Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	exercise_v	good_a	great_a	252	4	2.0921	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45326	The life & death of that renowned John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester comprising the highest and hidden transactions of church and state, in the reign of King Henry the 8th, with divers morall, historicall and political animadversions upon Cardinall Wolsey, Sir Thomas Moor, Martin Luther : with a full relation of Qu. Katharines divorce / carefully selected from severall ancient records by Tho. Baily ...	Hall, Richard, 1535 or 6-1604.; Henry VIII, King of England, 1491-1547. Testamentum.; Bayly, Thomas, d. 1657?	1655 (1655)	Wing H424; ESTC R230	97,933	254

I could do neither Whereupon they were both sent back to the Tower The King seeing these engines would not hold betook himself to the advice which the Lords had formerly given him and he re●used to take viz. of sending unto him men of his owne Coat to perswade with him in this businesse wherefore he sent for Dr. Stokesly Bishop of London St●phen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester Dr. Tunstall B●shop of Durham and commanded them to repaire immediately unto their Brother of Rochester and see what they could do and see they did it for he would have it done These men knowing there was no mercy to be had if they did not do their uttermost endeavour at the least to give the King all manner of satisfaction herein went to the Tower and dealt heartily with the Bishop in that businesse But before I will tell you what answer the Bishop made unto their importunities therein that you may the better know the miseries of those times you shall first understand that these very men after that this good man was dead and rotten perceiving this Supremacy to exercise its authority more and more untill at last it came to alteration of their Religion in point of Doctrine would often weep most bitterly and carelesse of themselves w●sh ●hat they had stuck to their Brother Fisher and not to have left him wholly to ●●mself as wickedly they did and not onely so bu● they would preach the same openly in their Pulpits and upon all other occasions and times of meeting and that b●fore the Lords of the 〈◊〉 and sometimes in the Kings hearing which d●●w great commiseration from their hearers and at last the K●ng hims●lfe to serious animadversions of what he had 〈◊〉 and at last to a rectification of what he 〈◊〉 he had done amisse by his 〈◊〉 enjoy●●g of the six maine Articl●s of 〈◊〉 R●lig●on which these Bishops 〈…〉 to be propounded unto al● his Subj●cts to be subscribed unto in which Religion the K. died and in the reign of K. E●w 6. when 〈◊〉 Supremacy was held in a 〈…〉 over a childs head being then 〈◊〉 before the Kings Commissioners and 〈◊〉 urged to proceed according to the fruits of those times they did not onely recant their former doings but suffered thems●lves to be d●prived of so great dignities and to endure the same prison where for the space of five years they had no other comfort but the expectation of that Martyrdome which might be an expiation to them of those errors which fear and worldly vanity had caus●d them to run into which resignation of themselves so willingly into the hands of Almighty God was answered with a me●cy which restored th●m unto their former liberties dignities and honours in the beginning of the reign of Qu. Mary But to return to my former story When the●e men had perswaded the good B●shop all they could to do what their owne conscience tol● th●m should not hav● been done the good B●sh●p made them this reply My Lords 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 me so much to be urged so sorely ●n a 〈◊〉 of this nature as it doth wound me grievously that I should be urged by you whom it concerns as much as 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 but defend your cause whiles you so plead against your selves it would 〈◊〉 become us all to stick together in repressing the violences and injuries which daily are obtruded upon our holy mother the Catholique Church whom we have all in common than thus divided amongst our selves to help on the mischief but I see judgement is begun at the house of God and I see no hope if we fall that the rest will stand you see we are besieged on every side and the fort is betrayed by those who should defend it and since We have made no better resistance We are not the men that shall see an end of these calamities wherefore I pray leave me to Almighty god in whom onely there is comfort which no man can deprive me of and for that you have so often told me of the Kings heavy displeasure agasnst me I pray remember my duty to his Grace and tell him I had rather exercise the duty that I owe unto his Grace in praying for him than in pleasing him in this kinde So they departed from him with heavy hearts and fad countenances and never came unto him any more Within a while after that the Bishops were thus gone the poore fellow his man that waited upon him being somewhat simple and hearing all the discourse began to take his Master in hand thinking he had not got reason enough to speak thus unto his Lord and Master Alas my Lord why should you stick said he with the King more than the rest of the B●shops which are learned and godly men Doubt ye not he requireth no more of you but onely that you would say he is Head of the Church and methinks that is no great matter for your Lordship may still think as you please whereat the Bishop fell into such a fit of laughter that he little thought he sh●●ld have laughed so much so long as he had a day to live but the man taking courage at this began to prosecute his begun discourse in a manner which he thought more serious which the Bishop cut short with this composure of jest and e●rnest Tush tush thou art but a foole and knows but little what belongs to this businesse but hereafter thou maist know more Alas poore fellow I know thou lovest me and speakest this out of simplicity and love together but I tell thee it is not onely for the Supremacy that I am thus tossed and tumbled but also for another Oath meaning the Oath of Succession which if I would have sworn unto I believe I should never have been much questioned for the Supremacy nor is it for these two that I stand out but for the ensuing evills that must necessarily follow hereupon And this thou maist say another day thou hast heard me speak when I am dead and gone Upon the 21. of May and in the yeare of our Lord 1535 Paul the third Pope of Rome hearing the fame of this good B●shops constancy and sufferings in defence of the Catholique Church at the solemn creation of Cardinalls in Rome in the first yeare of his consec●ation among divers other worthy and famous men he nominated this good Bishop Fisher for one that should be made a Cardinall where upon the same day before specified he also was intituled Sanct. Ro. Ecclesiae tituli Sancti vit pretriter Cardinalis This the Pope did for his great worth and merits sake thinking that by reason of the dignity and advancement of so high a degree of eminence that either the King would use him with more clemency for his dignity sake or else that he might thereby heap further trouble and danger upon the King if notwithstanding that dignity he continued such his displeasure against him and this was it that clean threw him over the perch and brought

