. Another Church of Strangers at Glastenbury Their Trade Weaving Valerandus Pollanus their Preacher and Superintendent How they came to fix here Conditions of Trade between Somerset and them Their Trade obstructed by the Troubles of Somerset Apply themselves again to the Council And to the Secretary Cecyl The Council become their Patrons and assist them Orders from the Lords to set this Manufacture forwards Pollanus very serviceable to them No. LV. LVI.LVII An Apology for the largeness of the former Relation After the King's Death they remove to Frankford Troubles at Frankford Prove Friends to the English Exiles there A Spanish Church Cassiodorus and Corraâ—us their Preachers Many of King Philip's Spaniards become Protestants Great numbers of Protestants in Spain and Italy Zanchii Ep. Lib. 2. The ABp labour◠〈◊〉 preserve the Revenues of the Church The detaining the Church-Revenues a Scandal to the Reformation Calvin to the ABp upon this matter Ep. 127. And to the Duke of Somerset No. LVIII Bucer publickly disputeth at Cambridg MSS. C.C.C.C. The University wrote up concerning his Death No. LIX Bucer's Library His Widdow retires to Germany The Correspondence between him and Martyr MSS. C.C.C.C A Plot of the Papists at Oxoâ— against Martyr at an Act. Martyr's Judgment of the Communion-Book Pag. 210. No. LX. LXI Bucer's great Dangers Ponet Cranm. Reg. Hoper An. 1551. Cranmer publisheth his Book of the Sacrament His first Book An. 1551. Wrote against by Gardiner and Smith Vindicated in another Book by the ABp No. LXII The Method of the ABp's Reply The Judgments made of this Book In Antiq. Brit. Fox's Acts. How the ABp came off from the Opinion of the Corporal Presence The ABp's great Skill in this Controversy P. Martyr inlightned by Cranmer Fox's Acts. Fox's Conjecture of the ABp A second Book of Gardiner against the ABp Preface to P. Martyr's Book in Def. of Cranmer The ABp begins a third Book but lives not to â—â—nish it Martyr takes up the Quarrel Maâ—t Epist. P. Martyr Ep. Cranmer puts out his Book of the Sacrament in Latin Constantius libro latinè scripto ita argumenta mea persequitur ut sibi optimum videtur ut causam juvet saepe truncata saepe inversa saepe disjecta sic introducit ut non magis a me agnosci potuerint quam Medeae liberi in multa membra dissecti desormati c. Printed again at Embden Autographon â—jus in nostra apud Aembdanos Ecclesia pro Thesauro quodam clariss viri sanctique Christi Martyris Mnemosyno servamus In Epist. Cranmer's second Book intended to be put into Latin Fox Epp. MSS. Some Notes of Cranmer concerning the Sacrament Miscellan A. Martyr succeeds Cranmer in this Province Writes against Gardiner
ostendatis quam ego vestra causa de officio fuerim meo stricte praecipientes ut his nostris constitutionibus vos omnes â—inguli tam in judicijs quam in gymnarijs utamini severè prohibentes ne quisquam vestrum alias praeter has regni nostri leges admittere praesumat Valete NUM XXXV The Bishop of Winchester to Archbishop Cranmer relating to the Reformation of Religion AFter my duty remembred to your Grace Your letters of the third came to my hands the of the same And upon the reading and advised consideration of the matter in them have thought requisite to answer unto them and at length to open my mind frankly in some points of them Tempering my words so as I shal not be seen to have forgotten your place and condition ne such familiarite as hath been between your G. and me The remembrance of which familiarite maketh me speke as frely as on the other side your astate brydeleth me to be more moderate in speech then sum matier I shal herafter speke of wold ells suffre and permit It greveth me moch to rede wryten from your G. in the begynning of your lettres how the King our late Soveraign was seduced and in that he knew by whom he was compassed in that I cal the Kings Majesties Book Which is not his Book bicause I cal it so but bicause it was indede so acknowledged by the hol Parliament and acknowledged so by your G. thenn and al his life which as you afterwards write ye commaunded to be published and red in your Diocese as his book Against which by your G's spech ye commaunded Ioseph he shuld not prech Al which I think your G. would not have doon if ye had not thought the book to have conteyned truth And in the truth can be no seducyng to it as the Kings book conteyneth but from it Which if it had been so I ought to think your G. would not for al the Princes christened being so high a Bishop as ye be have yâ—â—â—â—ed unto For Obedire oportet Dâ—o magis quam hominibus And therfore after your G. hath foure yere continually lyved in agrement of that doctrine under our late Soveraine Lord now so sodenly after his death to wryte to me that his Highness was seduced it is I assure you a very straunge spech Which if your G. shuld bring in to open contention as I know your G. of your Wisedome wyl not But in that case wyl I as an old servaunt of my late Soverayne Much wanting it self so many Calamities besides wherof I have more laysor to think on thenn your G. as my chance is now which I reckon in this respect very good After so many yeres Service and in such trouble without daunger passed