greatest Blemishes of his Life For now the Popish Party thinking what a piece of Glory it would be to gain this great Man to their Church used all Means all Arts as well as Arguments to bring him to recant They set the Doctors of the University upon him He was entertained at the Dean of Christs-Church his Lodging There they treated him with good Fare They got him to Bowls with them They let him have his Pleasure in taking the Air. Sometimes they accosted him with Arguments and Disputations Sometimes by Flatteries Promises and Threatnings They told him The Noble-men bare him good Will that his Return would be highly acceptable to the King and Queen That he should enjoy his former Dignity in the Church or if it liked him better he should lead a quiet Life in more privacy And that it was but setting his Name in two Words in a piece of Paper They told him the Queen was resolved to have Cranmer a Catholick or no Cranmer at all That he was still lusty and strong and might live many a Year more if he would not willingly cut off his own Life by the terrible Death of Burning He rejected these Temptations a long while but at last was overcome and yielded The Recantation I shall not repeat it being to be seen at large in Fox It was signed by his Hand The Witnesses thereunto were two or three who had been exceedingly busy in tampering with him One Sydal a great Professor in the last Reign and Iohn and Richard two Spanish Friars The Doctors and Prelats caused this Recantation speedily to be printed and dispersed When the Queen saw his Subscription she was glad of it but would not alter her Determination to have him burned by the instigation as I suppose of Pole the Legat. The Writ for which was sent down by Hethe Lord Chancellor in the latter end of February under the Broad Seal It was charged upon his Converters that they were negligent in procuring his Life from the Queen But the true Reason was the Queen was resolved not to grant it She privately gave Instruction to Cole to prepare a Sermon to preach at his Burning And several Lords and other Justices of the Peace in those Parts were ordered to attend there with their Servants and Retinue to keep Peace and to see him Executed Cole coming with his Errand to Oxon visited him in the Prison and asked him if he stood firm to what he had subscribed This was the Day before his Execution but saying nothing to him of his determined Death The next Day being the Day he was to be burned viz. March 21. he came again and asked him if he had any Money And having none he gave him certain Crowns to bestow to what Poor he would and so departed exhorting him to Con-Constancy But the disconsolate Arch-bishop perceived to what this tended and being by and by to be brought to S. Mary's where Cole was to preach there openly to confess what he had more privately subscribed he resolved with himself to disburden his Conscience and to revoke his Recantation And he prepared a Prayer and a Declaration of his Faith which he drew up in writing and carried it privately along with him to make use of it when he saw his Occasion The manner how he behaved himself after Cole's Sermon and how he delivered his last Mind and with what Bitterness and Tears he did it and how he was pulled down by the Scholars Priests and Friars with the greatest Indignation at this their Disappointment and how he was led out of the Church forthwith to the Place of Burning over against Baliol College and how he there first put his right Hand into the Flames to be consumed for that base Subscription that it made and how his Heart was found whole and unconsumed in the Ashes after he was burnt These and the rest of the Particulars of his Martyrdom I might leave to Fox and other Historians from him to relate Yet because it is not convenient so briefly to pass over such a remarkable Scene of his Life being his last appearance upon the Stage of this World I shall represent it in the Words of a certain grave Person unknown but a Papist who was an Eye and Ear-Witness and related these Matters as it seems very justly in a Letter from Oxon to his Friend Which is as followeth But that I know for our great Friendship and long-continued Love you look even of Duty that I should signify to you of the Truth of such things as here chanceth among us I would not at this time have written to you the unfortunate End and doubtful Tragedy of T. C. late Bishop of Canterbury Because I little pleasure take in beholding of such heavy Sights And when they are once overpassed I like not to reherse them again being but a renewing of my Wo and doubling my Grief For although his former Life and wretched End deserves a greater Misery if any greater might have chanced than chanced unto him yet setting aside his Offences to God and his Country and beholding the Man without his Faults I think there was none that pitied not his Case and bewailed his Fortune and feared not his own Chance to see so noble a Prelat so grave a Counsellor of so long-continued Honour after so many Dignities in his old Years to be deprived of his Estate adjudged to die and in so painful a Death to end his Life I have no delight to increase it Alas it is too much of it self that ever so heavy a Case should betide to Man and Man to deserve it But to come to the matter On Saturday last being the 21 th of March was his Day appointed to die And because the Morning was much Rainy the Sermon appointed by Mr. Dr. Cole to be made at the Stake was made in S. Mary's Church Whither Dr. Cranmer was brought by the Mayor and Aldermen and my Lord Williams With whom came divers Gentlemen of the Shire Sir T. A Bridges Sir Iohn Browne and others Where was prepared over against the Pulpit an high Place for him that all the People might see him And when he had ascended it he kneeled down and prayed weeping tenderly which moved a great number to Tears that had conceived an assured hope of his Conversion and Repentance Then Mr. Cole began his Sermon The sum whereof was this First He declared Causes why it was expedient that he should suffer notwithstanding his Reconciliation The chief are these One was for that he had been a great cause of all this Alteration in this Realm of England And when the Matter of the Divorce between King Henry VIII and Queen Katharine was commenced in the Court of Rome he having nothing to do with it set upon it as Judg which was the entry to all the Inconveniences that followed Yet in that he excused him that he thought he did it not of Malice but by the Perswasions and
augmentation of Gods mercy and gracious promise to al men that receive it in the Faith of Christ Jesu with hatred of sin and intent purpose and mind to live always a vertuous life And that is the very Transubstantiation and change that God delighteth in in the use of the Sacraments most that we should earnestly and from the bottome of our hearts be converted into Christ and Christs holy commandments to live a christen life and to dy from sin as he gave us example both by his life and doctrin and meaneth not that the bread and wine should in substance be turned or converted into the substance of his body and bloud or that the substance of the bread should be taken away and in the place therof to be the substance matter and corporal presence of Christs corporal holy humane and natural body Item That the same holy word of God doth confess hold defend acknowledg and maintain that the very natural substantial real and corporal body of Christ concerning his humanity is only and soly in heaven and not in the Sacrament and Communion of his precious body and bloud But whosoever worthily with true repentance and lively faith in the promise of God receiveth that holy Sacrament receiveth Sacramentally by faith al the mercies riches merits and deservings that Christ hath deserved and paid for in his holy bloud and passion And that is to eat Christ and to drink Christ in the holy Sacrament to confirm and Seal Sacramentally in our Souls Gods promises of eternal Salvation that Christ deserved for us not in or by his body eaten but by and for his body slain and killed upon the Cross for our Sinns as S. Paul saith Col. 1. Eph. 1.3 Ebru 2.7 8 9 10. As for eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud really corporally materially and substantially it is but a carnal and gross opinion of man besides and contrary to the word of God and the articles of our faith and christen religion that affirmeth his corporal departure from th earth placeth it in heaven above at the right hand of God the father Almighty and keepeth retaineth holdeth and preserveth the same corporal body of Christ there til the general day of judgment as the word declareth From thence he shal come to judge the quick and the dead And that heretofore I have been in the contrary opinion and believed my self and also have taught other to believe the same that there remained no substance of bread and wine in the Sacrament but the very self same body and bloud of Christ Jesu that was born of the blessed Virgin Mary and hanged upon the Cross I am with al my heart sorry for mine error and false opinion detesting and forsaking the same from the bottome of my heart and desire God most heartily in and for the merits of his dear sons passion to forgive me and al them that have erred in the same false opinion by and through my means Praying them in the tender compassion and great mercies of God now to follow me in truth verite and singleness of Gods most true word as they were contented to follow me in error superstition and blindness and be no more ashamed to turn to the truth then they were ready to be corrupted by falshood If the holy Apostle S. Paul and the great Clerk S. Augustine with many mo Noble and vertuous members of Christs church were not ashamed to returne acknowledge and confess their error and evil opinions what am I miserable creature of the world inferior unto them both in knowledg holines and learning that should be ashamed to do the same Nay I do in this part thank God and rejoyce from the bottome of my heart that God hath revealed unto me the truth of his word and geven me leave to live so long to acknowledg my fault and error and do here before you protest that from henceforth I will with al diligence and labor study to set forth this mine amended knowledg and reconciled truth as long as I live by the help of God in the holy Ghost through the merits of Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate To whom be al honor for ever and ever Amen Subscribed and confirmed 29 of April 1551. in the presence of John Bp. of Gloucester and divers other ther present NUM LXIV The Archbishop to the Lords of the Councel concerning the Book of Articles of Religion AFter my veray humble recommendations unto your good Lordeships I have sent unto the same the boke of Articles which yesterday I receyved from your Lordeships I have sent also a Cedule inclosed declarynge briefly my minde upon the said boke besechynge your Lordeshipps to be means unto the Kyngs Majestie that al the Bushops may have authority from hym to cause all their Prechers Archdecons Deans Prebendaries Parsons Vicars Curates with al their Clergie to subscribe to the said articles And than I trust that such a concorde and quyetness in religion shal shortely follow therof as ells is not to be loked for many years God shal therby be glorified his truth shal be avaunced and your Lordeships shal be rewarded of hym as the setters forward of his true word and gospel Unto whom is my dayly prayer without ceasynge to preserve the Kynges Majestie with al your honorable Lordeships From my house at Forde the 24 of this present month of November Your Lordeshipps ever to commaunde T. Cant. To my veray good Lordes of the Kinges Majestie his most honor able Councel NUM LXV The Archbishop nominates certain persons for an Irish Archbishoprick To my veray Lovinge friende Sir William Cecyl Knight one of the Kinges Majesties principal Secretaries THough in England there be many meete men for the Archbushopricks of Ireland yet I knowe veraye fewe that wil gladlie be perswaded to go thither Nevertheless I have sent unto you the names of iiij Viz. Mr. Whiteheade of Hadley Mr. Tourner of Caunturbury Sir Thomas Rosse and Sir Robert Wisdome Which being ordinarily called I thincke for conscience sake wil not refuse to bestowe the talent committed unto theim wheresoever it shal please the Kinges Majestie to appoincte theim Among whom I take Mr. Whiteheade for his good knowledge special honestie fervent zeale and politick wisdome to be most meete And next him Mr. Tourner who besides that hee is merry and witty withal nihil appetit nihil ardet nihil somniat nisi Iesum Christum and in the lively preaching of him and his wourde declareth such diligence faithfulness and wisdom as for the same deservithe much commendation There is also one Mr. Whitacre a man both wise and wel learned Chaplain to the Bushopp of Winchester veray meet for that office if he might be perswaded to take it upon him I pray you commend me unto Mr. Cheke and declare unto him that myn ague whither it were a quotidian or a double tertian wherof my Physitions doubted hath left me these two dayes and so I
such men should be driven from them provided they do reside a good part of the year upon their Churches V. Since the Dispensation of two or three benefices hath been granted by former Princes to some Priests for the merit of their life and maners they cannot without injury be deprived of them Nor yet can they in al respects reside personally and perpetually VI. When many have designed their sons for the Universities and have been at no smal charges to give them learning because they have entertained good hope that they might hereafter be assistant to their friends and relations this hope being gone their care about this matter wil also grow cold otherwise of it self cold enough For as he said Where there is no honor there is no Art VII The houses of the Rectories in many places are either ruined or none at al or let out by Indentures Going to the Court of Rome Going to a General Councel Going to a Synod or Parlament Violent detaining Remedies That there be a les number of those that follow the Court who heap up benefices upon benefices That they who have many Benefices reside a certain time upon each That a way be found wherby such as live in Towns and Cities may be forced to pay Personal tiths Which being now almost quite taken a way the Benefices in such places are in a great part lessened When some of the Bishops by reason of the slendernes of their possessions cannot afford Stipends to the Priests their fellow laborers that they who serve them reside for a certain time of the year in their own parishes That Rectors who heretofore have payd pensions to Monasteries in ready mony be not now compelled to pay the same in bread-corn to Lay-proprietors That in Woody places where the custome hath alwayes obtained tith may be payd of Sylvae caeduae that is Wood that is cut to grow again especially when there is a great scarcity of corn in such places Parishes are not divided jure divino Whence followeth that as many Benefices may be layd into one so one by reason of the greatnes of it may be divided into two NUM LXXXIX Pole Cardinal Legate to Archbishop Cranmer in answer to the Letter he had sent to the Queen ALmighty God the Father by the grace of his only son god and man that dyed for our sins may geve yow trew and perfect repentance This I daylie pray for my self being a Synner but I thank God never obstinate synner And the same grace the more earnestly I do pray for to be geven to them that be obstinate the more neade they have thereof being otherwise past al mannes