he of his own Accord without any Addresses from Cranmer designed to raise him to that Dignity and gave him notice of it that he might make haste and come home to enjoy that reward which the King had appointed for him But Cranmer having received this News did all he could to excuse himself from the Burden which was coming upon him and therefore he returned very slowly to England hoping that the Kings thoughts cooling some other Person might step in between him and a Dignity of which having a just and primitive Sense he did look on it with Fear and Apprehension rather than Joy and Desire This was so far from setting him back that the King was thereby confirmed in his high Opinion of him and neither the delays of his Journey nor his Intreaties to be delivered from a Burden which his humility made him imagine himself unable to bear could divert the King and good reason why because amongst all the Bishops he found no Man else for his purpose So that tho six months elapsed before the thing was settled yet the King persisted in his Opinion and the other was forced to yield Burnet page 127. Now let the Reader observe Doctor Heylin's account of Cranmer's backwardness to accept that Preferment viz. Warham Archbishop of Canterbury dying Cranmer is designed for his Successor in that eminent Dignity which he unwillingly accepts of partly in regard that he was Married at that time and partly in reference to an Oath which he was to take to the Pope at his Consecration But the King was willing for his own ends to wink at the one viz his Marriage and the Pope was not in a Condition as the Case then stood to be too peremptory in the other Heylin Hist Reform page 177. Burnet says further though Cranmer was a Man of too great Candour and Simplicity to be refined in the Arts of Policy yet he managed his Affairs with great Prudence that is to say respect to his interest which did so much recommend him to the King that no ill Offices were ever able to hurt him page 172. 1 Vol. In the end of January 1533. the King sent to the Pope for the Bulls for Cranmer's Promotion and though the Statutes were passed against procuring more Bulls from Rome yet the King says Burnet resolved not to begin the Breach till he was forced to it by the Pope that is whilst there were any hopes of the Popes consenting to his Marriage with Ann Bolen On the other hand the Pope had no mind to precipitate a Rupture with England therefore consented to Cranmer's Promotion page 128. A. I pray let us hear Doctor Burnet's account of his Consecration and taking the Oath to the Pope B. Cranmers Bulls being sent into England he was on the 13th of March Anno 1533. consecrated by the Bishops of London Exeter and Saint Asaph But here a great Scruple was moved by him concerning the Oath that he was to Swear to the Pope which he had no mind to take And Writers near that time say the dislike of that Oath observe this was one of the Motives that made him so unwillingly accept of that Dignity He declared that the Obligation which that Oath brought upon him would bind him up from his Duty to God the King and the Church page 128 129. 1 Vol. A. I would fain hear the words of that Oath before you go any further B. Ego T. Electus Ecclesiae C. Episcopus ab hac hera fidelis obediens ero beato Petro Apostolo Sanctaeque Romanae Ecclesiae c. I T. Bishop of C. from this hour forward shall be faithful and obedient to Saint Peter and to the Holy Church of Rome and to my Lord the Pope and his Successors Canonically entring I shall not be of Council nor Consent that they shall lose either Life or Member or shall be taken or suffer any violence or wrong by any means Their Councel to me credited their Messengers or Letters I shall not willingly discover to any Person The Papâ—cy of Rome the Rules of the Holy Fathers and the Regality of Saint Peter I shall help and maintain and defend against all Men The Legate of the See Apostolick going and coming I shall honorably intreat The Rights Honours Priviledges Authority's of the Church of Rome and of the Pope and his Successors I shall cause to be conserved defended augmented and promoted I shall not be in Council Treaty or any Act in the which any thing shall be imagined against Him or the Church of Rome their Rights Seats Honours or Powers And if I know any such to be moved or compassed I stall resist it to my power and as soon as I can I shall advertise him or such as may give him Knowledge The Rules of the Holy Fathers the Decrees Ordinances Sentences Dispositions Reservations Provisions and Commandments Apostolick to my Power I shall keep and cause to be kept of others Hereticks Schismaticks and Rebels to our Holy Father and his Successors I shall resist and prosecute to my Power I shall come to the Synod when I am called except I be letted by a Canonical Impediment The Thresholds of the Apostles I shall visit yearly Personally or by my Deputy I shall not alienate or sell