it awhile requested that he might have some tim● to consid●r upon it the Commissioners consulting with themselves awhile granted him five daies to co●sider upon it and so dismissing him for the present whence he departed to his owne house in Lambeth Marsh. During which small time of his abode there there came divers of h●s friends rather to take their leaves of th●n to v●sit him among which one Mr. Seton and Mr. Bransby Substitutes of the Masters and Fellows of the two C●l●edges to which he had shewed himself so much their friend partly to salute him in the name of the two Societies and partly to d●sire his confirmation of their Statutes under his Seale which he had drawn long before but the Bishop desired to have some further time to consider of them as he intended alas said the two G●●tlemen we fear your time is now too short to read them before you go to prison It is no matter said the B●shop then I will read them in prison that will hardly be permitted said the Trustees if you come once there then Gods will be done said the Bishop for I shall hardly be drawn to put my seale to that which I have not well considered of howsoever said he if the worst should happen there is Mr. Cowper a worthy reverend man and a Bachelour in Divinity that hath the copy of the same Statutes which I have if I do not or cannot according to my desire peruse them I will give it you under my Seale that if you like them that shall be unto you a confirmation for I am p●rswaded that one time or other those Statutes will take place and accordingly it hapned for when this Master Cowper long after the imprisonment and death of the B●shop of Rochester and the change and alteration of the times which had made Rel●gion Lords and Lawes all new commi●ted this Book of Statutes to the custody of one M. T Watson a man that afterwards came to great honor estimation for his profound learning was afterwards elected to the Mastership o● S. Iohn's Colledge and afterwards to the Bishoprick of London who as the B●shop of Rochester foretold restored them to the house who admitted them as their onely Lawes whereby they were wholy governed during the reign of Queen Mary The time being come when the good Bishop was to give an account of the Premises he presen●ed himself before the Comm●ssioners ●cqu●inting them how that he had perused the Oath with as good deliberation as he could but as they had framed it he could not with any safety to his owne conscience subscribe thereto except they would give him leave to alter it in some particulars whereby his owne conscience might be the better satisfied The King pleased and his actions rather justified and Warranted by Law To this they all made answer that the King would not in any wise permit that the Oath should admit any exceptions or alterations whatsoever and s●●d the Bishop of Canterbury you must answer directly whether you will or you will not subscribe then said the Bishop of Rochester if you will needs have me answer directly my answer is that foasmuch as my own conscience cannot be satisfied I absolutely refuse the Oath Whereupon he was immediately sent to the Tower of London which was upon Tuesday the 26. of April in the year of our Lord God 1534. and upon the 25. year of the Kings reign being the last of his reign for that year Thus the Remora to the Kings proceedings in this kind being removed the Ship went merrily along for all things being fitted for a Parliament there was a Parliament which was ●itted for all things immediately called upon the 26. year of the Kings reign and upon the 23. day of Novemb. which wrought above nine wonders lasting but fifteen daies wherein the Bishop of Rochester's imprisonment was voted lawfull and all other men their imprisonments good and lawfull that should refuse to take the foresaid Oath which authority before was wanting also another Statute was ●nacted whereby the Supremacy of the Church of England was given unto the King his Heires and Successors to have and enjoy the same as a title and stile to his imperiall Crown with all Honours Jurisdictions Authorities and Priviledges thereunto belonging with full power and authority as himselfe listeth to visit represse redresse reforme order correct restraine and amend all Heresies Abuses Errors and Offences whatsoever they were as fully and as amply as the same might or ought to be done or corrected by any spirituall authority or jurisdiction whatsoever and that without the clause or condition of quantum per legem Dei lieet which was as contrary to the Kings promise to the Convocation-house as it was answerable to what the good Bishop forewarned the Cl●rgie of whiles he 〈◊〉 amongst them And thus whiles the K●ng acted the Pope the Bishop became a Prophet This Act being once passed the King required them to passe another Act viz. That if any manner of Person whatsoever should by word or deed presume to deny the title of Supremacy that then every such person so offending should be reputed and adjudged as an high Traitour and suffer and abide such losses and paines as in ●ases of high Treason is provided CHAP. XX. 1. The King sends divers learned Bishops to perswade with the Bishop of Rochester to take the Oath 2. The Bishop of Rochester answers unto the Bishops 3. Sir Thomas Moore committed to the same prison 4. The comfort which they received in each other 5. Their lettters intercepted and the Bishops man committed to close prison therefore 6. The simple yet m●rry question which he ●ade thereupon 7. The Lord Chancelour with divers other great Lords sent by the King to perswade the Bishop BUt when that businesse came to be discussed in the Parliament-house the Commons themselves began to think it a very hard Law an● full of rigour for said they a man may chance to say such a thing by way of discourse or such a word may fall from a man negligently or unawares all of them as yet not otherwise able but to think it a strange thing that a man should die for saying the King was not the head of the Church which debate held them many daies at last the King sent them word that except it could be proved that the party spake it malitiously the Statute should not be of any force to condemn So the word MALICIOVSLY was put in and it passed currently which afterwards served to as much purpose as the words Quantum per legem Dei licet And During the Bishops hard and close imprisonment the King as he had at several other times so done sent divers of the Privi●-councel as well Bishops as others to perswade the B●shop of Rochester to take the oath of Succ●ssion after that the B●shop had suffered a great deale of Rhetorique to come from them he thus spake unto them My very good friends and