cure and admonition to save them As your open sayings in open audience doyth show of yow Which hath cawsed that those judges that hath syt apon the examination of your greviouse fautes seing no lykelod of ony repentaunce in yow hath utterlie cast awaye al hope of your recoverie Whereof doith follow the most horrible sentence of condempnation both of your body and soule both your temporal death and eternal Which is to me so great an horrour to here that if there were ony way or mean or fashion that I might fynd to remove you from errour bryngeng yow to the knowledge of the truth for your Salvation This I testifie to you afore God apon the Salvation of myne owne sowle that I would rather chuse to be that meane that yow might receive this benefyt by me then to receive the greatest benefyt for my self that can be geven under heaven in this world I easteme so moch the salvation of one sowle And becawse it happened to me to see your private lettres directed to the Qwenes Highnes sent by the same unto me wherein you utter and express such appearaunt reasons that cause yow to swarve from the rest of the Church in these Articles of the authoritie of the Pope and of the Sacrament of the aulter Concluding with these words That if ony man can show yow by reason that the authoritie of the Pope be not prejudicyal to the wealth of the realm or that your doctrine in the Sacrement be erroneous then you wold never be so perverse to stond wylfullie in your own opinion but shal with al humilitie submytt your self to the truthe in al things and gladly embrace the same Thise your words written in that lettre geveth me some occasion desyring your wealth not utterly to dispayr thereof but to attempt to recover yow by the same way that yow open unto me Which is by reason to show yow the error of your opinion and withal the light of the treuthe in both causes But whither this may healp yow indede or bring you to revoke the same with trew repentaunce this I know not and I fear moche the contrarie For that I see the ground and begynning how you fel into errour in both thise articles not to be of that sort that maketh men commonly to fall into errours and heresies Which sort and way is by medling with your wyt and discourse natural to examen the Articles of the faith Makeing your reason judge thereof which ought to bee judged and ruled by the tradition of the faith Which abuse causeth men dayly to fall into errours and heresies And the same also is in yow and is joyned with that yow have done But here standeth not the grownde of your errour nor yet in this other common maner of faulling from the trouthe which S. Paul noteth in the Gentiles and is in al meâ— commonlie that followeth their sensual appetites Qui veritatem Dâ—i in injustitia detinent Which thing also hath been occasion of your â—rrour But yet not this is the very grownde thereof but a further sawte that you geveng your othe to the truthe yow mocked with the same as the Iewes mocked with Christ when thei saluted him saing Ave Rex Iudaeorum and afterwards did crucifie hym For so did yow to the Vicar of Christ Knowledgeng the Pope of Rome by the words of your othe to be so and in mynde entendeng to crucifie the same authoritie Whereof came the plague of deape ignoraunce and blyndnes unto yow Which is now that bringeth you to this greivous peryl to perish both bodie and sowle From which peril no reason can deliver yow But yow discovereng your self touching the entrie when yow shuld make the customable othe of al legitimate Busshops in Christendom which is the dore for you to entre to the service of God in the highest spiritual office withyn this realme and seeing you made the same but for a countenaunce nothing meaneng to observe that yow promised by the othe this is a dore that every thieffe may entre bye This is not the dore that thei entre by that mean earnestlie the service of God Wherein the Prophets sentence is playne askeng this question Quis ascendet in montem Domini aut quis stabit in loco sancto ejus And then answering to the same
what just and fair ways it went on and how it prevailed like Christianity at first notwithstanding the great Opposition it met with and what sort of men they were such as Gardiner and Boner who especially set themselves to stop it Moreover Reading the Lives of Exemplary Men and such as were Famous in their Generation hath a great Vertue in it to influence the Manners of men Their wise Saying◠their discreet Behaviour their just Management of Matters committed to their trust their Zeal their Charity their Awe of God their Contempt of the World and such like are not only delightful to read or hear but do insensibly instil into mens minds a secret Approbation thereof and draw them on to an Imitation This Land hath produced many admirable men the Knowledg of whom and the Benefit of whose Examples is utterly lost for want of some Writers to leave their Memory unto the World It was a thing complained of in the last Age That as that Age abounded more in Writers than any Age before it so there were very few that set themselves to Pen the Lives of Excellent men as Samuel the Learned and Worthy Son of Iohn Fox spake But he ever thought it as he said most unjust notwithstanding to deprive the world of the memory of matters done by them by whose Labours and worthy Deeds the common state of the Countrey was so much bettered And if the Use of History as the same Author saith is to form the Lives and Manners of men that being the chief end of History then I add No part of History doth more promote this than the History of the Deeds of Famous men It was another great Inducement to me to let this Work see the light to be grateful to the Memory of this Holy Prelate that hath so well deserved of this Church and to whom under God she oweth that Excellent Constitution and Reformed State in which she is which cost him so dear so many Pensive Thoughts so many long hours Study so many Consultations and Debates with Learned men so much Correspondence abroad so many Speeches Arguments and Strugglings in the Parliament in the Convocation before the King the Clergy the People so much Danger and Trouble and Envy and Reproach and at last his dearest Blood Posterity would be highly injurious to such a Person as this if he should not be recorded with all due Respect and Honour It was a commendable Practice of the Ancient Persians to write in Records the Names and good Deeds of such as had deserved well of the King and Kingdom to remain for ever And these Records Kings themselves did sometimes use to read The King Ahasuerus called one Night for them to be read to him to entertain his waking hours Esther VI. And Xerxes in an Epistle of his to Pausanias extant in Thucidides told him That his Good Deed was upon Record in his Palace for ever For these Records were esteemed so precious that they were kept within the Walls of the Palace And this Custom of Writing up the Remembrance of Men of Merit seemed also to be among the Iews Thus it is said of Iudas Macchabeus That the Remembrance of him was for a blessing for ever To which does I suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Book of Remembrance or Record allude in Mal. III. 16. that was written for those that feared God and thought on his name And surely it is agreeable to God's Will that this Piece of Gratitude should be shewn to men of singular Vertue deceased to keep their Names and Good Deeds upon Record for Posterity to know and to thank God for And this Office of Love and Duty seems highly convenient to be done towards Archbishop Cranmer that something might appear in the world for his Vindication under those many base Aspersions and lying Insinuations that are and have been Printed by Papists to defame and blacken him to Posterity One of them hath these words which shew that he cared not what he said so he might but throw his dirt upon the chief Lights of the Reformation The very Pillars of this Rank which he names to be Luther Bucer P. Martyr Cranmer Ridley Latimer Hooper Rogers Farrar Taylor Tyndal all Married Priests and Friars but some of them were never Friars and others never Married were men given to their Sensualities both of Women and other like their Commodities after the fashion of other ordinary men Neither is there recounted any one eminent Action in all their Lives that I have read either of chastening their Bodies mortifying their Appetites contemning the World and the Pleasures thereof while they might have and use the same or finally any more excellent Spirit in them above the rest or of any supernatural Concurrence of God with their Actions in any one thing But did he converse so much in Fox as to undertake in one or two Books to answer and confute him and his Martyrs and yet doth he meet with nothing there of none of these men in that Martyrology but what was Ordinary to other men and that shewed not some more excellent Spirit to be in them It is a sign he read but little there or read with a cankered mind This ensuing Book shall effectually confute these Misreports and Slanders of Cranmer one of these Pillars as he calls them and shall abundantly make it appear That he was no Sensualist nor addicted notwithstanding his High Place to the Pleasures and Commodities of this world and that his Life shone bright by his many eminent Actions of Piety Mortification Contempt of the world and that he was of a more excellent Spirit than that of the ordinary rank of men and that for some Ages there scarce arose his Fellow and finally that he must needs have some supernatural Concurrence and mighty Aid of God's Grace with him in many of the Affairs that passed through his hands III. The Third thing remains which is indeed the main matter that makes an History of any account and that is What Credit may be given to what I have writ For if it stand not upon the Foot of Truth it is not History but a Romance a Legend a mere Tale. And here I remember what Iohn Fox said to Alan Cope concerning an History-Controuler which is as true of an History-Writer If you will be a Controuler in Story-matters Diligence is required and great searching out of Books and Authors not only of our time but of all Ages and especially where matters of Religion are touched pertaining to the Church it is not sufficient to say what Fabian or what Hall saith but Records must be sought and Registers must be turned over Letters also and ancient Instruments ought to be perused and Authors with the same compared finally the Writers among themselves one to be compared with another and so with Judgment to be weighed with Diligence to be laboured and with Simplicity pure from all Addiction and Partiality to be uttered
their Pain But because the Place where they be the Name thereof and kinds of Pain there is to us uncertain by Scripture therefore we remit this with all other things to Almighty God unto whose Mercies it is meet to commend them That such Abuses be put away which under the Name of Purgatory have been advanced As to make Men believe that through the Bishop of Rome's Pardons Souls might clearly be delivered out of Purgatory and the Pains of it or that Masses said at Scala Coeli or otherwise in any Place or before any Image might deliver them from all their Pains and send them streight to Heaven These are the Contents of that memorable Book of Articles There are Reasons added now and then to confirm the respective Tenets there laid down and many Quotations of Holy Scripture which for brevity sake I have omitted Which one may conjecture to have been inserted by the Pen of the Arch-bishop Who was the great Introducer of this Practice of proving or confuting Opinions in Religion by the Word of God instead of the ordinary Custom then used of doing it by School-men and Popish Canons We find indeed many Popish Errors here mixed with Evangelical Truths Which must either be attributed to the Defectiveness of our Prelate's Knowledg as yet in True Religion or being the Principles and Opinions of the King or both Let not any be offended herewith but let him rather take notice what a great deal of Gospel-Doctrine here came to light and not only so but was owned and propounded by Authority to be believed and practised The Sun of Truth was now but rising and breaking through the thick Mists of that Idolatry Superstition and Ignorance that had so long prevailed in this Nation and the rest of the World and was not yet advanced to its Meridian Brightness CHAP. XII Cranmer's Iudgment about some Cases of Matrimony IN this Year then came forth two remarkable Books whereof both the King and the Arch-bishop and Bishops might be said to be joint Composers In as much as they seemed to be devised by the Arch-bishop and some of the Bishops and then Revised Noted Corrected and Enlarged by the King The one of these was the Book of Articles of Religion mentioned before This Book bore this Title Articles devised by the King's Highness to stable Christian Quietness and Vnity among the People c. With a Preface by the King Where the King saith he was constrained to put his own Pen to the Book and to conceive certain Articles Which words I leave to the Conjecture of the Reader whether by them he be enclined to think that the King were the first Writer of them or that being writ and composed by another they were perused considered corrected and augmented by his Pen. The other Book that came out this Year was occasioned by a Piece published by Reginald Pole intituled De Vnione Ecclesiastica Which inveighing much against the King for assuming the Supremacy and extolling the Pope unmeasurably he employed the Arch-bishop and some other Bishops to compile a Treatise shewing the Usurpations of Popes and how late it was e're they took this Superiority upon them some hundred Years passing before they did it And that all Bishops were limited to their own Diocesses by one of the eight Councils to which every Pope did swear And how the Papal Authority was first derived from the Emperor and not from Christ. For this there were good Arguments taken from the Scriptures and the Fathers The Book was signed by both the Arch-bishops and nineteen other Bishops It was called the Bishops Book because devised by them The Lord Crumwel did use to consult with the Arch-bishop in all his Ecclesiastical Matters And there happened now while the Arch-bishop was at Ford a great Case of Marriage Whom it concerned I cannot tell but the King was desirous to be resolved about it by the Arch-bishop and commanded Crumwel to send to him for his Judgment therein The Case was three-fold I. Whether Marriage contracted or solemnized in Lawful Age per Verba de presenti and without carnal Copulation be Matrimony before God or no II. Whether such Matrimony be consummate or no And III. What the Woman may thereupon demand by the Law Civil after the death of her Husband This I suppose was a cause that lay before the King and his Ecclesiastical Vicegerent to make some determination of And I suspect it might relate to Katharine his late divorced Queen The Arch-bishop who was a very good Civilian as well as a Divine but that loved to be wary and modest in all his Decisions made these Answers That as to the first he and his Authors were of Opinion that Matrimony contracted per Verba de presenti was perfect Matrimony before God 2. That such Matrimony is not utterly consummated as that term is commonly used among the School-Divines and Lawyers but by carnal Copulation 3. As to the Woman's Demands by the Law Civil he therein professed his Ignorance And he had no learned Men with him there at Ford to consult with for their Judgments only Dr. Barbar a Civilian that he always retained with him who neither could pronounce his Mind without his Books and some learned Men to confer with upon the Case But he added that he marvelled that the Votes of the Civil Lawyer should be required herein seeing that all manner of Causes of Dower be judged within this Realm by the Common Laws of the same And that there were plenty of well-learned Men in the Civil Law at London that undoubtedly could certify the King's Majesty of the Truth herein as much as appertained unto that Law warily declining to make any positive Judgment in a Matter so ticklish This happened in the month of Ianuary And indeed in these Times there were great Irregularities about Marriage in the Realm many being incestuous and unlawful Which caused the Parliament two or three Years past viz 1533. in one of their Acts to publish a Table of Degrees wherein it was prohibited by God's Law to marry But the Act did not cure this Evil many thought to bear out themselves in their illegal Contracts by getting Dispensations from the Arch-bishop which created him much trouble by his denying to grant them There was one Massy a Courtier who had contracted himself to his deceased Wife's Niece Which needing a Dispensation the Party got the Lord Crumwel to write to the Arch-bishop in his behalf especially because it was thought to be none of the Cases of Prohibition contained in the Act. But such was the Integrity of the Arch-bishop that he refused to do any thing he thought not allowable though it were upon the perswasion of the greatest Men or the best Friends he had But he writ this civil Letter to the Lord Crumwel upon this occasion MY very singular good Lord in my most hearty-wise I commend me unto your Lordship And whereas your