my Possessions without the Popes Counsel So God help Me and the Holy Evangelists p. 123. A. Did he take this Oath in Terminis B. Yes and you shall hear how His Scruple being communicated to some of the Canonists and Casuists saith Burnet they found a Temper that agreed better with their Maxims then Cranmers Sincerity which was that before he should take the Oath he should make a good and formal Protestation that he did not intend thereby to restrain himself from any thing that he was bound to either by his Duty to God or the King or the Countrey and that he renounced every thing in it that was contrary to any of these This Protestation he made in Saint Stephens Chappel at Westminster in presence of some Doctors of the Canon Law before he was censecrated and he afterwards repeated it when he took the Oath to the Pope by which if he did not wholly save his Integrity note this yet it was plain he intended no Cheat but to act fairly and above board page 129. NOTE Vpon the like Protestation he might have taken another Oath to be true to Mahomet The Dr. is here at his wits end for an Excuse but confesses he did not swear like a sincere Christian He intended no Cheat but to act fairly and above board viz. He would take the Oath but so God help him and the holy Evangelists if ever he meant to observe one syllable of it Reader in all ages those that have been sent by God for the Reformation of the World and Restoration of ancient Piety have appeared to be Persons of extraordinary Sanctity at least if not recommended by Miracles in this Reformer there is yet no appearance of either A. After
pains was taken to instruct her better but she refused to enter into any Reasonings and claimed the Promise that was said to be made to the Emperor But it was told her that it was but temporary and conditional Whereupon the last Summer anno 1550. she was designing to fly out of England The Emperors Ambassador solicited for her violently and said he would presently take leave and protest that they had broken their Faith to his Master who would resent the Usage of the Lady Mary as highly as if it were done immediately to himself The Privy Counsellors having no mind to draw a new War on their Heads especially from so victorious a Prince were all inclined to let the matter fall There was also a Years Cloth lately sent over to Antwerp and 1500 Quintals of Powder with a great deal of Armour bought there for the King's use was not come over So it was thought by no means advisable to provoke the Emperor while they had such effects in his Ports Nor were they very willing to give higher Provocations to the next Heir of the Crown Therefore they all advised the King not to do more in that matter at present but to leave the Lady Mary to her Discretion who would certainly be made more Cautious by what she had met with and would give as little scandal as was possible by her Mass But King Edward could not be induced to give way to it for he thought the Mass was Impious and Idolatrous as Cranmer and the rest of his Tutors had instructed him so he would not consent to the continuance of such a Sin. Upon this the Council ordered Cranmer Ridley and Poinet the new Bishops of Winchester to discourse with him about it They told him it was always a Sin in a Prince to permit any Sin but to give a Connivance that is not to Punish was not always a Sin. Since sometimes a lesser Evil connived at might prevent a greater He was overcome by this yet not so easily but that he burst forth into Tears lamenting his Sisters obstinacy and that he must suffer her to continue in so abominable a way of Worship as he esteemed the Mass Burnet ibid. Reader Observe here the Casuistry of these new Apostles Cranmer Ridley and Poinet c. governing the Conscience of this young King. At his Fathers death they all went to Mass King Henry was no sooner dead but they represent it to King Edward as the most impious and detestable Idolatry not to be tolerated by any Christian King He understood not their Knavery being then anno 1546. a Child of nine years old but verily thought them what they pretended to be the most sincere Christians After four or five years he is amazed to find the Spirt of Reformation appearing with a Cloven foot and distinguishing betwixt Permitting and Conniving at the impiety of the Mass for interests sake He burst our into Tears at the Counsel of these new Evangelists thus mingling earthly Policy with Religion But mark what follows Burnet informs you that King Edward's Council being now less in fear of the Emperor In July anno 1551 sent for Inglefield Walgrave and Rochester three of the Lady Marys chief Officers and gave them Instructions to signifie unto her the Kings Pleasure to have the new Service in her Family these are Burnets words and to return with an Answer In August they came back and said she received the Message very grievously and that she would obey the King in all things except