Commissary in Calais Butler a better Commissary His Troubles The occasion thereof the discovery of a Religious Cheat. Glazier Commissary in Calais The Archbishop's Judgment of Admission of Scholars into the School belonging to the Cathedral Bishops Consecrated Edmund Boner Nic. Hethe Tho. Thirlby Some account of Thirlby's Rise CHAP. XXIII All-Souls College visited The Archbishop visits All-Souls College Visits it a second time The Archbishop gives Orders about Shrines The King to the Archbishop for searching after Shrines The Archbishop's Orders accordingly to his Dean his Archdeacon and Commissary The Archbishop lays Bekesburn to the See Learned Preachers preferred by the Archbishop The Archbishop makes some recant A Convocation Their business Bishops consecrated William Knight Iohn Wakeman Iohn Chambre Arthur Bulkely Robert King CHAP. XXIV The King's Book revised The King's Book revised by the Archbishop Divers Discourses of the Archbishop The goodly Primer The Archbishop instrumental to the Reformation of Scotland An Act procured by the Archbishop Paul Bush Consecrated CHAP. XXV Presentments at a Visitation The King's Book published by Authority A Visitation at Canterbury Presentments Reflections upon the former Presentments The Prebendaries and Preachers admonished by the Archbishop CHAP. XXVI A black Cloud over the Archbishop The Prebendaries Plot against the Archbishop Winchester the chief Manager Winchester designs the Death of divers of the Court And of the Archbishop and his Friends The Papers relating to Archbishop 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 prâ—fer them They Article against the Archbishop himself London's Practices A great Mass of Articles against the Archbishop procured The chief Instruments Gardiner Serles Shether The Bishop of Winchester's discourse with a Prebendary of Canterbury Willoughby and London wait at the Council-Chamber Willoughby brought to the L. Privy Seal and to Winchester The Contents of the Articles against the Archbishop More Articles against his Commissary More still The Witnesses The Prebendaries deliver the Articles CHAP. XXVII The King the Archbishop's Friend in this Danger The King himself discovers all to the Archbishop The Archbishop desires a Commission The Archbishop in Commission expostulates with his Accusers Shâ—ther in Prison sends to Winchester Their Reasons 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 Archbishop's discourse to them The Conspirators are imprisoned Their Release Their Confessions and Letters The Ends of the Conspirators CHAP. XXVIII The Archbishop falls into more Troubles The Archbishop accused before the Parliament The Palace of Canterbury burnt The Council accuse the Archbishop The King sends privately for him Comes before the Council The King rebukes the Council for Cranmer The King changes the Archbishop's Arms. CHAP. XXIX Occasional Prayers and Suffrages Prayers to be made against immoderate Rain English Suffrages commanded to be used The Contents of the King's Letter to that end A Procession for the King's Expedition The Councâ—l's Letter to the Archbishop Popery prevails Gardiner and the Bishops now carry all Bishop of Landaff removed to York His Oath CHAP. XXX The Archbishop reformeth the Canon Law The Archbishop sets upon reforming the Canon Law An Act concerning it The Progress made by the Archbishop in this Work The MS. of these Laws The Archbishop labours in this Work under K. Edward The Archbishop employed in mending Service-Books The King consults with the Archbishop for the Redress of certain Superstitions The Opportunity of Winchester's absence taken The Archbishop 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 Archbishop's means Anthony Kitchen Consecrated A Proclamation against the English Testament He interprets a Statute of his Church The Archbishop by the King's Command pens a Form for a Communion His last Office to the King BOOK II. CHAP. I. He Crowns King Edward COnceives great hopes of K. Edward The Archbishop takes a Commission to execute his Office K. Edward Crowned by the Archbishop The manner of the Coronation The Archbishop's Speech at the Coronation CHAP. II. A Royal Visitation A Royal Visitation on foot The Visitors The method of this Visitation The Homilies and Erasmus's Paraphrase CHAP. III. Homilies and Erasmus 's Paraphrase The Archbishop to Winchester concerning the Homilies The Archbishop c. compose Homilies Winchester in the Fleet. The Bishop of Winchester's Censure of the Homily of Salvation And of the Archbishop for it Winchester's Censure of Erasmus's Paraphrase His account of his Commitment Erasmus vindicated Winchester's Letter to Somerset concerning these things The Archbishop appoints a Thanksgiving for a Victory The Archbishop to the Bishop of London CHAP. IV. A Convocation A Convocation in the first year of the King Dr. Redman's Judgment of Priests Marriage The Archbishop's Influence on the Parliament The Communion in both kinds established The Archbishop's Queries concerning the Mass. The Archbishop assists at the Funeral of the French King The Marquess of Northampton's Divorce committed to the Archbishop Processions forbid by his means Examines the Offices of the Church CHAP. V. The Archbishop's Catechism The Archbishop puts forth a Catechism And a Book against Vnwritten Verities His Care of Canterbury CHAP. VI. The Archbishop's Care of the University The Archbishop's Influence upon the University Some of S. Iohn's College apply to him upon the apprehension of a danger Offended with some of this College and why The ill condition and low estate of the University An Address of the University to the Archbishop The Sum thereof The Success of the Universities 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 Archbishop The Archbishop's Opinion concerning Lent Ascham acquaints him with the present state of the University as to their Studies Sir Iohn Cheke the Archbishop's dear Friend The prime Instrument of Politer Studies there The Impediments of that University's flourishing state laid before him CHAP. VII Dr. Smith and others recant Dr. Smith recants at Paul's Cross. His Books Gardiner offended with this Recantation Other University-men recant Smith affronts the Archbishop His inconstancy The Archbishop's Admonition to the Vicar of Stepney The Archbishop licenseth an eminent Preacher Who preacheth against the Errors and Superstitions of the Church Is bound to answer for his Sermon at the Assizes How far the Reformation had proceeded Ridley Consecrated Bishop CHAP. VIII The Churches Goods embezzled New Opinions broached Churches prophaned Church-Ornaments embezzl'd The Council's Letter to the Archbishop thereupon A Form of Prayer sent to the Archbishop With the Council's Letter New Opinions broached Champneys revokes Six Articles and abjures Other Heresies
their Peril Thus fare you well From Westminster the last day of April 1548. Your loving Friends E. Somerset Tho. Cheyney Will. Seint-Iohn Will. Paget I. Russell Tho. Smith Will. Herbert H. Arundel A. Denny Ioh. Baker It is not an improbable Conjecture that the Arch-bishop procured this Letter to arm Church-wardens with an Answer to such greedy Courtiers and Gentlemen as used often to resort to them and in their own or the Council's Name required these Goods of their Churches to be yielded up to them and threatned them if they did not The next Month the Council sent the Arch-bishop a Form of Prayer to be used by himself and those of his Diocess Wherein God was implored to grant the Nation Peace and Victory over her Enemies For now all things round about appeared in a Posture of War and Preparation of Arms were making Which caused the King also to raise Forces And for a Blessing upon them the Privy-Council sent to the Arch-bishop together with the Form an Order for the speedy using of it The Tenor of the Letter follows AFter our hearty Commendations to your good Lordship Hearing tell of great Preparations made of Foreign Princes and otherwise being inforced for the Procurement and Continuance of Peace to make Preparation of War Forasmuch as all Power and Aid valuable cometh of God the which he granteth as he hath promised by his Holy Word by nothing so much as by hearty Prayers of good Men The which is also of more Efficacy made of an whole Congregation together gathered in his Holy Name Therefore this is to will and require you to give Advertisement and Commandments to all the Curats in your Diocess That every Sunday and Holy-day in their Common-Prayer they make devout and hearty Intercessions to Almighty God for Victory and Peace And to the Intent that you should not be in Doubts what sort and manner thereof we do like we have sent unto you one Which we would that you and they should follow and read it instead of one of the Collects of the King's Majesty's Procession Thus we pray you not to fail to do with all speed and bid you farewel From Westminster the 6 th of May 1548. Your loving Friends E. Somerset R. Rich Canc. W. Seint-Iohn I. Russel Th. Cheyney Now that the Liberty of the Gospel began to be allowed divers false Opinions and unsound Doctrines began to be vented with it of which publick Cognizance began now to be taken As that the Elect sinned not and that they could not sin That they that be Regenerate never fall away from godly Love That the Elect have a right to take so much of the Things of the World as may supply their Necessities And there were some that openly preached these Doctrines and set forth and published Books to the same Tenor. Several of these Hereticks in the Month of April were convented before the Arch-bishop of Canterbury Sir Thomas Smith Richard Cox Hugh Latimer Doctors of Divinity William May Dean of St. Pauls William Cook Richard Lyel Doctors of Law and others the King's Commissioners Then did one Iohn Champneys of Stratford on the Bow abjure He taught and wrote and defended 1. That a Man after he is Regenerate in Christ cannot sin 2. That the outward Man might sin but the inward Man could not 3. That the Gospel hath been so much persecuted and hated ever since the Apostles Times that no Man might be suffered openly to follow it 4. That godly Love falleth never away from them which be regenerate in Christ. Wherefore they cannot do contrary to the Commandments of Christ. 5. That that was the most principal of our marked Mens Doctrine that make the People believe that there was no such Spirit given unto Men whereby they should remain Righteous and always in Christ. Which is as he wrote and asserted a most devilish Error 6. That God doth permit to all his Elect People their bodily Necessities of all earthly Things All these he revoked Granting or confessing now 1. That a Man after he is regenerate in Christ may sin being destitute of his Spirit 2. That the inner Man doth sin when the outward Man sinneth actually with the consent of the Mind 3. That divers times sithence the Apostles Times to follow the Doctrine of Christ hath been suffered openly 4. That godly Love falleth from them that be regenerate in Christ being destitute of the Spirit and that then they may do contrary to the Commands of Christ. 5. That it is no erroneous Doctrine which he affirmed in his Book to be a devilish Error and our marked Mens Doctrine viz. To make the People believe that there was no such Spirit given unto Man whereby he should remain Righteous always in Christ. But I confess saith the Abjurer that a Man having the Spirit may afterwards fall and not be Righteous 6. That God doth not permit to all his Elect People their bodily Necessities of all worldly things to be taken but by a Law and Order approved by the Civil Policy To which by me now spoken I mean ne understand any other Sense than hath been here opened to use again his very words in his Abjuration And so touching the Holy Gospel with his Hand before the King's Commissioners he abjured promising That he should never hold teach or believe the said Errors or damned Opinions above rehearsed And so subscribed his Name Then the Arch-bishop in his own Name and in the Name of the other Commissioners gave him his Oath 1. That he should not by any means hereafter teach or preach to the People nor set forth any kind of Books in print or otherwise nor cause to be printed or set forth any such Books that should contain any manner of Doctrine without a special Licence thereunto of the King's Majesty or some of his Grace's Privy-Council first had and obtained 2. That the said Champneys with all speed convenient and with all his diligence procure as many of his Books as are passed forth in his Name to be called in again and utterly destroyed as much as in him should lie 3. That he should the Sunday following attend at Pauls Cross upon the Preacher all the time of the Sermon and there penitently stand before the Preacher with a Faggot on his Shoulder And then he had two Sureties bound in five hundred Pounds that he should perform his Penance This was done April 27. There were other Heresies also now vented abroad as the denial of the Trinity and of the Deity of the Holy Ghost And the Assertion That Jesus Christ was a mere Man and not true God because he had the Accidents of Humane Nature such as hungring and thirsting and being visible And that the Benefit Men receive by Jesus Christ was the bringing them to the true Knowledg of God There was one Iohn Assheton a Priest that preached these Doctrines Who on the 28 th of December was summoned to Lambeth to
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
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-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
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
Baptized again That the Opinions of Anabaptists and Pelagians are to be held for detestable Heresies That those who having the use of Reason shall come to Baptism shall obtain the Remission of all their Sins if they come thereunto perfectly and truly repentant confessing and believing all the Articles of the Faith and having firm Credence and Trust in the Promise of God adjoined to the said Sacrament III. The Sacrament of Penance That that Sacrament was instituted of Christ in the New Testament as a thing so necessary for Man's Salvation that no Man that after his Baptism is fallen again and hath committed deadly Sin can without the same be saved That such Penitents shall without doubt attain Remission of their Sins That this Sacrament consists of Contrition Confession and Amendment of Life That Contrition consists first of Acknowledgment of our Sins Unto which the Penitent is brought by hearing and considering the Will of God declared in his Laws and feeling in his own Conscience that God is angry and this joined with Sorrow and Shame and fear of God's Displeasure That secondly it consists of Faith Trust and Confidence in the Mercies and Goodness of God whereby the Penitent must conceive certain Hope and repute himself justified not for any Merit or Work done by him but by the only Merits of the Blood of Iesus Christ. That this Faith is begotten and confirmed by the Application of Christ's Words and Promises That Confession to a Priest the second part of Penance is necessary where it may be had That the Absolution given by the Priest was instituted of Christ to apply the Promises of God's Grace to the Penitent And that the words of Absolution pronounced by the Priest are spoken by the Authority given him by Christ. That Men must give no less Faith and Credence to the Words of Absolution pronounced by the Ministers of the Church than they would give unto the very Words and Voice of God himself And that Men in no wise contemn this Auricular Confession As to the third part of Penance viz. Amendment of Life That all are bound to bring forth the Fruits of Penance that is to say Prayer Fasting and Alms-deeds and to make Restitution and Satisfaction in Will and Deed to their Neighbour and all other good Works or else they shall never be saved That Works of Charity be necessary to Salvation That by Penance and such good Works we do not only obtain Everlasting Life but deserve Remission or Mitigation of these present Pains and Affliction in this World Mark here by the way how the Doctrine of Merits is propounded Our Merits do not extend to Pardon and Everlasting Life but only to the removal or abatement of temporal Afflictions IV. The Sacrament of the Altar That under the Form and Figure of Bread and Wine is verily and substantially contained that very same Body and Blood which was born of the Virgin Mary and suffered upon the Cross. And that the self-same Body and Blood of Christ is distributed unto and received by all the Communicants That therefore this Sacrament is to be used with all due reverence and honour And that before any receive it he ought religiously to try and search his own Conscience V. Iustification That the word signifies Remission of Sins and our Acceptation or Reconciliation into the Grace and Favour of God That Sinners attain this Justification by Contrition and Faith joined with Charity That neither our Contrition and Faith nor any Work proceeding thence can merit or deserve the said Justification That the Mercy and Grace of the Father promised freely for Christ's Sake and the Merit of his Blood and Passion be the only sufficient and worthy Causes thereof This was the Sum of the Articles concerning Faith Those concerning Ceremonies followed next which were likewise comprised under five Titles I. Of Images That they be representers of Vertue and good Example That they be stirrers of Mens Minds and make them often to remember and lament their Sins especially the Images of Christ and our Lady That it was meet they should stand in the Churches but be none otherwise esteemed That the Bishops and Preachers diligently teach the People according to this Doctrine lest there might fortune Idolatry to ensue That they be taught also that Censing Kneeling and Offering to Images be by no means to be done although the same had entred by Devotion and fallen to Custom but only to God and in his Honour though it be done before the Images II. Of Honouring Saints That they are to be honoured but not with that Confidence and Honour that is due only unto God trusting to attain at their Hands that which must be had only of God That most especially Christ is to be lauded and praised in them for their excellent Vertues which he planted in them and for their good Example And that they are to be taken wherein they may to be the Advancers of our Prayers and Demands unto Christ. III. Of Praying to Saints That tho Grace and Remission of Sins be to be obtained only of God by the Mediation of Christ yet it is very laudable to pray to Saints in Heaven to be Intercessors and to pray for us and with us unto God after this manner All Holy Angels and Saints in Heaven pray for us and with us unto the Father that for his dear Son Iesus Christ his sake we may have Grace of him and Remission of our Sins with an earnest purpose not wanting ghostly Strength to observe and keep his Holy Commandments and never to decline from the same again unto our lives end That in this manner we may pray to our Blessed Lady Saint Iohn Baptist or any other Saint particularly So that it be done without any vain Superstition as to think that any Saint is more merciful or will hear us sooner than Christ or that any Saint does serve for one thing more than another That Holy Days are to be kept to God in memory of him and his Saints upon such Days as the Church hath ordained but may be mitigated and moderated by the King being Supream Head IV. Of Rites and Ceremonies As Vestments in God's Service Sprinkling Holy Water Giving Holy Bread Bearing Candles on Candlemass-day Giving of Ashes on Ash-wednesday Bearing of Palms on Palm-sunday Creeping to the Cross and kissing it and offering unto Christ before the same on Good-friday Setting up the Sepulchre of Christ Hallowing of the Font and other-like Exorcisms and Benedictions and laudable Customs That these are not to be contemned and cast away but continued to put us in remembrance of Spiritual Things But that none of these Ceremonies have power to remit Sin V. Of Purgatory That Christians are to pray for Souls departed and to commit them in their Prayers to God's Mercy and cause others to pray for them in Masses and Exequies and to give Alms to others to pray for them that they may be relieved and holpen of some part of