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-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
of Superstition flowed in such a plentiful measure from the Egyptians as might easily be proved and thence derived themselves first to the Greeks then to the Romans and afterwards to our Times through that Sink of Popery that that single worthy Counsel and Remedy of those most Learned Men enjoined for the enlarging and spreading of Learning should be debarred us to follow and that by such as were either unlearned themselves or superstitious Men Whereby the best Wits received so great Prejudice and Dammage That none knew better than his Lordship whence this Custom arose by whom cherished and by what kind of Men brought down to us And lastly how unwholsome and unfit all eating of Flesh was in the Spring-time And that he might obtain this Favour he would use it without giving Offence or making any common Speech of it with Quietness and Silence with Abstinence and Thanksgiving This Letter he got his Friend Poinet the Arch-bishop's Chaplain the same I suppose who after was Bishop of Winchester to put into his Grace's Hand and to further his Request what he could The Issue whereof was to his Heart's desire For though the Arch-bishop knew him not nor was easily drawn to dispence with the Church's Ancient Discipline and Rites yet he received his Suit with all Humanity and such he found to be the Modesty and Ingenuity of the Man and what he requested to be grounded upon such reasonable and just Causes that he readily yielded to it And whether he thought it out of his Power to grant a Licence of that Latitude to discharge a Person for all Time to come from the Obligation of keeping Lent or to avert the Censure he might incur if he should have done it by his own Authority or reckoning it a Matter of Law rather than Religion he put himself to the trouble of procuring the King's Licence under the Privy Seal for this Man And when he had done that considering an Academick's Poverty he released him of the whole Charges of taking it out paying all the Fees himself and so conveyed it to him by Dr. Tayler the Master of his College And indeed the Arch-bishop's Opinion concerning Lent made way for his more ready yielding to Ascham's Request For he held the keeping of Lent as founded in a Positive Law rather than as a Religious Duty and thought it necessary that so the People should be taught and instructed As appears by his Articles of Visitation in the second Year of King Edward One whereof ran thus That enquiry should be made whether the Curats had declared and to their Wit and Power had perswaded the People that the manner and kind of Fasting in Lent and other Days in the Year was but a meer positive Law And that therefore all Persons having just Cause of Sickness or other Necessity or being licensed by the King's Majesty may moderately eat all kind of Meat without grudg or scruple of Conscience The same Ascham knowing well how the Arch-bishop's Mind stood affected to Cambridg his old Nurse and how well he wish'd it for the sake of Religion acquainted him with the State of the University about the beginning of King Edward's Reign and the Course of the Studies that were then used That there were very many began to affect the Study of Divinity A new Study it seems then the Pope's Laws and the School-men having before employed the Heads of almost all That the Doctrines of Original Sin and Predestination were much canvased But many went rather according to Pighius highly applauding him than according to S. Augustin though he exceeded all others that either went before or followed after him for the excellency of his Wit and Learning and the greatness of his Industry and Opportunities That others among them made the reading of God's Word their daily Exercise And for the helping their Understandings in the sense of it they made use of and adhered to the Judgment of S. Augustin chiefly and studied hard the Tongues The Knowledg of Languages began to be affected And such as studied them were reckoned the best Masters as qualifying them best for teaching of others or understanding themselves That for Oratory they plied Plato and Aristotle from whose Fountains among the Greeks Loquens illa prudentia as he stiled Oratory that speaking Prudence might be fetched And to these among the Latins they added Cicero They conversed also in Herodotus Thucididâ—s and Xenophon the three Lights of Chronology Truth and Greek Eloquence and which brought a great Lustre to their other Studies The Greek Poets which they took delight in were Homer Sophocles and Euripides the one the Fountain the two others the Streams of all Eloquence and Learned Poetry Which they were of Opinion did more largely water their other Studies than Terence or Virgil which in some former Years were chiefly read Thus was the Method of University-Studies altered so much for the better from reading the Schoolmen and Metaphysical Niceties the Pope's Canons and Decretals to converse in politer and more manly Learning which tended so much to solid Knowledg and preparation of Mens Minds to the Entertainment of the Gospel The great setter on foot of this ingenuous Learning in the University was Sir Iohn Cheke of S. Iohn's College now preferred to be the King's Tutor a Person for whom the Arch-bishop had a very tender Love and affectionate Kindness For so Ascham writ to him in his former Letter That many had addicted themselves to this course of Study by the Aid and Conduct Example and Counsel of that excellent Man And that they bore the better his going from them to the Court who had brought them on in so good a Course because they knew their Disprofit was abundantly recompensed by the Profit and Safety that would accrue to the whole Common-wealth by him Applying that of Plato to him Plurimum Reip. interesse ut unus aliquis existat semper praestans excellensque Vir ad cujus virtutis imitationem caeteri voluntate industria studio spe erecti totos sese effingant accommodent Afterwards he acquainted the most Reverend Person to whom he wrote with those things which proved great Hindrances to the flourishing Estate of the University that by his Counsel and Authority if possible they might be redressed And they were two The one was That they wanted elderly Men very few such remaining among them by whose Example the younger Sort might be excited to study and by whose Authority the Manners of the rest might be rightly formed and fashioned The other Impediment was occasioned by such as were admitted Who were for the most part only the Sons of Rich Men and such as never intended to pursue their Studies to that degree as to arrive at any eminent Proficiency and Perfection in Learning but only the better to qualify themselves for some Places in the State by a slighter and more superficial Knowledg The Injury accruing thence to the University was double both
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-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
be a Prey Which he calls Malum sanè intolerabile And of the same thing and not long after viz. Iuly 1551. he admonished the Duke of Somerset in a French Letter all of his own hand-writing which because of the Antiquity of it and the Matter it treats of referring to our Church and not being among his printed Epistles I have added in the Appendix In which Letter he excites the Duke to take care that there might be fit and able Ministers fixed in Parishes to teach the People The want whereof he attributed to two Causes The one whereof he made to lie in the Universities and the other in the Matter that we are speaking of That the Revenue of the Cures was withdrawn and dispersed away So that there was nothing to maintain good Men who were fit to perform the Office of true Pastors And hence it came to pass that ignorant Priests were put in which made great Confusion For the Quality of the Persons begat great Contempt of God's Word Advising the Duke to endeavour to bring those that had these Spiritual Possessions to be willing to part with them in as much as they could not prosper in defrauding God's People of their Spiritual Food which they did by hindring the Churches of good Pastors Bucer the King's Divinity-Professor at Cambridg was this Year engaged in a publick Disputation as his Collegue Peter Martyr the King's Professor at Oxon had been there the last Before this Disputation happened Bucer communicated his Purpose to his said Collegue and Friend Who having sufficient experience of the vain-glorious Ends of the Papists in these kinds of Disputations and of their unfair Dealings advised him in a Letter not to engage in it but to decline it On which Letter Arch-bishop Parker into whose Hands it fell wrote this Inscription Ad Bucerum prudens Martyris consilium ut non det se in disputatione cum gloriosulis Thrasonibus But it seems he was too far engaged to avoid it with Reputation nor thought he fit to do it for the vindication and sake of Truth The Questions disputed of and his Antagonists were before mentioned It seems he came off with great Credit for his Friend Martyr in a Letter to him soon after it was over professed a great deal of gladness that his Disputations had that good Success and that it so well happened was by God's Providence Which he said he could scarce have believed to have been a thing possible without Visitors or other grave Judges since the Papists reckoned it enough for their Business only to dispute afterwards studiously dispersing their Lies to their own Advantage and the disparagement of those that disputed against them And therefore Martyr said he wondred not that Christ in the beginning confirmed the Disputations of his Apostles with Miracles MARTINUS BUCERUS S.S. Theologiae apaid Cantabrigienyes Profefsor Regius Natus Selestadij Anno MCCCCXCI Denatus MDLI. Bucer's Friends after they had taken care for giving him an honorable Funeral consulted the Supply of his Widow Wibrand Bucerin that she might be well gratified and presented with some Gratuities that might shew the Respect the Nation had for her learned Husband So the University wrote a Letter to the King and Council concerning Bucer's Death and their respectful Interment of him with the signification of their Desire that his Majesty would send them another able Professor in his room With this University-Letter Dr. Parker wrote another to Sir Iohn Cheke entreating him to present their Letter and that he would particularly speak to the Council and to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury to remember the Widow Sir Iohn Cheke March 9. wrote a Letter in answer to Dr. Parker's which I have placed in the Appendix He therein lamented the loss of this Man commended him for his Depth of Knowledg Earnestness in Religion Fartherliness in Life and Authority in Knowledg He added that the King would provide some grave Learned Man to maintain God's true Learning in that University though he thought in all Points they would not meet with Bucer's like He desired Parker that all Bucer's Books and Writings might be sent up and saved for the King's Majesty except Mrs. Bucer might turn them to better Account some other way These Books and Papers were apprized at one hundred Pounds But she received but fourscore Pounds of those that bought them Which she desired Parker and Haddon the Executors here in England to testify under their Hands that she might shew it to vindicate her Truth and Honesty not to have wronged the Heirs The Library was divided into three parts The King had the Manuscripts which was one part The Dutchess of Somerset I suppose had the greater part of the Books and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury had the remainder for which he for his share paid her forty Pounds The University gave her an hundred Crowns the King an hundred Marks more besides her Husband's half-year's Pension though he died before Lady-day when it came due He also allowed for such reasonable Repairs as Bucer had bestowed about the House wherein he lived And March 31. 1551. She had a Passage by Sea granted her with eight Persons in her Company She returned unto Strasburgh whither She retired by Mr. Rich. Hills Merchant the Sum of two hundred twenty six Pounds two Shillings From Strasburgh in February the next Year She wrote a Letter to the Executors wherein She acknowledged their Kindness to her praying God for them in respect of their singular Humanity and Benefits which they had shewed to her Husband and her self and especially when he was dead Miseram me said She in that Letter omnique solatio destitutam non deseruistis sed in vestram me tutelam benigne suscepistis omnia denique Christianae charitatis officia demonstrastis Bucer left a Son named Nathaniel and a Daughter named Elizabeth behind him at Strasburgh when he came into England Which I suppose were all the Children he left surviving him whom he had by a former Wife that died of the Plague there By her he had many more but they died before him As long as Bucer lived there was a dear Correspondence between him and P. Martyr while they were the one at Cambridg and the other at Oxford In the private Library at Benet-College there be still remaining divers Letters from Martyr to him One whereof was writ upon occasion of Bucer's communicating to him his Judgment of the Habits which he had composed for the use of Hoper Which Letter began thus S. P. Perlegi Vir Dei quae de Vestium discrimine doctè piéque scripsisti ac ex illis non mediocrem voluptatem cepi tum quia vera quae praedicas intelligebam tum quod per omnia consentiebant cum his quae ego Londinum ad Hopperum ipsum pridie ejus diei qua tuae mihi redderentur miseram So that hence it appears they were both unanimous for wearing of the Habits enjoined