where her Conscience was touched Upon this they were sent to the Tower. Then the Lord Chancellor Sir Authony Wingfield and Sir William Petre were sent unto her with a Letter from the King and Instructions from the Council They came to her House at Copthall in Essex The Lord Chancellor gave her the Kings Letter which she received on her knees and said she paid that respect to the Kings Hand and not to the Matter of the Letter which she knew proceeded from the Council And when she read it she said Ah! Mr. Cecil took much pains here he was then Secretary of State so she turned to the Counsellors and bid them deliver their Message to her wishing them to be short for she was not well at ease The Lord Chancellor told her that all the Council were of one mind that she must be no longer suffered to have private Mass or a Form of Religion different from what was established by Law. He went to read the Names of those that were of that mind but she desired him to spare his pains she knew they were all of a sort They next told her they had Order to require her Chaplains to use no other Service than what was according to Law. She answered she was the Kings most obedient Subject and Sister and would obey him in every thing but where her Conscience held her and would willingly suffer Death to do him Service but she would lay her Head on a Block rather than use any other Form of Service than what had been at her Fathers Death only she thought observe this she was not worthy to suffer Death upon so good an account When the King came to be of Age so that he could order these things himself she would obey his Commands in Religion For although he Good Sweet King these were her words had more Knowledge than any of his years yet he was not a fit Judge in these matters For if a Ship were to be set to Sea or any matter of Policy to be determined they would not think him fit for it much less could he be able to resolve Points of Divinity I have transcribed this passage at large out of Burnet pag. 173 174. 2. vol. for two reasons 1. To acquaint the Reader how these Reformers steered their course according to their Interest For in July 1551. being now in less fear of the Emperor says Burnet they sent 3 Messengers to her to signifie the Kings Pleasure that she must be no longer suffered to have Mass in her Family 2. To entertain you with this passage of the Christian and Noble Behaviour of the Lady Mary confessed by Burnet himself And more of it you shall hear anon A. You promised another passage out of Burnet B. 'T is this On the 12th of April 1549. the third year of Edward VI a Complaint was brought to the Council that with the Strangers that were come into England some Anabaptists had come over and were disseminating their Errors and making Proselites so a Commission was ordered for the Archbishop of Canterbury the Bishops of Ely Wircester Westminster Chichester Lincoln and Rochester c. and some others three of them being a Quorum to examine and search after all Anabaptists Heretiques or Contemners of the Common Prayer They were to endeavour to reclaim them to enjoyn them Penance and give them Absolution or if they were obstinate to excommunicate and imprison them and to deliver them over to the secular Power to
be further proceeded against Some Tradesmen in London were brought before these Commissioners in May and were perswaded to abjure their Opinions which were that a man regenerate could not sin that though the outward man finned the inward man sinned not That there was no Trinity of Persons that Christ was only a holy Prophet and not at all God that the Baptism of Infants was not profitable That Christ took no Flesh of the Virgin c. One of those who thus abjured was commanded to carry a Faggot next Sunday at Saint Pauls where there should be a Sermon setting forth his Heresie But there was another of these extream obstinate Joan Bocher commonly called Joan of Kent she denied that Christ was truly incarnate of the Virgin whose Flesh being sinful he could take none of it but the Word by the consent of the inward man in the Virgin took Flesh of her These were her words They took much pains about her and had many Conferences with her but she was so extravagantly conceited of her own Notions that she rejected all they said with scorn whereupon she was adjudged an obstinate Heretique and so left to the secular Power This being returned to the Council the good King was moved to sign a Warrant for burning her but could not be prevailed on to do it He thought it a piece of Cruelty too like that says Burnet which they had condemned in the Papists to burn any for their Consciences Cranmer was employed to perswade him to sign the Warrant He argued from the Law of Moses by which Blasphemers were to be stoned he told the King he made a great difference between Errors in other Points of Divinity and those that were directly against the Apostles Creed That these were