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
White-meats About Alhallontide was twelve-month he preached in S. Dunstan's Church beside Canterbury that Men should love God and fear God but not to trust him too much Turnor in the time of his being at Chartham did cast no Holy Water neither before the Sacrament nor upon any Altar in the Church except the high Altar Nor also before the Crucifix in the Rood-loft according to the laudible Ceremony He christned three Children upon one day and did not anoint them with Holy Oil neither upon Back nor Belly He neither incensed the Crucifix in the Rood-loft nor any Altar in the Church except the high Altar Nor distributed any Holy Candles among his Parishioners as hath been accustomed Sir Iames Newnam and one Lawrence took down an Image of our Lady to the which was no Offering except Candles at the Purification of Women nor any Miracles noted to be done there by the said Image Scory one of the six Preachers said that much Superstitions were used in the Church as making of Crosses upon Palm-Sunday setting of them up and Blessing them with the Holy Candles Ringing of Bells in the Thunder For think you said he that the Devil will be afraid or flee away at Cross-making hurling of Holy Water ringing of Bells and such other Ceremonies when he was not afraid to take Christ himself and cast him on his Back and set him on a Pinacle Those things that be good of themselves may not utterly be put away although they be abused For then the Holy Sacrament of the Altar should be set aside which is daily bought and sold. Serles one of the six Preachers in a Sermon said If the Preacher preach Error and erroneous Doctrine the simple Man though he receive it and believe it it doth not infect nor corrupt him And this he repeated twice He said also that Moses sent Letters from Hell to teach the State thereof and how Men should live And another likewise out of Heaven Item they say said he that only Faith justifies and that it maketh no matter how we do live Christ died for us and by his Blood hath washed all our Sins away therefore what needeth us to fast or pray Sandwich a Canon of Christ's-Church said in his Sermon in the Year 1542. Whereas a good Christian or Evil preached unto you truly the Word of God as I report me to the Conscience of you all yet some that have evil Ears did Evil report of me But if their Ears were cut off as Malchus's was and set up where every Man might wonder at them I think therein a Man should not wish much against Charity At another time in the Year 1543. he said in his Sermon Some if they are given to Goodness to follow the Decrees of Holy Church to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament they will counsel them from the same and say Deus in manufactis Templis non habitat They will have none of the Holy Doctors They will not have S. Augustin S. Ambrose S. Hierom S. Gregory Basil Gregory Nazianzen c. Since the time we have been given to new Fangles the Spirit of new Fangle hath brought in the Spirit of Error But what Remedy then said he to obtain the Spirit of Truth again Of that said he I spake the last time that I preached and shewed you that we must return where we went out We must return to our Dog to our Conscience again and that will certify us where is the Truth Shether one of the six Preachers said That there was one strait Way to the Truth in which we all Men have gone a long time saving a few now of late not being content to follow that Trade have wandred in divers Pathways to seek a neerer way to the Truth But they are like unto one that being clean lost was fain to ask which way he might go to the end of his Journey And to such it was answered You be clean out of the Way and there is none other means for you but even to turn back again and to begin your Journey again where you left Nothing at all as the Informer adds admonishing the People of the Way which Men had lost by defending and retaining the Usurpations of Rome Nor no mention that the King's Majesty hath reformed the Abuses of Superstitious Religion But even as one that would have all things honestly reformed to revert again into their Superstition for the maintenance of all Blindness and Error commanded every Man to turn back and to begin where they left Dr. Willowby the Vicar of Chilham keepeth still in his Church a certain Shrine gilt named S. Austin's Shrine Which Shrine was conveyed from S. Austin's of Canterbury unto the Parish-Church of Chilham at the suppression of the Monastery of S. Austin's Item a Rood there which had Shoes of Silver being a Monument of Pilgrimage or Offering standeth yet still being only spoiled of the Monument He said Images had Power of God to help sick People vowing unto them the Communication then being of our Lady of Cutupstreet between the said Vicar and own Dawson of Chartham a Miller Memorandum that Potter's Wife was banished out of Feversham for her suspect lying with Dr. Willowby and also was compelled to forsake Chilham for the same about two or three Years past and yet she remains in the Company of the said Doctor Serles mentioned before in a Sermon made in the Chapter-house of christ's-Christ's-Church An. 1543 said Some that occupy this place of Preaching say no Mattins Mass nor Even-song once in a Quarter They be never seen confessed nor to occupy Porteous nor Mass-Book These use no Vocal Prayer Beware of their Doctrine In the Church of Leneham in the Day of Assumption he said That as the Moon is in the Full at fourteen Days even so Mary was conceived fully with Christ when she was fourteen Years old Item he said That if one had looked in Mary when she was full conceived with Christ he should have perceived him in his Mother's Womb with a Bush of Thorns on his Back For he was Crucified Crowned and pricked with Thorns That Mary bare Christ poorly for she had no Fire but begged a Coal of one and a Stick of another to warm her Child He preached that Mary nourished her Son with Milk but not with material Milk but with Milk that came from Heaven For no Woman else can nourish her Child with material Milk than she that is conceived by knowledg of Man And no question this Heavenly Milk came along the milky Way That all the whole Faith of the World remained in Mary only for the space of three Days and three Nights That Faith was dead in the Apostles and in all the World from the Death of Christ till his Resurrection and remained in the Virgin Mary whole and only That the Sorrows that she had were greater and more painful than Christ's but for Death only That Christ descended into Hell and rose the third Day and ascended into
Heaven and many more with him saying thus Multa corpora ascenderunt cum Christo ut perhiberent testimonium In Ashford he preached that Prayer was not acceptable with God but in the Church only and no where else alledging this Text Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur Then and there he said also You Fellows of the new Trick that go up and down with your Testaments in your Hands I pray you what Profit take you by them this last Passage relating to the Testament was interlined by Cranmer himself As Adam was expulsed out of Paradise for meddling with a Tree of Knowledg even so be we for meddling with the Scripture of Christ. He said There were some that said that part of the Ave Maria was made to a Strumpet That Christ in the Gospel confounded Mary Magdalene with two Parables likening her to an Alestake and to a poor Woman whom an Emperor had married and in his presence did lie with a leprous Lazar-man Anno 1542 Preaching in Kennyngton-Church on Good-friday he said That as a Man was creeping to the Cross upon a Good-friday the Image loosed it self off the Cross and met the Man before he came to the Cross and kiss'd him At the Funeral of Mr. Boys he preached That by the receiving of the Sacraments and Penance all a Man 's deadly Sins were forgiven clearly but the venial Sins remained and for them they that died should be punished except they were relieved by Masses and Dirges after their Death This that follows is Cranmâ—r's hand He preacheth no Sermon but one part of it is an Invective against the other Preachers of Christ's Church Shether preached at Sandwich in the Year 1542 That Baptism taketh away but only Original Sin At another time there That every Man since the Passion of Christ hath us much Liberty and Free-will as ever Adam had in Paradise before his Fall That the new Preachers with the liberty of the Gospel have caused our Livings to be worse than the Turks That Zacharias and Elizabeth his Wife kept all the Commandments of God and that it was a light thing for every Man to keep them if he would That Christ and Baptism did nothing else but wash away Original Sin and that if any Man after Baptism did fall he must purchase Remission of his Sins by Penance as Mary Magdalene did That a certain King was sick of a Leprosy and had a Vision to go to Iordan to be washed and should be whole And as he was in his good Intent going hâ— thought that he had as good and sweet Water in his own Country as that was and so returned back and washed himself therein but nothing at all he thereby mended And then he went to Iordan and so was made whole He compared Man's Conscience to a Dog Beware of these false Preachers which preach to you new Fangles Will you know how to discern a true Preacher from a False You have a Dog which is your Conscience Whensoever you shall come to any Sermon ask your Dog What he saith unto it If he say it be good then follow it but if your Dog bark against it and say it is naught then beware and follow it not Adding these words If you will ask your Conscience What she thinks of such new Fangles as are brought into the Church of God she will say that they be naught He also preached that Men now-a-days say that Holy Water signifieth of Christ Blood O! these are very glorious words But it is not fit good Christians that such new Fangles and Fantasies of Men should be brought into the Church of God Item In all his Sermons he commonly useth to make Invectives against the other Preachers of this Cathedral Church making the People believe that the Preachers of the Church preach nothing but a carnal Liberty new Fangles new Auricular Confession Prayers Fasting and all good Works This last is added by Cranmer's Hand as are also several other Passages above according as he himself took the Examination And as the Gospellers thus articled against the Papists so the Papists were as hot in drawing up Articles against the Gospellers Scory before-mentioned was accused that he preached in a Sermon at S. Elphies on Ascension-day 1541. That there was none in Heaven but Christ only meaning I suppose as Mediators there with God in opposition to the Intercession of Saints Then followeth writ by Cranmer's hand these words The Witnesses against him were Bradkirk Priest Shether Marden Colman Adding These four be Witnesses against all the Articles of Ridley and Scory in the first Detection made to me two Years past Then follow more Accusations of Scory He preached in August â—ast in the Chapter-house of Christ's-Church That no Man may pray in any wise in Latin or other Tongue except he understand what he prayeth And that Priests and Clarks do offend taking any Money or Reward for saying Dirige and Mass. He said that some Preachers brought in their Sermons Gesta Romanorum perswading to the People that it was the Gospel or the Bible Another time Anno 1541 he preached in Lent in Christ's-Church Canterbury That only Faith justifies and he that doth deny that only Faith doth justify would deny if he durst be so bold that Christ doth justify He preached at Christ's-Church another time That the Supper of the Lord which is Sacrificium Hostia is not Hostia pro peccatis but Hostia Lâ—â—dis He preached at Faversham Anno 1542 in the Feast of Dedication That the Dedication of material Churches was instituted for the Bishop Profits and that he could not see by Scripture that they might use any such Fashions for that purpose as for Conjuration And then they must conjure the Devil out of the Ground or out of the Lime and Stones And if so then it were as necessary for every Man's House to be consecrate or dedicate Admit quoth he that the Dedication of the same were lawful yet the Bishops should always preach for that is their Office and other Men might and may consecrate them as well as they Item This sumptuous adorning of Churches is against the old Fashion of the Primitive Church They had no such Copes nor Chalices nor other Jewels nor Gildings nor Paintings of Images as we now have And therefore if I were Curate I would sell all such things or lay them to pledg to help the Poor At Christmass last there was a general Procession by the King's Majesty and Mr. Scory preached these words Every Country hath a Custom to chuse a Patron As England hath chosen S. George Scotland S. Andrew c. thinking rather by intercession of Saints to obtain the Victory of their Enemies But good People quoth he forasmuch as Saints be circumscript it is not possible for the Saint that is in the North to hear the Prayer that is made in the South nor that Saint that is in the South to hear the Prayer that is made in the North. But this last
But when the Time of Harvest drew near there happened a great Plague of Rain So in August Letters were issued out from the King to the Arch-bishop that he should appoint certâ—in Prayers to be used for the ceasing of the Wet-weather and to write to the rest of the Province to do the like But hear the King's Letter MOST Reverend Father in God right Trusty and right intirely Beloved We greet you well And forasmuch as there hath been now a late and still continueth much Rain and other unseasonable Weather whereby is like to ensue great Hurt and Damage to the Corn and Fruits now ripe upon the Ground unless it shall please God of his infinite Goodness to stretch forth his holy Hand over us Considering by sundry Examples heretofore that God at the Contemplation of earnest and devout Prayers oftentimes extended his Mercy and Grace and hath also assuredly promised that whensoever we call upon him for Things meet for us he will grant unto us the same We having the Governance and Charge of his People committed unto Us have thought good to cause the same to be exhorted by You and other the Prelats of this our Realm with an earnest repentant Heart for their Iniquities to call unto God for Mercy and with devout and humble Prayer and Supplication every Person both by himself apart and also by Common-Prayer to beseech him to send unto us such seasonable and temperate Weather to have in those Fruits and Corn on the Ground which hitherto he hath caused so plenteously to grow For the which purpose we require you and nevertheless command you to send unto all your Brethren the Bishops within your Province to cause such general Rogations and Processions to be made incontinently within their Diocesses as in case like heretofore hath been accustomed in this behalf accordingly Yevon under our Signet at our Manor of the Moor the 20 th Day of August the XXXV Year of our Reign The Arch-bishop accordingly sent his Order dated August 23. 1543. to Edmond Bishop of London that there might be Prayers and Supplications in his Diocess every Fourth and Sixth Days of the Week And the like Order was dispatched to all the other Bishops in his Province By their Prayers as was accustomed to implore God's Mercy to avert his Wrath that the People had justly deserved And not to cease their Prayers and Suffrages till further Order from him It is not so evident that these Prayers were in the English Tongue But in the Year following viz. 1544. there were without Controversy certain Suffrages drawn up in our Mother-Tongue by the Arch-bishop's means which he intended to be universally observed every where Upon the Arch-bishop's pious Motions as it seems the King issued out his Letters to him dated in Iune for the publication of these Prayers in English to be from thenceforth continually used in the Church together with setting forth the King's Injunctions by Preaching and good Exhortation that the People who before did but slackly observe their Devotions for want of understanding the Divine Service might henceforth more frequently and more fervently resort to religious Worship I shall not here set down the King's Letter as I transcribed it out of Arch-bishop Cranmer's Register because Bishop Burnet hath printed it already in his first Volume among the Collections pag. 264. It runs in such a pious strain as tho none but the Arch-bishop had been the Suggestor thereof That since at that time Christendom was plagued with Wars Hatred and Dissensions and in no Place was Peace and Agreement and since it was out of the Power of Man to redress these Miseries God alone being able to restore Peace and unite Mens Hearts Therefore the King was resolved to have general Processions used in all Churches with all Reverence and Devotion of the People And because the not understanding the Prayers and Suffrages formerly used caused that the People came but slackly to the Processions therefore the King now had published certain Prayers in our Native Tongue Which he with his present Letter had sent to the Arch-bishop for the special Trust and Confidence he had of his Godly Mind and the earnest desire that was in him for the setting forth of God's Glory and the true worshipping of his Name And that these Prayers should not be observed for a Month or two as his other Injunctions had been but that they together with the Injunctions should be earnestly set forth by Preaching good Exhortation and otherwise in such sort as they might feel the Godly Taste thereof and godly and joyously with Thanks receive embrace and frequent the same Commanding the Arch-bishop that he should not only cause the same Suffrages to be used in his own Diocess but signify the King's Pleasure in this regard to all other Bishops of his Province And that he should have a special respect hereunto and make report if any did not with good dexterity accomplish the same It was given under the King's Signet at his Manor of S. Iames's Iune 11. in the 36 th of his Reign I have not met with these Suffrages which if I had I should have been enclined to publish them here and the rather because I believe they were of Cranmer's own composing According to this Letter the Arch-bishop dispersed his Letters to Edmund Bishop of London and the other Bishops with a Copy of the Suffrages to be used urging withal the observation of all the King's Injunctions heretofore promulgated for the confirming and establishing of Sacred Religion About August this Year the King was upon going himself in Person to invade France against which Nation he was now in Hostility and had prepared a mighty Army by Land and Sea for that purpose Now the Arch-bishop was again called upon by the Privy-Counsellors to appoint Processions in the English Tongue through the Realm for the King 's good Success in this great Expedition The Councils Letter ran in this Tenor. AFTER our right-hearty Commendations to your good Lordship These shall be to signify to the same That the King's Highness having so provided for the Safety of his Grace's Realm as the great Malice of his Enemies shall by the Grace of God take small effect For the repulsing of which his Highness hath in a readiness to set abroad at the furthest on Wednesday next such a puissant Navy as hath not been seen assembled in the remembrance of Man Considering nevertheless that all Victories and good Successes come only at the Direction and Appointment of God following herein that Trade of such a Christian Prince as he is hath devised to have Processions throughout the Realm in such sort as in like Cases hath heretofore laudably been accustomed Requiring your Lordship therefore to take Order incontinently that from henceforth through your Province the said Processions be kept continually upon the accustomed Days and none otherwise and sung or said as the number of the Quoire shall serve for the