and so had given their Judgments to Hoper In the same Letter he answered a Case put to him by Bucer Quamdiu fidem in Christo generalem confusam aut implicitam satisfuisse ad hominum salutem And the resolution of this Question being the chief Matter of this Letter Arch-bishop Parker into whose Hands it fell intitled it thus Quamdiu Fides implicita licuerit And on the Margent of the same Letter where he entred upon another Argument is written by the same Hand De concordi confessione in re Sacramentaria For A Lasco had lately wrote to Martyr his Desire that some Confession about the Sacrament might be drawn up to which he and Bucer and Bernardin and Martyr might set their Hands to testify the Foreign Protestants Consent Another Letter wrote by Martyr to Bucer bore this Title set to it by the same Hand with the former Quibus artibus instituerint Disputationem Theologicam in Comitiis Oxoniensibus And on the side of this Letter Gaudet Disputationem non esse factam Astutia Papistica in Disputatione In a third Letter he gave Bucer advice that he should not engage in any Disputation with the vain-glorious Papists There is yet a fourth Letter Wherein Martyr communicated to him how he had been employed by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury in taking into examination the English Book of Common-Prayer with his Judgment thereon This Letter hath this Title put to it by Parker Censura libri communium precum The Contents of the second and fourth Letter having some things very remarkable for the Illustration of our History I shall here set down more largely In the former having congratulated Bucer's coming off so well in his Disputation with Young the Papist he took notice of the unfair Ways the Papists used in their Disputes and then proceeded to tell what happened to himself the last Act at Oxford this Year by a Party there that did what they could to affront him and the Evangelical Truth which he taught Certain that then went out Bachelors of Divinity made this Combination among themselves One of them they set up to be Respondent The Opponents who were of the same Strain and the Question to be disputed they supprest and kept under great silence on purpose that Peter Martyr the King's Professor should not know And when some had urged to them that it belonged to the Professor to know the Question they answered That it did not and that it was enough for them to know it that were to dispute on it The Day before the Disputation was to be undertaken about two of the Clock in the Afternoon they set up the Question upon the Church-Doors and then it appeared to be in behalf of Transubstantiation And to exclude the Professor they chose to themselves a great Papist Dr. Chedsey for their Father And here the Opponents were to have taken and managed all Martyr's Arguments and the Respondent was to have assoiled them as he thought good And then the Opponents were to acknowledg they were satisfied with the Answers given thereunto And their Father who was to occupy the Professor's Place was by a Speech highly to approve and applaud all that had been done And things were so to be ordered that Day that the Professor should not have any opportunity of speaking For these Disputations were to have been performed but a little before Night after the Civilians had finished their parts which used to be the last Exercises Or if after this Divinity-Disputation were done the Professor had been minded to say any thing he must do it when it was Night and when the tired Auditors would be all going Home And then these Disputants and their Party were every where to cry Victory and carry away the Glory There was now observed a greater confluence of People at this Act than could have been believed For they had sent about their Letters to invite such hither as were for their own Turn and all to encrease the Triumph Among the rest there were present the Chaplains of Winchester and Durham But all this elaborate and fine-spun Plot was by a Providence broken on a sudden the Vice-Chancellor whether he feared any Riot or for what other Cause it was uncertain forbidding the Divinity-Disputations that Day without the privity of the Professor The Matter of Martyr's other Letter wrote to Bucer in Ianuary as the former was in September before related to the Book of Common-Prayer For the Correction of which the Arch-bishop the Bishop of Ely and the other Bishops were by the King's Command met together in Consultation And that this Work might be the more effectually performed the Arch-bishop thought good to have the Judgment herein of both the Publick Professors Bucer and Martyr Accordingly Bucer wrote his Censure and Martyr his Annotations as was said before A Copy of which Censure Bucer had communicated to Martyr Who in this Letter declared his Consent and Approbation thereunto As to his own Annotations Cheke's Latin Version which he used was so brief and defective that for that reason many things were omitted by him which he would have noted had he seen the Book compleat But after he had sent in those his Annotations to the Arch-bishop who earnestly required them he saw Bucer's Censure whereby he perceived divers other things called for Correction than he had taken notice of So he reduced whatsoever was wanting in his Annotations into certain brief Articles and acquainted the Arch-bishop therewith and that in them all he did freely agree with Bucer that it were fit they should be altered But Martyr's Annotations did fully accord with Bucer's Animadversions though they were at a distance and consulted not at all with one another before they wrote their Judgments But one thing was past over by Bucer which Martyr wondred at it was in the Office for the Communion of the Sick Where it was ordered That if this private Communion happened to be on the same Sunday when there should be a publick One then the Priest was to take along with him some of the Consecrated Elements and with them to administer the Sacrament in the House of the Sick Wherein this offended Martyr as he said that the Office that belonged to the Communion should not be repeated before the sick Man and the rest that communicated with him since the words of the Supper do rather belong to the Men than to the Bread and Wine And his advice was that all that was necessarily required to the Lord's Supper should be said and done whensoever it was privately as well as publickly celebrated He subscribed to Bucer's Censure in every thing and he thanked God that had administred an Occasion that the Bishops should by them be admonished of those Matters So that it was concluded by the Bishops at their Conference about the Communion-Book that much should be changed therein as the Arch-bishop told Martyr then at his House And if they would not do it the King was
was much offended that he was named in the Book and pretended this to be one Reason why he did write against it to vindicate himself as well as the Papal Church hereby so dangerously struck at This Book of Cranmer's was turned into Latin by Iohn Yong who complied afterwards with the old Religion under Queen Mary and was Master of Pembroke-Hall Cambridg At this Book the Defenders of Popery were so nettled that in the same Year 1550 Winchester then in the Tower and fickle Dr. Smith then at Lovain printed Answers Of Smith's Book I shall only note by the way that March 8. 1550. there was an Order of Council to examine the bringer over of his Book against Cranmer Such a Countenance did the State give to the Arch-bishop and his Book Gardiner's Book made the greatest noise Which was printed in France and intituled An Explication and Assertion of the true Catholick Faith touching the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar with the Confutation of a Book written against the same In the Beginning of his Book he wrote That his Sermon before the King on St. Peter's Day touching the Sacrament of the Altar gave occasion to the Arch-bishop's Book against it and that he was called before the King's Commissioners at Lambeth for his Catholick Faith in the Sacrament Whereas indeed this was not the Cause of his Troubles nor had some former Copies of his Book these words But after the Commission was issued forth against him to make his Cause appear the more specious as if it were the Cause of the Church he thought fit to make an Alteration in the beginning of his Book in the manner abovesaid And to carry on the Scene he in open Court offered his Book before the King's Commissioners To this Book of Gardiners our Arch-bishop studied and composed an Answer holding himself bound for the Vindication of the Evangelical Truth as well as of his own Writing and for the Satisfaction of the People not to suffer it to lie untaken notice of When it was known the Arch-bishop was preparing an Answer against Gardiner the People were in very great expectation and conceived an earnest desire to see and read it Having therefore dispatched his Copy and sent it to Rainold Wolf his Printer it was printed off in the Month of September 1551. But there was some stop put to the publishing of it occasioned by a Proclamation issued out from the King whereby for some political Ends both the printing and selling of English Books without the Allowance of the King's Majesty or six of his Privy-Council was forbidden The Arch-bishop being desirous that his Book might come abroad the next Term for the Contentation of many who had long expected the same sent to Secretary Cecyl and Sir Iohn Cheke to procure either from the King or Council a Licence to the said Wolf for printing and selling his Book Which was obtained and the Book published accordingly This Letter of the ABp's dated Sept. 29. I have thought not amiss to reposit in the Appendix Octob. 1. A Licence was granted to Wolf to publish the Book under the King's Privilege the Court then being at Hampton-Court and the Arch-bishop himself present The Title this second Book of the Arch-bishop's bore was An Answer by the Reverend Father in God Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitan unto a crafty and sophistical Cavillation devised by Stephen Gardiner Doctor of Law late Bishop of Winchester against the true and godly Doctrine of the most Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ. Wherein is also as occasion serveth answered such Places of the Book of Dr. Richard Smith as may seem any thing worthy the answering Also a true Copy of the Book written and in open Court delivered by Dr. Stephen Gardiner not one Word added or diminished but faithfully in all Points agreeing with the Original This Book of Arch-bishop Cranmer's was printed again at London 1580 with his Life and some other things His Reply to Gardiner was in the most fair and candid Method that could be devised For he first set down his own Treatise Piece by Piece then Gardiner's Reply thereunto Word for Word leaving not one Paragraph without a full Answer His Reply to Smith was only of some things most worthy to be taken notice of the rest of Smith's Book being meer Trifles This Reply to Smith he inserted in the Body of his Answer to Gardiner as occasion served Only at the end he made a particular Reply to Smith's Preface It seemed to be a very compleat Exercitation upon that Subject The Book was stored with so great Learning and Plenty of Arguments Vt ea Controversia saith one of his Successors a nemine unquam contra Pontificios accuratius tractata esse videatur That no one Controversy was by any ever handled against the Papists more accurately It may not be amiss to mention here the Opinion that Cranmer himself had of his Book in that famous and renowned Confession he made of his Faith in S. Mary's Church Oxon immediately before he was led away to his Burning Where he expressed his full Approbation and great Confidence of the Doctrine contained therein saying That as for the Sacrament he believed as he had taught in his Book against the Bishop of VVinchester The which Book he said taught so true a Doctrine of the Sacrament that it should stand at the last Day before the Judgment of God where the Papistical Doctrine contrary thereto should be ashamed to shew her Face The Papists spake as much against this Book being much galled by it Dr. Tresham in his Disputation with Latimer said There were six hundred Errors in the Book Weston thinking to invalidate the Book by the pretended Novelty of the Doctrine asked the same Father How long he had been of that Opinion He said Not past seven Years that is about the Year 1547 and that Arch-bishop Cranmer's Book confirmed his Judgment therein and added That if he could but remember all therein contained he would not fear to answer any Man in this Matter The Arch-bishop had acknowledged to the Queen's Commissioners at Oxford that Ridley had first begun to enlighten him as to the true Notion of the Presence as he had maintained it in his Book Hereupon one of them took occasion to try to baffle the true Doctrine by making the whole stress of it to depend upon the Authority of single Ridley Latimer said he leaned upon Cranmer and Cranmer leaned upon Ridley Whereas the truth of this was no more but that Ridley reading Bertram's Book of the Body and Blood of Christ was sharpened to examine the old Opinion more accurately of the Presence of Christ's Flesh and Blood and looking into Ecclesiastical Authors he found it greatly controverted in the ninth Century and learnedly writ against Which made him begin to conclude it none of the ancient Doctrines of the Church but more lately
any Arguments for the Popish Doctrine brought them all to him many whereof were windy and trivial enough and he out of the heap made his Collections as he thought good But Watson and Smith were his chief Assistants The Arch-bishop though the Times now soon after turned and he cast into Prison was very desirous to prepare another Book in Confutation of Marcus Antonius and in Vindication of his own Writing He lived long enough to finish three Parts whereof two unhappily perished in Oxford and the third fell into Iohn Fox's Hands and for ought I know that by this time is perished also But the great desire he had to finish his Answer to that Book was the chief cause that at his last Appearance before the Queen's Commissioners he made his Appeal to a General Council That thereby he might gain some time and leisure to accomplish what he had begun before his Life were taken away which he saw was likely to be within a very short space Otherwise as he writ to his Lawyer who was to draw up his Appeal it was much better for him to die in Christ's Quarrel and to reign with him than to be shut up and kept in that Body Unless it were to continue yet still a while in this Warfare for the Commodity and Profit of his Brethren and to the further advancing of God's Glory Peter Martyr his surviving and learned Friend being solicited by many English-Men by Letter and word of Mouth undertook the answering this Book But before he had finished it an English Divine and Friend of Martyr's with whom he held Correspondence in Q. Mary's Reign wrote him word in the Year 1557. that an Answer to Antonius by some other hand was then in the Press naming the Author Martyr replied That he was rather glad of it than any ways moved or disturbed at it as a disappointment of what he was doing and added that he expected nothing from that Man but what was very exquisite acute and elaborate But that he feared the noise thereof would not hold true And so it proved Whether this Learned Man withdrew his Book that he might give way to that which P. Martyr was writing or whether it were a Flam given out to stop Martyr in his Design it is uncertain But not long after this Learned Italian put forth his Answer He had it under the Press at Zurick in December 1558 and it came out the next Year Wherein as he wrote to Calvin he did unravel and confute all the Sophisms and Tricks of the Bishop of Winchester And it came forth very seasonably as Martyr hoped For