over to aryve in this haven of quyetnes without losse of any notable takel as the Marryners say Which is a great matier as the wynds hath blowen And if the present astate in this world wer to be considered I have many times alleged for confirmation of thopinion of some in religion And the Protestants take it for a gret argument to establish ther procedyngs that themperor was ever letted when he went about to enterprize any thing against them as Bucer declareth at gret length in a letter written to the World And whenne Sledanus was here in England he told me the like at Windesore and then Tanquam praedixit of the effect of certain eclypse Adding that I shuld see magnas mutationes And so I have seen and have heard mervelous chaunges synnes that but otherwise than Sledanus toke it and to destroy ther fancies if that were to be regarded But for my self I have seen my Soveraine Lord with whom I consented in opinion make the honourable conquest of Bolen and honorably in his life mainteyne it And after in honorable peace made leave this world over soon to us but that was due by him to be payd to naâ—ure discharged it honoraâ—ly buried honorably with sorrow and lamentation of his servants and subgetts and my self his poor servant with a litel flâ—ebyting of this world conveyed to an easy astâ—te without diminution of my reputation And therfore whenne I hear fondly alleged or rede more fondly wryten the favor toto that is by Bâ—lâ— Ioye and Ioseph or such like newly called the Word of God to be embraced for preservation of the worldly astate I se the clere contrary in experience and conclude with my self that it proveth nought before man and take it before God to be abomination Which causeth me to spend some of my laysor to wryte so long a letter to your G. who hath lesse laysor Wyshing that our laysor gret or litel may be spent otherwyse then to trouble this Realm in the time of our Soveraine Lords Minority with any novelte in mâ—tiers of religion being so many other matiers which for that I was so late a Counsellor cannot out of my memory Requiring the hol endeavour of such as have charge and silence in the people who shuld serve and obey without quarelying among themself for matiers in religion Specially considering it is agreed our late Soverain is receyved to goddes mercy And though some wold say he had his errors and saw not perfitely Gods truth Yet for us it were better to go to heven with oon yie after hym thenne to travayle here for another yie with daungier to lose both There was good humanite in him that said Mâ—lim errare cum Platone quam cum alijs vera sentire Which affection were to the world plausible towching our Soveraine Lord that made us But we christen men may not teach so but esteme God above al and his true divinite In which case nevertheles whenne the divinite pretended is so rejected of many and utterly reproved So doubted of many other as it is suspected and confessed among us it is not necessary For our Soveraine Lord is gone from us to heaven in his way It is a mervelous matier what a certain loss it is aforehand to entreprize to serch which among a very few hath the name of Divinite and of al the rest is so named as I wil not reherse And this I write not because your G. entendeth any such thing soo far For I may not and wil not so think of you But this I take to be true that the way of error is let in at a little gappe The vehemence of novelty wil flow further thenne your G. wold admitte And when men hear of new gere every man maketh his request sum new hose sum new robes sum newe cappes sum new shirtes Like as in religion we have seen attempted where the people thought they might prevayle Which caused the commotion in Germany in bello civili Rusticorum and hath made the same stir there now in bello civili Nobilium It was a notable act of our late Soverain Lord to reform and thenne moderate religion as he did Which he did not without al
trouble And how safe we be in religion when al quietnes is acquired you Wisdome canne consider Our late Soveraine Lord was wont to say which I never forget speaking of himself man had not looked to the Pacification He saw men dâ—sirous to set forth their own fancies which he thought to have excluded by his Pacification If your G. would say to me now that I wasted moch speche in vaine and declared therby I had to much laysor to write so moch in this matier as though I feared that nedeth not to be feared for your G. hath commaunded our late Soveraine Lords book to be redde and mindeth nothing now but oonly Omylies wherin your G. wold I shuld write Which to do wer neyther gret payne ne hardnesse to me and I might as soon wryte an Homilie as these letters As for the facilite of the matier of wryting or wryting by not traverse But then I consider what contraversie may arise in wryting As for example for seing I have laysor to wryte I wil forget what laysor your G. hath to rede if I should make an Homily De vita perfecta I wolde note two parts Oon of life Another of perfiteness For the grownde of the oon I wolde take S Iohn Misit Deus silium suum ut vivamus per eum And for the other Estote perfecti sicut pater vester c. In Declaration of Life I