Cause So that now if we look back upon this first Year of the King we may perceive how busy and diligent our Arch-bishop was in redressing Abuses and restoring the Church to its true State of Christian Piety and Devotion by procuring a Royal Visitation over England for inspection into the Manners and Abilities of the Clergy and for taking away of Superstitions by getting a Book of plain Homilies to teach the common People in the composing whereof he himself had a very great hand and Erasmus his Paraphrase in English upon the New Testament for the better furnishing the Clergy and others with a sound and sober understanding of the Scriptures and by encouraging Preachers and such-like means So that if you would particularly know in what forwardness the ABp had already put Religion taking in his Endeavours in the last King's Reign hitherto I recommend to your reading his Homily or Sermon Of Good Works Shewing out of what abundance of Superstitions the Church was now emerged Briefly to pass over the Ungodly and Counterfeit Religion he means of Monks and Friars let us reherse some other kinds of Papistical Superstitions and Abuses as of Beads of Lady-Psalters and Rosaries of fifteen O's of S. Bernard's Verses of S. Agathe's Letters of Purgatory of Masses Satisfactory of Stations and Jubilees of fained Relicks or hallowed Beads Bells Bread Water Psalms Candles Fire and such other Of superstitious Fastings of Fraternities or Brotherhoods of Pardons with such-like Merchandize Which were so esteemed or abused to the great Prejudice of God's Glory and Commandments that they were made most high and most holy Things whereby to obtain to the everlasting Life or Remission of Sins Yea also vain Inventions unfruitful Ceremonies and ungodly Laws Decrees and Conceits of Rome wherein such were advanced that nothing was thought comparable in Authority Wisdom Learning and Godliness unto them So that the Laws of Rome as they said were to be received of all Men as the four Evangelists To the which all the Laws of Princes must give place And the Laws of God also partly were left off and less esteemed that the said Laws Decrees and Councils with their Traditions and Ceremonies might be more duly kept and had in greater Reverence Thus were the People through Ignorance so blinded with the godly Shew and Appearance of those things that they thought the keeping of them to be more Holiness more perfect Service and honouring of God and more pleasing to God than the keeping of God's Commandments Such have been the corrupt Inclinations of Man ever superstitiously given to make new honouring of God of his own Head and then to have more Affection and Devotion to keep that than to search out God's Holy Commandments and to keep them And furthermore to take God's Commandments for Man's Commandments and Man's Commandments for God's Commandments yea and for the highest and most perfect and holiest of all God's Commandments And so was all confused that scant well-learned Men and but a small number of them knew or at the least would know and durst affirm the Truth to separate or sever God's Commandments from the Commandments of Men. Whereupon did grow such Error Superstition and Idolatry vain Religion overthwart Judgment great Contention with all ungodly Living A Bishop Consecrated September the 5 th being Sunday Nicolas Ridley D. D. Prebend of Canterbury was Consecrated Bishop of Rochester by Henry Bishop of Lincoln assisted by Iohn Suffragan of Bedford and Thomas Suffragan of Sidon in the Chappel belonging to the House of May Dean of S. Pauls He was Consecrated according to the old Custom of the Church by the Unction of holy Chrism as well as Imposition of Hands Present among others Iohn Whytwel the Arch-bishop's Almoner Rich. Tayler M. A. Nic. Bullingham Gregory Tod and Tho. Bernard his Chaplains CHAP. VIII The Church's Goods embezelled New Opinions broached AS the Reformation of Abuses in Religion went forward under such a King and such an Arch-bishop so there wanted not for Evils accompanying it as there do commonly the best Things the Profaneness of some and the Covetousness of others giving occasion thereunto Sacred Places set apart for Divine Worship were now greatly profaned and so probably had been before by ill Custom For in many Churches Cathedral as well as other and especially in London many Frays Quarrels Riots Blood-sheddings were committed They used also commonly to bring Horses and Mules into and through Churches and shooting off Hand-guns Making the same which were properly appointed to God's Service and common-Common-Prayer like a Stable or Common Inn or rather a Den or Sink of all Unchristiness as it was expressed in a Proclamation which the King set forth about this Time as I suppose for I am left to conjecture for the Date by reason of the Insolency of great Numbers using the said evil Demeanours and daily more and more encreasing Therein forbidding any such Quarrelling Shooting or bringing Horses and Mules into or through the Churches or by any other Means irreverently to use the Churches upon pain of his Majesty's Indignation and Imprisonment For it was not thought fit that when Divine Worship was now reforming the Places for the said Worship should remain unreformed Beside the profanation of Churches there prevailed now another Evil relating also to Churches viz. That the Utensils and Ornaments of these Sacred Places were spoiled embezelled and made away partly by the Church-wardens and partly by other Parishioners Whether the Cause were that they would do that themselves which they imagined would e're long be done by others viz. robbing the Churches Which it may be those that bore an Ill-will to the Reformation might give out to render it the more odious But certain it is that it now became more or less practised all the Nation over to sell or take away Chalices Crosses of Silver Bells and other Ornaments For the stopping of this in the Month of April the Protector and the Lords of the Council writ to our Arch-bishop this Letter upon the Information and Complaint as it is likely of the said Arch-bishop himself in whose Diocess especially this Sacrilege prevailed AFter our right hearty Commendations Whereas we are informed that the Church-wardens and Parochians of divers Parishes do alienate and sell away their Chalices Crosses of Silver Bells and other Ornaments of the Church Which were not given for that purpose to be alienated at their pleasure but either to be used to the Intent they were at first given or to some other necessary and convenient Service of the Church Therefore this is to will and require you immediately upon the sight hereof to give strait Charge and Commandment on the King's Majesty's behalf to every Parish-Church within your Diocess that they do in no wise sell give or otherwise alienate any Bells or other Ornaments or Jewels belonging unto their Parish-Church upon pain of his highest Displeasure as they will answer to the contrary at
Sobriety and Diligence in their Vocation and the People to Loyalty and Obedience to the King and the sincere worshipping of God Concerning the Priests he ordered enquiry to be made Whether they preached four times a Year against the usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome and in behalf of the King's Power and Authority within his own Realms Whether in their Common-Prayers they used not the Collects made for the King and mentioned not his Majesty's Name in the same Whether they had destroyed and taken away out of the Churches all Images and Shrines Tables Candlesticks Trindals or Rolls of Wax and all other Monuments of feigned Miracles Idolatry and Superstition and moved their Parishioners to do the same in their own Houses Enquiries were made concerning their due Administration of the Sacraments concerning their preaching God's Word once at least in a Quarter and then exhorting their Parishioners to Works commanded by Scripture and not to Works devised by Mens Fancies as wearing and praying upon Beads and such-like Concerning the plain reciting the Lord's Prayer the Creed and Ten Commandments in English immediately after the Gospel as often as there were no Sermon Concerning the examining of every one that came to Confession in Lent whether they were able to say the Creed the Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments in English Concerning the having Learned Curats to be procured by such as were absent from their Benefices Concerning having the whole Bible of the largest Volume in every Church and Erasmus's Paraphrase in English Concerning teaching the People of the Nature of the Fast of Lent and other Days in the Year that it was but a mere positive Law Concerning Residence upon Benefices and keeping Hospitality Concerning finding a Scholar in the Universities oâ— some Grammar-School incumbent on such Priests as had an hundred pounds a Year Concerning moving the Parishioners to pray rather in English than in a Tongue unknown and not to put their Trust in saying over a number of Beads Concerning having the New Testament in Latin and English and Erasmus's Paraphrase which all Priests under the Degree of Batchelors in Divinity were examined about Concerning putting out of the Church-Books the Name of Papa and the Name and Service of Thomas Becket and the Prayers that had Rubricks containing Pardons and Indulgences And many the like Articles Which may be seen by him that will have recourse to them as they are printed in Bishop Sparrow's Collections Those Articles that related to the Laity were Concerning the Letters or Hinderers of the Word of God read in English or preached sincerely Concerning such as went out of the Church in time of the Litany or common-Common-Prayer or Sermon Concerning ringing Bells at the same time Concerning such as abused the Ceremonies as casting Holy Water upon their Beds bearing about them Holy Bread S. Iohn's Gospel keeping of private Holy-days as Taylors Bakers Brewers Smiths Shoemakers c. did Concerning the misbestowing of Money arising from Cattel or other moveable Stocks of the Church as for finding of Lights Torches Tapers or Lamps and not employed to the poor Man's Chest. Concerning abusing Priests and Ministers Concerning praying upon the English Primer set forth by the King and not the Latin for such as understand not Latin Concerning keeping the Church-Holy-day and the Dedication-day any otherwise or at any other time than was appointed Concerning Commoning and Jangling in the Church at the time of reading the common-Common-Prayer or Homilies or when there was preaching Concerning maintenance of Error and Heresy Concerning common Swearers Drunkards Blasphemers Adulterers Bawds Enquiries were also to be made after such as were common Brawlers Slanderers such as used Charms Sorceries Inchantments and Witchcraft such as contemned their own Parish-Church and went else-where Concerning Marrying within the Degrees prohibited and without asking the Bannes Concerning the honest discharge of Wills and Testaments in such as were Executors or Administrators Concerning such as contemned married Priests and refused to receive the Communion and other Sacraments at their Hands Concerning such as kept in their own Houses Images Tables Pictures Painting or Monuments of fained Miracles undefaced c. In this Year also the Arch-bishop with the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury granted the Patronage Rectory c. of Riâ—eborough Monachorum in the County of Bucks to the Lord Windsor for fourscore and nineteen Years And in Exchange the said Lord granted to the Arch-bishop the Advouson Patronage and Nomination of Midley in Kent for the same duration of Years September the 9 th being Sunday Robert Farrar D. D. was Consecrated Bishop of S. Davids by Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury endued with his Pontificals and assisted by Henry Bishop of Lincoln and Nicolas Bishop of Rochester at Chertsey in the Diocess of Winton in the Arch-bishop's House there Then certain Hymns Psalms and Prayers being recited together with a Portion of Scripture read in the vulgar Tongue out of S. Paul's Epistles and the Gospel of S. Matthew the Arch-bishop celebrated the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. There communicated the Reverend Fathers Thomas Bishop of Ely Thomas Bishop of Westminster Henry Bishop of Lincoln Nicolas Bishop of Rochester and Farrar the new Bishop together with William May Dean of S. Pauls Simon Hains Dean of Exon Thomas Robertson and Iohn Redman Professors of Divinity and others The Arch-bishop then distributed the Communion in English Words This Bishop as it is writ in the Margin of the Register was the first that was consecrated upon the bare Nomination of the King according to the Statute that for that purpose was published in the first Year of his Reign The Form of the King's Letters Patents whereby he constituted Farrar Bishop is extant in the Register dated from Leghes August 1. in the second Year of his Reign At this Bishop of S. Davids I will stay a little proving unhappy by his Preferment unto a Church whose Corruptions while he endeavoured to correct he sunk under his commendable Endeavours He was an active Man and made much use of in Publick Affairs in K. Henry and K. Edward's Days having been first a Canon of S. Mary's in Oxon. He was with Bp Barlow when he was by K. Henry sent Ambassador to Scotland An. 1535. Another time employed in carrying old Books of great Value from S. Oswalds a dissolved Monastery as it seems unto the Arch-bishop of York And in the Royal Visitation in the beginning of King Edward he was one of the King's Visitors being appointed one of the Preachers for his great Ability in that Faculty And being Chaplain to the Duke of Somerset was by his means advanced to be Bishop and upon his Fall he fell into great Troubles This Bishop not long after his first entrance upon his Bishoprick resolved to visit his Diocess like a careful Pastor hearing of very great Corruptions in it and particularly among those that belonged to the Chapter of the Church of Carmarthen and chiefly Thomas
of old Popish Curats The Letter is dated the 23 d of Iuly and is extant in Fox In London by the Connivance and Remisness of the Bishop many neglected the Divine Service then established and others did in secret Places of the Diocess often frequent the Popish Mass and other Superstitious Rites not allowed by the Laws of England The Sins of Adultery greatly encreased The Churches and particularly the Mother-Church of S. Paul's ran into Dilapidations the Glass was broken and the Ornaments and other Buildings belonging to Churches neglected Many refused to pay Tithes to their Curates probably of both sorts such as were Papists to those Curats as more diligently preached Reformation and obeyed the King's Laws and such as were not so to such Curats as were more backward thereunto Bishop Boner also himself now seldom came to Church seldomer preached and celebrated the English Communion Wherefore the Council sent certain private Injunctions to Boner for the redress of these things That he should preach in his own Person at Paul's Cross and declare certain Articles relating to the before-mentioned Neglects which the Council now sent to him to redress That he should preach once in a Quarter and exhort the People to Obedience and that he should be present at every Sermon at Paul's Cross that he should on the principal Feasts celebrate the Communion and at all times that his Predecessors used to Celebrate and sing High Mass. That he should call before him all such as did not frequent the Church and common-Common-Prayer and the Holy Communion and punish them as also Adulterers and that he should look to the Reparation of S. Paul's and other Churches and that the People pay their Tithes The Adulteries before hinted which the Council thought fit to recommend to the Bishop to take particular cognizance of makes me add that about this time the Nation grew infamous for this Crime It began among the Nobility and so spread at length among the inferior sort Noblemen would very frequently put away their Wives and marry others if they liked another Woman better or were like to obtain Wealth by her And they would sometimes pretend their former Wives to be false to their Beds and so be divorced and marry again such whom they fancied The first occasion of this seemed to be in the Earl of Northampton divorcing himself from his first Wife Anne Daughter to the Earl of Essex and after marrying Elizabeth Daughter to the Lord Cobham In like manner Henry Son of William Earl of Pembroke put away Katharine Daughter to Henry the Duke of Suffolk and married Mary the Daughter of Sir Henry Sidney These Adulteries and Divorces encreased much yea and marrying again without Divorce which became a great Scandal to the Realm and to the Religion professed in it and gave much Sorrow and Trouble in good Men to see it In so much that they thought it necessary to move for an Act of Parliament to punish Adultery with Death This Latimer in a Sermon preached in the Year 1550 signified to the King For the Love of God saith he take an order for Marriage here in England This is some Account of the Retardation of Religion On the other hand the Endeavors of those that wished well to it were not wanting Now the Protestants began more freely to put forth Books and to disperse such as were formerly printed beyond Sea in the behalf of Religion against Popery and concerning such as had suffered under the Cruelties of the Church of Rome Bale about these Days dispersed his Books One was The Image