hereby the English Papalins might see at this time especially that that Book was not as they boasted hitherto invincible He gave this Title to his Book Defensio Doctrina veteris Apostolicae de S.S. Eucharistiae Sacramento In the Preface to which he shewed How this Work fell to his Lot Not that that most Reverend Father wanted an Assistant for he could easily have managed Gardiner himself For he knew how Cranmer in many and various Disputes formerly had with him came off with Victory and great Praise but because the ABp when in Prison was forced to leave his Answer which he had begun unfinished by reason of his strait keeping having scarce Paper and Ink allowed him and no Books to make use of and being cut off so soon by Death before he could bring to perfection what he had writ Wherein as Martyr said he had harder measure by far from the Papists than Gardiner had from the Protestants in K. Edward's Days when he wrote his Book Gardiner in that Book of his under the Name of M. Constantius had shewn such foul play with Cranmer's Book mangling it and taking Pieces and Scraps of it here and there and confounding the Method of it to supply himself with Objections to give his own Answers to with the most advantage that the Arch-bishop thought that if Learned Foreigners saw but his first Book of the Sacrament as he wrote it it would be vindication enough against Gardiner's new Book against it And therefore he took order to have it translated into the same Language in which Gardiner wrote that is Latin that impartial Strangers might be able to read and judg and Sir Iohn Cheke elegantly performed it for his Friend the Arch-bishop This Book of Cranmer's thus put into Latin with some Additions came forth 1553. Before it he prefixed an Epistle to King Edward VI. dated at Lambeth Idib Mart. the same Year Wherein he said It was his Care of the Lord's Flock committed to him that put him upon renewing and restoring the Lord's Supper according to the Institution of Christ. And that that was the Reason that about three Years ago he set forth a Book in English against the principal Abuses of the Papistical Mass. Which Book had great Success upon the Peoples Minds in bringing them to embrace the Truth Whereby he said he perceived how great the Force of Truth was and understood the Benefits of the Grace of Christ that even the Blind should have their Eyes opened and partake of the Light of Truth as soon as it was revealed and shewed it self clearly to them But that this gave great Offence unto Gardiner then Bishop of Winchester so that he thought nothing was to be done till he had answered the Book supposing that there would be no helper of so declining forsaken a Cause unless he put to his Hand And so the Arch-bishop proceeded to shew how that Bishop first put forth his English Book endeavouring to overthrow the true Doctrine and to restore and bring again into Repute the Mass with all its Superstitions and afterwards his Latin Book under a feigned Name In which Gardiner had so unfairly dealt with the Arch-bishop's Arguments chopping and changing defacing and disfiguring them that he could not know them for his own and all that he might make it serve his own turn the better Insomuch that he resolved to have his own Book translated out of English into Latin that his true Opinion and Mind in this Controversy might the better be apprehended The whole Epistle is writ in a pure elegant Latin Stile with a good sharpness of Wit The publication of this his Latin Book he thought sufficient for the present to entertain the World till he should put forth in Latin also a full Answer to Gardiner which he intended shortly to do To this Latin Book the Arch-bishop occasionally reviewing it while he was in Prison made sundry Annotations and Additions not of any new Arguments but only of more Authorities out of the Fathers and Ancient Writers This valuable Autograph fell into the Hands of some of the English Exiles at Embden it may be by the Means of Bp Scory who was Superintendent of the English Church there or Sir Iohn Cheke who also for some time was in this Place both great Friends of the Arch-bishop In the
of that which lacked And so transmitted the Book again from Croydon Septemb. 19. to Sir William Cecyl and Sir Iohn Cheke the one the King 's Principal Secretary and the other his Tutor being the two great Patrons of the Reformation at the Court Desiring them together to take these Articles into their serious Considerations for he well knew them to be both wise and good Men and very well seen in Divine Learning And he referred it to their Wisdoms whether they thought best to move the King's Majesty therein before his coming to Court as though he conceived the King might make some demur in so weighty an Affair till he should consult with the Metropolitan in order to the coming to a Resolution or that there were some great Persons about the King that might cast some Scruples and Objections in his Mind concerning it which he by his Presence might prevent or be ready at hand to resolve Cecyl and Cheke thought it more convenient the Arch-bishop should offer them to the King himself So coming to Court soon after he delivered the Book to the King and moved him for their publishing and due observation And so leaving them before the King and Council they were then again delivered unto certain of the King's Chaplains who made some Alterations For I find that Octob. 2. a Letter was directed to Mr. Harley Bill Horn Grindal Pern and Knox to consider certain Articles which must be these Articles of Religion exhibited to the King's Majesty to be subscribed by all such as shall be admitted to be Preachers or Ministers in any part of the Realm and to make report of their Opinions touching the same The Time of the Year declined now towards the latter end of November and the Arch-bishop being retired down from Croydon to his House at Ford near Canterbury the Privy-Council Novemb. 20. dispatched by a Messenger the Articles unto him to be reviewed and for his last Hand that they might be presented before the Convocation and allowed there and so be published by the Royal Authority The Arch-bishop received the Book and Letter from the Council Novemb. 23. And making some Notes upon it enclosed them in a Letter to the Lords and sent them together with the Book the next day beseeching them to prevail with the King that all Bishops should have Authority to cause their respective Clergy to subscribe it And then he trusted as he wrote that such a Concord and Quietness in Religion would soon follow as otherwise would not be in many Years And thereby God would be glorified the Truth advanced and their Lordships rewarded by him as the setters forth of his true Word and Gospel This pious Letter may be read in the Appendix The King went a Progress this Summer and the Arch-bishop retired to Croydon where I find him in Iuly August and September And thence Octob. 11. he went to Ford to spend some time in his Diocess Now he was absent from the Court and the King abroad at that distance that he could not frequently wait upon him and be present at the Council his Enemies were at work to bring him into trouble as we shall see by and by CHAP. XXVIII Persons nominated for Irish Bishopricks THERE were certain Bishopricks in Ireland about this time vacant one whereof was that of Armagh And it was thought convenient to have them filled by Divines out of England In the Month of August the Arch-bishop was consulted with for this that so by the Influence of very wise and learned Men and good Preachers the Gospel might be the better propagated in that dark Region But because it was foreseen to be difficult to procure any English Men so endowed to go over thither therefore Secretary Cecyl being then with the King in his Progress sent a Letter to the Arch-bishop at Croyden to nominate some worthy Persons for those Preferments and whom he thought would be willing to undertake them He returned him the Names of Four viz. Mr. Whitehead of Hadley Mr. Turner of Canterbury Sir Thomas Rosse and Sir Robert Wisdome He said He knew many others in England that would be meet Persons for those Places but very few that would gladly be perswaded to go thither For it seems the English were never very fond of living in Ireland But he added concerning these four which he had named That he thought they being ordinarily called for Conscience-sake would not refuse to bestow the Talent committed unto them wheresoever it should please the King's Majesty to appoint them He recommended likewise a fifth Person for this Promotion one Mr. Whitacre a wise and well-learned Man as he characters him who was Chaplain to the Bishop of Winchester Poynet But he doubted whether he would be perswaded to take it upon him It may not be amiss to make some enquiry who and what those Four before-mentioned Persons were Mr. Whithead was an Exile in Queen Mary's Reign and Pastor of the English Congregation at Frankford And at the Conference in the beginning of Q. Elizabeth's Government he was one of the Nine Disputants on the Protestant side and one of the appointed Eight to revise the Service-Book The Writer of the Troubles at Frankford mentions three viz. Coverdale Turner and this Whitehead of whom he saith That they were the most ancient Preachers of the Gospel and the most ancient Fathers of this our Country and that from their Pens as well as their Mouths most of Queen Elizabeth's Divines and Bishops first received the Light of the Gospel Why Cranmer should stile him VVhithead of Hadley I do not apprehend seeing Dr. Rowland Taylor his Chaplain was now Parâ—on of Hadley who not long after was there burnt And one Yeomans was Taylor 's Curat there who also was afterwards burnt at Norwich But I suppose this was some other Hadley I find two about this Time bearing the Name of Turner both eminent Men and Preachers The one was named William Turner a Doctor in Physick and greatly befriended by Sir Iohn Cheke and Sir William Cecyl This Man a Native of Northumberland was the first English Man that compiled an Herbal which was the Ground-work of that which Gerard laid the last Hand unto He was a Retainer to the Duke of Somerset in Edward the Sixth's Time and was Physician in ordinary to his Family And the Year before this viz. 1551 I find him Dean of Wells The other was Richard Turner a Staffordshire-Man in former time Curate of Chartam in Kent and commonly called Turner of Canterbury living in the family of Mr. Morice the Arch-bishop's Secretary of whom afterwards who held the Impropriation of that Parsonage and had presented this Man to the Vicarage For his free and bold preaching against Popish Errors and asserting the King's Supremacy and for the extraordinary Success of his Ministry in bringing Multitudes of People in those Parts out of Ignorance and Superstition he was put to much Trouble and Danger He was
Lower House of Convocation Owin Oglethorp Iohn Seton W. Chedsey S. Th. P.P. Hen. Cole Will. Geffrey LL.PP. William Pye Ioh. Feckenham Ioh. Harpsfield S.T.B.B. representing the whole Lower House of Convocation went down to Oxford To them were joined by Commission the Chancellor of the University the Vice-Chancellor the Professors and Doctors c. as namely Holyman Tresham Ri. Marshal Morwent Smith S. T. P. P. of Oxford And Iohn Young William Glyn Ri. Atkinson Tho. Watson Cutbert Scot Alban Langdale Tho. Sedgwick S. Th. P. P. of Cambridg in the Name of the Whole University All these being met at S. Mary's there were read the Letters Commissional to them sealed with the Bishop of London's Seal and the Subscription besides of the Bishops of Winton Durham Wigorn Chichester Lincoln Bath Roff. Hereford S. Davids Glocester and Oxon. And with these Letters were conveyed certain Articles which had been lately by the Upper House resolved upon which Articles were of the Sacrament of the Altar of Transubstantiation and of the Adoration of the Eucharist and the Reservation of the Sacrament of the Church and of its Institution and by whom and for whom and to whom it is to be offered The Contents of the Letter were to summon before them Cranmer Ridley and Latimer and to propound those Articles to them to dispute on publickly The Sum of which it seems were contracted into the three Questions abovesaid Then they provided themselves three publick Notaries Next they celebrated and sung the Mass of the Holy Ghost Then they went a Procession according to the Custom of the University This formal Pageantry being finished and the Commissioners returned to S. Mary's and being come into the Choire to the number of three and thirty seated themselves before the Altar And then sent to the Mayor and Bailiffs to bring Dr. Cranmer before them by virtue of the Queen's Letters to them Who within a while was brought guarded with Bill-men Coming before them he gave them great Reverence and stood with his Staff in his Hand They offered him a Stool to sit but he refused Then VVeston the Prolocutor began a Speech wherein he commended Unity in the Church of Christ and withal turning to the Arch-bishop told him how he had been a Catholick Man once and in the same Unity but that he had separated himself from it by teaching and setting forth erroneous Doctrine making every Year a new Faith And therefore that it had pleased the Queen to send them to him to recover him again if it might be to that Unity And then shewed him the Articles to be disputed on causing them to be read to him and requiring his Answer and Opinion thereupon Then the Arch-bishop answered extempore That as for Unity he was very glad of it and said that it was a Preserver of all Common-wealths as well Heathen as Christian. And illustrated the Matter by some Stories out of the Roman History And added that he should be very glad to come to an Unity so it were in Christ and according to the Church of God Then he read over the Articles three or four times And being asked whether he would subscribe to them he answered That in the form of words in which they were conceived they were all false and against God's Word and therefore that he would not agree in that Unity with them Nevertheless he said if they would give him a Copy of the Articles and time to consider of them he would by to Morrow send them an Answer Which was granted him the Prolocutor bidding him write his Mind of them that Night It was moreover agreed between them that in whatsoever he dissented from them they would proceed to publick Disputation thereupon in the publick Schools by Scholastical Arguments in Latin And lastly they told him he should have what Books he would ask for And so VVeston gave the Mayor charge of him to be had to Bocardo where he was before His Behaviour all this while was so grave and modest that many Masters of Art who were not of his Mind could not forbear weeping This was the Work of Saturday On Sunday Cranmer sent in what he had writ upon the Articles to the Prolocutor to Lincoln-College where he lay After Cranmer was carried back the Mayor and Bailiffs brought Bishop Ridley And when the same Articles were read to him he said That they were not true But desired a Copy of them and he would draw up in writing his Answer and soon transmit it to them And did offer to dispute as Cranmer had done before Lastly Latimer was brought to whom the Prolocutor said as he had to the two former Latimer confessed that in the Sacrament of the Altar there was a certain Presence but not such an one as they would have And he also promised to send them his Answer shortly to these Articles requiring a Copy But by reason of his old Age his Infirmities and the weakness of his Memory he said he could not bear a Dispute but that he could and would declare his Mind of the said Articles All this that I have above said concerning the managery of this Affair I do for the most part extract out of a Letter of VVeston's writ unto the Bishop of London from Oxon. I cannot here omit old Father Latimer's Habit at this his appearing before the Commissioners which was also his Habit while he remained a Prisoner in Oxford He held his Hat in his Hand he had a Kerchief on his Head and upon it a Night-cap or two and a great Cap such as Townsmen used with two broad Flaps to button under his Chin an old thredbare Brisâ—ow freez Gown girded to his Body with a penny lether Girdle at which hanged by a long string of Leather his Testament and his Spectacles without case hanging about his Neck upon his Breast This was the Work of Saturday On Monday Cranmer was brought into the Respondents Place in the Divinity-Schools the Mayor and Aldermen sitting by him In the midst of the Disputation because what he was to answer was more than he could well remember extempore he gave in to Dr. VVeston his Opinion written at large in answer to each Proposition and desired Weston who sat on high to read it These Writings are preserved in Fox's Monuments and may there be seen This Disputation began at eight in the Morning and lasted till two The Beadle had provided Drink and offered the Arch-bishop thereof sometimes but he refused nor did he stir all the while out of his Place though the Prolocutor had granted him leave to retire for a while if he had any occasion And after having learnedly and boldly maintained the Truth against a great many clamorous Opponents he was carried back by the Mayor to Prison And then the two next days Ridley and Latimer took their Courses Cranmer had cautiously provided two Notaries to take Notes of what he said lest he might be misrepresented And they