wolde take occasion to speke of Faith the gift of entre to life and of Charite the very gift of Life which who hath not remaineth in detâ—e And therfore S. Iames said Fides sine operibus mortua est Not expounding that so as though Faith without Charite were no Faith as we say a dead man is no man For I wolde wish the people in any wise to beware of that fashion of teaching and such a sophistical understanding of S. Iames and for detection therof declare that deth conteyneth not alwayes a denyal of the thing dead not to be but oonly wher the name of the thing noted now dead conteyned before in it a signification of life As the word man signifyeth a body living and thenne it is truly said that a dead man is no man no more thenne a paynted man But Faith signifieth not alwayes a Life in it For Devils have Faith without life And when we speke of ded faith it is like as when ye speke of a body indeed without life but apt and mete to receyve life As spawne is a body without life and dead but mete to receyve life with convenient circumstance And then we say not that a body dead is no body And therfore we may not say that a dead Faith is no Faith After which understanding we shuld make S. Iames to treate whether no faith might justify a man or no Which were a cold matier And yet so must we say if we wil expound this saying that a dead faith is no faith And in this poynt I wold in my Homily De Vita be most ernest to shew that in charity is life wherunto Faith is thentre Which faith without charite is not noo faith but dead And therfore God that geveth al life geveth with faith charite Wherof I wold make the moo words in the Homily bicause the handling of S. Iames in the other sophistical interpretation is an entre to unwholsome doctrine And if your G. wold say What of this or to what purpose shuld it be wryten to you that myndeth no such matier Surely for nothing but bicause I have plenty of leasour and wryte as though I talked with you And that not al in vaine for that I have hertofor harde of other whom I have harde moch glory in that exposition to say S. Iames meaneth that dead faith is no faith even as a dead man is no man Which by my saye is overfar out of the way and yet myn Omylie might in such an Homiler and company of Omylies encontre with oon of the trade I have spoken of and bring forth matier of contention and altercation without al frute or edification And thus much for example of trouble in Homylies Which these five yeres have rested without any busines and the people wel doon their dueties I trust to God in heven and know wel to ther Soverain Lord in yerth And our Soverain Lord that governed them without these Omylies goen to heven whether I trust we and the people shal go after although we trouble them with noo Homilies Which shal hardly be so accumulate ex diversis tractatibus with diverse fashion of wryting diverse phrase of speches diverse conceits in teachings diverse ends per case entended as some wil construe The rest is wanting NUM XXXVI Gardiner Bishop of Winton to the Duke of Somerset concerning the Book of Homilies and Erasmus Paraphrase englished AFter my most humble Commendations unto your Good Lp. with hearty thanks that it hath pleased you to be content to hear from me Wherein now I have liberty to write at large to you I cannot find the like gentleness in my body to spend so much time as I would And therfore I shal now desire your G. to take in good part tho I gather my matter in brief sentences The Injunctions in this last Visitation contain a commandment to se taught and learned two books One of Homilies that must be taught another of Erasmus Paraphrasis that the Priests must learn These Books strive one against another directly The Book of the Homilies teacheth Faith to exclude charity in the office of Justification Erasmus Paraphrasis teacheth Faith to have charity joyned with him in Justification The Book of Homilies teacheth how men may swear The Paraphrasis teacheth the contrary very extremely The Book of Homilies teacheth how Subjects owe tribute to their Prince and obedience very wel The Book of the Paraphrase in a place upon S. Poule violently and against al truth after it hath spoken of duties to Heathen Princes knitteth the matter up untruly that between the Christen men at Rome to whom he writeth which is a Lesson to al there should be no debt or right but mutual charity Which is a marvailous matter The Book of Homilies in another place openeth the Gospel one way The Paraphrase openeth it clean contrary The matter is not great but because there is contrariety Now to consider each of the aforesaid Books The Book of H. in the sermon of Salvation teacheth the clean contrary to the doctrin established by the Act of Parlament even as contrary as Includeth is contray to Excludeth For these be the words of the Doctrin established by Parlament where in a certain place Faith doth not exclude The doctrin of the Parlament speaketh how they be joyned in Justification The Homilies speak the vertues to be present in the man justified and how Faith excludes them in the office of Justification Which can never be proved and is in the mean time contrary to the Act. The Book of