of both Churches applying the Divine Prophecy of the Revelations to the Apostate Church of Rome Another was a Vindication of the Lady Anne Ascue who suffered the cruel Death of Burning about the end of King Henry's Reign Whose Cause the Papists studiously had rendred bad This Book he intitled The Elucidation of Anne Ascue's Martyrdom Which was this Year exposed publickly to sale at Winchester and the Parts thereabouts as a Reproach to the Bishop of Winchester who was the great Cause of her Death Four of these Books came to that Bishop's own Eyes being then at Winchester they had Leaves put in as Additions to the Book some glewed and some unglewed which probably contained some further Intelligences that the Author had gathered since his first writing of the Book And herein some Reflexions were made freely according to Bale's Talent upon some of the Court not sparing Paget himself though then Secretary of State Another of Bale's Books that went now about was touching the Death of Luther Therein was a Prayer of the Duke of Saxony mentioned which the Bishop of Winchester gladly took hold on Wherein that Duke as to the justness of his Cause remitted himself to God's Judgment to be shewed on him here in this World if the Cause he undertook were not Just concerning Religion and desired God if it were not Good to order him to be taken and spoiled of his Honors and Possessions Since which the Duke was taken Prisoner and at the very time of his taking the Papists made an Observation that the Sun appeared so strangely in England as the like had not been seen before So apt are Men to interpret Events according to their own preconceived Opinions But at this Winchester took much Advantage Whereas indeed the Issues of God's Providence in this World are not favourable always even to the best Causes The keeping of Lent was now called into Controversy and asserted that it was not to be observed upon a religious Account And this was done the rather because the Papists placed so much Religion in the bare Fast. In the Pulpit it began to be cried down Tongue and Ioseph two great Preachers in London said That Lent was one of Christ's Miracles which God ordained not Men to imitate or follow And that it was an insupportable Burden There was a set of Rhimes now made about the burial of Lent which was called Iack of Lent 's Testament and publicly sold in Winchester Market therein Steven Gardiner the Bishop was touched who was a great Man for keeping it For in the Ballad Stephen Stockfish was bequeathed in this Will to Stephen Gardiner Of this he made a long Complaint to the Protector But yet this Neglect of Lent was not encouraged by the Superiors For it was kept at Court and Preparations for the King's Diet were made accordingly this Lent by the Protector The Protestants indeed were for keeping it and an Order was issued out for that purpose tho not upon a Religious but Politick Account But the greater part of the ordinary People would not be brought to it by this Distinction So that the Preachers were fain to be employed Latimer preached That those that regard-not Laws and Statutes were despisers of Magistrates There be Laws made of Diet he said what Meats we shall eat at all times And this Law is made in Policy as I suppose for
this Year flying so much upon the Spoil of the Church Bucer by the Arch-bishop's Instigation as well as his own Inclinations wrote to the Marquess of Dorset to forbear disswading him from spoiling the Church of her Maintenance In which Letter he hath these Expressions Antiquum dictum est neminem posse vere ditari furtis aut rapinis quibus invaduntur res alienae multo minus peculatu quo defraudatur Respublica Quem igitur habeat sensum Dei qui dubitet minimè omnium posse cujusquam opes augeri salutariter Sacrilegiis quibus acciduntur res Ecclesiasticae Sunt nimium amplae hae opes addictae Ecclesiis in luxum permulti eas diripiunt Homines planè otiosi nec ullam Reip. conferentes utilitatem Submoveantur igitur hi fuci ab Ecclesiae alvearibus nec depasci permittantur apum labores Deinde procurentur ut restitutis passim Scholis nusquam desint Ecclesiarum frugi ministri c. That is It is an old Saying No body can grow Rich by the stealing and taking away of private Peoples Possessions much less by robbing of the Publick What Sense therfore hath he of God that doubts not that his Riches shall encrease to good purpose that commits Sacrilege and robs the Church of what belongs to it But it is objected the Church hath too much and many spend it in Luxury The Church-men are idle and bring no Profit to the Common-Wealth Let these Drones therefore be removed from the Hives of the Church but let not the Pains of the Bees be eaten up And then having Schools of good Literature every where restored let not the Church want sober Ministers c. A Review was made of the Book of common-Common-Prayer about the latter end of the Year by Arch-bishop Cranmer and the Bishops Divers things that savoured too much of Superstition were endeavoured to be changed or amended But there were among them some that made what opposition they could The Arch-bishop had now by Wilkes Master of Christ's College desired Bucer that great Divine then at Cambridg that he would take an impartial view of the whole Book having procured him a Translation of it into Latin done by Aless the Learned Scotch Divine for his understanding of it and that he should judg if he thought any thing in the Book might be more explained agreeable with God's Word and for better Edification of Faith Bucer in answer sent the Arch-bishop word first what his Judgment was of the Book and then what Course he intended to use in the Examination of it that he was now to make He said That when he first came into England and by the help of an Interpreter took some knowledg of the Rites and Doctrines of this Church that he might see whether he could join his Ministry with it he thanked God That had inclined the Officers of the Church to reform the Ceremonies to that degree of Purity and that he found nothing in them that was not taken out of the Word of God or at least was not repugnant to it being fitly taken For some few things there were added he that unless they were candidly interpreted might seem not so sufficiently agreeable with the Word of God As for what he was now to do in order to the fulfilling what the Arch-bishop required of him he intended in short Notes at every Chapter of the Book to observe what he thought to be according to God's Word and to be retained and vindicated what to be taken away or mended and what to be more plainly explained and allowed After his perusal of the Book he gave this Judgment in general That in the Description of the Communion and daily Prayers he saw nothing enjoined in the Book but what was agreeable to the Word of God either in Word as the Psalms and Lessons or in Sense as the Collects Also that the Manner of their Lessons and Prayers and the Times of using them were constituted very agreeable both with God's Word and the Observation of the Ancient Churches And therefore that that Book ought to be retained and vindicated with the greatest strictness What particular Animadversions the said Learned Man made upon the Book may be seen in his Scripta Anglicana and in the Bishop of Sarum's History as he hath there abridged them And such a Deference was given to his Judgment that most of the things that he excepted against were corrected accordingly And that the Book might be the more exact and perhaps be the more agreeable to the Doctrine and Practice of Foreign Churches the Arch-bishop recommended the diligent examination of it unto another great Divine Peter Martyr who was now at Lambeth the Arch-bishop desiring him to note what he thought good concerning the Book and because he knew not the Language the Version of Sir Iohn Cheke who had also translated it into Latin was given him He was also requested to set down in writing what he thought deserved Correction And he accordingly made his Annotations Martyr agreed clearly in Judgment with Bucer about the Book as he wrote to him in a Letter sent him to Cambridg extant among Arch-bishop Parker's Manuscripts On the back-side of which Letter is written by that Arch-bishop's own Hand Censura libri communium precum In this Letter Martyr told Bucer that the same things that he disapproved of the same likewise had he P. Martyr done And that afterward he drew them up into Articles and shewed them to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury That to all that Bucer judged ought to be amended he had subscribed and that he thanked God that had given occasion to admonish the Bishops of these things From this Letter it appears that the Arch-bishop had told Martyr that in the Conference among the Divines concerning the Correction of these Publick Prayers it was concluded to make many Alterations But what those things were as the Arch-bishop told him not so neither as he wrote did he dare to ask him But what Cheke told him did not a little refresh him viz. That if they themselves would not change what ought to be changed the King would do it of himself and when they came to a Parliament the King would interpose his Majesty's own Authority CHAP. XVII Hoper's Troubles IN the Month of Iuly Iohn Hoper who had lived long abroad in Germany and in Switzerland and conversed much with Bullinger and Gualâ—er the chief Reformers there but returned into England in King Edward's Reign and retained by the Duke of Somerset and a famous Preacher in the City was nominated by the King to the Bishoprick of Gloucester But by reason of certain Scruples of Conscience he made to the wearing of the old Pontifical Habits as the Chimere and Rochet and such-like and disliking the Oath customarily taken he was not Consecrated till eight Months after and endured not a little Trouble in the mean Season Soon after his nomination he repaired to the Arch-bishop desiring
resolved to do it by himself and his Parliament without them In this Letter he speaks something concerning Hoper whose Behaviour he disliked and concerning Dr. Smith who had lately written against the Arch-bishop's Book of the Sacrament and against himself concerning Monastick Vows Both these Letters as well worthy the sight and perusal of the Reader I have reposited in the Appendix Thus this Reverend and Learned Foreigner after many great Difficulties passed through for the Cause of Religion flying from one place to another came at last to a natural Death and a quiet End in this Land For his Fame and Wisdom he was called by the Electors Palatine and of Brandenburgh with the Emperor's Permission to temper the Emperor's Rescript about Religion which was to be published that so it might please both Parties But he thought he could not do it with any Honesty and rather than meddle with it he fled to Strasburgh with his Wife and Children hereby he fell under the Displeasure of those Princes as well as before he had done under that of the Emperor for the Reformation of Colen the Envy of which Melancthon escaped but it fell on poor Bucer Being at Strasburgh he also contracted much Ill-will by means of the Anabaptists and others whom he opposed and who by their pretended Sanctimony had a great Party there His Friends apprehended him on these Accounts in great Danger but he thought of no removal to any other Place Patron or Church trusting himself in God's Hands till Sturmius and some others advised him by all means to depart into England Which he at length yielding to the said Sturmius admonished him for his safer Travel to take a more uncommon Way through Lorain and Rhemes and some other parts of France to Calais and there to cross over the Sea Which he did and was very hospitably here entertained as was said before Bishops Consecrated Iune 29. Iohn Ponet or Poynet D.D. Chaplain to the Arch-bishop was Consecrated Bishop of Rochester at Lambeth-Chappel by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury assisted by Nicolas Bishop of London an◠Arthur Bishop of Bangor This Consecration was performed with all the usual Ceremonies and Habits probably for this Reason to give as little occasion of Offence to Papists as might be and to keep close to the old Usages avoiding Superstition Therefore it was set down in the Register at large in what Formalities all was now done The Arch-bishop is described Vsitatis insigniis redimitus uno Epitogio sive Capa indutus Oratorium suum praedictum honestè decenter ornatum ingressus c. Having on his Mitre and Cope usual in such Cases went into his Chappel handsomly and decently adorned to celebrate the Lord's Supper according to the Custom and by Prescript of the Book intituled The Book of Common-Service Before the People there assembled the Holy Suffrages first began and were publickly recited and the Epistle and Gospel read in the Vulgar Tongue Nicolas Bishop of London and Arthur Bishop of Bangor assisting and having their Surplices and Copes on and their Pastoral Staves in their Hands led Dr. Iohn Ponet endued with the like Habits in the middle of them unto the most Reverend Father and presented him unto him sitting in a decent Chair and used these words Most Reverend Father in God we present unto you this godly and well-learned Man to be consecrated Bishop The Bishop Elect forthwith produced the King's Letters Patents before the Arch-bishop Which by command of the said ABp being read by Dr. Glyn the said Ponet took the Oath of renouncing the Bishop of Rome and then the Oath of Canonical Obedience to the Arch-bishop These things being thus dispatched the Arch-bishop exhorted the People to Prayer and Supplication to the Most High according to the Order prescribed in the Book of Ordination set forth in the Month of March 1549. According to which Order he was Elected and Consecrated and endued with the Episcopal Ornaments the Bishop of London first having read the third Chapter of the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy in manner of a Sermon These things being done and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper celebrated upon a Table covered with a white Linen Cloth by the Arch-bishop and the two assisting Bishops the same Arch-bishop decreed to write to the Arch-deacon of Canterbury for the Investiture Installation and Inthronization of the said Bishop of Rochester as it was customary Present Anthony Huse principal Register of the Arch-bishop Peter Lilly Iohn Lewis Iohn Incent publick Notaries and many others as well Clerks as Laicks March 8. Iohn Hoper was consecrated Bishop of Glocester just after the same manner by the Arch-bishop Nicholas Bishop of London and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting clothed say the Words of the Register in Linen Surplices and Copes and Iohn Elect of Glocester in the like Habit. CHAP. XXV The Arch-bishop publisheth his Book against Gardiner THIS Year our Arch-bishop published his Elaborate Book of the Sacrament confuting the gross and carnal Presence of Christ there in vindication of a former Book of his wrote against by Bishop Gardiner and Dr. Smith For to give the Reader some distinct Account of this Matter in the Year 1550 Cranmer printed a Book in English in Quarto with this Title A Defence of the True and Catholick Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ with a Confutation of sundry Errors concerning the same Grounded and established upon God's Holy Word and approved by the Consent of the most ancient Doctors of the Church The great Reason that moved him to write this Book was that he might the more effectually purge the Church of Popery esteeming Transubstantiation and the Mass to be the very Roots of it The taking away of Beads Pilgrimages Pardons and such-like Popery was as he wrote in his Preface but the lopping off a few Branches which would soon spring up again unless the Roots of the Tree which were Transubstantiation and the Sacrifice of the Mass were pulled up Therefore out of a sincere Zeal to the Honour of God he would labour he said in his Vineyard to cut down that Tree of Error Root and Branch By this Book very many were enlightned to perceive the Errors of the Popish Doctrines of the Sacrament This Treatise he divided into five Books or Points I. Of the True and Catholick Doctrine and Use of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. II. Against the Error of Transubstantiation III. The manner how Christ is present in the Sacrament IV. Of the eating and drinking of the Body and Blood of Christ. V. Of the Oblation and Sacrifice of our Saviour Christ. In the third Part he made mention of the Bishop of Winchester in these words As many of them i. e. of the Papist Writers as I have read the Bishop of Winchester only excepted do say That Christ called not the Bread his Body This Bishop