King Edward's Reformation and Service Among the rest the Curat of old Bokenham and divers in that Parish were complained of because the Ceremonies of the holy Time of Easter were not observed there And it seems the Bishop's Officers themselves were not all so diligent as they should be The Earl signified this Information to Hopton the Bishop who being in his Visitation soon after sent for several of the Parish and made his Inquiries but found things in other sort than were represented to the Earl And being returned to his House at Norwich informed him hereof and desired the Earl to inform him further if any thing were amiss even amongst his own Officers and he would endeavour to reform them In these Times for the better taking up of all Gospellers there were certain Spies and secret Informers set every where to give notice of any that came not to Church or that spake any thing against the Superstitions For London were Iohn Avales Beard and others For Stepney one Banbury a Shifter a Dicer and a Whoremonger By which means none almost could be safe Yet the Professors made some Provision against this Evil. There were some that kept them Company who were honest Men by whom they often had secret Intelligence what Persons Avales and Beard intended to take up And so several by shifting Places and Houses were preserved The Knight-Marshal Sir Thomas Holcroft the Under-Marshal the Knight-Marshal's Secretary were secret Friends of the Protestants and when Designs were laid to take any of them some signification was often privately brought them that Search would within some few Hours be made for them and therefore that they should depart from their Lodgings and conceal themselves And when any good Men were under their Hands in Prison they would take all occasions to shew them Kindness as far as safely they might But notwithstanding these Persecutions and that very few of the Ministers remained being either burnt or fled yet the Protestants in London had very frequently their Assemblies And sometimes for want of Preachers of the Clergy Lay-men exercised Among these I find one old Henry Daunce a Bricklayer of White-chappel who used to preach the Gospel in his Garden every Holy-day Where would be present sometimes a thousand People The very beginning of May there was exceeding Joy among the Papists for the Birth of an Heir-male to the Crown Whereof the Report was so confident every where that in the County of Norfolk the Mayor of Norwich sent word of it to the Earl of Sussex and the Bishop had Te Deum sung in the Cathedral and other Places of the City And all expressions of Joy both in City and Country were shewn And so it was no question in other Parts of the Nation And which is more strange so long did this Bruit hold that besides the first Intelligence thereof brought to Norwich within a day or two after came two Persons more averring the Truth thereof The Bishop desired the Earl according as he heard if he had any further knowledg to impart it to him The Contents of all this may be read in the Original Letter which is transcribed into the Appendix But the belief of the Queen 's great Belly went not over so For then it was given out that in Iune about Whitsuntide was the Time that the Queen expected her Delivery and Midwives Rockers and Nurses were provided And just when that Time came another Rumour was blown about in London that the Queen was delivered of a Child And the Bells were rung Bonfires and Processions made and in most parts of the Realm so it was Nay in Antwerp Guns were shot off by the English Ships and the Lady Regent rewarded the Mariners with an hundred Pistols But there happened now two things which make it seem as tho all this were but Design to impose upon the Belief of the World The one was this There was a Woman living near Aldersgate delivered Iune the 11 th 1555 being Whitsunday Morning of a Man-Child Unto whom the Lord North and another Lord came and desired to have her Child from her with very fair Offers As that her Child should be well provided for and that She should take no care for it if She would swear that She never knew nor had such Child And after this other Women came to her of whom one they said should have been the Rocker But She would in no case part with her Child This very Woman before Witness made this Declaration unto Mr. Fox and others about the Year 1568 while he was printing his Book but he leaves it to the liberty of the Reader to believe what he list Add to this one other Passage of a Man within four Miles of Berwick who speaking of the Bonfires for Joy of the Birth of a Prince said There was a joyful Triumph but at length all would not prove worth a Mess of Pottage As the Queen 's great Belly gave these great Disappointments so while She went with it it gave her occasion to be more severe against the poor Gospellers who were now daily burnt For She thought and so She said She could not be safely and happily delivered nor that any thing could succeed prosperously with her unless all the Hereticks in Prison were burnt ad unum not sparing one Which Cruelty I do suppose her Priests and Confessors put into her Head There was a Convocation in November this Year Wherein Cardinal Pole presided The Queen gave him a Licence under the Great Seal to hold a Synod Wherein She ordered him to decree what Canons he thought fit So he composed a Book with a very specious Title viz. Reformatio Angliae Ex Decretis Reginaldi Poli Cardinalis c. which was printed A Manuscript Copy whereof was in the famous Library of Mr. Smith of late Years sold by Auction The Decrees of this Book in number Twelve were agreed to in February They are briefly set down by the Bishop of Sarum in his History There was an Article made in Favour of Non-residences which I meet with in the Benet-Library There is no Date but I strongly conjecture it is to be laid to this Convocation The Cardinal seemed not to favour Non-residences but the rich Clergy and Dignitaries were of another Mind wherefore they made this Proposition Decretum perpetuae Residentiae juxta Canonum Sanctiones optant pii sed multa sunt quae hodie impediunt quominus suum effectum juxta bonorum virorum vota consequatur To which are subjoined Reasons for this Proposition and Remedies for this evil Which may be read in the Appendix CHAP. XVIII Ridley and Latimer burnt WE can declare little this Year of the poor Arch-bishop being now a Prisoner at Oxford and out of all place of Action The Arch-Bishoprick was sequestred into the Hands of Cardinal Pole and his Palace at Lambeth appointed for the Cardinal 's Abode In a
that they be God's Ministers appointed by God to Rule and Govern you And therefore whoso resisteth them resisteth God's Ordinance The third Exhortation is That you Love all together like Brethren and Sistern For alas pity it is to see what Contention and Hatred one Christian-Man hath to another Not taking each other as Sisters and Brothers but rather as Strangers and mortal Enemies But I pray you learn and bear well away this one Lesson To do good to all Men as much as in you lieth and to hurt no Man no more than you would hurt your own natural and loving Brother or Sister For this you may be sure of that whosoever hateth any Person and goeth about maliciously to hinder or hurt him surely and without all doubt God is not with that Man although he think himself never so much in God's Favour The fourth Exhortation shall be to them that have great Substance and Riches of this World That they will well consider and weigh those Sayings of the Scripture One is of our Saviour Christ himself who saith It is hard for a Rich Man to enter into Heaven A sore saying and yet spoke by him that knew the Truth The second is of S. Iohn whose saying is this He that hath the Substance of this World and seeth his Brother in Necessity and shutteth up his Mercy from him how can he say he loveth God Much more might I speak of every part but Time sufficeth not I do but put you in remembrance of things Let all them that be Rich ponder well those Sentences For if ever they had any Occasion to shew their Charity they have now at this present the poor People being so many and Victuals so dear For though I have been long in Prison yet I have heard of the great Penury of the Poor Consider that that which is given to the Poor is given to God Whom we have not otherwise present corporally with us but in the Poor And now for so much as I am come to the last End of my Life whereupon hangeth all my Life passed and my Life to come either to live with my Saviour Christ in Heaven in Joy or else to be in Pain ever with wicked Devils in Hell and I see before mine Eyes presently either Heaven ready to receive me or Hell ready to swallow me up I shall therefore declare unto you my very Faith how I believe without Colour or Dissimulation For now is no time to dissemble whatsoever I have written in Times past First I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth c. and every Article of the Catholick Faith every Word and Sentence taught by our Saviour Christ his Apostles and Prophets in the Old and New Testament And now I come to the great Thing that troubleth my Conscience more than any other thing that ever I said or did in my Life and that is the setting abroad of Writings contrary to the Truth Which here now I renounce and refuse as things written with my Hand contrary to the Truth which I thought in my Heart and writ for fear of Death and to save my Life if it might be and that is all such Bills which I have written or signed with mine own Hand since my Degradation wherein I have written many things untrue And forasmuch as my Hand offended in writing contrary to my Heart therefore my Hand shall first be punished For if I may come to the Fire it shall be first burned And as for the Pope I refuse him as Christ's Enemy and Antichrist with all his false Doctrine And here being admonished of his Recantation and Dissembling he said Alas my Lord I have been a Man that all my Life loved Plainness and never dissembled till now against the Truth which I am most sorry for He added hereunto That for the Sacrament he believed as he had taught in his Book against the Bishop of Winchester And here he was suffered to speak no more So that his Speech contained chiefly three points Love to God Love to the King and Love to the Neighbour In the which talk he held Men very suspense which all depended upon the Conclusion Where he so far deceived all Mens Expectations that at the hearing thereat they were much amazed and let him go on a while till my Lord Williams bad him play the Christen Man and remember himself To whom he answered That he so did For now he spake Truth Then he was carried away and a great number that did Run to see him go so wickedly to his Death ran after him exhorting him while Time was to remember himself And one Friar Iohn a godly and well-learned Man all the way travelled with him to reduce him But it would not be What they said in particular I cannot tell but the Effect appeared in the End For at the Stake he professed that he died in all such Opinions as he had taught and oft repented him of his Recantation Coming to the Stake with a chearful Countenance and willing Mind he put off his Garments with haste and stood upright in his Shirt And a Batcheler of Divinity named Elye of Brazen-nose-College laboured to convert him to his former Recantation with the two Spanish Friars But when the Friars saw his Constancy they said in Latin one to another Let us go from him We ought not to be nigh him For the Devil is with him But the Batcheler in Divinity was more earnest with him Unto whom he answered That as concerning his Recantation he repented it right sore because he knew it was against the Truth with other words more Whereupon the Lord Williams cryed Make short Make short Then the Bishop took certain of his Friends by the Hand But the Bachelor of Divinity refused to take him by the Hand and blamed all others that so did and said He was sorry that ever he came in his Company And yet again he required him to agree to his former Recantation And the Bishop answered shewing his Hand This is the Hand that wrote it and therefore shall it suffer first Punishment Fire being now put to him he stretched out his right Hand and thrust it into the Flame and held it there a good space before the Fire came to any other Part of his Body where his Hand was seen of every Man sensibly burning crying with a loud Voice This Hand hath offended As soon as the Fire got up he was very soon Dead never stirring or crying all the while His Patience in the Torment his Courage in dying if it had been taken either for the Glory of God the Wealth of his Country or the Testimony of Truth as it was for a pernicious Error and subversion of true Religion I could worthily have commended the Example and matched it with the Fame of any Father of antient Time but seeing that not the Death but the Cause and Quarrel thereof commendeth the Sufferer I cannot but much
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