Impieties against God which a Prince as being Gods Deputy ought to punish as the Kings Deputies were obliged to punish Offences against the Kings Persons These Reasons did rather silence than satisfie the young King who still thought it a hard thing as in truth it was says Burnet to proceed so severely in such cases So he set his hand to the Warrant with tears in his eyes saying to Cranmer that if he did wrong since it was in submission to your Authority you shall answer for it to God. This struck the Archbishop with much horror so that he was very unwilling to have the Sentence executed Her Crime was nothing else but that she had read the Bible and interpreted it according to that Judgment of Discretion which Cranmer allow'd to every one But he and Ridley took the Woman then in custody to their Houses to see if they could persuade her But she continued to carry her self so contemptuously that at last the Sentence was executed on her the second of May next year and she was burnt This Action saith Burnet was much censured as being contrary to the Clemency of the Gospel and was oft made use of by the Papists who said it was plain that the Reformers were only against Burning when they were in fear of it themselves And the Womans Carriage made her be lookt on as a frantick person fitter for Bedlam than a Stake Two years after this one George Pare a Dutchman was burnt for saying that Christ was not Very God. In all the Books published in Queen Marys days justifying her Severity against the Protestants these instances were always made use of and no part of Cranmers Life exposed him more then this did Burnet p. 111 112. 2. vol. He tells us moreover It was said he had consented both to Lamberts and Ann Askows Death in King Henrys Reign who both suffered for Opinions which Cranmer himself held now in King Edwards days Burnet ibid. And now Reader observe the Excuse which Burnet makes for him One thing was certain that what he did in this matter flowed from no Cruelty of Temper in him but it was truly the effect of those Principles by which he governed himself ibid. p. 112. It is plain that the Reformers were only against Burning when they were in fear of it themselves No body can judge of Heresie but themselves A. Now I pray what were the Words of his Mission and Consecration both as Priest and Bishop B. His Priestly Function was given him in these Words Accipe Potestatem offerre Sacrificium Deo Missásque celebrare tam pro vivis quam pro defunctis in nomine Domini Amen Take thou Power to offer Sacrifice to God and celebrate Mass both for the living and the dead in the name of the Lord. Amen Accipe Spritum sanctum quorum remiseris peccata remissa sunt quorum retinueris retenta sunt Tunc interrogat Episcopus promittisne mihi Successoribus meis Reverentiam Obedientiam Respondet Presbyter Promitto c. that is Receive the Holy Ghost whose Sins thou dost remit they are remitted whose Sins thou dost retain they are retained Then the Bishop demands Wilt thou promise to me and my Successors Reverence and Obedience The Priest answers I promise A. Had he no other Priesthood but this I ask this question not without some admiration at this Reformer B. None but this A. Then by these Priestly Orders he had received no Power but to celebrate Mass for the quick and dead and in Christs name to bind and absolve Sinners c. B. True and accordingly had officiated for many years until the first or second year of Edward 6. when he was discharged of that Office. A. Who discharg'd him B. I cannot undertake to answer all the difficulties of that Question But you know King Edward was then Supream Ordinary of the Church of England although but a Child of nine years old and Protestants will tell you Cranmer was no longer obliged to such Priesthood having found out the Impieties and Corruptions thereof A. No longer obliged to such Priesthood you say he had no other besides what was delivered to him in these words Accipe Potestatem offerre Sacrificium Deo Missásque celebrare tam pro vivis quam pro defunctis c. B. They are the express words of the Roman Pontifical whereby he was ordained Priest as Dr. Burnet confesses A. * The Natural Body and Blood of Christ are in Heaven and not here in the Sacrament it being against the truth of Christs natural Body to be at one time in more places than one saith the Church of England Rubrick after Communion Service Then what Priesthood had he to abolish the Mass to reform Altars into Communion Tables and the real presence of Christs Body and Blood into a real absence or to read Communion Service without a Communion as Protestants do upon most Sundays and Holidays B. As for these things perhaps he had some extraordinary Inspiration and perhaps not you press too hard with your Questions as if you had found out the blind side of the Reformation What he wanted of Priesthood you know was supplied to him by Act of Parliament Remember Mr. Kings Admonition