that was such a great Instrument of promoting the Reformation He is generally charged for the great Spoil of Churches and Chappels defacing antient Tombs and Monuments and pulling down the Bells in parish-Parish-Churches and ordering only one Bell in a Steeple as sufficient to call the People together Which set the Commonalty almost into a Rebellion As the Arch-bishop the last Year had procured Amendments and Alterations in the Book of Publick Prayers and had consulted therein with the two Learned Foreign Divines Bucer and Martyr so this Year in Ianuary an Act was made by the Parliament for authorizing the new Book and obliging the Subjects to be present at the reading of it In this Book the general Confession was added and the Absolution At the beginning of the second Service was added the Recital of the Ten Commandments with the short Ejaculation to be said between each Commandment Something was left out in the Consecration of the Sacrament that seemed to favour a Corporal presence Several Rites were laid aside as that of Oil in Confirmation and Extream Unction and Prayer for the Dead which was before used in the Communion-Office and that of Burial together with the change and abolishing of some other things that were offensive or Superstitions as may be seen by those that will take the pains to compare the two Books the one printed in the Year 1549 and the other 1552. And this was brought about by the great and long Diligence and Care of our pious Arch-bishop and no question to his great Joy and Satisfaction So that I look upon that but as an improbable report that was carried about in Frankford in those unseemly Branglings among the English Exiles there that Bullinger should say That Cranmer had drawn up a Book of Prayers an hundred times more perfect then that which was then in being but the same could not take place for that he was matched with such a wicked Clergy and Convocation with other Enemies But as his Authority was now very great so there was undoubtedly a great Deference paid to it as also to his Wisdom and Learning by the rest of the Divines appointed to that Work so that as nothing was by them inserted into the Liturgy but by his good Allowance and Approbation so neither would they reject or oppose what he thought fit should be put in or Altered The Learning Piety and good Deserts of Miles Coverdale in translating the Holy Scriptures into the English Tongue and in a constant preaching of the Gospel and sticking to the true Profession for many a Year and withall very probably their antient acquaintance in Cambridg were reasons that made our Arch-bishop a particular Friend to him When the Lord Russel was sent down against the Rebels in the West he was attended by Coverdale to preach among them Coverdale afterwards became Coadjutor to Veyzy the Bishop of Exeter who seldom resided and took little care of his Diocess But this Year whether voluntarily or by some Order he resigned up his Bishoprick having first greatly spoiled it of its Revenues And when some wise and bold Person and excellent Preacher was found extreamly needful to be sent thither to inspect the Clergy and Ecclesiastick Matters in those Parts the late Rebellion having been raised chiefly by Priests in hatred to the Religion heating and disaffecting the Minds of the common People Coverdale was judged a very fit Person to succeed in that Charge Being now Bishop Elect of Exon he had long attended at Court to get his Matters dispatched namely The doing of his Homage and the obtaining a Suit to be excused the paiment of his first Fruits being but a poor Man But such at that Time were the great and urgent Affairs of the State or the secret Hinderers of the Gospel that he found nothing but Delaies So that he was forced to apply himself unto his Friend the Arch-bishop to forward his Business Who forthwith sent his Letters to Secretary Cecyl making Coverdale himself the Bearer Entreating him to use his Interest to get this Bishop dispatched and that with speed Urging this for his Reason becoming his paternal Care over his Province That so he might without further delay go down into the Western Parts which had great need of him And also because he was minded on the 30 th of August to consecrate him and the Bishop of Rochester Scory according to the King's Mandate This Scory was at first preferred by the Arch-bishop to be one of the six Preachers at Canterbury and always continued firm to the Purity of Religion and endured Trouble for the good and wholesome Doctrine that he preached having been presented and complained of both in the Spiritual Courts and to the Justices at their Sessions when the Six Articles were in Force He was a Married Man and so deprived at the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign fled beyond Sea and was Superintendent of the English Congregation at Embden in Friezland There in the Year 1555 he wrote and printed A Comfortable Epistle unto all the Faithful that be in Prison or in any other Trouble for the defence of God's Truth Wherein he doth as well by the promises of Mercy as also by the Examples of divers holy Martyrs comfort encourage and strengthen them patiently for Christ's Sake to suffer the manifold cruel and most tyrannous Persecutions of Antichristian Tormentors As the Book bears title There were divers Bishopricks vacant this Year As that of Lincoln by the Death of Holbech The Arch-bishop deputed the Spiritualties to Iohn Pope LL. B. and Chancellor of that Church The Church commending unto the Arch-bishop this Pope and two more viz. Iohn Prin LL. D. Subdean of the Church and Christopher Massingberde LL. B. Arch-deacon of Stow. So he chose the first But yet he committed a special trust to Taylor the Dean of Lincoln whom he knew to be tight to Religion sending a Commission fiduciary to him before Pope entred upon his Office to give the said Pope his Oath Legally and faithfully to perform his Office committed to him by the Arch-bishop and to answer to the said Arch-bishop for all Obventions coming to him by virtue of his Jurisdiction and Office and that he should not by Malice or Wrong squeez the Subjects of the King and of that Diocess whether Clerks or Laics that he should not knowingly grieve them in their Estates or Persons and that he shall abstain from Oppressions Extortions and unlawful Exactions and that he shall renounce the Bishop of Rome his usurped Jurisdiction and Authority according to the Statutes of Parliament And of all this he wrote a Letter to the said Pope signifying that he required such an Oath of him to be taken before the Dean The Tenor of the Arch-bishop's Letter to the Dean went on further requiring him by his sound Council singular Prudence and by the assistance of his sincere Judgment to be present with him in any hard Cases and of
great Moment and that he would not be wanting to him in any Matters of that sort being a Person of that Knowledg in Sacred Prophane Learning of that Prudence Circumspection and Dexterity in managing Business And so finally joined him with Pope to perform all this piously and catholickly according to the Rule of Evangelick Religion and the Exigency of the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom And deputed him his Vice-gerent This Letter was dated at Croydon the 20 th of August This Commission seemed to be somewhat extraordinary The occasion whereof might be because the Arch-bishop did not confide in this Chancellor of the Church suspecting his Religion and Compliance with the King's Proceedings therefore he thought good to associate him with Taylor the Dean of whom he was well assured The Church of Worcester became also Vacant by the Deprivation of Hethe the Bishop The Arch-bishop committed the Spiritualties thereof to Iohn Barlo Dean of the said Church and Roland Taylor LL. D. his Domestick Chaplain These he constituted his Officials to exercise all Episcopal Jurisdiction This Commission was dated at Lambeth Ian. 10. 1554 by an Error of the Scribe for 1551. as appears by a Certificate sent from the Church to that Arch-bishop signifying the Vacation of it Upon the Vacancy of the Church of Chichester by the Deprivation of Day the Arch-bishop made Iohn Worthial Arch-deacon of Chichester and Robert Taylor LL. B. Dean of the Deanery of South-Malling his Officials This Commission to them dated Novemb. 3 1551 was to Visit c. Upon the Vacancy of the Church of Hereford by the Death of Skip late Bishop there the Spiritualties were committed to Hugh Coren LL. D. Dean of that Church and Rich. Cheny D.D. Arch-deacon of Hereford Their Commission was to Visit c. Upon the Vacancy of the Bishoprick of Bangor either by the Death of Bulkly the Bishop or his Resignation upon his blindness the Arch-bishop made his Commissaries Griffin Leyson his principal Chancellor and Official Rowland Merick a Canon of S. David's and Geofrey Glynn L L. D D. The Church of Rochester also became this Year Vacant by the Translation of Scory to Chichester In these Vacancies the Bishopricks were lamentably pilled by hungry Courtiers of the Revenues belonging to them This Year Bishop Hoper was by the Council dispatched down as was said before into his Diocess where things were much out of order and Popery had great footing and therefore it wanted such a stirring Man as he was That he might do the more Good he had the Authority of the Lords of the Council to back him by a Commission granted to him and others He brought most of the Parish-Priests and Curates from their old Superstitions and Errors concerning the Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper The Recantation of one of them of more note named Phelps the Incumbent of Ciciter which he made publickly and subscribed may be seen in the Appendix This Year there happened two learned Conferences in Latin privately managed about the Corporeal Presence in the Sacrament The one on the 25 th of November in the House of Sir William Cecyl Secretary of State performed by the said Cecyl Sir Iohn Cheke Horne Dean of Durham Whitehead and Grindal on the Protestant side and Feckenham and Yong on the Popish But first before they began Cecyl under his solemn Protestation assured them that every Man should have free Liberty to speak his Mind and that none should receive any Dammage or incurr any Danger Cheke began by propounding this question Quis esset verus germanus sensus verborum Coenae Hoc est corpus meum Num quem verba sensu grammatico accepta prae se ferebant an aliud quiddam To whom Feckenham answered There were present besides those that disputed these noble and learned Persons The Lord Russel Sir Anthony Coke Mr. Hales Mr. Wroth Mr. Frogmartin Mr. Knolles Mr. Harrington The second Disputation was Decemb. 3. following in Mr. Morisin's House where were present the Marq. of Northampton the Earl of Rutland the Lord Russel and those above named and Watson added on the Papists side Then Cheke again propounded the Question Whether the words of the Supper are to be understood in a grammatical or in a figurative Sense To which Watson Responded Both these Disputations are too large for this place but they are set down in one of the Manuscript Volumes of the Benet-Library In November died Dr. Iohn Redman Master of Trinity-College in Cambridg and one of the great Lights of that University for the bringing in solid Learning among the Students a Prebendary of the Church of Westminster and who in the Year 1549 assisted in the compiling the English Book of common-Common-Prayer and preached a Sermon upon the Learned Bucer's Death the day following his Funeral He was a Person of extraordinary Reputation among all for his great Learning and Reading and profound Knowledg in Divinity So that the greatest Divines gave a mighty Deference to his Judgment And therefore when he lay sick at Westminster many learned Men repaired to him desiring to know his last Judgment of several Points then so much controverted And he was very ready to give them Satisfaction Among the rest that came were Richard Wilks Master of Christ's College Cambridg Alexander Noel afterwards Dean of Paul's and Yong a Man of Fame in Cambridg for his disputing against Bucer about Justification In these Conferences with these learned Man he called the See of Rome Sentina Malorum A Sink of Evils he said That Purgatory as the Schoolmen taught it was ungodly and that there was no such kind of Purgatory as they fancied That the offering up the Sacrament in Masses and Trentals for the Sins of the Dead was ungodly That the Wicked are not partakers of the Body of Christ but receive the outward Sacrament only That it ought not to be carried about in Procession That nothing that is seen in the Sacrament or perceived with the outward Sense is to be worshipped That we receive not Christ's Body Corporaliter grosly like other Meats but so Spiritualiter that nevertheless Verè truly That there was not any good ground in the old Doctors for Transubstantiation as ever he could perceive nor could he see what could be answered to the Objections against it That Priests might by the Law of God marry Wives That this Proposition Faith only justifies so that this Faith signify a true lively Faith resting in Christ and embracing him is a true godly sweet and comfortable Doctrine That our Works cannot deserve the Kingdom of God And he said that it troubled him that he had so much strove against Justification by Faith only A Treatise whereof he composed which was printed at Antwerp after his Death in the Year 1555. He said also to Yong That Consensus Ecclesiae was but a weak Staff to lean to and exhorted him to read the Scriptures
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-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
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-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
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-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
that Posterity might have a Rule to follow And he was of opinion that this Confession should be much of the nature of their Confession of Augsburgh only that some few Points in Controversy might be in plainer Words delivered than was in that That Ambiguities might not hereafter occasion new Differences And that in the Church it was best to call a Spade a Spade and not to cast ambiguous Words before Posterity as an Apple of Contention And that if in Germany there had been an intire Consent of all the Churches they had not fallen into those Miseries And so concludes earnestly exhorting our Prelat to apply himself vigorously in these his pious Cares and Thoughts for the good Estate of the Churches Not long after he pursued his first Letter with a second Wherein he again reminded our Reverend Father of that Caution viz. That nothing might be left under general Terms but exprest with all the Perspicuity and Distinctness imaginable Which I suppose he said to meet with the Opinion of some who thought it might be more convenient in order to Peace to suffer some difficult and controverted Points to pass under dubious Expressions or in the very words of Scripture without any particular decisive Sense and Explanation imposed on them And concerning this 't is probable our Arch-bishop had desired his Opinion This Melancthon was against saying That for his part he loved not Labyrinths and that therefore all his study was That whatsoever Matters he undertook to treat of they might appear plain and unfolded That it was indeed the Practice of the Council of Trent which therefore made such crafty Decrees that so they might defend their Errors by things ambiguously spoken But that this Sophistry ought to be far from the Church That there is no Absurdity in Truth rightly propounded and that this Goodness and Perspicuity of things is greatly inviting wheresoever there be good Minds And of this very Judgment was Peter Martyr another great Divine For when Bucer in a Discourse with him at Strasburg had advised him when he spake of the Eucharist to use more dark and ambiguous Forms of Speech that might be taken in a larger Acceptation urging to him That this was the course he himself took and that a certain good Man whom I suspect strongly to be our Arch-bishop had perswaded him That by this means the great Controversy concerning the Real Presence in the Sacrament might be at an end and so Peace so long wanted might be restored to the Church Martyr was over-perswaded by his Friend so to do and used for some time the same Form of Speech with him when he had occasion to discourse of that Doctrine But afterward he returned to his former more dilucid Stile as well in the Matter of the Real Presence as in all other Subjects he treated of And that both because he saw this would not suffice them who held a gross and carnal Presence of Christ's Body unless their gross manner of Expression were received and their as gross Interpretation too and because he found that many weaker Brethren were greatly offended with these Ambiguities of Speech and so intangled and confounded that they scarce knew what to think in this Point And so leaving Bucer to pursue his obscurer Phrases he chose to speak more clearly and distinctly And neither did Bucer disallow of Martyr in this Course nor was Martyr ignorant of Bucer's true Sense however doubtful his Expressions were as the Author of his Life tells us This I mention to shew how exactly Martyr accorded with Melancthon in this Opinion of expressing things in clear and perspicuous Terms which the said Melancthon thought it highly necessary now to be inculcated when deliberation was had of drawing up a General Confession of Faith After he had thus declared his Mind in this Matter he particularly descended to the Doctrine of Fate telling the Arch-bishop how the Stoical Disputes of that Subject among them in the beginning were too rough and horrid and such as were prejudicial to Discipline Which I suppose might be occasioned from some Passage in the Arch-bishop's Letter advising with this Learned Man how to propound the Doctrines of Predestination and Free-Will CHAP. XXV The Arch-bishop corresponds with Calvin THESE his Counsels he brake also to Iohn Calvin the chief Guide of the French Churches Who also highly approved of his pious Proposition The Arch-bishop in a Letter to that great Reformer had been lamenting the Differences that were in the Reformed Churches having his Eye I suppose herein upon those of Geneva and Germany and like a true Father of the Church consulting for the making up of the Breaches he thought no fitter Remedy could be used than for pious and wise Men and such as were well exercised in God's School to meet together and profess their Consents in the Doctrine of Godliness This Calvin acknowledged was rightly and prudently advised by him Applauding him that he did not only lead the way in purging the Doctrine of God's Church from Corruption but did so voluntarily exhort and encourage others therein And that he did not only take care of Religion at Home in his own Country but all the World over And as to the Meeting and Converse of Divines for this purpose which Cranmer had told him he had made the King so sensible of the need and usefulness of that he was forward in it and had offered a Place in his Kingdom for them securely to assemble together in that French Divine wished That Learned and Wise Men from the chief Churches would accordingly meet and diligently discussing the chief Heads of Faith would by common Consent deliver to Posterity the certain Doctrine of the Scripture But that among the great Evils of that Age this also was to be reputed that Churches were so divided from one another that Human Society was scarcely kept up among them much less that Sacred Communion of the Members of Christ which all profest with their Mouths but few did sincerely take care to preserve That as to himself if he might be thought to be of any Use he would not grudg to pass over ten Seas if there were need That if it were only to contribute some Assistance to the Kingdom of England he should esteem it a Reason lawful enough but much more he thought he ought to spare no Labour no Trouble to procure a Means whereby the Churches that were so widely divided might unite among themselves But he hoped his Weakness and Insufficiency being such he might be spared and that he would do his part in prosecuting that with his Prayers and Wishes which should be undertaken by others And whereas our Arch-bishop had hinted to him his Jealousy that the Business would hardly find a good Issue by reason of certain Difficulties attending it Calvin not only exhorted and earnestly beseeched him to go forward till it should have some Effect at least though it succeeded