Commentaries which he then was busy about and as it seems encouraged by Cranmer to take in Hand and prosecute And when Dr. Bruno a Learned Man and Father-in-Law to Sleidan departed out of England which was about the Time before mentioned being the Agent of the Duke of Saxony the Arch-bishop informed him of this Stipend by the King granted unto his Son-in-Law confirming the same to him in the King's Name and encouraging the Commentator hereby to proceed cheerfully in his useful Undertaking But upon the Stirs at Court the paiment of this Pension was neglected a great while Which caused Sleidan to call upon the Arch-bishop more than once as also upon his Friends Cheke and Cecyl entreating them to remind the Arch-bishop of him and to communicate to his Lordship the Letters he had writ to them But alas he needed not to have been excited to things of this Nature bearing so good a Will to them and being of his own Nature so forward to favour Learned and honest Men and useful Designs Nor was his good Will to Sleidan any whit abated but his Interest at Court was now towards the declension of King Edward's Reign But because his Pension depended only upon a verbal Promise of the King and the getting it under his Seal might contribute to the paiment of it in better sort hereafter he laboured with our Prelate and the two other Persons mentioned that it might be confirmed by Letters Patents He urged to them That he could have employed himself in other Business that would have redounded more to his Profit as many others did But he reckoned himself called to this Work from Heaven and that he could take no rest in his Mind till he had brought the History down to that present Time it being then the Year 1553 That he had hope that they according to their Humanity and Prudence who well understood things would take some Pains that the Arrears of his promised Stipend might be paid and that some further Care might be taken for the due Paiment of it hereafter that so he might the more conveniently and freely follow that Matter Leaving it to them to consider how much that Labour cost him as to the Charges he means of Correspondence for the getting particular and faithful Accounts of things that past in all Parts And lastly That it belonged properly to Kings to cherish such Labours as would be Ornaments to Religion and Learning and of Use to the Common-Good And in another Address to Secretary Cecyl he desired That he would plead in his behalf with the most Reverend the Arch-bishop adding That he did wholly give up himself to this Work and was in a diligent pursuit of all Matters in order to the compiling a compleat History Though I have said so much already of Sleidan yet I will take this occasion to add somewhat more that I may retrieve as much as I can of this honest Man and excellent Writer In the Month of September Anno 1552 he sent to the King together with a Letter his Commentaries of the German Wars brought down to that very Time being a short Draught of that he intended afterwards more largely and fully to write And Cheke and Cecyl were the Men that presented them to his Majesty With this kind of Writing the King declared himself much pleased as Cecyl wrote him back and so he and Cheke also were This Encouragement put our Author upon another Design resolving to write the whole Actions of the Council of Trent wherein he himself had been a part having been Agent there for five Months from the City of Strasburg This he intended to do for the King 's own Sake That he might thorowly understand the Form of Councils and might then make his Judgment of the rest of the History of the Reformation of Religion which he was then writing The Spring after he presented the King with a Specimen of his Writing concerning the Council of Trent It was the beginning and entrance into that Treatise he intended to write of that Subject This he desired might be kept in the King's Study and communicated to no other Hand and that no Copy of it might be taken it being but a small part of a future Work and so imperfect He had now in the Ides of March compleated his Commentaries from the Year 1517 to the Year 1536 and was resolved by God's Grace to go on with it in the same Method In order to which in the Month of December before he had desired of Cecyl that he would procure him the whole Action between King Henry VIII and Pope Clement VII when that King vindicated his own Liberty and that of his Kingdom from Papal Pretences of Supremacy over each This Matter between the King and the Pope he called Locus illustris memorabilis and judged it very worthy for Posterity to know Adding that though he had in his own Hands some Matters relating thereto yet they were not so exact and certain as he could wish because he desired to describe every thing properly and most exactly according to Truth He entreated also that if either he or Cheke had any other Matters of that Nature to impart they would oblige him with them Which Passages make me conclude that in relation to the English Affairs he made great use of Intelligences from Cecyl and Cheke and probably our Arch-bishop too Which consideration may add a great Reputation unto the Credit of his Book Now to preserve as much as we can of this excellent Historian Iohn Sleidan I have thought good to insert divers of his Letters in the Appendix and likewise because mention is often therein made of our Arch-bishop To which I have subjoined a Letter of Martin Bucer a great Name wrote to Cecyl in behalf of the said Sleidan For he did not only importune those Courtiers before mentioned but when no Answer came from them he made Bucer also his Solicitor from Cambridg Who Anno 1551 Feb. 18. wrote to Cecyl to further Sleidan's Business and to dispatch the Paiment of his Stipend and that Sleidan might be resolved one way or other giving Cecyl this Memento That this would well become the Administration of a Kingdom so much adorned as with other things so with the Benefit of Religion By the way the Date of this Letter would deserve well to be noted serving to judg of the true Date of Bucer's Death Which by Historians is variously set down if we may believe Fuller in his History of the University of Cambridg It is certain Bucer was ill when he wrote that Letter to Cecyl for he mentions therein an Epistle which he sent to Dr. Iohn Quercetanus the Physician upon the said Cecyl's Desire the which he said he was hardly able to dictate This Letter to Cecyl I take to be writ in his last Sickness nine Days before the Date which Sleidan his Friend assigned for the Day of his Death To
beseech your Grace note my words and therwith untruly handled as if we should use to read it there should ensue a marvelous confusion Some specialties I wil note but not al. The Sacrament of the Altar is wantonly talked of by him that as the worâ—d is now the reading of him were the whole subversion Erasmus in his latter dayes hath for the Sacrament of the Altar spoken as reverently and said as much for confirmation of it as may be and cryeth out of them that would take him otherwise But this in the end when age had tempered him In this Paraphrasis which he wrot in his wanton age the words and termes were able to subvert if it were possible as Christ saith the elect If this Paraphrasis go abroad people shal be learned to cal the Sacrament of the Altar holy bread and a Symbol At which new name many wil marvail And they be wanton words spoken of Erasmus without necessity By the doctrin of the Paraphrasis whosoever had done away his wife for advotrie might mary again By the Paraphrasis al men may mary Bushops and Priests Wherin Erasmus took his pleasure to understand S. Poul as tho he should describe of what quality Priests wives should be Wherin he forgat himself For S. Poul knew that if a Bushop or Priest were once married his Wise must pas with al her faults and it would be too late to tel what she should be For otherwise then she is she wil not be neither for S. Poul nor S. Peter And if Bushops had that privilege that they might change til they found such one as Erasmus saith S. Poul would have them their estate would be wonderfully envied But S. Poul did not speak there of Bushops wiues And so therin he doth violence to the Scriptures undoubtedly Wherfore I write somewhat merrily to shew the absurdity of the thing By the Paraphrasis the keeping of a Concubine is called but a light fault And that were good for Lancashire And Erasmus bringeth it so prettily that a Ruler of a Country if he be himself the servant of avarice or Ambition should not browke with his brother because being overcome by weaknes of flesh he useth a Concubine Even thus it is Englished in the book that should go forth And when to have a a Concubine it is called a light fault methinks if the maid can read it may serve wel lightly to persuade her And yet if the man doth it overcome by the weakness of his flesh as the book termeth it is made matter Wherin Erasmus speaketh over lightly to cal it a light fault And the Translator in English wanted speech when he turned it thus That a man overcome with the weakness of his flesh should desire a Concubine I am bold with his Grace to joyne here Erasmus lightnes with the discretion of the Translator If to keep a Concubine shal by authority be called a light fault the multitude of them may make the fault heavy By the doctrin of the Paraphrasis every man must come to the high prick of vertue or to be extremely naught Which differeth far from the teaching of the Homilies and from the truth also The Paraphrasis teacheth thus truly More glorious it is to dy for the Gospels sake Which death tho it shal be violent and sore yet it shal not come before the day Whensoever it cometh it shal not come without the providence of God And by this it cometh to pas that if ye endeavor to avoyd it ye cannot This is the doctrin which if it were taken for truth might engender like obstinacy in many as it hath of late in some Erasmus teacheth here further then he hath warrant by Scripture The Paraphrasis in another place doth clearly violate the Text and untruly handle it in a matter of Tiths which your Grace desireth as appeareth by the Injunctions to have truly payd Wherin if Erasmus had said truth let truth prevail but when he handleth it untruly it is pity it should be suffered Thus have I here reckoned your Grace some special faults that be Erasmus own faults with a great number that I have not spoken of And further your Grace shal understand that he which hath taken the labors to translate Erasmus into English hath offended sometimes as appeareth plainly by ignorance and sometimes of purpose to put in leave out and change as hee thought best Wherwith I wil not encumber your Grace but assure you it is so And therin I wil grant to your Grace that for every ly that I make unto your Grace set on an hundred pound fine on my head and let me ly here like a begger until my revenues pay My words remain in writing and be against me matter of record And so I yield to have me charged as the Bp. of London was with offering the farm of his Bpric Which matter I do remember when I wrot this I remit the Reader for the rest of this letter to Winchester's ninth letter in Foxes Acts This former part of the letter which is now exposed to view having been by him omitted NUM XXXVII Roger Ascham to Mr. Cecyl giving him an account of a Disputation in S. John's College Whether the Mass and the Lord's Supper bee al one S.P. in Christo Iesu. Ornatissime Vir. Ante mensem aut plus eo disputatum fuit in hoc Collegio more nostro de Missa ipsáne Coena Dominica fuerit nécne Magna sane eruditione haec Questio tractata fuit a Thoma Levero Rog. Hutchinsono quos opinor nosti Sunt profecto docti viri Quidam in Academia hanc rem aegrè tulerunt Huc tandem res perducta est vel ego potius pertractus fui hortatu communi multorum in nostro collegio ut hanc ipsam quaestionem è domesticis parietibus in publicas scholas praeferrem hoc animo instituto ut disceremus libenter sine rubore a doctis Viris quid e fontibus sacrae scripturae libari potuerit ad defendendam Missam quae non solum summum locum in religione conscientijs hominum occupat sed omne fidele propemodum ministerium Verbi Dei Sacramentorum ex usu consuetudine Christianorum abstulit Rem quietissimè aggressi sumus communia studia nos inter nos conferebamus Scripturam Canonicam nobis proposuimus cujus auctoritate totam hanc rem decidi cupiebamus Veteres Canones ineuntis Ecclesiae Concilia Patrum Decreta Pontificum Judicia Doctorum Quaestionistarum turbam Recentiores omnes quos potuimus Germanos Romanos ad hanc rem adhibuimus Quidam in Academia publicis concionibus notabant hoc factum nostrum tandem laborarunt ut D. Madeûus Vicecancellarius literis suis hanc Disputationem prohiberet Nos libenter paruimus ut par fuit sed aegre tulimus disputandi facultatem nobis intercipi concionandi vero copiam pro libidine alijs concedi Audivimus Cantuariensem nobis iniquiorem fuisse
things ascribed to the Apostles and called Traditions deduced from the time of the Apostles and read in the name of old Authors and set forth under the pretensed title of their name which be both feigned forged and nothing true ful of superstition and untrueth fayned by them which would magnify their power and authority as is the Epistles of Clemens Anacletus Evaristus and Fabianâ—s and other which are set forth by the Bp. of Rome and his complices which be forged fayned and of no authority nor to be beleved but counterfeited by them who by the colour of antiquity would magnify that usurped power of the Bp. of Rome And now concerning another book which I made of the Sacrifice of the Mass. Wher the most chief and principal article of our faith and most directly pertaining to the redemption of our sins and to our Salvation is That our Savior Christ Iesu by his most precious death and effusion of his most precious blood upon the cros did redeme mankind taking away our sins pacifying the indignation of his Father and cancelling the obligation that was against us In which Sacrifice-making unto his Father our said Savior Jesus Christ as S. Paul saith plainly to the Hebrews was not a Priest after the order of Aaron forasmuch as he was of another tribe and also that Priesthood was imperfect and unprofitable bringing nothing to perfection But our Savior Christ made his Sacrifice upon the Cross perfectly absolutely and with the most highest perfection that could be so much that after that one oblation and sacrifice for sin made by him but once only neither he nor any other creature should at any time after make any mo oblations for the same And for that S. Paul saith he was called an eternal Priest after the order of Melchizedec and not of Aaron This faith ought every man and woman undoubtedly to beleve and openly to profess upon pain of everlasting damnation and also to dy in this profession if case shal so require The which most wholsome and most necessary doctrin of our Faith I not diligently considering as many times to right great Clerks and learned men in much writing in like matters it hath chaunced to say too far the infirmity and weakness of men being such that seldome in many words error hath escaped So in my Book of the Sacrifice of the Mass I did incircumspectly and rashly write and set forth to the people that Christ was not a Priest after the order of Melchizedec when he offered himself upon the cross to his Father for our sins but was a Priest after the order of Aaron And that when Christ did offer his own body to his father after the order of Melchizedec to appease his wrath it may not be understand of the Sacrifice of the Cros but of the Sacrifice that Christ made at his Maundy in form of bread and wine To the which indede S. Pauls doctrin is contrary both in other places and in the Epistle Ad Hebraeos very manifestly Against whom who without doubt had the very Spirit of God neither it becometh nor I wil not willingâ—y teach or defend any thing Wherfore ye shal impute that Good Audience to the frailty of mans nature and to my negligent marking having at that time rather a respect to a fantasy that I then had in my mind than to the true and infallible doctrin of scripture And moreover in the same my book I said not only that the Sacrifice of the Mass is the self same substaunce of Christ but also the self same oblation or offering of our Savior Christs very flesh and bloud which himself once offered to his Father on the Cross to appease his wrath And that the Priests do continually and daily in the Mass offer not only the