It was Sir Thomas Cheyny who in the Year 1549 was one of those that met with Warwick in London and published a Proclamation against the Arch-bishop's Friend the Duke of Somerset as a Traitor Which might be an occasion that the Arch-bishop did not much affect Cheyny nor Cheyny the Arch-bishop Concerning this Difference between them which it seems was taken notice of at Court when his true Friend Cecyl had wrote to him advising a Reconciliation he gave this Christian and meek Answer from his House at Ford That there was no Man more loth to be in Contention with any Man than he was especially with him who was his near Neighbour dwelling both in one County and whose familiar and entire Friendship he most desired and that for the Quietness of the whole County Adding That the Examples of the Rulers and Heads would the People and Members follow His Peaceableness also appeared in his hearty Desires of the Publick Peace as well as Private When upon occasion of hearing of the Wars that were about the Year 1552 eagerly followed both in Christendom and out of it he used these words The Sophy and the Turk the Emperor and the French King not much better in Religion than they such it seems was his Censure of them by reason of the Cruelty and Persecution they exercised and the Disturbances they made in the World rolling the Stone or turning the Wheel of Fortune up and down I pray God send us Peace and Quietness with all Realms as well as among our selves But though he were of so quiet and mild a Spirit yet being a plain down-right Man he would never learn the Arts of Flattery and base Compliances with them that were uppermost Which had like to have created him much trouble from Northumberland to whom he carried not himself with that Deference and Pleasingness as he expected For Cranmer knew the bad Heart of this haughty Man and could not forget the ill Measure his Friend the Duke of Somerset had found at his Hands He did not care to make any Application to him nor to be an Instrument in forwarding any of his designing Business When he was to write up to some of the Court concerning Reiner Wolf I suppose for Licence to print the Articles of Religion Anno 1552 he desired to take Cecyl's Advice to whom he should write For I know not saith he to whom to write but my Lord of Northumberland to whom to make any Address he would fain have avoided if he could There was about the Year 1552 a Commission issued out for a strict Enquiry to be made after all such as had defrauded the King of any Goods or Treasure accruing to him by the suppression of Chauntries or that belonged to Churches Now this was done by Northumberland and his Creatures on purpose that it might light heavy upon Somerset's Friends who had been the chief Visitors in those Affairs and had many of them been supposed to have enriched themselves thereby Commissioners were appointed in each County In Kent the Commission was directed to the Arch-bishop and to several other Gentlemen and Justices of Peace The Arch-bishop perceiving well the Spite and Malice of this Commission acted very slowly in it Insomuch that Northumberland began to be highly angry with him Cecyl observing it and having ever a great Veneration for that good Man and fearing he might feel the Effects of his Fury writ to him signifying Northumberland's Displeasure and giving him Advice to take heed of him For which the Arch-bishop thanked him and prudently writ his Excusatory Letter to that Duke dated November â—0 signifying That the Cause of his Stay of the Commission was because he was alone and that the Gentlemen and Justices of Peace who were in Commission with him were then at London probably because of the Term before whose coming Home if he should proceed without them he might as he said travel in vain and take more Pains than he should do good And by such soft but honest words mollifying him for the Procrastination of that which he had no mind to meddle in But not long after he and Ridley Bishop of London with him fell under great Displeasure with this Duke and the rest of the great Men of his Party who in the latter end of King Edward's Reign governed all The Reason whereof was for opposing as much as they could though to no effect the Spoil of the Church-Goods which were taken away only by a Commandment of the Higher Powers without Request or Consent of them to whom they did belong as Ridley himself relates in his Treatise wherein he lamented the Change of Religion in England Which indeed was more than ever Henry VIII had done Add to the rest that our Bishop was of a bold and undaunted Courage in the Cause of God and his Church It was a brave and generous Act and worthy the chief Bishop of the English Church I mean that publick Challenge which he made to maintain the common-Common-Prayer Book and the other parts of the Reformation by the Scripture and Fathers in open Disputation against whomsoever if the Queen so pleased to permit it Which was done by him soon after the Queen's coming to the Throne And had he not been prevented by others who dispersed Copies of this Challenge without his knowledg it had been made very solemnly as he freely told the Queen's Council by fixing this his Declaration on the Doors of S. Pauls and other Churches with his Hand and Seal to it And his Courage herein appeared the greater because he was at this very Time under a Cloud and in great Danger having some time before now been convented before the Council and confined to Lambeth And whosoever shall consider that good Progress that by his Means was made in Religion not only in King Edward's Reign but even in that of King Henry under the Discouragements of antiently-rivited Superstition and Idolatry and withal shall ponder the haughty Nature of that Prince of so difficult Address and so addicted to the old Religion and how dangerous it was to dissent from him or to attempt to draw him off from his own Perswasions cannot but judg Cranmer to have been of a very bold Spirit to venture so far as he did And undoubtedly his Courage went an equal pace with his Wisdom and Discretion and was no whit inferior to his other excellent Qualifications And this I say the rather to vindicate the Memory of this most Reverend Prelat from an unworthy Reflection made upon him in a trisling Account of his Life Wherein he is charged to be Of too easy and flexible a Disposition which made him cowardly to comply with the Church of Rome And that though he never did any harm to the Protestants yet he did not unto them so much good as he might or ought For the confutation of which I appeal to numberless Passages which I have written of him But
no And whether any other but only a Bp. may make a Priest or no 11. Scripture warranteth a Bp. obeying high powers as the Prince christianed to order a Priest per manuum impositionem cum oratione And so it hath been from the beginning of others scripture speaketh not  12. Whether in the N. Testament be required any Consecration of a Bp. or Priest or only appointing to the office be sufficient 12. Manuum Impositio cum oratione is required Which is a Consecration So as only Appointing is not sufficient  13. Whether if it fortune a Prince Chriâ—stian learned to conquer certain Dominions of Infidels having none but temporal learned men with him it be defended by Gods law that he and they may preach and teach the Word of God there or no and also make and institute Priests or no 13. It is to be thought that God in such cases assisting the perfection of such an enterprize would sometime teach and inspire the Conscience of such a Prince what he should and might do more then is yet openly taught by the Scripture Which in that case were a good warrant to follow For a secret Vocation supplieth where an open wanteth A reason Necessity in things absolutely necessary containeth in it order law and authority  14. Whether it be forefended by Gods law that if it so fortuned that al the Bishops and Priests of a realm were dead and that the Word of God should remain there unpreached the Sacrament of Baptism and others unministred that the King of that Region should make Bps and Priests to supply the same or no 14. This Question is without the compas of Scripture  Since the beginning of Christs church when Christ himself made distinction of Ministers the order hath a determination from one to another per manuum impositionem cum oratione How it should begin again of another fashion where it faileth by a case Scripture telleth not ne Doctors write of it that I have read  15. Whether a man be bound by authority of this Scripture Quorum remiseritis c. and such like to confes his secret deadly sins to a Priest if he may have him or no 15. Bound ordinarily  16. Whether a Bp. or a Priest may excommunicate 16. They may being before of their Prince authorized to minister  For what crime For open public deadly sins  And whether only by Gods Law Of Excommunication by others we read not in the new Testament  17. Whether Unction of the sick with oyl to remit venial sins as it is now used be spoken of in the Scripture or in any ancient authors 17. The thing is in Scripture and in antient Authors according wherunto the use should be How it is indeed used is a matter of fact and not of learning NUM XXVIII The judgment of another Bishop upon the aforesaid Questions I. TO the first Scripture sheweth not what it is but useth the word Sacramentum in Latin for the word Mysterium in Greek II. Sacrament by the Authors is Sacrae rei Signum or Visibile Signaculum Sacrosanctum Signaculum Visibile Verbum Visibilis forma invisibilis gratiae and perfect definition we find none III. In Scripture we find no determine number of Sacraments IV. There be very many in the most general signification and there is no precise or determinate number of Sacraments in the ancient authors V. Not only to the Seven but to many mo We find in old Authors Matrimony holy Communion Baptism Confirmation Order Penance and extreme Unction It is doubted of the number of Sacraments VI. As touching the determine number of Seven only we find neither in the Scripture ne antient authors any such doctrine that should be seven only VII Of Baptism Scripture speaketh that by it sins be remitted Of Eucharistia that we be united by it to Christ and receive spiritual nourishment to the comfort of our souls and remission of our sins Of Matrimony that the act of it is made lawful and without sin and Grace given wherby to direct ordinately the lusts and appetites of the flesh Of Penance that by it we be restored again to the favor of God from which we did fal by sin Of Orders that by it Grace is given to Ministers effectually in preaching of the word of God and Ministration of the Sacraments Of Confirmation which is contained in Scripture speaking De impositione manuum post baptisma it appeareth by Scripture how therby encrease of grace is given Of Inunction of the sick Scripture speaks that by Unction of the sick and prayer of the Priests comfort is given to sick and sins be forgiven him VIII Impositionem manuum post Baptisma which we cal Confirmation we read in the Scripture But that it was done Chrismate we find not in the scripture expressed But in the old Authors we find that Chrisma hath been used in the same Confirmation IX Making of Bps hath two parts Appointment and Ordering Appointment which the Apostles by necessity made by common election and sometime by their own several assignment could not then be done by Christen Princes Because at that time they were not And now at these dayes appertaineth to Christen Princes and Rulers But in the ordering wherin Grace is conferred as afore the Apostles did follow the rule taught by the holy Ghost Per manuum impositionem cum Oratione jejuâ—io X. Christ made the Apostles first which were of his making both Priests and Bps. But whether at one time some doubt After that the Apostles made both Bps. and Priests The names whereof in the Scripture be confounded XI A Bp. having authority of the Christen Prince to give orders may by his ministery given to him of God in Scripture ordain a Priest And we read not that any other not being a Bp. hath since the beginning of Christs church ordained a Priest XII Onely Appointment is not sufficient but Consecration that is to say Imposition of hands with fasting and prayer is also required For so the Apostles used to order them that were appointed and so have been used continually and we have not read the contrary XIII In that necessity the Prince and his learned men should preach and teach the word of God and baptize But as for making and constituting Priests the Prince shal and may then do as God shal then by inspiration teach him Which God hath promised to do alwayes to his Church in reveling and teaching every necessary knowledg where any doubt requiring discussion doth arise XIV The answer to the other Question next before dissolveth this XV. He that knoweth himself guilty of any secret deadly sins must if he will obtain the benefit of Absolution ministred by the Priest confes the same secret sins unto him Absolution to be ministred by a Priest if a convenient Priest may be had is necessary York Duresm Carelyl Corwen Simon
Or whether the footmen shall make them ready or set themselves in array or set upon the enemy or retyre to the standard Even so should the Priests be Gods trump in in his Church So that if he blow such a certain blast that the people may understand they be much edified therby But if he give such a sound as is to the people unknown it is clearly in vain saith S. Paul For he speakes to the air but no man is the better or edified therby Nor knoweth what he should do by that he heareth Furthermore in the same place S. Paul saith That if a man giveth thanks to God in a language to the people unknown how can they say Amen to that they understand not He doth wel in giving thanks to God but that nothing availeth or edifieth the people that know not what he saith And S Paul in one brief sentence concludeth his whole Disputation of that matter Saying I had rather have five words spoken in the Church to the instruction and edifying of the people then ten thousand in a language unknown that edifieth not And for this purpose alledgeth the Prophet Esay Who saith that God wil speak to his people in other tongues and in other languages Meaning therby that he would speak to every country in their own language So have the Greeks the Mass in the Greek tongue the Syrians in the Syry tongue the Armenians in their tongue and the Indians in their own tongue And be you so much addict to the Romish tongue which is the Latine tongue that you wil have your Mas in none other language but the Romish language Christ himself used among the Iews the Iews language and willed his Apostles to do the like in every country whersoever they came And be you such enemies to your own country that you wil not suffer us to laud God to thank him and to use his Sacraments in our own tongue but wil inforce us contrary as wel to al reason as to the word of God So many as be godly or have reason wil be satisfied with this But the mere Papists wil be satisfied with nothing Wherfore I wil no â—onger tary to satisfy them that never wil be satisfied but wil procede to the second part of this Article wherin you say that you wil have neither men nor women communicate with the Priest Alas good simple souls how be you blinded with the Papists How contrary be your Articles one to another You say in your first Article that you wil have al General Councels and Decrees observed and now you go from them your selves You say you wil have no body to communicate with the Priest Hear then what divers Canons Decrees and general Councels say clean against you There is one Decree which saith thus When the Consecration is done let al the people receive the Communion except they wil be put out of the Church And in the Canons of the Apostles in the eighth Chapter is contained That whensoever there is any Mas or Communion if any Bp. Priest Deacon or any other of the Clergy being there present do not communicate except he can shew some reasonable cause to the contrary he shal be put out of the Communion as one that giveth occasion to the people to think evil of the Ministers And in the ninth Chapter of the same Canons of the Apostles and in the General Council held at Antioch is thus written That al christen people that come into the Church and hear the holy Scriptures read and after wil not tarry to pray and to receive the holy Communion with the rest of the people but for some misordering of themselves wil abstain therfrom let them be put out of the Church until by humble knowledging of their fault and by the fruits of Penance and prayers they obtain pardon and forgivenes And the Councel Nicene also sheweth the order how men should sit in receiving the Communion and who should receive first Al these Decrees and general Councels utterly condemn your third Article wherein you wil That the Priest shal receive the Communion alone without any man or woman communicating with him And the whole Church of Christ also both Greeks and Latines many hundred years after Christ and the Apostles do al condemn this your Article Which ever received the Communion in flocks and numbers together and not the Priest alone And besides this the very words of the Mas as it is called shew plainly that it is ordained not only for the Priest but for others also to communicate with the Priest For in the very Canon which they so much extol and which is so holy that no man may know what it is and therfore is read so softly that no man can hear it in that same Canon I say is a prayer concerning this that not only the Priest but also as many beside as communicate with him may be fulfilled with grace and heavenly benediction How aggreeth this prayer with your Article wherein you say that neither man nor woman shal communicate with the priest In another place also of the said Canon the priest prayeth for himself and for al that receive the communion with him that it may be a preparation for them unto everlasting life Which prayer were but a very fond prayer and a very mocking with God if no body should communicate with the priest And the Communion concludes with two prayers in the name of the priest and them that communicate with him wherin they pray thus O Lord that thing which we have taken in our mouth let us take it also with pure minds that this Communion may purge us from our sins and make us partakers of heavenly remedy And besides al this there be an infinite sort of postcommons in the Mas-books Which al do evidently shew that in the Masses the people did communicate with the priest And altho I would exhort every good christen man often to receive the holy Communion yet I do not recite al these things to the intent that I would in this corrupt world when men live so ungodly as they do that the old Canons should be restored again which command every man present to receive the Communion with the priest Which Canons if they were now used I fear that many would receive it unworthily But I speak them to condemn your Articles which would have no body neither man nor woman to be communicated with the priest Which your Article condemneth the old Decrees Canons and General Councels condemneth al the old primitive church al the old antient holy Doctors and Martyrs and al the formes and maner of Masses that ever were made both new and old Therfore eat again this Article if you wil not be condemned of the whole world and of your selves also by your first Article Wherin you wil al Decrees and general Councels to be observed But forasmuch as I have been so tedious in this Article I wil endeavour my self to be shorter in
al times What enemies be you to al Lay-men and to your selves also to refuse to drink of Christs cup which he commanded al men to drink upon saying Take and divide this among you and Drink ye al of it But need any more be brought for the reproving of this Article then your own first Article where you wil have kept al Decrees and Councels Now in the Decrees De Consecrat Di. 2. there is one Decree that commandeth al men to receive the Communion at the least thrice in the year at Easter Whitsuntide and Christmas Another commandeth every man to receive the same upon Shere-thursday The Councel Agathense saith that al Lay-men which receive not the Communion at Christmas Easter Whitsuntide shal not be taken for Catholics And the Decree of Gelasius that the receiving under one kind is great Sacrilege Then by your first Article you do not only condemn your fift Article but also you shew your selves not to be Catholics except you receive the Communion at the least three times in the year and that under both kinds Which is clean repugnant to this Article And yet I pray God you receive it worthily once in your life which you shal never do except you wonderfully repent this your misbehaviour and al your life time study to amend and redress that you have now offended Now to your sixt Article VI. Your Sixt Article is this WEE wil that our Curates shal minister the Sacrament of Baptism at al times as wel in the week day as on the holy day Who letteth your Ministers to baptize your child every day if any case of necessity so do require But commonly it is more convenient that Baptism should not be ministred but upon the holy day when the most number of people be together As wel for that the whole church there present may rejoice together of the receiving of new members of Christ into the same church as also that al men being present may remember and the better know what they promised themselves by their Godfathers and Godmothers in their own baptisâ—â— and be the more earnestly stirred in their hearts to perform the same And also may altogether pray for them that be baptized that they may have grace to perform their Profession S. Greg. Nazienz as great a Clerk as ever was in Christs church and Master to S. Hierom counselled that children should not be christened until they came to three years of age or thereabouts except they were in danger of life And it was thought sufficient to our forefathers to be done two times in the year at Easter and Whitsuntide as it appeareth by divers of their Councels and Decrees Which forbid Baptism to be ministred at any other time than Easter and Whitsuntide except in case of necessity And there remained lately divers signes and tokens thereof For every Easter and Whitsun-even until this time the Fonts were hallowed in every church and many Collects and other prayers were read for them that were baptized But alas in vain and as it were a mocking with God For at those times except it were by chance none were baptized but al were baptized before For as Vigils otherwise called Watchings remain in the Calendars upon certain Saints Evens because in old times the people watched al those nights and Vigilantius because he speaketh against these Watchings was condemned of heresy but now these many years those Vigils remained in vain in the books for no man did watch Even so until this day the order and form of christening was read and kept every year at Easter and Whitsuntide but none was then christened Wherin it appeareth how far we be swerved from our forefathers And to conclude this Article shortly If you wil needs have Baptism ministred no more at one time than another then must you needs renounce your first Article Which willeth the Councels and Decrees of the forefathers to be observed and kept And this briefly sufficeth for the sixt Article VII Your Seventh Article is this WEE wil have holy bread and holy water every Sunday Palmes and ashes at the time accustomed Images to be set up again in every Church and al other antient old Ceremonies used heretofore by our Mother holy Church Oh! Superstition and Idolatry how they prevaile among you The very true heavenly bread of life the food of everlasting life offered unto you in the Sacrament of the holy Communion you refuse to eat but only at Easter And the Cup of the most holy bloud wherewith you were redeemed and washed from your sins you refuse utterly to drink of at any time And yet in the sted oâ— these you wil eat often of the unsavoury and poisoned bread of the Bishop of Rome and drink of his stinking puddles which he nameth Holy bread and Holy water Consider oh ignorant people the authors and intents of the makers of them both The water of Baptism and the holy bread and wine of the holy Communion none other person did ordain but Christ himse f. The other that is called Holy bread Holy water Holy ashes Holy Palmes and al other like ceremonies ordained the Bps. of Rome Adversaries to 〈◊〉 and therfore rightâ—y called Antichrist And Christ ordained his Bread and his Wine and his Water to our great comfort to instruct us and teach us what things we have only by him But Antichrist on the other side hath set up his Superstitions under the name of Holines to none other intent but as the Devil secketh al means to draw us from Christ so doth Antichrist avance his holy Superstitions to the intent that we shouâ—d take him in the sted of Christ and believe that we have by him such things as we have only by Christ. That is to say Spiritual food Remission of our sins and Salvation First Our Savior Christ ordained the Water of Baptism to signify unto us that as the Water washeth our bodies outward y so be we spiritually within washed by Christ from al our sins And as the Water is ca led Water of Regeneration or New birth so it declareth unto us that through Christ we be born anew and begin a New life towards God and that Christ is the beginning of this New life And as the body that is new born altho it have life within it yet can it not continue in the spiritual life towards God except we be continually nourished with spiritual food And that spiritual food is Christ also For as he is the first beginning of our spiritual life so is he the Continuance and ending therof And for this cause did Christ ordain in the holy Communion to be eaten bread and drunken wine that we should surely believe that as our bodies be fed with bread and wine in these holy mysteries so be we out of doubt that our souls be fed spiritually with the lively food of Christs body and blood wherby we have remission of our sins and salvation But the Bp. of Rome invented new devises of
of Christs church in the N. Testament so long as it was pure and holy and kept from Idolatry Who was able to bring this to effect contrary both to Gods expres Commandment and the custom of al godly people from the beginning of the world until four or five hundred years after Christ No man surely could have wrought this thing so much contrary to God but Antichrist himself that is to say the Bp. of Rome To whom God hath given great power to work wonders to bring into error those that wil not believe the truth But by what means did he compas this matter By such means as were most meet for himself and as he hath commonly practised in al other matters that is to say by Sedition and Murder by Confederacies and Persecutions by raising the Sons against their Fathers the childre against their mother and the Subjects against their Ruâ—ers by deposing of Emperors and Princes and murdering of learned men Saints and Martyrs For thus he wrought against the Emperor of the East parties from Gregory II. his time until Gregory III. who at length after this condition had endured above five hundred years in a Councel held at Lions by feigned promises persuaded the Emperor of the East to condescend to his purpose as wel to receive Images into the churches as to other his requests But nevertheles the Bp. of Rome failed of his purpose For yet to this day the Christen men in the East do not allow images to stand in their churches neither the Greeks nor the Armenians nor the Indians nor none other christen men And that more is Search al the world through out of what religion soever they be whether they be Iews Turks Saracens Tartaries or Christen people and you shal not find an image in none of their churches but that was brought in by the Bp. of Rome and where the Bp. of Rome is or with in these forty years was taken for the head of the Church and Christ's Vicar in earth And at the beginning the Bps. of Rome to cloak their Idolatry pretended to have Images set up only for a remembrance to Lay men and to be as it were Lay mens books But after they defined plainly that these should be worshipped And so it encreased at length that Images were kneeled unto offered unto prayed unto sought unto Incensed and Pilgrimages done unto them and al maner of superstition and idolatry that could be devised Almighty God knoweth our corrupt nature better then we do our selves He knoweth wel the inclinations of Man how much he is given to worship creatures and the work of his own hands and especially fond Women which commonly follow superstition rather then true religion And therfore he utterly forbad the people the use of graven images especially in places dedicated to the honor of God knowing assuredly that of the having would follow the worshipping them Now thanks be to God in this Realm we be clearly delivered from that kind of idolatry which most highly offended God and we do according to the Councel Elebertyne which ordained that no Images should be in Churches And this is so antient that it was about the same year that Nicene Councel was What should â—hen move you to ask again your Images in the Church being not only against Gods commandments and the use of Gods Church evermore since the beginning of the world when it was pure from idoâ—atry but also being chargeable to the realm and great occasion of hainous idolatry But that some Papistical and covetous priests have persuaded you hereto Which care neither for Gods honor nor your damnation so that they may have any commodity or profit therby I have been very long in this Article and yet the matter is so large that it requireth much more to be spoken therin which for shortnes of time I am constrained to leave until a more occasion and so come to your eigth Article VIII Your Eighth Article is this WE wil not receive the new Service because it is but like a Christmas game but we wil have our old Service of Mattins Mass Evensong and Procession in Latine as it was before And so ne the Cornish men whâ—rof certain of us understand no English utterly refuse this new English As concerning the having of the Service in the Latine tongue is sufficiently spoken of in the answer to the third Article But I would gladly know the reason why the Cornish men refuse utterly the New English as you cal it because certain of you understand it not and yet you wil have the Service in Latin which almost none of you understand If this be a sufficient cause for Cornwal to refuse the English Service because some of you understand none English a much greaâ—er cause have they both of Cornwal and Devonshire to refuse utterly the late Service for as much as fewer of them know the Latine tongue then they of Cornwal the English tongue But where you say that you wil have the old Service because the new is like a Christmas game you declare your selves what spirit you be â—ed withal or rather what spirit leadeth them that persuaded you that the Word of God is but like a Christmas game It is more like a game and a fond play to be laughed at of al men to hear the Priest speak aloud to the people in Latine and the people listen with their ears to hear and some walking up and down in the Church some saying other prayers in Latin and none understandeth other Neither the Priest nor his parish wot what they say And many times the thing that the Priest saith in Latine is so fond of it self that it is more like a play then a godly prayer But in the English Service appointed to be read there is nothing else but the eternal word of God The New and the Old Testament is read that hath power to save your Souls Which as S. Paul saith is the power of God to the Salvation of all that believe The clear light to our eyes without the which we cannot see and a Lanthorn unto our feet without which we should tumble in darknes It is in it self the Wisdome of God and yet to the Jews it is a stumbâ—ing block and to the Gentiles it is but foolishnes But to such as be called of God whether they be Iewes or Gentiles it is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God Then unto you if it be but foolishness and a Christmas Game you may discern your selves what miserable state you be in and how far you be from God For S. Paul saith plainly that the Word of God is foolishnes only to them that perish but to them that shal be saved it is Gods might and power To some it is a lively savor unto life and to some it is a deadly savor unto death If iâ— be to you but a Christmas game it is then a Savor of death unto death And surely persuade your selves that you be
malice Non ignoramus cogitationes ejus And so herein I do se how by al means he doth tempt to make her G. fal from that simplicity Quae est in Christo Iesu the which God hath ever hitherto maintained in her And this I having noted of the special goodnes of God towards her how al the rest falling from the unity of the church at the time of her Fathers reign when she was in most trouble and travail yet her Highnes never committed any thing that was prejudice to the same being protected of God in that simplicity and bringing that mind with her to the Crown Satan knowing that by open tempting her to do against that by way of commission he should not prevail to make her to fal by this other way of omission wherby his malice trusteth that commission shall follow Against the which albeit my very trust is the prayer of the Church at this time for his grace shal defend her yet until I se by herG.'s goodnes so necessary and godly Act of the reduction of the Realm to the perfect obedience of the Church concluded I cannot be without some fear and therfore be more solicitous in advertiseing her M. of the great peril wherof few or none do or wil speak unto her And not only to advertise her G. but withal to shew the remedy wherof you being sufficiently informed this shal be the end of my Commission by writing Praying Almighty God to inspire her Highnes to accept your sayings on my behalf as he hath inspired me with al sincere affection by such means to utter the same NUM LXXV †The Form of the Restitution of a maried Priest DECIMO octavo die mensis Octobr. Anno Dom. 1554. in Aedibus solitae Residentiae Magistri Anthonij Huse Armigeri in Occidentali angulo Vici nuncupati Pater Noster Row Civitatis London notoriè situatis Coram venerabili viro Magistro Henrico Harvy LL. D. Vicario in Spiritualibus Generali c. in presentia mei Ioannis Incent Notarij publici propter absentiam Magistri Anthonij Huse Registrarij c. assumpti c. comparuit personaliter Robertus Vevian Presbyter nuper Rector Ecclesiae parochialis de Hever Decanat de Shoreham Ecclesiae Christi Cantuariensis jurisdictionis immediatae ac quandam professionem in Scriptis redactam conceptam fecit publicè legebat sub eo qui sequitur Verborum tenore Wheras I Robert Vâ—vian Clerk late Parson of Hâ—ver in the County of Kent being of the peculiar jurisdiction of the Church of Cantâ—rbury being ordered a Prest about xxvij yeres past having ministred as a Prest in al kind of Prestly function and ministration of 〈◊〉 and Sacramentalls as to the office of a Prest appertaineth have i◠〈◊〉 that time contrary to the State of myne Orders Decrees of the Church and laudable Customes of the same marryed one Agnes Stanton being a single or solute Woman and with her in one House as man and wieâ— have cohabited and dwellid to the offence of my Christen brethren and breâ—h of the Unity of Christs said Church I the said Robert do now lament and bewail my lief past and th offence by me committed Intending firmly by Godds gâ—ace hereafter to lead a pure chast and continent lief according to such grace as Alâ—ighty God of his mercy upon my humble petition and prayer shal grant me And do here before you my competent Judge and Ordinary most humbly require absolution of and from al such Censures and pains of the Lawes as by my said offence and ungodly behaviour I have incurrid and deservid Promising firmly and solemnly professing â—efore you in this present Writing never to return to the said Agnes Stanton as to my wief or Concubyne but from hensefourth to absteyne from her and to keep miself sole pure and chast from al carnal affections and copulations especially from her and also from al other women according to the Laws and Constitutions of our Moâ—her the Catholick church and as my order also requireth In witnes of this myne advised and deliberate minde promise and profession I have to the same in this writing subscribed my name â—ith myne own hand Yeven the 18 th day of October in the year of our Lord God â—554 c. Per me Robertum Vevian Qua quidem Professione per praenominatum Robertum Vevian publicè lecta manu suâ propriâ subscripta ac praestito juramento c. de parendo juri stando mandatis Ecclesiae Dominus ad humilem ejus petitionem absolvit eum a sententia Excommunicationis alijs Censuris poenis juris per ipsum ex causis superius expressatis incursis eum Sacramentis Ecclesiae ac Officio suo Presbyterali integrae functioni ejusdem restituit redintegravit decrevit sibi literas Testimoniales c. Restitutio Ioannis Browne Rectoris de Wymbaldowne in Decanata de Croyden Restitutio Hâ—nrici William Presbyteri Restitutio Petri Williamson Presbyteri These are al in the same Form with the above written only Mutatis mutandis And no more are Registred but these NUM LXXVI John Fox his letter to the Parlament against reviving the Act of the six Articles FRequens hic per omnium ora ac aures jactatur non suspicio modo sed coâ—â—ans certissimáqâ—e praedicatio id Vos Summi sanctissimique Patres moliri uâ— sanguinariae leges illae sex Articulorum titulo inscriptae quondam benè sopitae nunc demum velut ex Orco revocentur ad Superos Quod si verum sit quà m vobis plausibile ac quibuâ—dam sit graâ—um ignoro cerâ—è quà m Reip sunestum ac ominosum sit futuâ—um 〈◊〉 jam pridem declaraâ— publicus maeror tristissima rerum â—ere humanarum ac Luctuosâ— facies optimi cujusque gemitus neâ— tacita solum suspiria sed ubertim ex doloris acerbitate prorumpentes Lachrymae quotidiana bonorum fuga totius deniquâ— Reâ—p si tamen Resp. aliqua sit squalor ut interim taceam Conscientiaâ—â—m occulâ—a judicia ac vulnera in omnibus ferè horror in nonnullis etiam funera ac mortes ex rerum perturbatione contractae Quae si calamiâ—ates tot tantaeque quidem illae quantas vix in ulla unquam Rep. conspeximus ex concepta rerum imagine aâ—que recordatione duntaxat ipsa cives adeo perstringunt vestros quid vos futurum tandem existimatiâ— suspiciendi Domini exhibitis jam rebus ipsis ubi â—n exhibendis tanta sit trepidatio Ubi into erabilis ipse Legum rigor acutissima acies cervicibus jam incumbit civium Ubi tot millia hominuâ— non vitae libertatem quam jam amiserunt sed vitam ipsam cogentur deserere Nec jam vita sed conscientia etiam erepta homâ—nibus nec Deo quidem supplicare licebit pro arbitratu suo sed ad libidinem pâ—ucorum Quae quum ita sint vel deteriora etiam quà m a me referri queant considerabit prudentia
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