self same body of Christ but also to the same effect that Christ did offer himself to his Father at his Maundy Of the which words and doctrin if they be not very warily and circumspectly read and more favorably taken then the words as they ly may wel bear it might be gathered that Priests herein be equal with Christ. Priests of the order of Melchizedec appeasing the wrath and indignation of the Father of heaven crucifying or offering Christ to the same effect that Christ in his own person did upon the cross is a blasphemy intolerable to be heard of Christen ears For Christ as S. Paul saith was but once offered once gave up himself for the Redemption of our sins on Good-Friday upon the Cross nor never before nor after was offered for us but in a Sacrament and as a commemoration of the same And so of the Maundy or Supper of the Lord Christ himself saith Haec quotiescunque feceritis in meam commemorationem facietis Once he dyed for our sins and once again he rose for our justification He dyeth no more And his Sacrifice was so good so ful so pleasaunt so precious to God that her neded no more oblations to appease God not only for the sins past but also for al the sins to the day of doom There nede no more Sacrifices no more Offerers but as having a respect and a remembrance of that most holy most perfect and most entier Lamb then and for ever offered up for us But these things aforesaid I cannot deny but they were spoken of me and written And as I do not now like them so at â—he example of S. Austin and other good Doctors I am not ashamed to retract them and cal them again and condemn them For when I followed mine own invention not directed by Scripture I began as the nature of man is to wander and at the last went clean contrary to Gods Word wherfore I heartily exhort every man as touching matters of Faith to found the same upon Gods certain true and infallible word lest by doing the contrary they fal into Superstition Idolatry and other manifold errors as my self and many other have done Wherfore these my two books the one of the Sacrifice of the Mas and the other of the Traditions unwritten in those poynts before rehersed and al other wherin they be not ful consonant to Scripture I forsake and renounce as false erroneous and against the true word of God requiring thee good Christian Reader whosoever shal read them to give no further credence to them then I would my self That is not to take as undoubted truth all that is therin written but as written of a man that some time falleth to be so far true as they be consonant to Scripture wher they be not against Scripture to be humane persuasion which may either be so or not so as the greater reason shal lead where they be not consonant to Scripture to be erroneous and false And that I much lament and am sorry that I wrote them in those poynts And I desire every man that hath any of the said books to beware of them and to give no credence to them in al
rowe Now God sped thee wel And I wil no more mell The Answer to the Enemy A rope is a fytt reward for such rysshe repers As have strowed this Church ageinst the Kings prechers THE Pulpits are now replenished with them that prech the truthe And Popish traitors banished which seemed to you great ruthe But yf you and the Freers were clean owt of this land This realme to the last years ful firme and sure should stand When such as with you trust shal al ly in the dust And ryse thereout agayne unto perpetual payne With them that laugh and scorne eyther at hye or lowe Had better not been borne such evil seeds to sowe Yee pray God spede them wel and ye wil no more mell Forsothe ye have said wel But if ye may be knowen Ye are like for to be taken and quartered like a baken And of your frends forsaken for these sedis ye have sowen Like as the last yere Traitors were knowen By standing in the felds with weapon and swordes So this year their treason is sowen In traiterous bills and railing words Some of their carcases standith on the gates And their heads most fyttely on London bridge Therefore ye Traytors beware your pates For yf ye be founde the same way must ye tridge God save the Kings Majestie long for to reigne To suppresse al rebells and truthe to maynteyne An old Song of John Nobody I. IN December when the dayes draw to be be short After November when the nights wax noysome and Long As I past by a place privily at a port I saw one sit by himself making a song His last talk of trifles who told with his tongue That few were fast i' th' faith I feyned that freake Whether he wanted wit or some had done him wrong He said he was little Iohn Nobody that durst not speak II. Iohn Nobody quoth I What news thou soon note and tell What maner men thou mean that are so mad He said These gay gallants that wil construe the gospel As Solomon the sage with semblance ful sad To discus divinity they nought adread More meet it were for them to milk kye at a fleyke Thou lyest quoth I thou Losel like a leud lad He said he was little Iohn Nobody that durst not speak III. It s meet for every man on this matter to talk And the glorious gospel ghostly to have in mind It is sothe said that Sect but much unseemly scalk As boyes babble in books that in Scripture are blind Yet to their fancy soon a cause wil find As to live in lust in lechery to leyke Such Caitives count to be come of Cains kind But that I little Iohn Nobody durst not speak IV. For our Reverend Father hath set forth an order Our service to be said in our Seignours tongue As Solomon the sage set forth the Scripture Our suffrages and service with many a sweet song With Homilies and godly books us among That no stiff stubborn stomacks we should freyke But wretches nere worse to do poor men wrong But that I little Iohn Nobody dare not speak V. For Bribery was never so great since born was our Lord And Whoredom was never les hated sith Christ harrowed Hel And poor men are so sore punished commonly through the world Thus would it grieve any one that good is to hear tel For al the homilies and good books yet their hearts be so quel That if a man do amiss with mischefe they wil him wreake The fashion of these new fellows it is so vile and fell But that I little Iohn Nobody dare not speake VI. Thus to live after their lust that life would they have And in letchery to lyke al their long life For al the preaching of Paul yet many a proud knave Wil move mischiefe in their mind both to maid and wife To bring them in advoutry or else they wil strife And in brawling about baudery Gods Commandments break But of these frantic il fellowes few of them do thrife Though I little Iohn Nobody dare not speak VII If thou company with them they wil currishly carp and not care According to their foolish fantacy but fast wil they naught Prayer with them is but prating Therefore they it forbear Both Almes deeds and holiness they hate it in their thought Therefore pray we to that Prince that with his bloud us bought That he wil mend that is amiss For many a man ful freyke Is sorry for these Sects though they say little or nought And that I little Iohn Nobody dare not once speake VIII Thus in no place this Nobody in no time I met Where no man then nought was nor nothing did appear Though the sound of a Synagogue for sorrow I swett That Hercules through the eccho did cause me to hear Then I drew me down into a dale wheras the dumb deer Did shiver for a shower but I shunted from a freyke For I would no wight in this world wist who I were But little Iohn Nobody that dare not once speake NUM L. John a Lasco's Letter from Embden signifying the dangerous condition they were in and the Persecutions they expected Clarissimo viro Domino Sicilio a consilijs libellis sâ—pplicibus Illustrissimi Domini Protectoris Domino fratri meo observandissimo S. Cum mihi ad alios scribendum istuc esset facere non potui quin ad te quoque scriberem Vir Clarissime memor videlicet illius quòd te mihi istic delegerim cui mea omnia nota prae alijs esse velim Volui itaque tibi de meo huc reditu significare nempe me felicissimo itinere gratia Domino usum me ex Anglia in Frisiam Orientalem intra triduum trajecisse Navis praesectum a Domino Protectore nobis additum habebamus virum optimum fidelissimum qui Dominum Comitem Bremam usque est sequutus ut certi aliquid opinor ab illo vobis adferat Ego quae scio ad Dominum Cantuariensem omnia perscripsi ut Illustriâ—â—imo Domino Protectori exponat quae tibi quoque incognita non fore puto Scripturus alioqui eadem ad te omnia si non id parum necessarium adeoque supervacaneum esse judicarem Nos hic crucem certissimam expectamus ad eam perferendam mutuo nos in Domino cohortamur cum invocatione nominis sancti sui ut per patientiam fidem ferendo superemus omnia quaeâ—únque in nos permittere ille volet ad nominis sui gloriam nostri probationem Certi illum curam nostri habere ita potentem esse ut â—mnes omnium hostium phalanges quicunque sint tandem illi unico oris sui verbo sternat momento uno rursum ita bonâ—m ut ne pilum quidem temerè e nostro capite detrahi patiatur etiamsi nos totus mundus impetere conetur Támque nobis malè velle non possit unquam quà m mater infanti
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
his body and bloode that is showed in the forme of bread and wyne what reason wil admytt this What sence And how moche probable were this if this doctrine were taught as yow teach it to say that yow see in the forme of bread and wyne is a figure only of the body of Christ that is in heaven whom in spirit in that figure yow do honour This maner no doubt were more probable sayeng to the ears of men that judge things other by reason or by sence But the more probable it is the more false it is the great Sophister and father of al lyes ever deceaving us by probabilitie of reason proponyng ever that which is more aggreable to the sence But the trew doctrine of Christ is taught by another way Here is another deficiency being faullen therein not so moche for fawte or abuse of reason as by malice against reason And such I say no hand can cure no reason no discourse but onlie that it please the high mercy of god that doith chastise your malicious handleng of the truth with such ignoraunce and darknes to withdraw his hond of vengeaunce apon yow for otherwise you heareng reason and seeing some light thereof yet yow have not so moche grace as to receive it nor follow it This is the thing I greatlie fear in yow haveng knowledge of your procedyng syneth your furst notable errour in rejecteng the doctryne of the Popes Supremiâ—ie and afterward of the Sacrement which as I said afore was not after the common maner of faulleng as other did by curiositie or by frailtie but by deliberate malice to forsake the trouthe in both poinctes to satisfie your carnal appetites to the which yow dissembleng furst and mockeng with the treuthe and afterward openlie forsakeng the same did serve you Which as yet yow do not knowledg and this must be the first things that you shuld knowledg makeng open confession with repentaunce thereof if yow shal ever come to receive ony fructe of the mercy of god So that if I now that desire your recover shuld go about by way of discourse or argument to bryng yow from your errour to the truth this must be the furst poyncte to show how you fell into the same darkness to the entent that God so moche remytteng his hond of justice that yow may se your abhomination in abuseng the truth you might knowledge by feare the justice of god in letteng yow faul into so great darkness and by the hope of his infinite mercy caull to hym for grace to be restored to some lyght of his infallible veritie And this I with al my heart prayeng for yow in the mean season untyl God give yow the grace to do the same for your self shal withal open unto yow the maner of your faulle Touching your furst Article of the Popes authoritie which I nede not open ony further then you have opened your self nor cannot better express it then you have set it furth I haveng no knowledge thereof but by your own sayng and wryting for defence of perjurie objected to yow And now mark yow wel if yow have any sence of knowledge left unto yow to see your self and your own dedes if ever there were hard such kynd of a defence in ony perjurie of onie man that had left hym onye light of reason or knowledge of justice Which for to know furst yow must be put in remembrance of the kynde of your othe and the maner of makeng thereof The kynd was such that it was no new othe but the very same that al Archbusshops of Canterburie which be Primates of this realme al Archbusshops and Busshops in every christen realme doith accustomable make to the Popes holines as to the Vicar of Christ in earth swearing to hym obedience Such was your othe And as touching the maner of makeng of it none could be more solempne being made in the hond of a Busshop with the testimonye and assistence of other Busshops openly in the Church in the presence of as moche people as the church could hold at such tyme as yow arraid with the sacred vesture of a Busshop cam afore the aultre to be consecrated Archbusshop Al this yow cannott nor do not denye nor yet that after al this solempne and open othe yow did directlie and openlie against the same Which must necessarilie condempne yow of perjurie But this necessarie consequence yow denie granteng notwithstondyng to have done contrary to the oth But yow say for your defence that where yow went to make the othe even then yow never thought to observe it And least this shuld be an inconvenient and a thing moche dommagious unto your fame and eastimation if it were not wel known that you swore one thing in the most solempne fâ—shion yow could and ment another here yow bring such a testimony by wryting yow bryng furth a previe Protestation made with previe witnesses haveng the hond and signe of the Notarie to prove that when yow went to make that solempne othe yow were nothing mynded to observe it Which former Protestation whereto doith it serve but to testify a doble perjurie which is to be forsworne afore yow did swere Other perjurers be wont to break their oth after they have sworne yow brake it afore Quis sapiens intelliget haec intelliget malitiam Satanae And a wonderful aggravation of the wrath of God towards yow But let the malice of Sathan be furst considered in deludeng yow when yow thought to delude other This delusion was this That because it had bene hard some Protestations to be made also of some good men in a case when thei not beyng at their own choise and libertie when per vim metum qui aliquando cadit in constantem virum they be made to swere to that which afterward they have done contrarie to their former oth In which case a Protestation excuseng the Wil and alledgeng the feare hath some colour of defence This I say yow hearyng and Sâ—than puttyng yow in remembrance hereof with the similitude of this deluded yow Makeng yow beleve that such a kynd of Protestation might serve for a premeditate perjurie Wherunto yow were not driven nother vi nor metu as yow were not in this your case except yow caul that a just fear that yow dyd sâ—e if yow did not sweare you could not satisfie your ambition and covetousnes in haveng the Busshoprick For so it was Leave yow thise two affections care yee not for to be made Busshop and who dyd constrayne yow to sweare Were yee not by that refuse quite delivered of al necessitie to sweare This also ye cannot denye Whereunto therefore serveth your Protestation made by the hand of a Notarie but to make your previe perjurie more notoriouslie known but to make it known to the world that yow entreng to the rule of a part of the flock of Christ yow entred not in by the dore and not entreng by the dore but aliunde