the people and from the people to burne hym as it was and ever shal be where mere temporal lawes without spiritual doith rule Which state may be compared to be like such a thorne whereof fire doith come furth to the destruction both of the governour and the people And how the lawes of the realme might be wel likened to such a thorne after that the spiritual authoritie was cast furth the destruction of such a sort of men of al degrees both great and smal the great spoyles that were taken may geve sufficient proff to al them that hath ony sence or remembraunce of things so lately done And now comyng again to the spiritual authoritie and Law to joyn it self with the Temporal this is like to the fyer that Moyes saw In rubo which gave liâ—ht and dyd not burne nor never doith when it is wel used And if it be not wel used the faute is in the persons and not in the thing as the faute is not in the Temporal lawes when the Prynce doith abuse them howbeit of their nature they be tanquam sâ—inae as was also Moyes law sharp to which was mitigateâ— and so shal be in every when they be joyned with the spirituall ought not to be called Forreyne Lawes More here wanting Non in probabilibus humanae sapientiae verbis ne evacuetur crux Christi As it shuld be in this case For if this probabilitie were followed the sklaunder of the cross shold be voyd For this were no sklaunder to the Iewes to hear Christ honoured in a figure thei being ever used to the same Nor it wold seem so moch folyshe to the Gentiles and infidelles after we had accepted Christ for God to honour him in a figurative maner But this being the counsel of Christ to utter his great misterie in forme that he should have it sklander to both the Iews that seke signes and were used to be taught by figures and also the Gentiles that styck upon the judgment of reason The more probable you make it the further you swarve from the trew doctrin of Christ and verie trew maner to teach it And here may no new maner be taught What a haynous pride is this this doctrine passeng a thousand yeare and as menye hundred beside as hath bene syneth this Sacrement was instituted by the myddest of the Iewes and Gentiles with this sklaunder and appearaunce of folyshnes never being founâ— fawtie in ony one of the Busshops and preachers of the word of God that they confessed the real presence of the body of Christ in the Sacrement of the aulter but al found fautie and condemned of heresie which denyed the same And ever the doctrine of the presence prevayling and triumpheng above mans reason or sence may be capace of the same Which both God wil have mortified and dye utterlie when this mistery and meate of liâ—se is spoken and taken For as that was the beginneng of the destruction of man when followeng the probabilitie of reason he wold feade hymself with meate prohibite unto hym So the counsil of God hath ordeyned this to be the begynneng of the liffe of man to take a sensible meat wherein nother reason nor sense can find ony probabilitie or make any judgment thereof But because I have entreated this part more largely in another epistle that I send unto yow wherein I show that stondeng as yow do without repentance of the maner of your entrie to the service of the church yow could never be nother good schoâ—ar of this doctrine and moche less a Master I wil now procede no further to reason with you herein knoweng al to be in vaine and no healp nor meane to recover yow but only prayer Which with al my hart as I wold for mine own sowle I wyl not fayle to use for yow to hym whom yow have so greatlie offended as I never redd of ony Busshop that ever was in the church But the founteyne of his mercie is never closed to them that wyl cal for it as myne own entier prayer is to the infinite mercy of God that yow may have the grace so to do sendeng yow for obteynyng of that his holy Spiriâ— Qui condemnat mundum de peccato de judicio de justitia that seeing furst your sore condempnation yow maye therewith be sturred with al humilitie and contrite hart to demaund some comfort Which cannot be hoped of without your former condempnation of your self Wherunto to bryng yow it hath cawsed me by wryting to set furth so earnestly some part of your grievous offences afore yow Wylleng yow no less comfort then I wold to myne own sowle And the same I say concludeng and eandeng as I began It may please the paternal love that God beareth unto al synners for his sake that being his only Son God and man dyed to pay their ransome for to forgeve yow and to deliver yow ex Ore Leonis which hath so devowred yow that if you be not plucked out as theProphet Amos saith of Israel Quomodo si eruat Pastor duo crura aut extremum auriculae I say if you be not plucked out by the eare yow be utterlie undone both body and sowle Which yet again and ever the infinite mercy of God may defeande yow from Wrytten in the coorte at St. Iames the vj. of Novembre 1555. Yowr very trew coumfortore in God yow not refuseng hys grace R. Pole Car. Leg. NUM XC Archbishop Parker to the Secretary desiring the Councels letters in order to his discovering of certain Writings of Archbishop Cranmer SYR Being here and wold be loth to be idle and thereupon havyng consideration as wel of these quarters for the common quyet among the people as respecting the common service of the better sort toward the Q. Highnes and her affairs I fynd them al in so good order that I do rejoyce therin As for my ecclesiastical persons I deal with them indifferently that I fynd also obedience in them Now Sir with spying and serching I have found out bi very credible enformation among other things in whose hondes the grete notable wryten bokes of my predecessour Dr. Cranmer shuld remayne the partyes yet denying the same and therupon despayre to discover them except I maye be ayded bi the Councells letters to optayne them I pray your honor to procure ther letters to authorise me to enquire and serch for such Monuments by al wayes as bi mi pore discretion shal be thought good whether it be bi deferryng an othe to the parties or veweng ther studies c. This opportunytie of enformation being suche I wold wyshe I coud recover these bokes to be afterward at the Q. Commandment I wold as moche rejoyce whyle I am in the countreye to wynne them as I wold to restore an old Chancel to reparation Because I am not acqueynted with the stile of the Councels letters in this case I send you no minute trusting that your goodnes wil think the lauber
a Clergy was now in England He makes a heavy Complaint against the frequent practice of beastly sins in the Priests Adultery Sodomy c. and that they never were punished And in my memory as he proceeds which is above thirty years and also by the information of others that be twenty years older than I I could never learn that one Priest was punished These Exiles are a sort of men who generally write with Passion and Prejudice against their own Countrey so that ordinarily little more credit is to be given to their Information than to the Intelligence of Deserters from an Army I am sure he hath shamefully belied the Clergy of England in accusing them of the frequent practice of such beastly sins and then affirming that he could never learn that one Priest was punished for it in the space of fifty years before that time It is true that Crimes of Incontinence as such especially in the Clergy were then cognoscible and punishable only by the Ecclesiastical Law and in the Spiritual Courts but Rapes were then as well as now in Clergy-men as well as Lay-men tryable and punishable at Common-Law And of this the Laity took such malicious advantage immediately before the Reformation that they were wont to pretend all Acts and even Indications of Incontinence in Clergy-men to be so many Rapes and to Indict them as such Insomuch that scarce any Assizes or Sessions passed at that time wherein several Clergy-men were not Indicted of Rapes and a Jury of Lay-men Impannell'd to Try them who would be sure not to be guilty of shewing over-much favour to them in their Verdicts Neither was the Ecclesiastical Authority then so remiss as is pretended as not to have punished any one Priest for Incontinence within the space of fifty years before If I had my Papers by me I could produce Examples of many Incontinent Clergy-men punished and deprived by their Ordinaries within that time About this very time wherein this Preface was wrote Dr. Weston altho otherwise a man of great Note and Interest among the Popish Party was deprived of the Deanry of Windsor for a single Act of Incontinence and about twenty years before this Stokesly Bishop of London is by Iohn Bale reported to have deprived Iohn Lord Abbot of Colchester for an horrible Act of Incontinence Indeed I know Bale to have been so great a Lyar that I am not willing to take any thing of that kind upon his Credit however his Testimony may serve well enough against such another foul-mouth'd Writer as this E. P. seems to have been Ibid. line 11. ab imo The Archbishop supplied the City of Canterbury with store of Excellent Learned Preachers Turner the two Ridleys Becon c. Turner never was Preacher in Ordinary at Canterbury but at Chartham near Canterbury He is said indeed afterwards in this History to have been one of the Six Preachers of the Church of Canterbury which may be true yet to Preach there three or four Sermons in a year upon so many Holidays is not a sufficient ground to say that that City was supplied with such or such Preachers Page 164. in imo The University of Cambridge laboured under great suspicions of being spoiled of its Revenues she having observed how those of her Sister the Church were daily invaded by Secular hands The University hath ever been so dutiful as to own the Church to be her Mother Page 183. line 10. ab imo Farrar was Consecrated Bishop of St. Davids by Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury endued with his Pontificals The latter words are a Translation of Pontificalibus indutus which signifies no other than being Invested or Attired in his Episcopal Habit. Page 184. med Bishop Farrar hearing of great Corruption among those belonging to the Chapter of the Church of Carmarthen and chiefly Thomas Young Chanter after Archbishop of York c. I suppose the Chapter of the Church of St. Davids is here meant for there was no such Church at Carmarthen and Young was at this time Precentor of St. Davids Page 208. line 13. ab imo Bishop Ridley at his entrance upon the See of London was exceeding wary not to do his Predecessor Bonner the least injury but rather did many kindnesses to his Mother Servants and Relations he continued Bonner's Receiver one Staunton in his Place In this last case Ridley could not give any evidence of Kindness or Unkindness for Staunton held his Place of Receiver by Patent for life Page 224. med The Council sitting at Greenwich the Bishop's Gardiner of Winchester Servants came and desired that certain of them might be sworn upon certain Articles for Witness on his behalf And if they might not be sworn c. And they were allowed From this relation any Reader would imagine That the Bishop's Servants desired that themselves might be sworn in behalf of their Lord and Master whereas in the Council-Book from whence this Matter is reported it is plain that they desired that some of the Privy-Counsellors might be sworn or at least be obliged to declare upon their Honour what they knew of the matter then in question in favour of the Bishop Page 267. line 21. This Scory Bishop Elect of Rochester was at first preferred by the Archbishop to be one of the Six Preachers at Canterbury and always continued firm for the Purity of Religion and endured Trouble for it He was a Married man and so deprived at the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign fled beyond Sea c. Scory was so far from continuing always firm to the Purity of Religion that in the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign he reconciled himself to the See of Rome submitted himself to Bishop Bonner made a formal Recantation and did open Penance for his Marriage however afterwards he resumed his former Principles when he had got beyond Sea Page 270. line 17. ab imo All this I have related of this Divine Dr. Iohn Redman who died in 1551. that I may in some measure preserve the Memory of one of the Learnedest men of his time and lay up the Dying Words of a Papist signifying so plainly his dislike and disallowance of many of their Doctrines I cannot imagine why Dr. Redman should be accounted or called a Papist at the time of his Death who had all along lived and then died in the Communion of the Establish'd Church and had but little before joined with the Archbishop and other Bishops and Divines in compiling the Book of common-Common-Prayer If because he had once held the Popish Doctrines concerning Justification the Sacrament of the Altar c. with equal and for the same reason Cranmer himself and all the Bishops and Eminent Divines of that time may be called Papists Or if it was because he judged it unlawful for any Priest to marry a second time as is related page 157. he therein followed the Canons and received Doctrines of the Ancient Church and hath many Learned and Worthy Divines of our own Time and Church
't is said from the Arch-bishop Therefore the King prest by some of the Papists about him who began now after Lambert's Death to listen to them set forth a Proclamation Novemb. 16. for the stopping of such Matrimonies Which ran in this Tenor. That the King's Majesty understanding that a few in number of this his Realm being Priests as well Religious as other had taken Wives and married themselves c. His Highness in no wise minding that the generality of the Clergy of this his Realm should with the Example of such a few number of light Persons proceed to Marriage without a common Consent of his Highness and his Realm Did therefore streightly charge and command as well all and singular the said Priests as have attempted Marriages that be openly known as all such as would presumptuously proceed to the same that they ne any of them should minister any Sacrament or other Ministry Mystical Ne have any Office Dignity Cure Privilege Profit or Commodity heretofore accustomed and belonging to the Clergy of this Realm but should be utterly after such Marriages expelled and deprived from the same and be had and reputed as Lay-persons to all intents and purposes And that such as should after this Proclamation contrary to his Commandment of their presumptuous Mind take Wives and be married should run in his Grace's Indignation and suffer further Punishment and Imprisonment at his Grace's Will and Pleasure Dat. xvi Novembris Anno Regni sui xxx Wherein we may observe what a particular regard the King had for the Arch-bishop in relation to his Wife that the danger of the Proclamation might not reach him by limiting the Penalty not to such as were married and kept their Wives secretly but to such as should marry hereafter and such as kept them openly And we may observe further that it seemed to be in the King's Mind in due time to tolerate Marriages to Priests by Act of Parliament which that Clause seems to import that these Priests had married themselves without a common Consent of his Highness and his Realm And Bishop Ponet or whoever else was the Author of the Defence of Priests Marriage assures us that the King intended to permit Priests to take Wives knowing how necessary it was to grant that Liberty and he affirms that it was not unknown to divers that heard him speak oft of that Matter But was hindred by some jealous Councellors that pretended how ill the People would take it had it been done by his Authority The Sect of Anabaptists did now begin to pester this Church and would openly dispute their Principles in Taverns and publick places and some of them were taken up Many also of their Books were brought in and printed here also which was the cause that the King now set out a severe Proclamation against them and their Books To which he joined the Sacramentaries as lately with the other come into the Land Declaring That he abhorred and detested their Errors and that those that were apprehended he would make Examples Ordering that they should be detected and brought before the King or his Council and that all that were not should in eight or ten days depart the Kingdom This Proclamation may be read in the Appendix Num. VIII Where I have misplaced it A Commission also was then given out to the Arch-bishop to Iohn Bishop of Lincoln Rich. Bishop of Chichester and others against this Sect. Which Commission was signed at the bottom by Thomas Crumwel It was observed that the Parsons Vicars and Curates did read confusedly the Word of God and the King's Injunctions lately set forth and commanded by them to be read humming and hauking thereat that almost no Man could understand the meaning of the Injunction And they secretly suborned certain spreaders of Rumors and false Tales in Corners who interpreted the Injunctions to a false sense And because there was an Order that all Christnings Marriages and Burials should be registred from time to time and the Books surely kept in the Parish Churches they blew abroad that the King intended to make new Exactions at all Christnings Weddings and Burials adding that therein the King went about to take away the Liberties of the Realm for which they said Thomas a Becket died And they bad their Parishioners notwithstanding what they read being compelled so to do that they should do as they did in Times past to live as their Fathers and that the old Fashion is the best and other crafty and seditious Parables they gave out among them This forced the King to write his Letters to the Justices of Peace to take up such seditious Parsons Vicars and Curates And in these Letters is explained the true Reason of Thomas a Beckeâ—'s Contention with K. Henry II. As that he contended that none of the Clergy offending should be called to account or corrected but in the Bishop's Courts only and not by the Laws of the Realm and that no King should be Crowned but by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury only The Church of Hereford being now become vacant by the Death of Fox an excellent Instrument of the Reformation the Archbishop committed the custody of the Spiritualities to Hugh Coren Doctor of Canon Laws and Prebendary of that Church and by him visited the Church and Diocess and gave certain Injunctions to the Parsons Vicars and other Curats there These Injunctions as I find them in Cranmer's Register were eight in number Which I shall not here insert at large because they may be met with in the History of the Reformation But in short they enjoined the Observation of the King's Injunctions given by his Majesty's Commissaries in the Year 1536. They enjoined that they should have by the first of August a whole Bible in Latin and English or at least a New Testament in the same Languages That they should every day study one Chapter of the Bible or Testament conferring the Latin and English together and to begin at the beginning of the Book and so continue to the End That they should not discourage any Lay-men from reading the Bible but encourage them to it And to read it for the Reformation of their Lives and Knowledg of their Duty and not to be bold and presumptuous in judging of things before they have perfect Knowledg That they should both in their Preachings and Confessions and in other their Doings excite their Parishioners unto such Works as are commanded by God expresly Adding that for this God should demand of them a strict Reckoning And to teach them that other Works which they do of their own Devotion are not to be so highly esteemed as the other And that for the not doing them God will not ask any Account That no Friar have any Cure or Service in their Churches unless he were dispensed withal and licensed by the Ordinary That they admit no young Person to the Sacrament who never received it before unless such